Into the Blu

I cant say that I am a fan of extended edition films. Normally, the film as exhibited in the theater was the best version of the film. Extended material which is usually from the cutting room floor, was there for a darn good reason and really was better left unseen. It kind of reminds me of a poor answer to a college essay exam where you don’t really have a clear vision of what the answer should be, so you just regurgitate everything that you can recall about the particular subject of the question in the hopes that you hit upon just enough to get some credit. Continue Reading

I had seen the trailer for Unknown and thought that it looked rather interesting. Clearly, Liam Neeson has become something of an action suspense stars what with his riveting performance in Wanted in a role that is rather similar to the one he has in Unknown. While I was intrigued by the story line for the film as revealed in the trailer, I was quite surprised by the film, which while keeping one’s attention for a time , is nothing more than a remake of another film, set in Berlin rather than on Mars. Continue Reading

A neo-noir film painted in amazingly bright and clear colours. A sordid romantic thriller presented by the same duo that made Volver. Continue Reading

With all the so-called “Bieber-fever” going on, it was inevitable that the token feature film would debut. Here it is, 104 minutes of fan service for those still fawning over his one and only album (no remixes and acoustic version don’t count in this case). Continue Reading

Will Smith is one of the biggest entertainers on the planet. It is that sort of weight that only helps to bloat blockbuster films further than is comfortable. Wild Wild West is an overhaul of the original TV series of the same name and is about as bloated as they blockbusters come. Michael Bay, eat your heart out. Continue Reading

When it comes to films produced by Michael Bay, I can’t say that I really expect all that much in the terms of quality. You know, a quality screenplay, quality dialogue and character development. There are plenty of quality special effects, CGI and wiz bang sound effects, but not that much else. If you have seen Transformers or even worse, Transformers 2, you know the score. I was therefore expecting more of the same when the subject of this review, I Am Number Four, showed up on my doorstep. While not directed by Michael Bay, would I Am Number Four follow the Michael Bay playbook? Continue Reading

I was surprised when I saw Jackass 3 on store shelves when it wasn’t released in 3D, considering the industry is hoisting 3D up as a savior for staggering box office performances I would assume that they would try and take that same approach with home media release. I’m guessing they’re going to wait a while and release the 3D Blu-ray down the road… So is the film worthwhile without the extra dimension?

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Some films are so bloated with an undeserving budget it’s sickening. Such is the case with Taxi, a loose remake of a French film of the same name. Somewhere amidst the many exploding cars, flying bullets and random bikini shots is a lifeless script trying to be resuscitated by a feeble cast. Abandon all hope… Continue Reading

Cocaine was the drug du jour in the early eighties, and as stated in this film, if you did some during this time in the United States, there was an 85% chance it came from George Jung’s smuggling. This film chronicles the life of George Jung, as played by Johnny Depp, from his childhood, through his rise as millionaire drug smuggler, to his latest incarceration. Like many drug films, this one rides a fine line between glamorizing the lifestyle and depicting the horrible consequences of it. Continue Reading

Every now and again, a real gem of a film is overlooked by the critics and the general public as well. These films feature a fine cast, fine performances and a very creatively presented story. Perhaps it is the creativity of the storytelling that is the problem or the subject matter, which may put off off too many. Whatever the case may be, these little gems deserve a wider audience. Just such a film is the subject of today’s review, De-Lovely. Continue Reading

At least for this reviewer, one of the most anticipated new releases on Blu-ray is The Incredibles. In addition to being a great movie, it was long regarded back in BBR days (before Blu-ray) that The Incredibles had reference audio and video presentations. I frequently saw The Incredibles DVD being used in many high end and low end home theater demonstrations at CES and other home theater confabs and it was to say the least used very effectively. Well, after a long wait, The Incredibles has finally made its way to Blu-ray. Was it worth the wait? Does it regain its spot at the top of the reference audio and video heap. Oy my, yes it does! Continue Reading

I guess you can say that I was pulled into the world of Happy Potter against my will. One of my kids was a fan as was my wife so when the first film was released, I was dragged along. Much to my surprise, I enjoyed the film. I kept hearing how the films were faithful to the books and how detailed the books were and that I should really read the books as well. The books are rather long and for quite awhile, I was very content to just visit the cinema with the family and get the whole gist of the book in a couple of hours. It was not until a trip to of all places, the UK, where I first grabbed a copy of The Half Blood Prince which I was able to finish on a long trip. I enjoyed the book and really found it interesting to see how the book was brought to the screen. Continue Reading