Lips Touch: Three Times Book Giveaway
Ends Nov 8, 2009
Win a copy of this trio of fantasies and learn why author Laini Taylor is a National Book Award Finalist.
CD Giveaway - Gypsy Dave and the Stumpjumpers, "A Bucketful of Ghosts"
Ends Nov 8, 2009
With introspection borne of their rural Pennsylvania roots, this contemporary folk trio puts forth laid-back storytelling as from a simpler time. Enter our contest for your chance to win their latest album!
This 50s sci-fi creature feature has a plot that's good for a laugh or three. But the real fun here is the education from all the Ray Harryhausen centered special features of this two-disc edition.
This is the way to watch Fox's 24: resolving an episode's cliffhanger with the press of a button to advance to the next show, rather than dwelling on it for a whole week. Day 5 finds a government conspiracy authorizing terrorist attacks to secure oil reserves.
Journalist by day, Tony Wilson adores the punk movement, recognizes it as an uncontrollable force, just waiting to take off. He sees the Sex Pistols play and that’s it -- he must be a part of it. “24 Hour Party People” documents the rise and fall of that genre; Mr. Wilson as our guide.
Cameras follow driver #24 around for 24 hours off-track, as the NASCAR racing sensation attends to various sponsor commitments and charity work, spends quality recreational time on the water, and, oh yeah, has a family life.
Holding up surprisingly well on the political thriller front, if not the romance and gender role front, “3 Days of the Condor” marks an interesting historical turn in American ideology, following Watergate and the subsequent death of an idealistic John Wayne mythology.
You can never get enough Dick. Or Sally, Harry or Tommy, for that matter. Now Anchor Bay has captured these inquisitive aliens in this hilarious boxed set.
John Ritter's final prime-time sitcom left us all laughing, and this first season collection reminds us of the classic hit this series could have been. If only.
The second season of 8 Simple Rules shows a cast and crew in transition, as the series took an unexpected hit with the tragic loss of leading man John Ritter.
This fascinating documentary chronicles the PBA's tumble into the gutter of sports consciousness to its struggle to reinvent itself in the new world of sports as entertainment.
These seven videos and five live performances are a fine compilation and historical record of the artistic contributions donated to benefit Special Olympics.
Like watching a ball player who's hung around for a season too long, this rehash of "Goldfinger" features the aging Roger Moore's last turn as James Bond.
Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman, and Madeline Kahn shine in this slapstick mystery about the great detective's unsung younger brother, Sigerson Holmes.
AdventurelandDVD Review - Aug 26, 2009 - By Paulette Suhr
"Adventureland" isn't particularly exciting or hilarious, but it works because of its believable characters and the very real situations in which they find themselves. This film will resonate with anyone who's ever had to work a crappy job.
While the production values and cast are top-notch, the storylines are often too much to be believed -- but there's still some usefulness in these DVDs for education.
A young deaf and mute girl is rescued from an abusive family setting and embarks on an empowering journey toward literacy. Despite some vague condescension toward deafness, the story is ultimately a triumph of will over circumstances.
Family Guy and Mad TV alum Alex Borstein delivers her comedy with earnest sincerity in this stand-up stint that spends most of its time poking fun at the lack of female role models in films and television.
What Svankmajer accomplishes with stop motion animation and marionettes is nothing short of astounding. Despite the hypnotically disturbing and stomach-flopping imagery and anxiety-inducing sound effects, the overall achievement is wholly extraordinary.
While Alice in Wonderland is and always will be best appreciated as a book, this version -- deviations aside -- is still the closest one I've seen in its faithfulness to the original text.
Without a great deal of subtlety, "Alice in Wondertown" tosses about many political criticisms of Cuban partisan belief systems, coercion, opportunism and the necessity of blind advocacy for a life that is equated, quite literally, to sh*t.
More than just "cops and aliens", this television show was a biting and insightful look at human foibles, prejudices, and hatreds when it comes to minorities.
Alien SiegeDVD Review - Dec 4, 2007 - By R.J. Carter
The aliens are here, and they want your blood. Run for the hills -- away from this movie!
Life for the Bunkers and the Stivics changed irrevocably in this sixth season of the classic Norman Lear series, when Gloria becomes pregnant and Baby Joey joins the family.
"Wonder Twin powers -- Activate!" Come back to the seventies, super heroes, and schmaltzy nostalgia with this two-disc collection of Saturday morning fun.
Director Eric Nicholas employs an interesting -- if not wholly believable -- conceit in the production of this stalker film. Shown from the stalker's perspective, it is shot entirely through surveillance cameras.
The female analogs to Alvin and the Chipmunks are set to appear in the upcoming live-action "squeakuel." To reintroduce audiences, Paramount releases this limited set of cartoons featuring appearance by Brittany, Jeanette, and Eleanor on the 1980s series, Alvin and the Chipmunks.
Could it be that the Easter Bunny is really a fraud, who stole his glory from the Easter Chipmunk? Alvin's determined to uncover the truth about Easter!
Always WillDVD Review - Mar 17, 2007 - By R.J. Carter
Who hasn't wished they could change something -- even just one thing -- in their past? That common chord resonates with young and old alike, and director and screenwriter Michael Sammaciccia hits upon it with delicate precision.
Without a great deal of subtlety, and the occasional bout of weepy-eyed allegory with heightened score, “America Betrayed” reveals the unsurprising realities behind the “boy’s club” mentality of cost-cutting and back scratching that ultimately leads to the disintegration of the national infrastructure.
Season Five starts on January 17th -- if you start now, you might be able to finish this massive retrospective of Seasons One through Four before then!
American WomenDVD Review - Jan 18, 2006 - By Adam Scholtz
A group of Irish bachelors place an ad in the Miami Herald seeking American women to travel to their remote town, not realizing that they have everything they could ever want in a woman right under their noses.
AmusementDVD Review - Jan 29, 2009 - By R.J. Carter
What this slasher flick lacks in plot consistency it makes up for in pacing and mood, as horror-fans are introduced to a new sadistic killer -- The Laugh.
There are places in North Carolina that are still very much like Mayberry. But if you can't travel right now, you can take a virtual trip with this DVD set.
Angel BladeDVD Review - May 13, 2006 - By R.J. Carter
Welcome to the David Heavener show. Not only does he write, produce, direct, and act the lead, he also performs the songs that provide the soundtrack for this act of cinematic masturbation.
Meet the Warner brothers (and the Warner sister, Dot.) Just for fun they run around the Warner movie lot. They get locked in the tower whenever they get caught. But they break loose and then vamoose -- and now you know the plot!
The AnimatrixDVD Review - Jun 7, 2003 - By R.J. Carter
If this is your first contact with the definition of anime, you're probably thinking of Pokemon or DragonballZ or, if you're an old-timer like myself, Speed Racer. If that's the case, exposure to this DVD will enlighten you to the many other facets of anime--most of them far more elegant and mature than any children's show you'll have seen.
Apartment 12DVD Review - Jan 6, 2006 - By R.J. Carter
When the girl next door moves in across the hall, a boy's life can become really confusing, really fast.
At the height of collective ecology consciousness, the premise for the show was a somber tale of what could happen to the earth through environmental carelessness. Still, Filmation's first live-action children's show is a welcome trip down memory lane and charmingly fun.
The final season of the best comedy on TV was cut short, but it's still packed full of laughs. By the end, you'll be crying tears of joy and tears of sadness, both.
The original four members of Asia reunited for a tour in honor of the 25th anniversary of their debut album, and this performance from Japan show that time may have aged their appearance, but sonically it was a trip to the past.
A maze of subplots and an unclear main plot lead to a muddled journey through mental instability.
AtonementDVD Review - Mar 17, 2008 - By Jonathan Baylis
Something about the word “Atonement” bugged me into thinking that there was no way that watching this film would be a pleasant experience. Kind of like Yom Kippur services.
August RushDVD Review - Mar 10, 2008 - By R.J. Carter
Containing many scenes of emotional impact and musical magic, I'm forced to wonder why the film overall leaves me feeling empty.
Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael Garcia Bernal, Adriana Barraza, and Rinko Kikuchi portray characters dealing with a multitude of problems interconnected and overlapping.
This DVD aims for toddler communication development, or for the parent interested in dabbling with the language of the Deaf. The lasting benefits are debatable, but as a slice of entertainment with a smidgen of education it succeeds admirably.
Ten years after the formation of the Interstellar Alliance, fans now return to the galaxy's last, best hope for peace.
BackbeatDVD Review - Jan 29, 2005 - By Raul Burriel
Stuart Sutcliffe and John Lennon are best friends in a band. One day that band will be the greatest rock-n-roll band of all time. Right now they're just a bunch of teenagers playing a gig in Hamburg, Germany. But it all changes when a young woman walks into their lives and threatens to tear apart the friendship between Stu and John.
Most Disney straight-to-DVD sequels are nearly always inferior to the originals that spawned them. But the studio has succeeded in reproducing the style of the first film, in art, music, and spirit.
Penélope Cruz and Salma Hayek are a pair of wanted women -- and they play the role of wanted women in this film as well! Part "Zorro", part "Mission: Impossible", and all fun!
The original line-up performs at the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles in September 2000, in this no-frills production that covers the all-girl rock band's musical flaws with abundant energy.
In the Gotham of the future, a new kind of Batman is needed. High school student Terry McGinnis assumes the mantle of the bat, mentored by the original Batman, Bruce Wayne.
A lot happens in this fourth season as we get to reimagine once again the origin of some favorite characters, culminating in yet another take on DC's Justice League of America.
High production values and a heightened level of violence and foreshadowing make this animated Batman film a standout that continues to hold up over time.
For fans of the original show, this series will seem like an ongoing nightmare. Fans of science fiction in general, however, will appreciate its realistic divergence from Star Trek-type fantasy.
The creation of Ron Koslow, with science fiction writer George R.R. Martin aboard as story consultant, this romantic modern fantasy captured viewers hearts.
Twenty favorites from this 1971-1977 sibling to Sesame Street are presented on four discs. It easily stands up, and in many ways surpasses, anything masquerading as children's television programming that you'll find today.
Featuring five episodes of Walt Disney's black-and-white children's variety TV series that ran from 1955-1959, this DVD is more of a sampler of the show rather than a "best of" collection.
The series that might be more aptly titled “Rich American White Kids Got Problems Too”, reached some seriously amusing heights in season seven that fans of trash TV appreciated and embraced with seriously misguided gusto.
Just in time for Halloween, Sony Pictures releases the fourth season of America's favorite domestic spellcaster, Samantha Stephens -- queen of all television witches.
