Kung Fu Panda on DVD

IMDb: "It's the story about a lazy, irreverent slacker panda, named Po, who is the biggest fan of Kung Fu around...which doesn't exactly come in handy while working every day in his family's noodle shop. Unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy, Po's dreams become reality when he joins the world of Kung Fu and studies alongside his idols, the legendary Furious Five -- Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey -- under the leadership of their guru, Master Shifu. But before they know it, the vengeful and treacherous snow leopard Tai Lung is headed their way, and it's up to Po to defend everyone from the oncoming threat. Can he turn his dreams of becoming a Kung Fu master into reality? Po puts his heart - and his girth - into the task, and the unlikely hero ultimately finds that his greatest weaknesses turn out to be his greatest strengths."

I actually found this entertaining to watch. Of course, rarely can you go wrong with Jack Black.

Bolt

This was a cute family film. You AND the kids will like it.

Wikipedia:"A white German Shepherd named Bolt (John Travolta) is the title character of a hit television series called Bolt, co-starring with his loving owner Penny (Miley Cyrus). In the show, Bolt has various superpowers such as super strength and speed, heat vision, invincibility and an ultra-sonic "super bark," and constantly thwarts the evil plans of Dr. Calico (Malcolm McDowell). However, the filming crew has intentionally kept Bolt ignorant about the fact that he is being filmed to create an effect of realism on the show. As such, Bolt not only doesn't know that his superpowers aren't real, but he is deprived of living like a normal dog, much to Penny's dismay. After filming the show's first cliffhanger episode in which Penny is kidnapped by Dr. Calico, Bolt believes she is in actual danger and becomes all the more motivated to "rescue" her. He breaks out of his trailer and runs through the studio, attempting to break through a window only to be knocked unconscious and fall into a cardboard box, which is shipped from Hollywood to New York City."

Reception: "Perry Seibert of TV Guide gave the film 3 stars out of 4 and wrote the film "amuses both those who make up the film's target audience and the parents along for the ride. This winning mix of exciting action, heart-tugging sentiment, and gentle character comedy makes Bolt yet another solid addition to Disney's history of family-friendly fare." [16] Tasha Robinson of the A.V. Club gave the film a B+ stating that "Bolt is the studio's first film since Lilo & Stitch that feels like it's trying to recapture the old Disney instead of aggressively shedding it in favor of something slick and new. And yet it comes with a healthy cutting-edge Pixar flavor as well." [17] Kenneth Turan of The Los Angeles Times compared Bolt with The Truman Show and stated in his review "[Bolt] also has an intriguing plot that is kind of the family animation version of the Jim Carrey-starring "The Truman Show."[18]

Fred Claus on DVD

This was a surprisingly funny family film. I was actually expecting it to be far worse. Rent it for the holidays.

Wikipedia: "Fred Claus (Vince Vaughn) and Santa Claus (Paul Giamatti) have been estranged brothers for many years. Now Fred must reconcile his differences with his brother whom he believes overshadows him; when an efficiency expert (Kevin Spacey) asseses the workings at the North Pole and threatens to shut Santa down, Fred must help his brother to save Christmas."

Disney hands out subway tickets for “Narnia” DVD

Posted by: Gina Keating

Cash-strapped commuters who wish they could disappear into a magical land with talking animals, take heart! The Walt Disney Co will be handing out free subway rides in the busiest U.S. subway stations to promote the DVD release of “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” on Dec. 2.

Disney says it hopes to “spread a little magic” to strap-hangers in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Miami and San Francisco who may not be aware that the Pevensie kids in C.S. Lewis’ Narnia books — on which the films are based – were transported there while waiting for the subway.

The DVD will be available on standard definition and Blu-ray formats and will include the usual featurettes as well as a special DisneyFile, a copy of the film that can be downloaded and viewed on portable devices.

Dark City (1998)

I finally got around to seeing this and now ranks in my top ten fave sci-fi films.


Wikipedia:

"Dark City is a 1998 science fiction film noir written by Alex Proyas, Lem Dobbs and David S. Goyer, and directed by Proyas. It stars Rufus Sewell, William Hurt, Kiefer Sutherland, and Jennifer Connelly. While it was not a major box office hit when originally released, it has subsequently developed a considerable cult following within film industry and cineaste circles. Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert is a particularly high-profile supporter of Dark City, labelling it the best film of 1998.^[1]

The story concerns a man waking in a hotel room with no memory, which soon proves to be but one of many troubles. He is sought by police, who believe him to be a serial killer, and also by a group of mysterious men with psychokinetic powers. Furthermore, something appears to be wrong with the world at large: time, memory, and identity behave in unusual ways.

A director's cut of Dark City was officially released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc July 29, 2008. This version includes 15 minutes of additional footage, generally consisting of extended scenes with additional establishing shots and dialogue."

