Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
Not nearly as raunchy as some of the other teen exploitation films that came out around the same time, “Summer School” is a feel-good movie in which all the characters are clueless, but also kind of likable for some inexplicable reason.
Though the plot is as transparent as some of the clothes Vera Farmiga (who plays a stunning doctor) wears, the film is on par with Mark Wahlberg’s more glamorous The Italian Job: an exciting caper that doesn’t make much sense.
Deputy Police Chief Brenda Johnson may have put in a year already with the Los Angeles police department, but that doesn’t mean the transplanted Southerner fits in yet. In the second season of the TNT drama The Closer, Brenda is less a fish out of water, but she’s still not completely at home with her brash colleagues–some of whom resent her potent mixture of brains and beauty. All 15 episodes from the 2006-2007 are included in this four-disc box set.
In the “Secret Life of Words,” a wounded man and a hearing impaired woman forge an unlikely relationship that transcends romance. They reach an understanding that speaks as much for the affection they hold for one another, as it does their need to simply be recognized.
Equal parts “Roswell” and “The O.C.,” “Kyle XY” starts off as a sci-fi mystery, veers off into a teenage soap opera and ends its 10-episode first season with a compelling cliffhanger. The series, which debuted in 2006 on the ABC Family channel, begins with a teenager wandering in the woods just outside of Seattle. When the authorities find him, he is naked, unable to communicate, and devoid of a belly button.
Paying homage to both “The Road Warrior” and “The Lost Boys,” “Solarbabies” is set in a futuristic world where water is scarce, children are locked away in orphanages, and a glowing ball of frenetic energy has the power to make dreams a reality.
A light-hearted comedy revolving around a pair of bickering brothers who run a small airline in Nantucket, “Wings” kicks off its fourth season with a crash. Literally. But unlike “Lost” where the passengers are never sure if they’ll ever be rescued, it’s inevitable that the Nantucket bunch is saved.
When three generations of women collide, it isn’t always pretty. In “Georgia Rule,” Lindsay Lohan stars as Rachel, a wild child whose mother Lilly (Felicity Huffman) ships her off to Idaho to be tamed by Georgia (Jane Fonda)–Lilly’s own cantankerous mom.
Oddly enough, the audition tape of Jennifer Hudson, who won an Academy Award for her breakthrough role as Effie, is nowhere to be seen. Sure, we all know what a powerhouse she is today. But it would’ve been nice to see what the filmmakers saw in her back then, when her competition included her “American Idol” castmate (and that season’s winner) Fantasia Barrino.
An over-the-top film co-starring a young and gorgeous Susan Sarandon, “The Other Side of Midnight” is a deliciously melodramatic adaptation of Sidney Sheldon’s sweeping (and often schlocky) novel of the same name.
With two solid seasons already banked, NCIS returns for a compelling third year with exciting plotlines and a slightly tweaked cast. The show’s second season ended with the brutal and shocking death of Caitlin Todd (Sasha Alexander). The first two episodes of this season deal with the aftermath of bringing her killer to justice and examining the emotional impact of her loss on the remaining members of the NCIS team, which is led by Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon).
All 13 episodes of this NBC series–which aired during the 2006-2007 season–are included on this three-disc DVD set. And unlike many shows that are canceled within a year, “Kidnapped” offers viewers closure and a finite ending. While the first few episodes dealing with the kidnapping are gripping, the show layers on some subplots that fail. Is Ellie having an affair with a prominent politician? Did Conrad kill his ex-mistress? Neither character is particularly likeable, so the viewer doesn’t really care.
Take one “everyman” standup comic, add a ridiculously good-looking wife, and throw them into everyday scenarios that are taken to the extreme and you get “George Lopez,” a pleasant and funny series with a winning formula not unlike that of “According to Jim” and “Everybody Loves Raymond.”
Before making a name for himself in Hollywood with the Rush Hour franchise, Jackie Chan was already an international superstar, thanks to Hong Kong films such as Police Story and its sequels. While not quite up to par with that film, Police Story 2 (released in 1988) still manages to pack quite the punch, picking up where Police Story left off.
A family film with plenty of heart, “Opal Dream” draws home the point that sometimes you don’t have to see things to believe in them.
Mencia displays an almost child-like glee during his monologues that are a part of each episode. Flapping his arms and legs around like a kid who’s heard the funniest joke, he punctuates stories with his trademark sing-song “dee de dee.”
While its title may be superfluous, “Galapagos: The Islands That Changed the World” is a beautifully filmed journey into “the islands of the tortoise.” Located due west of Ecuador, the Galapagos islands are full of gorgeous scenery and exotic wildlife. And this 150-minute documentary shows it all, thanks to stunning cinematography shot from all viewpoints–the air, sea and, of course, land.
Each era has its own defining exercise video–or in this age, DVD. “Dancing With the Stars: Cardio Dance” isn’t going to go down as the 21st century’s answer to Jane Fonda’s exercise tapes, but it’s not a bad way to learn a few basic steps, thanks to instructions from some of the professional dancers from the ABC hit series “Dancing With the Stars.”
Take two male figure skaters, throw in a preposterous storyline, and you’ve got Blades of Glory, a surprisingly funny film that almost makes you forgive Will Ferrell for his back-to-back 2005 clunkers “Kicking & Screaming” and “Bewitched.”