Added Jimmy Dore to the Prize Catalog

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Jimmy Dore: Citizen Jimmy.

Synopsis:
Fresh from its airing on Comedy Central, stand-up comedian Jimmy Dore takes on the government and the easily misled when Citizen Jimmy debuts on DVD, CD and Digital August 5 from Image Entertainment. Jimmy's hilarious, topical take on all the ills of the country, from George W. Bush's well hidden genius, to health care, gas prices, Dick Cheney, and Christian Preachers who rail against gay marriage before getting caught in an Airport restroom, Citizen Jimmy pulls no pre-emptive punches in dealing with the insanity of our times, and the ridiculousness of our leaders. Whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican, Jimmy is an equal opportunity offender.

Click on the picture below to find out more details about how to get this great prize shipped to your door for free*. *Must live in the USA

The Deal Movie Review by Derek_Fleek

The Deal Movie Review by Derek_Fleek


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Before making the award-winning picture The Queen, director Stephen Frears made a film in 2003 titled The Deal that is now known as “The Prequel To The Queen”. But the real question is, has he always been a great director or did he evolve gradually into an Oscar-nominated filmmaker?

The Deal is a political drama, more along the lines of being a character study, that follows the true life story of Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) and Gordon Brown (David Morrissey) as they strike a remarkable deal. The deal made between the two stipulated that Brown wouldn’t stand in the 1994 Labour leadership election, thereby allowing Blair to have an open run at eventually becoming the Prime Minister of Britain.

Stephen Frears directs the cast exceedingly well and it is obvious that his talent has been apparent long before The Queen, as demonstrated in both The Deal and the 1990 crime drama The Grifters. In The Deal the acting is stellar, the direction is solid, and the script is intelligent. However, the political aspect of the film is truly overwhelming and leaves those outside of politics in the dark.

In fact, there is so much political double-talk that my head was spinning in confusion. If you’re not familiar with political lingo (or you don’t even follow politics for that matter), you will probably have a hard time following the complex dialog. Those of you who are interested in minute political details might find it compelling, but others will be exhausted and completely lost as to what’s going on.

There is an intriguing orchestrated score in the film that felt like a complete waste. Such an appealing score by composer Nathan Larson could’ve been used in a much more gripping film, one that has at least some mild intensity surrounding it.

This is a film that is strong in most critical aspects (directing, editing, acting), but lacks a plot interesting to those unfamiliar with political jargon; one that will fade from memory quickly and doesn’t have a sustaining effect on casual viewers. While it is a very well made movie, it just lacks the ability to captivate those who aren’t familiar with the source material. It all results in consecutive yawns and prolonged blinks of boredom.

While this is a film that I can’t recommend and have absolutely no desire to ever watch again, I can say that its target audience (those interested in politics) will find themselves greatly captivated. For me it was a supremely prosaic and profoundly tedious true life story, a movie that will find a balance between those of us interested in political debates and those of us who could just care less. 2/5 stars

The DVD’s special features include feature commentary by writer Peter Morgan and producer Christine Langan, a conversation with director Stephen Frears, and biographies.

Dark Knight Movie Review by undergroundmr

Dark Knight Movie Review by undergroundmr



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CURRENT RATINGS:
8/10 Movie: The Dark Knight (2008)

ACTING STYLE AND ABILITY - IS THE CHARACTER BELIEVABLE AND INTERESTING

Christian Bale as BATMAN seemed like the perfect choice in BATMAN BEGINS, but BALE’s performance in DARK KNIGHT was understated at best. BRUCE WAYNE continues to be a reclusive figure, but BALE’s brooding performance leaves WAYNE a character with little motivation and limited personality. The supporting characters including Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent and later Two-Face, Gary Oldman as James Gordon, and Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel Dawes are nicely developed with personalities, motivations, and complexities. The star of DARK KNIGHT is obviously the late Heath Ledger as The Joker with his disturbing and twisted character full of rage and hate for the human race.

