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Disc Reviews by Brian Wortz on May 28th, 2008
You may not be surprised to hear that this little seen pseudo-fantasy film by virtually unknown writer/director Joshua Michael Stern took 2 years to reach DVD, big deal, right, for a film no one’s heard of. On the other hand, it is quite surprising that this films stars Ian McKellen, Aaron Eckhart, Nick Nolte, Brittany Murphy, William Hurt, Jessica Lange, and Alan Cumming, and those aren’t bit cameos either, that’s the actual cast of the film. How this film came together with that cast is a mystery to me and automatically raises a red flag that this is a film some of the cast wish never-was. But in the end, I found Neverwas to be a nice little film that could be worth you time.
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News and Opinions by Brian Wortz on May 8th, 2008
Word on the street is that some Wal-marts are beginning to carry a Magnavox branded Blu-ray player in the $288-298 price range as well as the Samsung 1500 for just under $350. Little is know about the Maganavox unit yet, however it has been suggested in various forums that the product is manufactured by Funai of Japan and may be a re-branded Phillips player.
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Disc Reviews by Brian Wortz on April 21st, 2008
Human Giant is a sketch comedy show starring Aziz Ansari, Rob Huebel and Paul Scheer. These guys may not necessarily be household names, but these are three guys who know their way around the comedy circuit. Personally I’ve never caught this show on MTV. I guess that’s because I don’t watch MTV. Ever. But as a fan of Mr. Show, SCTV, and the like, I’m happy to have discovered Human Giant: Season One on DVD.
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Disc Reviews by Brian Wortz on March 21st, 2008
Chucky returns with bride Tiffany and androgynous child Glen/Glenda in a modern sendup of old Hollywood. A little bit of gore, some John Waters, and a healthy dose of Jennifer Tilly keep this film fresh and original despite its obvious 80s slasher gimmick origins. Universal has put together an excellent package for this HD DVD release that should please Chucky fans young and old. HD DVD dead? Oh well….worth a pickup at your nearest firesale.
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Disc Reviews by Brian Wortz on January 28th, 2008
Ahh..Baseball and Kevin Costner. Goes together like chocolate and peanut butter, but not quite as tasty or always as enjoyable. Still, Costner has carved a nice niche for himself playing baseball players (four times by my count) with enough heart and sentiment to give even haters of America’s pastime a little American spirit. This time around Sam (Spider-man/Evil Dead) Raimi directs For Love of the Game with Kelly Preston, John C. Reilly, and Jena Malone co-staring. Costner plays an almost-washed-up pitcher for my local boys the Detroit Tigers. While not completely a sports film, and a bit more heavy on the romance, the Tigers haven’t looked as clear as they do on this HD DVD since last I’ve seen them in person.
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Disc Reviews by Brian Wortz on January 5th, 2008
How about a new review this morning? C’mon, it’ll be fun. I brought doughnuts and a crappy movie.. OK, OK I ate the doughnuts, but at least you didn’t have to sit through Stir of Echoes 2: The Homecoming. Rob Lowe stars in this “thriller” and, like his predecessor Kevin Bacon (from the first film if you didn’t catch that), he too can see dead people. At this point I’m wondering if they’re isn’t anyone who can’t see dead people anymore. Seriously, if you work in Hollywood and haven’t seen any dead people in one of your films, call your agent because apparently this bandwagon is still being pulled by that long dead horse. Anyway, this time around instead of a guy losing his mind digging up his yard and basement to solve a plaguing mystery, Lowe is a soldier who comes home (it’s in the title, get it), drinks alot of orange juice, listens to rap music, and drives to a dumpster. Interested???
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Disc Reviews by Brian Wortz on December 21st, 2007
The premise of Twilight Zone the Movie wasn’t a bad one. Steven Spielberg, John Landis, Joe Dante, and George Miller would give their own takes on the Twilight Zone mythos in several short featurettes. Unfortunately, the tragic events surrounding the making of this film only exacerbated the film’s failure. The death of star Vic Morrow and two other actors during John Landis’ segment of the film placed a dark cloud over this movie that still remains to this day. Even Spielberg’s lighthearted “Kick the Can” and John Lithgow’s great performance of George Miller’s reworking of “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” can’t save this film from the weight of uneasiness that still remains. The HD DVD presentation does make for a better viewing experience than the standard cable TV presentation I’ve been accustomed to, but I’ll have to leave this disc for the die hard fans only.
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Disc Reviews by Brian Wortz on December 5th, 2007
What would Christmas be without shopping and Ahhnuld? Well, I guess there wouldn’t be any family fun then, would there? Yeah….I think there would. But if you need a dose of the Governator on top of your waiting in long check out lines, then look no further than Jingle All the Way: Family Fun Edition. Apparently the previous DVD edition briefly went out of print, and fans demanded their annual Schwarzenegger/Sinbad Christmas fix, so Fox studios reached down from the heavens with a heavy dose of Christmas magic to give their fans the gift that keeps on giving: Jingle All the Way: Family Fun Edition. Oh Joy!