The penultimate season of the show flexed the writers' creativity, as a set fire forced several episodes to be filmed on location elsewhere -- and where better than Salem for a show about a witch?
There's not much in the way of "excitement" in this series -- it's hardly a jaunt with Indiana Jones or Robert Langdon. It's rather an unambiguous and unbiased look at the literature, with conclusions of dates drawn by utilizing the knowledge gleaned from digs in the regions.
The Henrickson family is nuclear -- to the third power. HBO turns in a surprising and addictive series for mature audiences about the trials and tribulations of living a polygamist lifestyle.
Life is a drag for FBI agent Malcolm Turner, who reprises his undercover role as Big Momma to catch a crook -- and ends up saving a family in this 20th Century Fox comedy.
Blue Collar comedian Bill Engvall returns to television as Bill Pearson -- a family therapist who has trouble putting his advice into practice in his own home life.
An exceptional saga of perseverance in faith, this is the unflinching true account of one family's efforts to shelter Jews from Nazi tyranny during World War II despite the consequences.
Keenly timed to release the same week as "The Dark Knight" to capitalize on the newest wave of Bat-mania, this failed series tantalizes with promise but disappoints with execution.
I remember watching Don Hertzfeldt's "Ah, L'amour" for the first time and it being one of the few times in my life where uncontrollable laughing led to tears of joy.
It's a wordy title for a pageant winner, but this heartfelt and utterly charming documentary is part reminiscence on the life-long impact of capturing the crown, and part competition chronicle as teen girls vie for the title and share their dreams for the future.
All these sorority sisters want for Christmas is to survive the night when deranged murderer Billy Lenz escapes and comes home.
Black Hawk DownDVD Review - Jun 20, 2002 - By Jennifer Alpeche
Directed by Ridley Scott, “Black Hawk Down” relates the events of October 3 and 4, 1993, when elite U.S. soldiers left base in Mogadishu, Somalia, with a seemingly simple mission, only to find themselves locked in a chain reaction that would take the lives of 19 of their men and hundreds of Somalis.
Black. White.DVD Review - Sep 10, 2006 - By R.J. Carter
"Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" gets the reality show treatment in this series that attempts to unravel the core causes of racial friction.
Blackstar was a short lived series from Filmation that tried to follow in the footsteps of Flash Gordon and John Carter... and it might have happened if not for those silly Trobbits.
A masterpiece of filmmaking finally gets the treatment it deserves. 25 years after coming to theaters, director Ridley Scott gives us his final cut of "Blade Runner", and we get four other versions of the movie, too.
BlindnessDVD Review - Feb 11, 2009 - By Robert Bell
As an obvious allegory for the inherent systemic “Blindness” that is necessary for a culture founded on delusion to function, the adaptation of Jose Saramago’s intellectually superior novel proves functional and sustainable due mainly to strong lead performances and consistent direction from Meirelles.
After a theatrical release of standup comedy and two seasons of television, one might have thought that the Blue Collar guys might have fully plumbed the depths of humor to be found among rednecks, hicks, hillbillies, and the rest of us good folks. Nope.
Make no mistake about it -- this is the B Team, and it shows. Not that these guys aren't funny, but they're being asked to follow in some very big shoes.
Dr. Bob Hartley returns with a fourth season of the classic television series. This DVD set is high on funny and bonus content, but loses points for off-kilter presentation and poor package design.
This worthy tribute spends the day at the Ambassador Hotel before Presidential candidate RFK was gunned down there in 1968. The storylines of a vast cast of characters -- peopled by an amazing "who's who" of Hollywood -- converge in the dramatic finale.
Boiler RoomDVD Review - Jul 18, 2000 - By Alex Keen
"Boiler Room" is my first official DVD review for this site. Hopefully I can keep it up, and have at least one a week.
"The Boondock Saints" is an interesting tale -- an urban revenge fantasy that sometimes answers the question, "What if John Waters had directed 'The Godfather'?"
The Academy Award-winning documentary about the children of the Red Light district of Calcutta comes to DVD.
Born to FightDVD Review - May 21, 2007 - By Max Braden
Fans of Tony Jaa's martial arts films "Ong Bak" and "The Protector" may be interested in this 1986 movie starring Panna Rittikrai, who became Jaa's stunt trainer, choreographer, and story writer.
Boston Legal - Season Two is bursting with a full 27 episodes that, even if you didn't watch or catch up with season one, you will easily get hooked on.
The problem with “Pajamas” is that it was too obviously an Oscar film, and as such, needed to be knocked down a peg or two by the critic system, which implicitly likes to “discover” things.
Cloe, Jade, Sasha and Yasmin may be marketed as dolls with a passion for fashion, but the driving force of their animated stories are the bonds of friendship between them, as well as their focus on their academic studies, making them far better role models than parents might expect from just encountering them in the toy aisles.
The arrest of America's biggest spy, Robert Hanssen, is documented in this account by director Billy Ray with input from Eric O'Neill, the former FBI operative who helped make the arrest happen.
In a year filled with nominations and awards for the dark side of Capote, what better time to cash in, I mean, revisit the lighter side of Truman. And the buck stops with Breakfast at Tiffany’s. (I have no clue what that means.)
This struggle between love and money has proven successful repeatedly in film and literature due to its simplistic, but true, handling of one of life’s eternal ideological struggles, which is: “what will make me happy?”
Five misfits from different walks of life find themselves in high school detention on a Saturday. Confined to the high school library, they must learn to get along with each other if they're to survive the next nine hours of tedium.
As a narrative that tackles issues of religious ideals, divisions between Catholicism and a protestant way of life, parental influence and social expectation, necessary conformities, sexual identity in relation to dominant ideologues, idealizing the unknown and the infinite nature of love; “Brideshead Revisited” simply has too much going on in it to translate successfully into a two-hour movie.
The series that has been called "too good for TV" is back, and it's just right for DVD.
Bring It OnDVD Review - Feb 14, 2001 - By Sean Conover
And so begins my new endeavor: DVD Reviews. However, if you're looking for reviews about the film itself, you may want to look elsewhere. This week's experiment: Bring It On.
You may not approve of what you see on screen or find the movie all that enjoyable to watch, but you cannot deny that this is an important and groundbreaking movie.
The second season of ABC’s adult ensemble drama continues on seamlessly from the passable and depressing but mostly charming first season, simultaneously delivering even more familial love and dysfunction.
Burn Notice is visibly a USA Network series, with an unintentionally ironic Canadian television aesthetic that relies on sarcastic zingers, tight dresses and the occasional explosion to appease a mostly blue-collar demographic.
The BurrowersDVD Review - Apr 16, 2009 - By R.J. Carter
The Old West meets fantasy horror in this suspense-filled film from J.T. Petty.
The time-travel horror franchise continues with this Lions Gate offering in which an investigation into a murder in the past creates a serial killer in the present.
Fighting crime in a future time, the Central Organization of Police Specialists fought Big Boss and his goons every weekday afternoon in the late eighties, reminding everyone to obey the law.
Cadet KellyDVD Review - Jun 22, 2005 - By R.J. Carter
Private Benjamin gets a G-rated teen remake when Hillary Duff finds herself moved from her comfortable high school environs and dropped in a military academy.
No matter what it's titled, this '80's feminist police drama is a worthy investment of time and money as a landmark series that not only tackled controversial topics, but stood apart from standard genre storylines through its female viewpoint.
In addition to presenting an unabashed depiction of the deviance and excess of the Roman Empire, “Caligula” acts as a representation of its time, criticising the fragile, hypocritical nature of dominant ideologues and Judeo-Christian ethics, while keeping its tongue firmly in cheek.
Rome wasn't destroyed in a day. If this Gore Vidal script is anywhere close to being visually accurate, the empire suffered a long, agonizing death -- one that the viewer will also beg for before this porn-fest concludes.
One of the hallmarks of my childhood was watching all the various Peanuts holiday specials with my grandfather on his "big screen" (32 inch) console black and white television.
The three sisters, known as the Charmed Ones, have harnessed their powers in a new six-disc set.
Chasing AmyDVD Review - Jun 25, 2003 - By Jennifer Alpeche
The cover of this DVD always makes me laugh because Ben Affleck looks nothing like that in the movie. All the other actors look the same as their characters, but not him. And I'm always, "why?" -- but anyway.
No one has done more to popularize Irish traditional music in the last half-century, and this outstanding (if limited) anthology should please venerable fans and new-timers alike with tales of the emotional core of their music.
Children of MenDVD Review - Mar 27, 2007 - By Jonathan Baylis
A few months ago, I was told that "Children of Men" might've been the best movie of the year. Was it?
One boy's quest for the Holy Grail of Christmas presents -- a Daisy Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model air rifle -- tops The-Trades' list of Christmas Movies for Guys.
The toys come alive, and they fear the new gift, an outer space warrior, might become the new favorite. Sound a little familiar? Before you think so, realize that this film predates a certain Pixar toy story.
The cinematic introduction to C.S. Lewis' child lit fantasy classic gets a lavish, limited-time release, featuring a documentary on the author's life, and "The Complete Production Experience".
The second installment of C.S. Lewis's classic fantasy series comes to DVD.
ChrysalisDVD Review - May 12, 2009 - By Robert Bell
With issues of identity, along with the persistence of memory in relation to personality construct through dominant life-altering signifiers, floating around in the background, "Chrysalis" should prove to be at least mildly thought provoking -- but isn't.
The world of Cinderella is revisited and instead of a coherent story line, we've now been given a piecemeal, mish-mash of a story that tries to connect together through the efforts of the mice. Disney prepares to place this one in the vault, but viewers might not miss it.
The Classic Albums series finally gets around to one of rap's most influential recordings, and what saves it from being another typical rockumentary is Jay-Z’s insight into the meaning of the songs.
When a cryogenically frozen stripper from 2001 awakens five centuries later, the result is a futuristic Charlie's Angels shoot 'em up that doesn't take itself too seriously.
Kevin Smith and the View Askew gang put out Clerks - The Animated Series on DVD. Is it good?
Cloud 9DVD Review - Jan 19, 2006 - By Adam Scholtz
How can you make beach volleyball more interesting? With strippers of course!
CloverfieldDVD Review - Apr 22, 2008 - By Sean Conover
What was chaotic and exciting about a monster terrorizing New York City on the big theater screen couldn't possibly translate well to the home television screen. I was wrong.
While a novel concept, Code Monkeys goes out of its way to conquer new heights of gross-out humor and offensive jokes, often to its detriment, turning the 8-bit paradigm into a two-bit South Park.
Cold MountainDVD Review - Jun 29, 2004 - By Scott Juba
Riddled with structural flaws, "Cold Mountain" is a civil war epic that is strong on acting but weak on plot construction.
