Archive Page 519
April 9th, 2012 by Gerard Iribe
Academy Award® winner Nicolas Cage (1996, Best Actor in a Leading Role for Leaving Las Vegas) is back as Johnny Blaze in Marvel’s action-packed 3D sequel GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE, unleashed June 12th on Blu-ray 3D™, Blu-ray™ and DVD – all with UltraViolet™ – from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. In this thrilling follow-up to the worldwide, box-office hit Ghost Rider, the world’s darkest hero takes on the ultimate bad guy: the devil, himself. The sequel is directed by acclaimed action filmmakers Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor (Crank series, Gamer), and co-stars Ciarán Hinds (John Carter, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2), Violante Placido (The American), Johnny Whitworth (Limitless, 3:10 to Yuma), Christopher Lambert (Highlander, Mortal Kombat), and Idris Elba (Thor, Takers). Continue reading ‘‘Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance’ on Blu-ray June 12th’
April 9th, 2012 by Gerard Iribe
On May 8, get ready to venture to your voyeuristic side when Magnolia Home Entertainment releases Playback under the Magnet Label on Blu-ray and DVD. Based on the prequel novella, “Playback: Light and Shadow,” the “original and entertaining piece” (Gashe.com) features Christian Slater (Bobby, Very Bad Things), Johnny Pacar (Wild Child, Discovery Kids’ “Flight 29 Down), Toby Hemingway (Black Swan, Feast of Love), and Amber Childers (“All My Children”). The unnerving film follows a group of high school students who begin to dig into their towns infamous past and unwittingly unlock a dark secret that has been kept hidden for years. Now an evil spirit has awakened and will stop at nothing to get what it wants. Continue reading ‘‘Playback’ on Blu-ray May 8th’
April 8th, 2012 by Sean Ferguson
Chipmunks ahoy! It’s a tidal wave of toe-tapping music and unforgettable fun for the whole family as Alvin and the Chipmunks return in their greatest adventure yet! While on vacation aboard a luxury cruise liner, Alvin, Simon, Theodore and the Chipettes can’t help rocking the boat with their unique brand of ’munk mischief. But things get really squeaky when the gang winds up stranded on a remote island — and they soon discover their new tropical playground is not as deserted as it seems. Continue reading ‘Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (Blu-ray Review)’
April 8th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
So unrelenting is the word I would use to describe The Divide, but I don’t use that in a very good way. Similar to another particular nasty film that is also not particularly good, Blindness, The Divide is a film focused on showing how ugly humanity can be, when all notion of hope is practically lost and people are pushed to the brink of survival. It is a depressing, ugly film, with a lot of unlikable characters played by actors giving pretty over-the-top performances. It also features moments of unneeded cinematic slickness, put up against a plot that is both predictable and too drab to be more interesting. Despite bits of intrigue set up early on, The Divide did not really give me much to latch onto, but read on to learn more about this Blu-ray release. Continue reading ‘The Divide (Blu-ray Review)’
April 6th, 2012 by Sean Ferguson
On April 14, 1912, just before midnight, the unsinkable Titanic struck an iceberg. In less than three hours, it had plunged to the bottom of the sea, taking with it more than 1,500 of its 2,200 passengers. In his unforgettable rendering of Walter Lord’s book of the same name, A Night to Remember, the acclaimed British director Roy Ward Baker (Don’t Bother to Knock) depicts with sensitivity, awe, and a fine sense of tragedy the ship’s final hours. Featuring remarkably restrained performances, A Night to Remember is cinema’s subtlest, finest dramatization of this monumental twentieth-century catastrophe. Continue reading ‘A Night to Remember: The Criterion Collection (Blu-ray Review)’
April 6th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
These American Pie films have never been shy about wearing their hearts on their sleeves and their hard-ons in plain sight. I can admit that I was joining in on the joke of regarding this sequel as an easy way for all of the original actors who have mostly gone nowhere (not entirely true) to cash in on their biggest success; however, I have also enjoyed the previous entries in this series (not counting the direct-to-video spin-offs). While feeling a bit overdue and being more of a film designed to remind the fans of the series how sweet and funny the guys in this film can be, opposed to making way for new fans, it still is a film that does manage to be successfully sweet and funny for the most part. It’s also still plenty raunchy as well (though little room is left for pie). Continue reading ‘The Gang Returns For An ‘American Reunion’’
April 6th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
