What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 12:27:00 -0700

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue. In addition to these titles, the big DVD releases today include the 3rd season of "Grey's Anatomy," the second season of "Supernatural" as well as the second season of "Bones."

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
This HBO movie is now at the top of my Netflix queue, since I unfortunately missed it when it aired. The story laces together the stories of three characters starting soon after the bloody Sioux victory over General Custer at Little Big Horn. Adam Beach plays Sioux doctor Charles Eastman, August Schellenberg is the proud Lakota chief Sitting Bull and Aidan Quinn plays Senator Henry Dawes. Anna Paquin also stars as a schoolteacher working to improve reservation life. The DVD features some good extras, including one commentary by director Yves Simoneau and another by actors Aidan Quinn and Adam Beach. In addition there are behind-the-scenes featurettes: Making History, The Heart of a People, Telling the Story, and an Interactive historical guide prepared by the film’s screenwriter.

Two more new titles so read more

Away From Her
One of the most lovingly told dramas of the year so far, Away From Her tells the poignant story of a marriage being tested by the onset of Alzheimers. First-time director Sarah Polley provides a truthful and achingly beautiful portrayal of an older couple grappling with this disease. It could have easily fallen into the realm of over-sentimentality, but Polley's deft direction keeps the narrative flowing and the story rooted in reality. To read more of my thoughts on Away From Her, check out my review.

The Starter Wife
This summer's USA mini-series based on the Gigi Levangie Grazer novel features Deborah Messing in the role of wealthy LA mother Molly whose divorce leaves her feeling old and unhinged. She stays at her friend Joan's beachside home and has an extremely eventful summer, including new friends, a couple love interests and a very funny scene in which Molly pretends to be Joan's trashy sister in order to break her friend out of rehab. I'm not thrilled with the way the mini-series ends, but the rest of the series is a satisfying watch. Plus, it was nominated for 10 Emmys so it must have done something right!

Snap Judgment: Emmy Odds and Ends

BuzzSugar — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 05:30:28 -0700

I've already told you my thoughts on the drama and comedy nominations for this year's Emmy awards. But I didn't want to neglect the many, many other categories, so I've picked out a few of the best, worst, and most bizarre:

Wow, I guess I should have watched "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee," huh? Seventeen nominations, and I've got nothing intelligent to say.
The single greatest category in this year's Emmy awards: Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics. Among the picks: "Dick in a Box" from "Saturday Night Live" and "Everything Comes Down to Poo" and "Guy Love" from the "Scrubs" musical. I hope the presentation of that award is televised, because it would be so amusing to hear an A-list celebrity read that list of nominees.
I guess "The Starter Wife"'s last-ditch attempt to sneak in before the Emmy deadline paid off. The USA miniseries racked up 10 nominations, including Debra Messing, Joe Mantegna and Judy Davis (yay!) in the acting categories.

More great stuff, so read more

How is it, exactly, that "Antiques Roadshow" got a nomination for best reality program? On the good side, though, I'm glad to see the fearsome tandem of "Project Runway" and "Top Chef" in the reality competition category.
Three cheers for the "This American Life" show! The Showtime series racked up three nominations for the "God's Close-Up" episode from its first season.
Hey, guess what? "On the Lot" got nominated for an Emmy! It's for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music, but hey, Fox can now advertise this as an Emmy-nominated show. Among the other unlikely nominees: "Kidnapped" and "Ghost Whisperer" for Original Dramatic Score, "CSI: Miami" for Outstanding Stunt Coordination, and "Meerkat Manor" for editing and cinematography.
Did you know there was an Emmy for Outstanding Hairstyling for a Series? Me neither.

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