Dorkgasm - DVD Review

The Hangover | DVD Review

kenneth.holm — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 19:15:09 +0000

In The Air Tonight
A review of The Hangover on Blu-Ray
by Kenneth Holm
Dorkgasm Senior Staff Writer

The Hangover is very much a case of the little movie that could. With a crude, smaller budget film like this, no one really expected too much out of it. Even Lindsay Lohan turned down a part because she did not think it was ever going to go anywhere. Surprisingly, The Hangover turned out to be one of the biggest hits of 2009, raking in scads of cash and assuring a career for everyone involved. I have a little history going into The Hangover. I saw it in the theater and was not terribly amused. I thought the acting was sub-par, the plot ludicrous, and the humor dumbed down to the point of being retarded. However, then I saw it again. And again. This continued for some time until I realized that The Hangover is flat-out one of the funniest movies in some time. Fast forward to the end of 2009, when the movie finally hit DVD and Blu-Ray. Apparently, I was not the only one terribly amused, as it was nigh impossible to get a copy for some time. Finally, things settled down and I sat back to check out The Hangover on Blu-Ray.

The Hangover is loosely based on a true life story that happened to one of the producers. Doug Billings (Justin Bartha, National Treasure: Book Of Secrets) is getting married. So, in the grand tradition of stupidity, he heads to Las Vegas with his friends Phil Wenneck (Bradley Cooper, All About Steve) and Stu Price (Ed Helms, TV's The Office) for a boys-night-out in Sin City. Along for the ride is his bride-to-be's quirky brother Alan (Zack Galifianakis, Youth In Revolt). The night begins with a toast to the night ahead and ends the next morning when Stu, Phil, and Alan awake in their hotel suite that is completely trashed only to find that Doug has disappeared, someone left a baby behind, and a tiger is taking up residence in the bathroom. As the friends run around trying to reconstruct the night and find Doug, they run into a bevy of problems, including a couple cops who are out for blood, an effeminate Chinese gangster (Ken Jeong, Knocked Up), a stripper named Jade (Heather Graham, Boogie Nights), and Mike Tyson himself. The movie itself is a wonderful treat, but the additional features that round out the Blu-Ray make this a must-purchase.

Click image to visit the official site. Imace Copyright Warner Bros.

In addition to the theatrical version of the movie, the disc also has the unrated version of The Hangover. This cut weighs in at about eight minutes longer and features mostly extended versions of gags and a couple new scenes. There is not enough here to change anyone's mind about the movie, but for fans it will give a couple new jokes to laugh about and insert into everyday conversation. The movie also features picture-in-picture commentary during the theatrical version. The commentary is pretty funny at times, and it tells a lot about the filming of the movie. The “Action Mash-Up” feature is a short video containing a selection of the film's physical violence and pratfalls. If you liked Zack Galifianakis's Best Friend song, there's a feature that has all three principals freestyling their own version. The “Map Of Destruction” is an interactive map that shows the real-life locations from the movie and gives a little Vegas history as well. There is the requisite Gag Reel feature, which is pretty damn amusing, just to see Galifianakis and Cooper blowing their takes hilariously. The two features you should take note of are the missing pictures and “The Madness Of Ken Jeong”. The missing pictures are from the digital camera that the guys used to capture their night out. Wayne Newton and Carrot Top show up in a few of them and they are pretty amusing on the whole. “The Madness Of Ken Jeong” is unquestionably the highlight here. It takes Ken Jeong, who played the gangster Leslie Chow, and shows his many blown takes while he was improvising lines for his character to say. There is a lot of memorable lines that I have found I am still throwing out in everyday conversation, and one particular gesture that just will not go away.

Yeah, everyone loves The Hangover. The movie made more money than anyone thought possible. Just do yourself a favor and go check this one out. Get a bunch of friends together, grab some beers, and enjoy the comedy of the year.

