The Movie:
As the WGA strike went into effect today, it seems fitting that I review a documentary titled "Dreams On Spec," which shows the various trials and tribulations that screenwriters go through.

The documentary follows 3 screenwriters looking to sell their script and break into the business. Joe Aaron is perfecting his script titled "Rattled," Deborah Goodwin is trying to get her film "When You're Not There" made, and David Stieve is on the verge of selling his script called "Behind The Mask." Scattered throughout the docu are interviews with veterans screenwriters like Paul Guay ("The Little Rascals") and Gary Ross ("Seabiscuit").

Unlike the life of an actor, a screenwriter's life isn't at all glamorous, which the film clearly demonstrates. Often times a writer's hard work goes to waste as most will find that their script will never make it to the big or small screen. Additional...Read the entire review

The Show:
After I received "Johnny Cash Christmas 1976," I discovered that another Cash special ("Johnny Cash Christmas 1977") was also being released on DVD. Comparing the two setlists, I was a bit envious that I didn't choose the 1977 special as it featured performances by great artists like Roy Orbison and Jerry Lee Lewis. While "Johnny Cash Christmas 1976" may not have an All-Star lineup, the Special turns out to be a pleasant (albeit flawed) trip back in time.

The 1976 Christmas Special contains performances by Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash, Roy Clark, Merle Travis, Tony Orlando, Barbara Mandrell, The Carter Family, and a preachy story by Billy Graham titled "A Story Of Christmas" that concludes the program. The song list includes: "Wandering," "Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree," "Christmas As I Knew It," "Far Away Places," "Juke Box Saturday Night," "That Lucky Old Sun," "...Read the entire review

The Movie:
Even as our civilization becomes more advanced, we still know very little about our world and the universe around us. There are unexplored regions of land, undiscovered species, uncharted waters, etc. "Jerome Bixby's The Man From Earth" takes the simple notion of "what else is out there?" and creates a mind bending drama about a man unlike any other in the world.

The story: Before moving to no one knows where, a professor named John Oldman invites a group of colleagues and friends over to his house. The guests are under the impression that they are having a going away party, but Oldman has an announcement to make to them all. He reveals that he is around 140 centuries year old. At first everyone thinks he's joking around, but the more he speaks the more convincing he seems. Has Oldman lost his mind? Is he telling the truth? What else is he hiding?

If you are not a patient vi...Read the entire review

The Movie:
Here we go again. 2 1/2 weeks after I reviewed "Tom And Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale," another slapped together holiday DVD ("A Dennis The Menace Christmas") makes its way into my hands. This family film may have a nice message about Christmas spirit, but the modernized changes to the classic comic strip character added with a horribly cast Dennis make for a painful viewing experience.

The story: After drawing Mr. Wilson's name for a "Secret Santa" gift exchange, Dennis sets out to get Mr. Wilson in the Christmas spirit. Even though Dennis means well, everything he tries to do goes awry and causes pain and frustration for Mr. Wilson. Fed up, Mr. Wilson lashes out at Dennis and ends up hurting his feelings. Luckily, an Angel shows up and tries to show Mr. Wilson the error of his ways and the importance of Christmas. Will Mr. Wilson be able to see the light like Scrooge?

When it co...Read the entire review

The Movies:
For years now, I have been anticipating a DVD release of the 1972 Amicus British horror anthology film "Tales From The Crypt." Now, in 2007, my prayers have been answered as the good folks at Fox have packaged the film with another Amicus anthology film titled "The Vault Of Horror." The resulting 2 disk set is a perfect treat for horror buffs.

Before the skeletal Cryptkeeper hammed it up on TV, Freddie Francis directed a feature length "Tales From The Crypt" film based on the EC comic series. The story concerns 5 individuals who are strangely compelled to explore an underground cavern. The group find a mysterious room in which an even more mysterious hooded man (the Cryptkeeper) begins to show everyone how they will eventually die. What follows are 5 stories:

1. "All Through The House"- The plot: A wife murders her husband for his insurance policy on Christmas Eve. Unfortun...Read the entire review

The Movie:
One of the biggest problems writers encounter when adapting a children's book to film is filling time. For the most part, children's stories are short (usually 50 pages or less), while feature length films run around 80 minutes and up. One of the newest kid book adaptations ("The Christmas Miracle Of Jonathan Toomey") has its moments, but can't overcome the script's shortcomings.

