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The Faculty
Science Fiction & Fantasy Jordana Brewster, Clea DuVall, Laura Harris (II), Josh Hartnett, Shawn Hatosy, Elijah Wood, Salma Hayek, Famke Janssen, Piper Laurie, Christopher McDonald, Bebe Neuwirth, Usher Raymond, Robert Patrick, Jon Stewart, Daniel von Bargen Robert Rodriguez
Okay, you knew everyone in high school was just a little different: everyone looked at you strangely, the teachers were freaky, and you never could find the right groove to fit into. What if it turned out that it was all because your school was inhabited by creepy aliens from outer space? That's the enjoyably cheesy B-premise for this fun and scary flick from the pen of "Scream"'s Kevin Williamson, the master of the post-modern teen horror film. Directed by Robert Rodriguez ("El Mariachi"), it's "The Breakfast Club" meets "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", as six disparate students from Herrington High School band together when they discover that an alien life form is invading both the student and faculty bodies, with plans to take over the world.
Each of the heroes represents a different high school type: popular babe (Jordana Brewster), picked-on geek (Elijah Wood), goth girl (Clea DuVall), sensitive jock (Shawn Hatosy), new kid in town (Laura Harris), and bad-boy rebel (Josh Hartnett). The plot isn't much--a basic kill-or-be-killed premise spiked with a healthy shot of paranoia--but Willliamson and Rodriguez do a great job of building the tension slowly but surely. The suspense set pieces are genuinely frightening, and the film pokes fun at itself without deflating its scares; Williamson is a master at shifting gears from comedy to horror quickly and adroitly. The young cast doesn't have a weak link among them (with special kudos to Wood, DuVall and heartthrob-in-the-making Hartnett), and Rodriguez gets maximum mileage from the titular faculty, which includes Jon Stewart, Piper Laurie, Salma Hayek, Bebe Neuwirth, and Robert Patrick of "Terminator 2". Go to the head of the class, Mr. Williamson. "--Mark Englehart"

Family Guy - Happy Freakin' Xmas
Comedy Seth MacFarlane, Alex Borstein, Mila Kunis, Seth Green
I am a big Famiy Guy fan, I own all the seasons boxsets. Therein lyes the problem. This DVD is one great big fat cash-in. I bought this thinking there would be a shiny bright new episode for me to watch at least but no it's two episodes that I already own. The only reason to get this DVD is if you are new to Family Guy.

Family Guy - Season 2
Comedy Seth MacFarlane, Alex Borstein, Seth Green, Mila Kunis, Lori Alan, Drew Barrymore, Noel Blanc, John G. Brennan, Mike Henry, Gary Janetti Pete Michels, Peter Shin
The second series of Seth MacFarlane's animated sitcom "Family Guy" continues with its own brand of acerbic pop-culture satire mixed with gleefully tasteless comedy. Even though the chaotic Griffin household bears more than a passing resemblance to "The Simpsons", and their neighbours are uncannily like those from "King of the Hill", the show's combination of extended flashbacks, surreal fantasy sequences and delightful non sequiturs ("Math, my dear boy, is nothing more than the lesbian sister of biology") refreshes the familiar formula. And any show that features Adam "Batman" West guest starring as the demented Mayor of Quahog must score points for bizarre originality.
Highlights of the 15 episodes here include Peter discovering his feminine side ("I Am Peter, Here Me Roar"), Stewie and Brian on an eventful road trip ("Road to Rhode Island"), Peter annexing his neighbour's pool and inviting the world's dictators round for a barbeque ("E Peterbus Unum") and, as a bonus episode, the irreverent "When You Wish Upon a Weinstein", which was deemed "too offensive for TV". It may be lowbrow scatological farce, but unlike its big-screen live-action cousins (think Farrelly Brothers), "Family Guy" is always warm-hearted and never vicious.
On the DVD: "Family Guy, Series 2" is spread across two discs that boast Dolby 5.1 sound but standard 4:3 picture. There's no "Play All" facility (something else this release has in common with "The Simpsons" on DVD) and there are no extras other than the "bonus" episode. --"Mark Walker"

