The House of Mouse’s release “Imagination Movers: Warehouse Mouse Edition” brought mixed reactions from my 4-year-old daughter Clare, 9-year-old son Josiah, and a little bit of eye rolling and parental perspective from me. Walt Disney Studio Home Entertainment Division had released “Imagination Movers Warehouse Mouse Edition to video retail and rental outlets in early May. Scott, Smitty, Dave and Rich, the “Imagination Movers,” are a lot of fun to watch. The colorful set, constant motion, and energetic music make it a shoo-in for the preschool set. The guys genuinely seem to be enjoying themselves, and I’m pretty sure the kids can sense it. This is not one of the best educational films, but it is truly entertaining and will get children up and dancing. While geared for younger children, our oldest son generally didn’t mind watching the film from time to time.
Universal released “The Tale of Despereaux” to video rental and retail outlets April 7. The film is entertaining, down to earth, heart—warming and funny. In other words, good story, good teachings, good film. Go buy it. “The Tale of Despereaux” is a DVD worth watching, especially withe kids. I reviewed the Blu—Ray release. This release has a lot of heart. It’s a story about courage, about being okay with being different and about seeing beyond how others want you to be. I watched this with my 6-soon-to-be-7-year-old granddaughter. We both loved it. “The Tale of Despereaux” is a multi-level experience
“Revolution—a dynamic mix of sound and movement” is how the Department of Dance at North Central Texas College is billing its upcoming spring concert on April 27. The event, open at no charge to the general public, will begin at 7:30 p.m. on the main stage of the First State Bank Center for the Performing Arts (FSB Center) on the Gainesville Campus. The concert program will feature members of the performance dance classes at NCTC from both the Gainesville and Corinth campuses and will center around dance presentations they have been working on during the semester under the direction of instructors Meghan Cardwell-Wilson and Karen MacIntyre.
The Story of Our Heroes and the Town that Stood Up to Honor Them was to tell the stories of both the Medal of Honor Recipients and the city with the only Medal of Honor Host City Program in America: Gainesville.
Suspects don’t give false confessions, right? Don’t be so sure. Jeanette Popp and Wanda Evan’s “Mortal Justice” may give even hard-core law and order advocates a fresh perspective on the Texas criminal justice system.
BBC Video released Doctor Who: The Key to Time on March 3 to video retail and rental outlets. The story-line is one of only two — if I remember correctly — that was a full season long. Of course, while there are only 6 episodes, they are divided into 26 shows. If you’re a Dr. Who fan you should get it if only for that reason. Even if you’re not though, there are some valid reasons to watch these slices of the longest running science fiction series in the world.
I am of two minds about Metalocalypse. The first season of the violent fantasy/adventure/rock fest is for sale on DVD now, and will probably find its niche with younger adults. Anyone over 30 will likely find it distasteful. When I first watched an episode of the series in 2007 with my son Trevor — who swore it was hilarious — I couldn’t help laughing. Metalocalypse is typical Adult Swim fare.
Karma Police will probably not come to your local cineplex. But it is definitely worth searching out, finding and buying. One can find it at most national video rental shops, or online at most major outlets. I have to admit, I kinda-sorta wish there were a group like the Karma Police — I would love knowing that not only would I get my reward — or punishment — after I died, but I would get it now.
If you can get past how bad Mickey Rourke’s face looks in “The Wrestler,” then you might actually enjoy the film. All jabs aside, “The Wrestler” does seem to serve as the perfect platform for Rourke’s return to the box office. Rourke’s character in the film, Randy “The Ram” Robinson, isn’t much different from the actor himself.
Defiance opened in First-run theaters Friday, Jan 15. It is, in my opinion a truly touching and moving film. Contrasted with the state of Israel today, which is being fighting back via air-strikes and ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, attempting to survive in the face of the racial hatred of the Hamas and the Muslim religion’s attempt, according to what I have read, to exterminate the Israelis. The timing of the release of this movie could be considered ironic, celebrating — as it does — the courage and will to live of a group of displaced Jews attempting to escape the purges and death camps of their enemy.
