JAM Reviews Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief - 20th Century Fox

Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief – Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital Combo: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Review by JAM

Swords and mythology, gods and goddesses, action, adventure, and lightning bolts, all of these and more come to you in a little blue package marked Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief. Take the son of Poseidon (Kevin McKidd), the daughter of Athena (Melina Kanakaredes), and a satyr protector in-training and you have a really awesome movie for teens, adults, and everyone in between.

Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman) seems to be a lost soul, finding himself at a seeming crossroads as high school seems to be testing him beyond what he would expect. Besides the typical homework and testing he faces, dyslexia and mythological creatures masquerading as teachers come out of nowhere. Oh yeah, Zeus (Sean Bean) the king of the gods thinks he is a thief and he finds out his best friend Grover (Brandon T. Jackson) on crutches is actually a mythological creature known as a satyr.

As he gets help from others along the way including his mother Sally (Catherine Keener), Athena’s daughter Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario), and Chiron (Pierce Brosnan) the centaur who had masqueraded previously as one of Percy’s wheelchair bound instructors, Percy searches for the true thief of Zeus’ thunderbolt and learns more along the way about his heritage. The movie also stars some big name actors in small yet important roles, including Uma Thurman as Medusa, Rosario Dawson as Persephone, Steve Coogan as Hades, and Jake Abel as Luke, the true thief of the thunderbolt.

JAMS Ink on Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief

Awesome!!!

That’s my word to describe this movie, even if you compare it to the book and nitpick details. The graphics are amazing, the story is tons of fun, and the characters are accessible and likeable. Mythology and modern day are sewn together in a masterful way, blending the past and present together to make a story that works for all. The character of Percy is a young man searching for himself, who has never really known his father, and feels like the world is against him. In a way, it is as the gods search for him in order to eradicate the son of one of the big Three (Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades) who had banned themselves from relations with the humans of our world. Percy’s search is much the same as almost any high school age kid who is trying to find out who they really are, and what they are destined to do.

The special effects are well done, reminding me of Lord of the Rings type effects with the monsters and the Olympians. When this had first hit the theaters, I went and found the first book so I knew the story behind it, and in my personal opinion they did a good job keeping the emphasis of the story complete even as they had to cut areas out. The Medusa scenes were a personal favorite, along with the climactic fight with Luke.

Having the director of the original Harry Potter, Chris Columbus, lends strength to a mythological epic like Percy Jackson while also keeping in grounded in the characters. I for one am hoping that this can lead to a sequel. That would definitely give me a reason to buy the next books to read (I am probably going to anyway, but I would love to see them as movies).

EXTRAS

I love deleted scenes, but I have to admit that there wasn’t much that was lost by taking out the scenes from this movie. It did show Grover acting like a teenage boy, in search of a second chance after failing Zeus’ daughter. Secrets of the Gods shares information on the Gods that people may not know, though for someone like me who had studied mythology for years did not need it. The Book Comes to Life is really good, allowing us to hear from the author and the director about the transition from book to film and background. It was interesting to hear Chris Columbus talk about his daughter’s dyslexia and the chance to bring a hero on screen that has the same issues but works to overcome it.

Blu-ray Special Features:
● 10 Extended and Deleted Scenes
○ The Museum – Grover Photographs Aphrodite
○ The Infirmary – Percy Meets Annabeth
○ Aphrodite’s Daughters – Grover Jumps Into Spa
○ Int. Bus – Percy Looks At The Map
○ Auntie Em’s – Medusa Chases Percy
○ Int. Pickup Truck – Grover Talks About Zeus’ daughter
○ Lotus Land Casino – Grover Dances
○ Lotus Land Casino – Percy Meets 50’s Guy
○ Lotus Land Casino – Percy, Annabeth and Grover Fight The Guards
○ Hades’ Mansion – Hades Talks To Percy
● Secrets of the Gods
● Discover Your Powers Quiz
● The Book Comes To Life
● Inside Camp Half-Blood
● On Set With Brandon T. Jackson
● Meet The Demigods
Single-Disc DVD Special Features
● 5 Extended and Deleted Scenes
○ The Museum – Grover Photographs Aphrodite
○ Int. Pickup Truck – Grover Talks About Zeus’ daughter
○ Lotus Land Casino – Grover Dances
○ Lotus Land Casino – Percy, Annabeth and Grover Fight The Guards
○ Hades’ Mansion – Hades Talks To Percy
● Discover Your Powers Quiz
● The Book Comes To Life

Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment is about to explode onto shelves on June 29, 2010 and it come HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by JAM. Grab your copy before the gods come for you!

PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF
Street Date: June 29, 2010
Screen Format: Widescreen
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (BD) / English 5.1 Dolby Digital (DVD)
Subtitles English for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Spanish, French (BD/DVD)
U.S. Rating: PG
Total Run Time: 118 minutes
Closed Captioned: Yes

Remember check out this review and more from JAM at www.hollywoodteenzine.com for teens and tweens, and at http://jammoviereviews.blogspot.com for movies of all genres and ages.

JAM Reviews The Chill - Vertigo Crime - DC Comics

The Chill – Vertigo Crime: DC Comics – Released January 2010

Review by JAM

Supernatural killers, ritualistic mythology, a female serial killer that is seen by no man the same way, and the man who loves and lost her long ago. Yeah, this is really a cool novel if you tend to like these things and do not mind the mature rating that goes along with the Vertigo Crime graphic novels.

Arlana Flaherty and Martin Cleary are young lovers in the highlands of Ireland in the late 1960s that discover that she is more than she seems. Frozen in body after their consummation, Martin later thaws to find Arlana and her father Cormac gone from their countryside home and wonders what has happened to him and his love.

