New DVD and Blu-Ray Releases to Crave: The Killer Elite Take the Moneyball and Run

By Chris Kavan - 01/10/12 at 12:39 PM CT

With award season finally getting into high gear, now is the perfect time to catch up on all those would-be, could-be 2012 nominated films before the big Oscar night. While there is only one decent film coming out on DVD this week that may show up, it's a good one to choose.

1) Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Robin Wright bring a much different kind of sports movie to the scene. Moneyball tells the story about Billy Beane - general manager for the Oakland A's who comes up with a plan to turn around his struggling team: using computer analysis to draft his new players. The concept sounds strange for a film, but thanks to the cast and the story (based partly on the book by Michael Lewis) it works much better than expected. While it might not be getting the attention of The Artist or The Descendants, it deserves recognition for taking the idea and turning it into a compelling film.

2) If you find yourself suffering from a lack of action in your life, don't worry, Jason Statham (joined by Clive Owen and Robert De Niro) is here to save the day with Killer Elite. I believe if you've seen one Statham film, you've seen them all, but you have to admit the man is good at action. If you're suffering from a boring night, this might just serve as the shot in the arm you need to get going.

3) If sport dramas and all-out action just aren't up your alley, don't fret, there is a nice, calm romantic period piece to smooth things out. While Jane Eyre has seen many adaptations, this one has new critical darling Michael Fassbinder along with Judi Dench and Mia Wasikowska. I can't say this is the type of film that appeals to me, but with the talent involved I have to believe this is a decent adaptation.

4) Finally, a romantic comedy that never really found traction at the box office, What's Your Number also makes its appearance. Anna Faris just hasn't had much luck with roles lately - she's cute as a button, and I know she can act, but she really needs to go beyond this fluff comedies. And Chris Evans? Stick with action, my friend, that's all I have to say.

On the Blu-Ray front, if you like dancing, you won't find a much better movie than Billy Elliot. A boy who is supposed to be boxer, but really wants to join the ballet - characters drive this story, and it's just a great coming-of-age film. The other films all belong in the romantic comedy genre, so if that's your thing knock yourself out with: Never Been Kissed, Fever Pitch (hey, a Drew Barrymore double feature!), Just My Luck (early Lindsey Lohan and Chris Pine), Shallow Hal or Just Married. The best thing I have to say is at least they're all relatively low cost - so if this is your genre of choice, you may as well get the best possible picture out of it.

There are other films to explore as well. Simply head on over to the FilmCrave New DVD Releases and FilmCrave New Blu-Ray Releases pages to see the full selection.

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