Mallrats [HD]

"That Kid Is Back On The Escalator!"
Well, folks, it's been ten years since the would-be cult classic "Mallrats" bombed both critically and at the box office. To celebrate such failure, director Kevin Smith and company have erected a brand new double-dip...errr...I mean special edition DVD. Aside from the usual distractions (i.e. featurettes, commentary), the main attraction is an all new extended-cut of the flick, done by Kevin Smith himself. This new cut (don't fret, the original remains intact on the opposite side of the disc) integrates deleted footage and alternate takes into what ends up being a sprawling two hour and three minute epic. Think James Cameron re-editing "Terminator 2: Judgment Day." Ok, maybe not that big of a deal, but it's still cool, nevertheless. The "Extended Version" is (as Smith describes it in his introduction) basically the script put to screen. The "new" film is just as funny, and actually, better. I never had a problem with the original "Mallrats," but for some reason, this version feels...

"Okay Lunchbox, let's try this again"
Mallrats, to me, has always been an excellent and hilarious movie bordering on "comedy classic status". Not until watching the bonus material included on this Anniversary Edition DVD did I learn that it was basically a critical failure.

The quotable lines are countless. The talent found in casting is absolutely outstanding. The dialogue is quirky, thoughtful and biting, etc., etc... It's difficult to attribute the movie's failure to anything other than poor marketing and it not being properly prioritized by Rogue Pictures. But, whatever the cause, Mallrats has found it's cult following in the years following its release. It's too good a movie to have remained unnoticed and unappreciated for too long.

The 10th Anniversary DVD includes an extended version of the movie, as edited by Kevin Smith himself, while pleasuring himself so that he could truly "enjoy" his work (as revealed in the bonus interview). This version is hilarious and it gives you a slightly...

Ahead of its time
I think it's safe to say this movie is a cult classic; my friends and I have seen it countless times.

Kevin Smith's follow-up to 1994's "Clerks" was not-so-well-recieved by the critics.

The box-office numbers didn't treat the flick too kindly, either.

See? The stuff cult classics are made of.

The critics were wrong and the movie goers must have been napping in late 1995, because this film is hysterical from start to finish.

Buy this one, folks. You can't go wrong with a Kevin Smith movie. Buy it for the commentary, buy it for the deleted scenes (over one hour's worth), buy it for the witty dialog of Jason Lee, buy it to laugh at Jeremy London's acting skills; but most of all, buy it for the movie itself.

While you're at it, buy "Clerks" and "Chasing Amy," too. And get a copy of "Dogma" (the best of the four) when it's released on DVD on May 2.

Remember: Kevin Smith is the best screenwriter out there, so buy it. You...

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Sixteen Candles [HD]

I wish they'd left the soundtrack alone...
I have to agree with the reviewer who complained about the "butchered" soundtrack. I grew up with "Sixteen Candles" -- I've seen it so many times I practically know it by heart -- and the songs are as much a part of the movie as the dialogue. I wonder if someone forgot to get permission to use some of the songs when the original movie was released -- but that wouldn't explain the cheezed-up "muzak" version of the opening credit music. And why substitute "Strangers in the Night" for "New York, New York" as background music for the post-party conversation between Jake and The Geek? The replacement music, as a whole, seems thrown together -- the songs are obviously meant to sound "almost like" the originals but for anyone who really knows the movie "almost like" just doesn't cut it. The most awkward moment is when the family is leaving the house the morning of Ginny's wedding. In the original version of...

Clarification on soundtrack and PG rating controversies.
Soundtrack Issues
In the first DVD release of Sixteen Candles, several of the songs from the original soundtrack were missing due to licensing rights. For anyone looking for a version of the movie with the original soundtrack, get the "High School Reunion Collection" (released in 2003). This is the version I own and it has all of the original songs in it. I believe the "Flashback Edition" (released in 2008) also has the original songs, but I cannot verify that. The original release (released in 1998) has no special heading/title and is the version with several missing songs.

MPAA Rating Controversy
As far as the "PG" rating, do not buy this movie thinking you are going to enjoy introducing your young kids to a great 80's throwback. Prior to buying this movie, I had only seen it on TV. I assumed that the edited TV version was similar to the unedited movie because of the "PG" rating. As it turns out, Sixteen Candles came out in May, 1984, 2 months before the...

Great 80's Teen Flick
Sixteen Candles takes place basically over the course of one day when a family forgets the sweet sixteenth birthday of a girl amid the preparations for the oldest daughter's wedding. The sixteen year old is played by the 80's teen queen Molly Ringwald. It was the movie that helped her gain that title and is the best of her career. She plays the role of Samantha Baker with ease and charm. We feel all her range of emotions from the hurt of being forgotten to the longing she feels for a boy, Jake Ryan, who she has a major crush on but doesn't think he knows that she's alive. Little does Samantha know that Jake wants to meet her and the movie goes through a series of near misses between the two. Anthony Michael Hall plays "The Geek" who is constantly hitting on Samantha. He acts like he is a man of the world, but really is full of hot air. Mr. Hall is extremely funny and the scene where he gives Jake advice on women and eventually drives the prom queen home in Jake's...

