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GHOSTS OF THE ABYSS – Originally released in Imax theaters, this James Cameron directed exploration of the “real” Titanic loses some of its grandeur in the confines of a home theater. Bill Paxton tags along as the self-professed “king of the world” guides robotic cameras into areas of the sunken luxury liner that have never been seen before. The DVD includes the new 90-minute cut of the film plus a whole disc of extra footage, interviews and multi-angle features. 13 GOING ON 30 – Every generation since the original “Freaky Friday” puts their stamp on the whole body swapping routine. You know the drill: kid gets tired of doing homework, walking the dog, taking out the garbage, and dreams of growing up overnight so they can drink, smoke and stay up watching late night talk shows (trust me kids, it’s not as glamorous as it sounds). “13 Going On 30” follows the same formula but with a more romantic angle in mind. Jenna (played as an adult by “Alias” star Jennifer Garner, who comes off much...

THE FLICK: ItÕs been a while since director Richard Donner has gone medieval. Think back to a time before Matthew Broderick was ÒMr. Sarah Jessica ParkerÓ and was starring in the modest hit ÒLadyhawkeÓ with Michelle Pfeiffer. ItÕs been a while for author Michael Crichton, tooÉall the way back to ÒEaters of the DeadÓ (which was turned into ÒThe 13th WarriorÓ on film not so long ago). But thatÕs more experience than most filmmakers ever get with this historical sub-genre usually limited to sword-and-sorcery epics replete with cut-rate visual effects and scads of tatterdemalion extras. So ÒTimelineÓ at least has a couple of guys with experience to take the reigns. Unfortunately, the horses must have bolted somewhere in production and never circled back. The casting, the script, the editing Ð no department seems to have been on the same page. How else to you explain surfer-dude extraordinaire Paul Walker as the son of a renowned archeologist (not to mention his inexplicable crush on his da...

THE FLICK: With all the praise heaped on director David Fincher by adoring cinephiles it’s no wonder he has delusions of Hitchcockian greatness. How else could you explain him taking on the challenge of a film set almost entirely inside one room, inside one house, with a one massive McGuffin at the heart of it all. “Panic Room” is Fincher’s mental exercise; a directorial challenge of storyboarded B-movie visual excess. The results (suspenseful but showy with an overly simplistic script from David Koepp) are much closer to Hitchcock hand-me-downs Brian DePalma or Dario Argento than the old master himself. Jodie Foster tackles the single-mom role as a recently divorced Manhattan apartment shopper who buys a three floor brownstone which houses a singular curiosity piece: a well-stocked panic room, complete with video monitors, air conditioning and a safe full of money. Of course, no one knows about the money except the three men who break in to steal it (played by Forest Whitaker, Jared L...

DIRTY PRETTY THINGS: A socially conscious thriller or a mystery with a message depending on how you look at it, director Stephen Frears’ (“High Fidelity,” The Grifters”) descends into the immigrant underworld of London where backroom organ “donations” are doing steady business. And selling a kidney might be the only way out for a pair of proud but desperate refugees from the law. Unpredictable and engaging, the movie does a good job backing its characters (and the audience) into a corner. Extras include a behind-the-scenes special and running commentary with Frears.

THE FLICK: The “Godzilla” series is in a constant state of flux – from a mean-spirited monster-on-the-loose in the first film to a kid-friendly superhero in the 60s & 70s, the big green guy never feels (or looks) the same way twice. After director Shuseke Kaneko’s invigorating re-invention “All Out Giant Monster Attack,” it looked like the king of the “kaiju” genre (the Japanese word for “monster”) was back in a big way. But “Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla” (2003) is a bit of a momentum killer. Instead of taking the giant monster mythology in new directions, the film purposefully goes back to the standard formula for most of Godzilla’s reign in the 90’s. This time it’s the Japanese government who invests in Mechagodzilla (nicknamed Kiryu), constructing their superweapon from the skeletal DNA of the very first Godzilla that attacked Tokyo in 1954. Kiryu is armed with the latest firepower including an unstoppable freeze ray called “Absolute Zero.” But all those tax dollars go right d...

