Archive Page 518
April 21st, 2012 by Sean Ferguson
To satisfy consumer demand and serve the growing base of Blu-ray households, The Walt Disney Studios today announced plans to add more than 30 popular and iconic films to its ever-expanding Blu-ray library. Each film selected for release has been fully digitally remastered, with dirt and anomalies cleaned to a pristine level, offering viewers optimum high definition picture and sound quality of some of their favorite films. The films selected for release appeal to families, film-lovers and collectors with a wide-breadth of Live-Action, Animated, Romance titles that range from Beaches to While You Were Sleeping and Pocahontas to The Santa Clause. Many are celebrating special 10th, 15th and 20th Anniversary Edition releases, many are Academy-Award Winning Films like Dead Poets Society, Evita, Dick Tracy, and many are back by popular demand including Hocus Pocus, Adventures in Babysitting, and The Color of Money.
Continue reading ‘Disney Plans to Release 30+ Blu-rays for 2012!’
April 20th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
Vanilla can be an underrated flavor. The Lucky One is a film that does everything as one would expect it to do and has little shading to really differentiate it from what one expects a romantic drama to be. It has several impossibly nice characters, one jerk, and plenty of adorable animals living in a beautiful setting, going through the motions of a story that will definitely end in one specific way. With that said, I have nothing really against any of this. It is fine for the audiences that this film is meant for (fans of romantic dramas and devotees to Nicholas Sparks books) and does not have anything clunky or poorly handled enough to really make me have any sort of ill will towards the film. Overall, it may play like a plain, vanilla-type film, but it’s fine. Continue reading ‘Find Out If You’re ‘The Lucky One’’
April 19th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
We Bought a Zoo is a movie made to make you feel good. There is no other way around that. It features nice performances, a nice score, stakes that are enough to keep you involved, but never to really put you in a tense place, and an overall sweetness that is enough to make your teeth fall out. It is certainly nothing I hold against the film, especially given that it is based on a true story, but the joyful optimism seen in this film can only take one so far, before the level of interest starts to fade. Still, We Bought a Zoo is perfectly acceptable for families to watch together and at least possesses a confidence in the acting and filmmaking to keep it ahead of other, similar family friendly features. It also helps that the Blu-ray is pretty fantastic Continue reading ‘We Bought A Zoo: Blu-ray Review’
April 18th, 2012 by Gerard Iribe
Get ready for no-holds-barred hilarity with the uncensored version of the outrageous Road Trip on Blu-ray®. In this raunchy comedy, Josh (Breckin Meyer), a student at a college in Ithaca, NY, videotapes his one-night stand with beautiful sorority girl Beth (Amy Smart). A few days later, Josh discovers that one of his friends accidentally mailed the homemade porn tape to his girlfriend, Tiffany (Rachel Blanchard), who is spending some time with her family in Austin, TX. Josh and his friends Barry (Tom Green), Kyle (D.J. Qualls), E.L. (Seann William Scott), and Rubin (Paulo Costanzo) borrow a car and hit the road in a desperate bid to intercept the tape before Tiffany loads it into her VCR; Beth, however, wants Josh for herself and has her own plans to track down Tiffany. Continue reading ‘‘Road Trip’ Best Buy Exclusive on Blu-ray May 1st’
April 17th, 2012 by Blu-ray Brian
Wow! May 22nd is coming fast. What’s so important about May 22nd you ask? Well, that’s when a beautifully haunted tale comes to life on the Blu-ray format. I’m talking about The Woman in Black. Never ever did I see myself liking this film, but when I left the theater that cold Sunday afternoon, I left with a gigantic smile on my face. The script was tight, yo! So check it out. I have included the full press release form Sony Pictures Home Entertainment below as well as a pre-order link so your can serve your request up now. Get to it! Continue reading ‘The Woman In Black Appears on Blu’
April 16th, 2012 by Gerard Iribe
Every second counts in this sexy, stylish action-thriller starring Justin Timberlake and Amanda Syfried. In a future where time is literally money and aging stops at 25, the only way to stay alive is to earn, borrow, steal or inherit more time. But when a poor, working-class man (Timberlake) is falsely accused of murder, he teams up with a beautiful heiress (Seyfried) and must figure out a way to bring down the corrupt system before their dwindling life clocks run out! Continue reading ‘In Time (Blu-ray Review)’
April 14th, 2012 by Sean Ferguson
