What It’s About: Babel was nominated for a slew of awards this year and I had been dying to watch it to see what all the fuss was about and to enjoy Cate Blanchett, who I love. Having sat through it, I can understand why it didn’t really win any of the things it was nominated for.
Various stories of different characters are interwoven and end up connecting in the end. The stories are from around the world, each character with their own history and purpose. But in the end, it all felt contrived and empty. I’m not exactly sure what I was supposed to learn or come away with, besides some confusion. The most interesting storyline for me was in Japan, where a deaf-mute girl tries to get over the death of her mother, distance of her father and the fact that the other kids think she’s a freak. It’s well done. There are several nude or sexual points in this film that seem completely unnecessary and the entire thing ends up feeling like it’s just trying to hard. It’s worth watching but ends up unsatisfying.
Synopsis: In Babel, a tragic incident involving an American couple in Morocco sparks a chain of events for four families in different countries throughout the world. In the struggle to overcome isolation, fear, and displacement, each character discovers that it is family that ultimately provides solace. In the remote sands of the Moroccan desert, a rifle shot rings out -- detonating a chain of events that will link an American tourist couple's frantic struggle to survive, two Moroccan boys involved in an accidental crime, a nanny illegally crossing into Mexico with two American children and a Japanese teen rebel whose father is sought by the police in Tokyo. Separated by clashing cultures and sprawling distances, each of these four disparate groups of people are nevertheless hurtling towards a shared destiny of isolation and grief. In the course of just a few days, they will each face the dizzying sensation of becoming profoundly lost -- lost in the desert, lost to the world, lost to themselves -- as they are pushed to the farthest edges of confusion and fear as well as to the very depths of connection and love. In this mesmerizing, emotional film that was shot in three continents and four languages -- and traverses both the deeply personal and the explosively political -- acclaimed director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (21 Grams, Amores Perros) explores with shattering realism the nature of the barriers that seem to separate humankind. In doing so, he evokes the ancient concept of Babel and questions its modern day implications: the mistaken identities, misunderstandings and missed chances for communication that, though often unseen, drive our contemporary lives. Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael Garcia Bernal, Koji Yakusho, Adriana Barraza and Rinko Kikuchi lead an international ensemble of actors and non-professional actors from Morocco, Tijuana and Tokyo, who enrich Babel's take on cultural diversity and enhance its powerful examination of the links and frontiers between and within us.
Technical Stuff: The picture is pristine. No skimping on quality here. Audio is also superb. Your options are English 5.1, English 2.0, French 5.1, and English and Spanish subtitles.
Extras?
None, except the theatrical trailer which really doesn’t count.
Final Verdict: Very much worth watching but not as good as the hype.

What It’s About: Fun! This new movie from Aardman Animation is entertaining and sweet. It’s a simple story about social class and stereotypes, with plenty of entertainment along the way.
The movie is short, the animation is supreme and the voice talent is stellar. So what went wrong? Why didn’t Flushed Away do better? It’s one of those things you can’t put your finger on. Perhaps the pacing of the movie, perhaps some of the dialogue? Somewhere, something is slightly off. But whatever it is, it’s not a huge deal since I still found myself smiling through the credits on this one, which is a great sign.
Synopsis: In one of the year's best-reviewed films, pampered pet mouse Roddy St. James thinks he's got it made… until he's literally flushed away to a bustling underground world of ninja frogs, hench-rats and singing slugs. "More fun than Cars" (Neil Rosen, NY-1) and "Better than Ice Age 2" (Bill Bregoli, Westwood One), this outrageously inventive comedy-adventure is a flood of fun for both kids and grown-ups.
Technical Stuff: Looks amazing! Just as good as Madagascar or Over The Hedge. The sound has a brilliant 5.1 track that does what it needs to and then some.
Extras?
- All-New Animated Slug Songs
- Learn to Build a Slug
- Audio Commentary
- “DreamWorks Kids” section with games and trivia, etc.
Final Verdict: A fun movie the kiddies will love. Highly recommended.

