Archive Page 551
September 15th, 2011 by Gerard Iribe
TV Land’s hilarious show returns for more hijinks when “Hot in Cleveland” Season Two debuts on DVD November 29, 2011. The hit series stars acclaimed actresses Valerie Bertinelli (“One Day at a Time”), Jane Leeves (“Frasier”), Wendie Malick (“Just Shoot Me”) and Betty White (“The Golden Girls”) in the role that has already garnered her a SAG Award, a Gracie Allen Award and a 2011 Emmy® nomination. Season two continued to delight audiences, averaging over three million total viewers and posting triple-digit gains over the network’s primetime average. Continue reading ‘‘Hot In Cleveland’ Season Two warms up the shelves on DVD November 29th’
September 15th, 2011 by Aaron Neuwirth
I do not always have a chance to do this, but I have to sort of defend a movie that I am not all that partial to. The original 1971 Straw Dogs, from director Sam Peckinpah, was a film that came out during a transitional time in Hollywood, the New Hollywood period. It was controversial at the time and to this day, presenting a number of difficult scenes to watch, while serving as an exploration of violence in different forms with ambiguous answers to some of the actions of the characters. This 2011 update has nothing to say and feels completely unnecessary. While admittedly well made in places, this is the worst kind of remake, one that does not go the route of reimagining plot elements from the original and instead follows the same path beat for beat. Continue reading ‘You Can Put These Remade ‘Straw Dogs’ To Sleep’
September 14th, 2011 by Gregg Senko
After today, there are only two more Wednesdays of release dates that restart 52 DC titles at issue 1. While I was unable to get my hands on issue 1 of Deathstroke (sold out) or a few of the other DC notables today, I did pick up six other firsts. Read on to see what’s worth a buy and what’s worth leaving on the shelf.
Continue reading ‘Today’s ‘New 52’ Releases from DC’
September 14th, 2011 by Aaron Neuwirth
So now that we have left the summer movie season behind (a recap featuring the Why So Blu crew’s top picks can be found HERE), it is time to get into the big fall releases. There are a lot of great looking releases on their way, including both “prestige” level films as well as those that look to be a lot of fun. Rather than try to rank out a top ten, I have simply put these films in order of their release date, acknowledging that there is only a small chance that any of these would change. Once again, I am using the term “fall” somewhat loosely, as I am applying it to films arriving in theaters post Labor Day and up to the end of the year. With that said, there are enough films on the way that I have even made a long list of other notable releases below these selected titles. Continue on to see what upcoming films have caught my eye. Continue reading ‘Aaron’s Most Anticipated Films For Fall 2011’
September 14th, 2011 by Sean Ferguson
In the spring of 1980, the Mariel boatlift brought thousands of Cuban refugees to the sun-washed avenues of Miami in search of the American dream. From acclaimed director Brian DePalma, Scarface is the rags-to-riches story of Tony Montana (Al Pacino), who finds wealth, power and passion beyond his wildest dreams…at a price he never imagined. Tony Montana’s meteoric rise, lavish life and soul-destroying fall, are the elements of the film have that inspired a worldwide following and changed the fortunes of the movie from a mediocre box office under-performer into a phenomenon. The role of Tony Montana gave Pacino one of his most memorable roles as he blasts his way to the top of Miami’s drug underworld in a bravura performance. Continue reading ‘Scarface: Limited Edition Steelbook (Blu-ray Review)’
September 13th, 2011 by Brian White
Before there was Insidious, there was 2001’s The Others. Of course, they are completely different stories, but they both travel down a similar road I love in my movies, that being the paranormal/supernatural one. I could go on and on about my love for both of these films, but for today, my proverbial spotlight will be shining solely upon Lionsgate’s September 20th Blu-ray release of The Others. And rightfully so, this film stands the test of time in my opinion. It’s very rare that a film of this caliber, which depends almost exclusively on its one hell of a twisted ending, lends itself well to many repeat viewings. It has been awhile since my last rendezvous with The Others, so here goes nothing. Continue reading ‘The Others (Blu-ray Review)’
September 13th, 2011 by Patrick Bellante
