Holiday in Handcuffs (2007) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have liked Melissa Joan Hart since her days on Clarissa Explains It All so I was pleased to see she was back on TV again. This movie takes place at Christmas time and is basically a story about a woman who sees herself as a failure through her family's eyes and is hoping that bringing home her successful boyfriend for Christmas will prove she finally got something right, until he dumps her Christmas Eve and leaves her hanging.
She sees a very handsome man at the diner where she is working and tells her mom everything is hunky dory and kidnaps the handsome guy and takes him hostage (hence the handcuffs). From here the plot unravels in the typical romantic comedy faire where he is trying to convince everyone he's been kidnapped and she says it's a kind of joke he likes to play and we all get our happy ending. As I have said, it is the typically romantic comedy plot but there are some very funny moments and I can definitely see myself watching this movie again. If you like MJH, you will enjoy this movie.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Holiday in Handcuffs (2007)

A ne er-do-well thirty-something (Melissa Joan Hart) attempts to appease her family by kidnapping herself an attractive boyfriend (Mario Lopez) for the family Christmas. Despite unlikely odds and dysfunctional family moments, the two fall in love and share a magical Christmas.StarringMelissaJoan Hart and Mario Lopez SPECIAL FEATURES: Cast Interviews! Film Trailers of ABC Family s Original Movies: Snow and Snowglobe Sneak Peek Trailer of ABC Family s 25 Days of Christmas Holiday Event!

Get 17% OFF

Click here for more information about Holiday in Handcuffs (2007)