What It’s About: Here is my bias: I love Robin Williams. I love a funny Robin Williams. When he went through his “please take me as a serious acotr” phase, I was not impressed. So I was thrilled to see him back to funny. But is he actually funny in Man of the Year?
No!!! They lied to us, folks. This movie was advertised as a comedy. It’s not. There are occasional comedic moments but for the most part what we have here is a political film with even some thriller moments. Ew. Who wants that? I tried to review this movie as if it didn’t matter how it was advertised but I had a hard time. It’s not a bad film, it’s just not what I was hoping for. Boo hiss.
Synopsis: Acerbic performer Tom Dobbs (Robin Williams) has made his career out of skewering politicians and speaking the mind of the exasperated nation on his talk show. He cracked scathing jokes at a fractured system night after night...until he came up with a really funny idea: why not run for president, himself.
Technical Stuff: The picture is perfect and the sound is very much acceptable for a political dramedy.
Extras?
"Commander-in-Chief" featurette and a piece about Robin Williams called "A Stand Up Guy."
Final Verdict: Like I said, I love Williams and will watch whatever he’s in, but I won’t stand by and let people think they’re getting a total comedy with this one. I’m going to go watch Mrs. Doubtfire.

What It’s About: What an odd movie. I know Scorsese movies can be odd, but man is this one odd. I blame it on Jack Nicholson who himself is really odd. But I digress.
The Departed has received many many accolades and I won’t get into all the technical artsy stuff but talk about whether I enjoyed it as a female in her late-20s who likes romantic-comedies and action flicks. Yes, I did. It’s a smart movie, which I enjoy and appreciate, given all the crap out there nowadays.
The acting is brilliant (even by the odd Nicholson) and Matt Damon turns a very interesting role here, being very very unlikeable. My favourite would have to be Marky Mark (Mark Wahlberg, who uses a lot of bad words but made me laugh. Look for Alec Baldwin as well, he’s great.
Synopsis: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson and Mark Wahlberg star in Martin Scorsese's new crime drama "The Departed." "The Departed" is set in South Boston where the state police force is waging an all-out war to take down the city's top organized crime ring. The key is to end the reign of powerful mob boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) from the inside. A young rookie, Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is assigned to infiltrate Costello's mob. While Billy is working to gain Costello's trust, another young cop, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) is among a handful of elite officers whose mission is to bring Costello down. But what his superiors don't know is that Colin is working for Costello, keeping the crime boss one step ahead of the police. Each man becomes deeply consumed by his double life, gathering information about the plans and counter-plans of the operation he has penetrated. But when it becomes clear to both the gangsters and the police that they have a mole in their midst, Billy and Colin find themselves in constant danger of being caught-and each must race to uncover the identity of the other man in time to save himself.
Technical Stuff: As expected with a new, Oscar nominated movie, it look amazing. The picture is clean and crisp and is presented in its original 2.40:1 aspect ratio and enhanced for widescreen displays.
Audio wasn’t as powerful as one might imagine, but the 5.1 still packs a wallop. The dialogue is very clear and the subtitles come in English, French and Spanish.
Extras?
Trailers
Additional Scenes with introductions from director Martin Scorsese
Documentaries
The Story of The Boston Mob
Full length TCM career profile: Scorsese on Scorsese
Final Verdict: Great movie. Powerful, smart, but still very very gory. Ah well, I guess some people like that.

What It’s About: The final season of the silver-haired comediennes was one of the best. After seven years of solid writing and numerous awards, it was time for them to say good-bye. This season had some great moments, especially from my favourite—the ever snarky Sophia.
The best episode, I think, is “The Monkey Show,” where Dorothy’s ex, Stan, has a stuffed monkey his therapist told him to carry around to help him get over her. It’s a hilarious set-up and this two-parter is full of laughs. Later in the episode, Stan sleeps with Dorothy’s sister during a hurricane evacuation. Original and amusing? You bet.
This set is a must-have for any fan of the show.
Synopsis: Seven years of laughter, tears, friendship and fun culminate in
The Golden Girls: The Complete Seventh Season, available on a 3-disc DVD from Buena Vista Worldwide Home Entertainment. Among the many highlights of the final heartwarming and hilarious season, Dorothy gets two marriage proposals, Rose sends a “naughty” gift to Miles as she contemplates marrying him, Blanche goes through a mid-life crisis when she can’t seduce her date, and Sophia has a hysterical run-in with the Pope. And that’s just for starters.
The Golden Girls: The Complete Seventh Season features guest stars galore, including Leslie Nielsen (“Naked Gun” franchise, “Scary Movie” 3 and 4) as “Uncle Lucas,” who ends up falling for
Dorothy; Don Stark (TV’s “That 70’s Show”), Peter Graves (TV’s “Mission Impossible”); Edie McClurg (TV’s “7th Heaven”); Kristy McNichol (TV’s “Empty Nest”); and Merv Griffin and Alex Trebek, who appear as themselves when Dorothy comically tries out for the Jeopardyè game show. One of the most beloved TV shows of all time – and winner of eleven Emmy® Awards and four Golden Globe awards – “The Golden Girls” follows four friends - Dorothy (Beatrice Arthur), Rose (Betty White), Blanche (Rue McClanahan) and Sophia (Estelle Getty) - who move in together in Miami. Their uproarious relationships with each other and with the comical men in their lives have made them hugely popular with fans of all ages.
Technical Stuff: Man, for being old, this picture looks great (and I’m not just talking about the ladies, heh heh.) The transfer is lovely and looks fantastic. There are a few issues with grain but nothing too serious or bothersome.
Nothing too special about the Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack but considering it’s about 15 years old, it’s still prettyt darn good.
Extras?
- Golden Girls featurette
Final Verdict: A wonderful season of these hilarious ladies. If you’re a fun you will definitely be buying this one.

