Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Warner Home Video – 95 mins – 2008 – Unrated – 1080p Widescreen 1.85:1 – Dolby Digital 5.1 Audio Mix – Digital Copy

Ever had one of those nights where you couldn’t sleep and were forced to watch some really, really bad film on cable at 2:00 am? Well for the next time you have a night like that, Poison Ivy: The Secret Society is waiting to be watched. The original Poison Ivy film came out came out 17 years ago starring Drew Barrymore, and since then has spawned many bad and unnecessary sequels…Add this one to the list. Poison Ivy: The Secret Society comes to Blu-ray from Warner Home Video and let’s just hope this is the last one.

THE MOVIE

Poison Ivy: The Secret Society centers around Daisy Brooks (Miriam McDonald), a cute and innocent blonde who leaves her farm town to come to school in the big city to become a student at Beckshire College. Daisy is quickly approached to join an elite secret sisterhood made up of the school’s most popular girls called the Ivies, and even though at first it appears to be an honor, Daisy soon discovers that this pact of girls is trying to do her harm, led by their leader Azalea (Shawna Waldron), who doesn’t want her around. Daisy must now find a way to stop this femme cult and save herself.

Well if you’ve ever seen the original Poison Ivy film, it’s clear that this film is only similar in name. The obvious target audience for this film are those who watch TV shows such as Gossip Girl, Charmed and Degrassi, particularly the Degrassi crowd because the film’s star is one of the cast members of that show and does a nude scene. A smart move that will draw interest to a film that otherwise would not be watched.

The film is a series of paint by numbers story sequences that we’ve all seen before from Footloose to Heathers, showing how hard it is for the new person to fit in and cat fights to battle against the bad girls. Basically anyone expecting anything beyond the obvious will be very bored, but one day this will make a great film if they ever revive Mystery Science Theater 3000 because there are so many unintentionally laughable moments.

VIDEO

Presented in 1080p in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio Poison Ivy looks like it’s a direct port from a DVD rather than being a Blu-ray. The quality is colorful, but the sharpness that you expect from HD is not seen.

AUDIO

With a standard Dolby Digital 5.1 mix, the sound quality seems more like it’s mono. Dialogue is marbled and there’s an odd popping sound that occurs in certain scenes. It seems like they let the C team handle the audio on this one.

EXTRAS

Except for the Digital Copy that you’ll never even pull out of the case, there’s not one bonus feature included.

BOTTOM LINE

Poison Ivy: The Secret Society is a TV movie with a couple of nude scenes that was quickly tossed onto Blu-ray hoping to scoop up some money to cover the cost of the production. Either rent it or stay away from it, because there are so many other Blu-rays out there that are worthy of your viewing.

SCORES (out of 5):

The Movie: 2.0

Video: 2.0

Sound: 2.0

Extras: 0.5

Bottom Line: 2.0

Reviewed by Johnny McNair 

Paramount Home Entertainment – 91 mins – 2003 – Unrated – 1080p Widescreen 1.85: 1 – TrueHD 5.1 Audio Mix

Old School is a comedy that gets right to the point of letting you know what it’s all about, a bunch of thirty-something year old men who wished they could be the young fun guys they once were. Old School is now available on Blu-ray from Paramount Home Video, but does this comedy hold up, or has it aged quickly?

THE MOVIE

Old School centers around three friends who have been forced to grow up, whether they like it or not. Will Ferrell plays a guy who is getting married, but still likes to party like he used to. Vince Vaughn is already married with kids, but lives in misery. Luke Wilson is the guy who has just broke up with his girlfriend after learning his girlfriend is addicted to swinging and orgies, and is looking to find someone to fill the love void in his life.

When Wilson buys a house, his two buddies turn it onto a party haven to live out their old days. But their partying is threatened when a university official played by Jeremy Piven from Entourage, attempts to take the property from them because it’s apart of the university. So what do the guys do? They turn the house into an educational facility/frat house to legally keep the place. In the tradition of all T&A comedies, what ensues is wild series of sexual hijinx, where in the end the boys have learned how to finally act their age.