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Disc Reviews by Brian Wortz on November 26th, 2007
Jay Mohr starts in this painfully unfunny Christmas “comedy” titled Christmas Do-Over. A blatant ripoff of Groundhog Day that intends to appeal to both kids and adults, but ends up entertaining no one. I wish I had a “do-over” so I could skip this drivel. In fact, if I was repeating the same day over and over, I’d find time to track down Jay Mohr, Daphne Zuniga, and the rest of the cast (Adrienne Barbeau how could you?) and slap them all upside the head. How bout that for a “do-over”?
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Disc Reviews by Brian Wortz on November 10th, 2007
If you’ve started reading this review, and have yet to have the title song stuck in your head, watch the preview and you’ll be hard pressed to forget it before the end of the day. Viva Las Vegas is arguably one of Elvis’ best films known especially for the on-screen chemistry between the King and Ann-Margaret. Some catalog high definition releases have been of less than desirable quality, but Warner Bros has put out a real winner here that’s sure to stun friends and family. If you wanted something to show your parents, or grandparents (gasp!) the value of high definition, look no further. Oh yeah, and the movie’s fun too!
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Disc Reviews by Brian Wortz on October 25th, 2007
I’ll describe this show the same way I did to a friend of mine who is now a fan of all things Dethklok. If you took This Is Spinal Tap added Type O Negative (at their hardest) and made it into a cartoon, you might have some idea what Metalocalypse is all about. Part tribute, part parody, all metal, Metalocalypse is likely the most gruesome and one of the best shows on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim lineup.
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Disc Reviews by Brian Wortz on October 23rd, 2007
What’s more frightening? The thought of your life ending by a horrible, fast-acting virus that kills you as you’re coughing up blood, or that Tiffani Thiessen, French Stewart, Vincent Spano, with Eric Roberts and Faye Dunaway might be the only ones who can save you!? That’s the premise (sort of) of Hallmark’s mini-series Pandemic which, for those who care (or will humor me by reading my review) is available on DVD. While I’m generally not a fan of the made-for-TV movie type fare, this series had enough plot and character development to keep me not only awake, but mostly interested during it’s 3 hour runtime. Rumoured to be re-airing on soon, your Tivo could do worse…
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Disc Reviews by Brian Wortz on October 17th, 2007
Hot chicks, beaches, martial arts, and Eric Roberts. Sound like a campy good time? I thought so. DOA: Dead or Alive is based on the popular video game franchise of the same name. As a longtime fan of the series (I do have a Hori DOA4 360 limited edition stick), this movie still didn’t make more than a slight blip on my radar when first announced. Long delayed, this film was finally released to a short run in the theater and is now available on it’s rightful home on DVD. Directed by Corey Yuen (The Transporter) and starring Jamie Pressly (My Name Is Earl) and Devon Aoki, DOA:Dead or Alive is slick and entertaining enough that it didn’t arrive DOA on DVD. (Forgive me for that one….)
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Disc Reviews by Brian Wortz on October 1st, 2007
Not funny. Don’t spend your money. Do you really need to know anything more? Funny Money is an unfortunate return to the screen by Chevy Chase. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not unfortunate that Chase returns to the screen, just that the final product is such a mess. Based on a hit London play, Funny Money also stars Robert Loggia, Armand Assante, Christoper McDonald, and Penelope Ann Miller. Not a bad cast you might be thinking. I would agree, the talent is there, but the performances vary from over the top (Miller) to phoned-in (Assante). Even Chase himself just seems happy to be getting paid for this one.
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Disc Reviews by Brian Wortz on September 24th, 2007
Ending the greatest spoof on ’60s Hanna-Barbara cartoons, and one of the funniest series on Adult Swim, Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, Vol 3 has arrived. For those familiar with the show, you either love it because the twisted takes on your favorite childhood characters, or at least like it due to the innuendo and running gags similar to other Adult Swim fair. Either way, it’s win/win for fans of Adult Swim.
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Disc Reviews by Brian Wortz on September 18th, 2007
Yes, it’s time again for another Totally 80s Double Feature review. If you haven’t read any of the previous reviews for these sets, check ‘em out for more wacky 80s movie fun. The double feature I bring you today falls into the “80s sports film” genre which includes the classics (depending on your point of view) Johnny Be Good and Youngblood. Before I begin reviewing these movies (’cause there ain’t much depth there), I’d like to consider what it takes for a film to become an “80s sports film”.
