The Little Engine That Could (2011) [HD]

A Nice Book into a Scary Movie...
This is my 3.5 year old's favorite book in the whole world. He has even memorized portions of it. When I saw there was a new movie coming out, I grabbed it as soon as I could. He was ecstatic. At first he was curious about the story and the personified engines and water-tower. It was all going well until the scary "bad dream" engine came along. Before I knew it, my son was completely in tears and was so afraid of what was going to happen to the sweet little blue engine and the little boy. I get the fact that if you're going to create a full-length movie from a fairly brief children's story that it has to have some plot to it. My problem with this movie is that this book is favored by YOUNG children who are oftentimes easily scared and while most of this movie is fairly sweet and innocent, just that one part with the big, scary, mean train was enough to poison my son's whole experience. If you have an older child who likes trains or a younger child who is not quite so...

Enjoyable for young and old - love the voices!
My 2.5 yr old son who is addicted to trains loves this movie. There is a scary bad guy that I think is bothering him, but overall it's a good movie for kids that are into trains. My favorite character is the caboose voiced by the guy from "Rules of Engagement". He's hilarious!! Jamie Lee Curtis was a good fit for the clown and Whoopi is good as the tower too. I don't know the younger voices, but it appears they are all rather famous too. Would have been better if some of the trains has names instead of just being called "Freight Train" etc. Like Rusty had a name...but oh well. Nice to see some of the proceeds go to a good cause. And of course, it's a great message for kids. Gotta wonder about the "mushroom forest" though, what was going on when the writers put that in hmmm?? Anyway, overall a good family flick!!

My son is still asking to watch this months after he first saw it
LIKES

- Wonderful animation, great textures
- Beautiful colorful landscapes
- A kinetic and interesting dream world
- A sweet and slightly cheesy children's story for the first 3/4 of the movie
- Interesting and exciting action sequences
- Good vs bad, good wins
- Bully vs victim, victim fights back (verbally) and wins
- Interesting characters and good voice acting

DISLIKES

- They overdid it when making the nightmare train. He's freaky and scary. My 3 year old watches the movie and at first was a little anxious but seems fine now. He has a creepy scary appearance, voice, and actions.

I'd love it if the bad guy was bad rather than creepy and evil, but I can't really say it's a problem because my son loves this movie.

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Funerals and Felonies

Terrific movie, not enough JEFF
Great movie, there were some seriously funny lines. There wasn't enough of Jeff's character in the movie. I'd like to see more of Jeff in another movie.





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The Skulls [HD]

Mediocre cinematically but entertaining anyway...
The Skulls finds us at Yale University, which you'll have to assume on your own like I did since they never actually say Yale. We meet Luke, who is a self-confessed former menace to society, working the cafeteria line and studying hard to make something of himself and hopefully go on to Harvard Law School. The only thing standing in the way of that goal for this young man is the fact that Harvard Law is a teensy weensy bit expensive.

Luke, along with best friend Will (Hill Harper) and girlfriend Chloe (Leslie Bibb) speculate on his chances to be chosen to join the Skulls, a secret society on campus which is rumored to pay for such things as law school bills.

It is the secrecy of the society that becomes a rift between Luke and his pals. His buddy Will speculates, "It's secret and it's elite - it can't be good." Insert ominous music here. By the stroke of midnight on that same eve, Luke finds himself in the midst of the Skulls initiation ceremony.

The rules that govern...

Fraternity vs. Secret society
I recommend this movie to anyone considering joining a frat and/or is between the ages of 18-27. Rob Cohen does an excellent job in attempting to portray what goes on inside the walls of the "Skulls" secret society. The Skulls - a highly powerful secret society - provide third year college students with expensive cars, girls, and powerful ties...an enormous key to future political power. The lucky members chosen each year at midnight (approx. 15 ?) must go through intense hazing and rituals dating back to the early 1800's. Each prospective member unites with another to become soul mates. Each pair of soul mates tell each other their darkest secrets to become closer and to ensure loyalty in the most defying situation.

In the movie, Luke (Joshua Jackson) demonstrates how joining the Skulls has placed tension on his friendship with Chloe (Leslie Bibb) and his roommate (Hill Harper). Sworn to keep the happenings of the Skulls a secret, the line between friendship and...

Noteworthy Thriller
The Skulls is a well-paced and well-acted thriller. Joshua Jackson is Luke McNamara. An Ivy League college student who isn't doing to well with paying his tuition. To certify his place in completing college and have a successful future, he wants in with the Skulls. An intermediate group of young men who are guaranteed anything they want in life. After getting in, Luke's life begins to fall apart as his best friend is murdered and his girlfriend is on the run. Should Luke trust the secret society and his new friend Caleb, or try to get out of the society alive?

The Skulls, for some reason, gives me an at-home feeling. I kind of relate to each character in a way, and that shows that each actor gave a pretty good performance. Joshua Jackson, Paul Walker, and Leslie Bibb shine as the leads. Craig T. Nelson also gives a nice performance. The plot and pacing of The Skulls is excellent. The scenes meant to be intense are just that, and scenes meant to be heartfelt and fun are just that...

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Funny People (Unrated) [HD]

The Marketing was Wrong, but the Film is so RIGHT
This film was really a drama, so, if you go in with the mindset that you are watching a drama, this film will blow you away.

