Archive for the 'Editorials' Category
February 12th, 2013 by Sean Ferguson
Cabaret, Bob Fosse’s ground-breaking Oscar-winning musical drama starring Liza Minnelli (Arthur, The Sterile Cuckoo), Michael York (the Austin Powers films), Joel Grey (TV’s “Oz”), Helmut Griem, and Marisa Berenson (I am Love), celebrated its 40th anniversary with its debut on Blu-ray on February 5, 2013. Remastered for the first time in over 20 years, Cabaret is presented in its original aspect ratio (16 x 9 format). Winner of eight Academy Awards, including Director (Fosse), Actress (Minnelli), and Supporting Actor (Grey), the film arrives in a premium Blu-ray Book format, which contains 40 pages of insightful photos and text. A new documentary, “Cabaret: The Musical That Changed Musicals” will be featured, along with vintage documentaries “Cabaret: A Legend in the Making,” “The Recreation of an Era,” a multi-part memory gallery and more. Continue reading ‘Cabaret: 40th Anniversary Blu-ray Book (Blu-ray Review)’
January 30th, 2013 by Sean Ferguson
Keith Carradine and Harvey Keitel star in Ridley Scott’s first feature-length motion picture, The Duellists. Two officers in Napoleon’s army violently confront each other in a series of duels. The duels begin as a reaction to a minor incident and escalate into a consuming passion that rules the lives of both men for a period of 30 years. Based on Joseph Conrad’s story, The Duellists explores the themes of obsession, honor and violence. Awarded “Best Debut Film” at the 1977 Cannes Film Festival, this visually stunning film weaves a compelling story through to an unexpected conclusion.
Continue reading ‘The Duellists (Blu-ray Review)’
January 28th, 2013 by Sean Ferguson
Cantor Rabinowitz (Warner Oland) is concerned and upset because his son Jakie (Al Jolson), shows so little interest in carrying on the family’s traditions and heritage. For five generations, men in the family have been Cantors in the synagogue, but Jakie is more interested in jazz and ragtime music. One day, they have such a bitter argument that Jakie leaves home for good. After a few years on his own, now calling himself Jack Robin, he gets an important opportunity through the help of well-known stage performer Mary Dale (Mary McAvoy). But Jakie finds that in order to balance his career, his relationship with Mary, and his memories of his family, he will be forced to make some difficult choices. Starring Al Jolson, May McAvoy, and Warner Oland, this “talkie” is famous for being the first full length motion picture to feature synchronized audio. The film also features a slew of added material such as vintage cartoons and a film documentary. 
Continue reading ‘The Jazz Singer (1927) (Blu-ray Review)’
January 26th, 2013 by Gregg Senko
Where does one start with this film? If you’ve caught even the smallest fragment of critic talk on this picture, you know it’s been labeled as everything from star-studded to vulgar. The cast contains some of Hollywood’s most prominent names like Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Richard Gere, Naomi Watts and Kate Winslet just to name a few…and that’s literally just a few of the actors in the prominent cast. I made it a point not to look up the reasoning behind the film’s rather bland title, just to see if the film itself would unveil the mystery. It never did give that up, but where it kept quite on a title, it went all out everywhere else.
Continue reading ‘Movie 43 Brings Together Big Stars, Big Raunch’
January 25th, 2013 by Gregg Senko
A co-worker first told me about this film some months back, of which I thought he was joking. When he persisted that there really was a Hansel & Gretel movie coming out, I made a mad dash to my phone and checked out the trailer. My initial thought was, “What’s this? The latest trend on the heels of Abe Lincoln hunting vampires? What’s next? Napoleon: Sasquatch Hunter?” The film’s preview didn’t exactly light my fire, but with Gemma Arterton and Jeremy Renner headlining the movie, I figured I’d give it a go.
