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Anyone who it interested in the life and work of Roman Polanski will find this documentary fascinating. I knew very little of the scandal but I did hear he was not allowed in the USA to receive the Oscar he won. My facts were a little off. Turns out this genius is a broken man with a sordid history and and the doc reveals all. This one is not for everyone, but is is well made, and interesting especially for those who are naturally curious about these things. It did evoke some mixed feeling from me. Hope this is Helpful!

MonsterQuest is a fascinating and entertaining Nature Show produced by the History Channel and very well made. I enjoyed this as much (maybe even more than) the Future is Wild! -see review. This is not to be viewed as scientific fact but as speculation on behalf of the believers. No skeptics are going to be 'converted' with the sketchy questionable footage but some discoveries raise questions. Yes, questions which may remain unanswered, but certainly leave room for what if... I enjoyed some episodes much more than others. The Giant Squid seems much more believable to me than Sasquatch. I am very skeptical of some of the content and YET: I watched with keen interest to see the wild stories some eccentric believers had to tell and also some surprisingly thought provoking theories on behalf of the explorers and scientists. Cryptozoology is the study of "Hidden Animals" who's existence has not been substantiated. It is entertaining. You do not need to be a believer to enjoy this series but if you *are* already this may be the proof you need. For most of us, entertaining the idea of things that 'could maybe' be is simply fun. Thus, the theorists in many fields (paranormal / extraterrestrial). Why not in Nature? Do not rent this to be convinced! If that is your quest PASS on this series. Rent this to be entertained by how adamantly others believe and decide for yourself. If you can do that; then you will enjoy the series as much as I did. You decided. I hope this is Helpful!

Classic Cult Horror fans pay attention: This is a must see! This is targeted at a niche market who specifically appreciate these types of B movies. This Documentary is a Nostalgia fest, compilation of dozens of B movie horror classic trailers and clips. Many great scenes from horror favorites are collected here. Even more names dropped, of titles I remember or missed and need to re-visit. Night of the Living Dead, The Possession of Nurse Sherri, Dracula Vs. Frankenstein, Satan's Sadists, The Wasp Woman, and SO many more greats I remember and some I missed, like Naughty Stewardesses. Pen in hand, my Phatz' DRIVE-IN exploitation list is now over 200 titles. The fantastic interviews maybe 20 years old but these campy bad great titles haven't changed at all, so this Doc is as good as new today. With fascinating interviews with George Romero, Tom Savini, Forrest Ackerman, John A. Russo and more; narrated by James Karen it was everything a nostalgic horror fan could hope for. If you love the 60's 70's 80's Horror/exploitation classics don't miss this. If you missed the era and want a glimpse into the cult horror genre, check out this 84 minute history lesson on what you missed. Not for the squeamish! I have added about 30 titles to my queue that I must revisit or that I missed. Enjoy this gem! Hope this is Helpful!

Outlaw is an interesting movie. It is certainly worth watching once. I give it 3.5*s. The concept is great but the production value is barely adequate. Despite some amateur filming and low budget fights / kills; the movie had a very authentic grittiness to it. In-fact some of the violence seemed more documentary style and therefore more shocking than it would have if it was clearly a big budget motion picture 'make believe' feel. The story is closest to Green Street Hooligans in my mind. And it somewhat celebrates the act of violence. This is not be a universal ethical belief but I would have to say it works well for vicarious living, also known as entertainment =). There seemed to be a lack of great depth in the plot but... it was fun to watch and even sickly satisfying until you start to question where the line of vengeance and punishment cross over into senselessness. Not earth-shattering, but if you have time for an interesting violent film, (Green Street Hooligans meets Fight Club with a moral code as loose as the Punisher) then check this out. Not your thing? You may want to pass. Either way I hope this is Helpful!

Zathura is a fun thrill ride for the kids and myself as well. I can't help but to make the comparison to Jumanji; and I'll quickly admit Zathura is superior to Jumanji (10 years its predecessor). You will need to suspend disbelief and enter this fantasy with imagination and an open mind (comes naturally for the kids). In short the Zathura transports the 'very special' house into a universe controlled by the rules of the game. Why exactly they go floating through space is never answered clearly but it allows for some fun situations. My four year old thought the lizard men were a bit scary but she loved em anyway. There is a little bit of unnecessary language for a PG film but that aside the two boys are really quite good kid actors. Dax Shepard plays the astronaut (though not as funny as Without a Paddle). The movie has some laughs. It has a good moral, a lesson to love your family and great CGI that will entertain all age groups. Enjoy! Hope this is Helpful!

