Stealing Harvard (2012)

I did like the "Branch Rickey" joke, but I bet that gag was over the head of a lot of people who checked out "Stealing Harvard." Besides, that joke was in the trailer as were most of what ends up being the funny parts from this 2002 comedy. Please, raise your hand if you are sick and tired of trailers usually being better than the movies they trick you into going to see. If this movie did not have a trailer to give away the good parts I could have given it another star.

The story that Peter Tolan and Martin Hynes come up with provides a good enough framework for a comedy. John Plummer (Jason Lee) and his fiance, Elaine Warner (Leslie Mann) have finally saved $30,000, which is enough for them to buy a home and get married. But John's neice Noreen (Tammy Blanchard) has just achieved her dream of being accepted at Harvard and she and her mother, Patty (Megan Mullally) have a videotape from many years earlier when Uncle John promised to pay for Noreen's college education. Noreen only needs $29 thousand and change in eleven days. John cannot just give Noreen the $30,000 that is earmarked for the new house and the only reasonable alternative, as suggested by his best friend "Duff" (Tom Green), is to steal the money.

This is easier said then done, an idea that could be handled creatively but is not in this film. Instead we have something on the level of "Raising Arizona" if written by high school students who only remember the worst episodes of "Saturday Night Live." This movie is just not funny and most of the cast is clearly trying too hard. A film in which Tom Green and Jason Lee are both too sedate is not a good sign. Richard Jenkins plays the only character who seems comfortable with their role, but I do want to mention that in the last act of the film Leslie Mann's Elaine suddenly turns out to be a bit more than a woman who tends to cry during sex, which was a pleasing surprise.

The plot has its standard complications. Elaine is the boss's daughter and daddy (Dennis Farina) makes a point of asking each day if John is sleeping with his little girl and is looking for someway to break up the couple, aided in his effort by Rex the Dog (Zeus). Meanwhile, John and Duff have to contend with both Detective Charles (John C. McGinley) and local thug David Loach (Chirs Penn) as they try to figure out a way of "Stealing Harvard." But you keep coming back to the idea that certainly Green and Lee could have come up with better ad libs that what ends up in this lame little comedy.

The working titles for this film included "The Promise," "You Promised," "Say Uncle," "Uncle," and "Stealing Standford." If you check out the deleted scenes there is a point where Noreen wants to go to "Northern," so that last one makes me wonder how hard it would have to do regional versions of this film: Harvard for the East and Stanford for the West, then something like Notre Dame or Illinois for the Midwest and Duke or Miami for the South. But then why stop there? They could change one visual, dub a handful of scenes, and every major college in the country could be the target school for this movie, everything from "Stealing Auburn" to "Stealing Wyoming." That would be one one to generate interest in this movie and get poeple to see it. Then again, it might have been cheaper just to actually make it a funny movie.

This is a very funny movie. If your a fan of Tom Green you'll like this movie. It's full of laughs from beginning to end. The name of Tom Green's hedge cutting company is cool. Its called "Landscape Escape". I recommend this movie if your a fan of comedy. You won't stop laughing.

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Stealing Harvard happens to succeed on every single level of entertainment. At least, according to my tastes (which may or may not stink, hehe).

It's about a man who makes a promise to his distraught niece after she fails a spelling bee that, if she were to ever make it into college, he'd pay for it. Well skip ahead several years later and, to his absolute surprise she DOES end up going to college, and to Harvard of all places!

It turns out she needs 30,000 bucks. From here the storyline kicks in, and to me, it's a really funny movie that never fails with the laughs. Of course you could argue that once the guys nerdy friend enters the picture to help with the money situation, the humor goes down significantly (because he is fairly annoying, to be honest). He's kind of obnoxious most of the time.

However the incredible twist of horrible luck (and humorous segments) the poor guy has to endure just to come up with 30 grand is quite the spectacle to watch. Despite being a comedy you can't help but feel sorry for the guy. Without spoiling anything, he has to put up with utter crappiness at every single turn it seems.

I mean, just think about thishis girlfriends father hates his guts, the police department gradually catch on to his sneaky ways, and his girlfriend is always questioning his every move. Somehow, for the sake of his nieces future, he has to find ways to avoid *everybody* and focus on obtaining the money.

Overall, it's a really good movie. The humor and storytelling are both really well-written which is a rare find these days. Oh, and a certain dog scene at the end is absolutely priceless (and inappropriate to share!)

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Would have been WAY better film if they had given Tom Green's character more time but still manages to provide a good laugh on the spray painted holdup scene.

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I went to see this movie with my friends, and we all walked out laughing. I saw this movie before I ever saw Road Trip, and that was also funny, but this is much better. I love all the charactors (But Jason Lee, Tom Green are the best together). The two main charactors are great friends, but when you put them together, all of their plans go wrong. John (Lee) promised his niece that he would pay for her college when she was little, and forgot all about it. She was accepted to Harvard and now he must find $30,000 somewhere. (direct quote) "I had only one option. I had to go to a man who's ideas were sometimes so dumb they were brilliant: I had to go to Duff". The plot is not even really important to the comedy, it just makes the entire thing make sense in the end. I don't want to tell you what happens, so I'll just say one thing more: this is the only movie I own that is even funnier every time I watch it.

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Kevin Hart: Laugh At My Pain

Kevin Hart is too funny! Saw this one at the theater twice (the first time people were laughing so loud/long, I missed some parts! lol). Definitely worth buying as he never gets old. I have been a fan for years and have his other dvds (I'm A Grown Little Man & Seriously Funny) and watch them all the time. Each time, it just gets funnier. You won't be disappointed with this purchase!

I can honestly say this is one of the funniest stand ups I have seen in a long time. I couldn't stop laughing when Kevin was talking about his dad. "alright, alright, alllllllright". Hahahaha..........definitely not something to watch with the kids. My 6 year old over heard it and he wont stop saying "alright, alright, alllllllright". He thought it was so funny. Glad I watched it on Comedy Central so some of it was edited. I am definitely buying the DVD to watch when the kids are sleeping. :)

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I don't understand why people don't love this!! My friend, who's a Kevin Hart fan, told me that he didn't like it as much as his previous stand-up routines. I thought this was hilarious! I don't normally buy these things, but it was so funny, that I'll buy it.

I also wanna support "Chocolate Drop", cuz he's a hard worker. He has been doing commercials, movies, comedy stand-up routines, etc. eBay has commercials with him on YouTube. Xbox has an add with him promoting Forza 4. I wanna support his hard work.

He used to be my #2 fav Comedian behind Louis CK. Now he's my first.

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This Is The Follow Up 2 "Seriously Funny". Does It Match Up?......No, But That Doesnt Mean That Its Not Funny In Its Own Way. Basically, Kevin Gives You A More Personal Look Into Who He Is, While Hes At New Heights In His Career. The Movie Starts With Kevin Back In Philly, Looking Back At His Life And Career With Friends And Family. The Stand Up Content Is Basically The Same With Kevin As It Always Has Been (His Kids, Relationships, Arkward Moments And Sex) But The Jokes Just Arent As Funny As "Seriously Funny". After The Stand Up, There Is A Bank Robbery Sequence With The Plastic Cup Boys And Also Taraji Henson As A Bank Teller. The Robbery Sequence Is Extremely Random And Doesn't Flow Well At All With The Rest Of The Rest Of The Movie. The Most Interesting Thing Outside Of The Stand Up Is The Fact That LARRY KING Actually Interviews Kevin's Father, Who Clears Up Some Of The Things That Kevin Talks About In The Stand Up. Overall This Movie Is Funny But Even On The DVD Itself Theres A Sticker That Says You Should Watch "Seriously Funny".....Now Thats Funny.

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Simply put, I saw him live in Philly and then went to see the movie to laugh again! Get this!

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That's My Boy (2012)

At first look, the movie seemed like it would be cheesy and a bit of a drag, but it turned out 1000% better than we had hoped. Sandler's character was genuinely funny, very likable while being a complete screw up. I think this might have been his best role yet. All the supporting actors were great too, and while the story was predictable, it still flowed well. There weren't really any eye-roll moments, and we laughed out loud, which is rare with comedies these days. Even considering purchasing the movie to own :-)

Typical Adam Sandler but thats what you expect, Was a great funny movie. Vanilla Ice was funny he should do more Sandler movies.

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Adam Sandler is back in business! I was not expecting to laugh so much, but this movie is hilarious! Recommended.

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I love this movie. I laughed so hard my eyes got blurry. I will watch this movie several times more.

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Adam Sandler made a comeback to his roots with this one. Donnie Berger is one of the best movie characters of the past 15 years, and will surely hold up as Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore have.

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Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)

Someone already made the point that Amazon's official reviewers often seem entirely out of step with their hordes of unofficial ones. This movie is a great example. It deftly avoids pitfalls that sink other films and does so seemingly effortlessly. It gains so much in sublety that it falls beneath the Hollywood radar of critical acclaim.

First, here's a film that delves into the real entanglements of time travel, but unlike Back to the Future, keeps it light. George Carlin plays himself, a burnt out hippie in the role of enlightened visitor from the future. Like Jeff Goldblum, he always plays himself, only the scenery changes-check him out as the priest in Dogma (which is not at all a family film). Keanu Reeves does a great job in this film which, if it falls in the Doofus Duo genre, is at least as good as the Wayne's World and Dumb and Dumber films.

