GALAXY QUEST NOW AVAILABLE

GALAXY QUEST NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE MOVIE GALAXY QUEST FROM IMDB

Eighteen years after their sci-fi adventure show "Galaxy Quest" was canceled, actors Jason Nesmith, Gwen DeMarco, Alexander Dane, Tommy Webber, and Fred Kwan are making appearances at sci-fi conventions and store openings in costume and character. They're wallowing in despair and at each other's throats until aliens known as Thermians arrive and, having mistaken the show for fact and consequently modeling their entire culture around it, take them into space to save them from the genocidal General Sarris and his armada. Written by Jeff Cross {blackjac_1998@yahoo.com}

HERE IS A REVIEW FOR THE MOVIE GALAXY QUEST FROM DVDTALK

The Movie:

It's a fun concept and it's done, for the most part, very well. "Galaxy Quest" stars Tim Allen as the leader of a former sci-fi TV show quite similar to "Star Trek". The show has long since ended, and the group, which includes Gwen Demarco(Sigorney Weaver) and Alexander Dane(Alan Rickman) are doing sci-fi conventions where groups of rapid fans quiz them about the inaccuracies of the show's science.

Meanwhile, in outer space, a group of friendly aliens have looked at the show as reality, and think that the crew can save their race. The film is both a gentle goof on the fans of such sci-fi hits as Star Wars and Star Trek, as well as a really solid production all its own, with impressive sets and well-done special effects.

Once the film finally gets going, it becomes more of an adventure as the crew tries to save the alien race, with the occasional joke thrown in. I was never a big fan of the sort of "Star Trek" sci-fi series so, although I laughed a few times at the comedy, I appreciated the adventure more.

I was never a big fan of Tim Allen, and I especially disliked "Home Improvement" ( I still have no idea how that show became as popular as it did, or lasted as long as it did ), but he gets the sort of William Shatner parody that the role is supposed to be perfectly. Weaver, Rickman and Tony Shalhoub make for a solid supporting cast as well. I didn't always laugh at the comedy, but director Dean Parisot ("Home Fries") has stepped up from the little comedy of "Fries" into a major effects film well, and has constructed an entertaining adventure.


The DVD

VIDEO: Dreamworks has done an outstanding job with "Galaxy Quest"! The image is bright and beautiful, showing off all of the sets and special effects excellently, with an image that is clear and wonderfully sharp looking, with good detail. Colors are marvelous, looking vibrant and never showing any problems. Black level is excellent and flesh tones are natural, at least for the human characters.

As with any major new movie, there isn't a single mark on the print used, which is in crystal clear condition. There's not a bit of shimmering or pixelation at all, and overall, "Galaxy Quest" looks great, with an image that looks very "film-like". Dreamworks hasn't done that many films, but for their DVDs so far, they've done an excellent job, and "Galaxy Quest" is no different. The DTS version contains the exact same image quality as the Dolby Digital version, and both are excellent.

SOUND: Although the Dolby Digital version has plenty of positives, the DTS version presents a smoother, richer experience that provides a more seamless presentation. Although again, the film starts off fairly calmly, once the movie really gets going, the audio expands out to create a impressive, energetic experience, packing very solid, deep bass and effective (and occasionally agressive) use of the surrounds. The audio provides a fine sense of dimension during the busier scenes, and also cleanly presents the dialogue-based scenes with ease. The musical score by David Newman again sounds phenomenal on this release, enveloping the listener with the powerful, energizing score. Newman's music really gives the film a boost, giving the action scenes intensity and backing the emotional scenes. Dialogue is exceptionally clear and clean, sounding well integrated into the scenes. The DTS version is remarkable, a very entertaining and enjoyable action-movie soundtrack that many will likely enjoy.

MENUS:: The menus are excellent! The animated menus are very busy, and have plenty of action and animation when the viewer makes a choice.

EXTRAS: The DTS version has the same extras as the Dolby Digital version but the real suprise here is that all the extras, even the preview trailers, are presented in DTS.

Trailers: Trailers for "Road Trip", "Galaxy Quest", "Road To El Dorado" and "Chicken Run".

On Location In Space: This 10 minute featurette is pretty much promotional in nature, with some behind-the-scenes clips and interviews pretty much telling the story of the movie which, in this case, we've just seen. There are some interesting sequences that take a look at the production and effects work, but it's a little late - I would have liked to have learned more about how the effects were done.

Cast and Crew Bios: A very nicely done and informative set of cast and crew bios, and some even offer clips with the actor talking about their role and the film in general.

From The Cutting Room Floor: 7 Deleted Scenes, all of which are pretty entertaining, and definitely more interesting than some of the deleted scenes that are offered on DVDs, which usually, deserve to be cut. These were probably cut out because of time, but most of them are pretty funny, and make for a very nice addition. It would have been nice if there was commentary telling us more details about the origin of the scenes and why they were cut.

Also: Production notes and an audio track recorded in the language of the friendly Thermian alien race. The alien language track is kinda funny once, but I'd rather have a commentary in that space, to be honest.

Final Thoughts: The movie is basically a light, entertaining action/comedy, and I found it moderately enjoyable. I was happy to see that the DTS release contained all the extras of the Dolby Digital release (with the extras on this disc in DTS, even). With this edition providing the better presentation with the same features(and at the same price!), I'd have to recommend this one.

