Movie Info:
Writer: John Logan, Stephen Sondheim
Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jamie Campbell Bower, Laura Michelle Kelly, Jayne Wisener
Rating: R
Studio: Dreamworks

Release Info:
DVD Release Date: October 21, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $27.95

I don’t tend to watch many musicals, though the ones that I do find interest in quickly become my favorite movies. Among them are Rent, Little Shop of Horrors, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. I never got a chance to see the play written by Sondheim. The first time I got to see anything concerning this Demon Barber was when it was released on DVD earlier in the year. I think I have been singing “Worst Pies in London” ever since.

It was only the genius of Tim Burton that could have convinced Sondheim to sell the rights to his play. Still he only agreed on the basis that he would have ultimate casting say over the movie. Burton was set on having Johnny Depp in the lead role and that is where he and Sondheim butted heads. Sondheim did not feel that he would be right for the role due to what he perceived as a more rock vocal style. However, upon hearing Depp’s vocal ability he was pleased enough to grant Burton’s wish and place Depp in the lead role.

Helena Bonham Carter was trickier. Some would assume that she only got the role because of her relationship with Tim Burton. The truth is that she beat out numerous big name actresses after taking extensive vocal lessons and sending around a dozen tapes to Sondheim personally. He was pleased with her vocals and was the one to approve her as the love-starved Mrs. Lovett. Sacha Baron Cohen on the other hand, had auditioned for his role specifically for Burton. In order to show off his vocal ability he decided to sing the entire score of Fiddler on the Roof. As you might have guessed, he won the part of Adolfo Pirelli.

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Movie Info:
Writers: Adam Sandler and Robert Smigel
Director: Dennis Dugan
Cast: Adam Sandler, John Turturro, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Nick Swardson, Lainie Kazan, Ido Mosseri, Rob Schneider, Dave Matthews, Michael Buffer, Charlotte Rae, Sayed Badreya, Daoud Heidami, Kevin Nealon, Robert Smigel
Rating: Unrated (PG-13)
Studio: Sony

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: June 6, 2008
DVD Release Date: October 7, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $

Imagine a movie where Adam Sandler is the hottest thing since sliced bread. The girls all dig him, the guys want to be him and he spends lots of time wiggling his hips in time to music, just to show off his abnormally large “package”. This thing is so huge, you assume NASA can see it from space. Well, you don’t have to imagine it, because that’s part of the premise for You Don’t Mess with the Zohan. I know that sounds kind of weird, but it is rather funny when it translates to screen. It’s that kind of, over the top, crude humor that Sandler is know for and allows him to thrive as an artist.

Here’s a note to all those parents with kids who like Adam Sandler. Watch this first, because boy was I embarrassed to be watching this film with my 13 year old Adam-Sandler obsessed son, who is somewhat naive and innocent despite understanding the point and premise of sex. There are many sex jokes in this and while it’s more than okay for older teens and adults, the youngsters will definitely have to skip seeing this one until they’re older. I think I would be embarrassed watching some of these moments period, because that was Sandler’s intent for the film!

While Zohan has Sandler returning to his earlier comic roots, with the kind of humor presented in Waterboy and Happy Gilmore, and it is a nice follow up to Chuck and Larry, it’s definitely not as good as said previously mentioned movies. Some of the jokes get a little too repetitious and while this is definitely better than Click, this wasn’t the return to comedy for Sandler that we all had hoped. Still, I have to admit, I found myself laughing out loud more than once.

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Movie Info:
Writer: Mario Puzo, Francis Ford Coppola
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Cast: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard S. Castellano, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard Conte, Al Lettieri, Diane Keaton, Abe Vigoda, Gianni Russo, Rudy Bond, John Cazale, Talia Shire, Lee Strasberg, Michael V. Gazzo, G.D. Spradlin, Gastone Moschin, Tom Rosqui, Eli Wallach, Joe Mantegna, George Hamilton, Bridget Fonda, Sofia Coppola, Raf Vallone, Franc D’Ambrosio, Donal Donnelly, Richard Bright
Rating: R
Studio: Paramount Home Entertainment

Release Info:
Original Air Dates: Direct to DVD
DVD Release Date: September 23, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $61.95

The first time I watched The Godfather I was hooked. It became my favorite movie at that time and has held that spot ever since. Movies have come and gone, but no matter how many times I watch this it never gets old. Sure, some might say that’s because it’s The Godfather and something this amazing couldn’t get old, but I think it’s more than that. I think it’s that the first and second movies were so much more than movies.

I think it’s safe to say that these first two films were art, serving as examples of what Hollywood used to produce and isn’t as frequent to offer anymore. The Godfather has been reviewed by countless critics and is one of the most loved movies of all time. It’s almost loved more than The Godfather II.

