American Pie Presents: The Book of Love (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)Once again Universal dumps the high end cameras and transfer into one of their franchises, so the resulting Blu picture and sound are flawless, but in a film that does not qualify. The DTS was mixed perfectly, especially in each fantasy sequence the music didn't drown anything out. The picture was crystal enough to see every pore and flesh tone - and there is a great deal of that. Aside from the cameos and fun fantasy sequences, the movie is forgettable, but the supplements are fun and worth the watch, including:
* Making of, 8:00 minutes. Director intros with how he dislikes the usual fare so this and all of the others could have been one long documentary of gags, outtakes and fun on the set. This one covers some brief interviews and gags.
* Love Manual, 5:50 minutes. The hot girls from the movie and some of the cameo guys give their take on how to get with ladies.
* Trivia. One of the cast goes around the set and tests people's memory on some good American Pie trivia. Enjoyable.
* Pie-Cons, 6:50 minutes. Interviews with the long list of cameos in this film.
* Deleted scenes, 11:14 minutes. Plenty of extra skin and forgettable dialogue.
* Gag Reel, 4:00 minutes. More outtakes and adlib stuff - hilarious.
* From the Set, 10 clips totaling 19 minutes. Essentially more deleted scenes with lots of extra ladies sans their clothing in funny sequences. Obviously this crew/cast had a good time making the film.
The extended is only a few minutes longer and there really isn't that much of a difference to warrant watching this twice. I would say bookmark the few worthy music scenes on your BD player (love that feature) watch the supplements and skip the rest, but the quality and extras make this a worthy addition to your library if you like the franchise. 3 stars for the positives listed. Enjoy.

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When three East Great Falls High buddies accidentally discover the legendary “Book of Love," penned by some of their school’s alumni, they embark on a hilariously outrageous quest to lose their virginity with the girls of their dreams. Join Jim’s Dad (Eugene Levy) and this lovable and outrageous group of guys in this raucous comedy full of shocking and heartwarming fun!

