Comedy

Farce of the Penguins

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

Penguins are “in” right now. They March and they dance with those adorably Happy Feet. So, I guess it was only a matter of time before someone decided there was money to be made by turning in a penguin farce. Unfortunately for us, that someone turned out to be Bob Saget. I admit to knowing very little about Saget outside of his family sitcom and home movies shows. This is a side of him I wish I’d never seen. This film is absolutely unfit for the kiddies. Now let me first say that I’m certainly not one of those folks that gets easily offended.
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Revenge of the Nerds (Panty Raid Edition)

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

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Dubbed as the frat boy comedy that started it all, Revenge of the Nerds is a 80ï¿½s cult classic making its way to DVD as a special Panty Raid Edition – Basically you get a standard slipcover and a handful of features thrown at you. I remember seeing this movie about ten years back I found it amusing then, so I look forward to being able to watch it again, maybe this time Iï¿½ll get more of the jokes.

The movie takes place where two nerds played by Robert Carradine and Anthony Edwards are off to attend the fictional Adams College.
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Borat – Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

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

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If youï¿½ve been anywhere on the planet over the past year then thereï¿½s no doubt that youï¿½ve at least heard the name Borat in passing, well Borat – Cultural Learning of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan has finally made its way to DVD. Although Iï¿½ve wanted to see this movie since I saw its preview before Jackass 2, this is the first time Iï¿½ll actually be watching it and I eagerly anticipate it; Iï¿½ve heard lots of things about this controversial mockumentary comedy. Adding to my anticipation of the film is the fact that Seinfeld writer Larry Charles is the director.
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South Park – The Complete Ninth Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 8th, 2007

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Season 9 was about the most exciting year South Park had. Living in Florida, I was likely more tired of the Terry Schiavo situation than most, but watching Best Friends Forever was one of the best parodies the team has come up with. What was most impressive is that it was on the air while the actual event was still ongoing. One of the benefits of doing a show like South Park. When the boys aimed their guns at Scientology they ruffled more than a few feathers. It was rumored that Tom Cruise had led a fight to attempt to stop the hilarious Trapped In The Closet episode from airing.
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Trust the Man

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 8th, 2007

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To watch a good movie you must have the right equipment. A nice sound processor connected to kicking speakers are an absolute must. Add a 200 Watt 17 inch powered sub and you’ve increased the experience ten fold. Wrap it all up with a sweet DLP HD monitor and you now have everything you need – except of course a good movie. Trust The Man is everything but. All you need here is a good supply of insulin and an IV drip to keep you from lapsing into a sugar coma. I’m not talking peanut butter cup melts in your mouth sweet. I’m talking pure concentrated syrup makes you want to hurl sweet.
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Beerfest (HD DVD)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 2nd, 2007

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Posted in Disc Reviews by Joshua Noyes

Two guys who were used to drinking beer for fun suddenly become fierce competitors in the “Beer Drinking Olympics” in Germany. Todd Wolfhouse (Erik Stolhanske) and his brother Jan (Paul Soter) are from a German-American family but have never visited the Old Country until their grandfather dies and they fly to Germany to scatter his ashes. Todd and Jan arrive during the annual Oktoberfest celebration and accidentally discover a secret competition, “Beerfest,” in which the world’s leading beer guzzlers determine who ca…
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A Good Year (2006)

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

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If you’d asked me last year whether I thought Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe should work together again, I would have said “absolutely.” No hesitation. We’re talking about the director and star of Gladiator, after all, and I’d love to see another epic picture from that team.

What I didn’t expect to see was A Good Year, a romantic comedy that wholeheartedly joins the ranks of the “wine is like life” camp. What’s with that, anyway? Maybe it’s time to move on to another beverage, like coffee. You know, coffee and life have a lot in common – plenty of lessons to be learned there.
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My Cousin Vinny

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 22nd, 2007

Marisa Tomei caused quite a stir in 1993 when she walked away with the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in My Cousin Vinny. Even after watching the film again, I guess I’m still a bit amazed. Now that’s not to say she doesn’t do a wonderful job here. The fact is the entire cast did a splendid job. I can’t say I found her performance any better than Joe Pesci as Vinny “Sack Of Potatoes” Gambini or the wonderful portrayal of the judge by Fred Gwynne.
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All in the Family – The Complete Sixth Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 21st, 2007

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There were a lot of changes in store for the Bunkers in the sixth season. The Jeffersons, long a source of irritation for Archie and a ton of laughs for us, were moving on up to the East Side and that big de-lux apartment in the sky. Mike and Gloria finally move out of the house, but only as far as next door in the vacated Jefferson home. Most importantly, little baby Joey joins the family. For the 30 years since All In The Family, there is still speculation as to just how Carroll O’ Connor was able to take such a bigoted, seemingly irredeemable character and make him loved by millions.
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Idiocracy

Posted in Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on February 18th, 2007

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Synopsis

I grew up with Beavis & Butthead, the so stupid it hurts MTV cartoon show that basically would launch MTV programming and put it on the map for future series. Mike Judge was the creator behind that masterpiece. He would go on later to be the guy behind King of the Hill and a few assorted good shows. However, somewhere along the way he decided to direct a couple of movies. His most recent affair, Idiocracy; a feature film staring Luke Wilson (Old…
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Working Girl (1988)

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

Certain aspects of Working Girl have not aged well, but the film remains a quality production that showcases Melanie Griffith in her best role, with Harrison Ford and Sigourney Weaver as superb, lightly humorous supporting characters.

