30 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(01/12/07 8:57pm)
One of the more original movies of 2006 has finally come to DVD shining as bright as its yellow cover. After receiving great acclaim for its character-driven plot, "Little Miss Sunshine" has lived up to all of the hype and is worthy of its two Golden Globe nominations, Best Musical or Comedy of the Year and Best Performance by a Female in a Musical or Comedy (Toni Collette).\nThis dark comedy is about Olive (Abigail Breslin), who is simply a girl with a dream of becoming Miss America. After being invited to participate in the Little Miss Sunshine pageant in far-off California, Olive's relatively unusual family rallies behind her in an attempt to see her wear the crown. The trip to the pageant in their old VW van is harder than they thought it might be, as they come across many roadblocks along the way. The Hoovers include her dad, Richard (Greg Kinnear), who is failing at his attempt to become a motivational speaker; her mom Sheryl (Toni Collette), who rarely sees eye to eye with Olive's dad; her grandfather (Alan Arkin) who is her cocaine-addict pageant coach; her brother Dwayne (Paul Dano), is nine months into taking a vow of silence; and her uncle Frank (Steve Carell) just got out of a mental institution after attempting suicide. Even after car trouble, feuds and life plan changes, this family sticks together for just one goal: to see Olive win the Little Miss Sunshine pageant.\nThe movie itself is relatively good, but the DVD is lackluster at best. It of course has the normal director and writer commentaries, which aren't a rare find on DVDs nowadays -- it's even more rare to find someone who regularly watches them. Then to cap it off, there are three alternative endings not even worthy of being watched. The directors admit that they stopped the filming one of the endings of halfway through because it was so horrible.\nAs far as a movie, this is quite a good one, but that's where it ends. "Little Miss Sunshine" isn't necessarily the funniest, but it is definitely something you haven't seen before. If you are at the video store, I suggest you pick up this movie off the shelves, but don't expect much in the special features.
(01/12/07 8:55pm)
I was very skeptical when I saw the trailer for "Snakes On a Plane" because it had Samuel L. Jackson in it, but didn't look that great. A couple words came to mind: stupid, idiotic, far-fetched. It's funny because I was exactly right. Those are just a few demeaning words that perfectly describe "Snakes On a Plane" one of the biggest pieces of trash in the past year.\nSamuel L. Jackson stars as FBI agent Flynn whose job is to transport a federally-protected witness from Honolulu to Los Angeles. The only problem is this witness, Sean Jones (Nathan Phillips), is the key to putting Eddie Kim, a national Mob boss, in prison and Kim has no intentions to let Sean reach Los Angeles alive. As a ploy to see that Sean is taken care of, Kim unleashes hundreds of deadly snakes all over the plane. It's then up to agent Flynn to see that Sean and the other passengers make it to Los Angeles alive.\nBeyond this terrible movie is actually a sensational DVD to help salvage some respectability. Beyond the normal commentaries, there is actually a hilarious gag reel to stand alongside some great deleted scenes.\nThe best parts of the special features are many featurettes and behind-the-scenes looks at the movies. There is one behind-the-scenes look at the movie as a whole, which is mainly composed of interviews with the cast and crew.\nThe most impressive of the three behind-the-scenes featurettes is the crew showing how they dealt with the presence of snakes on the set and how they chose the snakes to use in the movie. There is also something that shows how they created some snakes using visual effects, which is unbelievable to see how these filmmakers do their work. Last, but certainly not least, there is a feature where the crew and Web site owners talk about the buzz that got started over this movie long before it was released.\nThis movie unsurprisingly was incredibly unrealistic in terms of plot, acting and graphics. The fact that this movie would have such a terrible plot is not surprising, as it was quite evident from the moment "Snakes On a Plane" got lots of Internet buzz before opening that it was meant to be campy. Although it was even more cheesy and ridiculous than I previously thought, its story and acting is very reminiscent of cheap horror flicks from the '70s.\nThe only thing that kept me from throwing something and shouting obscenities at the screen is the fact that Samuel L. Jackson is in it.\nAs much as I love good special features, they usually aren't enough to make me want to rent or buy a movie and they shouldn't be for this movie either. If you are going to the video store this week and want to see some good special features, then I highly suggest you rent "Snakes On a Plane," but if you want to see a good movie stay away from this joke of a movie.
