Nick's Pics Nick
Nicholson Film & Home Entertainment Critic
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MOVIE REVIEWS
ROBIN HOOD
Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe and acclaimed director Ridley Scott mark their fifth collaboration with this retelling of the classic Robin Hood legend. Crowe stars as the bow-wielding hero, while fellow Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett plays Maid Marian. I know what you're thinking. The pairing of Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett and Ridley Scott seems like the recipe for a summer blockbuster of epic proportions, right? Although Robin Hood is an excellent marksman, this shot flies past the quiver and misses the target so badly, it is simply hard to believe - and accept. You might as well not know anything whatsoever about the legend of Robin Hood. This latest edition is a revisionist take on the story that begins during the war with Robin fighting for Richard the Lionheart and continues through the battle against the French. The film ends with the "and the legend begins" mantra which, for some reason, I found almost as annoying as the film itself. Where was all the sword fighting? Where was the action? (Well, aside from the folks making out in the back of the theater.) The bottom line here is the script killed the film. The plot was convoluted and without momentum and direction. It was akin to a bad date that just won't end - perhaps even an episode of The Gong Show, sans the gong. It just keeps going and going. The Energizer Bunny would have been proud. With the disappointment level at an all time high, I took extreme measures in an attempt to make things right after screening this film. I was so eager to state that I watched an excellent Robin Hood film this week, I busted out Robin Hood: Men in Tights from my home library. After all, not only did I get to cleanse my film palate, but compared to this drivel, Men in Tights was Oscar worthy.
Robin Hood
Starring: Russell Crowe & Cate Blanchett
Director: Ridley Scott
Company: Universal
Now Showing:
in Local Theaters
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Grade: C-
DVD REVIEWS
FREE DVD GIVEAWAY
We are doing a Free DVD Giveaway! If you are interested in a chance at winning a free copy of The Guild: Season Three, John Lennon: Rare and Unseen, Flicka 2 or the Dirty Dancing Limited Keepsake Edition on DVD or Armageddon or Tombstone on Blu-ray, it is really easy! All you have to do is send me an email at Filmlords@gmail.com. The subject line of the email should read DVD GIVEAWAY. In the body of the email, be sure to put your name, full mailing address and which DVD or Blu-ray you would like. Winners will be selected by random drawing. Best of luck!
TESTAMENT - Acorn
A thoroughly educational & enjoyable archeological journey into the history of the world's most famous book. Scientifically presented with factual knowledge. How the Testaments were written, assembled, preserved, and how they fit into the history of the world where events took place. The DVD series Testament is a world-wide, multi-country, many culture, mixed-religion, search of the roots of the how/why/when/where of religious writings that became to be known as Testaments. No intent is presented toward persuading anyone to any particular faith. The evidence evolves from several. This archeological DVD series is much more science rather than theological.
GEORGE GENTLY: Series Two - Acorn
Bringing an air of world-weary dignity to his role, Martin Shaw (Judge John Deed) returns as Inspector George Gently, a former Scotland Yard sleuth now tracking murderers in Britain’s North Country. Far from London, these once-quiet counties are just beginning to feel the social and political changes of the 1960s. The menacing crimes test even Gently’s big-city experience and hard-won wisdom. And his impulsive young protégé, Sergeant John Bacchus (Lee Ingleby), tests nearly all of his patience. This series finds Gently and Bacchus confronting sex-club entrepreneurs, corrupt politicians, gangs, and more. The first-rate supporting casts include Tim McInnerny (Blackadder), Nicholas Jones (Kavanagh QC), Mark Williams (Harry Potter), and Andrew Lee Potts (Primeval). Based on the long-running series of novels by Alan Hunter, these feature-length modern dramas teem with intrigue, wit, and style.
GHOST HUNTERS: Military Investigations - Image
Join America's first line of defense against the supernatural as Jason and Grant -- plumbers by day, ghost hunters by night -- lead their team on five hair-raising explorations of America's most haunted military locations. Prepare to be scared with these 100% real investigations from the spine-tingling TV series: Ft. Mifflin, the historic battlefield where apparitions still linger from America's bloodiest battles; Wright-Patterson Air force Base, the site of a decade-long pattern of escalating paranormal activity; the USS Hornet, an aircraft carrier known as the most haunted ship in the Navy; Race Rock Lighthouse, the US Coast Guard lighthouse featuring one of the TAPS team's most startling adventures; and the National Guard's New Bedford Armory, where the team experiences one of the most terrifying, still-unexplained moments of their entire career!