However, if you go into this film thinking it will be like 40-yr old Virgin or Hangover, then you will be disappointed (which is where all the low rated reviews come from).

This film does a great job of showing us the life of a Comedian/Actor who is dying from an illness.

The film has a whole lot of levels going on which is over the head of most of the people who rated the film low.

It is a comedic form of the movie Inception. You have actors playing comedians who have dual lives where they alternate from being "on" and "off"....

The problem is most people have a misconception of how comedians live their real lives.

Anyways, great movie. Go in with the mindset that you are watching a drama and this movie will blow you away.

enjoy

amnightus

Flawed and Meandering Yet Still a Worthwhile Look Inside a Stand-Up Comic's Mind
The psyche of the stand-up comedian is the subject of Judd Apatow's third and most ambitious directorial effort, but the elliptical, rather skewed characters that inhabit this serious-minded 2009 comedy obscure the personal revelations that he ironically attempts to mine. In certain ways, it's a dramatically audacious film, yet in others, Apatow comes back to the comfortably off-kilter humor of his previous ensemble efforts, The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up. Sometimes the balance feels very off here, primarily because the protagonist is so hard to read from the outside. It was inevitable that the director cast his former roommate Adam Sandler as George Simmons, a comic who has become a major movie star based on the type of juvenilia he constantly ridicules. Sandler accurately captures both the demented comedy mind and the innate cruelty...

Jake LaMotta would've made a hell of a comedian
Judd Apatow's Funny People is going to divide audiences (it certainly has divided critics). Those going in expecting a comedy along the lines of The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up or any other of the films in the Apatow-verse will enjoy it but not love it. But that reaction may be more a product of the misdirection in the marketing of the film than anything else. Funny People is going for something more emotionally complex, and it succeeds on that count.

Without dwelling on plot, the film focuses, by and large, on the professional and personal lives of a group of comics and comic actors at various rungs of the show business ladder, from Adam Sandler's George Simmons, a hugely successful film comedy star who came out of the stand-up comedy world, to Seth Rogan's Ira Wright, a novice comic who is drawn into George's world, to Ira's friends, who are his roommates, who are his competitors.

The common thread running through these characters is anger and aggression,...

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Nancy Steele is Missing

Apparently inspired by the Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping
Victor McLaglen plays a nice guy anarchist kidnapper who ultimately become a trusted friend and employee of the baby's father. Nuts at the time of production but probably politically correct today in the Julian Assange--Wikileaks sense. We feel for the hysterical betrayer. What a joke. A brutal hero who casually commits mayhem and is supposed to get love for it. Did I say, Joke. The DVD transfer is just so-so.

Further Thought: Walter Connolly gives what must be one of his most likable performance and Peter Lorre one of his most chilling.





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Biloxi Blues [HD]

In my top ten . . .
Despite my best instincts to the contrary, this movie remains among my top ten favorite (notice, not BEST - there's a difference) movie of all time.

There is something about this movie that simply appeals to me. Being in the military and working as the Executive Officer of a Basic Training Battery, I definitely recognize the witt and toughness of Drill Sergeant Merwyn J. Toomey (actually, I kind of wish we were allowed to be more like him today - it would produce better soldiers). But the appeal of this film goes far beyond recognition of the brilliance of Christopher Walken's performance as the DS.

Above all the dialog in the movie is crisp and funny, without an element of raunch or being to sarcastic. There are feelings of genuine nostalgia and sweetness about the picture which are hard to describe, but definitely noticeable. They are in the scene in which Broderick's character meets Daisy for the first time, they permeates the scene in which Eugene loses his...

A truly natural comic treat
If there has to be a message to this movie, and I don't really believe there's supposed to be, it's that a sense of humor will indeed get you through the worst of situations.

Matthew Broderick and Christopher Walken carry this comedy. There is an unassuming quality here. It's funny without trying to be funny, or at least that's the feeling I get from it. There's not much of a chance that this is on anybody's top ten list, not even a top ten comedy list. There's no obvious contrivance here. The whole story just happens, flowing smoothly along without effort. And so it's exceedingly pleasing, immensely enjoyable, quite lifelike.

And as another reviewer points out, for all the innocent quality of the movie, there are "blue" scenes here, but nothing graphic.

Unique.
I found this movie to be simple and cute. I watched it once,and then i wanted to watch it again because i enjoyed it so much. The whole story revolves mainly around Eugene Jerome (Matthew Broderick) and how much trouble he has at the army with a sergeant,the people he mainly talks to,and the life he is having there. His fantasy was to lose his virginity and fall in love,both of which he did,in the same day! Eventually he made amends with his friends,after all the things they went through. I really enjoyed this movie,i was surprised about that too. All together the movie was good. This is one i would want to buy and add to my collection.

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The Bourne Ultimatum [HD]

Rewriting the genre
A satisfying conclusion to the trilogy? That would be like crediting "The Matrix" with a satisfying level of originality.

Everything the makers, cast and crew have learned about what makes the Bourne formula tick, and click, is revved to supercharged perfection in this pinnacle of a movie.

