Review: Dead Man's Shoes (B-)

Dead Man's Shoes (2004)
Directed By Shane Matthews
Starring Paddy Considine, Gary Stretch, Toby Kebbell, Jo Hartley and Seamus O'Neill
MPAA: UR
Grade: B-

Review by Scott Standish

The cover for Dead Man's Shoes hints that this film is some kind of monster movie, ala Nightmare on Elm Street. Dead Man's Shoes definitely has some gruesome murders in it (as you can see by the photo above) but it's not really a horror film. It's basically a straight up revenge movie.

Paddy Considine stars as Richard, a guy with a serious chip on his shoulder. He singlehandedly attacks a group of drug dealers and as the story winds on, we realize that he is intent on killing them all. His gripe? They brutalized his brother years back. Richard's demeanor is one of stone cold vengeance and it's obvious that he's going to take these bullies out, no matter what.

The beauty of Dead Man's Shoes is that none of the characters are shown in a sympathetic light. Richard is a man that has lost his mind, but to him, he is doing what he feels needs to be done. His victims are thugs and drug dealers. They have moments of humor, but several of them seem to actually deserve a little payback. Just not of the type that this man is serving up.

I like Dead Man's Shoes, but I have to admit that the strong Scottish accents threw me off at first. However, the acting is solid, the story keeps on a moving and this succeeds as a decent revenge story.

Buy Dead Man's Shoes On DVD

DVD Winners: Bring It On, Lemming, Ultimate Avengers 2

We love giving away Hollywood schwag, like DVDs, movie posters and more. That's why we are psyched to announce our latest group of DVD winners. All winners have been notified via e-mail, and have seven days to respond with their mailing addresses. If you see your name here, and haven't received your e-mail notification, email Scott at DVD Confidential dot com to claim your prize. Now, on to the lucky winners!

Congrats to JuneBug27, the winner of our Bring It On: All Or Nothing DVD Giveaway. Although we weren't too impressed by this one, what the heck - it's free. Farley, Thomas K and FilmFan4 are the winners of the very cool indie flick Lemming on DVD. Lemming is highly recommended, by the way. Last but not least, congrats to HeMan420, the winner of our Ultimate Avengers 2 DVD giveaway. That's a darn good film, too!

How did these folks win all of these cool DVDs, you ask? They signed up for our free Monthly Newsletter. Sign up today and you will be eligible to win our contests in the future. Rock on!

Trailer Time: Bug, Employee of The Month & Artie Lange's Beer League

We've got some trailers to help you get through hump day.

First up is Bug, directed Academy Award Winning director William Friedkin. Bug stars Ashley Judd, Harry Connick, Jr. and Lynn Collins. Next is Employee of the Month, starring Dane Cook and Jessica Simpson. This looks like a pretty funny comedy (we love Dane Cook and say what you want about Jessica Simpson, she's awfully easy on the eyes) Also, we have Artie Lange's Beer League, another promising comedy that hits theaters in September. Enjoy!

Bug Official Trailer (Windows Media)

Employee Of The Month (Windows Media)

Artie Lange's Beer League (Flash)

Review: Godzilla (A-)

Godzilla aka Gojira (1954)
Directed by Ishirô Honda
Starring Raymond Burr, Akira Takarada, Momoko Kôchi, Akihiko Hirata and Fuyuki Murakami
MPAA: G
Grade: A-

Review by Bobby Nashville

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the release of Godzilla, Classic Media (in conjunction with Toho) has released an incredible double disc DVD with remastered versions of the classic monster movie. One disc contains the original Japanse version (sans Raymond Burr) and the other contains the US version that we all grew up with. Both versions hold up well, and for the Godzilla fan this is a must own.

Whether you view the original Japanese masterpiece (Gojira) or the American-ized verion (Godzilla) with Raymond Burr plastered in, this monster movie remains a classic. And let me clarify on that fact - it's a film classic, not a camp classic. Most folks laugh off Godzilla films as camp, and yes, most of the sequels do come off as campy. But the original Godzilla film stands up very well as a classic monster movie with political and sociological undertones.

Yes, Godzilla is all about a guy in a fantastic lizard suit. But it's also about man's desire to destroy, and how it has turned our planet against us. Everything starts and ends with The Bomb (you know what bomb I am talking about) and it's easy to see that this misuse of technology has created (literally in this case) a monster. The creators of the film actually hoped that this film would bring an end to nuclear testing throughout the world. Sadly, they failed at that mission. They did however launch an incredible movie franchise that remains one of the strongest worldwide. Who doesn't know (and love) Godzilla?

