The Couch Potato Report - August 22nd, 2009

This week The Couch Potato Report peels rock, paper, scissors, Mike Tyson, there is some truth about Lying and Hannah Montana.

Hey lets have some fun this week and play a few games of rock, paper, scissors. And remember, Rock beats Scissors, Scissors beats Paper, and Paper beats Rock.

We're playing that because our first release this week is a made-in-Toronto film that is part "comedy" and part documentary.

The film is ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS: THE WAY OF THE TOSSER.

THE WAY OF THE TOSSER is about a guy who has been less than sucessful in his life - okay he is a loser - who is desperate to win the Rock, Paper, Scissors World Championship.

And yes, there really is such a thing.

His girlfriend and best friend Trevor support him completely and they also help him "train".

The film is part comedy, part documentary.

Sadly, if you are looking for a comedy, this one won't make you laugh that much as it isn't as funny as the filmmakers think it is...and if you are looking for a documentary, this one doesn't offer that much insight into Rock, Paper, Scissors or their World Championships.

But...if you are looking for a small movie, that was made in only seven days by people who aren't filmmakers, is very well done for something made this fast and cheap, and features a great soundtrack...then I suggest you give ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS: THE WAY OF THE TOSSER a try.

And if you're still not sure...play a game of rock paper scissors with a friend to decide.

From the fun sort-of-sport rock, paper, scissors, lets move now to the sweet science of boxing and the documentary TYSON.

Filmmaker James Toback's documentary about boxer Mike Tyson doesn't feature other people talking about the former undisputed heavy weight champion of the world, it just features clips from some of his more notable fights and Tyson himself just talking to the camera.

He talks about his career, his family, his friends, his ups, his downs and his convictions - both his religious ones and his 1992 legal one for sexual assault.

This documentary pulls no punches...you see Mike Tyson warts and all...and the result is fascinating and interesting.

Even if you don't like Mike Tyson or boxing, this is one of the most entertaining films of the year, and I consider it a must see!!

Okay, before I get to three new TV on DVD sets, I'd like to do you a favour.

You might find yourself in a movie rental store this weekend, and when you get near the end of the letter "L" you'll see the film LYING.

The packaging features the young and talented actresses who star in it - Chloë Sevigny from the TV show BIG LOVE and the film ZODIAC, Jena Malone from DONNIE DARKO, and JOAN OF ARC's Leelee Sobieski - who also atarred in this summer's PUBLIC ENEMIES.

That packaging also includes a synposis of the film that sounds interesting. It reads:

When a long weekend brings four women together in the countryside, their relationships are challenged as each of them experiences the complexities of social interaction. How well do we really know the friends we make in adulthood? What can be made of a person who tells lies so small they serve no obvious purpose?

This film is populated by some great actresses, but their characters are all underveloped and uninteresting....and most of all, the script gives you no reason to care about any of them.

Why is she lying, will they find out, what are the reprecussions...you will not care!!

This is the film LYING, and as I said, let me do you a favour...stay away from this thing, it is awful, a complete waste of your time, and that is the truth!!

Moving on, lets get back to having fun...hey, THE SIMPSONS - THE TWELFTH SEASON came out this week in a 4-DVD set!! Here's creator Matt Groening listing off all the guest stars.

These episodes aired in 2000 and 2001 and even though I have seen them all at least a dozen times since then, I still laughed out loud watching them again this week!!

If you have the other 11 sets, go ahead and have some laughs while making it a full dozen as the packaging for THE SIMPSONS - THE TWELFTH SEASON has a comic-book theme and my favourite character on the show - Comic Book Guy - on the cover!!

There is even a featurette of the best Comic Book Guy moments and more.

Next up is another television show on DVD...a night time soap opera about a family of exceptionally wealthy socialites in New York City.

DIRTY SEXY MONEY had a great cast - including Peter Krause from SIX FEET UNDER, Academy Award nominated actress Jill Clayburgh and the great Canadian actor Donald Sutherland - and it started off strong when it's first season debuted in 2007, but it lost steam by the end of SEASON ONE, and then the Hollywood writer's strike hurt the show even more not long after SEASON TWO began and the show was eventually cancelled.

But if you need to see how season number two played out, then you must see DIRTY SEXY MONEY - THE COMPLETE AND FINAL SECOND SEASON

DIRTY SEXY MONEY was a guilty pleasure for me when it debuted, but I lost interest in it early into year two. This 3-disc set is for completists only.

