Friday evening, members of the Sherman Community Players’ will open their new 2009-2010 season with the country western musical “Always, Patsy Cline” written by Ted Swindley.....more>>
The House of Mouse’s release “Imagination Movers: Warehouse Mouse Edition” brought mixed reactions from my 4-year-old daughter Clare, 9-year-old son Josiah, and a little bit of eye rolling and parental perspective from me. Walt Disney Studio Home Entertainment Division had released “Imagination Movers Warehouse Mouse Edition to video retail and rental outlets in early May. Scott, Smitty, Dave and Rich, the “Imagination Movers,” are a lot of fun to watch. The colorful set, constant motion, and energetic music make it a shoo-in for the preschool set. The guys genuinely seem to be enjoying themselves, and I’m pretty sure the kids can sense it. This is not one of the best educational films, but it is truly entertaining and will get children up and dancing. While geared for younger children, our oldest son generally didn’t mind watching the film from time to time.
The stage at North Central Texas College has been transformed from a blank scene into what could be imagined as an inky alleyway where the cast and crew of the musical Cats prowl the ways of the theater and prepare themselves for the opening night of the show on Friday, June 19.
Karma Police will probably not come to your local cineplex. But it is definitely worth searching out, finding and buying. One can find it at most national video rental shops, or online at most major outlets. I have to admit, I kinda-sorta wish there were a group like the Karma Police — I would love knowing that not only would I get my reward — or punishment — after I died, but I would get it now.
This Tuesday (Jan. 13) Sony re-releases Underworld and Underworld Evolution as a double feature set timed with the theatrical release of the third of the franchise, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans. This franchise is more than just a horror series, it’s an adventure, a romance and a rewritting and interweaving of the lycanthrope (werewolf) and vampire stories told throughout the centuries — as far back as early Greece according to “Fangs vs. Fiction” one of the special features with the first release, Underworld. This is an action/adventure film that happens to feature vampires and werewolves. But still, it grew on me — I liked it.
The Lazarus Project was released by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Oct. 21. It’s a worthwhil watch and a movie that can stand multiple viewings. I recommend this for your library. “The Lazarus Project” aka “The Heaven Project” is one of those straight-to-DVD releases, which was above the norm for direct to video. After viewing it, I felt this was a lot better than some other theatrical and cinematic releases that were pure drivel. Ben Garvey (Paul Walker) has a loving wife, Lisa (Piper Perabo) and darling daughter, Kate. He made a mistake in his past, but he’s gotten over it and is leading a clean life.
Sony released “Married Life” to DVD last Tuesday, Sept. 2. It is, in my opinion, a much better picture than its title or the DVD jacket would suggest. I can highly recommend this release. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by this film. At first I didn't know what to make of it, or where it was going. It is a dark comedy. The twists and turns of the film are completely unexpected. It kept me on my toes, and the four lead performances were great. Married Life is a well crafted and beautifully written movie. By appearing to be a traditional noir, the film plays on the audience's expectations of the genre but then turns out to be something very different — something far more sad, funny and soulful. By having the traditional voice-over and haunting music at the outset, Married Life subverts the viewer's expectations and draws us into a story that is utterly unique.
If you want to sink your teeth into an intelligent, involved series, try Randy Alcorn’s trilogy “Deadline”, “Dominion” and “Deception”. “Deadline” In “Deadline”, Jake Woods goes on a pizza run with his two oldest friends, Doc and Finney, but they never make it home, crashing on an Oregon highway. Jake wakes up in the hospital to find his friends hovering between this world and the next. On top of his grief, Jake soon finds out what happened was no accident.
Disney released “The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning” to retail video and rental stores Tuesday. For a direct to video release, it’s surprisingly good. If you have younger kids or grandkids, this is just about a must have. When the release reviewed is for children, I normally watch my 5-year-old granddaughter Skyler watch the movie and then rate the movie based on her actions and reactions. I call it the Skyler Scale. Then, occasionally, I will rate it for continuity and graphics. But, first off, parents need to know that younger kids might be upset by the opening scene of this prequel to Disney’s “The Little Mermaid”. In the opening scene, a pirate ship is seen descending on a happy mermaid family, and Ariel’s mother is killed or captured. The scene is emotional — King Triton and his daughters are scared, and Triton in particular is anguished — but the event isn’t explicit; only a boat and ocean waves are shown. The rest of the movie is very kid-friendly.