The latest entertainment news and reviews in 4K UHD, Blu-ray, movies and more…
We chat with Sharon Seymour, the producer designer for many of Ben Affleck’s movies, including Argo.
Starring Sharon Seymour, Sean Wright and David Freedman.
Directed by Matt Breault.
WATCH US ON PBS SOCAL Saturdays at 6PM or pbssocal.org/justseenit
Continue reading ‘Interview with Sharon Seymour – Production Designer for ARGO – Just Seen It’
Last year, a French film arrived on the shores of the U.S. and flew under the radar of many a movie-goer. Granted, this happens quite often with foreign films here in the States when Hollywood has a stranglehold on the film industry. Still, that’s not to say a film made abroad cannot compete with the domestic fare. Quite the contrary, as creativity is obviously not limited to borders. That’s where The Intouchables enters the scene. The acclaimed film now arrives on Blu-ray, but does its cinematic charm carry over to the home high-def format?
One of the older but less utilized characters in the Marvel universe is that of Ultron. The metallic menace first appeared in a Marvel comic back in the late 1960’s as the creation of Avengers genius Hank Pym. Storylines have come a long way in the last 40+ years and this latest bit of pop culture literature features Ultron in his, or should I say “its,” own book. Don’t expect a hokey game of cat and mouse with the humanity-hating robot chasing Marvel’s favorite super team. This is one dark tale.
Well it’s about time! As much as I like getting to see big blockbusters on Blu-ray for their awesome sound and video quality, and as much as I like to see old classics get their restored treatment on Blu-ray, there are still a good number of more modern films that have yet to make their way to Blu-ray, which I have been really excited to finally own in hi-def. That Thing You Do is one of those films. This delightful 90s comedy was the first theatrical film to be directed by Tom Hanks and it is a lot of fun. It is the fictional story of a pop band from the 60s that blew up big with their hit song, “That Thing You Do,” and the film follows their journey into stardom. On April 2nd, everyone will finally have the chance to own the film on Blu-ray, which also features the 40-minute longer extended cut of the film, along with many more extras. Read on further to find out more about this upcoming release.
Here is another movie that displays the ever filmable tale of revenge and the complexities involved. Dead Man Down brings forward an interesting challenge, as there are a lot of good things about it that I would like to recommend, even though I do not think the movie pulls through in the end. Of course, it is a challenge week after week to display my opinions on these matters, so there you have it. This film features several talented actors giving strong performances, some interesting story elements that do a decent job of separating it from other revenge tales, and some somber, but stylish direction in a lot of instances. For the most part, Dead Man Down plays as a very fancy B-movie, which is only undone once it drives a literal truck through its third act.
Continue reading ‘‘Dead Man Down’ Brings Dour Revenge (Movie Review)’
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Aaron, Salim and guest reviewer Aaron Neuwirth review this new action thriller starring Colin Farrell.
Bent on revenge, Victor infiltrates Alphonse’s crime ring. But when Beatrice sees him commit murder, she blackmails Victor. Together, they carry out their vendettas.
WATCH US ON PBS SOCAL Saturdays at 6PM or pbssocal.org/justseenit
Continue reading ‘Dead Man Down Movie Review – Just Seen It’
After fleeing his North Carolina hometown, washed-up major-league pitcher Kenny Powers spent a soul-searching season in Mexico as “La Flama Blanca” – and ended up returning to the States a changed man. Powers, whose boorish behavior and fading fastball led to a spectacular career flame-out now finds himself back on the mound in the USA. Picking up a year after season two, the third season finds Kenny in action on the “Redneck Riviera” (aka Myrtle Beach, SC), somehow resurrecting his baseball career by becoming the closer for the minor-league Myrtle Beach Mermen. Even as he tries to pass himself off as the “King of Myrtle Beach,” Kenny struggles to come to terms with growing older and accepting the responsibilities of being a new father. Continue reading ‘Eastbound and Down: The Complete Third Season (Blu-ray Review)’
Leah, Liz, and Sean offer up a retrospective on the first three seasons and a look-ahead at season four.
In this British mini-series, we join the Crawley family and their staff. In the years surrounding World War One, they witness the great changes to their family and the world.
Join us for a retrospective and a look ahead to season four.
WATCH US ON PBS SOCAL Saturdays at 6PM or pbssocal.org/justseenit
Continue reading ‘Downton Abbey Retrospective and Look Ahead to Season Four – Just Seen It’
Salim, Aaron and Brenna get lucky and review the first four episodes of season three of this HBO fantasy drama.
Starring Salim Lemelle, Aaron Fink and Brenna Smith.
Winter is coming to Westeros. As the kingdom divides, the house of Lannister finds its power slipping away. Join us as we review the first four episodes of season three.
This has not really occurred to me until recently, but Oz is quite the expansive franchise. Along with the original books by L. Frank Baum, the series has had a multitude of different adaptations on almost every platform, including several films and musicals, stage plays, comics, and even video games. Given how successful it was for Disney to reimagine Alice in Wonderland by way of Tim Burton, it comes as little surprise that the Mouse House would come up with a new take on the Oz series, which could similarly rely on creating a unique and colorful fantasy world for the characters to discover. Bringing on director Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead and Spider-Man trilogies) is where they suddenly had my attention. The results were quite positive, as I had a lot of fun with this re-introduction to the wonderful world that is Oz, despite some missteps along the way. Fortunately there were plenty of flying monkeys to pick me right back up, during my journey through this film.