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THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN NOW AVAILABLE

THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE MOVIE ANDROMEDA STRAIN FROM IMDB

In "The Andromeda Strain," a U.S. military satellite crashes in a small town and unleashes a deadly plague killing all but two survivors. As the military quarantines the area, a team of highly specialized scientists is assembled to find a cure to the pathogen code-named "Andromeda," and a reporter investigates a government conspiracy only to discover what he is chasing wants him silenced. Written by Official Site

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WAR INC. NOW AVAILABLE

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HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE MOVIE WAR INC FROM IMDB

A political satire set in Turaqistan, a country occupied by an American private corporation run by a former US Vice-President (Aykroyd). In an effort to monopolize the opportunities the war-torn nation offers, the corporation's CEO hires a troubled hit man (Cusack), to kill a Middle East oil minister. Now, struggling with his own growing demons, the assassin must pose as the corporation's Trade Show Producer in order to pull off this latest hit, while maintaining his cover by organizing the high-profile wedding of Yonica Babyyeah (Duff) an outrageous Middle Eastern pop star, and keeping a sexy left wing reporter (Tomei) in check. Written by fmmini

HERE IS A REVIEW FOR THE MOVIE WAR INC FROM DVDTALK

"War, Inc." aims to be a sly "Dr. Strangelove" for today's disgruntled generation, who slowly simmer in the misfortune of the Iraq war. The film just isn't that razor sharp, but look at "War, Inc" as a back-flipping, over-the-top political farce, and the results are far more pleasurable. Consider the film an unofficial sequel to the 1997 classic "Grosse Pointe Blank," and "War, Inc." is absolutely wonderful.

Disgruntled hitman Hauser (John Cusack) is at the end of his rope, needing to down shots of hot sauce just to feel anything in his life. Commissioned by the Vice President (Dan Aykroyd) to travel to the war-torn Middle Eastern country of Turaqistan to protect ruling corporation Tamerlane's financial interests, Hauser's job is to kill competing CEO Omar Sharif while remaining under the guise of a trade show producer. With his trusted secretary (Joan Cusack) in tow, Hauser settles into the unfortunate responsibility of controlling the local insanity. However, once he meets aggressive journalist Natalie (Marisa Tomei) and Eastern European teen pop sensation Yonica Babyyeah (Hilary Duff), Hauser finds his allegiances altered while Turaqistan explodes around him.

I didn't laugh much while watching "War," but I found myself tickled with the tone that Cusack (who co-wrote the script) and director Joshua Seftel were trying to achieve. "War" is a constant burst of chaos, taking aim at political and cultural targets of all shapes and sizes. It's a ballsy, abrasive farce that will surely have most audience members sprinting for the exit. Yet I fell in love with its symphony of outrage, slapstick, and ultraviolence.

The tough question to answer is how to exactly approach the material. "War" is critical of current shady American business methods and Bush-age Middle-Eastern maneuvering, but it's blasted onto the screen with a heavy satirical bent. These are acidic brush strokes, but "War" is amazingly light on its toes, packing in heated depictions of corruption and corporate manipulation while saving plenty of room for much broader spit-takes. With Golden Palace-sponsored military vehicles, a legless chorus line show, Yonica fellating a gas pump while singing "I Want to Blow You...Up," fast food chicken shops dominating the town square, and a motion-simulator ride where writers can experience the horrors of embedded journalism, "War" isn't exactly a finely-tuned Michael Moore slash job; it has much more fun tinkering with established combat zone iconography and media-fed hooey.

Or, if you're like me, you could drink in "War" as the sequel to "Blank" Cusack criminally never received the chance to make. Oh, the similarities are all over this production, and it doesn't take a genius to discern that Cusack just shifted a few key elements around to avoid a Disney lawsuit. Basically, it's "Martin Blank Goes to War," with Cusack returning to the character's anxiety-riddled kitten purr voice, the blend of comedy and graphic violence, Joan Cusack hamming it up again as Hauser's assistant, and the film's dramatic arc of the lonely assassin rethinking his life's purpose. In any incarnation, it's great to see this persona back on the screen, and there's always a special thrill that comes from watching Cusack assume a more haggard Steven Seagal stance as Hauser/Blank starts to mow down the bad guys when backed into a corner.

"War" gets a little sticky trying to tie together all the madness in the final reel, detailing Yonica's wedding-day disasters, Hauser trying to rescue Natalie from extremists, and revealing the villainous Walker (Ben Kingsley, in full Looney Tunes mode) as the "viceroy" of the city. Seftel tries to even things out with some spaghetti-western guitar strumming to boost the cartoon nature of it all, but even with all the previous high-wire theatrics, it can reach frustrating levels of ambition.

While not for everyone's taste, I was thoroughly amused by "War, Inc." and its enthusiastic hustle to make a point. It's not a perfect poke at today's headlines, but it's a pleasingly mischievous creation that trades stomach-churning hopelessness for an acerbic take on current and future woes.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR THE MOVIE WAR INC.

TOMB RAIDER NOW AVAILABLE

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HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE MOVIE TOMB RAIDER FROM IMDB

A member of a rich British aristocratic family, Lara Croft is a "tomb raider" who enjoys collecting ancient artifacts from ruins of temples, cities, etc. worldwide, and doesn't mind going through death-defying dangers to get them. She is skilled in hand-to-hand combat, weapons training, and foreign languages - and does them all in tight outfits. Well, the planets of the solar system are going into planetary alignment (Which occurs every 5,000 years), and a secret society called the Illuminati is seeking an ancient talisman that gives its possessor the ability to control time. However, they need a certain clock/key to help them in their search, and they have to find the talisman in one week or wait until the next planetary alignment to find it again. Lara happens to find that key hidden in a wall of her mansion. The Illuminati steal it, and Lara gets an old letter from her deceased father telling her about the society's agenda (Her father was also the one who hid the key). Now, she must retrieve the key and find and destroy the talisman before the Illuminati can get their hands on it. Written by Vampirok

Based on the popular video game series, Tomb Raider features the adventures of Lara Croft an antiquities hunter-for-hire. She travels to exotic locales in search of treasures and artifacts in the catacombs of ancient tombs and ruins remaining from age-old empires. A female Indiana Jones, Croft's expeditions are always chock full of action, danger, intrigue, suspense and her omnipresent knack for defying death in tight outfits. Written by Sujit R. Varma