While still donning an “R” rating, care of some exposed breasts and mutterings of the “F” word, Coming to America marks a pointed turn from Eddie Murphy’s early eighties expletive-laden comedies to more light-hearted, and eventually family oriented, fare.
In the wake of the announcement of the cancellation of The West Wing, viewers were left fumbling for a Capital Hill drama fix. Would a story with a female President be original enough to capture that audience?
This light dramedy from France tells the story of a girl who wants to be noticed for who she is inside, and her self-centered father. On DVD Aug 9.
The CondorDVD Review - Mar 16, 2007 - By R.J. Carter
Stan Lee's newest creation rolls out onto DVD in this superhero adventure written by comics veteran Marv Wolfman.
ConfessionDVD Review - Oct 10, 2005 - By R.J. Carter
With an ending that's both oddly edited as well as anticlimactic, Confession nevertheless stands above other religious-themed films for presenting characters of faith who remain true to that faith, and who are vindicated rather than vilified.
Isla Fisher and Hugh Dancy pair up in this cute-but-predictable romcom based off the Sophie Kinsella novel.
The ConquerorDVD Review - Dec 3, 2006 - By Paul Schultz
John Wayne fished this script out of the garbage, but ultimately his role as Genghis Khan and the subsequent film that resulted belongs right back in its place of origin.
In the case of Cool McCool, the double-o stands for "Oh-oh!" Created by Bob Kane and Al Brodax, the entire collection of these bumbling crimestopping adventures are now collected into one swinging set.
Tim Burton once again taps that rich vein of light-hearted darkness that has made his "Nightmare Before Christmas" such an enduring cult favorite of stop-motion animation.
All hail the sweater king of sitcoms. Where most television series release one season every few months or so, The Cosby Show hits us with a double-whammy, streeting the third and fourth season simultaneously in separate packaging.
Relative unknown actress Piper Perabo stars in "Coyote Ugly," the tale of a girl trying to make it big in the world, and overcoming the hurdles that build her character.
Base a show on the daily life of Larry David, the other creator of Seinfeld, and it is not surprising that you get another show essentially about nothing
Margret and H.A. Rey's wonderful, curious little monkey makes it to the big screen. Will Ferrell puts in one of his better performances as the Man in the Yellow Hat.
Curly TopDVD Review - Oct 1, 2005 - By R.J. Carter
Oh my goodness! This tale of a little orphaned showbiz girl is one of the staples of Shirley Temple's career.
Few and far between are the pieces of fiction that invite such a firestorm of controversy and still enjoy such critical success as has Dan Brown's "The DaVinci Code".
Exactly what makes Dan Aykroyd the go-to guy for paranormal phenomena? Did someone think his stint in "Ghostbusters" was for real? Do they think he has inside information because he married Kim Basinger in "My Stepmother is an Alien?"
A touching, heartfelt, and at times humorous film about a widowed father of three girls who wrestles with feelings of love and family after the death of his wife.
Remarkable more so for the controversy surrounding its perceived allegorical implications than for its narrative thrust, or takes on the French Revolution, “Danton” proves a worthy ideological thriller with an unruly tribunal and kneejerk decisions standing in for a blood-drenched battlefield.
Alyson Hannigan and Adam Campbell romance their way through a maze of parodies -- but one is left to wonder what is so "Unrated" about this version of the film.
My girlfriend's a stand-up comic. I'm not sure if that makes me a good candidate for reviewing this DVD or a lousy one. Can I listen to these guys with fresh ears or have I heard it all before?
A majestic Technicolor epic, complete with biblical inaccuracies and artistic license, of the King of Israel's detour into adultery with a soldier's wife, and subsequent search for redemption.
Now that the "Dead Like Me" movie has arrived in DVD form, fans of the series can finally find closure with the Lass family, albeit in an unexpected, profoundly depressing and strangely disappointing way.
As a show that has endeared many to the word "c***sucker" and blurred lines between notions of "good" and "bad" in the traditional "Western" sense, Deadwood offers a distinct vision of America's foundations through a dramatic re-creation of a town founded without abiding law or governance.
Dear FrankieDVD Review - Jul 26, 2005 - By Paul Schultz
This heartfelt and deliberate film asks difficult emotional questions that stay with you long after it has finished. How far would you go to protect the one you love?
Following in the fine tradition of such not-umentaries as "Special Bulletin", "The Day After", and even Orson Welle's radio broadcast of War of the Worlds, comes Gabriel Range's vision of a near-now America.
This animated super team adventure show saw the joining up of newspaper comic strip do-gooders Flash Gordon, Mandrake the Magician, Lothar, and the Phantom, as well as each of their young proteges.
Liberally borrowing from the usual fantasy-based sources with usurped thrones, racial disharmony and a battle for tolerance, “Delgo” struggles with originality and urgency but is not offensive or outright bad.
Delta FarceDVD Review - Sep 4, 2007 - By R.J. Carter
This 21st century "Three Stooges in the National Guard" flick has some funny moments, but in places stinks worse than delta farts.
Demon HunterDVD Review - Mar 20, 2006 - By Adam Scholtz
When an exorcism goes wrong, the Catholic Church calls in one man to take care of the job. Hopefully he can take care of your DVD player as well after forcing it to play this mess.
Just when you think the mobster genre has been all tapped out, along comes Martin Scorsese with a fresh take on the blood and violence that goes hand in hand with the world of gangsters.
While more overtly, Dexter is associated with his ritualistic murdering of murderers who intend to strike again, which brings up the “good or evil” tagline that was associated with the show for awhile, the moments of the program that really strike home are those where he misses social cues in a comedic and naïve fashion.
Dexter tries -- literally and figuratively -- to "find himself" this season when the discovery of his dumping ground puts the Miami Metro on the hunt for the Bay Harbor Butcher.
If the first season of Dexter was about the introduction of an unlikely hero in the form of a sociopathic serial killer with a detached, observant and subsequently amusing perspective on the absurdity of social custom, Season Two is about his normalization and the inevitability of adaptation through mimicry and engagement.
With a strong second season examining the implicit folly of emotional honesty within a sexual and romantic relationship, as represented by the unstable and clingy Lila, season three progresses logically into the world of duplicity and seeming trust in friendship.
Insofar as Diary of a Mad Black Woman is billed as a comedy, I'll have to disagree. While Perry's onscreen antics as Madea or Joe do indeed provide some comedic moments, often crude, the bulk of this film is darkly dramatic.
Dick Tracy gets top billing in this set of 130 five-minute shorts, but most of the sleuthing is done by talking dog Hemlock Holmes and the very un-PC detectives Joe Jitsu and Go-Go Gomez.
Pierce Brosnan's fourth and final turn as British Secret Service agent James Bond has gotten better with age, and features plenty of homages to honor the franchise's 40th anniversary.
While the title Dirty Sexy Money may draw implications of the lascivious nature of nighttime soap operas with a plethora of malevolent characters and seedy conspiracies, the reality is that the show is far more human and sociologically analytical than one might expect.
With the younger generation tuning into trashy teen soap operas and the menopausal crowd sticking with passionless procedurals and the occasional song or dance competition, "Dirty Sexy Money" sits in an odd place.
The beloved Kenneth Grahame classic takes center stage in this release of Disney shorts, featuring the voice of Basil Rathbone. Plus, Donald Duck makes his animated debut.
This direct-to-video "adventure fit for a princess" is billed as a film, but really are separate Aurora and Jasmine stories tied together loosely by the theme of perseverance. It's a well-executed package that delivers its message of female empowerment to the level that little girls will successfully absorb.
Aimed squarely at "little princesses" everywhere who like to sing, this collection lets you sing along to mostly not well-known tunes from the Disney library.
District B13DVD Review - Aug 31, 2006 - By R.J. Carter
This Luc Besson feature is like cinema crack -- addicting choreagraphed violence on a grand scale.
This Weinstein Company documentary follows the Dixie Chicks from their controversial statements of 2003 through the recording of their latest album, "Taking the Long Way".
Marvel's master magician gets his own direct-to-DVD animated origin story in this modern retelling of the classic Lee/Ditko character.
Dodes'ka-denDVD Review - Mar 5, 2009 - By Jonathan Baylis
Chances are if you're reading a review of "Dodes'ka-den," not one of Kurosawa's best-known or regarded films, you've probably already been through a good portion of his oeuvre. The film takes place in a slum, but there's no "Who Want's to be a Millionaire" to get its residents out of it.
Fifty years ago, the Dodgers won their first World Series. This new DVD celebrates the winning tradition of one of the most celebrated franchises in baseball.
It's frustrating that Neil Patrick Harris's best role was 15 years ago. But thanks to DVD we can relive his remarkable performance as Doogie Howser, M.D.
With doubt substituting for a world-weathered practicality and a disillusioned, if antiquated, reminiscence of traditional values and all things left behind — mainly that of innocence — “Doubt” raises some interesting questions of morality, assumption and the peculiarity of circumstance and bias.
It’s interesting: the further the "Dragonball" franchise gets from its roots, succumbing to derivative, mind-numbing, expositional mainstream Western appeal, the more appalling and unwatchable it becomes.
Only the fan so hardcore as to find everything forgivable in the name of seeing his favorite characters brought to animated life in any form will be excited by this lackluster animation.
Ensemble casts don't come with much better chemistry than this. Fans of clever comedy would do well to pick up this set and discover for themselves why "Cleveland Rocks!"
The DropDVD Review - May 19, 2006 - By R.J. Carter
All Carter wanted to do was drop off the car and collect the money. But he didn't know the fate of the world was at hand.
Far less romanticized and sweeping than most corset dramas of the Jane Austen variety, “The Duchess” is interesting for its simultaneously detached and passionate, “realist:”, approach to finding breathing room within a confined and stifling system of expectation and obligation.
Fear not, Ranger... Barbarian... Wizard... Thief... Cavalier... and Acrobat. The 80s cartoon based on the TSR roleplaying game gets a new lease on life in this extravagant set from BCI's Ink & Paint division.
Sandra Dee is naked, which is the only part of this film that is of interest.
Dust to GloryDVD Review - Aug 23, 2005 - By Max Braden
A great documentary on the Baja 1000 race from "Step Into the Liquid" filmmaker Dana Brown, this is some of the best cinematography this year. On DVD Aug 23.
The Eagles perform nearly three hours of hits (and two new tunes) in this Hi Definition 2-DVD set. The look and sound are fantastic, and it's like spending an evening with old friends.
When I was a kid, I inherited a gaggle of comedy albums: Woody Allen, Bill Cosby, Mel Brooks, etc. But the first album I actually bought? Eddie Murphy: Comedian. "Delirious" is the live performance of that album.
