New Geek DVD Day - 01/13/09

 Wow, talk about a slow Geek DVD day.  There isn't much of anything out today that is really Geek-centric.  I've had to dreg the bottom of the barrel to bring you today's selections, so I'm sorry if what I present to you isn't exactly great stuff, or even especially geeky.  It's all there is though, and we have to make do with what we've got.

 

 



 

The Good:  Tokyo Gore Police

 

Why It's Good:  I haven't seen this film.  I can't even say I've ever heard of it before today, but as I was going through the list of newly released films, the title and the cover caught my eye.  It's a hot chick in a skimpy outfit with a sword.  That'll always be enough to catch my attention.  And then the plot synopsis intruiged me even more.

 

"In the near future, the Tokyo Police Corporation is locked in a bloody war with the "engineers." These genetically modified super-criminals can bio-fuse their open wounds with weapons, turning self-mutilation into a combat form. Ruka, the daughter of the police chief's murdered right-hand man, is now the top engineer hunter. With cold-blooded efficiency she cuts through the psychotic engineers and tracks down their home base, a truly bizarre fetish club. Nothing keeps her from her sworn duty, even when she finds out the truth behind her father's death."

 

Genetically modified super-criminals? Dudes with weapons fused to their mutilated limbs?  A fetish club as a base of operations?  And a hot chick with a sword cutting through them with wild abandon?  I'm sold!  This is totally going on my Netflix queue as soon as I'm done writing this post.

 

 



 

The Badass:  Underworld & Underworld Evolution Two Pack

 

Why It's Badass:  I know both of these films have been released on DVD before, but as a part of a tie-in for the upcoming release of the third Underworld film; Rise of the Lycans, the two previous films have been packaged together in one convenient case.  And at a low price of $14.99, that's a pretty good deal for two fairly decent vampire/werewolf films.  If you haven't picked up the films yet, this may be the best and cheapest way to do so.

 

Plus, it's about 4 hours worth of Kate Beckinsale in a skintight black leather outfit with a big zipper down the front that is usually pulled about halfway down.  I can't think of anyone who is really going to complain about that. 

 

 



 

The Awesome:  Appaloosa

 

Why It's Awesome:  While most people don't really consider a western film as geeky per se, this film about two guys who go around bringing the law to lawless towns in the old west has a fair share of geek cred to it.  First off, it stars Ed Harris (who has been in a ton of good geek films like Abyss, Creepshow, Stephen King's The Stand, The Truman Show, etc.) and Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn from Lord of the Rings). 

 

Secondly, it's a hell of a film.  It's beautifully shot, well paced and the writing is superb.  There's even one of the quickest gunfights I've ever seen in the film.  If you're a fan of westerns at all, this is a must see.  Even if you're not the biggest fan of the genre, I think there's enough goodness in here that you still may be able to enjoy it.  Viggo Mortensen's performance in the film is amazing.  I walked out of this film vastly entertained.