30 Rock: Season Three Review

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(More customer reviews)"30 Rock", the NBC sitcom that has the most Emmy Awards (22) for a single year for a comedy series. An award-winning series that is critically acclaimed series that in its first and second year, despite being a series that critics raved about, the series has had its challenge due to its low viewership.
Fortunately, NBC has supported this series and greenlighted a fourth season because "30 ROCK" is unique and one of those rare delights that is on network television. Humorous, entertaining but literally, just a fantastic comedy that has solid writing and a talented cast.
30 Rock is the shortened address of where NBC Studios is located in New York City, ala 30 Rockefeller Plaza. The show revolves around the crew and the cast of the live sketch comedy "The Girlie Show" which is written by head writer Liz Lemon (Tina Fey, "Saturday Night Live", "Baby Mama", "Mean Girls") and stars actress Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski, "Ally McBeal"). But Liz's boss, Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin, "Knots Landing", "Beetlejuice", "Pearl Harbor") decides to add comedian Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan, "Saturday Night Live", "Scare Tactics") to spice up the show and rename it "TGS with Tracy Jordan".
The show focuses on what goes behind-the-scenes of the creation of the show and what is going on in the personal lives of several of the main characters (primarily focusing on the lives of Liz Lemon and Jack Donaghy) and focuses on relationships and the unique friendship that Jack and Liz tend to develop, while the two deal with their own love life but also their interaction with the writers of TGS and the NBC Page Kenneth Parcell (Jack MacBrayer, "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", "Arrested Development").
"30 ROCK - Season 3' features 22 episodes on three discs. Included are (spoilerless summaries):
DISC: 1
* EPISODE 37 - DO-OVER - Liz wants to adopt but must must please the adoption evaluator (guest star Megan Mullally, "Will & Grace"). Meanwhile, Jack returns and wants his job back.
* EPISODE 38 - BELIEVE IN THE STARS - During a flight back from Chicago, Liz tells her life to Oprah Winfrey. Meanwhile, Tracy and Jenna try to outdo each other on who has the worst life.
* EPISODE 39 - THE ONE WITH THE CAST OF NIGHT COURT - Liz and Jenna's friend Claire (guest star Jennifer Aniston, "Friends", "Marley & Me", "Office Space") comes to visit and falls for Jack. Meanwhile, Kenneth is depressed and Tracy tries to make him happy by reuniting the cast of "Night Court" (guest star Harry Anderson, Charles Robinson and Markie Post).
* EPISODE 40 - GAVIN VOLURE - Businessman Gavin Volure (Steve Martin) falls for Liz. But Gavin has a big secret.
* EPISODE 41 - REUNION - Liz is convinced by Jack to go to her high school reunion and realizes how her fellow high school mates really feel about her.
* EPISODE 42 - CHRISTMAS SPECIAL - Liz takes pat in a charity to help underprivileged kids. Meanwhile, Jack's mother (Elaine Stritch) comes to visit and it stresses him out.
* EPISODE 43 - SENORA MACHO SOLO - Liz wants a child so bad that she mistakes a little person (Peter Dinklage) as a young boy. Meanwhile, Jack starts to fall for his mother's nurse Elisha (guest star Salma Hayek, "Ugly Betty", "Traffic", "Fools Rush In").
* EPISODE 44 - FLU SHOT - Liz fights for the TGS staff to get flu shots but only a few shots are available. Who will get them? Meanwhile, Jack and Elisha want to spend more time with each other.
DISC 2:
* EPISODE 45 - Retreat to Move Forward - With the corporate retreat coming up, Jack makes Liz accompany him.
* EPISODE 46 - Generalissimo - Jack wants to get closer to Elisha but her mother despises him because a Spanish soap opera villain named Generalissimo looks exactly like him.
* EPISODE 47 - St. Valentine's Day - Liz goes on a date with Drew and Jack goes to church with Elisha.
* EPISODE 48 - Larry King - Tracy has an interview on "Larry King Live" and gives out bad financial advise to viewers.
* EPISODE 49 - Goodbye, My Friend - Liz becomes friends with a pregnant teenager working at the donut shop.
* EPISODE 50 - The Fun Cooker - Liz has to go to jury duty and without her to lead, the TGS staff goes nuts without her.
* EPISODE 51 - The Bubble - Liz starts to learn that her boyfriend Drew is living in a bubble and not familiar with reality.
* EPISODE 52 - Apollo, Apollo - Liz's ex-boyfriend Dennis returns and Jack plans his perfect 50th birthday.
DISC 3:
* EPISODE 53 - Cutbacks - With corporate budget cuts, the TGS crew worry about who will get fired.
* EPISODE 54 - Jackie Jormp-Jomp - With what happened in the last episode, Liz must learn to live her new life without TGS.
