There’s a lot to like about “The Rebound,” available on DVD and Blu- ray tomorrow, but it ends up too much like typical rom-com fare than it needs to be. Director Bart Freundlich (who has directed some great episodes of Showtime’s “Californication”) talks about how he was inspired by the New York set films about relationships by Woody Allen in an interview on the DVD, but “The Rebound” never lives up to that kind of potential. It’s tame when it needs to be excessive and excessive when it needs to be tame.

Sandy (Catherine Zeta-Jones) is living a typical suburban life with her two kids and husband when she stumbles across a tape of her husband cheating on her with a neighbor. After packing up the kids and heading to the city, she meets Aram (Justin Bartha), a young coffee shop employee living in the apartment beneath hers who agrees to start babysitting for her as she works late and goes on disappointing dates. As Aram becomes more and more responsible for the children, Sandy realizes she enjoys spending her late nights at home with the mature-beyond-his-years nanny than spending them with dates who have a bad habit of talking to her while they utilize a porter potty (Eh, it’s the city. Who can judge?).

Sandy and Aram begin seeing each other but have to face a world that scoffs at the idea of their 15-year age difference. Sandy’s friends see Aram as nothing but a rebound, and she becomes confused as to whether he is or isn’t. Thus, “The Rebound” presses forward trying desperately to be the next Woody Allen pic; the problem is there’s none of the subtlety or depth of Allen’s work.

“The Rebound” had great potential. Both Zeta-Jones and Bartha are talented actors and inhabit their characters well. The attraction between them is believable, but the film never delves into the relationship or that attraction enough for us to take it seriously when it wants to be taken seriously. The script should’ve taken us into Aram and Sandy’s relationship further and not been so tame as to why each wants the other. The films isn’t afraid to show a party they attend with excessive drinking and some drug use, but it’s afraid to delve into the mental complexes which must be drawing them to one another.

The character of Sandy is also pretty underdeveloped. Her love of sports is never really fully understood or realized by the script. It never becomes anything more than a quirk. And her ex-husband has about one scene that is ruined by horrible dialogue and unrealistic actions. “The Rebound” seems to want to get down and dirty when it comes to relationships and New York City, but the relationship between Sandy and Aram is treated so tamely, like a lesser romantic comedy with lower sights would’ve treated it, and the only time New York City is given much of a thought is when the film feels like it’s ready for a gag (usually literally). Freundlich does photograph the city quite well, but we know from his work on “Californication” that he is capable of much more.

“The Rebound” also loses what little footing it had towards the end when it throws a too-long montage towards us and tries way to hard to dig into the “meaning of it all.”

The only special features included are a series of interviews with everyone from Freundlich (who gives some great bits about the making of and the inspiration for the film) to the kids in the movie.

Overall, “The Rebound” is much better than most romantic comedies that get released these days, which is why it’s a bit of a surprise that it skipped theaters entirely (though that is not the same curse it was years ago). But ultimately, it can’t live up to its high goals. Zeta-Jones and Bartha are both great actors (as are the supporting cast) and Freundlich is one of the most underrated directors working today, but the film can’t overcome its fear of being exactly what I’m sure it originally set out to be: an intelligent and very funny take on how the right person will always show up even if we are not ready for them (especially then) and that the end of some things only mean the beginning of many others.

“The Rebound” is worth renting or streaming if you and your spouse (especially if he/she is fifteen years younger) are looking for a cutesy tale to pass the night that isn’t entirely trash, but hopefully everyone involved will give us something better in the years to come.

Sucker Punches: None.

THE ARTIST STAR’S RACY ‘LES INFIDELES’ POSTERS DRAW COMPLAINTS

JoBlo’s Alex Riviello chimes in:

It’s always amazing to me how a few morally uptight individuals can ruin things for everyone else. Enjoy the posters.

Maybe I’m a prude or just old-fashioned, but men used to reflexively want to defend women, to protect their dignity and honor.

What a con that feminism has made it not only a virtue for women to behave in this fashion, but also for men to wag their fingers at the rest of us for wanting to speak out against women demeaning themselves.

THE UNDERRATED FILMS OF WOODY ALLEN

Other than “What’s up Tiger Lily,” which I’ve always felt was OVERrated — a 3 minute joke taken to feature-length excess, I am in full agreement. I would also add “Mighty Aphrodite,” “Manhattan Murder Mystery,” “Another Woman,” “Cassandra’s Dream,” and “Sweet and Lowdown.”

Other overrated titles would most definitely include “Midnight In Paris,” which was nominated for an Oscar this year.  But that probably says more about the state of movies today than anything else.