THE STORY LINE - DOES THE STORY OR PLOT FLOW SMOOTHLY THROUGHOUT THE FILM

The plot revolves around THE JOKER’s plot to bring down GOTHAM CITY and make himself rich at the same time. The city is overrun with organized crime and THE JOKER is taking full advantage of the situation. To ensure that BATMAN does not hinder his plans, THE JOKER keeps him busy with potential victims that THE JOKER will kill including BATMAN’s childhood sweetheart RACHEL DAWES and her current boyfriend HARVEY DENT. As with most comic book/ graphic novels the hero comes out the winner but not without a heavy price.

PRODUCTION - DOES THE DIRECTOR HAVE STYLE, DOES THE PRODUCER HAVE AN OVERALL GOOD PRODUCT, AND DOES THE EDITOR MAKE THE FILM'S STORY AND ACTORS COME ALIVE

Director Christopher Nolan creates a visually more realistic GOTHAM CITY using CHICAGO for the locale shooting. The action sequences are faced paced, but the one on one combat scenes between BATMAN and various villains tend to be repetitive at times. The screenplay by JONATHAN AND CHRISTOPHER NOLAN does a tremendous job giving three dimensional personalities to the supporting characters but left out the main character BATMAN. BATMAN is the least developed character in the film with seemingly only new information about him is his deep seated love for his childhood sweetheart RACHEL DAWES. The supporting characters should have been used to shed more light on BATMAN’s obsession with protecting the city, his reclusive nature, and motivation for giving up love for duty.

THE UNDERGROUND UNIVERSE – OVERALL THOUGHTS

THE DARK KNIGHT is an intense comic book good guy/bad guy film with action, suspense, and overall good acting. HEATH LEDGER stands out as the villainous JOKER, but AARON ECKHART is outstanding as well as good guy HARVEY DENT and bad guy TWO FACE. The down side to DARK KNIGHT is CHRISTIAN BALE’s brooding performance as BATMAN. In BATMAN BEGINS, BALE was electrifying as BRUCE WAYNE but in this performance his character is underdeveloped and stagnant. The writers spent a great deal of time developing the supporting characters such as COMISSIONER GORDON, RACHEL, DENT, and THE JOKER that they forgot to give motivation and substance to BRUCE WAYNE. The overall production in DARK KNIGHT was terrific with appropriate atmosphere, complex characters, and plot moves along fairly smoothly. THE DARK KNIGHT is an intense film enhanced by the talent of HEATH LEDGER that should NOT be viewed by young, impressionable children.

Mamma Mia! Movie Review by undergroundmr

Mamma Mia! Movie Review by undergroundmr



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CURRENT RATINGS: 6/10 Movie: Mamma Mia! (2008)

ACTING STYLE AND ABILITY - IS THE CHARACTER BELIEVABLE AND INTERESTING

Meryl Streep’s long career in film has been highlighted with various awards and nominations including ACADEMY AWARDS, GOLDEN GLOBES, and TONY AWARDS, but she is known for immersing herself in the characters. STREEP is known for developing accents and images essential to her characters including an Australian accent for A Cry in the Dark. Despite all her nominations [she ties JACK NICHOLSON for the most GOLDEN GLOBE AWARD nominations with six, singing is an area that STREEP should not have tackled. It seems to be a trend in recent films to have actors who are not singers perform singing numbers in films and musicals, such as JOHNNY DEPP and HELENA BOHNAM CARTER in SWEENEY TODD or GERARD BUTLER in PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. BUTLER maintained the best vocal command but MERYL STREEP and HELENA BOHNAM CARTER will go down as the most crackling vocals. Luckly for MAMA MIA, the female supporting cast could sing, dance, and generally make the audience laugh including Amanda Seyfried as SOPHIE as well as Julie Walters and Christine Baranski as STREEP’s best friends.
THE STORY LINE - DOES THE STORY OR PLOT FLOW SMOOTHLY THROUGHOUT THE FILM

MAMA MIA focuses around the impending wedding of SOPHIE played by AMANDA SEYFRIED to her boyfriend SKY on a Greek Island. SOPHIE wants to have her father give her away but after an investigation discovers that she has three potential fathers, so she invites all three to her wedding to determine which one is her biological father. Her mother DONNA played by MERYL STREEP is shocked by her daughter’s behavior but after trials and tribulations SOPHIE is content to have three fathers. As in traditional musical fashion, there is a wedding but the surprise is whose wedding.

