I loved “Duplicity,” because it’s like a throwback to all of those great film noir flicks of the 1940’s, 50s and 60s, with the sexual tension and rat-a-tat banter between Clive Owen and Julia Roberts.
The story is all about corporate intrigue, spies and secrets, but it’s more light-hearted than you might think at first glance. Instead of missiles and terrorists, we’re dealing with something more benign, along the lines of body lotion, hair gel and pizza crust. The great Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti also star in this fun caper, written and directed by Tony Gilroy.
Read my … [Read More]

If you’re a fan of “G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero,” then you’ll be in heaven this week. Both the complete series collector’s set and season 1.1 are available on DVD tomorrow.

The complete series is packaged in a very cool footlocker and includes 17 DVDs, 95 episodes, new featurettes, archival Hasbro Toy commercials, the original 1963 Toy Fair Presentation, an exclusive voice cast reunion, a 60-page book, a printable script, and more. Check out the intro below.
[Buy Season 1.1] [Buy Complete Collector's Set]
Image: Hasbro / Shout Factory, Inc.

I’m probably more in love with “Transformers” than “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” (read my review here). They’re both rock-em sock-em movies with giant robots, but the first one had more plot and character development, in my view. Well, as much as you can have in a movie about giant robots.
THE DVD: The 2007 action flick directed by Michael Bay centers on an ancient battle between two extraterrestrial robotic clans, the heroic Autobots and evil Decepticons. But the key to who wins this battle is held by a teenage boy, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf). Also stars Megan Fox, Josh … [Read More]

I just posted a little tidbit about Antonio Banderas doing nude scenes as he turns 50 years old, so I thought I’d post a few stills from "The Code" (said movie in which he strips down).
Also known as "Thick as Thieves," "The Code" bypassed theaters and went straight to DVD yesterday. The story follows a veteran thief, Keith Ripley (Morgan Freeman), who recruits a younger crook, Gabriel Martin (Antonio Banderas), to help him pull one final job so he can repay his debt to the Russian mob. But what Ripley doesn’t know is that the younger crook is actually … [Read More]

Movie: Confessions of a Shopaholic * Trailer * Official Site * BuyIt
In Theaters: Feb. 13, 2009; On DVD & Blu-ray: June 23, 2009

Runtime: 112 minutes
Directed by: P. J. Hogan

MPAA Rating: PG for some mild language and thematic elements
Gecko Rating:

I’m a huge fan of all the Sophie Kinsella books, and "Confessions of a Shopaholic" is based on her book by the same name. It’s about a woman named Rebecca Bloomwood (Isla Fisher – pronounced "I-la")) who LOVES to shop.
There are more books in the series, including "Shopaholic Ties the Knot," "Shopaholic & Sister," "Shopaholic Takes Manhattan," and "Shopaholic & … [Read More]

Movie: Revolutionary Road * Trailer * Official Site
In Theaters: Dec. 26, 2008; On  DVD: June 2, 2009

Runtime: 119 minutes
Directed by: Sam Mendes

MPAA Rating: R for language and some sexual content/nudity
Gecko Rating:

As a rule, I generally don’t like movies that revolve around couples arguing. But as you can see above, I gave "Revolutionary Road" 5 out of 5 Geckos, and the reason is simple: Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio.
As I was watching this movie, I kept thinking, here’s a couple who really work well together. It’s like they’re hardly acting, because they’re so natural with each other, their … [Read More]

New on DVD this week are a few horror movies, a dramedy, and a comedy. Take a look and see what appeals to you:
What Goes Up (NR). Steve Coogan plays a morally challenged New York reporter who learns a few life lessons from a group of dysfunctional students (Hilary Duff, Josh Peck, Olivia Thirlby), while covering the hometown hoopla surrounding the first teacher in space. Buy It
The Cell 2 (R ). This straight-to-DVD sequel to the 2000 Jennifer Lopez thriller follows a telepathic mind-melder (Tessie Santiago) who’s hired by the cops to get into the brain of a … [Read More]

I’ll say right off the bat: I LOVED “The Greatest Game Ever Played”! It’s the film that made me slightly fan-crazed for Shia Labeouf, and it’s just a great movie.
THE MOVIE: Based on real-life golfer Francis Ouimet, it tells the story of how he beat the odds of his working-class life to play in the 1913 U.S. Open Championship against pro Harry Vardon (Stephen Dillane). Josh Flitter as Ouimet’s pint-sized caddy is a hoot! Directed by “Big Love” star Bill Paxton, it’s rated PG for some brief mild language, so basically a family movie good for ages 7 and … [Read More]

Clint Eastwood continues to knock me out with his heartfelt performances, this time in "Gran Torino," in which he plays Korean War vet Walt Kowalski. It’s a racially charged story that’s also violent and disturbing, with Eastwood’s classic humor thrown in for good measure.
Read my review of "Gran Torino," and buy the DVD on Film Gecko’s DVD Store on Amazon.
Bonus Features include some of the filmmakers reminiscing about their first cars or dream cars. We also get to see a Detroit rally of classic cars along Woodward Avenue, which is bittersweet considering Detroit’s altered auto scene in recent … [Read More]

In the world of classic cartoons, one of my favorites is “Tom and Jerry,” and much of that is because of the artistic style of legendary animator Chuck Jones.
Coming to DVD on June 23, 2009 is “Tom and Jerry: Chuck Jones Collection,” a must-have 2-disc collector’s set featuring all 34 theatrical shorts produced by Jones. Pre-order Tom and Jerry: The Chuck Jones Collectionon Amazon right now! And visit Film Gecko’s DVD Store on Amazon.
What I love about these cartoons is they’re not “in your face” like the cartoons of today (kids these days!). They’re more subtle. You have to … [Read More]