(01/12/07 5:00am)
I was very skeptical when I saw the trailer for "Snakes On a Plane" because it had Samuel L. Jackson in it, but didn't look that great. A couple words came to mind: stupid, idiotic, far-fetched. It's funny because I was exactly right. Those are just a few demeaning words that perfectly describe "Snakes On a Plane" one of the biggest pieces of trash in the past year.\nSamuel L. Jackson stars as FBI agent Flynn whose job is to transport a federally-protected witness from Honolulu to Los Angeles. The only problem is this witness, Sean Jones (Nathan Phillips), is the key to putting Eddie Kim, a national Mob boss, in prison and Kim has no intentions to let Sean reach Los Angeles alive. As a ploy to see that Sean is taken care of, Kim unleashes hundreds of deadly snakes all over the plane. It's then up to agent Flynn to see that Sean and the other passengers make it to Los Angeles alive.\nBeyond this terrible movie is actually a sensational DVD to help salvage some respectability. Beyond the normal commentaries, there is actually a hilarious gag reel to stand alongside some great deleted scenes.\nThe best parts of the special features are many featurettes and behind-the-scenes looks at the movies. There is one behind-the-scenes look at the movie as a whole, which is mainly composed of interviews with the cast and crew.\nThe most impressive of the three behind-the-scenes featurettes is the crew showing how they dealt with the presence of snakes on the set and how they chose the snakes to use in the movie. There is also something that shows how they created some snakes using visual effects, which is unbelievable to see how these filmmakers do their work. Last, but certainly not least, there is a feature where the crew and Web site owners talk about the buzz that got started over this movie long before it was released.\nThis movie unsurprisingly was incredibly unrealistic in terms of plot, acting and graphics. The fact that this movie would have such a terrible plot is not surprising, as it was quite evident from the moment "Snakes On a Plane" got lots of Internet buzz before opening that it was meant to be campy. Although it was even more cheesy and ridiculous than I previously thought, its story and acting is very reminiscent of cheap horror flicks from the '70s.\nThe only thing that kept me from throwing something and shouting obscenities at the screen is the fact that Samuel L. Jackson is in it.\nAs much as I love good special features, they usually aren't enough to make me want to rent or buy a movie and they shouldn't be for this movie either. If you are going to the video store this week and want to see some good special features, then I highly suggest you rent "Snakes On a Plane," but if you want to see a good movie stay away from this joke of a movie.
(01/12/07 5:00am)
One of the more original movies of 2006 has finally come to DVD shining as bright as its yellow cover. After receiving great acclaim for its character-driven plot, "Little Miss Sunshine" has lived up to all of the hype and is worthy of its two Golden Globe nominations, Best Musical or Comedy of the Year and Best Performance by a Female in a Musical or Comedy (Toni Collette).\nThis dark comedy is about Olive (Abigail Breslin), who is simply a girl with a dream of becoming Miss America. After being invited to participate in the Little Miss Sunshine pageant in far-off California, Olive's relatively unusual family rallies behind her in an attempt to see her wear the crown. The trip to the pageant in their old VW van is harder than they thought it might be, as they come across many roadblocks along the way. The Hoovers include her dad, Richard (Greg Kinnear), who is failing at his attempt to become a motivational speaker; her mom Sheryl (Toni Collette), who rarely sees eye to eye with Olive's dad; her grandfather (Alan Arkin) who is her cocaine-addict pageant coach; her brother Dwayne (Paul Dano), is nine months into taking a vow of silence; and her uncle Frank (Steve Carell) just got out of a mental institution after attempting suicide. Even after car trouble, feuds and life plan changes, this family sticks together for just one goal: to see Olive win the Little Miss Sunshine pageant.\nThe movie itself is relatively good, but the DVD is lackluster at best. It of course has the normal director and writer commentaries, which aren't a rare find on DVDs nowadays -- it's even more rare to find someone who regularly watches them. Then to cap it off, there are three alternative endings not even worthy of being watched. The directors admit that they stopped the filming one of the endings of halfway through because it was so horrible.\nAs far as a movie, this is quite a good one, but that's where it ends. "Little Miss Sunshine" isn't necessarily the funniest, but it is definitely something you haven't seen before. If you are at the video store, I suggest you pick up this movie off the shelves, but don't expect much in the special features.
