DVD Releases September 30, 2008: The Sixth Sens

The Sixth Sense [Blu-ray]
From Walt Disney Video
Average customer review:

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #416 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-09-30
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Format: Color
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 107 minutes

Editorial Reviews

Album Description
A gripping ghost story with a stunning finale, The Sixth Sense became a surprise blockbuster shortly after its release. The film features Oscar-nominated performances by the startlingly intense Osment and the fiercely maternal Collette, as well as a subtle, subdued turn by Willis. Shyamalan directs his intriguing script with almost clinical precision, using carefully framed visuals to create the film's distinctly chilling atmosphere. On the strength of its pitch-perfect acting and direction, The Sixth Sense has become the most successful thriller of all time.

Customer Reviews

Good movie gets mediocre Blu-Ray treatment
Good, if somewhat overrated, film has great atmosphere, intriguing story, fine direction and great acting, especially from young Osment (in his debut film role). Worth seeing for sure, although repeat viewings offer diminishing returns.

The 1080p transfer is mediocre, with subdued colors, and a flat, two-dimensional look: the mediocrity continues with extras that are warmed over trifles taken from the previous DVD "special edition", which, frankly, weren't all that special. The sound fares a bit better, with the rear speakers used quite effectively at times. A slight, but barely noticeable upgrade in picture quality from the SD edition, for all but the most discernible viewer.

If you don't own any other editions of this film, rent before you buy; owners of the SD edition can safely pass this up... or at least wait, until the price comes down on this one.

A great movie that looks great on Blu. Disney alway's comes through on Blu.
We all know that this movie made a big splash when it came out. Now that it has made it's Blu-Ray debut, it wont dissappoint many. If you have Unbreakable and Signs on Blu, or Lady In The Water on HD DVD, you will find that it is of the same quality for picture and sound. Sound may not play as big of a part in this title, but it is clean and crisp.

The picture is very nice. I cant say that it ranks up there with some of the best looking titles to hit Blu-Ray, but it is very clean and nice. The blacks are very nice, and stay that way consistantly. Very even on the color. This is somewhat of a dark movie, so the brighter side is somewhat dull as it was probably intended. The skintones are accurate and the close up details come through nicely. There are no scratches or artifacts on the film itself. It has been cleaned and cared for and is presented the way it should be. A very good effort once again.

The sound does it's job. Nothing to write home about being that this movie is a drama without explosions and shootouts. The surround sound is nice and detailed, but on a subtle scale. The voices are clean and crisp, with no distractions. I loved this movie and I have no complaints about this title from Disney. They do a masterful job as alway's on Blu. A nice upgrade from the standard dvd edition if your a fan. 4 out of 5 stars would be an 80% grade. This title is better than a C grade. An 8.5 to a 9 out of 10 would be accurate to me.

Lackluster transfer and even more disappointing features- get the standard DVD instead
The Sixth Sense is a fantastic movie, one of my childhood favorites. I remember it all, the ghost passing by the bathroom door at night, pukey girl in the tent, and the twist ending that had us on the edge of our seat. I had the tape of this and would watch it every day in the summer. I am very glad this is out on Blu-Ray, but as soon as I began watching it, about 30 minutes in, I already had a bad feeling. The picture is terribly grainy in a few bits, most notably the scene where Cole goes to calm his mother down at night. Cole's mom's nose has a bleed on it (slight red ghosting effect) during the "Picture scene" and Malcom's hair bleeds a bit too in some scenes. And the special features were disappointing too, they were just the special features on the Vista Series DVD. Sound quality is OK, but other than that, you're better off buying the DVD.

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DVD Releases September 30, 2008: Beauty and the Beast - The Complete Series

Beauty and the Beast - The Complete Series
Directed by Gabrielle Beaumont, Paul Lynch, Peter Medak, Frank Beascoechea, Bruce Malmuth
Average customer review:

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #289 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-09-30
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, Color, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 16
• Running time: 2654 minutes

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Once upon a time is now and forever: Beauty and the Beast: The Third Season of the Emmy Award-winning, fan favorite show is more captivating than ever in this 3-disc collectible set. This unique fantasy-crime drama series features the adventures and romance between Vincent, a mythic, noble man-beast and Catherine, a savvy assistant DA in New York. These two share a strong, mystical bond that enables Vincent while in his underground lair to sense whenever Catherine is in danger in the World Above. In the powerful final season, Catherine, pregnant with Vincent¹s child, becomes a victim to a murderous drug-lord who steals her baby from her after she gives birth. Drawing strength from the everlasting love and unbreakable bond he and Catherine share, Vincent relentlessly pursues her killer, determined to bring him to justice and to rescue their child.

Customer Reviews

Don't Bother
If you've already purchased the show's three seasons separately, don't bother with the boxed set, as it's a complete waste of money.

In addition to the strangely altered image of Vincent on the box, the "bonus" disc is insulting to long-time fans. "Newly Reconstructed Love Letters" is read by God-knows-who ... certainly not Ron Perlman. Ridiculous. If you bought the VHS tapes way back when, you already have the original love letters, which also appear on the bonus disc.

