With VANDERDEKEN'S CHILDREN, the 14th Eighth Doctor and Sam adventure, I'll be going against the rest here in saying that, while it had an interesting plot (if not overly repeated - this story is a cross between two Third Doctor adventures, DEATH TO THE DALEKS and part of CARNIVAL OF MONSTERS where the Doctor is caught in a time loop on a passanger ship, plus a dash of SPHERE by Crichton thrown into the mix), much of the book is listless, dull and adrift - much like the ship the Doctor and Sam encounter in this adventure. Everyone has their part to play and they never stray from it, leaving much of the mystery and suspense to be generated by the ship itself - which it does, but only to a point. The Doctor (again) knows more than he saying, and his ability to operate the ship is annoying (and a cop out for the writer who can't seem to get around paradoxes, time warps and hyper space without the Doctor being utterly brilliant at every moment). Plus, the Doctor's foil, Rexton, also knows more than he's saying, leaving the reader caught between the knowing and suspicious glances between the two. While action packed, it's merely sound and fury to cover the holes in the plot and in that the book excels. Good for a first time reader, but slow for established fans.

With SEEING I, we bring to a close the three book DOCTOR WHO mini-series that began with THE LONGEST DAY (which was followed by a solo Doctor intermission in THE LEGACY OF THE DALEKS), and followed by DREAMSTONE MOON - and up until now each story has tried to build on the one previous - but with little luck and even less entertainment. But with SEEING I we end on a high note which not only entertains, but also drops a few plot lines and problems with Sam that had dogged her since she first arrived on board the TRADIS. As for the story, it's a straight forward affair that will at once cause a few yawns, but at the same time open a few eyes (pun intended). The Doctor is still searching for Sam, and now having found her at the opening of the story, he is arrested and locked away for several years while we, the reader, pick up and follow Sam from girl to young woman as she lands without a friend on a distant planet, joins a environmental group, shakes up the place and battles a mega corporation - and all the while is allowed to grow up. I've never been a big fan of the Sam character. She was boring, annoying and her attraction to the Doctor was always a problem for me (and most writers tried to turn her into some kind of "sex object" for the Doctor to notice - see OPTION LOCK for the dreaded wet T-shirt scene), but here, finally, she allowed to grow up, acquire some skills (which she was seriously lacking in the previous novels - unless you consider screaming and running skills), and have a mind of her own. Like the rest of the series though, the fireworks are held back until the final third of the book and it's all rush, rush, rush from there until the last page, leaving the reader with abrupt conclusion to a story which was neither that exciting or surprising to begin with. SEEING I is not for first time readers, but for fans, it's one of the best and worth picking up.

Without question, FINAL FANTASY is a marvel to behold. The technical breakthroughs made here in the advancement of true to life CGI is stunning and at times breathtaking (while at other times it looks to be no better than a current PS2 release - but only very rarely), and for that alone this two disc special edition should be collected... as for the rest, FINAL FANTASY as a film finds itself all too often stuck in the mud. Listless vocal performances (save for Donald Sutherland whose voice is so rich and textured it's impossible for him to give a listless perfomance, much less a bad one) mixed with a story line that is at once far reaching, ambitious and complex, is forced to sit beside a standard Hollywood sci-fi action adventure coupled with the all too familiar romantic subplot and no surprises... but don't let that put you off getting the movie. While it's entertainment value as a film is limited, the special edition is packed with value. From two sets of film maker commentaries (one from Square America and one from Square Japan - in japanese, be prepared to read a lot of subtitles for that one), an isolated music track with feature commentary, concepts, storyboards, a mini movie, delated footage, an editing studio and more, more, more - FINAL FANTASY on DVD is a library of information for those interested in the both how the film was developed and what movies will look like in the next twenty five years. While it's true actors have nothing to fear yet, the fact that Dr. Aki Ross's hair is at once both uncanny and unsettlingly real will lead you to beleive that one day all actors, real or created, will use the digital process like make up is used today.

