One for the Money (2012)

REVIEW NAVIGATION
The Movie | Special Features | Video Quality | Audio Quality | Overall

Genre(s): Comedy, Crime
Lionsgate | PG13 – 91 min. – $39.99 | May 15, 2012

MOVIE INFO:
Directed by: Julie Anne Robinson
Writer(s): Janet Evanovich (novel); Stacy Sherman & Karen Ray and Liz Brixius (screenplay)
Cast: Katherine Heigl, Jason O’Mara, Daniel Sunjata, John Leguizamo, Debbie Reynolds

Theatrical Release Date: January 27, 2012

DISC INFO:
Features: Featurettes, Deleted Scenes, Gag Reel, Theatrical Trailer, Digital Copy
Number of Discs: 1
Slip Cover? Yes

Audio: English (DTS-HD MA 5.1)
Video: 1080p/Widescreen 2.40
Subtitles: English SDH, English, Spanish
Disc Size: 21.0 GB
Codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Region(s): A

THE MOVIE – 2.25/5

“She’s looking for a few not-so-good men.” And apparently a not-so-good movie as well.

In Hollywood there are actors who for some reason are on the A or B-list in terms of celebrity and headlining movies. Some have talent while others seem to run off of their looks than whether they can, you know, actually act. Just for example, you’ve got Gerard Butler, Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell and, of course, Katherine Heigl. No doubt thanks to her years on “Grey’s Anatomy” and the breakout hit Knocked Up, her star shot up and her name was basically everywhere and in every bad to mediocre comedy that came down the pike.

One for the Money is based upon a popular novel series (18 total) written by Janet Evanovich. The central character is Stephanie Plum (KATHERINE HEIGL), a woman who has recently lost her job as a lingerie saleswoman and is desperate for money, so she takes the job from her cousin as a bounty hunter. Initially, Plum wants the large $50,000 bounty on an alleged killer cop, Joe Morelli (JASON O’MARA), who also happened to be the man who she had dated way back when but she’s given some easier grabs after confronting Morelli but is unable to bring him in.

She receives help from a man named Ranger (DANIEL SUNJATA) who works freelance in security, but he once was a bails bondsman. He first introduces Stephanie to a gun and trains her to shoot and even buys it since she’d have to wait to get it; plus she doesn’t exactly have the cash to buy it anyway. She also gets a pair of handcuffs, but as she demonstrates throughout this movie, she can’t seem to handle what she has as time and again, Morelli gets the drop on her including handcuffing her to her own shower rod… while she’s buck naked. She also manages to lose her gun while tracking down another runner as he gets a hold of her purse.

You get the gist but Stephanie somehow is able to get her act together enough to solve a mystery involving Morelli (as he was set up). How, exactly? I have no idea and by the third act, I didn’t really care. Basically, despite Stephanie’s ineptness she becomes a hero and develops a sassy new attitude that will play out in sequels that will never be made.

One for the Money is another example of why the majority of novel adaptations tend to fail on the big screen. I haven’t ever read or even heard of the novel series but I can relate to fans who were frustrated with the movie given the flops perpetrated in John Sanford’s Davenport series which were botched not once but twice in 1999 and most recently in 2011. But from an outsider’s perspective and no having a clue how close Katherine Heigl got this character, I can honestly say it’s not a bad film, just a pretty boring and predictable one.

For her part, Katherine Heigl isn’t bad, merely miscast. I understand why studios might be enamored with her as she does possess a certain amount of charm, but I’m dubious that she’s a movie star and between this and her other starring roles, including dud rom-com The Ugly Truth (co-starring Gerard Butler), comedy-thriller Killers (with Ashton Kutcher) and the mundane romantic-comedy Life As We Know It which is the better movie in her arsenal, which isn’t much of a compliment. I don’t know, Heigl is an OK actress when the script works, as it did in Knocked Up, but she has shown she can’t carry a movie and that’s the case here, although in fairness, I’m not sure if the best younger actresses working today (like Rachel McAdams) could’ve made it much better.

The movie was adapted by Stacy Sherman, Karen Ray (debuts for both) and Liz Brixius creator/executive producer of “Nurse Betty” (this is her feature film debut) and was directed by Julie Anne Robinson who also helmed a variety of television show and marks her second theatrically released film following The Last Song.

On the whole, One for the Money is a movie that is destined to be lost on the shelves at Best Buy or in the Wal-Mart bargain bins. It’s not a bad movie, aptly made all things considered and does share a few laughs, but it’s completely and utterly forgettable.

SPECIAL FEATURES – 2.5/5

This release comes with a glossy slip cover that matches the interior cover.

Making Money: Behind the Scenes (11:01; HD) – This is your typical making-of featurette where the cast (Heigl and O’Mara) and crew (producers, writer, director) offering up insights into why the movie was made including honoring the loyal readers, which from what I read, was a complete and utter disaster. Still, there’s some BTS footage showing how some scenes were shot, but otherwise it’s a ho-hum featurette.

Bond Girls: Kicking Ass in the Bail Bonds Industry (10:28; HD) – Yeah, it’s one of those self-explanatory featurette titles that showcase females working in a male-dominated industry. Actually, this is an interesting featurette getting insights into the business that regular people don’t know much about.

Also included is a Gag Reel (2:37; HD), a Deleted Scene (0:47; HD) which is an alternate ending, the Theatrical Trailer (2:32; HD) and a Digital Copy download code for iTunes.

Previews – What to Expect When You’re Expecting, Casa de mi Padre, Man on a Ledge, Killers, The Switch

VIDEO – 4.25/5

One for the Money arrives on Blu-ray with a sharp-looking 1080p high-definition transfer and MPEG-4 encoding. The film is presented in its original 2.40 widescreen aspect ratio and looks great even on the relative small screen with fine detail level throughout and a well balanced color array, never looking oversaturated. Obviously this is a new release so none of it is a surprise and while it hardly pops off the screen compared with others, it’s still a good transfer.

AUDIO – 4.25/5

There’s not a whole lot to judge from the included 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track. For one, even though there is a fair amount of action, it doesn’t really showcase the lossless track. Now, the dialogue levels are clear and the front and rear channels do get some depth from the generic crime-comedy score but otherwise it’s one of those par for the course audio tracks.

OVERALL – 2.75/5

Overall, One for the Money is a serviceable crime-comedy but it’s also completely forgettable. Katherine Heigl is OK in the lead role and in fairness to her, I’m not sure any other actress could’ve done that much better of a job. The plot itself is pretty thin and, worse yet, absolutely predictable. As far as the Blu-ray is concerned, it has a couple interesting featurettes and the video/audio transfers are pretty good, so if you’re a fan of this movie or the supporting cast, then it’d be worth picking up, otherwise at best this is a rental.

Brian Oliver, The Movieman
Published: 05/17/2012

Check out some more screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.

Beyond (2011)

REVIEW NAVIGATION
The Movie | Special Features | Video Quality | Audio Quality | Overall

Genre(s): Crime, Suspense, Supernatural
Anchor Bay | PG13 – 90 min. – $24.99 | May 22, 2012

MOVIE INFO:
Directed by: Josef Rusnak
Writer(s): Greg Gieras (written by)
Cast: Jon Voight, Dermot Mulroney, Teri Polo, Julian Morris, Skyler Shaye, Ben Crowley

DISC INFO:
Features: None
Number of Discs: 1
Slip Cover? No

Audio: English (Dolby TrueHD 5.1)
Video: 1080p/Widescreen 2.40
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Disc Size: 20.5 GB
Codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Region(s): A

THE MOVIE – 3.0/5

It’s a tricky thing when movies try to mix genres and in the case of Beyond, a direct-to-video release, they take crime-suspense and try to interject supernatural elements which, while a unique combination, never quite gels and it seems the filmmakers couldn’t choose which genre they wanted it to be in.

