Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on August 3rd, 2007
Monty (Idris Elba, 28 Weeks Later) is a father struggling for custody of his three children. This has become of utmost importance to him especially since his ex wife is involved with a local drug dealer. He enlists the help of attorney Julia (Gabriel Union, Bad Boys 2) to get his children back. Of course sparks begin to fly between the two, and the children seem to take the backseat. I’ve seen this type of movie way too many times before, and I would be completely content if I didn’t have to again.
It’s a good thing I had no expectations of this one going into it, because otherwise I would have ended up being extremely disappointed. This movie is poorly played out, albeit pretty realistic in some aspects. But regardless I’m getting tired of these day to day struggle movies, they all end the same way, don’t expect anything different here. The acting in this movie was rather disappointing as well, including the one facial expression we are graced with from Gabriel Union throughout. The movie started off as a struggle for a man to get his kids back, but ended up being another horrific and predictable romance. But if you’re into these emotional types of movies about the struggle of Joe everyman, you might find this one worthwhile checking out.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on August 2nd, 2007
The War tells the story of newly returned Vietnam soldier Stephen Simmons (Kevin Costner). Steve is the father of Stu (Elijah Woods) and Lidia (Lexi Randall) and wants nothing more than to show them the meaning of life and what it (really what HE) can provide them. The only problem is that Steve isn’t getting the adequate funds a soldier should receive. Bouncing from job to job because of his mental history (he’s had numerous flashbacks to the war), the family struggles daily to survive. The children seem to be mixed on their father with Stu loving him, but Lidia calling him a loser.
What the Simmons family doesn’t realize is that soon a simple, old tree house will bring them closer than any of them have ever been.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on August 1st, 2007
Tyler Perry, best known for Madea's Family Reunion, is responsible for yet another film in Lionsgate's line of movies about nice black people. In Daddy's Little Girls, the writer-director explores the conflict between the ghetto-class African Americans we've seen so much of in films and the black middle- and upper-class we haven't. While this aspect of the conflict is relatively fresh in cinema, what the premise really boils down to is an age-old tale of love between princess and pauper.
When his mother-in-law passes away, Monty (Idris Elba, The Gospel) is forced to take care of his three daughters full-time. While he loves them and has been supporting them faithfully their whole lives, Monty is also struggling financially and the burden may prove too much. The mother of his kids, Jennifer (Tasha Smith, The Whole Ten Yards), has been absent for years, preferring to live it up with her drug-dealer boyfriend, Joe (Gary Sturgis, Pride).
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on July 31st, 2007
Disturbia looks to potentially be a classic thriller; it has the elements of a classic Hitchcock film, and a noteworthy cast. Although I’m not and never will be a fan of Shia LaBeouf I will admit he has sold me with his performances several times before, but does he have the talent to carry this movie? Regardless there are some other semi-reputable names cast in Disturbia including Carrie-Anne Moss and David Morse, so here’s to hoping that this flick isn’t a waste of time.
In the opening moments of the movie Kale (Shia LeBeouf, Transformers) and his father are in an accident which results in the death of Kale’s father. Sometime goes by since the accident when Kale’s teacher makes a comment about his father, sparking Kale to crack him in the jaw. This results in a three month house arrest sentence for Kale, who in a fit of boredom starts spying on his neighbors with a set of binoculars. Mostly he spies on the girl next door Ashley (Sarah Roemer, The Grudge 2) but after befriending her, his attention turns to Robert Turner (David Morse, 16 Blocks). He drives a blue Mustang just as a suspected serial killer does, but this isn’t enough to sell anyone but Kale. But things become even more convincing when it appears that Turner kills a female visitor. Kale and his friends decide to take this matter into their own hands.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on July 29th, 2007
I’ve been in this run lately where I’ve seen quite a bit of Brad Pitt’s dramatic work from his earlier days, before he decided to funk himself up (and earn the respect of young males everywhere with Fight Club), and in the sprawling film Meet Joe Black, he tackles a different take on a character with a respected cast and crew behind him.
