Library

Languages: English

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Comments: The movie Vince McMahon does not want you to see!

Summary: More of a supercharged revamp than a remake, Rob Zombie's take on John Carpenter's "Halloween" expands the back story of masked killer Michael Myers in an attempt to examine the motivation for his first deadly attack, as well as some reasons for his longevity as a horror icon. Zombie's Myers is a blank-eyed teen (played by Daeg Faerch) whose burgeoning mental problems are left unchecked in a horrific home environment; harassed by schoolmates, a randy sister, and his mother's deadbeat boyfriend (William Forsythe, terrific as usual), Myers' homicidal explosion seems inevitable, and intervention by Dr. Sam Loomis (Malcolm McDowell, who offers a fast-talking, hippiefied version of the Donald Pleasance character) does little to impede his development into a mute, unstoppable killing machine (Tyler Mane) bent on finishing off the only survivor of his family's massacre--his sister, now grown into teenaged Laurie Strode (Scout Taylor-Compton). Opening up the psychological motivation of a cipher like Michael Myers is an interesting approach, but Zombie's script possesses neither a depth of character nor dialogue to offer more than a clichéd thumbnail character sketch, and devoting over a hour of the unrated cut's 120-minute-plus running time to this history feels bloated and self-indulgent (especially when compared to the lean efficiency of the Carpenter original). Zombie's "Halloween" isn't terribly suspenseful, either; he has a keen eye for visuals and the details of chaotic environments, but his scares are nothing more than brutal showcases for his special effects team. The end result barely surpasses the original film's numerous sequels, though the Who's Who of cult and character actors in the cast (including Zombie regulars Sid Haig, Bill Moseley and Ken Foree, as well as Brad Dourif, Udo Kier, Clint Howard, Richard Lynch, Danny Trejo, Dee Wallace, and Danielle Harris) adds a touch of late-night monster movie charm. However, the film's best performance belongs to the director's spouse, Sheri Moon Zombie, who brings unexpected pathos to the role of Myers' downtrodden mother.
The two-disc Unrated Director's Cut offers a full disc's worth of extras that should please Zombie fans; chief among the supplemental features is his commentary, which details the film's shooting history and the numerous edits required to deliver the theatrical version. A making-of featurette offers further details of Zombie's vision for the film, and there are featurettes on his cast choices and the many masks that Myers makes while incarcerated. Seventeen deleted scenes (two of which feature Adrienne Barbeau and Tom Towles) and an alternate ending (all with Zombie's commentary) are also provided, as well as footage from the casting sessions. A blooper reel, which is highlighted by unchecked mischief by McDowell and Dourif, offers the set's sole moment of levity. "-- Paul Gaita"

Languages: English, German

Sound: DTS

Comments: It Started With Revenge

Summary: Though "Hannibal Rising's" Lecter (Gaspard Ulliel) is a pussycat compared to Anthony Hopkins in "Silence of the Lambs", this sequel's story of revenge is grizzly enough to satisfy lovers of Thomas Harris's epic tale. After young Hannibal (Aaron Thomas) is forced to watch his little sister, Mischa (Helena Lia Tachovska), devoured by starving soldiers in his homeland Lithuania, Hannibal vows to avenge his sister's death by slaying those who committed not only war crimes against the Lecters, but also against other families during WW II. In detailing Hannibal's revenge plan, the film investigates the psychological implications of witnessing cannibalism to justify Hannibal's insatiable appetite for human flesh. The most interesting aspect of "Hannibal Rising"—its analytical connections drawn between Hannibal's childhood traumas and his murderous adult obsessions—is also the film's weak point. The links oversimplify Lecter's complex character. For example, though titillating to see flashbacks of Lecter's sister hacked up and boiled while Lecter visits a Parisian meat market, the reference is too obvious. One learns why he excels in his medical school classes dissecting cadavers, and we're given explicit explanation for why he slices off and eats his victims' cheeks. The story only complicates when Hannibal interacts with his sexy Aunt, Lady Murasaki (Gong Li). When Murasaki educates him in the art of beheading, the viewer sees Hannibal's sword fetish as a manifestation of physical lust. "--Trinie Dalton"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Comments: Enter the mind of a serial killer... you may never come back.

Summary: Though it will always be remembered as the movie featuring the "other" Hannibal Lecter, Michael Mann's 1986 thriller "Manhunter" is nearly as good as "The Silence of the Lambs", and in some respects it's arguably even better. Based on Thomas Harris's novel "Red Dragon", which introduced the world to the nefarious killer Hannibal "the Cannibal" Lecter, the film stars William Petersen (giving a suitably brooding performance) as ex-FBI agent Will Graham, who is coaxed out of semiretirement to track down a serial killer who has thwarted the authorities at every turn.
Graham's approach to the case is a perilous one. First he seeks counsel with Lecter (Brian Cox) in the latter's high-security prison cell--an encounter that is utterly horrifying in its psychological effect--and then he begins to mold his own psyche to that of the killer, with potentially devastating results. As directed by Mann (who was at the acme of his success with TV's "Miami Vice"), this sophisticated cat-and-mouse game never resorts to the compromise of cheap thrills. Predating Anthony Hopkins's portrayal of Lecter by four years, Cox plays the character closer to Harris's original, lower-key conception, and he's no less compelling in the role. Petersen is equally well cast, and as always Mann employs rock music to astonishing effect, using nearly all of Iron Butterfly's heavy-metal epic "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" to accompany the film's heart-stopping climactic sequence. All of this makes "Manhunter" one of the finest films of its kind, as well as further proof that Harris's fiction is a blessing to any filmmaker brave enough to adapt it. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo

Comments: Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Brilliant. Cunning. Psychotic. In his mind lies the clue to a ruthless killer. - Clarice Starling, FBI. Brilliant. Vulnerable. Alone. She must trust him to stop the killer.

Summary: Based on Thomas Harris's novel, this terrifying film by Jonathan Demme really only contains a couple of genuinely shocking moments (one involving an autopsy, the other a prison break). The rest of the film is a splatter-free visual and psychological descent into the hell of madness, redeemed astonishingly by an unlikely connection between a monster and a haunted young woman. Anthony Hopkins is extraordinary as the cannibalistic psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter, virtually entombed in a subterranean prison for the criminally insane. At the behest of the FBI, agent-in-training Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) approaches Lecter, requesting his insights into the identity and methods of a serial killer named Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine). In exchange, Lecter demands the right to penetrate Starling's most painful memories, creating a bizarre but palpable intimacy that liberates them both under separate but equally horrific circumstances. Demme, a filmmaker with a uniquely populist vision ("Melvin and Howard", "Something Wild"), also spent his early years making pulp for Roger Corman ("Caged Heat"), and he hasn't forgotten the significance of tone, atmosphere, and the unsettling nature of a crudely effective close-up. Much of the film, in fact, consists of actors staring straight into the camera (usually from Clarice's point of view), making every bridge between one set of eyes to another seem terribly dangerous. "--Tom Keogh"

