Archive for the 'Blu-ray Reviews' Category
May 21st, 2013 by Gerard Iribe
Alain Delon (The Leopard) was at his most impossibly beautiful when Purple Noon (Plein soleil) was released and made him an instant star. This ripe, colorful adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s vicious novel The Talented Mr. Ripley, directed by the versatile René Clément (Forbidden Games), stars Delon as Tom Ripley, a duplicitous American charmer in Rome on a mission to bring his privileged, devil-may-care acquaintance Philippe Greenleaf (Elevator to the Gallows’ Maurice Ronet) back to the United States; what initially seems a carefree tale of friendship soon morphs into a thrilling saga of seduction, identity theft, and murder. Featuring gorgeous on-location photography in coastal Italy, Purple Noon is crafted with a light touch that allows it to be suspenseful and erotic at once, while giving Delon the role of a lifetime. Continue reading ‘Purple Noon: Criterion Collection (Blu-ray Review)’
May 21st, 2013 by Brandon Peters
As I watched A Common Man, I wondered if Ben Kingsley knew or will ever find out what the other side of this movie looked like. The film is a clear case of throwing all the money in a super low budget film at a big name to shoot for a couple of days to hopefully sell your movie better. Slap his name above the title, prominently display him on the cover art with a misleading fiery explosion in the background and hopefully someone is going to pick this up thinking at the very least they’ll get a solid B action movie. Sadly, its far from as it looks as if almost every dollar went to Kingsley for a day or two’s shooting some boring scenes while the rest of the movie suffers from being a, at all too few times laughable, poor production. Continue reading ‘A Common Man (Blu-ray Review)’
May 19th, 2013 by Brian White
About three weeks ago I received a weird unmarked postcard in the mail. It was black with strange red symbols and the only text to be found on it were the words “Were You Chosen?” I snapped a photo of it and texted it to my girlfriend and Gerard Iribe. Neither one knew what it was. Gerard saw the Texas address on the reverse side of the postcard and said that’s Scott Wampler’s address. At first I was like wow, this must be a wedding invite from the man. I can’t believe I got one. I felt honored. But wait! That was my address! LOL. So I did what any rationale person would do after exhausting their lifelines. I “googled” it! It turns out that was a slogan for the newest Weinstein product, Dimension Films’ Dark Skies. And that was the end of that. I tossed the postcard aside disappointed it wasn’t anything more. I want adventure in my life. If it’s not, don’t waste my time. Continue reading ‘Dark Skies (Blu-ray Review)’
May 14th, 2013 by Jami Ferguson
A supernatural love story set in the South, Beautiful Creatures tells the tale of two star-crossed lovers: Ethan (Alden Ehrenreich), a young man longing to escape his small town, and Lena (Alice Englert), a mysterious new girl. Together, they uncover dark secrets about their respective families, their history and their town. Oscar nominee Richard LaGravenese (“The Fisher King,” “P.S. I Love You”) directs from his adaptation of the first novel in the best-selling series by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. The film stars Alden Ehrenreich (“Tetro”), Alice Englert,(“Ginger & Rosa”) Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons (“Reversal of Fortune”) Oscar nominee Viola Davis (“The Help,” “Doubt”), Emmy Rossum (TV’s “Shameless”), Thomas Mann (“Project X”) and Academy Award winner Emma Thompson (“Howard’s End,” “Sense and Sensibility”). Rounding out the cast are Eileen Atkins, Margo Martindale, Zoey Deutch, Tiffany Boone, Rachel Brosnahan, Kyle Gallner, Pruitt Taylor Vince and Sam Gilroy.
