Out on Blu Ray

The Men Who Stare at Goats (out 19 April 10, Cert. 15)

George Clooney, Ewan Mcgregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey, dir. Grant Heslov, 2009, cert. 15

MonkeyScore: 79%

When reporter Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor) encounters Lyn Cassady (George Clooney), he knows he has found a story. Cassady claims to be part of “The New Earth Army”, an experimental US Army unit of "special" soldiers - with powers ranging from the ability to read the enemy’s thoughts to passing through solid walls. Or as the title suggests killing a goat simply by staring at it. The New Earth Army founder Bill Django (Jeff Bridges) has gone missing and Cassady’s mission is to find him. Intrigued by the far-fetched stories, Bob impulsively decides to tag along for the ride.

The Men Who Stare At Goats is based on journalist Jon Ronson book - itself based on a his investigation uncovering the existence of Pentagon-funded "psychic" units in the US Army. Knowing that there is a reality grounding somewhere makes the film eminently watchable - what would be a fairly light-hearted affair becomes more sinister but no less hilarious. The film's most successful element comes from its perfect, if predictable, casting. Jeff Bridges plays Django as a variation of The Dude with his usual cool, while Mcgregor's neurotic reporter is spot on opposite Clooney's touched Cassady. Cassady explaining Jedi mind tricks to Mcgregor, a.k.a. Ben Kenobi, is pure genius. The Men Who Stare At Goats is totally bonkers - and not to be missed.

The Last Emperor (out 19 April 10, Cert. 15)

Peter O'Toole, Joan Chen, John Lone, Dennis Dun, Victor Wong, dir. Bernardo Bertolucci, 1987, cert. 15

MonkeyScore: 83%

The Last Emperor of China, Pu Yi, ascends to the throne at the age of three, becoming a virtual prisoner in the palace he rules over. Outside the Forbidden City, coup d'etats and power struggles succeed each other, changing the face of China. Pu Yi's tutor, Reginald "RJ" Johnston, introduces him to Western ways. He is ill-equipped, however, to navigate a modern China at war with Japan, not quite realising that the power conferred on him as a child was never real - paying the price as the Cultural Revolution looms.

The Last Emperor's colours, depth and level of detail come alive with the high-definition: this release is a marked improvement on the previously available DVD versions. 22 years after its Oscar triumph, where the film bagged 9 statuettes including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction, Bertolucci's take on Pu-Yi's involvement with the Japanese during the war, and his consequent fall from grace, are finally presented in a home entertainment format that does justice to the theatrical release. The compelling and moving story of Pu Yi unfolds over a nearly 3 hour long feast for the eyes, accompanied by a stunning score by Ryûichi Sakamoto and David Byrne. While you won't quite get the full big screen experience this is as close to it as you can get without taking on a second mortgage to build yourself a private screening room. A stunning Blu-Ray release, for an exceptional film - The Last Emperor BR is an essential addition to any self-respecting Blu-Ray collection.

Inland Empire (out 19 April 10, Cert. 15)

Laura Dern, Jeremy Irons, William H. Macy, Justin Theroux, Julia Ormond, Harry Dean Stanton, Diane Ladd, dir. David Lynch, 2006, cert. 15

MonkeyScore: 72%

An actress's perception of reality becomes increasingly distorted as she finds herself falling for her co-star in a remake of an unfinished Polish production that was supposedly cursed.

Writer-director David Lynch pulls the strings to blur the line between reality and fiction, creating a maze of beautiful imagery, twists and turns in which both the characters and the audience lose themselves. The feel is not unlike that of Mulholland Drive, in the sense that you can still enjoy the film thoroughly even though you may not get all of it, and to be honest maybe only David Lynch himself does. It starts with a weird black and white sequence, which many may never go past: those who persist will be rewarded with a stunning piece of film which must be seen to be believed, if not understood. Laura Dern as leading lady Nikki Grace turns in a masterful performance, all in nuances. The filmed was entirely shot on digital camera, so the transition to Blu-Ray is a very successful one, making this release well worth getting your hands on to. An incredible, surrealist epic from the weird and wonderful mind of David Lynch.