Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - (Page 17) www.homemediamagazine.com REVIEWS BLU-RAY SPOTLIGHT I DEAD SPACE: DOWNFALL Anchor Bay, Animated, $26.97 DVD, $34.98 Blu-ray, NR. I THE LONGSHOTS Street 12/2 Genius/Weinstein, Comedy, B.O. $11.5 million, $28.95 DVD, $34.99 Blu-ray, ‘PG’ for some thematic elements, mild language and brief rude humor. Stars Ice Cube, Keke Palmer, Tasha Smith, Jill Marie Jones, Matt Craven, Garrett Morris, Dash Mihok, Malcolm Goodwin. situation that seems destined to fail — a rapper taking direction from a rock singer in a family-friendly movie — actually works well. The Longshots may be hokey, but it’s an enjoyable, well-intentioned movie. Just check your cynicism at the door. Ice Cube plays Curtis Plummer, an unemployed and rudderless former football star who uses the game to bond with his shy niece/reluctant babysitting assignment, Jasmine (Palmer of Akeelah and the Bee). She is initially reluctant, but Jasmine is a natural athlete who can sling the ball with ease. Curtis urges Jasmine to try out for the local Pop Warner team, which she makes. After the expected hazing from her male teammates, Jasmine leads them to a string of victories that inspires her depressed Illinois town as well as her uncle, who becomes her coach. Again it’s important to stress that this is a family movie, so those expecting the he-man dramatics of the original The Longest Yard or Rudy will be severely disappointed. However, the movie is inspired by a true story, and a short profile of the real-life Jasmine Plummer is included in the DVD. For sports-crazed kids and their families, The Longshots is a perfect appetizer for those more-adult movies. Limp Bizkit-frontmanturned-director Fred Durst does a nice job with the football scenes, which are captured in somber autumnal tones by cinematographer Conrad W. Hall; Ice Cube and Palmer deliver authentic, comfortable performances; and Durst, for the most part, presents lessons without being patronizing. The DVD’s features also include interviews with Durst and Ice Cube (who also produced), a short documentary on the making of the film and deleted scenes. – Pete Croatto hen it comes to animation on Blu-ray Disc, a Disney film this is not. Making the most of the unrated nature of this direct-to-video release, Film Roman’s edgy prequel to Electronic Arts’ new horror video game Dead Space is a gory delight. I haven’t seen this level of animated nudity and violence since the Heavy Metal movie. And that’s not a bad thing. Clearly aimed at gamers and sci-fi fans, Dead Space: Downfall tells the story of the horror that befalls the crew of the mining ship USS Ishimura after an alien artifact is brought aboard. The film serves as a bridge between the six-issue Image Comics series and the new game. The final scene in this movie is the first scene players see in the new game. It’s a nice example of the type of synergy that can occur today around video games. The line-art animation style of the film creates the perfect blend of comic book action with some video game CGI whenever spaceships are involved. The film’s AVC MPEG-4 encoded 1080p transfer looks sharp, as it’s a straight digital-to-digital transfer. Also top notch is the 5.1 Dolby TrueHD mix, which brings the dark, forboding atmosphere of the story to life with vivid frights. Just as in the game, the sounds of the alien creatures add a lot of scares to this thrill ride. When it comes to extras, this BD comes with a digital copy of the film (perfect for playing on a PSP). All of the bonus content is ported over from the DVD in 480p MPEG-2. Gamers might have fun searching for the game cheats hidden on the disc. When it comes to the film, there’s nothing quite like this experience on BD. And the same can be said about the new game. I suggest viewers take in the Blu-ray version of the film on their PS3 before diving into – John Gaudiosi the game. W A grifter and a pregnant woman arrive at the estate with the intention of robbing it. But the Street 11/25 woman goes into labor and gives birth. BFS, Drama, $24.98 DVD, NR. The trio immediately bonds over the Stars Penelope Wilton, Daniel Mays, Sinead Matthews. baby, acting out the home life that none of them has ever had, a sort of group alf Broken Things, a British hallucination of family life. made-for-television film, is This is a disturbing piece made even a dark, atmospheric drama more disturbing by the uncanny perabout the chemistry between three deformances of Wilton as the mother figluded and damaged souls as they sink ure, determined to keep her “family” together, past the point of redemption. A quiet housesitter is hired to care for a and Matthews as a young woman who cannot country estate while the owners are abroad for bear another loss. Half Broken Things is an affecting small film months. The owners have been specific about the limits of her use of the house, and when that explores the darkest places in the human she breaks an expensive teapot while dusting, heart and the terrible consequences of longshe snaps. Soon she is rearranging furniture ing. Viewers with an interest in films in which and ripping family photographs. She begins to almost nothing is tied neatly together will be drawn to Half Broken Things. believe the house is hers. – Anne Sherber I HALF BROKEN THINGS H I DEAD OF WINTER Street 11/25 Lionsgate, Horror, $26.98 DVD, ‘R’ for violence/terror, drug content and language. Stars Brian McNamara, Al Santos, Sandra McCoy, Ella Joyce, Don Fisher. bear outside ready to attack. Regular viewers of “The Colbert Report” know that Colbert often cites bears