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The Whistleblower highlights one of the scummiest things people can do to each other. Sex for money isn’t new. Sex for money when the choice is made by everyone involved to participate isn’t lovely but it’s still a choice. Buying and selling human beings, women and children, for the purpose of forcing them to be fucked by greasy sleazy MEN is beyond vile. The essence of this growing money making evil is that MEN want to get a hard on, have an ejaculation, abuse another human being and then throw them away. If you think it’s any thing other than that you are either an idiot, delusional, or one of THEM.

It’s an infuriating, incredibly depressing subject, and yet this film elevates it to more than a cause. It’s an attack on freedom, life, liberty, choice, living a fulfilling satisfying life or at least getting that right that everyone should have. The direction is delicate but at times up close with that hand held feel to keep us in the mind of the lead character. A woman who transfers to a foreign land surrounded by corruption, greed, filth, MEN wallowing in self indulgence and want. She is driven to do the right thing and finds a brick wall at every step. It’s based on a true true story.

The performances are the same, delicate, hard core and solid. There is not one moment when any of the actors seems like an actor. It’s a quality international cast that cross every layer of this grotesque world. There is a Herzoeovinian mother, played beautifully as she struggles with having her teenage daughter go missing. There are soldiers of all kinds. horribly horrible, noble, creepy, and respectable. There are upper management people, some cold and robotic, some who want to crack the system and make things right. The teenage girls are the real stars of this show though. Even Rachel Weisz, who is amazing, is out shined by these fantastic young performers. They handle their roles with the exact right amount of liveliness and horror and depth. I wanted to protect them and painfully murder the assholes who do such unspeakable things to them….all in the name of debauchery and cash. Ugh…this is a real thing people, men buying young women to abuse and sexually violate, all while creating a culture of giving no value to their lives other than dollars and cum. Yes, it’s ugly and uncomfortable. All this unpleasantness is still presented in a way that is captivating and full of tension, the right balance to make it at least palatable enough to get the point across.

Features: 3/10

• Kathy Bolkovac: The Real Whistleblower – A 5 minute behind the scenes with a really short interview with the real lady of this story. Such a missed opportunity in terms of extras on this disc.

Cover Art and Menus: 6/10
I wouldn’t want this cover to outshine the content of the movie. It’s fine if not a bit of a lost opportunity. I would like to see something more specific, but it’s fine as it is. The menu is the same, functional. That’s fine with me for this movie.





Audio & Video: 7/10 (By Ascully)
The Whistleblower is actually quite an ugly film. This is not a bad thing as the story is also ugly and the images portrayed really amplify the fact. Director of photography Kieren McGuigan has given the film an intentional grain that permeates the entire frame. One of the hardest things for encoders is to preserve grain but FOX have kept the grain and not touched the film with the dreaded DNR. If I had to complain about anything here it’s a very strong crush in the black areas of the image. I actually feel it might be intentional but on occasion (very dark corridor shots) you do end up looking at mostly nothing.

Audio comes courtesy of FOX’s lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround mix. This is quite a talky movie so there is nothing here that will blow you away but the dialog is centered and clear for the most part. When I say for the most part there are several areas where I couldn’t tell what was being said, again it could have been intentional but worth of note anyway.

I really enjoy dark true stories like The Whistleblower. Well, enjoy is probably not the right word, but if you like something that will challenge you to think about things happening right under your nose that you might not be aware of otherwise, take a look at this film. I think you will be suitably educated.


Value: 7/10
There is nothing about this movie on Blu-Ray that should speak louder than the topic and the movie itself. So, if you find it for 20 or less it’s a valuable purchase. It’s a film to watch with a select few people. It’s worth the long conversation afterwards that will most definitely happen.

Overall Score 9/10

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The interaction between the humorous Carrey as Popper, with his classic facial expressions and overacting, and the real and CGI penguins is pretty interesting. As Popper starts to warm up to the icy birds, his business takes a hit, while his family life seems to flourish. The family friendly theme is a nice one, and with the overall cuteness of the birds, and Carrey’s infectious charm, the movie turns out to be unexpectedly fun.

Not all things in penguin land are rosy though, as the story and penguin poop jokes are at times a bit much, but I had a decent time with this movie. Like I stated earlier, Mr. Popper’s Penguins is a decent family movie that is squarely aimed at kids, who will find the movie irresistible. It does leave a bit to be desired for those older than 12 though.


Features: 7/10

• All New Animated Short: Nimrod & Stinky’s Antartic Adventure – This animated short is around 6 minutes in length, and features the penguins as they are the victims of an attempted penguin-napping from the evil zookeeper. This was a fun extra that my son enjoyed.
• Deleted Scenes - There are several deleted scenes that really are not needed. They are available with commentary from the Director and others, but again, they are not missed from the movie.
• Gag Reel - The gag reel is short, at just over 2 minutes, but it is cute.
• Penguin Pandemonium - This 3 minute feature is all about the CGI work that went into making the penguins in the movie.
• The Legacy Of Mr Poppers Penguins - The children’s book by the same name that inspired the movie is the focus of this 4 minute extra. Written by Richard and Florence Atwater, the book is the basis for the movie.
• & More - Also included are more extras that focus on real penguins at SeaWorld, a full length commentary with Director Mark Waters and others, and trailers for the movie.
• DVD & Digital Copy - Included with the Blu-ray are both the DVD and a digital version of the film.

Cover Art and Menus: 8/10
The cover for Mr. Popper’s Penguins features a close-up of Jim Carrey’s face (man he is getting older,but aren’t we all) surrounded by his 6 little ice loving penguin friends. It is a good cover, as is the menu, which has animated penguins and snowflakes with fun music and scenes from the movie. Both the cover and the menu are well done and great for this type of movie.





Audio & Video: 8.5/10
Both the audio and video for this movie are impressive, with an amazing sounding 5.1 Surround Sound presentation and a striking looking 1080p encode. The audio is sharp and has a lot of directional sound, as well as a happy feet sounding musical background, while the whole movie is crisp and colorful from start to finish.


Value: 7/10
This is a family movie, with Jim Carrey at his goofiest. For a children’s movie, one could do worse, and it is a decent watch for everyone. My son adores the movie, and my wife is also a big fan, so the replay value is definitely there. This is not a classic by any means, and the jokes tend to be a bit monotonous and on the gross side, but overall Mr. Popper’s Penguins is a fun little movie.

Overall Score 7/10

Sterling Archer is now the author of the definitive handbook detailing how you, too, can learn how to be a killer secret agent. HOW TO ARCHER is Sterling Archer’s gift to the world, in which he reveals his secrets on how to dress properly, drive an elephant, haggle with a Thai prostitute in her native tongue, pilot an airboat and make about a million delicious cocktails, including a Molotov one. Buy your copy now, available wherever books are sold.

Archer Season Premiere Thursday, January 19 at 10PM ET/PT only on FX.

To win a Large Poster &  How To Archer Book  email your name and the answer to the following question.

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Winner will be notified on January 31st 2012 via email. Thanks to Fox Entertainment for the Prizes. Read Contest Rules before entering.

Email all entries to contest@ascully.com

The cover for the movie talks about how George is a master at just barely getting by, but in reality, George is flunking out, so he is not even close to “just getting by.”  Enter the effervescent Sally (Emma Roberts) who is popular, outgoing, and much more worldly than George when it comes to interacting with people and pretty much everything else.  The two seem  to hit it off for some reason, and they both seem to help the other.  He keeps her a bit grounded, and she becomes his guide to high school.  Soon he starts interacting with people that he would never have talked to before, and it is not long before he falls deeply and madly for Sally, even if it is not really apparent as to her intentions.

The two play New York teenagers quite well, and both are pretty solid in their roles.  The movie is slow, but not too slow for this genre.  I liked the story, and even though this was not perfect, it was a nice little independent film.  George finally is told that he must make up all of the assignments that he didn’t bother to do in 3 weeks, or not graduate.  His inability to tell Sally how he feels about her, and her inabilty to do the same for him cause tension when she ends up sleeping with George’s art mentor, who is much older and who should knoew better.

The Art of Getting By just barely skates by itself.  The movie is average, with some tender moments.  Highmore’s accent is spot on, and the acting was decent all around.  I enjoyed the movie, but feel that there was a lot more that could have been done with these two.


Features: 4/10

• Fox Movie Channel Presents In Character With Freddie Highmore – This 4 minute feature has Highmore talking about his role, and how he prepared for it, and his view on the movie.
• HBO First Look: The Making Of The Art Of Getting By – If you take the 3 other shorts, and put them together, you get this 12 minute short.
• Director Commentary – This is a regular commmentary that is just average at best.
• New York Slice Of Life – This 3 minute feature focuses on filming in New York, which is the setting for the movie.
• On Young Love – The movie is all about teenagers in love, or trying to find love.  This is another super short 3 minute extra that discusses that aspect of the movie.

Cover Art and Menus: 6/10
The cover for the movie is a nice shot of the two teenagers walking in New York.  My only issue with the cover is the fact that it seems a lot brighter and cheerier than most of the movie itself.  It is a decent cover though for this type of movie.  pretty standard stuff.  The menu is equally innocuous as it features scenes from the movie without much else.  I actually liked the movie posters a bit more, which had the two teenagers walking past each other, instead of basically hand in hand.





Audio & Video: 7/10
The Art of Getting by is a mellow type of movie that is presented in a very muted way. The video is sharp for the most part, and the scenes of New York have a grainy, at times drab feel to them. The video presentation is good, but not spectacular. This is a lower budget movie that was shot on 35 mm film, and it gives the movie a nice feel. The audio is decent, as the 5.1 surround sound is adequate. There is not a whole lot of use of the rear speakers but the overall audio is good.


Value: 6/10
This is a slower movie that focuses mainly on the characters. The replay value is not all that great, but the movie itself is a good one. I don’t think that this will get played more than once in my house, so the value of the movie really has to take a hit. I thought Freddie Highmore and Emma Roberts were good in this, and had they been bad, this movie would have been a disaster. It is a slow, coming of age romantic movie, that overall was a nice little movie.

Overall Score 6/10

I was excited from the first minute all the way through the last minute when I did not want it to be over. The story is, as the title states quite obviously, the rise of the planet of the apes. In a possible near future the genetic research to cure Alzheimer’s disease leads to an increased intelligence in the primates unfortunate enough to be the test subjects. I don’t need to go in to detail about the truth about experimentation on animals for our human gain, the movie does a good job of that and it was done with a good balance from both sides of the issue. So, beyond the solid ground of a good message, this movie just thrills me, yes, thrills me.

I buy the whole thing, the scientist who is handed a small ape after a disaster in his corporate lab. I totally am there and convinced that his father has Alzheimer’s and our leading man’s motivation for his scientific endevours is for the good of mankind. I also am convinced, as always, that this big corporation is full of assholes. This isn’t an original movie theme, shall we flip back the pages to Alien, Terminator, and even 2001 to some degree. The big company with its greed and blind ambition is the villian along with its co-villian the evil primate keepers who thrill at the thought of torturing the animals at every opportunity. So, while some dickhead is claiming that The Muppet movie is teaching children communistic ideas because they want to rise up against the big corporation….get a clue jerk-off, that’s how it works in movies where we are shown the evils of greed and its impact on the human condition…duh.

Andy Sirkis is amazing. There isn’t a minute that goes by, even though he is cloaked in a fully CGI and beautiful Chimpanzee facade, that I’m not fully aware of his eyes, his facial expressions, his body movements and everything else he pours into his performance to bring Ceasar to life so brilliantly. Make a category for motion capture performances you Academy Award committee so-and-so’s.

I always like Franco. He’s got a very solid way about him. He’s so serious and there isn’t much of a sense of humor about his performances, and yet when the light hearted moments are needed he is spot on (as my British husband would say). There is no problem in this cast, except I don’t have much love for Brian Cox, his characters have seen to that over the years. The jerk who does the torturing in the ape ‘sanctuary’ is the weakest link, a bit over the top, trying to hard at times, but in the end he is portraying a very nasty character so I’ll give him a pass.

There are moments of sheer movie watching grace in The Rise of the Planet of the Apes. I’ll let you find them for yourself, but they widened my eyes, shortened my breath, reminded me of the late night as a kid when I first watched the original Planet of the Apes and learned the lesson that humans are idiots….can’t get enough of that lesson.

I would recommend this to any Ape Planet fan, any Science Fiction lover, any action junky, it’s just a great movie experience.


Features: 8/10

• 11 Deleted Scenes – 11 deleted scenes most of them with unfinished CG work, nothing here that will shatter your world but interesting anyway.
• The Genius Of Andy Serkis – A showcase of motion capture expert Andy Serkis, this would be great to show the Oscar voters to show what he really does.
• Scene Breakdown – A multiangle scene breakdown that you control with your remote.
• A New Generation Of Apes – The creators of the film talk about the challenges involved bringing a prequel to the series.
• Breaking Motion Capture Boundaries – The scene at the end of the movie on the bridge actually was a first in many ways. Check out why in this featurette.
• The Great Apes – Basically a nature documentary that is split into 3 parts, really useful information here for ape/chimp/orangutan lovers
• Mythology Of The Apes – The stars and creators of the movie look back at the original films and how those inspired the performances here.
• Composing The Score – Behind the scenes on the composing of the epic score.
• Audio Commentaries With Director & Writers - 
• Art Galleries – Concept art and images from the movie.

Cover Art and Menus: 10/10
Exactly. I want this as a poster. Enough said. Well, the menu is fine too but pales in comparison to the cover art.





Audio & Video: 9/10
Special effects have changed since Avatar! That was the first thing I thought when I saw the amazing effects WETA have come up with in Planet Of The Apes. And Blu-Ray has also come a long way as FOX have a stunning transfer here light years ahead of the crusty Mpeg 2 transfers of old. From the first time you see the fully CG animated Caeser you know you are in for a treat. The detail here is incredible from individual hairs to flecks of light in the eyes. Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes has a lot of digital special effects but interestingly this movie was filmed on 35mm stock, this gives the film a traditional grainy look to go along with the cutting edge CGI, the result is a unique looking movie that really has to be seen to be believed.

What can  I say about the audio, it is out of this world. The lossless DTS-HD master audio track simply rocks the house. The mix is front anchored but the subtle sounds of this world are always playing behind you. Basically if you heard this theatrically this is what you have here. I highly recommend you grab a copy of Rise, it is a perfect prequel to the rest of the series that will leave you wanting more.


Value: 7/10
I’m owning this, regardless of the price, but the truth is you can find it for around 17 bucks and that’s a great deal. I do not like spending money on DVD’s or BluRays or entertainment of any kind really. I like my Netflix and that’s enough for me, but if you can add this awesome movie to your Planet of the Apes collection for less than $20 I can’t see how that could be anything but a good purchase.

Overall Score 9/10

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The drama of the characters’ choices and struggles they are facing internally is the heart of the movie. The catalyst for their pain and anguish, redemption and healing are all wrapped up in this second Earthlike planet appearing in the sky. They do a weak job of explaining the science of this whole thing, so don’t bother yourself to be annoyed or impressed by it, just take it for what it is. This new planet in the blue sky is a constant reminder of options in life. We see a physical representation of another life, another way, another “me” and in the cases of these people and their emotional states the looming alternative life away from their realities dominates their behavior here and now.

There is a very strong presumption by the writers that we all wonder about another us, another life, a doppleganger out there in the universe who is a mirror image of ourselves, living our life but with tweaks and turns we might prefer to our own. I can’t disagree with this more. There has never been a moment in my life, even upon watching this movie, when I pondered the kitch of finding another Cidtalk roaming around and around this big world, or other world. I can let my mind leap to believe so many things when it comes to movies and stories. When something comes along that becomes a bit of a brick wall for my brain to conquer it does impact the respect I have for the movie overall. I really did enjoy the movie, loved the vibe, appreciated the tone, pace, heart, and honesty at times, and then those weaknesses kept taking me out of the wonderous world they were oh-so-close to successfully creating.

The best parts of the movie are hard to describe. The subtle references to this other planet are just right. I mean, it’s a big planet in the sky next to our moon, so that’s not obviously subtle, but it really doesn’t jump into Sci-Fi territory. The balance of human drama tipping the scale against the potential of introducing a new Earth, space travel, a world in wonder, etc. is pretty well achieved. It’s that push toward subtle that wins me over. I had a good time, even though there is a fair amount of depressing concepts in the story, it feels strangly hopeful and honest.

It’s not an easy movie to recommend to just anybody. I would say if you like drama and a you can go with the flow of a Science Fiction story that’s more fiction than science in all respects, give it a try.


Features: 5/10

• Deleted Scenes – A few deleted scenes with text commentary by the Director.
• Music Video – I do not normally like music videos but this stop motion animation from Fall On Your Sword is worth a watch.
• The Science Behind Another Earth – A so called “Expert” tries to explain the science behind the movie (If you think about the science of this movie too hard you might like the movie less)
• Creating Another Earth – A set of featurette’s that examine the making of the movie, unfortunatly they are very short and not that insightful.
• Direct Effect – A short interview which was aired on the Fox Movie Channel.
• DVD & Digital Copy – This three disc set comes with a DVD & separate Digital Copy Disc.

Cover Art and Menus: 5/10
The image of a young woman with an Earth in the background in the sky, it’s striking if not a little bit misleading. Well, maybe not misleading exactly, but kind of leaning more toward looking cool than being representative of the story. I wouldn’t have it as a poster just because it is more of an image that stands along than one that reminds me of the movie it’s supposed to be reminding me to think about again and again. The menu is standard and functional.





Audio & Video: 7/10 (By Ascully)
Another Earth was filmed entirely in 720P so the 1080P image you are seeing in the AVC encoded transfer is essentially upscaled. You might think that would make the image a little soft but that is not the case. The very stylish look the film has been given in post sharpens up the image and gives it a dream like feel. Overall I saw no issues with the image at all which is unusual for a low budget indie film like Another Earth.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack is low budget by design, don’t expect any crash bang wallop sound effects here as this movie is mostly talky. Aside from a car crash early on in the movie the rear speakers are not used at all. The superb music by Fall On Your Sword sounds great though and the opening and closing credits are a few of the standout moments in this soundtrack.


Value: 7/10
I don’t feel like this movie has much rewatchability. It’s got a great vibe and took me on an interesting journey with the characters, however there is a certain simplicity to it that makes it lose a lot of the intrigue. For 20 bucks you get the movie and a few extras which is a fair night in if you are having over a group of friends to watch and discuss. If you want to check it out wait for it to be on Netflix or other online streaming service so you can relax, watch, and still have enough cash to buy a delicious pizza!! (I’m hungry).

Overall Score 7.5/10

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When I was a kid my mom said I thought about things too much. As I hit puberty and teenhood, my mom said I thought about things too much. This continued through my 20′s with some interuption due to heavy drinking and not giving a shit about anything. My 30′s settled down and now in my 40′s guess what, I think about life and living and the universe, and the meaning of it all an awful lot. After seeing Tree of Life, it’s obvious that I’m not alone. It’s all so big. Where do we fit in? Why do we bother?

The flip side of that deep troubling question is the answer, life is fantastic!! Life exists, moving around, blooming, babbling, growing, dying, sprouting, towering, crawling, it’s beyond our comprehension if we are honest with ourselves. See what this movie does to me, I’m thinking again, more, contemplating, wondering, and it’s lovely. Why bother? It’s cool to be here.

The cast is perfect. The art design is hypnotizing. The special effects are wondrous. Mixing the visual power of how the universe is thought to have begun cut together with a single family drama, then with the timeline of flash backs and flash forwards, well, it sounds muddied with complications, but it’s not. I just let it all happen and soaked it up. It’s a long movie, not long enough if you ask me.

The depth of the characters seems super complex, and then you realize it’s just how we are. We have the bully nature of men, the loving nature of women, the innocence of childhood crushed by the reality of growing older on this planet. I have no idea how Malick captured it so beautifully, but with the music and the dialog and the beautiful photography, the delicate touch mixed with harsh and then balanced with what I see as a lot of neutrality. I mean, it’s heavy handed with the God stuff, if you see it that way. Then again, it’s pointing out the futility of believing in a god at all. There’s the balance and the opportunity for you to think about it yourself. Decide what it is. Enjoy it while it lasts and then it’s over. Hmmm more deep thinking about life. I really dig this movie. 

Features: 6/10

• Exploring The Tree Of Life –  It’s a good extra, but for the scope of this movie I would like to see more. The explanation about how they did the creation of the universe is good, it only touches on the process though, so again, more would be awesome.
• DVD & Digital Copy – I might just utilize this feature for once. I would like to watch and absorb this movie a few more times. Thanks technology!!

Cover Art and Menus: 4/10
I do not like the cover at all. It’s that atrocious boxes with snapshots from the movie. I like the individual images, but it’s just not appropriate for the magnitude of what’s inside the box. The menu is made up of a similar design with clips of the movie playing…ugh. Seriously? I don’t want the poster, which is disappointing because I really enjoyed the movie.





Audio & Video: 9/10 (By Ascully)
Beautifully shot on film by director of photography Emmanuel Lubezki (Children Of Men) Tree of life is a visual masterpiece in every respect. Shot mostly using 35mm steadicam the movie has a look unlike any other. As I said on the Podcast, you can literally pause the Blu-Ray on any frame in the movie and you have a composed piece of art. The transfer here is impeccable with fine detail in every frame. Wardrobe on the leading actors is especially detailed. The 20 minute long  ’how the earth began’ segment is wonderful with amazing looking experimental visuals and even some CGI.

It’s not often a movie has a message on the screen before it starts that tells you to turn up the volume. Malick is famous for using sound as an emotional cue and it’s obvious from the opening frames why you should crank it up. Featuring over 40 pieces of classical music (some new stuff composed by Alexandre Desplat of Harry Potter/The Kings Speech fame) this disc is a sonic marvel. The director uses a lot of subtle voiceover that comes across clear and centered, and the surround speakers are used almost the entire time to paint a rich soundscape that will evoke memories of childhood.

Tree of Life is easily the best movie I have seen this year for a number of reasons. It’s not often I am truly moved by a movie and at times here I really was. I am sure this movie will polarize audiences as it asks a lot from the viewer, but sit back and give yourself to it and you may have a life changing experience which is easily worth the price of admission.


Value: 8/10
It is worth the price.

Overall Score 9/10

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First Class takes us back to when Professor Xavier and Magneto become friends and enemies, when Mystic finds her calling to be drawn to the dark side, and explains a lot of other elements of the future as we know it in the X Men saga. I loved it. I really really enjoyed every minute of this movie. It got my juices flowing for the multiple special skills and powers or mutations that the cast of character brings with them. A dude with big feet and a genius mind, a guy who can adapt to anything to stay alive (well almost anything), and a young lady who can fly with her delicate wings. These are just a few of the offerings to my desire to see and experience what humans can do with a little imagination.