Besides the love letters, the only other two features are episodic promos for some first season episodes - and "Vincent's Quest" - an interactive trivia game. No interviews, no deleted scenes, no behind-the-scenes footage ... nothing to warrant spending $70 if you've already purchased all three seasons individually.

What a disappointment.

Starring who?
I'm confused, the show I remember starred Ron Perlman and
Linda Hamilton and even the really bad cover does look like
them.

protonflipper@socal.rr.com
As an aging, white, heteosexual, incurably romamtic male who has been watching TV since the late 1950s, I think BEAUTY AND THE BEAST was the best show ever - with a caveat of the first two seasons only. For all you "BEASTIES" out there, the logical cover would have been the painting at the end of WHEN THE BLUE BIRD SINGS from season two. (By the way - does anyone know where I can get a print of that painting?)If you folks remember when we could only get Season # 1 on VHS, some of them had Vincent's lost Love Letters to Catherine. I suspect they put those in. Despite being read by Ron Pearlman, they were tripe. The CD was wonderful.

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DVD Releases September 30, 2008: CSNY / Deja Vu

CSNY / Deja Vu

Cast

Bo Alexander
Stephen Colbert
David Crosby
Eric Von Haessler
Josh Hisle
Graham Nash
Rick Rosas
Stephen Stills
Larry Wachs
Neil Young

Plot

The war in Iraq is the backdrop as the Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young "Freedom of Speech Tour" crisscrosses North America. Echoes of Vietnam-era anti-war sentiment abound as the band connects with today's audiences



CSNY / Deja Vu
Directed by Bernard Shakey
Average customer review:

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #192 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-09-30
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 96 minutes

Customer Reviews

They're Right: 'We Have All Been Here Before'
"CSNY / Déjà Vu" documents a politically charged reunion tour of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. While you may not have realized it by listening to classic rock radio, the band always had a political conscience. In particular, "Déjà Vu" (1970) featured 'Ohio,' a protest song about the Kent State shootings. Fast forward thirty-five years to the "Déjà Vu" film. The concept of déjà vu is used as a poetic device to make a connection between the wars in Vietnam and Iraq. So on one hand, this is a film about a musical tour but it is also a highly critical piece about George W. Bush and his handling of the Iraq War. Exclusively political segments show band members participating in rallies to support the election of anti-war candidates. There are heartfelt profiles of military personnel and their families. At one point Neil Young jams with Josh Hisle, a military veteran turned anti-war rocker. Scenes from the Colbert Report add humor to an otherwise heavy film. Musically, the 2006 Freedom of Speech tour featured a combination of material off the original "Déjà Vu" album and Neil Young's "Living with War" (2006). Old favorites like 'For What It's Worth' and 'Déjà Vu' find new significance along side newer songs like 'Let's Impeach the President' and 'Living with War.' The soundtrack is a good accompaniment that features songs played in their entirety. Combining music and politics into a movie about the Iraq War, "Déjà Vu" works well with similarly minded films such as "I Know I'm Not Alone" and "Heavy Metal in Baghdad." Combining great music with leftist politics, "CSNY / Déjà Vu" is an entertaining, thought proving and powerful film.

Old songs for a new war
This is a timely rockumentary from Bernard Shakey (Greendale). Bernard who? Okay, you probably know him better as the iconoclastic folk-rock-alt-country-"Godfather of Grunge"-cum-antiwar activist-filmmaker (did I leave anything out?)...Neil Young.

Mixing backstage footage and musical highlights from the 2006 Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young Freedom of Speech Tour with vox populi interviews and analysis by "embedded" journalist Mike Cerre (a veteran front lines Afghanistan/Iraq war correspondent) the doc plays somewhere between The Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing and Fahrenheit 9-11.

The 2006 reunion of the notoriously mercurial foursome was spearheaded by Young not so much as a nostalgia tour but rather as a musical wake-up call addressing the Bush administration's post 9-11 shenanigans, at home and in Iraq. The tour commenced on the heels of Young's incendiary Living with War album (definitely not on Junior's iPod).

The reaction from audiences (and music critics) was mixed. Young cheekily employs voiceover actors to read excerpts from concert reviews in the local rags, and particularly seems to take perverse delight in highlighting the sneers and snarks (usually involving ageist references to the band's senior citizen status). I will give him credit for including some (brief) "warts and all" excerpts from some early shows in the tour, like one instance where the quartet's rusty pipes are definitely a couple bubbles off plumb. And speaking of falling flat, we also witness a senior moment as a band member takes an onstage tumble.

The most eye-opening moment in the film occurs when the band plays Atlanta, a city usually perceived as a blue oasis in a red state. At first, all appears to be going swimmingly, with the audience happily clapping and singing along with the old "hits". But things get interesting as the band launches into some more recent material from Young's aforementioned Living with War album (accompanied by a faux-Karaoke lyric scroll on the huge onstage projection screen, just in case anyone misses the point):

Let's impeach the President for lying
And misleading our country into war
Abusing all the power that we gave him
And shipping all our money out the door

Suddenly, the temperature in the auditorium seems to drop about 50 degrees; catcalls and hisses quickly escalate to boos, bird flipping and near-rioting. Cerre interviews some of the disenchanted as they stalk out; the outrage ranges from bitching about the ticket prices to threatening grievous bodily harm to Neil Young, should they get close enough. Backstage, the band takes the philosophical high road (with age comes wisdom, nu?)

