This is one "intelligent" dark comedy by the Coen Brothers that involves the CIA and its lack of "intelligence" to solve a mystery that is all but “intelligent”. Did you get all that? Good. Now let’s move on.
In Burn After Reading, the lives of the main characters get intertwined after two dim-witted gym employees (Frances McDormand and Brad Pitt) find a disc filled with some of the CIA’s most irrelevant secrets and then try to blackmail the disc’s owner, Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich). Little do the two gym employees know is that the disc is nothing more than a useless file containing Cox’s memoir about his life in the CIA. But to the duo attempting the blackmail, they think it’s highly classified information. Thus begins a spiral of events that leave everyone baffled as to what the hell is going on. The funniest parts of the film are seeing the dumfounded reactions from the cast. I would have to say the funniest role goes to John Malkovich. The way his character Osbourne Cox says the line “What the fuck?” out of frustration is downright hilarious. In the end, the film doesn’t really wrap things up the way you’d expect it to. But that’s the great part of watching Burn After Reading. It’s not the type of film where everything gets resolved the way a lot of films do. Instead, the fun comes in seeing everyone make a really big deal about, nothing.
DVD BONUS FEATURES:
FINDING THE BURN: The making of Burn After Reading from inspiration to the big screen.
DC INSIDERS RUN AMUCK: Shows the strength in putting together some of the most amazing talent in the world to create a world of Washington, DC insiders all trying to get ahead or find true love.
WELCOME BACK GEORGE: This is a companion, comedy piece, focusing on Mr. Clooney as he returns for his third collaboration with Ethan and Joel Coen.
If you ever got to see the Transformers animated movie from the 80's, then you know that the evil Unicron (who's the size of an entire planet) was defeated by the Autobots. Ten years after that famous battle, the Autobots and Decepticons have formed a secret alliance with the humans. That's where the series called Energon picks up. It's weird hearing that the Autobots and Decepticons are working together. With a shaky relationship like that, you can already predict something will eventually happen. While the Autobots and Decepticons search for the substance called Energon, another evil force has its own plans to find and control all of it. This is where all the action picks up as the fight begins! I never got to see the show when it was out. Now, with the release of Transformers Energon: The Ultimate Collection on DVD, I can finally watch it from start to finish. For any fan of Transformers or of Japanese cartoons in general, it truly is an "ultimate collection". This awesome set contains 7 discs with a running time of 1092 minutes! With an exciting story and the Japanese 3D style animation, Energon shows the Transformers like never before. If you haven't watched this series yet, or if you're already a fan of it, Transformers Energon: The Ultimate Collection has every minute of this exciting series for you to experience.
Here are a couple of DVD’s worth mentioning from Disney’s December releases. Just out this month are the titles Power Rangers Jungle Fury: Into The Jungle (Vol. 1) and Power Rangers Jungle Fury: Way Of The Master (Vol. 2). If you have a son, then it’s almost impossible to not know these guys. These two DVD’s are loaded with some cool action-packed episodes. Volume 1 has the Power Rangers protecting Earth as they try and fight off an army of animal spirits. As brave as they are, this set shows that the Rangers are still learning about teamwork.
In Volume 2, things don’t look too good with the evil Dai Shi forces growing stronger and the Five Fingers of Poison getting thrown in the mix. If they’re going to have any chance against their foes, the Rangers must learn to work together. For something new in this Volume, the Rangers get trained in the ways of the master by members of the Kung Fu clan. And if all of this info has you scratching your head, don’t worry. Even if you don’t really get all the facts about the show, these DVD’s are still fun to watch.
The latest addition to the Unstable Fables series is out now! This time the classic fable Goldilocks And The 3 Bears gets a modern makeover as a hilarious reality TV show where Goldilocks lives in the same house as the 3 bears. This is not the Goldilocks that you may know from the fairy tale. Instead, this one has a strong resemblance to Paris Hilton. And that's not the only pop culture reference in this movie either. There's an owl who resembles Simon from American Idol and a show in the film that mirrors Extreme Makeover. But instead of Ty Pennington, Goldilocks is the host of the show. Goldilocks And The 3 Bears features the voices of Tom Arnold, Brooke Shields, and Jamie Lynn Spears. It’s a smart and funny film that isn’t afraid to poke fun at spoiled celebrities and reality TV. The DVD is out now courtesy of Genius Products and The Weinstein Company.
