Archive Page 550
September 6th, 2011 by Sean Ferguson
More astonishing and spectacular than ever before, Academy Award nominated writer/producer Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas is now available for the first time ever to own on Disney Blu-ray 3D and/or 3D Movie Download! The Nightmare Before Christmas is produced by Academy Award nominated writer and producer Tim Burton (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride) and Denise DiNovi (Edward Scissorhands, James and the Giant Peach), directed by Henry Selick (Coraline, James and the Giant Peach) and written by Michael McDowell (Beetle Juice, Thinner) and Caroline Thompson (Corpse Bride, The Addams Family). And the spectacular charactersare voiced by the talents of Chris Sarandon (The Princess Bride, Fright Night) as Jack Skellington’s speaking voice, Danny Elfman (Corpse Bride, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) as Jack Skellington’s singing voice and Catherine O’Hara (Home Alone, Best In Show) as Sally, to name a few. Continue reading ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas 3D/2D (Blu-ray Review)’
September 5th, 2011 by Scott Wampler
If there were any justice in the world, I’d be able to publish a five-word review for Florent Emilio Siri’s Hostage. That review would read, “What a piece of crap”. But– as we all know– there is no justice in the world, and as such, I will now spend the next fifteen to twenty minutes hammering out a review for a crappy, nigh unwatchable, completely useless “action/drama” from a hack-y director. You will spend the next five to ten minutes (depending on whether or not you move your mouth when you read) reading those thoughts, and in the end, you will probably decide never to watch Florent Emilion Siri’s Hostage. Huh. Maybe there is some justice in the world, after all. Continue reading ‘Hostage (Blu-ray Review)’
September 4th, 2011 by Gerard Iribe
X-Men: First Class is the official first chapter in the X-Men film universe. One could even say that the film is a reboot of sorts, but that may or may not be stretching it a bit. A very cool cast has been assembled to take on the roles of earlier character versions in this latest offering from Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake, Kick Ass). X-Men: First Class is also the first of the X-Men films to be grounded in the real world and intermixed with real events of the time. JFK and Cuban Missile Crisis anyone? How would the new cast playing old familiars measure up to the gravitas of Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McCellan on the latter (or previous) trilogy? How would “less popular” mutants fair without Wolverine having to carry each and every film? For this and much more, you’ve come to right place. Why So Blu presents: X-Men: First Class. Continue reading ‘X-Men: First Class (Blu-ray Review)’
September 4th, 2011 by Jami Ferguson
Just a few months shy of my 34th birthday; I am a little ashamed to admit that I am a fan of teen movies. I care about Bella and Edward in Twilight. I thoroughly enjoyed the High School Musical franchise. The Vampire Diaries is one of my new favorite TV shows. I would easily fit in with any sophomore class of girls. Looking at the cover for Prom, I’m a little disappointed that the actors appear as though they could actually be in high school. I come from the Beverly Hills 90210 generation where the actors playing high school kids are actually in their late 20’s – even 30s. I’m just not sure how I feel about a teen movie full of teens. Continue reading ‘Prom (Blu-Ray Review)’
September 4th, 2011 by Gerard Iribe
Starz is on a roll and if you’ve been keeping track the train doesn’t stop for no one! Spartacus: Blood and Sand and Spartacus: Gods of the Arena were instant smash hits, so it was a bit of a head spinner to see the company tackle the Arthurian legend of old in Camelot. The promotional materials shown made the prospect of this new retelling even more appealing. What it also did was make fans anticipate that it would have the same level of blood, sex, and violence that both of the previous Spartacus shows had. The biggest question on everyone’s mind was…would Camelot deliver the goods or would it just be hype? Keep reading and find out! Continue reading ‘Camelot: The Complete First Season (Blu-ray Review)’
September 3rd, 2011 by Aaron Neuwirth