THE FLICK: More than any of his other 1970’s behind-the-camera contemporaries, George Romero resented the label “horror film director.” And while many might find this attitude ungrateful, it’s exactly what made his films so distinct. After the slow-building success of “Night of the Living Dead,” and with a couple of interesting experiments like “The Crazies” and “Martin” behind him, Romero finally revisited the zombies he’d created with “Dawn of the Dead.” As a sequel, “Dawn” is a direct narrative continuation of the ’69 storyline despite the fact that ten years had passed between movies. But the tone of the film is a complete 180 from the nostalgically paced scares of the first film. Not only had Romero evolved as a filmmaker but society had changed as well, making itself an easy target for the director’s scathing satire of consumer-driven excess. Although their origin is still unexplained, the undead are gaining strength in numbers, forcing what’s left of the human population to scat...

THE FLICK: It’s hard to say which is more responsible for the continuing popularity “One Million Years B.C.”: Ray Harryhausen’s stop-motion monsters or the famous one-sheet poster of star Raquel Welch in a furry cavegirl bikini. Both make a strong case for themselves in Fox’s remastered DVD, available separately or as part of the Raquel Welch collection. With no dialogue other than grunts, groans and sparse cave-speak, this sci-fi feature from Hammer studios in Britain follows the fate of two tribes, the primitive Rock Clan and the more advanced (and much better groomed) Shell People. Tumack (John Richardson), ostracized from his Rock brothers, crosses the harsh landscape and falls under the spell of Luana (Welch), who soothes his temper and shows him another way of living. Of course, Tumack’s skills come in handy when a hungry Allosaurus drops in and makes a smorgasbord of the Shell village. Actually, Harryhausen’s monsters play a much smaller role in “One Million Years B.C.” than his...

THE FLICK: The films of Ron Howard are remarkable mainly because they are so unremarkable. Drifting from genre to genre with a consistent amount of box-office success, the director seems to bend his style to suit each new project he undertakes. But the result is often a “film by committee,” hitting all the expected notes but never getting over the creative hump. With “The Missing,” the first project from Howard’s production company, Imagine, that wasn’t created in-house, we finally see a sliver of the heart of darkness the director always kept hidden. Starring Cate Blanchett as a frontier medicine woman and Tommy Lee Jones as her estranged white-Indian mystic father, together they track down a group of renegade Indians who have captured Blanchett’s daughter and plan to sell her into slavery at the Mexican border. Their journey puts them in harm’s way from flash floods, Army scouts, Indian curses, and their own family animosity. Billed as a Western Thriller, the film combines well-drawn...

THE FLICK: Like John Belushi and Chris Farley before him, Jack Black is a fat funnyman whoÕs not for all tastes. His brand of humor can feel desperately obnoxious and, until ÒSchool of Rock,Ó was best used as a walking exclamation point in films like ÒHigh FidelityÓ where his mosh-pit personality played second banana to straight-man John Cusack. But put a guitar in his hands and itÕs almost like pulling the sword from the stone. His work in ÒTenacious D,Ó the mock-rock duo featured in a series of shorts on HBO, should have warned the world that he was a six-stringed genius. But, alas, few people picked up on it until ÒSchool of Rock,Ó BlackÕs breakthrough starring role after the admirable ÒShallow Hal,Ó proved he could not only carry a movie, but also make it his own. As Dewey Finn, a lifelong loser with pathetic musical aspirations for rock stardom, Black finds a custom-written role that fits like tight leather pants. Taking over his roommates identity as a substitute teacher for some...

