DVD: Vacancy

While taking a short cut to get by a detour, David and Amy Fox (Luke Wilson, Kate Beckinsale) car breaks down in the middle of nowhere and the only gas station is only a mile away. When they get there the station is closed for the night, while a motel is across the road they decide to get help from the manager. The manger tells them that everywhere around this area is closed and that they might as well rest up here for the night. As they get settled in the dirt filled room, David and Amy soon realize that their room was a set for a couple of "slasher" films that are on the TV and they are next. Now the cameras are on them and they have to fight against their captures to stay alive.

While I started to watch Vacancy I was very impressed by the opening sequence I thought that was good and hopefully means a good signs for this film. Unfortunately it wasn't. Apart from that the film was full of cliches from every horror/thriller films that takes place in motels. If you seen another horror film that takes plays in a motel then there's really no reason to go and see Vacancy.

One thing that annoyed me were the way the main characters Wilson and Beckinsale they would do/make stupid choices to "almost" get caught but I guess that's has to be in the film to make it interesting and continue. Both of their performances where not that good and it was getting to the brink of annoying.

Well I can say that the one thing I did like was the lighting especially in the beginning. They use lighting in the car, and up in till the room of the manager when they first speak with him I thought those parts of the film were done well. I also liked the actor Frank Whaley who plays the manger, I thought he did a good job out of the mess of other acting.

Overall Vacancy is nothing too special to watch if you haven't seen a horror film in a while, but other than that I would suggest this movie as a Skip.

DVD Features

Vacancy is presented in Both Fullscreen 1:33:1 and Anamorphic 2:40.1. With Dolby Digital English 5.1 and French Dolby Surround.Also with both English and French subtitles. Extras include:

• Checking In: Behind-the-Scenes of VACANCY.
• Extended Snuff Films.
• Deleted Scenes.

The special features on the DVD of Vacancy is not but short. On the DVD its really not to be worth a buy or a rent. So for the DVD too I will also give Vacancy a Skip.

DVD: Dummy

Before The Pianist, the film in which Adrien Brody won an Academy Award for his performance. He stared in Dummy as Steven, a nearly 30 year old still living with his parents. When Steven gets fired from his office job he goes through a unemployment counselor named Lorena (played by Vera Farmiga) to help him find work as a ventriloquist something that he as be always fond of. After a couple of mishaps including a restraining order he finds the courage to ask Lorena out with the help of Steven's best friend Fangora who is played by Milla Jovovich. Steven's sister Heidi played by Illeana Douglas who too is living with the parents is a wedding planner who is having trouble finding a band to play Klezmer music for the wedding. Fangora then learns to speak Hebrew just show she can get this music gig for her band.

The story of the Dummy was good I liked the story of an 30 year old still living with the parents and is a very shy person who wants to follow his dreams. Dummy does has a good story with a good bit of humor in it. I was really impressed that Adrien Brody did all of the Ventriloquist all by him self and that takes talent.

Adrien Brody does a great job as Steven, a loser that still lives with his parents and his sister and he decides to take up ventriloquism. Brody does this very well he's very believable. Another one I like was Milla Jovovich everything with her and her mother was really funny. The rest of the cast are good too from the parents who are played by Jessica Walter who is from the Televison show Arrested Development and Rob Leibman to the obessed boyfriend of the sister played by Jared Harris.

Nothing really set me off of ththis film I enjoyed every minute of this film. From the acting to the story and even to the writing everything in this was good. I Highly Recommended Dummy.

DVD Features

Dummy is presented in 1.85:1 Widescreen and is enhanced for widescreen televisions. With audio of English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround, and 2.0 Dolby Stereo. Also with Sapnish subtitles. Extras Include:

• Picture-in-Picture Ventriloquist Commentary by Jeff Dunham.
• Dummies 101: Learning the Ventriloquist Dream.
• Trailer Gallery.
• Deleted/Altered Scenes.
• "What Type of Dummy Are You?" Game.
• Ventriloquism: A History of Dummies.
• Ventriloquist Lessons.

The DVD of Dummy is a pretty solid DVD with its extras and the films. The Ventriloquist extras are pretty cool and the lessons are interesting. Overall the DVD is a good for any DVD/movie fan and this DVD comes Highly Recommended.

