Burn After Reading [Blu-ray]

Burn After Reading Blu-ray

Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 12/19/2008 Run time: 96 minutes Rating: R

Amazon.com

After the dark brilliance of No Country for Old Men, Burn After Reading may seem like a trifle, but few filmmakers elevate the trivial to art quite like Joel and Ethan Coen. Inspired by Stansfield Turners Burn Before Reading, the comically convoluted plot clicks into gear when the CIA gives analyst Osborne Cox (John Malkovich) the boot. Little does Cox know his wife, Katie (Tilda Swinton, riffing on her Michael Clayton character), is seeing married federal marshal Harry (George Clooney, Swintons Clayton co-star, playing off his Syriana role). To get back at the Agency, Cox works on his memoirs. Through a twist of fate, fitness club workers Linda (Frances McDormand) and Chad (Brad Pitt in a pompadour that recalls Johnny Suede) find the disc and try to wrangle a "Samaratin tax" out of the surly alcoholic. An avid Internet dater, Linda plans to use the money for plastic surgery, oblivious that her manager, Ted (The Visitors Richard Jenkins), likes her just the way she is. Though it sounds like a Beltway remake of The Big Lebowski, the Coen entry it most closely resembles, this time the brothers concentrate their energies on the myriad insecurities endemic to the mid-life crisis--with the exception of Chad, whos too dense to share such concerns, leading to the funniest performance of Pitts career. If Lebowski represented the Coens unique approach to film noir, Burn sees them putting their irresistibly absurdist stamp on paranoid thrillers from Enemy of the State to The Bourne Identity. --Kathleen C. Fennessy


Stills from Burn After Reading (Click for larger image)

Rate Points :3.0
Binding :Blu-ray
Brand :Universal
Label :Universal Studios
Manufacturer :Universal Studios
MPN :MCABR62105851
ProductGroup :DVD
Studio :Universal Studios
Publisher :Universal Studios
UPC :025195049085
EAN :0025195049085
Price :$39.98USD
Lowest Price :$15.76USD

Eagle Eye [Blu-ray]

Eagle Eye Blu-ray

Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 12/26/2008

Amazon.com

The "cell phone thriller" is becoming a genre unto itself, and Eagle Eye should be considered a key example of the form. Frankly preposterous but compulsively watchable, this movie puts Shia LaBeouf in a mess of trouble instigated by a mysterious telephone voice. If he doesnt follow orders, dire things will happen--although when he does follow orders, the consequences are pretty dire, anyway. Also being blackmailed is a single mom (Michelle Monaghan) receiving similar phone calls. Why are they being jerked around by the purring female voice, and why is the road leading to Washington, D.C.? Actually, you wont have time to contemplate these questions, because director D.J. Caruso (who guided LaBeouf in Disturbia) keeps the action going at the customary breakneck pace. This is a wise move, because the real questions youd likely be asking have to do with the plausibility of events on a minute-by-minute basis (most notably: how could Mysterious Phone Voice possibly know that the two pigeons would survive the hoops she makes them fly through, each one more death-defying than the last?). The actors tumble through this mayhem like scattering bowling pins, including Billy Bob Thornton and Rosario Dawson as government agents. Nobody has time to make much of an impression, and LaBeouf has much less room for puppydog charm than he did in Disturbia. Even that would be all right within the movies berserk parameters, but the really irritating thing is the way the tacked-on final scenes reverse what would have been a heroic climax. No guts, no glory. --Robert Horton




Stills from Eagle Eye (Click for larger image)

Rate Points :3.5
Binding :Blu-ray
Brand :Eagle
Label :Dreamworks Video
Manufacturer :Dreamworks Video
MPN :140124
ProductGroup :DVD
Studio :Dreamworks Video
Publisher :Dreamworks Video
UPC :097361401249
EAN :0097361401249
Price :$39.99USD
Lowest Price :$14.73USD

Scene It? Deluxe Friends Edition DVD Game

Scene It? Deluxe Friends Edition DVD Game

The Scene It Friends DVD Game Collectors Tin Edition is great trivia fun for any Friends fan! Gather your own friends and turn your home into Central Perk! How well do you know Phoebe, Rachel and Ross? Or Chandler, Joey and Monica? Find out when you pop the game disc into your DVD player, grab the remote and tune in to a trivia game about the worlds most famous Friends. Relive classic moments from your favorite episodes -- the dates, the monkey, the coffee at Central Perk, and, of course, the laughs! Scene it? tests your knowledge of your Friends gang with real clips as you answer the trivia questions and race around the game board to win! Not just for Friends Fanatics -- Scene It Friends is more than trivia. Use observation, memory, wordplay, and puzzle-solving to answer different challenges about what you see on screen. Which two Friends won the lightning round during a trivia game with Monicas apartment on the line? Dont know? Dont worry! Youll see for yourself in the show clip! So if you think you know Friends, let Scene It? put your knowledge to the test! Age: Adult. Players: 2 or more players or teams. Requires a TV, DVD player and remote control. DVD includes on-screen demonstration of game.
Rate Points :4.5
Binding :Toy
Brand :Screenlife
Label :Screenlife
Manufacturer :Screenlife
Model :FT06
MPN :FT06
ProductGroup :Toy
Studio :Screenlife
Publisher :Screenlife
UPC :852877000658
EAN :0852877000658
Price :$34.99USD
Lowest Price :$25.95USD

Scene It? Deluxe Movie 2nd Edition

Scene It? Deluxe Movie 2nd Edition

Loaded with all-new movie clips, trivia questions, and puzzlers from Hollywoods finest films, Scene It? Deluxe Movie 2nd Edition is sure to appeal to both Reel fans and casual watchers alike!