THE FLICK: Certain films inspire a sense of ownership. They are the underdogs, the movies that no one else knows about, sitting on a dusty shelf in the back of the video store, habitually rented out by a select few who embrace them warts and all. Too unpopular to be called cult...too eccentric to find mainstream success. Films like “Vanishing Point,” a counter-culture action film with a need for speed. Bereft of stars and short on story, the film follows Kowalski (Barry Newman) as he races the clock to deliver a Dodge Charger from Denver to San Francisco in 15 hours. Hopped up on pills, he soon picks up a caravan of local authorities who chase him across three states and several highways trying to end the folk hero worship spawned by a blind DJ (Cleavon Little of “Blazing Saddles”) who preaches the anti-authoritarian gospel. Along the way, Kowalski runs into an eclectic group of characters (helpful hippies, mean-spirited moonies, and a gay version of Bonnie and Clyde) lifted straight o...

Even if a big-screen Western comeback never reaches fruition, the DVD format has seen some true classics of the genre finally get their due. None more so than “Spaghetti Western,” the misbegotten children of Hollywood mythmakers like John Ford filtered through that peculiarly Italian sensibility. But the sub-genre goes much deeper than the seminal work of Eastwood and Leone’s “Dollars” trilogy. Both the good and the bad, the visceral and the political, come to a head in Anchor Bay’s “Once Upon A Time In Italy Collection,” gathering five impressive previously released films into one sweet looking box set. Taking them on alphabetically, “A Bullet For the General” (AKA “Quien Sabe” or “Who Knows?”) is a subtly powerful political statement from director Damiano Damiani disguised as a buddy picture. Chuncho, a bandit/revolutionary with an unquenchable lust for life, befriends a mysterious American he nicknames “Nino.” With the gringo’s help, Chuncho and his gang sweep through Mexico gatheri...

THE FLICK: Born of an era when every low-budget film producer was looking for an angle to make a quick buck in the exploitation market, ÒFight For Your LifeÓ plays the race card with a vengeance Ð pitting a trio of escaped cons (led by white trash kingpin William Sanderson) against an innocent suburban black family. Hurling epithets and punches with equal ferocity, the movie aims to shock (especially with a third act twist akin to ÒLast House on the LeftÓ) but is actually fairly tame by cult cinema standards. Sanderson and his crew taunt their hostages with every ÒdarkieÓ insult you can imagine, but the presiding head of the household (Robert Judd), a minister, insists on turning the other cheekÉuntil he just canÕt take it anymore! (Yup, just like the movie poster). ThereÕs one or two cold-blooded murders, one attempted rape, three successful rapes, and the brutal braining of a 12-year-old boy. And thatÕs before anyone starts fighting back! As ferocious as it all sounds, director Rober...

Making the transition from the comfortable grind of a successful weekly TV series to the bright lights of big-time Hollywood movies has produced more than a few casualties. For every Michael J. Fox or Tim Allen fortunate enough to find the right material, thereÕs a sad-sack like David Caruso who gambled and lost. Others like Jerry Seinfeld are just too smart to try. Ray Romano finds himself in a reasonably good position with ÒWelcome to Mooseport,Ó surrounded by some great actors (Gene Hackman, Marcia Gay Harden, Maura Tierney) and a slew of small town oddballs. So imagine the irony that itÕs Romano himself, and his rambling slow-paced delivery, that seem out of place. When the backwater burg invites the most popular ex-president in history (played to the hilt by Hackman) to be its Mayor, they spark a media feeding frenzy as RomanoÕs handyman character decides to start his own campaign Ð incensed that his long-time girlfriend (Tierney) accepted a date from the commander in chief. The s...

