THE PROMOTION NOW AVAILABLE

THE PROMOTION NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE MOVIE THE PROMOTION FROM IMDB

Two assistant managers of a corporate grocery store vie for a coveted promotion.

HERE IS A REVIEW FOR THE MOVIE THE PROMOTION FROM DVDTALK

I really like comedies where two stubborn individuals battle it out for one coveted prize, ignoring all common sense and social grace. Think War of the Roses or Grumpy Old Men. The Promotion really wants to be that kind of film, but sadly, it is not.

For his directorial debut, writer Steve Conrad (The Pursuit of Happyness, The Weather Man) takes two regular guys and pits them against one another to see who can get the manager's job at a new location for the grocery chain they both work for. Will it be mild and meek Doug (Seann William Scott, still looking like he's trying to make sense of Southland Tales), who has lived in the same Chicago suburbs and worked at the nearest store for many years? Or will it be new guy Richard (John C. Reilly), freshly arrived from Quebec with his family, carrying a bunch of odd personal baggage with him? Which is sufficiently lacking in conscience to screw over the other man? Which one is enough of a buffoon to screw it up for himself?

Well, neither as it turns out, and that is the problem. The Promotion comes across like an eager nerd that wants to be everybody's pal, when it should be the kind of movie where we're rooting for the characters to get ruder and cruder and as mean-spirited as can be. Either that, or there has to be a clear hero and a clear villain so that we can take somebody's side. By default, the hero role seems to fall to Doug, who is our point-of-view character and the one who is having his territory invaded. Conrad takes great pains to make us think he's a decent guy who just needs to stand up for himself, even going so far as to let us into Doug's head via painfully redundant voiceover narration. Doug wants to move up in the world so he can buy his girlfriend (wife?) a house, getting them out of their rinky-dink apartment with its walls that are so thin they can communicate with their banjo-playing neighbor just by speaking in conversational tones.

At first, it looks like Richard is going to be a manipulative bad guy, smiling to your face and telling you a big story while he's secretly reaching around and stabbing you in the back. Except, he's not just telling stories, he's telling the truth, and so it seems like we're supposed to like him at least as much as we're supposed to like Doug. Even when the two of them do bad things, they quickly come around and try to make up for them. It's the worst case of mixed signals I've seen in quite some time, and it totally backfires. I'd rather these two dorks were easy to hate, because as sympathetic characters, they aren't very bright and are both such losers, it's hard to believe anyone would give either of them a job.

One thing I hate about reviewing a comedy like The Promotion is that even though it's kind of sucky, the cast is very good and very committed to trying to make the movie good, and I really want it to be better for them. John C. Reilly is terrific, as always, and SNL's Fred Armisen gets several laughs as Doug and Richard's vacant boss. The female roles are underwritten, meaning Lily Taylor is wasted as Richard's wife (and saddled with a ridiculous Scottish accent to boot), and Jenna Fischer once again gets short changed. It would have been nice had she had more to do, rather than the director skating by on having us believe Doug would fight for her solely on the basis of her being Jenna Fischer. As usually happens with a movie featuring Fischer, most guys will watch The Promotion and wish she was their girlfriend.

Even Seann William Scott, who can't really pull off being the underdog, tries his best. But it says something about a movie when the whole ninety-minute show is stolen by a five-minute cameo. As a motivational speaker, Jason Bateman performs at several levels above the material, momentarily elevating The Promotion to a comedy that gets repeated laughs rather than intermittent ones. His scene even has the best Fred Armisen moment.

Once that scene is over, however, it's back to business as usual. The Seann William Scott narration returns, stamping down on any momentum the movie manages to build like a giant foot landing on a parade of determined ants. I think it's the voiceover that bugged me the most about The Promotion, actually. The way it is written and performed, I can feel Steve Conrad straining behind it to make the audience accept that this is a quirky, quaint comedy about quirky, quaint people. As I was watching the movie, I started analyzing scenes where the narration appeared, and every time, what I was being told was unnecessary to my understanding of the film and undercut what was actually happening. Beneath the wimpy monologue was not the mean-spirited comedy I might have been hoping for, but an awkward comedy along the lines of something Ricky Gervais or Christopher Guest might make. The two best scenes in the movie--John C. Reilly before the board of directors explaining a fart joke for way longer than required, and the paper-bag moment at the motivational outing--elicit laughs by making us squirm in our seats. The genial tone of the narration smashes against those uncomfortable pauses and makes it so either we're jerks for chuckling at the awkwardness or chumps for putting up with the rest of this dull charade.

Which is a shame, because I went to this movie to laugh, not make a mealy mouthed new best friend. (Well, unless it was Jenna Fischer, of course.)

Jamie S. Rich is a novelist and comic book writer. His current novel is entitled Have You Seen the Horizon Lately? and was released by Oni Press in the summer of 2007. It follows up on both of his successful books from 2006, the pop-culture hit The Everlasting, and his original graphic novel with Joëlle Jones, 12 Reasons Why I Love Her. Rich is currently writing the ongoing independent comic book series Love the Way You Love.

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BIGGER STRONGER AND FASTER NOW AVAILABLE

BIGGER STRONGER AND FASTER NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE MOVIE BIGGER STRONGER AND FASTER FROM IMDB

In America, we define ourselves in the superlative: we are the biggest, strongest, fastest country in the world. Is it any wonder that so many of our heroes are on performance enhancing drugs? Director Christopher Bell explores America's win-at-all-cost culture by examining how his two brothers became members of the steroid-subculture in an effort to realize their American dream. Written by BSF Film

HERE IS A REVIEW FOR THE MOVIE BIGGER STRONGER AND FASTER FROM DVDTALK

Like many impressionable kids of the 1980s, Chris Bell wanted to emulate his wrestling idols, including the outrageous tearaway-shirted one, Hulk Hogan. Unlike many kids of the 1980s, Bell and his two brothers took the extra step and embarked on a bodybuilding career to toughen themselves up and reach goals previously thought unattainable. It didn't take long for Bell to learn the ugly truth behind dominating physical achievement.

"Bigger, Stronger, Faster" documents Bell's journey of discovery as he struggles to understand why so many popular and aspiring athletes turn to anabolic steroids and other performance enhancers to "cheat" their way to the top. To Bell, the recipe for success was simple: eat your vitamins and say your prayers. However, after years of toiling away on the weightlifting circuit trying to achieve the perfect body, Bell discovered that it takes more than a couple of Flintstones chewables to position himself as a competition brute.

"Bigger" is a convincing argument for sporting disgrace. The way Bell sees it, the taint of enhancement is everywhere these days; professionals are routinely coming under fire for usage of steroids, only to deny what is patently obvious. The juice is loose, and the past 20 years has seen a surge of opportunists trying to sneak in and exploit the largely American-bent need to dominate at all costs.

The unfortunate kink in the legitimacy hose of "Bigger" is Bell, who places himself in the Michael Moore role, taking the camera with him to investigate the bitter 'roid-world. Bell isn't much of a camera presence, and he's an even worse journalist, but his ambitions for this documentary are commendable and, at times, incredibly eye-opening.

The puffed finger of blame extends beyond professional wrestlers (the Chris Benoit story is rightfully covered) to investigate Ben Johnson, Lyle Alzado, the failure of the U.S. government to properly deal with steroids (not to mention the wild west atmosphere of the performance enhancer industry), the death of the classic Gold's Gym era, and the modern-day juicing nightmare known as professional baseball. What, you didn't really believe that endless shattering of home run records was a result of actual talent? Bell has his doubts too and it makes for a fascinating portrait of fractured fandom and underhanded glory. However, Bell reserves his largest wellspring of disappointment for Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Before he was crowned the King of California, Schwarzenegger was a body builder, and, at one point, was refreshingly honest about his steroid abuse. For Bell, this was a crushing blow; a reveal of deception from an idol, turning a hero into a hypocrite as the political machine swooped up The Arnold and molded him into a role model for physical fitness and celebrated his jewel-encrusted achievement of the American Dream. Does this mean that steroids should ultimately be tolerated? It's an interesting questing Bell deals with meticulously.

