ANACONDAS 3 NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE 
DARK CITY NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE John Murdoch awakens alone in a strange hotel to find that he has lost his memory and is wanted for a series of brutal and bizarre murders. While trying to piece together his past, he stumbles upon a fiendish underworld controlled by a group of beings known as The Strangers who possess the ability to put people to sleep and alter the city and its inhabitants. Now Murdoch must find a way to stop them before they take control of his mind and destroy him. Written by Anonymous
John's life has become a nightmare. He is hunted by the police for a series of murders he knows nothing about, a woman who claims to be his wife is after him, and so is a mysterious "doctor". But his worst trouble is the strangers, a series of vastly powerful beings who seem to manipulate just about everything in the city, and want him because of the extraordinary powers he manifested. John decides to find out what is happening in his city; why is it always night? And why can nobody tell him a way to leave the city? Written by Chris Makrozahopoulos {makzax@hotmail.com}
HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR THE MOVIE DARK CITY PART 1 OF 5
THIS IS SPINAL TAP NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE In 1982 legendary British heavy metal band Spinal Tap attempt an American comeback tour accompanied by a fan who is also a film-maker. The resulting documentary, interspersed with powerful performances of Tap's pivotal music and profound lyrics, candidly follows a rock group heading towards crisis, culminating in the infamous affair of the eighteen-inch-high Stonehenge stage prop. Written by Jeremy Perkins {jwp@aber.ac.uk}
Marti DeBergi is a film-maker who decides to make a documentary, a rockumentary actually, about the world's loudest band, the British heavy metal group Spinal Tap. The movie is in fact a biting satire and spoof of the whole rock and roll scene that passes itself off as a real documentary of a real band. Hilarious behind-the-scenes footage is combined with faux-concert clips to breath life into the imaginary group. Written by Greg Bole {bole@life.bio.sunysb.edu}
HERE IS A REVIEW FOR THE MOVIE THIS IS SPINAL TAP FROM DVDTALK Before VH-1 began it's Behind the Music series to chronicle the rise and fall of legendary rock n' roll bands, there was "This is Spinal Tap." A "mockumentary/ rockumentary" look at distinctive rock band Spinal Tap, the film takes the viewer deep into the life of the members of the band, following them through the fame, the fortune, the throngs of fans, the difficulties of staging a show around a 18 inch model of Stonehenge, the infighting within the band, the tragic loss of drummer after drummer and the aftermath of losing fame.
Filled with classic scenes and humor that has only become funnier as more and more rock and roll bands seem to go through much of the trials and tribulations depicted in the film, This is Spinal Tap definitely works, 16 years after its original release. The "these go to 11" and "Hello Cleveland!" scenes are still extremely funny, even after multiple viewings of the film. The film benefits not just from the comedic talents of Director Rob Reiner, but also from the immense talents of bandmates Michael McKean (David St. Hubbins), Christopher Guest (Nigel Tuftnel) and Simpson's voice man Harry Shearer (Derek Smalls). All three add a lot to the film in their own way, and, although it's embarassing to say, the music is good too! As if the documentary materials itself didn't make the film funny enough, songs like "Hell Hole," "Sex Farm," "Big Bottom," and the infamous "Stonehenge" only add to the humor and enjoyment of the film. The band sounds good, and the film is constantly entertaining whether during the deliberations for the "Blacker than Black" album, the "Flower People" retrospective, or the scene in which Derek Smalls gets stuck in a pod while on stage.
The film (and the deleted scenes contained on the DVD) feature cameos by the likes of Fran Drescher, Billy Crystal (as a mime who works at a mime restaurant) and Bruno Kirby, who plays the band's limo driver who has a much more developed role in the deleted scenes, after partying with the band one night.
While this is certainly one of the classic comedies of the 1980's, the latest DVD release from MGM comes with one important caveat: The captions, identifying the people who are being interviewed (over and over again) and identifying the locations and venues that the band visit are inexplicably omitted from this print. While the film is certainly funny even without these captions, it is an extremely unfortunate omission and it is unknown whether or not MGM plans to fix this error.
Despite this omission, this film is still very much worth watching. For anyone who has not yet seen this film, it is a must see. The film is consistently funny and entertaining. It sets its own standard for both rockumentaries and "mockumentaries" which has paved the way for numerous imitators which have followed.
The Picture
"This is Spinal Tap" is presented with a fresh digital transfer in widescreen enhanced format. While the film shows both its age and the rough documentary style employed by Reiner, the film looks good. The colors and tones are at times a bit muted, but it is on the whole quite enjoyable, the only visual problem being the lack of captions which did not make it on the digital transfer.
The Sound
This is Spinal Tap sounds great with a 5.1 Dolby Digital Sound transfer. Both the music and the dialogue sound good, although obviously again, the documentary style somewhat impacts the film's sound presentation. Most notably, despite the fact that the film features music and dialogue extensively, the volume is sufficiently even so that a viewer need not adjust the volume in order to enjoy the film.
Bonus Materials
This is the area where this DVD shines the brightest. The DVD features approximately an hour of deleted scenes, feature length audio commentary by the members of the band, a follow-up interview with Marty DiBergi (Reiner), music videos for "Big Bottom" "Listen to the Flower People" "Hell Hole" and "Gimme Some Money"; the theatrical trailer and 3 television ads for the film, a short clip of the band on the "Joe Franklin Show;" 3 ads for "Rock N' Rollers" sandwiches, and a "Flower People" press conference.
An absolute highlight of the bonus materials is the feature length commentary. The band members never break character and talk about how they took the "pod" idea from a Purim party, how just about everyone they encounter in the film is now dead, how at times they didn't know that DiBergi was filming, the ways in which he was trying to "rub their nose in it" and what certain experiences depicted in the film were actually like. While this all comes at the expense of a true behind the scenes look at the genesis of the movie, it is extremely funny and entertaining nonetheless. The comedic talents of Shearer, Guest and McKean come through well in the commentary and the chemistry the bandmates have with each other, years after the film was made is immediately apparent and quite enjoyable.