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News and Opinions by Brian Wortz on September 7th, 2007
Ok, so now that Paramount is going all “Transformers on HD DVD”, what’s the next sign of exclusivity? We’ve known for awhile that a Star Trek Original series HD DVD/DVD combo is coming this fall. What better incentive to Trekkers to join the Red Side (pardon the mixing of mythologies) than to offer an exclusive Star Trek phaser remote for those making the jump into HD DVD. As announced at CEDIA this week, purchasers of the HD combo Star Trek vol 1 box set and a spankin’ new HD DVD player will be eligible to receive the item. Further details have not yet been announced….stay tuned!
see more pics at: http://www.cepro.com/slideshow/image/1175/
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Disc Reviews by Brian Wortz on July 25th, 2007
Ok, I’ve got to give some credit to Edward James Olmos (Battlestar Galactica)for putting together the film American Me. Rather than just glamorizing gang violence as in many other gang related films, he surprises us by giving us a realistic view of the harshness of gang life and the difficulties of trying to escape the life of a criminal. Olmos directs and stars in this film as Pedro Santana, a drug lord who has gained power during an extended stay in Folsom Prison. While this movie has been dubbed “the Mexican Godfather” or called a Carlito’s Way rip-off, I was pleasantly surprised by the overall tone and message of the film.
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Disc Reviews by Brian Wortz on July 20th, 2007
Life is hard for a pimp, who knew? And prostitutes have it rough too. So is there hope for a better life? Craig Brewer’s Sundance Festival favorite Hustle & Flow comes to HD-DVD.
Synopsis
Hustle & Flow is the story of a pimp named DJay (an inspired Terrence Howard) who is looking to break into the music business to escape his difficult life. While this may sound an awful lot like Eminem’s 8 Mile, this film easily stands on its own. Upon hearing that local rapper turned mega…
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Disc Reviews by Brian Wortz on July 20th, 2007
Waaariorrrrs… Come out to playeeeaaayyy! in HDeeee! What else needs to be said?
Synopsis
The Warriors has arrived on HD-DVD. For the uninitiated, The Warriors is a film from 1979 that caused controversy because of gang depiction and violence. Looking back, we now see that The Warriors is about a bunch of grown men in various goofy makeup and attire running around looking “bad” (in the Michael Jackson sense of the term) and just trying to make peace in the streets. It is …
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Disc Reviews by Brian Wortz on July 5th, 2007
Eddie Murphy’s memorable comedy comes to high-def. Is it worth it for the 1080p upgrade? Better yet, is the movie still funny?
Synopsis
Eddie Murphy hasn’t really been at the top of his game lately. I have no problem with the fact that he has resorted to more family friendly fare. The problem is that most of it isn’t any good (see Norbit. Better yet, don’t see it). But in the 80’s, Murphy was one of the more inspired and hilarious performers. He mixed some of the crazier antics o…
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Disc Reviews by Brian Wortz on July 5th, 2007
Eddie Murphy, where have you gone? And why have you taken dear brother Charlie with you? Seriously, how in hell did we get Norbit from the minds that brought us Axel Foley and Rick James muddy boots? You know those reviews that say, “It’s not really that bad…” this isn’t one of those reviews. This movie IS THAT BAD! Borat had more fun with his rubber fist than I had watching this garbage. How can I, my readers, protect you from watching this? I think the surgeon general should issue a statement that vie…
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Disc Reviews by Brian Wortz on June 27th, 2007
After the fantastic high-def restoration we received of The Searchers, Warner Bros. has brought us another John Wayne classic, and one of my favorites: Rio Bravo. Rio Bravo was directed by the very prolific Howard Hawks (Scarface) after a self-imposed exile from Hollywood. During his break from filmmaking, he grew fond of television westerns and was inspired to bring one to the big screen.
Synopsis
Rio Bravo is light on story, but a classic nonetheless. John W…
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Disc Reviews by Brian Wortz on June 16th, 2007
It’s The Matrix! All 3 films! It’s HD! It’s got IME! It’s the Christmas present that didn’t come until May for HD-DVD owners across the country! How have we survived?
Synopsis
What can I say about The Matrix Complete Trilogy that you don’t know, or that will make you think, “I never thought of that before. Thank you Brian, you have enhanced my life. I am now a better person for reading you’re review on top of the countless others over the past many years.”? I could talk about revo…
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Disc Reviews by Brian Wortz on June 12th, 2007
Over the last decade or so, few fantasy films have been widely accepted by the mainstream audience. That’s probably because the genre was overdone in the 80’s with mostly lackluster results. Fantasy and fairy tale films have been considered something for kids and/or weirdoes who dress up like elves. It wasn’t until films like The Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Star Wars prequels had great success (deservedly or not) that we trolls, dwarves, and Sith Lords could come out in public again.
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