But all cracks about geriatric rockers aside, it becomes apparent that the one thing that remains ageless is the power of the music, and the commitment from the performers. Songs like "Ohio", "Military Madness", "For What it's Worth" and "Chicago" prove to have resilience and retain a topical relevance that does not go unnoticed by younger fans. And anyone who doesn't tear up listening to the band deliver the solemnly beautiful harmonies of their elegiac live show closer, "Find the Cost of Freedom", while a photo gallery featuring hundreds of smiling young Americans who died in Iraq scrolls on the big screen behind them, can't possibly have anything resembling a soul residing within.

C,S,N & Y rail against military madness one more time, thank God.
This is a documentary film,not a concert or musical. There are parts of songs but no full song is shown apart from the "Find The Cost of Freedom" video and the "Living with War" videos that are "extras".

A powerfull and thought provoking document, this film is set against the Iraq War and shows both sides of the political argument, whilst enforcing the band's belief that the war should end now. Filmed during CSN & Y's "Freedom of Speech" tour the film shows reactions from the audience both for and against the band's songs. From veterans themselves and, something I found truly heartrending, from the families of those killed in war. It also shows members of the community, media and politicians campaigning.

The film is an honest account of the tour, even showing a fall by Steve Stills on stage and the rough edges still evident during the early part of the tour.It shows some audience members booing and walking out of concerts. However, one must ask what these people were doing at a CSN&Y concert in the first place given their long history and repetoir of anti war material together with Young's well publicised Living With War album.

There are three moments from the film that are still imbeded in my mind. The first, a veteran who has lost both her legs in battle now fighting in the political arena. The second, a mother who has lost a son in Iraq. Seeing her son's photo with thousands of others, on the screen behind the stage, she reflects that this has been the first time she has seen any public recognition of her sons sacrifice. Finally an audience member advises us that the Government is smarter than us so we should not question it!! Now that is scary.

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DVD Releases September 30, 2008: My Name is Earl

My Name is Earl
From IMDB

Plot

Earl is a low-life who buys a winning lottery ticket, only to get hit by a car, losing the ticket in the process. He then realizes in the hospital that his bad luck is the result of karma in which fate punishes him for all the rotten things he's ever done in his life; therefore, he then decides to dedicate his life to making amends to all the people he has hurt in his life. Written by B&M

Earl Hicky was the kind of Guy who did bad things & had a bad life. After he'd won $100,000 on a scratch card, he got hit by a car while jumping for Joy & lost it too. His hospital TV told him about Karma, how if you do good things, good things will happen. This gave Earl an epiphany that turned his life & luck around. He decided to list all the bad things that he'd done in his life & one-by-one he'd make up for it. This hit US comedy, with a hilarious cast of colorful characters, shows us the bumpy journey Earl takes to improve his life. Written by Phoebe

Earl Hickey is a ne'er do well without a job or a direction in life. Instead, he spends his days drinking beer, stealing whatever isn't bolted down and being a leech on society. But when he wins the lottery of a lifetime, Earl thinks his luck may have just changed...until he's hit by a car. As he recovers in a hospital bed, Earl realizes that maybe the reason why he's there is because of a simple five letter word: karma. For every rotten thing he's done, a rotten thing comes right back to him; and the only way he can stop that is to make good for every bad deed. Having compiled a lengthy list of things he's done to people, Earl sets out to right all the wrongs from his past. All of this on the promise that maybe, he can enjoy his fortune once and for all, but only if he can finish the list first. Aiding him is his lifelong best friend and brother, Randy and an ensemble of characters to assist, observe, amuse, berate, or are just there for Earl Hickey. Written by mystic80



My Name is Earl - Season Three
From 20th Century Fox
Average customer review:

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #121 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-09-30
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: AC-3, Box set, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 4
• Running time: 462 minutes

Customer Reviews

HEY, EARL!
I've said it before and I'll say it again, one of the beauties of DVD is the low costs of picking up entire seasons of TV series you may have missed. Be it work related, child related or simply not having time related, it's nice to be able to get a whole season and watch episodes back to back. Like this week's release, MY NAME IS EARL SEASON THREE.

For those of you who have yet to watch EARL, Jason Lee (star of numerous Kevin Smith movies) stars as Earl Hickey, a bumbling goofball whose life has consisted mostly of low end scams, thefts and mischief in general. Earl's life changes when he scratches off a winning lottery ticket...only to watch it fly away after being hit by a car.

While recuperating, Earl has an epiphany. Karma had worked its magic on him, causing him to lose the ticket in return for all of the bad things he's done in his life. While lying there, Earl writes up a list of all the people he has done wrong with the intention of correcting his mistakes. As he sets out to do so, the ticket finds its way back to him.

