Skiewed and Reviewed

By Gareth J. Von Kallenbach

The Others

Charlies Angels Full ThrottleDVD

Attack of The Clones DVD

Signs DVD

Sweet Home Alabama DVD

Python 2DVD

Star Trek Nemesis DVD

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets DVD

K-19 The Widowmaker DVD

Van Wilder Unrated DVD

Star Trek II The Wrath Of Khan Directors Edition DVD

Mr.Deeds DVD Review

Scorpion King DVD

Monsters Inc DVD

Star Trek DS9 Season 4 DVD

New DVDs by Artisan Films Rio Diablo

Drop Dead Fred

Shanghai Surprise

And God Spoke

Colorz of Rage

Degree of Guilt

Hook'd Up

Guilty by Association

New Adult Titles from wicked Pictures

Save the Best For Last

Cupid's Arrow

True Love

About a Woman

Not a Romance

One of the more original and entertaining films of recent years is now available on DVD. "The Others" stars Nicole Kidman as a mother of two who lives in a large home waiting for her husband to return from war. The only company she has is from three servants, and her children. The children stay indoors and darkness most of the time due to a severe allergy to light. The children however begin to hear noises and see what they call ghosts around the house. Their ultra-religious mother is having none of this, and continues to deny something is amiss no matter what else happens to frighten her as she begins a descent into total fear.

The film has some great twists and turns though I was able to figure out what was happening 30 minutes into the film to the shock of my friends who had seen the film before. Nevertheless, the film is a solid production, and the performance of Kidman firmly establishes her as major star. The double DVD set is chocked full of extras and is a welcome addition to any library.

4 stars out of 5

Gareth Von Kallenbach

Harry Potter ©2002 Warner Home Video. ©2001 Warner Bros. Harry Potter Publishing Rights © J.K. Rowling. HARRY POTTER, characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of and ©Warner Bros. All rights reserved.

Star Trek Nemisis DVD Review

In what is being billed as a "Generations Final Journey" The cast and crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC 1701-E warp onto the big screen this holiday season with Star Trek "Nemesis". While certainly not the end of future Trek films, "Nemesis" is set to end the film run of the Next Generation cast with future films involving an ensemble cast from recent shows or perhaps and all new cast.

The film begins with a mass assassination of the Romulan senate and quickly cuts to Earth where members of the Enterprise crew have gathered to celebrate the marriage between Captain Riker (Jonathan Frakes), and Dianna Troi (Marina Sirtis) and are about to set off for Troi's home world of Betazed for the second half of the ceremony.

Naturally the trip does not go as planned, or this would make for a short and uneventful movie. The Crew discovers an android similar to Commander Data (Brent Spiner) yet in an odd child like mental state named B-4. The crew assembles the android and Data takes to nurturing his lost relative. At the same time, Starfleet Command sends Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the Enterprise on a mission to receive peace overtures from the new Romulan Prefect Shinzon (Tom Hardy), who is the leader of a downtrodden sub class of Romulan society known as the Remans. Although highly skeptical, the Enterprise sets off to the rendezvous, and soon encounters Shinzon himself and his massive attack ship.

It is at this point that "Nemesis" begins to lose direction, as the film spends a lot of time with the cast in conversation mode, but they do not really expand much upon the characters, the situation, nor the story. We learn that Shinzon has a secret, that I feel was revealed far to early in the film and with little fan fare, and is a character that lacks direction. His stated goal is to destroy Earth by bombarding it with deadly radiation from his ship, yet he also desires to get Picard and destroy the Enterprise. The funny thing is, that when the story gets to the action, Shinzon becomes little more than a characture, as on one hand he dispatches troops to get Picard, then he states, that it is time to destroy Earth, only to stop and engage the Enterprise.

This is very frustrating to the viewer as any sense of dread, urgency, and continuity is lost and the menace of Shinzon is lessened with each passing moment. I am trying not to give away any of the plot twists in the film but suffice it to say, that they like the characters meander constantly passing up obvious solutions in tactics to leave audiences with a drawn out sequence that has little tension, excitement, or suspense. The film is also cluttered with plot holes that detract from the story and further weaken a good premise.

The veteran cast works well with one another, yet the script by "Gladiator" scribe John Logan gives them little new material to work with, and the direction of Stuart Baird leaves a fine cast stuck going through the motions. Newcomer Dina Meyer does a good job as Romulan Commander Donatra but she like most of characters are given little to do aside from spouting stale lines and walking stiffly.

The producers of the film thought that bringing in a writer and director from outside the Trek circle would infuse new ideas into the film. Instead audiences are given a film that is little more than an average episode and lacking much of the charm, suspense and sense of wonder that made the Trek franchise such a success. Some good FX works by Digital Domain and some fine acting by Stewart almost make this film good, but the plodding script and lack of tension makes this a Trek film that needed more time in Space dock before being released, as if this is the final film of the Next Generation cast, then they surely deserved a much better sendoff after 15 years.

