Week in Rewind Movie Reviews by Christopher Smith

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

The Polar Express: Blu-ray DVD Movie Review (2007)
2007-10-30 23:23:00
“The Polar Express ”Directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Zemeckis and William Broyles Jr., based on the book by Chris Van Allsburg, 97 minutes, rated G.So chilly and devoid of life, it makes sense that this new Blu-ray version of the film was released in time for Halloween.Using performance capture technology, "The Polr Express" uses real actors--Tom Hanks chief among them--to achieve photo-realism through computer animation. That’s an inevitable progression of the CGI movement, but is photo-realism really what audiences want from an animated movie? If not, “Express” begs to differ. What we have here is a movie whose computer chip renders beautiful interiors and landscapes but which fails to faithfully capture the human form. The children in this movie, in particular, don’t look like real tots struggling to believe in Santa. They look like waxen, undead extras from "Night of the Living Dead," their lifeless eyes so unnerving, they make the movie difficult to enjoy....
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License to Wed: DVD, HD DVD, Blu-ray Movie Review (2007)
2007-10-30 23:19:00
“License to Wed”License revoked. This junk romantic comedy has such disdain for its audience, it’s impossible to let it pass without taking it to task. Mandy Moore and John Krasinski are Sadie and Ben, two grinning lovebirds who meet at Starbucks, fall for each other over the coffee beans, and then agree to marry when Ben pops the question. Enter the Rev. Frank (Robin Williams), a creep of the first order who agrees to officiate their marriage, though not without a hitch. First, they must take Rev. Frank's pre-marriage counseling course, which is meant to mirror the presumed hell that is married life. Frank’s thinking is this: If Ben and Sadie can survive his bizarre boot camp, they should be able to survive marriage. As such, he immediately puts the kibosh on sex, going so far as to bug their apartment to make certain there is no canoodling. Later, he saddles them with fake infants who cry so incessantly, they alone could put Angelina Jolie off children forever. The fi...
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The Martian Child: Movie Review, Preview, Trailer
2007-10-29 02:15:00
The Martian ChildRelease Date: November 2, 2007Genre: Drama, RomanceTime: 108 minutesMPAA Rating: Rated PG (for thematic elements and mild language).Movie review coming soon...Studio Synopsis: The romantic drama "Martian Child" stars John Cusack as a recently widowed science fiction writer who forms an unlikely family with a close friend (Amanda Peet) and a young boy he adopts that claims to be from Mars. The new couple ignores some sage parenting advice from the widower's sister (Joan Cusack) and gets more than they bargained for when a series of strange occurrences lead them to believe that the child's claim may be true. Based on an award-winning short story by sci-fi luminary David Gerrold, "Martian Child' is directed by Menno Meyjes and produced by David Kirschner, Corey Sienega and Ed Elbert.
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American Gangster: Movie Review, Preview, Trailer
2007-10-29 02:02:00
American GangsterRelease Date: November 2, 2007Genre: Crime, DramaTime: N/AMPAA Rating: Rated R (for violence, pervasive drug content and language, nudity and sexuality).Movie review coming soon....Studio Synopsis: Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Brian Grazer, Steve Zaillian and Ridley Scott team to tell the true juggernaut success story of a cult hero from the streets of 1970s Harlem in "American Gangster."Nobody used to notice Frank Lucas (Oscar winner Washington), the quiet driver to one of the inner city's leading black crime bosses. But when his boss suddenly dies, Frank exploits the opening in the power structure to build his own empire and create his own version of the American Dream. Through ingenuity and a strict business ethic, he comes to rule the inner-city drug trade, flooding the streets with a purer product at a better price. Lucas outplays all of the leading crime syndicates and becomes not only one of the city's mainline corrupters, but part of its circle of...
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Saw IV: Movie Review (2007)
2007-10-28 00:12:00
As dead as the franchise itselfTime to cut the cord.With the release of "Saw IV," the most convoluted and preposterous film yet in the burned-out "Saw" series, director Darren Lynn Bousman once again puts his audience's necks on the chopping block and shows them no mercy.The bloodletting begins at the start.Stretched out on a mortuary slab is Jigsaw himself (Tobin Bell), who is about to undergo an autopsy of the most graphic sort--and we're not just talking about the surgical gutting that ensues, but of how Bousman offers us unparalleled access to Tobin's genitals, which are on full display here.Lucky us? Not so much.This middling film then collapses into a series of flashbacks and flashforwards, the lot of which are so dizzying, you might want to bring your favorite MENSA member to see if they can make sense of it.That is, of course, assuming they stay awake.This base, damp, soulless movie offers everything you expect, right down to the lack of quality and the idea that horror ...