Languages: English, Spanish

Subtitles: French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Comments: Break The Silence

Summary: Yes, he's back, and he's still hungry. Ten years after "The Silence of the Lambs", Dr. Hannibal "the Cannibal" Lecter (Anthony Hopkins, reprising his Oscar-winning role) is living the good life in Italy, studying art and sipping espresso. FBI agent Clarice Starling (Julianne Moore, replacing Jodie Foster), on the other hand, hasn't had it so good--an outsider from the start, she's now a quiet, moody loner who doesn't play bureaucratic games and suffers for it. A botched drug raid results in her demotion--and a request from Lecter's only living victim, Mason Verger (Gary Oldman, uncredited), for a little Q and A. Little does Clarice realize that the hideously deformed Verger--who, upon suggestion from Dr. Lecter, peeled off his own face--is using her as bait to lure Dr. Lecter out of hiding, quite certain he'll capture the good doctor.
Taking the basic plot contraptions from Thomas Harris's baroque novel, "Hannibal" is so stylistically different from its predecessor that it forces you to take it on its own terms. Director Ridley Scott gives the film a sleek, almost European look that lets you know that, unlike the first film (which was about the quintessentially American Clarice), this movie is all Hannibal. Does it work? Yes--but only up to a point. Scott adeptly sets up an atmosphere of foreboding, but it's all buildup for anticlimax, as Verger's plot for abducting Hannibal (and feeding him to man-eating wild boars) doesn't really deliver the requisite visceral thrills, and the much-ballyhooed climatic dinner sequence between Clarice, Dr. Lecter, and a third unlucky guest wobbles between parody and horror. Hopkins and Moore are both first-rate, but the film contrives to keep them as far apart as possible, when what made "Silence" so amazing was their interaction. When they do connect it's quite thrilling, but it's unfortunately too little too late. "--Mark Englehart"

Sound: DTS

Comments: We've Sensed It. We've Seen The Signs. Now... It's Happening.

Summary: You'd expect the end of the world to be no day in the park, but in M. Night Shyamalan's "The Happening", a day in the park is where the end begins. One otherwise peaceful summer morning, New Yorkers strolling in Central Park come to a halt in unison, then begin killing themselves by any means at hand. At a high-rise construction site a few blocks over, it's raining bodies as workers step off girders into space. And all the while, the city is so quiet you can hear the gentle breeze in the trees. That breeze carries a neurotoxin, and what or who put it there (terrorists?) is a question raised periodically as the film unfolds. But the question that really matters is how and whether anybody in the Middle Atlantic states is going to stay alive.
"The Happening" is Shyamalan's best film since "The Sixth Sense", partly because he avoids the kind of egregious misjudgment that derailed "The Village" and "Lady in the Water", but mostly because the whole thing has been structured and imagined to keep faith with the point of view of regular, unheroic folks confronted with a mammoth crisis. Focal characters are a Philadelphia high-school science teacher (Mark Wahlberg, excellent), his wife (Zooey Deschanel) and math-teacher colleague (John Leguizamo), and the latter’s little girl (Ashlyn Sanchez). Instinct says get out of the cities and move west; most of the film takes place in the delicately picturesque Pennsylvania countryside, with menace hovering somewhere in the haze. There are no special effects (apart from a wind machine and some breakaway glass), but the movie manages to be deeply unsettling in the matter-of-factness of its storytelling. Especially effective is its feel for what we might call the surrealism of banality. One warning sign that someone has been infected by the neurotoxin is irrational or erratic speech and behavior, yet Shyamalan has a genius for dialogue that sounds normal and everyday as it's spoken, yet flies apart grenade-like a second later as its logic (or illogic) sinks in. Then there's Deschanel's eye-rolling dodginess about the messages some guy has been leaving on her cellphone. Or the fellow (Frank Collis) who addresses his greenhouse plants as though they were his children--has a stray toxic zephyr wafted his way, or is this just his idea of normal? "--Richard T. Jameson"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: SDDS

Comments: WARNING: May Cause Toe-Tapping.

Summary: For anyone who thought the Oscar-winning documentary "March of the Penguins" was the most marvelous cinematic moment for these nomads of the south, you haven't seen nothing yet. "Happy Feet" is an animated wonder about a penguin named Mumble who can't sing, but can dance up a storm. George Miller, the driving force behind the "Babe" (and "Mad Max") movies, takes another creative step in family entertainment with this big, beautiful, music-fueled film that will have kids and their parents dancing in the streets. From his first moment alive, Mumble (voiced Elijah Woods) feels the beat and can't stop dancing. Unfortunately, emperor penguins are all about finding their own heart song, and the dancing youngster--as cute as he is--is a misfit. Luckily, he bumps into little blue penguins and a Spanish-infused group (led by Robin Williams) and begins a series of adventures. Miller has an exceptional variety of entertainment: Busby Berkley musical numbers, amusement-park thrills, exciting chase sequences (seals and orca lovers might like think otherwise), and even an environmental message that doesn't weigh you down. Best of all, you don't know where the movie is going in the last act, a rare occurrence these days in family entertainment. A fusion of rock songs, mashed-up and otherwise, are featured; this movie is as much a musical as a comedy. Mumble's solo dance to a new version of Stevie Wonder's "I Wish" by Fantasia, Patti, and Yolanda may be the most joyful moment on camera in 2006. "--Doug Thomas"
On the DVD
There are two new animated sequences, which aren't incorporated into the film. One's a half-minute hackysack-themed bit, but the other is a good-looking, two-minute scene featuring the late Steve Irwin as an albatross, who, with Mumble, encounters a blue whale. "Dance Like a Penguin: Stomp to the Beat" is hosted by Savion Glover, whose dancing was motion-captured for the film, but other than a couple basic tips, it's pretty much a demonstration rather than a lesson. In addition to the two music videos (Gia's "Hit Me Up" and Prince's "The Song of the Heart"), "I Love to Singa" is an appropriately matched 1936 Merrie Melodies cartoon in which a young owl ruffles feathers by wanting to sing jazz for his classical-music-loving family. "--David Horiuchi"
More "Happy Feet"
Blu-ray
Combo HD/DVD
More Penguin DVDs

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Comments: He doesn't play golf... he destroys it.

Summary: Whats not to like? Sandler comes up with another funny, but thin premise. This time Sandler plays a hockey player turned golf pro because he needs the cash. The only thing is he can't putt worth his salt, but he can smash a drive like nobody's business! This is pretty damn funny and the Sandler / Bob Barker fight is......"Priceless"!(no pun intended) OK, it was! The DVD transfer is good.

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround

Comments: Don't hunt what you can't kill.

