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Letters from Iwo Jima DVD Review
Posted by Johnny Mercedes Categories: DreamWorks, Miramax, Action, Drama, Foreign Language, Thrillers, New Releases, DVD Reviews,
Clint Eastwood’s Oscar-nominated war epic was released on DVD last week; this is a review of the two-disc special edition. The film is a companion piece to Eastwood’s other war film from last year, Flags of Our Fathers, which depicts the same war from the American side.
Letters from Iwo Jima is the story of a pivotal battle between the United States and imperial Japan during WWII. The film portrays the war from the perspective of the Japanese soldiers as they desperately attempt to keep the US from taking their island and using it against the mainland. General Kuribayashi takes command and without proper infantry or supplies does his best to defend Iwo Jima from the country he once considered a close friend. Meanwhile, a young, homesick infantryman named Saigo endeavors to surrender to the opposing forces as they drive his comrades deep into the caves of the desolate island.
Letters from Iwo Jima is directed by Clint Eastwood, written by Iris Yamashita, and stars Ken Watanabe, Kazunari Ninomaya, and Tsuyoshi Ihara. Rated R
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Lost: Through The Looking Glass - David’s Top Five of Awesomeness
Posted by David L. Williams Categories: Drama, Prime Time, Sci-Fi/Horror, ABC, Lost, Features,
Wow! Just … wow! A few days later and my mind, she is still blown. That was everything a season finale should be: great acting, terrific twists, the wrapping up of plot threads that were developing throughout the season, and the introduction of ideas that will surely carry through the rest of next season, if not the rest of the series.
If you’ve remained a loyal Lost fan, and, really, if you’re reading this, chances are that you have, think on your friends who have given up on the show and pity them. You are the smart one. And you, like the show, are awesome. Here’s five examples of awesomeness from an episode many people are calling Lost’s best ever (and I’d have a hard time disagreeing):
BEN GETS BEATEN: A lot. Like a lot, a lot. Now, we’ve seen Ben get hurt before, but that was back before we knew who he really was. He was just poor pathetic Henry Gayle then. Since we’ve seen a season’s worse of his machinations, when Jack just started wailing on him, I yelled an obscenity at my TV followed by the word, “Yeah!” (This was a nice parallel to last season’s finale when Ben showed up on the dock while Jack, Kate, Hurley, and Sawyer were being held hostage and I yelled that same obscenity followed by the word, “No!”)
Michael Emerson has put on an acting clinic this whole season, going from confident in his power but frightened about his injury to this scared, desperate animal trying to do everything he can to hold onto the little power he has left. He’s one of the best villains on television, and to see him take a beating (by Jack and Rousseau) was so, so satisfying.
Too bad it looks like, for once, he may have been telling the truth. But more on that later. Ben getting beaten up was awesome.
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Apocalypto DVD Review
Posted by Johnny Mercedes Categories: Buena Vista, Touchstone, Action, Adventure, Drama, Foreign Language, Period, Thrillers, New Releases, DVD Reviews,
Mel Gibson’s epic film about the decline of the Mayan civilization in 16th century South America was released on DVD last week. The story begins when a small but productive Mayan village comes under attack by a local tribe desperate to save itself from ecological demise by appeasing the gods with human sacrifice. While the movie displays the unique architecture, weaponry, and overall culture of these indigenous peoples, it also narrows to focus on the remarkable story of a brave warrior, captured and tortured but determined to return to his village and family.
Apocalypto is co-written and directed by Mel Gibson, co-written by Farhad Safinia, and stars Rudy Youngblood and Dalia Hernández. Rated R
The film was generally received well by critics but has been disputed by anthropologists and archaeologists who claim it’s filled with historical inaccuracy; many believe it also depicts the Mayan people negatively as much more violent a civilization than is historically evident. Gibson and Safinia, however, claim to have studied Maya extensively before making the film. All controversy aside, the film is nothing short of amazing, placing you in inconceivable peril and holding you there until you feel you’ve become a part of it. Be sure to check out FilmCrunch’s Apocalypto Video Review.