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Bee Movie: Movie Review, Preview, Trailer
2007-10-26 18:07:00
Bee Movie Release Date: November 2, 2007Genre: ComedyTime: 84 minutesMPAA Rating: Rated PG (for mild suggestive humor).Movie review coming soon....Studio synopsis: "Bee Movie" is a comedy that will change everything you think you know about bees. Having just graduated from college, a bee by the name of Barry B. Benson (Jerry Seinfeld) finds himself disillusioned with the prospect of having only one career choice – honey. As he ventures outside of the hive for the first time, he breaks one of the cardinal rules of the bee world and talks to a human, a New York City florist named Vanessa (Renée Zellweger). He is shocked to discover that the humans have been stealing and eating the bees' honey for centuries, and ultimately realizes that his true calling in life is to set the world right by suing the human race for stealing their precious honey.
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The Twisted Terror Collection: DVD Review (2007)
2007-10-26 17:55:00
"The Twisted Terror Collection"A rousing B-movie horror collection from Warner. Includes six films--John Carpenter's 1978 television stalker movie "Someone's Watching Me," with Lauren Hutton in the lead, and Oliver Stone's 1981 horror film "The Hand," in which Michael Caine loses a hand to an auto accident--and the hand just won't die! Also included are 1986's "Deadly Friend" from Wes Craven, which he'd likely sooner wish to forget; 1973's "From Beyond the Grave," with Peter Cushing as a shifty antiques dealer; and 1981's "Eyes of a Stranger," with Jennifer Jason Leigh protecting her deaf and blind sister from a serial rapist. Finally, there's 1992's "Dr. Giggles," which is about a mass murderer that stars nobody memorable, but which nevertheless features a title that gets to the heart of this holiday. Go and have a few laughs of your own. Grade: B+
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The Saw Trilogy: DVD Review (2007)
2007-10-26 17:54:00
"The Saw Trilogy "This ugly, joyless horror movie series, which continues with the release of "Saw IV," should be tossed into the business end of 1988’s “Woodchipper Massacre.” Is there fun to be had in a horror movie comprised of base elements of degradation, amputation, humiliation and murder? Maybe for the sadist, or perhaps for those unaware of how effective a great horror movie can be. But really, the "Saw" franchise only ever was designed to be gore for the sake of gore, with hysterical performances clanging throughout. The movies are bad, but not in ways that make bad horror movies good. The films character are self-centered, unlikable types you can’t get behind. And because you can’t, you have to wonder what the filmmakers were hoping would carry us through to the end. Just the scenes of torture? Apparently so. As such, the series cuts its own throat in the process.Rated R. Grade: D
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Rise: Blood Hunter: Movie Review, DVD Review (2007)
2007-10-26 17:52:00
"Rise: Blood Hunter "More vampires, this time shaking down the City of Angels. Lucy Liu is Sadie Blake, an investigative reporter who, along with Michael Chiklis' detective Clyde Rawlins, is seeking to rid Los Angeles of the bloodsucking beasts. Since there wouldn't be a movie industry should they do so, nobody should cheer them on to succeed. But onward they push. Armed with her crossbow, Sadie, a vampire herself, is one hot, angry mess. Given that she's played by Liu, who brims with her typical intensity, the movie benefits from all the formidable energy she can muster. Rated R. Grade: C+
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Planet Terror: Movie Review, DVD Review
2007-10-26 17:51:00
"Planet Terror "Robert Rodriguez's addition to the double-feature "Grindhouse" is a hugely entertaining zombie horror thriller set in a small Texas nowhere, where a virus quickly is turning the town into the flesh-eating undead. Freddie Rodriguez and Rose McGowan star as El Wray and Cherry Darling, former lovers (he's a gunslinger, she's a go-go dancer, together they're magic) who reunite just as the world is falling apart. The latter proves especially true for Cherry, who loses a leg midway through, only to find herself fitted with the most unusual of prosthetics--a loaded machine gun, which the limber Cherry uses not only to walk, but also to mow down the undead in devastating balloons of blood.Bruce Willis and Stacey Ferguson are featured in fevered cameos, with Josh Brolin, Marley Shelton and Quentin Tarantino himself all gamely wading through the entrails. Rated R. Grade: B+
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Most Haunted: The Collection: DVD Review (2007)
2007-10-26 17:49:00
