Jennifer’s Body: Unrated (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

Academy Award-winning writer Diablo Cody (“Juno”, “United States of Tara”) returns with her latest film “Jennifer’s Body” starring Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried.  Not much of a scary, gruesome horror flick but a black comedy teen horror film.  If you enjoyed “Jennifer’s Body”, the Blu-ray release features a good number of special features and overall a solid release!

Images courtesy of © 2009 Twentieth Century Fox. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Jennifer’s Body: Unrated

DURATION: Theatrical Version: 1:42:20/ Extended Version: 1:47:29

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, Widescreen 1:85:1, AVC @ 26 MBPS, English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish, French and Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital, Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, Portuguese, Cantonese, Mandarin and Thai

RATED: R (Sexuality, Bloody Violence, Language and Brief Drug Use)

COMPANY: Twentieth Century Fox

RELEASE DATE: December 29, 2009

Directed by Karyn Kusama

Written by Diablo Cody

Executive Produced by Diablo Cody

Produced by Daniel Dubiecki, Mason Novick, Jason Reitman

Co-Produced by Brad Van Arragon

Music by Stephen Barton, Theodore Shapiro

Cinematography by M. David Mullen

Edited by Plummy Tucker

Casting by Heike Brandstatter, Mindy Marin, Coreen Mayrs

Production Design by Avinder Grewal

Art Direction by Paolo G. Venturi

Set Decoration by Joanne Leblanc

Costume Design by Katia Stano

Starring:

Megan Fox as Jennifer

Amanda Seyfried as Needy

Johnny Simmons as Chip

Adam Brody as Nikolai

Sal Cortez as Chas

Ryan Levine as Mick

Juan Riedinger as Dirk

Colin Askey as keyboardist

Chris Pratt as Roman Duda

Juno Ruddell as Officer Warzak

Kyle Gallner as Colin Gray

Josh Emerson as Jonas Konelle

J.K. Simmons as Mr. Wroblewski

Amy Sedaris as Needy’s Mom

In every school there’s one girl, every girl wants to be friends with…and every guy would die for. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment presents a “student body” with a ferocious bite when Jennifer’s Body arrives on unrated Blu-ray Disc (BD) and DVD December 29. Sexy temptress Megan Fox (Transformers) is hotter than hell as Jennifer, a gorgeous, seductive cheerleader who takes evil to a whole new level after she’s possessed by a sinister demon. Steamy action and gore galore ensue as the male student body succumbs to Jennifer’s insatiable appetite for human flesh. Now it’s up to her best friend (Amanda Seyfried; Mamma Mia!) to stop the demonic diva’s reign of terror before it’s too late!

In 2009, the dark comedy horror film “Jennifer’s Body” would mark the return of award winning writer Diablo Cody (“Juno”, “United States of Tara”) and would feature a collaboration with director Karyn Kusama (“Aeon Flux”, “Girlfight”), actresses Megan Fox (“Transformers” films, “Hope and Faith”) and Amanda Seyfried (“Mamma Mia!”, “Veronica Mars”, “Mean Girls”).

“Jennifer’s Body” which cost around $22 million to make, earned around $33 million worldwide and has received mix ratings from a variety of critics but earning praise from Roger Ebert and Peter Travers of “Rolling Stone Magazine”.

Now “Jennifer’s Body: Unrated” is released on Blu-ray with a special unrated version which includes both the original theatrical version of the film and also an unrated version.  The Blu-ray release also includes a digital copy of the film.

“Jennifer’s Body” begins with Anita “Needy” Lesnicki (Seyfried) who is locked up in a mental asylum.  She talks about how her life is in the asylum and immediately it is quite evident that Needy has some major issues. She ends up beating on a female employee who tries to get her food order that Needy doesn’t agree with.  Eventually she is locked up in solitary confinement and Needy begins her story about how and why she was put into an asylum.

We then start to see Needy’s perspective of Jennifer Check, a girl that she grew up with and is a popular student at school.  Needy looks at her with such admiration that some people think she’s a lesbian because she keeps staring at Jennifer and is amazed that despite Needy being a nerd, Jennifer is still good friends with her.

One night, Needy and Jennifer went to a live performance of the band Low Shoulder.  Lead singer Nikolai (played by Adam Brody, “The O.C.”) has his sights on Jennifer because he believes she is a virgin.  During the night of their performance, a fire breaks out and when the band makes their exit, Nikolai invites her to their van and Needy is left behind.  The fire kills eight students and the students are in mourning.

As Needy is up late at night, a bloody Jennifer shows up in her kitchen and she is bloody and just smiles at her and starts tearing apart the chicken in the fridge and just releases this ghoulish scream followed by vomiting black bile.

The following day, Needy looks as if she is traumatized by the events from the previous night but the next day she sees Jennifer, everything seems OK and it starts to confuse her.  But this is just the beginning of odd occurrences in town.  Now several male students are being killed and we see Jennifer as she kills them.  Needy tries to explain to her boyfriend Chip (played by Johnny Simmons) that something is off about Jennifer but he dismisses it as her being tired.

When Needy confronts her about her concerns about her, we learn that on the night that Jennifer went with the band members of Low Shoulder, the reason why they needed to find out if Jennifer was a virgin was because they can sacrifice her to the devil in hopes to fame and fortune.  So, Nikolai and the band members actually murdered her.  But somehow Jennifer has come back alive from her bludgeoning.  Of course, Needy doesn’t believe it until Jennifer slices her arm and she automatically heals.

Needy does some investigating into the occult and believes that Jennifer must be a succubus and must eat flesh in order to live.  In this case, Jennifer has the hunger for guys.  But what happens when Jennifer goes after Needy’s boyfriend Chip?

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Jennifer’s Body” is presented in 1080p High Definition (Widescreen 1:85:1) with AVC @ 26MBPS.  Picture quality is pretty solid as you can see the detail in various surfaces around town.  A lot of scenes featuring blood, dirt and grime on the characters which is quite detailed onscreen.  There is a fine layer of grain, skin tones are natural and blacks are nice and deep.

The lossless audio is presented in English 5.1 DTS-HD MA and Spanish, French and Portuguese in Dolby Digital 5.1.  The audio is dialogue and music driven, so most of the audio is coming from the front and center channels.  There are some scenes that utilize the surround channels, from the slight sounds of a police siren, crowd ambiance and some of the action sequences.  Some of the bass you hear from the film comes from the music but for the most part, the film is front and center channel driven.

Subtitles are featured in English SDH, Spanish, Portuguese, Cantonese, Mandarin and Thai.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Jennifer’s Body: Unrated” comes with the following special features:

• Audio Commentary with Director Karyn Kusama and Writer Diablo Cody (Theatrical  Version) – An enjoyable commentary featuring director Kusama and writer Diablo Cody discussing the unique script and the structure of the film.
• Audio Commentary with Director Karyn Kusama (Extended Version) – While watching the film, a red box will show up on the corner (indicating an extended scene) in which you can hear Karyn discussing the differences of the theatrical version from the extended version of the film and how the extended version of the film which is much more closer to the original script.
• Deleted Scenes – (13:55) Six Deleted scenes which include the following deleted scenes: Dead Boys, Jennifer Check Is Gross, Needy Confronts Jennifer, Who’s Cindy Crawford?, Needy Faces The Band, Ass, Gas or Grass…
• Gag Reel- (4:55) Bloopers from “Jennifer’s Body”.
• Jennifer’s Body: The Dead Pool – (13:59) The cast and crew (including writer Diablo Cody, directory Karyn Kusama and the producers) talk about the concept of the film and working with the main talent of the film.  And filming of the pool scene and the visual effects and make up effects involved.
• Video Diaries - Video diaries from behind-the-scenes on the set of “Jennifer’s Body” featuring Megan Fox and Johnny Simmons (12:49), Amanda Seyfried (10:23), Diablo Cody (7:05) and Dan Dubiecki (3:02).
• Megan Fox Is HOT – (:53) A short special feature showcasing the sexy scenes of Megan Fox from the film.
• Megan Fox “Peer Pressure” PSA – (:37) A naughty public service announcement for “Peer Pressure” (ala promotion for “Jennifer’s Body”).
• Fox Movie Channel Presents ‘Life After Film School’ With Writer Diablo Cody – (26:26) An interesting episode of “Life After Film School” with the three film students interview writer Diablo Cody about the film, her career, working with director Karyn Kusama, Megan Fox and more.  Definitely love listening to Diablo Cody discuss her perspective of life and writing.

