I've seen both the documentary and the TV movie that were based on the same events, and this movie is the weakest of the three. In fact, it suffers from all of the problems I thought it would. Hollywood took an interesting story and decided to change from reality and add in the typical Hollywood melodrama and included a love story between two actors who I felt had no chemistry. Also, in real life if you are caught card counting, casinos simple take your information and throw you and don't let you back it (and give your information to other casinos). They don't beat you up, because the tiny amount a card counter can win is nothing compared to the amount a casino could lose if they were sued or they lost their gambling license, either of which is likely if someone is beaten up on their premise. And no, being in a room without cameras isn't going to protect the casino; it doesn't work that way. However, the filmmakers here didn't think reality was dramatic enough, so they had to embellish the story. They did something similar in The Last Casino, but they kept to reality by having one of the lead characters in debt to a loan shark, and that was enough to add the risk of physical violence without straining credibility. Additionally, the explanation of the system felt heavy-handed and was repeated too often. It was like the filmmakers assumed the audience was too dumb to figure out when one of the characters was using a code word.

One addition from last week's review, there was a sub-plot with Laurence Fishburne's character being forced into retirement thanks to a new facial recognition software. However, this software would only be effective once the card counter was caught for the first time, which can only happen with trained experts like Cole, so his job would not be in trouble.

Extras on the single disc set are adequate with an audio commentary track and a trio of featurettes. The audio commentary track is a good mix of information and entertainment, and they even admit there are a few flaws in the movie, like the old-school thugs running Vegas. On the other hand, they seem to think Kate Bosworth and Jim Sturgess had chemistry together. The first of the three featurettes is a 5-minute one on Blackjack, including its history and how to improve the odds. Next up is a meatier 25-minute making of featurette, which is your standard mix of talking heads, behind-the-scenes footage, and clips from the movie. Finally, there's a 7-minute look at the production of the movie, including the set and costume designs.

The Blu-ray version arrived this week, today actually, and after checking it out I have three points to make. 1.) Vegas is a gaudy city and it looks even more so in high definition. However, while the transfer is up to the standards one would expect for a first run release, it is not one of the best that I've seen. 2.) The blackjack game provided on the disc is only mildly interesting and doesn't do enough to simulate Vegas. (There should be a lot more noise and lights.) 3,) No one seems to be able to use internet connectivity to its potential. Being able to download trailers is not really a bonus feature. Looking at the Blackjack leaderboard is only interesting because likely the only people on it right now are critics.

21 tells a story that is amazingly interesting, which is why it has been previously made into a book, adocumentary, and a TV movie. The filmmakers didn't need to change much to create a successful movie, but the changes they did make all seemed to hurt the film. I predicted this would happen, I just assumed this would hurt the film's box office chances as well. Little did I know. Given the film's box office run, it's clear that there are plenty of fans out there, and for then the DVD is worth checking out, but with extras that are only average for a first run release, a rental will be enough for many of them. If you are set on owning it, the Blu-ray offers good value for the money, and even offers some additional extras. Personally, I think people should stick with the book or The Last Casino, but that's just my opinion.

Baldwin Hill - Season One - Buy from Amazon
As longtime reader have probably figured out by now, there are few things I hate more than reality TV. This show is even worse than most reality TV shows because it is a copy of The Hills. Which was a Spin-off of Laguna Beach. Which was a reality TV twist on The O.C. This show is so far removed from any trace of creativity... but it is still better than most of its predecessors.

The takes a look at the lives of a dozen rich African-American teenagers from Baldwin Hills, which is an affluent, predominantly African-American district in Los Angeles. There are a diverse group of personalities here (the comic, the athlete, the entrepreneur, etc.), but sadly they didn't bring enough to keep me interested. They are less vapid and more interesting than the people on The Hills, but not by enough that I want to hear about they love life. When the people involved are boring, so is the resulting love triangle. Hell, they could have a love dodecagon and it still wouldn't be interested enough to carry a show. Personality conflicts between two people who barely have personalities is likewise uninteresting to me.

Special features on disc one consist of two features with a running time of just over 15 minutes. While Disc two has three extras, 26 minutes of casting tapes, 23 minutes of cast interviews, and 12 minutes of interviews with the creators. This is more than enough to avoid feeling barren, but not so much that one can say it is a selling point. The 2-disc set also has play all buttons, but no subtitles and doesn't have proper chapter placements.

If you are looking for an African-American take on reality shows like The Hills or Laguna Beach, then Baldwin Hill - Season One is a great DVD for you. However, while I don't think the show is as soul crushing as its MTV counterparts, it is still not a show I derive any pleasure from watching.

Beverly Hills 90210 - The Fifth Season - Buy from Amazon
Season five. We are halfway done the series. There's a light at the end of the tunnel. Wait... What? They are making a new Beverly Hills 90210? Nooooooo!