Swing Vote — recently released on DVD — puts Kevin Costner’s character Ernest “Bud” Johnson in the unlikely position of deciding the outcome of a presidential election. Costner is right on as a lazy, beer-drinking, slacker raising his brilliant, matured-beyond-her-years daughter Molly in a 1970s-era trailer house in Texico, NM. Things aren’t going right for Bud and we can tell they haven’t for a long time. Casting a vote in the election is the last thing on Bud’s mind. But Molly, who’s sick of being let down by her dad, decides to make him vote.
This Tuesday (Jan. 13) Sony re-releases Underworld and Underworld Evolution as a double feature set timed with the theatrical release of the third of the franchise, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans. This franchise is more than just a horror series, it’s an adventure, a romance and a rewritting and interweaving of the lycanthrope (werewolf) and vampire stories told throughout the centuries — as far back as early Greece according to “Fangs vs. Fiction” one of the special features with the first release, Underworld. This is an action/adventure film that happens to feature vampires and werewolves. But still, it grew on me — I liked it.
The people he once called his neighbors have all moved or passed away, replaced by the Hmong immigrants he despises. Resentful of virtually everything he sees — the drooping eaves, overgrown lawns and the foreign faces surrounding him; the aimless gangs of Hmong, Latino and African American teenagers who all think the neighborhood belongs to them; the callow strangers his children have grown up to be — Walt is just waiting out the rest of his life.
Even if you have to borrow a neighbor’s kid, go see this movie. it’s one of the better animated tales that is not filled with double-entendre, yet is still funny and tells a tale worth telling.
Eastwood has delivered an unbroken string of triumphs: Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby, Flags of Our Fathers and Letters From Iwo Jima. Eastwood continues to be the director of choice for depicting crimes and heartaches that strike the common citizen at will.
Sony released “Married Life” to DVD last Tuesday, Sept. 2. It is, in my opinion, a much better picture than its title or the DVD jacket would suggest. I can highly recommend this release. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by this film. At first I didn't know what to make of it, or where it was going. It is a dark comedy. The twists and turns of the film are completely unexpected. It kept me on my toes, and the four lead performances were great. Married Life is a well crafted and beautifully written movie. By appearing to be a traditional noir, the film plays on the audience's expectations of the genre but then turns out to be something very different — something far more sad, funny and soulful. By having the traditional voice-over and haunting music at the outset, Married Life subverts the viewer's expectations and draws us into a story that is utterly unique.
Jacqueline Winspear has done it again. In “An Incomplete Revenge”, she’s managed to re-invent Maisie Dobbs, but keep her recognizable as our favorite psychologist and investigator. As the fifth novel of the series opens, Maisie seems more relaxed, more carefree than we have heretofore seen her. Her case this time seems fairly straightforward. Maisie’s friend, James Compton, son of her former employers, Lord Julian and Lady Rowan Compton, has a business proposition for Maisie. The Compton Corporation is thinking of buying an estate in Heronsdene that produces bricks, but there’s been some crime in the area, including fires that occur around the same time each year. What’s strange is the locals won’t talk about it, not even to the police, except to blame the fires on the outsiders who come in to pick hops: the Londoners and the gypsies. James wants Maisie to look into it and find out what’s behind it all.
This is an extremely violent release. This is not a movie for the younger set. It’s not a Jackie Chan, violence laced with humor, release. This is a violent movie, with action sequences and some adult situations. It is not for everyone.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released “CJ7” to video retailers and rental outlets last Tuesday, Aug. 12. I think it’s a fun movie that can be enjoyed by adults and kids alike.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released “In the Line of Fire” to video retailers and rental outlets last week on July 1. You need to get it. The film is consistently enjoyable, and it delivers all the goods — suspense, action, romance, and drama — all in their proper amounts. It's a fun film that is really helped by the great actors in it.