What It’s About: When this arrived at my door, I had to sit down. I had completely forgotten about this movie, yet I had loved it like crazy when I was little. I think I’ve seen this movie about 25 times. My parents used to tape things for me on television and I would watch those VCR tapes until they deteriorated. This was one of those movies.
This is the sad and tragic story of a unicorn who learns what being human is all about. A unicorn (voiced by Mia Farrow) overhears that she may be the last of her kind. She learns of a Red Bull who is chasing all the unicorns to the ends of the earth and she sets out to see if it’s true. To ensure she doesn’t end up killed as well, she gets turned into a human. The rest is wonderful but I won’t ruin it for you. The movie is magical and timeless and intelligent. Love it.
Synopsis: Brought to life by the luminary voice talents of Jeff Bridges, Mia Farrow, Angela Lansbury and Rene Auberjonois, this animated treasure is the story of a lonely unicorn who sets out on an extraordinary quest to find her lost brothers and sisters. Along the way she meets a colorful cast of characters, including a bumbling wizard who magically transforms her into a beautiful damsel. When a handsome prince falls in love with her, he challenges the evil foe who holds her captive. But the task proves harder than imagined, and the unicorn soon discovers that real magic comes from believing in the impossible.
Technical Stuff: The Last Unicorn came out in 1982 so I didn’t expect the picture to be perfect yet I was still kind of disappointed. The image is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen aspect ratio but remains grainy and dirty. I wish they’d put a little more effort into the transfer.
The sound is decent although at parts does sound a little weird but I think that’s the original recording’s fault. It comes in a 5.1 or crappy 2.0.
Extras?
• Newly Remastered Widescreen Presentation
• 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby Digital Audio
• "The Tail of THE LAST UNICORN" Featurette
• "Escape the Red Bull" Game
• "Schmendrick's Magical Gallery"
• Original Theatrical Trailer
• Closed Captioned
Final Verdict: I could gush about this movie for pages. It’s a total classic and holds a very special place in my heart.

What It’s About: The Hills is like crack. It’s really bad for you, you’re ashamed to admit you’re addicted, but you absolutely are. Watching it made me laugh and cringe, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away.
It tells the story of Lauren Conrad from Laguna Beach and her friend Heidi, two rich girls who move to L.A. after high school to try their hands at “real life.” Lauren gets an internship at Teen Vogue and Heidi drops out of school to work at a PR firm. There is also a flake named Audrina the befriend and the only level-headed girl, Whitney, who works with Lauren. This show bugged me to no end since I teach Grade 8 and see how the girls in my class are trying to emulate these spoiled ones. Too bad these girls are not good role models. Heidi just wants to party, Lauren gets caught up in her boyfriend and loses any credibility she had as the smart one, and Audrina just goes around dating various guys. Whitney works hard and ends up with an internship in New York City at the end. Still, you can’t help but watch.
Synopsis: Laguna Beach's Lauren (LC) Conrad is all grown up and it's time for her to leave "the bubble” and make a life of her own. Follow Lauren to LA as she attempts to balance a demanding internship at Teen Vogue and a full course load with a demanding nightlife and a full social calendar. But at least she won't have to do it alone. Along the way she meets several friends who expose her to a different part of the city, each chasing their own dreams. The Hills tells the story of four young women on their own for the first time and the fun, laughter and drama that they all share.
Technical Stuff: The picture is great. Very clear and crisp, especially considering this is reality television. It comes in anamorphic widescreen color with an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, and the colours are nice and bright.
The sound is decent. Since it’s a reality show, some scenes have subtitles in case you can’t understand what they’re saying. There is a nice soundtrack to the show, with new artists, and that comes though the speakers well.
Extras?
One whole DVD is extras!
Deleted Scenes
Interviews
The Hills Premiere Party
MTV Movie Awards
MTV.com The Best of The Hills: The After Show
Final Verdict: You won’t be able to stop watching. I can’t wait to watch season 2. Oh, and I hate Jason. I hope she dumps his ass.

