Into the Blu

It had been a very long time since this author saw The African Queen for the first time, 29 years to be exact.  So going into the review of this Blu-ray, it was like seeing the movie again for the first time.

The African Queen also has an intimidating pedigree.  Nominated for four Academy Awards, it has become legendary for the danger and hardships director John Huston exposed the cast and crew to.  Filming in wild parts of the Belgian Congo, legend has it that Bogart and Huston avoided the sicknesses that afflicted all other cast and crew by drinking only Scotch.  Legend also has it that Huston stalled production in his obsession with hunting an elephant, later fictionalized into “White Hunter, Black Heart”.

As a film, The African Queen continually appears on AFI’s “100 years, 100 movies” list, has been selected for preservation in the U.S. Film Registry, and was the source of Humphrey Bogart’s only Academy Award.  How well does it survive its restoration to Blu-ray?  Continue Reading

They say that the first impressions are the most lasting ones. I find this to be particularly true when it comes to movies. While there are many films that I have come to appreciate more, I can’t of one that I disliked at the theater but later came to actually like once viewing it at home, at least until now. That film is the subject of today’s review… Sherlock Holmes. Continue Reading

As I may have mentioned in previous reviews, I feel chills up and down my spine when the official wife of this movie reviewer picks up a disc and says “This looks good!”  As an eternal lover of formulatic movies (especially rom-coms), the official wife’s tastes are diametrically different than mine. 

Worst part is, this movie stars two of my least favourite actors in the world.  Sarah Jessica Parker (she of the huge head) always seems to play high strung, loud and needy characters.  I avoid these people like the plague in real life.  And although Hugh Grant appears to be a genial sort, is there any discernable difference between any of the different characters he has played in a number of different rom-coms?

So, in reviewing this movie, I had a few challenges in front of me.  I needed to watch the whole movie, stay awake, go in to it with an open mind, and not loudly predict what was going to happen (or face censure from the official wife). Continue Reading

For those who have never seen a Hayao Miyazaki movie, you do not know what you are missing.  Period.  His films have a magical ability to entertain people of all ages, warming your heart while touching your soul.  Characters in his movies (regardless of their appearance) are all inherently good, and talk to each other like real people talk to each other.  Parents do not condescend to their children, children are independent and brave, and although things may be dramatic, they are never overtly scary.

So it was with this “lowered” set of expectations that I viewed Ponyo.    Continue Reading

March 30, 2010 Releases…

• Sherlock Holmes
• An Education
• Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
• Collateral
• The Killer
• The Protector
• The Baader Meinhof Complex
• Ouran High School Host Club: The Complete Series
• Housebroken
• Vampyres
• The Diary of Anne Frank (2008)
• Imax: Under the Sea

When word came out that the film An Education was headed for Blu-ray, I jumped at the chance to request a review copy. After all, the film received excellent critical reception, three Academy Award nominations including one for Best Picture (albeit it in an expanded 10 film field) and has shall we say, very interesting subject matter. What more could one want in a film? Well, An Education arrived this week. Was it worth the accolades? In a word, yes. Continue Reading

March 23, 2010 Releases…

• The Blind Side
• Toy Story
• Toy Story 2
• Mad Men: Season 3
• Fantastic Mr. Fox
• The Men Who Stare At Goats
• Brothers
• Red Cliff (International Version)
• Red Cliff (Theatrical Version)
• The African Queen
• The African Queen (Commemorative Box Set)
• Days of Heaven (Criterion Collection)
• Yojimbo & Sanjuro (Criterion Collection)
• Yojimbo (Criterion Collection)
• Sanjuro (Criterion Collection)
• Bigger Than Life (Criterion Collection)
• Trinity Blood: Complete Series Box Set
• Spring 1941
• Phantom Punch
• Alter Bridge: Live From Amsterdam
• Smokin’ Aces: 2-Movie Collection

I’ve never actually heard of this movie until I was given it to review. I did some research into the film to try and get a feel for what I was in for, so I didn’t go into it with wrong expectations. In doing so I found mixed reviews on the film and a very lacklustre distribution plan from the studios… Was the studio simply just dropping the title and forgetting about it because it’s not a good film or did The Private Lives of Pippa Lee deserve a better release?

Continue Reading

Toy Story 2 was an eagerly awaited sequel prior to its first theatrical run in 1999, in part because of the success of Toy Story and in part, by the incredible success of Pixar’s second full length feature, A Bug’s Life. After A Bug’s Life, it was apparent that Pixar, in addition to being technical wizards, were master story tellers as well in the tradition of the old Disney masters. There were clear advances made in the Pixar CGI effects in A Bug’s Life, and it would be interesting to see how those improved techniques would be employed in Toy Story 2, to improve on what were already considered to be stellar images in the original. It would also be interesting to see how they could possibly improve on the original in terms of the actual story. Needless to say, Pixar outdid themselves in both areas on Toy Story 2, which has now finally made its way to Blu-ray, and it the subject of today’s review. Continue Reading

For most of the us, the movie that ushered in the world of computer animation is Toy Story, originally released in theaters in 1995. Has it really been 15 years? My kids were a bit too young at the time to see it in theaters and they didn’t get to see the original until its release on DVD. For me, the Pixar films I couldn’t wait to see on Blu-ray, were the two Toy Story films along with The Incredibles. Well, at least as far as the Toy Story films are concerned, the wait is over, as both are being released on Blu-ray. Was it worth the wait? Yes, as all I can say is WOW! Continue Reading

Usually with the passage of time, we get a little better perspective on the Oscars and whether a particular winner was really the right one. Look back on some of the past winners and you just may scratch you head and wonder, “What were they thinking, they should have picked X”. I was thinking that this year on Oscar night when The Hurt Locker received seemingly all of the awards. While a fine film, I can help but wonder if the vote was swayed more on the subject matter than the actual merit of the film, as for me, the film doesn’t hold a candle to the subject of today’s review, Up in the Air. Continue Reading

Are you in the market for a no holds barred, martial arts-infused, action movie?  Well, if you purchase Warner Brothers’ Ninja Assassin, then that’s exactly what you are going to get.  Make no mistake that the action sequences are zany and over-the-top, but that’s the appeal of Ninja Assassin.  Even our own reviewer, Gregg Senko (see his review here), loved this film.  That says a lot coming from a man who could not stand the non-stop crazy mayhem of one of my favorites, Crank.  It can be easily be said that Ninja Assassin isn’t for everyone, but instead of spinning wheels debating one view or the other, let’s take a few moments to examine the film and its kung fu grip on US filmgoers. Continue Reading