PRODUCTION - DOES THE DIRECTOR HAVE STYLE, DOES THE PRODUCER HAVE AN OVERALL

MAMA MIA should had been a better production besides the breath taking Greek Island scenery. The musical numbers by ABBA should had been the spotlight, but producer BENNY ANDERSSON decided to make MERYL STREEP and PIERCE BROSNAN the spotlight instead. The script was forgettable and choppy instead of smooth and flowing. The musical numbers were used to illustrate the script, but unfortunately the ABBA songs didn’t help the lack of direction in the film. MAMA MIA could had benefited from a less clichéd script, singing lessons, and more plot development.

THE UNDERGROUND UNIVERSE – OVERALL THOUGHTS

MERYL STREEP’s lack of a singing voice was extremely distracting and down graded MAMA MIA as an overall production. The ‘potential fathers’ PIERCE BROSNAN, COLIN FIRTH, and STELLAN SKARSGARD were lackluster at best in the film. The fathers seemed to be dropped in the film for necessity, but scrambled around the movie popping up from time to time. I was relieved to hear AMANDA SEYFRIED actually sing instead of STREEP or BROSNAN pretending to have vocal ability. [it simply sounded like screeching and scratching] The entertaining pair of MAMA MIA was not the big stars, but the best friends played by JULIE WALTERS and CHRISTINE BARANSKI. WALTERS and BARANSKI were fun and cheeky with energy, liveliness, and spunk. MAMA MIA should have been a better overall production instead of a glorified travel brochure.

Added 4 New Prizes to the Prize Catalog

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Popcornmonsters.com Prize Catalog,


The Year My Parents went on Vacation


Tai Chi Masters


The Deal


Veggie Tales Big River Rescue

Outsourced Movie Review by Derek_Fleek

Outsourced Movie Review by Derek_Fleek

Looking for a romantic comedy that appeals to a broad audience; a film that never goes overboard with stereotypes and profanity? Outsourced just might be the perfect movie for you. The DVD is set to be released on September 2, 2008.

Todd Anderson (John Hamilton) is living a fine life until he receives the bad news that his job has been outsourced, meaning that the company is to send out work to an outside provider in order to cut costs. Even worse is the fact that Todd must travel to India to train his replacement. There he learns about the history of India, the cultural dos and don'ts, and finds true love along the way.

Outsourced is an exotic charmer filled with endearing characters and genuinely funny moments, a film that doesn't rush into the romance and is never mawkish or overly sentimental. It perfectly mixes charm and humor with some truly fascinating insights on Indian culture mixed in. I was surprised that this film had so much to say about India. Although the majority of these things seem, well, unsanitary, the film also has some interesting lessons pertaining to Indian goddesses and bindis.

It stamped a smile on my face from beginning to end by using relatable incidents similar to those one might encounter while spending time in a country with a non-western culture. There are certain rules you must follow. Eating the right foods is a must (as this film so humorously demonstrates) and is quite possibly the most important rule upon further examination of the film.

The acting was also a pleasant surprise. The cast, both American and Indian, fit the roles perfectly and show some acting skills along with sharp comedic timing. John Hamilton's Todd Anderson reacts exactly as one would when encountering a cow in his office and Ayesha Dharker's Asha has moments that are touching. The mishaps that Todd encounters and finds solutions to are quite funny and the relationship between Todd and Asha is remarkably honest. The two have great chemistry.

