Movie Info:
Writer: Joel Surnow, Robert Cochran
Director: Jon Cassar
Cast: Kiefer Sutherland, Cherry Jones, Bob Gunton, Colm Feore, Powers Boothe, Robert Carlyle, Peter MacNicol, Gil Bellows, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Isaach De Bankolé, Eric Lively, James Joseph O’Neil, Carly Pope
Rating:
Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Release Info:
DVD Release Date: November 25, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $18.99

Jack Bauer is hands down one of my favorite characters on television. In fact, when it comes to action/adventure Bauer is the best. 24 has held my attention since the beginning. However, as a show continues with multiple seasons, like 24 has, the show runs the risk of becoming repetitive and losing focus. While 24 has always been incredibly interesting, the sixth season had many viewers, including myself, worried. The show wasn’t up to snuff compared to previous seasons and it left me wondering if the show was on a downward spiral or if it would come back to be better than ever.

Unfortunately, none of these answers could be offered until after the writer’s strike was over and the show could finally begin again. In January, season seven will begin. 24: Redemption is a taste of what is to come in that season. Actually, it’s at a time (a two hour span) between the sixth and seventh season. If this movie is any indication of what is to come, I can only say one thing. Jack is back!

24: Redemption includes all of the things that people love about the hit television show. It’s well written, exciting, suspense-filled, and full of danger. Sure, you need to suspend belief a little (or a lot, depending on the scene you’re watching), but it’s all for a good cause. 24 is certainly worth it.

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Movie Info:
Writer: George Schenck
Director: Ron Oliver
Cast: Shannen Doherty, John Rhys-Davies, Robert Gant
Rating: R
Studio: Liberation Entertainment

Release Info:
DVD Release Date: November 18, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $22.49

here! is known for being the very first GLBT television network. If you’re looking for gay themed movies and shows then you’ve come to the right place. I could say the same if you’re looking for the former girls of Beverly Hills 90210. Shannen Doherty stars in this film and I recently reviewed Kiss the Bride, a movie that Tori Spelling had a starring role in. The good news is that despite being somewhat unoriginal in terms of content, Kiss me Deadly offers some recognizable faces, fairly good acting, and a decent enough story that deserves to be seen at least once.

The reason that I say that the story is unoriginal is because it takes a vein along the same style of movie as your typical Bourne flick. Things are switched around a little, but Kiss Me Deadly is your basic ’someone wants me dead even though I don’t know who they are or why they want to kill me’ film. The difference is that the male lead is not the one with memory issues.

He is still the hero of the film, just not the one with problems remembering things. He knows what’s going on throughout the film. The other difference is that this male lead is very gay. He should be well known for the majority of fans of homosexual films, considering that he had a starring role on Queer as Folk. Robert Gant, who played Professor Ben Bruckner on the hit television show also plays the lead in Kiss Me Deadly, Jacob Keane.

I enjoyed watching this movie. The acting was not bad. Perhaps I can say that because Shannen Doherty never did bother me much and I have always enjoyed watching Robert Gant. The combination of the two actors worked out well, in my opinion. While I was immediately weary of anything made by Liberation Entertainment thanks to the release of Kiss the Bride, I decided to give this one a shot and I am glad that I did. It offers elements of a television feel though it’s one that is more cable worthy as opposed to something offering the cheese factor of say a Lifetime movie.

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JCVD comes to theaters today in a limited release. JCVD is all about an action star in real life. Theater release dates are listed below:

11/7 : NYC , AMC’s EMPIRE 25 & ANGELIKA FILM Center NYC
11/14 : LA , Landmark’s Nuart theatre
11/14: Irvine, Regal/Edwards University 6
11/14 Cambridge , Landmark’s Kendall THEATRE
11/14: D.C. Landmark’s E street cinema
11/14- Chicago- AMC Pipers Alley
11/14 : SF , Landmark’s Bridge theatre
11/14 : Berkeley, Ca., Landmark’s Shattuck
11/14: Phil. Ritz @ the Bourse, Landmark
11/14: Landmarks DetROIT., Main Art
11/21 : PALO. ALTO, Landmark’s Aquaris theatre
11/21 : S.D., Landmarks Hillcrest theatre
11/21: Seattle, Landmark’s Harvard Exit
11/21 - Denver , Landmark’s Mayan THEATRE
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Movie Info:
Writers: Various
Director: Jon Favreau
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow, Leslie Bibb, Shaun Toub, Faran Tahir, Sayed Badreya, Bill Smitrovich, Clark Gregg, Tim Guinee
Rating: PG-13
Studio: Paramount

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: May 2, 2008
DVD Release Date: September 30, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $22.99

I like a good Comic inspired movie. Let me just tell you, I’m not a comic purist. I like when the story reflects the comic, but I’m not going to whine, cry, have a hissy fit, or bemoan the fact that a movie plot has deviated from the comic, especially if the deviated plot line is a good one. Comic stories are meant to be told in other ways. Just look at all of the various Superman or Batman stories floating around out there. That’s all the proof you need of how different stories about one character can be told and more than one telling can be enjoyable.