Make It or Break It: Volume One - Extended Edition (2009) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)One of the most impressive drama series I have seen on abc Family with a solid script, really good editing and also solid performances by the show's talent, "Make It or Break It" has become one of my favorite drama series to catch on television.
"Make it or Break It" is a new abc family drama series which began in June 2009, and with its debut and run "Make It or Break It" proved to be successful as it received the second best series ratings for the network. The first season consists of a total of 20 episodes, and the first ten episodes are featured in "Make It or Break It: Extended Edition" on DVD.
Created and written by Holly Sorensen, "Make It or Break It" is a captivating drama series that revolves around a female gymnastics team and a girl named Emily Kmetko (played by Chelsea Hobbs, "Beach Girls", "Pasadena", "Lords of Dogtown") from Fresno who practiced gymnastics at a public gym at the YWCA and showed impressive talent.
Because of her talent, she receives the opportunity to attend one of the top gymnastic schools in the country known as "The Rock" (Rocky Mountain Gymnastics Training Center). But life for Emily is difficult as her mother is a single, unemployed mother trying to take care of Emily and her disabled brother. So, Emily tries to balance her life working at a pizza restaurant (secretly), while preparing to make the gymnastics competition with her goals to make it to nationals and become part of the US Olympic Team.
But life is not easy for Emily, the girls of "The Rock" are not exactly welcoming to her especially Lauren Tanner (played by Cassie Scerbo, "Dance Revolution", "Soccer Mom"), who despises her. Especially since Emily is a threat to the top three who want to make it to the Regionals. As the storyline focuses on Emily, as the underdog who tries to prove to her fellow gymnasts that she belongs there and deserves to compete, her other fellow gymnastic friends at "The Rock" have their share of problems.
"Make It or Break It: Extended Edition - Volume One" comes with a total of 10 episodes on two DVD's. Here is a spoiler-less summary of each episode:
DISC 1:
* EPISODE 1 - Pilot - The Kmetko's move to Boulder, Colorado where she joins "The Rock", one of the most prestigious gymnastics school in the country. But as the new gymnast coming into the school, many of the top athletes are not to thrilled about her joining them.
* EPISODE 2 - Where's Marty? - With Steve Tanner blackmailing Marty, the Rock loses their head coach prompting the gymnasts and their parents in confusion and shock since nationals are coming up.
* EPISODE 3 - Blowing Off Steam - With a new coach who is very strict, some of the girls decide to go to a kegger party which leads Carter doing something he will later regret.
* EPISODE 4- Sunday, Bloody Sasha, Sunday - It's Sunday and because the girls have went to a party, Sasha disciplines the top 4 with a full day of intense training, meanwhile Emily is afraid she will get fired from work.
* EPISODE 5 - Like Mother, Like Daughter, Like Supermodel - With "The Rock" needing funding, the group will have a fashion show which Sasha makes the girls take part of.
DISC 2:
* EPISODE 6 - Between a Rock and a Hard Place - The Rock girls take on the Denver school in a gymnastics competition at the Invitational but what happens to Emily when she doesn't listen to her coach?
* EPISODE 7- Run, Emily, Run - Emily faces the repercussions of not listening to her coach. Meanwhile, Damon comes up with an idea for Emily to continue her training.
* EPISODE 8 - All's Fair in Love, War and Gymnastics - The Cruz family has a send off party for the gymnasts but secrets are revealed.
* EPISODE 9 - Where's Kaylie? - After Kaylie discovers Carter's secret, she runs off the day before the Nationals. Now Emily, Lauren and Payson need to find her.
* EPISODE 10 - All That Glitters (Extended Version) - It's the day of the National Gymnastics Championship in Boston. Who will emerge victorious and make it for the Nationals team?
VIDEO & AUDIO:
"Make It or Break It: Extended Edition - Volume One" is presented in widescreen (1:78:1) and for the most part, the picture quality is satisfactory for a drama series. Also, it helps that the series features various settings, including multiple outdoor shots which definitely makes the PQ for the DVD much better. You can see slight compression at times on certain scenes but not too distracting.
Audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. The series is front and center channel driven, dialogue is clear and understandable and music comes out quite clear from the front channels. The series is not the type of series that utilizes special effects or the use of the surround channels but if you have a modern home theater receiver and a 5.1 or 7.2 setup, definitely worth selecting audio on all channels on the receiver for a more immersive soundscape.
Subtitles are in English SDH.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
"Make It or Break It: Extended Edition - Volume One" comes with a few special features. Included are:
* Making It - (8:50) Series creator/writer/Executive Producer Holly Sorensen talks about how the series came to be, the training the actresses had to go through to learn gymnastics (or sharing their previous gymnastics experiences) and their stunt doubles and behind-the-scenes footage on the making of the show.
* Deleted Scenes - A total of six deleted scenes: The "M" Word, A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words..., You Go, Girl!, Mrs. Cruz is not your BFF!, Funny Money and What's in the Bag?
JUDGMENT CALL:
My first time watching "Make It or Break It" was through a feature which was included with "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" and I was pretty captivated by the underdog storyline of a girl who came out of nowhere having to prove to others that she has talent while the others at the school tend to not welcome her. Also, the fact that her family are not financially in a well-place. In some way, it has that "Karate Kid" type of storyline that I enjoyed back in the 80's with the exception that no one is getting into fist fights but I could tell this was a show about perseverance, teamwork and possible some major cattiness.
Needless to say, when I started watching the first volume of "Make It or Break It", I watched all of it in one sitting because I found it to be quite engrossing. I have to admit that this is the first abc Family drama series that I really, really enjoyed immensely. For a group of actresses that have not had a long career, each of them did a great job. And it was great to know through the "Making Of", that the actresses had previous gymnastics or dance training but also had to go through weeks of boot camp to learn gymnastics and seeing how the camera shots and editing made this show so believable. I was pretty impressed, the editing of the actresses and their stunt doubles have been quite flawless and it helps that their stunt doubles have a similar height and build.
But I also enjoy the series because as much as its about four young women preparing for Nationals, it's a family series in which parents have a major place in the storyline and some major talent are in this series such as Perry Gilpin of "Frazier" and a grown-up Candace Cameron Bure of "Full House". And also because some parents are in various financial situations, I liked how the show shows the struggles of the families also incorporating how the economy can put a dent into the future of families with children who are athletes. I've known several friends who are in similar positions as the parents shown on this series and the writers did a good job in showing that.
So, I really enjoyed the series a lot. But if there was one little problem was during the finale, why they would introduce storylines that should have interfered with the gymnast's focus on their competition. Gymnasts are very focused athletes. It's a sport where there is a lot of discipline and takes a lot of focus and somehow at times, there are situations that I felt was a bit farfetched but of course, this is a drama series and I can understand why certain things had to happen. Also, for the DVD release, I hope that there will be some kind of audio commentary in the future. It would be fun to have the director or even the four young women share their commentary of an episode or even for the next release, the season finale.
But overall, I have to admit that "Make it or Break It" is a wonderful drama series. Granted, if you have a little or a lot of appreciation for gymnastics, the series although incorporates the sport, it's not to over-dominating as the storyline focuses on the four main athletes of "The Rock" and their family situation.
"Make It or Break It: Extended Edition - Volume One" is a very solid series, definitely recommended!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Make It or Break It: Volume One - Extended Edition (2009)

