Title: The Pursuit of Happyness
Year: 2006
Director: Gabriele Muccino
Rating: PG-13
Length: 117 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.40:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Will Smith (1968)
Jaden Christopher Syre Smith
Thandie Newton
Brian Howe
James Karen
Dan Castellaneta

Plot:
Will Smith stars in the inspirational true story of Chris Gardner, a San Francisco salesman who's struggling to make ends meet. When his girlfriend Linda (Thandie Newton) walks out, Chris is left to raise their 5-year-old son Christopher (Jaden Smith) on his own. Chris' determination finally pays off when he lands an unpaid internship in a brutally competitive stockbroker-training program, where only one in twenty interns will make the cut. But without a salary, Chris and his son are evicted from their apartment and are forced to sleep on the streets, in homeless shelters and even behind the locked doors of a metro station bathroom. With self-confidence and the love and trust of his son, Chris Gardner rises above his obstacles to become a Wall Street legend.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Bonus Trailers
Featurettes
Music Videos
Interviews
Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:
This is one that I never seen before. Going by the trailer alone I had concerns about this one as I don't normally care too much for the pure drama stories. But this one was good... it was very easy to get into the storyline. Both Will Smith and his son Jaden Smith (who play father and son in the movie) did a great job. While I enjoyed every minute of it... it is not a movie I could watch often as it can get you down.  But if you haven't seen this one yet... I urge you to give it a chance.

My Rating: 4/5

Title: Mr. Palfrey of Westminster: Complete Collection
UPC 054961829293
Region 1
Distributor: Acorn Media
Year: 1984/85
Rating: NR
Length: 501 Min., 10/50 minute episodes on 3 discs
Video: 1.33:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Stereo,
Subtitles: English - SDH,
Genre: Espionage, Drama, Television

Stars:
Alec McCowen, Caroline Blakiston, Clive Wood, Briony McRoberts,
Guest Stars:
Julian Glover (The Young Victoria), Leslie Phillips (Chancer), Richard Johnson (The Camomile Lawn), and Deborah Grant (Bergerac)

Directors:
Christopher Hodson, Peter Cregeen, Gerald Blake, John Davies

Overview (from the back cover):
But in the cloak-and-dagger world of the British security services, mild-mannered Mr. Palfrey (Golden Globe® nominee Alec McCowen, Travels with My Aunt) is an invaluable player in the spy game. A master of counterespionage and a spy-catcher extraordinaire, he's smart, discreet, cunning—and likes to do things his own way.

His new boss quickly realizes the talents and the dangers of the deceptively charming, utterly ruthless Palfrey. Known simply as "the Coordinator" and splendidly played by Caroline Blakiston (Brass, Scoop), she appoints an assistant (Clive Wood, Pillars of the Earth) to work with Palfrey but report back to her. As always, however, Palfrey has his own ideas.

Extras:
Scene Access

My Thoughts:
In the early '60s as a member of the SCCA my rally navigator, an USAF officer, introduced me to Ian Fleming's James Bond and I've been hooked on espionage factual or fiction, in any manner, books, film or television.

This is British TV of the mid-80s, no frills, special effects, just superb acting and story telling. You won't see the action of MI-5. One thing I like about English film and TV is that the characters look real, like the people you see every day, at the market or mall.

Unequivocally, this series is one of the best of the genre I've had the luck to come across. Mr. Palfrey has an unassuming manner and as he states "I'm just a civil servant". He just reports, others make the decisions. But his is the business of counterespionage, find the spy, the traitor. Or determine if the individual is or is not involved in any security breech.

Since governments are involved, thus politics. And with politics as with espionage, motives and actions are not all that clear and have to be carefully analyzed. This leads to many twists and turns that hold one's interest from beginning to end of each episode.

My Rating: 4.5/5

Stacked: The Complete Series



You can't judge a bookstore by its cover girl, especially when she happens to be Pamela Anderson! Anderson stars as drop-dead sexy Skyler Dayton, a reformed party girl in need of a lifestyle makeover, who takes a job at a family-run bookstore called "Stacked Books." Determined to prove she has ample talent beyond her ample talents, Skyler dazzles the employees and customers with her sweet-natured charm and refreshing honesty. This hip, hilarious comedy also features guest appearances by superhotties Jenny McCarthy and Carmen Electra and includes five unaired episodes that can finally be revealed. You'll bust out laughing!

