Archive for the 'Editorials' Category
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 1st, 2013 by Aaron Neuwirth
Friday night at WonderCon, audiences got to witness premiere of the new animated Superman film, Superman: Unbound. This is another entry in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies series, presented by Warner Bros., which has previously released films such as Batman: Under the Red Hood, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Green Lantern: First Flight, and Wonder Woman. For the most part, these animated adaptations of various DC superheroes and some of their most well-known stories have been pretty good, so I was excited to check out this new feature. I say that in a somewhat surprising manner for myself, because Superman is not a character I tend to enjoy that much. I only believe the character to be as interesting as the story that is written for him, so the fact that this film would revolve around Brainiac, one of Superman’s greatest foes, had my curiosity for sure. Fortunately, this was a mighty enjoyable film, thanks to the work done by many involved.
Continue reading ‘WonderCon 2013: Superman: Unbound (Movie Review)’
March 31st, 2013 by Aaron Neuwirth
Following The Avengers, many were curious what the next thing for writer, director, and all-around geek icon Joss Whedon would be. Obviously taking on a modern day retelling of a famous Shakespeare play was the perfect project to take on. Okay, so maybe a Joss Whedon adaptation of the popular comedy, Much Ado About Nothing, was not the obvious choice, but that is what happened. Whedon called up many of his friends and shot this film in a couple weeks, using his own house as the set. At WonderCon, on Sunday, many fans of both Whedon and Shakespeare (presumably in equal ratios of course) showed up to the panel for this film and were treated to an expansive roster of panelists and some footage from the film that opens in theaters this June. Read on to learn more about what doth happened during this presentation.
Continue reading ‘WonderCon 2013: Much Ado About Nothing’
March 31st, 2013 by Aaron Neuwirth
Recently, we have seen films like 2012, Melancholia, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, and even Children of Men, to an extent, depict what it would be like to see the world come to an end. Just to round things out, I guess, we now have the version of that story in a movie that stars comic actors Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, James Franco, Jay Baruchel, Michael Cera, and many more. WonderCon had a panel devoted to This Is The End, an apocalyptic comedy starring all of these guys as themselves, written and directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. Read on to find out what went on at this hilarious panel. Now updated with new trailer.
Continue reading ‘WonderCon 2013: This Is The End’
March 31st, 2013 by Aaron Neuwirth
Many of my friends know that I love The Evil Dead trilogy, the cult horror films from director Sam Raimi (Spider-Man, Oz The Great and Powerful) and star Bruce Campbell. I watch all three films (The Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2, and Army of Darkness) back-to-back-to-back every year in October, involving as many people as I can in the process. The idea of remaking The Evil Dead could seem like something that I would be entirely against, but I was willing to hear it out, as Raimi, Cambpell, and producer Rob Tapert were the ones that wanted to do it. Essentially, if it had their blessing, I would be down for a new take on “The ultimate experience in grueling terror” (original tag line for the first film). Fortunately, everything I have been seeing and hearing so far has me quite excited, which is why I was looking forward to this panel for the film, taking place a week before its theatrical release. Read on to learn more about what went down at this WonderCon panel.
Continue reading ‘WonderCon 2013: Evil Dead’
March 31st, 2013 by Aaron Neuwirth
Saturday was considered the most important day for WonderCon, at least as far as movie geeks were concerned, but the presentation for the new film from director Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth), the giant robots versus giant monsters movie known as Pacific Rim, was easily one of the most anticipated events of the whole weekend. While the no one from the cast made an appearance, people familiar with Guillermo del Toro should know well enough that he does not need a whole lot of help from others to really have him deliver an entertaining panel, given his charismatic personality, wonderful Mexican accent, and his hilarious use of swear words when talking about his passions. Read on to learn more about what audiences were treated to as far as Pacific Rim is concerned, with its summer release date looming on the horizon.