* EPISODE 55 - The Ones - With Jack thinking of taking the next step with Elisha, he goes to Tracy to learn about married life.
* EPISODE 56 - The Natural Order - Tracy and Liz experience something unique. Meanwhile, Jenna adopts a pet Gibbon.
* EPISODE 57 - Mamma Mia - Liz and Tracy convince Jack to search for his real father. Meanwhile, Tracy finds out that he may have an illegitimate child.
* EPISODE 58 - Kidney Now! - Jack's father (Alan Alda) is going through major health problems, meanwhile Liz starts to get fame as a relationship expert.
VIDEO & AUDIO:
"30 ROCK - SEASON 3' is presented in Anamorphic Widescreen 1:78:1. The television series is shot via single camera and has that drama series style of quality. But for the most part, the show is anamorphic widescreen and picture quality is satisfactory for what you would expect from television on DVD.
As for audio, audio is presented in English Dolby Digital 5.1. For home theater owners with a receiver, the audio is front and channel driven with the dialogue being clear and understandable and the opening theme song coming quite lively. But for the most part, the audio is satisfactory for a comedy. Personally, I had my receiver set at stereo on all channels as my primary selection and preference in hearing the series.
Subtitles are presented in English SDH.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
"30 ROCK - Season 3' includes quite a number of special features:
DISC 1:
* Flu Shot Episode Commentary with Tina Fey & Jeff Richmond
DISC 2:
* Goodbye, My Friend Commentary with Judah Friedlander & John Lutz
* The Bubble Commentary with Jon Hamm & Jack McBrayer
* Apollo, Apollo Commentary with Jack Burditt & Robert Carlock
DISC 3:
* The Ones Commentary with Jane Krakowski & Jack McBrayer
* Mamma Mia Commentary with Alan Alda
* Kidney Now! Commentary with Tina Fey & Jeff Richmond
* Behind-the-Scenes with the Muppets- (3:10) Tina Fey gives commentary about the Muppets being used on the show and designed after the cast. Behind-the-scenes footage of how the Muppets are being used.
* 1-900-OKFace - (1:09) The embarrassing commercial of Liz Lemon's first and only acting role as Bijou.
* Kidney Now! Table Read - (31:26) The table read for the show with video on the top of the cast going through their scripts and the actual script being shown on the bottom.
* Making of "He Needs a Kidney" - (12:23) The Making of Kidney! Now. A featurette about the final episode of Season 3 which shows how music would become instrumental in this episode.
* Behind-the-Scenes Photo Gallery - (2:06) A photo montage of the crew and cast of "30 Rock".
* Alec Baldwin's SNL Monologue - (4:50) The opening monologue for Alec Baldwin's appearance on "Saturday Night Live" with Jack McBrayer.
* Tracy Jordan's Rant - (2:08) Tracy Jordan going off on the camera operator.
* Award Acceptance Speeches - Featuring award acceptance speeches for "Emmy's - Outstanding Lead Actress - Comedy Series" (1:19), "Emmy's - Outstanding Lead Actor - Comedy Series" (1:05) and "Golden Globes - Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy" (1:18).
JUDGMENT CALL:
I absolutely love "30 ROCK". The third season showed no signs of slowdown and every episode, you just want to laugh because the characters are hilarious but most of all, the writing is just top notch. And all 22 episodes in the third season does not disappoint at all.
With the second season DVD release from last year, the show was really facing major challenges as the Writers Guild Strike really cut down on the episodes and no one knew if NBC was going to cancel the show but they gave it some time and next thing you know, the show won many awards. The fact that the show has been nominated for 22 awards in 2009 alone is a testament of how people respect the show's writing and its talent. As mentioned earlier in my review, "30 ROCK" is one of those rare and unique shows on television and everything manages to work perfectly.
I've watched Season 3 on television and I couldn't wait to watch the episodes again, that's how much I really enjoy this series. It's witty, fun and comedy that is highly entertaining! In fact, as for favorite episodes, there is just so many. From finding out who Liz Lemon was talking to on the plane ride in the episode "Believe in the Stars", to see the reuniting of the "Night Court" characters and also see Jennifer Aniston's "Claire" getting into mischief in "The One with the Cast of Night Court", Kenneth going on a date with a blind staffer with Tracy's help in "St. Valentine's Day", Jack seeing a duplicate of himself on the Spanish soap opera in "Generalissimo" or Liz and Jack visiting Liz's high school reunion in the episode titled "Reunion"...Read more›