The story, based on Susan Wojciechowski's book of the same name, centers on a mother and son (Susan and Thomas) whom are forced to move in with a relative when the two tragically lose their husband/father. When Thomasaccidentally leaves behind his father's hand carved nativity set, he and his mother seek out the help of a mysterious grumpy loner woodcarver by the name of Jonathan Toomey. In a typical Christmas movie fashion, all 3 people wind up helping each other work through their emotional problems. ...Read the entire review

The Movie:
At first the Japanese ghost story flicks were an exciting (and welcome) departure from the stale horror products that the U.S. was churning out. However, after countless clones and re-makes started to make their way to theaters and DVD, the fad started to wear thin. Need proof? Look no further than "Apartment 1303."

The plot: After a young girl named Sayaka leaps to her death, her sister Mariko begins to investigate her death. Mariko begins to uncover secrets about the apartment (number 1303) her sister lived and finds that several murders took place there. Even worse, she discovers a disturbing and tragic story of a mother and daughter living there. Is it possible the ghosts of the mother or daughter continue to haunt the apartment? Will anyone be able to escape the wrath of these ghosts? Is this a "Ju-On" and "Dark Water" rip-off?

Simply put, "Apartment 1303" is not the fin...Read the entire review

The Movie:
After "Shaun Of The Dead" successfully blended horror and comedy, it was obvious filmmakers were going to cash in by trying to create their own "Shaun." The latest imitator ("Severance") has a promising premise, but the story's tone is all over the place.

The story: As the employees of Palisade defence (a weapons company) venture off on a team building vacation (complete with paintball games), the workers are dropped off and left stranded at a cabin in the middle of the forest. As time goes by, the people begin to realize that they are not alone and are being hunted by insane killers. Will the employees be able to go back to work or will their employment be terminated?

"Severance" is billed as a "horror comedy," but it's neither horrific nor comedic... it's just flat. The characters are all boring cliches (How many times can a moviegoer see the druggie, the hot chick, and the...Read the entire review

The Movie:
Mockumentaries are tough to pull off. Unless the genre is tackled by Christopher Guest or Rob Reiner, mockumentaries rarely work as the material often feel like more of an inside joke. Case in point- Andy Dick's "Danny Roane: First Time Director."

The story: Danny Roane had a fairly successful career as a comedian until his drunken appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" ruined his life. Now, years later, Danny is sober and is ready to make his comeback with a film he wrote and directed titled "Death Dream." Will Danny be able to stay away from booze? Will "Death Dream" be even remotely good? Tune into find out (or not).

Whenever Andy Dick tries to steal the spotlight, I find him to be obnoxious. He often tries way too hard to be funny and he ends up bothering not only the people he's around (remember the Ivanka Trump incident?), but the viewers as well. In "Danny Roane," he falls...Read the entire review

The Show:
After Billie Piper (Rose) departed in the series 2 finale "Doomsday," many fans were deeply saddened and wondered if the show would collapse with a new companion (Martha Jones). However, as any "Doctor Who" fans know, a companion change is a trademark element of the show. It spices up the program by making it continuously fresh. While the character of Rose will surely be missed, I'm happy to report that Martha Jones (and series 3 for that matter) will no doubt please fans.

A summary of Series Three: The third series was a tragic year for the Doctor. Not only is he still trying to cope with the loss of Rose, but the Doctor is starting to feel alone in the world. True, he picks up a new companion (Martha Jones) to fill that void, but it doesn't seem to be enough for him. He misses his home. On top of that, the Doctor winds up losing a close friend, and meets two of his biggest foes...Read the entire review

The Movie:
Nearly every week the Sci-Fi channel airs a horrendous sci-fi or horror movie on Saturday night. How or why is anyone's guess. Sadly, these films somehow manage to taint rental and retail stores by making their way to DVD as well. "Dark Storm" is one of these movies.

