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The Holiday DVD Review

The Holiday

In the newly released DVD, The Holiday, women all over the world are unlucky in love (shocker!).  In LA, Amanda (Cameron Diaz) discovers that her boyfriend is cheating on her.  Meanwhile in England, Iris (Kate Winslet) learns that her pseudo-boyfriend is actually marrying someone else.  Both in desperate need of a getaway, they exchange homes via the internet for the Christmas holiday.  But whether they can successfully detox during their man-sabbatical remains to be seen.

The Holiday is directed by Nancy Meyers (Something’s Gotta Give) and stars Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Jack Black and Rufus Sewell.  Rated PG-13.

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Little Miss Sunshine DVD Review

Little Miss Sunshine PosterWhen little Olive Hoover becomes eligible to compete in the regional Little Miss Sunshine pageant, her dysfunctional but supportive family decide to help her get there.  Traveling from New Mexico to California in a failing Volkswagen bus, the family, despite an utter distaste for one another, must find a way to inhabit shared space for two straight days and face a slew of problems, both physical and psychological, along the way.  Little Miss Sunshine is a superbly written dark comedy that closely examines contemporary American family values and the growing dichotomy between what constitutes success and failure.

Little Miss Sunshine is written by Michael Arndt, directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, and stars Abigail Breslin, Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Steve Carell, Paul Dano, and Alan Arkin.  Rated R. 

Be sure to check out FilmCrunch’s Little Miss Sunshine Video Review. The DVD release brings along plenty of features to supplement the Oscar-nominated film:

  • Both widescreen and fullscreen viewing options
  • Two commentaries, one with directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, another with the directors and screenwriter Michael Arndt
  • Four alternate endings with optional director commentary.
  • Music video featuring music by Denver-based indie rock band DeVotchKa
  • Soundtrack spot.
  • Trailers

The Illusionist DVD Review

Illusionist Poster

The Illusionist takes place in early 20th–century Vienna, where young Eisenheim (Edward Norton), a poor but brilliant magician, falls for a wealthy duchess (Jessica Biel).  Fearing societal ridicule, her family forbids the relationship and the lovers become separated for many years.  When the duchess is engaged to Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell), Eisenhiem must use his unique skill to regain her heart, distract the nosy Chief Inspector Uhl (Paul Giamatti), and escape the vengeful wrath of the crown prince.  The Illusionist is a focused and introspective story that, unlike its ‘prestigious’ rival, uses mystical effect to flesh out, not upstage, a powerful tale of love.

The Illusionist is directed by Neil Burger and based on a short story by Steven Millhauser.  Rated PG-13.

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Samsung YP-K5 Review

Samsung YP-K5

We recently got our hands on the Samsung YP-K5 digital audio player, one of the few MP3 players that has a built-in speaker. The K5 also has an FM tuner, a 1.7-inch color OLED screen, touch-sensitive controls, and 2GB or 4GB of embedded flash memory. Tack on the promise of fantastic battery life, and this one should be a keeper, right? We have provided you with a Samsung K5 unboxing gallery, and also give you our thoughts in our full review, after the break.

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Monster House DVD Review

Monster House

Monster House is the computer animated tale of an awkward young boy, DJ, and his friends Chowder and Jenny, as they investigate the spooky house across the street and the evil old man (Mr. Nebbercracker) residing within.  When Nebbercracker is suddenly injured and hospitalized, the three decide to take a closer look, discovering, to their horror, that the house itself is actually alive, its intentions quite malicious.  With Halloween soon approaching, the children must destroy the horrible home before unsuspecting trick-or-treaters are caught in its insatiable grasp.  While it may be a bit scary for your preschooler, Monster House is a unique film full of slow, concentrated intensity in a genre often geared toward fidgety children and their fleeting attention spans. 

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T-Mobile Dash Reviewed

T-Mobile Dash

Looks like my boy John over at CrunchGear got his hands on one of the new T-Mobile Dash phones, and is reporting back with his impressions of the unit. The Dash is the new Moto Q-esque phone by HTC, which runs Windows Mobile 5.0 and has a full QWERTY keyboard. While John’s lack of love for Windows Mobile 5.0 may seem unfair at first, we can totally sympathize. That said, CrunchGear seems to think the phone is an all around good experience, WinMo 5.0 notwithstanding. If you are looking for a consumer-level phone ($199 with 2-year contract) that does more than just play fancy ringtones, this one might be worth a look if you are on T-Mobile (or looking to switch.)

Read More | CrunchGear

Bleeding Edge Byte 033: Nintendo DS Electroplankton Review

While many a gamer has been enjoying the Nintendo DS for gaming purposes - just check how nicely it’s working out for Nintendo - others have found that it can be used for more creative means. Sparky has been hooked to Electroplankton, something that is more of a “program” than a “game” for the Nintendo DS. Electroplankton allows you to make all sorts of creative beats and melodies using…creatures. This one is a lot easier explained visually rather than in text, so just watch the video…


Bleeding Edge Byte 031: Xbox 360 Quick Charge Kit Review

We have yet to meet someone who loves the fact that, while the Xbox 360 aims to give you a completely wireless experience, when your battery runs low, you must plug in with the Play and Charge Kit in order to keep gaming. The recently released Quick Charge Kit for the Xbox 360 allows you to charge your wireless batteries using an A/C adapter, letting you keep up to two batteries completely charged up and ready to go if the one you are using is happens to die. Andru and Jake take a look at the Xbox 360 Quick Charge kit in this episode.


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