The cast is all excellent. I can’t even pick out a handful who were better than the rest. From the leading characters to the most peripheral, it’s a classy group of folks who bring us into the skewed world of the 1960′s Cuban crisis. Along with the cast the music is awesome. It’s a powerful score of classy powerful accompanyment to the action on the screen. It’s not always necessary to throw the latest popular tunes at an audience for block buster movies.

The telling of the stories of what would be the leading male characters is so well done for what could have been just rushed through montages to “get to the action”. The director and writers really do justice to the development of Professor X and Magneto, from being young men of opposite childhoods to ultra powerful mutated humans who have to struggle to find their places in this world. The delicate egos and emotional needs of each leading or supporting character are addressed one way or another. From finding Angel, the winged wonder, in a strip club and thus instantly understanding why she might make some of the choices she makes later in the story, to the origins of Beast and his self esteem issues which leads to his transformation, they all come to life so fully and completely it makes the story that much more interesting.

We are introduced to a very bad man, Kevin Bacon, as a Nazi researcher or doctor, not sure what he was exactly, and he begins Magneto’s journey in a very very very bad way. Bacon does a great job of being creepy and evil and unappealing. He speaks about 4 different languages I think. His power is awesome and his crafting of a plan to bring plain boring humans’ reign over the world to an end is a bit over complicated but still compelling. It’s kind of other thought, since we are kind of easy to obliterate without elaborte plans, but whatever, it’s a comic book story so it needs to be diabolical.

Emma Frost is a woman made of diamond, how cool is that? She’s just plain awesome, even if she’s the bad guy’s right hand woman. Her style is so groovy, and the fact that we go all over the world and she seems to travel in class and with an outfit for every ocassion, well, I wish I had an Emma Frost doll and every design in her collection. I’m not even a fashion person at all, nor do I play with dolls, but that’s how friggin’ impressed I was with her character!

Mystic’s story is my favorite, even though I would have liked more of her actual back story and not just watching her struggle with accepting her natural appearance. Where did she come from? Why was she alone? Where are her parents? More more more, i want more about Mystic!!! Emma to for that matter. Let’s have a Mystic and Emma Frost movie. While I am usually the first to complain that women characters are not treated with much respect in movies, I have to mention but at the same time overlook the fact that these strong women characters are still mere assistants or pet projects of male characters. I have to take a deep breath and remember when and by whom the original stories were written and then remind myself that the writers and director of this movie are all men…get the picture?

With the international flavors all over the place, the big action sequences that look great, the super cool mutant abilities all over the place, and a good story, X Men First Class is a hit with me. I would recommend highly even if you are not a comic book fan, or super hero fan, or action flick worshiper. It took me to pure fantasy land and kept me there the whole two hours and more. It’s not perfect, but I think for a super hero movie it is a solid 8 out of 10 regardless of it’s flaws. I didn’t want it to end, and it did leave me wanting more of this cast of characters, and that says a lot.


Features: 7/10

• X Marks The Spot Viewing Mode – Great PIP viewing mode which can be watched full screen from a menu.
• Cerebro Mutant Tracker – Get the backstory behind your favorite mutants with this interactive encyclopedia of the X-Men.
• Children Of The Atom Multi Part Documentary – Very detailed behind the scenes documentary in three parts, covers all aspects of the movie from storyboards to onset interviews and behind the scenes.
• Deleted & Extended Scenes – Mostly extended scenes but the trist deleted scene with Xavier is worth the price of admission alone.
• Composers Isolated Score – Listen to the score while the movie plays without the talking, I highly recommend this as the score is AWESOME.
• Digital Copy – A digital copy of the movie to watch on the go.
• BD Live Lookup Powered By IMDB – I love this feature, I was wondering what Rose Byrne was in while the movie played and this answered my question. (Insidious)
• 10 X-Men Marvel Digital Comics – A code in the box allows you to read 10 X-Men comics on Marvel.com, more of a gateway drug to get you hooked into buying a subscription than anything but a cool feature nonetheless.

Cover Art and Menus: 5/10
I like the cover, even though there is so much more potential with this kind of movie to make a very bold cover, this one will do. It’s got the two leading characters and hints at some kind of conflict…imagine that. I might have it as a poster, but then again, I would rather just have a big poster of either Emma Frost or Mystique. The menu is fine, nothing special.





Audio & Video: 9/10
Obviously X-Men is one of Fox’s premium properties and they would’t want to stuff up the transfer on this Blu-Ray release. So what they have here is a PRISTINE transfer that goes right to the top of the pile of this years releases. This beautiful 1080P AVC encode is impressive with amazing detail (check out Beasts Fur) and superb color reproduction. The movie has a interesting color pallet especially near the end when the classic yellow X-Men suits come into play.

First up a big shout out to Henry Jackman who scored this movie, hes created a wonderful superhero main theme for the X-Men that is as recognizable as the theme from Star Wars or Superman. I hope FOX keep this theme for all future X-Men movies. Back to the disc the DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 track is sure to impress with tons of LFE action and some amazing pans around the whole sound-stage. X-Men first class is my favorite super hero movie of 2011 and is a superb return to form for the series, I would actually say the best in the series which is unusual for a prequel.


Value: 5/10
I say get this one and have it for a rainy weekend. It’s long and great for popcorn munching, lounging and having a good time. I wouldn’t bother with the special editions and all that, just the Blu-Ray will do and if you are not into paying the price to own it, just rent it and have some like minded friends (or in my case I would invite my mom who has only recently confessed to loving sci-fi movies) for a movie night. I wouldn’t pair this with other X Men movies though. I say get something like the original Flash Gordon or Barbarella or early Bond movies. It’s the big fun and total escape that makes it worth a few bucks however you choose to present it.

Overall Score 8/10

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This is a heavily talky movie, which is awesome. The dialog is honest and believable. It’s got the right balance of humor and real guts to just keep me hung on every word. The cast is, as one, excellent. There isn’t a dud in the bunch. I get tired of singling out the “stars” of movies so this time I won’t. The entire bunch make it work. Every character has a touch of quirk, a touch of sadness, a touch of umph, and enough clever writer-enhancement to keep them just one foot in the Hollywood world, just not all the way into lala land. Some movies that are quiet like this have a certain overly pretentious, overly written quality (The Kids Are All Right). Win Win does not suffer from this, not at all.

What would we all do to take care of our families if the money was running out? There are a lot of answers to that question, some extreme, some middle of the road, but everyone would probably be tempted and act on certain opportunities if given the chance and the need. So, do we condemn the leading character for his choices? Do we hate the druggie mom who doesn’t take care of her son? Do we decide to think badly of the old man who might not have been as likable before the dementia kicked in? Everyone has a story. Everyone has choices to make in life that will not please everyone else. It’s just that we tend to ‘forgive’ or overlook certain people, certain choices, because they make sense. Watch the movie and you will know what I’m talking about. That’s just it, this movie makes me want to talk about life and choices and about this movie. I dig it when a movie hangs around in my head for a long time and makes me want to discuss the topics it hits on, the ideas it brings up, the characters and how they relate to my life or just life in general.

Win Win is, as my husband says, “A slice of life movie”. It’s got a story folded in, but it’s more like a glimpse into some lives as we are walking past. It sounds insulting to say it’s comfort food movie watching, but it really is. As I sat watching the teenage leading young man put his heart and soul into some very emotional moments, and then the wife delicately but powerfully show all the signs of being a wonderful mother, and everyone else, they were such well developed and perfectly relatable people I wanted to just stay there and watch them live more of their lives after this little chapter was over.

The music was good, the beautifully crafted believable sets were inviting, all this woven in with wrestling matches that even got me, a non sports person, perked up. Oh, I just really enjoyed this movie. I want everyone and anyone to see it. If Trust (from a few weeks ago) was a very hard core serious and disturbing life family lesson, Win Win is the same caliber in the quality department it’s just a whole different approach, and yet they both have A LOT to say about holding a family together through tough times. Win Win is like a starter movie for anyone who wants to watch with their teens….Trust is the final exam to be pre-watched and contemplated by the grown ups and then introduced to the teens who might learn some of it’s harder lessons.

Watch Win Win on a weekend night with the family and a big bucket of popcorn. A good triple pairing, like a fine with with dinner and dessert, would be Win Win, Juno, and In Good Company. Don’t ask me why exactly, they simply seem to go together in my mind.

Features: 7/10

• Deleted Scenes – There’s not much here to add to the movie, and I like the movie as it is.
• Tom Mcarthy & Joe Tiboni Discuss Win Win – More talking and thinking about Win Win:)
• David Thompson At Sundance 2011 – The whys and whatfors about the movie at the popular film festival.
• In Conversation With Tom McCarthy & Paul Giamatti At Sundance 2011 – I like a good discussion about certain movies, but for some reason I wanted to let this one stand on its own, so I didn’t watch this.
• Family – Small promotional featurette, nothing to write home about.
• Music Video By The National – hmm

Cover Art and Menus: 8/10
Good cover, functional menu, great movie. I would have this cover as a poster, absolutely. I wouldn’t have it just because I like the look of it, but because I would like to be reminded of the movie every time I look at it.





Audio & Video: 9/10 (By Ascully)
Win Win is a 2011 movie so you would assume it was shot digitally right? Wrong this small indie drama was shot on film and looks beautiful as it is enriched with lots of grain. The movie looks great from shot to shot with really nice lighting and a well used color palette. The movie does not feature many dark scenes but some of the more shadowy areas retain a lot of detail. Overall the video qulaity is as perfect as you can get from  a 1080P presentation.

The DTS-HD Master Audio track as usual for a comedy/drama is subdued and realistic. Volume levels are high and speech is centered and clear throughout the entire movie. I was complaining about film studios using a higher sound mix recently, but found out it was actually a firmware update on the PS3 that raised the volume a little. So, ignore what I have said in the last 3 reviews about loud movies :)

Overall I loved this little movie. I challenge anyone not to get something from it.


Value: 4/10
It’s an excellent movie. It looks good and has reasonable extras. It is not worth the current asking price in some places, around 30 bucks. No way am I spending that on a movie, not even one that I enjoy so much. Therefore, rent it. That’s about as clear as I can be on the subject. If the price drops down to around 12 or 15, I would want to own it. If it stays at the prices they want for it right now, my one time view is enough and later I might rent it for a couple of bucks. Gee whiz people, we know you spent a lot to make the movie, but that was your choice. Don’t turn people off by making it so expensive!!! Lower price sells more!!!

Overall Score 8.5/10

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A man comes across a pill that sharpens his ability to use his brain. It could be a metaphor or a cautionary tale about not living up to our potential, or it could be about addiction, or confidence, or mankind’s inability to ever be a perfect version of ourselves because we are so easily distracted. I really don’t know what the intentions of the story are, but for me it’s just good old fashioned excitement and fun wrapped in a well directed, well acted, special effect speckled flick that will stay on my mind for a long time.

Eddie, the guy who finds the pill, uses his new synaptic activity to wrangle the stock market, social engineer some folks, charm his way around town, raise his self image not to mention his mirror image. Everything he has ever seen or heard or ‘learned’ is available to him in any situation. No more of those buried references or forgotten tid bits back in the hidden corners of his mind, it’s all there flashing to the front. As an out of work writer he spent lots of time watching TV, old movies, Bruce Lee, and documentaries about history and weapons and all kinds of other stuff. All of this idiot box gazing finally pays off in his writing, in actual fighting, in dealing with a hard ass business man and in achieving his goal to be rich and influential.

If I were to complain about anything it would be that the plan to be rich and influencial isn’t designed very clearly for me. I get that he wants to be rich, fine. He buys some stuff, gets his girlfriend back, makes more money, and then what? He wants to be a wheeler dealer in big big big business and make billions. Fine. We get hints that he wants to change the world, or fix things, or what exactly? I’m still not sure. He does go from down and out to being a slick politician type, so we can infer that his plan is maybe world domination? Nah, it’s not that kind of movie, then again, it is called Limitless!!

I thoroughly enjoyed myself during this entire movie. It has a mixture of moods and from start to finish we are truly taken on a wild ride, and adventure in the city with this dude. We get to feel the rush of being so ‘tweeked’ on this drug that we are sucked through a certain kind of tunnel vision that’s hypnotic. It’s a visual effect I really enjoyed and unlike a lot of movies it really does clue us into the state of mind and experience Eddie is going through.  It might be a bit heavy now and then with the wonky visuals that are supposed to indicate when our hero experiences some not so fun effects of the drug, but by the time we hit those blips of ambitious effects I was hooked so it didn’t matter at all.

The idea that we have in our minds, our brains, our selves the potential to do so much more, well, duh!!! I am the first to put my hand up to “If you’re lazy and you know it raise your hand”. I’m fundamentally brilliant, genius even, I simply have other things to occupy my time like online Scrabble and writing movie reviews and watching all of the original Star Trek on Netflix. You know, important stuff. Right, yea, just give me one of those damn pills!!!

Features: 6/10

• Theatrical & Unrated Cut – Unless the scene with some nakedness or the violence sends the rating to the corner to pout, I really don’t know what the 2 versions offer that’s significant enough for this to be a selling point.
• A Man Without limits – About the story, mostly a produced, brief, and a bit dry promotional extra.
• Taking It To The Limit: The Making Of Limitless – Behind the scenes we go…stunts, script, director, cast, how, why, where….etc.
• Director Audio Commentary - I like this director and he’s not terribly obnoxious like so many dudes who make these “message without a message” modern flicks.
• Alternate Ending – Oh, give me a break!! (translation, what a lame extra. No offense to the movie, which I love, but the alternate ending is empty, carrot on a stick kind of thing that’s more of a deleted idea and not at all in line with the tone of the whole movie. Take it back you DVD making people, it is not as dramatic as to “change everything”.
• Digital Copy –  …and so it goes.

Cover Art and Menus: 3/10
I hate, or strongly dislike, or am not interested in this cover whatsoever. The split technique, a tri-sliced image with some nondescript  The movie poster is better and I would consider having it hang in my home. As for this package, cover, menu, it’s all quite underwhelming compared to the groovy movie within.





Audio & Video: 8/10 (By Ascully)
Limitless boasts a HD transfer that shows off the contrast between scenes. This movie was shot on a couple of different film stocks using varying levels of focus and saturation. Pay close attention to Bradley Coopers eyes which come through in such detail it looks like the diagram of an eye you would find in an opticians room. Black levels are consistent and overall this stylish looking film looks great in HD.

Sonically this movies loss less soundtrack is limitless in its scope (see what I did there). This isn’t an action movie by any means but the frenetic style of the editing and sound design use panning effects that whip around the sound field. the fight scene in the subway is standout here with all kinds of subtle sounds coming from every angle. There is little to complain about with Fox’s transfer of Limitless.


Value: 6/10
I do think I will watch this movie again. If it’s a rainy day off and I want some flashback to a simpler time I can either watch more Star Trek on Netflix, or watch Limitless and let my own unplugged, un-jacked mind take a ride, no over thinking, no analyzing, just watch Eddie take his awesome trip down the rabbit hole. Or maybe it’s the road to hell. Or maybe it’s a road to nowhere. Then again, it’s none of those things, it is what it is, an excellent What If? creation I am so glad I have welcomed it into my movie soaked brain. Ah, that’s why all my cylinders aren’t firing as they should, dusty crowded memories

Overall Score 8/10

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I enjoyed it a lot. It’s got that sweetness that a lot of modern comedies have these days. An innocent, naive man goes to a convention and essentially hits a coming-of-age plot head first. He encounters some hyped up characters, the bad boy, the wife escaping her daily life, and the good conservative hard working insurance salesman. This is an insurance convention, which adds a bit of comedy before ever getting to the movie at all. I mean, insurance sales people are ruthless, rude, greedy, sleazy, horrible people, right? Hmmm this movie does a little bit to chip away at that attitude and that’s where some of the sweetness comes in. It’s not a hateful or ridiculing kind of story. They do highlight the hypocrisy of the god-freak leader of this insurance organization and make him look like an asshole, and I do like that idea:)

It’s understated with a bit of wackiness thrown in for good measure. That’s how I would describe Cedar Rapids. I like the cast and they fit this vibe just right. Sigourney Weaver as the ex-teacher girlfriend of our naive leading man to Ann Heche as the mom/wife who wants to escape and what she does in Cedar Rapids, stays in Cedar Rapids. Everybody is believable with a hint of outrageousness. John C Reilly, well, you just to experience his obnoxious character for yourself to get it. And  Isiah Whitlock Jr. plays the conservative straight-laced salesman exactly perfectly. There is a smaller part for a prostitute named Bree, but the woman who plays her, Alia Shawkat, steals the show for me. They all balance the obvious bold humor and the sincere message of the story well and keep it from being too grounded or too crazy.

If this is the way of the 21st century comedy, at least these early years of it, I’m all for it. I might not love it like I do Groundhog Day, or Stripes, or dare I say The Jerk (the memory of that one might be better than the movie itself, but the impact is worth mentioning), but Cedar Rapids is one I can recommend to so many folks for it’s humor and niceness. Beware of people who are a bad influence at conventions, that’s the first lesson to learn. Never go to a party with a prostitute and her “uncle”, lesson #2. Don’t ever let the veil of godliness blind you to the reality that a lot of people are corrupt but they pretend they aren’t by putting on a mask of purity…..these are good things worked into the story that I appreciate.

Features: 8/10

• Deleted Scenes – I think these extras could fit in the movie without any problem. They are not as disposable as they seem to think.
• Gag Reel – People laughing and messing up their lines doesn’t seem like much of an extra any more. It should be standard on these discs from now on…are you listening DVD making people??
• Convention Connection - How do you bring an insurance convention to life in a Hollywood comedy? That’s the question, here’s the answer, make it funny.
• Mike O’Malley – Urban Clogger - I have no idea why this is an extra nor why this guy had to learn clogging? The clogging in the movie is like about 10 seconds and the extra doesn’t make it any more interesting. Sorry folks, this not an extra, it’s a “which of these things doesn’t belong” items.
• Tweaking In The USA – Another brief behind the scenes look at one aspect of the movie, doing drugs. These are all pretty much the same and could have been made into one big extra, but hey, they don’t ask for my insightful advice.
• Wedding Belles – Crashing A Lesbian Wedding – Our leading characters step into the reception of a lesbian wedding and some antics ensue, this is how it all went down on the production side.
• Top Notch Commercial – This is a full blown commercial for the fictional insurance agency our leading man starts with his new friends. Strangely it seems almost real & gory.
• Fox Movie Channel Presents: Direct Effect with Miguel Arteta – A TV extra, interview style, that’s about what inspired the movie.
• Fox Movie Channel Presents: Writer’s Draft with Phil Johnston – Ditto from the Direct Effect extra.
• BD Live Enabled - Extra featurette, so go digging around for it. Ed Helms mad chopper skills with a tiny little helicopter on set.
• Pocket Blu – Take it with you wherever you go, fun.
• Digital Copy Of Feature Film - Copy copy copy

Cover Art and Menus: 8/10
I do like this cover in a weird way. It’s a strange color, his face looks really digitally altered and it’s really bold. I don’t normally like the star’s face on the cover and I wouldn’t usually say I would have something like this as a poster. This time, however, a mini poster on a small section of wall in our home would be kind of crazy movie-lovin’ enjoyment.





Audio & Video: 7/10 (By Ascully)
Cedar Rapids is a very brown movie. It’s almost like it stepped out of 1970 with the sets and the clothes, but here on Blu-Ray it shines. Shot digitally on the Arri D-21 the image is clear and sharp like most modern movies, but without that layer of grain that you see on movies shot on film. Lot’s of detail is evident with close up shots showing the age of a number of actors in the movie. Black levels are fine (slightly murky at times) and DNR is not evident. This is a 1080P AVC transfer that will satisfy even the most jaded movie buff.

The DTS-HD Master Audio track is serviceable, like most comedy’s nothing really jumps out at you. Dialog is front and center and the subwoofer only kicks in during the scenes in the bar when music is present. The movie won’t win any awards for sound design but what is presented on the disc is faithful to the theatrical version.

Value: 3/10
Seriously people, almost 27 bucks for a movie? Really? These days you have to take a step back and wonder which way they think they are screwing you next. Rent this one for a great evening in at the movies for sure, but to spend that kind of money on a passing comedy is not a productive use of your grocery money. The extras are really good and you will spend the better part of your evening laughing, but still, come on, order a pizza and buy your loved one a small gift. Don’t blow the wad on this extra special super awesome edition, hold out until it’s cheaper…waaaayyyy cheaper.

Overall Score 7/10

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Alright. There are war movies and then there are WAR movies that get frozen in time, in our memories and just linger there for some reason. Platoon is one of THOSE war movies. I looked up a list of war related movies on Wikipedia, and wow, not only was I surprised at the number of movies, but the number of wars that movies have been made about. I bet, if you set a mission to watch them all you would find that the theme is often the same, just like Platoon. Young men sent to the meatgrinder of war for reasons they don’t always understand. There is an ananomous power fueling the war machine and in the process humanity, the best and worst of, comes out in the story.

I don’t mean to minimize the power of Platoon, or other quality war movies, it’s just that if it wasn’t so horrific, it would be funny how we just keep doing the same shit over and over and over. Oliver Stone isn’t the first and won’t be the last to tell his story, or the story of the war he survived. He taps into some more viseral experiences and brings us images and moments that make us all shudder, or she should. Blood, guts, violence beyond the trappings of war, the human mind breaking down amongst the chaos, that’s what Platoon brings to the world of story telling and to the consciousness of an audience made up of mostly people who will never know war up close.

I can’t fault any of the performances, some might be a bit simplisitic compared to others, but it’s irrelavant. I won’t go into every character and actor, you just have to see it. (Willem Defoe and Keith David are awesome.) I’m  not the kind of movie-talker who has to pick over every detail. The movie is powerful in that 80′s power movie kind of way. It has it’s moments of melodrama, yes. It has some heavy hitting comments on the Vietnam war and war in general, which is not unexepected. The thing I do like the most about it is that it never feels judgemental of anyone who’s on the front lines, not even the men in charge of each mission or platoon.  They might seem like assholes, but it’s always twisted around in a way that makes it clear that these men are offerings to the meat grinder as the soldiers of lower rank.

I will mention that the scar they put on Tom Berringer’s face is awesome. I wanted to know what the heck happened to him through the whole friggin’ movie!! That was some good make up for the times.