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Beethoven's 3rd [HD]

"Full House" with a bigger dog
There is only so much you can do with fifteen minutes of dog footage, and a two hour feature film is not a viable option. Granted it is difficult to make a movie for children when your main premise has been done before - and better - but the direction of this film was disastrous, apparently relying solely on a few moments of animal appeal as salvation. Still, indications are that young children do enjoy the film; young girls will identify with the daughter's plight to be heard, young boys will get a laugh out of the recurring poop and fart jokes, and some of both will cheer Beethoven when he gets to make his brief appearances. Adults, however, will only derive pleasure from the children in the audience.

Beethoven tragedy
I have always loved the other beethoven movies but this is WORST! The 4th one was great, but ugh! this one is [bad]! the director put NOT ONE BIT of taste or brains into this one, he/she just wanted to make "another beethoven movie to get it over with". Don't buy this. save your money.

This 3rd sequal is not worth it!
I watched this third sequal right after seeing the two original movies and it was not what I expected. I love Beethoven 1 & 2 but this sequal was boring and ridiculous. The original cast are gone and the new characters are just boring. The villians in this movie are really stupid. The only interesting thing about this movie was looking at Beethoven. This movie really wasted my time and I suggest saving your time and money. Not funny or interesting at all!!! Anyway I can't wait to see the fourth one though!!!

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King Kong [HD]

Review for 3 Disc Extended Edition
The biggest problem most people had with King Kong was its length, so there's no surprise that reaction by the general public to the release of an extended edition of another 3 hour-plus Peter Jackson film was almost the equivalent of a collective groan.

The surprise is that everything added to the Extended Edition of King Kong should have never been cut. More dinosaurs and more creatures and more action on Skull Island only improves the film, and one wonders if these scenes were cut mostly for time and pacing, why wasn't a little bit of the 51 minutes of pre-Skull Island snipped or perhaps a few overly drawn scenes of Kong and Anna gazing into each other's eyes?

The more noticable scenes are that of a rampaging Ceratops and a fun scene of an underwater monster attacking Adrien Brody and Co. while they are rafting down a river. A bit more character development with some seedy behavior by Carl Denham (Jack Black) and heroic deeds by Jack Driscoll and the shipmates...

tHE eXtra that make the difference....
Hello People,

well Peter Jackson's Opus, King Kong now comes in it's extended version only on DVD... This review basically gives you a guide as to what you might expect from the DVD release.. I have no breakdown of what scenes are make up the extra minutes, but from Perter Jackson's comments and Comic Con presentation, there have been indications of what might be make up the running time...

The dVd details -

Firstly this dvd presentation is brought to you in 3 discs. An additon of thirteen(13) minutes of footage has been added to the extended version of the film.

Extra scenes include :

* King Kong's capture at Skull Island and journey to New York.

* A river scene; where our heros are stuck on a log/raft, and

them being attacked by a large aligator. (Comic Con info)

More to be added soon...

King Kong Extended Edition: Disc 1

2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen Presentation...

A movie that beats on it's chest and roars!
I was one of those people who thought King Kong was a mistake for director Peter Jackson. Fresh from his monumental success and Academy Awards with his work on The Lord of the Rings, I wasn't confident that he would make an equally, much less surpassively, good film. I was proven wrong.

Running at a horrendously intimidating 187 minutes, I had my fears that there would be parts where cinematographic drags would consume my interest in the film, especially since there were several such moments in Fellowship of the Ring which Jackson also directed. However, I was pleased to find that dragging moments were limited and the whopping runtime was put to good use... so take care of your bladders prior to watching.

I have heard many complaints regarding the first third of the film which takes place in depression-era New York city. It is in this third where the titular beast is nowhere to be seen, but we are introduced to all the other main characters. I have argued...

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8 Mile [HD]

WOW!
This is the first time I've ever seen a movie on opening night, and it was well worth the wait and trouble. I'm extrememly lucky to get tickets, practically all the theaters in the entire area have been sold out!

Jimmy Smith, Jr., a.k.a. Bunny Rabbit (Eminem) lives in inner city Detroit, with his alcoholic, yet highly interesting mother, played by Kim Basinger; and his younger sister, Lily, who is absolutely adorable, and Rabbit's only obvious weakness. He dreams of making it big, along with his group, 313, including Future (Mekhi Pfipher) and his buddies, including the hilarious, [silly] Cheddar Bob, and the politically active Iz.

Jimmy works in a stamping factory, where he meets Alex (Brittany Murphy), an ambitious woman with dreams of modeling, whose only real wish is simply to leave Detroit and escape to New York City. "All I need is a plane ticket."

Future resides over rap battles at the shelter, and, having faith in Rabbit's skills, invites him to rap. After we open...