It's also cleaner. Anyone can write a dirty joke; try writing a clean one. This movie is full of them. Chesterton said it's harder to write a joke than a sermon. Obviously that's why there are so many (bad) sermons. This film succeeds with both good-natured humor and the light-hearted message of "Be excellent to each other." Has the Golden Rule ever been put better?

Why is this film so much better than its sequel, Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey, which has an excellent if unrealized story line? Because all the special FX budget was spent on the "hell" sequence in that film, which bogs down the rest of the picture. There's a most excellent line of comic books that accompany the Bill and Ted saga, by the same artist who did Milk and Cheese. The story arc is both humorous and gripping. This is one of the few properties that really could deliver a few sequels and works well as an animated series. I join hundreds of reviewers who love this film in recommending this most excellent DVD.

This is brilliant, and has inspired many imitations, but none come close to this unique, goofy comedy that reminds me more of the silent screen gems than of what has passed for funny in recent years.

The pairing of Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves was a stroke of genius...they work so well together, and are so convincing as naive airheads that some people, DUH ! actually believe this is what these marvelous actors are like in real life..NOT ! This is great acting, folks. Wonderfully written, the premise is hilarious and all the characters so perfectly cast. I love Al Leong as Genghis Khan. His antics in the mall never fail to make me roar with laughter..."we've got a live one !".

With every viewing, I see more details to amuse me...and it has an endearing, sweet spirit that warms my heart...and always remember: "Be excellent to each other !".

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Here's a whoppin' good adventure comedy that succeeds bedause it so unabashedly pushes the limits and risks absurdity. A couple of high school students are so clueless that when asked who Joan of Arc was, one replies "Noah's wife?". But this title pair are about to embark on a life-changing adventure! Suddenly they meet a strange dude with a telephone booth altered into a time-machine! What a concept of how to build a time-machine! I wondered if they thought about how we're living in a time when phone booths have become a rarity? How it won't be long, if things continue on their present course, until you couldn't make a time-machine out of a phone booth until you first used another time-machine to go back in time and get a phone booth? Well it's an interesting twist, whether intentional or not! Once back in time, the title characters transport several historical figures to the present, and thereby change their world. One of those figures is the very Joan of Arc they shortly before didn't know from Noah's wife! I found it most uncanny what historical figures they were able to bring back to the present, including no less that three that were me in former lives! They got it pretty right about Genghis Khan! I'm sure I would really really have liked twinkies when I was he! The part about Billy-the-kid they stretch a bit, even addressing him as "Mr. the Kid". Now no one really ever addressed me that way in my former life as Billy-the-Kid, but what a neat concept! Now some things of the present get streched just a bit too. For example, Bill and Ted get themselves out of one bind by use of a programmable audio tape player, programming it to play a certain message on the following afternoon. Now who's ever heard of that? Time-machines have become a familiar thing, at least in movies. But programmable audio tape players? Not even any video recorder that I know of can be programmed to play at a certain time; programming applies only to recording. Much less have I even imagined an audio tape machine programmable as to either recording or playing. So the movie does employ a few unrealistic devices. But it employs them most cleverly and hilariously!

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As a graduate student in history and a onetime Californian, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure is my favorite guilty pleasure. I adore this movie.

Honestly, what's not to love? Two clueless but loveable high school guys from 1988 use a telephone booth that travels through time to collect historical figures for their history report. This goofy-sounding plot is pulled off so astonishingly well that you never stop laughing.

So, what about historical accuracy? I'm going to go out on a limb and say that as far as comedies parodying history go, this one stays remarkably true to the characters of the historical figures. While they don't get enough on-screen time -their interactions with modern-day San Dimas and with each other are for me the best parts of the movie -you still get to see occasional small flashes of what makes them tick. Freud is intellectually curious, Napoleon is megalomaniacal, Joan of Arc thinks Ted must be a part of God's plan, and Billy the Kid tries to fit in with Bill and Ted while subtly attempting to flirt with Joan. (If you don't believe me on that last bit, watch the scene where they're washing dishes together.) Of course, some lines are played purely for laughs, like Socrates's profound revelation, "Like the sands of the hourglass, so are the days of our lives." But those lines are rarely done at the expense of a character's integrity. And before you come down too hard on Lincoln ending his speech at the history report with "Party on, dude," remember that in real life, Lincoln was our wittiest president, a man who contemporaries say could never pass up a joke.

So for those of you who don't mind your history tinged with a bit of irreverence, watch, relax, and enjoy, because somehow this movie just comes together. With its fast pace and cheerful sense of fun, it's one of the best comedies there is.

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This movie is fun for kids and adults alike, and to learn historical figures on the way. The idea of two rocker dudes going back in time in a phonebooth to kidnap historical figures for a high school history report is hilarious. Billy the Kid, Ghengis Khan, and Socrates are really funny, and especially Napoloeon. They also capture Joan of Arc, Sigmund Freud and Abe Lincoln. Watch for Rufus played by George Carlin. Man, when I was young, my best friend and I went to the movies 5 times to see this movie. It became a great movie that me and my dad mutually loved and watched over and over...if i was feeling bad or my dad came in the door, he would open his arms and smile, saying "party on, dudes!!!!"

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The Wackness (2008)

What an incredible film. Director Jonathan Levine's attention to detail in making sure that every aspect of the film looks and feels like the 90's really adds to the feel of the film. All of the actors work really well especially Sir Ben Kingsley and Josh Peck, who has a breakout performance in this film, showing that he's got a future in this business. With funny dialogue, nicely shot cinematography, and backed by an incredible soundtrack, The Wackness is definitely a film to see this summer if you loved the 90's.

Yo! Don't be whack!

The award winning film (Sundance Audience Award) "The Wackness" is now out on DVD and it's definitely one of the coolest and more pleasant coming-of-age films to come out in a long while and a DVD with features that embraces that non-traditional style courtesy of writer/director Josh Levine.

"The Wackness" stars well-known legendary award winning actor Ben Kingsley and "Drake & Josh" actor Josh Peck who appears to have shed his young teen Nickelodeon image for the character of 18-year-old Luke Shapiro. Both playing roles so different from what we have seen of them and both delivering an exceptional performance.

The year is 1994, A high school teenager in New York who doesn't have any friends but spends his time selling marijuana using his disguise as a person who sells ice in the park, while saving up all his money.

But all is not cool in the life of Luke, his parents are having some financial problems and in danger of being evicted, his mind is on getting laid and losing his virginity and the only person he can communicate his emotions to is one of his clients, Dr. Jeffrey Squires (Ben Kingsley). He wants some anti-depressants but Squires tells him to embrace his pain and more or less, he needs to find a girlfriend and get laid.

Dr. Squires is not exactly a role model for Josh. He's a product of the 60's, loves doing cocaine and marijuana and somehow, is able to connect with Luke and provides him professional advice for drugs. But like Luke, his life is not at all going that great. His relationship with his wife Kristin is not at all going so great and all they have is their memories of sex and doing drugs. Meanwhile, he notices that his step-daughter Stephanie (Olivia Thirlby, "Juno") is getting closer to Luke. But realizes that it's not love that she has for Luke, it's just a sexual fling.

Luke doesn't have much experience with people, love and thus he discovers himself while hanging out with Stephanie. Dr. Squires as a father doesn't want his stepdaughter to be around a drug dealer but at the same time, as his psychiatrist, he doesn't feel that Stephanie is good for Luke. But after their passionate time together, he develops feelings for Stephanie so strong that when he says the words of "I Love You" to her, Stephanie realizes that this fling has gone so far and ends their romantic fling and all communication with Luke. Around that same time, Dr. Squires wife Kristin decides to leave her husband.

Both men are obviously heartbroken but somehow, they find comfort in talking with each other and thus Luke and Dr. Squires form a friendship that would interestingly introduce Dr. Squires to Luke's world and for Luke, getting the needed therapy from his shrink. So, the story pretty much focuses on a young man (Luke) who is guided by an older man (Dr. Squires) but then the story starts to shift of the younger guy guiding an older man.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

The film is featured in anamorphic widescreen ala 2:35:1 ratio. The film is shot in different parts of Tokyo but oviously scenes such as the Twin Towers had to be put into the film. When you do a period piece, especially if it's 1994, with a busy city like New York, unless you have a huge budget, you got make do what with what you have. And thus a lot of the scenes are shot indoors but you do have some outdoor scenes with Luke and Stephanie at the beach or areas where Luke is dealing drugs.

As for audio, you get a English and French 5.1 Dolby Digital track and the film is primarily a dialogue driven film. But audio-wise, what makes this film shine is the fact that it's 1994 and the old school songs, especially the hip-hop songs of that time are what comes blaring out your speakers. Bass and all courtesy of artists such as Notorious B.I.G., a Tribe Called Quest, KRS-One, Nas, Biz Markie, etc.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The DVD shines in its amount of special features offered. Included are:

* Commentary with Director Jonathan Levine and Actor Josh Peck A very casual and cool commentary and you learn important tidbits about the film. From Ben Kingsley giving advice to Josh, having to work with Mary-Kate in the amount of hours they had to work with her and how hard it was for Josh Peck to do his lovemaking scene with Olivia Thirlby. Levine and Peck have cool and fun commentary talking about blunts, the music, it's typically a commentary that is like hanging out with friends. Especially at the end when they talk about hanging out after the commentary and playing XBOX 360, you don't hear that on director's commentary, so it's all good.

