Archive for the 'Blu-ray Reviews' Category
March 22nd, 2015 by Aaron Neuwirth
Watching My Girl brought back a lot of fond memories of the 1991 coming-of-age comedy-drama. It is a film that I have always been a fan of, but not one I have seen in quite some time. Seeing the film again, it holds up very well, as the story is simple enough, but quite effective on a variety of levels. There is just something so unassuming about it, which works to great effect, considering how eventful of a summer it is for young Vada Sultenfuss. With My Girl now available on Blu-ray, many fans along with many others can take a look at this charming film.
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Continue reading ‘My Girl (Blu-ray Review)’
March 21st, 2015 by Brandon Peters
vWith 50 Shades Of Grey building a lot of hype and setting itself up to be the next big thing, everyone has to try and cash in on something existing they have already. This is pretty common with studios. They’ll even redo poster art to make it look more modern and as knock off-y as it can to what they’re trying to be like. We’ve seen it with Near Dark and Twilight (Two movies not really remotely the same aside from “Hey, look! Vampires”). Secretary has already rebranded itself to be “the original” 50 Shades Of Grey movie. Here, we have the indie film Going Under from 2004 that deals with a BDSM relationship. I’m honestly surprised we didn’t see a lot of 90s Cinemax softcore movies get dusted off and sold as something bigger and more purposeful than they actually were. Continue reading ‘Going Under (Blu-ray Review)’
March 18th, 2015 by Brian White
Take it from me as I have a lot of friends in the tech world and Silicon Valley represents! What do I mean about that? Well, I honestly wish I could tell you, but I’m sworn to secrecy. However, anyone in that “inner circle” will admit that Silicon Valley‘s a trip, and some of it “could” be accurate especially with the larger players out there like Google. We’ve all seen The Internship, right? Well, don’t you think their are similarities as to how Google is portrayed onscreen in that compared to the fictional companies in the world of HBO’s Silicon Valley? You should at least pick up on that I hope. I digress though because whether you’re trapped in the world of IT or not, Silicon Valley is a real hoot to watch and I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait until Season 2. So I guess it’s no coincidence that with Season 2 right around the corner next month we have Silicon Valley The Complete First Season on Blu-ray this month. Let’s commence with our review!
Continue reading ‘Silicon Valley The Complete First Season (Blu-ray Review)’
March 18th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
Prior to this review, I don’t have any history with the Eddie And The Cruisers duology. I know the first film was a $5.99 – $9.99 bargain bin/sale rack staple back when it was on DVD. It was a about a band, but other than that I was clueless. There was also the surprise that this movie had a sequel. Things started to come together a little bit when I watched the films. For example, I was always wondering why Michael Pare is someone who is name checked in press releases from movies. Like, what did he do that he’s an added value element? Turns out that these movies are a big part of that. Well, thanks to this new double feature Blu-ray from Shout! Factory, I’m all caught up on the Cruiser lore. And I must say I’m really digging Shout!’s dedication to these double features in 2015. Lots of fun to be had! Continue reading ‘Eddie And The Cruisers / Eddie And The Cruisers II: Eddie Lives! – Double Feature (Blu-ray Review)’
March 18th, 2015 by Gerard Iribe
PIONEER is set in the early 80’s, at the beginning of the Norwegian oil boom. Enormous oil and gas deposits are discovered in the North Sea, authorities aim to bring the oil ashore through a pipeline 500 meters deep. Petter, a professional diver, is obsessed with reaching the bottom of the Norwegian Sea. Along with his brother Knut, he has the discipline, strength and courage to take on the world’s most dangerous mission, but a sudden, tragic accident changes everything. Petter is sent on a perilous journey where he loses sight of who is pulling the strings. Gradually, he realizes that he is in way over his head and that his life is at stake. Continue reading ‘Pioneer (Blu-ray Review)’
March 18th, 2015 by Gerard Iribe
Thorin Oakenshield and the Dwarves of Erebor have reclaimed the vast wealth of their homeland, but now face the consequences of having unleashed the terrifying Dragon Smaug upon Lake-town. Meanwhile, Sauron, the Dark Lord, has sent forth legions of Orcs to attack the Lonely Mountain, and Bilbo Baggins finds himself fighting for his life as five great armies go to war. As darkness converges, the races of Dwarves, Elves, and Men must decide – unite or be destroyed. Continue reading ‘The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (Blu-ray Review)’
March 17th, 2015 by Gerard Iribe
A professional GO player Tae-seok loses a high-stakes game to an infamous underground gambler KILLER and ends up framed for the murder of his own brother and locked up in prison. He vows revenge and trains ferociously. After serving his seven-year sentence, he gets in touch with his brother’s former associates and together, they begin formulating a plan to get back at KILLER and his men. Tae-seok slowly penetrates KILLER s inner circle and his gambling joint, and eliminates his men one by one. But KILLER discovers Tae-seok’s true identity and engages him in one final game that will seal the fates of the two men involved.