as the greatest threat to America, so he hides in his cabin and greets a wide range of guests. First, Toby Keith arrives and sings a song complaining about politically correct attacks on the concept of Christmas. Then Colbert finds a fourth wise man in his model manger; it’s Willie Nelson, who sings about bringing a gift of weed to baby Jesus. Even “The Daily Show” host Jon Stewart shows up to sing about Chanukah, much to Colbert’s apathy. Other musical performances include Feist and Elvis Costello, as well as Colbert himself. The humor is subversive in typical Colbert style, but not as sharp as his usual nightly rantfests. The episode aired on Comedy Central Nov. 23, only to make its way to DVD two days later. Its availability on DVD is a fact celebrated throughout the special. The DVD is a must-have for Colbert fans. Viewers have the option to watch the special with or without live-audience reaction, though it plays better with the crowd. Also included are three alternate endings and a bonus song, “Cold, Cold Christmas,” by Colbert. For good measure, the disc includes a virtual fireplace, similar to the video fireplace made famous on the “Report.” Only this time it’s a “Book Burning Yule Log,” fuelled by books the sardonic Colbert no doubt finds objectionable. But far and away the best thing about the DVD is a video advent calendar, featuring Colbert in 25 short vignettes counting down the days until Christmas. – John Latchem I n Brian McNamara’s spine-chilling thriller Dead of Winter, once-blissful couple Kevin (Santos) and Tiffany (McCoy) find themselves helplessly stranded in the middle of the snowy woods battling the elements while being hunted by an unknown predator. It all starts at a New Year’s Eve party where Kevin and Tiffany, already high on life about moving in together, decide to snort crystal meth to jumpstart the night. What they didn’t expect was to also be slipped LSD, which creates a lethal drug cocktail that puts an abrupt halt to the night’s festivities. After leaving the party, which proves to be their biggest mistake, they begin to notice someone following them. They think it might just be the drugs until the mysterious person appears in the backseat of their car, causing Kevin to drive off the road and sending the lovers frantically running off into the night to hide from whomever or whatever is stalking them. But no matter how far they run, they can’t seem to escape. As this drug-induced nightmare unfolds, Kevin and Tiffany’s relationship breaks down as they begin to turn on each other as their inner demons emerge, leaving the couple unable to tell reality from fantasy. Dead of Winter, which claims to be based on actual events, is a classic psychological thriller reminiscent of The Shining, which is perfect for a cold Halloween or winter night fright. The film features a well-assembled cast led by two young, budding actors Santos (American Gangster) and McCoy (“The O.C.,” “Two and a Half Men”), who do a phenomenal job showing their descent into madness. Ultimately, McNamara (“Army Wives”), who directs and stars in the film, does an amazing job constructing a sharp, suspenseful, horrific tale that plays off people’s primal fear of the unknown. – Matt Miller November 23–29, 2008 Home Media Magazine http://www.homemediamagazine.com
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 Contents News High-Def News Electronic Delivery News Commentary Reviews Pipeline Research Top 20 DVD Sellers Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts Just Announced Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 (Page Cover1) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 (Page Cover2) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 (Page 1) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 (Page 2) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 (Page 3) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 (Page 4) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Contents (Page 5) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Contents (Page 6) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Contents (Page 7) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - News (Page 8) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - News (Page 9) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - High-Def News (Page 10) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - High-Def News (Page 11) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Electronic Delivery News (Page 12) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Electronic Delivery News (Page 13) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Commentary (Page 14) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Commentary (Page 15) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Reviews (Page 16) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Reviews (Page 17) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Pipeline (Page 18) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Pipeline (Page 19) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Top 20 DVD Sellers (Page 20) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts (Page 21) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Just Announced (Page 22) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Just Announced (Page 23) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Just Announced (Page 24) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Just Announced (Page Cover3) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Just Announced (Page Cover4)
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