How far would you go to achieve your ultimate dream? Experience the rivalry and romance of four teenage girls on their path to Olympic gold in the original ABC Family series that has fans and critics cheering all across the nation. You'll flip for...MAKE IT OR BREAK IT, raves David Hinkley of the New York Daily News. Who will rank number1 at Nationals and what will it take to get there? Follow the triumphs and the heartbreaks as close friends balance their lives as high school students with the intense world of competitive gymnastics. Relive the series that raises the bar on family drama, complete with a never-before-seen extended episode, and go behind the scenes to discover what it takes to perform such amazing stunts only on DVD!Bonus Features include: Deleted Scenes, Making It An Inside Look At How These Flexible Female Stars Balance Acting With Difficult Stunts For A Gold Medal Performance, Never-Before-Seen Extended Finale

Get 6% OFF

Click here for more information about Make It or Break It: Volume One - Extended Edition (2009)

Greek: Chapter One (2007) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)A little Animal House, some Van Wilder, a dash of American Pie, and a pinch of Gilmore Girls-esque drama, Greek is the kind of premise that could have easily gone cheesy and overdone. Fortunately, it doesn't; whether it's depictions of life in the Greek system are accurate or exaggerated, it manages to find a happy medium between alcohol-drenched party scenes and actual character-driven drama.
It's the characters, while mildly stereotypical, that really make the show; anyone who was awkward as a college freshman, whether they were in the Greek system or not, will identify with Rusty, the dorky physics major who longs to be in a fraternity; his older sister Casey may at first glance play the perfect blonde sorority princess, but she has plenty of flaws and problems to work through. Her current high-society boyfriend Evan, while definitely arrogant and a little flaky, also seems to have a sensitive side; but it's Casey's ex, ringleader of the Animal House-esque Kappa Taus, aptly-nicknamed Cappie, who steals the show. A funny, fast-talking, goofball with a heart of gold (which gets broken entirely too often), he's the kind of character you can't help but love (unless your Evan Chambers, anyway). The supporting characters, too, are surprisingly well-developed (Dale, Rusty's Bible-thumping, physics nerd roommate is hysterical, and Casey's archenemy Rebecca is the girl everyone loves to hate), and the show even tackles such issues as gays in the Greek system. However, the main theme of the show seems to be the importance of brotherhood, family and friendship. All in all, a great show, definitely worth a look.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Greek: Chapter One (2007)

From ABC Family comes the fresh and addicting comedic drama, Greek: Chapter One. Take an unforgettable journey with the students of Cyprus-Rhodes University as they build friendships, shatter stereotypes and discover that life s most important lessons are learned outside the classroom.Go Greek with the hippest young cast on TV. Experience all 10 episodes of the show s sensational first season, complete with chart-topping music and never-before-seenbonus features in a three-disc box set. Pledge today and get Greek: Chapter One on DVD.

Get 13% OFF

Click here for more information about Greek: Chapter One (2007)

Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus (2004) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This film was originally shown on the Hallmark channel in 2004 and I know it is being repeated this year. It's a sappy charmer but the best Christmas movies tend to be sappy charmers anyway and this one does a very good job. The movie stars Steve Guttenberg who had really kind of disappeared for a few years but seems to be making a but of a comeback even if it's not in A features.
Guttenberg is Nick, the son of Santa Claus. His dad is retiring and Nick is going to take over the job but before he can he has to find a Mrs. Claus. Now obviously this is same plot used in the Santa Clause 2 so while it's not terribly original, it's pulled off well for a TV movie. Anyway he heads to Southern California where he eventually meets Beth played by Crystal Bernard. He of coruse has to win Beth over and convince her to believe in Santa. Beth is a hard-working career woman, widower, and mother who has a son named Jake. She works for an ad agency and Nick actually plays Santa in commercials that the company does. Well of course you know how the film turns out, right?
Guttenberg is always a likable guy and brings a regular guy charm to his roles. Bernard is equally likable, always playing the nice girl. It's a good family picture. Hallmark had made a sequel called "Meet the Santas" which should be popping up any day now. As they say...check your listings!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus (2004)

