Archive for the 'Blu-ray Reviews' Category
January 27th, 2015 by Gerard Iribe
In the fall of 1976, a small psychology lab in Pennsylvania became the unwitting home to the only government-confirmed case of possession. The U.S. military assumed control of the lab under orders of national security and, soon after, implemented measures aimed at weaponizing the entity. The details of the inexplicable events that occurred are being made public after remaining classified for nearly forty years.
Continue reading ‘The Atticus Institute (Blu-ray Review)’
January 26th, 2015 by Gerard Iribe
April, 1945. As the Allies make their final push in the European Theatre, a battle-hardened army sergeant named Wardaddy (Brad Pitt) commands a Sherman tank and her five-man crew on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Outnumbered and outgunned, and with a rookie soldier thrust into their platoon, Wardaddy and his men face overwhelming odds in their heroic attempts to strike at the heart of Nazi Germany.
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Continue reading ‘Fury (Blu-ray Review)’
January 26th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
A group of close friends gather for a wedding, but their celebration is shattered by apocalyptic events in the supernatural thriller from AFFIRM Films, THE REMAINING, available from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. This rapture film follows five friends who are forced to scramble for safety as a series of cataclysmic events starts to occur. The survivors are forced to re-examine life, love and belief as they must choose between faith and survival. THE REMAINING stars Alexa Vega (Sin City: A Dame to Kill For), Shaun Sipos (“The Vampire Diaries”), Johnny Pacar (“Make It or Break It”), Italia Ricci (“Chasing Life”) and Bryan Dechart (Step Up 3D). The film is directed by Casey La Scala from a screenplay by La Scala and Chris Dowling. Peter Schafer served as the executive producer with Marc Bienstock, Brad Luff and La Scala serving as producers. Continue reading ‘The Remaining (Blu-ray Review)’
January 26th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
Pom Poko is the seventh film from the animation house Studio Ghibli. It is also their first film in the canon to use computer animation in the film. I couldn’t tell you where exactly or how it was used, as its not very evident upon watching the movie as it all looks two dimensionally hand drawn. Its the third film from director Isao Takahata (Also written by him), where back in these days it seemed to just alternate between he and Hayao Miyazaki. Pom Poko was once again a major success for the studio, as it topped the Japanese box office and was the highest grossing film of 1994 in Japan. From 1989 to 1994, every year Studio Ghibli released a film, it wound up being the highest earning film of the year in Japan. That’s a pretty nice feat to accomplish. They were pretty much accomplishing here with their animation what Disney was doing in America at the same time with the likes of films like The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and the like. Continue reading ‘Pom Poko (Blu-ray Review)’
January 26th, 2015 by Jordan Grout
We’re all older. We’re all wiser. It’s been a couple years removed from the Twilight craze. We can all now agree that Jacob was the wiser choice. Let’s be honest – Bella made a mistake marrying Edward. One can only arrive at that conclusion after submitting themselves to a re-watch of the first three films. It is my pleasure to report that they have only become worse with time, and the extended versions do them no favors. But it gives one plenty of time to debate who the worthy candidate is.
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Continue reading ‘The Twilight Saga Extended Editions Triple Feature (Blu-ray Review)’
January 25th, 2015 by Aaron Neuwirth
Boardwalk Empire is the series that I always felt both audiences and HBO wanted more from. Make no mistake, this Prohibition era-set crime drama, starring Steve Buscemi, was certainly a handsome production, with many fine performances, and a narrative that made some big turns throughout its 56-episode run, but I never felt like this would serve as one of the acclaimed HBO shows that would be used to make a statement about the premium network’s legacy. Regardless, the show has now come to an end and for those that stuck with it, or wanted to, I can say that I was at least very involved in the way the final hours of this series played out, given the finality that comes with the last season of a crime drama such as this. Now the fifth and final season has come to Blu-ray, so the word can spread on just how quietly this series may or may not have gone out.
Continue reading ‘Boardwalk Empire: The Complete Fifth Season (Blu-ray Review)’
January 25th, 2015 by Gerard Iribe
Big city lawyer Hank Palmer (Robert Downey Jr.) returns to his childhood home where his estranged wife father, the town’s judge (Robert Duvall), is suspected of murder. He sets out to discover the truth and along the way reconnects with the family he walked away from years before.
