Mini Reviews on DVD: 'Dead Snow', 'Hunger', 'The Stepfather'

'Mini Reviews on DVD'

'Hunger' (R) ***

Writers: Enda Walsh and Steve McQueen
Director: Steve McQueen
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Liam Cunningham

"Hunger" tells the story of Bobby Sands, a real life political prisoner in the early 80's, who started a hunger strike in prison as part of the IRA. He was railing against British rule as Bobby and other IRA members were put in prison as political detainees. This movie is not for the faint of heart as it pulls no punches showing Bobby Sands's body deteriorate into a shell of his former self. It won't keep you on the edge of your seat but it is an excellent character study. It also has a brave and quietly powerful performance by Michael Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds) which announces his arrival as a highly sought after actor now with this and Basterds.

'The Stepfather' (09) (R) **

Writer: J.S. Cardone based on 1987 film
Director: Nelson McCormick
Starring: Dylan Walsh, Sela Ward, Penn Badgley, Amber Heard, John Tenney, Sherry Stringfield, Paige Turco

The characters in this thriller remake seem to have all taken stupid pills as have the dumb asses who decided to remake a horror, cult classic. Sela Ward still looks damn good, Badgley pouts, Walsh is let's just say hammy and young boys will love seeing Heard in a bathing suit for 95% of the time. If the characters in here were smart this movie would be over in ten minutes. Rent the 87 classic with an Oscar caliber performance by Terry Quinn (Lost) instead That was great, trashy stuff, this is just laughable trash.

'Dead Snow' (R) Germany **1/2

Writers: Stig Frode Henriksen and Tommy Wirkola
Director: Tommy Wirkola
Starring: Stig Frode Henriksen, Vegar Hoel, Charlotte Frogner, Jenny Skaulan

Not bad for a gory Zombie movie about Nazi soldiers from World War II who come back from the dead to dine on young people. The movie has a lot of blood, guts, severed limbs and ingenious home made weapons the kids use on the soldiers. The snow glistens and the blood on the snow looks cool. The movie knows how to deliver the gory goods and provide enough laughs and scares. The only problem is that is holds back to much, it should actually be more over the top. Remove the Zombies being Nazis and you don't have much that is new here but the movie is more twisted fun than say the Saw movies.