I am kind of tired of people constantly criticizing every single movie that is ever made. People really have to stretch to find flaws in every single movie and if they can find something to stretch, they will. Heck, I’ve seen people complain about Gone with the Wind, Casablanca and The Godfather (all of which have been called ‘highly overrated’ at one point or another). I just don’t get the unjust criticism. Iron Man has received an unfair amount of criticism itself. Everything from “Tony Stark can’t reveal his true identity. He’s a superhero!” (even though he did in the comic), to “How come he didn’t die when he flew into that wall? You know that kind of velocity would have killed someone!” (even if he wasn’t really going that fast) have been spouted on various message boards.

My theory is, “Get over it!” I always wonder why those people who are so obsessed with ‘continuity’ and other errors (that post vociferously online about every little minuscule error in a movie) don’t make their own films. I’d love to see a film with absolutely no errors (like, that bracelet she wore in a scene set in 1973 wasn’t made until April of 1974 - Seriously, who notices this stuff?). I’m in the movie watching business to enjoy myself. If I wanted to examine each and every scene in a movie with a magnifying glass, I’d be a scientist, not a film critic. That being said, I don’t care if Iron Man could have had any possible plotholes. I still liked the movie!

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Movie Info:
Writer: Mario Puzo, Francis Ford Coppola
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Cast: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard S. Castellano, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard Conte, Al Lettieri, Diane Keaton, Abe Vigoda, Gianni Russo, Rudy Bond, John Cazale, Talia Shire, Lee Strasberg, Michael V. Gazzo, G.D. Spradlin, Gastone Moschin, Tom Rosqui, Eli Wallach, Joe Mantegna, George Hamilton, Bridget Fonda, Sofia Coppola, Raf Vallone, Franc D’Ambrosio, Donal Donnelly, Richard Bright
Rating: R
Studio: Paramount Home Entertainment

Release Info:
Original Air Dates: Direct to DVD
DVD Release Date: September 23, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $61.95

The first time I watched The Godfather I was hooked. It became my favorite movie at that time and has held that spot ever since. Movies have come and gone, but no matter how many times I watch this it never gets old. Sure, some might say that’s because it’s The Godfather and something this amazing couldn’t get old, but I think it’s more than that. I think it’s that the first and second movies were so much more than movies.

I think it’s safe to say that these first two films were art, serving as examples of what Hollywood used to produce and isn’t as frequent to offer anymore. The Godfather has been reviewed by countless critics and is one of the most loved movies of all time. It’s almost loved more than The Godfather II.

When you think about it, what isn’t there to love about this series? The young (at the time), emerging talents were all involved. Distinguished names like James Caan, Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton, Robert Duvall, Talia Shire (Coppola’s sister) and many others are present and accounted for. Al Pacino was practically unknown when he was given the role of Michael Corleone, a role that would change his career and launch him into stardom. Despite the fact that the role did that, he earned it.

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Movie Info:
Writer: Mario Puzo
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Cast: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard S. Castellano, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard Conte, Al Lettieri, Diane Keaton, Abe Vigoda, Gianni Russo, Rudy Bond, John Cazale, Talia Shire, Lee Strasberg, Michael V. Gazzo, G.D. Spradlin, Gastone Moschin, Tom Rosqui, Eli Wallach, Joe Mantegna, George Hamilton, Bridget Fonda, Sofia Coppola, Raf Vallone, Franc D’Ambrosio, Donal Donnelly, Richard Bright
Rating: R
Studio: Paramount Home Video

Release Info:
DVD Release Date: September 23, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $62.99

This is probably one of the hardest reviews that I have ever had to write. What does one say about The Godfather that hasn’t already been said in the past? This is one of the best movies of all time and is certainly the best movie series of all time. The story is addicting, the acting is engaging, and the direction is flawless. I shy away from calling any movie perfect, but I fail to see how these movies could have been any better than they are.

Marlon Brando was just one of the men considered for the part of Don Vito Corleone. Francis Ford Coppola wanted him or Laurence Olivier, who could not do the role, from the beginning. However, the studios looked at several other options including Ernest Borgnine, Edward G. Robinson, Orson Welles, Carlo Ponti, and George C. Scott. Burt Lancaster was never considered, but he did lobby for the role.

And then there was old blue eyes. Frank Sinatra was against both the novel, as a whole, and the idea of a movie being made, but at one point after he had talks with Coppola, he offered himself for the role. Coppola was adamant about Brando though and it’s obvious how that turned out. The studio paid him a paltry sum for the film, but that would not be something that changed the course of the film for the viewers.

