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It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Season 3 (2008)
dir. n/a
Easily one of the funniest shows on TV. So many classic moments in this season, Green Man & Day Man being just a few of them. I still think the episode where Dee, Dennis & Mac tried out for the Eagles was my favorite episode of this season, but I can't wait to watch them all again to see if I'm still partial to that one. Don't forget, season 4 starts next week.
Product Description:
Philadelphia is known as "The City of Brotherly Love," but the town may soon be famous for its bad behavior thanks to this mean-spirited comedy. Not for the easily offended, IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY--as the kids call it--is one dark sitcom. Still, it garners critical praise and loyal fans with its smart writing. Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, and Kaitlin Olson star as friends who run Paddy's Irish Pub. Fueled by alcohol, vanity, and selfishness, the foursome has a series of misadventures as high on the laugh scale as they are in their cringe quotient. Though most sitcoms don't joke about crack addiction, abortion, and racism, IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA turns these subjects into comedy goldmines. Season 3 in particular counts a dumpster baby, a dead mom, Fatty McGoo, the aluminum monster, a registered sex offender, serial killers, a retarded person, fire, and bums--lots and lots of bums--among its guest stars. Last season, veteran actor Danny DeVito returned to TV to play a misanthropic patriarch and, yes, he's still around. This release includes the entire third season, plus an intimate look at the possibly incestuous McPoyle Brothers, a gag reel, and a number of other supplemental features.
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The Fall (2008)
dir. Tarsem Singh
As I've said many times before, I've always been a sucker for amazing visuals. Considering this movie is chock full of some of the most fantastic, awe-inspiring imagery ever committed to film, it was no surprise I responded so positively to it. I know I'm going overboard with hyperbole, but it really was incredible. Now, I should probably explain that I am not retarded and that the plot IS an important part of the equation to me...if a movie looks beautiful but the plot stinks, naturally, I won't have the best reaction to it. The Fall's plot isn't mind-blowing, but I felt that combined with what was happening visually, everything came together perfectly and resulted in one of the best experiences at the theater I've had in recent years. Even more amazing to me is that the movie is completely self-financed by Tarsem Singh, and what he went through to get this movie made is something that sounds perfect for a "Burden of Dreams-ish" documentary. I also thought that as amazing as the cinematography was, Tarsem's discovery of non-actor Catinca Untaru for the part of Alexandria was the key to making this movie work, because it wouldn't be the same without her. I've read that the Blu-ray version of this film is possibly the best looking transfer of a movie ever committed to the format, DVD or otherwise, so I'd highly recommend picking this up if you have the equipment. I can't wait to watch this again.
Product Description:
Roger Ebert proclaimed it "one of the most extraordinary films I've ever seen," and there's no denying the avalanche of wild images in The Fall: grand castles, desert vistas, elephants swimming in the open ocean. Commercial and music-video director Tarsem has piled these visions into an elaborate remake of an obscure Bulgarian film, Yo Ho Ho, which is anchored in (but by no means limited to) a quiet hospital during the silent-movie era. A stunt man (Lee Pace) is laid up with leg injuries, and an eye-popping black-and-white prologue (utterly mystifying while we're watching it) tells us how he got here. Depressed over his disability and a recent lost love, he plans suicide, but is temporarily derailed by the inquisitive friendship of a little girl (Catinca Untaru), to whom he tells wild stories of adventurers and princesses. We see these stories, which is where the dizzying visuals come in. This movie probably won't inspire many lukewarm responses: either you'll fall madly for this paean to storytelling magic, or you'll be suspicious about the parade of pretty pictures, which tend to have a magazine-layout sheen. The movie certainly has more soul than Tarsem's yucky previous feature, The Cell, and the scenes between Pace and Untaru (who scores an 11 on the cuteness scale) are genuinely charming. The director actually put a considerable amount of his own money into the production (which shot in over 20 countries), and whether you buy his vision or not, he put his money on the screen.