Outsourced is a clever, sweet, and surprisingly hilarious movie that uses lighthearted humor and charm to win over just about anyone in need of a carefree movie experience. The combination of likable characters, modest humor, and a cute love story make for a purely enjoyable romantic comedy. With more comedy than romance, the film easily overcomes being predicable and cliched. Director John Jeffcoat has a fondness for his characters and simply guides them in the right direction every step of the way. Not only is it a hugely enjoyable film, but also a beautifully rendered love story.

The DVD's special features include "Behind the Scenes", a music video, an audio commentary track, an interview with director John Jeffcoat, a theatrical trailer, and a storyboard feature. 4.5/5 stars

College Road Trip Movie Review by Derek_Fleek

College Road Trip Movie Review by Derek_Fleek




Another painfully annoying Martin Lawrence movie or finally a refreshing Martin Lawrence comedy? Actually, it’s a combination of the two.

Chief of Police James Porter (Martin Lawrence) is a father devoted to spending every lasting moment with his little daughter Melanie (Raven-Symoné). He starts to worry, and the movie begins in earnest, when Melanie plans on going across the country to find the perfect college. James’s plan is to get her to go to the closest college possible, exactly 28 minutes away from her home. However, his plan isn’t as easy as he thought it would be.

Yep, it does have a couple lame jokes, a few annoying characters, and some unnecessary sing-alongs, all of which make up some of the worst moments in the film. Fortunately, we have twice as many laugh-out-loud moments, a few heartwarming incidents, and that adorable pig Albert, which combine to make more than a few bright spots in this G-rated film. It’s a hit-and-miss family comedy.

It’s predictable, yet fluffy and clean family entertainment. It’s perfect for the family in the fact that nothing is vile and it still manages to make adults laugh, or, at the very least, smile. Much of those laughs or smiles come thanks to the comedic duo that is Albert the Pig and Martin Lawrence. The two managed to make me crack up quite a few times. And all the laughs are true, never forced.

As for the supporting cast, they didn’t bring the comedy as much as they brought some headache-inducing duets and solos. If you can get past those moments, you will have a good time. Director Roger Kumble (Cruel Intentions, Cruel Intentions 2, Just Friends) doesn’t top any of his previous films, but he shows moments of good comedic capabilities here and there. It is easy to say that without Donny Osmond and Molly Ephraim (who play another dad-daughter pair out looking at colleges), the overload of overly sentimental moments, and the horrendous singing, this would almost be a highly recommended film.

Clearly this is Disney Channel material with higher production values and a big Hollywood star filling the lead role. It is a film I can recommend for a family with children under the age of 8; the kids will probably find the parts that annoy adults pretty funny. On the other hand, if you’re a critical person and are looking at all aspects of the film, you can’t help but see much of the lame humor that takes place on this College Road Trip. Overall however, there are enough laugh-out-loud moments (which I wasn’t expecting from a G-rated comedy) to make it palatable for a family. Everyone else would be just fine avoiding this one. 2.5/5 stars

The DVD’s special features include the usual gag reel, deleted scenes, alternate opening and endings, and audio commentary tracks.

The Last King of Scotland Movie Review by star757

The Last King of Scotland Movie Review by star757


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This movie stars James McAvoy as Dr. Nicholas Garrigan. He is Scottish and decides to move to Uganda and help the people there. He picked it by spinning the globe and going where his finger landed. He wanted to escape Scotland, but in the end he longs to be home and has to escape Uganda. Forest Whitaker plays Idi Amin, the dictator who took over Uganda. In a chance meeting with Dr. Garrigan he decides he wants him to be his personal physician and move to the grand estate where he lives. Amin is full of life, emotion, and ideas and Dr. Garrigan gets swept up in it. Eventually he learns how Amin truly is, a horrible, cruel dictator who will kill anyone who goes against him. It was an interesting movie, but I never want to see it again. There are some very gruesome scenes, especially near the end. It is suspenseful watching and hoping Dr. Garrigan can make it away from Amin alive. Will he?