Continue reading ‘The Divine Move (Blu-ray Review)’
March 17th, 2015 by Aaron Neuwirth
Exodus: Gods and Kings is an epic. There is no way around that. Regardless of my thoughts on the film as a whole, director Ridley Scott has made a film that is grand in scale, fully realized in its depiction of an ancient time, and littered with extras, sets, props, and obvious visual effects in an effort to tell the story of Moses in ancient Egypt. Unfortunately, despite clear effort being put forth, the film is lacking in much emotional heft and, despite its runtime, the film feels rushed in execution, based on the straightforward telling of the narrative. It did not end up feeling like a drag, given the way the grand theatricality matched up with the fairly rote storytelling, but at the same time, Exodus does not capture the weight of this story in the way I am sure many would have hoped.
Continue reading ‘Exodus: Gods and Kings (Blu-ray Review)’
March 15th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
Julia Louis-Dreyfus reprises her 3-time Emmy®-winning role as Vice President Selina Meyer in the sharp and satirical third and most-watched season of the comedy series VEEP. Hilariously skewering the whirlwind day-to-day existence of the Vice President’s office and Washington politics at-large, the series continues to prove that in Washington, even the most banal decisions can have ripple effects, with unexpected and far-reaching consequences. The series, created by Oscar® nominee Armando Iannucci (In the Loop), features an outstanding ensemble cast that includes Emmy® winner Tony Hale, Emmy® nominee Anna Chlumsky as well as Matt Walsh, Reid Scott, Timothy Simons, Sufe Bradshaw, Kevin Dunn and Gary Cole. Continue reading ‘VEEP: The Complete Third Season (Blu-ray Review)’
March 14th, 2015 by Sean Wright
Based on the novel Washington’s Spies: The Story of America’s First Spy Ring by Alexander Rose, Turn: Washington’s Spies arrives as AMC’s newest cable series, which tracks the early days of espionage in the American colonies that eventually became the United States of America. The Culper Ring, led by Abe Woodhull, provided George Washington valuable information on the British Army in New York, which helped to turn the tide of the Revolutionary War. The first season of 10 episodes debuted on April 6th, 2014, with season two set to premiere on April 13th, 2015. Continue reading ‘Turn: Washington’s Spies – The Complete First Season (Blu-ray Review)’
March 13th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
I love the directors that the folks at Scream Factory choose to follow and try to release nice editions of their works. Unappreciated or worthy of their unfavorable status, directors with names’ films are ones that are continually studied and collected no matter what. Tobe Hooper’s filmography is getting some of its more unappreciated works the attention they deserve via the Scream Factory. In the 1980s, Tobe had a 3-film deal with the infamous Cannon films. Three films that I find all to be greatly underrated. The first of which was Lifeforce and the last being Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2. In between was a another sci-fi/horror mash-up, a remake of 1953’s Invaders From Mars. Hooper’s goal; to craft a science fiction film for kids and families. He brought with him an awesome production team. But, like his other Cannon product, it didn’t perform too hot and wasn’t appreciated at the time.
Continue reading ‘Invaders From Mars (Blu-ray Review)’
March 13th, 2015 by Gerard Iribe
What if the ghastly images and abominations haunting our collective nightmares actually exist? Writer/director Adam Green (Hatchet) sets out to make a documentary exploring this tantalizing premise after being contacted by a mysterious man named William Dekker (Ray Wise). Dekker claims he can prove that “monsters are real” and insists these grotesque creatures are forgotten, hideously deformed humanoids inhabiting a vast, underground metropolis of the damned. Determined to expose the truth, Green embarks on a bone-chilling odyssey and gets more than he bargains for when he dares to go Digging Up The Marrow. Continue reading ‘Digging Up the Marrow (Blu-ray Review)’
March 12th, 2015 by Gerard Iribe
Officer Lou Garou isn’t the best cop in small-town Woodhaven – in fact, he’s probably the worst. He mostly just looks to avoid anything that could possibly interfere with his goal of getting wasted. One evening during the night shift, Lou investigates a mysterious disturbance at the edge of town and wakes up with a pentagram carved in his chest, heightened senses and body hair that’s growing at an alarming rate. To solve the mystery of his transformation, he’ll have to take on a case no normal cop would be able to solve, but this half-man, half-beast is not just a cop…he’s a WOLFCOP.
*Please keep in mind that Wolfcop is a BEST BUY Exclusive until May 12th.