The story focuses on Detective Jon Koski (JON VOIGHT), working in Anchorage, Alaska and specializes in tracking missing children and taking down the perpetrator. In fact, the movie opens with such apprehension to which Koski bolding walks up to the wounded criminal and shoots him again. Back at the police station, he learns from the police chief, Jack Musker (DERMOT MULRONEY) that the perp’s family plans on suing but he has his back especially since Koski is only a few months away from retirement.

We next meet the Noble family: father Jim (BEN CROWLEY), mother Sarah (TERI POLO) and young daughter, Amy (CHLOE LESSLIE). They appear to be a happy family but not all is as it appears… Anyway, after tucking in Amy for bedtime, Sarah goes to bed when both she and Jim awaken to a loud noise; rushing to investigate, they discover Amy is missing. It turns out Sarah is the sister of Chief Musker who calls in Koski to head the investigation.

Koski begins suspecting everybody, interviewing anyone who could be involved from the parents to Amy’s babysitter, Megan (SKYLER SHAYE), who has a suspect alibi when Koski learns she wasn’t where she said she was when her parents had called earlier. Also getting involved in the investigation is a paranormal psychic named Farley Connors (JULIAN MORRIS) who is dating Megan and offers to help, quickly getting vibes and visions from Amy’s room. Of course, Koski is none too pleased and because of Farley’s involvement, he places him near the top of the suspect list.

There’s little suspense in Beyond and instead relies on strange storytelling going from a more grounded crime-mystery to the supernatural realm as somebody is communicating from, well, beyond seemingly helping the investigation along. Personally, I’m not that into movies involving the supernatural and while it’s OK in this film, there are still a few clunky moments when it stands out, as if coming from a different movie (one scene has Farley, Sarah and Megan communicating with the dead via a Ouija Board).

Despite the shortcomings in mixing the two genres, however, thanks to a surprisingly subdued performance from Jon Voight, who seemed a tad too old to still be a lead detective, though it is Alaska so who knows… Anyway, while it’s not an amazing job Voight did, he certainly keeps the energy up even when the story slows down a bit.

In regards to the supporting cast, they all turn in OK performances but nothing outstanding or special. For her part, Teri Polo was decent as the grief-stricken mother, Julian Morris provides just enough to make viewers suspect his involvement and Dermot Mulroney in a limited part, as always, gives a fine, if not understated, performance.

Beyond was written by Gregory Geras  and directed by Josef Rusnak who probably is best know, if anything, for the 1999 sci-fi film The Thirteenth Floor along with The Art of War II, a movie I highly doubt anyone except for Wesley Snipes was clamoring for. For this movie, Rusnak aptly helms this I suppose and made the best of a script that needed some retooling. Still, he displays some nice atmosphere.

Overall, Beyond is an effective enough movie, just nothing special and fairly predictable. Where the movie flounders is with the mixture of the crime-suspense genre with supernatural, neither of which really meld well together. If there’s any reason to see this movie, it’d probably be for Jon Voight and some excellent director of photography work from Eric Maddison, showing off the amazing Alaskan Landscape (it was filmed on location).

SPECIAL FEATURES – 0/5

Outside of some previews for other titles, there are no features included on this release.

VIDEO – 3.75/5

For a direct-to-video release, I have to admit that Beyond doesn’t look too bad. The movie is presented with an expansive 2.40 widescreen aspect ratio taking advantage of some Alaskan beauty not seen probably since Christopher Nolan’s Insomnia back in 2002. The 1080p high-def transfer looks to be void of any major flaws and while the picture lacks the clarity seen in other newer releases, and even some catalogues, it’s not too bad.

AUDIO – 4.5/5

Most impressive is the thumping Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track which showcases Mario Grigordy’s haunting score that provides the most depth for this movie. The dialogue levels seem to be decent and with clarity coming from the front speaker while the few action/suspense scenes expand outward to the front and rear channels as well.

OVERALL – 2./5

On the whole, Beyond actually isn’t too bad of a film. Clocking in at a mere 90-minutes (less without the credits), it has a good flow and the performance from Jon Voight probably is his best in quite a while as he seemed far more measured, avoiding mugging for the camera and instead seemingly provide his character with true emotions. The biggest drawback is the mixing of genres and the movie probably would’ve benefited more without the supernatural element but even so, it’s worth checking out and giving a rental.

Brian Oliver, The Movieman
Published: 05/14/2012

Check out some more screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.

Father of the Bride / Father of the Bride Part II (1991/1995)

REVIEW NAVIGATION
The Movie | Special Features | Video Quality | Audio Quality | Overall

Genre(s): Comedy, Drama
Buena Vista | PG – 105 min./107 min. – $29.99 | May 15, 2012

MOVIE INFO (Father of the Bride):
Directed by: Charles Shyer
Writer(s): Frances Goodrich & Albert Hackett and Nancy Meyers & Charles Shyer (screenplay)
Cast: Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, Kimberly Williams, Martin Short, Kieran Culkin

Theatrical Release Date: December 20, 1991

MOVIE INFO (Father of the Bride Part II):
Directed by: Charles Shyer
Writer(s): Albert Hackett & Francis Goodrich (screenplay, “Father’s Little Dividend”); Nancy Meyers & Charles Shyer (screenplay)
Cast: Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, Martin Short, Kimberly Williams, George Newbern, Kieran Culkin

Theatrical Release Date: December 8, 1995

DISC INFO:
Features: Commentary, Featurettes, DVD Copies
Number of Discs: 3

Audio: English (DTS-HD MA 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0)
Video: 1080p/Widescreen 1.85
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Disc Size: 44.0 GB
Codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Region(s): A, B, C

THE MOVIES – 3.75/5

Father of the Bride (1991) — 4.0/5

George Banks (STEVE MARTIN) is the All-American dad. He’s got a strong-willed and beautiful wife, Nina (DIANE KEATON), a smart and precocious son (KIERNAN CULKIN) and a wonderful and vibrant daughter named Annie (KIMBERLY WILLIAMS).

The movie opens with George explaining to the audience, in a tux with its tie loosened, about the ordeal that had occurred and recounts the experience: George owns a sports shoes manufacturing company and is anxious to see Annie return from a trip overseas. On his way home, he picks up a surprise present (fixing up her old bike) and finds she is already there, as vibrant as ever and seemingly different. He and the family find out why as she reveals that she met a guy, named Bryan (GEORGE NEWBERN), fell in love and are in fact engaged. Nina and her brother are surprised though congratulatory but George… not so much. After putting up a bit of a fight, he agrees to meet Bryan.

After a cordial but predictably awkward first meeting, the wedding plans are on beginning with hiring a wedding coordinator, the weird/quirky Franck Eggelhoffer (MARTIN SHORT) and his assistant, Howard Weinstein (BD WONG).

While having accepted the wedding and, to a lesser extent Bryan, George wants to penny-pinch as much as possible, dreaming up ways to save money from holding the ceremony at the house with a few guests and him behind the grill. But those dreams are soon dashed and Annie gets the wedding she wants with a nice, traditional church and a full fledge reception at the house. Unfortunately for George, the cost, as he tells anyone willing to listen, is $250/person and with over 500 people, you can do the math… You can guess the rest, but it’s more about the character and his journey than the wedding itself.