THE FLICK: At their best, Robert RodriguezÕ ÒSpy KidsÓ films are seat-of-your-pants storytelling, blessed with a healthy dose of improvised imagination. The director makes no secret that he likes to work fast and loose, below the studioÕs radar, giving him free reign to make movies his way. The results are a mixed success, with the second film in the series, Island of Lost Dreams, still the most inspired. In the case of ÒSpy Kids 3D: Game Over,Ó the formula is a tad muddled, with most of the series regulars (Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino and even senior Spy Kid Alexa Vega) relegated to third act cameos. This time the series weakest link, Juni Cortez (Daryl Sabara), is assigned the big mission: stop a cyber-baddie named the Toymaker (Sylvester Stallone) by entering the video game world to prevent kids everywhere from being brainwashed. Ricardo Montalban as Grandfather Cailsta Cortez follows him into the game to help spring JuniÕs kidnapped spy sibling, Carmen. Even without the 3D gimmi...

THE FLICK: For all the bad press Disney has received of late about trouble in the board of directors, the disheartening split from Pixar and the general disarray of the mouse house, allow me to give them some love for the direct-to-video debut of “Lion King 1 1/2.” While not equal to the majesty of the original, the hyperactive story combined with original voice talents like Nathan Lane and Whoopi Goldberg show some concerted effort was put into making this more than just a franchise filibuster for parent’s hard earned dough. The movie follows second bananas Timon and Pumbaa on their quest for “Hakuna Matata” as the events from the first film take place concurrently. Meaning, we see the original “Lion King” through the eyes of the comic relief rather than Simba. It’s a fun gimmick, starting with Timon’s escape from a life of drudgery digging tunnels with his family to his eventual run in a flatulent boar named Pumbaa. Together they find a paradise of no worries, into which Simba appear...

THE FLICK: “Lost in Translation” is a film that finds itself – that’s coincidentally about finding yourself. It’s aimless, free form style (along with the spacey-tunes by ex-“My Bloody Valentine” guitarist Kevin Shields) is a perfect match for the improvisational talents of Bill Murray who stars as Bob Harris, an American actor filming a commercial in Tokyo. Scarlett Johansson is Charlotte, the bored wife of a workaholic photographer in Japan on business. Their chance meetings strike up a friendship and an unspoken connection that allows director Sofia Coppola’s film to take on a playful air of innocence despite the drastic age difference between the two leads. Never quite a comedy – although Murray is given free reign to be himself – the film is brilliantly adept at never saying more than it has too. Coppola explores her own artistic sensibilities as Bob and Charlotte explore the city, drifting through an endless barrage of neon lights and late-night parties. “Lost in Translation” dev...

The ÒTrekÓ films almost made a fatal mistake with part ÒV,Ó which disappointed even die-hard fans with its out-of-character stabs at humor and lapses in sci-fi logic. So itÕs no surprise the studio turned to the two men responsible for the successful even-numbered films in the franchise to pull their collective fat out of the fire and give the original Enterprise crew a more respectful send off. Leonard Nimoy and Nicholas Meyer were never afraid to mess with creator Gene RoddenberryÕs vision, which made their films more accessible to audiences that couldnÕt understand the Trek universe. Parallels to 20th century life abound, and, in the case of ÒStar Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country,Ó are often the jumping off point for a metaphorical discussion on current affairs. The hot topic in 1991 was the demise of the communist regime and the uneasy peace between two superpowers. ÒTrek VIÓ transposes the idea to outer space with the wall coming down between the Klingon and Federation empires. B...

THE FLICK: There are very few auteurs still working at the top of their game. Spielberg sold out. Scorsece has lost his edge. Even indies like Cronenberg and Lynch are only intermittently engaging. Yet maverick moviemaker Terry Gilliam continues to deliver fantastically challenging films full of comic genius and visual bravado. And “Time Bandits” is where it all started. After co-directing “Monty Python & The Holy Grail” (as well as the solo project, “Jabberwocky”), Gilliam came into his own with this imaginative take on the standard time travel story. Young Kevin (Craig Warock) is kidnapped by a gang of squabbling dwarves who drag him from one famous historical locale to another. Using a stolen “map of the known universe,” they loot from the likes of Napoleon (Ian Holm), King Agamemnon (Sean Connery) and Robin Hood (John Cleese). Pursued by the “Supreme Being” (Ralph Richardson), the wacky group eventually becomes prisoners of “Evil” (David Warner) and must defeat him to save them...

