BYZANTIUM
A decaying seaside town (er, Bray) becomes the perfect hideout for an angst-laden vampire, Eleanor (Saoirse Ronan), and a brassy prostitute mother (Gemma Arterton.) Byzantium follows their present day travails, including encounters with a romantic interest (Caleb Landry Jones) and a mysterious stalker (Sam Riley). Meanwhile lengthy flashbacks relay their 19th century origin stories. Visually, Byzantium is stunning. Director Neil Jordan finds beauty in cabbage fields and shabby guesthouses, before bringing out the big guns with phallic thumbnail fang-replacements and waterfalls of blood. Notwithstanding this imagery of sexual empowerment, Jordan’s pseudo-feminist philosophy is unconvincing. Near obsessive shots of Arterton’s cleavage and mixed messages about prostitution and male dominance destabilise his thesis.  Nor are the characters particularly compelling – Eleanor feels like a listless variation on a too-familiar role for Ronan, and while Arterton oozes dangerous sexuality, her Eastenders accent is caricatured. An overdose of overwrought iconography and vampire ennui makes the film a dull – if sumptuous – slog. The visuals and gothic moodiness may be relished by some. Even for a movie about the undead this feels lifeless, though.

THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN DISNEY
Disney’s family flick The Odd Life of Timothy Green is based on a “concept” by Ahmet Zappa, and it shows. Rarely has a potential tugger of heart-strings been as thinly scripted and poorly fleshed out. Though emotionally manipulative, the movie is so threadbare it’s hard to be outraged. A fairytale set-up sees bland childless couple Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton magically grow their ideal child. This fairytale conceit is introduced beautifully, as the green and gold cinematography subtly shimmers with magic. But the film’s drive to teach Big Lessons comes unstuck and Green himself (CJ Adams) has little to say or do. Mind-numbing stuff. Extras include deleted scenes.

TO THE WONDER
Reining in his thematic scope after the dizzyingly ambitious The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick’s hilariously indulgent latest film is ostensibly about the tumultuous relationship between Parisian woman Marina (Olga Kurylenko) and American Neil (Ben Affleck). Javier Bardem appears as a brooding priest, representative of a loss of faith. However characters are largely inconsequential. Malick spurns dialogue or plot in heavily edited montages of the characters ponderously gazing at their surroundings.
Granted, these surroundings are jaw-droppingly beautiful – vivid, painterly and romantically lit. But the images lack emotional resonance, and become laughably repetitive. Unlike Jessica Chastain or Brad Pitt in The Tree of Life, Affleck and Kuylenko’s characters remain inaccessible ciphers – a disservice to both. Extras include director interview.

OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN - LIONS GATE
Olympus Has Fallen is a gung-ho “America, Fuck Yeah!” tale where Man’s Man Gerard Butler uses his Man Skills to show North Korea that you can’t beat The Man. Especially when The Man is America, fuck yeah! Butler stars as a disgraced Secret Service agent called up when a terrorist crew storm the White House and hold the President (Aaron Eckhart) hostage. Butler sneaks around, shooting people up and taking down a host of Asian, Middle Eastern and generally “foreign” looking people, ie - the ENEMY. The patriotic symbolism is painful and the script boasts such humdingers as “Let’s play a game of Fuck Off. You go first.” Meanwhile, genuinely talented actors such as Melissa Leo and Morgan Freeman are reduced to bit parts and there is an over reliance on special effects. Butler is charmless to boot. Extras include bloopers and a making-of.

MUSICDVD's

NINE INCH NAILS: SOUND AND VISION
PRIDE
Nine Inch Nails are arguably the most challenging, controversial rock band around. DVD one of this two disc set contains a classic NIN documentary film which traces their roots in the ‘70s industrial scene. The second disc, meanwhile, contains lengthy interviews with frontman Trent Reznor from across his career. A great set.

CARO EMERALD: IN CONCERT EAGLE ROCK
Dutch singer Caro Emerald burst into the limelight in 2010 when her debut album. Deleted Scenes From the Cutting Room Floor went straight to the No.1 spot in her native Netherlands. It was then released across Europe to universal acclaim. Her second LP The Shocking Miss Emerald was a No.1 album in the UK and Netherlands. This performance was filmed at the BBC Radio Theatre for the broadcaster’s “In Concert” series. The show features all her hits, with a cover version of Noel Coward’s ‘Mad About the Boy’ thrown in for good measure. Emerald is a wonderful live performer with an engaging personality. This concert captures her at her best.

PEARL JAM: LONG STRANGE ROAD
PRIDE
Initially dismissed as Nirvana wannabes, Pearl Jam have proved a band for all seasons. Long Strange Road is a two DVD celebration of their extraordinary longevity and talent. The documentary traces Pearl Jam’s incredible story, featuring interviews with the band, as well as contributions from close friends, colleagues and some of the finest rock critics around. There’s also rare footage and live performances from across their career. Essential viewing for fans.