Archive Page 481
December 25th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
Right off the bat, I should say that between the novel by Victor Hugo, the stage play, and previous film adaptations, I am quite familiar with the story of Les Miserables. The idea of a big-budget film musical, with an A-list set of actors, and an Oscar-winning director certainly sounds like a success story in the making, and I think in a lot of ways this film works and is sure to get a lot of support from audiences. At least two performances are absolutely wonderful, the music is of course great, and from a production standpoint, there is a lot of ambition to be seen. Still, it is very clear that director Tom Hooper very much wanted to direct the hell out of this film and goes pretty overboard with his visual touch on this film. As a result, the film is hindered by its overall presentation, especially as it attempts to rush through so many events during much of its runtime. It will end up being dependent on the viewer as to whether or not this version of Les Mis does right by them, as it still does have stirring musical numbers.
Continue reading ‘‘Les Miserables’ Is Bombastic, But Sure To Please Audiences (Movie Review)’
December 24th, 2012 by David Freedman
Salim, Aaron and Guest Reviewer Aaron Neuwirth review the new Western from director Quentin Tarantino. Starring Aaron Fink, Salim Lemelle and Aaron Neuwirth. Directed by Amy Taylor.
Synopsis: Bounty Hunter King Shultz frees enslaved Django, to he helps him track the deadly Brittle Brothers. So the two team up capture the South’s most wanted criminals. All the while, they hunt for Django’s enslaved wife.
WATCH US ON PBS SOCAL Saturdays at 6PM or pbssocal.org/justseenit
Continue reading ‘Django Unchained Movie Review – Just Seen It’
December 24th, 2012 by David Freedman
Sean, Liz and Rachel want to sing their reviews (well, at least Sean does) but fortunately, they just talk about the movie instead. Enjoy! Starring Liz Manashil, Rachel Appelbaum and Sean Wright. Directed by Matt Breault.
Synopsis: After breaking parole, Jean Valjean is tracked by the ruthless policeman Javert. Valjean finds redemption in his love and care of the child Cosette. But Javert continues his unrelenting hunt for Valjean.
WATCH US ON PBS SOCAL Saturdays at 6PM or pbssocal.org/justseenit
Continue reading ‘Les Miserables Movie Review – Just Seen It’
December 24th, 2012 by David Freedman
Over-protective parents Marty and Alice must leave town for work. So they ask they Alice’s Mom and Dad to watch the kids for a few days. But Diane and Artie find lots has changed since they were calling the shots in Parental Guidance.
Leah, Rachel and Brenna review the new family comedy starring Billy Crystal and Bette Midler. Starring Brenna Smith, Leah Aldridge and Rachel Appelbaum. Directed by Liz Manashil.
WATCH US ON PBS SOCAL Saturdays at 6PM or pbssocal.org/justseenit Continue reading ‘Parental Guidance Movie Review – Just Seen It’
December 24th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
This is not really a post of joy, but every year does see the release of films that are just not good. I do not try to seek out these films, with the majority being ones that I did think could have redeemable elements, but that just wasn’t the case here. This list contains what I think were all the biggest misses of the year, which I watched in full and could not handle. I also have a list of disappointing films, which are not necessarily terrible, but certainly far from living up to their potential. It is fortunate that I had a much harder time (in a good way) putting together the “best of” list, but for now, here is a list of films I would put at the bottom of an otherwise very good year. Also and unfortunately, I did not get to cross Alex Cross before the year ended, so I’m just going to have to call this the Alex Cross Memorial Worst Films List for now.
Continue reading ‘Aaron’s Top 10 Worst Films of 2012’
December 24th, 2012 by Brian White
Although I’m a big Joseph Gordon-Levitt (JGL) fan and who can deny the charisma of Bruce Willis, I gotta say…I wasn’t really looking forward to this one back in September. The trailers looked intriguing, but they never completely sold it and hooked me in. But I thought…hey….why not? If the movie’s terrible, there’s always going to be Emily Blunt to look at if nothing else. So you have to look for the good in EVERYTHING…at least in these economically deprived days. Times are tough. But enough about me. This about you…the loyal masses who read our Blu-ray reviews. So without further ado or any more words from our commercial sponsors I am willing to begin deconstructing and re-evaluating (since this will be my second time viewing and talking about the flick) the time travel plot of September 2012’s science fiction action film…Looper. Here goes nothing. Continue reading ‘Looper (Blu-ray Review)’
December 23rd, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
In a year that has given us the French comedy hit, The Intouchables (which I kind of liked) and David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook (which I liked a lot), we have also been given the French/Belgian drama Rust and Bone, which is a fitting sum of each of those films’ parts. It is certainly not a comedy, but instead a film about an unconventional romance formed by tragedy, which manages to subvert convention and contrived scenarios by becoming more complex in what is presented. The bonus is that the two lead performances are fantastic, which is matched by some incredible special effects, which are sure to be overlooked, due to the lack of spectacle. That is no matter though, because Rust and Bone will still stand as one of the year’s best for me, in a year that seems to keep trying to outdo itself.