Continue reading ‘Beautiful Creatures (Blu-ray Review)’
May 9th, 2013 by Brian White
Ever see something so confusing that looks so mind-bending that you just had to see it with your own eyes despite what your better judgment and gut told you? Well, that’s exactly how I felt about Cloud Atlas and its many bizarre, but very bold and ambitious trailers out there. Much like the story within Life of Pi and the pursuit of whether there’s a God or not, going into Cloud Atlas I had hoped all my questions and curiosity on the subject matter of what’s beyond this life would be answered. After all, that’s what the movie was about, or is it? Wait! Hold on. Are you telling me you don’t know what Cloud Atlas is about or what to expect? How could you? Well anyway, welcome to the club. That’s what we’re here to talk about today and if I go off on a tangent please forgive me as I just got done watching a time/globe spanning near 3-hour amazing, high concept journey so I’m a little taken aback right now to say the least. Come on. We have a long and winding path to embark upon here in this review. We best be moving along with little to no haste. Continue reading ‘Cloud Atlas (Blu-ray Review)’
May 8th, 2013 by Charles Cassady
The Sanzu River is rising! Master Xandred’s monsters grow stronger! And the new mysterious Nighlok Serrator emerges! How will the Samurai Rangers fight these stronger opponents? By unlocking the power of the Black Box and becoming Super Samurai! Experience all 20 episodes of this super season as the Power Rangers continue their quest to master the ancient Symbols of Samuria Power, harness the ancient might of the BullZord, morph into Shogun Mode and pprotect humanity from Master Xandred and the Netherworld’s most vile villains! Continue reading ‘Power Rangers Super Samurai: The Complete Season (Blu-ray Review)’
May 5th, 2013 by Brian White
Well, whether you wanted it or not, you got another Texas Chainsaw “Massacre” film. Many say this was to erase the puddle of mud that was Michael Bay’s bastardized attempt back in 2003, but quite honestly…I liked that one, Milo and all. So what’s this latest incarnation about? Good question! And I’m really glad you asked because that’s what we are gathered here to talk about today. Supposedly, this time around this one, Texas Chainsaw without the ‘Massacre” in the title, is a direct sequel to Tobe Hooper’s 1974 classic. And yeah…if you buy that one I also sell you on the fact that Superman Returns was a direct sequel to the legendary Superman II too. But whatever, toe-may-doe toe-ma-doe, let’s get going here because I don’t have all day, at least not for this fill in the (blankety blank adjective of your choice) title. Continue reading ‘Texas Chainsaw (Blu-ray Review)’
May 2nd, 2013 by Jami Ferguson
A wacky pack of mismatched animals takes on the human race as they travel to the big city to protest the destruction of their jungle. How can a leopard cub and his mother, a peace-loving bear, a mischievous monkey, and a wisecracking parrot present their ideas to a bunch of humans? You’ll find out in this hilarious and heart-warming adventure that will have you cheering at the end. Delhi Safari was released in both a Hindi version and an English version. Bollywood stars voice the Hindi version while the English version, reviewed here, is voiced by notable small and big screen actors. In addition, the English Blu-ray version of Delhi Safari is a Walmart exclusive.
Continue reading ‘Delhi Safari (Blu-ray Review)’
April 24th, 2013 by Sean Ferguson
One of the most meaningful films of our generation, Schindler’s List tells an extraordinary true story of courage and faith that continues to inspire. The film’s restoration from the 35mm film original negative was supervised by Steven Spielberg and includes bonus features that shed unprecedented light on the story of Oskar Schindler, a member of the Nazi party who risked his own life to save more than 1,100 Jews during the Holocaust. With its initial release in 1993, Schindler’s List rapidly became one of the most honored films of all time, garnering twelve Academy Award nominations and taking home seven Oscars, including Best Director and Best Picture for Spielberg. Liam Neeson (Taken, Gangs of New York) received a Best Actor Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of Oskar Schindler. Ralph Fiennes’ (The English Patient) star-making performance as the cruel Nazi commander, Amon Goeth, was nominated for Best Supporting Actor, as was Oscar-winner Ben Kingsley (Gandhi, Hugo) in the role of Schindler’s Jewish accountant, Itzhak Stern. The film also earned Oscars for composer John Williams (E.T., Star Wars), screenwriter Steven Zaillian (Gangs of New York, Mission: Impossible) and director of photography Janusz Kaminiski, as well as art directors Allan Starski and Ewa Braun, editor Michael Kahn and producers Gerald R. Molen and Branko Lustig. Continue reading ‘Schindler’s List: 20th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray Review)’