My favorite moment is when Charlie Sheen’s Chris character defies his fellow soldiers in a horrible moment and he is astonished as he tells them that the people of Vietnam are human beings, and he is almost choking on it himself for his own behavior just moments before.  That sums it all up for me.


Features: 9/10

• Audio Commentary by Director Oliver Stone – Stone doesn’t really grab me when I’m just listening to hime. He stutters around a lot and seems pretentious, but if you are a lover of the man, you will really appreciate the commentary.
• Audio Commentary by Military Advisor Dale Dye – This guy I like. He trains the whiny little actor boys to be better at maybe possibly portraying a soldier at war.
• Deleted and Extended Scenes with Optional Commentary by Oliver Stone – I would say there is quality in every drop of this movie in some form or another. Therefore, the deleted scenes are worth watching.
• Flashback to Platoon: Snapshot in Time: 1967 – 1968; Creating the ‘Nam; Raw Wounds: The Legacy of Platoon – These are all good behind the scenes and history lesson type extras that I really can’t get enough of.
• Documentaries: One War, Many Stories; Preparing for ‘Nam - Oliver Stone was in Veitnam, and he talks about what kind of bootcamp and the lack of training they actually had before shipping out to the distant country. Other military men talk about their experiences. Again, this one is a must watch for me.
• Vignettes: Caputo & the 7th Fleet; Dye Training Method; Gordon Gekko – More from the training master, tid bits about Oliver Stone’s writing process, and more history…can’t go wrong.
• Theatrical Trailer and TV Spots – It’s interesting to see how movies are sold to the public in different times through just my lifetime…watch it..it’s not that long ago!!
• DVD Copy Of The Movie – A copy of the movie for that time you have no access to a Blu-Ray player.

Cover Art and Menus: 10/10
If I were desiging covers for DVD’s and movie posters I would have this cover as a prime example of perfect…yes….perfect. It’s uncomplicated, straight to the point of the movie, and it’s just plain powerful. It means more once you see the movie, and that’s part of the appeal. I would most definately have this as a poster, in fact, I hope my husband (Ascully) puts this on my birthday list :) The menu is images and navigation, nothing special.





Audio & Video: 7/10
Fans of Platoon, let’s face it they will be the main buyers of this disc, will either be thrilled or really disappointed by Fox’s Blu-Ray offering. Let me explain, the transfer looks incredible, almost too good for a movie of this age. That means that Fox either did an awesome transfer job or some DNR (Digital Noise Reduction) was used. I can’t really tell if this is the case, but I’m sure someone out there will complain about it. To my eyes the movie looks the best I have ever seen it and that’s the point of Blu-Ray right?

The DTS-HD Master Audio on this movie is the weak point of the release. The audio seems really shallow through the entire movie. Surround does come off well but moments with music do not sound alive like they should. There are even a couple of moments where the audio seems out of sync with the mouth movement, most notably the scene where they are emptying the latreens. Overall though, for a movie that is 25 years old, the sound is quite good. It’s just not the showcase material I was expecting.


Value: 9/10
It belongs in your collection. Save up a few bucks and put it on your shelf for an annual Willim Defoe Appreciation Party! It’s only $15!! That means you can get a few others to go along with it, maybe something more light hearted like Apocalypse Now :)

Overall Score 9/10

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Narnia, in this part of the story, has a problem. People are being sold as slaves, and some are being taken by a creepy green mist on the ocean. What is the green mist? Hmmmm I try not to be the grown up, but it’s almost always some kind of mysterious evil or darkness that will take over the world….you get the idea. I don’t mind that it’s not something more clever, pardon the coldness, but I do see how as a kid a dark force taking away the glory of your fantasy land is quite doom filled, so it works for me.

This adventure takes the young kids of the family plus their annoying (but open to learning life lessons) cousin to many islands in the world to find swords of lords of the land. They must get them together to break the spell of the darkness. It’s packed with big action moments, a sea monster, a star lady, one footed dudes, an invisible mansion, tricks of the mind, and more.

The thing about the evil mist is that it tempts you, tricks your brain into wanting something it shouldn’t. This is a life lesson we all learn from many kid movies, Willy Wonka comes to mind. You are reminded not to be vain, not to be greedy, not to be selfish, etc. I like this idea and in this story it’s done with a bit of darkness. They don’t turn away from the unpleasant side of temptation. It’s not cartoony or charming, but kind of scary sometimes. I like that.

Narnia is a place I would take the young girl I used to be anytime. I would love to sail the seas in that awesome ship, swash buckle with creatures, encounter magic and wonder. That’s what these movies do for me and I can’t complain:)

I hope for another Narnia movie, but then again, I could always read the books and let my mind take the journey on its own.

Features: 8/10 (All extras are directed to the kids, not a lot of in depth information behind the scenes, for those looking for that kind of thing.)

• The Untold Adventures Of The Dawn Treader Animated Short – Readings from the book with animated illustrations. I like this extra.
• King Caspian’s Guide To The Dawn Treader: Legends and Lore of the Great Ship – Each section of the ship with readings from the book describing how the amazing vessel was built in Narnia. It’s a fun extra for kids to explore all the parts of the ship. Well presented.
• Deleted Scenes – There’s nothing that would have added to the movie, fair enough.
• Islands Exploration – It presents itself as if you are examining each island with lots of information on them specifically, but really you are just exploring all kinds of extras. It’s still a fun way to look around and soak up more Narnia movie making magic.
• Narnian Discoveries: Friends and Foes of Narnia – More kid friendly explanations of who inhabits the world.
• 3 Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes Including Battle On The Sea – Making a big ocean battle look real and fantastical at the same time takes a lot of creativity, movie tricks, and hits to the budget. The cast and crew take us along with them while they get wet, a lot.
• Audio Commentary with the Filmmakers – A good voice on a director always makes a commentary that much more fun, and this guy has some great voice!!
• Game – A game for kids to spend a little more time with the dvd player. It looks nice, but it’s pretty limited. Memorize the swords, remember, click, win or lose. It, like many of these extras is directed straight at the young ones, and even they might not be occupied for long.
• Collectible Photo Book – This is a bound book of shots from the movie made into post cards, quite a nice extra that the kids will enjoy.
• BD Live Enabled - Not much here to see beyond what you get on the disc, well except for a Carrie Underpants music video.
• Digital Copy – Copy it, watch it, take it, watch it…we get it, it’s not an extra.

Cover Art and Menus: 6/10
Elaborate, decorative, fitting for such a grand adventure, the cover and presentation of this whole Blu-ray situation is nice. I’m not a fan of investing so much in the packaging. Give me a download these days in good quality and I’m happy, but people like my husband Ascully flip out for such packages. He loves it, and that’s what counts. Me, I’m neutral on the whole thing, even though it’s nice and I might even have a poster from the movie, I’m not sure I would have this cover specifically.





Audio & Video: 9/10 (By Ascully)
The third in the series of Narnia is probably the best in terms of adventure. How does the Blu-Ray picture and audio quality fare though?

First the video. Lots of sites on the internet were reporting that the theatrical version of the movie was presented in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio where the Blu-Ray is a more home friendly 1.78:1. Now in the old days this would be cause for alarm as when they master the disc they would have to crop the picture (aka Pan & Scan) to fit the 16:9 frame. This clearly is not the case here if you compare shots of the Blu-Ray release to the theatrical trailer included on the disc, what FOX have done is what they did with Avatar (Ie shot the film in 1.78:1, made the theatrical prints 2.39:1 then went back to 1.78:1 for the Blu-Ray release) So with all those numbers out of the way what this means is you are seeing the whole picture nothing is missing. Case closed…

Dawn Treader looks a lot different than the first two Narnia movies, mainly because this was all shot digitally and the other films were shot on film. This gives Dawn Treader a crisp look that is almost surreal at times and really adds to the fantasy of the story. Blacks are very deep and digital artifacting is nowhere to be seen. Overall Dawn Treader looks incredible on Blu-Ray you will find nothing to complain about here.

Dawn Treader used a 7.1 audio track in it’s theatrical release, but here on Blu-Ray FOX have chosen to go with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. I am not sure why they chose to drop the extra channels but they did and if that is a concern consider yourself warned.  The soundtrack itself sounds incredible from the opening scenes of the WW2 spitfires gliding through the air to the open sea battles on the Dawn Treader everything sounds amazing. Turn this up loud enough and you will not only wake the neighbors, you will wake half of Narnia as well.


Value: 6/10
For family living this might be a watch again and again kind of movie. For you folks, buy it and enjoy. For people like me who enjoy Narnia enough to keep coming back for more, but who just don’t need to own it, well, rent it. It’s not a series I crave to have on my shelf, but it’s well worth the time and a few bucks to watch the movie and all the extras.

Overall Score 6.5/10

The tragic part of anyone’s drive to get to a result in life, disregarding everything else rather than paying attention to the whole journey, is that there is never going to be an end, not really. She’s driven to be the swan queen, to be the star of the show, but is she really? People like this character are all just moving forward blinded by their emptiness. She’s cold, stuck inside herself, can’t let loose or feel free, ever. The demands of the ballet drain her, unlike Lily, the young dancer who seems to have everything our heroine doesn’t have, a balance between the world of dance and her own personal self.

The movie is lovely. I can’t really describe it any other way. It’s beautifully shot, great sets, details on top of details, it’s lush for the eye. The performances are all such high quality that the people get lost and the characters take over…I love that. I have never been a big Mila Kunis fan, but I have been converted. She’s charming but a bit scary, annoying but sympathetic, she pulls it all together in such a complex situation. Natalie Portman has some unbelievably subtle moments in which in a split second she goes from being a hurt young woman to being a cold unflinching empty shell. It’s eerie sometimes, and that’s what makes her performance so engaging.

The music is chilling and draws me in on every dance step, or moment with the characters. The sounds they layer on top or put behind the action create such an atmosphere that it’s visceral when an emotion is peaked. I don’t normally like being guided emotionally with music and sounds, but when it all comes together so well, it makes sense and it makes a better movie watching experience. If the lead character is going mad and we are watching from their point of view, well, we need to have our minds filled with anything that can clue us into their emotional state.

The more I think about Black Swan the more I like it, and I really did love it the first time, so there ya go.


Features: 10/10

• Metamorphosis: A Behind The Scenes Documentary With Darren Aronofsky – These are some excellent extras. The behind the scenes extensive documentary interviews and just watching the movie being made, make the best additions to any DVD.
• Behind The Curtain – Aronofsky digs deep into the ballet world to figure out how to make the dance work in a film. Costumes and production design that needed to build the world of a ballet dancer are the focus with interviews and some concept art.
• Ten Years In The Making – Aronofsky - The title says it all, it took 10 years to bring this movie to the screen. In this extra they discuss the process. It does fill in something I don’t think about much, the time it takes for some movies to go from idea to finished film.
• Cast Profiles - Each cast member discusses their role in TV interviews.
• Digital Copy – It’s a copy.
• BDLive – Nothing here to see.

Cover Art and Menus: 10/10
The cover is just right, simple but striking, memorable and representative of the film in a way you understand even before you see it. I would have it as a poster, in fact I might have to shop around for it right now. The menu is fine, just some clips from the movie and navigation.





Audio & Video: 7/10
Some might say the Blu-Ray transfer of Black Swan is a little on the soft/noisy side and you would be correct in saying so. Director Darren Aronofsky uses a combination of 16mm Ariflex camera’s and Canons 5D & 7D video capable 1080P still camera’s (these Canon camera’s are the kind you and me can buy for just under 2 grand). This gives the movie a life like almost documentary type feel which when mixed with the otherworldly special effects makes you feel kind-of uneasy the entire time. The downside to using 16mm film is the image is way less detailed than you will be used to, but the Blu-Ray does a fine job of preserving what audiances saw theatrically.

Most of Black Swans impact comes from it’s incredible soundtrack which fuses the classical music from the famous ballet with some really unnerving sounds (the type of sounds that seem like they are not from this world). Lots of interesting sound pans across the entire sound stage and even some interesting grumbling LFE from your sub woofer. This is a great movie to show off your speakers, or just appreciate the amazing music especially during the grand finale.


Value: 5/10
If you are watching with a group of friends or family the 20 or so bucks you will spend on the Blu-Ray seems OK, I guess. I don’t think I’ll be watching this again. It’s a great movie, but I just don’t have to see it again. It’s in my mind, doesn’t need a repeat visit. So, to buy the DVD doesn’t fit for me. Rental is my recommendation, rent and enjoy all the extras, spend the extra cash on your snacks of choice. There are a lot of extras that make it a solid watching experience, however, it’s still not worth the price….yet. It will probably go down closer to holiday season and if you know someone who digs the intense stories and hasn’t seen it, this is a good choice.

Overall Score 8/10

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Jamie is a guy who initially could charm his way into the arms of just about any girl.  He is a bit of a slacker compared to his computer nerd brother, who has seemingly made millions, and when Jamie takes a shot at becoming a drug sales representative, he is forced to find a way to make his charm work for him in the workplace.  An early encounter with a physician, following him around in the office, finds Jamie becoming enthralled with Maggie (Anne Hathaway), who initially is presented as having some sort of illness, or perhaps is just a hypochondriac.  Either way, she is a self assured strong female, who ultimately ends up pushing the advances of Jamie away, as she is hell-bent on avoiding any and all serious relationships.

I have to point out here that I am not a huge fan of Anne Hathaway, and while her performance was decent, I just am unsure as to why everyone is so gaga over her.  Her acting is nothing special (her best work was the Princess Diaries, and I only know that because I have a step-daughter), and otherwise she does nothing for me.  In her role as Maggie, which again starts out as a likable, feisty character, she also devolves into a needy, clingy, unlikable sort of person, which again just hurts the overall film.

The relationship between Jamie and Maggie starts off hot and heavy, and fun, but it slowly changes as the two fall for each other, and turn from sex to a relationship.  Jamie has a semi-funny little adventure when his brother, now broke, moves into Jamie;s apartment, right as Jamie is finding his footing as a drug rep.  The one thing that propels Jamie to sales stardom ends up being the introduction of Viagra, which Jamie feels he is destined to sell.  As his personal stock rises, Maggie’s condition (she has Parkinson’s Disease) starts to deteriorate, leaving Jamie and Maggie in a rough spot of trying to figure out just what to do.

Love and Other Drugs kind of has too much going on for it to be a great movie.  As a fun romp, the first part of the movie is light and fun, and when Jamie is trying to break into the sales business, it is more serious, but also good.  Then the movie transforms into two needy people trying to figure out how to make a relationship work while Jamie’s job is taking off and Maggie’s disease is causing her serious issues with just getting by.  It is just a lot to fit into one movie, and when you add the fact that the fun characters all but disappear, the end result is just plain not good.

Again, the story and acting are decent, but overall this one just did not work for me.  Even my wife was somewhat lost and disappointed with Love and Other Drugs. 

Features: 5/10

• Deleted Scenes – There are 7 minutes of deleted scenes, and they add very little to the movie, and are definitely not missed.
• Love & Other Drugs: An Actor’s Discussion – This is the behind the scenes classic video, and it goes into detail on the film and the relationship between Gyllenhaal and Hathaway’s characters.
• Beautifully Complex: Anne Hathaway Is Maggie – Anne Hathaway takes us through the character of Maggie, and gives us insight into how she got into the role.  this bit runs about 3 minutes in length.
• Reformed Womanizer: Jake Gyllenhaal Is Jamie – In the corresponding piece to the above, we get Jake Gyllenhaal explaining the Jamie character.  Again, this runs about 3 minutes, and both of these feature clips from the movie to help detail the characters.
• Selling Love & Other Drugs – This is an interesting short bit on the drug sales in the movie.  It is a strange inclusion, but a cool extra nonetheless.  An actual pharmaceutical representative that was brought on as a consultant for the movie walks us through this extra.
• Digital Copy – We get a video copy for your iPhone or computer, but I don’t know if I would use it to be honest.

Cover Art and Menus:6/10
Can someone explain to me what this cover is trying to say?  Is Jake Gyllenhaal saying he can’t believe that he slept with Anne Hathaway’s character, or is he just confused?  The movie doesn’t really show this kind of  “oops” sentiment, and it is a little confusing.  the cover shot itself is not horrible, so I will give it a pass, but the cover is a bit confusing given the rest of the movie itself.  As for the menu, it is pretty cool as it features a side scrolling collection of Polaroids, which are actually scenes from the movie. 




Audio & Video: 8/10
The video presentation is top notch here.  Clarity and color are superb, with the 1.85:1 AVC encode looking great.  For this type of movie I thought that that video presentation was excellent.  The audio was decent, even though it was not overwhelming.  Again, this type of movie is not going to use much surround or bass, but it was pretty good sound overall.

Value: 4/10
This is not a romantic comedy, and not a drama, so it was very hard to enjoy.  The presentation on Blu-ray was well done, even with just some average extras.  I just really did not love Love and Other Drugs, and it really made for a hard watch.  The acting was not horrible, and the script was decent, but this just did not work for me as a movie.  It was a real struggle to empathize with the main characters, and it felt like the movie was trying to be too many things, and ended up being just a shell of a movie.

Overall Score 5/10

There are always certain liberties with “based on a true story” movies that writers and directors take to make the whole thing movie friendly. I can accept that. In this film I am not thinking about the Hollywood touches, and that’s quite an accomplishment. I was there with that dude every minute from the time he takes off on his dessert caverning adventure until he’s trapped, and on and on. I won’t discuss much about his experiences. It’s something you need to watch and soak up on your own. What I will say is that Between Danny Boyle and James Franco, they made one of my favorite movies so far this year.

Boyle, well, come on…he’s awesome. I have been a fan since my pre-husband sent me the litmus test list of movies to watch. Secretly I think he was judging me based on my fondness of his favorites, and well, 11 years later we are still married so that movie list must have worked. Anyway, Boyle has a style that’s just intoxicating for me. The action isn’t always just action. The dialog isn’t just dialog. The emotions are high, and the music is always just right.

127 Hours certainly stands out as unique amongst the Boyle list of movies. It’s got a more isolated, more potentially grim view of things. The thing about Boyle that has always been interesting and comforting in my movie love affair, is that he’s got a certain hopefulness about the way he tells stories that is uplifting just when you think humans can sink no deeper into being wretched beasts. He finds a way to make you perk up and maybe, if you are looking for a bit of an inspiration, his might be the body of movies to make a weekend marathon. Um, you might want to leave out Shallow Grave, I think the title says it all.

James Franco is compelling and riveting. I am pretty sure those words have been used by someone else already, but it’s so true. He’s got a commitment to this character that goes beyond the “oh I’m watching James Franco” feeling. He’s trapped. He’s stuck. He’s the one trying to escape, to cope, to not lose his mind. He’s there and we are watching it happen. That’s some kickass combination of directing, set design, and about 96.7% performance from the leading man. I’m not gaga over the dude, it’s just that when that feeling of being consumed by a movie comes over me I appreciate it and I always want to find it again and again. That’s not to say that if I watch some other Franco flick it will be the same, but the combination of an incredible story, a wild-eyed director with a style I just can’t get enough of, a set director and cinematographer who both understand how to bring an audience along for the ride…well, it’s movie magic people. There is no other explanation.

I highly recommend 127 hours for a lot of reasons, not least of all the boost of human spirit juice it might just give ya.


Features: 9/10

• Director & Co Writer Commentary – Boyle is great fun to listen to, I mean, that accent…it’s sexy.
• Deleted Scenes – These are best left out, and at the same time I’m glad they are available to see just that much more of the story and more scenes with Franco:)
• Search & Rescue: Actual Events That Aided The Search & Rescue Of Aron Ralston – Absolutely a perfect extra. If all DVD’s were this smart, I would be swimming in them. This is a true grit story of human endurance. I wanted to hear from the real people, and that’s what they gave us. From the mom of the actual dude, to the actual dude, and the rescue people, and ordinary people who were all vital in the process. It’s got the truth behind it and then you add in the well produced segments with interviews, it’s just excellent.
• 127 Hours An Extraordinary View – How did they make it look like a dude stuck in a crack in the Earth? Made a crack in the Earth…and put James Franco in it. :) Another excellent extra that truly adds to the whole movie and true story experience. Cheers to the people who made this DVD.
• Digital Copy – I might actually want this on my laptop, so this time, rah rah rah the extra copy.

Cover Art and Menus: 9.7/10
I really do dig this cover. It’s bold and interesting, and not just a pretty face smashed up to the camera to attract the idiots who only watch movies based on the star power on the cover…end of complaint….. If they had taken off all the words, I would have given it a 10/10, but as it is I will actually seek out this as a poster to hang in our movie room. That would be awesome! The menu is just normal, but the cover makes up for it’s normalness.





Audio & Video: 9/10
Blu-Ray was practically invented to showcase dynamic visuals, luckily Danny Boyle is one of the most visually dynamic directors around and 127 Hours looks and sounds superb on the shiny HD disc. Most of the movie is filmed in stark daylight and looks as sharp as you could imagine. The movie uses a mix of HD and Super-35 sources and even when looking through the handheld cam looks sharp and clean. Shadow detail is spectacular and no signs of edge enhancement were apparent.

The audio is where director Danny Boyle shows his magic touch, you would think a movie about a guy trapped under a rock would not have that interesting a sound scape, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Like Trainspotting the movie uses music and strange audio cues to bring the movie to life. If you are listening to this movie on anything less than a 5.1 system you are doing yourself a disservice.

Overall great Blu-Ray presentation and an even better movie. I am looking forward to seeing what one of the most diverse directors of this generation comes up with next.


Value: 10/10
Great movie, great extras, great value. I don’t know what else to say. $15 is fine and dandy with me to have this on my shelf and to share it with people who come around my house who bitch and complain about how slow their cell phones are at downloading stupid videos….yea people, you could be trapped in a big crevase in the Earth’s surface, deal with your crappy phone!!

Overall Score 9/10

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The story is reasonable, not a deep thinking venture, but a moment in time, human vs. machine tug of war (I just spelled ‘of’ ‘ov’ by the way….the brain has a way of slipping to the most basic mistakes sometimes. Need more tea. Need more tea) and there’s just a hint of something more, but not enough to overshadow the UNSTOPPABLE TRAIN. We get a corporation who’s bottom line is rearing it’s ugly head. We get the personal drama of a troubled marriage, an aging railroad worker, the politics of the workplace, even a bit of working man heroism, but none of that flooded my mind when I was watching and it still doesn’t take over when I am thinking back about the movie as a whole.

