DVD Review: "Dead Air"

It's really hard to make an original zombie movie these days. Lets face it... it's been done a million times before, and it's all the same. The last original zombie flick I saw would have to be "28 Days Later" (although they technically were not zombies). I'm sure that movie inspired the director of the independent film, "Dead Air", mostly due to the fact that it contains a virus that turns people into insane cannibals.

I give the director credit for trying something original. Instead of having the typical average Joe survivors that band together in order to survive... our main characters work at a radio station. They ultimately decide to stay on air and keep the public up-to-date on the horrific events that unfold. We are then treated an hour of listening to people getting killed via telephone, listening to our radio show host talk, and seeing various people defend themselves against "zombies". It also tries to analyze our society and be thought provoking in terms of American politics and discrimination.

Good try... but I'm going to have to give the director an failing grade on that part. I know the point was to take the zombie genre and make it more serious and mature... but when you have a bunch of crazy cannibals running around, it's hard to take it seriously (especially with the lack of good make-up for the zombies). I also couldn't help wondering why they stayed on the air. They could have chosen to run the emergency broadcast... but instead, came to the conclusion that the show must go on. Another thing that bothered me was that the co-host of the show leaves to save our main character's family, while the main character stays to continue the show. Seriously?! There is a crisis and he chooses his radio show over his family? Come on!

While it tries to be original, and has a few decent scares and/or suspenseful sequences... it just fell flat and wasn't memorable or even that engaging. I reccomend you go see "28 Days Later" instead.

My Rating: 3 out of 10

DVD Review: "Bruno"

In 2006, a film by the name of "Borat" took theaters by storm. It both shocked and amused audiences around the world with it's raunchy/colorful humor. It was also a hybrid of comedy/documentary... acting as a feature length hidden camera show with a storyline thrown in. Now, three years later, the actor that played Borat (Sacha Bara Cohen) returns as another one of his popular characters... Bruno, the gay Austrian fashion show host.

This film is basically the definition of homophobic. There are a constant slew of gay jokes from beggining to end. And, addmitedly, it's all hilarious. The point of the movie is to make audiences as uncomfortable as possible, and it succeeds greatly. Sacha Bara Cohen has balls, let me tell you. I can't believe he pulled off half of what he pulled off. He's lucky that being arrested is the worst thing to come out of filming this movie.

Like "Borat"... this mockumentary is all about the shock humor. Without the shock factor, it simply wouldn't work. If you thought Borat was offesnive, wait until you see this raunch-fest. The amount of nudity and sexual jokes is doubled... making it even harder to be a film to watch with friends.

That being said, the film managed to be engaging and caused me to laugh out loud, cringe, and even shield my eyes at one point. If you are offended easily, avoid this at all costs. Othewrwise, buckle up and prepare yourself for a crazy ride.

My Rating - 5 out of 10

DVD Review: "Is Anybody There?"

Michael Caine has had a long and prosperous acting career. From his classic hit man character in "Get Carter" to the more recent character of Alfred in Chris Nolan's "Batman" films... he's done it all. Now, in his very old age, he proves yet again that he is an acting force to be reckoned with.

"Is Anybody There?" is an independent British film set in the mid-80's. It follows a young boy named Edward, who lives in a nursing home in which his parents run. Because of this lifestyle, Edward is considered an outcast omongst his fellow school-mates. However, after a grumpy old man by the name of Clarence (Michael Caine) moves into the nursing home... he forms an unlikely friendship with him.

The film follows them as they gradually become closer to each other. Since they are both outcasts in their own generations, they form a father/son bond. Because of this, Edward gradually learns about Clarence's life... as well as his regrets.

This is a very low-key, yet touching dramady with solid performances by the actors. While Michael Caine is sure to attract most people to the movie, child-actor Bill Milner is exceptional as well. The two of them are the driving force, and is the reason the story works so well. It's one of those nice little movies with touching and/or heartbreaking moments. However, it didn't have a big enough impact to be very memorable. So, even though it won't be implanted into your memory, it's still a nice film that's a cut above most Hollywood drama's.

