Literary Illusions is proud to be giving away three copies of State of Play on DVD. To enter all you need to do is leave us a comment. Please be sure to only leave one. Comments are moderated to avoid spam, so it will not show up right away. People who leave multiple comments will be deleted from the contest altogether. If you do not see your comment within a day then by all means leave another one. Otherwise, do not worry as we accept comments several times a day.

To enter you need to be 18 years of age and a resident of the US. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible. Winners will be announced here. If we do not hear from you within 3 weeks from the date the winners are announced you forfeit your prize and we will select another winner. Prizes will be shipped within 45 days from the day you win.

We will begin choosing winners for this on March 11, 2008, which means you have until March 10, 2008 at 11:59 to enter.

More Information from the back of the Box:

(more…)

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

In order to celebrate George Carlin’s newest exclusive, HBO Special, Literary Illusions is proud to be giving away five SIGNED posters of George Carlin. Please make sure you read the rules because this contest is a little bit different then our other contests. This time around you need to leave a comment with your favorite George Carlin quote. Easily one of the best comics of our time, it should be simple to find a suitable quote to leave as a comment. Comments that come without a quote will be deleted. If you submitted without a quote and do do not see your entry, please feel free to enter with a quote and your entry will be added.

To enter all you need to do is leave us a comment with your quote. Please be sure to only leave one comment. Comments are moderated to avoid spam, so it will not show up right away. People who leave multiple comments will be deleted from the contest altogether. If you do not see your comment within a day then by all means leave another one. Otherwise, do not worry as we accept comments several times a day and we promise that we will get yours up.

To enter you need to be 18 years of age and a resident of the US. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible. Winners will be announced here. If we do not hear from you within 3 weeks from the date the winners are announced you forfeit your prize and we will select another winner. Prizes will be shipped within 45 days from the day you win.

(more…)

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Writer: Milos Forman, Jean-Claude Carriere
Director: Milos Forman
Cast: Javier Bardem, Natalie Portman, Stellan Skarsgard, Randy Quaid
Rating: R
Studio: Sony Home Entertainment
Release Date: February 26, 2008

Historical movies are always incredibly interesting to me because I am a huge history buff. While movies like Goya’s Ghosts are not necessarily entirely factual, the chances of similar stories existing in similar situations is quite high. The time of The Inquisition is one of those periods that isn’t delved into too often anymore. When it is, it’s a crap shoot as to whether you are going to end up with a good movie or not. Thankfully, with Milos Forman (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest) on the case, you can usually expect something decent. The film is original in the sense that it combines a full period piece with the corruption of religion.

This is not to say that it is free of problems. Most movies have some problems. The problem with Goya’s Ghosts is that there is too much going on. There is more than one central story and while the movie is decent the way it is, it could have been so much better had it concentrated on one theme and left the others as subplots in the background. The result is a good movie that could have been a hell of a lot better if given the chance.

Release Information:
Goya’s Ghosts premiered in Madrid in 2006, long before it made a limited run in U.S. theaters. The film only made under $11 million worldwide during its run. When it comes to critics it has been hit or miss. They either love the artistic quality or have chalked it up to bigotry against the Church and a pile of drivel. I prefer to consider it the first rather than the last, but that’s just me.

(more…)

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Writer: Neil Gaiman, Roger Avary
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Cast: Ray Winstone, Robin Wright Penn, Anthony Hopkins, Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, Crispin Glover
Rating: Unrated
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: February 26, 2008

I had been looking forward to reviewing Beowulf from the moment I heard it was set to be released on film. I’m a lover of classic literature. The story of Beowulf, has always been one of the most intriguing pieces of literature I’ve ever had the chance to read. The epic poem, of considerable length and originally written in Old English, is believed to be from between the 8th and 11th centuries. That alone should make the tale of Beowulf enough of a classic. Yet, there is depth and vision in the story, depicting authors with amazing creativity and imagination even in times where such things might still be considered somewhat improper.