Tess McGill (Griffith) is a secretary struggling to rise in the New York business world. After a series of bad experiences with chauvinistic managers, she’s transferred to a new secretary role, this time under a female boss (Weaver).
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Damon Wayans: Last Stand?

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on February 2nd, 2007

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It’s a shame that there aren’t many stand-up comedians around anymore. And the ones that are still around (Chris Rock, Dane Cook) usually only use the medium as a launching pad into a flawed movie or television career that never equals the laugh factor and energy that exists in their stand-up comedy shows.

So along comes Damon Wayans’ Last Stand.

Wayans, in my opinion, was always a talented comedian. His characters on In Living Color made the show a pop-culture hit that rivaled S…
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Bandidas

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 30th, 2007

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Penelope Cruz and Salma Hayek are buddies in real life, so it makes sense for the two of them to show up in a film together. I was a little surprised to find this disc on my doorstep, however, having totally missed its existence during its theatrical release. It is a good reminder of how much a movie’s success is driven by marketing. Clearly, this is one of those films that the studio wasn’t happy with, so they cut their losses and quietly put the film into select theaters underneath the radar.

It’s a shame, …
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Half Baked (HD DVD)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 30th, 2007

Iï¿½m sure Iï¿½m not the only person wondering why on Earth a studio like Universal, with so many classics in their vault, would release Half Baked so quickly onto HD DVD. One can presumably assume that the only reason they chose to release it at this particular time is to bank on the recent popularity of David Chappelle. The only unfortunate part here is that Chappelleï¿½s performance, while sometimes funny, shows that his talent was best used elsewhere.
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Extras – The Complete First Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 28th, 2007

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The only thing I knew about Extras as of a couple of weeks ago was that Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant were behind the show, the follow-up to their cult hit The Office, which has been adapted into a Steve Carell vehicle to showcase his talent. Seeing very little on The Office and not being familiar with Gervais’ work, I downloaded the first episode of the second season of Extras from iTunes (Season Two recently resumed airing on HBO), and I found it one of the funnier things I’ve seen in recent memory, and not just because it didn’t cost me anything.
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Scary Movie 4 (HD DVD)

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

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Itï¿½s hard to believe, but after six years and three movies, this fourth film proves the Scary Movie franchise is still good for a cheap laugh.

For those of you that have lived under a rock and arenï¿½t familiar with the Scary Movie series, I will enlighten you. Some of the horror movies coming out these days are just begging to be parodied, and the comic brains of the Wayans brothers did so in 2000 with first instalment simply titled Scary Movie. This movie poked fun of then-recent movie…
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Clerks II (HD DVD)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 16th, 2007

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10 years ago, Clerks was released, appealing to the ever-growing population of the subculture of slackers. For a generation of grunge-music-listening, going-nowhere, fast-food-working young adults, Clerks became a cult favourite. With the release of Clerks II, Iï¿½m sure the very same people are attracted to this title, whether they have grown up and want to revisit that nostalgic feeling, or are still flipping burgers and living the slacker lifestyle. Whether you live in your parentsï¿½ basement or …
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Who Made the Potatoe Salad?

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

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Jaleel White continues to flounder about aimlessly looking for a post-Family Matters career in Who Made the Potatoe Salad?, a mindless 90-minute excursion into the offensively cliched family comedy. Looking for laughs in all the wrong places, this effort from writer-director Damon “Coke” Daniels tries to cash in on every dirty race-driven joke it can think of without once pausing for a breath of originality. White plays, of all things, a police officer, who decides the time is right to move his relati…
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Jackass – Number Two

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 9th, 2007

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Four years after Jackass: The Movie took the popular MTV franchise to the big screen, Johnny Knoxville and his gang returned to theatres with Jackass – Number Two. The sequel is bigger, bolder and much more disgusting. But is it better?

In my humble opinion, the sequel equates to more of the same. If you loved the original, you’ll eat this up. If you hated it – and we both know those are the only two options – you can happily make indignant remarks to any friends or family in the “love it” camp.
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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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Matador, The (HD DVD)

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

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Pierce Brosnan as a hit man, something were all used to with the James Bond franchise, but this time heï¿½s not killing for the good guys. Instead he is a freelance assassin traveling the globe killing whoever heï¿½s told and for good money too. But comparing Pierceï¿½s role in this film to James Bond isnï¿½t exactly fair, although the characters share some similarities; you really have to watch this one to appreciate the uniqueness of the character.
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Dane Cook’s Tourgasm

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

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I’ve gotta say, I love stand-up comedy. My first albums were George Carlin records, and I’d always listen to my Dad’s recorded tape of a Friar’s Club roast of Don Rickles, where four letter words would get dropped as often as the drinks in the room. Then it was on to Richard Pryor, then onto the R-rated genius of Sam Kinison and to a lesser extent, Andrew Dice Clay. And now, it’s Lewis Black, David Cross, Dave Attell and Robert Schimmel.
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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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Lonesome Jim

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

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Some films never achieve greatness, but still manage to leave their viewers with a wry smile, and a “that wasn’t so bad, I’m glad I watched it” mentality. Lonesome Jim from IFC Films is one such motion picture. Starring Casey Affleck and Liv Tyler and directed by Steve Buscemi, this is one mood-swinging comedy that will lull you into complacency, then occasionally drop large hilarious bombs into the experience when least expected. Centered on a depressing, tight-lipped, tell-it-like-it-is, loner, who is for…
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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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