The Deleted Scenes- It is extremely interesting to see the different directions that Reiner would have taken the film with the hour of deleted scenes included on the DVD. They feature a lengthy scene with Billy Crystal as a mime waiter in a mime restaurant, and how they use the walking against the wind routine to make people feel guilty and eat more; a couple of scenes involving Bruno Kirby's character smoking a joint given to him by Nigel, reluctantly at first, but ultimately enthusiastically, featuring him performing in his underwear; later appearing in another scene as he is driving the band in the limo, talking to DiBergi and making sure that the scene would not make it into the finished film. The scenes also feature more great material with the band, including a scene in which each of the band members have developed cold sores. Although watching an hour of disjointed scenes can be a bit tedious, watching these scenes is definitely worth the time, as they are generally quite funny.
Among the other extras, the music videos serve as a nice reminder of the cheesy artistic tactics used in music videos of the 1980's. In addition, while the film itself did not always provide the full version of these songs, the music videos does. The viewer is therefore treated to songs such as "Big Bottom" in all of its glory. Further, the follow-up with DiBergi is also funny, just because it Reiner portrays him with a certain desperation, as his career has soured in quite similar fashion to the that of the band, stating "Hey, Kubrick's last film sucked."
Final Thoughts
While some will refuse to purchase this film because the captions were left off of the transfer, and they will try to hunt down a copy of the Criterion Collection version of the film or wait until MGM realizes and corrects its error, this film is definitely worth renting and, even in its current state, is a worthy addition to any DVD collection. The humor of the film is as fresh today as it was in the early 80's, perhaps even fresher because a bit of distance can further allow the viewer to laugh at all of the 80's rock conventions which are rather accurately depicted in this film. On a scale of mockumentary comedies from 1 to 10, this film definitely goes to 11. Further, if MGM does fix its error, this version of the film might become a collector's item.
CON AIR NOW AVAILABLE ONLINECameron Poe, who is a highly decorated United States Army Ranger came to his home of Alabama to his wife, Tricia. only to run into a few drunken regulars at where Tricia works. Cameron unknowingly kills one of the drunks and was sent to a federal penitentiary for involuntary manslaughter for seven years. Then, Cameron became eligible for parole and can now go home to his wife and daughter, Casey. Unfortunately, Cameron has to share a prison airplane with some of the most dangerous criminals in the country, who somehow took control of the plane and are now planning to escape the country with the plane. Cameron has to find a way to stop them while playing along. Meanwhile, United States Marshal Vincent Larkin is trying to help Cameron get free and stop the criminals including, Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom. Written by John Wiggins
Cameron Poe, a highly decorated US ranger, is convicted of manslaughter after protecting his wife in a drunken brawl. Finally, after eight years, he's being paroled and going home to his wife and daughter. His ride home: the Jailbird, which is also transporting society's vicious murderers to Feltham Penitentiary, Lousiana's toughest maximum security prison. A surprising escape is made on board the plane as the cons seize control of the plane, and head it towards Las Vegas. The officials on the ground want to blow it out of the sky, but three people know an alternative... US Marshal Vince Larkin, Cameron Poe's wife, and his daughter. Written by Cameron Poe {sprintcs@idirect.com}
Cameron Poe is a highly decorated military officer who is sent to prison because of killing a man while defending his wife. Seven years later, he is granted a parole. He is put on a plane with many other convicts. Everything looks smooth until one of the convicts, Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom breaks out of his restraints and takes control of the plane. The D.E.A quickly learns of the event and plans on shooting the plane down, but U.S. Marshall Vince Larkin sees Poe as an ally and tries to work with him before his superiors shoot down the plane. Written by Ridley Lavine
When Cameron Poe, of the US Army, is found guilty of manslaughter after killing a drunk man while protecting his wife outside a bar, he is sent to jail for eight years. During that time his daughter is born, but he waits patiently in his cell until his release date. He is flown home on board the Jailbird, which also transports some very dangerous convicts to a maximum-security prison in Louisiana. The convicts manage to escape directed by Cyrus "The Virus", who also leads the plane's take-over and re-routes it to an abandoned airfield to catch another plane which will take them to a foreign country. With Poe's help, the authorities learn where the convicts are headed for and manage to get there before they take off again. After the police and army are killed in an ambush at the airfield, the convicts take off again toward Las Vegas, but a US Marshal, Vince Larkin, with the help of Poe on board gets there again in time to finally stop the convicts. Written by Marcos Eduardo Acosta Aldrete
Cameron Poe is an Army Ranger who was going to go home to his pregnant wife when he got into a fight with three men. He would kill one of them and the other two ran away with the knife they had and because of that he would be convicted of manslaughter. After eight years he would be paroled. He would be part of a group that's being transferred to another prison and flown in a special plane. While in flight a fight breaks out and two of the most dangerous criminals, Diamond Dog and Cyrus the Virus Grissom, would break out from their restraints and take over the plane. When the plane makes it's first stop Poe and friend who's a diabetic and who wasn't given his shot, and all the syringes were destroyed, try to get off but Grissom wouldn't let them. He then tries to alert the authorities but got away. Now the government is considering shooting the plane down but U.S. Marshall Vince Larkin thinks that it's a little hasty and believes that Poe is an ally. When Grissom leads them on a wild goose chase, Poe alerts them to where they are going. Written by rcs0411@yahoo.com
Sally: "Hello everyone, and welcome to another meeting of Cinema Trash-Lover Anonymous. It seems we have a new participant this evening, so let's all welcome him."
Scott: "Hi, everybody. My name's Scott Weinberg and ... I love Con Air. I've tried everything, honestly. Self-medication, hypnosis, Scorsese marathons... Nothing works. Every time I see more than 11 seconds of Con Air, I just have to sit down and watch the whole loud, stupid, ridiculous thing. So I thought group therapy might help..."
(Stunned silence)
Sally: "Now now, let's be supportive here. Glen, for example, really loves... What was it, Glen?"
Glen: "Krull. So what? Peter Yates is underrated. Liam Neeson's in it. You wanna make something of it?"
Sally: "No, no, Krull's fine, Glen. Love that Glaive. And what about you, Dawn. Would you care to introduce yourself?"
Dawn: "I swear I'm never leaving the house again."
Scott: "What?"