What It’s About: So Valentine’s Day is coming up. Yes, fellas—it on February 14th. Write it now right now. Okay, so instead of buying your lovebunny flowers and candy (which are completely overpriced this time of year) this little set makes an awesome gift. And those of you who don’t have a significant other, do as the title suggests and organize a girls’ night in to watch these movies and pig out.
The movies included in this collection are:
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (my favourite out of these)
Just Like Heaven
Win a Date With Tad Hamilton!
Forces of Nature
What Women Want
I’m not going to get into reviews of each of these movies since none are new and most women have seen at least three of these. But they’re all very entertaining and absolutely chick flicks. The only one that your SO might consider watching with you if the Mel Gibson one—What Women Want. Don’t even think about making him watch the other ones, he’ll be absolutely miserable and it’s not worth it. This is a great collection if you don’t own these movies already and is very very well-priced.
Synopsis:

FORCES OF NATURE - Ben Holmes, a professional book-jacket blurbologist, is trying to get to Savannah for his wedding. He just barely catches the last plane, but a seagull flies into the engine as the plane is taking off. All later flights are cancelled because of an approaching hurricane, so he is forced to hitch a ride in a Geo Metro with an attractive but eccentric woman named Sara.

WHAT WOMEN WANT - Nick, a somewhat chauvanistic advertising exec hot shot, has his life turned haywire when a fluke accident enables him to hear what women think. At first all he wants to do is rid himself of this curse, until a wacky psycologist (played to perfection by Bette Midler) shows him that this could be used to his advantage! His first target is Darcy McGuire, the very woman that got the promotion he wanted. But just as his plan is beginning to work, love gets in the way...

HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN TEN DAYS - Benjamin Berry is a guy who makes a bet to his boss that he can win the job of advertising diamonds before the two evil girls, Green and Spears, do. Andie Anderson is a girl who is trying to reach her goal to be able to write anything she likes in the magazine company that she works for, Composure. Just when her friend has broken up with her man, the boss of Composure finds out and decides to write it up as an article. Best friend Andie kicks in and offers the boss, Lana, a deal to write an article called "How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days". Lana agrees and if she successfully does the article, she can write anything she likes. At a bar, Benjamin shows up and Green and Spears challenge him to a bet to see if Andie will love him in the end of 10 days. Uh-oh, Andie is trying to LOSE a guy in 10 days. So you understand the rest.

WIN A DATE WITH TAD HAMILTON - Rosalee Futch is a grocery clerk living in rural West Virginia. But even a small-town girl can have big dreams, and Rosalee's is to someday--somehow--meet her big-screen idol Tad Hamilton. The somehow arrives in the form of a contest--the grand prize: a date with Tad Hamilton--and the someday is now. Rosalee wins, much to the chagrin of her best friend and co-worker Pete, who is deeply, hopelessly--and secretly--in love with Rosalee. The Win a Date contest was cooked up by Tad's agent, Richard Levy, and his manager, also named Richard Levy, to clean up Tad's bad-boy image. Someone should have told them to be careful what you wish for. When Tad meets Rosalee and gets a taste of what he's been missing in the real world, he decides he wants seconds and moves to West Virginia, turning Rosalee's dream come true into a nightmare for Richard Levy, Richard Levy and, most of all, Pete.

