Writers: Numerous
Directors: Numerous
Cast: Chuck Norris, Clarence Gilyard Jr., Sheree J. Wilson, Noble Willingham
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Paramount & CBS
Release Date: July 1, 2008

I used to watch Walker, Texas Ranger with my dad when he was alive. My dad was a huge fan of martial arts films. One of his favorite American martial arts experts/actors was Chuck Norris. Needless to say, we both were huge fans of the show. I didn’t really get a lot of chances to bond with my father. He wasn’t always the most affectionate man. We had a few television shows we were able to enjoy and we both were passionate about baseball. Watching baseball and Walker, Texas Ranger together gives me a chance to remember the good times I shared with my dad.

Walker, Texas Ranger was more than just a show about a guy who could kick ass. Sure, Chuck Norris could do that. He also can act, and the show had both good writing and a lot of humor, all of which contributed to the success of this series. The show ran for eight seasons, starting in 1993 and ending in the year my father died, 2001. While shows generally go downhill after so many seasons, I don’t remember that happening quite as much with Walker, Texas Ranger.

Release Information:
As I mentioned previously, Walker, Texas Ranger ran for eight seasons. Before the first season, a three episode pilot debuted on CBS on April 21, 1993. Eight full seasons followed the pilot episodes. The fifth season ran between September 27, 1997 and May 16, 1998. There are 25 epsiodes included on the Walker, Texas Ranger: The Complete Fifth Season DVD.

CBS and Paramount Home Entertainment have set out to release Walker, Texas Ranger: The Complete Fifth Season. The DVD was made available in a seven disc DVD box set on July 1, 2008. This box set is just in time for celebrating Independence Day. Walker, Texas Ranger: The Complete Fifth Season can be found at most retailers both online and off. At Amazon, Walker, Texas Ranger: The Complete Fifth Season is available for $34.99.

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Writer: Various
Director: Various
Cast: Michael Douglas, Karl Malden
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: July 1, 2008

The second season was an exciting time for the cast of The Streets of San Francisco. The show was finally being recognized at this point. The ratings were going up, nominations were pouring in, and life was pretty decent. It’s fairly safe to say that Streets was destined to be a hit. Not only does it include Michael Douglas, it was also produced by Quinn Martin Productions. While the name probably does not sound familiar now, this group was credited with producing popular shows like Cannon, The Invaders, The Fugitive, and Barnaby Jones.

This is actually my first encounter with Streets. That is not to say that’s a bad thing, it’s just that I had no clue that the show existed before it hit my desk. What I found was a fairly basic cop drama. Set in San Francisco and actually filmed there, the show offers a realistic setting and some interesting storylines. Most of it isn’t life changing, but if I have some time to kill and need something to do, I could easily see myself watching this to fill that time gap.

Release Information:
The Streets of San Francisco was on the air for about five seasons and a total of 119 episodes, from start to finish. No one was quite sure how the show would fare, when it started its run against two popular shows, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Bob Newhart Show. After the first season, the show moved from Fridays to Thursdays. The first volume of the second season of The Streets of San Francisco was released on July 1st, 2008.

You should be able to find The Streets of San Francisco - The Second Season, Vol. 1 just about anywhere that TV box sets are sold. If you are shopping online, Amazon is offering it for $29.99, which includes free shipping.

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Writer: Barry Levy
Director: Pete Travis
Cast: Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox, Forest Whitaker, Bruce McGill, Edgar Ramirez, Saïd Taghmaoui, Ayelet Zurer, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, William Hurt
Rating: PG-13
Studio: Sony
Release Date: July 1, 2008

**I’m going to warn you right now – This review possibly contains spoilers.

Once again the box office and the critics disagree. I am one of those critics that usually won’t go with the flow. I liked Vantage Point. A thriller in the best sense, the interwoven storylines, while inevitably predictable in theory give you just enough information throughout each segment to keep you wanting more.

While I thought I had figured out part of what happened I didn’t know why it had happened. The simple reality of the why left me slightly shell shocked. Could it be that a film was echoing the sentiment of the millions of Americans who spoke of the embattled and embittered war we’re going through right now?