My Rating: 6 out of 10

DVD Review: "Orphan"

It's a well known fact the horror movies suffer from numerous cliche's. From the cell phone losing connection, to the car not starting, to the serial killer that walks after his prey and always manages to catch up to them... the list is massive. Something else that has showed up in many a horror film is... the demon child! That's right, the kid that is either possessed by Satan ("The Omen") or some unknown evil ("Michael", "Children of the Corn"). The latest "evil child" film has to do with a family that adopts an orphan... and is appropriately titled "Orphan".

What drives this film is the desire to know why our title character (Esther) is so evil. Once the lead couple brings her home, we immediately start to see that there is something wrong about her. However, we don't know what that is! The filmmakers make a smart move by not giving any insight to Esther's background, otherwise the movie would be pointless. Its full of typical jump scene's, or scene's in which a character walks through an empty room to investigate a noise. This is the kind of stuff that usually has me rolling my eyes. However, the whole mystery aspect kept me engaged. I also like how Esther gradually gets more and more evil as the film progresses. It made me wonder "what is she going to do next?".

While it's certainly not the greatest horror film, it was fairly entertaining and had a cool twist ending that most people will not expect. Not bad at all by horror movie standards.

My Rating: 6 out of 10

DVD Review: "Princess"

Let's face it... 2d animation isn't what it used to be. The majority of big-budget animations are presented in 3d format (ever since the original "Toy Story" graced the screen). There is still hope though, since Japanese animation (aka anime) still seems to be more popular than ever. When I first saw the poster for "Princess", and heard about the storyline, I assumed that it would be an anime feature. To my surprise, it turned out that "Princess" is a Danish animated film! That's about the last thing I expected.

Once the film starts, you can clearly see that it isn't anime. It has a very unique style to it, and even incorporates a few live action sequences. Here's the story: a former priest finds out that his sister (a porn star with the alias Princess) was accidentally murdered. After a few years pass, he returns to his sisters brothel to take custody of his niece. After learning more about Princess's death and becoming closer to his niece, he sets out to take vengeance on the men responsible for her death.

This film is very heavy handed. There aren't any over-the-top action sequences, or goofy cartoon characters. This is an animation based in reality, and contains some very graphic sequences. While this will certainly turn people off... it did the opposite for me. I love intense films... and that's exactly what "Princess" is. The atmosphere is very bleak and unsettling, and becomes even more so as it progress's. It also has a very powerful and unsettling finale, which is rare for an animation.

All in all, I enjoyed this film because it was extremely engaging and suspenseful. It had all the aspects of a serious drama... and, in my opinion, would have made an excellent live action film as well. Who knows, maybe it will be adapted one day (since that seems to be very popular in Hollywood today).

My Rating: 8 out of 10

Advanced Review: "Brothers"

Before they became A-List actors, many people used to confuse Toby Maguire ("Spiderman") with Jake Gyllenhaal ("Donnie Darko"). Seeing as they do have similar characteristics, it's not hard to believe. A few years back, there was even a rumor that Jake was going to replace Toby as Peter Parker in "Spiderman 4" (which obviously turned out to be false). That being said, I'm sure no one would blame me for laughing when I found out that the two would star in a film called "Brothers". I mean, how perfect is that? That's about the only humorous aspect of Jim Sheriden's latest Oscar-worthy movie.

Sheriden is best known for directing such award winning films as "My Left Foot" and "In America". Now, with this intense drama... he yet again proves that he is one of the greatest directors of our time. Although he hasn't been extremely busy in terms of releasing movies... he certainly makes up for lost time with this one. "Brothers" is without a doubt the most powerful film you will see this year. What makes it so powerful, you ask? The amazing performances by Maguire, Gyllenhaal, and Natalie Portman. It's full of intense, awkward, and heartbreaking scene's that are made extremely effective by the top-notch acting abilities of our main characters. We are also introduced to a brand new child actor, Baiylee Madison. If Abigail Breslin could get an Oscar nomination for her performance in "Little Miss Sunshine", then it would be a sin for Madison not to get one. She is an amazing child actor, and hopefully we will see more of her in the future.