I’m a die-hard Woody Allen fanatic, not of his recent work, and everything prior to the execrable “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (other than the just as awful “Melinda and Melinda”) holds a proud spot in my collection and is visited frequently.

‘CHRONICLE ‘ HITS THEATRES TODAY

Don’t know if it’s any good, but the concept is genius and the trailer looks great. The title, however, sucks.

Our friends at Screen Rant enjoyed it.

WORKING TITLE FILMS DEBUNKS ‘BRIDGET JONES 3′ RUMORS

Unfortunately the false rumors aren’t about the choice being made to produce a sequel. “Bridget Jones’s Baby” appears close to becoming a reality.

Is there any actress who has lost more charm than Rene Zellweger? I can’t even explain what happened. She used to seem so accessible and warm. Somewhere along the line that all changed. I actually find her off-putting now.

‘30 ROCK’: IT’S A JACK-OFF!

Throughout all of cable and broadcast about a hundred shows aired last night, but EW is all excited about the one nobody watched.

Boy, that “Entertainment Weekly” sure has their finger on the pulse of Hollywood’s backside.

THE WORST POSSIBLE TRAILER FOR STAR WARS: ‘THE PHANTOM MENACE 3D’?

No, it’s not a joke. It is, however, aimed at kids. Very dumb kids.

‘INSIDIOUS’ SEQUEL ON THE WAY

There was a first one?

HITCHCOCK SHOWS US HOW TO DO A FLASHBACK IN ‘REBECCA’

Absolutely. A marvelous cinematic moment and probably the best example of a director manipulating the mind’s eye of his audience.

It was crucial to the mystique surrounding the deceased Rebecca that we never get even so much as a glimpse of her, and that limitation was undoubtedly the inspiration for the best scene in the film. Nothing is better for art than limits. Once you remove those, everything becomes art and then nothing is art. That, of course, is what we have today. But we also have DVD, which means true art is only a click of the remote away.

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COMING SOON TO HOME VIDEO

A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR CHRISTMAS: Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital Download arrives February 7 from Warner Home Entertainment Group.

John Cho and Kal Penn reprise their title roles in “A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas,” which comes after the 2004 cult hit “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle” launched the franchise, followed by “Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay” in 2008.  The third installment is the first to highlight the guys’ outrageous escapades in 3D.

And it would not be a “Harold & Kumar” film without Neil Patrick Harris.

The Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack and Blu-ray Combo Pack each include the Extra Dope Edition – Extended Cut (Presented in 2D only), with new cuts of favorite scenes, now extended. Also included is the UltraViolet Digital Copy of the standard definition theatrical version of the film, which allows consumers to download and instantly stream the film to many computers, tablets and smartphones.

Trailer here. Scene here.

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HBO Home Entertainment is proud to announce the Blu-ray Disc, DVD and Digital Download release of Treme: The Complete Second Season on April 17, 2012.  Fans can head back to New Orleans with every episode from season two of the critically acclaimed series, as well as tons of special features, which highlight the city’s culture, food and music.

Bonus Content Includes Interactive, In-Episode Blu-ray Viewing Modes & Featurettes  That Explore the Music & Traditions of New Orleans.

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LAST NIGHT’S SCREENING

The Hidden (1987) – I love movies set in Los Angeles because they remind me I don’t live there anymore. One of the longer sequences set outside a strip club is actually filmed outside our favorite restaurant just off Hollywood Boulevard and just down the street from a production office I spent two years working out of.

What a marvelous film, though, a smart concept and an opening car chase that rivals anything a big studio has ever produced. Which is even more impressive when you learn “The Hidden” was an independent film produced for less than $5 million.

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SCOTTDS’ EPIC LINKTACULAR

AL PACINO, CHRISTOPHER WALKEN, AND ALAN ARKIN TO STAR IN ACTION-COMEDY ‘STAND UP GUYS‘

‘SHORT CIRCUIT’ REMAKE BEING PLANNED AS FRANCHISE

DIRECTOR MARC FORSTER TO HELM ‘THE WAR MAGICIAN,’ BASED ON DAVID FISHER’S NOVEL

DIRECTOR JOE JOHNSTON TO HELM THRILLER ‘NOT SAFE FOR WORK‘

TWELVE MOVIE COMEDIES TO LOOK OUT FOR IN 2012

AN INTERVIEW WITH ‘JUSTIFIED’ ACTOR WALTON GOGGINS

BEHOLD THE FIRST SET PHOTO FROM THE ‘STAR TREK’ SEQUEL!