(09/07/06 4:00am)
Hollywood is notorious for being the town where production companies make huge blockbusters that people watch and love forever. While this is still true for some movies, the remake of British film classic "The Wicker Man" is not one of them.\nNicolas Cage stars as Sheriff Edward Malus who is drawn to a small island when an ex-girlfriend (Kate Beahan) asks him if he can provide any help in searching for her missing daughter. Along the way Malus is thrown further into the traditions of this Neo-pagan town and as the sheriff gets closer and closer to finding this girl he also get closer to the unimaginable wicker man.\nThe music is serviceable, as it is appropriate for a pagan horror movie, but it does not help salvage the drowning of this plot. As the story line is very similar to the original it packs very little punch and scene progression to allow you to buy into the whole story.\nThe original 1973 cult thriller is a sensational movie that is obviously still cherished by many people all over the world. Notice that I say all over the world as the original was not made in Hollywood. It is widely considered as one of the best movies to come out of Great Britain in the last 40 years. Hollywood did a disservice by touching it; perhaps it is time to hit the creative blocks again and leave the classics alone, yes?\nThis version is less than entertaining. Nicolas Cage just is not believable in his role as Edward Malus. He just was simply miscast as it probably would have been better if Edward Malus was played by a lesser known actor, one with experience in weird horror flicks. Regardless of who was cast, though, this movie has no place existing.\nIf you are looking for a great movie to go see this weekend then it would be smart to look through the selections one more time. Nobody should see this movie: it's waste of time and money.
(09/07/06 1:59am)
Hollywood is notorious for being the town where production companies make huge blockbusters that people watch and love forever. While this is still true for some movies, the remake of British film classic "The Wicker Man" is not one of them.\nNicolas Cage stars as Sheriff Edward Malus who is drawn to a small island when an ex-girlfriend (Kate Beahan) asks him if he can provide any help in searching for her missing daughter. Along the way Malus is thrown further into the traditions of this Neo-pagan town and as the sheriff gets closer and closer to finding this girl he also get closer to the unimaginable wicker man.\nThe music is serviceable, as it is appropriate for a pagan horror movie, but it does not help salvage the drowning of this plot. As the story line is very similar to the original it packs very little punch and scene progression to allow you to buy into the whole story.\nThe original 1973 cult thriller is a sensational movie that is obviously still cherished by many people all over the world. Notice that I say all over the world as the original was not made in Hollywood. It is widely considered as one of the best movies to come out of Great Britain in the last 40 years. Hollywood did a disservice by touching it; perhaps it is time to hit the creative blocks again and leave the classics alone, yes?\nThis version is less than entertaining. Nicolas Cage just is not believable in his role as Edward Malus. He just was simply miscast as it probably would have been better if Edward Malus was played by a lesser known actor, one with experience in weird horror flicks. Regardless of who was cast, though, this movie has no place existing.\nIf you are looking for a great movie to go see this weekend then it would be smart to look through the selections one more time. Nobody should see this movie: it's waste of time and money.
(04/13/06 4:00am)
One of the most controversial and society testing films has come to the movie store with a two-disc director's cut DVD. 2005's Best Picture Oscar Winner, "Crash," is back in the spotlight shining on shelves at movie stores across the nation. Despite the heat this film gives off it is a movie with a very dark and powerful story.\n"Crash" is a sensational drama about the real life prejudices that society goes through every time we step out the front door. This movie focuses on the lives of many strangers trying to overcome their fears of one another as each story weaves in and out of the other. Very diverse characters battle a war with themselves and others trying to find what is wrong with this world and how to change it.\nDon Cheadle heads this remarkable cast of underrated second tier actors in an effort to teach society a thing or two. \nIt is very rare that a movie of "Crash's" magnitude matches it with a sensational DVD, but this two-disc set is not like other DVDs. Disc one is, for the most part, pretty basic as it only has the director's cut feature presentation and the regular commentary done by the producers, director, writers and actor/producer Don Cheadle.\nThe second disc, however, is no ordinary DVD because it takes audiences to another world of this stunning movie. It welcomes the viewer inside not only the film, but also the minds and hearts of the people who worked on "Crash." This starts with a 28-minute-long featurette on the making of the film. In addition to this are other featurettes on the creator Paul Haggis and the city of Los Angeles.\nThe best featurette, however, is about how "Crash" broke through by being so incredibly true to society. It talks about the racial prejudices that are in all of our lives and how even though we might not think we discriminate we all do it whether we want to or not. There might not be as much of this today, but people have flaws and unfortunately still make judgments. On top of what is already a masterpiece you also get a collection of deleted scenes, a peek at the film's storyboard, a look at the script, one music video and some music montages that take you through many of the major parts of the movie.\nThere hasn't been a movie in years, if ever, that has challenged people to look at their lives as deep as "Crash," just ask its audience. If you are looking for a sensational movie with an equally good DVD then "Crash" is your movie. The quality of the disc is simply unprecedented and there hasn't been a better DVD put out in stores in the past couple years.