Gojira (or Godzilla for us Americans) is a strong anti-nuclear allegory that indeed deserves more critical praise in the U.S. This special feature packed edition (check out the "Making of the Godzilla Suit" feature) is an incredible collection that any monster movie buff would love.

Review: When Do We Eat? (C)

When Do We Eat? (2005)
Directed by Salvador Litvak
Starring Michael Lerner, Ben Feldman, Jack Klugman, Lesley Ann Warren & Shiri Appleby
MPAA: R
Grade: C

Review by Scott Standish

I'm an agnostic (with Taoist leanings) so I'm probably not the best person to review a religious comedy. Or maybe I'm the perfect person. Not exactly sure. But regardless of the religious affiliation, I think a comedy has to bring the laughs. That's for sure.

When Do We Eat, a comedy about a family's wacky Passover, is a well intentioned little comedy that dares to be original. Religious comedies are tough to pull off. This one tells the story of a fairly dysfunctional family (aren't they all, these days?) that comes together for what the father (played by acting vet Michael Lerner) likes to call the word's fastest Seder. The mother (played by Lesley Ann Warren) has gone all out to make this the perfect Seder, but everything goes horribly wrong. The children don't get along, and one of the kids thought it wise to dose the father with ecstasy laced with acid. Interesting premise, but in the end, When Do We Eat didn't bring a ton of laughs to the table.

When Do We Eat is similar to My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Jodie Foster's highly underrated Home For The Holidays in tone and spirit. The big laughs are supposed to come because what is intentioned as the "fastest Seder of all time" turns into a long dragged out evening. I felt as though this carried into the experience of watching the film. It seemed to just spin it's gears and while some of the jokes were on target, not enough of the punches landed for this to be a knockout.

Review: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Volume Five (B)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Volume Five
MPAA: UR
Grade: B

Review by Bobby Nashville

Further proof that this site will review just about anything! The original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoons are being released on DVD by Lions Gate, and this DVD (number five in the series) contains twelve full length episodes. There are reportedly 190 episodes out there, so there are a ton more DVDs to come. For fans of the show, that's good news.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were a huge phenomenon back in the day, and for good reason. They were strange, completely original and full of fun. I guess they were to the eighties what the Sid & Marty Krofft shows (HR Puff N Stuff, Land of the Lost, Banana Splits, etc.) were to the seventies. Good stuff.

Frankly, watching the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fight for their right to party brought back some good memories. The Ninja Turtles were, at heart, just a bunch of goof offs that loved pizza and making barely concealed references to getting high. It must have always been 4:20 for the writers of this show, and like Alf, the humor lifted the show above the glut. At the time, cartoons were in a funk, so when this show hit the market, it blew everything else out of the water. But, like all good cartoon shows, they soon become licensed to everything from shoelaces to lunchboxes. People grew tired of it, and the show died a slow uneventful death. But the fact is, the early episodes (like the ones here) show a light-hearted kind of fun that is sadly missing from cartoons in the post 9/11 era.

The DVD release for the Teenage Mutant Turtles volume five is well done. The episodes are in great shape, the Lions Gate crew seems to have compiled and packaged the show with the respect that it deserves, and there are some interesting special features. This is highly recommended for kids of all ages.

Win A Copy Of Lemming On DVD

DVD Confidential reviewer Sebastian Francis Kennedy called this film "hauntingly mesmerizing" and "wonderfully directed". Sebastian also called it "one of the best films we have come across in a long time". What film is he talking about? He's talking about Lemming, starring Charlotte Rampling, and we have several copies to give away to some lucky DVD Confidential readers. Want to win? Here's how to be eligible: A) Sign up for our Monthly Newsletter and then B) email Scott at DVD Confidential dot com, with the subject line Lemming Contest. That's it! Enter today and good luck!

TV Review: The Girls Next Door (Season Two Premiere)

The Girls Next Door
Season Two Premiere Episode
Starring Hugh Hefner, Holly Madison, Bridget Marquard & Kendra Wilkinson
Grade: B

Review By Mark Focus

I met Hugh Hefner at a premiere at the Chicago International Film Festival years ago. The premiere was for a documentary on his life. The film was very good and Hugh was extremely gracious. It gave me a tiny insight into Hugh Hefner: he's just as nice in real life as you would imagine!

Anyway, I've seen clips of The Girls Next Door on one of my favorite TV shows, The Soup. But other than that, I admit it - I didn't pay much attention to season one. Now that season two is here, and the show is getting much more buzz, I thought it might be a good idea to see what all the fuss is about.