Supernatural: Season Four | DVD Review

JSobczak — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 06:06:35 +0000

Grim Brothers
By
Jenny Sobczak
Staff Writer

Supernatural is one of the highest-rated shows on the CW, however much that means in the world of television as a whole. The season premiere for the fifth season pulled in excellent ratings for the network, while the fourth season DVDs were released at the very beginning of September. The stars never cease to surprise in the DVD’s features, either. For a show with only two regulars, Supernatural has been full of twists, turns, and demons from day one, and the features of season five give real insight to the mythology behind the series.

Any Supernatural fan knows the first place to go when the DVD is in the player is the gag reel. Each reel has had a different theme or included more goofs from one episode than the rest. In a previous gag reel, the theme was Jensen Ackles’snon-stop on-screen eating. This season’s centered on the episode titled “Monster Movie.” Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki always cram so much into a segment of bloopers that lasts no longer than a few minutes, and this season’s reel is no exception. The actors’ flubs, both purposeful and accidental, make this feature a must-see for hardcore and casual fans alike.

Click image to buy this DVD set

The DVD also has the usual episode commentaries, which I rarely look at but finally did for this box set. I never wanted to watch anything with a person talking over it the entire time, but it’s easy to see why these features are as ubiquitous as they are. The commentary removes the concentration on the plot and allows the viewer to appreciate the artistry behind the editing and cinematography, which is more important than many viewers might realize. The motivations, particularly for the last two episodes of this season, come through very well in these commentaries.

The main feature on this season’s DVD set is called “The Mythologies of Supernatural: From Heaven to Hell,” and rather than taking time and explaining what goes on behind the scenes of the filming itself, this feature tells fans about key elements from season four. Three sections explain the necessary factors about Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell. For those fans too lazy to Google the backstory to the angels and demons in this season, this feature is very helpful. However, for the few of us who were so driven to look up the mythologies behind characters such as Lilith, this is merely the same information presented to us in a different manner. I would say it was a waste of disc space if it didn’t tie into the show at all, but these parts made it worthwhile.

Previous seasons’ box sets included more features in general. Each had five or six bullet points under the “special features” heading. Season four? A measly four parts, not including each Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell subfeature. Even the third season, which was affected by the writer’s strike, managed to pull out interesting bits from certain episodes and build featurettes around that. As a consumer, I expected more from one of my favorite shows than three commentaries, a three-part mythology lesson, a few deleted scenes, and the ever-popular gag reel.

While lacking in quantity, the fourth season’s DVD features for Supernatural were high in quality. Even the mythology lesson, while repeating some information I already knew, was concentrated enough on the episodes as to keep it from feeling unnecessary. The gag reel will never stop being my favorite feature of these DVDs, though, and it’s very easy for me to say that they are most likely the funniest gag reels I’ve ever seen on a DVD. This one segment is enough to keep me buying and to keep disappointment at bay.

Final Verdict (out of 5):

Dead Like Me: Life after Death | DVD Review

jsaystoyou — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 22:46:24 +0000

Shoulda been cremated and launched into space, instead of that cat...
By
J. Sternberg
Staff Writer

Showtime has an incredible knack for offing their original series regardless of the fan base. All too often, this also occurs with a season finale ending in a cliffhanger (or several) becoming a series' finale and leaving a load of unanswered questions. Dead Like Me (2003-2005) had two stellar seasons and ended with a barn burner. Seeing that the series would make a comeback in the form of a feature length DVD movie, I chomped at the bit to see what was up with my favorite characters and exactly how those annoying little loose ends were going to get tied up. I had high hopes, for if nothing else, I'd get one more chance to go reaping with George, Mason, Rube, Roxy and Daisy. What I got, was nothing of the sort.

Fans of the series, just please, look elsewhere, these are not the droids you're looking for. Nothing about Dead Like Me: Life after Death feels even remotely like the series, there's no continuity to speak of, Rube is nowhere to be found, the actress playing Daisy has been replaced, and instead of all the dry humor and characters you remember, it seems like they've replaced the actual characters, with hedonistic, self serving morons, with absolutely no conscious to speak of. The word of the day kids, is pathetic.

Instead of getting even the most brief of summaries as to what happened following the series early end, they simply state that its been 5 years since George died (the show's debut). In the special features there is a lot of talk about this being a film, so its different from the series, but to that I say "bullshit," its nothing more than a double episode cash in.

