The Love We Make (Blu-ray Review)
It was one of the most emotional documentaries ever aired on the Showtime Cable Network. Now, for the first time, on December 6, fans will have a chance to own The Love We Make, a look back at Sir Paul McCartney and his efforts to plan and perform a benefit concert in the aftermath of the worst day in the history of New York City. The film is directed by Albert Maysles (Gimme Shelter) and Bradley Kaplan, the film was shot in stark 16 mm black and white, complete with color concert clips. The Love We Make juxtaposes dramatic images of “The Concert For New York City,” held mere months after 9/11, with scenes of McCartney himself as he walks the streets of the town that his former songwriting partner, John Lennon, loved so much. Continue reading ‘The Love We Make (Blu-ray Review)’
HBO Films’ critically-acclaimed Thurgood was nominated for three Emmy awards including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for star Laurence Fishburne (Oscar nominee, What’s Love Got to Do with It). Shot before a live audience at the Kennedy Center’s Eisenhower Theater in Washington, D.C., the film is a one-man show that traces the personal and professional history of civil rights pioneer and Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. From childhood stories of his family and home life in Baltimore, to his college days at Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C., Marshall recollects his triumphs over adversity to pursue a successful career in the judicial system fighting for human rights. Establishing benchmarks in civil rights advancement, Marshall tried the historic case of Brown vs. Board of Education before the Supreme Court, successfully challenging the unconstitutional segregation of black and white students in public schools. His achievements eventually led him to become the first African-American to serve as a Supreme Court Justice. 
For the first time in Blu-ray High Definition, Academy Award winner Robin Williams (Best Supporting Actor, Good Will Hunting, 1997) delivers a tour-de-force performance in the 25
The Tuskegee Airmen, winner of three Emmy awards, comes to Blu-ray disc this January. Debuting just days before the theatrical release of the George Lucas-produced film Red Tails, which was inspired by the story of the Airmen, the film is encased in a stunning 32-page hard-bound book featuring sweeping unit and historical photography. Featuring an outstanding cast lead by two-time Emmy award winner Laurence Fishburne (Miss Evers’ Boys, Tribeca), Academy Award winner Cuba Gooding Jr. (Jerry Maguire) and Emmy nominee Malcolm-Jamal Warner (The Cosby Show), The Tuskegee Airmen tells the story of the first squadron of African-American pilots allowed to fight for their country. It is 1943 and the Germans are winning the Second World War as the U.S. suffers huge losses on the ground and in the air. Four newly recruited pilots are united by a desire to serve their country, at a time when African-American flyers are not welcomed in the Air Force. Now, through the brutal demands of their training, to the perils of flying over nations at war, the men they call “The Tuskegee Airmen” must undertake the riskiest mission of their lives – to prove to America that courage knows no color. 
When the staff of New York City’s most expensive and luxurious condominium discovers that the billionaire investment advisor living in the penthouse has plundered their retirement fund, they take matters into their own hands. Convinced that light-fingered Wall Street Titan Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda) has stashed his ill-gotten millions in his apartment, building manager Josh Kovacs (Ben Stiller) rallies his troops and enlists the help of small-time thief Slide (Eddie Murphy) to make sure they get back what’s rightfully theirs. These rookie thieves—including high-strung concierge Charlie (Casey Affleck), broke ex-Wall Streeter Mr. Fitzhugh (Matthew Broderick), new bellhop Dev’Reaux (Michael Peña) and feisty maid Odessa (Gabourey Sidibe)—know the building better than anyone. It turns out they’ve been casing the place for years…they just didn’t know it. 
Two years after the release of its landmark Emmy-winning series WWII in HD, The History Channel shifts its focus to a new generation and one of the most controversial chapters in American history, the Vietnam War. Vietnam in HD will immerse viewers in the sights, the sounds and the stories of the Vietnam War as it has never before been seen. Thousands of hours of uncensored footage – much of it shot by soldiers in action – will detail every critical chapter of the conflict. The war will unfold onscreen through the gripping firsthand accounts of thirteen brave men and women who were forever changed by their experience in Vietnam. 
The third-dimension hasn’t been much of a discussion but more of a debate. You either hate it or love it. Some are fans of the depth that’s added to a movie’s visual presentation while others prefer pop-out effects that make you feel like you’re a part of the movie. The new Blu-ray 3D format has been questioned of its possible failure or success. 2011 had a slow start with 3D content being released, but by mid-year, the animation was popping out and by year’s end, the live-action films made way to the new format. Studio’s making certain titles exclusive with certain TV set brands has also made adopters of Blu-ray 3D frustrated. Making it very hard to view new content on a small market but finally during the summer, we started to finally see retail market releases for these exclusives. DreamWorks has decided to release their titles exclusively for BestBuy right now. Overall, 2011 was actually a pretty good release year for Blu-ray 3D with some hits and some misses here and there. 
I was kind of worried throughout the first half of the year that it wasn’t going to be a pleasant 2011 as far as theater viewings went. There were more than a few flops at the cinema by the time June came to a close with a sparse picking of films that had some ‘wow’ factor. Thankfully, the second half of 2011 made up for it in just about any genre you can think of, and as December winds down, I waited until seeing War Horse before releasing this list. However, that potentially epic film fell short and didn’t come close to making the list. So without any more delay, here are some of the best and worst films we’ve had the opportunity (or displeasure) of experiencing since January…
Just like our fellow reviewer Brian White, I waited to see the highly anticipated The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (you can read my review 
Kung Fu Panda 2, DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc.’s popular follow up to the Academy Award-nominated original debuted on Blu-ray and DVD on December 13, 2011. Combining non-stop action, a fantastic cast, and stunning animation, this sequel delighted viewers of all ages with its engaging story and colorful visuals. Featuring an all-star cast of voice talent including Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Gary Oldman, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, Michelle Yeoh, Danny McBride and Jean-Claude Van Damme, the film earned more than $650 million at the global box office, making it one of the top five films of the year worldwide. 
Celebrate the 20th anniversary of director Joe Johnston’s (Captain America: The First Avenger) action-filled and witty movie known as The Rocketeer. Now with state-of-the-art digital restoration and enhanced high definition sound, experience it as it jets off for the first time on Disney Blu-ray. The discovery of a top-secret rocket pack hurls test pilot Cliff Secord into a daring adventure of mystery, suspense, and intrigue! Cliff encounters an assortment of ruthless villains, led by a Hollywood screen star who is a secret Nazi spy. With the help of his actress girlfriend, the young pilot battles enormous odds to defeat his foes who are anxious to use the device in an evil plan to rule the world. The dangerous mission transforms the ordinary young man into an extraordinary hero. 
Making a Top Ten list of Blu-rays is always a difficult thing for me to do. The fact that there’s so many excellent releases that I haven’t seen yet just makes it even harder because I know a lot of them would be on my list. So I’ve decided to make a list of the Top 10 Blu-rays that I’ve seen and most likely reviewed, and another list of Blu-rays that I would have included on this list if I had seen them. 
So many Blu-rays, so little time. If I bought every disc I wanted to see this year, I would’ve gone broke before the summer ended. There were some great releases that didn’t make my list such as Swingers, Attack the Block, and True Blood: Season 3. Then there were the sure-fire films I thought would make the list but missed by a mile, like a really bad video transfer of Gettysburg and an extras-less Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Who releases a big budget feature on Blu-ray with no extras?? Anyway, I’d have to say this was probably the most difficult top ten Blu-ray list I ever had to assemble as it underwent many changes throughout the year, most over the course of the last week. Now that 2011 is just about said and done, here are my favorite picks of the year…
