Director Howard Hall is back to his usual tricks with Under the Sea 3D, his fourth IMAX undersea entry and what he brings to the table this time around is………well, pretty much more of the same. There is little argument that some of the deep sea discoveries found are awesome to behold, especially on a gigantic IMAX screen, but at this point you could splice together scenes from his 2006 effort Deep Sea and 1994′s Into the Deep and I would have a hard time differentiating them. The sameness of the whole endeavor is what makes the impact less than exhilarating. (more…)

Wow. Two weeks in a row of absolutely dreadful offerings in theaters. In terms of major releases, we have a concert film (in 3D no less) with a Teeny Bopper band for the Disney crowd, and then another abysmal-looking Video Game film adaptation. It’s enough to make someone quit movies and live off of TV shows and video games only. But then I remember that next week, WATCHMEN arrives in theaters. All will be forgiven at that point. In the meantime, why not read my feeble attempt at pretending I give a flying flock about what’s playing at a theater near you. See ya beyond the break… (more…)

…and it is foretold that in the year 2008 AD a savior will come down to earth from the heavens and take the form of pure fun. Many amongst you will rejoice and great cheers will ascend to the heavens bringing a flickering moment of peace to all the earth. Sadly, once those touched by this spiritual embodiment of joy finish the experience, they will be left feeling empty inside. Having been enlightened to the possibilities of pleasure that this life can offer and then having it ripped away may be too much for many of the blessed to handle. Some may choose to end their existence out of fear of never reaching nirvana again. While others may be driven mad from their new found addiction to pure fun. Chaos will encompass the earth and man’s dark nature will reign supreme. Plunging the earth into a pit of despair as deep and dark as the sea of Paolo. Fear not my chosen ones, it appears a sequel has already been foretold…  

Excerpt from the “Prophecies of Laytonia”
Lukeio 21, XICBV

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Well it looks like Sega’s Mad World is finally giving Wii owners a reason to look deep into their closets and dust off the rarely used Nintendo game console. Mad World is the most violent game I have ever laid eyes on. Its unique design style reminds me of Gears of War set in an SIN CITY environment, and that’s not a bad thing in case you were wondering. The black and white visuals draw more attention to the gruesome onslaught on screen. Mad World is all about killing, and you’re not going to be efficient if you can’t grasp the controls. Motion controls will be put to use in a way never done before. You must become one with the Wii-mote in order to deliver crimson death onto your enemies. It is still too early to get really excited about this game, but Sega is known for putting out quality games. I watched a few videos of this up and coming game and I saw what only a psychopath could imagine. It’s slated for release March 10th and should be on every Wii gamer’s must-buy list! For a taste of what I’m talking about, check out some new and old videos beyond the break… (more…)

Howdy folks, Bobert here. Sometimes I get the impression that folks think I’m not a fan of Romantic Comedies. They would be right in that assumption, but not because I’m some sort of cold-hearted fiend with no romance in his heart. The sad truth is that most RomComs made by Hollywood are insipid and moronic pieces of cinematic junk food, lacking any funny bone or semblance of romance to speak of.However, every once in a rare and momentous while, a RomCom comes out that manages to defy the odds and actually offer something worthwhile to moviegoers. Usually it comes from another country, like France (AMELIE, LOVE ME IF YOU DARE), the UK (LOVE ACTUALLY, ONCE), or Asia (MY SASSY GIRL). But sometimes even we Yanks manage to put a decent one together. And while its only half an American production, MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY is an excellent example of the American RomCom done right. Read on beyond the break to find out why… (more…)

With the release of Killzone 2 on the Playstation 3 only days away, I offer my impressions of my play time with the demo and what I anticipate the life of this game to be like. The life I am referring to is how much support it will or will not receive after release. For example, Resistance 2 burned hot for a short few weeks. I played it virtually non-stop with many friends online and played through the campaign twice. Yet after less than a month the game was relegated to the back of my game shelf and friends had sold their copies away. Burnout Paradise is a game that I loved upon release but never gave a fair shake, yet here I am in February of 2009 and I am playing that game almost daily. As long as a game sells big during that early release window developers typically do not care about the lifespan of a title. The one obvious exception being the brilliant minds at Criterion that continue to release downloadable content and support the community built around Burnout Paradise. Gamers care though. If a game doesn’t have the legs is it really worth the sixty dollar investment for a few short weeks of enjoyment? For every great, endlessly replayable title like Call of Duty 4 and Burnout Paradise there is a forgettable equivalent (i.e. Resistance 2, Lord of the Rings: Conquest, etc.) My hope is that Killzone 2 finds a home in the annals of gaming greatness with the latter games, but my gut tells me otherwise. (more…)

Every once in a while Bobert is privileged to obtain some advanced copies of burgeoning films that thrive on getting a bit of ink to get the word out. Bobert texted me to ascertain if I would be interested in reviewing these releases. I didn’t see no good reason why not, so he shot me an advance copy of RISE OF THE SCARECROWS. The rest is history….wait no it isn’t. RISE OF THE SCARECROWS arrives on DVD May 5th. In the meantime, here’s my review… (more…)

Howdy folks, Bobert here with another edition of NEW RELEASE TUESDAY! Once again we have ourselves a week full of notable DVDs/Blu-rays worthy of your attention and moola. I honestly can barely keep up with everything that’s been coming out in the last two weeks. Hopefully all of ya’ll are fairing better. Along with new titles, we’re also seeing some must-have classics hitting Blu-ray today. So stop wasting time and go beyond the break to check out this week’s must-sees. Catch ya on the bounce… (more…)

So as I’ve done every year since 1997 (the year Titanic won everything), I grabbed a seat on the couch in anticipation for this years Academy Awards. This time around, Hugh Jackman is the host which I respond to with complete indifference. I’d rather they bring back Billy Crystal or Steve Martin, but apparently Hugh was gangbusters hosting the Tonys, so why not the Oscars? I guess we’ll see….. (more…)

Howdy folks, Bobert here with the return of The Box Office Space! Studio estimates are in, and it looks like Tyler Perry’s MADEA GOES TO JAIL was the emphatic winner this past weekend with a surprising take of over $41 Million. This amount easily overtook the still-strong-but-sliding TAKEN (see Bobert’s review here!), which brought in an additional $11 Mil. It’s total U.S. earnings is creeping ever-so-closely to the coveted $100 Million, making this big fan of the flick (as well as distributor 20th Century Fox) quite happy. CORALINE (see McJeffrey’s review here!) managed to move up the list, landing at 3rd place. It looks like folks are into HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU as the flick remained in the Top Four, while SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE opened up in more markets and finally broke into the Top Five. The biggest loser of the weekend was FIRED UP, premiering at the 9th spot with an anemic $6 Million. I’m sure I’ll be losing some sleep over that one. Go beyond the break for the rest of the weekend’s box office results. Catch ya on the bounce… (more…)