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Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas (HD DVD)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 20th, 2006

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Director Ron Howard is quite the puzzling man. He surely knows how to direct a fine film like A Beautiful Mind or even The Da Vinci Code, but still knows how to give us that random piece of crap. When word came that Howard was going to adapt Dr. Seussï¿½ timeless classic How The Grinch Stole Christmas, I immediately questioned why? After all wasnï¿½t the TNT special that airs oh 40-50 times a year good enough? I guess not for Hollywood as the 2000 remake made some serious bank with Jim Carrey portraying the lead character. The only unfortunate part here is that the film is absolutely horrendous.
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MXC: Most Extreme Elimination Challenge – The Complete First Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 19th, 2006

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Spike TV has really picked up steam in recent years, and this momentum is nowhere more apparent than in their staple show MXC – Most Extreme Elimination Challenge. Now on DVD with the complete first season, fans of the show and adventurous new viewers are sure to enjoy the antics and wisecracks of hosts “Kenny” and “Vic,” who provide commentary on each episode of insane Asian people sacrificing their bodies for the thrill of being on television. Of course, the American voiceovers of MXC are all added …
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Fish Called Wanda, A

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 18th, 2006

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A Fish Called Wanda returns to DVD, this time in a stunning 2-disc collector’s edition that finally gives adequate treatment to one of the funniest surprises of the eighties. John Cleese stars as an English barrister, whose life is so dull and – well, British – that a seductress/jewel thief named Wanda comes along and steals his heart in record time. But Wanda carries a lot of baggage with her, the heaviest piece being a Nietzche-quoting moron, who just so happens to be her psychotic boyfriend. Add an anima…
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Little Miss Sunshine

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 17th, 2006

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Little Miss Sunshine is a gem. With a quirky script, a great cast and interesting cinematography, there’s plenty to appreciate as this ultimately uplifting film unfolds.

To make a great movie, they say you have to start with a great script. From there, your goal is just to not screw it up. Little Miss Sunshine‘s script laid just such a foundation for this film, as it’s unique, funny and surprisingly heartwarming.
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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Region 2) (HD DVD)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 16th, 2006

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Synopsis

Not to fawn too heavily on one side in the next-generation format wars, but how cool is HD-DVD? Well, if for nothing else, the HD-A1 and HD-XA1 players from Toshiba are all region-free. And while Warner Brothers has been slipping over themselves and teasing American consumers with a release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, British customers have gotten full penetration, and can pick up the fourth Potter film now. So I went onto Amazon UK and picked up my own copy, and Iï¿½m going to presume that the disc will be the same when it comes out here, whenever that will be.
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The Wild

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 16th, 2006

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If there’s something that bothers me about the wave of digital films for children’s entertainment nowadays, it’s that anyone who has a Mac and good enough software feels compelled to make a movie, no matter how much it sucks. And Disney (or Dreamworks) or another studio will put enough marketing money behind it to make anyone want to watch it.

How can you tell how good or bad it will be? Well, if it’s not a Pixar film, you can generally tell by the cast that is brought in to do voice work for it. In the case of The Wild, Samson the Lion (Kiefer Sutherland, 24) lives in the New York zoo with his son Ryan (hey, that’s me! But really it’s Greg Cipes, John Tucker Must Die).
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The Oh in Ohio

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 16th, 2006

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Maybe you guys don’t remember the Blake Edwards romantic comedies of the ’70s and ’80s like 10 or even Skin Deep, but I’d even go so far as to say that when it clicks, The Oh in Ohio is much in the same vein of those comedies. Anyone notice the disclaimer?

Anyway for those that missed it, Priscilla Chase (Parker Posey, Superman Returns) is a successful businesswoman in Cleveland who is married to Jack (Paul Rudd, Anchorman), a high school teacher in the area.
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The Cheetah Girls 2 (Cheetah-Licious Edition)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 16th, 2006

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Well as far as girl groups go, I suppose one could do worse than the Cheetah Girls. Something that is a pretty clear production of the Disney network, the only recognizable thing about the group itself is the appearance of the big-boned Raven Symone, otherwise known as the youngest Cosby kid.