Eventually, "Bigger" narrows its spotlight to Bell and his emotionally damaged weightlifting brothers, who admit they've used steroids and show little shame, even promising further abuse to manipulate results. Obviously, this is Bell working out some of his personal demons, but the intimacy is welcome, showing Bell's family as a loving group who can't seem to shuffle past their addictions. In many regards, steroids are the death of honesty to Bell, who shapes the movie as a dirge for organic sporting achievement. It's impossible to disagree with the sentiment after watching his take on the relentless enhancement of America and the blurring lines of true achievement.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR THE MOVIE BIGGER STRONGER AND FASTER.

TERMINATOR THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES SEASON 1 NOW AVAILABLE

TERMINATOR THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES SEASON 1 NOW AVAILABLE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR EPISODE 1 OF THE TERMINATOR FROM IMDB

A modern-day warrior and single mom hides from a government out to get her and her teenage son.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 1 OF TERMINATOR.

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR EPISODE 2 OF THE TERMINATOR FROM IMDB

John goes stir crazy when he's confined to the house, Sarah looks up an old friend for some help, but she may face betrayal, and Cromartie begins reassembling himself.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 2 OF TERMINATOR

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR EPISODE 3 OF THE TERMINATOR FROM IMDB

John and Cameron start their new school, Sarah befriends a man who may be important to Sky Net and then struggles with what she must do. Meanwhile, Cromartie has tracked down a scientist to assist him in his regeneration.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 3 OF TERMINATOR

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR EPISODE 4 OF THE TERMINATOR FROM IMDB

John becomes separated from Sarah and Cameron while they're searching for some stolen cargo. Meanwhile, the murder Agent Ellison is investigating leads him to a surprising suspect.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 4 OF TERMINATOR.

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR EPISODE 5 OF THE TERMINATOR FROM IMDB

Sarah reevaluates the capabilities of her friend Andy's computer after he enters it in a chess competition. During the competition, Sarah meets a stranger with a history similar to hers. Meanwhile, Agent Ellison finds remnants from a past terminator confrontation leading him closer to both Sarah, and the terminator Cromartie, now in the form of George Laszlo.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 5 OF TERMINATOR.

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR EPISODE 6 OF THE TERMINATOR FROM IMDB

With Derek Reese severely injured, Sarah calls on her former fiancé Charlie Dixon, an EMT, to provide medical assistance. She also finds herself having to explain where she has been for the last 8 years and just who Derek is and where he is from. In flashbacks (of a sort) we learn of Derek's life in the future as a resistance fighter, his relationship with John Connor and of his travel back in time with a team sent to protect Sarah and John. He doesn't realize however that his brother Kyle is John's father.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 6 OF TERMINATOR.

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR EPISODE 7 OF THE TERMINATOR FROM IMDB

Sarah breaks into Agent Ellison's apartment to investigate, and discovers a file on her from her time at the mental hospital, leading her to Dr. Silverman, a doomsday convert. Meanwhile Cameron signs up for a ballet class and John finds out how his mother escaped the mental hospital before they arrived in 2007.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPSIODE 7 OF TERMINATOR.

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR EPISODE 8 OF THE TERMINATOR FROM IMDB

Derek catches Cameron in a lie that puts them inside Vick's head, Sarah continues to track the Turk, and Cromartie comes closer to finding John.
HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 8 OF TERMINATOR.

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR EPISODE 9 OF THE TERMINATOR FROM IMDB

Sarah finds herself in a business transaction with a mysterious business man, named Sarkissian, who claims to be in possession of the stolen Turk computer system and wants an exuberant amount of money for it's return. Meanwhile, Cromartie closes in on John at his school, while Cameron thinks of a way to throw him off John's trail. Derek recalls his childhood days before the so-called Judgement Day in 2011, four years from now which a nuclear war triggered by Skynet will destroy the world. Elsewhere, Agent Ellison discovers a nemesis at the agency when he finally learns about the terminator Cromartie impersonating an FBI agent.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 9 OF TERMINATOR.

21 NOW AVAILABLE

21 NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE MOVIE 21 FROM IMDB

"21" is the fact-based story about six MIT students who were trained to become experts in card counting and subsequently took Vegas casinos for millions in winnings.

HERE IS A REVIEW FOR THE MOVIE 21 FROM DVDTALK

Adapted from the best-selling novel "Bringing Down the House," "21" is a slick piece of amusement, cashing in on common fantasies of beating the odds, bedding the blonde, and dodging certain doom with only a few inches to spare. It's a lively gambling drama that's far better than it had any right to be, but is kept from greatness by some rotten dramatic choices.

Ben (Jim Sturgess, "Across the Universe") is an MIT student struggling to find the money for Harvard Medical School. An opportunity is placed in his hands by Micky (Kevin Spacey), a professor who runs a card-counting Blackjack scheme during the weekends. Reluctantly, Ben joins this small group of students (including Kate Bosworth, Jacob Pitts, Liza Lapira, and Aaron Yoo), and together they fly to Las Vegas to clean out the casinos. Thrilled at first with the money raked in, Ben quickly learns there's a price to pay for his greed, leaving him caught between Micky's growing threats and the financial demands of his once-promising future.

Directed by Robert Luketic ("Legally Blonde"), "21" is incredibly glossy, hip filmmaking calculated to capture the butterflies of boisterous casino-floor victory and the slow, liquid release of personal problems when cash starts to flow. To that end, the picture is extraordinarily vivid; the director blasts blazing colors, the amps soundtrack selections, and stages rollicking Vegas nightlife, spraying big-screen candy everywhere. Luketic aims to put the viewer in the passenger seat of Ben's odyssey into unremitting greed and moral confusion, and the film locates tremendous success in these areas of the screenplay. "21" can be an overwhelming sensory experience, but the point of this is to feel the pull of Ben's temptations, to better appreciate his mistakes.

Played well by Sturgess, Ben is not a likable character; in fact, nobody in the picture has any perceivable sympathy, especially Ben's spurned nerd best friend, played with greased-maw obnoxiousness by Josh Gad, who can stop acting right now if he's elected to travel down the Dan Fogler route of loathsome fat-guy/quip-guy performances. To find an edgy rhythm to "21," Luketic sacrifices the human element of the story. This creates problems throughout the picture, especially once the film asks the audience to root for the MIT students when, in fact, they come off just as underhanded and insatiable as Micky or the fatigued, obsolete Vegas video surveillance security forces (led by Laurence Fishburne) out to nail the counters.

Ben and his students aren't Robin Hoods, and the screenplay clears room to address their downfall. However, there just isn't enough substance to this ethics subplot to make it feel like "21" is really trying to understand these characters and their monetary paranoia. The film barely pays attention to the consequences of Vegas manipulation outside of hokey back alley beat-downs, and it's not long before the film looks to pay itself off with a chase finale, resembling something out of 1970's cop show. Luketic appears fearful of letting the audience leave the theater with any sort of realistic interpretation of right and wrong, so he slathers on the questionable heroics, effectively turning Ben into a saint.

The fun of "21" is getting lost in the details of the counting along with the characters. The picture does make the strategy architecture thrilling through use of detail-oriented photography and special effects, and the pizzazz of beating the casino at its own game is rendered triumphantly. It's easy to get caught up in the hunt for Blackjack angles that "21" presents with significant charm. However, much like Las Vegas itself, it's only fun in fits, and the next morning you might find yourself regretting spending time with something comprised entirely of surface delights.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR THE MOVIE 21.

