The release dates for singles go up until the end of February
with albums also until March 2007.
DVDfever.co.uk's Best and Worst of 2006...
To round off the year, we collate the DVDs, CDs and Games reviewed in-house at DVDfever.co.uk
throughout 2006, all of which are linked through their individual sections on the left-hand menu.
DVDs (film content only):
Batman Begins 7/10 (review)
Broken Flowers 8/10 (review)
Cutting Crew: Live At Full House Rock Show 7/10 (review)
Deal Or No Deal: Interactive DVD Game 4/10 (review)
Domino 2/10 (review)
Equilibrium 8/10 (review)
Final Destination 3 7/10 (review)
The Green Butchers 5/10 (review)
Hostage 8/10 (review)
Infection 5/10 (review)
Jarhead 8/10 (review)
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang 6/10 (review)
Land of the Dead: Director's Cut 8/10 (review)
Lord of War 7/10 (review)
Mission: Impossible Special Collector's Edition 10/10 (review)
Monsieur Hire 9/10 (review)
Premonition 6/10 (review)
Reincarnation 5/10 (review)
Revolver 6/10 (review)
The Style Council: Live At Full House Rock Show 3/10 (review)
Trumpton: Complete Series 2006 Edition 10/10 (review)
Underworld: Special Extended Edition 5/10 (review)
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were Rabbit 10/10 (review)
X-Men: The Last Stand 8/10 (review)
CDs:
Camille: Le Fil 4/10 (review)
M.J. Hibbett & The Validators: We Validate! 7/10 (review)
Games: Enjoyment Overall
24: The Game (PS2) 2/10 4/10 (review)
Ape Escape P (PSP) 5/10 7/10 (review)
Black (Xbox) 9/10 9/10 (review)
Burnout Revenge (Xbox) 10/10 10/10 (review)
Call of Duty 3 (Xbox 360) 8/10 8/10 (review)
Canis Canem Edit (Bully) (PS2) 6/10 6/10 (review)
Driver: Parallel Lines (Xbox) 5/10 6/10 (review)
Family Guy: The Video Game (PS2) 4/10 5/10 (review)
F.E.A.R.: First Encounter Assault Recon (PC) 7/10 8/10 (review)
Gangs of London (PSP) 4/10 5/10 (review)
Gears of War (Xbox 360) 6/10 8/10 (review)
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (PS2) 7/10 7/10 (review)
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (PSP) 10/10 9/10 (review)
Half Life 2 (Xbox) 6/10 8/10 (review)
Half Life 2: Episode 1 (PC) 5/10 7/10 (review)
Hitman: Blood Money (Xbox) 10/10 9/10 (review)
Loco Roco (PSP) 9/10 9/10 (review)
Miami Vice: The Game (PSP) 4/10 4/10 (review)
Outrun 2006: Coast to Coast (PS2) 5/10 5/10 (review)
Passport To Prague (PSP) 6/10 6/10 (review)
Pursuit Force (PSP) 9/10 8/10 (review)
Ridge Racer 2 (PSP) 10/10 9/10 (review)
Scarface: The World Is Yours (Xbox) 7/10 8/10 (review)
Shadow of the Colossus (PS2) 7/10 7/10 (review)
Shinobido: The Way of the Ninja (PS2) 8/10 7/10 (review)
SiN Episode 1: Emergence (PC) 6/10 7/10 (review)
SSX On Tour (Xbox) 6/10 8/10 (review)
Talkman (PSP) 9/10 8/10 (review)
Tomb Raider: Legend (Xbox) 7/10 9/10 (review)
New DVDs out now and shortly...
First up in this round-up of new DVDs, Green Wing Special (£19.99, Channel 4 DVD)
is released on January 8th and will be the last ever Green Wing episode.
The critically-acclaimed and BAFTA award-winning Green Wing is back for a one-off Special. This
genre-defying comedy proves medical issues needn't have any relevance in a hospital setting. As the mayhem
and madness continues, how will it all end for our favourite dysfunctional medics?