More is not always better (Matrix 2?), but with careful attention to detail and a plot that works like a Rolex, Ultimatum's unrelenting pace never feels overblown. Matt Damon's impenetrable oasis of razor focus and quiet, seething menace, now seeming to melt glass, finds a new level of counterpoint in this movie. Damon has become so riveting in this role, it's almost possible to overlook the stellar cast around him, matching step for step in a multi-threaded, multi-tiered, multi-national locomotive of twists and action played out with the orchestration of a Beethoven score.

There's something just plain admirable about a movie franchise which insists on digging...

Where in the World is Jason Bourne?
(4 1/2 *'s) `The Bourne Ultimatum' is a non-stop thriller ride that easily propels itself to the top of 2007's three-peat super summer. The third in the series, Jason Bourne (played superbly by a tough and tormented Matt Damon) still suffers his same identity crisis, this time criss-crossing his way across the globe with breakneck speed. Suspenseful for more than the thrill of the chase, we are given a gripping sense of drama as CIA director, Noah Vosen (played with tough officiousness by David Strathairn in another great performance) and his sparring co-leader, Pamela Landy (Joan Allen in an admirably complex role) come to grips with Bourne and his alleged treason against their assassination operation. Hooking up with a fellow operative Nicky Parsons (a sleight-of-hand Julia Stiles), Bourne and associates provide enough development to keep us guessing throughout.

Besides all of the identity intrigue, the action is relentless without being predictable. All the scenes of...

The Bourne Ultimatum
Jason Bourne (Damon) is still searching for his true identity, and is once again becoming a thorn in the side of the CIA. Noah Vosen (Strathairn), head of black ops targets him for elimination, and soon he is on the run again. This time around agents Pamela Landy (Allen) and Nicky Parsons (Stiles) are on his side, offering their assistance to stop the darker aspects of the CIA as well as help him find himself.

"The Bourne Ultimatum" is an excellent action movie, and a fitting end(?) to the Bourne trilogy. The best of the three and the best threequel of the summer, "Bourne" is nonstop action with a smart story. Matt Damon falls back into Bourne's shoes easily, and the supporting cast is once again top notch. The "Bourne" series has delivered top notch stories and action from the beginning, and it would be a shame if it didn't continue beyond this point. This is one of the best action trilogies ever made. I highly recommend this film.

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Phantasm II [HD]

Universal should be ashamed of their treatment of this film.
The long and outrageous wait is over and we FINALLY have PHANTASM II on DVD in region one. Universal knew that fans were in a frenzy to get this one and they also knew they didn't have to bother doing anything more than a bare bones release. Fans would buy whatever version they decided to throw our way and they did the LEAST amount of work on this they could get by with. What we got was a good looking anamorphic print of the film and an unimpressive STEREO soundtrack. Thats right, only 2 channel sound (even though the other films in this series all got new Dolby 5.1 remixes Universal knew they didn't have to bother). There are NO EXTRAS on this disc (other than one faded and dirty copy of the trailer). No cool animated menus, no commentary track, deleted scenes, making of features, retrospective documentary, cast interviews, NOTHING. All of this material is available and is on the worldwide releases of this film but the North American market gets ripped off by Universal. It...

Reggie Bannister & Angus Scrimm are back.
This second Phantasm begins where the first film, PHANTASM (1979), left off and takes you seven years later. In real time it was nine years before they finally made this sequel. That is why everyone looks more mature. James Le Gros takes over as "Michael" for this film only. But A. Michael Baldwin can be seen in flashbacks. Reggie Bannister and the Tall Man Angus Scrimm are back and so are those deadly silver spheres. I'll keep the plot a surprise for you, but this sequel is more big-budget. They go all out for this one and is very enjoyable if you like suspense, horror and more gore.

Funny sex scene.
If James Le Gros looks familar, twelve years later after this film, he had a regular role in the tv series "Ally McBeal" in 2000-2001.

Followed by:
Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead(1994).
Phantasm IV:...

MORE PHANTASM PLEASE ON BLU-RAY!!!!!!!
I wonder why they decided to release PHANTASM II on blu-ray / DVD before the first movie PHANTASM?

Let's hope we can get the rest of this series with GREAT PICTURE QUALITY on Blu-ray soon...PLEASE!!!!

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Slaughterhouse-Five [HD]

Billy Pilgrim Lives...from Time to Time
A faithful adaptation of the novel by celebrated American author Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE (1972) is about the life of one Billy Pilgrim, a milquetoast of a man who has somehow become "unstuck" in time and therefore randomly ping-pongs back and forth to relive various events in his life. Although the film does depict instances when Billy re-experiences a few snippets from both his childhood and the moments immediately preceding his death, most of the time he is relegated to three major periods of his life: His tour of duty in WWII, during which he is a POW in Dresden, Germany, as it is bombed by Allied forces; his mid-life era, in which he suffers from suburban ennui while he labors in an unsatisfying career and contends with his overbearing, overweight wife; and the time he spends as a captive of extraterrestrials on the distant planet Tralfamadore, where he is kept in a dome-like cage and "forced" to mate with a beautiful soft-core porn starlet.

As bizarre and...

