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Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Family, Box Office, New Releases, Theatrical Reviews,
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the movie based on book five of the Harry series, opened yesterday in a mid-week event that had everyone scrambling to get to theatres. But, is the movie worth all the hype and hoopla?
The first scene featuring Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter himself) showed a rather buff young man who could…sort of…pass for fifteen. Maybe. Fans were immediately thrown into danger and treated to some stunning CGI, though anyone unfamiliar with the series by this point will be instantly and immediately lost. If you don’t already know the story, The Order of the Phoenix is not the place to get started.
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Tom Bihn Smart Alec Laptop Backpack Review
Posted by Lolita Beckwith Categories: Accessories, Wearables, Features, PC / Laptop, Product Reviews,
Quality and Convenience. These are the words that immediately come to mind about Tom Bihn’s Smart Alec laptop backpack and accessories. Available in 4 color combinations, this bag is as stylish as it is functional. But let’s start with Quality. The large, roomy (18.5” x 11.75” x 7.75”), Smart Alec is made of 1050 denier Ballistic and 1000 denier Cordura nylons, and is lined with 500 denier Dupont Cordura nylon. Translation? This bag is strong, and seemingly indestructible, exemplified by their lifetime guarantee. Plus, both the back of the backpack and the straps are heavily padded. My first time out with Alec, I was carrying at least 10 pounds of laptop and other stuff—and yet Alec was surprising comfortable on my back. If you plan on using the Smart Alec as a laptop bag, I highly recommend the Brain Cell, a soft, lightweight but tough-as-nails shell for your computer, with 8mm of durable foam padding. The Brain Cell (which, with its two mesh pockets and shoulder strap attachments can itself be used as a laptop bag) is of the highest quality and durability. The Brain Cell even attaches to the interior of the Smart Alec with “Annex Clips”, further securing your precious PC. I actually dropped Alec twice—with my laptop inside—and wasn’t even remotely concerned about damage to my Gateway. That’s how confident I was in the Brain Cell (my laptop is just fine, by the way).
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DVD REVIEW: Trading Places: Special Collector’s Edition
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Paramount, Classics, Comedy, New Releases, DVD Reviews,
Last week, I was faced with a very difficult decision: Could I find a new DVD to review other than Norbit? The pickings were very slim, so I ultimately chose to make a compromise. Rather than endure a painful Eddie Murphy exhibition, I elected to watch him at his best—- in the new Trading Places (Special Collector’s Edition).
Not only did I reacquaint myself with a comedy that has remained fresh since its 1983 debut, I had the chance to see extras that were not included in the movie’s initial DVD offering. In fact, most of the footage had not even been seen since the movie was originally released.
A quick synopsis for those who haven’t had the opportunity to see the film even once: Two rich, old businessmen (Mortimer and Randolph Duke) decide to make a bet while testing out the Nature vs. Nurture theory. Could they force their trust-worthy assistant (Dan Akyroyd) into a life of crime by taking away his livelihood….or would his good breeding and skills carry him through? And could they make a street criminal (Eddie Murphy) into a valued employee by giving him a good home and clothes….or would he eventually resort back to his old ways?
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The Playfeed Review Scoring Guide
Posted by Chris Pereira Categories: Announcements, Reviews,
Our review scoring guide here at Playfeed is very simple and straightforward: games get a single number score, from 1-10, where 5 is considered average. There’s no 0.1 nonsense here, leaving you to wonder what the difference is between a game scoring an 8.2 and another that received an 8.4. We’re looking to provide you with a simple number that sums up the reviewer’s thoughts on the game being reviewed. However, we encourage you to read the text, as it will almost always be of much more help than the review score we assign to a game.
To be clear, a 10 doesn’t imply perfection – no game will ever achieve such a feat. But, if a game receives a 10, rest assured that we cannot more highly recommend it.
10 – Excellent.
9 – Great.
8 – Very good.
7 – Good.
6 – Above average.
5 – Average.
4 – Below average.
3 – Bad.
2 – Terrible.
1 – Bubonic Plague-level atrocity; a sin against nature.
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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