JBO: Joystiq Box Office, November 23 - November 27
by Kevin Kelly 
{ Nov 27th 2009 at 9:00PM } 
We can't be gaming all the time, despite our best efforts, and from time to time we'll actually take advantage of the movie-playing abilities on our gaming systems. JBO features our top picks for XBL, PSN, Netflix's Watch Instantly and Blu-ray each week.
Recommendation of the Week:
Food, Inc. (Xbox 360/Zune Video)
You cram food in your mouth every day, but do you ever really think about where it comes from? This is especially timely a day after the American holiday that's all about stuffing as much food as you possibly can down your gullet and surviving. Food, Inc. takes a hard look at the corporate food industry in America, and you'll be surprised how many different labels and brands are owned by so few companies. It'll make you think twice about buying food in the future, or even finishing what's already on your plate. Hopefully someone will make a documentary about Joel Salatin, a rancher in the film who you'll write off as a redneck at first glance, but who quickly becomes one of the sole voices of wisdom in the movie. This guy needs to take over the entire FDA.
Read on for the rest of the recommendations, and as usual, we'll see you at the popcorn sta -- well, actually, we won't see you at all. But you catch our drift. Plus, be sure to tell us what you'll be watching, or what you've seen recently that bowled you over.
Recommendation of the Week:
Food, Inc. (Xbox 360/Zune Video)You cram food in your mouth every day, but do you ever really think about where it comes from? This is especially timely a day after the American holiday that's all about stuffing as much food as you possibly can down your gullet and surviving. Food, Inc. takes a hard look at the corporate food industry in America, and you'll be surprised how many different labels and brands are owned by so few companies. It'll make you think twice about buying food in the future, or even finishing what's already on your plate. Hopefully someone will make a documentary about Joel Salatin, a rancher in the film who you'll write off as a redneck at first glance, but who quickly becomes one of the sole voices of wisdom in the movie. This guy needs to take over the entire FDA.
Read on for the rest of the recommendations, and as usual, we'll see you at the popcorn sta -- well, actually, we won't see you at all. But you catch our drift. Plus, be sure to tell us what you'll be watching, or what you've seen recently that bowled you over.
Xbox Live Video Marketplace (Xbox 360)
Three O'Clock High (240
($3) HD, 160 ($2) SD, to purchase, per episode)You probably remember Casey Siemaszko from Young Guns ("I'm a pugilist."), but Three O'Clock High is probably his best movie. While girls had Sixteen Candles and Pretty in Pink, guys pretty much had only this movie as their seminal high school experience turned into a film. Ferris Bueller's Day Off, while being a great movie, was a bit too fantastical for everyone to identify with, but the showdown with the school bully? Almost everyone can relate to that. It's sort of like High Noon set in a high school, with a lot less bravado. It makes you wonder why Siemaszko ended up on the Law & Order/CSI TV guest star circuit. Still, this classic is good even after 22 years.
Netflix Watch Instantly (Mac/PC, Xbox Live, PS3, subscription required: starts at $8.99 per month)
Lost in La ManchaThis engrossing documentary about Terry Gilliam's failed attempt to bring a movie version of Don Quixote to life with Johnny Depp is both amazing and depressing. It's amazing because it gives you an incredibly detailed look inside the world of Gilliam, but it's ultimately depressing as the film he's trying to make falls apart piece by piece. In the end it's a testament to what could have been, although earlier this year Gilliam was working on reviving the project ... so it may happen yet. One standout scene where the film investors come to watch Depp at work is so ridiculous, you'll understand why Gilliam is beyond frustrated with the process.
PlayStation Store (PlayStation 3 or PSP)
Thirst ($5.99 HD, $3.99 SD to rent, $14.99 SD to own)It doesn't look like Sony updated their video content during this holiday week, or if they did, then they didn't blog about it. So we're picking something from last week's list. Thirst is a Korean film about a man who's a priest by day, and a vampire by night. Servant of God on one side of the coin, undead creature of Satan on the other. Director Park Chan-wook, who also helmed Old Boy, turns this into a dark comedy, a horror film, and a sensual piece ... as these vampires crave all sinful pleasures, and not just blood. It's every bit as gripping as his previous movies, and one the Jury Prize at Cannes earlier this year. Well worth watching.