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS OSAMA IS NOW AVAILABLE

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS OSAMA BIN LADDEN IS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE MOVIE WHERE IN THE WORLD IS OSAMA BIN LADDEN FROM IMDB.

If Morgan Spurlock has learned anything from over 30 years of movie-watching, its that if the world needs saving, its best done by one lone man willing to face danger head on to take it down, action hero style. So, with no military experience, knowledge or expertise, he sets off to do what the CIA, FBI and countless bounty hunters have failed to do: find the worlds most wanted man. Why take on such a seemingly impossible mission? Simple-he wants to make the world safe for his soon to be born child. But before he finds Osama bin Laden, he first needs to learn where he came from, what makes him tick, and most importantly, what exactly created bin Laden to begin with.



HERE IS A REVIEW FOR THE MOVIE WHERE IN THE WORLD IS OSAMA BIN LADDEN FROM DVDTALK

It's impossible to take Morgan Spurlock seriously as a big-screen documentarian. Clearly he comes from the Michael Moore school of "infotainment," only without the sharp wit or, frankly, compelling subject matters. If you thought nailing McDonalds for unhealthy eating standards in the 2004 film "Super Size Me" was an easy target, wait till you see Spurlock going after global terrorism.

The crux of "Where in the World" is the hunt for Osama Bin Laden and the reach of the deadly terrorist organization al-Qaeda. Spurlock, with his pregnant girlfriend in tow, wonders how his beloved world could've gone so far astray; he questions how 9/11 emboldened radical Islam into declaring war against the world and how it is that American technical might has failed to find Bin Laden after all these years. So Spurlock does what any responsible man does when faced with a pregnant loved one: he ditches her to spend months traveling around the Middle East documenting an already dog-eared subject.

"Where in the World" is an incredibly uneven film, revealing the limitations of Spurlock as a film director. In front of the camera, Spurlock is calm and assured, well-versed in milking an unexpected moment for a laugh or dramatic punctuation point. It's behind the camera where the director finds the most trouble, trying to shape "Where in the World" into a comedy about terrorism (at least for lengthy sequences of the picture). With help from crude animation and inspiration culled from video game imagery, Spurlock goes hog-wild during the first reel of the film. Perhaps fearful audiences will find the subject of international slaughter too discouraging, the director drinks a gallon of wacky juice and lets the film tear off, including, among other wild visuals, a cartoon video of Osama dancing to "U Can't Touch This." The groans are quick to follow.

Once "Where in the World" sobers up and Spurlock actually manages to form a cognizant thesis on the headspace of the Middle East populace, the picture finally saddles up some interesting ideas on America's tarnished reputation. Wondering around the streets of Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Afghanistan, Spurlock interviews the common man, jokingly looking for clues to Bin Laden's whereabouts (most interviewees nervously blow the question off); however, he quickly cuts out the cute to expose how these citizens endure under religious oppression, political corruption, and questionable media saturation. Not surprisingly, Spurlock doesn't reach very far, and the finest sequence of the film features the production crew slowly being surrounded and violently harassed on the streets of Tel Aviv, to a point where the police are called in. It's the only spontaneous moment in the picture.

Discussing the birth of modern terrorism and the hypocrisy of the American government, there's little new information to be found in "Where in the World." The film hinges on Spurlock's personality, but he's such an obnoxious guy, and the whole sympathy ploy with the unborn baby (gushy phone calls are exchanged between the couple) is somewhat deplorable, since, ostensibly, Spurlock is putting himself in harm's way just to walk in already established journalistic footprints.

Does Spurlock find Osama Bin Laden? Well, that's a spoiler, but I will say that "Where in the World" tries to find an alternate note of hope to summarize with, extolling the wonders of the global community and the common desire for peace. Spurlock's intent is pure, but his filmmaking needs to artistically mature before anything he says can be taken seriously.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR THE MOVIE WHERE IN THE WORLD IS OSAMA BIN LADDEN.

STARSHIP TROOPERS 3 NOW AVAILABLE

STARSHIP TROOPERS 3 NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE


HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE MOVIE STARSHIP TROOPERS 3 FROM IMDB


The war against the Bugs continues! A Federation Starship crash-lands on the distant Alien planet OM-1, stranding beloved leader Sky Marshal Anoke and several others, including comely but tough pilot Lola Beck. It's up to Colonel/General Johnny Rico, reluctant hero of the original Bug Invasion on Planet P, to lead a team of Troopers on a daring rescue mission. Written by Anonymous


HERE IS A REVIEW FOR THE MOVIE STARSHIP TROOPERS 3 FROM DVDTALK

Background: Direct to video sequels heavily populate the market and if you believe the popular press, almost all of them are truly bad in many ways, merely cashing in on franchises without the effort and expense of their originals. Such was the case with Starship Troopers, the second volume in the series dispensing with the popular cast for a host of no-names in what amounted to one of the worst such examples of sucky sequels on record. The original source material penned by author Robert Heinlein, one of the most influential science fiction writers of a foregone generation, influential in politics, and an early adopter of racial equality, was tossed aside for a straightforward action movie made on a shoestring budget. Having served in the military and written extensively about his belief in a meritocracy, Heinlein suggested a balance between the "rights" everyone was given with the responsibilities of citizenship, all in stark contrast to his peers given the age when he wrote a controversial novel called Starship Troopers back in 1959. The novel focused on a rich Filipino named Johnny Rico, a high school athlete and pretty boy who defies his family to join the military as a ground pounding mobile infantry grunt. The Earth Federation is involved in a conflict with an alien race of super destructive and huge bugs, their high tech weaponry serving to balance their survivability against the physically superior race. The idea that one must earn the ability to vote or run for office via military service was not new, even years later it is often a selling point for candidates running for office to expound upon their military records. The novel was considered to promote military interests, right wing thinking, and anti-intellectual ideas, the critics forgetting that it also starred a minority who rose through the ranks in a system far from any that were popularly supported at the time (this was pre-Civil Rights marches folks!). While some people were upset at how director Verhoeven butchered Heinlein's work, others eventually came around to appreciate the parody nature of the release, a loyal following allowing for the release of yet another sequel in the form of Starship Troopers: Marauder.

Movie: Starship Troopers: Marauder picks up years later after the "feel good" conclusion of Starship Troopers has apparently diminished. Rather than discard the parody nature of the original as the second volume of the series did, this time it was played up even more at times, the biggest selling point being that Johnny Rico (Casper Van Dien) was back as a full fledged colonel. Still known more for his exploits as a hero years ago more than anything he had done recently, Johnny is now in charge of an outpost base protected by an electric shield; the bugs testing it regularly (ala the Jurassic Park dynamic of the critters being smarter than the humans give them credit for). Still a Roughneck, Johnny leads by example as he expects his subordinates to tote the line and fight until they die, the immediate thing I noticed was how his previous hard core attitude had softened slightly. The initial story develops along the line that a popular Sky Marshall is paying the base a surprise visit, Johnny tipped off by an old friend that has now been promoted to General.

Sky Marshall Anoke (Stephen Hogan) being patterned after a Bush cabinet member, sings glorious patriotism songs that the general populace finds lame while the indoctrinated military personnel swoon and tap their toes to his rousing lyrics (a full length music video is included as an extra). The Federation is now engaged in protecting outlying farming settlements and the surprise inspection seems questionable given the active bug population of the planet, Johnny and General Dix Hauser (Boris Kodjoe) following orders as the SM moves freely about the base. Accompanying the Federations top man and Dix (his Chief of Staff), is a pilot known well by Johnny, Captain Lola Beck (Jolene Blalock of Enterprise fame), her familiarity with Johnny rubbing fiancee Dix the wrong way. Some romantic tension aside, the three seem hard pressed to fill in for the original trio of the first movie (Johnny, Carl, and Carmen) but this being a low budget sequel means making due.