Disney released “The Sword in the Stone 45th Anniversary Special Edition” to video retail and rental outlets Tuesday, June 17. Get it if only to complete your Disney collection of full length animation features. Strictly speaking, it’s not that good. This was the first film the Sherman Brothers (Richard and Robert) composing team completed for the Disney animators. And as they say in one of the bonus features, they were learning as they went along. In many cases, it sounds it. Also, I didn’t care for the animation style. Nor for the way the script writers changed the original story.
It had been a while since I had read Deborah Crombie’s first novel “A Share in Death” and I was really wanting to get back to her mysteries. I picked up the second in the series “All Shall Be Well” and stepped back into the English countryside with Scotland Yard “coppers” Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James. Duncan Kincaid is surprised to come home one day from work to find his middle-aged neighbor Jasmine Dent dead. Oh, it wasn’t such a shock, Kincaid knew that Jasmine had been terminally ill with cancer, but even her home-help nurse, Felicity Howarth, felt that she had a little bit more time.
OK, this release has it all — dumb jokes based on a thorough knowledge of the history of pop music and detailed research into the musician biopic format. And, of course, nudity just for the sake of nudity. Judd Apatow admitted as much in one of the commentaries. There are gags, spoofs and a constant sarcastic dialog that has so much humor, you will miss it if you do not pay attention.
This is a true “popcorn movie”, the kind you put in your DVD player for a nice evening of “no thinking, just enjoying”. This is a Hollywood family movie, with 3 great stars, fancy costumes, beautiful scenery, great music, clean language and no overt sexual content.
Figuring out your own life is difficult enough. Add to that several generations, past and present, and the task is nearly impossible for Phoebe Lange in “The Memory Book” by Penelope J. Stokes.
If you want to know how forensic science can solve a murder investigation, read “Deja Dead” by Kathy Reichs. Reichs’ books inspired the Fox television show “Bones”, but fans of the show who pick up the book expecting it to be like the show, should know a few things. First, the book is set in Montreal, where Temperance Brennan has been living since splitting with her husband, Pete, about a year ago. Their daughter, Katy, is thinking about dropping out of college. There’s no cute Agent Booth to trade one-liners with, no lab “squints” to form a pseudo-family. This is much grittier. It was supposed to be routine: two city workers found bones near a traditional historic burial site. Tempe’s asked to go to the site and determine whether they are old bones from an old grave.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released the Anime production of “Paprika” to video retailers and rental outlets Tuesday, Nov. 27. I liked it. A lot. It looks great, the music is great, it’s utterly bizarre.
Movie versions of successful television series are notorious for being disappointing all the way around. A few are fairly good. The darkly-drawn, often passionate and tormented characters of the “Batman” movies come to mind. Some are just harmless feature films that don’t live up to their namesakes such as “The Addams Family.” Others are awful movies derived from even more offensive television shows. Remember “Beavis and Butthead Do America?” “The Simpsons Movie” falls into the first category — light entertainment that doesn’t hurt anyone.
Bucket List movie is actually worth the aggravation and mental reservations entailed in a jaunt to downtown Dallas during rush hour. Make every effort to see this gem as soon as possible.
Juno is a charming, 9-month slice of a female teenager’s life, and how one particular teenager, the Juno of the title, handles bumps that occur in a girl’s life. At the end of the movie, I was smiling.
Hey, if you’re looking for a good-time movie to see before the year ends, try National Treasure: Book of Secrets — or as everyone calls it, National Treasure 2. It’s imbued with the same spirit of adventure the original National Treasure had but expands to a more international scope.
The Last Sin Eater, explores a community in the Appalachians that practice the belief that a human “sin eater” can discharge the dead of their sins and a young girl preoccupied by her own sense of guilt and mortality, driven to uncover the truth behind the long held tradition.
