Director Jacques Audiard has created an incredible mafia masterpeice.  A Prophet (not to be confused with Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet) follows nineteen-year-old Arab Malik El Djebena’s rise within the ranks of a French prison where he is originally sentenced for six years.  El Djebena quickly falls in with the Corsican mafia at the prison and using his wit and incredible survival instincts, not only survives there but thrives.  His mentor/tormentor, mafia kingpin Cesar Luciani is El Djebena’s grudging father-figure in prison, under whose inadvertent tutelage he learns how to get ahead in this vicious and ruthless world of cash, hash and …

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On the surface, Winter’s Bone has a lot going for it. The performances are strong, the characters are interesting, and the setting is grim, stark, and compelling, yet the movie left me cold. It’s bleak and depressing, and after a while, quite boring. The fine acting deserves a mention though. Jennifer Lawrence is excellent as the lead Rae Dolly, a 17 year old living in extreme poverty in the rural Ozark Mountains. Her Dad has skipped on his bail and now the family home is up for grabs unless her father can be tracked down.

Winter’s Bone follows Rae as she …

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Disneynature does it again with the hypnotic and visually stunning new nature documentary called Oceans. Last Earth Day, Disney released Earth, which was terrific, but was mostly footage from Planet Earth edited down to feature-length. Disneynature got Oceans from France and director Jacques Perrin. Perin made the justly beloved documentary Winged Migration and Oceans is a spectacular sight to behold.

Oceans is narrated in mostly unobtrusive fashion by Pierce Brosnan and takes the viewers on a fascinating journey under the sea to see all kinds of bizarre creatures along with some favorites (sharks, seals, cute baby sea turtles). The movie has …

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It almost seems inevitable that the horror genre would gravitate toward social commentary. I mean really, there’s only so much you can say about zombies or psycho killers on the loose. Then again, some filmmakers might need to feel as though all of their hard work could really mean something at the end, as if a message behind the madness can justify all the mindless gore that goes along with it. Still, if there is to be a story behind the depravity, it often comes down to the basic struggle of good vs. evil and what defines each. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein…

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Blue Mountain State is a low-brow comedy series from Spike TV that often plays like an American Pie/Porky’s hybrid about a college football team of idiots and sex-crazed morons. The show is often funny, even when it’s extremely stupid, often at the same exact time. The series will mostly appeal to the Spike TV demographics of beer-swilling sports fans, but people who enjoy a raunchy comedy will enjoy it as well. All 13 episodes of season one are included on the DVD set. Blue Mountain State pushes the bounds of network standards as well as good taste. Sex, drugs, and sex …

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Two and a Half Men is one of TV’s biggest shows. But, one has to wonder how long the charade will last. Here we are in the 7th Season of the very funny and witty show. The formula doesn’t seem much, we have the womanizing drunk in Charlie, living with his goofy brother Alan, and Alan’s not so bright son. The three characters might seem one-dimensional, but when you mix them together, everybody gets a good laugh.

Season 7 is not much different than the previous seasons. This is good and bad at the same time. Good because the show is …

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I know that most “Extended Director’s Cut” gimmicks offer nothing more than confusing us into which version is which? But, let me assure you that this new release (Oct. 5, 2010) is the real deal. It’s not just another way for WB to milk us with multiple releases. This version really has a lot to offer.

The Exorcist is one of the scariest films of all time. I was hesitant to watch this alone. The movie starts off with a frail old priest finding an artifact that gave him a really bad feeling. He was right. Later on, a 12-year-old girl, …

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Everyone knows that creating a new sitcom that is actually funny is one of the hardest tasks in television. Sitcoms have been on decline for years with their laugh track banality and lame sex gags that wouldn’t pass muster on a direct to DVD American Pie sequel. All that changed last year with Modern Family. Impeccably acted, shot, and written, Modern Family quickly established itself as the funniest comedy on television. All 24 episodes from season one are included in this set along with a generous helping of extras.

Modern Family is a pitch-perfect sitcom done in the style of a …

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The New Adventures of Old Christine is a quirky TV series starring Seinfeld’s Julia Louis-Dreyfus.  Due to the writers’ strike of 2007,  season 3 is only 10 episodes long.  Christine goes through a lot of crap in season 3 like losing her boyfriend Mr. Harris to her insane schedule.  As a single mom who is also an entrepeneur (Christine owns an exercise gym), she is a very busy woman.  The show does a really good job of addressing a lot of the real challenges working, single moms face in today’s society.    She has a hard time finding a man who is …

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Yes, I mean the original 1976 version directed by Brian DePalma. I’ve never seen Carrie until now, I’ve only seen the famous poster of a bloodsoaked teenager on prom night. Based on the poster, I thought that Carrie is just another straight horror film. I was wrong, Carrie is entertaining in more ways than one. Sure, it’s creepy, but it also has a point, it has a message, and it delivers.

The premise is that a teenage girl raised by an overprotective mother came into realization that she wants to be normal. She is bullied in school, and eventually realizes that …

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