Eminem impresses even a non-fan
After believing that Eminem's 15 minutes were up about two years ago, I was incredibly impressed to see just how good his performance was in 8 MILE. Being the only person on the planet that doesn't like his music, I thought that the only place that 8 MILE was headed was a Dead End. I stand corrected. Not only was the film extremely well acted, but it is very entertaining, as well. It takes a bit to get used to the street lingo, but I think fans will have a field day with it, nonetheless. As for whether or not you should bring the kids, DON'T! Three sex scenes, a few fist fights, one shooting, and all the foul language that you have come to expect from Eminem. The only nudity, however, is Eminem's rear. (That should sell a couple tickets, as is!) Although definitely not a film for everyone, the film showcases a new talent for Eminem that many will enjoy. The film is clever and fun. I will certainly be looking forward to his next project, and prefer it be a movie as opposed...

Eminem Displays Talent in New Film
Eminem, probably the most controversial rapper today, who is best known for his highly disturbing lyrics, stars in the first motion picture of his career, 8-mile. Eminem plays Jimmy Smith Jr., a young white rapper trying to make it big in a black dominated area in Detroit near 8-mile road, the barrier that seems to keep him from accomplishing his goals. He struggles trying to deal with home life in a trailer park with a near psychotic mother, as well as earning respect as a white rapper. He attempts to gain recognition for his talent by competing in battles between rappers of the street, he being the only one who's white. The movie seems all too familiar, being somewhat based on Eminem's real life. Kim Basinger plays his mother, Brittany Murphy his "sort of" girlfriend, and Mekkhi Phiffer stars as Future, the DJ of the battles.

As all movies do, this one too has its high and low points, but overall 8-mile is a fairly good film, taking critics and moviegoers all over the country by...

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Illegal Tender [HD]

Puerto Rico Represents
I have to give John Singleton major respect for giving Puerto Rican actors their time to shine. I was going to see this movie regardless because I think Rick Gonzalez is gorgeous. (It's a weakness, but if an attractive man plays a lead role, chances are it's going to catch my eye.) However, I read in JET magazine that the cast was many shades of Puerto Rican people, and I really respected that. African American actors get shunned plenty of times for trying to go against stereotypical roles, and Latino actors absolutely get treated the same if not worse, so for Singleton to put out a movie with a dominant PR cast was something I really respected.

Now on to the movie. Not only did I respect the cast variation, but I also liked how Singleton took this movie against the grain. Instead of having Latinos in a poverty-stricken neighborhood looking mean as hell, he went against the stereotype and made the main characters upper class in an extremely nice neighborhood. Whatever...

AMAZINGLY WONDERFUL!!!!!!
This movie is amazing! I couldnt stop watching it...I watched it like 3 times in a row. It's raw, real and touching all at the same time. I like it because it's not brutal and hardcore to the point where you're disgusted. I absolutely loved it!

Hot Movie
Illegal tender should have been released on the big screen. If you like it you should also view "Slow Burn". Illegal Tender is a blend on "Miami Vice" and "Heat". I watched it on OnDemand from home and was looking for the sound track when I wrote this review of the movie. Get this movie and "Slow Burn"

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Slap Shot [HD]

Fantastic, Funny, a CLASSIC for ANY Hockey Fan
Slap Shot is a great hockey comedy. It's a hilarious, vulgar, completely wild joyride through the trials of a failing 70's steelmill-town based, utterly amateur hockey team. Failing, that is, until their players resort to pure violence in an attempt to keep their franchise alive.

Paul Newman plays the womanizing player/coach who, after a series of embarassing losses (including one to a visitng team's center who's flat drunk) needs to work with a 3 brother gang of misfits, who all look alike and have an incredibly aggressive style of playing.

Chaos insues when Newman's character decides to finally play these "goons" with his other teammates, and he watches as the fan base increases when they proceed to physically demolish - without any love for the game - the opposing teammates in an series of hysterical scenes that combine the best in hockey photography with hilariously explicit dialouge and violence. The shot of the goon's nonchalanty skating past the...

Maybe the greatest sports movie ever
Ask hardcore hockey fans (the kind that are familiar with the Montreal Maroons or that understand that present-day hockey is virtually figure-skating compared to the seventies) what their favorite sports movie is, or ask hockey pros what their favorite sports movie is; probably more than half the time, you'll hear "Slap Shot". Some "serious" sports films suffer from self-importance or a lack of realism; try watching a good war documentary for actual life-and-death situations. Thankfully, "Slap Shot" doesn't take itself terribly seriously yet still manages to paint an accurate, believable picture.

Sure, the humor is rude and crude, but necessary to paint a somewhat accurate picture of `70's minor league hockey (surely these guys weren't discussing Plato or speaking in blue-blood accents). It may be offensive to uninitiated people (e.g. people who don't watch hockey or team sports in general), but the humor is oft-hilarious for hockey fans.

Paul Newman plays...

At last, the original version is saved
I have just received (and watched) the DVD version of "Slap Shot", and I thank the powers that be for restoring the original sound track to the movie. The generic music that was released on VHS took the heart out of the movie. With the restoration, and the excellent digital quality of the movie, my favorite film is complete. Now, a full 5 stars only because I can't give it 10.

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