(2009-2010)
* * (Grade C)
Created by John Rogers and Chris Downey
Starring Timothy Hutton, Gina Bellman, Christian Kane, Beth Riesgraf,Aldis Hodge
Paramount//NotRated//Drama//707 minutes
Available on: DVD
Timothy Hutton stars as Nathan Ford, leading a small band of vigilantes.Each episode opens with an innocent person being victimized by a greedyindividual. The wronged party persuades Nathan and his team to take their case.Nathan identifies the wrongdoer's weakness and uses it to devise a means ofbringing the miscreant down. In "The Three Days of the Hunter Job"the team provides a false scoop to a Nancy Grace-like journalist (BethBroderick) whose inaccurate reporting has ruined many lives. Nathan ismotivated by a tragedy from his past, but the other young team members: ahacker, an acrobat, a martial arts expert and a con game expert, risk jail andworse simply because they enjoy their work. 4-Disc DVD features: John Rogersset tour, Behind the boom featurette, The Creators of Leverage Q&A,"The Hand Job" spoof video, Andy Lange music featurette, Season 2wrap party gag reel, commentaries on each episode, English language tracks,widescreen.
DearJohn
(2010)
* * (C)
Directed by Lasse Hallstrom
Starring Richard Jenkins, Amanda Seyfried, Channing Tatum, Henry Thomas,D.J. Cotrona
Sony//Rated PG-13//Drama//109 minutes
Available on: DVD or Blu-Ray
The adaptation of yet another weepy Nicholas Sparks romance castsChanning Tatum as John Tyree, a U.S. Special Forces soldier on leave, when hefalls hard for Savannah Curtis (Seyfried) in scenic Charleston, S.C.She's passionate, sweet and adorable, he's loyal to a fault and off to serve inIraq while Savannah languishes at home. Largely toldthrough the pair's love letters, the film offers excellent supporting turns byJenkins as John's socially inept father, and by Thomas who plays a singleparent raising an autistic son. Determined to pluck our heartstrings, Dear John aims squarely for the author'scry-hard fans. DVD or Blu-Ray features: Deleted and Alternate Scenes, AlternateEnding, Outtakes, A Conversation with Channing Tatum, Amanda Seyfried and LasseHallstrom, Transforming Charleston, Military in Movies: Dear John's MilitaryAdvisors, Mr. Tyree, The Mule, and Benny Dietz, The Story of Braeden Reed,English language tracks, widescreen. Exclusive Blu-Ray features: movieIQ%u02D9 syncand BD-Live for real-time info while watching the movie.
7Adventures of Sinbad
(2010)
*1/2 (C-)
Directed by Ben Hayflick, Adam Silver
Starring Patrick Muldoon, Sarah Desage, Bo Svenson
Asylum//Not Rated//Fantasy//90 minutes
Available on: DVD
Another direct-to-video Asylum motion picture, Sinbad sports the tagline "The Original Prince of Persia,"and is timed for a concurrent release with the major motion picture bearingthat title. Shot in just 13 days on a $500,000 budget, the film depicts anappealing array of giants that include: an octopus, a crab, a squid, a whale,flying prehistoric dinosaurs and a two creatures cribbed from "Lord of theRings," a cyclops and a lava demon. The film goes awry when focusing onbillionaire industrialist Adrian Sinbad (Muldoon), fleeing with a handful ofothers, after his oil tanker is attacked. They become marooned on a desertisland where local warrior Loa (Desage) persuades them to prevent an impendingapocalypse by undertaking a daring quest. DVD features: Making of featurette,deleted scenes, bloopers, trailer, English language tracks, widescreen.
Flashpoint: Season Two
(2009)
* * (C)
Created by Mark Ellis, Stephanie Morgenstern
Starring Enrico Colantoni, Amy Jo Johnson, Hugh Dillon, David Paetkau,Michael Cram, Sergio Di Zio, Mark Taylor
Paramount//NotRated//Drama//338 minutes
Available on: DVD
Toronto'sEmergency Task Force defuses bombs, climbs the sides of skyscrapers and fieldstrained negotiators who are also capable of rescuing hostages by force. Plentygoes wrong for team members, both in the line of duty and their personal lives.Though the characters' workaday struggles are credibly depicted, the show'ssoft storytelling technique blunts its edgy subject matter. 2-Disc DVDfeatures: featurettes: Stunts, Weapons, Hugh Dillon works well with others,English language tracks, widescreen.
Malicein Wonderland
(2009)
-Bomb- (F)
Directed by Simon Fellows
Starring Maggie Grace, Matt King, Danny Dyer, Nathaniel Parker, BronaghGallagher, Anthony Higgins, Steve Haze, Dave Lynn
Magnolia//Rated R//Fantasy//87 minutes
Available on: DVD
Lewis Carroll's tale is re-imagined and set in present day London. While escaping adull German fiancée, American socialite Alice (Grace) is hit by a London cab. The driver,named Whitey (a stand-in for the white rabbit), takes Alice to a party after he learns she issuffering from amnesia. While she tries to make sense of her circumstances,Whitey (Dyer) attempts to befriend a crook because Whitey wants in on the majorheist he is said to be planning. The truth of Alice's situation turns out to be as tired asthe film's lazy dialog and lackluster action. "Off with its head."DVD features: Making of featurette, Behind the scenes, Photo gallery, Englishlanguage tracks, Spanish subtitles, widescreen.
