Archive Page 352
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.
d
f
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.
l
l
l
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 23rd, 2015 by Blu-ray Brian
Strap on your rocket booster packs ladies and gentlemen. Director Christopher Nolan’s awe-inspiring film, Interstellar, is blasting off on Blu-ray Combo Pack on March 31st. I couldn’t be more thrilled with this news. It comes a mere week before my vacation in April and that means I get to bring it with me digitally. Hell to the yeah peeps! Not only does this Blu-ray Combo Pack house this awesome flick, and what we would assume to be “stellar” demo worthy audio and video presentations, but also it comes with a slew of very mouthwatering and enticing extras to sink your teeth into. Read on below to find out more! Continue reading ‘Get Ready To Blast Off With ‘Interstellar’ on Blu-ray March 31st!’
January 23rd, 2015 by Brandon Peters
There’s something awful hiding in the woods and it’s coming after the unsuspecting in the gripping and acclaimed LATE PHASES: NIGHT OF THE WOLF. From the director ofPenumbra, Cold Sweat and Here Comes The Devil, the horror film will be available for Digital Download and on Blu-ray and DVD from Dark Sky Films on March 10, 2015.
.
.
. Continue reading ‘LATE PHASES Comes To Blu-ray 3/10’
January 23rd, 2015 by Brandon Peters
Jacob Cheung’s (Twin Dragons) elaborate wuxia-fantasy WHITE HAIRED WITCH debuts on Blu-ray™, DVD and digital March 10 from Well Go USA Entertainment. The martial arts extravaganza is loosely adapted from Liang Yusheng’s novel Baifa Monü Zhuan and stars Fan Bingbing (Iron Man 3, X-Men: Days of Future Past) and Huang Xiaoming (Eastern Bandits, Ip Man 2) as a pair of star-crossed lovers whose love could change the fate of the nation. The films also stars Vincent Zhao (Wu Dang) and features action choreography by Stephen Tung (Saving General Yang). Bonus features on WHITE HAIRED WITCH include a “Making-of” featurette.
Continue reading ‘WHITE HAIRED WITCH Finds A Little Bit Of Blu In Her Hair March 10!’
January 23rd, 2015 by Brian White
I already know what you are thinking. It’s the month of January. This is the month where movies that studios have no faith in go to die. You don’t need to tell me that. I know that all too well. However, there are four main reasons that actually managed to convince me to check to see this one. First up, I wanted to check in on my home girl from the block, J-Lo (Jennifer Lopez). I never hated her or anything so I just wanted to see how she was doing post Marc Anthony. Second, this one is directed by Rob Cohen and he has “some” clout, don’t you think? Third, it’s Rated-R! Hell yeah! And last but not least, there’s a certain list titled “The 20 Greatest Things About This Amazing ‘The Boy Next Door’ Trailer” over here that had me in stitches. That’s enough reasons, right? Continue reading ‘J-Lo Gets Jiggy With ‘The Boy Next Door’ (Movie 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 Aaron Neuwirth
At its best, Mortdecai is an adult-skewing drama that uses its big-name cast to its advantage, as everyone does their best to show how much fun they are having, while being moved along by the comic zip of director David Koepp’s direction. This is not a sentence that I can apply to the whole movie, unfortunately, but Mortdecai is by no means the disaster that would be suggested by its January release date and lack of much publicity, beyond the basic marketing via trailers and posters. Really, it is a globetrotting adventure with fairly low stakes and a lead performance from a very game Johnny Depp that you will either enjoy or find irritating. Fortunately, the film does have other actors also doing their part, even if the film is fairly minor in every sense. That in mind, this is far better than The Tourist or whatever the hell Steve Martin was doing in those Pink Panther movies.
Continue reading ‘‘Mortdecai’, A Shot In The Mustache (Movie Review)’
January 22nd, 2015 by Aaron Neuwirth
If Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke ever made an awkward comedy, it may turn out something like Force Majeure, the dark Swedish comedy that received the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. This Golden Globe nominee is a film about a family vacation that goes awry, following a moment of weakness from one of the family members. From there, we get a film that studies the characters involved and what to think, given the key event that took place. That is very vague, but the film is most definitely worth seeking out, despite its strange snub for Best Foreign Film at this years Academy Awards. Everyone will be able to check out the film for themselves on February 10th. Continue on to learn more about this upcoming release.
Continue reading ‘Swedish Psychodrama FORCE MAJEURE Arrives February 10 From Magnolia Home Entertainment’
January 22nd, 2015 by Aaron Neuwirth
Here’s a film that I regrettably missed in theaters. It was not receiving the biggest push, but I have heard nothing but great things and now Beyond the Lights is up for an Academy Award for one of its songs. This drama/musical stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who has had a breakout year between this film and Belle, and Nate Parker, in a film that brings to ambitious people together, though one is more damaged than the other. The film also stars Minnie Driver and Danny Glover in what is a supposedly a strong drama that I am excited to check out. Learn more about this film’s February 24th Blu-ray release by continuing on with this post.
Continue reading ‘“Beyond the Lights” Is Singing Its Way To Blu-ray This February’
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 22nd, 2015 by Aaron Neuwirth
There was a time when I used to say I was not a fan of submarine movies. I have since found that to be inaccurate, given how much I appreciate the ones considered to be the best and even some of the more average attempts. I believe it to come down more to whether or not the film is effective in getting across the key idea of what works best in a submarine movie, which is effectively building the claustrophobic tension that comes from having multiple characters stuck with each other in a narrow enclosure, deep below the ocean’s surface. Black Sea manages to do this. It takes the premise of a heist film and combines that with what you can get from a submarine thriller, making for a unique sort of drama held together by some solid performances and an interesting play on what these characters actually desire most.
Continue reading ‘Enjoy The Depths Of ‘Black Sea’ (Movie Review)’
January 21st, 2015 by Blu-ray Brian
The Book of Life, the Golden Globe Best Animated Feature nominee, is a film that completely slipped past me in the theaters and I never was able to make it during its run. However, that’s all about to change when The Book of Life releases on Blu-ray January 27th. Wait! I have even more splendid news that that! Our friends at 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment have hooked us up with a Blu-ray of the film to give away to one very lucky reader of Why So Blu! Whaaaat! I know, right? So check out all the pertinent details of the Blu-ray release with some fun trivia below and find out how you can win your own Blu-ray of the film! Continue reading ‘The Book of Life Blu-ray Giveaway Contest’