The story is made pretty clear in the trailer: a soldier goes to the middle east and supposedly gets killed. His wife becomes a widow, and the soldier's brother becomes close to her. Then, just as their lives seem to fall back into place, the wife finds out that her husband is still alive. He returns, but has a serious case of post-traumatic stress.

While the performances are excellent throughout the entire film, there is a scene towards the end (that I'm positive will be talked about by everyone who sees the movie) where Toby's character (who plays the brother with post-traumatic stress) has a complete mental breakdown. Without giving anything away, I will say that it is EXTREMELY intense, and contains the best acting I've seen all year. It's unforgettable, and makes the movie worth the price of admission alone, even though it's hard to watch.

While it's not in theaters yet, I totally recommend it once it is! It's a difficult film that will stick with you long after it ends, and it will likely receive Oscar recognition. It also contains the best performances of the actor's career's.

My Rating: 9 out of 10

*opens December 4th

New Review: "2012"

One way to fill up the seats in movie theaters is to make a big-budget, Hollywood blockbuster! I know, easier said then done. While not all filmmakers get the opportunity to make such a film... the ones that do will make lot's of money off of it, guaranteed. Why is this, you ask? Because people love to escape from reality and watch mindless action and special effects. Doesn't matter how good the movie is; the bigger the budget, the greater the crowd. This seems to be the motto of director Ronald Emmerich. Since his breakout film "Independence Day" hit theaters in the 90's... he's specialized in making large scale disaster films, including the re-make of "Godzilla" and "The Day After Tomorrow". His latest film "2012" deals with the end of the world, yet again.

Based on the real life predictions found within ancient ruins from around the world, the film discovers what will happen to our planet three years from now. Of course, I would say that the likely hood of the apocalypse going down the way it does in this film is very slim. But who cares? We're supposed to enjoy the amazing special effects and mayhem that explodes on screen...

However, there are two factors that prevent the film from being great. One is the script. Emmerich felt that since the movie was so large in scale, the storyline should be as well. Hence, we are introduced to TO MANY different characters. How can you feel a connection with anyone when there are so many of them? The film could have been more emotionally engaging if we focused on the two main families... not to mention it would have been much shorter.

Which brings me to the other problem... the length. I love epic movies as much as the next person... but if you're going to make a three hour movie, it has to earn those three hours. "2012" did not have to be a three hour movie... two hours would have been fine. If Emmerich took away half of the characters and pointless subplots... it could have been shorter, and it even would have had the potential to be a non-stop thrill ride. Alas, there are too many spots where the action and sense of urgency slows down, just so we can watch how scared and sad our 10 main characters are. It was too much.

Now to the positive side of the film. The CGI is simply spectacular! Out of all the films that depict the end of the world... the disaster scene's from this film are likely the greatest ever put on film. From the soon-to-be-classic scene where Los Angeles crumbles on top of itself, to the scene where Yellow Stone literally explodes... you will be blown away by the visuals. Towards the end, the CGI looks like something out of "The Day After Tomorrow", what with the giant tidal waves and all. But still... awesome effects. The score was also very dramatic/epic, and helped bring out the excitement in some of the sequences.

This is definitely a film that should only be viewed for the CGI. However, outside of that, it's not a great film, even with the A-list cast. The best way to view this film is in the theater so you can experience the full scale of the effects. If you don't see it in the theaters, then I would skip it out all together once it's on DVD. Just watch the Los Angeles scene on youtube or something.

My Rating: 5 out of 10

DVD Review: "Ballast"

Taking place down south in Mississippi, this independent drama follows the lives of three people after a man commits suicide. One of them is Lawrence... the mans brother. Another is Marlee, the man's ex-wife. The last one is James, the man's son. They are all affected by his death, and they all become closer because of it.

I'm going to sum this movie up in a nutshell:

- The performances are almost perfect. You can't really tell that any of them are acting.
- There is no music throughout the entire film. This adds a great amount of realism.
- The shots are beautiful and mostly hand held. Every shot has an excellent depth of field.
- After the half way point, the movie starts to drag on, and isn't entirely sure where it's going.
- The ending was disappointing due to lack of resolution.

Had the second half had a better layout in terms of storytelling, I would have given this movie a higher rating. All in all, it was solid film that deserves attention.

