WWE: Bragging Rights 2009

I Hope They Bring This One Back
Even though I think the WWE is merely getting away with their silly PPV concepts so far, "Bragging Rights" is a success. The WWE hasn't done much brand-vs-brand action in quite some time, so it's nice to see them bring it back in a "Less Is More" fashion. Throw in a couple of championship main events, and we've got a good one here:

1) The Miz (United States champion - RAW) v.
John Morrison (Intercontinental champion - SmackDown)
---I'm glad WWE gave this opener a video package, because I think this was somewhat of a curiosity. After all, these two were one of the most successful tag teams in the past few years, and they never got the traditional "Tag Team Breakup Rivalry". I'm glad they waited, because Miz & Morrison have grown into their new characters, and enhanced their in-ring abilities in the waiting months. The best word to describe this curtain jerker is "FAST!" These guys just keep going, and going, and going. Move after move. Counter after...

THE BRANDS GO TO WAR AGAIN
WWE
BRAGGING RIGHTS 2009

1.THE MIZ VS JOHN MORRISON-this was a great way to kick off the event with two former partners going at it. These two were tag team champs at one point before being split by the draft. This was a good opener in my opinion with a lot of back and forth action. Miz was more of a grinder and power wrestler here with Morrison more of the high flyer. My boy Miz of course takes the win and puts Raw up one to nothing.

2.MELINA, KELLY KELLY, GAIL KIM VS MICHELLE MCCOOL, BETH PHOENIX, NATALYA-now when you look at the names here it was pretty obvious who was going to win. I mean Smackdown is literally the stronger team with Natalya and Beth, and McCool is always entertaining. The action here is your typical women's match type, short and ok. Team Smackdown had the much better team with three of my favorites, just needed the other half of Lay Cool and that would have been great. Raw of course I was rooting against here since I can't stand Melina...

RAW vs. SmackDown (Sorry ECW)
John Morrison (SmackDown) vs. The Miz (RAW) - The former World & WWE Tag Team Champions, former host of "The Dirt Sheet", and the holders of the top midcard titles (I.C. for Morrison & U.S. for Miz) finally clash here in their first singles meeting since being split up as a team back in April when Miz turned on Morrison after being drafted to RAW. No pun intended but this was "total nonstop action" as both men went back & forth here with Morrison showcasing his high flyin' style while Miz was more grounded but also very aggressive while using few heel tactics here & there. The only bad note I can say here is that the ending looked a little weak to me but a great way to start the show.

Melina, Gail Kim, Kelly Kelly (RAW) vs. Michelle McCool, Beth Phoenix, Natayla (SmackDown) - Normally when you get a multi-diva tag match, it's full of botches or they just stick to the wrestlers doing most of the work with the other pretty faces just getting a move in. However this one is...

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Philosophy of a Knife Limited Edition

One of the most ambitious, graphic, deeply disturbing and heartbreaking films ever conceived.
First, I'm sick of some reviewers going on and on about the GORE in this movie. This is NOT a HORROR movie. This is not a gore-drenched rip-off of "Saw" or "Hostel." In fact, most conventional horror movie loving folk will probably not sit all the way through this film, for the simple reason that there is not wall-to-wall gore or funny dialogue or gratuitous T&A.

For the most part this is a very detailed and very long history lesson, that like "Men Behind the Sun" is not afraid to show a shameful and horrendous part of the past in horrific detail. While "Men Behind the Sun" (a film that I also have a lot of respect for) is colorful, "Philosophy of a Knife" is presented in mostly black and white with a genuine 16mm educational documentary feel. While this effect has been overused and ineffective in the past, it works very well here.

Make no mistake "Philosophy of a Knife" is very graphic, and the grotesque and horrifying medical experiments are presented in...

Not Iskanov's best by a longshot, but still valuable.
Philosophy of a Knife (Andrey Iskanov, 2008)

For twenty years, a debate has raged over the title of most extreme gore film. While you'll have your classicists arguing for Cannibal Ferox and the like, the real discussion boils down to two films: Hideshi Hino's sixty-minute masterpiece Flower of Flesh and Blood and T. F. Mous' infamous started-as-a-documentary-and-turned-into-a-gore-film Men Behind the Sun. Now, MbtS is twenty years old, FoFaB twenty-three; you'd think by now someone would have pushed the envelope a bit. But those two movies are like the Whitehouse and Sutcliffe Jugend of filmdom; sometimes people get close, but no one ever seems to spill over into unknown territory. There are some envelopes that are, seemingly, made of titanium. The latest chap to try is Andrey Iskanov, whose Nails made me think we might be seeing the first truly boundary-battering Russian director since Tarkovsky; with Philosophy of a Knife, he decided to take what Mous was originally going...

