November 2, 2009

Video Verdict: ‘Taking of Pelham 1 2 3,’ ‘I Love You, Beth Cooper,’ ‘Aliens in the Attic,’ ‘Food, Inc.’

I LOVE YOU, BETH COOPER

Left to right, Denis (Paul Rust), Treece (Lauren Storm), Beth Cooper (Hayden Panettiere), Rich (Jack T. Carpenter) and Cammy (Lauren London) share a wild evening in “I Love You, Beth Cooper.”

This week’s DVD releases range from a Denzel Washington thriller to a documentary film that may forever change the way you think about food.

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October 27, 2009

Video Verdict: ‘Orphan,’ ‘Ice Age 3,’ ‘Whatever Works,’ ‘Tinker Bell 2′

0019.CR2This week’s DVD crop has something for everyone. There are two animated films for kids, a new Woody Allen effort for their parents and a first-rate horror film for anyone looking for a Halloween scare.

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October 26, 2009

Get in the Halloween spirit with spooky entertainment

Drag MeNothing gets you in the mood for Halloween like watching a scary movie or two, and we’re in the fortunate position of having several good, recent horror flicks in movie theaters and video stores. Even better, you can find a couple solid horror offerings on TV. That means even folks watching their budget can afford to get spooked. Read on for my picks of the best of recent horror entertainment.

On video

“Orphan”: You’ll have to wait until Tuesday to catch this one, as that’s when it’s being released on Blu-ray and DVD. Don’t hesitate to put it on hold though. It’s the best horror film I’ve seen this year. Click here for the full story: http://www.rgj.com/article/20091025/ENT01/910250302/1056/ENT/Can-t-miss-horror-shows-for-big-and-small-screens

October 19, 2009

Video Verdict: ‘Cheri,’ ‘Monsoon Wedding’

CheriThis week’s DVD releases include an intimate drama starring Michelle Pfeiffer, a charming re-release of a 2001 melodrama by director Mira Nair and a big-budget blockbuster about sentient robots.

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October 16, 2009

Def Leppard is still working hard

NOTE: The remainder of Def Leppard’s current tour dates (including the Reno, NV concert) were canceled after this story was initially published.

Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott says he and his bandmates are convinced that they’re yet to write their best song, and it’s that belief that keeps them going.

“It doesn’t matter whether you or our audience think, ‘He must be kidding himself,’ ” Elliott said during a recent phone interview. “Just because we’ve had massive hit singles, doesn’t mean that we can’t write a better song. Maybe nobody will ever hear it, but we will try and do it. It’s just a self-belief that there’s more to life than there’s already been.”

Elliott and the rest of Def Leppard will play Reno Events Center on Thursday along with opening acts Cheap Trick and Man Raze. The band regularly fed the music charts in the 1980s with a stream of pop-metal hits including “Photograph,” “Pour Some Sugar on Me” and “Rock of Ages,” but it hasn’t released a hit single in more than a decade. Still, Elliott said, the group draws large crowds on tour.

Click here for the entire story:  http://www.rgj.com/article/20091016/ENT02/910160321/1056/ENT/Def-Leppard-on-hunt-for-hit–but-not-worried-if-it-doesn-t-find-one

October 13, 2009

Video Verdict: ‘The Proposal,’ ‘Drag Me to Hell,’ ‘Land of the Lost’

Ryan Reynolds, left, and Sandra Bullock star in the new romantic comedy "The Proposal."

Ryan Reynolds, left, and Sandra Bullock star in the new romantic comedy "The Proposal."

This week’s DVD releases are anchored by comedies, including one that features Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds as a most unlikely couple.
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October 5, 2009

Video Verdict: ‘My Life in Ruins,’ ‘Year One,’ more new releases

Nia Vardalos stars in "My Life in Ruins."

Nia Vardalos stars in "My Life in Ruins."

This week’s major DVD releases are both comedies, but they’re as different in tone as films of the same genre can be.

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October 5, 2009

Reno producer brings Darwin’s life to the screen in new television movie

"Darwin's Darkest Hour" star Frances O'Connor with Reno-based producer Norman Stephens.

"Darwin's Darkest Hour" star Frances O'Connor with Reno-based producer Norman Stephens.

When National Geographic Television executives decided to take a break from documentary filmmaking and create the company’s first fully-scripted docu-drama, they turned to Reno-based producer Norman Stephens.

The movie was to examine the life of British scientist Charles Darwin, and Stephens, who has more than two decades of television experience, saw it as an ideal project.

“Everyone’s sort of mourning the death of the TV movie, and I think that we’re finding new avenues to use the TV-movie format,” Stephens said. “I think that it’s going to be embraced. I don’t think the TV movie is dead.”

It’s certainly not dead this week. The finished film, “Darwin’s Darkest Hour,” is debuting Tuesday as the kickoff to the new season of “Nova” on PBS, and Stephens said he’s pleased to be closing in on the air date.

Click here for full story: http://www.rgj.com/article/20091004/ENT/910040311/1056/Reno-producer-brings-Darwin-s-life-to-the-small-screen

September 29, 2009

Video Verdict: ‘Monsters Vs. Aliens,’ ‘Superman/Batman,’ ‘Girlfriend Experience’

From left, The Missing Link, Ginormica, B.O.B. and Dr. Cockroach in a scene from the animated movie "Monsters Vs. Aliens."

From left, The Missing Link, Ginormica, B.O.B. and Dr. Cockroach in a scene from "Monsters Vs. Aliens."

This week’s DVD releases include two animated films and an unusual relationship drama by director Steven Soderbergh.

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September 22, 2009

Video Verdict: ‘Ghosts of Girlfriends Past,’ ‘Battle for Terra,’ ‘Observe and Report’

Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner star in the romantic comedy "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past."

Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner star in the romantic comedy "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past."

This week’s new DVDs cover several genres, and they are anchored by a romantic comedy featuring Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner.

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