Episodes:
1. Pilot
2. Beat the Candidate
3. A Fan for all Seasons
4. Gavin's Pipe Dream
5. The Ex-Appeal
6. Nobody Says I Love You
7. Two Faces of Eve
8. Darling Nikki
9. Crazy Ray
10. iPod
11. Heavy Medal
12. Goodwizzle Hunting
13. After Party
14. Romancing the Stones
15. You're Getting Sleepy
16. The Third Date
17. The Day the Music Died
18. Poker
19. The Headmaster

Extras:
Nipplegate: Getting Dressed with Pamela
A 7min. documentary about the clothes they have Pamela Anderson almost wear. Plus they throw in a few minutes talking about clothing the other characters. As well as talk about how Pamela had almost constant hard nipples. Is little more then showing clips from the show.
Show Us Your Bloopers
A 5min. blooper real... about what you would expect from a show like this. Not much for laughs... but you can tell they had fun on the set.
Skyler's Guide to Dating
10min. of clips from the show.

My Thoughts:
Going into this series I found it to be no more then you would expect from the series looking at the title, star and reading the overview. Sure it has some laughs. But it is no more then an immature comedy. It has little more then extremely obvious sexual  innuendos and Pamela Anderson showing off her body. So there is no surprise that it was canceled as early as it was. It was canceled after only 14 episodes... but the entire 19 produced episodes is in the DVD release. Despite what I say here... I still did enjoy this show for what it is. You just can't go looking here for some sort of masterpiece.

My Rating: 3.5/5

Title: The Batman Superman Movie
Year: 1997
Director: Toshihiko Masuda
Rating: NR
Length: 61 Min.
Video: Full Frame 1.33:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, French: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Tim Daly
Dana Delany
Kevin Conroy
Clancy Brown
Mark Hamill
Arleen Sorkin

Plot:
BATMAN, SUPERMAN, THE JOKER and LEX LUTHOR all come together in the most action-packed superhero adventure of all time.

When THE JOKER elicits the help of LEX LUTHOR in a fiendish new scheme, only the combined powers of BATMAN and SUPERMAN can save the city of METROPOLIS. Will the MAN OF STEEL and the CAPED CURSADER be able to put aside their differences and foil the diabolical duo's evil plans?

Extras:
Scene Access
Feature Trailers
Bonus Trailers
Featurettes
Interactive Games
Music Videos
Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:
Now... I know I never seen this "movie" before as I just got the DVD. The thing is... I remember this storyline pretty well. I know I have seen it. I have both Superman: The Animated Series as well as Batman: The Animated Series... I could be wrong here... but I am thinking that maybe this is a 2 or 3 part episode of one (or both) of these series that they also released as a separate movie? But that is fine... either way I enjoyed it.

My Rating: 4/5

Title: Good Will Hunting: Collector's Series
Year: 1997
Director: Gus Van Sant
Rating: R
Length: 126 Min.
Video: Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo
Subtitles: English

Stars:
Matt Damon
Ben Affleck
Stellan Skarsgård
John Mighton
Rachel Majorowski
Colleen McCauley

Plot:
This triumphant story was nominated for 9 Academy Awards®* – winning Oscars® for Robin Williams and hot newcomers Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Will Hunting (Damon) is a headstrong, working-class genius. After one too many run-ins with the law, Will's last chance is a psychology professor (Williams). With Academy Award™ nominee* Minnie Driver (Grosse Pointe Blank) and Ben Affleck (Armageddon).

Now you can experience this powerful and unforgettable movie like never before with the Miramax Collector's Series on DVD.