April 22nd, 2013 by Brian White
I’m not sure where I’ve been since 1997, but I’ve never heard of the name Jack Reacher until I heard news of the film being developed some years back. Turns out Jack is quite the popular character from literary author Lee Child’s wildly “popular” series of novels. Heck, this August will see the released of the eighteenth novel in the series. Wow! Again…where have I been? So when I was asked if I wanted to see this film with a friend last December, I kindly turned down the many offers because I simply had no prior insight as to what the film was about nor did I have any interest really in spending hard earned money on something I felt unsure of. And I never really been the biggest fan of Tom Cruise (although I do respect and there’s no denying his legacy and his many body of works), but that all changed this this past week when I saw him in Oblivion and upon arriving home from a business trip I found this title on my desk ripe for reviewing on the Blu-ray format. So needless to say…hoorah…I jumped at the chance. I want to see what I have been missing out on all this time and more importantly…who is this Jack Reacher guy? My inquiring mind wanted to know. And now I’m here to tell you all about him. And while you are at it…check out the 1080p screenshots below too! Continue reading ‘Jack Reacher (Blu-ray Review)’
April 21st, 2013 by Sean Ferguson
Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a dazzling blend of live action and animation that’s a four time Academy Award Winner (1988) for Best Film Editing, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Effects Editing and a Special Achievement in Animation Direction. Bob Hoskins (Hook, Brazil) stars as Eddie Valiant, a toon hating detective is a cartoon rabbit’s only hope to prove his innocence when he is accused of murder. Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future trilogy) is Judge Doom, Joanna Cassidy (Blade Runner, Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter is Dead) appears as Dolores, and Charles Fleischer (Back to the Future Part II, A Nightmare on Elm Street) plays several roles including Roger Rabbit, Benny the Cab, Greasy & Psycho .
Continue reading ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit? 25th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray Review)’
April 18th, 2013 by Sean Ferguson
Rediscover the majestic musical adventure of The Hunchback Of Notre Dame and The Hunchback Of Notre Dame II - together for the first time in stunning Blu-ray High Definition. Bring your family together for the extraordinary tale of Quasimodo in a soaring celebration of the beauty inside all of us! Join the world’s most unlikely hero as he meets his first real friend, Esmeralda, while fighting to save the people and city he loves. The legendary story continues as Quasi reunites with his gargoyle friends to protect the cathedral’s most famous bell and find true love. The Hunchback of Notre Damesoars with a magnificent score by renowned composer Alan Menken (Beauty And The Beast, Aladdin). Enjoy both magical films, bursting with brilliant animation and unforgettable characters, together on Disney Blu-ray.
Continue reading ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame I & II 2-Movie Collection (Blu-ray Review)’
April 9th, 2013 by Aaron Neuwirth
That Thing You Do! was the directorial debut of Tom Hanks from back in 1996 and it is still a joy to watch. The film is a light-hearted look at a fictional band that became a one-hit wonder sensation during a summer in the 60s. The film features a simple, but very accessible story, fun performances from the cast, and a very catchy single. While it was only a decent success at the box office, during its theatrical run, much like The Sandlot, That Thing You Do! has remained a very enjoyable film that has found an audience over time. It must have to do with it being such a delightful film to watch that is full of energy. Read on to find out if the Blu-ray is wonderful or not.
Continue reading ‘That Thing You Do! (Blu-ray Review)’
April 9th, 2013 by Aaron Neuwirth
If someone were to ask me what one of the quirkiest premises for a movie was, I would probably respond with the plot for This Must Be the Place, a comedy-drama, which stars Sean Penn as a retired rock star who goes on a mission to find a Nazi criminal. For those who just said, “Huh?” Yes, that is the premise of this film, which I found to be surprisingly effective in what it was trying to do. It features a strong performance from Penn, who delivers a very interesting character, unlike anything I have seen him in before and is also an interesting movie on the whole, given how it plays out. Now the Blu-ray is available for all to check out and I think it may be worth the time of anyone who is interested by this premise or the presence of Penn in this type of role.