Family Guy, Series 1
Comedy Seth MacFarlane, Alex Borstein, Seth Green Pete Michels, Peter Shin
"Family Guy" shouldn't work at all. Even by the witless standards of modern television, it is breathtakingly derivative: does an animated series about the travails of a boorish, suburban yob with a saintly wife, a hopeless son, a clever daughter and a baby sound familiar at all? Even the house in "Family Guy" looks like it was built by the same architects who sketched the residence of "The Simpsons".
However, "Family Guy" does work, transcending its (occasionally annoyingly) obvious influences with reliably crisp writing and the glorious sight gags contained in the surreal flashbacks which punctuate the episodes. Most importantly, the show's brilliance comes from two absolutely superb characters: Stewie, the baby whose extravagant dreams of tyrannising the world are perpetually thwarted by the prosaic limitations of infanthood, and the urbane family dog Brian--Snoopy after attendance at an obedience class run by Frank Sinatra. "Family Guy" does not possess the cultural or satirical depth of "The Simpsons"--very little art in any field does. But it is a genuinely funny and clever programme. --"Andrew Mueller"

Family Guy, Series 3
Comedy Seth MacFarlane, Alex Borstein, Seth Green, Mila Kunis, Lori Alan, Drew Barrymore, Noel Blanc, John G. Brennan, Mike Henry, Gary Janetti Pete Michels, Peter Shin
The third and final season of Seth MacFarlane's late, lamented "Family Guy" finds television's most dysfunctional cartoon family even more animated than usual. As MacFarlane himself noted, he was inspired to go for broke, thinking that the series--already juggled like a hot potato in the US TV schedules (at one point, it aired opposite the mighty "Friends")--had been cancelled. Just as "This Is Spinal Tap" walked the fine line between "clever and stupid", so "Family Guy" gleefully mocks the line between "edgy and offensive".
Like "The Simpsons", "Family Guy" lends itself to multiple viewings to catch each densely packed episode's way-inside "one-percenter" gags (so-called by the creators because that is the percent of the audience who will get them), scattershot pop-culture references, surreal leaps and gratuitous pot shots at everyone from, predictably, Oprah, Kevin Costner and Bill Cosby to, unpredictably, Rita Rudner. Also like its Springfield counterpart, this series benefits from a great ensemble voice cast, with surprising contributions from a no-less-stellar roster of guest stars. "--Donald Liebenson"

Father Ted - The Very Best Of Father Ted
Comedy Andy DeEmmony, Declan Lowney
Is it a sitcom? Is it a serious documentary about the Catholic priesthood? No, it's "Father Ted". Right-thinking people everywhere cheered in the 1980s as "The Young Ones" beat the sitcom format senseless, yet the once twee genre returned reinvigorated in the 90s, first as "Men Behaving Badly" (1991-98), then the affably surreal "Father Ted". Ted's the normal one, as evidenced by his moving Song for Europe entry, "My Lovely Horse"--a modern classic if ever there wasn't one. In total there are five cassock-splittingly funny episodes of C4's finest comedy on "The Very Best of Father Ted". Gasp as "poor idiot boy" Father Dougal becomes a rollerblading fiend in "Cigarettes And Alcohol And Rollerblading"; be amazed as super Ted saves Craggy Island from an deadly milk-float in the stunning blockbuster sequel "Speed 3" (well, it's faster and more fun than " Speed 2"); fall off the window-sill as devoted housekeeper Mrs Doyle utters the line that's almost Shakespearean in its sublimity, "Cup of tea, Father?". Meanwhile, Father Jack doesn't need an excuse to hit the bottle (or smash one over someone's head) in any episode. Not saying Mass has probably never been so much fun. "--Gary S. Dalkin"

