Author: Jason Zingale

Every once and a while, a film comes along that is injected with so much emotion that it must eventually be passed on to the audience through some compilation of clever jokes, tear-jerking monologues and an overall warm-heartedness. Sometimes dubbed “feel-good” movies, the point of the entire production is usually centered on abusing the moviegoer’s thin-layered feelings in order to capitalize on a big, box office draw. “Finding Neverland” is not that kind of film, but it’ll definitely give most people the sniffles by the arrival of its dramatic conclusion. Starring Oscar-contending heavyweights Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet, Marc Forster’s…

Jason Voorhees is going retro this Halloween with the DVD release of his first eight films, “Friday the 13th: From Crystal Lake to Manhattan,” a 5-disc Ultimate Edition DVD Collection for die-hard fans of the horror icon. The set includes all eight films spread out on four discs (two films per disc) and a fifth bonus disc with hours of special features that only hardcore fans will probably enjoy. The collection follows everyone’s favorite masked murder during his legendary killing spree at Camp Crystal Lake to the out-of-place cruise ship trip to NYC, but while the series has been highly…

After years of anticipation and countless rumors about how much of the original “Star Wars” trilogy George Lucas would tinker with when he finally released the three films to DVD, I’m happy to report that the changes are for the better. The original versions aren’t available on disc so stop you’re whining right now, but finally fans can experience all three films digitally re-mastered and restored in the long-awaited four-disc DVD set, which includes Lucas’ brand new edition of the classic films along with a remarkable selection of extras that have been collecting cobwebs at Skywalker Ranch for the past…

Whenever moviegoers hear the dreaded “remake” label attached to a film nowadays, they run out to their nearest video store and rent the original. How else could you compare the two after the latest version is released in theaters? But in planning to see director Charles Shyer’s new film, “Alfie,” an update of the 1966 version starring Michael Caine, take my advice and skip the trip to Blockbuster. Similar in many respects to the original, the newest “Alfie” is still a completely different film, thanks mostly to a witty script full of smooth one-liners and a brilliant performance by Jude…

Fans of the horror genre are promised nearly ever year that the latest film to open on Halloween weekend will be one of the most disturbing films yet. Director James Wan’s debut film, “Saw,” completely fails at being both a horror movie and an unnerving picture, but it does succeed as an incredibly innovative and taut thriller modeled from the same psychotic brilliance of films like “Se7en.” Offering a host of plot twists that will keep the audience guessing after the ending has been seemingly revealed, “Saw” is an independent masterpiece that will quickly find its own audience as a…

After sitting through the new biopic about famous recording artist Ray Charles, I was compelled to deconstruct the reasoning behind which biographies are deemed worthy to produce. If an interesting life filled with historical relevance is considered the ideal candidate, “Ray” is an unlikely choice. If movie execs are looking to exploit overdramatic situations about drug abuse and adultery in a script that drowns itself in almost an hour of unneeded footage, “Ray” is the perfect pitch. Hot off a brilliant performance in the Michael Mann thriller, “Collateral,” Jamie Foxx fires back at critics as the young, talented and blind…

In the eve of a season filled with ambitious Oscar hopefuls that wouldn’t stand a chance against past losers, Alexander Payne’s “Sideways” is a refreshing glass of cinematic brilliance that supersedes the usual Hollywood fodder in place of a simple story that is filled to the brim with relatable characters and classy wine. Based on the novel by Rex Pickett and starring an incredible cast, “Sideways” is a darkly comical and courageous journey of two ordinary middle-aged men whose only aspirations are to move forward in life. Miles (Paul Giamatti) is a failed novelist and recent divorcee who teaches middle-school…

In the true spirit of the sports drama, “Friday Night Lights” features a captivating tale about overcoming adversity through teamwork. Unlike a lot of the more recent football movies, however, this one isn’t about race, but rather the radical expectations that are placed on the young men by their coach and neighbors to succeed. If this sounds a lot like “Varsity Blues,” it’s because both movies follow a very similar path. While that film took a slightly more “Dawson’s Creek”-style approach to the story, however, “Friday Night Lights” offers a more serious, and ultimately more rewarding, look at the inner…

Jimmy Fallon may be the new star of “Saturday Night Live” now that Will Ferrell’s no longer there, but his jump to the big screen hasn’t been as graceful. While he received earlier renown for bit roles in films like “Almost Famous” and the HBO miniseries “Band of Brothers,” the young comedian had reportedly turned down a large number of scripts before finally agreeing to work with director Tim Story on his latest comedy flop “Taxi.” In fact the only funny thing about the entire script is its uncanny resemblance to the 1998 French film of the same name, so…

It’s been nearly a decade since middle-school boys gathered around their friend’s computers to watch them secretly play “Leisure Suit Larry,” a mature-themed video game that promised its players a slice of 8-bit nudity. With the recent release of “Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude,” PC company Sierra has re-introduced the classic, sex-crazed world of Larry to a new generation of horny teenagers looking for a quick peek at some graphic nudity that flows along a simple storyline with plenty of adult humor that they won’t understand. Throw in a few mini-games and it’s destined for instant success, right? Wrong.…