THE FILM
I love being surprised by a movie. I was expecting 13 Going on 30 to be your typical, light-hearted romantic comedy with little or no inspiration, but what I discovered was a film with energy, warmth, and just enough laughs for it to stand with its head above the crowd of other recent films in the same genre. Sure, the story's outcome is never really in doubt, but the fun in this one is found in the journey.

The film opens in the fashion disaster era known as the 80s. Jenna Rink (Christa B. Allen) is a girl who craves to be a member of the cool group, but she's relegated to the ranks of geekdom. Her friend, Matt (Jack Salvatore Jr.), doesn't help her self-esteem too much since he's even more of a geek. All she wants is to be cool, but when her 13th birthday party ends in disaster, she wishes she could be "thirty, flirty, and thriving."

She of course gets her wish and flas...Read the entire review

THE FEATURE
In 2002, Sam Raimi brought Spider-Man to the big screen and broke box office records. In 2004, he'll do it again when the sequel swings into a theater near you. But 35 years before modern audiences oohed and awed over the amazing adventures of a teenager bitten by a radioactive spider, kids were sitting in front of their television, singing "Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does what a spider can, spins a web, any size, catches thieves, just like flies," all while staring intently at their hero in red tights.

Thanks to the new Spider-Man: The '67 Collection DVD set, which captures the entire 52 episodes of the animated series on six discs, I discovered the exciting superhero escapades kids thrilled over and emulated in the late 1960s. After watching nearly 20 hours of classic Spider-Man, I realized the cartoon is corny, cheesy, unbelievable, and at times, downright laughable. But...Read the entire review

THE FEATURE
It seems like everyone is playing poker these days, so it should come as no surprise that the people behind the Dummies line of books would put out a guide for playing cards. Now formatted for your DVD player, the Poker for Dummies guide is perfect for those just starting out or for those novice home players who want to increase their odds of finally beating their drinking buddies. For those who've been around, however, there might not be that many tips you don't already know, but it most certainly would work as a refresher that might point out a few errors you've been prone to making.

Hosted by Chris Moneymaker, the 2003 World Series of Poker champion, and Barry Shulman, publisher of Card Player magazine, the 50-minute Poker for Dummies feature walks you through the key points of playing poker with a strong emphasis on Texas Hold 'Em. Unlike those ab routi...Read the entire review

THE FEATURE
I'm surprised at how much I enjoyed the three episodes on the Spider-Man: The Ultimate Face Off DVD. MTV's Spider-Man animated series goes beyond your typical kiddie fare and updates the character for modern generations (just like the montly Ultimate Spider-Man comic whose author, Brian Michael Bendis, had a large part in bringing this series to the small screen). While I wouldn't exactly say the series is aimed at adults, it most certainly is geared toward the older kids in the audience. And this is exactly what makes this series stand out from the rest.

One of the reasons Spider-Man is loved by so many people is the fact that Peter Parker, Spider-Man's alter ego, is just like any teenager. He's the guy next door, and he has relationship problems that parallel his life as a super hero. Fortunately, this series delves into his relationships to bring out the human...Read the entire review

THE FEATURE
I feel ripped off. I didn't even pay for my copy of Spider-Man vs. Doc Ock and I feel like I got the short end of the deal. This disc contains four episodes of the Saturday morning Spider-Man cartoon from the late 90s, all of which are supposed to feature Doctor Octopus as the villain. Not only does Doc Ock not appear in the final episode, but three of the shows are from a longer 11-part series so you don't get the whole story. Heck, the least Marvel and Buena Vista Home Entertainment can do is offer three episodes that are in chronological order.

To me, this disc is a blatant rip off. The producers seem to have rushed this out the door so its release could coincide with the Spider-Man 2 theatrical run. Unfortunately, there are too many holes to make this a worthy purchase for anyone other than a tiny tot who is just watching it for the colorful animation. I realize that...Read the entire review

THE FEATURE
I just got done watching over 10 hours of classic football action and you know what? I want to watch another 10 hours. Reliving some of the finer moments of the NFL during the years I was growing up was more fun than I anticipated. Although there are a few minor annoyances with the new NFL Super Bowl XI-XX 5-disc set, I have to say I'm very pleased with the package.

