Action movies and independent films dominate new movies to DVD

It seems like now is the time to catch up on some of the big action movies from 2011 with the DVDs out this week and that came out last week.

Hollywood loves the action movie. They love to produce one action movie after another. So many action movies come out that the average fan cannot keep up. That’s why it’s great that Hollywood brings these movies out on DVD a few weeks after they leave the theater. And this week, and last week’s, list of movies new to DVD contain at least two big action thrillers from 2011.

New to DVD April 17, 2012:

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol - Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner. The movie that marks a very welcome kick in the behind for the Mission Impossible franchise. Once again, Cruise plays M.I. agent Ethan Hunt and, once again, he and his team are accused of something that they did not do and find themselves on the outs with the upper brass. This time the team is racing against the clock to track down a terrorist who has gotten his hands on Russian nuclear missile launch codes. Filled with thrilling action including scenes filmed while Cruise hung outside the tallest building in the world, it is a welcome return to excellence for this series. Rated PG-13.

Shame - Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan. A movie that takes a very realistic and graphic look into the world of sex addiction, this is also a film that many felt should have garnered Fassbender and Academy Award nomination. Fassbender stars as a man completely addicted to sordid sex and who cannot spend a day without indulging in his libido and lustful fantasies. His life is turned upside down when his sister arrives and has to stay with him, disrupting his constant need for sex. Fassbender gives a truly raw, and literally naked, performance that many feel will be one of the most important roles in his career. Rated R.

New to DVD April 24, 2012:

Contraband - Mark Wahlberg, Kate Beckinsale, Ben Foster. Wahlberg stars as a man with a knack for smuggling things. His character, however, has long ago given up his life of crime and is determined to settle down into a quiet suburban life with his family. That plan comes to a screeching halt when his brother screws up a drug deal. His character is called out of retirement to use his talents as a smuggler to try and save the day and get back to his normal life. Rated R.

Pariah - Kim Wayans, Aasha Davis, Adepro Oduye. A small film that deals with a very intense subject. A young teenage girl growing up in Brooklyn has been harboring a secret that she has been afraid to tell her parents, namely, that she is a lesbian. The story focuses on her struggles when she decides to come out to her family and the rejection and hatred she suffers as a result. The film was critically lauded when it came out, but played in only a few theaters in a few cities around the country. Rated R.

Photo courtesy of Morguefile.com

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