I suppose that there are horror fans who felt cheated that “Jennifer’s Body” was less of a horror, teenage slasher film (despite it having horror elements) and was more of a film that was character driven and really focused on the relationships between Needy and Jennifer.

“Jennifer’s Body” is quite interesting because Diablo Cody is pretty good of writing films, her way, her style and it’s a carefree style of showing school popularity and the cruelness that happens amongst students.  And what better way to take on the role of Jennifer than Megan Fox who has wanted to play this type of role.

But “Jennifer’s Body” for the most part is not a great film nor is it the worst film ever made.  I suppose it all comes down to the viewer and what they were expecting.  Looking for a slasher/gory type of film, well “Jennifer’s Body” has scenes that look quite disgusting but for the most part, it’s not a scary film.  In a way, “Jennifer’s Body” plays more like a “Lost Boys” style of film with the music, dark groups of students in town where bad things happening.  Also, the film manages to incorporate dark humor to the violence, teenage life and relationships.

But everything comes full circle at the end of the film and I really dig how “Jennifer’s Body” ends so rock n’ roll but with tragedy.  A possible sequel in the future?  Who knows.

Megan Fox did a fine job, this may not be the role that utilizes her in a non-sex kitten serious role but for Amanda Seyfried, she really shined in “Jennifer’s Body” portraying a variety of emotions from anger, fear, sadness, you name it.  It was really good to see her play the character of Needy since her previous films tend to showcase her in a more ditsy type of role.  So, it was good to see her utilized in the film emotionally in a variety of ways.

If you enjoyed the film “Jennifer’s Body: Unrated” comes with a good amount of special features and you get both the theatrical and extended versions of the film and a digital copy.  But I really enjoyed how the Blu-ray release also gives us a much more in-depth glimpse of the writer Diablo Cody and her involvement in film.  You don’t get to see her shown all that much, so it was really cool to see several features with her.

Personally, for “Jennifer’s Body: Unrated”, it all comes down to the viewer. If you are a guy who wants to see Megan Fox, you’ll dig the film.  If you are a big Diablo Cody fan, you’ll dig this Blu-ray release.  If you’re wanting to see the film for a scare, well… “Jennifer’s Body” is not exactly that scary.  But if you are wanting a popcorn flick that has elements of your favorite teen film and horror elements, you may find the extended version included on this Blu-ray release of “Jennifer’s Body: Unrated” more to your liking.

 

People toast their wine at the annual New Year’s Eve fireworks display in Sydney, Australia

People toast their wine glasses as the annual New Year’s Eve fireworks display illuminates the sky over Sydney Harbour on December 31, 2009 in Sydney, Australia. The 2009 into 2010 theme is ‘Awaken The Spirit’ with over 1.5 million people expected to gather around the harbour to watch the 12 minute show. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images). Content © 2009 Getty Images All rights reserved.

 

David Beckham in Milan

David Beckham is seen on December 30, 2009 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images)
Content © 2009 Getty Images All rights reserved.

 

The Gay Divorcee (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

Wonderful, humorous and enchanting.  “The Gay Divorcee” is features Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in their first film together as the main talent!  Fantastic dance numbers and just an incredibly delightful film. Highly recommended!

Images courtesy of © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: The Gay Divorcee

DURATION: 105 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Standard 4×3, Black and White, Dolby Digital Monaural

RATED: Not Rated

COMPANY: Turner RKO/Warner Brothers

RELEASE DATE: October 24, 2006

Directed by Mark Sandrich

Based on the musical play by Dwight Taylor, Kenneth S. Webb and Samuel Hoffstein and the unproduced play by J. Hartley Manners

Screenplay by George Marion Jr., Dorothy Yost and Edward Kaufman

Produced by Pandro S. Berman

Music by Max Steiner

Cinematography by David Abel

Edited by William Hamilton

Art Direction by Carroll Clark, Van Nest Polglase

Costume Design by Walter Plunkett

Starring:

Fred Astaire as Guy Holden

Ginger Rogers as Mimi Glossop

Alice Brady as Aunt Hortense

Edward Everett Horton as Egbert “Pinky” Fitzgerald

Erik Rhodes as Rodolfo Tonetti

Betty Grable as Dance Specialty

In one of their best loved, most charming song-and-dance comedies, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers demonstrate just how they became best known as America’s greatest dance team. Includes the Academy Award(R) winning hit “The Continental.” Year: 1934 Director: Mark Sandrich Starring: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Alice Brady

The RKO Radio Pictures years, known for its musicals starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in the mid-to-late 1930′s and later featuring other well known talent such as Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, Robert Mitchum and several others.

But it was Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers that help put RKO Pictures on the map with their ten films they did together from 1933-1939, 1949.  Although the two were featured in the 1933 film “Flying Down to Rio”, the two received fifth billing but it was due to that film, the two would receive top billing in “The Gay Divorcee”.  Beginning with this film, Astaire who was granted the rare opportunity for complete autonomy over how dancing was featured on his films would lead him to become the innovator of having the stationary camera to film a dance routine in a single shot and that the song and dance routines were integrated into the plot of the film.  Very different from what Busby Berkeley was doing at the time.

“The Gay Divorcee” was directed by Mark Sandrich (“Top Hat”, “Shall We Dance”, “Everything’s Ducky”) that is based on an un-produced play by J. Hartley Manners and a screenplay by George Marion Jr., Dorothy Yost and Edward Kaufman. The film would be nominated for an Academy Award for “Best Picture”, “Best Music, Score”, “Best Sound, Recording” and “Best Art Direction”.  The film would win “Best Music, Original Song” for “The Continental”.

The screwball musical comedy is about Guy Holden (played by Fred Astaire) who is leaving to Europe with his friend/lawyer Egbert “Pinky” Fitzgerald (played by Edward Evertt Horton).  While arriving in England, a woman named Mimi Glossop (played by Ginger Rogers) goes to greet her Aunt Hortense (played by Alice Brady).   Unfortunately, her aunt is being detained due to customs but while Hortense repacks her luggage, she doesn’t know that she has closed and lock part of Mimi’s dress inside it.  With her aunt gone, Mimi’s dress is stuck and she tries to get help from porter.

Guy sees Mimi and it’s like love at first sight for him.  He tries to help her by trying to pull the dress out of the luggage but instead rips her dress.  He covers her up with his trench coat and hopes that she will return it with her name and number.  Unfortunately, Mimi is not at all attracted to him at first and sees Guy as a nuisance.

