Writer: Will Ferrell, Adam McKay
Director: Adam McKay
Cast: Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, David Koechner
Rating: PG 13
Studio: DreamWorks Home Entertainment
Release Date: November 27, 2007

When it comes to Will Ferrell movies I am generally hard pressed to find one that does not appeal to me on some level. Granted these are not cinematic genius movies that leave you breathless and thinking for hours. In fact, Ferrell movies are quite the opposite. In most cases, they are movies that allow you to not have to think. They are movies so absurd that you cannot help but laugh.

I cannot say that Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy HD is my favorite Ferrell movie as that title has been awarded to another of his films. However, I can say that it was not the worst Farrell flick that I’ve watched in recent years. When the movie originally came out, I chose not to watch it, expecting the worst, though watching it now I realize that I have seen far worse than this. Obviously, this is not a glowing endorsement, but the film’s comically endearing moments make the Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy worthwhile.

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Writer: Pam Brady
Director: Akiva Schaffer
Cast: Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, Bill Hader, Danny R. McBride, Isla Fischer, Ian McShane, Sissy Spacek
Rating: PG13
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Release Date: November 27, 2007

Saturday Night Live comedy movies are generally hit or miss. By SNL movies, I am referring to the movies that primarily star one or more SNL stars (currently on the show) in the lead roles. These movies are generally always comedic and occasionally are fit for mass consumption. At other times you just need to be accepting of crazy concepts and be comedy starved to appreciate these movies. Some other SNL titles might star actors such as Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, David Spade, and now Andy Samberg.

That being said, Hot Rod gives you what you would expect from an explosively embellished and outrageous comedy. While I am not always the biggest comedy lover, Hot Rod grew on me. There is something about the unlikely anti-hero being so over the top that just makes me giggle. Samberg was all that and more when it came to his leading role in this unconventional underdog comedy.

Release Information:
Hot Rod was only at the theater for a short time before it came to DVD on November 27, 2007. This Paramount feature also is available in HD format. This DVD is available in a widescreen video format and offers English, French, and Spanish languages. Along with the 88 minute feature film, you are offered numerous special features that are discussed in more detail below.

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Starring: David Tennant, Freema Agyeman, John Simm, John Barrowman
Written by: Russell T Davies; Gareth Roberts; Helen Raynor; Stephen Greenhorn; Chris Chibnall; Paul Cornell; Steven Moffat.
Directed by: Euros Lyn; Charles Palmer; Richard Clarke; James Strong; Graeme Harper; Hettie Macdonald; Colin Teague.

So another Christmas appears and heralds another new DVD box set from the good Dr. The first two series were very much landmarks in the Whovian universe, so this third season was under the microscope from the very start.

First, a new companion was on the scene, in the form of the very likeable Freema Agyeman (as Martha Jones) replacing Rose Tyler (played by Billie Piper who had trotted off to pastures new) and secondly how on earth could seasons 1 & 2 be equaled?

Well, the bad news is that series 3 fails to equal the glories of the Ecclestone and first Tennant seasons, but it’s not a total disaster (and that’s the good news).

Sure, as with all Who seasons, there are some clunkers (in the form of episodes like ‘Gridlock’ ‘Daleks in Manhattan,’ ‘Lazarus Experiment’ and ‘42’) but on the whole the series scrapes through on the quality of ‘Human Nature,’ ‘The Family of Blood,’ the superb ‘Blink’ and the rather luvvie and wonderfully OTT ‘Shakespeare Code.’

While infinitely better than it’s gratuitous, nasty, but oddly compelling older brother Torchwood, series 3 seems to be the victim of the franchise’s success.

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Writer: Numerous
Director: Numerous
Cast: Henry Winkler, Ron Howard, Marion Ross, Tom Bosley, Erin Moran, Anson Williams, Don Most
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: November 27, 2007

Growing up, I was a big fan of Nick at Night. I used to stay up late and watch the shows from (or based on) the 50’s and 60’s. Just watching these shows seemed to keep me entertained. Years later, Nick at Night has been tainted with shows that aren’t even 20 years old. Shows like Roseanne and The Cosby Show, which are good, but hard to imagine as being Nick at Night worthy at this point. However, when I was a kid I loved the classic shows. Some of my favorites were Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley.

Reruns of these shows always cracked me up and remained some of my favorites over the years. In today’s era where television is often disposable and the content is only as important as one’s ability to mass produce or make huge amounts of money from it, Happy Days offers a pleasant reminder of what once was.

Release Information:
Happy Days aired on television for the first time on January 15, 1974. As part of the world of classic television, you can bet that everyone has heard of this show, whether they have watched it or not. Back when television was wholesome and comedy was fresh, Happy Days was king. Now that the sitcom is hitting the DVD scene, the third season of Happy Days was released on, November 27, 2007.

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Literary Illusions is proud to partner with Warner Bros in giving away one copy of Little Britain: The Complete Collection. Our contest will be ending just in time for Christmas and entering is simple. To enter all you need to do is leave us a comment. Please be sure to only leave one. Comments are moderated to avoid spam, so it will not show up right away. If you do not see it within a day then by all means leave another one. Otherwise, do not worry, we accept comments several times a day.

To enter you need to be 18 years of age and a resident of the US. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible. Winners will be announced here. If we do not here from you within 3 weeks from the date the winners are announced you forfeit your prize and we will select another winner. Prizes will be shipped within 45 days from the day you win. We will make every effort to send out prizes won in December in time for the holidays, but cannot promise a before Christmas delivery.

We will choose a winner for this on December 9, 2007. This means that you have until December 8, 2007 at 11:59 PM EST to enter the contest.

For a description of Little Britain: The Complete Collection and info on the box set, keep reading. Good Luck!

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Starring: Ade Edmondson, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer and Christopher Ryan
Written by: Ben Elton, Rik Mayall and Lise Mayer with additional material by Alexei Sayle
Directed by: Geoff Posner
Now this is interesting…

First shown in the UK in 1982 this series was instrumental in bringing a surrealist, not to mention wonderfully original, style back to British comedy. Not since the fondly remembered Monty Python back in the early 70s had a comedy show had such an anarchic vibe to it and been genuinely funny at the same time.

The show is about, although no one episode has a truly followable story-line, four students, (violent metal/punk loon Vyvyan (Edmondson), sad paranoiac Rik (Mayall), hippie Neil (Planer) and Mike The Cool Person (Ryan)) who attend Scumbag College (although they never go to any lectures or classes).

There are 12 episodes on two discs and a whole third disc of special features which go to explain how the series was produced, although only Planer from the cast and Mayer from the writing trio appear, disappointingly.

With musical guests such as Motorhead, Madness, Amazulu and many others, The Young Ones was a blast of fresh air at a time when Britain was stale and its TV comedy was in even worse condition.

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Literary Illusions is proud to partner with Warner Bros in giving away three copies of BBC Atlas of the Natural World – Africa and Europe. Our contest will be ending just in time for Christmas and entering is simple. To enter all you need to do is leave us a comment. Please be sure to only leave one. Comments are moderated to avoid spam, so it will not show up right away. If you do not see it within a day then by all means leave another one. Otherwise, do not worry, we accept comments several times a day.

To enter you need to be 18 years of age and a resident of the US. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible. Winners will be announced here. If we do not here from you within 3 weeks from the date the winners are announced you forfeit your prize and we will select another winner. Prizes will be shipped within 45 days from the day you win. We will make every effort to send out prizes won in December in time for the holidays, but cannot promise a before Christmas delivery.

We will choose a winner for this on December 18, 2007. This means that you have until December 17, 2007 at 11:59 PM EST.

For a description of BBC Atlas of the Natural World and info on the box set, keep reading. Good Luck!

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Canadian Prog masters Saga have been around for what seems like my whole lifetime. When I just a young rock fan in London in the mid-late 70s, the Toronto quintet were heavily tipped by the British media to be the next “big thing,” following in the footsteps of that rock behemoth Rush.

Now while they didn’t exactly pull up any trees, apart from, for some strange reason, in Germany and Puerto Rico, Saga have gone on to release some of the most influential Prog musings ever released (check out the superb albums ‘Silent Knight’ and ‘Heads Or Tales’ and you’ll see what I mean).

Now with 30 years behind them, comes ’10,000 Days.’ With singer/founding member Michael Sadler calling it a day after the tour that’s supporting this album, whether Saga will continue is anybody’s guess, but now they’re asking potential new singers to drop off audition performances on You Tube, it seems likely they will push on. Whatever the situation, ’10,000 Days’ is an album of great songs, great playing and crisp, clear production.

So let’s have a look at the album’s nine tracks and see what’s going on here…

1. Lifeline: After the opening of a repeated, speeding up keyboard figure, the band crash into a lively starter. As is usual with Saga, it’s a fine song embellished with some fine rhythm section interplay and crowned with some wonderful Ian Crichton lead guitar work. Nice start.
A-

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Writer: Various
Directors: Various
Cast: Robert Conrad, Ross Martin, Dick Cangey
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Paramount Home Video
Release Date: November 20, 2007

Before the inception of the television show, The Wild Wild West, there had never been another show like it. Sure, there had been plenty of westerns. There had also been more than one show that focused on secret agents. Never before had the two concepts been meshed together and this show proves just how well these two unlike concepts could fit. A surprise to everyone at how good a show The Wild Wild West could be, fans of the show know the magic of it and the appeal of its star, Robert Conrad.

Conrad was the consummate hero. He was the man every woman wanted and the man every man wanted to be. Little girls found him to be adorably handsome and little boys dreamed of growing up to be just like James T. West. The Wild Wild West was a show that transcended generations. It was a show the family could watch together. There were elements of comedy, drama, science fiction, and a thriller all in one supercharged television show. It’s no wonder the show was so successful considering it managed to transcend through all of these genres in a realistic, believable, and ultimately entertaining way.

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Literary Illusions is proud to partner with Shout Factory in giving away a copy of The Johnny Cash Christmas Special - 1976. Our contest will be ending just in time for Christmas and entering is simple. To enter all you need to do is leave us a comment. Please be sure to only leave one. Comments are moderated to avoid spam, so it will not show up right away. If you do not see it within a day then by all means leave another one. Otherwise, do not worry, we accept comments several times a day.

To enter you need to be 18 years of age and a resident of the US. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible. Winners will be announced here. If we do not here from you within 3 weeks from the date the winners are announced you forfeit your prize and we will select another winner. Prizes will be shipped within 45 days from the day you win. We will make every effort to send out prizes won in December in time for the holidays, but cannot promise a before Christmas delivery.

We will choose a winner for this on December 8, 2007. This means that you have until December 7, 2007 at 11:59 PM EST.

For a description of The Johnny Cash Christmas Special - 1976 and info on the box set, keep reading. Good Luck!

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Literary Illusions is proud to partner with Image Entertainment in giving away a copy of Tony Hawk’s Secret Skatepark Tour #2. Our contest will be ending just in time for Christmas and entering is simple. To enter all you need to do is leave us a comment. Please be sure to only leave one. Comments are moderated to avoid spam, so it will not show up right away. If you do not see it within a day then by all means leave another one. Otherwise, do not worry, we accept comments several times a day.

To enter you need to be 18 years of age and a resident of the US. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible. Winners will be announced here. If we do not here from you within 3 weeks from the date the winners are announced you forfeit your prize and we will select another winner. Prizes will be shipped within 45 days from the day you win. We will make every effort to send out prizes won in December in time for the holidays, but cannot promise a before Christmas delivery.

We will choose a winner for this on December 13, 2007. This means that you have until December 12, 2007 at 11:59 PM EST.

For a description of Tony Hawk’s Secret Skatepark Tour #2 and info on the box set, keep reading. Good Luck!

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Writer: Various
Director: Various
Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Ava Gardner, Cyd Charisse, James Mason, Clark Gable
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Warner Home Video
Release Date: October 30, 2007

Barbara Stanwyck has been dubbed, “The Most Deserving Actress to Never Win an Oscar”. After seeing these films in Barbara Stanwyck: The Signature Collection it is shocking that she never won. Stanwyck loved her job and it showed in various ways in every movie that she has been in. In an era when stars like Ava Gardner and Bette Davis were all the rage, it was hard to get a word in edge wise. However, Stanwyck held her own and became the model for growth and success for many of today’s successful actresses.

The six movies offered in Barbara Stanwyck: The Signature Collection range from comedy to drama, with at least one appearing as more of a tragedy. The one thing that remains static is that in each case, Barbara Stanwyck was her character. She was all class on the screen. In fact, more than once I found myself longing for the days of old Hollywood. Of course, it gives me comfort knowing I have this amazing collection to watch when I am in need of a movie with one of the most amazing actresses to ever cross the screen.

Barbara Stanwyck: The Signature Collection offers a chance to look back at the past and watch six of the best movies that Stanwyck placed her mark on. Barbara Stanwyck: The Signature Collection is offered in a timeless black and white format, making it the perfect addition to any DVD library.

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