JUST LIKE HEAVEN - Elizabeth Masterson (Witherspoon) is a dedicated, workaholic doctor who is way to busy for a life. One night, she gets into a horrible car accident and becomes a spirit stuck between heaven and earth. She doesn't know she's dead and thinks nothing has happened until she meets David Abbot (Ruffalo), a lonely architect, who rents her old apartment. David thinks he's crazy by seeing Elizabeth's spirit and tries all ways to get rid of her, but she just won't go away. Although the two are complete opposites they somehow may just form a relationship.
Technical Stuff: All of the movies except for Forced of Nature are fairly new and their picture holds up very nicely in anamorphic widescreen. The latter is from 1999 and looks quite dated and spotty.
The sound is decent on the films as well in Dolby Digital 5.1. Ironically, Forces of Nature sounds the best, and has the most to offer in terms of sound (plane crash, rain, hurricane).
Extras?
"What Women Want" contains the following supplemental materials:
* Cast & Crew Interviews"
* Behind-the-Scenes Featurette"
* Commentary by Director Nancy Meyers & Production Designer Jon Hutman"
* 2 Theatrical Trailers

"How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" contains the following supplemental materials:
* Commentary by Director Donald Petrie
* Mapping Out the Perfect Movie Cast & Crew Interviews
* 5 Deleted Scenes with Director´s Commentary
* Mapping Out the Perfect Location – Featurette
* Music Video – "Somebody Like You" By Keith Urban

"Win a Date With Tad Hamilton!" contains the following supplemental materials:
* Hilarious Gag Reel
* Over 15 Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scenes with Paris Hilton, Sean Hays and Nathan Lane

"Just Like Heaven" contains the following supplemental materials:
* The Making of Just Like Heaven
* Meet the Cast
* Deleted Scenes
* Gag Reel

"Forces of Nature" contains the following supplemental materials:
* Production Notes
* Cast and Filmmaker Bios
* Theatrical Trailer
* Behind-the-Scenes Featurette
* Deleted Scenes
Final Verdict: This is a super-cute set that, being a chick flick fan, I was very excited to receive. So it’s a great bet for a V-Day gift either for your SO, or even for yourself (because we all know if no one gets you a gift, V-Day is for shopping for yourself guilt-free).

What It’s About: This looked like it would be really funny when the trailers came out and I was really disappointed I didn’t check it out in theatres. Then I caught it on DVD and thanked the stars I didn’t waste my money.
The movie is a Jessica Simpson vehicle and she sucks. She can’t act, she’s cardboard and the only thing she does in the movie is look hot. The highlight of the film isn’t even Dane Cook who is supposed to be oh so funny. He’s not. The funniest thing in this movie is Dax Shepard as Vince Downey, the perpetual Employee of the Month at a Costco rip-off called Super Club. And seriously, that’s the funniest thing. Cook is boring, the script is boring and if it wasn’t for the whole Cook/Simpson rumored romance at the time, I bet this movie would have completely flopped.
Synopsis: For years Zack Bradley (Dane Cook) has been working hard at hardly working for the local Super Club. That's until a hottie named Amy (Jessica Simpson) becomes the new cashier. After discovering she's willing to date the next guy to become "Employee of the Month," Zack takes on current titleholder (Dax Shepard) in a super-smackdown to see who will win the honour - and Amy's heart - in this outrageous comedy that proves you can't succeed at life and love till you get your shift together.
Technical Stuff: The picture is nice, but not all that eye-popping. There is some grain on occasion, and the colours are kind of dreary.
The sound is probably too good for the movie as it boasts at 5.1 EX track that is super, but not necessary.
Extras?
- Commentaries w/ Director Greg Coolidge & Dane Cook
- At Work with Lon
- Ad-Libs
- Alternate Super Club Opening
- Trailers
Final Verdict: Bleh. It’s okay for a rental, but not much more.

What It’s About: Continuing with our Valentine’s Day roundup is another collection of romantic-comedies. This one comes from Universal and could have been renamed the Hugh Grant collection as he starts in each one as some charming British guy or another.
The movies are all the same as their previous individual releases so if you own them already they’re not worth repurchasing. But if you don’t own them yet, these are a great deal and worth picking up. The films included are:
About a Boy
Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason
Notting Hill
Love Actually (LOVE this movie)
All of them are very entertaining and pretty much movies any chick flick lover should own. My fave is Love Actually, a movie I can watch over and over (and usually do during the Christmas season).
Synopsis:

Notting Hill: In this contemporary fairytale, the world’s most popular movie star (Julia Roberts) falls in love with the owner of a quaint London travel bookstore (Hugh Grant). As they play out their romance with the whole world watching, the unlikely lovers struggle through the pitfalls of romance just like any other man and woman.

