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July 2007
Week of July 30th through August 3rd

FILM

Latest Additions:
 
I Prronounce You Chuck and Larry (in Film)
Adam Sandler and Kevin James ought to be ashamed to be associated with the cinematic equivalent of gay bashing.

Hairspray (in Film)
Hairspray is probably one of the best transitions from stage to screen. From casting to the production design to the musical numbers, it’s aces all around.

Talk to Me (in Film)
As Petey Greene, Cheadle brings hope and courage, and a voice that reflected how the truth should be told.

My Best Friend (in Film)
A satisfying cinematic masterpiece with an invaluable message about the meaning of real relating.


Interview (in Film)
This film creates a platform for issues like, celebrity obsession and manipulation of the media.
Harry Potter review (in Film)
Audiences are left with an overrated film that leaves points of the plot hanging and the magic within a little rusty

Ghosts of Cite Soleil (in Film)
A revealing documentary about a bloody turf war inside a notorious Haitian slum. What makes this movie compelling is that the leaders of the competing posses are also blood brothers

License to Wed (in Film)
Looks like Robin Williams has replaced Cuba Gooding, Jr. as the kiss of death on the set of any comedy.

Live Free or Die Hard (in Film)
A satisfying throwback which reminds us how a big-budget is supposed to be made. If you only see one film this summer, you need to get out more.

Sicko (in Film)
An ironically entertaining and eye-opening film about the garbage our government feeds us and the real truths of a system that will help, not hinder, our people and nation.
Evan Almighty (in Film)
Evan Almighty is a thoroughly clean, enjoyable family film. It it is sufficiently devoid enough of profanity, spicy innuendo, and gore that you can feel completely at ease with taking children to enjoy it.
You Kill Me (in Film)
An unsatisfying compromise flick on the fence which might have worked had it either been played straight or purely for laughs.
DOA: Dead or Alive (in Film)
Sit back and delight in the cinematic equivalent of a fashion runway which seizes on the flimsiest of excuses to
shoot sweaty, two-fisted beauties flying around in lingerie, swimsuits and skin-tight attire from every conceivable angle.
AND THEN CAME LOVE (in Film)
A noble attempt to make an interesting but contrived plot work, but the chemistry between the two leads isn’t there to make this film worth seeing.
FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER (in Film)
While Story may have heard what the fans wanted to see, he apparently didn’t listened carefully as to how to carve out the story.
Hostel II (in Film)
While the premise is the still the same, only with females now instead of guys, Roth has thrown a curve ball in this rethread formula, which makes it above average.
Ocean's Thirteen (in Film)
A downright comfortable diversion in male-bonding that doesn’t ask anything of you except to sit back, relax and eat some popcorn.
Pierrepoint - The Last Hangman (in Film)
Film presents an empathetic portrait of this complicated figure, chronicling the mounting toll which his work in the gallows gradually took on his psyche and private life.
Daywatch (in Film)
Any horror and action fan tired of the norm will embrace Day Watch.The film has the popcorn spectacle we (American audiences) expect from epic battles between good and evil
Knocked Up (in Film)
This messy, mythical tale is essentially a high-octane action flick masquerading as a cerebral costume drama
Apocalypto (in Film)
This messy, mythical tale is essentially a high-octane action flick masquerading as a cerebral costume drama

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S END (in Film)
It has its lighthearted moments and is loaded with action, but takes the story to a more mature level that will either win over fans or lose them completely.

Shrek The Third (in Film)
Brace yourself for sassy repartee, computer-generated slapstick, and scads of bodily function humor.



Once (in Film)
This is a film that’s filled with honesty and warmth and amidst the big summer studio films, should be seen by those who really want to see something with substance and passion.



Fay Grim (in Film)
Hartley turns the film into an exciting international espionage and a parody on foreign affairs.



Severance(in Film)
A comical cautionary tale which ought to trigger a little paranoia in the souls of any advocates of the Military-Industrial Complex.


