News

The Good News…

Well fans of Ocean’s Eleven and Ocean’s Twelve have at least one more film to look forward to.  Warner Bros. announced plans to go ahead with another sequel that should reunite the original cast and director Steven Soderbergh for one more great heist adventure.  So who’s the newcomer to make it 13?  Ellen Barkin.  Ellen Barkin????  I thought she was dead!  What, was Patricia Arquette too expensive?  The plot of the film is still sketchy but it will take place in Las Vegas and Los Angeles and is scheduled to begin shooting in July and should be out next year.

Ocean’s Thirteen
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New On DVD

We’re here to let you know what’s out there for your entertainment dollar.  Every week a new batch of DVD’s gets shipped out and thrown onto the shelves.  This week we’ve got the entire first season of Robot Chicken, season sets of Six Feet Under, Northern Exposure, and Quantum Leap along with three (count ‘em three) of my worst films of 2005, and more.  Take a peek inside for the full list.

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Here’s what is getting released today on DVD:

Film:

King Kong – Let’s just say no one here at RazorFine thought much of Peter Jackson’s 3-hour-plus take on King Kong.  The first of three films from my worst of 2005 list released this week.  Read our original reviews:  review #1, review #2, review #3, and review #4.  The movie is out in two different editions: a one-disc regular DVD and a two-disc special edition.  The first is a more bare bones edition with only two short featurettes while the special edition contains and intro by Peter Jackson and his “post-production diaries,” and featurettes on 30’s New York and Skull Island.

Stay – Well here we go with another loser from 2005 (made my #3 worst film, and like Kong stars Naomi Watts).  The film is about a psychiatrist (Ewan McGregor) afraid of a patient (Ryan Gosling) and his girlfriend (Watts) separtely killing themselves.  Or is it?  In one of those constantly changing plot twist films (I seriously believe not even the director or screenwriter knew what this film was actually about) that in the end makes absolutely no sense.  The DVD contains “scene specific” commentary by director Marc Forster (see even he didn’t want to have to watch the whole thing!) and a couple of featurettes.  Read the original review.

A Sound of Thunder – Believe it or not there were actually two films worse than Stay last year, one comes out next week and the other is the worst movie of 2005.  Horrific adaption of the Ray Bradbury short story.  This movie is stunningly bad.  No one can defend it and the filmmakers don’t even try on this barebones DVD where the only extra is the trailer.  Just how bad is it?  Read the original review and find out.

Memoirs of a Geisha – The tale of a young girl’s journey into becoming a geisha is beautiful to look at (it won Oscars for Art Direction, Costume Design, and Cinematography).  December liked it enough to include it on her top ten films of 2005.  The two-disc special edition includes commentary by director Rob Marshall and producer John DeLuca along with a production commentary by costume designer Colleen Atwood, production designer John Myre, and editor Pietro Scalia.  There is also a huge collection of featurettes on making the novel into a film, shooting in Japan, a look at the geisha life, the actresses training to become geisha, the music of the film and more.  Read the original review.

Sliver (Unrated Edition) – Yeah you know I was just thinking how my world was incomplete without a director’s edition of this early 90’s crapfest with Sharon Stone and William Baldwin.  Oh wait a minute, no I wasn’t!!!  Obviously trying to pull in some of that Basic Instint 2 cash (all $6 of it) this “unrated version” is supposed to be better (did they replace William Baldwin with a sock puppet?)  Don’t ask me folks; I don’t get this either.

Family/Animated:

A Boy Named Charlie Brown – Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang in their classic 60’s cartoons that involve a kite-eating tree, humiliation on the baseball field, a national spelling bee and more.

TV:

Robot Chicken – Volume 1 – All 20 episodes from the gold standard of Adult Swim are contained in this two-disc set which includes commentary for every single episode and tons of extras like a behind the scenes featurette and deleted and extended skits (including the originals from Sweet J Presents) packing the discs full o’ fun.  Seth Green, you da’ man!  Matthew Senrich, you rule!  Read the full review

Six Feet UnderThe Complete Fifth Season – Final season of the HBO acclaimed series includes all 12 episodes of the Fisher family including the series finale.  The set also contains commentary by writers and directors for six of the episodes, three featurettes including a look back featurette, episode recaps and previews.

