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Planet Hulk (Blu-Ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on February 3rd, 2010

Planet Hulk started out as a storyline from Incredible Hulk #88-#95 (2006). The Hulk was too strong for the planet Earth and so the Illuminati under the direction of Iron Man and Doctor Strange sent him to a planet where he can cause harm to nobody except himself. Of course, things don’t go exactly as the Illuminati probably hoped for. The direct to video movie deals with Hulk’s stay on planet known as Sakaar.
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I Can Do Bad All By Myself (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 29th, 2010

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Madea’s been everywhere. She’s even been to jail. But I Can Do Bad All By Myself is not actually a Madea film, per se. She has a cameo, of sorts, but this film is based on a series of stage acts that Perry has collected under the single title of the film. So much of this movie has been out there on stage. I’m not really a fan of Perry’s Madea character and the collection of films she/he’s been involved in. I had a friend once who used to get them for another friend of his, and he used to joke about making me a copy. Now you know why we’re not friends any more.
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The Burning Plain (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 29th, 2010

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Metaphors are often effective tools in filmmaking. They can be used in a variety of unique and clever ways to either highlight a particular aspect of story and/or character. They can be used to add an artistic flourish to a movie. They can even be used to drive a plot, if you’re careful enough to avoid becoming too abstract. Then there are films like The Burning Plain which attempt to create a film that is metaphor itself. What you often end up with, and certainly here, is something difficult to follow and more acceptable at the festival circuit than at the box office
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Fame: Extended Dance Edition (Blu-Ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on January 27th, 2010

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The original movie production of Fame came out in 1980 and followed a group of students as they progressed four years through the New York High School of Performing Arts. It was gritty, it was harsh, but it was a very deep portrayal of budding students trying to get into the world of singing, dancing and acting. Nearly 30 years later, somebody gets the bright idea of doing a remake. Let’s find out if it is anywhere close to the original.
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Surrogates (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 26th, 2010

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“Look at yourselves. Unplug from your chairs, get up and look in a mirror. What you see is how God made you. We’re not meant to experience the world through a machine.”

Since the time we were kids, we were warned that you can’t tell a book by its cover. That has never been more true in our modern world of the internet. We play in chat rooms where almost no one is who they pretend to be. We lie about our age, looks, and even our gender, and rationalize it as harmless escapism or merely exaggeration. Everyone does it, or so we believe, so it’s actually expected.
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Last Action Hero (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 20th, 2010

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“Let me know when the Governor gets here.”

Well, he’s in the house, and I’m going to get a lot of razzing for this review of Last Action Hero. The person who thought I should see a shrink for looking forward to the next Saw film is going to be calling for my outright commitment to an institution dedicated to covering walls with nice padding so we won’t hurt ourselves. I know this film is generally considered “bad” by critics and moviegoers alike. It swept the Razzies in 1993 and has since been only the kind of film 10 year olds would really like to see.
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Cliffhanger (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 20th, 2010

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Sylvester Stallone returned to his roots with 1993’s Cliffhanger. No, I’m not talking about his iconic Rocky role here. I’m talking about his ancestral roots. The movie was filmed high in the Italian Alps to achieve many of these incredible vistas and the snow capped mountains. Believe it or not, this was June at the location, and several of the crew were stranded for a time because of a sudden and powerful blizzard.
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The Simpsons: The Complete Twentieth Season (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 19th, 2010

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It’s about time that The Simpsons has made it to Blu-ray and high definition. There’s plenty of room on the couch as we welcome Homer, Bart, Marge, Maggie, and the whole town of Springfield to the brighter, more detailed world of high definition. You might be asking yourself: Why should we spend extra bucks to watch a simple cartoon on Blu-ray? That’s a good question. The simple answer is that you just should. The longer answer follows.
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Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 13th, 2010

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“Have you ever felt like you were a little bit different. Like you had something unique to offer to the world, if only you could just get people to see it? Then you know exactly how it felt to be me.”