* Keeping it Real: A Day in the Life of Writer/Director Jonathan Levine For this eight minute feature, Jonathan Levine is traveling around the country and London to promote "The Wackness" at film festivals and interviews at radio stations. Jonathan is joined by the cast and his girlfriend, production designer Annie Spitz and his brother and his girlfriend.

* Time in a Bottle: Behind the Scenes of The Wackness An 18-minute featurette featuring behind-the-scenes on the making of the film. Levine explains that the film is not 100% autobiographical and a screenplay that was based on an idea he had during filmschool. Also, featuring Levine's staff and how they were able to get that 1994 setting.

* The Luke Shapiro Show Episode 1 & 2 These are five minute short episodes that were created for cable access featuring Luke Shapiro and his doorman Miguel. The first featuring Luke, Miguel (on keyboards) and his super Tony. The second featuring Luke, Miguel (on keyboards) and a dancer.

* Deleted Scenes This scene features four deleted/extended scenes from the film. The total amount of deleted scenes is about five minutes long featuring "Luke Works in Cap and Gown", "Extended Squires Vacation", "Squires in Stephanie's Room" and "Dad's Walkman Scheme".

* The Wackness Trailers Featuring all five theatrical and teaser trailers

I have to say that "The Wackness" is a pretty cool coming-of-age film and yes, there have been many of these type of movies but a definitely, unique film. Having the film set in 1994, having the main character as a drug dealer, having his psychiatrist as one of his clients and also a hardcore drug user and just how everything just comes together is quite enjoyable.

But the performances by Ben Kingsley and Josh Peck was well done. Two roles by talents that I would never see coming. Ben Kingsley in so many serious roles in "Ghandi", "Schindler's List", "Rules of Engagement" to name a few and then Josh Peck who stars in the Nickelodeon teen show "Drake & Josh", these two taking on roles so different and to see them drinking alcohol and doing/dealing drugs, definitely it's quite a bit of a surprise. But the unique thing is that these two talents had tremendous chemistry and everything worked out quite well.

And there are also a good number of talent in this film. Olivia Thirlby did a great job as Squire's daughter Stephanie and Luke's love interest. Did a great job playing a sexual teen and then you have Mary-Kate Olsen as a pothead who just makes out with Ben Kingsley. Famke Janssen as Dr. Squires sexy wife, Method Man playing the character "Percy" as Luke's supplier and much more.

There are just these small moments in the film, from mannerisms to the small things that a character does, it really makes this film seem quite realistic and make it all work. Of course, the early 90's nostalgia and the music plays a big part in the film. When Luke and Olivia are making love, R. Kelly playing on the boom box to Luke playing Zelda on his NES, these small things are what many people who grew up at the time and listened to the music can related to. So, definitely a nice touch!

And the DVD, just makes you love the film even more with cool commentary, the featurettes and more. It's not all business-like and professional. You have Levine and Peck quite casual and as I mentioned in the commentary section, it's like hanging out with a few friends and just everyone having a good time.

Now granted, perhaps I may be a bit biased having grown up with the pop culture of the 90's and hearing the songs and the style from those years boosting my appreciation for the film but for an indie film, I have to admit that the overall presentation was quite non-traditional. Again, there are a bunch of "coming-of-age" films out there but this one was really thinking outside of the box and instead of getting a "revenge of the nerd" happy-feel good storyline, each of these characters have flaws but it's all about discovering one's self.

All in all, a solid DVD with a lot of humor, a lot of soul and all out fun!

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I have been waiting my whole lifetime for a movie like this... Everyone who I've shown it to has absolutely loved it, and yet I don't know why critics kind of swept it under the rug when it created so much uproar at the 2008 Sundance Film Festivals.

I think everyone should go into this movie not knowing what it's about. It's honestly not because I'm lazy and don't want to explain it to you, but I notice that in my opinion that when you heighten the expectations for someone who hasn't seen the movie, it makes the movie seem not as good as it really is.

Watch the clips Amazon supplied and that's all you need to know... It's a movie about how adults shouldn't be embarrassed to take advice from the younger generation, because it's not about age IT'S ABOUT KNOWLEDGE. And guess what? Sometimes they can be right.

It's a movie about not being afraid to live life; don't hide from it or bottle your problems. Don't look at the bad side of things, look at the good things. People say that's easier said than done, but the trick is to PRETEND!!!

When something bad happens you need to embrace your fears and embrace the pain that comes with it. If you run away from life with drugs (and by now everyone should know that includes prescription drugs) and not face your problems, you eventually just start to experience all the downs in life.

If what you choose is to embrace your pain, learn from it, and have the courage to not to be afraid to take chances & risks in your life-WELL THAT'S WHAT LIFE IS ALL ABOUT.

If it weren't for the pain in life, the joy wouldn't be so good. It's like the spoiled kid everyone went to school with, they got everything they wanted their entire lives and in the end nothing in the world can ever make them happy.

If you were even SOMEWHAT interested in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, American Beauty, Donnie Darko, I guarantee you WILL love The Wackness. Even if you didn't like these movies.....

WATCH THE WACKNESS!!!

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I haven't heard much about this movie besides seeing the name on Peck's list of films on wikipedia. Of course I judged the title thinking that the film would be some lame attempt of a superbad type comedy but man was I wrong. The wackness is actually quite easy to explain and although it contains a young man with an occupation that isn't known for such a lifestyle I feel a lot of teens can sort of relate to it. Luke Shapiro (Josh Peck) is a 17 year old just a day from graduation. He's an incredibly lonely drug dealer that is basically dieing inside from not living the life of having fun and being dumb. The film takes him on a small hip hop packed and smoke filled adventure to live some sort of a teenage life before the summers over. He eventually finds a friend in his psychiatrist Dr. Squires (Ben Kingsley) but it takes time for them to realize how important they are to each other.

I've grown up watching Peck on Nick although he played great characters in those films he was mostly the side man and fell under the radar until he started getting a little older. My point is that I think this guy is a pretty good dramatic actor, better than his comedic roles he played on Nick. The acting was solid especially the slightly self destructive pot smoking Ben Kingsley, loved the cast. The story itself was a kind of crazy, I mean I believe that drug dealers are usually depicted as these people that get love and hate but not a lot of loneliness or at least not the high school type guys. I love how they put that spin on it because somehow everyone is linked by this. Peck's character shares what a lot of us had or even have, that big chunk of life you felt like you missed or are about to miss and all that experience and life just falls into your lap at one time.

I mean overall I loved the movie, I think the insane but realistic characters even though the weed thing sends it over a bit but it pulls it to be a super cool movie. It also has one of the sickest soundtracks of all time. I love the fact that the movie didn't try and make cliche's or make fun of hip hop. It felt like it was truly paying homage to the music, another thing that helps ease through the times. If you're a fan of good movies period I know you'll love this film. It was hard to find anything to take away from it but it's definitely a must see.

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I just finished watching this movie...gotta say it was on point.

The older man learns from the young man and vice versa. The two were almost the same but at different points in life.

The older man searches for his youth and love from his wife knowing that he will never find it again, while the young man wants to gain love and a place to fit in but cannot find it.

They are the same as both are trying to run away from similar issues, such as the older man not getting what he needs from his marriage and the young man not getting what he needs from his parents. The moral: life is too short to worry about things that get you down. Don't let lifes roadblocks keep you from happiness as these issues are only short, albeit, painful moments that we (men and women) all will go through.

You probably will not understand unless you see the movie. Josh Peck and Ben Kingsley give outstanding performances. If you are on the fence about buying it give it a rent...however...it is worth the buy!

Those who thought this was wack (thats wack not wacked)...missed the whole point.

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Galaxy Quest (1999)

Those are the best two words to describe Galaxy Quest. Another good phrase would be "one of the best movies Dreamworks has produced so far".

It's been a long time since I've seen a parody film hit its intended targets with such accuracy and finesse. The movie deals with the crew of the Protector, a spaceship that exists only in reruns of the strangely familiar early 80's ensemble SF TV show Galaxy Quest. Exiled to mall shows and science-fiction fan conventions, they live out their days signing autographs for fanatical, show-quoting groupies until they're propositioned by some rather distinctive "fans" for a very special mission...

What ensues is an incredibly fun skewering of the whole Star Trek experience, effortlessly bouncing from knowing parody to rollicking action to heartfelt emotion. And it's all headed by a top-flight cast led by Tim Allen as Jason Nesmith/Commander Peter Quincy Taggart. Aiding and abeting him is his flouncy blonde side-kick, played by...Sigourney Weaver! This brilliant casting coup alone should tip you off to the film-makers' attitude towards the subject matter. Also present is Alan Rickman in an incredible turn as the token alien cast member who longs to return to Shakespeare, Tony Shalhoub as the boggled engineer, and Daryl Mitchell as the cute kid who is now all grown up. But as good as the human cast is, they fade into the background whenever they interact with the true aliens of the picture, the Thermanians. Masking their true squidlike form in a human disquise, they lurch across the screen speaking in stretched and strangled accents with ever-present goofy grins on their faces.

It matters not if you're a bred-in-the-bone Trekkie or wouldn't know a Mark I phaser if it jumped up and stunned you...there is just so much to enjoy here. It probably does help if you're at least familiar with the source of the various in-jokes contained within, but Galaxy Quest is careful to surround its Trekian pokes with a surprisingly touching story of personal redemption.