John Maybury's "The Edge of Love" is biographical in nature, but hardly a documentary -- it just feels like one in most places, as one longueur after another is interrupted by scenes hinting at sexuality among the bohemia of writers and artists surviving in London during World War II.
A handsome box set delivers a cinematic classic in this robust collector's edition DVD set.
EldoradoDVD Review - Jul 13, 2009 - By Robert Bell
As a film defined by detachment and unspoken truths, "Eldorado" proves surprisingly engaging, offering up a quirky sensibility amongst its alienated road movie trappings and pitch black implications about humanity.
As a sharp social satire that exacerbates the triviality and simplicity in human motivations, with some potent jabs at both the democratic and educational systems in North America, “Election” is both smart and highly entertaining.
Eli Stone takes the typical episodic legal format and injects some maudlin ruminations on faith, empathy and personal sacrifice for loved ones, along with a little Ally McBeal sassiness and some awkward Viva Laughlin musical sequences.
Eloise, that irrepressible ball of little-girl-shaped energy, is back in a new animated holiday special. And if you thought Kay Thompson's six-year-old ingenue was excitable before, you should see her the closer it gets to Christmas!
Quite possibly the most complete, most accurate, and most intimate biography piece done on the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis By The Presleys is a must-have for any Elvis afficionado.
Coinciding with the 30th anniversary of Elvis Presley's passing comes this Jonathan Rhys Meyers vehicle, documenting Presley's life from Sun to the '68 Comeback Special.
Holy cow! A hobo played by Lee Marvin vs. an evil train conductor played by Ernest Borgnine? How have I never heard of this movie? Where have you been all my life?
Despite Disney milking a cash cow with the third DVD release of this animated gem, the simple story of a selfish young emperor learning it's "not all about me" is filled with sarcastic wit that is sure to entertain.
Five Christian missionaries are killed in 1956 as they attempt to make contact with a murderous tribe deep in the heart of the jungles of Ecuador. What happens next offers remarkable testimony to God's redemptive power.
"Enemy at the Gates" features Jude Law in one of his few leading-man roles to date and serves as a precursor for things to come. He's wonderful as the young Russian, Vasilli Zaitsev, who rises to fame as his country’s premier sniper.
Starting out with an elaborate and brutal battle in 1942 between the Nazi’s and the Russians, and eventually paring its way down to a cognitive battle between two opposing men and ideologies in a chess-like sniper blow out, “Enemy at the Gates” works when it ponders politics and survival strategies, but flounders when lovey-dovey hokum comes about.
With the suggestion that purgatory exists mainly within the conscience of humankind themselves, manifesting in regret, guilt and developmental destruction, “Event Horizon” covers familiar territory thematically but does so with a fascinating hybrid of horror and Sci-Fi that is simultaneously cheesy, fun and gruesome.
It's a seventh season of hilarity with the in-laws from Hell; but the focus this season shifts from Ray to Robert, who pops the question to Amy, resulting in a two-part wedding season capper.
It's not perhaps as entertaining as Alton Brown or Paula Deen, but it does exactly what it sets out to do: provide, in easy-to-follow detailed steps, a simple path to create not-so-simple looking dishes.
"Drop Dead Fred" meets "Sweet Home Alabama" in this romantic comedy from Disney that asks the question: "Does love have to be the real thing to be real at all?"
What might be the greatest irony of “The Exterminating Angel” are the many attempts by various critics and academics to categorize the film, when the film is, obliquely, a criticism of this very need to categorize.
Extreme Makeover - Home Edition is a reality television show that has transcended its genre. It's no longer about being good television, it's about television being good -- doing good -- and changing people's lives.
EZ MoneyDVD Review - Aug 26, 2006 - By R.J. Carter
When a girl responds to a spam email from the ubiquitous Nigerian diplomat, it sets off a slapstick chain of events that tries too hard to be funny.
Regardless of your political affiliation, please see this film and discuss it with your friends. If nothing else, you will discover how thoughtful the political arena can be.
Michael J. Fox's character took center stage as season two of this early '80s sitcom unfolded, and Dad grew a beard. Positioned after The Cosby Show on NBC's juggernaut Thursday evening line-up, its ratings and popularity soared.
The first family of Marvel Comics returns to the big screen to take on the threat of Galactus and his silver-skinned herald in this less-than-stellar adventure.
Kirstie Alley, star of "Cheers" and "Veronica's Closet" has developed a bit of a weight problem. But rather than wallow in misery (or worse, attempt drastic and dangerously unhealthy weight reduction methods) Kirstie takes the sow's ear fate has has dealt and turns it into, if not a silk purse, then at least a nice sow's purse.
With a psychotic one-night-stand standing in as a metaphor for sexually transmitted disease, the film acted as a warning call to the glossy eighties consumer culture of immediate gratification in the face of AIDS awareness and the threat of other to the nuclear family.
Father Knows Best certainly is a product of its time. However, the family dynamic structure and plot devices still hold up. Pop one of these discs in your player, and settle back into the comfort and safety of good television nostalgia.
In Wongo, all the women are beautiful and all the men are brutes. In Goona, it's just the opposite. What happens when like meets like? Hilarity, if you're seeing it through the eyes of the Film Crew guys!
Vin Diesel is Jackie DiNorscio, defending himself in the longest mafia trial in United States history.
FireproofDVD Review - Jan 26, 2009 - By R.J. Carter
Kirk Cameron stars as a fireman struggling to reconcile with his wife as he undertakes a forty-day dare to renew his relationship and apply the fireman's code to marriage: Never leave your partner behind.
Five FingersDVD Review - Jul 31, 2009 - By R.J. Carter
Starring Ryan Phillippe, Laurence Fishburne, and Gina Torres, "Five Fingers" is a little bit of post-9/11 torture porn that aims to impress and shock viewers with its flipped plot climax.
Danny Kaye plays big band era hero Loring "Red" Nichols in this sometimes bittersweet comedy classic about becoming a star on the road while raising a family.
As the saying goes, you don't want to know how laws and sausages are made. "Flags of Our Fathers" offers the addition of war-time fund-raising to that list. Eastwood's anti-war message comes across, but it turns out to be less involving that it should.
Pointing out simultaneously that dreams can come true and that the loss of dreams is like a loss of self, “Flashdance” serves up some decidedly antiquated and surreal ideas of gender roles with a whole lot of sexy dances, synthesized eighties tunes and lingering views of the female anatomy.
This contemporary version of the 1941 Mary O'Hara children's novel, My Friend Flicka introduces the wild mustang to a new generation, with generally pleasing results.
Flight 93DVD Review - Apr 20, 2006 - By R.J. Carter
The question has come up: "How can you watch that?" As though the filmmakers are pandering, are cheapening the subject, are somehow exploiting the victims.
Yabba dabba... dang, this is a nice, appealing, and oh-so-large collection! Flintstone fanatics will want this sight-unseen, but DVD collectors should consider storage requirements.
Director Tony Bill delivers a moving action flick set against the background of WWI France and the brave young men who went to war in a new and dangerous vehicle: the airplane. Vive le Escadrille!
Fool's GoldDVD Review - Jun 14, 2008 - By R.J. Carter
"National Treasure" this ain't -- it's not even "Sahara." Rather, we have an overall lackluster action/romance/comedy that can't make up its mind what it wants to be, wrapped around a treasure hunt that doesn't engage the audience.
Oscar buzz is the timely plot motivator in this subtle and biting comedy that takes aim at an industry that runs more on hype and hoopla than on actual results.
If you have had someone in your family or circle of friends become afflicted with Alzheimer's, this DVD is a sine qua non for developing a foundation of understanding.
Inarguably a visual stunner, with ambitious scope, universal themes, and repeated symbolism. But the ultimate question that fails to be answered is: What's it all about?
Four BrothersDVD Review - Dec 20, 2005 - By Sean Conover
When their mother is murdered in cold blood in a corner market robbery, three foster brothers return home to Detroit to join their fourth brother and attend her funeral - and to seek their own brand of justice.
Can a friendship born in childhood survive the enmities born in adulthood? The 24th animated film from the House of Mouse pairs a rambunctious hound pup with an orphaned fox kit to put nature versus nurture to the test.
Franklin loves playing in Woodland with his friends Bear, Beaver and Snail. But things get turned topsy-turvy when Franklin's Aunt Lucy -- an archeologist -- returns home from one of her many trips, bringing with her her goddaughter, Sam.
The sixth season of the hit series again features Dr. Frasier Crane, brother and fellow doctor Niles and company leading us all along a very merry way indeed.
Freak OutDVD Review - Nov 10, 2006 - By R.J. Carter
When a slasher flick tries to be a comedy, sometimes comedy is the first victim.
Fred ClausDVD Review - Nov 21, 2008 - By R.J. Carter
A few comedic moments mixed with sentiment and a requisite happy ending do not a great movie make, and ultimately "Fred Claus" fails to consistently entertain.
The film itself is almost laughable by modern standards, barely constituting a narrative with aimless ciphers meandering about until they reach their inevitable demise, which is admittedly the purpose of the film: to create thrills through kills.
Along with the requisite killings of horny camp counsellors, Jason’s childhood psychology gets examined, in a drunken bar scene no less, with the wisdom offered to the extent of “it must’ve been real hard on him seeing his mother get decapitated like that”.
If Michael Myers were indicative of spiritual anxiety and the power of familial psychological suffrage, and Freddy Krueger represented generational angst in the face of Conservative lack of foresight, then Jason Voorhees would surely be their solipsistic, biblically confused, mongoloid cousin.
Having seen this “Friday the 13th” instalment in its true form during a 3-D horror marathon a couple of years back with “Amityville 3-D” and “Jaws 3-D”, this reviewer can attest to the fact that this movie is far more enjoyable with the addition of a third dimension.
Known by many as the worst installment of the “Friday the 13th” franchise, this “redirection” doesn’t hold back on the excess profanity, nudity and brutality made popular in other sequels, leaving one to wonder if pesky things like acting and direction actually matter in the world of slasher horror.
I personally have a soft spot for this entry, given its awareness of convention and tendency to step in entirely random directions, like the fully-clothed sex scene, repeating shots of hamsters running in a wheel, and second unit direction of a girl’s crotch.
If there's an alternate universe that doesn't have Fringe in it, I don't want to live there.
From HellDVD Review - May 24, 2002 - By Jennifer Alpeche
Inspector Fred Abberline investigates mysterious, precision murders in Victorian England in “From Hell,” a film by Albert and Allen Hughes – new on DVD.
While not entirely the criticism of the fashion industry that many have suggested, leaning more towards an indication that really any form of presentation, be it academic and external, is pretentious and inherently false, “Funny Face” is often beautiful, occasionally inspired, but mostly uneven and a tad hypocritical.