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The Big Lebowski - 10th Anniversary Limited Edition (1998)
dir. Joel & Ethan Coen
If you love this movie (who doesn't?) and you love crazy DVD packaging, this is a must-buy (#1 reason is because it's actually really cheap). If you're also into extras, they actually included more of them this time around. The 2005 re-release was decent, but this 2008 re-re-release is the best-to-date. Now all we need is a Blu-ray version. 8-year-olds, dude.
Product Description:
After the tight plotting and quirky intensity of Fargo, this casually amusing follow-up from the prolifically inventive Coen (Ethan and Joel) brothers seems like a bit of a lark, and the result was a box-office disappointment. The good news is, The Big Lebowski is every bit a Coen movie, and its lazy plot is part of its laidback charm. After all, how many movies can claim as their hero a pot-bellied, pot-smoking loser named Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) who spends most of his time bowling and getting stoned? And where else could you find a hairnetted Latino bowler named Jesus (John Turturro) who sports dazzling purple footgear, or an erotic artist (Julianne Moore) whose creativity consists of covering her naked body in paint, flying through the air in a leather harness, and splatting herself against a giant canvas? Who else but the Coens would think of showing you a camera view from inside the holes of a bowling ball, or an elaborate Busby Berkely-styled musical dream sequence involving a Viking goddess and giant bowling pins? The plot--which finds Lebowski involved in a kidnapping scheme after he's mistaken for a rich guy with the same name--is almost beside the point. What counts here is a steady cascade of hilarious dialogue, great work from Coen regulars John Goodman and Steve Buscemi, and the kind of cinematic ingenuity that puts the Coens in a class all their own. Be sure to watch with snacks in hand, because The Big Lebowski might give you a giddy case of the munchies.
DVD Features:
Audio: English, French Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Audio: Spanish Dolby Digital Stereo
Contained In Exclusive Bowling Ball Packaging, Individually Numbered For Collectibility!
Dubbed: French, Spanish
Featurettes: An Exclusive Introduction, The Dude's Life, The Dude Abides - The Big Lebowski Ten Years Later, The Making Of The Big Lebowski, The Lebowski Fest - An Achiever's Story, & Flying Carpets & Bowling Pin Dreams - The Dream Sequences Of The Dude
Interactive Map
Interactive Menus
Jeff Bridges' Photo Book
Original Theatrical Trailer
Photo Gallery
Production Notes
Scene Selection
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Baby Mama (2008)
dir. Michael McCullers
This movie looks terrible, but considering the people involved, I'll probably give it a chance.
Product Description:
Laughter and hearty guffaws abound in this comical look at 37-year-old career woman Kate Holbrook's (30 Rock's Tina Fey) desperate attempts to have a baby. Never mind that she's not married and has never been involved in a serious relationship; Kate wants a baby and will stop at virtually nothing to get one. After failed attempts at broaching the concept of conception with first dates and trying artificial insemination with the help of a sperm bank, Kate finds out that her t-shaped uterus leaves her with only a one in a million chance of conceiving a child. Adoption doesn't work out and she's left with the distasteful option of hiring a surrogate mother. Enter Chaffee Bicknell's (Sigourney Weaver) surrogate service and her recommendation of the working-class Angie Ostrowiski (Saturday Night Live's Amy Poehler) who, with her common-law husband Carl (Dax Shepard), is just desperate enough to take on the job in order to make some money, and the stage is set for baby making. As fate would have it, Angie and Carl break up just after Angie announces she's pregnant and Angie ends up moving in with Kate. Unfortunately, the two are completely incompatible and what ensues is a hysterical struggle to coexist while clashing over everything from proper nutrition to stroller selection, hair dye, and delivery options. Further complicating matters is Kate's budding relationship with ex-lawyer and juice-store owner Rob (Greg Kinnear), who just happens to be morally opposed to the whole concept of surrogate parenting. Finally, there's the question of just how fully Angie embraces the virtue of honesty. It's the juxtaposition of opposing viewpoints--so boldly stated, humorously set, and blatantly exploited--that makes this witty comedy so darn funny. Expect graphic references, raunchy humor, and a whole lot of laughter. --Tami Horiuchi
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Cool Hand Luke (1967)
dir. Stuart Rosenberg
Paul Newman is one of my all-time favorite actors, and I think Cool Hand Luke is one of the best movies of the 1960s. You can check out what I had to say about this movie at RoosterFlix.com. Alternately, you can read a much better review/explanation of the movie by Paul Mavis at DVDTalk.com.
