Archive Page 411
April 14th, 2014 by Brandon Peters
Olive Film’s will release another title from the classic film noir era on April 15. This time its 1948’s Sleep My Love, starring Claudette Colbert, Robert Cummings, Don Ameche and Raymond Burr. It’s helmed by German director Douglas Sirk, later known for his Hollywood melodramas in the 1950s. The film received a lukewarm response upon its release, with some complaints and criticisms that still hold up on it today. Douglas Sirk even acknowledged the film as a failure. Looking back, its not a perfect film, but its definitely not the catastrophe its director made it out to be. Most of the pleasantries come from a great hook and some wonderfully nightmarish photography from the film’s DP Joseph Valentine. So, now, let’s take a look at this 66 year old film. Continue reading ‘Sleep My Love (Blu-ray Review)’
April 13th, 2014 by Gerard Iribe
Nelly (Felicity Jones) is haunted by her past. Her memories take us back in time to follow the story of her relationship with Charles Dickens (Ralph Fiennes) with whom she discovered an exciting but fragile complicity. Dickens – famous, controlling and emotionally isolated within his success – falls for Nelly. As Nelly becomes the focus of Dickens’ passion and his muse, for both of them secrecy is the price, and for Nelly a life of “invisibility.” Continue reading ‘The Invisible Woman (Blu-ray Review)’
April 13th, 2014 by Brandon Peters
Cry Freedom was the film directorial debut of child star Robert Parrish. He shot the movie over just twenty two days back in 1950-51. As anyone can tell you, that’s an incredibly short amount of time. However, when you see how concise and focused the film is, you can tell Parrish set out and knew exactly what he was doing and precisely what he was wanting. In 2011, the film received a newly restored print from two 35 mm negatives courtesy of the Film Noir Foundation (in cooperation with Paramount and Warner Brothers. The film then premiered on March 14, 2011 at the UCLA Festival Of Preservation. This well reviewed piece of classic film noir is coming to Blu-ray courtesy of our friends over at Olive Films. Continue reading ‘Cry Danger (Blu-ray Review)’
April 12th, 2014 by Brandon Peters
Olive Films has brought 1968’s sci fi cult classic, The Bamboo Saucer to Blu-ray. I tried to do some research on this film for this review because I’d never seen it. But, to no avail, there’s not a whole lot of information regarding this film’s production on the usual legitimate movie researching tools found on the web. And after seeing the film, it became even more of a bummer that there weren’t and supplemental materials (even if it were just film historians and fans discussing it) provided on the disc. But, as I always say, at least its on Blu-ray. Just getting a film to this glorious format is triumph enough! Continue reading ‘The Bamboo Saucer (Blu-ray Review)’
April 11th, 2014 by Brandon Peters
Get your head out of the gutter, pervert! This is a kids movie! The Nut Job was a little animated feature that came out in the behemoth of “soon to be classics” release month of January. It hopped over its budget but didn’t really make a massive intake like a lot of animated gems do nowadays. Whatever your thoughts, its apparently getting a sequel aimed for the year 2016 in its stronghold month of January. Universal brings this family friendly affair to Blu-ray on April 15 making for a quick quick turnaround. I’ll be reviewing the regular Blu-ray combo release of the film, but there is a 3D version coming out the same day if that’s your cup of tea.
. Continue reading ‘The Nut Job (Blu-ray Review)’
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′