Each episode of EARL features Earl and his bumbling idiot-though-lovable brother Randy (Ethan Suplee) trying to track down one of the people on his list and making up for whatever Earl did to them in the past. Season three starts off with Early not being able to do so since he made a big correction at the end of season two.

Earl took the rap for his ex-wife Joy (Jaimee Pressley) and is now in prison. Fortunately for Earl, a number of the people he made mistakes with can be found there as well. And in helping them, he finds himself owing favors to others in prison, including the warden (Craig T. Nelson).

As Earl tries to do right, Joy feels guilty so takes Earl's brother in with her. Talk about a conflict of interests. Joy is self centered, cheated on Earl with crab cook Darnell "Crabman" Turner (Eddie Steeples) to whom she is now married and is the biggest stereotype of trailer trash foul mouthed gorgeous redneck that you will find on film. Randy on the other hand is about as simple minded as you can get without having brain damage. The two together are like oil and water.

The first half of the season is spent in prison with Randy dealing with the loss of his brother that evolves into Randy becoming a guard at the prison (after scoring a 55 on the tests, the highest score ever). Joy deals with being the surrogate mother to her half sister's baby, requiring her not to have labor induced or have any pain meds during birth. And Earl? Earl does his best to pay back Karma.

Want an example of the comedy involved here? It's difficult to choose from one of the many scenes that are side splittingly funny. But how about the one where Randy at the Fourth of July fair finds his head covered in cotton candy. It appears that he got so involved watching the guy make it that he got dizzy and fell into the cotton candy machine resulting in his head being covered in enough cotton candy that he can't see. Okay I know, it loses something in the translation but trust me, it is funny as all get out when you see it.

The guests in episodes help make this show one of the funniest on TV. But it is the core players who make it worth watching week after week...or in this case disc after disc. Jason Lee is a treasure, performing as the smart alek with attitude who isn't near as smart as he thinks he is. But in the end, Earl always sees the bright side of things and offers a touch of wisdom that makes the episode a morality fable.

Pressley as Joy is hilarious. Her mouthy attitude, strong willed character and ability to see that the world actually DOES revolve around her (at least in this trailer park) are a joy to behold. And Suplee as Randy does an incredible feat in making a bumbler not only appealing as a sympathetic character, he makes it easy to laugh when he messes up as well.

The rest of the casts are just as acceptable but it is these three that stand out. Season three made me laugh out loud more than once and on more than one occasion, I found myself having to pause the disc because I was laughing so hard. If you are in need of a laugh, you can't do much better than this show. This is not just one to watch, it is one to include in your personal collection.

I haven't seen it yet!! In fact, it doesn't exist yet! But I'll write a review anyway!!
Guess what? I haven't seen this product yet. And do you know why? Because it hasn't been released yet! So why am I doing this? Because I figured that if all these other people can review products that aren't out yet, well, maybe they know something I don't yet. So I figured I'd give it a try and see if I could learn the trick. So far, i'm not sure if i'm doing it right. Er, I like this series, although it was tough to follow this year because of the writers' strike, and then we had a flood, and the living room lamp broke, but I guess you don't care about that anyway because you just want to know about the experience of watching the DVD set and not watching it on TV, especially not at my house, but then again, the product does not yet exist so I guess all I can really write about is what it was like watching at my house with the snoring relatives and silly cat that jumps on you. So my advice, don't get a cat and don't let the relatives fall asleep and, above all, ignore any reviews written on any product that were written before it exists because they can't possibly be the list bit useful to anyone probably.

Just love Earl
I really enjoy this series. The cast is outstanding. Joy is the funniest gorgeous woman I have ever seen.

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DVD Releases September 30, 2008: When We Left Earth - The NASA Missions

When We Left Earth - The NASA Missions

Narrated by award-winning actor Gary Sinise, WHEN WE LEFT EARTH is the incredible story of humankind's greatest adventure, as it happened, told by the people who were there. From the early quest of the Mercury program to put a man in space, to the historic moon landings, through the Soyuz link-up and the first un-tethered space walk by Bruce McCandless, this is how the space age came of age. The vivid HD series features vintage rushes and all the key onboards filmed by the astronauts themselves. The sequences are captured by cameras onboard the spaceships, enabling the series to tell the stories in a depth never seen before. Written by Official Site



When We Left Earth - The NASA Missions (4-Disc Set) [Blu-ray]
Directed by na
Average customer review:

Product Description

Since the dawn of mankind, we have stared up at the lights in the sky and wondered... Now join the heroic men and women who have dared the impossible on some of the greatest adventures ever undertaken - the quest to reach out beyond Earth and into the great unknown of space! To celebrate 50 years of incredible achievements, the Discovery Channel has partnered with NASA to reveal the epic struggles, tragedies and triumphs in a bold chapter of human history. Along with the candid interviews of the people who made it happen, hundreds of hours of never-before-seen film footage from the NASA archives - including sequences on board the actual spacecraft in flight - have been carefully restored, edited and compiled for this landmark collection.