The end is nigh - Caroline is now engaged to Guy, while Mac has very little time to live. Gripped by
desperation and paranoia, dwarf-killing duo Statham and Joanna are on the run, jumping relentlessly out
of frying pans and into fires (not quite literally). With no-one left in charge, the admin girls let their
basic instincts run wild, while something very strange has happened to Karen after her fall from the
window.
Boyce discovers life without Statham, Sue White spots a job opportunity and Martin feels utterly helpless.
Again. Still, at least it all ends happily ever after. Or does it?
Michelle McManus - The Lifeplan on DVD...
Michelle McManus - The Lifeplan (£14.99, Channel 4 DVD, out today) looks at how the one-hit
wonder winner of X-Factored Popstar Something from January 2004 has attempted to turn her life around after
losing her recording contract and having her oversized poo examined by alleged 'Dr' Gillian McKeith.
Songbird Michelle McManus' dramatic weight-loss of over 10 stone was well documented by the media. Now, the
former Pop Idol winner shares her secrets to a leaner, healthier self. THE LIFEPLAN features six 15 minute
total body conditioning workouts that promote fitness, burn fat and drive weight-loss. These can produce
amazing results when used in conjunction with Dax's elimination diet, a detoxification programme with long
term health benefits.
Also contains a Lifeplan booklet offering step by step advice on how to follow the elimination diet and
exercise plan, and achieve your own goals.
New DVDs out this week...
This week's new releases are as follows:
Adrift (15.99, Fox)
Afterlife Series 2 (19.99, 2 Entertain)
Afterlife Series 1 & 2 (29.99, 2 Entertain)
All Creatures Great and Small Series 4 (24.99, Universal)
Allo Allo Series 5 Vol.2 (24.99, Universal)
An Inconvenient Truth (19.99, Paramount)
Bad Girls The Complete Series 8 (39.99, 2 Entertain)
Beerfest (18.99, Warner)
Bodies Series 2 and Finale (24.99, 2 Entertain)
Crank (19.99, Universal)
Driving Lessons (19.99, Tartan)
The Fast and the Furious - Tokyo Drift (HD-DVD) (19.99, Universal)
Ghost Towns Series 1 (29.99, Contender)
Kath and Kim Series 2 (19.99, Contender)
Kath and Kim Series 1 & 2 (29.99, Contender)
Keeping Up Appearances: Series 5 (24.99, Universal)
Miami Vice (2006) (HD-DVD) (19.99, Universal)
Michelle McManus: The Lifeplan (17.99, Channel 4 DVD)
Brian Auger re-issues five albums on CD in time for Xmas...
The name didn't ring a bell to me when I first heard it but, as
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts
explains, the man who collaborated with Julie Driscoll for "This Wheel's
On Fire" set the ball rolling for the kind of jazz-funk-rock that led
on to one of my favourite bands of the '80s, Level 42.
Note that this will be the last main update for DVDfever.co.uk
until Monday January 8th, although I shall upload the music charts and
new DVD releases along the way.
Stuck for something to do this weekend? The list of the films showing at
Manchester Showcase Cinema
can be found on this page, and won't differ much from what's on in the rest
of the country.
The new films out include: Zoom, Night at the Museum and
It's A Boy Girl Thing
Talksport presenter Mike Dickin dies in car crash...
I was really saddened to hear of the death of Talksport's Mike Dickin, who
was the only casualty of a six-car pile-up on the A30 on Monday.
For someone who was dubbed 'the angriest man on radio', while I didn't listen
to as many of his shows as I'd have liked - since he often did daytime
programmes while I was at work - any that I did hear were nothing less
than hugely enjoyable.
In addition, I'll always remember the times Tommy Boyd did his Human Zoo
show on Talksport and one strange guy would ring in and purposely get the
man's name wrong by simply saying, "You love Mike Dickinssssssss!",
while another, less frequent, caller would say, "You love Mike's Dickin!"
