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By Keith Gibson

“Up” is the latest, and perhaps funniest, masterpiece from Pixar. “Up” - the story of an ill-tempered old man and a boy-scout stowaway who travel to a far-away land in South America - is the studio’s 10th film, and fittingly so.

The first five minutes of the film is nothing short of perfect; it is an emotional rollercoaster that provides the origin of Carl Fredricksen, the grumpy, elderly protagonist, and his motivation for the film. Pixar shows much maturity in handling several intense, complex moments during these first few minutes.

The film wears many different hats in the genre department equally well. Indie-adventure. Grand, sweeping epic. Heartfelt comedy. It handles all with aplomb and honesty.

The villain’s entrance is no sooner than an hour into the picture, but it does not feel late in the least. In many animated films, the villain is the weakest piece of the film, but that is not the case here; the villain is set up properly and its turning point is handled splendidly.

In my opinion, the weakest part of the film (if there is such a thing in its case) was the ridiculousness of the talking canines toward the end of the film. Their use of human technologies left me scratching my head, as it defied the setup that their only extraordinary ability was that of human speech.

There are many different levels to the film and its themes, such as the correlation between Carl and the “Snipe” Doug. Both attempt to isolate themselves from civilization, but are unable to do so as society seeks to detain them.

At its core, “Up” is a love story. Not merely between Carl and his wife, Elie, either. It is love for adventure, love for innocence and the protection of both. It is arguably the best film made in the studio’s short history, gracefully taking its place alongside other heavyweights such as “Wall-E,” “Toy Story,” and “Finding Nemo.”

“Up” is now playing in theaters.

By Brendan Eddy

I was killing time on the Internet watching movie trailers, a pastime that occupies way more of my day than it should, and as I flipped through the summer movies I was struck by the huge number of films that are either sequels or adaptations of existing material. I started to do the math in my head and realized that literally billions of dollars were being spent turning existing content into feature films.

I had to ask myself, with such a wide variety of stories (and such a wide variety of formats in which to deliver them to the audience) why is the theatrically released film still the only avenue that’s considered viable for A-list entertainment?

Now, I’m not even talking about games, music or even books. Those are mediums in their own right, but if we just talk about the “traditional visual story” the kind we see in film and television, there are still a lot of options that seem to be totally underutilized.

In the ’60s and ’70s film and TV were really the means of visual story telling.  Movies delivered spectacle and an evening out, while TV delivered a serial story which could be followed weekly. At the time VHS and Beta became a new way to see movies, but the formats never really flourished independently, meaning there was never really any “direct to video” content that didn’t epicly suck.

Movies would come out in a theatre and then a while later they came out on tape so you could watch them again and again.

The weird thing is this is the same model we still use today; something is released in the theater and after a while it’s available to watch at home, But now “at home” can mean DVD, BluRay, iTunes, Hulu, and a cadre of other delivery systems.

So here is the thing that gets me…why, if we have all of these ways to view media are we only watching content that’s formatted for a 22-minute slot of television or 90-plus minutes of film?

When I think of the range of stories being told I just think that I would like something that was actually designed to be viewed the way I’m going to view it. For me a series of 10-minute X-men episodes that I can watch on my iPhone would be way more appealing than going to a theater to watch another movie about superheroes. Not to mention that in a short-format series each character could get the attention they deserve over the course of many episodes, as opposed to getting their obligatory three minutes of screen time.

The major obstacle for the creators of this content is money. The advantage of making a single piece of content that can be sold in multiple different formats is that the investment is made once, but the benefits can return many times over the lifetime of the product.

These investments aren’t cheap. A Hollywood blockbuster costs hundreds of millions of dollars to produce and market. Wouldn’t it make more sense to spend that money over a longer period of time and test the success of a property before putting all of the studios financial eggs in one basket?

The real answer is, I don’t know. There are a lot of very smart, very rich people making films these days and I’m not claiming to have figured out anything. Nevertheless, I would love to see content made in the future that is more directly marked and delivered towards new media audiences.

