We love the fact that we can watch Netflix through our Xbox 360. We have our Instant Queue filled to the brim with movies and television shows that we want to watch. Some we’ve already seen, others we’d like to see because they sound interesting.

Throughout the week, we’ve watched quite a few movies and shows. For the week of March 8 through March 14, here is a list of what we’ve watched, and what we thought of each Netflix selection!

Camelot: This film adaptation of the Lerner & Loewe musical of the same name stars Vanessa Redgrave and Richard Harris. Dominick had seen this before (he’d also been in the musical at his high school many years ago). Ash had not. This is a classic film that follows the story of King Arthur, the king of England who created the round table and who was betrayed when his wife Guenevere fell in love/had an affair with his top knight, Lancelot. Dom loves musicals, and this is no exception. Ashtyn enjoyed it as well, though she didn’t feel she connected emotionally with all of the songs, and had a hard time watching Vanessa Redgrave, at times, due to the remarkable resemblance to her daughter, Natasha Richardson, who tragically passed away last year.

Coral Reef Adventure: Originally presented in IMAX and narrated by Liam Neeson, this stunning documentary looks at various coral reefs located around the world. Underwater explorers/filmmakers Howard and Michele Hall are invited to a Pacific island nation (Fiji, we think?) where a reef off the coast is dying. They explore the Pacific’s various reef systems to try to discover the reason for why this and other coral reefs are dying. We thought this film was absolutely stunning. This documentary raises many questions that are important, especially those concerned with human impact on the underwater world. We only wish we could have seen what efforts were made to try to save this reef.

Whale Wars: A group of self-proclaimed ‘pirates’ that are captained by the founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Paul Watson, sail the seas near Antarctica attempting to deter the Japanese from hunting whales in the area. Sailing on their boat the MV Steve Irwin, the antics of the crew include throwing ’stinky stuff’ on Japanese boats (labeled research boats) and trying to stuff up their rudders with balloon type objects. Dom thinks the entire crew is made up of douche bags. While the intent is nice, there has to be a better way to stop the hunting and killing of whales. Ashtyn found the show hilarious because the crew is so dumb.

Civil War Journal: The Conflict Begins: Four episodes about various elements of the Civil War present themselves in this documentary style, PBS-presented, television experience. Narrated by Danny Glover, the episodes feature historians, present reenactments of battles and show real life, historical documentation that helps explain what life was like leading up to and during the beginning of our nation’s bloodiest war. Dom didn’t get a chance to see this. Ashtyn thought the music was incredibly cheesy, especially during the beginning and ending sequences. However, if you can ignore this, the entire series is incredibly interesting. She especially enjoyed learning more about John Brown in episode one.

Ink: Jamin Winans developed this fantasy film, which explores what happens when we fall asleep. An independent film that could not find a distributor, when Ink hit pirating programs like Limewire and BitTorrent sites the download rate in one week was so high, 400,000, it led to better DVD and Blu-Ray sales. When Emma, a little girl living with her grandparents after the death of her mother, falls asleep, a Storyteller gives her good dreams. However, when Ink, disfigured and desperate to become an Incubus, enters her dream world and kidnaps Emma, putting her in a coma outside her dreams, the Storytellers and a blind pathfinder must team up to find her before the Incubi sacrifice and kill her. Outside dreamland, Emma’s father, John, who lost custody of the girl and has poured himself fully into his work, as a result, must decide whether to visit her and reopen the wounds caused by losing her the first time. Ink’s concept is very intriguing. This film suffered a little because of the low budget visually, but with such a great plot, and decent acting especially by independent actors, this can easily be overlooked. This was the best fictional film we saw, this week.

Hurt: Melora Walters and William Mapother star in a movie that could possibly air on the Lifetime Network. Walters is Helen, a woman who is accustomed to her privileged life, with her husband and two children, Lenore and Conrad (Jackson Rathbone). Mapother plays Helen’s brother in law, Daryl. When Helen’s husband dies in an accident and they lose their house, they go to live in what looks like a junkyard, but is really a car recycling center, with Daryl. When Helen (a former foster child) finds out her husband was going to take in a girl named Sarah, she decides to open her home to the girl, but when bad things start happening, a terrible family secret is exposed. Dominick thought this story could have been interesting and the actors were all pretty decent, but the plot was so predictable it ruined the movie. Ashtyn also felt it was very predictable, so it was hard to view this movie as a horror flick. You know what’s going to happen, which ruins the elements of scariness and surprise. The key problem was the plot.

CSA: Confederate States of America: A mockumentary exploring what would happen if the Southern states/Confederacy won the war, this is supposed to be a funny piece. When the Confederates win, an entirely new history is written for this country. That country is revealed in CSA. Initially, we felt this sounded pretty funny. The commercials littered through the mockumentary were laugh worthy, but at some point, this film takes itself way too seriously. Presented as a dry as turkey, fact filled ‘documentary’ we would have much preferred if this film kept that lighthearted, silly feel most mockumentaries have. This wasn’t even absurd enough to be absurd. In the end, it was kind of boring.

Witch Hunt: The most riveting film we watched this week, every person needs to see Witch Hunt. In the 80s, when us kids were growing up, thousands of miles away, kids only a few years older than us were being shuffled around foster homes and forced to testify against their parents in a series of infamous, child molestation trials. This documentary explores how these false charges not only ruined the lives of the many Bakersfield residents who were convicted and served time in jail for crimes they did not commit, but also how it has ruined the lives of the children who were coerced into lying about these adults. We were shocked and disheartened by this documentary. We were disgusted juries could convict these people, that the authorities who did this are still in control and that the media didn’t investigate these false accusations. Most heartbreaking is the story of John Stoll, who lost 20 years of his life to prison and the only son he had, as an effect of his false conviction.

Nine Dead: Melissa Joan Hart returns to acting in this horror/thriller film. We were interested because this received pretty good ratings on Netflix. Hart is one of nine random people who are kidnapped and end up being chained in a room together. A masked man explains that they are all here for a specific reason. They have ten minutes to figure out what that reason is. Every ten minutes, the man will come in and kill one of them. If they discover the reason every single person is there (even the dead ones) the masked man will call the police, turn himself in, and let them all go. For the most part this film is pretty good, but it is ruined by a letdown of an ending that makes the whole movie feel like a drastic waste of time. We have a much better idea for the ending of this movie, but sadly, we weren’t the filmmakers, so we have to live with what is available in this film.