With perfect put-downs and a dismissive demeanour to those who were clearly
getting on his tits, as well as always responding to the "Hi Mike,
how are you?" with "My health is not in question", talk radio
has lost one of its leading men.
Donald Fagan and Walter Becker make a soundtrack album on CD...
Well, this CD is actually a reissue of a 35-year-old album, but given that
they went on to make many a classic track as Steely Dan, they can surely
do no wrong?
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts
isn't so sure.
Scream round corners in Ridge Racer 2 on the Sony PSP...
I was never a big fan of the Ridge Racer series and the fifth installment
at the release of the PS2 left me cold, so I wasn't particularly looking
forward to this title but how wrong I could be as it works perfectly on the
small screen...
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Dan Owen
returns with his movie news section which looks at future
releases and features US and UK Top 10 cinema listings, UK release dates,
movie websites and trailers.
Billy Idol wishes you a Merry Xmas on CD... sort-of...
The Yuletide season is upon us and in just one week the big day will have
come and gone for us all, and all the madness can go away again for another
year. Talking of mad thing, Billy Idol has decided to unleash his
Xmas collection on an unsuspecting public.
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts
removes his ear plugs to bring us this review.
New DVDs and Games coming your way in time for Christmas...
First up in this round-up of new DVDs and games, Scurge: Hive (£34.99, South Peak)
is out now and features a character called Jenosa Arma.
48 hours ago a distress signal was sent from a remote research lab studying a virulent organism identified
as the Scurge. Bounty hunter Jenosa Arma has been sent to investigate and salvage any research technology
from within the facility. Armed with top-secret projectile gauntlets and a prototype battle suit capable
of integrating technologies, she must use her skills and abilities to complete her objectives on the remote
planet.
50 types of infected biological, mechanical, and energy-based creatures spanning over 350 levels of intense
combat and exploration. However time is of the essence as she races to nullify the Scurge coursing throughout
her own body and prevent becoming what she fears most.
Features include:
Scurge: Race against countdown pressure as you seek to suppress the infection in your body
World: Explore over 350 highly detailed areas ranging from reasearch facilities to desert wastelands
Power Ups: Locating technology for your prototype battle suit will be a must
Enemies: Purge over 65 unique enemies in fast paced real time action
Weapons: Search out multiple energy alignments to effectively dispose of different enemy classes
Bosses: A gigantic infested totem of rotating cannons, an enormous sandworm and many more
DS EXCLUSIVE FEATURE: Use the touchscreen for live map and objective updates
The Dead or Alive girls return on Xbox 360...
Following on from the Dead or Alive Xtreme volleyball game,
Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 (£44.99, Xbox 360, out now) allows you to get wet with Team Ninja's
newest graphical masterpiece in this Xbox 360 exclusive.
All your favourite DOA girls are back and ready to battle it out in the tropical waters of Zack's Island.
Race high performance personal watercrafts, compete in assorted and alluring activities, sunbathe on white
sand beaches, and go all-in at Zack's Casino. Choose your own adventure on Zack's Island and play at your
own leisure in this non-linear, incredibly beautiful, sequel of life in paradise.
Pride 21 & 22 on DVD...
And finally, a DVD released on January 22nd so you can use all the vouchers
you'll get next Monday for this one,
Pride 21 & 22 (£19.99, Silver Vision) has many a fight including
Don Frye vs. Yoshihiro Takayama, Bob Sapp vs. Kiyoshi Tamura and Fedor Emelianenko vs. Semmy Schilt
on the first disc, plus Quinton Jackson vs. Igor Vovchanchyn, Guy Mezger vs. Norihisa Yamamoto
and Heath Herring vs. Iouri Kotchkine on disc 2.
Blast alien scum back to hell in Gears of War on the Xbox 360...
One of the most eagerly awaited games for the Xbox 360, this is sure to be
a massive seller this Xmas and it does look an absolute treat as you've got
to blast all manner of enemies with firepower that really packs a punch,
can you set off to find Alpha Squad and retrieve the sonic device that'll
put a stop to the alien war?
