“The Big Year” has to be given points for originality: not many films have been made on the subject of bird watching. There are one of two reasons for this. Either 1) it’s a brilliant idea that no one has thought of before, or 2) someone thought of it but then rejected it because it’s such an un-workable idea. Based on HOH guest critic Marc Ferman’s review, I’m inclined to believe in the latter reason, even though the film stars funny men Steve Martin, Jack Black, and Owen Wilson. However, as he noted in his review, “‘The Big Year’ is not a bad movie per se -- it's probably the best movie about bird watchers that I have ever seen (it's the only one, actually) -- but your enjoyment of the film will probably rely on how much you are into birds. I can't recommend that you go out to the theater to see ‘The Big Year,’ but if you are a fan of the Martin, Black, and Wilson, then it's good enough to check out on DVD at home or on cable.” Rent It.

Ryan Gosling starred in some amazing films in 2011. One of them was the action drama “Drive.” In it, Gosling plays a man simply known as Driver, who is a mechanic and stunt car driver by day and a wheelman for hire by night. As Dan wrote in his review, “the driving force of director Nicolas Winding Refn’s film is Gosling’s performance. There’s an unmistakably calm, eerie quiet in Driver’s eyes, the likes of which are so unassuming you’d think he is the nicest, most innocent guy in the world. And Driver certainly is nice, until it’s time not to be nice. Although you rarely see Driver yell or lose his cool, when he does have to do bad things it comes with such an exclamation point that you will not believe your eyes.” Buy it.

The story of “The Thing” has been told twice already. First as “The Thing From Another World” in 1951 and then as “The Thing” in 1982. What possible benefit is there in making it again? According to Dan, a pretty substantial one: “‘The Thing’ has everything you expect from a horror film – scares out of nowhere, creepy music, mass panic, stupidity, gruesome deaths, etc. But what it has that other horror movies don’t have, and that singlehandedly makes it worth watching, is a collection of freaky character transformations that are at once fiercely disturbing and incredibly cool.” I’m sold, though he did give the movie only two and a half stars. Rent It.

The summer action blockbuster “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” is making its way to blu-ray this week. You can either get it as an Ultimate Edition 3D combo pack or as part of a 7-disc Limited Collector’s Edition trilogy set. By this point, there are the die-hard fans who love the series and those who think the films are a total waste of time. However, if you’re like me you take each film on its own merit. I liked the first film but thought the second one was terrible. For me, this third one is a mixed bag. I actually liked the first two hours or so of the film’s 154 minute running time, particularly the scenes where Sam Witwicky (Shia LeBeouf) tries to find gainful employment and ends up working for the zany Bruce Brazos (the reliably zany John Malkovich). Then the action all comes together in Chicago, showcasing an over-long, over-produced, and mind numbing battle for humanity, per usual. It destroyed a lot of good will that the film had built. For completionists who skipped it in theatres and feel like they must see every sequel, Rent It. People with better things to do with two and a half hours of their life should Skip It.

Expectations were not dreamy for “Dream House.” Normally when a film sits on a shelf for two years, it’s a bad sign. I, however, found that I liked the film anyway. As I noted in my original review, “the film turns from a typical haunted house mystery type of film into a much better, much more complex and character-driven film. I see why an actor of Daniel Craig’s caliber would be drawn to it.” Rent It.

Also out this week: “Cold Mountain,” director Anthony Minghella’s Civil War drama starring Nicole Kidman, Renée Zellweger, and Jude Law; “Das Boot (Director’s Cut),” a German language masterpiece about life on a U-boat during World War II; “The English Patient,” an epic World War II romance and Best Picture winner starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche; “Frida,” a biography starring Salma Hayek as artist Friday Kahlo; “Malcolm X,” Spike Lee’s film about the life of Malcolm X, played with uncanny accuracy by Denzel Washington; “The Piano,” with Harvey Keitel lusting after a mute woman played by Holly Hunter; “Shakespeare in Love,” with Joseph Fiennes portraying William Shakespeare trying to write his play “Romeo and Juliet;” and “To Kill a Mockingbird,” the 50th anniversary release to blu-ray with Gregory Peck as heroic lawyer Atticus Finch in the adaptation of Harper Lee’s timeless classic novel.

Andrew Hudak is a lifelong film lover. His column on Blu-Ray new releases appears every Tuesday; he also regularly reviews new theatrical releases for Hudak On Hollywood. He lives in Connecticut.

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