Funny GamesDVD Review - Jun 11, 2008 - By Alex Keen
A remake of the original with the same name, "Funny Games" isn't meant for mass consumption.
Bill Murray returns as America's favorite four-color fat cat in this riff on Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper, which finds Garfield switched with his royal lookalike.
Errol Morris' first documentary looks at two California pet cemeteries, one failed, one flourishing, and captures real moments from an eclectic cross-section of people.
The GatheringDVD Review - Jan 28, 2007 - By R.J. Carter
The discovery of a buried first century church with an unusual depiction of the Crucifixion is just the start of a horror that's 2000 years old.
In a world where your genetic profile is everything, the genetically inferior are second-class citizens.
GattacaDVD Review - Jul 10, 2002 - By Jennifer Alpeche
Andrew Niccol’s prophetic “Gattaca” takes place in the “not-too-distant” future. Genetic engineering has become a realty and a brave new world has been built based on its perfection, setting each individual at birth on a life path unchangeable -- that is of course, until someone chooses to change it.
Initially amusing in its depiction of gay and lesbian stereotype with a camp sensibility and self-reflexivity, “The Gay Bed & Breakfast of Terror” ultimately tries too hard to play its hand at expositional pedagogy, overstaying its welcome just shy of the 2-hour mark.
Probably the funniest US sitcom with a Latino lead since Chico and the Man, the only thing this set is missing is the "Low Rider" theme song that originally aired with each episode.
Don Adams is Agent 86 -- the suavest, coolest, clumsiest spy to ever talk to a shoe. With the upcoming film adaptation of the hit television series, we look back at the massive Time Life collection of Get Smart.
Aware of its own formulaic conventions and contrivances but capitalizing on any potential humor and drama within those confines, “Ghost Town” is leaps and bounds beyond the typical Rom-com yarn, with thoughtful characterizations, genuinely funny moments and a heartfelt core that suggests compassion, even just a little, is necessary in the world of love and human connection.
As far as escapist fantasies go, “Ghost” is decent, even if it has no concept of the complexities of human relationships, at least in those with some depth and intelligence.
In HBO Films' "The Girl in the Cafe," Richard Curtis ("Love Actually") has written a story that weaves a quirky romance revolving around the G8 summit and the global issue of poverty in Africa.
Glory RoadDVD Review - Jul 2, 2006 - By Paul Schultz
Glory Road dribbles off its own foot in this thoroughly pedestrian true-life college basketball underdog cum fighting racism story.
"Goldfinger" is probably the undisputed best Bond film of the pre-Craig era as well as being the quintessential Bond film featuring all of the favorite elements.
Robin Williams stars in one of his best roles, masterfully blending comedy and drama in this look into the beginning of American participation in the Vietnam War in 1965 Saigon.
Ain't we lucky we got 'em -- all on DVD! This sixth set represents the final season of the trials and tribulations of the Evans family's quest to get out of the ghetto.
When Brian O'Connor finally goes to far in scaring his younger brother, his parents ship him off to a boarding school -- where the path to perfect is paved with sinister intentions.
A studio tour ride gone awry and a truly universal remote form the core of this pair of spooky tales from the Goosebumps series.
Gosford ParkDVD Review - Jul 3, 2002 - By Jennifer Alpeche
"Gosford Park" is not only a British murder mystery, but also a comedy and social satire. With touches of sentiment and a great deal of wit, it is a stylish whodunit well deserving of its praise.
Average as a college undergrad project, terrible as a documentary, the author of what became "Blade Runner" deserves a better feature about his life and work.
Gran TorinoDVD Review - Jun 9, 2009 - By Jeff Ritter
Clint Eastwood doesn't get older, he just gets better.
Another Disney fact-based underdog sports drama breaks par with the amazing story of Francis Ouimet's rise from lower-class obscurity to gain golf immortality by capturing the 1913 US Open Championship.
With some behind the scenes drama and a truncated season due to the Writer’s strike, Grey’s Anatomy had some clear challenges to overcome throughout its 17-episode 4th season run.
Three kids + two working-class parents = one hilarious series.
The GuardianDVD Review - Jan 22, 2007 - By R.J. Carter
A sort of "Top Gun" meets "An Officer and a Gentleman" that honors the U.S. Coast Guard's rescue swimmers, "The Guardian" is an action flick with only a few clunky spots.
H.O.T.S.DVD Review - May 30, 2007 - By R.J. Carter
This seventies cinematic sex romp sizzles with skin -- a ploy to distract the viewer from the absolute lack of plot and acting talent.
While the box set itself feels mostly like a patchwork of the few things that Anchor Bay had the rights to distribute, it features the previously unavailable extended version of the original "Halloween" and other various features and goodies, which may appeal to some fans.
Sweet niblets! Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana is starting high school and must resolve her relationship with Jake, deal with a rival pop star, and suffer the loss of her singing voice. Four select episodes from the second season of the Disney series fill out this new collection, with scant extras.
Disney doles out their most popular series for tweens in another four-episode batch, with the minimal bonus material consisting of one song performed in concert by Hannah Montana, and a skimpy behind-the-scenes interview segment.
If a typical tween girl fantasy is to lead a double life as a famous pop star, yet still be able to hang with her friends in middle school, then welcome to Hannah Montana's world of make-believe.
Basically a new wrinkle on old favorites, this interactive DVD game -- hosted by Lilly in voice-over -- is loaded with eleven games for one to four or more players, but ultimately feels like nothing beyond sleep-over material.
If you've seen "Cinderella III", you've seen the Cinderella story retold with far more spirit. If you've seen "Shrek" or "Hoodwinked", you've seen fairy tales skewered (and animated) with greater skill and humor. And if you've seen "Ella Enchanted", then you've already seen one twist too many on the classic tale.
Happy FeetDVD Review - Mar 27, 2007 - By R.J. Carter
Brilliant animation and a tale of being yourself in a sea of conformity take a backseat to an environmental conservation lesson about overfishing.
In the brightly lit world of the Happy Tree Friends, one thing is constant among this cute and cuddly circle of lovable critters: graphic, violent, bloody death.
Happy-Go-LuckyDVD Review - Mar 18, 2009 - By Robert Bell
One’s appreciation for “Happy-Go-Lucky” will have much to do with their tolerance of the eternally optimistic protagonist, Poppy.
This DVD package is the standard by which others should be measured against--and against which most would fall short. A great movie for the entire family, and activities that will keep the kids and parents occupied for hours on end. It doesn't get much better than this.
The Harry Potter franchises passes from Christopher Columbus to Mike Newell, as the main characters pass from childhood into adolescence... and unspeakable dangers.
The fifth installment in the Harry Potter series still brings you the magic, but the baggage of what has come before is starting to drag down the storytelling.
Be whisked away into the magical land of Harry Potter. But before you go, make sure you take along your wizardry skills, you'll need them to navigate the Special Features.
Self-made millionaire Jonathan Hart and his wife Jennifer moonlight as amateur detectives. Murder is frequently the order of the day, and they handle the intrigue without breaking a sweat, or wrinkling the duds.
An incomplete "complete collection" mixed with a non-existent episode guide makes this set of otherwise well-done classic cartoons an exercise in disappointment and frustration.
Hatley HighDVD Review - Apr 29, 2006 - By R.J. Carter
In North Hatley, the townspeople support the high school chess team the way some south Texas town's support football: religiously.
Who's the gal who's everybody's pal? That's Hazel! Shirley Booth brings Ted Key's comic panel maid to life in this charming comedy from the annals of television history.
Once upon a time, in a faraway realm fondly called "The Eighties", there was a thing called weekday afternoon cartoons. And chief among these were the adventures that took place in a world of science and sorcery, on the distant planet of Eternia.
The movie is great and all, a biopic about drag racer Shirley "Cha Cha" Muldowney, but the extras featuring the real-life counterparts are the real treat, eschewing your typical "mutual admiration society" with the filmmakers.
With implications of chainsaws impeding on ones nether-regions, dead gay football players, unabashed mockery of the obese, flaky bulimic cheerleaders and much fun with suicide, “Heathers” continues to hold up, twenty years after the fact, as a hilarious satire of teenage vulgarity and mass societal hagiographic insincerity surrounding the deceased.
As a further exploration of the perverse psychosexual desires, which deviate from social and heteronormative expectations, in a manner that presents such behaviour as monstrous, the “Hellraiser” sequel lacks much of the development of the original, linking notions of hell to nascent sexuality, but leaving much of the psychology at bay.
There just aren’t enough oedipal, psychosexual explorations of deviant desires and the horrors of nascent perversion out there, which is perhaps why there’s a new “Hellraiser” release every couple of years; to remind us of what we’re missing.
Hermie's dissatisfaction with himself begins when he first views a butterfly. What follows are Walter Mitty-ish daydreams, hare-brained schemes to make himself special, and touching conversations with God about why he has to be so "ordinary."
Originally part of the Kid Super Power Hour with Shazam!, these toons have been separated from the Warner-owned property, but still include some rare crossovers with members of the Captain Marvel Family.
When people from all walks of life begin to develop super powers, it marks the next step in human evolution. But first, they have to save the world, and to do that, they must first save the cheerleader. Confused? You won't be when you get hooked on this serial drama!
It's just your average love story. Girl meets Fallen Angel, gains supernatural powers, bears his demon spawn, and battles curses with the ghost of her lesbian best friend.
"The Hit" ruminates in disjointed modes of communication as cultural symbol in a manner that theorist and philosopher Kenneth Burke would surely approve of,
Bedraggled detective Louis Simo is hired to find out what really happened to TV's Superman, George Reeves. But what will the investigation tell him about himself?
Who would have thought that, after sixteen years, a blockbuster holiday film made on a shoestring budget, would become an enduring mainstay of the Christmas holiday season?
Ultimately, these fifteen minute cartoons add up to a little over two hours of Hollywood self-indulgence that simply isn't watchable or palatable to mainstream audiences. In fact, I shudder to think exactly what kind of audience would be formed of diehard fans for the series.
With "Hot Fuzz", we find ourselves trapped half way between a parody and a genuine attempt at an action film. Ultimately, we end up with a bit of both, neither of them particularly satisfying.
Despite its absurdist, non-linear and entirely aloof approach to comedy, “Hot Rod” strangely manages to find itself leaning more on the side of academic persiflage with obscure, but appropriate, references and an amusement in mocking assumed societal conventions, in a way that will make critical thinkers giggle and the mainstream frat-boy majority yawn.
Scruffy, acerbic, sarcastic, and seemingly misanthropic, Dr. Gregory House is just what the doctor ordered to resuscitate the medical drama television genre.
