Archive Page 514
May 18th, 2012 by David Freedman
An evil Witch turns Barnabas Collins into a vampire and buries him. But after 200 years, he is freed only to find his descendants and estate in ruins. Confronted by the witch who cursed him, Barnabas must fight for his family and his new love. This dark and somewhat campy comedy stars Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter and Eva Green. and was directed by Tim Burton. Written by Seth Grahame-Smith and John August and produced by Christi Dembrowski, Johnny Depp, Graham King, Richard Zanuck and David Kennedy. Continue reading ‘Dark Shadows – Just Seen It Movie Review’
May 18th, 2012 by David Freedman
Five couples are planning for the arrival of their first child. Whether pregnant or adopting, they all find the journey to parenthood a difficult one. But as the magical day arrives, they rejoice in the miracle of new life. This ensemble romantic comedy stars Cameron Diaz, Matthew Morrison, Dennis Quaid, Chris Rock, Jennifer Lopez and Elizabeth Bank. It is directed by Kirk Jones and written by Shauna Cross and Heather Hach. The producers are Mike Medavoy, Arnold Messer and David Thwaites. Continue reading ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting – Just Seen It Movie Review’
May 18th, 2012 by Brian White
When I first heard they were making a live adaptation of the infamous Parker Bros. (now owned by Hasbro since 1991) game, Battleship, I thought oh my, what a huge naval epic it could be. The possibilities were endless, in my opinion. A grand scale naval adventure hasn’t seen success on the silver screen in many years now. So bring it on! But wait! Two things instantly ruined my anticipation of this onscreen adaptation. First there was the inclusion of Rihanna. Really? Come on! Why not include Brittany Spears and maybe even someone old school like Tiffany too? And then…there was this reveal of the film’s plot…ALIENS! Really?! I don’t exactly remember saying watch out for that alien ship when I sunk my dad’s battleship on A5. I only have one word to describe my feelings about all this…W-H-A-T-E-V-E-R. Continue reading ‘Battleship (Movie Review): Iron Man Meets John Carter in the Navy’
May 18th, 2012 by Jami Ferguson
When you see theaters advertising a Thursday midnight showing, you know the studios think they have a blockbuster on their hands. The latest summer blockbuster–to-be is Battleship. Being a Hasbro film, it made me a little nervous about it since I generally don’t like movies made (in part) by toy companies like G.I. Joe – The Rise of Cobra . Not having played with G.I. Joe dolls as a child I wondered if I was missing a certain nostalgia that would have increased my enjoyment of the film. To be fair, I did like the first Transformers movie but the other two lost my interest. Thinking of other board games that became movies, I did love the movie of Clue when it came out, although almost any murder mystery in a big house, is basically a game of Clue. Speaking of board games, I did play Battleship and I wasn’t sure how they were going to approach this movie since the game has two people sitting on opposite sides of a plastic game board putting pegs in sunken ships which doesn’t really sound like a great movie plot. I figured two warring nations would be engrossed in naval warfare, but that might get a little old. Battleship chose to go a different route and instead it’s everyone (multiple nations) battling alien invaders.
Continue reading ‘Battleship – A Hit and a Miss! (Movie Review)’
May 18th, 2012 by Sean Ferguson
Believing that the lives of an everyday family would be relatable to Americans in a way that existing TV shows were not, filmmakers set out to chronicle the life of the Louds, a seemingly “perfect family.” Once filming began though, the strain in the Loud’s marriage, the ups and downs of raising five children, as well as the criticism Pat Loud received for asking for a divorce and openly supporting her gay son, came sharply into focus. A complete departure from television shows of the time, An American Family gripped the nation, making the Louds a television sensation while leaving them unprepared for the consequences. In 2002, TV Guide named the documentary series one of the “Top 50 Greatest Shows of All Time.” Fascinating and illuminating, Cinema Verite stars an amazing ensemble cast. Along with Lane, the film features Academy Award and Golden Globe winner Tim Robbins (Mystic River) and Golden Globe and Emmy winner James Gandolfini (HBO’s The Sopranos). Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini directed a script written by David Seltzer. Continue reading ‘Cinema Verite (Blu-ray Review)’
May 18th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
The trickiest thing about writing a review for Battleship, the film based on the popular board game, which now pits Tim Riggins of Mars against a fleet of aliens that challenge the Navy to deadly war games…or something, is capturing why I did not really care for the film as much as I did other, similar films. It is a loud, $200 million, alien invasion flick, with lots of stuff that goes boom throughout its 2-hour runtime. It is perfectly suitable for the summertime, yet I did not have that much fun as I would have liked with it. Having recently seen New York get toppled (The Avengers), Chicago get blasted (Transformers: Dark of the Moon), and Los Angeles become a blown out war zone (Battle: LA), I think I am just a little tired of this. Battleship does not attempt to do anything new with this kind of film and aside from having a higher appreciation for the military, director Peter Berg does little to make this film really stand ahead of Michael “Boom Boom” Bay’s alien robot adventures. Battleship is less a terrible film and more a film that seems to be hitting me at a point where its type fatigues me. Continue reading ‘‘Battleship’: The Most Explosive Board Game Of The Year’