Directed by Todd Philips, Old School does have some funny moments, buy its Will Ferrell’s showcase, who will do everything including running through the streets naked to get a laugh. The problem with the film is that the story is not strong, rolling into just a series of skits as it attempts to be the next Animal House.

This unrated version includes a few naughty moments that left out of the theatrical cut, but it doesn’t really make much of a difference unless you just want to see more boobs. Six years later Old School feels stale, because we’ve seen better comedies since, such as The 40 Year Old Virgin and Superbad, which are better crafted and will hold up better with age. If you liked Old School, then you’re going to add this Blu-ray to your collection. For all others it may be worth a look, just don’t expect much.

VIDEO

With a full 1080p image in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, Old School looks fine and the transfer is well done. Colors look solid and skin tones look natural, but the night scenes have markings of grain. Overall it looks better than the original DVD, so if you want an upgrade, you’ll be satisfied.

AUDIO

The audio mix is simple but does the job, offering a TrueHD 5.1 mix that delivers crisps dialogue. Music plays a big part in the movie, because of all the party scenes that includes a cameo from Snoop Dog. Even though this is not exactly the film you’d want to crank up the speakers for, it sounds good.

EXTRAS

The bonus features are carried over from the standard DVD, so no HD material is offered.

Director Todd Phillips and the film’s stars Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn and Luke Wilson sit down for an audio commentary. You won’t gain anything from this, but there are some funny moments.

Old School Orientation is a basic fifteen-minute behind the scenes look at the making of the film with clips and interviews.

Inside The Actor’s Spoof has Ferrell doing his hilarious impression of James Lipton’s show, interviewing the film’s stars.

Eight deleted scenes are included as well as a bloopers reel, which should offer a chuckle or two.

BOTTOM LINE

Old School isn’t trying to offer a message about society, it’s just trying to make you laugh, and in certain scenes it does just that. This Blu-ray comes with a solid transfer and good sound mix, so fans will appreciate the upgrade. Newcomers should give it a rent to see if it’s their thing.

SCORES (out of 5):

The Movie: 3.0

Video: 3.0

Sound: 3.0

Extras: 3.0

Bottom Line: 3.0

Reviewed by Richard Lee Zuras

Released Jan. 16, 2009

1 hr. 31 min.

PG

Steve Carr/Columbia Pictures

Kevin James

Bobby Cannavale

Jayma Mays

Peter Gerety

Keir O’Donnell

Odd as it might be to fathom, Paul Blart was/is a heavily marketed vehicle film for Kevin James. Albeit that the vehicle employed truly is a Segway. But a Segway is exactly the kind of vehicle the Kevin James from The King of Queens should be employing for comic effect. And make no mistake here: If you were not amused by James’ character Doug Heffernan in Queens’ 206 episodes—you won’t be amused here.

This is not a risk taking film by any stretch of the imagination. James, and many folks you’ve probably never even seen before, spend 90 minutes setting up the usual self-deprecating comedy/angry with no actual anger hi-jinx you’ve come to expect from this gentle giant of a comedian. Comedians like this (think Louie Anderson if you are a little older) have a niche. You either like this character and want to see it again…or you don’t. So when you reach my bottom line feel free to subtract up to a half point if you tired of the Doug Heffernan shtick, or add a half point if you find yourself watching Queens re-runs on a daily basis.

The film’s set-up is what I find most interesting. The film is clearly ripping off (or spoofing if you want to cut slack, out of the goodness of your heart) the Die Hard series. Rather than an office building or an airport, our “cop” is stuck (though the film missed many chances to play out the physical comedy of “stuck”) within a shopping mall. This allows massive amounts of product placement, store names, and the obligatory references to treating our cell-phones as if they were a deity of sorts. (Those familiar with Queens will remember that every other shot contained a prominent ad for Nike.)

Furthermore this is what we have become, and we all know it: a nation of consumers. The idea of placing Die Hard in a large mall, and placing a man who in his early 40’s needs to utilize a Segway rather than his own legs to outrun the bad guys? Brilliant. The idea of ninja-ing up the bad guys and placing them on BMX and decks to attract the umbilical-gaming crowd? Brilliant. Use Guitar Hero prominently in the script (with a nod to Rock Hero as well)? Brilliant. Show the audience the importance of our hero getting in the technology game? You guessed it.