The DVD features don’t really support a film of such magnitude:
- Subtitles in English (both standard and for the hearing impaired), Spanish, and French
- Commentary by Mel Gibson and Farhad Safinia
- Becoming Mayan: Creating Apocalypto
- Deleted Scene
Most of the features are fairly standard, though the single deleted scene, which is completely unnecessary on this release, is embarrassingly trivial and feels like a thoughtless tack-on. The commentary is relatively illuminating and, even if you’ve grown to despise him, Gibson succeeds at keeping it informative and fun. The real draw, however, is the behind-the-scenes featurette. Clocking in at 25 minutes, this mini-documentary chronicles the creation of the film from concept to creation, including make-up, costumes, weapons, and locations. While the segment satisfied most of my curiosity, there were some elements that would’ve given me a bit more to appreciate – maybe some concept art, design and construction of the Mayan temples, cast interviews/screentests, special effects, etc. Overall, the DVD release of Apocalypto is a standard but solid one that will leave some perfectly satisfied and others wanting more. Let’s hope there’s a special edition on the horizon.
Lost: Greatest Hits - David’s Top Five of Awesomeness
Posted by David L. Williams Categories: Sci-Fi/Horror, NBC, Lost, Editorial, Features,
If the “Greatest Hits” episode of Lost proved one thing, it’s that the writers of Lost are stealing my “Top 5 of Awesomeness” idea and incorporating it in their show. Jealous much? Fine, fine, you can make it up to me by having me write for your show. Deal?
Maybe not. Still, as the penultimate (and really, how often do you get the chance to use that word?) episode, it was a terrific way of setting things up for the big climactic two hour finale, which I’ll watch on TiVo right after I find out that Jordin won Idol.
In the meantime, who’s ready for five awesome things?
EVERYBODY GETS A LINE. EVERYBODY! - Well, except Locke. People often gripe that such-and-such episode didn’t have such-and-such character in it, and I’m typically annoyed by that complaint. I mean, there are roughly 108 people in the cast, so each one of them can’t really be front and center every week, otherwise each episode would be about 7 hours long. Which wouldn’t be all that bad of a thing, considering what some of the networks are going to be putting on the air next season.
Oh, and side note to CBS: Your new show “Moonlight,” the one about the vampire who is a private investigator and hates other vampires? Yeah, I would go back to whoever pitched that show and make sure he/she is not just copying scripts from the show “Angel,” which, if you didn’t see it, was on the WB and was about, hmm, how should I put this, THE EXACT SAME THING. Come on.
Anyway, giving the complainers nothing to complain about, nearly every character was integrated into the storylines of this episode. With the exception of Locke (and, if you have to get technical, Tom/Mr. Friendly), the following characters were part of “Greatest Hits”: Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Jin, Sun, Claire, Charlie, Hurley, Desmond, Sayid, Rousseau, Rose, Bernard, Aaron, Naomi, Richard, Karl, Ben, Juliette, Alex, and even Vincent the dog made an appearance. That’s an awesome episode right there.
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The Queen DVD Review
Posted by Johnny Mercedes Categories: Miramax, Drama, Foreign, Independent, Political, Home Entertainment, DVD Reviews,
When Diana, Princess of Wales, dies in a tragic car accident in Paris, the Royal Family is forced to decide between tradition and moral obligation in this quiet, conversational drama. Recently elected Tony Blair is insistent upon public statements from Queen Elizabeth II, as well as a public funeral for the beloved princess, but royal custom mixed with feelings of distaste and apprehension only drag the issue into weeks of stagnation. As the British people begin to react to the Royal Family’s seeming indifference, The Queen struggles internally with how to handle the situation, while being forced to retain a strong, unaffected composure.
The Queen is written by Peter Morgan, directed by Stephen Frears, and stars Helen Mirren, Michael Sheen, and James Cromwell. Rated PG–13. The film received a slew of nominations and awards – most notably an Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA for Helen Mirren’s eerily perfect performance. Be sure to check out FilmCrunch’s The Queen Video Review.
The features on the DVD tend to follow the film into quiet and conversational territory:
- English and Spanish Subtitles
- English and Spanish Audio Tracks
- Commentary by Writer Peter Morgan and Director Stephen Frears
- Commentary by British Historian and Royal Expert Robert Lacey
- The Making of The Queen
- Trailers
Although the in-depth commentary from Robert Lacey is an unique tack-on – the like of which you aren’t going to see on any other DVD – the features are a bit disappointing considering the buzz surrounding this film. Even the making-of segment is basic, consisting mostly of interviews without much behind-the-scenes footage. This isn’t to say that hearing the actors discuss their methods and inspiration is boring in any way – least of all the modest ramblings of a disheveled Stephen Frears – but even an contemplative movie like The Queen can give the home audience a little more. Let’s hope for a special edition sometime in the near future.
