NEW MOVIES AND ELECTRONICS YOU NEED: 07/08/08

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

SHREK 2 NOW AVAILABLE

SHREK 2 NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE MOVIE SHREK 2 FROM IMDB

Shrek (Myers) has rescued Princess Fiona (Diaz), got married, and now is time to meet the parents. Shrek, Fiona and Donkey (Murphy) set off to Far, Far Away to meet Fiona's mother (Andrews) and father (Cleese). But not everyone is happy. Shrek and the King find it hard to get along, and there's tension in the marriage. It's not just the family who are unhappy. Prince Charming (Everett) returns from a failed attempt at rescuing Fiona, and works alongside his mother, the Fairy Godmother (Saunders), to try and find a way to get Shrek away from Fiona. Written by Film_Fan

The film picks up right where the first movie ended... Shrek and Fiona return from their honeymoon to find a letter from Fiona's parents inviting the newlyweds over for dinner. The only problem is that they have no idea that their daughter is now an ogre. Written by Britney

Right after their honeymoon the newly wed couple goes to Princess Fiona's parents for dinner. When a Fairy God Mother discovers Fiona and Shrek are married she reminds the king about a deal they agreed on years ago that Fiona should have married Prince Charming (her son). The king then hires a cat named Puss-in-Boots (a sword fighting cat and ogre slayer) to kill Shrek. Written by Organic_6@msn.com

HERE IS A REVIEW FOR THE MOVIE SHREK 2 FROM DVDTALK

The Movie:

A sequel that edges out the original due to more laughs and less sappiness, "Shrek 2" became what will likely stay this year's biggest hit, taking in over $400m. The sequel stars off with Shrek (voiced by Mike Meyers) and Fiona (voiced by Cameron Diaz) remaining happily married, if somewhat aggrivated by the constant pestering by Donkey (voiced by Eddie Murphy), who's the odd one out now that Shrek and Fiona are married.

Shortly after, the newlyweds are offered an invite by Fiona's parents, King Harold (John Cleese) and Queen Lillian (Juilie Andrews), to visit their castle in the kingdom of Far Far Away (read: Hollywood.) Shrek thinks this to be an extremely poor idea, but he goes along with it anyway. His fears are confirmed when they meet ogres Fiona and Shrek, thinking that Fiona was going to be changed back when she was rescued by Prince Charming (Rupert Everett), who arrived quite a bit late. Charming hasn't given up yet, however, and with the help of Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders) and Puss-In-Boots (Antonio Banderas, downright stealing the film), he tries to knock Shrek out of the picture.

The second picture is a bit more consistently funny, as the second film focuses a bit more on laughs, for the most part. There's also some very amusing sequences, such as a downright hilarious satire of "Cops" (named "Knights", where Puss is arrested for possession of catnip) and a lot of other minor moments, such as when Shrek and friends break into the Fairy Godmother's office claiming to be from the local union ("We don't even have dental", says a secretary.) There's also nods to such films as "Lord of the Rings", "Little Mermaid", "Ghostbusters" and "Alien", among others. The film does drag a bit in the second half as it stops being a buddy picture and returns to Shrek going after Fiona, but the pace didn't suffer terribly.

The performances are generally very good, as well. Meyers does the accent for what seems like the thousandth time, but he offers a decent portrayal of "Shrek". Diaz doesn't have a great deal to do as Fiona. The best elements of the film are the supporting players: Saunders makes a perfectly nasty Fairy Godmother and Cleese makes a compelling king. However, it's Banderas as Puss-In-Boots that is the film's true find. Delivering his lines with comedic timing that's so good it's scary, Banderas - never someone I regarded as much of a comedian before - offers up some of the funniest moments of the year.

The animation quality is about the same - once again, PDI ("Antz", "Shark Tale") is responsible for the animation. The second film was such a hit that a third film is already on the way. Hopefully, it'll drop Shrek, Fiona and friends in someplace completely unexpected for their next adventure.

The DVD

VIDEO: "Shrek 2" is presented by Dreamworks in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. The presentation is quite excellent, with nearly nothing in the way of faults. Sharpness and detail are superb, as the picture appeared crisp and well-defined throughout, showing off all of the details of the CGI animation.

The picture did show a few minor traces of pixelation, but remained free of any edge enhancement. Given that I'm guessing this transfer is taken directly from the digital source, there are no print flaws. Colors remained bright and well-saturated, with no concerns. Overall, a first-rate effort.

SOUND: "Shrek 2" is presented by Dreamworks in Dolby Digital 5.1. The film's soundtrack largely sticks to what one would consider the requirements for a "comedy mix", but there are some exceptions to that rule. While much of the film's audio is fairly front-heavy, there are occasional moments where the surrounds are put to creative use for some sound effects. Overall, the sound design lives up to what one expects for family/children's fare. Audio quality was fine, with excellent clarity and a rich, full sounding score. Dialogue and sound effects seemed crisp and well-recorded.

EXTRAS: The DVD offers two audio commentary tracks from the filmmakers. The first commentary is from co-directors Kelly Asbury and Conrad Vernon, the second from producer Aron Warner and editor Mike Andrews. Bouncing between both commentaries, I found them fairly dry, but at least moderately informative. Throughout both commentaries, we get to hear about the production came together after the success of the first film, casting, working with the voice talent, story issues that had to be ironed out, footage that didn't make it into the movie and other obstacles that had to be overcome. Those interested in getting an overview of the production may want to browse through these commentaries, but I found patches of them fairly slow going, as the participants occasionally started narrating the film.

"The Tech of Shrek 2" is a 6-1/2 minute featurette that takes a look at some of the advancements in computer animation that the production took advantage of for the sequel. "Meet the Cast" is a 10-minute promo piece that visits with the voice talent and rounds up the characters. "Meet Puss-in-Boots" is a 4-minute featurette that focuses on the film's scene stealer.

"The Music of Shrek 2" is a 5-minute piece that talks about picking the music for the soundtrack and visits with some of the musicians involved. "Technical Goofs" shows some CGE (Computer Generated Errors) that were produced during the production. "Previews" offers trailers for "Lemony Snicket's a Series of Unfortunate Events", the anime feature "Millenium Actress", "Two Brothers" and "Thunderbirds".

Finally, "Far Far Away Times" offers some amusing newspaper articles, and we get cast/filmmaker bios, as well as production notes. There are also a few options that are accessible off the main menu instead of the special features section. "Far Far Away Idol" is an American Idol parody, complete with Simon Cowell. Viewers can go online to the "Shrek 2" website to vote for their favorite. In the "Dreamworks Kids" section, viewers will find a music video for the Counting Crows' "Accidentally In Love", interactive games, weblinks and more. Finally, Ben Stiller offers a preview for the upcoming Dreamworks animated feature, "Madagascar".

Final Thoughts: "Shrek 2" starts to drag a tad in the second half, but the film offers more laughs than the first film and the marvelous creation that is Puss-in-Boots. Dreamworks offers a DVD that boasts solid audio/video quality and a wealth of supplements that are fine, but a bit of a mixed bag. Recommended.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR THE MOVIE SHREK 2.

