"Rise: Blood Hunter"

Lucy Liu
Michael Chiklis
James D'Arcy
Carla Gugino
Cameron Richardson
Allan Rich
Kevin Wheatley
Mako



Unrated           122min           2007


Female reporter Sadie Blake (Lucy Liu) wakes up in a morgue to find herself a member of the undead, the victim of a brutal vampire ritual. Trying desperately to fight off her thirst, Sadie prowls the dark city streets, armed with a crossbow and hell-bent on staying the twisted vampires that made her this way. – from the back cover

As a film “Rise: Blood Hunter” is a standard action film that threw my expectations out of the door. It’s abandons the normal vampire lore. It’s a film with a film big-named stars and notable cameos. Lucy Liu takes some daring steps in this film.

This is a film that threw out my expectations and the vampire lore. I thought this was going to be a stylized action film with the vampire world as a backdrop. It turns out to be a character driven film with action sequences. Some of the vampire lore is present and others aren’t and I think that is because of budget reason. Which at some points takes you out of the film.

Lucy Liu is an unwilling turned vampire out to kill the ones who turned her. She is aided by Michael Chiklis as a rogue cop out hunting the ones who killed his daughters. Carla Gugino takes another part that is a waste of her time but caters to her talent. “Rise: Blood Hunter” has a cameo of a former boy band member that if you blink you will miss him because the next time you see him he’s unrecognizably dead.

I think Lucy Liu takes a daring depart from her normal comfort zone in this film. A film that is more erotic than gory than I would have thought. She looks amazing to be close to forty at the time of filming this film. It would have been a better film if it had more money for more special effects.

There are a few featurettes that are thrown together for the sake of putting something on the disc. The behind the scenes featurettes focus on: Blood, Sex & Murder, Location, and Stunts. It has a feature comparing the storyboards to the filmed scenes and a theatrical trailer. There are loads of movie trailers: “Resident Evil: Extinction”, “Boogeyman 2”, “Hostel: Part 2”, “Resident Evil and Resident Evil: Apocalypse Deluxe Edition”, “Pumpkinhead & Blood Feud”, “Closure”, “Urban Justice”, “Kaw”, “Ghost Rider”, “The Company”, “First Snow”, and “Fearnet.com”

I give it 3/5 Gs.

"Reign Over Me"

Adam Sandler
Don Cheadle
Jada Pinkett Smith
Liv Tyler
Saffron Burrows
Donald Sutherland
Robert Klein
Melinda Dillion
Mike Binder

R           124min           2007


Adam Sandler, Don Cheadle, Jada Pinkett Smith and Liv Tyler star in this heart-rendering story about Charlie Fineman (Sandler), who has slipped away from reality after the sudden loss of his wife and children. But Charlie’s life takes a turn for the better when he runs into his old college roommate Alan Johnson (Cheadle), whose life is torn between the demands of career and family. Their renewed friendship rekindles their long-forgotten bond, and both men emerge enriched and enlightened.

"Reign Over Me" is the best Adam Sandler film I have seen in the last few years. I think this is a story that resonates will everyone who was alive during 9/11. This is a film that should not be missed.

Adam Sandler gave a rousing and moving performance. You truly believe that Charlie Fineman is struggling by normal standards to come back from that day. He ‘s coping his way and every thinks they know what’s best for him. Sandler makes you believe he’s a man broken by that day.

Since 9/11 Americans are living in a different world now. The problems of the world have touched us and made us stronger and more resilient from the pain. "Reign Over Me" has a pain that is universal and at the heart of this film. I personal don’t know some like Charlie Fineman but I know that there are Charlie Finemans out in the world.

No one should miss “Reign Over Me”. Although technically not a 9/11 film, it is right up there with the other ones, “World Trade Center” and United 93. They dealt with the ordeal of the day and “Reign Over Me” deals with the aftermath of that day. A day that hurt so many people yet many Americans can’t tell you the exact date. I remember the exact moment when I saw heard about the first plane, saw the second plane hit, the chaos and panic that my mind felt afterward.

As for the special features there is a jam session featurette with Don Cheadle and Adam Sandler. There is a behind the scenes featurette about the film. The final feature is a photo gallery of set stills running to the music of Love, Reign O’er Me by ‘The Who’. There are movie previews for: “Click”, “Vantage Point”, “Spider-Man 3”, “30 Days of Night”, “Sleuth”, “Angel-A”, “Interview”, “Spanglish”, “The Company”, and “Close Encounter of the Third Kind”.

I give 5/5 Gs.

"Gray Matters"

Heather Graham
Thomas Cavanagh
Bridget Moynahan
Molly Shannon
Alan Cumming
Sissy Spacek
Rachel Shelley



PG13           96min           2007


Thirty-something New Yorker, Gray (Graham) shares just about everything with her wisecracking brother, Sam (Cavanagh): old movies, swing, dancing and – much to her surprise – an attraction to his gorgeous new girlfriend, Charlie (Moynahan). Never having realized she might be gay, Gray’s confusion turns to desperation as she follows the “expert” advice of clueless friends, shrinks and strangers. –from the back cover

"Gray Matters" is a romantic comedy that is the poster child for lesbian liberation. I’m not a twin but I know a set of twins; I found the Gray and Sam’s relationship was a little creepy.