‘FREAKS AND GEEKS’ CREATOR PAUL FEIG DEVELOPING ANOTHER COMING OF AGE TV DRAMEDY

ANOTHER REASON TO LIKE ‘THE IRON LADY’

WHY AREN’T THERE ACTION ROLES FOR OLDER ACTRESSES?

GARY OLDMAN PERFORMS A DRAMATIC READING OF SNOOKI’S PEE PROBLEMS

HOW THE ACADEMY AWARDS SLANT OUR VIEWS OF MOVIES

BARRY WILLIAMS AND DANNY BONADUCE TO STAR IN NEW SYFY SATURDAY ORIGINAL MOVIE ‘BIGFOOT’

10 FILMS THAT SHOULD’VE WON BEST PICTURE

TV’S ‘MUNSTERS’ REBOOT RENAMED ‘MOCKINGBIRD LANE’

10 OUTSTANDING NEO-NOIRS OF THE 2000S

COOL STUFF: LEGO HILL VALLEY 2015 FROM ‘BACK TO THE FUTURE PART II’

INFOGRAPHIC: THE HARDEST WORKING SITCOM ACTORS

EARLY BUZZ: ‘AMERICAN REUNION,’ THE BEST OF THE SERIES?

5 AWFUL THINGS NOBODY TELLS YOU ABOUT BEING AN ACTOR

‘EVIL DEAD’ REMAKE: CASTING UPDATE & FIRST SET PHOTO

‘JOHN CARTER’ FEATURETTE LOADED WITH NEW FOOTAGE

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CLASSIC PICK FOR SATURDAY,  FEBRUARY 4

TCM:

8:00 PM  EST: My Fair Lady (1964) –  A phonetics instructor bets that he can pass a street urchin off as a lady. Dir: George Cukor Cast:  Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison, Stanley Holloway.  C-172 mins, TV-G, CC, Letterbox Format.

Movies and musicals just don’t get better than this. Charming from beginning to end.

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Please send comments, suggestions and tips to jnolte@breitbart.com or Twitter @NolteNC.

Allen’s romantic comedy, which beat out “Star Wars” for the Best Picture Oscar in 1977, remains an unabashed delight in its newly minted Blu-ray format. You’ll fall in love with Miss La-dee-dah herself, Diane Keaton, and marvel how Allen could smuggle in so many laughs without sacrificing the film’s bittersweet core.

It’s that rare comedy that hasn’t aged a minute, even if we still scratch our heads over why a stunner like Annie would fall so hard for a neurotic comedian.

What’s more remarkable about re-watching the film is seeing how Allen the artist handled the political divide then … and now.

In “Annie Hall,” Allen’s Alvy Singer is a liberal stand-up comic who is seen at one point performing for an Adlai Stevenson fundraiser. It’s clear from that sequence, and from other stream-of-conscious bits, that he’s a man of the Left. Yet Alvy never rubs us the wrong way no matter how he kevetches about his inability to be truthful to his girlfriends or his unabiding hate for the Left Coast.

Contrast that demeanor to two of Allen’s more recent films, “Whatever Works” and “Midnight in Paris.”

In “Whatever Works,” Allen paints people of faith as being troglodytes who finally see the light – by embracing their inner beatnik. The film “invites us to sneer at benighted Southerners, idiot Christians, stupid kids and their hard rock music – anything, in short, that wouldn’t pass muster among the Big Apple sophisticates of whom the director is a longtime laureate,” says Kurt Loder in his excellent new film anthology “The Good, the Bad and the Godawful: 21st Century Movie Reviews.”

“Midnight in Paris” is even more alienating to anyone who doesn’t embrace the Left. Rachel McAdams plays the villain of the piece, a soulless American trying to keep her beau (Owen Wilson) from pursuing his passions rather than easy paychecks. But she’s a doll compared to her parents, a Tea Party couple depicted as utter boors. The movement itself is dubbed “crypto-fascists” by Wilson’s character.

What a shame that an older, not-so-wiser Allen feels the need to add divisive elements into his new stories. Good thing we have films like “Annie Hall” on Blu-ray to chase away those negative vibes.

Told with a scattershot timeline (that somehow works) and through an endless number of short scenes that could stand on their own as insightful, amusing, and romantic skits, “Annie Hall” is a story told to us in the first-person by Alvy, a famous New York comedian. His story isn’t so much about his romance with Annie; it’s more about what he’s learned from the experience — not only about himself but human nature in general. And if you judge the film by its touching closing scene (as I do), you can count this among Allen’s rare optimistic offerings.