Fast forward to current times in New York City where we find Martin Cleary masquerading as an old beat cop from Boston and on the trail of the serial killers depositing bodies in gruesome ways all tied to the Celtic Tribhas or triple death using the earth, the sea, and the sky. Able to absorb the life essence of those they kill, the father and daughter are cutting a swath through New York and only one man can find them. Victims continue to fall that are tied to the investigation as the “glamour” surrounding Arlana allows her to appear to men as the woman of their dreams, which leads witness accounts to vary completely even as video captures her true image of a 60 year old woman. Twists and turns abound as Martin and the NYPD try to catch the killers with no faces before things get truly out of hand.

Writer

Jason Starr is the writer of The Chill, a renowned crime novelist who is definitely at home in the noir world in which the Vertigo Crime novels are set. This one drew me in pretty quickly as Starr weaves a sordid tale involving a supernatural gift/curse passed on from the druidic days using tantric energies to sacrifice life to the sky, the earth, and the sea. Between the supernatural ties, the morbid death scenes, and the characters which each seem to have a secret life that bites them in the end, Starr keeps the action flowing and the story continuous as you begin to feel for the daughter trapped by an abusive father taking advantage of her. Or so you think. I think I am going to have to check out some of Jason Starr’s novels, because he kept me drawn in to this world and waiting for each page turn with baited breath. Give this a try if you are a fan of the grim, grimy, supernatural noir novel, and you don’t mind the mature artwork that comes with it.

Artist

Speaking of the artwork, Mick Bertilorenzi is the artist involved in the visuals of The Chill. An Italian artist, I believe, this is the first I have seen his work and I am truly impressed. From the rolling hills of Ireland to the seedy alleys of New York, Mick travels on the edge of noir darkness, using shadow and shading to enhance his lines when needed and controlling the story as it goes. Death scenes and body dump sites, high rises and warehouses all stand out in their differences and become characters themselves as the story continues. I believe Mick Bertilorenzi is going to be an artist to watch in the years to come, and I truly enjoyed his involvement on this project.

JAMS Ink on The Chill

I have always been a crazy fan of the supernatural and mythology from various areas of the world and the Irish mythology aspect of The Chill held my attention from the very beginning. Add in some beautiful artwork, a beautiful shape-shifting woman, and some really cool mystical spears and you have a crime novel in pictures that was a lot of fun to read. I would like to think I would have made a different choice than the way the book ended, but it does tie into the Vertigo Crime aspect of the novels. I would definitely recommend this if you think this is your cup of tea.

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JAM Reviews Filthy Rich - Vertigo Crime - DC Comics

Filthy Rich – Vertigo Crime: DC Comics – Released August 2009

Review by JAM

Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it. Richard “Junk” Junkin, a former football star whose career was cut short by a blown out knee in the preseason before his professional career started, which led this “prince” among men to wallow in the common filth of the used car lot. Unfortunately for Rich, his dreams of being Mr. Bigshot never died even when life opened up other opportunities and it caught him up in a wave of destruction that he may not be able to escape.

When Herb Soeffer offers Rich the chance to be a bodyguard to his daughter Vicki, Junk thinks he’s hit the big time again. Watching the “little” girl in her brush with high, yet seedy society gives Rich the feeling of being in control, except when he is around Vicki. Once again being manipulated by those he wants to be a part of, murder, mayhem, and violence follow Rich as he tries to climb into the power that Vicki controls. Problem is, she has all the power and she knows it.

Writer

Filthy Rich comes to us from the mind of Brian Azzarello, the messed up mind that has brought you insight into Joker and 100 Bullets. With Brian’s ability to see into the mind of a villain through his work with the Joker and with Luthor, he is able to give Filthy Rich a feeling of an everyman seeking his shot at the big time, while really Rich seems to be just a guy looking for a break, anyway he can make it come. Brian is able to make the “hero” of the story pitiable in that you think he deserves a little good to come along. Of course, then he screws it all up and believes he deserves everything everyone else has and he plans on taking it his own way. To be honest, Rich went from having my pity to being loathed by the end, and I won’t even start with Vicki the manipulative party girl.

Artist

Victor Santos is the artist on Filthy Rich, mostly known for previous work on Mice Templar. He has a real good look for the noir black and white that this comic needs. His subtle shadowing works well, differentiating between seedy nightclub and alleys with darkness and in house or office scenes with less ink coverage. A lot of these artists on the Vertigo Crime series remind me of Scott McDaniel’s art, which I think is partially because I really enjoy his art and partially because the shading required for the noir feeling gives the art the linear and shade strong feel that Scott McDaniel has consistently done throughout his career.

JAMS Ink on Filthy Rich

Filthy Rich is an interesting run through the life of a man lost in the world who you would like to feel compassion for, but everything he does makes you feel less and less for him. I mean, the guy starts out as the loveable loser who can’t sell a car to anyone, but is kept as a pity pull for the owner to rope in buyers. He has got a girlfriend that adores him, and yet he cannot be happy with what he has. And this feeling of needing and deserving something more drives him to a precipice from which he cannot turn back and there is nowhere to go but down. It is a well done story, but one in which the main character becomes loathsome after a time.

I am enjoying the Vertigo Crime novels, but this one just seemed to be a story that did not need to be told. Maybe it’s my Pollyanna desires of good triumphing over evil, but I think it was also the fact that Rich becomes a truly unlikeable character throughout the novel. If you were to ask me to rate the Vertigo Crime novels I have read thus far, I would probably have to place this one in the middle. I think Area 10 and The Chill were more fun for me to read due to the subject matters I think, but this one is good overall and I would recommend it to someone who enjoys crime novels and good comic artwork.

Jam Movie Reviews

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JAM Reviews Air Bud - World Pup: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

© Walt Disney Studios Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.

