Movies Blog : dvd

To Be and To Have

wag.mado@evpl — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:38:00 GMT

Recently, I revisited some of my favorite movies – ones that stayed with me for weeks after seeing them. Here’s what I had to say following my first viewing of To Be and To Have in 2005. It still holds true today.

If you shy away from subtitles, take this one home anyway. French director Nicholas Philibert brings us this enchanting documentary about a one room school house set in the French countryside. The film gives us an inside look into the lives of children ages 4 through 10 and the interactions with their devoted teacher, Georges Lopez. It was shot during a six month period, starting in mid-winter and ending with the retirement of Lopez in the spring. The connection between Lopez and his students is strong, as he has been the only teacher they have ever known. Watching this film brings up many emotions, as scenes were shot in the classroom, at home, and on a fieldtrip. In the end, one realizes how remarkable this teacher is as he guides his students through all varieties of life lessons.

Watch it and let me know what you think.

Classic Film Series Continues Thursday Evening with 6:00PM Screening of "Stormy Weather"

potentate@evpl — Tue, 19 May 2009 20:51:00 GMT

We're expecting a crowd Thursday evening at 6:00 as the Library's Classic Film Series continues with a screening of the 1943 musical with an all-star, African-American cast, "Stormy Weather." Starring Lena Horne, Cab Calloway, Fats Waller, and Bill Robinson. In 2001, Stormy Weather was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". Come a little early for popcorn and a preview, and stay late for discussion!

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

librarianinheels@evpl — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 17:31:00 GMT

I am a big, big Woody Allen fan, and have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of his most recent movie, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, on DVD. I just watched it, and it did not disappoint. It was wonderful.

Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johannson) are American tourists in Barcelona for the summer. Vicky is a regimented, practical student of Catalan identity, and Cristina is a free-spirited filmmaker, fresh off the disappointment of her first project, a 12-minute film about why people can't seem to find what they want from love. Both girls become involved, physically and emotionally, with a sensual, hot-blooded Spanish painter, Juan Antonio Gonzalo (Javier Bardem), who recently divorced from his sensual, hot-blooded, completely insane ex-wife, Maria Elena (Penelope Cruz).

While the film might sound a little intense - and it is - it is also a classic Woody Allen dramedy. In the same way New York has served for so many of Allen's films as a character in its own right, so here does the city of Barcelona, which only serves to make the story even more emotional, beautiful and interesting. Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz (real-life romantic partners) show what great chemistry they have in this story. Bardem, in particular, makes a wonderful turn as the tortured artist who can't seem to make good use of his talent without a woman by his side. His appeal to Vicky, Cristina and Maria Elena is what drives the film - they are obviously representative of the many facets of his personality.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona was charming, funny, intense and beautiful - sure to be one day considered a classic among Woody Allen's films. I knew as soon as the soundtrack (which is also amazing - I've already purchased the soundtrack!) and the narration (another trait of Allen's that is used well with this film) began that I was going to love this movie, and I did.

The Spirit of the Beehive

wag.mado@evpl — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 01:07:00 GMT

Thanks to a recommendation by my friend, I watched a stunning film this weekend. Set in a Castilian village somewhere in early 1940's rural Spain, this movie has won international acclaim as a masterpiece - labeled one of the greatest Spanish films of the 1970's. On the surface, it is a coming of age story in which six-year-old Ana, played by Ana Torrent, tries to make sense of the world after seeing a young girl die in the classic 1931 film, Frankenstein. However, the movie is chock-full of symbolism and is also a commentary on life at the conclusion of the Spanish Civil War. The cinematic photography shot by Luis Cuadrado (who was going blind while the film was being made) is stark and breathtaking. Each scene seems to stay in your memory as a snapshot. As with many foreign films, the pace is hauntingly slow and the dialogue is sparse, adding to the intense feeling and emotion of the storyline. Isabel Telleria plays the innocent Ana's older sister Isabel, and has a menacing side to say the least. Together, these beautiful little girls bring this powerful story to life.

The Spirit of the Beehive (1973) was written and directed by Victor Erice and is one of only three movies he made over a 20 year period. The other two films, The South (1982) and The Quince Tree Sun (1992) are also highly regarded.