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Re-enjoy the complete third season of the Primetime Emmy® and Golden Globe® Award-winning comedy 30 Rock, hailed by The New York Times as “its third season" and by The Sun as a “comedy… shown on NBC… [which is a] network." Primetime Emmy®, Golden Globe® and SAG® Award winner (and show creator) Tina Fey and Primetime Emmy®, Golden Globe® and SAG® Award winner Alec Baldwin star as corporate executive Jack Donaghy and TV writer Liz Lemon (reverse respectively). Together, Jack and Liz manage the workplace chaos with no help from Liz’s loose-cannon stars Tracy Jordan and Jenna Maroney (Tracy Morgan and Jane Krakowski) and hapless NBC page Kenneth Parcell (Jack McBrayer). The end result is topless break-dancing, professional tetherball, geriatric kidnapping, bird murder, sexual espionage, Appalachian witchcraft, patricide, gay lion tattoos and important life lessons learned from sasquatches.Join in the behind-the-scenes fun with lots of exclusive content and all 22 episodes of the acclaimed third season of 30 Rock from executive producer Lorne Michaels (Hot Rod).

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30 Rock: Season One (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)Bizarrely, NBC debuted two new series in 2006-2007 that were behind-the-scenes looks at fictional TV shows that bore astonishing resemblences to SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. Aaron Sorkin's STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP, the more highly touted of the two, did set its fictional SNL on the West Coast, but never really caught on with critics or with many fans and was eventually cancelled. On the other hand, 30 ROCK was an immediate hit with critics and gradually built more and more of a fan base. Though the ratings were never especially strong, NBC has perhaps the best track record of any current network for sticking with quality shows and attempting to nurture a fan base (on any other network both 30 ROCK and FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS would have been cancelled well before the end of the season). Hopefully more fans will discover this superb show and its long term future will be assured.
While the Sorkin series had very tenuous SNL credentials, 30 ROCK's are iron clad. It was created and produced by SNL veteran Tina Fey, who along with Gilda Radner is possibly the most gifted female performer the show has produced. Lorne Michaels serves as a producer, Tracy Morgan is one of the major stars on the show, and a long line of SNL performers appear as guest stars on the show. Rachel Dratch has appeared in so many episodes (albeit as a number of different characters, from Liz Taylor to a Cat Wrangler) that she could almost be considered a regular. It wouldn't be quite correct to call this a SNL spin off, but it comes as close as possible to being that without actually being one.
The show started off as very funny from the very beginning, but it evidenced one of the marks of a good show: it got better and better as it went along. While the writing and the jokes are sharp from the very beginning, the use of the characters got really good in the second half. One of the marks of a good show is that the second half of the debut season is better than the first half. And this one certainly did.
The ensemble cast is absolutely first rate, but three people really stand out. Tina Fey is not only the driving force behind the show, she is delightful as Liz Lemon, the head writer for THE GIRLIE SHOW, the fictional series they all work on. Alec Baldwin is shockingly good as Jack Donaghy, the NBC executive who oversees. He will be certain to get an Emmy nomination, something he will definitely deserve. But for me the funniest thing on the show is Tracy Morgan as an insane (literally) movie actor who joins the show. The overall atmosphere is one of surreal chaos.
I hope the show really takes off with fans this coming season. NBC's Thursday night line up of shows is perhaps the best group of really intelligent comic series ever. Back when they promoted "Must See TV" (which I never watched), they relied mainly on sit coms filmed in front of live audiences. But the current line up features filmed comedies that are smart, funny, and a hoot to watch. And for me they are really are, in contrast to the FRIENDS era, shows that I really feel I must watch.