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Continue reading ‘The Judge (Blu-ray Review)’
January 25th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
Tales From Earthsea was the fourth biggest grosser in Japan in 2006. The film is an adaptation from the Ursula K Le Guin’s popular Earthsea series of novels. This film was apparently the product of taking the first four books and smudging them all together in one film. The author has argued that the plot of this movie wound up being completely different from that of her books. She also wasn’t a fan of the finished product. I’ve not read her books, so I can’t be one to compare, contrast or give insight about. I’m also a novice to the film as well, this being what it is to me. The film also marks the directorial debut of the son of Hayao Miyazaki, Goro Miyazaki. And I’ve done my research, and he does not reside in the dungeon of Shang Tsung. He also only has two arms. Continue reading ‘Tales From Earthsea (Blu-ray Review)’
January 24th, 2015 by Brian White
I could start and stop my film review section with Why So Blu reviewer Aaron Neuwirth’s comments on my theatrical review of John Wick where he left the following remarks. “A dude with long hair, a dog, and Mustang beats up Theon Greyjoy. Of course you loved this movie.” He also went on to add that “and he listens to Marilyn Manson! You must have been in heaven.” Let the record show, the boy knows me well. I was truly in a nirvana-like state throughout the movie’s entire runtime, and I have been salivating ever since for this eventual Blu-ray release. This is why I’m a reviewer! I have John Wick on Blu-ray in my grubby hands two weeks before anyone else and I want to shout to the top of the tallest mountain, I LOVE IT SO! Continue reading ‘John Wick (Blu-ray Review)’
January 24th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
Porco Rosso was a bit of step in a different direction for Hayao Miyazaki. This film would take a more adult tone and presence than his previous ventures. Its still very accessible for children and in the “all ages” arena for viewing, but if its going to skew to one side of the fence, the tilt is in the older direction. Its mainly in its classical war setting that will resonate with the parents. The film totally worked, becoming the number one film of 1992 in the Japanese market. In addition, it received awards and has had plenty of accolades over the years. That includes making some “best of all time” for animated films lists. Its report this production made 2.8 billion yen with all of its distribution taken into account, which would be $23.8 million in US dollars on a nine million dollar budget. Disney is bringing this Miyazaki classic to Blu-ray for the first time in the US. Continue reading ‘Porco Rosso (Blu-ray Review)’
January 22nd, 2015 by Aaron Neuwirth
Given the strength of the lead performance and some other aspects, at this point, I am pretty fine with saying Get On Up was one of the more underrated films from 2014. I am a big fan of James Brown and was happy to go in to this film pretty open-minded (as I generally do). If there is one way to express how much I ended up enjoying Get On Up, it would have to be by stating that no musician biopic has ever made me want to dance as much as Get On Up did. While the film only occasionally falls into some familiar trappings, Chadwick Boseman’s lead performance is terrific in a film that tries to be fair to its main subject (in a Hollywood sort of way), and add plenty of soul to the genre.