It was with this mindset that I set out to watch Beowulf both at the theater and again, when it came out on DVD. I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this to review and keep in my collection. While I do slightly enjoy this adaptation of the beloved story, this is only a surface emotion, due to the issues that arose during its adaptation and other small errors I simply am unable to overlook. Still, I feel that most critics are too harsh on Beowulf, so I must insist that you understand, my review of this shows that the film is average but not negative.

(more…)

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Writer: Stan Berkowitz, Darwyn Cooke
Director: Dave Bullock
Cast: David Boreanaz, Miguel Ferrer, Neil Patrick Harris, John Heard, Kyle MacLachlan, Kyra Sedgwick, Lucy Lawless, Vicki Lewis, Brooke Shields, Jeremy Sisto
Rating: PG-13
Studio: Warner Bros.
Release Date: February 26, 2008

I’m incredibly picky about the superhero cartoons I like. This includes the various Justice League television shows and movies that have been released. I like the idea of the Justice League, but some of the shows have been incredibly cheesy and cliche, such as the The All-New SuperFriends Hour. Others are slightly more entertaining like Legion of Super Heroes and The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians. Needless to say, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I received Justice League - The New Frontier to review.

I had seen the trailer for Justice League - The New Frontier on another Warner Bros. title I reviewed last month. What I saw from the trailer looked good. As a fan of Batman and Superman comics/cartoons, I was looking forward to at least checking Justice League - The New Frontier out. What I received was a well animated, well written take on the excellent DC:The New Frontier series, by Darwyn Cooke.

(more…)

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Writer: Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola
Director: Wes Anderson
Cast: Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzman, Amara Karan, Wallace Wolodarsky
Rating: R
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: February 26, 2008

The Darjeeling Limited is one of those rare movies that I have wanted to see for months and yet I knew as close to nothing about it, as possible. It wasn’t for lack of trying. It was more, I saw a trailer and then I forgot about it. The name stuck with me, but I couldn’t tell you who was in it or what it was about. All I knew was that I wanted to see this film. So, when it arrived on my desk for review, I couldn’t wait to pop it in and see what it was about.

I was sent a preview screener by 20th Century Fox. That being said, it is entirely possible that the actual store copy might have more special features or a better quality, if there are any issues. I am reviewing the quality of the disc that I received, but the information on quality and special features may be inaccurate if changes are made before the DVDs make it to the shelf. Either way, the movie was completely enjoyable and well worth watching.

I was delighted to find out that Jason Schwartzman was in this film. I think my first on-screen introduction to Schwartzman came in I Heart Huckabees, which is now one of my favorite movies. There is nothing quite as classic in the comedy world as Jason Schwartzman’s character reading his poetry while tied to a rock. That character can sum up my feelings for this movie in three simple words…”You rock…rock.” Well, maybe it doesn’t work as well if you’re not saying it to a rock, but you get the point.

(more…)

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Writer: Neil Gaiman, Roger Avary
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Cast: Ray Winstone, Robin Wright Penn, Anthony Hopkins, Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich
Rating: Unrated
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: February 26, 2008

Beowulf is one of those films that will have critics with mixed emotions. There is really no middle ground on this one. You will love it or you will hate it. I have yet to hear anyone say it was just alright. I am one of the ones that did not like this film. Perhaps it is the HD quality, which is not very good for this film (though for this kind of movie it is exceptional), but I highly doubt that as the much hyped story just didn’t appeal to me.

I had heard so much about Beowulf just like everyone else. The media went wild about the fact that Angelina Jolie was “naked” in this movie, even though its a CGI version of her and you don’t technically see nakedness. It was supposed to be a grand, epic film, but I just didn’t get that epic vibe. It was slow and hard to get into. I wanted to get into it, but in the end, nothing I did made me love this film. The graphics are nice, but for the most part I could have seriously lived without the story the way it was done here.

