Archive Page 541
October 28th, 2011 by Jami Ferguson
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is one of my top ten favorite movies of all time. This fact makes absolutely no sense because I am not usually a fan of musicals, movies made before I was born, and I always find Gene Wilder to be a little bit creepy. I could practically recite every bit of dialogue verbatim and sing you every song. On the flip side of that is Tim Burton’s abomination Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. With its insulting carbon copy oopma-loompa no other movie has ever angered me more and I don’t think I will ever forgive Tim Burton for it. As I open my Willy Wonka Collector’s Edition, I try to put that disgrace of a film out of my mind. Seeing a golden ticket right away helps put me in the right frame of mind and I remember that the one and only Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory Blu ray is here! Continue reading ‘Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory: 40th Anniversary Collector’s Edition Set (Blu-ray Review)’
October 28th, 2011 by Mary Welms
How often in life do we meet people that we know are just a perfect piece in our puzzle of life? Johnny Depp and Hunter S. Thompson’s friendship began in a bar, Christmas 1994 Aspen, Colorado not far from Thompson’s home. The two bonded instantly the first time they met. Johnny was a fan of Hunter since reading “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” as a teenager. Depp went on to play Thompson’s alter ego in the movie of the same name in 1998. While preparing for this role Johnny moved into Hunter’s basement, studying his habits and mannerisms. While going through the basement he found a manuscript titled “The Rum Diary” written by Thompson when he was in his twenties. Depp convinced Thompson to publish it and Thompson agreed as long as they did a film version. Continue reading ‘The Rum Diary (Movie Review)’
October 28th, 2011 by Patrick Bellante
I am not a big fan of Batman or the DC universe for that matter. However, I did stumble upon an amazing video game that my friend had last year and it happened to be Batman: Arkham Asylum. So I borrowed the title and could not seem to put it down until I finished it. With an amazing combat system, story, gadgets of plenty, and amazing visuals. Feeling satisfied with the game I said wow they need to make a sequel to this. Sure enough I found out a new Batman game was in the works and decided that when the release date was announce my pre-order would be placed. After picking up Arkham City at 12:01 A.M. on Oct. 18, 2011 I was instantly hooked with a brand new story, sharper visuals, more gadgets, and the same effective combat system. Continue reading ‘Batman: Arkham City (PS3 Game Review)’
October 28th, 2011 by Sean Ferguson
Both had supposedly outlived their usefulness to the Circus, the British Secret Intelligence Service: George Smiley, the retired head of espionage, and General Vladimir, an aging informant who reported to him. When the general walks into a bullet after sending an urgent message to his old handler, the Circus asks Smiley to “tidy things up.” But Smiley hears Vladimir’s message as a call to arms against his nemesis, the Soviet super spy Karla, once again tantalizingly within his grasp in this gripping sequel to John le Carré’s classic Cold War-era spy drama, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Oscar winner Alec Guinness (Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars, Lawrence of Arabia) reprises his BAFTA-winning role as retired spymaster George Smiley for the 1982 sequel. Filmed on location in London, Paris, Hamburg, and Berne, Smiley’s People co-stars Patrick Stewart (Star Trek: The Next Generation, X-Men), Eileen Atkins (Upstairs, Downstairs), and Bill Paterson (Traffik). The miniseries also stars Anthony Bate, Bernard Hepton, Michael Lonsdale, Beryl Reid, and Michael Gough. Continue reading ‘Smiley’s People (DVD Review)’
October 28th, 2011 by Brian White
So I somehow managed to double-book myself between press screenings for In Time and The Rum Diaries. Bummer! It was a hard decision to make between which one I would ultimately have to pass on. In Time looked promising in the action department, where as The Rum Diaries features my new favorite, the beautiful Miss Amber Heard. What’s a guy supposed to do? I reluctantly chose In Time and graciously let Mary Welms have Johnny Depp all to herself. I’m such a nice guy sometimes. It’s a crying shame people don’t see my inner beauty more often. Instead, they seemingly focus on my skeleton bike jacket and my long sexy hair. Boo! Continue reading ‘If You Have The “Time”: In Time (Movie Review)’
October 26th, 2011 by Ken Johnson
You often hear Hollywood stories of writers, producers, directors, studio heads, and agents all getting involved in a promising movie only to throw every element know to man into it, and ending up with a spoiled cellulose version of Frankenstein. This is the only explanation for Anonymous that I can find when I arrived in the theater ready for a heavy period piece after suffering through the trailers on TV for the past week, but I had no idea the abyss into which I was heading. Continue reading ‘‘Anonymous’ is Arduous! – Anonymous (Movie Review)’
October 26th, 2011 by Aaron Neuwirth
