Week in Rewind Movie Reviews by Christopher Smith

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Articles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Into the Wild: Movie Review (2007)
2007-11-19 03:44:00
But at what cost?Written and directed by Sean Penn, based on Jon Krakauer's book, 140 minutes, rated R.So far, two of the year's best films have been directed by two actors, each of whom have won Academy Awards--one for writing, the other for acting. The first film of note, "Gone Baby Gone," was directed and co-written by Ben Affleck, whose career was in serious decay until he decided to get serious and show us again why he should matter. He did so--powerfully.The second film, "Into the Wild ," is from Sean Penn, who wrote and directed the movie from Jon Krakauer's bestselling nonfiction book. It is an excellent, first-rate account of a story that, depending on your perspective, did or didn't end so well for Christopher Johnson McCandless (a terrific Emile Hirsch). Some will recall that McCandless was the young man from a wealthy Virginia family who in 1990 chose not enter Harvard Law School or the workforce upon graduating from Emory University. Instead, he gave away his life ...
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Hairspray: DVD, Blu-ray Review (2007)
2007-11-19 02:24:00
“Hairspray : DVD, Blu-ray”Far from a drag.Adam Shankman’s "Hairspray" is one of the year’s best comedies, which is a surprise given that Shankman directed "The Pacifier" and "Cheaper by the Dozen 2," each of which put a flop in the box office’s flip.Not so with "Hairspray."Based on the hit Broadway musical by way of John Water’s 1988 camp classic movie, the film is expertly conceived, fun and infectious.In the lead is newcomer Nikki Blonsky as Tracy Turnblad, the impossibly perky, plus-sized Baltimore lass whose beaming naivete and kindness are about to be challenged when, in 1962, the country nudges forward with the ramifications of segregation and integration.Those are serious subjects to explore, so it’s to the movie’s great credit that it manages to make you feel just how serious without ever sacrificing the film’s mischief and fun.Beyond Blonsky, whose unflagging energy should be canned by Red Bull, Michelle Pfeiffer, Queen Latifah, Zac Efron, Elijah Kelley, Am...
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Live Free or Die Hard: DVD, Blu-ray Review (2007)
2007-11-19 02:21:00
“Live Free or Die Hard : DVD, Blu-ray”Len Wiseman's "Live Free or Die Hard " turns out to be that odd sequel that works more often than it doesn't.This fourth film in the "Die Hard" franchise offers exactly what you expect, only with more outlandish stunts, a bigger budget, and an older Bruce Willis returning as John McClane, the New York City cop who this time out finds himself up against his most formidable foe yet--the computer--which McClane admits he knows nothing about.It's here that the film offers its wink and a twist.Co-starring opposite Willis is Justin Long, the dude from the Apple Computer commercials, who goes a long way in making "Live Free or Die Hard" as enjoyable as it is.He's Matt Farrell, a New Jersey-based computer hack who has run afoul of the law and who McClane is ordered to bring to Washington, D.C., for questioning. Trouble is, Farrell also is wanted by some seriously stylish thugs who are out to destroy the U.S. defense system because of issues surro...
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Mission: Impossible--Complete Third Season (2007)
2007-11-19 02:19:00
"Mission : Impossible --Complete Third Season "With each show beginning with the lighting of a fuse, it's up to the writers, the director and the cast to sustain the excitement and tension inherent within. In the third season of this influential espionage show, which spawned a movie franchise, that proves true once again. Here, the world is reduced to the size of a postage stamp and we're all over it, with Peter Graves, Martin Landau, Greg Morris, Barbara Bain and Peter Lupus smoothly handling the most crafty of criminals. Entertainment is key here--gadgets abound--but so is credibility. The show does a fine job walking the tricky line each offers. Occasionally, when compelled, it also leaps off it. Grade: B+

Melrose Place: Complete Third Season (2007)
2007-11-19 02:16:00
“Melrose Place : Third Season ”Strife! Sex! Hit men! Bomb threats! This third season of the popular, long-running series introduced Kristin Davis (“Sex and the City”) as Brooke Armstrong, a not-so-sweet young lady who had nothing but trouble in mind for the glossy residents of Melrose Place , and who helped to push the series toward one mother of a cliffhanger. The show offers everything you expect from a nighttime soap opera--backbiting, infighting, greed, recklessness, people flat on their backs with others on top of them--and it does it well, as these things go, with one of the brighter high points being Heather Locklear as the conniving Amanda Woodward. It's tough to go wrong with Locklear, who rarely disappoints, and it's fun to revisit Marcia Cross before she became Bee on "Desperate Housewives." As a plus, the third season includes guest appearances by former porn star Traci Lords and game-show host Chuck Woolery. So, for fans of the series, naturally it's a must....