SMALLVILLE SEASON 7 NOW AVAILABLE

SHREK NOW AVAILABLE

SHREK NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE MOVIE SHREK FROM IMDB

When a green ogre called Shrek discovers his swamp has been 'swamped' with all sorts of fairytale creatures by the scheming Lord Farquaad, Shrek sets out, with a very loud donkey by his side, to 'persuade' Farquaad to give his swamp back. Instead, a deal is made. Farquaad, who wants to become the King, sends Shrek to rescue Princess Fiona, who is waiting for her one true love. But once they head back with Fiona, it starts to become apparent that not only does Shrek like Fiona, but Fiona is keeping something secret. Written by Film_Fan

Shrek is a big ogre who lives alone in the woods, feared by all the people in the land of Duloc. When Lord Farquaad, the ruler of Duloc, exiles all the fairy-tale beings to the woods, Shrek loses his peaceful life and his home becomes a refugee camp. So he sets out to find Lord Farquaad and convince him to take the fairy-tale beings back where they belong, and leave him alone. Lord Farquaad accepts, under one condition. Shrek must first go and find the beautiful young princess Fiona, who will become Farquaad's bride. So the big Ogre begins his quest, along with his newfound donkey friend... Written by Chris Makrozahopoulos {makzax@hotmail.com}

In a faraway land called Duloc, a heartless ruler, the diminutive Lord Farquaad, has banished all the fairy tale beings from the land so it can be as boring as he is. But there are three characters who will stand in his way. The first is a green, smelly ogre with a heart of gold named Shrek, his faithful steed, Donkey, who will do anything but shut up, and the beautiful but tough Princess Fiona whom Lord Farquaad wishes to make his wife so he can become king of Duloc. What's to do in a screwy fairy tale like this? Written by Will

HERE IS A REVIEW FOR THE MOVIE SHREK FROM DVDTALK
The Movie:

Although the fact that it starts off with a montage with the constantly used "All Star" playing behind it is certainly a step in the negative direction, "Shrek" is such a delight otherwise that that one flaw certainly doesn't drag the picture down in the slightest. In fact, "Shrek" is such a consistently delightful and clever picture that I still wish it could've been extended by at least a few more minutes. The animated film revolves around an Ogre named Shrek, who's a grumpy loner. Living in the swamp by himself, his only concern is the occasional mob of villagers with torches. Although he says he's happy with his situation, one must wonder if he's really lonely. One day, he finds his semi-happy home disturbed with hundreds of visitors large and small - fairy-tale characters who've been given the boot into the forest by the tiny Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow).

Accompanied by the simply named Donkey(Eddie Murphy), Shrek goes off to complain to Lord Farquaad about his new guests. Instead of getting his land back, he finds himself having to rescue the Lord's bride-to-be, Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) , who's currently stuck in the highest tower of a castle containing one fire-breathing dragon. That's only the begining of the story though, as "Shrek" has a blast parodying and poking fun at not only other fairy tales, but shows off some other pop-culture references, as well. Although "Shrek"'s animation was later bested somewhat by "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within", "Shrek" still certainly proves to still be the stronger picture, with a better combination of beautiful animation and a more entertaining story. "Shrek" also certainly boasts better voice talent, as Meyers and Murphy are wonderful together, and I can't remember a recent movie where Murphy has been funnier. Also wonderful are Diaz and especially Lithgow, whose "interrogation" of the Gingerbread Man is one of the best sequences of the film.

Although it hasn't been a great year for much else, I must say there's been some really strong family features, including "Spy Kids", "Cats and Dogs", and best of all, "Shrek". "Shrek" is really one of those films that adults and children will equally enjoy, as the film's witty screenplay (credited to 4 writers and based on a novel) and obvious improvisations from the stars offer enough sharp humor for both adult and child audiences. The film is from Dreamworks and animation studio PDI, whose technology has apparently come far from their original effort, "Antz". The DVD

VIDEO: "Shrek" is presented on one disc in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen and the other in 1.33:1 full-frame. The anamorphic widescreen edition is instant demo material, as it appeared simply breathtaking and without flaw. Although such an example of perfection would usually make for a very short review, I'll try and discuss what makes this presentation so excellent. Taken direct from the digital source, the picture looks marvelously well-defined. I don't think the picture appeared as sharp and smooth when I saw it in the theater.

The usual discussion of concerns about the image quality will certainly be short, since I didn't have any. There's no print flaws to be seen since the presentation is taken from the digital source; there's also no pixelation or edge enhancement whatsoever. As previously noted, the picture is also never soft; in fact, even the tiniest details on the ground or otherwise were distinct and easily seen.

Colors were simply fantastic throughout; even the subtle shadings were beautifully rendered. Colors appeared bright, bold and wonderfully well-saturated throughout, looking rich and flawless. This is a truly outstanding effort - flawless and an easy A+.

SOUND: "Shrek" is presented in different ways for each of the two different formats. The 1.33:1 full-frame edition presents the movie with Dolby Digital 5.1 audio as well as Dolby 2.0 English/French/Spanish. For the 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen edition, the film is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 English/French/Spanish, Dolby 2.0 English and DTS 5.1 English.

"Shrek" really isn't an agressive film at all in terms of audio. Aside from a couple of moments of action such as the Dragon sequence, the film's audio remains rooted in the front speakers, focusing mainly on the dialogue and music. A few hints of ambient sounds come from the rears during some of the outdoor sequences, but these are extremely subtle - it would have been nice to have a more generous helping of ambient sounds during the outdoor sequences, but this may have been a choice by the filmmmakers to keep things less realistic and more fairy-tale.

Audio quality remained superb as the entertaining score came through warmly and crisply, while dialogue sounded crystal clear. Both the Dolby Digital and DTS soundtracks delivered an entertaining, if not terribly agressive experience. The DTS soundtrack did provide a fairly stronger experience with an overall richer and bolder sound, especially noticable during the music or the film's few intense sequences.

MENUS:: Basic, non-animated menus that essentially use film-themed images and cover art. Just kidding. "Shrek"'s DVD offers fun animated main and sub-menus involving the characters from the movie.

EXTRAS::

Commentary: This is a commentary from directors Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, along with producer Aron Warner. This is a moderately entertaining and often informative track. It starts off a bit slowly, but once the three get going, they start to make a few more quips about the story and discuss further details about the animation and story development process. Multi-Angle Storyboard Pitch of Deleted Scenes: One of the features that I've enjoyed most during some of the other animated special edition DVDs was the ability to watch some of the animators wear themselves out attempting to pitch story ideas to an indifferent or interested audience of their peers. This section for "Shrek" offers the ability to watch animators pitch three sequences: "Fiona's Prologue", "The Deal", "Fiona Gets Them Lost". The first angle shows the different storyboards as they're being talked about, while the second angle shows the animator trying his best to act out the scene for the audience.

Tech Of Shrek: Although this 22-minute documentary doesn't skip a few chances to be promotional, the majority of this supplement provides a very interesting discussion of the impressive amount of work that went into "Shrek"'s three-year production process and the differences between the technology during the production of PDI's "Antz" and "Shrek". This featurette also includes some of the technical flops that are included elsewhere, which shows what could happen when the animation goes wrong, such as a version of the Donkey that looks like a "Chia Pet". Certainly the better of the two main featurettes included on the DVD. Progression Reel: Well, I'd call it more of a "concept art gallery", but that's just me. Where "Progression Reels" on other animated DVDs have included multi-angle abilities to watch a few versions of a scene in motion, this section simply offers early/rough sketches of the different characters as the animators were trying to get a feel for each of them. The areas are: "Shrek", "Fiona", "Beast Fiona", "Donkey", "Farquaad", "Dragon", "Dragon's Castle", "Shrek's House", "Duloc". X-Box Game Hints: Animated hints about how to play what I suppose is the upcoming game for the X-Box system. Technical "Goofs": The "animation goofs" that were in the documentary reappear on their own here.