Click image to visit the site

I won't go into the plot because it feels like the thing was written in between cocktails, and trading back Playstation controllers. To those wondering if this is just my inner fanboy coming out and being pissed, I can only respond with this; if this was a standalone film, and had nothing to do with a rich back-storied television series, it would have failed even more miserably. The characters don't develop, the plot doesn't really move so much as stagger around drunkenly in between the credits, and the editing screams "Showtime Original Series."

Normally I'd name names and give credit where credit is due, but I'm refusing on principal. In short, this film was nothing short of a cash in, and felt wholly disconnected from the previous work, and is definitely not worth its namesake or the 15 dollars you'll spend on it.

I give Dead Like Me 1 "space toilet to the head" out of 5.

Repo! The Genetic Opera | DVD Review

jsaystoyou — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 19:53:33 +0000

I Rob GRRAAAVVVEESSSS
by
J. Sternberg
Staff Writer

Okay kids, lets get our imagination hats on. Alright, picture the 2000's version of Moulin Rouge as a woman, you got it? Cool, Now picture Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd as a man (not the characters themselves, but put a face on the film, oh and for the hell of it, give it a hot body) got that? Great! Now picture them fucking like mad, and Moulin Rouge forgets her pill, and becomes pregnant. Oh no! What do Rouge and Todd do? Its simply really, get an abortion. They both go their merry way as this abortion has torn them apart, but that is not the end of the story. No! The fetus somehow survived and was raised by Robocop (the original X rated cut). That half aborted bastard, would be 2008's Repo! The Genetic Opera.

Now I understand that description may be a little vulgar, and extremely over the top, but if you see the film you'll understand why. I went there, because they went there first. The plot of the film is to my knowledge standard opera fair (betrayal, greed, lust, secrets,) but gothed out and chock full of sexuality and violence, and on that level it succeeds. Everything in this beast is so ridiculously over the top that it kinda feels like a punch in the gut when its over with, and you'll most likely need time to digest the film as a whole before developing an opinion.

The basic premise is that in the future a biotech company has taken to doing enhancement surgeries for virtually anything and everything, and these surgeries while expensive can be financed. Instead of getting sent to collections, or ducking phone calls when you don't pay your bill however, the GeneCo sends out the Repo Man to take back your unpaid innards.

Now let's get to the meat and potatoes, how was Repo! The Genetic Opera? I liked it, but it had its share of ups and downs. Rotti Largo (Paul Sorvino), Shilo (Alex Vega) and Nathan/The Repo Man (Anthony Head) all played their parts well, but their overly pitch corrected voices were at times disorienting. Rotti's offspring, Luigi (Bill Moseley) Pavi, easily my favorite character in the film (Ogre), and Amber Sweet (Paris Hilton) were quite simply fun as hell to watch and impossible not to laugh at, in fact my only complaint about them was that they weren't onscreen enough. I loved the graphic novel presentation of the character back stories, but they also could have been better served acted out or animated. Some of the songs were a little hard to swallow (Shilo's "fuck you dad" Avril Lavigne styled "punk rocker" number was horrendous). My biggest complaint however was just that for an over the top production like this, a good deal of it could have been greatly improved by a few tweaks. Being a musical of sorts, the instrumentation on the soundtrack just sounds Casio keyboard bad most of the time, and its almost an unforgivable sin. The Grave Robber character while serving most of the narration purposes of the film was just too overbearing and kinderbat for my liking. Regardless of its flaws, Repo! was a lot of fun, and in the end, that is really all that matters.
I can't recommend it to people that aren't into musicals, but if you dig a rawboned combination of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and a slasher flick, you'll probably be quite pleased.

I give Repo! The Genetic Opera 3 "I rob GRRAAAVVVEESSSS" out of 5.

And for the record, this down below is still the best movie with Repo in the title.

And also, see Ken's second opinion, if you don't like to watch movies to get the story, he'll spell the whole thing out for ya real nice like, every shot, plot twist, everything. God Ken takes the fun out of stuff....

