Archive Page 537
January 3rd, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
Archer is currently one of the best animated comedies on television, let alone one of the best comedies on television. It a show that takes the format of a basic spy series, but as opposed to coming off like another forgettable spy spoof, the series is full of rapid-fire humor, with jokes that range from being incredibly witty and reference heavy to incredibly raunchy and filthy. The stylized nature of the animation and character designs only add to the bawdiness of the humor. Now the complete 13-episode second season of Archer is available on Blu-ray and it looks and sounds great. Continue reading ‘Archer – The Complete Season Two (Blu-ray Review)’
January 2nd, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
It’s easy to write off sentiment. Having a sweet-natured sensibility is apparently a negative for films that wear their hearts on their sleeves these days. I don’t feel this way when the film is both effective and presents more than just these qualities. Before seeing Spielberg’s beautifully made War Horse, I had recently seen The Help for the first time. That’s a film that cuts down a significant struggle to simplistic storytelling and plays up the sentiment factor, but it works because of the strong acting present throughout. Similarly, War Horse does not present an agenda or have the need to delve into true darkness like past Spielberg films set during wartime. The goal of this film is to simply cover the lifetime of an equestrian protagonist and how he effects those around him, during the film’s various segments. Continue reading ‘Melodramatic ‘War Horse’ Is Beautiful And Stirring All The Same’
January 2nd, 2012 by Sean Ferguson
Two years after the release of its landmark Emmy-winning series WWII in HD, The History Channel shifts its focus to a new generation and one of the most controversial chapters in American history, the Vietnam War. Vietnam in HD will immerse viewers in the sights, the sounds and the stories of the Vietnam War as it has never before been seen. Thousands of hours of uncensored footage – much of it shot by soldiers in action – will detail every critical chapter of the conflict. The war will unfold onscreen through the gripping firsthand accounts of thirteen brave men and women who were forever changed by their experience in Vietnam. Continue reading ‘Vietnam in HD (Blu-ray Review)’
January 2nd, 2012 by Gerard Iribe
It’s been about a year and a half since The Expendables hit theaters to box office success and about a year since the Blu-ray hit stores. Well, at one point Sylvester Stallone himself made the announcement via his Twitter account that he was back in the editing suite working on a director approved extended cut for release sometime soon. He went to work on it immediately and hasn’t been heard as much from due to filming The Expendables 2 and other projects. The man did keep his promise and we have been graced with The Expendables: Extended Director’s Cut on Blu-ray. Will the extended cut measure up to the theatrical cut or will it be inferior? I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the Blu-ray, so let’s hit it! Continue reading ‘The Expendables: Extended Director’s Cut (Blu-ray Review)’
January 2nd, 2012 by Gerard Iribe
The late 90’s have caught up to me again, yo! Cop Land was to be the ensemble drama to end the decade. You had Sylvester Stallone, Ray Liotta, Harvey Keitel, and Robert De Niro headlining the film, but you also had Stallone not playing an “ordinary” character. Up until that point he was known as the hero and action star. Would this be his time to get an Oscar as opposed to just starring in a film named Oscar. Okay, that was a bit of a reach there, wasn’t it. Well, almost fifteen years later, and here we are with Cop Land on Blu-ray. How will this film stack up to scrutiny? Will Stallone’s performance shine through? How will the supporting cast perform? Will they chew up the scenery or will they let the film breathe a little? All this and more will be answered as Why So Blu tackles Cop Land on Blu-ray. Continue reading ‘Cop Land (Blu-ray Review)’
December 31st, 2011 by Will Santana
The third-dimension hasn’t been much of a discussion but more of a debate. You either hate it or love it. Some are fans of the depth that’s added to a movie’s visual presentation while others prefer pop-out effects that make you feel like you’re a part of the movie. The new Blu-ray 3D format has been questioned of its possible failure or success. 2011 had a slow start with 3D content being released, but by mid-year, the animation was popping out and by year’s end, the live-action films made way to the new format. Studio’s making certain titles exclusive with certain TV set brands has also made adopters of Blu-ray 3D frustrated. Making it very hard to view new content on a small market but finally during the summer, we started to finally see retail market releases for these exclusives. DreamWorks has decided to release their titles exclusively for BestBuy right now. Overall, 2011 was actually a pretty good release year for Blu-ray 3D with some hits and some misses here and there. Continue reading ‘Will’s Top 10 3D Blu-rays of 2011′
December 29th, 2011 by Aaron Neuwirth