An early morning mishap at a train yard kick starts the slow moving and not yet unstoppable train. The motion builds slowly as we are introduced to our other characters. Let’s face it, the train gets top billing. Denzel Washington and Chris Pine are our leading men while Rosario Dawson holds the fort back at control central as the middle woman between good sense and corporate idiocracy.

I did enjoy everyone. I’m not a fan of Dawson, but this made me want to see her again. More drama, more of her letting her character be a real person and not so cartoony or “Attention attention this is Rosario Dawson being the hot chick, too cool for school”. She reigned it in and I was always looking forward to her from scene to scene.

Washington is who he is. I do like to watch him, and this time he’s solid as always. I just think he has moved into the “I can be the aging wise man in the story with a flashy smile and contemplative stare when needed”. He’s totally believable, has an ease about him that I think I have just grown to expect, which is good for this role, but I hope it doesn’t continue through every movie in the future. The Book of Ely showed his grit is still there so let’s hope for more more more and not just the sage advice man.

Chris Pine has the potential to be annoying, I have no idea why, but thankfully he’s not at all. He does a very nice job of offering up the tension behind his character that existed before we met him, his ignorance of adequate training of the job, and being weathered beyond his years. He does a good job because I was torn to like or dislike his character not like or dislike HIM. I think that’s quite a lot to accomplish with the sparse amount of dialog everyone gets in this story.

The reason I don’t go into detail about the people and their roles is because they are truly peripheral to the most important thing in this movie, the train. It’s massively intimidating and without any kind of agenda or reasons, it’s the bad guy I love to see in a movie. It can’t even be called a bad guy really. It is what it is, a huge moving hunk of steel and that’s it. It’s awesome. It’s unstoppable…..of course.  The action come from all the shots of the moving train, from the air, from the ground, from on the train, from helicopters, from along side the road as it speeds past. It’s the kind of action I really enjoy.

There is something boring about a car chase, even with some similar elements as this runaway train, but this is exciting and riveting. You might have the occasional eye-roll for some of the choices characters in the movie make to stop the train, just get over it and move on. None of it really matters, focus on the train. You can pretend it’s a symbol of impending doom or unstoppable human destruction or something hokey like that if you want, but I am pretty sure it’s just a train.

It was a very satisfying movie watching experience overall. It’s exciting and even made me wiggle in my seat a couple times biting my already bitten nails. Tony Scott does a bit of his flashy camera work, but it’s restrained enough to keep things moving without being obnoxious (cough Domino/Deja Vu cough). I always want lots of character development and dialog in movies, but if more action movies were like Unstoppable, I might find room in my heart for them too:)


Features: 8/10

• Audio Commentaries – There is a focus on technical when it comes to Tony Scott talking about his movies.
• The Fastest Track: Unleashing Unstoppable – This is a good look behind the scenes. I do appreciate the extensive views of camera crews and interviews with the director.
• Derailed: Anatomy Of A Scene – How do you make it look like a train derailed on the big screen? Derail a train in real life.
• Hanging Off The Train: Stunt Work – There are lots of stunts in this movie and the ‘talent’ is always involved.
• On The Rails With The Director & Cast – Talking talking :)
• Theatrical Trailer – Hmm
• BD Live Exclusive Featurette - One extra, but if you are on BD Live, check it out.
• Digital Copy – Yes, a copy of the movie for your devices.

Cover Art and Menus: 3/10
I would not have this cover as a poster, however, that image just above this section, that one I do like. If only I had pursued a career in covers the whole world would be different :) The menu is functional, nothing much going on which is fine with me. Hey, even the image below this section is a good one for a poster or the cover…come on people!!!





Audio & Video: 10/10 (By Ascully)
Unstoppable is a runaway train of a Blu-Ray disc (see what I did?) with outstanding picture & audio quality throughout its 98 minute runtime. Tony Scott is known for stylish visuals and while present here, Unstoppable is his most toned down film to date (this is no Domino, thankfully). On the other hand though Tony does amp up the color somewhat with a visually impressive primary color display that is exemplary. Black levels are rich and deep and fine detail is astounding. Check out any of the scenes in the main cab of the train to see an example of almost 3D visuals at work here.

Audio is handled by the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 codec and will turn your living room into a bona-fide train yard. We are talking reference quality audio here that will blow you away. Unstoppable was nominated for an Academy Award this year and the Blu-Ray showcases the sound design in a big bad way. We watched the film during a thunder storm and never once actually heard the thunder outside the film was so loud and booming.

Overall for me, I love Tony Scott and love this movie, I think (True Romance aside, nothing will ever beat it) this is his action opus! Pacing. Camera work and acting were all spot on. It’s almost like Pelham 123 was a practice lap to get him used to filming trains before the real fun begins…


Value: 7/10
It’s Tony Scott. It’s action well done. It’s got some good extras. I would have this on my shelf for the right price. If you find it for around 12-15 bucks in a few months, go for it. Right now it’s $20 and even though I really enjoyed it, that’s just a tiny bit too much for me to put out on one movie at the moment. If you just want to dabble in the runaway train experience AND soak up more of Scott’s movies, rent it along with True Romance, and Clay Pigeons.

Overall Score 7/10

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• Wilder Knights & Crazier Days – A well produced behind the scenes feature that does a great job of filling in the gaps about locations, cast, stunts, and more.
• Boston Days & Spanish Knights – One of the cities featured in the movie that helps give that very international vibe. It grounds us in the good old US and then we take a ride to distant places.
• Knight & Someday Featuring The Black Eyed Peas & Tom Cruise – I love the Black Eyed Peas, and with Tom Cruise skulking around it seems a bit odd. He invited them to do the song for the end of the movie, and then he shows up for a concert when they just happen to promote the song and the movie..hmmm
• Knight & Day Story – How do you tell a love kind of story with comedy topped off with action, spy action, guns, trains, and bulls? This extra will answer all your questions.
• Knight & Day Scope – How far does the story takes us around this planet?
• BDLIVE (Live Lookup) – Look up who, when, why, how, where, all on IDMB while you watch the movie…it might sound odd, but those pee breaks are sure boring for the person left behind who doesn’t need to go, so this is an excellent feature to explore.
• DVD & Digital Copy – Yeah it’s a DVD & Digital Copy Alright.

The Movie: 7/10
I don’t think I am the audience for this morphed genre. Comedy mixed with romance, tossed like a salad with action, violence, shooting, and running with the bulls, there’s so much going on that sometimes each element loses a bit of quality. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the movie a lot. I laughed several times, and the action was fast paced and they do a lot of unique stunts so that’s always good.

I do like Tom Cruise, most of the time. I can’t explain his appeal, except that I’ve been brainwashed since Risky Business to have a deep seeded feeling of “ohhh it’s Tom Cruise, that dude who dance din his underwear and had prostitutes in his house” that’s enough to keep me hanging on as a fan. I Enjoy him when he just relaxes a bit and is more natural. Most of this movie he does his movie star thing where he is just sucking in his gut, smiling big, and doing lots of hero poses.

The best parts are when he lightens up and does a few jokes, one=liners, and generic frivolity. I can imagine other dudes in this role, so it’s not an exclusive Cruise stamped character. The moments when he just takes a deep breath and you can see him having a good time are so superior to the man on a motorcycle looking serious and intense. I think  I might be in the minority.

Cameron Diaz is, sad to say, the same in almost every movie. I see her slight goof factor thrreaded through a lot of her dialogue. It should be in Knight and Day, but then when you’ve seen her a lot through the years you get a bit, well, I get a little irritated. She does a good job with her origins story ingredients as an actress, she is coy sometimes, cute, awkward, clumsy, capable, cunning, physical, and everything really .The problem for me is the same as with Cruise, the writing really lets them down from time to time. It’s more canned talking than I like and Diaz might pull it off naturally, but it still cheapens anything good either of them offer up for our entertainment.

The story has it’s unique imagination about it. There is a thing the bad guy wants and the nerdy scientist who made it, who is is great danger. The thing has the potential to destroy life as we know it on this Earth. I’ts not fully original, I know this, but within each scene they validate the story, and their motivations to move on to the next scuffle and I can admire that.





Audio & Video: 9/10
I was going to make a joke about how the Blu-Ray transfer of Knight & Day was night and day above the DVD version but I will save you from that nonsense. But, seriously this is one stunning looking Blu-Ray disc, from the sun drenched Jamaican Island to the train ride through the Austrian Alps this transfer is pixel perfect in every way.  If you need an example of how much detail this disc includes take a look at the fine tilework in Antonio’s mansion near the film’s climax. You really will feel like you are there.

Audio as with most of FOX’S Blu-Ray releases of late comes in the 5.1 DTSHD Master Audio flavor, which again like most modern action movies is vibrant and alive. There are lots of standout moments here from the Boston car chase to the rooftop chase where Tom Cruise has a brush in with his superiors. There are a couple of lines that are mixed a little low that can be easily missed under the barrage of gunfire but hey no movie is perfect.

Overall I highly recommend this movie to the Blu-Ray fan who likes action, eye candy and just a good old switch off your brain good time at the movies.


Value: 5/10
I don’t need this movie to be on my shelf for future viewing. If you like the action, romance, comedy stuff along with a couple of Hollywood heavy-hitters this will be one you will want to keep around. If you find it for around 12 bucks I say it’s a good deal. There are enough extras to keep you busy for a while and if you like it enough to buy it you like it enough to watch it multiple times and get your money’s worth. Unfortunately you might not find it for less than $23 or so, and that’s too much for me.

Overall Score 7/10

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• Theatrical & Unrated Versions - There isn’t much difference in the two, just some sexier this and that, so just watch the unrated version.
• Production: Acting Like Idiots - Do you think the name might give you a clue? This and the other extras are just produced promotional shorts for the movie.
• Chevy Chase The Nicest Guy In Hollywood - This is, as I mentioned previously, a promo thing that just tells prospective viewers that Chevy Chase is in the movie. Nothing more, nothing less.
• Totally Radical Outfits: Dayna Pink – How do you go all the way back to the 80′s for those crazy fashions? Dig around in somebody’s closet:) I’m sure it wasn’t that hard to get a good grasp on the style of that decade.
• Crispin Glover: One Armed Bell Hop - A bit of a short interview, but not really.
• Deleted Scenes - Hmmm I have to say it doesn’t matter to me if they cut two hours of scenes from this movie, I don’t think anything would have smoothed it over enough for me to love it.
• Theatrical Trailer – Ugh
• Digital Copy – Copy

The Movie: 5/10
Hot Tub Time Machine gets a 5 out of 10 because it was such a neutral experience for me I can’t budge higher or lower with a good conscience. I won’t say I didn’t have fun. I did. I laughed several times. I liked a few of the bones of the story, the idea of growing up finally, wanting to fix your mistakes, etc. but because it was all too goofy, there wasn’t enough heart for me. It was like they were making fun of making fun of the 80′s movies that I grew up worshiping. I know they were not great movies, I’m not an idiot. The thing is, they had a certain flavor, a way about them that was so specific to that decade of fashion, movie making, culture, politics, ecomomics, even our level of innocense as a culture at that time that can’t be duplicated.

I like the cast well enough. I won’t say they were all great because it’s like playtime for actors I think. There were so many poor taste lines and gags that they needed to be at least extra clever, or comedic, but it’s mostly a slapstick fest and gawky looks, cheap laughs and some falling down. I know, I know, it’s a funny movie. I get it. It’s not funny enough to carry so much over the top antics. I need a good mix of actual funniness and the wide eyed big action comedy bits, and this movie just doesn’t do it for me.

The music is awesome, of course. The clothes are utter perfection for the decade. I was a fat girl so I didn’t indulge in the flashy pink leg warmers, they would have made my round little legs look like tree trunks. I didn’t do the tight pants or crop tops, no explantion needed. I did, however, have huge shoulder pads in my very 80′s jackets I wore with rolled up sleeves and button up shirts. So, looking at the fashions is very cool, I just don’t have any Hammer pants lingering in my closet waiting to be freed for the current flood of eightie’s love. The nostalgia factor is huge for this movie, and that counts for A LOT.

Nostalgia, what’s it worth? I’ll tell ya what it’s worth. I watched a movie that, if not for the references to my teenage years (i.e. 1980-1989) it would have been a pile of dog poo. It’s not very interesting. The characters don’t do much for me. There is the asshole who ignores his friends, the asshole who is obnoxious, and the asshole who is so afraid of being along he “lets” his wife cheat on him, oh, and the young asshole who plays Second Life all the time and lives in his uncle’s basement. They aren’t unbearable, and at times each has a moment of comedy goodness and even a touching line or two that elevates it all enough, just enough. It’s the whiff of my youth that’s keeping me hypnotized through it all.

I said I laughed, and I did. There are some fun moments, no doubt. There are not enough FUNNY moments. Too much duffus dialogue, and the love interest for Cusak, well, it’s like a total dud of a subplot or whatever you want to call it. That alone makes me still go, “What the frick-a-frack were they thinking when they made this movie?”

I’m not party pooper, but this ain’t no party! If you are 40ish and want to giggle at shit that you remember so vividly from your high school years, go for it. If you are a John Cusack lover from Say Anything (I put my hand up), watch it and look for those good moments, they do exist. Or, if you just want to have a laid back chuckle at a hot tub time machine, this is the movie for you.





Audio & Video: 8/10
I was prepared for the worst with this movie, but actually had a few laughs along the way. FOX/MGM have a great looking AVC encoded transfer here, that once the movie hit’s the 80′s really shows off the vivid color palette of this awesome decade. Shadow detail is good but occasionally loses a little detail during some of  the night shots. The CGI used in the movie particularly the skiing scene near the beginning look awful not a fault of Blu-Ray though just plain old shitty special effects.

Audio on a situational comedy such as Hot Tub Time Machine is usually up front and center and nothing to write home about. This movie though uses a crazy 80′s soundtrack that really comes alive in parts, there is also liberal use of  surround during the many party scenes.

Overall Hot Tub Time Machine fares well on Blu-Ray, for a silly comedy the presentation is well above par, if your looking for a few laughs on a Saturday night and are in one of the demographics this movie is aiming for (18 or 40) you could do far worse than Hot Tub Time Machine.


Value: 5/10
I had a good time, but I don’t want to own it. This is a definite rental, along with several actual 80′s flicks to make a fun weekend of movie watching. If you see it for 5 bucks, sure, grab it. If they think over $20 is going to come out of my pocket for a movie that never really captured my little 80′s heart they are mistaken.

Overall Score 5/10

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• DVD Copy Of The Movie - Right, this isn’t a fair thing to toss in the calculating of the overall score. No extras means better video and audio quality so I totally understand. I’ll watch people with dots on their faces and being made into CGI characters some other time.
  

The Movie: 8, maybe 9/10
Seriously? I’m writing a review of Avatar after only about a gazillion people have seen it? Well, for the sake of putting my thoughts into writing for the good and wonderful Ascully.com I will recount for you my thoughts and feelings after my 3rd viewing.

1st Watch : I was so completely swept away by it all. I was there, mind and body (almost). I pretty much got over the “this is all CGI” thing pretty quickly and was captivated by the characters, their stories, the big theme.  I can’t help it, it’s awesome. The imperfections kick in upon my 3rd viewing.

2nd Watch: I took more time to just lavish my eyeballs in all the extremely beautiful details of Pandora. The scenes of flying truly sucked me through the screen onto the backs of the Ikran, gliding, diving, hunting, escaping, battling, all of it. I felt it in my gut, as much as one can feel that sort of thing from a motion picture that is. The cracks in my reaction to the actual story started to barely creep up on me. That being said I was beginning to fall more in love with Neytiri, the lead female Navi character. She’s beautifully acted by Zoe Saldana and fast forward to my 3rd watch, she truly stands out for me as my favorite element of the movie.

3rd Watch: By now I have paid enough attention to the story. I totally agree with it, am embarrassed that we humans are such jerks, greedy, selfish. It’s a thought that plagues me most of the time.  The problem with loving the movie, loving individual characters’ stories, and LOVING the visual satisfaction that my brain floats around in for the entire movie, is that those little imperfections are disheartening. I’m not being critical, as such, just that I feel a bit hammered with the them of ecology and greet, mixed with a certain personal lack of satisfaction with the depth that does not exist with the characters.
Overall I truly love this movie watching experience. I would be happy to watch it again right this moment. I would take the DVD with me and watch it randomly for that sense of escape. Pandora is beautiful. The people of this moon are captivating to watch and wonder about.

I do love to get lost in Science Fiction, or just Fiction, whatever you want to call Avatar. The idea of exploring far away planets and their moons that have floating mountains, feline peoples, trees that are alive and keeping safe the souls and beings of those who have passed on. The symbiosis with nature is a hypnotic idea for me. I imagine it often now. What would it be like to connect to my husband and truly understand why he can’t seem to close the bag of bread just right. It seems it would lead me to a better understanding and appreciation for his strange and wonderful choices in life :)

I am torn about the score because I do believe this movie is flash over substance and if the same story, same characters, same everything had been put in a movie with standard movie making tricks it would not have been the megaflick it has become. That’s saying something that’s not completely endearing, but close enough for me.

There is a childlike exploring heart in my aging body that would so love to jump onto the back of an Ikran and just fly fly fly, the power, the freedom…for that thought and feeling along Avatar is incredible. You can’t deny the look, so I won’t even go there. See Ascully’s notes below on video and audio. If you are one of the 12 people on the planet who have not seen it, just do it. If you turn out to be a hater, fair enough. It’s not a bad little project to have in your mind for all eternity, and that’s worth the ’8 or 9 out of 10′ right there.





Audio & Video: 10/10
I gushed about this disc on the podcast but here I am to gush some more. Avatar on Blu-Ray disc is the best example of the format to date! Fox use a BD50 disc and dedicate its entire space to the movie. There are no commercials, a minimal menu, and that is it. This preserves James Cameron’s visual feast and makes sure the bit-rate stays insanely high throughout the almost 3 hour run time. I absolutely love this movie. It really changed the way I think about Sci-Fi and how CG scenes can look in movies. If you have not seen it yet you owe it to yourself to pick up the Blu-Ray. Fox have already hinted at a four disc special edition and a 3D version somewhere down the line but if you want the highest quality 2D version of the movie this is the edition to get.

The DTS 5.1 Master Audio track does not disappoint, Cameron has been famous for his awesome soundtrack’s since Aliens and Avatar continues this legacy. There are lots of subtle sound cues such as the creatures in the forest and the plant life creaking all around you. This track pulls you into the world of Pandora as much as the visuals do. Bass response is  amazing and the final battle scenes are full of boomy explosions that will wake up the neighbors cat. Overall Avatar is a stunning visual and audio experience that really makes use of the Blu-Ray format. If you are a fan of Sci-Fi and have not seen it yet what are you waiting for.


Value: 6/10
This movie has made enough money. Let’s get off our high horses and coat tails people. The Blu-Ray, at this point, should be about $7. There are no extras, just the DVD version as your bonus. I love it, it’s awesome, it’s not worth 20 more bucks. I paid for 4 theater tickets already :)

Overall Score 9/10

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• Making Mr. Fox Fantastic – I think we can all put together in our little minds how a stop frame animation movie is made, but there is something deliciously creative about grown ups playing with very expensive, very lovely dolls.
  
• A Beginners Guide To Whack Bat – It’s nonsensical but oh-so clever that crazy game of Whack Bat. This is a guide to everything you’ll need to know before you build it and hope they come, but they won’t. It’s the game the kids play in the movie, but I don’t imagine they will be bringing this one into real life any time soon.
  
• The World Of Roald Dahl – An interview with Dahl’s widow clues us into the process that Wes Anderson delved into to write the screenplay. He want so far as to move into the home where Dahl lived when he wrote his most famous books.
  
• DVD Version Of The Movie – It’s a DVD, glorious.
  
• Digital Copy – It’s a digital copy, fabulous.
  

The Movie: 8/10
Guess what…I love it. The Fantastic Mr. Fox is a pleasure. It’s enchanted, just a little bit. Yes, enchanted, I said it. I feel the urge be sweet and loopy about this one, so get used to it.

You can look up the original book and author to get some background on the story. I’ve never read it, so I can’t talk about it from that angle. I will proceed from the point of view of a wide eyed middle aged kid.

With Wes Anderson’s magic wand full of quaintness it’s hard for me to understand why I love his style so much. I would normally poo poo quaint, or sweet, or charming, but that just goes to show ya that you can’t judge a book by it’s cover, or something like that. Don’t be deceived by the stop frame animation if it’s not your scene. I was so transfixed from the very first minute I got lost in that little world, never mind that it’s all tiny little sets and pose-able dolls.

I’m not a fan of George Clooney. He does a fine job of voicing the Fantastic Mr. Fox, with that kind of smarmy self important tone. That could just be my interpretation, but I bet if you listen closely you’ll hear it too.  Meryl Streep’s voice wouldn’t seem very distinctive, but it’s cool to hear someone behind an animated character who doesn’t throw their vocal chords around willy-nilly.

Everyone else is good too, there’s just a lot of them and after a while I lost track of who was who. It’s the characters and the nice message that make the movie so much fun, and so satisfying. There are heists and family drama and marriage jokes and a sock mask. I mean, with all that, you can’t go wrong.

A family man, Mr. Fox wants to have a better life for his wife and son. He’s kind of a, well, fox so he’s too clever and daring for his own good most of the time. He likes to steal chickens, and goodies from the neighboring farms. His risks get him and his brood into a scuffle. The underlying theme is love, awe, ain’t that cozy. Mrs. Fox loves Mr. Fox and she thinks  he’s fantastic and that’s really what matters.

I am thinking about it, I want to watch it again, and that doesn’t happen very often for me. The colors, the sets, the way the animation moves with a certain flair, it all does that thing to my brain where I am taken away into a world that’s not my own. THAT is what I love about movies. Thanks Wes.





Audio & Video: 9/10
I didn’t know what to expect with the image and audio quality of Fantastic Mr. Fox, but I was really surprised how detailed it looked. If you have the means (as Ferris would say) you really should see this movie in HD as the level of detail director Wes Anderson uses in each and every shot is mind blowing. From the fur on Mr. Fox’s head to the tiny “Bandit Mask’s” they wear, everything feels like it was taken from an old antique store and put lovingly onto the screen for you to enjoy.

Audio was fairly impressive but it’s not a “Showy” surround track like last weeks Sherlock Holmes. Audio levels are spot on throughout though with the dialog the characters deliver sounding crisp and clear. There are occasions where surround kicks in but it’s mostly a front loaded track which seems to fit with the style. Overall I had a ton of fun with this movie. I am a big Wes Anderson fan anyway and this is just an extension of his movie cannon, I actually feel this could be his best film yet but I will let you know that for sure after a couple more viewings :)


Value: 7/10
Charming and sweet are worth a few buckaroos now and then. So, what the hey. I recommend having this one on your shelf for an afternoon delight every once in awhile. You’ll be throwing about 20 shells at this beauty of a flick, so save up kiddies.