*Original NASA footage digitally remastered in high-definition featuring exclusive;''never before seen''; footage
*4 hours of bonus footage not seen in TV broadcast.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #47 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-09-30
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: AC-3, Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, Surround Sound, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 4
• Running time: 258 minutes

Customer Reviews

Relive the Glory
Forty years ago, men set foot on the moon. This is the definitive story as told by the men who were there, many of them now close to eighty years of age. The DVD set encompasses the science and politics of spaceflight, from project Mercury to Apollo, to the Space Shuttle's triumphs and tragedies. The early films have been enhanced and are visually stunning, especially the incredible Saturn V rocket footage. For those of us who were young during this time, it will rekindle and enrich your childhood experiences of this great historical period. Share this film with your family, as the DVD will make a good primer when America returns to the moon in 2018.

"Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed."
Excellent documentary on the Space Program.
The older footage has been remastered and looks good.
The HD sequences of the launches look amazing.
The musical score is great.

The Space Race with the Mercury program. Project Gemini.
The Apollo missions with the massive Saturn V rockets.
The Challenger mission segment has candid admissions (Story Musgrave).
Footage of the first untethered EVA by Bruce McCandless is great.
The Hubble Telescope repair mission puts you in the EVAs.
Construction of the International Space Station.
Disc 4 is a Bonus Disc of original NASA films.

My only complaint with this package is the Blu-ray case. They could have used a better center hub for holding the discs. The one they used makes it difficult to remove the discs for viewing.

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DVD Releases September 30, 2008: Ultimate Unrated Comedy Collection

Ultimate Unrated Comedy Collection (Forgetting Sarah Marshall / Knocked Up / The 40-Year-Old Virgin) [Blu-ray]
From Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Product Description

Three of the most outrageous and quotable comedies of all time - Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Knocked Up and The 40-Year-Old Virgin - are available together for the first time! Judd Apatow's comic genius is thoroughly exposed with hilarious unrated and extended versions of each film as well as hours of undeniably funny bonus materials, plus interactive features exclusive to Blu-ray Hi-Def. It's the wild threesome that everyone wants in their living room!

Product Details

* Amazon Sales Rank: #26 in DVD
* Released on: 2008-09-30
* Rating: Unrated
* Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
* Formats: AC-3, Box set, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
* Original language: English
* Subtitled in: English, French, Spanish
* Dubbed in: French, Spanish
* Number of discs: 3
* Running time: 384 minutes

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Breaking up is hard to do--but that doesn't mean you can't have some belly laughs about it. Forgetting Sarah Marshall provides that rare treat: a romantic comedy about breakups, that is both romantic and funny. The laughs, especially from writer-star Jason Segel, are both heartfelt and raunchy, and the film is just unexpected enough that it keeps the viewer's attention till the end. The touches of producer Judd Apatow, who's famously retooled rom-coms to appeal to guys as much as women, are woven throughout the film, but Segel's script, reportedly based on many of his own experiences, is fresh and original. And adult. Forgetting Sarah Marshall features male genitalia laffs presented in unexpected and human ways (the nude breakup scene is played for giggles but also deep poignancy), and the language and sex scenes are strictly for grownups--and rightly so. Segel's script, and his performance as Peter, show that he understands the true nature of adult relationships, which provides the refreshing difference between this film and some of Apatow's other crude creations. The cast is sublime; Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars) plays title character Sarah, a self-absorbed actress, and Russell Brand is her new British honey who accompanies her to--what are the chances?--the exact same Hawaiian resort as Peter, who's nursing his broken heart. Mila Kunis plays Rachel, the resort employee who gives Peter a reason to hope, and Paul Rudd is the surfing instructor who gives him his own brand of heartfelt advice ("When life gives you lemons, just say 'F--- the lemons' and bail," he says cheerily). The pacing is screwball, and the absurdities fly (a "Dracula" musical puppet show, and a surprisingly lovely Hawaiian version of "Nothing Compares 2 U"). Nothing the viewer will forget any time soon.--A.T. Hurley

Knocked Up
Unwanted pregnancy might sound like a risky subject for slapstick comedy, but Knocked Up is from writer-director Judd Apatow--so we are in the hands of a man who likes to push things. And like Apatow's predecessor, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up is a shaggy crowd-pleaser, a comedy strewn with vulgarity but with a sweet heart at its center. A one-night stand between the utterly mismatched Ben (Seth Rogen, his first starring role) and Alison (Katherine Heigl) results in said pregnancy, and the two people reunite for mutual support--even though they barely know each other. Ben's a slob who lives with four other guys, all of whom share the same stunted approach to maturity; Alison is a new on-air personality at the E! channel. That these two eventually develop a shared understanding and affection is perhaps the movie's biggest stretch (some of the male-humor jokes amongst the guys are idiotic enough to test anybody's hope of civilizing them).