May 17th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
I am really looking forward to seeing Sacha Baron Cohen tackle more serious and dramatic work. I saw a hint of it in Hugo and, as is generally the case, comedic actors seem work just as well in a dramatic environment. I start out this way because I like Sacha Baron Cohen in general, but the movies that involve him trying being as offensive as possible do little for me. I chuckle at them, sometimes I laugh much harder, but when they finish, I am fine enough with what I saw and have no real desire to watch the film again. I have seen Borat once; I have seen Bruno once; and now I have seen The Dictator, but I do not really have any real lingering thoughts about any of these films that make me want to reflect on these crazy characters that Cohen has played (with vigorous and committed enthusiasm). Chances are people will generally enjoy this movie more than Bruno, but I am basically indifferent. Continue reading ‘‘The Dictator’ Seizes Comedy, Whether You Like It Or Not’
May 17th, 2012 by Gregg Senko
Most people I know are only familiar with Sacha Baron Cohen’s work on the Borat and Bruno level. My first exposure to him was 11 years ago in a boring Biloxi, Mississippi apartment with time to kill. There it was. The Ali G Show. Cohen displayed comedic brilliance in the role of the suburban Brit gangsta-wannabe, which of course also included Kazakhi tourist Borat and gay Austrian fashion journalist, Bruno. Fast forward those 11 years and here we are with Cohen’s latest incarnation as Admiral General Aladeen. My, how the mighty have fallen.
Continue reading ‘‘The Dictator’ Commands Few Laughs’
May 16th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
I missed this one while in theaters, but look forward to its release. Hailed as “a crime twist worthy of Hitchcock and dialogue worthy of the Coen Brothers” (Screen Daily), Thin Ice arrives on Blu-ray and DVD June 12 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Starring Oscar®-nominee Greg Kinnear (As Good AS It Gets, Little Miss Sunshine), Academy Award winner® Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine), Billy Crudup (Almost Famous, Jesus’ Son) and Lea Thompson (Back To The Future), this intriguing caper premiered to critical praise at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. Read on the learn more about this upcoming Blu-ray release Continue reading ‘Thin Ice Thaws Out This June’
May 16th, 2012 by Gerard Iribe
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment today announced that MARGARET, the long awaited follow up to two-time Academy Award® nominee Kenneth Kenneth Lonergan’s critically acclaimed debut feature You Can Count on Me, will release on Blu-ray combo pack July 10. Available exclusively at Amazon for a limited time, the two-disc Blu-ray set includes the theatrical version as well as a bonus DVD featuring the never-before-seen extended cut. Hailed as “one of the decade’s cinematic wonders” (Richard Brody, The New Yorker) and named “one of the best films of the year” (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times), MARGARET is “ambitious, affecting, unwieldy and haunting” (Ann Hornaday, Washington Post) and features complex performances from a powerhouse cast including Anna Paquin, as the film’s eponymous heroine (TV’s “True Blood”), Mark Ruffalo (The Kids are Alright), Matt Damon (We Bought a Zoo, Invictus), and Matthew Broderick (Wonderful World). Continue reading ‘‘Margaret’ on Blu-ray July 10th’
May 16th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
I have seen and heard a lot of Bobcat Goldthwait lately, as he has been promoting his newest film, God Bless America. Having retired from stand-up comedy nearly a decade ago, with his eyes set on being a filmmaker, he’s since made some interesting (and quite good) dark comedies; including Sleeping Dogs Lie and World’s Greatest Dad (Robin Williams is great in that movie). I like Bobcat Goldthwait. Listening to him now, he is very honest, funny, and brash in a good sort of way. It is unfortunate that God Bless America is not a better film. It certainly has a lot on its mind in regards to the state of America’s fascination with reality television, among other things, but the film does not come together as strongly as it could. There are enough good bits in it overall to make it something worth checking out for a person that wants to enjoy a decent dark comedy/satire, it just could have been more. Continue reading ‘‘God Bless America’: A Road Trip/Killing Spree Comedy’
May 16th, 2012 by Gerard Iribe