Air Bud – World Pup: Special Edition: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Review by JAM

The third installment of the Air Bud series finds both Josh (Kevin Zegars) and Buddy looking for love on the soccer field, as Josh pursues a young lady, Emma Putter (Brittany Paige Bouck), on the soccer field and Buddy pursues Molly, her dog. Josh joins the soccer team after Emma, a transfer student from England joins the boys team at her new school, and Buddy as always comes along to help Josh out. Bring in the puppies that come from the meeting of Buddy and Molly and you have a plethora of pretty puppies to catch the eyes of your young ones.

Throw in a subplot with the bad guys trying to take the dogs, a dog-pile style rescue, and the normal Air Bud sports save for their team and you have a fun movie for the kids, and a movie that will make the adults smile (mainly because their kids are happy). And the rerelease was of course times for the fanatics of the World Cup and their children, so grab a copy and enjoy the golden times of a dog named Bud.

JAMS Ink on Air Bud World Pup

Award winning? No, but it is a ton of fun for the kids and dog lovers. It is a lot of fun to see the dogs do the tricks they were trained to do, and whether you are a fan of the movies or not you need to give the dogs their props for doing what they do.

The intro of the pups into this film must have laid the groundwork for the Buddies, who of course are included in the extras on this movie. Just so you know, little kids and little puppies go together well, as evidenced by HollywoodTeen’Zine junior reporter Natalia’s video review. Anyway, so I guess we have this move to blame for all the Buddies movies that came out after the Air Bud movies. To be honest though, they are great movies for the little kids as they involve sports, dogs, and friendship so I do highly recommend this movie to those who have young kids.

Extras

Bonus Features include:

The Buddies Sports Channel: Soccer Edition – Rosebud leads the way as she and her siblings discuss and rate the soccer career of their dad, the immortal Air Bud.
Production Featurette on World Pup – A behind the scenes look at Air Bud learning soccer.
The Air Bud Sport Cinch Bag – probably the best part of the pack for the kids as they get a mini tote bag for carrying their essential sports gear, or anything they want to.

Air Bud: World Pup Special Edition kicks itself onto shelves just in time for the World Cup on June 15, 2010. Head to the store and head a copy into your cart so you can enjoy a little Air Bud!

STREET DATE: June 15, 2010

Rated: G

Run time: 83 minutes

DVD aspect ratio: Widescreen 16x9; Original Theatrical 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio

Sound: English 5.1 Audio; English SDH & CC

Spanish 2.0 Language Track; Spanish Subtitles

JAM Reviews The Illusionist - Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

The Illusionist – Blu-Ray : Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Review by JAM

Once upon a time there was a boy who loved a girl who was beyond his meager means, but she loved him as well. And though time and distance kept them apart, magic would always keep them together. This is an abbreviated premise for The Illusionist, an excellent gem of a movie where Eisenheim (Edward Norton) and Sophie (Jessica Biel), the Duchess von Teschen, fall in love even though it was not to be allowed and must eventually move heaven and earth to be together.

Chief Inspector Walter Uhl (Paul Giamatti) begins the movie recounting the story of Eisenheim (Norton) to Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell) after an attempted arrest of Eisenheim during a magic show seemingly filled with necromantic tendencies. Eisenheim had long ago become obsessed with the world of magic and illusion, training and traveling the world while honing his craft. Before this, he had fallen in love with a young noblewoman above his stature, Sophie (Biel), while his father was doing cabinetry work for her parents. The two were forbidden to be together, yet tried to find a way and failed, leading to Eisenheim’s obsessive trek around the globe.

Finding Sophie once again by chance, or so we suppose, when she is volunteered by her husband to be, the Crown Prince Leopold. Reconnecting to their pasts and reconfirming their love, Eisenheim and Sophie plan to flee the Empire, but must first deal with the Crown Prince, a man of ruthless ambition who plans to steal the crown from his father with the help of his marriage to Sophie, who he views as expendable in the end. Leopold hears of Sophie’s meetings with Eisenheim from Uhl, confronts, and seems to have murdered her. Eisenheim drops into a deep depression and prepares a new magic show in which he seems to have summoned spirits. Sophie’s summoned spirit confronts Leopold, in disguise at the show, and causes Eisenheim to be arrested though his body fades and disappears like the spirits of the show.

We return to the beginning of the show in which Uhl continues his discussion with Leopold and shares the evidence which links him to Sophie’s murder. When confronted, ordered, and then begged to hold his tongue, Uhl shares that he has already informed the Emperor of Leopold’s conspiracy causing the Crown Prince to shoot himself before his arrest is made. Uhl discovers after the fact that the murder of Sophie was truly just another illusion of Eisenheim’s to frame Leopold, deliver deserved vengeance upon him, and free Sophie and Eisenheim to live the lives they desired.

JAMS Ink on The Illusionist

Edward Norton is one of those actors that I am just never really sure on. I mean, he just seems to pick characters in movies that don’t always appeal to me, and I think that may have been why I had not caught this movie at the time it came out. It had also come out near the same time as The Prestige, and being a bit of a Hugh Jackman fan at the time caused this one to be off my radar. Well, thank you to 20th Century Fox for the chance to check out The Illusionist on Blu-Ray and DVD. The chance to see a movie in which you question what is happening, what is going on, who is involved in what subplot makes the movie an interesting challenge to watch, but easy to enjoy.

The look of recognition on the stage that Eisenheim (Norton) has is an impressive bit of acting as his eyes betray his recognition even as his voice maintains the façade throughout the illusion. And the look upon Sophie’s (Biel) face when finally she realizes is priceless as well. It is just very good directing, acting, and a strong scene with hidden emotion that is fulfilled further into the movie.