As the story unfolds, Dix and Johnny get into an argument over some of the local population upset at Federation policies, leading to a brawl in a local tavern where Dix gets beaten by some farmers that aren't keen on the military. Johnny stands up for them and is ordered arrested, soon afterward a breach in the perimeter fence allowing an overwhelming force of bugs to break into the compound and tear apart the soldiers assigned to it. Johnny makes it clear that he isn't going to be arrested when he is needed to protect his people so he fends off the general and starts the counter offensive, the end result being heavy casualties that are pinned on him. His sham trial is like all the others the government puts on, his guilt automatic and his sentence to be carried out later that day. In the mean time, Lola and Anoke are stranded on a desolate planet inside the bug quarantine zone, having survived the attack but knocked out of hyperspace and marooned. Evidence of a larger cover up is presented to Dix and he is thwarted when trying to discover what has happened to his fiancee and mentor, the plot thickening when Admiral Enolo Phid (Amanda Donohoe) has Dix's sources killed.

With nowhere left to turn, Dix recruits the now-discredited Johnny for a suicide mission, the movie bouncing between his preparations to invade bug territory with a single squad of fellow infantry and Lola's small band of misfits trying to cross the desolate planet of OM-1 to secure supplies. Lola notices the Sky Marshall as a flaky wacko but the rest of the group seems oblivious, especially a religious flight attendant who openly prays to her god in defiance of regulations (cute Marnette Patterson as Holly Little). The group is being herded to a destination by the bugs but Lola is the only one cognizant of the fact, leading to some interesting developments that broadcast the rest of the story well in advance of the continued exposition pieces. Rico has his own troubles with the new Marauder attack gear serving as his squad's only hope of survival, the rescue attempt relying heavily on the attack gear that is so under used in the final battle sequence that you'll know why it wasn't deployed in the earlier volumes of the franchise.

Okay, the acting was every bit as bad as the previous volumes but without any of the tongue in cheek appeal of the original. The directing job by Ed Neumeier, the guy who wrote all three movies, was lacking and you will wonder why the CGI effects were so poorly handled here. Yeah, there were some new bugs to deal with, new abilities of the aliens, and even a few ideas that weren't skewered enough in the original movie but the inconsistencies of the characters and the way the Federation was portrayed this time was such that any hopes of salvaging the thematic aspects of the show were dashed early on into the movie. I'd go so far as to say that anyone watching the movie and all the extras will have earned their citizenship since it was so horribly lame. If this is the best that Ed could come up with over the years he has had to think about it, perhaps Verhoeven need be back in the director's seat with a team of better writer's to end the series on a high note, or perhaps allow someone to come in ala The Dark Knight and go back to the roots of the book for real. Suffice it to say that I rated this one as a Skip It but don't make the mistake to think it was in the "so bad, it's good" category because frankly, it showed the difference between the kind of director Verhoeven is versus one of the creative staff all too readily (the bulk of Neumeier's works are in derivative projects of Verhoeven's including Starship Troopers and Robocop spinoffs).

Picture: Starship Troopers: Marauder was presented in widescreen color using an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 with a 1080p picture as shot by Director Ed Neumeier. Looking more like a made for cable extravaganza (look for it on the Sci-Fi Channel soon) on a tiny budget, the movie showed some really weak special effects, the CGI rating about as low on the scale as most ten year old computer games would these days, the aliens and space ship effects far inferior to the original movie. I'm used to shows like this being shot in Canada but this one went an extra step out of the ordinary to be shot in South Africa, perhaps given tax credits to boost the working capital of the release further than the first sequel had to work with. The flesh tones were generally accurate but there was more grain than expected and some moiré was noticed on a couple of occasions. The AVC codec allowed for the enhanced Blu-Ray resolution expected but the down side is that on such a low budget stinker as this one, it only amplifies the low end look of the show, the bitrate hovering in the mid to upper 25 Mbps area. I believe that the more "high end" your set up is, the worse this one will look so even if the story weren't so poorly written, the technical considerations would prohibit serious consideration for picking up a copy of the movie.

Sound: The primary audio track was the 5.1 Dolby TrueHD track in English, with secondary tracks in 5.1 Dolby Digital in French, Spanish, Thai, and Portuguese; subtitles in all those languages as well as a couple of Chinese tracks, Korean, and even Indonesian. The primary track used the standardized sampling rate of 48 kHz and had a wildly variable range moving from under 1 Mbps to over 2 Mbps, typically hovering around 1.7 for those of you into the numbers. There was a decent amount of separation between the channels with the surrounds and bass kicking in mostly during the action sequences; the vocals almost always sounding canned in a studio during post production than a natural part of the events unfolding. While the audio effects lacked some of the subtlety the original had, this was one area of the movie that wasn't a complete waste of time.

Extras: While not as plentiful as Starship Troopers, there were still some decent extras included this time, the Director commentary by director/writer Ed Neumeier, producer David Lancaster, and special effects supervisor Robert Skotak. The commentary was a huge cheerleader effort but in defense of it, they admitted openly to some of the faults it had (including mentioning making it "on budget", alluding to how cheaply it was made very early on), and provided some insight into how the flick was made. A second commentary included Ed Neumeier, Casper Van Dien, and Jolene Blalock, this one focusing more on the experiences of the cast but still largely positive, despite the evidence confronting the world on the screen (the movie itself). There was an extended music video for "It's A Good Day To Die", a short feature called Evolution: The Bugs of Starship Troopers 3: Marauder, detailing some of the newer alien life forms used in the movie, and a feature called Enlist: Marauder's Mobile Infantry, spending most of the time talking about the characters. There was once again the ability to import your own picture into the movie and some trailers but my favorite extra was the ability to watch the movie in Marauder Mode; some interviews, clips, and background information popping up on the screen as the movie played. It was less engaging than the first release in the series but still added value as it was more interesting than the movie to me. There was also a BD-Live feature that allows internet hooked up players to see more trailers and bonus footage, my preference being to include anything on the disc rather than be stuck "renting it" as this set up allows (Sony could discontinue, charge, or change content for their online material while the disc will always be available to those that own it).

Final Thoughts: Starship Troopers: Marauder probably could have been worse though it would have taken a whole lot of effort to do so. The desire of the director to focus more on current events (thinly disguised at that) than long term themes such as Verhoeven did will limit the appeal of the show even more, the post 911 world being the primary topic of the weak humor. The parody aspects were present to a smaller degree too but handled much more loosely and suffering as a result, making the movie serve as something akin to Heinlein's revenge for how his books were bastardized by the franchise as far as I'm concerned. The technical considerations were all showing the low budget of direct to video release, the extras the best part of the disc, and the weakest elements of the first movie kept while a whole lot of new weaknesses were tossed in to make it a questionable outing at best. I know the book was geared towards young readers but as dumbed down as this one was, it made the original movie shine far greater by comparison (and it was heavily flawed outside of the thematic considerations). Maybe it would be best to apply one of the movie slogans to sequels like this in general and say "The only good sequel is a dead sequel!" (though well made sequels are not completely foreign these days, such as The Dark Knight, Hellboy 2, and a number of exceptions to the rule.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR THE MOVIE STARSHIP TROOPERS 3.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER SEASON 1 NOW AVAILABLE

BUFFY SEASON 1 NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR EPISODE 2 OF BUFFY FROM IMDB

At night in the cemetery, Buffy saves Xander and Willow from vampires, later Giles explains their race descends from primeval demons. Meanwhile the vampires bring Jesse as offering to their master as the hell-mouth, before his ascension and 'harvest', but hearing about a slayer he rather keeps Jesse alive as chained bait for her. Buffy realizes the mausoleum must be the entry, and meets Angel again there; she enters alone- but Xander catches up, determined to help his mate. Giles reads up on the harvest. Jesse turns out to be a vampire already, but the heroes escape into safe sunlight. The master anoints vampire Luke as his killing, soul-devouring vessel. Xander guesses right Jesse will still go to the Bronze, the town's single cool club, like normal school-kids, and so does the whole vampire gang before Buffy's... Written by KGF Vissers