About a Boy: There’s nothing that smooth talking bachelor Will Lightman (Hugh Grant) won’t do to impress the ever-changing parade of women in his life, including inventing a son to woo an attractive single mom (Rachel Weisz). When Will “borrows” a 12-year-old named Marcus to further his amorous intentions, he gets an unexpectedly funny education from the boy who proves to be far more grown up than most of the adults around him.

Love Actually: Richard Curtis (writer of Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill) makes his directorial debut with his own deliciously witty script. An all-star cast including Keira Knightley, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth and Emma Thompson wends its way in and out of love in a heart-warming ensemble comedy from the makers of Bridget Jones's Diary. From the British Prime minister to a decaying rock star, no one is immune to Cupid’s arrow in this delightful romp.

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason: Bridget Jones’ (Renée Zellweger) singleton days have been over for six wonderful weeks. As the enchantingly imperfect Every Woman settles into life with Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), the longtime object of her affection, complications arise. Bridget must maintain a delicate balance as she pairs off (for work purposes only) with old flame Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) and tries to resist sabotaging her romance with petty jealousy.
Technical Stuff: The picture on all of these is quite nice with occasional spots of grain but nothing too bad.
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason: 2.40:1 ratio
Love Actually: 2.35:1 ratio
Notting Hill: 2.35:1 ratio
About a Boy: 2.35:1 ratio
The sound comes through in English Dolby Digital 5.1 for all the flicks and as they are mostly talkie films they don’t need any fancy soundtracks.
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason: English & French 5.1 DD
Love Actually: English 5.1 DD, Spanish & French 2.0 DD
Notting Hill: English 5.1 DD, French 2.0 DD
About a Boy: English & French 5.1 DD
Extras?
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason: alternative beginning, deleted scenes, the "Mark or Daniel" quiz, behind the scenes featurette, interview with Colin Firth by Bridget Jones.
Love Actually: audio commentary with actors and director, deleted scenes with introductions, the music of Love Actually, music video.
Notting Hill: audio commentary with crew, deleted scenes, movie highlights, travel book, cast and filmmaker's bios, movie trailer.
About a Boy: making of featurette, audio commentary with directors, deleted scenes, music videos, movie trailer.
Final Verdict: Another awesome set if you don’t own these yet, but if you do they’re not worth repurchasing.

What It’s About: And rounding out our Collections for the week, we have the one you will grab if you’re single on Valentine’s to get yo’self some eye candy, The Matthew McConaughey Collection. This one features Failure to Launch, Sahara and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.
The stupid thing here is that How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is also on the Girls Night In Collection so how do you choose? Well, I go for the other one because the rest of the movies are better. Sahara was very entertaining but Failure to Launch wasn’t all that wonderful.
Still, I suppose if the point is to watch Matthew with his shirt off, that’s covered. So happy Valentine’s to you.
Synopsis: HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN TEN DAYS - Benjamin Berry is a guy who makes a bet to his boss that he can win the job of advertising diamonds before the two evil girls, Green and Spears, do. Andie Anderson is a girl who is trying to reach her goal to be able to write anything she likes in the magazine company that she works for, Composure. Just when her friend has broken up with her man, the boss of Composure finds out and decides to write it up as an article. Best friend Andie kicks in and offers the boss, Lana, a deal to write an article called "How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days". Lana agrees and if she successfully does the article, she can write anything she likes. At a bar, Benjamin shows up and Green and Spears challenge him to a bet to see if Andie will love him in the end of 10 days. Uh-oh, Andie is trying to LOSE a guy in 10 days. So you understand the rest.
SAHARA - An African dictator's nuclear waste disposal plant is mutating the red tide, and so threatens the planet's ecosystem. It's up to Dirk Pitt and his associates from NUMA (National Underwater and Marine Agency) to find the source of the pollution and shut down the operation.
FAILURE TO LAUNCH - A thirtysomething slacker suspects his parents of setting him up with his dream girl so he'll finally vacate their home.
Technical Stuff: As all of these movies are fairly recent, sound and picture are top notch. No complaints –all the muscle definition comes through nicely.
Extras?
· FAILURE TO LAUNCH
· Casting Off: The Making of FAILURE TO LAUNCH
· The FAILURE TO LAUNCH Phenomenon
· Dating in the New Millennium
· Moviefone.com Unscripted with Matthew and Terry
· The FAILURE TO LAUNCH Contest
· SAHARA
· Commentary by Director Breck Eisner
· Across the Sands of SAHARA
· Cast and Crew Wrap Film
· Deleted Scenes
· HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS
· Commentary by Director Donald Petrie
· Cast & Crew Interviews
· Deleted Scenes
· Music Video – “Somebody Like You” by Keith Urban
Final Verdict: It’s all about the eye candy here. It delivers. Giggly fans of the shirtless wonder will be very amused.

