Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 1st, 2005
As I always say when I review HBO television sets… you gotta love HBO. Entourage cannot be placed in the same family as Six Feet Under or The Sopranos, but it still can hold its own against the offerings from other networks. Not only do you get a good show, but you also get the benefits of a cable broadcast… adult language and nudity. Who could ask for more from a TV show?
Produced by “Marky” Mark Wahlberg, this is the story of a guy from Jersey who make his way to Hollywood to make ...t big in the movie biz, and his entourage of friends that follow him to live off of his success. Vince is a hot new actor, who just released his first big film in which he costars with Jessica Alba. Vince’s best friend, Eric, manages his career, even though he has no other experience then common sense. Turtle is another friend of Vince who seems to be there to run monotonous errands and provide comic relief. Lastly, Drama is Vince’s half-brother, a fellow actor who is now a has-been trying to get his career back on track. All four of these fools live together in a rented mansion, looking for girls and a way to burn through Vince’s cash.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 28th, 2005
Sony once again hits us with not only a double dip, but a triple dip release of xXx. What started out as a Special Edition, evolved into a Superbit release, and has now ultimately become the Uncensored Unrated Director’s Cut of the film. What is different this time around you ask… well, you get 8 more minutes of action and skin.
Let me guess… you want more specifics don’t you? Well here is what has been added… The scene with the girl “dancing” in Xander’s room has been extended. The...single girl in Yorgi's bed turns into three naked girls. The gunfight at the end has been extended. And a scene has been added with a young girl talking to Xander on a plane. Each of these scenes can be viewed in the Deleted Scenes section on the Special Edition release.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 26th, 2005
Synopsis
This is a film that delights in not being what it appears. The opening moments look like a period gangster film. Suddenly, the scene transforms into a musical. Then this turns out to be movie within the movie. And so it goes, as one scene after another turns out not to be what we thought it was. The plot has roguishly charming Jean-Louis Trintignant setting up a kidnapping scheme with two colleagues. I can’t say much more without giving away the whole plot and the strange circuit on which it...operates. Suffice it to say that though there might be a couple of confusing moments, this is a playful, light-on-its-feet effort that will have you smiling (if sometimes sardonically) from start to finish.
Posted in: News and Opinions by Archive Authors on April 26th, 2005
Miramax Home Entertainment will release the bollywood-style comedy Bride And Prejudice on July 5th. This disc will be presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, along with Dolby Digital 5.1 audio (in both English and French). Extras will include an audio commentary (with the filmmakers), deleted scenes, Ashanti's song, a gag reel, extended songs, a "Bringing Bombay to L.A.: The Making Of Bride & Prejudice" featurette and a Conversation with Aishwarya Rai and Martin Henderson.
Posted in: News and Opinions by Archive Authors on April 26th, 2005
On June 21st, Warner Home Video will release the Sandra Bullock sequel Miss Congeniality 2 on DVD. This disc will be relesaed is separate 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen and 1.33:1 full frame versions, both featuring Dolby Digital 5.1 audio (in both English & French). The only extras to be included are some deleted scenes and the theatrical trailer.
Posted in: News and Opinions by Archive Authors on April 26th, 2005
Miramax Home Entertainment will release the bollywood-style comedy Bride And Prejudice on July 5th. This disc will be presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, along with Dolby Digital 5.1 audio (in both English and French). Extras will include an audio commentary (with the filmmakers), deleted scenes, Ashanti's song, a gag reel, extended songs, a "Bringing Bombay to L.A.: The Making Of Bride & Prejudice" featurette and a Conversation with Aishwarya Rai and Martin Henderson.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 25th, 2005
Blade: Trinity caught a lot of flack from most critics, and even the movie going public as per the box office returns (only grossing $52 million domestically). When I went to see this film in the theatre, half of my party was extremely disappointed with the flick. The other half, including myself, thought the film was quite entertaining. I must admit, this film does not come close to the original Blade, but I did find it a little bit more entertaining the Blade 2.
The biggest change...to this sequel is the addition of Ryan Reynolds and Jessica Biel to the cast of Vampire Hunters. Reynolds is a breath of fresh air to this series with his wit and humor, and Biel, well, she looks great. Reynolds one-liners were a little much at times (which turned many viewers off), which made this picture more of an action-comedy then an action-horror. You could tell they were stretching for a premise this time around, but the cast pulled through for the most part. I don't think you will get a consensus on this films quality, but if you are looking for some over the top action and some cool special effects, this film is worth a watch.
Posted in: News and Opinions by Archive Authors on April 25th, 2005
On June 7th, Miramax will release the Collector's Series of the Billy Bob Thorton film Sling Blade. This disc will feature the Director's Cut of the film presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio tracks (English & French). Extras will include a Commentary from Writer/Director/Actor Billy Bob Thornton, Roundtable discussions & Conversations with the cast, a "Mr. Thornton Goes to Hollywood - The rise of Billy Bob and the evolution of Sling Blade" featurette, Bravo Pro...iles: Billy Bob Thornton, On The Set With the Filmmakers, “Doyle’s Dead” (with Billy Bob intro), Swingblade reviews, and a "The Return of Karl" video piece.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 24th, 2005
Enduring Love claims to be a psychological thriller, but comes across as more of a drama then a thriller. The story moves along quite slowly and the overall tone of the film is somewhat dry. The story does take a few interesting turns, and does keep you guessing at times, the story was not suspenseful enough to keep my eyes peeled to the screen for the span of the film.
One thing I can say about this film is that the story is different than anything that I have seen before. It touches upon some od... yet creative human elements, and the acting is quite good. Here is the stories synopsis provided by Paramount… “Joe (Daniel Craig, Road to Perdition) is an accomplished writer and professor whose rational life is thrust into a downward spiral of guilt after witnessing a freak, fatal ballooning accident while picnicking with girlfriend Claire (Samantha Morton, Minority Report). Jed (Rhys Ifans, Notting Hill), another man involved in that fateful day, seeks out Joe looking for consolidation and a way to make sense of this tragedy they’ve both witnessed. Jed soon becomes as inescapable to Joe as his guilt, and both men find themselves hurtling towards a final, terrifying choice driven by the destructive nature of obsession or the true endurance of love.”
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 22nd, 2005
There are just some trilogy’s that should not be made – and the Wild Things trilogy is one of them. This is not really a trilogy per se, since each of the films carries with it the same story, with the same twists. If you have seen the first, you have basically seen each of the sequels… except the sequels are both much worse. Take out the big name actors and make a direct-to-DVD release… and you have Wild Things: Diamonds In The Rough.
I am sure you all know the story by now, but here is a brief syn...psis… “Things get steamy in Blue Bay, Florida, when Marie, a 17-year-old beauty, gets caught in a tangle of deceit and double-crossing after meeting the promiscuous Elena, the new girl at school. Will they get away with the perfect crime or is someone else behind this scheme?” – Sony Pictures