Days have gone by and Guy receives his jacket back but now he wants to see Mimi once again.  So, he goes all over London to find her to no avail.  That is until he accidentally runs into Mimi’s car.  She tries to outrace him but Guy manages to catch up to her and give his phone number to her and getting her name.  He waits for days but yet no call from Mimi.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Guy, Mimi and her Aunt Hortense go to meet with his friend Egbert and to his shock, he is reunited with his former fiance Hortense.  Hortense introduces Egbert to Mimi and then we learn that Mimi is actually married and trying to divorce her husband, a geologist that she has not seen for several years.  Due to divorce laws in London, the only way she can divorce is if she is caught in an affair.  So, Egbert comes up with an idea to set up a fake one night tryst at a hotel with a man/co-respondent who will use the phrase “Chance is the fool’s name for fate!”.  A phrase that Egbert heard from Guy when he was thinking about Mimi.

All she has to do is have this fake adulterous situation seen by an investigator and that would be enough for her to end her marriage.  So, Egbert hires Italian Roldolfo Tenneti (played by Erik Rhodes) to be the co-respondent and tells him the phrase but forgets to tell him the room number of where to meet Mimi.  Egbert also forgets to hire the investigators and Roldolfo can never get the phrase right and ends up trying to say the phrase to every woman around.

So, on the day she is to meet with the co-respondent, Guy sees her and as a man in love, tries to please her and then he says his usual phrase: “Chance is the fool’s name for fate!”.  Immediately, Mimi thinks that he is the co-respondent and is disappointed that this man who was following her around is a guy who does this type of job for a living.

Guy tries his best to win her heart but in her mind, she thinks he is just being sweet to her because it’s his job.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“The Gay Divorcee” is featured in standard 4×3 (1:33:1 aspect ratio) and featured in black and white.  Warner Brothers did a great job in  featuring this classic film digitally remastered.  The film looks very good for a 75-year-old film and there is occasional dust that can be seen and there is a fine layer of grain.  But blacks are nice and deep and grays and whites come out quite nicely.  There is some flickering due to the original source negative but for the most part, it is not too distracting.  Overall, picture quality for this film is quite good and you can tell how this film fares compared to the 1934 short films included on this DVD.  “The Gay Divorcee” looks very good!

As for the audio, audio is presented in monaural Dolby Digital.  So, it’s pretty much a Dolby Digital 1.0 center channel driven film.  Dialogue is clear but personally, if you have a modern receiver and a pretty good audio setup, some may prefer to watch the film with audio directed to all audio channels.

Subtitles for the film are presented in English, French and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“The Gay Divorcee” comes with the following special features:

• Show Kids - (19:58) A colorful short film from 1935 in which the Palace Theater owned by Mr. Jenkins is trying to stay afloat during the Depression and may close.  But his 12-year-old son tries to bring in audiences with his own show.
• Star Night at the Coconut Grove – (19:33) A festive color short from 1934 featuring MGM performers such as Bing Crosby, The Debutantes and special guest Mary Pickford and Eduardo Durant and many more.
• Classic Cartoon “Shake Your Powder Puff”- (5:59) A black and white animated cartoon from 1934 directed by Friz Freleng.  Featuring animals, the composer tries to conduct his vaudeville show
• Audio-Only Bonus: “Hollywood on the Air” Radio Promo – (13:46) An audio radio promo for “The Gay Divorcee”.
• Theatrical Trailer – (1:18) The original theatrical trailer in its original glory with all scratches and dust galore.

I am making an effort to watch all Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers films and the film I decided to start out with is their first major film together “The Gay Divorcee” from 1934 and what a fantastic film this one turned out to be.   For one, the choreography of the dancing is remarkable.  From the first initial dance number from Fred Astaire, you know you’re in for a visual treat and this film does not disappoint.

The comedy and storyline are coherent and immediately, you can’t help but be amazed by the amazing chemistry between both Astaire and Rogers.  Despite the two not wanting to create this “musical team”, I can see why audiences wanted to see these two together.  They both click and as Astaire is fantastic with his dance moves, Rogers compliments him.  Also, there is such class and grace between these two performers that it shows onscreen and makes you appreciate their dancing.  It’s really enjoyable to watch.

Of course, for many people “The Gay Divorcee” is famous for its dance numbers.

From Astaire’s solo performance of “Needle in a Haystack” in which he dances and sings to “Let’s K-nock K-nees” featuring Betty Grable (pre-World War II pinup girl) and Edward Everett Horton was enjoyable.  Although, Horton is not much of a dancer, Grable’s addition for this short segment was quite refreshing to see.  But this is the first choreographed number with a number of people on the beach boardwalk and is fun to watch.

But it’s when you see the two together, that is when you see the magic of these two individuals.  Their performance of Cole Porter’s “Night and Day” was delightful and perfectly choreographed and you can’t help but admire their dance performance.  Classy and sexy, a wonderful scene.

But of course, the scene that will just make the viewer watch in awe and literally be mesmerized is the 20-minute performance of “The Continental”.  Wonderful choreography and also cinematography for this scene alone.  Absolutely fantastic!

And we go back to the actual acting.  Astaire’s dancing definitely adds flair to the film but he does a good job with playing the dapper Guy Holden and a man in love.  Ginger Rogers compliments Astaire’s dancing but it’s her acting that truly shines and just the look on Mimi’s face after the first dance with Guy is quite romantic.  And of course, the supporting roles by the talent such as Alice Brady as the perky but naive Aunt Hortense, Edward Everett Horton playing the forgetful lawyer and Erik Rhodes playing the hilarious Italian Roldolfo Tonetti.  A charming cast and a memorable film.  Overall, “The Gay Divorcee” is a fantastic film and a film definitely worth watching.

It’s important to note that all ten Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers films can be found in the “Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers Ultimate Collector’s Edition” which is highly recommended!  Otherwise, you can find “The Gay Divorcee” DVD (and other popular Astaire and Rogers films) from various online or Big Lots stores for $3-$6 each.

“The Gay Divorcee” is highly recommended!

 

The Theory of Everything (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

“The Theory of Everything” is a wonderful Christian film.  The film is inspiring, heartwarming and though-provoking that by the end of the film, you will in no doubt feel touched by it’s powerful message. Definitely recommended!

Images courtesy of © 2006 Blue Yonder Pictures, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: The Theory of Everything

DURATION: 86 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Anamorphic Widescreen (1:78:1), Dolby Digital, English, Spanish and Portuguese Language tracks, Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish and Portuguese

RATED: Not Rated

COMPANY: Affirm Films/Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

RELEASE DATE: January 12, 2010

Written and Directed by David de Vos

Executive Produer: David McFadzean

Produced by David de Vos and Stephanie de vos

Associate Producer: Terenece Pratt

Music by Brian Mann

Cinematography by Terence Pratt

Edited by David Christiaan, David de Vos, Jeff Learned

Production Design and Art Direction by Noelle Charles

Starring:

David de Vos as Doug

Victor Lundin as Dr. Eugene Holland

Frances Black as Abby

Amanda de Vos as Amanda

Janna Savatchee as Lindsay

Cheridah Best as Marcia

Mary Jo DuPrey as Delilah

Joan Benedict  as Judge

Does God exist? Does Science prove God’s existence or provide more reasons to doubt? Doug Holloway (David de Vos), a family man on the verge of financial and marital ruin, embarks on a journey to find his birth father, Dr. Eugene Holland (Victor Lundin). Dr. Holland is on a mission of his own – to prove the Holy Grail of physics – the Theory of Everything – that may prove the existence of God. His greatest challenge? Completing his quest before a degenerative brain disease (CJD) claims his ability to reason. Soon the two journeys become one as the men struggle together to rebuild their family and find new hope in God. A moving story of family, faith and theoretical physics, The Theory of Everything will inspire you to “Envision the Possibilities.”

“The Theory of Everything” is a wonderful Christian film.  The film is inspiring, heartwarming and though-provoking that by the end of the film, you will in no doubt feel touched by it’s powerful message.