The story: While a group of scientists are testing out a device dubbed the Eruptor, it becomes damaged and starts leaking dark matter into Earth's atmosphere (this is a bad thing). At the same time, Doctor Daniel Grey comes into contact with a batch of dark matter and develops several stunning abilities.

Meanwhile, the scientists learn that someone is trying to sell the Eruptor to the highest bidder, meaning it could it become a dangerous tool in the wrong hands. As if that weren't enough, the dark matter is starting to destroy cities. Can it be stopped or is it the end of the world as we know it?

"Dark Storm"...Read the entire review

The Movie:
Let's face it, the title "In The Land Of Women" sounds like a pornographic male fantasy. While the central character of the story does happen to write soft-core porn and become involved with several gorgeous women, the film isn't a porno, but rather an unoriginal talky chick flick.

The story: After being dumped by his girlfriend (who is apparently a popular celebrity), Carter decides to pack up his things and visit his sick grandmother in Michigan. Upon arrival, he separately meets a mother and daughter who live across the street from his grandmother. He ends up becoming close friends with both of them as he finds that he is not only helping them deal with problems of heartbreak and change, but that they are helping him cope with his issues/identity crisis.

"In The Land Of Women" can best be described as a poor man's "Garden State." It's another run-of-the-mill figuring out l...Read the entire review

The Movie:
After an action-packed season two finale, "Avatar The Last Airbender" has finally returned with the much anticipated season three. The question is, was it worth the wait?

Book 3: Fire Volume 1 contains 5 episodes. They are as followed:

1. "Awakening"- Aang (who now sports hair) has finally gained consciousness after being out cold for several weeks following his battle at Ba Sing Se. He quickly learns that Sokka and Katara have been on top of things and have come up with a plan to take down the Firelord.

2. "The Headband"- Aang enrolls in a Fire Nation school to learn more about the citizens and their lifestyles.

3. "The Painted Lady"- Katara masquerades as a local hero to help out a village run by the Fire Nation.

4. "Sokka's Master"- Sokka trains with a Fire Nation legend to become a master swordsman.

5. "The Beach"- Zuko, Mai, Ty Lee, and Azula take a vacation...Read the entire review

The Movie:
As a young child, I grew up on Scholastic books (and book orders). I fondly remember the joy of cracking open stories like "Where The Wild Things Are?" and "Harold And The Purple Crayon." Now, years later, Scholastic is still going strong and has extended their business to animated read-along story DVDs. While the discs can't replace the actual books themselves, the Scholastic Storybook Treasures series should unquestionably please children.

"Knuffle Bunny...And More Great Childhood Adventures" contains 4 stories (plus 2 extra).

1. Knuffle Bunny (written by Mo Willems) follows a father and his daughter taking a trip to the laundromat. On the way home from the laundromat, the child (Trixie) realizes she left her stuffed rabbit behind. Not being able to speak yet, she tries desperately to communicate with her father. "Knuffle Bunny" is cute and touching, especially since autho...Read the entire review

The Movie:
Just when I thought I couldn't see goofier horror film than "Ice Spiders," along comes "Blood Monkey." As you can probably predict, the movie is as bad as it sounds.

The story: Six stereotypical college students (the hottie, the jock, the nerd, the sensitive ones, etc.) are venturing to an African jungle to meet up with Professor Hamilton to study various plants and animals. Upon arrival, the students begin to notice something peculiar is going on and that the Professor isn't being completely upfront with everyone. When the students quickly discover the Professor is using them as bait for a vicious new type of monkey, they begin to fear for their lives. Will anyone be able to make it out of the jungle alive?

You would think "Blood Monkey" would at least be a "so bad it's good" horror adventure, but sadly that's not the case. The first 70 minutes are completely uninvolving and...Read the entire review

The Movie:
Having just reviewed the "Saw Trilogy" DVD set, my next disc to review was "Captivity," which has been dubbed as a "Saw" and "Hostel" clone. Having now seen "Captivity," the film goes far beyond being a mere clone. "Captivity" is without question a repulsively pointless rip-off without all the elements that make the "Saw" series work.

