THE INVISIBLE Film Review - 30/6/07

Whilst turgid mush like the Fantastic Four does the rounds little gems like "The Invisible" seem to fall through the cracks and need to be searched out. A Hollywood remake of the original Swedish film "Den Osynlige" (2002) deals with a realistic situation that really makes you think it through? The supernatural tone to the film doesn't detract from the points made that even a "bad" person can expunge guilt by a single "good" act. Plus the fact that the grey areas make you realise that nothing is black and white in a tale of revenge and betrayal, murder and madness, loss and redemption and particularly love and hate. Finding himself in a nether plain between life and death a young man strives desperately to find his killer and re-unite with his body. This film had themes that reminded me of Charles Dickens classic "Christmas Carol" and even elements of Shakespeare's "Romeo & Juliet" in a somewhat twisted fashion. The familiar and the odd clash in this clever tale of nothing being what it seems in a dreary world of everything being "perfect".

FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER Film Review - 30/6/07

Really was not impressed with the first film and the second is no great shakes either! Into the black void of pap we go where if you chuck enough money at something and it raises enough $$$$$ signs then you can be sure of a follow-up and at least an extreme close-up of Jessica Alba and her trout-pout collagen injections with those big rubbery lips. As it says on IMDB "The plot synopsis is empty. Add a synopsis" which more or less sums up this film. Empty and vacuous does not a good plot make - Without a decent story it does not really matter just how special your FX is or how great the performances are - You need the whole package and this isn't it! Never mind I'm sure you can re-energise this drivel in the next sequel. Ho Hum!

LOST {3rd. Season} (DVD Review) - 25/6/07

Getting mighty tired of "Lost" and this third season is no improvement! No wonder it has slipped with it's ratings with the way it treats it's audience with such contempt. Trudging along slowly it keeps asking questions and really doesn't share out any answers - Continually stringing people along in the hope of some vague revelation. "24" is also guilty of this but I enjoy it far more because it eventually answers my questions. "Lost" reminds me of the classic British TV programme "The Prisoner" another series that asked a lot of questions and never resolved itself in the end. This show will be just the same - Much like "The X-Files" it will create a history and then walk off into the sunset leaving you hanging. I have absolutely no idea what is going on with "Lost" apart from when a friend of mine said this series seems to show regardless of who people are they are all inter-connected in some way or other? (Maybe? Who knows?) People's back-stories get filled in further in this season and various people don't trust each other, double-cross one another, lie, cheat and steal, all the usual fare in fact! The complete Season 3 is on this boxset with a host of Special Features and I really can't be arsed to fill you in on them as I really am bored with "Lost".

THE DEAD ZONE {5th. Season} (DVD Review) - 17/6/07

Now going into it's Sixth Season which I have been led to believe is 13 episodes - This time around with Season Five we only get 11 episodes on 3 discs which makes for easy viewing, but really leaves you wanting more! Stilson (Generally the series McGuffin) crops up in a couple of episodes with the usual Government/Big Business (Insert name here...) conspiracy in the background (Yawn!) This series we get a number of candid revelations (Literally in the episode "Revelations") we get a number of increasingly political points made about Muslim racism, Waco style religious groups, the war in Iraq, American policy abroad, religious fervour - You name it! "Symmetry" I found was a very hard to follow episode with it's constant shifts and the comedy episode "Lotto Fever" made me want to punch the producers - Awful! Although enjoyable the series was too short to make an impact.

SPECIAL FEATURES: We get two exclusive featurettes "The Other Side Of The Camera" and "A Day With JLA". Four Audio Commentaries on selected episodes and a bunch of Deleted Scenes.

Region 1 (USA) 3-Disc Boxset. Runtime: 452 Minutes. Maple/Lionsgate 2007. ISBN # 05737317507.

CHARMED BOOK OF SHADOWS COLLECTOR'S EDITION (DVD Review) - 16/6/07

Haven't managed to post anything for a while because I have been having a "Charmed" marathon session and the last few weeks have ploughed through the entire eight seasons with the fantastic Charmed Book Of Shadows Collector's Edition. Although this version came out in 2006 and only had the first seven series in it room was left in the book for the final season to fit in when it was released in early 2007. Comprising 6 discs per series this superb 48-DVD Boxset comes in a replica Book Of Shadows and is completely illustrated throughout with a page by page episode guide to each season. It has the shows logo on the front that flashes in red light from a replaceable battery and also has two attached ribbons as bookmarks. Nicely bound on heavy paper with each book having it's own Certificate Of Authenticity from the 16,000 run from Australia (Reg.4.) the pages are accented in gold lacquer and trimming and also included is a book stand to display the book and prop it open.

The first season lays the groundwork for much of what is to follow as the tale of three sisters becoming witches and fighting evil takes off from here with a slightly shaky start.

The second season carries on in a similar vein with more trials & tribulations as the witches gain power and evil is constantly knocking at their door.

The third season carries on much of the familiar plot-lines and ends on a awful cliffhanger which is very awkward.

The fourth season lose's a major character to a contract dispute, starts off badly and isn't resolved well but gains sufficient momentum to get back on track.

Season five charges ahead with some real possibilities and things change unexpectedly.

The sixth season add's a number of twists you don't see coming.

This season (Number seven) ups the anti in a way that looks bad for the good guys and really leaves you hanging at the end of the season.

Season eight the final one has so many changes you can't seem to get a grip on what is going on. Then of course you realise the stupid Studio Executives have been poking their noses in again - (Warner Brothers again!) Slashing the shows budget, changing the theme music, re-arranging the cast completely, changing the context and storyline and generally faffing it all up! At least in this season - Unlike the previous seven - You actually get a lengthy selection of Special Features covering various aspects of the show.

All in all over the 8 years of the show since it debuted in 1998 - it - like many genre shows (And it's contemporaries "Buffy" "Angel" & "Smallville") explored the human condition in a different way and although some episodes were total pants - other episodes really nailed some classic points in various stages of angst and dilemma through the formulaic use of old standbys like role-reversal, time travel and so on. Unfortunately like many - Several characters crop up for a few episodes and then totally disappear with no explanation why? Story-lines disintegrate and plot falls by the wayside (How they hoped to pull the wool over people's eyes in Season Eight is anyone's guess - Not only was it stupid it was downright insulting to the shows fans) What I felt was pretty amazing was just how many B-Actors turned up in supporting roles and how many big names also cropped up. So to be truthful - Yes - It was a pretty good run and on the whole it was enjoyable most of the time. This is probably also the best Boxset I have seen on the market for a TV show and it's a pretty impressive replica of the shows own Book Of Shadows.