Few filmmakers have been able to take a huge chunk of money, spend it on an epic adventure in filmmaking, riding through waves of bad publicity and production troubles, only to create a huge blockbuster success as a result. James Cameron has done it twice. Recently, he managed to shatter the record for biggest film of all time with Avatar, but the record shattered was that of his own previous film, Titanic. Titanic is a film that by all accounts should not have worked. A romantic/disaster drama with a huge budget, where everyone already knows the ending, and has no chance of being made into a franchise is not exactly the kind of film studios would want to get their hands on, but Cameron was able to do the impossible and have it succeed. Now the film has been re-released into theaters with a new 3D conversion, heavily supervised by Cameron, providing audiences with another chance to view the film on a big screen. My friend and fellow film critic Scott Mendelson has done a job of capturing all of my thoughts regarding Titanic’s legacy HERE, but having now seen this new release, I can still provide some of my own thoughts the conversion and the film, as it stands today. Continue reading ‘The King of the Format Dives Back Into The Deep End: ‘Titanic 3D’ Thoughts’
April 6th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
I believe San Diego Comic-Con has gained enough relevance in the cultural zeitgeist where people are at least aware of its existence, regardless if they truly know what it is or what it used to be. In the documentary Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope, Morgan Spurlock attempts to pull back the curtain on what Comic-Con used to be about, what it is about now, and what it means to the various people that attend. At least one of these themes is best explored, but at least it is the area of the film that provides the most stakes cinematically. As a whole and as a person who has been attending Comic-Con, I think this documentary skirts past some of the more interesting and important aspects of the convention; however, I think the overall tone of the doc is lighthearted enough to certainly make it enjoyable overall. Continue reading ‘‘Comic-Con’ Gets Its Own Lighthearted Documentary’
April 5th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
Even with all of the other redundant shows that currently exist on television, there are still plenty of really quality TV series in existence as well. Louie is, in my opinion (and many others), one of the best shows on television. Despite serving as a “comedy” or sorts, overall, the show is so ingeniously scripted, performed, and thought out that it is beyond the realm of comedy and simply a genius show all together. I was already a huge fan of the first season, but Louis C.K. managed to do even more with the second season, bringing in all sorts of broadly comic moments, darkly comedic moments, scenes of surreal absurdity, and moments that contain pure poignancy. Having C.K. in complete control of his own show, which he writes, edits, and directs himself is a great joy to behold and soon the complete second season will arrive on Blu-ray and DVD; June 19 to be exact. Read on to find out more about this upcoming release.
Continue reading ‘Louie Season 2 Debuts On Blu In June’
April 5th, 2012 by Gregg Senko
With all the stories that have been written in the comic book world, it can sometimes be difficult to wonder what else is left. Well, how about this? Take the two biggest heroic forces in the Marvel Universe, and pit them against each other in a massive slugfest for the ages. Sound good? Or does it sound like a potentially epic story that also doubles as a fanboy’s dream come true? This eruptive combination came to reality yesterday, April 4th, as the two super teams dropped the gloves in issue #1 of Avengers vs. X-Men. Continue reading ‘‘Avengers vs. X-Men’ Makes Explosive Debut’
April 4th, 2012 by Gregg Senko
Navy SEALs. Is there anything these guys can’t do? I mean one minute we see them on CNN picking off Somali pirates on a moving boat from a few hundred yards, the next they’re taking out Bin Laden with the garbage. Even amidst an unconventional day at the office, these guys find the time to…star in a movie? You got it. In case you missed the high octane film in theaters this past winter starring active duty U.S. Navy SEALs, you’ll have the chance to catch it on Blu-ray and DVD very soon. If Infinity Ward’s highly successful ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare’ video game franchise were ever to make a transition to the big screen, this is what it would look like. Check out all the details here…
Continue reading ‘‘Act of Valor’ Makes Tactical Arrival to Blu-ray This June’
April 4th, 2012 by Blu-ray Brian
Well…I have to admit, as the month of May approaches I’m getting more and more excited about this Avengers project, and rightfully so with the exclusive Marvel footage leaked online today showing a very scrumptious Scarlett Johansson kicking a$$ like only the Black Widow can. It’s nothing more than a quick one minute and six second scene, but something is better than nothing, right? And it’s in High-Definition! What are you waiting for? Check it out now! Continue reading ‘Marvel’s Avengers Assemble in HD – Black Widow Interrogation Scene’
April 4th, 2012 by Gerard Iribe
Who can perform a zero-gravity striptease, seduce an angel and still have time to save the universe? Sexy, sultry, space adventurer BARBARELLA, that’s who! Coming in for a landing on Blu-ray for the first time ever on July 3, 2012, the terrifically titillating sci-fi romp BARBARELLA continues to entertain with its outrageous, out-of-this-world story and brazen sexuality. Jane Fonda stars as the titular heroine who lands on the planet Lythion in the year 40,000. Faced with robots, monsters and evil of varying stripes, she must vanquish her enemies, all while attempting—and failing—to keep her skin-tight spacesuit on. Along the way she receives assistance from a variety of handsome men, each of whom receives her uninhibited appreciation. Directed by Roger Vadim (Fonda’s ex-husband), BARBARELLA is a kind of sexual Alice in Wonderland of the future and the film is replete with psychedelic set designs, far-out characters and an outrageously entertaining story set amongst the stars. Continue reading ‘‘Barbarella’ on Blu-ray July 3rd’
