Somewhere in there has to be a decent little girl, right? John, Esther’s father seems to see it, but we know better, the poster told us so. Orphan has all the pieces for a creepy kid horror movie, but they never seem to come together. The movie relies far to heavily on the BOO! scare. It seems every other minute, the film tries throw something at you to make you jump whether it makes sense or not. The film quickly becomes a game of peek-a-boo. Is there someone behind that curtain or isn’t there? Well, you’re going to find out and when you do, the camera is going to jerk really fast and there is going to be a really loud noise, so no matter what you’re going to jump. Apparently, this is the only thing that constitutes a scare. The sad part is how much this takes away from what would have potentially made this film scary, a creepy sadistic little girl.

Orphan is the story of a family who adopts an eight year-old, who is then able to manipulate them all against each other. This storyline is almost identical to the 2007 film Joshua, which also stars Vera Farmiga as the mother, only this time she’s the one being alienated by the child. Farmiga plays Kate who is the only one able to see that Esther is up to something, but is met with much skepticism from her husband. With no support Kate is unable to protect her family. Esther’s ability to manipulate and inflict pain on Kate is very haunting, but the scares get too gimmicky and they loose their potential.

The Blu-ray edition of Orphan is extremely light on supplemental content. There’s a “Bad Seeds and Evil Kids” featurette (HD, 15 minutes) that offers a generic overview of the film’s diminutive antagonist and other nasty kiddies throughout cinema history, and a collection of wisely cut “Deleted Scenes” (SD, 4 minutes), the only notable one being an alternate ending (which, after watching, you won’t find to be all that notable).

Features:
– Mama’s Little Devils: Bad Seeds and Evil Children: cast and crew reinvent the evil kid genre and discuss notable movie psychopaths
– Additional scenes, including an alternate ending
– BD-Live features
– Limited time: Digital Copy of the film (compatible with iTunes and Windows Media; download code expires 10/27/10)

Get ready, for the dawn of a new age!  Manny, Sid, Diego and Ellie are back for more pre-hysterical hijinks when Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs stomps onto Three-Disc Blu-ray Disc/DVD Combo Pack October 27 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.  The third film in the outrageously popular Ice Age franchise, the sub-zero heroes return another wild and fun adventure.  Scrat is still trying to nab the ever-elusive nut (while maybe finding true love); Manny and Ellie await the birth of their mini-mammoth; Diego the saber-toothed tiger wonders if he’s growing too “soft” hanging with his pals and Sid the sloth gets into trouble when he creates his own makeshift family by hijacking some dinosaur eggs. 

On a mission to rescue the hapless Sid, the gang ventures into a mysterious underground world, where they have some close encounters with dinosaurs, battle flora and fauna, run amuck, and meet a relentless, one-eyed dino-hunting weasel named Buck.  The coolest animated comedy of the year, Ice Age:  Dawn Of The Dinosaurs features hilarious performances from Ice Age veterans Ray Romano (“Everybody Loves Raymond”), John Leguizamo (The Happening), Denis Leary (“Rescue Me”), Queen Latifah (The Secret Life of Bees), Seann William Scott (Planet 51) and Josh Peck (“Drake & Josh”), along with newcomers Bill Hader (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Kristen Wiig (“Saturday Night Live”), Jane Lynch (“Glee”) and Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead).

The point is kids won’t be worried about those details, and they shouldn’t be. Ice Age 3 is full of childish jokes, some fun action, and an simple morale they’ll be able to follow. Scrat, the little squirrel-like creature who is eternally chasing that ever elusive acorn, is back. While the children laugh at his antics there are a few things hidden in there for the adults to chuckle at too.

The Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs Three-Disc release includes the BD, DVD and Digital Copy and provides hours of extra fun for the entire family including an Ice Age digital story book maker, commentary by director Carlos Saldanha, deleted scenes, making-of featurettes, two special Scrat shorts, a how-to-draw Scrat tutorial with the filmmakers and much more.

“Ice Age: The Meltdown” is a fun romp that calls to mind the very best of the old Warner Brothers cartoons. In Blu-ray, it looks and sounds pretty incredible.