My Rating: 6 out of 10

DVD Review: "Up"

I'm going to name three movies and I want you to establish the first word that comes to your mind:
"Toy Story", "Finding Nemo", and "Wall-E".

If you're like most people, the word Pixar will immediately pop into your head... and for good reason. Pixar has proven that it is still possible to create original stories that can be enjoyed by all ages... something that is seemingly hard to do these days (due to the popularity of re-makes and graphic novel adaptations). Pixar is, at this point, one of the most powerful companies in the entertainment industry. So, after "Wall-E" was released in 2008 and recieved excellent reviews... everyone was wondering how a story about an old man in a flying house could top it. Luckily, Pixar lived up to their reputation with their latest film, "Up".

I will be completely honest... it wasn't AS good as "Wall-E". But that doesn't by any means make it a bad film. It's a whole lot better than any other animation that came out this year. Pixar is becoming known for delivering powerful and/or emotional scenes that have no dialogue in them. If you've talked to anyone who has seen this film, I'm sure they've mentioned the montage at the beginning that goes through the main character's life. It's without a doubt the most memorable sequence in the film, and also one of Pixar's most heartbreaking and emotional scene's out of all their films.

While it starts off as a very depressing drama, it gradually picks up and ultimately turns into something similar to an Indiana Jones adventure. We're introduced to the villan in the third act, and once he get's involved, it becomes an exciting action/adventure experience.

From a technical standpoint, the graphics are top-notch (as always), remaining "cartoony", but still containing some detailed photo-realistic aspects. The score by Michael Giaccino is very John Williams esque... containing a melody that is used throughout the film. Directing was smooth and effective.

I completely reccomend Pixar's latest offering to anyone and everyone. It's fun, humerous, emotional, and exciting... and it will certainly stick with you after the credits role.

My Rating: 9 out of 10

DVD Review: "Il Divo"

I've never been a big fan of movie biographies. While they have their moments, they tend to be too long or try to fit too much information into their 2 - 3 hour run time. If the movie starts off with the birth of the main character in which the biography is based off of... I know I'm in for a long, grueling experience. While this isn't true for "Il Divo", a film about Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotii, it still manages to be a bit slow.

One positive aspect of this film is the way it was shot. It's full of beautiful tracking shots and stylized sequences (most notably the death scene's and the characters introductions). In terms of music, it's very diverse, but the majority consists of classical symphony's... which work very well with their corresponding scenes. The acting was also excellent, especially Toni Servilo, who plays Andreotii.

Because of these aspects, I really wanted to enjoy the film, and I did to some degree. But after the initial setup, it went down the same road as every other bio-pic... it started to drag. It spent too much time on the lead up to Andreotii's trial (after he was accusted of mafia connections). Rather than spending time on the trial itself, the film ends right as the trial begins. This could have worked, if the events leading up to it were more engaging. But alas, most of the time is spent watching Andreotii sit and stare into space with a nervous expression on his face, or watch his political associates discussing his agenda. It could have been so much better had the writer/director chosen more interesting events to follow.

I loved the way the film looked, I loved the acting, and I loved certain visual aspects of some of the sequences... but in the end, it fell flat because it just wasn't engaging enough (mostly because it's hard to sympathize with Andreotii, who isn't a very likable person). However, I think it deserves this rating for production value alone.

My Rating: 5 out of 10

DVD Review: "Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure"

Alright, so... in case you couldn't tell by the title, this is another one of Disney's direct-to-DVD movies. While the majority of their theatrical releases are successful (not to mention fun to watch), their DVD releases tend to be the exact opposite. This latest installment, titled "Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure" is a spin off of Peter Pan... except he is no where to be seen in this one. The star is Peter Pan's silent companion Tink (even though she's not silent at all here).

This critique will be fairly short because there's not much to critique. It's a movie designed for children and family, and that's all it tries to be. The plot is: Tinker Bell is given the honor of constructing the anual "pixi dust sceptre" for the grand ceremony of creating pixi dust. However, after breaking it by accident, she must travel to a far away ship that contains a treasure that will help her reconstruct the sceptre.

