Welcome back movie lovers! I’m back again for another look at the home video releases for the week for all you faithful FTS readers.

Southpaw

Who’s in it?
Jake Gyllenhaal, Forest Whitaker, Rachel McAdams, Curtis Jackson, Rita Ora

What’s it about?
“From acclaimed director Antoine Fuqua (TRAINING DAY) and screenwriters Kurt Sutter (“Sons of Anarchy) and Richard Wenk (THE MECHANIC), SOUTHPAW tells the riveting story of Billy “The Great” Hope, reigning Junior Middleweight Boxing Champion of the World (Academy Award (R) nominee Jake Gyllenhaal). Billy Hope seemingly has it all with an impressive career, a beautiful and loving wife (Rachel McAdams), an adorable daughter (Oona Laurence) and a lavish lifestyle. When tragedy strikes and his lifelong manager and friend (Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson) leaves him behind, Hope hits rock bottom and turns to an unlikely savior at a run-down local gym: Tick Willis (Academy Award (R) winner Forest Whitaker), a retired fighter and trainer to the city’s toughest amateur boxers. With his future riding on Tick’s guidance and tenacity, Billy enters the hardest battle of his life as he struggles with redemption and to win back the trust of those he loves.” – Weinstein

Nate’s Two Cents?
Earlier this year I had the pleasure of reviewing my first film for French Toast Sunday, and Southpaw happened to be that first film. If you read the review you will already know that I absolutely loved Southpaw. The performances are amazing and Fuqua delivers a new and original boxing epic for the fans. The movie has some unique shots of the fights in first person POV that are unlike anything seen in boxing movies up until this point, which help the movie stand out from the rest of the pack. Out of all the releases this week, this is the one you should be checking out.

The Gift

Who’s in it?
Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall, Joel Edgerton, David Denman, Busy Philipps

What’s it about?
“Simon and Robyn are a young married couple whose life is going just as planned until a chance encounter with an acquaintance from Simon’s high school sends their world into a harrowing tailspin. Simon doesn’t recognize Gordo at first, but after a series of uninvited encounters and mysterious gifts prove troubling, a horrifying secret from the past is uncovered after more than 20 years. As Robyn learns the unsettling truth about what happened between Simon and Gordo, she starts to question: how well do we really know the people closest to us, and are past bygones ever really bygones?” – Styx

Nate’s Two Cents?
The only reason I finally decided to give this movie a watch was because of word of mouth. To be honest, I thought the trailers for this movie were terrible and did not make we want to see the movie at all. Fortunately, the movie is actually really great and makes up for the trailers. The movie might be one of the best thrillers I’ve seen in quite some time, and even gives you a nice twist towards the end. The Gift is definitely worth checking out if you like a good thriller.

Human Centipede 3

Who’s in it?
Dieter Laser, Laurence R. Harvey, Robert LaSardo, Eric Roberts, Bree Olsen

What’s it about?
“Tom Six grosses out film-goers once again with this third entry of the Human Centipede series, with returning stars Dieter Laser and Laurence R. Harvey banding together as a new villainous duo aspiring to connect over 500 human bodies together.” – Rovi

Nate’s Two Cents?
This movie felt like it took forever to finally get released. Unfortunately, it was not worth the wait. This third installment is by far the worst of the trilogy, and Tom Six takes things to a new level of strange and disgusting. The first film was pretty cool because it was different and new and actually had somewhat of a story. The second film was an interesting take as well and had some great special effects and sound design, but also started to turn into shock cinema as it progressed. This third and final act feels like a gross-out fest, like Six was just trying to make the weirdest film and see how much he could gross out the viewer. If you’re a fan of the series, go ahead and give it a rent, but it’s not a necessary watch.

Burying the Ex

Who’s in it?
Anton Yelchin, Ashley Greene, Alexandra Daddario, Oliver Cooper

What’s this thing about?
“It seemed like a great idea when all-around nice guy Max (ANTON YELCHIN, Star Trek) and his beautiful girlfriend, Evelyn (ASHLEY GREENE, Twilight Saga) moved in together. But when Evelyn turns out to be a controlling, manipulative nightmare, Max knows it’s time to call it quits. There’s just one problem: he’s terrified of breaking up with her. Fate steps in when Evelyn is the victim of a fatal, freak accident, leaving Max single and ready to mingle. Just as Max is thinking about moving on with what could be his dream girl, Olivia (Alexandra Daddario, True Detective) – Evelyn has returned from the grave and is determined to get her boyfriend back…even if that means transforming him into one of the undead.” – RLJE/Image

Nate’s Two Cents?
Finally decided to check this one out after listening to the Joe Dante episode of The Movie Crypt podcast. If you’re a fan of Dante’s dark humor, then you will thoroughly enjoy Burying the Ex. The movie isn’t scary, but it’s a fun-spirited movie just in time for Halloween.

Pixels

“As kids in the 1980s, Sam Brenner (Adam Sandler), Will Cooper (Kevin James), Ludlow Lamonsoff (Josh Gad), and Eddie “The Fire Blaster” Plant (Peter Dinklage) saved the world thousands of times – at 25 cents a game in the video arcades. Now, they’re going to have to do it for real. In Pixels, when intergalactic aliens discover video feeds of classic arcade games and misinterpret them as a declaration of war, they attack the Earth, using the video games as the models for their assaults — and now-U.S. President Cooper must call on his old-school arcade friends to save the world from being destroyed by PAC-MAN, Donkey Kong, Galaga, Centipede, and Space Invaders. Joining them is Lt. Col. Violet Van Patten (Michelle Monaghan), a specialist supplying the arcaders with unique weapons to fight the aliens.” – Sony

Max

“A military dog from Afghanistan is adopted by his late handler’s grieving family in the U.S., where his close bond with the soldier’s brother leads to a life-altering revelation in this family-friendly adventure from MGM and director Boaz Yakin (who penned the screenplay alongside writer Sheldon Lettich).” – Rovi

Army of Darkness (Scream Factory Collector’s Edition)

“The third in director Sam Raimi’s stylish, comic book-like horror trilogy that began with The Evil Dead (1982), this tongue-in-cheek sequel offers equal parts sword-and-sorcery-style action, gore, and comedy. Bruce Campbell returns as the one-armed Ash, now a supermarket employee (“Shop Smart…Shop S-Mart”) who is transported by the powers of a mysterious book back in time with his Oldsmobile ’88 to the 14th century medieval era. Armed only with a shotgun, his high school chemistry textbook, and a chainsaw that mounts where his missing appendage once resided, the square-jawed, brutally competent Ash quickly establishes himself as a besieged kingdom’s best hope against an “army of darkness” currently plaguing the land. Since the skeleton warriors have been resurrected with the aid of the Necronomicon (the same thing that can send Ash back to his own time) he agrees to face the enemy in battle. Ash also finds romance of a sort along the way with a beautiful damsel in distress, Sheila (Embeth Davidtz), and contends with his own doppelganger after mangling an important incantation.” – Rovi