Three-Disc Blu-Ray Disc/DVD Combo Pack Special Features:
Disc One:
    •    Blu-ray Disc Feature Film
    •    Ice Age Story Maker
    •    Filmmaker Commentary
    •    Evolution Expedition
    •    Buck…Easel to Weasel
    •    Falling for Scratte
    •    Unearthing the Lost World
    •    Two Unfinished Deleted Scenes
    •    Walk The Dinosaur Music Video
    •    Two Scrat Shorts
        o    Gone Nutty – Scrat’s Missing Adventure
        o    No Time For Nuts
    •    The Sabre-Toothed Squirrel: Natures Nutty Buddy
    •    Scrat: From Head To Toe – learn how to draw Scrat tutorial
    •    Scrat: “Breaking Story”
    •    Scrat: “News Report”
    •    Fox Movie Channel Presents: In Character with John Leguizamo
    •    Fox Movie Channel Presents: In Character with Ray Romano
    •    Fox Movie Channel Presents: In Character with Queen Latifah
    •    Fox Movie Channel Presents: Making A Scene
    •    Fox Movie Channel Presents: Making A Scene (Ice Age 2)

Disc Two:
•    Digital Copy
Disc Three:
•    Standard DVD Feature Film

In Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure Tinker Bell’s greatest adventure yet takes place in Autumn, as the fairies are on the mainland changing the colors of the leaves, tending to pumpkin patches, and helping geese fly south for the winter.  The rare Blue Moon will rise, and when its light passes through the magical Fall Scepter that Tinker Bell has been summoned to create, Pixie Hollow’s supply of pixie dust will be restored.  But when Tinker Bell accidentally puts all of Pixie Hollow in jeopardy, she must venture out across the sea on a secret quest to set things right.

Along her journey Tink meets new friends, including Blaze, a cute and courageous firefly that helps Tinker Bell complete her mission.  It’s a long and dangerous journey, full of astonishing encounters, a few narrow escapes and a daring rescue by Tink’s friend Terence.   Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure is an exciting adventure and a once-in-a-blue-moon experience for the entire family.

From a production standpoint, the film is top notch and completely belies its direct-to-DVD status. Thankfully, it is being released in Blu-ray format (in addition to DVD) to allow home viewers to get as close to a theatrical experience as currently possible. The Blu picture and sound are thrilling, with fine detail like the individual specks in swirls of pixie dust, crystal-clear depth of field in the highly-detailed Pixie Hollow, and immersive surround sound effects during the expansive adventures outside the Hollow that work together to fully bring the fantasy world to life.

The disc is jam-packed with bonus features including deleted scenes, footage from the recreation of Pixie Hollow on the grounds of Epcot Center, and the ubiquitous BD Live capability. Of special note are the Fairy Bloopers, basically alternate takes on a few of the key scenes that are similar to the old Pixar bloopers over their end credits. They’re genuinely funny and definitely worth seeking out.

Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure is now available on DVD and Blu-ray. The Blu-ray package includes both Blu and DVD versions of the film.

“Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure” provides some stunning visuals and a very competent audio track.  The film is also better in story than the original.  Disney has at least three more of these Tink films in production.  The next one is called “Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue,” formerly called “Tinker Bell and the Midsummer Storm.”  This next film is due out next year.  I highly recommend this disc.

Bonus Materials
• Scenes You Never Saw – These fairy funny alternate scenes did not make it into the movie.
• Magical Guide to Pixie Hollow – Tinker Bell and Terence are your guides as you explore the autumn area of Pixie Hollow.
• Deleted Scenes with Filmmaker Introductions – Play deleted scenes with optional intros by Director Klay Hall and Producer Sean Lurie.
• Pixie Hollow Comes To Florida – Discover how the filmmakers helped transform Epcot into Pixie Hollow.

You may recognize Greg Giraldo as being one of the many presenters on the Comedy Central Roasts.  I’ve always noticed he has been the butt of all jokes during the roasts.  The comedians always seem to be the harshest toward him as they seem to always bash his stand-up stating it’s not funny or that no one has ever heard of him.  Well, both are true.  I didn’t hear about him until the first Comedy Central Roast I watched and his comedy really isn’t that grand.

