The 86th Academy Awards are set to air on March 2 on ABC. Most of us would agree that the majority of casual film goers are usually out of the loop when it comes to knowing about the films that are nominated in the major categories. Rent It Today hopes to prepare you for this years ceremonies with our essential movie rentals, just so you’re not scratching your head come time for the winner announcement. Hit up the local Redbox for these new releases.
Captain Phillips
The showdown between ship captain and pirate. A timeless story fleshed out off the coast of Somalia. Tom Hanks earns another Oscar nomination with his portrayal of real-life Maersk ship commander, Richard Phillips. His valiant efforts to fight off the pirate invasion of his crew leads to one of the most climatic stand-offs in recent film history.
Gravity
Sandra Bullock is alone in space and is trying to get back to Earth. Nothing seems to go right in her god-like attempts to survive the unsurvivable. If you missed this one at the local IMAX theater, you should feel deprived. This is one of the most visually engrossing 3D movies ever made. In addition to a big box office receipt, Gravity has ten Oscar nominations to brag about.
Nebraska
Nominated for six Oscars, the satirical humor of director Alexander Payne is back, in black and white. Bruce Dern makes a surprise leading role appearance in this witty comedy about an aging alcoholic who is trying to cash in a $1 million dollar lottery ticket that happens to be a fraud. Will veteran B-actor, Bruce Dern finally receive his statue this year?
Prisoners
Hugh Jackman is in rage mode as he frantically tries to find his kidnapped daughter. The dark shaded cinematography provides a film noir tone to this psychological thriller. The murky visuals have earned an Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography. You probably won’t see the ending coming.
Dallas Buyers Club
Matthew McCoughnahey continues his streak of critically acclaimed performances in this biographical drama about Ron Woodroof, an AIDS patient who smuggled pharmaceutical drugs into Texas and sold them to other AIDS patients in 1985. The homophobic electrician quickly finds out how quickly you become ostracized by family when infected with the deadly virus.
Captain Phillips was amazing.