The andventure is rather short, and there is very little excitement to be had. Even the climax (which involves Tink and her best friend Terence running away from evil rats) falls flat. There is no antagonist. The main conflict has to do with... you guessed it... friendship! Tink and Terrence get in a fight, that causes them to stop being friends for a while. Will they become friends again?? I know you're dying to find out, but what kind of critic would I be to give away the ending...

Long story short, "Tinkbell and the Lost Treasure" is a short, cute family film... but it's instantly forgettable and definitely not anywhere near Disney's best.

My Rating: 4 out of 10

DVD Review: "Food Inc."

It's no secret that the food industry isn't exactly... let's say, genuine. We know about the large amount of preservatives that are injected into the majority of the food we buy at the supermarket. Not to mention that fast food almost can't be considered "real" food, due to how processed it is. I guess the first thing we should ask ourselves is, "how do we know all of this in the first place?". Well, ever since the now classic documentary "Super Size Me" gave people a behind the scene's look at what goes on behind the fast food counter, we have become more aware of the health risks that come with eating a big mac. Over the past years, numerous news segments and documentaries have made us aware of the other negative aspects of food production... most notably what goes on in the dreaded slaughter house. All of this and more is described in "Food Inc."

This can be considered the mothership of everything related to the food industry. And while it's convenient that's it's all packed into a nice 90 minute documentary... it's really nothing new. I really wanted to be enlightened and shocked by the information that was shared with me, but I've seen it all before. I know that corn is in almost every food product; I know that the meat industry cares more about money more than our health; I know that food is genetically altered for easier distribution and customer consumption. It was basically taking all of the info from the past several years and reiterating it. I'm not saying that it's a bad documentary because of this... it's just not all that original, and very little of it surprised me.

However, political aspects pertaining to certain food companies were introduced... and I have to say, they were rather interesting. The way they were portrayed would make one relate these large corporations to SPECTRE (the evil organization that showed up in several James Bond Flicks). They are all attempting to overtake the food industry in the same way the SPECTRE tried to rule the world. On a diferent note, it's always hard, as well as heartbreaking, to watch footage from the slaughterhouses. It may not be pleasant, but I think it's important for everyone to see some of this footage, and plenty of it is shown throughout this film ( and, believe it or not, the footage in this film is the most "viewer friendly" footage I've seen).

While it had it's moments, I found this movie to be interesting... but it didn't have much of an impact on me because I'm familiar with most of the information that's presented. I'm sure many people will find this movie to be an eye opener (not everyone has family members who are semi-health freaks like yours truly), and it's definitely well-made and has a clear message. I almost wish I could have viewed it knowing nothing about the food industry, so I could get the full effect.

My Rating: 5 out of 10

DVD Review: "The Killing Room"

When I heard about the basic plot outline of "The Killing Room", the first thing that popped into my head was... Saw. Think about it... strangers trapped in a room together, one one is allowed to leave the room, and they are forced to answer trivia questions that determine who is killed. On top of that, the room they are all trapped in is white... which was the color that the bathroom was in the original "Saw" where the two main characters were trapped. That being said, I didn't have very high hopes for this one.

I was wrong.

From the very beginning, I was immediately sucked into it, and stayed that way until the final frame. This movie doesn't feel like "Saw" at all. In fact, it's a thriller as opposed to a horror movie. There aren't any serial killers or torture contraptions. The whole situation is a controlled experiment called MK-Ultra (which was a CIA mind-control program that began in the 50's, but vanished after an investigation began... it's explained in the opening credits). The head of the operation is Dr. Phillips, played by character actor Peter Stormare. He was an excellent villan as always, made even more scary by his lack of sympathy for the "test subjects".

On that subject, I was surprised at how good the acting was. Usually, films that go straight to DVD have terrible acting, but the performances in this were phenomenal. Who knew that Nick Cannon was capable of such a powerful performance? The other strong point of the film was the music. Relying mostly on strings, composer Brian Tyler has created on of the most emotional and haunting scores I've heard in a while. Although it's repetitive, it created a mood that lasted through the entire run time.

I could go on... but I think it's safe to say that this is a must see for people who enjoy a good suspense thriller. It will have you hooked right when the opening credits begin. This chilling, gripping feature is my favorite of the genre so far this year.