Jessica Biel plays an interesting character in this movie, torn between two men with powers beyond the norm, caught between her past and her future as she attempts to maneuver her way through life. Her costuming leaves something to be desired, as it seems they went out of their way to attempt to make her unattractive through use of costuming and the such, but she definitely did a good job showing strength and weakness within her character throughout the movie.

For some reason, Paul Giammati’s character Chief Inspector Uhl bugged me some in the movie, and I don’t think it was the character himself, or the lines, or even Paul’s voice. It was his eyes. It seemed that throughout the movie, Paul had his eyes bugging out as much as humanly possible, and it really detracted from the scenes I think. When he was surprised, they bugged out. When he was amused, they bugged out. When he was angry, they bugged out. I don’t know what the deal was, but the bugged out eyes really bothered me.

EXTRAS

The Blu-Ray disc itself had no extras, but the DVD had audio commentary from the writer/director Neil Burger, a featurette on the Making of The Illusionist, and Jessica Biel in The Illusionist featurette. I definitely would have liked to have seen more extras on the discs, especially since the Blu-Ray only contained the movie.

The Illusionist from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment magically appeared on shelves on June 8, 2010 and fans are in process of making it disappear. Grab a copy of a movie that will play with your perceptions, tease your senses, and tear at your heart.

THE ILLUSIONIST BLU-RAY DISC + DVD Screen Format: Widescreen – 1.85:1 Audio: English 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio, English and French 5.1 Dolby Digital Subtitles: None U.S. Rating: PG-13 Total Run Time: 109 minutes Closed Captioned: Yes

Remember check out this review and more from JAM at www.hollywoodteenzine.com for teens and tweens, and at http://jammoviereviews.blogspot.com for movies of all genres and ages.

JAM Reviews StarStruck - Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

StarStruck – DVD and Soundtrack : Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Review by JAM

“You don’t get it, your life isn’t real!”
Jessica Olson to Christopher Wilde

“Silly, that only happens in the movies. This is the real world.”
Alexis to Christopher as she breaks up with him

Sometimes the real world is so much harder to live in than a fantasy world, and Christopher Wilde (Sterling Knight from “Sonny with a Chance”) finds this out on the way to true love in the real world.

Preparing for their trip to Hollywood, California to see their grandmother, we meet Jessica Olson (Danielle Campbell) and her sister Sara (Maggie Castle). Typical sisters, they seem to fight nonstop especially now over Sara’s obsession with Christopher (Knight). Christopher himself is trapped in a world of his own fame, with a girlfriend Alexis (Chelsea Staub from “Jonas”, and one of the nicest girls in the world in JAM’s opinion) that is more obsessed with her paparazzi photos than she is with her boyfriend, parents (Ron Pearson and Lauren Bowels) who manage and push him for their own gain, and a movie exec that promises the role of a lifetime as long as Christopher can stay out of the limelight. In fact it seems the only connection he has to the real world is his best friend Albert J, “Stubby” Stubbin (Brandon Mychal Smith also from “Sonny with a Chance”) who seems to keep him level, or as level as he can be.

Jessica (Campbell) has a number of run-ins with Christopher (Knight), even literally the first time as they meet through the crash of a door. In order to avoid the paparazzi, typical Disney Channel hijinks happen that turn a night full of crazy issues that bring the two kids from total different walks of life together, realizing similarities might exist even between their worlds.

Christopher seeks the real world that Jessica has, while Jessica is annoyed by the world that Christopher lives in and that she believes he lives for. Only she begins to realize that maybe the two of them have never known what each others’ lives were really like and realizes he may be more than just a Hollywood wax figure. At least it seems that way until he reverts back to his Hollywood persona. It takes a lot of work, but he realizes that he actually wants to be real, rather than the persona everyone else expects from him. The question is, does he realize it in time to make it up to the girl who makes him real?

JAMS Ink on StarStruck

The plot to the movie seems to be a standard Disney fare, as our hero lives in a world not of his own making, falling for a girl from a completely different world who must rescue him while she realizes her own feelings for him. Beauty and the Beast has the enchanted prince who needs Belle to break the spell, leading to love between them. Sleeping Beauty, in much the same way has the enchanted character, Aurora this time, who needs the prince to save her from the enchantment she is under as he falls in love with her through a chance encounter. Snow White is the same way with the female character needing the rescue. StarStruck follows the same plotline in a good way as we find Jessica doing things that may rescue Christopher from the life he is trapped in, and she finds herself learning to love the Christopher that no one knows. Problem is, Christopher needs to find himself before Jessica can save him.

Sterling Knight and Danielle Campbell truly have good chemistry on screen, which makes this movie even more watchable than it already was. It was fun to watch them having fun, and the screen showed it as we watched. The song he sings to her feels like it’s from the heart (as much as a setup Hollywood moment can) and it is another good moment in a movie that is fun to watch with a good message.

EXTRAS

The extended version of the movie is only available on DVD and is packed with more music to Rock-Along with as you have the ability to rock along with 8 tracks during the movie karaoke style with the lyrics shown on the top of the screen as the songs play, and you have three music videos for StarStruck, Something About the Sunshine, and Party Up. Oh yeah, and if you pick up the disc with the CD alongside it, you get to rock along with the soundtrack from the movie. The soundtrack is good in itself as well, and is definitely worth the slight upcharge for the duo-pack.

StarStruck: Extended Edition from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment glimmered its way onto shelves on June 8, 2010. Check out a star on the rise as Sterling Knight is working towards superstardom and will have you singing his praises, or at least his songs as you watch this movie.

StarStruck: Extended Edition Rated: U.S. ‘TV-G.’ Canada ‘G’. Bonus materials not rated.Feature run time: Approximately 92 minutesAspect ratio: 1.33:1Sound: 5.1 Dolby Digital SoundLanguages: English

Remember check out this review and more from JAM at www.hollywoodteenzine.com for teens and tweens, and at http://jammoviereviews.blogspot.com for movies of all genres and ages.