To even mention a plot synopsis seems absurd as "Captivity" is virtually free of any story whatsoever. In a nutshell, the "story" follows one of America's top models (Jennifer) who has been abducted and taken to a grungy house where she is tortured. While at the house, she meets a fellow abductee named Gary who is not what he seems. Blood, chases, brain cell killing scenes ensue.

I don't know what's worse, the fact that Roland Jaffe (director of acclaimed 80's films "The Killing Fields" and "The Mission") directed this trash heap, or that horro...Read the entire review

The Movies:
Like it or not, the "Saw" series has been the most influential and successful horror franchise of the past decade. The question is, does the "Saw" series deserve all the fame and fortune? Considering it's a fun, cleverly written twist filled series, I would have to say yes.

"Saw":

"Saw" begins with Adam (Leigh Whannell) waking up in a bathroom along with another man named Dr. Gordon (Cary Elwes) and a dead body in the middle of the floor. Adam and Gordon are both chained up across the room from each other and can't escape. As the two discover a series of clues, they soon realize that they are the latest victims of Jigsaw. Jigsaw is a notorious serial killer who never actually kills his victims. Instead he sets traps for his victims in which people can either live or die. Through flashbacks we begin to learn more about Jigsaw's reasons for kidnapping the two men. Throughout a...Read the entire review

The Movie:
In a time when consumers have a large variety of DVD programs for babies to chose from, it may be difficult to decide what to buy. Even though I may not be a parent, I can honestly say that picking up "Baby Einstein: Lullaby Time" is a good place to start.

"Baby Einstein- Lullaby Time" is designed to be a useful DVD for parents to show their children the world around them. The DVD is filled with images of nature, science, real life parents with children, as well as videos of hand puppets and a digital story book about a lamb (all accompanied by classical music). The music used in this program is as follows: "Hush Little Baby," Brahms' "Waltz, Op. 39 No. 15," "Waltz, Op. 39 No. 2," "Guten Abend, gute Nacht Op. 49 No. 4," Mozart's "Serenade No. 13, K.. 525 movement 2," "Divertimento, K. 131 movement 2," "Piano Concerto 27, K. 595 movement 2," Haydn's "Piano Concerto, Hob. XVIII: ...Read the entire review

The Movie:
As religion is a touchy and controversial subject, it's difficult for cinema to cover the subject without being offensive, preachy, or downright sloppy. The Mexican film "The Other Conquest" may focus on some interesting religious issues, but sadly the film's potential is never fully realized.

The story centers around the Spanish army of Hernando Cortes which has invaded Mexico and slaughtered the Aztecs. One Aztec did survive (Topiltzin), but his survival is not a blessing as he is captured by the Spanish and is forced to change his life and religion.

"The Other Conquest" may have a provoking and fascinating premise, but director Salvador Carrasco isn't a strong enough writer or director to make the material come to life. The acting is amateurish and often lifeless, the script contains laughable dialogue like "Stupid Friar, you'll never convert them!" or "Sun God why have y...Read the entire review

The Movie:
Cinematic fish out of water tales can be tricky. Sometimes they are funny, insightful or poetic like in the case of "Austin Powers" and "Big." Other times, they can be misguided or worse. "Homie Spumoni" sadly falls into the latter category.

The story: Renato is a black man who has been raised by an Italian couple ever since he was a baby. Believing he is strictly Italian, Renato becomes shocked to learn that his real parents are African-American and that they lost him while on vacation in Italy. Now, Renato has to try and come to terms with his real heritage, while also balancing a new relationship with his dream girl. Can Renato adjust to these complicated turn of events?

If the plot summary sounds ridiculous, that's because it is. The story requires you to buy into the fact that Renato has never questioned his skin color (or even confronted his parents about it). However, ...Read the entire review

The Movie:
For the past 42 years, director Michael Apted has been doing the "Up" series in which he documents the lives of a group of individuals every 7 years. Wanting to create another sequence of films similar to "Up", Apted has recently started "Married in America," which focuses on married couples. While not quite as affecting and compelling as the groundbreaking "Up" films, "Married In America 2" is still an endlessly watchable and thought provoking look at married life.