Blu-ray Disc (PlayStation 3)
Terminator Salvation (Director's Cut) ($35.99, lower at many retailers)While McG's Terminator Salvation wasn't exactly a perfect reboot to the time-traveling deathbot series, it was a lot better than I was expecting. Plus Sam Worthington was so much more engaging than Christian Bale, which was a nice surprise. While calling this Blu-ray a "director's cut" is a bit much (it only adds a few minutes of violence, and a shot of Moon Bloodgood's boobs), Warner Bros. brings back the Maximum Movie Mode from Watchmen, and it's quickly becoming a must-have on these discs. McG's commentary and scene explanations actually make this movie more enjoyable and worth a second look.
What are you watching?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Discotheque @ Nov 27th 2009 9:06PM
Terminator Salvation was a massive turd. But yes, Worthington was way more compelling than the bland Bale in this film.
Thirst, I've been meaning to watch. There is a shortage of good vamp movies (Let the Right One In was fantastic) and I like the director and the star of the film so it seems like a good choice to rent this week.
Ben @ Nov 28th 2009 7:46AM
Terminator upset me a bit, just because it was so devoid of substance. I don't even think it was Bale's fault he was bad, he just had nothing to do in the film that mattered. But Sam Worthington was rather good, and I'm looking forward to seeing him in Avatar!
Frank @ Nov 28th 2009 10:56AM
Um? Shortage of good vampire movies? New Moon just came out! and Twilight is on DVD/BluRay! How can you say there is a shortage of good vampire movies?!.......
Access Granted [No one can stop Mr. Domino!] @ Nov 28th 2009 2:18PM
@Frank: He said GOOD vampire movies.
Kevin Kelly @ Nov 28th 2009 2:24PM
ZING, Access. Zing.
Mudassir @ Nov 28th 2009 2:30PM
Because Twilight sucks! though to be fair, people who support othe shitty movies liek Transformers and 2012 have no right to rag on Twilight. Its their fault to begin with.
Discotheque @ Nov 28th 2009 3:17PM
LOL @Twilight and New Moon. I agree with Mudassir though. If you're enjoying crap like 2012 and Transformers 2, yet you're bashing the Twilight series you're kind of part of the problem. Both films are the same things, only appeasing to different genders.
Also yes, I'm also very looking forward to seeing Avatar. Say what you will about the blue elves and stuff, but Cameron put A LOT of detail and time into crafting this world, and he can film an action scene like no other. There is going to be little to no shaky cam AND none of that crappy Bay editing. For once, we'll be able to see a really exciting action movie where we can see what's going on!!!
Markez @ Nov 27th 2009 9:07PM
I took the Farscape recommendation last week and gave it a whirl. The first 10 minutes were a bunch of non-sensical goofy shenanigans and I couldn't tell what the hell was going on. The aliens were over the top weird looking. I was in the mood for a quick watch so I moved onto something else. I'll try it again sometime, I swear :P
I wish Food, Inc was on instant, sounds like the most interesting to me.
Anyone ever watched TV show Leverage? It's been sitting in my instant queue but I've yet to try it.
Markez @ Nov 27th 2009 9:10PM
Alright I just noticed that the Farscape I had added into my queue and tried to watch was season 2. Perhaps season 1 is a better place to start, DOH
Cash @ Nov 27th 2009 11:24PM
I'll go ahead and save you some time and money by summing up "Food Inc":
Corporations suck because no one should be turning a profit but us, the people responsible for this film, and poor people should go hungry tonight just so you can feel better about what you put in your face hole.
If you're still not satisfied, open your netflix viewer and cue up episode 6 of Penn and Teller's Bullshit season 7: Organic Food is Bullshit! That one you can watch instantly, no waiting.