The title is taken from a very short children’s book written by Judi and Ron Barrett. I say the title and not the story because this movie takes only the most basic concept from the book to create the movie. Most of the characters are brand new creations, and the plot of the entire film deals with events not covered in the book.
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Family Guy Presents: Something Something Something Dark Side (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 13th, 2010

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“… It is a dark time for the rebellion. Although the Death Star has been destroyed, Imperial troops have driven the rebel forces from their hidden base and pursued them across the Galaxy. But, you know this story…”

Know this story, you do. It’s the opening of the second, or actually the 5th in sequence, but it is the second one made, unless you count… Never mind. This is the prologue to The Empire Strikes Back, more commonly referred to the 2 hour trailer for Return Of The Jedi. Not so long ago in this Galaxy, Family Guy took a shot across the bow of those Imperial Cruisers with its extremely funny and on the spot spoof of the first Star Wars film
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Jennifer’s Body (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 11th, 2010

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“Every day I get letters. I think I get more letters than Santa Claus, Zac Efron, and Dr. Phil combined. I’m kinda the shit. Sometimes the letters are from people who say they are praying for me. They tell me everything will be OK if I just accept Jesus Christ into my heart. I say the words, but nothing ever happens. Nobody comes back. Nobody gets off the cross.”

There hasn’t been this much hype for a mainstream horror film in quite a long time that I can recollect. Certainly, quite a few have created more buzz after their release and subsequent box office power
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The Marine 2 (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 11th, 2010

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If you are looking for some kind of logical sequel to the WWE film The Marine which starred wrestler John Cena, you will be greatly disappointed. The film doesn’t even feature the same character. There is absolutely nothing about this film that connects it to the original beyond the name. The WWE doesn’t even use one of its bigger names in this film. While I have heard of Ted “The Million Dollar Man” DiBiase, Jr., I was not aware that he had a son who has followed his footsteps into the wrestling arena. I would suspect that Ted DiBiase, Jr. is a name only known to the fans who follow the WWE.
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10 Things I Hate About You (10th Anniversary Edition) (Blu-Ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on January 7th, 2010

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High school was a nightmare for me, I try to forget most of it. For me, there was no 10 year high school reunion and I was glad I never went. Speaking of ten & high school, this is the 10th year anniversary of 10 Things I Hate About You, a Gil Junger comedy that helped launch quite a few careers. As such, they made the leap to Blu-Ray with a well-done anniversary edition. But how does the movie hold up?
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Lost: The Complete Fifth Season (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 5th, 2010

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For five years now, Lost has taken us through mystery after mystery. I’m beginning to think that the show’s title is more a mission statement for where they want to take the viewers. Each time Abrams appears to answer a question and move on, closer examination proves that nothing has actually been revealed. The series has become the poster child for misdirection and script sleight of hand. When I examine the 13 episodes from season 4, I’m left with the inescapable, pun intended, feeling that nothing significant has really happened here at all. But at the same time it’s the most significant event of the series. All the while I find myself compelled to watch episode after episode.
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District 9 (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 5th, 2010

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“To everyone’s surprise, the ship didn’t come to a stop over Manhattan or Washington or Chicago, but instead coasted to a halt directly over the city of Johannesburg. The doors didn’t open for months. Nobody could get in. They eventually decided, after much deliberation, that the best thing to do would be to physically cut their way in. We were on the verge of first contact. The whole world was watching, expecting, I don’t know, music from Heaven and bright shining lights…”

It all started when Peter Jackson’s long anticipated Halo project went belly up.
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Extract (Blu-Ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on December 29th, 2009

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By day, this reviewer is not just a writer but a glorified cubicle jockey. For lack of a detailed job description, I am a computer software administrator. So as many cubicle jockeys, I’ve watched Office Space. To be honest, I’m not in love with it. I did find it mildly funny and there were a few “I’ve been in that situation before” moments. But interestingly enough, I was pretty excited to see Extract (Mike Judge had directed both). Perhaps it was my infatuation with Mila Kunis or seeing how Jason Bateman has progressed in comedic films or maybe I just wanted to see Ben Affleck in a full grown beard.
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G-Force (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 15th, 2009

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“For years, we’ve been putting a secret into the heart of every member of the Saberling Family. Be it the cryogenic refrigerator or the microwave heated coffee maker. A Secret which is at the core of any successful family: Communication.”

When director Hoyt Yeatman’s son Hoyt, Junior, got a pet guinea pig, he began to put soldier-like gear on the unfortunate animal and imagine stories that the rodent was part of a secret spy ring. He would imagine all kinds of missions for the little guy. Thus was born the idea for G Force.
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Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 8th, 2009

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“When the lights go off the battle is on.”