Continue reading ‘Get On Up (Blu-ray Review)’
January 22nd, 2015 by Brandon Peters
Academy Award® nominated* director Jason Reitman (Up In the Air, Juno) delivers the “powerful and provocative” (Scott Mantz, “Access Hollywood”) MEN, WOMEN & CHILDREN. Adam Sandler (Grown Ups), Jennifer Garner (Dallas Buyers Club) and Ansel Elgort (The Fault in Our Stars) lead “an amazing ensemble cast” (Mark S. Allen, CBS/CW TV) in this film about love and human connection in the modern world. Discover how little you know about the people you know in the film critics are calling “a movie that could change your life! Not to be missed!” (Scott Mantz, “Access Hollywood”). The MEN, WOMEN & CHILDREN Blu-ray includes the intriguing featurettes “Virtual Intimacy” and “Seamless Interface,” as well as deleted scenes, including a never-before-seen storyline. Continue reading ‘Men, Women & Children (Blu-ray Review)’
January 20th, 2015 by Gerard Iribe
Led by a stellar ensemble cast, the inspirational dramedy REACH ME tells interwoven stories from a diverse group of people who are united by one thing a powerful book from an anonymous and reclusive author (Tom Berenger). When the book’s positive message goes viral, a journalist (Kevin Connolly) and his editor (Sylvester Stallone), a former inmate (Kyra Sedgwick), a hip-hop mogul (Nelly), an actor (Cary Elwes) and an undercover cop (Thomas Jane) are inspired to change their lives by facing their fears. REACH ME also stars Kelsey Grammer, Lauren Cohan, Ryan Kwanten and Tom Sizemore. Continue reading ‘Reach Me (Blu-ray Review)’
January 20th, 2015 by Gerard Iribe
From executive producer Martin Scorsese and the director of Infernal Affairs comes a gritty crime thriller set in 1980’s New York City, based on real events. Two immigrant brothers (Justin Chon and Kevin Wu) join the Green Dragons gang. They quickly rise up the ranks and become notorious in the community, drawing the attention of the NYPD’s Detective Bloom (Ray Liotta). But when an ill-fated love affair pits one of the brothers against the gang’s leader (Harry Shum Jr.), he sets out for revenge on the group. Continue reading ‘Revenge of the Green Dragons (Blu-ray Review)’
January 20th, 2015 by Aaron Neuwirth
The Drop is a strange sort of film, as it is ostensibly a crime drama rooted in its characters, but not quite focused enough to claim to be about one thing in particular. Sure, Tom Hardy is the lead in this film and we are basically following his mysterious character, who seems like a simple enough guy that could blow at any minute; but the film, while fairly straightforward, puts a number of things in front of its characters in a way that makes it hard to describe simply. As it stands, The Drop is a well-acted feature about criminals, gangsters, abuse, sorted pasts, moving on in one’s life, just trying to get by, and a cute little dog. Now you can see that cute little dog on Blu-ray.
Continue reading ‘The Drop (Blu-ray Review)’
January 20th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
Terry Gilliam returned to his realm of unique science fiction last year (or 2013 for some) with The Zero Theorem. Many want to believe this is the third part in some sort of trilogy that include Gilliam’s earlier works of Brazil and 12 Monkeys. 12 Monkeys, by the way, is one of my most cherished and favorite films of all time (No-brainer Top 10). So, I’m down with Gilliam’s ideals and style that may not appeal or even turn off your common movie-goer. Gilliam has denied any sort of intentional connection between the three films. I can see where folks might connect dots or be trying to string them together, but I have to side with Gilliam. In all honesty, this is just him doing his thing more than it is crafting some sort of masterwork or trilogy in theme. But, its there if people want it to be, I suppose. This was a film I was really looking forward to last year in its small release, but it somehow got by me, but here I am with the Blu-ray and very excited to dig into this recent Terry Gilliam opus. Continue reading ‘The Zero Theorem (Blu-ray Review)’
January 20th, 2015 by Gerard Iribe
Nick Tortano (Ben Barnes) is a mafia criminal whose life spirals out of control once he becomes a made man. With the lives of his loved ones at risk, including his girlfriend (Leighton Meester), he must decide what’s truly important to him. BY THE GUN is directed by James Mottern and also stars Harvey Keitel, Toby Jones, Slaine, Kenny Wormald, Paul Ben-Victor, and Jay Giannone. Continue reading ‘By the Gun (Blu-ray Review)’
January 19th, 2015 by Gerard Iribe
Kat Connors (Shailene Woodley) is a young woman embracing her newfound sexuality when her glamorous but strange mother Eve (Eva Green) vanishes. At first Kat is excited by her new freedom, distracted by the boy next door (Shiloh Fernandez) and the cop working the case (Thomas Jane). But as disturbing facts about the disappearance surface, the mystery begins to haunt her. From acclaimed director Gregg Araki (Mysterious Skin, Smiley Face, Kaboom), based on the best-selling novel. Also starring Christopher Meloni, Gabourey Sidibe and Angela Bassett. Continue reading ‘White Bird in a Blizzard (Blu-ray Review)’
