Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 15th, 2007
The Invisible requires far too much setup before we really get into the major ideas of the film. The first 40 minutes of the film is a complicated series of events that place a heavy burden on our patience. Finally, in an unfortunate series of events that would rattle Lemony Snicket, two lives are placed on a collision course.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on October 15th, 2007
Do you know what happens when creative people get toys and wacked out people get a tv show? Robot Chicken happens. The first season was a great success on Adult Swim, so that meant two things. One, creators Seth Green and Matthew Senreich would be able to move out of their parent's house (okay, not really) and we would get Season 2. Robot Chicken for those who don't know is toy figures (or special sculpted toys) put to life in hilarious sketches and parodies with the use of stop motion capture technology. The show has gotten such fanfare that it recently produced a Star Wars parody sketch show that was even supervised by George Lucas himself. Unfortunately that was the start of Season 3, and isn't on this dvd (but there is the infamous Star Wars sketch included that led to the whole sketch show in this box set).
The amount of bizarre pop culture references in this show is staggering. From the Brady Bunch meets the Mr. & Mrs. Smith to Inspector Gadget meets Terminator 2 Judgement Day, the show goes everywhere and beyond. Sometimes it finds the references too obscure and depending on the audience might not get all of the jokes. One that is brought to mind is the Spy Hunter 11:00 News Sketch. Not everybody like me has played the game 40-50 hours and gets the "joke". I might be on the floor for it but the person next to me might have a totally blank expression. However, where one fails, the next ten might be gold. That is where the show really succeds. The other great thing about Robot Chicken is the amount of talent on the show when it comes to voices. One of the great things is that they go and get the original voice talent in what it parodies with their toys. From little guys such as Michael Winslow (Police Academy) to the Coreys (Haim & Feldman) to big stars like Charlize Theron. It adds realism and humor to the show in spades.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 14th, 2007
Quentin Tarantino's Deathproof need no longer be sad and alone on your DVD shelf. Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror - Extended and Unrated (Two-Disc Special Edition) streets October 18, completing the one-two-punch release of the directors' Grindhouse double feature.
Separating these two schlock-fests begs the question, which one's better? Don't ask me. I didn't catch Grindhouse in theatres, and haven't gotten around to Deathproof on DVD. All I can tell you is Planet Terror throws down 105 minutes of mindless, campy and gory fun. So pop your lid, take out your brain and enjoy. But don't leave that brain unattended, 'cause there be zombies about.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 14th, 2007
Usually a top young name combined with a recognizable name (or more accurately a recognizable body), brings a film that is somewhat underwhelming or even forgettable for all involved. In the case of Harsh Times, you’ve got Christian Bale, the latest Batman, and Eva Longoria, who stars in Desperate Housewives, appearing in a film about, well I’m not exactly sure.
Written and directed by David Ayer, Bale plays Jim, a former Army Ranger who is trying to find a job in law enforcement in Los Angeles. His friend Mike (Freddy Rodriguez, Lady in the Water) is trying to get a job in the city, but they spend large portions of their days drinking and getting high, while lying to Mike’s girlfriend Sylvia (Longoria) about his job search.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 13th, 2007
Animal 2 is a direct to video sequel to a direct to video original film. I never saw the first film, but I suspect that you’re brought up to date in this one through some of the dialog. Because I did not see the first, it will not be possible for me to make any comparisons. Obviously the only real reason for this film is to provide a vehicle for Ving Rhames and in that respect it works OK. The story has enough originality to it to make all the street gang and prison clichés bearable, but only minimally. The box art claims this is the “unrated” version, but since there was no theatrical release I have to ask, unrated as compared to what? There are tons of F bombs and N words, but they come mostly in the horrid hip hop soundtrack and less in the dialog, although there’s plenty of “plain talk” there as well. It’s a good thing these guys don’t have to play by the same rules as people like Imus do.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 13th, 2007
"Spidey's back, and better than ever." Good thing, too, because in this third installment in the highly successful comic book-to-film franchise, Spider-Man faces off against a trio of villains: Sandman, the new Goblin and, of course, Venom. Each is a handful on his own. Together, they're Spidey's toughest challenge yet. But he's up to it, so long as he can first overcome his own internal conflict.
Spider-Man 3 hits store shelves October 30, on DVD in both a single-disc widescreen edition and a two-disc special edition, and on a two-disc Blu-ray release. I got my hands on the single disc and put it through its paces. Does the bare-bones DVD hold its own? Read on to find out.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 13th, 2007
What is it with horror films today? They just seemingly lack all original wit and style. And let’s not even mention the remakes that Hollywood forces on us. Having just finally watched John Carpenter’s Halloween (yes I know!!), forcing myself to watch the drab Black Christmas almost made me cringe.
A group of sorority sisters, after getting snowed in after the holiday break, try desperately to survive the night. Surviving from the intense cold isn’t the game plan of the film, but rather trying to survive from a relentless killer. The killer, for some reason, wants to kill all the girls. We never quite learn why exactly that is, but apparently the killer use to live in that sorority house. I guess that’s just a fine reason to start killing people on Christmas Eve.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on October 12th, 2007
So here we have another double feature of episodes from Movie Macabre, with Elvira this time taking on Maneater of Hydra (1966) and The House That Screamed (1969). The former has the disconcerting spectacle of Cameron Mitchell appearing not only as a baron (ookaaayyy) but being dubbed. He’s experimenting with plants on his remote Greek island, and a group of tourists run afoul of one of his results. Given how long it takes for the titular plant to show up and relieve the dullness, one starts to wonder if the title doesn’t refer instead to one of the hot-to-trot tourists.
The House That Screamed, meanwhile, is a Spanish effort that is something of a period giallo. The setting is a private girls’ school where a series of brutal murders take place. The production is handsome enough, though its concept is no less sleazy for all that.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 11th, 2007
On January 23, 2002 Daniel Pearl, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, was kidnapped and eventually killed by terrorists while working in Pakistan. A Mighty Heart is based on this true story. The narrative comes from the book of his wife Marianne Pearl. While this is certainly the tragic tale of a murdered reporter, this film is more the story of Marianne and her struggle to locate
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 11th, 2007
I grew up on a steady diet of horror hosts. In the
![Harsh Times [HD DVD] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/harsh-times-hd-dvd-large.jpg)
![Black Christmas (Unrated) [HD DVD] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/black-christmas-unrated-hd-dvd-large.jpg)
