http://www.wfdvdreport.com/news/theworld'sfinestdvdreport.rss This RSS feed was generated out of the newsdatabase of The World's Finest DVD Report website. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=429 Sometimes you see a trailer for a film and think “Wow, really?” In the Name of the King generated such a response from me and made me wonder just why Jason Statham, Mr. Transporter, was doing as what appeared to be a knight. Then I watched the film and saw that no, he wasn’t a knight, he’s actually a farmer who is going after his kidnapped wife. I began to wonder just how such a film could be made and then I saw his name. I hadn’t seen it associated with this film much before, so it must have slipped my mind, but there it was, plain as day. This was a Uwe Boll film. It all made sense. Farmer (Jason Statham) is a farmer (nope, not kidding) who has his land destroyed, his wife kidnapped and his son killed, all by the evil group known as The Krung. Farmer sets out on a quest to get his revenge and rounds up his friend Norick (Ron Perlman); the two eventually run into a few others on their way, a magician named Merick (John Rhyes-Davies), a tree nymph named Elora (Kristanna Loken) and a female warrior named Muriella (Leelee Sobieski). Together the group head to whipping out The Krung, who are now after King Konreid (Burt Reynolds). With the aid of the evil wizard Gallian (Ray Liotta), the Krung may just succeed on their quest, especially with Duke Fallow (Matthew Lillard), the King’s right hand man, secretly planning to take him down along with the Krung. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=428 If you’re like me, you didn’t realize that Drawn Together kept going on as long as it did. While it was a scant three seasons and thirty-six episodes, the series airing schedule was so erratic that the three seasons took almost exactly three years to air. While a season a year may not seem like a bad deal, considering there were only thirty-six episodes for over a thousand days, it was a heck of a stretch for fans to sit through, especially when the show enjoyed ending on cliffhangers so often. The shows third season opens with a Greek family moving in near the Drawn Together household and it ends with Captain Hero returning their daughter, who he thought was a goat, to them at the end of the episode. It’s that type of storytelling and logic you can expect from Drawn Together which remains one of the most vile pieces of animation I’ve ever seen…and yet I can’t avert my eyes. While the DVD packaging touts a season that has even more “MORE animated blood, MORE animated vomit, and MORE animated nipples”, the season was no worse than others (and, in fact, I think it actually had LESS animated nipple, but that’s just me being a stickler), but it certainly had a nice crop of episodes that made you laugh hysterically. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=427 Arguably the highest-profile and biggest Marvel animated crossover of the 1990s, Spider-Man: The Mutant Agenda finally arrives on DVD! Now, I'll come right out and say it! The 1990s Spider-Man: The Animated Series did have a fair share of problems. Whether it was a the constant re-use of animation and music cues, the occasional rushed dialogue and heavy exposition, or the sometimes questionable designs or voice acting, this show did have a lot of problems. However, despite all of that, this series does remain a favorite for Spider-Man fans, and for obvious reasons. It's loyal to the comic series to an extent, features a host of fan-favorite characters, and can be pretty engaging at times. And Spider-Man: The Mutant Agenda is no different. Now, let's get the synopsis out of the way and onto the review.Spider-Man’s neogenic mutation is making him ill so he seeks the aid of Dr. Charles Xavier, a scientist known to help Mutants… But Xavier does not "cure" mutantcy, only helps people like the X-Men to accept themselves and control their abilities. Disappointed, Spider-Man takes off with Hank McCoy (known as The Beast) who while in pursuit suggests Spidey seek out Harold Landon, a man he once worked with who continues to look for a cure. When Beast does not return, Wolverine decides to track down Spider-Man. Meanwhile, inside his laboratory, Landon is about to dip The Beast in a strange chemical stew. Spider-Man and Wolverine crash through the lab wall in the nick of time, but the Hobgoblin attacks and Landon accidentally falls into his own vat of chemicals, metamorphosing into a monster that Wolverine, Beast and Spider-Man cannot stop. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=426 I tend to have a strange view towards the romantic comedy genre. While the majority of them are the same old story retold through various characters that really don’t change much, the premises are always either incredibly sappy or at the very least an enjoyable way to spend some time in front of the TV. You may laugh or cry at the relationships in the film, or you may wish you had nails being driven through your fingers because then that would distract you from the real pain of actually watching the film. But as much as I may balk at the idea of watching a romantic comedy, I find myself oddly amused by them each time and for whatever flaws it may have, P.S. I Love You did fill the screen with humorous characters for its runtime. P.S. I Love You revolves around Holly (Hilary Swank) and Gerry (Gerard Butler) Kennedy. While the two bicker and fight, the love they have for one another is of the old fashioned variety where the ones they’re destined to marry are brought together by fate. After the sudden discovery of a brain tumor, Gerry soon departs the world and Holly is sent into weeks of depression as she mourns her lost husband. Once Holly’s 30th birthday arrived, however, Holly began receiving messages from Gerry from beyond the grave—literally. It’s from these letters Holly was able to remember the great things about her relationship with Gerry and finally move on with her life. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=425 There are few movies from my childhood that I’d dare watch again. Every time I end up rewatching some film I loved as child it ends in tears, as I find out that my taste in movies as a kid didn’t translate to my taste in movies as an adult (i.e., I don’t like horrible films anymore). Granted, there are exceptions and there’s never been a greater exception to the rule than Indiana Jones. Young or old, watching Indiana Jones is simply one of the most entertaining ways to spend an afternoon and with the long-awaited fourth film just weeks away, what better time to review the classic Jones Trilogy?The first three Indiana Jones films have grossed over one billion worldwide and continue to bring in revenue with the renewal of the franchise with this month’s upcoming Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull theatrical debut fast approaching. Starring Harrison Ford, the Indiana Jones series was a return to the simple things about adventure films that we love so much: action scene after action scene, plus a little romance and humor thrown in on the side. While the series could be blamed for the mindless action films that litter DVD shelves today, it’s hard to fault what came after it when the original trilogy of films was so entertaining all by itself. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=424 Somewhere off in a Fox marketing meeting, management met to decide how to best advertise their upcoming 2007 film, Resurrecting the Champ. One employee spoke up, “it’s a Samuel L. Jackson and Josh Hartnett vehicle…how hard can this be to promote and get a mess of ticket sales?” The board agreed and the film was released with so little fanfare that it became one of the quietest Samuel L. Jackson releases I’ve seen in my life. Not only was the film a complete box office disappointment, limping away from theaters with under $3.2 million worldwide, but it took nearly a year for it to appear on DVD, also something you don’t see too often for theatrical-to-DVD time frames…especially considering failures usually race to DVD so fast you’d think it was a DTV. Resurrecting the Champ is based off of a true story about a writer who wants so badly to succeed that he ends up falling on his face after running the story of his life. Erik Kernan (Josh Hartnett) happens upon Champ (Samuel L. Jackson) in the alley one night after covering a boxing match. Champ is the victim of a violent crime by a few senseless teenagers and Kernan helps him out. After learning his name and giving him some money, Kernan goes on his way and doesn’t give the old man a second thought until a magazine publishing opportunity comes around. After all of his article ideas are shot down, he stumbles upon the name that Champ had given him a few nights before and soon Kernan is on his way to interviewing one of the greatest legends in boxing…or so he thought. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=423 Touted as big political film before its release, Lions for Lambs became a bit of a disappointment in the States, not even making half of its budget back in ticket sales and receiving a myriad of poor reviews. While it raked in more money internationally, the film, directed by Robert Redford, seemed to bleed theater goers as its short thirteen week visit to theaters came to a close. Although critics didn’t enjoy the film, there were plenty who did find something to enjoy in the films discussions on war.Lions for Lambs branches off into three separate tales all told in the same ninety minutes, each detailing a different part of the war overseas, all strung together by the tale of two soldiers named Arian (Derek Luke) and Ernest (Michael Peña). After their political science class teacher, Stephen Malley (Robert Redford), inspired them to find a higher calling in their life, the pair decided to join the fight in Afghanistan, much to his surprise and dismay. Malley tells their tale to another one of his promising students who has been recently flaking off, while we see Arian and Ernest about to embark on a secret mission spearheaded by Senator Jasper Irving (Tom Cruise). Meanwhile Irving is holding a private interview with reporter Janine Roth (Meryl Streep) about the current efforts in Afghanistan and the new plan that is underway. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=422 Remember how Jaws begins? With the young girl, swimming at night, a beach party happening off to the side? And then we watch as we see something watching her from deep in the water, slowly moving close to her. The now-classic score kicks in as the mysterious danger moves closer until, suddenly, the young girl feels herself being pulled down below the water. After a short struggle, finally, she is yanked under to be consumed by a deadly shark. Remember how the movie was promoted, as an event to make us scared to go into the water, and that's what we actually thought? Well, according to Sharkwater, which features the above clip, we have it all wrong.Filmmaker Rob Stewart has had a life-long fascination with sharks. Driven by his passion for the magnificent creatures, the filming of Sharkwater began as an underwater adventure, but became a journey to preserve the balance of life on earth. Filmed on high definition video, Sharkwater showcases gorgeous underwater footage, taking the viewer into the shark rich waters of Cocos Island, Costa Rica and the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Stewart exposes the exploitation and corruption surrounding the world’s shark populations, and shows that human greed could easily destroy their population within our lifetimes. But the exposé came with a price. During filming, Stewart and his crew faced pirate boat rammings, gunboat chases, mafia espionage, and attempted murder charges, and Stewart himself was threatened with not one, but several life-threatening illnesses. Stewart’s mission to save the world’s sharks quickly turned into a fight for his life, and ultimately, for that of humankind. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=421 In many ways, Alien Nation could have been considered the Firefly of the 90s. A new show on Fox, Alien Nation was canned after its first season due to funding reasons in the infantile Fox network’s budget. Despite being a spin-off of a rather lack-luster film, Alien Nation swept fans up in its own unique world with aliens (or as they’re called in the series, “Newcomers”) and humans living alongside one another. While the film was prematurely cancelled, it later returned in a series of made-for-TV movies which aired from 1994 through 1997. While the fans were dealt a raw deal with the series cancellation, the films at least allowed them to find some closure to the saga. Alien Nation focuses on two detectives, one alien and one human, and the cases they solve…both terrestrial and extraterrestrial. Taking place in Los Angeles, Alien Nation was very much a “buddy cop” type series, although through the introduction of an alien species it could play with touchier topics such as racism and fear of the unknown without being too concerned about the ramifications of what doing those type of stories with “normal” human begins would bring. Our main operatives are George Francisco, the alien, and his human partner Matthew Sikes; together they fight off the evil that plagues LA, all the while attempting to understand one another’s culture, as difficult as that may seem. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=420 Fans of Bob Dylan, whether for his music or for the mystery that surrounds his life to this day, got a real treat in 2007 when I’m Not There descended upon theaters on November 21st. While it was a limited release, showing in fewer than 150 theaters, the film generated plenty of critical excitement, with a sea of positive reviews and even an Oscar nomination for Cate Blanchett’s role in the not-quite-so-biopic. While she didn’t win, it certainly turned more heads to the film than it would have received otherwise and the film closed out a domestic and international run with over ten million in revenue—not too shabby for a film in a limited release. I’m Not There takes on the myths of Bob Dylan’s life through the guise of six different musicians, each one portraying a different supposed aspect of Dylan’s life. Cate Blanchett (as Jude Quinn), Ben Whishaw (as Arthur Rimbaud), Christian Bale (as Jack Rollins), Richard Gere (as Billy the Kid), Marcus Carl Franklin (as Woody Guthrie), and Heath Ledger (as Robbie Clark) fill out an all-star cast which also boasts Julianne Moore, Kris Kristofferson and David Cross in supporting roles. The film takes a unique look into the different perspectives people had of Dylan, as well as some of the crazier theories about him and puts them on film. It’s one of the most unique films you will likely see, as it not only combines all of the stories into one film, it also intertwines two of them and wraps up only a few. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=419 Occasionally you come upon a movie that wins so many awards that there’s no possible way you think you could enjoy it as much as the critics have. Fortunately for The Savages, with a DVD cover literally smattered with eight award logos, the film lives up to the hype, if only because the story is so simple and so human that finding anything less than simple enjoyment from the films effortless storytelling would indicate that you’re diving to deep into a shallow pool. The Savages revolves around siblings Wendy (Laura Linney) and Jon (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and their efforts to take care of their ailing father, Lenny (Philip Bosco). After their father’s wife, Doris (Rosemary Murphy) passes on, the children of Doris want the Savages to take their father back, as they feel they shouldn’t have to take care of him. Wendy and Jon make their way back to Buffalo with their father and find a nursing home for him to live in that is close to Jon’s house. Though she hadn’t planned to stay, Wendy remains behind with Jon and the two slowly begin forming a stronger bond with one another as they both watch their father slowly slip away. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=418 Another one of 2007’s great indie films (it seemed to be laden with them, didn’t it?), Lars and the Real Girl may be perhaps the quirkiest of them all. While I’m sure more than a few will be bewildered by the films concept, it’s easy to see why the film attracted so much critical appraise. Between the performances and the unique styling of the story, Lars and the Real Girl brought something to the screen that was something we haven’t seen and at the same time gave us a familiar story about wanting to feel needed and loved. When Lars (Ryan Gosling) continues to slip away from those around him, his brother Gus (Paul Schneider) and his wife Karin (Emily Mortimer) begin to worry for his wellbeing. Always inviting him over for breakfast and dinner, Lars manages to get out of coming over every time. It’s not until Lars is exposed to a website by one of his coworkers does he begin to feel a bit more sociable. Lars finds the perfect woman on the website and sends off for her and while those around him worried for his well-being before, they were even more shocked to find out that Lars new girlfriend was a life-sized doll named Bianca. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=417 While the buzz around Juno was minimal while it was being made (I only knew of it due to my fascination with all actors involved with Arrested Development), once it hit theaters the film simply blew up. Commercials seemed to run on an endless loop on TV (and there are several nights of watching Comedy Central that I can recall where they quite literally aired the commercials nearly back to back), touting the critical acclaim. Shortly after the praise began rolling in, Oscar talk began to swim and soon Juno was walking away with three nominations and a win for Best Writing. Juno tells the story of Juno MacGuff, a teenager who is faced with an unwanted pregnancy. While the story may sound like something out of the Lifetime network, the writing is not. First time screenplay writer Diablo Cody brings a sense of wit to the film that has never before been seen in cinema. While that may be a bold statement, Cody’s unique style of writing and word choices may seem strange at first, but it not only taps into the current world of teen speak, it also provides a refreshing break from the generic cell phone slang that clutters the airwaves. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=416 I’ve admittedly never watched CBS much and while I can recall tuning into the premiere of Becker solely because I used to watch Cheers and I found Ted Danson humorous, I never did continue watching the series. Perhaps because I was eleven at the time and didn’t particularly find a whiney doctor humorous, but after catching it on repeats down the line I began to realize just how funny Becker really was. John Becker is a doctor with a terrible bedside manner—so terrible, in fact, that he doesn’t have one. Telling patients off at the drop of a hat and always complaining about the citizens of New York, Becker is consistently bitter but that doesn’t keep those around him from being his friend. Whether it’s his employees at his office or Jake (Alex Désert) and Reggie (Terry Farrell) at the diner, Becker freely spouts off what’s on his mind, which can lead to some troublesome situations. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=415 While I wasn’t even born when Cheers debuted (and only six when it went off the air), I have fleeting memories of watching the show as a kid on the TV in the upstairs hallway. It was a small set, but I can clearly remember watching both Cheers and Wings on occasion. Sure, I may not have known what I was laughing at, but my brother and sister were laughing at it, so I had no choice but to join in on the fun. Later, when Cheers landed on TV Land I began watching it again, now older and capable of understanding the jokes, rather than nodding stupidly (though, seeing as I watched the show later at night, I may have done that on occasion from lack of sleep), I began to really appreciate what Cheers was. With eleven seasons to catch up on, I knew I’d be watching the series for a long time and with such an eclectic group of characters, I couldn’t think of a better way to spend countless hours in front of the TV. This ninth season of Cheers presented us with another round of hilarity for a full twenty-five episodes, plus a 200th hour long special which brought the cast together, including departed member Shelly Long. Stacked to the brim with hilarious dialogue and situations, Cheers was a simply priceless show that only seemed to get better with age. The ninth season played a key role in the series, as at the end of the previous season we saw the bar return to Sam (Ted Danson) and the ninth fully explored the wonders of having it back in the original owner’s hands. Of course the entire supporting cast was present s well, with Frasier (Kelsey Grammar), Cliff (John Ratzenberger), Carla (Rhea Perlman), Norm (George Wendt) and Rebecca (Kirstie Alley) all bringing equal amounts of funny to the season. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=414 While I was never enthralled with either franchise, I always found both the Alien and Predator movies to be fun romps. While they arguably got progressively worse as they received their sequels, the originals were hard to deny as either technical wonders (Alien) or simply as a ton of fun (Predator). When the franchises came together in the “versus” arena, it was hard not to get giddy. Sure they may have suffered as individuals, but together, surely, they could overcome the obstacles and create a stellar film. While the first film choked and ended up as a lame PG-13 adventure film (how did two R-rated series manage to pull that off?), the sequel promised more. Oh it promised. After the events of Alien vs. Predator, we knew there was going to be more. With the new Predalien alive and well and wreaking all kinds of havoc, it was only a matter of time before the fight was brought to Earth. Upon being born and maturing, the Predalien took out the entire crew of the Predator vessel and caused it to crash land on Earth. The only survivor of the crash, a mortally wounded Predator, signaled his home world for help, where a sole Predator came to Earth to wipe out the vicious Predalien and the myriad of offspring it was creating. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=413 Arriving in theaters on Christmas Day, The Great Debaters had a wide opening but a limited intake. With barely thirty million domestic and none overseas, The Great Debaters had a smaller intake than one would expect from a film headlined by two Oscar winners, but considering the weekend it opened and the films that came alongside it (Sweeney Todd no doubt attracted more heads than a historical film), it’s no real surprise at the performance of The Great Debaters, but that doesn’t make it any less disappointing of an outcome. Based on the true story of a group of Melvin B. Tolson (Denzel Washington), a professor at Wiley College Texas, The Great Debaters tracks the forming and debates of the 1935 Wiley College Debate Team. Under the leadership of Tolson, four students go from college attendees to world class debaters, taking on some of the top colleges in the United States. Their success culminates with the defeat of the current top college, Harvard, and their exposure only continues to grow from there. The Great Debaters also stars Forest Whitaker as Dr. James Farmer Sr., Jurnee Smollett as Samantha Booke, Denzel Whitaker as James Farmer Jr. and Nate Parker as Henry Lowe. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=412 The Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings franchises really created quite a theatrical mess in their wake. While Potter continues, studios have been struggling to find the next Lord of the Rings and have turned to other popular fantasy works such as Eragon, The Chronicles of Narnia and now The Golden Compass. While all of these films have performed admirably in box office sales, unfortunately for Eragon and The Golden Compass, fan and critic feedback has been less than kind. Adapted from the Philip Pullman His Dark Materials trilogy, The Golden Compass was the first in a line of three films to be made, though after the performance of the film the future of the series is in doubt. This first film tackles the introduction of our characters and the mysterious “dust” and parallel dimension that they’re living with and in. Our main character, Lyra Belacqua (Dakota Blue Richards) is the chosen one to decide the upcoming war, but with her inexperience and young mind, finding out just how to overcome the very adult obstacles and tribulations put before her is proving more difficult than she thought. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=411 The trailers gave away nothing and spoilers were nearly non-existent. When Cloverfield premiered in January, it was a smash hit. Millions of people descended onto the theatres to see what all of this hype was about. And, of course, was the movie truly scary? Was it as intense and exciting as the previews led us to believe? Well, rest assured, Cloverfield was that good. An inventive twist on your standard B-horror movie, this is one of the few movies where, yes, even I was on the edge of my seat during certain sequences. While the backlash against the film may have taken some steam out of it, this is one film that will really flourish on one the home video market. Now, before I go any further, let's check out the official movie synopsis!On the eve of his departure for Japan, Rob (Michael Stahl-David) sees his going-away party as an opportunity to confess unresolved feelings and tie up loose ends. His agenda takes an unexpected turn when a jolt shakes the revellers. The crowd quiets down to watch news reports of an earthquake, then rushes to the roof to assess the damage. A fireball explodes on the distant horizon. A power failure follows. Confusion gives way to panic as the partygoers stumble through the blackout and into the streets. Amid the human screams and one inhuman roar, Rob and his friends must traverse a landscape that has changed, overtaken by something otherworldly, terrifying, and monstrous. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=410 What have we here? Another one of the Japanese horror film remakes? And made for the PG-13 crowd, too? Wow, and here I thought the trend was dying out, but, lo and behold, here we have One Missed Call, the newest pseudo-horror film that, after being translated from the Japanese original, makes little to no sense in the American version. And, naturally, we have a fairly good-looking cast and, at times, the odd actual chill here and there, but does it stack up? Will it have a long shelf life? Is it even a good movie? Well, let's get the official film synopsis out of the way and then we'll five right into those questions.It happens to one. Then another. And another. College students discover eerie voicemail messages on their cell phones. Each call comes from the near future. Each call has the chilling voice of the student during his or her last moments alive. And each call comes true. Terror is One Missed Call away in this got-your-number shocker based on the hit Japanese thriller Chakushin ari. Does the viral spree of calls have a single source? Is there something that links the victims? Psych student Beth Raymond (Shannyn Sossamon) and detective Jack Andrews (Ed Burns) scramble for answers. And they’re working fast. Because Beth just discovered an ominous message. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=409 Well here it is—after years of waiting by the fans, Paramount and Lucasfilm have finally released the last volume in the three volumes The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones series. Despite years of waiting, Paramount kept the release schedule for The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones rapid, releasing each of the volumes within months of each other, although this final volume lagged a bit to coincide closer to the theatrical release of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Those worried about any kind of delay for other reasons needn’t be concerned—this volume is just as strong as the previous two and contain some of the best episodes of the entire series. With the final The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones volume we wrap up Indy’s war time escapades and move into his college years. Despite being designated as the “Years of Change” volume, we don’t actually move past the war efforts until the third disc in the set; the first two continue to focus on Indy’s work in the trenches and time as a spy, but once World War I ends, it’s all business for Indy—for awhile, anyway. After meeting up with the likes of Ernest Hemingway and even a strange encounter with Dracula, Indy returns to the States to focus on his studies in Archeology, as well as meeting up with some of his old war friends in the process. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=408 Easily my favorite M. Night Shyamalan work, Unbreakable broke away from the horror genre that made him famous and instead took on a different area: action. While the film is a drama more than anything, Shyamalan was able to throw in elements of a comic book fantasy type world where men were more than they appeared to be. Like the Bryan Singer X-Men film and the TV show Heroes, Unbreakable was grounded in reality and it’s not until later in the film do we realize the potential of our star. All his life David Dunn (Bruce Willis) never experienced what it was like to have a cold or feel any injury. He never realized it, but he was different from other boys and men around him. David’s awareness of this finally came to fruition after surviving a massive train derailment in which he was the only survivor. After the accident, David was approached by a man named Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson), who showed him just what kind of person David really was. Doubtful at first, David went about his daily life until he realized that not only could he not get hurt or sick, he could also “sense” peoples evil deeds or intentions. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=407 The DVD format enabled films that we might not otherwise see in the states to arrive. Since The Backwoods never saw a stateside release (at least from what I can tell it didn’t), many will only have a few things to go off of. Gary Oldman headlines which may be enough to get people to watch it regardless, with Paddy Considine co-starring as well, whom I’m sure some will remember from The Bourne Ultimatum and Hot Fuzz. With only a little bit of star power to go on, The Backwoods has a lot to bring to the table if first time director Kolda Serra is going to have a successful debut. Set in the summer of 1978, two couples travel to a remote house in Spain for a vacation. With the house in a desolate area, it’s a perfect place to relax and get away from civilization. The morning after arriving at the house, Paul (Gary Oldman) and Norman (Paddy Considine) go out hunting and come upon an abandoned house. Deciding to explore the house, Paul finds a young girl, deformed and animalistic, tied up in the dark. Knowing that they cannot leave her in the house, Paul and Norman take them back to the house with intent to take her to the authorities. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=406 In a sea of CGI creature movies, who thought we’d get one about a kid raising a water horse (aka, Loch Ness Monster)? While the story is obviously farfetched to begin with, it’s not without its charms but it seems that the market is just far too oversaturated with these films to really make any distinction between them. The first act of the film I felt like I was watching Eragon again (which made me want to run and hide) and by the last half I didn’t know if I was still watching a kids movie or some kind of horror movie, as the water horse went from kind to this rather disturbing creature trying to kill the army (granted they were firing giant shells at him, but still). Angus (Alex Etel) is not the bravest kid. With his father off at war and no friends per say, Angus felt lonely and had no one to talk to. While down near the lake, Agnus discovers a large egg. Taking it home, Agnus finds the egg hatched when he next returns and a mysterious creature bounding around the room. With his appetite and size growing every day, Agnus finds it difficult to control the creature, which he named Crusoe, by himself and enlists the aid of his sister. Eventually the new hired hand Mowbray (Ben Chaplin) is in on the secret as well and he becomes more of a friend to Agnus than he could ever have hoped for. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=404 While I never was a diehard fan of Johnny Cash’s music, when trailers for Walk the Line first hit I was intrigued enough to want to see it. While I missed its theatrical run, I caught it on DVD and was immediately impressed by what the film presented. The thoroughness and depth that it explored Cash’s life was amazing and the performances were nothing short of astounding. On top of the acting the songs that Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon recorded for the film was simply astonishing and surprising at how much they sounded like Cash and Carter. With the film already three years old two editions on the market, this “extended cut” release seemingly came out of nowhere. There’s nothing that would have really prompted its release (unless Fox wanted to ride the wave of Walk Hard—but that performed so poorly in box office sales that I doubt that’s it), but regardless of what made Fox decide to re-release it, I can’t say I object to another release. I missed out on the two-disc edition, which seemed to become impossible to find as soon as it was released, so a new two-disc edition with the same extras was just what I was waiting for. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=403 The initial trailer for Cloverfield told viewers next to nothing about what to expect from the production. A New York Party interrupted by a sudden disruption outside and that’s all we had go on, officially, for months. The film remained nameless for most of its production, going by various titles, the most popular of which was “Cheese”, and in general everything was shrouded in secrecy about what Cloverfield was. Unfortunately like every “secret” film, details about the monster, including descriptions and pictures, leaked out so those who were left in the dark for most of the picture were now being bombarded with the films big “secret.” Even knowing what was in Cloverfield before seeing it didn’t matter, however—with J. J. Abram’s name tagged to it, it’s hard not to want to see it. During a farewell party for Rob Hawkins (Michael Stahl-David) a disaster strikes New York City. Shaking the very foundation of the building, Hawkins and his party mates rush to the roof to see what caused the disruption. The view they get takes their breath away as they see New York City falling before their eyes with flying debris and toppling buildings. It isn’t long before the entire building is evacuated and they’re on the streets, running for their lives. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=402 It’s remarkable how many good films slip by in limited releases with little to know critical fanare. While Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead received a deluge of good reviews (currently holding an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes), it’s limited box office exposition (321 theaters) netted under twenty-million worldwide. However, with such a star studded cast and a powerhouse director, I’ve no doubt that this film will start to turn more heads once it hits DVD shelves. Desperate for money, Andy (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and his brother Hank (Ethan Hawke) plan a jewelry store heist. Obviously they can’t just pick any store and with Andy’s mind comes the idea to rob a store they not only worked in, but grew up in. Leaving the task to Hank, the task goes sour when Hank hires an extra man to do the actual robbery. Shots are fired and Hank speeds off and the movie slowly rewinds with each of our characters to discover just how everything went to horribly wrong. With Marisa Tomei, Albert Finney, Rosemary Harris and Brian F. O’Byrne, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead is a thrilling look into just how desperate men can get to get out of the messes they dig themselves into. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=401 I’m pretty sure that there weren’t too many individuals who thought “Great, just what I was waiting for!” when the Alvin and the Chipmunks film announcement came along. It wasn’t exactly a property begging to be brought into the millennium but with the string of singing/talking animal movies, it’s no wonder Fox dusted off their catalog and took a look at what they could bring back. Grabbing the star of their hot TV property My Name is Early, Fox got a mustache-free Jason Lee to play Dave, the leader of the hot chipmunk property.When three chipmunks, Alvin, Theodore and Simon, have their home cut down to become a Christmas tree, the trio of musically inclined chipmunks makes it to the city where they run into a musician, Dave (Jason Lee), who is having a string of writers’ block. After sneaking back to Dave’s home via a fruit basket he “collected” from his agent, Dave slowly realized he wasn’t alone in the house. Soon the musically talented trio was belting out songs that put them and Dave on the musical map. Within months, however, the chipmunks feel they receive a better deal and a rift between them and Dave form, putting both of their careers at risk. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=400 It seems just like yesterday that Lionsgate finally started releasing the classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in season sets and here we are on the sixth season release. While the release pace seems to have slowed down since the TMNT film hit theaters, it’s nice to see that Lionsgate seems dedicated to releasing the entire series on DVD, in complete season sets to boot. This latest set, comprised of sixteen episodes arrives on two DVDs, is similar to the past releases in terms of quality, but before we tackle that we need to focus on the season itself. The sixth season of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles focused on, what else, but the Turtles and their never-ending fight against Shredder and Krang. While the season certainly didn’t break any boundaries in terms of storytelling, there were plenty of new stories to catch in this season. A returning Slash from Dimension X as well as more hijinks with the Channel Six news crew as well as plenty of run ins with Shredder. There’s rarely a dull moment in this sixth season of the classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and there’s plenty here for both older fans to enjoy on another go around as well as the newer fans who are just being introduced to the classic series through the DVD releases. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=399 I believe I’ve stated on here on more than one occasion that Tom Hanks is one of my favorite actors. With Philip Seymour Hoffman quickly joining the ranks of Hanks in my list of actors and Aaron Sorkin being one of my favorite writers (Studio 60, oh how I’ll miss ye), the combination of the three in Charlie Wilson’s War made the film a must-see for me. Perhaps I’m going in already biased with such an already strong liking of the talent involved in the film, but Charlie Wilson’s War was one of the most entertaining films I’ve watched this year, especially when you realize that every outrageous element of the movie is completely true. Telling the tale of Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks), a Texas congressman from the 1980s who did all of the outrageous things that congressman is today condemned for. Womanizing, doing drugs and drinking alcohol, Charlie Wilson was never taken seriously by many around him, but those that really knew the man knew just what kind of person he was. Through the years and the help of a bitter CIA agent (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and conservative supporter Joanne Herring (Julia Roberts), Charlie Wilson’s silently funds a war that no one knows about. Wilson puts all of his effort into getting the Soviet Union out of Afghanistan and after billions and many years spent on the project, Wilson’s secret war succeeds…but it isn’t until years later that the general US population learns of it. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=398 With an opening of thirty nine theaters in the States, it’s no wonder that Reservation Road arrived with such little fuss. When the DVD was announced I was taken aback at how well done the film appeared to be, with high caliber actors Joaquin Phoenix and Jennifer Connelly headlining the film. While it certainly wasn’t a film that would blow you away with its plot, it is a film that will likely fill you plenty with emotion, as this film has some of the strongest acting I’ve seen from such a low-profile release. When the son of Ethan (Joaquin Phoenix) and Grace (Jennifer Connelly) Learner is struck during a hit-and-run, their world is torn apart. With their little girl, Emma (Elle Fanning), being the only thing holding their family together, Ethan begins searching for the murderer, Dwight Arno (Mark Ruffalo), of his son to exact his revenge. What Ethan doesn’t know, however, is that he’s crossed path with his son’s killer and their families are connected in more than one way. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=397 Judd Apatow was having a great year. A movie he directed, Knocked-Up, hit big over the summer, followed up by a huge hit in another film he happened to produce, Superbad. Not only that, but he has dozens of films in the pipeline, and he's involved in some degree, be it directing, writing, producing, whatever. Then came Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, a movie Apatow co-wrote. Expected to be a sizeable hit over the Holiday 2007 season, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story popped into theatres and then quietly limped away, a surprise flop. While this put a chink in Apatow's Hollywood armor, he's certainly not down. And here's hoping that this hilarious movie gets a much-deserved second chance on home video. Now, let's get the synopsis out of the way so we can get to the good stuff!One of the most iconic figures in rock history, Dewey Cox (John C. Reilly) had it all: the women (over 411 served), the friends (Elvis, The Beatles) and the rock 'n' roll lifestyle (a close and personal relationship with every pill and powder known to man). But most of all, he had the music that transformed a dimwitted country boy into the greatest American rock star who never lived. A wild and wicked send-up of every musical biopic ever made, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, is gut-busting proof that when it comes to hard rocking, living and laughing, a hard man is good to find. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=396 While I may have been negative eight when Life of Brian came out in theaters, that didn’t stop me from wanting to see it. My first introduction to Monty Python was in my early teens, when my brother bought The Holy Grail. He never purchased any other Python’s, but I always wondered what the others would have been like. Meaning of Life and Life of Brian both looked funny but I never was given the chance to see it. With Life of Brian I had wanted to purchase the Criterion edition, but was never able to find it. With this new Sony re-release, I was finally able to witness the “timeless epic” that is Life of Brian. Born in a manger close to Jesus Christ, Brian was visited by the three wisemen by accident before they realized their mistake. Growing up Brian never enjoyed the life he was given to life, selling food at the Roman coliseum. In fact, Brian hated the Romans for all they were worth and jumped at the chance to join the local anti-Roman leagues and soon he finds himself being worshiped by a mob who hangs on his every word. Although riding high, at first, on the success, Brian quickly finds his life coming to a quick end when the Romans set him up to be crucified. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=395 As a kid I can remember watching and enjoying the Stargate feature film. Years later when it spawned not one but two TV shows, I was getting out of my sci-fi phase and cared less and less about what happened in that world of film and TV. Star Wars was slowly losing my interest and after the wreck that was Enterprise, my desire to watch Star Trek took a nosedive. Still, Stargate SG-1 was always intriguing to watch whenever I’d see it on and with so many of the people I converse with online watching it, I felt like I should have started watching it. With the first DTV from the series releasing, I figured now was as good a time as any—although I’m not sure how much of smart idea it was jumping into the series on its first DTV after ten seasons. Stargate: The Ark of Truth picks up where the series left off, which may seem daunting to those who are fresh to the series. The plot revolves around the Ark of Truth, an object that SG-1 is trying to find and use to help bring the oppressive Ori down once and for all. While in the midst of finding the ark, SG-1 learns that the Ori are planning a full scale attack on Earth. To compound matters, a rogue operative is aboard the SG-1 homebase, Odyssey, and is stirring up trouble for the entire team. Amidst all of the metallic replicators (machines that continue to reproduce even after being destroyed, causing endless waves) and double-crossing agent, SG-1 must find and unleash the full power of the Ark of Truth in order to save mankind. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=394 The world of video game to movie adaptations has been plagued from the beginning with horrible outcomes. I’m sure anyone who has witnessed what Uwe Bowl has managed to squeeze out of himself will know that what may sound good on paper can turn into an utterly useless pile of film. While we thankfully dodged the Bowl bullet with Hitman, we didn’t necessarily escape the video game-to-movie curse: what works for acclaimed video game series doesn’t always work for big screen adaptations. Orphaned individuals who are left with no family and no home can become many things. To a select organization, they become the world’s deadliest assassins. Taught to kill in every way imaginable – guns, swords, hand-to-hand combat – these assassins grow up to become robotic killing machines with little desire for anything else. Their focus is on the mission, completing it and moving onto their next venture. When one of the assassins, known only as Agent 47 (Timothy Olyphant), becomes the target of his own organization, he begins to be stalked not only by multiple governments but also by his fellow peers. Unfortunately for all of those around him, Agent 47 is one of the best and he won’t go down without a fight. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=393 Adapted from the novel of the same name, The Kite Runneropened in limited release in December to a smattering of positive and semi-negative reviews. Despite the mixed reaction in the States, the film fared much better overseas, where it earned over half of its total box office revenue. The film, directed by Golden Globe nominee Marc Forster (Finding Neverland, Monsters Ball), is definitely one of the more moving films you will likely see all year. Two childhood friends, Amir and Hassan, have their friendship torn apart when a violent act tears them apart. When they move apart from one another, all ties are broken until Amir gets a message to come back to his home. There he discovers what happened to Hassan after he left and the legacy he left behind. With a story that spans generations, The Kite Runner is a moving film that will leave you feeling sad and happy at the same time and undoubtedly teary eyed. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=392 While not a perfect movie by any means, I Am Legend resonated with the movie-going public last year to make it one of the top movies of 2007. With the likable lead actor and a solid premise, I Am Legend took movie-goers on an unforgettable ride. However, did this movie deserve its smash hit status? A mixed bag for sure, I Am Legend excels during the first hour, and does bring us some chilling moments and a great turn by actor Will Smith. However, the movie does start to run into trouble as it nears its explosive finale. But, before I get into that, and if the I Am Legend one-disc release is worth getting, let's get that pesky movie synopsis out of the way, first.Robert Neville is a brilliant scientist, but even he could not contain the terrible virus that was unstoppable, incurable, and man-made. Somehow immune, Neville is now the last human survivor in what is left of New York City and maybe the world. For three years, Neville has faithfully sent out daily radio messages, desperate to find any other survivors who might be out there. But he is not alone. Mutant victims of the plague -- The Infected -- lurk in the shadows... watching Neville's every move... waiting for him to make a fatal mistake. Perhaps mankind's last, best hope, Neville is driven by only one remaining mission: to find a way to reverse the effects of the virus using his own immune blood. But he knows he is outnumbered... and quickly running out of time. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=391 While not a perfect movie by any means, I Am Legend resonated with the movie-going public last year to make it one of the top movies of 2007. With the likable lead actor and a solid premise, I Am Legend took movie-goers on an unforgettable ride. However, did this movie deserve its smash hit status? A mixed bag for sure, I Am Legend excels during the first hour, and does bring us some chilling moments and a great turn by actor Will Smith. However, the movie does start to run into trouble as it nears its explosive finale. What about this DVD release? Is the I Am Legend - 2-Disc Special Edition any good? Before I get into all of this, let's get that pesky movie synopsis out of the way, first.Robert Neville is a brilliant scientist, but even he could not contain the terrible virus that was unstoppable, incurable, and man-made. Somehow immune, Neville is now the last human survivor in what is left of New York City and maybe the world. For three years, Neville has faithfully sent out daily radio messages, desperate to find any other survivors who might be out there. But he is not alone. Mutant victims of the plague -- The Infected -- lurk in the shadows... watching Neville's every move... waiting for him to make a fatal mistake. Perhaps mankind's last, best hope, Neville is driven by only one remaining mission: to find a way to reverse the effects of the virus using his own immune blood. But he knows he is outnumbered... and quickly running out of time. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=390 It's gutsy for a horror movie to shy away from the monsters that terrorize our heroes to focus on something most of horror films overlook - the people. And, more specifically, what happens to these people when they face incredible and horrifying events. The Mist shies away slightly from the horrible creatures and, instead, shows us, at a human level, that sometimes we can be our own worst enemy. And, after a rocky start, this approach makes The Mist one of the most memorable and shocking horror films in recent history and, yes, believe the hype - the ending is something you won't forget any time soon. Whether you like the ending or not, you won't forget it. David Drayton (Tom Jane) and his young son are among a large group of terrified townspeople trapped in a local grocery store by a strange, otherworldly mist. David is the first to realize that there are things lurking in the mist, creatures not of this world, that force David and the hostages to band together in a fight for survival. However he begins to wonder what terrifies him more: the monsters in the mist or the ones inside the store, the human kind, the people that until now have been his friends and neighbors? http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=388 It’s odd, but before Talladega Nights, I’d never seen or heard of John C. Reilly before. Despite being in a slew of movies, I somehow managed to not see a single one he was in. After Talladega Nights, he seemed to disappear from comedies again until Walk Hard. Upon seeing the two minute trailer I knew I wanted to see Walk Hard. Sure it was essentially a parody of Walk the Line, a parody that was really two years late to the show, but nonetheless it looked entertaining. Despite weak box office returns and not making near its budget back in theaters, the film was well received by critics and fans of the recent and very successful string of Apatow comedies. Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story recounts the life of Dewey Cox, from his tragic childhood to his multiple wives and his drug habit, Walk Hard doesn’t leave any stone unturned in the Cox saga. Of course, no matter how real the movie may seem at times, Walk Hard is pure fiction—obvious from the start, but not so obvious when the songs begin playing. Not only does star John C. Reilly manage to belt out ballads that make teenagers swoon, he manages to sing the vast majority of them in a way that would make it seem like he could have been a real music legend. Once that thought seeps into your mind, however, you’re snapped out of it by some ludicrous antic that goes on in the film. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=387 Tim Burton and…a musical? Sure he’s done musicals in the past with Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride, but nothing quite like Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street promised to be. Based off of the stage play of the same name, the film would star Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter in the lead roles, belting their way through over a dozen songs, rarely leaving the film without some sort of musical melody. As strange a pairing of a musical with Tim Burton is, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street turned out to be a remarkably entertaining film in the true Burton vein. With a full, rich life ahead of them, Benjamin Baker (Johnny Depp) and his wife Lucy (Laura Michelle Kelly) had their married life ripped apart when the jealous Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) began to try swoon Lucy into his arms. When she refused, Baker was arrested and taken away. Lucy is said to take her own life and their daughter, Johanna (Jayne Wisener) is left in the care of Turpin. With over a decade passing, Baker returns to London after his exile to find his wife dead, his daughter locked away and Turpin still alive. Taking on the new persona of Sweeney Todd, Baker becomes the deadliest barber in all of London, murdering men left and right with his blades and feeding them to the community in the form of meat pies via Mrs. Lovett’s (Helena Bonham Carter) pie shop. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=386 Another one of 2007’s films that garnered an enormous amount of critical praise and one of the last to arrive on DVD, There Will Be Blood was no box office smash but was perhaps one of the most well-reviewed live action films from all of 2007. With a rating of over ninety percent on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s clear that between the Oscar wins of Daniel Day Lewis for best actor and Robert Elswit for best cinematography and the critical praise, There Will Be Blood was one of the years strongest films. Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day Lewis) is an oil man. He and his son, H.W. (Dillon Freasier) go from town to town, buying up land and draining the oil out of it. Plainview is always open to new prospects that’ll lead him to the next big oil field and when Paul Sunday (Paul Dano) arrives at his door with word that there is oil in Little Boston, California. Plainview arrives, surveys the area and begins to buy up the land in the town so that he can begin drilling. The fledgling town, incapable of even growing crops for bread, is eager to allow Plainview to develop his oil fields there, as it’ll help the town begin to prosper. What Daniel doesn’t count on in this town, however, is Paul’s twin brother, Eli, the preacher of the town, being as dedicated to his line of work as Daniel. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=385 Anyone who watched NBC last fall will no doubt remember the many…hundreds (possibly thousands) of advertisements for Bee Movie. Jerry Seinfeld’s first “starring” role in a film was sure to cause some (forgive me) buzz and the media onslaught was something I’ve never witnessed for a film, let alone an animated film. I thought to myself that this better be the best Dreamworks animated production ever, because the amount of publicity it was given was going to annoy me if I wasn’t at least partially entertained by the final product. When Barry B. Benson (Jerry Seinfeld) graduates college, he’s faced with a slew of career decisions. The problem is that once he chooses a field, he’s locked into it for the rest of his life. Deciding to take some time to decide what he wants to do in life, Barry comes in contact with humans in ways he could only imagine. While he eventually breaks a Bee rule (no talking to humans), Barry uses it to his advantage when he discovers the amount of honey that is being sold and used by humans. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=384 South Park always manages to do something different. Special, even, more so lately than before. In the last few seasons we've had multi-part episodes popping up here and there and, as a result, we've gotten some truly special episodes. Of course, none of that surpasses the sheer awesomeness (is that even a word) of "Imaginationland," a three-part episode that aired last season and has now found its way to a special DVD release, courtesy of Paramount. Onward to the synopsis!In this uncensored, never-before-seen director's cut, the doors of the world's imagination are thrown wide open and the boys of South Park are transported to a magical realm in their greatest odyssey ever. Stan, Kyle, and Butters find themselves in Imaginationland just as terrorists launch an attack that unleashes all of mankind's most evil characters imaginable. With the world's imaginations spinning out of control, the government prepares to nuke Imaginationland to put an end to the chaos. Racing against time to prevent nuclear annihilation, the citizens of Imaginationland realize their only hope of salvation lies with the unlikeliest of heroes: Butters. Ignoring the impending apocalypse, Cartman goes all the way to the Supreme Court to get justice for his case of dry balls. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=383 You’ll be hard pressed to find a critic that didn’t completely wail on Revolver, the fourth film from Guy Ritchie. While not ranking as bad as the film before (the Madonna starring Swept Away), Revolver didn’t seem to please critics at all, but perhaps they were still riding on the Ritchie hate wave that was stirred up after Swept Away. Whatever the case, you cannot deny that watching Revolver will make your mind swim, but not (always) in a bad way. It’s a standout film for reasons you can’t explain, but will certainly keep you rapt for the entire viewing. After gambler Jake Green (Jason Stathan) gets out of prison, he returns to what he knows best: casinos. While banned from most casinos for his compulsive gambling that often than not results in repeated wins, Jake meets up with Macha (Ray Liotta) and challenges him to a game of chance. Jake wins millions from Macha within seconds and throws around insults about Macha and his operation freely. Not one to stand for it, Macha puts out a hit on Jake who is then protected by a pair of strangers known as Zach (Vincent Pastore) and Avi (Andre Benjamin). Together the Trio carries out plans to destroy Macha and his empire. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=382 Enchanted had academy award nominations aplenty and with good reason. Not only was it one of the more original Disney films to date, it offered plenty of entertainment for young and old, just like a classic Disney film. With an impressive worldwide box office intake, Enchanted was a bigger hit than Disney could have expected with a film headlined by a then up and coming actress and a TV star who is better known for a nickname than anything else. With Gizelle (Amy Adams) set to marry Prince Edward (James Marsden) within a day of meeting him, Edward’s mother-in-law, Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon) is doing all she can to stop the wedding. Using some of her dark magic, Narissa sends Gizelle into an alternate dimension where happily-ever-after’s don’t exist—New York City. Now much more three dimensional, Gizelle is confused by this new world and the many evils that it contains. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=381 With the holiday season always a busy time for the movies, it’s no wonder that despite mixed reviews, I Am Legend came out on top at the box office and maintained a strong theater presence in the States. When combined with the overseas totals, I Am Legend raked in over half a billion in revenue—a lot of dough for a movie that rests on the shoulders of Will Smith and a German shepherd. When a deadly virus that was meant to cure a disease became airborne in New York City, the government had no choice but to evacuate the island. With a kill rate of over ninety percent, the virus left few survivors. The ones that did survive were turned into demonic creatures that only came out at night. One Robert Neville (Will Smith) was a complete survivor of the virus, who showed no side affects. Neville opted to stay near Ground Zero to try to find a cure for the “Dark Seekers” with altered strains of his own blood. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=380 As the movie opens, you know Justice League: The New Frontier will be something different. Whether you've read the graphic novel that inspired the film or have no idea what to expect, the opening scene is something special. The movie opens with a beautiful sequence showing the creation of a children's book, a rather ominous children's book, telling about the coming of The Centre, and its plans to eradicate all life from the Earth? As the author finishes the book, we see him put down his art utensils and reach over for a gun. Cue the gunshot and then cue the beautifully rendered opening credits. How's that for an opener? And it only gets better from there.Justice League: The New Frontier takes viewers on an action-packed adventure, exploring the origins of the Justice League. DC Comics legends Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are all featured in the film, as well as Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter and The Flash, as they band together to form the legendary super team. Strangers at first, these very different heroes must overcome fear and suspicion to forge an alliance against a monster so formidable, even the mighty Superman cannot stop it alone. If they fail, the entire planet will be "cleansed" of humanity. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=379 As the movie opens, you know Justice League: The New Frontier will be something different. Whether you've read the graphic novel that inspired the film or have no idea what to expect, the opening scene is something special. The movie opens with a beautiful sequence showing the creation of a children's book, a rather ominous children's book, telling about the coming of The Centre, and its plans to eradicate all life from the Earth? As the author finishes the book, we see him put down his art utensils and reach over for a gun. Cue the gunshot and then cue the beautifully rendered opening credits. How's that for an opener? And it only gets better from there.Justice League: The New Frontier takes viewers on an action-packed adventure, exploring the origins of the Justice League. DC Comics legends Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are all featured in the film, as well as Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter and The Flash, as they band together to form the legendary super team. Strangers at first, these very different heroes must overcome fear and suspicion to forge an alliance against a monster so formidable, even the mighty Superman cannot stop it alone. If they fail, the entire planet will be "cleansed" of humanity. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=378 Atonement is another one of the big Oscar films that was nominated for a handful of nominations (seven) but barely walked away with any (one, for Best Original Score). Still, to be nominated in seven categories, including Best Picture, is an honor all among itself. However in some cases, overexposure can sometimes hurt a film as the hype it receives can hurt it. Not to say Atonement isn’t deserving of praise, of course. When Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan [age 13], Romola Garai [age 18], Vanessa Redgrave [older]) witnesses something that she doesn’t quite understand between two adults, she ends up wrongly accusing a gentleman of a heinous crime. Though she forced herself to believe that what she had told the police was true, Briony slowly grew to realize that what she did was an act of jealously, as her sister Cecilia (Keira Knightly) was in love with a man, Robbie Turner (James McAvoy), Briony she herself had a crush on. Towards the end of her life Briony realized her misdeed and was forced to live with the consequences of her actions. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=377 How can you argue with a classic like Mrs. Doubtfire? Released at a time when Robin Williams seemed to be starring in the vast majority of comedies in Hollywood (and still is to this day, when you think about it), Mrs. Doubtfire became an instant hit for Fox upon its release. Receiving a fair bit of positive critical acclaim, Mrs. Doubtfire was so successful because it was a comedy that had some real substance to it. Interweaved behind William’s oddball humor was a real story about a father loving his children and wanting nothing more than to be with them. After a slowly deteriorating marriage, Miranda (Sally Field) and Daniel (Robin Williams) call it quits. With Miranda having the only stable job, she is awarded sole custody of their three children, a move that devastates Daniel, who would only be allowed to see them on weekends. When he learns that Miranda is going to hire a nanny, Daniel decides to employ the talents of his make-up artist brother who transforms him into an elderly English woman named Mrs. Doubtfire. Under this persona, Daniel is able to secretly spend time with his children, all the while learning what went wrong with his marriage to Miranda. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=376 It seems to me that there are several ways to take The Darjeeling Limited. You can watch it as a normal film that teaches life experiences along the way as well as providing a dash of humor. Or you can watch it with the above combined with a lot of analysis, picking apart every scene and finding out the deeper meaning in it all. Either way you’ll find another remarkable film by Wes Anderson, who continues to make films that delve into deeper meanings of families with a side of light and dark humor thrown in for good measure. The Darjeeling Limited covers the relationships between three brothers that slowly disintegrated after their father’s deaths. After Francis Whitman (Owen Wilson) is involved in a horrible accident, he realizes that the time he’s spent apart from his brothers has been painful. After getting his brothers, Peter (Adrien Brody) and Jack (Jason Schwartzman) to join him on a train named the Darjeeling Limited, the trio set out to enjoy their reunion, but every step of the way it seems something thwarts their plans to be a true family again. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=375 With the number of movies made in a year, it’s no wonder that titles slip through the cracks. Curiously, however, a title like Sleuth not garnering much attention seems incredibly odd. Having critically acclaimed actors Jude Law and Michael Caine headlining the picture (and quite literally being he only two actors we see in the film) makes it odd that we didn’t hear more about this film back when it released in October of last year. Still, with the story taking place completely between the two actors and a single house, it makes for a quick game of cat and mouse that will no doubt receive mixed feelings from the viewer. A modern adaptation of the 1972 film of the same name, Sleuth revolves around two men and their relationship with the same woman. The husband, Andrew Wyke (Caine) is refusing to divorce her and Milo Tindle (Law) is attempting to convince him it’s the right thing to do. When Milo arrived at Andrew’s mansion to discuss things over with him, little did he know what Wyke had brewing in his mind—a devilish game that would result in the humiliation of Tindle. Not one to back down, Tindle returns the scare in favor to Wyke, which sparks an odd relationship between the two and one wicked and deadly game of cat and mouse. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=374 I’m not a big horror buff and I’m the first to shy away from a film that looks like it’s going to scare the pants off of me, but there was something about The Mist that just pulled me in. A spooky fog that traps people in doors and kills anyone who goes outside of it kept me curious, likely because I like to watch shows about the unknown (it’s what’s kept me so enthralled with Lost). When it came time for the film to hit theaters I didn’t get a chance to go see it, but I leapt at the chance to review the DVD. With mostly solid reviews and positive fan feedback, I didn’t think it would be a letdown in the least. Directed by Academy Award nominated Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile) and adapted from the Stephen King novel of the same name, The Mist follows a small New England town that is subject to a mysterious and deadly fog that descends upon the town. With people disappearing and getting torn apart as they travel into the fog, a small group of people hold up inside of a grocery store where they live for a few days. With plenty of food, water and shelter, it seems they have everything they need to survive—except when the mysterious things in the fog start to creep into the store and cause havoc among the towns people. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=373 It’s no surprise that with Steve Carell’s recent success that he would be cast in many of Hollywood’s upcoming comedies, as well as continuing his award-winning role as the boss in The Office. With Dan in Real Life we’re given a film in which Carell yet again this stars and while it isn’t slapstick hilarious (as the trailers would suggest), Dan in Real Life puts way more charm into the mix than viewers are used to from Carell. While we get a few standard Carell-like replies and quips in the film, he largely plays a character that isn’t like his usual material—which is both refreshing and very much required for this film. Dan Burns (Steve Carell), an advice columnist for a local paper, dishes out wise advice to anyone who will read it and also give a bit of insight into the world of marriage, raising kids and other important issues that people face every day. The problem with Dan, however, is he is finding himself in situations that are forcing him to forego his own advice. With three daughters that he’s raising alone slowly rebelling against him one by one, Dan is finding it even more difficult to maintain everything together—especially when he meets a woman he instantly falls in love with who turns out to be his brother’s new girlfriend. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=372 Released just in time for Halloween, 30 Days of Night didn’t quite scare up the box office that one would have thought, although it did earn double its budget in domestic and overseas tickets. Not a commercial failure by any means, 30 Days of Night just didn’t seem to live up to the hype that the comic book community put out—not that should be any surprise. Some of Hollywood’s biggest failures recently have been comic book adaptations that have failed to live up to the hype. Adapted from the Dark Horse Comics graphic novel of the same name, 30 Days of Night comes from the mind of Steve Niles and the vision of Ben Templesmith who envisioned a dark and gritty world in Barrow, Alaska, where the sun doesn’t rise for thirty consecutive days. When the thirty days of night start, a rash of violent crimes break out across the town and Sherriff Eben Oleson (Ethan Hawke) is forced to check them all out. When he eventually stumbles upon a stranger in the small town that he’s never seen before, Eben assumes that this is the culprit. Little does Eben, his family, and the town of Barrow know that something they had never thought possible had descended upon their town for the long, cold, and dark month of night. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=371 With over seventy seven awards given to it, most recent of which are two Oscar’s for best director and best film, how do you even objectively watch No Country for Old Men after hearing about all of its nominations and wins? There’s a certain hype level that one can’t let go of when they’re about to watch the film that won best picture and while you have that nagging feeling in the back of your mind that nothing can live up to its hype, you find yourself so wrapped up in No Country for Old Men that you begin not to care about its awards—you just want to see the conclusion. In No Country for Old Men, Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) stumbles upon a bloody massacre in the desert. After following the blood trail, he finds the “last man standing” from the fight. With this man was a briefcase of over two million dollars. Deciding to take the money no matter the consequences, Moss puts his entire family in danger as a ruthless killer named Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) begins charging after him on a bloody and brutal warpath. Amidst all this violence is Sherriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) who is forced to try to deduce where Moss is and, in the process, avoid getting killed by Chigurh. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=370 Things We Lost in the Fire is a rather extraordinary film. Not only from a story and directing standpoint, but also that it had two Academy Award winners in the title roles and it shot through theaters in three weeks with nothing less than a whisper. Despite a wide opening of over a thousand theaters, the film made less than seven million world wide—a strange result indeed for a film that was so packed with talent.While the title isn’t representative of any actions or results in the film itself, it is an apt rewording of what happens to the Burke family. When Brian Burke (David Duchovny) is killed in a random act of violence, his wife, Audrey (Halle Berry) is distraught. With two kids to raise on her own, she finds comfort in Brian’s best friend from childhood, a struggling heroine addict named Jerry Sunborne (Benicio Del Toro). In an effort to remain close to her deceased husband, Audrey tells Jerry to move into their empty garage to add some sort of stability to the household. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=369 As a kid I can remember seeing 101 Dalmatians in a local theater with my aunt. I don’t remember what year it was exactly (apparently it wasn’t one of the official theatrical re-releases that this film experienced in the four release dates that this DVD makes mention of), but apparently I was terribly bored during it seemed completely disinterested in it. What’s odd is I can remember going to the theater itself, but the actual viewing of the movie is a total blank—maybe I was completely disinterested. In any case, the eventual VHS release came about and despite what my reactions to it in the theater had been, my parents bought it anyway and perhaps because it was on my own time watching this film, but it became one of my favorites as a child. Regardless of what I may have felt in the theater, the eventual (repeated) viewings on VHS made 101 Dalmatians one of my most watched tapes.The first to use Disney’s new Xerox style of animation, 101 Dalmatians certainly had a cheaper budget than the previous Disney films but it was also one of the richest. The film boasted the original animator’s actual drawings, frame by frame, as they originally intended (dude to the aforementioned Xerox method of animation) and in some cases retained the original structure lines that were used to build the characters for each cel. The film revolved around the evil Cruella De Vil and her desire to make coats out of all of the Dalmatians in London. While the plot may be a bit morbid if you look at it too closely, it’s approached in the usual Disney fashion that makes it suitable for all ages and introduces us to some of Disney’s most memorable characters. The aforementioned De Vil is perhaps the most notorious of Disney villains and the ensemble of pups that entertain us throughout entertain us effortlessly with their actions and dialogue. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=368 Despite being adapted for film and directed by Sean Penn, the buzz around Into the Wild seemed relatively subdued prior to its theatrical release. The star, Emile Hirsch, hadn’t been in any big films so there were no big names aside from Penn to carry the film along. Even though it had a small theatrical debut with a release of only 660 theaters, Into the Wild managed to pound out near twenty million in the states alone, bringing in near forty-five thousand worldwide. Based on the true life story of Christopher McCandless, Into the Wild follows his journey through life after he leaves college, donates his entire bank account (twenty-four thousand dollars) to charity and sets out to explore the world and live in the wilderness. Taking jobs only as he needs them, Chris eventually works his way to his destination of Alaska. Through his long journey he meets up with several individuals that would help shape the rest of his young life. Although he had a life of comfort and was even flirting with the notion of attending Harvard Law, Christopher opted to leave all of the money and his family behind to live amongst nature. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=367 During it's one-air tenure, Batman: The Animated Series was able to produce a host of animated movies based on the series. Warner Home Video has opted to package the two most popular animated movies, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm and Batman & Mr. Freeze: Sub-Zero, into one release. Of course, the question is, is this release even worth it? Should fans rush to pick up this release, or leave it on the shelf? Well, that question will get answers right after the synopsis for the release!Cold-blooded crimes to Gotham City: Archvillain Mr. Freeze kidnaps Batgirl, and the Dark Knight and Robin scramble to rescue her before she's iced forever in the animated chiller-thriller movie Batman & Mr. Freeze: Sub-Zero.Ultra-cool style and excitement continue in the theatrical feature Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, where we meet a hunted criminal named . . . Batman. Accused of murders carried out by a sinister masked figure, Batman is determined to clear his name. And that sets in motion a menacing, multi-layered tale filled with surprising revelations about our caped hero's past. Expect the unexpected in this genuinely absorbing, suspenseful, and moving mystery! These two suspenseful Batman movies will keep you on the edge of your seat! http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=366 As the movie opens, you know Justice League: The New Frontier will be something different. Whether you've read the graphic novel that inspired the film or have no idea what to expect, the opening scene is something special. The movie opens with a beautiful sequence showing the creation of a children's book, a rather ominous children's book, telling about the coming of The Centre, and its plans to eradicate all life from the Earth? As the author finishes the book, we see him put down his art utensils and reach over for a gun. Cue the gunshot and then cue the beautifully rendered opening credits. How's that for an opener? And it only gets better from there.Justice League: The New Frontier takes viewers on an action-packed adventure, exploring the origins of the Justice League. DC Comics legends Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are all featured in the film, as well as Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter and The Flash, as they band together to form the legendary super team. Strangers at first, these very different heroes must overcome fear and suspicion to forge an alliance against a monster so formidable, even the mighty Superman cannot stop it alone. If they fail, the entire planet will be "cleansed" of humanity. http://www.wfdvdreport.com?action=fullnews&id=365 Despite being only eleven when this film came out, I can remember watching it as a kid. While I was too young to really care about the romantic angle of it all, I did enjoy the film simply for one reason: Tom Hanks. Now even as a kid I seemed to enjoy watching movies he was in, likely because they were often comedic and they were often the few PG movies that were coming out when I was young. Still, even now that I can