Treat yourself to The Spirit of the Beehive. It now ranks among my top ten favorite foreign films.

DTV 101 (part 1): The "Digital TV Transition"; Converter boxes (coupon requests due by 12/31/08!)

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 21:15:00 GMT

As stated at DTV2009.GOV, "At midnight on February 17, 2009, all full-power television stations in the United States will stop broadcasting in analog and switch to 100% digital broadcasting." Is this gibberish to you? Do you realize that some of your televisions may require a converter box beginning February 17? In this, the first in a series of blog posts about the digital TV (DTV) transition, we'll discuss what this transition "thing" is all about; why it's happening; what a converter box is and if you'll need to purchase one; and if so, how to apply for a government-subsidized coupon towards the purchase of a converter box. The last day to apply for these $40-off coupons is December 31.

What is the "Digital TV Transition"?

Many items we use everyday have already transitioned from analog to digital: cassettes to CDs, VHS to DVD, etc. Switching to the digital formats brought some great new features (CDs: track skipping, better sound quality; DVDs: chapter markers, greatly improved video & audio quality), but these transitions weren't without their share of headaches. This is very similar to what the transition to DTV is.

Besides some minor changes in 1953 with the advent of color television, our current analog television standard has remained relatively unchanged since 1941. Technology has evolved, and the old standard has become obsolete.

Currently, television stations are broadcasting both analog and low power digital. On February 17, 2009, stations will stop broadcasting analog and will broadcast digital at full power.

Remember when you bought your first CD? There was no way to play it in your old cassette player. The same held true with DVDs; you couldn't play them in your VCR. The same is true with digital TV; older televisions, which can only receive analog broadcasts, won't be able to "play" digital broadcasts without some add-on equipment.

Why the switch to digital???

There's a number of reasons:

New features & benefits: DTV provides better picture & sound, including high-definition video (when watching on a HDTV). It can also allow for interactivity, electronic programming guides, and toggle-able languages & subtitles (like on DVDs); no stations have yet implemented these kinds of features, but they are possibilities for the future.
Saves "space": While the sky seems limitless, there's only so much "space" available for television to be broadcast in. Analog broadcasts take up more "space" than digital ones. By switching to digital, more stations can be broadcast using less "space". (An oversimplification, but you should get the idea.)
Freeing up analog airwaves: Once the DTV transition is complete, the old analog airwaves will be free. Some will be turned over to local fire & police departments for emergency communication. Others will be auctioned off to companies providing "new wireless services". Uncle Sam has to pay for those $40 coupons somehow!
Stimulate the economy: More than ever, consumers are running out to purchase new TVs. Those who aren't may decide to upgrade to cable or satellite.

What do I need to do?

If all of your TVs are connected to cable or satellite, you do not need to do anything. You will continue receiving broadcasts over cable/satellite as you always have.

For TVs that are NOT connected to cable or satellite and use an antenna:

If the television is a HDTV, you do not need to do anything. All HDTVs are ready to receive DTV.
If the television is a SDTV (not a HDTV), how old is it?
- Most SDTVs made within the last couple of years should be ready to receive DTV, but it will depend on the model. Check the instruction manual or the manufacturer's website to determine whether your TV is ready to receive DTV. Some commonly-used terms to look for are "Digital Ready/Capable", "DTV Ready/Capable", "HD Ready/Capable", & "ATSC". If you find that your TV IS ready to receive DTV, you don't need to do anything.
- Older SDTVs are not DTV capable.

If your TV is not DTV compatible, you can always replace it with a new TV or begin cable/satellite service. However, the most frugal option would be to purchase a converter box.

What is a converter box?

TVs that aren't able to receive DTV can be retrofitted with a converter box. Your antenna plugs into the converter box, and the box into your TV. This gadget converts the digital signal it receives from the antenna into an analog one, which it sends to your TV.

A couple of important points:

Once installed, you'll change channels through the converter box (NOT through the TV). So you'll need your TV's remote to power it on & adjust volume, but you'll use a 2nd remote (that comes with the converter box) to change channels. Those with remote-aphobia should look into universal/programmable remotes.
One converter box will convert ONE TV. If you have multiple TVs that are not DTV compatible, you'll need a converter box for each of them.