Georgia Rule (in Film)
The chemistry between the three leads is flat and unconvincing, yet Lohan does provide a spark in this mishap of a film.

Day Night Day Night (in Film)
The movie is more interested in examining the mindset of a maniacal Muslim with her finger on the trigger than with the plight of her potential victims.


Delta Farce (in Film)
Delta Farce is easily one of the worst films released this year.


The Salon (in Film)
One can see the worn-out script a mile away with its clichéd characters and many subplots that make the film unfocused and unemotional


The Hip Hop Project (in Film)
With 100% of the profits going to non-profit charities devoted to youth, The Hip Hop Project might be the first totally tax deductible movie.


28 Weeks Later (in Film)
In “28 Weeks Later”, what you get are new victims, and a new story that with its flaws and all, still has enough entertainment and frights to shake you afterwards and have the franchise continued.



Provoked(in Film)
None of these slight alterations is likely to diminish your ability to appreciate or
applaud the significance of a landmark decision which established Battered Women’s Syndrome as a defense.



Spider-Man 3 (in Film)
There’s no entertainment value being lost. It lays the drama on thick, but more than makes up for it with stupefyingly awesome fight scenes.


Paris Je T'Aime (in Film)
In 18 short vignettes, there is a pleasantly seamless quality about the production which almost imperceptibly flows from one tale to the next.


Tribeca Film Festival: Chops (in Film)
Director Broder catches the rising excitement - think “Fame” meets “Rocky” by way of the Duke of Ellington – as well as some great footage of the late Ed Bradley, a longtime supporter of Essentially Ellington


Tribeca Film Festival: Day Zero (in Film)
Day Zero is an very inspiring film that gives a different perspective on war, showing the motivation of characters and the mental and physical preparations they go through before war.



Tribeca Film Festival: Bomb It (in Film)
Though many view it as a prelude to larger crimes the artists have a very different opinion, director/writer Jon Reiss gives them another medium in which they can express themselves.

In The Land of Women (in Film)
While Adam Brody presents some charm to this light hearted film, there are one too many stories thrown into the mix that makes the film convoluted and contrived.


HOT FUZZ (in Film)
"Hot Fuzz" is what you expect from a good satire, a lot of laughs, smart writing, and a cast talented enough to deliver the goods.


FRACTURE (in Film)
"Fracture" has all the elements needed for a great film, but only delivers with the performances. It could have been a much better film if the time had been taken to shore up the story.
GOODBYE MOMO( A Dios Momo) (in Film)
It's a film that a family can laugh and bond with a little belief in magic.
PERFECT STRANGER (in Film)
Perfect Stranger, which star Oscar winner Halle Berry, the set up is so pretentious and absurd that you can answer the riddle to this film is solved when you eliminate the obvious.

DISTURBIA(in Film)
Filled with romance, intense, and intrigue, director Caruso has updated a clichéd story into a modern pleasing thriller.

ARE WE DONE YET? (in Film)
Ice Cube forgot to add the comedy that worked in the first film instead of relying on elements from other films.



The Hoax (in Film)
Hallstrom manages to unfold historical events through the eyes of his complex character; with a mounting tension that keeps the audience riveted until the end.



BLACK BOOK (Zwartboek) (in Film)
Black book might be the first flick to interpret a Holocaust tale of survival as a highly-stylized, erotic, espionage thriller.



The TV Set (in Film)
An eye-opening satire which makes a powerful statement about television’s
tendency towards very calculated, mass manipulation.



After the Wedding (in Film)
A paradoxical, if ultimately plausible portrait of a fractured family whose emotions can not be contained when the skeletons finally come bursting out of the closet.


The Lookout (in Film)
The Lookout is a film that actually asks the audience to get involved and engage in discourse.


Killer of Sheep (in Film)
This super-realistic, slice-of-life drama stands up just fine, delivering a more accurate peek at the psyche and predicament of the black male.