My Rating: 8 out of 10

New Review: "Uncertainty"

Ever since starring in the indie hit, "Brick", Joseph Gordon Levitt has become on of the greatest actors working today. I can't think of a bad movie he's been in ( yes, I enjoyed "GI Joe"). The majority of the films he's been in have been low budget or character driven movies. His latest is "Uncertainty", a strange film that made me feel uncertain about whether I liked it or not (yes, that was an intended pun).

Our main couple, Bobby (Levitt) and Kate (Lyn Collins) are on the Brooklyn Bridge when it starts, discussing a choice that they have to make. After flipping a coin to decide on the unknown dispute, they run in separate directions, meeting up with each other on both ends of the bridge. If that sounds confusing, it's because it is. Basically, the entire movie is two parallel story lines, both with the same two main characters. This is never explained... we just have to accept that they are in seperate time lines. One story is a drama, the other is a thriller. Two movies in one.

I'm guessing that the title not only refers to how the characters feel for most of the film... but also how the filmmakers felt when they shot this. It's just bizzarre how they don't offer any sort of explanation as to why the same people are in seperate dimensions. The thriller storyline is titled "Yellow" and the drama stroyline is titled "Green" (and the characters are dressed in the corresponding colors). I loved the Yellow story. It was very exciting and suspensful, contained great music, and it was shot like a Jason Bourne movie. The Green story contained character arcs... but it never went anywhere. In fact, if the Green story were a film on it's own, it would be the worlds most boring movie.

It was just Bobby and Kate finding a stray dog, then going to a family bbq, then going home. We find out about Kates relationship with her Mom... but other than that, it barely served any purpose. Whenever it switched from the Yellow story to the Green story, my heart sank... because I was really into the thriller aspects. The movie also drags on before reaching the final act.

Like I said, I have mixed feelings. The performances by Levitt and Collins were definitely top notch, and they had excellent chemistry together (which helped get me through the slow parts). It had some very strong moments, and a few really intense chase sequences... but in the end, I was confused and wondered what the filmmakers were thinking when they wrote the script. They must have felt a great sense of [insert title of movie] .

My Rating: 6 out of 10

DVD Review: "Medicine for Melancholy"

Romance is found everywhere. Walking down a street in any city, you will find several couples on every block. Every day, people fall in love, get hurt, or break up. Now, the break up is usually caused by one of two things... and that's a) one person or both people in the relationship fall out of love or b) one person in the relationship cheats on the other. The latter is explored in great detail in the indie flick, "Medicine for Melancholy".

Starring Wyat Cenac (who most people will know as one of the correspondents from "The Daily Show"), this surprising little movie takes place over the course of one day. It begins with Micah (Cenac) and 'Jo (Tracey Heggins) waking up after a one night stand. After an initial awkward breakfast, the two spend the rest of the day together, getting closer and closer. The downside? 'Jo has a boyfriend.

While it would normally be difficult to route for the cheating girlfriend, 'Jo and Micah are both extremely likeable characters, and as they grow closer, I found myself routing for them to get together (even though she was being unfaithful). It shows the greatly disreguarded positive side to cheating. I know that sounds terrible... but our two main characters seem to be unhappy when the movie starts. But after meeting each other, they slowly become happy... experiencing love in what seems to be a long time for both of them. Starting off completely black & white... color slowly starts to appear around them as they become happier.

I really liked this movie. It's very slow paced... but it's a very realistic love story that's shot in a gritty style (as oppossed to you typical "magical Hollwood romance"). It took me a while to accept Wyat's character as a regular human being after seeing him goof off in "The Daily Show"... but once I got used to him being human, he was a very honest and likable guy. On top of that, the ending really plays with your heartstrings. Is it a happy or sad ending, you might ask? I'll let you find out.

My Rating: 8 out of 10

New Avatar Trailer!

While the first trailer for James Cameron's "Avatar" was a big let down for movie goer's, the latest trailer that premiered last week seems a lot more promising. I don't know about you guys, but the combination of IMAX 3D and James Cameron directing makes this my greatest aticipated movie of the year.
Watch it here