Phantom Lady (Blu-ray) <small>by Ian Jane</small><hr /> The Movies: Directed by Robert Siodmak in 1944 and based on a novel by Cornell Woolrich, Phantom Lady introduces us to a man named Scott Henderson (Alan Curtis). When we first meet up with Scott, he's just had a fight with his wife and is drowning his sorrows in a bottle down at the local watering hole. Here he hits it off with a woman that we later learn is named Ann Terry (Fay Helm), but for now has no real identity. She's in a similar state of mind and, well, birds of a feather and all that. When Scott decides to split and take in a show, she goes with him on the condition that they keep the conversation light and ignore heavier matters of the heart. They never exchange names. During the show, the leading lady, Estela Monteiro (Aurora Miranda), becomes visibly upset when she spies Ann wearing the same hat that she is wearing for the show (look for Elisha Cook Jr. to play the d...Read the entire review »

Family Guy: 20 Greatest Hits <small>by Jesse Skeen</small><hr /> It would have seemed unlikely that Family Guy, cancelled from network TV after 3 seasons, would end up celebrating its 20th anniversary, but indeed it has. The animated series owes a lot to DVD for its success and rebirth, as the season sets released after its cancellation sold so well that it was soon picked up again. Being one who can't stand the presentation of broadcast TV since the late 90s, this was how I discovered it as I was buying just about everything that came out on DVD at that time. At first glance, it looks like just an animated parody of family sitcoms- Creator Seth MacFarlane voices oafish Peter Griffin, the head of the family, as well as infant son Stewie who is far smarter than his age a...Read the entire review »

The Craft (Blu-ray) <small>by Michael Zupan</small><hr /> This wasn't my first time watching The Craft, but it may as well have been. Outside of its poster art and that light as a feather, stiff as a board' scene, I couldn't recall anything about its characterization or plot. In hindsight, I should have recognized that as a red flag, but I instead shrugged my forgetfulness off as what inevitably happens with the passage of time. But this film debuted in the late 90's, sharing its moment in cinema with the likes of Scream, Cruel Intentions, and Clueless, which I remember just fine. So what was it about this one that managed to escape me completely? Scream Factory's latest release offered me the perfect opportunity to find out. Sarah Bailey just moved to Los Angeles and she's having a rough time transitioning to her new school. A lot of people are superficial or rude, and one guy pretends to like Sarah so he can shamelessly besmirch her reputation just...Read the entire review »

Jonathan (Blu-ray) <small>by Thomas Spurlin</small><hr /> The Film: <hr nospace> The psychology and logistics involved with someone having dual personalities has made for absorbing cinema over the years, from the philosophical rebellion of Fight Club to numerous more direct, outlandish thrillers that'll remain unmentioned out of respect to their twists. Jonathan, the feature-length debut from Bill Oliver, differs from those films in two important ways: the duality of the main character is revealed right at the beginning, instead of near the end for shock value or existential significance; and the duality is literal in nature, in that two brothers occupy one body and evenly split the time of day between them. While the dramatic nature of Oliver's thriller might directly tap into the unique problems and consi...Read the entire review »