Elf (DVD) Review

November 18th, 2009 by admin

This Christmas, discover your inner elf… At least, that’s the tagline for Elf, one of the funniest films of 2003. Packed with a cast of Hollywood all-star talent, Elf is guaranteed to make you laugh. The touching story about an adopted elf who discovers he’s really a boy is sort of a bizzaro-Pinocchio story that opened to such widespread critical acclaim that it unanimously swept zero Oscars at the 2004 Academy Awards ceremony! Nevertheless, Elf is worth the price of admission. Although Christmas Vacation still holds the title as the top Christmas comedy, Elf is still a great night’s entertainment…

Buddy (Will Ferrell) is an oversized elf working away at the North Pole. Always wearing a smile, he dwarfs his comrades and never seems able to find his niche in the toy-making arena. Eventually, Papa Elf (Bob Newhart) is forced to reveal the truth to Buddy. He’s actually a human. He’s not really an elf at all. The elves love buddy just the same, but Buddy feels the need to strike out on his own and try to find himself – and maybe even his family too…

Scouring the streets of New York City, Buddy must learn the urban rules of life. In due time, he manages to track down his biological father, a successful publishing executive named Walter (James Caan). But despite the prodding of his wife Emily (Mary Steenburgen), Walter is reluctant to start a relationship with the over-eager grown-up child…

In the meantime, Buddy spends his days working at Gimbel’s department store where he stars as a department store Santa’s elf and a Christmas season decorator, creating a magical wonderland that thrills customers and employees alike. Striking up a relationship with fellow employee Jovie (Zooey Deschanel), Buddy’s life is slowly transitioning from elf to human… But will he be able to survive in the big city? Will he be able to rekindle a relationship with his father? Elf thoroughly entertains us while we find out…

With a great cast of writers, Elf manages to keep the laughs rolling throughout the entirety of the film. Although lacking in some areas (it’s not one of the greatest comedies of all-time), Elf is a hilarious movie in its own right. Will Ferrell turns in an amazing performance as Buddy. Like Tom Hanks in Big, he’s actually believable as the innocent man-child roaming the streets of New York City. It’s this farcical innocence that provides Elf with the charm necessary to keep the audience involved in the story beginning to end. Because of its laugh factor, and the surprisingly small number of decent Christmas-themed movies, Elf is a definite must-see film… Check it out this Christmas!

Crash (DVD) Review

October 4th, 2009 by admin

Nominated for six Academy Awards, and winner of Best Picture, Crash is more than deserving of the critical acclaim surrounding its release. Probing the deepest recesses of racism, prejudice, and discrimination in modern day America, the film forces viewers to examine their own tendencies to create and foster stereotypes. More importantly, it does so in a way that doesn’t accuse, blame, or pursue a political agenda. In fact, Crash even touches on the shortcomings of political correctness and how some people have allowed outside perceptions to affect personal judgment, often to their own detriment. Written and directed by Paul Haggis, author of the Million Dollar Baby screenplay, Crash is a thoughtful piece of social commentary wrapped in a storyline ripe with conflict and suspense.
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Coach (DVD) Review

October 1st, 2009 by admin

Nominated for 16 Emmys and 4 Golden Globes, Coach delighted fans of all ages during its celebrated nine-season run. One of the most underrated sitcoms of its era, the series covers the exploits of fictional Minnesota State Screaming Eagles college football coach Hayden Fox (Craig T. Nelson), the quintessential male chauvinist pig. But unlike many of his politically-incorrect brethren, Hayden has a heart of gold. It’s this softer side that appeals to successful anchorwoman and girlfriend Christine Armstrong (Shelley Fabares). In the locker room, Hayden is joined by assistant coaches Luther Van Dam (Jerry Van Dyke) and Dauber Dybinski (Bill Fagerbakke), the perfect compliments to the coach’s oftentimes sketchy logic. Between his estranged daughter Kelly (Clare Carey), her less-than-manly boyfriend Stuart (Kris Kamm), nagging athletic director Howard Burleigh (Kenneth Kimmins), and ladies basketball coach Judy Watkins (Pam Stone), Hayden is always dispensing sarcasm, trading barbs, or being aggravated by someone.
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Christmas With The Kranks (DVD) Review

September 30th, 2009 by admin

Based on the best-selling John Grisham novel titled Skipping Christmas, Christmas With The Kranks resembles the book in almost every facet save for the title. Starring Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis, Christmas With The Kranks is an instant Christmas holiday classic. Although not in the same league of Yule tide comedy gems Christmas Vacation and A Christmas Story, this film ranks high on my list of holiday laughers. The supporting cast (led by perpetual funnyman Dan Aykroyd) turns in a superb performance, making Christmas With The Kranks an easy film to relate to and one you’ll want to see many times in the years to come…
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Cheers (Season 5) DVD Review