Still, the movie has a heart—in large part due to the sheer abilities James brings to the role. James was a wrestler and football player in his formative years—and even at his current size he remains quite nimble, agile, and even graceful. Those who regularly watched Queens will remember his physical stunts and will not be surprised at his exploits herein. In the end, this film is poised to easily quadruple its budget—which is good news to its co-writer: Kevin James.

Bottom line 3.0/5.0

Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Universal Studios Home Entertainment – 113 mins – 2005 – Unrated – 1080p Widescreen 2.35: 1 – DTS-HD Lossless Master 5.1 Audio

Without a doubt, Doom is one of the most played games of all time, and the videogame industry owes so much to the success of it, because it made people want to play more games. Games don’t translate into very well into motion pictures, so when a big screen version of the game was announced, many were skeptic. Being that the end result was a lame movie with the Doom logo on it, those naysayers were right. Doom the movie makes a leap onto Blu-ray from Universal Studios Home Entertainment, but lower your expectations as far as they can go.

THE MOVIE

Doom starts of with the copycat bug immediately ripping off everything from James Cameron’s Aliens, with the now cliché pack of space military soldiers who must venture to another planet to find out what happened to the last team that was sent down and are now M.I.A.

The film stars The Rock and Karl Urban, along with a miscellanious cast of faces that are basically just there to scream and die. Doom the game grabbed players with it’s mix of horror and action, but the movie never makes of clear what it’s trying to be. Is it camp or is it supposed to be hardcore?

The Rock who has pulled off the action hero checklist in other popcorn films such as The Scorpion King, really looks as if he’d rather be in another movie. And the rest of the cast is just hitting their marks and saying their lines.

Director Andrzej Bartkowiak seems to have been so desperate to win the approval of fans of the game that he threw in a five minute long first person shooting sequence to emulate the game. What was supposed to have been a crowd pleasure turns out to be a laugh a minute low down shame.

Doom looks like a made for the Sci-Fi Channel original movie, with bad sets, terrible creatures and amateurish special effects. Just because something is successful in one form means that it will carry over to another form chasing the same audience. Doom proves this big time. If you want the true Doom experience, crank up your PC and play the classic game the way it was meant to be.

VIDEO

Presented in full 1080p in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, Doom is a let down. Universal Blu-rays always look great but something went wrong here, because the image quality is only a small upgrade from the DVD, with heavy grain and uneven sharpness.

AUDIO

The sound is a step up from the image, with a DTS-HD 5.1 master audio mix that is worthy of pumping up your surround sound system. When the action heats up you’ll hear bullets and screams all around you, but it still can’t save this bad movie.

EXTRAS

There’s not much here, just some basic cut and paste supplemental material. There’s not even a director’s commentary to explain this mess.

Basic Training looks at the pre-production training the actor’s went through to get combat ready.

Rock Formation shows what went into transforming The Rock into the monstrous bad guy in the finale.

Master Monster Makers takes a look at the film’s creature design.

First Person Shooter displays how the movie’s FPS sequence was shot.

Game On shows play-by-play strategies and tips for Doom 3.

Doom Nation is probably the only worthy feature on the disc, going into the history of the game and it’s sequels, including interviews with the game’s creator John Carmack.

BOTTOM LINE

Doom is a great game, but a bad movie. This Blu-ray is only recommended to die hard fans, because it’s a rental at best. To put it simply skip this flick and play the game instead.

SCORES (Out of 5):

The Movie: 2.0

Video: 3.0

Sound: 3.5

Extras: 2.5

Bottom Line: 2.5

Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Universal Studios Home Entertainment – 3 hrs 20 min – 2005 – Rated PG-13 – 1080p Widescreen 2.35: 1 – DTS-HD Lossless Master 5.1 Audio

The original 1993 King Kong was a masterpiece because at its time it went beyond what anyone imagined could be accomplished on film. Since then Hollywood has attempted two remakes, a disastrous effort in 1976 and the most expensive version to date, directed by the man behind The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Peter Jackson. In theory it sounds like a match made in heaven, but something went wrong. The latest King Kong finally comes to Blu-ray from Universal Home Entertainment, and it has a whole lot of roar, but very little bite.