JAM Reviews Dierks Bentley - Up On The Ridge

Dierks Bentley – Up On The Ridge

Review by JAM

From the man who brought you Long Trip Alone and What Was I Thinkin’ comes an all-acoustic album by this country trendsetter, and he got a lot of friends to come along for the ride. Filled with bluegrass players of amazing pedigree and a who’s who of amazing artists including Miranda Lambert, Alison Krauss, Kris Kristofferson, Jamey Johnson, and more, Dierks has made an album for the fans, for the country music establishment, but most of all for himself. This album is a showcase of talent, attitude, and love for country music, and bluegrass more specifically, that oozes greatness through the speakers to your ears so give a listen and find out what Dierks has for you Up On The Ridge.

From Bob Dylan’s Senor (Tales of Yankee Power) to Bad Angel (with Miranda Lambert and Jamey Johnson) to the cover of U2’s Pride (In The Name Of Love), the star power in vocals and songwriting is amazing and all maneuvered into a bluegrass style that pays homage to the song while claiming it as its own. Also collaborating with Kris Kristofferson on Kris’s song Bottle to the Bottom, Dierks seems to draw in this amazing star power yet never lose sight or control over his own album. Even with the names joining him, this is first and foremost a Dierks Bentley album full of his personal taste and touch and any fan of Dierks, and of country music in general, is going to love this album

Track List

1. Down In The Mine

2. Up On The Ridge

3. Fallin’ For You

4. Senor (Tales Of Yankee Power)

5. Rovin’ Gambler

6. Draw Me A Map

7. Bad Angel

8. Fiddlin’ Around

9. You’re Dead To Me

10. Pride (In The Name Of Love)

11. Love Grows Wild

12. Bottle To The Bottom

JAMS Ink on Up On The Ridge

Up On The Ridge is a lot of fun, kind of like Dierks’ CDs always seem to be for me. The title song is a fun tune with haunting backup vocals and a strong instrumental melody. It is one of my favorite songs on the album, but my absolute favorite has got to be Pride (In The Name Of Love) which is kind of odd for me because I never thought I would like a cover of the song. The song itself has been a favorite of mine for forever, and the bluegrass styling actually seem to add to my enjoyment of one of the greatest “message” songs of our generation. From the vocals to the instrumental portions to even the Oooing, Dierks seems to find the perfect mess up to make U2 proud with this cover.

Senor is also an amazing testament to Dierks’ ability and talent as the song makes an awesome transition to bluegrass without losing any strength from the original. Rovin’ Gambler is a lot of fun too, reminding me of the Gambler movies with Kenny Rogers from long ago. It is just a fun story about a gambler, his travels, and his troubles with a really fast and enjoyable beat.

Dierks has hit another homerun with Up On The Ridge as he grabs the listener and pulls them in with amazing bluegrass riffs and vocals. This CD is one I would recommend to anyone. That’s right, anyone. I think it just is a fun enjoyable album for anyone who loves good music and JAM says grab a copy. Dierks’ album releases June 8, 2010 so go check it out.

Remember check out this review and more from JAM at www.hollywoodteenzine.com for teens and tweens, and at http://jammoviereviews.blogspot.com for movies of all genres and ages.

Clint Eastwood - Man With No Name Trilogy on Blu-Ray June 1st, 2010

Clint Eastwood – Man With No Name Trilogy Blu-Ray : MGM Home Entertainment
Review by JAM

Way back in 1964, a young Italian director by the name of Sergio Leone and a young grizzled television actor named Clint Eastwood turned the Western on its side, establishing the “Spaghetti western” as a new archetype in the eyes of moviegoers. Establishing characters full of realism and grit with moral ambiguity depending on the situation rather than the hero dressed in white versus the villain in all black. Starting with A Fistful of Dollars, the Man with No Name (as Clint Eastwood’s character was known) began his quest for righting wrongs, achieving vengeance, getting rich, or whatever was required at that moment in time. The movies were not shot to be a trilogy necessarily, but by factor in that all three movies followed a man with no name wearing the same clothes, with the same character traits and mannerisms, and played by the same actor caused the three movies to be lumped together into a trilogy which is now being released on Blu-Ray discs for your enjoyment.

A Fistful of Dollars

The original of the three movies starring the Man with No Name (Clint Eastwood) in which he works over two separate bands of smugglers, playing them off each other in a dance of betrayal and death. The Man with No Name enters a small Mexican Border town and hears a story of the feud between two rival families, the Rojos and the Baxters, who are both vying to take control of this little town. Seeing the opportunity for his enrichment as a shipment of gold passes through the town, he starts the wheels in motion for his plan. Seeing the caravan waylaid by the Rojos, The Man starts to sell information to both sides about survivors from the ambush, leading the Baxters to come to save the survivors as witnesses to the Rojos’ acts and the Rojos coming to eliminate the witnesses.

The Man in his search for the gold discovers Marisol (Marianne Koch), an unwilling participant with the Rojos who was taken from her son and husband. Showing his hidden heart of gold, he frees her and sends her away with her family which leads to a beating from the Rojos family. After his escape, the Rojos destroy the Baxter gang, thinking they are protecting The Man. Finaly in the climatic showdown, The Man covers himself with a steel chestplate, urging the Rojos to aim for his heart, killing them all in the process before he rides from town.