(04/12/06 11:37pm)
One of the most controversial and society testing films has come to the movie store with a two-disc director's cut DVD. 2005's Best Picture Oscar Winner, "Crash," is back in the spotlight shining on shelves at movie stores across the nation. Despite the heat this film gives off it is a movie with a very dark and powerful story.\n"Crash" is a sensational drama about the real life prejudices that society goes through every time we step out the front door. This movie focuses on the lives of many strangers trying to overcome their fears of one another as each story weaves in and out of the other. Very diverse characters battle a war with themselves and others trying to find what is wrong with this world and how to change it.\nDon Cheadle heads this remarkable cast of underrated second tier actors in an effort to teach society a thing or two. \nIt is very rare that a movie of "Crash's" magnitude matches it with a sensational DVD, but this two-disc set is not like other DVDs. Disc one is, for the most part, pretty basic as it only has the director's cut feature presentation and the regular commentary done by the producers, director, writers and actor/producer Don Cheadle.\nThe second disc, however, is no ordinary DVD because it takes audiences to another world of this stunning movie. It welcomes the viewer inside not only the film, but also the minds and hearts of the people who worked on "Crash." This starts with a 28-minute-long featurette on the making of the film. In addition to this are other featurettes on the creator Paul Haggis and the city of Los Angeles.\nThe best featurette, however, is about how "Crash" broke through by being so incredibly true to society. It talks about the racial prejudices that are in all of our lives and how even though we might not think we discriminate we all do it whether we want to or not. There might not be as much of this today, but people have flaws and unfortunately still make judgments. On top of what is already a masterpiece you also get a collection of deleted scenes, a peek at the film's storyboard, a look at the script, one music video and some music montages that take you through many of the major parts of the movie.\nThere hasn't been a movie in years, if ever, that has challenged people to look at their lives as deep as "Crash," just ask its audience. If you are looking for a sensational movie with an equally good DVD then "Crash" is your movie. The quality of the disc is simply unprecedented and there hasn't been a better DVD put out in stores in the past couple years.
(03/30/06 5:00am)
It's official. The video game industry has taken the entertainment industry by storm. Video games have always been successful by themselves, but now with the release of "Stay Alive," a film which revolves around one, it seems this fad is getting ridiculous.\nThe film is about an underground horror video game of the same name that causes one to die the same death as in the game. After the death of three friends, some fellow gamers decide to commemorate their friends' untimely deaths by playing the game they played right before they died. Unfortunately, they don't realize that the game might have been the reason for these deaths until after another friend's game was over. Now they have to come together to figure out why they are being taken down one by one and do whatever they can to prevent their possibly horrific demise. Whether they will be able to figure this out before they are all hunted down is another thing though.\nQuite frankly, when I saw the film's trailer it looked like one of the lamest and sorriest excuses for a movie I have seen in a long time. It appeared to just emphasize the fact that Hollywood is running out of unique story ideas. This said, "Stay Alive" is actually a pretty decent scary movie. It's nothing that will come out with fantastic reviews and rack up huge numbers at box offices across the nation, but it is a respectable movie.\nThe film is pretty exciting and will keep you interested, despite any previous thoughts derived by watching the trailer or reading the plot.\nAs in all horror movies, the acting was sub par at best. It is pretty much a no-name cast with the exception of Frankie Muniz ("Malcom In The Middle"), so if you were hoping to see a star-studded scary movie, then a trip to the video store might be the best choice.\nAll in all "Stay Alive" is not as terrible as its promotions might suggest. However, there are better movies out today than this cheap thrill. Audiences should look over their choices before jumping at the opportunity to see this film, but if it comes down to this film, it has enough chops to satisfy a boring evening.