*1997 Best Picture, Best Actor – Matt Damon, Best Director – Gus Van Sant, Best Supporting Actor – Robin Williams, Best Supporting Actress – Minnie Driver, Best Original Screenplay – Ben Affleck & Matt Damon, Best Editing, Best Original Dramatic Score, Best Original Song.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Feature Trailers
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Music Videos
Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:
After all the people that recommended this one to me I thought I should pop it in next. My main concern in this movie is that it is Robin Williams... but in a drama? I believe I remember seeing him in another drama and enjoyed him in it... but was that a fluke? But I must say after watching this movie it was no fluke! He was just fantastic in this one... no way around it... he can act! Matt Damon is excellent in this one as well. This is a very good story that I enjoyed quite a bit. But I must admit that some scenes were a little slow for my taste. I know it is the kind of story it is... but there was a couple times I caught my attention slipping. Even so... the movie always pulled my attention back before too long.

My Rating: 4/5

Title: Growing Up Brady
Year: 2000
Director: Richard A. Colla
Rating: PG-13
Length: 88 Min.
Video: Full Frame 1.33:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo
Subtitles: N/A

Stars:
Adam Brody
Kaley Cuoco
Rebeccah Bush
Kaitlin Cullum
Ricky Ullman
Carly Schroeder

Plot:
Remember them? The Dad, Mom, and six kids that were The Brady Bunch, whose clean-cut but chaotic lives and hilarious domestic mayhem made them the most popular TV sitcom family of the 1970s?

This fabulous new biopic, based on the memoirs of actor Barry Williams (Greg Brady), reveals the behind-the-scenes truth about what really happened: the legendary off-screen battles between Robert Reed (Mike Brady) and the show's real daddy, series creator Sherwood Schwartz; Barry's date with his screen Mom; his relationship with 'sister' Maureen McCormick (Marcia Brady) and the ultimate question - did they or didn't they? You'll laugh and cry along with them all as the meteoric rise to international TV stardom brings happiness and heartbreak in a moving story of what the rocky road to fame is really like.

Extras:
Scene Access
Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:
I bought this one more because I am a Kaley Cuoco fan then I am a Brady Bunch fan. It does seem I enjoy the series more now then I did when I was a kid... I know it is a very odd thing... I don't understand it myself. Maybe it is just a strong nostalgic thing.

Anyway... in this TV movie Kaley Cuoco plays Maureen McCormick (Marcia Brady). This movie was made 10 years ago so she does look a bit younger in this one. After all going by imdb... Kaley was only 15 at the time of making this movie.. wow... that is my daughter's age. It was odd though... in some scenes I actually saw Maureen McCormick in her. But in other scenes all I could see  is Kaley Cuoco.

I like that this was off the book written by Barry Williams (Greg)... it makes you feel you can believe at least a big part of it. And I learned a lot of things I didn't realize before... like the fact that the Brady Kids actually went on tour as a musical group. I was surprised that this movie didn't even touch on the trips they went on for the vacation episode... like the Grand Canyon and Hawaii. Over-all I found the movie to be both interesting and fun... so I am glad I picked it up.

My Rating: 4/5

Something I never thought about before... but is true.

Title: Blades of Glory
Year: 2007
Director: Will Speck, Josh Gordon
Rating: PG-13
Length: 93 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 5.1
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Will Ferrell
Jon Heder
Will Arnett
Amy Poehler
Jenna Fischer
William Fichtner

Plot:
"Blades of Glory is pure hilarity, a gold medal comedy winner"* starring comic superstar Will Ferrell (Talledega Nights) and Jon Heder (Napolean Dynamite). Bitter figure skating rivals Chazz Michael Michaels (Ferrell) and Jimmy MacElroy (Heder) brawl after tying for the gold medal at the world championships. Banned for life from men’s competition, these archrivals beat the system thanks to a loophole that allows them to skate again - in pairs competition! Co-starring Craig T. Nelson, Will Arnett, Amy Poehler and Jenna Fischer.

* Pete Hammond, Maxim

Extras:
Scene Access
Bonus Trailers
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Gallery
Music Videos
Interviews
Outtakes/Bloopers
Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:
I felt like something more on the silly side of things next. And I definitely got that. When it comes to Will Ferrell movies... Some I really enjoy... but others I just can't stand. This one is unfortunately far from a favorite. While it did have a little entertainment value in some scenes... for the most part I just couldn't get into this one. The very ending moment of this movie was so ridiculous in itself it made my score of the movie go down a bit. But hey... at least I did make it to that end moment. I was starting to wonder if I would while watching this one.

My Rating: 1.5/5