CONSTANTINE'S SWORD

Written by Fumo Verde

Proselytize: To convert or attempt to convert (someone) form one religion, belief or opinion. Advocate or promote (a belief or course of action) - The New Oxford American Dictionary

Where did anyone get the idea that it was all right to kill in the name of God? This question was being asked by director Oren Jacoby while the country was rushing off to war. Meanwhile, author and former priest James Carroll was on his own painful quest to understand how the religion he loved and was a part of could have slaughtered so many people all in the name of God. Constantine’s Sword is the coming together of question and quest. Like two detectives digging up old cases to find their relevance that matches patterns happening today in our county, the evidence is overwhelming. Even in our own military and at those academies which produce the officers who control the weapons, cadets and soldiers alike are being proselytized too. This is a dangerous sign.

As this documentary opens we learn of the lawsuit brought about by some Air Force Academy cadets who are not Christian, or as so gently put, non-believers. They were constantly being harassed and persecuted not only by other cadets but also by teachers and staff. Carroll, who lived on the Academy grounds as a kid because his father was a high-ranking Air Force General, had to go there and find out himself. Following Carroll’s journey, we learn why he became a priest and why he left the religion he loved but never lost his faith. For him, the church back then stood for values that would make the Christian Right in America today scream treason.

This movie looks deeper into the Christian past, starting with Constantine’s fateful vision of the cross and the battle for Rome which he won and attributed it to, and then working its way through the Inquisition and Crusades all the way up to the Nazi occupation of Europe. As Carroll came to realize during this journey, those ideals he thought Christianity stood for back in the ‘60s, were a quick flash of hope in a world trying to break free from the fear and oppression of which this religion endorses completely.

The Gospels teaches the Jews killed Jesus so they became the enemy of every Christian, and deep down every Christian knows if the Jews don’t convert they too must suffer the wrath of God. When I say convert, I means accepting Jesus as their Lord and savior. The Inquisition was set up to does just that, and nations who wanted to stay in favor with God followed suit. Soon throughout Europe, Jews and non-believers were slaughtered.

Yes, then there were the Crusades, which look to have started all over again; these battles were mainly to keep powerful landowners from fighting amongst themselves. The Pope, who has more money than God, but needs armies to protect it, paid his fighters to stop fighting amongst each other and to go take back the holy land from the Muslims.

Let us not forget about the in-house fighting among those who consider themselves Christian, along with the conversion of savages in the Americas and Africa. Christians themselves don’t always get along. Violence between Catholic and Protestant was alive and heating up to the latter part of the 20th century, including Hitler who called himself a Christian and said he was doing the Lord’s work by killing the non-believing Jews. The church at this time, epically the Pope didn’t do a thing while trainloads of Jews were hauled off to concentration camps. The Christian world said nothing, because remember, the Jews killed Jesus. We think it’s just Islam who will kill you if you don’t convert, well, their brother religion here has a lot more blood on its hands, and not just because it’s been around longer.

A film like this must be watched for it proves to the viewer this religion of love is being used as a religion of hate, and this hate is pouring out into the American landscape. American history is trying to be re-written as if the Bible was and is the only cornerstone of our nation, and that the Constitution was designed after the Bible and the Ten Commandments, which is a lie. Constantine’s Sword reminds us why governments and religions should respectfully stay separated as it says in the First Amendment. This documentary lays out the facts like a history book and, unlike The Da Vinci Code and Fox News’ “War on Christmas” this documentary is true with facts and evidence. There is no denying the reality of what is happening in this country today with almost a new mega-church popping up a day. Rev. Ted Haggard even took time from doing meth and having gay sex to let us know of this good news. He said that saving everyone was every Christian’s mission, no matter whom it is or where they are at.

Non-believers like myself will find this interesting and kind of scary, and though we think we live in an age of logic and reason, of science and math, there are those who wish to go backwards in time, to forget theories learned and freedoms won. They do this for reasons beyond they’re own comprehension, but yet follow it blindly with no questions asked. Me, I love to ask questions; this is one reason why I don’t believe. As for the lawsuit against the Air Force Academy, the court dismissed it because there was “no bodily harm” done. You know, nobody was crucified or thrown to the loins.