Keaton’s performance is a wonder to behold. When you compare the “la-dee-da” Annie Alvy first meets to the more worldly and composed Annie she eventually becomes (much of it due to Alvy pushing her in that direction), Keaton’s Oscar win is a no-brainer.  Right along with Alvy, we fall in love with Annie at first sight and, in the end, long for the innocence she loses. And this, of course, is also why the film is so bittersweet. With the best of intentions (mostly), Alvy helps Annie grow up, and she ends up outgrowing him.

What “Annie Hall” really is, though, is hilarious. The hit-to-miss ratio for jokes that fly at you about every 15 seconds is somewhere around 98%, something that even the Marx Brothers never achieved. Like “Manhattan,” none of the humor is contrived or driven by the need for a punchline. It all emanates from that most perfect of places, and that’s characters created with genius precision. For that reason, the humor of “Annie Hall” never grows stale, and thanks to depth of Allen’s themes and ideas, there’s always something new to discover in subsequent viewings.

In 93  perfectly paced minutes, Allen not only gives us a full tour of the human condition of his two protagonists but one of the most penetrating and hilarious skewerings of Hollywood you’ll ever see. And, as always, liberal intellectuals are hit hardest.

“Annie Hall” is a flawless film, and thanks to a structure impossible to recreate, it’s also a one-of-a-kind storytelling experience. Unfortunately, this new Blu-ray release is as bare bones as the DVD release. The notoriously private Allen — because he wisely wants his films to stand on their own and not be interpreted by anyone, including him — just doesn’t do behind-the scenes extras or commentary.

For those of you as in love with the pre-Disneyfied New York of the 1970s as I am, that alone makes the upgrade to Blu-ray worthwhile. Almost every shot in “Annie Hall” is iconic, and Allen taking us on an affectionate tour of a small part of that small island he loves so much is just one of the many pleasures waiting to be discovered in one of the best films produced during a decade with all kinds of impressive competition.

“Annie Hall” is available at Amazon.com.

In a city like Manhattan, this, of course, might lead to his downfall, and the genius of Allen’s absolutely brilliant screenplay (Marshall Brickman co-wrote) is how this story is all about driving towards the film’s final line, a beauty of a closer that perfectly hits every cinematic sweet spot right before the fade:

“You have to have a little faith in people.”

Another of Isaac’s weak spots (and much of the film’s humor) comes from his inability to suffer pretentious, elite, liberal intellectuals. This is what likely cost him his first two wives, both of whom were pretentious, elite, liberal intellectuals. Overall, though, when we first meet him, Isaac is doing just fine. He’s making good money as a television comedy writer, is a loving father to his son, and his close friends — the married Yale and Mary (Michael Murphy and Anne Byrne Hoffman) — have taken him under their wing like a kid brother.

Isaac isn’t perfect; he is involved in a love affair with Tracy, a 17 year-old high school student. In his defense, she is more mature than he is and he refuses to lie to her. He’s very open about the fact that eventually she will have to move on with her life, that she has to experience life without him, and that what they have together isn’t permanent.

Things start to unravel with the arrival of Mary (Diane Keaton), a pretentious, elite, liberal intellectual Yale is having a passionate affair with. Because Yale can’t choose between wife and mistress, Isaac inadvertently gets pulled into the relationship and ends up falling for Mary. Isaac is a loyal friend, though, and keeps his distance. Eventually, Yale and Mary break up, and with Yale’s blessing, Isaac begins seeing Mary. Soon after, they fall in love and move in together.

Events seem to have finally conspired in Isaac’s favor, but in reality things have only started to get complicated. Through no fault of his own, other than his own naïve belief that people are like him, especially his friends, Isaac is soon faced with the very real possibility that on top of the job he quit in a fit of integrity, he could lose the woman he loves and both of his best friends.

The main selling point of “Manhattan” is how legitimately funny and touching the story is. This is a title in my permanent rotation, a film I’ve seen at least fifty times, but because the humor isn’t about punch-lines or complicated set-ups, the jokes never grow stale and still catch me off guard, especially Isaac’s reactions to a world he’ll never quite understand.

“Manhattan” is also optimistic. Knowing Allen’s work the way I do, it’s doubtful his story of a decent man unmercifully punished for being so was meant to be optimistic. But in the end you know that Isaac will prevail, that the world hasn’t beaten or changed him. Better still, when you see his unforgettable reaction to being told to have a little faith in people, you know that at the very least, he’s wiser.