I was only five years old when the Raiders and Vikings met in Super Bowl XI, but by the time the Bears and Patriots met in Super Bowl XX, I was a full blown football fan. Watching key plays from the big games and the season preceding them is a true thrill. We'll never get to see the likes of Fran Tarkenton or Walter Payton or Jack Youngblood again, so watching clips of them in their prime is quite a sight to see. It was a different game back then, and watching these warriors battle it out on the field made me...Read the entire review

THE SERIES
I'm a huge football fan. I love the sport and I love the movies. I'd watch football every weekend if I could. Still, I was a little hesitant when I received the complete series of ESPN's Playmakers. I thought it was going to be a watered down Any Given Sunday with simplified but outrageous situations, overly emotional characters, and poor acting. In other words, a soap opera for men. After watching a few episodes, I realized it was all of these things. But you know what? I liked it anyway.

Playmakers is a powerful drama about a fictional professional football team, the Carolina Cougars, that deals with how the players handle themselves off the field. Sure, there's a fair amount of game action, but the real meat of the story revolves around the personal lives of the players. And just like any good dramatic series, anything that can go wrong, does go wrong. Ea...Read the entire review

THE FILM
When I find myself enjoying a romantic comedy, it's usually because I can relate to the characters, who are all likable to some degree. Just like I would want the hero to catch the bad guy in an action flick, so I'd like the guy to get the girl in a good romantic comedy. Watching Hope Springs I found myself liking the lead character, Colin Ware (Colin Firth), but neither of the leading ladies, so I actually found myself hoping he'd stay single.

Hope Springs is based on the novel New Cardiff by Charles Webb, the author who wrote the novel, The Graduate. Unlike the quirkiness of that film, the supposedly odd and interesting characters in this film never really reach beyond cardboard cutouts of themselves. They don't seem real. Instead, it's as if they are quirky just to be different.

See, Colin finds out that his fiancée (Vera, played by Minnie Driver...Read the entire review

THE FILM
Love actually is all around us. Perhaps that's why writer/director Richard Curtis chose to create Love Actually, a romantic film that features the love of many couples instead of just one. It's a feel good movie that takes a while to gather steam, but the film's pay off is well worth the trouble of getting to know all of the characters.

At first, figuring out who's who is somewhat of a daunting task since there are ten storylines going on at once, and you need to separate one from the other to make sense of it all. Luckily, the opening scenes for each story are short but slowly become a bit longer and more involved, so by the middle of the film I found myself caught up in the lives unfolding on screen. I wasn't interested in the story of every couple, and with so many to choose from, I doubt it's even possible. But plenty of the characters and situations were enjoyable enou...Read the entire review

THE FEATURE
I'm a big fan of the Walking with Dinosaurs series put together by the BBC, but when I learned that the newest series, Chased by Dinosaurs, would feature an adventurer sent back in time to study the creatures, I was skeptical. A man interacting with dinosaurs? Sounds silly. So you can imagine my delight when, after only a few minutes into the first episode, I totally forgot my worries and settled in to enjoy the show.

The zoologist/adventurer sent back in time with a film crew is Nigel Marven, the daring man behind the hit Discovery Channel show, "Marven's Wild Wild World." In this new series, Marven does what he what he always does: he studies the animals and shares his enthusiasm with the viewer. But in this one, Marven isn't playing around with cuddly chimps or slippery snakes. Instead, he's being chased by dinosaurs. Sounds kind of silly, but it's done very w...Read the entire review

THE FILM
Mona Lisa Smile is one of those movies that wants to teach the world but tries so hard to attain that lofty goal, that it's doomed to fail from the start. From the apparently inspiring story about an art history teacher trying to enlighten her students to the all-star cast, it seems as if the film's creators were more worried about appearances than the actual delivery of the story.

That's not to say the cast doesn't do an exceptional job. Julia Roberts plays a wonderful Katherine Watson, new teacher at Wellesley College, the conservative college for the brightest women in America. Roberts' charisma and spirit shine as the teacher who wants her students to have more than just a life as housewives. In a town where women are raised to take care of their husbands and their home, Watson's liberal attitude is unwelcome to everyone but her students. Her students, played expertly b...Read the entire review

THE FEATURE
It can be argued that the 2003 New England Patriots are one of the best teams in NFL history. It can also be argued that Super Bowl XXXVIII was one of the most exciting championships in NFL history. Regardless of whether or not you agree or disagree with these statements, it's hard to argue that the New England Patriots: Super Bowl XXXVIII Champions DVD is anything but a spectacular wrap-up of the team's great season. For Patriots fans looking to carry the thrill of the Super Bowl win into the summer, this DVD is just the ticket.