I hate to give away what’s going to happen. Still, down to the vary last seconds of the film, all of the stories that tie into what seems like one event come together to paint one whole picture. When watching Vantage Point, I sort of felt like I was looking at one of those puzzles you have to figure out. Every few minutes a foggy piece of the puzzle becomes clear until every piece is revealed. With every second that passes in this heart pounding drama, new information comes into light and the mystery of ‘who’, ‘what’, and ‘why’ eventually is revealed.

I don’t know what critics seem to want from these types of movies because I felt Vantage Point hit the nail on the head when it came to getting down the “thriller” aspect of the film without pause. Either way, I liked this film and I’m already going to recommend it though for more information on the film, you should continue to read my review.

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Writers: Matthew Grainger, Jonathan King
Directors: Peter Burger
Cast: Jason Behr, Mia Blake, David Fane, Robbie Magasiva, Caroline Cheong, Michael Hurst, Nathaniel Lees
Rating: R
Studio: Sony
Release Date: June 24, 2008

I really didn’t know how I felt about having to review a movie called The Tattooist. I’m not one of those people who think tattoos are bad. I’m also not a tattoo fanatic. I was unsure about an entire movie that revolved around tattoos and tattooing. Starting out as a lesson in the cultural practice of tattooing, the The Tattooist quickly becomes a thriller/horror movie with a fast paced storyline.

The Tattooist isn’t the best movie I’ve seen in recent days, but it is something I’d watch again. It’s a movie that is enjoyable and perhaps even a bit shocking. While some aspects of the movie are predictable as the movie goes along (I had a few “I bet this is going to happen” moments) this doesn’t seem to detract from the overall appeal of The Tattooist.

Release Information:
The Tattooist is a film that comes out of New Zealand. The film was actually co-produced between the countries of New Zealand and Singapore, and that is why the film debuted in New Zealand on August 30, 2007 and Singapore on November 29, 2007. The film has never been released in U.S. theaters though its main star is American.

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Writers: Daniel D. Davis
Directors: Christopher N. Rowley
Cast: Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, Joan Allen,Tom Skerritt, Christine Baranski, Victor Rasuk, Tom Amandes, Tom Wopat
Rating: PG
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: June 24, 2008

I’m not overly fond of the sentimental, chick-friendly flicks that so many men try to get out of watching with their girlfriends. While Bonneville has that chick-flick vibe, it also has big name actors. Seldom have I found a Kathy Bates movie I didn’t like. With her résumé including movies like Fried Green Tomatoes and Misery, it’s hard not to like Kathy in any of her roles. Now that she’s getting older, she’s being asked to play more mature roles.

The role she plays in Bonneville is rather spunky. The movie will appeal to mainly women, but it also tells a story that many men will find interesting. I don’t really want to classify this as a chick flick, because it’s not your standard, Cameron Diaz, lame-o chick flick. The story has depth. Rather, it is a sentimental journey of the human spirit. I enjoyed Bonneville not only because it had a story to tell, but also because the acting was flawless, the cast was stellar, and the movie made sense. Older individuals will be able to relate to this story, and as I age, I find myself asking the questions that are brought up through the story told by Daniel D. Davis.

Release Information:
Bonneville premiered at the Toronto Film Festival on September 11, 2006. For some reason, this film seemed to sit on the shelf for the past two years, though it did make two appearances at the Deauville Festival of American Cinema in France and the Film by the Sea Festival in September of 2007. On February 29, 2008, Bonneville had a limited U.S and Canadian theatrical release. That brings us to today.

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Literary Illusions is proud to be giving away one Love Guru Prize Pack. To enter all you need to do is leave us a comment. Please be sure to only leave one. Comments are moderated to avoid spam, so it will not show up right away. People who leave multiple comments will be deleted from the contest altogether. If you do not see your comment within a day then by all means leave another one. Otherwise, do not worry as we accept comments several times a day.

To enter you need to be 18 years of age and a resident of the US. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible. Winners will be announced here. If we do not hear from you within 3 weeks from the date the winners are announced you forfeit your prize and we will select another winner. Prizes will be shipped within 45 days from the day you win.

We will begin choosing winners for this the week of July 28, 2008, which means you have until July 27, 2008 at 11:59 to enter.