I remember watching Father of the Bride back in the mid-90s and even then, found it to be absolutely hilarious yet still heartwarming. It’s also one of the rare PG-rated movies that doesn’t pander to families by making it too safe or over-the-top with inane sound effects but instead keeps a level head even with George’s antics do touch the line of insanity, yet thanks to Steve Martin’s physical humor, works every time.

The supporting cast is another reason this remake of the 1951 comedy has endured the test of time and is now regarded as somewhat of a classic. The highlight of course is Diane Keaton who plays so perfectly opposite Martin’s subdued crazy mannerisms with a stern but calm demeanor. Also a delight is Martin Short in perhaps his last genuinely funny performance outside of maybe the sequel. And not to be outdone or overshadowed – well, OK, they kind of are – are Kimberly Williams and George Newbern. To be fair, these two do share some nice chemistry and for Williams, she manages to be likeable for a character that could come off a bit childish at times.

Father of the Bride Part II (1995) — 3.5/5

The second, and presumably final, part to the series finds George Banks (MARTIN), still a bit neurotic and it only gets worse when, just as he’s about to be accepting of son-in-law Bryan, is told that Bryan and daughter Annie (WILLIAMS) are pregnant. Complicating matters is, after getting frisky with wife Nina (KEATON) one night, Nina also gets pregnant and now mother and daughter are set to have their kids around the same time.

This review with be short and kind of sweet. Although not nearly as good as the first movie, this sequel still is sweet and incredibly funny from beginning to end. Steve Martin once again gets to show off some more of his physical comedy and this go around, where Martin Short was more of a cameo appearing for a few minutes here and there, gets a larger role and even though one would think his antics would get tiring, I thought it was a nice injection of energy.

Like with the first movie, I actually remember watching this with my parents back in my mid-teen years and while I enjoyed, my parents seem to get more out of it, which would make sense as those who are parents probably will get a more emotional impact versus those without.

SPECIAL FEATURES – 1.75/5

This release contains 1 Blu-ray disc with both movies and 2 DVDs containing each movie. The DVDs are the original issue so they contain all the features including the mislabeled “Audio Commentary with Steve Martin and Martin Short” which again is portrayed on the back cover. For the sake of time, I’m only covering what’s on the Blu-ray disc, but will note the Father of the Bride Part II DVD contains an interview (3:53), a production featurette (4:21) and the theatrical trailer.

Audio Commentary – Co-Writer/Director Charles Shyer is absolutely dry and needed someone else in the booth to provide some life as this track quickly becomes droll even with Shyer providing information about the making of the film.

An Invitation to Father of the Bride (10:35; SD) – This is a standard ‘making-of’ featurette where you get a ton of behind-the-scenes footage mixed in with some interviews with the stars including Steve Martin and Martin Short. The filmmakers also explain what makes the movie special.

Martin & Short Interview Each Other (5:13; SD) – As the description states, the two stars question one another about the movie and their characters.

VIDEO – 3.75/5

Father of the Bride — 4.0/5
Making its debut on Blu-ray, Father of the Bride looks very good in HD thanks to a new digital restoration. The movie is presented in its original 1.85 widescreen aspect ratio and although it doesn’t pop off the screen, it does offer up a clean picture free of any noticeable dust marks or scratches though there is a fair amount of grain which might turn off some people (not me).

Father of the Bride Part II — 3.75/5
While this transfer, again presented in its original 1.85 aspect ratio, isn’t quite as good as the first film, it still looks good. This transfer is basically spotless and doesn’t have much in the way of flaws including artifacting. Colors also seem to be well balanced without seeming pumped up and oversaturated.

AUDIO – 4.0/5

Father of the Bride — 3.75/5
The original DVD release contained a standard Dolby Digital Surround track so for Blu-ray, it has been upgraded to a lossless 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track. The soundtrack itself with the score and music sounds great but then falters a tad when we get to the dialogue which probably wasn’t the best recorded on the set. Even so, outside of a scene or two, the audio is crisp and clean from beginning to end.

Father of the Bride Part II — 4.0/5
This 5.1 DTS-HD MA track comes off a tad better than its predecessor. Again, the bulk of the audio comes from the center channel since the movie is dialogue driven. However, when the whimsical score picks up, it provides a bit more depth.

OVERALL – 3.25/5

Overall, the Father of the Bride two-movie collection is a nice set with two very good movies with more than adequate video and audio transfers which are a solid upgrade over their DVD counterparts. Even though the features are disappointing considering it is a “20^th Anniversary Collection”, but with a low SRP, this is well worth picking up.

Brian Oliver, The Movieman
Published: 05/12/2012

Check out some more screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.

AMERICAN REUNION

Universal Pictures has announced a July 10th, 2012 release date for the comedy, American Reunion (pre-order here). The Blu-ray will come with a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track while the DVD will have the usual Dolby Digital 5.1 audio mix. The Blu-ray will retail for $34.98 while the DVD will go for $29.98. Both the Blu-ray combo pack and standalone DVD will contain the R-rated and Unrated Versions (113 min. and 114 min. respectively).

Synopsis: In one long-overdue weekend, old friends will reconnect, old flames re-ignite and everyone will rediscover just how much fun you can pack into one hilarious weekend.

It was summer 1999 when four small-town Michigan boys began a quest to lose their virginity.  In the years that have passed, Jim (Jason Biggs, Life Happens, “Mad Love”) and Michelle (Alyson Hannigan, “How I Met Your Mother”) got married while Stifler (Seann William Scott, Role Models) still refuses to grow up. Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas, Please Give) and Vicky (Tara Reid, “Scrubs”) said goodbye while Oz (Chris Klein, American Dreamz) and Heather (Mena Suvari, “American Horror Story”) grew apart.  Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas, “How to Make It in America”) still longs for Stifler’s mom (Jennifer Coolidge, Legally Blonde) and Jim’s dad (Eugene Levy, Best in Show) is learning to date.

BLU-RAY and DVD Bonus Features:

• Feature Commentary with Co-Directors/Co-Writers Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg
• Featurette: The “Reunion” Reunion – Re-launching the Series
• Featurette: Jim’s Dad
• Featurette: Ouch! My Balls
• 7 Deleted Scenes
• Gag Reel

BLU-RAY EXCLUSIVES:

• The Out of Control Track: Throughout the Film Members of the Cast pop-up on screen to laugh at, comment and even cut on their fellow cast members
• Featurette: The Best of Biggs – Hangin’ with Jason B.
• Featurette: Lake Bake
• Featurette: Dancing with the Oz
• Featurette: American Gonad-iators – The Fight Scene
• Interactive Feature: American Reunion Yearbook
• 13 Extended Scenes
• Alternate Takes
• UltraViolet Digital Copy
• Digital Copy
• pocket BLU app
• uHear

BLU-RAY ARTWORK

Clueless (1995)

REVIEW NAVIGATION
The Movie | Special Features | Video Quality | Audio Quality | Overall

Genre(s): Comedy
Paramount | PG13 – 97 min. – $22.99 | May 1, 2012

MOVIE INFO:
Directed by: Amy Heckerling
Writer(s): Amy Heckerling
Cast: Alicia Silverstone, Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy, Paul Rudd, Donald Faison, Breckin Meyer, Dan Hedaya

Theatrical Release Date: July 19, 1995

DISC INFO:
Features: Featurettes, Trailers
Number of Discs: 1

Audio: English (DTS-HD MA 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 2.0), Portuguese (Dolby Digital 2.0), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0)
Video: 1080p/Widescreen 1.78
Subtitles: English SDH, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish
Disc Size: NA
Codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Region(s): A, B, C

THE MOVIE – 4.0/5

Plot Outline: Teenage bubblegum princess Cher (ALICIA SILVERSTONE) is a popular, but superficial, high school girl who spends her time planning her outfit combos, make-up, chatting up best friend Dionne (STACEY DASH), and, of course, boys. But she has no interest in the guys at her high school because of their style and upkeep and instead is into older guys. At the high school, she also gets her way by negotiating better grades from her teachers, which in a way she learned from her litigator father (DAN HEDEYA).