THE MOVIE

Everyone knows the story of King Kong, the classic tale of beauty and the beast where a giant gorilla is found on a mysterious island and his affection for a woman leads him to be captured and taken to New York City where a greedy producer wants to cash in on this wonder for fame and fortune. A plan that quickly comes to an end when Kong escapes his shackles and takes to the streets, leading him to climb up to the top of the Empire State Building with his favorite blonde in the palm of his is hands.

The movie features Adrien Brody as screenwriter tricked into the adventure, Naomi Watts as a starving actress who becomes the object of Kong’s desire, and Jack Black who steals the movie as a sleazy filmmaker who will do anything to see his name in lights. Peter Jackson had everything imaginable to turn this film into a sure-fire hit, but in the end it all falls flat.

One of the main reasons is that because of the legend that is King Kong we all know what’s going to happen. Jackson remains faithful to the original material, so there are no plot twists to take you by surprise. For this reason all you’re waiting for is to see Kong do his thing, but he doesn’t show his face for about an hour into the movie, and after seeing him cause havoc for a few scenes, your main screen time is left with the human characters, with the exception of Jack Black, are boring. Brody seems miscast, and we all know he’s a good actor and all, but his role seemed to be more suited for someone who knows how to ham it up for the camera like Ben Affleck. Watts is trying to do her best, but she’s doing so many pouty lip shots that Renee Zellweger probably sent her a cease and desist letter.

The King Kong sequences are simply amazing, with Andy Serkis who played the Golum on the LOTR trilogy provided his body talents, but with a running time over three hours, you’re not getting enough Kong for your buck. Instead your stuck with over the top sequences of characters running from every creature you can possibly put on one island, taking screen time away from our favorite giant gorilla.

The best scenes in the film are the fight between Kong and a T-Rex, and obviously the ending battle on top of the Empire State Building. But even here it’s the special effects that steal the show.

Anyone who had never seen the original King Kong, (because they’re idiots who can’t watch a black and white film) may get a thrill from this remake. But purists will find it satisfying to know that with all the cash and technology Jackson had at his disposal, he still could not capture the magic that makes the original film still stand strong to this day.

VIDEO

This film first premiered in high-definition as an HD-DVD packed in with the external player for the X-Box 360. It looked incredible in that format, and its journey over to Blu-ray is just as impressive. With a full 1080p image in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio Kong will leap out if your HDTV. The image quality is so sharp that you won’t take your eyes of it. Kong’s special effects can only be appreciated in HD, so if you own the standard DVD this is a definate upgrade. You could nitpick about instances of grain or other miscellaneous, but overall this is a visual winner.

AUDIO

Just like the image, the sound of King Kong will blow you away, offering a DTS HD 5.1 master Lossless audio track that is guaranteed to pull you into the scene. If you have a surround sound system, this is the disc to trick it out to. The sound design in the T-Rex fight sequence will make your neighbors call the cops. So go for it.

EXTRAS

You’re getting two versions of the film on one Blu-ray, the original 3 hour and 8 minute theatrical version and the extended cut that is twelve minutes longer.

There’s an audio commentary featuring director and co-writer Peter Jackson and producer Philippa Boyens.

All of the making-of featurettes are accessed through U-control, giving you a picture-in-picture view of the filmmakers’ journey to bring a new version of King Kong to the screen, through video clips and art galleries.

Via BD Live you can assemble your favorite clips from the film to send to friends online.

Unfortunately, many of the bonus supplements that are available on the special editions for the standard DVD are missing, so unless Universal double-dips on this Blu-ray, fans of the movie will be let down.

BOTTOM LINE

This was Peter Jackson’s dream come true, and while yes it is entertaining, it still lacks the “wow” factor of what you expected it would be, especially after watching the Lord of the Rings movies. With amazing pictures and audio, this Blu-ray is ultimate show off material to show off that brand new HDTV.

