Writer: Jason Rappaport, Doug Taylor
Director: Uwe Boll
Cast: Jason Statham, Leelee Sobieski, John Rhys-Davies, Ron Perlman, Claire Forlani, Kristanna Loken, Matthew Lillard, Ray Liotta, Burt Reynolds
Rating: PG-13
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: April 15, 2008

If you have ever seen the movies BloodRayne and Alone in the Dark you are probably familiar with Uwe Boll. Whether you like him or not depends on your taste in movies. By definition, he’s not a good filmmaker. That doesn’t necessarily rule out every movie he makes, just about 99.9% of them. He is set in the videogame film genre, which by definition has never really been a good place to be.

Video games are not generally meant to transfer to film well. The stories work well as video games, but they don’t really handle the length of a movie in the same manner. In the Name of the King is actually the most positive film in Boll’s arsenal. It is actually pretty good. There are some minor things I would change, but if you go into this with the right perspective then it’s not bad at all.

I am not one to read reviews before or after my own are done. I have come across a few of these, but always stopped reading as soon as Uwe Boll’s name is brought up. I don’t feel that a director is the only one responsible for making a film bad. If that was the case then, yes, this movie would be horrific, because it can easily be established that Boll is an atrocious director with absolutely no cinematical skill whatsoever. However, there are plenty of actors here with skill. Boll got lucky because plenty of the actors here are able to hold their own. The main problem is with some cheesy special effects. Those made me laugh some, but I was entertained enough to be able to watch it again.

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Writer: Various
Director: Various
Cast: Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly, Josh Holloway, Dominic Monaghan, Terry O’Quinn
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Release Date: December 11, 2007

When Lost first came on the air it was nearly an obsession for us. There is something special about a show that begins with a destructive, death-filled, plane wreck that leaves only a few survivors on a tropical island. Naturally, we, like most of the country, were enthralled. By the beginning of season two, our excitement had waned some and it got to the point where I took updates from my mom and Dom ignored the show altogether. When I decided to do the review for Lost: The Complete Third Season I was expecting something in between seasons one and two in terms of the quality of the show. I had heard that season three had returned to the original quality from season one. No one told me that the show would actually end up being better than the first season.

It’s rare for any show to find a way to make the quality better as the show goes along. While there were some bumps along the way, Lost has managed to do just that. Season three is not only good, it’s addicting. It’s filled with plenty of action, flashbacks, and mystery. You might not be able to solve the mystery of the island just yet, but the character dynamics are fascinating, and you want to know what’s going to happen next. It will be a sad day when the mystery is solved because the show will end. However, that day is nowhere in sight for now and the best show in television will be set to begin its fourth season at the end of January 2008.

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Writer: Tony Gilroy, Scott Z. Burns, George Nolfi
Director: Paul Greengrass
Cast: Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, David Strathaim, Scott Glenn, Paddy Considine, Edgar Ramirez, Albert Finney, Joan Allen
Rating: PG-13
Studio: Universal Studios
Release Date: December 11, 2007

It is rare for a sequel to be as exhilarating as the original film in a trilogy. Where most sequels fail The Bourne Ultimatum succeeds, on multiple levels. With an all-star cast and some of the best acting we knew Matt Damon was always capable of doing, The Bourne Ultimatum is the best thriller movie I’ve seen in 2007.

There are plenty of heart pounding moments and unexpected turns as Jason Bourne (Damon) returns for one last hurrah. I was hoping that Julia Stiles would sneak into the film as she did in The Bourne Supremacy as Nicolette “Nicky” Parsons. It was nice to see her in this movie, with a somewhat bigger role than the last two films and the way the film’s storyline overlapped and was interwoven with its two predecessors made perfect sense. By the end of the film, you feel a sense of closure, not unlike the closure you are to assume Bourne has felt within the latter part of the film. Nevertheless, it is nice to know that the end film of a trilogy can be finished in a logical and effective way without plot holes or lingering storylines that do not seem to have any closure to them.

Release Information:
The Bourne Ultimatum was released in theaters around the United States on August 3, 2007. Between that date and November 15, 2007, the film has premiered in innumerable theaters and countries worldwide. On December 11, 2007, Universal Studios released DVD versions of The Bourne Ultimatum, making the movie available to U.S. and various online retailers just in time for Christmas.

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Writer: Various
Director:Various
Cast: Cindy Williams, Penny Marshall, Michael McKean, David L. Lander, Eddie Mekka, Phil Foster, Betty Garrett
Rating: N/A
Studio: Paramount Home Video
Release Date: November 27, 2007

Laverne & Shirley The Complete Third Season aired on television the year that I was born. Obviously, my memories of watching it, which I am sure I didn’t, would be pretty non-existent. However, when it was in syndication in the 80s, I watched it quite a bit. I used to sit around the console television and would watch Laverne & Shirley whenever it aired.

As syndication has changed, I have not had the chance to watch the show in years. It’s always interesting to look back at any classic television to determine what you really like and what was only good at the time and has since moved on to be replaced by new favorites. I was excited to watch Laverne & Shirley: The Complete Third Season so when it showed up I opened the case and popped it right in to get started on my review.