Continue reading ‘Hansel & Gretel Need to Hunt Writer, Not Witches’
January 25th, 2013 by Sean Ferguson
Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the comedy team behind the Golden Globe-winning BBC series “The Office” and acclaimed HBO series “Extras” and “The Ricky Gervais Show”, bring another series to television with “Life’s Too Short”. Starring actor Warwick Davis (Willow) as a fictionalized version of himself, the series takes a tongue-in-cheek look at the travails of a little person who’s big on ego and a little short on everything else. Shot faux-documentary style, “Life’s Too Short” gleefully charts Davis’s every move as he tries to jump-start his waning career by opening his doors to a reality TV film crew while trying to maintain his pride and self-respect in a series of uncomfortable, often-humiliating situations. Along the way, he seeks advice from his old pals Gervais and Merchant (playing versions of themselves) in hopes that their A-list celebrity connections including Johnny Depp, Liam Neeson, Sting, Helena Bonham Carter, Steve Carell, Cat Deely (who all cameo) will aid his career. Continue reading ‘Life’s Too Short: The Complete First Season (DVD Review)’
January 24th, 2013 by Sean Ferguson
Featuring an all-star cast lead by Academy Award nominees Julianne Moore, Woody Harrelson and Ed Harris, Game Change revisits a defining moment in U.S. politics with a searing, behind-the scenes look at John McCain’s beleaguered 2008 presidential campaign – from the decision to select Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as a running mate to the ticket’s ultimate defeat in the general elections. Based on the best-selling book of the same name, the film examines the chain of events that determines the leadership of the country, ultimately offering a unique glimpse into the inner workings of how we choose our leaders. It pulls back the curtain on the intense human drama surrounding the McCain team, the critical decisions made behind closed doors and how the choice was made to bring Palin on the ticket. Continue reading ‘Game Change (Blu-ray Review)’
January 22nd, 2013 by Aaron Neuwirth
[Note: This is an essay that potentially spoils everything that has so far happened on Season 3 of AMC’s The Walking Dead.]
With just a few weeks left until The Walking Dead returns to TV screens with all new episodes, I decided to write a little something to help express my thoughts on the show thus far and what I hope can come from the rest of this season. Yes, there are concerns regarding the series’ budget, the number of remaining episodes, and possible behind-the-scenes drama, but while this may be more of a ‘wish list’ overall, I still think I have a reasonable number of ideas concerning how the show can be even better, considering that this current season has done so much to improve upon itself, as a whole, already. So now, here are five items that I believe can contribute to the show being better overall.
Continue reading ‘5 Things I Want From The Rest Of This Season Of The Walking Dead’
January 20th, 2013 by Sean Ferguson
From Disney and creative genius Tim Burton (Batman, The Nightmare Before Christmas) comes the hilarious and offbeat Frankenweenie, a heartwarming tale about a boy and his dog. After unexpectedly losing his beloved dog Sparky, young Victor harnesses the power of science to bring his best friend back to life—with just a few minor adjustments. He tries to hide his home-sewn creation, but when Sparky gets out, Victor’s fellow students, teachers and the entire town learn that getting a new ‘leash on life’ can be monstrous. Frankenweenie features an all-star cast including the voices of Emmy Award-winner Catherine O’Hara, Tony Award-winner Martin Short, Academy Award-winner Martin Landau, Charlie Tahan, Atticus Shaffer, Robert Capron, Conchata Ferrell and Golden Globe-winner Winona Ryder. Continue reading ‘Frankenweenie 3D / 2D 4-Disc Combo Pack (Blu-ray Review)’
January 15th, 2013 by Sean Ferguson
Chester Gould’s Dick Tracy comes to life in this visually brilliant adaptation by Warren Beatty. The comic strip detective (Beatty) finds his life vastly complicated when Breathless Mahoney (Madonna) makes advances towards him while he is trying to battle Big Boy Caprice’s (Al Pacino) united mob. The film offers a who’s who of actors as Beatty was able to bring in big stars for even cameos based on his friendship with them. Dick Tracy was the winner of three Academy Awards, including Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Makeup and Best Music (Original Song for “Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)”).
Continue reading ‘Dick Tracy (Blu-ray Review)’
January 14th, 2013 by Gregg Senko
It seems like the last time anybody was talking about genies in the mainstream, Disney was releasing Aladdin on Blu-ray. Well, the age-old Middle Eastern mythos is back, this time on the pages of Jinnrise, a new mini-series from IDW comics. The title brings forth a concoction of sci-fi with the wish-granting super beings in what intends to be a high octane collision course.
Continue reading ‘IDW Opens the Bottle on Jinnrise’
January 13th, 2013 by Gregg Senko
New from Image imprint Top Cow Productions, Inc., a five-part mini-series titled Son of Merlin debuted its first issue on January 9th. The story has a bit of a Dresden Files experience to it, combining ancient magic with the modern day. The story ultimately focuses on a genius professor at MIT by the name of Simon Ambrose. A disciple of science, Ambrose puts little belief in anything else. It’s not until he encounters an un-openable book and a seemingly crazy but attractive female that his eyes start to see a world he was previously unaware of.
