Results tagged “dvd” from jsstudios.com

As with many of the dvd collections I watch after the kids go to bed and I happen to have a little free time to watch, I found the highly acclaimed HBO series, Six Feet Under, after it had already gone to dvd. Of course, the benefit to this is not having to wait until the next season begins. I can watch an episode a night, or week, or whatever. No cliffhangers keep me in suspense or hold me hostage wating for the next release in the steady stream of never-ending drama.

If you haven't already added Six Feet Under to your must-see-list I highly encourage you to stop waiting and do it immediately. You're missing out if you don't.

In a nutshell, the Fisher Family, who happen to run a funeral home in Southern California must finally face the reality they deal with on a daily basis. Only this time it hits close to home when Nathaniel Fisher ( Richard Jenkins ) is killed in a car accident on his way to pick up his eldest son, Nate ( Peter Krause ) who is on his way home for a visit. While at the airport, Nate happens to meet Brenda Chenowith ( Rachel Griffiths ) and they have a brief, but satisfying, sexual encounter. However, their relationship grows over time. While Nate may have found a way to escape home, the thought of being a funeral director and any other responsibilites to the family, he decides to stay and help run the family business. Nate eventually finds a steady relationship with Brenda and her psycho family including her brother Billy ( Jeremy Sisto ), a manic-depressive and his manipulative mother. That is until and old flame, Lisa ( Lili Taylor ), reveals she's pregnant. The two marry but her death will haunt him for years to come.

Nate's brother, David ( Michael C. Hall ), is the son who has taken the responsibility of running the funeral home with his father. He's also gay, but hasn't really come out of the closet yet. This causes quite a few realtionship problems with his lover, Keith ( Matthew St. Patrick ). Keith wants him to come out and believes that David must do it to show that he isn't ashamed of Keith. Drama ensues.

Additionally, there's Claire ( Lauren Ambrose ), Nate and David's agnst-ridden sister who seems to have her own set of problems with finding the right guy. Lover after lover come and go as do her interests and passions.

Last, but not least by any means, there is Ruth ( Frances Conroy ). She's the epitome of motherhood. The support system, the loyal wife, the mom who seems to be moddled after June Cleaver. But upon her husband's death she soon finds she needs more out of life. She too tries to find love in the arms a few men and ultimately marries George Sibley ( James Cromwell ). However, James has his own psychological problems. Finding that he is yet another person she must care for, her faith in the relationship flounders.

Of course, I haven't revealed everything here. There's quite a bit more to the storyline and an outstanding cast of characters of which I've only mentioned a few. However, you'll find each episode keeps you wondering what will happen next. What else could possibly test these people even more?

Now, if you've already watched the series I'm sure you have a favorite character. Personally, I tend to waver between Claire and Nate. I'm not sure which I enjoy more than the other.

Have a favorite episode or something you'd like to share?

What's a mom to do when her husband dies of an unexpected heart attack leaving her to care for their two son's? How can she possibly maintain their lifestyle of driving leased Land-Rovers and sipping cappuccinos in the upscale, Southern Californian neighborhood of Agrestic? The answer is simple . . . you start selling pot. That's the basic premise of Weeds, a series on Showtime. I don't subscribe to Showtime, but browsing through some TV series DVDs I came across season 1 and watched it. I'm hooked on it. It is irreverent, disrespectful and completely hilarious.

Mary-Louise Parker, as Nancy Botwin, is a woman who suddenly finds herself a single, widowed mother of two sons. Her husband, an engineer, had previously been the breadwinner and provided for an upscale lifestyle in the upper-middle class, Californian neighborhood of Agrestic. As if being a widowed mom isn't enough, her fourth-grade son, Shane ( Alexander Gould ), has his own problems growing up. He has a bit of an emotional side but tries to find outlets like writing gangsta' rap music, making mock terror videos and shooting mountain lions. Her teen age son, Silas ( Hunter Parrish ), is not only sexually active but also enjoys smoking pot and going to his fair share of parties where he meets his deaf girlfriend. But life for the Botwins wouldn't be quite right without a fine, upstanding father figure like Andy ( Justin Kirk ), Nancy's brother. He's drifted in from Alaska and decides to step up and invite himself to be Nancy's partner in the business. He teaches Shane how to better cheat on his homework, seduces Silas' girlfriend via IM, screws Shane's friend's mom, and watches porn while getting high with Nancy's CPA. When he gets busted trying to help Nancy sell her pot, he then decides to bang his NA sponsor. But it's ok in Agrestic to be a bit odd.

Her best friend, Celia Hodes ( Elizabeth Perkins ) isn't without her fair share of faults. She sends her daughter away to boarding school after finding out that she is sexually active ( and Silas' original girlfriend ). Later she finds out that she has cancer and has her breasts removed after having an affair with Nancy's supplier, Conrad ( Romany Malco ). But it isn't just her desire to be young and beautiful that drives her to Conrad. She also learns that her lawyer husband, Dean ( Andy Milder ), is doing the local tennis pro and lets her shove her tennis racket up his ass. But Nancy doesn't let that stop her from using his legal skills combined with the local CPA, Doug Wilson ( Kevin Nealon ), help her to set up a front for her budding ( pun intended ) "bakery shop". After all, not only are they experts in their field, they are wonderful customers of hers.