“The Theory of Everything” is a 2005 film written, directed and starring David De Vos (who worked on “The O.C.: A Day in the Life”, “Beverly Hills 90210: 10 Year High School Reunion”, “Star Trek the Experience: The Klingon Encounter”, “Switched!”) who plays the main character Doug Holloway.  The film starts off with a scientist trying to writing equations on a board and suddenly he is stricken with something that quickly affects his health.  He is seen going to the medicine cabinet and telling God that he’s not ready to die yet and breaks the mirror.

In the film, Doug runs a fledgling airport is also a flight instructor at his own flight training facility.  He is hoping for a loan to come up but with the property owners only giving him weeks to come up with the money, Doug is in between a rock and a hard place.  To make things difficult for him, he’s hardly at home and his wife Abby (played by Frances Black) is not so happy that her husband is spending more time at work than with his wife and his two daughters.  But for Doug, he feels that his money is what keeps the family afloat.

One night during Christmas, Doug receives a call from a lawyer to meet in her office in regards to his real father.  Doug feels there is nothing to lose, so he goes to the meeting and finds out that he has a half sister named Delilah (and eventually he left Delilah and her mother and thus their relationship is quite estranged) and that his real father is sick and has a degenerative brain disease and the state is processing papers for him to be detained.  His father told the lawyers that Doug is his “last connection” which Doug has no idea what that means but the lawyer wants to know who can take care of him and take over the estate.  For Doug, he is not sure how much his real father is worth but in his mind, this may be the ticket he needs to pay his debt for his business.

Doug goes to visit his father and things start out a bit rocky as Dr. Eugene Holland (played by Victor Lundin) doesn’t like people coming onto his property but eventually Eugene (Gene) believes that Doug is his real son and lets him into his home and it appears that Gene has been busy working inside his home.  Gene explains that he is trying to use his scientific mind to find out if Heaven is hidden in one of the dimensions and has dedicated his life to finding a way to find God.  That God perhaps has somehow left clues for scientists to find out a way to get to heaven through science and thus he is trying to find out how.

We learn from Gene about Doug’s real mother, a woman named Lori and he talks about the magic of the Aurea Borealis in arctic and the possibilities of trying to find Heaven’s door so he can find his deceased wife.  For Doug, he is intrigued by his father but feels that he wants to get closer to him, so he starts showing Gene that he has family through Doug’s wife and two daughters which makes him happy.   From that point on the two decide to help each other.  Doug wants to bring family into his life and help Gene with his research while Gene will help Doug with his financial budgets for his business and become a financial partner in his business.

All looks good with Doug, family and Gene until on Christmas Eve, Gene’s health takes a turn for the worst.  And with his degenerative brain disease, he is expected to lose all his memory.  Knowing that time is against them, Gene asks for Doug’s help in his research as they don’t have much time.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“The Theory of Everything” is featured in 1:78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen.  Picture quality looks slightly compressed as you will notice some compression artifacts and for a 2005 film, the PQ doesn’t look as clear as I would have hoped.  There is a fine layer of grain which is fine but for the most part, picture quality for the film is good.

Audio is presented in Dolby Digital English and also Spanish and Portuguese Stereo. Dialogue is clear and can be heard clearly through the front channel speakers. For those with a modern home theater receiver and setup will probably want to have audio settings on stereo on all channels for a more immersive soundtrack but overall, audio is clear.

Subtitles are in English, English SDH, Spanish and Portuguese.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“The Theory of Everything” comes with no special features but trailers. I wish there was audio commentary or some sort of special features, especially to know how David de Vos was inspired to write this script and also the inclusion of the science behind the film for the character of Dr. Eugene Holland.

I was very pleased with “The Theory of Everything”.  I found it to be quite heartwarming and inspiring.

I was surprised to see find out that David de Vos, producer, writer and director and also playing the main lead but also to find out that de Vos also has experience producing and writing for Hollywood specials for popular TV shows such as “Beverly Hills 90210″ and “The O.C.” and as an actor, his main roles were extras in films such as “Pearl Harbor”, “Posers” and “The Island”.  But what de Vos was able to create was a magical film that will definitely touch the hearts of many people who have question if God was real and using science to justify if Heaven truly exists. A storyline focusing on the scientific and religious aspect could have been complex but overall, it was well-done (granted, I am not knowledgeable about the scientific things that Dr. Holland speaks of but I’m leaving it up to de Vos that he did research that aspect for the film).

Victor Lundin did a tremendous job playing the part of Dr. Eugene Holland and seeing his character so full of energy and eccentric as a scientist but also this crotchety man who goes gun crazy if anyone nears his property.  But most of all, the viewer witnessing this man who was provided with this intellectual talent and his fear that he is losing it due to his brain disease.

As for the film as a whole, acting for the film was not exactly spectacular but I am assuming that with the multiple roles that de Vos took part in the film, that the film was more than likely created with a very low budget (unfortunately, I was not able to find out how much the film actually cost).   But I suppose when it comes down to the more emotionally driven and more important scenes, that is where the talent of the film actually do shine.

The film is not rated, so for those who plan to watch the film with their family and children, there was one or two scenes that did catch my attention and probably a scene that I wasn’t expecting for a Christian film was  when the Holloway family are trying to protect Gene from the authorities and Doug’s step sister Delilah went after his estate.

The scene features de Vos’s daughter Amanda trying to protect her grandfather and in the process, Delilah’s friend slapping her in the face and seeing the daughter fall to the ground. With so much noise and seeing Doug nearly lose it and the crying baby and personally, I felt the scene was surprising but it made the film much more real.  So, I’m glad that David de Vos didn’t sugarcoat the scene.  Also, it’s important to note that Dr. Holland is one of those crotchety neighbors who will shoot anyone who comes near his property with a shotgun and in the beginning, he does try to shoot warning shots at Doug.  I can understand if those two scenes may be upsetting to parents but if you plan to watch this film with the kids, its important to at least parents know that those scenes are in the film.

But “The Theory of Everything” is an enlightening and enjoyable family film.  From the challenges that exists within families (especially during these economic times where parents tend to focus so much in providing financially for the family and not enough time with them) and if one can keep the faith, they can overcome those challenges.  I thought it was absolutely cool how the family aspect of the film was handled and how the Holloway family reached out to Gene and within their time together, making sure they spent quality time even though they don’t have much time due to his degenerative brain disease.

The DVD for “The Theory of Everything” was originally released by Triumph Marketing back in 2007 and this 2010 re-release from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment doesn’t feature anything else new but the trailers and perhaps the additional languages and subtitles.  So, if you are looking for a version that includes Spanish and Portuguese language (and subtitles), then this DVD re-release is for you!

If there was one major disappointment that I had towards this new DVD release was the lack of any special features.  This is one of those films that you wish there was some sort of audio commentary included.  I would have loved to hear how David de Vos came up with the story, the challenges he had to undergo by taking on the multiple roles as producer, director, writer and playing the main character of the film, directing the confrontation (between Delilah and her father) segment of the film, him working with the various talent and discussion about the ending scene as well.

Overall, “The Theory of Everything” is a wonderful Christian film.  The storyline is not too banal nor is religion forced down the viewer’s throat.  Also, I have to say that among the Christian films that I have seen thus far, “The Theory of Everything” is among the more enjoyable ones that I have seen.

I found the “The Theory of Everything” to be quite inspiring, heartwarming and though-provoking and by the end of the film, you will in no doubt feel touched by it’s powerful message. Definitely recommended!

 

Fergie of The Black Eyed Peas performing at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas

Singer Stacy ‘Fergie’ Ferguson of the Black Eyed Peas performs at the Mandalay Bay Events Center December 29, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The group is touring in support of the album, ‘The E.N.D.’ (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images). Content © 2009 Getty Images All rights reserved.