Extended Karaoke Jam: Available by clicking the little note logo on the main menu, this is a newly animated Karaoke Jam by all the characters (although apparently, a Murphy sound-alike was brought in to voice his character). Also On Disc Two: Cast/crew bios, theatrical trailer (French/English 5.1), production notes, short featurette about dubbing the film into different languages and DVD-ROM weblink Features On Disc One: HBO FIRST LOOK: Shrek Although this documentary does provide some of the animation information that the "Tech" documentary did, it does focus more heavily on story and character details, as interviews with the stars (including a giggly Cameron Diaz) are included as they talk about what it was like to voice their characters. The second half of the doc provides better tidbits, as we're given more of an idea of what the animation process is like. Mildly informative on occasion and even the "promotional" elements are amusing and somewhat entertaining. Worth a viewing. DVD-ROM: For those that have DVD-ROM capability, "Shrek" offers quite a few features for DVD-ROM, the biggest of which is the ability to re-voice characters in one of 12 different scenes with your own voice. Aside from the re-voice studio, there are several games and workshops that allow children to color scenes. 13 DVD-ROM sections in all. "Sneak Peek": A trailer (in 5.1) for the 2002 animated effort from Dreamworks, "Spirit". Games: Two trivia games, "Shrektacular Trivia" and "Mirror, Mirror on The Wall". Dreamworks Kids: This section includes "Shrek's Music Room", which offers the music videos "Best Years Of Our Lives" by the Baha Men and "I'm A Believer" by Smash Mouth. A "making-of" for the Baha Men video is also found here. "Favorite Scenes" is just a more child-friendly version of "Scene Selection". Last, "The Game Swamp" offers 5 interactive games: "Rescue The Princess", "Character Morph", "Dress Up The Gingerbread Man" and the two games that are in the "Games" section - "Shrektacular Trivia" and "Mirror, Mirror on The Wall". Also: Returning on this disc are the cast/crew bios, production notes and extended ending ("Karaoke Jam").

Final Thoughts: "Shrek" is a hilarious and wildly entertaining animated fairy-tale that definitely is good for multiple viewings to catch all the little jokes. Dreamworks has provided a jaw-droppingly beautiful presentation, with very good audio and astoundingly good video quality. Fine supplements round out a very nice package. A must-see!.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR THE MOVIE SHREK.

THE FACULTY NOW AVAILABLE

THE FACULTY NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE MOVIE THE FACULTY FROM IMDB

A horror tale set in a High School where the students suspect the teaching staff of being aliens, who are intent on making the students their victims. Written by Jordan Chamerski

Herrington High, Ohio, a small-town highschool. All of a sudden, the teachers start changing attitude. When Casey and Delilah have to hide in a closet in the teacher's lounge, they witness the strangulation of Nurse Harper by two of them. Shocked, they manage to flee. Only moments later, the nurse seems to be very alive, but also somehow changed, like all the teachers and most of the students. Only Casey, Delilah and four others seem to be suspicious. Proof of an alien infection is finally brought by the chemistry teacher, who also points out a way to kill the infected humans. The plan now is to get the queen, before the aliens can spread out over the whole country. Written by Julian Reischl {julianreischl@mac.com}

HERE IS A REVIEW FOR THE MOVIE THE FACULTY FROM DVDTALK

Because of the usual critical overreaction that accompanies the release of many American films that are intended to be no more than an hour and a half long popcorn-filled break from reality, "The Faculty" was panned by most. And I went into this viewing experience not expecting much. After all, director Robert Rodriguez went from "El Mariachi" to "Desperado" and Kevin "Scream" Williamson's scripts become tediously self-referential. The theatrical trailer boasted the previous projects of director and screenwriter more than it did the actual movie. Even the Tommy Hilfiger ad campaign, which would make one believe that R&B star Usher was the main attraction of "The Faculty," quickly wore out their welcome. How did my opinion change after actually seeing it? You may be as surprised as I was. Lacking the satirical edge that fueled both "Scream" entries; "The Faculty" manages to be a parody instead, not entirely with success. "The Breakfast Club," "Alien," "The Thing," and "The Invasion of the Body Snatchers" are all evident influences. More than influences, they provide the plot and familiar characters. Herrington High used to be a typical school in Ohio. But lately the teachers have been acting strange, and six seemingly mismatched teens will have to tolerate one another in order to save the day. Delilah (Jordana Brewster) is the head cheerleader and editor of the school paper who is dating Stan (Shawn Hatosy), the star quarterback who is sick of getting preferential treatment because of his place on the social hierarchy. He worked hard for the D he got on that science test. How dare Mr. Furlong (Jon Stewart, host of "The Daily Show") give him a higher grade for having a golden arm that has led to the team having a great season? Zeke (Josh Hartnett, "Halloween: H20") is the bad boy. His parents are gone, possibly to Europe, and as he repeats his senior year he sells homemade drugs, fake IDs, and video tapes featuring full frontal nudity of Neve Campbell and Jennifer Love Hewitt (stars respectively of "Scream" and "I Know What You Did Last Summer," another Williamson script) out of his trunk in the school parking lot. Rounding out the group are the new girl, Marybeth of Atlanta (Laura Harris), geeky, much harassed photographer Casey (Elijah Wood, the veteran of the young cast), and Stokely (Clea DuVall, in a standout performance), the sci-fi reading, darkly dressed outcast. The faculty itself, consisting of Nurse Harper (Salma Hayek in her obligatory appearance in a Rodriguez film) who's saving her sick days for when she feels better; Miss Burke (Famke Janssen), a bookish teacher who transforms into a sexpot and who has a very funny scene with Zeke; Mrs. Olson (Piper Laurie, who was spooky in "Carrie" and "Twin Peaks"); Principal Drake (Bebe Neuwirth, in a nod to Lillith and her "Cheers" days); Mr. Furlong; and steely Coach Willis (Robert Patrick, from "T2: Judgement Day") is bent on making the town pod people. As the six students race to find out who the "Queen" of the pod people is in order to prevent disaster, they begin doubting each other, and with good reason. Fast pacing, dialogue that is at times surprisingly lame, and hokey special effects add to the jovial atmosphere. Particularly amusing are the insults Stokely throws around and Summer Phoenix as a girl who is always yelling profanities at and hitting her boyfriend. It's not quite campy; it's a bit more serious than that. "The Faculty" is, however, entertaining, a throwback to the era in cinema history when cheesy sci-fi stories were viewed at drive-in theaters by teenagers on the weekend that will most likely be enjoyed only by those expecting that. Buena Vista has made "The Faculty" available on DVD via their usual featureless, high-priced ($29.99) package. Presented in widescreen but not enhanced for 16x19 televisions, the image quality is nonetheless excellent. Great contrast and deep, solid shadows, blacks and other dark colors. The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is put to good use; there are many explosions and other loud noises in "The Faculty," which all sound clear, as does dialogue. Chapter search and standard menus, with a theatrical trailer. This should have been released with director/screenwriter commentary...Because of the lack of features, prospective buyers should rent first unless they're diehard fans of the film.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR THE MOVIE THE FACULTY.

TV SHOW: TERMINATOR THE SARAH CHRONICLES SEASON 1 NOW AVAILABLE

SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES SEASON 1 NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE TV SHOW TERMINATOR SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES FROM TVRAGE

Based on the heroine of the Terminator series of films, Sarah Connor (Lena Headey), The Sarah Connor Chronicles begins where Terminator 2: Judgment Day left off. Sarah had just vanquished the Terminator sent from the future to kill her son, John (Thomas Dekker). Now, Sarah and John are alone in a complex world as fugitives as they constantly look over their shoulders for more enemies from the past, present or future that could attack them at any time. Tired of running, Sarah opts to go on the offensive against the Terminators set on ending her life, as well as the world. John knows that he may be the one to save mankind, but at only 15 years old, he's not ready to take on the responsibility of his destiny. John finds himself drawn to Cameron (Summer Glau), a fellow student at his high school, who becomes more than just a classmate when she becomes John and Sarah's protector. Trailing Sarah and John is FBI agent James Ellison (Richard T. Jones), who soon becomes an ally to the duo. In an exciting extension of the Terminator film series, Sarah must learn how to not only protect her son from the evil they face, but protect the world from the rise of the ever-evolving Terminators.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 1 OF SEASON 1.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 2 OF SEASON 1.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 3 OF SEASON 1.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 4 OF SEASON 1.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 5 OF SEASON 1.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 6 OF SEASON 1.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 7 OF SEASON 1.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 8 OF SEASON 1.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 9 OF SEASON 1.