Dawn: "Who's ready to party on the big boat besides me?"
Sally: "Oh, yes. Dawn speaks only through the dialogue of Speed 2. She's made remarkable progress."
Scott: "Good to meet everyone, but I think I might need a level 9 intervention here. I mean ... Con Air."
Sally: "Scott, knowing you have a problem is half the battle. Why not explain where you think this affliction comes from."
Scott: "It was supposed to be just another action movie. Nicolas Cage is a super-macho army-dude who gets thrown into prison after killing this asshole in self-defense. I just couldn't believe it..."
Sally: "Well, you know it's just a movie..."
Scott: "Yeah, but it was so unfair. And his wife was so hot."
Sally: "So he's sent to prison."
Scott: (openly weeping) "Yeah. And while he's in prison his really smokin' hot wife has their baby, and get this: on the day he's supposed to be released, he ends up on a hijacked plane full of, like, 10 really colorfully disgusting bad guys. I mean they're rapists and lunatics and..."
Sally: "And Nicolas Cage has to find a way to survive."
Scott: "Oh, if only! He also has a best friend dying of insulin shock, a lady guard threatened with rape every 19 minutes, and a Colombian drug cartel to quash! Seriously, there's enough stuff in here for 11 Simon West movies."
Sally: "So why is it that you find yourself drawn to this particular film?"
Scott: "It's just awesome. Con Air is pretty grim and violent, but it has a really twangy comic-book sensibility, too, as if the filmmakers realized 'Hey, if we're going to make an outlandish action flick, let's make it rrrreally outlandish.' Plus, and I know you're gonna think I'm insane, but..."
Sally: "Go on. It's OK."
Scott: "I think it's actually pretty ... clever, too."
(Muffled chuckles fill the room.)
Scott: "I know, I know. It's shameful. But the screenplay, which I hear was cobbled together by about seven screenwriters, actually has quite a lot of zing and wit."
Sally: "It's the Cusack factor, isn't it?"
Scott: "It's gotta be. I mean, it's fun to see Cage in a mullet and emoting like a Louisiana inbred, but there's something so enjoyably bizarre about seeing John Cusack glib his way through a mega-wacky Jerry Bruckheimer action flick. And the guy has some fun with it, too, like he knows he's way out of his element."
Sally: "Your chart says you have an extreme weakness for big ensembles and grizzled character actors. This might help to explain why..."
Scott: "Oh don't even get me started. Malkovich, as head scumbag Cyrus Grissom, is the most hilariously evil villain this side of Clarence Boddicker. The guy gets four consecutive death scenes, so you just know he's evil. And he's got henchmen galore! A devious master racist (Ving Rhames), an oily slasher (Steve Buscemi), a hillbilly pilot (M.C. Gainey), a vile rapist (Danny Trejo), a nasty thug (Nick Chinlund), a tiny cross-dresser (Renoly Santiago), a two-bit crackhead (Dave Chappelle)...
Sally: "That's a lot of villains, to be sure, but..."
Scott: "I know, right? And it's all up to mulleted Nic Cage and snarky office-guy Cusack to save the day. Plus there's Star Trek guy (Colm Meaney) as a pompous ass and a really hot co-worker (Angela Featherstone) who serves no real purpose in the movie at all...
Sally: "OK, so you like the admittedly silly concept, and you're a big fan of the ensemble casting. There's nothing too crazy about..."
Scott: "Sally. Have you actually seen Con Air?"
Sally: "No. I don't much care for R-rated movies."
Scott: "OK, well, this is easily one of the silliest action flicks ever made. I swear: the flick plays like it was originally intended to be done as a cartoon. Everything is beefed-up, broad, and ... almost satirical in delivery. It's not exactly a spoof of action flicks, but everyone involved clearly has tongue wedged firmly within cheek."
Sally: "So you think..."
Scott: "Oh, and the score. Love the Con Air music. Honest."
Sally: "OK, that's fine, but..."
Scott: "Don't judge me."
Sally: "We're not..."
Scott: "Yes! Yes, I know I have a problem! I fully acknowledge that Con Air is to cinema what Garfield's Coloring Book Volume 4 is to literature! I'm sick, help me!"
Sally: "Look, Scott, you obviously have some real problems. Your file indicates that you also enjoy watching Resident Evil, Deep Rising, Charlie's Ang...
Scott: "Someone unlock these handcuffs. I know my rights."
Sally: "Scott, we have a standard test regarding people afflicted with Con Air Syndrome, and here it is: The song that plays just as the end credits roll, I believe it goes "How Do I Live Withouuuutt Youuuuu?" -- what do you think of this song?"
Scott: "I don't have to answer these questions. I'm from Philadelphia, you know. Birthplace of..."
Sally: "Answer the question."
Scott: "Look, I'll be OK. Someone go get my Amadeus DVD. Pizza's on me."
Sally: "Scott, the Live Without You song? Please?"
Scott: "OK OK, I like that awful freakin' song, too! It's like the perfect cornball icing on the ultimate cheeseball cake! I'm sorry! Look, forget Con Air! Let's talk about Schindler's List! That's a good movie! I can have good taste sometimes!"
The DVD
Video: The anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) transfer is a marked improvement over the previous "bare-bones" release ... but we'll further define the term "bare-bones" in just a few seconds.
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, which I like to play extra-loud when nobody's home. Optional English subtitles are available if you blow your eardrums out while watching Con Air.
Extras: OK, so get this: The previous release of Con Air came with a theatrical teaser and a trailer. Fans of the flick would surely rejoice given such riches. Naturally, we expect a new "unrated extended edition" to come packing a few extra goodies. Nope.
Not even the two trailers from the previous release have been included here! All we get are some Disney previews for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Grey's Anatomy S1, Glory Road, Annapolis, Crimson Tide: Extended Edition, and Enemy of the State: Special Edition -- and I bet you good money that those last two have a Con Air trailer on 'em!! Grrrr.
Oh, and as far as the "new stuff" that's always wedged back into a movie when a studio wants to make a few extra nickels, Con Air Extended offers the following stuff. (And I spotted all this stuff instantly, which should tell you how many times I've seen Con Air in the past several years.)
