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Starring Sean Wright, Leah Aldridge and David Freedman.Directed by Amy Taylor.
Synopsis: James Bond is presumed dead after a mission goes wrong in Istanbul. But when M and MI6 come under attack, he resurfaces to stop the terror. Together, they fight a madman bent on personal revenge.
WATCH US ON PBS SOCAL Saturdays at 6PM or pbssocal.org/justseenit
Salim, Aaron and Leah review this new drama about Abraham Lincoln and his quest to abolish slavery. Starring Salim Lemelle, Leah Aldridge and Aaron Fink. Directed by Sean Wright.
Synopsis: As the civil war continues to rage, America’s president deals with the unending carnage. Seeking to abolish slavery, he leads the passage of the thirteen amendment. But he must fight many in his own cabinet and his party to free the slaves.
WATCH US ON PBS SOCAL Saturdays at 6PM or pbssocal.org/justseenit
Since ancient times, stories of epic battles and mystical legends have been passed through the generations across the rugged and mysterious Highlands of Scotland. From Disney and Pixar, a new tale joins the lore when the courageous Merida (voice of Kelly Macdonald) confronts tradition and challenges destiny to change her fate. Brave follows the heroic journey of Merida, a skilled archer and headstrong daughter of King Fergus (voice of Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (voice of Emma Thompson). Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the unruly and uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin (voice of Kevin McKidd), surly Lord Macintosh (voice of Craig Ferguson) and cantankerous Lord Dingwall (voice of Robbie Coltrane). Merida’s actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom, and when she turns to an eccentric Witch (voice of Julie Walters) for help, she is granted an ill-fated wish. The ensuing peril forces Merida to harness all of her skills and resources – including her clever and mischievous triplet brothers – to undo a beastly curse before it’s too late, discovering the meaning of true bravery. Directed by Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman, Brave is a grand adventure full of heart, memorable characters and signature Pixar humor that audiences of all ages around the world have come to eagerly expect. Continue reading ‘Brave: Five Disc Ultimate Collector’s Edition – Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD + Digital Copy (Blu-ray Review)’
Lincoln is a film that has been a long time coming. I remember hearing about early stories of director Steven Spielberg working on getting a movie made about Abraham Lincoln, with Tom Hanks being rumored for the role. Then things became more official, as Liam Neeson was said to be attached. The time passed, Neeson bowed out, only to have Daniel Day-Lewis jump in, bringing his intense, method actor ways to Spielberg’s period drama. This worked out for the better, I suppose, as Day-Lewis appears to be embodying the Great Emancipator, but in less an overpowering way, as past portrayals have implied, but in an authoritative, yet kind manner. Similarly, Lincoln, as a whole, is not an overpowering biopic, but a drama focused on a very specific period in the 16th President’s life. The results are quite good, as everyone involved has worked to achieve an incredibly cinematic, well-acted, drama that respects the material, if just a bit too much. Continue reading ‘‘Lincoln’ Finds Courage In Its Craft And Focus’
Please except my sincerest apologies for the delay in getting this online review out to you today. You see, I had a completely different review that I’d already written in advance and it was going to serve as a lead in here, but I immediately discarded it after my press screening this past Wednesday evening. It kind of sounds like I’m getting ready to go into full bashing mode, doesn’t it? Well that maybe so, but don’t worry. I will always explain the way I feel like I do and feel free to take advantage of the section below that many of our founding fathers died fighting for…the freedom of speech (aka the comments section). Hold on tight. This is going to be one bumpy ride. And remember…I’m the minority here. Continue reading ‘007 Turns 50 in ‘Skyfall’ (Movie Review)’
James Bond returns in this 23rd entry in a series that is now celebrating its 50th anniversary. The enduring character has gone through a lot, from secret volcano lairs, to undersea hideouts, to up into outer space. Since Daniel Craig has taken on the role of Bond, the character has since become grounded in a somewhat more plausible reality than some of the more outlandish entries (very similar to Dalton’s days, actually). Unfortunately, following the superb Casino Royale, my hopes were incredibly dashed by Quantum of Solace, which I considered the biggest disappointment of 2008 and one of the lesser entries in the Bond series as a whole. Moving up to present day, it was my great pleasure to not only have my anticipation for Skyfall reignited by the fact that it looked to be great, but to now have seen the film and acknowledge it as a wonderfully entertaining, strongly acted, and beautiful-looking entry in the series. The best part is that this presentation of Bond feels like a Bond movie. Continue reading ‘‘Skyfall’ Is A Great Celebration Of Bond’s 50th Anniversary’