Product Description:
Paul Newman gives one of the defining performances of his career, and cemented his place as a beautiful-rebel screen icon playing the stubbornly tough and independent title character in Cool Hand Luke. And before he became familiar as a sidekick in 1970s disaster movies (Earthquake and the Airport movies), George Kennedy won an Oscar for playing Dragline, the brutal chain-gang boss who tries to beat loner Luke's cool out of him. It's a classic rebel-against-the-repressive-institution story in the line of One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest or The Shawshank Redemption. Certain moments have become classics--particularly the hardboiled egg-eating contest, and the immortal line (drooled by Strother Martin, as a sadistic redneck prison officer), "What we have here is a failure to communicate." And don't forget, Luke is also the source of the oft-quoted driving ditty, "I don't care if it rains or freezes, long as I have my plastic Jesus, right here on the dashboard of my car..." He is cool, all right.
DVD Features:
All-New Featurettes Including The Making Of Cool Hand Luke - A Profile Of Novelist, Co-Screenwriter & The Real "Cool Hand Luke" Donn Pearce
Audio: English Dolby Digital Mono
Interactive Menus
New Audio Commentary By Eric Lax (Noted Writer & Paul Newman Biographer)
Newly Restored & Remastered!
Original Theatrical Trailer
Scene Selection
Subtitles: English, French
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Fox Horror Classics Collection, Vol. 2
MOVIES INCLUDE:
Dragonwyck (1946)
Chandu the Magician (1932)
Dr. Renault's Secret (1942)
Product Description:
Disk 1: Chandu the Magician **Commentary by Author Gregory William Mank **Masters of Magic: The World of Chandu **Chandu the Magician Radio Serial Episode **Restoration Comparison **Trailer **Still Gallery
Disc 2: Dr. Renault's Secret **By The Book: Horror, Suspense, and Literary Inspiration **Restoration Comparison **Trailer **Interactive Pressbook **Still Gallery
Disc 3: Dragonwyck **A House of Secrets: Exploring Dragonwyck **Dragonwyck Radio Show Performed by Vincent Price and Gene **Tierney - October 7, 1946 **Restoration Comparison **Trailer **Interactive Pressbook **Still Gallery
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The Forbidden Kingdom (2008)
dir. Rob Minkoff
Thoroughly enjoyable, but not great. Although it IS great to see Jackie Chan and Jet Li together on screen. The thing that killed the movie for me was the horribly miscast American kid. Aside from him, I really had fun watching this.