I just watched Swingtown: The First Season on DVD and I'm left with mixed feelings. On one hand, the storyline is cleverly written as it deals with all types of issues that come in a relationship. On the other hand, I got mad quite a bit at how stupid the couples were! When you open Pandora’s Box and invite others into your sex life, of course you can expect lots of problems to come. But hey, sometimes hard lessons are learned through dumb choices. Swingtown takes place in the 70's, when the sexual revolution was at its height. Of course, every era has its dark side. And for the couples that dive in the swinger lifestyle here, the dark side is very subtle. Lives are dramatically affected after couples decide to "experiment". When I watch this show, I am reminded that the very things that we sometimes think can make us free, can actually destroy us. To be fair, Swingtown is not only about swapping partners. It deals with problems that are common in a lot of marriages. In the midst of all the drama, there are times when a character will drop a line that'll make you think. I know it's hard to imagine that coming from a show called Swingtown.
Now I'm hearing rumors that the show will be cancelled. We'll have to wait and see...
"Wake up Maggie, I think I've got something to say to you..."
Who hasn’t heard that opening to the classic song Maggie May before? That song is just one of the many hits by Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Rod Stewart. Possessing one of the most distinctive voices in music, Rod has been making music since the mid-60s. Recently, a CD collection titled The Definitive Rod Stewart was released. The set contains 30 of his greatest hits and it takes you from his early solo years all the way up to songs he made during the ’80s and ’90s. Personally, I prefer his older stuff compared to what he did in the later years. But no matter what style of his you like, it’s all here on this 2-disc set. On top of that, the deluxe edition also includes a bonus DVD of music videos. Love him or hate him, the guy has made his mark in the music industry. And this set contains all the essential tracks throughout his successful career.
THE DEFINITIVE ROD STEWART Track Listing
DISC ONE
1. “Maggie May”
2. “Mandolin Wind”
3. “Every Picture Tells A Story”
4. “Stay With Me” – the Faces
5. “You Wear It Well”
6. “Sailing”
7. “The Killing Of Georgie, Parts 1 & 2”
8. “Tonight's The Night”
9. “The First Cut Is The Deepest”
10. “You’re In My Heart”
11. “I Was Only Joking”
12. “Hot Legs”
13. “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy”
14. “Passion”
15. “Young Turks”
DISC TWO
1. “Tonight I’m Yours”
2. “Baby Jane”
3. “Infatuation”
4. “Same Guys Have All The Luck”
5. “Love Touch”
6. “Forever Young”
7. “My Heart Can’t Tell You No”
8. “Downtown Train”
9. “This Old Heart Of Mine” – with Ronald Isley (1989 Version)
10. “I Don’t Want To Talk About It” – (1989 Version)
11. “Rhythm Of My Heart”
12. “The Motown Song” – with the Temptations
13. “Tom Traubert’s Blues (Waltzing Matilda)”
14. “Have I Told You Lately” – Unplugged Version
15. “Reason To Believe” – with Ronnie Wood (Unplugged Version)
16. “Two Shades Of Blue” – previously unreleased (1998)**
DISC THREE (DVD) – DELUXE EDITION only
1. “Sailing”
2. “I Don’t Want To Talk About It”
3. “The Killing Of Georgie, Parts 1 & 2
4. “The First Cut Is The Deepest”
5. “You’re In My Heart”
6. “Hot Legs”
7. “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy”
8. “Ain’t Love A Bitch”
9. “She Won’t Dance With Me”
10. “Young Turks”
11. “Tonight I’m Yours”
12. “Baby Jane”
13. “If We Fall In Love Tonight”
14. “Ooh La La”
Tis' the season to watch... Peanuts!
Don't forget about Charlie Brown this season. If you can't get enough of Peanuts, Warner Home Video has released the Peanuts Holiday Collection. This DVD set contains A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, A Charlie Brown Christmas and It’s a Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Although it's a fun tradition to watch them every year on regular TV, it's great to own them and be able to watch at any time. Want to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas in July? How about A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving in April? Or, if you just want to get in a festive mood, this set is all you need. With these 3 re-mastered Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas classics all together in one set, this would make an awesome gift for anyone who loves Peanuts. It's definitely worth it to get this collection of these timeless classics.