Top Ten Improvements in Halo 2 for Windows Vista
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Action, Editorial, Features, First Person Shooters, PC, Xbox 360, Xbox Live,
So, Halo 2 for Windows Vista is launching on May 8, 2007, and we have been able to spend some time reviewing the title. Since everyone is familiar with Halo 2, we felt a full review wasn’t in order. Instead, we wanted to clue you in on the ten best improvements we experienced while reviewing the game. These ten features raise the bar for Halo as a whole, and may be a foreshadowing of things to come in Halo 3:
Achievements: If you are looking for something fun that adds another level of fun and challenge to the Halo 2 world, this is it. We have said it before, and we will say it again - Microsoft hit a gold mine with the notion of achievements. No sooner than when we finished a multiplayer deathmatch did we rack up a total of three achievements. Meleeing five people from behind (and thusly earning the Ninja achievement) was nice, but Meleeing someone who already had the Ninja achievement (and thus earning the Flaming Ninja achievement) was even better. We have the achievement to prove it. For those wondering, yes, the achievements you earn in Halo 2 for Vista (or any other Games for Windows game) is counted towards your Xbox Gamerscore.
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Review: I LOVES My Tom Bihn Cafe Bag
Posted by Monica Edwards Categories: Business, Personal, Reviews,
Click to continue reading Review: I LOVES My Tom Bihn Cafe Bag
Wii Would Like To Play: Super Paper Mario
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Action, Nintendo, Role Playing Games, Wii,
Nintendo’s Super Paper Mario ships today, and so far the game is tacking up a 90% overall rating on Gamerankings.com. From some of the major game sites, 1up rated the release an 8.0, citing the title’s relative lack of depth compared to its Paper Mario siblings, tacked-on Wiimote controls, and some slowdown evidenced in gameplay. IGN rated slightly higher at 8.9, feeling that the platformer and RPG merger was more successful and that the Wiimote controls felt appropriate for the game, but they felt the amount of writing in the game disrupted the flow, and the 3D elements seemed barren compared to the lushness of the 2D world. Nintendo has also kicked off marketing the game with a “Wii Would Like To Play” TV commercial, shown above.
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| 1up
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| IGN
Microsoft Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 Impressions
Posted by Rob Stevens Categories: Microsoft, PC / Laptop, Peripherals, Product Reviews,
Sweet Mother of Pearl…what is it with companies and these ridiculously long product names. Let me tell you, there’s a reason why “Flickr” is popular, and it’s probably because it’s easy to say. Now that I’ve gotten this out of the way, on to Microsoft’s new ergonomic desktop mouse.
Strangely enough, it wasn’t that long ago that Microsoft’s mice were considered to be the most ergonomic that you could get, but in reality, while they were more comfortable to hold, they were never truly ergonomic. I’ve been using computers from a young age, and as a result, I have a fair amount of RSI built up in my wrists, mostly the right wrist. I can’t use a non-ergonomic keyboard for long without experiencing pain, and that’s why although I’ve tested a great many keyboards in the past, I keep coming back to Microsoft’s Natural series of keyboards. Finally, they put a mouse through the same ergonomic design process as their keyboards and what came out was one of the goofiest looking mice ever made.
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RoboForm2Go: Your Passwords in Your Pocket
Posted by Sparky Categories: Accessories, USB, PC / Laptop, Software,
With so many web sites, applications, and services out there on the internet requiring passwords, we are required to remember a dizzying array of usernames and passwords to live our digital life. Browsers and email clients usually have features to remember these passwords for us, but that solution falls short if you use multiple computers, or particularly if your primary internet access comes from public web terminals. Luckily, RoboForm2Go has introduced a portable and secure password management solution in the form of a USB key.
The RoboForm2Go software can be bought separately or pre-loaded onto a USB flash drive. The software requires no install, and can work on any Windows computer with a USB port. The RoboForm2Go software automatically stores your usernames, passwords, and other information for you on the USB thumb drive encrypted with AES 128bit encryption to keep your login information safe should you use the drive. The RoboForm2Go software will also automatically generate random passwords for each new website you visit to help increase security, and will remember your credit card information to make shopping online a breeze.
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Read More | RoboForm2Go Product Page
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