This is a season of change for Beverly Hills 90210. It is the first season without Shannen Doherty and the first with Tiffani-Amber Thiessen. It is also the last with Gabrielle Carteris and Luke Perry. (The latter did return after a couple of years.) The season also include a wide variety of story arcs including such topics as drugs, politics, business dealings going south, relationship troubles, racial tension, past-life regression, mental illness, suicide and even murder! Sadly, the show can't stand up to the weight of the storylines and they go from mildly interesting, to a little bit silly, to over-the-top melodramatic. Well before the season ends, I could no longer care.

On a side note, where have they been storing the masters for this show? The video quality is terrible for a show that is barely more than a decade old. At times it looks no better than the syndicated versions.

Extras on the 8-disc set are nonexistent. I was never overly impressed by the extras on the past Beverly Hills 90210 DVD releases, but it is still disappointing. Additionally, there are no play all buttons, but at least there are proper chapter placements and subtitles.

Moving into its Fifth Season, Beverly Hills 90210 is still selling strong on DVD. However, the studio has run out extras and this 8-disc set is devoid of special features. I don't think this will be enough to stop many fans from buying theDVD, but there will be very few that will be happy with the situation.

Philip Baker Hall stars as Arthur, a retired history professor who outlived his son and his wife and feels that life has past him by and his only recourse is suicide. However, before he can attempt it, a baby duckling wanders up and thinks he is his mother. And this helps spark him back to life. But his apartment doesn't allow pets and he has to find a place for his friend to live and along this travel he meets a series of strange characters.

On the one hand, Philip Baker Hall gives a great performance, and so does the duck (who previous worked in the Afleck commercials). However, once the journey starts, the film loses steam and it become a series of disconnected vignettes, most of which don't hold our attention and are a little repetitive. But Philip Baker Hall is strong enough to make the film worth checking out.

Extras on the DVD include an audio commentary track with writer / director Nicole Bettauer and Philip Baker Hall. The pair also sits down for interviews (done separately). Nicole Bettauer's runs roughly 3 and a half minutes while Philip Baker Hall clocks in at nearly 13.

While Duck is a movie with serious flaws, the performances by Philip Baker Hall, and the duck, make it a movie that is worth checking out. However, even with extras that are better than expected, the DVD is only worth a rental for most.

Girlfriends - Season 4 - Buy from Amazon
A casualty of the writers' strike, this show's 8th season turned out to be its last, and it ended without a real finale. However, while fans wait for a possible TV movie that will give the series the send-off it deserves, they can at least watch season 4 on DVD.

Season 4 starts with three of the four ladies in happy relationships, however, that doesn't last. Joan's relationship is in jeopardy when she meets the man who could be her soul mate, Toni's marriage to Todd could be in trouble when she learns he's not as rich as she assumed, and Lynn's relationship with her poet boyfriend could be in trouble because... well... because he's just as crazy as she is. Relationships play an important role in season four story arcs with all five main characters have their share of drama (including the still divorced Maya and the only male of the group, William). Not all of these stories are particularly interesting, in fact, there's more comedy mined from Lynn and Williams short marriage that Toni and Todd's marriage, which is a story arc that lasts all season long. (Although the latter does generate a lot more drama.) There are also a lot of changes in jobs, family relations, the return of "the Lesbians" (a.k.a. Williams' sister and her partner), and more this season, which is perfect for fans of the show.

On the other hand, the 3-disc set has no special features, which is less than ideal. The are play all buttons and proper chapter placements, but no subtitles.

Girlfriends maintained its high quality level during Season 4 and for those who purchased the previous seasons there's no reason to stop now. That said, the lack of extras is disappointing and while I still recommend purchasing, I can't be enthusiastic about it.

The Hills - Season Three - Buy from Amazon
This show is described as a guilty pleasure by most fans. However, I get no pleasure watching it.

As I have mentioned early in this week's report, I hate reality TV, and while this show is not among the most soul-crushing of the genre, it is close. The most soul-crushing of the genre are the ones where average people do humiliating things for a tiny amount of money. This is the second most soul-crushing type of reality TV series, the one where they take a bunch of people who are nowhere near interesting enough to appear on TV, and follow them around with a bunch of cameras. The four leads, Lauren, Kelly, Heidi, and Whitney, simply don't have the charisma to carry a TV series, and their lives are rather boring as well. (Perhaps that's why MTV keeps setting things up. Yes, this is a reality TV series that doesn't have a whole lot of reality.) Plots this season including new jobs, breakups, internet rumors, hooking back up, moving in together, potential marriages, and more. I'm sure fans of the show couldn't turn away, but I couldn't wait till the season ended.

Extras on the 4-disc set are found on the fourth disc starting with just over 40 minute of deleted scenes, which is equivalent to two whole episodes. There are also nearly 40 minutes of interviews with the four leads and the four also sit down to do commentary on select scenes, but not all together. Again, it's close to 40 minutes in length in total. There is an 8-part, 46-minute series called Fashion: The Live and finally a bizarre 2-minute scene of the show done in virtual life.

If I had friends that were this annoying, I would have stopped being their friends a long time ago. That said, I am not the target audience for The Hills, and if you like the show and bought the previous seasons, there's no reason to change with Season Three. Personally, I can't wait for this trend to end and for networks to stop having so many reality TV series on and for MTV to go back to playing music every once and a while.