 

Mon Oncle – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #111 (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

Jacques Tati’s first color film “Mon Oncle” is a visual feast and another impressive masterpiece!

Image courtesy of © Specta Films. 2001 The Criterion Collection. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Mon Oncle – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #111

DURATION: 116 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Color, 1:33:1 Aspect Ratio, Monaural in French with Optional English Subtitles

COMPANY: Janus Films/The Criterion Collection

RELEASED: 2001

Written and Directed by Jacques Tati

Artistic Collaboration by Jacques Lagrange and Jan L’Hote

Producer: Jacques Tati, Fred Orain

Co-Producer: Louis Dolivet

Associate Producer: Alain Terouanne

Original Music by Franck Barcellini, Alain Romans, Norbert Glanzberg

Cinematography by Jean Bourgoin

Edited by Suzanne Baron

Production Design and Set Decoration by Henri Schmitt

Costume Design by Jacques Cottin

Starring:

Jacques Tati as Monsieur Hulot

Jean-Pierre Zola as Charles Arpel

Adrienne Servantie as Madame Arpel

Alain Becourt as Gerard Arpel

Lucien Fregis as Monsieur Pichard

Betty Schneider as Betty, Landlord’s Daughter

Jean-Francois Martial as Walter

Dominique Marie as Neighbor

Yvonne Arnaud as Georgette, the Housekeeper

Adelaide Danieli as Madame Pichard

Slapstick prevails when Jacques Tati’s eccentric hero Monsieur Hulot is let loose in the ultramodern home of his brother-in-law, and in an antiseptic factory that manufactures plastic hose. Tati directs and stars in the second entry of the Hulot series, a delightful satire of mechanized living.

Jacques Tati, a wonderful actor and one of the greatest film directors who has only created six feature films but watching it today, you can’t help but feel he was ahead of his time.  The French filmmaker who saw the Paris that he grew up with becoming a different Paris that is today.

With his Charlie Chaplin-esque character Monsieur Hulot, his second film “Las Vacancdes de Monsieur Hulot” (Mr. Hulot’s Holiday) would introduce the character and would earn Tati his first Academy Award nomination for “Best Original Screenplay”.  His third major feature “Mon Oncle” (1958) would be Tati’s first film in color and would focus on the disappearance of the Paris that he once knew and France’s obsession with modern architecture and gadgetry but also American-style consumerism.

The film not only had impact in France but also in America as the film would win an Academy Award for “Best Foreign Language Film”, a Special Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and also a New York Film Critics Award.

Tati’s character, M. Hulot, would return in his most ambitious and expensive film “Playtime” in 1967 and “Trafic” in 1971.

“Mon Oncle” is a film that shows Monsieur Hulot (played by Jacques Tati) living in an old area of Paris.  This represents Hulot’s old world.  We see the city life of people in the area, trying to make money selling vegetables on the streets, people still riding a horse and carriage and for M. Hulot, he is an unemployed man who travels around by foot and lives in an old apartment.  He is happy with his life and living his life free and happy.

A different life than his sister Madame Arpel (played by Adrienne Servantie) who is married to the very rich Charles Arpel (played by Jean-Pierre Zola) and have a young son named Gerard (played by Alain Becourt).  The Arpels are part of the new world.

The Arpel’s live in an ultra modern home with automatic gate openers, a statue of a fish shooting water out of its mouth, a lawn that is featured in a variety of colors with a walkway and stepping stones.  The home is quite empty but showcases modern furniture and the couple’s embracing of the latest technology.  The two show off their status by their home and possessions while their son, Gerard is totally different from them.  He could care less about the house and the technology.

For Gerard, he looks up to his uncle Hulot which tends to anger his parents.  Gerard could care less about his home and his parent’s lifestyle, he just wants to have fun with his friends who are from the old world as they enjoy pranking people who think they’ve gotten into car accidents or distracting people by whistles in order to make them crash into a pole.  Gerard likes that life of living free and that is what makes him appreciate his uncle so much more.

Meanwhile, Mr. Arpel can’t stand Hulot’s lifestyle and looks at Hulot to be quite an immature man.  So,  Mr. Arpel tries to get him employment in a variety of businesses including his own company and his wife tries to introduce him to women in their upper class circle.

For M. Hulot, we watch him as he goes from the old world to the new and having to deal with a variety of situations.  From working a job utilizing technology to picking up Gerard from school and all the shenanigans that take place.

It’s important to note that “Mon Oncle” is a film that has very little dialogue.  Tati’s films are visual and music-based with the use of sound effects to create the actual mood.  For those who are familiar with Charlie Chaplin’s work, Jacques Tati employs similar devices used in silent films with his films focusing on a person’s actual actions.

Also, director Jacques Tati has a way of making sure that there is a character distinction of not just within the human characters but also the surroundings such as buildings, vehicles and animals having their part in the film.  “Mon Oncle” is a visual treat that would be the precursor to his most ambitious, most expensive and most fascinating film, “Playtime”.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Mon Oncle” is presented in color and in 1:33:1 aspect ratio.   For a film created in 1958, The Criterion Collection has done a good job in transferring the film to DVD.  There are some situations where you do see the occasional dust and scratches of the film but for the most part, for a film that is over 50-years-old, “Mon Oncle” looks quite beautiful on DVD.

As for the film, according to Criterion, the digital transfer was created from a 35mm interpositive.  I would hope to see that the film was run through their MTI Digital Restoration system to minimize the scratches and dust but this was an older DVD release from 2001.  The film looks good but knowing Criterion and what they have accomplished with earlier films that they re-released, I hoped “Mon Oncle” is definitely considered for remastering and restoration in the near future.  After seeing what The Criterion Collection has done with Tati’s “Play Time” on Blu-ray, it makes me wonder what they can do with “Mon Oncle” if they choose to re-release it.   I’m sure it would look equally as beautiful and vibrant.

As for the audio, the audio is presented in Monaural and according to Criterion, the sound was mastered from the 35mm magnetic tracks.  I personally chose to listen to the film with audio on my home theater receiver set for stereo on all channels for a better audio experience with my 7.2 setup.  But for the most part, sound is clear and the music by Franck Barcellini and Alain Romans is fantastic.

Optional subtitles are featured in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Mon Oncle” comes with the following special features:

• Video Introduction- (5:07) A video introduction by writer, director and performer Terry Jones who knows a lot about Jacques Tati’s work and his impressions of “Mon Oncle” when he first watched it and now.
• L’ecole des facteurs – (15:04) The second short film directed and starring Jacques Tati back in 1947.  The short film is about a new postman who has a job to deliver his mail on bike and must take outgoing mail to the airplane in time.  But with challenges he meets on the job, will he be able to get the mail out in time?

Fantastic!  A Jacques Tati masterpiece that has its relevance even today with the technological changes that we have experienced in the last 25-years and have become so dependent on technology for everyday life, one can’t help but understand and sympathize with Jacques Tati as he had experienced in 1958 and seeing part of the world that he lived in, changing with technology and modernism.

After watching “Playtime” (my first Tati film), I knew what to expect.  Granted, “Playtime” was even more modern and so ambitious for Tati, “Mon Oncle” is a much purer film as it doesn’t rely on extravagant buildings or sets or many people and vehicles being choreographed to move a certain way.