"Married In America 2" follows up on 8 different married couples (and one not able to marry) 5 years after "Married In America." The couples are as followed:

1. Betty and Reggie whom are childhood sweethearts.

2. Nadine and Frank are a couple who have split up, but are trying to make their marriage work for themselves and for their two children.

3. Vanessa and Chris are now raising a child and are beginning t...Read the entire review

The Movie:
Like many folks, I grew up watching various Tom and Jerry cartoons. Sure the cartoons were repetitive and often involved endless chases, but they always managed to entertain. As of 2007, Tom and Jerry continues to live on with a new movie titled "Tom And Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale." Unfortunately, this feature is not the two character's finest moment.

In a nutshell (har-har), the story revolves around Jerry wishing he could perform in the Nutcracker opera. Within moments, Jerry's wish is granted as he is transported to a magical land of walking and talking toys, snowy landscapes, a towering castle, and a ballerina. Much to Jerry's dismay, Tom and his fellow troublesome cat friends are whisked away to this land as well. Almost immediately, the cats take over the land and capture the ballerina. In need of help, Jerry seeks out the Toymaker to help him regain control of his Fantasy L...Read the entire review

The Movie:
As I read a quote from the DVD cover of "Casshern" stating that the film was "Better than both MATRIX sequels put together," I became worried. Saying a film is better than both of the horrendous MATRIX sequels isn't saying much at all. After watching "Casshern," it turns out that I agree with this quote, but again that isn't saying much.

The story (which is based on an anime series) is set in the future on Earth where war, disease, radiation, etc. has plagued mankind. Luckily, Dr. Azuma is working on a project involving Neo-cells, which can essentially repair the body. When a freak lightning bolt hits the test subjects, a band of mutants (dubbed Neo-Sapiens) are created. The Neo-Sapiens were meant to be destroyed immediately, but they escaped and are now hell bent on battling humanity with the help of a robot army. Luckily, the lightning bolt also managed to strike Dr. Azuma's r...Read the entire review

The Movie:
As an avid fan of the "Spider-Man" comics, I was let down by the first two films. The first film (which has aged terribly) reduced the fascinating Green Goblin to a Power Ranger. The second film was cluttered with eye rolling set pieces (the Aunt May/Doc Oc scene makes my stomach churn) and a ludicrous world domination plot. When "Spider-Man 3" was set to be released, I can't say that I had any expectations. Much to my surprise, the third film turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

The story starts off on a happy note. Mary Jane is starting a career in musical theater and Peter Parker is ready to take his relationship with Mary to a new level. As with all good things, however, they come to an end. Mary Jane is quickly fired from the musical and Parker ruins his friendships with both Harry Osbourne and Mary Jane. Even worse, Parker soon learns that his uncle's killer (Flint Marko)...Read the entire review

The Movie:
In the silent film compilation titled "The Golden Age Of Comedy" (from "The First Kings Of Comedy Collection") the narrator ends by stating "We will never see their like again." While the days of groundbreaking comedians are indeed gone, the home video mediums thankfully keep "their like" alive via DVD.

"The Golden Age Of Comedy" is the stronger of the two compilations. The film (which is told via a corny, over explained voice over narration) focuses on slapstick and visual gag comedy bits of the silent years. We see footage from the Mack Sennett years, Laurel and Hardy, Will Rogers, Carole Lombard, Jean Harlow, the weird Ben Turpin, Harry Langdon, Charley Chase, and animal stars like Cameo the dog.

"When Comedy Was King" is more or less a retread of the first compilation with the same narrator. The only difference is bigger silent comedians like Charlie Chaplin, Fatty Arbuck...Read the entire review

The Movie:
One of the appealing aspects of reviewing DVDs is coming across discs that aren't movies or shows such as "Smooth Jazz And Art." The disc isn't the type of entertainment in which you can plop down on the couch, eat junk food and watch. It's an artistic piece which can be both rewarding and tiresome.