There's probably little in here that will be news to any hardcore Trek fan. However, it would be a breath-saving way of demonstrating to the non-geeks exactly how socially relevant and technically important this classic science fiction series is.
Spending a summer vacation in Bosnia is not recommended for the average tourists. But for some intrepid reporters in the summer of 2000, spending their vacation hunting an elusive Serbian war criminal is what they do for fun.
The HustlerDVD Review - Jun 11, 2002 - By Jennifer Alpeche
It was “The Hustler” that made me fall for Paul Newman.
It's the fifth and final season of everyone's favorite navel-baring television icon, as NASA astronaut Tony Nelson finally makes an honest genie out of Jeannie -- by marrying her.
In the fall of 1951, an unlikely (at least for the times) couple graced the black and white tubes in households across America. Within weeks, Lucy and Ricky Ricardo were the couple everybody knew and loved.
After a screen test, Ricky gets offered the role of Don Juan. So it's off to the sunny west coast and Hollywood, home of the stars, with Lucy and the Mertzes in tow.
Watching "I Love You, Man" is a lot like watching an episode of Friends: you can do the dishes, clean the cat litter and vacuum while doing so without missing anything significant.
Mike Judge's (almost) forgotten movie finally makes its way to DVD.
Illegal AliensDVD Review - Apr 24, 2007 - By R.J. Carter
This film is the one that will go down in memory as being Anna Nicole Smith's final performance. As swan song's go, you'd get a better tune out of an ostrich.
An absolutely charming period piece that will fascinate both for the romantics and the intellectuals, "The Illusionist" is well worth picking up for the feature presentation alone. However, someone definitely skimped on the special features.
"Chuck commitment, chase love" is the formula for a happy ending in this girl-meets-girl film from Ol Parker.
IMAX Deep SeaDVD Review - Mar 27, 2007 - By R.J. Carter
A titanic tale of the coral of the Caribbean, and other oceanic ecosystems, done with breathtaking cinematography and narration from Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet.
In AmericaDVD Review - May 18, 2004 - By Scott Juba
In an age where movies have become dominated by visual effects and computer generated images, In America reminds us that there is only one effect that truly matters- the effect that a film has on its viewers through its ability to inspire and impress in subtle, yet profound ways.
An epic period drama that depicts the real-life adventures of a young Australian woman as she escapes a penal colony in search of a better life for her family. It's an entertaining "journey" with well-shot scenery that convincingly sets the time and place.
“Indecent Proposal” acts as a love story at its centre, pointing out that one cannot buy love, despite being able to buy sex and physical presence, and even a performance of love from a person, while giving a sly nudge to male entitlement and a bit of a feminist edge, as Demi Moore is really the only reasonable character in the film.
InkheartDVD Review - Jun 21, 2009 - By R.J. Carter
Can a book about a book translate into a film about a book about a book? Not easily, but certainly not for lack of trying.
Marvel's metal Avenger is the next character to get the animated direct-to-DVD treatment, and the finished result is a fun, thrill-packed adventure full of epic battle scenes sure to please any fan of ol' shell head.
The IslandDVD Review - Dec 22, 2005 - By Scott Juba
With an intelligent, well-plotted script that serves as the perfect complement to Bay's high-octane action, "The Island" is one of the best action films of 2005.
Six episodes of this uneven British sitcom will appeal especially to geeks knowledgeable with its authentic technospeak, and will have to suffice for the rest of us who will never see its American counterpart.
Of all the American traditions observed on Christmas Eve, an enduring activity has become viewing this story of desolation and redemption that will have you declaring "it is a wonderful life!" Newly restored B&W and colorized versions are included.
This off-shoot of Filmation's Space Academy first appeared as a serialized segment of the Saturday morning kid's show Tarzan and the Super 7, before popularity spun it off into its own half-hour stand-alone series.
"You're gonna need a bigger boat." It's one of those infinitely quotable lines from a big time Hollywood summer blockbuster. But this isn't just any big time Hollywood summer blockbuster. This is "Jaws", the movie that originated the concept of big time Hollywood summer blockbusters.
Jesus CampDVD Review - Dec 8, 2006 - By R.J. Carter
Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. -- Proverbs 22:6
Jet PilotDVD Review - Dec 11, 2006 - By Paul Schultz
John Wayne is an Air Force Colonel in this this East meets West romantic Cold War military drama that has two things going for it -- fantastic aerial photography, and Janet Leigh's striptease -- but not much else.
A lackluster sequel that displays none of the charm of "Romancing the Stone". It's a textbook example of why what happens after fairy tale endings are best left up to the imagination.
This Spanish production consists of an hour of material, equally divided between an animated and documentary look at the extraordinary life of the late pontiff.
When John Tucker's three girlfriends find out about each other, they hatch the perfect revenge: set him up with an unknown girl designed to truly win his heart... and then crush it!
This 1970 all-star televison special sought to counteract anti-American sentiments by presenting a patriotic journey through American history. You'll have fun picking out the stars, and perhaps learn a little something along the way.
The heroes of the DC Comics universe all converge in this widescreen, star-studded tour-de-force, that combines twenty-six episodes into a singular superhero epic.
Clever writing, fresh stories, and an avid fan base weren't enough to save what was easily the best animated superhero series ever developed from cancellation.
For content, entertainment, story, and art, "Justice League: The New Frontier" is bar none the best comic-based animated movie to be produced in the last ten years.
While most might consider an East German criticism of the blindly nationalistic bourgeois middle-class conformists that allegedly led to the Nazi movement to be dry material, the reality is that “The Kaiser’s Lackey” proves to be a highly amusing satire of social dysfunctions, learned assimilation and the inherent rigidity of dominant ideologues.
This vintage baseball comedy perfectly captures the mood of those passionate about baseball, as a fan goes from berating umpires to learning the trade.
Clearly, it's been a cult movie week for me. First, it was Sergio Leone's first film, "The Colossus of Rhodes". And now, it's the Shaw Bros. classic, "King Boxer". From Supertotalscope to Shawscope, it's been a Cinemascope kinda week.
"I'm fat, you're mean, who cares!?" This outburst from character Doug Heffernan is, quite possibly, the most succinct summation of the theme to The King of Queens ever uttered. Except for the "who cares?" part -- because nearly everybody who loved Raymond at least likes Doug and Carrie.
As the comedy series is taking it's final bows on television, the eighth season of The King of Queens is just hitting store shelves: three discs containing twenty-three episodes (and zero bonus features) of anamorphic widescreen comedy.
How can a show about a blue collar schlub with a smoking hot wife be considered anything other than science fiction? Nevertheless, this Kevin James sitcom is as funny as life.
As the last concert to be filmed before the departure of Welch and Silveria, this should be a lasting moment of the best metal bands to come out of the '90's; unfortunately, it isn't.
Jack Black provides the voice for a large, huggable and rotund giant panda, who also happens to be a village's only chance to stop a villain bent on revenge.
He has no memories, no past... and no navel. Who is Kyle, and where did he come from? This ABC Family series delivers a mystery drama for science fiction fans that manages to intrigue the viewer from start to finish.
While there are elements of "The Goonies" and "E.T." within it, the premise and delivery come across more like a meshing of Scooby-Doo with The Dukes of Hazzard -- only goofier.
You know the story: Boy meets girl. Boy loses girl. Boy does something incredibly heroic to win girl's heart. Boy and girl stay together and raise a litter of puppies.
The restaurant business has health inspectors to keep patrons safe. The movie industry needs someone like that to protect viewers from bad taste. Oh, wait -- that's my job!
The film acts as a fantastical tome of the heteronormative odyssey, featuring boys, err, men, on the cusp of thirty, facing marriage, whining relentlessly about never getting to stick their d*cks in other women
When Celia dies at a frat party on her 21st birthday, she learns it's not what you do in life that determines your eternal fate -- it's what you do in those two hours after your death that lead to salvation or damnation. The hard part is figuring out who to trust.
This G-rated flick with its overly-simple animation and insipid storyline will be a challenge for parents to sit through. Fortunately, it's tame enough to walk away and leave playing while your kids are alone in the room.
Heroes and wizards and dominatrixes... oh my! The first season of this light-hearted adventure series with a moral is collected into a handsome DVD set.
The Legion of Super Heroes -- the teenaged heroes of 1000 years into DC Comics' future -- get the animated treatment, with a teenaged Superman on the team.
The adventures of young Superman with his teenaged super-powered buddies from the future continue on this four-episode release from the first season of the Cartoon Network series.
Leroy & StitchDVD Review - Jun 17, 2006 - By Raul Burriel
Yet another sequel to Disney's feature hit "Lilo & Stitch" proves entertaining and able to stand up to repeated viewing.
If the media in "Flags of Our Fathers" is to the media in the Iraq War, are the Japanese in "Letters From Iwo Jima" to compare with the Fundamentalist Muslims?
This romantic comedy starring Angelina Jolie and Ed Burns brings up weighty issues, then deals with them in fluffy, non-descript ways.
LightspeedDVD Review - Dec 24, 2006 - By R.J. Carter
If you've read a comic book where Flash battles Copperhead, you've probably had a more fulfilling superhero experience employing very similar characters.
Capitalizing on both political discontent and the lefty hipness of the Jon Stewart generation, Lil’ Bush is occasionally clever in its topical relevance and irreverence but is rarely amusing in any way.
One’s appreciation for Little Britain USA, the American spin-off of the UK hit Little Britain, will depend greatly on how easily offended they are and how critical they are of being shocked for the sake of shock itself.
Disney's classic reinterpretation of Hans Christian Andersen's beloved mermaid is released in the Disney Platinum Edition, cleaned up and replete with bonuses. Come along under the sea and be part of her world.
This is Live8. 150 bands. 2 million spectators. 3 billion viewers. And 1 message... To encourage 8 men in 1 room only july 6 to agree to a 3 point plan to stop 30,000 children dying needlessly every single day of extreme poverty.
Adam Rifkin's view of the world through the eyes of surveillance cameras is one of a seedy society that engages in depraved acts, solely because it thinks no one can see.
Panopticon logic and the Western obsession with observation and normalization takes the front seat in Adam Rifkin’s derisive exploration of human hypocrisy and repression within the vacuum of social expectation and collective moral superiority, suggesting that a person is little more than a performance construct of attitudinal beliefs.
Th-th-th-that's NOT all, folks! Warner Brothers dusts off some more gems from their copious vault of animated shorts for this fourth volume of Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, and World War II army recruitment toons.
With utter grace, the extended version of “The Fellowship of the Ring” delivers on every level and serves as an early gift, a happy reminder of what is to come.