Summary: Jean-Claude Van Damme, "the Muscles from Brussels," has sought to revitalize his flagging career by working with the most adrenalized directors from Hong Kong action films. His first such effort was this, the umpteenth remake of "The Most Dangerous Game", which teamed him with Hong Kong's most fluid action poet, John Woo. Woo does what he can but, as much magic as he injects into the action, he can't turn Van Damme into an actor. Still, this is above-average fare for the wooden Belgian, in which he plays a guy trying to bust a ring of hunters who pay for the right to track and kill human quarry. And Woo has the ever-reliable Lance Henriksen as the chief bad guy, always a plus. "--Marshall Fine"

Languages: English

Sound: Dolby Digital

Comments: This time they're running from the joint.

Summary: The morning they return from their White Castle road trip, Harold and Kumar decide to go to Amsterdam because Harold doesn't want to wait ten days to see Maria again. On the plane, Kumar lights up his new bong, the air marshals think it's a bomb, and Harold and Kumar are arrested as terrorists and sent to Guantanamo Bay. Ordered to fellate a guard, they manage to escape, make their way to Florida, and head for Texas to find Kumar's ex-girlfriend's fiancé, the well-connected Colton, and get him to intercede with Washington on their behalf. Kumar still has a thing for Vanessa, the feds are in hot pursuit, and the legal weed of Amsterdam seems a long way away.

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Comments: Fast Food. High Times.

Summary: If you like your comedy extreme and your action twisted, buckle up for this epic story of deep inhaling and sizzling hot buns!

Straitlaced, hard-working Harold (John Cho, the 'American Pie' movies) and his roomate, the rebellious, hard-partying Kumar (Kal Penn, 'National Lampoon's Van Wilder), have only one thing in common - a serious case of the munchies. As they set out on a quest to satisfy their craving, Harold and Kumar's simple road trip turns into a hilarious all-night adventure filled with outrageous obstacles, sick characters and dangerous, sexy curves!

With a hysterically funny supporting cast including Neil Patrick Harris and Fred Willard, 'Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle' will take you on a rollercoster comedy ride.

Languages: English

Summary: The Harry Potter Limited Edition Giftset includes Harry Potters Years 1-5, a Harry Potter DVD game Hogwarts Challenge, along with a bonus disc containing over 2 hours of enhanced content, an exclusive "Harry Potter's Bookmark Collection", and collectible trading cards.

Languages: English

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround

Comments: Some Houses Are Born Bad.

Summary: Suffering from the extreme bad luck of being released at the same time as the low-budget "The Blair Witch Project", this adaptation of "The Haunting of Hill House" attempts to update Shirley Jackson's psychologically terrifying ghost story to the era of big-budget, computerized special effects. Does it work? Well, let's just say that showing isn't exactly the same as telling. A prime example of bloated studio filmmaking, "The Haunting" telegraphs all its frights so blatantly that it forsakes any of Jackson's subtle horrors for the remedial scares of a clunky carnival ride. The story remains basically the same, with four people called to an old mansion for experiments in the supernatural, but instead of getting inside the heads of its main characters (as the 1963 adaptation by Robert Wise did so well), Jan DeBont's film deserts character development for the huge, glorious set design provided by Eugenio Zanetti ("Restoration"). Thus, instead of a well-drawn story you get... a well-drawn house, one that four very talented and underutilized actors--Lili Taylor, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Liam Neeson, and Owen Wilson--wander around in endlessly (as Zeta-Jones puts it, the house is "sort of Charles Foster Kane meets the Munsters"). Taylor, as the hypersensitive Nell, is the unknowing lynchpin in the battle between good and bad ghosts and gets saddled with most of the expository dialogue of the mansion's gothic backstory. Zeta-Jones (showing some spark) and Neeson (showing none) are sadly reduced to providing reactionary shots of the film's disastrous climax, which mixes hapless new-age affirmations with computer-generated effects of ghosts and exploding windows, walls, doors, etc. For this haunted-house story, take a quick tour of the breathtaking rooms, but definitely "don't" stay the night. "--Mark Englehart"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Comments: They'll Give Anyone A Badge.

Summary: The redneck rube from the "Blue Collar Comedy Tour" franchise plays a character much like himself in this feature, which balances Larry the Cable Guy's occasional excesses in toilet humor with strong comic performances from the supporting cast. Larry plays a dedicated health inspector who gets in over his head when the city mayor (Joe Pantoliano) personally appoints him to investigate a rash of food poisonings at five-star restaurants. Larry's ignorance of anything cultural that doesn't involve his truck or MoonPies proves a handicap, but his knowledge of vermin and disarmingly unabashed way of interviewing witnesses and suspects slowly gets him where he needs to go. For the most part, the movie gives the comedian plenty of room to indulge his gross-out shtick. But it helps to have some other talent on board, notably Tom Wilson as Larry's exasperated boss, Iris Bahr as a dreary new partner Larry thinks is a man, David Koechner as a halfwit friend, Joanna Cassidy as a restaurant owner, and Megyn Price as Larry's shy but headstrong girlfriend. "--Tom Keogh"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Comments: Love blows

Summary: Ben Stiller and the Farrelly brothers bring out the best in each other. In "The Heartbreak Kid", Stiller plays Eddie Cantrow, who--persuaded by his father and friends that he's commitment-phobic--marries a gorgeous and seemingly ideal woman named Lila (Malin Akerman, "The Brothers Solomon") that he's been dating for several weeks. But after the wedding, things start to go awry... the least of these being that on their honeymoon, Eddie meets a woman who might truly be the girl of his dreams (Michelle Monaghan, "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang"). As in "There's Something About Mary", writers/directors Bobby and Peter Farrelly push Stiller away from his increasingly schticky "tense guy" persona and draw out his sweeter, more multilayered earnest side. On his end, Stiller provides a human core to what could just be a festival of raunch and absurdity (the movie features aroused donkeys, deviated septum jokes, and digitally-enhanced body hair, among other items of questionable taste). It only takes a quick comparison with Jim Carrey in "Me, Myself & Irene" or Jack Black in "Shallow Hal" to see what a surprisingly delicate balance that is. "The Heartbreak Kid" may not be quite as wildly sublime as "There's Something About Mary", but it comes extremely close, with kudos to Akerman for her unrestrained nuttiness. "--Bret Fetzer"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, French

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Comments: What if one of life's great mysteries moved in upstairs?

Summary: Fans of "The Green Mile" and "The Shawshank Redemption" will feel a similar affection for "Hearts in Atlantis", a Stephen King adaptation that again finds the horror writer in more mainstream waters, with a bit of dabbling in the supernatural. When mysterious out-of-towner Ted Brautigan (Anthony Hopkins) moves into the boarding house that 11-year-old Bobby Garfield (Anton Yelchin) shares with his self-involved mother (Hope Davis), Bobby jumps at the chance to befriend an adult who talks to him straightforwardly. Ted enlists Bobby to read him the newspaper daily--and to keep an eye out for the "low men" bent on capturing Ted, who possesses a strange mind-reading power. Hopkins is in fine form, ably matched by the phenomenal young Yelchin, but director Scott Hicks ("Shine") more often than not flattens out the dramatic arcs of the story, despite all the intriguing turns the film takes. Thankfully, though, the schmaltz factor is kept to a minimum, making "Hearts in Atlantis" a heartfelt coming-of-age drama. "--Mark Englehart"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Comments: From "The Godfather" to "Scent of a Woman".From "Raging Bull" to "Goodfellas".Two of America's celebrated superstars will finally collide.