Lara Croft is a wealthy, British archeologist/tomb raider who tries to thwart a secret society/doomesday cult seeking two pieces of a mysterious device hidden in two different places of the world in order to use it during a rare planetary alignment to bring them unlimited power to control or destroy the world. Written by Matthew Patay

HERE IS A REVIEW FOR THE MOVIE TOMB RAIDER FROM DVDTALK

The Movie:
Considering how shamelessly most video games steal all of their ideas from Hollywood movies, why is it that Hollywood still can't make a decent movie adaptation out of a game? Some of the best games have really juicy concepts and characters that should lend themselves well to a big screen reworking. Talented people have tried and great sums of money have been expended in the attempt, yet time after time we wind up with garbage like Wing Commander, Doom, or Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.

Angelina Jolie stars in the latter as Lady Lara Croft, a wealthy adventuress who's well-endowed in multiple senses of the term. The appeal of the game is obvious; our heroine is a cross between Indiana Jones and James Bond, with enormous breasts and a waist the diameter of a nickel. With guns, gadgets, and a Wonderbra-enhanced tight T-shirt at her disposal, Lara runs, jumps, and jiggles her way through all manner of exciting scenarios in a globe-hopping adventure in search of exotic treasures. So follows the movie, only much louder.

The plot, as if anyone cares, has Lady Croft seeking out the two halves of a magical triangle (seriously!) that's the key element of an ancient conspiracy involving planetary alignments, secret societies, time portals, and other ridiculous nonsense. To find them she'll have to travel first to Cambodia (don't forget to pick up a baby while you're there, Angie) then to Siberia, in both places navigating through underground labyrinths, avoiding elaborate booby traps (no pun intended), and solving puzzles. Oh yes, she also has to shoot and blow up stuff. A lot.

The movie is loud, stupid, and boring. Directed by Simon West (Con Air, The General's Daughter), the picture is jumpy and never establishes a consistent tone from one scene to the next. The idiotic plot is so low on anyone's list of priorities that almost no attempt is made to explain what's happening, why the characters need their mystical thingamajig, or what it does. The uneasy mix of sci-fi and supernatural elements is also never properly established; we seem to be in a typical shoot-'em-up action movie, until from out of nowhere statues come to life and people start jumping backwards and forwards in time. Each scene simply provides a new excuse to blow up something new, but even to that end the action sequences are shot and edited incoherently. There's always a lot of random activity going on, illustrated with generally lousy CGI, and you can never quite tell what any of it is or means.

Tomb Raider is an unpleasant mess that just gets dumber and more obnoxious as it goes. Angelina Jolie would later prove herself a compelling action star in Mr. & Mrs. Smith, but all this movie (and its equally dumb sequel) offer her are the opportunity to strut around in a push-up bra and spandex bike shorts with guns strapped to her thighs. Yeah, she looks hot, but that's not enough to justify 100 minutes of tedium.

The Blu-ray Disc:
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider debuts on the Blu-ray format courtesy of Paramount Home Entertainment. The studio previously released the title on HD DVD in July of this year.

Blu-ray discs are only playable in a compatible Blu-ray player. They will not function in a standard DVD player or in an HD DVD player. Please note that the star rating scales for video and audio are relative to other High Definition disc content, not to traditional DVD.

Video:
The Tomb Raider Blu-ray is encoded in High Definition 1080p format using MPEG2 compression on a single-layer 25 gb disc. The movie is presented in its theatrical aspect ratio of approximately 2.35:1 with letterbox bars at the top and bottom of the 16:9 frame.

For an $80 million production, the movie has really blasé photography that's for the most part grainy, dull, and flat. I'm sure this was deliberate, but like so much else about the film it serves little artistic purpose. The High Definition image has only moderate sharpness and detail. I'm sure it's better than the comparable DVD edition, but it's nothing special by HD standards. Wide shots are frequently soft, there's little sense of depth, and colors are merely adequate without much pop to them. Aside from some specks on the source elements, I don't have anything specific I can pinpoint as being wrong with the disc mastering. The transfer is probably as faithful as it can be. This just isn't a very dynamic-looking movie.

The Tomb Raider Blu-ray disc is not flagged with an Image Constraint Token and will play in full High Definition quality over a Blu-ray player's analog Component Video outputs.

Audio:
The movie's soundtrack is provided in standard Dolby Digital 5.1 or DTS 5.1 formats. I compared the two and found the DTS track fuller and more involving. That said, this is a by-the-numbers summer action movie mix heavy on the bass and light on anything resembling subtlety or nuance. The only appropriate way to describe the soundtrack is loud no matter what volume you set it for. Bass is boomy and seriously overcooked, to the point where your walls will still be shaking even after you've reduced the dialogue and sound effects to a whisper. Naturally, the surround channels are also constantly buzzing with bullet ricochets and stuff blowing up behind you. This is certainly an aggressive, immersive mix, but one more grating than impressive. Audio fidelity is pretty blah overall. There's a ringing bell in the Siberia portion of the movie that resounds nicely through the soundstage, but otherwise gunshots and sound effects are much duller than expected.

Subs & Dubs:
Optional subtitles – English, English captions for the hearing impaired, French, or Spanish.
Alternate language tracks - French or Spanish DD 5.1.

Extras:
The disc automatically opens with a lengthy HD DVD promo that can fortunately be skipped but is a nuisance. All of the supplements from the DVD edition have been carried over, plus a couple of trailers. All features are presented in Standard Definition video with MPEG2 compression, except the trailers which are encoded in High Definition using VC-1.