And it appears that several different plot devices occur through the film. You’ve got the Help! or other delirious fans of young groups. Then the girls travel to what appears to be Spain after maxing out their success in the US, so they decide to go without really going, using enough exterior shots to match up with the sound stage scenes.
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Full House – The Complete Fifth Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 15th, 2006

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Why is it that kids watch so much bad programming? When I was a child I watched a lot of Full House, even though I knew at the time that it was a poorly-crafted program. I really don’t remember ever laughing during an episode, and I knew how cheesy the whole thing was, yet if I was at home changing channels, and the show came on, I would inexplicably stop and watch. At first, I think it was confusing for me that Dave Coulier was on the show, as up until that point I was used to seeing him as the host of Nickel…
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Miami Vice (HD DVD)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 15th, 2006

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Michael Mann, for myself, has always been an entertaining director. His commercial successes like Last of the Mohicans, Heat and Collateral are some of my favorite guilty-pleasure films that I can always enjoy. When Mann decided to make a feature film on the classic TV series Miami Vice, I immediately piqued interest in the film. I figured with Colin Farrell, Jamie Foxx acting and Michael Mann directing that Miami Vice would be a home run. In the end, Vice is more of a double that has a few faults which keep it from hitting a home run.
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My Super Ex-Girlfriend

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 13th, 2006

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My Super Ex-Girlfriend certainly has a fun premise, but after 10 minutes or so, you’ll quickly realize that the originality is at most skin-deep. What we have here is a formulaic romantic comedy with the usual character types and plot points.

Luke Wilson plays Matt Saunders, a nice guy who’s kind of unlucky with love. He meets Jenny Johnson (Uma Thurman), falls for her, realizes she’s a needy psycho, and dumps her because he’s really in love with his co-worker, Anna (Hannah Lewis).
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Dukes of Hazzard, The – The Complete Seventh Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 13th, 2006

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I can’t believe this show ran for seven seasons. Sure, I enjoyed it as a child, but I was a child, and didn’t know any better. Seeing it today, it is shocking how bad it really is. The acting is pathetic and the storylines are lame and predictable. Every episode for seven straight seasons had the same basic skeleton. The boys are having a good time, the corrupt county commissioner does something for personal gain, the half-retarded Sheriff blames it on the innocent Duke boys, car chase, short shorts, car flies throug…
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National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (HD DVD)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 12th, 2006

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The Griswolds, a household name for a series of National Lampoon comedyï¿½s beginning with Vacation and most recently Vegas Vacation. Few of us could say these iconic characters havenï¿½t left an impression in our minds. I was happy when I heard that Christmas Vacation was going to be released on HD DVD, a true Christmas classic in high definition. With many memorable scenes associated with Christmas, is this classic worth the purchase in HD?
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Highly Defined – The World of High Definition

Posted in Highly Defined, News and Opinions by Archive Authors on December 11th, 2006

Listen to my tale, will you?

OK, so I’m in an interview last week for a job, really more to get involved in the interview process again, and giving the right answers to the questions, and I’m asked about my hobbies. So I politely tell the guy that I write online as a reviewer, and so the question is asked, “So, what about this Blu-Ray?” Too friggin’ funny, so I discuss the format war. So I guess I’ve got an offer coming to me, but I don’t know if I wanna drive that far.

Anyway, the big news seems …
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Wii Sports (Wii)

Posted in Game Reviews by Archive Authors on December 8th, 2006

Well it is finally here; the Wii has been released by Nintendo and with it comes my very first review of a Wii title. As most of you surely know Wii Sports is included in the package with every system and it showcases some of the Wii Remote’s impressive capabilities. Beyond its apparent simplistic look its offers more depth than originally expected. Initially thought as a mere technology demo, Wii Sports turns out to be a game in itself.
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NCIS – The Complete Second Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 8th, 2006

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Synopsis

Hooray for Donald Bellisario and his decision to create prime time television shows with various branches of the armed forces! But in this case, NCIS takes advantage of the craze of all the CSI related shows that have sprouted up over the last several years. But with various jump cuts and clips of music that are interspersed with it, it’s still hard to make the distinction.

And to make things even more confusing, the show features a grouchy leader who utters the occasional g…
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Garfield and Friends: Behind the Scenes

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 7th, 2006

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They say you can’t turn back the clock. Sometimes, that really sucks. Like when I pressed “play” to watch Garfield and Friends, Behind the Scenes. There was a time in my life when I lived and breathed Garfield, and everything Jim Davis touched glittered like a clear, starry night to my eyes. I’m exaggerating, but the point is I used to really like the comic.