Giraldo’s stand-up usually involves insane stories of life in New York.  Sadly, I’ve never been to New York and can’t really relate to everything about New York.  I’m sure life near Los Angeles deals with many of the same type of freaks you may come upon in New York, but his comedy still plays toward the New York audience.  The rest of the act deals with everyday life situations of people sick of the world they live.

His comedic style involves telling an insane story about somewhere he was and comes up with a dirty joke to compare what happened.  I’m not saying this is a bad technique, but I wasn’t finding his stories too laugh-out-loud funny.  I definitely still laughed to myself and found many parts humorous.  However, I don’t see myself running to tell my friends or co-workers how great he is.

Most of his jokes are about true scenarios or are semi-intelligent.  This is a style I usually prefer, but I just wasn’t finding it that great.  It seems more like conversations I may have with my friends.

I do give him a hand when he stops in the middle of his act to point out an audience member sleeping during his show.  He improvises very well. Giraldo cracks some jokes and slams at the audience member and then easily moves on with his act.  The act was a little better from this moment on.  Unfortunately, he does seem to continue with jokes for a little too long with way too many analogies.

Of course it’s all up to everyone’s own interpretation.  I was never bored watching the special and wouldn’t mind sitting through it on TV.  Having it in my collection may not be necessary though.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Also included in the DVD is his Comedy Central Presents Special.  I actually found this stand-up routine from 2000 far better than his hour special.  It’s more about everyday situations that everyone can relate to.  He didn’t seem as comfortable, but many of his stories still relate well to today.

The other feature of the whopping two features is a never-before-seen pilot of his show entitled “Adult Content”.  This style and format is very similar to most comedian sketch/stand-up shows.  The only difference was this was all about the sex and how we can all relate.  Wouldn’t have been that bad of a show and could have competed with Demetri Martin or Carlos Mencia.

Romantic comedies seem almost impossible to get right.  There is a necessary formula to creating a successful film in this genre.  Everybody knows the basic steps, and in theory, it should be incredibly easy to pull off.  And yet time after time we endure these films, hoping for the best, and suffering the worst.  So what do the (rare) successful entries have in common?  The answer is chemistry between the leads.  And this is something The Proposal has in spades.   

This movie has absolutely nothing you haven’t seen before and nothing that you won’t be able to predict right away.  However, Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock prove to be such a compelling couple, the calculated plot contrivances and forced comedy almost begin feeling natural.  The film begins by establishing the relationship between Bullock’s character, Margaret, and Reynold’s character, Andrew.  She is the reviled, fearsome book editor, and he is the submissive, yet sarcastic, assistant with dreams of something more.  What could possibly trigger a relationship between these two opposites?

Well, as plot demands, she finds out that she is going to be deported back to Canada. The only solution would seem to be temporarily marrying Andrew, which means flying to Alaska to announce the engagement to his entire family.  Of course she is going to learn all sorts of life lessons and grow to become a better person in the process, and of course they are going to fall in love along the way (if you’ve never seen a movie before, I apologize for the spoiler).  And somehow, this all feels semi-believable, although slightly rushed.  One weekend is not enough time to completely change a person, and yet, it sort of feels authentic. 

Andrew’s hometown of Sitka, Alaska, is populated with an eclectic assortment of character actors, all in top form.  His parents are played by the fantastic Craig T. Nelson, and by Mary Steenburgen, whom I’ve loved since her turn as Doc Brown’s love interest in Back to the Future III.  His ex is played by Malin Akerman (Silk Spectre II in Watchmen), and his eccentric grandma played by the still entertaining Betty White.  The family dynamic is very believable and very entertaining.  I was also thoroughly entertained by Oscar Nunez’s (Oscar from the Office) portrayal of Ramone, an eccentric jack-of-all-trades who pops up in the most random places throughout the film.  A disturbing highlight of the film is his reveal as the town stripper.  It was unsettling to say the least, but also hilarious.

