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Hitcher, The (HD DVD)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 5th, 2007

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Grace (Sophia Bush) and Jim (Zachary Knighton) are your average college students. They love each other and with the arrival of Spring Break, they want nothing more than to spend a week down in Mexico with their friends. Leaving their campus, everything is progressing smoothly until they nearly run over a man who simply wants a ride to the nearest motel. They speed off thinking they obviously shouldn’t pick up any stranger, especially in the pouring rain. Once they arrive at the nearest gas station, they’re shocked to…
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Tomorrow Never Dies (Region 2)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 5th, 2007

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Synopsis

Well in the ever ongoing series of reviews of the James Bond series, this particular installment is the last of the Pierce Brosnan collection (the others are on the site, so go find them). And in Tomorrow Never Dies, I saved it for last because well, I needed some form of drama to keep me going.

This one takes Ian Fleming’s characters and adapts them into a screenplay that was written by Bruce Feirstein (GoldenEye) and directed by Roger Spottiswoode (Under Fire). And …
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Drew Carey Show – The Complete First Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 3rd, 2007

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The Drew Carey Show originally aired its pilot episode in 1995, focusing on a simple group of friends living their simplistic lives. Known for its everyman characters and situations, the show enjoyed a 9-year run on ABC, getting yanked from the schedule in 2004. Drew Carey and Bruce Helford, who both continued to write for the show in the following seasons, created the show with the premise of Drew Carey’s life if he hadn’t become a comedian and pursued a different career. I wasn’t even aware that this show wa…
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Highly Defined – The World of High Definition

Posted in Highly Defined, News and Opinions by Archive Authors on April 30th, 2007

And how did you spend YOUR NFL Draft weekend?

This seems to be a week where things just aren’t happening news wise (granted, the $299 HD-DVD player remark was clarified to be a little vaguer this week, but that’s about it), but there’s some fun things on the disc release front, most of it for Blu-Ray fans. Sony pimps out The Patriot, Wild Things and Flatliners on 7/3. Lion’s Gate puts Season Two of Weeds out on 7/24, and Waiting comes out one week prior. Warner will be rel…
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Coming Soon

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 29th, 2007

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Synopsis

Coming of Age is a film about a girl who goes to private school in New York City, and with the help of her friends, tries to find a way to achieve an orgasm. It sounds eerily family to The OH in Ohio, a more recent Parker Posey film I watched and enjoyed.

The only differences between that film and this one are that Coming Soon was released several years before The OH in Ohio was conceived, but that ironically enough, OH was executed a lot more efficient…
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On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (Region 2)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 26th, 2007

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Synopsis

Well, time may not have been too kind to George Lazenby since he assumed the tailored suits of James Bond for On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, but considering how well Daniel Craig did in Casino Royale, and the basic storyline is the same for both films, why do people still want to bash Lazenby now? Is it because he wasn’t a carbon copy of his predecessor, Sean Connery? Who knows?

As for the film itself, Lazenby was as unknown as one could get for the job, as this was only h…
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Alpha Dog

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 26th, 2007

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If any of you watch America’s Most Wanted or have followed the news over the past few years, chances are you know about Jesse James Hollywood, the notorious twenty-year-old drug dealer. Alpha Dog is based upon Hollywood, his crew, and their unlawful activities. Of course the names are changed due to the fact that there are trials pending, but the story is a chilling tale of how young men can push each other too far trying to adhere to a “tough guy” image.

Johnny Truelove (Emile Hirsch, The Gir…
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Nutty Professor, The (HD DVD)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 24th, 2007

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In The Nutty Professor comedian Eddie Murphy (yes, he USE to be funny) stars as professor Sherman Klump. Klump is a 400-pound man who quickly becomes infatuated with a new professor named Carly Purty (Jada Pinkett Smith). When he asks her out on a date, she accepts and they go to a local club named ‘The Scream’. Once there, the evening is progressing fine until comic Reggie jumps up on stage and quickly dissects poor old Sherman. Sherman, having recently performed a genetic experience on his hamster that saw i…
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Dreamgirls – Showstopper Edition

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 24th, 2007

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Ahead of the pack with eight nominations, Dreamgirls had a lot of buzz leading up to this year’s Academy Awards. In the midst of it all, there was talk of a surprise standout performance by American Idol alumnus Jennifer Hudson in her first film role, and even more surprisingly, Pluto Nash – I mean, Eddie Murphy was up for best supporting actor.