NFL Films presents a game-by-game look at the 2003 New England Patriots, from their humiliating 31-0 defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Bills, to their humble 2-2 start of the season, all the way through their 15-game winning streak and dazzling Super Bowl victory over the Carolina Panthers. This chronicle clocks in at just over an hour and feat...Read the entire review

THE FILM
High school football is of huge importance to the citizens of hundreds of small towns throughout the United States. But in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, it's a family affair. In 1999, coach Mike Pettine Sr. began the season looking to extend the Central Bucks West 30-0 win streak and to gain his unprecedented third straight state championship. Along the way, however, he'd have to face the number two team in the state, coached by his son Mike Pettine Jr.

The drama unfolds in The Last Game, as directors T. Patrick Murray and Alex Weinress follow CB West from training camp to the final game of the regular season and beyond. The documentary shows just how passionate high school football can be, but it's so much more than that. On one hand, this film shows how a hard-nose coach can help young men develop the drive and determination necessary to become winners. On the other hand, it ...Read the entire review

THE FILM
So, it's the month of love and you want to set up a romantic evening with your significant other. Perhaps a good romantic comedy would set the mood just right, but you don't want the same, run-of-the-mill story you've already seen a thousand times. If this is the case, then Under the Tuscan Sun might be the film for you.

Under the Tuscan Sun is definitely not your average romantic comedy, even if it does share a number of the same themes. The film's quirky nature and alternative structure goes against the norm, which is exactly where it gets its charm. Diane Lane is Frances, a struggling writer who, after a divorce, takes a huge risk (at least as far as her normal life is concerned) by flying off to Venice and buying a villa. Already it's taken on several aspects of the typical romantic comedy, but things become different when you realize she doesn't immediately mee...Read the entire review

THE FILM
Note: This review is based on the single-disc edition of Seabiscuit. A Limited Edition 2-disc set is also available with additional special features.

Everyone loves an underdog, and I'm no exception. To be honest, I have a soft spot for films that chronicle the life of a broken man who eventually finds the strength to overcome huge obstacles to make his way in this world. Based on the book by Laura Hillenbrand, Seabiscuit tells the story of three such men, who form a team around a similarly broken horse and become folk heroes to the working men and women of America in the 1930s.

These three men lost something very important in their lives, but together with a small, unappreciated horse, manage to overcome their pasts. Charles Howard (Jeff Bridges) loses a son in an accident involving the very machine he used to create his fortune: the automobile. John "Red"...Read the entire review

THE FILM

Project Greenlight is an HBO series that chronicles the entire filmmaking process from choosing a script to releasing the film. Although I've never seen the show, I was more than prepared to hate the final product of the show's second season. I mean, who wants to see a film created for a reality television show? But after watching The Battle of Shaker Heights, I have to admit that I enjoyed it despite my intentions.

Shia LaBeouf is perfect for his role as Kelly, a high school kid who has troubles in the classroom, at home, and of course, with the ladies. His only escape is to participate in World War II reenactments, where he never sticks the script, but instead makes himself the hero on the fake battlefield in a way he never could in reality. LaBeouf delivers his lines with flawless timing that would make a comedy veteran jealous. But where the hell did this 17 year...Read the entire review

THE FILM
The first half of the 1982 television film, Loving Walter, is one of the most realistic portrayals of the mentally challenged that I've ever seen. Because of this, it's one of the most depressing films I've seen in a very long time. The pacing and structure of the film truly allow audiences to access Walter's world, making for a very powerful film that is almost too overwhelming for its own good.

Walter, played masterfully by Sir Ian McKellen, is a mentally challenged man living with his parents in Britain. His condition obviously weighs heavily on his parents, but this doesn't seem to have that much of a negative impact on him. He's a strong man with a job and a possible future who finds solitude with his pigeons. Walter becomes a very likable character, one whom I was pulling for when his mother shouts at him or when his coworkers mock him. Although he might be slow menta...Read the entire review

THE FEATURE
Spoiler free section begins here.

Alias is one the most unbelievable, unrealistic, outlandish shows on television. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, it's also one of the most exciting and definitely the most fun. And if the thrill-a-minute ride of season one wasn't enough, season two really takes it up a notch.

Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner) is back as the double agent who works for the CIA and the evil organization known as SD-6. Sloane (Ron Rifkin) is the leader of SD-6, and Agent Vaughn (Michael Vartan) is Sydney's handler. He's also her would-be lover. Add to the mix another double agent who happens to be Sydney's father (Victor Garber), and you have a show that seems like it would be too weird to work. But it does.

What surprises me most about this series is the fact that the action, and the reason for the action, is often the least important as...Read the entire review

THE FEATURE
Throwback jerseys have become all the rage lately, but I wonder how many people wearing them truly know much about the history of football or the team/player whose jersey they have on their back. The men who played the game in the '60s and '70s were truly gladiators. They were warriors who fought it out on the football field, blow for blow, and helped pave the way for the game we see today.

There were some amazing players in those days, both bruisers (Deacon Jones and Ray Nitschke) and innovators (Fran Tarkenton), trend setters (Joe Namath) and just damn good runners (Gayle Sayers). Now, NFL Films brings them all home in a 5-disc collector's DVD set that no football fan should be without, whether you're seeing these legends for the first time or reliving the good 'ol days of yesteryear.

Each disc features two Super Bowls and the season leading up to them using the NFL Films p...Read the entire review

THE FEATURE
Wayne Gretzky is the best hockey player to ever take the ice. With 61 NHL records, that's a hard statement to debate. Now, with the two disc set known as Ultimate Gretzky, fans of The Great One, as well as those too young to have witnessed his abilities, can see just what made him so special.

The 2-hour documentary takes viewers on a journey from Gretzky's days as a kid playing on the ice in his back yard to his recent win at the 2002 Olympic Games as the leader of Team Canada. This is a very personal look back on his career as Gretzky discusses his early years and each milestone on his way to the Hall of Fame. Actor Kiefer Sutherland hosts the documentary, while longtime goalie John Davidson asks the questions.

It's amazing just how many clips the NHL uncovered for this presentation. There are highlights from the 1978 World Juniors, his first NHL game, his first Stan...Read the entire review

THE FEATURE
Being a hard-core Packers fan, I wasn't sure what to expect from a documentary chronicling the history of the Dallas Cowboys. But the football fan in me didn't take long to show itself as I quickly found myself immersed in the in the team's amazing story.

Disc one of The Dallas Cowboys: The Complete History of America's Team uses film clips both old and new, interviews both old and recent, and the patented NFL Films narration and music to capture the essence of the Dallas Cowboys history. Disc two, however, focuses solely on the 1992 NFC Championship game against the San Francisco 49ers, a victory that catapulted the Cowboys into the first of three Super Bowls in the next four years.

Disc One: The Complete History of the Dallas Cowboys
In 1960, the NFL expanded to include a new team called the Dallas Cowboys. Coached by the soon-to-be legendary Tom Landry, t...Read the entire review

THE FEATURE
I've been a Packers fan since before I knew anything about the game of football. And the older I get, the more important the team becomes. Yet the current season and the future players aren't the only things I find significant. The Green Bay Packers have a rich, almost mythical history, one that lends itself to biographies and history books, and one that has always piqued my interest.

Now, NFL Films has put together an amazing two-disc DVD set that chronicles this storied franchise. For a Packers fan, the footage and interviews found on these two discs are nothing short of amazing. Watching the sandlot team grow into a powerhouse then fall onto hard times only to be reborn on the arm of a farm boy was actually just as emotional as any Hollywood drama.

Before I get into what these discs have to offer, I should point out that these DVDs aren't just for Packers fans. Sure, they...Read the entire review

THE FILM
The basic story of Amateur is one you've seen before, but one that should work regardless. Take a man with amnesia who has obviously been a part of foul play (Martin Donovan), add a sexy woman who wants to help him discover his identity (Isabelle Huppert), throw in two thugs who want him dead (Chuck Montgomery and Dave Simonds), top it off with another sexy woman for good measure (Elina Lowensohn) and you've got yourself a winner, right? Not necessarily.

Hal Hartley's offbeat story is simply too offbeat. It works on one level, but fails on many more. The one level on which the film works is the plot. It's very easy to be intrigued by these characters and the circumstances that bring them together. The closer the amnesiac comes to uncovering his past, the more you want him too. You're on that same journey. It's an easy hook, but ultimately, a motion picture must be more than...Read the entire review

THE FILM
Twenty-four hours after watching Where the Day Take You, I'm already remembering it as more enjoyable than it actually was. Looking back, I feel that it was a gritty, real look at runaways who get caught up in the underground scene of panhandling, drugs, and prostitution in order to survive a life on their own. In reality, however, the film never really gets to the heart of the characters, and thus never feels real.