(Extended version "spoilers" may be found in the following ramble:)
Early in the flick, Poe's eventual attacker says something snide about his lovely Tricia -- something nastier than in the theatrical cut. There's also a glimpse of Poe getting arrested that wasn't there before, as well as a sequence in which Baby-O (Mykelti Williamson) rescues Poe from a burning cell during a prison riot. There are some tweaks made to Dave Chappelle's dialogue, and a little extra back-story on how Poe once killed a prison bully called "The Giant." Danny Trejo gets to deliver an extra dose of rapist ugliness, and there's also a semi-pointless conversation between Cusack's & Featherstone's characters. Colm Meaney gets an extra moment to ruminate over the death of his DEA agent, Cage shares a few extra words with prison guard Bishop, Garland (Buscemi) gets to kill a guard (off-camera, but unexpected!), and Bishop shares a quick exchange with con-pilot Swamp Thing. There's also a moment of looting when the cons land at Lerner Field, and a good deal of extra interplay between Poe and his buddy Baby-O.
The theatrical cut of Con Air runs 115 minutes; this one goes for 122.
Final Thoughts
You'll be happy to know that after a month-long diet of Kubrick, Hitchcock, and the Coen Brothers, I was released from the Home for the Criminally Schlock-Addicted, and have since gone on to recommend films as varied as The Proposition, The Notorious Bettie Page, and United 93
HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR THE MOVIE CON AIR.
CRUEL INTENTIONS 3 NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE 
BAD BOYS 2 NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE Narcotics cops Mike Lowrey (Smith) and Marcus Bennett (Lawrence) head up a task force investigating the flow of ecstasy into Miami. Their search leads to a dangerous kingpin, whose plan to control the city's drug traffic has touched off an underground war. Meanwhile, things get sexy between Mike and Syd (Union), Marcus's sister. Written by Anonymous
Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett, who are part of the Miami PD's Tactical Narcotics Team (TNT), still don't always get along, and now they're keeping secrets from each other. Mike's secret is that he's been seeing Marcus' sister, Sydney "Syd" Burnett, a reported paper pusher for the DEA's New York office. Marcus's secret is that he has asked for a transfer, because he wants to spend more time with his family, and less time with Mike. That's all set aside when their boss, Captain Howard, assigns them to stop the flow of record amounts of ecstasy into the city. This puts Mike and Marcus on the trail of the most dangerous enemy that they have ever faced...Cuban drug kingpin Hector Juan Carlos "Johnny" Tapia, who wants to take control of the entire ecstasy trade in the USA, and is working with local dealers and club owners such as Russian mafia boss Alexei. Every time the Miami PD has ever arrested Tapia, Tapia has sued the Miami PD for false arrest, and won millions of dollars. This has caused the department to back off and not go after Tapia. Well, everyone has backed off except for Mike and Marcus, who have never faced Tapia before. Now, it seems that Tapia is using a mortuary as a cover for his operations, smuggling ecstacy hidden inside dead bodies, while sending his money to Cuba in hidden compartments in the coffins. While Mike and Marcus try to bring Tapia down, they also deal with the discovery that Syd is actually working undercover for the DEA to bring down a money laundering operation run by Alexei, and as part of her undercover job, Syd is in deep with Tapia. When Haitian gangsters try to steal Tapia's money and kill Syd, the two investigations cross paths. Syd's cover is later blown, and she is kidnapped by Tapia, who takes her to his compound in Cuba. With the unofficial help of people from the CIA, the Miami PD, and anti-Castro forces in Cuba, Mike and Marcus head out to rescue Syd, and bring Tapia down. How far will Tapia go to keep his drug empire? And how far will Marcus and Mike go to rescue Syd? Written by Todd Baldridge
HERE IS A REVIEW FOR THE MOVIE BAD BOYS 2 FROM DVDTALK
BAD BOYS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE Marcus Burnett is a hen-pecked family man. Mike Lowry is a foot-loose and fancy free ladies' man. Both are Miami policemen, and both have 72 hours to reclaim a consignment of drugs stolen from under their station's nose. To complicate matters, in order to get the assistance of the sole witness to a murder, they have to pretend to be each other. Written by James Hastie {jdh1000@cus.cam.ac.uk}
Marcus Burnett is a hen-pecked family man. Mike Lowrey is more of a loose cannon. They are partners on the Miami Police Department, and they are about to take on a highly dangerous case. 100 million dollars in heroin, from the biggest drug bust of their careers, is stolen from police headquarters. Now, they have 72 hours to reclaim the heroin before the Internal Affairs Division gets involved. This puts Mike and Marcus hot on the trail of a French drug kingpin named Fouchet. Mike asks Maxine Logan, a hooker he knows, to keep an eye open for high rollers. Later, she gets a call from a guy who's high on drugs and wants to spend $2000. Maxine asks her best friend Julie Mott to tag along with her to the home of former cop Eddie Dominguez. Julie is not a hooker but the guy's so out of it that they'll be out of there with the money in just minutes. But at Dominguez's house, Fouchet kills Maxine. Julie witnessed the murder, so she contacts the police. But Julie, who doesn't know what Mike looks like, is willing to talk only to Mike. Mike is not around, so Marcus is forced to pretend to be Mike, and when Mike returns, he's forced to pretend to be Marcus. Marcus is a family man who has a wife named Theresa and three kids named James, Megan, and Quincy, while Mike is not, so this is not a very close fit. Mike and Marcus's pursuit of Fouchet kicks into overdrive when Fouchet's henchmen kidnap Julie right out from under their noses. Written by Todd Baldridge
Detectives Mike Lowery and Marcus Brunette have 72 hours to find $100 million worth of heroin before Internal Affairs shuts them down. Lowery becomes more involved after a friend is murdered by the drug dealers. Matters become complicated when Lowery and Brunette have to switch places to convince a witness to the murder to cooperate. Written by Nate Dogg {holtslander@hotmail.com}
HERE IS THE REVIEW FOR THE MOVIE BAD BOYS FROM DVDTALKMike Lowry (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) are detectives investigating the theft of a hefty amount of heroin stolen from their police station in the middle of the night. Concurrently, one of Lowry's female friends is murdered while attending a "private party." Unfortunately for the bad guys, there's a witness, and her name is Julie (Tea Leoni). For reasons not worth getting into, this leads to Lowry and Burnett switching identities, which in turn, leads to funny misunderstandings.