Crips and Bloods: Made in America: In California, segregated housing during the civil rights era meant that racial minorities kept to themselves and formed their own social groups within their communities. To an extent, this led to the inception to America’s two most powerful gangs, the Crips and the Bloods. While other documentaries have focused specifically on how these gangs form, this documentary looks into life prior to the gangs, the race riots, and how these kids could have come to form such gangs. From there, it explores the lives of gang members and looks at those who have died from gang violence.

Stacy Peralta takes viewers into south-Central L.A. and shows how such violence spiraled out of control so quickly, turning into over 40 years of bloodshed. We found this documentary to be informative, interesting to watch and unlike others on the subject matter. Looking back at the 50s and 60s to see what these segregated black communities were like helps to shed light on how a generation of kids felt they had to turn to gangs and why kids in these areas still choose to do so today.

Technorati Tags: Documentary, Horror, Classic Film, Thriller, History, Films, Watch, Netflix, True Crime, IMAX, nature, mockumentary

Movie Info:
Writers: Scott Z. Burns and Kurt Eichenwald
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Cast: Matt Damon, Lucas McHugh Carroll, Eddie Jemison, Rusty Schwimmer, Craig Ricci Shaynak, Tom Papa, Rick Overton, Melanie Lynskey, Thomas F. Wilson, Scott Bakula, Joel McHale
Rating: R
Studio: Warner Home Video

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: September 18, 2009
DVD Release Date: February 23, 2010
Online Availability: Amazon for $17.99

I don’t really remember any of the big scandals in the 90s, unless you count the ones that dealt with Clinton and the White House. I was a pre-teen and teen throughout the 90s, so I was more concerned about my own self-centered world than any news happening outside my immediate universe. Apparently, there were some real doozies happening while I was busy worrying about what I planned to do with my life and where I’d go to college. One involved the company, ADM (Archer Daniels Midland), and a man named Mark Whitacre.

I know the name ADM. I didn’t know much about the company, but I had heard of it. This is probably due to all the press covering the lysine price-fixing scandal that occurred at the company, and the bizarre twists and turns that involved former ADM VP and whistle blower, Mark Whitacre. I am not sure why I don’t remember Whitacre’s name. He was quite the character in the 90s, and the entire ADM fiasco was real enough and crazy enough for Soderbergh to turn it into a dark comedy. The serious issues that led Whitacre to nearly a decade in jail are crazy enough to make this a believable dark comedy.

The thing that makes The Informant! worthwhile is the performance of Matt Damon. It does not look like Damon. It does not sound like Damon. He did not act like Matt Damon. He did a really nice job of becoming Mark Whitacre. Damon is virtually unrecognizable as Mark Whitacre. He takes on the unstable personality with aplomb. Had I not known Matt Damon was in The Informant! I would probably not have realized he was playing Whitacre. I still have trouble believing it and I know it is him. That is one sign of a good actor.
I don’t want to give props to only Damon, because he has a terrific supporting cast that includes the talented Scott Bakula, Melanie Lynskey and Joel McHale (in a much more serious role than his one on The Soup). This movie has all the makings of a bizarre, mixed up comedy. It is hard to believe this movie is based on a true story, and yet it is weird enough to imagine it is true. Bakula and Damon shine the most in this movie, and so it is the acting that sells this movie for me.

The Informant! Plot
Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon) is a 30-something employee at ADM (Archer Daniels Midland), a food processing conglomerate headquartered in Decatur, Illinois. As a recently named Vice President, the highly intelligent Whitacre seems to be a major part of the company moving up. However, ADM is having a problem with their lysine production and he’s low enough on the totem pole to blame for these problems.

When Whitacre starts getting phone calls in relation to the virus causing production problems and offering information on a mole in the company, he goes to his higher ups, who get the FBI involved. They decide to wiretap Whitacre’s phone. In November of 1992, Whitacre tells the FBI agent, Brian Shepard (Scott Bakula), who is installing the wire tap, about ADM executives and ADM’s competitors meeting to price fix the cost of the food additive, lysine. Urged on by his wife, Ginger (Melanie Lynskey), to do the right thing, Whitacre goes on to become an FBI informant.

The man who is known as the highest ranking whistle blower of any company scandal, goes undercover, recording multiple conversations between high ranking administrators in the company, competitors, and doing the FBI’s bidding for the next few years. However, marred by his reckless attitude, impulsive nature, lying, and bizarre behavior, the FBI agents who look to Whitacre to provide them with the information they need are in for quite a shock when they find out truths about Whitacre that could have an effect on the case they’ve all been working so hard on.

The Informant! also stars Joel McHale as Special Agent, Bob Herndon and Tom Papa as Mick Andreas.

Storyline/Plot: 3 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 3 out of 5 stars
Acting: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
On some level, The Informant looks fabulous. From a technical standpoint nothing at all is wrong with this DVD. The picture is clear. It looks brand new. There are no issues with compression errors, dirt, noise, or other visual problems. The problem comes with the digitally flat appearance of this 1.85:1 transfer. This is just a drab picture. The colors are all very blended and nothing ever stands out.
Everything blends into the scenery around it.

Visually there is nothing to complain about in terms of abnormalities within the film. However, from a visually pleasing standpoint The Informant does not do itself any favors. It doesn’t have a memorable visual aspect throughout the entire film, so while there are no issues, there is also nothing that will impress you either.

The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1, but before we get into any specifics you need to realize that this is a 99.9% dialogue-based movie. With the exception of Matt Damon’s voice you hardly hear anything else. That’s fine, of course, but there isn’t going to be anything in an audio sense that leaves you in awe. The score, which plays in the background does sound good, but the main focus is on Damon’s character and that leaves all else in the background for the most part.

The dialogue is always easy to hear, which is good under the circumstances, and everything else (what little there is) fulfills its intended purpose. So, while utterly basic, The Informant passes the audio test with bland, but flying colors. In addition to the English soundtrack options there are Spanish and French Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks, as well. Subtitles are available in English, Spanish, and French.

Visual: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
Unless you count things like scene selections as special features, The Informant doesn’t give you a lot to enjoy. In fact, the only thing here are some trailers that start before the movie and a small selection (four, to be exact) of deleted scenes. The scenes total about six minutes in length.

