Brothers DVD out today! And a first verdict on PoP - we have love chemistry, wiggling ostriches, fridge magnets

It's 23 March and that can mean only one thing: Jake Gyllenhaal has the perfect gift for his Source Code co-star Michelle Monaghan who celebrates her birthday today - the Brothers DVD, now in your shops! Or, if you're not in America, available to order from a bunch of places. If you prefer to wait for the R2 version, that is out on 7 June. However, it's worth pointing out you may be in the cinema on that day...


To mark the occasion, I Heart Jake and Lionsgate Home Entertainment are running a competition in which two people - from anywhere on the planet with a multi-region player - can each win a Brothers DVD. Visit IHJ for details and good luck.

As for The Other Film, we've had some more details from the top secret ShoWest screening of Prince of Persia in Vegas last week. It's very spoilery and so I will quote very little but you can read the full account at IGN and it's a goodie.


Here's a non-spoilery description of one scene: 'The scene is overrun with special effects -- high-flying acrobatics off walls, swordplay of all kinds, cinematic bow & arrow near-misses, fires, explosions and more. It's fairly epic and well-choreographed. It's clear from the start that the movie comes from Disney and director Mike Newell (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), not Uwe Boll.'


The love interest: 'Dastan believes Tamina is a pampered princess who has never suffered a day in her life and she thinks he's a corrupted brute who lacks proper morales. Their on-screen chemistry works. Indeed, the admittedly predictable hate-turn-love story is just as interesting as some of the awe-inspiring special effects scenes because the chemistry is so tangible.'


Ostrich racing: 'Comic relief is supplied by the always-reliable Alfred Molina [see below] (Spider-Man 2), who plays a money-hungry tradesman whose first love is ostrich-racing. And yeah, you even get to see some dudes riding atop wiggling ostriches as they race awkwardly over dirt roads.'


Verdict: 'The action is big. The effects bigger. And the storyline just interesting enough to keep you watching. Gyllenhaal -- probably not anybody's first choice for the Prince of Persia; although, to be fair, he's a hard character to cast -- serves the role just fine. And Arterton has sex appeal to spare. This movie will surely be compared to Pirates of the Caribbean series and it shares much in common. Perhaps the only thing missing is the equivalent of Captain Jack Sparrow -- Johnny Depp's ludicrous, but unforgettable antihero. By comparison, Dastan and Tamina are straighter and side-players like Kingsley and Molina unremarkable. But the movie is well-produced and sparkling with polish from beginning to end, and we doubt any potential shortcomings will stop moviegoers from seeing it and doing their part in adding another notch to Bruckheimer's already-considerable blockbuster belt.'


Actually, referring to the verdict above, Jake Gyllenhaal was somebody's first choice for the role - Mike Newell's. (And also mine, but I don't think I pull as much weight with Jerry Bruckheimer.)

In other Prince of Persia news, we have fridge magnets - oh yes we do...


Wanted to finish today with a lovely picture from last weekend when NYC wallowed in a taster of spring.


Includes pictures from links and here and the coolest website in the world. Thanks to Monica for additional ostriches. Happy birthday Michelle!