Fawlty Towers - Complete Fawlty Towers
Comedy John Cleese, Prunella Scales, Andrew Sachs, Connie Booth
Featuring all of the 12 episodes of fawlty towers this is pretty much essential comedy featuring john cleese as a madcap hotel owner in perhaps the worst hotel in the world and how cleese struggles with his over zealous wife,a waiter called manuel whos grasp on english is hopeless and who gets many a hiding from basil (cleese).
The series started in 1975 and is hardly surprising that it was based on a stay that the monty pyton team had in a hotel,each episode is pretty much gold and has great laugh out moments,like i said only 12 episodes were made and thats because they wanted the show to go out on a high leaving fans crying for more rather than burn itself out,classic comedy at its finest.

Final Destination
Thriller Devon Sawa, Ali Larter, Kerr Smith, Tony Todd, Kristen Cloke, Seann William Scott, Daniel Roebuck, Roger Guenveur Smith, Chad Donella, Amanda Detmer, Brendan Fehr, Forbes Angus, Lisa Marie Caruk, Christine Chatelain, Barbara Tyson James Wong (IV)
While hardly a spiritual upgrade of the slasher film, this high-concept teen body-count thriller drops hints of "The Sixth Sense" into the smart-alec sensibility of "Scream". Helmed by "X Files" veteran James Wong, who co-wrote the screenplay with long-time creative partner Glen Morgan, "Final Destination" is an often entertaining thriller marked by an unsettling sense of unease and scenes of eerie imagery. It suffers, however, from a schizophrenic tone and a frankly ludicrous premise. A high school Cassandra, Alex Browning (Devon Sawa of "Idle Hands"), wakes from a pre-flight nightmare and panics when he is convinced the plane is doomed. His ruckus bumps seven passengers from the Paris-bound plane, which immediately explodes into a fireball on takeoff, but fate hasn't finished with these lucky few and, one by one, death claims them. Wong brings such a funereal tone to these early scenes of survivor's guilt and inevitable doom that the already far-fetched film threatens to veer into unplanned absurdity. Thankfully, the tale loosens up with a playful morgue humour: one of the victims winds up the splattered punch line to a grim joke and elaborate Rube Goldbergesque chains of cause and effect become inspired spectacles of destruction. "Final Destination" is a pretty silly thriller when it takes itself seriously, and the filmmakers play fast and loose with their own rules of fate, but once they stick their tongues firmly in cheek, the film takes off with a screwy interpretation of the domino effect of doom. --"Sean Axmaker"
On the DVD: A superb commentary from writer Jeffrey Reddick, director James Wong and producer Glen Morgan goes into great detail about the film's background. From the team's involvement with "The X-Files" through to the fight to keep their title "Flight 180", they're pretty candid about the movie's secrets (cameos and character names) and bringing "Death" to life. There are also eight minutes of deleted scenes from an expunged sub-plot that led to their original ending. The explanation for its rejection comes in a 13-minute featurette ("The Perfect Souffle"), which demonstrates the result of Hollywood's reliance on test screenings. There's a trailer, cast and crew biographies and two games--"Your Psychic Eye" and "Death Clock"--which are scary enough by themselves. Rounding this exceptional extras package off is a 20-minute featurette on real-life premonitions. --"Paul Tonks"

