A.J.'s DVD Rundown - 9/25/07

Alright, movie freaks, you know the drill by now. On a **** scale, here's my DVD rundown for this week...

"September 25, 2007"

Major Releases:

Bug - A lonely woman (Ashley Judd) and a slightly unhinged man (Michael Shannon) spark a relationship that spirals into sheer, bloody madness. I've yet to see this one, and the reviews I've read have been mixed, but I'm always up for a creepy-looking psychological horror flick like this, especially one directed by William Friedkin. Hey, it can't be any worse than The Guardian, right?

Evening - A cross-generational romantic drama that doesn't have a very outstanding plot but has nevertheless assembled one hell of a cast: Meryl Streep, Claire Danes, Glenn Close, Patrick Wilson, Vanessa Redgrave, Toni Collette...hell, the credits alone make this a must-rent on my part.

Knocked Up - A go-nowhere schlub (Seth Rogen) and an ambitious career woman (Katherine Heigl) find their lives intertwined when the latter becomes impregnated with the former's seed. This summer sleeper surprise is worth every bit of the hype, an excellent second effort from writer/director Judd Apatow that, like his break-out hit The 40-Year-Old Virgin, deftly combines raunchy comedy with touching drama, making sure to never bash the viewer over the head with either genre too often. Knocked Up really does make you laugh as much as it surprises you with a sweetness and maturity about its characters, quite a few of whom are as immature as can be. Like Virgin, the movie's also a little bit too lengthy, but a long yet fulfilling comedy like Knocked Up is infinitely more satisfying than a short yet godawful mess like The Ex. -- *** 1/2