Following on from last week's review of the new Beatles album, LOVE,
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts
looks back at an important week for him, just four weeks ago as he headed
down to London, met many Macca fans and then the man himself, before
unveiling the plaque in Wales to commemorate 44 years since The Beatles
played Prestatyn.
Stuck for something to do this weekend? The list of the films showing at
Manchester Showcase Cinema
can be found on this page, and won't differ much from what's on in the rest
of the country.
The new films out include: Eragon, Black Christmas, Grounded, Deja Vu and
Dead Mans Cards
Gangland violence in Gangs of London on the Sony PSP...
In a game that comes from the creators of The Getaway series, if you've
played either of those titles you'll know what to expect from this one as
you join one of five gangs and go through over 60 missions to claim territories
and claim control of London.
Bodies finale trailer on the DVDfever YouTube channel...
Tonight sees the finale to BBC3's excellent drama Bodies, both series
of which were also shown on BBC2 and won TV awards yet the idiots in charge
of the BBC cancelled it!
Three years on from the events at the end of series 2, watch tonight on BBC3
at 10pm (repeated 1.55am) as things come to a conclusion between Rob,
Donna, Polly, Roger Hurley and Tony Whitman.
Also uploaded recently are some brief interviews recorded at last year's
Edinburgh Fringe festival, a selection of trailers for BBC3's sitcom
"I'm With Stupid", a couple of BBC1 Christmas trailers, Lowri Turner blowing
a sparky on The Wright Stuff when some bloke criticised women drivers who
go down the road to take their kids to school and a piece on Breakfast where
they featured the ultimate Xmas gift - a 103" Plasma TV screen worth
£50,000!
Click on the image from the show (right) and check back regularly for more additions
and feel free to subscribe so you get instantly notified of anything new
that's uploaded.
Call of Duty has been a long-running series across all the major
consoles as well as the PC, but apart from the PS2 this one will only be
featuring on all the next-gen consoles and today we take a look at the Xbox
360 version which looks absolutely gorgeous but still has the same old
gameplay issues.
Produced by George Martin and his son for the Cirque de Soleil extravaganza,
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts
listens to this compilation of classic Beatles tracks to find out whether it
works in this kind of package.
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Dan Owen
returns with his movie news section which looks at future
releases and features US and UK Top 10 cinema listings, UK release dates,
movie websites and trailers.
New DVDs and Games coming your way in time for Christmas...
First up in this round-up of new DVDs and games, Race: The WTCC Game (£29.99, Eidos)
is out now and it does feature the 'Steam' online-updating-when-you'd-rather-it-didn't system that
Half Life 2 also did on the PC.
Experience all the hard hitting and intense action of the WTCC championship, the fastest growing
official FIA world championships in the world! RACE recreates the official 2006 championship with
all of the cars, drivers and locations, including several official tracks and cars never before
seen in the racing game genre.
Recreating the WTCC championship in intricate detail, RACE is an ultra realistic driving simulation
that lets you experience all the breakneck speed, high-octane fun and dramatic tension of a
real-life WTCC driver.
Features include:
Multiple game modes include Quick Race, Race Weekend, Championship, Open Practice, Driver Duel and Time Attack
The Two-race format of the real WTCC race weekends
Improved AI assures super tight sprint race action
Highly detailed damage system
Superb online support with up to 26 players
Get the TV star feeling through virtual Eurosport
A clear cockpit view with fully functioning window wipers
Dynamic weather will change during the race
Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception flies onto the PSP...
Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception (£34.99, Sony, out now) brings the intense combat action to your
PSP, as you fight for control of the skies. The Federal Republic of Auerila is at war with it's neighbour,
the Democratic Republic of Leasath. Auerila was said to have exploited Leasath during a civil war.
You are the leader of Gryphus Squadron, of the Aurelian Air Force -- which means you don't care about
the politics behind the war. You're a fighter pilot with a job to do, so get in the cockpit and get
ready for action.