• Audio Commentary - Director Simon West focuses on the technical and logistical aspects of the production, such as the hassle of digitally painting out Jolie's many tattoos in any scene where she shows skin.
• Digging Into Tomb Raider (25 min.) – A decent making-of piece covering development and production of the movie from game to screen. Stunts and visual effects are discussed, along with a bunch of promotional nonsense about the "spiritual heart of the film". Whatever.
• Crafting Lara Croft (7 min.) – A look at Angelina's workout and training regimen to prepare for the role. She learns fighting and weapons techniques, and we get to laugh at the "Billy Bob Forever" tattoo on her arm.
• The Visual Effects of Tomb Raider (20 min.) – A breakdown of 8 major VFX pieces from the movie. Hey look, it's all done in a computer! Wowzers! Never would've guessed that.
• The Stunts of Tomb Raider (9 min.) – So Angie did all of her own stunts, huh? Yeah, sure, I believe that.
• Are You Game? (8 min.) – Background history of the video game franchise. The primitive Playstation graphics are hilarious, but even funnier are the game developers trying very hard to divert attention from the real source of Lara Croft's popularity, her gigantic boobs.
• Deleted Scenes (7 min.) – Four scenes that might have actually explained or advanced the plot of the movie, so clearly they had to go.
• Alternate Main Title - This opening title sequence was much too cool for the movie, so it had to go too.
• U2 Elevation (4 min.) – A movie tie-in music video that at least tries half-heartedly to play around with the standard format for such things. The band members are digitally inserted into clips from the movie, though without any rhyme or reason. Then there's a about $4 million worth of cheesy, overdone "Bullet Time" visual effects and explosions going on for no particular reason while the band plays.

Missing from the DVD edition are an easter egg interview with Jolie and her father (if it's on the disc I didn't spot it, though admittedly I didn't put much effort into looking) and some DVD-Rom games and crap. None are significant losses. New to the Blu-ray are:

• Teaser Trailer (2 min.) – Presented in High Definition.
• Theatrical Trailer (2 min.) – Also presented in HD.

Final Thoughts:
As a movie, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider just plain stinks. As High Definition eye candy it's nothing special either. This is strictly rental material.

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URBAN LEGENDS NOW AVAILABLE

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HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE MOVIE URBAN LEGENDS FROM IMDB

After a bravura opening sequence featuring Natasha Gregson Wagner getting slaughtered by the killer with an axe hiding in the backseat of her car, Urban Legend tells the story of a group of pretty college students at a remote New England university. The focus of the story is Natalie (Alicia Witt), a beautiful, academically-gifted student at the fictional Pendleton University. Natalie and her friends (who include Jared Leto as a brash journalist, Rebecca Gayheart as her best friend, Michael Rosenbaum as the party-hardy boy, Joshua Jackson as a practical joker and Tara Reid as the sexy campus DJ) are all involved in the Folklore class being taught by Professor Wexler (Robert Englund). Wexler regales his class with urban legends, which include Pendleton's own urban legend about a Psych professor who murdered six students at Stanley Hall 25 years ago. Natalie is the first one to suspect there's a killer on campus, especially after she has ties to all of the victims. First, it's her high school friend, a guy she's in the woods with at night, her roommate (Danielle Harris)... No one, including her friends, Wexler, Dean Adams (John Neville) and security guard (Loretta Devine), of course, believes her until it's too late and everyone begins to die according to famous urban legends, and Natalie believes it's all tied to a dark and horrible secret from her past. Now she finds that she and her friends are part of the killer's ultimate urban legend--the story of their own horrific deaths... Written by K. Wilson

There's a campus killer on the loose who's making urban legends, like the one about eating pop rocks and soda at the same time will make your stomach explode and the one about a psycho with an axe stepping into the backseat of your car at the gas station when not looking, into reality. Written by Anthony Jones {Darkhero1@aol.com}

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ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS THE MOVIE NOW AVAILABLE

ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE MOVIE ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS FROM IMDB

Based on the 1980s cartoon series about a music group of chipmunks comprised of mischievous group leader Alvin; tall and quiet Simon; and chubby, impressionable Theodore.

HERE IS A REVIEW FOR THE MOVIE ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS FROM DVDTALK

It doesn't take singing forest creatures to explain to the audience that "Alvin and the Chipmunks" is a fantasy. After all, this is a picture that wants us to believe that there's a thriving recording industry and people can still be excited by new music. Yeah, right.

Dave Seville (Jason Lee, paying off his house) is a struggling songwriter searching for his big break with Jett Record honcho, Ian (David Cross). Into his life come Alvin, Simon, and Theodore, three sass-mouth chipmunks who look to Dave as a father figure. Teaching these pint-sized rapscallions a Christmas song, Dave and the Chipmunks score a major hit. Now a hot pop music commodity, Ian tries to steal the Chipmunks away from Dave with promises of fame and toys. Teaming up with his ex, Claire (Cameron Richardson), Dave hits the road to prevent the exploitation of the Chipmunks and bring them home.

The enduring musical sensation that started in 1958 finally has its first big screen, live-action offering in this bizarrely conceived misfire of a motion picture. It's not an envious task taking something sugary and innocent and offering it to the fickle tastes of today's young text-message culture. The end product looks like the result of one half of the production crew digging for gold by bringing the Chipmunks into disheartening hip-hopeless land, while the other half is desperately trying to preserve the kindly, timeless appeal of these creatures that many parents recall fondly.

The headaches come right away from director Tim Hill, who is assigned the task of bringing the Chipmunks to life. Having already been down the cartoon chute with his 2006 "Garfield" sequel, Hill appears befuddled by what his job should be. It's a very static, unconvincing piece of filmmaking, and Hill seems more interested in designing the slapstick special effect shots than maintaining a smart comic rhythm, or even supporting the performances. Poor Jason Lee is lost here, trying to drum up interest in acting against CGI (and poorly-rendered CGI at that), but always unsure of himself, especially with the classic "Allllviiiinnnn!" holler. Hill isn't invested in the material, working like a bored factory floor employee glumly counting the slowly ticking minutes until he's done.