"Smooth Jazz And Art" is a collection of songs (titles not given) played over images (both by Paul "Sequence" Ferguson) of birds, trees, fish, flowers, sunsets, sky, bees, dogs, buffalo, rivers, polar bears, and even random images of Paul doing martial arts. It's basically like a musical screen saver that shows off everyday natural wonders. The music and pictures are both mellow and relaxing. Paul's music mainly consists of light piano, drum, and guitar playing. Every once in awhile female vocals and Barry White like vocals by Paul appear here and there. As soothing as the music may ...Read the entire review

The Movie:
When I first saw "Hollow Man" 7 years ago at the theater, I remember coming out disappointed. I was huge fan of Verhoeven's work (especially "Starship Troopers") and I was sad to see his talents wasted. Now, 7 years later, I am watching "Hollow Man" for the first time since it's theatrical release. Unfortunately, my opinion of the film has only worsened.

The story: In an underground facility, Sebastian Cane and his team of scientists are working on an invisibility formula for a Government project. At first, the team tests the formula on a Gorilla, which turns out to be a success. Shortly after, Sebastian takes it upon himself to have the formula tested on himself. Predictably, something goes wrong and Sebastian is stuck being invisible. Sebastian is depressed at first, but he soon realizes his power poses endless possibilities. As Sebastian becomes consumed by his powers he star...Read the entire review

The Movie:
As the Writers Guild Of America strike approaches, it seems appropriate to be viewing Volker Schlondorff's film "Strike." While the film contains compelling drama regarding a union, the film isn't without flaws.

The plot, which is based on true events, follows Agnieszka Kowalska- a single mother who works at a shipyard as a welder and eventually a crane operator. Kowalska is a respected woman at her place of employment, as her co-workers dub her "the heroine of labor".

One day, when a brutal accident occurs at the shipyard leaving 21 dead, matters become problematic. The shipyard head honchos refuse to compensate the families for the accident, which leads Agnieszka to take it upon herself (with the help of others) to organize a strike that turns out to be more beneficial than anyone could have imagined.

As I loathed Volker Schlondorff's "The Tin Drum" with a fiery passion,...Read the entire review

The Movie:
Whenever the band Asia comes up now, I immediately think of the scene in "40 Year Old Virgin" where Seth Rogen's character disses Carell's character for having a framed Asia poster in his house because it's shameful. Even though my job is to review a wide variety of DVDs, I feel ashamed to be a reviewer for the first time as I actually watched "Asia-Fantasia In Tokyo" DVD.

As you can tell by the title, Asia (which consists of singer John Wetton, drummer Carl Palmer, guitarist Steve Howe, and keyboardist Geoffrey Downes) played In Tokyo. The concert took place in March of 2007 and contained the following setlist: 1. Time Again 2. Wildest Dreams 3. One Step Closer 4. Roundabout 5. Without You 6. Cutting It Fine 7. Intersection Blues 8. Fanfare For The Common Man 9. The Smile Has Left Your Eyes 10. Don't Cry 11. In The Court Of The Crimson King 12. Here Comes The Feeling 13. Video ...Read the entire review

The Movie:
After the riotous "Wild Women Of Wongo," I was eager to dig into the fourth Film Crew disc titled "The Giant Of Marathon." While it doesn't compare to "Wongo," "Marathon" is still a laugh-filled treat for all "MST3K" and "Film Crew" fans.

As with the previous three Film Crew discs, Bob Honcho orders the Crew to do a commentary track for a film. This time, the crew has to tackle "The Giant Of Marathon," which is story of an Olympic athlete named Phillipides (Steve Reeves in a non-Hercules role!) who joins the Athenian army to fight against the massive Persian army. Can the Athenians enlist the help of the Spartans? Can they win the battle?