DVD: Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters

Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters is a story about three unlikely heroes Master Shake, Frylock, and Meatwad. They want to get buff, so they build a home workout machine but unknowing the machine is from the future and can cause mass destruction all over the world. The three are join by some other "friends" a neighbor named Carl Brutananadilewski, two aliens Oglethorpe and Emory and a Cybernetic Ghost, and two Mooninites named Ignignokt and Err They must band together to well... I don't know.

From the show Aqua Teen Hunger Force which plays during the Adult Swim block on Cartoon Network. Aqua Teen is a very random show it has quirky and raunchy humor.

Now I never have seen the original show on the cartoon network, I've only seen the characters as I was channel surfing once or twice in a while. I really didn't care for this kind of show. So when Aqua Teen Hunger Force came out I thought I might as well just watch and if I don't like it, I don't like it . I was starting to watched it and the first five minutes with the old fashion movie ad with the food singing, this part had me laughing because of what happened later. After this it does a title sequence. Then the fun began.

The rest of the film I was surprised in it really grew on me I was laughing nonstop throughout this. A lot of people who I know said that to get these jokes you must be on pot or something, I was never on anything and I though everything was funny. The characters were quirky and funny with bad language much like South Park.

The plot really didn't have no much sense to it but it was damn funny. After viewing Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie for Theaters made me a big fan of this show and I'll be a big watcher of the show from here on out.

Overall this film will most likely be directed towards the fans of the show, I think it could also pick up new fans, like me. I Highly Recommend this film.

DVD Features

Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie for Theaters for DVD is presented in Widescreen the Audio is presented in 5.1 Dolby Digital and 2.0 Dolby Digital Sound. The subtitles are in English, French and Spanish. Features Include:

• Theatrical Trailer.
• Sizzle Reel.
• Behind the Scenes The Thing We Shot Wed. Night.
• Art/Music Gallery.
• Jon Schnep 3D.
• Dana Snyder/ Bob Odenkirk Interviews.
• Commentary with Patti Smith, Todd Hanson, Dana Snyder and Fred Armisey.
• 80 Minute Deleted Movie.
• Fake Endings (x10).
• Deleted Scenes.
• Music Videos.
• Pete Promos.
• Legal Page.

The DVD of Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie For Theaters For DVD is jammed backed with great features in which any DVD/ movie fan should own. My personal favorite part on this DVD had to have been the Behind the scenes section I thought it was really funny. I also liked the way they put some of the deleted scenes into the film so you can watch it all together. From me this DVD is a Recommended Buy.

DVD: Zodiac

In the late 1960s in northern California a man who named himself the Zodiac claimed to the killed of people who he has murdered. After the murders he would send a letter afterhe killed his victims to the newspaper, The San Francisco Chronicle demanding that the editors put his words on the front page. This story follows a couple of men who were working next to the Zodiac case. One being a policeman David Toschi played by Mark Rufflo, a newspapers cartoonist Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal) and a journalist Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr.). As the years of trying to find out the one question "Who is the Zodiac?" move on some forget about it completely while other bring it to obsession. Based on true story of the real Zodiac, when he was terrorizing California.

The Zodiac is a beautiful film. Ever thing from the sets look and even to the lighting. Mostly everything in Zodiac made if feel that we were really back at those times which gave the story all that more realism. The look was great the light played a big part of this film. The scene's were we see only the victims of the Zodiacs and they use shadows to conceal his face was really scary. This is a very dark film and I really enjoyed it. One scene that I thought was done really well was a scene with a man named Bob Vaughn who was played by Charles Fleischer and he talking with Jake Gyllenhaal. Bob takes Jake's character down to the basement to show him something. With all the lighting the darken look of the basement and the noise around them was really tense. I thought was the scariest part in the film.

The acting in the Zodiac was good. Jake Gyllenhaal did a great performance mostly as the film moved through towards the end. Robert Doweny Jr. and Mark Rufflo both were on par with decent acting and a small role but good nonetheless was Brain Cox's who plays the Lawyer Melvin Belli. The acting alone is a high selling point of this film. I did like the idea of four different actor even though we never see their faces, played the Zodiac when they show him killing his victims. I like this idea because as of today the Zodiac as never been found or identified and with that it gives a sense of when the cops where questioning the suspects that suspense of we don't even know him.

The director David Fincher is one of the best directors around his film list includes Fight Club, Panic Room and Se7en. So basically he's right at home with the thriller aspect of film making. Zodiac does not have that much blood as his past films. With all that I do believe this is best work yet.

With all that said I believe this is one of the best film of 2007 so far and was just over looked. I think that if you could go and see one film this year than this is the film to see. Zodiac is Highly Recommended.

