Chris Chiarella

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Eragon—20th Century Fox
Chris Chiarella  |  Jun 19, 2007
By and large, dragons have had a tough time of it in Hollywood. Past attempts from Pete’s Dragon, to Dragonslayer, to Dragonheart—heck, even Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story—have failed to set the world on fire. Enter Eragon (based upon the popular book by Christopher Paolini), the latest cinematic tale of winged, flame-belching lizards and the humans who befriend them. There’s nothing really new in this sequel-ready fantasy/adventure: an evil king and his minions; the brave underdog resistance; a young hero who loses everything before coming of age. It all borrows a lot from the original Star Wars trilogy, while looking much like Lord of the Rings.
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Out Of The Blu
Escape with Disneynature Wings of Life and Pawn
Chris Chiarella  |  Apr 26, 2013
What do butterflies and birds, Oscar winners Meryl Streep and Forest Whitaker, and some Norwegian actors you never heard of all have in common?
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Essential Steve McQueen Collection—Warner Brothers
Chris Chiarella  |  Aug 26, 2005
In the simplest possible terms, Steve McQueen had "It." Truly, women wanted him, and men wanted to be him. Maybe it was the eyes, the sense of intensity he conjured, or the impression that he knew something we didn't. Or perhaps it was his physicality, the grace with which he performed his own stunts, combined with his ease and outright glee with props. Warner has assembled some hard evidence of the actor's elusive mystique in their recent Essential Steve McQueen Collection, a grouping of souped-up reissues and new-to-DVD titles.
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Forbidden Planet Ultimate Collector’s Edition—Warner Brothers
Chris Chiarella  |  Feb 05, 2007
Video: 4
Audio: 4
Extras: 4
A 1950s sci-fi classic, Forbidden Planet is a futuristic spin on William Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Fifty years later, it remains a fun and frightening cautionary tale of fathers, daughters, and hubris, replete with flying saucers, ray guns, and other technology far beyond our own.
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Get Smart: The Complete Series—Time Life
Chris Chiarella  |  Apr 13, 2007  |  Published: Mar 13, 2007
Get Back
Would you believe that Get Smart has returned on DVD? I don’t think we’ve ever reported on a TV title in the Reference Corner column before, and perhaps that’s because there are too few TV-on-DVD sets like this one.
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Hostel Unrated Widescreen Cut—Sony Pictures
Chris Chiarella  |  Apr 13, 2007  |  Published: Jul 13, 2006
Video: 3
Audio: 3
Extras: 4
OK now, I don’t say this very often, but this movie is messed up. It’s actually pretty good—don’t misunderstand—but this well-crafted tale of three impossibly obnoxious tourists on a budget takes many a dark twist, with lots of unapologetically graphic violence. It’s not for the faint of heart.
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King Kong Deluxe Extended Edition—Universal
Chris Chiarella  |  Feb 05, 2007
Video: 4
Audio: 4
Extras: 4
Peter Jackson not only creates elaborate special editions of his movies, he lets audiences know that bigger, better versions are in the works when the initial theatrical cuts first hit the store shelves so we can choose wisely. He did it with his Lord of the Rings trilogy and now with his King Kong remake, offering a subsequent director’s cut with new extras that complement the original release.
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King of the Hill: The Complete Third Season—20th Century Fox
Chris Chiarella  |  Apr 26, 2005
Video: 2
Audio: 2
Extras: 0
What's funny about a group of staid suburban Texans who take life much too seriously? Pretty much everything, as their Emmy Award–winning third season proves, from the all-time-great "And They Call It Bobby Love," with guest voice Sarah Michelle Gellar (the episode culminates in a cheer-out-loud eating contest), to the darkly comic skydiving mishap in the season finale.
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Lady and the Tramp 50th Anniversary Edition—Buena Vista
Chris Chiarella  |  Feb 02, 2007  |  Published: May 02, 2006
Video: 5
Audio: 4
Extras: 3
Disney’s love letter to dogs everywhere, Lady and the Tramp remains a sweet, funny adventure. This new 50th Anniversary Edition replaces the 1999 movie-only release, extensively restored, remixed, and remastered.
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Peter Pan Platinum Edition—Disney
Chris Chiarella  |  May 01, 2007  |  Published: Apr 01, 2007
Ah, to be young again. As Finding Neverland taught us, J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan is really for the kids, but the overwhelming charm of this tale about an ageless boy’s carefree adventures makes it pretty much irresistible for the rest of us. That was true of the original stage production and of Walt Disney’s 1953 animated adaptation, with perhaps only its clichd Hollywood depiction of Native Americans looking the worse for wear these many years later.
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