About 45 minutes into this Russian-set alien invasion movie I realized that I had no idea what the names of the characters I had been following were. That probably sums up the character work done in this film to keep you hoping for their survival, even though the leads are fairly likable. I should also note that at this point, I’ll only refer to the actors by their real names. Nothing makes this badly timed release (Christmas Day, really?) an abysmal film, it just feels like an incompetent one, with a noticeably bad handle on its editing. As a result, The Darkest Hour is not as laughably bad (making it almost good, but not really) like Skyline, but it’s also not full of serviceable grit and over-the-top (but still kinda enjoyable) gusto like Battle: LA. It just sits in the “this will soon be available for $4 in a bargain bin” territory. But hey, at least it was shot in 3D, right? Continue reading ‘‘The Darkest Hour’ Didn’t Quite Brighten My Day’
December 28th, 2011 by Gregg Senko
I was kind of worried throughout the first half of the year that it wasn’t going to be a pleasant 2011 as far as theater viewings went. There were more than a few flops at the cinema by the time June came to a close with a sparse picking of films that had some ‘wow’ factor. Thankfully, the second half of 2011 made up for it in just about any genre you can think of, and as December winds down, I waited until seeing War Horse before releasing this list. However, that potentially epic film fell short and didn’t come close to making the list. So without any more delay, here are some of the best and worst films we’ve had the opportunity (or displeasure) of experiencing since January…
Continue reading ‘Gregg’s Top 10 Cinema Films of 2011 (and some duds too)’
December 27th, 2011 by Gerard Iribe
It’s been about three years or so since Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark began principle photography. All was fun and games until Miramax was bought out by Disney and several films in the Miramax slate were shelved. Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark was one of these films. At long last the film saw a wide release a few months ago, through different distributors, and we now have the latest Guillermo Del Toro produced picture on Blu-ray. Yes, it so happens that this version of Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark is also a remake of a cult horror favorite. Since Guillermo Del Toro is spearheading the project, it can only be good, right? Don’t be afraid of this review and come on in… Continue reading ‘Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (Blu-ray Review)’
December 27th, 2011 by Gerard Iribe
From director Michael Bay and executive producer Steven Spielberg, in association with Hasbro, Paramount Pictures’ global smash hit Transformers: Dark of the Moon returns to Earth January 31, 2012 in a four-disc Ultimate Edition Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD combo pack with UltraViolet™ and a Digital Copy. A must-own film for every home media collection, Transformers: Dark of the Moon features “jaw-droppingly amazing 3D” (Harry Knowles, AintItCool.com) and fan-favorite characters OPTIMUS PRIME, BUMBLEBEE and Sam Witwicky amidst bigger and more spectacular action in an adventure that surpassed its predecessors to earn over $1.1 billion at the worldwide box office and become the #4 biggest movie of all time at the global box office. Bursting with nearly four hours of sensational behind-the-scenes footage, cast and crew interviews and more, the Transformers: Dark of the Moon Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD combo pack delivers blockbuster entertainment. “This Blu-ray 3D of Dark of the Moon will blow you away. If you’ve been waiting for the right time to get a 3D television, this is it,” said director Michael Bay. “For fans who’ve been waiting patiently to bring Dark of the Moon home, this Ultimate Edition release delivers the goods.” Continue reading ‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon 4 disc Ultimate Edition Blu-ray released on January 31st’
December 27th, 2011 by Aaron Neuwirth
To me, 2011 was a pretty unusual year. I say that because I found there to be an unusual amount of great films that came out in both the realm of mainstream feature films and the realm of art house and independent features. This year, like any year, had its share of duds as well, but in looking back at the 120+ films I saw theatrically (yep), I can say that it was a pretty strong percentage of good to great films. So much so that the following list was practically too much for me to contain to a simple top ten, so I have listed a number of honorable and special mentions, as well as provided a few other odds & ends. Enjoy. (I left a ton of Easter Eggs linked within a lot of the pictures)
Continue reading ‘Aaron’s Top 10 Films of 2011 & Other Yearly Wrap-Up Stuff’
December 26th, 2011 by Gerard Iribe
Up next is the independent film Catch .44 starring Bruce Willis, Forrest Whitaker, Malin Akerman, Nikki Reed, Deborah Ann Woll, and Brad Dourif. The film was picked up by Anchor Bay for release on Blu-ray and DVD. Catch .44 is being marketed, or at least the back of the box says, it’s Reservoir Dogs meets The Usual Suspects. I’m not really a fan of that type of marketing, because I usually like to let the film stand on its own two legs instead of comparing it to previously published material. I mean with a cast like the one in Catch .44, why would you need to compare it to something else? Is Catch .44 any good, though? In doing some research, meaning that in reading other people’s reviews on the film, I do believe that most of them missed the point. This may or may not be a controversial review depending on what your feminist stand points may be. That or if you think Quentin Tarantino is the only human being that can make caper films. With that teaser out of the way let’s get to the review. Continue reading ‘Catch .44 (Blu-ray Review)’