September 25th, 2009 by admin

One of the funniest TV comedies ever produced, Cheers is essential viewing for anyone who’s ever frequented a hangout “where everyone knows your name”. The shows focuses on a friendly neighborhood Boston bar named Cheers (the Bull & Finch Pub in real life). Owned by former Boston Red Sox reliefer Sam Malone (Ted Danson), Cheers has three employees other than Sam: Woody Boyd (Woody Harrelson), Carla Tortelli (Rhea Pearlman), and Diane Chambers (Shelley Long). Celebrated psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammar) and his wife Dr. Lilith Sternin Crane (Bebe Neuwirth) are regular customers of the bar (with Dr. Crane later playing the lead role in his own series, Frasier). Norm Peterson (George Wendt) and Cliff Clavin (John Ratzenberger), regular barflies, round out an excellent supporting cast of characters.
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Cheers (Season 4) DVD Review

September 21st, 2009 by admin

One of the most popular television sitcoms ever, Cheers is the perfect series for anyone who’s ever been to a regular getaway “where everyone knows your name”. The show revolves around a friendly neighborhood Boston bar on Beacon Street named Cheers. Owned by former Red Sox relief pitcher Sam Malone (Ted Danson), the bar is frequented by a host of regular customers and has three employees: bartender Woody Boyd (Woody Harrelson), waitress Carla Tortelli (Rhea Pearlman), and Diane Chambers (Shelley Long). Celebrated psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammar) is a common fixture at the bar (and later stars in his own award-winning series, Frasier). Barflies Cliff Clavin (John Ratzenberger) Norm Peterson (George Wendt) finish off a strong supporting cast of zany characters.
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Cheers (Season 3) DVD Review

September 17th, 2009 by admin

One of the most beloved TV sitcoms in American history, Cheers is the perfect show for anyone who’s ever frequented a place “where everybody knows your name”. The series follows the lives of the workers and patrons who inhabit a friendly neighborhood Boston bar named Cheers. Cheers is operated by a retired Boston Red Sox relief pitcher named Sam Malone (Ted Danson). Sam has three people on his staff: Ernie “Coach” Pantusso (Nicholas Colasanto), Carla Tortelli (Rhea Pearlman), and Diane Chambers (Shelley Long). Regulars Norm Peterson (George Wendt) and Cliff Clavin (John Ratzenberger) round out a strong supporting cast of eccentric characters. Most notably, season three provides viewers with their first glimpse of Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammar), a psychiatrist who would later have his own series, Frasier…
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Cheers (Season 2) DVD Review

September 13th, 2009 by admin

One of the top-rated sitcoms of the 1980s, Cheers founded the “must see” hours of NBC’s prime time lineup. Following the exploits of a group of bar employees and their customers, Cheers became a regular hangout not just for guys like Norm Peterson and Cliff Clavin, but for all of America as well. Bartender and Cheers owner Sam Malone is a retired pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, while he’s joined by employees Ernie “Coach” Pantusso, Carla Tortelli, and Diane Chambers. A number of recurring characters seated around the bar appear in each episode. Almost every episode takes place entirely in the bar…
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Cheers (DVD) Review

September 9th, 2009 by admin

One of the greatest television comedies in history, Cheers is an absolute must see for anyone who’s ever had a regular hangout “where everybody knows your name”. The shows centers itself around a friendly neighborhood Boston bar named Cheers. The bar is owned by former Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Sam Malone (Ted Danson). Sam has two employees – bartender Ernie “Coach” Pantusso (Nicholas Colasanto) and waitress Carla Tortelli (Rhea Perlman). Things are great for Sam until he hires a jilted graduate student named Diane Chambers (Shelley Long) to waitress in the bar. Regular barflies Norm Peterson (George Wendt) and Cliff Clavin (John Ratzenberger) round out a strong supporting cast…
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Charlie's Angels (DVD) Review

September 5th, 2009 by admin

Long before Magnum, PI put Tom Selleck on the map, Charlie’s Angels owned the world of TV private eyes. Nominated for 4 Emmys and 7 Golden Globes, including 2 for Best TV Series – Drama, Charlie’s Angels was a truly rare overnight sensation. The forerunner to modern day shows such as La Femme Nikita and Alias, creators Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts capped off long careers as showbiz writers by penning the unforgettable story of three sexy and vivacious private investigators. Executive producer Aaron Spelling (linked to innumerable hit shows such as Beverly Hills 90210, The Love Boat, Melrose Place, Dynasty, 7th Heaven, and Charmed among others) played a prominent role in the pop culture explosion of this series which witnessed the immediate mass marketing of Charlie’s Angels trading cards, posters, lunchboxes, and endless other memorabilia – including a full-length feature film of the same name two decades later (2000). Through the duration of the series (five seasons), the cast changed continuously as Charlie’s angels became media stars in their own right and left to pursue various opportunities in modeling, film, and TV…
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