Product Description:
Getting martial-arts superstars Jet Li and Jackie Chan together in the same action film is like a fantasy come true, even if The Forbidden Kingdom is more of a children's movie than an instant kung-fu classic. Yes, Li and Chan square off in a lengthy, acrobatic fight scene that is a lot of fun, though it can't be what such a scene might have been even a decade ago: careful editing now compensates for the 54-year-old Chan's slower moves and reflexes. Still, Chan doesn't disappoint as Lu Yan, a drunken immortal in ancient China who mentors a modern-day American kid, Jason (Michael Angarano), the latter having slipped into the past while in possession of a magical staff that belongs to the imprisoned Monkey King (Li). In order to get back to his own time and help an old friend (also Chan) wounded by thugs, Jason accompanies Lu Yan and a lovely warrior, Golden Sparrow (Liu Yifei), on a journey to return the staff. Along the way, a (mostly) silent monk (Li, again), who has spent his life in search of the staff, joins their mission. He helps Lu Yan train Jason in fighting and adding more muscle to the party as it comes under siege from a violent witch (Li Bing Bing) and pathological warlord (Collin Chou). Screenwriter John Fusco (Hidalgo) and director Rob Minkoff (The Haunted Mansion) have made a slightly chintzy, Western version of a Chinese swords-and-sorcery tale. The gravity-defying, flying-through-the-air-while-fighting choreography looks pretty choppy and graceless compared to, say, the martial arts films of Zhang Yimou. But The Forbidden Kingdom is really aimed at kids, not aficionados of epic fight movies. On that score, the movie aims to please and does so for the right audience. -- Tom Keogh
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How the West Was Won (Special Edition) (1963)
dir. John Ford, Henry Hathaway, George Marshall, Richard Thorpe
Product Description:
The first feature film to be photographed and projected in the panoramic three-camera Cinerama process, this epic Western is almost as expansive as the West itself, chronicling a pioneering family's triumphs and tragedies in numerous episodes spanning three generations and a half century of westward movement. Divided into five segments directed by veteran Hollywood filmmakers Henry Hathaway, George Marshall, and the legendary John Ford (and including uncredited sequences directed by Richard Thorpe), the film was one of the most ambitious ever made by the venerable MGM studio. Its stellar cast reads like a virtual who's who of Hollywood's biggest stars. Debbie Reynolds plays a sturdy survivor of many pioneering dangers, and the eventual widow of a gambler (Gregory Peck), who is later reunited with her nephew (George Peppard), a Civil War veteran and cavalryman who heads for San Francisco as the transcontinental railroad is being built. Many more characters and stories are woven throughout this epic film, which is dramatically uneven but totally engrossing with its stunning vistas and countless outdoor locations in Illinois, Kentucky, South Dakota, Monument Valley in Arizona, California, Colorado, and elsewhere. --Jeff Shannon
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Seed (2007)
dir. Uwe Boll
Uwe Boll for the second time in three weeks? What did we do to deserve this? (I mean that in the best way possible)
Product Description:
This story of a supernatural serial killer is reminiscent of Stephen King s finest horror films. Prison guards fail to exorcise the evil in a murderer and inadvertently unleash a malevolent monster. The resulting reign of violence, with its extreme gore and torture, set a new standard for the horror genre.
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Heckler (2007)
dir. Michael Addis
Product Description:
Heckler, a comedy-documentary that explores the increasingly critical world we live in, follows Jamie Kennedy as he investigates hecklers and the entertainers who endure them: Russell Peters, Lewis Black, Craig Ferguson, Bill Maher, Paul Rodriguez, Roseanne Barr, and more. A fast-moving, "hilarious...claws-out look at the often brutal relationship between performers and their most vocal critics" (VARIETY), Heckler shows just how nasty and mean the fight is between those in the spotlight...and those in the dark.
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House of Traps (1981)
dir. Chang Cheh
Product Description:
Produced by the famed Shaw Brothers studio in Hong Kong, HOUSE OF TRAPS follows a team of fierce martial artists into a terrifying haunted home built to ensnare any and all entrants. This 1981 kung fu cult classic stars the Venoms, a team of fighters best known for serving up bloody action in the Shaw Brothers' DEADLY VENOMS film series.
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Zombies! Zombies! Zombies! - Strippers VS Zombies (2007)
dir. Jason M. Murphy
Well, if I'm judging a book by it's cover (and I am), count me in.
Product Description:
A drug experiment gone wrong produces a league of blood-thirsty zombies. It is up to a small band of exotic dancers trapped in a gentleman's club to fight back. Together they must rely on their wits and skills to survive the night, and pray that they don't become victims of the flesh-eating zombies!
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