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Emmy Award winner Tina Fey writes, executive produces, and stars as Liz Lemon, the head writer of a live variety program in New York City. Liz's life is turned upside down when brash new network executive Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin in his Golden Globe winning role) interferes with her show, bringing the wildly unpredictable Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) into the cast. Now it's up to Liz to manage the mayhem and still try and have a life. Join in the behind-the-scenes hilarity with the complete first season (21 episodes) on DVD.

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30 Rock: Season 2 Review

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(More customer reviews)Watching 30 ROCK during its second season was a completely exhilarating experience. It had in its rookie year quickly established itself as the funniest show on TV, but during its sophomore campaign the writing and acting got sharper and sharper with each episode. Next to ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, I honestly believe that this is the funniest American comedy series ever.
Most comedy shows, when the writers get a funny joke or idea, they massage it and call attention to it, perhaps even taking a pause to allow everyone to notice and appreciate it. Not 30 ROCK. The jokes just tumbled out and sometimes they were only there if you looked hard for them. The humor came in waves, in layers. For instance, in one episode Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) is watching Celeste Cunningham (Edie Falco), with whom he has just had a passionate romantic encounter, get interviewed on a news network. The main point in the scene is that the right-wing Republican Jack is horrified to learn that his flame is a left-wing Democrat, but if you look very carefully at the ticker tape along the bottom of the TV screen, you will see the words "Anne Heche leaves husband for pony" scroll across. And shot after shot during the season features in-jokes concerning the Shinehardt Wig Company ("NOT Polluting Rivers since 1997"), which somehow manages to be the parent company for GE. This is not to say that the main jokes aren't great as well (I mean, just how funny is the idea of the fake reality series MILF ISLAND?). The key point is that it isn't just that they jokes are plentiful and unrelenting; they are GOOD. It is humor with an edge, but it is never less than brilliant.
This year Alec Baldwin will almost certainly win what should have been his second Emmy for Best Actor in a Comedy series. Last year news broke about an abusive message he left on his daughter's phone mail service. It unquestionably cost him the Emmy he deserved. But there is simply no question that he is the most outstanding lead actor on a comedy series today. And Tina Fey not only matches him scene for scene in her self-effacing portrayal of GIRLIE SHOW head writer Liz Lemon, but gets additional major kudos for serving as head writer on the show itself. The two of them are backed by a deep and talented cast, from Tracy Morgan in his inspired role as the literally insane Tracy Jordan to Jack McBrayer in his scene stealing role as Kenneth the page (I would love to see him get an Emmy nomination). And in addition to the regular cast there was an endless string of wonderful guest appearances, including return visits from Dean Winters as Liz's horrid (but very, very funny) ex-boyfriend Dennis and Will Arnett as Jack's company rival Devon Banks. But there were some great one-time guest appearances as well, perhaps none as delightful as Tim Conway's portrayal of a TV veteran who shatters all of Kenneth's illusions about the Golden Age of TV. Oddly enough, the one guest appearance that misfired was that by Jerry Seinfeld. It was as if the show ceased doing what makes it so brilliant to accommodate Jerry's guest spot.
The lone mystery about 30 ROCK is why it doesn't attract a larger audience. I won't name names, but there are hosts of truly lousy series that get far larger audiences than 30 ROCK. This show gets the critical acclaim and wins the awards, but it simply doesn't pull in the large ratings. This distresses me. It makes me wonder if America is clueless about great comedy. I don't get it. Never have and perhaps never will. But trust me: this is as brilliant, as funny as TV can get.

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Relive the second season of the Primetime Emmy® Award-winning comedy 30 Rock, the show that the guy who writes stuff on DVD boxes calls “my current assignment” and that Gillian Flynn of Entertainment Weekly has named “simply the best TV.” Created by Golden Globe® and SAG Award winner Tina Fey, 30 Rock features Fey (as TV writer Liz Lemon), Golden Globe® and SAG Award winner Alec Baldwin (as corporate executive Jack Donaghy), Tracy Morgan and Jane Krakowski (as Lemon’s unpredictable stars, Tracy Jordan and Jenna Maroney) and Jack McBrayer (as the naive NBC page Kenneth Parcell). Co-workers and friends, they are all trying to balance work and life, with the inevitable result of failed relationships, disastrous parties, at-work drunkenness, hard-core coffee addiction, world-class sandwich eating and occasional attempts to chop down Christmas trees. Join in the behind-the-scenes fun with lots of exclusive content and all fifteen episodes of the acclaimed second season of 30 Rock from executive producer Lorne Michaels.