CLICK HERE IF YOU WANT TO READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW FOR THIS MOVIE.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR THE MOVIE ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS.

ALIEN VS PREDATOR 2 NOW AVAILABLE

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HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE MOVIE ALIEN VS PREDATOR 2 FROM IMDB

Warring alien and predator races descend on a small town, where unsuspecting residents must band together for any chance of survival.

HERE IS A REVIEW FOR THE MOVIE ALIEN VS PREDATOR 2 FROM DVDTALK

I can't imagine anyone on the planet received a bigger present this Christmas morning than Paul W.S. Anderson. While his profoundly sullied name hasn't been rescued from the pits of directorial reputation hell, he can now take comfort in the knowledge that he hasn't directed the worst film to feature Aliens and Predators.

When an Alien/Predator hybrid crashes his spaceship in small town Colorado, it kicks off a series of deaths that trigger the attention of the Predator home world. Sending off a top hunter, the Predator comes to Earth on the trail of the Aliens, following them into the community, where they've gone about their business slaughtering the locals and sending Facehuggers out to boost the population numbers. When a band of survivors team up to search for safety, they find not only must they elude the extraterrestrial infestation, but the government as well, who wants to contain the outbreak for study.

It boggles the mind to even contemplate how dreadful "Requiem" is. The map leading to quality was clearly laid out by Anderson's moronic work with his 2004 installment "AVP," and any filmmaker with half a brain could've manufactured something that restores a little of the glossy ferociousness that marked both the "Alien" and "Predator" franchise over the last three decades with minimal effort. Instead, we meet directorial newcomers Colin and Greg Strause (billed as "The Brothers Strause"), two random FX flunkies who turn this sequel into a vile, joyless, murky, moronic, amateurish, contemptuous, numbing, unintentionally hilarious, and thoroughly diseased motion picture. It's a perfect film for the Scrooges out there who like their multiplex fodder crude and unrelentingly insulting.

I bashed Anderson's take on the material for the cartoon directions it turned. After all, reimagining Predators as stubby football linebackers and staging the flaccid action in a series of cheap-looking sets wasn't exactly an invitation to view filmmaking ingenuity. However, Anderson is Welles compared to the Brothers Strause, who tear through the film without the slightest clue what they're doing, blindly foraging through the script for the nastiest bits of bodily harm to exploit for the marketing. The boys have no idea how to instruct actors, stage action, explore visual effects, or tell a story. Their function is primarily to oversee madness and somehow pull 80-minutes of tripe together for 20th Century Fox to sell to lenient fanboys flush with holiday cash.

CLICK HERE IF YOU WANT TO READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW FOR THIS MOVIE.

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BE KIND REWIND NOW AVAILABLE

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HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE MOVIE BE KIND REWIND FROM IMDB

Jerry is a junkyard worker who attempts to sabotage a power plant he suspects of causing his headaches. But he inadvertently causes his brain to become magnetized, leading to the unintentional destruction of all the movies in his friend's store. In order to keep the store's one loyal customer, an elderly lady with a tenuous grasp on reality, the pair re-create a long line of films including The Lion King, Rush Hour, Ghostbusters, When We Were Kings, Driving Miss Daisy, and Robocop, putting themselves and their townspeople into it. They become the biggest stars in their neighborhood. Written by Anonymous

A small VHS only video store faces foreclosure in a poor community. While watching the store for the owner, a blundering employee's friend accidentally erases all of the tapes. In order to keep their blunder from becoming apparent, the duo of Mos Def and Jack Black begin remaking the films themselves using homemade special effects and outdated filming techniques. Written by RSTX

HERE IS A REVIEW FOR THE MOVIE BE KIND REWIND FROM DVDTALK

Michel Gondry has finally located a script to match his bazooka of whimsy. "Be Kind Rewind" doesn't share the insular, art-school qualities of his previous accomplishments ("Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," "The Science of Sleep"); instead, the picture is a harmonious callback to low-fi filmmaking and community spirit, allowing Gondry a wide open meadow to let his viral creativity and mischievous determination frolic. It's an unexpected charmer.

Mike (Mos Def) works at a rundown Passaic, New Jersey video store under owner Mr. Fletcher (Danny Glover). Finding his street corner staple is about to be condemned, Mr. Fletcher considers a business of DVDs to keep up with the times. Off on a scouting mission, he leaves Mike in charge, and when newly-magnetized friend Jerry (Jack Black) steps inside the store after an awful power plant accident, they find all the VHS tapes have been erased. Panicked, the duo decide to create their own versions of the films wiped to cover for the loss, offering new "sweded" versions that the locals (including Mia Farrow) love. Now overwhelmed with requests, the team (with Melonie Diaz) hits the streets to shoot their askew take on Hollywood's biggest hits, hoping their popularity will save the store.

I've got nothing against Gondry and his limitless imagination, but there were times during the "Science of Sleep" where it felt like we were seeing the boundaries of his gimmicks; his college-radio creativity that's predictable in its unpredictability. Gondry certainly has a style all his own and while previous efforts might've captured more soulful meditations on the state of the head and heart, nothing he's made to date has demonstrated the bliss of filmmaking quite like "Rewind."