Wall-E on DVD

Jacket: "After hundreds of lonely years of doing what he was built for, the curious and lovable WALL-E discovers a new purpose in life when he meets a sleek search robot named EVE. Join them and a hilarious cast of characters on a fantastic journey across the universe."

This is one of Pixar's best films to date!

"Slumdog Millionaire" hits jackpot in first round

By Carl DiOrio

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - It's been a relatively slack market so far for prestige films with awards-consideration aspirations, but "Slumdog Millionaire" hit the jackpot during the weekend with a gold-plated start to its platform campaign.

Danny Boyle's critically praised comedy-drama about an Indian game-show contestant grossed $350,434 from just 10 theaters in six markets, said distributor Fox Searchlight. That represented a mind-bending $35,043 million per engagement for one of the year's top theater averages to date.

Since opening Wednesday, the film has earned $418,131; it will add 10 cities next weekend as part of a slow roll-out designed to capitalize on word of mouth.

Elsewhere in the specialty market, IFC's French-language Catherine Deneuve starrer "A Christmas Tale" unwrapped a first-weekend gross of $65,408 in five New York theaters and three in Los Angeles. That translated to an encouraging $9,344 per venue as the Yuletide reunion drama prepares to unfold in top 10 markets Friday.

Click link for full article.

Slumdog Millionaire

I started hearing the buzz on this months ago. Then as the film gods would have it, we saw an early screening. To be blown away by a film is putting it mildly. This film proves why we go to the movies. It is a Shakespearean romantic tragedy with a modern spin that never once strays from the powerful storyline.

You will be grabbing your armrests as you experience Jamal's triumphs and tragedies and clapping your hands at the very end.

What are you doing still reading this? GO SEE THIS FILM!!


Wikipedia: "Slumdog Millionaire is a 2008 British drama film directed by Danny Boyle and written by Simon Beaufoy. Based on the book Q and A by Vikas Swarup, the film, shot and set in India, follows a young street beggar who appears on a game show and exceeds people's expectations, raising suspicions from the game show host and law enforcement."


Reception:

Todd McCarthy, writing for Variety, praised Simon Beaufoy's "intricate and cleverly structured script", cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle's immersing camera work, and Chris Dickens's "breathless" editing. McCarthy concluded, "As drama and as a look at a country increasingly entering the world spotlight, Slumdog Millionaire is a vital piece of work by an outsider who’s clearly connected with the place."^[21]

Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times described it as "a Hollywood-style romantic melodrama that delivers major studio satisfactions in an ultra-modern way", and the "hard-to-resist 'Slumdog Millionaire,' with director Danny Boyle adding independent film touches to a story of star-crossed romance that the original Warner brothers would have embraced, shamelessly pulling out stops that you wouldn't think anyone would have the nerve to attempt anymore."^[22]

In The New York Times, Manohla Dargis calls the film "a modern fairy tale," a "sensory blowout," and "one of the most upbeat stories about living in hell imaginable." She concludes that "In the end, what gives me reluctant pause about this bright, cheery, hard-to-resist movie is that its joyfulness feels more like a filmmaker’s calculation than an honest cry from the heart about the human spirit." ^[23]

Hellboy II on DVD

Jacket: "The fate of mankind hangs in the balance when a ruthless prince awakens an unstoppable army of creatures and wages war with the human world. It's up to Hellboy and his team of paranormal outcasts to face off with the forces of darkness in the ultimate battle of good versus evil!"

Bean: "Worth the rental. It's always fun exploring del Toro's universe. You never know what to expect."

Soderbergh overseeing true-life mob thriller

By Steven Zeitchik

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Steven Soderbergh is executive-producing a movie based on the true story of an FBI undercover agent who nearly became a made man in the mob.

"Making Jack Falcone" is based on a memoir of the same name published last month. After a barrage of publicity that included a "60 Minutes" segment, it has landed on the New York Times extended best-seller list.

The Simon & Schuster/Touchstone tome tells the story of Joaquin "Jack" Garcia, also known as Jack Falcone, a Cuban-American FBI agent who successfully went undercover in the Gambino crime family.

... The Paramount Pictures project will be written by Peter Buchman, who previously collaborated with Soderbergh on the ambitious revolutionary saga "Che," which will soon be released by IFC Films. Soderbergh is said to be on board to read drafts of the script and offer other guidance on the project.

Click link for full article.

"Jurassic Park" author Michael Crichton dies

By Dan Whitcomb

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. best-selling author Michael Crichton, who wrote such novels as "The Andromeda Strain" and "Jurassic Park," and created the popular TV drama "ER," has died at 66, his family said on Wednesday.

Crichton, a medical doctor turned novelist whose books have sold more than 150 million copies worldwide, died "unexpectedly" on Tuesday in Los Angeles after a private battle with cancer, his family said.

... Crichton was born in Chicago on October 23, 1942 and wrote his first novels under pen names while attending Harvard Medical School. "The Andromeda Strain," which was published in 1969, became his first best-seller.