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
Animation Ming-Na|Alec Baldwin|Ving Rhames|Ving Rhames Hironobu Sakaguchi, Moto Sakakibara
Inspired by the popular video game franchise, Hironobu Sakaguchi's "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within" is a completely computer-generated film which, unlike "Toy Story" and "Shrek", is also a serious science fiction drama with astonishingly human digital actors. Aki, the female lead, appeared in a full-page spread in "Maxim" magazine's Hot 100 list--and was indistinguishable from the real-life models. The setting and conflict make for incredible action, but it's the larger issues, character interaction and human elements that really make the movie shine. "The Spirits Within" is not simply a science fiction movie, in the same way that "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is not simply a kung-fu flick. The result is a fantastic summer movie with better action and more emotion than "Pearl Harbor" and actors more lifelike than those in that other video game movie, "Tomb Raider".--"Mike Fehlauer, Amazon.com"
On the DVD: disc one includes an interesting, if a little flat, director's commentary. Better is the isolated score with a superb and fascinating commentary from composer Elliot Goldenthal. Other options allow you to access more information about the film. The menus are clear and feature full CGI effects and specially created sequences. Disc two is where you will find the real meat, with literally hours of documentaries and technical promos to plough through covering every aspect of the filmmaking process, along with music videos and an alternative opening sequence. You can re-edit a short sequence from the film and there's also a wealth of DVD-ROM material offering the complete screenplay and an interesting tour of Square Pictures, makers of the film. Features like the "FHM"-style photo shoot of CGI heroine Aki give an indication of the target audience for this movie. Add all this extra material to the superb picture quality--which almost leaves you convinced that you are watching a live action movie--and crystal sharp sound and you have one of the most technically impressive discs to hit the market so far. Any DVD buff will need this just to prove that the format is a worthwhile investment.--"Jon Weir"

Firefly - The Complete Series
Science Fiction & Fantasy Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin, Jewel Staite Takashi Miike
Much praised and much missed after its premature cancellation, "Firefly" is the first SF TV series to be conceived by Joss Whedon, creator of "Buffy" and cocreator of "Angel". Set five centuries in the future, it is a show where the mysterious personal pasts of the crew of the tramp spaceship "Serenity" continually surface. In fact, it's a Western in space where the losers in a Civil War are heading out to a barren frontier. Mal Reynolds is a man embittered by the war, yet whose love of his comrades perpetually dents his cynicism--even in the 14 episodes that exist we see him warm to the bubbly young mechanic Kaylee, the preacher Book, the idealistic doctor Simon, even to the often demented River, Simon's sister, the psychic result of malign experiments.
"Firefly" is also about adult emotional relationships, for example Kaylee's crush on Simon, the happy marriage of Mal's second officer Zoe and the pilot Wash, the disastrous erotic stalemate between Mal and the courtesan Inara. Individual episodes deal with capers going vaguely wrong, or threats narrowly circumvented; character and plot arcs were starting to emerge when the show was cancelled. Fortunately, the spin-off movie "Serenity" is planned; and in the meantime, what there is of "Firefly" is a show to marvel at, both for its tight writing and ensemble acting, and the idiocy of the executives who cancelled it.
On the DVD: "Firefly" on DVD is presented in anamorphic 1.78:1 with Dolby Surround Sound. It includes commentaries on six episodes by various writers, directors, designers and cast members as well as featurettes on the conception of the show and the design of the spaceship "Serenity", four deleted scenes, a gag reel, and Joss Whedon singing the show's theme tune, more or less. One of the things that emerges from all of this is how committed to the project everyone involved with it was, and is--unusually, you end up caring as much for the cast and crew as for the characters.

Flash Gordon
Science Fiction & Fantasy Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Max von Sydow, Topol, Ornella Muti, Timothy Dalton, Brian Blessed, Peter Wyngarde, Mariangela Melato, John Osborne (II), Richard O'Brien, John Hallam, Philip Stone, Suzanne Danielle, William Hootkins Mike Hodges
When the totalitarian planet of Mongo decides on a whim to obliterate Earth, it's up to the quarterback Flash Gordon and his oddball companions to make the universe safe for democracy. Based on the classic (and infinitely more reputable) comic strip and its 1930s screen serialisation, this candy-coloured trash classic deserves immortality for Queen's unforgettably pulsating soundtrack alone. The legendary Max von Sydow appears to be having a blast as the evil Ming the Merciless, while Ornella Muti, as his daughter, is the living embodiment of what attracts adolescent boys to comics in the first place. (She makes Barbarella look mundane.) One of the most shamelessly entertaining movies ever made, this is a knowingly absurd sensory freak-out that'll have the viewer blissfully checking the sky afterward for signs of Hawkmen. "--Andrew Wright"