3 stars out of 5

while the deleted scenes and extras on the DVD help they do not contain nearly all of the rumored 45 minutes of deleted scenes nor save this movie from just being average.

Gareth Von Kallenbach

The Hot Chick DVD

Over the years many films have taken the story line of two people exchanging bodies and played it up for comedy. Most notably is the Disney classic "Freaky Friday", which is about to undergo its third screen version this summer. The premise of the films is often a comedy of errors where two people end up having to live life as another person and often gain a better insight of the person as well as themselves.

In the new DVD release "The Hot Chick" gone is the traditional mother/daughter, father/son swap, instead we get the hilarious antics of a local loser (Rob Schneider) who wakes up in the body of an attractive yet vain cheerleader Jessica (Rachel McAdams) after accidentally wearing a magical earring. It seems that the earrings are a conduit and whoever wears one of them swaps bodies with the person wearing the other.

The switch is devastating to Jessica who enlists the help of her best friend April (Ana Faris), to hide her as she cant live at home in the body of a 30-something guy until they can find a way to get her back to normal. Naturally all manner of comedy ensues as Jessica still walks, talks, and acts like a girl, and still pines for her boyfriend Billy (Matthew Lawrence), who naturally sees only a short guy hitting on him.

Some of the jokes work well in this film and you will find yourself laughing and having a good time though you may not have expected to. Schneider is back in rare form following the disappointing "The Animal" and if the pending "Deuce Bigalo 2" is any good, he may well be on his way to establishing himself as one of the top players in screen comedy today. Take my advice; "The Hot Chick" is a funny and pleasant distraction that will make you laugh.

3 stars out of 5 DVD Features Behind the Scenes Deleted Scenes Director commentary

One of the most anticipated films of the year, "Harry Potter and the Sorcer's Stone" has finally arrived on DVD to the delight of fans the word over.

The film is based on a popular book series by J.K. Rowling that tell of the adventures of young wizard Harry Potter and his friends while attending Hogwarts Academy of Wizardry and Witchcraft. The four books published to date have been bestsellers the world over and have inspired legions of devoted fans, so it seemed only a matter of time until Harry made his debut on the big screen. Not since the last Star Wars film "The Phantom Menace", has their been this much hype around a film, and advanced tickets to the first weekend have been sold out in many places for weeks in advance, and this is just the tip of the iceberg for a film that many predict will break box office records.

The movie tells of the orphaned Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), who is raised by his mean and neglectful aunt and uncle. Harry's relatives pay him little attention and force Harry to live in a cupboard under the stairs and wait on them hand and foot. His relatives never buy him gifts or treat him as family even on his birthday and punish him for anything they believe he has done wrong, even when he has not. Worse yet, Harry's aunt and uncle spend all of the attention spoiling his obnoxious cousin as they shower him with gifts and praise despite the fact he is a greedy and rude child. Things change for Harry on his 11th birthday when he learns that his parents were great wizards and he is to attend Hogwarts in order to develop his amazing talents. It seems his relatives have kept his parents abilities and true fate from Harry, and were determined to keep him from following in his parent's footsteps. Aided by the schools caring caretaker Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) Harry equips himself with the items he will need to attend school all the while learning about his parents. It is learned that Harry was orphaned when an evil wizard killed his parents and for some unknown reason, spared Harry although leaving a mark upon the child's forehead.

As Harry travels to his new school, He meets Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger( Emma Watson). Like Harry the two are new students and they soon become good friends. No sooner do Harry and his friends arrive, when strange things start to happen ranging from a Troll running loose in the school, hidden secrets, and a suspicious Professor Snape (Alan Rickman) who seems to be up to something.

Along the way, Harry and his friends learn about the fabled Sorcer's Stone. A magical stone that can not only turn anything into gold, but can create a elixir of immortality that the evil wizard who killed Harry's parents seems intent on capturing for himself. Despite Harry's warning, his notions are dismissed by the faculty at Hogwarts as many believe the evil wizard vanished for good long ago. Undaunted by the dangers that face them, Harry and his friends set out to stop the forces of evil and save the day.

The film is a triumph of imagination as it blends, fantasy, humor, and special effects in way that is charming and delightful for all ages. A sporting match played on broomsticks is a visual delight as characters zoom all over the screen in a scene that will delight audiences of all ages. Despite having some nice effects, the film never relies on eye candy to be its drawing card. An interesting, if not to deep story and likeable, well-written characters are what makes this film shine. The acting is first rate and young Radcliffe seems to be a star in the making. Coltrane gives an outstanding performance as do Maggie Smith, and Richard Harris as the wizards that not only teach Harry about magic, but about life as well. The film moves along at a good pace, and despite its 150-minute running time, there are few slow moments in the film, and Director Chris Columbus paces the film to perfection. It should be noted that despite its PG rating, some younger people in the press screener were frightened by some moments of the film. That aside, "Harry Potter" is a modern day classic that more than lives up to the hype and is well worth seeing for fans of all ages. The second film in the series is already under way and I must say that for many people, myself included, I look forward to seeing what future adventures Harry and his friends have in store for audiences.

