 | | 1. Playing Shakespeare | | | Starring: Judi Dench Patrick Stewart | | Format: DVD Release Date: 6/2/2009 |  | Playing Shakespeare - DVD Review By: Gerry Weaver - Blogcritics.org Reviews Published on: 5/27/2009 10:01 AM | | PBS series Playing Shakespeare will debut on home video June 2nd—and this series is a gem for theatre professionals and armchair enthusiasts alike. Shakespeare’s plays offer directors and actors rich opportunities to bring the dense figurative language to life—but without a thorough understanding of how the playwright used language to guide his actors through a play, there are equal opportunities to miss the mark. The Royal Shakespeare Company’s associate director John Barton is just the man to explain and explore the Bard’s use of blank verse as a technical as much as poetic guide to performance. read the full review | |
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 | | 4. X-Men 3-Last Stand (Widescreen) | | | Starring: Ian McKellen Famke Janssen Director: Brett Ratner | | Format: DVD Release Date: 4/21/2009 | User Rating: 3.7 |  | X-Men: The Last Stand - DVD Review By: Sean O'Connell - filmcritic.com DVD Reviews Published on: 4/10/2009 5:36 PM | |
Last Stand has as many characters as a deck has cards. The thrill of seeing Vinnie Jones in the Juggernaut suit or Kelsey Grammer as the blue-haired Beast is squashed once you ultimately realize they contribute nothing to the story. Co-screenwriters Simon Kinberg and Zak Penn can’t address each character in detail – the movie would run an additional three hours. As a result, some are killed off quickly, others are forgotten for long stretches, and all, save for Wolverine and Storm, have their potential wasted. read the full review | |
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 | | 11. X-Men | | | Starring: Hugh Jackman Patrick Stewart Director: Bryan Singer | | Format: DVD Release Date: 2/7/2006 |  | X-Men - DVD Review By: Christopher Null - filmcritic.com DVD Reviews Published on: 4/10/2009 5:36 PM | |
Well, comic book freaks can take a breather, as another sci-fi fantasy hits the big screen, this time in the long-awaited, highly-anticipated, it-better-be-good X-Men. Without too much regret, I can say that X-Men will be palatable to fans and newbies alike. It's not a great film, but it will probably follow the arc of the Superman and Batman movies -- tons of sequels of variable quality until an abrupt and dismal end a decade later. The film is largely focused on introducing the very idea of the X-Men to the audience. read the full review | |
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