DVD Reviews

Schuks Tshabalala’s Survival Guide to South Africa

Leon Schuster is back. This time as Schuks Tshabalala who together with Shorty act as tourist guides for a group of overseas tourists in a time leading up to the world cup finals. It is their job to inform everyone about important issues such as crime, transport, vuvuzelas and general survival in South Africa. They do this by means of some hilarious sketches performed in Schusters’ own unique candid camera style. As per usual he catches out a couple of SA’s famous politicians such as Helen Zille and Alan Boesak but in one scene it is nice to see him come unstuck himself when a prank backfires and he is the one made to look embarrassed. This part for me was the funniest and best part of the entire movie. The film once again broke all sorts of box office records and I am sure that the DVD will do the same but it just shows you that in todays’ society us South Africans are crying out to have a good laugh albeit sometimes at our own expense. Although it would be interesting to see how people respond when they actually see themselves on the movie, as some people became really angry before they realized it was a joke.
Special features on the DVD include a short making of featurettes, outtakes ( some funny stuff ) a music video and a very good anti piracy advert at the beginning of the film. The main feature runs for 91 minutes and has and age restriction of 13 for language and violence. Schuks Tshabalala’s Survival Guide to South Africa is now available through Next Entertainment.
IFM Rating 5 out of 10.

Shutter Island

Directed by legendary director Martin Scorsese, Shutter Island stars Leonardo Di Caprio as US Marshall Teddy Daniels. Daniels and a colleague ( Mark Ruffalo ) are sent to an asylum for the criminally insane to investigate the apparent disappearance of an inmate but it soon becomes apparent that all is not what it seems. Strange things start to happen on the island and Daniels is convinced that a cover up is taking place. He is also convinced that they are performing inhuman tests on the patients. He has to get to the bottom of the case before he himself loses his sanity.
The film can be a little confusing and probably needs a second look at it. Especially when the movie continually flashes back to Daniel’s past when he served during the war. But there is a very good twist at the end which I must admit I had figured out quite early. But overall it is a good thriller which is very well made and it keeps you guessing all the way through but I must admit I was left a little bit disappointed after all the talk surrounding the film. The movie also stars Ben Kingsley and Michelle Williams.
The DVD has no special features with the exception of subtitles which is a little disappointing. The main feature runs for 132 minutes and is rated 16 for language and violence. Shutter Island is now available from Nu Metro Home Entertainment. 
IFM Rating 6 out of 10.

Clash of the Titans

This is the 2010 version of a movie which was originally released during the sixties. Obviously movies and special effects have progressed so much over the years that the old sixties version can’t even be compared to this one, however the story line remains pretty much unchanged. Born as the son of Zeus, Perseus is raised as a man and doesn’t care much for the Gods and their ways. But when he loses his family to the wrath of Hades, God of the underworld, he seeks revenge. He sees his chance when he is invited to lead a dangerous mission to defeat Hades before he can destroy Zeus and take control over man and the earth. The special effect are brilliant as they battle all sorts strange demons like giant scorpions and Medussa, the lady with the snakes on her head and who’s eyes turn you to stone. But the best effect for me was when the Krakken was released by Hades.
Very well put together and a good movie if you just want to enjoy the action and not want to think too much. The movie stars Sam Worthington ( Avatar ) as Perseus, Ralph Fiennes as Hades and Liam Neeson as Zeus. The movie is directed by Louis Leterrier.The special features on the DVD are only deleted scenes which is a little disappointing as I would liked to have seen how the movie was made. The main feature runs for 102 minutes and is rated 13 for violence. Clash of the Titans is now available through Nu Metro Home Entertainment.
IFM Rating 6 out of 10.

The Cove

It isn’t very often that I watch a movie which for me personally is so disturbing that I found it very difficult to hold in my emotions, but this movie had a very moving effect on me. Now I am not an activist in any way but like most people out there I love animals and hate it when cruelty and senseless killing occurs against them. Now I didn’t know what to expect from this film. Looking at the title and reading the front cover I thought it was a horror of some sort only to find out that I was right, but not a horror in the sense I imagined. The Cove is a documentary about a place in Japan where thousands of Dolphins are driven into a remote cove and senselessly slaughtered by the most barbaric means possible. A team of activists have been trying to expose this for a while with no success as you just can’t seem to get near the place due to the protection given to it by the townsfolk and the fisherman. They get together a crack team of individuals to help them by setting up cameras in the rocks around the cove, at the risk of their own lives, in an effort to film the slaughter and what they find is truly heartbreaking. Seeing how these beautiful animals suffer made me both sad and angry.
This is a very powerful documentary which everyone should see and if you can contribute to putting a stop to it please do so. But if you are an animal lover, especially whales and dolphins then this will disturb you greatly. There are a lot of special features on the DVD but they are mostly additional snippets taken from scenes in the movie.
The movie is rated 13 for violence and runs for a disturbing 88 minutes. The Cove is now available through Ster Kinekor Home Entertainment.
In terms of its importance I rate it a 9 out of 10.     