Amazon.com Product Description

The popular board game that has players watching video clips and shouting out answers is now available in an upgraded movie theme. This second edition of Screenlifes Scene It? Movie game is chock full of questions, characters, and clips from both new and classic films of the silver screen. From older films like E.T. and Casablanca to new favorites such as The Devil Wears Prada and Oceans 11, the game asks challenging questions about characters and scenes.

Pop the games DVD into your player to start the star studded fun. Loaded with new clips and puzzles, this updated version touches on oversized apes to princess brides and all things in between. There are over 1,000 questions on the 160 trivia cards, so even if you see the same snippet from the 180 on the DVD during the same game, the question about that scene will be different. Special technology randomizes the order of the clips to ensure fresh fun each time the game is played.

The interactive game board can be spread out for longer games, or folded for a smaller board when you dont have a lot of time (or that many players). To help you move around the board there are four metal tokens with movie genre themes (wind-up chatter teeth, a heart-shaped box of chocolates, a car in mid flight, and a hand reaching from beyond the grave), one six-sided die to determine how many spaces to move, and one eight-sided die that determines the category to be played. Once the dice have been rolled, clips are watched, questions are asked, and its revealed just how much you know. Use memory, logic, and your pop culture knowledge to answer various challenges about famous quotes, imaginative characters, and the actors who brought them to life. Categories range from Quotables and Who Am I? to Soundclips and more.

All the components that come with this Movie Scene It? Game.

Whether you attend new releases on opening weekend or rent the classics, this game is easy enough to learn and fun enough to play for everyone. The casual movie watcher can answer questions by using puzzle-solving skills or by paying close attention to the movie clips. There are also 30 Buzz cards available to help (or occasionally hinder) progress. If these reasons arent enough to tempt you into a game on your own, then co-produce a blockbuster with a friend or family member by playing in team mode first.

A TV, DVD player, and remote control are needed but not included. The DVD includes an on-screen demonstration of game play.

Whats in the box

• 2 DVDs
• 1 Flextime game board
• 1 six-sided die
• 1 eight-sided category die
• 4 collectible metal player tokens
• 160 trivia cards
• 30 Buzz cards
• 4 reference cards
• Game play instructions

Rate Points :4.5
Binding :Toy
Brand :ScreenLife
Label :Screenlife
Manufacturer :Screenlife
Model :25603
MPN :25603
ProductGroup :Toy
Studio :Screenlife
Publisher :Screenlife
UPC :876284001121
EAN :0876284001121
Price :$39.99USD
Lowest Price :$20.25USD

Scene It? Deluxe Disney 2nd Edition

Scene It? Deluxe Disney 2nd Edition

Add the magic of Disney to your family fun time! With two complete game DVDs, Scene It? Deluxe Disney 2nd Edition is loaded with new movie clips, trivia questions, and puzzlers from movies like The Incredibles, Cars, Pirates of the Caribbean, and many other Disney and Pixar favorites.

Amazon.com Product Description

The popular board game that has players watching video clips and shouting out answers is now available in an upgraded Disney theme. This second edition of Screenlifes Scene It? Disney game is chock full of questions, characters, and clips from both new and classic films from the family-friendly giant. From older films like Alice in Wonderland and The Little Mermaid to new favorites such as The Incredibles and Ratatouille, the game asks questions about unforgettable characters, songs, and scenes.

Pop the games DVD into your player to start the magic and mayhem. Loaded with new clips and puzzles, this updated version touches on elephants that fly to cursed pirates and all things in between. There are over 1,000 questions on the 160 trivia cards, so even if you see the same snippet from the 180 on the DVD during the same game, the question about that scene will be different. Special technology randomizes the order of the clips to ensure fresh fun each time the game is played.

The themed, interactive game board can be spread out for longer games, or folded when you dont have a lot of time (or players). To help you move around the board there are four metal player tokens (Nemo, Ariel, Tinkerbell, and Lightning McQueen), one six-sided die to determine how many spaces to move, and one eight-sided die that determines the category to be played. Once the dice have been rolled, clips are watched, questions are asked, and its revealed just how much you know. Use observation, memory, wordplay, and puzzle-solving to answer various challenges about the imaginative characters, celebrated songs, and timeless storytelling you see on-screen. Categories range from Take Three and Songs to Mousellaneous and more.

All the components that come with this Disney Scene It? Game.