Rogen and Heigl don't really jump off the screen, but, to be fair, the movie frequently needs them to play straight while the supporting cast cuts up. Virgin vets Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd are around to supply some humor, as Alison's sister and brother-in-law, and the four idiots who live with Ben (Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Jason Siegel, and Martin Starr) are in their own zone of sophomoric bad taste. Still, by 40-Year-Old Virgin standards, this movie doesn't explode, and it sometimes feels ramshackle to the point of not being thought out. Apatow's indulgence of actors creates some fine moments (Paul Rudd seems to have most of them), but it can also make a movie feel flabby, and this is overlong by the length of a belly. --Robert Horton

The 40-Year-Old Virgin
Cult comic actor Steve Carell--long adored for his supporting work on The Daily Show and in movies like Bruce Almighty and Anchorman--leaps into leading man status with The 40 Year-Old Virgin. There's no point describing the plot; it's about how a 40 year-old virgin named Andy (Carell) finally finds true love and gets laid. Along the way, there are very funny scenes involving being coached by his friends, speed dating, being propositioned by his female manager, and getting his chest waxed. Carell finds both humor and humanity in Andy, and the supporting cast includes some standout comic work from Paul Rudd (Clueless, The Shape of Things) and Jane Lynch (Best in Show, A Mighty Wind), as well as an unusually straight performance from Catherine Keener (Lovely & Amazing, Being John Malkovich). And yet... something about the movie misses the mark. It skirts around the topic of male sexual anxiety, mining it for easy jokes, but never really digs into anything that would make the men in the audience actually squirm--and it's a lot less funny as a result. Nonetheless, there are many great bits, and Carell deserves the chance to shine. --Bret Fetzer

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DVD Releases September 30, 2008: Numb3rs

NUMB3RS
From IMDB

Cast

David Krumholtz ... Charlie Eppes / ... (82 episodes, 2005-2008)
Rob Morrow ... Don Eppes (80 episodes, 2005-2008)
Judd Hirsch ... Alan Eppes (80 episodes, 2005-2008)
Alimi Ballard ... David Sinclair (76 episodes, 2005-2008)
Peter MacNicol ... Dr. Larry Fleinhardt (69 episodes, 2005-2008)
Navi Rawat ... Amita Ramanujan (68 episodes, 2005-2008)
Diane Farr ... Megan Reeves (64 episodes, 2005-2008)
Dylan Bruno ... Colby Granger (61 episodes, 2005-2008)

Plot

In the Los Angeles office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Special Agent Don Eppes and his team investigate critical and baffling crimes with a special edge. That advantage is Don's brother, Charlies Eppes, a brilliant universalist mathematician who uses the science of mathematics with its complex equations to ferret out the most tricky criminals. With this team, the forces of evil learn their number is up. Written by Kenneth Chisholm



NUMB3RS - The Complete Fourth Season
From Paramount
Average customer review:

Product Details

* Amazon Sales Rank: #93 in DVD
* Released on: 2008-09-30
* Rating: NR (Not Rated)
* Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
* Formats: AC-3, Box set, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
* Original language: English
* Number of discs: 5
* Running time: 720 minutes

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
NUMB3RS is a drama about an FBI agent who recruits his mathematical-genius brother to help the Bureau solve a wide range of challenging crimes in Los Angeles. The two brothers take on the most confounding criminal cases from a very distinctive perspective. Inspired by actual events, the series depicts how the confluence of police work and mathematics provides unexpected revelations and answers to the most perplexing criminal questions. A dedicated FBI agent, Don Eppes (Rob Morrow), couldn't be more different from his younger brother, Charlie Eppes (David Krumholtz), a brilliant mathematician who, since he was little, yearned to impress his big brother. Don is joined on his team by fellow agents Megan Reeves (Diane Farr), a behavioral specialist who brings psychological insight to their investigations; David Sinclair (Alimi Ballard), who utilizes his incredible perspective and the survival skills he learned growing up in the Bronx; and new agent Colby Granger (Dylan Bruno) who just completed an extensive tour of duty in the U.S. Military. After some initial reluctance, Don's team welcomes Charlie's innovative methods to crime-solving. Their father, Alan (Judd Hirsch), is happy to see his sons working together even though he doesn't understand the intricacies of what Charlie does for a living. It is his co-workers at CalSci who further refine Charlie's approach and help him stay focused. Physicist friend Dr. Larry Fleinhardt (Peter MacNicol) constantly challenges Charlie to employ a broader point of view to his work with the FBI, and Amita Ramanjuan (Navi Rawat), Charlie's former grad student, frequently helps him see cases in a new light Despite their disparate approaches to life, Don and Charlie are able to combine their areas of expertise and solve some killer cases.

Customer Reviews

Delicious. But mix up so do not get in rutt.
Wonderful characters. I would not watch all in the same two week period or you will lose the uniquness of each episode.

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DVD Releases September 30, 2008: 2008 Olympics: Beijing 2008 Complete Opening Ceremony

2008 Olympics: Beijing 2008 Complete Opening Ceremony
From Ten Mayflower
Average customer review:

Product Description

This 2-volume set is your opportunity to once again witness the most memorable Opening Ceremony in Olympic history...the complete 4-hour extravaganza from beginning to end. A special index allows you to easily navigate throu the entire ceremony.

Product Details

* Amazon Sales Rank: #134 in DVD
* Brand: Team Marketing
* Released on: 2008-09-30
* Rating: NR (Not Rated)
* Formats: Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
* Original language: English
* Number of discs: 2
* Running time: 240 minutes

Features

* 2-volume set
* Witness the most memorable Opening Ceremony in Olympic history
* The complete 4-hour extravaganza from beginning to end
* Special index allows you to easily navigate throughout the entire ceremony.