THE FLICK: As the Western stops and starts its way to a comeback of sorts, a new generation of filmmakers look to put their brand on the genre. Kevin Costner has a head start, having appeared in three previous outings (“Silverado, Dances With Wolves & Wyatt Earp) with varying degrees of success. And it’s obvious that the myth of the Western hero holds a particular appeal for him both as an actor and director. “Open Range” is an undisguised tribute to the men of the frontier – those who traded the comforts of civilization for a life of simple freedoms. But when those freedoms are threatened, as they are in the film by a monopolistic cattle baron who objects to freegrazers Charlie (Costner) and Boss Stegg (Robert Duvall) on his land, the true nature of Man comes into question. For the Charlie the question is, can 10 years of living at peace with himself erase a lifetime of killing? If that sounds a bit like “Unforgiven,” you’re right. But where Eastwood’s film was a nihilistic ode to...

THE FLICK: “Winged Migration” impresses on two levels. First is the innovative and extraordinary photographic accomplishment of capturing images of birds in flight the way they never have before. Second is the behind-the-scenes commitment it took (4 years, 3 directors and 8 ultra-light planes over every continent on the planet) to bring the film to the screen. Inspired by the footage from “Fly Away Home,” lead director Jacques Perrin set out to follow the migratory existence of several species of birds - geese, pelicans, ducks, and a few more colorful varieties. Traveling upwards of 1500 miles on their journey, the scenery is as much a part of the wonder of the film as the birds themselves. The camera soars over mountains, forests, oceans and cities, then skims the ground for a “bird’s eye” view of a life in flight. Yes, it’s a nature film. But there is relatively little commentary and Perrin’s goal seems much more philosophical than educational. Just when things seem to be getting rep...

THE FLICKS: It’s enough to restore your faith in your fellow man. It’s proof there is a higher power. Or at the very least it’s proof that years of internet whining can make a difference. What’ s the big announcement? After 50 years of waiting, the big green lizard himself, Godzilla, is finally speaking Japanese. Well, he’s not actually talking, but all the poor saps he’s stepping on are. And for once fans get to hear the original audio tracks with English “dubtitles” (translations of the English dubs) in place of the unintentionally hilarious voice work. The first two releases to get the treatment on DVD are “Godzilla vs. Megaguirus” and “Godzilla, Mothra, Ghidorah – All Out Monster Attack,” both part of the new wave of G-films that arrived in the post-Roland Emmerich re-make era. Like “Godzilla 2000,” which saw a brief theatrical window in the States, these films feature better effects and bigger explosions, although still relying mostly on “man in a suit” technology. “Megaguirus” is...

Buffalo Soldiers is one of those movies that swings both ways. It can be either a dark comedy or an amusing tragedy depending on how you look at it. Set during on a U.S. military base in West Germany during the fall of the Berlin Wall, Joaquin Phoenix stars as ÒRadarÓ-like company clerk Ray Elwood (that is, if Radar cooked heroin and screwed his superiorÕs daughter in his spare time) whose corrupt and jaded attitude is pervasive throughout his fellow soliders. With peace comes boredom, and the ex-cons and high school drop-outs in uniform are looking out for themselves - arranging big money arms deals with a side of smack. Director Gregor JordanÕs film turns up the heat as Elwood gets cornered by a new gung-ho sergeant (Scott Glenn) out to clean house. Meanwhile, his buddies are getting picked off one by one in a black market deal gone bad. Can the love of a good woman and a dash of reality turn one man around? A harsh satire of military politics and our species as a whole, the best thi...