Sure there are plot holes the size of black holes, and the motivations for the aliens' actions are as vaporous as a plasma cloud. But this is one of those movies that revels in its own wonderous creations so much that you really just don't give a damn about blasted logic. Hurry to the video store today, a video gem like this comes around about as often as Halley's Comet.

In December of 1999, director Dean Parisot unleashed what is arguably the funniest sci-fi/comedy film of all time, "Galaxy Quest", which focuses upon the dissatisfied lives of five actors who had starred in a long-cancelled sci-fi television series of the same name. Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen) played ship's captain Commander Peter Quincey Taggart. Gwen DeMarco (Sigourney Weaver, who is no stranger to sci-fi with her roles in the "Alien" films) played Lt. Madison. Alexander Dane (Alan Rickman, also known for his roles as Hans Gruber in the 1988 film "Die Hard" and Professor Snape in the two "Harry Potter" films) played Dr. Lazarus. Fred Kwan (Tony Shalhoub) played ship's engineer Tech Sgt. Chen and Tommy Webber (Daryl Mitchell) played ship's pilot Laredo. Following the cancellation of the TV series, none of the actors had found descent acting jobs. Instead, they were relegated to appearing occasionally as their former "Galaxy Quest" characters at fan conventions and infrequent commercials. Especially frustrated is Alexander Dane, a trained Shakespearean actor who cannot escape the stigma of having said those immortal words, "By Grabthar's hammer, by the suns of Warvan, you shall be avenged!"

The film begins at a "Galaxy Quest" convention where the quintet is preparing to appear. Unbeknownst to them, not all of the conventioneers dressed as aliens are pretending. A group of uniformed "aliens" approach Jason (dressed as Commander Taggart) saying that they are in dire need of his assistance. Jason quickly agrees and assumes that the group is planning to pay him to appear as Commander Taggart at a fan-function. Following a night of drinking at his home, the "aliens" arrive in a limousine (per Jason's request) to escort him to their function. The "aliens", calling themselves Thermians, are Mathesar (Enrico Colantoni), Teb (Jed Rees) and Laliari (Missi Pyle). While en route to their function, Teb recites the lengthy history of Thermia to Jason, but Jason (who has a hangover) falls asleep. (Jason doesn't take the Thermians seriously; instead believing that they are simply "Galaxy Quest" fans.) Jason awakens to what he believes is a very elaborate set mimicking the NSEA Protector from the "Galaxy Quest" show. Mathesar (who always refers to Jason as Commander Taggart) tells him that the Thermians want him to negotiate a peace treaty with General Sarris (Robin Sachs). Instead, "Commander Taggart" orders the Thermians to fire upon Sarris' ship. Assuming that he has completed his performance, Jason tells Mathesar that he is ready to return home. Mathesar escorts him to an empty room and leaves. Jason, not understanding what is happening, is suddenly enveloped within a strange substance and raised to the ship's exterior where he sees millions of stars in deep space. He is suddenly shot from the ship, then finds himself standing next to his swimming pool at home. Jason finally realizes that the Thermians are real extraterrestrials, and that they mistakenly regard the "Galaxy Quest" show (which they received in deep space) as being historical fact.

The other four "Galaxy Quest" actors are busy filming a commercial for the opening of an electronics store and are disgusted because Jason isn't there. Jason arrives late and tells them about his experience with the Thermians, but they think he has lost his mind. Jason tells them that the Thermians want him to return and that he wants them to come also. They initially reject it, but change their minds when they mistakenly believe that it's a paying job. Gwen, Alexander, Fred and Tommy are whisked away to the Thermian's NSEA Protector, along with another actor named Guy Fleegman (Sam Rockwell), who had played a bit part on the original "Galaxy Quest" show. With that, the most important role for each of the washed up "Galaxy Quest" actors begins!

Dean Parisot, along with writers David Howard and Robert Gordon, created a brilliant and engaging spoof of the show "Star Trek", its conventions and trekkies with "Galaxy Quest". Tim Allen equated with William Shatner (Kirk), Alan Rickman with Leonard Nimoy (Spock), Sigourney Weaver with Nichelle Nichols (Uhura), Tony Shalhoub with James Doohan (Scotty) and Daryl Mitchell with George Takei (Sulu). Other sci-fi comedy spoof that predate "Galaxy Quest" (such as "Ice Pirates", "Pluto Nash" and "Spaceballs") are no where near as good, engaging or funny.

All of the actors in "Galaxy Quest" performed their roles exceptionally well. Two actor who played significant minor roles were Patrick Breen, who played the Thermian named Quelleck, and Jeremy Howard, who played the young and very helpful "Galaxy Quest" fan named Kyle.

I highly recommend purchasing "Galaxy Quest" on DVD, which has superior picture and sound quality, and includes several deleted scenes, trailers, biographies, the feature "On Location in Space" and production notes. "Galaxy Quest" is a film that can be watched many times while never becoming tiresome. Sit back and remember those immortal words, "Never give up! Never surrender!" as you are whisked away into the fantastic world of "Galaxy Quest"!

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I have been a Star Trek fan for the longest time & for that simple reason, my girl friend never bothered watching the series with me. But then again, unknowingly, Star Trek's culture has imbedded into our day to day living. If you say phrases like "Beam Me Up, Scottie"; "Live Long & Prosper" whilst displaying the V sign, your friends just understand immediately what you're implying. Anyway, my girl friend came with me to the cinema reluctantly & she couldn't help shaking her head noticing that the cinema was filled with males especially the geeky type, something like me! Anyway, when the movie started, she couldn't help laughing her heads off with the goofy storyline. On top of the mockery of the Star Trek series, what I'm finding this movie endearing is seeing all those familiar actors from TV series such as Elliott in Just Shoot Me, Mitchell from Veronica's Closet, Tim Allen in Home Improvement, the taxi guy from Wings strutting their stuff. What's even amusing is seeing Sigourney Weaver playing a busty bimbo (a far cry from her Ripley role in Alien & sequels), & Alan Rickman virtually playing himself as an actor with English theatre background forcing himself re-enacting the role of this Spock character again & again & still, the spotlight is always taken by Tim Allen who's potraying the role of William Shatner. What's even more delightful about the movie is that in the end, good prevails over evil. The underlying themes of the movies would be the significance of teamwork, & self belief. A wonderful film to be shared with family members & friends. What's even more unbelievable is that my girl friend can't wait for the sequel, if there's any! On the sideline, Stan Winston, the special effect guy who had brought us the Alien creature is in his usual best. By the way, the space ship is as corny as ever.

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In 1999, "Galaxy Quest" was a film that surprised many sci fi fans when it was released to theaters. At first, many people were not sure if it would be a parody to "STAR TREK" but in the end, the film was actually paying homage to the popular television series.

The film is directed by television director David Parisot (who directed shows such as "Curb Your Enthusiasm", "Monk", "ER" and many other series) and is based on a story by David Howard and a screenplay co-written with Ric McElvin ("Men in Black II" , "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" and "Addicted to Love", etc.).

The film has received praise from Star Trek alumni such as George Takei, Jonathan Frakes, Patrick Stewart and Will Wheaton and has received nearly all positive reviews from film critics upon its release in theaters back in 1999.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

"Galaxy Quest Deluxe Edition" has been digitally remastered for this DELUXE EDITION/10th Year release. I haven't done any comparisons to my original 2000 DVD version of the film but I could tell by watching it, scenes like the mission obtain Beryllium, this would shine on Blu-ray. But for now, on DVD the colors look vibrant with the Earth tone colors and blue skies make things absolutely beautiful. Video is presented in widescreen. So, overall, for a DVD release, the picture quality and the new remastering looked great.

As for the audio, audio is presented ala English 5.1 Surround (as well as Spanish 5.1 Surround) and comes with a Thermian 2.0 Surround track. I will say that watching this film again, I heard a good number special effects from the various channels. Audio sounds very good, I was noticing small details such as the damaged spaceship, the Protector trying to use its remaining engines to move the ship and hearing it trying to move in space on your front channel and rear channels speakers. I don't recall hearing those small details back in 2000. I felt the audio seemed cleaner and clearer in this deluxe edition.

With a new digital remaster for the DVD coinciding with the 10th Anniversary of the film's release, I can only hope that we get a 1080p High Definition transfer with lossless audio. Knock on wood, I hope there will be a Blu-ray release coming soon!

But for now, compared to the original DVD release, this is the better DVD version to own for now in terms of picture and audio quality.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"Galaxy Quest Deluxe Edition" comes with newer special features to celebrate the film's 10th Anniversary. The original DVD released in 2000 had special DVD Easter Eggs (related to the Omega 13) and a "On Location in Space" featurette that are not included on this deluxe edition, so you may not want to throw out your original 2000 DVD. But this Deluxe Edition comes with newer features recently created in 2009 and are very enjoyable.

* Historical Documents: The Story of Galaxy Quest (18:14) A new featurette with recent interviews with Dean Parisot (Director), Bob Gordon (Screenwriter) and David Howard (screenwriter). Also, new interviews with the cast of "Galaxy Quest". A fun and informative featurette of how the film came about, how the talent felt about being at a science fiction convention and being a bit weirded out by the experience and also certain segments that play homage to "Star Trek".