Also amongst the circus of people in her life is: Dionne’s boyfriend (DONALD FAISON from “Scrubs”); ex-step-brother Josh (PAUL RUDD) who, even though his mother and her father divorced, still sticks around much to Cher’s chagrin; and new girl in school, Tai (BRITTANY MURPHY), who is a bit homely but Cher decides to take her under her wings. Unfortunately doing so, and thanks to a “near death” experience, catapults Tai to a new stratosphere and eventually supplants Cher as high school queen while Dionne and rival Amber ELISA DONOVAN) become Tai’s BFF’s while Cher is demoted to a mere follower. Following this, she also experiences failures in her romantic life as well…

Note: This review contains spoilers.

Quick Hit Review: Released in 1995, and originally conceived as a television series (which it later got and ran for 3 seasons), Clueless is yet another irreverent look at high school life from writer/director Amy Heckerling who directed the timeless high school flick, Fast Times at Ridgemont High (although Heckerling managed to also provide the world with European Vacation and Look Who’s Talking…). Between Fast Times and Clueless, she has directed two of the best movies about high school that, although a bit hyperbolized in some situations, had more than a grain of truth at its core. For Clueless is looks at the vapid West Coast boys and girls with the Valley lingo and styles. While I don’t think it’s as specifically rapid today, the ideas still hold true about the youth of America.

Outside of the writing and direction, the movie also succeeds because of a star-turning performance from Alicia Silverstone who provides the right balance between the bubblegum personality that slowly develops into a person of substance, a transformation that’s not quite subtle, but fluid and natural. Silverstone’s co-stars are also well rounded even in limited roles from Breckin Meyer as the guy interested in the new girl, Dash as the best friend and Paul Rudd, who does have a larger role, as a potential love interest that develops as naturally as Silverstone’s transformation (if that makes any sense).

Despite being now 17 years old (yikes), Clueless is just as relevant today as it was in the mid-90s. The styles and lingo have changed but the ideas remain the same, just switch things out with cell phones and other electronic devices and we’d get a remake (which sadly probably isn’t too far away). In any case, if you haven’t seen the movie, or if it’s been a while like it was for me (I hadn’t seen it in probably a decade), now’s a good enough time to watch it again.

SPECIAL FEATURES – 3.0/5

The Blu-ray comes with a glossy, embossed slip cover and all the features have been ported over from the “Whatever! Edition”, so there’s no need to hold onto your hold DVD.

Clue or False Trivia Game is an interactive game where you answer questions while watching the movie and rack up points. I would’ve preferred a commentary track over this…

The Class of ’95 (18:31; SD) is a retrospective featurette that has interviews with the cast (Breckin Meyer, Brittany Murphy, Stacey Dash, Paul Rudd, Donald Faison, et al) and various members of the crew as they recall making what would become a cult classic. The only thing we get from Silverstone is an on-set interview from 1995.

Creative Writing (9:39; SD) examines how the movie got made and includes more “new” interviews with Heckerling and others.

Fashion 101 (10:46; SD) takes a look at the fashion of Clueless and tackling the outfits for the different characters.

Language Arts (8:09; SD) is about the lingo or slang created/re-incarnated from the past for the film that permeated the culture from Beverly Hills outward in the mid 90s (even referenced in Scream). “What-Ever!”

We also get a couple short features including: Suck ‘N Blow: A Tutorial (2:47; SD) about the game played in the movie; Driver’s Ed (3:49; SD) covering the freeway freak-out scene; and We’re History (8:52; SD) on the significance the movie has had over the years.

The disc also has the teaser (1:59; HD) and theatrical trailers (2:39; HD).

VIDEO – 3.75/5

Clueless shops its way onto Blu-ray with a nice looking 1080p high-definition, although it is a bit uneven especially in one noticeable scene where it seems Paramount couldn’t find the original negative (it looks like it was culled from a VHS copy or something). The movie is presented with a 1.78 aspect ratio (originally 1.85) and while there are some noticeable film grain and noise, and although not abundant, I did notice a few specs of dirt here and there. But even with the flaws, it is a fair upgrade over the 7-year-old DVD (not to mention the 1998 release).

AUDIO – 3.5/5

The disc comes with a decent, albeit subdued, 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track. While it’s a tad more balanced over the standard Dolby Digital 5.1 track from the DVD, it’s not as big of an upgrade by comparison. Of course, the movie is almost entirely dialogue driven with some moments of choice songs from mid-90s that provide some limited depth from the other channels. Also, the bass rarely if ever turned on so even there it’s minimal.

OVERALL – 3.75/5

Overall, Clueless is a timeless classic that even 17 years later is still relevant today as it was then even when styles and lingo changes. The movie features some great performances especially from Silverstone who probably deserved more award recognition than she got. As for this Blu-ray, if offers up the same features as the 10-year anniversary DVD and some decent video and audio upgrades.

Brian Oliver, The Movieman
Published: 05/08/2012

Check out some more screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.

Underworld: Awakening (2012)

REVIEW NAVIGATION
The Movie | Special Features | Video Quality | Audio Quality | Overall

Genre(s): Fantasy, Horror, Action
Sony | R – 89 min. – $35.99 | May 8, 2012

MOVIE INFO:
Directed by: Marlind & Stein
Writer(s): Kevin Grevioux and Len Wiseman & Danny McBride (characters); Len Wiseman & John Hlavin (story), Len Wiseman & John Hlavin and J. Michael Straczynski and Allison Burnett (screenplay)
Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Stephen Rea, Michael Ealy, Theo James, India Eisley, Charles Dance

Theatrical Release Date: January 20, 2012

DISC INFO:
Features: Commentary, Picture-in-Picture, Featurettes, Gag Reel, Music Video
Number of Discs: 1

Audio: English (DTS-HD MA 7.1), French (DTS-HD MA 5.1)
Video: 1080p/Widescreen 2.40
Subtitles: English SDH, English, French, Spanish
Disc Size: NA
Codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Region(s): A, B, C

THE MOVIE – 2.75/5

Full disclosure: I’ve never been much a fan of the Underworld franchise. Generally they’re dark, dreary and often feature lots of action scenes but none of them memorable. What does stand out, and a big reason why Sony/Screen Gems have now released the fourth movie in the series, entitled Underworld: Awakening, is because of Kate Beckinsale who fills her tight PVC outfit quite nicely appealing to different demos from the vampire/werewolf crowd to the fetish audience (I would assume the two cross paths).

The movie opens with a recap of the first two movies in case anyone has forgotten. Selene (KATE BECKINSALE) outlines the battle between the Lycans and Vampire clans as the fight has turned from going against one another to against the humans. We get an awkwardly cut series of scenes where Selene escapes from a dragnet of the authorities to meet up with Michael but gets there too late as the police open fire. He drops into the water, she after him with bullets floating by followed with a flash grenade which knocks her out.