ROSWELL SEASON 1 EPISODE 1 NOW AVAILABLE

ROSWELL EPISODE 1 NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR EPISODE 1 OF ROSWELL SEASON 1 FROM IMDB

Liz Parker is an average teenager, until one day she is shot during an altercation at the Crashdown café, where she works. A fellow classmate named Max Evans rushes to her side and miraculously saves her from death. Liz later learns that Max, along with his sister Isabel and their friend Michael Guerin, are not really from around here. To be exact, Max, Isabel and Michael are aliens, who are survivors of the 1947 UFO crash in Roswell, New Mexico. But, Max, Isabel and Micheal's secret is not totally safe, as the local Sheriff, Jim Valenti is beginning to suspect something is amiss. Written by furymachine

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR ROSWELL SEASON 1 EPISODE 1.

THE GOLDEN COMPASS NOW AVAILABLE

THE GOLDEN COMPASS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE MOVIE THE GOLDEN COMPASS FROM IMDB

It was no ordinary life for a young girl: living among scholars in the hallowed halls of Jordan College and tearing unsupervised through Oxford's motley streets on mad quests for adventure. But Lyra's greatest adventure would begin closer to home, the day she heard hushed talk of an extraordinary particle. Microscopic in size, the magical dust- found only in the vast Artic expanse of the North -was rumored to possess profound properties that could unite whole universes. But there were those who feared the particle and would stop at nothing to destroy it. Catapulted into the heart of a terrible struggle, Lyra was forced to seek aid from clans, gyptians, and formidable armored bears. And as she journeyed into unbelievable danger, she had not the faintest clue that she alone was destined to win, or to lose, this more-than-mortal battle... Written by Krista

Lyra Belaqua, living in Oxford's Jordan College, is not but a young girl living among scholars. Her world may seem diverse, from physical embodiments of souls that take the shape of an animal, but similar with people around you to become friends and enemies. She is thrown into a perilous adventure when she overhears a conversation of an extraordinary microscopic particle, Dust. This particle is said to unite different worlds, and is feared by many who want to destroy it forever. As Lyra is flung into the middle of this horrible struggle, she meets wondrous creatures both big and small, and villains who are not what they seem. Gobblers, that kidnap children, will turn out in the most unexpected places. And a magical compass of gold that will answer any question if one is skilled enough to read it. Lyra's adventure continues throughout these three books, and the first is about to be told. Written by Reaz

In a parallel Oxford, young Lyra Belacqua begins a dimension-crossing odyssey that builds from a merely atypical children's adventure into a complex (and frequently quite dark) philosophical epic. Written by Tom Aylward-Nally

This is the story of Lyra Belaqua, an orphan living in a mighty fantastical parallel universe in which a dogmatic theocracy called the Magisterium threatens to dominate the world. When Lyra's friend is kidnapped, she travels to the far North in an attempt to rescue him and rejoin her uncle. Written by Anthony Pereyra {hypersonic91@yahoo.com}

HERE IS A REVIEW FOR THE MOVIE THE GOLDEN COMPASS FROM DVDTALK.

The Movie:

The Golden Compass might be the Heaven's Gate for the 21st century. Not in the "crappy movie surrounded by overindulgence" way, but in the "studio that puts all its eggs in one basket only to drop the ball" kind of way. The film was dogged by protests from religious groups, its opening weekend was an underachievement by the studio's (New Line's) expectations, and shortly thereafter merged with Warner Brothers to produce smaller genre- specific films. Ironically, with all of the disappointment around the film, it has made over $300 million internationally despite making a fourth of that total in America, so the chances of a sequel (or sequels) are certain. So what's all the fuss about?

Chris Weitz (About a Boy) took on the challenge of adapting the Philip Pullman novel and directing it for audiences. In this adaptation, Lyra Belacqua (Dakota Blue Richards in her first film role) overhears that her Uncle Asriel (Daniel Craig, Munich) is going to try and find out more behind a possible secret that could change the way a lot of people interpret their world. In the meantime, many of Lyra's friends are going missing, and Lyra tries to rescue them by leaving her school. After Asriel heads up north, she heads up north as well, accompanied by Mrs. Coulter (Nicole Kidman, The Hours). Lyra and Mrs. Coulter butt heads from time to time, or more to the point their daemons clash. What are daemons? Glad you asked. A daemon is a small shape-shifting creature that all of the young people have, kind of like a soul. When they grow up, their daemon's take the form of only one animal. When a person dies, their daemon dies with them. Lyra finds out that her child friends are being separated or "cut" from their daemons, and that Mrs. Coulter might be behind it. Before her trip though, Lyra is given an alethiometer, or compass, that's designed to help discern the truth when given circumstances that require answers. This device is sought by Mrs. Coulter and others that, when held in the wrong hands, turns day to night, black to white, and turns ketchup into mustard (that last part I made up, I think).

Lyra eventually does find creatures that express an urge to help her in this quest, which is the good news, principal among them is Lee Scoresby (Sam Elliott, We Were Soldiers), along with his old friend, a bear named Iorek (voiced by Gandalf himself, Ian McKellen). And from there, the expedition is set. Lyra has to find her friends with Lee and Iorek's help, and you have witches (including Craig's Casino Royale love interest Eva Green), bears invested in hand to hand contact, some old-school blimp-like flying machines, while everyone tries to figure out if Lyra has a larger place in the world and if so, what it might be. I know, a small British child who might be the answer to everything in the world and has to take on some surreal circumstances in order to accomplish it. It sounds like a lot of books and films over the last several years. And with quite a list of supporting cast on the film including Derek Jacobi, Tom Courtenay and Christopher Lee, along with Ian McShane, Kathy Bates, Kristin Scott Thomas and Freddie Highmore (the latter four lend a voice to the computer-generated daemons), you'd expect some of compelling viewing. But I think as a country, aren't we a little bit tired of the Narnias and Potters in our lives?

I think that Weitz' first fatal flow when it comes to realizing The Golden Compass to screen is that if we really are to go under the presumption that Pullman's trilogy will be made into films, that some backstory is going be necessary. Before credits, The Golden Compass lasts an approximate 113 minutes with credits. When you compare that to the 152 minutes of Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone and the 143 minutes of the first installment of C.S. Lewis' The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe Series, the viewer is left with a feeling of having to catch up to Lyra's family and what came of them, and by the time you catch up, the film seems to be firmly entrenched in the epic movie mindframe with hordes of computer-generated characters that, really, should you care about what happens to them? This attacking of the book as Weitz does plagues the film. I'd suggest that when you come to the end of the film, one of the first questions you might find yourself asking is "OK, so are they going to make a prequel to all of this?"

Having berated the film a little bit, I should say that it's not a complete wash. The performances by Craig and Kidman are acceptable, and Richards carries the film much better than I expected. And the story does touch on some interesting concepts. The problem is that said concepts seem to get caught up in a story and visual effects that feel unoriginal and incomprehensible, and leave the viewer with an overwhelming sense of apathy.

The Blu-ray Disc:
Video:

Presented in 2.35:1 widescreen, The Golden Compass uses the VC-1 codec and probably could have looked a little bit better than it does. There are a number of wide shots that hint at background image depth, and blacks are relatively deep and provide a good contrast throughout the film. However, the tight shots, both on the human and computer-generated faces don't really possess a lot of detail. At times, Craig's beard (before he shaves it off late in the film) looks like a standard definition brown mess, and the graphics used to make Iorek are almost cartoonish. The battle sequences near the end of the picture also seem a little bit soft as well. For a film that won the Best Visual Effects Oscar this past year, The Golden Compass looks good, but not really great.

Sound:

New Line uses a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 soundtrack, as is the case with almost all of its titles, and the result isn't too shabby. The dialogue is a little bit weak, but when the action starts to get going, you're going to be pleased. The dirigible in the film thunders with noise, and the action sequences pulse with subwoofer activity. Even when Iorek and Lyla are going through the snow drifts, there's an instance or two of bass, in fact, virtually anything with the bears is going to get the subwoofer engaged. Speaker panning and directional effects are also present and active throughout the film as well. Aside from the first half of the film where things are fairly dialogue driven, The Golden Compass works well in the lossless format.