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Gilmore Girls: Complete Seventh Season
2007-11-19 02:15:00
"Gilmore Girls : Complete Seventh Season "With names like Sookie St. James, Luke Danes and Logan Huntzberger, you expect "The Gilmore Girls" to be soapier than it is. But with its core relationship focused on the lives of single-mother Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) and her daughter, Rory (Alexis Bledel), the storylines are steeped less in camp than in its privileged idea of reality. Quirky New England characters and old money round out the landscape of this final season in the series, which occasionally is too precious for its own good. Still, moments are mildly amusing, and this well-acted show, while hardly at its best here in spite of bringing Lorelai and Luke together, is wise enough not to hit us too hard over the heads about how difficult it can be to grow up, whether you're a child or an adult. Grade: C+

C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation: Complete Seventh Season DVD Review (2007
2007-11-19 02:14:00
“C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation : Complete Seventh Season ”Arguably, the series’ best season, with the miniature killer on the loose (thankfully, that isn’t as corny as it sounds) and, at season’s end, one key character’s life hanging in the balance. William Peterson, Marg Helgenberger and Jorja Fox return, with Liev Schreiber showing up in a supporting role as a questionable new cop on the scene (he's excellent). All make for a fine cast, with the storylines digging into the grisly aspects of investigative work in ways that reveal character through action, not exposition. This is a good reason why each show feels greased with drama, horror and, in some cases, wry humor and the tug of romance. Highlights include the episodes "Leaving Las Vegas," "The Good, The Bad and The Dominatrix," and "Empty Eyes," in which six Vegas showgirls are snuffed before their time. Their show might be over, but this show, on the other hand, nicely goes on. Grade: B+
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Burt Lancaster Signature Collection DVD Review (2007)
2007-11-19 02:12:00
“Burt Lancaster Signature Collection”Another signature collection from Warner that should have lost the word “Signature” from its title. The set doesn’t come though with what it promises--excellence--so the studio is just fishing for disappointment. This is true for the “Burt Lancaster Signature Collection,” a collection of five films that doesn’t offer any of Lancaster’s best movies, such as “From Here to Eternity,” “Birdman of Alcatraz,” “Judgment at Nuremberg,” “The Professionals,” “Atlantic City” and “Elmer Gantry,” the latter of which won him the Academy Award for Best Actor. Instead, we get 1950’s “Flame and the Arrow,” 1951’s “Jim Thorpe--All American,” 1953’s “South Sea Woman,” 1954’s “His Majesty O’Keefe” and 1973’s “Executive Action.” While those movies are good, especially "Thorpe," few would sign off on the idea that they are among the actor’s signature films. Grade: B-
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Fred Claus: Movie Review (2007)
2007-11-15 13:23:00
Reindeer roadkillDirected by David Dobkin, written by Dan Fogelman, 114 minutes, rated PG.The new David Dobkin movie, "Fred Claus," serves audiences one lukewarm cup of holiday cheer. It’s reindeer roadkill, a movie filled with stale jokes and rote storytelling that nevertheless attracted an A-list cast, three of whom have won Academy Awards, two of whom have been nominated for said awards, and all of whom might just be Pod people because it’s difficult to believe that they agreed to do any of this.Tell me, how do you suppose the film’s producers got Paul Giamatti, Miranda Richardson, Kathy Bates, Rachel Weisz and Kevin Spacey to sign onto this thing? Was it just the money they laid down (probably), or did the actors think that because Academy Award-winning actor Billy Bob Thornton pulled off “Bad Santa,” perhaps they also could do the same for “Fred Claus ”? The movie, after all, stars Vince Vaughn in the lead. Maybe they thought it would be crude and kooky, but in ...