The Cusp is a serial killer who kills his victims and then brings them back to life; over and over again; until they beg to die; Maya is a psychic investigator who gained her powers after a 1- year coma after she was the Cusp’s first victim. Now the Cusp killer is back and Maya has little time to do what she has never done before, go into the mind of a killer unprotected, and save his latest victim.

From Director, Tim Iacofano, “The Cell 2″ stars Chris Bruno and Frank Whaley in this terrifying follow-up to 2000’s The Cell.

Get ready to re-live the horror when “Friday the 13th” arrives on Blu-ray and DVD on June 16 from Warner Home Video in the extended Killer Cut with even more suspense, wild times, and more of the infamous killer Jason Voorhees.  From the producers of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, comes a chilling reimagining of the classic horror film.

Searching for his missing sister, Clay Miller heads to the eerie woods of legendary Crystal Lake, where he stumbles on the creaky remains of rotting old cabins behind moss-covered trees.  And that’s not all.  Against the advice from locals, Clay pursues what few leads he has with the help of Jenna and a group of college kids who are up for a getaway weekend. But little do they know, they’ve entered the domain of one of the most terrifying specters in American film history–the infamous killer who haunts Crystal Lake, armed with a razor-sharp machete…Jason Voorhees.

From Director, Marcus Nispel (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) Friday the 13th stars Jared Padalecki (TV’s Gilmore Girls, TV’s Supernatural), Danielle Panabaker (TV’s Shark, Sky High), Amanda Righetti (Role Models, TV’s The O.C.), Willa Ford (TV’s Dancing with the Stars) and Derek Mears as Jason.
Friday the 13th - Killer Cut will be available on Blu-ray for $35.99 and on single disc DVD for $28.98.

On June 16, “Friday the 13th” will also be available ON DEMAND through Digital Cable, Satellite TV, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 game consoles and it can be downloaded for rental or purchase on iTunes and Amazon Video On Demand.  The Killer Cut will be available exclusively for purchase on iTunes, PlayStation 3 game consoles and Amazon.

The “Friday the 13th” Theatrical Cut DVD contains the following special features:

• Theatrical Feature Film (98 min)
• Digital Copy Online for $1.99

The “Friday the 13th” Killer Cut DVD contains the following special features:

• Extended Feature Film (109 min)
• Bonus Features

o Rebirth of Jason Vorhees - An in-depth look at the reintroduction of a Horror Legend.  Hear from cast and crew as they detail the development of this new Jason, from the early “sack head” Jason, through the development of the new “hockey mask” look.
o Additional Scenes
o Digital Copy Online for $1.99
The Friday the 13th Killer Cut Blu-ray Disc contains the following special features:

• Theatrical Feature Film (98 min)
• Extended Cut (109 min)
• Bonus Features

o Rebirth of Jason Vorhees - In-depth look at the reintroduction of a Horror Legend.  Hear from cast and crew as they detail the development of this new Jason, from the early “sack head” Jason, through the development of the new “hockey mask” look.
o Additional Scenes
o PIP with Trivia Track - Test your knowledge of the blood, guts, and gore with a trivia track spanning the entire franchise, featuring exclusive behind the scenes footage from the film. (RT: Duration of the film)
o Hacking Back / Slashing Forward - Take a look back at what made the original Friday the 13th one of the most successful horror franchises in film history.  Listen to the cast as they share their memories from the original film and hear why it was important to give the series a fresh start, while honoring the classic elements from the original.
o The 7 Best Kills - On the set with Jason, the victims, and filmmakers giving a comprehensive look at how all the blood will be shed! (RT: 15:00) (Play All and Individually Selectable)

• BD Live:

o Sneak peak of upcoming horror Trick R Treat
o Share your Friday the 13th passion through My Commentary
o Organize a viewing party with Live Community Screening

• Digital Copy On Disc

By Cynthia Momdjian

No words could describe how I felt after viewing the season finale of my favorite CW TV show, “Gossip Girl.”  The amazing story line had me laughing, cheering, and crying! Here’s a wrap up of what happened, just in case you missed it…

While trying to get over her recent arrest, Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively) along with the rest of the Upper East Siders get ready to graduate from their “home away from home,” high school. Surprise, surprise, the beloved Gossip Girl, won’t let them get away from the legacies they are leaving behind.