RainFall
(2009)
* * (C)
Directed by Max Mannix
Starring Gary Oldman, Hasegawa Kyoko, Kippei Shiina, Max Mannix, AkiraEmoto
Lionsgate//Rated R//Action//111 minutes
Available on: DVD
Release Date May 25, 2010
John Rain (Shiina) is an assassin working in Tokyo when he learns his CIA handler (Oldman)is determined to kill both Rain and Midori (Hasegawa), the innocent daughter ofRain's most recent target. Together, Rain and Midori go on the run, though theymostly stroll because a slew of government killers can't seem to track themdown. Despite the exotic locations and adequate acting, thismomentum-challenged action flick is soon all wrung out. DVD features: Cast andcrew interviews, Trailer gallery, English language tracks, Spanish subtitles,widescreen.
Merlinand the Book of Beasts
(2009)
* (Grade D)
Directed by Warren P. Sonoda, Jesse Moss
Starring James Callis, Laura Harris, Monique Ganderton, Donald Adams,Patrick Sabongui, Maja Stace-Smith, Jim Thorburn
Anchor Bay//Not Rated//Fantasy//92 minutes
Available on: Blu-Ray
When the evil sorcerer Mordred unleashes the Medusa twins and a plagueof homicidal insects on the kingdom, Merlin must save the day with help fromdeceased King Arthur's daughter, Avlynn. She alone can wield Excalibur againstMordred, but can do nothing to enliven lifeless special effects or toinvigorate this poorly paced screenplay. Merlin should zap this mangled Sci-FiChannel effort into oblivion.
TheShortcut
(2009)
* * (Grade C)
Directed by Nicholaus Goosen
Starring Dave Franco, Andrew Seeley, Shannon Woodward, Katrina Bowden,Josh Emerson, Nicholas Elia, Raymond J. Barry
Anchor Bay//Rated PG-13//Horror//85 minutes
Available on: Blu-Ray
After his little brother Tobey (Elia) sees something frightening in thewoods, Derek (Seeley) and his teen friends venture into the forest to seek outa scary old man said to dwell there. A low-budget horror casting James Franco'slittle brother Dave, the story takes the unfortunate shortcut of telegraphingits plot twists. Blu-Ray features: Director commentary, Behind the scenesfeaturette, theatrical trailer, DD SS 5.1 English language tracks, SpanishSubtitles, widescreen.
TheShadow Within
(2007)
*1/2 (C-)
Directed by Silvana Zancolo
Starring Bonny Ambrose, Laurence Belcher, Rod Hallett, Haley J.Williams, Beth Winslet
MTI//Rated R//Horror//93 minutes
Available on: DVD
Maurice (Belcher), 9, is plagued by the malevolent spirit of his deadtwin brother Jacques, as well as those of other recently deceased localchildren. In an effort to speak with her dead son, Maurice's mother Marie(Williams) allows Madame Armand (Ambrose) to lead a seance forcing Maurice tochannel his twin's spirit. Kate Winslet's sister Beth appears in a gratuitousrole as a doctor, the sole adult concerned for Maurice's soul. The film hitsits high mark during unnerving sequences that depict child-shaped shadowschasing Maurice, but the effect of these creepy moments is dissipated by talkyexecution, and the overall lack of plot. DVD features: Trailers, Englishlanguage tracks, Spanish subtitles, widescreen.
Spartacus
(1960)
*1/2 (C-)
Directed by StanleyKubrick
Starring Kirk Douglas, Peter Ustinov, Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons,Tony Curtis, Charles Laughton, John Gavin, Nina Foch
Universal//Rated PG-13//180 minutes
50th Anniversary Edition Available on: Blu-Ray
Douglas appears as a gladiator leading a slave revolt against Rome, but the stagytoga-and-sandals production is made corny by a self-aggrandizing score.Charismatic Douglas produced and wrangled Simmons to play his love interest,Olivier for the role of Crassus, Laughton to portray a curmudgeonly senator,John Gavin as young Julius Caesar, Peter Ustinov to portray greedy businessmanBatiatus, and best of all, Tony Curtis (replete with a New York accent) as Antoninus.Restored in 1991, Anthony Hopkins dubbed Olivier's voice in the "snailsand oysters" scene while Curtis dubbed his own voice, because the originalsoundtrack could not be salvaged. Blu-Ray features: Deleted Scenes,Behind-the-scenes Footage, Archival Interviews with Peter Ustinov and JeanSimmons, 5 Vintage Newsreels, Image Galleries, including Production Stills,Concept Art, Costume Designs, Storyboards, Posters, Print Ads, English languagetracks, French or Spanish subtitles.
HardRide to Hell
(2010)
Directed by Penelope Buitenhuis
Starring Miguel Ferrer, Katherine Isabelle, Laura Mennell, Brendan Penny
Vivendi//Not Rated//Horror//94 minutes
Available on: DVD
A band of immortal, devil-worshipping bikers terrorize a group ofcampers after the interlopers unwittingly observe a gruesome blood sacrifice.Fleeing to a ghost town, the campers take shelter in a church that harbors amalevolent priest and a strange boy burdened by a terrible secret. A cutlerysalesman (Brent Stait) squares off against the cannibalistic biker leader(Ferrer), but the film's real goal is to create a heap of chopped andchain-sawed body parts. DVD features: English language tracks, widescreen.
