Archive Page 409
April 11th, 2014 by Aaron Neuwirth
Oculus is a clever, well-crafted, and scary good time at the movies. As far as horror movies go, for having a premise with the logline: a brother and sister try to outsmart a killer mirror, the screenplay for this film is very smart. The film is a strong character drama that just happens to have a supernatural element, but the acting is very strong and the approach to the story keeps things moving. Oculus has its share of scares too, but they are well-earned, with developed suspense and a nastiness that is more implied than on display. I am always happy to enjoy a good horror movie, regardless of the sub-genre or filmmaking style on display, but Oculus really caught me off guard with how effective it felt in a variety of ways.
Continue reading ‘‘Oculus’ Hit Me In The Center Of My Horror Fandom (Movie Review)’
April 10th, 2014 by Brandon Peters
Today we’re off to see the Wizard…again…
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. Continue reading ‘Brandon’s Blu-ray Wishlist – April 10, 2014′
April 9th, 2014 by Brian White
You’re going to have to forgive me. I’m a little late to this party here. I had every intention of posting this video when it was released yesterday, but I never got around to it. It’s not that I didn’t want to or that I was procrastinating, but maybe like a lot of you, the death of Kurt Cobain had a very profound impact on my life. And quite honestly, that’s hard to admit sometimes. As soon as you utter the name Kurt Cobain to an elder and profess your mad affinity for the man you kind of instantly get mislabeled as a druggie or a degenerate, sort of the bad rap he received himself. So I would think it’s odd to hear praise of the man’s career coming from someone like me who has sworn off drugs his entire life, not even touching a cigarette once, to say my love for the man and his art knows no boundaries, even in his death. And that’s truly where our story begins. Continue reading ‘‘Soaked in Bleach’ Drenches You In The Mystery of Kurt Cobain’s Death’
April 9th, 2014 by Aaron Neuwirth
It makes a lot of sense that indie filmmaker Jim Jarmusch has finally made a film about vampires. He practically is one, given his height, slender and pale appearance, white hair, and the fact that he only pops up every so often to release a film into the night for the masses to find. The fact that he doesn’t cast a shadow is a curious quality as well, but regardless, Only Lovers Left Alive is a rather brilliant film from a man with such a distinct style, making it easily one of the films I was happy to latch onto most in this early half of 2014. Sure, this film does feature vampires, but that aspect is only used to add layers to the characters and forward the plot, which there is not much of. True to Jarmusch’s style, the film is very minimal in traditional storytelling, but surreal in its presentation, and incredibly deft in the way it handles its two lead characters in this very unconventional love story.
Continue reading ‘Only Lovers Left Alive Is Bloody Great (Movie Review)’
April 9th, 2014 by Gerard Iribe
A couple’s son and daughter inexplicably reappear after being lost overnight on a desolate, cave-riddled mountainside. Becoming withdrawn and beginning to exhibit strange behavior, their parents quickly assume something sinister happened to them. But after hearing an ominous local legend, the concerned mother and father begin to realize that their children may have fallen prey to something inhuman and that this dark, unstoppable evil has now returned home with them.
Continue reading ‘Here Comes the Devil (Blu-ray Review)’
April 9th, 2014 by Brandon Peters
Never before available on DVD, Shout! Factory will release the award-winning International series Prisoners of War: Season One on July 8th. Created by Gideon Raff (Homeland) the series follows the story of three Israeli soldiers held captive for 17 years and the lives they return to after being released.
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. Continue reading ‘Prisoners Of War Season 1 – On DVD July 8th’
April 8th, 2014 by Brandon Peters
“Planes: Fire & Rescue” is a new comedy-adventure about second chances, featuring a dynamic crew of elite firefighting aircraft devoted to protecting historic Piston Peak National Park from raging wildfire. When world famous air racer Dusty (voice of Dane Cook) learns that his engine is damaged and he may never race again, he must shift gears and is launched into the world of aerial firefighting. Dusty joins forces with veteran fire and rescue helicopter Blade Ranger and his courageous team, including spirited super scooper Dipper (voice of Julie Bowen), heavy-lift helicopter Windlifter, ex-military transport Cabbie and a lively bunch of brave all-terrain vehicles known as The Smokejumpers. Together, the fearless team battles a massive wildfire and Dusty learns what it takes to become a true hero. Directed by Bobs Gannaway (“Secret of the Wings”), “Planes: Fire & Rescue” hits theaters in 3D on July 18, 2014. Today, check out this new trailer! And keep scrolling down to see a few character pictures complete with descriptions! Continue reading ‘Planes: Fire & Rescue – New Trailer!’