Continue reading ‘WonderCon 2013: Pacific Rim’
March 30th, 2013 by Aaron Neuwirth
A quick introduction, as this is my first WonderCon 2013 article, I will have been in attendance all weekend for WonderCon at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California and hope to bring plenty of cool info regarding several upcoming films. First up is the new film from director James Wan (Saw, Insidious) called The Conjuring. This film is a supernatural horror movie based on a true story and James Wan came to Anaheim to present his thoughts on the film and show off some footage. He also brought with him the actual people whom this story is based on. Read on to learn more about this upcoming horror film, arriving in theaters this summer.
Continue reading ‘WonderCon 2013: The Conjuring’
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 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)’
March 13th, 2013 by Sean Ferguson
Featuring 17 complete and unedited episodes handpicked by Burnett herself, the newly-packaged set includes over two hours of exclusive bonus features such as the “This Time Together: a cast reunion” featuring Carol, Vicki Lawrence, Tim Conway and Lyle Waggoner, guest appearances from A-listers like Dick Van Dyke, Sammy Davis Jr., Lily Tomlin, Hal Linden, Steve Lawrence, Peggy Lee, Bernadette Peters, The Pointer Sisters, Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara and much more! Showcasing some of the most memorable and hilarious moments from CBS-TV’s star-studded series,
This Time Together contains many of the classic sketches and characters that will forever be a part of “The Golden Age of Television.”
March 8th, 2013 by Sean Ferguson
After fleeing his North Carolina hometown, washed-up major-league pitcher Kenny Powers spent a soul-searching season in Mexico as “La Flama Blanca” – and ended up returning to the States a changed man. Powers, whose boorish behavior and fading fastball led to a spectacular career flame-out now finds himself back on the mound in the USA. Picking up a year after season two, the third season finds Kenny in action on the “Redneck Riviera” (aka Myrtle Beach, SC), somehow resurrecting his baseball career by becoming the closer for the minor-league Myrtle Beach Mermen. Even as he tries to pass himself off as the “King of Myrtle Beach,” Kenny struggles to come to terms with growing older and accepting the responsibilities of being a new father. Continue reading ‘Eastbound and Down: The Complete Third Season (Blu-ray Review)’
March 6th, 2013 by Sean Ferguson
Walt Disney Animation Studios and Emmy-winning director Rich Moore (TV’s “The Simpsons,” “Futurama”) take movie fanson a hilarious, arcade-game-hopping journey in “Wreck-It Ralph.” Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Step Brothers) is tired of being overshadowed by Fix-It Felix (voice of Jack McBrayer, “30 Rock”), the “good guy” star of their game who always gets to save the day. But after decades doing the same thing and seeing all the glory go to Felix, Ralph decides he’s tired of playing the role of a bad guy. He takes matters into his own massive hands and sets off on a game-hopping journey across the arcade through every generation of video games to prove he’s got what it takes to be a hero. On his quest, he meets the tough-as-nails Sergeant Calhoun (voice of Jane Lynch, TV’s “Glee”) from the first-person action game Hero’s Duty. But it’s the feisty misfit Vanellope von Schweetz (voice of Sarah Silverman, “The Sarah Silverman Program”) from the candy-coated cart racing game, Sugar Rush, whose world is threatened when Ralph accidentally unleashes a deadly enemy that threatens the entire arcade. Will Ralph realize his dream and save the day before it’s too late? Continue reading ‘Wreck-It Ralph – Ultimate Collector’s Edition: Blu-ray 3D/ Blu-ray / DVD + Digital Copy (Blu-ray Review)’
March 6th, 2013 by Sean Ferguson
The now-classic Academy Award-winning animated comedy adventure Monsters, Inc. is set in Monstropolis, a thriving company town where monsters of all shapes and sizes reside. Lovable Sulley (voiced by John Goodman) and his wisecracking best friend Mike Wazowski (voiced by Billy Crystal) are the top scare team at Monsters, Inc., the largest scream-processing factory. The main power source in the monster world is the collected screams of human children—and at Monsters, Inc., an elite team of scarers is responsible for gathering those precious natural resources. Believed by monsters to be toxic, children are strictly forbidden from entering Monstropolis. But when a little girl named Boo (voiced by Mary Gibbs) accidentally follows Sulley back into his world, he finds his career in jeopardy and his life in utter chaos. Assisted by Mike, the two pals plot to rectify the mistake and return Boo to her home. When the trio encounters an unexpected series of complications, they become embroiled in a cover-up catapulting them into a mystery beyond their wildest dreams. Continue reading ‘Monsters, Inc.: Five-Disc Ultimate Collector’s Edition: 3D Blu-ray / Blu-ray / DVD Combo + Digital Copy (Blu-ray Review)’