* Never Give Up. Never Surrender: The Intrepid Crew of the NSEA Protector (23:25) This featurette goes into the casting of "Galaxy Quest". The cast is interviewed and give their thoughts of their character and what they remember during the filming. Interesting tidbits of Sigourney Weaver being in character once she had the blonde wig and attracting a lot of eyes. How Alan Rickman was very cool and calm. Tim Allen and Daryl Mitchell always having fun on the set and really interesting situations that happened during the filming of "Galaxy Quest".

* By Grabthar's Hammer, What Amazing Effects (7:03) How popular Stan Winston worked on special effects for the alien monsters and Industrial Light and Magic working on the CG effects. How the camera work for "Galaxy Quest" was trying to recapture that Star Trek original series cinematography feel and much more!

* Alien School Creating the Thermian Race (5:23) How Enrico Colantoni (Mathesar) came up with the Thermian speech from vocal training they did at Yale. How during "alien school", they would have to learn how to walk and move.

* Actors in Space (6:11) In this segment, we learn how being in a popular series, an actor can get pigeonholed. Tim Allen talks about people even today thinking he's Tim Taylor of "Home Improvement", Justin Long talking about despite his film work, he's still looked as "The Mac Guy", Daryl Mitchell known for his work on "House Party" and more.

* Sigourney Weaver Raps (1:59) Sigourney Weaver's agent's birthday was coming up, so Sigourney asked Daryl Mitchell to help her create a rap for Sam Cohn and together with Sam Rockwell, Missi Pyle, Jed Rees, the five created a music video as a birthday present.

* Additional Scenes: Deleted Scenes (Used on 2000 release) A total of eight deleted scenes. Some of these features include commentary by the talent or Director Dean Parisot and David Howard.

* Thermian Audio Track An audio track featured completely in Thermian. Personally, even when this was on the original 2000 DVD, has anyone ever watched the film completely in Thermian?

* Theatrical Trailer (Used on 2000 release) (1:54) Original theatrical trailer.

The slip cover has a front cover that features Alan Rickman, Sigourney Weaver and Tim Allen in character, standing cool and collected (the image shown above on this review) and when you shift the front of the cover slightly, it shows the three firing their weapons.

JUDGMENT CALL:

"Galaxy Quest Deluxe Edition" is definitely a wonderful 10th Anniversary release.

I have never grown tired of this film and for any Star Trek fan or science fiction fan, you can't help but enjoy and laugh and be thoroughly entertained by the various talent and the overall wackiness of the storyline.

The new special features is what makes this film worth buying again on DVD. To have everyone return for an interview and talk about their love for the film and how well it was received and how it has become a sci-fi classic was just fun to watch. And the behind-the-scenes tidbits you learn about the shenanigans that went behind-the-scenes to the actual creation of the film, was also informative and entertaining.

If there is one thing that I can hope for, that would be a high definition Blu-ray release of this film. With its 10th Anniversary, I was a bit surprised that only a new DVD was announced at this time. But with the film now receiving a new digital remastering, I can only hope for a HD 1080p transfer and lossless audio, to me, that would be the icing on the cake.

But overall, this new deluxe edition was just fantastic and if you are a big fan of "Galaxy Quest", on DVD, this is the definitive version to own. Highly recommended!

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When the entertainment industry pokes fun at itself sincerely, the results can be hilarious. Such is the case with the cornball science fantasy movie "Galaxy Quest."

"Galaxy Quest" was a science fiction television show with more than a passing similarity to "Star Trek." As with the latter show, "Galaxy Quest" was cancelled. Now the dispirited actors seem doomed to an endless cycle of overzealous fans at "Galaxy Quest" conventions. Adding to the actor's torment is the attitude of Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen), who played Commander Peter Quincy Taggart in the show. Nesmith's cheery attitude and self-importance have worn thin on his fellow cast mates, Gwen Demarco as sexy Lt. Tawny Madison (Sigourney Weaver), Alexander Dane as brainy Dr. Lazarus (Alan Rickman), and Fred Kwan as Tech Sgt. Chen (Tony Shalhoub).

Interrupting their doldrums is a group of individuals who would appear weird to anyone outside a science fiction convention. As members of the convention they appear to be about as strange, or normal, depending on your point of view, as anyone else. However, Jason Nesmith soon learns that this strange foursome is more than they seem as they spirit him off to their genuine spaceship, NSEA Protector.

At first Jason is somewhat excited at the opportunity to be on a genuine spaceship, and eventually brings the rest of the crew, including bit part player Guy Fleegman (Sam Rockwell), back to the ship with him. However, the aliens crewing the ship, the Thermians, have a very real, very ruthless nemesis to contend with, and the former crew of "Galaxy Quest" discover they are out of their depth.

The Thermians brought the crew of "Galaxy Quest" on board because they discovered certain "historical documents" that were transmitted into space many years earlier. The somewhat innocent, though highly intelligent and creative, Thermians were unable to recognize the television show "Galaxy Quest" as being make-believe.

The movie moves forward with a number of creative and often humorous moments, alternating between hilarity and seriousness, with even a few moments of compassion. Every cliché and stereotype from the original "Star Trek" is exploited for a laugh. In the climax the actors rely on hardcore fans for their in-depth knowledge of the show to save them. It is difficult to avoid enjoying the ending, even if you are not a fan of science fiction.

"Galaxy Quest" is an excellent companion movie to the original "Star Trek" television series. Even non-Trek fans will pick up on most of the gags. There is a lot of action and you can expect the usual implausibilities that tend to accompany television science fiction. However, the results are humorous and enjoyable. You will find this movie worth more than one watch.

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The Longshots (2008)

"The Longshots," on the surface, is a movie we've seen countless times before -an underachieving team, freshly motivated, become real competitors as they ride from one victory to the next. What sets "The Longshots" apart, however, is the central relationship between a sullen girl and her out-of-work uncle.

The film is about Jasmine Plummer (Keke Palmer), the first girl quarterback to play in the Pop Warner football tournament.

Jasmine, who lives with her mom, Claire (Tasha Smith), is an eleven-year-old more at ease reading books than socializing with classmates. She's tried to get involved in after-school activities, but is teased and soon retreats to her books.

When Claire's work schedule is changed to a later shift, she asks Jasmine's Uncle Curtis (Ice Cube) to look after her in the afternoons. Reluctantly, Curtis agrees. Both Jasmine and Curtis initially resent this arrangement, but try to make the best of it. One day, Curtis, a former high school football player, tosses around a football with Jasmine and sees that she has a good eye and a strong arm. He talks Jasmine into trying out for the local team, telling her she owes it to herself to pursue something she does well.

The story is set in the fictional town of Minden, economically devastated since a local factory -the town's major employer -closed down a few years ago. Many shops on the main street are closed, idle men hang out on the streets, and a general air of resigned despair permeates people, buildings, and the town itself.

The film's second act focuses on Jasmine's making the team and turning around its fortunes from also-ran to winner. The team's success energizes the town, giving it something to be proud of.

"The Longshots" delivers a far different experience than I anticipated. Director Fred Durst devotes considerable time to the growing relationship between Jasmine and Curtis. We really get to know them and have a firm grip on their personalities, fears, and frustrations. In a non-rushed series of scenes -some with gently comic moments -we come to like these two people and care about what will happen to them.

Ice Cube is very good as Curtis, a man whose self-esteem has taken a hit in the years since his high school glory days. His Curtis is a decent guy who genuinely cares for his niece, partly because his brother, Jasmine's father, has abandoned her. His suggestions are never bullying. They are presented with logical back-up and rationale. He relies upon Jasmine to weigh the suggestions and decide for herself whether to pursue them. Ice Cube is wonderfully expressive, and perfectly conveys what he's thinking, a technique invaluable in acting for the camera.

Ms. Palmer provides a sympathetic yet spirited Jasmine. As she comes to know her uncle better and like him, she listens to him and comes to have faith in herself and respect for her own athletic ability. By playing football, she is making her uncle happy, but is also tapping talents she never knew she had.

What "The Longshots" doesn't contain are scenes of excessive team putdowns of Jasmine, big arguments about a girl playing football, and a melodramatic family home life. Director Durst has wisely cut to the chase, staying with the story of Jasmine, Curtis, and the team's effect on Minden, and avoiding the cliches.

Rated PG, "The Longshots" is an excellent family film -a movie that can be enjoyed equally by a young audience and their parents.

This was a touching and well made movie!

I'm not even into football but I was rooting for this little girl all the way...then I was rooting for this community!

Bottom line this was a great family film that pulls at your heart strings and makes you root for the underdog!

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Longshots has a good story. It also has terrific performances by both Ice Cube and Keke Palmer, which won't go unnoticed to the viewer. The problem with the film is that it doesn't go deep enough to really tap into the emotional core of the film the way other sports films have done, such as "Remember the Titans" or "Rudy." At an hour and a half, I feel that they could have added another 20-30 minutes to really make this movie fly. The movie is still watchable, fun entertainment, for the most part.

Longshots is based on a true story of a young girl who wants to play football, and becomes the first girl to ever play in the Pop Warner Superbowl. Jasmine Plummer lives with her mother. Her father has left the family and is nowhere to be found. She spends her spare time reading, and she's ridiculed by her classmates at school for always having her nose in a book. Her one desire in life is to become a model. Her mother has to take on extra hours at work, and so Jasmine is left with her unemployed uncle, Curtis. At first, and a bit predictably, Jasmine and Curtis have a difficult time getting along, seeing that they don't have much in common. Curtis doesn't go anywhere without his football, and Jasmine is the same way with her books. When Curtis is playing catch with a friend, the ball lands at Jasmine's feet (yes, we've seen this formula a number of times), and Jasmine delivers a near-perfect pass. Suddenly, it dawns on Curtis to help Jasmine develop her skills of becoming a quarterback that even she doesn't know she has.

