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Dolby Digital 2.0 (French)

The Sting (HD DVD)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 20th, 2007

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Con movies are nothing new to Hollywood. Each has that character who thinks theyï¿½re on top of the world behind this bullet proof armor only to eventually realize that theyï¿½ve either been played or been watched the entire time. I suppose what makes con films work on the level they do is that these characters (admit it!) are all committing acts weï¿½d love to even THINK about committing. The only problem is that weï¿½re not even that badass of a person to even attempt it. Having never seen this film, I figured Iï¿½d get a fairly entertaining film with decent acting and an interesting enough plot. Boy was I mistaken about this one. Oscar awarded 1973 film The Sting has easily become my favorite con film.
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Invincible (2006)

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

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Invincible (2006) marks the latest in a string of sports-underdog films from Disney, following such hits as 2002’s The Rookie and 2004’s Miracle. This time, we have a film inspired by the real-life Cinderella story of Philadelphia Eagles’ alumnus Vince Papale.

Papale’s story is so similar to that of fictional Philadelphia son, Rocky Balboa, that calling Invincible a remake of Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky isn’t much of a stretch. But then, the sports long-shot genre is tried and true, so as far as my enjoyment goes, I have few issues with this film’s formulaic plot.
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1900

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 13th, 2007

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Bernardo Bertolucci is no stranger to controversy. His Last Tango In Paris caused quite a bit of noise when it was released. Novecento, as 1900 is known in its original Italian, has been a subject of controversy for decades. Since its 1976 original Italian release, American studios have been cautious about releasing the film in the states, at least as it was originally intended. First there is the running time. The film clocks in at over 5 hours. Theaters in the US face fierce competition for movie goers’ dollars.
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Facing the Giants

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 11th, 2007

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Certain Christian churches and organizations in North America preach something often called ï¿½the prosperity gospel.ï¿½ In a nutshell, this refers to the idea that God wants us to be rich, physically, emotionally and materially.

Itï¿½s a pretty controversial message, but also a very attractive one. After all, what could be better than marrying Christianity to the American dream?
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Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (HD DVD)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 7th, 2007

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Some of you might know the book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream, then others of you might known the movie simply called Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, but one way or another you know about the crazy days Hunter S. Thompson had in Vegas. Hunter Thompson along with his buddy Oscar Zeta Acosta are the credited creators of Gonzo Journalism (Journalism with indistinct lines between fact and fiction), so the book and movie are partially based on their accounts, except replace Thompson with Raoul Duke (Johnny Depp) and Acosta with Dr. Gonzo (Benicio del Toro).
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The Breakfast Club (HD DVD)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 7th, 2007

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Truth be told ladies and gentlemen, before receiving The Breakfast Club in for review, I couldnï¿½t even begin to fathom the fan base this film has had since its 1985 release. After all how interesting does a film where 5 students are put in detention sound? After seeing the film, I believe the interest lies not necessarily in the basic premise of the film, but the overall impact the five students have on themselves and, more importantly, the viewer.
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Field of Dreams (HD DVD)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 7th, 2007

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For the longest time I avoided Field of Dreams. This is simply because Iï¿½ve never really liked Kevin Costner as an actor, and mainly because I figured a film about baseball starring him would be boring. Boy was I wrong on this one. Sure Field of Dreams isnï¿½t the best film ever made, but damn if itï¿½s not a film that one canï¿½t help but enjoy slowly falling for the story, characters and surroundings.

Ray Kinsella (Costner) is a simple man who has a lovely wife named Annie (Amy Madigan). Ray decides to move to Iowa soon buying a farm.
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Shottas

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 5th, 2007

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Here we go, with another rise and fall story in the underworld. Two young friends in Jamaica, Biggs and Wayne, grow up separately to become powerful gangsters (the “shottas” of the title). After a prolonged separation, they reunite in Kingston, and the story takes them back and forth between that city and Miami as they climb the drug totem pole, heading for the inevitable fall shown pre-credits.

All the characters speak Jamaican patois, making subtitle necessary.
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Material Girls (2006)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 29th, 2006

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Hilary Duff vehicle Material Girls hit theatres in August 2006, and failed miserably. That fact was my only comfort while I wasted 98-minutes of my life watching this movie.

I fully expected to dislike this teeny-bop flick, but I was actually surprised by just how bad it actually was. Hilary Duff and sister Haylie probably wish they’d never made this movie, though I imagine the paycheck would make up for this blotch on their filmography. I’m hoping the same is true for Angelica Huston (The Royal Tenenbaums) and Brent Spiner (Star Trek’s Data), who play cringe-worthy supporting roles.
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The Last Kiss (2006)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 22nd, 2006

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Don’t pay any attention to the description on the back of DVD case. Described as “hilarious”, this film is anything but. While it may have a few funny moments, we’re talking about a serious drama. The Last Kiss is a cautionary tale about temptation. It presents the circumstances and life choices of 30-year-olds in an intense, honest way, which makes the film both completely engrossing as well as difficult to watch.
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Seinfeld – Season 7

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 20th, 2006

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It started as “the show about nothing”, but we really know better. While some say it’s much ado about nothing, they’ve missed the point, haven’t they. Ask some folks, and they’ve got nothing to say. Well. If you can’t say something nice…

Jerry Seinfeld did what so many comics have failed to do well. It seems just about every stand-up out there thinks the stuff will work on television. Some of it does. Those that got the chance owe much to the success of Seinfeld. Like few sit-coms before it, the series was the hot topic at work water coolers.
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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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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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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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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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John Tucker Must Die

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on November 30th, 2006

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John Tucker Must Die has all of the elements of an average teen movie: a high school setting, an unrealistically attractive cast, cliques, and the list goes on. That’s my way of saying I can’t think of any other obvious teen movie stuff, so fill in whatever comes to your mind and I’m sure it’ll fit just fine.