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

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR EPISODE 3 OF BUFFY FROM IMDB

Against her Watcher Giles' wise advice, Buffy decides to get a normal life, trying out for cheerleader, more competitive then she imagined; there Amber spontaneously catches fire at both hands, soon various other girls have disabling accidents. Xander feels frustrated when even giving her a cool bracelet doesn't seem to catch Buffy's romantic attention. After some study, the gang concludes it's a case of witchcraft, suspecting Amy, a girl who trains heavily, coached by her ma, former champion and home coming queen Catherine Madison, of using it to eliminate competitors and find a test- Amy is positive but seems ignorant, yet lords her mother Catherine Madison. Next Buffy looses her self-control and blurts out to like Xander, but only because he is not like other boys, rather 'one of the girls'. Giles researches how to break the spell, then Buffy guesses how Amy and mother switched roles and more... Written by KGF Vissers

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

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR EPISODE 4 OF BUFFY FROM IMDB

Xander dreams of greatness- in biology class; the teacher, Dr. Gregory, is eaten afterward and declared missing. Angel gives Buffy another cryptic warning and his jacket but no personal info. Substitute Natalie French continues the lesson on insects, her good looks guarantee volunteers after class, Cordelia Chase finds Gregory decapitated. To Buffy's surprise vampires flee for miss French, who wants hormones-impressed Xander to see her after class, and Blayne didn't return from his previous appointment. Xander refuses to believe his 'hot date' is a shape-shifting bug but is drugged and locked up after she resumes her mantis-form and caged with Blayne. Giles finds out it's a virgin-killer, Buffy the real miss French's identity... Written by KGF Vissers

Xander falls head over heels when gorgeous substitute teacher Ms. French replaces the deceased biology teacher. Buffy and Willow begin to think there's something abnormal about Ms. French, especially when she sets a date with Xander. When Buffy discovers Ms. French's true identity, she must rush to stop her before Xander falls prey to her true nature. Written by Anonymous

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISDOE 4 OF BUFFY SEASON 1.

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR EPISODE 5 OF BUFFY FROM IMDB

Yearning for a normal life, Buffy agrees to a date with Owen. Giles discovers a prophecy of coming danger, but she chooses Owen over battling evil. When Giles goes out on his own and is trapped by a group of vampires, Buffy must figure out a way to balance dating and Slaying. Written by Alex

A ring on a vanquished vampire's finger alerts Giles of the presence of the Order of Aurelius, a secret sect of vampire brethren prophesied in the 12th century to send the 'anointed one', who will reach the master after rise from the ashes of five, can approach unnoticed to kill the slayer and drag her to hell; he researches the time of the prophecy is now. Buffy's mind is rather occupied by poetic, hunky loner student Owen, who suddenly asks her, refusing popular Cordelia, to The Bronze, only cemetery vampire patrol makes her arrive too late, while a vampire causes a bus to crash with five incinerated mortal victims, including Andrew Borba, a wanted man who raved about the righteous and the end. To Buffy's delight and Xander's envy, Owen asks Buffy again the next day. Giles figures the fivefold accident fulfills Aurelius' prophecy and is trapped in the morgue by two brethren, so Xander and Willow get Buffy, Owen follows on his own. The evil anointed is hard to find, then things get sorted out, except for a crucial one... Written by KGF Vissers

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISDOE 5 OF BUFFY SEASON 1.

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR EPISODE 6 OF BUFFY FROM IMDB

On a school field trip to the zoo, Kyle DuFours's gang of bullies taunt good boy Lance, till Xander stops them balancing the nerd over the fence of still quarantined hyena's- suddenly they are all eerily effected by the evil beasts' magical stare. Willow is completely smitten with Xander, but he chucks in her maths tutoring when the hyena spell progresses, as sensed by the piglet Herbert principal Bob Flutie introduces as mascot for the Sunnydale Highschool's 'Razorbacks' football team. Next Xander dumps Wilow, fully joining Kyle's 'hyena pack' of bullies. When the four known bullies are called in Flutie's office for devouring mascot Herbert, they eat him too. Luckily Xander was enforcing himself upon Buffy, so she knocked him down and locked him up. Giles, who first thought Xander was just suffering from pubertal hormones, now realizes it's a Massai 'primary' cult soul transfer, and Buffy tells him about what zoo keeper Dr. Weirick told them about the nasty hyenas, so they go talk to him while Willow stays with Xander, and learn hyenas retrieve a missing pack member for the next hunt, but not his secret... Written by KGF Vissers

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISDOE 6 OF BUFFY SEASON 1.

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR EPISODE 7 OF BUFFY FROM IMDB

The Master in the hell-mouth feels Buffy has slain too many of his 'family', so he sends the Three, strong vampire worriers, to kill her, but Angel intervenes, they both get away. Buffy takes him home to dress his wound, sees his tattoo and learns vampires killed his parents. Even knowing the Three will be killed -as punishment and as a lesson for the master's young son Colin- guardian Giles steps up Buffy's weapons training. When Angel kisses Buffy, he turns into a vampire, but jumps out of the window. However Darla, Colin's older sister, pretends to be a school friend so Buffy's ma invites her in, then bites her and arranges for Buffy to see only Angel holding her ma. Giles researched Angelus is an age old terrible European vampire, who mysteriously stopped feeding since emigrating to America. Buffy sets out to hunt Angel with a crossbow, but asks first why he spared her life, hence learns how Romany gypsies punished his cruelties by giving him a soul, and thus the pain of a conscience crushed by countless sins. Darla appears too.. Written by KGF Vissers

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISDOE 7 OF BUFFY SEASON 1.

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR EPISODE 8 OF BUFFY FROM IMDB

In the twelfth century, the Italian friar Thelonious used the circle of Kayless ritual to capture the demon Moloch the Corruptor into a book, hoping it would never be read. However it arrives in Sunnydale High Library; before Giles could examine it properly it's scanned into the school computer by Willow, and possesses it. Virtual evil is now able to spread trough the school network, starting with schoolboy Malcolm, Willow's brand new chat pall, for whom she even gives Xander's Bronze invitation a miss. Soon Buffy notices other normally nice students, like Dave and Fritz in her computer class, behave strangely, and start up the abandoned computer services firm CRD again. By the time Giles realizes about Moloch, the demon is very deep, powerful enough to make his minions kill Dave and abduct Willow, his unknowing deliverer to whom he declares his love. Computer-illiterate erudite Giles turns for help to his cultural rival, computer science teacher Jenny Calendar, who reveals herself as a techno-heathen... Written by KGF Vissers

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISDOE 8 OF BUFFY SEASON 1.

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR EPISODE 9 OF BUFFY FROM IMDB

Mr. Snyder, Sunnydale High's new principal after the devouring of fatherly Mr. Robert Flutie, believes in order and discipline to instill school spirit, so he orders Giles to produce a talent show and punishes the absentee trio by forcibly enrolling them as candidates. Then dancer Emily is found with her heart cut out, but demons don't usually use a knife, yet one was found next to her, so the human student contestants are screened. The weirdest suspect proves to be gifted ventriloquist Morgan Shay, who treats his inseparable wooden dummy Sid as real, in fact takes orders from it in private, and if it is as Giles suspects one of seven demon who take possession of human bodies, anybody may be turned bad by it... Written by KGF Vissers

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISDOE 9 OF BUFFY SEASON 1.