April 8th, 2014 by Brandon Peters
A little side note to my Blu-ray review of Norma Rae to start off. My screenwriting professor in college’s big claim to fame in his movie making career was working on this movie. It was an Academy Award nominated film and the one that nabbed Sally Field her first Best Actress statue. While I don’t think the university was happy with him (he was usually 20 minutes late to a 50 minute class), for the short time we did have him he had terrific stories and was a very positive and informative when it came to writing. I wrote a sitcom pilot for one of my projects in his class and he kept e-mailing me throughout his read to tell me how much enjoyed it. Anywho, while Norma Rae is the prestigious one he can flaunt, I think the coolest credit on his resume is being the assistant director on the Chuck Norris epic, THE OCTAGON! Continue reading ‘Norma Rae (Blu-ray Review)’
April 8th, 2014 by Aaron Neuwirth
The who knocks returns. One of my favorite television series of all time is coming home to Blu-ray in full this June. This may sound confusing to those who are already aware of the elaborate box set placed inside a container shaped like one of the barrels seen so often throughout Breaking Bad, but if I had to guess, this new box set is likely something a bit more compact and easy to fit on a Blu-ray shelf. Regardless, Breaking Bad is a fantastic series and if you haven’t seen it, this would probably be a good time to check it out. There is no official artwork yet, but continue on to learn more about this upcoming release.
Continue reading ‘BREAKING BAD: THE COMPLETE SERIES arrives on Blu-ray and DVD 6/3’
April 8th, 2014 by Aaron Neuwirth
I am sure The Weinstein company is proud to release Philomena on Blu-ray, now that it has scored tons of acclaim, including 4 Academy Award nominations (Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Original Score, and Best Adapted Screenplay). The film had an unassuming way about it, which is what ultimately won me over, but it was still surprising to see it get that amount of prestige put upon it. That said, this is a human interest story that is quite interesting to watch, as it features some strong performances in a movie that has dark elements, but still feels like a pleasant watch overall. With the Blu-ray now available, everyone will be able to see it for themselves and consider how far they are willing to go with Philomena.
Continue reading ‘Philomena (Blu-ray Review)’
April 8th, 2014 by Brandon Peters
Olive Films releases two classic films that honor the military just in time for Memorial Day,Flying Tigers and Home of the Brave (1949), on Blu-ray™ and DVD May 13th. Flying Tigers (1942) stars John Wayne in a story set just prior to the invasion of Pearl Harbor and contains some of the most nail-biting aerial combat sequences ever shot. Home of the Brave is a more hard-hitting personal story of an African American solider and the discrimination he faces during his service in WWII. Newly remastered in HD for the first time, these films have never looked better. Continue reading ‘Commemorate Memorial Day With Two Wartime Classics From Olive Films’
April 8th, 2014 by Aaron Neuwirth
As stated in the previous post, the 15th Annual Newport Beach Film Festival is coming soon (opening night is April 24th) and there will be many films and festivities I plan to see and be a part of. This post contains the official press release concerning the closing night film, which I am very excited about. Chef is a return for Jon Favreau to his low-budget roots and after just seeing the trailer, which features a strong cast and what looks to be cinematography based around food that will have everyone salivating throughout, I am super excited to be able to catch it. Check out the rest of this post to read the official press release regarding this closing night film and I have also embedded the trailer for Chef.
Continue reading ’15th Annual Newport Beach Film Festival to Close with West Coast Premiere of CHEF Starring Jon Favreau, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson’
April 8th, 2014 by Aaron Neuwirth
So it begins. For the past few years I have been covering the annual Newport Beach Film Festival and the time is upon us for me to get really busy covering it again. Staring April 24th, I will be doing my part to attend the festival, which includes hitting up parties (poor me), putting some eyes on the red carpet now and again, maybe talking with some stars and filmmakers, but most importantly – seeing a lot of movies (many in the same day) and providing reviews for everything I get to see. Last year I took a different approach, which proved to be much more efficient, so I plan to continue that this year and hopefully see even more films. While the festival does not start for another couple of weeks, this post and the next post concern the announcement of the opening and closing films for the 15th Annual Newport Beach Film Festival. Continue on to find out more.