In the past few weeks I have seen a number of horror films fitting into sub-genres that include vampire films, haunted house films, and found footage films. Another well worn horror sub-genre would have to be the old “cabin in the woods” story, which pits a group of innocents against unknown evil in the middle of the wilderness. The Evil Dead films would be at the top for me in this category, but many other entries have come and gone as well. Tucker & Dale vs. Evil has an ingenious premise for this type of film. Instead of being a standard “cabin in the woods” type story, it pulls a reversal. The heroes are in fact the hillbillies that would generally be terrorizing the innocent teenagers. Due to clever writing, some really hilarious sequences and deaths, and a bit of a self aware quality, this film fits well into the Shaun of the Dead-type league of successfully playing off of its genre, while becoming an entry into it. Continue reading ‘‘Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil’ Is A Fun Spin On The Cabin In The Woods Story’
September 3rd, 2011 by Gerard Iribe
Everyone is after fugitive Jedi Dass Jennir. An assassin broke into an Imperial facility seeking information about Jennir’s whereabouts, and the specifics of what was stolen have put Darth Vader on Jennir’s trail-with the Emperor’s blessing! Even the outlaw crew of the Uhumele are searching for their erstwhile companion. Continue reading ‘Star Wars: Dark Times—Out of the Wilderness #2’
September 3rd, 2011 by Gerard Iribe
Shark Week may have come and gone, but these magical beasts will always live on in the silver linings of this Blu-ray disc. Discovery Channel hosts a yearly week of programming in tribute to these majestic predators of the deep. Shark Week: Restless Fury is one such compilation of recent Discovery Channel programming devoted to sharks collected in one volume. How will the these oceanic wonders stack up to the scrutiny of the Blu-ray format? Get your snorkel and dive right in. Continue reading ‘Shark Week: Restless Fury (Blu-ray Review)’
September 2nd, 2011 by Aaron Neuwirth
Apollo 18 is the perfect example for how to market an empty paper bag. It is not that I hated this film, it actually does a few things right, but I found that there was way more intrigue in the setup to this film before it even hit theaters, before actually seeing the final results. The simple image of another footprint overlapping an astronaut’s footprint on the moon is fairly clever. Describing the premise is fun. The result delivers what you’d expect, just without the proper execution that resulted in solid tension or scares, which is instead replaced by cheap startles and dullness. The best thing I can say about Apollo 18 is that it was as if the guys at NASA (who felt the need to separate themselves from this film), were big fans of the Paranormal Activity movies and used their own equipment to make a parody version. Continue reading ‘‘Apollo 18’ Answers Questions About The Moon That No One Has Been Asking’
September 2nd, 2011 by Gregg Senko
First things first. Did you really expect this to be as good as the original Jaws? Of course not, so let’s get that comparison out of the way. Now the real question is, does Shark Night 3D have any redeeming value? It’s along the lines of last year’s Piranha 3D, which I actually found to be a really entertaining film, in 3D or not. So let’s sharpen those chompers and take a bite out of Shark Night 3D.
Continue reading ‘‘Shark Night 3D’ Has Small Bite’
September 2nd, 2011 by Aaron Neuwirth
After a year long delay, The Debt has now arrived in theaters. While at one time thought to be a possible Oscar contender, it now seems that it has been dumped into the end of summer release period. While this is not something that necessarily matters in relation to my thoughts on the film, the positioning of this film’s release does seem expected at this point. Despite its potential to have been something better (I should add that it is a remake of a 2007 Israeli film), it ultimately amounts to having some strong moments and a good cast, but does not manage to bring things together quite well enough by the end. I was intrigued enough by the 70s-style espionage elements early on, but less so by the film’s conclusion. The Debt maybe didn’t deserve to be dumped into theaters; it just doesn’t match its assumed prestige status. Continue reading ‘‘The Debt’ Is A Decent, Late Summer Distraction’
September 2nd, 2011 by Gregg Senko
Yes, yes, I know. This isn’t the typical Why So Blu movie review. We focus on pop culture flicks, usually consisting of comedies, science fiction, and kick-ass action films. The Help does not fall under any of those three categories. Yet, like last year’s The King’s Speech, this movie is too good not to talk about here. Just like the article’s title says, watch for this film to be nominated for at least Best Picture at this year’s Academy Awards.
