After sixty-five million years, the ancient world isn’t looking too bad. Ankylosaurus is still the walking epitome of a good defense. T-Rex still struts his stuff as the godfather to our culture’s dino fascination. Nature is lush and green and flourishing. Just throw in Michael Douglas and we’re good to go. In Dinosaurs Alive! The two-time Oscar winning actor provides the narration to a 40 minute adventure through the Triassic, the Jurassic, and the Cretaceous period – an adventure spanning from the Gobi Desert in East Asia, all the way west to Ghost Ranch amidst the buttes of New Mexico. Writing/directing duo Bayley Silleck and David Clark succeed with an enlightening discussion of these animals that is both fun and quite enthralling (and it always helps to have a voice like Douglas to relax the audience with a tinge of familiarity)....more

It may be foolhardy to do so, but there is plenty to dispute in Rocky – The Undisputed Collection, the new Blu-ray boxed set of all six Rocky movies.   That lovable, sometimes punchy, lug from Philadelphia; the Italian Stallion; Philadelphia's Favorite Son went through a heck of a lot over the course of the movies, but the movies, as with Rocky's life, are something of a bumpy road....more

There are many possible reasons that the sport of soccer hasn't taken off in this country the way that it has in the rest of the world.  It's not as conducive to television viewing as other sports – there's no easy way to break for a commercial.  It can often be a low scoring affair and as a nation we tend to like to see points/goals/runs rack up.  Oh, every few years, people in this country get excited about the sport, but usually that's a momentary world cup thing.  Maybe if the game was as fast-paced in real-life as it is in FIFA Soccer 10 it would be more popular in this country....more

I first fell in love with Lloyd Dobler, the main character in Say Anything…, when I was readying to graduate high school in 1989. His edict not to “sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career… sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought or processed” was music to my not-yet-determined-a-career-path-in-life ears....more

Originally a special produced as a part of Disney's House of Mouse in 2001, Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse is returning to DVD.  With tons of Disney characters making an appearance as well as classic Disney cartoons, the DVD is a can't miss success for fans of the Mouse... unless of course, they bought it the first time it was released. The basic premise of the House of Mouse series involved Mickey and friends running something of a supper club with a floor show.  Famous (and not-so-famous) Disney characters would show up, have a meal, and get to watch Mickey and company perform as well as getting to see old Disney cartoons.  There was also a story that involved the main characters behind the scenes....more

I went into the process of reviewing NBA Live 10 with an open mind. It had been ages since I sat down with a basketball game, but I picked up The Bigs 2 earlier this year and it reinvigorated my interest in baseball games, so if Live were to have the same effect, I’d consider it a success. Sadly, NBA Live 10 failed to do that as it’s a rather mundane experience that offers little innovation for fans of the series and will frustrate any newcomers looking for an accessible entry into the pumpkin pushing realm....more

We live in a digital age where every movie, television show, book, and video game are hyped up as much as possible. We’re bombarded with ads and praise for things that rarely deserve it. Hype’s a double-edged sword -- everyone wants their product to be known but too much hype can lead to higher expectations than the property can deliver on. AMC’s original show Mad Men has received such high acclaim and is one of the rare shows to truly earn it. But what is it about this show that draws in audiences and earns heaps of Emmy nominations? What is it exactly that makes this show tick?...more

When Orphan arrived in theaters earlier this year, I was sure it was going to be another generic "creepy kid" movie. How could I have known that it was going to be as good as it was? The movie turned out to be completely effective and rather insane. It didn't break new ground, but it took the conventions and made them work. This is a very good film that features strong writing, excellent performances, and a twist that really works. The big question going in is whether or not the thrills and twists would stand up to multiple viewings....more

Simon Baker (The Mentalist, The Devil Wears Prada) stars in the legal drama The Guardian, which ran for three seasons from 2001 to 2004 on CBS. Baker portrays hotshot corporate attorney Nicholas Fallin. After being busted for drugs, Fallin is sentenced to 1500 hours of community service at Children’s Legal Services. An interesting dichotomy unfolds throughout this first season as Fallin balances his community service job representing children and their often heartbreaking legal woes, while at the same time maintaining his position in his father’s massive corporate legal firm. In one scene Fallin will be fighting to allow a desperate child to stay with his family, and the in the very next scene he will be brokering million dollar deals at the negotiating table between greedy corporations....more

Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure is the latest in Disney's line of non-theatrical animated features, now available in a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack. Last year saw the introduction of the popular fairy as a lead character in Tinker Bell and the series will continue with next year's Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue. I didn't see the earlier feature, but without a doubt neither children nor parents will be lost if they jump right into Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure. This is not a cheesy throwaway, despite having bypassed theaters. The movie features an inventive and engaging story. The voice acting is strong as well, making this one a pleasant treat for the whole family....more