Schwarzenegger Collector’s Set
Directors: Walter Hill, Paul Michael Glaser, James Cameron, Paul Verhoeven
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Belushi, Laurence Fishburne, Peter Boyle, Maria Conchita Alonso, Jim Brown, Jesse Ventura, Richard Dawson, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick
Lionsgate Home Video

You could make a case for Arnold Schwarzenegger as the greatest action movie superstars of all time. This is a case you would win every single time, because there is no one that tops this man when it comes to the genre. Regardless of what you think of him as a Governor, there is no arguing that his presence in movies has been missed for some years now; and thus, we retreat back to his best works to get our Schwarzenegger fix.

On the bright side, there’s sets like this one being released from time-to-time to help your binging needs. This particular set includes Red Heat, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, The Running Man, and Total Recall.

When I got the chance to review this new four-movie collector’s set of Schwarzenegger flicks, I jumped at the chance for a couple of reasons: One was because I shockingly had not seen two of them; and also because I even-more shockingly didn’t own any of them. [...]

Mickey’s Magical Christmas
Snowed In at the House of Mouse
Directed by Burny Mattinson
Starring Robby Benson, Jodi Benson, John Cleese
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Release Date: November 3, 2009

I’m not all that familiar with the Disney House of Mouse animated television show, which ran from 2001 to 2003, so I wasn’t quite sure what Mickey’s Magical Christmas: Snowed In at the House of Mouse would be like, aside from its obvious yuletide theme. We find Mickey Mouse as the owner of the House of Mouse, where he and his guests are snowed-in on Christmas. Gathered at the House of Mouse with Mickey and his lady love Minnie is a cast of over 35 memorable Disney characters, like members of the Mickey posse (Goofy, Donald), the princesses (Cinderella, Belle, Ariel), and Winnie the Pooh’s gang (Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, Eeyore), as well as many others. Since they can’t leave, they decide to have a Christmas party right where they are by showing their ‘home movies’ in an effort to try to get a crabby Donald Duck into the Christmas spirit.

At first Mickey’s Magical Christmas seems like an all-star ensemble feature, which I was totally looking forward too, especially when I spotted Hades from Hercules in the crowd. But then it switches gears to show us the aforementioned home movies, which are actually four previously released Disney cartoons shorts from three different decades. After each video, the ensemble is shown talking about their Christmas wishes and the things their thankful for, as well as short sequences on the science of Santa and how characters decorate their home, which is a nice way to tie together all of the older videos [...]

Up
4-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack
Directed by Pete Docter & Bob Peterson
Starring (voices): Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai, Delroy Lindo
Walt Disney Pictures Home Entertainment
Release date: November 10, 2009

I never got to see the latest Disney/Pixar feature Up when it was out in theaters this summer, though I did get to view 20 minutes of the film at a convention early this year. What I saw at the time was what seemed like a cute little story about an elderly man named Carl (voiced by Ed Asner) who, in an effort to relocate his house, ties thousands of balloons to it. Strangely enough, the balloons do the trick, and away the man goes off on an adventure in his flying house. Along for the ride is Russell, a boy scout, who manages to get on Carl’s last nerve. At some point, talking dogs come into the picture and that’s where I lost my interest in Up.

I really should have known better, what with this being a Disney/Pixar effort, and let’s face it, with beloved films like Toy Story and Monsters Inc., you know anything from this studio is going to be good … real good.

From the preview, I could tell that Up would be a movie kids would love: there’s a little boy for them to relate to; a house that flies away on thousands of colorful balloons; and real-world dogs that somehow manage to speak. What I didn’t know was what a compelling story Up had, and how for the first 20 or so minutes of the film, I would be in tears.

Yes, tears [...]

The Secret Saturdays
Volume 1-2
Created by Jay Stephens
Featuring the voices of Phil Morris, Nicole Sullivan, Diedrich Bader, Sam Lerner, Fred Tatasciore, Will Friedle, Corey Burton
Cartoon Network

The Cartoon Network’s The Secret Saturdays is a throwback cartoon that tips their hats off to various cartoons and genres of yesteryear. The cartoon focuses on the Saturday family, a team of crypto-zoologists (or scientists that search for strange creatures), as they go on adventures of exploration and various forms of daring-do. Along the way, they deal with their own rogue gallery of rival crypto-zoologists and various other supped up big baddies.