Repo!: The Genetic Opera | DVD Review

kenneth.holm — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:29:22 +0000

A Second Opinion
by
Kenneth Holm
Senior Staff Writer

Now, I am fully aware that our erstwhile cub reporter J has already posted his review of Repo!: The Genetic Opera, but I will also chime in on this subject. See, I like J's review, and am happy that he had fun with it, even though I do think that the movie is much better than he gave it credit for. Let's look at this from the beginning...

The film originally started out as a stage play called The Necromerchant's Debt and quickly expanded when Hollywood came a-calling in the form of Saw director Darren Lynn Bousman. So, because he directed the film, I am sure we all know what to expect. Grimy color schemes, grue of all types, and an appropriately gothic looking cast is par for the course. However, that is just the icing on the cake. The story of a doomed father and naive daughter is one that has been played out before, but this time it is pretty damn fun. Nathan Wallace, played masterfully by Anthony Stewart Head (Buffy The Vampire Slayer series), is a Repo Man. Repo Men (for the film does show that there are more than one... Sequel anyone?) work for GeneCo, a sprawling biotech business that has gotten into the reprehensible practice of renting organs to own. First it started from necessity, but soon vanity took hold and now the burgeoning empire is supplying cosmetic surgery to all... who can afford it. If you cannot pay, hey, no biggie! Make payments, but don't be slack with the due dates. If you miss one, the Repo Man will come and rip the still-functioning organ out of your living body. Fun, right?

Anyhoo, predictably the Repo Man has a secret. His teenage daughter Shiloh (Alexa Vega of Spy Kids... fame?) does not know that he does these terrible things. Turns out, he only does them because his daughter is terribly ill and he is trying to keep her alive because she is all that he has left after his wife's terrible death. Now, Wallace works directly for the head of GeneCo, Rotti Largo (Paul Sorvino from damn near every movie who needs an Italian hardass). Rotti rules his empire with a golden fist, and his three children are always there to embarrass him. Luigi Largo (Bill Mosely of the upcoming Dead Air and every single Rob Zombie movie. Ever.) is the "brains" of the trio. He believes himself to be the smartest and toughest of the Largo spawn, but his fiery temper threatens to erupt at any time. That usually leads to someone dying. Paviche "Pavi" Largo (Nivek Orge of Skinny Puppy infamy) is the youngest and oddest of the siblings. He is truly a ladies man, whose face is pretty scarred up. He makes up for this by wearing the faces of dead women. Then, there's Amber Sweet. Amber is played by Paris Hilton, who plays completely against type as a ditzy multi-millionaire spoiled little bitch who thinks she can sing... Jeez, it is too easy sometimes. Anyhoo, Amber is addicted to surgery and has a bit of a drug problem. All of these four are constantly fighting over who is the next to take over the company.

The plot goes in kind of a predictable direction, throwing co-creator Terrance Zdunich (playing The Graverobber, a kind of Greek Chorus /drug dealer/umm...graverobber) and opera singer Sarah Brightman (playing Blind Mag, a kind of creepy but hot opera singer. Also playing against type) into the mix. Truly, I love this movie. I got into it pretty early, getting the "Pre-Surgery Sampler" soundtrack that was released all the way back in July of 2008. When the soundtrack came out, I got it immediately and have been singing along to it until it finally hit DVD. When I watched it, I was slightly... Well, I didn't originally know how I thought about it. After about five more viewings (within a week), I decided that this was truly the Hot TopiGoth generation's Rocky Horror Picture Show. While RHPS is slightly more subtle and done with a wink and a nod to the sexuality, Repo! takes it that three crucial steps further, throwing blood, gore, nudity, fierce killings, dead people, and a surprise vocal performance from the long-missing Poe into the slop bucket.

Then, there is the performances. All around, I have to disagree with J's assessment of the musical numbers. Anthony Stewart Head has proven himself a quite capable singer in the past (the Buffy musical episode "Once More With Feeling" and some work on James Marsters's CDs) and he continues to be exceptional in this movie. Also, who would have guessed that Paul Sorvino could not only sing, but sing awesomely? Sarah Brightman predictably does superbly, as does Zdunich in his narrative role. However, the best surprise performance-wise was the Largo siblings. Bill Mosely is so hilairously over-the-top as Luigi that it is impossible not to laugh during his and Pavi's performance of "Mark It Up". Paris Hilton also dies what she can to liven up the proceedings, and I think that industrial-punk should be the next CD that she puts out. Sure is a hell of a lot better than that "Stars Are Blind" crap.