The film is a remake of the 1934 film Death Takes a Holiday and this version was adapted by a cast of hundreds (well, four actually), and directed by Martin Brest, who was directing his first him after 1992’s Scent of a Woman. In this, Bill Parrish (Anthony Hopkins, The Silence of the Lambs) is a successful communications mogul about to celebrate his 65th birthday. He has two daughters in Allison (Marcia Gay Harden, Pollock) and Susan (Claire Forlani, Mallrats) and quite frankly couldn’t ask for more. However things change when one morning he has sharp chest pains, as if he’s having a heart attack, but he pulls through it. That night at dinner, he is greeted by a guest, a strapping young man (in the form of Pitt) who tells him that he’s the grim reaper, Death himself. He tells Bill that he would like to spend some time with him before taking him, and if Bill tells anyone who he is, he’ll take him beforehand.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on July 27th, 2007
I have to say right off the get go, these are two movies I’ve never heard of and I’m guessing it would have probably been better kept that way. Still I’m going into this review completely unbiased but rather just with the expectations of horrendously typical 80’s comedy. At least there are a few recognizable actors including Rob Lowe, John Cusack, and Virginia Madsen in Class and Kelly Preston, Lori Loughlin, and Fred Ward in Secret Admirer. At any rate lets see how these dubbed 80’s classics turn out.
I’ll start off with Class which has a better cast and was easily the better of the two, which isn’t saying much for either. Jonathon (Andrew McCarthy, Pretty in Pink) is a country boy who gets a scholarship to a posh school where he’s roomed up with his Skip (Rob Lowe, Tommy Boy), who pretty much his opposite. But despite their different backgrounds Skip takes it upon him to see that naïve Jonathon looses his virginity. He sends him off to Chicago where Jonathon meets an older woman with whom he shares an affair, only ending once she realizes he’s underage. But things get complicated one day when Skip takes Jonathon home and finds out the woman from Chicago is Skip’s mom, and Skip finds out about the affair and that’s when things get messy.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 16th, 2007
Synopsis
Dustin Hoffman plays Max Dembo, a burglar out on parole after serving six years. He initially makes a committed effort to reintegrate into society, getting a nowhere job in a can factory and dating placement agent Theresa Russell. But when parole officer M. Emmet Walsh unfairly targets him, Hoffman gives it up and returns to a life of crime, his violent and self-destructive urges making a bad situation that much worse.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on July 16th, 2007
Synopsis
Ever know that feeling when you've seen a movie about twenty times and vow never to see it again until it comes out in a new collector's edition dvd? Coming to America is exactly like that. Coming to America is the tale of Prince Akeem (played by Eddie Murphy) who isn't quite happy with his country's arranged marriage practice. (but apparently pretty happy with the country's bathing procedure) He decides that with his friend Semmi (played by Arsenio Hall) he should travel to New Yo...k to find his bride. So with the King's blessing (played by James Earl Jones), the boys set off to New York to live the dream. (to live in an awful apartment, eat knockoff McDonalds food and go to a New York club full of really scary women) There he finds his true love Lisa (played by Shari Headley). Hence, the fairy tale story of a prince finding and marrying his princess commences.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on July 15th, 2007
Synopsis
The Watcher is a groundbreaking piece of cinema. It takes the crime thriller film genre, employs a few recognizable stars, and proceeds to waste them by boring the absolute beejeezus out of me with performances and a story that is so holistically unoriginal that I didn’t feel good about myself after watching the film.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on July 10th, 2007
Although romantic comedies aren’t my forte, I have admitted to liking a few in the past, and surprisingly a good number of the ones I have found tolerable or even likeable star Hugh Grant. So I go into watching this film with an open mind and hopefully we’ll see some results out of Music and Lyrics.
Alex Fletcher (Hugh Grant, Nine Months) is a founding member of the hit 80’s pop group appropriately named PoP! And although he surmounted to a considerable amount of fame during his prime, he is no... contempt as being a has-been. Still Alex gets the opportunity of a career revival when current chart toping diva Cora Corman (Haley Bennett) offers to perform with him in a duet, which he must compose in a short period of time. Having not written anything in quite some time, Alex decides to enlist the help of a lyricist to get the ball rolling. After some convincing Alex convinces the unsure Sophie Fisher (Drew Barrymore, Charlie’s Angles) collaborate with him, and while getting places with their music there is obvious signs of an attraction from both parties. But things get more complicated as the two submit their song to Cora Corman. Although initially loving it she changes some things around pitting Alex and Sophie in awkward positions, at the same time the two try to deal with the feelings for each other.
![Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls [Blu-ray] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/tyler-perrys-daddys-little-girls-large.jpg)
![The War [HD DVD] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/the-war-hd-dvd-large.jpg)
![Disturbia [HD DVD] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/disturbia-hd-dvd-large.jpg)
![Meet Joe Black [HD DVD] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/meet-joe-black-hd-dvd-large.jpg)
![The Watcher [HD DVD] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/the-watcher-hd-dvd-large.jpg)
![Music and Lyrics (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD) [HD DVD] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/music-and-lyrics-combo-hd-dvd-and-large.jpg)