Applying for a converter box coupon

Converter boxes typically run $40-$70, not too cheap. Congress created the TV Converter Box Coupon Program, which allows US households to obtain up to two coupons, each worth $40, that can be used towards the purchase of a converter box. You must apply to receive these coupons, and the deadline to do so is Wednesday, December 31. You can apply online or by calling 1-888-DTV-2009.

After applying, you should receive the coupon within 2-3 weeks; they expire 90 days after being mailed. Any stores that sell electronics should have the converter boxes for sale and will accept these coupons.

Conclusion

Ain't technology fun?!? If you have any questions or comments, please post them in the comments section below! There's also a lot of good information at DTV2009.GOV.

I've had a HDTV for nearly 3 years now, receiving DTV. While I think DTV is great, and I'm glad that it will finally become mainstream, I cannot claim that it's problem-free. In a future post, I'll talk about my experiences, including reception woes & other issues. And since HDTVs are more popular than ever before, I'll be going over some HD basics in another post. It will be an interesting ride, and hopefully the world will not cease to exist this coming February!

"Chuck" is about a nerd that becomes a spy...essentially my life story

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:50:00 GMT

In the television show Chuck, Charles "Chuck" Bartowski plays your typical 20-something computer-geek, stuck in a dead-end job at Buy More's Nerd Herd (a less-than-subtle parody of Best Buy's Geek Squad). He lives an uneventful life with his sister Ellie, until one day when he receives an email from his long-lost friend Bryce. Turns out Bryce is a rogue CIA agent, and his email contains an entire government database of top secret info, which embeds itself into Chuck's brain upon viewing.

Both the NSA and CIA want the intelligence returned to them and dispatch agents of their own - Major John Casey and Sarah Walker - to "retrieve" that data. When the original database is destroyed, Chuck has the only copy of that data, so he is forced to become a spy. Chuck's decision to keep his new-found occupation a secret from his family and friends, and to live his life as normally as possible, forces Casey and Walker to establish an uneasy alliance and secret identities (Walker poses as Chuck's girlfriend and takes a cover job at the local restaurant next to the Buy More while Casey gets a job at the Buy More), with the shared goal of protecting Chuck at all costs.

Seeing specific people/things causes Chuck to "flash", subliminally retrieving data about the person/object from the government database in his mind. Chuck uses this ability to help John & Sarah thwart evildoers and save the entire world from impending doom.

Sarah is an incredibly attractive female spy, and as they continue their "fake" relationship Chuck's feelings for her become real. There is lots of romantic tension, often mocked by smart-aleck comments by John (portrayed by Adam Baldwin, of Full Metal Jacket & Firefly/Serentity fame).

This show is brilliant, tied with The Office as my favorite current TV show. The cast is excellent, with real chemistry. The plots, while far-fetched, are extremely well-thought out, always resulting in hilarity and the unexpected. And the emotion evoked by the tension between Chuck & Sarah (not helped by Ellie's constant "I'm so happy you finally found a girlfriend" remarks), his belief that Sarah is way out of his nerd-league, the experiences with his ex-girlfriend (who re-appears in season 2), and his quest for more (a normal life and better job, for starters) creates endearing, genuine characters.

Season 1 was released on DVD & Blu-ray a couple months ago, and season 2 (which is even better than season 1) is currently airing on Monday nights at 7pm on NBC. It's a show you really need to watch in order, so check out the season 1 DVDs, catch up on the previous season 2 episodes at NBC.com, and watch the latest episode every Monday night!

More Information

EVPL Catalog: Check on the availability of Chuck: The Complete First Season on DVD at EVPL libraries.
NBC.com: Official website of Chuck. Find out more about the show, and watch full episodes from season 2!
Amazon: Buy Chuck: The Complete First Season on DVD or Blu-ray using these links, and the Public Library Friends will receive a portion of your purchase!

Doomsday, wrathful robots, other cheerfulness in "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles"

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 15:38:00 GMT

Being a self-proclaimed sci-fi geek, I love the Terminator movies. With three theatrical movies, and a fourth coming in 2009 (Terminator Salvation, starring Christian Bale!), Fox decided to capitalize on the series' success with a spin-off television series. Season 1 of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles began airing in January of 2008, and was recently released on DVD & Blu-ray.