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR EPISODE 10 OF BUFFY FROM IMDB

At the hell-mouth, the Master of evil explains to his boy heir Collin that fear rules people better then love or hate. He manages to use the young schoolboy Billy Palmer to make every student of Sunnydale High's terrifying nightmares come true, ranging from Xander appearing in class wearing only boxer-shorts to being chased by murderers, losing one's favorite abilities or poisonous spiders coming out of one's schoolbooks... Written by KGF Vissers

Xander walks into class naked except his boxers-shorts, Willow is in concert but she can't sing, and Giles suddenly finds himself unable to form coherent sentences - the residents of Sunnydale are living out their worst nightmares, and Buffy's nightmares are worse than most. Written by Anonymous

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISDOE 10 OF BUFFY SEASON 1.

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR EPISODE 11 OF BUFFY FROM IMDB

Cordelia's date for the may queen election, hunky jock Mitch, is beaten black and blue in the locker-room by a 'floating' baseball bat. Angel tells Giles he can get the Pargamon Codex, the best of the missing prophecy books concerning the vampire Master. The next victim of the invisible batterer is Harmony, a close friend of Cordelia; while the gang looks into missing teenagers, presuming one has turned into a spitefully aggressive ghost as the words 'look' and 'listen' are written near the victims, English teacher Miller is nearly asphyxiated. The gang finds the 'ghostified' girl is Marcie Ross, who became invisible because she felt nobody ever noticed her, and is after vengeance on pupils who ignored her... Written by KGF Vissers

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISDOE 11 OF BUFFY SEASON 1

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR EPISODE 12 OF BUFFY FROM IMDB

In the first-season finale, Giles discovers an ancient prophecy which states that Buffy will face the Master and she will die. Upon hearing this, Buffy first denies her slayer roots, but when a small tragedy occurs at school, Buffy realizes she can't run from destiny, and decides to take on The Master. Written by Alex

Xander feels his love-life is hopeless: he will never get trough to Buffy, Willow refuses to be a mere substitute. Giles is now assisted in his occult research by computer teacher Jenny Calendar; Buffy overhears Giles insist to Angel she must face the Master tomorrow to prevent the hell-mouth from opening and probably die herself in a decisive battle, which makes her desperately opt out slaying. On prom evening Buffy changes her mind, even knocks out Giles when he intends to go instead, but her crossbow has no effect on the Master, who eagerly expected her: this time she's the hunted party. Xander gets Angel to take him on a desperate rescue mission; they find her dead after the Master's bite, but find a way. Willow guessed right all vampires are gathering at the Bronze... Written by KGF Vissers

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISDOE 12 OF BUFFY SEASON 1.

(TV SHOW) BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER PILOT EPISODE NOW AVAILABLE

PILOT EPISODE OF BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE PILOT EPISODE OF BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER FROM IMDB

Buffy Summers just moved with her ma from L.A., where she set fire to the school gym, to Sunnydale, which is alas experiencing a plague of vampirism. She meets nerd Willow Rosenberg, soft-cool skateboarder Xander Harris and his mate Jesse McNally, fashionable snooty Cordelia Chase and the somewhat creepy new, British librarian Rupert Giles. When a corps with bite-marks is found in a locker, she realizes but refuses to acknowledge her vampire-killing past is catching up and keeps Giles, her watcher (trainer), at arms-length, but is stalked by Angel who refers to the hell-mouth. Finally her destiny kicks in... Written by KGF Vissers

This Pilot for the popular series Kicks of her in this TV movie which was relised on video about a High School girl who fights vampires. In the double lengh pilot she must stop the master vampire rising from hes eternal prison to take over a calafornia town called Sunnydale Written by DanDud88

Buffy Summers moves to Sunnydale, and discovers that it is far from the fresh start that she wanted to make. She manages to make new friends, only to realize that she can't leave her past behind her. She soon is thrust back into the world which she tried to escape. Her school librarian is her watcher, a mysterious stranger warns her of what is to come, and a couple of her new friends need to be rescued. Written by Nikki Brown

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR THE PILOT EPISODE OF BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER.

IDENTITY NOW AVAILABLE

IDENTITY NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE MOVIE IDENTITY FROM IMDB

Strangers from all different walks of life: a limo driver escorting a movie star, parents with a young son, a cop transporting a convict, a prostitute, a young couple, and a motel manager are caught up in a nasty rainstorm, stuck at a motel in desolate Nevada. Soon they realize they may be at the motel for another reason when one by one, people start getting killed off. As tensions flare and fingers are pointed, they have to get to the bottom of why they're there. Meanwhile in an undisclosed location, a psychiatrist is trying to prove the innocence of a man accused of murder in an eleventh hour trial. How these two through-lines are related can only be found in Identity. Written by mystic80

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

With an all-star cast that includes John Cusack, Ray Liotta, and Amanda Peet, and an eerie and twisting plot, 2003's Identity is a decent suspense film that tries really hard but ultimately doesn't achieve all that it sets out to do. It's still a film that's worth watching, and the Sony Blu-ray disc makes that a pleasurable experience. With an excellent picture and wonderful sound, this is a disc worth picking up.

Ed (John Cusack) is a ex-cop who eaks out a living as a limo driver in LA. While driving a spoiled aging star (Rebecca DeMornay) back from a shoot ion a torrential rain storm, he accidentally hits a woman (Leila Kenzle). With everyone's cell phone on the blink due to the weather, he takes the woman and her family to a nearby motel. It turns out that the hotel is the only shelter available. The roads have been washed out in all directions, and as the storm gets worse more people take rooms. There's an ex-prostitute (Amanda Peet), a newlywed couple on their way back from Las Vegas, (Clea DuVall and William Lee Scott), and a corrections officer, Rhodes, who is transporting a convicted killer to a new prison (Ray Liotta and Jake Busey.) Together with the creepy motel manager, (John Hawkes) the ten temporary residents of the motel just want the weather to break so they can get on with their lives.

Things take a turn for the worse when Ed discovers the movie star's head in a clothes dryer and it's discovered that the killer Rhodes was escorting has managed to escape. As the motel residents start dying one by one, it seems that everyone has something to hide, and no one is quite who they seem to be. As the bodies start to stack up, each one with a room key in their possession counting down from 10 which victim they are, the survivors start getting ever more paranoid and panicked. Then they discover that the bodies them selves have started to disappear.

This is a movie that aims really high and almost makes it. The film has an eerie atmosphere that really works well, and the whole production has a Twilight Zone feel to it. A large part of that is because things don't quite make sense. When the killer escapes, he runs out into the desert only to find himself back at the Motel again. There are several clues like that, sprinkled through the film, that give small hints as to what's going on. The problem is that the big twist in the film doesn't come at the end, but 2/3 through the movie. After that the movie loses a lot of its impact. Sure, viewers see things differently from that point on, but who the killer is and how the people will escape is no longer an urgent matter. The surprise feels cheap too, like that season of the TV show Dallas where the entire year's worth of shows turned out to be a dream. To add insult to injury, immediately after the twist we're treated to a long explanation of what has just happened, and then they reiterate it once again near the end of the movie. Anyone who has more than one firing neuron will understand the first time through, (my wife actually figured it out early) and having it explained several times really slows the momentum.

Even with these this problem with the script and the way the story unfolds, I found myself enjoying the film. Director James Mangold creates a claustrophobic and tense environment and does a very credible job. Though I felt a little cheated by the twist, the moments leading up to that revelation were exciting and fun.

The DVD:

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Video:

To put it succinctly, the 2.40:1 image looks fantastic with little room for criticism. The vast majority of this movie takes place on a rainy night and the Blu-ray disc reproduces that low light scenes very well. There is plenty of detail in the shadows and dark rooms and the blacks were solid. The transfer looked just as good in scenes well lit scenes also. The colors were a little soft, as the director undoubtedly intended, but even and the white levels were great. With excellent definition throughout and no digital defects this is a great looking disc.

