Author: Jason Zingale (Page 52 of 154)

Blu Tuesday: The Spirit, Pride & Prejudice and Mean Girls

April 14, 2009 /

Not every week can offer the kind of choice titles that we’ve been seeing lately, but while today’s sole major release is a bit of a dud, there are still plenty of decent catalog titles to check out as well. Okay, so maybe it’s not the best week for my Blu-ray collection, but that doesn’t mean everyone else will feel the same way.

“The Spirit” (Lionsgate)

Frank Miller’s “The Spirit” might just go down as one of the biggest disappointments of 2008. When the project was first announced, fanboys were ecstatic at the possibility of another comic book movie in the same vein as “Sin City” (especially when they had already waited so damn long for a sequel), but as soon as the first clips of the movie hit the net, any excitement was quickly deflated. If memory serves correct, there wasn’t a soul on the planet that was begging for a live-action Spy vs. Spy movie, but that’s exactly what Miller has delivered with “The Spirit.” The performances are terrible, the dialogue is even worse, and though Scarlett Johansson looks hotter than ever, there’s not a single redeeming element to be found. The few fans the movie does have will be pleased to discover that the Blu-ray release includes a nice selection of extras (including a director commentary, a making-of featurette, and an interview with Miller) but that’s about the only positive thing I could possibly say.

“Pride and Prejudice” (A&E)

If there’s one novel I hate more than any other, it’s Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice.” Then again, I’m a guy, so that’s hardly a surprise, but that doesn’t mean I abhor everything to do with the book. Joe Wright’s 2005 adaptation was certainly more enjoyable than expected, while the recently released mash-up novel, “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,” is an absolute riot. Unfortunately, I just don’t feel the same way about the BBC’s six-part miniseries, which has long been considered the ultimate film version thanks to Colin Firth’s star-making role as every female’s nightmare/dream man, Mr. Darcy. My personal biases aside, “Pride and Prejudice” has long been considered a classic, so it’s nice to see that A&E has taken the time to restore the film in HD using the film’s original 16mm negatives. The end result is nothing short of amazing (in place of what looked like a storm cloud hovering overhead in every scene, there’s actually a burst of color) and should be considered a must-own by any fan.

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External Movie DVDs, Movie Comedies, Movie Dramas, Movie DVDs, Movies, Reviews

Lost 5.12 – Dead Is Dead

April 8, 2009 /

Ever since his introduction in Season Two, Ben Linus has fast become one of the most compelling characters on “Lost,” so it isn’t much of a surprise that tonight’s episode was one of the best of the year. While much of the allure of this season is due to the recent boost in science fiction-heavy fare like time travel, the last few weeks have really emphasized the strong relationships between the people on the island. And if we’ve learned anything, it’s that Ben has some of the most fascinating relationships of them all. Oh yeah, and Michael Emerson deserves an Emmy nomination.

Ben’s ongoing feud with Charles Widmore has made for some great moments in the past, but it was nice to finally see how that feud came to fruition. Both men have always been viewed as villains, but based on the flashbacks from tonight, it’s clear that Widmore is the worst of the two. He didn’t seem to have any logical reason for wanting Rousseau and her baby dead other than the fact that they were outsiders, but Ben’s decision to stand up to Widmore and protect baby Alex showed a side of him that we always knew was there but rarely saw. Of course, that was before Ben became the monster he is today, but it was apparently enough to prove to Richard that he was worthy of taking over leadership after Widmore was booted off the island for breaking the rules.

One of those rules was having a child with an outsider, and as we all know, that child grew up to be Penny. What we didn’t know, however, was what had come of Penny now that Ben had left the island. Many seemed to believe that his brutal beating was a result of killing Penny on her boat (after all, he made that call to Jack from a dock), but as it turns out, that wasn’t it at all. Well, not exactly, anyway. It turns out Ben did intend on killing Penny (he even shot Desmond in the shoulder for trying to interfere), but the minute he saw Penny’s son, he decided against it. Of course, that didn’t stop Desmond from beating him to a pulp, but like I said before, it just goes to show that Ben isn’t nearly as bad of a guy as people once believed him to be.

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Actors, External TV, Lost, Movies, TV, TV Action, TV Comedies, TV Dramas

Blu Tuesday: The Day the Earth Stood Still, Yes Man and Tale of Despereaux

April 7, 2009 /

While most of this week’s Blu-ray releases aren’t exactly demo material (or really great movies, to be completely honest), it’s still a solid collection of films – most of which at least deserve a rental. There’s also nothing great being released next week, so if you’re on the fence about one or more of the below titles, it might be worth taking the risk.