How's this for rare...a quality Vonnegut adaptation.
Kurt Vonnegut is one of those writers who, when you hear about a movie adaptation of one of their works, you always immediately think "How the Hell are they gonna manage that?". His books are stream-of-consciousness tirades against the madness of mankind...not exactly cinema-ready audience pleasers.

This has been proven by experimental disasters such as "Slapstick (of Another Kind)". But under the expert and fearless direction of George Roy Hill ("The Sting", "The World According to Garp", "Slap Shot", "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"), the movie version of "Slaughterhouse 5" has nothing to feel embarassed about when placed next the the excellent novel. The key to this, as in all great novel-movie transfers, is a worthy cast. And here we have one in spades. I don't think there's another movie made that has done such a bang-on job at matching the flesh and blood actors to their literary...

A Job Well Done
After seeing the mess that was "Breakfast of Champions," I was really skeptical about how the film adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's masterpiece, "Slaughterhouse-Five" would turn out. It isn't the easiest book to translate into film, after all. So, I think it's fair to say that I had my doubts at first. I finally found this available on DVD, and to my surprise it was a faithful and well done adaptation. While it may not be absolutely flawless or spectacular, it does its best to stay true to the source.

Billy Pilgrim is unstuck in time. This meaning that he relives certain parts of his life in random order. There is no beginning, no middle, and no ending for Pilgrim. His life plays in scrambled portions in a continuous loop. This is something that Billy has no control over and he never knows what part of his life he will revisit next. Sometimes he relives the time he was in WW2 and was a P.O.W. in Dresden. Other times it's to his life shortly after the war...

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Dragonheart [HD]

"A knight is sworn to valor, his heart know only virtue."
I guess it helps if you place the review under the right movie. Somehow I posted this review under the other Dragonheart Movie, A New Beginning.

Dragonheart is one of my favorite movies, up there with The Last Unicorn. The music is good, the actors are fantastic, and the storyline actually has some thought to it.

Dennis Quaid is great as Bowen, the knight turned dragon slayer. He looks the part as well as acting thepart of a dragon slayer bound by the old code, who is trying to rid the world of dragons so the evil in his protégé, King Einon, will be defeated.

Sean Connery is great as the voice of Draco. According to the 'making of Dragonheart' feature on the DVD, the director had only Connery in mind for the voice, and spent 13 months trying to get the dragon to have facial and body actions that patterned Connery. I don't know if it's because Connery is so well known, or if it's because he can project life into Draco, but the dragon has a personality, and you...

Excellent movie, but get the Dolby Digital Version instead
If you are interested in this movie, buy the Collector's edition with Dolby Digital instead of this one as this DTS version offer nothing in special features and the sound is not much better than the Dolby Digital Version. And the most annoying part is when you put the disc inside your player, you are given an option to chose between DTS and Dolby Surround but you don't know which one is which as they just shift color when you chose and if you got it wrong, there is no way to get back to the option page, you have to stop the disc and open the drawer and insert the disc again. It is a pain.

The movie itself is excellent about a Dragon who gave half of his heart in order to save a dying prince. The prince turned out to be an evil king and it is up to a knight (Dennis Quaid) and the dragon (voiced by Sean Connery) to save the people. The special effect is great and the acting is good. David Thewlis is very good as the evil king. The picture quality is fine and the DTS sound is good but...

HD-DVD version
Okay folks, I am guessing you have seen this movie as it is quite a few years old now so I will not bother going into the details of it. If you wish to know more about the plot then check it out on imdb.

The big question is, how did it fare being transfered to HD-DVD? Well to sum it up I would say brilliantly. The video transfer is crisp and detailed, it does suffer a tad with film artifacts but this is the best we are ever going to see it that is for sure.

The audio transfer is absolutely superb.

You want HD-DVD? Well this is as good as it gets for this title.

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Halloween III: Season of the Witch [HD]

Watch The Magic Pumpkin
When talking about the Halloween series, you'll always get the schmuck who says, "oh yeah, then there was that one that didn't even have Michael Myers in it. That was stupid". Yup, I've heard it time and time again. Most of the time this statement comes from someone who hasn't actually seen the film or is just a victim of the general consensus that says this is a terrible film coz it's not a legitimate sequel. Sure there are people out there that honestly just don't like the film, and that's cool coz there isn't a single film that everyone agrees is good. If they have reasons for not liking the film other than the lack of Myers, that's A-OK with me. Here's a little backstory. Halloween 3 was the first and only film in an experiment of John Carpenter's. Carpenter went to great lengths to show the audience at the end of Halloween 2 that Myers is dead, terminated, gone forevermore. Carpenter hated the idea of a second Myers film, but was pressured to write a second(with the help...

Open your mind.....Halloween III is a classic!
Let me start out by saying that I love Halloween 1 & 2. When it was time for Johm Carpenter and Debra Hill to make another Halloween film, they decided that the Michael Myers character was tired and played out. So they tried something new and fresh with Halloween 3: Season Of The Witch. Being a fan of horror, Carpenter's original idea was to release a new Halloween film every few years, each one with a totally new plot and original characters. His idea was to bring in new directors and serve as a producer for these original scary tales. Well the close-minded public couldn't accept a film with the Halloween heading and no Michael Myers, so the idea was scrapped. Well I used to ditch school to watch this on The Movie Channel in the 80's, so I guess you could say I like it. A sinister warlock that wants to kill thousands of children on Halloween night. Robotic killers that can pull your head right off your shoulders. Masks that use the power of Stonehenge and ancient witchcraft to turn...