Continue reading ‘‘The Help’ on Path for Oscar’
September 2nd, 2011 by Jami Ferguson
I just celebrated my 10th wedding anniversary and for the past 10 years, I’ve been joking that my husband and I need to get an extra wife. Get your head out of the gutter; I’m not talking about becoming swingers and inviting others into our bedroom. I’m talking about the rest of married life. My husband and I both work full time, and we could use a stay at home mom to take care of our son, cook our dinner, clean our house, etc. I actually don’t care which wife I am. I can be the working wife or the stay at home wife. As long as I don’t have to do both, I would be happy. Turns out, I’m not the first person to think of this as the Mormons thought of polygamy a long time ago. And wouldn’t you know it, TLC made a reality show about it, specifically the Brown Family. As the DVD begins to play I realize that there are endless possibilities for reality shows – especially after watching a preview for something called Punkin Chunkin, which I may watch just because I love the title. Continue reading ‘Sister Wives 2 (DVD Review)’
September 1st, 2011 by Jami Ferguson
When Southern California storage unit bills go unpaid, the contents go up for auction. Storage Wars is a reality show on A&E that follows four professional buyers and their teams as they gamble that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. When the lock on the unit is cut, they have five minutes to look without entering or touching any of the units contents. Then an auctioneer takes the bids. Sometimes they bid because they think they have spotted something worthwhile, sometimes they bid each other up, and sometimes they bid just so another guy can’t have it. Storage Wars is as much about the bidders as it is the stuff they find and by the end of season one, you will definitely find you have favorites. Continue reading ‘Storage Wars Season One (DVD Review)’
September 1st, 2011 by Gerard Iribe
Take a journey back in time with the romantic tale based on Sara Gruen’s New York Times #1 Best-Seller novel of the same name, WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, coming to Blu-ray and DVD on November 1st from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Starring Academy Award®-winner Reese Witherspoon (Walk The Line), Robert Pattinson (Twilight series) and Oscar®-winner Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds), the film presents an epic tale of forbidden love in a magical place filled with adventure, wonder and great danger. Showcasing the decadence of a bohemian circus and the majesty of its animals against the backdrop and beauty of a bygone era, WATER FOR ELEPHANTS makes the ideal holiday gift idea for your favorite film buff, fashionista or book-lover! Continue reading ‘Discover the Beauty of ‘Water for Elephants’ on Blu-ray and DVD November 1st’
September 1st, 2011 by Sean Ferguson
The Beaver tells the emotional story of a once successful man named Walter Black (Mel Gibson) so plagued by his own demons that he resorts to the use of a beaver hand puppet in order turn his life around and reconnect with his family. Academy Award winner Jodie Foster, Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone), and Anton Yelchin (Star Trek) also co-star in the film which is both a darkly comic journey of self-discovery and the importance of family and the strength they can provide. Continue reading ‘The Beaver (Blu-ray Review)’
September 1st, 2011 by Aaron Neuwirth
Win Win is the kind of movie I hope remains looked at as one of the early pleasures of 2011. I do not think it will necessarily be one of my favorites of the year (honorable mention, sure), but it has the kind of charm and humor that makes for a movie I want many people to see. Paul Giamatti leads a talented cast, in a film that is a comedy-drama about family, teenage angst, and wrestling. While plot complications may pile on top of each other, it is the natural human qualities that makes this film work and feel authentic, especially with its humor. I’m glad to have now had a chance to give the Blu-ray a look as well. Continue reading ‘Win Win (Blu-ray Review)’
September 1st, 2011 by Aaron Neuwirth
Finally, the much delayed Why So Blu review of the Arthur Blu-ray is here! One of the best things I can say about Arthur is that a lot of people laughed really hard when I saw it in theaters, and that does not make them wrong. However, the percentage of those people who had seen the original 1981 Arthur was probably very low. That film is superior, but this update has some genuinely funny moments. Honestly, taking away all of the comparisons and mindsets one may feel they need to be in to watch this film, what it comes down to is how much they like Russell Brand’s comedic antics. There are other factors too, but the film will ultimately rely on how you view this good-natured, drunken billionaire. The scant extra features certainly don’t do much to help either Continue reading ‘Arthur (Blu-ray Review)’