Not a longtime watcher of Disney and Pixar films? Dont worry. This game is easy enough to learn and fun enough to play even for those who are not overly familiar with the plots. The trivia cards include questions for adults with separate ones for children, and some questions can be answered simply by paying close attention to the movie clips. There are also 30 Buzz cards available to help (or occasionally hinder) your progress. If these reasons arent enough to tempt you into a game on your own, then co-captain the Black Pearl with a friend or family member and play a few rounds in team mode first.

A TV, DVD player, and remote control are needed but not included. The DVD includes an on-screen demonstration of game play.

Whats in the box

• 2 DVDs
• 1 Flextime game board
• 1 six-sided die
• 1 eight-sided category die
• 4 collectible metal player tokens
• 160 trivia cards
• 30 Buzz cards
• 4 reference cards
• Game play instructions

Rate Points :4.5
Binding :Toy
Brand :Scene It
Label :Screenlife
Manufacturer :Screenlife
Model :25617
ProductGroup :Toy
Studio :Screenlife
Publisher :Screenlife
UPC :876284001251
EAN :0876284001251
Price :$39.99USD
Lowest Price :$11.79USD

Jerry Seinfeld Live On Broadway: I'm Telling You For The Last Time

Jerry Seinfeld Live on Broadway: Im Telling You for the Last Time

Amazon.com

When Seinfeld wrapped up its ninth and final season in the spring of 1998, the popular shows namesake and cocreator decided to offer a symbolic gesture to his fans. Taped for HBO in August 1998, on the final date of Jerry Seinfelds tour appearances at New York Citys Broadhurst Theater, Im Telling You for the Last Time presents the standup comedians so-called "final" standup, or at least his final tour with the standup material that made him famous. The video opens with a great prologue in which Seinfelds old material is literally laid to rest, with many of Seinfelds comedy colleagues in attendance at the "funeral." (Jay Leno is there, but David Letterman is conspicuously absent, and while its a bit self-congratulatory to show Seinfelds fellow comedians fighting like vultures over his abandoned jokes, its worth it just to see Garry Shandling pilfering from the catering table like a homeless intruder.)

Whether hes talking about airline flights, cab drivers, or memories of Halloween and an ill-fitting Superman costume, Seinfelds observational humor is as timeless and sharp as the day he first performed it. Even the most familiar routines (such as the one about pharmacists with a superiority complex) are like old friends who still havent overstayed their welcome. Seinfelds delivery is polished to a shine--hes a consummate professional--and an impromptu Q&A with his appreciative audience demonstrates that hes equally adept with a fast and witty comeback. This performance certainly wouldnt be the last wed see of Jerry Seinfeld, but from the perspective of phenomenal fame and fortune, its a fitting farewell to the classic "bits" that took him to the top. --Jeff Shannon

Description

DVD Features:
Biographies
Interactive Menus
Interviews
Other:Audience Q&A

Rate Points :4.5
Binding :DVD
Brand :Warner Brothers
Label :Hbo Home Video
Manufacturer :Hbo Home Video
MPN :HBOD91667D
ProductGroup :DVD
Studio :Hbo Home Video
Publisher :Hbo Home Video
UPC :026359166723
EAN :9780783116006
Price :$9.98USD
Lowest Price :$2.95USD

Comedian

Comedian

Amazon.com

If you see Comedian expecting a concert film with Jerry Seinfeld, youll be disappointed. But if youre looking for an incisive--almost surgical--examination of the psyche of a stand-up comedian, this is your movie. Comedian zigzags back and forth between the hugely successful Seinfeld, whos trying to get back to his stand-up roots by developing an entirely new act, and an unknown comic named Orny Adams, whose naked craving for success is almost painful to behold. Adams lays bare his ego to an embarrassing degree Seinfeld is more subtle but just as revealing about the fears and anxieties that drive him to go back on stage. By following these two through comedy clubs, festivals, and spots on David Lettermans talk show, the documentary cunningly explores how jokes are put together, the in-the-trenches camaraderie (tinged with competition) of stand-ups, and the sheer existential terror of trying to make people laugh. --Bret Fetzer

Description

Jerry Seinfeld is a working stand-up comic again. COMEDIAN is a candidly revealing, intimately observed, and often very funny look at what it takes to be a comedian. On-stage, Jerry delivers his hilarious brand of observational humor. Off-stage, he struggles with difficult material, confronts self-doubt, revels in small successes, and accepts help and support from friends and colleagues, including Colin Quinn, Ray Romano, Chris Rock, Garry Shandling, Jay Leno, and Bill Cosby. COMEDIAN also discovers the sharp wit of rising young comic Orny Adams -- outspoken, insecure, and fanatical about becoming the "next big thing." What emerge are two fascinating journeys by two contrasting personalities who have some surprising parallels.
Rate Points :3.5
Binding :DVD
Brand :SEINFELD,JERRY
Label :Miramax
Manufacturer :Miramax
MPN :DISD30389D
ProductGroup :DVD
Studio :Miramax
Publisher :Miramax
UPC :786936217438
EAN :0786936217438
Price :$14.99USD
Lowest Price :$2.99USD