Overall, I cannot recommend this enough for everyone. If you like horror movies, watch it. If you like musicals, watch it. If you like boobies, watch it. Hell, if you like looking at movie corpses, watch it. Just give it a shot. I promise you that you might not be sorry. If you are, blame J. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Out of five:

Cursed | DVD Review

kenneth.holm — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 16:50:16 +0000

Cursed: A DVD Review
By
Kenneth Holm
Senior Staff Writer

Now, I know what you are probably thinking. Rest assured, though, that this is not a review of the horrible Wes Craven stinker from 2005. Imagine if you will a horror movie with almost no cohesive structure and supernatural elements that combine themselves with the reckless abandon of free-form jazz. This is what Cursed is all about, and I'm happy to say that the results are cooler than they might sound.

Cursed, or 'Chô' kowai hanashi A: yami no karasu as it is known in Japan, begins with a literal bang within the first two minutes. Two schoolgirls are walking to meet some friends when they decide to stop and grab some juice at a convenience store. One of the girls stops in front of the store, saying she cannot move anymore and will not go into the store. As her friend tries to coax her into the store, she continues to back away, only to hit the street and get turned into a bloody mess by a semi truck. From there, the book gets even weirder and more frightening.

The convenience store is owned by a husband and wife and staffed by two teenagers, Nao and Komori. Well, this convenience store apparently is cursed, which explains the clever title. The store is currently in the process of being bought out by a larger franchise that sends Ms. Ryoko Kagami to begin the inventory process. However, when Ryoko arrives, it sets off a chain of events that are seemingly unconnected, but we know they are. I really cannot do this movie justice with words. I constantly try to keep from expressing myself with common curse words, but this movie is a mindfuck, plain and simple. Customers who patronize the store often buy things of varying monetary amounts. However, far too many item combinations come to 666 yen. Whenever this happens, the customer is seemingly marked for death. Actually, most people who buy anything from this store meet their end pretty interestingly. Everything from the Michael Myers style unstoppable killer to the creepy women of the Ringu and Ju-On series of movies are referenced.

During this time while all of their customers seem to be dying off, Komori and Ryoko are striving to find out the secret to the store. Needless to say, the secret is not too much of a secret, and it only takes one crazy old woman to blow the whole thing wide open. However, this is not the only problem. It would seem that Komori's co-worker and apparent paramour, Nao, is slowly becoming a victim of the store after being attacked by a creepy faceless monster in a parka. Ryoko's boss is also slowly going insane while waiting outside the hospital after getting his feet amputated. Please note that this happened after he had gone to the store.

This movie will constantly keep you guessing and wondering what the hell is going on. This, of course, is exactly how I like my movies. I know it does not sound like it, but I really have to recommend this movie to you. It is very well shot, even though it was obviously done on the cheap. The acting is on par with other larger releases, and I just love the atmosphere. Check this one out if you are tired of everything America tries to pass off as horror.

Final Verdict (out of 5):