Following
Mystery & Suspense Jeremy Theobald, Alex Haw, Lucy Russell, John Nolan, Dick Bradsell, Gillian El-Kadi, Jennifer Angel, Nicolas Carlotti, Darren Ormandy, Guy Greenway, Tassos Stevens, Tristan Martin, Rebecca James, Paul Mason (VI), David Bovill Christopher Nolan
Absolutely stunning movie that has you guessing all the time.
It's smart, funny, disturbing and it makes you wander.
In my opinion this is a must see for everybody who owns their own home...

Frank Herbert's Dune--TV series
Science Fiction & Fantasy William Hurt, Alec Newman, Saskia Reeves, James Watson (IV), Jan Vlasák, P.H. Moriarty, Robert Russell (VIII), Laura Burton (III), Ian McNeice, Matt Keeslar, László I. Kish, Jan Unger, Giancarlo Giannini, Julie Cox, Miroslav Táborský John Harrison
"Frank Herbert's Dune" is a three-part, four-and-a-half-hour television adaptation of the author's bestselling science fiction novel, telling a more complete version of the "Dune" saga than David Lynch's 1984 cinema film. The novel is a massive political space-opera so filled with characters, cultures, intrigues and battles that even a production twice this length would have trouble fitting everything in. While television is good at setting a scene, it loses the novel's capacity to explain how the future works, and as with Lynch's film, "Frank Herbert's Dune" focuses on Paul Atreides, the young noble betrayed who becomes a rebel leader--an archetypal story reworked everywhere from "Star Wars" (1977) to "Gladiator" (2000).
Top-billed William Hurt is only in the first of the three 90-minute episodes, and while he gives a commanding performance, carrying the show falls to the less charismatic Alec Newman. This version is at its strongest in the ravishing Renaissance-inspired production and costume design and gorgeous lighting of Vittorio Storaro ("The Last Emperor"). The TV budget special effects range from awful painted backdrops to excellent CGI spaceships and sandworms. The performances are variable, from the theatrical camp of Ian McNeice as Baron Harkonnen to the subtlety of Julie Cox's Princess Iruelan. John Harrison's direction is less visionary than Lynch's, but he tells the story more coherently and ultimately the tale's the thing. --"Gary S. Dalkin"

Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand
Concerts Franz Ferdinand Franz Ferdinand, ,
Having been a huge fan of Franz Ferdiand for a while, I was thrilled when I heard theyx27;d be releasing a live DVD, and this is even better than I could ever have imagined. The first disc is highlights from various gigs, and a tour documentary. The second disc is two whole gigs. Wow! Its the only DVD youx27;ll ever need.
But why is it so great? Well, theres certainly enough content to keep you occupied, and for anyone who isnx27;t into Franz, hopefully this will change their minds. For anyone who is a fan, this is heaven. All the classic Franz tunes, plus b-sides and a handful of the songs from the new album as well. I hadnx27;t heard all the b-sides before, but now x27;Shopping For Bloodx27; is my favourite Franz song!! All this plus you can stare longingly at the very gorgeous Alex Kapranos for hours on end!! I agree with the other reviewer that the karaoke videos are disappointing, it would be better to actually have the proper video instead of random footage, but seeing as I donx27;t really plan on doing any karaoke, this doesnx27;t put me off.
I highly recommend this to anyone, Franz fan or not. This certainly shows how a music DVD should be done!!