Secret of the Wings is Disney’s highly-anticipated all-new movie in the Tinker Bell Disney Fairies film franchise. For Tinker Bell and the other warm season fairies, the Winter Woods remains a mysterious and forbidden place. Secret of the Wings takes audiences on an amazing journey of discovery with Tink, into this forbidden world where she discovers a magical secret that changes her life forever. Secret of the Wings is a magical fairy adventure for the whole family, and it features a spectacular voice cast including Academy Award-Winner Anjelica Huston (TV’s ‘Smash’), Timothy Dalton (TV’s ‘Chuck’, The Living Daylights), Lucy Liu (TV’s ‘Elementary’, Charlie’s Angels), Raven-Symoné (TV’s ‘That’s So Raven’), Megan Hilty (TV’s ‘Smash’), Pamela Adlon (TV’s ‘Louie’), Matt Lanter (TV’s ‘90210’), Debby Ryan (TV’s ‘Jesse’) and Mae Whitman (TV’s ‘Parenthood’), and introducing the sparkling new winter fairy, Periwinkel, voiced by Lucy Hale (TV’s ‘Pretty Little Liars’). Continue reading ‘Secret of the Wings 2D / 3D Flitteriffic Fairies Double Pack (Blu-ray Review)’
You better watch out! Santa Claus is coming to town, and he knows who’s been bad. On November 30th, Anchor Bay Films presents Silent Night on screen in ten major U.S. metropolitan areas. Blu-ray™/DVD combo and DVD will be available to unwrap nationwide on December 4th. A loose remake of the horror classic Silent Night, Deadly Night, the film’s stellar cast includes Malcolm McDowell (Rob Zombie’s Halloween, Easy A), Jaime King (Sin City, My Bloody Valentine 3D), Donal Logue (Shark Night 3D, Blade), Lisa Marie (Sleepy Hollow), Brendan Fehr (Final Destination, X-Men First Class), and Ellen Wong (Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World). Continue reading ‘‘Silent Night’ in Theaters November 30th and on Blu-ray December 4th’
This past summer, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter came and went through theaters without much of an impact. It was not really a colossal failure, but it also did not do much to win over fans of a genre mash-up. I read the book based on recommendations and obvious intrigue, due to the fact that it’s called Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, and I found it to be a really interesting read in the way it told a tale that involved vampires, while clearly being well-researched in the way it tied story elements into historical events. Unfortunately, the film represents little that was seen in the book, which would not be a bad thing, except for the fact that the movie is not very good on its own. There is some fun to be had in the campy/stylized way the vampire hunting action is portrayed, but all of the other clunky aspects make it feel like just another generic action movie that happens to be set in a particular time period, with a layer of the supernatural to help distinguish it. The film now arrives on Blu-ray and is packed with special features, so at least there is plenty more to learn about the making of this first of two theatrical outings for Abraham Lincoln this year. Find out if the Blu-ray is worth checking out. Continue reading ‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (Blu-ray Review)’
In anticipation for the upcoming musical adaptation of Les Miserables, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is releasing the 1998 theatrical version of the classic story onto Blu-ray for the first time on December 11th. It has been many years since I have seen this version of the story, which was done as an adaptation of the novel by Victor Hugo, as opposed to a musical, but I do remember enjoying it quite a bit. It stars Liam Neeson as Jean Valjean, Geoffrey Rush as Javert, Uma Thurman as Fantine, and Claire Danes as Cosette and from what I recall, was a great-looking movie for sure. I will be very curious to see how this movie compares now, so read on to learn more about this upcoming Blu-ray release. Continue reading ‘LES MISERABLES Debuts For the First Time on Blu-ray™ with UltraViolet™ December 11th’
So they say that Resident Evil: Retribution is the biggest and best Resident Evil ever. That remains to be seen. Err…I mean only because I did not catch it in the theater to make that judgment call, but I’m looking forward to the Blu! So here’s the dealio. Milla Jovovich is back in the latest, adrenaline charged, action-packed installment of the Resident Evil franchise. The T-Virus breaks out on Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3-D December 21st. I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to it! Bring it on. But in the meantime…check out the full press review from Sony below and pre-order yours now! Continue reading ‘Resident Evil: Retribution Brings The Plague Home To Blu-ray’
There is a solid 30 minutes of Flight that makes for one really compelling drama. It involves a sequence that will terrify anyone that was already a nervous flier and sets up possible stakes for the rest of the film. Unfortunately, that was merely the film that was being advertised, not the one that we see in Flight, the return to live-action filmmaking for director Robert Zemeckis. The rest of this film is generally well-acted all around, but also very heavy-handed, as we watch Denzel Washington’s character deal with the effects of alcoholism from an internal level, as the film does not give him much of a life to see self-destruct elsewhere. As a result, this is a film that is admirable for existing as an adult character study, but is also overlong and uneven, hwile cruising at a safe altitude. Continue reading ‘‘Flight’ Coasts With Good Acting, In The Midst Of A Stormy, Heavy-Handed Drama’
