Archive Page 345
February 25th, 2015 by Aaron Neuwirth
Focus is solid entertainment that puts its audience back into the world of con artists, as there have been many of its kind before. It is an easy way to have people both root for the leads, while also feeling intrigued by the sort of shadowy world they live in, but generally remains exciting due to these sorts of characters masquerading in lavish settings. First and foremost though, Will Smith is back! Regardless of one thoughts on Smith, he is one of the most charismatic actors in the world and while his leading roles have been fewer and further in between as of late, Focus is a film that does a fine job of both showing how effective of a performer he can be and how he has evolved for the better as an actor over time. While there are plenty of other aspects of this film one can focus on, it really is nice to say that Focus is sharp and good-looking film, with a very good leading performance from the always watchable Will Smith.
Continue reading ‘‘Focus’ In And Enjoy (Movie Review)’
February 25th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
This is going to be an exciting revisiting experiment. Like most others, I was not a fan of the pointless snoozefest that was the 2013 remake of Carrie. Now is the time to go back and see if the other two post-De Palma Carrie efforts were any better. Scream Factory is putting out a Double Feature of the late Scream-era sequel The Rage: Carrie 2 and the mini-series based on the book as well (also called Carrie). I’ve seen both, but I’ve also seen a lot of movies and other things since then. My old man memory is foggy. While I remember being disappointed with both, I’m really interested to see if I can see them A) in a different light and B) see if they’re better than the misguided retread we had a few years ago. Below are the details (including NEW bonus features) for the Blu-ray that comes out April 14th! Continue reading ‘Scream Factory Presents: CARRIE & The RAGE: CARRIE 2 On Blu-ray April 14!’
February 25th, 2015 by Aaron Neuwirth
Once again, if there was one way to get people to see a movie… News: The trailer for FROZEN FEVER is now available. The highly-anticipated follow-up short to the global phenomenon FROZEN can be seen exclusively in theaters with Disney’s new live-action CINDERELLA, starring Lily James and Academy Award-winner Cate Blanchett, on March 13, 2015.
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Continue reading ‘FROZEN FEVER Has New Trailer Now Available!’
February 25th, 2015 by Gerard Iribe
On May 5th Anchor Bay Entertainment releases AMC’s compelling drama “Halt and Catch Fire: The Complete First Season” on Blu-ray™ + Digital HD and DVD. Available as a 3-disc set, “Halt and Catch Fire: The Complete First Season” contains all 10 episodes of the series that presents a fictionalized account of the early days of the personal computer creation and the tech heads who would soon create a revolution. The set also includes bonus features that give a behind-the-scenes look at the making of this smart series. Continue reading ‘‘Halt and Catch Fire’ on Blu-ray & DVD May 5th!’
February 24th, 2015 by Gerard Iribe
Anchor Bay Entertainment and The Weinstein Company are proud to announce the home entertainment release of THE IMITATION GAME, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Rory Kinnear, Allen Leech, with Charles Dance, and Mark Strong; written by Graham Moore and directed by Morten Tyldum. Heralded as one of the top films of the year in nearly every major publication, the independently produced film has gone on to gross more than 150 million dollars worldwide, and received eight Academy Award® nominations including Best Picture, five Golden Globe® nominations, nine BAFTA nominations, and three Screen Actors Guild nominations. It won the Academy Award® for Adapted Screenplay, was named one of the Best Films of the Year by AFI, received the USC Libraries Scripter Award and was awarded Best Adapted Screenplay by the WGA. It will be available for digital download on March 20th before heading to DVD and Blu-Ray ™ with Digital HD on March 31, 2015.
Continue reading ‘‘The Imitation Game’ on Blu-ray & DVD March 31st!’
February 24th, 2015 by Aaron Neuwirth
A small part of the world cried foul, threats were made from various sources, but here we are with the home release of the movie that presents an insane premise and matches it with the same sense of humor and themes that have made successes out of the filmmaking team that is Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. While the real-life fallout from producing The Interview was likely something the duo could not have imagined, the actual film is merely silly fun, with only hints of truly biting social commentary. That said, I know what to expect, for the most part, from Team Rogberg at this point, and while this may not be their greatest effort, it is certainly an entertaining one, which has now found its way to Blu-ray.