"Most Haunted : The Collection "In the mood for something (*cough*) more cerebral? Then join these modern-day ghostbusters--host Yvette Fielding, "world-renowned spiritual medium" Derek Acorah, and others from the paranormal field--as they trek all over Great Britain in an effort to determine whether ghosts are dwelling in certain dwellings. Here, in England alone, they take on Tutbury Castle in Staffordshire, Clerkenwell House of Detention in London (the scariest of the lot) and Pengersick Castle in Cornwall. Soldiers, children and a maid haunt Llancaiach Fawr Manor in Wales, and bodies are presumably tucked beneath the floor at The Heritage in Derby, England. Bumps, shadows and startled screams ignite the episodes, but take heart--in the end, these people ain't afraid of no ghosts. Grade: B-
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Ice Spiders: Movie Review, DVD Review (2007)
2007-10-26 17:48:00
“Ice Spiders ”As high concept horror movies go, "Ice Spiders" takes the cocoon and rolls with it. In it, a group of Olympic hopeful skiers don't just have moguls to worry about. When a government experiment goes awry, they also have to battle giant mutant spiders. Cue the ravenous arachnids. Cue the skiers getting picked off one by one. Cue Patrick Muldoon and Vanessa Williams shrieking and slumming in the snow. The movie is as awful as Rosemary's baby's pabulum, but just try looking away from it. It's B-movie bad and, strictly taken as such, it's a party film worth considering. Rated R. Grade: B
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Hostel II: Movie Review, DVD Review, Blu-ray disc Review (2007)
2007-10-26 17:46:00
"Hostel II"Eurotrashovich. We're back in Slovakia, the dumb American men have been replaced by questionable American women (Lauren German, Bijou Phillips, Heather Matarazzo), and the bloodletting is amplified, with scene after disgusting scene making you question who in Hollywood greenlights this sort of crap. This time out, those behind the series' death-for-payment scheme are revealed, which strips the movie of whatever mystery it might have had. Given its larger budget, the movie does look better, but just try finding one well-mounted, extended scene of suspense, which takes the sort of patience and skill Roth doesn’t have.Instead, in an effort to thank his target audience of males for sticking with him, Roth would rather offer a castration scene that's so graphic, it likely will leave most men crossing their legs for the rest of the show. Unrated. Grade: C-
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Hostel: Director's Cut: Movie Review, DVD Review, Blu-ray disc Review (2007
2007-10-26 17:45:00
"Hostel (Director's Cut)"From Eli Roth, this unrated director's cut features an ending deemed "too disturbing for theatrical audiences."What exactly does that mean? Are DVD audience's any different from theatrical audiences? Do they go by a different code?That's up for debate, but what isn't is that the film offers just what you expect from the torture porn genre.Two unlikable young American men go off to Slovakia to backpack, do drugs and make general fools of themselves while they work hard to bed their share of women, a gender the movie hates.At a Slovakian hostel, the men meet a few willing ladies and goodness, are they ever tricked by them. Soon, a madman with machine tools and dismemberment issues goes on a rampage. The blood violence he unleashes is gross, sure, but it doesn't shock.Instead, since you don't care for anyone in this film, it only numbs.Unrated. Grade: D
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The Hills Have Eyes 2: Movie Review, DVD Review, Blu-ray disc Review (2007)
2007-10-26 17:42:00
"The Hills Have Eyes II"Well, no, they don't. If they did and if they could see, they would have read the script, passed on it, and we all would have been better for it. This sequel to Alexandre Aja's 2006 remake of the 1977 Wes Craven classic makes the latter movie look like playtime for tots. It trips on its own entrails--sometimes quite literally--and watching it, you have to wonder where is the fun in a movie like this? There are no jolts, no flashes of humor, no winking at the audience--just bloodletting that crosses the line. Unrated. Grade: D
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From Hell: Movie Review, DVD Review, Blu-ray Disc Review (2007)
2007-10-26 17:38:00
“From Hell ”Directed by Albert Hughes and Allen Hughes, written by Terry Hayes and Rafael Yglesias, 137 minutes, rated R.Albert and Allen Hughes’ “From Hell” wouldn’t be nearly as effective without its dark, richly effective atmosphere, which is soaked in a heady mix of Gothic and Victorian excess.From its claustrophobic shots of gaslit streets, blood-red skies, freshly cut corpses, and syphilitic whores slinking in the slums of London’s Whitechapel district circa 1888, the film is a violent mood letter sent to shock the senses. Inspired by the story of Jack the Ripper, the legendary psychopath who terrorized London for 10 weeks in 1888, “From Hell” is a speculative account of who Ripper was and why he went on his bloody killing spree, gutting five prostitutes before vanishing to become one of history’s favored enigmas.Based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore and Terry Hayes, the film follows Frederick Abberline (Johnny Depp), an opium-addicted inspector from Scot...