Keke Palmer is one of today's best upcoming actresses. She was fantastic in "Akeelah and the Bee," and she matches Ice Cube in every scene. Evidently, she trained very hard to be able to throw a football. There is a hilarious scene when Jasmine is trying to put on all of her football equipment, and she lets out a piercing scream of disgust when she realizes she's holding a jock strap.

Ice Cube is equally good as her uncle, Curtis. Curtis is a man who is feeling the pains of being stuck. He feels that he should have left the little town they live in, which is all but dead due to the economy. He spends his days hanging out at the field, and little else. He wears the same clothes for days. However, finding a companion in Jasmine, Curtis discovers that he now has something to do with his time that is worthwhile.

I would have loved to see more development between Jasmine and Curtis. The story had something really special going on between these two characters, but there simply isn't enough time to devote to them, as the story shifts to Jasmine's football training, a few games, and then, of course, the championship game in Miami.

There are a couple of scenes when her father comes back. I would have also liked to have seen this dynamic played out a bit more as well as the strained relationship between Jasmine's father and Curtis, who now bitterly resents his brother for abandoning Jasmine. These three characters are really the most interesting in the film. Even a budding romance between Curtis and Jasmine's teacher feels contrived and unreal. It is also unnecessary.

The football scenes are fine, and they play themselves out in typical fashion. There isn't anything we haven't already scene in other films, which is another reason why I feel that movie short-changed itself in the characterization and the relationships. The heart of the movie seemed to lie there, so I was hoping for something deeper.

In any case, Longshots is a good film that can certainly be enjoyed by the whole family. However, the movie could have been so much more than it ended up being.

Read Best Reviews of The Longshots (2008) Here

This is a very good Family Movie and Ice cube is such a great Actor.I recomend it to family's.It shows what can happen when you beleive in

Yourself.and how much courage this Girl has to go for what you beleive in.I also enjoy Keke palmer.she is a great actor as well.

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i ordered this movie for my kid brother who loves this movie and i am so glad and happy he loves it so thank you for the great price.

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Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (The Criterion Collection) (1998)

I find it sad that much of the country bases it's movie selections on the opinions of hacks like Leonard Maltin. I can see why this wasn't a mainstream success due to it's waaaaaay out in left field mentality, but because of all the negativity this great film remains unseen by many. As people come around to the acting genius of both Johnny Depp and Benecio Del Toro (and they will), they will inevitably want to see their earlier works and then, finally, they will see what all the hype wasn't about.

Terry Gilliam absolutely NAILED Hunter's book. The visuals are incredible and alarming. The angles, strange and enticing. I heard that they filmed this movie without a script, just the book in hand. After reading the book, I believe trying to write a script for it could have severly dampened the impact.

Now for the drug use... If you are the type of person who realized that Fight Club wasn't really about the fighting, then you will also realize that Fear & Loathing isn't really about the drug use. According to the big dog movie critics only a stoner will appreciate this movie, which leads me to believe that only idiots become professional movie reviewers.

If you appreciate ground-breaking cinema, truly innovative directing, first-rate acting and are looking for something different... the ramblings of a gonzo journalist could be just the thing.

This DVD finally gives one of Terry Gilliam's lesser-loved (but brilliant!) films the red carpet treatment. The commentary from Gilliam is crazed and passionate; Depp and Del Toro really show off their wit, charm, and intelligence along with producer Laila Nabulsi's back-stage insight, and the last commentary is a rather odd and screwball one from Thompson himself. I won't tell you a thing about the last commentary. You've got to buy this and check it out on your own. (Here's a hint: 'Screeee-ahhhh! Raaaaaaaagh!' *other assorted sounds*)

The second disc is crammed with some great goodies as well Depp reads letters written to/from Thompson. There's a great BBC documentary showing HST and Ralph Steadman undertaking a trip from Las Vegas to Los Angeles. Another gem is a snippet from an audio-book recording of Fear & Loathing with Jim Jarmusch as Raoul Duke! All definitely worth it.

Fear and Loathing isn't just a drug movie (as all the extras on the DVD will reiterate over and over again) it's a truthful, imaginative, twisted, and subversive take on the death of the most idealistic decade and generation. We get to see it all through the eyes of two renegade professionals, one a journalist and the other a lawyer, both fighting the good fight against scum and villainy.

We can't stop here! THIS IS BAT COUNTRY.

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A Review of the DVD: "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas"

Starring:

Johnny Depp,

Benicio Del Toro

Director: Terry Gilliam

Writing credits:

Hunter S. Thompson (book)

Terry Gilliam (screenplay)

Tony Grisoni (screenplay)

Tod Davies (screenplay)

Alex Cox (screenplay)

Run Time: 118 Minutes

Released: 1998

Hunter Thompson practiced total immersion journalism. He called this form reporting gonzo journalism.

Hunter Thompson drove to Las Vegas to report on a motorcycle race and ended up writing a story about himself writing a story about a motorcycle race. If he would have written a conventional report on motorcycle racing it would have been interesting to motorcycle enthusiasts for a few days. Since he wrote a gonzo story he had a very wide canvas and he used it well to create a classic.

Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro do justice to the outrageous characters created by Hunter S Thompson. The reader might be turned off by the obstreperous behavior, extreme self indulgence and offensive inconsiderate language. If you can look past this offensive conduct and you will see that Hunter S Thompson gave us an insight into the American character of the 1970's.

See also: Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga (Modern Library)

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

I completely enjoyed this film and recommend it to others.

Read Best Reviews of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (The Criterion Collection) (1998) Here

It was upsetting to see the only review of this title was not a review at all but a complaint against amazon so I had to put in my two cents. This movie has some of the best performances from Jonny Depp and Benicio Del Toro and Terry Gilliam directs one of his finest films ever. Too bad this one was missed by audiences in 1998 when it quickly came and went from theatres after the first week. If you like Hunter S. Thompson and movies like The Big Lebowski, you'll want to make sure to add this item to your movie collection. The HD transfer alone is worth purchasing this version, but make sure to check out the Criterion DVD which contains interviews from Hunter S. Thompson as well as a full movie commentary that's as entertaining as the movie itself.

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If, when you rent this film, you are expecting a Cheech and Chong film, think twice. People frequently compare the two, but Fear and Loathing is not only infinitely better, it is not the screwball comedy everyone seems to think it is.

Johnny Depp plays Raoul Duke, alter ego to gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson, who wrote the book this film is based on. He is sent on an assignment by Rolling Stone to cover a motorcycle race in Las Vegas. Coming along for the ride is Dr. Gonzo (aka Oscar Zeta Acosta), Duke's repulsive attorney, played by Benicio del Toro. The two rent a very expensive convertible and bring along with them a case full of illegal drugs.

The film is essentially the journey of two drug-fueled madmen through one of the most unfriendly cities in the country, but it's also a study on what life was like in 1971. In the end, as funny as it may be, it's really a docudrama. Gilliam directs the film in his classic "nightmarish" style, creating a truly hellish vision of America. But the biggest surprise of all is how true the screenplay is to the novel. Sure, like any adaptation, some good stuff is taken out, but if you compare what's written down, there isn't that much of a difference.

Most enjoyable, however, are the performances. Johnny Depp is hilarious as Duke and Del Toro, despite how disgusting his character is, is nothing short of a scene stealer. The film is also ripe with cameos, the most memorable are the ones delivered by Harry Dean Stanton, Tobey Maguire, Gary Busey, and of course, Flea of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers.

I recommend this to any Gilliam/Thompson fans, though in order to enjoy it, you need to watch it in a generally filthy atmosphere, and for some of you, you may need to see it more than once to really appreciate this. Overall, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a very good film filled with moments that stick with you for a long time.

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Spaceballs (1987)

I love the film so it was a no-brainer to get it for the store, and my slight disappointment is offset with showing what a high storage capacity can do for this product.

The package comes with both the BD and the standard def discs and included are all of the special features we know from the 2005 release. So what's changed? Nothing except for the languages: Dubbed in DTS for six languages (including Castilian, German, Italian and French) and Mono or Dolby for three others, and subtitled in nine languages (incl. Danish, Swedish and Norwegian). None of the supplements have been upgraded but that DTS always sounds awesome during the main feature. The picture has not been cleaned up from the transfer so there is plenty of artifact, hair and random film discolorations. I enjoyed watching some of the same special features again, including the John Candy memorial and the Mel Brooks conversation. The ludiricous speed is just as lame as before.

The menu is a killer if your player is not tuned up (or older). It becomes painful when trying to watch those flubs sequences as there is no play all option. It is Spaceballs, it is Mel Brooks so it makes it a worthwhile purchase if you did not already upgrade a few years ago to that special edition DVD (especially with both included here). I would normally rate this lower but there is so much here I had to go up one.

