With a cast of comedians, Employee of the Month should be a non-stop laugh fest. It’s not. It’s a few scattered gags, one or two decent one-liners, and a corny romantic plot that stretches itself thin.

Dane Cook stars as a low level employee of Super Club. His goal is to sleep with the new cashier (Jessica Simpson) who apparently will only have sex with the employee of the month (seriously). This begins a rather unfunny competition between Cook and Dax Shepard, the current title holder.

Surrounded by Andy Dick, Tim Bagley, and Harland Williams, there’s no reason this movie isn’t funnier. Retail workers will be able to relate to some of the situations present, but the rest of the film heads towards ridiculous happenings simply to put Cook and Simpson on screen together. Much of the story feels contrived and forced, unsurprising given how predictable it can be. The writers had to find every way possible to reach the inevitable conclusion.

The cast works fine together to produce this low level romantic comedy, yet the movie never seems to find something to draw the audience in. Physical or spoken, the jokes simply don’t work. The dialogue also seems constrained by the PG-13 rating, and giving this cast the freedom to let go could have done wonders. As it stands, this is a forgettable clunker with little merit.

Movie ★★☆☆☆ 

With its bold color, Employee of the Month looks fine in HD. It doesn’t carry anything special, as detail is fine but not outstanding and the transfer is sharp yet not perfect. Thick, rich black levels create superb contrast. Long shots of the store maintain themselves without any noticeable compression or distortion. Somewhat heavy grain covers the entire movie, but it’s left intact.

Video ★★★★☆ 

Audio is completely unspectacular, though LionsGate offers DTS-HD and 5.1 EX options for it. The massive, bulk-selling store is consistently quiet without any activity in the surround channels. The soundtrack is flat and dialogue is always front loaded.

Audio ★★☆☆☆ 

Two commentaries are available, the first with Dane Cook and director Greg Coolidge, the second offering up Coolidge as a solo track. Assorted extras follow, all presented in HD. First up is a selection of deleted scenes, the first an alternate opening that shows a funny (and sadly quite true to life) retail training video. There’s a cameo from Eva Longoria as well.

A collection of R-rated bloopers are one of the better offerings here. They last for over five minutes. Two different ad-lib sections run for about six minutes total, the best coming from Harland Williams. This basically confirms how funny this movie could have been if they could have gone all the way with their gags as these brief clips are funnier than anything in the movie.

At Work with Lon is a short piece with Andy Dick in character working the vision center at the store. On Set Shenanigans is nothing but praise for the cast for close to five minutes. Beauty of Bulk and Men of Super Club follow the same path with everyone in character discussing their jobs. Both are worth watching with a runtime close to 15 minutes.

Extras ★★★☆☆ 

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Blu-ray Movie Review from : DoBlu.com

Employee of the Month Review

There’s something different about Stargate. Compared to the asinine, ridiculous, and brain-dead quality of Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin’s previous piece, Universal Soldier, Stargate is actually commendable. The less said of their films after this, with the sole exception of the city-destroying stupidity of Independence Day, the better.

Stargate’s first chapter details the discovery of an ancient Egyptian portal, which when activated can send humans across space to a distant planet. Here, a human civilization lives in slavery, forced to labor for an ancient alien which is the last of its kind.

Limited time is spent discussing the Stargate itself. As a summer popcorn movie, it just is. Once on the new planet, Cpt. Jack O’Neill (Kurt Russell) and Dr. Daniel Jackson (James Spader) begin their mission to investigate the area, but cannot reactivate the Stargate to return home.

This is where Stargate is surprising. Instead of finding the new civilization, revealing the enemy, and blowing up pyramids, the film chooses to stick with its compelling characters. It’s over an hour until the first action sequence. James Spader is excellent, delivering a performance that lets the audience grasp the Egyptian mythology, laugh at his antics, and create a fine finish that completes his character’s role.

Kurt Russell is also given some touching moments. A curious slave (Alexis Cruz) approaches Russell as he enjoys a cigarette. The slave begins to mimic his motions, before lighting his own cigarette, apparently leading to Russell’s own admission they’re not right for him. His hardened character is further allowed to break down during a similar sequence when he asks the native people where Spader’s character ran off. It’s a wonderful, charming way of easing the tension prior to the finale.

Despite some notably dated CG effects 15 years later, Stargate still creates an immersive environment through miniature and sets. The Egyptian guards, including Djimon Hounsou in one of his first roles, are impressive in their stature. Their animatronic heads are eerie, and somehow useful. The enemy is a legitimate threat, even as the slaves and US forces combine to stop their plan to blow up Earth.

Along with David Arnold’s wonderful musical themes, Stargate is complete entertainment. This is a surprisingly coherent script that leaves few, if any, questions when the admittedly cheesy “The End” card scales on-screen. The numerous TV spin-offs would fill in any blanks.

Movie ★★★★☆ 

Stargate was released numerous times on DVD, and will likely be handled the same way on Blu-ray. This initial release is fair, with the opening moments appearing scrubbed, delivering an unnatural smoothness. Given the natural film grain later, it’s hard to see DNR as the culprit, but likely the warm photography and slightly bleeding color.

Flesh tones are rather sickly throughout, and the transfer does deal with some noise problems, notably just past the hour mark inside the cave. Contrast is excellent, and the print used is free of damage that plagued prior efforts. Black levels are strong, and colors (especially the costumes of the Egyptian guards) are beautifully natural. Positives aside, detail is lacking and inconsistent, and besides the obvious sharpness and bitrate increase, the Special Edition DVD isn’t that far off.

Video ★★★☆☆ 

Lionsgate was late to the HD audio party, delivering a DTS-ES HR mix, coming in at 3.0 MBPS. Throbbing bass, whether from explosions or the spectacular trip through the Stargate, is notable. Fidelity is slightly off, straining lightly on the high end. Surprisingly, the surrounds are flat during heavy action.