The Girls Next Door is very interesting from a number of fronts. Of course there are lots of pretty girls and Hugh Hefner is always entertaining. But there are some other slightly unusual things going on. For one, Hugh has three girlfriends and they are all cool with it. He shares the bedroom with one of them, but they all seem to get their share of the Hefman. Sure he's 80, but the man seems to still have lots of pep. Let's hope I'm still rocking half as much when I'm 80.

The season two premiere focuses on Hef's 80th birthday party, and for the most part it's fairly straightforward. However, I do have to say that the scene where one of the gals strips for her father was a little creepy. Another really strange thing about The Girls Next Door is the relationships between the three girls. They seem to actually put up with the whole "sharing thing", so that's a little strange. Kendra is a foul mouth gal, and Holly and Bridget are good sports about the whole thing. The way I look at it, if these gals are cool with it, who am I to argue?

As far as reality shows go, The Girls Next Door is definitely a cut above. It's not anywhere near the incredible Project Runway or the first couple seasons of the Osbournes, but it's damn good entertainment.

Rumors: Batman Dark Knight, Pixar, Girls Next Door, Aquaman

Reportedly the new Batman film will be called the Dark Knight and will feature Heath Ledger as the Joker. Of course, Christian Bale will return as Bruce Wayne. Philip Seymour Hoffman is rumored to be first in line for the role of the Penguin, but this is not confirmed at this time. Shooting on the Dark Knight is scheduled to begin slowly in January, and then kick into full gear in March.

We can't confirm this one, but there are reports out there that the next Pixar film will be called W.A.L-E. Not sure what that stands for, or what it means. Just passing that along.

There are reports that a Wolverine spin-off movie is in the works. The as yet untitled Wolverine film will reportedly be shot before the next X-Men film. Yes, there will be another X-men film.

There were rumors floating around that Hugh Hefner had suffered a minor stroke, but this appears to be untrue. In fact, Hef's reality show "The Girls Next Door" shows that the Playboy Mansion is just fine, thank you. In the season premiere, Hef celebrated his 80th birthday. Congratulations, Hef!

Speaking of television, as many of you know, Mark Wahlberg is executive producer of Entourage and on the show, Vincent Chase stars in a film version of Aquaman. Apparently the story line has generated some buzz and there is some talk about actually doing a Aquaman film with perhaps Wahlberg in the lead role. Wahlberg is reportedly not interested in starring but could be interested in the project as a whole.

Rumors: Get Smart, Hellboy 2, Robin Williams, Mel Gibson

It's Friday, so we've got a real quick dose of rumors and innuendos for you. Here's the latest.

According to MTV.com, Steve Carell's next project will be a big screen version of the famous television show Get Smart. Carell will, of course, play the role of Maxwell Smart, and shooting will begin very soon. We are not big on the whole "lets make an old tv show into a feature film" formula that Hollyweird seems to be addicted to, but we'll let this one slide simply on the merits of the 40 Year Old Virgin alone.

IFMagazine.com is reporting that Hellboy 2 is now officially a project for Universal, with shooting to begin next April. If all goes well, the studio is looking at a spring 2008 release. The first Hellboy was damn good. We're really looking forward to this one. But, why the long wait? Let's get it on!

Robin Williams is reportedly in rehab after 20 years of sobriety. Whatever.

Speaking of boozing it up, crazy ass Mel Gibson has also reportedly checked his religiously impaired self into rehab. Thank god (or Allah, or whoever you pray to). Seems like Mel's a bad drunk and allegedly likes to spout off anti-semitic tirades and sexist asides to cops. Umm... What else can we say about that? Oh yes- his films suck too. Alright, alright, the first two Mad Max films were damn good. But let's be honest, it was all down hill from there. And the Passion of the Christ? Oh my... Where's the fast forward button? Mel, you need to check yourself, before you wreck yourself, fool!

Review: Lemming (A-)

Lemming (A-)
Directed by Dominik Moll
Starring Charlotte Rampling, Laurent Lucas, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Andre Dussollier
MPAA: R
Grade: A-

Review by Sebastian Francis Kennedy

Lemming is a strangely disturbing, hauntingly mesmerizing film that is reminiscent of David Lynch's latest film, Mulholland Drive. It opened the Cannes Film Festival in 2005 and it has been highly praised by critics around the world. The praise is well earned. Lemming is a dark gem of a film.