The third Halloween installment was terrifying!!
This is in my opinion one of the most terrifying films I have ever seen, the whole premise of this film is enough to frighten hell the out of anybody. The story for the film was written by Nigel "Quatermass" Kneale, and British highly acclaimed science fiction/horror writer. Nigel "Quartermass" Kneale was so overwhelmed and disgusted by the gruesomeness(blood and gore) of this picture, so he sued the producers of this film to have his name removed from the credits. The film has a deeper meaning to it. Many Americans don't realize the hedonism of Halloween or their not concerned with it. Thousands of young children in North America go trick or treating every year on Halloween, yet they don't realize what their celebrating. The film involves a Celtic warlock disguised as a CEO of large company called Silver Shamrock, who is getting ready for a Halloween like no other. Meanwhile somewhere in the rural outskirts of Northern California an old man is getting chased by a group of assilants...

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One Foot in Hell

Alan Ladd in a rare unsympathetic role
When an impoverished man (Alan Ladd) brings his ill and pregnant wife (Rachel Stephens) to a new town, their indifference and lack of compassion results in his wife's death. Feeling guilty, the town offers penance by making him a deputy sheriff and welcome him into the community. While on the surface a model citizen, he secretly plots a terrible revenge on the town to avenge his wife. To this end, he recruits a drunken ex-soldier (Don Murray), a prostitute (Dolores Michaels) and two gunslingers (Dan O'Herlihy, Barry Coe). While an intriguing and fresh premise for a western, this is no HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER. Ladd, in his most unsympathetic role, isn't a strong enough actor to register the rage simmering underneath his complacent surface. It doesn't help that he looks terrible, aged and bloated. The director James B. Clark doesn't have the edginess that would have increased the tension quotient that a film like this requires. Still, the intriguing posit is enticing enough to keep one...

Good Western
This is a good Western starring Alan Ladd and Don Murray. Let me say that this release is not a Pan&Scan like other Fox Cinema Archive releases and this is in 2.35:1 Widescreen format. This movie is also presented in color and runs for about 90mins. This movie also star: Dan O'Herlihy, Dolores Michaels, Barry Coe, Larry Gates, plus others! There isn't any special features and it only has English audio with no other languages and no subtitles. Overall this is a good Western and I would recommend this.

Arrived in listed condition and ahead of time.
The movie was excellent, good acting with enough action to keep interest. Alan Ladd looks a little hung over, but was still a good actor.

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Waist Deep [HD]

They Should've Just Given The Kid Back
Waist Deep didn't really surprise me and at the same time I was still very impressed. I think Tyrese is a very underrated actor because he did a solid job in Baby Boy but never got the recognition he deserved. Tyrese is also lucky to get roles playing characters that are based on a California lifestyle, one he has seen before growing up in Watts. Though Waist Deep may seem like the same old same movie it's really not because it's full of talent with these young stars. I knew Tyrese would be ok and play his role perfect and of coarse Larenz Tate would play his character fine but I wasn't so sure about Game and Megan Good. Game was actually a pretty good villain but besides his scarred eye he doesn't stick out as much but he gets the job done. People were probably thinking his character would be over the top just because he is a famous rapper but the director didn't go that route. Megan Good was a nice support to Tyrese and she shows that she's an actress and not just eye candy...

Predictable But I Enjoyed It Start To Finish
Tyrese Gibson and Meagan Goode heat up the big screen in the movie Waist Deep which arrives on DVD on October 10th. The movie arrived in theaters this summer and was well received. In the film, Tyrese stars as a O2 working class single father living in South Central Los Angeles. Early in the film he is the victim of a violent car jacking. Even worse his son is in the backseat of the car. A gun battle soon ensues and Tyrese finds himself on a mission to rescue his son from the hands of a dangerous street thug named Big Meat. On top of that the word on the street is that O2 has a huge stash of money hid away and Big Meat is holding his son for $100,000 cash and O2 has one day to deliver. On the street, O2 runs into a beautiful street hustler named Coco portrayed by actress Meagan Goode. After suspecting her of setting him up, he turns around and enlists her services to help him raise the ransom money. The two go on a crime spree like a urban Bonnie & Clyde hitting up hustlers and...

Hot.......Thriller
Tyrese had a strong love for his son and would do anything to keep that promise. It was a great action movie and kept me on the edge of my seat. Also, Meagan Good was a strong supporting actress and had great chemistry with Tyrese. They were a perfect match in the thriller. It had a great ending. This would be a great moive to add to your collection.

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The People Under the Stairs [HD]

Funny, Over-The-Top Horror
I've always gotten a kick out of this movie. The story line is original (or at least it seems so to me). The gore is startling in a couple of scenes but isn't overpowering. The acting is outrageously over the top but also is endearing.

