Company: Senario
Price: $9.99 and up
Review By: Thomas Braaksma
The year is 2010 and the youth and young at heart are demanding their own personal robots! If only someone would be able to feed the common man’s craving for a robotic companion…if only. (more…)
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Company: ThinkGeek
Price: Single $9.99, Three-Pack $19.99
Review by: Matt Peters
“Subject: Loud buzzing
Everyone: You’ll notice a loud buzzing coming from the ceiling intercom in the middle of the room. [Co-worker] contacted the building, and maintenance believes it is coming from the other side of the floor. The maintenance guy was unable to find the source so he turned off the speaker behind [other co-worker’s] desk but cannot disable the other speaker in case of an emergency. Fingers crossed, hope they find the source of the problem before we all go crazy!!!” –
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Format: DVD
Studio: WWE Home Video
Rating: 
Review by: Bill Jones
Taking to the top rope or higher in a squared circle may not be the most logical choice, and the risk-taking would be unlikely to succeed against a well-grounded power attack in a real bout, as many naysayers of the lightweights are usually quick to point out. But the nice thing about professional wrestling is it is designed to entertain, and being grounded in reality isn’t a necessity.
That’s why for the rest of us, simply looking to be amazed by athleticism (inside or out of the ring), wrestling’s high-flyers continue to amaze us, and there’s more than enough appeal for World Wrestling Entertainment’s latest three-disc home video release, Wrestling’s Highest Flyers. That’s probably why it’s such a disappointment that the set is so darn dull. (more…)
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Format: DVD
Studio: WWE Home Video
Review by: Bill Jones
The Devil’s Playground. Satan’s Structure. Whatever you want to call it, Hell in a Cell matches have a storied history in World Wrestling Entertaining, with a slew of classic moments. But those days are long gone, and nowadays Hell in a Cell has been relegated to a pay-per-view event, devoid of blood and (most of the time) even any big risks or moments. Here we see two of WWE’s most famous demons, Kane and The Undertaker, do old-man battle inside the structure, with a finish that is poorly planned and executed. Meanwhile, John Cena becomes a member of The Nexus, and Randy Orton and Sheamus slug it out in another 4-star match (Note: On a 5-star scale. Note 2: By today’s standards. Note 3: Considering the competitors). Daniel Brian vs. John Morrison vs. The Miz is by far the best match on the card, and even that leaves this reviewer without any fond memories. (more…)
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Format: Blu-ray + DVD
Directed by: Jon Turteltaub
Written by: Lawrence Konner, Mark Rosenthal, Matt Lopez, Doug Miro, Carlo Bernard
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Jay Baruchel, Alfred Molina, Teresa Palmer, Monica Bellucci
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Film Rating:
Blu-ray Rating: 
Review by: Bill Jones
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice immediately brings to mind images and sounds of Mickey Mouse conjuring to life brooms and other cleaning supplies in an effort to save himself some work with his chores. But then things go seriously awry, with the inanimate objects taking on life of their own, and in their zeal turn things into much more of a mess than the Mouse could have ever expected.
That scene helped define Walt Disney’s experimental project Fantasia, and made one of the world’s most iconic characters in the process. In retrospect, it is a perfect example of the character’s playfully mischievous traits, and is an expression of pure fun. In many ways, that would be a great way to describe Disney’s latest live-action extravaganza, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, if only the plot and the actors didn’t sometimes get in the way. (more…)
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Format: DVD
Studio: WWE Home Video
Review by: Bill Jones
Night of Champions is a wholly better pay-per-view than Summer Slam (which preceded it), largely do to its fantastic main event, a Six-Pack Challenge Match for the WWE Championship between Sheamus, John Cena, Randy Orton, Edge, Chris Jericho and Wade Barrett. With the match, WWE’s writers and wrestlers pull together the (nowadays) rare feats of telling good stories though the match and offering plenty of interesting wrestling team-ups with the six competitors in the ring. Kane vs. Undertaker is underwhelming though, looking exactly like what it is, an aged version of an old storyline between two guys who have been around for a long time. Many of the other matches are lackluster, but the United States Championship Match between The Miz and Daniel Bryan shines. And again, the main event nearly makes it worth the price of admission on its own. (more…)
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Format: DVD
Studio: WWE Home Video
Review by: Bill Jones
World Wrestling Entertainment’s annual SummerSlam pay-per-view hit right at the peak of a feud between the WWE’s core roster and the invading up-and-comers The Nexus. As such, the main event is a 7-on-7 bout featuring Team WWE vs. The Nexus. And it’s ultimately disappointing. We see a weird Bret Hart elimination on account of his relative inability to perform in-ring nowadays, Michael Cole harp on the return of Daniel Bryan, and a group of green characters in a main event match. Meh. The WWE Championship Match between Sheamus and Randy Orton is a decent slugfest between two big dudes, and the World Heavyweight Championship Match between Kane vs. Rey Mysterio gets a real finish despite the ridiculous Undertaker storyline surrounding it. Still, when the Divas Championship Match features some of the most standout wrestling of the show, that’s never a good sign. (more…)
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Company: Threadless
MSRP: $20
Review by: Tom Braaksma
With Tron: Legacy just hitting theaters, what better time than now to pick up a shirt that lets fans become a Tron character? Earlier this year, Threadless released two versions of “My Other Ride is a Light Cycle,” a Tron-inspired printed t-shirt and hoodie. (more…)
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Publisher: Fantagraphic Books
Written by: Ho Che Anderson
Illustrated by: Ho Che Anderson
Rating:
Review by: Matt Peters
Sequential art is usually relegated to tales of men doing amazing deeds while saving the day. Most beloved comic book characters have personal issues that frequently interfere with their crime fighting schedules. On the other side of the spectrum, comics are used to teach lessons, enhance understanding of important topics, or make noise simply for the joy of making noise. King by Ho Che Anderson falls into each of these categories and fits perfectly.
As with most tellings of the life story of Martin Luther King, Jr., this one highlights the amazing accomplishments of King’s career and his impact on society. Ho Che Anderson uses a different approach and focuses on details that are normally left out of textbooks. Taking quotes from people who met King, journeyed with him, and experienced his teachings and shortcomings firsthand, the book gives readers an honest and refreshing take on the man that became a legend. (more…)
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Format: DVD
Studio: DGC Records
Rating:
Review by: Bill Jones
Rise Against’s latest DVD release, Another Station: Another Mile, offers 14 live tracks from the band recorded (literally) around the world in 2009 and 2010. The live performances are broken up by interview segments in between. The video quality of the performances varies, which is disappointing, but the sound is solid all the way through, despite the band’s note that they opted to leave mistakes intact to be an accurate representation rather than overdubbing the audio as many bands will do with “live” albums and DVDs. The interviews are nice, though, allowing fans a chance to learn more about the individual members of the band, and the causes they sing about in most of their tunes. Fans will also appreciate the chance to look inside a writing session Rise Against holds in a legendary space upstairs from Chicago’s Metro venue. The band is great in almost any setting, and this is shown in the diversity of shows, from singer/songwriter Tim McIlrath performing “Swing Life Away” on the streets of Budapest, Hungary to Rise Against delivering an epic rock performance of “Ready to Fall” in the rain at the Nurburgring Racetrack in Germany. It’s just disappointing that the DVD lacks any extras outside of the main feature. (more…)
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