What It’s About: What do you get when you try and cram as much action as possible into 90 minutes? A silly, weird, yet quite entertaining movie like Crank. Don’t get me wrong—there is nothing all that smart or creative going on here. But watching it does pass the time by. If you like watching movies with a lot of chases, boobies and gunfire, you’ll love this one.
Chev (Jason Statham) is a hitman who get poisoned. The kicker is, he needs to stay moving and pump himself with adrenaline in order to live. Amy Smart plays his dumb girlfriend and partakes in some public indecency as an example, to get that adrenaline pumping. There goes any shot she every had of being taken seriously, I night add. It’s a dumb movie, but it has some funny moments, and the cinematography is pretty cool. It’ll keep you watching and that’s more than I can say for some other movies.
Synopsis: There are a thousand ways to raise your adrenaline, and today hit man Chev Chelios (Jason Statham) will need every one! He has one hour to settle the score, say good-bye to his girl and go out with a little style! The only question is, will he stay alive long enough to see it happen?
Technical Stuff: This DVD earned some major marks on the technical side. The picture is amazing, especially considering how fast it moves. It’s clear and sharp and don’t sit too close lest you get a seizure.
The sound is spectacular. The 5.1 Dolby Digital EX pounds through the speakers and transports you right into the entire trippy experience. The music, gunfire and car chases are all dazzling.
Extras?
• Crank’d Out Mode!
For the first time ever, experience exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, making-of insights, interviews, running commentary and more without ever leaving the film!
• Family-Friendly Audio!
Enjoy the film without the usual expletives... should you so wish.
• English and Spanish Subtitles
• 16x9 Widescreen & 4X3 Fullscreen versions available
• 5.1 Dolby® Digital Surround EX™
• 2.0 Dolby Digital
Final Verdict: The movie is dumb, but the men will love it and you will be entertained as well. But do have a magazine on hand as I always do in case there are moment you want to tune out (like all the gratuitous boobies.)

What It’s About: Although I’m kind of over the whole crime show genre, I was taken with Criminal Minds. The reason they all started to blend into each other was that they all had the exact same thing going on. This show was different.
It centres around a group of Profilers for the FBI. What the heck is that? Basically, they look at the crimes and try to form a personality profile from the clues they are given, trying to anticipate the next move. And of course, it always works! On television anyway.
The personlalities here make things good. Mandy Patinkin (my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father, prepare to die) is great as Gideon, the head honcho. Greg from Dharma and Greg is also on here but he’s pretty boring. The best character is Matthew Gray Gubler as Dr. Spencer Reid, the dorky and brainy guy who knows, like, everything! The storylines are creative and this is one of the very few shows that got picked up last year. I can see why—it’s addictive.
Synopsis: CRIMINAL MINDS revolves around an elite team of FBI profilers who analyze the country's most twisted criminal minds, anticipating their next moves before they strike again. Special Agent Jason Gideon (Mandy Patinkin) is the FBI's top behavioral analyst, working with the Behavioral Analysis Unit lead by Special Agent Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson), a family man who is able to gain people's trust and unlock their secrets. Also on the team are Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster), the daughter of high-powered diplomats who recently joined the team and must prove her worth to Gideon and Hotchner; Special Agent Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore), an expert on obsessional crimes; Special Agent Dr. Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler), a classically misunderstood genius whose social IQ is as low as his intellectual IQ is high; Jennifer "JJ" Jareau (AJ Cook), a confident young agent who acts as the unit liaison for the team, and Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness), a computer wizard who helps research the cases. Each member brings his or her own area of expertise to the table as they pinpoint predators' motivations and identify their emotional triggers in the attempt to stop them.
Technical Stuff: Wow, call me impressed! The picture is stunning. The show is broadcast in HD which allows for the detail and brilliance of that to transfer to DVD beautifully.
The Dolby Digital 5.1 sound is also impressive thanks to the use of the surround speakers. Music is really important to the show and although the DVD says some has been changed, the important stuff is all there and sounds great.
Extras?
Audio Commentary (3)
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes (4)
Final Verdict: This show is getting more and more popular and those who missed the first season will be happy with the set that Paramount has created. It’s top-notch.