April 3rd, 2012 by Sean Ferguson
The Easter Bunny’s heir apparent leaves his ancestral home on Easter Island to pursue pop superstardom in the animated comedy Hop, which arrived on Blu-ray and DVD on March 23, 2012, from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. Blending state-of-the-art CGI animation with live action, Hop is a non-stop, rockin’ adventure packed with humor and hi-jinks! E.B. was destined to be the Easter Bunny, but all he wanted to do was rock! When teenager E.B. (voiced by Russell Brand) leaves for Hollywood in pursuit of his dream to become a rock star drummer, he meets Fred (James Marsden), an out-of-work slacker with his own lofty goals. Together the two encounter a series of hilarious mishaps and misadventures and in the end help each other recognize the importance of family. Continue reading ‘Hop (Blu-ray Review)’
April 3rd, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
There is a certain power in seeing parents and children alike present inexcusable situations to what is supposed to be a collection of people responsible for not only teaching, but leading and protecting a student body, and have them do little to stop it. In Bully, there are a number of scenes that reflect poorly on the actions that are not being taken to stop abhorrent behavior and the audience will react accordingly. This is a documentary that chronicles a few students from schools in a few different states, as they deal with being bullied, which is an interesting idea for a film topic. I do think that a proper message is established by the end of this film, which is commendable, but that said, I also think this film has issues of redundancy and focuses to closely in some areas, while staying away from others that would seem to be just as important. Still, regardless of Bully amounting to being fairly average, and despite its needless controversy, the film presents an important topic, which has enough to make it worthy of a wide audience. Continue reading ‘‘Bully’ Hits The Message Hard’
April 3rd, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
Given that the month of March was packed with an unusual amount of high budget, blockbuster films, I figured I would balance things out with a couple of independent/arthouse features as well. One of these was The Kid with a Bike, a Belgian film from the Dardenne brothers (Jean-Pierre and Luc). This film follows a young boy dealing with being abandoned by his father and attempting to forge new relationships with other potential role models and caretakers. The film is very naturalistic, a key type of style when it comes to the Dardenne’s work, as it plays out as more character-driven, as opposed to story-driven and plays around a lot with ambiguity, despite straddling a somewhat familiar path. With that in mind, the film is very good, well-acted, and filled with moments that evoke emotion as well as thoughts based around developing more of an understanding for one’s self, rather than letting the film tell you what to think. Continue reading ‘‘The Kid With A Bike’ Rides Through An Emotional Journey’
April 2nd, 2012 by Gerard Iribe
This might be a little awkward, but I will explain. I could not find any suitable artwork for the Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol Blu-ray cover art anywhere. I borrowed the bilingual cover art instead, so please ignore the bilingual font, because I assure you that it is NOT present on the U.S. Blu-ray. Also, that’s the Best Buy Exclusive cover art, as well. It features a third disc and an extra hour of bonus material. We’ll get to the nitty gritty details of the Blu-ray contents in the “Extras” section. For now, you’ll probably want to know how Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol stands against the previous three entries, right? You’ve come to the right place. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to enjoy this review of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol on Blu-ray. Happy trails! Continue reading ‘Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol ‘Best Buy Exclusive’ (Blu-ray Review)’
April 1st, 2012 by Gerard Iribe
John le Carré’s acclaimed spy novel has been re-adapted yet again, but now it comes to us in the form of a theatrical film starring the likes of Gary Oldman (Bram Stoker’s Dracula), John Hurt (Immortals), Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises), Mark Strong (Rock N Rolla), Colin Firth (The King’s Speech), and Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock). That’s a mighty fine cast brought together for a spy film like Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. This version of Tinker also has the distinction of being directed by one of the most unlikeliest of people, Tomas Alfredson (Let The Right One In). I do like when directors cross genres this early in their careers, but is it a misstep or does the transition from horror into drama do everyone involved justice? Let’s do this thing of ours. Continue reading ‘Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (Blu-ray Review)’