Overall Score 8/10

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• 9 Deleted Scenes Including Alternate Opening – The extras are limited, so I’ll just say this, the deleted scenes are all good, but I do see why they removed them. It’s good to watch though, it gives a glimpse at what might have been a slightly different tone in the story.
• Fox Movie Channel Presents Writers Draft: Shauna Cross of Whip It – The writer of the original novel speaks VERY briefly about her roller derby experiences and how she came to write the story…and that’s it for the extras folks.

The Movie: 8/10
The movie is a feel good, fun to be had, optimistic story about a 17 year old girl finding herself on the verge of finding herself. You know what I mean, just admit it. It’s not a new story. We’ve seen, read, heard coming of age stories since the beginning of time, I suppose. This time there are a few subtle points of interest that help with the overall enjoyment and satisfaction of Whip It.

I really enjoyed Ellen Page and Alia Shawkat. They played a couple of friends who are so believable I totally bought it. I didn’t love Drew Barrymore (even though she was wearing the director and actor hat), or Zoe Bell. They both seemed very much “too cool for school” and over the top to fit into this otherwise grounded little comedy. That’s my new genre Fantasy-Comedy, a movie that takes a tweak above fiction to portray a life situation in a way that would never never never happen, adds some humor, and still makes the characters and situation somewhat identifiable..whew…put that on IMDB and smoke it!

What, or rather, who I love love love in this movie is Marcia Gay Harding. I wasn’t looking forward to Whip It! at all. I’ll be honest, it felt more like a chore than a movie watching good time, that was up until the first 5 minutes when Harding, as the mother of the rebellious teen makes a face at her daughter’s latest stunt that won me over. She just had to sigh and raise her eyebrow and I was hooked. It was all good from there, (minus the dodgy performances, or whatever you call it by some of the cast).

A teenage girl destined for pageants finds something else she wants to do, roller derby. The gang of women who are part of the rough and tumble world of roller skates and crazy names become a school of life for young Page, along with the standard tests of her friendship, a boy in a band, and finding out if you can defy your parents without breaking their hearts or getting lost in some other version of what your life is supposed to be.

The action sequences are pretty darn good. I felt like I was in the action most of the time. There was the odd moment here and there that felt like the camera person was just getting the snot knocked out of them and no one cared that it didn’t look that good, but hey, all for love of the rink!

I know everything about growing up, being a teenage girl, becoming my own person, but I did learn something from Whip It!, the rules of roller derby. So, now I can watch with confidence, and even maybe cheer on my favorite ballsy chicks who take to the oval of fish net stockings, sweat, tears, wheels, defeat, and triumph. Viva la obscure sports!!!





Audio & Video: 8/10 (By Ascully)
I was really pleasantly surprised by Whip It, the directorial debut from Drew Barrymore. It’s a story of girl power and making your dreams come true. Sure we have heard that story a million different times before but Whip It does it with enough style, drama, and fun it really comes across fresh.

The Blu-Ray from FOX comes in a 1080P 2.35:1 wide screen presentation, that while soft in parts mostly conveys the films theatrical vision. Colors are pitch perfect and flesh tones look great (there is plenty of serious lady eye candy here for the fellas, and Blu-Ray only enhances that.) Overall the picture quality is everything we have come to expect from a modern HD disc, no complaints here.

Whip It features a great soundtrack and the DTS-HD Master Audio track really brings it to life. The only complaint I do have is the surround speakers are not used as much as I would have liked. Considering the Roller Derby scenes are action packed and take place in a 360 degree arena it would have been nice for the sound stage to replicate that. Dialog is crisp and clear and when the punk rock/80′s soundtrack kicks in things really liven up. Whip It is quite the treat in HD if you like lovely ladies, Roller Skating, with a little drama thrown in for good measure you cant go wrong here.


Value: 5/10
The value for me comes with the question, would I watch it again? I would, however, that doesn’t mean I need it on my shelf right now. It’s an awesome weekend rental, popcorn in hand, best friend by your side. I would pair it with a few episodes from the first season of Square Pegs, just to get some perspective on the whole “girl friend power” thing.

Overall Score 7/10

Cover Art and Menus: 6/10
For me this cover gives too much away. I know marketing is pretty straight forward. They want to sell sell sell as much about the movie as they can in a single image. I just would like a bit of mystery now and then. I don’t like being told everything about a movie before I see it, that’s why I go SEE it. :) The menu is fine, just functional and easy enough to navigate. It’s a bit old school, buttons at the bottom of the screen, themed with drippy blood, so decent, nothing fancy.


Features: 8/10

• Includes Both The Original Theatrical And Unrated Versions! – Ok, two versions of the movie. :) The extended has a bit more of this and a bit more of that…just watch it.
• Audio Commentary On The Theatrical Version With Director Karyn Kusama And Writer Diablo Cody - A good reason to watch the movie again. These women have a good discussion about the making of the movie, how they function in the movie industry, and more.
• Audio Commentary On The Unrated Version With Director Karyn Kusama – This director is a talker. She does a great job of explaining the process without being boring, which a lot of directors do suffer from.
• Deleted Scenes – I found these deleted scenes to be quite substantial. I would like to see them cut back into the movie.
• Jennifer’s Body: The Dead Pool – The biggest set piece in the movie is an indoor creepy-ass pool that looks like it is an abandoned YMCA or something. This behind the scenes look is some talking heads, lots of fun footage of the young actors doing their stunts and working out big action sequences.
• Cast And Filmmakers’ Behind The Scenes Video Diaries – A few of the cast and crew pick up their own cameras and give us short looks at their days on the set.
• Gag Reel - This “Gag reel” starts as flubs and ends up as a montage of clips from the film, behind the scenes shots, and the lead song over it all like a funny little music video.
• Megan Fox Extras – A montage of clips of her from the movie and a short fake PSA with her talking about being yourself in the face of peer pressure. (wink)
• And More! – Trailers are not an extra, and they are not MORE!!!

The Movie: 8/10
YES, 8 out of 10. I don’t normally feel the urge to justify a score, but here it goes. I wanted to dislike this movie. I wanted to roll my eyes so much I’d get a headache from the lameness of it. I wasn’t looking forward to watching Megan Fox. I wasn’t looking forward to another idiot laced teen horror flick….and then I watched it. I liked the movie, didn’t roll my eyes (maybe a couple of times), found Ms. Fox to be more than tolerable, and as for the idiot laced teen horror, well, that’s just not the case with Jennifer’s Body.

Ok, you might find a couple of idiots here and there and some lame dialogue that’s supposed to be “teen friendly”. These are flaws in this otherwise serviceable little movie. However, it’s got everything else going for it that all came together in a little whirlwind of a very fun jaunt. Jaunt, is such a sophisticated word. I laughed a few times, grinned a lot, made THAT face when gross things happened, and was genuinely interested in every character we met along the way, their stories, their inevitable fate.

The bitchy beautiful teenage cheerleader with the quiet glasses wearing friend, this is not original. I won’t pretend it is even close. The thing is, there are different layers, (bear with me) to the story that make it feel like a new point of view on some old themes, and that is the thing that most made it a very enjoyable movie for me. Two female friends who might not have a real friendship as they grow older. The pitfalls of vanity and the valuing of a young woman based on her looks, facing the harsh realities of those hormone filled years, it’s all here. I completely identify with the friends growing apart, being the non-beautiful friend, the angst of being a kid even if it was all in my little ego-centric mind.

The mix of horror, classic 80′s type fright tricks, excellent performances by EVERYONE involved, yes everyone, makes Jennifer’s Body one of my favorite fun movies in a long time. When I say horror, it’s not too much, but sometimes you have that “Oh gross” moments and it’s just enough to make it creepy without being too much to appreciate. As for the cast, well, I wanted to say something nasty and hateful about Ms. Fox, but I can’t. That’s the truth. She isn’t brilliant or even great, but I am now looking forward to the next thing she does, and that’s saying A LOT more than I could have said before watching this movie. Amanda Seyfore is awesome. She’s totally in it to be that young woman in the surreal situation. I am a true fan at this point, and can’t wait to see her again as well. Everyone does a great job in even some of the more questionably believable (you’ll know what I mean when you see it) scenes in which a bit of camp and flair was necessary but the balance might have tipped to the side of too much just ever so much.

The music is good, the special effects are the kind that just wash over you, nothing great, nothing cheap enough to take you out of the moment, and the overall look of the whole movie is a wicked combination. Truly. It’s not too glossy, but not trying to pretend to be gritty and independent. Overall it’s a great time at the movies, no doubt in my mind I’ll be watching it again and again. I might have to put it on my annual Halloween list:) OH, and no I will not apologize for the high score, it is what it is. Like it or lump it.





Audio & Video: 9/10 (By Ascully)
Jennifer’s Body was quite the surprise treat to start off 2010 and I am not just talking about the glamorous Megan Fox, the Blu-Ray disc has a great transfer and some quite good extras thrown in as well.

Video is pretty much spot on the entire time, presented in 1.85:1 aspect ratio that fills your wide screen television and is as easy on the eye as Ms Fox. lots of detail here, the opening shot of Jennifer on her bed starved for blood looks amazing! You can even see the detail down to pore level, and the strange marbled yellowing that emanates from her teeth. Fox use the AVC codec well and the movie looks pristine, it’s almost as if the film has been digitally cleaned up as there is no evidence of film grain but not in a bad way.

On the audio front Jennifer’s Body fares very well, this is an aggressive DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix that really works well, the movie uses a lot of pop/punk music to punctuate different moments and it sounds super detailed and uses the low end to satisfying effect. I am sure a lot of people will overlook this soundtrack but to me it has a lot of qualities that make it showcase material.

Jennifer’s Body was quite poorly received at the box office and to be honest I am not sure why, the movie is fun and quite a unique look at the old demonic possession story. I fully enjoyed it and will be watching it again. (And if my wife asks, it’s not because I want to gawk at the lovely ladies again.)


Value: 5/10
I enjoyed this movie a lot. It’s fun, surprisingly satisfying, and well made. I don’t think I’d shuck out the full price though. I say it’s a fantastic weekend rental with some other horror flicks, GOOD horror flicks. If I happened to see it around for 10-15 I’d grab it for sure. It’s worth a re-watch and the extras are quite good as a bonus.

Overall Score 8/10

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• 4 Commentaries By Director David Fincher, Brad Pitt, Edward Norton & Helena Bonham Carter, Alex Mcdowell, Jeff Cronenweth, Michael Caplan, & Kevin Haug – You have so many to choose from it’s incredible. I think this is the most I’ve seen on any DVD/Blu-Ray ever. You can’t go wrong with the writers, director, and actors all talking at length about a movie.
• A Hit In The Ear: Ren Klyce & The Sound Design Of Fight Club – The sound master of the movie talks about how they worked really hard to make the sound effects truly fit the tone and ideas of the story. You can tell he’s pretty passionate about what he does and I really like that. There are a few scenes that you can break down and listen to different audio piece by piece.
• Flogging Fight Club Featurette – A strange little feature that seems to have come from some kind of lame Spike Awards show. You get to see Fincher, Pitt and Norton together again but other than that its kinda throwaway.
  
• Insomniac Mode: I Am Jack’s Search Index – If you like to flick around from small feature to small feature in order to keep your mind busy while you are not sleeping, this is the extra for you. There is a long alphabetized list of every little detail of the movie laid out so you can click on any of them and find an extra. It might be a little documentary type thing, a scene with commentary, other goodies. It will take all night to thumb through them all.
• Behind The Scenes Vignettes With Multiple Angles & Commentary -
  
• Deleted & Alternate Scenes – Some of these are extended versions of scenes from the movie. They might have a line or two cut out or a different camera angle, so nothing very special. If you are a completist, this might be up your alley.
• Trailers, TV & Internet Spots – An archive of pretty much all the promotional material that exists for the movie.
  
• PSA’s -All the cool Public Service Announcements as used in the film.
  
• Music Video – I really like the Dust Brothers so it’s nice to see this tune immortalized on a Blu-Ray disc.
  
• Promotional Galleries -
  
• Art Galleries – More still pictures for you to peruse.
  
• BDLive – Not much to report here basically a link to Fox’s BDLive portal.
  

The Movie: 8/10
A tender love story about a man and woman who fall in love despite the trials and tribulations that life has to throw at them is always precious and sweet. Fight Club is just that kind of movie. That is if you cut out all the punching, kicking, the psychosis, mental instability, testosterone, social commentary, and filth (as in dirt, sweat, and grunge). There is nothing precious here, so if that’s what you are looking for, move along or suffer the consequences of your tainted mind post Fight Club viewing.

I dig the story. It’s unique and stands the test of time even though lots of other movie makers have tried to tell the same tale over and over but with slightly different irreverent masks. A man is tired of his life, worn down by the monotony of it all. He’s got the perfect apartment, the perfect furniture, a job that pays for it all, and yet he knows he has become nothing more than a puppet, a zombie, a pawn with nothing but consumer goods to show for his life. He can’t sleep. Insomnia kicks in and his life turns the corner.

He meets a man who doesn’t fall prey to the consumer lifestyle. A man with confidence, freedom, attitude, Tyler Durden. Tyler is there to become his new friend, the kind of friend who tells you like it is, no fluff, no soft shoeing it. Our leading man goes along for the ride, opening parts of himself he never knew he had.

Along the way he also meets Marla Singer. She’s another chaotic individual who wears her heart on her sleeve. She’s more broken, more fragile than Durden, but she’s hardened by life enough to handle herself amidst the craziness.

Along with the anti-romance, the revolutionary plots, the manly shows of a sheer need to get smacked in the face, this is a story about finding meaning in life. I know I know, you don’t want to hear the deep stuff, fine. If you want to just watch it for the punching and grunting, go ahead. Crank down the volume and turn on some raucous music and enjoy the show. If you understand there might be more to it than what’s on the surface, then let it creep into your mind slowly, deliciously.

I wouldn’t want to watch Fight Club very often. I do love it. It’s stimulating in a way that most movies never even come close to, and yet it’s like a very very rich chocolate cake. While you are eating it you never want it to end. It’s so satisfying and tasty you want it to last forever. Then the sweetness and the richness kicks in and you realize you won’t want another piece for a while. If you indulge too often in something as good as Fight Club the goodness wears off and it gets a bit too common…..so I won’t be watching again for a few years to keep the experience alive and exciting.





Audio & Video: 9/10
I bought the special edition of Fight Club on DVD back when it came out in early 2000 and it actually was one of the better transfers at the time, Fight Club on Blu-Ray really puts that DVD to shame though. Remember this is a 10 year old movie and watching it in 1080P it looks better than it ever has. Fight Club is quite a dark movie so blacks really have to be spot on. FOX have got it perfect here with a transfer that features some light film grain that really adds to the dirty style the movie has. The 2.40:1 aspect ratio preserves the theatrical look and even the menus are new to this release.

The excellence doesn’t stop with the image though as the sound is literally mind blowing, we have had some stellar audio from movies this year on Blu-Ray (Valkryie, The Bourne Trilogy) but it’s safe to say Fight Club tops them all. From the opening Dust Brothers intro to Norton’s crystal clear narration, to the stunning Airplane scene you feel like you are in the middle of the action everything is mixed perfectly unlike last weeks Public Enemies. Overall Fight Club on Blu-Ray breathes new life into a cult classic that you need to see at least once in your life, like I said in the Podcast though there is something about Fight Club that makes it better and better on repeat viewings.

Value: 9/10
The extras are excellent and all those commentaries are pretty awesome actually so you might have 10 hours of extras by the end if you listen and watch through them all. That’s good value, and let’s be honest, it’s Fight Club for goodness sake. If you are a fan you HAVE to have it so the price isn’t important. You can find it around 20 bucks if you’re lucky and for a collectible kind of flick, that’s not too bad.

Overall Score 8/10

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• Alternate Ending – The alternate ending is an extended bit where our geek protagonist is involved in a drawn out battle with the military boyfriend of Beth, and his two cohorts.  It was actually pretty funny to watch, as it seemed like one of the funnier bits of the movie, but it was left out.
• Deleted Scenes and extras - There are a few deleted scenes that are total throwaways, and a few interesting tidbits, like a home video of Paul Rust, singing a song about peanut butter toast, but overall there just is not must here to enjoy.  There are some “in character” pieces with Hayden Panettiere and Rust, but again, just minimal goodies overall.

The Movie: 4/10
I Love You Beth Cooper could have been a better movie, and it probably should have been.  There were some very funny parts, and the cast was decent, but the movie just felt like it was a rudderless ship, meandering from place to place, with no real direction.  It was like a John Hughes film, but without the character development, or solid story line.  There was potential, but it never came to fruition, which just made the movie seem hollow.

The movie starts with Dennis Cooverman (Paul Rust) giving his valedictorian speech at his high school.  He is an awkward young man, who takes the opportunity to tell his captive audience that he is, and has been in love with the beautiful Beth Cooper (Hayden Panettiere), the captain of the cheer-leading squad.  Dennis has apparently stalked Beth for years by sitting directly behind her in each of their classes.  Dennis also takes the time to out his best friend, call out the class slut, and the class bully, and even to poke fun of Beth’s much older (and much bigger) army boyfriend before being yanked from the stage.

When Beth and her two friends show up at Dennis’ post graduation party (the only ones who show up) things get awkward quickly, before Beth’s boyfriend (in his Hummer) show up to show Dennis a lesson.  At this point Dennis and Beth, and their friends embark and a night full of escaping the Army steroid crew, with varying degrees of funny (and unfunny) situations.

Again, there was some potential, and some parts of the movie that made me chuckle, but overall this movie was just a high school comedy with very little direction.

Audio & Video: 6/10
I found the video somewhat soft in parts of the movie, but overall it was adequate.  The audio was pretty nicely done and dialogue and music were nicely mixed.  This was a regular DVD release, so you cant expect too much from either audio or video, but overall a nice presentation.


Value: 3/10
This is just not a good movie, and not worth really getting involved with, unless you are 14-18 years old.  My 17 year-old stepdaughter was excited to hear that I was reviewing this movie, as she had already seen it, and liked it.  Her exact words were “I can’t wait until you watch it, because it is not good, but  I love it,” which makes no sense at all.  I am sure she just wanted to see me struggle with this movie, which I did, but again, she has watched it twice now since I got the movie, so obviously she enjoys it, even thought she says herself it is not great.  If this is your type of movie, go for it, otherwise go get Ferris Bueller or 10 Things I Hate About You instead.

Overall Score 4/10

• Includes Both Theatrical And Extended Cut Of The Film – You don’t get much more from the extended cut, though it’s nice to offer them both. It doesn’t bump up the value for me, which is what I’m looking for these days. Value for my cash, and these two versions don’t do that for me.
  
• Extended Cut Audio Commentary By Director Pierre Morel, Cinematographer Michel Abramowicz And Car Stunt Supervisor Michel Julienne – If you enjoy listening to an enthusiastic director talk about his movie, find the right mood for a second run of the film you will enjoy the ride along with him.
  
• Extended Audio Commentary By Co-Screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen – I didn’t listen to this commentary, So I cannot comment. Hey I only have so much time in the day.
  
• Le Making Of Featurette - Lots of talking heads and watching the director do more than direct! Very good, brief, look at the making of the movie. It seems like it was made for French TV, so there are subtitles. You’ve been informed.
  
• Avant Premiere Featurette – I am never interested in these showings of the premiere’s of films. It’s a bit of glamor, a bit of hob-nobbing with the fancy folks in Hollywood…not my style.
  
• Inside Action Side-By-Side Scene Comparisons – This is a mild but interesting little extra. It’s fly on the wall look at the filming of a scene as you see it along side the final cut version. You can choose from a few different scenes, so if you are interested in the mechanics of doing action scenes, this is a good lesson in practical film making.
  
• Black Ops Field Manual- Now this is a new idea in extras. Watch the film with this turned on and you will learn about how the characters’ skills and choices are somewhat grounded in reality with what kind of training they would have had, what their limitations would be, etc. You also get a map of the city, locations of where each scene takes place, along with a clock and body count at the top :)
  
• Digital Copy – Copy this file to your Ipod/Iphone or laptop and watch on the go.
  

The Movie: 7/10
Liam Neeson, you go dude! I love it when I’m not sure what to expect from an actor in a role that seems out of their scope. It makes a movie more exciting. This time I was pleasantly surprised. I’m not sure why it’s surprising that Liam Neeson can kick some ass and make me believe he’s a father determined to find his kidnapped daughter, he’s pretty much capable of anything in my book. That is the first thing that stands out for Taken in my book. The “action star” brings me in and gets a hold of me from almost the beginning and never lets go.

Admittedly, the first few minutes are hokey, spelling out every little detail in very over the top Hollywood style, but that smooths out when the heart of the story begins. It isn’t a clever movie at all. Let’s face it, a man on the hunt for his daughter’s kidnappers, it’s pretty straight forward, but it’s the turbulent action and the excellent performances that made it a thrill ride and not just a ho-hum jaunt around Paris.

The set up is fairly old school. Young American women being kidnapped to be sold on the open market to unscrupulous men around the world. The more pure, the more valuable. Neeson just happens to have a 17 year old daughter, pure as all get out, and she’s naively gone to Europe unsupervised. Another strange but lucky coincidence is that her daddy is an ex-special ops dude who has a set of skills that he proclaims makes him a kidnappers worse nightmare. Handy:) Like I said, this isn’t a clever or haughty kind of story, it’s in your face, rally the gut instincts kind of thing that will get you churned up and wanting to save poor exploited girls around the world. At least that’s what it did for co-star Famke Janssen:)

Speaking of Janssen, I’m not a big fan of hers and in Taken she plays the bitchy ex-wife so that doesn’t help. But to be fair, she does a good job of convincing me she’s had a hard time with this very controlled ex-husband, Neeson, and is now just forced to cope with him as they have their daughter to raise.

When we have been spoon fed the details, the set up of each character and what the situation is with the characters, it mellows out for a short time, and then the ass kicking starts. That’s right, there is some fightin’, some fussin’, and some killn’ in this movie. The car chase is awesome. The explosions aren’t over the top but big enough to get the blood flowing. The sets are interesting and seem to be places I haven’t been before, so that’s always a good thing to experience. The look and feel of the movie is fairly slick, but not glossy. It tries to be gritty but doesn’t quite pull it off, I suppose because of the PG-13 rating. I would have liked to have seen more blood or hard core darkness with the whole human selling thing, but hey, that’s a whole other movie.