Laurent Lucas stars as Alain, a programmer that has just been recruited to work for a high tech firm in Bel Air. Alain and his wife Benedicte are recently married and very much in love. Alain's new boss Richard Pollock (Andre Dussollier) invites himself and his wife Alice (Charlotte Rampling) to dinner at the young couples home. Alice openly battles with her husband and she is rude to Alain and Bénédicte (played by Charlotte Gainsbourg). After Alice accuses Richard of having an affair, the couple leaves in a huff. That evening, Benedicte finds a lemming caught in her kitchen sink.

In the days that follow, Alain and his young wife are brought into a strange, violent world. The Pollocks are not a normal couple. Alice is deeply disturbed (she attempts to seduce Alain at work) and Richard, while normal on the outside, is a man with secrets all his own. Alice is cruel, demented and obviously psychotic. She begins to harrass the young couple. Alain begins to wonder if what he is experiencing is real. And the Lemming in the sink. Is it causing all of this?

Lemming is wonderfully directed and the visuals are surprisingly good. It has wonderful dialogue and the acting, especially the performance by Charlotte Rampling, is excellent. Nominated for the Golden Palm at Cannes, Lemming is one of the best films we have come across in a long time. Don't be surprised if this one ends up on our Top Ten List at the end of the year. Highly recommended.

Bring It On All Or Nothing DVD Giveaway

Great news. The kind people at Universal have teamed up with DVD Confidential to sponsor a Bring It On: All Or Nothing DVD giveaway. That's right, we've got a brand new, unopened DVD of the teen comedy Bring It On: All Or Nothing to give away to one lucky reader. Want to win? Here's how to be eligible.

1) Make sure you are signed up for our text only, spam free Monthly Newsletter. It's a good thing, and you can unsubscribe at any time!

2) E-mail Scott at DVD Confidential dot com with the subject line "Cheerleaders Rule".

3) That's it! We'll select a winner in the next few days and notify them via e-mail. Winners must be in the U.S. to receive the DVD (sorry Belgium).

Send in your e-mail entry and who knows, you might just be a winner! Good luck!

Review: Everything Is Illuminated (B+)

Everything Is Illuminated (2006)
Directed by Liev Schreiber
Starring Elijah Wood,
MPAA: R
Grade: B+

Review by Sebastian Francis Kennedy

Everything Is Illuminated is based on the novel by Jonathan Safran Foer, and it contains the same quirky wit that the book does. Elijah Wood (Lord Of the Rings) stars as the novelist, a man that likes to catalog his life by collecting objects from the past. He travels to Russia to find the woman who helped his grandfather escape the Nazis.

Wood's character is a bit uptight, and his tour guides are a cranky old man that does not speak English, and Alex, a hip hop break dancer that is a bit of a goofball. Alex takes a liking to Jonathan and they decide to go out of their way to help their new friend. The humor of Everything Is Illuminated often comes in the interactions between the quirky characters and the strange miscommunications that happen between the American and the Russians.

Surprisingly, for an indie film, Everything Is Illuminated has a great look. The acting is stellar and the script is unpredictable and air tight. This is a fantastic indie treat.

Review: Ultimate Avengers 2: Rise Of The Panther (B)

Ultimate Avengers 2: Rise Of The Panther (2006)
Directed by Curt Geda, Steven E. Gordon
MPAA: PG-13
Grade: B

Review by Scott Standish

Marvel is doing a great job with the Ultimate Avengers series, as Rise of the Panther clearly shows. The writing is crisp, intelligent and full of action. It works for kids and adults alike. Heck, if only half of all live action films could pull that off, Hollywood would be a much better place.

Captain America is once again the focus here, and it's interesting to see nuances to his character. The rest of the crew, Thor, the Hulk, etc put in their appearances and the movie does a good job of showing each of the super hero's strengths and weaknesses. The voice over talent for Ultimate Avengers 2 is excellent and they do a great job with a very good script. The War Machine is a very cool concept and they do an excellent job of bringing it into the story.

The animation is a bit clunky (albeit pretty), and it would be nice to see them try and upgrade this a little for the next one. The script and voice over talent merits this upgrade and if they could change the animation to a more fluid visual style, this one could actually be a hit in the theaters. Why not take this to the next level? Let's do it, guys!

The Ultimate Avengers movie was a pleasant surprise. Ultimate Avengers 2 is another great animation project out of Marvel and we're (once again) psyched to see what they come up with next.