After five seasons of the hit television exploration of metaphysical angst, stepping back and revisiting the season that started it all provides an interesting context, and even offers a few pleasant reminders of just what it was that was so appealing about the show in the first place.
Logically progressing from a guileless examination of disparate parties brought together by happenstance, proximity and coincidence to band together from the unknown, to a challenging catechism of what to do when confronted with inimical elements and the abyss of the unknown, season two of Lost is probably the most intriguing and intelligent of the series, despite initial viewer response.
Even for someone who has little interest in watching season three's episodes again, the amount of and quality of the bonus content makes Lost: The Complete Third Season worth owning.
With its promise to provide the "best care anywhere," the 4077th MASH reports for a ninth season of duty with this dubiously titled "Collector's Edition" 3-disc set.
The 4077th mobile army surgical hospital reports for duty in this 3-disc set (bonus features are AWOL) compiling all 21 episodes of the penultimate season of this war comedy.
Welcome to your "one-stop shop" for all things M*A*S*H: A mammoth 36-disc collection including the film, 11-year series, and two discs of special features, in appropriate canvas packaging.
The 13-episode first season of the AMC hit features some of the most fantastic, delectable and goose-bump inciting writing to be seen on television in years.
Mad MoneyDVD Review - May 22, 2008 - By Sean Conover
A middle-of-the-road heist film that doesn't get too funny or exciting and tries to hitch a ride on the performances of its lead actresses.
In this documentary series, contemporary funnyman Judd Apatow spouts the old adage that there's nothing more boring than explaining why things are funny. This documentary doesn't necessary try to explain so much as it does outline the progression to modern "funny".
For six seasons, this spinoff of The Carol Burnett Show generated blue-collar laughs. It lives on in reruns, but now you can get a dose of Mama Harper's first season anytime.
The British forerunner to Three's Company outshines its American cousin in many regards, but it's undeniably appealing to those who've acquired the taste for Britcoms.
It's much friendlier with two -- you and Winnie the Pooh -- in these classic animated stories from Walt Disney's take on the A.A. Milne tales of the bear with a head full of fluff.
Nicole Kidman plays an unpleasantly opinionated sister to Jennifer Jason Leigh, who is getting ready to marry Jack Black. A movie for people who like picking at scabs.
Marley & MeDVD Review - Apr 3, 2009 - By R.J. Carter
If you're a dog lover, "Marley & Me" is going to move you to tears. If you went expecting anything else, the tears may come from yawning too often.
Japan's martial arts star Sonny Chiba portrayed his real-life karate mentor Mas Oyama in a trio of films in the 1970s. "Karate Bull Fighter," "Karate Bear Fighter," and "Karate For Life" are now available as a box set.
The Christian author and screenwriter hosts a set of mini-devotionals, accompanied by a short film about a runaway teen who returns home to her father after falling into a seedy career.
With Tina Fey’s career at an all time high, having won numerous awards and kudos for the hilarious 30 Rock, the release of “Mean Girls”—Fey’s earlier feature length effort—on Blu-ray makes a lot of sense.
Mean MachineDVD Review - Sep 9, 2002 - By Raul Burriel
The first thing I noticed about "Mean Machine" was that it was a remake of the 1974 Burt Reynolds prison/football movie "The Longest Yard". I'm surprised I didn't know this until actually watching the film. No one tells me these things! I'm even more shocked to think that I wouldn't have known this had I not seen "The Longest Yard" at 1am on cable two weeks ago. Quite the coincidence.
A meteor knocks the Earth out of orbit and toward the Sun, leading to the mother of all heat waves. With soap opera melodrama that works, this disaster flick is a smokin' hot time.
Hello good people. Well, it took me a while, but I think I've found just about every hidden feature on the Memento - Limited Edition DVD. Well, probably not, but I have found quite a few. Wanna know where they are? Well, come on in...
Fighting evil, so you don't have to know about it! They're the Middleman and his new protege, Wendy Watson, and they're one of the funniest crimefighting duos the world has never seen.
Examining strength in a time of crisis and the need to remain pragmatic when emotions are heightened and the stakes are global, “A Mighty Heart” takes a devastating subject and handles it with care and tactfulness
MillionsDVD Review - Jan 14, 2006 - By Paul Schultz
This honest tale of moral struggle explores "What would you do if a load of money dropped into your lap?" with heartfelt results.
As a married man myself, I thought it would be interesting to see what creator and series star Mike Binder thought was on our minds. With Season One coming to DVD August 30, the opportunity to watch the show from the pilot to season finale is finally here.
MinutemenDVD Review - Jun 12, 2008 - By R.J. Carter
When these teens press rewind, what used to be becomes what never was -- and the world ends up hanging in the balance!
When they say, "They don't make 'em like they used to," this is one of those films they're thinking about. A holiday tradition with brilliant casting and engaging plot that has stood the test of time for over sixty years.
MirrorMaskDVD Review - Jan 29, 2006 - By R.J. Carter
This collaborative brainchild of award winning fantasists Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean -- backed by the Jim Henson Company -- is a non-stop visual carnival of delights that begs rewatching almost immediately after the credits have finished rolling.
With a nod to psychological, literary and mythological notions of the reflected self as a definitive and perhaps dangerously simplified representation of inner-complexities, “Mirrors” examines the horrors of self-perception and lack of control over this almost glib sagacity.
Miss PotterDVD Review - Jun 19, 2007 - By R.J. Carter
Renee Zellweger enchants in this film that comes across as more fairy tale than biopic.
Not only is Mitch Fatel's comedy bad. It's dangerous because it's misogynist, and he thinks it's hidden underneath a baby voice.
MomentumDVD Review - Aug 14, 2005 - By R.J. Carter
Lacking in drama, Momentum is a film that, ultimately, never gathers any.
Monsoon WeddingDVD Review - Sep 5, 2002 - By Jennifer Alpeche
With the incredible success of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” at the box office, the timing seems perfect to discover another small, delightful wedding film... monsoon and all.
This 1987 feature film rode a cresting wave of other kid-gang adventures like "The Goonies" and "Adventures in Babysitting", giving us what the director descibed as "The Little Rascals vs. the Universal Monsters."
Before we learned that "wolfman has nards," and way before we spent a "Night at the Museum," there was the original Monster Squad, fighting crime on Saturday mornings.
Monsters, Inc.DVD Review - Oct 2, 2002 - By Jennifer Alpeche
In “Monsters, Inc.”, Pixar Animation Studios steps through to another world, a wondrous world filled with monsters who scare because well -- they care.
Stan Lee offers up a new superhero in this animated DVD adventure starring the voices of Anna Paquin and Kirby Morrow.
Mother TeresaDVD Review - Jul 6, 2006 - By Paul Schultz
Displaying Mother Teresa's message to "do little things with great love", this made-for-TV biopic is mostly successful in capturing the life's work of this "Saint of the Gutter" in her service to the poorest of the poor.
Moulin RougeDVD Review - Jun 26, 2002 - By Jennifer Alpeche
With Best Picture winner, “A Beautiful Mind,” and nominee, “Gosford Park,” coming out on DVD this week, I though I’d highlight another nominee, “Moulin Rouge!”, whose DVD sparkles with the same elaborate packaging that made the film such a hit last year.
Peter Lorre returns as the enigmatic Japanese sleuth, Mr. Moto, in this archeological adventure set in the jungles of Cambodia.
Mrs. HarrisDVD Review - Aug 12, 2006 - By Paul Schultz
When this film about the murder of the Scarsdale Diet doctor was nominated for a Primetime Emmy, I had to see for myself what was so great about it. The short answer is: not much.
Admittedly, the prospect of reviewing Badr International's "Muhammad: The Last Prophet" is a politically sticky situation for a Christian American to tackle.
Replete with non-sequiturs and over-kids'-head jokes, The Muppets' Wizard of Oz never really lives up to its potential or to the legacy of its Henson-produced predecessors.
On February 11, 2005, a MusiCares charity concert honored the achievements of Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson. It turned out to be an enjoyable evening listening to timeless music.
You'd better think, think, think about adjusting your expectations if you're a fan of Milne's original work, and enjoy this 3D CGI animated series for what it is: a preschool interactive learning show.
Darby, Pooh, Tigger, and the whole 100 Acre Wood crew help a little lost reindeer find her way to back to the North Pole -- with Santa's missing sack! -- before Christmas ends up being cancelled.
The Academy Award-winning true story of Irishman Christy Brown's triumph over physical, familial, and cultural adversity has been re-released with digitally remastered picture and sound, along with all-new bonus material.
While the special effects were appreciable, I felt I wanted a little more out of the story. The comedy was mostly sexually centered, and there were just so many more directions the humor could have gone.
With Mystery Science Theater 3000, a niche audience found their unique brand of humor and perspective catered to, which explains the championed cult status of the series that ran for eleven seasons and even resulted in a feature film in 1996.
Mystic RiverDVD Review - Jun 12, 2004 - By Scott Juba
Provocative, powerful, and potent, "Mystic River" is an exceptional piece of filmmaking that stays with its viewers long after the final credits are finished rolling.
When a Jersey girl stumbles into a job as a domestic for an Upper East Side family of out-of-touch parents, it sets the stage for an interesting anthropological take on the lost art of child-rearing.
Nanny McPheeDVD Review - May 14, 2006 - By R.J. Carter
The Brown children are an incorrigible bunch of hooligans. Enter Nanny McPhee, who comes in the night like a wart-ridden exorcist.
Conservative tradition meets Queens logic and turns the concept of The Sound of Music squarely on its ear when Fran lucks into a position as The Nanny.
The digitally remastered 1984 sports fable is now edited as director Barry Levinson intended, enhancing this retelling of the Camelot legend through the world of baseball.
In many ways the story was a radical departure from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Visually, He-Man has turned in his pageboy haircut for a ponytail, while Skeletor gets eyes, leaving him looking more like the star of The Mask than the evil despot eager to get his hands on the power of Castle Greyskull.
While the transfer of the film appears to be the same as the 2008 Blu-ray release of “No Country For Old Men”, this collector’s edition features a variety of new special features, in addition to a digital copy of the film for techies.
The 19th amendment to the Constitution, giving women the right to vote, was ratified in 1920. More than half a century earlier, two women launched the struggle that would bring about this momentous change.
Ordinarily, one can’t watch a Canadian film without entering the land of self-referential metafiction at some point, but usually that point is somewhere after the opening credits and before the end.
An FBI agent. A mathematical prodigy. These two brothers add up to pure genius in this Paramount dramatic series that focuses on family, police procedure, and the world of numbers.