From the Press Release
The Love Guru Soundtrack deluxe prizepack. The prizepack contains:
- CD of The Love Guru soundtrack
- A Love Guru t-shirt
- A Love Guru poster autographed by Mike Myers

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Literary Illusions is proud to be giving away three copies of Stop Loss on DVD. To enter all you need to do is leave us a comment. Please be sure to only leave one. Comments are moderated to avoid spam, so it will not show up right away. People who leave multiple comments will be deleted from the contest altogether. If you do not see your comment within a day then by all means leave another one. Otherwise, do not worry as we accept comments several times a day.

To enter you need to be 18 years of age and a resident of the US. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible. Winners will be announced here. If we do not hear from you within 3 weeks from the date the winners are announced you forfeit your prize and we will select another winner. Prizes will be shipped within 45 days from the day you win.

We will begin choosing winners for this the week of July 16, 2008, which means you have until July 15, 2008 at 11:59 to enter.

From the Press Release
Stop Loss
MTV Films’ emotionally gripping story of a group of friends struggling with personal battles and moral conflict arrives on DVD when STOP-LOSS debuts July 8, 2008 from Paramount Home Entertainment. Featuring a sensational cast including Ryan Phillippe (Flags Of Our Fathers), Channing Tatum (A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (The Lookout), Timothy Olyphant (“Deadwood”), Abbie Cornish (Elizabeth: The Golden Age) and Ciaran Hinds (There Will Be Blood), STOP-LOSS is the second feature film from award-winning director Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don’t Cry).

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Writer: Tanya Biank, Katherine Fugate, Rama Stagner
Director: Ben Younger, Perry Lang, Patrick Norris, Michael Lange, and Others
Cast: Catherine Bell, Drew Fuller, Wendy Davis, Sterling K. Brown, Brian McNamara, Kim Delaney, Sally Pressman, Brigid Brannagh
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Disney
Release Date: June 10, 2008

I am not quite sure why, but when I first heard about the show Army Wives I immediately thought that the show was reality television. I suppose with all the war talk and experiences that are going on, it was a natural thought. However, I never turned it on for that reason. It wasn’t that I don’t support the troops, because I do, but rather that I didn’t feel the exploitation of the families of servicemen was the right way to go. Boy was I glad to learn that I was completely wrong.

This DVD box set showed up on my doorstep and my first thought was to cringe. I turned the box over to read the description and was pleasantly surprised to find that this show is fictional. The description led to my being curious, though I was still hesitant as it is a Lifetime show and I am not a huge fan of the Woman’s Network. Regardless, the DVDs were placed in the player and I set out to watch them with the most unbiased viewpoint possible, now that I finally knew what the show was actually about.

Release Information:
Army Wives may be fictional, though it is actually based on a non-fiction book, The Unwritten Code of Military Marriage by Tanya Biank. Biank is also a writer on the show, so I imagine that she offers a sense of reality to the show’s themes. The first season of Army Wives ran for 13 episodes. Apparently, it was popular enough to warrant a second season, as this 19 episode season began airing right before the June 10th DVD release of the first season, on June 8, 2008.

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Literary Illusions is proud to be giving away three copies of The Ruins on DVD. To enter all you need to do is leave us a comment. Please be sure to only leave one. Comments are moderated to avoid spam, so it will not show up right away. People who leave multiple comments will be deleted from the contest altogether. If you do not see your comment within a day then by all means leave another one. Otherwise, do not worry as we accept comments several times a day.

To enter you need to be 18 years of age and a resident of the US. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible. Winners will be announced here. If we do not hear from you within 3 weeks from the date the winners are announced you forfeit your prize and we will select another winner. Prizes will be shipped within 45 days from the day you win.

We will begin choosing winners for this the week of July 18, 2008, which means you have until July 17, 2008 at 11:59 to enter.

From the Press Release
The Ruins
Based on the terrifying best-seller by Scott Smith, “The Ruins” follows a group of friends who become entangled in a brutal struggle for survival after visiting a remote archaeological dig in the Mexican jungle where they discover something deadly living among the ruins.