Continue reading ‘The Interview: Freedom Edition (Blu-ray Review)’
February 24th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
Can a glass of water kill? When you see a puddle on the floor, do you fear you’ll fall into it? What if the stuff of life was a gateway into your worst dreams? On May 12th, Anchor Bay Entertainment presents the provocative and highly anticipated Canadian horror film The Drownsman on Blu-ray™ and DVD.
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Continue reading ‘THE DROWNSMAN Arises On Blu-ray May 12th From Anchor Bay Entertainment!’
February 24th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
From the director of “Chicago” and the producer of “Wicked” comes a modern twist on the beloved fairy tales you thought you knew. Academy Award®-Winning actress Meryl Streep (Best Actress, The Iron Lady), leads an all-star cast in this enchanted adventure about daring to venture Into The Woods. Iconic characters, such as Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk and Rapunzel, find their fates intertwined with a humble baker and his wife, whose longing to have a child sends them on a quest to reverse a witch’s (Streep) curse. With an all-star cast, this spellbinding adventure is everything you could ever wish for!
Continue reading ‘Disney’s INTO THE WOODS Arrives On DMA & Blu-ray 3/24!’
February 24th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
The hunter becomes the hunted when Liam Neeson returns as former CIA operative Bryan Mills, who finds himself framed for the brutal murder of his ex-wife (Famke Janssen). Consumed with rage, and pursued by a savvy police inspector (Forest Whitaker), Mills must rely on his “particular set of skills” one last time to find the real killers, clear his name, and protect the only thing that matters to him now — his daughter (Maggie Grace). Continue reading ‘Now With More Action: TAKEN 3 Unrated Cut Arrives On Blu-ray April 21!’
February 23rd, 2015 by Aaron Neuwirth
Beyond the Lights is the kind of film that I wish could be a part of the conversation, when it comes to changing how Hollywood does things. The film is a romantic drama that happens to feature black actors in the lead roles. It received some marketing this past fall, but not a huge campaign, and it was not screened for critics. Regardless, Beyond the Lights received very strong reviews and an Academy Award nomination to top off its acclaim. It is not necessarily the best film of the year, but it is a well-made, original feature film, working with some tried but true story ideas, with strong performances pushing it even further up. All of this and it barely breaks even (depending on marketing costs). Now the film is available on Blu-ray, with a great technical presentation, a director’s cut, and a commentary that only hints at the hard work it took to get this film made.
Continue reading ‘Beyond The Lights (Blu-ray Review)’
February 23rd, 2015 by Brandon Peters
The SyFy Channel original film, Dark Haul is coming to Blu-ray from Scream Factory. It stars Tom Sizemore, who battles against a creature while trying to transport it and its human sister to a secure location. I’m not sure if they have before, but this might be the first time that SyFy and Scream Factory have crossed paths for a Blu-ray release before. Normally, or in the past, Scream Factory has done work with Chiller TV and IFC Midnight (With more films from the latter coming down the pipeline according to recent reports). I had never heard of this one before, but being a SyFy Channel movie, I already know where to set my expectations and how to appropriately view something of its ilk. Continue reading ‘Dark Haul (Blu-ray Review)’
February 22nd, 2015 by Sean Wright
On Any Sunday: The Next Chapter is a follow-up to the 1971 motorcycle documentary On Any Sunday, produced and featuring Steve McQueen. The doc follows several motorcycle enthusiasts, including racers, stuntman, designers, and the events that they participate in. Interviewees include well known motorcycle personalities such as Robbie Madison, Roland Sands, James Stewart, Jr., and continuing the initial films celebrity involvement, Bo Derek, Scott Caan, and Mickey Rourke. The film premiered on July 12th, 2014 in New Zealand before hitting a limited theatrical run. Continue reading ‘On Any Sunday: The Next Chapter (Blu-ray Review)’
February 21st, 2015 by Brandon Peters
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment invites audiences to be inspired as they take a raw and emotional journey with a woman trying to navigate her way through personal redemption. “JENNIFER ANISTON IS HEARTBREAKINGLY GOOD.” (– Pete Hammond, DEADLINE) as the star of this life-affirming, dark comedy as an “odd, funny, powerful central metaphor: a character that insists on charting a course in a world she refuses to look at.”¹ This beautiful exploration of the human condition and transformation arrives on Digital HD April 10 and Blu-ray, DVD and VOD April 21. Continue reading ‘On April 21, Have Your CAKE And Watch It Too With Jennifer Aniston!’