What It’s About: Okay, how to explain the horribleness of this movie? It’s so bad, it surpasses the “it’s so bad it’s good” category, right into the “it’s so bad, it makes me want to claw my eyes out so I don’t have to watch it” category. I realize I’m not a fan of horror or supernatural movies in general, but I know a good movie when I see one and this one has nothing going for it. Okay I lied—it does have some cool special effects which is why it gets 1 star and not zero.
Even the 13-year-old boys who are probably the target for this movie, will be bored. Despite all the useless nudity, the acting sucks, the script sucks and nothing makes sense.
Synopsis: Privilege and beauty abound at Spenser Academy, a New England boarding school for the region’s reigning elite. Directed by Renny Harlin, The Covenant tells the story of the Sons of Ipswich, four young students bound by their sacred ancestry. As descendants of the original families who settled in Ipswich Colony in the 1600s, the boys have all been born with special powers. When a fifth descendant suddenly moves to town, secrets begin to unravel which threaten to break the covenant of silence that has protected their families for hundreds of years.
The Covenant DVD will be enhanced by special features such as director’s commentary and a behind the scenes featurette, and will be packaged in an eye-catching foil o-ring.
Technical Stuff: Whoever did the technical stuff here was obviously told they better rock it to cover up the suckiness of the movie itself because that part saves this dvd from total suckdom (okay I’m done using 13-year-old language). The picture is rich and clean and the Dolby Digital 5.1 is stellar, making solid use of the rear channels and creating a very creepy atmosphere.
Extras?
Audio Commentary With Director Renny Harlin
Breaking the Silence: Exposing The Covenant
Also Available: The Covenant Blu-ray Disc
Final Verdict: Skip it. Not even worth a rental in my books.

What It’s About: I love Summer on The O.C.; she’s my favourite character. In fact, when Marissa bit the big one, I was thrilled, knowing that the way better Summer would now get all the spotlight. So it was very weird to watch Rachel Bilson in a movie where I couldn’t stand her.
Granted, that’s probably the idea behind The Last Kiss, a movie about how men freak out in relationships and turn into big babies who can’t be adult about things. Ahem, I digress. Zach Braff is Michael, a guy who turns 30 and finds out his live-in girlfriend is pregnant. Faced with the reality of marriage and setting down, he meets a younger and more free-spirited girl at a wedding (of all places) and thinks she’s his last chance at freedom. He does all sorts of things I don’t like and Bilson does things I don’t like and then they all whine and cry until the end of the movie.
It’s not a bad movie, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not a particularly good one. There is too much whining from all parties concerned and as always, the best acting is done by the stunning Blythe Danner and Tom Wilkinson as Michael’s girlfriend’s parents who are also at a crossroads—albeit a more believable one.
Synopsis: THE LAST KISS is a contemporary comedy-drama about life, love, infidelity, forgiveness, marriage, friendship… and coming to grips with turning 30.
Technical Stuff: Brilliant picture and fantastic Dolby 5.1 sound. No complaints here. The soundtrack would also be worth checking out.
Extras?
Commentary by Zach Braff and director Tony Goldwyn
Commentary by Zach Braff, Tony Goldwyn, Jacinda Barrett, Rachel Bilson, Michael Weston and Eric Christian Olsen
The Last Kiss – Filmmakers’ Perspective
The Last Kiss – Getting Together
The Last Kiss – Behind Our Favorite Scenes
The Last Kiss – Last Thoughts
Music Video - Cary Brothers "Ride" performance version with Zach Braff Intro
Deleted Scenes
Gag Reel
Theatrical Trailer
Final Verdict: It’s a thoughtful movie (written by Paul Haggis after all) but it somehow doesn’t quite gel together. But if your boyfriend is acting funny, you may want to watch this.