Walt Disney Animation Studios and Emmy-winning director Rich Moore (TV’s “The Simpsons,” “Futurama”) take movie fanson a hilarious, arcade-game-hopping journey in “Wreck-It Ralph.” Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Step Brothers) is tired of being overshadowed by Fix-It Felix (voice of Jack McBrayer, “30 Rock”), the “good guy” star of their game who always gets to save the day. But after decades doing the same thing and seeing all the glory go to Felix, Ralph decides he’s tired of playing the role of a bad guy. He takes matters into his own massive hands and sets off on a game-hopping journey across the arcade through every generation of video games to prove he’s got what it takes to be a hero. On his quest, he meets the tough-as-nails Sergeant Calhoun (voice of Jane Lynch, TV’s “Glee”) from the first-person action game Hero’s Duty. But it’s the feisty misfit Vanellope von Schweetz (voice of Sarah Silverman, “The Sarah Silverman Program”) from the candy-coated cart racing game, Sugar Rush, whose world is threatened when Ralph accidentally unleashes a deadly enemy that threatens the entire arcade. Will Ralph realize his dream and save the day before it’s too late? Continue reading ‘Wreck-It Ralph – Ultimate Collector’s Edition: Blu-ray 3D/ Blu-ray / DVD + Digital Copy (Blu-ray Review)’
The now-classic Academy Award-winning animated comedy adventure Monsters, Inc. is set in Monstropolis, a thriving company town where monsters of all shapes and sizes reside. Lovable Sulley (voiced by John Goodman) and his wisecracking best friend Mike Wazowski (voiced by Billy Crystal) are the top scare team at Monsters, Inc., the largest scream-processing factory. The main power source in the monster world is the collected screams of human children—and at Monsters, Inc., an elite team of scarers is responsible for gathering those precious natural resources. Believed by monsters to be toxic, children are strictly forbidden from entering Monstropolis. But when a little girl named Boo (voiced by Mary Gibbs) accidentally follows Sulley back into his world, he finds his career in jeopardy and his life in utter chaos. Assisted by Mike, the two pals plot to rectify the mistake and return Boo to her home. When the trio encounters an unexpected series of complications, they become embroiled in a cover-up catapulting them into a mystery beyond their wildest dreams. Continue reading ‘Monsters, Inc.: Five-Disc Ultimate Collector’s Edition: 3D Blu-ray / Blu-ray / DVD Combo + Digital Copy (Blu-ray Review)’
We review Snitch, Bless Me, Ultima, Interview Sharon Seymour, production designer for Argo, and review Stoker.
WATCH US ON PBS SOCAL Saturdays at 6PM or pbssocal.org/justseenit
Continue reading ‘Just Seen It National Episode NINE Preview – March 14 – March 17, 2013’
We review Jack the Giant Slayer, Emperor, Chat with Steven Poster, president of the Cinematographers Guild and review the new Nicholas Sparks romantic drama – Safe Haven.
WATCH US ON PBS SOCAL Saturdays at 6PM or pbssocal.org/justseenit
Continue reading ‘Just Seen It National Episode EIGHT Preview – March 17 – March 10, 2013’
General MacArthur must decide if Emperor Hirohito should stand trial as a war criminal. So he assigns General Fellers to investigate the emperor’s involvement in the war. But the general seeks to find his own lost love.
WATCH US ON PBS SOCAL Saturdays at 6PM or pbssocal.org/justseenit
Jack and a young princess meet by chance. But Jack’s beanstalk accidentally opens up his world to Giants. Jack seeks to rescue the kidnapped princess and save his own world.
WATCH US ON PBS SOCAL Saturdays at 6PM or pbssocal.org/justseenit
Continue reading ‘Jack The Giant Slayer Movie Review – Just Seen It’
One of the most compelling heroes ever to step from novel to screen makes his highly-anticipated home entertainment debut when JACK REACHER blasts his way onto Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand on May 7, 2013 from Paramount Home Media Distribution. The film will be available for Digital Download on April 23rd. Tom Cruise tackles the title role with the brute force his character is known for and his “tightly controlled performance holds our attention all the way through to the tense finale” (Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News). Based on best-selling author Lee Child’s wildly popular series of novels, JACK REACHER was adapted for the screen and directed by Academy Award®-winner Christopher McQuarrie (Best Original Screenplay, The Usual Suspects, 1995). Filled with heart-pounding action, thrills and a “killer chase scene” (Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News), JACK REACHER is “hard-boiled detective story entertainment” (Richard Corliss, Time) that “will have you gasping in surprise at the velocity and ferocity of the action” (Marshall Fine, Huffington Post). The film also boasts “a top flight ensemble cast” (Claudia Puig, USA Today) including Robert Duvall (Apocalypse Now), Rosamund Pike (Die Another Day), Werner Herzog (Rescue Dawn), David Oyelowo (Rise of the Planet of the Apes), Richard Jenkins (The Cabin in the Woods) and Jai Courtney (A Good Day to Die Hard). Continue reading ‘‘Jack Reacher’ on Blu-ray May 7th!’
Iron Man 3 is getting closer and closer to its May 3rd release date and with all that anticipation bubbling to the surface, here is the latest and final theatrical trailer for the film, which sees Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) facing off against a powerful foe known as the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley). True to form, Marvel Studios is going all out to make this look like one of the action events of the year and I would be hard-pressed to argue against that, given how exciting this film looks to be. I just hope it is still hope that there is plenty of fun to be had, given Stark’s attitude and chemistry with the rest of the cast, along with knowing writer/director Shane Black’s (Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang) filmmaking sensibilities. Continue on to check out the brand new trailer.
Continue reading ‘Iron Man 3 – The Final Theatrical Trailer’
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