For a Few Dollars More

Two bounty hunters hunt the vicious bandit “El Indio” (Gian Maria Volontè) for their own reasons. Colonel Mortimer (Lee Van Cleef) searches for Indio, on a quest for family retribution as he catches and mows down a number of bounties in his pursuit. He crosses paths with a man known as “Manco”, the Man with No Name (Clint Eastwood) from the trilogy, and proceeds to team up in order to take down Indio and his gang. Infiltrating the gang, Manco and Mortimer work hard to integrate themselves in to Indio’s trust, only to be caught red-handed trying to steal his earning from a bank robbery. Indio, in the process of trying to double-cross his own gang, has his right-hand man Nino (Mario Brega) release them and inform the gang they have gotten away. Indio’s plan is to split the money with Nino after eliminating his own gang and the bounty hunters, but his plan starts to backfire after Nino is shot by a smarter gang member Groggy (Luigi Pistilli). Indio teams with Groggy after discovering the money gone to track down Mortimer and Manco, leading to a final showdown between Colonel Mortimer and the man who had caused the death of his sister. Mortimer leaves Manco with the money and the bounties for the outlaws, satisfied with the revenge he has achieved.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Three gunslingers cross paths on a quest for Confederate gold in this third part of the Man with No Name trilogy (even though the Man is called Blondie this time). “The Bad” of this movie, Angel Eyes (Lee Van Cleef) is a ruthless mercenary looking for his fortune and killing whoever is in his way at the time. Alliances come and go with this man as cash reigns supreme in his mind. “The Ugly” Tuco (Eli Walach) is a bandit with a price on his head who has a tenuous partnership with “The Good” Blondie (Clint Eastwood) in which Tuco is turned in for the bounty and then escapes the hangman’s noose through the sharpshooting of Blondie.

The greed of Tuco brings a sudden end to this partnership with Blondie abandoning Tuco in the desert, which leads Tuco to seek revenge (and coincidently stumble upon the chance to find the fortune of their lifetimes). Crossing paths with Angel Eyes and his posse, the former partners reunite for a final time to confront “The Bad” and find the buried treasure. The movie ends with a final act of revenge, mercy, or torture depending on how one views it as Blondie saves Tuco from the noose one last time (though he was who had noosed Tuco) and leaving half the gold for Tuco, but no horse to take it.

JAMS Ink on The Man With No Name Trilogy

If you really look at it, these movies were extremely important in the history of Hollywood. Westerns before these movies had tended to be cut and dry black and white. The bad guys wore black and talked ominously or laughed manically, and the hero rode the fanciful horse and the immaculately clean white and won the heart of the pretty little lady in trouble after a fancy shootout where everyone was winged and arrested at the end of the movie. Then came The Man with No Name. Morally ambiguous, but generally on the side of the angels in his own way, he defended those who needed him with guns ablazing and death totals rising. Never did he walk away with the girl, because he was not searching for that but rather his fortune. The “spaghetti Westerns” had a real feeling to them as the characters seemed realistic and the audience could connect as they watched.

The music from these movies is unforgettable as Ennio Morricone created virtual movie symphonies. Play music from these Westerns, and I would bet nearly anyone on the street would stop and claim to have heard that before, even if they may not be able to place it. The director Leone would often shoot scenes to the music of Morricone, having the music created before movie shooting even began. This led to scenes fitting the music, rather than vice versa.

Clint found his star in these movies, making the transition from the television screen to the silver screen in such a comfortable fashion. Clint comes off on the screen as if he was born to play these parts as the grizzled, scruffy cowboy who becomes a savior to those who need him. His pairing with Leone truly was a match made in heaven at the time as each contributed their soul to these movies and established a new genre by themselves.

I am looking forward to re-watching these movies with my father soon as they are from his time, and a little before mine (even though I thoroughly enjoy them). These movies are the kind of classics that a father and son can share and enjoy, escaping to a time where a man was judged as much on his actions as his abilities in the old west. It is always fun to hear what movies like these mean to others and I am looking forward to that time.

EXTRAS

A Fistful Of Dollars Blu-ray Disc Bonus Features:
● The Christopher Frayling Archives: A Fistful of Dollars
● Commentary by Film Historian Christopher Frayling
● A New Kind of Hero
● A Few Weeks in Spain: Clint Eastwood on the Experience of Making the Film
● Tre Voci: A Fistful of Dollars
● Not Ready for Primetime: Renowned Filmmaker Monte Hellman discusses the Television Broadcast of A Fistful of Dollars
● The Network Prologue with Actor Harry Dean Stanton
● Location Comparisons: Then to Now
● 10 Radio Spots
● Double Bill Trailer
● Theatrical Trailer

For A Few Dollars More Blu-ray Disc Bonus Features:
● The Christopher Frayling Archives: For A Few Dollars More
● Commentary by Film Historian Christopher Frayling
● A New Standard: Frayling on For A Few Dollars More
● Back for More: Clint Eastwood Remembers For A Few Dollars More
● Tre Voci: For A Few Dollars More
● For A Few Dollars More: The Original American Release Version
● Location Comparisons
● 12 Radio Spots
● Theatrical Trailer 1
● Theatrical Trailer 2

The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly Blu-ray Disc Bonus Features:
● Commentary by Film Historian Richard Schickel
● Commentary by Film Historian Christopher Frayling
● Leone’s West
● The Leone Style
● The Man Who Lost the Civil War
● Reconstructing The Good, The Bad and the Ugly
● IL Maestro: Ennio Morricone and The Good, The Bad and the Ugly - Part One
● IL Maestro: Part Two
● Deleted Scenes
○ Extended Tuco Torture Scene
○ The Socorro Sequence: A Reconstruction
● Easter Egg #1 Uno, Due, Tre
● Easter Egg #2 Italian Lunch
● Easter Egg #3 New York Actor
● Easter Egg #4 Gun in Holster
● Theatrical Trailer
● French Trailer


The Man With No Name Trilogy from MGM Home Entertainment appeared on shelves on DVD on June 1, 2010. Grab a copy of the westerns that changed the world of Hollywood and enjoy a little early, dark and gritty Clint Eastwood.