Customer Reviews

Once-in-a-lifetime, thrilling event!
This is a real treasure -- the once-in-a-lifetime Opening Ceremonies to watch and enjoy over and over again. Other reviewers have been picky about the commentary, etc., but don't let that deter you. This is an absolutely thrilling DVD. It was incredible to see the first time on television; it's just as exhilarating and amazing on DVD. Plus, now you can really take your time to study and re-study the unbelievable imagination, logistics, and expertise that put together this extravaganza. It's pretty safe to say that nothing like this will ever be seen again (what other country could come up with this budget, or these many people?). I fully recommend this DVD, you'll be delighted to have it and treasure it for years.

Disappointment in NBC Opening Ceremony DVD
This DVD is exactly like NBC's US broadcast less commercials. With all those cameras you would think they could have included new footage and changed the perspectives. This is not the full 4-hour Opening Ceremony but portions of this magnificent program. Volume I is of the Opening and Volume II is of the athletes marching and Closing. I personally wanted more from Volume I and was disappointed and I think the at home viewer who wanted to see more than the TV broadcast will not be satisfied. It misses the full aura and the flow of this huge, stylized, one in a lifetime production. Must be nice to have the only licensed product.

Since I didn't see this originally, this is nothing short of spectacular!
Sound is mixed I will admit, but other than that, this is amazing! My HD TV and upconvert DVD player makes this look 90-95% HD quality. Colours are bright and sharp. Forget about it being complete or not. You're not getting anything better than this. Pick it up!

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DVD Releases September 30, 2008: Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Forgetting Sarah Marshall
From IMDB

Cast

Jason Segel ... Peter Bretter
Kristen Bell...Sarah Marshall
Mila Kunis ... Rachel Jansen
Russell Brand... Aldous Snow
Bill Hader ... Brian Bretter
Liz Cackowski...Liz Bretter
Maria Thayer... Wyoma
Jack McBrayer... Darald
Taylor Wily... Kemo
Davon McDonald... Dwayne the Bartender (as Da'Vone McDonald)
Steve Landesberg... Dr. Rosenbaum
Jonah Hill ... Matthew the Waiter
Paul Rudd ... Chuck
Kala Alexander...Greg
Kalani Robb... Helpful Hawaiian Waiter

Synopsis

When you've got a good job and a world-famous girlfriend, you've got it all, right?!? Forgetting Sarah Marshall is a Coming of Age story told well and acted better. Peter Bretter (played by Jason Segal and also the movies writer) is a man too comfortable, sitting on his couch-world, to grasp that everyone must grow up and in the process, change or people will leave him behind.

Peter writes/performs the musical score to a successful TV drama in which his girlfriend, Sarah Marshall, is the lead actress. Sarah leaves Peter, and thus starts Peters journey with the help of friends, to realize that he didnt really like the life he was living. They help him forget Sarah Marshall to grow and change his life for the better.

Peter's half-brother (Bill Hader as Brian Bretter) is the reflection Peter sees in the mirror and is reluctant to embrace --in a relationship with responsibilities to a partner that goes beyond physical presence. [Interesting to note the evolution of Mr. Segal from his supporting role as Jason in 2007s Knocked Up another coming of age movie for 20-somethings...the movie is filled with internal compare/contrasts to itself and the Actor's other works and real-life asperations. How much is intentional and how much is coincident is left to the viewer, but this is a smartly written adult comedy.]

Kristen Bell as the title's "Sarah Marshall" does well with the material -- her character is mult-dimensional as she is both the villain and the victim. While her character emotionally hurts Peter, she has cause as revealed in a fairly depicted series of flashbacks. [It is interesting to note, Sarah's desire to break out from being a successful TV actress to movies is an interesting simile to Peter's desire to break out from being a successful TV mood musician to aspiration to become a Rock Opera composer and Ms. Bell plays it well from the heart as if she also longs break out of the Veronica Mars role to her first leading actress role.]

But it is not just Peter that Sarah is running from; she has run into the arms of Aldous Snow (Russell Brand), a famous lead singing rock star. Snow almost steals the movie, with his philosophical musings and ability to play the guy you want to hate but wish was my best friend despite stealing my girlfriend role perfectly. In some ways Peter sees Snow as the worldly guy he wishes he was, but Peter realizes that he cannot be like Snow and force the world to take him as he is and be successful, but rather adapt to the world in his own terms to succeed. [Of course there are parallels when Snow plays to the crowd and to his girl and when Peter plays to another crowd and his girl...the men are more similar on stage than they realize, which may be why Peter likes Snow.] At the critical point, it is Snow's unwillingness to grow that has him to move on and gives the opportunity he thought he sought -- the chance to reunite with Sarah.