This is a fable, crossing the idea of comforting neighborhood myths with slapstick comedy pulled off with atypical ease by Gondry. "Rewind" is the most relaxed I've ever seen the writer/director, gently massaging the material for nuggets of irreverence and goofy, detail-oriented enchantment. He's deliriously in love with the mom and pop video store memories of days gone by, tenderly launching some jabs at today's Blockbuster mentality and the cold, mass availability of DVDs. For anyone who spent their youth poring over rows of VHS covers in dilapidated strip malls and converted convenience stores, "Rewind" is sure to be a diamond of nostalgia and 2/.99 Tuesday heartache. Gondry evokes the atmosphere of the fragile VHS glory days, while lamenting its demise for stronger, cheaper, more durable technology. It's been a motif in his cinema. If we all lived in Gondry's world, we'd still be listening to Victrolas while watching silent movies. Surely there are days when I couldn't argue with that desire.

The centerpieces of "Rewind" are the sweding sequences, both in their hilarious familiarity and in the sheer creativity Gondry reveals as he turns Hollywood excess and genuine magic into backyard playgrounds for our heroes. Watching Mike and Jerry use Christmas tinsel to recreate the proton streams of "Ghostbusters," spin around a road map to simulate a rooftop freefall for "Rush Hour 2," or out-Kubrick Kubrick with a junkyard "2001" centrifuge jog is highly contagious, resourceful fun, and is unmistakably the place where the film rockets off to another planet of visual invention. Perhaps Gondry has milked this homespun-special-effects teat before, but it's never found such symbiosis with a concept. It's endearing eye candy, especially for film fans, but it's offered in a relatable, piecemeal fashion that makes one want to grab a 1988 video camera and recreate "The Neverending Story" in the family basement.

The warmth extends throughout the entire movie, even climaxing on a gentle Capraesque melody that sends this zany picture out on the perfect note. "Be Kind Rewind" is a valentine to the movies and the powers of big-screen bonds, and I know for me it's the best narrative feature film to ever escape from Michel Gondry's infinite imagination.

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PATHOLOGY NOW AVAILABLE

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HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE MOVIE PATHOLOGY FROM IMDB

Harvard Medical School graduate Dr. Ted Grey arrives at one of the nations most prestigious Pathology programs and is quickly noticed by the program's privileged and elite band of pathology interns who invite him into their crowd. It is also here, where he is introduced to Dr. Jake Gallo, who brings him to a secluded wing, where he and four other indulge in there after-hours, extra-curricular activities...finding ways to commit the perfect murder! Written by suspicious

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LOST EPISODE 11 SEASON 4 CABIN FEVER NOW AVAILABLE

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HERE IS A SUMMARY FOR THE EPISODE CABIN FEVER FROM TVRAGE.COM

Locke is enlightened as to the whereabouts of Jacob's cabin, and life aboard the freighter becomes perilous.

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DOOM NOW AVAILABLE

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HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE MOVIE DOOM FROM IMDB

Something has gone wrong in a research facility on Mars, and the staff are becoming something unimaginable. All research has ceased and the facility has been placed in quarantine. Dr. Samantha Grimm have called in an elite squad of soldiers led by Sarge and includes Samantha's twin brother, John Grimm. No one is safe inside. As the team advance through the facility, and as they are picked off one-by-one, Dr. Grimm has one question: What exactly has caused this? Written by simon_hrdng

In 2046, something has gone terribly wrong in a research facility on Mars, All experiments have ceased, and communication has failed! The few messages that do get through are less than comforting. It's Level 5 Quarantine, and the only souls allowed in or out are the Rapid Response Tactical Squad--hardened Marines armed to the teeth with enough firepower to neutralize any enemy--or so they think. The researchers at this "Red Planet" station have unwittingly opened a door, and all hell has broken loose! A legion of nightmarish creatures of unknown origin lurks in every corner and stalks the countless rooms and tunnels of the facility, killing what few people remain. A hellish zoo of demons, Imps, Barons and Hell Knights has taken over Olduvai. And they're not giving it back without a fight. Sealing off the portal to Earth, Sarge, Reaper and their mercenary team must use every weapon at their disposal--and some they find along the way--to carry out their orders: nothing gets out alive. Unfortunately, these things never go as planned. Written by Anthony Pereyra {hypersonic91@yahoo.com}

Something has gone wrong at a remote scientific research station on Mars. All research has ceased. Communication has failed. And the messages that do get through are less than comforting. It's a level 5 quarantine and the only souls allowed in or out are the Rapid Response Tactical Squad - hardened Marines armed to the teeth with enough firepower to neutralize the enemy...or so they think. Written by El_Ucca@hotmail.com

In 2046, in a research facility in Mars, some subjects are released and the place is kept in quarantine. A team of Marines, leaded by Sarge, is assigned to rescue the personnel and retrieve the research data, with the support of Dr. Samantha Grimm, the twin sister of the Marine John "Reaper" Grimm. While in the mission, Samantha finds a dark hidden secret about the monsters and the researches. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

HERE IS A REVIEW FOR THE MOVIE DOOM FROM DVDTALK

The Movie:

For the one or two of you out there who haven't heard of ID Software's Doom franchise, it was a huge hit when it first came out and for many gamers out there, it was their first experience to the 'first person shooter' premise in which the player takes on the perspective of the character in the game. It was an insanely successful game, in which a space marine took on hordes of demons who had found their way out of Hell and into Mars, it wasted many hours of my college years, and it's gone on to inspire countless knock offs and sequels and now a Hollywood motion picture starring The Rock.

The premise of the film? The Rock is a Marine named 'Sarge' who is in charge of a team that is sent off to investigate an emergency signal that came from a research compound on Mars. Sarge and his crew teleport across space and low and behold, one of the Sarge's men, a Marine named Reaper (Karl Urban), finds that his sister, Samantha (Rosamund Pike), is working there and is the point of contact for them on this mission. As time passes, some of the scientists start turning up dead and the Marines realize that there's a lot more going on here than they first suspected. Something is out there in the hallways of the underground facility, and it's morphing and spreading like some sort of parasitical virus and infecting anyone it comes into contact with – or so they think. Sarge and his rag tag band of soldiers are going to have their work cut out for them as they set out to neutralize the threat by whatever means necessary but as Samantha seems to know, it's not quite all that simple.