This is Fumo, looking over his shoulder a little more often now.

WAR/DANCE

Written by Pollo Misterioso

After making its run in the festival market, including Sundance Film festival, and a limited release in theaters in November 2007, the Academy Award nominated documentary War/Dance has been spreading a powerful message on the simple ways that music can uplift the wariest of souls, in the most bleak situations.

Northern Uganda has been in a state of war for the past twenty years. The rebels are attacking the local villages, killing innocent people, and abducting children to become part of their army. Families are forced into refugee camps; unable to return to their homes they are forced to start a new life. In War/Dance there is hope amongst the turmoil and that lies with the children and the music they create.

The children’s school, Patongo, is able to compete for the first time in the National Music Competition in Kampala. Here the students participate in eight different categories of song and dance, including a traditional dance that is native to their tribe and an original composition. War/Dance beautifully intertwines three children’s stories and their relationship to the war and the music that inspires them during this turmoil.

Nancy is a fourteen-year-old dancer who has had to take care of her siblings since the death of her father and abduction of her mother. Crying to the camera, she recounts how scared she was the night that the rebels came for her mother. Resilient, she understands what she must do for her family and she turns to music and dance saying that when she dances “it feels like home.”

Dominic plays the xylophone with a passion that is tangible from the screen. He had been a child soldier for the rebels and has escaped to the camp where he lives with his mother and plays xylophone with the school. The stories he tells are the horrifying tales that cannot be avoided and should not go unnoticed, haunting after the film has finished.

Rose is a beautiful and strong thirteen-year-old that lives with her aunt because her parents were killed by the rebel forces. She looks into the camera with eyes that have seen some of the most gruesome aspects of war. Struggling to balance the work she must do for her family and music, she finds solace in music and dance.

This film is powerful in the way the directors have chosen to capture the children. Placed in front of the camera, they speak with an honesty and innocence that cannot be scripted. They are the ones that tell this story, opening and ending the film with narration from Dominic. This is their story and it needs to be told. Through the young eyes of these children, their stories are just some of the examples of what has happened to thousands like them.

When the children reach the competition, they are nervous and feel inferior to the schools from South Uganda. In the three days that they are in Kampala, some of the most touching moments come when they visit the city: seeing what city life is like, drinking soda, and watching airplanes. At the competition, we become more than just viewers of this film, but an audience to their performance that they have been working so hard for. We are rooting for them, to restore hope in these children.

War/Dance is a troubling and deeply moving documentary. Not only have the filmmakers captured something that needs to be documented, but they have weaved together a story of triumph and despair that leaves the audience in tears. Amidst this heavy despair the joy that comes across the children’s faces when they play, when they sing, and when they dance becomes more than just hope for the children, but it restores faith in the human spirit.

The documentary is distributed by Shine Global and can be purchased from their website.

Schoolhouse Rock!: The Election Collection

Written by Fumo Verde

During the mid ‘70s when I was only knee-high to a grasshopper, fireworks were still legal, there were two lids in a joint, and our government was taught on TV along with the Saturday morning cartoons. Like mini musical commercials, Schoolhouse Rock! taught a whole generation about how our country came to be, the way it was governed, and why we think it works so well. Some call it inspiring, others call it brainwashing, but either way the songs and little animated characters can still be sung and remembered by both sides.

“Hey, do you know about the U.S.A.? Do you know about the government? Can you tell me about the Constitution? Hey, learn about the U.S.A.”

Lynn Ahrens, whose voice sounds like a young Joni Mitchell sang that lead-in and right from that moment you knew it was time for some history. That’s what this DVD is all about; the Election Collection brings us three groups of animated vignettes that include: “How Government Works,” “Our History,” and “The Campaign.”