The only true problem with this film is its narrative style. Unfortunately, it's a big problem. The film opens with King (Dermot Mulroney), a runaway living on the streets of Hollywood and supporting his "family" of other runaways, giving an interview about his life on the streets. The rest of the film cuts back and forth between the interview and King's life after he is released from jail. This narrative device detracts from any flow the film might've had. The...Read the entire review

THE FILM
I love reading the back cover of DVDs. Whoever writes these things can make anything sound good. For example, the jacket of No Good Deed states that the film is "a sexy pulse-pounding thriller." Well, after watching the movie, I can assure you it is neither sexy (although Milla Jovovich certainly is) nor pulse-pounding. Heck, I'm not even sure it can be labeled a thriller.

Jack (Samuel L. Jackson) is a cop in desperate need of a vacation, and is packed for a week at a music "fantasy camp." Unfortunately, before he can depart, he decides to help a neighbor by looking for her runaway daughter. After helping an elderly woman after her stumble, he finds himself in the most unfortunate of situations, as he's bound to a chair by a group of apparent bank robbers.

At this point, the film becomes a little humorous, although unintentionally. See, the group is planning a heist, but...Read the entire review

THE FILM
The Hard Word is an Australian film that most likely looked great on paper, but somewhere along the line, it stumbled into mediocrity. The two culprits I see are a few missteps in the plot, and poor casting for a major role.

The Twentyman brothers, Dale (the leader), Shane (the muscle), and Mal (the sensitive one), played by Guy Pearce, Joel Edgerton, and Damien Richardson, respectively, are expert bank robbers who are doing their best to get by in prison. Luckily for them, they have a means of spending their time that is both exciting and rewarding: they rob banks for crooked cops. In exchange for their services, they expect to get a shortened sentence and a cut of the money.

Naturally, as is necessary for all good heist movies, there needs to be a bad guy. He comes in the form of Frank (Robert Taylor), the group's lawyer who sets up the robberies and is the middle man ...Read the entire review

THE FILM
They always say the sequel is never as good as the original. But every now and then, a particularly well done part two comes along and disproves that theory. A movie that is light years beyond the original. Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle is not that movie.

At this point in a typical review, you might expect to read a brief synopsis of the film's plot. Unfortunately, I'm not sure there was one. I do know that the Angels, undercover detectives played by Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu, are sent all over the planet to retrieve two stolen rings that have a coded list of powerful bad guys, and that some guy with huge pecs is trying to kill some other guy who turns out to be a kid. There are some other Irish baddies, too, who have ties to Drew Barrymore's character before she became an Angel, but I'm not sure how they're involved with the whole ring thing.

But that...Read the entire review

THE FILM
I remember seeing A Christmas Story when I was 11 years old. During the days leading up to Christmas that year, I recited lines from the film continually, and I laughed every time I asked my mom if I could eat dinner like a pig. Twenty years later, the movie still takes the top spot on my holiday film list, and I'm still reciting those hilarious lines and laughing as I do so.

A Christmas Story was, and still is, funny because it never tries to be something it isn't. It's just good, clean fun. It's a real story we can all relate to because it's told from the child's perspective. Based on the stories of Jean Shepherd (or provides the narration for the film), A Christmas Story tells the story of Ralphie (Peter Billingsley), who has no stronger desire than to get a BB gun for Christmas. To be precise, he wants the Red Ryder Carbine Action, 200-Shot, Range Model Ai...Read the entire review

THE FILM
Scarface, written by Oliver Stone and directed by Brian DePalma, was originally panned by critics, but it has spawned a cult following of astounding proportions. It has turned into the classic gangster film to stand next to The Godfather and Good Fellas. Any movie fan can quote dialog from Scarface and throw in impersonations of its main character without even thinking. If that's not the definition of a cult classic, what is?

Scarface tells the story of Tony Montana (Al Pacino) and his pal Manny (Steven Bauer), fresh off the boat from Cuba, who violently climb the ladder to the top of the Miami cocaine empire. And Scarface doesn't hold back on the violence. It is readily available and rather frightening. It's this fear of the violence, which can occur at any moment in the film, that gives this film the tension necessary to build the story ...Read the entire review

THE FILM
Angelique (Audrey Tautou) is having an affair with Loic (Samuel Le Bihan), a married man who will soon be a father. At the outset of He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not, it's apparent these two are very happy together. But things aren't as simple as they seem. Or are they?

