What to Watch: Feb. 11-17, 2014

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The Best Man Holiday
Photo credit: Universal

“The Best Man Holiday”

Released for the 2013 holiday season and coming home just in time for Valentine’s Day — the producers of “The Best Man Holiday” know a thing or two about timing. This most-unexpected sequel hit audiences right where they wanted, making over $70 million and debuting at #2. The incredibly charismatic cast just made for the right group of people to spend time with over the holidays and it’s a very likable piece of work that I suspect will continue to find an audience on Blu-ray and DVD. Don’t expect to wait as long for a third “Best Man” movie.

From Patrick McDonald’s film review: “It’s good to see that all races and cultures can indulge in upper middle class pornography – the wealth and materialism on display is almost overwhelming – but the theme is friendship, and the warmth and humor generated from the first film spills into this holiday, ranging from somber to merry.”

Synopsis:
Share the laughter, love, and surprises as Harper (Taye Diggs), Lance (Morris Chestnut), Quentin (Terrence Howard), Jordan (Nia Long), Robyn (Sanaa Lathan), Mia (Monica Calhoun), Murch (Harold Perrineau), Candy (Regina Hall) and Shelby (Melissa De Sousa) all reunite for the first time in years. When the college friends get together, they soon discover how easy it is to reignite long-forgotten rivalries and romances, all while new discoveries are made and secrets are revealed. The Best Man Holiday is the comedy that critics are calling “a feel-good celebration.” (James Verniere, Boston Herald)

Special Features:
o Gag Reel
o Holiday Reunion: The Making Of The Best Man Holiday
o Feature Commentary With Writer/Director/Producer Malcolm D. Lee
o Alternate Ending
o Deleted And Extended Scenes With Commentary
o Smack Talk: Filming The Girl Fight Scene

Where to Watch: Blu-ray, DVD, Vudu, Amazon Instant Streaming, iTunes

Diana
Photo credit: Sony

“Diana”

Maybe you heard that this melodramatic biopic on Princess Diana was a train wreck. Maybe you noticed that it barely came and went in theaters (grossing a paltry $333k (although audiences overseas added $21 million). Maybe you saw that Naomi Watts earned a Razzie nomination (which is extra silly because her performance is the only good thing about the movie). None of these things can prepare for the awfulness that is this movie. It is just horrendous, a film that takes an important public figure who valued her privacy in her final years and just exploits it, turning her story into manipulative soap opera. It’s a film that was designed to appeal to fans of the People’s Princess, but they should be furious at what its awful script does to a woman who deserved so much better. Let’s just pretend this doesn’t exist so someone else can try again in a few years.

Synopsis:
Celebrated and adored by millions, she was the Queen of people’s hearts, yet the bittersweet story of the last man to truly capture hers has never before been told. Princess Diana (Naomi Watts), at one time the most famous woman in the world, inspired a nation with her generosity, compassion and kindness and ultimately, in her final years, she would meet the man who inspired her.

In a story that is as heartbreaking as it is uplifting, Diana reveals a person in the Princess’s life that was uniquely important in fulfilling her search for true happiness and sealing her legacy.

Special Features:
o Interviews With Cast & Crew
o Diana Fashion Photo Booklet

Where to Watch: Blu-ray, DVD, Vudu, Amazon Instant Streaming, iTunes

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com