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Son of Kong (1933) Review

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(More customer reviews)Following hot on the heels of the classic monster love story "King Kong",whose central character is often referred to as the eight wonder of the world, this continuation story filmed and released the same year and featuring some of the same cast and settings certainly had its work cut out for it. While it could never top its famous "parent", there is much that is of interest in this effort and for sheer atmosphere alone it is miles ahead of any of the numerous King Kong followup movies that have been released over the years. "Son of Kong", continues the story of Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong), from one month after King Kong's demise at the top of the Empire State Building and one of its most interesting elements is that it reveals some progression in his character in that he now can see that taking Kong out of his own environment was a mistake. This sequel is played in a far more light hearted manner but there is still enough action to satisfy those that enjoyed the classic "King Kong". Benefiting from being filmed just after "King Kong", "Son", also boasts the same general look and feel to it in particular in the scenes taking place back on Skull Island. In "Son of Kong", we encounter another kind of ape to the noble Kong, in his white haired son who seems to have an almost sentimental side to his character but who still has that strong bond towards humans just like his father possessed in the earlier film.
"Son of Kong", begins during the fallout from Carl Denham's disastrous exhibition of King Kong in New York which resulted in numerous deaths and untold damage when Kong broke loose and went on a rampage in the city. Short of money and besieged by reporters and writ servers Carl sees that his only hope is to escape New York on one of the boats sailing to the far East. Work in transporting cargo is fairly lean however and when the boat docks at a small South Seas Island there doesn't promise to be much else on the horizon. While on the island Carl encounters Hilda (Helen Mack), a singer in her father's second rate travelling tent show. After a performance Helen's father is killed in a drunken fight with Helstrom (John Marston), who held the original map that led to Skull Island. In a desperate effort to leave the island before the authorities track him down he spins a tale of a great treasure that was buried on Skull Island just behind Kong's Great Wall. With no better prospects dawning Carl and the Captain (Frank Reicher),decide to travel again to Skull Island and find this treasure. Taking the untrustworthy Helstrom along despite their misgivings about him they also find that they have an unexpected extra passenger in Hilda who has stowed away on board to be with Carl. However it's not smooth sailing on the journey to Skull Island as Helstrom stirs up trouble with the crew who mutiny and send off the Captain, Carl, Helen and Willie the Chinese cook (Victor Wong) in a life boat . However when Helstrom tries to take command the crew throw him overboard and he joins the others who land on Skull Island. Once on the island the team encounter a white haired ape trapped in quick sand. Freeing him Kong Jr. as he is dubbed immediately takes on the responsibility for looking after the group on the island. He does battle to ward off attacks by a large bear and a number of assorted other dinosaurs. The group eventually find the inner temple where in actual fact a treasure is hidden but just as they are preparing to leave a massive earthquake erupts and the island begins to collapse into the sea. Trying to leave the others behind and save himself Helstrom meets a horrible end courtesy of one of the creatures in the lagoon and while the rest of the party make it out onto the ocean Kong Jr. and Carl are trapped on what is left of the Island. As the water level rises Kong's son in one final act of sacrifice holds Carl up above the water til he is picked up by the group. With that Kong Jr. sinks below the waves to his own death. Apart from that sad note all ends happily for Carl and Helen who look forward to a new life together thanks to Kong Jr saving all of their lives.
Admittedly "Son of Kong", can't compare with its predecessor in terms of characterisation and general excitement and it does at times have the feel of a rushed sequel to it. However there is a great deal to enjoy in this effort. The idea of creating a white furred ape to succeed the dark haired Kong on Skull Island is an interesting one and the "personalities", of the two creatures are vastly different which makes watching these two films in succession a worthwhile experience. Robert Armstrong and Helen Mack (who obviously is replacing the famed Fay Wray as the romantic lead in this effort) have a good chemistry and what both might lack in real screen charisma they more than make up for in their earnest playing. The film boasts some of the great qualities from the first film, for example Wills O'Brien's exceptional dinosaur animation most obviously displayed in the battle between Kong Jr. and the cave bear and scene of the charging Styracosaurus just after the group arrive on Skull Island. Kong Jr's animation is for the most part a continuation of the previous brilliant work achieved by Wills O'Brien in "King Kong". Because Kong Jr. is played in a much more light hearted manner the creature is not perhaps as memorable a character however he has some very enjoyable moments on screen such as when he unintentionally comes across Carl and Helen in an intimate moment and backs off with an embarrassed expression on his face. Performances by the human leads as a whole are fairly exceptable. Robert Armstrong and Helen Mack deliver good performances under the often trying circumstances they find themselves in. Helen Mack as the embattled female lead naturally has to compete with the memory of Fay Wray in the original Kong movie but she has a sweet, endearing quality to her playing in particular in the scenes where her father is murdered. John Marston as the villian Helstrom, who predictably gets his just reward for his treachery also delivers an interesting performance. With its short running time (around 70 minutes), "Son of Kong", is of course not strong in deep character or story development however that in a way works in its favour as it keeps the proceedings moving along at a fast rate.
I always view "Son of Kong", as its own individual work and try not to match it up against the far more memorable "King Kong". Smaller in almost all ways than its predecessor it still is an enjoyable action film that still contains some of the best monster stop motion animation to come out of the 1930's. Kong Jr. is an endearing creation so in some ways calling him a monster seems inappropriate. What I admire the most about this little film is the great expertise on display in the stop motion sequences and the great atmosphere of Skull Island. In many respects this work was years ahead of their time long before computers were capable of working their miracles and they pay great homage to Wills O'Brien and his expert team of animators. Try and catch King Kong's comical white haired son some time soon in "Son of Kong", as a visit to Skull Island and its mysteries is always enjoyable.

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In this sequel to "King Kong," Kong's exhibitor takes off on a cruise, ends up back on Kong's island, and make friends with the adorable Little Kong.

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Fright Night Part II (1989) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have bought a few cheapie $3.99 DVD movies. Though the picture was far from great, thery were no worse than VHS picture quality. I recently bought Fight Night Part II on DVD for $10.99 and the picture quality is atually worse than the VHS that I have! What the hell happened! Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that Artisan Entertainment is digging and releasing some old classics from their vaults, but if your going to release them like this then don't bother! This is by for the worst from Artisan. Bride of Re-Animator, Waxwork, and Lair of the White Worm were disappointents because of the poor picture quality, no widescreen formats, and lack of supplemental material, but Fright Night Part II takes the cake as their worst release! MGM may be getting lazy too and only releasing their titles only in Full Screen format, but at least their movies have good picture quality! Artisan needs to shape up or get out! Artisan should sell the rights of their older movies to Anchor Bay Entertainment so they could be properly released!