DVD: 05-51362 Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus Steve Guttenberg (Three Men and a Baby), Crystal Bernard (Wings), and Thomas Calabro (Melrose Place) star in a Christmas charmer about Santa’s son and his search for a wife.Nick (Guttenberg) is due to replace his retiring father, and needs a Mrs. Claus, so Santa’s adviser sends him down to Southern California.There he meets Beth Sawtelle (Bernard), a workaholic widow whose advertising job with Andrew West (Calabro) leaves precious little time for her son, Jake (Dominic Scott Kay).Concealing his identity, Nick stars in a series of Christmas commercials for the agency as he tries to make sure Jake and Beth both believe in Santa Claus-no easy task in her case! Running Time: Approx. 85 Minutes/Color/NTSC/Stereo

Get 27% OFF

Click here for more information about Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus (2004)

The Middleman: The Complete Series (2008) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Precis of the show: An art major working as a temp on the reception desk of a genetics lab is caught up in a mishap that leads to her being recruited as an agent-in-training by a uniformed man (no, not officially uniformed like a cop or a mountie, and not spandexed and/or masked like Batman or the Lone Ranger; think 1950's Army knock-off, starting with the Eisenhower jacket) who introduces himself as "The Middleman", a secret agent working for a secret agency with a secret agenda to save the world and to fight evil no matter where it is found (so that we "don't have to").
Before she knows it, our temp receptionist, Wendy Watson, is in the middle of the adventure of a life-time, fighting evil right along-side the Middleman (aka MM). And what adventures they are: fighting aliens from space disguised as the members of a boy band, collaborating -- or not -- with vampires who run a fashion company, entering Hades to prevent world destruction, dealing with evil alter-egos in an alternative universe, etc, etc, etc... and many of these adventures are handled before breakfast. Figuratively speaking, that is.
"The Middleman" is a loving parody/spoof of just about every genre any fan has ever been deeply, madly, eternally in love with... and I should know, 'cause I'm that way about all of them: most obviously, of course, is the general SF category -- but within this genre there are also the "robots are our friends -- or are they?" genre, the "invaders from space walk amongst us" genre, the "secret masters of the universe" genre, the "alternate universe" genre, the "Batman&Robin" genre, the... but why go on? If you're an SF fan, chances are you'll immediately recognize one or more of your favorite "what ifs" in every episode of "The Middleman."
And that's NOT to say that this show is derivative or recycled. On the contrary, Javier Grillo-Maxauch, the creator of "The Middleman", (who quite obviously is the SF Fan Supreme) has given every "what-if", every "do you suppose", every "could it be" that form the basis of all good SF tales those special little JG-M twists that raise his premises from "gosh darn good" (to paraphrase MM himself) to truly outstanding.
So. You start with a great concept; add exceptional writing (and, may I say, writing that was much too adult for ABC Family, the cable station that aired the episodes and dropped them after only twelve episodes); follow with casting that is absolutely spot-on for each character (I mean, even with the great writing, many actors would fail to make the Middleman anything other than a Dudley Do-right caricature, but Matt Keesler makes his nameless MM a three dimensional person -- even if he *does* drink milk and eschew any language more colorful than "heck" or "darn"); and finally, have directors who know how to handle parody and satire without making it so "over-the-top" that it fails to connect. The result will be that you have a timeless series.
I was hooked right from the start of the first episode, when Wendy Watson (Natalie Morales), our soon-to-be Middleman-in-training (Middlewoman? Middleperson? Middlebeing?), was completely unflappable in the midst of being attacked by a composite monster created in a genetics experiment gone wrong: "Andromeda Strain" sub-genre, of course. And I was *really* hooked the first time we met Wendy's roommate, Lacey Thornfield (Brit Morgan), and realized that in these two young women Grillo-Maxauch had given us two strong female roles unlike any others on TV.
And yes, with gorgeous guys and beautiful women on display, the romance genre is definitely on view here, in all its permutations: true love, unrequited love, love denied, love willingly embraced, etc, etc, etc. Interestingly, the requisite UST (unresolved sexual tension, for those who don't recognize the initials) in this show is not between MM and Wendy, but rather between MM and Lacey (who would really much rather NOT have her love be unrequited, thank you very kindly -- and I agree, which is why I adore the twist in the final episode which does, and yet doesn't, resolve the unresolvable).
So, we have both the SF and the romantic fiction genres in this show. What else? There's enough action-adventure to please any fan of the genre, enough friendship to satisfy any buddy-movie fan (the relationship between Wendy and MM and between Wendy and Lacey both qualify in this category), and enough "secret shadow government/agency" shticks to grab the Bourne audience -- provided they're willing to accept humor in the plots to take over the world.
I loved the show so much, I paid $1.99 per episode from i-tunes "just in case" the show never made it to DVD. But even with all the episodes sitting on my computer, I'm *still* gonna shell out the money to pick this set up as soon as it's released. The Middleman needs his fans.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Middleman: The Complete Series (2008)