February 20th, 2015 by Brenna Smith
Disney is Disney because nobody does what they do like them, and ‘McFarland USA’ is the perfect example. Set in the agricultural center of California in 1987, ‘McFarland USA’ is formulaic and predictable, but in all the right ways. A white teacher hilariously and literally called Jim White (Kevin Costner) with a rough past moves to McFarland because it’s the only school that will take him. Threatened by the “gangster” culture and alien community, he wants to leave immediately, but after he begins teaching at the predominately Mexican school, he finds a home in the community. He sees the potential in his students when he watches them run through the dirt on their way to pick fruit and vegetables in the fields, and starts a cross country team that helps propel the boys (and the community) to a better life.
Continue reading ‘‘McFarland USA’ is Sweet, Sweet Sentiment at its Best (Movie Review)’
February 20th, 2015 by Aaron Neuwirth
Oscar nomination or not, Force Majeure was one of the more critically acclaimed foreign language films of 2014. The film is essentially a drama, but I can certainly see where so many pronouncements of the film as a dark comedy come from, as this film really does feature some pitch-black humor. The story of a family vacation spoiled by a moment-of-truth for one of the family members, Force Majeure is now available on Blu-ray. It looks and sounds great, but how else does it fair? Find out now!
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Continue reading ‘Force Majeure (Blu-ray Review)’
February 20th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
I knew nothing of this film’s existence until Scream Factory announced their acquisition of it. Looking at the original poster artwork, I sort of immediately knew there was a good chance I was going to get a kick out of it. Exterminators Of The Year 3000 is an Italian post-apocalyptic desert car crashing action movie. Basically, some Italian filmmakers saw The Road Warrior and said “Gee whiz, I wanna do THAT!”. Then, they searched through Italy’s couches for change, counted up just enough and went out and just shot the thing. And to be quite honest, there’s a certain joy and charm that comes with it. And with the passage of time, I’m sure there’s a modern day appreciation for this film that may not have been there when it came out in 1983. But, look at this…its on Blu-ray now where something like True Lies STILL is not here. Continue reading ‘Exterminators Of The Year 3000 (Blu-ray Review)’
February 19th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
One of my favorite comedies from the 1990s was Dumb And Dumber. I laughed my tail off when I first saw the film in the theater. Being a huge Jim Carrey fan since his In Living Color days, I was there opening weekend. The film also introduced us to the Farrelly brothers who would rock pretty good with their comedies through the 90s. People clamored for a follow up to Harry and Lloyd’s first adventure, but Jim Carrey was always holding it back because he became larger than life and began chasing an Oscar and rightfully didn’t need a second one. Instead, they gave us Dumb And Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd. A prequel film nobody was asking for or wanting. People wanted the Farrellys, Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels. Well, years went by and Carrey’s box office clout has fallen, so “of course” he was down to do the second Dumb And Dumber. But, now its 20 years later and seems more desperate than essential for all involved but Jeff Daniels. Continue reading ‘Dumb And Dumber To (Blu-ray Review)’
February 19th, 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’ on Blu-ray & DVD March 17th!’
Focus is solid entertainment that puts its audience back into the world of con artists, as there have been many of its kind before. It is an easy way to have people both root for the leads, while also feeling intrigued by the sort of shadowy world they live in, but generally remains exciting due to these sorts of characters masquerading in lavish settings. First and foremost though, Will Smith is back! Regardless of one thoughts on Smith, he is one of the most charismatic actors in the world and while his leading roles have been fewer and further in between as of late, Focus is a film that does a fine job of both showing how effective of a performer he can be and how he has evolved for the better as an actor over time. While there are plenty of other aspects of this film one can focus on, it really is nice to say that Focus is sharp and good-looking film, with a very good leading performance from the always watchable Will Smith.