SCORES (Out of 5):

The Movie: 3.0

Video: 5.0

Sound: 4.5

Extras: 2.5

Bottom Line: 3.0

Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment – 1 hr 36 mins – 2009 – Rated R – 1080p -Widescreen 1.78: 1 – TrueHD 5.1

The Resident Evil franchise keeps on going, plowing through ever medium from games, comics, movies, and now a feature length animated film. Let’s face it, people love zombies and Capcom will not stop its cash cow moving. Resident Evil: Degeneration comes to Blu-ray from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, so if you don’t know how to pull off a headshot, run.

THE MOVIE

For those of you who are hardcore Resident Evil fans, Degeneration technically takes place after Resident Evil 4 and before the upcoming fifth game. The story is fairly simple surrounding the events of the aftermath of Raccoon City, where the Zombie outbreak has spread to other territories. The Umbrella Corporation, which was the center of the original games and films, has fallen and a new threat has emerged with the rise of WilPharma, and medical company that claims it has a cure for the outbreak, but is actually attempting to do more harm than good.

Two familiar faces from the game series are in the center of the action, Claire Redfield and Leon Kennedy, to keep the world of Resident Evil legit. Just like the video game, Degeneration finds as many ways as possible to throw zombies at the heroes in every way imaginable. One of the best scenes takes place in the beginning of the film inside of an airport, which even includes a plane full of zombies crashing into the place to cause mayhem.

The main problem with Degeneration is that it doesn’t attempt to do anything to expand the franchise. Claire and Leon are just as wooden as they are in the videogames, and for a film that should be about zombies, there are not enough of them in this 96 minute adventure. Yes, there are some standout moments, but overall when it’s over there won’t be that much of an impression left on you.

VIDEO

RE: Degeneration’s CG work is acceptable, but will not blow you away like the recent visuals seen in films like Wall-E or Kung Fu Panda. With a full 1080p image in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio, RE: Degeneration looks equal to the cut scenes you play in video games, but at times the faces look very wax-like, especially on the Senator, who looks like he’s always in the process of passing gas. Colors look great, and there’s plenty of blood to splatter across your HDTV.

AUDIO

Offering a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix, the sound work is done well, with clear dialogue and great sound effects. But again, it’s nothing more than you’d get from an A-level videogame. Play this one in the dark with your surround sound pumped and it’ll make you jump in the right places.

EXTRAS

RE: Degeneration doesn’t offer a laundry list of bonus features, but keep in mind that this is a direct-to-video film.

The Generation of Degeneration is a half-hour look at the making of the movie, that includes interviews with the Japanese team behind it.

There’s a glimpse at the upcoming Resident Evil 5 videogame.

A silly voice blooper reel, that has the voice actors dubbing lines over existing footage.

Character Profiles highlights all the characters of Degeneration.

Faux Leon is a mock interview with the character of Leon Kennedy pretending to be and actor who is playing Leon Kennedy.

To round things up, there’s a pop up trivia track; Picture-in-Picture clips that displays storyboards and motion capture clips as you watch the movie, and the Comic-Con footage used to promote RE: Degeneration.

BOTTOM LINE

If you love the Resident Evil franchise, this one should go on your list of things to get. The Blu-ray offers a sharp picture and great sound quality, and even a decent amount of bonus material. Obviously this is just one big cut scene to keep you hyped up for the new video game, but take it for what it is and you may enjoy the ride.

SCORES (out of 5):

The Movie: 3.0

Video: 4.0

Sound: 4.0

Extras: 2.5

Bottom Line: 3.0

Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Universal Studios Home Entertainment – 112 min – 2008 – Rated PG-13 – Widescreen 2.40: 1 – DTS-HD Lossless Master 5.1 Audio – Digital Copy

The first two Mummy films were fun, and filled the gap that ended with the third Indiana Jones film back in late 80’s. Though the star of the Mummy films, Brendan Fraser, is more of a bootleg version of Harrison Ford, he had the charm to pull off the adventure and keep audiences coming. With the huge box office the previous Mummy films did, it was obvious that there would eventually be a third, and now seven years later it’s officially become a trilogy with The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. The latest Rick O’Connell adventure is now available on Blu-ray from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. So grab hold of your mummies and get ready for the ride.