It’s the characters through Hulot’s eyes and also Gerard’s eyes that intrigue us.  From his landlord’s daughter who we see grow up with each scene to Gerard and his friends trying to fake car accidents, there is a lot to watch and take in visually and have a fun time with what Hulot provides.  There are scenes that I didn’t see the first time, that I saw on the second watch especially through the Arpel side and the technology used.  From the vacuum cleaner that doesn’t need a human, to the automatic window cleaner and speaking of technology, how about the garage door that activates with a sensor and traps its owners in the garage, or the modern furniture that may look visually appealing but not in terms of comfort, to the actual design of their modern home and how difficult it is for the party goers where there they have to watch where they step in and rely on the various stones.

Considering that day in time where people wanted to move forward in technology and people can only imagine what the future had in store, here we are in today’s modern age, dependent on technology and those things we enjoyed 25-years-ago may all be part of the past but featured in a different manner.  One would imagine how Tati would have filmed a Hulot film in today’s world.

There can be comparisons with Tati’s “Mon Oncle” and Charlie Chaplin’s “Modern Times” and Rene Clair’s “A nous la liberte” but where those two films are more similar to each other, “Mon Oncle” is much different.  Part of me feels that Tati created these films as almost a time capsule of how things were like and will never be. This is a story about a man caught in the world of the old and the new and using comedy to show that transition.   The film is satirical, full of gags and for me, visually poetic but in someways, there is some sadness to the film (in my perspective) because there is no way Hulot and I would guess a lot of those others in the old French neighborhood would comfortable in this modernist world.  In one scene, a grocer from old Paris delivers food to the Arpel’s and he is just in awe of the lifestyle and home that they live in.

I’ve read that the US release of “My Uncle” was quite different (Tati filmed an English version at the same time) and through editing, signs were changed and certain scenes were eliminated.  Especially how the Arpel’s and their friends spoke in English while the French side of Hulot’s world do not.  It would be been nice if the Criterion Collection was to revisit this release, to include the English version on Blu-ray.

Overall, “Mon Oncle” is another visual feast from Jacques Tati and with many people discovering “Playtime” on Blu-ray, hopefully many of these viewers who enjoyed the film will also give “M. Hulot’s Holiday”, “Mon Oncle” and “Trafic” (which the three are also available on DVD via The Criterion Collection) a chance.  Definitely recommended!

 

Bamboo Blade: Part 2 (a J!-ENT Anime DVD Review)

What a fantastic conclusion to the series!  “Bamboo Blade” is an anime series that is just all-out fun, hilarious and addictive! The second part of “Bamboo Blade” just gets better and better and when it’s all done, you wish there was more!  A DVD series that is highly recommended!

Image courtesy of © Masahiro Totsuka-Aguri Igarashi/SQUARE ENIX, BAMBOO BLADE Partners. All Rights Reserved.

DVD TITLE: Bamboo Blade: Part 2

DURATION: 13 Episodes (325 minutes, 2 DVD’s)

DVD INFORMATION: 16:9, English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound, Japanese stereo, English Subtitles

COMPANY: FUNimation Entertainment

RATED: TV PG

Release Date: January 19, 2010

Originally Created byAguri Igarashi and Masahiro Totsuka

Director: Hisashi Sato

Screenplay: Hideyuki Kurata

Music: Kiyohiko Senba

Character Design by Naoto Hosoda

Art Director: Maho Takahashi

Animation Director: Yooichi Ueda

Sound Director: Yoshikazu Iwanami

Director of Photography: Tatsuya Nomura

3D Work by Tatsuya Watanabe

Produced by AIC A.S.T.A.

Featuring the following voice talent:

Houko Kuwashima as Miyako Miyazaki

Katsuyuki Konishi as Toraji Ishida

Megumi Toyoguchi as Kirino Chiba

Rina Satou as Satori Azuma

Ryou Hirohashi as Tamaki Kawazoe

Sachiko Kojima as Sayako Kuwahara

Akira Ishida as Danjuro Eiga

Daisuke Sakaguchi as Yuji Nakata

Mai Nakahara as Reimi Odajima

Tetsu Inada as Kenzaburo Ishibashi

Having a fierce swordswoman like Tamaki at practice every day gives the girls of the Kendo club reason for hope, but this team still has a long way to go. Their sensei is one false move away from losing his job, the team’s facing a suspension, and even Tamaki is about to experience the bitter taste of defeat. So will the girls pick each other up and stick together as a team – or will they crumble under the pressure and go their separate ways?

During his team’s darkest hour, it will be up to Toraji to inspire his warriors and teach Tamaki that sometimes, only a crushing loss can stoke the flames of competition.

In 2004, the manga series “Bamboo Blade” by Masahiro Totsuka and Aguri Igarashi (illustrator) was released and featured in the Japanese seinen manga magazine Young Gangan. An anime adaptation was produced by AIC A.S.T.A. (“Tokimeki Memorial ~Only Love~”, “Tentai Senshi Sunred”, “Godannar”) and was shown on TV Tokyo from October 2007 through April 2008.

The anime series is directed by Hisashi Saito (who worked on series such as “Fullmetal Alchemist”, “Eureka Seven”, “Bleach”) and features a screenplay by Hideyuki Kurata (who created “Read or Die” and “Kamichu!”). Character designs are by Naoto Hosoda (“Jinki: Extend”, “Nagasarete Airantou”, “Shuffle! Memories”) and 3D by Tatsuya Watanabe (“Fullmetal Alchemist: The Movie – Conqueror of Shamballa”).

In November, the first half of the 26-episode anime series made its US debut with part 1 featuring the first 13-episodes in a 2-DVD collection courtesy of FUNimation Entertainment.

“Bamboo Blade” is about an economics teacher named Toraji Ishida who is also the coach of the Muroe high school Kendo team. Ishida is a low-paid teacher barely surviving from paycheck to paycheck and literally has to go through days without eating.  It’s so bad that the students end up sharing their food with him because they could tell that he’s out of it because of the lack of food.

In the beginning, Sensei Ishida’s intention was to bring in four more girls into the club and train them for competition in order to win a bet against his good friend, Sensei Ishibashi (who teaches and coaches two female high school kendo teams).  Whoever wins the competition would ensure him a year’s free sushi, all you can eat from his Ishibashi’s fathers restaurant or if he loses, give up a trophy he won against him when they were younger.

For the most part, the first half of the series shows the team dynamics and the training his kendo students have put in.   With long time member Kirino being the heart and soul of the team (and also the team captain), Ishida has the kendo prodigy named Tamaki Kawazoe on his team.  The main concern that Ishida has for Tamaki is that she has never lost and has never been in that position before.  To make things more interesting, as focused she is in every match, for some reason when the opponent does a high stance (holding the sword above the head), she freezes up for some reason.

Also, to make things worse for Sensei Ishida, his job is on the line after he was involved in a disturbance with a board member’s next door neighbor.  Now he has no choice but to make sure the team is prepared to win regionals and the only way he can do that is train them harder than ever before in a short amount of time.  Will Sensei Ishida managed to train his team?  Will they be ready for these upcoming major competitions?

The second half of “Bamboo Blade” continues to focus on team dynamics but also individual stories that continues the hilarious and fun storyline of the series but also becomes much more serious towards the latter end of the series.

The main characters of “Bamboo Blade” are:

Toraji Ishida – The economics teacher at Muroe High School who is the sensei of the Kendo team. Sensei Ishida hardly makes any money and lives paycheck to paycheck which leaves him without food for days at a time. His love is kendo but has a lax style of teaching.  His job is on the line due to an argument with a woman who turned out to be a neighbor of a school board member.

Kirino Chiba - A second year student at Muroe High School who loves kendo and wants to compete. The captain of the team who is full of energy, enthusiastic and her parents own a deli.  She is also the heart and soul of the team, putting them first before herself.

