Trey Parker once sang, “Why does Michael Bay get to keep on making movies?” and after seeing The Happening on DVD, I’m beginning to think the same thing about M. Night Shyamalan. Once the brilliant young newcomer, Shyamalan’s talent seems to have completely dissipated, leaving only ego and self-importance. Like the Kanye West of cinema, he seems to believe that every film he’s made since 1999’s The Sixth Sense is the greatest thing ever to grace the screen and those who criticize or question his work are simply unworthy of his genius.

For years now, I have been quite the DVD commentary enthusiast. It all began with the infamous drunken commentary track on the Cannibal: The Musical DVD featuring intoxicatingly funny conversation from very intoxicated stars Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Dian Bachar, Jason McHugh, and Andy Kemler. That track showed that DVD commentary can be more than just describing the behind-the-scenes process of each shot. Commentary tracks can be genuinely “special” features… if filmmakers use them to their full potential.

The 31st Starz Denver Film Festival is in full swing and, this year, I’ve had a very inside look at all the behind-the-scenes action. With my new job at the Denver Film Society, I’ve been able to watch this year’s fest grow from a tiny seed into a gigantic tree of cinematic enjoyment.

Zack and Miri seems to follow the recipe for a great comedy. It takes one part View Askew cynical humor, one part Seth Rogen, a sprinkle of familiar faces from the Judd Apatow universe, and a little bit of romantic comedy sweetness, all garnished with a dash of full-frontal Jason Mewes, to make something that achieves what Clerks II only wished it could.

Danny McBride is like the bacon on a cheeseburger. Without it, the burger is still good, but there’s just something even more delicious when you slap a couple pieces of bacon on top. Like the extra flavor from the bacon, McBride brings that extra level of funny to everything he touches.

The tag line for the star-studded Coen Brothers film ‘Burn After Reading’ is “intelligence is relative”. Certainly that statement is very fitting for this smart film about stupid people. Like a warped version of ‘The Man Who Knew Too Little’ meets ‘The Big Lebowski’, the film retains all the unique characters and plot twists of the Coen’s more dramatic work, but also incorporates the stellar dialogue that made some of their best comedies so memorable. Review contains the red band trailer for the film.

If you’ve heard anything about Hamlet 2, it’s probably that the film was co-written by South Park alum Pam Brady. While some of the Jesus jokes and musical numbers might be reminiscent of everyone’s favorite foul-mouthed fourth graders, the film actually has little in common with the iconic animated show.

The great “Movie Stoner Duo Hall of Fame” includes Cheech and Chong, Jay and Silent Bob, Harold and Kumar, and now Dale and Saul, the main characters in the ridiculously funny Pineapple Expresss. The brilliant team from Superbad is back with a brand new stoner comedy that is weird, outrageous and bizarre, all while being incredibly funny.

You could say Chris Bell’s Bigger, Stronger, Faster is like a documentary on steroids. Not only is it full of information, but performance enhancements are the subject matter. The doc follows Bell and his two brothers Mike and Mark, who always looked up to guys like Hulk Hogan or Arnold Schwarzenegger and now strive to become the biggest, strongest, fastest guys in the world.

Italian filmmaker Dario Argento is hailed by film geeks as a pioneer of bloody horror movies. In fact, he is even proclaimed a master in a great scene from Juno. While my fellow film nerds have given him a cult following, his newest film, The Mother of Tears, should appeal to all audiences who love gallons of fake blood and guts.