THE MOVIE

The previous Mummy flicks stayed on familiar ground remaining exactly where you expect to see a mummy, in the dark desert or roaming in pyramids. The latest mummy adventure takes our heroes to Asia where they tackle the dangerous villain they have faced, Emperor Han, played by martial arts superstar Jet Li. As with the other flicks the storyline remains the same, with a mummy unleashing all hell as he attempts to regain power and conquer the world, and our heroes must join forces with a sorceress played by another Hong Kong action star, Michelle Yeoh to stop him.

Most of the characters from the original films have come along for the ride, but one particular cast change stands out. Rachel Weisz who played Evie in the previous two Mummy flicks does not return this time, (I guess winning an Oscar makes you stuck up), so she is replaced by actress Maria Bello, who seems out of place in the role. Rick’s son, Alex, is back, but now he’s a teenager played by Luke Ford. This choice is odd because Rick O’Connell’s character looks way too young to have a kid this old, but maybe he discovered the fountain of youth on a previous adventure. And for comedy relief, Evie’s brother Jonathan, played by John Hannah returns to make the film look like legit sequel.

Being that the third Mummy film has come out in the same summer as the fourth Indiana Jones film, it’s funny to watch them both try to out do one another. In my opinion, The Mummy wins because it delivers the goods without trying to be pretentious, and Luke Ford is more likeable playing the son of a great adventurer over the lame performance by Shia LeBeouf in Indy 4. Sure the Mummy is silly, but it knows that, whereas the last Indiana Jones film was like watching a retired fighter still trying to do the things he used to, but you feel sad for him.

This third Mummy adventure is helmed by Rob Cohen, who directed such action flicks as xXx and The Fast and the Furious, so he’s no stranger to the genre. The film is fast paced, and even though ridiculous in places, it’s not boring and gives you exactly what you expected when you press play. It’s mindless, but so were the other two films, but it rolls like one big videogame, giving you no room at all to think, because you’d get left behind in the dust. If you’re a fan of the Mummy films, this third film should definitely be added to your Blu-ray collection, and unlike Indiana Jones this film is the last one because no one will want to see Brendan Fraser strapping on his guns again for one more adventure twenty years from now.

VIDEO

This is a fantastic looking Blu-ray, and even if you don’t like the movie, the image will make your jaw drop. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor has a full 1080p image in a 2.40:1 aspect ratio. The excellent cinematography by Simon Duggan is highlighted to full capacity, and if you’ve got a kick ass HDTV, you’ll be absorbed. The previous Blu-rays of the first two Mummy films look great, but Universal did a superior job with this transfer, topping the bunch. It’s not perfect and there are hints of grain and soft spots when the special effects take over, but overall this is one to show off.

AUDIO

With a DTS-HD Lossless Master 5.1 audio tracks, the Mummy sounds just as good as it looks. Crank up those speakers and you’ll get the same effects as being in a theater, with bullets, explosions, howls of the a abominable snowmen, and Emperor Han’s army going ballistic, you’ll be sucked in. No complaints here.

EXTRAS

Even if you do not like the movie, you’ve got to give it to Universal for packing this 2 disc edition Blu-ray with a ton of extras, making sure you get your money’s worth.

Director Rob Cohen gives his take of the film via an audio commentary, which he rides solo. Something I personally appreciate, because I hate having five people talk over each other. Not a bad commentary track.

The Making of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is your basic behind the scenes featurette.

Legacy of Terra Cotta and From City to Desert are two featurettes running a half hour combined and looks a filming in China, the visual effects, other related aspects.

Casting and Preparing for Battle offers a quick look at the cast as well as the hardcore training the actors had to work through.

Creating Supernatural Worlds looks at all the sets and production designs to bring the world of the Mummy to life.

Jet Li: Crafting the Emperor Mummy is a spotlight on the martial arts master, and his involvement with the project.

Via U-Control you can access a video of director Rob Cohen’s commentary track, a split screen showing various clips from all three of the Mummy films, an interactive trivia track, and BD-Live support to collect clips.

A Digital Copy is also available so you can get your Mummy on the go.

BOTTOM LINE

As long as you have fun with it, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is enjoyable and as far as Blu-ray goes, it’s definitely a winner with superior image and sound quality, plus a Digital Copy and a good selection of extras. If you own the first two films, you need to wash the taste of that last Indiana Jones flick out of your mouth, this one is worth taking the ride.

