On Demand Weekly

New Films on VOD for the Week of January 4

Public Enemies

It’s the 1930’s and notorious gangsters like John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd rule the cities, but the FBI is determined to stop them.  Directed by Michael Mann.  Johnny Depp, Christian Bale. R / 141 minutes / Available 01/06

The Final Destination

Hot Movies On Demand - The Week’s Top Ten VOD Movies

Stu Price: We're in a stolen cop car with what is sure to be a missing child in the back. What part of this is cool?
Alan Garner: I think the cop car part's pretty cool.
Phil Wenneck: Thank you Alan!

The top ten video on demand (VOD) movies for the week ending January 10, 2010 are:

10. Julie & Julia                  

9. 9                       

8. Night at the Museum:  Battle for the Smithsonian      

7. Jennifer’s Body            

6. A Perfect Getaway              

Hot Movies On Demand - The Week’s Top Ten VOD Movies

Lt. Aldo Raine: You probably heard we ain't in the prisoner-takin' business; we in the killin' Nazi business. And cousin, Business is a-boomin'.

The top ten video on demand (VOD) movies for the week ending January 10, 2010 are:

10. Jennifer’s Body

9. (500) Days of Summer

8. G-Force                      

7. All About Steve                                 

6. The Final Destination 

Hot Movies On Demand - The Week’s Top Ten VOD Movies

Lt. Aldo Raine: Each and every man under my command owes me one hundred Nazi scalps... and I want my scalps!

-      Inglourious Basterds

The top ten video on demand (VOD) movies for the week ending January 24, 2010 are:

10. Public Enemies                  

9. All About Steve                     

8. G-Force                      

7. White Out                                                                   

6. Hurt Locker                      

On Demand Weekly provides new movie reviews of hot movies on demand and from the POV of watching from the comfort of your home. Today’s review: BRAKE (IFC Films).

BRAKE
By Joe Charnitski

In Hollywood parlance the “high concept” movie is a film driven by one big idea, a bold concept, as opposed to propelled by character or even plot. For example, the high concept of THE TRUMAN SHOW is “one man’s entire life is a reality tv show, but he doesn’t know it.” “A weatherman is reliving Groundhogs Day over and over again,” is another example of a high concept driving a picture.

There are three requirements for a successful high concept movie: 1) obviously, a strong concept. You need the kind of conceit that elicits “oh, what a great idea for a movie” as a response; 2) the concept has to build, take fresh turns and keep an audience intrigued. Some big ideas are excellent in the first 10 minutes, but if you don’t know where to take the story, you’ve got a big “who cares” on your hands; 3) the payoff, the climax, the big reveal - it’s got to be good, surprising yet satisfying. The high concept poses a question, the end needs to provide an answer.

The claustrophobic action flick BRAKE certainly has a high concept: a secret service agent is trapped in a plastic box in the trunk of a car by terrorists intent on killing the President. He has information they want. They have his wife. What should he do? So, the first requirement is met. Unfortunately, it’s less successful with the other two.

Stephen Dorff (SOMEWHERE, PUBLIC ENEMIES) stars as secret service agent Jeremy Reins. He’s the guy stuck in the trunk. He wakes up in this predicament and assumes he’s been placed there because of gambling debts. Soon he discovers the much darker truth. Not only are terrorists trying to use him to assassinate the President. Not only are they threatening his wife. They’ve kidnapped another man, placed him in a separate trunk and kidnapped his family, too. Jeremy can save the lives of all of these people. He only needs to break the most solemn oath he’s taken: to protect the President.