Summary: When Al Pacino and Robert De Niro squarer off, HEAT sizzles. A tale of a brilliant L.A. cop (Pacino) following the trail from a deadly armed robbery to a crew headed by an equally brilliant master thief (De Niro). Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, Tom Sizemore, Ashley Judd and Natalie Portman co-star.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French

Sound: Dolby

Comments: From the Dark Side to Our Side

Summary: In the ongoing deluge of comic-book adaptations, "Hellboy" ranks well above average. Having turned down an offer to helm "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" in favor of bringing "Hellboy"'s origin story to the big screen, the gifted Mexican director Guillermo del Toro compensates for the excesses of "Blade II" with a moodily effective, consistently entertaining action-packed fantasy, beginning in 1944 when the mad monk Rasputin--in cahoots with occult-buff Hitler and his Nazi thugs--opens a transdimensional portal through which a baby demon emerges, capable of destroying the world with his powers. Instead, the aptly named Hellboy is raised by the benevolent Prof. Bloom, founder of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, whose allied forces enlist the adult Hellboy (Ron Perlman, perfectly cast) to battle evil at every turn. While nursing a melancholy love for the comely firestarter Liz (Selma Blair), Hellboy files his demonic horns ("to fit in," says Bloom) and wreaks havoc on the bad guys. The action is occasionally routine (the movie suffers when compared to the similar "X-Men" blockbusters), but del Toro and Perlman have honored Mike Mignola's original Dark Horse comics with a lavish and loyal interpretation, retaining the amusing and sympathetic quirks of character that made the comic-book Hellboy a pop-culture original. He's red as a lobster, puffs stogies like Groucho Marx, and fights the good fight with a kind but troubled heart. What's not to like? "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Comments: Saving the world is a hell of a job

Summary: The feverish "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" is a very busy sequel that might have looked unhinged in the hands of a less visionary director than Guillermo del Toro. Ron Perlman returns as Hellboy, aka "Red," the Dark Horse Comics demon-hero with roots in the mythical world but personal ties in the human realm. Still working, as he was in "Hellboy", for a secret department of the federal government that deals (as in "Men In Black") with forces of the fantastic, Red and his colleagues take on a royal elf (Luke Goss) determined to smash a longtime truce between mankind and the forces of magic. Meanwhile, Red's relationship with girlfriend Liz (Selma Blair), who can burst into flames at will, is going through a rocky stage observed by Red's fishy friend Abe (Doug Jones), himself struck by love in this film. Del Toro brilliantly integrates the ordinary and extraordinary, diving into an extended scene set in a troll market barely hidden behind the façade of typical city streets. He also unleashes a forest monster that devastates an urban neighborhood, but then--interestingly--brings a luminous beauty to the same area as the creature (an "elemental") succumbs to a terrible death. Del Toro's art direction proves masterful, too, in a climactic battle set in a clockworks-like stronghold tucked away in rugged Irish landscape. But it's really the juxtaposition of visual marvels with not-so-unusual relationship issues that gives "Hellboy II" a certain jaunty appeal hard to find in other superhero movies. --"Tom Keogh"




Stills from "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" (Click for larger image)

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: French

Sound: Dolby

Comments: Start your engines...

Summary: The simple pleasure of watching a living car squirt oil in a villain's face just never goes away. Disney, in their effort to revitalize the "Herbie" franchise, has made the wise choice of not trying too hard--aside from a small bit of skateboarding action, just about every element of "Herbie: Fully Loaded" would fit right into the 1963 original (groovily titled "The Love Bug") or its various sequels. Maggie Peyton (Lindsay Lohan, the fiery-tressed starlet of "Mean Girls" and "Freaky Friday") wants to join her family's dynasty of race car drivers, but her father (Michael Keaton, "Batman Returns") worries that she'll get hurt. Instead, as a college graduation gift, he buys her a junked-out Volkswagen Beetle--which turns out to be Herbie, a car with a mind of its own. Soon Maggie and Herbie are racing against an arrogant racing champion (Matt Dillon, "Crash", "There's Something About Mary") and duking it out with monster trucks, eventually hoping her father's heart will change. "Herbie: Fully Loaded" is formulaic fluff, but executed with cheerful enthusiasm; everyone involved has clearly embraced the mix of slapstick hijinks and light family drama. There's even a handful of cameos by NASCAR drivers. The result is every bit as ridiculous yet entertaining as its forebears. "--Bret Fetzer"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround

Comments: Everything you trust. Everything you know. May be a lie...

Summary: A welcomed reunion of "Kiss the Girls" costars Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman makes "High Crimes" a worthwhile thriller with vivid, likable characters. Efficiently directed by Carl Franklin, this military mystery doesn't have the unpredictable edginess of Franklin's "Devil in a Blue Dress", but its twisting plot is sure to hold anyone's attention. Judd plays a successful, happily married lawyer whose husband (Jim Caviezel) is accused of killing innocent citizens during his military service in El Salvador some 13 years earlier. A cover-up implicates a powerful Brigadier General (Bruce Davison), but when Judd hires a maverick attorney (Freeman), Judd is caught in a potentially lethal trap of threats and deception. Attentive viewers will stay ahead of the action, and alleged villains are posed as obvious decoys. Still, Judd and Freeman have an appealing rapport (shared with Amanda Peet, playing Judd's vivacious sister), and Freeman's character flaws add worldly spice to yet another rich performance. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Comments: For centuries, we've been told there can be only one.

Summary: Despite a typically haphazard plot, "Highlander: Endgame" is a marked improvement over previous sequels. This is the "torch-passing" chapter, in which the Immortal Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert) passes his life force to his heroic brother, Duncan (Adrian Paul, star of the 1993-96 "Highlander" TV series). These appealing stars make a fine onscreen duo, and Paul is a terrific choice to keep the franchise alive--strikingly handsome but possessing enough gravitas to make the prospect of future sequels unexpectedly promising. The movie is incoherent to the uninitiated, but established fans will be reasonably impressed by "Endgame"'s cagey mix of romance, swordplay, and history-spanning action. While the movie's chaotic construction is regrettable, the frequent battles (including dazzling work by Honk Kong action star Donnie Yen) are adequately impressive, and Douglas Milsome--cinematographer of Stanley Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket"--ensures that every scene is strikingly photographed. All in all, "Highlander: Endgame" is surprisingly worthwhile. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French

Sound: Dolby

Comments: The cure for the common man.

