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We’re here to keep you informed on hot choices for renting or buying new DVD releases. Released this week: Scary Movie 4, RV, Hoot, Apocalypse Now (2 Disc Special Collector’s Edition) and Rome: The Complete First Season.

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Here’s what is getting released today on DVD:

Film:

Scary Movie 4 –  This year’s edition plays on the same Airplane style type of comedy (enhanced with the addition of Leslie Neilsen in a supporting role) with the body fluid and homosexuality jokes scaled back though we do get the obligatory Brokeback Mountain parody.  The star of this series remains the set designer for the level of detail recaptured in the different spoofs; I just wish the acting and writing was as consistent.  Get the rest of Alan’s opinion on Scary Movie 4. Don’t miss out on extras like Commentary by the filmmakers, 15 deleted and extended scenes, bloopers and many featurette.

RV –  Disconnected from his family and in trouble at work Bob Munro (Robin Williams) decides to gather his family, his teenage daughter Cassie (JoJo) and son Carl (Josh Hutcherson) and wife Jamie (Cheryl Hines), together and take an family vacation to Colorado (while secretly working on his proposal).  Since his family was set on a trip to Hawaii they aren’t too happy with the change in plans.

Of course in this kind of trip all kinds of bad luck befalls Bob including being stuck on the front of the RV as it tumbles out of control, the explosion of the waste management system, attack of a pack of rabid raccoons, and a extra-cheery RV family (Jeff Daniels, Kristin Chenoweth, Hunter Parrish, Alex Ferris, and Chloe Sonnenfeld) who even sing and yodel and I’m pretty sure you have to shoot and bury in the desert in unmarked graves to get rid of. Get the rest of Alan’s opinion on RV.

Be sure to enjoy the director’s commentary, gag reel, alternate scenes and a few featurette on this DVD.

Hoot – Carl Hiaasen’s award winning young adult novel is adapted for the big screen, and now your TV. Director Wil Shriner does his best, but doesn’t pull off much from his adult actors, luckily his young talents pulls out all the stops. Hoot has a few funny moments and some save the animals, owls specifically, moral notes. Kids will love it, but adults will be quite bored.

Special Edition:

Apocalypse Now (2 Disc Special Collector’s Edition) – Seriously, you’re not going to make me explain Apocalypse Now to you? If you don’t know what this film it about, then you are not alive. However, I will let you know what the 2 Disc Collector’s Edition includes. Just in case 2 1/2 hours wasn’t enough for you, now they have added a whole extra 50 minutes. They didn’t just add scenes, but expanded and re-edited scenes that charged the atmosphere of this gloomy time in history. “What else?”, you ask. Not only do you get the extended longer version, but both the 1979 and 2001 versions, never before seen segments, Marlon Brando’s, in full, reading of T.S. Elliot’s poem “The Hollow Men” and so much more. If your a fan, then this collector’s edition is certainly for you and if you only appreciate the film then get it for the man in your life, or woman, who loves it.

Rome: The Complete First Season – HBO ventures out to epic proportions; Rome starts with a bang, slows a bit in the center and ends with an explosion. Shot on location in Rome and on one of the most genuine replicated sets and costumes made with nothing but the real articles found in those days, Rome is one of the most expensive productions in HBO history. The story of Julius Caesar unravels with intriguing characters and great talent from Ciaran Hinds, Kevin McKIdd, Ray Stevenson, James Purefoy and many others. HBO hit another one out of the park, let’s see if they hold onto to it. If a complaint would be made about this series it would be not enough battle, a war would start and end within a 5 minute period leaving the audience wanting to see more. The disc includes 12 episodes on 6 discs; commentary on multiple episodes with different actors and director, a closer look at “The Rise of Rome” fight scene and an extravagant behind the scenes look at set design and costuming. Wait for it, there is more; actor’s boot camp, a featurette on the culture of ancient Rome, photo gallery and an eight-page character guide. Here’s a DVD set with a party included in it.

We’re here to keep you informed on hot choices for renting or buying new DVD releases. Released this week: V for Vendetta, The Shaggy Dog, What the “Bleep” Do We Know, Inu Yasha Fire on the Mystic, Dallas Season 5 and Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 5.

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Here’s what is getting released today on DVD:

Film:

V for Vendetta – Here’s what I learned from V for Vendetta: 1. I never, ever, want anyone to try and make The Watchmen into a film, 2. Even when you gut a great graphic novel of some of its best material it can still come out well on screen, and 3. I have an even deeper appreciation for Sin City.  The Wachowksi adaption (Moore pulled his own name off the project) isn’t the graphic novel but it does have something worth watching.  I would have preferred a more faithful adaption to this remodeled version but what we do get is still quite good; sadly though the source material demands it to be great.  My immediate reaction to the film mostly positive yet conflicted and wistful of what could have been. Get the rest of Alan’s opinion on V for Vendetta.