Even though "The Giant Of Marathon" is co-directed by horror legends Jacques Tourneur ("Cat People") and Mario Bava ("Black Sabbath"), the film amounts to little more than a silly sword-and-sandal battle film with grown men running around in...Read the entire review

The Movie:
To make it clear, "Son Of The Dragon" is not a sequel to the amusing 80's film "The Last Dragon." Instead, it's a mini-series turned 3 hour film starring David Carradine. While that may sound promising, the film is sloppy, overlong and downright silly.

The story: D.B. and Bird are two good hearted souls that are trying to help out the folks in their community by stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. When D.B. hears the Princess is looking for a husband, D.B. poses as a Prince so that he can marry her and help out the community in greater ways. The only problem is there are 2 other suitors (The Prince of the North and the Prince of India) looking to win her hand in marriage and he must compete in a series of challenges in order to marry her. Will D.B. be able to survive the dangerous challenges while also trying to avoid being killed by the evil Prince of the North? Does...Read the entire review

The Movie:
In the opening minutes of "See Jane Run," an old Joe Estevez stumbles onto screen. Considering he is best known for appearing in bad low budget films (some of which have appeared on "Mystery Science Theater 3000"), it seemed like a bad omen. As it turns out, it was indeed a bad omen.

The story: If you take a bit of "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," and add a little "Saw," you've got the basic plot of "See Jane Run," which concerns four people (out on a road trip) winding up in the home of a madman. Chaos, torture, murder, and cannibalism ensue.

If you take the phrase "Torture Porn" and leave out the "Porn," you might have an accurate description of "See Jane Run." The main problem with the film is that the script is amateurish. The script is plagued with filler discussions about a giant taco, Ranch dressing and giant gaping plot holes that had me questioning the IQ of the characters...Read the entire review

The Movie:
Unless you are on vacation in New York, live in New York, or are a theater critic, the world of Broadway plays and musicals has mostly been foreign to everyone else...until now. With Dori Berinstein's documentary "Show Business: The Road To Broadway," viewers can finally get a glimpse at the frantic world of Broadway.

The documentary focuses on four musical shows in the 2003/2004 season. There's "Wicked" which is about the wicked witch from the "Wizard Of Oz." There's "Avenue Q" which is an adult puppet musical reminiscent of "Sesame Street." There's also "Taboo" the Rosie O'Donnell produced Boy George musical, and "Caroline, Or Change" which is a dramatic musical set in Louisiana during the Civil Rights movement. We get to see the evolution of the play as it's being written, rehearsed, premiered to the public, and eventually vying to win Tony Awards.

Even though some viewers...Read the entire review

The Movie:
Of all the films, shows, concerts people want to see put on DVD, I somehow doubt "Captain and Tennille: The Christmas Show" ranks high on the wishlist. So why are several Captain and Tennille DVDs being released? Your guess is as good as mine.

The 1976 50 minute Christmas Show consists of performances by the Pointer Sisters, Tennille's 3 sisters, and Captain and Tennille (obviously), with a few sketches featuring Don Knotts (how could you Don?) and "Happy Days" star Tom Bosley. The songs featured in the program are: "Jingle Bells," "Little Saint Nick," "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/White Christmas/March Of The Wooden Soldiers," "I'm Saved/Amen," "Wedding Song," "Count Basie Medley," "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," "How Can I Be Sure?," "O Holy Night," and "We Never Really Say Goodbye."

The Captain and Tennille special is, to put it simply, a disaster. In the opening...Read the entire review

The Movie:
At first glance, "Plasterhead" looks like an utterly ridiculous horror film. A scarred man with plaster on his face isn't exactly the stuff nightmares are made of. After watching the film, however, "Plasterhead" turns out to be better than it has any right to be.

The plot: 4 college students taking a road trip to Miami become sidetracked when they find a purse. Maggie, wanting to return to the purse to the owner, convinces the other 3 to do so, so they venture to a backwoods town. The simple trip of returning a purse becomes a disaster when a local legend of a mangled truck driver named Ray Williams (AKA Plasterhead) begins to seek revenge on anyone and everyone he comes into contact with. Will the students make it out of the town alive?

As you can tell, "Plasterhead" is a rather typical paper-thin horror revenge story with cliched characters (the skank) who arrive at the wro...Read the entire review