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Academy Award-winning director Steven Spielberg’s magical adventure, celebrates its 30th Anniversary with its first-ever release on Blu-ray. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial remains the fourth most successful movie of all-time in the United States. Nominated for nine Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Writing and Best Screenplay, the film took home four statuettes for Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Effects Editing, Best Sound and Best Music for John Williams’ (Jaws) memorable score. The unforgettable cast includes the adorable Drew Barrymore (He’s Just Not That Into You, Charlie’s Angels), Henry Thomas (Dear John, Legends of the Fall), Dee Wallace (10, “Sons and Daughters”) and Peter Coyote (“Law & Order: LA,” Jagged Edge). Featuring an all-new, digitally remastered picture that delivers six times the resolution of DVD, as well as all-new 7.1 surround sound, this Blu-ray Combo Pack includes the 1982 theatrical movie, an all-new interview with director Steven Spielberg, and “The E.T. Journals” featuring never-before-seen footage from the set of the film. The Blu-ray Combo Pack also includes UltraViolet, a DVD and a Digital Copy of the film, offering fans a chance to relive the mystery, laughter and wonder of the iconic movie anytime, anywhere on the platform of their choice. Continue reading ‘E.T. The Extra Terrestrial: 30th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray Review)’
The Man with the Iron Fists is the movie that The RZA (pronounced Rih-Zah) has always wanted to make and a film that people would likely expect from him. It is a martial arts epic infused with hip-hop that pays loving tribute to the Shaw Brothers era of Kung Fu movies, with a mix of modern day sensibilities. I have been guilty in the past of not appreciating similar and recent films like Ninja Assassin and The Warrior’s Way, but The Man with the Iron Fists just hit me the write way I guess. The film is incredibly silly from its plot to its casting, but it has the kind of energy that I was able to get into and fits into this grindhouse mold that Quentin Tarantino (presenter of the film) and Eli Roth (co-writer and producer) have been trying to popularize as of late. It also has an expected, awesome soundtrack and score. Continue reading ‘‘The Man With The Iron Fists’ Is A Fitting Tribute From RZA’
I guess I’ll just get this over right from the get go. You may proceed to throw proverbial stones if you want. I know I’m in the minority here. Spider-Man 3 was my favorite flick of the Raimi trilogy. Ouch! Ooh! Ah! That hurts. But hey! I have my reasons for liking it, and regardless of the popular vote, I’m not backing down or conceding my position. So needless to say, just when I was anxiously awaiting what Raimi would do with Spidey in his fourth go around, Sony pulled the plug. A reboot was announced. The director of 500 Days of Summer was hired to helm. I pondered this for days. Okay. I lied. I pondered this for years. It wasn’t until I saw test footage at Comic-Con in 2011 that I was accepting and onboard the Marc Webb train. He caught my attention with the use of CGI in recreating a sorely missed and iconic villain from the Spider-Man lore, The Lizard. Continue reading ‘The Amazing Spider-Man (Blu-ray Review)’
Beginning this February, IDW Publishing is excited to announce a unique new miniseries by writer Mike Heimos and artist Nick Runge (Judge Dredd, Ghostbusters)! Taking readers back to World War II and to the oft-unseen locales explored by the 6th Infantry Division of the 6th Army, FEVER RIDGE is an 8-part series, a historical fiction inspired by real soldiers and their incredible experiences. Written by first-time creator Heimos in tribute to his grandfather, a decorated soldier, FEVER RIDGE puts readers in country with “The Sightseein’ Sixth” and the Alamo Scouts, their jungle commandoes. This is a look at the world’s greatest war from another angle. Exploring General Douglas MacArthur’s campaigns deep in the jungles of New Guinea and the Philippines, this is a story that will explore exotic characters, events, and locales and will unearth a few secrets along the way. Continue reading ‘IDW Takes Comics to ‘FEVER RIDGE!’’
So here is another 2012 movie that seems to be tailored for me to really enjoy it. As ParaNorman delivered a fun zombie movie in a stop-motion world (with dramatic arcs and solid messages as a bonus) and Seven Psychopaths delivered on my love for darkly humorous hit man comedies (with dramatic arcs and a humorously meta touch as a bonus), Wreck-It Ralph is an ode to video gaming (with dramatic arcs and tons of geeky references as a bonus). The film does not necessarily break away from the classic Disney formula and the humor may not necessarily be so much timeless as it is very deliberately skewed towards people that grew up with various types of video games, but it is incredibly entertaining on multiple levels and another great-looking feature from Disney’s animation studio. Continue reading ‘‘Wreck-It Ralph’ Earns Multiple 1-Ups’
Guest reviewer JimmyO, Salim and Aaron discuss the newest season of this horror anthology. Starring Jimmy Oster, Salim Lemelle and Aaron Fink. Directed by Amy Taylor.
Synopsis: Season Two of this anthology takes us to the Briarcliff mental institution in 1964. Many of the patients are committed against their will, for crimes they claim they did not commit. But with the brutal treatment they just try to survive.
WATCH US ON PBS SOCAL Saturdays at 6PM or pbssocal.org/justseenit
Continue reading ‘American Horror Story Retrospective – Just Seen It’
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