We fast forward to find Selene, frozen upside down in a tank at some generic corporate research facility (possibly remnants of what was used in the Resident Evil movies) and something or someone has managed to release her from captivity. Lucky for Selene, her outfit is nearby and she gets dressed into her slinky gear ready to kick ass and NOT take any names. Later she would discover that she’s been in suspended animation for 12 years! Anyway, despite the best efforts of the Generic Facility’s manager, Dr. Jacob Lane (STEPHEN REA), Selene escapes, but she’s plagued by visions, seeing events happen in real time through the eyes of someone else.

In the meantime, we are introduced to Detective Sebastian (MICHAEL EALY) investigating the gruesome death of one man Selene had disposed of earlier; a Lycan but went back into human form. The reason this is important is because up to this point, the human race believed the Lycan populating was extinct but something more sinister is going on.

Selene continues trying to evade the authorities while also tracking down the person she’s psychically connect with and in the search, runs into fellow vampire David (THEO JAMES) and a group of Lycans who are hunting down the person Selene has been looking for. After fighting off the Lycans, she discovers 12-year-old Eve (INDIA EISLEY), who was another subject at Generic Facility. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this out, so I’ll reveal it now with a SPOILER WARNING, that Eve is in fact Selene’s daughter.

With the help of David, Selene and Eve take shelter at an underground covenant after taking a car chase skirmish with a few Lycans in which Eve sustains injury. After some reluctance from David’s father (CHARLES DANCE) Thomas,, the leader of the covenant, Eve receives treatment where they discover she is a perfect mixture of Lycan and Vampire, which disturbs Thomas who wants the two gone before the Lycans discover their location. Unfortunately, the warning is not heeded and indeed they are found out in which a bloody battle ensues culminating in Selene taking on a massive mutant-like Lycan and Eve getting captured. Now Selene, with the help of David and Detective Sebastian, breaks back into Generic Facility and rescue Eve before it’s too late. I’d go a bit further, but there is a twist that should remain for the viewer. It’s nothing earth-shattering but kind of interesting, I guess.

Alright, so what about Underworld: Awakening? Well, honestly it’s not nearly as bad as the trailers have made it out to be. Although the simple visual effects look fine, others, like when the Lycans jump from car to car during the chase sequence, look pretty bad. Of course, it’s to be expected since none of these Underworld movies were heavy on the budget, although this one reportedly around $70 million (the first only cost $28 million or so with inflation), so they either beefed it up for the visual and special effects or Kate Beckinsale took a nice paycheck (worthy).

When it comes to the acting, the Underworld franchise has never been a bastion with fine acting, although for what it is, the series has had some good performances, from Bill Nighy’s (who is sorely missed) over-the-top grandeur to Michael Shannon as the split antagonist. I’m not sure how the supporting cast stacks up in comparison, but for a newcomer India Eisley does a good job for a kid actor playing a werewolf and vampire, Theo James is still a tad bland though it seems another sequel could help expand his character and Michael Ealy, while given limited screen time and passing character development, has some charisma.

Of course, the highlight and reason anyone would even want to bother with this sequel is because of Kate Beckinsale. After taking a break from the series, for which the filmmakers’ chose to make a prequel starring Rhona Mitra as the chick wearing the PVC outfit, Beckinsale returns and is fine form (take that anyway you’d like) and still kicks ass like nobody else.

Even though I’ve never been a fan of this franchise, I could at least admire Beckinsale for all that she brought the role even when the story and/or script wasn’t at its best, and the same most certainly can be said for Awakening. Written by a plethora of screenwriters including Len Wiseman who originally co-wrote and directed the first two movies, the story never really takes form and seemed more suitable as a made-for-TV movie. Also, I should warn you that while the back cover says its 89-minutes, take out the end credits and this clocks in at around 75-minutes or so, a really short running time I haven’t seen from a major production since Men in Black 2.

Directed by the Marlind & Stein who also helmed Shelter starring Julianne Moore and Jonathan Rhys Meyers; here was decent enough I guess but nothing amazing as they seemed to just match the darkness and tone of the previous entries. It’s nothing profound, just adequate for the genre.

On the whole, Underworld: Awakening isn’t nearly as bad as the trailer had made it out to be, but it’s certainly not a very good movie either. If you’re a fan of this series, maybe this entry will be satisfying, but for those who haven’t been enthralled with the others, it will hardly change your mind.

SPECIAL FEATURES – 3.5/5

Creating the Underworld: Picture-in-Picture Experience – This is a regular Blu-ray exclusive is pretty worthless showing bits of trivia while you watch the movie along with some footage from the previous films. The info provided is too far and between and even then it’s not all that interesting so you might as well just skip this.

Feature Commentary – Directors Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein, Producers Richard Wright and Gary Lucchesi & Executive Producer/Visual Effects Supervisor James McQuaide sit down for a fun but still informative commentary track where they offer up trivia and tid-bits on the making of Underworld: Awakening, some of the challenges that were presented and how the directors’ approached the story.

Behind the Scenes Featurettes (TRT 1:02:55; HD) – There are 5 extensive featurettes included: Selene Rises, Casting the Future of Underworld, Resuming the Action, Building a Better Lycan and Awakening a Franchise, Building a Brutal World. These are set of well made featurettes offering insights into making the sequel, getting Beckinsale back and just going through the story as a whole. Between interviews with the directors, producers, writers and the cast, we get some behind-the-scenes footage that gives info on how certain shots or scenes were done.

Blooper Reel (3:21; HD) – Here is a collection flubbed lines or missed marks.

A music video (3:25; HD) for “Heavy Prey” but Lacey Sturm (of Flyleaf) and download code for the UltraViolet Digital Copy are also included.

Previews – Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, Men in Black 3, The Amazing Spider-Man, Resident Evil: Retribution

VIDEO – 4.25/5

Underworld: Awakening bites and claws its way onto Blu-ray high-definition, presented in its original 2.40 widescreen aspect ratio and 1080p high-definition. First things first, one item I’ve seen much discussion on the Net is on the black levels and admittedly, it is a bit on the weaker side, showing more of a dark blue than black, but still, it’s not overly distracting and if any darker, it would remove more detail given how dimly lit this movie, and the previous movies as well, was shot. As for the picture in other aspects, it looks good and finely detailed throughout and while it doesn’t exactly shine on the smaller screen with its darkly lit set pieces, it’s still sharp and void of any flaws.

AUDIO – 4.5/5

The disc comes with a boom-tastic 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track. As you might imagine, a movie that’s high on action but low on substance will generally benefit from the extra channels and indeed it does for this one. The lower levels such as dialogue or ambient noises, when present, sound pretty good but once the gunplay, roaring and all general action begins, that’s when the bass kicks in and your walls will be shaking. During those scenes, it shows off the track’s depth from every channel and provides for a mighty home theater experience.

OVERALL – 3.5/5

Overall, Underworld: Awakening actually isn’t that bad of a movie, albeit it’s not that great either. It’s probably on par with the previous movies just with slightly lower quality in terms of the cast (Bill Nighy even in a small role is irreplaceable). As it stands, the movie is really short and the visual effects, despite an upgrade in the budget, is mediocre at best, although the make-up and monster effects are alright in an old school kind of way. As far as the Blu-ray goes, the video and audio transfers are impressive as are the selection of special features.

Brian Oliver, The Movieman
Published: 05/02/2012

Check out some more screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.

