To be completely honest, I'm as surprised as anyone to find myself fairly excited for the release of Daybreakers. Opening January 8th, this backward spin to vampire stories seems like it may have the right mix of outlandish elements. Will the Spierig twins launch their careers with what has all the makings of at the very least a cult hit? Always a tough call, but there's just something about this … [Read more...]
When I first saw Office Space, I can't say that I was horribly impressed, but there was certainly a lot of quotable fun in the watching. After further viewings, I'm not sure the film quite deserves it's cult status, but some moments do. Extract is a film clearly from the same mind, and with much the same perspective on humor. Whether or not it manages to hold the same level of interest is … [Read more...]
The “truly scary” (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times), edge-of-your-seat horror film PARANORMAL ACTIVITY will make its presence known on DVD and two-disc Blu-ray December 29, 2009 from Paramount Home Entertainment. Hailed as “a horror phenomenon” (Richard Corliss, Time) and “one of the scariest movies of all time” (BloodyDisgusting.com) the hypnotic and harrowing film drove … [Read more...]
Diablo Cody took the world by storm with the release of Juno, and while I actually didn't enjoy it nearly as much as many, there was a certain something there that you had to appreciate. The film itself (though it's likely to get some retroactive attention now since it was directed by Jason Reitman) seemed solidly in the range of freshman writing and freshman big effort directing. Above-average … [Read more...]
One of the most fascinating things you can achieve in film is taking a story that seems decidedly difficult to spin into something interesting, and come up with an end result that is curiously mesmerizing. Of course, given different tastes the available subjects for the apparently dull by definition may include a wide variety of topics. Still, Princess Victoria and Prince Albert fall in love … [Read more...]
It certainly is complicated, there's no doubt about it, but does it deliver anything worth bothering with? It's Complicated is the story, more or less, of Jane (Meryl Streep) and Jake (Alec Baldwin). Divorced for a decade, but finally somewhat amicable, the two will run into each other by way of one of their three children's college graduation. Meeting at the hotel bar, they make the most of … [Read more...]
Director Rob Marshall is an oddity of the directing world that is rather more difficult to figure than people might expect. With little to recommend him apart from choreography work and a variety of Broadway credits before going into Chicago, the popularity of that film gave him some degree of credibility. His Memoirs of a Geisha is actually a superior effort, though not as widely accessible. Now … [Read more...]
It continues to amaze me that some of the best shows on television are those that are aimed at younger audiences, while primetime fare frequently falls so short of watchability. Shows like The Wizards of Waverly Place, iCarly, and several others have me sitting down with my son more often than I can believe, and big money programs aimed at adults leave me feeling insulted more often than … [Read more...]
I've got a last minute chance to win a couple of wintry wonderland titles for you from the folks at Warner Brothers. Happy Feet and The Polar Express on DVD will be on their way to one lucky winner. Remember to visit thewbshop.com for much more than just great movies. From movie-related merchandise, to box sets, to great sales, the site is worth a look, and a bookmark for frequent … [Read more...]
The surprisingly watchable rodent adventure, G-Force, is now out on DVD and Blu-Ray, and the family-friendly, silly thrills are put together in a nice package, especially if you can take advantage of the Blu-Ray edition. As much as this is rather a goofy starting point, the end result is far more... well, I want to say "sophisticated," but I can't bring myself to do it. The end result is more … [Read more...]
There's something to the responses you're going to hear that rather negatively call out Avatar as having the same story as Dances with Wolves and any number of "going native" films, though it should be remembered that none of them are particularly original stories themselves. Apart from going to an alien world to meet your natives, and becoming one of them by transferring your mind into a … [Read more...]
Available to rent 12/21, ANGUS, THONGS & PERFECT SNOGGING is directed and produced by Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham, Bride & Prejudice), from the screenplay she co-scripted with Paul Mayeda Berges, Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi. This hilarious coming-of-age story is based on the international best-selling series of books by the British author Louise Rennison, and follows the … [Read more...]
Next in line for the Ultimate Edition experience, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is another fantastic treatment that is a definite must own for fans of the series. With theatrical and extended versions of the film, all the bonuses of previous issues, plus the next chapter in the Creating the World of Harry Potter series of specials - Characters, any Potter fans are going to love … [Read more...]
The Critics' Choice Awards and The Golden Globes announced their nominations this week (and someone asked a really stupid question), and I thought I'd give you a comparison-style look at what's hunting for awards. Do you know the ins and outs of these categories? These movies? Should you? Do you care? Do you have a really stupid question? Leslie Gornstein, who I guess is The Answer B!tch at … [Read more...]
There's something about just making it through the day that is a force of fear to be reckoned with when the mind is turned toward it. In A Single Man, Colin Firth's character George mentions just getting through the day, as one might when going through a difficult time, but he's putting a gun in his satchel on the way to his job as a college professor, and he means something a little … [Read more...]
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE MOTION PICTURE TRILOGY The Multi-Billion Dollar Franchise Reigns Triumphant on Blu-ray™ Disc For the First Time! The Original Theatrical Versions of all Three Films with More than Seven Hours of Special Features and Digital Copies of Each Film Available April 6, 2010 from Warner Home Video Oscar®-winning The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, one of … [Read more...]