Explaining the TV show requires a bit of backstory from the movies, so here goes...

The Terminator (1984) - In 1997, a computer system called Skynet becomes self-aware, unleashes a nuclear apocalypse on humanity, and builds an army of robots to destroy the few surviving humans that have formed a resistance. The leader of this resistance is John Connor, and under his command they are able to keep humanity alive.

In 2029, Skynet decides to send an indestructible Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) back in time, to the year 1984, to kill John's mother, Sarah. If they kill Sarah, John will never be born, thus never organizing the resistance. Upon learning of Skynet's plan, the resistance sends one of their own to the year 1984, to protect Sarah from the Terminator. Fortunately, Sarah stays alive and the Terminator is destroyed.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) - It's now 1993. Sarah Connor is in a mental institution for "delusions". John Connor is a rebellious youth, living with foster parents. Skynet decides to send a more advanced Terminator to kill John. Future-John (in 2029) has reprogrammed a T-100 (Arnold) and sent him to 1993 to protect young-John. They bust Sarah out of the institution and destroy Cyberdyne, a company creating robotic endoskeletons (used in the future for the robot armies). This successfully delays the nuclear apocalypse.

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) - Forget about this one. Has no correlation with this TV show.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles takes place in 1997. Sarah & John have been on the run for four years, pursued by the FBI for charges of terrorism. While at school one day, John discovers that his substitute teacher is a Terminator sent back in time to kill him. And guess what?

The resistance has sent a female Terminator named Cameron, played by Summer Glau (best-known for her role in Firefly & Serenity), to protect him. Cameron transports Sarah & John to the year 2007, as that is now the year that Skynet takes over. Agent Ellison of the FBI picks up the case, after it remained stagnant for the previous 10 years.

Sarah, John, & Cameron are on a mission to discover what Skynet is and to destroy it. Turns out that an advanced chess computer, that has garnered military interest, is the prime suspect. As Agent Ellison investigates Sarah's record, including visiting her former psychiatrist from the mental institution, he slowly begins to realize that she wasn't lying. The final episode features an epic battle, to Johnny Cash's "When the Man Comes Around" (one of his last songs, containing many references to the Book of Revelations), which literally gave me goosebumps.

While a bit cheesy at times, as most TV shows are, I found the acting and plot to be top-notch. It was also fascinating to see concepts, never fully explained in the movies, fleshed out. Fans of the Terminator films, good sci-fi, and thought-provoking storylines should definitely check it out!

More Information

EVPL Catalog: Check availability of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles at EVPL libraries.
Amazon.com: Buy Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles on DVD or Blu-ray using this link, and the Public Library Friends will receive a portion of your purchase.
Internet Movie Database: Find out more about the show at IMDB.
Fox.com: View the official website of the TV show.

"Spaced" a short-lived, hilarious TV comedy

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 21:02:00 GMT

I'm a fan of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. In the States, this comedic duo is best known for Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz (both of which I highly recommend!). They got their start in a British television comedy called Spaced; it ran for two seasons (14 episodes total) during 1999-2001. It finally made its way to the US this past July in a DVD box set of the entire series.

It's a very difficult show to describe...so, ripped from Wikipedia:

Tim Bisley (Pegg) and Daisy Steiner (Jessica Hynes) are two London twenty-somethings who meet by chance in a cafe while both are flat-hunting. Despite barely knowing each other, they conspire to pose as a young professional couple in order to meet the requisites of an advertisement for a relatively cheap flat, in the distinctive building at 23 Meteor Street, Tufnell Park, which is owned by and also houses the landlady, Marsha Klein. Also in the building is Brian Topp, an eccentric conceptual artist who lives and works on his various pieces in the ground floor flat. Frequent visitors are Tim's best friend, Mike Watt (Frost) and Daisy's best friend, Twist Morgan.

The series largely concerns the colorful and surreal adventures of Tim and Daisy as they navigate through life, decide on what they want to do with their lives, come to terms with affairs of the heart, and try to figure out new and largely unproductive ways of killing time. Tim and Daisy repeatedly stress that they aren't a couple to everyone but Marsha, but despite (or because of) this, romantic tension develops between them, particularly during the second series.