When you think about it, what isn’t there to love about this series? The young (at the time), emerging talents were all involved. Distinguished names like James Caan, Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton, Robert Duvall, Talia Shire (Coppola’s sister) and many others are present and accounted for. Al Pacino was practically unknown when he was given the role of Michael Corleone, a role that would change his career and launch him into stardom. Despite the fact that the role did that, he earned it.

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TV Show Info:
Writer: Various
Director: Various
Cast: Ellen Pompeo, Sandra Oh, Katherine Heigl, Justin Chambers, T.R. Knight, Chandra Wilson, James Pickens Jr., Patrick Dempsey, Kate Walsh, Sara Ramirez, Eric Dane, Chyler Leigh, Brooke Smith, Elizabeth Reaser
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Buena Vista/Disney

Release Info:
Original Air Dates: March 27, 2005 – present
DVD Box Set Release Date: September 9, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $66.95

Television hit a high point when I wasn’t looking. These days, I am afraid to watch a new show, because I watch too many amazing shows as it is. If only I could just be a professional television watcher, life would be good. However, even though there are many shows that I love, there seem to be few that I actually watch in the scheduled time frame that they air on television. With things like DVR and free episodes on the Internet it becomes less and less of a necessity to catch my favorite show on the network that it airs. Of course, there are a few shows that demand prompt attention because I just cannot wait to see them. Grey’s Anatomy is one of these shows. It’s something that I just cannot miss.

I had just started watching Grey’s during the third season, despite my mother nagging me to watch it long before that point. I turned it on one night and it took me just a few minutes to fall in love. Needless to say, I was hooked by the end of the season, and more than ready to welcome the new season as it came on. Things got off to a good start, but as the writer’s strike loomed it was a disappointment to see that all of the excellent shows would be affected. Still, with the following that Grey’s has there was not much to worry about. It was more a waiting game than anything.

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Movie Info:
Writer: Frank Darabont , Stephen King (story)
Director: Frank Darabont
Cast: Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden, Andre Braugher, Toby Jones, William Sadler, Jeffrey DeMunn, Frances Sternhagen, Nathan Gamble, Alexa Davalos, Chris Owen, Sam Witwer
Rating: R
Studio: Weinstein Company

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: November 21, 2007
DVD Release Date: September 16, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $23.95

Back in March, Ashtyn did the review for the standard release of The Mist. I had watched this movie with her and I liked it then. I’m a fan of anything Stephen King oriented. If the screenplay is written by him or if the story is based on one of his works, then I’m probably going to check out the movie or TV miniseries at least once. I’ve seen everything from the good (such as Carrie and Firestarter) to the bad (Dreamcatcher anyone? It was an excellent book, but a rotten movie). What I’ve come to realize is that, overall, Stephen King has such a twisted mind, if his work is represented well in film form then the film will be amazing.

The Mist wasn’t just an exceptional film. It’s one of those jaw droppers that leaves you reeling well after the credits roll. I didn’t see the ending coming. It was a complete shock and yet it made absolute sense. Stephen King is a serious mofo. He loves to play with the human mind, that much is clear in most of his work, but especially in The Mist. While King didn’t write the screenplay to this movie, Frank Darabont follows the plot of King’s story almost exclusively.

The Mist is truly a gem amongst a horror genre that has a dwindling amount of entertaining content. While The Mist isn’t gore-filled (though there are some gross moments in relation to the mist-filled creatures), the real horror is in the desperation felt (you could actually see yourself reacting the same way as the characters do) by those trapped in the supermarket, especially when it is clear what they’re up against.

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Movie Info:
Writer: Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman
Director: Michael Bay
Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Rachael Taylor, Anthony Anderson, Jon Voight, John Turturro, Julie White, Kevin Dunn
Rating: PG-13
Studio: Paramount

Release Info:
DVD Release Date: September 2, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $24.95

When Transformers came out on DVD a few months ago, I remember how excited I was to be able to get the DVD for review. As an 80s kid, nothing was cooler than Transformers. Little did any of us 80s kids know that more than 20 years later, Michael Bay would bring our childhood robot friends to the big screen in one of the most awesome live-action remakes that I can remember. I have seen the standard version of the movie numerous times since we have received it. Actually, it’s one of the few DVDs that I have watched more than twice since I have done the review. That’s not to say anything against any of the great films that I have reviewed. I just get a lot to review so it doesn’t always leave me time to re-watch things.

When I heard we were getting Transformers in Blu-Ray I couldn’t contain my excitement. My Playstation 3 sat anxiously awaiting the newest Blu-Ray title and as soon as it arrived I popped it in the machine. All of the good things that I thought about the original were now magnified tenfold, if not more. Blu-Ray blows anything standard definition out of the water, but this is just taken to another level. It looks just like you are in a movie theater. Seeing those cars transform into gigantic alien robots is certainly a sight that you have to see on Blu-Ray. No other form of video does this visually amazing movie justice. Even the now defunct HD was not the same as watching this.

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