While these scenes are fine in terms of content, they do not add enough to be included. They aren’t going to wow you and fans won’t be happy with the lack of anything interesting, but apparently this is the best that Warner could offer in terms of special features. Given the nature of the movie you would think they could have added an interview or something, but this is about as bare bones as it comes. If you’re buying The Informant you are going to have to do it for the movie alone because there isn’t one special feature that makes this a must have purchase.

Bonus Features: 1 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
The Informant! isn’t your typical comedy. It’s not conventional and while dark comedy might fit, the story is far too convoluted to be truly enjoyable in a laugh out loud kind of way. People who appreciate the absurdity of the story behind this movie, should like Soderbergh’s vision. If you tend to like the conventional comedies or conventional Matt Damon flicks, this film might be something you want to pass up. Matt Damon’s acting is great, as is the acting of the supporting cast, but this story is too weird for mainstream audiences to want to get into. While I liked The Informant!, this film won’t be fun for everyone, so I recommend renting this before purchasing it.

Overall Rating: 3.14 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: DVD Review, The Informant!, Matt Damon, Mark Whitacre, lysine price-fixing, scandal, ADM, dark comedy

SYNOPSIS
Spencer Aimes (Ashton Kutcher) is just your average, undercover, government-hired super-assassin accustomed to a life of exotic European locales, flashy sports cars and even flashier women. But when he meets Jen Kornfeldt (Katherine Heigl), a beautiful, fun-loving computer tech recovering from a bad break-up, he finds true love…and happily trades international intrigue for domestic bliss.

Three years later, Spencer and Jen are still enjoying a picture-perfect marriage – that is, until the morning after Spencer’s 30th birthday. That’s when Spencer and Jen learn he’s the target of a multi-million dollar hit.  Even worse, the hired killers have been stalking the happy couple for years, and could be anyone: friends, neighbors, the grocery store clerk, even that crabby old guy shuffling across the street.

Now Spencer and Jen are on the run for their lives. As their suburban paradise turns into a paranoid game of dodge-the-bullet, they must find out who wants Spencer dead and why, all the while trying to save their marriage, manage his pain-in-the-ass in-laws, keep up neighborly appearances…and just plain survive. 
 
And you thought suburban life was easy.

Starring Katherine Heigl and Ashton Kutcher, and directed by Robert Luketic (21, THE UGLY TRUTH), Lionsgate’s KILLERS is a hilarious, unpredictable action comedy about love, marriage and serious firepower.

Technorati Tags: The Killers, Movie, DVD, Comedy, Robert Luketic, Ashton Kutcher, Katherine Heigl, Upcoming Release

A finely drawn depiction of a family defined by the things they don’t tell each other, Everybody’s Fine stars two-time Academy Award® winner Robert De Niro (Best Supporting Actor, The Godfather Part II, 1974 and Best Actor, Raging Bull, 1980) as the patriarch of the far flung Goode clan.

In one of the most moving portrayals of his storied career, De Niro leads an award winning ensemble that includes Drew Barrymore (He’s Just Not That Into You, Whip It), Kate Beckinsale (the Underworld Franchise, Pearl Harbor) and Sam Rockwell (G-Force, Frost/Nixon). Critics including Karen Durbin of Elle have praised the film’s “First-rate performances,” while Pete Hammond of Box Office Magazine singles out De Niro for his “Wonderful, award worthy work.”

Robert De Niro leads an acclaimed all-star cast- Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale, and Sam Rockwell- In Everybody’s Fine, the heartwarming film that will move you to laugter and tears. When Frank Goode’s (De Niro) grown children cancel a family reunion, the recent widower sets off on a cross-country journey to reconnect with each of them. Expecting to share in the joys of their happy, successful lives, his surprise visits reveal a picture that is far from perfect. A family separated by physical and emotional distance finds a way to come together in a story that will touch your heart

I Understand

Cooking the Turkey

Good Team

Got a Girlfriend

Technorati Tags: Everybody’s Fine, DVD, Robert De Niro, Kate Beckinsale, Drew Barrymore, Sam Rockwell, Movie, Drama, Family, Upcoming Release

Movie Info:
Writers: John Hamburg, Larry Levin
Director: John Hamburg
Cast: Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Rashida Jones, Sarah Burns , Jaime Pressly, Jon Favreau, Jane Curtin, J.K. Simmons, Andy Samberg, Rob Huebel
Rating: R
Studio: Paramount

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: March 20, 2009
DVD Release Date: August 11, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $17.49

This movie immediately brought me back to my college days. Starting school, I had more female friends. I remember having some girlfriends that weren’t too fond of that. Eventually, I gained a more diverse group of friends, but it took having a college roommate and getting more involved at school. After some time, I learned to appreciate the Bro-mance. There is something fun about being with the guys. As many girlfriends that I have had and as much as we have connected, guys can be goofy together in a way that a girl and a guy can’t. If I Love You, Man shows anything that is certainly one of the lessons learned.

When I received this for review I popped it in with the wife after the kids had gone to bed. There were moments that I absolutely died laughing. I Love You, Man is one of those comedies that are not constantly laugh out loud. The parts that are meant to be hilarious generally hit the mark. The other parts have amusing moments, and are generally essential to the story, but are not completely memorable. The characters and the actors that play them are all good at getting laughs from people.

As far as comedies go this rests somewhere down the middle of the road. I can’t complain about it, because there isn’t much to complain about. That being said, it’s not the best comedy that I have ever seen. It’s funny and I certainly have no qualms about watching it though I don’t think I will be placing it on my favorite comedies of all time list anytime soon. I have some love for I Love You, Man, but it may rest in the land of the man crush rather than true love. I guess we will have to see how much staying power this movie has to determine whether my love is able to last.

Like most comedies I Love You, Man isn’t gender specific. Men and women will enjoy this equally the same. To men it will be funny because they can relate to it. Women will like it because more often than not the men are absurdly stupid in this film (and sometimes in real life). If you don’t believe me you just need to watch the Rush scene were the two guys are serenading each other. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen one guy lick another guy’s air guitar. That’s true entertainment.