MARS NEEDS WOMEN needs no introduction (so much so that it dosen't even have a preview on the disc - I'm not sure if this is an oversight or it never had one to begin with) - the title alone tells you all you need to know, and just what you will find underneath the cover. But don't let that put you off, because MARS NEEDS WOMEN is a classic... even if only for all the wrong reasons. Ernest, but DRAGNET stiff, dialogue deleivered by Tommy Kirk and company make this feature a delight to watch as everyone puts all they've got into making it come across like a high school play gone wrong. Wet suits used as space suits, with duct tape filling in for command stripes, and a model space ship that is so horribly obvious that the opening edits in the credit sequence seem to be going out of their way to hide it - or remove it all together. It's a pleasing and entertaining mess that strives for science fiction, yet comes up with a jumbled collection of erotic dancing, IBM salesmen looking aliens, stock footage, of which every second is shown (they paid for it, you're going to see all of it), and the timeless tale of true love conquering all (efficiently - in under 24 hours). For the collector, MARS NEEDS WOMEN is a must, for the casual viewer, you will find gem of a film that is not to be missed and can be watched over and over again.

With the release of BATMAN THE MOVIE on DVD - it easily puts to shame all other releases of any other BATMAN movies on the market (save for BATMAN BEYOND: RETURN OF THE JOKER - a top notch and disturbing noir thriller with great extra's). A clear and clean widescreen transfer of the film with excellent color (everything is just plain snappy and fresh), coupled with solid sound and superior menu interfaces (featuring original vocals by Burt Ward and Adam West)this is a must for any fan of the BATMAN franchise. Highlights on this DVD release feature Adam West and Burt Ward commentary on their experiences and memeories of making both this movie and the series itself - while there are a series of lags and gaps in the commentary, this is a solid commentary overall and will please fans of the series easily (it's fun when Adam and Burt switch between calling themselves by their real names, and then slip into calling themselves Batman and Robin without warning). Perhaps the best feature of the disc is the tour of the BATMOBILE - a car which still has no equal, and still turns heads wherever it goes. The movie is still as goofy and wonderful as it ever was and at once betrays the time it was made, and yet still remains timeless... a feat only a handful movies can lay claim to. BATMAN - THE MOVIE is solid entertainment, fun and and a keeper.

One of the worst reviwed films of the year (before PEARL HARBOR) SAVING SILVERMAN is not as bad as reported, but no where near as funny as it could have, and should have been. An excellent cast, and a soild cameo by Neil Diamond, make this R rated version of the film a shade better than bottom barrel, but not enough to actually make it funny for more than a few moments at a time. One solid high point is Jack Black - who I'm surprised has yet to be tapped for a solo project - who lights up the production every moment he is on the screen. Extras are light - a few deleted scenes, plus a trailer and the now standard Director's Commentary, which often can save a disc - but Dennis Dugan does little to help himself or the picture - he is in LOVE with this movie. There is not a moment in his mind where the action or comdey dips, nary a second when there isn't an Oscar calibur performance. He is a happy director who feels he has created a fun, entertaining, exciting and original classic that is made all the more fantastic by having Neil Diamond in it... no, sorry, no. But I have to give him credit for being a fan, because while few will call SAVING SILVERMAN their own, at least one person will always have a place in his home for it. If you liked the PG-13 version, then this R rated version will not disappoint. If you're new to SAVING SILVERMAN, I recommend it only for Jack Black, but for little else.

While it's true that the SPECIAL EDITION is the way to go with AKIRA, this solo disc is no less shabby or entertaining by any means. Excellent transfer of the film, mixed with a quality 5.1 surround sound - AKIRA is both a wonder for the eyes and ears, and even after all these years still holds up as top notch entertainment coupled with thought provoking ideas. While there is a new controversy brewing over the new ENGLISH DUB on this DVD release - having both the VHS edition and now the DVD to compare I can say that the DVD wins out. While there are some lines and voices that I liked better on the original VHS DUB than on the DVD edition (I think the voice actor who portrayed Kaneda in the VHS edition was far superior and more passionate than this new version), it is by no means a mere polish of the old - but instead a wholesale reinterpetation and updating of the action and events - also, it is much more clear as to what is going on and gives the audience more information (both upfront and background) and direction than the original VHS DUB edition. Overall, it is superior and more natural than the previous version. You can also select the original language track as well and play with subtitles or without, while also playing with the CAPSULE OPTION which opens up new windows on information about the production and events on the screen (it will even translate many of the signs displayed throughout the film clueing you in on what they mean). This solo edtion of AKIRA is excellent and a must for any long time collector of the genre or even for someone just getting into it. AKIRA is everything they say it is, plus more... and truth be told, less. For the first time buyer and viewer I also recommend picking up the newly reissued graphic novels of AKIRA to get the full picture - but even without them - AKIRA on DVD is still one of the best.