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The Fly: Movie Review, DVD Review, Blu-ray disc Review (2007)
2007-10-26 17:37:00
"The Fly"Kafka would have loved it. This remake of the 1958 original is essentially a horror romance. It’s one of David Cronenberg’s best films, with Jeff Goldblum’s inventor-scientist Seth Brundle joining Geena Davis’ Ronnie in creating a heart-felt, B-movie gross-out. What the film creates in Seth’s unflattering transformation from human being to human-fly is grotesque, but unlike so many of today's horror movies, none of it is served with a trace of humor. Cronenberg and company are dead serious about their cautionary ideas about the abuse of science and technology. As Seth deteriorates into a mess of ticks, mandibles and twitches, the movie comes down to the nuances of Goldblum’s spot-on performance and the horror of what some will do with a loaded rifle in the name of love.Rated PG-13. Grade: A-
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Bram Stoker's Dracula: Movie Review, DVD Review, Blu-ray disc Review (2007)
2007-10-26 17:35:00
"Bram Stoker's Dracula "Francis Ford Coppola's beautifully shot, overly long horror movie sucks in a good way. Now out on Blu-ray disc, the film is one of the best-looking yet in the high-definition format, with Michael Ballhaus moody cinematography, Thomas Sander's Gothic set design and Michele Burke's makeup coming into grisly, atmospheric focus.Gary Oldman's Count Dracula is an undead, hissing showboat, while Sir Anthony Hopkins kicks restraint to the curb and robustly tackles the role of Van Helsing. Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder and Sadie Frost linger in the moonlight, with the movie plunging itself so often into camp, it never really is scary. Instead, it's just happy just to entertain, lapping up whatever blood it spills--and allowing Tom Waits to feast upon every insect he can find. Rated R. Grade: B+
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Bloodrayne 2: Deliverance: Movie Review, DVD Review
2007-10-26 17:34:00
“Bloodrayne 2: Deli verance”A vampire movie in which the vamp is a tramp. Set in the Old West town of Deliverance (it's true!), the film follows the "Blade" series in that its hero is half vampire, half human. Her name is Rayne (Natassia Malthe) and what she does for leather could make the cow she's wearing spring back to adoring life. What unfolds has to be seen to be believed--it's silly, overbaked hooey charged with a risible script--but that, of course, would suggest that you actually see the movie. And there is no such recommendation here. Rated R. Grade: D.
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GIVEAWAY--Love in the Time of Cholera Contest!
2007-10-26 00:31:00
Apparently, we're giveaway mad this month as Week in Rewind is pleased to announce yet another giveaway in the form of $25 Barnes & Noble Gift cards. We have TWO available for TWO winners, all in support of the new movie, "Love in the Time of Cholera."This info comes from our sponsor: "In theaters November 16th, Love in the Time of Cholera is 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."You can link to the official Web site here: Love in the Time of Cholera.Winning is simple.Sign up for our RSS feed or our Daily E-Mail Update of all the latest movie reviews and news, make sure to let us know you did so by sending us an email to BDNFilm1@aol.com with L...
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GIVEAWAY--Harry Potter Years 1-5 Limited Edition Giftset HD DVD--GIVEAWAY!