Continue reading ‘Wolfcop (Blu-ray Review)’
March 11th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
Based on a story by Ava Ostern Fries, TROOP BEVERLY HILLS was directed by Jeff Kanew from a screenplay by Pamela Norris and Margaret Oberman. It was executive produced by Charles Fries, with Ava Ostern Fries serving as producer. Director Jeff Kanew is most known for one of the 80s best comedies, Revenge Of The Nerds. A film that I reviewed the Blu-ray for last year. While reviled by critics and not even crossing 10 million dollars at the box office, somewhere along the line, Troop Beverly Hills would up finding itself a fan base and becoming a classic of its own right. I’d say its primarily due to people checking it out on VHS (Heck, I rented it). Also, this was a female-driven film with the target audiences being females and young ones at that. So, of course critics were going to hate it. It was also another movie in which Shelley Long, try as she might, couldn’t break big from being a big TV star to that of one on the big screen. Continue reading ‘Troop Beverly Hills (Blu-ray Review)’
March 11th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
There’s something awful hiding in the woods and it’s coming after the unsuspecting in the gripping and acclaimed LATE PHASES: NIGHT OF THE WOLF. From the director ofPenumbra, Cold Sweat and Here Comes The Devil. With a stunning lead performance (“Nick Damici is great” – Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com), director Adrian Garcia Bogliano’s LATE PHASES: NIGHT OF THE LONE WOLF is a suspense thrill ride unlike any other. The Dark Sky theatrical release also stars Ethan Embry (Cheap Thrills, Eagle Eye, Vacancy) and Tina Louise(Gilligan’s Island, The Stepford Wives). An Official Selection at SXSW 2014 and the Fantasia Film Festival, LATE PHASES: NIGHT OF THE LONE WOLF has received widespread acclaim. Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times called it “a sprightly horror movie.” “A masterpiece of the werewolf genre,” said Patrick Cooper of Bloody Disgusting.“Like Liam Neeson’s The Grey but with the ass-kicking ending those ‘Neeson vs. wolves’ commercials promised,” wrote Matt Barone at Complex. Continue reading ‘Late Phases: Night Of The Lone Wolf (Blu-ray Review)’
March 10th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
Leighton Meester and Gillian Jacobs star in keenly observant comedy Life Partners arriving on Blu-ray from Magnolia Home Entertainment. It also has Adam Brody, Abby Elliott and Kate McKinnon. I’m a huge fan of both Jacobs and McKinnon, so this film at least has that going for it in my wheelhouse. The film is the directorial debut of Susanna Fogel. It comes based off of a play by the same name, written by Joni Lefkowitz. Lefkowitz is also the producer on this film. Fogel and Lefkowitz previously starred together in a web-based series titled Joni & Susanna. This film also once had the likes of Evan Rachel Wood and Kristen Bell attached to it, but both dropped out when they were pregnant. Life Partners premiered at the Tribecca Film Festival and had a run on VOD back in November 2014. Continue reading ‘Life Partners (Blu-ray Review)’
March 6th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
Steve McQueen was certainly “the man” when it comes to the start of action heroes, and his run in the 1960s and 1970s. Bullitt, The Getaway, The Thomas Crown Affair, The Great Escape and many others are downright staples of anyone studying action in film. And McQueen was easily one of the biggest and most larger than life stars to ever walk the planet. The man was the epitome of “Guys wanna be him, girls wanna be with him”. Here we have a documentary celebrating that legendary career and also giving us the story who he was as a man too. This documentary features the likes of Pierce Brosnan, Gary Oldman, Ali MacGraw and many others talking about his importance to film and the legacy. Continue reading ‘I Am Steve McQueen (Blu-ray Review)’
March 5th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
Based on Jane Mendelsohn’s best-selling young adult novel of the same name, the chilling story comes to life in the spine-tingling horror film, Innocence. Directed by Hilary Brougher (Stephanie Daley), the eerie feature stars Sophie Curtis (Arbitrage), Kelly Reilly (Flight, Heaven Is For Real) and Graham Phillips (“The Good Wife”). Haunted by the death and dreams of her beloved mother in a Montauk surfing accident, 16-year-old Beckett and her father, novelist Miles Warner, move to Manhattan and attempt to piece together their shattered life. Now enrolled at the exclusive Hamilton preparatory school, her psychosis and hallucinations intensify with the dubious suicides of current and past students, as does her first love for Tobey Crawford. The discovery that her new school may be run by a coven of beautiful and seductive women who perpetuate their youth by drinking the blood of virgins becomes the ultimate challenge of Beckett and Tobey’s young lives. Continue reading ‘Innocence (Blu-ray Review)’