The I Love You, Man Plot
Peter Klaven (Rudd) has always been a girlfriend man. While his brother, Robbie (Samberg) and other guys he knows were out bonding as men, Peter was nurturing the various relationships he had with girls. Now, as he’s about to embark on one of the greatest moments in his life, he has no male buddies to share the moment with. When Peter proposes to his girlfriend, Zooey (Jones), at the beginning of the film, it becomes clear that she is a social butterfly, and through circumstance, Peter is a loner.

After overhearing Zoeey’s concern about lack of men in their wedding party, during a girls night with Zooey’s massive amount of girlfriends, including her two besties Hailey and Denise (Burns and Pressly), Peter sets out to find himself a friend. Even Robbie has a best friend in their dad, Oswald (Simmons), and his mom, Joyce (Curtain) is more than willing to set him up on a man-date with her friend’s son. With the advice of his popular, masculine yet gay brother, Peter makes the leap into the man-dating scene, but when a series of dates go terribly awry, and mom accidentally sets him up on a date-date with a gay guy, he believes things are hopeless.

Of course, the minute he stops looking, a friend virtually falls in his lap. As Peter struggles to sell The Hulk himself, Lou Ferrigno’s house, he meets Sydney (Jason Segel). Sydney is everything Peter is not. He’s loud, he’s rude, he has a man cave where he masturbates and jams to Rush. However, the two find a mutual interest in their love for the greatest band ever (Rush), jammin together and soon they begin an odd yet pleasant friendship that makes Peter think about his life in new ways. With Peter busy finding a friend and adapting to life with Sydney around, Zooey must deal with the changes to their relationship and with Peter, as well.

Storyline/Plot: 3 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 5 out of 5 stars
Acting: 5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 3 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
Anamorphic widescreen with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 sets the stage for I Love You, Man. The result is one that is certainly not worth complaining about. The whites are white, the bright colors are vibrant, and the dark levels are decent. The level of clarity was surprising for a DVD. In most cases you expect to see grain or noise somewhere, but I Love You Man really had none. That’s definitely a nice thing, though it was surprising as I stated. The only faults I noticed where a slight blur here and there and some momentary edge enhancements from time to time.

When it comes to audio, I Love You, Man is nothing to write home about. Being fair, there isn’t much here other than dialogue to begin with, so there’s not a lot to do with it, as is. There are some background sounds occasionally, but the main portion of the audio is coming straight from dialogue and some music, of course. The music gets time to shine, but otherwise the dialogue is consistent, clear, but basic. There isn’t much to say for a mainly dialogue based audio. Things hit the mark when they need to, but sit still otherwise. Other languages include French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1. Subtitles are available in English, French, and Spanish.

Visual: 4 out of 5 stars
Audio: 4 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
There are plenty of special features available on the disc for I Love You, Man. The majority of the featurettes/features are broken up and allow you to opt between play all and specific scenes/features. There is a commentary available with John Hamburg, Paul Rudd, and Jason Segel. It’s pretty entertaining and a completely informal affair. You might learn a thing or two about the movie, but it’s hardly a mandatory listen. The Making of I Love You, Man lasts for around 20 minutes and though it’s not very necessary it is quite amusing. There are plenty of clips, bloopers and funny moments here. Fans of the movie will enjoy it a lot, but at the same time it’s not likely something that is going to teach you anything new about the film that you didn’t already know.

The real meat of the special features comes with the extended scenes, the deleted scenes, and the gag reel. The added and extended scenes offer around an hour (or more) of additional material. In most cases, these are pretty funny and worth watching if you found the comedic nature of the film to be funny to you. It’s easy to see why the deleted scenes were removed and why the extended scenes were trimmed down, but they still manage to be worth a laugh. The gag reel comes in with eleven minutes of laughs, some bigger than others. I think I watched them laugh more than I actually laughed myself. Previews are available before the movie and in the menu, as well.

Bonus Features: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
It may not be laugh out loud funny, but I Love You, Man has a few redeeming qualities that make it worth watching. I would make sure to rent this before buying because if you don’t absolutely love it you won’t see a need to own it. Those who like it or can tolerate it, will only consider watching it when it’s on television. They won’t need to have it in their library. For now, I am one of those people. I had a good time watching it, but I think that in a few months it will be just another in the long list of movies that I have seen. It won’t be special or treasured. It will be just another movie. I encourage you to find out if it’s something more for you by renting this.

Overall Rating: 3.93 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: I Love You Man, DVD Review, Movie, Comedy, Paul Rudd, John Hamburg, LI Reviews, Rashida Jones, Humor

Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds Star in the Blockbuster Romantic Comedy from the Director of 27 Dresses

The Proposal: With Never-Before-Seen Alternate Ending Coming to Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD on October 13, 2009

Burbank, California, August 14, 2009 —Corporate ambition makes for strange bedfellows when a hard-nosed executive talks her overworked assistant into a marriage of convenience in The Proposal, arriving on Blu-ray Hi-Def and DVD on October 20, 2009 from Buena Vista Home Entertainment. A contemporary romantic comedy from director Anne Fletcher (27 Dresses), The Proposal is available in Two-Disc Blu-ray Hi-Def and DVD editions, as well as Single-Disc DVD and Blu-ray editions. Bonus features include filmmaker commentary, bloopers and a hilarious alternate ending. Both Two-Disc DVD and Blu-ray versions also include a Digital Copy of the movie that can be viewed on an array of electronic devices.

Sandra Bullock (The Lake House) and Ryan Reynolds (Adventureland) match comedic wits as the ultimate odd couple in the year’s most hilarious and offbeat love story. With Mary Steenburgen (Step Brothers), Craig T. Nelson (Blades of Glory), Malin Ackerman (The Heartbreak Kid) and a scene-stealing Betty White (Bringing Down the House) rounding out one of the funniest casts in recent memory, The Proposal keeps the sparks flying and the laughs coming with sharply witty dialogue and dazzling chemistry.