In “Our History” we get “No More Kings,” and this is where we learned that taxation without representation is not fair, also the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” where we learn how the first shot was the start of the Revolution. Both of these glossed over the struggles, which our founding fathers had to deal with during the eight years of war with England, but it does lay the groundwork. Putting it into a cartoon gave kids a chance to see it over and over, and the catchy songs helped them remember. Tom Yohe who produced the series understood this and exploited it to its utmost. Other stories in “Our History” include the “Great American Melting Pot,” “Fireworks,” and “Mother Necessity,” which told about famous inventors but kind of strayed away from how the nation became. “Elbow Room” would have been a better choice.

The following segment called “How Government Works” contains the “Three-Ring Government” that teaches us about a circus, or a “dog and pony show” as my grandfather used to call it. Here we learn how the Congress, the President, and the Judicial branch work in balance with each other, or at least are supposed to. It also has “Sufferin’ Till Suffrage,” which has the most rock in the Schoolhouse music bag.

Of course, the most famous SHR vignette is the one with the sad scrap of paper telling us all, “I’m just a bill. Yes, I’m only a bill and I’m sitting here on Capital Hill…” Here we learn how laws come into play, again very glossed over but you get the basics. The “Preamble” is also a part of this group and I have to say it still has to be my favorite of the SHR Election Collection series. “We the People in order to form a more perfect Union establish justice and insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense promote the general welfare, and secure the blessing of liberty to ourselves and our posterity do ordain and establish this constitution for the united states of America.”

The ones I didn’t care for were in the category of “The Campaign.” These included “Walkin’ on Wall Street,” which now seems like a load of bullshit as they lose our investments, walk away with golden retirement checks, and we as taxpayers get the bill. Others are “Tyrannosaurus Debt” which not only glosses over what the national debt means to Americans, it makes it look a house pet which we should not ignore but just accept and not worry about. They talk about trying to tame the debt, but not about how to get rid of it.

One of the next three is “I’m Gonna Send Your Vote to College” which is complete garbage as we have found out in some recent elections. It tells us how the popular vote gives way to the Electoral College and the college follows what the popular vote is, but that’s a laugh and a half. There is another one even worse that. It’s called “Tax Man Max” and guess who’s our friend?

The only one I liked in “The Campaign” group was “Energy Blues” which was written by George Newall and preformed by Jack Sheldon. Earth is telling us it’s running out of energy and we must start to look elsewhere. Pretty prophetic coming from a cartoon back in 1978 considering the price of oil now; it brings to mind the phrase about history repeating itself.

Back when this stuff came out, it helped kids learn while they were in front of the boob tubes, and some of it stuck. To this day when I start singing one these little tunes I find people of my age and a little younger joining in or saying “Hey, Schoolhouse Rock! I remember….” Should this be used as an educational tool? To lay some groundwork, okay, but not to get them ready for reality.

Cute and fun is the best way to describe this DVD, which also comes with a map of the States so you too can join along on Election night and see who wins what. This is one of those DVDs that if I saw it and it was in the dollar bin at CVS, then yeah I would pick it up for giggles, but only for a buck.

This is Fumo saying, “Yes, two joints to a lid. I roll big joints.”

SLEEPING BEAUTY (Two-Disc Platinum Edition)

Written by Puño Estupendo

As if the world needed another reminder of how wonderful Walt Disney used to be, here's the 50th Anniversary edition of Sleeping Beauty for you to marvel at in its two-disc glory. I haven't seen it in years, and if you haven't either, prepare to be bowled over. This is a wonderful digital restoration with an enhanced picture that gives you the full scope of the film frame. Once you see it like this (or if it's your first time ever seeing it), it's just a beautiful thing to look at. Sleeping Beauty seems to have dropped off in importance compared to other classics like Snow White or Cinderella, but after this version comes out, that might change.

This is all about the technical side of things. You know the story of Sleeping Beauty but you've never seen it like it's presented here, and that is the selling point. With an all-new 5.1 surround sound and a 2:55:1 widescreen enhancement, we finally have the tech side that can match its grandeur and scope. But don't let that turn you off if you don't have a huge, over-the-top setup at home. This is a wonderful fairy tale that would work on pretty much any color television. I can't see adults or children not being enthralled with this fantastic movie.