I am giving out a lot of admiration to quiet thrillers lately. Between Martha Marcy May Marlene and this foreboding drama, one certainly needs to take a breath, sit back, and watch a simple comedy to keep from becoming too distraught in their own lives. Take Shelter is a very well acted story about a man having visions of impending doom and how he and his family deal with it. It features fantastic performances from the leads and serves as a direct alternative to many of the “in your face” thrillers that have come out over the year. While it is another very deliberately paced drama, it is due to the lead actors that I was very drawn into what this film had to offer. Continue reading ‘‘Take Shelter’, A Storm’s A Brewin’’
October 25th, 2011 by Gerard Iribe
Okay, so here we are at last with the final film in the establishing saga of what will bring us an Avengers film next year. Here is Captain America: The First Avenger. It’s been what, at least half a dozen individual super heroes, give or take, right? We just had Thor, Iron Man & Iron Man 2, The Incredible Hulk, and so forth. I guess it was time to give Captain America his due since he will be the leader of The Avengers; it makes sense. Now the big question is, will Captain America: The First Avenger makes sense of itself? It’s a tall order, but let’s see what we can see as Why So Blu? takes a stab at Captain America: The First Avenger on Blu-ray! Continue reading ‘Captain America: The First Avenger (Blu-ray Review)’
October 25th, 2011 by Aaron Neuwirth
Attack the Block is wholly original and entertaining, believe! While shot on a low budget with many new and young actors, this film far exceeds similar, recent alien invasion films, due to its wonderful style and confidence one can glean from the filmmaking portrayed here. Coming from the producers of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, Attack the Block is a wonderful blend of sci-fi, horror, action, and comedy that I can easily see as becoming a cult classic. Given that this is the film I have watched the most this year, it is safe to say that I really enjoy it. Now everyone has the chance to check it out, as it has made its debut onto Blu-ray. Continue reading ‘Attack The Block (Blu-ray Review)’
October 24th, 2011 by Sean Ferguson
No
doubt remains: a mole has infiltrated the Circus, code name for the British Secret Intelligence Service. It can only be one of four men operating at the very highest level. Sidelined agent George Smiley is covertly tapped to root out the mole, a task that requires a painstaking dig through the double-blind world of Cold War-era espionage and his own past. Alec Guinness brilliantly captures the weary heart and steely soul of John le Carré’s master spy. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy was nominated for an Emmy for best miniseries and won two BAFTA Awards, including best actor for Guinness. The series also stars Ian Richardson, Michael Aldridge, Joss Ackland, Ian Bannen, Ian Bannen, Terence Rigby, Michael Jayston, Hywel Bennett, Anthony Bate, and a memorable cameo by Patrick Stewart, who returns in a larger role for the sequel. Hailed as one of the finest dramas ever made for television, this 1979 BBC miniseries garnered universal critical acclaim for its stellar ensemble cast, literate writing and intricate plots. Continue reading ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (DVD Review)’
October 24th, 2011 by Brian White
Don’t ask me why, but I have just concluded reading some prose from William Shakespeare. Anyone familiar with his writing knows that he liked to write in metaphors. One such line I just read goes like this, “I cannot do it; yet I’ll hammer it out.” That’s exactly how us, as reviewers, feel from time-to-time when we are forced with deadlines, an overwhelming amount of material to cover or simply the lack of desire to talk about a particular title we hate. But Shakespeare is right. Despite the adverse feeling that grinds mentally in your skull like the gears of your automatic transmission failing, you just have to bear the load, find the “strength to endure” and carry on. You have to find that proverbial Thor’s hammer and just conquer with it. And so ladies and gentlemen…that’s exactly what I’m doing here. I’m laying waste to the land and conquering this review. Continue reading ‘Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings (Blu-ray Review)’
October 23rd, 2011 by Sean Ferguson
The film features an all-star vocal cast including Owen Wilson who reprises his role as hotshot race-car Lightning McQueen. Larry the Cable Guy provides the voice of Mater (proprietor of Tow Mater Towing and Salvage), Lightning McQueen’s best friend and the heart and soul of Radiator Springs. Bonnie Hunt is back as Sally, the baby-blue Porsche 911 Carrera whose motor races for Lightning. Acclaimed actor Michael Caine makes his Pixar debut as Finn McMissile, a top British spy who mistakes Mater for an undercover American agent with a genius disguise. Emily Mortimer brings charm, cleverness and cachet as Holley Shiftwell, a rookie field spy who knows every trick in the manual. Versatile actor John Turturro gives a free-wheeling performance as Francesco Bernoulli, the world-renowned Italian racing champ who is Lightning’s chief rival. Tony Shalhoub, Bruce Campbell, Joe Mantegna, Peter Jacobson, Jason Isaacs, Eddie Izzard, Paul Dooley, Cheech Marin, John Ratzenberger, Franco Nero and Vanessa Redgrave also lend their vocal talents. Continue reading ‘Cars 2 3D/2D (Blu-ray Review)’