Remember check out this review and more from JAM at www.hollywoodteenzine.com for teens and tweens, and at http://jammoviereviews.blogspot.com for movies of all genres and ages.

HTZ's Junior Reporter Natalia and her Thomas & Friends Review

Thomas & Friends: The Greatest Stories – HIT Entertainment/Lionsgate 2-Disc DVD Edition
Review by JAM

Celebrating 65 years of fun-filled friendship and learning, Thomas & Friends: The Greatest Stories hits the shelves in a two-disc special edition DVD. Twenty episodes from throughout the years, including the first ever, are included on the disc along with a number of games, music videos, and more. We get the chance to meet Thomas’ friends for the first time as episodes chosen for this DVD collection include many introductory episodes for James, Percy, and more. Kids will love the fact that they get to learn together with Thomas and his friends, and adults will love hearing the narration of Ringo Starr, George Carlin, and more.

Episodes:

• Thomas Gets Tricked
• Edward Helps Out
• Diesel’s Devious Deed
• Percy’s Ghost Trick
• Thomas, Percy & the Dragon
• Trust Thomas
• Henry & the Elephant
• Cranky Bugs
• Snow Engine
• Thomas Saves the Day
• Edward the Great
• James Gets a New Coat
• Thomas to the Rescue
• Thomas and the Birthday Picnic
• Emily Knows Best
• Percy and the Carnival
• Thomas and the Birthday Mail
• Sir Handel in Charge
• Skarloey Storms Through
• Duncan Does It All

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES

“Create Your Own Thomas Story” DVD-Rom: In this game, you can be part of the story! This customizable feature integrates a child’s name and favorite things woven into their very own printable Thomas tale! It also features Thomas coloring pages and wallpaper.

“How Did Thomas Meet His Friends?” Trivia Game: Guess which one of Thomas’ best engine friends are described with several clues.

Storybook Adventure Game: Help Thomas travel over the Island of Sodor by passing five different challenge games:

Broken Tracks Game: Match the number of tracks to fit the space where the track is broken.
Quarry Game: Choose the car with the right shape and color to fill up the freight car with gravel

Brendham Docks Game: Choose the correct word that begins with the letter of the alphabet on the screen to fill cars with presents

Troublesome Trucks Game: Answer the trivia question correctly to make the runaway trucks miss the new station

Station Decoration Game: Decorate the new station for the celebration

Thomas Saves the Day Enhanced Read-Along

Four Sing-Along Karaoke Videos:
o Sir Topham Hatt
o Percy's Seaside Trip
o He is a Really Useful Engine
o Harold the Helicopter

Four Music Videos:
o Thomas Anthem
o It’s Great to Be An Engine
o James the Splendid Engine
o Never, Never Give Up

Thomas & Friends: The Greatest Stories was released on June 1, 2010 so go trucking down the tracks and grab your copy today. Packed with extras and 20 episodes, your child will love it and you will enjoy the good feelings and life lessons your child will learn.

Remember check out this review and more from JAM at www.hollywoodteenzine.com for teens and tweens, and at http://jammoviereviews.blogspot.com for movies of all genres and ages.

HollywoodTeenZine's Junior Reporter helps with Shawn the Sheep: One Giant Leap For Lambkind

Shawn the Sheep –One Giant Leap for Lambkind: HIT Entertainment/Lionsgate DVD Edition
Review by JAM

A big thank you to HollywoodTeenZine’s junior reporter Natalia for helping us with this video review for Shawn the Sheep – One Giant Leap for Lambkind from HIT Entertainment and Lionsgate. This newest set of Shawn the Sheep shorts has Shawn getting in and out of jams involving space aliens (in two different episodes), a raging mad bull, and the normal hijinks involving the Naughty Pigs, Bitzer the dog, and the Farmer. This set is a fun romp through the farm as we swing through the trees, make impressions in new concrete, and deal with new friends that are out of this world!

Bonus Features include “Sing-Along With Shawn” and the “Whack-A-Pig” game.

Episode List:
• “The Visitor” – All is quiet at night on the farm when a bright green glow and strange noises awaken the flock. A space craft crash-landed! Can Shaun and his woolly friends help its giant green occupant get air-borne again?
• “The Bull” – Shaun learns it’s not safe to wave anything red in front of a bull. But the Naughty Pigs thinks it’s funny to add red paint to the sheep’s bath. What to do with an angry charging bull and all those red sheep?
• “Hiccups” – Shirley drinks Bitzer's lemonade too fast and gets the hiccups. Shaun tries all the usual tricks to cure her with hilarious results.
• “Bitzer Puts His Foot In It” – Even with Bitzer guarding the fresh concrete the farmer just poured, Shaun and his fearless flock of friends can’t resist treating it like their own personal “Walk of Fame”
• “Save the Tree” – The Farmer wants to turn the tree in Shaun's field into firewood, so the flock must take desperate (and humorous) measures to stop their beloved tree from getting felled!
• “Shaun Encounters” – Two naughty alien kids land at the farm one night and run riot. Can Shaun and Bitzer stop them before they wake the Farmer?

Bonus Features:

Sing-Along With Shawn
Whack-A-Pig Game

Shawn the Sheep, from the creators of Wallace and Gromit, provides amazing entertainment during short skits, without the use of true voice work, and yet the kids are captivated and entranced by the magic Shawn provides. Pick up a copy and you will agree that it is Not Baaaaaa-d.

Remember check out this review and more from JAM at www.hollywoodteenzine.com for teens and tweens, and at www.jammoviereviews.blogspot.com for movies of all genres and ages.