Every actor seems to genuinely believe in the material.  Reynold’s and Bullock are friends in real life, which is definitely felt onscreen.  They have a natural back-and-forth between them; one that doesn’t feel remotely forced.  Reynold’s brings the expected level of sarcasm to the role, but Bullock really seems to be trying something new.  She is genuinely unlikable as the film begins, and she brings a lot of subtlety to her character’s transition.

As the film begins approaching it’s inevitable happy ending, I was surprised to find that I was rooting for the characters.  I began believing in them as people, and not simply devices.  The ending is completely earned, and will give fans exactly what they want from a film like this.  It’s a very satisfying ending, and one that works far better than the alternate ending found on the recent Blu-Ray release.

This alternate ending demonstrates everything that could go wrong with films in this genre.  I won’t give it away, but suffice it say, it is spectacularly unfunny, untrue to the style of the film, and gratingly obnoxious.  This ending could have ruined the entire movie.  I guess test screenings can occasionally do some good.

Other extras include three deleted scenes that aren’t missed.  There is also an audio commentary with the director and writer, and a surprisingly funny gag reel.  These almost never work for me, as they usually consist of repetitive dialogue flubs and people trying not to laugh.  This reel feels a little more natural than most, showing the cast and crew as they really are.  They seem to be playing to the camera, and actually having a good time.  It’s nothing spectacular, but it’s a fun bonus.  As is the new trend, the Blu-Ray also contains a digital copy, so you can watch the movie “on the go.” 

I was very surprised with how well The Proposal turned out.  The movie could have been another forgettable chick-flick, seen by many and instantly forgotten by all.  This one should have more of an impact than most.  If you are a fan of the genre, odds are that you will really enjoy this movie.  And if you’re not, you’ll still probably have a good time.  Other romantic comedies could learn a lot from this one.  If the cast is strong, and the leads have the right chemistry, even a mediocre script can be made into a great film.

An insanely over-the-top dissertation on violence, the media, the police system, and even society itself, Natural Born Killers pulled out every art-house trick in the book to become one of the most controversial films of the 90’s.  It was either a work of exploitation, or it was a brilliant satire on the very exploitation it appeared to be.  Love it or hate it (and there is absolutely no middle ground), there was no ignoring it.

Based on an original idea from a not-quite yet famous yet Quentin Tarantino, director Oliver Stone took this story of Mickey and Mallory (Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis), serial killers in love and on the run (think Bonnie and Clyde to an extreme), and turned it into something completely unique.  Alternating between every film style imaginable, the film is pure schizophrenia.  Shot in just 56 days, the film took 11 months to edit, and contains around 3000 cuts.  “Shot on 35mm, 16mm, 8mm and video, in black and white and in color, live action and animation,” the film literally transitions in and out of these styles within the same take.  Unsettling and jarring, the viewer can’t help but be placed on edge, and pulled into this incredibly unsettling world.

I cannot emphasize enough just how disturbing this film is.  It’s not just the extreme ultra-violence, nor the insanity behind these inhuman monsters, but the mirror that Stone holds up to the world.  Robert Downey Jr. plays Wayne Gale, a crime show host responsible for the sensationalizing of Mickey and Mallory.  He turns these hideous people into celebrities, a trick all too recognizable in our world today.  As one character says early in the film, “mass murder is wrong, but if I were a mass murderer, I’d be Mickey and Mallory.”  I can’t help but admire the ultimate punchline of his character.  It’s so over-the-top, it must be seen to be appreciated.

This film does not follow a traditional narrative.  You will come out of this movie discussing how it made you feel rather than where the plot took you.  Stone calls this “the most expensive student film ever made,” and I think that’s a perfect description for this film.  As I was watching, I couldn’t help but wonder how a movie like this ever got made.  Personally, I’m thrilled that I got to experience the insanity of this movie, but I can definitely recognize that it is not for everybody. 

Odds are, you already know whether this is a film for you.  If so, the recently released Directors Cut on Blu-Ray is the way to go.  This is the cut the filmmakers intended from the very beginning.  With scenes excised by order of the studio and the ratings board rather than the filmmakers, the additions actually serve a purpose and bring further depth to the film. There are also a couple of documentaries illuminating Stone’s thought process behind the movie, and Charlie Rose interview with Oliver Stone.  Also included is a great 44-page companion book that provides analysis of the film from various people involved, and a lot of great behind-the-scenes trivia. 