Creepy and disturbing at first...
I bought this DVD knowing full well that it would not be easy to watch, but little did I know the real reason why. The film is several hours long, four hours to be exact. On the good side of things, the angles and lenses used are artistic and unsettling. I know that sounds like a pretty bland explanation, but the camera work is quite good. That is about the only good thing about the movie really. While watching it, I got that feeling that a lot of other movies had borrowed some of its better elements since its release in 08...or maybe it's the other way around. Who knows? Who cares? Gore porn gets boring to this desensitized soul after an hour or two so the film lost much of its appeal. Even the stark reality of the Unit 731 experiments on which the film is based cannot save it after the third hour of seeing a man "microwaved" on a micro film budget. The actors and effects are not good enough to convey such an atrocity but I commend the effort. My advice to those out there looking for...

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Up (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition + Digital Copy)

An outstanding Blu...4 discs filled with more than a day's watch
I had no expectations of being disappointed with a Disney/Pixar BD, and being that it took me a whole dedicated day to get through everything, I now feel it was worth every penny. The film was enjoyable, funny, sad, and scary filled with some nice messages about life and loss. I can understand why the majority of my customers loved it.

The Blu clarity is outstanding, and the amount of reference points are extensive, but one that stands out the most for contrast lines would have to be when the house is entering the lair (balloons against the dark cavern). The sound is selectable between 5.1 DTS, 2.0 DTS and Descriptive English. The 5.1 was beautiful with tons of reference points, sometimes excruciating (that bird screeching) but thorough nonetheless. Now for the supplements (all times in minutes):

DISC 1: (BD)
* 5:46 Partly Cloudy short film. Was hilarious. A great depth test for your display with the clouds. Nice little message of tolerance no matter how...

Squirrel!
Someday, Pixar is going to do it -- they're going to create an emotionally uninspiring, lackluster animated movie. But in the meantime, they're still putting out delightful animated movies like "Up," which defies the usual kid-movie conventions by starring a crotchety old man. It's a charming, fun little adventure story with flying dogs and balloon-powered houses, but underlying it is a bittersweet little story about loss and love.

As a child, the shy Carl Fredricksen bonded with the oddball Ellie over their shared love of adventure, the explorer Charles Muntz, and Paradise Falls. They later married, move into their "clubhouse" together, and lived a long, sadly childless life together. When Ellie died, she had never fulfilled her dream of going to Paradise Falls.

Now crotchety, alone and harassed by a real estate developer, Carl (Ed Asner) is finally ordered to a retirement home. But he isn't going quietly -- instead he attaches thousands of balloons to his house...

An emotional triumph
Here's a movie for dog lovers, the elderly, children of divorce, FOBs (Friends of Birds), former Boy Scouts, people yearning for adventure, and anyone who has ever loved... and lost. Up is for everyone. It made me laugh out loud, and it made me cry.

I thought it would be tough for Up to match the emotional power of Wall-E. The two Pixar films are similar in their lack of dialogue in the first act, which helps deepen the emotional impact. Up begins with Carl, a shy young boy star-struck by a famous explorer; and kookie Ellie, who has a similar obsession. The two kids become fast friends, and vow to one day travel to Venezuela. After getting married, they buy their dream home and fix it up, hoping to fill it with children. Carl and Ellie's life together from childhood through old age is depicted, silently, with delicacy and subtlety. These first 15 minutes is like a celebration of a happy marriage, and...

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Buddies (Air Buddies, Snow Buddies, Space Buddies, Santa Buddies) (Four-Disc Edition)

so cuteI
I bought this set for my daughter for christmas last year, she loves it, so do I.

Great Movies for Kids of all Ages
These are the best movies. My grand-daughter watches them over and over. She loves the Buddies. You will be the "best grammy ever" if you buy them for your grandkids!

Great value!
My 10 year old daughter enjoys these movies and this was a great value. Nice Christmas present.

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2009 New York Yankees: The Official World Series Film

The Perfect "Gift" for a Yankee Fan
MLB Productions has done their usual great job of producing this perspective of the 2009 World Series and especially, why this championship is so special to the Yankee franchise. It is themed with the concept of "27" which represents how many titles the Yankees have won to date. It also, plays out how this championship is the first for "new" Yankee Stadium and it is the fifth championship for four of the Yankee mainstays from the 1996 teams. It is obviously a "must-have" for any Yankee fan's video library.

The main downside to this DVD is much less time is devoted to the losing team (in this case the Phillies) then was the case in most of the WS DVDs of the last 10 years. Usually, % coverage is about 60-40 for the winning side but in this case it seemed like it was more 80-20.

There is the usual coverage of the ups and downs of the two teams during the seasons. There seemed to be a lot less coverage of the divisional and league series than in prior seasons...

MUST-HAVE FOR YANKEE FANS!
I watched the entire bluray last night and I have to say that if you are a true diehard Yankee fan, this bluray is a must-have. This is basically a 1-hour 25-minute film documenting the New York Yankees' 2009 World Series win over the Philadelphia Phillies. Here's how the film breaks down...

The first 20 minutes or so documents the Yankees' regular season as they attempt to capture their 27th World Championship. They also have a brief section showing the Philadelphia Phillies and their attempt to defend their World Series crown. But this bluray is really all about the World Series battle between these two great teams.