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If I rated the movie alone, I'd give it five stars.Unfortunately, I have to warn anyone who wants to buy this DVD format from Artisan.I own over 150 DVD's and I've never come across such a sad excuse for a DVD.The picture quality is HORRIBLE!If you look closely, you can see that it was taken from a tape source, and not the original.Plus, Artisan claims on the back of the box that it is formatted from its "original" aspect ratio, and that it was shot in full screen.That is a blatant lie.It was shot in letterbox widescreen, just as the first film was.You can even tell when you watch it that it has been cropped to death, and at certain moments the screen moves from right to left to catch what's missing.The audio is 2.0 Dolby surround, which is fine.However, when you turn the volume up to hear the more quiet parts of the film, you hear tape hiss.Beware of Artisan releases on DVD.Their transfers are usually like this.I have a few other older films released by them, and they're pretty poor in the quality department.It is a great film however, and is worth having no matter what.I guess this DVD is better than not having it...Almost.

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Rambo - The Complete Collector's Set (First Blood - Ultimate Edition / Rambo - First Blood Part II - Ultimate Edition / Rambo III - Ultimate Edition / John Rambo - Special Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)I won't waste time with critiques of all 4 Rambo films. Chances are that anyone visiting this page likes these movies enough to want to own them on DVD, so my opinion is inconsequential. But, since there have been two Rambo collection DVD sets over the years, whether or not to purchase this set can be somewhat of a dilemma for fans. Artisan originally released all 3 movies in a Rambo Trilogy Special Edition DVD Collection back in 2002. This was an incredible set put together as nothing short of a labor of love. Not only were the movies digitally re-mastered, but the set came with a plethora of special features including commentaries, documentaries, and trailers, most of which were included in a bonus 4th disc. Another great addition was the last on-screen interview with the late, great Richard Crenna discussing his years as Colonel Trautman for the documentaries.
In 2004, Artisan released the Rambo Trilogy Ultimate Edition DVD Collection after the Special Edition DVD set went out of print. The Ultimate set was mainly a waste of money for many Rambo fans, as most of the great Special Edition DVD features did not carry over. Instead, the 'Special Operations' interactive features were offered up as a poor substitute. The only notable inclusion to this set was found on the 'First Blood' DVD, which featured the alternate ending and a commentary track by Stallone. Then, there is the Lionsgate 2008 Complete Rambo Collection DVD set featuring all 4 movies. This set carries over most of the bonus features from both of the previous collections, although the advertised 'First Blood' commentary with author David Morrell from the Special Edition is erroneously missing. The individual movies are identical to the Ultimate Edition set but the bonus disc from the Special Edition set is also included, along with a few featurettes found only on the individual Special Edition movies. Here are the specs;
First Blood: Ultimate Edition
Audio commentary with Sylvester Stallone
Alternate Ending
Interactive Military Special Operations Features- Survival Mode, Early Warning System, MetaBrief, MetaScope, MetaSight, MetaPoint, MetaMap
Rambo First Blood Part II: Ultimate Edition
Audio commentary with director George P. Cosmatos
Interactive Military Special Operations Features- Survival Mode, Early Warning System, MetaBrief, MetaScope, MetaSight, MetaPoint, MetaMap

Rambo III: Ultimate Edition
Audio commentary with director Peter MacDonald
Deleted Scenes
Interactive Military Special Operations Features- Survival Mode, Early Warning System, MetaBrief, MetaScope, MetaSight, MetaPoint, MetaMap

Rambo: 2-Disc Special Edition
Audio commentary by Sylvester Stallone
Deleted Scenes
"Legacy of Despair: The Struggle in Burma" featurette
"It's a Long Road: Resurrection of an Icon" featurette
"A Score to Settle: The Music of Rambo" featurette
"The Art of War: Completing Rambo" featurette
"The Weaponry of Rambo" featurette
"A Hero's Welcome: Release & Reaction" featurette
Digital Copy of the feature film