During the commencement ceremony, Gossip Girl completely degrades the dream team by sending out a highly offensive mass text message. Oh, and we can’t forget about little old Jenny Humphrey (Taylor Momsen), she’s trying to become the new “queen” of Constance Billard. But, not so fast Jenny, she needs to uncover the juiciest secret of all to take on that oh so important position. In an effort to save the day, Serena embarks on a mission to uncover the true Gossip Girl and bring an end to all the gossip and rumors.

As she gets more involved to find the woman with all the secrets, Gossip Girl reveals all the dirty little secrets that each of the characters had carefully concealed during the season. This little hiatus also ruins Jenny’s quest to become royalty at Constance. Meanwhile, Rufus Humphrey (Matthew Settle) and Lily van der Woodsen (Kelly Rutherford) make amends and patch-up their rocky relationship. Finally! Blair also appoints Jenny to continue her lineage, something I can’t wait to see next season.

When all the cats are out of the bag, the story begins to come to an end, which leads to my favorite part….when Chuck Bass (Ed Westwick) professes his LOVE for Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester)…and not just once, ladies and gentlemen, numerous times!!! I think all the GG fans were either screaming or crying for this part! But, we can forget about the rest of the cast. Nate (Chace Crawford), and Vanessa (Jessica Szohr) embark on their long-awaited backpacking trip to Europe while Dan (Pen Badgely) unknowingly meets his long-lost brother. Shocker! Serena also receives a lead in her search for her birthfather.

Asher Roth was right in saying “Man, I love college,”….I can’t WAIT until next season as another OMFG season of “Gossip Girl” is coming soon….Until then, XOXO!

“The Goodbye Gossip Girl” Pictured: Leighton Meester as Blair and Blake Lively as Serena. Photo Credit: Giovanni Rufino / The CW© 2009 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Experience a tour de force this June 9 when “Gran Torino” arrives on Blu-ray and DVD from Warner Home Video. Directed by four-time Academy Award® winner Clint Eastwood (Million Dollar Baby, Unforgiven), “Gran Torino” follows Walt Kowalski (Eastwood) as he comes to understand certain truths about his soul that have been walled off since the war.

Multiple Academy Award winner Clint Eastwood stars in the drama “Gran Torino”, marking his first film role since the Oscar-winning Million Dollar Baby. Eastwood stars as an iron-willed and inflexible Korean War veteran, living in a changing world, who is forced by his immigrant neighbors to confront his own long-held prejudices.

“Gran Torino” is the proud recipient of a Golden Globe^TM nomination this year for Best Original Song.  “Gran Torino” also won Best Actor (Clint Eastwood) and Best Original Screenplay (Nick Schenk) honors from the National Board of Review.  Clint Eastwood was also honored with a Best Actor nomination from Chicago Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Film Critics Association.

“Gran Torino” will be available on Single Disc for $27.95 in widescreen format.  The Blu-ray Disc will be available for $34.99

On June 9 “Gran Torino” will also be available ON DEMAND through Digital Cable, Satellite TV, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 game consoles and it can be downloaded for rental or purchase on iTunes and Amazon Video On Demand.

DVD ELEMENTS

The “Gran Torino” DVD contains the following special features:
o “Manning the Wheel” (RT 9:21) - a look at the American car culture and what it represents to the character Walt and to generations of men.
o “”Gran Torino”: More Than a Car” (RT 3:55) - Visit Detroit and the Woodward Dream Cruise, an annual parade of vintage cars held at the major cruise center in Detroit during the 50’s and 60’s.