The whole vibe of the movie is “Father determined to get his daughter back from the very very very bad guys.” Even I got a bit of a daddy-complex from this movie, and that’s saying A LOT! It’s a thrill ride with a great cast, awesome director, and of course, written by Luc Besson, it’s got that something something I just can’t describe. It’s not great. I won’t say it’s pushing a high score, but for what it is I rate it for the pure excitement of it all.

Audio & Video: 8/10
Taken uses a stylistic color palette and some crushed blacks in darker scenes even when it was released theatrically. The Blu-Ray disc, while a flawless transfer from FOX, comes across uneven because of this. Some scenes look super sharp, some super grainy, and darker scenes lack detail in the shadows.  But FOX can only work with the director’s vision and they have recreated the theatrical version perfectly. This isn’t HD showcase material. The BD50 disc and the high bit rate do help though.

Audio is where the disc excels. The DTS-HD Master audio track is vibrant and powerful where it counts. Taken is a pure action thrill ride and you will be ducking in your seat when you hear some of the gunfire this disc produces.

Overall, Taken is a mixed bag on Blu-Ray. The picture quality is average and the sound is reference quality, but the movie is still great and certainly worth a watch.


Value: 5/10
I’m not sold on this movie as one I want on my shelf, so the price isn’t winning me over. There are some good extras, but not enough bang (so to speak) to bump up the value for me, so this is a rental for me. It’s action packed, got some interesting twists that I haven’t seen in a movie for a while, and Liam Neeson is well worth an hour and a half of your time, just not a chunk of your cash:)

Overall Score 7/10

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• Audio Commentary By Tom Cruise, Bryan Singer, & Christopher McQuarrie - Cruise is a little too Hollywoody for me these days, but I really enjoy listening to Bryan Singer talk about his movies. They have a lot of tales to tell, in the boyish Hollywood big shot kind of way.
• Audio Commentary By CoWriter/Producer Christopher McQuarrie & Nathan Alexander - If you want to watch the movie yet again and hear more about how the story came to be the subject of a film in the first place, this is the commentary for you. There’s more history here, less schmoozing.
• Reel Pieces With Tom Cruise & Bryan Singer – The two big names talking about why they did the movie, what it meant to them to tell the real story, etc. This is a question and answer session given by the 92nd Street Y, with a host I wasn’t that keen on. She was a bit too star struck for my taste, but if you want to hear more about the movie, the message, the research they did for the whole process, this is a good source of information.
• The Valkyrie Legacy Documentary - Almost 2 hours of historical footage and information about the movie, the true story, and Germany’s journey to recovering after WWII. An excellent addition to the disc!
• The Journey To Valkyrie Featurette - How and why the movie got made at all, this is that feature. The write who started it all, the director who researched the facts, and the big name star who joined the project immediately when he read the script.
• The Road To Resistance Featurette - The grandson of Col. Staphenberg, the man who attempted to kill Hitler in the movie and in real life, takes us on a tour of the real life places his family has lived, Berlin, and tells more about the truth behind the somewhat hidden tale of bravery in the face of evil during WWII.
• The African Front Sequence Featurette - How did they blow up a bunch of dust, get Tom Cruise sweaty, and all those planes flying over the dessert to make it look like WWII in North Africa. This is a pretty packed little extra for being about just one segment of the movie.
• Taking To The Air Featurette - The planes that fill the skies in the movie. If you are a flying geek, you’ll love it. I liked it, but not being that interested in vehicles, nor aviation, it’s more the history that caught my attention.
• Recreating Berlin Featurette - More about how Berlin recovered after WWII with a lot of footage and memories from survivors of the times.
• Digital Copy - It is what it is. A copy that is digital.

The Movie: 8/10
The negative stuff first, English speaking Germans, some American, some with British accents….. need I say more on that subject? No.

The good stuff is quite abundant, so let’s get to it. I have always been a movie fan, since I can remember being a kid in front of the old knobby TV with 3 channels and late night commercial riddled movies. One thing about a lifetime of watching movies is that at some point it became clear that I was learning, or “learning” about history, about people, about life through these characters and events that were taking place on the screen. It wasn’t until my more mature years that I learned to sort out the Hollywood spin on things and the reality, however tiny, that was the seed they used to recreate the tales they were telling.

That being said, Valkyrie is one of those stories I had no knowledge of whatsoever. I’m not well educated in world history, I know the basics and that’s about it. When you dig deeper than what we learned in school about WWII you do find that there was a hell of a lot more to it than Pearl Harbor, Hiroshima, and Hitler. There are a lot of details we don’t learn from school books.

No, I’m not saying you should learn your history from movies, but this is what a film as good as Valkyrie does for me, it makes me think. It makes me wonder what else I don’t know and how knowing things like the fact that officers in Hitler’s regime plotted against him would have changed my perception of Germany all through my life.

Tom Cruise as a German soldier who has been seriously wounded in his service to his country sees that Hitler’s plan is failing. He, Stauffenberg, wants to bring the war to an end and salvage what’s left of his nation’s pride before the 3rd Reich destroys everything. Hitler was losing the war at the point when we enter the story. His troops are disposable followers, feeding the war meat grinder (as is always the case) when Stauffenberg hatches his plan to remove Hitler from power.

He finds that he is not alone. There is a group of higher up people in the government who have wanted to bring Hitler down but have not found a way. Through all of this my eyes opened to the real real reality that Hitler might have had many loyal followers, but not all German citizens agreed with him. Not all of his own government wanted to support his leadership, his choices, his horrible acts against Germany and Europe. There were people, as there always is, who wanted to stand up against it all, but they were afraid.

This movie does a good job of showing the paranoia of the times. Everyone is afraid to do anything, say anything, for fear of execution, or being sent to a concentration camp. It wasn’t as easy to hide away with your subversive ideas as we might think it was. The group of people who plotted and attempted to kill Hitler were both war criminals and traitors to their own leader, and that’s what this telling of the tale taught me.

There are always people who want to do the right thing, and in Nazi Germany it was no different.

The people in the film are excellent, of course. To be honest though, I would have been happy to have not seen a known face through the whole thing. I’m not a fan of the idea that you need a big name star to be the leading man. It’s not more credible, in fact, Tom Cruise is functional not anything special in this film, so it’s not even a big deal that he’s the main dude. He might have got more of a budget, which made it look awesome!! However, his performance was a lot of intense looks, stern speeches, jaw biting, and costume changes.

The look of the film, as I mentioned, is incredible. The authenticity, the details, it makes the time and every moment come to life. The sound is WOW, that’s all I can say about that. The costumes aren’t the charicature WWII clothes we see in a lot of movies. They have the weight of the era, the colors, the style, the real life worn look about them that makes it all come together without even noticing them (unless you are looking like I was).

Overall I really enjoyed (if that’s the right word) the movie. I would have liked it to be a German production with subtitles, but hey, can’t have it all. It got me thinking, and even looking up more about the things I have never learned about the war, so that’s a pretty huge thing for a flick to do for a 41 year old woman. :)





Audio & Video: 7/10 (by Ascully)
Valkyrie is a interesting Blu-Ray transfer as it’s not actually perfect like most of the discs we look at each week. The transfer is very good using the AVC codec at an average bitrate of 21MBPS. The film grain is intended by the director, but for me what was lacking was good black levels which actually affect the contrast of some scenes especially at night. The lack of sharpness also hurts a lot of the detailed shots. This was all probably intentional to give the film a certain look, but I expect more out of state of the art Blu-Ray discs in 2009. The movie also has a distinct color palette which favors yellow and adds a unique look to the picture. Again intentional but not to my taste. Overall while faithful to the directors vision the murky contrast and black levels really hurt the picture quality.

Audio is a different kettle of fish altogether. Using the DTS-HD Master Audio format in amazing ways. There are several standout scenes for audio, one being the African battle scene at the start of the picture which has sound so overwhelming you really feel like you are there. There is also more subtle effects like the scene where the family go down into the bomb shelter and you hear shells hitting targets many miles away in the distance. Valkyrie is a showcase disc for Audio, and the opening scene will be dragged out when I need to show off my home theater.


Value: 7/10
This is a well packed disc, great movie, extras, the digital copy..it’s all there. I still want the price to be around 15 bucks, that would be the great deal on movie. As it is it’s around $30, too much, but a good reason to check out your Blockbuster or Netflix account that’s just sitting there not getting used.

Overall Score 8/10

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The menu is pretty nice too. It has several panels of shots from the movie, but not enough to give away anything. It’s got a hint of old technology, obviously a nod to the original movie.


Features: 10/10

• Commentary By Screenwriter David Scarpa – It’s always good to have a commentary. Scarpa is interesting, even if he seems a bit Hollywood sometimes.
• Klaatu’s Unseen Artifacts: Picture In Picture Bonus view - Several tid bits about the movie that do give a solid behind the scenes look at the process. Too bad they didn’t put these in a separate list to watch instead of all embedded in the movie.
• Build Your Own G.O.R.T Interactive Experience – Hmm This wasn’t much of a game. Pick parts of G.O.R.T, change him up, pimp him out a bit, and then do it again, and again, and again.
• Deleted Scenes - Add nothing to the story and best left on the virtual cutting room floor.
• Re-Imagining The Day Documentary - Behind the scenes packaged extra with interviews and discussions with cast and crew covering everything from music to costumes to art direction. This is a good hefty extra if you really dig the movie.
• Unleashing G.O.R.T Featurette - How do you redesign an iconic Science Fiction character from 1095 who wasn’t the most sophisticated, but still can’t mock or overshadow the original? This team of designers went through all kinds of ideas, drawings, shapes,  and sizes. How they decided on the final design is a pretty cool story. :)
• Watching The Skies In Search Of Extra-Terrestrial Life Featurette - Hmm when you say you “I can’t imagine we are alone in the universe.” you sound pretty sane, just open minded. When you said, “They’re coming and we need to be prepared.?” Well, you just sound a little bit crazy. These are experts in the field who talk about the Earth and our pending rendevous with neighboring terrestrials.
• The Day The Earth Was Green Featurette – How are we treating our planet? According to most reports and Hollywood, not very good.
• Still Galleries - A series of photos from the film and behind the scenes, plus concept art.
• D-Box Enabled - Ohhhh bouncy.
• Digital Copy - Would be great if it worked on my Zune.
• 1951 Edition Of The Film On Blu-Ray - FANTASTIC! The thing that bumps the  Extras score to 10/10, this is one of the best extras I have ever seen on a DVD, and I’ve seen a lot! This is how it should be done, put the original in with the remake to tell the world you aren’t afraid of the audience comparing them, appreciating them for their own individual qualities.

The Movie: 6/10
Last year I went on an online shopping spree for renting old movies. On that list was The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951). It is an awesome, ahead of its time, heavy handed message movie that I thought was best left alone. By that I mean, no remake! Apparently Hollywood didn’t get my call and they made this new version. The good news is I enjoyed the movie. The bad news? Well, I’ll get to that in a minute.

First the good news. I really like the look, the sound, the special effects, and the message. There are moments that really captured my attention, like when Klaatu is given a lie detector test and when G.O.R.T activates. There were enough of those moments to keep me perched through the not so great times. (FYI: G.O.R.T is AWESOME!)

What’s not so great? The cast is kind of a dud. I like everyone individually. The kid is the best, very grounded and I looked forward to his scenes, but overall it all just felt forced and a little bit blah. That’s the biggest negative for me, that I didn’t care about the humans so the premise of the story, that humans will be destroyed to save the Earth, well, I was all over that idea. I think if the people compel me I that intangible way, I get more behind a film, and this time it just didn’t happen.

I would be happy for Earthlings to be eliminated so that the planet can thrive again, fair enough. Sadly that means the message is lost on me. The thing is, I really did have a good time watching the movie. It’s an odd one. I would watch it again, not go out of my way to watch it again, but if it came up and I wasn’t busy…you get the idea.

I LOVED the first The Day the Earth Stood Still. That’s easy to say. But that could be partially down to nostalgia for older movies, the times, the era, the style, all mixed together to make it kind of a novelty. Today the idea of space invasions in movies isn’t new or innocent, it’s just a thing to package up with special effects and big stars. It has kind of lost its charm, if not done just right.

Overall I recommend watching both movies on a rainy weekend afternoon. Grab the popcorn, a beverage, kick back and enjoy the ride.





Audio & Video: 9/10 (by Ascully)
Never mind what I thought of the movie this section is about how it looked and sounded on Blu-Ray. The Day The Earth Stood Still is a visual/audio treat that has to be seen to be believed. From the opening touchdown of the sphere, to the attack from G.O.R.T the visuals in this movie are quite astounding. FOX chose to use the VC1 codec. Fine detail is apparent in every scene, with subtle details such as the color of Jennifer Connelly’s eyes come across well. HD usually makes CGI special effects look poor if they are not done correctly, but this movie has a distinct polish about it and in HD it looks flawless.

Audio is actually better presented than the already awesome picture. The DTS-HD 5.1 track, which is uncompressed sounds incredible. As I said in the podcast there are noises in this movie that you will have not heard before. You cannot put your finger on which direction they are coming from or what you are hearing. It’s quite a breathtaking effect. From the opening moments you know you are in for a treat as the winter storm we are subjected to has so much detail its a showpiece for your speaker system.

So overall, while I am not a massive fan of the movie (I prefer the original which incidentally is included in HD in this set and also looks sharp and detailed) I give the actual Blu-Ray transfer a 9/10.


Value: 7/10
I’m torn on this one. I like this movie, but I loved the original. The Blu-Ray looks awesome, but the old black and white is fine with me too. What I do love is that they put both movies in the box, making it a better value. What they don’t do is give me a price I am happy with…so I’m just being difficult. It’s a great disc set, good extras, interesting movies, a great night’s entertainment for Science Fiction fans. I just dont know if I’m willing to pay the full thirty bucks. Maybe if it went down to $20??

Overall Score 8/10

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• Another Way To Die Music Video – Ugh
• Bond On Location Featurette - If you like very produced, promotional type extras, this is right up that alley. It’s good, but there’s not much to learn about how the movie was made. It’s a superficial look at making a Bond movie.
  
• Olga Kurylenko & The Boat Chase Featurette – Briefly Olga talks about how she was afraid to do some scenes. Did I say brief? It’s about 3 minutes.
  
• Director Marc Forster Featurette – Another brief talking head interview with some love fest for the director thrown in.
  
• The Music Featurette – How does the movie happen? A guy sits at a few computer screens and keyboards, pounds out the score, and then takes it to an orchestra. It’s interesting, but kind of flat..get it? Flat? Music? Score? Right.
  
• Crew Files Behind The Scenes Clips – More talking heads, around the sets, views of making the movie by producer, writer, etc.
  
• Theatrical & Teaser Trailers – Teaser? Yea, right.
  

The Movie: 8/10
I”m a fan, not a geeky obsessive fan, but a fan of Bond movies. It started a couple of years ago when Ascully and I decided to watch the entire series (to date). For a few weeks we watched at least one a day, and couple days we went as high as four! I was hooked on every single Bond dude, and that continues to this day with Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, and Daniel Craig.

We watched Casino Royale again and immediately watched Quantum of Solace, which truly makes for one big excellent action adventure flick. It was a seriously fun and satisfying movie watching experience. I don’t know how else to describe it.

I don’t nit pick. I don’t even see things that tweak  my “oh how hokey or unrealistic” meter. I just go with the flow and get lost in the whole thing. So, if you find things to moan about, well, you are being bitchy..get over and and just enjoy the Bond world for what it is. In fact, this section of the Bond series doesn’t offer much in the hokey department anyway, it’s more based in a  hyper reality of pain, suffering, stunts, and action.

That being said, Quantum of Solace has everything a good Bond movie and story is designed around. There is a darkening of Bond’s heart, due to the love of a woman, of course. We get to see how he becomes bitter, but driven by heartache, revenge, and devotion to his role in the bigger picture of saving the world now and then.

The women of Quantum of Solace are fantastic. M, Fields, and the star of the show, Camille, they are all tough, smart, amazing to watch, and yet give Bond a hint of what he needs, to save the day. We can see him fall for each one in a certain kind of way, and therefore he’s gathering up a crustier exterior with a softer gooey center…. hmmm

The stunts are awesome, even if I was more excited by Casino Royale moments, they never fall flat. I’m not a fan of the boat chases or plane drama, but hey, they have to get action in all corners of “reality” so I’m open to it.

The locations are exciting, exotic..but then again, when does Bond ever just stick around the house? Never. I feel like I have traveled vicariously through all of these movies and hopefully they will find even more places for me to go in  years to come. The world is a small place though, they might have to go back to the moon:)

I can’t actually say enough positive things about this segment of the Bond story. I hope to watch it again, with Casino Royale, when the next movie comes out. And, then again and again:)





Audio & Video: 9/10 (By Ascully)
As always with Bond movies on Blu-Ray, this is a top notch presentation using the latest AVC codec in stunning 1080P High Definition. Quantum Of Solace is one of the most colorful well presented films I have seen for a while. The scenes in the Dessert Hotel are alive with orange hues and perfect blacks, while the scenes at the beginning portray the stunning island paradise with cool blues and greens. I saw no instances of Edge Enhancement or Haloing throughout the feature. As usual it was pretty much an excellent presentation.

Audio keeps the quality going even higher. It’s so impressive, from the opening song by Jack White & Alicia Keys to the stunning opera sequence the 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio handles the job perfectly. As I said in the podcast, I gauge the level of bass in a movie in our home theater by looking at a stack of Blu-Ray discs on the shelf after the feature. If they have fallen over from the bass rattle it’s an impressive sound mix. This time they were lying down and then some.


Value: 6/10
This disc doesn’t have enough extra goods to make it worth the full Blu-Ray price. If you are a Bond fan you HAVE to see it, so get your hands on it with a rental plan online, or a real life rental place in your own town. The extras are slim pickin’s, which doesn’t bump up the value for cash element.

Overall Score 8/10

The menu makers did make an effort and brought a taste, or should I say vision of the movie to the table. The pulsating blue waves of images create the background for this moving menu that seems a bit fuzzy, but remember, we are looking through the “eyes” of a blind man. All of the menus on both DVD’s are well done, easy to navigate and add to the whole experience by not just being flat and uninteresting like a lot of DVD authors seem to be cranking out these days.


Extras & Features: 10/10
Disc 1:

• Full-Length Director and Producer Commentary – Commentary is really a must have these days on a DVD. Watching the movie listening to the people behind the scenes actually makes the whole thing much more interesting. The writer/director Mark Stephen Johnson says the church sequence is brilliant…eh hem, I disagree. However, I have to give him sooooo much credit for admitting that a lot of the CGI is crap. I applaud that he is willing to fess up to the weakest parts of the film.
• On-Screen Trivia Track – A cheap looking, but very fun text track that has lots of behind the scenes information that fans of the comic and movie will love to check out.
• DVD-ROM Content – Comic book Chronology, Web Links & More! I’m a tough chick to impress these days with anything DVD folks can throw at us, and even though I’m not a huge fan of this movie, I do understand it’s more of an experience than just a quick flick. The DVD interactive features are one of those things that took me by surprise. I am usually opposed to things just opening up when I pop in a DVD or CD, but this time around I was pleasantly annoyed, if that’s possible. The DVD instantly goes to the interactive features without requiring that you install anything on your computer. I love that. The DVD features include a bio on each character, a history of the comic book, links to web sites related to Daredevil and an interactive game. We actually played the game, which is also not something I usually partake of, but it was pretty good. It tests your senses, sort of. It’s well presented and ties directly in with the movie, so it’s a good extra.

Disc 2:

• 2 All-New 60-Minute Documentaries – Wonderful feature length documentaries that cover so much material. I love these kinds of special additions to a DVD. These cover everything from Ben Affleck’s body molding for his costume to how the CGI is done. Mind you, I’m not a fan of the CGI, it’s low quality in my opinion and wouldn’t even work well in a video game, but there ya go. You get to meet everyone from the director to the director of photographer all the way to the composer. It’s crazy, but the more extras I watch the better I like the movie. That doesn’t sound right, but it’s a new phenomenon in the world of being a movie fan I suppose.
• Multi-Angle Scene Studies – Two fight sequences in multi angles to see how many different cameras are used to get the final perfect edit.
• Jennifer Garner Screen Test – A brief but interesting thing to toss on the DVD. You get to see Jennifer doing a scene with a “reader” as part of an audition.
• 3 Music Videos
• And Much More! – Along with 6 Production Featurettes and a Kingpin Featurette you will find still galleries and concept drawings of Daredevil’s costume are among the “more” extras.

Picture/Sound: 9/10
By all accounts this is a top quality transfer. It’s a dark story in a dreary city with lots of less than bright interiors so the potential for pixels abound. But I didn’t see any, and I was looking. Believe me, I didn’t want to just complain about the movie, I wanted more dirt to drag up on this one, alas, it was not meant to be. This is a good quality DVD in both the picture and sound department. The surround sound was excellent, you can hear every rain drop, grunt, groan and distant footstep.





Movie: 6/10
I’ll start by saying that after I saw the movie I was pretty let down and disappointed, and then I explored the DVD from top to bottom and I do have more appreciation of the story and the whole production….that being said, on with the review.

A movie with an identity crisis, that’s what Daredevil is. With a good story at the heart of it all you would think it might be able to struggle through with a few problems here and there. Unfortunately, those few problems are things like character development, dialogue, editing, directing, special effects, and choice of actors. Is it pure action, or is it a deep dark tale of good vs. evil? I still don’t know the answer.

I know, you’re saying, “Cid, who cares about all that junk, it’s an action/comic book hero story. All we want is fighting and goofy one liners.” Ok, fair enough. So, the fight scenes are weak, the goofy one liners are not even good enough to be goofy, so now where do we go from there?

Let’s start with what I do like, what little there is. I love the story. A man who has devoted his life to protecting his neighborhood and fighting crime as a vigilante is a great place to start building a story. This man, having lost his sight as a boy, has the benefit of his senses of touch, hearing, and smelling being hyper-sensitive due to what appears to be a toxic chemical spill. Remember, this is comic book fodder, so the story might tend to be a bit colorful to say the least. I still love the story. Mathew’s father dies at the hands of a master criminal in town and as he, Mathew, grows up he takes it upon himself to use his new abilities to rid his neighborhood of crime. He has taken on an alter identity, dubbed Dare Devil by the citizens and press, complete with a costume and handy walking stick that’s tricked out with all kinds of gadgets to help in his quest for justice. By day he’s an attorney fighting in the courtroom and at night he picks up where the law lets the innocents of the world down. This all sounds pretty exciting, and it is, in theory. I’m sad to say though, in execution, this film did not give this story the integrity it deserves.