DVD Release Roundup - 6/10/08 | DVD Reviews

ScarletK — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 04:45:55 +0000

DVD Release Roundup - 6/10/08 By Cheryl Kobs Staff Writer Okay so this week is certainly better than some we have seen recently. There’s a wicked set of sisters, a teleporting loser, some very funny killers and a guy who just wants to go to prom. Jumper Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson, Diane Lane Anywhere is possible. Due to a genetic deformity David (Christensen) can jump through space and eventually finds himself in the middle of a war that has been raging between other jumpers and those set on killing them. Being a person who lost all respect for Hayden… oh wait I have to have respect for someone in the first place in order to lose it. Dude, the guy sucks, so I chose not to watch something I was pretty sure would suck-ass. However, Mike took the bullet and actually saw this in the theatre so feel free to refer to his review of the film. I think you will find that we share a similar opinion of this over-rated actor, but he can actually tell you about the movie too. The Other Boleyn Girl Scarlet Johnansen, Natalie Portman, Eric Bana, Jim Sturgess The only thing that could come between these sisters... is a kingdom. Okay we do already have reviews for this movie, one apparently involving a monster baby but here is yet another. Based on a best selling novel, the movie tells the story of the Boleyn family, Mary, Anne and George Boleyn, and their relationship to King Henry the VIII. Most people know the story of how Anne convinced Henry to divorce his wife and therefore create the Church of England. She gave birth to Elizabeth Tudor. Then, when she was found unable to produce an heir to the throne, she was beheaded and the King moved on to his next bride. Few people know that Anne’s sister Mary also had a child with Henry VIII. Yeah the guy gets around. Anyway, the movie shows the way that the two sisters related to each other during this time. As opposed to the film Anne of a Thousand Days, the story focuses on the sisters and not the romance between Anne and Henry with Mary as a quiet bystander. The film is not the most action-packed, and could have been greatly improved with a better score, but it is a poignant telling of the story. It is obviously adapted from a book considering the way that the storyline jumps more then Hayden Christensen. So my advice, read the book to get the story of this family and if you want to watch a good movie about this family, get Elizabeth: The Golden Age.

Funny Games (U.S.) Naomi Watts, Tim Roth, Michael Pitt, Brady Corbet You mustn’t underestimate the importance of entertainment. Two serial killers so polite you can barely bring yourself to hate them take a family hostage and begin eliminating each of them through interesting and quirky games. When a serial killer makes you play hot/cold to find your dead dog, yeah that’s quirky and fun. And they do it with a smile the whole time. There are some slow parts in the middle, but it will leave you with a smile on your face too. It is mildly irritating how stupid the victims are. They literally just let everything happen to them. Perhaps because of their social class, they are not used to being rough with people, but I think fighting back even a little would have been nice. And the one moment of victory from the victims is quickly taken away, much to my disappointment, even though it does help make the movie worth watching. Very funny and wildly entertaining. Otis Illeana Douglas, Daniel Stern, Ashley Johnson, Bostin Christopher Why can’t you just play play along? A lonely and psychotic pizza delivery guy kidnaps a young girl and keeps her locked up in a room in his basement where he acts out a high school fantasy of taking his older brother’s wife Kim to the prom. The combination of a socially awkward villain, a hysterical family, and a girl who is willing to play along makes this movie a riot to watch. Not the typical hostage-slasher movie, it does have a fair amount of gore but also lines like “we’ll cut off his fingers and toes and your dad can blend them into a smoothie and we can make him drink it”. The ending leaves a little to be desired, but generally leaves you giggling. Check it out. If you have the choice between this movie, The Eye, or Jumper, watch this one. Also coming to DVD this week: Bucket List The List The Signal Witless Protection You Belong to Me

Shutter (Thai) | DVD Review

kenneth.holm — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 22:59:44 +0000

