Movies

Two wisecracking battle-hardened veterans (Samuel L. Jackson and Colin Farrell) team up with a pair of street smart rookies (Michelle Rodriguez and LL Cool J) to form the most freewheeling -- but effective -- S.W.A.T. team ever. Their first assignment: transport an international drug kingpin into federal custody -- after he's offered $100 million to anyone who will free him!

Colin Farrell is a former member of S.W.A.T. in L.A. and down on his luck when Samuel L. Jackson enters the picture. Jackson was asked to train and lead an elite team of S.W.A.T. in response to political pressure facing the police department. Jackson has always been the best, but he has never seen eye-to-eye with the powers that be; a trait he shares with Ferrell. He has Farrell drive him around town as he recruits his team before finally asking Farrell to join up.

I am, I believe, in the minority by making the bold statement that I am a Colin Farrell fan. He has done good work in Intermission and The Recruit and fantastic work in Tigerland. There were even a few familiar faces to accompany the stars above. I guess it can be said that it was nice to see Jeremy Renner surface after making National Lampoon's Senior Trip.

Do not misinterpret what this movie is. S.W.A.T. is a fast paced action shoot-em-up. In the event you are looking for story-line, move along; you will not find that here. If you want a good high-energy movie with a decent amount of shots fired, look no further. When you can appreciate this movie for what it is, you realize it was a good movie. This is not an award winning film, but it is a good movie with which to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon on the couch.

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Rabbit-Proof Fence

Rabbit-proof Fence -- featuring the Golden Globe-nominated score by Peter Gabriel -- is the powerful true story of hope and survival, and has been met with international acclaim! At a time when it was Australian government policy to train aboriginal children as domestic workers and integrate them into white society, young Molly Craig decides to lead her little sister and cousin in a daring escape from their internment camp.

Molly and the girls, part of what would become kown as Australis's "Stolen Generations" must then elude the authorities on a dangerous 1,500 mile adventure along the rabbit-proof fence that bisects the continent and will lead them home. As shown by this outstanding motion picture, their universally touching plight and unparalleled courage are a beautiful testament to the undying strength of the human spirit!

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Evil Dead

There are two relatively easy to find easter eggs on this disc. If you select "Extras" from the Main Menu you will see the list of options with a skull on the top left and another on the bottom right. Both skulls contain hidden features. The top left is a panel discussion with makers of the movie at a screening from Halloween 2001 and the bottom right is a short make-up effects test. Access is simple; highlight the top menu item (Trailer) and move to the left and highlight the bottom menu item (Main Menu) and move to the right. Press select/enter to see the hidden features.

Baadasssss!

From the Main Menu, highlight "Special Features" and press the right cursor three times. This should light the end of Mario Van Peebles's cigar. Pressing enter/select will play a clip with Mario and Melvin Van Peebles as Mario talks briefly about his perspective on making the film. This easter egg may also be selected (if you are watching on your computer) by simply using your mouse to click on the tip of the cigar.

Hustle and Flow

From the Main Menu, select "Special Features". Cycle to the bottom and highlight "Main Menu". Press to the left and you will see a necklace that says "D Jay" appear around Terrence Howard's neck. Press your enter/select button to see a short video of the character Skinny Black (Ludacris) as he "hunts haters" in the woods behind his house.

Steve Buscemi is Nick Reve, film-maker, in this movie about making movies. Reve is the director of a low-budget independent film who spends as much time riding the wave of problems that arise on his set as he does filming. Give Buscemi the lead, sit back and watch. That should be the case in more movies, I think. Maybe he was just neurotic enough to play this part, or maybe he should just be considered for more roles because he is that good.
(Ok, it was probably a little of both.)

Surround Buscemi with Catherine Keener, Dermot Mulroney, and Peter Dinklage and you certainly have a strange mix of actors perfect to portray the clash of personalities present on the set. It was the bizarre mix that I thought worked best in really making me feel uncomfortable for Nick Reve as he tried to make his movie. I liked the way everyone fit together while never being comfortable with each other...if that makes any sense.

Peter Dinklage (The Station Agent, Elf) made this movie for me. He took it from the bizarre to the laugh-out-loud-funny. His dead pan delivery is fantastic. It is a shame he had only a small role.

There was a healthy amount of swearing and enough (brief) nudity to watch this one without the kids. Check it out when you are in the mood for something a little...different.

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