Into the Blu

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

It is amazing how the passage of time makes what once seemed scandalous seem rather mundane. I can recall how they had to show Elvis from the waist on the Ed Sullivan Show in the 1950′s, how his shaking and gyrating while performing was seen as dangerous for America’s youth. Rock N’ Roll after all was the devil’s music. This came to mind while I was thinking out the subject of this review, Last Tango in Paris. I was in high school, when this film debuted in 1972 and I can recall how it caused quite a stir, with what was for the time, shocking sexuality in a mainstream film. Due to my age, I did not see the film during its initial run and have never seen it before its arrival on Blu-ray. Would its sexuality seem as mundane now as Elvis’ performances on Ed Sullivan now seem in retrospect? In a word, yes. Continue Reading

There is no doubt that is great that we are seeing all of there 20th and 30th and beyond anniversary releases of some truly classic films on Blu-ray. However, there is a downside for any of us, like yours truly, who were around when some of these films hit the theater for the first time. They really remind us how fast time is flying by, whether we are having fun or not. Holy cow, Batman, has it really been 20 years since Thelma & Louise first hit the screen? Has it been 20 years since Mr. Angelina Jolie i.e. Brad Pitt, first hit the screen and had all those ladies cooing in their seats? Well, unfortunately is is true. We are now all 20 years older. Just how does Thelma & Louise hold up all these years later? I am pleased to report, quite well. Quite well indeed. Continue Reading

Loyal readers know that I am a big fan of family movies that step outside typical formula, especially those that are whimsical, well-written, and well-acted.  The film Stardust looked as if it would fit this bill exquisitely.  Although I had not read the book on which it was based, it was reported to have been written in a traditional English Fantasy tradition, something I do enjoy.

Starring a stellar cast such as Michelle Pfeiffer, Claire Daines, and the unheralded Charlie Cox, and with a supporting role for Robert DeNiro, I was quite excited.  That Gene Shalit, Richard Roeper, and Dave Karger all enthused about the film also gave it great promise.  Would it live up to this heady billing? Continue Reading

One of the joys of being a movie reviewer is that it forces me to sit down and watch classic films that I just never seem to have the time to watch.  Therefore, I was thrilled when assigned to watch Doctor Zhivago, the legendary Academy award-winning epic from Sir David Lean.  Little did I know that back in the 1960’s an epic meant many things, including an epically long run time (just over 3:15)!

More importantly, how does this film measure up against the “epics” of today, and how well did this translate to Blu-ray?  Although some films receive a loving restoration (The African Queen), how well would Warner Brothers treat this legendary film? Continue Reading

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?

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Michael Mann’s crime epic, Heat, is declared as one of the best heist films ever. Utilizing the chemistry between two superstars from the genre and containing one of the greatest shootouts in cinema history, Heat’s résumé definitely has all the right stuff for being an essential Blu-ray to own, but as with the recent Michael Mann film “Public Enemies” sometimes a poor sound mix or poor video quality might make the disc unworthy of a Blu-ray purchase. How does Heat stack up? Continue Reading

Making a very popular book into a film is more often times than not, a very tricky business. An author may devote several pages to rather minute detail that is important to the story that just can’t be translated to the screen very easily. The same is true for some plot twists which have to be dropped due to time constraints that just don’t exist with the printed page. However, when the subtle details and minor plot lines are dropped, the flow of the story and our understanding of the characters is often changed, more often than not, to the detriment to our enjoyment of the film. Continue Reading

What were they thinking? That was the phrase that was running through my head as I was watching the subject of today’s review, Four Christmases. Every now and then a film comes out that has a great cast but is so bad that you have to wonder why the cast members and in particular, the stars, didn’t walk away as soon as they read the script. Four Christmases is just one of those films. 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

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

I must say, Brendan Fraser has come a long way from Friends, at least insofar as his career in cinema is concerned. He has become somewhat the action film star, with his starring role in the three very successful Mummy films as well as The Journey to the Center of the Earth. While he is certainly no Harrison Ford in terms of either catalog depth or overall on screen persona, he has certainly developed quite a nice little niche, at least in regards to light, humorous action adventure films. Inkheart just happens to be another one of those types of films. Continue Reading