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Home Entertainment with Daniel Dercksen

New DVD releases

Ratings: ***** Must See   **** Excellent  *** Entertaining   ** Average    * Dull                   

The Tempest Competition

5 lucky readers can win a DVD of Julie Taymor's sensational The Tempest.
All you have to do is tell us who wrote the screenplay and send you answer and contact details to website@writingstudio.co.za with 'The Tempest' in the subject line.
Closing date: February 29, 2012.

Read more

What's new
The Tempest ***** Extraordinary visionary and storyteller Julie Taymor's inventive interpretation of Shakespeare's immortal classic offers a fresh and invigorating blend of fantasy, realism and illusory surrealism. Read more

Friends with Benefits *** Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis play two best friends who are successful, unattached, and scornful of commitment - and explore adding casual "no emotions" sex to their friendship. Read more

Rising Stars ***  A fun teen musical drama  with heart, Rising Stars explores the sacrifices that come with fame in reality television-obsessed culture. Read more

The Tree of Life *****   An unforgettable cinematic masterpiece from Terence Malick that is bound to change the way you see film, observe life and view the human condition. Malick's exceptional masterwork transcends film and transforms into an affecting and life affirming experience that allows us to re-connect with our primal instinct and question our existence and the origin of mankind and nature. Read more

Castle (Season 2) ***** If Season 1of Castle had you watching it from start to finish, wait until you dive into Season 2. Read more

Happythankyoumoreplease ***** An exceptional and truly enriching film from actor, producer, director, and writer Josh Radnor, best known for portraying the main character Ted Mosby on the popular, Emmy Award-winning CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother. A story of relationships, happythankyoumoreplease  deals with the struggles facing a group of 20-somethings who are learning to navigate life and love in New York. Read more

Welcome to the Rileys **** If there's one reason to see this outstanding exploration of the human condition and our longing to heal broken lives and relationships, it's for the powerful performance. Read more

Other New Releases
Adventure
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides ***** First rate entertainment that is smart, funny and imaginative. This is what filmmaking and the art of storytelling is all about, fusing spectacle and fiction that is fun and captivating. Read more
Super 8
***** An absolutely ingenious work from extraordinary visualist J.J. Abrams, cleverly combining a coming of age story with a mysterious sci-fi thriller. Read more
Thor ***** This spectacular, imaginative and humourous action-adventure has everything you could ask for, offering first rate entertainment and ideal escapism, and much more.   Read more

Animated
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole
***** An exquisite masterwork that showcases the genius artistry and craftsmanship of 500 digital artists, a thought provoking screenplay by John Orloff and Emil Stern, and spectacular realization by visionary director Zack Snyder. Read more
The Lion King 
*****  Simba, Mufasa, Nala, Timon and Pumbaa are back and better than ever with the Diamond Edition release of the epic movie The Lion King on DVD in high-definition Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D. Read more
Rango *****Rango rocks big time! It is so rich in detail, fantastic characters and content that you will have to see it more than once. Read more

Comedy
Bridesmaids **** A hilarious experience of what happens when best friends forever meet the wildest Bridesmaids ever. Read more

Disaster
2012 *****
Centuries ago, the Maya left us their calendar, with a clear end date and all that it implies.  Since then, astrologists have discovered it, numerologists have found patterns that predict it, geologists say the earth is overdue for it, and even government scientists cannot deny the cataclysm of epic proportions that awaits the earth in 2012.  Read more

Documentary
Jane's Journey **** This documentary is the filmed biography of Jane Goodall, who studied chimpanzees for most of her life. Read more

Futuristic adventure
Priest **** A battle-hardened rogue warrior embarks on a perilous quest to save his niece from a murderous pack of vampires in Priest, a post-apocalyptic action horror film from director Scott Stewart. Read more