(03/29/06 10:53pm)
It's official. The video game industry has taken the entertainment industry by storm. Video games have always been successful by themselves, but now with the release of "Stay Alive," a film which revolves around one, it seems this fad is getting ridiculous.\nThe film is about an underground horror video game of the same name that causes one to die the same death as in the game. After the death of three friends, some fellow gamers decide to commemorate their friends' untimely deaths by playing the game they played right before they died. Unfortunately, they don't realize that the game might have been the reason for these deaths until after another friend's game was over. Now they have to come together to figure out why they are being taken down one by one and do whatever they can to prevent their possibly horrific demise. Whether they will be able to figure this out before they are all hunted down is another thing though.\nQuite frankly, when I saw the film's trailer it looked like one of the lamest and sorriest excuses for a movie I have seen in a long time. It appeared to just emphasize the fact that Hollywood is running out of unique story ideas. This said, "Stay Alive" is actually a pretty decent scary movie. It's nothing that will come out with fantastic reviews and rack up huge numbers at box offices across the nation, but it is a respectable movie.\nThe film is pretty exciting and will keep you interested, despite any previous thoughts derived by watching the trailer or reading the plot.\nAs in all horror movies, the acting was sub par at best. It is pretty much a no-name cast with the exception of Frankie Muniz ("Malcom In The Middle"), so if you were hoping to see a star-studded scary movie, then a trip to the video store might be the best choice.\nAll in all "Stay Alive" is not as terrible as its promotions might suggest. However, there are better movies out today than this cheap thrill. Audiences should look over their choices before jumping at the opportunity to see this film, but if it comes down to this film, it has enough chops to satisfy a boring evening.
(03/23/06 5:00am)
Nominated for six Academy Awards including best picture, "Good Night, and Good Luck" is an extraordinary film fully deserving of all the hype. Unlike in previous films, superstar George Clooney wrote, directed and acted in this gem, which is different from movie that has come out in years.\nBased on a true story, "Good Night, and Good Luck" brings America back to the time when the thought of Communism struck fear in all Americans. In this era, even members of the media were afraid to take on the subject with the fear that Sen. Joseph McCarthy would target them as members of the Communist party. However, one man had no hesitation to report the news he saw: CBS reporter Edward R. Murrow (David Strathairn). Regardless of the risk, Murrow looked in the face of the U.S. government and military, taking them on in a way that might not have changed only television but perhaps the whole nation as well.\nUsually a film of this caliber features an array of fun special features with the release of a DVD. However, this film's DVD does not provide anything special. This is extremely disappointing since "Good Night, and Good Luck" is centered around actual events that took place in America's history. It is only
(03/23/06 2:52am)
Nominated for six Academy Awards including best picture, "Good Night, and Good Luck" is an extraordinary film fully deserving of all the hype. Unlike in previous films, superstar George Clooney wrote, directed and acted in this gem, which is different from movie that has come out in years.\nBased on a true story, "Good Night, and Good Luck" brings America back to the time when the thought of Communism struck fear in all Americans. In this era, even members of the media were afraid to take on the subject with the fear that Sen. Joseph McCarthy would target them as members of the Communist party. However, one man had no hesitation to report the news he saw: CBS reporter Edward R. Murrow (David Strathairn). Regardless of the risk, Murrow looked in the face of the U.S. government and military, taking them on in a way that might not have changed only television but perhaps the whole nation as well.\nUsually a film of this caliber features an array of fun special features with the release of a DVD. However, this film's DVD does not provide anything special. This is extremely disappointing since "Good Night, and Good Luck" is centered around actual events that took place in America's history. It is only
(03/02/06 5:00am)
Paul Walker is back on the big screen with yet another new fast and furious action movie. However, unlike many of his past adrenaline pumping successes, "Running Scared" is a complete and utter failure. Its trailer suggests that it is an exciting thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat through the long haul, but it's quite the contrary.\nWalker stars as temper mental Joey Gazelle, a mob flunkie whose only role is to get rid of hot weapons that are used in murders. However, Gazelle doesn't always plan on ditching the weapons right away. Instead of tossing the firearms into the river he hides them in his basement with the intention of nobody knowing they are down there. \nOne day when his son and son's friend Oleg (Cameron Bright) eavesdrop on Gazelle hiding a pair of guns his secret is revealed. After stealing a gun used to kill a dirty cop, Oleg shoots his abusive stepfather and runs away. On hearing about the shooting, Gazelle searches for Oleg and the said gun that could end his life if placed in the wrong hands. He must keep searching until the gun is safely in his possession and out of danger, but in this world that could be much harder than planned.\n"Running Scared" is a movie that will try to stun the audience by throwing twists and turns every which way. While the biggest twist comes out of nowhere and is very unexpected, every other part of the movie is so terrible it makes it practically impossible to resuscitate the dying plot. Great acting isn't necessarily a huge part of an action movie, let alone a Paul Walker action movie, but this disaster of a film was so bad that it was hard to ignore. \nWalker's role as an angry and short-tempered member of the mob was not believable for a second and was very different from anything he has played in the past. While Walker can pull off the fun roles he has played in "The Fast and the Furious" movies, he cannot carry a serious dramatic role.\nWith a slightly altered plot and a different leading man, "Running Scared" could have been a pretty good movie, but as it stands now the film is one to pass up.
