Presidents Day weekend is the time to take advantage of sales and get that new couch you’ve been eyeing or drive that new car off the lot, but it is, apparently, not the best time to get new DVDs. There are only a handful of new releases to choose from this week, and just a few of them will generate much interest. Thanks to HBO for pumping some excitement into the column this week. Read on for details:
Even if you’ve never seen an episode of Game of Thrones, chances are you heard from someone about season three’s infamous “Red Wedding” episode. Such has been the cultural impact of HBO’s hugely popular adaptation of George R. R. Martin’s epic fantasy novel series A Song of Ice and Fire, the first novel of which is where the series gets its name. Now, for those who have yet to watch the series, but are intrigued, we’re not going to spoil anything here. Suffice it to say that Game of Thrones chronicles the rise and fall of political and military forces largely in a fictional, magic-infused Dark Ages-era land known as Westeros, following the exploits of a handful of powerful families as they wrestle either for freedom or dominion. Season three approximately covers the first half of Martin’s third novel in the series, though anyone who’s read the books is almost certainly already following along with the HBO show. In any case, the full season, along with a number of special features, is available this week on DVD and Blu-ray.
It’s a small film that saw only a limited release, but it’s a pretty slow week for home video releases, so we’ll take it. Afternoon Delight stars Kathryn Hahn as Rachel, a hip 30-something mother and housewife whose life seems just about perfect, except for the fact that she’s getting a bit bored. When she visits a strip club with some friends and meets dancer McKenna (Juno Temple), she finds a source of inspiration and asks McKenna to be her live-in nanny. Hahn, who has been very funny in several supporting roles, managed to impress critics here with a slightly more understated performance, and her chemistry with Juno Temple was largely what drove this comedy. Critics found the film mostly agreeable, awarding it a 62% on the Tomatometer and calling it a light, refreshing look at a dilemma many women may relate to, even if it’s a bit tonally uneven and doesn’t quite know exactly what it wants to say.