Disney has loaded the second disc with all sorts of goodies as well. The "Making Of Sleeping Beauty" documentary is quite extensive and is maybe geared a bit too much towards the movie snobs out there, but after seeing everything (and it seems as if everything is covered) that went into the production for this 1959 masterpiece, it's well worth sitting through. The level of detail that went into the film is mind-boggling, and through interviews and historians, I appreciate Sleeping Beauty on a whole new level and chances are you will, too.

There's also a "virtual tour" of the Sleeping Beauty castle attraction at Disneyland which has been closed for years. They recreated it visually as a walkthrough, even restoring original elements of the attraction that had been roped off years before they closed it down. By selecting a different audio track, you can get a verbal history of the original tour, and I highly recommend it. In fact, I think the making of and virtual tour are mandatory watching in this set. The supplementals here can be a bit long-winded, but they really give you added appreciation for the movie. Usually supplemental discs let me down, but this one is warranted and I enjoyed most of it. Deleted songs, alternate opening sequence add up to a long list of bonuses.

The only bad here is what everybody usually gripes about with Disney discs. The shameless self promotion and weak tie-ins to what they've got going on now are tiresome and insulting to this masterpiece. Having a video where "Hannah Montana's Emily Osment" sings the only musical number from the film, "Once Upon A Dream," is so out of place and without any need at all. It belittles the accomplishment of this release and I find it distasteful to have sullied this movie with that. Luckily though, there's an option you can select and bypass all of their commercials at the beginning of the disc. But seriously, I think it's ridiculous to even have to go through that trouble in the first place. Why they feel the need to soil what made the company is beyond me. Put that stuff on the Disney Channel releases, keep it off of your big guns. No place for it and it seems gross.

Having gotten that off my chest, I have to say you should pick this one up. If you have kids or even if you don't, it's a win-win situation. Following through on their "Limited Time Only" practice, you have no excuses not to grab it asap.

THE REBEL

Written by Fumo Verde

When I was growing up Sunday afternoons meant one thing, Kung Fu Theater. My friends and I were so into it, we tried to make our own. That’s when video cameras where half the size of you or at least they weighed like it. Hence, I took a shot on The Rebel from Dragon Dynasty, and I was not disappointed. The story centers around the oppressive French rule of Vietnam or French Indo-China as it was known in 1922. The French use other Vietnamese to do most of their dirty work, and our hero is one of these men. As the film progress, the hero played by Johnny Tri Nguyen, comes to understand why the rebels are rebelling, he also falls in love for the heroine played by Veronica Ngo. As in most Kung Fu movies, the good guys suffer but in the end they defeat their enemies as they come to grips with their own internal problems. Director Charlie Nguyen captures this along with some incredible fight scenes.

The mindset of the early 20th century was still the same mindset of the past 200 years: if you weren’t a white European or a white North American, you were considered sub-human, so killing you, because you gave me the stink eye or whistled at my woman wasn’t a big deal. The brutality of most conquerors over their newly inherited subjects is usually one of disdain and contempt with a belief that these sub-humans should be thankful for us saving them. With this as the backdrop the viewer quickly identifies with the underdog, and has you waiting for the shift in momentum when the repressor gets repressed. I found myself shouting at characters urging them to fight their enemy. Charlie Nguyen artfully builds the climax and draws it out just a little more; this makes the viewer want to get up in there and fight.

Now they say on the back jacket Johnny Tri Nguyen is a double agent. You get the feeling from the start that he should be with the rebels, but it doesn;t happen until he meets the rebel girl played by the beautiful Veronica Ngo. Her character gets tortured and beat down, but she always rebounds and kicks ass.