New Year’s Eve (2011)

REVIEW NAVIGATION
The Movie | Special Features | Video Quality | Audio Quality | Overall

Genre(s): Drama, Comedy, Romance
Warner Bros. | PG13 – 118 min. – $35.99 | May 1, 2012

MOVIE INFO:
Directed by: Garry Marshall
Writer(s): Katherine Fugate (written by)
Cast: Halle Berry, Jessica Biel, Jon Bon Jovi, Abigail Breslin, Robert De Niro, Josh Duhamel, Zac Efron, Hector Elizondo, Katherine Heigl, Ashton Kutcher, Seth Meyers, Lea Michele, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michelle Pfeiffer, Til Schweiger, Hilary Swank, Sofia Vergara

Theatrical Release Date: December 9, 2011

DISC INFO:
Features: Commentary, Featurettes, Deleted Scenes, Gag Reel, BD-Live, DVD Copy, UltraViolet Digital Copy
Number of Discs: 1
Slip Cover? Yes

Audio: English (DTS-HD MA 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Video: 1080p/Widescreen 1.78
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Disc Size: 24.2 GB
Codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Region(s): A, B, C

THE MOVIE – 1.25/5

Let love be your resolution. If only I could put in mine to not see schmaltzy, unfunny romantic comedies, then that’d be awesome. Sadly, Garry Marshall’s holiday follow-up from 2010’s Valentine’s Day (at best an average flick), New Year’s Eve is absolutely awful, holding no charm and doesn’t even try linking the variety of bland characters…or at least does it in the laziest fashion.

The story, such as it is, following different characters leading up to the dropping of the ball to ring in 2012:

One story follows the adventures of bicycle courier, and all around pretty boy, Paul (ZAC EFRON) as he takes the older Ingrid (MICHELLE PFEIFFER) around New York City to mark off her 2011 resolutions list, the first one she took care of by quitting her job from her obnoxious boss (JOHN LITHGOW in an uncredited cameo).

Randy (ASHTON KUTCHER playing a different character from VD) hates New Year’s and all that it brings but he gets stuck in an elevator with the lovely Elise (LEA MICHELE) for hours.

Griffin (SETH MEYERS) and Tess (JESSICA BIEL) are expecting their first child and compete with James (TIL SCHWEIGER) and Grace (SARAH PAULSON) to receive the $25,000 reward for having the first baby of the year.

Laura (KATHERINE HEIGL) is a cook preparing for the biggest party of the night headlined by former flame, and star singer, Jensen (JON BON JOVI) who proposed marriage but sprinted away at the last minute a year before.

Kim (SARAH JESSICA PARKER) is a divorced mother trying to deal with her teenage daughter (ABIGAIL BRESLIN), a straight arrow who wants to spend New Year’s with her school crush.

Stan Harris (ROBERT DE NIRO) is a dying man refusing treatment and wants to spend his last hours watching the ball drop from the hospital roof, which his doctor (CARY ELWES) can’t allow, but in the meantime, receives comfort from Nurse Aimee (HALLE BERRY).

Sam (JOSH DUHAMEL) is a successful executive who needs to get to NYC for a big speech and to possibly meet the woman of his dreams he had met the year before, never getting her name and only a message to meet her there at the same spot at midnight.

Finally, and probably the more central storyline if there was one, follows Claire (HILARY SWANK) on her debut as the executive in charge of the ball drop, receiving support from a NYPD officer (CHRIS “LUDACRIS” BRIDGES).

Sure, I could’ve spiced that summary up, but why set you up for disappointment considering how dull and uninspiring each one of them is. The other problem, aside from the story issues, is the filmmakers’ didn’t even make an attempt to creatively bring some of these characters together and instead have more or less a tether stringing them. For instance, it’s established early on that Paul (Efron) and Randy are best friends but this is merely done via phone conversations. Another one, we find out Paul is in fact the younger brother of one of the other characters (got to keep something in this movie a surprise). This is a problem because one of the few things that make these ensemble movies run is seeing how they are connected to one another; hell, I think Valentine’s Day did a better job at, comparatively speaking of course.

But even setting that aside, this is a downright dull and boring movie. For romance it’s not exactly schmaltzy enough, for a drama it’s melodramatic given we’ve got a man on his deathbed (perhaps symbolic for De Niro’s career) and as a comedy, there’s not one damn thing funny or even charming. Give me something or somebody to like, somebody whom I care about their circumstances. I suppose Halle Berry’s character has some of that as she talks with her husband (played by Common, losing even more credibility in his brief appearance) over the Internet as he’s serving overseas.

As far as the direction is concerned, I have to ask what happened to Garry Marshall. Obviously he never was a great director, he has helmed a few good flicks in the past including Pretty Woman, Nothing in Common, Overboard and even tearjerker, Beaches and yet he also has Exit to Eden, Georgia Rule and Valentine’s Day on his resume. New Year’s Eve is easily his worst film to date, offering little value beyond nice looking cinematography and travelogue of New York City.

It’s not enough to bring together some famous/beautiful actors together but you have to also have characters and a story the audience give a hoot about. The trailers might’ve made this look like an acceptable romantic comedy but instead little about it really works. If you value your time (it clocks in at nearly two hours), please skip New Year’s Eve.

SPECIAL FEATURES – 3.0/5

This release comes with a glossy, title-embossed, slip cover. Inside, Warner has once again employed a flipper disc (as they did with A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas) and a slip with a code for the UltraViolet Digital Copy.

Feature Commentary – Producer/Director Garry Marshall delivers a dry but sometimes humorous commentary offering up tidbits about filming and working with the different cast members. I kind of prefer if he had someone else, say one of the 100 cast members, join him but for a solo track, it’s not bad, but nothing great either.

The Magic of Times Square (6:12; HD) – In this featurette we get cast/crew interviews and behind-the-scenes footage as they talk about shooting in Times Square and what makes it so special on New Year’s Eve. ** Blu-ray Exclusive **

New Year’s Eve Secrets of the Stars (6:14; HD) – The cast talk about their most memorable New Year’s moments and what they do and have done in the past. All of it is mixed in with more BTS shots. ** Blu-ray Exclusive **

Jon Bon Jovi & Lea Michele Rock New Year’s Eve (5:23; HD) – This featurette focuses on the rock band singer working with Glee’s Michele. I had to snicker at the description on the back cover stating “Superstar rocker Jon Bon Jovi makes his highly anticipated return to film…” Um, who exactly was craving for his return? ** Blu-ray Exclusive **

Deleted Scenes (16:59; HD) – You get a selection of scenes that didn’t make it into the final cut (including one with John Stamos) and there are two options, one you can watch with introductions by Garry Marshall and one without (clocks in at 7:48). ** Blu-ray Exclusive **

Gag Reel (11:04; HD) – You’ll quickly find out that Garry Marshall loves gag reels and he tells you so in an introduction. Nothing special but at least it looks like the actors are having a good time; also, some of these can be seen during the end credits.

BD-Live – Yep, a staple on any Blu-ray is a portal to… some random stuff from Warner. Yawn. ** Blu-ray Exclusive **

Preview – Rock of Ages

Also included is a DVD Copy and it looks like a retail version containing both features (commentary and gag reel).

VIDEO – 4.5/5

New Year’s Eve glitters onto Blu-ray with a sharp looking 1080p high-def presentation. The film is presented with a 1.78 widescreen aspect ratio (originally 1.85) and is actually better than expected especially considering Warner’s HD track record of late. The colors are vibrant without looking blown up and the detail level throughout are pretty impressive. Black levels are also nice to look at showing no signs of flaws like pixilation or artifacting.

AUDIO – 4.25/5

The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track offers up a wide range from quieter dialogue-driven moments which sound crisp and clear to the musical numbers which shows off the track’s depth more. I wouldn’t call this a pulsating lossless track but still fairly impressive given the genre.