DVD features include behind the scenes, deleted scenes, storyboards and much more making this is must own.

5 stars out of 5

Gareth Von Kallenbach

Behind Enemy Lines

Spy Game (Widescreen Edition)

The secret world of espionage has long been romanticized in film and print. The dashing deeds of such agents as James Bond, The Saint, and even Austin Powers have delighted readers and moviegoers the world over for decades. Images of exotic locales, deadly super villains, gorgeous women, and danger around every corner are how the public opinion of agents has been shaped thanks to numerous works of popular entertainment. In reality, the world of espionage is often far less glamorous, and at times a thankless profession that is conducted by a special breed of person. In the film “Spy Game” director Tony Scott gives us a look inside the secretive and dangerous world of the CIA and in the process creates an entertaining and well-crafted tale. The film opens with a covert operation gone wrong in a Chinese prison in 1991. In the aftermath an agent named Tom Bishop (Brad Pitt), has been captured and sentenced to be executed the following morning. Complicating matters is that the U.S. and China are a week away from a Presidential visit to China that will pave the way for increased trade between the two nations. Shortly after Bishop is captured, a phone call is made to agent Nathan Muir (Robert Redford) to inform him of Bishop’s plight. It is bad timing for Muir as he is about to spend his last day at the CIA before retiring to his dream house in the Bahamas. Undaunted by the unexpected news, Nathan is soon trying to learn all he can about the situation and is dismayed at being left out of the loop by his superiors and co workers. Nathan however has more than one trick left and this is what provides the tension and drama for the film. It is revealed that Nathan was the agent that recruited and trained Bishop starting in Vietnam in 1975. Since Nathan has a solid understanding of Tom, Nathan is able to get in on the task force by withholding information saying that there are few documents as he kept the related information in his head. Before long, Nathan starts to see that there is far more to the story than he is being told, and that his former partner is being set aside in the interest of a much larger picture, and for matters that few in the agency are willing to discuss.

Nathan sets out to use all the tricks of his trade to learn the truth about Tom, what the agency is not willing to tell him, and most importantly, save Tom before time runs out. Redford does a fantastic job in the film as his sly smile shows how is he always thinking a few steps ahead of his opponents and that he is manipulating the game according to his plan like a chess master toying with a novice. The majority of Pitt’s role is shown through a series of flashbacks as Nathan recounts various operations the two worked on ranging from Vietnam, East Germany and Beirut amongst countless others. It is through the flashbacks that the audience learns of Bishops transformation from soldier, to spy and the changes that happen to him as a result of his work experiences as well as his relationship with Nathan. While Bishop does not like not always being informed, and the cold and often brutal nature of the business, he respects Nathan and is very loyal to him not only for his expert training, but also for his friendship and commitment. In many ways it is a father-son relationship, as Nathan seems to be grooming Tom in his own image to be his successor.

Division comes between the two men in the form of a medic named Elizabeth (Katherine McCormack), that Tom has become involved with during an operation in Beirut. Nathan sees her as an asset to be used and discarded, and a potential threat to the mission. Tom believes that Nathan has no place in his personal life and that he is capable of doing his job and can take care of himself. It is this division that comes into play, as Nathan has not seen Tom in many years at the time of the films opening. What follows is an interesting mix of suspense, drama, and action as past missions are recounted and Nathan is racing against the clock for one final mission. The film also gives a solid look at the lives of the operatives as Nathan is a man who believes that many of the people they deal with are assets to be used and if necessary discarded in order to survive and accomplish the mission. At one point in the film, Nathan tells Tom “if it ever comes down between you and an asset, send flowers”. Like a game of chess, people are to be pawn in the larger game and they are to be manipulated and sacrificed for the good of the overall goal. For years Nathan has believed and practiced this rule, and now he is faced with the end of his espionage career and he is having a hard time letting some things go. The film is first rate and moves along at a solid pace. The cast is solid and Redford once again shows why he is a modern master of his profession. Pitt gives a strong performance and shows Tom as an individual with passion, devotion, and loyalty. “Spy Game” is a strong, well-acted film that not only entertains, but also makes you think about those individuals who makes sacrifices daily in order to protect our nation and in these difficult times, the message is even stronger.