DVD Features

The film is presented in Widescreen Enhanced for 16:9 TVs. The audio includes Dolby Digital English 5.1, French 5.1 Surround with subtitles of English and Spanish. The DVD of the Zodiac does not have any features.

As much as I loved the film Zodiac its hard not to recommend this DVD. The DVD has nothing connected to this, mostly because later in 2008 a Directors Cut is coming to DVD because it has the preview on this DVD. So I would Recommend that you wait to get the directors cut but if you really want to see this film then it is a must Rent.

DVD: Disturbia

Disturbia starring Shia LaBeouf (Holes, Transformers and TV Series "Even Stevens") stars as Kale a trouble young teenager who is sentenced to house arrested after an attack that could have landed him in juvie. As Kale is stuck in the house he gets bored and starts to watch the routines of the local neighborhood in till two things happen. One a young teenage girl (Sarah Roemer) moves in and catches his views a couple of times. As they become friends both her and Kale spot some suspicious things happening next door with his other next door neighbor played by David Morse. It soon becomes a game of the boy who cried wolf. Could something be happening or is it just his imagination?

In the tradition of one of Hitchcock's best Rear Window, Disturbia is a voyeur type of story and the suspense comes from watching others when you can feel they are about to go or already in danger. If you have never seen the movie Rear Window I recommend that before I can ever recommend this for anyone. Nonetheless, Disturbia is a decent film, it does have a lot of the stuff that maded Rear Window great. There are good scenes of suspense that had me on the edge of my seat.

Shia LaBeouf is becoming one of my favorite new actors, he can actually star in a action film and can also act at the same time. He's really making a good name for himself. In Disturbia he continues. I thought he did do a good job, but he does also have other good actors around him David Morse, Carrie-Anne Moss and someone who I never have heard of but I liked her was Sarah Roemer which make it a enjoyable experience.

D.J. Caruso was the director and was also the director of another other thriller Taking Lives and Two for the Money. I didn't like Taking Lives but this got me on his side with Disturbia. I thought the scenes of Kale watching his neighbor David Morse through the binoculars nearing the end was very suspenseful and I like that. One of the other writer who co-writer Carl Ellsworth who also wrote the story for the thriller Red Eye which I liked too.

Disturbia is a good and decent film. The only thing I had a problem with was some scenes seemed to me too fake and they came from a cheesy book, especially a scene between Sarah Roemer's character and Shia LeBouf's character but that's not really a big problem just something I had beef with nothing that should change my opinion of the movie. Overall this is a good movie and it is Recommended.

DVD Features

Disturbia is presented in Widescreen format and is Enhanced for 16x9 Television. The Audio is in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround EX, French 5.1 Surround EX and Spanish 5.1 Surround EX. Subtitles come in English, French and Spanish. The Features in the DVD are:

• Commentary by Director D.J. Caruso and Cast Members Shia LaBouf and Sarah Roemer.
• Deleted Scenes.
• The Making of Disturbia.
• Serial Pursuit Trivia Pop-Up Quiz.
• Outtakes.
• Music Video - "Don't Make Me Wait"- This World Fair.
• Photo Gallery.
• And More.

The DVD of Disturbia is a pretty well packed DVD. The commentary was OK same with the delete scenes. Everything else on the DVD was watchable and it is a nicely packed DVD. So If you haven't seen Disturbia I would recommend this DVD as a Buy.

DVD: Wild Hogs

Wild Hogs is a story about four "ageing" men who think that they are still young enough to hang out with the younger crowd. When Woody Stevens (John Travolta) gets the idea of going on a cross-country hog ride with his fellow biker friends (Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence, William H. Macy). To try to escape there problem in there Suburban life style and the other three agree. During the trip the "Wild Hogs" get tangled with the deadly Del Fuegos who leader is played by Ray Liotta. From here the Hogs rest up at a small town in New Mexico. In the town Dudley Frank (William H. Macy) meets a local woman who he falls for played by Marisa Tomei. Unfortunely the Hogs meet a road block before they can reach there goal.

Looking at the cast you would think that this could be a huge mega hit, but that not what it amounted to be. I thought the jokes were weak and very repetitive, the one thing that really bugged me was that they kept show wipe out after wipe out after wipe out of William H. Macy character (Dudley Frank) I thought the first time he did it was funny but after the second and even third time I though it was getting really stupid and repetitive.