While I am definitely not the demographic for this cartoon, I must say that I actually enjoyed the cartoon a lot. I am a fan of mythical beasts like Bigfoot or The Loch Ness and I am glad to see an actual cartoon focused on it. The writing and overall tone of the series reminded me a lot of the old Hanna Barbera cartoons, mostly notably Johnny Quest. The creators also throw in a Fantastic Four vibe into the mix and that gels very nicely with the series as a whole (and with yours truly). There is definitely a lot of humor and action that is not family friendly but, I dare say it, adult friendly too [...]

Every year, After Dark does their part to bring the world a collection of new horror movies. Their 8 Films to Die For are custom built for the die-hard horror fan, with none of that PG-13 crap — no, no, these are real horror movies that are graphic and completely unapologetic.

Being a big fan of horror movies, I jumped at the opportunity to not only take a look at one of the third annual collection’s offerings, but to swim around in all eight of these demented and twisted tales. My happy dreams may now be permanent nightmares, but really, what fun would it be to just review one part of what’s mean to be an entire collection of pure horror good-ness?

From here on out, I’ll do my best to review each of the eight films so movie fans and horror buffs alike can decide whether they want to see just one or if they want to see them all over and over again. [...]

In case you’ve yet to notice Paramount Home Entertainment has been putting out new Deluxe Editions of the Friday the 13th movies. First they released parts I, II, and III (Read: DVD Reviews: ‘Friday The 13th’ 1-3 Deluxe Editions), and now we have IV, V, and VI!

As I’ve said before: when it comes to Friday the 13th, it’s almost impossible to review them as single movies. Again, the franchise as a whole and the character Jason Voorhees is more of its own life force than a bunch of movies. You either hate Friday the 13th, or you love every cheesy, gory second of it.

With this set of three flicks, we move out of the realms of the less-liked Friday the 13th movies, and into some of the most-popular ones, where Jason transforms from a horrifying and seemingly unstoppable killer, to an undead and definitely unstoppable killer!

Let it begin…again…after it had ended! [...]

Battlestar Galactica: The Plan
Director: Edward James Olmos
Starring: Dean Stockwell, Rick Worthy, Tricia Helfer, Grace Park, Edward James Olmos, Michael Trucco, Kate Vernon, Callum Keith Rennie, Aaron Douglas, Michael Hogan, Rekha Sharma, Katee Sackhoff, James Callis
Universal Studios
Release Date: October 27, 2009

I don’t want to be human! I want to see gamma rays. I want to hear x-rays, and I want to smell dark matter. I want to reach out with something other than these prehensile paws and feel the solar wind of a supernova flowing over me. I’m a machine, and I could know much more.

Battlestar Galactica: The Plan is the third prequel movie that has been made within the realms of the brilliant Ronald D. Moore and David Eick re-imagining of Battlestar Galactica. The others were Razor and Caprica (which is more of a spinoff and setup for its own new series set to begin in 2010), and they offer us a deeper look into the many stories that we never saw as we journeyed through the wonderful five-season run. While Razor concentrated on another Battlestar ship and added many details to one of the stories we briefly saw in the series, The Plan is a unique and even odd kind of animal that takes us to many different points from the show.

To be completely honest, there’s not really a firm story here, but more of a completely alternative perspective to the intense and familiar events of the series. Do not think that that means that there is no story at all, though — there certainly is, and the more you think about the new things that you see within the film, the more you related them to the overall story, and this is where this movie really works well. The Plan actually plays out almost like the deleted scenes in your DVD special features section, which is kind of strange, but again, unique in its own little way. [...]

Robot Chicken: Star Wars – Episode II
Directed by Seth Green
Featuring the voices of Seth Green, Billy Dee Williams, Donald Faison, Carrie Fisher
Adult Swim

Some things in life just go really well together. Peanut Butter and Jelly, and Chocolate Chip and Mints are just some of the prime examples, but now you can add Robot Chicken and Star Wars into the mix as well. When the popular stop-motion series Robot Chicken decided to parody the mega popular Star Wars franchise the first time around, the reviews for the show was overwhelmingly positive. Even George Lucas approved so you can only imagine that it wouldn’t be long until the sequel Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II showed up.

Nothing has changed much since the first special. The folks at Robot Chicken, led by bite-sized star Seth Green, are still offering up their hilarious and often times, insane, fanboy interpretations of key moments in the Star Wars franchise. Ever wonder what happens to Boba Fett moments after he meets his fate in Return of the Jedi or what was going through the mind of Luke during his key battle with Darth Vader? All those questions are answered and even some random ‘what if’ scenarios are touched on in this funny special [...]

Boy, we’ve got a good one today! How many of you out there would like the opportunity to win a virtuametric ton of cool-ass G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra swag packaged up with a nifty Nintendo DSi hand-held game system? Well, if you live within the continental United States you’re in luck.

