Into the Blu

As a fan of the Universal horror films from the 1930’s and 1940’s I have a deeper appreciation for Mel Brooks and his rather silly Young Frankenstein than most. If you watch the film without the references, I don’t think it holds up very well at all. The jokes are often repeated enough times that they lose any effectiveness they might have had. Just about all of the performances are over the top. From that quick look one might dismiss Young Frankenstein as a minor effort that was mildly amusing in its day, but without any real staying power. So, what is it that has made this not only the best film from the mind of Mel Brooks, but a perennial classic 30 years later? For the answer to that question you must return to that golden age of horror. Continue Reading

Back in 2005, Sin City was one of those DVD movies I bought as a blind purchase, and coincidentally, the first movie I ever watched on my brand new 50” Sony LCD rear projection HDTV at the time. I remember just being completely mesmerized by the movie’s unique, and at the time, revolutionary coloring process. The majority of the film is rendered in black and white but contains certain color palettes to emphasize specific objects and scenes. I was really taken aback by this as I am usually just into the cookie-cutter kind of traditional color looking films and not often moved by artistic attempts at being different. Continue Reading

Fox has announced Mike Judge’s smash comedy hit of all time…Office Space…to debut on Blu-ray February 3, 2009.  Dubbed as the Special Edition with Flair!…I can hear all the die-hard fans screaming in sheer ecstasy as they read about this one.  The corporate world was always looked upon very differently after this gem of a movie came out and exposed what the general population already knew, but in a very comedic fashion.  Many movies and television shows have tried to mimic the office politics and gags of Office Space, but none have come close to the magic of this movie.  There are some very brave antics within this movie that I one day aspire to try in the real world myself.  Be prepared to double dip come February on one of the greatest work place comedies ever. Continue Reading

Tinker Bell has been a Walt Disney icon almost since its inception. The character has gone way beyond her appearance in Peter Pan. In the decades since, she has come to represent the magic of Walt Disney and its many incarnations. Seen at the beginning of every Disney title, Tinker Bell is likely as recognizable as Mickey Mouse and his many friends. John Lassiter and the animators of Disney’s new CG animation studios take on this monumental character in the first of at least 5 announced films to feature the little fairy. Continue Reading

Warren Miller has been putting out these snow sports videos for decades. If you’ve seen any of his previous efforts, you will pretty much know what to expect here. The real difference, of course, is that for the first time you can catch it all in high definition. Fans of the sport will get plenty of the action and loud rock soundtrack that they’ve come to expect from these kinds of films. What the fans and even some nonfans, like myself, can get out of this film is the experience it offers. Miller has taken some impressive equipment and exceptional photographers to the slopes to deliver an up-close and in your face tour of some of the world’s greatest snow sports mountains. Continue Reading

I am very excited about the news Universal Studios released today!  The Jason Statham action movie Death Race was announced for a December 23rd Blu-ray release date.  The Blu-ray release will feature the both Rated (Theatrical) and Unrated cuts of the film.  The release will also be accompanied with a digital copy of the movie for watching on the go.  Final specs have yet to be released for all the Special Features and Extras.

I saw this movie in the theatres for two reasons…the Mustang and my love for over-the-top Jason Statham action movies.  And I was not disappointed.  I walked out of the theatre already counting the days to when this movie gets released on the Blu-ray format and I become its proud owner.  I, for one, cannot wait to watch the stunning cinematography in glorious 1080P and hear the wreckage all around me in deafening 5.1 HD audio.  This will be a loud one! Continue Reading

Looking back over the last twenty or even thirty years of horror films, we’ve been on a downward slope with the occasional spike of decency. In a market filled with remakes, blood and guts, and redundancy, there’s a bit of solace thinking back on movies like The Omen. An undeniable favorite in the Christian end times corner of the horror universe. Packaged along with Richard Donner’s classic are two sequels and a remake, will they follow the overall downward trend? Or are we going to see a spike, maybe even a spark in inventive and horrific film making? Continue Reading

Hitting the streets today (October 28th, 2008)…

• Journey to the Center of the Earth (2-D and Limited-Edition 3-D)
• Tinker Bell
• The Polar Express Presented in 3-D
• Dead Space: Downfall
• Baraka
• Elf
• Hell Ride
• Zombie Strippers
• Kit Kittredge: An American Girl
• Jewel: The Essential Live Songbook
• Essential Holiday Collection (The Polar Express / National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation / Elf / A Christmas Story) Continue Reading

Ride the Pineapple Express on Blu-ray January 6th!  Sony Pictures Home Entertainment just announced this summer’s Seth Rogen comedy Pineapple Express is coming to the Blu-ray format on January 6th.  The film grossed nearly $100 million during its domestic run this past summer.  The two-disc Blu-ray set will contain both the unrated and R-rated (theatrical) verions of the movie accessible via seamless branching.  If that is not enough to get you excited wait until you see all the Bonus materials that consumers will receive with this new Blu-ray release.  Exclusive to the Blu-ray is the “Ride The Express” interactive game and a Digital Copy of the movie compatible with PCs and iTunes.

The full press release from Sony Pictures is as follows: Continue Reading

On many levels, I am still trying to cope with the sheer disappoint that was Ang Lee’s 2003 Hulk. I guess I can pretty much give up on the open case I have with theatre management for getting my money back after suffering through that movie. I could not understand how they could screw up a movie about such an iconic and powerful character as the Hulk. I mean, they have the successful longevity of the comic book series and the cult television series to reference and they still got it wrong. I suppose you can say I was a bit reluctant when I heard about the Hulk reboot that Universal was planning. Continue Reading

Pierce Brosnan only got to play James Bond for four films, which is unfortunate when you watch a film like Die Another Day. He’s always had a great presence in the part, but watching this movie gives you tremendous appreciation of what he brought to the character and to the franchise. In such a short time he made the part his own in a way that only Sean Connery had done before. Continue Reading

Bathing in blood and dominating Romania some six centuries ago, I assure you Vlad the Impailer would never have guessed his legacy would live on in this light. Rooting back to Bram Stoker’s original novel, our imaginations have been captivated by the blood thirsty creatures of the night, based in name upon Vlad, also known as Vlad Dracula. In film there has been a real hit and miss streak with the vampire genre, usually conforming to a teenage hack and slash plot and falling short of all expectations. But there have been a few gems along the way, 1922′s Nosferatu, 1992′s Bram Stoker’s Dracula, 1931′s Dracula, and of course, the topic of this review, 1994′s Interview with the Vampire. I’m not going to beat around the bush on this one, Interview with the Vampire is probably the best Vampire movie of the past twenty years, and I’ll tell you why. Continue Reading