This film shows one instant of a lesbian woman coming out to a loving and understanding family. In fact they realized it long before she did which I find completely funny. If they had a clue may they should have clued her in.

The filmmakers downplayed the enormity of her coming out for the light and comical. When Gray realizes that she may be gay she adjust really well, stumblingly a little bit but finding her strive quite quickly, I little how the ending metaphoric of Gray’s journey and everything was right in her world.

Sam and Gray’s relationship in the beginning is a little dysfunctional. It’s even played up in the comedy. If they weren’t twins they would have been perfect for each other. They had truly formed a symbiosis with each other, broken when Charlie comes into the picture.

Sissy Spacek was under used as a therapist that needs a little therapy herself. She is a scary therapist that looks to be a little too unconventional to be effective. Molly Shannon at point stole the comedic spotlight as a woman obsessed with the drama of soap operas.

I think "Gray Matters" can be like by anyone. The cast is talented and does a good job with the material. The find the humor and are still respectful to the situation of Gray. More than anything its just a funny romantic comedy with a new twist on a love triangle.

On the "Gray Matters" DVD there is only a promotional trailer being displayed as a behind the scene featurette and a theatrical trailer. It does however have movie previews for “The Illusionist”, “Winter Passing”, “Find Me Guilty”, and “Haven”.

I give 3/5 Gs.

"Unhitched"

Stuart Townsend
Amy Smart
Seth Green
Kate Ashford
Jodhi May
Steve John Shepard
David Oyelowd
Anna Chancellor
Philip Jackson


R           96min           2005

When a man learns his worst enemy is about to marry the woman his best friend loves, he vows to break up the wedding any way he can in this outrageous romantic comedy.

"Unhitched" is an romantic comedy with a funny premise. Seth Green takes a mundane part and turns it into the most memorable part of this movie. Stuart Townsend is miss cast as this leading man. This is a film greater than the sum of its parts.

When I think of think about a best friend is trying to breakup a wedding just so that his best friend can come in and get the bride. For me it a funny thought and what’s at the heart of this film. This is a film more of a buddy film than a romantic comedy. The friendship between Seth Green and Stuart Townsend is what makes this film work.

Seth Green takes a mundane part and makes it his own. With his bad British accent, he makes devious look fun. At first you think everything Green does comes from a superficial place and by the end you realize that he’s just a good friend. HE would done everything anyway to help make his friend happy.

Think Stuart Townsend was miss cast as the lead. Every time I see him I think of him as Lestat from “Queen of the Damned”. Even when he’s supposed to have lost his confidence; it never works on screen. It’s worst when he’s supposed to be clumsy and uncomfortable around women.

"Unhitched" works better when you look at it as a whole. Breaking down the individual performance makes this film worst than it really is. Their like a chorus that with each individual singer they sound a little off key but once you put all of them together they make a harmonious song, with friendship at the heart of the film.

There are no bonus features but there are previews for movies: “Crank”, “Employee of the Month”, “The US vs John Lennon” and “Farce of the Penguin”.

I give it 3/5 Gs.

"Resident Evil: Extinction"

Milla Jovovich
Oded Fehr
Ali Larter
Iain Glen
Ashanti
Christopher Egan
Spencer Locke
Matthew Marsden
Linden Ashby
Jason O'Mara
Mike Epps


R           95min           2007


Years after the Raccoon City disaster, Alice (Milla Jovovich
) is on her own; aware that she has become a liability and could endanger those around her. She is struggling to survive and bring down the Umbrella Corporation led by the sinister Albert Wesker (Jason O'Mara) and head researcher Dr. Isaacs (Iain Glen). Meanwhile, traveling through the Nevada Desert and the ruins of Las Vegas, Carlos Olivera (Fehr), L.J. (Epps), and new survivors K-Mart (Spencer Locke
), Claire Redfield (Larter), and Nurse Betty (Ashanti) must fight to survive extinction against hordes of zombies, killer crows and the most terrifying creatures created as a result of the deadly T-Virus that has killed millions. Written by Akoksum2003

"Resident Evil: Extinction" was interesting in its own right but it wasn’t what I expected. It played more like the interlude between films. I think this film set the events of a much better film. At the conclusion it set up the film that I expected to see.

Even with the under whelmed expectation it was a par science fiction action film. It was less about the horror and more about the action. The plot was explain and there wasn’t anymore explanation of it. Characters from previous film are absent without any explanation and maybe they are being saved for future films.

For future films decide what the film is going to be. If the film is going to cater to the horror fans then make it about the horror as they did in the first. If you’re going to cater to the action then define the action. But the most important part is to always keep in mind the development of the characters. The film didn’t know what it wanted to be and that hurt the film for most people

The theatre that I saw this "Resident Evil: Extinction" only showed trailers for “Saw IV” and “30 Days of Night”.

I give 3/5 Gs.