Futurama: Season 1
Comedy Billy West (II), Katey Sagal, John Di Maggio, Lauren Tom, Tress MacNeille, Phil LaMarr, Maurice LaMarche, David Herman, Frank Welker
Set in the year 3000, "Futurama" is the acme of sci-fi animated sitcom from "Simpsons" creator Matt Groening. While not as universally popular as "The Simpsons", "Futurama" is equally hip and hilarious, thanks to its zippy lateral-thinking contemporary pop cultural references, celebrity appearances (Pamela Anderson and Leonard Nimoy are among a number of guest stars to appear as disembodied heads in jars) and Bender, a distinctly Homer Simpson-esque robot. Part of "Futurama"'s charm is that with decades of sci-fi junk behind us we've effectively been living with the distant future for years and can now have fun with it. Hence, the series stylishly jumbles motifs ranging from "Lost in Space"-style kitsch to the grim dystopia of "Blade Runner". It also bridges the gap between the impossible dreams of your average science fiction fan and the slobbish reality of their comic reading, TV-gawping existence. Groening himself distinguishes his two series thus: ""The Simpsons" is fictional. "Futurama" is real."
The opening series (premiered in 1999) sees nerdy pizza delivery boy Fry transferred to the 31st century in a cryogenic mishap. There, he meets the beautiful, one-eyed Leela (voiced by "Married with Children"'s Katey Sagal) and the incorrigible alcoholic robot Bender. The three of them join Fry's great (x30) nephew Professor Farmsworth and work in his intergalactic delivery service. Hyper-real yet strangely recognisable situations ensue--Fry discovers he is a billionaire thanks to 1,000 years accrued interest, Leela must fend off the attentions of Captain Kirk-like Lothario Zapp Brannigan, and Fry accidentally drinks the ruler of a strange planet of liquid beings. --"David Stubbs"
On the DVD: As with the earlier Fox release of "The Simpsons, Season 1" this otherwise excellent three-disc set is let down by clunky menu navigation. There are way too many copyright warnings, no "Play All" facility, and you have to click back and forth to begin each new episode or find the additional features. By way of compensation, the menus look great and there's a goodly selection of extras on each disc. The entertaining commentaries are by Matt Groening and various members of his creative team, including producer David X Cohen and John DiMaggio (the voice of Bender) and Billy West (Fry). There are a handful of deleted scenes for certain episodes, plus the script and storyboard for the very first episode and an interactive stills gallery. The 4:3 picture is pin-sharp as is the Dolby 2.0Surround.--"Mark Walker"

Futurama: Season 2
Comedy
Matt Groening's second series of the 31st century sci-fi sitcom "Futurama" maintained the high scripting standards of the first as well bringing improved digital animation. Couch potato Fry now seems thoroughly reconciled to his new existence, transported 10 centuries hence to "New New York" and working for Professor Farnsworth's delivery service. He's surrounded by a cast of freaks, including the bitchily cute Amy (with whom he has a romantic brush) and Hermes, the West Indian bureaucrat. Most sympathetic is the one-eyed Leela (voiced by Katey Sagal). Like Lisa Simpson, she is brilliant but unappreciated; she finds solace in her pet Nibbler, a tiny creature with a voracious, carnivorous appetite. By contrast, Bender, the robot, is programmed with every human vice, a sort of metal Homer Simpson with a malevolent streak.
In one of the best episodes, Bender is given a "feelings" chip in order to empathise with Leela after he flushes Nibbler down the toilet. Elsewhere, Fry falls in love with a Mermaid when the team discover the lost city of Atlanta, Fry and Bender end up going to war after they join the army to get a discount on gum, and John Goodman guest stars as Santa Claus, an eight-foot gun-toting robot. Brimful with blink-and-you'll-miss-them hip jokes (such as the sign for the Taco Bellevue hospital) and political and pop satire, "Futurama" isn't a stern warning of things to come but rather, as the programme-makers put it, "a brilliant, hilarious reflection of our own materially (ridiculously) over-developed but morally under-developed society."
On the DVD: "Futurama"'s four-disc package presents the show in 4:3 with a Dolby Digital soundtrack. Among the many extras here are audio commentaries, storyboards, trailers, mock ads for "Soylent Chow" and "Human Rinds" and deleted scenes, including one from "Bender Gets Made" in which he seeks to evade the Robot Mafia by changing his identity. --"David Stubbs"



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