Sequels are a dangerous business. They’ve gotten the best of some of the biggest heroes. Just ask Indiana Jones, Luke Skywalker, or Neo. Expectations are always going to be high. You’ve already shown us what you can do. We assume you did your best on the original film, now go and do better. Often filmmakers interpret this mandate to just make it bigger. More explosions and hard hitting action and special effects. They tend to remember everything but the story. I’m happy to say that Night At The Museum refused to fall into that trap.
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Holiday Spotlight: Santa Buddies (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 3rd, 2009

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Just in time for the holidays, the Buddies are back for more cute puppy action. All of the retriever Buddies are back for this one. You are introduced to the “Buddies” right at the start, so it doesn’t really matter if you saw any of their other films. There’s Bud-Ha (Cate), a wise meditational pup. Next up is Mud-Bud (Panitz), an always dirty pup with a fondness for rolling in the dirt. The female Buddy is Rose-Bud (Mumy), who is the girly part of the team all decked out in a bow. Bud-Derball (Flitter) is the normal one of the bunch, followed by the rappin’ pup, B-Dawg (Gisondo).
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Angels & Demons (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 30th, 2009

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Believe it or not, Robert Langdon did not make his debut in the Da Vinci Code novel. He was actually introduced in an earlier, but far less known novel, Angels & Demons. When Hollywood came a knockin’ they weren’t interested in that earlier work. The Da Vinci Code was tearing up the literary world, and Hollywood wanted a piece of that overstuffed pie. That meant a strange series of circumstances for Dan Brown and Robert Langdon. In print, The Da Vinci Code is the sequel to Angels & Demons, but in the cinema Angels & Demons is now the sequel to The Da Vinci Code. You might consider it a trivial point, but it’s not.
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Rocky: The Undisputed Collection (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 24th, 2009

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“You got everything money can buy, except what it can’t. It’s pride. Pride is what got you here. Losing is what brung you back. But, people like you, they need to be tested. They need a challenge.”

There have been a ton of boxing films. They’ve been popular going back to the Silent Era. Most of them have many of the same themes. But there was always something about Rocky that stood out above all of the rest. That “something” can’t really be described or defined. As the Supreme Court once said about the definition of obscenity: “I can’t define it, but I know it when I see it.” That’s all you can say about Rocky. Some might call it heart. That’s about as good a word for it as anything else.
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Kevin Smith Box Set (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 24th, 2009

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Do you know what’s worse than watching a bad movie? It has to be watching three bad movies. Worse than that is watching three bad movies where it’s obvious to everyone involved in the films that they know they’re bad movies. It doesn’t take long until you begin to think that you’re the one everyone is really laughing about. You can picture a couple members of the cast sitting with the director all laughing their rear ends off at the poor rube who actually spends good money, and more importantly, their time, watching the piece of crap you just dropped into their DVD or Blu-ray player. It’ll take forever to get that stink out of my home theater.
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Scrubs: The Complete Eighth Season (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 19th, 2009

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When we left J.D., Turk, and the rest of the staff of Sacred Heart Hospital at the end of their seventh season, there were good reasons to believe we had seen the last of Scrubs:

1) The show had suffered the lowest ratings in its history.

2) It was widely considered to be the show’s least funny season, at times treading perilously close to levels of cloying sentimentality not seen since the last few seasons of M*A*S*H*.

3) NBC had announced that they would not be renewing the show.
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It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: A Very Sunny Christmas (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 19th, 2009

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“It’s almost Christmas. Get into the spirit.”

Ever wonder what the kids of South Park might be like if they ever made it to adulthood? While I’ve not seen that many episodes of the FX series It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, that was the first observation that came to mind. These are the South Park kids all grown up. They’re crude, raunchy, mean, and most importantly, they are as politically incorrect as ever. If you need an example, I can offer one right from this episode.
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Monsters, Inc. (4-Disc Edition) (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 11th, 2009

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“The future is bright at Monsters Incorporated. We power your car. We warm your home. We light your city. Carefuly matching every child to their ideal monster to produce superior scream. Refined into clean, dependable energy. Every time you turn something on, Monsters Incorporated is there. We know the challenge. The window of innocence is shrinking. Human kids are harder to scare. Of course, Monsters Incorporated is prepared for the future. With the top scarers, the best refineries, and research into new energy technologies. We’re working for a better tomorrow, today. We’re Monster’s Incorporated. We scare because we care.”

When you do this job you get asked the same question a lot.You get it from friends, family and people who just met you. They all ask the same thing. “What is your favorite movie of all time?”
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