Reviews Archives

The Lieutenant of Inishmore is one of those shows you have to see to believe.  Its more gruesome than you can imagine and quite possibly the bloodiest production in the history of Broadway. And you will laugh your panties off. The Lieutenant of Inishmore is a bloody hysterical take on rabid patriotism and ailurophilia, featuring Salem the cat — the one from Sabrina, the Teenage Witch!– and more body parts than you can shake a stick at.  Okay, it’s just a plain old black cat.  But seriously, this play is FECKIN’ HILARIOUS. Miss it you should not.

And if you were curious… five gallons of fake blood (a blend of chocolate, corn syrup, food coloring, and creamy peanut butter)  is spilled every performance.  The stage is cleaned with squeegees, mops, and a garden hose after each curtain call. And because I’m such a procrastinator, I must apologize.  This review is coming at you two months late.  But as they say, better late than never.

READ :: Inishmore Review by: The New York Times

If you’ve been following Just Jared, you’ll know that I am a big big big fan of High School Musical.  Don’t even ask how many times I’ve seen it!  But of course I want everyone else to "Bop to the Top" with me… so here’s a DVD giveaway!  Below is a 5-minute clip (not featured on the DVD) of the High School Musical Dance Along that I didn’t look stupid trying to imitate in front of my computer screen . . .  BTW, Zac Efron just signed on as Link Larkin in the film version of Hairspray.

HOW TO WIN A FREE COPY ::  To win the High School Musical DVD, leave a comment in this entry with your most memorable (fun, silly, embarrassing, etc) high school moment.  One entry per person.  Be sure to include a valid email address (not published).  Entries must be made before Thursday, June 29 @ 7PM EST.  Good luck!

UPDATE :: Congratulations, Dan!  Your DVD will go out in the mail soon!  Thanks to everyone else who entered.  I really enjoyed everybody’s stories.

Synopsis :: Anthony Hopkins stars as Burt Munro, a man who never let the dreams of youth fade.  In the late 1960’s, after a lifetime of perfecting his classic Indian motorcycle, Burt sets off from the bottom of the world, Invercargill, New Zealand, to clock his bike at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.  With all odds against him, Burt puts his irrepressible kiwi spirit to the test, braving the new world on a shoestring budget.  He makes fast friends of many he encounters along the way who find themselves swept up in his energy and singular determination.  Burt’s quest culminates in an unlikely conclusion and remains legendary within the motorcycle community to this day.  

The World’s Fastest Indian may have bombed at the box office but this little gem of a movie is worth every penny if you’re thinking about picking up the DVD.  Anthony Hopkins, as always, gives another spellbinding performance.  How the man immerses himself so deeply into movie characters time and time again is astounding.  Although sometimes, actors can lose it as Hopkins did admit one time that he does get a little cuckoo sometimes playing psychopaths — Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, Red Dragon.  More movie stills in the gallery!  Cuckoo, cuckoo!

HOW TO WIN A FREE COPY ::  To win The World’s Fastest Indian DVD, leave a comment in this entry with your favorite Anthony Hopkins movie and why.  One entry per person.  Be sure to include a valid email address (not published).  Entries must be made before Thursday, June 29 @ 7PM EST.  Good luck!

UPDATE :: Congratulations, Megs!  Your DVD will be mailed out shortly!  Her favorite Anthony Hopkins movie was Remains of the Day.

If you’ve never watched the Emmy Award-winning animated series Where On Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?, you haven’t lived yet.  I religiously watched every episode of Carmen Sandiego and the ACME Detective Agency sleuths Zack and Ivy, a staple in my Saturday Morning Cartoon Line-up as a kid.  The 3-DVD collector set features the voice talent of Oscar/Emmy/Golden Globe-winning actress Rita Moreno. Watch the Carmen Sandiego preview below.

HOW TO WIN A FREE COPY :: To win the Where On Earth Is Carmen Sandiego? :: Season 1 DVD, leave a comment in this entry answering "Where on Earth is Your Favorite Celebrity?"  Answer where s/he might be right now and include links to articles and/or pictures if you can. One entry per person. Be sure to include a valid email address (not published). Entries must be made before Thursday, June 29 @ 7PM EST. Good luck!

UPDATE :: Congratulations, Ann!  Your DVD’s on the way!

WOW WOW WEE WAA WAA! From the moment I saw the trailer last month, I knew Superman Returns was going to be a fantastic film. (Conversely, during the same week, I was severely disappointed in a 7-minute clip released for X-Men 3–and that movie wound up being terrible.)  And, before you could say kryptonite, Bryan Singer’s latest was boasting rave reviews from Variety, Time, Newsweek, and The Hollywood Reporter.  Will Superman Returns live up to expectations at the box office?   You betcha.