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Carlos Mencia is a comedian unlike any other. Mencia is loud, brash, and says whatever is on his mind. Believing that laughter is the ultimate medicine, Carlos makes fun of everyone and everything whether you are white, black, Hispanic, Asian Pacific Islander or anything in between. When it comes to Carlos, he’s the epitome of a Mexican (a joke he tells because of his actions and skin color), even though he was really born in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Prior to his show, Mind of Mencia, I found Carlos to be one of the funniest comedians on the circuit. His brash politically stated humor has always struck a chord in me and I loved watching him. Sure, for some he is an acquired taste and for others he’s not acquired at all, but for the most part Carlos offers a healthy dose of laughter.

Mind of Mencia is an extension of Carlos’ comedy. In sketch comedy form this 30 minute show offers Carlos doing stand up and Carlos in costume. Many of the episodes had me laughing nearly from start to finish. Even the ones that are not constantly funny (some things are hit and miss) had plenty of laughs in them.

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The Amityville Collection was put out on October 16th by Lionsgate in honor of the upcoming Halloween. Offered in the set are three Amityville movies, A New Generation, Dollhouse, and Its About Time. While none of the movies take place in the traditional Amityville setting, all of them contain items that bring out the evil in Amityville. This, of course, leaves the series open to a never-ending amount of bad movies that contain Amityville items.

I can see it now. Amityville On A Diet: some poor unsuspecting sap picks up the Amityville treadmill at a garage sale not knowing what they really purchased. Amityville Fixer Upper: A saw and some paint come into a man’s home when he is trying to fix things up, but they just don’t go as planned. Amityville: Whack A Bug: All this family wanted to do was get rid of their mosquitoes. Why did they have to get the bug zapper from Amityville?

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In honor of Halloween, we have been watching and reviewing a massive amount of horror movies. Distributors are putting them out in droves. Many of these movies, Experiment in Torture included, are direct to DVD releases. This means that the movie was viewed as something that was not going to be worth sending to the theaters. In other words, these movies are the worst of the worst.

This is one of those movies with little to no back story. On IMDB, the movie has a bare bones profile with no rating and about four percent of the actors listed. The movie was released by Lionsgate on October 16, 2007. The movie is a cross between a Turistas and Hostel. Of course, it’s a little lower budget, not as well thought out and lacks any form of a bigger named star.

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Drawn Together is not your average, everyday cartoon. In fact, it’s one of those adult cartoons that are even too adult for some grown people. If you are easily offended this isn’t for you. If you don’t like people making racist jokes, gay jokes, fat jokes, or picking on minorities then this set isn’t for you. If you are willing to laugh at anything no matter how taboo you will love this show.

I didn’t see the first season though it didn’t take too long to get caught up on who was who and what was happening. The premise is pretty simple. Everyone on the show is in a reality series similar to something like The Real World, where they all live in one house. The big difference is that these cartoon characters are not like any you have ever seen before.

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If I took the time to describe a movie to you that was filled with drugs, homophobia, rape, and misogyny what would you think I was talking about? If you said Shakespeare you are wrong. Actually, I am referring to Saturday Night Fever. Sure the plot revolves around dancing, disco, and so much more, but in the larger scheme of things this movie offers viewers all of the things I listed previously.

I wasn’t around when this film was released in theaters, but at some point I saw it (didn’t everyone) and it was one of those movies that stuck with me. In fact, every time I see this film I think I notice something new or take something away that was different than the last time watching. It’s hard to imagine that a simple disco flick could be so complex and last so long, but this one certainly has.

For the three people in the world that haven’t seen this, Saturday Night Fever was John Travolta’s breakout screen role. Tony Manero (Travolta) is a 22 year old man. He has his share of troubles and a lot to work out as far as who he is and where he wants to be. However, one thing is certain. He loves to dance. He also loves spends a lot of time with friends.

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One of the first movies John Travolta worked on after coming back from the Hollywood graveyard was Face/Off. The movie, starring John Travolta and Nicholas Cage is not the type of movie you would have expected the normally tame or comedic Travolta to star in. This thriller is both clever and intriguing. Dealing with a role-reversal of unexpected portions, Face/Off offers a dose of revenge and redemption that is often lacking in similar films of its kind.

Face/Off takes two men on opposite sides and thrusts them into a game of physical role reversal. Sean Archer (John Travolta) is an FBI agent that is nothing short of obsessed about bringing down the criminal, Castor Troy (Nicholas Cage) who killed his son. Troy is an international terrorist more than a child killer, but it was that one unintentional action that set the train in motion towards his potential destruction.

Towards the beginning of the move Troy ends up in a coma as a bomb is left hiding somewhere in the L.A. area. Archer is left in a tight spot when he has no one to interrogate and has no idea where that bomb is located. In an odd twist of fate, Archer agrees to go into ultimate under cover by allowing to a face transplant and becoming Castor Troy. Of course, no action movie occurs without thick plots and lots of action. Troy wakes up and in the need for a face, he takes Archers.

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