Continue reading ‘Son of Merlin Attempts to Make Magical Debut’
January 12th, 2013 by Gregg Senko
Warning: This review contains spoilers from The Amazing Spider-Man #700. Following quickly on the heels of its predecessor, the inaugural issue of The Superior Spider-Man made its debut this past week. It was the final issue of the long-standing The Amazing Spider-Man series that brought us to this point. Fans were in an uproar in what happened in that issue and the chain of events that brought us to the new, the improved, The Superior Spider-Man.
Continue reading ‘The Superior Spider-Man – Issue #1 Reviewed’
January 9th, 2013 by Sean Ferguson
Mel Brooks. The name conjures up some of the most enduring comedic images in the history of American popular culture: The inimitable 2000 Year Old Man. Max Bialystock. Springtime for Hitler. Flatulent cowboys in Blazing Saddles. The bumbling Maxwell Smart. Young Frankenstein and his well-endowed monster. From stand-up to films to TV to Broadway, for 65 years, in every medium through which entertainment can possibly pass, Mel Brooks has conquered the world with laughter. A celebrated director, actor, producer, composer and writer, Brooks is one of only 11 people in history to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award. And now, in a first-of-its-kind collection, this 5-DVD/1-CD set offers a veritable treasure trove of all things Brooksian, a laugh-filled celebration of his illustrious career. This box set takes viewers on a journey through time with performances, extensive interviews, film clips and rare archival television footage, as well as some never-before-seen photos, and special tributes. of Brooks’ television appearances, short films, documentaries, tributes, songs and genuine rarities.
Continue reading ‘The Incredible Mel Brooks: An Irresistible Collection Of Unhinged Comedy (DVD Review)’
January 6th, 2013 by Gregg Senko
On December 26, 2004, a massive earthquake occurred on the floor of the Indian Ocean. This violent undersea action set forth a chain of events that caused an enormous amount of pressure and force upward and outward. The end product was a tsunami and resulting devastation unlike any the world had seen before. The casualties numbered over a quarter million spread over southeast Asia, destroying entire towns, lives and displacing the living from their relatives. In the case of one particular family, an immense natural disaster was not going to keep them apart. But without the use of computers, phone lines or radios, finding one another would seem like nothing short of The Impossible.
Continue reading ‘‘The Impossible’ Accomplishes the Improbable’
January 1st, 2013 by Gregg Senko
While Zero Dark Thirty is going to get its mass release in January, you can whet your appetite in the meantime with the independent film SEAL Team Six. I can’t make a comparison between this and Zero Dark Thirty, but I can say SEAL Team Six achieves moments of proficiency with its smaller scale approach while still aiming for the feel of realism.
Continue reading ‘SEAL Team Six: The Raid on Osama Bin Laden (Blu-ray Review)’
December 31st, 2012 by Gerard Iribe
No, nothing fancy, just trying to be creative with the title. Is it working? Probably not, but you get the gist of it. I, hereby, present my Top 10 theatrical releases of 2012 (most are already on Blu-ray for your viewing pleasure and some are about to hit the high definition format in the coming weeks) and a few that were edged out a bit in the running, that should also be given a look, because they are exceptional films in their own right. It’s sort of been a peculiar year in film, with tons of films flying in under my radar that I did not actually catch in theaters, but that were made available to me via Blu-ray, that did make it on this list. Peculiar or not, 2012 was a great year of film, so dig in while it’s still hot! Continue reading ‘Gerard’s Top 10 Super Duper Films of 2012!’
December 28th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
Now it is time to dig into the list of what I consider to be my favorite films of 2012. I have to say that this was not the easiest list to put together. Theatrically, I have seen 120+ films this year, so there were a lot of films to give praise to and consider how to reference in terms of their placement on this list. Some of these films certainly affected me more than others, but there were plenty that were easily strong enough to potentially wind up on my year end list. As a result, the only course of action was to take, was to do my best to give praise to the other films on this list by being sure to have honorable and special mentions for all the films that were in contention. Still, I am very satisfied by this final list that I have put together, mainly because it is my list and it contains films that I really enjoyed the most this year, for various reasons. So here we go (by the way, lots of Easter Eggs hidden in the pictures):
Continue reading ‘Aaron’s Top 10 Films of 2012 And Other Odds & Ends’