UP, UP AND AWAY!  The hot new Man of Steel Brandon Routh is a dead ringer for the young Christopher Reeve, but less steel and more soul. Kate Bosworth brings a softer side to the edgy Lois Lane we’re used to. And Kevin Spacey, well, was born to play the iconic role of Lex Luthor.  Or any other maniacal villian for that matter. 

SHHHHHHH!  It’s hard not to get riled up when John Williams’ theme music cranks through the speakers.  You’re bound to get goosebumps when it hits crescendos but the two best scenes of Superman Returns actually took place in dead silence: 1) After saving the planet from a ‘ginormous growing kryptonite crystal island’ gobbling up Earth, an unconscious Superman hurtles back to Earth.  Dead silence. Heart tug.  2) Lying in a hospital bed with shards of kryptonite embedded into his skin, a critically injured Superman is visited (and kissed!) by Lois Lane and her son. Dead silence.  Heart tug.

DUN DUN DUN!  Comics-obsessed dweebs can rest easy.  Superman Returns definitely comes close to matching up with last summer’s superhero film Batman Begins (barring Katie Holmes). Plus, there’s much to look forward to.  Executive producer Chris Lee has confirmed all of the actors "are signed on for three films." Will I see Superman Returns again?  YES! IMAX 3D, HERE I COME!

The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan is the hit National Geographic Channel show that helps you have a great relationship with your dog. Loads of celebrity dog owners have all used Cesar Milan’s training techniques: Scarlett Johannson, Hillary Duff, Will Smith, Vin Diesel, Nicolas Cage, and of course, Oprah Winfrey.  Cesar returned to the The Oprah Winfrey Show this past Monday to help Oprah’s favorite decorator Nate Berkus train his dogs.  Now’s your chance to snag your own The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan DVD :: The Complete First Season boxed set, which includes all 26-episodes.

HOW TO WIN A FREE COPY ::  To win The Dog Whisperer DVD, simply leave a comment in this entry with the names of a celebrity and his/her pet pooch(es).  Be sure to include a valid email address (not published).  Enter by Tuesday, May 30 @ 7PM EST and a winner will be chosen at random.  Good luck!

UPDATE :: Congratulations, bev!  Your The Dog Whisperer DVD will go out in the mail!  Thanks to everyone else who entered!!

The Producers DVD only came out last week and here’s your chance to snag a free copy.  Based on the Broadway smash-hit, The Producers is about a scheming producer Max Bialystock (Nathan Lane) and his mousy accountant, Leo Bloom (Matthew Broderick), who discover that under the right circumstances they could make more money by producing a Broadway flop than they can with a hit.  The Producers also stars sexy Uma Thurman and comedy genius Will Ferrell. If you never caught The Producers on Broadway with the original cast, the film version is the next best thing.  Bialystock and Bloom!!!!!!

HOW TO WIN A FREE COPY ::  To win The Producers DVD, leave a comment in this entry correctly identifying the below celebrity caricatures.  The first two (2) comments with the correct six answers will win.  Be sure to include a valid email address (not published).  Entries must be made before by May 24 @ 7PM EST.  Good luck!

UPDATE :: Congratulations Gerd and anon on winning The Producers DVD!  I’ll be sure to make the contest a little bit harder next time!  The correct answers were Mariah Carey, Angelina Jolie, Scarlett Johansson, Prince Charles, Marilyn Monroe, and James Dean.

Celebrity Caricatures #1, #2, #3

Celebrity Caricatures #4, #5, #6

Munich is Steven Spielberg’s 2005 political thriller about Israel’s covert retaliation for the murder of its 11 athletes at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. While audiences didn’t flock to see Munich in theaters (I did!), the gripping film appears to have scored big with DVD sales, topping national DVD sales and rental charts during the week ending May 14. Munich is a solid production and stars one of my favorite actors, Eric Bana, 37, who does a mighty fine job playing Avner, the assasination team leader.  Munich was nominated for a best-picture Oscar and also stars Daniel Craig (Casino Royale).  Prodctuion stills and DVD caps in the gallery!

HOW TO WIN A FREE COPY ::  To win a Munich DVD, simply leave a comment in this entry with a valid email address (not published) by May 19 @ 7PM EST and a winner will be chosen at random.  Good luck!

UPDATE :: Congratulations, P.A.!  Your Munich DVD is being shipped off!  Thanks to everyone else who entered!!