ElasticDog’s DVD Library

Total Number of DVDs: 312
Last Updated: 26 May 2008

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Page Number: 20 / 25

Director: Trey Parker
Starring: Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Kristen Miller, Masasa Moyo, Daran Norris
Genre: Comedy
Rated: Unrated

My Rating:

IMDB Rating: 7.3 (35,529 votes)
Duration: 98
Release: May 2005
# of Discs: 1
UPC: 0097360251944
Purchased On:

Summary: An elite U.S. counter-terrorism squad loses a member while decimating half of Paris in the reckless pursuit of Middle Eastern maniacs; a Broadway actor with a traumatic childhood secret is naturally hired to replace him. Oh--and they're all marionettes. "South Park" maestros Trey Parker and Matt Stone (along with co-writer Pam Brady) came up with this shameless satire of pea-brained Hollywood action flicks and even smaller-minded global politics, so don't expect subtlety or even a hint of good taste. "Team America" is soon on the trail of North Korea's evil Kim Jong Il, who treats us to a tender song about his loneliness before ensnaring Alec Baldwin and the rest of the oblivious Film Actors Guild (F.A.G. for short) in a plot to blow up every major city on the planet. Just as the mindless squad cheerfully demolishes everything in sight, so do director Parker and company. Throwing punches Left, Right, and in-between, the movie's politics leave no turn un-stoned; there's even time to bludgeon the musical "Rent". It's offensive, irresponsible comic anarchy seemingly made by sniggering little boys. "Painfully funny" sniggering little boys."--Steve Wiecking"

Thir13en Ghosts

Director: Steve Beck
Starring: Tony Shalhoub, Embeth Davidtz, Matthew Lillard, Shannon Elizabeth, Alec Roberts
Genre: Horror
Rated: R

My Rating:

IMDB Rating: 5.0 (13,858 votes)
Duration: 91
Release: Apr 2002
# of Discs: 1
UPC: 9780790764757
Purchased On:

Summary: Cool sets, gory make-up, and frantic energy are given high priority in this glossy remake of William Castle's 1960 haunted-house chiller. The original boasted its "Illusion-O" ghost-viewing gimmick, so this remake's producers--as they did with 1999's "The House on Haunted Hill"--up the ante on Castle's showmanship by spilling ample amounts of blood, guts, and ghoulish glory. The plot's essentially the same: An impoverished family inherits a luxurious haunted mansion, only this time it's an elaborate, maze-like mechanism of glass, gears, and Latin incantations--"designed by the devil and powered by the dead"--with a cellar full of tormented, undead souls. As the family (including Tony Shalhoub and "American Pie"'s Shannon Elizabeth) enlists the aid of a psychic ("Scream" alumnus Matthew Lillard) and a ghostbusting paranormal (Embeth Davidtz), this updated "13 Ghosts" grows loud and ludicrous, trading shocks for yuks and nuance for nonsense. It's fun, to a point, after which it's just exhausting. "--Jeff Shannon"

Tigerland

Director: Joel Schumacher
Starring: Colin Farrell, Matthew Davis, Clifton Collins Jr., Tom Guiry, Shea Whigham
Genre: Action & Adventure
Rated: R

My Rating:

IMDB Rating: 7.2 (10,025 votes)
Duration: 101
Release: Apr 2001
# of Discs: 1
UPC: 0024543016595
Purchased On:

Summary: Shot in the rough, 16-millimeter style of a low-budget documentary, "Tigerland" marked director Joel Schumacher's welcomed return to simplicity after a slew of bloated blockbusters like "Batman & Robin". In revitalizing Schumacher's directorial talent, "Tigerland"--partially inspired by the Danish Dogme 95 movement of no-frills filmmaking--suggested that one solution to Hollywood's moribund "product" was to abandon excess, focus on essentials, and assemble a fine cast of unknown actors to make it all worthwhile. To that end, "Tigerland" also marked the deserving arrival of Irish actor Colin Farrell as Hollywood's hottest new discovery.
Its story never leaves U.S. soil, so "Tigerland" differs from such in-country Vietnam films as "Platoon" and "Full Metal Jacket". Instead, it's about the anxieties and moral dilemmas that arise from the "anticipation" of death and killing. These roiling emotions are focused on the character of Private Bozz (Farrell), whose insubordination betrays a singular knack for leadership during infantry training at Fort Polk, Louisiana, in 1971. Part R.P. McMurphy and part Cool Hand Luke, Bozz is a defiant maverick, barely tolerated by his superiors, challenged or revered by his fellow grunts, and ultimately honed into a soldier of remarkable promise. An intense final week in the live-ammo training ground nicknamed "Tigerland" galvanizes the platoon and Bozz's place in it, and although the film (partially based on cowriter Ross Klavan's own experience) lacks the emotional impact of "Platoon", it deals quite potently with the internal conflicts that must be waged before external warfare can be endured. "--Jeff Shannon"

Titan A.E.

Director: Don Bluth, Gary Goldman, Art Vitello
Starring: Matt Damon, Bill Pullman, John Leguizamo, Nathan Lane, Janeane Garofalo
Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy
Rated: PG

My Rating:

IMDB Rating: 6.3 (14,090 votes)
Duration: 95
Release: Nov 2000
# of Discs: 1
UPC: 0024543009252
Purchased On:

Summary: A visual knockout, "Titan A.E." is an ambitious animated feature that combines traditional animations, computer-generated imagery, and special effects in the service of a science fiction adventure plotted with narrative conventions familiar from "Star Wars" and "Star Trek". Credit directors Don Bluth ("An American Tail", "The Secret of NIMH", "Anastasia") and Gary Goldman with crafting a vivid, convincing look to this deep space saga, which conjures some stunning images. A tense opening sequence climaxing in the destruction of Earth, a watery planet where delicate but deadly hydrogen trees float, joyriding in a starship while pursued by playful "space angels," and a nerve-wracking journey through a lethal maze of massive ice crystals each qualify as mesmerizing sequences in any film context.
What's visually stunning proves intermittently stunted on the narrative front, however. Orphaned when the evil Drej atomize Earth, protagonist Cale (voiced by Matt Damon) must journey across space to unlock the mystery of his late father's final project, the "Titan" spacecraft, in a test of faith and filial identity that echoes "Star Wars". The "Titan" itself ultimately poses a cosmic potential familiar to admirers of "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan". Comical sidekicks (Nathan Lane, Janeane Garofalo, John Leguizamo), a sultry love interest (Drew Barrymore), and a roguish mentor (Bill Pullman) all verge on the generic, narrowly redeemed by dialogue from a writing team including "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" creator Joss Whedon.
It's likely that "Titan"'s target audience of young males prompted the filmmakers to walk a tightrope between softer family features and more violent, hard-edged anime. "Titan"'s brief bloodshed and coy nudity stop short of PG-13 terrain, though younger viewers might be unsettled by the violence. Young teens will find the proceedings tamer than the video games and anime fantasies that have influenced it. "--Sam Sutherland"

Tommy Boy

Director: Peter Segal
Starring: Chris Farley, David Spade, Brian Dennehy, Bo Derek, Dan Aykroyd
Genre: Comedy
Rated: PG-13

My Rating:

IMDB Rating: 6.6 (15,034 votes)
Duration: 97
Release: Nov 1999
# of Discs: 1
UPC: 9786305609674
Purchased On:

Summary: Before his death, comedian Chris Farley made a pair of surprisingly successful comedies that teamed him with "Saturday Night Live" colleague David Spade. Their relationship in each film was pretty much the same, but then so was Abbott and Costello's or Laurel and Hardy's (not that Farley and Spade are in their league). In "Tommy Boy", Farley plays the ne'er-do-well son of a successful auto parts manufacturer (Brian Dennehy). When Dad drops dead just after marrying a young new wife, it's up to Tommy (aided by sarcastic bean-counter Spade) to rescue the company by taking over for his father. "Black Sheep" features a slightly different plot: This time, Spade is hired by Farley's brother (Tim Matheson), a candidate for governor, to keep Farley (an accident-prone buffoon) out of sight until after the election. Farley has a likable quality that is exploited by continuous slapstick centered on his clumsiness, both physically and socially. "--Marshall Fine"

Traffic

Director: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Jacob Vargas, Andrew Chavez, Michael Saucedo, Tomas Milian
Genre: Drama
Rated: R

My Rating:

IMDB Rating: 7.8 (59,496 votes)
Duration: 147
Release: May 2001
# of Discs: 1
UPC: 0696306018124
Purchased On:

Summary: Featuring a huge cast of characters, the ambitious and breathtaking "Traffic" is a tapestry of three separate stories woven together by a common theme: the war on drugs. In Ohio, there's the newly appointed government drug czar (Michael Douglas) who realizes after he's accepted the job that he may have gotten into a no-win situation. Not only that, his teenage daughter (Erika Christensen) is herself quietly developing a nasty addiction problem. In San Diego, a drug kingpin (Steven Bauer) is arrested on information provided by an informant (Miguel Ferrer) who was nabbed by two undercover detectives (Don Cheadle and Luis Guzmán). The kingpin's wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones), heretofore ignorant of where her husband's wealth comes from, gets a crash course in the drug business and its nasty side effects. And south of the border, a Mexican cop (Benicio Del Toro) finds himself caught between both his home country and the U.S., as corrupt government officials duke it out with the drug cartel for control of trafficking various drugs back and forth across the border.
Bold in scope, "Traffic" showcases Steven Soderbergh at the top of his game, directing a peerless ensemble cast in a gritty, multifaceted tale that will captivate you from beginning to end. Utilizing the no-frills techniques of the Dogme 95 school, Soderbergh enhances his hand-held filming with imaginative editing and film-stock manipulation that eerily captures the atmosphere of each location: a washed-out, grainy Mexico; a blue and chilly Ohio; and a sleek, sun-dappled San Diego. But "Traffic" is more than a film-school exercise. Soderbergh and screenwriter Stephen Gaghan (adapting the British TV miniseries "Traffik" to the U.S.) seamlessly weave the threads of each separate plotline into one solid tale, with the actions of one plot having quiet repercussions on the other two. And if you needed more proof that Soderbergh takes unparalleled care with his actors, practically all the members of this cast turn in their best work ever, the standout being an Oscar-worthy Del Toro as the conflicted moral conscience of the film. While no story is fully resolved in the film, you'll be haunted by these characters days after you've seen the film. By far one of the best movies of 2000. "--Mark Englehart"

Transformers

Director: Michael Bay
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Tyrese Gibson, Jon Voight, Hugo Weaving
Genre: Action & Adventure
Rated: PG-13

My Rating:

IMDB Rating: 7.7 (89,148 votes)
Duration: 143
Release: Oct 2007
# of Discs: 2
UPC: 0097361312743
Purchased On: 17 Oct 2007

Summary: "I bought a car. Turned out to be an alien robot. Who knew?" deadpans Sam Witwicky, hero and human heart of Michael Bay's rollicking robot-smackdown fest, "Transformers". Witwicky (the sweetly nerdy Shia LaBeouf, channeling a young John Cusack) is the perfect counterpoint to the nearly nonstop exhilarating action. The plot is simple: an alien civil war (the Autobots vs. the evil Decepticons) has spilled onto Earth, and young Sam is caught in the fray by his newly purchased souped-up Camaro. Which has a mind--and identity, as a noble-warrior robot named Bumblebee--of its own. The effects, especially the mind-blowing transformations of the robots into their earthly forms and back again, are stellar.