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Writer: Gerald Green
Director: Marvin Chomsky
Cast: James Woods, Meryl Streep, Michael Moriarty, Joseph Bottoms, Tovah Feldshuh, Rosemary Harris, Deborah Norton, Sam Wanamaker, Fritz Weaver
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: May 27, 2008

I don’t remember when I watched my first movie on the Holocaust. I am going to wager a guess that it was one or two movies. I don’t know if it was The Diary of Anne Frank or Sophie’s Choice. All I know is that I have been addicted to movies on this subject for as long as I can remember.

Surprisingly, I do not remember ever hearing about Holocaust. Of course, due to the age of the mini-series I suppose it makes sense. It wasn’t on DVD, at least not until now, so it didn’t make a lot of sense to continue talking about the powerful message that it offers.

Just reading the title and seeing the box art, I knew that I would want to be the one reviewing this seven hour drama. Offering an incredibly young Meryl Streep, in one of her first roles, and James Woods, who was also just starting out, Holocaust is a fictional tale of one family’s struggle through the biggest criminal injustice in the history of the world. Powerful performances are turned in by the established cast and by names I have never heard of, by people who rarely worked in acting after this miniseries. While this was made prior to Streep’s major acting boom that would lead her to be perhaps the greatest actress of this generation, Holocaust certainly reminds us what she can do even as a less than central character.

Release Information:
Considering I was only just about to be born, only nine days from being born to be exact, when the final day of the miniseries aired in 1978, it’s no wonder why I missed the television broadcast. While the four evening mini-series made enough of an impression to be nominated for numerous awards it was not without criticism. Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel stated that the miniseries was “untrue, offensive, and cheap.”

Of course, he had a point. The series was not a true story. It is about an entirely fictional family. Wiesel was likely referring to the fact that the things that occurred could not have happened in the Holocaust that he remembers. Whether that is true or not remains to be seen. I don’t recall seeing anything too outlandish, but I was not there, so my opinion is not one of authority.

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Literary Illusions is proud to be giving away two copies of Nightranger’s New CD “Hole In the Sun”. To enter all you need to do is leave us a comment. Please be sure to only leave one. Comments are moderated to avoid spam, so it will not show up right away. People who leave multiple comments will be deleted from the contest altogether. If you do not see your comment within a day then by all means leave another one. Otherwise, do not worry as we accept comments several times a day.

To enter you need to be 18 years of age and a resident of the US. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible. Winners will be announced here. If we do not hear from you within 3 weeks from the date the winners are announced you forfeit your prize and we will select another winner. Prizes will be shipped within 45 days from the day you win.

We will begin choosing winners for this the week of July 19, 2008, which means you have until July 18, 2008 at 11:59 to enter.

From the Press Release
NightRanger “Hole In the Sun” CD
There are a lot of reasons to celebrate the July 1 release of Night Ranger’s HOLE IN THE SUN, notably that it marks the band’s first studio album in a decade and commemorates the pioneering hard rock outfit’s 25th anniversary as a band. The best reason, as has been the case throughout Night Ranger’s heralded career, is to celebrate the music itself.

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Writer: Robbie Fox
Director: Thomas Schlamme
Cast: Mike Myers, Nancy Travis, Anthony LaPaglia, Amanda Plummer, Debi Mazar, Steven Wright, Michael Richards
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Sony Home Entertainment
Release Date: June 17, 2008

People think that comedy is an easy genre because all you need to do is make someone laugh. It’s just too bad that a good comedy takes so much more work than that. So many of the comedies that are made anymore are made with weak storylines and produce stupid laughs. One of the things that I like about Mike Myers is that he manages to be in some pretty decent movies. Sure, he ends up playing some pretty odd characters, but the movies end up being interesting and memorable, which is more than I can say for most off the wall comedies that I watch.

So I Married an Axe Murderer is one of the first comedies that I remember seeing Mike Myers in where he did not seem tied to the Saturday Night Live roles that he made so popular. While the film’s writing credit only lists Robbie Fox, Myers actually had quite a bit to do with this script. In the end, they had to take his name out due to Writer’s Guild rules, but watching this you can definitely see the imprint of his comedic style.

Release Information:
So I Married an Axe Murderer was Myers’ first comedy after the incredibly successful Wayne’s World. I am sure when they made this with a paltry $20 million budget they thought they would easily make a huge profit by riding off the success of Wayne’s World. Unfortunately, they were wrong. Axe Murderer bombed at the box office, only making $11 million in North Amer