Now, the plot is VERY cookie-cutter. You've seen this movie before, even if it wasn't called "Bad Boys." But regardless of that fact, this is the type of mindless action movie I enjoy every once in a while (please note that I don't consider this a great, or even a very good movie).
Smith and Lawrence have an undeniable chemistry, and it will be interesting to see if they can once again reproduce it when they team up for the upcoming sequel due out Summer 2003 (eight years after the original). In addition to the on-screen pairing of Lawrence and Smith, this movie also features all the buddy-cop, action movie clichés you can stomach…
High speed car chases…. check
One cop's a family man, the other's a playa…. check
Tons of explosions and gunfire…. check
An evil foreign bad guy with an accent…. check
Mismatched partners always arguing with each other…. check
Jokes about how lame white people are…. check
Unnecessary catchphrases like "You forgot your boarding pass!"…. double check
Video:
Being a Superbit release, Columbia Tri-Star proudly presents "Bad Boys" in Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1. This is almost reference quality here, as I haven't seen a DVD with a vibrant color palette like this in a very long time. The print is free of blemishes (artifacting, grain, dirt, etc), and the picture is very sharp. The transfer present on this Superbit edition is noticeably better than the one on the previous release, in case you're wondering.
Audio:
The audio is presented here in Dolby 5.1 and DTS. The more-than-adequate 5.1 audio track was present on the original release. It utilizes surrounds very nicely… but the real star of the Superbit release is the DTS track. Everything sounds excellent, from character dialogue, gunfire and explosions, to the movie's then-hip soundtrack. In certain scenes (i.e. the race), you will feel the DTS rocking your world.
Menus:
A static DVD menu offers the choices of "Play Movie", "Audio Set Up", "Subtitles", and "Scene Selections."
Extras:
No extras here… If you want supplements, go check out the previous release.
Final Thoughts:
For me, Superbits are ONLY for DVD enthusiasts who have a top-notch DTS sound system, and a killer widescreen television set. If you have both, don't care for extras, and genuinely like "Bad Boys", then you should get this DVD immediately. Otherwise, I'd simply recommend it just for the improved transfer.
KUNG FU PANDA NOW AVAILABLE ONLINEIt's the story about a lazy, irreverent slacker panda, named Po, who is the biggest fan of Kung Fu around...which doesn't exactly come in handy while working every day in his family's noodle shop. Unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy, Po's dreams become reality when he joins the world of Kung Fu and studies alongside his idols, the legendary Furious Five -- Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey -- under the leadership of their guru, Master Shifu. But before they know it, the vengeful and treacherous snow leopard Tai Lung is headed their way, and it's up to Po to defend everyone from the oncoming threat. Can he turn his dreams of becoming a Kung Fu master into reality? Po puts his heart - and his girth - into the task, and the unlikely hero ultimately finds that his greatest weaknesses turn out to be his greatest strengths. Written by Anthony Pereyra {hypersonic91@yahoo.com}
A CG-animated comedy about a lazy, irreverent slacker panda, Po, who must somehow become a Kung Fu Master in order to save the Valley of Peace from a villainous snow leopard, Tai Lung. Set in the legendary world of ancient China, this is the story of Po, our unlikely hero, who enters the rigid world of Kung Fu and turning it upside down. Po ultimately becomes a Kung Fu hero by learning that if he believes in himself, he can do anything Written by GiorgioC
HERE IS A REVIEW FOR THE MOVIE KUNG FU PANDA FROM DVDTALKGiant panda Po (voiced by Jack Black) is stuck in his role as the son of a popular noodle chef. Frustrated, Po dreams of becoming a kung fu master, marveling at the skills of his idols The Furious Five: Crane (David Cross), Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Monkey (Jackie Chan), Mantis (Seth Rogan), Viper (Lucy Liu), and their master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman). When a happy accident leaves Po crowned the "Dragon Warrior," an infuriated Shifu vows to never let Po survive the first day of training. However, once word spreads that villainous Tai Lung (Ian McShane) has broken out of prison and vows to destroy everything in his path, Po could very well be the only hero able to defeat Lung and save the land.
"Kung Fu Panda" has an enormous amount of fun with itself. A genial takeoff of kung fu cinema, "Panda" takes great delight twisting known clichés around with a bumbling lead character, whose head-crackin' ambition is only outmatched by his appetite. I found the film to be a wonderful antidote to Pixar's artistic stasis; it's a routine feature, but executed with an engorged heart and a real eagerness to please, not just trying to pluck heartstrings at predetermined stops and reach for the brass ring of timelessness. "Panda" is a cartoon in all the best, most satisfying meanings of the word, and I really couldn't resist its joviality and silly spirit.
That essence is provided in great part by the voice cast, led by a dominating Jack Black. If there's any actor born for animated voice work, it's Black, and he infuses Po with a childlike Baby Huey quality that blends well with the character's physical limitations. Po is a standard-issue dreamer, but Black gives the panda a wide-eyed life, finding the sympathies of the kung fu clown, while also rocketing forward with generous spastic Blackisms when Po slips into combat mode. It's a lovely piece of acting, even if it's a touch familiar. Because of Black, Po is a welcome pudgy lethal weapon. His Achilles heel? Steps.
Also a delight in a smaller role is acting veteran James Hong, here voicing Po's noodle-slinging father. Hong hits the right notes of parental disbelief and concern: a father who wants what's best for his child, as long as that means taking on the family business. It's a performance of squealy high notes that offers the character subtle comedic gems.
Younger audiences will surely respond to Po's continual buffoonish antics, but directors Mark Osborne and John Stevenson pay close attention to the action beats, especially the sensation of speed and gravity-defying martial art gymnastics. We're talking karate-chopping animals here and "Panda" spends plenty of time tracking the limber moves of the Furious Five, and Po's far more destructive learning curve. Overall, "Panda" is a visually sedate picture (at least in the competitive CG-animated rat race), leaving the dynamics of the animation to burst forth when the conflict heats up and the filmmakers can play around with anime, Shaw Brothers, and Wachowski visual touches.