Audio:

As strong as the video was, the audio was even more impressive. This disc offers a choice of uncompressed PCM tracks in English and German as well as DD 5.1 tracks in English, German, and French. There is also a descriptive audio track in English for the visually impaired. There are also subtitles in, count 'em, 22 languages! If you need a specific language, it's probably there.

This movie uses the full soundstage throughout the movie. The audio is very enveloping, with the rain and thunder surrounding the viewer totally. This adds to the claustrophobic feel of the movie quite well. There is a lot of directionality too, with shouts and thunderclaps seeming to come from different areas of the room. I love this type of audio, where the viewer is put slap-dab in the middle of the action. Added to that the fact that the audio is clean and clear with not track of distortion, dropouts, or other common audio defects and you have a fantastic sounding disc.

Extras:

With 50 GB discs now readily available, BDs are finally getting a full compliment of extras. This disc includes a commentary track by director James Mangold, and a second commentary (that is available only on the Blu-ray release as far as I've been able to tell) by writer Michael Cooney. I enjoyed the second one a bit more, but both were informative. The four deleted scenes (presented in HD) were pretty good and could have been left in the film. They all have optional comments from Mangold too. Three scenes get the storyboard-to-completed-scene treatment and it's always fun to see how the concept translates to the finished product. The only bonus item that I could have lived without is the 15-minute "making of' featurette. This is a total fluff piece and doesn't offer anything worthwhile. On top of that it is only in 480i.

Final Thoughts:

Identity almost works, but doesn't quite. More of a suspense picture than a horror film (all of the violence takes place off camera) director James Mangold crafts an eerie film that effectively communicates to the audience the trapped feeling that the characters have. Unfortunately the twist in the story only works to a certain extent and many viewers will feel cheated when they discover what's really going on. Even though the movie is flawed, the good sections make it worth watching. A light recommendation.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR THE MOVIE IDENTITY.

STARGATE CONTINUUM NOW AVAILABLE

STARGATE CONTINUUM NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE MOVIE STARGATE CONTINUUM FROM IMDB

Ba'al travels back in time and prevents the Stargate program from being started. SG-1 must somehow restore history.

HERE IS A REVIEW FOR THE MOVIE STARGATE CONTINUUM FROM DVDTALK

This review is based on an advanced screener copy placed on a burnt DVD-Rom so your mileage may well vary from the final product. I hope to be given the chance to compare it when able so take all technical comments with a grain of salt.

Easy traveling through a wormhole.

Background: Stargate is the franchise built from a single movie, turned into a pay cable series, then a free cable series, into all sorts of spin off projects including an upcoming videogame. The concept was built on the many gods people around the world worshipping actually being alien visitors, most of whom enslaved our ancestors, that came here via a network of large rings that connected planets across vast distances in space. The rings linked stable wormholes and provided reliable transportation, the original movie showing a governmentally financed science project discovering how to use them. A military team is sent to explore, finds a powerful alien pretending to be a god, they kill him to free the local inhabitants, and all is well. The series spun it a bit broader and had a whole network of competing "System Lords" with ten seasons of the show Stargate SG-1 and four of Stargate Atlantis to show for it. The main series ended but spun off one direct to video movies earlier this year and coming up in a few weeks will be the second such movie, the subject of this review in Stargate: Continuum.

The team!

Movie: Stargate: Continuum is a relatively stand alone project that attempts to tie a lot of series history together, designed largely for fans over newcomers, and easier to follow than the recent Ark of Truth for those that haven't watched the show religiously (pun intended). The world is contemporary to our own and the space faring ways of our military are largely secret to the general population, the thought being that the public would panic if they knew how many times the program itself invited danger to Earth. In the years of the programs existence, we have made powerful enemies, powerful allies, and encountered a wide variety of sentient life forms that have alternately helped or hindered our progress; the program establishing principles of first contact and a code of conduct not completely alien to the Star Trek franchises Prime Directive. Based in the Cheyenne Mountain military base, the Stargate program has a number of small expeditionary teams, the lead of which is SG-1; the members changing over time as actors came and went. The current lineup of the team is made up of team leader Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell (Ben Browder), Colonel Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping), Dr. Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks), and Teal'c (Christopher Judge) with associate member Vala Mal Doran (Claudia Black), Using Mitchell's aggressive action style, Carter's scientific knowledge and intellect, Jackson's knowledge of societal dynamics and history, Teal's military prowess in battle, and Vala's thieving self interests, the team wins in almost every encounter over vastly superior numbers and technology using their combined abilities. Their plans always fall apart while executed but their resourcefulness is legendary and their on the fly ability to overcome adversity is the most standard thing about their group other than their refusal to leave a comrade behind.

Defiant Ba'al!

Continuum begins with the Tok'ra, an alien race similar to the series main adversary the Goa'uld that uses symbiotes, performing a criminal punishment on a hated foe, Ba'al (Cliff Simon), to remove his controlling symbiote. This will effectively kill the part of him responsible for mass carnage and terror, freeing his human host in a humane way. On hand are the team, a bunch of Tok'ra never seen before and General Jack O'Neil (Richard Dean Anderson; the former leader of the team), the boring ceremony resulting in Ba'al warning them all that this isn't over and hinting that the original Ba'al is still alive. Whether this version is the last clone or merely a lying original, they are content that his reign of terror is over, the last of the System Lords to be killed off or otherwise dealt with in an increasingly peaceful galaxy. There was no mention of the Ori, another invading alien race, so the specific place in the franchise timeline is not established but it strikes me that it is sometime after Ark and before Stargate Atlantis: Season 4 where Carter moves for awhile, this not set in stone due to the manner in which the show is written (with plenty of loopholes in case the writers are caught by diligent fans).

1939

The long arctic walk complete with a sun.

Just as Ba'al is set to be punished, people start disappearing in plain sight, the evil despot laughing as he kills one last victim (see it for yourselves), and buildings start vanishing as though never there. The remaining team members rush to the Stargate and ends up in the icy hold of a freighter, the audience let on early as to the events that provided this event; Ba'al time traveling to re-write history. The team miraculously not all vanished in the process, the explanation that the vortex of the wormhole saving them falling flat considering Ba'al's first set of acts upon returning to the past. The team ends up in the Arctic Circle and are rescued by a conveniently placed team including a popular but cranky former member that knows nothing of their history together; the group separated and interrogated at length largely based on the fame of one member whose alternative time line version died a few years back in a hugely popularized tragedy.

The interrogation.

The armada!

The US government brings in an assortment of people the team claims to know who don't, of course, know them due to the paradoxes of time travel that fans have experienced before, leading to all of them being safely tucked away and warned what will happen if they try to contact one another. The trio warns that Ba'al will eventually strike at Earth and it is only a matter of time before the cover-up blows up in the face of those in charge. A lengthy portion of the movie deals with this dynamic, including the group getting used to their mundane lives for the "One Year Later" at which time, their prediction holds true. Needless to say, they have no means of putting things back in place until a series of coincidences give them a narrow opening to fight Ba'al's scheming ways, using a trick employed in the series at the very end.

RIP Don Davis!

Teal'c serves another.

As far as being able to enjoy the movie if you aren't an avid fan, I have my doubts since the movie so rapidly skims over major data needed to make sense of what is taking place. The story inconsistencies will be enough to cause flame wars on all the usual fan websites (my first viewing counted twelve, subsequent viewings and listening to the commentary track yielded more) but as more of an homage to the series, it worked well enough to provide the equivalent of a double length episode in the middle of the pack in terms of quality. I'm sure some of the slavering fanboys will say anything to boost sales (it has been established that the success of this one and Ark could bring about more direct to video titles) and even as a lot of the later seasons chugged along in major need of new blood to revitalize the franchise (it had become too inbred on the creative side), this was about par for the course. I like the franchise enough to have watched all the episodes multiple times, keep up with Atlantis, and defend it against haters from time to time online but Continuum was barely worth a rating of Recommended for any fan of science fiction other than the devoted following. As my review is written for a general audience, the "must watch" nature of fellow fans is certainly not the case with those that have passed it up over the years; watch a few episodes in syndication if you have any doubts of your own.