Continue reading ‘This Must Be The Place (Blu-ray Review)’
April 8th, 2013 by Sean Ferguson
Full of daring action and hilarious characters, the fun-filled Mulan Special Edition celebrates honor, courage, and the importance of family. Clever Mulan proves her worth outside of her tradition-bound society when, disguised as a male soldier, “Ping,” she bravely takes her father’s place in the Imperial Army. Helped by her outrageously funny guardian dragon Mushu and a lucky cricket named Cri-Kee, Mulan strives to earn the respect of her fellow warriors and their courageous Captain Shang. Mulan’s adventures lead to a climactic battle atop the Imperial Palace, where her family’s honor and the fate of the Emperor and all of China rests in her hands! Continue reading ‘Mulan I & II 2-Movie Collection (Blu-ray Review)’
April 4th, 2013 by Aaron Neuwirth
In 1988, director Ron Howard and writer/executive producer George Lucas teamed up to make a fantasy/adventure film called Willow. The story revolves around a reluctant farmer, who aspires to be a wizard, teaming with the greatest sword fighter in the land in order to protect a special baby from an evil queen during a magical, medieval time period. While only a moderate success at the time, Willow is still known for its revolutionary use of digital morphing technology, its epic score by James Horner, and the fun performances from Val Kilmer and Warwick Davis. The film has amassed a following since its original release and it is now available and better looking than ever on Blu-ray. Read on to learn more about this Blu-ray release.
Continue reading ‘Willow (Blu-ray Review)’
March 27th, 2013 by Sean Ferguson
John D. Rockefeller, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford and J.P. Morgan rose from obscurity and in the process built modern America. Their names hang on street signs, are etched into buildings and are a part of the fabric of history. These men created the American Dream and were the engine of capitalism as they transformed everything they touched in building the oil, rail, steel, shipping, automobile and finance industries. Their paths crossed repeatedly as they elected presidents, set economic policies and influenced major events of the 50 most formative years this country has ever known. From the Civil War to the Great Depression and World War I, they led the way. Using state of the art computer generated imagery that incorporates 12 million historical negatives, many made available for the first time by the Library of Congress, this series will bring back to life the world they knew and the one they created. The event series will show how these men took a failed experiment in democracy and created the greatest superpower the world has ever seen. We see how their historic achievements came to create the America of today.
Continue reading ‘The Men Who Built America (Blu-ray Review)’
March 25th, 2013 by Sean Ferguson
Professional odds-maker Dink (Bruce Willis, the Die Hard franchise), is running a small-time sports gambling enterprise when a former stripper named Beth (Rebecca Hall, The Town) promises to help him score big… and turns his world upside down. With his connections and her knack for numbers, the lucrative business of sports betting will never be the same. Catherine Zeta-Jones (Chicago, The Mask of Zorro) and Joshua Jackson (“Fringe”, “Dawson’s Creek”) round out a talented cast of misfits who are willing to risk everything for their dreams. Sly and sexy, heart-warming and hilarious, Stephen Frears’ Lay the Favorite is based on the Beth Raymer’s best-selling memoir, “Lay the Favorite: A Memoir of Gambling.” Continue reading ‘Lay the Favorite (Blu-ray Review)’
March 24th, 2013 by David Freedman
Sean and Liz offer you a classic from the vault starring Tim Robbins and Paul Newman.
A naive business graduate is installed as president of a manufacturing company as part of a stock scam.
WATCH US ON PBS SOCAL Saturdays at 6PM or pbssocal.org/justseenit
Continue reading ‘The Hudsucker Proxy – Classic From The Vault – Just Seen It’
March 22nd, 2013 by Sean Ferguson
Disney proudly presents Brother Bear, an epic animated adventure full of comedy and heart. With five great new songs from Academy Award winner Phil Collins (1999 Best Original Song, “You’ll Be In My Heart,” from Tarzan, it’s another tale of transformation from Disney. When an impulsive boy named Kenai is magically transformed into a bear, he must literally walk in another’s footsteps until he learns some valuable life lessons. His courageous and often zany journey introduces him to a forest full of wildlife, including the lovable bear cub Koda, hilarious moose Rutt and Tuke, woolly mammoths, rambunctious rams, and more! Continue reading ‘Brother Bear 1 & 2 2-Movie Collection (Blu-ray Review)’