Bonus Features for The Proposal:
Set Antics: Outtakes and Other Absurdities From The Proposal — Bloopers and light moments on set with the cast and crew of The Proposal
Deleted Scenes
Audio Commentary by director Anne Fletcher and writer Peter Chiarelli
Alternate Ending

Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock) terrorizes her publishing house co-workers with her abrasive, take-no-prisoners management style, especially her overworked assistant Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds). But when Margaret is threatened with deportation to her native Canada because of an immigration technicality, the quick-thinking exec announces that she and Andrew are engaged to be married. Ambitious Andrew agrees to go along with her scheme—if there’s a long-awaited promotion in it for him. Everything is going according to Margaret’s plan, until an overzealous immigration official makes it his business to prove that the couple’s engagement is bogus. To demonstrate her commitment to her new fiancé, Margaret agrees to celebrate the 90th birthday of his colorful grandmother (Betty White) — in Alaska. The editrix’s type-A ways put her at odds with her eccentric future in-laws with hilarious consequences, until the Paxtons teach Margaret a thing or two about family.

The Proposal has a suggested retail price of $44.99 (US) and $51.99 (Canada) for 2-Disc Blu-ray Hi-Def with Digital File, $39.99 (US) and $44.99 (Canada) for 2-Disc DVD with Digital File, $29.99 (US) and $35.99 (Canada) for 1-Disc DVD and $44.99 (Canada) for 1-Disc Blu-ray Hi-Def.

STREET DATE: October 20, 2009
Direct prebook: August 11, 2009
Distributor prebook: August 25, 2009

Pricing: 2-Disc Blu-ray Hi-Def: $44.99 (US); $51.99 (Canada)
2-Disc DVD: $39.99 (US) and $44.99 (Canada)
1-Disc DVD $29.99 (US) and $35.99 (Canada)
1-Disc Blu-ray Hi-Def $44.99 (Canada)

Feature run time: 108 Minutes
Rated: PG-13 U.S., PG Canada
Bonus Materials Not Rated in US

Technical specifications may only apply to feature
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Sound: BD: English 5.1 DTS-HD 48KH3/24-bit; DVD: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound

Technorati Tags: Upcoming Release, The Proposal, Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Romantic Comedy

Writers: Hitoshi Matsumoto, Mitsuyoshi Takasu
Director: Hitoshi Matsumoto
Cast: Hitoshi Matsumoto, Riki Takeuchi, Ua, Ryûnosuke Kamiki, Haruka Unabara
Rating: PG-13
Studio: Magnolia

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: June 2, 2007
DVD Release Date: July 28, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $24.99

I love mockumentary films. Heck, my one IMDB credit is for a mockumentary I was in while in college. Mockumentaries are fun. They mock comedy in new and inventive ways. I guess that’s why I liked Big Man Japan. I should mention before I get too far into this review that I didn’t pick up all the cultural references. I’m not up on my Japanese pop culture. However, after watching the film, I laughed even more than I did while watching it, as I read other takes on the film, and connections I might have missed during my original viewing.

It seems almost hysterical to think about the possibility of a man inheriting a gift that allows him to become a giant. You don’t have to get Japanese humor to find this funny. Add in the fact that he does (through electrically charged means) in order to fight monsters. The Japanese have been enamored with monsters like King Kong and Godzilla, for years, so the fact that Daisatou Masaru is fighting monsters fits perfectly with my Americanized view of the Japanese.

By adding in the element of Daisatou Masaru being a slacker, it takes the comedy to a whole new level. Imagine if Superman or any other American hero was a slacker. It’d be fun to see that kind of super hero take on the likes of Lex Luthor. So, Daisatou Masaru has these two dimensions to his personality. On one hand, he has to be the responsible, hard working Big Man Japan. On the other hand, he’s a slacker.

The acting was good for Big Man Japan. Hitoshi Matsumoto writes, directs and stars in this funny film. I know this film isn’t going to be for everyone. The cultural divide is going to leave some Americans behind with an inability to get why Big Man Japan is funny. However, those interested in these kinds of foreign films will appreciate everything this mockumentary style comedy has to offer.

The Big Man Japan Plot
Daisatou Masaru (Hitoshi Matsumoto) is more than just your run of the mill slacker. Well, he is your average slacker, most of the time. When not slacking off, he has been given an inherited job and title. He is Big Man Japan just like his father and crazy, old Grandfather before him. Big Man Japan is, for all intents and purposes, a Japanese superhero/giant who fights the good fight to protect Japan.

Daisatou’s gift is his ability to grow to an enormous size (like 30 feet). He becomes a giant and gets paid by the government to protect his country from monsters resembling Godzilla. Of course, Daisatou isn’t exactly fond of being Big Man Japan. He is a slacker after all. He gets in trouble with environmental groups and for destroying property while fighting monsters. He also is a human billboard thanks to his manager.

This mockumentary follows Daisatou around as he lives his average existence, taking care of his grandfather. When he is called to fight against monsters, he makes himself big and gets to work. The sad part of this is that Daisatou is mocked for what he does. Nobody appreciates what Big Man Japan has to offer them. He’s just a big joke to them, which probably contributes to his slacker attitude. Add in the fact that he has a disgruntled ex-wife and the plot thickens.

Overwhelmed by all the pressure, work wise, which carries over allowing him little time for a personal life, Big Man Japan must take matters into his own hands to find his own happiness.

Storyline/Plot: 3 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 2 out of 5 stars
Acting: 4 out of 5 stars
Directing: 3 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
The video quality for Big Man Japan is 1.85:1 widescreen. The movie looks okay. It’s not stunning. The CGI monsters are deliberately ridiculous looking. There is occasional blur and softness to the picture. The mockumentary looks like a documentary, gritty and hardcore, but the battle sequences are brightly colored and CGI-filled. The colors are bright and natural for the most part. Black levels have fair levels of saturation. There is occasional problems with dark moments in the movie, but nothing so horrible it renders the movie unwatchable.

There are two main audio tracks, with the primary actually being a Dolby Digital 5.1 Japanese track. I watched it with this part of the way through (with English subtitles) and the English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
track the rest of the way. The Japanese is definitely more dynamic with decent sounding effects and clear dialogue. The sound effects make good use of the speakers with dialogue sticking mostly to the front. Besides English subtitles the film features Spanish Subtitles. A third audio track is available in Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0.

Visual: 3 out of 5 stars
Audio: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
There are some bonus features that accompany the original film, Big Man Japan. To start things off there is a huge amount of bonus features. There are close to an hour worth of Deleted Scenes. I can see why all of them were cut. There are extended scenes and completely removed scenes. Either way, this is pretty much a waste of time, because this adds nothing to the movie.