December 26th, 2011 by Matt Goodman
Just like our fellow reviewer Brian White, I waited to see the highly anticipated The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (you can read my review HERE). Turns out I could have written it a week ago and not much would have changed. Anyway, I’m injecting some spice into thee ol’ top ten list; with a mini “Why So Blu Awards” included. I can only imagine the reactions I am going to receive from this list. What some may call “forgettable”, I call “instant classic”. While there are four major films I would have loved to see before making this list (Young Adult, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Martha Marcy May Marlene, and The Artist), I guess we’ll do with what we have. So sit back, relax, and enter Matt’s top ten films of 2011. Continue reading ‘Matt’s Top Ten Films of 2011 and Awards’
December 25th, 2011 by Matt Goodman
Usher OMG Tour Live From London opens with a black screen, where multi-million dollar R’n’B artist Usher is praying to some sort of bible passage. Immediately after, his first song entitled Monstar plays, followed by an astounding, very well-choreographed dance number. Aside from the catchy song Yeah, I have never been a huge fan of Usher. I found his music almost as annoying as hearing the Black Eyed Peas singing Boom Boom Pow for the hundredth damn time. However, that is not the case here. I quite enjoyed Usher OMG Tour, I didn’t find it too irritating (aside from a few songs towards the end) and the film had really good technical aspects about it, which I’ll get into soon. If you are a fan of Usher, this is a must-buy. Continue reading ‘Usher: OMG Tour, Live From London (Blu-ray Review)’
December 24th, 2011 by Sean Ferguson
Kung Fu Panda 2, DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc.’s popular follow up to the Academy Award-nominated original debuted on Blu-ray and DVD on December 13, 2011. Combining non-stop action, a fantastic cast, and stunning animation, this sequel delighted viewers of all ages with its engaging story and colorful visuals. Featuring an all-star cast of voice talent including Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Gary Oldman, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, Michelle Yeoh, Danny McBride and Jean-Claude Van Damme, the film earned more than $650 million at the global box office, making it one of the top five films of the year worldwide. Continue reading ‘Kung Fu Panda 2 (Blu-ray Review)’
December 23rd, 2011 by Lauren Pacheco
Before I start to tell you about what I have discovered about Charlie O’Connell let’s rattle off some of what Charlie has done in his career thus far. First film that pops into my head is he’s the “Stoner BashingTime” guy in Dude Where’s My Car, his line in that film gets me every time. Then there is The New Guy where he gets to play along side brother, Jerry O’Connell. Later To Kill a Mockumentary came about where he played Judas. Oh and there was The Gentleman’s League which I really took a liking to but that only lasted two episodes. All these roles are comedy roles. Nothing stuck out to me that was super serious or suspenseful like we are all about to see in Huff. Continue reading ‘Huff: The New Villian on the Street’
December 23rd, 2011 by Lauren Pacheco
In this gory-tale film, Huff, the big bad wolf has three step-daughters and the youngest of the three is Shay played by newbie actress Elly Stefanko. On my way up to Santa Clarita I was doing some research on her to see who she was. Little did I know that googling her would lead me to her website where I shockingly found out she is a pop diva. Well, as you will find out ‘Diva’ is not even in Elly’s makeup. Her latest song, “Spoiled” has a great video that spoofs the Jersey Shore kids. As you listen you may think she only sounds good due to the synthesizers and auto-tune on this track but as you click to her other songs, especially her renditions of various Christmas favorites, that is not the case. No auto-tune, no track laid behind her, just a piano and her voice. I am overly impressed. Continue reading ‘Huff: Rising Star Elly Stefanko’
December 23rd, 2011 by Lauren Pacheco
When I saw that Clint Howard was on the call sheet for the day I was to visit the set of Huff I got a little bit of extra giddy in my step. With over 200 titles to his credit he is without a doubt engrained in your memory. Son of Rance Howard and brother to Ron Howard he rounds the family out in true talent. A few titles from memory would be when he played Stanley in Evilspeak which at the time frightened me to see Clint turn into what can only be described as a demonized hog with horns that decapitates people with a sword. Later roles in Austin Powers, Water Boy, Little Nicky, and Apollo 13 all float in my head as I rack my brain. Star Trek, Cinderella Man, Halloween, The Dilemma and a flurry of television shows. The list just doesn’t quit. Continue reading ‘Huff: Interview with Clint Howard’