While it doesn't insist too much, the message of Po's personal worth is a kindly touch wedged comfortably between the fall-down-and-go-boom and the fists of furry. It's a tender cap on an extremely entertaining animated feature, hoisting "Kung Fu Panda" above the traditional tiresome matinee diversion into something I'm fairly certain will please parents and tickle kids mercilessly.
MEET DAVE NOW AVAILABLE ONLINESent to Earth to retrieve a planet-killing device the size of a small rock, a crew of Lilliputian aliens man a human-sized spaceship that goes by the name of Dave (Eddie Murphy). The Dave crew soon meets up with single mom Gina (Elizabeth Banks, working wonders with a thankless role) and her son Josh (Austin Lynd Myers), who has found the rock, only to lose possession of the crucial device to a school bully. Now set free in New York City, the crew (including Eddie Murphy, Gabrielle Union, and Ed Helms) uses Dave to absorb as much human culture as they can, finding attachment to Gina and Josh, and getting wrapped up in Earthbound emotions they are unaccustomed to.
Let's be honest, with Murphy and director Brian Robbins ("Norbit," "Good Burger") attached to "Meet Dave," expectations couldn't fall any lower. Robbins is a studio zombie with little artistic aspiration of his own, while Murphy likes paychecks and trading off his past. Let's just say I wasn't pumped to sit down with "Meet Dave."
Then something funny happened to these men: screenwriters Rob Greenberg ("How I Met Your Mother") and riff virtuoso Bill Corbett (Crow deux on "Mystery Science Theater 3000"). The gentlemen have created an engaging sci-fi adventure for Murphy and Robbins, putting some genuine thought into the scenarios, locales, and punchlines of the picture, giving Robbins and Murphy a screenplay that even they couldn't fully knucklehead up, despite their best efforts.
Perhaps I'm being too hard on Robbins, who actually connects with this strange mixture of "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids," "Star Trek," and "Innerspace." It's the most competent directorial job he's presented to date, creating a durable visual foundation for Murphy to play around on. There's an amazing playground of differing scales to embrace in this script, with Robbins putting in the cartoon work to sell the madness of little aliens vs. the big, bad world. Of course, I wasn't thrilled with predictable detours to potty humor, but "Meet Dave" manages to stay fixated on its intent: to massage the most weirdness out of the title character's alien status.
Maybe to Murphy, "Meet Dave" is nothing innovative, but there's a recognizable funny bone spark about him here that's been lost for some time. Dave offers Murphy an opportunity to try on some clowning, parading around in a blinding "Fantasy Island" suit and making faces for the camera in a sociable, sillyheart manner that's exceptionally endearing. The spaceship Dave is Murphy allowing himself a blast of atypical humiliation, and the actor wears it beautifully. The commander of spaceship Dave permits Murphy to stroke his well-documented Captain Kirk obsessions, and while it's the less showy of the two roles, Murphy achieves a pleasing Starfleet tone as the leader of the tiny pack.
It's not surprising to find that "Meet Dave" loses its way once sentimentality is introduced. Oddly, Robbins doesn't shove the film into tears and morals mode, only lightly coating the film with some uplifting messages and spending minimal time with romancing Dave crew members. Honestly, I would rather see more handholding and "It's a Wonderful Life" inspired sentiment than some of the more loathsome limp-wristed jokes (the Dave weapons specialist finds a love for musical theater and hairstyling) shoved into the material out of sheer desperation.
"Meet Dave" gets back on track with a smorgasbord of thrilling near-misses as the miniature Dave crew hits the streets of New York to save the day, dodging cars, getting stuck in gum, and using grocery store plastic bags to float to safety. I'm sure a more refined filmmaker could've squeezed the premise tighter for sophisticated laughs, but as family-angled sci-fi comedies go, "Meet Dave" is actually quite agreeable. Who knew Murphy still had some fun left in him?
ROUNDERS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE Although I'm not a card player myself, unless you count Magic: The Gathering (which actually has a lot in common with poker when it comes to bluffing and spotting "tells"), I've developed quite a fondness for films about poker players. There's something about the battle of wits and nerve inherent in the game, along with the dramatic pressure of money being on the line, that makes high-stakes poker a very nice engine at the center of the plot. With that in mind, Rounders is a can't-miss movie.
Rounders is a classic poker film, focusing on on a young, talented, and rather cocky player named Mike (Matt Damon) who dreams of building a stake and heading to Las Vegas and the World Series of Poker. In one instant, though, it all goes sour, and Mike is left with nothing. He tries to take up a new life, working himself through law school with regular jobs instead of poker playing, but when his high-school buddy "Worm" (Edward Norton) gets out of jail, Mike finds that he hasn't been able to completely sever his ties to the world of poker playing... and that the stakes just keep getting higher.
It takes more than just some slick card-playing scenes to make a great movie, and that's where Rounders shines. Fundamentally, the film is a character piece: the heart of the film is Mike's conflicted relationship with playing cards, and how he deals with the pressures of winning and losing. His relationship with his girlfriend (Gretchen Mol) is a relatively small part of the film in terms of screen time, but it's actually essential to the story, as we see Mike being forced to come to terms with the choices he must make, and the consequences of those choices.
One of the things that makes Rounders so engrossing is that it keeps everything very real. For one thing, Mike's circumstances as a struggling law student mean that even relatively small amounts of money are significant. While in other films the pot is so rich as to take it out of our frame of reference (if I can't imagine having a million dollars in cash, I can't imagine losing it), here we can appreciate what it means to Mike to lose the rent money, the tuition money; we can feel his pain and understand what it means to his life. On another level, the relationship between Mike and Worm is spot-on and completely believable, which means that the story developments that are based on that relationship also ring true.