There is also the “Making Of Big Man Japan With Commentary,” which comes in at over an hour. This is the typical making of feature. It looks at the making of this movie, excluding the fact that the director/writer/lead actor Hitoshi Matsumoto provides a commentary for the making of. There is no commentary for the movie, just the making of. This guy is pretty funny and he’s the only thing that makes this feature worth watching. This feature is in Japanese with English subtitles.

Finally, there are a selection of trailers. These include trailers for “Let the Right One In,” “Timecrimes,” “Donkey Punch,” “Special,” “Eden Log,” and “Big Man Japan.”

Bonus Features: 2 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
Big Man Japan is good for a decent laugh. If you like absurdest comedy then this is going to be right up your alley. While I enjoyed this movie, I’m not sure how often I’ll want to re-watch it. By that, I’m suggesting that you rent this before purchasing it. In the end, only some people will both “get” and like this. The rest will just want to pass this up for something else.

Overall Rating: 2.93 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Big Man Japan, Giant, Monster, Magnolia, Hitoshi Matsumoto, Mockumentary, Comedy

Writer: Tony Stone
Director: Tony Stone
Cast: Clare Amory, Noelle Bailey, Nathan Corbin, Sean Dooley, James Fuentes, Gaby Hoffmann, David Perry
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Magnolia

Release Info:
DVD Release Date: July 28, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $22.99

I spend most of my days reviewing things. Most of the people that visit this site know that we handle more DVDs than anything, so much of that time is spent watching movies and television shows. When you break down my job it means that I see a lot of good movies and plenty of bad ones, too. It’s natural to expect a mix of both and I do. I rarely come across a movie that I don’t know how to review though, and that is exactly how I feel when it comes to Severed Ways. I read the subtitle, The Norse Discovery of America and saw the box art and thought that the movie would be cool. I love period movies about various times in history, so I was expecting to at least, like this. Unfortunately, I didn’t like it. I didn’t like it even a little bit.

In fact, I am not sure why there is even a writing credit attached to this. There really wasn’t anything to warrant it. The plot is minimal, at best, and there is barely any dialogue. There is a lot of walking though. Perhaps Tony Stone (the writer, director, and star) got a credit for writing a screenplay that lists walking all over each page. I can’t think of anything else they did worth mentioning. After watching this I started to wonder if Stone were related to the movie distributors. It would make a lot of sense, considering this movie is pretty worthless. I rarely say a movie is worthless, but without a plot, what is a movie?

Stone is the main player where this movie is concerned, but I am not sure why he bothered with this. It’s clear he wanted to be a filmmaker or in the film business. He’s done that by making Severed Ways his first film. I know that I said he wrote, directed, and starred in it, but he also produced it, edited it, and is listed as the production designer. It is rare to find a filmmaker wearing so many hats on one set, but with a film like this I suppose it is only natural. Hopefully, Stone will either have the good sense to think through his future movies soon or he will get a job in some other industry like welding. If this is the best that he has to offer, it just goes to show that some Independent films are independent for a very good reason.

The Severed Ways Plot
As much as I wanted to say there was no plot, I feel it only fair that I put something here.

Orn (Tony Stone) and Volnard (Fiore Tedesco) are two Vikings in 1007 AD that are heading north in an attempt to get home. A group of Vikings had come to America in hopes of finding riches, but instead they meet the Indians. Orn and Volnard are off scouting and they get left behind when the Vikings hit the road. So now, the two left have to find a way home. They spend a lot of time trekking through the wilderness to do so. They soon realize that they need to adapt to their environment because their Norse ways are no help to them in their present environment.

So, that’s pretty much it. There are other things that happen, but they are either few and far between (sex and slaughter) or they are just plain atrociously boring (cutting down like five trees to make shelter.) Stone should have hired an editor for this because he either thought the audience was slower than the tree stumps his Norse characters left behind or he fell asleep on the job and didn’t realize he left in every unnecessary detail of these dude’s lives that he could.

What’s worse than all of this? Well, let’s see there is the headbanging scene or the defecation scene. Look, I know your movie is shit and I am assuming that you might know it too, but that doesn’t mean I want to see you shit. I mean, what point is there in showing that? Add in little or bad dialogue and you have a shoestring budget movie that should have never been made. Stone should have given this budget to feed the homeless or something productive, because this was just a complete and utter waste of time, energy, and space.

Storyline/Plot: 0 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 0 out of 5 stars
Acting: 0 out of 5 stars
Directing: 0 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
Severed Ways was shot in HD and has an aspect ratio of 2.35:1 that is enhanced for widescreen televisions. It’s a tight budget and an independent film, so you can expect a few problems. The biggest problems are various instances of color bleeding, noise, and some compression errors. Otherwise, it’s your standard looking film. There isn’t anything overly impressive about this visual quality, but it’s not entirely unwatchable, at least from the video standpoint.

The audio includes two tracks, a Dolby Digital 5.1 track and a 2.0 track. The 5.1 track is dynamic, though its hard not to be with the excessive blaring of the heavy, death metal soundtrack. The actual dialogue (when there is any) is foreign so English subtitles are burned in. Spanish subtitles are also available, though they end up playing at the same time as the English since the English are burned in. If I had to choose a winner between the two qualities, the audio would surpass the video. Only occasional volume toggling is necessary.

Visual: 2 out of 5 stars
Audio: 3 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
There are a few small features here, but nothing worth even mentioning. Still, I will because that’s my job. There are a couple of deleted scenes (Severed Scenes) that last for about six minutes, a selection of scenes showing waterfalls and other areas of nature entitled “Scenic Ambiance” that lasts for about eleven minutes, and a slowed down scene, (“Slow Burn”) that shows the burning scene as it was meant to be seen.

There is also some footage of L’Anse Aux Meadows, Newfoundland, various trailers for Severed Ways, and some other trailers.

Bonus Features: 1 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
A while back I said that I saw the worst movie of my life, but I think I was wrong until now. This has to be one of the worst movies I have ever seen. Between headbanging Norsemen and on-screen defecation and let’s not forget the slowness to the point of madness of the film, I had all I could stand of Severed Ways. This was so horrid I would have to take serious consideration before watching another Stone film. I highly recommend NOT bothering with this film. I am sure you could find plenty of better things to do.