Tamaki Kawazoe - A hardcore anime and tokusatsu fan, she’s also the daughter of a father who owns a kendo dojo and has learned since she was a little girl and somewhat of a prodigy of the sport. She joins the kendo club after she sees freshman students being bullied by the male seniors and because she is seen like a hero (like her tokusatsu shows), she joins the team to fight against any evil and for justice. Despite her talent in kendo, Tama-chan is very shy and soft-spoken.

Miyako “Miya-Miya” Miyazaki – The beautiful girlfriend of Danjuro Eiga (aka Dan-kun). Cute and perky on the outside but she also has a dark and evil side to her in which a black aura comes out of her (which other people except her boyfriend can see). Joins the Kendo team so she can utilize her aggressive nature and beat on someone.   Her weakness appears to be a female stalker who follows her around and takes away her focus.

Sayako Kuwahara – A second year student and happens to be like a drama queen and has a very low self-confidence. Always changing her goals and up to something new, she has high expectations for herself and when she fails, she quits but with the new team, she has started to find herself and also becoming best friends with Kirino.

Satori Azuma - Very talented in kendo but because of her bad grades, she was forced to quit and to focus on her studies.  But now with her return to kendo and also regaining her enthusiasm and becoming much happier, will she be able to succeed in school and kendo?

Yuji Nakata - One of the few male students in the kendo club who is passionate about kendo. Yuji trained at Tama’s fathers kendo dojo. Very smart and the only person on the team who knows his sensei’s true intention of bringing female members to the kendo team.  His fellow kendo members think he has a thing for Tamaki.

Danjuro “Dan-kun” Eiga - The short odd looking member of the club who joins because he wants to wield a sword like a ninja. Although he appears to be kind of dumb, he is actually quite smart and even dates the beautiful Miya-Miya.  Slowly progressing in his kendo abilities and becoming a formidable kendo opponent.

“Bamboo Blade: Part 2″ comes with episodes 14-26 on two DVD discs. Here are the spoiler-less summaries of each episode:

DISC 3:

• EPISODE 14 – Satrin’s Resolve and Nomming – Continued from the last episode, Azuma decides that she needs to focus on her grades and not kendo.  Miya-Miya decides to take care of the situation her way.
• EPISODE 15 – First Training Camp and First Public Bath – Sensei Ishida holds his first training camp for his kendo students and also Sensei Ishibashi’s Machido five female kendo students and the two groups train hard and bond with each other.
• EPISODE 16 – Kirino’s Absence and the Preliminary Tournament – Something happens to Kirino’s mother that prevents her from attending kendo classes right before the major tournament, meanwhile rumors swirl about another high school group and kendo team about their poor sportsmanship.  Meanwhile, the Muroe High kendo team competes in a major competition.
• EPISODE 17 – Light and Shadow – With the events that happened in the last episode, Tamaki is put into a situation that she has never been in before.  With a bad ankle and a vicious opponent, will she be able to compete?
• EPISODE 18 – The Tournament and Muroe High After That – Continuing with the tournament and Sensei Ishida having to make a major coaching decision after seeing how bad Tamaki’s ankle is.
• EPISODE 19 – The Armadillo and the Pangolin – Miya-Miya wants to train harder in kendo after doing badly in the tournament.  As she goes to buy a new shinai, she runs into an American kendo student who starts hugging her boyfriend Dan-kun.  Jealous with rage, the American named Carrie challenges Miya-Miya in a kendo battle for Dan-kun!
• EPISODE 20 – Braver and Shinaider - Yuuji has tickets for a Braver event (Tama’s favorite show) and she ends up in a competition with another die hard fan named Rin.

DISC 4:

• EPISODE 21 – Tamaki Kawazoe and Rin Suzuki – With the Braver film to begin shooting, the film crew stays at Tamaki’s home and Tamaki realizes that the girl Rin from the amusement park quiz competition is there as well.
• EPISODE 22 – Winners and Losers – Sensei Ishida has the team prepare for the Kanto High School Kendo tournament and Tamaki will be squaring off with her new friend/rival Rin Suzuki while Miya-Miya will be going against her American nemesis Carrie.  Meanwhile, two of the former Muroe High School kendo students Toyama and Iwasa (the bad kids from the first episode) cause trouble and destroy an arcade after a fight.
• EPISODE 23 – Lies and Silence – Trouble comes to Muroe High School as the principal informs Sensei Ishida that two of the students has destroyed property and have gotten worst with their aggression.  A resolution must come which can lead the team to a one year suspension.  Meanwhile, after the competition and the loss, two members decide to quite the kendo club.
• EPISODE 24 – The Sword and the Way – With the troubles at Muroe High School, current members of the team try their best to bring their former members back.  Meanwhile, Kirino must make the biggest decision as a team captain.
• EPISODE 25 – Kendo and What It Brings About – It’s time for the Kendo National competition and with hard training, it all comes down to this moment.  Also, Miya-Miya and Tamaki go against their rivals once again!
• EPISODE 26 -”Sine Then” and “From Here and Out” – It’s a new school year and two new students come to watch the kendo team.  Meanwhile, we see how things have changed with the team especially with a new adviser.  What has happened to Sensei Ishida?  And who will be the new captain of the Muroe High School kendo team?

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Bamboo Blade” is presented in 16:9 and for the most part the animation is pretty cool as it integrates CG to the animation. Because of the fast pacing of the kendo, there is quite a bit of action in the series. Character designs are quite interesting as we see cool character designs and sometimes hilarious facial expressions.  With the second half of the series, the series takes place in different settings.  So, there is more scenery outside of the kendo dojo and the high school this time around.    Also, with the series getting a bit more serious towards the latter end, I definitely enjoyed how the animation fit the mood of the series.

Audio is presented in English 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound and Japanese Stereo. For the English dubbed track, the anime is front and center channel driven with certain sounds of the shinai (the wooden bamboo sticks) hitting each other and crowd ambiance to footsteps can be heard through the surround channels. English voice acting is actually very well-done! Japanese dialogue is front channel driven and is Dolby Digital stereo only but for those who have a modern home theater receiver can select stereo on all channels for a more immersive soundtrack.

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Bamboo Blade: Part 2” comes with the clean opening and ending themes and FUNimation Entertainment trailers.

When it comes to sports related anime, I’m actually a big fan of it. May it be “Slam Dunk”, “Big Windup”, “Yawara”, “Eyeshield 21″, “Prince of Tennis”, “Captain Tsubasa” to name a few… I’ve been a big fan of anime sports series especially if the anime focuses on characters that are underdogs and become high achievers.

So, I was wondering how an anime series based on kendo would be. I’ve learned and even practiced kendo (for a very short time) and mainly because it is a very discipline-based sport (and for some friends its part of their lifestyle), for those on the outside, an anime based on kendo can be seen as boring or quite technical. But “Bamboo Blade” is nowhere near boring, in fact…once you start watching it…you’ll find the series to be quite fun and quite addicting!

For the most part, the series is definitely created to be anime friendly for those not familiar with the sport (or for those who despise sports anime) by including pretty girls who have their own interesting personal character traits, add in a lot of humor, girls (and a few guys) training in kendo and what you get it is a fun anime series known as”Bamboo Blade”. And I think it’s quite appropriate since there are many anime fans who are so against sports-related anime series, “Bamboo Blade” is one of those few anime series that won’t bore them.

Sure the anime series has its share of cute girls, hijinks and craziness but what about those who are fans of kendo, what can they get from “Bamboo Blade”? Well, the series does feature the training of kendo, the action scenes of kendo and also the spirit of kendo. The anime features some of the technical aspects of the sport but for the most part, the for the anime series to be quite fun and enjoyable for non-kendo/non-sports fans, the series is not dominated by it. It’s a character-driven anime series and for the most part, its made to be entertaining.

