DVD Reviews

The Station Agent:
From the same folks that brought you the delightful The Visitor. The film has the same feeling- quirky, disparate individuals bonded through circumstance, learning from and helping each other through the trials and tribulations of life.
Recommended

Body of Lies:
Interesting spy drama that illustrates how a nation’s foreign policy based on lies is never successful and only creates future problems to be solved.
Recommended

Righteous Kill:
I don’t normally watch cop dramas but the pairing of Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino was too hard to resist. The plot has just enough of a twist to avoid becoming the typical police drama.
Recommended

Flash of Genius:
A true story about Robert Kearns and his fight against the US auto industry that stole his design for the intermittent windshield wiper. A great story of personal integrity and resilience. IP debaters will have differing opinions about his course of action.
Recommended

Jimi Hendrix- Blue Wild Angel:
This film documents Hendrix’s performance at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival, which turned out to be his final concert. He died just 3 weeks later. Some incredible music. “Machine Gun” and “Red House,” in particular, would have blown the roof off if the concert had been held indoors.
Recommended

The Changeling:
A Clint Eastwood directed true story about a woman in the 1920’s and 30’s who fights an incredibly corrupt L.A. police department during the search for her missing son.
Recommended

The Lone Gunmen:
This was an entertaining series spin-off from The X-Files. Short lived, though enjoyable while it lasted. Make sure to at least view the pilot episode- the boys work to stop a government plot to fly a US airliner into the World Trade Center. The program aired just months before the real 9-11.
Recommended

Get Smart:
Its too bad Steve Carell didn’t have the writing talent to back up his comedic abilities. There’s only a couple scenes funny enough to laugh out loud. This movie could have been so much better- with the possibility of multiple sequels. But, they blew it.
Not recommended

Mongol:
This drama examines the early life of Genghis Khan. Interesting and quite gripping at times. I couldn’t help but think how men, hundreds of years later, continue to blindly follow a leader to their deaths, sacrificing themselves for some ambiguous notion, be it pride or nationalism.
Recommended

Journey to the Center of the Earth:
This wound up being better than expected. Brendan Fraser seems to be the perfect actor to lead these kind of light, sci-fi romps, as he was in the “Mummy” series.
Recommended

Captains and the Kings:
This was a TV miniseries that aired in 1976. Based on an historical novel, the drama examines the captains of industry and kingmakers that heavily influence American history. Though it gets a little soap-opera-ish at times, the series is well written and acted throughout, particularly by Richard Jordan, Patty Duke, and Henry Fonda.
Recommended

Lakeview Terrace:
Samuel Jackson is cast perfectly as the bullying, holier-than-thou cop that seems so prevalent today in the law enforcement field. The director keeps a constant state of tension throughout the film that helps hold your interest.
Recommended

Chronicles of Narnia- Prince Caspian:
If you like predictable Saturday morning TV fare, this one’s for you. At least there’s some nice scenery to look at.
Not recommended

Gonzo- The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S Thompson:
Nice look at the life of the gonzo journalist. Lots of rare film footage and audio tapes, as well as interviews from a number of folks who crossed his path.
Recommended