Week In Review, Upcoming Movies, and DVD Reviews.

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Discussion Forum

VERTICAL LIMIT came in second over the weekend taking in $16 million and change while THE GRINCH was still in the number one slot with over $18 million. I can't help but wonder how good VERTICAL LIMIT could have been. The first half of the movie was completely uninspired and riddled with some bad acting. But the second half offered up some of the most breath taking scenes I have experienced in awhile. Makes me wonder what the original script by Robert King and Terry Hayes was like.

UNBREAKABLE seems to be in a steady fall, dropping from the number 2 spot to 4 taking in only $7.5 million. Further evidence that it is nowhere near the film that THE SIXTH SENSE was, yet it's a fine movie.

Perhaps most surprising is the lack luster debut of PROOF OF LIFE, which came in at a disappointing $10.4 million and in third place at the Box Office. I was stunned. I think Sony Pictures was counting on Russell Crowe to open this picture at the number one slot, this must be very disappointing. To be considered an 'A-List' actor like Cruise, Carrey and Hanks you have to be able to open a picture. Cruise's M: I 2 was awful, yet he opened it at number one while crushing the opposition. We all know what Carrey's THE GRINCH is doing, though that may be more the lore and fan support of the story. But if Hanks can open CAST AWAY at the number one slot, well, the writing is on the wall. Crowe has not yet joined that elite group. Which is too bad, as I thought he did with last Summer's hit GLADIATOR.

There really isn't anything opening up this coming weekend I want to discuss, but next week we'll take a look at CAST AWAY and THIRTEEN DAYS.

DVD Reviews:

GONE IN 60 SECONDS

The movie is solid, I really enjoyed it. I had no expectations. I just wanted a fun movie with great car chases and great cars. I got that. The writing by Scott Rosenberg was solid I thought.

Memphis Raines (Nicholas Cage), a former car thief, is forced to come out of retirement when his younger brother, Kip (Giovanni Ribisi), is unable to complete a job for car smuggler Raymond Calitri (Christopher Eccleston). With his brother's life on the line, Memphis must enlist his old car-stealing partners for help in order to steal 50 cars in one night. Fast paced and pure adrenaline.

THE DVD

Well, I'd have to say the features on the DVD are very solid as well. It offers some exclusive behind-the-scenes featurettes: "Action Overload," a highlight reel featuring some spectacular scenes in a music video style that was pretty cool. There's a boring conversations with Jerry Bruckheimer, where's the screenwriter interview? The Cult music video. Animated menu screens, and the theatrical trailer

GETTYSBURG

It was the summer of 1863. As the Confederacy advances north into Pennsylvania the Union is preparing for an offensive; the result was Gettysburg, perhaps the greatest battle in our nation's short history. For three days the battle went on. For 254 minutes this excellent "little movie" blew me away. I loved it. The film is based on Michael Shaara's Pulitzer Prize-winning The Killer Angels, and was filmed at actual battle locations. As a history buff I found GETTYSBURG to be a powerful production that dealt convincingly with the strategies, miscalculations, and heroism of our bloodiest battle.

The movie stars: Tom Berenger, Jeff Daniels, Martin Sheen, Richard Jordan and more.

THE DVD

Great, to put it simply. After the movie I wanted more and the DVD delivered. I am looking forward to watching the movie again but this time with audio commentary by director/screenwriter Ronald F. Maxwell, cinematographer Kees Van Oostrum, Pulitzer Prize-winning author James M. McPherson and military historian Craig Symonds. The DVD has everything and more. A behind-the-scenes documentary: "The Making of Gettysburg," narrated by Martin Sheen and the Oscar nominated documentary, "The Battle of Gettysburg," narrated by Leslie Nielse.