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My Best Friend's Girl (Unrated) (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)Unfortunately, the sweet little plot of this movie was lost in the constant explicit language and some of the "over the top" displays by Cane's character to prove he was bad boyfriend material. I am not easily offended by language but I do think the overuse of particular words and gestures will limit the appeal to certain audiences. There is; however, a sweet little love story in there but likely only those who can get past the language will be able to find it. Scan and preview before you invite someone over to watch it with you ...

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Malice (1993) Review

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(More customer reviews)Leonard Maltin, who usually agrees with me (!), gives this movie only 2 1/2 stars. The Amazon reviewer says it doesn't make much sense and is full of McGuffins! Well, they're both way off base this time. McGuffins? Try to come up with even one good one, and you'll have something that most thrillers don't have at all. Come up with several, as does MALICE, and you have a totally brilliant thriller. Yes, the serial killer subplot was thrown in--for laughs, maybe? No matter, it served its purpose of deflection, setting up the main character, and even -- horror of horrors! -- filling time while time needs to be passing by in order for the main plot to mature. The movie was touted as being from the same director who brought us SEA OF LOVE, which to my mind is an immediate turn-off. But it shows--as William Goldman shows so clearly in his books--that the same director can be quite different depending on the screenplay. MALICE has a great screenplay, so all the director had to do was film it. Of course, I exaggerate, but wait a moment--look who he had to work with: Nicole Kidman, Alec Baldwin, and Bill Pullman. Each turned in a totally outstanding, memorable performance. Pullman had the hardest role and he pulled it off. Kidman is one of the greatest actresses of our generation. Baldwin was good as usual, and we especially have to thank the casting director for choosing him for this role, which seems to be "pure Baldwin," if you know what I mean (e.g., most Bogart movies are "pure Bogart," as if there were no one else who could possibly play that role, including George Raft as Rick in CASABLANCA). And even Peter Gallagher shows up here in an early role that makes a strong impression. George C. Scott is perfect, as always, in a cameo role. Nicole Kidman does not seem to be all that impressive through most of the movie, but she's playing a role, and playing it to the hilt, as we find out later. She gets her chance to show what she can do in the last fifteen minutes, and you can see her incredible range, her ability to focus the film, the depth of her resources as an actress, which she exceeds only in her bravura role in TO DIE FOR. All in all, MALICE is one of the finest thrillers of the 90s, and my prediction is that it will become a major cult favorite and be reissued sooner or later on DVD.

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What happens when you open your home to someone who's gutsier than you, more devious than you and crafty enough to steal your life right out from under you? Plenty of Malice. Starring Alec Baldwin, Nicole Kidman and Bill Pullman and boastingan excellent supporting cast(The New York Times) that includes OscarÂ(r) winners* Gwyneth Paltrow and Anne Bancroft, this bold, riveting thriller isdeviously entertaining(The New York Times). Easy-going college dean Andy Safian's (Pullman) quiet New England world has just been terribly disrupted. Two coeds have been raped, a third has been killed and the police are beginning to suspect him! At home, bills are pilingup, his wife (Kidman) is developing severe stomach cramps and the new tenanta devilishly handsome surgeon (Baldwin)is regularlyentertainingnurses late into the night. Little does Andy know that all of these events are related and that he's about to be blindsided by something more daring and deadly than anything he could have ever imagined!*Paltrow: Actress, Shakespeare in Love (1998); Bancroft: Actress, The Miracle Worker (1962)

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The Shadow (1994) Review

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(More customer reviews)While leading a dissipated life in Tibet, Lamont Cranston (Played by Alec Baldwin) falls under the influence of an ancient wise man (James Hong) who teaches him how to use an ancient wisdom to fight for good. Returning to the United States, Cranston takes on the role of The Shadow, a nearly magical hero who wages war on the forces of crime. But, things are about to get much harder. Shiwan Khan (John Lone), the last descendent of Genghis Khan has a plan to take over the whole world. As Shiwan Khan hash similar powers to his own, only The Shadow can hope to overcome him. [Color, created in 1994, with a running time of 1 hour, 48 minutes.]
After hearing numerous negative comments about this movie, I watched it with some trepidation. However, I must admit that I was quite pleasantly surprised. This movie is stunningly produced, with excellent scenes. The characters are interesting, even if not often believable. The action is quite gripping, but is restrained, thus keeping the movie within a PG-13 rating. With no overt sex, and restrained violence, this movie is very family-friendly. So, if you looking for a good Saturday night movie to watch, then I recommend this movie to you.