The “Gran Torino” Blu-ray Disc contains the following special features:

o “The Eastwood Way” (RT 19:14) - explore the entirety of the film from the dual perspective of the actor and the director.
o “Manning the Wheel” (RT 9:21) - a look at the American car culture and what it represents to the character Walt and to generations of men.
o “”Gran Torino”: More Than a Car” (RT 3:55) - Visit Detroit and the Woodward Dream Cruise, an annual parade of vintage cars held at the major cruise center in Detroit during the 50’s and 60’s.
o BD Live: Jamie Cullum music video performance of original song “”Gran Torino”" written by Clint Eastwood.

By Sandra Kraisirideja

Looking for laughs this weekend? Stick with “The Hangover” and pass “Land of the Lost,” which both open Friday.

“The Hangover” has been getting great word of mouth and the early buzz has been positive. It’s got deliciously funny dialogue delivered by a quartet of actors who know a thing or two about comedy.

The bro-comedy, directed by Todd Phillips (”Old School”) from a script by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore (”Ghosts of Girlfriends Past”) follows the misadventures of three friends- recovering from an epic bachelor party in Las Vegas-as they search for the groom who has mysteriously disappeared.

The friends-Phil Wenneck (Bradley Cooper), Stu Price (Ed Helms), Alan Garner (Zach Galifianakis), and Doug Billings (Justin Bartha)-all have different backgrounds and their friendship is the kind that has been forged over many years. The exception is Galifianakis’ character, Alan, who is the brother of the bride and somewhat of an idiot savant. His social awkwardness presents a great deal of laughs. Expect to see Galifianakis in many more movies if “The Hangover” exceeds box office predictions.

“The Hangover” is that rare movie that seems to get by Hollywood suits and number crunchers on its way to completion. It’s an R-rated comedy starring relatively unknown actors with a story that doesn’t involve robots, aliens, magical sorcerers or natural disasters. It’s a miracle this movie ever got made. Did I mention Heather Graham and Mike Tyson have supporting roles?

Unlike “Very Bad Things,” that other movie about a bachelor party in Vegas gone horribly wrong, “The Hangover” is not a black comedy. The mood is light and the relative danger never goes beyond a few bruises and bumps.

“The Hangover” is unique because its story starts the morning after the bachelor party. The audience witnesses the aftermath and follows the characters along as they try to sort out what happened to their friend. This is much funnier and entertaining then watching it all unfold. When the hotel valet pulls up to the boys with a cop car, the gag works because the audience has the same “WTF?!” thought that is expressed on the character’s faces. How does a person steal a police car? What were the events leading up to that?

The sordid details of that night are finally revealed to the audience–and the characters since nobody remembers what happened–during the end credits, when a slideshow of photos from a recovered digital camera are shown. The photos may bring back fond memories or horrible flashbacks for anyone who has ever had a wild weekend in Vegas.

Despite all of the antics and craziness in “The Hangover,” this movie is about male friendship. The kind that is nurtured and developed in ways women may never understand. If there is any subtext it may be that men who need to let out a little steam in Las Vegas always come home to their wives happy and thankful for what they have.

If there’s one negative about the movie it’s how these male-centric comedies always seem to feature one woman in the “bitch” role. She’s nagging, overbearing, controlling and easily provoked. In “The Hangover” this role belongs to Rachael Harris as Stu’s longtime girlfriend, Melissa. Even other women would find her behavior intolerable. Do women like this really exist? And if they did, would a guy have the courage to tell his friend that he’s dating Medusa?

On the low end of the laugh meter is “Land of the Lost,” starring Will Ferrell, Danny McBride, Anna Friel and Jorma Taccone. It’s loosely based on the TV series of the same name that aired from 1974-76. Where the TV series was a drama the movie is a flat-out comedy that borrows character names from the show and certain plot element, but that’s where the similarities end.

“Land of the Lost” is plagued with mediocre jokes and sight gags. The dialogue is juvenile and the few laughs that are generated quickly fade.

A 10-year-old girl sets out to befriend a beautiful wild fox she names Lily and bit by bit, in woods and fields blanketed by snow and carpeted by wildflowers, the girl and Lily build an extraordinary friendship as the fox leads her human companion on adventures bold, funny and even sometimes scary.