Overall Rating: 0.86 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Severed Ways, Magnolia, Viking, DVD Review, Film, Gaby Hoffmann, filmmakers, Tony Stone

Movie Info:
Writers: Sean McGinly
Director: Sean McGinly
Cast: John Malkovich, Colin Hanks, Emily Blunt, Ricky Jay, Steve Zahn, Tom Hanks, Griffin Dunne, B.J. Hendricks, Debra Monk, Adam Scott, Tom Arnold, David Blaine, Jack Carter, Gary Coleman
Rating: PG
Studio: Magnolia Home Entertainment

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: January 18, 2008
DVD Release Date: July 21, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $19.99

It’s hard to discount a movie that has the likes of John Malkovich, Tom Hanks, Colin Hanks, and Emily Blunt in it. Even my personal favorite from television, Matthew Gray Gubler makes an appearance in this film. The Great Buck Howard offers great acting and at the end of the day that will allow it to succeed. It has more of an independent feel to it, but that’s by no means a bad thing. In fact, it’s actually a pretty good thing.

This is one of those movies that I had heard about prior to the release of the DVD. I think the first time I heard of this was when it premiered at Sundance in 2008. It would later have a limited run in theaters, just before it’s DVD release, but not much was to be heard about it at that time. I had all but forgotten about it until I was told that I was going to be reviewing it.

The director, Sean McGinly manages to offer a smart and funny comedic drama about a past his time mentalist. The script is not as solid as it could have been, but in the end, the actors involved in the movie make it well worth watching. Thanks to the understated nature of the film I think this will easily be one of those more cult-ishly popular films, as opposed to say a widely popular one. Not all mainstream audiences will embrace this, but it is worth watching, at least once, to see if you’re one of the people that will enjoy it.

While all the performances are pretty solid, I think some of the best moments are seeing the real life father and son pair Tom and Colin Hanks working together as father and son in the movie. It’s fun to see them play off one another and they do a great job. It’s easy to see that talent runs in the Hanks’ family. With Hanks leading the way along with Malkovich and a talented supporting cast following behind, there is no reason why this doesn’t deserve a rental, at the very least.

The Great Buck Howard Plot
Troy’s (Colin Hanks) dad (Tom Hanks) wants the best of life for Troy. He has dreams of his son finishing law school and becoming a success. However, like most kids, Troy has his own plans for his life. Troy is filled with dreams and he needs to try and make a go at them. His biggest dream is to become a writer. In order to make this happen he decides to quit law school and move out to California. Unfortunately, as most people know, writing doesn’t always pay the bills.

Doing what is necessary to support himself until he can strike it big, Troy goes to work as an assistant for the “Great” Buck Howard (Malkovich). Howard is a mentalist (not to be confused with a magician) that is only slightly past his prime. He’s been on The Tonight Show and other talk shows well over 50 times, though these days the crowds have become much smaller. Ultimately, he manages to win every small crowd over by doing silly bits like refusing to be paid if he cannot find his fee that’s hidden somewhere in the building.

As time has moved on and Johnny Carson has been replaced by Jay Leno, Howard’s career has continued to slip. He still manages to be a diva though, blaming others for his slip-sliding failures rather than living up to the truth. Troy is stressed while working for Howard, but he is drawn to the way that Howard manages to work his crowds. It ends up keeping him around even though he’s not fond of the fits.

Troy has to deal with what to do with his life. Drawn between life with what dad wants and fulfilling his own dreams, he does his best to figure things out on his own. Meanwhile, Valerie (Blunt) walks into his life in an attempt to get the eyes of the world back on Howard. When an event leads to Howard attaining success again, thanks to Troy, it leaves Troy wondering if this was all some sort of magic. After all, if he wouldn’t have tried to choose his own path, would any of this ever have happened?

Storyline/Plot: 4 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 4 out of 5 stars
Acting: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 4 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
The Great Buck Howard offers a fair DVD presentation with a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen picture. There are some moments of softness, but for the most part the picture offers a clear color and a fair level of detail. The black levels are decent and the picture is relatively free of glare, distortion, or other similar issues. You shouldn’t have any problems with this transfer.

The audio is handled in a Dolby Digital 5.1 transfer. You won’t need to worry about volume toggling and while not overly dynamic, the sound works for the most part. The soundtrack fits well, the dialogue is generally crystal clear and there are no major audio issues to speak of on this DVD. A Dolby Digital 2.0 track is also available. You should be able to enjoy Closed Captioning with both audio versions. Subtitles are also available in both English and Spanish.

Visual: 4 out of 5 stars
Audio: 4 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
There is a small, but generally effective set of bonuses available on this DVD. Things begin with a commentary that contains Colin Hanks and Sean McGinly. The commentary is pretty basic. Lots of conversation about this and that occurring on screen. The two men discuss various aspects of filming and why things were done one way or another. There is a selection of deleted scenes that don’t add too much to what is already available and a longer set of extended scenes that are amusing, but it’s obvious to see why they were cut. There is also a selection of outtakes which provide a few laughs.

The Behind the Scenes footage lasts for around ten minutes and it offers tons of back-patting and talks about how everyone thinks everyone else is great. Meanwhile, “HD Net: A Look at The Great Buck Howard” is your basic press pack with footage and the usual congratulatory things you’d expect to find in a press package. Finally, there is a six minute feature called “The Amazing Kreskin.” This is a pretty amusing featurette that serves as an interview that talks about his work with the director and what the movie and his part was like.

All in all, this isn’t a bad set of special features for a single movie. They could have offered a bit more, but there isn’t much to complain about.

Bonus Features: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
The Great Buck Howard is a great film. It’s a fun watch and though it ends with some sappiness, the acting and the general feel of the movie make it worthwhile. The cast is superb and the movie is well worth watching. As I stated, I think this is going to have a cult-following as opposed to a mainstream appeal so you might want to rent this one before buying it. However, if you love it you’ll see it’s well worth a purchase.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: The Great Buck Howard, DVD, Movie, Magnolia Home Entertainment, Tom Hanks, John Malkovich, Colin Hanks, Emily Blunt

Movie Info:
Writer: Vadim Jean
Director: Vadim Jean, Terry Pratchett
Cast: David Jason, Sean Astin, Tim Curry, Jeremy Irons, Brian Cox, James Cosmo, Christopher Lee, Janet Suzman, David Bradley, Nigel Planer, Stephen Marcus
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Rhi Entertainment

Release Info:
Original Release: March 23, 2008
DVD Release Date: July 14, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $12.99

I’ve never read anything about the Discworld. I am not exactly sure why. Maybe because I’m not British. At one point, I was a vociferous reader, so it seems like I would have come across these books, but alas I never did. Watching this made for television British adaptation of the books has made me interested about Sir Terry Pratchett and his Discworld series of books. The stories seem to be right up my alley.