With that many nominations, Dreamgirls, in yet another surprise, was not up for the coveted best picture Oscar. And after the dust settled, the film had been honored with just two of the golden statues, for Jennifer Hudson as best supporting actress and best achievement in sound mixing. No best picture nod and so few wins seemed to say, ‘yeah, your movie had a lot of good parts, some even great, but they didn’t add up to something more.’

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (HD DVD)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 24th, 2007

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Every so often you find yourself blown away by the sheer power of a film. A film’s power can do a lot to one’s mind. Remember what Schindler’s List did to you? I certainly do. Charlie Kaufman’s latest effort is a fantastic masterpiece that will certainly leave an impact on your mind, soul, and body that few films can leave.

Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet star was Joel Barish and Clementine. The two seem like they’re happy until the two suddenly break it off. Joel has turned from a happy man full of lif…
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Highly Defined – The World of High Definition

Posted in Highly Defined, News and Opinions by Archive Authors on April 23rd, 2007

Apologies to all last week for the postponement of last week’s column. As one who has a personal interest in the activities surrounding Virginia Tech, I had a lot more on my plate to digest. Anyway, onward and upward in the next generation news and opinion.

Several big things have happened over the course of the last couple of weeks, the first being Samsung’s announcement of their own hybrid player. Like the current LG player, it will play both formats, unlike the LG player, it will support HDi, which is go…
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History Boys, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 23rd, 2007

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The History Boys is a film version of the award-winning play of the same name. The link between film and play is especially strong here, as not only was it adapted and directed by the original writer and stage director, but each member of the stage cast also reprised his or her role for the film.

Set in the early 80’s, The History Boys is about a group of bright young men preparing for their futures and the teachers helping them along. The boys have just received top marks at their grammar sch…
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Smokin’ Aces

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 23rd, 2007

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I’ve just watched Smokin’ Aces for the first time. What. A. Mess.

Having read and heard comparisons with Tarantino films like Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill, I had anticipated a violent, highly entertaining romp. The violence part I get, no problem. Smokin’ Aces is certainly a bloody film, but come on, ”Tarantino”? You’ve got to be kidding me.

I barely got through this film. At the half-way mark, I wanted it to end so badly I paused it to grab the DVD case and check …
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Candy

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 22nd, 2007

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Synopsis

Who would have thought that after an amazing performance in Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain that Heath Ledger would return to his native Australia and do an independent film? Well for those who did and put long odds on it, you get the prize in the pool. I just wish that after things like Trainspotting, Half Nelson and similar films, this one would have a little more impact than it does.

Candy is written by Luke Davies, and adapted from his book and directed by Ne…
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Addams Family, The (Volume 2)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 22nd, 2007

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Synopsis

The first thing that surprised me when I did some minor research on The Addams Family was that as a show, it was barely on for a cup of coffee, lasting two seasons. Maybe because it was on around the same time as The Munsters shortened its shelf life. However three decades later, the film (and its sequel) helped propel it into fan appreciation.

At least as part of the preservation effort, the shows themselves are starting to appear on DVD shelves, and Volume 2 is the latest …
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Game, The (HD DVD)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 18th, 2007

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Take a second and think about your life. You have a pretty set schedule right? Get up, go to work, come home, eat dinner, watch TV and go to sleep and repeat. Pretty dull no? Imagine getting a card when day at your birthday inviting you to open your life into a completely different world of change. Would you necessarily change? And what would come from the change? That is what David Fincher looks at in his 1997 film The Game.

Nicholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas) is your typical investment banker. Hi…
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National Lampoon’s Pucked

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 18th, 2007

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There was a time when National Lampoon’s was known for their comedic presence, with classics like the Vacation franchise, Animal House, and their first decent production in ten-years – Van Wilder. Since then they have seldom come out with anything remotely humorous, usually brining in novelty has been or never was actors/actresses to fill the roles, such as Paris Hilton (Pledge This), Vida Guerra (Dorm Daze 2), and David Faustino (Pucked). I’ll admit having not seen or even h…
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Planet Earth – The Complete Series

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 18th, 2007

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Planet Earth – The Complete Series presents the original U.K. broadcast version with narration by David Attenborough, not the version airing on Discovery narrated by Sigourney Weaver.

Have you ever sat back and wondered about the sheer size and shape of our world, its diversity of habitats or the incredible variety of life we share it with? It’s hard to get your head around it all, especially when most of us are living out our existences in one tiny slice of the place, with the only the odd vacation …
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Smokin’ Aces (HD DVD)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 17th, 2007

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January is typically the month when most studios dump those films they think won’t succeed on our laps. Unfortunately this was the case with Smokin’ Aces, a film that has such an odd sense of humor that we can’t help but smile at what’s in front of us. As we know Joe Carnahan’s previous effort Narc is a dark, gritty film with little to no humor. How could a man with such a dark, violent mind direct a film with as much violence but such a level of humor?

Our film opens with two federal agents …
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Highly Defined – The World of High Definition

Posted in Highly Defined, News and Opinions by Archive Authors on April 16th, 2007

Sorry guys, in between starting a new job today and the news ongoing at Virginia Tech, I’m busy trying to find out what’s going on at a school I’m very familiar with. Back with more news and updates next week.

Jump In!

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 15th, 2007

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In fairness to the folks at the Disney Channel and this movie’s target audience, I’m stepping into the shoes of an 11-year-old girl for this review. Boy, these are tight.

Jump In! is totally a fun movie. It was a Disney Channel original, but now you can buy it on DVD to watch whenever you feel like it. The movie is about Izzy Daniels, a teenage boy played by Corbin Bleu, who was like, so cool in High School Musical. Izzy lives with his dad and his kid sister, and he likes to box. His dad loves…
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Man With the Golden Gun, The (Region 2)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 13th, 2007

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Synopsis

Ian Fleming’s The Man With the Golden Gun was the only posthumous release for the established actor, and the book was such a success that producers Albert Broccoli and Harry Saltzman decided to try and recruit Roger Moore for the role immediately after You Only Live Twice to capitalize on the success of Fleming’s book. However, it wasn’t meant to be, and the film’s production was delayed several years while the George Lazenby era came and went, not to mention the Sean Connery era leav…
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Aperion Audio Aperion 422 Harmony HD

Posted in Hardware Reviews by Archive Authors on April 12th, 2007

Aperion 4-Series: Part One

Aperion Audio 4 Series: 422 Harmony HD, inlcuding:

6x 422-LR satellites
1x S10 10 inch powered subwoofer, 100 Watts
1x 422-C Center Channel

First off, let me preface this review with the declaration that I am woefully new to speaker reviews, and know little of the art or science of speaker design. On one hand, that makes me under-qualified to do an in-depth speaker review, as I won’t be commenting on impedence levels, p…
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Queen, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 12th, 2007

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The Queen is all about Helen Mirren’s performance. All of the buzz I heard leading up to the Oscars was about Mirren’s remarkable turn as the queen bee herself, Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, and rightfully so.

The film presents an intimate perspective on the royal family during the week of Diana’s death. Despite her majesty’s very public persona, she is actually a very private person, bound to tradition. She’s at odds with new prime minister Tony Blair (Michael Sheen, Blood Diamond), who…
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Bottom Feeder

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 12th, 2007

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After watching a bloated Tom Sizemore run around tunnels being chased by a man in a rubber suit while making bad jokes, it’s hard to believe that he used to be in good movies like Heat, Saving Private Ryan, and Black Hawk Down. And that’s probably the biggest impression I got from Bottom Feeder, just another example of the latest “anyone can make a direct-to-video horror movie” trend. My, how far Sizemore has fallen.

The plot is minimal, which is par for the course in most horror films…
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