Shutter A DVD Review By Kenneth Holm Senior Staff Writer Back in 2004, there was a film from Thailand set loose upon an unsuspecting populace. The film dealt with the world of “spirit photography”, and what it could actually be. Then, in 2008, the American public got a tepid remake of the film that originally shocked audiences worldwide, and there was no rejoicing. Even fans of Joshua Jackson were saddened. However, thanks go to the wonderful folks from Tartan Video for their “Asia Extreme” series, which finally brought the much-heralded original to American shores. Now, maybe the rest of us can see what all of the fuss was about, eh? Shutter starts out with a group of friends enjoying a wedding. Everyone is talking and having a good old time. However, on the way home, Tun (Ananda Everingham) and Jane (Natthaweeranuch Thongmee) hit a bit of a rough spot in the road. Oh, by “rough spot”, I mean they hit a girl with their car. Jane, who is driving at the time, says they should stick around and help her out. Tun is not having it, however. Sooner than you can say “I know what you did last summer in Thailand”, they take off, leaving behind a young woman who has just been made road pizza by their vehicle. Soon Tun, who is a professional photographer, begins to notice various shadows and other ethereal objects popping up in his pictures. He cannot take a single picture without it being mucked up. Jane begins to think it might have had something to do with the girl she hit, but it is actually quite deeper, and older, than that. Jane and Tun are quickly caught up in a web of lies and revenge that they will not be able to escape from. As friends of Tun begin dropping off, though, Jane begins to suspect that Tun has more to do with it than he has let on. To tell you anymore would make you confused and less interested in the movie, so I will leave off here. Did I like the movie? Absolutely. I definitely have a thing for the scares and psychological nature of most Asian horror films. This film is successful because it does not go for the easy scares. Sure, there are a few “jump scares” in the film, but there almost has to be at this stage. The best aspect of this movie is that it takes the time to set up a wonderful story and truly get under your skin. Like Kairo (Pulse) and Ju-On (The Grudge) before it, this movie succeeded in most every market it touched because spirits are an integral part of many cultures. Unfortunately, our culture kind of sucks, so we get beat over the head with gore and jump scares. Almost every single Asian horror movie I have seen is much more atmospheric and subtly terrifying, and Shutter is no exception. The acting is on par with most of the other horror films I have seen. I am sure it translates wonderfully with people who speak the native language, but it sometimes seems to be woefully overstated to me. The translation is fantastic, and Tartan has put together a magnificent presentation. Extras include a translated interview with the director and cast, the original trailer (which is cut together much better than ours here), and a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the movie. Are they necessary? I really don't think so. The movie is unsettling enough by itself and the extras are just the icing on the cake. Overall, I cannot think of a reason to steer you away from this one. While it is filled with horror elements, and even a bit of comedy, it still does not reach the heady level of involvement that Kairo demanded. What does that even mean? It's a movie that you do not necessarily have to really think about. It does not make too many demands of the viewers, and that is not a bad thing. Sometimes, movies can take themselves too seriously, and this one does just fine. I recommend this for a cold, rainy night alone or a fun time with friends. This is really good if you know someone who just cannot deal with scary things. Isn't that right, boss?

Addendum to The Mist | DVD Review

kenneth.holm — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:41:38 +0000

So, I suppose you may be wondering why this review of The Mist on DVD was relegated to a blog entry. Well, since I had already reviewed the theatrical version before, I thought that this would be appropriate. Plus, it just gets it into your grubby hands faster. As I mentioned before, I personally thought that The Mist was one of the best films of 2007. It was the Stephen King adaptation that made almost every other one pale in comparison. The film told the story of a small town trapped in an otherworldly nightmare that they could not escape from. That's enough summary, though. Let's have a look at what the new DVD offers. As usual, the movie is offered in a single disc version and the balls-out two disc fuck-off special edition. As I usually suggest, do yourself the service of buying the bigger and better of the two. Not only do you get copious features, but one of the most innovative extras ever. Some of the extras include some Frank Darabont commentary which is really interesting. As he talks, you can really feel what it was like to get this movie put together in such a short amount of time. Watching this makes me long for what might have been if Darabont's 60 million dollar version was shot instead of the 20 million version. Also on the first disc, you get the almost requisite deleted scenes with optional director commentary. The scenes aren't too important in themselves, but they do give a little more backstory. The first disc finishes out with a selection of behind-the-scenes webisodes which were originally broadcast during the making of the film, a trailer gallery, and a mini-docu about Drew Struzan, an artist who has painted some of the best album covers, movie posters, and comic book covers of our time. He did all the artwork seen in the movie, as well as some promotional art for the movie itself. The second disc, though, is where you really get the payoff for paying the extra money. You get the huge "making the movie" special, plus looks at the creature effects by KNB artist Greg Nicotero. Both of these are incredibly educational and interesting. There's an even more in-depth look at the making of one of the scenes in which the creatures begin to attack the supermarket. All of these, while exceptionally cool, pale in comparison to the big enchilada. For one of the first times that I can remember, there is a different version of the movie as a special feature. Well, it is not completely different, but it plays differently. When Frank Darabont first got the rights to King's novella, he wanted to shoot it as an old-school black and white movie. Of course, color is more profitable, so the studio heads won on this decision. However, with the after market DVD quickly becoming a dumping ground for extras, Darabont decided to show his preferred version of the film. Not only is it black and white, but I swear that it is a bit grainer than the theatrical print. This version plays like a horror film from the 50's, while the color version feels more like a mid-70's horror romp. I cannot explain it, but they both feel completely different, even though they are the same movie... Well, this is pretty much all of the reasons that you should check The Mist out on DVD. I know I raved about it when it hit theaters, but WTF. It's still one of the best movies of the past year, and you would be a sucker if you missed out on this one today.

