Video: 4
Audio: 4
Extras: 3
The Broken Lizard boys’ last jaunt was the semiamusing Club Dread. It yielded some laughs and the worst-looking DVD I have seen in years. So, the idea of their next movie being available on HD DVD is amusing in itself. The movie follows a group of college buddies as they train and compete in the underground German drinking contest, which goes by the same name as the title. If you haven’t found their previous movies funny, this one won’t convince you. If you’re looking for a funny, stupid movie, this one is it.
Video: 4
Audio: 3
Extras: 1
This touching movie from Tim Burton is very un–Tim Burton. It’s the story of a son trying to get to know his father, whose stories of his life have been nothing but tall tales. It’s an almost surreal journey and worth it for anyone who has ever had a father. It stars Ewan McGregor, but there are small parts from a host of great actors like Danny DeVito, Steve Buscemi, Robert Guillaume, Jessica Lange, and more. I saw this movie on an airplane the first time. Even on a 4-inch LCD screen, I loved it, so that should say something.
Video: 2
Audio: 2
Extras: 4
What’s amazing about watching this movie now is how trite it seems. From the car chase through San Francisco to Steve McQueen’s effortlessly cool lead as an insubordinate cop, it has all been done countless times. But what many people have forgotten is that this was the first time any of that had been done in any real way. The plot is almost inconsequential. This movie is about watching McQueen be the badass that he was—and one of the greatest car chases ever put on film.
Video: 3
Audio: 3
Extras: 5
Unashamedly, this is my favorite movie of all time. From the dialogue, to the acting, to the story, everything about this movie is awesome. If you never have, you owe it to yourself to see it. The story centers around hardened bar owner Rick, a lost love, and sticking it to some Nazis, which always make for good entertainment. As usual with a superior movie like this one, it’s about all that and more.
Video: 3
Audio: 3
Extras: 5
The original Clerks, released in 1994, was the seminal work for people of my generation. That should be as disturbing as it sounds. I doubt there was a film school in the country that didn’t spew out Kevin Smith wannabes at a tremendous rate for the better part of a decade. All of them, and every other fan of that film, surely got a twang of disappointment when they heard about Clerks II. Had the great bearded auteur finally sold out? Well, amazingly enough, he pulls it off. Where Clerks was about a bunch of losers wanting to do something with their lives, Clerks II takes place 11 years later and finds the same losers now disappointed that they really haven’t done anything with their lives. It actually works, it’s funny, and it’s a story worth telling.
Video: 5
Audio: 5
Extras: 3
Tim Burton spins a tale of love and marriage in the worlds of the barely living and the hardly dead. Using stop-motion animation, Burton creates a world that is visually stunning and unlike anything else out there (except for his other creations). The voice acting, from the likes of Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, and Tracey Ullman, is excellent.
Video: 3
Audio: 3
Extras: 5
There’s something inherently fascinating about watching someone who is unquestionably the best at what they do. Bruce Lee was just incredible to watch, and, regardless of the quality of the films he was in, they are worth watching just to marvel at his greatness. Enter the Dragon, ostensibly about a martial-arts competition put on by one bad dude, is really just a showcase for one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen.
Video: 4
Audio: 3
Extras: 3
Zack Braff, the lovable doctor from NBC's Scrubs, wrote, directed, and starred in Garden State. Normally I would say that trifecta is the recipe for a self-indulgent disaster, but in this case it really works. It's the old story of messed-up boy meets messed-up girl, and together they reduce their respected messed-upness. It's remarkably well done and makes you feel all warm and fuzzy.
Video: 4
Audio: 5
Extras: 5
I was so unimpressed with the first two Harry Potter movies that I didn’t bother to see the third or this one in theaters. Boy, did I miss out. This and Prisoner of Azkaban are excellent. In this episode of the Harry Potter serials, Hogwarts is playing host to the Triwizard Tournament. Somehow, Harry’s name gets entered, even though he’s too young. From the little touches of the teenagers’ growing pains to the significant plot developments in the Potter canon, you shouldn’t miss this one. Oh, and there’s a bunch of action, too.
Geoffrey Morrison
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