Into the Blu

In late 2008, I was just leaving the movie theater and had to rub my eyes with vigorous surprise to make sure I was not seeing a movie poster mirage.  Right there in front of me was a large advertisement for Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li.  They couldn’t be serious.  In February of this year, I reviewed the original Street Fighter movie that starred Jean Claude Van Damme.  That piece of…ahem…excuse me, that piece of work was one of the most ridiculous films I had ever set my eyes and ears upon.  In short, it was rubbish.  I think it’s safe to say that another film, although not a sequel, was a serious gamble.  You will find two versions of this movie on disc 1 of the three-disc set; theatrical and unrated.  I chose the unrated path.  Let’s see how it fairs. Continue Reading

September 1, 2009 Releases…

• Braveheart
• Gladiator
• Heroes: Season Three
• State of Play
• Supernatural: The Complete Fourth Season
• M*A*S*H
• The Girl Next Door
• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation – The Ninth Season
• Terry Fator: Live from Las Vegas
• Bring it On: Fight to the Finish
• Monster
• High Crimes
• Disney Nature Earth
• Sugar
• Fire and Ice (1983)

August 25, 2009 Releases…

• Smallville: The Complete Eighth Season
• Adventureland
• Duplicity
• Sunshine Cleaning
• Fighting
• Lie To Me: Season One
• How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
• The Informers
• Devil May Cry: The Complete Series
• Water Life
• Children of the Corn (1984)

I admit to being intrigued by Miss March right from the start when I saw that wonderful cover art.  I hate being so shallow sometimes.  I guess I am a sucker for judging a book by its cover, but I also should know better.  I once thought I would have loved Seth MacFarlane’s Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy, but was I ever wrong.  So when I read Aaron Peck’s review, over at High Def Digest, and he gave the film a score of 0, I just had to see for myself what all the fuss was about.  I immediately contacted the site owner here begging to let me review this film.  Now granted, it has been several weeks since Aaron’s post, but I finally mustered up the courage this past Tuesday night to sit down with Miss March.  Is it as terrible as the Aaron makes it out to be?  Well I’ll be honest, I have seen much worse.  Allow me a few minutes of your time and I will explain why this Blu-ray disc should be given a rental before buying it solely over its sexy cover. Continue Reading

Few stories are as profound as that of the diary that Anne Frank kept when she was 13 and 14 years old.  Anne was a Jewish girl hiding in the loft of a building with her family, trying to escape the persecution of the Nazis.  If you have been living in a cave for…well…forever, then let me just inform you that this is a true story that went on during World War II in Amsterdam, Holland.  It defines survival, family, fear and patience.  Continue Reading

The Cell 2 is the direct to video sequel of the 2000 film of the same name. While the plot somewhat mirrors the original the characters and ideas are mostly fresh. I must admit; while the original film failed to deliver in the overall sense of the word I always had a thing for the unique plot. Some of the visuals in the aforementioned film have really stuck in my mind and the concept as well. While ultimately I found the film to be a disappointment I look forward to seeing the sequel albeit a direct to video I find myself questioning its production value. But I have been surprised before, and I hope that The Cell 2 can deliver where the original failed, already I can guess it will trump the original as the lack of Jennifer Lopez’s name on the credits! Continue Reading

Comedies have always been a great escape for audiences, time away from our daily grind to have a few laughs; after all they say laughter is the best medicine. But not all comedies are created equal as you well know, first off there are different branches of comedy; some prefer more sensible laughter like in a Wes Anderson film, others enjoy action mixed with their comedy, really the variations of the genre are quite limitless. Often times some of the most hysterical movies are the stupidest ones, the slapstick randomness and crude humor of movies like Old School, Animal House, and even this summer’s blockbuster The Hangover. While I hardly think I’ll be able to compare the lesser known Fired Up to some of these classics, I have in no way written it off and hope to find a few good laughs amongst this apparently absent minded comedy. Continue Reading

I have been a huge fan of Torchwood since season one ran on HDNet back in 2007. Season one featured some incredible writing, making it one of the most original and interesting sci-fi TV series I have ever seen. Season two was even better, with better character development and stronger story lines. Torchwood is not a series that is afraid to take risks, such as killing off several central characters. Continue Reading

While Marvel Studios is pumping out one live-action comic book film after another, DC is delivering the goods on the animated side of things.  Green Lantern: First Flight is the latest production to hit store shelves, courtesy of Detective Comics and Warner Bros.  It features one of DC’s most recognizable heroes, the Green Lantern, along with a back story that will surely have you on board by the time the film is over.  He’s more than just a guy in a suit with a funny ring.  Let’s power up and take off in the review of this latest comic book to home video translation! Continue Reading

Ahh, the campy action films of the 1980′s; when the humor was weak, the music synthesized and the explosions big.  When I mentioned to a few co-workers recently that I’d be watching a certain film from that genre; Tango & Cash, they were surprised to learn that I’d never seen the film before.  Sorry folks.  This one flew under the radar for me.  Now that we have reached the 20^th anniversary of the film’s release, I am finally in tune with the rest of the pop culture society.  Tango & Cash, take it away! Continue Reading

Life magazine once hailed Quo Vadis as “The most genuinely colossal movie you are likely to see for the rest of your lives.”  Having always been partial toward epics and period pieces, I must say, the thought of 30,000 live extras certainly sounded colossal.  With films such as Gladiator, Troy, and Braveheart already a part of my permanent collection; it would be interesting to see whether Quo Vadis could withstand the test of time, and match up against the use of modern day CGI in films.  Continue Reading

In the realm of classic musicals such as An American in Paris (a previous review of mine), next on the critique agenda was Gigi.  Released in 1958, Gigi has been billed as “A stylish triumph from start to finish,” but can it withstand the test of time and the transfer to Blu-ray?  Let’s find out. Continue Reading