Features include:
Choose to fly the Su-27 Flanker, EF-2000 Typhoon, F-5E Tiger II, F-1 Kai/Kaizen, F-2A Banshee, F-14D Super Tomcat, MiG-31 and more
Multiple game modes - Shoot Out, Base Attack, Air Superiority, Beacon Battle, Escort Mission, and more
Wireless multiplayer action with (or against) up to four people)
See how you compare to other pilots with the Ace Ranking System
Different paint schemes
Frenetic EyeToy Kinetic on Sony PS2...
EyeToy Kinetic Combat (£39.99, Sony, out now) is an exceptional interactive fitness product
that adds a new dimension to home fitness. EyeToy: Kinetic redefined the home fitness market by transforming
PlayStation 2 into an interactive fitness system bringing personal fitness trainers and workout tools into
the home.
To ensure an unparalleled home fitness experience, the team at London Studio have applied their knowledge
and skills gained from EyeToy: Kinetic to produce an even more sophisticated and refined fitness product.
Fusing the martial arts teaching of Hung Gar Kung Fu with an holistic fitness programme, Kinetic Combat is
set to revolutionise the martial arts inspired home fitness market delivering players their own personal
Kung Fu trainer and sparring partners for a fully personalised one-on-one training session.
To achieve unprecedented levels of interaction, Kinetic Combat uses cutting edge Motion Matching Technology.
This sophisticated technology means it's able to track the player's moves on screen with supreme precision.
It can tell if a move is being performed correctly and gives personalised real-time feedback that is both
encouraging and constructive.
Over 200 separate Hung Gar Kung Fu moves have been motion captured using a leading martial arts expert and
players need to stay within the instructors outline on screen to complete exercises and learn new techniques.
As players' journey through the four martial arts inspired zones they will face a number of challenges to
test their new skills. In addition to a series of games, players need to bring all the moves together in an
end of zone sparring match. In this 'versus' battle players will face a virtual opponent that they need to
defeat to progress to the next zone.
A triple whammy of Wrestling on DVD from Silver Vision...
First up in this trilogy, Cage Rage Championships 18 - Battleground DVD (£12.99) is out
on January 8th, and out on the same day is UFC 23 & 24 (£19.99) which features fights from
Kevin Randleman vs. Pete Williams, Pedro Rizzo vs. Tsuyoshi Kosaka and Kenichi Yamamoto vs. Katsuhia Fujii
on the first disc plus Ted Williams vs. Steve Judson, Lance Gibson vs. Jermaine Andre and
Fabiano Iha vs. Dave Menne on the second one.
Then, on January 22nd comes Brian Pillman Loose Cannon (£24.99), running for 329 minutes.
Brian Pillman created a number of controversial and chaotic moments in sports-entertainment. His tragic
ending only further mythologizes his legend. For the first time ever his life in and out of the ring is
examined, complete with recollections from fellow superstars, competitors and his family.
This 2-disc set also highlights Pillman's incredible athletic ability, presenting some of his best matches
including the International Tag Team Championship: Bad Company vs. Midnight Cowboys in April 1988.
Three more wrestling punches on DVD from Silver Vision...
The next title to be featured is UFC 62 - Liddell vs. Sobral (£17.99), out on January 8th,
which contains a number of matches including Chuck Liddell vs. Renato Sobral, Forrest Griffin vs.
Stephan Bonnar and Nick Diaz vs. Josh Neer.
Born To Controversy: The Roddy Piper Story (£29.99), released on January 22nd, is a
three-disc set which covers the extensive career of the 'Hot Rod', whose intense rivalry with Hulk
Hogan highlighted the infamous War to Settle the Score and the first ever Wrestlemania. Sometimes hated,
sometimes loved the 'Rowdy one' never failed to entertain, especially on his revolutionary popular
interview segment, Piper's Pit.
This DVD set features Piper's unique comments on his childhood, getting into the business at 15, working
with Mr. T, wrestling promoters, his movie appearances, working in WCW, his induction into the WWE
Hall of Fame, and much more. In addition, fellow Superstars Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, 'Cowboy' Bob Orton,
Greg 'The Hammer' Valentine, and many more offer their personal takes on the 'Hot Rod'.
