I guess you can say that I am in the very distinct minority in the US when it comes to soccer. I love it, especially English football, which has a rick, deep and at times, crazy history. Teams like Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Everton, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forrest, Reading and Derby Country, just to name but a few. Even the names of the stadiums evoke the richness of that history, with monikers such as Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge, Anfield and Craven’s Cottage immediately coming to mind! Better than the Wachovia Center don’t you think? Read the full story

It had all the right ingredients; a script by Monty Python’s Terry Jones, The Muppet’s creator Jim Henson in the director’s chair, a soundtrack by David Bowie and produced by George Lucas as well. Released in 1986, Labyrinth failed to find an audience in theaters, but did it deserve better? Read the full story

Steven Soderbergh’s debut, Sex, Lies & Videotape, covered some untreaded territory 20 years ago. With an award winning performance from James Spader and a cult following that continues to grow, is the newly remastered Blu-ray of Sex, Lies and Videotape the definitive must have version? Read the full story

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. Read the full story

It seems more and more films are showcases for the big car chase, explosions, alien invasions and large robots, often times featuring mindless action and even more forgettable dialogue. Don’t get me wrong, I love a great action film but also love to view a film that features an excellent script, steady direction and nuanced storytelling, where what isn’t said in a given scene is more important than what is said. Just such a film is A River Runs Through It which is making its high def debut on Blu-ray this week and is a real keeper. Read the full story

The Deep is one of those films that is probably better know and more famous for the appearance of the lead actress in the film rather than a the quality of the film itself. Those of you like yours truly who were teenagers when the film arrived in theaters know exactly what I am talking about, namely the stunning visuals of Jacqueline Bisset underwater in that tight white top! The Deep has now made its high def debut on Blu-ray. How does it and more importantly, Jacqueline Bisset look? Pretty darn good! Read the full story

Who ya gonna call? Ghostbusters! Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Call me crazy, but I view Ghostbusters as an all time classic American film. It is one of the few films I have obtained on VHS, Laserdisc, DVD and now Blu-ray. I was never happy with the video presentation on any of the previous home video releases of the film and was hoping that the release of the film on Blu-ray will finally do the trick. Does it? Well for that opinion, you will have to keep on reading. Read the full story

Having made its rounds on primetime cable television in its 12 years since release, Anaconda has acquired a small cult following and even spawned a couple of sequels. But for whatever reason every time I’ve had the opportunity to watch the film I’ve opted for something else, partially because both of the stars of Anaconda (Ice Cube and Jennifer Lopez) have gained their notoriety as musicians. I was initially skeptical of what kind of movie this was going to be, but watching on I was surprised to see Jon Voight and then lesser known Owen Wilson gracing the screen. But ultimately creature films are real finicky in terms of quality, but Anaconda seems to have a decent plot and cast. Will Anaconda prove to be well worth the wait, or will it slither out of sight and mind?

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There is no question that Stanley Kubrick was a cinematic genius. He has created many amazing films with incredibly diverse subject matters such as 2001: A Space Odyssey and A Clockwork Orange which have really stood up to the test of time, retaining their relevance decades after their release. For me, the best of Mr. Kubrick’s films remains Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, a controversial and thought provoking film both upon its release in 1964 as well as today. Read the full story

In watching Air Force One again after many years, the old expression that the sum of the parts is greater than the whole came to mind. Why? Because Air Force One certainly has some great parts to work with. The first is the director, Wolfgang Petersen, who is responsible for one of the greatest war thrillers of all time IMHO, Das Boot. Then you have one of the all time great action adventure stars, Harrison Ford starring as the President of the United States. Finally, in the co-lead role is Gary Oldman, one of the world’s finest actors. When you add all three together, one would expect to see a great film. Is that the case with Air Force One? You betcha. Read the full story

It’s no secret that I really enjoyed the original Wayne’s World, it was an instant classic some 20 years ago, and is still my favorite Saturday Night Live film. But let’s face it, with the exception of Terminator 2 it’s extremely difficult to find a sequel that can eclipse the original. While Wayne’s World was never a masterpiece the bar isn’t set extremely high to overlap, ultimately all we could hope for is some more of the same without being exactly the same. Surprisingly released just a year after the original Wayne’s World quickly wanted to capitalize on the success of the original, while it didn’t draw as much attention in the box office, how does it sit in our minds? Read the full story

Arousing curiosity from me at the Golden Globes where I’ve Loved you So Long was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Actress, It’s about time I get to actually watch this film. Very rarely do foreign films disappoint me, and one with so much nominations and awards to boot. While I’ve Loved you So Long didn’t take home the awards for the aforementioned nominations there is a general consensus that the film did in fact earn its place at the Globes. Read the full story

Movie trailers can be very misleading. For the most part they make a movie look like it will be much better than it ultimately turns out to be. There are a few exceptions to this rule, with the most recent being Star Trek. While Star Trek looked very promising based on a great trailer, the film was even better. Like I indicated, this is very unusual. There are trailers for certain films that prove be right on point. The trailer for Paul Blart: Mall Cop was just such a trailer. When I saw the trailer for the film in the theater, I couldn’t help but think to myself that, gee, this looks like a dumb film. My initial impressions proved correct after viewing the Blu-ray release of the film. Read the full story

Being a reviewer of high def media sure has its benefits. One is that you get a chance to see films that you may otherwise have either never heard about or never really thought to purchase or rent. It gives you the opportunity to see some real gems that you would have otherwise missed. However, having access to all these films is a two edged sword, as you also have to review films that you may wish you had never seen or wasted your time seeing. That brings us the the film Passengers, which I really had not heard of before it arrived at my doorstep. It certainly had an interesting premise. Was it a gem or a real loser? The answer lies below. Read the full story

Having beaten out the likes of Apocalypse Now for the Best Picture Academy Award in 1979, Kramer vs. Kramer surely must be something special. With the former being a timeless classic, I have my doubts that Kramer vs. Kramer really should have taken away the statue all those years ago. But mind you, the film stars two of the most well respected and acclaimed actors of our time; Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep. Not only did the film itself take home the top prize, the aforementioned actors took home top honours in the Best Actor and Best Actress in a Supporting Role category. Read the full story

It’s hard to believe that ten years ago Anna Farris was the little known actress with a supporting role in Scary Movie. Since then she had garnered some popularity in a string of sequels and some big name supporting roles including The Hot Chick, Waiting, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, and my personal favorite Just Friends. Throughout her career we usually see her playing the same ditzy role, an oblivious air head susceptible to slapstick comedy antics, and I have a feeling The House Bunny isn’t going to be far off her norm. Read the full story

The Pink Panther…um…what can I say?  It wasn’t that the movie was terribly awful, but it wasn’t particularly great either.  This one is definitely a fans-only release.  I think I lied when I wrote my Blu-ray review of The Rundown. I said that was going to be my shortest review, but I think this one might.  I find it hard to write a review about a movie that dulls the senses so much (that statement sounds strange coming from a guy who likes Dumb and Dumber so much).  I do admit to chuckling a few laughs during the film.  One scene in particular, I let out a muffled chuckle and my wife turned to me and said “Seriously?”  She has no patience or tolerance whatsoever for The Pink Panther, although she also admitted to having never seen the beloved 1960 Pink Panther classics. Read the full story