Continue reading ‘‘Rust And Bone’ Presents A Unique Bond (Movie Review)’
December 23rd, 2012 by Gerard Iribe
This worst-of list will not be as long as my other Top 10 lists due to the fact that some films that were downright unwatchable weren’t even watched all the way through. I decided not to subject myself to them, so some of these selections will probably just get “honorable worst-of” mentions instead, or a combination thereof. The films that I did watch in their entirety and hated are listed below. There are several big flicks on this list, with massive budgets, but most should not have even gotten made. Some had great marketing, some looked great in the trailers, but they fizzled out at the end. With that being said, sit back, relax, and enjoy my WORST films of 2012 list. Continue reading ‘Gerard’s Worst Films of 2012′
December 23rd, 2012 by Sean Ferguson
Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios take moviegoers up, up and away with a wildly original adventure with their latest comedy-fantasy. Up follows the uplifting tale of 78-year-old balloon salesman Carl Fredricksen, who finally fulfills his lifelong dream of a great adventure when he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America. But he discovers all too late that his biggest nightmare has stowed away on the trip: an overly optimistic 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer named Russell. Their journey to a lost world, where they encounter some strange, exotic and surprising characters, is filled with hilarity, emotion and wildly imaginative adventure. Continue reading ‘Up 2D / 3D (Blu-ray Review)’
December 22nd, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
Sorry to reiterate the title, but Zero Dark Thirty is in fact a thrilling work of journalism come to life. This is not a film that relies on sensational action sequences to depict the hunt for Osama bin Laden, nor is it a film that eventually finds the wonderful Jessica Chastain eventually strapping on night goggles, picking up a gun, and joining S.E.A.L. Team Six to raid his compound. Zero Dark Thirty is an excellent procedural film about methods and process, as it depicts the hunt for Bin Laden in obsessive detail. This entire film is based on research, but that also does not mean it is the exact version of what happened. This is a film about a fierce woman’s pursuit to solve a problem and the people involved in the procedural tactics of getting that work done. It just happens to be that this work is based on the story of the world’s greatest manhunt.
Continue reading ‘‘Zero Dark Thirty’ Is A Thrilling Work Of Journalism Come To Life (Movie Review)’
December 22nd, 2012 by Brian White
I have to admit, while covering Sony’s Resident Evil Comic-Con panel in 2010 (here), I truly believed Resident Evil: Afterlife was going to be the last film in the franchise, at least for Milla Jovovich’s character and arc. Was I ever wrong! Not only did they prove my way of thinking incorrect, but Milla has returned for yet another bang ‘em up entry into the mostly forgettable zombie franchise, Resident Evil, and has recently confirmed her involvement in a sixth, and hopefully final entry that will end her character’s story and possibly set the tone for futures ones or a reboot without her. Whatever the plan, it sounds good to me. The Resident Evil movies are not going to get any critical acclaim or standing applause from the moviegoing community, but at the end of the day, it’s still an entertaining way to spend your time and escape for 90-minutes in lieu of dealing with real life. Continue reading ‘Resident Evil: Retribution (Blu-ray Review)’
December 21st, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
Kicking off my Top 10 year-end lists for 2012, here are my Top 10 Blu-rays that I have enjoyed and could not pass up giving full recommendations to. The following list is set of films that I consider to be some of the best that the Blu-ray format has had to offer for this year. Much like last year, I stayed true to some rules; I have to have actually watched the movie on Blu-Ray, recognize it for its quality video and audio transfers, delved into the special features, and most importantly, I did not put any film on the list that may also be on my “Top 10 Films of the year” list. This means excluding films like Cabin in the Woods (which has a fantastic Blu-ray). I followed these rules for the sake of keeping my list interesting, so here we go:
Continue reading ‘Aaron’s Top 10 Blu-rays of 2012’
December 21st, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
I am not sure how concerned with my own age I should be when thinking about This Is 40, but I can say that I have doubts that Judd Apatow’s new film about a couple with two kids living in a mansion in LA, facing financial issues, because Paul Rudd’s record label is not doing too good is going to relate to too many other people either. It is a purposefully biting opening remark, but it is the biggest flaw of the movie. Its other flaw is how there seems to be so much material here, which could almost be spread out into a one season-long TV series, but instead the film just has many lingering plot threads. Putting all of that upfront, I will say that I did laugh quite a bit too, which puts the film in a weird middle-ground for me. It has likable qualities, but this is supposed to be a mainstream comedy and Apatow’s free form approach to plot structure really is not helping this time around.
