Into the Blu

Politically incorrect, foul-mouthed, heartless, loving, pot-smoking, drug-peddling, hard working, not working, frustrated, argumentative, thought-provoking, humorous, angry, coming of age movie.  That is Clerks II in a nutshell.  But before all that, I think the biggest surprise a few years ago was, “They’re making another one??”  I did enjoy the first film for its originality and delivery.  For those who haven’t seen the original Clerks, give it a go.  Though you won’t find it on any blockbuster income stats sheet, it is one of those small films with a tremendous following.  Who can forget Randal’s argument over how realistic it was to build the Death Star and the loss of life incurred from the Rebel attack?  But, here we are in 2009 as Clerks II makes its way to the Blu-ray format…this time in full color and with a bigger budget.  The usual suspects return to reprise their roles as we once again visit the lives of Randal, Dante and of course, everyone’s favorites, Jay and Silent Bob.  Did I mention the addition of Rosario Dawson to the cast? Continue Reading

April 7th, 2009 Releases…

• The Day the Earth Stood Still
• Doubt
• 2010: The Year We Make Contact
• American History X
• Yes Man
• The Tale of Despereaux
• No Country for Old Men (2-Disc Collector’s Edition)
• The Wedding Singer
• Final Destination
• Collateral Damage
• Tango & Cash
• Taking Lives Continue Reading

March 31st, 2009 Releases…

• Slumdog Millionaire
• Marley And Me (3-disc Bad Dog Edition)
• The Matrix (10th Anniversary Book Edition)
• Bedtime Stories
• Seven Pounds
• Tell No One
• Pitch Black
• Chronicles of Riddick
• The One
• Ghosts of Mars
• Way of War
• Chris Botti in Boston
• South Pacific
• Gigi
• An American in Paris Continue Reading

OK…here’s my tagline that I am likely to repeat again…Bond is back…meaner, badder and better than ever!  If you missed Quantum of Solace in the theatre, then have no fear as nothing compares to seeing a movie for the first time on the Blu-ray format.  That just gave me an interesting advertising idea.  For promotional purposes of course, Sony should produce a parody of Sinead O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares to U” entitled “Nothing Compares to Blu.”  What do you think?  No need to answer that as I will shut up and get back to the main reason we are even here.  That reason obviously being the celebration of the newest adventure of everyone’s secret agent spy, 007 James Bond, on the Blu-ray format.   Without further a do, I present you Daniel Craig’s second outing, in the 22^nd film of the James Bond franchise, titled Quantum of Solace, the only sequel ever in Bond film history.  Let’s take a closer look to see why this was one of the best action films of 2008. Continue Reading

I must admit, that I have not been a major fan of Spike Lee films. With him, it seems to be a hit or miss affair. While I really enjoyed Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X and the very underrated Inside Man , I can’t really say that I enjoyed the rest of his films all that much. One can say without a doubt that Spike Lee has an edge to him that manifests itself in each of his films. It is because of that edge and my limited knowledge of James McBride’s book that forms the basis of this film, that I was surprised by the description of the film on the case accompanying this Blu-ray disc that it was a powerful and uplifting WW II epic. While it no doubt has some very powerful elements, uplifting is not a word that I would use to describe this film. Continue Reading

Frozen River appears to be another one of those underappreciated gems, in regard to mass appeal. Critically Frozen River has had praises all across the board, having been nominated for numerous awards including but not limited to two Academy Awards (Best Actress and Best Original Screenplay). In the traditional fashion of critically acclaimed films, Frozen River struggled in the box office brining in just over $4,000,000 worldwide. But who says the success of a film is based upon its gross revenue? I for one look forward to checking out Frozen River with a completely open mind, and admittedly I don’t even have a slight inclination of what it’s about. Continue Reading

Having beaten out the likes of Apocalypse Now for the Best Picture Academy Award in 1979, Kramer vs. Kramer surely must be something special. With the former being a timeless classic, I have my doubts that Kramer vs. Kramer really should have taken away the statue all those years ago. But mind you, the film stars two of the most well respected and acclaimed actors of our time; Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep. Not only did the film itself take home the top prize, the aforementioned actors took home top honours in the Best Actor and Best Actress in a Supporting Role category. Continue Reading

I really hadn’t recognized the historical significance of the film, The Robe, prior to its release on Blu-ray. Oh, I knew it was an important film alright, but generally thought of it as the film that appeared all chopped up and panned and scanned on TV each December as Christmas approached. Continue Reading

If you are a comic book fan, now is a great time to be involved in that genre.  Industry experts say we’re passed the golden and silver age of this colorful medium.  If that’s true, then I guess the name to bestow the industry today would be prefixed by the word ‘platinum.’  The stories are stronger, the artwork more sophisticated and the marketing is far greater.  Nevertheless, I am always skeptical of the animated releases.  Marvel’s Doctor Strange was okay but nothing grand.  The Hulk Vs. compilation was far superior, yet I’m still apprehensive to be as ambitious with cartoon comic book movies as I am with the comic book itself.  Then came the recent release of the animated Wonder Woman movie.  Continue Reading

Movie stars without a doubt lead very glamorous lives. The money, the fame and lavish living are all very attractive. Of course, there is a downside. The paparazzi, the lack of privacy and the like. There is also another factor that often goes unnoticed and that is the lengths to which some actors go to get into their character and make them as authentic as they can. This brings me around to the work of Robert DeNiro in Raging Bull where he becomes Jake LaMotta, the former middleweight boxing champion in the 1940′s and 1950′s. Continue Reading

It was a decade ago when Pitch Black was released in theaters.  Little did we know at the time that the character of Riddick would be expanded upon with another film and content outside of both movies.  For now though, we’ll focus on the movie that started it all with nighttime baddies galore, Pitch Black. Continue Reading

The character Riddick, played by Vin Diesel, made its big screen debut in 1999′s Pitch Black.  In 2004, the hard-nosed, no-nonsense, intergalactic convict, made his return in The Chronicles of Riddick.  Upon unleashing this Blu-ray in my PS3, I was prompted by a Riddick screen that asked me to choose between the uncut director’s version or the theatrical release.  Not one to have previously seen this film, I opted for the director’s cut.  I will say, I was open-minded yet apprehensive going into this film.  Pitch Black certainly did not light my fire or most of the movie-going public for that matter.  After all, it pulled in a dismal U.S. gross at under $40 million.  Nevertheless, let’s give The Chronicles of Riddick a shot because here come the Necromongers! Continue Reading