Summary: Will Smith's easygoing charm makes "Hitch" the kind of pleasant, uplifting romantic comedy that you could recommend to almost anyone--especially if there's romance in the air. As suave Manhattan dating consultant Alex "Hitch" Hitchens, Smith plays up the smoother, sophisticated side of his established screen persona as he mentors a pudgy accountant (Kevin James) on the lessons of love. The joke, of course, is that Hitch's own love life is a mess, and as he coaches James toward romance with a rich, powerful, and seemingly inaccessible beauty named Allegra (Amber Valetta), he's trying too hard to impress a savvy gossip columnist (Eva Mendes) with whom he's fallen in love. Through mistaken identities and mismatched couples, director Andy Tennant brings the same light touch that made Drew Barrymore's "Ever After" so effortlessly engaging. As romantic comedies go, "Hitch" doesn't offer any big surprises, but as a date movie it gets the job done with amiable ease and style. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: It’s hard not to feel like one has entered a certain dimension of video-game logic while watching "Hitman", a lightly enjoyable action-suspense movie indeed based on a popular and bloody game about a mysterious hired gun with a bar-code tattoo on his bald head and a number (47) in lieu of a name. Living like a chaste monk while slipping past borders to kill his targets, 47 (Timothy Olyphant of "Deadwood") moves like a determined shark and speaks softly to his contact at the enigmatic "the Organization," which raises cast-off children to become well-paid assassins. Fruitlessly pursued by an Interpol cop (Dougray Scott) who can never get sovereign governments to cooperate, 47 has no trouble slipping in and out of countries to ply his trade. Until, that is, he’s set up to take a fall in Russia by shooting a national leader who is promptly replaced by a lookalike double. Suddenly on the run, 47 has to retrace his steps and formulate a lethal plan for extricating himself from a trap. Caught in the chaos is the lovely Nika (Olga Kurylenko), forced into sex slavery by 47’s new enemies and the one person who seems uniquely qualified to break through 47’s many personal barriers. Directed by France’s Xavier Gens, "Hitman" features loads of bloody mayhem and unabashed moments of pulp absurdity, such as a scene in which 47 and three other Organization killers agree to fight one another respectfully, then proceed to pulverize each other with swords and fists. As fodder for gamers, however, "Hitman" is packed with visuals and dramatic moments that seem so odd on the big screen until one realizes they are basically placemarkers for the video-game edition. --"Tom Keogh"

Beyond "Hitman"
"Hitman" Video Games
"Hitman" Books and Game Guides
More Action and Adventure on Blu-ray


Stills from "Hitman"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French

Sound: Dolby

Comments: What would you do if you were invisible? How far would you go?

Summary: In Paul Verhoeven's appropriately shallow "Hollow Man", Kevin Bacon plays a bad-boy egotistical scientist who heads up a double-secret government team experimenting with turning life-forms invisible. How do we know he's a bad boy? Because he (a) wears a leather overcoat, (b) compares himself to God, (c) drives a sports car, and (d) spies on his comely next-door neighbor while eating Twinkies. Sadly, this is the most character development anyone gets in this undernourished action/sci-fi thriller, which boasts some amazing special effects and some amazingly ridiculous plot twists. After experimenting rather ruthlessly on a menagerie of lab animals, Bacon finally cracks the code that will turn the invisible gorillas, dogs, and so on, back into their visible forms. Does it work on humans? Faster than you can say "six degrees," Mr. Bacon appoints himself human guinea pig, strapping down for an injection of fluorescent-colored serum. Thanks to some phenomenal, seamless and Oscar-worthy computer effects, Bacon is indeed rendered invisible, organ by organ, vein by vein. And what's the first thing you'd do if you were invisible? Why, spy on your female coworkers in the bathroom and molest your comely next-door neighbor, of course! Soon, Bacon is thoroughly psychotic, and it's up to Elisabeth Shue (Bacon's coworker and ex-girlfriend) and hunky Josh Brolin (her current snuggle bunny) to defeat the invisible man, who's picking off the science team one by one. You'd think this would be a prime opportunity for copious amounts of cheesy sex and aggressive violence--which Verhoeven served up so well and so exuberantly in "Starship Troopers" and "Basic Instinct"--but if anything, the director seems to tone down the proceedings, and really, who wants a muted Paul Verhoeven movie? Shue (who got top billing and a bad haircut to boot) and Brolin (who, yes, does take off his shirt at least once) generate little heat, and while Bacon does give an effective, primarily voice-oriented performance, his character is so underdeveloped that, well, you can see right through him. "--Mark Englehart"

Languages: English, Spanish, French

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Comments: Living in Holly wood can make you famous. Dying in Hollywood can make you a legend.

Summary: The fact-based mystery of "Hollywoodland" takes place in 1959, when the death of "Adventures of Superman" TV star George Reeves cast a pall over the waning days of golden-age Hollywood. As written by Paul Bernbaum, this intriguing whodunit effectively evokes the tainted atmosphere that surrounded Reeves' death (officially ruled a suicide but never conclusively solved), and speculates on circumstances to suggest that Reeves may have been murdered. In combining the melancholy course of Reeves' career with the investigation of a down-and-out private detective into the possible causes of Reeves' death, the film evolves into an engrossing study of parallels between lives on either side of the Hollywood dream. Building upon a distinguished career in TV including episodes of HBO's "The Sopranos", "Rome" and "Six Feet Under", director Allen Coulter finds a satisfying balance between the tragic overtones of the Reeves case and the time-honored elements of the gumshoe genre, with Adrien Brody doing fine work as private eye Louis Simo, a fictional composite character who is our conduit to the desperate yearnings of Reeves' final months.
In a critically acclaimed performance, Ben Affleck plays Reeves in moody flashbacks, caught between "Superman" stardom and financial dependence on his lover Toni Mannix (Diane Lane), the somewhat predatory wife of Hollywood "fixer" and MGM honcho Eddie Mannix (Bob Hoskins), whose mob connections suggest foul play as Simo's investigation progresses. Reeves' subsequent lover (played by Robin Tunney) may also be culpable, and as Simo's own personal life unravels, his empathy for Reeves takes on added significance. In presenting its mystery as a set of plausible scenarios, "Hollywoodland" holds interest as a mystery that's refreshingly compassionate toward the fate of its characters. Warts and all, they're likable dreamers in a town where dreams don't always come true. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Sound: Dolby