Burn Notice Season Three

Burn Notice Season Three : Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Review by JAM

It has been interesting watching the progression of Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan) as Burn Notice prepares to enter its fourth season on USA Network. Season One seemed to be able the introduction of the character and Michael working towards re-finding himself while he works towards removing his burn notice. Season Two showed Michael discovering that the job he has lost through the burn notice does not define his life as he fights against a female adversary who attempts to control and use him, holding information as a carrot to influence him. Finally, Season Three shows Michael beginning to realize that the people around him are far more important than all the craziness happening in his life. The first half of Season Three leads to the realization of how much he loves and needs Fiona as chooses to save her at the expense of a manipulative way back into the agency. In the second half of Season Three, he discovers how much his family (friends included) mean to him as they remain by his side even as he works on the side of evil as he tries to stop and even greater evil. Reminding him to stop acting like he is alone, his friends sacrifice and assist even as he fights against those that may or may not have his best interests at heart.

It will be interesting to see Michael’s growth in Season Four, which after seeing episode one, I believe may focus on Michael’s fears of becoming a monster like his file portrays him. Now onto our review of Burn Notice: Season Three on DVD.

Season Three starts with the ramifications continuing of refusal to work with and subsequent termination of Carla (Tricia Helfer) as well as the refusal of the offer from Management (John Mahoney) that led to the long swim to the coast. Throw in a visit from a curious Detective Paxson (Moon Bloodgood) investigating strange happenings in her jurisdiction, an agent to the spies by the name of Tom Strickler (Ben Shenkman) who complicates Michael’s life in ways he never expected, and the normal cases and issues that come from working with a former IRA fighter Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar), a former spy Sam (Bruce Campbell), a bookie named Barry (Paul Tei who is great but way underused on my opinion), a brother Nate (Seth Peterson) who seems to find trouble any way he turns, and his mom (Sharon Gless who is AMAZING). Put all of this together and finish off the season with a manhunt for an escaped lunatic who was responsible for the acts that had caused Michael’s burn notice originally. Watching Season Three will only make you crave Season Four even more, and that is the way a good TV show should be.

JAMS Ink on Burn Notice

What can I say about the best show on television that has not been said before? All the Miami innuendo like “It’s the Hottest show on television” or “Michael Westen burns up the screen” are actually all true, but I want to try to stay away from clichés. I started watching Burn Notice from the very beginning, looking for something new to watch and noticed Gabrielle Anwar and Bruce Campbell were in a spy show. Having a mild crush on Miss Anwar since way back in Disney’s Three Musketeers, enjoying Bruce Campbell in anything he has done, and enjoying action shows with explosions and the such, I figured I would give this new show a chance. Little did I know that Burn Notice would place a premium on my time, along with any family members I have told about the show.

Even though I started watching because of Gabrielle and Bruce, what hooked me was the “team” as a whole. As much as the show could be considered to focus on Michael, Fiona, Sam, and Madeline control much of the action as well. Michael can sometimes come off as the lost man adrift in a sea of confusion, but luckily he has a number of anchors to bring him back to reality. Fiona is the girlfriend that will tell you straight, slap some sense into you, and defend you to the death all at the same time if needed. Sam is the best bud who has connections he is willing to burn just to help you out because you are that important to him. And Madeline is the mother that has put up with all of your junk throughout the years, yet knows you did not mean it all and need someone there for you. In fact in the first episode of Season Four, we see how much Michael needs his mother in a scene in which he shares his fears that he will become like Simon,

“He laughed. When I caught Simon, he laughed. He said it was just a matter of time before I was just like him.”

As Sharon Gless’s Madeline leans over and embraces her son with the words, “He’s wrong honey. That isn’t the son I raised,” the emotions can overwhelm you. That’s what this show is about. A man trying to find himself and failing, and the friends and family who help him pick up the pieces. And even with the failing, Michael never stops trying which makes him strong, makes him likeable, and makes him human.

Favorite Episode of Season Three – Episode 9 Long Way Back. I think this is a turning point in Michael’s life as he realizes just how much Fiona means to him. She has stayed by his side through thick and thin, letting him be bullheaded and stubborn as he searches for that which he no longer has (his spy vocation) and ignores everything he does. As Michael fires the shots that end his connection to Strickler and save Fiona from her deathly fate, you can see the dam of emotions finally burst within him. He still can be stubborn, but at least he is working on it.

EXTRAS

Smash, Crash, Boom: Inside the Burn Notice Stunt Unit
2009 San Diego Comic-Con International

Seeing the group of stuntmen, directors, and cameramen all involved in a car chase shot is amazing. You never think about how much work is involved in doing a scene like when Michael and the psycho Simon is crazy to see, especially when you think about the fact that they are doing this high energy, explosive stunt while maintaining and focusing on safety for their own crew. It also showed that even with perfect planning, things do not always work out as planned as a stunt goes unexpectedly. All in all, a really fun addition to the DVD. The Comic-Con panel was fun as Bruce Campbell is so much fun to listen to. The panel members even mention just letting Bruce answer all the questions as he is working the crowd so well. It was truly a fun panel to watch.

Episode List

Disc One
Friends and Family
Question and Answer
End Run
Fearless Leader

Disc Two
Signals and Codes
The Hunter
Shots in the Dark
Friends Like These

Disc Three
Long Way Back
A Dark Road
Friendly Fire
Noble Causes

Disc Four
Dressed To Kill
Enemies Closer
Good Intentions
Devil You Know
Extras:
Smash, Crash, Boom: Inside the Burn Notice Stunt Unit
2009 San Diego Comic-Con International Panel

Burn Notice: Season Three from Twentieth Century Fox appeared on shelves on DVD on June 1, 2010. Grab a copy and feel the BURN! Ok, that was bad, but seriously check it out.

If you are interested, check out our review of Season One of Burn Notice here.

Remember check out this review and more from JAM at www.hollywoodteenzine.com for teens and tweens, and at www.jammoviereviews.blogspot.com for movies of all genres and ages.