MYSTERY TEAM - Lionsgate
They were kid detectives. Now they’re eighteen and still solving child crimes. But when the Mystery Team is challenged to solve a murder, they see an opportunity to prove they’re real detectives – and to save the world of sex, crime and swear words. From Derrick Comedy, the Internet sensation whose short films have been viewed over 100 million times, comes this strangely hilarious, completely unique film that all are sure to enjoy!
MARKED: Season One - History
In ancient times, the human race would draw pictures to tell the stories of times gone by and epic conquests of the locals. Today, tattoos tell similar tales within our communities. This DVD set traverses the Hell's Angels through prisoners and gang members to the the story of these epic communities. Through interviews and other means, the method of inking is examined and what everything means to the naked eye. A very interesting set that will open your eyes in more ways than one.
THE GUILD: Season Three - New Video
With over 30 million worldwide views, The Guild is one of the most popular episodic comedies on the World Wide Web and now it's back! Season 3 finds our favorite Guild falling apart after the disastrous party that ended Season 2. Waiting outside a gaming store for their game's latest expansion pack, they encounter the Axis of Anarchy, a rival Guild led by Fawkes (Wil Wheaton, Star Trek: The Next Generation). Vork resigns in shame, leaving Codex (Felicia Day) in charge of keeping the Guild together in the face of Axis of Anarchy's efforts to destroy them. Will the Guild members overcome their differences to survive? This DVD includes all 12 episodes from Season 3, along with an epic amount of exclusive bonus material not seen on the Internet.
THE SPY NEXT DOOR - Lionsgate
Spy missions for the CIA may be difficult and dangerous, but they're nothing compared to the challenges of raising a family. Bob Ho (Jackie Chan) is a Chinese spy on loan to the CIA, but to Gillian (Amber Valletta) and her kids Farren (Madeline Carroll), Ian (Will Shadley), and Nora (Alina Foley), he's just a neighbor and pen salesman. Gillian and Bob are attracted to one another, and Bob is ready to tell Gillian what he really does for a living. He's prepared to retire from his career in espionage so they can take their relationship to the next level. Unfortunately for Bob, Gillian's kids are less than impressed with their nerdy neighbor, and that means his relationship with Gillian can't move forward. When Gillian has to leave town suddenly, Bob volunteers to take care of the children in hopes of "making them" like him. Ian inadvertently downloads a secret file from Bob's computer, and suddenly the Russian terrorist Poldark (Magnus Sheving) is bent on destroying Bob and the children.
LEVERAGE: Season Two - Paramount
Leverage is a slick and crafty drama following a team of thieves, hackers and con artists who act as modern-day Robin Hoods, standing up for the little guy who has been victimized by the rich and powerful. In this riveting and timely second season, the team takes on corrupt bankers, high fashion, the tabloid media and, most shockingly, an old nemesis from their past!
INVICTUS: Blu-ray - Warner
After South Africa elected Nelson Mandela president, the racially divided country could've easily erupted into civil war. In Clint Eastwood's determinedly populist, yet heartfelt look back at that time, the director examines one of the more ingenious steps Mandela (Morgan Freeman in a performance of sly charm) took to prevent that from happening. Knowing that his country was set to host the Rugby World Cup in 1995, Mandela believed the national team could provide an example of reconciliation in action. Led by François Pienaar (an unbelievably buff Matt Damon), the mostly white Springboks inspired devotion among Afrikaners and disgust among native Africans. Instead of changing their name or colors, Mandela encouraged them to win for the sake of their homeland.
JOHN LENNON: Rare and Unseen - MVD
The next installment in the Rare and Unseen series takes an inside look at the rock musician, singer-songwriter, author and peace activist who made it as one of the world’s most successful solo artists after his departure from the Beatles in 1969: John Lennon. From his musical and songwriting input with the Beatles to his astronomical solo career, Lennon has written some of the most popular music in rock and roll history. After the Beatles, Lennon enjoyed a successful solo career with such acclaimed albums as John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Imagine and iconic songs such as “Give Peace a Chance” and “Imagine”. His final album, Double Fantasy, was released less than a month before his death. This brand new DVD release is a collection of rare footage featuring original rare film and videos of the singer, newsreels and photographs from private collections and is a must own for any fan of this rock icon.
HIGH ANXIETY: Blu-ray - Fox
An affectionate homage more than a spoof of Alfred Hitchcock thrillers, Mel Brooks's hilarious movie is one of the funniest modern comedies around. Brooks plays a psychiatrist with a severe fear of heights who moves to the Bay Area to take over a psychiatric hospital after its former head mysteriously disappears. He must contend with the resident psychiatrist (Harvey Korman) and the twisted resident nurse (Cloris Leachman) as they plot against him, eventually framing him for murder. While on the run, Brooks teams up with the alluring daughter (Madeline Kahn) of the missing doctor to solve the mystery and confront his own fears.