BigD145 @ Nov 28th 2009 12:43AM
Penn and Teller tend to be full of shit more than half the time. They too fall under the "give us money."
meledeo @ Nov 28th 2009 9:14AM
I've watched most of the first season of Leverage on my instant queue, and I have to say it's pretty entertaining. It's kind of like Ocean's Eleven made into a movie. I hope it stays that way as I keep watching and doesn't turn into Ocean's Twelve and Thirteen.
ArmorForVictor (PSN & Steam) @ Nov 28th 2009 6:47PM
Food Inc is coming to streaming on Dec 3rd http://www.streamingsoon.com/ good site to check what's being added to the Netflix instant watch
MystileArmor @ Nov 27th 2009 9:13PM
There was a certain CGI character in there that made it from "meh" to a little less "meh".
MystileArmor @ Nov 27th 2009 9:14PM
Talking bout Terminator, for those who didn't read my mind.
Markez @ Nov 27th 2009 9:16PM
I thought you meant barcode cow, but I guess it must be a real barcoded cow.
Darth Bradwart, The Dark Lord of the Sith [ATDF Chairman] @ Nov 27th 2009 9:21PM
That was the best part of the whole movie!
MystileArmor @ Nov 27th 2009 9:25PM
That Barcode cow is as real as the Milka cow:
http://nxt.accurender.com/forums/storage/5/10996/Milka-Cow--25254.jpg
bongoes Sector 2814 @ Nov 27th 2009 10:24PM
@Bradwart
You mean the barcoded cow? Yeah that part was great!
Lunastra78 (PSN: lunastra78) @ Nov 27th 2009 9:22PM
I recommend Visitor Q (Takashi Miike).
And be sure to watch it with the whole family gathered. Should make a great Christmas movie!
riotdistiller @ Nov 28th 2009 1:15AM
I second this!
Darth Bradwart, The Dark Lord of the Sith [ATDF Chairman] @ Nov 27th 2009 9:29PM
Well, I picked up The Dark Knight, Independence Day, and Casino Royale on BD today.
Any recommendations on which to watch first? (I've seen them all before)
bongoes Sector 2814 @ Nov 27th 2009 10:18PM
I usually go in the order I liked them, so I would say Dark Knight first, but you've seen them all so whichever order you would put them is might be a good way to start.
Dr. Bradwart @ Nov 28th 2009 1:24AM
Those are all great movies, watch them in any order as you like.
Hooch @ Nov 28th 2009 8:12AM
WTF@ Dr.Bradwart...stalker? xD
The Dark Wayne [Planeteer: Power of the Batusi] ATDFs Financier and Batman @ Nov 27th 2009 9:30PM
What's maximum movie mode? Also, I just got a new blu ray player and can anybody help me out with it? It's a samsung BD-P1500, several movies have this strange bonus features box in the top left corner that never goes away no matter how many buttons i press!
Darth Bradwart, The Dark Lord of the Sith [ATDF Chairman] @ Nov 27th 2009 9:34PM
In the settings menu, perhaps? Or on the 'Extra Features' section on the disc menu?
I've only used a PS3 for Blu-Ray playback, so I'm a little out of it here.
Will @ Nov 27th 2009 10:16PM
It's the director talking in front of two canted screens: one showing the movie, the other showing details, effects, etc. Pretty cool stuff
Vidikron @ Nov 28th 2009 12:16PM
Found this via Google:
"If you happen to have the Samsung BD-P1500 (the player that seems to be most difficult to figure this out on), there's two ways: 1) go into the player setup menu (by hitting the menu button with no disc in the player), go to display settings, and then turn OFF screen messages. That will remove the icons until the feature is re-enabled. 2) Hit the info button on the remote, then hit display (while the icon is on-screen), and it should go away for the duration of the film."