Extras:

On standard definition, there is a single disc version of the film, along with a two-disc Platinum Series release, which has a couple of bonuses on the first disc, with the second being devoted to the remainder of the supplements. While the standard definition version is not a direct port, us lucky Blu-ray folk get most of what's the two-disc edition, starting with a commentary by Weitz on the feature. Even though he's the only one on the track, he's brought quite a bit of material to the commentary. He gets into the story, character examinations and motivations quite a bit and talks about what he changed in the book, and how he was able to cast who he did. He also possesses a good recollection of what occurred on set occasionally, and helps point out what was real film-shot content and what was computer animated. The end of the track has him talking about what he plans to do for the sequels, so yes, there will be sequels, in case you were intensely curious. Clearly he's passionate about the material and it's a nice track to listen to. The Enhanced Visual Commentary is exclusive to the Blu-ray disc and is another way of saying that it's a running picture-in-picture commentary track that includes the same commentary that Weitz recorded, and includes some of the same footage from the proceeding supplements, along with a whole host of on-set footage.

The supplements on disc two are presented in high definition and a DTS soundtrack, both of which are welcome surprises. Starting off we've got "The Novel" (19:07), which examines Pullman's inspiration with ample assistance and interviews from the author. Weitz and the film's producers discuss what they thought about the film, and separate admirers talk about the book and its critical and popular impact. Pullman also discusses what he liked about writing the book, while the cast share what they like about it, and even the difficulty to produce a film on the book is talked about in a bit of surprising candor. After that, "The Adaptation" (16:11) looks at Weitz' attempts to make the book into a watchable film effort. Weitz talks about how he reached the material in the first place and how New Line got to him with it, with both parties admitting that Weitz was not at the top of the list. A director change during production is recalled, with Weitz and New Line both discussing why Weitz left and eventually returned, and the cast and crew talk about what a nice guy he is. Again, I wasn't expecting such honesty in these pieces, but it certainly was nice to see. Afterwards, "Finding Lyra Belacqua" (15:08) looks at the exhaustive U.K. casting for the role, combined with ample interview footage of Richards and her mother, along with other aspiring Lyras, as they talk about how they heard about the open auditions and what they did at said auditions. Pullman discusses the allure of Lyra's character in other young girls, while Weitz talks about what type of look they wanted for her. There's also quite a bit of screen and wardrobe test footage of Richards, along with the stars' thoughts on her. "Oxford" (7:32) examines the film's location of same name and other British locations, while the "Music" (11:50) piece looks at composer Alexandre Desplat's scoring sessions and recording at Abbey Road. "The Launch" (7:58) looks at the press both at Cannes and at the film's premiere, mainly though Richards' perspective and those around her, including her mom some more and her hair and makeup artist. A veritable slew of stills galleries that can be played and/or scrolled though are included, covering the Daemons, Alethiometer and various computer-generated and real-life aspects of the production. A teaser and two trailers complete things.

Final Thoughts:

To New Line's credit, they've given The Golden Compass a slew of bonus material that surprisingly covers some of the production's warts, and yet they give it a decent high-definition presentation to boot. The film is the main problem here. I wasn't wowed, and apparently a few others weren't as well, but it's clear that this trilogy of films will be realized at some point in the future. As a disc release, the merits of The Golden Compass are enough to outweigh the theatrical product and I'd suggest that you give this a try.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR THE MOVIE GOLDEN COMPASS.

MINUTE MEN NOW AVAILABLE

MINUTE MEN NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE MOVIE MINUTE MEN FROM IMDB

A comedy/sci-fi/adventure about three high school kids who invent a time machine to spare others just like them from the humiliation they've endured. Written by fmmini

HERE IS A REVIEW FOR THE MOVIE MINUTE MEN FROM DVDTALK

Background: Television science fiction shows vary widely in terms of how well their writers understand even the most basic of science, presumably having skipped out on taking many such classes in their past. This doesn't mean they can't entertain us with wild yarns spun out of ignorance but it also limits the scrutiny that can be applied to their work product too. One of the more common themes over the years has been a group of people fighting to save the day in one sense or another after ending up in hostile circumstances not of their own choosing. Such was the case with the latest volume of Sliders that I reviewed recently but the same holds true for the Stargate shows, various Star Trek series and many more that you may not have seen. Earlier this year, a movie employing similar concepts aired on the Disney Channel on cable, the DVD release of which is the subject of this review in my look at Minutemen.

The happy friends before the football field incident.

Movie: Minutemen follows the traditional path of Disney science fiction/fantasy efforts as a sort of "buddy" flick where three unlikely heroes are put in a situation that allows them to go back in time to fix things that went wrong. Unlike Quantum Leap though, they trio has no outside guidance other than their own morality of right and wrong. Needless to say, this leads to the concept of unintended consequences coming into play fairly early in the movie. Starting off with a quick set up in the freshman year of high school, Virgil (Jason Dolley) is seen hanging out with his two best friends for years; hotty Stephanie (Chelsea Staub) and jock Derek (Steven McQueen, the grandson of the famous actor). Each is looking to fit into their new surroundings so Stephanie tries out for the cheerleading squad and Derek goers out for the football team; establishing Virgil as the outsider of the trio. During football tryouts, a crazy kid in a rocket powered car wrecks havoc on the field, stopped only by Derek's well placed throw of a football; landing him in the popularity ring while the kid, an under aged super genius named Charlie Tuttle (Luke Benward) and Virgil get bullied. See, Virgil tried to intervene when the entire field of players were about to beat Charlie up so the team punished both of them as seen when the pair are hanging from their female cheerleading outfits hanging by the school mascot (appropriately enough, a ram) with make up on. The drag comedy seeming kind of forced, it shows the pair becoming friends of circumstance; the movie fast forwarding three years in the future where they are close friends in the fringe crowd of geeks.

Charlie's debut on the football field.

Exactly why super genius Charlie is still in high school that many years later (remember, he was smart enough to be skipping grades left and right up until the movie began) is left unclear, presumably because his newfound friendship, but he stumbles upon the secret of time travel by means of a device not dissimilar to the wormholes of the aforementioned Sliders and Stargate shows; right down to the freezing effect that was later tossed as impractical on Stargate. This leads to them wearing silly snowsuits (how practical in Southern California...) as a means of warding off the cold and protecting their identity. Along the way, they pick up a rebellious teen named Zeke (Nicholas Braun) and the circumstances arise where they set out to save fellow members of the fringe crowd from the torment of the bullies so common to schools everywhere. Without revealing too much of the plot, the kids soon find that every fate they rearrange ends up having unintended and negative consequences, forcing them to consider if what they are doing is really such a great idea after all. There is also a subplot where it is discovered that Charlie stole some data from a NASA computer, leading to them establishing a link when strange and growing energy readings begin to cause trouble.

Virgil and Charlie become friends in drag.

Wanting to stay ahead of the authorities and reconsider their motivations for all that they do, the team decides to stop their adventures for awhile until Virgil finds out that the secret love of his life (yes, Stephanie, this is a Disney movie of limited duration remember) could lose out on a very important scholarship without his intervention. She figures out who he is, part of the "Minuteman" team that has been appearing all over campus even if no one knows exactly why (the trouble with time travel is again explained that the only people remembering what was changed are the ones that changed it) and she tells Derek as the two are practically joined at the hip. See, Derek never tried to stop Virgil from being attacked that fateful day three years ago, his explanation being that he tried yet the original trio going off into their own paths. As the government presses down, Charlie also discovers that these repeated time travel trips have caused a serious breach in the space time continuum and they are the only ones that can save the day. Sound familiar? It should since there really wasn't much time to flesh out the details and make the characters more than two dimensional comic book characters. In the end, this is a Disney movie so you know what happens, the moral of the story being that some things are meant to be and should not be messed with.