The action is pretty good most of the time, with one big exception, the big battle between Daredevil and Bullseye. I won’t give away to much, but it’s one of those things where you feel this big build up to what you know will be the end of a bad guy, and then all of a sudden it’s all over and the climax does not live up to the anticipation. When I’m watching one of these types of movies, I have certain expectations, not a good thing, but it’s true, and one of those is that the bad guys bite the dust in a very dramatic, painful, over the top manner. Needless to say, I was not fully satisfied.

Most of the time the CGI version of Daredevil was lame, and that’s being kind. I despise (DESPISE is the word I’m using people!) the “rag doll” effect that happens when they try to create a real person with computer software and it’s glaringly obvious. The way he moves, the shape of his body, the poor quality of the over all effect when he is scaling roof tops and often in fight sequences, is just disturbingly distracting. That was not just a let down, it’s a shocker for this big budget affair.

Ben Affleck and Colin Farrell are the two saving graces in this spring/summer time flick, for sure. I enjoy both of them in most any role, so they add a certain level of quality to their characters. Jon Favreau is a bonus as Affleck’s best friend and fellow low budget attorney. With a snappy scene in a cafe we get a clear picture of their friendship and a few of the more palatable lines in the movie.

As for Jennifer Garner, well, she’s good but her character has a lot to be desired. I’m sure that’s why her performance, from the cheeky early fight sequence with Affleck to her battle with the dreaded Bullseye just didn’t do much to make her anything more than a pretty face and bad ass girl fighter. That might be enough for most people, fair enough, but I would like to have seen a lot more of her as a person and less as the sexy smart-ass quasi Kung Fu babe.

I will keep going back to the quality of the real story, a man who is battered and broken because of his mission to fight crime. We see the scars, the damage done from all of his late night battles with thugs, thieves and petty bad guys. His collection of pain killers is impressive, but depressing at the same time. Here’s me being demanding, as always, but I would have liked to have seen his early days of crime fighting before he had his whole persona polished and the costume completed. We don’t get any back story or build up of his life as a “super hero”. We see him as a kid and then skip to him being already jaded, scarred and as a professional man of back alley justice, so to speak. A bit of the awkwardness he must have encountered in early years would have been a great addition to his tale.

The style of the movie is something I do appreciate. The quick edits during certain scenes and the really well done effect of how sounds become images for our blind hero stand out and I give them top credit for the visual feast we are served, in very limited quantities. I was not impressed with the overall edit of the movie. Lots of scenes must have bitten the cutting room’s dusty floor because it seems like the story just takes off when all of a sudden it’s over and you are shaking your head thinking, “ah, this must be one of those false endings.” No such luck. When you feel like the rug just got ripped from under your movie watching eyes you are left sitting there in your little seat waiting for some bigger pay off, but it’s all over and done with. It lacks any fan fare or hoo-haa one would like to see from this kind of good vs. evil story.

Above are a couple of examples of  how our sightless hero can see the world. Sound waves create images in his mind. The rain in the bottom picture creates enough audio vibration off of Jennifer Garner to assure him he’s not falling for any girl below supermodel status, God forbid!

It’s entertaining to a degree, it just has so much more potential that could be tapped into. The sleek style and attempt at amazing special effects falls short too many times and there is not a well written plot to build a movie around nor is there even well written dialogue to rescue it. It’s above average just by the white of Affleck’s teeth. Colin Farrell’s charm and full on performance boost the rating over the halfway mark, but nothing else can send this early summer blockbuster soaring to the top of my list.

Everyone seemed to put their heart and soul into this movie from the fight trainers to the composer of the score and everyone in between, but at the root of it all there are a lot of things that hold it back from being a great experience.





Value: 9/10
Excellent value at just $16.00 online. That’s a bargain for so much cram packed on the DVD.


Over All: 9/10
I have to admit that after watching all the extras, and believe me, that’s a big time investment, I have to conclude that this DVD is a great experience even if the movie falls short in many areas. The final score is a very hard fought 9. How can a barely average movie pull off a 9 rating DVD? It’s a mystery to me too.

If you are a snob, like me, you might scoff at the movie for what it is, flimsy but glossy. However, even we snobs have to give a nod of credit to the DVD authors and to Fox for giving us all something to enjoy. Everyone from fans of the comic, fans of the movie and fans of DVD extras can find something worth a purchase. Yes, I recommend that you buy this one for your collection if for nothing more than all of the background documentaries and great commentary.

Overall Score 9/10

• First commentary by Jackie West, Steve Johnson, John Sullivan, Ian Hunter & Matthew Gratzner and second Commentary by Trevor Albert, Peta Wilson, Jason Flemying, Tony Curran and Shane West – Commentaries are a wonderful thing. I love to hear any extra info that is offered up in the discussion. Steve Johnson, with his perpetually blocked sinuses, talks about the origins of the story and how he took some liberties with the characters and their individual legends. Some of the performers talk about what it’s like to work with Sean Connery, mostly intimidation and fear, but ultimately they all seem to enjoy it after the initial shock of working with the Scottish icon.
• Making-Of Featurette – This is a good docu-feature, but it’s way to brief. For all that this movie brings to the screen, I would love to have tons more background information about the characters, their legends and how they all came to be who they are. I would love to have had an extra docu-feature that focused on the authors of each novel in which the extraordinary folks became celebrated  fictional history figures. As for the positives of this Making-Of Featurette, it does show the huge undertaking of making Hyde a real life creature rather than CGI. It also shows how they used miniatures to create most of the special effects that are quite stunning. These two things redeem this bonus material somewhat, but it’s still just not enough to feed my hunger for more more more more behind the scenes stuff.
• 12 Deleted Scenes – A few extended version of scenes that are in the movie don’t really do much for me. I appreciate the effort, but in the end, these are not very valuable to fill in any gaps in the finished product. They didn’t polish the scenes so the special effects are not there to finish off the look of each deleted scene.

Movie: 8/10
I’m not a reader of history novels, heck I’m not much of a reader at all. Admittedly I should have read all those assigned books back in college, but I didn’t. So, what do I do, I watch movies to fill in the gaps. Did you roll your eyes at the last comment? I don’t blame you. I will make an effort to read more, I promise. However, in the meantime I shall continue my education on such literary matters by watching flicks like The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

Tom Sawyer makes an appearance, as the token American legend. Allen Quartermain, the adventurer and treasure hunter is the leader of the pack. Mina Harker, wife of the ill-fated Jonathan Harker from Bram Stoker’s Dracula, takes her place as the sexy scientist/vampire. Captain Nemo, creator and chief of the Nautilus in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is a strong figure of a man. He does not draw a gun but rather uses martial arts and sword wielding skills to fight his foes. I’m not clear about Nemo’s past, but it is eluded to that he has been a pirate and maybe not done some very nice things before he meets up with the League. Never mind a tainted past though, all of our heroes have flaws, some bigger than others.

Dr. Jekyll lurks in the darkness of his mind as his alter ego Mr. Hyde terrorizes the rooftops of Paris only to be reluctantly captured and drawn into the league. A Mr. Hyde that is different from what we conventionally think of when we imagine the dual personalities of the scientist. His bulk, almost hulkish (but without the crappy CGI and green skin) makes his physical presence so much more powerful than simply adding some evil eye brows and ugly teeth to the actor. They worked very hard to develop a full body suit that would look believable, and I truly think it works extremely well. I like the Dr. Jekyll story, I always have. The idea that a meek mannered man has to concoct a formula to let out the beast within because he is too afraid to express himself as himself. It’s a classic self loathing story that appeals to me for some reason. I would say I’m biased and that I enjoyed seeing Jekyll as part of this motley crew.

What is conventional anyway? I think of the invisible man as a tortured soul who wanders around with a bitter cynical attitude, angry at the world for what he has become. Why do I think that? Who knows. I like the invisible man in this movie, he’s a smart ass. He’s quick with a one liner (which I normally despise) and ends up being somewhat comical. I liked his persona to a degree only because it was not what I expected and surprises in movies are usually a very good thing these days. There are too many conventional characters, too much expected dialogue and not enough originality.

What menace is big enough, dangerous enough, threatening enough to bring these talented folks together? That is for you to find out you watch the film, but I will say it’s one of those bigger than life, conquer the world kind of things. Conquering the world, or at least dominating it one way or another is not a new way for the bad guys to get their rocks off, but when you pull elements from these amazing historic novels you get something exciting, interesting, and more innovative twists to any diabolical plans that are drummed up by the darker characters of our literary past.

I really liked this movie. I know it has it’s flaws, so what. The special effects were excellent. The characters are wonderful and brought to us through somewhat basic, but convincing performances by the cast. I especially enjoyed Captain Nemo and his calm demeanor, not to mention his fantastic Nautilus. Now THAT is a submarine! Even as it’s squeezing through the canals of Venice I’m convinced that it’s 100% real, bigger than life. I’m a sucker for big machinery.

Look for adventure, look for fun, look for some exciting scenes, and expect a lot of obscure references, this movie has all that and more. I’m a bit biased I suppose. I have to admit that I think the whole concept is brilliant. To take these Victorian “hero” types and put them together is just such a great idea. I vow to read more, learn more and to study up more on the classics. Not because a movie brought them to my attention, but because of their amazing stories. A man who is eternally youthful whose vices and age only affect a painting of him, now that’s a cool story. As his portrait image decays and becomes more and more horrific, he remains young, never suffering the effects of his actions or of the passing years. Dorian Grey is the man in the story and in the movie they have taken it to another level making him immortal, impervious to harm, very cool.





Value: 6/10
Take the time to rent this one but I don’t recommend buying the DVD. I was disappointed with the extras and there are the occasional artifact’s. The blockies that happen on some DVD’s can be the result of specs required by the studio, so the author is not responsible. I have been informed that because of a lack luster response to the movie in the US the studio probably opted to do the DVD as inexpensively as possible. The people who did the DVD did a great job with what they had to work with. It’s a great flick to have fun with, but unless they bring out a special edition for the US (like they have done in other countries), I would say make a trip to Blockbuster or surf to Netflix instead of adding this release to your collection just yet.

Overall Score 7/10

Two starlet wannabes who are used to limos and limitless credit cards now get to cope with living on a porch, doing chores, and working at minimum wage jobs. The small town of Altus won’t know what hit it. Various jobs, breaking rules, and learning that while Hollywood appreciates a couple of wild party girls, small town folks aren’t quite so easily impressed.


Cover Art & Menu: 8/10
What can you say about the cover of a DVD for a TV show? They stuck to their ad campaign and put the pouting princesses on the cover touting their version of country chic. It’s a fun show and I had no expectations of the cover to do anything but follow through with that. I’m never happy to see classic works of art twisted and jerked around to look like original ideas that have come out of modern day pretentious graphic designers and advertising sleezoids heads, so using American Gothic by Grant Wood does prick my last nerve a bit. I guess I can get over it since it’s just for a laugh.

The menu is equally as cheeky with some cut and paste animations and funny sounds. It’s a well put together DVD package all the way around. Somebody took the time to give it consistency and I appreciate that, no matter how silly it may seem, it’s still something worth noting. Some DVD’s are slapped together with no thought or sense of design. This may be a campy approach, but it’s nicely done, so I will give credit where credit is due.

Extras & Features:

• Never Before Seen Out takes Reel – Some goofs and blunders set to music. It ain’t much, but it’s something.
• Deleted Scenes – We see a few clips of never before seen bits and pieces, but the main feature of this section is the rough cut of the girls packing to leave their lives of wealth to go live on the farm. This is almost a whole episode in and of itself. We see Paris talking with her sister and picking her outfits. We see Nicole choosing her own fashions and catch a glimpse of her charmed life as a woman packs for her…hmmm how’s this little lady gonna do working for a living?
• The Simple Life Test Presentation – Every hit show starts somewhere and this one is no exception. Here is what might be considered a pilot episode that puts the girls in a situation similar to what they might be facing down the road. They go to a dog grooming shop and do their THANG as only two rich girls who have never had a job can do. This is also basically a whole other episode. It’s longer than any of the other episodes are so it’s a great bonus to toss on the DVD.

The Show: 8/10
Fist of all, this is a two sided DVD. What century are these people living in? You have to turn it over to see the final two episodes and the extras….I know it’s a cheap way to do it, but geez. I feel like I took a step back in time when I had to get up and flip this baby over.

How do I score this show? What in God’s name do I base my opinion on? It’s funny, most of the time. It’s charming about half of the time. It’s entertaining 90% of the time. But it’s a toss up between the new hybrid version of pseudo-(cough cough) reality TV and pure unadulterated phony-bologna promotional bul**hit to hype these two socialites. You can see why I find myself between a rock and a hard place.

I personally looked forward to watching the show each week. What does that say about me? I’m a sucker for a cheap idea and a well constructed TV version of pretend-reality. There are genuine moments when I do think we saw some of the girls’ charm and personality. The rest of the time I’m pretty sure we were watching these two ham it up for FOX. I can live with that since they never have pushed the show as anything but total fluff.

Everything from the cheezy circus like narrator to the show’s chop-shop beginning sequence, this is not a show that takes itself too seriously. So why should I? I say it’s a no-brainer, literally. Come on, I watched it and laughed at something every single episode, I can admit that with my head held high. They don’t try to make it a REAL reality show, just a goofy way to spend 30 minutes a week. I can think of worse ways to spend my time (Married by American, or Mr. Personality come to mind). It’s funny to see anyone put their hand up the backside of a cow for the first time. Maybe that’s the hint of a Tom Green/Jackass fan in me talking, but it’s not something you see everyday. It’s the kind of stuff that makes you cringe like people eating cock roaches on Fear Factor, but you can’t turn away for some bizarre reason. It’s harmless voyeurism and beats the hell out of Meet My Folks, The Bachelor, Are You Hot or Temptation Island..which are my examples of total TV crap. Here is a link to what looks like a complete list of “reality” TV shows to date if you are afraid you might be missing something.

No, I don’t waste my life watching TV. I do catch glimpses of shows here and there and believe me, I can spot boring a mile away. That is the curse that most current TV shows suffer from and I don’t get bored easily. Every show has it’s place and a lot of what I like to watch consists of shows like Real Life ER, Biography, Forensic Files and other real life crime shows, documentaries about almost anything, and Court TV. That’s the honest truth, but then there is the OTHER stuff like Fear Factor, marathons of Real World/Road Rules, Survivor, Big Brother, Amazing Race, EastEnders (British soap opera), and Nick at Nite. So, you decide if I can make a clear judgment as to what is entertaining or not. :) All I know is that if something catches my attention and I want to watch it again, that says something about the show and me too I suppose.haha


Episode 1: Meet the Ledings
The girls pack up and find their humble home on a farm with a very friendly, hardworking family. They get a lot of double takes and reactions from the family that scream, “these city slickers sure are weird”.

Episode 2: Danny’s Dairy Farm (Job #1)
Whew, it’s the old arm-up-the-cow’s-behind trick that is so trendy these days. When it’s all the rage amongst the cool kids to slip into a long plastic glove and put part of yourself in such places, I’m proud to be an unfashionable kind of gal.

Episode 3: Working at Sonic (Job #2)
“1/2 Off Anal Salty Weiner Burgers” What more is there to say about this episode? Well, there is one thing, the girls get a good old fashioned talking to by the head of the family. They have their own dads somewhere out in the world who may or may not have ever admonished them in their lives. But, when Albert sits them down and tries to administer some discipline, they don’t quite respond the way he had hoped.

Episode 4: Town Festival
Ok, social events should be right up these girls’ alley. But when they are plunked into the surreal world of small town festival things are bound to get tricky. A kissing booth where a “kiss on the cheek” takes on a whole new meaning….if you get what I’m saying. (wink wink)

Episode 5: Cattle Auctioneer (Job #3)
“My name is Nicole and I’m a charge account addict.” The infamous dead cat lie and ill-gotten birdhouse make for classic TV folks.

Episode 6: Gas Station/Convenient Store/Bait Shop (Job#4)
Now here is a boss who appreciates the fact that he has young, pretty, flirty women working for him. These city gals are magnets for the local male population. Why not bring in a few customers and cash in on Paris and Nicole’s sexy outfits and talent for being the center of attention?

Episode 7: Time to Go Home
After a month of staying out too late, worrying their surrogate family, avoiding their chores, abusing the family vehicle, promising young men lucrative modeling careers, terrorizing the quilting club, and misusing a bottle of bleach, it’s time to go home to a life of luxury.

Lost Episode (never aired): Taxidermist (Job#?)
I’m not sure why this episode would not have made it to the airwaves, but it might have something to do with what could be considered unethical treatment of animals, even though they are long since dead and given the taxidermy treatment. A stuffed bear gets a make over, a fox loses an ear, and the tail feathers of a prize turkey get crushed in a car door. This does not reflect nicely on Paris’s efforts in the area of stopping cruelty to animals. It’s funny though.

Test Episode (never aired): Dog Grooming Shop (Test Job)
A full rough cut episode that you will only see on the DVD. The girls head to a dog grooming shop outside L.A. to test out their work place skills. Between their lack of enthusiasm for performing the anal squeeze and hanging up on real life customers, the producers of this show obviously saw some serious potential for a hit TV show.


Value: 8/10
I could have had something to bark about if the price ended up to be one of those “let’s suck the life out of the audience now while the gettin’s good by charging an arm and a leg for our little surprise hit show.” However, they got all decent on me and put a reasonable price on the DVD.

The cheapest I’ve found this DVD is at around $14-$15 online. I’m sure that in the near future when Paris and Nicole are not longer the flavors of the month the price will drop to around $10 or even less. That is a great price for a full season of a TV show in my opinion. You get about 5 hours of entertainment, goofy and mindless, but entertainment nonetheless. :)  So, if you are a fan of the show you get some bonus materials like the two “lost episodes” and deleted scenes, and if you haven’t seen the show you get the whole thing brand spanking new which is a lot of fluffy TV fun for the money.


Overall: 8/10
This is not something that compares to a fantastic DVD of a serious film with hours and hours of extras and commentaries, but for the full first season of a TV show that has real entertainment value, it deserves a descent score. I wouldn’t put it up against The Lord of the Rings series, or Aliens Quadrilogy..but then again, this is just a TV show, so it’s apples and oranges. It’s a good DVD package, fun and well worth the meager investment if you are a fan of the show.

Overall Score 8/10

• Audio Commentary By Mike Nelson Of Mystery Science Theatre 3000 – I told my husband that I was not that interested in the commentary by Mike Nelson because I was never a fan of Mystery Science Theatre. I think he was a bit shocked. I realize that it’s a beloved show and all that, but hey, maybe I just didn’t give it enough of a chance. Admitting I’m wrong is not what’s happening here, please, be sure of that. I’m just saying that once I listened to a bit of Nelson’s commentary I did get an urge to watch reruns of MST 3000, go figure. Nelson says what we are thinking. Usually I don’t like it when people pick on movies for the smallest things. I find it obnoxious and it’s mostly because I might like a movie for the very reasons someone is picking it apart. However, Reefer Madness is custom designed for being made fun of. Nelson is hysterical so this is a great extra to lavish in with this crazy film.
• Audio Commentary By Color Design Team – Finding out how the color process happens and the issues that come up is really interesting. However, I am not a fan of colorizing any film. I don’t care if it’s supposed to get more people interested in the movie, I find colorizing black and white films to be insulting. So, I was not that interested, but I do love any process that has to do with filmmaking. I can live with it, I suppose.
• Reefer Madness Trailer – For a crazy film there is not much you can do but put together a matching trailer. I can imagine seeing this thing in a theater in 1938 and being scared straight in my seat.haha
• Grandpa’s Marijuana Handbook: The Movie – Now this is a real bonus. We didn’t even know it was on the DVD. This is Grandpa Ganja and his own little movie. It’s funny as all get out and this guy is like a crusader for the legalization of marijuana, or at least for old people. That’s his whole thing, he is an older guy who professes to have smoked pot every day since 1967. He’s pretty clever and he’s damn entertaining to watch. They even include some outtakes so it’s like a mini-dvd hidden inside, which is cool.

The Movie: ?/10
Who the hell can give this movie a score? If you can come up with a number between 1-10 that fairly describes this beast of a film. I do love it, it’s so outrageous. I can’t believe it was ever made. What was I thinking? “The Burbs”, enough said.

This movie was financed by a church group that wanted to warn parents about the evils of smoking pot. It was originally called “Tell Your Children” and was intended to scare the crap out of people. We can always count on those church people to cause panic and unfounded paranoia in the masses.

There are so many things wrong with the film it’s kind of difficult to give a quick over view. And it might just seem mean to pick on this movie because it’s ultimately harmless. It’s almost like it should be on “Ripley’s Believe it or Not” it’s such an anomaly in the history of films. Why? Well from the start you will discover that acting is not a consideration, directing might not have been in the budget, and the dialogue becomes painful within the first 12 seconds. There are so many bad movie making mistakes it could be a drinking game, “Spot the cinematic screw up and make your neighbor chug a beer.” Everyone would get wasted with that one, there are enough calamities on the screen to go around. There are cheap sets, horrible props, really bad camera work, abysmal editing and the list goes on. I suppose a film class could watch it as an example of how NOT to make a movie..haha

When a film is made to promote an agenda like this, it’s safe to say they get a bit blinded by their cause. I admire conviction, but then again, I think it’s completely insane. I mean, to make such a propagandist flick hoping to actually influence society in a positive way is naive to say the least. And to look back at it almost seventy years later it’s laughable.

I do agree that it’s hysterically funny, but that was not it’s intention. From the heartless but upscale couple who lure innocent high school kids to a den of drugs and sex in a metropolitan apartment to the homicidal tendencies of anyone who smokes pot, it’s got a lot of fact checking loop holes to answer for. I realize it’s not meant to be a dose of reality, or was it? I think the people who made this film truly thought that they were portraying the effects of getting mixed up with drugs as sincere and accurate as possible.

The plot is not much different from a lot of other drama flicks, strangely enough. There are the bad guys who sell drugs and then there are the simple folks who get dragged into the evil lifestyle which leads to tragedy, deceit, and eventually the downfall of the big bad criminal dope peddlers. Sorry if you think I’m giving anything away, you won’t mind once you start watching the film. It’s not the kind of story that takes you from beginning to middle to end with any kind of anticipation. It all just floats past you as you think to yourself, “were these people for real?”