There's a twist or two thrown into the storyline that probably won't surprise too many viewers, but for the most part, that's it. Marines show up, people die, a threat emerges, and then it's time to bring on the violence. We're not dealing with a very through provoking movie here and no one is going to really remember this film for its challenging plot and fascinating characters. That being said, Doom is a lot of fun in a big budget B-movie kind of way. The guys behind this project knew they were adapting a video game that was made famous by its gratuitous violence and splattery carnage and despite some rather odd changes to the premise of the game on which it is based, the movie does deliver in that department.

First and foremost are the creature effects, which are actually quite impressive. The monsters were created by blending guys in rubber suits with CGI enhancements and it works really well. Rather than seeing the Marines battle completely computer generated monsters like in films such as Resident Evil, we see the creatures move in a more organic and lifelike fashion which makes the scenes much cooler and much more believable. Add to that the fact that the effects team doesn't shy away from throwing in some nice splatter effects for the gun shot wounds and a few severed limbs and torn torsos during the fight scenes and you've got yourself a movie that, as Chas Balun would say, 'delivers the gory goods' without an abundance of overly slick computer effects (they're there, but they're not as overbearing as you might think).

Performance wise, the movie is completely cookie cutter in nature. The Rock plays exactly the type of character you'd expect him to, he's hammy and tough as nails and he doesn't take any crap from anybody. He spouts off the one liners with scenery chewing enthusiasm and he fits the part of the tough Marine in charge just fine, even if he is a walking, talking cliché in this movie. Karl Urban's character gets a little more development in that we get to see him attempt to rekindle his relationship with his sister so in that regard we care a little more about his character and about Rosamund Pike's character but even with that being said, they're still pretty generic as are the rest of the space Marines sent in to help.

Doom exists to show off the shoot out scenes, and the movie is more or less based around a few violent set pieces highlighted by the 'first person shooter' scene in which Reaper must make his way through the compound and take out as many of the beasts as he can using his gun, a few grenades, and a chainsaw. Fans of the game will geek out over this sequence, the one part of the movie that really feels like the Doom that gamers know and love, and it is a pretty intense and enjoyable sequence as it is here that the filmmakers finally pile on the monsters in the same way that the game did.

The unrated extended version of the film that Universal has released on DVD runs just over twelve minutes longer than the R-rated theatrical cut of the film which adds some gore that was trimmed and a few brief character development extensions. The first person shooter sequence has also been extended to roughly five and a half minutes. The gore makes the action and horror scenes more enjoyable, but the character development scenes don't make the movie any more intelligent or riveting in that regard – the film is still a big, dumb, gory shoot'em up.

While the generic sounding heavy metal soundtrack pretty much clues you in to what is going to happen before it starts to happen and the script is by the numbers and completely generic, Doom provides enough intensity in the shoot out scenes and enough completely enjoyable blood and guts effects that it's easy to turn off your brain and enjoy it for what it is. Sure, it borrows pretty heavily from Aliens and even Resident Evil at times but it's fun and it's entertaining and while more monster mayhem would have gone a long way towards making it a more enjoyable film, as it stands it's a decent guilty pleasure.

The DVD

Video:

Doom gets a very solid transfer that is enhanced for anamorphic sets and retains the original aspect ratio of 2.35.1. The image is very and quite clean and only occasionally exhibits some tiny minor specks of print damage in a couple of the darker scenes. Skin tones look dead on, color definition is top notch, and this is overall a very nice presentation of the film. There is some minor edge enhancement and shimmering in a couple of scenes that is slightly noticeable but it doesn't happen too often, thankfully. With so much of the film taking place in the dark it's important that the black levels be handled properly to ensure that the detail doesn't get lost and the image doesn't become muddied and luckily, the disc comes through in that department. There aren't any issues with mpeg compression and there's a pretty decent level of both foreground and background information in the picture at any given time. There's very little to complain about here, the movie looks great.

Sound:

Equally impressive is the sound mix for the film. Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound mixes are supplied in English, French and Spanish. Optional subtitles are provided in English, French, and Spanish and there is also an English closed captioning option as well. The film benefits from a very active and aggressive sound mix that really does add quite a bit of atmosphere to the movie, especially during the action scenes and the monster attack sequences. Surrounds are used nicely to fill in the soundscape and the subwoofer gives a few nice solid kicks to the proceedings and provides some nice jump scares during the run of the film. Dialogue is never a problem and is always clearly comprehensible, and background music and sound effects are well balanced and mix nicely, never overshadowing what's being said at any given point in time. The shoot-out/first person scene is the most intense, with bullets whipping around you and monsters coming at you from all sides and this mix handles it very well, adding to the fun.

Extras:

Universal has supplied fans with a decent selection of extra features and even if some of them feel very promotional in nature, there's some good information and interesting tid-bits to be found in here. First up is Basic Training, which is a featurette that show us how the producers brought an ex-Marine named Tom McAdams onboard to train the cast members how to behave like real soldiers. We see them take weapons training in which they learn how to handle their firearms, we see them do various tactical team based exercises, and more. It's fairly interesting to see how much emphasis was put on this aspect of the film and how they went about achieving that through this training. Some clips from the feature and a few interview inserts with the cast members discussing their take on what it was like to get the training break up the footage and add some insight to the package.

Do you want to learn how the make up technicians turned The Rock into a monster? Sure you do! And in a five minute featurette entitled Rock-Formation you'll get to see how his tattoos were painted on, how his prosthetics were applied, and how the transformation became complete. It's a brief segment but it's marginally interesting for those into make up effects.