The rest of the film documents every World Series game along with the key moments from each game. Cliff Lee's game 1 gem and Chase Utley's domination over CC Sabathia... Pedro Martinez's return to Yankee Stadium and AJ Burnett's dominance in game 2... The Yankees fighting back from a 3-0 deficit to win game 3... Johnny Damon's at-bat and...

Love the story, but hate the style
I preface this by saying that I am a Yankee fan, and so I was predisposed to want to love the video. And the storytelling aspect of it is excellent. Despite that, I find this video almost unwatchable. My critique is of the filmmaking. MLB productions seems to think that there's a law against showing an entire baseball hit in a single shot, from ball hitting the bat to its landing. So a typical home run will look like this: 1) ball hits bat; 2) quick cut to pitcher; 3) quick cut to dugout reaction; 4) quick cut to crowd screaming; 5) quick cut to hitter watching it; 6) quick cut to ball just as it hits the seats. It seems like every single play in the entire video is cut this way -- even on strikeouts the path of the ball from pitchers hand to home plate on a is typically cut to into several smaller shots, so it's impossible to follow the path of the ball to the plate. By game 2 of the series, I found myself mentally screaming at the director to hold the shot, so I could actually see...

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WWE: Hulk Hogan's Unreleased Collector's Series

Rare Hogan Complete Listing
Complete details on the DVD are:

Hulk Hogan is one of the most popular and recognizable WWE Superstars of all time. Now for the first time ever, some of the rarest matches and moments from his career are featured on this three disc set, many being available on DVD for the first time. Packed with highlights that span his thirty-year career in WWE, WCW and beyond, this set is an absolute must for all Hulkamaniacs!

Disc One

Path to Immortality

Hulk Hogan vs. Harry Valdez
Championship Wrestling November 13, 1979

First Major Obstacle

WWE Championship Match
Bob Backlund vs. Hulk Hogan
Philadelphia, PA April 12, 1980

A Work in Progress

Handicap Match
Hulk Hogan vs. Steve King / Angelo Gomez
All Star Wrestling September 10, 1980

Building Momentum

Andre the Giant vs. Hulk Hogan
Madison Square Garden September 22, 1980

An Emerging Star...

WWE Opens The Vault For Some Rare Footage...BROTHER!
There are so many ways to describe & indenfity this man that I honestly can't even begin to try because what I can say wouldn't do him justice but the fact is that this man's impact on the sport is so strong that he's left his mark & an impact (positive or negative, another story for another time) on every single major promotion he's touched for the past 3 decades...and still doing it to this day. That man is Hulk Hogan & this is another DVD collection showcasing his past matches, feuds, promos, and matches. This DVD set is a very special one (one I hope to see in the future regarding other legends in the past) in that the title says it all, "Unreleased Collector's Series." That means that throughout this entire DVD collection, you relive so many things from Hogan's career that has never before been released onto any DVD set anywhere (no WWE PPV matches) so there are no repeats or anything you've seen anywhere else. It should be noted that Jim Ross & Jerry Lawler did commentary...

Finally a DVD Set That Isn't a "Best Of Pay Per View" Matches!
I have all of the Hogan VHS tapes that were put out by Coliseum Video through the 80s and 90s as well as the more recent series of DVD collections and this set was a breath of fresh air! I have traded and collected house shows for years as a teen and seeing many of these matches again in such clarity was like taking a trip back in time. I liked the mix of early house shows and TV matches. Even thought they're usually really bad, you have to show a few of the Saturday morning "squash" matches to really relive the early days of these legends and this collection delivers! Prior DVD sets gave us a few tidbits to tease us, but then filled the rest of the collection with televised and Pay Per View matches that have been released countless times before. If I see the "Hogan vs. Sheik" match from January 23, 1984 on another DVD set I'll drive to Stamford and punch Vince McMahon in the throat myself!

Needless to say, you can't please everyone all the time, but the inclusion of the...

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Turning Point

Just Average Hong Kong Undercover Cop/Triad Movie
This movie is basically about a cop (Anthony Wong) who was an undercover cop with the Triads but then became a full fledged Triad member and ditched being a cop. Anthony Wong's part I found a little unbelievable in the flamboyant way he dresssed, has a mohawk haircut and in one scene he appears to be wearing lipstick which somehow just came across as lame and not really fitting his character....maybe he's just too old to pull off that kind of costuming or something I'm not sure but it was rather distracting. Apart from that it has some good action in it and a fair plot and acting. There was a strange violent scene with people hanging inside plastic bags and being beaten by the Triad members. Violence, some suspense and an average story sum up this movie. I gave it 3 stars but that may be being a little overly generous on my part as it is certainly not the best Hong Kong cop/triad movie I have seen by a long shot. Maybe at some point I will give it a second viewing and see if I like it...

ASIAN ACTION / DRAMA
THIS IS ONE OF THE BETTER ASIAN ACTION/DRAMAS AROUND FEATURING THE "TRIADS VS COPS [INCLUDING UNDERCOVER]". GREAT STORYLINE WITH LOTS OF ACTION AND DRAMA



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