Comments: Trouble In The Hood

Summary: "Hoodwinked" fuses the classic fairy tale of "Little Red Riding Hood" with the crisscrossing storylines of "film noir"--pretty ambitious stuff for a computer-animated cartoon. The police cordon off Grandma's cottage and an amphibious version of William Powell named Nicky Flippers (voiced by David Ogden Stiers, "M*A*S*H") begins interrogating the suspects: A Little Red in bell-bottoms (Anne Hathaway, "Ella Enchanted"), a Wolf turned investigative journalist (Patrick Warburton, "The Woman Chaser"), a snow-boarding Granny (Glenn Close, "101 Dalmatians"), and a dimwitted would-be Woodsman (Jim Belushi, "Curly Sue"), each of whom have very different reasons for ending up in that cottage living room. The visual style of "Hoodwinked" mixes a clunky, video-game look with an homage to the stop-motion puppetry of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and other Rankin-Bass holiday specials. While sometimes awkward, there are also moments of surreal beauty, such as when a depressed Red wanders through a field of blue and red flowers--and moments of lunatic comedy, such as the Schnitzel song, which is irresistibly bizarre. The "Shrek"-style pop-culture references grow annoying, but the left-field goofiness of a yodeling goat points toward a far more distinct and delightful comic world. Also featuring the voices of Anthony Anderson ("Kangaroo Jack"), rapper Xzibit, and an especially witty turn by Andy Dick ("NewsRadio") as a deceptively cute bunny rabbit. "--Bret Fetzer"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital

Comments: One Elephant One World One Story

Summary: Dr. Seuss's classic 1954 book "Horton Hears a Who" has entertained generations of children and served as the inspiration for a 26-minute, 1970 television special "Dr. Seuss's Horton Hears a Who" and the 2000 Broadway musical "Seussical: The Musical". This 2008, full-length animated movie features the voice talents of Jim Carrey as Horton, Steve Carrell as the Mayor of Whoville, Carol Burnett as the Kangaroo, and Jesse McCartney as JoJo and promises to delight a whole new generation of children and their parents and grandparents. The technological wonders of computer animation have allowed 20th Century Fox Animation to bring to life the wacky, colorful Whoville with its minute inhabitants and the lush Jungle of Nool with its host of distinctive animals and the result is a rich, fantastical world of wonder worthy of Dr. Seuss' own imagination. All the major plot elements of Dr. Seuss' book are present, with Horton hearing the faint cry for help from a tiny dust speck atop a small clover and doing his best to protect the inhabitants of that small civilization of Whoville despite the disbelief, disdain, and persecution of his fellow animals. The feel of Dr. Seuss' original rhyming prose is partially preserved in the sparse narration by Charles Osgood that's interspersed throughout the film's dialogue and the overarching themes of staying true to one's convictions and the celebration of the power of perseverance, imagination, and kindness come through loud and clear. "Horton Hears a Who" is a fun rendering of a classic Dr. Seuss story that's sure to entertain viewers of all ages. --"Tami Horiuchi"
Beyond "Horton Hears a Who !" on DVD
"Nim’s Island" on DVD
"Alvin and the Chipmunks" on DVD
"Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium" on DVD


Stills from "Horton Hears a Who!" (Click for larger image)

Languages: English, French, Portuguese

Subtitles: Chinese, English, French, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Comments: Welcome To Your Worst Nightmare

Summary: Well-made for the genre--the excessive-skin-displayed-before-gruesome-bloody-torture-begins genre--"Hostel" follows two randy Americans (Jay Hernandez, "Friday Night Lights", and Derek Richardson, "Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd") and an even randier Icelander (Eythor Gudjonsson) as they trek to Slovakia, where they're told beautiful girls will have sex with anyone with an American accent. Unfortunately, the girls will also sell young Americans to a company that offers victims to anyone who will pay to torture and murder. To his credit, writer/director Eli Roth ("Cabin Fever") takes his time setting things up, laying a realistic foundation that makes the inevitable spilling of much blood all the more gruesome. The sardonic joke, of course, is that Americans are worth the most in this brothel of blood because everyone else in the world wants to take revenge upon them. This dark humor and political subtext help set "Hostel" above its more brainless sadistic compatriots, like "House of Wax" or "The Devil's Rejects". In general, though, there's something lacking; horror used to suggest some threat to the spirit--today's horror can conceive of nothing more troubling than torturing the flesh. For aficionados, "Hostel" features a nice cameo by Takashi Miike, director of bloody Japanese flicks like "Audition" and "Ichi the Killer". "--Bret Fetzer"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: With repulsion levels at least comparable to "Cannibal Holocaust", Herschell Gordon Lewis' "Blood Feast", and other gory slasher landmarks, Eli Roth's "Hostel 2" reconfigures ideas of violence to test how down and dirty a horror film can get. The film raises the stakes, leaving those who wish to make a sicker film out in the lurch for the time being. This sequel, like the first "Hostel", is set in and around a Slovakian factory where European students are kidnapped, tortured, and killed by rich businessmen who pay enormous sums to experience death firsthand. An international elite, all tattooed with a bulldog insignia, bid on young people to slaughter in a mob-organized, high-end, sex-slave trade catering to those with a death fetish. In "Hostel 2", three girls from Rome, Beth (Laura German), Whitney (Bijou Phillips), and Lorna (Heather Matarazzo), are lured to Slovakia by a sultry, vampiric hottie (Vera Jordonova) who modeled for them in figure drawing class. Sidetracked and disoriented by some Pagan Slovakian festivals and luxurious hot springs, the girls slip away one by one, until the film moves inside the torture chambers. One client sits in a bathtub beneath her victim, who she slices with a scythe to bathe in blood, Elizabeth Bathory-style. Body parts fly as clients entering the facilities select their weapons of choice in a room full of knives, power tools, and rubber clothing. As ridiculous as it sounds, haunting soundtrack and cinematography set a disturbing mood. Morbid humor, for example when a chainsaw unplugs centimeters from a victim's face, pays homage to "Hostel 2's" schlocky predecessors. Fortunately, one survivor remains, providing an ounce of vengeful, and sexy, satisfaction. As in the best exploitation films, gratuitous sex and violence are the norm here. What will be a warning to some to avoid this gruesome movie will be to others a cue to head straight to the theater. "--Trinie Dalton"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Comments: Big Cops. Small Town. Moderate Violence.

Summary: In "Shaun of the Dead", it was the zombie movie and the anomie of modern life. In "Hot Fuzz", Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg set their sights on the buddy cop blockbuster and the eccentric English village. The two worlds collide when overachieving London officer Nicholas Angel (Pegg) is promoted to sergeant. The catch is that he's being transferred to Agatha Christie country. His superiors (the comic trifecta of Martin Campbell, Steve Coogan, and Bill Nighy) explain that he's making the rest of the force look bad. On the surface, Sandford is a sleepy little burg where the most egregious crimes, like loitering, are committed by hoody-sporting schoolboys. In truth, it's a hotbed of "Willow Man"-style evil. Upon his arrival, Chief Butterman (Jim Broadbent) partners Angel with his daft son, Danny (Nick Frost, Pegg's "Shaun" co-star), who aspires to kick criminal "arse" like the slick duo in "Bad Boys II". When random citizens start turning up dead, he gets his chance. With the worshipful Danny at his side, Angel shows his cake-eating colleagues how things are done in the big city. As in "Shaun", their previous picture, Wright and Pegg hit their targets more often than not. With the success of that debut comes a bigger budget for car chases, shoot-outs, and fiery explosions. Though "Hot Fuzz" earns its R-rating with salty language and grisly deaths, the tone is more good-natured than mean-spirited. A wall-to-wall soundtrack of boisterous British favorites, like the Kinks, T-Rex, and Sweet, contributes to the fast-paced fun. "--Kathleen C. Fennessy"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo

Comments: The mother of all movies!

