Into the Blu

It has been a long time since I have watched Fantasia or Fantasia 2000. I probably haven’t watched them since their original release on DVD and they have been collecting dust on the bookshelf ever since. I am not sure why that is the case as they are both interesting films featuring some wonderful music and some very interesting video. As I recall, both looked and sounded great on DVD and it was with some anticipation that I awaited their eventual release on Blu-ray to see not only how they looked in high def, but how they sounded with a full lossless audio track. I can report that both films have never looked or sounded better.

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Arguably one of the most iconic films in the horror genre, Poltergeist now nearly 30 years old, is filled with numerous recognizable and often parodied scenes. Poltergeist has since been made into a trilogy of films and a remake is currently in talks; but let’s face it nothing has or will come close to competing with the original. Directed by Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) and produced by Steven Spielberg, Poltergeist was nominated for 3 Academy Awards in 1982; a rare feat for a horror film. But not all good has come from this film, as much of the current day press around the film comes in form of The “Poltergeist Curse.” The curse surrounding the film has supposedly taken the lives of four cast members; aged as young as 12 years old. One murdered, the rest taken by illness it is unclear to me the reality of this curse but one thing is for sure; it surely has added to the already spooky aura around the film. Continue Reading

It’s no surprise that the Matrix sequels took so long to get individually released on Blu-ray, with the box set selling well on the strength of the first film and the Animatrix and those who felt the sequels were under-performers who refuse to own the sequels taking advantage of the first Matrix’s individual release, we are now given the option to own the second of the trilogy. Is it worth it?

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I guess I am dating myself a bit here by admitting that the Rolling Stones were the hottest thing when I was in high school. It was back in the early to mid 70′s when the band was at its best live, earning the moniker, “The Best Rock n’ roll band in the world”. I guess it was fitting to take a look at this release which features the Stones right in the midst of their heyday, 1972, during their tour of the US to promote their recent LP release, Exile On Main Street? Were they as good as many remember? Continue Reading

As a long-time listener to Elvis’ music, I was extremely excited to view the Golden Globe winning film, Elvis on Tour.  Furthermore, Elvis earned his great reputation as a live artist, and I was greatly looking forward to seeing the type of legendary performer we no longer see.

However, I did go into this with some trepidation, as this was not the Elvis of “Comeback Special” fame – this was the jumpsuit-cladded, sideburn-toting, kung-fu kicking Elvis of the 1970’s.  Was there still enough charisma and talent left to carry a whole concert film, or was this the pale echoes of a once legendary performer?  Continue Reading

Although I have developed a greater appreciation of Mel Brooks’ work through my reviews of The Mel Brooks Collection, I am also suffering from a bit of Mel Brooks fatigue.  I have also seen all three remaining movies I need to review, and am now deprived of the joy of discovery I had with films like To Be Or Not To Be and Silent Movie.

Next up was Robin Hood: Men in Tights, chronologically the last of the films included in the collection.  I had seen this shortly after its release on VHS (yes, you read that correctly), but had little remembrance of it.  I did remember that Cary Elwes’ referred to Kevin Costner losing his English accent shortly into his Robin Hood epic, but that was about it.  Was this a forgotten gem? Continue Reading

Marked for Death was made at the peak of Steven Seagal’s popularity. The year it was released, it was one of 20^th Century Fox’s top grossing films next to Home Alone. It may not be Seagal’s best film, but looking back I remember it having its moments. However, after 20 years, does it still hold up?

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There are some shall I call them “suspense thrillers” that are good for only one viewing. Once you know the ending and how the plot twists are resolved, the film is spoiled for subsequent viewing. There are other suspense thrillers that are great no matter how many times you view them as you are continually pulled into the narrative by superior film making, whether you know the ending or not. One of the latter types of suspense thrillers is the subject of this review, The Illusionist. Continue Reading

I always find family movies a bit of a challenge to watch.  As a grown-up, I don’t find certain things as interesting as kids do.  Conversely, I’m sure my kids wouldn’t find the societal subtext in A Clockwork Orange all that compelling.  They’d likely run screaming from the room, or sit bug-eyed with jaws agape.

This being said, I can at least watch a movie and determine if it is safe for parents to let their kids watch, and if it’s something the parents can stomach for the 90 minutes they’d maybe want to spend watching it with their kids.

At first blush, this film doesn’t look too promising.  It has an anthromorphized animal, Bindi Irwin (yes, Bindi the Jungle Girl, daughter of the late Steve Irwin), and a surprisingly slim Beau Bridges.  It is also the fourth film in a series that should have only been one movie long, and was direct-to-video.  So, can this movie rise above this dubious pedigree?  Continue Reading

One of my most cherished Christmas presents as an adolescent was a boxed set of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy.  To the fertile mind of a 12-year old, these were the best books ever, igniting a life long affinity for fantasy literature.  What made the books even more special is the prose used allowed a reader to form strong visions in their own mind of the characters, places, and action contained therein.

After reading the books, I was excited to discover that an animated version of the book existed, and lobbied hard to get my buddies to rent it when we were having a movie night.  And after we all sat back and viewed the movie, we looked at each other with the same expression on our faces: “What in heck was that?”

So the question is, after 28 years of watching various forms of animation, have I gained a new appreciation for Ralph Bakshi’s labor of love?  Does being on Blu-ray make the movie any better? Continue Reading

Avatar is probably the most eagerly awaited Blu-ray release to date. After all, the film did $2.6 billion in worldwide box office receipts and features some stunning CGI and at the present time, represents the state of the art as what can be done with CGI, albeit it at an incredible cost. Well, Avatar has finally arrived on Blu-ray and I couldn’t wait to pop it in to see whether it has the reference audio and video presentations that we all expected. Continue Reading

They say that truth is stranger than fiction and in the case of The Blind Side, that is certainly true. Had the book and the film been a work of fiction, we all would have rolled our eyes and said, you’ve got to be kidding me! What a tall tail! However, die to the confluence of too many improbable circumstances to count, The Blind Side is true. While it is a an enjoyable film featuring several wonderful performances, the question to be answered today is how well does it look and sound on Blu-ray? I guess you will just have to keep on reading. Continue Reading