If you’re going to buy one Woody Allen film on Blu-ray, there isn’t even a close second place. Cinematographer and longtime Allen collaborator Gordon Willis (they’ve done 8 films together) photographed the City of Manhattan in gorgeous, widescreen black and white, and seeing it in high-def literally takes your breath away.

My Madonna/whore love affair with New York is defined both by Allen’s Gershwinized “Manhattan” and William Friedkin’s gritty “French Connection” vision. And to see one of those visions realized to its full potential is, in a word, delightful.

Though I’m absolutely in love with over 25 of Woody Allen’s films, “Manhattan” is, for my money, his magnum opus — a genuine masterpiece that I have to stop myself from watching too often for fear it gets stale. Thankfully, the Blu-ray is like a reboot, a 2.0 version that adds something entirely new.

“Manhattan” is available at Amazon.

Okay, so I was a little hard on Real Steel when it came out.  Revisiting it, I still stick by most of my criticisms, as I still find it irritating that the intelligence level of the Hugh Jackman and Dakota Goyo characters varies to insanely disparate levels whenever the script finds it convenient.  Goyo’s screechy kid-who-talks-and-thinks-like-an-adult is also excruciating (the fault of the writing and directing, not the child actor), and their robot Atom’s suggested sentience is nothing less than a ploy to attempt to make the audience care whenever he gets pounded on.  And no matter how nifty the CGI robot boxing is, nothing can compare to the dramatic potential of two actual humans fighting in the ring for family, country, or dignity.  But when it comes to the stock fanboy line of the greatness of “robots hitting each other,” “Real Steel” trumps Michael Bay’s cynical “Transformers” films on every level.

“Real Steel” has a heart that has hints of saccharine, but the film has a touch of middle Americana that is lacking from mainstream movies today, and despite its shortcomings, the father/son story does have a potent emotional core that pays off when it should.  “Transformers” has none of these things, as Bay is only interested in boys and their toys, said toys including cars and women.  “Real Steel” has higher aspirations that don’t have the stink of pseudo-family-friendly misogyny and vapid materialism.

Hugh Jackman is such a likable lead that he’s laughable when he’s attempting to be unlikable like he is during the first act of “Real Steel”, however Jackman’s potent presence alone keeps this from ever actually hurting the movie.  He’s entertaining to watch, even in the worst movies he’s been in, as he was one of the few things that made Gavin Hood’s dreadful “Wolverine” something one could feasibly sit through from start to finish. The humanity Jackman brings as an actor pumps blood into the heart of “Real Steel”, more so than the undercooked boy-and-his-robot sub-plot could hope to.  The father/son relationship a the movie’s center is marred by an obnoxious child performance, but it hits the necessary emotional beats that help one overlook the painful dialogue fed to the child actor, as well as the delivery seen as acceptable by the director.  Because it it hits those beats, it manages to mask most of its flaws, giving the movie an emotional core that is lacking in most blockbusters.

Steven Spielberg produced a lot of stinkers this year, including Bay’s mindless “Transformers 3″, Jon Favreau’s disappointing “Cowboys & Aliens”, and the empty hype-machine that was J.J. Abrams’s con-job “Super 8″.  “Real Steel” is head and shoulders above any of these, coming closest to capturing that “Steven Spielberg Presents” spirit that was once a mark of blockbuster prestige.  It doesn’t compare to the likes of “Rocky” or “Warrior”, but it’s one you can watch with the family and have a surprisingly satisfying experience.

Available on Blu-ray, DVD, and Amazon Instant

Other Noteworthy Releases

Godzilla: Ishiro Honda’s kaiju classic comes to Criterion, with transfer from a pristine print that came from a private collection, which promises to be visually leaps and bounds ahead of any version previously available on home video.  Both Honda’s original, as well as the American version featuring Raymond Burr, are included.

Available on Blu-ray and DVD

The Moment of Truth: A film by Francesco Rosi film about a bullfighter, which gets a Criterion release this week, a good indicator it’s worth seeing.

Available on Blu-ray and DVD

50/50: That cancer dramedy with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen.  I’ve heard good things.

Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Amazon Instant

Paranormal Activity 3: I saw the first one, haven’t had the desire to follow-up with any of the sequels, although the involvement of “Catfish” filmmakers Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost means I may put it on one drunken evening if it comes to NetFlix Instant.

Available on Blu-ray/DVD Combo and Amazon Instant

Notorious: We’re getting a lot of Hitchcock flicks on Blu-ray this week.  “Notorious” is a bona-fide Hitch classic, thanks largely to great performances by Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, and Claude Rains.  It also sports a deliciously suspenseful climax that never gets old on repeat viewings.