October 22nd, 2011 by Aaron Neuwirth
It is easier to latch onto some horror series than others. Much like what people laugh at in comedies, things that can scare someone differ from person to person. For me, the Paranormal Activity movies have been quite effective, both in the theater and then later at home, when I am left to sleep during the quiet night in my room. While the initial experimental quality of the first has worn off, along with the simplicity of its plotting, which I really admired, this third entry still effectively makes me worrisome for the things that go bump in the night. Continue reading ‘Back to the ‘Paranormal’: Part III’
October 21st, 2011 by Brian White
How far is too far? That’s often the question I find myself asking lately in life. Besides medical or operation scenarios, scenes of graphic war/poverty or innocent animals/humans being tortured, there’s very little that truly offends me, but as luck may have it; my humanity was violated not once, but twice this month. The first violation occurred with my theatrical viewing of The Human Centipede 2. Despite my love for the first film, there’s truly no reason for this movie to exist. It’s gross, wasteful and solely exists for shock value, which after 30 minutes of it, I grew very numb of. The second, being a native of Ohio, happened just this week in a small town known as Zanesville. More exotic animals than I care to quantify within this review fell to the lethal arms of the city’s policemen. Rather than use tranquilizers, most of the animals were all euthanized just because their owner decided to cash out early, and ultimately his pride and joy in life, his exotic animal collection, felt the sharp end of the knife too. Continue reading ‘A Serbian Film (Blu-ray Review)’
October 21st, 2011 by Aaron Neuwirth
It seems like there was one type of phrase that came to mind during the making of this movie: “This is not your father’s Three Musketeers”. In the era of blockbuster filmmaking that audiences now live in and in the wake of somewhat self-aware period action films like Pirates of the Caribbean and Sherlock Holmes, the clear logic was to take this latest adaptation of the Alexandre Dumas novel and apply a steampunk-style reinterpretation of the material. This new adaptation from director Paul W.S. Anderson, who is content with slumming in C-movie filmmaking, is a pure exercise in style-over-substance, filling the screen with excessive explosions, slo-mo, and very campy characters and storytelling (and all filmed in glorious 3D of course). Strangely, I also have to add that the film is, at times, genuinely entertaining. There are certainly better ways to appreciate this story, but I can’t deny the small amount of appeal that this film does have. Continue reading ‘‘The Three Musketeers’ Is Junk Food, Like The Candy Bar’
October 21st, 2011 by Aaron Neuwirth
It is not rare to see a new independently made thriller every so often, but it certainly is satisfying to see one that is well acted, rich with intrigue, and full of disturbingly quiet tension. The tongue twistery-titled film Martha Marcy May Marlene is one that unfolds skillfully, telling a story set within two timelines that involves a young girl’s plight while under the control of a cult and her struggle to assimilate back into normal life after escaping it. The overall narrative does not supply any more information than it has to and plays out like a slow burn, but there is a strong level tension that boils under the surface and a number of uncomfortable scenes that work very well with the story that is presented. Along with the breakout work from the lead actress, the rest of the effort to put together Martha Marcy May Marlene was strong enough to have the film creep its way into being one of my favorites of the year. Continue reading ‘‘Martha Marcy May Marlene’ Is Quietly Chilling’
October 20th, 2011 by Blu-ray Brian
Revenge is definitely a beautiful genre, especially when you’re talking about the Zoe Saldana thriller Colombiana. The never-before-seen unrated version arrives on Blu-ray with UltraViloet and DVD on December 20th, and I for one, couldn’t be happier about it! Colombiana is a scandalous blend of action, sex and violence and if you haven’t experienced it before, then what better way than to make Blu-ray your first time. Here’s to hoping you fall in love with Colombiana like I did. Check out the full press release below for more details. Continue reading ‘‘Colombiana’ Unrated Version Shoots It Out On Blu-ray’
October 20th, 2011 by Matt Goodman
The thing about the hypnotic band Yes is that it is a love-it or hate-it type of band. I wouldn’t classify myself as a hater per say, but I’m not at all a fan of their style of music. I find the whole “hippie” style of music quite irritating and way oversold to an extent that it becomes even unbearable (especially at its insane running time of 194 minutes). However, I did enjoy a couple of their songs and the Blu-ray features great video and audio, but again, with all of these Eagle Rock Blu-rays, it lacks in the special features department. Continue reading ‘Yes: Symphonic Live (Blu-ray Review)’
