Wholesome family entertainment. That seems to be a very common buzzword these days when it comes to films. Families with kids are complaining that there is just too much violence and sexual content in films that are designed to appeal, in part, to children and pre-teens. Frankly, I feel that that is a bit of an overstatement but I do understand the desire of parents to have available good quality age appropriate entertainment for their kids. Read the full story

Shop to you drop. It wasn’t all that long ago that many of us had that mantra, and would trek over to the mall to buy a lot of things we really didn’t need but wanted nonetheless or even worse, couldn’t afford. Then game the economic meltdown, which has effected us all. It is against this backdrop that the film Confessions of a Shopaholic was released which, while played as a comedy and to extremes, contains some lessons we may all benefit from. However, despite the lessons and social commentary contained therein, does it work as a film? Read the full story

Do you believe in Miracles? Yes! That is the iconic call at the end of the US -USSR hockey match by announcer Al Michaels and represents one of the most memorable calls in the history of sports broadcasting. Even better than the call was the game itself, which is one of the most exciting and riveting games in the history of the Olympic games. Most think that the US won the Gold medal that day by defeating the Soviets, by that had to wait till the next day and a match against Finland, which was a bit anti-climatic given the enormity and improbability of the victory against the USSR. The story of the 1980 US Olympic is a such a compelling one that one really has to wonder what took so long to make a movie about it. Well that film is finally here and has finally made its debut on Blu-ray. All I can say is it is well worth the wait. Read the full story

It’s hard to believe that ten years ago Anna Farris was the little known actress with a supporting role in Scary Movie. Since then she had garnered some popularity in a string of sequels and some big name supporting roles including The Hot Chick, Waiting, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, and my personal favorite Just Friends. Throughout her career we usually see her playing the same ditzy role, an oblivious air head susceptible to slapstick comedy antics, and I have a feeling The House Bunny isn’t going to be far off her norm. Read the full story

In the year 1420, King Henry V of England and King Charles VI of France signed the Treaty of Troyes.  This treaty arranged the inheritance of the French throne by Henry V upon the death of Charles VI.  The events that would ultimately undermine this agreement were the deaths of each man in 1422, just two months apart from one another.  In years soon to follow, both empires would be plunged into war as England invaded France and a tumultuous history between the two would ensue.  It wasn’t until the rise of Joan of Arc, a peasant girl steeped in the Catholic faith, that the English would soon realize she was a force to be reckon with.  Read the full story

Did you ever judge and neglect a book by its cover, only to be pleasantly surprised later by its content?  That is the case with Open Season 2 and myself.  Not only is the movie a direct-to-video release, but also the cover art looks like a film only a kid could possibly love.  The truth of the matter is that I actually liked the film after my initial viewing.  Like most animated releases of the modern day, the subject matter is much more adult than the studios will ever admit.  I am afraid most of the inside jokes and content will go completely over a kid’s head.  It makes me wonder just how many animated features, growing up as a kid, that I missed out on the true meaning of them because I was not old enough to understand.  Anyway, let’s move on and discuss the animated film, Open Season 2, in greater detail.  Shall we? Read the full story

I love Las Vegas. I haven’t been there that many times but the times I have been there I definitely feel like I am in another world. Everywhere you look, the bright lights and all of the people just make you feel more alive in some way, for me at least. It might be the thrill of winning a bunch of money gambling or the fact that you are in a place known for being sin city, and what happens there stays there. Being based on a true story, 21 should provide anyone who visits Las Vegas with the same dream, to make a boatload of cash. Read the full story

If I said it once, I have said it a thousand times; Will Smith just knows how to make money when it comes to movies. Sure, he has had some flops, but for the most part, a 100 million box office is almost a given. Tommy Lee Jones is no slouch either, with films such as The Fugitive, No Country for Old Men and Man of the House; he also has a box office draw. Put those two together and what do you have? Well, you have yourself a money making team that is almost sure to entertain. Read the full story

I’ve made it known in the past that I’m a huge fan of horror movies. I love the feeling you get when you’re scared, the adrenaline rush to the senses that just grasps you throughout your cinematic experience. To date there have been very few horror movies that focus on the theory of human possession and exorcisms, today I will review one such film. Read the full story

An urban legend is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories thought to be factual by those circulating them. The term is often used to mean something akin to an “apocryphal story.” Like all folklore, urban legends are not necessarily false, but they are often distorted, exaggerated, or sensationalized over time. Read the full story

There was first the cloned sheep, Dolly. Now today, cloning is actually very popular in science. Just do a simple Google search and you?ll find many articles on cloning that are occurring or have occurred. Heck, there was even an active website at one time about gene banking a pet. How far is science willing to go? The cloning of humans is not so far out of reach but most likely will not happen in my lifetime. When it does, you can bet that government will try and step in and stop it. Read the full story

Cuba? What the hell…?

What’s next Norbit 2? Please noooooo!!!!

I don’t get it, why does this movie exist? What’s the thought process? Let’s take an already mediocre movie (Daddy Day Care) and make a less inspired, poorly conceived sequel. I miss the days when only good movies got less inspired, poorly conceived sequels.
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I love vampire movies. I remember watching Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee with my father on late night Saturdays when I was a kid. Since those days vampires have evolved. Ann Rice certainly deserves a lot of credit for breathing new life into the undead. Her gothic depictions of the creatures in her Vampire Chronicles stories added a wealth of new mythology and atmosphere to the age old monsters. Underworld would bring us even more vampire lore and, of course, the most attractive vampire to date in Selene. Read the full story

I’ve never understood book clubs. Of course, I’ve never been intimately involved in one. I prefer instead to let my brain have its own debate on whether or not a certain event in a novel was a metaphor or anything more than meets the eye. However, Jane Austen is a horse of another color. A book club focused on Austen might actually be interesting. But this one wasn’t.

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I’m not sure where the mass-disappointment came from regarding the third installment of this hugely successful trilogy. The action scenes where incredible, the dialogue makes this movie the funniest of three, the story was non-stop and the characters were developed well considering how many they introduced. Many people found a problem that there were two villains. How is that bad? More bad guys, means more action. Read the full story

Spider-man hits Blu-ray as part of the Blu-ray exclusive Spider-man Trilogy, and is not yet available for individual purchase. Sony has really pumped up this release, hoping it will help elevate Blu-ray to a level that the HD DVD camp cannot reach. While the verdict is still out on how this release will impact the format war, the verdict is in on the quality of this Spider-man release… Read the full story