The Mutant Chronicles Movie Review by Derek_Fleek

The Mutant Chronicles Movie Review by Derek_Fleek


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I managed to get a exclusive look at the upcoming film The Mutant Chronicles, blasting its way into theaters some time in 2008. The exact release date is unknown as of this writing, but it's certain that it will be some time this year. The big question is whether or not it is worth the time and price of admission.

During the 23rd century, a soldier by the name of Mitch Hunter (Thomas Jane) guides an army of fierce fighters to battle underground mutants after opening a seal to an ancient creation. This creation is a machine known to turn humans into blade-slinging mutants determined to wipe out mankind. It is up to Mitch and his fierce army to save the world. Quite possibly the first ever pen-and-paper-role-playing-game-turned-movie, The Mutant Chronicles is surprisingly satisfying.

Loud, exciting, very funny, and brutally entertaining, it just might be the action film of the year — a movie full of great fight scenes, excitement around every corner, and visually arresting set designs that will hold even the most cynical viewer's interest. Truthfully, it is the most fun I've had at the movies in a long time.

Sporting an A-list action cast that includes Ron Perlman (Hellboy) and Thomas Jane (The Punisher), it is sure to please a certain targeted audience that has a lust for action and a strong appetite for gore. The thrills, the shocks, and the sheer enjoyment of going to the movies is all there and in full, ass-kicking form. But don't get me wrong, readers, this isn't a masterpiece. It does have its glitches like underdeveloped characters, loads of commentary, and Ron Perlman's acting (which is nearly laughable). Not to mention the small cameo appearance from John Malkovich was unnecessary and could've saved the filmmakers a few bucks by casting an unknown actor for this role. Things like that are giving the movie a bad rep. However, there are enough adrenaline-charged moments to flush out these glitches and make for pure entertainment.

In the final act, we get to see Hellboy and The Punisher go head-to-head in a battle to the death. It's an exhilarating moment added to the tons of violence beforehand and a great finish to a spectacular fusion of sci-fi, action, horror, and comedy. The Mutant Chronicles is an authentic film and certainly worth the admission price, popcorn and all. 4.5/5 stars

The Year My Parents Went on Vacation Movie Review by Derek_Fleek

The Year My Parents Went on Vacation Movie Review by Derek_Fleek



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12-year-old Mauro is left alone after his parents get taken away by the military during the regime of 1970's Brazil. Mauro's parents told him they were going "on vacation" to keep Mauro from worrying and claim to be back before the World Cup of soccer. Now, Mauro must wait patiently for his parents return from vacation in hope that they will arrive before Pele leads his country to victory.

Like most foreign films, it's is beautifully shot. Unfortunately, it suffers from leaving viewers who aren't familiar with the game of soccer isolated and distant from what's going on. This builds up frustration for those who know there is a good movie to be found here. Foreign film buffs will most likely be pleased and scope out the masterpiece within. However, if you are the casual movie goer, it ends up being nothing spectacular and overlooking the film will save you some precious viewing time.

The first half of the movie is dull and doesn't show much of a breakthrough until the third act, where we see a glimpse of a great movie. It does have moments of humor wedged in that up the entertainment level, but the bottom line is that even a great ending can't subdue the mild frustration beforehand.

Vacation is strong in most aspects of film including direction, acting, and cinematography. Cao Hamburger does well at avoiding clichés and directs the film with style, Michel Joelsas gave a true performance as a distraught child, and the cinematography was remarkable. This is what makes it a well made Foreign film and helped gathered up praise from both critics and audiences.

I acknowledge all of the films major accomplishes, but I can't quite say that it held my interest. The dilatory pace and timid approach nearly put me to sleep and while most of the performances are authentic, the characters are underwritten. This is a film that I can't recommend, but do see the talent and reasons for its acclaim. A film that isn't completely original, but still has a refreshing feel to it. Something that isn't my cup of tea, but deserves attention. 2.5/5 stars

The Spiderwick Chronicles Movie Review by Derek_Fleek

The Spiderwick Chronicles Movie Review by Derek_Fleek


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After stumbling upon a book in the basement on their new home, twin brothers Jared and Simon Grace, along with their sister Mallory, become pulled into a world of faeries and goblins. This book, known as The Spiderwick Field Guide, was written by a man named Arthur Spiderwick, who was abducted by faeries. It tells them everything they need to know about how to kill goblins and call upon mythical birds for help. Now they must protect the book from these creatures and find Arthur Spiderwick to put an end to the mayhem.