DVD Release Roundup - 4/02/08 | DVD Reviews

ScarletK — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:37:26 +0000

DVD Release Roundup - 4/2/08 By Cheryl Kobs Staff Writer This week is full of revenge, love, dreaming and a little singing with a lot of blood. Sweeney Todd Never Forget. Never Forgive. In a gorgeously gruesome cinematic rendition of the hit Broadway musical, Tim Burton introduces us to the deluded mind of Sweeney Todd (Johnny Depp), a murdering barber who, with the help of his landlady, Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), turns his victims into delicious meat pies to feed to the unsuspecting public. In true Burton fashion, his film is gritty and dark with several overly bright and shiny moments. The entire cast gives stupendous performances in there various parts. Okay I must admit, like so many other women and men around the world, I am a Depp fan, but I fear I am in the minority when I say it is because of his amazing talent. We are sucked into the persona of the Demon Barber and begin to ooh and aah with delight as he slashes throats, sending blood cascading down victim’s necks in a glorious pool of syrupy goodness. With a cast also including Alan Rickman as the Judge Turpin, Sacha Baron Cohen as Signor Adolfo Pirelli and Laura Michelle Kelly as Mrs. Barker, the show is an instant classic. The music, the cinematography and splendid acting all come together to form a blood soaked spectacle you will watch over and over again. Alvin and the Chipmunks Yippee-Kie-Ya, Mammasita! Is it sad that the best part of this movie is actually the part that doesn’t exist? I think just maybe. I must admit that the movie was adorable and, to a small child, even endearing. Justin Long (Dodgeball, Live Free or Die Hard) is the voice of Alvin and does a wonderful job. The chipmunks end up being rather funny, with semi- predictable antics that really do bring a smile to your face. Okay a chipmunk in the rinse cycle of my dishwasher would freak me out a little, but some how it just works here. However, Jason Lee is a horrible let down as Dave Seville. His crossed eyes and monotonous dialogue are distracting, making the movie campier than it should have been. His performance almost feels forced. Perhaps because he longs for some chocolate pretzels or maybe just needs an acting lesson or two, you choose. Either way, the film is simply average, but I am sure that some part of you that misses Saturday morning cartoons will get this movie no matter what I tell you, so enjoy.

The Good Night Dreaming is Believing So, this is kind of a typical mid-life crisis sob story with a neat twist, making it very cool to watch right up til the end. Gary (Martin Freeman, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Love Actually) is stuck in a dead-end job as a TV jingle writer as his relationship with his longtime girlfriend Dora (Gwyneth Paltrow) slides into non-existence. Then he begins to dream of Ana (Penelope Cruz). Unable to get her out of his head, Gary seeks the help of an expert in lucid dreaming, Mel (Danny DeVito). When Gary begins to see Ana in his real life and Dora in his dreams, situations begin to spin out of control and lead to ever more complicated and funny circumstances. Written and directed by Jake Paltrow, The Good Night is a fitting film for anyone who has ever woken from a dream unsure of whether they are still asleep and longing to return to the unconscious. Although the movie will surely not being winning any awards any time soon for acting or plot, the cinematography and quirky humor keep you hooked in for the ride. Enjoy the film on a rainy day when the world seems to be at your back, but just remember, weary travelers, to always look at your hands and don’t forget your towel. Also available the week: Christies’s Revenge (Danielle Kind) What Love Is (Cuba Gooding Jr.) The Cutting Edge 3: Chasing the Dream (Mark Lanter)