The Color of Magic is actually a two part adaptation of the first two novels in the Discworld series. Part One chronicles “The Color of Magic” and Part Two continues through the story for “The Light Fantastic.” Having no personal knowledge of the Discworld, I cannot testify as to whether this adaption is faithful to the books. I can tell you that many fans claim it does follow the stories for the most part, but obvious chunks had to be cut out to condense the books down to fit a logical timeline. Otherwise, the movie might have been a massive affair, more than six or seven hours long if not more!

Going into this review I knew absolutely nothing about this movie. I didn’t even know who the actors were in this until I popped in the DVD. I can say that I’m pleasantly surprised by who is in this. I know that fans of the book complained about the casting of Sean Astin as Twoflower. I don’t know how he is portrayed in the books, but I like Astin and I believe he played the zany character well. For the world, he was rather ‘exotic’ as the tourist, even if he wasn’t off Asian descent, as many fans of the book assumed Twoflower was.

David Jason was very good as Rincewind. I know there were rumblings about his selection, as well, due to his age. Again, I haven’t read the books. As someone not involved in the Discworld prior to viewing this DVD, all I can judge is by Jason’s performance in this movie. He was excellent. Terry Pratchett has also supported the casting of David Jason and Sean Astin. Since he created the Discworld, he should have the final say in who plays his characters. In these cases, he approved.

The supporting cast includes Tim Curry, Christopher Lee, Jeremy Irons, and Brian Cox, to name a few. Tim Curry steals his scenes, but the rest of the cast is great, too. I really enjoyed Lee’s voicing of Death. The plot for this two-part movie flows well. It’s an interesting story, one that stays pretty faithful to the books. There were obvious parts of the books that had to be cut out, just to maintain a decent length, but I don’t feel that this makes the movie any less enjoyable.

The Color of Magic Plot
On the back of a giant turtle, the Great A’Tuin, sits four elephants. These elephants hold up the Discworld. One of the most populated areas of the Discworld is Ankh-Morpork. This is home of the Unseen University, a higher institute of learning for wizards. The protagonist of this story is a wizard by the name of Rincewind (David Jason). Rincewind has been at the Unseen University for the past 40 years. He appears to be a bumbling idiot to those in charge at the University, but really he’s a funny character.

Rincewind is kicked out of the university because he hasn’t learned any spells in the past 40 years. The University believes it is from lack of effort/initiative on Rincewind’s part, but in fact, it is later revealed that Rincewind has one of the eight spells from the most powerful spellbook ever, the Octavo, in his head, and he is incapable of learning any additional spells because the other spells fear being in the same head as the Octavo 8.

Rincewind meets an interesting fellow at the local inn, Twoflower (Sean Astin). Twoflower is from the Discworld’s Counterweight Continent. He is the Discworld’s first tourist. He is travelling with excessive amounts of gold, something that is abundant where he is from, but is rare in Ankh-Morpork. The gold attracts Rincewind, who agrees to be his guide around the city, for a small fee, of course.

Rincewind isn’t the only one who takes notice of Twoflower. The innkeeper and other unsavory individuals want the gold. When they try to dispose of Twoflower, Rincewind becomes more than just a guide. Twoflower’s luggage also protects him. It is magical, made of a special pearwood, and it can move around on its own legs.

When fire breaks out in Ankh-Morpork, Rincewind must help Twoflower escape. They travel across the Discworld, going on several adventures. Rincewind, in particular, faces Death (voiced by Christopher Lee), at nearly every turn, but because he has the Octavo spell, he is saved time and again. Eventually, the two end up in Krull, at the edge of the Discworld. This is where a group of scientists have set out to discover the gender of the great turtle, and they’ve thrust Rincewind and Twoflower into the midst of this great yet potentially life ending adventure.

Back at Unseen University, Ymper Trymon (Tim Curry), the same wizard who got Rincewind expelled, has power on his mind. The way to gain power is by killing other wizards and steeling their pointy shoes. Trymon works his way through the administration by killing, all with the goal of becoming the Archchancellor. Of course, he has bigger goals, that involve the Octavo and the spells within it.

Storyline/Plot: 4 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 4 out of 5 stars
Acting: 5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 4 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
The visual quality for The Color of Magic is pretty good, especially since this was originally a made for TV movie. The Color of Magic is presented at a 1.85:1 aspect ratio in anamorphic widescreen. The picture is clear, with very little fuzz. There is a sharpness to the image. The color palette is vibrant, with solid, sharp black levels. The level of saturation provides for a high-quality production. There are some DVD issues, such as visible edge enhancements and the occasional compression error, but dirt and grain are kept to a minimum.

The menu on the The Color of Magic is bare bones. There are just two options, Play Movie and Scene Selection. I like to check out the audio options, but nothing was on the menu and there were no subtitles to be found. I had to look on the box to find out this was a Dolby Digital mix, and look on the web to find out that the main track is English Dolby Digital 5.1 surround. While this audio track sounds good, there was no need for volume toggling, the music soundtrack was appropriate, and the sound effects made good use of the surround element, playing out mainly in the rare speakers, it’s disappointing to think that the hearing impaired will be unable to enjoy this delightful movie.

Visual: 4 out of 5 stars
Audio: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
Unfortunately, there are zero bonuses included on this DVD.

Bonus Features: 0 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
If you like fantastical stories about imaginary worlds, interesting storylines, humorous, in depth characters, and great actors, The Color of Magic is well worth checking out. Fans of the Discworld should be happy with this adaptation, as it stays faithful to Pratchett’s work. For a TV movie, the quality of The Color of Magic is great. While this movie won’t be for everyone (especially those who like mindless action or romance films), this is one the whole family can enjoy together.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: The Color of Magic, Discworld, Terry Pratchett, Movie Adaptation, UK, David Jason, Sean Astin, Rincewind, Twoflower, Book Series, TV on DVD