The Shaggy Dog – The tagline for this film is “Raise the Woof.” If you think that’s incredibly clever and hysterically funny than this film is for you.  If however your age includes more than one digit and you don’t suffer from some kind of mental deficiency you may want to pass on this dog.  And this movie is a dog.  One very stupid dog.  Of course being neither mentally challenged nor a child the film isn’t geared towards me and I do believe young children will enjoy the obvious jokes of Tim Allen running around and acting like a dog for almost 100 minutes.  Me, not so much. Get the rest of Alan’s opinion on The Shaggy Dog.

What the “Bleep” Do We Know?! – Down the Rabbit Hole Quantum Edition – Part philosophy, part special effects, and enough to blow your mind as this film looks at a world where quantum uncertainty is demonstrated.  Everything is alive, and thought can change any apect of reality.
Animation:

Inu Yasha The Movie 4 – Fire on the Mystic Island – Wacky anime film about demons, Gods, and four children who take them on.  Presented in Japanese with English subtitles.

TV:

Dallas – The Complete Fifth Season – All 26 episodes of the Ewings and their soap-operatic lifestyles.

Curb Your Enthusiasm – The Complete Fifth Season – Larry David and Co. come together for another 10 episodes of off kilter fun and laughs.

We’re here to keep you informed on hot choices for renting or buying new DVD releases. Released this week: Final Destination 3, Ask the Dust, The Benchwarmers, The Boondocks, Pinky and The Brain: Volume 1, Rawhide: The Complete First Season and Jag: The Complete First Season.

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Here’s what is getting released today on DVD:

Film:

Final Destination 3 – Third time isn’t always a charm! Final Destination 3 is close to if not the same as 1 and 2, more dead teenagers, more campy and more bad actors. Death is an unseen force that wants his/her prey, and if chipped, will do anything to get the body count. Death by tanning bed, training bench, an engine and a nail gun, (wow, how original are those deaths?) Wait for it; yes there is a surprise ending and you get to pick your own fate. The DVD comes with a “Choose Your Fate!” version with alternate scenes and ways to die. The DVD also includes a documentary, featurette, original animated short and a look at how they made the roller coaster that started out this thrill ride. Seems to me, that there is more to the extras than the film itself. Enjoy!

Ask the Dust – Is this possible, a film with Colin Farrell and Salma Hayek I have not seen? Two of the sexiest people in Hollywood on screen together, it can’t be all that bad to look at. Robert Towne adapted John Fante’s novel about the depression era. Colin plays a writer out to mask his Italian immigrant identity and Salma is the sassy hot barmaid looking for Mr. Rich American to get out of her own world. The sexy steamy relationship the main characters fall into and the cinematic beauty of the piece will keep you fairly interested, the story isn’t all that bad either. The only extras on the DVD are a featurette, “The Making of Ask the Dust”.

The Benchwarmers – If I say Rob Schneider, David Spade and Jon Heder, do I need to say much more? Adam Sandler created this somewhat comical romp about a 3-man baseball team created to pick on little leaguers. Rob, David and Jon play 3 immature men who never recovered from being picked on in school and in return decide to give it right back to a younger generation. The DVD does have quite a few extras like deleted scenes, commentary by actors David Spade and Jon Heder, behind the scenes with Reggie Jackson, a “Nerds Vs. Bullies” featurette, cast and crew discussions on baseball and Howie’s greatest moments. Here’s a DVD you want to rent just for the extras, the film is slightly comical and light hearted if you are looking for a simply dumb evening.

Animation:

The Boondocks – It’s an uncut and uncensored cartoon, awesome. Produced for Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim, based on Aaron McGruder’s politically charged comic strip. 2 young brothers give us their view of social and racial issues, never beating around the bush and always satirical. They move from Southside to the suburbs with their crazy grandpa, giving the boys plenty to talk about and experience. The DVD features 15 episodes and some unaired TV promos with commentary.

Pinky And The Brain: Volume 1 – If only a couple of laboratory mice could dominate the world, we might be in a better spot than we are now. Pinky And The Brain is a spin-off from Anamaniacs that started back in 1996. A genius large headed rodent and his crazy insane companion plan world domination every night only to fail and start over the next. From creator and executive producer Steven Spielberg, finally one of the funniest cartoons released on DVD. 22 episodes in all and a featurette.

TV:

Rawhide: The Complete First Season – The only time I’ve ever seen Clint Eastwood looking like a young man, I just assumed he was born wrinkled and hard as nails. Rawhide was Eastwood’s ticket to stardom and his start in the Western film business. There isn’t much to be said about Rawhide, it’s a classic cattle drive western with bad guys, good guys, fistfights and moocows.