Available on Blu-ray

Rebecca: Hitch’s Hollywood debut doesn’t often get spoken of as a belonging on the list of his great films, but this Gothic tale is certainly a memorably entry in his CV.  Hitch and producer David O. Selznick clashed frequently during production, Selznick originally wanted the climactic fire scene to have the smoke spell a giant “R” in the sky, Hitch opted to go with something more tasteful while Selznick was tied up with “Gone With the Wind”.

Available on Blu-ray

Spellbound: Here’s a confession…I haven’t seen “Spellbound”.  But it has Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck, so now that it’s out on Blu-ray, it’s time for me to get on the stick.

Available on Blu-ray

Annie Hall: When it rains, it pours.  We get two of Woody Allen’s best films on Blu-ray this week.  “Annie Hall”, the movie that beat “Star Wars” at the Oscars, started out as a murder mystery that evolved into a study of relationships in the editing room.

Available on Blu-ray

Manhattan: Perhaps the most iconic of Woody Allen’s New York movies, thanks partially to the beautiful cinematography by Gordon Willis and the lovely use of Gershwin’s music.  I can’t wait to experience it in high-def.

Available on Blu-ray

Wings: While considered to be the first film to win “Best Picture” at the Oscars, there actually was no such category at the Academy Awards that early on.  Wings actually won “Most Outstanding Production”, while F. W. Murnau’s “Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans” won “Most Artistic Quality of Production” (and rightfully so).  But Wild Bill Wellman’s film still deserves its place in the annals of Hollywood history.

Available on Blu-ray and DVD

This post originally appeared at Parcbench

Burns’ 1995 film “The Brothers McMullen” suggested a new, exciting voice had entered Hollywood. But Burns couldn’t replicate the sly charms of his film debut, and his tenure as a writer/director seemed over. He wasn’t exposed as painfully as fellow auteur M. Night Shyamalan, but it was clear Burns didn’t fit into the Hollywood mold.

The handsome triple threat – he acts, too -  could have retreated, licked his wounds and found a new career path. Instead, he turned to new media to keep his directorial options alive.

His latest film, “Newlyweds,” hit the Video on Demand market Dec. 26 and cost a measly $9,000 to make. That means covering his costs should be practical even if the film lacks A-list talent. And he’ll grab a bigger share of the profits should “Newlyweds” become a modest hit.

Burns explained why he doesn’t mind working with microscopic budgets during an interview featured on Comcast digital stations.

“I choose to make low-budget films because I don’t want to get notes from the studio or the financier,” he says.

For better or worse, “Newlyweds” is all his. Burns is no Allen, but he’s already thinking a few paces ahead of many peers, witness his recent op-ed at thedailybeast.com.

As all indie film distribution companies will attest, the economics of a theatrical release for smaller budgeted films just don’t really make sense. And many of these companies have gone out of business clinging to this old model….

I truly believe digital distribution is the future of independent film. It’s the absolute most effective way to attract millions of eyeballs to your film—the film that you’ve been dying to make.

“Nostalgia is a powerful feeling, it can drown out anything.”

So says director Terrence Malick, who decidedly avoided nostalgia in his debut film, “Badlands,” but threw in subtle allusions to the pop-culture of the period so that they might inform the characters rather than the audience.

This is a stark contrast to other movies of Malick’s early era, in which some filmmakers laid the glassy-eyed longing for days gone by on thick, as George Lucas did in his breakthrough hit, “American Graffiti.” Lucas romantically looks back on early ’60s teenage innocence, when all kids cared about was cruising, fast food, and rock n’ roll before the reality of the Vietnam war set in.

Filmmakers often deal with nostalgia when depicting a certain time or place, usually because it’s one that they have lived. So how does one become nostalgic for a time they have never experienced?

I’ve often heard people discuss how they feel they were born in the wrong time, for whatever reason. They feel their talents would be more appreciated, or their outlook on life would be more acceptable, or they are simply looking through the rose-tinted glasses of cinema. Colleges are packed with students who wished they’d grown up in the Age of Aquarius simply because they dig The Grateful Dead and think “Easy Rider” is an awesome movie (which it is).

Woody Allen’s latest film, “Midnight in Paris,” deals with this subject, except the protagonist is obsessed with the Paris of the 1920s, a time which he was too young to have experienced.

This time, the actor standing in for Allen is Owen Wilson, who plays Gil, a Hollywood hack screenwriter on holiday in (of course) Paris. Dissatisfied with his screenwriting career, Gil sees Paris as a city that can foster his creativity and help him complete his novel, which centers around the subject of nostalgia.  As he strolls through the Parisian streets, he fantasizes about the great artists and the creative atmosphere of working in Paris in the Roaring Twenties.

