One point in favor of New Line's slick but forgettable Brendan Fraser actioner Journey To The Center Of The Earth (New Line), as far as the studio was concerned: It's in 3D, thus all but impossible to pirate in theaters. The same point counts against it on DVD: The disc has a 2D option, but it's hardly worth it, since there isn't much to the film except in-your-face 3D effects and extended chase sequences. And there's a 3D option, with an included pair of glasses, but that presumably means only one member of the family can watch this family film at a time…
Any conscientious parent should be happy to expose their kids to Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (Warner Bros.), a wholesome piece of family entertainment that will inform them about life during the Great Depression and teach them how compassion can win out in tough economic times. As a bonus, there are also hobos as far as the eye can see. The only problem with the film is that its earnestness leads to inertness, especially in a finale as ineptly staged as a Keystone Kops short…
Say this for Zombie Strippers (Sony): It delivers on its title. Headlined by porn star Jenna Jameson and horror legend Robert Englund, the film operates in the not-so-grand tradition of straight-to-video/late-night-cable T&A-fests; that serve up smug humor and social commentary along with ample blood and boobage. Just because its makers set it in a town called Sartre, Nebraska doesn't make it smart…
Former daytime talk-show host Phil Donahue, working alongside co-director Ellen Spiro, makes a surprisingly creditable filmmaking debut with Body Of War (Docurama), a muckraking documentary about an anti-war movement among Iraq War veterans. The film follows Tomas Young, who enlisted shortly after 9/11, got sent to Sadr City less than three years later, and returned home paralyzed after catching a bullet in his spine. It's a strong reminder during stressful economic times that there's still a war going on…
When is an homage not an homage? When it's far worse than its source material, like Hell Ride (Weinstein), Larry Bishop's deadly dull tribute to old biker movies. Michael Madsen plays a tuxedo-shirt-clad biker named "Gent," but the wit stops there.