JAG: The Complete First Season – Did you know JAG was on for 10 seasons? Neither did I. J.A.G. stands for Judge Advocate General and that is who Lieutenant Commander Harmon ‘Harm’ Rabb Jr. (David James) is. After being grounded from a flying accident in the Navy, Harm and is new team of prosecutors and defenders go on to handle various military cases and solve the mysteries assigned to them. The DVD offers up 21 episodes on 6 discs and 3 featurettes.

Back in 2001-2002 filmmaker Kevin Smith set out on a speaking tour through America.  Smith stopped at several universities to speak and give fans an chance to pick the brain behind the View Askew Universe.  Oh yeah, and he brought a documentary crew along…

An Evening with Kevin Smith
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From Cornell to Indiana, from Kent State to Wyoming and Clark University, Kevin Smith stops by for an evening with fans, and curiosity seekers, wondering what the one time clerk, and now world famous writer/director, has to say.  It’s an impressive and enlightening little documentary that gives fans a little more insight to Kevin Smith.

There’s not much to the set-up here.  Kevin Smith travels to five colleges and speaks in front of sold out auditoriums offering insights and answering questions about his films and career.  The best parts of these five performances have been cut together in a hugely entertaining two-disc DVD.

In much the same vein of an a cappella concert film, Smith riffs, tells stories, and spends time with groups of rabid fans.

The documentary is filled with great moments, too numerous to list them all here.  Some of my favorites include – the story behind Smith’s work on a Superman script and why it is so important to have a good producer on a film, his feud with Tim Burton, and his work on a documentary of music icon Prince.

Then there are humorous moments where he bemoans his overly vocal stoner followers, refuses to dance for his a sweet female fan, or discusses his views on homosexuality and the personal reasons his films deal with such issues.  Not all the questions are winners, but some of the more pedestrian ones actually lead to some quite unintentionally funny moments.

Even with it’s simple set-up and low budget it’s still one of the best things Kevin Smith has ever done.  Fans will find all kinds of fun moments and interesting stories and anecdotes to enjoy.  I’d recommend it not only to fans of Smith’s work, but for anyone interested in what makes this guy tick, or interested to see a filmmaker take the time to seriously interact with his fans, and to listen not only to their questions but some criticism as well.  It’s just a great DVD to have on your shelf.

Despite it’s length (225 minutes) it will leave you craving more.  And for fans who do want more, Smith has announced a sequel DVD that will be released this November – An Evening with Kevin Smith 2: Evening Harder which showcases the same type of humor and wit from Smith’s recent tour through cities such as London and Toronto.

It’s no Gigli, thank goodness, it is something much much better. Given just about anything is better than Gigli, except for Battlefield Earth. Ben Affleck has redeemed himself with his female audience. After Gigli and the whole Bennifer fiasco, Jersey Girl is a pleasant cuddly film that many can enjoy. Ben you are forgiven! Kevin Smith steps out of his crazy cult film attire, puts Jay and Silent Bob in a closet, and tries on a more wholesome and grown up approach to movie making. Kevin admits it’s because of his new found experiences of being a father himself that has led him down this road.

Jersey Girl
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Jersey Girl is a film about a man who thinks he has it all and he himself was everything, but learns that he was nothing and having it all can be empty without the right person to share it with. That right person so happens to be new comer 13-year old Raquel Castro, an adorable little girl that captured hearts and tickled funny bones on the big screen. Jersey Girl is still in the independent film genre for writer and director Kevin Smith, but it has a big time commercial film shine to it. Icing on the cake is the adorable Liv Tyler playing the sexually curious and dazzling cute video store clerk that assists with mending a broken man’s heart. Yes, yes, I have not forgotten about Jennifer Lopez, she is in the film; thankfully it wasn’t a long enough role to destroy any high ground that Ben has began to earn.

 

Rumor has it that Ben’s career had hit rock bottom since he began to date Jennifer, part 2 now. Rather or not it was her fault or the fact that so many of us appreciate Ben for his charms and attractiveness and watching a captured man that you want to dream about wasn’t as great knowing he was no longer available. My personal opinion is that Ben hit a slump, the opportunities were there, they just didn’t work out the way they should. Ben should keep with the sweet happy feel good romantic roles and stir away from playing super hero. Unless, he is riding up on a large white steed and saving the damsel in distress, it doesn’t work for him. Jersey Girl, I am sad to say, will be another downer for Ben; it’s cute and adorable and a great deal of the female population will love it, but that minority isn’t the only group that has to like it. It is a happy-go-lucky movie with popcorn and candy oozing out of it, nothing but a mouth full of cavities; so set up your dentist appointment and check it out! Jersey Girl is worth the fillings. Way to go Kevin and Ben!