THE FLICK: Few actors defined a role so unassumingly as Henry Fonda did as the legendary Wyatt Earp in “My Darling Clementine.” And few directors could have shaped the by now predictable ricochets from the gunfight at the O.K. Corral as expertly as John Ford, whose collaborations with Fonda always brought out the humanist in both of them. Playing fast and loose with history (despite Ford’s claim to have gotten the true facts from Earp himself), “Clementine” re-stages the famous shootout as little more than an footnote to the everyday challenges of life on the frontier and the constant struggle between savagery and civilization. After the Earp’s cattle are rustled and youngest brother killed by members of the Clanton clan, Wyatt sticks around Tombstone as the new Marshall until he can bring the killers to justice. His role as lawman also puts him at odds with Doc Holiday, the quick draw artist who runs the local gambling hall. And their relationship becomes even more strained when Holid...

THE FLICKS: Most movies try their best to disguise they era in which they were created (70’s sci-fi flicks being the exception...apparently they were pretty confident that polyester would stand the test of time). But Brian DePalma’s “Scarface” embraces the decadence and self-destruction of the 80’s as the backdrop for a re-imagining of the gangster classic with Al Pacino as the dangerously ambitious Cuban immigrant Tony Montana. It’s safe to say we wouldn’t even be enjoying this 2nd special edition if it wasn’t for all the exposure “Scarface” receives on MTV’s “Cribs,” in which every gold-toothed rapper proudly displays their copy of the film on their shelf. At the time of its release, Pacino’s over-the-top performance was about the only thing that attracted positive reviews. Oliver Stone’s brutal, profanity laced script hit the screen after fighting its way past an X-rating, only to do moderate business at the box office. But from these humble beginnings a cult film was borne. Bereft ...

THE FLICK: Now that all the hype has died down around the “Matrix Trilogy” – replaced by crushing disappointment – it’s hard to remember which came first, the Wachowski Brothers sci-fi digital revolution or the Japanese culture that inspired it. The simultaneous release of “The Animatrix” on DVD showed that the filmmakers were eager to give credit where it was due. So even though there’s no glowing endorsement on the front cover, “Avalon,” the latest in a number of “Matrix” knock-offs, should garner a little extra love. Why? Because director Mamoru Oshii was also responsible for the seminal anime “Ghost in the Shell,” which was one of many templates reinterpreted for American audiences to “ooh” and “ahhh” over. This existential action film is likely as close as one can get to translating the Japanese animation style into a live-action film: emotionally barren but undeniably visionary. In an alternate reality somewhere between Orwell and the Holocaust, gamers compete in a worldwide on-l...

It’s tough to criticize the final chapter of Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. Even casual fans now seem to defend Tolkien’s text with almost biblical fervor, frothing at the mouth at even the mention of literary meddling. Which is a shame, because other than Jackson’s slavish attachment to the source material, “Return of the King” is a largely successful conclusion for Frodo, Gandalf, Aragorn and the rest of the Middle Earth gang. The film’s visual effects quite literally reach a peak, with a distinctly vertical sense of dizzying heights prevalent in Frodo and Sam’s ascent of Mount Doom and the towering city of Gondor, the focal point of Sauron’s attack against all Mankind. There’s a great deal of emotional set-up before we make it to the big show – a winner take all battle between the newly crowned King Aragorn and an endless army of Mordor’s enemy forces. If you’re mouth doesn’t hang open in awe, you’re jaw must be wired shut. But for all the grandiose images on display, ...

THE FLICK: Some films are fatally flawed. Script problems, bland direction, weak acting Ð take your pick. Like Hill House or the Ford Fury in Stephen KingÕs ÒChristine,Ó theyÕre just born bad. Others suffer from, for lack of a better term, Òbad apples.Ó Creatively and competently executed, there remain enough head-scratching moments of Òwhat were they thinking!Ó to stink up (but not spoil) the whole experience. Yet sometimes those Òbad applesÓ make for an infinite amount of re-watchibility; as if one were hoping the film would miraculously correct itself with each new viewing. And for whatever reason (thereÕs a lot of personal bias in the Òbad appleÓ theory), ÒThe League of Extraordinary GentlemenÓ fits quite nicely into the latter category. A moderately big-budget adaptation of the Alan Moore graphic novel built around the audacious idea of classic Victorian literary figures (Alan Quartermain, Dorian Gray, The Invisible Man, Dr. Jekyll, Mina Harker, Captain Nemo & Tom Sawyer) band...