The goodly folks from whence magic arose have seen fit to grant us the aforementioned Nintendo DSi along with a copy of the new G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra DSi game, as well as a load of awesome The Rise of Cobra goodies to ply you with.

What are you waiting for? Video games, hats, posters, figures, and a surprise pack of awesome await [...]

The IT Crowd
The Complete Season One
Written and Directed by Graham Linehan
Starring Chris O’Dowd, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Parkinson, Chris Morris
MPI Home Video
Available now

‘That’s the sort of place this is, Jen. A lot of sexy people not doing much work and having affairs.’

At the high-rise headquarters of Reynholm Industries beautiful people go about their work in clean, bright office areas. On the 34th floor everyone is friendly and smiling and happy. The man in charge, Denholm Reynholm (Chris Morris), hires pretty, red-haired Jen (Katherine Parkinson) as a new head of department after being impressed with her glowing CV. Jen falls in love with her new workplace, adoring the stunning London views and fawning at the sight of unisex toilets ‘like Ally McBeal!’

But this is not where Jen will be working. The department she will be heading is not on the stunning, sunny 34th floor. She will be riding the elevator down to the depths of the building to become a part of The IT Crowd.

In this surreal sitcom world, the basement is the domain of Roy (Chris O’Dowd) and Moss (Richard Ayoade), Reynholm Industries’ resident computer nerds. As typical of such men, their work area is a mess, crammed with geeky paraphernalia. It is obvious that Roy and Moss are vital to this company as Jen, and everyone else, knows nothing about computers [...]

In honor of Leif Erikson Day today, which observes the Viking explorer’s achievement of being the first to bring over Europeans to North America (and also commemorates the first immigrants to come to the United States from Norway in 1825), I thought I’d bring your attention to Neil Gaiman’s latest U.S. release Odd and the Frost Giants, a cute little tale inspired by traditional Norse mythology.

Right now, HarperCollins has posted the first chapter of the book online for free, so which I suggest you take advantage of that by checking out the widget here below.

The novel contains illustrations by Brett Helquist, best known for this artwork in the Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events books. There’s also the audio CD.

Both of these are going right on my Wish List for sure (for those of you wondering what I want for my upcoming birthday, there you go). I’ve been wanting to get my hands on this story since I heard about it early last year when Gaiman offered it up for World Book Day 2009 in the UK and Ireland [...]

Anvil! The Story Of Anvil
Directed by Sacha Gervasi
Starring Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow, Robb Reiner, Chris Tsangarides
Release date: October 6, 2009

In the big hair and spandex-filled summer of 1984, a huge music tour took Japan by storm. A collection of the world’s biggest metal bands like Twisted Sister, W.A.S.P., Scorpions, Whitesnake, and Bon Jovi were on the bill. Also sharing the stage was Anvil, a young band gaining notoriety and respect thanks to their incredible musicianship and a lead singer who enjoyed playing his guitar with a dildo. After this tour the bands involved continued their ascent to rock stardom each selling millions of records and playing sell-out tours. All, that is, except Anvil. For them it didn’t work out and never again would they reach those heights.

In Anvil! The Story of Anvil metal icons like Scott Ian (Anthrax), Slash (Guns n Roses), Lars Ulrich (Metallica), and Lemmy (Motorhead) talk about how highly they rated Anvil. In the early 80s, Anvil was the band they wanted to emulate, the band that made them perform better, and afterwards the band that they couldn’t believe didn’t make it. But, as Lemmy says here, “You’ve got to be in the right place at the right time.” Anvil never was. After Japan Anvil could have given up playing, content to live off their 15 minutes of fame, ready to tell the grandkids about that brief moment in time they were rock stars. But no: In the decades since, the band has continued to play live shows, record albums and attract new fans. Anvil! The Story Of Anvil documents the band as they continue to try and ‘make it’ and record their 13th studio album, This Is Thirteen [...]

Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!
Season 3
Starring Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim
Warner Home Video
Release Date: August 4, 2009

In the past six months I’ve watched two full seasons of Adult Swim’s live-action sketch series Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! and I’m afraid to say the show is growing on me. Each episode runs barely twelve minutes and the individual skits usually wrap up around the one-minute mark, but there are still more laughs per capita in a single episode of Tim and Eric than in an entire season of Saturday Night Live.