My favorite character has to be 21 Jump Street's own, Dustin Tri Nguyen. He plays the role of the evil sadistic captain who follows out the French colonel’s orders with a coolness that Fonzie couldn’t even match. During the fight sequences, where everyone is going balls out, Dustin moves like he’s in slow motion. I started to call him "the Terminator" because nothing was stopping him. The only thing I didn’t like is how they made him wig out when the French called his mother a whore. They made him beat up a cement wall, and the wall didn’t win. It didn’t fit the character but it did come in useful at the end. The fighting style was called Le Fung Quin, and I do apologize if I hacked those words right there, but on the Extras, which is a separate DVD, Johnny Tri Nguyen is interviewed and this is the style he said they were using. It’s all ass-kicking to me and the energy brought to this film by the cast and crew never fades.

This movie was put together well and all the actors played their parts with a true passion. Being it's a DVD I had the option to either read subtitles or get it dubbed in English. Hell yeah I dubbed it and I’m not worried if I lost anything in translation because I would still be reading the English on the screen. This is why they give you the option. The Extras feature interviews with Johnny, Dustin, and Veronica along with a Martial Arts Demonstration by Johnny.

If this movie had played on my TV 20 some odd years ago on a Sunday afternoon, it too would have sent me outside with my younger brother and friends to recreate what we saw. The Rebel is a statement from the Vietnamese film community and it’s a loud and ass-kicking one. Watch for more films like this coming from Dragon Dynasty, powerful and poignant.

Legion of Super-Heroes, Vol. 3

Written by Musgo Del Jefe

As a young Musgo, my super-hero teams of choice were the Avengers, the Justice League (both the Of America and the International variety) and the occasional Teen Titan adventure. On TV there was no competition, it was the Superfriends and all of their incarnations. The Legion Of Super Heroes were one of the strange teams. They had a long history, having been around since 1958, but I didn't know any other kids who read the comics nor could I identify any member of the group that wasn't Superboy. Their stories took place 1000 years from current time and they seemed to have an inexhaustible roster of characters to choose from. The animated version of Legion Of Super Heroes debuted in 2006 on the CW network. Today, the super-hero team must compete on TV against Justice League Unlimited, Teen Titans, and even their own appearances in live-action form on Smallville.

My introduction to the animated world of Legion Of Super Heroes is in the Volume 3 DVD which contains the final five episodes of the First Season of the show. The core members of the series are "young" Superman (not referred to as Superboy), Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Bouncing Boy (elected leader in the "Chain Of Command" episode on this disc), Triplicate Girl, Brainiac 5, Phantom Girl, and Timber Wolf.

The disc opens with an episode called "The Substitutes" that closely resembles a Teen Titans episode that I recently reviewed. Much like that storyline, a group of heroes that don't make the team are forced to come together as a team while the main team is away on a mission. Just like the Titans story, here the group calls themselves the Legion Of Substitute Heroes and learn that heroes have to work together. Their battle helps solve the mystery of the Legion's main mission. It's a common plot device but it's effective here. The sheer amount of characters is daunting to keep track of and I felt like I needed a scorecard, but the heart was there. The rejected members weren't made to feel bad even if their powers seemed useless - Color Kid can just turn things different colors and yet his power actually finds a creative use in battle.

The remaining four episodes don't hold up as well. "Child's Play" and "Chain Of Command" are perfect comparisons as to why this series doesn't work as well as Titans. In that series, the main characters feel like real teenagers - videogames, pizza, cars, and falling in love. In their stand-alone episodes, they usually explore the motivations and pasts of one of their five main characters. These two Legion episodes lack that characterization aspect. "Child's Play" ultimately is about a spoiled kid with magic powers who hates rules. It doesn't play his powers off against a similar character like Phantom Girl. Instead, the focus remains solely on the villain. The conclusion leaves the viewer feeling empty.

The disc ends with a two-part story called "Sundown" that borrows liberally from different eras of the comic-book history. Unfortunately, it's filled with so many generic cliches that it never catches your imagination. There's the typical "training scenario" at the beginning followed by the villain (Sun Eater) escaping from prison (bleeding through floors much like Alien), becoming an invisible target (looking like Predator) and then attacking our Sun with a army of robots (designed like smaller versions of the Evangelion robots). So many heroes are brought into the story, that it seems just lazy. When a specific power is needed, it's almost like the Legion can just conjure a hero who happens to have exactly that power.