His fiancé, Inez (Rachel McAdams) isn’t so supportive. Gil likes the idea of taking a walk through Paris in the rain. Inez simply hates the idea of getting wet. Inez enjoys spending time with her intellectual poseur friends. Gil would rather aimlessly wander around Paris for inspiration. And, in so wandering, he finds himself transported, night after night, to the era of his dreams.

Allen is at his best when his films are magical and playful the way “Midnight in Paris” is. That’s not to say it’s a “return to form.” Critics often fall all over themselves to hold up Allen’s latest work as such, even when the movies are terrible (see the glowing reviews given to the insufferable “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”).  His salad days as a filmmaker remain squarely in the rear-view mirror. But Allen sometimes brings a deliberately inexplicable magic into his narrative that never fails to delight. Whenever he remembers that he can be funny and drops the Ingmar Bergman, Jr. shtick, he gets the belly laughs and engages the imagination like he did with one of his best films, “The Purple Rose of Cairo.”

Of course, Allen’s more obnoxious quirks are still on display, specifically his tendency to spell his themes and ideas out for the audience, as well as his open contempt for most of his characters. Inez is a one-dimensional, materialistic nag who only serves to degrade Gil, whose only real flaw is his tendency to retreat into the past instead of confronting present.

Her parents are even worse, the father being Allen’s idea of what conservative “Republicans” are like. One wonders if Allen has ever even met a real conservative, or if he is drawing purely on speculation. The dialogue written for the character confuses the Republican establishment with the Tea Party offshoot, revealing Allen’s own political ignorance. If he ever dares to venture outside of his intellectual comfort zone and has a conversation with someone who actually thinks differently than he does, his characters may gain some much-needed nuance.

A criticism this movie has received that is unfair, though, is Allen’s postcard approach to Paris in terms of choosing locations. Allen’s films outside of his beloved New York, be they in London or Barcelona, don’t have the sense of place that Allen has when he is in New York, as they feel like they have a tourist-minded approach to their locations. “Midnight in Paris” certainly does as well, however given the theme of nostalgia and the romantic Parisian ideal, the shoe fits for the material.

By no means a “return of form” or a renaissance for Allen, “Midnight in Paris” still shows where the director’s many strengths lie, as opposed to his other recent films, which mostly highlight his weaknesses (Although I’m one of the only people who liked “You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger”). Allen’s fans will no doubt enjoy accompanying him through his Parisian ideal, despite its quirks and flaws.

Available on Blu-ray, DVD, and Amazon Instant

Other Noteworthy Releases

Colombiana: It’s ironic that the most pro-U.S. action movies we get today come from a French production house. Producer Luc Besson just keeps cranking them out, and they’re always quality genre flicks.

Available on Blu-ray and DVD

Dolphin Tale: Dolphins in 3D.  That’s all you have to say to prevent me from ever seeing a movie.

Available on 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD, and Amazon Instant

Glee – The Concert Movie: “Glee” is about as appealing to me as contracting a venereal disease. I can promise you I will never, ever see this.

Available on 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD, and Amazon Instant

Warrior: Being a lover of boxing movies, I find MMA movies appealing as well, especially when they feature Tom Hardy.

Available on Blu-ray, DVD, and Amazon Instant

Margin Call: The trailer for this film looked about as interesting as my high school economics class, but people I trust are raving about it, so here’s to going against my instincts.

Available on Blu-ray, DVD, and Amazon Instant

Straw Dogs: Any time Hollywood decides to set a movie in Mississippi, it’s a given that Mississippi will not be depicted in a positive light.

Available on Blu-ray and DVD

Rush – Time Machine 2011: Rush is pretty much the greatest band ever.  If you disagree, you probably write for “Rolling Stone.” Otherwise, you’re just wrong.

Available on Blu-ray and DVD

The Tempest: This one came out on Blu-ray a few months back but has just now made its way to DVD.  You can check out my coverage of the Blu-ray here.

Available on DVD and Amazon Instant

Blackthorn: Sam Shepard stars in this western that depicts Butch Cassidy as having survived his supposedly fatal standoff and living under an alias in a Bolivian village.

Available on Blu-ray and DVD

Nothing Sacred: Kino is releasing this 1937 production by David O. Selznick, directed by “Wild Bill” Wellman, who also directed James Cagney in his iconic turn in “Public Enemy”.  Starring Carole Lombard and Frederic March.