Was it Colonel Mustard in the study with a gun? Miss Scarlet in the billiard room with the rope? Or did the butler do it? Prepare for murder, madness, mystery and mayhem as the killer comedy CLUE® makes its Blu-ray debut on August 7, 2012 from Paramount Home Media Distribution. Based on the world-famous Parker Brothers board game, CLUE® boasts an all-star cast including Tim Curry, Christopher Lloyd, Madeline Kahn, Eileen Brennan, Martin Mull, Michael McKean and Lesley Ann Warren. When six guests arrive at a strange house they soon discover that they have more in common than they suspected, including the fact that they are all being blackmailed by the mysterious Mr. Boddy. But when their host turns up dead and the accusations fly, it’s anyone’s guess who done it. With seven suspects, six weapons, five bodies and three endings, CLUE® is an uproarious mystery that will keep you guessing—and laughing—until the very end. Continue reading ‘Get a ‘Clue’ on Blu-ray, August 7th’
May 15th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
Dark Shadows is a movie that has everything it needs to be a lot of fun, but ends up being too hit or miss to fully succeed in the end. The film has a great cast, some very impressive production values (fitting for a Tim Burton film), and an initial setup for a story that could have lead to some interesting places. The setup is strong, yes, but the film ends up being too messy in regards to handling all of its many subplots and characters. This would not be all too bad a thing if the film was at least constantly entertaining, but unfortunately, there are also various problems with how well established the characters are and how well the comedy works. Johnny Depp certainly tries hard, but the film is too messy and unfocused to really amount to much more than a forgettable, gothic jaunt. Continue reading ‘Dark Shadows Linger With Mixed Results’
May 15th, 2012 by Gerard Iribe
Summer is coming and it’s time to get weird! The “Workaholics” Season 2 DVD and the “Workaholics” Seasons 1 and 2 Combo Doggy Blu-Ray will be released on June 5 by COMEDY CENTRAL Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment. The Season 2 DVD features all 10 uncensored episodes from the sophomore season, plus never-before-seen bonus features including: Behind the Scenes in the Writers’ Room; Bloopers; Alternate Takes and Deleted Scenes; and “Drunkmentary” on all episodes. The Season 1 and 2 Combo Doggy Blu-Ray includes all 20 uncensored episodes from the first two seasons and an outstanding selection of bonus features: New Season 1 Behind-the-Scenes – Countdown to V-Town: Lead-Up to the Series Premiere; Behind the Scenes in the Writers’ Room; Cast Interviews; Bloopers; Alternate Takes and Deleted Scenes; Live at Bonnaroo; “Drunkmentary” on all episodes; and more. Continue reading ‘‘Workaholics’: Season 1 & 2 on Blu-ray June 5th’
May 14th, 2012 by Blu-ray Brian
The ultimate love story continues in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s spectacular musical Love Never Dies, a sequel to the legendary “Phantom of the Opera.” From musical theater’s most captivating composer and featuring the new highly-acclaimed Australian production filmed in Melbourne, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies arrives on Blu-ray with perfect hi-def picture and sound on May 29, 2012. With lush visuals and a mesmerizing score that rivals the original in power and beauty, this live production of Love Never Dies is a romantic necessity for every Broadway fan’s collection. And for two lucky fans here, we’re giving away two Blu-ray copies. Yep! You heard me right. TWO Blu-ray copies! Read on and find out how you can win one! Continue reading ‘Love Never Dies – Online Blu-ray Giveaway’
May 14th, 2012 by Blu-ray Brian
Just in time for the 2012 release of the theatrical remake, fans can experience the original Arnold sci-fi masterpiece like never before when Lionsgate releases Total Recall: Mind-Bending Edition on Blu-ray and Digital Download July 31st. Comprised of an all-new Director approved, high-definition transfer from the original film negative and including exclusive bonus materials, there’s no better time to revisit this cult classic starring the action legend…Arnold Schwarzenegger. Total Recall is a winner of a Special Achievement Academy Award for its groundbreaking visual effects and the blockbuster action film was also nominated for two Oscars. How about that? I can’t wait! Check out the rest of the press release below and pre-order your Blu-ray copy today! Continue reading ‘Total Recall: July’s Mind-Bending Blu-ray Edition!’
May 14th, 2012 by David Freedman
Batman is now a criminal after taking the blame for Harvey Dent’s murders. But he discovers that a new villain is planning to destroy Gotham City. Together with both allies new and old, he fights against murderous Bane. This final movie in the trilogy stars Christian Bale, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy and Gary Oldman and is once again directed by Christopher Nolan. Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan wrote the screenplay and produced it along with Charles Roven and Emma Thomas. Continue reading ‘The Dark Knight Rises – Just Seen It Preview Review’
May 14th, 2012 by Gregg Senko
Though there are only 2 films to its credit, the successful Tron franchise is frequently mentioned when it comes to landmark special effects. The original film from 1982 set a visual standard back then and that high quality was maintined when Tron: Legacy entered the digital fray in 2010. The series now continues with that same backbone of wowing imagery in the form of the new Disney cartoon series Tron: Uprising.
Continue reading ‘Disney Delivers Wows with ‘Tron: Uprising’’