But it isn't all fun and games. She's learning a little at a time about the drug dealing business. She faces angry, territorial dealers, the trials and tribulations of raising her kids, and the grief of losing her husband who she loved very much. There are times when the world is spinning out of control and she fears she just might lose it. How's a woman supposed to bring home the bacon, maintain a successful, expanding marijuana-dealing business while still being a good mom?

Today I got a movie in the mail. I know a lot of people use Netflix, but I get my movies from a place called DVD Avenue. But that's not the point . . . The movie I received was Number 23.

In the movie, Jim Carrey playes a character that becomes obsessed with a novel that he believes was written about him. The main character of the novel has this fixation on the number 23 - it seems everything in life can be reduced to the number 23. I received and watched the movie on August 23rd. I posted this on August 23rd. Ooooh . . . spooky.

We had a nice family evening together watching Charlotte's Web tonight. You'll probably remember the story, from E. B. White, about the little girl who saves a runt pig from certain death. The little pig befriends the other farm animals, including a spider who again saves him from being the main course at Christmas dinner, and goes on to win hearts and minds at the county fair.

My daughter just loves this story, so we had to get he latest version of it. This 2006 features Dakota Fanning as Fern, the little girl who saves Wilbur ( The Pig ) and gives him a home in her uncle's barn. The cast also includes the voices of many stars including Julia Roberts, Oprah Winfrey, Steve Buscemi, Robert Redford, John Cleese and Kathy Bates.

It's packed full of funny and entertaining scenes that follow the original story. If you loved the original book or the animated version, this remake with live action and computer generated graphics will certainly provide for an entertaining evening.

I managed to sit back the other night and watch this DVD. I've seen the movie before - just never from start to finish and almost never the complete, un-edited version.

Several of the actors are some of my favorites. Even my wife ( who isn't really a big fan of watching TV and movies at home ) decided to watch it with me. She was dozing off from time to time about two-thirds of the way through, but woke up in time to see the end. I find it difficult to express how I really feel about Fargo. It's a bit of a strange one in that, for me, it has real appeal besides the excellent character acting. I imagine that this movie is one that you either really like or really hate.

A good friend of mine, Aleah, asked me to review this DVD. I admit, this isn't a movie I would have originally put into my queue. I've watched a couple movies this week that I would have been more likely to review.

For example, I watched Freedomland. Now that was a strange movie. I also watched Lady in the Water, an M. Night Shyamalan movie. More than likely, I would have selected Lady in the Water to review. But, the way I see it, if you're going to review DVDs you need to step out of your comfort zone and expand your horizons.

So, it is with mixed emotions that I must reveal that I secretly enjoyed this movie. Read on to find out why.

Friday night I finished watching Failure to Launch. In keeping with my goal to review one DVD a week, I ( for lack of another DVD to review ) decided this movie would suffice for my weekly review. I had originally planned on reviewing another movie, but I had some problems with three out of the four I received in the mail.

I imagine they are using some sort of machine to clean their DVDs. Only one of the DVDs was watchable in it's entirety. There were scuffs, or something, that caused the movie to freeze up terribly. Being the reliable service I previously mentioned, DVD Avenue sent replacements within a couple days.

Failure To Launch is about a thirty-something guy, Tripp, ( Matthew McConaughey ) still living at home with his mom ( Kathy Bates ) and dad ( Terry Bradshaw ). He has everything it takes to move out from under his mother and father's roof, but appears to lack the ambition to move out on his own without a push. After mom and dad go to a friend's backyard bar-b-que, they learn that their neighbor's son had recently moved out - with a little help.

Enter Paula ( Sarah Jessica Parker ), an entrepreneur, an . . . interventionist . . . if you will. She specializes in convincing young, capable bachelors that it is high time they vacate their parents' homes. With a few simple steps, like becoming their girlfriend, creating an emotional situation to draw out sympathy, and allowing them to teach her something, she gains their trust and builds their confidence. Little does Paula know, but she is falling for Tripp and the two fall in love.

In a simple twist, one of Tripp's thirty-something, slacking friends catches Paula with one of her other clients. Tripp eventually finds out that Paula was hired by his parents and is not the true love he thought she was. However, the two are re-united with the help of Tripp and Paula's friends and the two live happily ever after - but no longer at Tripp's parent's house. Failure to Launch is definitely a date movie. The corny, predictable humor was funny at times, but not all the time. I truly prefer Matthew in other roles such as Contact and Two for the Money.

Something new - something different . . .

Since I really don't want to make this place of mine specific to any single topic, but yet, I want any loyal visitors to be able to rely on me doing something regularly. And as you may know . . . regularity is something us old folks really favor. I get DVDs from a service called DVD Avenue. They're a great service and they rent movies from all genres ( including adult ) as well as games ( Playstation, Xbox ).

I think their rates are very competitive and have no complaints about turnaround times between movie return and getting a new one in the mail. They work just like Netflix. Since I have this stream of movies coming and going I thought it would make for a great opportunity for regular posts in the form of movie reviews. Some of the movies you might have heard of - or seen - but I'm going to do it just the same. With that said . . . on to the first review of Idiocracy . . .