ROBIN HOOD: Men in Tights - Fox
It's not Blazing Saddles, but there are some chuckles to be found in Mel Brooks's 1993 spoof of the Robin Hood legend. Cary Elwes is Robin (with a lighthearted jab at Kevin Costner's bad English accent in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves), while Richard Lewis plays an angst-ridden King John, and Roger Rees a snotty Sheriff of Nottingham. Comic David Chappelle has some good moments as the only black member of Robins's noble thieves, and Brooks does his own spin on Friar Tuck: Rabbi Tuchman.
THE EDGE: Blu-ray - Fox
Writer David Mamet created two engrossing and memorable characters, played by Alec Baldwin as the urbane fashion photographer and Anthony Hopkins as a reserved and intellectual billionaire. They find themselves teamed up against a giant Kodiak bear, and their own inner demons, when lost together in the Alaskan wilderness. There is a lot going on in this picture, as the subject matter includes male rivalry, the isolationism of extreme wealth, and, most conspicuously, the survival of the fittest. Mamet's script, which sounds a little too arch in spots, is well served by New Zealand director Lee Tamahori, who knows how to capture beauty and brutality in one frame.
MARKED FOR DEATH: Blu-ray - Fox
The glowering brutality that is aikido headbanger Steven Seagal's substitute for a star persona at least gives us a rancid taste of authenticity in this cookie-cutter action picture. This glum lug seems to really enjoy hurting people; he snaps limbs and shatters noses with visible relish. Pitted against a crew of Jamaican gangsters who invade his (white ethnic) Chicago neighborhood and threaten his family, retired DEA agent John Hatcher sets out to solve the case with robotic efficiency, kicking butt in just about every scene.
HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART ONE: Blu-ray - Fox
Mel Brooks's 1981, three-part comedy--set in the Stone Age, the Roman Empire, and the French Revolution--is pure guilty pleasure. Narrated by Orson Welles and featuring a lot of famous faces in guest appearances (beyond the official cast), the film opens well with Sid Caesar playing a caveman, then moves along to the unlikely but somehow hilarious juxtaposition of Caesar's soldiers (the other Caesar, not Sid) with pot humor, and ends on a dumb-funny note in the French bloodbath.
MR MEN SHOW: MR BUMP: PLANES,
TRAINS and DILLYMOBILES - Sony
Hooray for everyone! All your favorite friends from "The Mr. Men Show" are ready to have some fun. Join Mr. Bump and all his friends in Dillydale as they explore the world of cars, trains and ships on five exciting adventures. Episodes include: "Car Wash", "Flying", "Trains", "Cars" and "Boats". Perfect for younger kids, they are sure to love this DVD!
BARNEY: Let's Play Outside - Lionsgate
Get ready for great outdoor adventures with Barney and Friends! Join everyone’s favorite purple dinosaur on magical journeys filled with fun and excitement as they branch out and enjoy the outdoors with activities, exercising, discovery and just relaxing along the way. Come along with Barney, Baby Bop and BJ for big-time fun under the stars that the whole family will enjoy.
THOMAS AND FRIENDS: On the Go Pack - Lionsgate
Perfect for on-the-go travel! Each set includes 3 full length DVDs inside a portable DVD carrying case! Store up to 12 of your favorite Barney™ and Thomas & Friends™ DVDs in the case. Trust Thomas: Take a journey to the magical Island of Sodor, where fun and adventure lie around every bend. Watch Toby as he trades in his branch line for a tightrope and help the engines replant Henry's favorite forest after a devastating storm. Join your friend Thomas on what he says will be a fun and exciting trip - and like the title says, you can always "Trust Thomas." Hooray for Thomas: You’re invited to a celebration on the Island of Sodor! Watch as Thomas wins a medal for saving the day, children get a fun ride on the tracks, Edward rescues a brass band, and more! Let the celebration begin! Thomas, Percy & the Dragon: On the Island of Sodor even the bravest of engines have exciting challenges. Take Percy – he said that he's ready for anything! Help Thomas use the carnival Chinese Dragon to give Percy his greatest challenge yet. Hop aboard for the next journey through the magical Island of Sodor!
BEING A FRIEND - Lionsgate
Friends come in all shapes and sizes -- just ask your favorite pals, Barney, Bob the Builder, Fireman Sam, and Thomas. Join them as they discover that being a friend brings responsibility and adventure, but that friendship is a reward you will treasure forever. Perfect life lessons for kids of all ages, Being a Friend is sure to please parents and kids alike!
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