The season ends with young Superman going back to his time and deciding to move to Metropolis and become Superman. Having only seen five of the season's 13 episodes, I can't fully judge this decision, but there is not that life-changing experience in the final line that should lead Clark to make that decision. It could have been there - there's a moment when the team is coming together that a character makes an important sacrifice. But Superman's reaction is to get revenge. It's unclear how that would make him decide it was time to go back to Metropolis and become a hero.

There are no extras on this disc. I can only recommend this for that die-hard fan that has followed the Legion since younger days. The stories are aimed at a younger audience than Teen Titans and just don't have the same heart.

MOTHER OF TEARS

Written by Puño Estupendo

For the people of the world with (let us just say) weaker constitutions, the films made by Dario Argento probably aren't too well known. Regardless of if they actually scare you or not, the man's artistry at taking gore to new heights is worshipped by those who have that cinematic bloodlust. Viewers that want to see a body have such horror put upon it, butchery in ways they've never seen, and with nothing out of bounds. Well damn, if he doesn't deliver those goods with his newest film. Starring his daughter Asia Argento as the horribly named Sarah Mandy, Mother Of Tears tries to weave a tale of horror, but with terrible dialogue and questionable acting, the gore is the definitive highlight in this one.

Mother Of Tears completes his trilogy of "witch" films that was started with Suspiria in 1977 (which is a masterpiece of filmwork and horror) and followed by Inferno in 1980. Though there are a couple of nods to these in Mother Of Tears, it doesn't really matter at all if you've seen the earlier two films. Fans of them will appreciate these points, but all you need to know is that basically you have three witch sisters that hole up in three different cities, each one getting their own movie. This film is set in Rome and deals with the youngest, most beautiful and most vicious of the sisters, Mater Lachrymarum.

An urn is unearthed from an excavation and sent to a museum where our intrepid Sarah Mandy (ugh, what a crap name!) and her co-worker decide they can't wait for their boss to return before they crack that seal and open up the movie's can o' doom. There's a lot of fun to be had already by this point. At the excavation site where this urn is discovered, there's a coffin that's pulled out of the ground with a smaller box chained to the top of it with all sorts of pentagrams and runic symbols etched all over this thing. Look, most of you already know this, but let me give you a refresher...if one finds The Book Of The Dead, one does not read aloud from said book. Thusly, if one unearths a coffin and sealed bonus package that has evil symbols etched into it, one should most assuredly leave said seal intact. Of course they don't and all hell breaks loose, pitting Sarah Mandy (blech!) against the forces of evil. Figuring out the mystery of what's happening, how to stop the witch Mater Lachrymarum, all while developing a new relationship with her dead mother who appears (in ghost form like Obi-Wan) to aid you in your trials.

It's this lack of originality that just kills this movie. The dialogue is painful for sure, but that's pretty standard in Italian horror. But Dario's been doing this a loooong time and he doesn't get the free pass on how unoriginal so many of his plot points are. You've made a shitload of flicks Dario, you know better! I mean, I wasn't expecting a screenplay the likes of On Golden Pond or anything, but this one's flat even by standards that have been set to mediocre. And poor Asia Argento. I love her but she's rough in this one. I've gotta believe it was the curse of her character's name. Seriously, you think it reads bad? Say it aloud:

Sarah Mandy (groan!)

Okay, let's get to what's good here. The murders are gloriously old school Dario. He obviously wanted to match the opening death scene from Suspiria, and he does. Not visually but viciously. It's way over the top and when I originally saw this in the theater, several people actually screamed out loud.