The acting in Wild Hogs was respectable but I did think Ray Liotta acting was a little over the top. A cameo did appear in the film with someone who I won't mention because if you see it I don't want to spoil it, I thought he didn't fit the character he's playing which I didn't also care for.

Wild Hogs is written by Brad Copeland who as written episode for Ground For Life, My Name is Earl and the great Arrested Development, and is directed by Walt Becker. With one of the writers from Arrested Development how can it not be funny? Some parts were funny but not enough to save the film. Some of the jokes were the same as the one in other cross country movie. I would have liked some more NEW jokes.

The cast was good, the acting was good the story was OK. So why didn't I like it? I thought it was boring the jokes where repetitive that turned me off to the movie. Overall I think this is not a film to watch but if you have been interested in this film I would at least give this a Skip. Maybe you like the jokes in the film.

DVD Features

Wild Hogs is presented in Widescreen 2.35:1--Enhanced for 16x9 Televisions--and has Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound of English, French and Spanish tracks. The DVD also has French and Spanish subtitles. The Special Features include:

• "Bikes, Brawl And Burning Bars: The Making of Wild Hogs"
• How Go Get Your Wife To Let You Buy A Motorcycle
• Freewheeling Alternate Ending
• High Octane Deleted Scenes
• Outrageous Outtakes
• Audio Commentary With Director Walt Becker and Writer Brad Copeland.

The special features on the DVD of Wild Hogs let me start off by saying the commentary with writer Brad Copeland the the director Walt Becker I didn't care for as much. The one think that I hated was the alternate ending. Everywhere I saw Wild Hogs being advertised talked about this alternate ending and to be frank it sucked. If does give us one last scene with a character who I didn't care for in the first place. Same with the outtakes they were not really funny. Overall with the DVD I would have to say Skip It.

DVD: Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

In 1970 the news was ruled by one man, that man was Ron Burgundy, In Anchorman Will Ferrell plays Ron Burgundy a big time Anchorman for the Channel 4 News in San Diego. Burgundy and his team who include Champ Kind ( David Koechner), Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd) and Brick Tamland (Steve Carell) are having a great time in till Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate) joins there team with big dreams of becoming an anchorwoman.

Will Ferrell is one of the biggest comedians acting today anything Ferrell does tends to make laughter and with Anchorman being no exception. Will Ferrell plays a very charming dim-witty news anchor, which he plays right on. Every scene Will Ferrell is in I tend to laugh. The rest of the 'team' is also funny with a steller supporting cast including the great Fred Willard, but my personal favorite was Brain Fantana who is played by Paul Rudd he was good.

The story was written by both Will Ferrell and Adam Mckay, Adam Mckay who was a writer on SNL when Will Ferrell too was on the show so he know comedy. Anchorman was also directed by Mckay who I thought did a decent job.

The story on the other hand I thought was all over the place, for example there's a scene where the local news groups get in a fight, it really doesn't need to be in there but who cares its funny it made me laugh, and at least every film that is based in the 70s you have to have a refrence to the Starland Vocal Band when Anchorman does pretty good.

Like most of the films Will Ferrell stars great with funny characters and something that can make anyone laugh, that why I Strongly Recommend Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.

DVD Features

The Anchorman DVD is presented in aspect ratio 1.85:1 Enchance for Widsceen TV's*. The Languages include English and French Dolby Digital 5.1 and English Dolby Digital 2.0 and English captions. The Extras are:

• Over 35 minutes of Hilarious Bloopers & Deleted Scenes.
• Ron Burgundy's Unforgettable Interviews at the MTV Movie Awards.
• Ron Burgundy's ESPN Audition.
• An Interview with the Courtesy of the Museum of Television and Radio.
• An Almost Uncensered Commentary by Will Ferrell and Adam Mckay.
• Making of Anchorman.
• Afternoon Delight Music Video.

The special features on the Anchorman DVD are good. I watched the unrated version of Anchorman and the commentary was funny the first five minutes Will ferrell and Adam Mckay just see how far they can go with this unrated commentary which was pretty funny. the bloopers and the deleted scenes are well, and theres only one of the interviews from the MTV awards. The Audition was a good extras as well as the funny Interview. The Making of featurette was one around nine minutes being very short. To top it all off it has the funny Afternoon Delight music vedio preformed by the Channel 4 News Team. The the dvd features are enjoy to say the least, If you like any other of Will Ferrell's movies or you just like to see a good comedy then Anchorman is the one to see. Recommend Buy.