SCORES (Out of 5):

The Movie: 3.0

Video: 5.0

Sound: 4.5

Extras: 4.0

Bottom Line: 4.0

Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Fox Home Entertainment – 93 minutes – 2004 – Unrated – 1080p Widescreen 2.35:1 – DTS Lossless 5.1 Audio Mix

Everyone likes an underdog story, right? Rocky, The Karate Kid, and now Dodgeball? This is not exactly the type of sport that makes you stand up and cheer, but if you lower your expectations, you should be able to find some laughs. DodgeBall is available on Blu-ray from Fox Home Entertainment, so lace up your sneakers.

THE MOVIE

Vince Vaughn plays the owner of a local gym that caters to losers who can barely pay their membership fees. Ben Stiller is the CEO of a mega workout facility called GloboGym, who wants nothing more than to buyout Vaughn’s company so his facility can reign supreme. The only way Vaughn stands a chance of saving his gym is by getting a team together and winning a vollyball championship to get the cash. As you can easily figure out, Vaughn’s team deafest the villainous Stiller and saves his business.

Dodgeball was funny five years ago, but seeing it now delivers a chuckle or two, but other than that there’s not much there. Stiller plays one of his most over the top characters to date, looking like a gay porn star with Shaun Cassidy hair and a John Holmes mustache. Vaughn steps aside and plays the straight man, allowing Stiller and the rag tag team of co-stars to do whatever it takes to get a laugh.

Realistically, if you like this film and you already own the standard DVD, this Blu-ray is not much of an upgrade. But this film does have somewhat of a cult following, so if you’ve never seen it and you’re fans of Ben Stiller or Vince Vaughn you may get some laughs from viewing it.

VIDEO

DodgeBall comes to Blu-ray with a full 1080p image in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, and though it looks good with bright crisp colors, it’s not exactly the type of film you bought a Blu-ray player for. At times some shots look soft, but overall it’s a decent transfer. Should you toss your DVD for this Blu-ray? No. But if this is your first time owning DodgeBall, this is the way to go.

AUDIO

Offering a DTS Lossless 5.1 audio mix, DodgeBall sounds good, with clear dialogue and solid background effects, such as the crowd scenes during the games. You won’t necessarily crank your speakers up to ten for this one, but it does the trick.

EXTRAS

All of the supplements that were on the standard DVD have been ported over for the Blu-ray, but overall it’s basic stuff.

There’s a feature commentary with writer/director Rawson Marshall Thurber, actors Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn.

Twelve minutes of deleted scenes may deliver a chuckle or two.

DodgeBall Boot Camp goes behind the scenes to show what the actors went through to get ready for looking like pros in the sport.

Justin Long: A Study in Ham & Cheese is a series of bloopers from the film’s co-star.

BOTTOM LINE

DodgeBall is not for everyone’s taste, but the film does have a following. This Blu-ray is an exact clone of the standard DVD with a slight bump in image and sound, so those interested may want to rent it first to see if it’s worth their cash.

SCORES (out of 5):

The Movie: 2.5

Video: 3.0

Sound: 3.0

Extras: 2.5

Bottom Line: 2.5

Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Warner Home Video – 85 minutes – 2009 – Rated R– 1080p Widescreen 2.4:1 – Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Audio Mix – Digital Copy

Who says Hollywood executives aren’t smart? Take the film Amusement as a perfect example, because this was supposed to be a major theatrical release, until one of the suits actually saw it and realized it was a piece of crap and tossed it into the direct-to-video pile. Amusement sadly comes to Blu-ray from Warner hoping to scare up a few bucks to break even, but no one is this desperate.

THE MOVIE

On the back cover of this Blu-ray Amusement almost promises the scare the hell out of you, but fifteen minutes into the film you’ll know that you were bamboozled. Amusement tells the story of three friends Tabitha (Katheryn Winnick), Shelby (Laura Breckenridge), and Lisa (Jessica Lucas), who are experiencing events of horror relating to something that spans back to their childhood.