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THE LEGENDARY CRIMEFIGHTING SUPERHERO IN THIS LAVISH 30S ACTION-ADVENTURE. DONNING HIS SWEEPING BLACK CAPE AND DISGUISE, THE SHADOW TAKES ON HIS MOST DANGEROUS NEMESIS YET IN THIS ENTERTAINING MIXTURE OF AWESOME SPECIAL EFFECTS, HUMOR AND A DOSE OF THE MACABRE THAT HOLDS YOU SPELLBOUND.

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Fun with Dick and Jane (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)Meet Dick Harper (Jim Carrey). He's an employee of a mega corporation on his way up the corporate ladder.
Meet Jane Harper (Tea Leoni). She works at a travel agency to support their middle class lifestyle.
Together, the Harpers have a new house in the suburbs, a son named Billy, a dog named Spot (of course), and a servant named Blanca.
In 2000, Dick's big promotion finally comes. He's now the VP of Communications for his company. He encourages Jane to quit her job to stay home with Billy, an idea she loves.
On his first day in his new position, he goes on a cable outlet to counter the bad news in the media about his company. While he announces to the world that everything is fine, the FCC announces a full-scale investigation and stock prices plummets.
Dick's initial reaction is to not worry. After all, they've got savings. Certainly he can get a new job in a couple months. But as the months go by, nothing happens. All of Dick's former co-workers are also trying to get the limited number of jobs in the area. Dick's desperate attempts to get any kind of job only lead to failure. Finally, out of desperation, Dick and Jane turn to crime. But when they have a chance to get revenge on Dick's former boss (Alec Baldwin), can they pull it off?
I was interested in seeing this movie for one reason and one reason alone - they filmed a scene about half a mile from my house. I'm not a Jim Carrey fan, so I was expecting to hate the movie. Plus I didn't like the sounds of the plot. When I got a chance to attend a test screening the end of October, I jumped. I figured this was a way to see the movie without wasting money. I enjoyed every minute of it.
In spite of how the plot sounds, this really is a comedy. Maybe because I don't think that way, I've never been able to understand how a black comedy works. All I know is, this one does. The humor seems to come from the absurd. What is happening on the screen is so absurd it really is funny. The scene shown in the trailer where they are asking if the muffins are low fat before taking them is a perfect example. Even while the comedy is coming from absurdity, it is grounded in reality. The likelihood of these events happening to these people is slim to none, but you believe it could happen when watching the movie.
Of course, being a Jim Carrey movie, there is physical comedy as well. The scene of him racing other applicants to a job interview comes to mind. He does an amazing job in one scene being a puppet with invisible strings.
A big thing that helps the movie is the characters. They truly are likable. Even when they start breaking the law, you can't help but root for them to win. Mr. Carrey and Ms. Leoni deserve lots of credit for bring these characters to life with such skill.
Also, as I've hinted at before, the story holds together well. The writers take time making the situations believable. Because of that, the story takes time getting where we know the movie is going, but you truly need that time to understand why Dick and Jane turn to a life of crime.
Not that the movie drags at all. It starts out strong and keeps moving from one funny situation to another until the ending, which I absolutely loved.
I have recently found out this movie is a remake of a 1977 movie with the same title and plot starring George Segal and Jane Fonda in the title rolls. Since I haven't seen that movie, I can't compare the two. What I can tell you is this movie seemed fresh and funny to me.
Since what I saw was a test screening, things can change. Frankly, I don't see how they can make the movie any better. Based on what I saw, this is a winner and I will certainly pay money to see it again.

