37 posts tagged “dvd review”
Released: April 15, 2008
*****
With each segment running no more than two minutes, there is never a
chance for the kids or adults to get bored. For the children, a
wonderful mix of animation styles, from seemingly "cut out" characters,
a la "South Park" to a rougher style simulating the look of a Norman
Rockwell painting. Most of the pieces are bright, appealing to the
rapidly shifting attention span of the target audience. Where they
might have trouble following along is the actual dialogue. While each
poem is easy to understand and deals with simple concepts, the very
nature of poetry may be too obtuse for children under five years old.
*****
Classical Baby (I'm Grown Up Now): The Poetry Show DVD Review
Released: April 9, 2008
*****
A spin off of "Def Comedy Jam," this series turns out to be much more
fun than its parent if only because the performers aren´t concerned
with punch lines or cursing. Rather, what they have to say is
heartfelt, personal stories or thoughts with broader implications for
the greater population.
*****
Def Poetry Season 6 DVD Review
Director: Sean Abley
*****
The first thing we need to look at is the basic premise. I´ve heard of sounding, a form of sexual pleasure where a rod is inserted into the male genitalia and stimulated to the point of orgasm. I´ve never heard of mild forms of electrocution for the same purpose. (To be fair, the characters here don´t necessarily "plug in" in a sexual capacity. Their reasoning is more akin to charging a battery.) But one has to wonder about the logic of this practice within the film´s reality. Matthews is a doctor; his new boyfriend Craig Murphy (Matthew Montgomery) is an intern at the same hospital. And everyone else involved with their little group seems to be of sound mind and body. Doesn´t it ever strike these intelligent people as dangerous to be sending electricity through their bodies, no matter how small of the voltage might be?
*****
Socket DVD Review
*****
It is entirely possible I don´t under "John from Cincinnati" on the level creator David Milch intends. I will fully grant that possibility. After all, if I don´t "get it" after watching all ten episodes of the series and listening to two Milch commentary tracks, maybe the premise is too dense for most audiences. And the one audience which might understand the series isn´t necessarily watching television. On the other hand, I will also happily entertain the notion Milch doesn´t know what the series is about and, thus, can never help us wrap our arms around it. In fact, we´re treated to the writer explaining a pivotal scene to the entire cast and crew on set in the Special Features. The way he deconstructs each sentence of a dream sequence-and the ensuing reactions of the people gathered around him-makes me wonder is anyone fully comprehends it.
*****
John from Cincinnati: The Complete Series DVD Review
Released: April 1, 2008
*****
Lawrence isn´t the only offender in his acting. The entire cast is
uniformly larger than life, almost as if they are putting on a theater
production and audience members in the cheap seats need to understand
what´s going on. Martin, Gina (Campbell), Pam, Tommy and Cole all
scream and yell their lines as if there isn´t a microphone sitting a
foot away from their mouths. Their actions are wild, something my
father would call "being dramatic." Most of the humor is at the expense
of the other characters, especially Pam. Martin calls her a litany of
names throughout the season-and most likely through the
series-prompting me to wonder if he ever gave her a complex.
*****
Martin: The Complete Fourth Season DVD Review
Director: Simon Rumley
*****
Don´t let the back cover copy fool you: "The Living and the Dead" is not the typical horror film. The film, the fourth by British director Simon Rumley, uses nearly clichéd conventions of the genre, though, to craft a picture in which we sit on the edge of our seats, waiting for what we think will happen to happen. Instead, the story takes a decidedly left turn away from our expectations to engage us in a wholly thrilling direction we never see coming.
*****
The Living and the Dead DVD Review
Director: Scott Z. Burns
*****
When an accident at a top secret facility subjects family man Timofey to massive doses of radiation, he takes it upon himself to plan for his wife and son. He decides to steal the plutonium and sell it to the highest bidder in Moscow. Problem is he gets mixed up with Shiv, who owes $3,000 for blowing up the wrong storefront for his boss after the owner doesn´t pay the protection fee. When these two get together, both fathers and desperate, nothing good results.
*****
Pu-239 DVD Review
*****
Perhaps I expected a bit too much from a disc called "Autopsy: Postmortem with Dr. Michael Baden." With a promised look into five high profile cases (the JFK assassination, O. J. Simpson, the Romanov execution, Sid Vicious and September 11th rescuer illnesses), the implied contract the program makes with the viewer seems to demand extensive forensic investigation. What we end up with are all too brief peeks into fascinating pieces of history.
*****
Autopsy: Postmortem with Dr. Michael Baden DVD Review
Directors: Otto Bathurst, Simon Curtis
*****
Co-produced by the BBC and HBO, the five episode miniseries introduces us to one character after another from friends and family to journalists, cops, well doers and even the people responsible for Leanne´s (the mother) disappearance. Exclusively written by Gwyneth Hughes, "Five Days" tries to branch out from the normal police procedural by focusing more on the family than the nuts and bolts of the investigation. Yet, in the end, it is precisely this examination of the personal dynamic which ultimately leads to the downfall of the endeavor.
*****
Five Days DVD Review
*****
The list of "Def Jam" alumni is long and distinguished. Tracy Morgan, Martin Lawrence, Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Cedric the Entertainer…and that only scratches the surface. (Mark Curry, Katt Williams, Jamie Foxx…) This program is a breeding ground for new artists not only because it provides them an unfiltered forum to hone their skills to a national audience, but Simmons name lends validity to each act.
*****
Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam DVD Review