Thirteen-year-old Fool (Brandon Ames) finds himself in a large suburban house owned by the two slum lords who are about to evict his sick mother and others from a ghetto tenement. He's in the house because he agreed to help two burglars make a score on treasure they heard was hidden there. Unfortunately for Fool (and his two grown-up accomplices), the owners are a brother and sister who call each other Mommy and Daddy. The man (Everett McGill) is a homicidal maniac who goes in for head-to-toe, studded, black leather bondage suits and pump action, single barrel shotguns. His sister (Wendy Robie) is just as looney and just as murderous, a screaming dominatrix. They also have a large vicious dog you wouldn't want to hand feed...that is, unless...

This movie is not cliched
An earlier review I read of this movie seems to be horribly off. It mentions that it follows a horror-movie cliche where the cops are offered food and then give up the search.

However, this reviewer is dead wrong on several accounts. One, they are not policemen at all, but rather are child services. Two, the horror movie cliche would be having the policemen not believe the little boy crying wolf. Three, instead of following cliches, this movie instead turns around and breaks all of the cliches.

Instead of being afraid, only being able to scream, and seemingly always frozen in place, Fool instead doesn't ever really scream, either runs away or TURNS AROUND, FED UP, AND ATTACKS THE VILLAINS HIMSELF. At one point, he turns around, says "I'm through running" and tackles a man-eating dog that is bigger than him.

Is a character who isn't afraid of the villains, a character who fights back, a cliche? No.

This movie was hilarious, captivating, and...

"Damn Buckshot!"
I got a real kick out of some of the previous reviews treating "People Under the Stairs" as a serious horror film! The thing with this odd movie is that it should be awful...the premise is just so goofy, but somehow things just click and it's just too damn fun! If you like horror-humor, along the lines of the second two Evil Dead films or Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, then you will enjoy "People Under the Stairs". You can't treat this film seriously, if you go into this movie expecting to be scared or frightened you are going to be sorely disappointed. There really are no tense scenes, and anytime the film approaches anything the may be deemed as frightening, something so absurd will happen that you will be smiling immediately. This movie is quite a bit of fun, just don't take it too seriously.

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The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps [HD]

Nutty 2 better than the original? I think so!
Nutty Professor 2 was one of the funniest movies this summer. It was definitely better and had a better story than the other fat suiyt comedy this year, Big Mamma's House. This one is better because we get more of Eddie at what he does best and we get Janet Jackson, who lights up the screen with her presence. Granny Klump is the best. She makes you laugh every time you see her. Great movie! Funny movie! Excellent Characters! Get it now!

The Klumps Uncensored/ Censored-There isn't mush difference
Nutty Professor II was a funny movie, I own the DVD. When I saw that they had an uncensored version I was excited to see what was considered too racey for to the version that was in the theaters. I was very disappointed. There aren't any extra scenes. Just a few more lines from about 3 of the characters, which does not make much of a difference in the movie. As far as the Extra Features...I was looking forward to seeing Janet Jackson's screen test. BIG disappointment. They just show the wardrobe test of Janet in Mama's hug wedding dress. I was expecting to see Janet basically auditioning, reading for the part of Denise Gaines. Dont get me wrong i Loved Nutty Professor II and I am I huge Janet Jackson fan, but I would suggest that you either get one version (Censored or Uncensored) or the other. There is no reason to have both. Also check the running time of both movie. the Uncensored version is only 2 minutes longer, so that should tell you how much of a difference there is...

Pretty Good Movie. The Uncensored Version Is The Same Thing
WARNING! MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! READ WITH CAUTION! YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!!!!!!

O.K. I really like Nutty Proffesor 2 The Klumps. If you get past some of the sex jokes (some which aren't even funny) and the sick, perverted things (a hampster raping Dean Richmend) you'll find yourself laughing pretty darn hard. I'll admit it is pretty funny. Not really like Airplane! but good for a few laughs.

Since I'm sure you've seen other reviews that tell you the plot I'm not going to even bother. Instead, I'll tell you what I think of this Uncensored Director's Cut.

First off, I own the reqular version on VHS, and I was quite happy with it, but when I saw the Ucensored DVD, WOW!!! I got excited. Imagine what could have been considered to Rated-R-ish, and was cut out!!!! There might be some pretty funny stuff in there!!! I got the DVD, and unwrapped the plastic and put the disk in my DVD player. Oh, I was so prepared to get blown away, the same way I got blown away with the Extended...

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MacGruber [HD]

Underrated Over the Top Action/Comedy!!!
A lot people trashed this movie, and I felt I had to throw my two cents in! I grew up watching 80's action flicks actually in the 80's and loved all the 80's action movie cliches and nods thrown in this movie! They even started the movie off with the whole "You're the best, and we need you back" schtick!! Cool!!! The people that trashed the movie just didn't understand the over the top humor, that's all. Ok, YES this movie is stupid. YES it has toilet humor. BUT it is SO over the top stupid that it's hilarious! If you like over the top 80's action movies, then why NOT give MacGruber a try??? I mean, MacGruber has a mullet, 16 purple hearts, and 3 Medals of honor! That in itself is so ridiculous it's AWESOME!! And the way MacGruber finishes the badguy? Well, let's just say any 80's action fan would be proud! I really liked all the actors too! They took it to the next level of sheer silliness! Mad Martigan (Val Kilmer) as the bad guy?? Perfect!!! There were only a...