U-Carmen (in Film)
U-Carmen effectively conveys a sense of everyday life in the region’s Khayelistha Township while simultaneously serving up an endearing variation of a magical opera for the ages.


SHOOTER
While Walhberg provides plenty of action, there’s no substance to a convoluted plot and a hackneyed ending.

PRIDE
Well-intentioned, at best, Pride, regrettably, doesn’t show enough brotherly love for anyone to be proud of it.


I THINK I LOVE MY WIFE
Worse is the fact that the picture isn’t funny. It essentially consists of a series of vaguely-familiar skits ostensibly lifted from a variety of other cinematic adventures.


THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY
A cinematic masterpiece from start to finish but a righteous rallying cry for disenfranchised masses anywhere with nothing left to lose but their chains.

BEYOND THE GATES
A relentlessly-grim reminder of how the world simply watched when it would have been so easy to put an end to the madness.

THE PAGE TURNER
A suspenseful psychological thriller which rates right up there with the best of the genre.

My Brother (in Film )

A moving and meaningful melodrama about a blood bond tested by the trials and tribulations of trying to survive in the inner city.

EXTERMINATING ANGELS (in Film )

The elusive answer to this cinematic conundrum just might be the point of this jaw-dropping exercise in self-indulgence.

THE ULTIMATE GIFT (in Film )

This modern morality play is wholesome, family-oriented fare for those interested in instilling old-fashioned values in their kids.

300(in Film )

It's a high octane, breathtaking, and gory film, yet powerful and well executed on a visual level never seen before.

Life Support (in Film )

In “Life Support”, we get an emotional, raw, educational film that many should see to set examples for others.

Astronaut Farmer (in Film )

A barely believable flight of fancy that’s fun the whole family, provided you’re capable of suspending disbelief.

Premium (in Film )

Chatmon's ability to inject humor while addressing some serious issues with the film business and romantic relationships add to his talent and makes "Premium" worth seeing.

Gray Matters (in Film )

The dialogue doesn't have enough wit and loses its capacity with lazy execution.

Music & Lyrics (in Film )

The script follows the same formulaic quality that most romantic comedies today endure: no surprises and little bite.

Days Of Glory (in Film )

It is an effective portrayal of the perseverance of the human spirit in the face of oppression and rejection. .

Norbit (in Film )

Eddie can’t complain about the demeaning script, since he co-wrote it with his brother, Charlie.

Hannibal Rising (in Film )

Hannibal Rising really amounts to more of a vigilante adventure on the order of Death Wish than a true slasher flick.

Constellation (in Film )

This overplotted, emotional dump plods along as if the characters are stuck
in the cinematic equivalent of quicksand, never generating any traction.

Because I Said So (in Film )

This familiar formula could have worked were it not for Ms. Keaton’s infuriating dumbing herself down and mugging for the camera

Been Rich All My Life DVD (in Film )

This enchanting, if bittersweet memoir seamlessly interweaves such wistful, tenderhearted reflections with archival film footage.

Smokin Aces (in Film )

If ever there were a movie that ironically defied stereotyping by calling attention to every conceivable universal stereotype and incorporating them all into one big fishbowl for the world's enjoyment, Smokin' Aces is it.

Breaking And Entering (in Film )

A fast-pacing and thought-provoking film, Breaking and Entering calls in to question the “what if” in one’s life and how we deal with it when it becomes our reality.

Fired! (in Film )

This documentary is entertaining enough to recommend heartily, even if it’s not quite the powerful polemic against downsizing and outsourcing that it has been billed as.

Stomp the Yard (in Film )

Less a feature film, than a two-hour United Negro College Fund public service announcement for anyone interested in obtaining a Ph.D. in bling and booty calls. A mind is a terrible thing to lose.

The Cleaner (in Film )

Unfortunately, the movie is one of those pump-and-dump productions which puts all the best jokes in the trailers.

Freedom Writers(in Film )

An emotional rollercoaster, the film shows audiences how enlightened and truly beautiful our lives can be when one looks beyond the superficial and into the hearts of others.

