Fast Five (Blu-ray Review)
Packed with mind-blowing stunts, high-octane thrills and automotive wizardry, Fast Five reunites cast members from all four previous chapters of the blockbuster franchise, reprising their roles as the most daring gang of outlaw drivers to ever get behind the wheel, while a relentless FBI agent (Dwayne Johnson) does whatever it takes to them bring down. Director Justin Lin (Fast & Furious, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift) takes the wheel of this all-star reunion as Diesel and Walker reprise their roles as Dom Toretto, the king of the street racers, and former cop Brian O’Conner, now Dom’s partner-in-crime, while Johnson rides shotgun for the first time ever as Federal agent Luke Hobbs. Fast Five also brings back several popular franchise stars including Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Sung Kang, Tego Calderon, Don Omar, Elsa Pataky, Gal Gadot and Matt Schulze in a story fueled by gear-grinding action, hairpin plot twists and vehicular mayhem! Continue reading ‘Fast Five (Blu-ray Review)’
The off-screen craziness rivals the on-screen drama in the sidesplitting comedy Soapdish, which is now celebrating its 20
A sexy flight attendant (Grier) is caught in a plot between the police and an arms dealer, and everyone’s looking for the payoff. There are six unlikely players on the trail for a big score – a half million dollars in cash. But alliances are shaky when its unclear who is playing and who is getting played. Tarantino’s feature film follow-up to Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown earned a 1997 Oscar nomination for supporting actor Robert Forster (Mulholland Drive), three Golden Globe nominations (including Best Musical/Comedy) and an NAACP Image Award nomination for Pam Grier’s performance. An all-star cast joins Grier and Forster, including Samuel L. Jackson, Robert DeNiro, Michael Keaton and Bridget Fonda in Tarantino’s adaptation of the novel by Elmore Leonard (3:10 to Yuma, Out of Sight).
A pair of low-rent hit men, Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson), are sent out to collect a stolen briefcase for their mob boss employer, Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames). Having proven himself worthy, Wallace then entrusts Vincent to entertain his wife, Mia (Uma Thurman), while he is out of town. Meanwhile, Wallace has paid off aging boxer Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis) to throw his next fight. The lives of these wildly entertaining characters intertwine with unexpected and violent consequences. 
Creators of the series Blue Planet shot a new film showing the earth be what it has not been seen before. The incredible beauty of landscapes and the most protected and lesser known corners of our planet. Four years of hard work and unprecedented for a documentary budget will create a unique scale of the film. A revolutionary hyper-fast shooting modes and picture detail, made it possible to show the splendor of our nature in all its details. Experience the ultimate portrait of our world like never before as BBC Earth releases Planet Earth: Special Edition and Planet Earth: Limited Collector’s Edition to DVD and Blu-ray. Harnessing new advances in high definition technology, the blockbuster series looks more beautiful than ever. Both the 6-disc DVD and Blu-ray box sets showcase over three hours of fresh bonus materials including a sneak peak at Alastair Fothergill’s next project Frozen Planet, the all-new specially made program “Great Moments of Planet Earth” and several other new features. Additionally, the Planet Earth: Special Edition Blu-ray contains the original behind-the-scenes featurettes and bonus series, Planet Earth – The Future. 
Bringing viewers deeper into the process of psychotherapy than perhaps any previous show, In Treatment: The Complete Third Season picks up as Dr. Paul Weston (Golden Globe winner Gabriel Byrne, The Usual Suspects) continues to struggle with the aftermath of his recent divorce as well as his move to Brooklyn where he now practices. In Treatment: The Complete Third Season finds Weston in the midst of new emotional and physical challenges including hand tremors he fears might be the onset of Parkinson’s disease, the announcement that his ex-wife is remarrying and his youngest son’s problems acclimating to life with a stepfather. Meanwhile, he takes on three challenging new patients and turns to a new therapist, Adele (Oscar nominee Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone), who compels him to confront his own deep-rooted fears about his health, divorce, patients and all-encompassing relationship with former therapist Gina Toll. 