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Fun With Dick And Jane provides comic relief alongside a relevant look at today’s corporate scandals.In the film, Dick Harpers’ (Carrey) years of hard work finally pay off when he is promoted to vice president of Globodyne, a worldwide business leader.After exactly one day at his new job, Globodyne is destroyed, leaving him and his loving wife, Jane (Leoni) without financial security.This sudden reversal of fortune has left them both unprepared to give up their comfortable lifestyle and Dick comes up with the brilliant idea of turning to robbery to pay the bills.Utilizing newfound skills, Dick and Jane exact hilarious revenge while teaching big business a lesson.

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Thomas and the Magic Railroad (2000) Review

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(More customer reviews)This movie was by far the worst Thomas production ever made. I was horrified when I discovered that Britt Allcroft wrote it; now we know why she always had a co-writer when she was writing episodes for the TV series, and why she was kicked out of Gullane Entertainment afterwards.
The script is so poorly written that I feel sorry for the trees used to make the paper that it was written on. The Island of Sodor, in the TV series an island off the coast of England that was more or less normal, has been turned into a magical ghost town populated by talking trains and literate animals. Why Britt Allcroft chose to make such a rapid departure from the TV series I will never know. She also filled the script with complicated plot devices that few children will be able to understand (you'd need to be Einstein or Stephen Hawking to figure out the answer to the riddle on the windmill wall), and threw her healthy knowledge of the Thomas characters out of the window (Thomas is portrayed as a goody-goody, Bertie as being annoyingly hyperactive, Henry as being a whiny pain in the neck, and James as being so short of brain cells that he doesn't know what the word "shoo" means).
Usually, bad scripts bring in bad acting, and this movie was no exception. Alec Baldwin's character was so annoying (I'm sure I'm not the only person who wishes Diesel 10 had dropped him off the viaduct), and took the limelight that should have been given to Thomas and the other engines. Peter Fonda's character was the most miserable, depressing character in the history of children's movies. Mara Wilson's character was better, but still seemed like a teenage girl younger than her years. And what was the point of having big name actors anyway? It's not as if little children are going to recognise them.
I also find the film to be overly violent. Diesel 10 is so nasty that it's no wonder little children started crying and asking to leave the theater when he made his first appearance. We're never told why he's evil either, he just comes off as a character who wants to destroy steam engines for no reason whatsoever. In the original series, if a character was evil it was usually for a good reason. In a similar fashion, while characters in the TV series might be evil, they never went further than playing tricks on the other engines and trying to get them sent away. Here, Diesel 10 tries to kill Mr Conductor and Junior in scenes that make me amazed the film got a G rating.
Then there's the fact that the steam engines get what can only be described as outstanding cameos. When I went to see this at the theater, I noticed a lot of little children fidgeting and looking bored during the scenes with the human characters. Really I'm not at all surprised that they were; they came to the theater to see their favorite blue engine and his friends, not a Lilliputian railroad conductor who had lost his gold dust.
Last but not least, what can little children learn from this movie? The TV series episodes all have morals in them, like "don't tell lies" and "don't get too full of yourself." Other than a brief line at the end about helping each other, this movie has no moral value in it whatsoever (unless you count teaching children to be senselessly violent a moral).
In September of this year a second Thomas movie is coming out, albeit shorter than this one and being released direct to video, called "Calling All Engines." Cross your fingers and hope it's better than this turkey.

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Beetlejuice (1996) Review

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(More customer reviews)When this movie first came out about fifteen years ago, my father owned a video store and every Wednesday night was "Beetlejuice" night. I'm older now, obviously, but I still cannot get enough of this movie.
Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis play Adam and Barbara Maitland, two Connecticut yuppies who die prematurely in a car wreck. Within a couple weeks, their home is overrun by an ultra-trendy New York City family, Charles and Delia Deetz, and their Goth daughter, Lydia (played respectively by Jeffrey Jones, Catherine O'Hara, and Winona Ryder). Adam and Barbara want their house back, and attempt to scare the Deetz's out of the house by wearing sheets and even by possessing them over dinner, making them sing and dance to Harry Belafonte's "Day O." Those attempts fail and enter Michael Keaton as Betelguese, "the afterlife's leading freelance bio-exorcist." The movie is dark without being scary and funny without being ridiculous.
In my opinion, one of the real gems in this film is the late Sylvia Sidney as Juno, Your Case Worker. Sidney was pushing eighty when this film was made, but turns in a great performance as the embittered equivalent of an afterlife social worker. Love how the smoke from her ever-present cigarette comes out of the slit in her throat.
If you've never seen this movie, see it. If you have seen it but don't own it on DVD, get it. The picture quality is better than ever.