WARNING - THIS PROGRAM CONTAINS NUDITY, and with that out of the way I can say that SOMETHING WERID VIDEO'S double feature MONSTER NUDIE collection of KISS ME QUICK! and HOUSE ON BARE MOUNTAIN is at once a blast from the past, a guilty pleasure and history lesson at the same time. As per normal, S.W.V. has outfitted their DVD with numerous special features that cover the gambit of the rare and hard to find erotic dance shorts, to the gem of the disc, audio commentary by Producer Harry Novak, who created, made and released KISS ME QUICK! If you've ever been curious about the people behind the scenes and how they got to be there, then this commentary will both enlighten and inform (even the cover folds out to reveal an excellent essay on the rise and fall of nudie cuties). For softcore nudie movies they have held up rather well, the trasnfer is top notch and the sound good. Menu's are creative and feature moving scenes and music from the films as you highlight and select. While not for everyone, this disc is a one of kind collectors item that will not diappoint.

Packing more charm, wit and ideas than he knows what do with, Dave Stone has written a very confused, frustrating and interesting book, HEART OF TARDIS. I'm not sure what kind of writer Stone really is, as he manages to mix so many styles together, somtimes all on the same page, that any hint of his own creative prose is lost in both the background noise and the foreground action. There are a lot of good ideas in this book, but they are just that, ideas. Fragments of thoughts and clever notions that, had it been applied to a single book with a single Doctor, might actually add up to a good read. But here it is just a confused mess. Neither the Second Doctor nor the Fourth come out well in this book. They never seem to have been written with any real personality or charm, but feel as if they have been constructed out of cardboard and stuck up against the action - which is odd, because on the opposite end, the companions come across almost perfect. Romana (Mary Tamm's incarnation) is allowed the breathing room that the television series lacked, and we are allowed to hear her thoughts and get to know her as not only a companion to the Doctor, but a Time Lord in her own right. Jamie and Victoria as well stand out, Victoria more so, and like Romana, we also get inside her head and get a better understanding of what it is to really travel in time - and how it can actually broaden the mind (while Stone misses so many marks in the book, he does manage from time to time to hit a few nails on the head - and with Victoria he gives the reader a very plausiable internal view that will not disappoint)....

THE DAY THE EARTH CAUGHT FIRE has always been a hard to find video, but now with the wide release of it on DVD, everyone will now have the chance to sample what is one of the best sci-fi/atomic cautionary tales ever made. And what's more, it's also one of the best newspaper films ever made to boot (right up there with THE FRONT PAGE and ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN). The plot is simple enough - twin nuclear explosions at the poles cause the Earth tilt, tip and send it closer and closer towards the sun. The closer they get - the hotter it becomes, and the better the film gets as it goes (and the effects really sell this - I still can't shake how creepy the idea behind the melting telephone is). Excellent script is balanced with perfect casting to make a chilling and all too real look into what could be our own fate - sans twin nuclear explosions - but keeping the heat, building on heat. This DVD edition is feature laden (something that the page listing for their EDITION DETAILS is missing). Commentary comes from Val Guest (Director/Writer) along with Ted Newson (Historian) - and is very entertaining, conversational and informative (and sometimes a bit odd - Newson laments several times that we never see enough of Janet Munro nude in the movie - and there is one very brief moment of partial nudity in the film - but he keeps on wishing there was so much more - he even sighs heavily each time). Film is presented in widescreen and the transfer is crisp and very sharp. Sound is solid, and the package is rounded out with trailer, TV spots, radio spots and still gallery - all of which is well pacakged, and presented in top notch form. The menus are also very well done - the only bad thing I can say about this film is, for all the effort that was put into making this a must own DVD for any collector, the image and font style for the front case cover makes this look like a direct to video movie easily ignored. Don't be fooled - beyond the box there is a fantastic film inside. Again - a must for fans of the genre, and a highly recommended by for the casual viewer.