Continue reading ‘WORLD-PREMIERE OF ‘LOVESICK’ OPENS THE 15th ANNUAL NEWPORT BEACH FILM FESTIVAL ON THURSDAY, APRIL 24′
April 7th, 2014 by Aaron Neuwirth
Before we get to the official words by Sony, I just want to say that I really enjoyed this film (Review HERE), so I look forward to more people checking it out, once it is release. Anyway: Kevin Hart (Think Like A Man, Ride Along), Michael Ealy (Last Vegas, Think Like a Man), Regina Hall (The Best Man Holiday, Think Like A Man) and Joy Bryant (TV’s “Parenthood) form an all-star cast in the sexy, romantic comedy ABOUT LAST NIGHT, available May 20 on Blu-ray™* and DVD* from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. In a modern reimagining of the 1986 original film starring Demi Moore and Rob Lowe, ABOUT LAST NIGHT follows two couples as they journey from the bar to the bedroom, and as their relationships are eventually put to the test in the real world. Directed by Steve Pink (Hot Tub Time Machine), the film also stars Paula Patton (Jumping the Broom), Christopher McDonald (Happy Gilmore) and Adam Rodriguez (Magic Mike).
Continue reading ‘ABOUT LAST NIGHT Available on Blu-ray, DVD & Digital May 20’
April 7th, 2014 by Brandon Peters
Clive Owen and Billy Crudup star in the gritty crime drama, Blood Ties, arriving on Blu-ray Disc (plus Digital HD UltraViolet), DVD (plus Digital UltraViolet) and Digital HD June 24 from Lionsgate Home Entertainment.
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. Continue reading ‘All-Star Cast Headlines Gritty Crime Drama Blood Ties Arriving On Blu-ray June 24’
April 7th, 2014 by Aaron Neuwirth
Humphrey Bogart is widely and understandably recognized as one of the greatest, if not The greatest actor in the history of American cinema and it certainly helps that he is the star of many films considered classics, let alone some of the best of all time films ever made. This Blu-ray collection includes some truly amazing features. Within this collection is The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, and The African Queen. With exception of maybe Sabrina, this really is the best of the best, when it comes to Bogart. Continue on to read about what else comes with this Blu-ray collection, aside from films filed under the category of: “All Time Greats.”
Continue reading ‘The Best of Bogart Collection (Blu-ray Review)’
April 6th, 2014 by Brandon Peters
Angela Mao is a martial arts icon and the star of many grindhouse kung fu movies in the 70s and through to the 80s. She got her big break in Bruce Lee’s legendary film Enter The Dragon. While she never had quite the stamp that Bruce did, she did make quite the mark and paved the way for future female martial arts stars to follow her lead. Shout! Factory has put together a double feature that displays her in two films that came prior to her appearance in Enter The Dragon. The films featured on this DVD are Lady Whirlwind (aka Deep Thrust) and Hapkido (aka Lady Kung Fu). Viewing both films was a total throwback to classic, but highly influential era in the genre of martial arts action film. Continue reading ‘Lady Whirlwind / Hapkido – Martial Arts Double Feature (DVD Review)’
April 6th, 2014 by Gerard Iribe
First you had the team ups of Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger and now comes the epic team up of Sylvester Stallone and Robert De Niro in the comedy-actioner Grudge Match. I missed this in theaters but thought the trailer and marketing materials were hilarious. I was bummed out that it was PG-13 and was even more bummed out that they released during the holiday season where it was ultimately crushed by the other 800 films that were released at that time. Well, the Blu-ray is here and it will be tackled by yours truly. In this corner we have the Italian Stallion vs. The Raging Bull…who will win the championship title? Let’s get in the ring and find out!
Continue reading ‘Grudge Match (Blu-ray Review)’
Oculus is a clever, well-crafted, and scary good time at the movies. As far as horror movies go, for having a premise with the logline: a brother and sister try to outsmart a killer mirror, the screenplay for this film is very smart. The film is a strong character drama that just happens to have a supernatural element, but the acting is very strong and the approach to the story keeps things moving. Oculus has its share of scares too, but they are well-earned, with developed suspense and a nastiness that is more implied than on display. I am always happy to enjoy a good horror movie, regardless of the sub-genre or filmmaking style on display, but Oculus really caught me off guard with how effective it felt in a variety of ways.