Slightly more interesting in that regard is Master Monster Makers which takes us through the creature design from start to finish. We see how the monsters were first created on paper and then we witness the creation of the suits that the actors wore and then how CGI was integrated with the live actors to create the effects that we see in the finished version of the film. This is pretty interesting stuff, although it's too brief at just under eleven minutes and kind of leaves you wanting more as some of the behind the scenes footage in here is very, very cool.

First Person Shooter is a six minute examination of how the film's most famous scene was developed. The crew talks about some of the challenges that they ran into bringing this to life, how they had to accommodate for a widescreen aspect ratio as opposed to using the fullframe that a computer monitor offers, and how the gun would sometimes block the shots, which is why it's only pulled up when it's needed. This segment also offers you the chance to watch the entire sequence in its entirety outside of the context of the film if you want.

The final featurette is Doom Nation which runs for roughly fifteen minutes. This brief documentary examines the origins of the game, the rise of ID Software, and the impact that it had on the gaming community at large. They cover the humble beginnings, the second game, and of course, Doom 3 as well and the differences between the three installments. A few of the ID Software team are on hand for interviews and it's fun to see them reminisce about the marketing of the game, how shareware played a huge part in its success, and about some of the more unique aspects that made it such a hit.

Rounding out the supplements are the Game On featurette, which is more or less a glorified advertisement for Doom 3, and a playable demo for Doom 3 itself which works only on an X-Box.

Final Thoughts:

While the extra features could have been stronger, the feature is fun in a brainless action-horror-science fiction hybrid kind of way. Fans of the game will enjoy the references that are there and curse the liberties taken with the storyline, but those who just want to see the Rock and a few others shoot up a bunch of monsters in the dark should have fun with it. Universal's release of Doom – The Unrated Extended Edition looks and sounds very good and earns itself a marginal recommendation for fans of the big dumb action movie genre and a solid rental for everyone else. As dumb as it is, it's pretty entertaining stuff.

Ian lives in NYC with his girlfriend where he writes for DVD Talk and for DVD Maniacs. He spends a lot of time wandering around exploring and generally wondering what to do with himself.

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THE CABLE GUY NOW AVAILABLE

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HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE MOVIE THE CABLE GUY FROM IMDB

Steven Kovak has been kicked out of his apartment by his girlfriend. Steven has a new apartment, and decides to slip the cable guy (Chip) $50 for free cable. Steven then fakes an interest in Chip's line of work. However Chip takes this to heart trying to become Steven's best bud. When Steven no longer wants to be Chips friend the man who can do it all goes on an all out assault to ruin Steven's life. In the backdrop is the delicate sub-plot of the trial of a former kid star for murdering his brother. Written by Wayne Jamieson {jamtin@OntheNet.com.au}

HERE IS A REVIEW FOR THE MOVIE THE CABLE GUY FROM DVDTALK

The Movie:

"Why should I help you...I gave you free cable."
-Jim Carrey's character in "The Cable Guy".

Many were angered by the results of Jim Carrey's first 20 million dollar paycheck and still, many bring up the film as being Carrey's one failure. Although it didn't quite make the budget back, I think that much of the movie is brilliant satire and that this is the performance from the actor that has the strongest edge to it.

Directed by Ben Stiller, who acted in films like "There's Something About Mary", "The Cable Guy" stars Carrey as Chip Douglas, a rather intense cable repairman who is called in one day to set up the cable in the apartment of Steven Kovacs(Matt Broderick). While it occurs to Steven that his new friend is rather odd, as the film goes on what seemed like the beginings of a friendship becomes the need for a restraining order as Chip places himself into the middle of Steven's life, even telling him how to get back with his girlfriend.

The movie feels rather empty between sequences that are near classic, and some of the funniest bits I've seen from Carrey. Early on in the movie, Chip takes a friendly game of basketball too seriously( he says, "I guess we're playing prison rules now, huh?"). There are other scenes such as a battle at a "Midevil Times" restaurant that parodies a "Star Trek" episode and Chip doing a karaoke jam to "Somebody To Love". As scary as Carrey's character becomes, there are still enough humorous moments and remarks from the character to keep watching. There's also an intensity to whatever role Carrey plays that is at times remarkable. Broderick, on the other hand, plays the character as a little too annoyed and a little boring in the role, looking as if he's feeling overshadowed by Carrey.

"The Cable Guy" isn't perfect, but I certainly don't think it's as much of a failure as most say it is.

The DVD

VIDEO:
Recently Tristar has re-issued "Jumanji", which was one of their first efforts, in a special edition. It was amazing that the picture quality from that early disc still stood up to what the studio does today in terms of quality. "The Cable Guy" was another of Tristar's first DVDs, and the transfer is very impressive. Images are consistently razor sharp on this anamorphic transfer, and clear throughout. Colors are bold and don't suffer from bleeding, and black level is strong. Detail is also very good throughout.

You can choose either the letterboxed edition or the pan/scan version - the pan/scan version is completely useless, as the cinematography uses much of the 2.35:1 frame, as can be viewed on the letterboxed side. There are really no problems with the transfer aside from a few short instances of shimmering. Problems with the print used are non-existent and overall, this is very strong work for one of the early DVD efforts from the studio.

SOUND: Like most comedies, there isn't that much going on with the audio on "The Cable Guy". The audio does have one strong aspect though, and that's the music. Composed mostly of rock tunes, the score sounds well-recorded, clean and dynamic - Filter's "Hey Man, Nice Shot" during the basketball game, for example. There really isn't that much coming from the surrounds, nor does there need to be for most of a movie like this one. Dialogue sounds fine - natural and clean.

MENUS:: As with most of the early menus from Columbia/Tristar, these are painfully basic, with just "buttons" to select for the various options.

EXTRAS:: Nothing.

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