When I thought about Madden this year I thought wow this is going to be the same old dog and probably no new tricks. To be honest the only reason I even thought about purchasing this installment was because I love Cleveland and our hard working running back, Peyton Hillis, got the fans vote to grace the cover of this edition. The one drawback I was expecting from this title was the lack current rosters due to the NFL lockout that almost plagued the season. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that an updated league roster was available right out of the package. Continue reading ‘Madden NFL 12 (PS3 Game Review)’
September 12th, 2011 by Aaron Neuwirth
So imagine the heavy metal version of Calvin and Hobbes and you have something close to resembling Hesher, a strange sort of drama that features a tornado of destruction, in the form of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who enters the life of young TJ, a boy still grieving the loss of his mother. Hesher is definitely the product of independent cinema and it is a strange blend of many different qualities that still have me questioning whether I truly enjoyed this film as whole or just aspects of it. Fortunately, as opposed to going through some kind of aggro rage bender like Hesher would, I can simply work out my thoughts through the process of reviewing this Blu-ray. Continue on to see where I ended up with this very warped version of a buddy film/family drama. Continue reading ‘Hesher (Blu-ray Review)’
September 12th, 2011 by Sean Ferguson
Not long ago, I had the chance to talk to with some very influential people in Disney about the restoration work done for the upcoming Dumbo Blu-ray. Those people included Sara Duran-Singer, the Senior Vice-President of Post-Production, Dave Bossert, the Creative Director of Walt Disney Studios Animation, and Joe Jiuliano, who is the Director of Film and Video Services The discussion yielded a lot of interesting information on how Disney restores and preserves their films as well as some interesting trivia such as the fact that legendary Warner Brothers animator Chuck Jones got his start working for Disney. We also found out that some of Disney’s classic live action films including (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Swiss Family Robinson, and Mary Poppins) have already been restored and will be coming to Blu-ray. Ostensibly, we were supposed to talk about the amazing restoration done on Dumbo, but I managed to sneak in a question about the legendary Song of the South which is still locked up in the vault, and I actually got an answer that might surprise you. Read on to find out more… Continue reading ‘A Talk With Disney About the Restoration of Dumbo’
September 12th, 2011 by Gregg Senko
Last night I received a very sobering text message from fellow WSB writer Gerard Iribe. It stated that Spartacus star Andy Whitfield passed away. For months I had wondered of the progress of the actor’s battle with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and last night was not the outcome I was expecting. Instead of focusing on the sadness of his departure, however, I figured it better to reflect on the positive that he brought to us as well as the indirect impact he has had here on Why So Blu.
Continue reading ‘The Passing of Andy Whitfield’
September 10th, 2011 by Scott Wampler
Of late, I have developed quite the interest in Asian cinema. Oh, sure, I’d dabbled before– I’ve got more than a few Miike films on my shelf, for instance– but lately I’ve been going bananas with our friends to the East (note: “Friends to The East” does not include Kim Jong-Il, just in case anyone’s concerned about my political affiliations). It started with me revisiting Old Boy, and quickly turned into me buying up a slew of Asian Blu-rays over the past few weeks: The Good, The Bad, and The Weird and The Host and I Saw The Devil and — of course– House. And so, when the opportunity to review the Asian horror film Cold Fish arose, I gladly accepted. Unlike another, American-made horror film released under the “Bloody Disgusting Selects” banner that I just reviewed (YellowBrickRoad), this one was actually pretty damn good. Let’s get to it. Continue reading ‘Cold Fish (DVD Review)’
September 10th, 2011 by Aaron Neuwirth
With Contagion, acclaimed director Steven Soderbergh moves away from his more obscure arthouse fair and back into more mainstream film territory. The result is a procedural-style thriller geared towards adults and it is plenty effective in having the surrounding audience be weary of anyone who coughs near them after having seen the film. Using a similar template as he did with Traffic, Soderbergh has taken away the sensationalizing of a thriller based around a global virus pandemic and focuses on a core set of characters “realistically” doing what they can, given the situation they are in. As a result, while not without some characterization issues, the film is absorbing, well made and acted for certain, and quite chilling at times. Continue reading ‘‘Contagion’ Spreads Procedural-Style Chills’