Buy Ultimate Avengers 2: Rise Of The Panther on DVD at DVD Empire

Review: Bring It On: All Or Nothing (D+)

Bring It On: All Or Nothing (2006)
Directed By Steve Rash
Starring Hayden Panettiere, Solange Knowles-Smith and Rihanna
MPAA: PG-13
Grade: D+

Review by Bobby Nashville

"Go ye mighty Pirates! Go, fight, win! Britney's hot as sin!" - Pirates Cheerleaders

"Look at my life, I'm such a cutie and everyone wants some Pirate booty!" - Britney

"You'll use three wishes to see me shake it, cause I'm delicious!" - Camille

Maybe it's me, but high school kids are way different today. Back in my day, high school cheers were about touchdowns and pushing back the other team. Now, it's all about booties and being hot. Apparently, (if you believe Bring It On: All Or Nothing), girls in high school are totally obsessed with weight issues and calling each other whores. Oh wait, maybe kids ARE like my old high school. Just not as open about it. And our cheerleaders back then didn't dance like strippers and cheer about their asses or fake implants. Believe me, I don't have anything against strippers. I just think they belong in the clubs, and not on the high school cheerleading squad.



Bring It On: All Or Nothing is the third in the Bring It On series, based on the original Bring It On film (actually a good one) that starred Kirsten Dunst. I missed the last one (Bring It On Again), but since I enjoyed the original, I was prepared to give Bring It On: All Or Nothing a fair shot. Unfortunately, this high energy teen-flick doesn't really compare to the original. It also is so obsessed with teen weight issues, breast implants and overall appearances that it could give your daughter a serious complex (just in case the current Paris Hilton/Lindsey Lohan/Olsen twins glamification doesn't already).

As for the script of Bring It On: All Or Nothing, it's pretty boiler plate. Teens face crisis, teens strain their friendships but can renew friendships and triumph over their problems by winning the high stakes Cheer Off! Gee, I wonder how this one ends? The acting is actually not that bad, so kudos to Solange Knowles-Smith here. On the downside, the product tie-ins are non-stop (call Cingular now!) and they don't even try to hide them. Ridiculous.

Anyway, Bring It On: All Or Nothing does not contain the somewhat intelligent script and dialogue of the original, so it doesn't really work for adults. It's also way too concerned about being thin, busty and bitchy to be appropriate for young girls. So, this one doesn't really work for us. Does anyone remember the Will Ferrell/Cheri O'Teri skit about the "perfect cheer"? Way better in my opinion.

Buy Bring It On: All Or Nothing at DVD Empire

Review: The Descent (B+)

The Descent (2006)
Directed by Neil Marshall
Starring Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Jackson Mendoza
MPAA: R
Grade: B+

Review by Scott Standish

I think I'll stay out of the caves for awhile. I was lucky enough to catch the Descent at the Waterfront Film Festival and I was totally blown away. A thrill ride that is absolutely bone-chilling. The Descent has a brilliantly dark atmosphere that sets the tone for the horrific action that awaits. My honest impression of the Descent? Director Neil Marshall has a classic on his hands.

The Descent tells the story of what can go wrong when you are trapped in a cave. And chased by horrific monsters. Sure, it's not the Godfather, but it does grab you by the throat, and that's what you are looking for in a horror film. The film looks great and the acting is solid. If you are a fan of action based horror films, then you are going to eat this one up. The Descent is seriously scary. The atmospheric chill is similar to Alien and the action is reminiscent of James Cameron at his best. The Descent is a modern horror classic that packs one hell of a punch.

The Descent is currently in theaters and I expect it to be a huge hit. It's scary, well directed and lots of fun. Highly recommended.

Win Ultimate Avengers 2 On DVD

When the first Ultimate Avengers DVD came out, DVD Confidential critic Bobby Nashville said:

"For fans of animated features, this is about as solid as it gets. Great job by the folks at Marvel. Let's hope they continue to put out feature length animated films, because this is a great start."

Good news. Ultimate Avengers 2 is coming to DVD and best of all, we've got a copy for giveaway, courtesy of Marvel, Lions Gate and yes, the good folks at DVD Confidential. Want to win a copy? Here's how you can get your hands on what may be one of the coolest giveaways of the summer. First, make sure you are signed up for our monthly newsletter (don't worry, it's just a once a month text e-mail of our reviews and we respect your privacy). Second, email Scott at DVD Confidential with the subject line: Ultimate Giveaway. Winners are notified via e-mail and must be in the US to receive the DVD.

That's it! We'll pick a lucky winner some time next week. Send in your entry and good luck!