OVERALL – 2.75/5

Overall, New Year’s Eve is an all around poorly made movie. The writing is lazy, the interconnecting tissue between the ensemble is at best thin and just the overall plot never really had the proper flow; even Valentine’s Day seemed to have a more cohesive story. Simply put, I hated, hated, HATED this movie and the only redeeming factor (and trust me, it’s thin), is that the cinematography looks good and it’s not nearly as awful compared with the other dreck I’ve seen in 2011. Not much of an endorsement, it’s still something.

Brian Oliver, The Movieman
Published: 04/30/2012

Check out some more screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.

New Year’s Eve (2011)

REVIEW NAVIGATION
The Movie | Special Features | Video Quality | Audio Quality | Overall

Genre(s): Drama, Comedy, Romance
Warner Bros. | PG13 – 118 min. – $28.98 | May 1, 2012

MOVIE INFO:
Directed by: Garry Marshall
Writer(s): Katherine Fugate (written by)
Cast: Halle Berry, Jessica Biel, Jon Bon Jovi, Abigail Breslin, Robert De Niro, Josh Duhamel, Zac Efron, Hector Elizondo, Katherine Heigl, Ashton Kutcher, Seth Meyers, Lea Michele, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michelle Pfeiffer, Til Schweiger, Hilary Swank, Sofia Vergara

Theatrical Release Date: December 9, 2011

DISC INFO:
Features: Commentary, Gag Reel, UltraViolet Digital Copy
Number of Discs: 1
Slip Cover? No

Audio: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish

THE MOVIE – 1.25/5

Let love be your resolution. If only I could put in mine to not see schmaltzy, unfunny romantic comedies, then that’d be awesome. Sadly, Garry Marshall’s holiday follow-up from 2010’s Valentine’s Day (at best an average flick), New Year’s Eve is absolutely awful, holding no charm and doesn’t even try linking the variety of bland characters…or at least does it in the laziest fashion.

The story, such as it is, following different characters leading up to the dropping of the ball to ring in 2012:

One story follows the adventures of bicycle courier, and all around pretty boy, Paul (ZAC EFRON) as he takes the older Ingrid (MICHELLE PFEIFFER) around New York City to mark off her 2011 resolutions list, the first one she took care of by quitting her job from her obnoxious boss (JOHN LITHGOW in an uncredited cameo).

Randy (ASHTON KUTCHER playing a different character from VD) hates New Year’s and all that it brings but he gets stuck in an elevator with the lovely Elise (LEA MICHELE) for hours.

Griffin (SETH MEYERS) and Tess (JESSICA BIEL) are expecting their first child and compete with James (TIL SCHWEIGER) and Grace (SARAH PAULSON) to receive the $25,000 reward for having the first baby of the year.

Laura (KATHERINE HEIGL) is a cook preparing for the biggest party of the night headlined by former flame, and star singer, Jensen (JON BON JOVI) who proposed marriage but sprinted away at the last minute a year before.

Kim (SARAH JESSICA PARKER) is a divorced mother trying to deal with her teenage daughter (ABIGAIL BRESLIN), a straight arrow who wants to spend New Year’s with her school crush.

Stan Harris (ROBERT DE NIRO) is a dying man refusing treatment and wants to spend his last hours watching the ball drop from the hospital roof, which his doctor (CARY ELWES) can’t allow, but in the meantime, receives comfort from Nurse Aimee (HALLE BERRY).

Sam (JOSH DUHAMEL) is a successful executive who needs to get to NYC for a big speech and to possibly meet the woman of his dreams he had met the year before, never getting her name and only a message to meet her there at the same spot at midnight.

Finally, and probably the more central storyline if there was one, follows Claire (HILARY SWANK) on her debut as the executive in charge of the ball drop, receiving support from a NYPD officer (CHRIS “LUDACRIS” BRIDGES).

Sure, I could’ve spiced that summary up, but why set you up for disappointment considering how dull and uninspiring each one of them is. The other problem, aside from the story issues, is the filmmakers’ didn’t even make an attempt to creatively bring some of these characters together and instead have more or less a tether stringing them. For instance, it’s established early on that Paul (Efron) and Randy are best friends but this is merely done via phone conversations. Another one, we find out Paul is in fact the younger brother of one of the other characters (got to keep something in this movie a surprise). This is a problem because one of the few things that make these ensemble movies run is seeing how they are connected to one another; hell, I think Valentine’s Day did a better job at, comparatively speaking of course.

But even setting that aside, this is a downright dull and boring movie. For romance it’s not exactly schmaltzy enough, for a drama it’s melodramatic given we’ve got a man on his deathbed (perhaps symbolic for De Niro’s career) and as a comedy, there’s not one damn thing funny or even charming. Give me something or somebody to like, somebody whom I care about their circumstances. I suppose Halle Berry’s character has some of that as she talks with her husband (played by Common, losing even more credibility in his brief appearance) over the Internet as he’s serving overseas.

As far as the direction is concerned, I have to ask what happened to Garry Marshall. Obviously he never was a great director, he has helmed a few good flicks in the past including Pretty Woman, Nothing in Common, Overboard and even tearjerker, Beaches and yet he also has Exit to Eden, Georgia Rule and Valentine’s Day on his resume. New Year’s Eve is easily his worst film to date, offering little value beyond nice looking cinematography and travelogue of New York City.

It’s not enough to bring together some famous/beautiful actors together but you have to also have characters and a story the audience give a hoot about. The trailers might’ve made this look like an acceptable romantic comedy but instead little about it really works. If you value your time (it clocks in at nearly two hours), please skip New Year’s Eve.

SPECIAL FEATURES – 1.5/5

Feature Commentary – Producer/Director Garry Marshall delivers a dry but sometimes humorous commentary offering up tidbits about filming and working with the different cast members. I kind of prefer if he had someone else, say one of the 100 cast members, join him but for a solo track, it’s not bad, but nothing great either.

Gag Reel (11:04) – You’ll quickly find out that Garry Marshall loves gag reels and he tells you so in an introduction. Nothing special but at least it looks like the actors are having a good time; also, some of these can be seen during the end credits.

The release also includes an UltraViolet Digital Copy for streaming across the Internet.

VIDEO – 3.5/5

New Year’s Eve arrives, fashionably late, on DVD with an OK looking standard def transfer. The movie is presented with in 1.78 anamorphic widescreen (originally 1.85) and outside of some of the usual pixilation, it’s not too bad.

AUDIO – 4.0/5

The Dolby Digital 5.1 track is suitable enough providing a wide range from the quieter dialogue-driven scenes to some of the more dynamic moments such as the musical numbers or generic soundtrack/score.

OVERALL – 2.25/5

Overall, New Year’s Eve is an all around poorly made movie. The writing is lazy, the interconnecting tissue between the ensemble is at best thin and just the overall plot never really had the proper flow; even Valentine’s Day seemed to have a more cohesive story. Simply put, I hated, hated, HATED this movie and the only redeeming factor (and trust me, it’s thin), is that the cinematography looks good and it’s not nearly as awful compared with the other dreck I’ve seen in 2011. Not much of an endorsement, it’s still something.

Brian Oliver, The Movieman
Published: 04/30/2012

GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE

Sony Pictures has announced a June 12th, 2012 release date for the comic book action-er, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. The Blu-ray will come with a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track while the DVD will have the usual Dolby Digital 5.1 audio mix. The 3D Blu-ray will retail for $45.99, regular Blu-ray for $35.99 while the DVD will go for $30.99.

Synopsis: The directorial debut of William Monahan, the Oscar®-winning screenwriter of The Departed, London Boulevard follows an ex-con (Colin Farrell) trying to make a fresh start in a relationship with a reclusive actress (Keira Knightley).