Unlike most sketch comedy series show creators, Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim know the limits of the idea that drives each sketch and never wear out its welcome. While I often laughed hard at the show, it took me some time to really understand what it was all about, but now I do. Tim and Eric Awesome Show has more of a Canadian comic spirit than an American one. Each episode plays like a compilation tape of highlights from shows broadcast on some strange alternate universe version of a cable access television station staffed by a freewheeling collection of misfits and miscreants hopelessly convinced that they’re not engaging in amateur night theatrics. The influence of classic Canuck cathode comedies like SCTV and The Kids in the Hall can be seen in every episode and with each season the show continues to improve. The writing and performances continue to wallow in the wildest off-the-wall ideas the show’s cast and crew can conjure up, but as evidenced in several episodes there’s an increased confidence in their willingness to go completely for broke with their ideas [...]

The Simpsons
The Complete Twelfth Season
Starring Dan Castellaneta, Nancy Cartwright, Julie Kavner, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria
Twentieth Century Fox
Release Date: August 18, 2009

As far back as I can remember The Simpsons has been a part of my life. Growing up with the first family of Springfield, Any State USA since their Christmas special first aired in late 1989 I could see parts of myself and my own family in Matt Groening’s brilliant creation. Being a reader, a bit of a brain, and somehow able to stand outside the rest of my family and observe their strange behavior with the perspective of a seasoned psychiatrist, I could always relate to oldest daughter Lisa (voiced by Yeardley Smith), while my dad (who I was named after) took after intellectually challenged yet well-meaning father Homer (voiced by Dan Castellenata) somewhat (at least when he was around). Mother Marge (voiced by Julie Kavner), full of motherly wisdom and ready to be the glue that held the family together at all times, naturally reminded me of my own mom Carolyn. Then there was underachiever (and proud of it) brother Bart (voiced by Nancy Cartwright), whose tendency to raise hell without a moment’s hesitation continuously brought my own younger siblings Sean and Lisa. Little Maggie (voiced by someone sucking on a pacifier) could be representative of us all when we’re at that age. Besides them there’s the show’s sizable supporting cast. Who among us has never had a Bible-thumping neighbor like Ned Flanders, or a greedy employer like Montgomery Burns? You may have had a conservative principal like Seymour Skinner or encountered a bartender like Moe. The townspeople who populate Springfield, a city which appears to be all American cities and none of them, may have come from the imaginations of a brilliant writing staff and voice cast (not to mention some very talented animators) but most of these characters are bound to strike a few of us as a bit familiar [...]

The IT Crowd
The Complete Second Season
Written and Directed by Graham Linehan
Starring Chris O’Dowd, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Parkinson, Matt Berry
MPI Home Video
Available now

The second season of any TV show is usually a vital one (the difficult second album syndrome). If the first season was brilliant the pressure is on those involved to make it as good as, but hopefully better, for the second. The pressure is not felt as strongly however if a second season is commissioned on the basis that it must be better than the uncertain first. This is where The IT Crowd sits. The first season displayed a lot of promising signs but was ultimately shaky.

If Season 1 of this sitcom was a sign of the show finding its feet, then The IT Crowd Season 2 is proof that it has found them. This season immediately feels more confident and relaxed, as though Graham Linehan (who continues to write and direct) feels more assured in his characters and the series as a result.

It gets off to a tremendous start and the best episode yet in The Work Outing which features the funniest theatre show I have ever seen. A trip to the theatre is the first time we really see Roy (Chris O’Dowd), Moss (Richard Ayoade) and Jen (Katherine Parkinson) outside the office and we see how well (or not) they cope in the outside world. Roy and Moss are very socially difficult. Not just at the theatre but when Jen is forced to invite them to her dinner party. Jen spends the evening trying to make sure her colleagues don’t embarrass her in front of her friends and her boyfriend. Not easy when the man she is trying to impress is called Peter File [...]

Disney has been making some big announcements lately: their acquisition of Marvel Studios; a partnership with the great Guillermo del Toro; the motion capture remake of Yellow Submarine; and now this, the officially announcement of the title for Pirates of the Caribbean 4.

The fourth movie in one of the biggest movie franchises of all time will now be called Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (click image for full title graphic). The flick is locked and loaded with crucial Johnny Depp set to return as Jack Sparrow. To lower the budget a bit, both Orlando Bloom and Kiera Knightley will not be returning, unless they appear in small cameos.

Also expected to return is Geoffrey Rush as Captain Barbossa, but this is not confirmed yet. The high hopes is that the Fountain of Youth storyline set up at the end of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End will be used here. It also appears that there is a book titled On Stranger Tides that does involve the Fountain, so questions have also arisen as to if this will be the source material for the fourth film. [...]