Summary: The gang that created "Airplane" and "The Naked Gun" sets its sights on "Top Gun" in this often hilarious spoof starring Charlie Sheen, who previously only inspired laughs with his personal life. He plays Topper Harley, a fighter pilot with an ax to grind: clearing the family name. He gets involved in a relationship with Valerie Golino, a woman with an unusually talented stomach. But his mission is to avenge his father. Lloyd Bridges, late in his career, revealed an aptitude for this kind of silliness, here as a commander who is both incredibly dim and delightfully accident prone. Directed by Jim Abrahams, the film makes fun of a variety of other films as well, from "Dances with Wolves" to "The Fabulous Baker Boys". It was so successful that they all returned in the sequel, "Hot Shots! Part Deux". "--Marshall Fine"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo

Comments: Just Deux it.

Summary: In this hilarious "Hot Shots!" sequel, former renegade pilot Topper Harley (Charlie Sheen) is once again recruited for a secret mission. This time the country's incompetent president (Lyod Bridges) sends him to the Middle East to resue U.S. hostages and the countless men who have already been sent in to rescue them. Pining for his former lover (Valeria Golino) in a Buddhist temple, Topper manages to pull himself together and sets out on his laugh-laden, action-packed task.

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Comments: When a country descended into madness and the world turned its back, one man had to make a choice

Summary: Solidly built around a subtle yet commanding performance by Don Cheadle, "Hotel Rwanda" emerged as one of the most highly-praised dramas of 2004. In a role that demands his quietly riveting presence in nearly every scene, Cheadle plays real-life hero Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager in the Rwandan capital of Kigali who in 1994 saved 1,200 Rwandan "guests" from certain death during the genocidal clash between tribal Hutus, who slaughtered a million victims, and the horrified Tutsis, who found safe haven or died. Giving his best performance since his breakthrough role in "Devil in a Blue Dress", Cheadle plays Rusesabagina as he really was during the ensuing chaos: "an expert in situational ethics" (as described by critic Roger Ebert), doing what he morally "had" to do, at great risk and potential sacrifice, with an understanding that wartime negotiations are largely a game of subterfuge, cooperation, and clever bribery. Aided by a United Nations official (Nick Nolte), he worked a saintly miracle, and director Terry George ("Some Mother's Son") brings formidable social conscience to bear on a true story you won't soon forget. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Sound: DTS

Comments: The most shocking tale of carnage ever seen.

Summary: There's no middle ground with this movie - you love it or hate it. When the movie begins, we are watching the beginning of "Dr. Wolfenstein's Creature Feature Show." It's a show that characters in the movie would be watching if they had their television tuned to that channel. Then Wolfenstein's show cuts to a commercial break, and we see the commercial for "The Museum of Monsters and Madmen." The museum's owner is a strange clown named Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig). After Spaulding's commercial ends, the movie cuts to the neon sign outside of Spaulding's museum/gas station. This is when the storyline for House of 1000 Corpses begins. Inside, Spaulding is chatting with a friend. The rather disgusting conversation involves a Dr. Zaius action figure and sodomy. Then two would-be robbers show up. After taunting one robber, Spaulding takes them out, then inhales the fumes from his recently fired revolver. Then he steps on the last guy with his huge clown shoe and finishes him off. Then the opening credits roll, and we are serenaded by the awesome Rob Zombie heavy metal song called "House of 1000 Corpses". And during the opening credits we get to see lots of film clips of all sorts of things, ranging from a sunset to a guy's mouth being prodded by a dentist. The sequence for the opening credits pleasantly reminds me of various White Zombie and Rob Zombie music videos.

And what would this movie be without a group of youngsters who are little more than lambs being led to the slaughter? I imagine it's hard for anyone to empathize with these four youngsters. Bill (Rainn Wilson) is INCREDIBLY ANNOYING. Jerry (Chris Hardwick) may be funny at times, but he's also absurdly childish. Bill's girlfriend Mary (Jennifer Jostyn) and Jerry's girlfriend Denise (Erin Daniels) certainly aren't friendly people. But I like the girls. The sight of them complaining and (in the case of Mary) throwing tantrums always makes me smile. But what on earth are they doing with losers like Bill and Jerry?

After meeting Spaulding, the four run into the bizarre Firefly family, and hang out at their farmhouse. After supper, it's time for live entertainment - SHOWTIME. The show begins with Grandpa Firefly (Dennis Fimple) up on the stage screaming into the microphone so loud it makes the audience jump. Then he begins a raunchy stand-up comedy routine, which Jerry (and myself) find incredibly funny. But if it was any actor other than Fimple doing the routine, it wouldn't be funny. Then Baby's (Sheri Moon Zombie) stageshow begins, which I found amusing and disturbing at the same time. There's something about the way she looks in that wig and make-up (and especially the way she's lip-synching) that frightens me. As Baby continues "singing", she pinches Mary's cheek, a sight that made me laugh uproariously. Mary's reaction is unexpected, but equally hilarious. Their mutual hatred couldn't be more obvious than when the switchblade comes out. Then the four try to make a hasty retreat. What happens next as they try to escape is AWESOME. Let's just say it involves scarecrows and some severe beatings. Unsurprisingly, they don't escape. The four are at the mercy of the Fireflys for the rest of the movie.

I occasionally found myself cringing during the girls' scenes with Otis (excellently portrayed by Bill Moseley). Karen Black was good, but Rob Zombie made Mother Firefly a lot crazier in the sequel, so overall I preferred Leslie Easterbrook's portrayal. Fimple died before The Devil's Rejects was made. But it would've been nice if Grandpa's absence in the sequel was explained - like having Otis mention Grandpa recently died of natural causes, or something like that.

There's lots of cool stuff in this movie, such as the colorful dream sequences, Baby's daydream sequence (dancing in flames and lying naked with charred skeletons), the graffiti on the walls of the Fireflys' house, the "snuff film", the "head shots", the murder in the scary looking graveyard, the strange occult ritual, the ghouls, the blood on the cross, Otis' ceremonial make-up, and especially the underground tunnels (decorated with the remains of the dead). What Denise sees down there is probably some of the most terrifying imagery in cinematic history. Dr. Satan's first appearance is AWESOME. A victim is laid out in the doctor's surgical chair, and the person's head is peeled open like a banana, as Dr. Satan applies a drill to the exposed brain of the "patient".

There's some hilarious parts too, like when Denise and Mary voice their reluctance to take Spaulding's Murder Ride, when Baby turns up the radio in the car, and when Otis kisses Mary on the mouth (which I also found disturbing), and the truck with a sign on the back that says "God is Dead." As it drives by, you can hear what sounds like a recording of a Christian fundamentalist preaching from a loudspeaker on the truck, while the movie's ominous background music is playing. There's no reason at all for that truck to be in the movie - but I LOVE how it's just there.