Bonus Disc
"The Real Nam: Voices from Within" featurette
"Guts and Glory" featurette
"The Forging of Heroes: America's Green Berets" featurette
"Rambo-nomics" featurette
"Selling a Hero" featurette
"Suiting Up" featurette
"An American Hero's Journey: The Rambo Trilogy" featurette
"Drawing First Blood" featurette
"We Get to Win This Time" featurette
"Afghanistan: Land in Crisis" featurette
Theatrical Trailers for all 4 Films
To recap, this DVD set is probably best suited for those fans who don't own either of the previous DVD collections. Those who have the Special Edition DVD set are probably better off buying the individual release of the last Rambo film. Those who own the Ultimate Edition DVD set might want to consider upgrading if the features on the bonus disc sound appealing. Further compounding matters is the 2010 Rambo: The Complete Collector's Set [Blu Ray] edition, which reinstates the David Morrell 'First Blood' commentary but has many of the featurettes found on the DVD set's bonus disc inexplicably omitted. Whatever set one decides to purchase, the constant re-release of the Rambo movies, although frustrating to many, can also be seen as a testament to the enduring legacy of a pop cultural icon that refuses to die.

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For over 25 years, Sylvester Stallone's "mythic commando" Rambo (Variety) has thrilled audiences worldwide. From "ragged and flashy" First Blood (The New York Times) to the "shockingly entertaining" Rambo (The Seattle Times), the series chronicles a reluctant killing machine as he wages war against corrupt global forces – all while facing a battle within his own soul. Rambo: The Complete Collector's Set has everything the ultimate Rambo fan needs, including all 4 films together for the first time!

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Scary Movie 2 (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)Hi, I'm from the UK and I'm not sure what US critics think of Scary Movie 2, but the UK critics hate it. I don't though, I thought it was better than the first movie ( which is my favourite comedy ) and it's a brilliant movie.
The first scene featuring their re-make of the Exorcist had me laughing so hard as well as everyone else in the cinema. The undertaker is also a funny character with his disfigured arm which adds many scenes of laughter.
Sure, the plot is kinda weird but it's very funny and mocks those films we love including "Hannibal, Charlie's Angels, House on Haunted Hill and Mission Impossible 2". The scene where Cindy and her new love interest are trapped in a walk-in freezer (Hollow Man) mocks that tear-jerking scene in Titanic (where Leo and Kate are freezing in the water) and made me laugh very hard.
So, anyway, go and see it and I'm sure you'll love it. I will definitely buy the DVD of it.

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All your favorite SCARY MOVIE characters are back in a laugh-packed sequel that scares up even more irreverent fun than the original! Marlon Wayans (SCARY MOVIE, REQUIEM FOR A DREAM), SHAWN WAYANS (SCARY MOVIE, DON'T BE A MENACE...), and Anna Faris (SCARY MOVIE) lead a stellar cast that takes extreme pleasure in skewering Hollywood's most frightening feature films and spoofing popular culture! Also starring Regina Hall (SCARY MOVIE, LOVE AND BASKETBALL), Christopher Kennedy Masterson (TV'S MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE), Tori Speling (TV's BEVERLY HILLS 90210) ... plus Tim Curry (CHARLIE'S ANGELS), Chris Elliott (THE NUTTY PROFESSOR II: THE KLUMPS), and James Woods (ANY GIVEN SUNDAY), nothing's sacred and anything goes in this outlandish must-see comedy hit!