Sons of Anarchy
Created by Kurt Sutter
Starring Charlie Hunnam, Katey Sagal, Ron Perlman, Maggie Siff, Kim Coates, Mark Boone Junior
Twentieth Century Fox
Season 1 DVD release date: August 18, 2009
Season 2 premiere date: Tuesday, September 8, 10 EST/9 CST on FX

The handiest and dandiest nutshell in which to describe the FX show Sons of Anarchy is “Hamlet with Bikers.” It’s not the least accurate metaphor in the world: You have a Claudius, you have a Gertrude, and even the hero of the show, Jackson “Jax” Teller (Charlie Hunnam), has blond hair and blue eyes, looking as Danish as Danish can be. Hamlet with Bikers isn’t the worst kind of thing for a show. There are a whole ton of shows that don’t have Shakespearean allusions or dirty, smelly bikers, so can’t we have one that does?

But the more cynical way to describe Sons of Anarchy is “The Sopranos with Bikers,” but it’s too early to call on that one. The show needs six more seasons to overextend itself and a ton of out-of-place dream sequences to live up to that. That show got so bored with itself that it ended in mid-sentence to go and do something else.

Sons of Anarchy is the latest, and arguably best, drama to come out of the basic cable network FX, beating out other shows like Rescue Me, Damages, and the recently concluded The Shield (which is that show poor people had to make do with when they couldn’t get The Wire on HBO). In fact, I would go so far as to call Sons of Anarchy last season’s best new show in all of television. It took a little while to get its groove on, but it veered quite close to great in its second half. That’s something even the best shows on TV rarely do [...]

The Last House on the Left

Unrated & Theatrical Versions

Directed by Dennis Iliadis
Starring: Garret Dillahunt, Tony Goldwyn, Monica Potter, Sara Paxton, Aaron Paul, Spencer Treat Clark, Rinki Lindhome

Universal Studios

Release Date: August 18, 2009

If someone hurt someone you love, how far would you go to get revenge?

That tagline perfectly sums up The Last House on the Left — the new horror movie remake of the 1972 Wes Craven classic. To look in the eyes of someone who has badly hurt or killed someone you love; that anger and confusion and complete uncertainty as to what to do next — a situation people can truly fear.

The movie follows John and Emma Collingwood (Tony Goldwyn and Monica Potter), as well as their daughter, Mari (Sara Paxton). The family is off to their lake house for a traditional and much-needed vacation from their busy lives. Not long after they arrive, Mari talks her parents into letting her borrow the car to go and see her old friend Paige (Martha MacIsaac) who works at a store near the summer home. [...]

Fast & Furious
2-Disc Special Edition
Directed by Justin Lin
Starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez
Universal Studios
Release Date: July 28, 2009

Fast & Furious is part of a tricky four-movie franchise. Most movie fans see a movie like this coming out, and immediately write it off. In other words, being objective toward these movies is not an easy task. Even for someone like myself, who thought the first movie was a ton of fun, really had no interest in seeing its sequel 2 Fast 2 Furious, and the threequel, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. One of the reasons I was so against these movies was their breaking of a cardinal rule: if you’re giving me a sequel, give me the original cast. So when I first saw the trailer for this fourth installment, and that the core cast from the original was finally brought back together, I was curious as to if it could be as fun as the first.

The movie opens up with lovey-dovey criminal couple Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez) in another country and on another high-speed heist of tankers carrying profitable fuel [...]

Fighting
Unrated & Theatrical Versions
Directed by Dito Montiel
Starring Channing Tatum, Terrence Howard, Zulay Henao, Luis Guzman
Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Release Date: August 25, 2009

Fighting tells the story on a down-and-out young man named Shawn MacArthur (Channing Tatum) who gets by selling cheap products on the streets of New York City. When one of his transactions doesn’t go so well, he finds himself in a fight with a few guys, who he handles with ease. Later that night, he sees a man who witnessed the earlier altercation, as well as a kid who grabbed his money. When he goes in to get what’s his, the man, named Harvey (Terrence Howard), makes him a proposition he just can’t refuse: the chance to fight and walk away with $5,000. He eventually gains a reputation in the city as an underground fighting talent, which leads to a possible showdown with a nemesis from his past, and a romance with a woman who may be hiding a secret.

The movie starts off all right at first, but as each moment passed by, it consistently lost control of itself, where it wanted to go, and what it wanted to be. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a movie that was so confused within itself before, and it was difficult to watch at times. Yes, the feared train wreck analogy is perfectly fitting here. [...]