3D BLU-RAY and BLU-RAY:

• Directors’ Expanded Video Commentary
• The Path to Vengeance: Making Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance 6-Part Documentary
• Deleted Scenes

3D BLU-RAY EXCLUSIVE:

• Riding into Another Dimension

DVD:

• Deleted Scenes

3D BLU-RAY ARTWORK

DVD ARTWORK

  Road Trip(2000)

REVIEW NAVIGATION
The Movie | Special Features | Video Quality | Audio Quality | Overall

Genre(s): Comedy
Paramount | R/Unrated – 93min. / 94 min. – $19.99 | May 15, 2012

MOVIE INFO:
Directed by: Todd Phillips
Writer(s): Todd Phillips & Scot Armstrong (written by)
Cast: Breckin Meyer, Seann William Scott, Amy Smart, Rachel Blanchard, Tom Green

Theatrical Release Date: May 19, 2000

DISC INFO:
Features: Featurette, Deleted Scenes, Music Video, Trailers
Number of Discs: 1
Slip Cover? No

Audio: English (DTS-HD MA 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Portuguese (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Video: 1080p/Widescreen 1.78
Subtitles: English SDH, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish
Disc Size: 29.1 GB
Codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Region(s): A, B,

THE MOVIE – 3.75/5

Road Trip opens with Barry (TOM GREEN), one of those people who seem to live at college and are going nowhere in their lives, as he takes a group of high school prospects and their parents on a tour of Ithaca College and telling of an adventurous story: Long-time childhood friends, turned romantic couple, Josh Parker (BRECKIN MEYER) and Tiffany Henderson (RACHEL BLANCHARD) go away to separate colleges but vow to stay true to one another, communicating via phone or video tape mailed across country, something that immediately dates this movie; even American Pie had broadcast Jim’s sexploit across the Internet…

In any case, Josh has become frustrated when he’s unable to get a hold of Tiffany, fearing she’s seeing another guy. Best friend E.L. (SEANN WILLIAM SCOTT) encourages Josh to forget about Tiffany and move onto hottie friend, Beth (AMY SMART). Meanwhile, Jacob (ANTHONY RAPP) has a major crush on Beth and he’s the teacher’s assistant in a philosophy class where Josh is failing and needs a B+ on the final exam to pass. So with the situation with his girlfriend apparently unraveling, Josh attends a frat party which involves a woman auction and, to help out, bids on Beth despite Jacob’s attempts to outbid him. Josh decides to cut loose and soon enough, he and Beth are back in his dorm room where the two get it on, including her idea to film the exploits.

Unfortunately for Josh, the day before, he had filmed a message for Tiffany which he had asked friend Carver (PAUL COSTANZO) to mail off – this was all before deciding he and the girlfriend were over. As you might guess, Carver instead sends the sex tape and Josh becomes horrified when that morning gets a message from Tiffany that she had been away after he grandmother had died. You might ask why Josh hadn’t bothered calling at her home, but it’s a comedy after all so one shouldn’t put too much thought into it and just go with the flow.

So, with the help of the neurotic Kyle (DJ QUALLS) for the use of his car and credit card, E.L. and Carver accompany Josh on a cross-state trip to Austin hoping to arrive within 3-days to get the package before Tiffany does. Their journey takes them into the Pennsylvania back roads, has E.L. stealing a bus from a school for the blind kids and partying it up at an African American frat house. At the same time, Beth discovers Josh has a girlfriend and decides to take a trip to tell her the truth but thanks to Barry’s ineptness in his confusion of Austin with Boston, she heads there instead resulting in an innocent guy getting the snot getting kicked out of him by his girlfriend.

Will the guys get there in time? Will more insanity ensue once they get there? Will Josh get back to take his exam or get kicked out of college? These answers and not many more will be answered because otherwise it wouldn’t be an outrageous comedy.

I remember seeing Road Trip when it was released on DVD back in late 2000 and not thinking much of it. Not sure if I wasn’t in the right mindset but seeing it again over a decade later, and I must admit, this had me laughing, or at the very least chuckling, from beginning to end. It also helps seeing the beautiful Amy Smart in one of her first major roles, and although she’s far more sensuous in the two Crank movies (and Starsky and Hutch for that matter), there’s something about her in this movie that’s even better for whatever reason.

As raunchy buddy comedies go, the core friends seem to share some great chemistry with one another. Breckin Meyer plays his usual self as that nice, but cool, guy who gets into an extreme situation; DJ Qualls is the quirky little guy who somehow hangs out with the fun crowd; Paul Costanzo is the smart guy with wisdom and pot to share with all; and, of course, Seann William Scott plays that guy who is the life of the party in any room he enters (not much to distinguish him from his American Pie character except he’s not quite as intense). Oh, and Tom Green? Basically it’s a typical role for him back then after making it big with his MTV prank comedy show.

Directed by Todd Phillips, who you might’ve guessed by the Blu-ray cover just might’ve directed The Hangover, Road Trip is a fun comedy that doesn’t take itself too seriously but also doesn’t go too overboard in the raunchy humor (comparatively speaking to some of the crap seen today in the direct-to-video market). Each cast member, even Tom Green in his small doses, shine and having a hottie like Amy Smart headline the female role doesn’t hurt either.

SPECIAL FEATURES – 1.5/5

This release comes with both the R-rated and Unrated versions which has never been available on the same disc in the past (if you wanted both, you needed to buy two DVDs). All the features – except Cast/Crew Bios, Production Notes and DVD-ROM content – have been ported over.

Ever Been on a Road Trip? (4:55; SD) is a basic featurette containing interviews with the cast and crew talking about the story. It’s really nothing special and probably was made to advertise the movie rather than offering up any insights into making the movie. It’s better than nothing, I suppose. This also has Tom Green interviewing the cast and crew as they talk about taking road trips and working on the production.

Deleted Scenes (10:54; SD) – Here are a selection of outrageous scenes that for one reason or another failed to make either cut. A few of these were funny, including another dream scene between Meyer and Smart, but wouldn’t have really fit into the movie.

There’s also a Music Video (3:53; SD) for “Mr. E’s Beautiful Blues” by the Eels, a Teaser Trailer (1:51; HD) and 2 International Trailers (2:12/2:25; HD).

VIDEO – 4.0/5

Paramount releases Road Trip for the first time on Blu-ray and for the most part, it’s a fine looking transfer. The film is presented in 1080p HD and a 1.78 widescreen aspect ratio (originally 1.85) and although it’s hardly perfect, the detail levels are good and there’s a fine amount of film grain/noise. I did notice on occasion some dust marks but it’s fairly limited and doesn’t detract from the viewing experience. Comparing it the DVD, it’s a modest to good upgrade.

AUDIO – 3.75/5

The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track sounds good and surprisingly, there’s a fair amount to judge on this Blu-ray where you have general dialogue, some choice songs from the era and even an explosion. While I don’t think it’s a great lossless track since the depth isn’t prominent, it still serves its purpose and never gets too quiet or too loud, so the sound levels seem to be even throughout.

OVERALL – 3.5/5

Overall, Road Trip is a fun movie that unfortunately doesn’t get mentioned with the likes of American Pie or even Van Wilder and indeed it’s not as good as either one yet still provides plenty of laughs and gross-out humor to satisfy fans. The cast shares some great comedic energy and having Amy Smart in the movie doesn’t exactly hurt things either. The Blu-ray offers up improved video and audio transfers but the features, albeit mostly ported over, are still lacking.

Brian Oliver, The Movieman
Published: 04/28/2012

Check out some more screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.