Finally, Unforgiven 2006 (£17.99), released on January 8th, is the latest in the Unforgiven
range which features matches such as the WWE Championship - Tables, Ladders & Chairs Match:
Edge vs. John Cena, the Hell in a Cell Match: D-Generation X vs. The McMahons & Big Show and
the Women's Championship Match: Lita vs. Trish Stratus.
Updated cinema listings...
Stuck for something to do this weekend? The list of the films showing at
Manchester Showcase Cinema
can be found on this page, and won't differ much from what's on in the rest
of the country.
The new films out include: The Holiday, Covenant, The Nativity Story and
Happy Feet
It looks just like the cartoon series, and with the original voices of the
cast it even sounds like the cartoon series, but as you control Peter,
Stewie and Brian in their quest for world domination is there a "Freakin'
Sweet" game behind the characters?
Follow Swoff into the Marines in Jarhead on DVD...
Jake Gyllenhaal plays Anthony Swofford, aka Swoff, who signs up for
the United States Marines Corp and expects a bit of a tough time, but will
he get more than he bargains for when the Gulf War begins and his unit is
assigned out there?
The cast also features Peter Sarsgaard, Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper and
Dennis Haysbert.
Join Natalie Williams in her Secret Garden on CD...
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts
enjoys the contemporary jazz, soul and R'n'B in this release, describing it
as a smooth and lush offering for this singer-songwriter.
Out now is a new round-up of 'sticky wickets' for Phil Tufnell in Tuffers' Ashes - Greats, Gaffes
And Geezers (£17.99, Warner Vision International).
Former England cricketer Phil 'The Cat' Tufnell presents this sporting look at the quintessential
gentleman's game. Looking back over the 2005 Ashes Series, this documentary packs in some memorable
moments; the sixes and somersaults, near-impossible catches, and glorious centuries before lunch.
Tufnell gives his personal view on the on-going feud between the English and their antipodean rivals.
Living up to its title, there are gaffes aplenty, not to mention streakers, pitch invasions, and some
of the worst fielding known to man!
Click on the packshot for more info.
Updated cinema listings...
Stuck for something to do this weekend? The list of the films showing at
Manchester Showcase Cinema
can be found on this page, and won't differ much from what's on in the rest
of the country.
The new films out include: Flushed Away, Big Nothing and
Deck the Halls
TV Quiz Show channels get a grilling on the DVDfever YouTube channel...
A couple of new pieces uploaded today, including a segment from last Sunday's
Politics Show on BBC1 where moves are afoot to regulate those TV channels
that do nothing but push alleged quizzes in your face as if you've got a hope
in hell of getting through, let alone getting the answer right.
There's also an intriguing trailer which Five used for Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory recently, which is very trippy indeed.
Click on the Youtube logo (right) and check back regularly for more additions
and feel free to subscribe so you get instantly notified of anything new
that's uploaded.
DVDs reviewed by the editor are watched on a Panasonic TXW32R4 32" widescreen TV
connected to either a Creative Dxr2 DVD-ROM player or Microsoft Xbox and
played through a Sony STR-DB930 amplifier.
PC games reviewed by the editor are on:
Since Nov 2005: Intel Pentium D 830 3.0Ghz, 1Gb RAM, 128Mb nVidia GeForce 6700XL, Windows XP
Since Aug 2003: Intel Pentium 4 2.66Ghz, 512Mb RAM, 128Mb GeForce4 MX440 graphics, Windows XP
Since May 2003: Intel Pentium 4 2.6Ghz, 512Mb RAM, 128Mb ATI Radeon 9600TX graphics, Windows XP
Since Jun 2002: Intel Pentium III 600Mhz, 384Mb RAM, Windows 98 SE, 64Mb ATI Radeon 8500LE
Since May 2000: Intel Pentium III 600Mhz, 384Mb RAM, Windows 98 SE, Voodoo 3 3000 AGP
Talksport presenter Mike Dickin dies in car crash...