I’ve now seen the movie twice, and I really don’t know if I’ll be watching it again anytime soon.  It is a really uncomfortable experience.  But it’s a fascinating one, and it really is a powerful film.  There has never been a film quite like it, and I doubt that there will be again.  If you have a strong stomach, and are looking for something very different, then I recommend this as an unsafe alternative to the usual.

Michael Dougherty’s Trick ‘r Treat has finally made it to the store shelves and online renting sites after being delayed for almost two years.  Let’s make it clear; I’m quite biased when it comes to horror films.  I find most plots just ridiculous and unbelievable.  Many horror films have horrendous acting, poor scripts and unrealistic chase scenes.  Trick ‘r Treat does have some fine acting, a decent script and almost believable chases.  This does not exemplify that this film doesn’t have any flaws however.  This could be an excellent silly Halloween scary movie for horror film lovers, but before you consider it, perhaps you should consider several issues.

Trick ‘r Treat is claimed to be “The best Halloween film of the last 30 years”.  Being that this quote was by wizarduniverse.com, I took it with a grain of salt.  This is a quality, interesting horror film but is by no means any more special than half of the other scary movies over the last year.

The story follows 4 different classic horror tales all interwoven to somehow come together in the end.  The movie follows a high school principle, DYLAN BAKER, which turns into a vicious serial killer; 3 teenagers that has a Halloween prank turn deadly; a predator looking for virgin blood; and a grouchy old man, BRIAN COX, haunted by a devious little trick-or-treating demon.  These 4 stories actually come together brilliantly to bring an end to larger unsolved mystery.

Each story begins without any means.  I had trouble following why the audience should follow or even care about the characters in each story.  After a slow start, and awhile curiously pondering the story taking place, things start to get interesting and then quickly come together.  None of it is truly scary but rather intriguing.  There are times of little jumps and scary music to go along to what were made to be scary moments, but the movie is really more about the story at hand rather than taking cheap jabs at the audience.  Thank you!

There are definitely several flaws in the individual stories, but none of which that really take away from the movie.  This is horror genre after all folks.  It’s going to have unrealistic ghoulish characters, ghosts and the undead.  With so many different types of nightmares coming to life, it’s hard to believe this could take place in our world.  Trick ‘r Treat is however supposed to be about these classic tales in order help create one ultimate Halloween time movie.  The slow start however makes staying interested tough until well passed the half-way mark.

It was exciting to see Anna Paquin play an innocent 22-year-old virgin, well… so we think, and Brian Cox plays a wonderful cranky old man.  Unfortunately, don’t expect some violent gorefest that has become more and more popular in recent horror movies.  This is rather light-hearted compared toward much of the competition.

Winner of the Audience Choice Awards at Screamfest, this probably won’t be a bad choice for a late night Halloween flick, but should not be sold as one of the greatest.  Trick ‘r Treat is more along the lines of a comedy horror genre film.  The production quality is high.  The script is never outrageous or forced.  Most and foremost, the ending was original.  Hell, the whole movie is original while telling unoriginal classic Halloween tales and perhaps that makes Trick ‘r Treat worth it.

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment proudly marks two groundbreaking milestones with the highly-anticipated October 6 high definition debut of the most acclaimed animated movie ever made. Walt Disney’s original classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which made history in 1937 as the first full-length animated feature, is the premiere entry in a spectacular all-new product line—Disney’s Diamond Collection. And, in an industry first, the historic release will make its bow on Disney Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack (two Blu-ray discs + DVD) a full seven weeks before the Deluxe Two-Disc Classic standard definition DVD becomes available on November 24. 

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs hasn’t stood every test of time, but it has withstood every test that matters. As an early cinematic marvel, it readily reveals its creators’ commitment and skill, trotting out a slew of innovative firsts that have inspired every animated film since.

Presented with flawless newly restored picture and 7.1 Digital Theater System Hi-Def Surround Sound, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Diamond Edition promises to set a new standard in home entertainment. The most immersive and highest level viewing experience ever available, it includes unparalleled features, exclusive and updatable high definition content, superior picture and sound, and much more.