There is a larger group I can recommend this next release to...people who love motorcycles, motorcycle gangs, profane filled action shows, well-written dramas...and above all else, those who enjoy TV violence.

If you love those things in a television show, then you must see SONS OF ANARCHY.

I new very little to nothing about this show when I first started watching it...but after the first episode I was hooked!

SONS OF ANARCHY is about a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club operating in Charming, a fictional town somewhere in Northern California.

And now you know what I knew...and I won't say anything else as I don't want to spoil it for you.

If the show sounds interesting to you...AND you were a fan of either THE SHIELD or THE SOPRANOS...than I think you should pick this one up because you will enjoy SONS OF ANARCHY - SEASON ONE as well!!

Back in 1984 a new comic book came out about some turtles who had been exposed to some radioactive ooze and thus - in their teens - became mutant ninja turtles.

And now, a new box set is celebrating that 25th Anniversary...but not in a way that is a gift to the creators and fans of that comic, or the films that were made about it.

The TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES - 25th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION on DVD features the live action films Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Turtles in Time and 2007’s computer animated film TMNT.

The DVD set comes in a manhole cover collectible tin, and includes four turtle masks and tattoos, however the studio never remastered the films...in fact they are just the old DVDs that they used to sell individually.

That means if you have them already, there is no need to pick up this set...and I for one am disappointed!! I was a fan of the comic from the get-go, and I enjoyed all of the movies - especially the first one - and I wanted the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES - 25th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION to be radical, dude.

Sadly, the Turtles' Box Set isn't spectacular, but if you or your kids don't own them at all, at least the price is also cheap!

Finally this week is a film that is not aimed at my demographic, based on a television show that is also, not meant for the likes of me.

But those who the show are meant for love it, and will probably love the film as well.

As for me...I admit that I liked HANNAH MONTANA - THE MOVIE too.

If you have never heard of it, or her, Hannah Montana is television series about a girl who lives a double life as an average teenage school girl named Miley Stewart by day and a famous pop singer by night

Her real identity is hidden from the public, only her close friends and family know the truth.

In HANNAH MONTANA - THE MOVIE her father takes Miley on a trip from Los Angeles back to her hometown in Tennessee to get some perspective on what matters in life the most.

I know it isn't meant for me, and I also admit that I'll never watch it again, but the star - Miley Cyrus - has talent, she can act and sing - there are some laughs in the picture, and the movie is fun!

It is a perfect film for teenagers who enjoy the show...and an enjoyable film for some of us older folks too!

The fun HANNAH MONTANA - THE MOVIE, the money-grabbing 25th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION of the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES films, SEASON ONE of the very interesting series SONS OF ANARCHY and the great documentary TYSON are all available now on Blu-ray and DVD.

DIRTY SEXY MONEY - THE COMPLETE AND FINAL SECOND SEASON, THE SIMPSONS very funny SEASON 12, the awful film LYING and the worthy of your time because it tries hard ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS: THE WAY OF THE TOSSER are all available now on DVD.

Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report

POLYTECHNIQUE is a film - not a documentary, a film - that looks at the events of December 6, 1989 at Montreal's Ecole Polytechnique.

Also next week, the Academy Award nominated documentary TROUBLE THE WATER, the dramedy SUNSHINE CLEANING, and SEASON 8 of the very funny television series SCRUBS.

I'm Dan Reynish. I'll have more on those, and several other releases, in seven days.

For now, that's this week's COUCH POTATO REPORT.

Enjoy the movies and I'll see you back here next time on The Couch!

Optimus Prime will reign supreme in October

Paramount Home Entertainment and Dreamworks Home Entertainment have just announced the upcoming release of Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen on DVD and Blu-Ray Disc in October.

The battle for Earth continues in this action-packed blockbuster from director Michael Bay and executive producer Steven Spielberg. When college-bound Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) learns the truth about the ancient origins of the Transformers robots, he must accept his destiny and join Optimus Prime and Bumblebee in their epic battle against the Decepticons, who have returned stronger than ever with a plan to destroy our world.

Arriving as a 2-disc DVD Edition, the film will be presented in anamorphic widescreen with a Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track. Filled to the brim with extras you will find a Commentary Track by Michael Bay, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman on the release, as well as Extended Scenes and the Linkin Park Music video.

Further, the release will include a Multi-part Documentary consisting of seven featurettes covering various production aspects of the movie, suchas the design, production challenges in different locations, the film’s editing, visual effects and more. Also included is A Day With Bay, a video diary as the director travels to Tokyo, Japan for the world premiere of the film.

25 Years of Transformers is a look at the lifecycle of the Hasbro franchise, Deconstructing Visual Bayhem is a Commentary by Pre-Vis Supervisor Steve Yamamoto, presented as a series of multi-angle pre-visualization sequences that allow viewers to learn how some of the film’s most spectacular scenes were created. NEST: Transformers Data-Hub will round out the release, a gallery of the Transformer robots.

The Blu-Ray version will present the movie in 1080p high definition and supplement it with a DTS 5.1 HD Master Audio track. You will find all the extras from the DVD version here, but in addition, this version of the release will also include The ALLSPARK Experiment, in which viewers get their chance to unleash the power of the recently recovered ALLSPARK shard on Earth vehicles.

Begin by selecting and customizing a vehicle with a selection of parts and accessories. Then apply the ALLSPARK to this creation and watch what happens. Applying the ALLSPARK to certain custom combinations enables four new robot characters with special powers. If viewers discover all four, they unlock a fifth vehicle, which reveals a top secret message about the future of the Transformers movie franchise. The NEST: Transformers Data-Hub will arrive here in an improved version giving you a better look at the Transformers. Giant Effing Movie is a very personal look at the making of the movie, while The Matrix of Marketing will give you an archive of the film’s promotional media including trailers, posters and television spots.

“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” will make it to stores on October 20 for $19.99 on single-disc DVD without extras, $24.99 on 2-disc DVD and $29.99 for the 2-disc Blu-Ray Disc version.

Weezer Filled With 'Raditude' This Fall

Although a final track listing is still being fleshed out, Weezer is set to release "Raditude," the group's seventh studio album, on October 27 on DGC Records. Rivers Cuomo says that the band is currently choosing from fifteen different songs for possible inclusion, but songs such as "The Girl Got Hot" and "I'm Your Daddy" that the group recently debuted live, will be on "Raditude," alongside the first single, "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To."

"The sound of "Raditude" is fun, high energy pop rock," Cuomo tells Billboard.com. "Which is exemplified in a song like '(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To.' 'I'm Your Daddy,' has an up vibe with the same, heavy Weezer guitar riff but with a little electro influence. And 'The Girl Got Hot' - that's kind of a witty, party jam."

Other confirmed tracks include "Can't Stop Partying," which was co-written with Jermaine Dupri and first appeared on Cuomo's solo release, 2008's "Alone II: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo," and a song called "Trippin' Down the Freeway," which was written weeks after the completion of 2008's "Weezer" (a.k.a. "The Red Album").

Weezer remains beloved by its legions of fans. According to Nielsen SoundScan, 2008's "Weezer" has sold 443,000; the group's debut, 1994's "Weezer" (a.k.a. "The Blue Album") has sold 3.3 million copies, followed by 2001's "Weezer" (a.k.a. "The Green Album") at 1.6 million copies. Even what was once considered a commercial flop, 1996's "Pinkerton" has sold an impressive 852,000. Over the years , Weezer has excelled at writing hook filled rock songs that sound anthemic, while retaining a distinct humor and wit within the lyrics. Songs like "Buddy Holly," "Undone- The Sweater Song," and "Say It Ain't So," became 1990's alt-rock staples and this decade, they've continued that tradition with "Hash Pipe" from 2001's "Weezer" and "Beverly Hills," from 2005's "Make Believe." An early leak of "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" is receiving a warm online reception, indicating Cuomo and crew could be well on their way to another hit.

Still, Cuomo says "Raditude" follows in the footsteps of the band's prior work in terms of the recording process. Although he described it as "going at a relaxed pace," it still came with its set of challenges. "I think making a rock record is rarely easy or smooth," he says. "It requires a lot of work and sometimes you have to write more songs that end up on the record; sometimes you have to go back and re-record a song more than once. Sometimes you have to switch studios or producers, you have to go on a bit of an exploration about what it is you're trying to make. And in those regards, I think 'Raditude' is pretty much normal. It wasn't necessarily easier or harder."