For those that donÕt ÒgetÓ animation (i.e., close-minded, over-educated snobs with no sense of humor) shows like ÒSouth Park,Ó ÒThe SimpsonsÓ and the late-great ÒFuturamaÓ must seem like annoying Saturday morning escapees that accidentally wound up in prime time. DonÕt bother to convince them otherwise. TheyÕll never grasp the comic timing of a well-placed ÒDÕoh!Ó or appreciate the familiar refrain of ÒScrew you guys, IÕm going home!Ó In fact, that last sentence has them so confused, angry and disoriented theyÕre rushing to the TV for a live-action fix of Courtney Cox-Arquette. ÒSouth Park: The Complete Third Season,Ó in the words of creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, is where the cardboard cutout show truly came together. The character quirks, interwoven plots, and no-limits sense of humor found a groove that became familiar rather than formulaic Ð playing off the now well-established cast of oddball personalities and scathing celebrity cameos. The seventeen episodes collected in Pa...

THE FLICK: Fans of Johnny Depp will say itÕs about time the rest of the country woke up and appreciated one of the most interesting and eccentric actors of our generation. But ÒPiratesÓ didnÕt exactly shove the smelling salts under John Q. PublicÕs nose; most folks already had a good idea what Depp was capable of from modest hits like ÒEdward ScissorhandsÓ and ÒSleepy Hollow.Ó More accurately, it was Depp himself who finally broke down and channeled his independent spirit into the Hollywood mainstream. Director Gore Verbinski captures the feel of classic swashbucklers past and the squeaky clean fun of the Disney thrill ride the filmÕs based on. But without his leading pirate the movie would be just more big budget eye candy. Depp, famously basing his performance on StoneÕs guitarist Keith Richards, is a fumbling, mumbling wreck of a pirate whoÕs much cleverer than he looks. As Captain Jack Sparrow, he overwhelms even the most elaborate special effect in the film and lifts the material ...

THE FLICK: Like it or not, season two of “Alias” was defined by the post-Super Bowl spectacular that featured superspy Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner) in even more revealing outfits than usual. The fact that it spun the series into a completely different direction was a fringe benefit. Give creator J.J. Abrahms credit for not letting his show sit on its laurels and keeping audience’s guessing just when they thought things were starting to make sense. Plot threads that will pique regular viewers interest: the return of Syndey’s mother (and her mysterious motivations), shifting personal and professional alliances, a budding romance with CIA handler Vaughn and plenty of one-shot supervillians and good guys like Ethan Hawke, Christian Slater and Rutger Hauer. Although the sense of discovery that made Season One appointment television is lacking and the formula is becoming a bit transparent, how do these next 22 episodes stand up? Very well, thank you very much. Many of the juicy secrets t...

THE FLICK: The DVD format has made it fashionable to label nearly every special edition re-release a “classic.” That’s capitalism at work. And it’s hard to argue when so many obscure one-hit-wonders not only get the digital treatment, but are also hailed as masterpieces in their own mini-genres. So for a film like “Once Upon A Time In The West,” director Sergio Leone’s finest work and a high point of the Western, to slip quietly into the night would have been more than a shame...it would have been embarrassment. Thankfully, Paramount came through and Leone’s epic not only shines on home video, it runs a few minutes longer to boot. Made from fragments of Leone’s own work, and those classic Westerns he idolized (most notably “High Noon” and “Johnny Guitar”), “Once Upon A Time...” is both the last gasp and an invigorating shot in the arm for a dying genre. Charles Bronson is another “man with no name” (although everyone calls him “Harmonica”), Henry Fonda is a cold-blooded killer (for the...