Rob Zombie's commentary is informative, and entertaining. So if the movie's ending doesn't make sense to you, listen to the commentary. I thought I had the ending figured out, but then I heard his commentary. It's a pretty cool ending, but I would've preferred it if the movie ended the way I initially assumed it ended.

Apparently, Mr. Zombie was often rewriting the script while he was filming the movie, and discarded lots of footage. I'd like to see a director's cut of this movie, or at least all of the deleted scenes. I'd love to see a House of 1000 Corpses Special Edition. That leads me to wonder - was the family actually supposed to have killed a thousand people, or was "The House of 1000 Corpses" just an exaggeration?

Languages: English

Sound: SDDS

Comments: A Tale Of Murder, Mayhem and Revenge

Summary: Director Rob Zombie breathed new life into the horror genre with House of 1000 Corpses. He gives us another taste of horror brilliance with its sequel, The Devil's Rejects. The DVD is packed with special features, but there's no cute character hosted menus this time. Among the special features are a tear-jerking tribute to the now deceased Matthew McGrory, and the entire episode of The Morris Green Show that was on the TV in the motel. And I must say, the image of Captain Spaulding that appears onscreen (after pressing 'Play Movie' on the DVD menu) is AWESOME. When accompanied by the chilling sound effects, Spaulding's image looks frightening.

This film begins six months after the events depicted in House of 1000 Corpses. The opening scene of The Devil's Rejects greets us with the sight of a young woman who appears to have been sexually assaulted and brutally slain. The corpse is being dragged by a towering man wearing a supercool mask that looks like a burlap sack (with eyeholes of course). The mere imagery of this scene is disturbing enough, but the chilling background music makes it especially unsettling. Anyone familiar with the first movie will know straightaway that the man is Tiny, even before we get a glimpse of his face. It's obvious Tiny's troubled by the sight of a long column of police vehicles heading for the family farm. The rest of the murderous family (except Rufus) are asleep at the farmhouse, and it becomes obvious to viewers that Otis has a penchant for necrophilia. We are then introduced to Sheriff Wydell (William Forsythe) the leader of this "search and destroy mission". He's eager to wipe out the Firefly family, for reasons later revealed in the film. The family refuse to surrender, and they don steel masks before opening fire. An AWESOME gun battle ensues, which puts most action movies to shame. The part where Otis rises up from behind a table wearing his steel skull mask (in slow-motion with the awesome background music blaring) is some of the coolest imagery I've ever seen in any movie. And the sight of the wounded cop using one hand to spray Rufus with an M-16 is almost as cool. But even all that body armor can't save Rufus. Then Mother Firefly is apprehended, Baby and Otis escape, and the movie is just getting started! (All that excitement took place in the first ten minutes!)

Unsurprisingly, there's lots of cool death scenes. But this sequel has very little in common with its predecessor. The violence is more graphic, there's even more splatter, and there's a much more serious undertone in The Devil's Rejects. But there's still some humorous moments - I especially enjoyed the part where Spaulding leaves a little boy in tears, and the part when Otis refuses to stop for ice cream. Throughout the film, we follow the remaining Fireflys on the run. As the saying goes, desperate people do desperate things. But Otis and Baby also do incredibly perverse things, especially at the motel. Needless to say, it's the end of the line for the Banjo and Sullivan road show.

This movie is better made than House of 1000 Corpses (better acting, directing, storyline, and so on), but I found The Devil's Rejects less enjoyable. This movie tries a clever trick on its viewers - to get us to root for the Fireflys. I admire the way Rob Zombie tries to achieve this, which reminded me of A Clockwork Orange. But my complaint is that I was ALREADY rooting for the Fireflys. Then after they arrived at the brothel (which by now most viewers would be rooting for the Fireflys) I found myself rooting for Wydell! Wydell makes a great antihero for the first hour or so of the film, and he's just as entertaining when he stops being the good guy and becomes another of this film's villains. The Fireflys remain villains throughout the entire film, but after Wydell goes bad, there's no good guys left in the movie. The Fireflys don't even seem evil towards the end of the movie, they seem more like antiheroes along the lines of Bonnie and Clyde. But the Fireflys leave such a powerful impression on viewers when they're butchering people, that the movie lost a lot of steam when Rob Zombie tried to portray them as antiheroes. But I'll give him credit for showing us the human side of the Fireflys. So anyway, the last half hour is a lot less enjoyable, bit it's still cool.

Another cool scene is when Wydell and the two bounty hunters (played by Danny Trejo and Dallas Page) attack the Fireflys at Charlie's brothel. Spaulding delivers a memorable quote once he turns around and sees Wydell. If you've ever seen 'Diamond' Dallas Page back when he was in the WCW as a pro wrestler, you'd remember that he was one of the biggest dorks in professional wrestling history. But I loved his sinister performance in this movie.

I enjoyed the scenes where the Fireflys get what they deserve. But the movie is marred by the final scene on the highway - that's when the film overstays its welcome. That highway scene is touching, but it would've been better if such a poignant moment took place earlier in the film, like before a final showdown between Wydell and the Fireflys. I wish the film ended in a violent bloodbath at the brothel (in which NO ONE would survive) instead of the violent bloodbath that happens later in this movie - but I loved the use of 'Freebird' and 'Seed of Memory'. Unfortunately, we never get to see Spaulding torturing anyone in House of 1000 Corpses or in this movie. The Spaulding character deserves to have an entire movie made about him, where he'd go on a murderous rampage. He'd need to be in his clown make-up for that entire film! And make sure you buy the AWESOME Original Motion Picture Score!

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: Spanish, French

Sound: AC-3

Comments: How far would you go to escape the past?

Summary: Given the formidable challenge of adapting Philip Roth's acclaimed novel to the screen, it's a wonder that "The Human Stain" retains so much of what makes Roth's novel a masterpiece. As adapted by Nicholas Meyer, Robert Benton's film is inevitably a different animal altogether, and it's wide open to charges of miscasting and thematic diffusion. But at its core, this delicate drama succeeds in exposing the sins that stain all of humanity, forcing men like former welterweight boxer and esteemed professor Coleman Silk (Anthony Hopkins) to forsake family and career to conceal his African American heritage. Light-skinned and passing as a Jewish professor of classics in a tony East Coast college, 71-year-old Silk sinks into scandal when an innocent remark is misinterpreted as a racist slur, and this--along with his affair with an illiterate 34-year-old janitor (Nicole Kidman), and friendship with a reclusive novelist (Gary Sinise)--forms the crux of Benton's multilayered inquiry into the oppressive aftershocks of guilt, shame, and mourning, and the effects of judgment (internal and external) on our ability to connect. Roth's novel was one thing, Benton's film is another. Despite differing degrees of success, both are worthy of praise. "--Jeff Shannon"