Filmmaker Luc Jacquet follows his Academy Award-winning “March of the Penguins” with another enduring tale of nature. A life-affirming story, astonishing vistas and warm narration by Kate Winslet (Titanic, Revolutionary Road) make “Fox and the Child” a share-and-share-again family event.

From Director, Luc Jacquet, Fox and the Child stars Bertille Noel-Bruneau, Thomas Laliberte and features narration from Academy Award winner, Kate Winslet.

A group of young defense attorneys and prosecutors learn it’s easier to balance the scales of justice than a lawyer’s personal and private lives in “”Raising the Bar: The Complete First Season”", coming to DVD on June 2 from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. The latest sensational courtroom drama from 10-time Emmy Award(r) winning executive producer Steven Bochco (”NYPD Blue,” “L.A. Law,” “Hill Street Blues”), “Raising the Bar: The Complete First Season” follows a dedicated group of public defenders and district attorneys as they do battle for justice, while trying to maintain their personal relationships.

Featuring all 10 Season One episodes, this three-disc set also includes exclusive-to-DVD bonus features that give fans a special look inside and outside of the courtroom. “Raising the Bar: The Complete First Season” debuts in time for fans to catch up and enjoy before the critically acclaimed television series begins its second season.

“Raising the Bar: The Complete First Season” features one of television’s most talented ensemble casts, including Mark-Paul Gosselaar (”NYPD Blue”), Golden Globe(r) and Emmy(r) nominee Jane Kaczmarek (”Malcolm in the Middle”), Gloria Reuben (”ER” ), Currie Graham (”Desperate Housewives”), Melissa Sagemiller (”Sleeper Cell”), Teddy Sears (”Ugly Betty”), Currie Graham (”Boston Legal”), Natalia Cigliuti (”All My Children”), and J. August Richards (”Conviction”).

The Season One premiere of Raising the Bar boasted the highest rated cable debut in history. Critics lavished praise on the series, with Multichannel News givingit “Three & a half stars,” and calling it “a very fast-paced and entertaining show.” “Tightly written,” raves Bloomberg News, praising the series’ “vibrant characters,” and declaring, “this show has addiction potential!”

Bonus Features

• Behind the Bar: An After-Hours Roundtable with the Cast
• Sworn Testimony: True Stories of a Public Defender
• Mistrials: Bloopers from Season One
• Audio Commentaries with the cast and crew

Five military spouses grapple with family crises, scandalous rumors and heartbreaking deployments in Army Wives: The Complete Second Season, coming to DVD on June 2 from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. Season Two of the critically acclaimed and highly rated Lifetime series teems with more of the intrigue, romance and rivalry that have put Army Wives at the top of television’s must-watch list. The 5-disc set containing all 19 one-hour episodes delivers even more excitement and surprises with revealing, exclusive-to-DVD bonus features. Behind the scenes interviews with the cast offer intriguing insight into the lives of the Army Wives just in time for the June 2009 Season Three premiere.

From executive producers Mark Gordon (”Grey’s Anatomy”) and Katherine Fugate, Army Wives: The Complete Second Season is both shocking and poignant as it tells the story of the loyalty, love and unbreakable bonds that sustain families through the sacrifices demanded by military life. The gifted cast includes Catherine Bell (”JAG,” Bruce Almighty), Kim Delaney (”NYPD Blue,” “CSI: Miami”), Brigid Brannagh (”Over There”), Wendy Davis and Sally Pressman.

In its first two seasons, Army Wives has become a “Must-See Series” according to TV Guide. US Weekly says the show “Deserves a salute for its hearty female roles” and The Boston Herald declares: “It’s easy to understand why Army Wives is the highest-rated show in Lifetime’s history.”

Bonus Features

• Active Duty: The Cast of Army Wives at Fort Bragg
• Operational Intelligence: Getting the Army’s Support
• The Tribe: Behind the Scenes with the cast
• Army Wives Gives Back
• Deleted Scenes
• Bloopers
• Audio Commentaries