Available on Blu-ray and DVD

A Farewell to Arms: Another Selznick production released by Kino, this one being an adaptation of Hemingway’s classic novel, starring Gary Cooper and Helen Hayes.

Available on Blu-ray and DVD

This post originally appeared over at Parcbench

“Then Again” lets Keaton, best known for roles in “Annie Hall,” “The Godfather” and “Something’s Gotta Give,” open her soul for a most unconventional look at her life.

And none of it would have been possible without her mother, Dorothy Deanne Keaton Hall.

“Then Again” is like two memoirs in one, the tale of a gifted but insecure actress and her ma, a woman whose artistic talent lacked the outlet her daughter possessed.

Keaton rights that wrong in “Then Again,” a book that’s vigorously self-reflective without being boastful. The beguiling Keaton isn’t like many of her acting peers, and her thoughtful essays reflective that fact.

Keaton’s life story is told in dreamy passages, diary entries and other textual collages. Chronological order feels like a nuisance for Keaton, a writer far more interested in sharing the nuances of her personality and the role Mama Hall played in her life.

When we hear about her acting lessons, the sudden bursts of fame or her tabloid romances with Woody Allen, Warren Beatty and Al Pacino it feels like an afterthought.

Oh, and by the way, Woody and I broke up before shooting “Annie Hall” but we remained dear friends for decades.

Narrative means little to the author, it’s more about presenting herself and her mother in a way that reflects their personalities, hopes and fears. The older Hall lived a stereotypical life as a happy mother, house maker and wife, but all along she chafed at how that image restricted her.

Keaton, by stark contrast, found fame in Hollywood, shared a bed with some of the industry’s most handsome leading men but either avoided or couldn’t sustain a committed relationship like her parents.

Gossip hounds will pore over the love letters Keaton received from Allen and Beatty and chuckle over the bursts of celebrity trash Keaton gently recycles. Marlon Brando’s only words to her on the set of “The Godfather” were sexually demeaning, and Jack Nicholson’s randy image gets turned upside down when we learn how he shared his slice of the profits from “Something’s Gotta Give” with a stunned Keaton.

We also learn Keaton thought Allen had a great body, and that the actress can’t spare a negative word about her old flames. And, if the tabloids have taught us anything, each could use a condemnation or two for their romantic exploits.

“Godfather” fanatics will nod their heads as they read about the turmoil on the set of the third saga in the film franchise, as creator Francis Ford Coppola furiously rewrote scenes at the last minute to wrap up the feature.

“Then Again” can be an infuriating read. We get hints at her acting methods, but not much more. Keaton invites us into her personal relationships yet we remain at arm’s length, never learning exactly why they withered away. And while Keaton’s shock hit “Something’s Gotta Give” proved that Hollywood can occasionally embrace an older woman’s love story, we get little details about the fight to make it happen.

Yet Keaton can be remarkably candid, a trait her fellow actors may not share.

“Without a great man writing and directing for me, I was a mediocre movie star at best,” she says after Allen struck up a relationship with Mia Farrow, leaving Keaton behind.

“Then Again” wraps not without any celebrity triumph, but with the slow, ravaging decline of Keaton’s mother to age and Alzheimer’s disease. It’s a tribute to the Oscar-winner that she sees this as her memoir’s most poignant moment, and not the kind of Hollywood award or tribute an actress of her gifts has or will receive.

Director Woody Allen’s famous line regarding why he pursued Soon-Yi Previn, the adopted daughter of then-girlfriend Mia Farrow, became one of those quotes that captures the pop culture zeitgeist.

“Where’s the beef?” did the same back in the ’80s, but that was merely a comical riff from a burger commercial. Allen’s explanation for why he began dating his longtime partner’s daughter made most people queasy.

That line came back to mind today after this news snippet hit the Web courtesy of IMDB.com:

Director Woody Allen was secretly pleased by the media attention surrounding his 1992 love affair with his then-girlfriend Mia Farrow’s adopted daughter, because the scandal added a little “edge” to his boring Hollywood reputation …

… The filmmaker has refrained from speaking in detail about the odd relationship for years, although he has now opened up about the romance for new TV special “Woody Allen: A Documentary, which is set to air in America on Sunday [Nov. 20].

In the documentary, Allen, 75, admits he still can’t understand why there was such an uproar.

He says, “Believe it or not, I didn’t think I was that famous to warrant such coverage. But apparently it was a good, juicy story. I mean a very juicy story, and it took a little edge off my natural blandness.”

I’d much prefer a blander than bland director who found something unsettling about courting his girlfriend’s daughter.