Side Note: For those that haven't seen Suspiria, the opening murder is horror film royalty. It's still insanely brutal even by today's standards, but with the advantage that it was shot beautifully. This is what's built the legend of Dario Argento: his ability to combine scenes of complete revulsion with a visual look that is able to hit amazing highs. This contradiction of ugly and beauty combined is what makes his fans and many filmmakers very, very loyal to him.

I could pick several more things to bitch about at length here. I was going to do a whole comparison between Dario's trilogy and Lucas' Star Wars trilogy, with Sarah Mandy's (stab my eyes!) bargain basement Obi-Wan Mom ghost tying it all together, but it would just be mean for the sake of being an Internet douche, which I try very hard not to give in to.

The DVD features have a rare interview with Dario where he actually speaks in English. Good English as well, to the point where I was kind of pissed at all of the interviews on U.S. discs where he speaks in Italian and it's subtitled. I remember hearing George Romero say something once about the fact that Dario understands English a lot more than he ever let's on. Because of this, the interview put a huge smile on my face. There's also a pretty unremarkable making-of that consists of too much random video camera footage from someone walking around on set for it to have any coherence.

Gore hounds are probably all over this already. Casual viewer? I have to stress caution because this can easily turn out not to be your cup of tea, but I dare you to try it. Bitch about the story and acting all you want, but I dare you to not give out a "holy shit" at key moments.

Grey’s Anatomy: The Complete Fourth Season

Written by Pollo Misterioso

By the fourth season of any show, there should be a certain groove established, a flow to the stories and a certain understanding of the characters that allows them to grow as the viewer continues to watch. With the fourth season of Grey’s Anatomy there seems to be a definite pattern established, unfortunately it plays like every other season, leaving the characters back at square one, with the same problems that we were introduced to way back when this all started. The show has not completely flatlined, but remains static in a coma that it does not know how to get out of.

Returning this season is the cast of regular characters, with a few changes. That means our lead character, who also narrates most of the episodes, Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), and all of her friends and colleagues; Dr. Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh), Dr. Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl), Dr. Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) and Dr. George O’Malley (T.R. Knight). All of the attendings are back as well, including Dr. Bailey (Chandra Wilson) and Dr. Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey). But this season begins with new characters along with others who have left.

The end of season three left off with Dr. Yang alone on the alter and Meredith telling the audience that it is over, a quiet metaphor for her relationship as well. O’Malley did not pass his intern exam and had to stay back as an intern for another year. So this is the season of fresh starts, right?

This season begins with our favorite interns as the residents (except for O’Malley). They now get to be the bosses of their own interns, but they remain unchanged and unaffected by their shift in power. With their move up in the hierarchy of hospitals, they have lost the tenacity that gave the show a bite.

Meredith continues to carry the same emotional baggage that she has for the past three seasons. She is still unable to commit and has problems with her dead mother and father who abandoned her. It used to be that these problems were relatable and relevant, but now they are simply trite and create for a despairing lead character. If one can get past her complaining, you can begin to see where true passion of this show lies, with its supporting cast.

Dr. Burke has left the show, but one of the newest interns is Meredith’s sister, Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh) and that brings up all sorts of family issues between the two. One of the best episodes titled “Haunt you Every Day” has Meredith deal with her family problems dead on, as she carries her mother’s ashes around the hospital. The later episodes show growth in the show, as work and private lives begin to conflict. Dr. Bailey has constant problems with her newborn baby, husband, and life as Chief Resident. By the end of the season, she grows to be more than just a brilliant character, but a strong force that becomes a backbone that the show can rely on.

But for a true Grey’s fan, the season delivers in all the ways that it is used to—with remarkable and grueling medical traumas, surrounded by melodrama that is accompanied by an awesome soundtrack. Twice during this season there are episodes broken into two parts. “Crash into Me” is probably the most grueling—an ambulance crash outside of the ER provides the backdrop of intense drama that includes white supremacists and needles in the chest.

There are many redeeming moments and developments in this season, especially for fans of the show. It will be interesting to see what develops within the supporting cast by next season. Unfortunately the major problems linger and do not allow for any real change from one episode to the next, leaving the bulk of the show to seem tiresome.

