Viewer Preference: Home Entertainment

• 1st Nov 2011

These days, a lot of people enjoy waiting on films to become available to the public rather than going to see them in theatres. This is due to a few developments, the most significant of which is that while cinema tickets remain expensive, films are becoming available through services like Netflix and DirecTV far more quickly than they used to. Therefore, a lot of people are opting to save money and optimize their home film watching experiences. However, before you get too excited and head to M&S for a new film watching television, or blindly sign up for DirecTV movie packages, here are a few of the year’s best films so far to get excited about.

• Midnight In Paris – This delightfully charming film from Woody Allen was one of the most pleasant surprises in recent memory. It follows a young writer, played by Owen Wilson, as he explores his artistic side through the influence he receives by going back in time to walk the streets of Paris in the 1920’s.

• Fast Five – This seems a bit surprising, but many critics actually agreed that the 5th “Fast & Furious” installment was the best of the bunch. For fans of the franchise, it was a very pleasing storyline, and for the average fan of action movies, it was simply very enjoyable. If you can go into it without expecting realism or seriousness, you’ll likely have a blast.

• Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes – Absolutely one of the best films of the year, this prequel the popular “Planet Of The Apes” saga shows the very beginning, when apes began to become intelligent and humans began to die out. This film had a bit of everything, with great performances, a surprising amount of emotion, and very real action considering the subject matter.

• Friends With Benefits – If you’re looking for a funny, feel-good summer style comedy, look no further than this surprising film. Billed as a “chick flick” or romantic comedy, this film would have fit better in the straight comedy genre – it had its cheesy moments, but for the most part it delivered laugh after laugh, as well as endearing (and attractive) performances from Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake.

• Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows, Part II – Of course, the most hyped film of the summer delivered in a huge way. The epic finale to all things Harry Potter was exciting, emotional and satisfying, and brought great pleasure to fans all over the world. If you are a fan of the series, or even just of the films, there is virtually no doubt that you will love this last chapter.