Pans Labyrinth (in Film )

This morbidly bewitching feature is an enchanting fairy tale, even if one designed strictly with adults in mind.

Miss Potter (in Film )

What is truly charming about Miss Potter is the being of Miss Beatrix Potter herself, her delightful personality, wit, and most of all creative genius that had sparked the hearts and minds of many.

The Dead Girl (in Film )

Both Brittany Murphy(Krista- The Dead Girl) and Kerry Washington (Rosetta) do a brilliant job in their portrayal of conflicted, drugged and ultimately lost girls who only have each other to hold on to.

Children of Men (in Film )

More amusing than compelling, like a campy episode of Lost in Space where anything goes and nothing makes sense.

The Holiday (in Film )

What makes this film so wonderful is its charming and warm cast of characters.

Notes on a Scandal (in Film )

Notes on a Scandal is a flick which amply illustrates how far the culture has come in terms of giving such scandalous behavior the benefit of the doubt.

Dreamgirls (in Film )

Dreamgirls offers an experience which actually feels like you’re watching a movie, not merely a taped version of what you’ve already caught in the theater. This is Jennifer Hudson's coming out party!

Snakes On A Plane (in Film )

Snakes on a Plane does not disappoint. Samuel L. Jackson enjoys his best outing in years as a boiling badass who loses his composure as soon as all hell breaks lose.

My Super Ex-Girlfriend (in Film )

As super-ridiculous as the film My Super Ex-Girlfriend was on the silver screen so too is the DVD version, whose deleted scenes only add to the silly love dispute.

The Good Shepherd (in Film )

Tautly-edited to make nearly three hours pass imperceptibly, this intriguing meditation on the pitfalls of privilege is not to be missed.

Jet Li's Fearless DVD (in Film )

Martial Arts Flick Featuring Jet Li Released on DVD


2006 Reviews
2004 Reviews
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DVD Releases

Latest Additions:
 
The Last Mimzy DVD review (in Film)
A timely cautionary tale, even if its heartwarming message gets a little garbled along the way.

After the Wedding DVD review (in Film)
A paradoxical, if ultimately plausible portrait of a fractured family whose emotions can not be contained when the skeletons belatedly come bursting out of the closet.

Black Snake Moan DVD (in Film)
Although there’s no Madea Like Hustle & Flow, Craig Brewer returned to Memphis to craft an equally-empathetic portrait of a nymphomaniac.
Daddy's Little Girls(DVD) (in Film)
Although there’s no Madea character in the mix this time out, the film still features plenty of Perry’s pictures’ trademarks.
Letters from Iwo Jimo DVD (in Film)
Letters from Iwo Jima exudes an undeniable emotional honesty likely to touch the heart of even the most embittered veteran of the Pacific theater.
Roots DVD (in Film)
The show served as an eye-opening expose’ on the evils of slavery, as it forced the U.S. for the first time to face that long-suppressed aspect of its legacy.



The Good German DVD (in Film)
Soderbergh paid more attention to perfecting the ambience of his black & white neo-noir, than delivering a whodunit of much consequence.



Spark DVD (in Film)
Terrence Howard and Nicole Ari Parker made this pathetic psychological thriller back in 1998 before they became household names.


Music & Lyrics DVD review (in Film)
Between the pithy dialogue and the retro humor which comes at the expense of big hair bands, be prepared to laugh throughout the duration of this delightful date flick.


Because I Said So DVD review (in Film)
This familiar formula might have worked were it not for Ms. Keaton’s infuriating dumbing herself down and mugging for the camera.


DEJA VU DVD (in Film)
Aptly titled, since this edge of your seat thriller feels like a roller coaster ride.


The Last King of Scotland DVD (in Film)
Recommended for the opportunity to witness Whitaker at his very best, eventually winning the Best Actor Oscar for his performance as Idi Amin.

Freedom Writers DVD (in Film)
A timely testimonial to the human potential to triumph over any obstacle via a combination of courage and perseverance.

Smokin' Aces DVD (in Film)
Smokin’ Aces is certainly visually-captivating from start to finish. Just don’t expect its storyline to be any more sophisticated than the typical gangsta’ rap video.

PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS DVD REVIEW
Will Smith exudes an endearing charm reminiscent of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, here, so expect to laugh as much as you cry during this touching tearjerker.


ROCKY BALBOA DVD REVIEW
Rocky Balboa, though technically the sixth in the series, sure seems an awful lot like a remake of the first film in the storied franchise.

RUN'S HOUSE DVD REVIEW
The Complete Seasons 1 & 2 Review


Wondrous Oblivion DVD (in Film )

A touching rites-of-passage tale which simultaneously sends valuable messages about friendship, fidelity, tolerance, and reaching for the stars.

Blood Diamond DVD (in Film )

The movie is at heart a high body-count adventure although it is also heavily layered with sentimental subplots at every turn.

CASINO ROYALE DVD (in Film )

Passable as a generic action flick, but an exercise in frustration for any purist expecting a familiar 007 spectacular.

SUBLIME DVD (in Film )

This psychological thriller scares the bejesus out of you while subtly using malpractice as metaphor for an unacknowledged aspect of American culture

DVD REVIEW: ALEXANDER REVISTED – THE FINAL CUT (in Film )

By the time you have seen this version as well as the others, you will have an incomplete and inaccurate version of the truth behind Alexander the Great.

The Prestige DVD (in Film )

As a film about sadistic obsession, this film succeeds. However, for a film about the wonders of magic, try Neil Burger’s The Illusionist.

The Departed DVD (in Film )

Helmed by Scorsese, , this multi-layered mystery is a cinematic masterpiece unnecessarily marred by gratuitous gore.

From Other Worlds DVD (in Film )

This low-budget B-movie lacks in production values it more than makes up for with charm via a gifted cast capable of executing a clever script.

The Motel DVD (in Film )

A bittersweet meditation on manhood deeply-rooted in Amer-Asian culture

Sherrybaby DVD (in Film )

Despite the micro-budget production values, Sherrybaby is an engrossing, bittersweet tale of human failings and redemption.

Gridiron Gang DVD (in Film )

The problem with the movie is that it relies on virtually every stale staple of the sports genre en route to its transparent payoff.

Idiocracy DVD (in Film )

A caustic, comical commentary on the prospects of a culture inclined to pander to the lowest common denominator.

Miami Vice DVD (in Film )

No chemistry, no cool, no compelling characters, no air of urgency. Not exactly your father’s Miami Vice.

Step Up DVD Review (in Film )

Veteran choreographer-turned-director Anne Fletcher’s dazzling dance sequences and spectacular cinematography along the waterfront more than make-up for the absence of the element of surprise.

Little Man DVD (in Film )

More than enough venereal, homophobic, fart, feces, urination, and swift kick to the crotch sequences to satisfy the lowest common denominator crowd.

Mission: Impossible III DVD (in Film )

A thrill-a-minute, eye-popping, globetrotting adventure.

The Robin Harris Story DVD (in Film )

Besides accolades from his contemporaries, the DVD features a variety of revealing reminiscences by friends and relatives who felt blessed by his presence.

The Breakup DVD (in Film )

Delectable in its vindictiveness, offset by a sophisticated brand of humor likely to keep you in stitches from start to finish.

Waist Deep DVD review (in Film )

A big payday is the only explanation I can think of for his foisting such an absurd, insult to the intelligence on the unsuspecting public.

Click DVD review (in Film )

Another Adam Sandler vehicle where he plays that familiar infantile character with an excuse to behave like a moron.

Art School Confidential DVD review (in Film )

Art School Confidential is an ingenious spoof shot from the perspective of a rapidly-disillusioned kid plunged to the depths of despair.

 
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