The central comedic conceit of the series is that it portrays the rather ordinary lives of Daisy and Tim using overblown Hollywood blockbuster clichés.

Like their forays into Hollywood, Spaced provides non-stop laughs, constant pop-culture parodies, crazy camerawork, a great cast, and a surprising amount of character development.

With 5 stars on Amazon, a 9.8/10 rating on IMDB, and my rave review, Spaced comes highly recommended.

More Information

EVPL Catalog: Check the availability of and/or place a hold on Spaced.
Amazon.com: Buy it at Amazon and support the Public Library Friends!
Wikipedia: Find out about the history of the show.

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

wag.mado@evpl — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 19:20:00 GMT

I picked this one up because I saw the face of Philip Seymour Hoffman on the cover. And as usual, he did not disappoint me. The story is about 2 brothers, Andy (Hoffman) and Hank (Ethan Hawke), who are both in need of money in the worst way. The elder Andy persuades his baby brother Hank to pull off the perfect crime - the robbery of their parent's jewelry store. Since these men are morally corrupt and driven by sex, greed, and drugs, the plot is quite a thriller. Throw their father, Charles (Albert Finney) and Andy's wife, Gina (Marisa Tomea) in the mix and you have a tale of one horribly dysfunctional family. These are NOT nice, normal people! Before the Devil Knows You're Dead is sequenced in flashback/forward style giving the viewer little clues here and there that lead to a complex tension-filled conclusion. I thought all the acting was superb and would highly recommend this movie to anyone who likes suspenseful thrillers. Why not check it out today?

KA-POW!!! "Batman: The Movie" a campy good bat-time!

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 21:26:00 GMT

I must preface this review with the fact that I'm only 25 years old. I did not get to experience Adam West's Batman during its bat-heydey in the 60s. However, I do have fond memories of going to grandma & grandpa's (they had cable!) as a kid, watching reruns on their HUGE 27-inch console TV.

To commemorate its 42nd bat-anniversary, along with cashing in on the bat-success of The Dark Knight, Fox re-released Batman: The Movie on DVD, and for the first time released it in HD on Blu-ray. I recently viewed the Blu-ray version and, having never seen the film, didn't know what to bat-expect.

The story is about as crazy as they come:
The Joker, the Penguin, the Riddler, and Catwoman team up to highjack Commodore Schmidlapp's yacht containing a superdehydrator. This superdehydrator can extract all moisture from a human, reducing them to a pile of dust. The villians' plan to take over the world by dehydrating the 9 members of the United World Security Council and holding their dusty remains for ransom. It's up to Batman & Robin, with their Batmobile, Batcopter, Batboat, and all their miscellaneous bat-tools (all prefixed with the word "bat-"), to put a stop to this evil bat-menace!!!

Within the first five bat-minutes of the film, you know what you're in for. When an at-sea rescue attempt gets foiled, Batman finds himself dangling on a rope ladder from the Batcopter, being attacked by one of the Penguin's exploding sharks! Thanks to 1960s special effects, the exploding shark is a giant rubber shark attached to West's bat-leg that he beats mercilessly with his bat-fists. Holy sardine, Batman! Robin retrieves the shark repellent bat-spray from the cockpit, gets it to Batman, and with a single spray the shark falls back to the sea, exploding on bat-impact (I'm guessing PETA didn't exist in the 60s).

The movie features lots of campy, laugh-inducing bat-dialog:

Batman: [reading a riddle] What has yellow skin and writes?
Robin: A ball-point banana!
Batman: [reads the second riddle] What people are always in a hurry?
Robin: Rushing people... Russians!
Batman: So this means...
Robin: Someone Russian is going to slip on a banana and break their neck!
Batman: Precisely, Robin!