The System Lords!

"They've found us!"

Picture: Stargate: Continuum was presented in the usual 1.77:1 ratio anamorphic widescreen color as shot by director Martin Wood for release on this SD version in the MPEG-2 codec. The video bitrate was almost always hovering right around the 2.4 Mbps area, my advanced screener copy potentially weaker looking than the final product that comes out at the end of the month. I say this because there were some compression artifacts, video noise, grain, and a variety of other issues that reminded me of the way the show looks on broadcast syndication (the later seasons at that). Clocking in at 98:36 minutes, the movie should have looked better and I won't fuss about the company logo that appeared at times on the burnt disc I was handed, but hopefully I will have access to the Blu-Ray version and final release to see if these troubles were just a fluke or not. The fleshtones were inconsistent and the CGI effects looked rushed, even weaker than the last couple of seasons of the show, the budget cutting all too apparent from first glance onto the critical inspection given.

Uneasy alliances!

Sound: The audio was presented in a 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround English at a sampling rate of 48 kHz and a 448 Kbps bitrate, alternative tracks in Spanish or French presented in 2.0 Stereo (all with optional subtitles in English and Spanish). Listening to the primary track, the vocals were often canned sounding (as if dubbed in a studio), but they were better handled than the visual elements for the most part, even if they did use a less aggressive approach to the rear speakers and subwoofer than they could have (especially in the battles). A friend offered to crank up my stereo to make it sound "better" but I pointed out that "loudness" does not equate with quality and stuck to it. There was some headspace and directionality at times but the score was the same and I expected more of a movie than a television episode dressed up like a movie here too. Aural qualities are more noticeable when you seek them out critically, and my subsequent viewings yielded scant reason to cheer, but they were competently done all the same even if the mix was off in a few scenes.

"I'll cut the power to the tractor beam" sorry, wrong movie.

Extras: The best extra for me was the 22:35 minute long Behind the Scenes Making of Continuum feature. It was a nice balance of the human elements that went into the production with many of the principles giving some comments about what they were trying to do. The audio commentary by executive producer and writer Brad Wright as well as Director Martin Wood was okay but they were more into providing technical cheerleading than extended story commentary; delving into a few areas about things that did not work (I agreed with them in large part) and what they had wanted to do. There was also a 21:54 minute long feature called Stargate Goes to the Arctic that detailed the limited crew actually going to an arctic military base with cast members; the added expense seeming a waste to me since special effects could have saved a bunch to use elsewhere rather than the "look where we shot a few scenes" approach that seems almost like bragging rights. There was also a 9:19 minute long Layman's Guide to Time Travel by Astrophysicist Jaymie Matthews that gave a decent head's up about the paradoxes involved (too bad the producers didn't listen to him more). Some trailers rounded out the extras for those that care.

Final Thoughts: Stargate: Continuum seemed to suffer from the same issues the series fell prey to since the show was taken over by the Sci-Fi Channel; budgets too low to support the ideas at hand being the biggest problem of all. The 1939 parts looked hopelessly fake, the CGI was years behind that expected of a movie (if you've seen low budget effects movies on the cable channel, you'll know what I mean), the Migs Vs. the attack ships fantasy, the "One Year Later" cheat, and the totally uncharacteristic manner in which Teal'c "converted to the cause" so readily were the most distressing. The acting was about average for the series and fans wanting one last go will find it worthwhile to check out but make no mistake, this should have been so much better that accepting it as a wonderful return to the series is about as far from the truth as could be. I'm not going to be one of the apologists blindly hawking the movie in hopes of another, better, release in the future; I expect the producers to give fans exactly what we deserve as loyal fans of the series (and nothing less). In all then, it was a pretty fair effort of the producers that will entertain you but I don't see this one making a lot of new fans as it should have done.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR THE MOVIE STARGATE CONTINUUM

SPACE CHIMPS NOW AVAILABLE

SPACE CHIMPS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE MOVIE SPACE CHIMPS FROM IMDB

Ham III, the grandson of the first chimp astronaut, is blasted off into space by an opportunity-seeking senator. Soon, the fun-loving chimp has to get serious about the mission at hand: Rid a far-away planet of their nefarious leader. Fortunately for Ham III, two of his simian peers are along for the ride. Written by IMDb Editors

Two NASA chimps that are sent to a galaxy far, far away. One chimp has "The Right Stuff," and the other, a good natured goofball, has "The Wrong Stuff." The simian slacker becomes a reluctant hero and learns the true meaning of courage as he and his crewmates, the fearless Lt. Luna and their uptight commander, Titan, risk everything in an effort to save the peaceful inhabitants of a distant planet from the evil dictator Zartog. Written by Anthony Pereyra {hypersonic91@yahoo.com}

HERE IS A REVIEW FOR THE MOVIE SPACE CHIMPS FROM DVDTALK

"Space Chimps" is many things, but the one advantage it lacks is a sizable budget. If you're a respectable production that wants to be taken seriously and can't even scrounge up the coin to license Yello's 1985 hit "Oh Yeah," instead electing to use a tinny sound-alike...that should be the first clue that something is seriously awry with the movie.

Grandson to a famous simian who long ago heroically launched into space, Ham (voiced by Andy Samberg) is stuck in the circus, shot out of a cannon nightly to painful results. Recruited by the government to take part in a new space mission, Ham is thrown together with fellow chimps Luna (Cheryl Hines) and Titan (Patrick Warburton) and sent into training. Their mission is to travel into deep space, enter a wormhole, and explore an alien world. Once arrived, the situation swiftly unravels, forcing the hairy explorers to band together to battle Zartog (Jeff Daniels), a local who's taken control of a previous NASA exploration vehicle and rules the land with his metallic might.

"Space Chimps" isn't exactly the level of quality animated filmmaking audiences might expect in the summer season. It's a modest production from Vanguard Animation, sent into the multiplex wilds to vacuum up the dollars that haven't already been collected by Pixar. "Chimps" is really just one lucky DVD production that has fallen haphazardly into a theatrical release, and the experience watching it reinforces this sentiment with exceptional force.

I will write this about the picture: it plays better as it goes. Not many films can claim such progress, but "Chimps" does; taking its sweet time to grow on the viewer. To get there one must ignore the crude animation, awful lip-sync, and the minefield of dud jokes, and that journey is tiring. "Chimps" is certainly a sincere production, following closely to the simple edict of entertaining families. That's nothing to be ashamed of, but the picture is uninspired and complacent with bizarre pop culture references (an "Axel F" callback, really?) and anemic plotting, never challenging itself with a more confident tone or skillful comedic voice.

Thankfully the voice cast at least adds some spice to this tasteless cartoon broth. The production uses Samberg's wiseacre charms to moderate use, overextending the comedian with instruction to fill every silence in the film with a quip (his aim is so-so). Better is Daniels as the dim-witted heavy, strangling his squeaky voice to a charming degree. Also fun in a small role as a tiny, incandescent alien aid to the chimps is Kristin Chenoweth, who was born for voicework and gives the picture a proper spark right when it needs it the most.

As bland matinee diversions go, "Space Chimps" isn't the worst thing to plop your child in front of, but it's hardly worth the hundreds of dollars it takes to get a family to the movie theater these days. It's a banana-popping, planet-hopping fantasy more suited for DVD, where the budgetary and narrative limitations aren't so harshly felt.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR THE MOVIE SPACE CHIMPS