Facing Ali

An extremely entertaining documentary of the life of Muhammad Ali ( alias Cassius Clay ) as seen through the eyes of the fighters he came up against in the ring. Each and everyone’s experience is different but they all speak as one in their admiration for probably the greatest boxer that ever stepped into the ring. They are all here, George Foreman, Henry Cooper, Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Leon Spinks, Larry Holmes and many more. The movie also gives you an insight as to how they got the chance to fight against Ali and how the experience changed their lives in one way or another. The movie also shows a lot of rare footage of Ali’s early fights right up until the time he retired. Footage is also shown of the famous Thriller in Manilla fight which many boxing fans consider the greatest fight of all time.
You don’t have to really be a boxing fan to enjoy this, just sit back and enjoy some of the stories these great boxers have to tell us and how all ten fighters pull no punches in this brutally honest recollection of their experiences of a living legend who is now battling with parkinson’s desease.
There are no special features on the DVD and the main feature runs for 97 minutes. Facing Ali is now available through Ster Kinekor Home Entertainment.
IFM Rating 6 out of 10. 

Saw 6

Before you ask the question Is Jigsaw still alive ? the answer is no. But his gory work is being continued by Detective Hoffman. Apparently when Jigsaw died he left a box to his wife containing six envelopes, each of which had a photo of the person whom Jigsaw wanted to target. Once again the whole issue goes around the fact that he was mistreated while he was sick and couldn’t get the necessary medical aid or insurance cover which might have given him a chance to live. The people responsible suffer a very brutal death by mean of Jigsaws torture devices and as per the previous Saw movies each one has the choice to either live or die, a choice that Jigsaw himself was never given. If you are easily disturbed by a lot of blood and gore then I suggest you keep away from this one but if you enjoyed the previous movie 1-5 then this is pretty much along the same lines. The only difference is that the previous ones always left something open for yet another sequel but this one seems to be the end of it. I think.

The DVD has no special features. The main feature runs for 88 minutes and is rated 18 for extreme violence and strong language. Saw 6 is now available through Ster Kinekor Home Entertainment.
IFM Rating 5 out of 10.

Deadline  

Alice ( Brittany Murphy ) plays a writer who is recovering from a psychological breakdown after a failed relationship decides to take refuge in an old Victorian house in order to finish her screen play on time. But strange noises and weird happenings lead her to question her own sanity and causes her to try to get to the bottom of the mystery. While exploring the house she comes across an old box of video tapes which belonged to the previous owners of the house. But while watching them she realizes the terrifying secret that the house is hiding.

This is not a bad movie and one of the last ones Brittany Murphy starred in before her untimely death at the end of 2009. The story is good and there is a fair amount of suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat. The DVD has no special features and the main feature lasts for 82 minutes. The movie is rated 13 for violence and is now available through Ster Kinekor Home Entertainment.

IFM Rating 5 out of 10.

Shutter Island

Directed by legendary director Martin Scorsese, Shutter Island stars Leonardo Di Caprio as US Marshall Teddy Daniels. Daniels and a colleague ( Mark Ruffalo ) are sent to an asylum for the criminally insane to investigate the apparent disappearance of an inmate but it soon becomes apparent that all is not what it seems. Strange things start to happen on the island and Daniels is convinced that a cover up is taking place. He is also convinced that they are performing inhuman tests on the patients. He has to get to the bottom of the case before he himself loses his sanity.

The film can be a little confusing and probably needs a second look at it. Especially when the movie continually flashes back to Daniel’s past when he served during the war. But there is a very good twist at the end which I must admit I had figured out quite early. But overall it is a good thriller which is very well made and it keeps you guessing all the way through but I must admit I was left a little bit disappointed after all the talk surrounding the film. The movie also stars Ben Kingsley and Michelle Williams.