In related news, Cuomo was in the studio just this week, laying down the final vocal tracks for the "Let's Write A Sawng" project, where he enlisted the help of fans via Youtube for the material. "I think it's called "Turn It Up." It's not going to be on 'Raditude,' but Weezer will release it, sometime in the near future."

Also in the works is a double-disc expanded version of "Pinkerton," but Cuomo hasn't started working on it quite yet. "We'll include a lot of outtakes, demos and songs from that era that people haven't heard yet. There's a lot of material, but I enjoy the process of going through it all and remembering what that time was like."

As for the album's title, "Raditude," Cuomo got the idea from a new friend, Rainn Wilson from the television series "The Office." "He has a super-rock persona," Cuomo explains. "When it came time to find a title for the Weezer album, I asked him what he thought the ultimate album title would be and he said 'Raditude.'"

Weezer joins blink-182 this Sunday (Aug 23) for a three week tour of North American amphitheatres.

Kids in the Hall reunite for series

MONTREAL -- Quirky Canuck comedy troupe the Kids in the Hall are back together shooting a comic murder-mystery series in Ontario.

Five members of the gender-bending comedy outfit, whose eponymous sketch comedy show ran on CBS and HBO in the first half of the 1990s, star in "Death Comes to Town."

The eight-part series was conceived by Bruce McCulloch and co-written by McCulloch and fellow Kids Dave Foley, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney and Scott Thompson.

McCulloch is exec producer; Susan Cavan produces for Accent Entertainment.

Directed by Kelly Makin, who helmed the original "Kids in the Hall" series and movie, "Brain Candy," the series is about what happens in a small town when all its most distinguished citizens are murdered. A suspect is arrested, there's a trial and many dark secrets are revealed along the way.

It is filming in the small northern city of North Bay and is set to air on Canuck pubcaster CBC in January.

"We have thought about reuniting on television for years but we've all had a lot of personal projects and weren't sure about how we wanted to come back together," said McCulloch.

Paramount bumps `Shutter Island' to February

LOS ANGELES – Paramount Pictures has moved Martin Scorsese's "Shutter Island" from an October release date to February, which takes it out of awards consideration for this year.

Studio chairman Brad Grey said Friday that the scheduling change was a financial decision.

The thriller marks the latest pairing of Scorsese and star Leonardo DiCaprio, following "Gangs of New York," "The Aviator" and Scorsese's Oscar-winning "The Departed." It also stars Ben Kingsley, Patricia Clarkson, Jackie Earle Haley and Michelle Williams.

Based on a novel by "Mystic River" author Dennis Lehane, "Shutter Island" follows the investigation into the disappearance of murderess from a mental institution.

New Norah Jones album due in November

NEW YORK (Billboard) – Singer-songwriter Norah Jones will move away from jazz roots on her fourth studio album.

The Blue Note Records release is due in November, the label announced Thursday.

Producer Jacquire King (Kings of Leon, Modest Mouse) is working with Jones on the as-yet-untitled project, which will feature songwriting contributions from Ryan Adams, Will Sheff of Okkervil River and Jones' longtime collaborator Jesse Harris, who penned the singer's breakthrough hit, "Don't Know Why."

"I got in touch with Jacquire initially because he engineered one of my favorite records of all time, Tom Waits' 'Mule Variations,'" Jones said in a statement.

Jones is said to be branching out from her jazz-influenced pop roots on the new material and playing guitar more than piano. The changes suggest that her new material may resemble her work as a member of the alt-country outfit The Little Willies, whose self-titled 2006 album featured covers of songs by Hank Williams, Willie Nelson and Fred Rose.

In addition to working with a new producer and songwriters, Jones has made some changes in her band. Among the musicians playing on her new recordings are drummer Joey Waronker (Beck, R.E.M.) and James Gadson (Bill Withers), keyboardist James Poyser (Erykah Badu, Al Green) and guitarists Marc Ribot (Tom Waits, Elvis Costello) and Smokey Hormel (Johnny Cash, Joe Strummer).

"I'd been playing with the same musicians for a long time," Jones said. "We're all still friendly and I hope we play together again, but it felt like a good time to work with new people and experiment with different sounds."

Jones' new album will be her first since 2007's "Not Too Late," which sold 1.58 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.