Spaceballs is perhaps the best Sci-fi spoof of all time. It has already been mentioned that it spoofs Star Wars, Star Trek, Planet of the Apes, but it really spoofs nearly every big Sci-fi movie ever. Star Wars, Star Trek, Planet of the Apes, Alien, 2001: A Space Odyssey ("...they've gone to plaid!") and many more. Some of the best sequences are the "ludicruous speed" scene, the "instant video" scene, and the whole Yogurt part. Mel Brooks plays the spoof of Star Wars' Yoda who is the guardian of the Schwartz and is also heavily into Spaceballs Merchandising, including the Spaceballs flamethrower. ("The kids love this one.") Rick Moranis, of course, is the Darth Vader spoof, and I have to congradulate the casting department, because Rick Moranis and Darth Vader have to be as close to being polar opposites as you can come. Although I have heard it called unfunny and lame by others, I think it is a very funny movie and deserves to be watched not only by Sci-fi fans, but by anybody looking for a good laugh.

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Spaceballs is one of my all time favorite films and I eagerly awaited it's bluray release and even put in my preorder months in advance. Now that the bluray is here it is still one of my all time favorite films but i must admit the transfer is not demo material.

The transfer itself is solid and without any unnecessary tampering (digital noise reduction, edge enhancement, etc) and it is the best this film will probably ever look on home video however the film itself will never wow anyone with detail.

On the audio side we get a 5.1ch track that does it's job as well as the source material allows... just like the video it's not demo material but it's still a solid track. Also included is the original dolby stereo track along with a rather large collection of languages (and subtitles as well)

The bonus features are the same as the previous DVD edition, I haven't really dug into all of them but in Fox bluray tradition features that need a play all option (in this case the film flubs) don't get that much needed option.

The included DVD is the older flipper disc with the 4:3 pan&scan on one side and the non-anamorphic 1.85:1 version on the other.

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The movie itself is pure Mel Brooks. I really enjoy how Mel brings hilarious havoc to the sci-fi genre, spoofing movies from Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers to Star Trek and Star Wars. I am surprised that MPAA had originally given this movie a PG rating instead of a PG-13 rating since the movie is heavy on adult humor, language, and sexual innuendos not exactly what I would call a flick for the whole family. Enough about the movie; this review is about the newly released Collector's Edition (CE), especially the bonus material.

The Dolby 5.1 sound quality has been enhanced compared to the original 2000 DVD release, but I will need to confirm this. I'm glad MGM offers a DTS track on disc 1. I have not yet compared Mel's commentary on the CE to the original release. I did make some limited comparisons of the picture quality: The colors are more vibrant (perhaps too much on the red?) and the picture is clearer to my eyes; the skin tones look correct to me. Since the video presentation is not THX quality, you will see some specks and film blemishes. The aspect ratio on the CE (1.85:1 for 16x9) is the same as the original 2000 release, but on my Sony monitor (4:3) the CE widescreen version is "slightly" zoomed in more than the 2000 widescreen released version.

I am disappointed in the Special Features. Why? For one reason, it does not include Rick Moranis. He is mentioned but is not interviewed at all how can Mel not include Dark Helmet! In addition, you will not find any behind-the-scenes coverage (other than still photos) such as those found on the 2000 DVD release. Mel did not include any deleted scenes or bloopers (no, the film flubs don't count). However, there is a well-produced 29 minute documentary that includes the other main actors and crew members. You will learn that the actors and crew members had more laughs making this movie than the audience had watching it. If this is true, Mel should have included some of those comical moments in the Special Features. Also missing on this CE is a featurette about special-effects. The conversation between Mel and co-writer Thomas Meehan is rather boring, but the tribute to comical genius John Candy is commendable, touching, and about time.

The CE is a 2-disc DVD set. It is a shame that MGM and Mel could not/would not include more about this classic comedy. Overall I give the CE version a 3/5. The movie gets 4/5!

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Following the multi-million-dollar success that George Lucas enjoyed with his original "Star Wars" trilogy of films released in 1977, 1980 and 1983, comedic actor/writer/director Mel Brooks was inspired to create one of his most outlandish films in 1987 entitled "Spaceballs". The film begins on the dark planet of Spaceball, which no longer has a breathable atmosphere. There, President Skroob (Mel Brooks) wants to steal another planet's atmosphere and transport it back to planet Spaceball, so he orders Colonel Sandurz (George Wyner) and Dark Helmet (Rick Moranis spoofing "Darth Vader") to take a giant military spaceship (much much larger than any of Lucas' spaceships, except for the Deathstar) to planet Druidia to kidnap Princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga spoofing "Princess Leia") and hold her for ransom. On planet Druidia, Princess Vespa is scheduled to marry the very boring Prince Valium (JM J. Bullock) as arranged by her father, King Roland (Dick Van Patten). However, when Princes Vespa has cold feet, she runs from the Druidic church with her android, Dot Matrix (voice of Joan Rivers spoofing "C3PO"), and takes off from planet Druidia in what was to be her honeymoon spaceship. In space, she is encountered by the giant Spaceball ship, but is rescued by the trader/smuggler Lone Starr (Bill Pullman spoofing "Han Solo") and his sidekick Barfolemew 'Barf' (John Candy, 1950-1994, spoofing "Chewbacca") in a space-worthy Winnebago RV. As with the constant love-hate relationship that Princess Leia and Han Solo had in Lucas' "Star Wars" trilogy, so too do Princess Vespa and Lone Starr have a similar relationship. Along the way though, Lone Starr finds out from a mysterious Yoda-like character named Yogurt (Mel Brooks again) that he's really a prince and sets out to rescue Princess Vespa who had eventually been captured by Dark Helmet. It is from Yogurt that we hear those immortal words, "May the schwartz be with you," spoofing Lucas' creation of the Force in "Star Wars".

With hilarious one-liners, a classic Mel Brooks storyline, good actors and reasonable special effects, "Spaceballs" is a truly funny comedic sci-fi spoof. Rick Moranis' portrayal of Dark Helmet is one of the funniest roles, especially since he can't always keep his visor open. Also funny are George Wyner and Joan Rivers. Overall, I rate "Spaceballs" with 4 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys a great spoof by Mel Brooks, sci-fi and a good laugh. Even product merchandising isn't free of being spoofed by Mel Brooks in this hilarious film.

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Meet Market (2008)

Charlie Loventhal's "Meet Market" jumps right into the action in his no-frills comedy about a group of L.A. singles who troll the supermarket on Saturday nights to hook up. Breaking the fourth wall, his characters introduce themselves as they stand in their pre-chosen aisles, surrounded by the items that make them feel the most comfortable, allowing their eyes to stray in brief moments from the camera lens to patrol those passing by, setting the tone that as much as they may talk about wanting to find love, they have wandering attention spans. "Meet Market" is a story about awakenings for its many, many characters, who all want basic things out of life but go about searching for them in the wrong places.

To an outsider, it seems nearly impossible that in a metropolis as large as Los Angeles, every other person could work in the entertainment industry, but spend a day here, and you'll see that this town truly does run on the blood, sweat, and tears of filmmakers. "Meet Market" uses that city-specific quirk to its advantage, creating laugh out-loud jabs at the ridiculousness that often comes out of such people's mouths, most notably that of Hutch (Julian McMahon, who also Executive Produced). He is the stereotypical self-absorbed actor--a soap opera star, no less-who loves to hear himself talk, a trait which McMahon pulls of with such ease it is like he has had years of experience to pull from and dozens of cast members to mimic. He thinks everything that pours out of his mouth is purely philosophical, even when his pearls of wisdom include: "An actor is only as good as his teeth." Somehow (perhaps because he never wears a shirt), he still manages to rope in two intelligent women of substance, creating the very soap opera staple of a love triangle.

Aisha Tyler is one of those women as Jane, the self-proclaimed "kooky" character who dresses like a librarian (complete with the pointy glasses), uses words like "poopy," and sprays air freshener in sporadic bursts while she still sits on the toilet. Her knack for comedy is at its best here, playing something of a "stars in their eyes" simpleton to her best friend Lucinda (Krista Allen)'s more sardonic, jaded realism (even when thrown into absurd situations). In another actress' less capable hands, Lucinda's blunt nature ("I tell it like it is," as she puts it with an unapologetic shrug) could come off as overly aggressive and offensive, but Allen's natural down-to-Earth demeanor lends itself well to a character who is as free in spirit as she is with the F word. There is some question as to how these two opposites became friends in the first place, but as the film goes on, they learn about themselves, each other, and their friendship as much as we learn about them, and they rub off on each other in obvious ways.

"Meet Market" is the type of cheeky, slightly crude romantic comedy that countless young filmmakers attempt to make in just as many variations, but what makes "Meet Market" unique and ultimately successful is it's amazing-and large-cast of "That Guy" actors: you will surely recognize their faces from tons of Television Guest Star roles, even if you don't know their names. Without such talent in place, the majority of the subtler, drier humor would undoubtedly be lost and the shock value stuff would be over the top. The extremely underrated Alan Tudyk once again shines as Danny, the screenwriter who uses his art to try to get laid, going on a string of dates that start out with potential but quickly spiral downhill. Missi Pyle is one such woman, as a hash-sniffing sexual predator who resorts to taunting him when he doesn't want to sleep with her... as is Jennifer Sky, the weight-obsessed woman he picks up at said supermarket. He spends the majority of the film digging advice out of his trainer (Laurie Holden) but can't quite grasp the deep intimacy that has been right there in front of him this whole time. Elizabeth Berkley redeems herself quite nicely from Showgirls purgatory as Linda, the doe-eyed small-town hopeful who believes every "You've got what it takes" she hears from men who just want to get her on the casting couch... until one such meeting takes a wrong turn, and she finds salvation in a new power. Susan Egan is Tess (and Christine Estabrook is her mom)--an existential drone who embarks on an impetuous relationship that for the first time makes her really feel alive, only to realize she still needs more.

