Princess of Mars

Looking for something good and geeky to watch? Check out this week's notable sci-fi DVD & Blu-ray releases:

9 (DVD & Blu-ray)
I never got around to watching this dark animated feature produced by Tim Burton and Night Watch director Timur Bekmambetov. It features a great voice cast – Martin Landau, Elijah Wood, Crispin Glover, John C. Reilly, Christopher Plummer, Jennifer Connelly – and a suitable-looking post-apocalyptic setting. Sadly, 2009 wasn't the year of the tiny stitch people, since everyone else seemed to ignore 9's theatrical run too. Judging by the sophisticated visuals in the trailer, this looks like a good Blu-ray rental.

Paranormal Activity (DVD & Blu-ray)
Director Oren Peli's freaky no-budget fright fest gets two DVD releases, a standard edition and a "Limited Collector's Edition" featuring an unrated version of the flick and an "alternative ending" (or is it the film's original ending?), plus a goofy film cell and T-shirt. The Blu-ray also features both cuts of the film.

Princess of Mars (DVD)
Peter warned you about this Asylum cash-grab presumably based on Edgar Rice Burroughs's John Carter of Mars series back in August. If you can't wait until 2012 for Pixar's version of the story, Traci Lords and Antonio Sabato Jr. stand ready to punish you for your impatience in this Z-grade straight-to-DVD affair.

Jennifer's Body (DVD & Blu-ray)
Writer Diablo Cody and director Karyn Kusama attempted to make a smart and schlocky horror movie about the strange personal relationship between two very different girls. Critics balked and audiences stayed away, but Jennifer's Body has a few things going for it. Amanda Seyfried turns in a nice performance, Megan Fox looks good in, well, almost anything, especially a cheerleading outfit, and Adam Brody is a hoot as an arrogant and murderous pop singer.

[Welcome to the Sci-Fi Lunch Break, where we'll be supplying you with a cool bit of audio/visual goodness to break up the monotony of the work day. You bring the turkey on rye, we'll bring you something out of this world to watch while you eat it.]

Today is a good day for mockbuster manufacturers The Asylum. Not only does their 2012 cash-in Megafault come out on DVD, but they've also released the first teaser trailer for Princess of Mars, their take on the Edgar Rice Burroughs sci-fi series currently being adapted for the big screen by WALL-E director Andrew Stanton. And, well, it looks even more glorious than you would expect.

The effects and filming locations are, surprisingly, leaps and bounds better than most other Asylum productions (I'm looking at you, Snakes on a Train), and I love that they have no shame in also including in the teaser that Princess of Mars was the inspiration for Avatar. I must admit, I admire how aggressive Asylum is getting on this one. Not only are they beating John Carter of Mars to market by a full three years, but they're also capitalizing on a second sci-fi film that has yet to come out. Well played, gentleman, well played.

By: Elisabeth Rappe

I was slightly disappointed with the initial casting of John Carter of Mars, but as Andrew Stanton keeps bringing the wonderful with every addition to the roster, I just have to trust him when it comes to his choice of Taylor Kitsch. But Stanton is sending more impressive talent to Mars, as according to The Hollywood Reporter, James Purefoy, Thomas Haden Church, and Mark Strong have joined the cast.

Purefoy will be playing Kantos Kan, the captain of the Xavarian, the grand flagship of Helium. Carter meets him in the prisons of Warhoon, and they're forced to battle in a gladitorial match. They become allies as only former gladiators can, and Kan assists him on his quest to save Mars / Barsoom. I found it difficult to picture the secondary characters in Princess of Mars, so I feel lame in saying "Purefoy is perfect as Kan!" but he'll fit the part of a seasoned naval captain. He'll be quite dashing, even. (Actually, I think Purefoy would have made a good Carter.)

Church will be playing Tal Hajus, who THR calls "a vicious Thark warrior who is determined to become king." In the books, he's a Jabba the Hut type who lusts after Princess Dejah Thoris, and is happily ensconced as a leader, so this might be one of the first big changes you'll see in the story. It would probably make things a lot more interesting to have Church play him as a capable bastard than a slobby wreck.