(more…)

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Writer: Anthony Hopkins
Director: Anthony Hopkins
Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Michael Clarke Duncan, Stella Arroyave, Camryn Manheim
Rating: R
Studio: Sony Home Entertainment
Release Date: February 26, 2008

When it comes to actors there are few that can draw out my admiration like the great Anthony Hopkins. It seems that everything he does has been amazing. Of course, that is until very recently. Lately, it seems he is just being wasted on projects that don’t suit his talent. This can be seen in Beowulf, where Hopkins plays a hapless King that does not have the power to protect his own Kingdom. In name only is his talent offered; a trained monkey could have played that part.

Slipstream seemed to offer some hope though. This is a movie that Hopkins not only stars in, but that he also directs and writes. You would assume that a man with this much talent would have no problem pulling an excellent movie off. That made it hard to watch when I realized that there was no way I would end up liking this. Its most easily described as a bi-polar, schizophrenic piece of film that is high on thoughts and scrambling to make a point. It is hard to connect or become interested and even if you do you are left with shallow sustenance at the end of the day. If you like Anthony Hopkins as much as I do, this just isn’t a good place to be.

(more…)

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Writers: Tomm Coker, David Elliot
Directors: Tomm Coker, David Elliot
Cast: Shannyn Sossamon, Pink, Emil Hostina, Sandi Dragoi, Mihai Stanescu, Cabral Ibacka, Radu Andrei Micu, Cain Manoli, DJ Kosta
Rating: Unrated
Studio: Lionsgate
Release Date: February 19, 2008

The thing I hate most about the horror genre is when a story has promise, but just doesn’t live up to its expectations. That is what I consider to be the major flaw of Catacombs. With the potential to be claustrophobic, intense, and freakishly heart pounding, you think I’d be somewhat satisfied with this movie. I wasn’t and in fact, I was disappointed by how un-scary it really was. That is just one of the major flaws of Catacombs. Well, that and the fact that Catacombs would work out much better if it were a short.

Unfortunately, the movie drags on for 30-50 minutes too long, and the audience, who could have been gripping the arm rests of their seats, are instead left to twiddle their thumbs, wondering when the movie is going to end. There are a few twists that might be surprising, though I’ve heard some say it was predictable, but by the time you reach that part of the movie, you’re already going to be bored out of your mind.

(more…)

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Writer: Thomas Middleton, William Rowley, George Bernard Shaw, JM Barrie, William Wycherley, Christopher Hampton
Director: Anthony Page, Cedric Messina, Donald McWhinnie, Stuart Burge
Cast: Helen Mirren, Stanley Baker, Brian Cox, Peter Barkworth, Trevor Baxter, Nigel Davenport, Ian Ogilvy, Anthony Andrews, Bernard Cribbins, James Bolam, Charles Gray, Colin Higgins, Amanda Knott
Rating: Unrated
Studio: BBC
Release Date: February 19, 2008

Helen Mirren is a woman that has had a long and distinguished career. Of course, many of these roles were not anything that the average person in the US is privy to seeing. These roles dealt with plays and British movies and television, which ruled it out for the majority of Americans. Most of the people lucky enough to see these performances watched Public Broadcasting more than they do their cable. Others, admittedly like me, are just having the chance to watch them for the first time thanks to this set, Helen Mirren at the BBC.

Some of the best material on these discs comes from just listening to Helen Mirren speak. She is incredibly engaging and fun to listen to. She never gets boring as she speaks of one thing or the next concerning her films and the BBC. It is interesting to hear her speak about the BBC particularly and how they do not do Classical works like they used to do them.

It made me laugh some because, this set is far ahead of what we are used to in many respects on the American screen. I suppose this could be why the US and UK releases have different movies. Then again, it could be that the movies were meant to suit the specific audiences. The movies are discussed in more detail in the plot section. It should be noted that the sets are not vastly different. However, there are some differences that do exist between them.

(more…)

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!