2.5* Oh Crap Shoot!! Ken Close is supposedly a genius brainiac making a wanna-be "documentary" about what it takes to make a great film / blockbuster. The problem is that he tries SO hard to inject the film with far too much dry humor that falls *completely* flat, that it kills much of what could have been a fascinating scientific Documentary. As a film geek, I was interested in the science behind why people love specific movies and types of movies. He started into the brain's chemical responses to pain and pleasure the beta-endorphins produced and more. But the week mockumentary feel made the legitimate facts loose all credibility. He also showed that it was entirely scripted and in fact he was not true statistics at all. If this was supposed to be funny it failed. Then he used other gimmicks like: the girl who's brain they were monitoring was standing in her underwear. OK so I like scantily-clad ladies as much as the next guy but the credibility is lost completely. There were many attempts at spoofing other documentaries. Maybe a jab or two at Michael Moore's The Big One and Cooperation were slightly amusing. There is another jab at SuperSize Me and a couple other Docs; but overall I would have preferred a more authentically scientific Documentary, OR a truly hilarious Mocumentary but this tried both and seemed to miss the mark. The day it released on DVD NF also made it available on Instant Watching. Well, for me it was odd enough that it was actually worth a free view on IW but had I wasted a slot on my queue for it, I'd be bit more perturbed. So check it out, at your own risk; don't say I didn't warn you. =) Hope this is Helpful!

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium is a whimsical tale of magic and friendship; personal discovery and self efficacy. A tale of life and of love and of death. It is real. There is sadness, but ultimately it is BEAUTIFUL! The playful nature requires you to look through a child's eyes. Why is there a zebra in the bedroom? Because; period. =) Fun abounds, with entertaining puppets and simple CGI it may not wow you, but my whole family was entertained. Props for appealing to the kids, wife and myself. Hoffman is an off-kilter eccentric and seemed like any minute we was going to admit to being Martian, but alas as Magic as he is, his time must end and his legacy must be passed on. Struggling, young, depressed, Molly Mahoney (Natalie Portman) needs to find the magic inside herself to fill Magorium large shoes. FAITH. Just believe in the magic. Predictable? Sure. But entertaining throughout. Kid actor Zach Mills is adorable. This is a family film you will all enjoy. Yes, be aware, if you have not talked about death with the kids the subject comes up, but it is tactful (and it is never too early to have the conversation). It takes nothing away from the great dazzle and sizzle of this colorful family film. Enjoy! Hope this is Helpful!

Oban Star-Racers: Vol. 2: The Oban Cycle is very fun family friendly Anime. There is more focus on racing then on fighting and none of the violence is gruesome. While this is not targeted at children I was comfortable watching it in there presence and still fully enthralled. the animation is great at times and cheesy at others but overall it is a fun series very worth watching. This Along with Avatar Air Bender, are what I consider to be good Starter Anime for someone not sure about the genre yet. and also sufficient for Anime Veterans. Enjoy! Hope this is Helpful!

For a movie I knew nothing about (and had never even heard of) this was surprisingly entertaining. It is very similar to the movie Best Men in several ways but change the wedding to a graduation and make the scale in this one much smaller (also eliminated some great stars replace with newcomers). So what does 'Graduation' have going for it? It hard to say exactly why the characters are charming and likable. The script is not completely original. The acting is a bit melodramatic at times. The budget feel a bit tight. Nothing impressive happens and yet it left me VERY satisfied. If you are selecting only the best of the best for your queue skip this one. I am certain some people are going to have issue with the production value and the acting. This feels like decent Independent Film to me with a tight budget but they did what they could. If you are looking for something that has missed mainstream and has a very understated tone, interesting characters (and in short is an intriguing High School Heist film); give this one a shot. Hope this is Helpful!

This is an interesting version of the Jekyll & Hyde story. Of the many movies and adaptations of the story this one is certainly very modified/altered and "updated." The injection he takes in this version is nano-bots. The location is Los Angeles. And there are many other changes too; including things like Hyde having his own apartment to rape a torture girls. It is pretty sick like that. Tony Todd is really pretty good as both characters. The transformation from Jekyll to Hyde is not too bad of an effect. There are many flaws and some really bad bloody prosthetics. The number one problem though is, the two cops in this film are *TERRIBLE!* Their acting is rigid and choppy. Their lines are over top and ridiculous. Everything about the two detectives needs to be removed from the movie to even make it tolerable. The other cast members are not great either but they are not as bad (and next to the stand out 'sore thumb' characters) they all look tolerable enough. The murders and the blood are done with low budget campy film tricks and fake costume blood. A bit ridiculous! All in all, there was some good scenes, but *only a very few* redeeming attributes. The idea was a good one, but the poor direction and effects were just too much to look past, despite Todd's best effort. I always try to find the good in a movie. There was some; but so little that I really can NOT recommend the movie unless you are a huge Tony Todd fan; OR if you are a big fan of the Jekyll and Hyde story and you feel the need to see this current remake, (even though it does no justice to the original story). Hope this is Helpful!