There really isn't much good to say about this noisy and frantic fantasy that lacks all but a single good actor. Lazy CGI effects bombard the screen, along with screaming faeries that are about as annoying as nails on a chalk board. It is as if they took the cheapest computer technology available, enhanced it ever so slightly, then decided to add some impaired voices into the mix. Nick Nolte, Martin Short, and Seth Rogen are some of the loud, unfamiliar voices that crowd the screen. It really irks me that these characters are so pesky, yet they are voiced by some rather talented people.

It's an irritating fantasy that seems rushed and deserved a release to the rental shelves rather than to the silver screen with such poor CGI work. Freddy Highmore plays dual roles comfortably, but the supporting cast of live actors (including Mary-Louise Parker who has shown some serious acting skills in the Showtime series Weeds) were unconvincing and the CGI beasties are about as irritating as an itch you can't reach.

It starts off with dark, atmospheric set pieces that look really good and quickly turns into a ridiculous story gorged with silly moments. The film's intentions were to take the audience into a world of fantasy (where ridiculous is acceptable to some extent). Instead, the film goes beyond preposterous and ends up being completely far-fetched.

So we have one good actor, several sub-par actors, an overuse of undernourished CGI effects, and a line of uninteresting characters. It's a putrid mess, a film that doesn't have a clue as to what defines entertainment and ends up being obnoxious. It is sad that none of this is quality entertainment and all of it is a nuisance to eyes and ears.

The entire film was a waste of time I could've spent watching some sort of solid entertainment, and a waste of money the filmmakers could've spent making a better film. The bottom line is it was nothing more than a noisy monstrosity and a eulogy to poorly executed family flicks. 1.5/5 stars

Sixty Six Movie Review by star757

Sixty Six Movie Review by star757


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This was an enjoyable movie about a boy trying to plan his Bar mitzvah. Bernie, played by Gregg Sulkin, wants nothing more than a spectacular party for the most important day of his life, but will it live up to his dreams?

The movie takes place in England, 1966, and follows Bernie as he plans his big day. He has a father who doesn't live up to his expectations and an older brother who seems to have it all. Bernie is never noticed, but plans on coming into his own at his Bar mitzvah. There is an interesting cast of characters: a doctor who treats his asthma, his uncle who overshadows his dad, an annoying older brother, a wise rabbi, and his mother played by Helena Bonham Carter.

Bernie encounters many obstacles to his big party plans. Will he be able to invite 200? Will it be at the large ballroom where his brother had his Bar mitzvah? And most importantly, will anyone show up once they realize it's the same day as the 1966 World Cup Final.

I enjoyed this movie and think it's something the whole family can watch together. Bernie learns what it really means to become a man and how to deal with the unexpected problems. He also learns a lot about himself and his father. I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone looking for a good family/drama/comedy.

Dan in Real Life Movie Review by star757

Dan in Real Life Movie Review by star757

This movie is about Dan, played by Steve Carrell. He is a widowed father of 3 and newspaper advice columnist. In this movie he travels with his daughters for the annual family get together at his parents' house. The movie follows his struggles raising 3 daughters and wondering if he will ever fall in love again. It is a cute movie about how he falls for his brother's girlfriend before he even knows who she is. She also is interested in him, but who knows what will happen. His love interest is Marie, played by Juliette Binoche and Dane Cook plays his brother Mitch. I enjoyed the movie, it was light and fun. You see his struggles with his daughters and how his family wants to tell him what to do. Will he end up with Marie? or will his brother? Will he be able to reconnect to his daughters? What will happen when everyone finds out? This was a good movie, a little predictable, but fun and different.