Remember it was made in 1938 and even back then they tossed us a few grown up nuggets like a woman putting on her stockings, elicit sexual encounters between virtual strangers, and even homicide. Whew, they were ahead of their time. Just don’t be looking forward to a serious movie, you will be too busy with your dropped jaw in amazement at just how badly made it really is.

There is a gripping (sarcasm) court room scene that kind of surprised me. Back in 1938 it must have been somewhat progressive to put women on even a make believe jury…so that’s a bonus.

It’s a great one to watch though, believe me, as much as it’s a piece of poo movie, it’s a classic. I highly recommend that you pick it up and get ready for a huge laugh. I think that is it’s redeeming quality. It’s so bad it’s good. It’s also a great one to have in your collection. This one is unlike anything else you will have on those shelves and it’s an excellent flick to pop in when you have a party. For those things alone this one does get a few extra points. It ain’t always the quality of the original movie that matters I guess, but the overall entertainment value of it that keeps it from being a complete waste of time.

One other thing to mention is that for a movie made by Bible thumpers, this one has an awful lot of women getting undressed, and sexually charged moments that seem a bit over the top for the times. I guess if it gets the young people to watch that’s what it takes. I mean, just look at the solid uplifting messages of that one show, you know, umm…oh yea, Bay Watch.


Value: 9/10
It’s available for little more than ten bucks online and I say go for it. You will get a huge kick out of it and you get Grandpa’s little movie as a bonus, not to mention the cool commentary by Nelson. It’s well worth that price and you know how I can be about the price of DVD’s these days.

Overall Score 7/10

Disc 1:

• Commentary by Actors Roddy McDowell, Natalie Trundy, Kim Hunter, Producer, Make-up Artist John Chambers – How great is this? I mean come on! How often do we film lovers get the chance to listen to people from a movie almost half a century ago talk about the experience? It’s great. I won’t pretend to be mildly impressed because I’m sick of reading reviews by people who have no passion for the small details that make movies and DVD’s entertaining, informative, and worthy of semi-obsession. This commentary is fantastic and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to hear the stories and the recounts of experiences these folks had while making this film classic.
• Text Commentary by Eric Greene – This is one of those extras that I am on the fence about. I like any bonus material on a DVD, but at some point things can tend to be repeated. It seems that a lot of the comments Greene makes are also used in all of the other extras. It can become a bit repetitive after a while. If it were more informative and maybe written with more personality it might be more worthy of yet another watch of the movie. Not that I wouldn’t watch this movie a dozen times, but when it comes to commentaries, extras and bonus materials I guess I’m looking for new information and less interpretation. That is what this written commentary does, interpret and analyze.

Disc 2:

• Behind The Planet Of The Apes Documentary – This puppy is longer than the movie itself. It’s more than two hours of the history of the entire Planet of the Apes saga. From the origins of the first movie all the way up to the TV series and short lived animated cartoon this franchise has taken lots of tosses and tumbles along the way. Roddy McDowell takes through the gravy years of Apes and the not-so-gravy days of its four sequels, controversies, and steady decline in studio financial support. We get to go from the early days when every ape was costumed in great detail, to the later reincarnations when budget cuts forced a portion of the cast to wear rubber masks, which did not do justice to the original high quality and integrity of the make up. This documentary covers lots of tid bits about the author of creator and the studio big shots who have had a tight squeeze on both the quality and content of each Ape movie. Who knew that a French author wrote a book called Monkey Planet (La Planete Des Singes) and that’s where Planet of the Apes came from? Now you do. Not only did Boulle Pierre write the story that started the whirlwind of Ape-mania, he also wrote The Bridge Over River Kwia, which also became another classic film adaptation. This full blown feature film/extra was originally shown on TV and was hyped up pretty good with promos like the one listed.
• Behind The Planet Of The Apes Promo – Have you seen Scrooged with Bill Murray? Well, if you have you know the big voice that booms over the foreboding trailer of an upcoming live version of Scrooge. Ok, so that voice is the same that rolls over this promo and it’s pretty powerful. It would make anyone feel obligated to go out and watch all the Ape movies right away.  Anyone who has not seen Scrooged will just have to go rent it, not because it has anything to do with Planet of the Apes, but because it’s a really cool flick.
• Roddy McDowall Home Movies – This is a series of clips filmed with a small camera by Roddy McDowall. It has not audio but it does have some nice background music and it shows the grueling make-up transformation of McDowall from man to ape. Personally I think bits like this are treasures that we, the movie loving public, are extremely lucky to get our grubby little paws on. It could have sat in a closet somewhere for all eternity, but someone had the good sense to digitalize it and offer it up as a DVD extra. It might not seem like much to some people, but if you love the whole process of how movies are made you will appreciate the behind the scenes footage for sure.
• Planet Of The Apes Dallies and Outtakes – We all know what dallies and outtakes are by now, and it’s cool to have them preserved for all this time from such a cool movie. The making of Planet of the Apes was an exeption to the rule in those days. The huge task of making up so many detailed characters, the building of so many large sets, the whole thing was on a big scale and any scraps of footage that is kept around that shows more than just the movie itself makes a great packaged deal for DVD lovers.
• Planet of the Apes Teaser Trailer – Teaser my ass! This trailer has no concept of what “teaser” means. I think you could watch this thing and not even need to see the movie. It is funny to see how differently they thought of trailers back then.
• Planet of the Apes Trailer – Pretty much like the teaser trailer, unfortunately. What were they thinking? Oh well, it got people psyched and out to the theaters to see this monster of a hit.

The Movie: 9/10
“Chalk up another victory for the human spirit.” This quote follows a bellowing cynical burst of laughter by our hero, Taylor who makes it clear that his is not very fond of the human race. This is one of the first of many quality lines of dialogue that make this movie so good. That sounds kind of non-objective and smushy like I might have a soft spot in my little movie lover heart for this movie, and so I do.

“Some apes it seems are more equal than others.” See? This is what I’m talking. I could just put the script here for you to judge for yourself what a well written screenplay they started with, but that might be a bit of a long review to read.

The story is so out there it’s brilliant. Beyond the sci-fi trip into space that takes the astronauts through some sort of time-space thing that’s supposed to put them back on Earth several hundred years in the future, there is an amazing plethora of ideas to explore (plethora?). There are visual treats to behold, the most exciting of which is a fully realized ape society complete with chiseled stone cave-like houses, bridges, courtyards and more.

The film makers (well, the producers) claim that they never intended to have any kind of political messages in the movie. HUH? How could they be so blind? Did they read the script? I remember when I was a kid thinking that this movie had a big message, I wasn’t sure what it was but it seemed obvious on some level. There is the social class system, prejudice, political corruption, religion, and probably more that I have just not noticed yet. I’ll have to watch it a few more times:) I could go deep into the different social topics in the film, but I’m sure you have heard them all already.

Then there are the costumes that are perfect, and the sets are extremely cool. So much detail and so much effort put into the whole production it stands out as one of the most solid flicks of all time. I can’t find fault if I try. If you pick it apart for some of the common annoyances you are just digging for dirt. For example, you might be a but bugged by some poor acting by the extras or if you have the attention span of a 3 year old the gorgeous scenes that slowly unfold might get on your nerves. That is if you are an idiot. No offense.

The messages I mentioned are crawling all over this film, but if you choose not to look that closely you can love the movie for just one thing, it’s endlessly entertaining. The opening scene in the space ship is a bit eerie and hints at a dark tone to come. Heston is cynical, maudlin, and not a chipper kind of guy from the very first lines in the movie. When the ship crashes it’s a spectacular effect that tosses us around as if we were on the ship ourselves. So, from the beginning of the movie you are braced for a not-so-uplifting story. When one of the crew is dead on arrival and soon after the remaining three set out on an expedition of a strange and apparently unchartered territory the tactical camera work and amazing editing begins. There is so much visual variety in this movie from extreme close ups to extreme long shots and interesting angles. It creates a spectacular invitation to the movie watcher to get sucked into this strange planet and follow the characters to whatever might be ahead of them.

There is never a moment when you are not captivated. No matter how many times I see it I am glued to the screen, I even find myself looking all over every shot, every scene to find even more new things in the nooks and crannies for exciting details. The acting is believable all around, but my very favorite is Kim Hunter who plays Zira (the Chimp “Animal Psychologist”). She is fantastic. I watched closely and watched again while writing this review and I am 100% convinced that that woman has transformed into her character. Roddy McDowall is just exactly the perfect compliment to  Hunter’s performance because he is as enthusiastic and just as top notch in terms of becoming the character. And considering all the make up and the struggles with getting into character to have such amazing performances is one more testament to what a great film Planet of the Apes is.

I can’t say enough about this movie. The sense of humor is clever with even the classic “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” saying done very obviously in one scene. You get comments like “human see, human do” and references to other monkey/human jokes like when Zira agrees to kiss Taylor but giggles and says, “but you’re just so damn ugly.” It’s great!

There was even one of those moments I found while doing screenshots that I just couldn’t resist. You can see it above near the top of the page. It’s when the three surviving spacemen are naked by a waterfall and have a slightly suspicious moment..eh hem..well, you be the judge.

Over all this film is the king of all classic films. You can’t get better than this in my opinion. I think I’ll pop it in my laptop and watch it again when I’m done with this review.





Value: 10/10
Wow, great cover, amazing movie, and fantastic extras all for just under 20 bucks. Now that is what I call a “Must Have DVD”.

Overall Score 10/10

Working at a bank must be hell. I mean, how many times must the tellers plot and plan the perfect crime of robbing their employer? Well, Scorched takes us down that road and does it with a lot of laughs along the way. I had no idea what this movie would be about, but once Alicia Silverstone gave the guy from Blair Witch Project a bust in the chops, I knew it was gonna be a fun ride.

The dialogue isn’t that clever, and the story is a rehash of many slap stick heist flicks, so what makes Scorched worth a watch? Good question. I think the people have everything to do with it. We are talking some solid talent here. I’m not a fan of Rachael Leigh Cook, and she gives the weakest performance in the movie with her over the top grunge rebel girl act, but other than that I really think the performances were top notch. We aren’t talking Academy Awards here people, just plain and simply well delivered lines, well acted scenes and some really funny physical gags that salt and pepper the story enough to be amusing and not over the top.

Bank employees planning to get ahead in the world by robbing their place of work. Who doesn’t appreciate that concept? Woody Harrelson plays an nature lover who wants revenge on a duck killing John Cleese (who by the way plays a complete sh*t who tells a girl scout that he doesn’t eat cookies, he eats little girls..not nice, but funny). Alicia Silverstone wants her revenge on the ex-boyfriend bank manager who just dumped her. And then there’s Stu (Paulo Costanza) who is a nice guy, good employee with a conscience, but just happens to have the perfect plan to get away with $250,000.

All things converge on the plotting criminals, and unwittingly they all pick the same day to make off with their ill-gotten gains. I had the rare pleasure of actually caring about these characters, with the exception of Cook, who I’m not that fond of to begin with, so the movie was that much more fun. The main concept is that these people feel trapped in their jobs at the bank and want that one big break to come along so they can quit and move on with their lives. There is one person who is threaded through the story who is desperately trying to get a job at the bank because that would be his way out of a life that is going no where. So, I guess it’s a movie that takes the position that it’s all a matter of perspective. How you look at your life, your job, your “one big chance” to get ahead it in the world depends on where you are coming from. A poor slob who can’t hold a job and needs some stability sees a job at the bank as a huge leap forward in getting his life together. Three other people who have their own reasons see the bank as the thing that’s holding them back, and for them too much stability goes a long way.

John Cleese’s character is a real piece of work. He has gotten rich selling get rich quick schemes to millions of people. The ultimate scam artist so to speak. Not to mention he’s a real jerk. He’s funny though and adds a lot of class to what could have been a dud of a bad guy.

I think I liked this movie for one main reason, it wasn’t trying to be something it’s not. It’s just fun story to tell about a few different kinds of people. Some movies try to be hybrid champs and mix up the comedy, drama, action, etc. Sometimes it works, but sometimes it’s good to just sit back and let the genre wash over you as it’s meant to be, no complications or mixed signals.


Value: 4/10
Did I mention that I do really like this movie? I just want to make that extremely clear before I go on to say that the DVD is not only a pile of poop because the picture is not great and there are no extras, but they have the nerve to charge almost 20 bucks for it!! Come on people!! Supply and demand are one thing to consider, yes, but how about marketing a film when it’s released to get more people interested and THEN you would have more demand for the DVD and therefore can sell more DVD’s for less cash? It’s all about money money money..I do know that, however, it’s kind of insulting when a DVD like this one, even though the movie is great fun and well worth a watch, its nearly $20 and other movies throw in a ton of extras for $15 sometimes. How much effort would it be to have a hand held DV camera on set to film a few interviews, and then toss on a Director’s commentary? The least they could have done was invest a few dollars to get the skin tone right. I would have been willing to pay extra for that!

Overall Score 4/10

• Full-Length Audio Commentary by the Farrelly Brothers – Two guys who are so into making movies it’s a pleasure to listen to them talk about their latest comedic venture.
• Deleted/Extended Scenes – You get quite a few
• Blooper Reel – You can imagine how many laughs they have on the set when someone messes up their lines or misses their cue.
• “It’s Funny” – The Farrelly Formula – What makes the Farrelly brothers movies successful? Well, most of them anyway.
• “Stuck Together” – Bringing Stuck On You to the Screen – Where did the story of conjoined twins get its humor? Or at least its version of humor.
• “Making It Stick” – Makeup Effects of Stuck On You – Now this is cool. It is a time elapsed clip of how Damon and Kinnear got connected together everyday of shooting. It doesn’t look too fun, but they had video games and each other to keep their spirits up during the 5-8 hour process.

Movie: 7/10:
Check your brain at the door and put your heart on your sleeve, this movie is not for the intense thinkers amongst you. Let’s start from the obvious point, this is a Farrelly brothers’ film, ok, enough said. There are enough bad jokes, questionable lines of dialogue, and uncomfortable moments to take us back to the days of Something About Mary. Don’t assume that Stuck on You is in the same league as Mary, it’s not. We are talking low brow comedy here people, and at least with Something About Mary there was some cleverness here and there, Stuck on You is not quite so generous.

Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear are funny, for sure, but are they FUNNY? Well, in a conjoined twins kind of way I suppose it kind of pumps up the humor factor. But wouldn’t just about any two Hollywood stars in the same situation be as funny? Maybe not De Niro and Pacino, but I’m sure we could put together a few other sets of actors who could have fit the bill just as well. I really like Damon and I love Kinnear, but there’s something about this kind of comedy that loses my attention pretty quickly and I’m not that entertained no matter who’s at the helm.

I’ll admit that I laughed a few times, and I rolled my eyes, AND I shook my head several times, the way a mother who’s kid just said something terribly embarrassing would do. There are elements in Stuck on You that have that whole heart warming thing going for it, like the shy anxiety ridden brother whose panic attacks kick in when he’s put in front of groups of people who happens to be stuck to a sibling who is gregarious and has aspirations to be a famous actor. It’s an interesting combination, obvious, but semi-charming at times. Damon is the shy one who has never admitted to his three year online “girlfriend” about his conjoinedness and Kinnear’s half of the brother set barely notices that he has another human attached to him. They are mismatched, but need each other, of course.

They run a burger joint where they are the starring attraction where they have given a new meaning to fast food. One of my favorite things is that at each table of their restaurant there is a bell that is rung when and order is made and they have three minutes to finish the food or the customers get it for free. That’s where the duel brother/fry cook skills kick in. Four hands are faster than two apparently…you’ll see for yourself.

Kinnear’s dream to be an actor take them to Hollywood where their freak status is not as appreciated as it was back home. We all know how that feels. Along the way they find hot women, Cher, new friends, a crazy old Hollywood agent, fame, and maybe the nerve to finally be separated, just maybe.

Everyone in the movie is fun to watch and most of the dialogue isn’t too painful, if you remember to check that brain at the door! It’s got heart, that’s for sure, as all Farrelly brothers’ flicks have. Don’t worry, you won’t have to strain yourself thinking about this one, what a relief.

I liked the movie. That’s about as strong an opinion that I can dish up. It’s not the kind of story that requires any analyzing or after thought, in fact, I think I forgot it already :)





Value: 7/10
For $20, let it sit on the store shelf or in a box at your friendly online retailer’s warehouse. For $3 rent it and enjoy. Even better, wait about a month or two and it will be on cable, I’m pretty sure.

Overall Score 7/10

The menus look pretty cool with video clips from the movie as the backdrop. I wouldn’t say they were overly planned out or anything, but a menu really just needs to be functional. Anything else is a bonus.


Extras: 7/10

• Commentary By Director Jim Sheridan – Director commentary is always cool, especially when the director is also the writer and the man behind the leading character. This director wrote an autobiographical story about his family coming to America and now has put it to film. Listening to him talk about how each scene is made and how it reflects or doesn’t reflect the “real story” is a good way to add on to this already excellent movie.
• 9 Deleted Scenes – I’m a wishy-washy fan of deleted scenes. Sometimes I love them and sometimes I’m not that impressed, either because they should have been in the movie to add something, or because they wouldn’t have added to the movie at all. These scenes aren’t missed in the final cut and as the director himself said, he wonders if he cut enough…haha not very sentimental I guess.
• Making Of Featurette – It’s brief, it’s short, it’s way too short. This little extra is a great idea, but they didn’t do enough with it. I know this story has an interesting history and the people behind it have a real success story to tell. They have included a bit of a discussion with the director/writer, but other than that you don’t get a lot of info about the making of the movie. It felt like one of those shorts that they stick on HBO to promote a movie that will be showing the next month, you know what I’m talking about, and that just isn’t enough of an extra for such an excellent movie.
• Alternate Ending (10th Deleted Scene) – This is not your traditional alternate ending, if we have such a thing. It’s just a little tiny bit that was cut out of the final scene of the movie.

Movie: 10/10
First of all, this is a story driven film. There aren’t any big effects, explosions, or fancy camera work. We are talking straight on story telling with a beautiful sense of color and shot design. There is an artistic sensibility to a lot of the scenes which amplifies the emotions, but doesn’t outshine the characters. Now, on with the story portion of the review.

Triumph over adversity. Striving for the American Dream. Against all odds. Fish out of water. Love conquers all. These are all terms we use to describe different types of stories that are told through books, movies, even fairy tales. Usually there is an element of the fantastic or mystical thrown in to get the hero through it all, and usually that’s what the story needs. “In America” is a pure, straight forward, non-miracle driven story of a family who doesn’t just triumph over adversity, strive for the American Dream, overcome against all odds, learn to fit in, or let love conquer all. They forge ahead with quiet humility and a bravery that would overwhelm most people. They simply live their new live in America day to day, trouble to trouble and ride out the storm of bad times with nothing more than hope and a bit of stubbornness to their name. They do all this with what most of us overlook these days, community. The neighborhood they live in is not the kind of community most of us would consider safe to live in, let alone get to know the people well enough to rely on what kindness they have to offer.

This family has a hint of innocence, but a lot of gutsy wisdom about how to survive. Two parents dealing with the loss of a child is more than most “real” people could bare in life, and yet they have put it in perspective, or so it seems. They know in their minds they have to move on, but in their hearts it’s like a dam that is about to break apart with full force. To bring their lives back into a manageable reality, the father is a struggling actor and the mother works in an ice cream shop to make a living. At one point their optimism comes face to face with their poverty when Dad decides to wager all their money on an ET doll in a game of chance at a fair. It’s a glimmer of what bonds this family together, the idea that we may lose it all, but we’ll just start again. Never give up or give in to hopelessness.

They live in what looks like a castle on the top, but quickly disintegrates into a slum as soon you get past the faded architectural glory. In an apartment most of us spoiled Americans wouldn’t even think of living in, let alone with a family, they turn slum into sublime. With painted walls covered with colors and designs, textures and fabrics, and second hand furniture with lots of character, they make a cozy oasis in the middle of a comfortless environment.

Everything takes work, effort, and more stamina than any of us think we have, but this family doesn’t waiver. Even with the loss of their son, being broke in America, a father without work, two daughters who need attention, and mounting financial responsibilities they seem to know the most important thing is to survive happily. Not just survive day to day, but to be happy with what they have, which is each other. The Dad takes a night job as a cabby to pay for Catholic school for the girls. The mom makes Halloween costumes that give the daughters some sense of belonging (even if they are the only home made costumes at the party). Dad hooks up a hose to the shower, which sits in the middle of their living room, for a hot summer’s day fun when discovery an American tradition, summertime humidity.

The performances in this movie are absolutely perfect. I don’t say that lightly. I was blown away by every single person who put what seemed like their top effort into their roles. I want to see everyone again and again in different movies. I don’t really need to elaborate on “perfect:” now do I?

I’m not an overtly sappy person. I was touched by more than just the sweet little girls. I was moved by more than the mother with a broken spirit but who tucks it away for the sake of her family. And I was amused and inspired by more than the father who drags an air conditioner down the middle of the street and carries it up several flights of stairs to make his family a bit more comfortable. I was moved by the feeling of, “could I overcome these things, or am I too spoiled?” I would like to think I could start from scratch and pull myself back up, but unless the man who wrote this script came along and wrote out my life for me, I don’t think I could. This story is based on the writer’s real life, so this isn’t a tall tale. That makes it that much more entertaining and emotionally rousing.

All of these things are not just charming moments in a movie. These are the things that people do to get through their lives when they are stripped of everything else and have only themselves and their family to cling to. There’s something inspirational about the way they accept their junkie neighbors and graffiti ridden building. They make no fuss about having to walk up several flights of stairs because the elevator in the building, of course, doesn’t work. They even accept the “screaming man” who’s door is painted with the words, “stay away”.

The screaming man is an element in the story that is even more of a testament to the fortitude of these people. The young daughters try to trick or treat in their building but no one will answer their doors. They decide to pound on the “stay away” door until someone answers. They don’t back down, they don’t give up and in the end, that is the determination that opens them up to the goodness in the people in a place where goodness doesn’t seem possible. It also opens them up to a side of our America that most of us like to put aside and pretend doesn’t exist. Does the American Dream exist in a slum, crime infested neighborhood in New York City? That depends on the person with the dream I suppose.





Value: 8/10
To tell you the truth I didn’t even look up the price of this one. You want to know why? Well, I don’t actually care what it costs because I want this movie on my shelf regardless. I know it will be more than I normally want to spend, but it’s well worth it to have this gem of a family drama to look back on every now and then. I won’t let the lack of extras or the price lower the overall score on this DVD. It’s not packed with stuff and it’s not hitting the stores at a bargain basement price, but sometimes the movie overrides all of that.

Overall Score 8/10