(03/01/06 11:38pm)
Paul Walker is back on the big screen with yet another new fast and furious action movie. However, unlike many of his past adrenaline pumping successes, "Running Scared" is a complete and utter failure. Its trailer suggests that it is an exciting thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat through the long haul, but it's quite the contrary.\nWalker stars as temper mental Joey Gazelle, a mob flunkie whose only role is to get rid of hot weapons that are used in murders. However, Gazelle doesn't always plan on ditching the weapons right away. Instead of tossing the firearms into the river he hides them in his basement with the intention of nobody knowing they are down there. \nOne day when his son and son's friend Oleg (Cameron Bright) eavesdrop on Gazelle hiding a pair of guns his secret is revealed. After stealing a gun used to kill a dirty cop, Oleg shoots his abusive stepfather and runs away. On hearing about the shooting, Gazelle searches for Oleg and the said gun that could end his life if placed in the wrong hands. He must keep searching until the gun is safely in his possession and out of danger, but in this world that could be much harder than planned.\n"Running Scared" is a movie that will try to stun the audience by throwing twists and turns every which way. While the biggest twist comes out of nowhere and is very unexpected, every other part of the movie is so terrible it makes it practically impossible to resuscitate the dying plot. Great acting isn't necessarily a huge part of an action movie, let alone a Paul Walker action movie, but this disaster of a film was so bad that it was hard to ignore. \nWalker's role as an angry and short-tempered member of the mob was not believable for a second and was very different from anything he has played in the past. While Walker can pull off the fun roles he has played in "The Fast and the Furious" movies, he cannot carry a serious dramatic role.\nWith a slightly altered plot and a different leading man, "Running Scared" could have been a pretty good movie, but as it stands now the film is one to pass up.
(02/23/06 5:00am)
The Jigsaw killer is back in "Saw II" to prove that sequels can sometimes surpass the original. Most horror series get worse as the film count increases, but from the get go this sequel shows no signs of letting up. Director Darren Lynn Bousman does a great job of picking up where "Saw" director James Wan left off with this series, which is quickly becoming a must see franchise.\n"Saw II" is about the twisted serial killer Jigsaw and his goal to show people the value of their own lives once again. This time around Jigsaw traps a group of strangers in a house with clues of how to get out, but the catch is they only have two hours to find a way out before they die of a potent gas that floods every room of the house. Along the way the prisoners fall victim to many elaborate deaths the Jigsaw sets up for them and come to the realization that not all of them will have the opportunity to get out alive.\nThe film's DVD is a horror movie fan's dream as it is incredibly detailed and goes through many exciting parts of how the movie was made. While it does not have the typical commentaries and outtakes that most DVDs have, it does take an extensive look at all the traps Jigsaw set throughout the house along with a description on how they created each one of these elaborate tricks. \nThere is also a great featurette that looks over the game that Jigsaw put all these poor souls through. One odd but interesting part of the special features are the numerous storyboards which show each shot as planned out by the director from selected scenes. However, none of these special features compare to the many looks at all the deadly objects and what materials they used to make them. It is interesting to see how Hollywood can make materials such as foam and rubber appear as hard materials such as wood and metal.\nThis movie alone deserves to be applauded as there have been nothing but disasters lately in the scary movie genre. "Saw II" manages to make one forget the recent duds as it takes its audience on a terrifying ride with a sensational twist at the end that will leave the audience speechless. Add the special features and this is one of the must buy DVDs of 2006.