Based on the series of graphic novels by acclaimed writer Javier Grillo-Marxuach (Lost) and artist Les McClaine, The Middleman focuses on the titular superhero and his new protege, an aspiring artist named Wendy Watson. Together they defend the Earth against exotic problems such as animated Terra Cotta Warriors, evil lucha libre wrestlers, extraterrestrials, trout-eating zombies and much, much more! Both smart and exciting for fans of all ages, The Middleman scored big with critics when it debuted in June of 2008. Now the complete series is available in one collectible 4-disc box set that is chock-full of action, suspense,wit and bonus features brought straight to you by the cast and creators of The Middleman themselves!Bonus Features: * Commentaries With the Cast and Crew* Deleted and Extended Scenes* Web Featurettes* Gag Reel* Audition Footage* The Complete The Palindrome Reversal Palindrome Table Read* A Gallery of Middleman Photography by Ralph King

Get 28% OFF

Click here for more information about The Middleman: The Complete Series (2008)

Wildfire: Season 2 (2005) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)ABC Family's Wildfire. No show on television has ever explored the racing world. If you've ever wonder what 'life on small ranch' must be like this series is the perfect starting place.
Its the tale of two families in the racing businness. One is the elite Davis farms, a rich family living at the top of the horse racing game. Mansions. Cars. Top Bred Horses. The other is Raintree farm, home to the Ritters, a family, who care passionately about horses but are living life day to day, struggling for survival.
Enter main character Kris Furillo, a trouble girl whose trying to get her life back together after spending sometime in prison. As part of her prison rehabilitation, she begins working at horse ranch. Shortly afterward, she's bonds with spirited horse named Wildfire. Wildfire reminds Kris alot of herself. Both are lost and misunderstood by people.
Kris soon completes her sentence, but she has nowhere to go. Pablo, one Raintree's horse trainer, has been watching her interaction with Wildfire for sometime. At Kris's court hearing, He offers her chance at independence, a job working for him. Kris accepts his proposal. In the process, she develops a relationship with both families.
Together with Wildfire, Kris's determination and heart strikes a chord with the Ritter Family. Her racing talents and beauty attracts one, Junior Davis, the youngest family member of Davis farms. Which creates a more than a few problems. Drama and Competions aside, Kris finds a new home for herself. The discovery of a racing future.
What's unique about Wildfire, is that the series does'nt portray the easy side of life. Nor does it coast through life struggles. Horseracing is what both the Ritter and Davis Families live and die for. What refreshing, is that the teenagers, don't consume their time with frivolous shopping sprees/nor do they care about how their precieved by others. They're deeply involved in ensuring their familes survival. The series has a big heart. Its worth giving it shot. Its presents good family values along the lines of The WB's Everwood and Gilmore Girls.
Part family drama. Part teen love story. Your kids will love it.
Just to let you know, the Fourth Season starts on Monday Jan 21 2008 at 9pm on ABC Family. Check it out. You may fall in love with the series.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Wildfire: Season 2 (2005)

Item Name: Wildfire: Season 2; Studio:Lionsgate Home Entertainment

Get 15% OFF

Click here for more information about Wildfire: Season 2 (2005)