2007-10-25 20:02:00
Week in Rewind is happy to offer our biggest giveaway yet in the upcoming, December 11, 2007 release of the all-new Harry Potter Years 1-5 Limited Edition Giftset. That's a $149.98 value--and we're giving away two copies each on HD DVD (see our other contests for the standard DVD and Blu-ray versions!).Hot!Winning is simple. Sign up for our RSS feed or our Daily E-Mail Update of all the latest movie reviews and news, make sure to let us know you did so by sending us an email at BDNFilm1@aol.com, and we'll put you in the mix. Two winners will be drawn on Tuesday, December 11, 2007 and the DVD will be shipped to the address you provide to us once we contact you.Remember, you can't win if you don't sign up. So sign up! We never share your information with any third party--Ever. You must be a resident of the United States or Canada to win!Enjoy! Read more below!Subscribe in a readerEnter your email address:Delivered by FeedBurnerHarry Potter Years 1-5 Limited Edition Giftset DVDLim...

GIVEAWAY--Harry Potter Years 1-5 Limited Edition Giftset BLU-RAY--GIVEAWAY!
2007-10-25 19:48:00
Week in Rewind is happy to offer our biggest giveaway yet in the upcoming, December 11, 2007 release of the all-new Harry Potter Years 1-5 Limited Edition Giftset. That's a $149.98 value--and we're giving away two copies each on Blu-ray disc (see our other contests for the standard DVD and HD DVD versions!).Hot!Winning is simple. Sign up for our RSS feed or our Daily E-Mail Update of all the latest movie reviews and news, make sure to let us know you did so by sending us an email at BDNFilm1@aol.com, and we'll put you in the mix. Two winners will be drawn on Tuesday, December 11, 2007 and the DVD will be shipped to the address you provide to us once we contact you.Remember, you can't win if you don't sign up. So sign up! We never share your information with any third party--Ever. You must be a resident of the United States or Canada to win!Enjoy! Read more below!Subscribe in a readerEnter your email address:Delivered by FeedBurnerHarry Potter Years 1-5 Limited Edition Giftset D...

GIVEAWAY--Harry Potter Years 1-5 Limited Edition Giftset DVD--GIVEAWAY!
2007-10-25 19:16:00
Week in Rewind is happy to offer our biggest giveaway yet in the upcoming, December 11, 2007 release of the all-new Harry Potter Years 1-5 Limited Edition Giftset. That's a $149.98 value--and we're giving away two copies each on standard DVD (see our other contests for the Blu-ray and HD DVD versions!).Hot!Winning is simple. Sign up for our RSS feed or our Daily E-Mail Update of all the latest movie reviews and news, make sure to let us know you did so by sending us an email at BDNFilm1@aol.com, and we'll put you in the mix. Two winners will be drawn on Tuesday, December 11, 2007 and the DVD will be shipped to the address you provide to us once we contact you.Remember, you can't win if you don't sign up. So sign up! We never share your information with any third party--Ever. You must be a resident of the United States or Canada to win!Enjoy! Read more below!Subscribe in a readerEnter your email address:Delivered by FeedBurnerHarry Potter Years 1-5 Limited Edition Giftset DVDLim...

The Love Guru--First Look
2007-10-25 18:40:00
USA Today has published the first photo of the new Mike Myers/Jessica Alba movie The Love Guru , which hits theaters June 20, 2008. The film also stars Justin Timberlake and Ben Kingsley, with Myers himself writing the script.From USA Today: "Myers, a native of Ontario, says he wrote the film because of his interests in Eastern philosophy and hockey. But he isn't the type to zip out a script the moment an idea hits. 'I enjoy having the Lamaze birthing process of it,' says Myers, who also authored the Wayne's World and Austin Powers franchises. 'It usually takes me three, 3½ years in between characters.'Why so long? He's very protective of his original live-action characters. 'I've written and created everything I've done, and it takes me a year to reflect on what I've done, a year to let the idea incubate and a year to create' a new character."Looks interesting, but Myers can be a mixed bag. At least he looks as if he's trying something new, which is critical after y...

Is "The Exorcist" the Greatest Horror Movie Ever Made?
2007-10-25 18:17:00
The greatest? That's subjective, of course. But while I do think that "The Exorcist " is among the greatest horror movies ever made--the below review highlights reasons why--I'm curious as to what you think.What surpasses this movie? What's your favorite horror movie, and why?The review:“The Exorcist”Directed by William Friedkin, written by William Peter Blatty, based on his novel, 132 minutes, rated R.In 1973, smack in the middle of a tumultuous political environment that saw the fall of a U.S. president and our country caught in the throes of war, came William Friedkin’s “The Exorcist,” a horror film like none other that would go on to be denounced by Billy Graham, championed by the Catholic church, embraced by film critics and finally by the Academy Awards, where it won two of 10 nominations. The film came during the last golden age of Hollywood--a time when it wasn’t rare for artistry to take precedence over box office receipts--and it was groundbreaking, a movie ...
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Stanley Kubrick Warner Home Video Directors Series--GIVEAWAY
2007-10-25 00:16:00
Week in Rewind is very happy to offer a very choice giveaway of TWO copies of the Stanley Kubrick Warner Home Video Directors Series . That's a $79.98 value, kids. You can't beat it.And we're giving away two copies! Hot!Winning is simple.Sign up for our RSS feed or our Daily E-Mail Update of all the latest movie reviews and news, make sure to let us know you did so by sending us an email at BDNFilm1@aol.com, and we'll put you in the mix. Two winners will be drawn on Wednesday, Oct. 31 and the new DVD boxed set will be shipped to the address you provide to us once we contact you.Remember, you can't win if you don't sign up. So sign up!We never share your information with any third party--Ever.You MUST be a U.S. resident to win.Enjoy! After signing up, read more below!Subscribe in a readerEnter your email address:Delivered by FeedBurnerFollowing is information from Warner's press release:Stanley Kubrick Warner Home Video Directors Series2001: A Space Odyssey Special Edition ~ A ...

"REPO! The Genetic Opera" Trailer or "Torture Porn: The Musical"
2007-10-24 20:51:00
Okay, so what fresh hell is this? "Torture Porn: The Muscial"?Doesn't matter--it looks way over the top. Bring it!From director Darren Lynn Bousman, the man responsible for Saw II, Saw III and the upcoming Saw IV, I'm no fan of his, but you've got to give it to him for coming out with this trailer for his upcoming movie, "REPO! The Genetic Opera ," which streets April 25, 2008.Doesn't this look like something that John Waters would come up with?Paul Sorvino, Anthony Head and Paris Hilton star, so at the very least, it's going to be a hoot. One question remains--why didn't they open this opposite Tim Burton's "Sweeney Todd"? Talk about your double feature. If only drive-in theaters still were thriving....Here's a clip of the movie:
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NEW Iron Man Trailer--VIDEO
2007-09-12 16:47:00
A new Iron Man trailer has just been released. Check it out below. Downey looks perfect for the role. Who knew??Technorati tags:movies
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Rat Race: Movie & DVD Review (2001)
2007-09-12 15:56:00
Ruthlessly dumb people(Originally published 2001)Directed by Jerry Zucker, written by Andy Breckman, 112 minutes, rated PG-13.After an uninspired opening that establishes a been-there, laughed-at-that premise, Jerry Zucker's "Rat Race " builds to one of the more outrageously funny comedies Hollywood produced last year.It knows exactly what it wants to be--a silly screwball chase movie modeled after Stanley Kramer's "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World," Blake Edwards' "The Great Race" and the Mack Sennett comedies of the silent era.What's better? Unlike so many recent comedies, "Rat Race " doesn't dip into the toilet bowl to pluck out its laughs. Instead, its comedy hinges on a series of non-stop sight gags, many of which had the audience at my screening last summer literally in tears.The cast--including John Cleese, Whoopi Goldberg, Jon Lovitz, Rowan Atkinson, Cuba Gooding Jr., Seth Green, Lanai Chapman, Kathy Bates and Breckin Meyer--is in fine form, taking to the screen with an eage...
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Snow Dogs: Movie & DVD Review (2002)
2007-09-12 15:46:00
The quality of the cast speaks for itself (Originally published 2002)Directed by Brian Levant, written by Jim Kouf, Tommy Swerdlow, Michael Goldberg, Mark Gibson and Philip Halprin, loosely based on the book "Winterdance" by Gary Paulsen, 99 minutes, rated PG.In spite of what its PG rating implies, Disney’s "Snow Dogs " is for children--very young children--preferably those who haven’t seen many movies and thus won’t be disappointed in what Hollywood has done to Cuba Gooding Jr. and James Coburn, fellow Oscar winners who do their best to turn this mush into a reasonably enjoyable mess.If “Snow Dogs” works at all--and sometimes it works better than it should--it’s because of Gooding and Coburn, who deliver such energetic performances and have such solid chemistry on screen, they overcome Brian Levant’s lackluster direction and an uninspired script credited to no fewer than five writers.In the film, Gooding is Ted Brooks, a popular Miami dentist taken by surprise when he ...
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