4.5 stars out of 5

From Hell

Jack the Ripper, one of the most notorious and yet mysterious figures every to emerge from history. A cold, and ruthless killer, who not only murdered several prostitutes, but also mutilated the bodies in ways that had never been seen before, and have rarely been seen since. The very name conjures up images of horror, rain falling on cobblestones, gaslights, and fog filled nights of fear that befell the Whitechapel district of London in 1888. The Ripper was the first serial killer to gain international notoriety and to become famous via the papers as his legend and stories grew with each grisly victim. The people of London were shocked, and the poor people and especially the prostitutes were outraged that nothing was being done by what they saw as a disinterested upper class, as the poor lived in fear of being the Rippers next victim. The murder spree of 5 prostitutes was shocking not so much in that the ladies were killed, but that each one was killed silently and in a vicious manner, and each murder was even more grisly and savage than the one before. Oddly just as quickly as the Ripper’s deadly spree started, it ceased and the Ripper was never to be heard from again. What remained was one of the greatest mysteries in history and numerous theories abound as to who the Ripper was, and what the motivations behind his crime were. There have been numerous movies and books over the years that have looked into the Ripper, in fact, there have been more books written on Jack the Ripper than on all the US Presidents combined. One movie, “Time After Time” even went so far as to pose that the Ripper escaped justice by fleeing in a time machine built by H.G. Wells. Thankfully, in the new film “From Hell” the Hughes brothers remained faithful to the historical facts and give viewers a modern tale of the Ripper that chills, and delivers an effective story and provides some interesting takes on the Ripper and his motivations.

The story tells of 6 working girls, who are down on their luck, they are being threatened by a local thug and his men to pay him a Pound a week or be maimed or killed. The working girls fear how they will get the money to pay him, much less earn enough from selling themselves for food and shelter. Before long, one of the girls is found dead. She has had her throat cut, and has been mutilated in ways that sicken and shock even the medical examiners that are sent in. There are no clues and no suspects and the police officials are interested in keeping this matter quiet and getting the case taken care of. Into the investigation comes Inspector Fred Abberline (Johnny Depp), a gifted yet troubled man who has lost his family but is known for his visions that he has when he is taking opium and other drugs. Sgt. Peter Godley (Robbie Coltrane) assists Abberline, a quote spouting man who is loyal to Abberline and determined to help the inspector solve the case. Shortly after the discovery of the first victim, a second victim is found and Abberline is drawn closer to the investigation as he has seen this woman in one of his visions. He also makes a discovery between the victims that leads him to a theory that shocks his superiors and threatens to upset the social balance of England. The investigation leads Abberline to Mary Kelly (Heather Graham), a pretty working girl who was friends with the murdered lady and whose friends seem to be the targets of the killer. Mary has information related to one of her friends being involved with a man who turns out to be related to be part of the Royal family, but in order to protect herself, her friends, and the child her friend fathered with this man, she keeps quiet. Eventually Abberline earns her trust and he struggles to find the killer while battling all manner of foes including those in his own office, and his growing feelings for Mary. Things take a turn for the unexpected when a prominent physician to the Royal Family, Sir William Gull( Ian Holm), not only provides Abberline with information that indicates the killer is an educated and professional man, and likely a Dr, as well as some shocking information about the Royal family that if leaked, would not only put his life in danger, but would unravel the Royal family. What follows is a gripping and enticing tale of love, murder, and mystery, as Abberline seeks to stop the killings, protect Mary and her friends, and fight through the obstacles that are presented to him by prominent members of society and his own department.

The film was directed by Albert and John Hughes who burst onto the scene with “Menace II Society” and the recent “American Pimp” while at first “From Hell” seems a departure from their works that are often set in the ghetto, the filmmakers noted that the Whitechapel area was very much a ghetto for the time and the people their faced many of the same issues for survival that people in similar locations face today. The direction and pacing is crisp and the scenery and costumes are first rate. The film was shot in the Czech Republic and since many of the Victorian buildings are no longer in place in England, sets had to be built in the fields near Prague. The results are fantastic and the visuals of the movie add to the somber and menacing tone. The cast is first rate and Depp and Graham are fantastic in their roles as they play the parts with conviction yet never try to overplay the roles or let their characters become larger than the story as a whole. Coltrane is fantastic as he brings toughness, wisdom and compassion to his role of Godley, and is a trusted and loyal companion to Abberline. While the film is violent, it is not as gratuitous as many films of the day and much of the brutality is explained by the characters rather then presented to the audience in gory detail. That being said, there is still plenty of gore to the film, but the film does a great job in showing the brutality but restraining the gore as what is imagined is far worse than what is often shown. The film is a very effective drama and a gripping look into one of the darkest chapters in human history. The title of the film comes from a note written by the Ripper where he wrote that his location is from Hell. Easily one of the better films of the year and a very entertaining and well-made film, "From Hell" is a must see.

4.5 stars out of 5

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