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not is told from two perspectives. The first is that of Angelique, the blossoming young artist who is deeply in love and can't stop thinking about her lover. She'll do anything to make sure Loic is aware of her passion, from sending him flowers or paintings, to writing an evil note on his windshield when she spies him with his wife.

Watching Angelique obsess over this married man is both humorous and sad. Anyone who has waited up all night for that phone call from someone special will understand what she's going through when she moves from sheer delight at being asked to go on a...Read the entire review

THE FEATURE
Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers, is simply the greatest stadium in professional football. The history (the team was founded in football's infancy), the teams (12 NFL titles), the legendary games (The Ice Bowl—'nuff said), and the fans (seats have been sold out for over 40 years), all help make Lambeau the most important field in sports. While other teams are demolishing their old stadiums to make way for more modern arenas, the Packers and their fans decided to keep their stadium's heart in tact and renovate around the field, thus preserving their heritage. Perhaps that's why it's the only stadium with a DVD dedicated to its legendary status.

The Legend of Lambeau Field chronicles the life of the stadium by presenting old film footage, vintage photographs, game highlights, and recent interviews with 40 Packers players, NFL Hall of Famers, and coaches. It s...Read the entire review

THE FILM
Bend it Like Beckham was the surprise smash hit of the summer of 2002. And the small independent film deserved all the attention is received from audiences around the world. It's a film with just the right touch of spirit and humor, and let's face it, we all like to leave the theater with that feel good attitude.

And what's not to feel good about? Jess (Parminder Nagra) is a teen who has a chance to realize her dreams when Jules (Keira Knightley) offers her a spot on a women's fútból (soccer) team. Unfortunately, her stifling traditional Indian family doesn't want her to have anything to do with the sport. It's a woman's place to find a nice young man to settle down with, not run around playing sports. So what does she do? She lies to her parents so she can play without their knowledge.

Sure, the idea of a girl struggling between what she wants and what her parents want...Read the entire review

THE FILM
I must admit right off the bat that Fargo is my favorite Coen brother film. I know I'm not alone when I say that, and why not? It's a nearly flawless film with dark humor, great dialog, real characters, and bizarre situations. What's not to like?

Jerry Lundergaard (William H. Macy) is in a pinch. He needs cash for money making venture, so he schemes up a way to get it: have his wife (Kristin Rudrüd) kidnapped, get his evil father-in-law (Harve Presnell) to pay the ransom, and split the money with the kidnappers. Of course, nothing goes according to plan and Jerry is quickly digging himself out of one mess after another.

Jerry may be a bumbling fool, but it's hard not to root for the guy. Sure, he's doing the wrong thing, but he's always trying. Despite setback after setback, he never gives up. You want him to fail, but you also want him to succeed, at least once, which ...Read the entire review

THE FILM
In 1952, Director Vittorio De Sica shot the film Terminal Station and screened the 90 minute production to audiences who found it less than perfect. Because of the bad reviews, the producer of the film, David Selznick, decided to re-edit the film without the director's permission. The result was the 63 minute Indiscretion of an American Wife. Criterion presents both films in their latest DVD efforts.

Both films tell the same story. Mary (Jennifer Jones) is leaving Rome in a hurry, but her lover, Giovanni (Montgomery Clift), tries everything he can to get her to stay. He knows their passion is strong so he uses that against her. But her guilt over cheating on her husband and possibly hurting her young daughter is a powerful roadblock to Giovanni's attempts to keep her in his arms.

At first glance, the differences between the two films are subtle. It's almost as if ...Read the entire review

THE FILM
Leave your brain at the door, grab a hard drink, pop The Cheerleaders in your DVD player, and sit back to enjoy a little bit of nostalgia. On second thought, leave the DVD at the door, grab that drink, and pop something else in the DVD player.

The Cheerleaders Collection contains three films from an old, 70s genre whose entertainment and artistic merits escape me. Besides film lovers old enough to be fans of the films and college students looking to explore new drinking games (one swig for every bad one-liner, and two for every skin shot), I don't really see much of an audience for these movies. Film historians may want to take a peek, but their interest level won't last long.

The Cheerleaders (1972)
The first film in the series, The Cheerleaders, is probably the best in the series, perhaps because it has a semblance of a plot. Then again, ...Read the entire review