title: Through The Fire function popUp(URL,NAME) { amznwin=window.open(URL,NAME,'location=yes,scrollbars=yes,status=yes,toolbar=yes,resizable=yes,width=380,height=450,screenX=10,screenY=10,top=10,left=10'); amznwin.focus();} document.open(); document.write(""); document.close(); <br> studio: ESPN Home Entertainment MPAA rating: Unrated (suitable for general audiences) Starring: Sebastian Telfair theatrical release: 2005 DVD release: 2006 film rating: Two-and-a-half Stars sound/picture rating: Three Stars reviewed by: Paul Lingas “Through the Fire” tells the story of former high school basketball phenom and current Portland Trailblazer Sebastian Telfair. Though supposed to be in the same vein as “Hoop Dreams,” this film lacks the dramatic flair of its predecessor.

title: Remember the Titans - Director’s Cut function popUp(URL,NAME) { amznwin=window.open(URL,NAME,'location=yes,scrollbars=yes,status=yes,toolbar=yes,resizable=yes,width=380,height=450,screenX=10,screenY=10,top=10,left=10'); amznwin.focus();} document.open(); document.write(""); document.close();  studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment MPAA rating: PG – Theatrical Version, Unrated – Director’s Cut Starring: Denzel Washington, Will Patton, Donald Faison, Nicole Ari Parker, Wood Harris, Ryan Hurst theatrical release year: 2000 DVD release year: 2006 film rating: Three Stars sound/picture rating: Two-and-a-half Stars reviewed by: Paul Lingas “Remember the Titans” is one of those feel-good sports stories where the basic nature of a game, in this case football, helps those involved with it as coaches, players and spectators overcome all of their problems. A somewhat charming and emotionally satisfying, if overly simplistic, film from 2000, this so-called director’s cut is so close to the theatrical version that it really seems as though Disney is simply repackaging the film so they can sell more DVDs – not that Disney has ever been above that sort of thing.

title: The Longest Yard function popUp(URL,NAME) { amznwin=window.open(URL,NAME,'location=yes,scrollbars=yes,status=yes,toolbar=yes,resizable=yes,width=380,height=450,screenX=10,screenY=10,top=10,left=10'); amznwin.focus();} document.open(); document.write(""); document.close();  studio: Paramount Home Enterainment MPAA rating: PG-13 starring: Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, James Cromwell, Nelly, William Fichtner, Burt Reynolds director: Peter Segal film release year: 1989 DVD release year: 2005 film rating: Four Stars sound/picture rating: One Star reviewed by: Paul Lingas A not very faithful rendition of the original, “The Longest Yard” really doesn’t give any semblance of feeling that these players are trapped in a prison. Though the guards are mean, where the inmates practice makes it look like anyone can escape with a little bit of planning. The funniest thing about this is that director Peter Segal and the production designers comment on how fierce and tough the prison looks. But come on, what was anyone expecting? This is not a commentary about society or prisons or even football, it is a testosterone-filled foray into hard-hitting football comedy.

title: Million Dollar Baby function popUp(URL,NAME) { amznwin=window.open(URL,NAME,'location=yes,scrollbars=yes,status=yes,toolbar=yes,resizable=yes,width=380,height=450,screenX=10,screenY=10,top=10,left=10'); amznwin.focus();} document.open(); document.write(""); document.close();  studio: Warner Bros. Home Video MPAA rating: PG-13 starring: Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman film release year: 2004 DVD release year: 2005 film rating: Four Stars sound/picture rating: Three and a half Stars reviewed by: Bryan Dailey When one sees a movie after it has cleaned up at the Academy Awards, one obviously has certain expectations. I had heard nothing but the highest of praise for Clint Eastwood's twenty-fifth film as a director, the female boxing drama based on a Paul Haggis screenplay of an F.X. Toole story called “Rope Burns.” “Million Dollar Baby” is a beautifully simple story of a girl who comes of age a little later in life than most and a hardened man who has been struggling with the emotional loss (not the death of) his own daughter. I went in expecting a knock-down, drag-out boxing movie in the vein of “Rocky,” but was surprised to find that, although everything in this movie is about ...

title: Coach Carter function popUp(URL,NAME) { amznwin=window.open(URL,NAME,'location=yes,scrollbars=yes,status=yes,toolbar=yes,resizable=yes,width=380,height=450,screenX=10,screenY=10,top=10,left=10'); amznwin.focus();} document.open(); document.write(""); document.close(); studio: Paramount MPAA rating: PG-13 starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Rob Brown, Robert Ri’chard, Rick Gonzales, Nana Gbewonyo, Antwon Tanner, Channing Tatum, Ashanti, Texas Battle director: Thomas Carter film release year: 2005 DVD release year: 2005 film rating: Two Stars sound/picture rating: Four Stars reviewed by: Bill Warren In 1999, Richmond High School basketball coach Ken Carter made nationwide news by locking the gym and refusing to let his (varsity) team play—and they had been having the school’s best year. When he agreed to be coach, he had his players sign contracts with 20 clauses—only one of which related to playing basketball. One of the terms the players agreed to was to maintain a 2.3 grade point average, and they hadn’t done so. Carter refused to let them play until their grades reached that level.