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Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium: Movie Review, Preview, Trailer (2007)
2007-11-15 13:20:00
"Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium"Release Date: November 16, 2007Genre: Sci-Fi, ComedyTime: 93 minutesMPAA Rating: Rated G Movie review coming soon...Studio Synopsis: Molly Mahoney (Natalie Portman) is the awkward and insecure manager of Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, the strangest, most fantastic, most wonderful toy store in the world. But when Mr. Magorium, the 243 year-old eccentric who owns the store (Dustin Hoffman), bequeaths the store to her, a dark and ominous change begins to take over the once remarkable Emporium.
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Redacted: Movie Review, Preview, Trailer (2007)
2007-11-15 13:12:00
"Redacted"Release date: November 14, 2007 (limited)Genre: Drama, WarTime: N/AMPAA Rating: RMovie Review coming soon...Studio Synopsis: Director Brian De Palma, whose "Casualties of War" addressed a horrific tragedy that occurred during the Vietnam war, turns his attention to Iraq with an unfortunately similar tale. Inspired by true events, "Redacted" follows a group of soldiers who are stationed at a checkpoint in Iraq. Angel Salazar (Izzy Diaz) is an aspiring filmmaker who is intent on capturing his experience on videotape. His fellow soldiers--Reno Flake (Patrick Carroll), Lawyer McCoy (Rob Devaney), and Gabe Blix (Kel O’Neill)--seem to be surprisingly well-adjusted at first, but it isn’t long before their true colors come through.When Reno decides to get drunk and harass an Iraqi family, the situation devolves into rape and murder, putting an incredible strain on Lawyer, who wants to expose Reno but doesn’t want to rat out a fellow soldier.In making "Redacted," De Palma emb...
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Southland Tales: Movie Review, Preview, Trailer (2007)
2007-11-15 13:09:00
"Southland Tales"Release Date: November 14, 2007Genre: Suspense, ComedyTime: 144 minutesMPAA Rating: Rated R for language, violence, sexual material and some drug content Movie review coming soon...Studio Synopsis: Southland Tales is an ensemble piece set in the futuristic landscape of Los Angeles on July 4, 2008, as it stands on the brink of social, economic and environmental disaster. Boxer Santaros is an action star who's stricken with amnesia. His life intertwines with Krysta Now, an adult film star developing her own reality television project, and David Clark, a Hermosa Beach police officer who holds the key to a vast conspiracy.
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Love in the Time of Cholera: Movie Review, Preview, Trailer (2007)
2007-11-15 13:02:00
"Love in the Time of Cholera" Release Date: November 16, 2007Genre: Drama, RomanceTime: 138 minutesMPAA Rating: Rated R for sex content/nudity and brief language Movie review coming soon...Studio Synopsis: Based on Nobel Prize-winning author Gabriel Garcia Marquez' novel and adapted by Academy Award-winning screenwriter Ronald Harwood ("The Pianist"), "Love in the Time of Cholera" is one of the world's most romantic stories. The drama traces the Job-like vigil of Florentino Ariza, who waits for more than half a century to claim the hand of Fermina Daza, the woman he loves. Directed by Mike Newell ("Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," "Four Weddings and a Funeral"), and featuring a talented cast that includes Javier Bardem, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Benjamin Bratt, John Leguizamo, Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Hector Elizondo and Liev Schreiber, "Love in the Time of Cholera" is scheduled for a November 16th, 2007 release.
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Beowulf: Movie Review, Preview, Trailer (2007)
2007-11-15 12:58:00
"Beowulf"Release Date: November 16, 2007Genre: War, ActionTime: 113 minutesMPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence including disturbing images, some sexual material and nudity Movie review coming soon...Studio Synopsis: In a time of heroes, the mighty warrior Beowulf slays the demon Grendel and incurs the wrath of its monstrous yet seductive mother, in a conflict that transforms a king into a legend.Groundbreaking director Robert Zemeckis offers a vision of the Beowulf saga that has never been told before. Warner Bros. Pictures, Paramount Pictures and Shangri-la Entertainment present "Beowulf," starring Angelina Jolie as Grendel's mother, Anthony Hopkins as the corrupt King Hrothgar, and Ray Winstone as Beowulf. The film also stars John Malkovich, Brendan Gleeson, Dominic Keating, Alison Lohman, Robin Wright Penn and Ray Winstone.Neil Gaiman ("MirrorMask," the graphic novel Sandman) and Roger Avary ("Pulp Fiction") adapted the legend for the screen.
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Barbara Stanwyck Signature Collection DVD Review (2007)
2007-11-14 13:21:00
"Barbara Stanwyck Signature Collection"What would Walter think? A Barbara Stanwyck signature collection without "Double Indemnity" is an oversight, to say the least, but also missing here is "Stella Dallas," "Sorry, Wrong Number," "Union Pacific," "The Lady Eve" and "Christmas in Connecticut," to name a few. What we get instead are two true signature Stanwyck films--1935's "Annie Oakley" and 1954's "Executive Suite"--and four lesser-known movies. The latter include the 1949 murder mystery "East Side, West Side," with Ava Gardner and James Mason; the 1946 gossip melodrama "My Reputation," with George Brent; 1950's "To Please a Lady," in which Stanwyck takes to the Indy 500, of all events, with Clark Gable; and the 1953 movie "Jeopardy," a kidnapping thriller that hums with a B-movie vibe. It's a good set--not a great one--but what it does do well is that it captures the breadth of Stanwyck's many onscreen personas, which ranged from the ferocious to the downright terrorized and ...
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Dan in Real Life: Movie Review (2007)
2007-11-02 02:43:00
Real life? Nah--but the emotions are real.Directed by Peter Hedges, written by Pierce Gardner and Hedges, 95 minutes, rated PG-13.(Originally published 2007) When it comes to the new romantic comedy "Dan in Real Life ," it's probably best to ignore the "real life" part of the title. Just overlook it. Since real life doesn't fit into the equation here, nobody should go to the film seeking it. The movie is too tidy for real life. It dusts life's corners clean in ways that real life simply wouldn't.What does come through--and the reason the movie succeeds--is that it does a fine job understanding the human emotions and dilemmas of its central characters.Chief among those characters are Dan Burns (Steve Carell), a newspaper columnist on the cusp of syndication who is adrift in the wake of his wife's death; Dan's three daughters (Alison Pill, Brittany Robertson, Marlene Lawston), a handful of teens and tweens growing up faster than Dan would like; and Marie (Juliette Binoche), ...
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Roberts, Owen--Duplicity
2007-11-01 22:53:00
How do audiences want to see Julia Robe rt and Clive Owen after their 2004 pairing in Mike Nichols' "Closer." Naturally, closer still.Roberts and Owen have signed on to star in the new Tony Gilroy movie Duplicity, in which they will be lovers--and executive spies for rival corporations. Who will be on top in this relationship? Roberts all the way. Her salary is rumored to be north of $25 million.Shooting begins in March.

X-Files 2--Confirmed for July 25, 2008
2007-11-01 22:43:00
Anyone smell a whiff of desperation? Anyone really care? After failing to generate substantial movie careers in the wake of their "X-Files " television show," director Chris Carter, David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson will team again on Dec. 10 to shoot the new X-Files movie. The film will be released July 25, 2008 , which seems like a rush job to me. Still, time will tell. As for the storyline, I offer this from Fox's news release:"In grand X-Files manner, the as yet untitled film’s storyline is being kept under wraps, known only to top studio brass and the film’s principals. This much can be revealed: The supernatural thriller is a stand-alone story in the tradition of some of the show’s most acclaimed and beloved episodes, and takes the always-complicated relationship between Fox Mulder (Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Anderson) in unexpected directions. Mulder continues his unshakable quest for the truth, and Scully, the passionate, ferociously intelligent physician...

GIVEAWAY--Runs House Season 1 and 2!
2007-11-01 19:41:00
Week in Rewind is happy to offer a giveaway of Runs House Season s 1 & 2!The fourth season of the popular MTV show recently began on the network, with full episodes available weekly on MTV.com. The show airs on MTV Thursdays at 10 p.m.From MTV's press release about the new season: "At 'Run's House,' the laughs, drama and excitement never seem to end. Rev. Run, (Joseph Simmons of Run-DMC), and his wife Justine continue to manage a very bustling household and keep the lives of their five children as normal as possible amid the extravagance of their surroundings. With the entire family back together again under one roof, life in the Simmons house is anything but normal."This season Rev. Run and Justine make a major decision on adopting a new baby and life for them may never be the same again. Eldest sibling, Vanessa, 24, lands her first acting role on the day-time soap opera 'Guiding Light' and finds that perfecting her craft is harder work than she thought. Angela, 20, sets h...
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Men of Honor: Movie Review, DVD Review (2000)
2007-11-01 19:31:00
Slumming for sadness and laughs 128 minutes, R, directed by George Tillman Jr., written by Scott Marshall Smith. (Originally published 2000) At the core of George Tillman Jr.’s “Men of Honor ” is the moving, true story of a black man overcoming racisim in the recently desegregated U.S. Navy of 1948. If this were the gritty, harder-hitting Hollywood of the early 1970s, a time when directors and writers didn’t feel today’s enormous pressures to make a killing at the box office, that alone would have given audiences reason to attend. Indeed, it’s likely the film would have been less driven by formula and more interested in the truth of the life it depicts. But now, in the less-truthful, white-washed, feel-good climate of the new millennium, where movies about racism have become soaked in the earning power of sentimentality, it should only raise a yellow flag of caution. To be sure, “Men of Honor” is exactly the type of story today’s Hollywood loves to get its ha...
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Time Regained: Movie Review, DVD Review (2000)
2007-11-01 19:26:00
An ambitious undertaking of an ambitious work Directed by Raul Ruiz, written by Gilles Taurand and Ruiz, 162 minutes, rated R. (Originally published 2000) There are probably more challenging undertakings one could assume than mounting a three-hour production of Marcel Proust’s “Time Regained,” the sixth and final volume in his beast of a novel, “Remembrance of Things Past.” For instance, electing a new president comes to mind. However, from a literary perspective, it’s difficult to imagine many novels as unsuitable for the screen as this, a work whose construction is so circular in nature--and whose themes, characters and ideas exist so firmly within the realm of a deeply personal internal landscape --the idea of bringing it to screen seems downright absurd. It’s almost a shock, then, to see how well Chilean director Raul Ruiz has done in capturing the essence of “Time Regained”; just as in Proust’s work, Ruiz’s film is rich in texture, sumptuous in its im...
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Red Planet: Movie Review, DVD Review (2000)
2007-11-01 19:16:00
Finding a measure of intelligence Directed by Antony Hoffman, written by Chuck Pfarrer and Jonathan Lemkin, 116 minutes, rated PG-13. (Originally published 2000)In 1924, director Yakov Protazanov filmed “Aelita: Queen of Mars,” a silent Soviet propaganda film that drew comparisons between Russia and what Protazanov perceived as the capitalist planet Mars. It featured an engineer who kills his wife (a refugee care worker), takes off for the red planet in his homemade spaceship, and falls in love with his dreamgirl, Aelita: Queen of Mars. For its time, the film was a hugely hyped, big-budget spectacle--one that not only influenced Fritz Lang’s 1926 film, “Metropolis,” but which directly influenced Hollywood’s fascination with the red planet. It may not be fair to suggest that the groundbreaking “Aelita” is responsible for such camp debacles as “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians,” “Lobsterman from Mars,” “Devil Girl from Mars” and “Planet Blood,” but...
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Gladiator: Movie Review, DVD Review (2000)
2007-11-01 19:12:00
Inflation Directed by Ridley Scott, written by David Franzoni, John Logan and William Nicholson, 150 minutes, rated R. (Originally published 2000) Beefcake! Blood! Body slams! Boring! Boring? Well, not quite, but at 150 minutes, Ridley Scott’s “Glad iator” isn’t entirely the thrilling, action-packed Roman epic some fans of the genre were hoping for when the film was released. Too long by a third, the film features a terrific opening in its vicious, well-staged battle against Germania, but then it quickly dissolves into 90 minutes of dull chatter before finally getting on with what audiences want--gore, political upheavals and fantastic betrayals. Here’s a tip: Before seeing the film, first arm yourself with its three main source films: Fred Niblo’s 1926 silent film, “Ben Hur,” William Wyler’s 1959 remake, “Ben Hur,” and Stanley Kubrick’s 1960 spectacle, “Spartacus.” Those films not only showcase how well the Roman epic can be pulled off, but also how ...
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Images--Pixar's 2-D Animated Tale, "Your Friend the Rat"
2007-11-01 17:30:00
Pixar has gotten into bed with rats again, this time in their new 2-D animated movie, "Your Friend the Rat." The movie is just an 11-minute short, but judging from the above stills, it looks to be a treat.Jim Capobianco directs, with the movie following Remy the rat from Ratatouille as he and his brother, Emile talk about the “history and behavior of rats in an effort to persuade human viewers not to kill the ubiquitous rodents.” Look for it on the upcoming, Nov. 6 release of Ratatouille.Click on any image above to supersize it.
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Latest Image from The Dark Knight Released
2007-11-01 17:26:00
Here's your first look at the latest image to be released of Heath Ledger as the Joker in next year's "The Dark Knight ."I don't know. From the start, Ledger was a questionable choice, and this image does nothing to change that. I loved "Batman Begins" and am a huge fan of Christopher Nolan, so maybe they'll pull it off. Let's hope so. That old woman applying makeup in the above photo hardly inspires a sense of dread.
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G.I. Joe Gets the Greenlight
2007-11-01 15:01:00
The folks at IGN are reporting that Paramount Pictures hasn't just greenlit the production of the new G.I. Joe movie, but they've done so to the tune of $170 million. Hell, I'd suit up for that. Stephen Sommers is set to direct, with IGN reporting that in no way is George Clooney attached to the part, in spite of Internet rumors to the contrary. So, who's right for G.I. Joe? Is Demi Moore available?
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Wanted Trailer
2007-10-31 18:02:00
The new trailer for Wanted , starring Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman, now is available. The movie hits theaters March 28, 2008.Thoughts?
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Winners! Stanley Kubrick Warner Home Video Directors Series Contest
2007-10-31 16:58:00
Today's the day.So, who won the two copies of the Stanley Kubrick Warner Home Video Directors Series ? Out of the thousands who signed up for the Week in Rewind feed and sent e-mails confirming your registration to our daily news letter (to win, that email is important!), it comes down to two winners, each chosen at random.They are:David Boynton of Syracuse, NY.Melissa Edith of San Diego, Calif.Congrats to you both! The DVDs soon will be on their way.Since so many of you signed up, we decided to make things more interesting, as we did with our Veronica Mars giveaway. We've selected five readers at random to have their names added an additional five times in each successive contest, which we run weekly at Week in Rewind. To respect privacy, we will offer only the first parts of their e-mails; since they receive our daily update, they'll know they were chosen. Congrats to you guys--your chances of winning next week just got fives times more likely!Patrick.WalshSgarza40KubrickKookGi n...
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Spider-Man High Definition Trilogy: Blu-ray Movie Review
2007-10-31 00:04:00
"Spider-Man High Definition Trilogy"“Spider-Man: Blu-ray”Upon its 2002 release, Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man” wasn't just a smash hit, it also re-established faith in the web as a money-making venture. Smart and thrilling, it respected the franchise while giving audiences an exhilarating kick in the process. Based on the comic book series Stan Lee and Steve Ditko created for Marvel Comics in 1962, the film stars Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker, the nerdish 17-year-old high school boy from Queens, N.Y., who goes on to realize great things from a spider bite. A great deal of the film's fun comes from watching Peter’s transformation after the bite, which isn’t just physical as his wiry body thickens with muscle, but almost spiritual as he realizes the confidence that forever has eluded him. When he first takes flight through the concrete canyons of Manhattan, spinning his tangled webs and swinging high through the skyscrapers like Nureyev on Ecstasy, it’s doubtful that anyon...
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Meet the Robinsons: Movie Review, DVD Review, Blu-ray Disc Review (2007)
2007-10-30 23:33:00
“Meet the Robinsons: DVD, Blu-ray”Where would Disney be without its orphans, those who long for a family they either lost or never had? Up the creek, likely. Still, while it might seem cliched at this point that the studio still is manufacturing films with those very storylines, their latest animated tale, "Meet the Robinsons," once again proves they know how to do formula right. In "Robinsons," a 12-year-old boy named Lewis (voice of Daniel Hansen) is saved from an uncertain future at the hands of one sinister-looking villain when into his life comes Wilbur Robinson (Wesley Singerman), a boy with time machine who snatches Lewis into the future, where he meets Wilbur's eccentric family. Though Lewis would prefer to travel back into the past to face the mother who abandoned him, he is at the mercy of the plot, which has a point to underscore--keep moving forward, kids, don't look back--and where it takes him is to a new level of understanding. The pacing is problematic--it's ...
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