September 9th, 2011 by Gerard Iribe
It has been an extremely busy year for comic book based films, and we’re still not done yet; Captain America, I’m looking at you! Before we get to the Cap’n, we’ve got to get to the God of Thunder himself; Thor! I need to preface this review by stating that I received the full 3-D Blu-ray set, but for all intents and purposes, this will be a full review of the 2-D version along with the special features. We will leave the “Limited Edition” artwork for reference purposes, as well. So how will Kenneth Branagh’s epic tale of the Norse-comic book-mythology play it out? These, and all of your other questions will be answered in our review, so without further ado, let’s get it started, yo! Continue reading ‘Thor (Blu-ray Review)’
September 9th, 2011 by Blu-ray Brian
Our weekend here at Why So Blu? would not be complete, I feel, without letting all our readers see, if they have not already, the next installment in The Human Centipede franchise. Ah…it feels good to say that. Let’s say that again…The Human Centipede franchise. I can almost hear our staff writer Sean Ferguson jumping up for joy over this series. Yep, that’s right folks…the brilliant mind behind The Human Centipede (First Cut), Tom Six, is back with the appropriately titled sequel, The Human Centipede (Full Sequence). Don’t believe me? Check out the first teaser trailer below. I can’t wait! Enjoy The Human Centipede (Full Sequence) this Fall! Continue reading ‘The Human Centipede (Full Sequence) U.S. Teaser Trailer’
September 9th, 2011 by Gregg Senko
There does need to be a little bit of a disclaimer to the title of this article. There are some redeeming qualities and I commend Director Fred Andrews for bringing a touch of uniqueness to this picture. However, there are more sour moments than redeeming ones in Creature.
Continue reading ‘‘Creature’ No Great Feature’
September 9th, 2011 by Sean Ferguson
Disney returns to the Hundred Acre Wood with “Winnie the Pooh.” Featuring the timeless charm, wit and whimsy of the original featurettes, this all-new movie reunites audiences with the philosophical “bear of very little brain” and friends Tigger, Rabbit, Piglet, Owl, Kanga, Roo – and last, but certainly not least, Eeyore, who has lost his tail. Owl sends the whole gang on a wild quest to save Christopher Robin from an imaginary culprit. It turns out to be a very busy day for a bear who simply set out to find some honey. Disney’s all-new “Winnie the Pooh” movie is inspired by three stories from A.A. Milne’s books in Disney’s classic, hand-drawn art.
Continue reading ‘Winnie the Pooh Arrives on Blu-ray 10/25 and is Now Available to Pre-order!’
September 9th, 2011 by Sean Ferguson
Celebrate the 20th anniversary of director Joe Johnston’s (Captain America: The First Avenger) action-filled, witty The Rocketeer. Now with state-of-the-art digital restoration and enhanced high definition sound, experience it as it jets off for the first time on Disney Blu-ray. The discovery of a top-secret jetpack hurls test pilot Cliff Secord (Billy Campbell) into a daring adventure of mystery, suspense, and intrigue! Cliff encounters an assortment of ruthless villains, led by a Hollywood screen star (Timothy Dalton) who is a secret Nazi spy. With the help of his actress girlfriend (Jennifer Connelly) , the young pilot battles enormous odds to defeat his foes who are anxious to use the device in an evil plan to rule the world. This highly anticipated release is now available to pre-order! Continue reading ‘The Rocketeer: 20th Anniversary Edition Will Fly To Blu-ray Dec. 13th!’
September 9th, 2011 by Gerard Iribe
Spectacular action, stunning visual effects, non-stop thrills and fan-favorite characters including OPTIMUS PRIME, BUMBLEBEE and Sam Witwicky rocketed Transformers: Dark of the Moon into the stratosphere, with the latest installment of the wildly popular TRANSFORMERS franchise surpassing its predecessors to earn over $1.1 billion at the worldwide box office. From Paramount Pictures in association with Hasbro, the breathtaking film redefines the scale, scope and emotional impact of what a blockbuster can be with the ongoing epic story of the mighty AUTOBOTS in a thrill-packed adventure that the whole family can enjoy. Distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment, the film will debut in a Blu-ray/DVD Combo with a digital copy and on standard DVD on Friday, September 30, 2011, followed by a deluxe Blu-ray and DVD release, including a Blu-ray 3D, in the coming months. Continue reading ‘Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon Blasts off on Blu-ray/DVD on September 30’