Well, that was age seven, and this is now. My mature, adult brain just cannot compute why this comic strip still runs in the dailies, and still sells off store shelves. So you can guess that I wasn’t too keen on watching nearly two hours’ worth of the animated Garfield cartoon.
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Taps – 25th Anniversary Special Edition

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 6th, 2006

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I remember that this film was all the rage when I was a kid growing up in the early 80’s. I always assumed that the reason that I didn’t care for the film at the time was that I was just too young to fully appreciate it. Turns out, it’s just not a very good movie. I certainly appreciate where it is trying to go, it’s just that it takes the hokiest path possible to get there. The film tells the story of a military academy that is slated to be shut down and turned into condominiums. The cadets, who apparently enjoy the fact that they are in military school, are so proud of the institution that they use their minimal combat training to hold off the developers.
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Joyeux Noel (Merry Christmas)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 5th, 2006

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Synopsis

Christmas, 1914. In the trenches, we see the Scots, French and Germans beginning to celebrate in their own way. Singing in one trench inspires more in the opposing one, and before long, an unauthorized truce has broken out, and the enemy combatants are marking Christmas together. The film concentrates on a handful of characters who play a pivotal role in the truce in this particular section of the trenches, in particular the local commanding officers.

This was one of the most start…
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Rocky

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 5th, 2006

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I donï¿½t recall when I first saw Rocky, and I havenï¿½t kept track of how many times Iï¿½ve seen it since. The answers are probably ï¿½15 years agoï¿½ and ï¿½more than 10 timesï¿½, but accuracy isnï¿½t important. What is important for you to know, is that Sylvester Stalloneï¿½s masterpiece is one of my favourite films of all time.

In other words, I love this movie, so donï¿½t expect any criticism until at least the ï¿½videoï¿½ section of this review. I donï¿½t deny that there may be aspects of Rocky that merit denigration, I just refuse to let anything distract me from what I consider to be the ultimate inspirational story.
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Highly Defined – The World of High Definition

Posted in Highly Defined, News and Opinions by Archive Authors on December 4th, 2006

Caution: reading any of this entry may cause you to break down, cry and accuse me of “unappropriate” things.

Well, a week back into the fold (save for a business trip) doesn’t report much new news to speak of. In fact, the most notable news (aside from still poring over the Superman discs) is that the Blu-Ray release of Speed seems to be coming up with some glitches on playback, specifically that it won’t play on the Samsung player. Thankfully, Fox is providing replacement discs (hey, sounds familiar…
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The Devil Wears Prada

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 4th, 2006

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When I sat down to watch The Devil Wears Prada with my wife, who was excited to see it, I was braced for a complete chick flick. I figured it was another one of those ï¿½uglyï¿½ duckling turns beautiful to conquer her situation movies, and that prospect didnï¿½t exactly have me jazzed up.

Well, thatï¿½s not quite how it goes, and I was surprised to find that I enjoyed the film. The story centres around Andrea (Anne Hathaway), an aspiring journalist whoï¿½s getting nowhere, who takes a job as second assistant to Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), the frightening editor-in-chief of a leading fashion magazine.
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Excalibur (HD DVD)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 3rd, 2006

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Excalibur tells the story of King Arthur, from his simple beginnings to his noble ends. War plagues Great Britain, and many countrymen relish at the thought of peace as everyone is making claim to the Kingship. It is told that who ever removes Excalibur from the stone will be declared King. This legend might sound familiar to you as The Sword in the Stone (Excalibur being the sword). It is a mythical sword, which has been said to have magical, and only a noble and worthy man can bear it. Every noble i…
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Corpse Bride (HD DVD)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 3rd, 2006

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The plot of Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride, although simple, provides a very enjoyable experience throughout its entirety. Johnny Depp does a tremendous job brining his character to life, as does the rest of the cast.

Set in a dark Victorian era city, Corpse Bride is the tale of an arranged marriage between Victor Van Dort (Johnny Depp) the son of fishmongers, and Victoria Everglot (Emily Watson) the daughter of aristocrats. Victor is very hesitant of the marriage, of course until he meets the cha…
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Beverly Hills, 90210 – The Complete First Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 1st, 2006

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Ah, good old 1990 ï¿½ such an important year in our history. The Soviet Union was in a state of social and political upheaval, David Robinson had just taken the professional basketball world by storm, and I was hatching plans for my first double-digits birthday.

Oh yeah, and Beverly Hills, 90210 hit the airwaves for its inaugural season. Obviously, at the time I was a bit young to have been interested in this teen soap opera, so watching this first season DVD set has not be full of reminiscence for me.
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