Human Drama
The Beaver ***** Two-time Academy Award winner Jodie Foster directs and co-stars with two-time Academy Award winner Mel Gibson in The Beaver - an emotional story about a man on a journey to re-discover his family and re-start his life. Read more
Beautiful Boy **** Beautiful Boy is an unconventional love story that explores the journey of a married couple on the verge of separation who must live with unimaginable heartbreak, and find healing through the darkest days of their lives. Read more
Brotherhood
**** A reckless prank spirals dangerously out of control and sets off a mad scramble to cover up the consequences. Read more
The Conspirator *****  Robert Redford's riveting thriller tells a powerful and true story about America then and now. In the wake of Abraham Lincoln's assassination, seven men and one woman are arrested and charged with conspiring to kill the President, Vice President, and Secretary of State. Read more
Get Low ***** Get Low is inspired by the true story of Felix 'Bush' Breazeale, who attracted national attention and the largest crowd to assemble up to that date when he threw himself a living funeral party in 1938 in Roane County, Tennessee. Read more
The Perfect Host ***** David Hyde Pierce delivers an outstanding performance as a twisted and consummate host who carefully prepares an impeccable dinner party. Read more
True Grit ***** A captivating mythic Western adventure story of vengeance and valor from Joel and Ethan Coen, whose stirring adaptation hones in on the plain-spoken humor, bold storytelling and rough beauty of Charles Portis' classic American novel.  Read more

Horror
Needle *** Fear explodes in this mindbending horror when a college student (Michael Dorman) inherits from his father a mysterious 18th century box, Read more
The Reef
*** Four friends are hunted by a great white shark when they are stranded in the sea in this independent film from Australian writer-director Andrew Traucki.  Read more
Scream 4
****  A savvy and witty return to Woodsboro where nothing is what it seems and everything is filled with surprising twists. Read more
The Thaw *** A team of ecology students led by a famous environmental advocate discovers that some secrets are better left buried when they unearth the perfectly preserved remains of a frozen wooly mammoth and discover that an ancient parasite has been incubating inside the beast for centuries. Read more
The Thing
***** John Carpenter's terrifying exploration of evil manifested in the most unlikely and unexpected of places. Read more

Music/ Drama
Footloose *****  Classic tale of teen rebellion and repression features a delightful combination of dance choreography and realistic and touching performances. Read more

Romance
Love, wedding, marriage *** An entertaining romantic comedy-drama with Mandy Moore as a successful marriage counselor who discovers that sometimes there's no cure for marriages on the rocks. Read more
Yes **** The story of a passionate love affair between an American woman (Joan Allen) and a Middle-Eastern man (Simon Abkarian) in which they confront some of the greatest conflicts of our generation - religious, political and sexual. Read more

South African
Getroud Met Rugby -Die Onvertelde Storie ***** A first-rate and highly entertaining film that showcases proudly South African filmmaking at its best. Read more
Life Above All
**** A remarkable film that stirs the emotions and instills a passion for living life no matter how dire the circumstances.  It is a wonderful anthem to humanity that sensitively explores and exposes issues we tend to ignore and should address. Read more
Roepman
**** An epic drama, based on the Jan van Tonder novel with the same title. It tells the story of a 1966 railway community, told through the eyes of an eleven year old boy, called Timus. Read more
Superhelde *** In a country where crime lurks behind every corner…In a country where evil rules, and heroes only exist in Hollywood movies…In a country where people no longer stand up for what they believe in……We have all wished we had super powers!  Read more
Ek Joke Net
The gags are brought to life by a group of panksters who punk ordinary, unexpecting victims, turning the ordinary into unusual and sometimes daring escapades! Read more

Suspenses and intrigue
Limitless **** An entertaining and thought provoking mind bender loaded with supspense, sction and a dose of wit. Read more
The Lincoln Lawyer
*** A straightforward case with a big money pay-off swiftly develops into a deadly match between two masters of manipulation. Read more
Source Code **** When decorated soldier Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes up in the body of an unknown man, he discovers he's part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train.  Read more

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Drama 
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Suspense Thrillers  Supernatural/ Mindbenders Disaster/ Survival     Documentary     Fantasy   
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Horror/ Suspense       Series
Monsters/, killers and creatures         
Special Editions   
South African Films   
South African Stories     Western     
Women's Film     