Continue reading ‘‘This Is 40’ Features Lots Of Laughs And Unrelatable Problems (Movie Review)’
December 21st, 2012 by Gerard Iribe
It’s that not-so-dreaded time of the year where I unleash my Top 10 Blu-rays of 2012. This year I thought I’d go against the grain the best that I could and just limit myself on picking Blu-rays that actually made a statement in terms of video, audio, and special features, instead of films that were cool that got the benefit of the doubt because they’re on Blu-ray. I think I cheated last year and did just that. Not this year, though. Some of my selections may have tons of special features and some may not. What can be said is that the TLC that went into the Blu-rays themselves is fairly evident and I have taken notice in that regard. I’ve also got a couple of imports that should be noted, so without further ado…I present my Top 10 bad ass Blu-rays of 2012. Kick it! Continue reading ‘Gerard’s Top 10 Bad Ass Blu-rays of 2012′
December 20th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
This sounds like a really interesting film, that I will be looking forward to checking out soon. From the press release: A schoolteacher gets waylaid in the Australian outback and takes a journey into the heart of darkness in WAKE IN FRIGHT, a revered and groundbreaking thriller that for 40 years lived only in the memory of its initial viewers. But following its miraculous recovery and restoration, the “lost” film made a triumphant return to screens nationwide this fall. Now it will make its home entertainment debut when Drafthouse Films releases it on high-definition Blu-ray and DVD on January 15, 2013. Continue on to learn more about this upcoming release.
Continue reading ‘Drafthouse Films Brings WAKE IN FRIGHT to Blu-ray & DVD On 1/15’
December 20th, 2012 by Sean Ferguson
Making a top ten list of Blu-rays is always a difficult thing for me to do. The fact that there’s so many excellent releases that I haven’t seen yet just makes it even harder because I know a lot of them would be on my list, not to mention that the year isn’t over yet and I still have more movies that I haven’t even reviewed yet. So with that in mind, I’ve decided to make a list of the Top 10 Blu-rays that I’ve actually seen and most likely reviewed, and another list of Blu-rays that I probably would have included on this list if I had seen them. Continue reading ‘Sean’s Top Ten Blu-rays of 2012 / Holiday Gift Guide’
December 19th, 2012 by Gerard Iribe
The global horror sensation that has mesmerized fans around the world continues to terrify and thrill audiences with the latest installment in the franchise, PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4, debuting on January 29, 2013 in a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack with UltraViolet™ and a Digital Copy. PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 continues the shocking story of the evil surrounding Katie and her nephew Hunter as a new family begins experiencing unexplained events that quickly turn deadly. Fans can be the first to own the newest chapter via Digital Download, which will be available on January 15, two weeks before the Blu-ray/DVD. The Digital Download will be available in either the theatrical version of the film or an unrated version with footage not seen in theaters. The PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 Blu-ray/DVD combo pack includes both the theatrical version of the film and the unrated version, as well as “The Recovered Files” with nearly 30 minutes of new found footage. In addition, the Blu-ray/DVD combo available for purchase will be enabled with UltraViolet, a new way to collect, access and enjoy movies. With UltraViolet, consumers can add movies to their digital collection in the cloud, and then stream or download them – safely and securely – to a variety of devices. Continue reading ‘‘Paranormal Activity 4’ on Blu-ray January 29th!’
December 19th, 2012 by Gerard Iribe
SMASHED, the powerful and gripping drama starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) and two-time Emmy Award®-winner Aaron Paul (TV’s “Breaking Bad,” Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, 2012; 2010), arrives on Blu-ray™and DVD March 12th from Sony Pictures Classics and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The star-studded supporting cast includes Nick Offerman (TV’s “Parks & Recreation”), Emmy winner Megan Mullally (TV’s “Will & Grace,” Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, 1998 and TV’s “Parks and Recreation”), Emmy winner Mary Kay Place (TV’s “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actress, Comedy Series, 1977) and Academy Award®-winner Octavia Spencer (The Help, Best Supporting Actress, 2012). Continue reading ‘Time to get ‘Smashed’ on Blu-ray March 12!’