An unforgettable story, breathtaking animation, beloved characters and award-winning music sets the stage for “The Lion King”, a Disney classic that follows the adventures of Simba, the feisty lion cub who “just can’t wait to be king.” But his envious Uncle Scar has plans for his own ascent to the throne, and he forces Simba’s exile from the kingdom. Alone and adrift, Simba soon joins the escapades of a hilarious meerkat named Timon and his warmhearted warthog pal, Pumbaa. Adopting their carefree lifestyle of “Hakuna Matata,” Simba ignores his real responsibilities until he realizes his destiny and returns to the pride-lands to claim his rightful place. The all-star vocal talents include: Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Whoopi Goldberg, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Robert Guillaume, and more! Come see why this movie’s messages of courage, loyalty and hope make this a timeless tale for all ages. 
On September 27, I was invited to participate in a roundtable discussion with legendary Disney producer Dan Hahn, so of course I had to say yes. Mr. Hahn was an integral part of the Disney Renaissance that showcased Disney’s animation in a way that recapture audiences. Mr. Hahn has been involved in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Beauty and the Beast, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and The Lion King to name just a few and his longtime collaboration with Tim Burton continues with the upcoming Frankenweenie. He also produced a wonderful documentary about some of the history of Disney animation called Waking Sleeping Beauty that I really enjoyed and reviewed 
Hung follows the travails of Ray Drecker, a well-endowed former high school sports legend turned middle-aged high school basketball coach. In this season, Ray, and his unlikely pimp Tanya, have taken on slick “life coach” Lenore Bernard as co-pimp, devastating Tanya in the process. With Lenore pushing a debonair version of hooker Ray on her upscale clients, Tanya wants to prove she has the “right stuff” when it comes to being a successful – and far more ethical – pimp than Lenore. Meanwhile, Ray finds his feelings for his ex-wife Jessica rekindled. The series stars Thomas Jane (The Punisher,*61 from HBO) as Ray Drecker and Jane Adams (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) as Tanya Skagle, both of whom received Golden Globe® nominations for their roles; Anne Heche (Men in Trees) as Ray’s ex-wife, Jessica Haxon; Eddie Jemison (Ocean’s Thirteen) as Jessica’s successful husband Ronnie; Sianoa Smit-McPhee (As the Bell Rings) as Ray’s daughter Darby; and Charlie Saxton (The Lovely Bones) as Ray’s son Damon. 
America’s favorite extended family is back for even more laughs as Modern Family returns with this season two Blu-ray set! This season two set is packed with tons of exclusive features and never-before-seen footage,and all 24 episodes of the critically acclaimed hit, plus deleted family interviews, extended and deleted scenes, a hilarious gag reel, a music video and much more. The Pritchett clan has Jay sitting at the head, a true guys’ guy experiencing a bit of mid-life crisis, has remarried a much younger wife, Gloria, whose passion and loyalty is matched by her 11-year-old son, Manny, a boy wise beyond his years. Blending together into this new family has quite the learning curve with some culture clashes, a few awkward misunderstandings, and plenty of sweet victories along the way. Modern Family was nominated for seventeen Emmy’s this year and ended up winning five Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Writing for a Comedy Series and Directing for a Comedy Series, all of which except for the latter were consecutive wins. 
Castle was originally the show that helped me with my unhappiness about the cancellation of Firefly. Like Firefly, it starred Nathan Fillion as a lovable rascal but this time without the edge that Captain Malcolm Reynolds had. Eventually, the show won me over on it’s own merits and it’s one that I genuinely look forward to seeing. It’s got the perfect blend of humor, action, teased romance, and above all the most elusive element to a successful show…chemistry. Not only between Fillion and his partner on the show Stana Katic, but also between the entire cast of the show much like the ill-fated Firefly. Unlike Firefly, this show was given a chance to reach an audience and it’s doing very well in the ratings and the fourth season has just started. 