(02/22/06 11:17pm)
The Jigsaw killer is back in "Saw II" to prove that sequels can sometimes surpass the original. Most horror series get worse as the film count increases, but from the get go this sequel shows no signs of letting up. Director Darren Lynn Bousman does a great job of picking up where "Saw" director James Wan left off with this series, which is quickly becoming a must see franchise.\n"Saw II" is about the twisted serial killer Jigsaw and his goal to show people the value of their own lives once again. This time around Jigsaw traps a group of strangers in a house with clues of how to get out, but the catch is they only have two hours to find a way out before they die of a potent gas that floods every room of the house. Along the way the prisoners fall victim to many elaborate deaths the Jigsaw sets up for them and come to the realization that not all of them will have the opportunity to get out alive.\nThe film's DVD is a horror movie fan's dream as it is incredibly detailed and goes through many exciting parts of how the movie was made. While it does not have the typical commentaries and outtakes that most DVDs have, it does take an extensive look at all the traps Jigsaw set throughout the house along with a description on how they created each one of these elaborate tricks. \nThere is also a great featurette that looks over the game that Jigsaw put all these poor souls through. One odd but interesting part of the special features are the numerous storyboards which show each shot as planned out by the director from selected scenes. However, none of these special features compare to the many looks at all the deadly objects and what materials they used to make them. It is interesting to see how Hollywood can make materials such as foam and rubber appear as hard materials such as wood and metal.\nThis movie alone deserves to be applauded as there have been nothing but disasters lately in the scary movie genre. "Saw II" manages to make one forget the recent duds as it takes its audience on a terrifying ride with a sensational twist at the end that will leave the audience speechless. Add the special features and this is one of the must buy DVDs of 2006.
(02/16/06 5:00am)
"Final Destination 3," of the 'Final Destination' horror trilogy, manages to go to some new levels. Unfortunately they are levels of terrible acting, predictability and nearly all other aspects of bad filmmaking. While many horror movies are expected to be below average in filmmaking quality, this cinematic monstrosity puts all other horror films at the podium for Best Picture.\nSimilarly to its predecessors, "Final Destination 3" centers around one main character and their effort to save their friends from death's ultimate plan. Instead of Devon Sawa or A.J. Cook who were the first two leading roles of the series, Mary Elizabeth Winstead ("The Ring 2") takes the helm as Wendy Christensen.\nAfter seeing premonitions about her and her friend's deaths, she teams up with classmate Kevin Fischer (Ryan Merriman) in an effort to thwart death's evil plans and save everyone's lives. In order to do this they tie together clues using the pictures of their student body so they can help prevent death from striking.\nThere is virtually no difference in this movie from the other two. The filmmakers basically used the same exact plot and mixed everything else up hoping that the audience would be dumb enough to buy into this. Sorry, but I'm not buying it and I don't think many other people were either. There were very few, if any screams in the crowd of high school girls who are normally scared out of their minds, usually an indication of good scares. Bottom line: this film is a horror movie, not a scary movie. The film went a little overboard on the excessive blood and guts - something that is intended to freak us out.\nIn the midst of all the gore and repetitive plot, the acting performances were quite lackluster, which caused more stirring in the seats than anything else. Obviously inexperienced, Winstead did a poor job at keeping the intensity high and did a great job at spelling out what exactly was going to happen as things progressed.\nHopefully studio execs will decide enough is enough with this series and try to find another type of plot to put into motion. In the mean time, if you are looking for a solid movie to go see that will send chills down your spine then this is one part of the trilogy that you can certainly do without.
(02/16/06 1:51am)
"Final Destination 3," of the 'Final Destination' horror trilogy, manages to go to some new levels. Unfortunately they are levels of terrible acting, predictability and nearly all other aspects of bad filmmaking. While many horror movies are expected to be below average in filmmaking quality, this cinematic monstrosity puts all other horror films at the podium for Best Picture.\nSimilarly to its predecessors, "Final Destination 3" centers around one main character and their effort to save their friends from death's ultimate plan. Instead of Devon Sawa or A.J. Cook who were the first two leading roles of the series, Mary Elizabeth Winstead ("The Ring 2") takes the helm as Wendy Christensen.\nAfter seeing premonitions about her and her friend's deaths, she teams up with classmate Kevin Fischer (Ryan Merriman) in an effort to thwart death's evil plans and save everyone's lives. In order to do this they tie together clues using the pictures of their student body so they can help prevent death from striking.\nThere is virtually no difference in this movie from the other two. The filmmakers basically used the same exact plot and mixed everything else up hoping that the audience would be dumb enough to buy into this. Sorry, but I'm not buying it and I don't think many other people were either. There were very few, if any screams in the crowd of high school girls who are normally scared out of their minds, usually an indication of good scares. Bottom line: this film is a horror movie, not a scary movie. The film went a little overboard on the excessive blood and guts - something that is intended to freak us out.\nIn the midst of all the gore and repetitive plot, the acting performances were quite lackluster, which caused more stirring in the seats than anything else. Obviously inexperienced, Winstead did a poor job at keeping the intensity high and did a great job at spelling out what exactly was going to happen as things progressed.\nHopefully studio execs will decide enough is enough with this series and try to find another type of plot to put into motion. In the mean time, if you are looking for a solid movie to go see that will send chills down your spine then this is one part of the trilogy that you can certainly do without.