The breakthrough

When reviewing a movie that not only borrows so heavily from all that went before but doing so in a largely uninventive manner, it is important to consider the target audience as well. Had this one not been originally shown for FREE, I might have been kinder but the writing, direction, and acting were all on the low end of the curve so I rated it as a Rent It. It wasn't a terrible movie for young kids to watch but the concepts were so watered down and so much ground covered in so little time (pun intended) that I felt it lacked in too many ways to get higher accolades. Like the Mayfield College tales of years ago (when Dexter Riley and friends were alternately made invisible, super strong, and otherwise enhanced by science), there is potential for this one to branch out into a series of passable made for television movies but they'll have to do better than this to later sell them on DVD with the best gimmick being a "never before seen extended ending".

The Minutemen (at least they didn't wear tights)

Picture: Minutemen was presented in the original 1.33:1 ratio full frame color as broadcast on cable television back in January. Director Lev Spiro (Everybody Hates Chris, Arrested Development, many other televisions shows, and soft core porn) offered up what amounted to a low budget, quickly shot offering in the same vein as many of his other projects in recent years, light on depth but looking much like it should have for a cable television made movie. The colors were accurate, the CGI effects a bit on the low end too, and the amount of edge enhancement and aliasing average for this kind of production. There were numerous continuity goofs too but they were so minor that only a critical eye is likely to find most of them so enjoy the movie rather than worry about them.

That vortex sure looks familiar, I wonder if anyone notices.

Sound: The audio was presented in a 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround English with optional English language subtitles for the hearing impaired. The vocals were all clear enough, almost to the point of them sounding canned in separate studio sessions and added in post production. The ambient noises seemed to be lacking though, especially the outdoor scenes, and that is just the mark of many rushed projects made on a low budget. The music was actually not bad compared to some of Disney's other original cable productions (such as their dreadful high school musical releases) but the credits did not list most of the songs, at least one of them sounding like a Roxette clip I like. The rear speakers were not used very effectively and I got the impression that the surround aspect of the audio was handled mainly in post production but there was some separation between the front channels noticed.

Another completely original looking special effect.

Extras: The movie itself contained a slightly altered, longer ending but without the original to compare it to, I don't consider that to be much of an extra. There was also a music video serving as a trailer for the movie called Run It Back Again by Corbin Bleu that some of you might like; it having been in heavy rotation on the Disney Channel back when the movie came out in January of 2008 (there were also other trailers to movies for those that care). The best extra was the Backstage Disney episode for the movie called The Making of Minutemen lasting 9:38 where the three would be heroes acted like kids using clips of the movie and breaking it up into various parts (like a section on stunts, special effects via green screen, etc.). The box also included some coupons and incentives to join the Disney movie rewards website as well as a paper insert.

Final Thoughts: Minutemen was the kind of non offensive Disney flick that you sit the kids down in front of while you leave the room and a bit over priced at the MSRP of $26.99 considering how little you get compared to the free run of the movie on cable this year. The acting, direction, and writing were definitely light weight but don't consider this to be anything more than a couple episodes worth of Disney fare combined into a single outing, the running time suitable for a ton of commercials in a two hour Disney slot. In short, Minutemen is much like candy; suitable for a quick fix of entertainment but less filling in the long run so don't expect a whole lot or you'll be sorry

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR THE MOVIE MINUTE MEN.

INDIANA JONES 4 NOW AVAILABLE

INDIANA JONES 4 NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE MOVIE INDIANA JONES 4 FROM IMDB

Famed archaeologist/adventurer Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones is called back into action when he becomes entangled in a Soviet plot to uncover the secret behind mysterious artifacts known as the Crystal Skulls.

HERE IS A REVIEW FOR THE MOVIE INDIANA JONES 4 FROM DVDTALK

The last time Indiana Jones was in action, he was riding off into the sunset, with a final quest behind him. It took 19 years to coax him back to the screen, but the archeology O.G. is back, and "Kingdom of Crystal Skull" doesn't disappoint in the least. This is the high-flyin', fingernail-chewing, stand-up-and-cheer summer experience as anticipated, yet it's not exactly the same Dr. Jones as you might remember.

The year is 1957, and Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) has settled into a life alone, mourning the loss of his father, Henry Sr., and colleague Marcus Brody. Rustling him out of his routine are vicious Russian soldiers, led by psychic Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett, a sublime heavy), who want Indy to uncover the location of a mysterious crystal skull, using clues left behind by his old friend, Oxley (John Hurt). Helping Indy out is Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf), a tough young greaser who needs Indy to save his mother, Marion (Karen Allen). Traveling to South America to find the lost Temple of Akator, Indy fights to slip out of Spalko's tight grip while trying to uncover the skull's purpose before the Russians can claim their ultimate, world-dominating prize.

The familiar fingerprints of Indiana Jones are smudged all over "Kingdom:" director Steven Spielberg and producer George Lucas even dust off the old Paramount Pictures logo to help match the mood that was left hanging in 1989. It's a commendable effort, keeping the audience comfy with what they're seeing in 2008, but it's a little misleading. "Kingdom" is an old-fashioned, no-frills Indy adventure, but it also shakes up the franchise wherever it can. No matter what the Beards tell the press, "Kingdom" is Indy 2.0, but in a very rewarding way. It steps forward, not back, approaching the character's epic life from a fresh perspective.

It's a new world for Indiana Jones, who comes to "Kingdom" after his war-hero days in WWII, still feeling the sting of loved ones who have passed on. He's older, wiser, and fully entrenched in his stuffy professorial ways; committed to education now more than ever, but still able and willing to throw a punch when needed. Of course, Ford plays the aging symphony like a maestro, never pushing too hard on the bitter old man routine, instead nicely sinking into Indy's ripened ways. Sure, the screenplay by David Koepp likes to poke fun at Indy's years with some clever gags, but Spielberg seems more enchanted with the character's maturation into a team player, not using the age for a cheap punchline.

In reality, the post-war mood is a delightful way to refresh Indy iconography, taking the audience into a darker world where targeting absolute evil is a more complicated process and American might is being swallowed by communist paranoia. The original films (1981's "Raiders of the Lost Ark," 1984's "Temple of Doom," and 1989's "The Last Crusade") all played into the gleeful 1930's Saturday-matinee-serial mentality, marked by pristine colors (courtesy of ace cinematographer Douglas Slocombe), heavy detail, and sparkling outdoorsy escapades. The Cold War environment of "Kingdom" is more claustrophobic and agitated; Spielberg and his shooter Janusz Kaminski replicate the massively layered compositions of the earlier installments, but ease in a new color palette and enclosed sensation through the substantial usage of sets.

That's not to say the film is dreary; it's anything but that, yet subtle changes are felt throughout the picture, emphasizing the polished technology Spielberg is working with now, not to mention his own growth behind the camera, after years of trying to strip away his "Mr. Blockbuster" reputation. "Kingdom" snuggles into the Indy goods easily, but it's best to acknowledge that "Kingdom" is somewhat aesthetically different than the previous adventures, and that's an outstanding achievement.

While Spielberg is wrestling with vast sound stage spaces and easing into a CGI-led cinematic world, "Kingdom" doesn't hesitate to reawaken the breakneck velocity the franchise is known for. The film opens with a literal bang, as Indy battles Spalko around the infinite warehouse location glimpsed at the end of "Raiders," swinging around the joint with his trusty bullwhip and barely dodging Russian bullets. Right from the starter pistol, Ford reclaims the character's bruiser physicality and Spielberg dusts off his old crack timing, bestowing audiences with a skillful opening reel that feels just like a visit from an old friend; at the same time, Spielberg updates the proceedings with a handsome 1950's mood, using the sounds of Elvis and haunting atomic bomb testing ground locations to get viewers up to speed with the new era.

It's chase scenes galore from there, including a crackerjack motorcycle ride through Indy's college campus with Mutt (hunted by Russian agents) and the film's centerpiece: a gymnastic jungle chase sequence that mirrors the classic marathon desert brawl of "Raiders." Here, the CG glaze is most readily apparent, but it never bothered me. With Spielberg staging the action in sweeping, dazzling widescreen movements (seemingly allergic to heavy editing), I'll take the Lucas-mandated artificiality with a degree of patience. They don't make movies quite like they used to in the '80s, but "Kingdom" shimmies awfully close to the mall-multiplex ecstasy of observing characters leaping around the frame with abandon, pummeling each other while the John Williams score blasts away triumphantly. When "Kingdom" rears back and delivers the goods, the result will reduce the average Indy fan to pudding. The film should offer a new pair of pants with every ticket.

Surprisingly, the titular MacGuffin is far more critical to the story than previous installments have dictated. There's no fortune and glory lust about the crystal skull for Indy, and he takes possession of the spooky magnetized item early on in the film, leaving the rest of the action in protection mode rather than retrieval. To keep within the '50's vibe, there are sci-fi overtones to the story, using the 1947 events in Roswell and the skull's football-like shape to introduce otherworldly mystery to "Kingdom" in place of religious or supernatural focal points. The whole film is a good-natured homage to this era of filmmaking, with giant ant rampages, Soviet domination, and Mutt in full Brando, "Wild One" mode as a switchblade-carrying, leather-jacket-wearing, Harley-riding delinquent.

Keeping that mindset of '50's sci-fi will help to digest the conclusion of "Kingdom," where Lucas's fingers can be felt again in the film's second generous helping of CG embellishment.

Even if today's filmmaking technology creeps up in "Kingdom," the heart belongs to Ford. It's a blissful performance that mixes Indy's punch-drunk bewilderment with haggard acknowledgement of limitation, showing age not through fatigue but through a welcomed sense of family and educational responsibility. Ford plays the brief tributes to Sean Connery and Denholm Elliot with marvelous grace and dives into all the bloodied beatings, but the real energy of "Kingdom" comes from his encounters with LaBeouf and Allen, which crackle with traditional Indy magic and bring the absolute best out of the actor.

Spielberg deserves a medal the way he suppresses LaBeouf's annoying performance habits, turning the young star into a credible greaser and an unexpectedly vulnerable sidekick. LaBeouf is a revelation here and doesn't stick out in the Indiana Jones world as much as expected. He supports Ford wonderfully, but once Allen shows up at the midway point, some old "Raiders" chemistry is rekindled to steal the movie away. Marion and Indy don't receive the luxurious screen time they deserve in "Kingdom," but the actors make the most of it, creating needed romantic sparks at the center of all the mayhem, lovingly comedic with their reunion and the unexpected revelations that come with it. It's just a delight to see Ford and Allen back in character.

"Kingdom" satisfies in a massive way, handing the faithful towering servings of action and archeological surprise, while inching the series into new artistic and visual directions that could conceivably open the door to further, and wholeheartedly welcome, adventures. There's still plenty of fire in Indy's belly to explore. It took nearly two decades to get the character back on the screen, but it was worth the wait: "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" is an exquisitely crafted, lightning-paced thrill ride; a barnstorming blockbuster effort from Steven Spielberg, and a return to iconic action hero fortunes for Harrison Ford. It's an absolute treat for fans of all ages.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR THE MOVIE INDIANIA JONES 4.

INDEPENDENCE DAY NOW AVAILABLE

INDEPENDENCE DAY NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE MOVIE INDEPENDENCE DAY FROM IMDB

On July 2nd, communications systems worldwide are sent into chaos by a strange atmospheric interference. It is soon learned by the military that a number of enormous objects are on a collision course with Earth. At first thought to be meteors, they are later revealed to be gigantic spacecraft, piloted by a mysterious alien species. After attempts to communicate with the aliens go nowhere, David Levinson, an ex-scientist turned cable technician, discovers that the aliens are going to attack major points around the globe in less than a day. On July 3rd, the aliens all but obliterate New York, Los Angeles, and Washington. The survivors set out in convoys towards Area 51, a strange government testing ground where it is rumored the military has a captured alien spacecraft of their own. The survivors devise a plan to fight back against the enslaving aliens, and July 4th becomes the day humanity will fight for its freedom. July 4th is their Independence Day... Written by Gustaf Molin {gumo@hem2.passagen.se}

In the beginning of July, a strange spaceship is heading towards Earth. Humans received a strange signal, and this has turned into a global phenomenon. It was aliens. smaller spaceships began to cover entire cities around the world. Suddenly, the wonder turns into horror as the spaceships destroy the cities. Then, when the world counterattacked, the alien ships are invincible to normal weapon systems, then The President of the United States, decides to head to area 51, to formulate a plan to defeat the aliens. Now, the fate of the world rests on a handful of surviving humans. Written by John Wiggins

The ultimate encounter when mysterious and powerful aliens launch an all out invasion against the human race. The spectacle begins when massive spaceships appear in Earth's skies. But wonder turns to terror as the ships blast destructive beams of fire down on cities all over the planet. Now the world's only hope lies with a determined band of survivors, uniting for one last strike against the invaders - before it's the end of mankind. Written by Robert Lynch {docrlynch@yahoo.com}

HERE IS A REVIEW FOR THE MOVIE INDEPENDENCE DAY FROM DVDTALK

The Movie:

Independence Day is a guilty pleasure of mine. It would be really hard to defend this summer blockbuster from 1996. The music is overproduced, there are plenty of plot holes and amazing coincidences that advance the plot, none of the characters are really developed and the story is overshadowed by the special effects. In spite of all that, I really enjoy watching this film, even though I know I shouldn't. That's why I was excited when the Blu-ray disc of this film was announced; another excuse to watch this fun, silly film. It looks better than it ever has on this disc, with a beautiful picture and an amazing audio track. Fans, like me, who've been waiting for this disc will be pleased with the presentation although the bonus items are lacking.

On July 2nd a gigantic alien space ship (it has ¼ the mass of the Moon) enters Earth orbit and releases a series of huge discs, 15 miles in diameter each, that take position above various large cities around the globe. They sit there, silently, for hours, until at the appointed moment they each open a portal at the bottom and release a death ray that totally destroys the city that they are stationed above. They then move on to their secondary target, slowly but methodically annihilating the cities of Earth.

On July 3rd, the nations of the Earth counter attack, launching their jets and missiles against the invaders. It's a futile effort. A force field around the ships prevents the bombs from even touching, and they explode impotently still far from their targets.

Then, on July 4th, Independence Day, a crazy plan is hatched that just may tilt the advantage to the human side.

This is a typical disaster movie, with a large cast of characters that the audience is supposed to identify with. There's Marine pilot Captain Steven Hiller (Will Smith) who is dating a stripper with a young kid, President Thomas J. Whitmore (Bill Pullman) who everyone turns to as the world is being destroyed, and David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum) a brilliant underperforming genius who happens to be the ex-husband of the President's Press Secretary and has decoded a signal that the aliens are using to time their attack. As the devastation mounts, the various characters and their loved ones become endangered. Who will live, and who will die?

With some splashy special effects that still look fine today and a good cast this movie is really enjoyable in spite of the poor script. Will Smith is delightful as the cocky pilot who shoots down a alien fighter, and Pullman does a good job as the President. His rousing speech at the end illustrates that he has the charisma to become elected, but in private he seems like a genuinely nice guy. Just what we all want for a president but never get. Jeff Goldblum is at his nerdy best too. Judd Hirsch steals every scene he's in as Levinson's father who acts as comic relief without ever getting stupid or idiotic.

Unfortunately the same can't be said of the rest of the film. If you think about it, this movie has all of the worst aspects of big budget Hollywood films all wrapped up into one. The music swells every time something good or bad happens, telling the audience how to feel, and against all odds the disparate stars of the film miraculously end up all together by the end. That pales in comparison to the ending of the film which has the most idiotic and nonsensical plot element of any movie ever. In spite of all of these flaws, Independence Day is a great popcorn flick that's really enjoyable to watch.

The Blu-ray Disc:

This Blu-ray disc contains the original 145-minute theatrical version of the film. The longer "Special Edition" cut (153-minutes) which has been released previously on DVD is not included.

Video:

This disc comes with an AVC (@27MBPS) encoded 2.35:1 image on a 50 GB Blu-ray disc and it looks really good. I was very impressed with the first scenes of Armstrong's footprints on the moon. The motes of dust were clear and the alien ship passed overhead and vibrated the ground causing the impressions to alter. Likewise the contours and fine lines on both the mother shop and the smaller city destroyers were solid and clear. The special effects stood up well too. When the smaller ships entered the atmosphere, the billowing clouds that were being pushed ahead of them were nicely rendered and didn't look plastic or fake the way some vintage CGI effects do.

The colors were good, and the black levels were nice too. Some of the scenes were a little too dark and details were lost. At one point an American flag is shown at night, and while the 13 stripes are clear, the stars on the blue background aren't visible and it looks more like a solid field of color. There was a bit of grain in some scenes, which was fine, but there was a small bit of digital noise in some areas that was disappointing to see. It was mostly noticeable in large patches of sky. It was a very low level, nothing like some of the first BR discs, but it was there. These defects were very minor however and the things this disc has going in its favor more than make up for it.

Audio:

This movie has always had impressive audio, but the DTS HD 5.1 Master Lossless Audio that this disc boasts really raises the bar. From the first shots to the closing credits, all your speakers will get a good workout. The film gives viewers a taste of what they are in for in the opening scenes where the alien ship is accompanied by some deep bass tones that will rattle your windows. The battle scenes and mass destruction parts will really get your sub going. The whole soundstage is filled with sound during these action scenes. It's enough to make Phil Spector envious. The great thing about this track is that the movie doesn't collapse into basically a stereo mix after the battles are over. The rear speakers are used to good effect throughout the film. In the underground bunker beneath Area 51, there are muted warning sirens and the sounds of scientists working coming from the rear that gives viewers the impression that they're in the middle the scene themselves. There were a lot of nice touches like that which made this a great sounding film.

Extras:

This is the only area that really disappointed. The Five Star Collection release of this movie came with three featurettes, an alternate ending, story boards, original artwork, production stills, a DVD-ROM game "Get Off My Planet" and the Special Edition cut with nine minutes of deleted scenes added back in (in addition to the theatrical release.) None of that is included on this Blu-ray disc. Even the deleted scenes which were used to make the Special Edition aren't to be found. That's a big strike against this disc. Remember Fox, Blu may have won the format war with HD DVD, but it still has to compete with SD DVDs. Right or wrong, many consumers will feel that getting bonus content (even if some of it is lame) lessens the value of the HD product and will opt not to upgrade.

What do we have? The two commentary tracks, the first by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin and the second by Special Effects Supervisors Volker Engel and Doug Smith are still here. The first is very informative and fun to listen to, and the second is educational though a bit on the dry side.

There are some new extras but none of them are very exciting. The first is a pop-up trivia track that's a bit of a snoozer. The info, mainly on the special effects, wasn't all that exciting and didn't add to my enjoyment of the film. There's also an idiotic game: Alien Scavenger Hunt. While the movie runs, players look for various items on the screen and collect them with crosshairs that are overlaid on the screen. There's only a dozen items to get over the course of the film, and it quickly became boring. I can't see anyone playing this the whole way through as a game. Maybe if they wanted to watch the movie, but not as a game.

There's also a keyword index, the ability to bookmark your favorite scenes, and the film is D-Box enhanced. This last feature means that if you are one of the very few people who have a costume made theater seat with a D-Box rumbler attacked, your chair will shake along with the movie.

Final Thoughts:

A fun and enjoyable popcorn flick, Independence Day took in over $300 million during its theatrical release in the US alone. It certainly deserves a high grade release. This disc almost does it right. The audio and video quality is superb, but the extras are really lacking. The fact that they don't even include the deleted scenes or alternate ending that were included on earlier released is just plain wrong. That drops my rating some what. Still, it's the film that is the most important thing, and this disc comes through in that respect. A strong Recommendation.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR THE MOVIE INDEPENDENCE DAY.

DR. DOLITTLE 4 TAIL TO THE CHEIF NOW AVAILABLE

DR. DOLITTLE 4 NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE MOVIE DR. DOLITTLE 4 FROM IMDB

Maya Dolittle, who can talk to animals like her father, is placed on special assignment by the President of the United States of America.

HERE IS A REVIEW FOR THE MOVIE DR. DOLITTLE 4 FROM DVDTALK

One of the more distressing trends in movies today is the sequelization of...well, just about anything. It seems like every other week, another direct-to-video sequel to a movie with a cast of no-namers. This time around, we get another "Dr. Dolittle", although this time it's without Eddie Murphy (it's explained that the doctor is off in the Arctic or something like that.) This time around, Maya (Kyla Pratt) - Dolittle's daughter - is the focus. She's having difficulty getting into an elite college and, when the secret service comes calling because of trouble with the president's dog, she thinks that a recommendation from the White House will result in her being a shoe-in for the school. When Maya arrives at the White House, she finds an upset President (Peter Coyote, looking rather embarassed and I can't say I blame him), desperate for help in trying to correct a dog that, according to him, stands as some sort of symbol for the administration (not saying much about the administration...oh wait.) and training the dog will also somehow smooth things over with an African nation where there was an incident with the President during a treaty signing. Daisy the dog has been wrecking the White House and wastes no time in tearing up the President's wildlife ranch when Maya and the President head to the retreat. Of course, the animals don't cooperate - and, it's not exactly surprising that Maya manages to fix (in an emotional way, I mean) both Daisy and the President's upset (due to the fact that her days are made-up largely of press events and other "dull" happenings) daughter. The film's humor is pretty bland slapstick along the lines of most kiddie films - yes, there's the occasional bathroom joke - but the positive messages of wildlife conservation are delivered in a way that's not too heavy-handed. The performances are decent, considering the forgettable material. Pratt is really the best element of the film, as her performance remains rather charming throughout. Norm McDonald, who (unfortunately, because I think he's funny) probably didn't have much else going on, takes the voice role of Lucky the Dog for the fourth time. Quite simply, this is average, unoffensive fare for kids. While Pratt offers a very good performance given the material, there's just not enough movie here (the story is very slight) to make this worth recommending as more than a rental for kids. The DVD VIDEO: "Dr. Dolittle: Tail to the Chief" is presented by 20th Century Fox in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. The screening copy of the film that was provided offered somewhat subpar image quality, with below average sharpness/detail and some occasional mild artifacting and edge enhancement. However, this is still not the final copy and unfortunately, I cannot make any final comments on it, as the retail copy may offer differing image quality.

SOUND: Despite being presented in Dolby Digital 5.1, I don't think it'll surprise anyone to hear that there's very little going on in this audio presentation. Surrounds offer some slight ambience and reinforcement of the score, but the audio is otherwise front-heavy (and not exactly spread widely across the front soundstage, either.) Audio quality is fine, with clear dialogue and music.

EXTRAS: A few short featurettes make up the extras section: "Critter Casting Sessions", "Working With Actors of a Different Breed", "Goin' Wild" and "Learning About Endangered Animals". Of the bunch, "Animals" is the most informative and interesting. Finally, we get an "Inside Look" promo for "Horton Hears a Who". Final Thoughts: Pratt shines in the latest "Dr. Dolittle", but the rest of the movie - while well-intentioned in spots - is bland and blah when it comes to humor. A light rental recommendation for kids who were fans of the previous films.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR THE MOVIE DR. DOLITTLE 4.