Dennis Rises From The Ashes

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Miranda Otto and Dennis Quaid in "Flight of the Phoenix"
courtesy of Fox Home Video

"Dennis Rises From the Ashes"

Dennis Quaid has had an up and down career. One moment he is one of the hottest actors in Hollywood and the next he is making movies no one wants to see. But each time he is down he rises back up just like that proverbial phoenix from the ashes. Last year saw him fly higher than before as he starred in '"In Good Company" and "Flight of the Phoenix."

"Flight of the Phoenix" debuts on DVD this week and it has fifteen minutes of added footage that the movie didn't show. That is a real extra bonus, as it tends to make a good movie even better.

This is a remake of the old Jimmy Stewart/Richard Attenborough film and it still packs a lot of punch. Quaid is the pilot of a plane that picks up some oil refinery workers and takes them across the desert to a new location. But in route there is a storm and the plane crashes. As time passes and no one comes for them they decide they have to get out on their own effort and that is where the fun of the film begins.

Co-starring with Quaid are Giovanni Ribisi, Tyrese (the model), Miranda Otto and Hugh Laurie ("House"). Each actor gets screen time and makes a positive contribution to the overall entertainment quotient.

Do you remember being traumatized by "Bambi" when you were a child? I do. I think it was the first time I had faced the horror of death when Bambi's mother got shot down by the evil hunter. It was effective enough to make me swear to never hunt anything, and I haven't.

Now it is time for a whole new generation to get traumatized. "Bambi" has been released on VHS/DVD and the DVD set has a batch of extras. But the basic story of the innocent fawn has been retained. It has all been restored to its pristine beauty and all the fun characters such as Flower and Thumper come to magnificent life.

Despite the "shooting" scene, this is one of my favorite Disney movies and the one that stayed with me longest from childhood. Kids warm to this story of the awkward little deer and the true friends he makes in the forest. So get it for your children - and for yourself.

Kids and adults will also enjoy "The Spongebob Squarepants Movie." Well some kids and some adults will. I have friends who watch every "Spongebob" adventure on TV. I am not in that group. Still the movie is aimed at those who appreciate the animation and the unique characters.

In addition to Tom Kenny voicing Spongebob, and Bill Fagerbakke voicing his buddy Patrick; the movie also has Alex Baldwin, Jeffery Tambor and Scarlett Johansson doing voice over work. They are all good, especially Baldwin.

Spongebob Squarepants has a big fan base so you might as well join the fun and get this DVD. Again there are extras galore to add to the viewing experience.

Another treat for the kids arrives in the DVD "The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss: The Cat's Play Pals." This DVD contains three separate episodes of fun targeted to the kids. They are "The Song of the Zubble Wump," "The Birthday Moose," and "The Guest." All three have the nonsensical yet clever storylines that Seuss is famous for, and each will hold your children's attention.

The Seuss stories are one of a kind. Make sure your kids get the full pleasure of this "Wubbulous" adventure.

When I interviewed Martin Kove ("The Karate Kid") a few weeks ago he talked about some of the movies he had made that went straight to video. This week I saw one of them and it is titled "Alien Lockdown." His co-stars in the film are John Savage and James Marshall and the film is a man vs alien flick.

Movies like this are always good for a thrill or two and this one is no exception. An alien life form crashed on earth many, many years ago and stayed dormant. Now a scientist has managed to discover it and bring it to life. Bad move! Now it is man versus alien and the fate of mankind lies in the battle. As the advertisements for the movie say, let us prey.

The Loch Ness monster has always been our favorite real life "alien." The legend about this creature never seems to die out. Noted filmmaker Werner Herzog decided to go out and capture this creature on film. The documentary he made about his adventure is titled "Incident At Loch Ness."

Now it is not quite clear whether this is all meant to be tongue in cheek or semi-serious. That is for you to decide after viewing the footage. But spoof or not it makes for interesting viewing. So pick up this DVD and make your own decision.

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