“The Day the Earth Stood Still” (Fox)

Scott Derrickson’s update of the sci-fi classic isn’t going to win over fans of the 1951 original any time soon, but while the movie itself is mediocre itself, it also isn’t as band as many would lead you to believe. Keanu Reeves is perfectly cast as the alien diplomat Klaatu, the special effects are fantastic, and GORT’s re-design is about as spot-on as you could get. Additionally, the decision to change the point of view of the story from Klaatu to Helen was a smart one, as it makes more sense to view the end of the world from the eyes of one of its endangered humans. Sadly, the ending isn’t as great as it could be, but disaster flick enthusiasts will probably eat it up. The same goes for the bonus material, with only a few (including a making-of featurette and an in-depth look at the arduous task of designing GORT) truly worth checking out. Still, you have to commend the inclusion of the 1951 version, even if most fans probably already own the latest edition.

“Yes Man” (Warner Bros.)

Jim Carrey can no longer carry a movie like he used to, but in the case of “Yes Man,” the film’s success was completely deserved. Many have suggested that the movie is exactly like his 1999 hit “Liar, Liar,” and while they’re certainly similar in tone, “Yes Man” gives us a Carrey like we’ve never seen before: a more mature comic who isn’t afraid to go over the top, but can also land a joke without all the hyperactivity. The film’s Blu-ray release focuses more on the former, with behind-the-scenes features on the actor’s on-set antics and willingness to do his own stunts. The real highlight of the disc, however, has nothing to do with Carrey at all, but rather his co-star Zooey Deschanel. Along with a faux rockumentary on her character’s band, Munchausen by Proxy, all five musical performances have also been included in their entirety. The songs are a bit strange, but Deschanel’s voice is so intoxicating that you won’t even notice.

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Action Movies, External Movie DVDs, Movie Comedies, Movie Dramas, Movie DVDs, Movies

Trailer Alert: “Bruno”

April 2, 2009 /

Sacha Baron Cohen’s “Bruno” has been in the news a lot lately – from the sneak peek that was shown at this year’s SXSW festival to the recent announcement that the MPAA had slapped the film with an NC-17 rating – so it makes sense that Universal would want to release a trailer as soon as possible. The international red band trailer has just popped up online, and while I don’t think it looks as funny as “Borat,” I’m more than prepared to be proven wrong. Check it out below and let us know what you think.

Actors, External Movies, Movie Comedies, Movies, Trailers

Lost 5.11 – Whatever Happened, Happened

April 1, 2009 /

Ugh. Is it really time again for another Kate-centric story? Unfortunately, but while tonight’s episode wasn’t one of the year’s best, at least it wrapped up another plotline from earlier in the season. Though Aaron’s whereabouts probably weren’t at the top of most people’s lists, it did add some much needed closer to Kate’s past. Up until the final moments of the night, I was actually starting to think that she had either lost him to a stranger at the supermarket (though, admittedly, that would have been pretty lame), or given him to Cassidy to take care of. After all, she’s clearly proven to be a fit mother from raising Saywer’s daughter, Clementine, and as we learned throughout the course of the episode, she and Kate actually became pretty good friends.

Speaking of Clementine, it was also confirmed that the big secret Sawyer whispered into Kate’s ear before jumping off the helicopter was a simple request to take care of his daughter. Not exactly a surprise when you consider there wasn’t much else he could have asked, but it’s still nice to get that out of the way. In fact, while the reveal wasn’t much of a shock, Kate’s immediate honesty with Cassidy was. Didn’t she even think of the consequences that might have come with Cassidy blabbing her mouth about how the Oceanic Six’s story was all a lie? Apparently not, and it’s a good thing she didn’t, because if the two of them never became friends, Kate wouldn’t have made the unselfish decision to head back to the island and leave Aaron in the care of Claire’s mother.

It was a necessary story to tell, but it was pretty dull compared to the island portion of tonight’s episode. After Jin awakens to discover Young Ben has been shot by Sayid, he rushes him back to camp to get help. Horace thinks the Others are planning an attack, and while everyone begins preparing defenses, Juliet desperately tries to save Ben’s life. As expected, she goes to Jack for help, but he’s too busy acting like an asshole to care. Sure, the kid’s going to grow up to become a monster, but does that give him the right to decide whether or not he should die? If a criminal was brought into his ER, wouldn’t he be professionally (and morally) obligated to save his life?

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External TV, Lost, TV, TV Dramas

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