If it looks and sounds like a duck, then it probably is an average teen movie, right? Right. I may have skipped a step there, but the point is you shouldn’t expect anything special from John …
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Under Siege (HD DVD)

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

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Steven Seagal has never been able to do it for me, that probably explains why this is the first time I have ever seen this movie. Upon reading the back it seemed to have potential, the first thing I notice on the back was the comment “Die Hard on a battleship”. That’s a bold statement as Die Hard is one of the best action movies ever made, having all the core elements.

It’s the fiftieth anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor as the movie begins, and it’s the final voyage of the USS Missouri. …
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MAS*H – Season Eleven

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 8th, 2006

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One of the longest running and most successful television sitcoms came to an end on February 28th 1983. It was an event to end all events. Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen was perhaps the greatest series finale in television history. It was certainly the most watched. Night workers called in sick. Some businesses either suspended work or offered sets for workers to see this long anticipated conclusion. What a fitting end it was. Each character was given what amounted to the best moments in the run. More serious than fun…
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How Much Do You Love Me? (Combien tu m’aimes?)

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

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Synopsis

Bernard Campan, diffident office worker with a bad heart, enters an Pigalle brothel/bar and informs prostitute Monica Bellucci that he has just won 4 million Euros. He will pay here handsomely to live with him until the money runs out. She agrees. Campan’s doctor friend disapproves, being particularly worried about what a bombshell like Bellucci will do to Campan’s heart. Can the couple find true love? Or is the relationship only based on money? And what about loquacious gangster Gérard Depa…
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Population 436

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

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There are so many sub-genres of horror these days. There is the ever-popular teen slasher flick, there is Japanese horror, gore, zombie, thrillers and even the recent popularity of the 70’s throwback. This one falls into the dramatic slow-burn category. The plot here sounds like something out of one of the better Steven King short stories. Someone in the federal government discovers that the population of little Rockford Falls seems to have remained steady for over a hundred years. An official is sent to investigate this anomaly, and what he finds is a mixture of small-town life, strong religious beliefs and some eerily strange goings-on.

Ice Age: The Meltdown

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 31st, 2006

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Ice Age – The Meltdown is a short, funny, well-animated sequel that offers up a new adventure for the memorable characters from the original Ice Age film. As a great bonus, it’s nicely balanced for audiences young and old.

20th Century Fox Animation is still a poor second cousin to Disney’s Pixar Animation Studios, but for sheer entertainment value, Ice Age – The Meltdown doesn’t get knocked completely out of the water by top-shelf blockbusters like The Incredibles. Sure, the animation is weaker
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Spartacus (HD DVD)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 30th, 2006

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Stanley Kubrick’s ultra famous epic Spartacus tells of the story of a man named Spartacus (Kirk Douglas) who decided to defy and lead an uprising against the Roman empire. Spartacus, naturally a slave, is beaten in early scenes for biting a guard’s leg after falling down. He is sentenced to death for this. Before his death, a man named Batiatus decided to train Spartacus as a fighting gladiator. As many now know, gladiators were trained for two reasons, the first being to fight to the death, and the second as …
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Black Rain

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 30th, 2006

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Synopsis

Michael Douglas is a familiar figures: The Hard-Bitten Cop Who Plays By His Own Rules. He is currently under investigation by Internal Affairs. When he and partner Andy Garcia witness a Yakuza killing and nab the killer, they are tasked with escorting him back to Japan. They have barely landed when they lose him, and are pared up with straight-arrow Osaka cop Ken Takakura in the search to track the villain down again. Douglas and Takakura, as expected, engage in considerable culture clashing.
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Phat Girlz

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 29th, 2006

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Phat Girlz is one rotten piece of crap. I hate to say it that way, but some movies don’t deserve the flowery lambasting some more deserving bad films get from their critics. They should simply be called what they are. That’s why I equate this film with the “c” word. Mo’Nique stars as a plus-sized hypocrite, who seems to have the same prejudgments about “skinny bitches” as they seem to have about her – in the confines of the film, that is. Overweight people are given a saintly presence, while most everyone…
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Glory Road

Posted in 2.35:1 Widescreen, Buena Vista, Disc Reviews, Dolby Digital 2.0 (French), Dolby Digital 2.0 (Spanish), Dolby Digital 5.1 (English), Drama, DVD by Archive Authors on October 28th, 2006

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Synopsis

Don Haskins may not be as well-known as Jackie Robinson, Jim Brown, or other historical figures that have helped integrate sports with black players, but the impact that Haskins had on college basketball is arguably more significant than any coaching strategy could have possibly introduced, and it’s those events for which Haskins was at the helm that unfold in Glory Road, which some have unfairly labeled as producer Jerry’s Bruckheimer’s basketball equivalent to Remember the Titans.

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