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.
Tag Archives: entertainment
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.
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
Filed under Features
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 "Monsters Vs. Aliens."
This week’s DVD releases include two animated films and an unusual relationship drama by director Steven Soderbergh.
Filed under Video Verdict
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."
This week’s new DVDs cover several genres, and they are anchored by a romantic comedy featuring Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner.
Filed under Video Verdict
Video Verdict: ‘Wolverine,’ ‘Easy Virtue,’ ‘Next Day Air’
Hugh Jackman plays the title character in the latest Marvel Comics superhero adventure "X-Men Origins: Wolverine."
This week’s DVD releases are anchored by a film adaptation of a Noel Coward comedy and a big-budget superhero flick starring Hugh Jackman.
Filed under Video Verdict
Video Verdict: “Crank 2: High Voltage”
Chev Chelios (Jason Statham) and his girlfriend, Eve (Amy Smart), get down and dirty in the action film "Crank 2: High Voltage."
It’s a slow week for DVDs, with only one major theatrical release — a Jason Statham thriller — making its way to video stores.
Filed under Video Verdict
Video Verdict: ‘State of Play,’ ‘Disneynature: Earth,’ ‘Sugar’
A humpback whale breaches the surface of the ocean in a scene from Disneynature's "Earth."
This week’s DVD releases include a sharp thriller starring Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck, a beautifully photographed nature film and a foreign drama that casts a new light on America’s pastime.
Filed under Video Verdict
Video Verdict: ‘Adventureland,’ ‘Rudo y Cursi,’ ‘Goodbye Solo,’ ‘Sunshine Cleaning’
Diego Luna, left, and Gael Garcia Bernal portray up-and-coming soccer stars in the Mexican drama "Rudo y Cursi."
It’s a great week for home video, with a handful of mainstream titles supplemented by an exceptional independent film and an equally good foreign offering.
Filed under Video Verdict
Video Verdict: ‘Hannah Montana,’ ‘Last House on the Left,’ ‘Tyson’
Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus) contemplates country life in "Hannah Montana: The Movie."
This week’s DVD releases cover a lot of territory, with major titles ranging from a documentary about fighter Mike Tyson to an easygoing adaptation of Disney Channel’s “Hannah Montana” TV series.
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Video Verdict: ‘I Love You, Man,’ ’17 Again,’ ‘Alien Trespass,’ ‘90210’
Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd, left) befriends Sydney Fife (Jason Segel) during his search for a best man in the comedy "I Love You, Man."
It’s a great week for new DVD releases, with movie studios rolling out everything from a raucous, mainstream comedy to an homage to classic science-fiction films.
Filed under Video Verdict
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