On the acting front, Rounders is yet another example of why I'm so impressed with Edward Norton as an actor. Matt Damon does an excellent job, that's for sure, but he's really playing a variant of the same character that we see in most of his other films. Norton, on the other hand, truly vanishes into his character, creating a new person in each role. Worm is utterly believable, with Norton deftly bringing out the dissonant notes in his relationship with Mike as the film proceeds. We see the bond between the two characters, and we also see how Mike has grown while Worm remains bound by his own insecurities and, fundamentally, his over-riding selfishness. While I'm mentioning strong acting performances in Rounders, it's worth noting that the film's secondary actors are a fine bunch as well. John Turturro showcases his amazing versatility as an actor in another excellent performance, and the film's "big names" contribute nicely to the film as well. Martin Landau does a solid turn as Mike's sympathetic law professor, and while I wouldn't have immediately thought of John Malkovich for the role of a Russian gangster, he makes the performance believable and memorable.
In many ways, Rounders is a coming-of-age story, with its protagonist forced to confront the questions of what he really wants from his life, who his friends really are, and what he's willing to do to achieve his goals. The story has a great deal of depth to it: it isn't one that relies on abrupt plot reversals to keep the viewer interested, and it doesn't need them, either... but while it doesn't have any flashy twists to it, neither is it predictable. While I won't spoil the film by giving any details, there are several points during the movie where events go in a different direction than what I'd been expecting. The ending is very well handled and very satisfying, providing a wrap-up that's somewhat unexpected but, at the same time, that feels completely "right" because of the way the story has developed.
The DVD
Video
Rounders appears in a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer that offers a reasonably good, but not outstanding, image. The print looks like it's in good shape, without any print flaws that I could see, and with minimal noise. The problem with the image is that the contrast is consistently too heavy: any dark areas of the image that are very dark are shown as completely black. For instance, the black coat that Matt Damon wears always looks completely flat black, with no detail or shading, even in scenes that are lit reasonably brightly. In a few instances, shadowy areas take on a slightly brownish tint as well. Overall, however, colors look perfectly normal, with nice depth and texture. All in all, Rounders looks respectable (thus earning its three and a half stars for video) even if the contrast is problematic.
Audio
The Dolby 5.1 soundtrack for Rounders handles the mainly dialogue-focused film reasonably well. While there's not much by way of surround effects, the 5.1 mix does have a pleasing depth to it, making it sound better than it likely would have with a 2.0 surround track. I did notice on a few occasions that the dialogue sounded a little bit muffled, though not enough to interfere with understanding it at all. Considering the overall clean feel to the track, it's a respectable soundtrack.
A dubbed French Dolby 2.0 track is also included, along with Spanish subtitles.
Extras
There's a reasonable selection of special features here, some of which have more merit than others. Two commentary tracks are provided for the film: the first is with professional poker players Johnny Chan, Phil Hellmuth, Chris Moneymaker, and Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, and the second is with director John Dahl, writers David Levien and Brian Koppelman, and actor Edward Norton. The poker-player commentary is nice in theory, but in practice it's really a colossal waste of time, as the participants seem uncomfortable with the commentary and don't have much to say. They do venture some thoughts on the actual card-playing scenes, but they're far from earth-shattering. The second commentary is far better, with the group providing a lively and interesting discussion of the making of the film.
"Heads Up Texas Hold 'Em" is an interactive poker tutorial, leading viewers through the basics of the game and leading up to an actual "game." It's actually decently done, and viewers who don't know anything about poker will probably find it fun to play with.
The "Behind-the-Scenes Special" is a general promotional featurette, covering the basics about the ideas behind the film and the making of the film. For a promo-style piece, it's reasonably well done, with relatively few clips from the film puffing it up. There are interviews with the major cast members, though there's nothing really earth-shattering. A second featurette called "Professional Poker" takes a look at the real-life inspiration for the story, and has interviews with top professional poker players discussing how poker is more a game of skill than chance.
Next, we get "Champion Poker Tips," which is composed of very short video clips from Johnny Chan, Chris Ferguson, Phil Hellmuth, and Chris Moneymaker offering insights into how to play poker successfully. Lastly, in a "Sneak Peeks" section we get trailers for Jersey Girl and The Ladykillers.
Final thoughts
This was the second time that I'd seen Rounders, and I liked it even more on the repeat viewing than on the initial one. It's a very nicely done film, telling a fundamentally character-based story that's made all the more effective by solid performances from the principal actors, Matt Damon and Edward Norton. You'll probably appreciate the nuances more if you know something about poker, but no matter what, Rounders is an excellent film that is amply deserving of a space in your collection. Highly recommended.
HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR THE MOVIE ROUNDERS.
YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE A Mossad agent who's impervious to pain and holds a magnetic disco charm about him, Zohan (Adam Sandler) dreams of a day when he can stop thwarting Palestinian attacks and fulfill his dream: to become a hairstylist. Faking his own death at the hands of terrorist Phantom (John Turturro), Zohan boards a plane and heads to New York City, where he finds employment at a salon run by Dalia (Emmanuelle Chriqui). Once given his chance to cut hair, Zohan turns into a sensation, making the community's older women swoon with his gyrations and sexual finishing moves. The newfound attention alerts an old Palestinian enemy (Rob Schnieder), who tries to destroy Zohan with help from his Hezbollah brotherhood.
Yes, it's true: Adam Sandler has made an action comedy using the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a background.
As is expected when playing silly in these political minefields, "Zohan" is not a film to be easily shrugged off as another blissfully dopey Sandler concoction. Sure, it's a farce, playing very broadly at every possible turn, but it's a strangely brave motion picture, daring to poke a stick at an exceedingly volatile situation. Sandler means well enough, coating the film with an obvious "why don't we get along?" message that will baffle the less geopolitically aware, but there's something to admire about a film that dares to step into uncomfortable areas and try to conjure some laughs.
Trouble is, those laughs aren't exactly raining from the sky in "Zohan." Written by Sandler, Robert Smigel, and Judd Apatow, the picture is a sprawling, slippery collection of half-realized ideas. The writers splatter their every last whim across the screen, and it leaves director Dennis Dugan (a Sandler specialist, marking his fourth film with the actor) baffled where to take the story next. At 110 minutes, "Zohan" is much too long to make a lasting comedic impact, and several plot threads are left out to dry from neglect (most notably, the romance between Zohan and Dalia). It can be a tiring film, suffering from Sandler's exhaustive idea inhalation, and the enterprise runs out of steam long before the film concludes.