(02/02/06 5:00am)
It's about time someone made a movie about the United States Naval Academy. As one of the best and most competitive institutions in America, it is a great setting for a Hollywood movie. It is even better when one captures the hard work, intensity and mental strain that goes into trying to become a naval officer. However, this movie doesn't even manage to come close to mastering this feat.\n"Annapolis" is about local shipbuilder Jake Huard (James Franco) and his devotion to the United States Naval Academy, the place he has known and loved his entire life. Living as a man of mediocrity he tries to show everyone else that he can survive the rigorous demands and uncertainty that go along with the academy. \nThe plot ends up straying from the original story line of graduating from the academy, instead focusing on Jakes desire to beat Midshipman Cole (Tyrese) in the annual brigades boxing tournament.\nThe director (Justin Lin) puts such a strong focus on boxing that it gives the movie a resemblance to the "Rocky" series. It's almost so bad I half expected Franco to run up the stairs in front of the Philadelphia Museum of art or Mr. T to make an appearance. Even though the filmmakers try to remind the audience about the toughness of the academy, this attempt is undermined when romance erupts between Jake and one of his superior female officers.\nWhile "Annapolis" is quite entertaining, it gets KO-ed by its very inaccurate and vague portrayal of the academy. A person knowing anything about the rigourous inner workings of the United States Naval Academy can easily pick out flaws left and right, including students' behavior, the campus and the story itself.\nThis movie has been criticized thoroughly for it's lack of quality acting, but it's not as bad as anticipated. One big factor in this might be the fact that Tyrese does not have a large amount of screen time and is featured in a role that doesn't require top-notch acting. Don't plan on Tyrese getting any Academy Award nods.\nAll in all, "Annapolis" is not what is advertised, as there is little if any mention of boxing or a romantic side in the trailer. A better option for the weekend might be to go see something more dependable because there are no guarantees in the city of Annapolis.
(02/01/06 11:57pm)
It's about time someone made a movie about the United States Naval Academy. As one of the best and most competitive institutions in America, it is a great setting for a Hollywood movie. It is even better when one captures the hard work, intensity and mental strain that goes into trying to become a naval officer. However, this movie doesn't even manage to come close to mastering this feat.\n"Annapolis" is about local shipbuilder Jake Huard (James Franco) and his devotion to the United States Naval Academy, the place he has known and loved his entire life. Living as a man of mediocrity he tries to show everyone else that he can survive the rigorous demands and uncertainty that go along with the academy. \nThe plot ends up straying from the original story line of graduating from the academy, instead focusing on Jakes desire to beat Midshipman Cole (Tyrese) in the annual brigades boxing tournament.\nThe director (Justin Lin) puts such a strong focus on boxing that it gives the movie a resemblance to the "Rocky" series. It's almost so bad I half expected Franco to run up the stairs in front of the Philadelphia Museum of art or Mr. T to make an appearance. Even though the filmmakers try to remind the audience about the toughness of the academy, this attempt is undermined when romance erupts between Jake and one of his superior female officers.\nWhile "Annapolis" is quite entertaining, it gets KO-ed by its very inaccurate and vague portrayal of the academy. A person knowing anything about the rigourous inner workings of the United States Naval Academy can easily pick out flaws left and right, including students' behavior, the campus and the story itself.\nThis movie has been criticized thoroughly for it's lack of quality acting, but it's not as bad as anticipated. One big factor in this might be the fact that Tyrese does not have a large amount of screen time and is featured in a role that doesn't require top-notch acting. Don't plan on Tyrese getting any Academy Award nods.\nAll in all, "Annapolis" is not what is advertised, as there is little if any mention of boxing or a romantic side in the trailer. A better option for the weekend might be to go see something more dependable because there are no guarantees in the city of Annapolis.