There is a reason that this show is on the air and it isn’t simply because there are a bunch of good-looking people on screen. There is always a sense of drama and urgency that makes it interesting. But as a whole, the show is not challenging itself, pushing the viewer to engage in a deeper and more connected way. Our characters have become predictable and although that is comforting, it can’t last for much longer if it stays this way.

The DVD extras that accompany this season are worth watching. They include deleted scenes and very funny gag reels, under “In Stitches.” There is even a feature that gives you a brief overview of all the drama that has happened in the show, that way you can catch up.

LAKEVIEW TERRACE

Written by Hombre Divertido

Too Much To Look At From Lakeview Terrace.

Samuel Jackson plays a high-strung police officer raising two children on his own. Jackson's daughter played by Regine Nehy is rebellious towards her strict yet uneven father. An interracial couple played by Patrick Wilson and Kerry Washington, who have numerous issues within their marriage, move in next door and fail to react to the situation as most normal people would have. As the numerous stories progress the neighborhood is slowly threatened by Southern California wildfires.

For the most part the performances are acceptable yet one-dimensional with the exception of the miscast Wilson whose uneven performance is extremely distracting. Jackson's performance is intriguing but the material prohibits this fine thespian from truly hitting his stride.

The previews of this film are reminiscent of the Ray Liotta/Kurt Russell vehicle Unlawful Entry but Lakeview Terrace is not that good simply because it doesn’t know what it wants to be. Had the story focused on the power of police office against the civilian neighbor, and allowed the protagonist/antagonist relationship to develop, a good film might have been the result. Unfortunately there is too much left unexplored on Lakeview Terrace.

Some interesting moments are certainly presented only to be too rapidly pushed aside by distracting sub-plots. Director Neil LaBute seems to possess a good sense of how to create tension, but the script by David Loughery and Howard Korder fails him.

If you look hard you can see the attempts to make statements about racial relations, stereotypes, and there are many metaphors floating about, all of which are ruined by the standard mechanics utilized to create excitement, ruining that which could have added true depth.

Recommendation: Listed at one hour and forty-six minutes, this film seems much longer. Fans of Samuel Jackson will enjoy his performance, but the unexplored plots and limited performances make this a rental at best.

RIGHTEOUS KILL

Written by Hombre Divertido

People slow down as they get older. Just because actors get older their films should not have to get painfully slow.

When Deniro and Pacino last appeared on film together in Heat, other than the climactic shootout, they only shared one scene together, and the gunfight on the streets of LA was so ridiculous, that it degraded the integrity of the film. Could the new collaboration of Deniro and Pacino possibly be less believable?

As Righteous Kill opens the audience is asked to believe that Pacino and Deniro are thirty-year police veterans, detectives and partners reporting to Brian Dennehy, and that Deniro is in a relationship with a fellow police officer that appears to be half his age. Okay.

Deniro seems to be channeling Robert Duvall from the equally disappointing bringing together of legendary thespians in Secondhand Lions, as he takes the bad cop role opposite the apparent rational Pacino. So our two heroes are attempting to solve the case of the poetry-writing killer alongside two young bucks consisting of wasted performances by John Leguizamo and Donnie Wahlberg.

With scenes where Deniro and Pacino actually appear to be having difficulty walking, this script may simply be too much for these seasoned veterans. The story takes too long to get going, and when it does, it literally leaves are elderly stars behind. There is not enough action to hold the attention of the audience, and though there are a few laughs, the overall dialog is not nearly as strong as the one conversation our two stars had over coffee in Heat.

Long before the detectives realize that our murderer is a cop, the audience will have figured out the standard climactic plot twist. So there are no surprises here other than the fact that Pacino and Deniro picked this endeavor to re-unite.

Recommendation: These are of course two of the greatest actors of our time, but these roles are simply no longer within their range. It is unfortunate, but their one scene together in Heat makes it a better rental than Righteous Kill. Let us hope that they will grace the screen together again in a more dignified effort worthy of their skill and maturity.