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Movie Info:
Writer: Frank Darabont , Stephen King (story)
Director: Frank Darabont
Cast: Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden, Andre Braugher, Toby Jones, William Sadler, Jeffrey DeMunn, Frances Sternhagen, Nathan Gamble, Alexa Davalos, Chris Owen, Sam Witwer
Rating: R
Studio: Weinstein Company

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: November 21, 2007
DVD Release Date: September 16, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $23.95

Back in March, Ashtyn did the review for the standard release of The Mist. I had watched this movie with her and I liked it then. I’m a fan of anything Stephen King oriented. If the screenplay is written by him or if the story is based on one of his works, then I’m probably going to check out the movie or TV miniseries at least once. I’ve seen everything from the good (such as Carrie and Firestarter) to the bad (Dreamcatcher anyone? It was an excellent book, but a rotten movie). What I’ve come to realize is that, overall, Stephen King has such a twisted mind, if his work is represented well in film form then the film will be amazing.

The Mist wasn’t just an exceptional film. It’s one of those jaw droppers that leaves you reeling well after the credits roll. I didn’t see the ending coming. It was a complete shock and yet it made absolute sense. Stephen King is a serious mofo. He loves to play with the human mind, that much is clear in most of his work, but especially in The Mist. While King didn’t write the screenplay to this movie, Frank Darabont follows the plot of King’s story almost exclusively.

The Mist is truly a gem amongst a horror genre that has a dwindling amount of entertaining content. While The Mist isn’t gore-filled (though there are some gross moments in relation to the mist-filled creatures), the real horror is in the desperation felt (you could actually see yourself reacting the same way as the characters do) by those trapped in the supermarket, especially when it is clear what they’re up against.

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Movie Info:
Writer: Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman
Director: Michael Bay
Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Rachael Taylor, Anthony Anderson, Jon Voight, John Turturro, Julie White, Kevin Dunn
Rating: PG-13
Studio: Paramount

Release Info:
DVD Release Date: September 2, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $24.95

When Transformers came out on DVD a few months ago, I remember how excited I was to be able to get the DVD for review. As an 80s kid, nothing was cooler than Transformers. Little did any of us 80s kids know that more than 20 years later, Michael Bay would bring our childhood robot friends to the big screen in one of the most awesome live-action remakes that I can remember. I have seen the standard version of the movie numerous times since we have received it. Actually, it’s one of the few DVDs that I have watched more than twice since I have done the review. That’s not to say anything against any of the great films that I have reviewed. I just get a lot to review so it doesn’t always leave me time to re-watch things.

When I heard we were getting Transformers in Blu-Ray I couldn’t contain my excitement. My Playstation 3 sat anxiously awaiting the newest Blu-Ray title and as soon as it arrived I popped it in the machine. All of the good things that I thought about the original were now magnified tenfold, if not more. Blu-Ray blows anything standard definition out of the water, but this is just taken to another level. It looks just like you are in a movie theater. Seeing those cars transform into gigantic alien robots is certainly a sight that you have to see on Blu-Ray. No other form of video does this visually amazing movie justice. Even the now defunct HD was not the same as watching this.

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Movie Info:
Writer: Oxide Pang Chun, Danny Pang
Director: Oxide Pang Chun, Danny Pang
Cast: Pawalit Mongkolpisit, Premsinee Ratanasopha, Patharawarin Timkul, Pisek Intrakanchit
Rating: R
Studio: First Look

Release Info:
Theatrical Release:November 24, 2000
DVD Release Date: August 5, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $8.49

Most film buffs are familiar with the Pang brothers in some way. Whether it is with their work personally or the American adaptations that come into play, films like The Eye and The Messengers manage to get their points across quite nicely. However, when you think of a writing/directing duo from another country, you generally expect that when the Americanized version of the film is coming here that someone else will be handling the undertaking. That is not the case with the Pang Brothers.

In 1999 the film, Bangkok Dangerous was made and eventually released in Thailand. At the end of this week, a new version of Bangkok Dangerous will be released with Nicholas Cage starring as the main character. The Pang brothers are responsible for both films. This review is on the first film, though I am sure we will be offering coverage on the new film at a later date, as well.

I came in watching this film with only one Pang brothers film under my belt. I have yet to see their version of The Eye, which I am told is much better than the US version. The only movie I have seen by the Pangs is The Messengers. When this movie landed on my desk, I didn’t even know it had been made prior to that moment. I thought the Nicholas Cage version was the only version. I suspect there are many people that might believe this, as well.

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Movie Info:
Director: David Ayer
Writers: James Ellroy, Kurt Wimmer, Jamie Moss
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Forest Whitaker, Hugh Laurie, Chris Evans, Cedric the Entertainer, Jay Mohr
Rating: R
Studio: 20th Century Fox

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: April 11, 2008
DVD Release Date: August 19, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $24.99

If you saw the movie Training Day and you liked it then you will probably feel a familiarity with Street Kings. While different, many of the same themes are explored. If you hold a magnifying glass to this movie and scrutinize every angle in comparison with Training Day you won’t like it. That is not to say this is a bad movie. It’s just not Training Day. Then again, I could name a million movies that it’s not. However, if you take it for what it’s worth, leaving everything else behind, it certainly isn’t that bad.

Fans of action movies set in gritty, gang infested neighborhoods will like this movie because that is exactly what you are offered. Street Kings was undertaken by David Ayer after a number of other directors declined the project or abandoned it altogether. While it was originally supposed to see the light of the theater in 2005 it did not get there in actuality until April of 2008.

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