Overall, every episode of “Bamboo Blade” has been quite entertaining and fun. I found myself laughing and just really enjoying this anime series a lot. So, don’t let the kendo theme scare you, “Bamboo Blade” is not your typical sports anime series. It’s about friendship, teamwork and also adversity.  In fact, after watching the complete series, I have to say that “Bamboo Blade” has made it into my top 10 favorite anime series of 2009.  The series just gets better and better and definitely enjoyed the series and how they ended it.  I just hope that there are plans to continue the series!

“Bamboo Blade” is definitely a series worth checking out!  I highly recommend picking up both parts of the series and trust me, you’ll be hooked!

 

Winnie the Pooh – A Valentine For You: Special Edition (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

Fun and entertaining!  With Valentine’s Day around the corner, if you are looking for a “Valentine’s Day” animation release for your children and for the entire family, you can’t go wrong with this Valentine’s Day classic.  This 2010 DVD re-release includes a new episode, new menu system and six Valentine’s Day cards!

Images courtesy of ©Disney. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Winnie the Pooh – A Valentine For You: Special Edition

DURATION: 50 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Full Screen (1:33:1), Dolby Digital Surround Sound, French and Spanish Language tracks, English SDH, French and Spanish Subtitles

RATED: G

COMPANY: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

RELEASE DATE: January 5, 2010

Directed by Keith Ingham

Written by Carter Crocker

Music by Carl Johnson

Edited by Gabrielle Morley

Art Direction by Gabor Csakany

Featuring the voice talents:

Jerome Beidler as Roo

Brady Bluhm as Christopher Robin

Peter Cullen as Eeyore

Jim Cummings as Winnie the Pooh

Paul Winchell as Tigger

John Fiedler as Piglet

Michael Gough as Gopher

Ken Sansom as Rabbit

Andre Stojka as Owl

David Warner as the narrator

In Un-Valentines Day, it’s that warm and wonderful time when Pooh and his pals like to show how much they care. But Rabbit wants to cancel Valentine’s Day because last year, he was up to his ears in the flood of cards that littered the Hundred Acre Wood. Reluctantly, everyone agrees — until someone anonymously sends Pooh a pot of honey. Suddenly, the Valentine rush is again out of control, much to the delight of all — including Rabbit. In A Valentine for You, Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and Rabbit see Christopher Robin making a valentine for a girl and find he’s been bitten by a “Smitten” and is lovesick. Worried that he’ll no longer have time for them, and hoping a second bite from the love bug will cure him, they set out on a wild adventure to capture the Smitten. My Hero is a new-to-DVD adventure that shows the lesson of two friends truly helping each other. When Piglet saves Tigger’s life, Tigger decides to repay the favor by being Piglet’s servant. But Tigger’s new job causes Piglet more harm than good. When Tigger saves Piglet’s life, his obligation to be the servant is erased and all is back to normal.

With “Valentine’s Day” just around the corner, “Winnie the Pooh – A Valentine For You: Special Edition” is a re-release of the previous 2004 DVD “Winnie the Pooh – Un-Valentine’s Day/A Valentine for You” but this time around, new to DVD comes the episode “My Hero” from the animated TV series “The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” and Winnie the Pooh, Tigger and Piglet Valentines day cards (six total).    Also, this new 2010 release does not include the bad menu selection and introduction to the episodes that many were dissatisfied with in the 2004 release.

The first episode “A Valentine For You” (duration: 22:06) was a Valentine’s Day special from 1999.  In the 100 Acre Wood, Winnie the Pooh and his friends watch Christopher Robbin writing a Valentine’s Day letter to a girl.  When owl tells them that he is love sick and has the love bug, Winne the Pooh and friends misinterpret owl’s explanation as if Christopher is sick and now they feel that they must help him through his illness.

The second episode is “Un-Valentine’s Day” & “Three Piglets” (total duration for both episodes is: 27:30) which was aired on the animated TV show “The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh”.   In this episode, Winnie the Pooh and the gang talk about Valentine’s Day and how they have been inundated with Valentine’s Day cards.  Winnie the Pooh is known for giving his friends too many cards and the collection of cards is becoming a nuisance,  so the only thing that Rabbit can do is to cancel Valentine’s Day.  But when Winnie the Pooh receives a Valentine’s Day gift of honey, he feels that one of his friends sent it to him and this chain of events leads to others celebrating Valentine’s Day in secret.

In the episode “Three Piglets”, Winnie the Pooh tells his version of the “Three Little Pigs” story and how the pigs are trying to avoid the Big Bad Bunny.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

Video is featured in Widescreen (1:33:1) and for the most part, animation differs at times.  For example, “A Valentines Day For You” is sharp, vibrant and doesn’t show its age (considering it is a special).  But the episodes from “The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” definitely shows its age as it is not as clear, has some blurriness and also the occasional dust and scratches.  You can tell through the quality of the animation that the TV episodes are quite old and there are major differences between the special and TV episodes.  But as much as the parents or grown ups more likely to complain about the differences, I doubt the children will care.

As for audio, audio is presented in Dolby Digital Surround Sound and is featured in English, French and Spanish language tracks.  Audio is dialogue and music driven and for the most part is clear and understandable.  For home theater owners, I felt that the best setting was to have audio set at stereo on all channels.

Subtitles are in English SDH, French and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Winnie the Pooh – A Valentine For You: Special Edition” comes with a total of six Valentines Day cards feature Pooh, Tigger and Piglet.  As for special features, the following is included:

• My Hero - (11:35) New to DVD is an episode titled “My Hero: from The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.  In this episode, Piglet rescues Tigger from danger and now Tigger gives all his attention towards Piglet…but the attention tends to be a bit too much for Piglet.
• Catch the Love Bug - A game that was featured in the original 2004 DVD release, the remote control game allows viewers to use their remote to catch love bugs floating in the air.  Catch five and you win!

As many of the Winnie the Pooh specials and television episodes that are holiday-related are making its way to DVD, “Winnie the Pooh – A Valentine For You: Special Edition” is quite timely as the DVD introduces children to Valentine’s Day.

I’m sure for many parents with children, this DVD is quite timely as it does introduce the concept of Valentine’s Day to children and the exchanging of gifts which the children will take part in school.  For those who owned the original 2004 DVD release, there is really no major reason to upgrade to this DVD as the contents are nearly the same with the exception that it does include the “My Hero” TV episode, the six Valentine’s cards and the new menu and trailers.  For those hoping their would be some remastering of “The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” episodes, similar to recent releases in the last year, picture quality is the same and the TV episodes does show its age and a bit blurry when compared to the specials.

But for the children, I doubt they will be as picky on the clarity of the animation as we are.  I watched this with my son and he was entertained by it and laughed several times.  The “Catch the Love Bug” remote control game is easy for them and for the most part, these animation included is fun for the children and the entire family.

If you are looking for a Valentine’s Day animation for your child or another “Winnie the Pooh” animated release, definitely give “Winnie the Pooh – A Valentine For You: Special Edition” a chance!

 

Heidi Samuel and Seal on vacation with the family in Aspen

Heidi Klum Samuel and husband Seal take their kids ice skating while spending their holiday in Aspen. Heidi strapped on a pair of ice skates to accompany her kids Helene, Henry and Johan on the ice. The kids were wearing animal shaped helmets and one piece jump suits. Seal kept to his sneakers and camera, taking pictures of wife Heidi and his kids skating around the rink. Photograph: Pedro Andrade/ Kevin Perkins, PacificCoastNews.com

Content © 2009 Pacific Coast News All rights reserved.

 

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