However, prior to getting to that point in the story, Peter gets off his real and proverbial couch to meet a series of people whom help him "forget" Sarah. Pride, self-worth and compromise are explored well without bogging down nor being too serious. Central to Peter's growth are Chuck (Paul Rudd) and Rachel Jansen (Mila Kunis). Chuck is the surfing instructor who sees the hurt behind Peters eyes and teaches him to stand on a surf board (another analogy for standing up for himself/getting back up when one is knocked down). While played at times for laughs, there are real life-lessons in what Chuck, Rachel and the other characters offer Peter. Ultimately, Peter stands up and realizes that his affection for Rachel is real and worth the risks to help out a friend. Through them, Peter breaks out and becomes the man he learns he wants to be and achieves the personal satifaction and professional success he seeks.

The movie is rated R for (strong male and some female) nudity, sex scenes, language and alcohol use discussion about drugs. It is not recommended for young children.



Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Three-Disc Unrated Collector's Edition)
Directed by Nicholas Stoller
Average customer review:

Product Description

Join the cast of Forgetting Sarah Marshall as they dare to bare all in this Unrated Collector’s Edition filled with more laughs, more adventure and way more fun!

Peter (Jason Segel) is a struggling musician who finds his world turned upside down when his TV celebrity girlfriend, Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell), dumps him for a tragically hip rock star. It’s the hysterically funny look at how far one man will go to forget a girl – and all the fun he finds along the way!

Product Details

* Amazon Sales Rank: #5 in DVD
* Released on: 2008-09-30
* Rating: Unrated
* Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
* Formats: AC-3, Box set, Collector's Edition, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
* Original language: English
* Subtitled in: English, French, Spanish
* Dubbed in: French, Spanish
* Number of discs: 3
* Running time: 118 minutes

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Breaking up is hard to do--but that doesn't mean you can't have some belly laughs about it. Forgetting Sarah Marshall provides that rare treat: a romantic comedy about breakups, that is both romantic and funny. The laughs, especially from writer-star Jason Segel, are both heartfelt and raunchy, and the film is just unexpected enough that it keeps the viewer's attention till the end. The touches of producer Judd Apatow, who's famously retooled rom-coms to appeal to guys as much as women, are woven throughout the film, but Segel's script, reportedly based on many of his own experiences, is fresh and original. And adult. Forgetting Sarah Marshall features male genitalia laffs presented in unexpected and human ways (the nude breakup scene is played for giggles but also deep poignancy), and the language and sex scenes are strictly for grownups--and rightly so. Segel's script, and his performance as Peter, show that he understands the true nature of adult relationships, which provides the refreshing difference between this film and some of Apatow's other crude creations. The cast is sublime; Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars) plays title character Sarah, a self-absorbed actress, and Russell Brand is her new British honey who accompanies her to--what are the chances?--the exact same Hawaiian resort as Peter, who's nursing his broken heart. Mila Kunis plays Rachel, the resort employee who gives Peter a reason to hope, and Paul Rudd is the surfing instructor who gives him his own brand of heartfelt advice ("When life gives you lemons, just say 'F--- the lemons' and bail," he says cheerily). The pacing is screwball, and the absurdities fly (a "Dracula" musical puppet show, and a surprisingly lovely Hawaiian version of "Nothing Compares 2 U"). Nothing the viewer will forget any time soon.--A.T. Hurley

Customer Reviews

Best Comedy of the Year
I immensely enjoy Tropic Thunder, but Forgetting Sarah Marshall is a little bit funnier and has many (surprisingly) clever scenes. And Russell Brand was absolutely priceless.

My question is this: what is the unrated edition like? I have seen many people review this film, and I know what the film is like (I saw it 5 times in theater!), I just want to know if the unrated is good as well or if it makes the movie crappier like Superbad unrated. Thanks!

Forgetting Sarah Marshall is too funny!
All I have to say is its very funny and Im buying it payday. HEEEEEEEY

A Movie You Won't Soon Forget
I saw pretty much every worthwhile movie that hit theaters this year, and this one is easily in the top three. There are many thing that make this movie great, so I thought it would be helpful to make a review out of that list.

1. Jason Segel wrote and starred in this movie. From the way he acted in this movie and the way he talks about it, you can tell that he put his heart and sweat into it. Every minute of the movie is funny or emotional, and is driven by his perfect performance as the main character. Like Superbad before it, this is a hilarious and vulgar movie with real heart.

2. Kristen Bell. That's reason enough.

3. The oddball supporting characters were perfectly cast, and they really add the proper spice to this movie. There are so many tiny subplots going on, none of which are lost in the mix, that make this a rich movie worthy of the praise that Roeper and the other big name critics are giving it.

4. A Dracula musical with puppets. Why are you not buying this movie on DVD yet?

5. If I'm going to give so much props to both Segel and Bell, I have to give it to the actress who utterly surprised me here: Mila Kunis. I was never a big fan of That 70s Show, but she did great here.

6. It truly has that Judd Apatow flavor. I'd even say it's better than most of his popular films. It--at the very least--ties with Superbad, which I thought was fantastic.

7. Laughing is fun. You'll do a lot of it here.

I usually give a quirky little conclusion to wrap up my reviews, but this list pretty much stands for itself. Buy the DVD. You won't regret it.

9/10

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