Into the Blu

I’ve spent more than a few hours in the company of Ray Harryhausen over the years. I’ve handled many of the original armatures and have seen the original hand drawn storyboards and conceptual drawings he had created for most of his films. We’ve had many talks about this and all of his other films. I treasure those moments as I treasure seeing 20 Million Miles To Earth finally in hi-def. Continue Reading

J.K Rowling has created a wonderful world of fanciful creatures and magical wizardry. The most amazing thing about her Harry Potter series is how popular the books have become. Kids are reading again, and in numbers not seen since the 1970’s when it was book series like The Hardy Boys and Tom Swift that captured that generation’s imagination. Those books were likely as popular with us then as Harry Potter is with the kids today. But Rowling’s achievement is a far greater one Continue Reading

Some of you may know Man on Fire as the 1987 film of the same name, or perhaps the 1980 novel, as well of the same name. But for the brunt of you when I say Man on Fire you are thinking of the same thing I am, the 2004 film staring Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning. Personally I am growing tired of Hollywood’s sequels, prequels, and remakes, and right off the line I didn’t think this movie would be anything but unoriginal and stale. But since we were children we have been told not to judge a book by its cover, and God knows I have been wrong before, so lets see how Man on Fire plays out. Continue Reading

3:10 to Yuma makes its way onto Blu-ray disc, a remake of the 1957 film of the same name. Before I even knew what the film was about I was intrigued, as I have yet to watch a Christian Bale film I haven’t liked. Add the always entertaining Russell Crowe and this film has automatic potential. 3:10 to Yuma is directed by James Mangold (Walk The Line,Cop Land) which immediately gives it some credibility, but enough with the speculation, how does 3:10 to Yuma hold up? Continue Reading

I remember feeling quite enthusiastic when I heard about a big screen adaptation of one of my favorite childhood cartoons was coming. I also remember the bile raise in my gut when I actually saw the trailer for Underdog. How could I not assume the worst when my quirky, retro hero had been turned into another attempt at live-action, talking animal film? Admittedly, I wanted nothing to do with this remake, but when I sat down with my family to watch Underdog for this review, a funny thing happened. Not only did I find myself enjoying this fresh new take, catching many references to the original series, but my children actually sat still.
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