However, it's a picture worth a recommendation.
Even when "Zohan" loses control, especially in the final half-hour, it remains a feature of undeniable fascination and unusual edge. With "Click" and "Chuck & Larry," Sandler played softball; "Zohan" has Sandler throwing curveballs again, piling on the absurdity with the same zeal he once held in his youth. However mediocre the quality of the jokes are in the picture, it scores some pretty potent laughs when focused on Zohan's amazing sexual prowess with senior citizens or his high-flying action figure poses, displayed as the character pinballs around New York architecture to save the day. There's also sizable laughs squeezed from Zohan's salon theatrics, where the most dangerous man in the world prances joyfully around, thrilled he's finally received his treasured chance to make the world "silky smooth."
I didn't find "Zohan" especially offensive, and the film's intent is so sincere it seems foolish to suggest political irresponsibility in a picture that features rear nudity from Lainie Kazan and Rob Schneider as a Middle-Eastern taxi driver. To help soothe nerves, Sandler has called in a horde of celebrity cameos to soften the blow, and even hired boxing announcer Michael Buffer for one of the film's many villain roles, embellishing the cartoon nature of the picture further.
It's not a sturdy feature film, but there's just enough chutzpah to "You Don't Mess with the Zohan" to keep it amusing and sporadically uproarious. It's a decent comedy construct: a film one unforgiving editorial pass away from greatness.
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THE INCREDIBLE HULK NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE Depicting the events after the Gamma Bomb. 'The Incredible Hulk' tells the story of Dr Bruce Banner, who seeks a cure to his unique condition, which causes him to turn into a giant green monster under emotional stress. Whilst on the run from military which seeks his capture, Banner comes close to a cure. But all is lost when a new creature emerges; The Abomination. Written by Graham Kroon
A cure is in reach for the world's most primal force of fury: THE INCREDIBLE HULK. We find scientist Bruce Banner, living in shadows, scouring the planet for an antidote. But the warmongers who dream of abusing his powers won't leave him alone, nor will his need to be with the only woman he has ever loved, Betty Ross. Upon returning to civilization, our brilliant doctor is ruthlessly pursued by The Abomination -- a nightmarish beast of pure adrenaline and aggression whose powers match The Hulk's own. A fight of comic-book proportions ensues as Banner must call upon the hero within to rescue New York City from total destruction. One scientist must make an agonizing final choice -- accept a peaceful life as Bruce Banner or the creature he could permanently become: THE INCREDIBLE HULK. Written by Babak A.
Hiding out peacefully in South America to keep his Gamma-induced mutation in control, Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) is looking for help to cure his affliction, trying to keep himself out of the hands of General Ross (William Hurt), who wants what's inside Banner to create an army of super-soldiers. Heading back to America, Banner makes contact with longtime love Betty Ross (Liv Tyler), who urgently wants to help the ailing man cure himself. Hot on their tail is Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth), a brutal, unforgiving soldier who encourages the General to experiment further with Gamma poisoning by injecting him with a dose.
Now, to keep matters in perspective, I was one of the 15 people who embraced Lee's previous take on the comic book titan. Sure, the film was glacial, contained an atrocious final reel, and refused to crack a smile, but Lee gave the property a mesmerizing screen intensity. The director took risks with Hulk and his heavy-muscled misery. Hulk didn't smash much under Lee's watch, but the lack of brutality offered something infinitely more demonstrative to process in a genre not known for its intellectual persuasion.
"Incredible Hulk" changes all that.
Now with orders to simplify matters, director Louis Leterrier returns Hulk to his car-throwing origins with a non-stop carousel of violence in "Incredible." This picture is popcorn entertainment all the way; Leterrier indulges his extreme visual instincts to fashion a peppier "Hulk" for the crowds who felt alienated by Lee's experimentation. The quest is noble and "Incredible" is stuffed with enough limb-cracking attitude to give the faithful exactly what they want from a Hulk movie.
What I'm having difficulty accepting is the price paid for such a high velocity diversion. "Incredible" is dense with exposition, but it's all stuffed carelessly into the few quiet moments the picture barely makes room for. "Incredible" acts like a sequel to the 2003 film in the matter it plunges forward without much introduction time with Bruce or Betty, and it doesn't allow for much bonding during the action either. "Incredible" feels paired down from a more extensive cut, with little cracks in the plot felt throughout the proceedings. Leterrier is in a hurry to get from one action sequence to the next, and while it's all comfortably numbing, there's not much characterization to get excited about here. "Incredible" comes off more as a wonderful video game than a meaningful exploration of the isolated soul.
Speaking of video games, "Incredible" suffers from an extremely off-putting lack of polish in the special effects department. It's been five years since Lee's film, not to mention the massive budget Leterrier is playing with here, and "Incredible" looks pathetically unfinished. The sweeping Hulk movement is accounted for, but the clarity is missing, with the creature lacking crucial big screen crispness. I found it embarrassing to watch at times, especially since Lee's Hulk was such a dynamite visual exclamation point. I'd hand over all the deafening explosions that litter this film for one single scene of awe. For a film titled "Incredible," the CG Hulk is anything but.
Granted, I'm making "Incredible" sound like a drag, and it really isn't. It's a spirited ride boosted by some nice performances, strong romantic chemistry between Norton and Tyler, and several swell tributes paid to the "Hulk" television series of the 1970s. When Hulk lets loose, there's a horde of building-leveling mayhem to enjoy, and Leterrier is the right man for the job, infusing new momentum to the character and taking his trail of destruction to pleasing extremes.
Hulk faces off against a towering enemy of equal measure for the picture's final showstopper, and, by that time, "Incredible" has sufficiently emptied its bag of tricks. It's a persuasive, fist-pumping summer film that's intent on returning a primal scream to Hulk, and to that end it's a triumphant reboot. Overall, "Incredible Hulk" feels dumbed down and truncated, tossing a wet blanket over the entire film. However, it's hard to remember such cries for dramatic nourishment when Hulk is getting pelted with a swarm of bullets, dodging fireballs, and breaking police cars in half for use as boxing gloves.
HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR THE MOVIE THE INCREDIBLE HULK.