The Dark Wayne [Planeteer: Power of the Batusi] ATDFs Financier and Batman @ Nov 28th 2009 4:37PM
awesome, thank you
Riley @ Nov 27th 2009 9:30PM
You know, I'm a huge Terry Gilliam fan, but I've never seen Lost in la Mancha, I probably should
coffee_elf @ Nov 27th 2009 9:33PM
I just watched Lost in La Mancha a week ago and it's a great movie. Highly recommended if you're a Gilliam fan.
It's a sad movie, because it's about failure, but it sounds like he's making another attempt to film it. With (possibly) Michael Palin as Don Quixote. How cool would that be?
bongoes Sector 2814 @ Nov 27th 2009 10:22PM
I've got a ton of stuff on my Netflix queue to watch but I've also got Psych season one on DVD coming, so I'll probably watch that. I've seen the current season and a few older episodes but I want to go back and watch the first season, is it as funny as the later stuff?
David Pany @ Nov 27th 2009 10:55PM
Food inc. is definitely a good flick. Watch it if you ever cared about food.
kentuckyfried @ Nov 27th 2009 11:22PM
"a shot of Moon Bloodgood's boobs"
*runs off to download the director's cut*
MrAlex @ Nov 28th 2009 6:21PM
google images, found, seen.
aaronx_x @ Nov 27th 2009 11:43PM
ah, i just watched Food Inc. great doc. EVERYTHING IS MADE OF CORN!! i am made of corn! :o
scratch @ Nov 28th 2009 12:21AM
sounds like food inc. is a movie version of the omnivore's dilemma or one of michael pollan's other recent books. i recommend you read that instead of watching food inc.
why not the LS2LS7? @ Nov 28th 2009 1:06AM
It's similar to Fast Food Nation or such. It's again a retread of "The Jungle".
It's kinda funny it was aired locally for free sponsored by Chipotle, but now it costs money.
Obi-Habby @ Nov 28th 2009 8:44PM
Chipotle is owned by McDonalds which makes it even funnier.
Kevin Kelly @ Nov 28th 2009 9:03PM
Actually, McDonald's used to own part of Chipotle. Not anymore though, they sold it awhile ago.
Imran @ Nov 28th 2009 1:37AM
Good call on Food Inc! Pleasantly surrised to see this film get some of the recognition it deserves.
Kenology18 @ Nov 28th 2009 8:41AM
Was Joel Salatin the cowboy lookin', hillbilly dude that raised his livestock naturally? It's so easy to write him off as a redneck at first glance but he really turned out to be quite well spoken and intelligent guy. I was really impressed with him too.
And big ups to you guys for recommending Food Inc. Gotta get the word out there about agri-business, the failure that is the FDA, and the reason why we all should support organic, steroid/hormone/GMO-free foods.
Nook @ Nov 28th 2009 9:07AM
I'll have to check out Food Inc., thanks.
The World According to Monsanto is pretty good for an eye opener.
It's important we know about the food we eat, to suggest that some are just bringing the info to light for profit is just jealousy IMO, no...I'd really call it complete ignorance. You should always ask questions, even when you think you'll get answers you don't want to hear.
el serpiente @ Nov 28th 2009 12:33PM
I will be watching the blu-ray release of Heat over and over and over until I attain spritual enlightenment. Should happen by sunday evening...
Dave @ Nov 28th 2009 12:58PM
Maybe I'll watch it after the leftovers run out.
isotrex @ Nov 28th 2009 4:27PM
Thirst looks interesting. Gonna check it out. :D
Diskoboy7 @ Nov 28th 2009 10:45PM
Wow, 3 O'clock High...
I remember seeing that in the theaters, back in 1987.
I also remember being the ONLY people in that theater..
Mike @ Nov 29th 2009 12:02PM
"I remember seeing that in the theaters, back in 1987.
I also remember being the ONLY people in that theater.."
You're a singular identity comprised of multiple bodies? Keen!!
Diskoboy7 @ Dec 1st 2009 4:38PM
I had 2 friends with me.
I guess I should've specified that. :)