A Wonderful Throat-Ripping Adventure
This movie at first seems horrible. Then the slow realization that it may be one of the better movies ever made starts to creep over you. Then it hits you. MacGruber is tits. If you think this movie is stupid, you deserve to have Will Forte rip your throat out with his bare hands. Three times. That's called a Turkey baby.

Let's go pound some...
I went into watching this movie absolutely kicking and screaming. I had heard the SNL skits were not all that clever, and most spin-offs suffer an equally horrible demise at the box-office. I think the R-rating is what really helped Will Forte deliver his vision of what MacGruber stood for, and by all means, this turned out to be hands down one of the funniest comedies I have seen. I am almost embarrassed to say that I watched this movie four times last week.

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Which Way Is Up? [HD]

Good Movies, Bare Bones Treatment
As you may know, comedian Richard Pryor passed away in December of 2005 following a massive heart attack. The award winning funnyman had also been suffering from Multiple Sclerosis. On February 7th, Universal released a four movie collection titled The Richard Pryor 4-Movie Collection. Universal re-released Bustin' Loose on DVD last year as part of their Soul Cinema collection, so I was a bit curious as to why this film was being released on DVD again.

The Richard Pryor 4 Movie Collection features the following films-Which Way Is Up, Brewster's Millions, Car Wash, and Bustin' Loose. This is a good collection of Pryor's funnier films. The bad thing about this collection is the bare bones treatment. There is no booklet, there are no new bonus features (as a matter of fact there are no bonus features at all), and there aren't even four discs. The movies are packaged on dual sided discs with two movies on each side of one disc. Each film is presented in anamorphic widescreen...

Hilarious Genius
" Which Way Is Up " , has been , and still is one of the funniest movies , that I've seen. From the beginning to the end , it's just down right hilarious. I'm smiling right now , just thinking about certain scenes. The script isn't original , by any means...but Richard Pryor's comedic talents take this film to unprecedented heights of humor. During a period of 1970's film making , when stereotypical images of Blacks , were the norm , this film is highly likely to offend people who are desiring political correctness.However , if you're able to except this film , for what it is .....you'll soon find yourself laughing at every ludricrous scene. I think the genuine qualities, of this film , are that it doesn't try to be something it isn't. It also doesn't attmept to be over-the-top, ridiculous. It simply tells the story of Leroy Jones's ( a young man , who leads a life of stagnant impoverishment), relocation to the big city. Motivated by the prospects of new romance , more money , and the...

Richard Pryor Fan
If you like Richard Pryor, you'll love this DVD. Pryor plays three different characters in "Which Way is Up" and every character is a riot! His interaction with the children in "Bustin' Loose will have you in stitches! The only reason this doesn't get five stars is because of "Brewster's Millions", which I did not find quite as funny as the other three movies. Three great and one decent Richard Pryor movies all on one DVD---you can't beat it for the price.

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Cinderella Man [HD]

Riveting Humanity
Friends had warned me that much of the first part of this film was slow and they had made the same observation of Angela's Ashes. I disagree with them about both. In Cinderella Man (a phrase attributed to Damon Runyon), it is imperative that James Braddock's circumstances and those of his family are carefully, unhurriedly established to create an appropriate context for the process by which he resumed his career as a professional fighter in 1934 and then faced Max Baer on June 13th, 1935, in Long Island City, N.Y. Although a 10-1 underdog, Braddock won the heavyweight championship of the world. (The film takes us to this point.) He would lose his heavyweight title two years later in an 8 round KO to Joe Louis, "The Brown Bomber." Braddock retired after a final win over Tommy Farr in 1938.

Other reviewers have shared their own reasons for thinking so highly of this film. Here are mine. First, perhaps only in Raging Bull is the physicality of boxing so compellingly portrayed...

Crowe Superb in Extraordinary Film Bio...
"Cinderella Man", Ron Howard's heart-felt film biography of boxing legend James J. Braddock, never received the recognition it deserved when first released, due, in large part, to Russell Crowe's bad press following a telephone-throwing incident. Overzealous critics tended to lump the incident and film together, and despite Crowe's public apology, many moviegoers skipped it. Now that the film is available on DVD, it's time to acknowledge the film for what it always HAS been; director Howard and star Crowe's FINEST film, together!

Braddock's story is so amazing and inspirational, that it is astonishing that it's taken seventy years to tell it. Sylvester Stallone 'borrowed' from it, extensively, in creating "Rocky", and in viewing the film, the parallels between fact and fiction are obvious; Braddock had been an 'up and comer' in the twenties, but broken bones and ill-advised matches had cost him a championship shot. Then the Depression struck, Braddock was wiped out,...

You can have Rocky, I'll take Cinderella Man.
If you see only one movie this year, see Cinderella Man, starring Russell Crowe and Renee Zellweger, directed by Ron Howard. You will be glad you did. Well-written, acted and directed, it will deserve any laurels it takes this coming award season. This review contains "spoilers". The movie is based on a real life--knowing how the story ends does not in any way detract from one's appreciation of it.

Cinderella Man is the story of James J. Braddock, a boxer in the 1930s who after suffering injury and a losing streak, came back to win the heavy-weight Championship. It is a mesmerizing story with indelible imagery of The Great Depression. The blood and violent behavior was appropriate to the story-confined as it was to the boxing ring.