Though "Meet Market" features some physical comedy and fun with adult-themed props, Loventhal is never hokey. His characters are in-your-face in the way strong individuals need to be, but his seasoned cast makes sure of that, as no strangers to independent film, make sure to keep them grounded. Thankfully Loventhal trusts his actors enough to rely on them to carry the story, instead of using crazy camera movement or odd staging to draw interest. He lingers on his actors' images--ones that are so saturated, they may as well be oil paintings--and allows their expressive faces to say it all. "Meet Market" is one straight-to-DVD release that deserves to be plucked quickly from its shelves.

The humor in this film is rather dry. But, as always, Julian McMahon (Hutch) portrays quite well an egocentric womanizer who can get anyone that he so chooses. (Art imitating life?) And he's probably the most likeable of all the characters in the flick. The raunch in this film is prevalent, but it's almost G-rated in nature. In other words, it exists, but is not graphic or explicit. Overall, it's a good film to see if you have nothing better to do. But it's definitely not a "must-see."

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I must say, I didn't think I was going to like this flick. I'm not usually the romantic comedy type...(haven't seen one since some dumb Hugh Grant thing with two other couples.) But this was acutally-dare I say-funny. It's kinda not like any other movies out there which is was what made it easy to watch. The Hutch guy was a killer character. I don't really know who he is but he's a hoot. And the whole idea was interesting. Meet next to the meat... Now every time I go to the supermarket I look around and try to fiure out what's really hitting on who.

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All my Blu-rays have subtitles in Spanish

This one hasn't any subtitlea

I am Brazilian and speak Portuguese but understand Spanish

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I know this movie is meant to be light comedy, but for me it was something really different. It is almost frightening; it sort of shows that in modern-day LA (though, really, this clearly could be set anywhere) it's almost impossible to find love.

If people click, well, they don't stay together long, but usually it only lasts a few minutes before some disaster happens or someone's offended. And everyone seems so superficial. Pluck right in the middle of that one semi-normal man, 'Danny', who is just looking for a relationship, and the contrast between his semi-dull middle class wholesomeness and the utter crassness of the other characters is shocking; from the hyper-physical Erica, to the self-absorbed actor Hutch, and the seemingly demented wannabe Linda, and all the 'big-time' producers who try to seduce her.

Throw in a whrilwind lesbian couple who break up for some oblique reason to a couple of 'sophisticated' types who fall for the before said actor, Hutch, for all the wrong reasons, as well as a fitness fanatic and I guess anyone would find it near-impossible to find a proper relationship.

There is a lot of behind the mask social commentary here, but the film is never laborious or detailed. A decent viewing worht about 2 1/2 3 stars.

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Coming to America (Special Collector's Edition) (1988)

No doubt at all that, 'Coming to America,' is one of Eddie Murphy's finest movies of all. A true comedy classic, this film will have you rolling from start to finish at the zany characters and performance throughout.

The DVD itself, on the other hand, leaves much to be desired. As far as extras go the only ammenity offered is 1 lousy trailer. Also, the video transfer itself is far from pristine and the Dolby 5.1 audio track sounds like it could still be sweetend up. Sure, i suppose the fact that this DVD was authored back in 1999 may explain why the disc comes across as a bit primitive in terms of bells and whistles, but with that being said, it's high time for a proper re-release to do this comedy classic some audio-visual justice!

This is one of my all time-favorite African-American movies. First of all, Eddie Murphy is hilarious (in all of his roles). Arsenio Hall is a perfect foil for Eddie's hijinks. Eddie let his full range of talent show in this film; he played an innocent person who grows into a mature adult right in front of our eyes and realizes that there is a price to pay for love; whether or not you are born into royalty. This is one of those movies that a person watches over and over again and ends up reciting the lines as the movies is playing. James Earl Jones and Madge Sinclair are wonderful in this movie as well as the King and Queen. Madge Sinclair was one of the world's best actresses and I miss her greatly. She tells James Earl Jones "put a sock in it, Geoffrey, the boy is in love." Nobody can deliver that line to a black king, except a black queen. John Amos, (whom I have loved since Good Times), is a great actor as well. He plays the part of a black businessman so well, and as a father he takes no stuff off of the King. He tells James Earl Jones, "I will break my foot off in your royal _____); now that's a ghetto father for you. James Earl Jones knew where to draw the line with Cleo McDowell.

I also like the fact that the Kingdom of Zamunda was filled with kindness, and the people were happy, the royal family was truly wealthy and had everything. You know, this movie is truly a fantasy and helps us escape from our everyday lives. Just to see the Queen and King eating breakfast and talking to their son on a "speaker phone" because the table is so long, is funny. The King and Queen taking their entourage to Queens when they received the telegram to send $1 million to Semmi who had spent up all his pocket change is one of my favorite scenes. That music that is playing during the sequence when the entourage arrives in Queens is so wonderful, moving and swirling, I am buying the soundtrack just to get that song. When I get married, I would like that song to play as my "court" walks down the aisle before me.

All the cameos in this movie are great as well. Nobody can play a doped-up thug like Samuel L. Jackson; Samuel is a natural at playing a killer. Also, Louie Anderson was funny, so was Eriq LaSalle, and Alison Dean.

Now the guys in the barbershop have to be taken from classic characters in the black community. In all the black neighborhoods I have been in during my whole life; there has got to be a black barbershop full of men eating, talking stuff, and cutting hair. When "Clarence" says that Martin Luther King, Jr. ran up to him and hit him in the chest, I just crack up, cause Martin Luther King, Jr. was a prophet of non-violence. And, Eddie Murphy playing a white man is too funny, and a Jewish white man on top of that. Now, that takes creativity; and comic genuis, and Eddie's got it. And, Arsenio's portrayal of Rev. Brown is right on target, there is always some country preacher in the neighborhood that comes to every event, eats up the food, and blesses the weddings, blesses the children, and buries the dead.

One of my favorite parts is when Lisa tells Prince Akeem, she cannot marry him; because he lied to her about his identity. That made Akeem grow up very fast, and learn that nobody; no matter who he is, can buy love.

The clothes in this movie are also wonderful. Deborah Nadoolman did a great job showing how royalty would dress in a foreign country where it is warm, Also, how they would dress in Queens during the winter; those fur coats Madge Sinclair had on were fantastic and so were the suits worn by the King himself. His coat of an entire lion's skin was dramatic and the diamond eyes on that lion's head were cool.

The ending this cinderella story was great, love did really win out in the end.

Well, I could go on and on about how much I liked this movie but, I am going to stop now. Get this movie and keep it in your video collection so you can watch it and laugh over and over.

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A charming, polished and original comedy featuring a great performance from Murphy and some memorable laughs. Some of my favorite scenes are:

when they all get up from the leather couch and there is soul glow grease all over it from where their heads were ("Just let your Soul GLLLOOOWW!!").

when Samuel L. Jackson robs the McDowell's restaurant that Murphy and Hall are working at. The ensuing scene between Jackson and Murphy is classic.

when Murphy gets his hair cut off in the barbershop (Snip. "that'll be 10 dollars").

that "She's Your Queen to Be" song.

There are so many more scenes that I love that I could mention. A must-see!

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Eddie Murphy has made many great movies (Beverly Hills Cop, Trading Places & The Distinguished Gentleman) but Coming to America is his very best. This movie is so funny and I never get tired of watching it!

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Hilarious tale of an African prince named Akeem (Murphy) and his royal servant (Hall) who head off to the United States in search of the perfect Queen. After deciding to go to New York City (they saw that the city had a borough named "Queens"), Akeem becomes a pauper in order to woo the perfect woman (Shari Headley) to become his wife.

Although the film had many pre and post-production problems (director Landis almost walked off the set due to a fight with Murphy; Murphy was successfully sued by columnist Art Buchwald for "stealing" his idea of an African prince who goes in search of a wife) the final production is pure comic genius at it's best. Undeniabley, Murphy is the king of a thousand faces. Just like his success in doing multiple roles in such films at the "Nutty Professor," in this film he plays 4 roles.

Besides Akeem, Murphy is hysterical as the barbershop owner, the old Jewish man who frequents the barbershop, and finally as the talentless singer Randy Jackson (who performs with his band "Sexual Chocolate"). Makeup artists Rick Baker does a spectacular job as always when creating the different personas.

Shot mostly in New York, this happens to be Murphy's last great comedy during his years at Paramount. Most of his later films such as "Harlem Nights," "Distinguished Gentleman," and "Another 48 Hours," were not big box office hits. With a recent string of hits produced by Imagine/Universal, Murphy is back to his comedic genius.

Keep an eye out for a pre-"ER" Eriq LaSalle as Daryl, the Soul-Glo King, and Samuel L. Jackson as a guy who holds-up the McDowell's (not "McDonald's"--watch the film to understand why) restaurant. Other celebrity players such as James Earl Jones, Louie Anderson, and Frankie Faison give the film more comic momemts. Also, several band members of the great funk group "Cameo," appear as members of the band "Sexual Chocolate".

Before Martin Lawrence, there was Eddie Murphy. Check out this film to see one of the greatest comic geniuses at work.

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