March 5th, 2013 by Aaron Neuwirth
Iron Man 3 is getting closer and closer to its May 3rd release date and with all that anticipation bubbling to the surface, here is the latest and final theatrical trailer for the film, which sees Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) facing off against a powerful foe known as the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley). True to form, Marvel Studios is going all out to make this look like one of the action events of the year and I would be hard-pressed to argue against that, given how exciting this film looks to be. I just hope it is still hope that there is plenty of fun to be had, given Stark’s attitude and chemistry with the rest of the cast, along with knowing writer/director Shane Black’s (Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang) filmmaking sensibilities. Continue on to check out the brand new trailer.
Continue reading ‘Iron Man 3 – The Final Theatrical Trailer’
February 23rd, 2013 by Sean Ferguson
Bruce Willis reprises his iconic role as police detective John McClane in A Good Day to Die Hard, set against the backdrop of deadly corruption and political vendetta in Russia. McClane arrives in Moscow to track down his estranged son, Jack, (Jai Courtney), and is stunned to discover he’s working undercover to protect a government whistleblower, Komarov. With their own necks on the line, the McClanes are forced to overcome their differences in order to get Komarov to safety and thwart a potentially disastrous crime in the most desolate place on Earth – Chernobyl. Continue reading ‘A Good Day to Die Hard (Movie Review)’
February 16th, 2013 by Sean Ferguson
On February 5, 2013, The Walt Disney Studios celebrated the 60th Anniversary release of Walt Disney’s classic, Peter Pan,as it soars to all-new heights – with a new digital restoration and high definition picture and sound – for the first time on Blu-ray. The classic tale that taught us all “to believe” and first introduced us to the Darling children – Wendy, John and Michael – as they flew with Peter Pan and Tinker Bell past the second star to the right and straight on ‘till morning to the enchanted world of Never Land. Rediscover the magical adventure and relive childhood memories of this great bedtime story. The Peter Pan Diamond Edition Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy & Storybook App) is a must-own addition to everyone’s home entertainment collection, filled with high-flying bonus features for all ages that includes – the groundbreaking feature Disney Intermission, Growing up with Nine Old Men short film, never-before-seen Deleted Scenes and a never-before-heard Deleted Song. Peter Pan is a timeless classic from Disney’s Golden Age of animation. The film is one of three to boast all nine of Walt’s famous “Nine Old Men” as Directing Animators, and is a revered audience favorite. Continue reading ‘Peter Pan: Three-Disc Diamond Edition (Blu-ray Review)’
February 15th, 2013 by Sean Ferguson
Warner Brothers is celebrating its landmark 90th anniversary with a year-long initiative to release seven new major home entertainment collections. The campaign’s flagship release, The Best of Warner Bros. 100 Film DVD Collection, showcases 100 movies from the studio’s historic, hallowed archives — the largest film library in the world. The limited and numbered box set includes all 22 of the Warner library’s Best Picture winners, and a new full-length documentary, “Tales from the Warner Bros. Lot.” The collection is also available as a 50 Film Blu-ray box set. In addition, the Best of Warner Bros. 20 Film DVD Collections such as this one will be released throughout the year in five separate sets, each showcasing twenty essential titles in five major genres. This week marks the release of this Best Pictures box set, which includes twenty of the studio’s Best Picture winners from Academy Award history. Continue reading ‘Best of Warner Bros. 20 Film Collection: Best Pictures (DVD Review)’