Danger takes on a whole new meaning as the X-Men are forced to confront a reality they never thought possible. Continuing the saga of the Astonishing X-Men, comic book pages come alive when Shout! Factory, in association with Marvel Knights Animation, debuted the highly anticipated Marvel Knights Animation Astonishing X-Men: Dangerous on DVD, April 10, 2012. The highly popular “Dangerous” storyline and colorful visuals from the graphic novel by pop culture icons Joss Whedon and John Cassaday combine smart story telling, incredible action, and startling revelations in the second story arc of the acclaimed Astonishing X-Men multi-part series. This DVD invites viewers to delve deep inside the imaginative world of the Marvel Universe. Continue reading ‘Astonishing X-Men: Dangerous (DVD Review)’
April 14th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
So I have wrongly been associating this movie with John Carpenter and Kurt Russell. There is a certain attitude and story structure that definitely evokes this classic 80s sci-fi/action combo, but really, Lockout (or Space Jail, as I’ve been calling it) is much more in line with 90s Bruce Willis action movies. It has such a care free, “screw it” sort of attitude that making fun of the movie will get you nowhere, because it is very much in on the joke already. Space Jail cares very little about establishing realistic logic and is more concerned with having plenty of fun, as Guy Pearce spits out one-liners, while aboard a prison that is located in space. It is a simple gimmick, hovering over a familiar action flick plot, but the energy in its delivery kept a smile on my face. Continue reading ‘‘Lockout’: Escape From Space Jail’
April 14th, 2012 by Jami Ferguson
The electrifying science-fiction thriller The Darkest Hour arrives on 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD April 10th from Summit Entertainment. Emile Hirsch (Speed Racer, Into the Wild), Max Minghella (Ides of March, The Social Network) and Olivia Thirlby (TV’s “Bored to Death,” Dredd) star in this story of five young people who find themselves stranded in Moscow and fight to survive in the wake of a devastating alien attack. With Moscow’s classic beauty as the backdrop, The Darkest Hour features some interesting special effects from the minds of visionary filmmakers Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted) and Chris Gorak (Fight Club, Minority Report). The movie never lets up as the invaders begin their assault on Earth, targeting the planet’s power supply. Continue reading ‘The Darkest Hour 3D / 2D (Blu-ray Review)’
April 13th, 2012 by Jami Ferguson
Five friends go to a remote cabin in the woods. Bad things happen. If you think you know this story, think again. Starring Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Kristen Connolly, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams, Richard Jenkins, and Bradley Whitford. From fan favorites Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard comes The Cabin in the Woods, a mind blowing horror film that turns the genre inside out. Continue reading ‘The Cabin in the Woods (Movie Review)’
April 12th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
I want to spotlight a single scene of Reindeer Games. At one point in this film, Ben Affleck’s character is attempting to escape his situation. He is in a casino and his plan is to enter a bathroom and exchange clothes with the person in there with him (weirdly, the person he switches with is a young Ashton Kutcher in a nothing role). One of the men keeping their eye on Affleck’s character enters the bathroom, immediately sees the guy who has switched clothes, only to be shoved, from the side, by Affleck. Apparently his plan was to gain merely a couple seconds head start, before attempting to escape. It is a completely ludicrous scene, which is one instance that reflects how ludicrous the film is as a whole. Reindeer Games is certainly an awful film, but it is also awfully entertaining. Continue on to see how the Blu-ray fares. Continue reading ‘Reindeer Games (Blu-ray Review)’
April 12th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
I am not one to normally post trailers on the site, given that we are more focused on the review side of things and the in-depth coverage that goes along with that; however, when I was covering WonderCon 2012, I made mention of the film Looper, a new time travel flick that I am really excited for. At the time, there was nothing available in the way of posting, beyond my description of the panel and a few images. Now, in the past week, a trailer and a poster for the film have debuted. Given that I stated I wanted to provide an update when a trailer was made available in this article HERE, now is the time I fulfill that promise. Again, Looper is the new time travel film from writer/director Rian Johnson (Brick, The Brothers Bloom), which stars Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Emily Blunt. While there are plenty of much more high-profile films coming very soon and throughout the summer, Looper is a fall release that is very high on my list of films to see as well. Continue on to see the trailer and the poster for the film. Continue reading ‘‘Looper’ Has Its Trailer Debut’
April 12th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
As soon as the marketing for The Cabin in the Woods finally started to kick into gear for this long-delayed release (MGM went bankrupt and the flick was left in limbo), I went on media blackout for it. Having heard for so long that the movie is quite good and clever (which it is), but also works much better if one goes in completely fresh, I avoided all trailers (not an easy task) and saw the movie with no knowledge of what it was, beyond some of the cast and crew that was involved and understanding that it takes place in the woods, within a cabin. Now I am tasked with describing why this film is worth your time, while also needing to hold back from revealing any of the surprises. And that is what I intend to do, so from this point on, while The Cabin in the Woods is certainly a great ride to jump on, I will refrain from any true spoilers. Continue reading ‘‘Cabin In The Woods’ Teaches An Old Dog New Tricks (Spoiler Free Review)’
April 12th, 2012 by Sean Ferguson
War Horse, the Academy Award-nominated Best Picture, is a story of incredible friendship, loyalty, courage, hope and tenacity. Based on the Tony Award-winning play, and set against the sweeping canvas of World War I, this deeply heartfelt tale begins with the remarkable friendship between a feisty colt named Joey and his young trainer Albert (Jeremy Irvine). When they’re forced apart by war, the film follows Joey’s extraordinary journey as he changes and inspires the lives of everyone he meets. No matter where they go or what they experience both boy and horse keep forging ahead, driven by devotion and the hope of returning home. Filled with spectacularly rich visuals, War Horse is one of the most powerful and moving stories of friendship and love ever filmed. Continue reading ‘War Horse (Blu-ray Review)’
April 11th, 2012 by Blu-ray Brian
I have to admit. I know it sounds cheesy, but this film really was an adrenaline rush from start to finish for me. I’m talking about the Denzel Washington/Ryan Reynolds vehicle, Safe House, that is. I actually saw it twice in the theaters. Unless it’s The Dark Knight, that’s something I usually don’t do, but I will be breaking that tradition with another screening of Cabin in the Woods this weekend. But anyway, the year’s most explosive action blockbuster will be available on Blu-ray Combo Pack with UltraViolet and Digital Copy (I love that Universal provides you an option here) as well as DVD and On-Demand on June 5th. I can’t wait. The film has some minor flaws, but it’s a Day 1 for me! Check out the full press release below from Universal Studios Home Entertainment and pre-order your copy today! Continue reading ‘Safe House Explodes Onto Blu-ray This June!’
April 10th, 2012 by Gerard Iribe
Here’s a bit of “shock and awe” brought to the world of Blu-ray in the classic A Trip to the Moon conceived and executed by Georges Melies back in 1902. If my math is correct that would mean that A Trip to the Moon is 110 years old. It’s about time the Blu-ray Gods rained down some releases of this caliber and Flicker Alley has done the film world a great service by presenting A Trip to the Moon in the highest possible quality for the consumer. A massive restoration took place by various companies working together with original elements to bring the luster back to a film that had seen better days. Not only that, but Flicker Alley has thrown in some special features, an awesome tin case, and more. Entrez! Continue reading ‘A Trip to the Moon (Blu-ray Review)’
April 10th, 2012 by Sean Ferguson
Jaws comes to Blu-ray for the first time ever on August 14th, 2012 and features an all-new, digitally remastered and fully restored picture, as well as 7.1 surround sound. The film is one of 13 classic Universal films selected to be digitally remastered and fully restored from 35mm original film elements as part of Universal’s ongoing 100th Anniversary celebration. Directed by Academy Award winner Steven Spielberg,
Jaws set the standard for edge-of-your seat suspense quickly becoming a cultural phenomenon and forever changing the movie industry. When the seaside community of Amity finds itself under attack by a dangerous great white shark, the town’s chief of police (Roy Scheider), a young marine biologist (Richard Dreyfuss) and a grizzled shark hunter (Robert Shaw) embark on a desperate quest to destroy the beast before it strikes again. Featuring an unforgettable score that evokes pure terror,
Jaws remains one of the most influential and gripping adventures in motion picture history.
Continue reading ‘JAWS Finally Makes It’s Way to Blu-ray this August!’
April 10th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
So last year, director David Gordon Green released two films. One was the R-rated fantasy/comedy Your Highness, which was mostly hated by everyone except myself and a few others. The other was The Sitter, a confusingly unoriginal and bland film, which was mostly hated by everyone including myself. David Gordon Green came from directing fantastic indie dramas for the most part (All the Real Girls, Undertow), thought of by some as a young Terrance Malick. Then he directed Pineapple Express (another film I actually really enjoy quite a bit), which some are saying “broke” him as a director. Regardless of where Gordon Green’s career may go (for the record, he has also done excellent work on the HBO series Eastbound & Down), The Sitter still stands as a bafflingly bad movie, featuring Jonah Hill in his final “hefty” performance. Continue reading ‘The Sitter (Blu-ray Review)’