Northern ExposureThe Complete Fourth Season – The misadventures of Dr. Joel Fleishman and the townspeople of Cicely, Alaska continue.  All 25 fourth season episodes are included on three discs with deleted and extended scenes and a gag reel.

Doctor Who – The Beginning Collection – Well folks this is where it all started back in 1963 with William Hartnell as the Doctor.  Three of the first episodes (“An Unearthly Child,” “The Daleks,” and “The Edge of Destruction”) along with extras including a studio pilot, commentary by producer Verity Lambert and directors Waris Hussein, Chritopher Barry, and Richard Martin and actors Carole Ann Ford and Willaim Russell, and featurettes on the Daleks, the Doctor’s origins, and the T.A.R.D.I.S.

Quantum LeapThe Complete Fourth Season – Dr. Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula) continues leaping through time in 22 episodes.  The DVD set contains a featurette on the 80’s flashbacks and a special bonus episode from the fifth season.

Knots LandingThe Complete First Season – The long running drama got its start back in 1979 as a mid-season replacement.  All 13 episodes are gathered together on five discs…five discs??  Wow trying to get your money’s worth aren’t you folks?!  Yeah, you know a disc holds more than two hours right?  Extras include cast commentary on two episodes and an interview featurette with Ted Shackleford and Joan Van Ark.

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This Week

So what’s out there this week.  Well today we’ll take a look at the films scheduled to be released this Friday including the sequels to Ice Age and Basic Instinct, yet another horror film will Slither its way onto the screen and more.  Read on…

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Here’s what’s scheduled to hit theaters this week.  Want to know more, just click on the title for film info including a full cast list.  Want a closer look, just click on the poster or link to watch the trailer.

Ice Age (2): The Meltdown

Sequel to the 2002 animated hit reunites director Carlos Saldanha with the voices of Ray Ramano, Dennis Leary, John Leguizamo, and Stephen Root (but no Jack Black, Cedric the Entertainer, or Alan Tudyk this time out).  Nope, this time we get voices of Seann William Scott, Queen Latifah and Will Arnett.  The sequel involves the end of the Ice Age as the animals worry the melting ice (hmmm….Global Warming inferences??) will destroy their home.  I wasn’t the biggest fan of the first film and don’t think it really earned a sequel (though it made enough $$ to make this film inevitable). 

Basic Instinct 2

Speaking of unnecessary sequels….  Sharon Stone reprises the role that made her a star.  Once again novelist Catherine Trammel is in the middle of murder only this time in England.  David Morrissey co-stars as the shrink called into evaluate her and falls under her spell of seduction….yeah, whatever.  Can a sequel (that took 14 years to get made) to a ridiculous film actually be any good?  Can a 48 year-old Stone still play the femme fatale?  Who at Sony thought this was a good idea?  Directed by Michael Caton-Jones (City by the Sea, The Jackal, Doc Hollywood), this one’s got train-wreck written all over it.

ATL

Four high school friends ponder life after high school down at the local rollerskating rink in Atlanta named Jellybeans.  With a cast of young unknowns (Ablie Clark, April Daniels, and T.I. and Big Boi) first time feature director Chris Robinson (whose done only music videos to date) and a script by Tina Gordon Chism (who gave us the underrated Drumline), how this one will turn out is anyone’s guess.

Slither

Yet another horror film dumped into the early year’s batch of “soon to be forgotten.”  Though to be fair this one’s got an interesting cast including Firefly star Nathan Fillion, B-movie tough guys Michael Rooker and Gregg Henry, Elizabeth Banks (The 40 Year Old Virgin), and Rob Zombie.  Written and directed by James Gunn (who wrote the Dawn of the Dead remake and both Scooby-Doo films…ugh) the story involves a small town invaded by an alien plague that slithers around and turns them into zombies and monsters.  Early response from the film has been less than enthusiastic.

In Limited Release:


Marilyn Hotchkiss’ Ballroom Dancing and Charm School – Robert Carlyle as a widower who finds meaning in taking ballroom dance lessons.  Based on director Randall Miller’s original 1990 short film, though you might remember a similar film with Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez called Shall We Dance.  This one’s got Marisa Tomei, Donnie Walberg, and John Goodman.  Joy.  View the trailer

Swimmers – Regional tale in a small Maryland fishing town tells the story of an 11-year old girl (Tara Devon Gallagher) forced to give up swimming due to an injury and her friendship with a woman (Sarah Paulson) who has just returned having dealt with her own tragedy.  View the trailer

Awesome; I Fuckin’ Shot That! – How do you like your Beastie Boys?  The film was taped by audience members at a 2004 performance.  Around 50 fans were chosen and given hand-held Hi8 cameras and the footage was pieced together to make the film.  View the trailer

Adam & Steve – Gay love story about two men who meet and fall in love only to discover that they met 20 years before under less happy circumstances.  Written and directer by Craig Chester (who also stars).  View the trailer

The Devil and Daniel Johnston (New York and Los Angeles only) – Manic-depressive singer/songwriter/painter/artist Daniel Johnson’s life and career are examined in this documentary by Jeff Feuerzeig that includes interviews with Johnston, his family and his friends.  View the trailer

Brick (New York and Los Angeles only) – A loner (Joesph Gordon Levitt) who in searching for the truth about the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend finds himself suddenly in the middle of a high school crime ring.  Written and directed by Rian Johnson.  View the trailer

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This Week

So what’s out there this week.  Well today we’ll take a look at the films scheduled to be released this week including Spike Lee’s latest with Denzel Washington, yet another low budget horror movie and Larry the Cable Guy gets his own flick .  Read on…

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Here’s what’s scheduled to hit theaters this week.  Want to know more, just click on the title for film info including a full cast list.  Want a closer look, just click on the poster to watch the trailer.

Inside Man

Spike Lee makes a generic thriller?  The film pits criminal Clive Owen battling wits with cop Denzel Washington.  A botched heist leads to a hostage situation stand-off.  Seems like a rather odd choice for Lee going where many have gone before.  Still with Washington, Owen, Jodie Foster and RazorFine favorite Chiwetel Ejiofor this one’s got some definite star power (sadly though last year’s Flightplan did too).  Written by first timer Russel Gewitz.  Can Lee breathe life into such a well-worn tale?

Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector

The one-joke redneck blue collar comedian gets his own film playing a health inspector(?) teamed up with a rookie partner (Iris Bahr) trying to uncover the cause of food poisoning at all the top restaraunts while wooing (can a cable guy woo?) a waitress (Megyn Price).  Can he Get ‘er done?  Does anyone care?  Written by the team of Jonathan Bernstein and James Greer who gave us Max Keeble’s Big Move (yeah, I don’t remember it either).  For Arrested Development fans both David Cross and Tony Hale are credited with small parts in the film.

Stay Alive

Yet another horror flick stuck into the winter season.  This one is about teens who play an online video game known as “Stay Alive.”  As they play those who end up dying in the game start dying in real life (if you can refer to anything as retarded as this as real).  Of course they keep playing deciding the only way to survive is to beat the game and the evil Blood Countess.  Yeah.  Written and directed by William Brent Bell (Sparkle and Charm) and starring a cast of nameless teen actor monster food that you’d expect from a flick like this.

American Gun (opens Wednesday in limited release)

Intertwining tales of “how the proliferation of guns in America dramatically affect and shape the very day lives of its citizens.”  The stories include a gun shop owner (Donald Sutherland) and his granddaughter (Linda Cardellini), a single mother (Marcia Gay Harden) with a troubled son (Christopher Marquette), a high school principal (Forest Whitaker) and an A-student (Arlen Escarpeta).  Written and directed by first-timer Aric Avelino.  Early comparisons to recent Academy Award Winner Crash and early reviews have been just as divisive. 

l’enfant (Los Angeles and New York only)

Blegian film in French and presented with Enlish subtitles about theives and new parents living off the bounty from their heists and decide to auction of the child as a new way to make some easy money.  Written and directed by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne the film won the Golden Palm at Cannes but the film is getting a very narrow US release (Los Angeles and New York only).  We’ll have to see how it does and if it can survive long enough to make the art house circuit across the country.

Lonesome Jim (New York only)

Steve Buscemi (yes, that Steve Buscemi) steps behind the camera for this one to direct the story of Jim (Casey Affleck) a down on his luck twenty-eight year-old who leaves New York and moves back home to Indiana to live with his dysfunctional family and begins a relationship with a local woman (Liv Tyler) and her son.  Sounds like it could be a little too sappy, but Buscemi’s odd touches might make this worth seeing (for example the cast list includes a character named Evil).  As a side note Tyler sure seems to love those Affleck boys (she played the love interest to Ben in both Armageddon and Jersey Girl).

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New on DVD

We’re here to let you know what’s out there for your entertainment dollar.  Every week a new batch of DVD’s gets shipped out and thrown onto the shelves.  This week we’ve got the fourth installment in the Harry Potter series, some military drama in Jarhead and hijinks in Hogan’s Heroes, the anime Howl’s Moving Castle, and TV season sets of favorites like The Brady Bunch, The Flintstones, and The Cosby Show.

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Here’s what is getting released today on DVD:

Film:

Jarhead – Film version of Anthony Swofford’s experiences in Saudi Arabia during Desert Storm.  Jake Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, and Jamie Foxx star in a film that shows the pointlessness (to the nth degree) of war.  The DVD contains commentary by director Sam Mendes, a second commentary track with screenwriter William Broyles, Jr. and Anthony Swofford, interviews with Mendes and editor Walter Murch, and deleted scenes.  Check out both the original reviews here and here.

Just Friends – Ryan Reynolds and Amy Smart star in this film about a man returning home and meeting his old friend and crush whose rejection of him in high school made him leave home and become a womanizing jerk.  DVD contains commentary from director Roger Kumble and producers, deleted scenes, bloopers, a Jamie Smiles music video, and a behind-the-scenes featurette.  Read the original review.

Prime – Romantic comedy about a therapist (Meryl Streep) whose patient (Uma Thurman) begins dating her son (Bryan Greenberg).  The DVD contains commentary from director Ben Younger and producer Jennifer Todd, and collections of deleted scenes and outtakes.

Family/Animated:

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – Harry takes part in the Tri-Wizard tournament (and never goes to class) in the fourth installment of the series.  The DVD is available in a single disc version or a two-disc special edition that includes interviews with the cast, featurettes, and games for kids based off the film.  Oddly enough both DVD’s are priced almost the same (within two dollars of each other).  Read original reviews of the film here and here.

Howl’s Moving Castle – Oscar nominated anime feature about a young woman cursed by a witch into an old hag, a wizard named Howl who can see her as she truly is, and a fire demon named Calcifer bound to Howl.  The DVD includes both an English track and English subtitles if you would prefer to watch it in the original Japanese.  There are interviews with Pixar execs and a featurette on the making of the film.

The FlintstonesThe Complete Fifth Season – Yabba-Dabba-Doo!  The continuing adventures of this modern Stone Age family.  All 26 episodes on four discs with original commercials, an introduction by animation historian Earl Kress, a “Stone Age Parenting Guide” feature, and a short interview with Hanna and Barbara on the creation of the series.

TV:

Hogan’s HeroesThe Complete Third Season  – Hogan and his men are back fighting Nazis as undercover operatives serving as POWs in a WWII camp.  Read the DVD review.

Star Trek Fan Collective – Borg – We gave you our early review last week of this collection of the top ten fan chosen Borg episodes.  Check it out if you missed it.

The Cosby ShowSeason 2 – The complete second season of the Huxtable family includes the famous lip synching scene to “The Night Time is the Right Time” among the 26 episodes.

The Brady BunchThe Complete Fifth Season – Finally 22 episodes of the series about a lovely lady who was bringing up three very lovely girls and a man named Brady who was busy with three boys of his own.

Three’s CompanySeason 6 – Come and knock on our door for all 28 episodes of the bumbling threesome, their nosy landlord Mr. Furley (Don Knotts) and their madcap hijinks.

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