Series' addiction
Listed Alphabetically
Castle (Season 1) ***** If you are looking for first-rate entertainment that is fun, funny, and filled with tons of adventure and mind-boggling murder mystery, make sure to get hold of the first season of Castle and see what happens when a famous mystery novelist teams up with a hard-headed detective. Read more
Desperate Housewives (Season 7)
***** Non-stop viewing gauranteed For Season Seven, the housewives' pasts come back in surprising ways Read more
The Good Wife (Season 1 and 2) ***** If there's one series that gaurantees non-stop viewing, it's this captivating drama focusing on the resilient wife (Julianna Margulies) of a disgraced State Attorney (Chris Noth), who has been jailed following a very public sex and corruption scandal. Read more
Grey's Anatomy (Season 7) ***** If there's one way to escape and get away from it all, it's to throw yourself into the world of this captivating and emotionally challenging series. Read more
House (Season Six) *****  There is no TV series like House. What sets it worlds apart from other series is that although it is a brilliant medial series and human drama; essentially it is an ingenious detective series, with Dr. House as Sherlock Holmes, trying to find killer viruses and deadly diseases that attack humans. Read more
Primeval (Seasons 1 > 3) *****  Primeval follows a band of scientists as they investigate passageways in time that seem to be developing between prehistoric Earth and the present day, allowing all sorts of monstrous creatures to wander into the world. Read more
Queer as Folk (Seasons 1 - 5) ***** Based on the British series created by Russell T.Davies, this superb series was developed for American TV by Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman. Focusing on the loves, careers, ambitions and relationships of a group of gay men and women, it has great characters that will become a part of you. Read more
Robin Hood (Volume One, two and three)  ***** This fantastic BBC series is an action-packed retelling of the story of robin Hood, featuring a charming Jonas Armstrong in the title role. It was created by Dominic Minghella and features British filmmaking at its best. Read more
Spartacus: Blood and Sand ***** An extremely violent and sexually explicit masterwork that showcases the art of television. Fist rate performances from the entire cast (particularly Andy Whitfield in the title role), visual splendour and spectacle like you have never seen before, exquisite production and costune design and excellent writing, this is a must for serious collectors. Read more
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (The complete Series)
***** This captivating and intriguing new series from Aaron Sorkin (creator of The West Wing) takes you behind the scenes of a fictional late-night comedy sketch show. Read more
Supernatural (Season 1 - 4) ***** Wow! If you enjoy the mystery and intrigue of the unexplained, make sure to add this captivating exploration of fear to your collection. It tells the story of two brothers (Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles) who lose their mother in a terrifying ordeal and grow up hunting the demon that destroyed their lives. Read more
True Blood Season 2 ***** In the second-season premiere, the discovery of a body at Merlotte's has the citizens of Bon Temps worried about another murderer on the loose. Read more   
Ugly Betty ((Season 1 - 3)  *****  This well crafted social satire explores the world of male chauvinism, feminism, the fashion industry, relationships, and particularly issues relating to family and identity. It is funny, intelligent , entertaining and highly contagious. Be warned.  Read more
The Vampire Diaries (The Complete First Season)  **** In this age of vampires, fanged heroes have become iconic figures that have evolved from the underworld of Transylvania to contemporary suburbia. Sexy, sultry and super hot, they have turned monsters into likable and empathetic everyday people.   Read more

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Copyright © 1999 - 2012  Daniel E. Dercksen/ The Writing Studio 

Other New Releases

Action/ adventure
The Green Hornet
Animation
Battle for Terra
Despicable Me
How to Train Your Dragon
Legend of the Guardians
Megamind
Shrek Forver After
Toy Story 3

Comedy
Beer for My Horses
It's a Wonderful Afterlife
The Maid
What Just Happened
Who's Your Caddy?


Drama
Against the Tide
Another Year
Baaria
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Dorian Gray
The Fighter
The Girlfriend Experience
The Great Debaters
The King's Speech
The life before her eyes
Love and Other Impossible Pursuits
Loup
Made in Dagenham
Mao's Last Dancer
The Next Three Days
The Perfect Teacher
Red
The Social Network

South African films
Bakgat 2
Egoli
Jakhalsdans
Liefling
Ongelooflike Avonture van Hanna Hoekom
Spud: The Movie
Themba: A Boy Called Hope

Triomf
Romance
Charlie St. Cloud
Chloe
Eat Pray Love
Greetings from the shore
Love and Other Impossible Pursuits
Love the Hard Way
Ondine
The Other Man

Red Riding Hood
Step Up 3

Series
Brothers and Sisters Season 4
The Dead Zone Season One
Modern Family
The Pacific
Desperate Housewives
Glee
House
Primeval (Season 1 to 4)
Supernatural Season 4

Horror/ Thriller
The American
Arctic Blast
The boy she met online
The Burrowers
The Crazies
Fireball
Make out with violence
My Soul To Take
Paranormal Activity 2
Piranha
Psychosis
Road Train
The Stepson
Tell Tale
Terror Trap

Unknown
Musical
Burlesque

Documentary
180 degrees South
Freakonomics
Human Planet
Jane's Journey
Oceans