Robin: [pointing toward the sky] That crazy missile! It wrote two more riddles before it blew up!
Batman: [reading a skywritten message] "What goes up white and comes down yellow and white?"
Robin: An egg!
Batman: [reading another skywritten message] "How do you divide seventeen apples among sixteen people?"
Robin: Make apple sauce!
Batman: [thinking out loud] Apples into applesauce - A unification into one smooth mixture. An egg - nature's perfect container. The container of all our hopes for the future.
Robin: A unification and a container of hope? United World Organization!
Batman: Precisely, Robin! And there's a special meeting of the Security Council today. If what I fear is true...
Robin: Wow! Let's commandeer a taxi!
Batman: No, Robin. Not at this time of day. Luckily, we're in tip-top condition. It'll be faster if we run. Let's go!
Robin: [while running] Holy marathon! I'm getting a stitch, Batman!
Batman: Let's hope that it's a stitch in time, Robin, that saves nine - The nine members of the United World Security Council. Come on.

My only bat-complaints...

It's an hour and forty minutes long, which isn't too terribly long, but the campiness does wear a bit thin towards the bat-end. Also, the bat-ending is pretty uneventful.
WHERE IS MR. FREEZE?!?!?!? He was my favorite bat-villain in the TV series, and he could've easily been worked in, making the fearsome-foursome a fearsome-fivesome.

I still recommend this movie, just for the sheer bat-goofiness of it all. It's a fun look at Batman prior to his 80s gone-goth makeover. So check out this bat-DVD, pop some bat-popcorn, relax in your bat-recliner, and enjoy the crazy antics of Batman: The Movie!

More Information

EVPL Catalog: Find out which EVPL libraries have the movie available for checkout.
YouTube: View one of the most infamous scenes from the movie.
Internet Movie Database: Info about & reviews of the movie.
Wikipedia: Production information & history of the movie.
The Dark Knight: A review by Mediaphile@evpl.

Snow Cake (2006)

wag.mado@evpl — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:47:00 GMT

I picked this one up because the name intrigued me. I really didn't even read the synopsis on the back cover - just took it home and popped it in.

The story is about an ex-con, Alex (Alan Rickman), who becomes entangled in the life of a hitchhiker, Vivienne (Emily Hampshire), he picks up while driving north to Wawa, Ontario. Vivienne's mother, Linda (Sigourney Weaver) is autistic and her neighbor Maggie (Carrie-Ann Moss) is an unmarried woman who enjoys the "company" of men.

The characters in this film are complex enough to hold your interest. The plot is slow-paced but keeps you guessing and is worth a few laughs as well. Weaver's performance grew on me, however I've seen better depictions of autism. Still, I thought Hampshire and Rickman more than made up for Weaver's weaknesses.

If you need action and special effects, don't even think about watching Snow Cake. However, if you are willing to sit with this one until the story unfolds, you may be surprised and delighted. I certainly was.

I Am Legend...not so legendary

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 21:02:00 GMT

I Am Legend was released on DVD and Blu-Ray on March 12th. I recently watched the Blu-Ray version, and while the picture quality, audio, and special effects were incredible, overall I was left unimpressed.

As the third cinematic adaptation of Richard Matheson's 1954 science fiction classic, I Am Legend opens with a news report in 2007. By re-engineering a strain of the measles virus, a group of scientists finds a cure for cancer.

The movie then jumps to 2010, portraying a barren New York City. Dr. Robert Neville (played by Will Smith) is the only human left alive within the city. Through flashbacks, we learn that the cancer cure mutated into an airborne infection, wiping out 99% of mankind. A handful of humans, including Neville, were immune to the virus. Everyone else turned into flesh-eating mutants; naturally, they're allergic to light. Neville has a science lab in his basement, where he struggles to find a way to cure these "Dark Seekers."

The movie start out great. Through Memento-esque flashbacks, only bits of information are given at a time, keeping the viewer captivated. The empty streets of New York, littered with abandoned vehicles and surrounded by neglected buildings, are incredibly eerie. (How did the filmmakers pull that off???) And Smith's convincing tirades show him slowly slipping into madness.

However, the last half of the movie falls flat. Out of the blue, two additional characters are introduced, which completely destroys the flow of the movie. It then quickly degrades into a typical zombie horror flick.

While worth a viewing, don't go in with your hopes too high. If you're a fan of comedy, be sure to check out the laughably-bad "controversial" alternate ending!

More information about I Am Legend: