HOOK NOW AVAILABLE

Here is the summary for the movie Hook from imdb

Peter Pan (Williams) has grown up to be a cut-throat merger and acquisitions lawyer, and is married to Wendy's granddaughter. Captain Hook (Hoffman) kidnaps his children, and Peter returns to Never Land with Tinkerbell (Roberts). With the help of her and the Lost Boys, he must remember how to be Peter Pan again in order to save his children by battling with Captain Hook once again. Written by Ed Sutton {esutton@mindspring.com}

Here is a review for the movie Hook from dvdtalk

The Movie In 1991, Steven Spielberg released his whimsical live action sequel of the beloved story, Peter Pan. It was jammed packed with high-powered stars such as Dustin Hoffman, Robin Williams, Julia Roberts, and Bob Hoskins. With a healthy budget, fancy promotional spots, a fantastic script, and a can't-miss cast, it seemed to be a surefire hit. But sadly, Hook failed to live up to the hype in theaters. Hook is a movie you either love or hate. It's a family fantasy tale full of bright colors, crazy costumes, and even crazier hairdos. It's a touch on the sappy side, pulling more at the emotions than the average action-obsessed attention span. In short, it's a wonderful movie that a lot of people just plain don't like. Our story begins with Peter Pan - now named Peter Bannister (Robin Williams) - as a middle-aged, wealthy, cutthroat acquisitions officer who is more concerned about his multi-billion dollar corporation deal, than the happiness of his family. After missing his sons little league game - which he promised to show up for - he sets off to England with his wife, son and daughter to visit his old friend, Granny Wendy, (Maggie Smith). While Peter is away at the coronation ceremony naming a state of the art orphanage facility after Granny Wendy, Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman) kidnaps Peter's kids and takes them back to Never Never Land, in an attempt to lure Peter back for one final end-all battle. Soon after the kidnapping, Peter is unwittingly taken back to Never Never Land by Tinkerbell (Julia Roberts). However when Peter finally arrives, everyone, including Captain Hook, is hugely disappointed at what Peter Pan has become; a fat, lethargic, coward who is deathly afraid of heights. In a desperate attempt to save the glamorous war that Hook so desperately wants, he grants Peter three days to get into shape. It's in these three days where Peter learns that there's much more to life than worrying, and that imagination is one of the keys to happiness. For the most part, the acting is topnotch. Hoffman and Williams both deliver excellent performances, with the nod going to the eccentrically funny Hoffman who steals the show. Julia Roberts has a small role, and doesn't do a good job at impersonating the most famous, and sexy, fairy of all time. Sadly, her best moment was when she momentarily turned "big" and tried to seduce Peter one last time. Also making a flash appearance is singer/songwriter Phil Collins, as an English police detective, and a teenage Gwyneth Paltrow who plays the young Granny Wendy. Hook is a fantastic story. And despite some of the cheesy costumes and fake-looking sets, it's a well-done movie indeed. Perhaps I can relate to the story more because I have two children of my own, but I remember loving the movie even before my little ones were born. The story is touching, and the special effects - though lame by today's standards - do a nice job at making you believe you're looking at the real Never Never Land. Well, as with all Superbit titles, the real question is, is this version worth it? The quick answer is, not really. The original release of Hook had a wonderful video transfer, and this Superbit release doesn't do much in the way of improvements. If you own the first release, I'd say skip this version. If however you don't have the original release, and you own a high-end progressive scan TV, then I'd recommend the Superbit version. The improvements are subtle, but worth it if you don't already own the first release. The most notable improvement is not with the video, but the audio. The inclusion of the DTS audio track is fantastic and may warrant the upgrade for some. But I stand by my previous advice. If you already own Hook on DVD, then there's no real reason to trade up to the Superbit Collection as the improvements are not worth the $26.95 list price.
The DVD
Video: Hook is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. The picture is generally great, but so was the original 2000 DVD release. As with the previous release, Hook suffers from some slight edge enhancement halos, a little bit of graininess, and an overall soft picture. The increased bit rate of this Superbit title cleaned up the compression ever so slightly, but it's nearly impossible to tell unless you're viewing it on a extremely large progressive capable TV screen. I was able to do a direct viewing comparison with both versions on my 120" screen and it was hard to find any improvements. Colors are bright as ever, especially during the dinner scene with the Lost Boys in Never Never Land, and flesh tones looked excellent as well. This is a great looking DVD, but the improvements are hardly noticeable from the original DVD release. Audio: As with all Superbit titles, we get our choice of a Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS audio tracks. The big news of course is with the DTS track, which is all-new for this release. And thankfully, the DTS track is a worthy upgrade from the Dolby Digital track that is included on the 2000 release. The rear speakers get more attention in the DTS track, and sound livelier during peak scenes. The score also sounds more full on the DTS track throughout the movie as well. Therearen't many scenes to wake up your LFE sub, but the few that there are sound nice and boomy, like the final battle between Pan and Hook. Overall this is a great sounding DVD, and you'd be better off listening to the DTS track over the Dolby Digital. Extras: Superbit DVD's utilize all disc space for the sole purpose of video and audio excellence at the cost of losing space normally reserved for extra features. This ensures the highest possible quality for picture and sound currently available on the DVD format. Final Thoughts: Hook may not be loved by everyone, but it's a wonderful heart-felt movie that delivers good family fun. Those with the original 2000 release will want to skip this one since the video improvements are marginal at best. But those new to the game who own a high-end progressive scan TV may want to consider this version since the original doesn't come with any real special features, and the Superbit title includes a fantastic sounding DTS audio track. Recommended

Here is the direct download for the movie Hook part 1 of 3.

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DONNIE DARKO NOW AVAILABLE

DONNIE DARKO NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE MOVIE DONNIE DARKO FROM IMDB

Donnie Darko gets along badly with his family, with his teachers and with his classmates; but he does manage to find a sympathetic friend in Gretchen, who agrees to date him; and he has a compassionate psychiatrist, who discovers hypnosis is the means to unlock hidden secrets. His other companion may not be a true ally. Donnie has a friend named Frank, who is either a large purple bunny, or man in a large purple bunny costume. Either way, Donnie is the only one who can see him. When an engine falls off a plane and destroys his room, Donnie is not there. Both the event, and Donnie's escape, seem to have been caused by supernatural events. Donnie's mental illness, if such it is, may never allow him to find out for sure. Written by J. Spurlin

A troubled teenager, Donnie Darko, escapes death when a jet-engine crashes in his bedroom, because he follows a giant bunny leading him outside. The bunny, called Frank, tells him that the world will end in 28 days. As the final date comes closer and closer Donnie is drawn into an alarming series of events that may or may not be a product of growing insanity. Written by Mio

Donnie Darko is a paranoid schizophrenic anti-social teenager having therapy and using medication. He has visions of a giant rabbit, Frank, the Fuzzy Bunny, who instructs him to make violent acts, like destroying the fire hydrant and piping of his high-school (like in Graham Greene's book, which text was read in his English class), or burning the house of the hypocrite Jim Cunningham. Further, he predicts the doomsday and is very interested in time travel through the wormhole. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Donnie Darko is a disturbed adolescent from a semi-functional upper-middle-class family. After nearly escaping from death because he hears the voice of a 6-foot-tall bunny, Donnie is led by the bunny to create havoc that is both destructive and creative. Written by Brendan Smith

Troubled adolescent, Donnie Darko, receives a disturbing vision that the world will end in 28 days. With the help of various characters, including a 6 foot rabbit called Frank, he slowly discovers the mysterious physical and metaphysical laws that govern his life and that will lead up to the destruction of the universe. Written by Benjamin Conway

During the presidential election of 1988, a teenager named Donnie Darko sleepwalks out of his house one night, and sees a giant, demonic-looking rabbit named Frank, who tells him the world will end in 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds. He returns home the next morning to find that a jet engine has crashed through his bedroom. As he tries to figure out why he survived and tries to deal with people in his town, like the school bully, his conservative health teacher, and a self-help guru, Frank continues to turn up in Donnie's mind, causing him to commit acts of vandalism and worse. Written by MTRodaba2468

HERE IS A REVIEW FOR THE MOVIE DONNIE DARKO FROM DVDTALK

The Movie: "Donnie Darko" was one of the most talked about films at Sundance last year, a film that looked to be a success story once it eventually released theaters. Unfortunately, the studio didn't seem to be quite sure about how to market a film that largely revolves around a disturbed teenager who recieves prophetic warnings from a large, talking rabbit (possibly the cousin of the Mothman from this year's "Mothman Prophecies".) Newmarket (who also released "Memento") should have built up a wider release, but did not. The film soon dissapeared from theaters, snapped up by Fox Home Video for a DVD release. Jake Gyllenhaal plays Donnie, said troubled teen who, as the movie begins, has just started taking his medication again. Shortly after, the visions begin to appear. Frank, a six-foot-tall individual who wears a bunny suit and an insect-ish face, casually informs Donnie that the world will end just under a month. If Donnie had not ventured into the outdoors to hear more, he would have been in his room, which is demolished by a jet engine that falls out of the sky while he'd taken the stroll. "Donnie Darko", with its blend of the conventional (Donnie awkardly asks out a new girl in school, nicely played by Jena Malone) and the surreal, could have ended up being a messy mixture of genres, but ends up being similar to director David Lynch's films while taking on a fascinating feel and tone of its own. We are kept unsure of whether or not Donnie is an intelligent psychotic or if he is really seeing the things that he is seeing. Director Richard Kelly gains the interest by providing a remarkable sense of atmosphere and adds rich, unexpected twists throughout the film that successfully engage the audience further. Title cards let the audience know the days remaining until what Frank noted would be the last. The performances are also terrific. Gyllenhaal, whose recent "Bubble Boy" was horrendously terrible, returns to the kind of performance he showed he was capable of with "October Sky". With equal parts intense calm and fascinating menace, Gyllenhaal is riveting. Mary McDonnell and Holmes Osbourne are terrific as Donnie's parents, unusual characters in a situation like this, as these characters would usually be baffled and angered in their inability to understand what's going on with their son. McDonnell and Osbourne convincingly portray the parents as people who don't have all the answers, but genuinely care about their son and are saddened at the idea thrown out by their son's psychologist (Katherine Ross) that more medication is needed. Noah Wyle and producer Drew Barrymore give fine performances as two teachers who believe in Donnie, even if the usually cheery Barrymore doesn't portray glum entirely well. Even 80's icon Patrick Swayze appears as a motivational speaker. What should also be mentioned in discussion about "Donnie Darko" is the film's special effects. While certainly not an effects-heavy picture, there are several sequences with impressive visual effects that, considering this is a low-budget film, are remarkably well-done. In terms of non-computer generated visuals, the film does a very solid job portraying 80's suburbia. "Donnie Darko" bounces between so many genres and events that it's amazing that debut director Kelly can piece them all together and not have the film seem to be either too strange or too all-over-the-place or too grounded. The puzzle ending is clear enough to basically understand, but not quite put together enough to conclude the exploration - after the end of "Donnie Darko", I started it up once again and found it as enjoyable and realized new aspects of the story, although I think I'm still missing a couple of parts of the greater picture about the finale. The DVD VIDEO: "Donnie Darko" is presented by 20th Century Fox in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. The intended look of the picture is one that will likely not match with expectations of what a newer film should look like. The look of the film is soft and occasionally, even hazy. Apparently, this was intentional.

While the softness isn't of huge concern, there are a few other problems on display throughout. The print used seems less-than-pristine, as some minor marks and a scratch or two are on display a bit more frequently than I'd expect for a recent picture. Some sequences also displayed slight-to-mild grain.


SOUND: The film's Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is certainly not demo material, but it's very enjoyable considering its mainly dialogue-driven nature. Surrounds often creep in with some pleasant ambience, but also come in more agressively on occasion, with the voice of the Bunny and other sound effects. The score sounded terrific, as did dialogue. While this certainly isn't the most thrilling sound experience, it's still better than I expected.

MENUS: Very enjoyable film-themed animated main menu, along with solid transitions between menus.

EXTRAS: Commentaries: "Donnie Darko"'s DVD contains two feature-length commentaries, one by director Richard Kelly and actor Gyllenhaal, wile the other is a very crowded affair that includes Kelly, producer/actor Drew Barrymore, actress Malone as well as producers Sean McKittrick and Nancy Juvonen, along with most of the remaining primary cast members: Mary McDonnell, Beth Grant, Holmes Osborne, Katherine Ross, and James Duvall. All of these folks have been recorded together and, although Barrymore and Kelly do dominate the proceedings, all of the rest of the folks to chime in from the background. Sometimes things do go off track or people talk over one another, but there's some good information and insight occasionally thrown out as well as a few jokes about the making of the film. The other commentary with director Richard Kelly and actor Gyllenhaal isn't quite as interesting. As with his commentary for "Bubble Boy", Gyllenhaal says a lot, but doesn't really end up offering that much substancial information. Kelly is informative, but he proves to be more interesting on the second track, where some of the other folks occasionally act as interviewers and get more information. Deleted Scenes: Director Richard Kelly offers commentary for no less than 20 scenes, which are a mixture of deleted and extended material. Trailer/TV: The trailer for the film is included, as are 5 TV spots. I don't think I ever saw any of the TV spots - and I watch a lot of TV. Cunning Visions: The infomercial from the picture, complete with joke commentary. Also included in this section are book covers featured in the film as well as a "His Name Is Frank" gallery, a feature which locked up my player once, then didn't the second time around. Odd. Also: Filmographies, a gallery of images from the film's website, a music video, art gallery, liner notes for the soundtrack and pages from the "Philosophy Of Time Travel" book (which are difficult to read) featured in the film. Final Thoughts: "Donnie Darko" is a whole lot of genres and other elements put together in a way that could have become unglued, but instead is able to present surprises, terrific performances and tie almost all of its loose threads together. It's a wonderful, original debut that I thought was very enjoyable. While this film likely isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, Fox's excellent DVD edition of the film is worth checking out, at least as a rental.


Here is the direct download for the movie Donnie Darko.