'Attack the Block' Crashes on DVD Oct. 25, 2011

Written by Bob Suggs Thursday, 20 October 2011 09:31

Movies - Blu-ray and DVD Releases

attacktheblock-thunmb32Aliens in the Hood - Where E.T. has teeth and the kids on bikes have knives. Some of the British slang might make American viewers go "what ", but it's an alien invasion coming to Blu-ray and DVD Oct. 25, 2011.

From the producers of Shaun of the Dead, Attack the Block is a fast, funny, frightening action adventure movie that pits a teen street gang against an invasion of savage alien monsters. It turns a London housing project into a sci-fi battleground, the low-income apartment complex into a fortress under siege. And it turns a crazy mix of tough street kids into a team of kick ass heroes. It’s inner city versus outer space and it’s going to explode.

A high-concept, micro-pocketed mash note to John Carpenter and Walter Hill, this Cockney vs. Aliens saga generates an enormous amount of likability out of some very limited means. Executive produced by the folks behind Shaun of the Dead, writer-director Joe Cornish's feature debut mixes gore and gags in a ratio that should drive genre fans bonkers.

Unlike many recent Comic-Con-friendly movies, however, Attack the Block admirably concentrates on actually telling a story first, with the in-jokes and pop-culture references treated as tinsel. Kicking off with a literal bang, Cornish's script follows a group of British teenage punks on the downward slide to outright thugdom.

Once a horde of neon-toothed aliens starts falling from the sky, however, the kids find themselves appointed the unlikely protectors of their grotty South London housing complex. Cue the bottle rockets, dirt bikes, and ninja weapons.

There's not much to the story beyond that, really, but any narrative sparseness is leavened by some healthy doses of low-budget ingenuity, chief among them the design of the negative-image aliens themselves, which suggest ticked-off wild boars after a serious Rogaine overdose. On the character front, the film also scores, quickly sketching out its team of likable (but not cuddly) bad seeds with distinct personalities.

Clocking in at a just-right 88 minutes, Attack the Block may ultimately never rise above the level of clever homage, but there's copious evidence that the filmmaker already has a firm understanding of what makes B movies tick. While his first film doesn't exactly reinvent the wheel, it rolls pretty well.

Joe Cornish on Attack The Block sequel ideas and US remake.

Actors:
 • Jodie Whittaker
 • Nick Frost
 • John Boyega
 • Alex Esmail
    Writers:
 • Joe Cornish

Producers:
 • Joe Wilson/Sons Of Thunder

Directors:
 • Joe Cornish

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Production Year: 2011
Release Date: 10/25/2011
Rating: R
Runtime: 88 Mins.

Attack the Block [Blu-ray]

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Actor: John Boyega Actor: Jodie Whittaker Actor: Alex Esmail Actor: Leeon Jones Actor: Franz Drameh AspectRatio: 2.40:1 AudienceRating: R (Restricted) Binding: Blu-ray Brand: Sony Color: color Creator: Joe Cornish Creator: Edgar Wright Creator: James Biddle Creator: James Wilson Creator: Jenny Borgars Creator: Lucy Pardee Creator: Matthew Justice Director: Joe Cornish EAN: 0043396387935 EANList: Format: AC-3 Format: Blu-ray Format: Dolby Format: NTSC Format: Subtitled Format: Widescreen IsEligibleForTradeIn: 1 ItemDimensions: Label: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Languages: ListPrice: Manufacturer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment MPN: COLBR38793 NumberOfDiscs: 1 PackageDimensions: PackageQuantity: 1 PartNumber: COLBR38793 PictureFormat: Anamorphic Widescreen ProductGroup: DVD ProductTypeName: ABIS_DVD Publisher: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment RegionCode: 1 ReleaseDate: 2011-10-25 RunningTime: 88 SKU: 7425547 Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Title: Attack the Block [Blu-ray] TradeInValue: UPC: 043396387935 UPCList:

Product Description From the producers of Shaun of the Dead, Attack the Block is a fast, funny, frightening action adventure movie that pits a teen street gang against an invasion of savage alien monsters. It turns a London housing project into a sci-fi battleground, the low-income apartment complex into a fortress under siege. And it turns a crazy mix of tough street kids into a team of kick ass heroes. It’s inner city versus outer space and it’s going to explode. Amazon.com A high-concept, micro-pocketed mash note to John Carpenter and Walter Hill, this Cockney vs. Aliens saga generates an enormous amount of likability out of some very limited means. Executive produced by the folks behind Shaun of the Dead, writer-director Joe Cornish's feature debut mixes gore and gags in a ratio that should drive genre fans bonkers. Unlike many recent Comic-Con-friendly movies, however, Attack the Block admirably concentrates on actually telling a story first, with the in-jokes and pop-culture references treated as tinsel. Kicking off with a literal bang, Cornish's script follows a group of British teenage punks on the downward slide to outright thugdom. Once a horde of neon-toothed aliens starts falling from the sky, however, the kids find themselves appointed the unlikely protectors of their grotty South London housing complex. Cue the bottle rockets, dirt bikes, and ninja weapons. There's not much to the story beyond that, really, but any narrative sparseness is leavened by some healthy doses of low-budget ingenuity, chief among them the design of the negative-image aliens themselves, which suggest ticked-off wild boars after a serious Rogaine overdose. On the character front, the film also scores, quickly sketching out its team of likable (but not cuddly) bad seeds with distinct personalities. (That said, American viewers should be prepared to have at least a quarter of the slang fly over their heads.) Clocking in at a just-right 88 minutes, Attack the Block may ultimately never rise above the level of clever homage, but there's copious evidence that the filmmaker already has a firm understanding of what makes B movies tick. While his first film doesn't exactly reinvent the wheel, check out all the neat stuff in the spokes. --Andrew Wright

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'Attack the Block' Crashes on DVD Oct. 25, 2011
Aliens in the Hood - Where E.T. has teeth and the kids on bikes have knives. Some of the British slang might make American viewers go "what ", but it's an alien invasion coming to Blu-ray and DVD...

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