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Jaws 2 (1978) Review

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(More customer reviews)To believe that any effort to make a 'Jaws' sequel could compare with the impact of Steven Spielberg's original was a doomed notion even in 1978: the original was and is a cinematic classic of the highest order (despite having spent much of the '90s in almost-infinite rerun on the Turner networks), so much so that no sequel would ever have been able to measure up to its legacy. What happened basically is this: Universal execs saw the budget and schedule for 'Jaws' balloon so badly because of all its production troubles that they told Spielberg he'd never work in Hollywood again, UNTIL the movie was released and broke every box-office record imaginable. As they are wont to do in the face of staggering profit, these moneymongers quickly turned keel and told Spielberg they were behind him 100 percent the whole time and they wanted to know when he was planning to start shooting 'Jaws 2'. Spielberg, being smart, said 'No thanks', so the execs decided to go ahead with 'Jaws 2' without him. BIG mistake.
Thankfully, though, producers Richard Zanuck and David Brown remained in charge of things, and got the highly-underrated director Jeannot Szwarc to try to pick up the pieces, even going so far as to re-enlist the incomparable John Williams to score the film. The end result is a sequel that is essentially the 'Jurassic Park 2' of its day - critically landblasted, commercially eschewed, yet despite its dramatic idiosyncracies and the impossibility of competing with the original film, proves to be an entertaining follow-up nonetheless.
Much of the original cast returns, save Richard Dreyfuss (who, like Spielberg, was smart enough to know when to pass) and Robert Shaw (who, apart from his character being killed in the original, had himself died of a heart attack in 1978). But Roy Scheider's return is the saving grace here, as now he's given new dimensions to his character: his growing spite toward his wife's boss, his desperation in trying to prove that a new shark has arrived despite a more skeptical public this time around (since sharks rarely attack the same place twice, you can't really blame them). The acting remains solid in 'Jaws 2' - Murray Hamilton's character is a refreshing surprise, still just as disbelieving yet he can't help but be a little sympathetic for Brody this time - and remains that way even during the straining final hour of the film when Szwarc has to resort to the all-out terror of having the teenage daysailers menaced by the monolithic maneater.
Then there's the whole aspect of the shark itself. Since there's only so many times you can have a different giant shark attack the same island, the movie stretches its premise to the maximum level of plausibility. The shark's feats this time around are, to say the least, improbable - outrunning a speedboat and being able to sink a mini-copter, in particular - but Szwarc captures them on film quite well, and their absurdity pales in comparison to what we get in the last two entries in the series. And Szwarc and screenwriters Carl Gottlieb (returning from the original) and Howard Sackler (who contributed to the original but turned down screen credit) send their shark out in a death scene that has much more panache than the 'shoot-the-scuba-tank-stuck-in-its-mouth' gag.
'Jaws 2' has its bland and silly moments, but if you loved the suspense of the original, then this entry in the series is about the only follow-up that you might find truly worth your time and money.

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JAWS 2 - SPECIAL EDITION - DVD Movie

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Jesse Stone: No Remorse (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)As a result of his Thin Ice feud with the Paradise City Council, police chief Jesse Stone is suspended from his duties and his former colleagues on the force are forbidden to talk to him. Jesse is pretty depressed and drinking a lot, but he does finally decide talking to his ex-wife Jen is a bad idea.
Things start to look up when Healey of the state police invites Jesse to consult on an apparent serial killer case in Boston and there's been a rash of convenience store robberies in Paradise that Rose and Acting Police Chief Suitcase feel inadequate to cope with. Since Jesse also spends a lot of time with his psychiatrist trying to figure out why he can't give his dog affection, his schedule fills up fast. He also needs to learn how to use a cell phone since there was an, ah, unfortunate accident with his land line. Because of the interdiction on Jesse's communication with Suitcase and Rose, the cell phone becomes a plot point and the cloak and dagger element just misses being comic.
Jesse doggedly pursues the serial killer who seems to have a connection with the boxing promoter Gino Fish, and aids Rose and Suitcase, who need Jesse's help in identifying the perpetrator of the convenience store robberies from security tapes. The entire Paradise police department in a superb display of teamwork catches the convenience store perp. The serial killer case is wrapped up in the last few minutes of the movie in an incredible twist that left me saying, `Huh?'
With No Remorse, the movie character of Jesse Stone diverges irrevocably from that of the late lamented Robert Parker's books. He's more angst-ridden and struggles in ways the book Jesse doesn't. No Remorse, co-written by Tom Selleck, is dark. All the characters are having major problems both on and off the job to the point that it's almost painful to watch. The delightful repartee that's always been a feature of the Jesse Stone movies is much heavier handed and honestly, the movie could use some comic relief in addition to Jesse's problems with his cell phone. Several plot threads were left dangling but I read there will be at least one more Jesse Stone movie, so perhaps things will be resolved.
Three and a half stars rounded up to four. I really missed the lightness of touch of the earlier entries. And I still miss Molly.

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Tom Selleck reprises his role as Jesse Stone, the anguished and relentless former police Chief in the small town of Paradise, Massachusetts. While in self-imposed seclusion following his suspension from the Paradise Police Force, a mysterious series of related murders in nearby Boston draws Stone back into the fold. Before long, he’s following a crooked path that leads to none other than the city’s most notorious crime boss Gino Fish (William Sadler).Based upon characters created in best-selling author Robert B. Parker’s Jesse Stone books. Co-starring William Devane and Kathy Baker, Jesse Stone: No Remorse is a trip to Paradise that you will not want to miss!

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