“Don Jon”: The film written, directed and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a mish-mash of ideas mixed with an episode of “Jersey Shore.” The general theme is about dealing with addictions, but it gets lost in the bits and pieces of romantic comedy, stalker film and family drama. It’s completely out of focus. The biggest problem is Jon. He’s unlikable from the start and never improves.
Grade D
“Sweetwater”: The film — a mix of “The Unforgiven,” “The Fantasticks” and “I Spit on Your Grave” — offers a dark and brutal look at life in the Old West.
A former prostitute (January Jones) becomes a farmer with her new husband.
Those attempts are thwarted when the local religious looney (Jason Isaacs) enters their life.
This all sets up the woman scorned scenario for Jones to play with dull, heavy overtones.
In contrast, Ed Harris plays a renegade sheriff who looks like he escaped from a traveling musical theater company.
Grade D-plus
Also new on DVD this week:
“CBGB”: Alan Rickman stars in this look at New York’s punk rock scene in the early ’70s.
“Insidious: Chapter 2”: A family tries to discover the answer to a secret that haunts them. Patrick Wilson stars.
“Sanitarium”: Three stories set in a mental asylum starring Lou Diamond Phillips, Malcolm McDowell and Robert Englund.
“Love, Marilyn”: Film includes dramatic readings of Marilyn Monroe’s personal papers.
“Last Love”: A widowed, world-weary professor meets Pauline, a free-spirited young dance instructor.
“InAPPropriate Comedy”: Rob Schneider, Michelle Rodriguez and Adrien Brody star in this outrageous comedy.
“Ritual”: A couple learns just how far a cult will go to perform its rituals. Lisa Summerscales stars.
“Zombie Hamlet”: Director agrees to add zombies to his film based on William Shakespeare’s work.
By Rick Bentley, The Fresno Bee
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