Ron Howard makes movies about real people and real events-Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind, for instance. He sometimes glosses over, or skips entirely, unpleasant or unsavory events in the lives he translates to the visual medium...

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Scott Pilgrim vs. The World [HD]

A Completely Fresh Type of Movie
First things first, it was Not a cut and paste of the books.
It was as funny, as innovative, as lovable, as heartfelt, and as humble as the books.
My favorite part of the books though, was that they were just really fun. I felt a smile on my face while I read it.
The movie version doesn't lose that.

Some characters are far gayer (weird, I expected to see a red line under that word), and some characters are far less.
Some lost face time and others gained, but I can't think of a single Book-to-Movie edit that was a bad call. (considering they had to cut about 75% of all character development/back stories)

It feels inappropriate to use the same old words and phrases to praise a movie that was slathered with completely new things I've never seen in a movie or script. I owe Edgar Wright and Brian Lee O'Malley an attempt though...

-Any one scene from this movie could be viral on YouTube on its own.
-My 'Love the Movie' to 'Hate the...

A Weirdly Appealling Mishmash
I'd never heard of this movie or the book that it was apparently based on, but watched it last night. This movies is a weirdly appealing mishmash of twenty-something angst, a comic book plot, videogame fight sequences and hard-driving punk rock. It's also one of the funniest movies I've ever seen with a huge number of laugh out loud sequences and dialog, example:

Scott, picking up a guitar: "I wrote a song about you."
(plays a tender, haunting song mostly repeating the name Ramona)
Ramona, after song ends: "That was nice, let me know when you've finished it."
Shot of Scott looking perplexed.

Ramona: "Back then I was bi-curious."
Female Evil-ex: "Now I'm BI-FURIOUS!"

I'm not going to get into the plot of the movie, which is mostly irrelevant anyway. This film is just an escapist roller coaster. Forget about anything making sense and enjoy the ride. It's a blast.

Best Comic Movie Ever
NOTE: This is just reviewing the theatrical release, not the DVD or Blu-ray.

It was with very little fanfare that I went to see Scott Pilgrim vs. the World on opening night. The ads were never really appealing to me and I felt like Michael Cera was being typecast so I figured this movie would be a flop. Still, there was enough positive buzz that I agreed to come along when a friend wanted to go and I'm floored at how opposite of a reaction I had to this film. Not only is it probably the biggest surprises of my life as far as movies go (not plot-wise, just in my feelings about it), but it's hands down one of the most fun experiences I've ever had in a movie theater.

The plot of Scott Pilgrim is pretty much exactly what you'd expect from the trailers: Michael Cera is Scott Pilgrim, who has fallen in love with a very alluring girl who, as it so happens, has 7 evil exes who have banded together to ensure that no one dates her if they can't. You really have to go...

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The Breakfast Club [HD]

"Sweets, you couldn't ignore me if you tried..."
Just when you couldn't bare being in school during the week, imagine having to be forced to spend a Saturday there. That's what happens to five high school students who are forced to spend a Saturday detention together. None of them have anything in common and none of them are friends. Each is an opposite from the other. The group consists of a brain, a prom queen, a jock, a basket case and a trouble-maker. A unique and unexpected bond is formed by the five teens as the day goes on, with all sorts of different states of emotion going on for each of them. No matter happens on Monday, all five of them will always that one Saturday together; therefore, forever labeling them "The Breakfast Club."

Not only is this a classic film, it's one of my personal favorites. I loved it when I was little and I love it now as I am in my twenties. It's so refreshing to have a brutally honest film that plays on all of your emotions as this movie does. And even though this was shot in...

Review of the DVD transfer
There are plenty of reviews here about the movie, so there is no sense in writing another.

This review is about the DVD. I will tell you up front that this DVD looks like a direct copy off VHS. I have seen the VHS version about 2 times this year and when the title song comes on, the audio fades in and out. Not bad, but you can definitely see some age in it. The DVD is EXACTLY the same. The sound is of no higher quality.

There is no widescreen, just a full screen with the same picture quality as VHS. It's not horrible, but if you are the type of person who buys DVDs for the superior picture quality, you are definitely going to be unhappy with this.

The movie itself is EXCELLENT, I love it, but the DVD transfer from VHS isn't the best.

As for bonus features, you get bios for all of the actors. The trouble is, the information included is the same as you can find on the internet movie database (imdb) as well as fan sites. If you have read a fair amount on any of the actors and...

THE Definitive Gen X Movie of All Time
If you graduated from high school in the 1980s and haven't seen this film, you must have been locked in a cave.

John Hughes delivers the definitive nostalgic teen movie of the Generation X crowd. The cast made up the '80s "brat pack" with Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall. It's hard to believe while seeing this film that Ringwald and Hall were the only real high school aged performers... the others were in their mid to late 20s during filming.

While modern teens may not find this as "sophisticated" as over-sexed comedies like "American Pie," anyone can appreciate true feelings, teen angst, self doubt and relationships with parents portrayed in this film.

A group of kids sitting for 8 hours in detention on a Saturday none of them will ever forget. While there is foul language, it's about the same speed as what you can hear on "NYPD Blue" on TV. There is no nudity or sex, just raw,...

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