The variety of comedy styling proves interesting, with Ferrell’s broad, naïve physical comedy, Luke Wilson’s dry, slightly condescending humor and Vaughn’s in your face acerbic rants.
John Moore's retread of the David Seltzer apocalyptic chiller features some nice cinematic touches, but the special features are far more interesting than the film in this DVD release.
Once in a very long long time, a movie comes along that's just plain fun. It may not win any awards, but maybe it's because they're not giving out awards for the right reasons.
The latest product to come out of the Osbourne media-madness is this, the DVD boxed set of the entire first Season. Pop in the first one, and the menu itself is a mini-Osbournes episode (in fact, every menu is worth watching until the repeat loop kicks in.)
The OthersDVD Review - Jun 4, 2002 - By Jennifer Alpeche
More suspenseful than frightening, "The Others" is a tightly-wound haunted-house story. Now on DVD, the small screen takes nothing away from this quiet, atmospheric film about a mother, her two children, and the large manor they live in.
There is nothing wrong with your DVD player. These shows are meant to be in black and white -- and they will disturb you intentionally.
Over the HedgeDVD Review - Oct 24, 2006 - By R.J. Carter
The comic strip by Michael Fry and T. Lewis leaps off the page and into CGI life with some brilliant voice casting in this suburban fantasy tale from DreamWorks.
OverlordDVD Review - Jun 6, 2007 - By Jonathan Baylis
I guess there are really only two types of war movies, right? The "war is glorious" kind and the "war is hell" variety. "Overlord" is the latter.
Martial arts in eighteenth-century France. A werewolf story that mixes fantasy, legend and history. "Le Pacte des Loups" has a little something of most everything, but can’t quite pull it all together.
Revealing, informative and certainly worthy of the documentary treatment, “Passion & Power” certainly communicates its point and offers up many amusing anecdotes and informative tidbits but is a little too smug, condescending and aesthetically annoying to be considered a success.
Gibson has created a timeless masterpiece that effectively depicts the most important event in history; and in the process, has helped to awaken our consciences to the things in life that are truly important.
McCartney's latest concert video starts out as an interesting study of a rock legend in action, but is continually interrupted by talking heads telling us how great he is.
A wonderful keepsake of all the pomp and pageantry of the premiere performance of this classical work at the Royal Albert Hall in London, with a documentary that goes a long way toward fostering appreciation for it.
Can two cousins -- a naive Meposian immigrant and a Wisconsin-raised know-it-all -- share an apartment in harmony? As Balki might say, "Of course they can, don't be ridiculous!"
Daniel Barnz writes and directs this darkly beautiful and moving piece about a disorder that most people believe they understand only because they may be familiar with the more outrageous and overt symptoms.
"A DVD collection of our greatest adventures! Pinky -- are you pondering what I'm pondering?" "I think so, Brain. But the last time you clicked the mouse, my nose hurt for a week! Narf!"
Great effects, not much story in this franchise's third installment.
PittsburghDVD Review - Jul 30, 2006 - By Paul Schultz
The Duke teams up with a pair of familiar faces, Randolph Scott and Marlene Dietrich, as the trio seek financial success in the Pittsburgh steel industry.
While I’m waiting impatiently for my "Superman Returns" screening tomorrow, I decided to view a film starring (the 1978) Supe's dad. No, not Brando. Pa Kent. You know, Glenn Ford?
I know there are Popeye purists who stay away from any animated version other than the Fleischer films, but these Hanna-Barbera cartoons had solid animation, great voice work, humor and are still very family friendly.
When it was announced that the theatrical Popeye films were coming to DVD after a long and needless copyright squabble, many fans were wondering if the banned Popeye cartoons would be included.
Featuring plenty of water, with generous helpings of cheese, this adventure that launched the disaster film genre of the 1970's gets a "Special Edition" re-release just in time for this summer's big-budget remake.
The PrestigeDVD Review - Feb 20, 2007 - By R.J. Carter
I love period pieces and films about stage magic. So why do I feel so cheated by "The Prestige" despite a great cast?
Cree craw toad's foot, geese walk barefoot. If you know the rhyme, then you've spent time with one of the coolest television suspense dramas ever to be cancelled -- The Pretender!
A classic of the twist-ending genre, "Primal Fear" set Edward Norton on the path to stardom, and gave him some practice for his future role in "Incredible Hulk."
No one's going to be "Enchanted" with "Princess." For my money, I'd much rather see a decent treatment of Bill Willingham's Fables or Brandon Mull's Fablehaven, both of which handle the theme of myths living among modern people far more deftly.
Private Practice has had a very successful first season, keeping much of the humanistic appeal of Grey’s Anatomy, while creating a much more laid back and light-hearted environment for it to play out in.
Theorizing that one could time travel within his own lifetime, Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator... and vanished. Follow him on his third season of excellent adventures with this cool release from Universal.
Scouring the universe for garbage -- literally -- this Buck Henry science fiction creation had a short television lifespan, but is now seeing a resurrection on DVD.
The QueenDVD Review - Apr 25, 2007 - By Paul Schultz
Helen Mirren earned a well-deserved Academy Award for her complex and subdued performance as Her Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in this deftly-portrayed crucial moment in British history.
Dwayne Johnson continues to succeed where Vin Diesel failed when it comes to tough-guy family comedies, this time stealing the show with the Walt Disney remake.
For the many successes that "Rachel Getting Married" can boast, including sharp characterizations, cringingly identifiable dialogue, layered and powerful performances and active directions that keeps the audience alive in the action, there is a sense of pretense and an occasionally ham-fisted sensibility that holds the film back from excellence.
RatatouilleDVD Review - Nov 6, 2007 - By Raul Burriel
Visually beautiful, this latest offering from the geniuses at Disney/Pixar suffers from poor pacing.
Bret Harrison and Ray Wise deliver up one hell of a great performance in this Brimstone meets "Ghostbusters" by way of "Clerks" comedy/action series.
The ReapingDVD Review - Oct 8, 2007 - By R.J. Carter
AnnaSophia Robb turns in a mesmerizing performance as a little girl in the swamplands of Louisiana whom local townsfolk suspect is the catalyst behind a series of biblical plagues.
Things fall apart left and right this season for the broken Hart family, as Reba struggles to repair the marriages of both her ex-husband and her teenage daughter, while trying to hold herself together at the same time.
Red VelvetDVD Review - Sep 10, 2009 - By R.J. Carter
Henry Thomas and Kelli Garner headline this derivative and nonsensical slasher schlocker.
Disney manages to offer less features in the third release of this film on DVD, but even that fact doesn't detract from the wonderful fact-based story of a high school football team in 1971 enduring racial integration to bring home a championship.
Before Moonlighting brought sexual chemistry to the detective agency... and before Pierce Brosnan was drafted to play James Bond... there was Remington Steele.
If "Rocky Horror" and "Tommy" went on a date in "Dark City" to see "Blade Runner," and then spent the whole time making out in the back row of the theater, "Repo! The Genetic Opera" could be the result.
Milla Jovovich stars in the hi-tech 2002 flick "Resident Evil," a sci-fi movie in which a small group must battle the undead in a fight to protect the world from suffering a similar fate.
Of all the many branches of the "Planet of the Apes" franchise, few failed more miserably than this lackluster production. Leaden in dialogue and short on animation, this is a childhood memory best not monkeyed around with.
RevelationsDVD Review - Jul 3, 2005 - By R.J. Carter
Omnium Finis Imminet, perhaps, but the DVD set is here now.
More noir than Western, this effective low-budget yarn set deep in the New Mexico desert follows an off-beat love triangle with stolen money headed for the Mexico border.
Last summer, Sam Mendes followed up his color-bursting, Oscar-winning “American Beauty” with the nearly-monochromatic, moving crime drama “Road to Perdition.” Proving he was no one-hit wonder.
You'd have to live in a cave to have not seen "Rocky" at this point, but this collector's edition provides plenty of extras to allow for greater insight into this American classic.
Spend some enchanted evening in front of the tube with a friend and this exquisite concert performance of one of the most iconic musicals in American history.
"Roman Holiday" was originally released on DVD back in 2002 with decent features and a nice, clear print, which begs the question, what is the purpose of this "Centennial Collection" release?
This Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner vehicle combines romantic adventure and escapist fare with good chemistry between its leads, hit-or-miss humor, and heaping helpings of unbelievability.
Blue Collar comedian Ron White has never been afraid to go blue with his humor. With "Behavioral Problems," the scotch-swilling standup bypasses blue and lands squarely in indigo territory as he entertains audiences with his new set.
The fifth season of Roseanne was a somber one, filled with domestic violence, abused children, infidelity and dying parents. Sounds like sitcom material to me!
In 1987, Americans were invited to 714 Delaware Street, Lanford, Illinois. It's the home of a typical middle-class family, struggling with two jobs, three kids, and one day at a time.
The ninth and final season of the series finds the Conner family winning the $108 million Illinois Lottery, throwing them into the unfamiliar realms of the hoi polloi.
We're rapidly closing in on the end of the Roseanne series as far as DVD sets are concerned, which explains the absence of any special features on this particular release.
The sixth season was another one of massive changes, with Jackie getting pregnant, Darlene moving off to college, and Sarah Chalke making her debut in the role of Becky.
The Halloween episodes of Roseanne were a highlight of every season. Now they've all been collected in one ghoulish marathon.
Roving MarsDVD Review - Jul 31, 2007 - By Paul Schultz
This Disney IMAX documentary chronicles NASA's mission to Mars and attempts to make science accessible, but doesn't quite delve into the details satisfyingly enough for those truly curious. A vintage extra about the red planet is worth the price of admission, though.
Cancelled after only three episodes on its native CW network, “Runaway” has the honour, mainly, of being the first original series ever canned on the CW, following the merger of the WB and UPN networks.
Where “Donnie Darko” examined annihilation anxiety in relation to science, faith, fatalism and an entire barrage of additional philosophical and theoretic principals involved in man’s existential plight, “s. Darko” examines only “Donnie Darko” as a text and many of its more glib and arbitrary machinations.
Complete? As a longtime fan of the original animated Sabrina, I know of at least one cartoon which is missing from my DVD set.
Safe at Home!DVD Review - Apr 3, 2007 - By Paul Schultz
This pre-teen baseball drama stars Yankee sluggers Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle. It isn't nearly as clever as its title, but is as American as mom, baseball, and apple pie.
Gloriously violent and edgy in much of its humor, Sam & Max: Freelance Police is still watchable by the extremely young audiences, but is more likely to be enjoyed by viewers with a slightly jaded, somewhat dirtier mind.
As Father Christmas faces becoming a father, Jack Frost appears to wrest the mantle of Christmas away from Santa Claus in this third film of the Walt Disney franchise.