Divided into sections that eventually connect to one backstory, Amusement suffers from being like every other horror film we’ve already seen, but duplicated ten times over. Even the use of the clown, (and yes when done well clowns can scare the piss out of you), but here the clown effect is never utilized to its full potential.

Director John Simpson doesn’t appear to be confident with the material, and instead throws bad scare tactics at you hoping that something will work. But in reality there’s nothing that could have saved this film because there’s nothing here to hold your attention.

Hardcore horror fans will toss this one into an inferno, but if you’re someone who scares so easy that something like a cat jumping into the frame scares you, then Amusement may entertain you. All others should use the 85 minutes it would take to watch this flick to do something else, like read a book, or write down a list of goals to make your life better.

VIDEO

Amusement looks decent with a 1080p image in a 2.4:1 aspect ratio, but it won’t blow you away. Most of the scenes were shot in the dark, so blacks look strong, but there is a lot of grain popping up.

AUDIO

With a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix, Amusement tries hard to give you shivers up your spine, and for some it may work. The mix like the image quality is better definitely than the movie itself, and that’s really sad.

EXTRAS

Anyone wanting to see the people responsible for this nightmare will be left out in the cold, because there isn’t anything here. Not even a trailer. The only thing packed in is a Digital Copy of the movie, but seriously, who would want to take this film along with them.

BOTTOM LINE

Amusement will quickly be tossed into the bargain bin, because it’ll never even grab the cult status to keep it going. Save your money for a better Blu-ray, because at best this one is only a rental.

SCORES (out of 5):

The Movie: 1.5

Video: 3.0

Sound: 3.0

Extras: 0.5

Bottom Line: 2.0

Reviewed by Richard Lee Zuras

Released Dec. 25, 2008

2 hr. 41 min.

PG-13

David Fincher/Paramount&WB

Brad Pitt

Cate Blanchett

Tilda Swinton

Taraji P. Henson

Julia Ormond

Who would ever have thought that a short story F. Scott Fitzgerald’s agent had trouble selling would one day become a thirteen time oscar nominated $150,000,000 budget blockbuster?

Perhaps the question should be: For those who have read Fitzgerald’s story…did you think the slight, comic story could stretch into one of the longest films in the history of cinema?

Or: If you had $150,000,000 to spend, would you lose sight of the heart of the film as its special effects ran away with themselves?

Perhaps the question might be: If a story kicked around in Hollywood for over a decade and a half–with people like Tom Cruise, Steven Spielberg, Spike Jonze, John Travolta, Charlie Kaufman, and Ron Howard attached–do you think there’s a reason it had never been made?

The answer to the last question is yes, yes, yes. Was it not made because the special effects technology had yet to reach the necessary pinnacle? Was it not made because it would never turn a U.S. profit even if every critic fell to its wondrous techno-effects? Did everyone pass on it because no screenplay was able to capture/create any emotion?

The original short story, you see, is very sketchy. And sketchy for a reason. Here are a couple of purposefully sketchy lines (paraphrased) from Fitzgerald’s story:

1) Is he (Ben Button) the wandering Jew?

2) I (narrator) am not going to talk about the missing years of Ben Button’s life from the ages of 12 to 21.

Seem like the literary master was making us contemplate something here?

The film? Nada. The adapted screenplay completely missed it.

As I watched the film I couldn’t help noticing the incredible similarities between Ben’s narrative style and inflections and his utmost, removed nature. As the credits rolled–there it was: Eric Roth. A great screenwriter. One of the best. But this film’s lead should not be channeling its inner Forrest Gump.

The biggest problem remains its length. This film has to cover a lot of time and unlike literature, the phenomenon of exposition is not available. The film’s cast list reads like a stimulus bill. Perhaps that was the point. There’s a belief these days that if a film is sweepingly long it need be nominated for every possible award.

Opus? no…Great effects? Sure. Good idea to reward a film’s effects over its heart? no. Great makeup? Absolutely. And one last thing…and a bit of a spoiler…

No one wants to see a beautiful, newborn baby close its eyes, and die. Even if it has lived out its days…

Slumdog Millionaire and Milk are the front-runners for best picture. Maybe heart does win out after all.

bottom line: 3.5/5.0