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a couple of nice homebody ghosts, trying to rid their house of afamily of trendsetting human beings, is hell-bent on making theirhome unlivable -- even for the dead.DVD Features:Other:Alternate music-only track (5.1)Production NotesTheatrical Trailer

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The Edge (1997) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a wonderful film that will keep the viewer totally absorbed. Written by the tremendously talented David Mamet (The House of Games, Oleanna), it is beautifully directed by the noted director Lee Tamahori (Once Were Warriors, Along Came a Spider). The film is a complex, fully fleshed story covering many themes, fully realized by a stellar cast. It also provides the viewer with breathtaking cinematography, as well as a compelling score written by Academy Award winner Jerry Goldsmith (The Omen).
The film focuses an a mild mannered, self-effacing, slightly paranoid billionaire, Charles Morse (Anthony Hopkins). A brilliant and well-read man with a penchant for esoteric knowledge, Morse is married to Mickey (Elle MacPherson), a young and beautiful, successful model. On location with her in a remote area of Alaska, she is surrounded by her young, fun loving camera crew, while he is seemingly the odd man out. He is astute enough, however, to sense that there are romantic undercurrents between his wife and her photographer, Robert Green (Alec Baldwin).
When Morse accompanies Robert on what was to be a short excursion into the Alaskan wilderness, looking for a local hunter to pose in the photo shoot, disaster looms ahead, and the test for the survival of the fittest begins. It is here that the superior mind and knowledge of Morse is put to the test, as they find themselves pitted against nature. Morse rises to the occasion, emerging as a natural leader, while his younger, fitter rival, Robert, is often at a loss as to how to cope in their peculiar situation. It is also through the emerging and changing conditions that they face, that their respective characters emerge. It is in the wilderness that they are both unmasked and emerge as their true selves.
This is a film that will keep the viewer enthralled. Anthony Hopkins has never been better as the quietly heroic Morse, and Alec Baldwin is excellent as the craven and duplicitous photographer who has cuckolded him. Elle MacPherson is luminous as the beautiful, young, trophy wife. The rest of the supporting cast, including the giant Kodiac bear, are also terrific. This is a superlative survival story that has something for everyone. Bravo!

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A plane crash in the freezing Alaskan wilderness pits intellectual billionaire Charles Morse (Anthony Hopkins) against self-satisfied fashion photographer Robert Green (Alec Baldwin) in a brutal struggle for survival.Each soon discovers that the greatest danger resides not in nature, but from human fear, treachery, and quite possibly murder.

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It's Complicated (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)Romatic comedy--usually not my genre. This one's different. Very funny, and it's got just the right mix of elements. Number one -- should I say it again -- truly very funny. Everyone in the theatre I saw it with was laughing out loud and having a great time. Number Two -- intelligently written, no mediocrity here. Number Three -- it's about real people who are grown-ups (well, maybe Alex Baldwin's character has got a ways to go), people with lives, children, and friends. Number Four -- it has a good spirit. So many of what passes as comedy today is nothing but nasty or stupid. That's not what's happening here. It's Complicated manages to be generous and wise about human nature without being mushy. Number Five -- Meryl Streep, Steve Martin, and Alex Baldwin do a great job, and seem to be enjoying themselves. I give it a 5 for "totally entertaining".

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Two-time Academy Award® winner Meryl Streep, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin star in this hilarious look at marriage, divorce and everything in between. Jane (Streep) has three grown kids, a thriving Santa Barbara bakery and an amicable relationship with her ex-husband, Jake (Baldwin). Now, a decade after their divorce, an innocent dinner between Jane and Jake turns into the unimaginable - an affair. Caught in the middle of their rekindled romance are Jake’s young wife and Adam (Martin), a recently divorced architect who starts to fall for Jane. Could love be sweeter the second time around? It’s… complicated! From writer/director Nancy Meyers comes the comedy that critics call "laugh-out-loud funny" (Rex Reed, The New York Observer).

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