Fans of the earlier film and TV series will be thrilled at this cutting-edge incarnation, but this version should please all fans of high-adrenaline action. Director Bay gleefully salts the movie with homages to pop-culture touchstones like "Raiders of the Lost Ark", "King Kong", and the early technothriller "WarGames". The actors, though clearly all supporting those kickass robots, are uniformly on-target, including the dashing Josh Duhamel as a U.S. Army sergeant fighting an enemy he never anticipated; Jon Voight, as a tough yet sympathetic Secretary of Defense in over his head; and John Turturro, whose special agent manages to be confidently unctuous, even stripped to his undies. But the film belongs to Bumblebee, Optimus Prime, and the dastardly Megatron--and the wicked stunts they collide in all over the globe. Long live Transformers! -"-A.T. Hurley"

The Transporter

Director: Corey Yuen, Louis Leterrier
Starring: Jason Statham, Qi Shu, Matt Schulze, François Berléand, Ric Young
Genre: Action & Adventure
Rated: PG-13

My Rating:

IMDB Rating: 6.3 (22,700 votes)
Duration: 92
Release: Oct 2003
# of Discs: 1
UPC: 0024543074397
Purchased On:

Summary: Move over, Vin Diesel, because "The Transporter", Hong Kong action veteran Corey Yuen's English-language directorial debut, is revving up to steal your thunder. As the "other" top-billed action star to emerge in 2002, British hunk Jason Statham--previously seen in "Snatch", "Ghosts of Mars", and "The One"--plays a hard-driving courier for well-heeled underworld clients. He follows simple rules: (1) Stick to the deal; (2) Don't ask names; and (3) Don't look in the packages he transports. All's well until he violates rule 3, discovering a Chinese beauty (Qi Shu) in the trunk of his tricked-out BMW, and foiling a deadly plot to smuggle Chinese slaves through the port of Marseilles. The first hour is ass-kickin' fun, and the stuntwork is impressive throughout, even as the plot degenerates into a predictable series of bone-breaking showdowns. Statham boasts an appealing combination of brains "and" brawn, suggesting the suave versatility of a promising career. Coproduced by action auteur Luc Besson and filmed on dazzling French locations, "The Transporter" is an action fan's delight. "--Jeff Shannon"

Transporter 2

Director: Louis Leterrier
Starring: Jason Statham, Alessandro Gassman, Amber Valletta, Kate Nauta, Matthew Modine
Genre: Action & Adventure
Rated: PG-13

My Rating:

IMDB Rating: 6.1 (15,650 votes)
Duration: 87
Release: Jan 2006
# of Discs: 1
UPC: 0024543219699
Purchased On:

Summary: "Transporter 2" knows what its audience wants and--like its title character--it delivers. This is a movie that has not only a fight choreographer but also a car stunt choreographer; a movie in which a female assassin wears nothing but a bra and panties because, presumably, additional clothing would be too cumbersome; a movie in which crashing through a concrete wall in order to leap over a four-lane street will not even rumple the hood of the hero's car; a movie in which a drunken supermodel, after her advances are chastely and gently rebuffed by the hero, says "Thanks for the respect--that's what I needed most"; a movie, in short, for those who liked the first "Transporter" but found it too subdued and character-driven. Jason Statham ("The Italian Job") reprises his role as Frank Martin, a perhaps overly diligent chauffer who will break bones if his duty is impeded. The sheer glee with which "Transporter 2" casts aside logic, probability, and the laws of physics is infectious. If the sequence in which Frank flips his car upside-down in order to detach the bomb attached to his undercarriage doesn't reduce you to intoxicated giggles, well...you're watching the wrong movie. "Transporter 2" is utterly shameless, unstoppably ridiculous, and completely enjoyable. Also featuring Amber Valetta ("Hitch"), Jason Flemyng ("Snatch"), and Matthew Modine. "--Bret Fetzer"

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