The notable action sequence, that of two aircraft attacking the slave population, offers little in the way of surround action. While the craft do track as they move from the front to the back, their lasers are purely stuck in the front channels. The stereo effects are wonderful, but this is a disappointing and lacking mix.

Audio ★★★☆☆ 

Despite the DVD editions of the past, Stargate comes with a fine commentary from Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich, but that’s it.

Extras ★☆☆☆☆ 

Blu-ray Movie Review from : DoBlu.com

Stargate Review

The second in a trilogy of Paul Verhoeven’s bloody, violent, and over-the-top futuristic action films (joining Robocop and Starship Troopers), Total Recall is a blast. Though it released in 1990, Recall carries the pieces of the ‘80s action movie with pride. It relishes and capitalizes on them with resounding success… and enormous entertainment value.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is Quaid, a character with a penchant for hilarious one-liners every time he kills someone. His memory is gone, or at least he thinks it is. The audience stays as confused as he is, and the open ending leaves the final result up to the viewer.

Traveling to a war-torn Mars colony, Quaid sees it all. Killer midgets, mutants, loads of gore, and futuristic car chases amp up the audience. Recall is a glorious chase movie, one loaded with fun and a solid mystery to keep everyone guessing. The layer of dark comedic absurdity keeps the tone light, giving the film a style that firmly lands this into Verhoeven’s lap.

Iconic special effects headed by Rob Bottin (brought back from his stint designing Robocop) include the undeniably classic X-ray chase, crazy animatronic freaks, and of course the gratuitous violence are all his doing. Miniature work on the surface of Mars is truly a sight to see, and various matte effects still hold up nearly 20 years later.

Loaded with action and enough of a story to carry a two-hour narrative, Total Recall is one of the ‘90s best sci-fi efforts. It also ranks highly amongst Verhoeven’s American efforts, and there’s little doubt this is amongst the best on Schwarzenegger’s Hollywood resume as well. It’s rare to have this much fun with something this violent.

Movie ★★★★★ 

Though it has its share of problems, Total Recall manages to look better than expected in HD. Colors are bright, certainly a step above the DVD efforts. They haven’t faded with age. Detail can be flat, though there’s certainly enough to compensate for the age of the film. Black levels are steady and consistent. Compression artifacts are a hindrance to any exterior shot of Mars, or those featuring the distinctive red sky. Grain is noticeable but under control.

Audio ★★★★☆ 

Beefy explosions bring this compressed DTS-ES mix to life, especially after hearing some of the lower fidelity dialogue that begins the film. There are some unintentionally funny moments as Arnold punches foes, delivering a deeper shot of bass than most of the guns in the movie. Surround work is noticeable, though not consistent. The escalator shootout lacks any rear presence, while the bar battle is overloaded with all six channels finding work.

Audio ★★★★☆ 

The only extra, aside from a promo for other Blu-ray discs, is a brief five-and-a-half minute piece on Mars. There’s nothing here about the visuals or the original Phillip K. Dick story it was based on.

Extras ★☆☆☆☆ 

Blu-ray Movie Review from : DoBlu.com

Total Recall Review

There’s an audience for American Psycho. Anyone who doesn’t get every ounce of the satire, absurdity, and dialogue will be lost as to the appeal. Either way, it’s an uneven and confusing movie with a dark sense of humor that can be entertaining.

Christian Bale is the star here, and he makes the most out his portrayal of deranged killer Patrick Bateman. He’s campy, hilarious, and somehow absurdly believable as he slaughters his victims on and off screen. Reese Witherspoon is right behind him with her performance, though her role is sadly limited.

The movie isn’t so much a movie about a deranged killer as it is the culture around him. The ignorance of the inflated egos is twisted to the point where no one picks up on Bale’s madness. No one even hears Bale chasing a hooker down a flight of steps with a chainsaw roaring and the girl screaming. It’s not believable, and it’s not supposed to be in the sense of the movie’s world.

Humor is as dark as it gets, and off-putting to those not expecting it. Bale produces some classics, letting his opposite personality show through at inopportune times, while others brush the statements off as if they’re nothing. His way of twisting words makes for classic movie dialogue, both for sheer entertainment and in setting the tone.

American Psycho’s problem is one of clarity. The ending is convoluted and confusing. The commentary on the disc explains what was shot and what happened, but without this, the audience is left confused. This one is desperately seeking clarification in the script.

For fans of dark comedies, they rarely come better than this. It’s twisted, sick, and “laugh out loud” funny if your sense of humor is in the right place. American Psycho is also a pitch perfect satire of this subset of ‘80s culture. Confusing ending or not, there’s enough here to recommend.

Movie ★★★☆☆ 

On Blu-ray, the film barely rises above the quality of the DVD. For a film shot in 2000, the print exhibits extensive damage. Scratches are specks are everywhere. The transfer looks overly filtered, and garish edge enhancement is noticeable in nearly every scene. Deep blacks can’t hide any of these flaws. DNR ruins all detail. Aside from added sharpness thanks to the resolution increase, you’re not missing much by sticking with the DVD.

Video ★★☆☆☆ 

Audio ★★☆☆☆ 

Two commentaries, one with the director and the other with screenwriter Guinevere Turner (the latter who explains the ending), begin the extra features. There’s little reason the two couldn’t have combined for a single commentary track. Deleted scenes are available with commentary and cast insights, lasting for 12 minutes total. Finally, The ‘80s Downtown is a half hour look into the era, the styles, and the people.

Extras ★★☆☆☆ 

Blu-ray Movie Review from : DoBlu.com

American Psycho Review