10 New Blockbuster Online Rentals

It’s time to look at 10 new Blockbuster online rentals. Each week, I try to keep readers updated on some of the latest or most intriguing films available for delivery right to your front door. This time around, I’ll be focusing on recent releases over at Blockbuster, and several Oscar nominees are included.

If you’ve never used Blockbuster’s online service, you might be interested to know that they have over 90,000 films to choose from. Their cheapest monthly plan gives you 2 DVD or Blu-ray rentals per month for $3.99, while their top plan allows you to have three movies out at a time, plus unlimited in-store exchanges, for only $34.99 per month. Shipping is free, and there are no late fee for online movies rented from Blockbuster.

For those who’d like to try the online rental experience, just look over to the right side of the screen and find the giant Blockbuster ad (the one featuring the mailbox with flames down the side). Click on that colorful ad, and you’ll be well on your way to enjoying new release movies in the comfort of your own home.

• Up in the Air – George Clooney stars as a man who specializes in traveling about the country and firing employees on behalf of cowardly managers. Along the way, he begins a casual relationship with a fellow frequent flyer (Vera Farmiga), but his emotions begin to deepen as the film goes on. He must also contend with a young co-worker (Anna Kendrick) who devises a way to fire employees via computer and save the cost of flying someone around the country. Directed by up-and-comer Jason Reitman, the film was nominated for a number of Oscars.
• Precious – An illiterate, obese, sexually-abused black girl tries to start a new life despite overwhelming odds. Mo’Nique won an Oscar for her role as the girl’s abusive mother, and the film also features Lenny Kravitz and Mariah Carey in small roles. Based on the novel Push by Sapphire.
• Capitalism: A Love Story – Director Michael Moore looks at the system of capitalism and the current economic crisis within the United States. A master of propaganda and publicity stunts, Moore pulls a number of tricks including: interviewing Catholic priests on how capitalism is counter to the teachings of Christianity, getting Wall Street experts to try and explain (unsuccessfully) terms such as credit default swaps and derivatives, and prodding the head of a congressional oversight committee into admitting that she had no idea where the $700 billion in bailout money went to.

• The Boondock Saints II: All Saint’s Day – Conner and Murphy MacManus (Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus) are vigilante killers hiding out in Ireland following their execution of a powerful mob boss. After eight years have passed, they’re drawn back to America when a priest is killed using their assassination methods. Along with their father, a feared hitman known as Noah (Billy Connolly), the brothers return to the U.S. and butt heads with the bad guys. Co-starring Clifton Collins Jr., Julie Benz, Judd Nelson and Peter Fonda.
• The Stoning of Soraya M. – This American drama tells the story of a young Iranian woman living in a remote village. When her husband decides to get rid of her for a 14-year-old, he conspires to have her falsely accused of adultery and then stoned to death. Due to the film’s criticism of their backwards legal system, the Iranian government banned the film.
• Gigante – A lonely security guard begins to fall for a janitor named Julia in this Spanish-language film. Watching her via the store’s security cameras, he soon begins to follow her around town. But just when he works up the courage to talk to her, some competition enters the picture.
• The Damned United – Adapted from the bestselling The Damned Utd., the film takes a fictional look at the tenure of manager Brian Clough with Leeds United. In case the previous sentence sounded like gibberish, I was talking about soccer. The top-notch cast is headed up by Michael Sheen, Jim Broadbent, Timothy Spall, and Colm Meaney. A must-see for fans of football (that’s soccer to Americans).
• Colour From the Dark – Based on the H.P. Lovecraft story, “The Colour Out of Space,” this indie film follows the lives of two families living in a village during the events of World War II. Starring Debbie Rochon, things build to a harrowing conclusion, and the blood starts flying by the film’s middle act. While many Lovecraft films aren’t that impressive, this one is a cut above (especially considering the low budget).

• Smoking Aces 2: Assassin’s Ball – In this prequel, an FBI desk jockey (Tom Berenger) is preparing to retire when a plot to assassinate him is uncovered. He’s moved to a safe house and protected by armed guards, but they’ll soon have to contend with a wave of assassins, including a master of disguise, a woman with a lethal kiss, and a family of deranged killers. Co-starring Vinnie Jones, Tommy Flanagan, Michael Parks and Ernie Hudson.
• The Collector – Here’s one that’s currently available from Blockbuster, but Netflix won’t have it in stock until April. A thief breaks into a home to steal a jewel in order to pay off his wife’s debt to a loan shark. Unfortunately for him, a masked serial killer is currently occupied with the home’s residents, and the thief must decide whether to flee or stay and save them. Originally intended as a prequel to Saw, The Collector has plenty of inventive booby traps and bloody deaths.

While this list of 10 new Blockbuster online rentals should get you started, there are thousands of other films waiting to be shipped to your house. The following lists should give you an even greater idea of what’s available:

• Top Movies on Netflix
• Good Movies to Rent on iTunes
• Great Amazon Movie Deals