Check out the NEW Trailer:

The 3-disc Blu-ray edition of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a near-definitive release of the animated film that started it all. Its gorgeous restoration is simply the beginning. What follows is a glorious video transfer, a fit and faithful DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track, and a mammoth collection of special features. Sure, some supplemental content was left behind on the 2001 Special Edition DVD, but that shouldn’t prevent any animation enthusiast, Disney fan, or classic cinephile from nabbing this release post haste. I can’t imagine anyone — aside from the dark-hearted stepmothers among you — will be disappointed or underwhelmed by this fantastic, top-notch release.

Check out some rare never before released images of the Seven Dwarfs!

Perfectly timed for holiday gift giving and available for a limited time only, the historic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Diamond Edition comes with a spectacular assortment of all new bonus features, including:

Blu-ray™ Bonus Features
• Magic Mirror – Using the latest in Blu-ray technology, the iconic magic Mirror guides the audience through the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Diamond Edition features with ease, serving as the host for an incredibly immersive experience. The Mirror will recognize viewing patterns, knows where the audience has left off and will even suggest where to navigate next. This marks the first use of this technology in a Disney Blu-ray release and provides viewers with the control to personally create a customized Snow White experience 
• DisneyView – Disney’s pioneering animated feature is brought to the modern era of widescreen high definition viewing by allowing the user to expand their viewing experience beyond the original aspect ratio of the film. Utilizing Disney Blu-ray technology, acclaimed Disney artist Toby Bluth was able to draw beyond the borders of the classic full frame cinema and fill the otherwise dark edges of the screen with beautiful custom imagery, giving audiences a new view of the animated classic favorite. 
• About Toby Bluth – Disney artist Toby Bluth tells how the movie inspired him to create the superb DisneyView art. 
• Audio Commentary with Walt Disney, hosted by John Canemaker   
• “The Princess and the Frog” Sneak Peek 
 
BACKSTAGE DISNEY: DIAMOND EDITION
• Snow White Returns – Newly discovered storyboards suggest a brand new Snow White featurette that never got made.  For the first time, current Disney animators show how this short story would have played.
• Mirror, Mirror On The Wall – Through BD-Live, this mirror can find the secret princess inside each viewer, then create for them a personal message from their favorite princess who will call them on the telephone. 
• Hyperion Studios – Audiences are digitally transported to 1937 to discover first-hand Hyperion Studios, the original studio Walt Disney himself built where Snow White was conceived and developed. Viewers will virtually walk the halls of this historic landmark, experiencing life at Hyperion Studios in the 1930s. This amazing “Backstage Disney” feature contains newly dimensionalized archival photos, never-before-heard animator recordings, archival transcripts and rare footage of Walt himself revealing how Disney’s gifted filmmakers crafted the very first animated feature.
• The One That Started It All – This featurette reveals how Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs forever changed the world of movies and the world at large.

MUSIC & MORE
• “Someday My Prince Will Come” – Music video by Tiffany Thornton  
 
FAMILY PLAY (GAMES & ACTIVITIES)
• What Do You See? – To win this exciting interactive game, players must untangle scrambled images.  
• Jewel Jumble – Players put jewels from the Dwarfs’ mine in the proper order to win this game.  
  
DVD Bonus Features
• Audio Commentary with Walt Disney, hosted by John Canemaker
• “The Princess and the Frog” Sneak Peek 
• Snow White Returns – Newly discovered storyboards suggest a brand new Snow White featurette that never got made.  For the first time, current Disney animators show how this short story would have played.
• The One That Started It All – This featurette reveals how Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs forever changed the world of movies and the world at large.
• “Someday My Prince Will Come” – Music video by Tiffany Thornton
• Dopey’s Wild Mine Ride – An interactive set-top game for the whole family
• Animation Voice Talent 
• Disney Through The Decades – A series of video segments with celebrity hosts
• “Heigh-Ho” Karaoke Sing-Along
• Dylan & Cole Sprouse: Blu-ray™ Is Suite!  
• Learn How To Take Your Favorite Movies On The Go