The DVD has no special features with the exception of subtitles which is a little disappointing. The main feature runs for 132 minutes and is rated 16 for language and violence. Shutter Island is now available from Nu Metro Home Entertainment.  
IFM Rating 6 out of 10.

Uma Thurman stars as Emma Lloyd, a popular radio talk show host in New York City who gives advice on love to her many thousands of female listeners. But when she gets a call from Sophie asking for advice she tells her to call off her wedding to Patrick ruining his life completely. Patrick wants to get even so he sets up a fake marriage certificate saying he is married to Emma therefore throwing her own life and wedding plans to Richard into complete disarray. Emma then goes on a manhunt ( literally ) to search for Patrick in order to get their so called “marriage” annulled. What follows is a series of hilarious events and romantic interludes which make this movie very enjoyable to watch. Uma Thurman is great as Emma and Colin Firth and Jeffrey Dean Morgan also excel in their roles as the trio in the love triangle. I am not going to ruin the surprise by telling you how the movie ends but I am sure you can guess.

The DVD contains no special features except up coming trailers. The main feature runs for 82 minutes and is rated PG13. The Accidental Husband is now available through Ster Kinekor Home Entertainment.  
IFM Rating 6 out of 10.

Alice in Wonderland

This movie is a real feast on the senses and shows how amazing special effects and CGI have got over the years. We all know the story of Alice in Wonderland and that storyline is applied to the letter with a few subtle changes. But its not the storyline that keeps you glued to the TV it’s the fantastic animation sequences from director Tim Burton. If you have seen movies like Beetlejuice then you will know that Tim Burton has a vivid imagination at the best of times but here he even exceeds his own standards. From the grinning Cheshire cat to the nasty red queen the special effects are just exceptional. Johnny Depp is once again brilliant as the mad hatter and Helena Bonham Carter also excels as the red queen but a special mention must go out for Mia Wasikowska who plays the role of Alice. Relatively unknown up until now but surely looking forward to a great future. The movie also features Anne Hathaway and the voices of Alan Rickman, Stephen Fry and Michael Sheen to mane a few.

The special features on the DVD are extremely short and include all be it briefly how the mad hatter’s make up is applied, how the role of Alice was cast and how the sets of Wonderland were put together. The main feature runs for 104 minutes and is PG rated although small children may find some of the characters scary. Alice in Wonderland is now available through Nu metro Home Entertainment.

IFM Rating 7 out of 10.

The Book of Eli

Denzel Washington stars as Eli, a loner who is one of only a few survivors of an apocalyptic event that has more or less destroyed the world. The only hope that humanity has is in his possession, the very last copy of a book so powerful that everyone wants to get their hands on it. Gary Oldman plays a self appointed warlord who realizes the importance of the book and wants to obtain it at all costs for his own evil means. I am not going to disappoint you and give the story away by telling you which book it is, but the importance of the book and its identity becomes apparent as the movie moves on. But the twist at the end was something I didn’t expect.

This is a brilliant idea and a very moving story. With good actors and a good storyline. Denzel Washington has been critically acclaimed for his role as Eli and Gary Oldman is also brilliant as the villain Carnegie. The movie is directed by the Hughes Brothers.

Special features on the DVD include an in depth documentary exploring the themes and creation of the film’s post apocalyptic world as well as deleted scenes and trailers. The main feature runs for 113 minutes and has an age restriction of 16 for violence and strong language.

The Book of Eli is now available through Nu Metro Home Entertainment.

IFM Rating 7 out of 10

The Box

This is a bit of a strange one and extremely difficult to follow unless I am a bit stupid which is still up for debate. The movie is based in the 1960’s and stars Cameron Diaz as Norma Lewis, a normal suburban woman who lives with her husband ( who works for NASA ) and her young son. One day a strangely disfigured man arrives at their home with a box and a proposal. The box contains a button which if pressed, will bring them one million dollars in cash but there is a down side. Someone in the world will die, someone they don’t know. Given 24 hours to make their decision they are given a moral dilemma. Do they take the money, after all they need it, and kill someone in the process or do they struggle the rest of their lives. They decide to press the button but from there on I am totally lost. Their entire world is turned upside down and strange things start to happen to them and around them. If you can work out what went on please feel free to let me know. I realize it is something to do with NASA and an accident that occurred there but after that I am totally confused. I am not saying this is a bad film, just a little different.

There are no special features on the DVD, the main feature runs for 111 minutes and is rated 13 for violence. The Box is now available through Ster Kinekor Home Entertainment.

IFM Rating 5 out of 10.