Into the Blu

I have always found The Green Hornet to be the most overlooked of the comic book action heros and one that was in desperate need for an updating. Given the recent incredible (both commercially and artistically) of the Batman movie franchise, it seemed to me The Green Hornet would be a natural as the two heroes had a lot in common thematically, namely Super heroes that were not really “super” and who were misunderstood by the general public. However, as films, there is a huge difference. Batman had a genius behind the camera, Christopher Nolan, with a real vision about how to bring the comic book to life, whereas, The Green Hornet has Seth Rogan. Not exactly a fair fight! Continue Reading

We didn’t ask for it, and yet we were still delivered another direct-to-video, fart-joke laced sequel. While attempting to cash in on the success of its predecessor, this one comes out half baked…or under-cooked, or whatever restaurant pun you wish to digest…just know that it’s a bad film! 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

I have always been skeptical of making Broadway hits into films. It seems that far too often, what works so well on the stage doesn’t always translate well to film. They are two very different mediums both for the actors as well as the audience. Far too often, too many changes have to be made to the script and the overall presentation to make the play work for the big screen. In doing so, some of the magic of the play, especially if you have seen it live, is lost. One of the exceptions to this rule is the subject of this review, Fiddler On The Roof, which takes on a whole new dimension on the silver screen. Continue Reading

It’s really easy to spot a bad movie when you see one. One of the easiest things to spot is when a movie gets a direct-to-video sequel. Does S.W.A.T. Firefight break the mold or is simply cash grab with the S.W.A.T. moniker to try and increase revenue?

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After Dark Horrorfest, commonly known as “8 films to die for” is an annual horror festival that began in 2006 and features eight feature length horror films. Since the initial Horrorfest in 2006 it has become somewhat of a cult hit, each year cranking out more thrills and chills. Unlike a typical film festival, Horrorfest doesn’t take place at just one location; it actually plays in dozens of theatres across the country, with more being added all the time. 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

After Dark Horrorfest, commonly known as “8 films to die for” is an annual horror festival that began in 2006 and features eight feature length horror films. Since the initial Horrorfest in 2006 it has become somewhat of a cult hit, each year cranking out more thrills and chills. Unlike a typical film festival, Horrorfest doesn’t take place at just one location; it actually plays in dozens of theatres across the country, with more being added all the time. Continue Reading

I always wince a bit when I hear that a particular film, TV show or record is a “Cult favorite”. After all, a particular piece of “media” can’t be anywhere near a commercial hit or it wouldn’t have “cult” status. Therefore, for me, cult status and commercial bomb are often times synonymous. Often times there is a very good reason why a particular piece of media is a bomb, and that is because is wasn’t very good in the first place. That isn’t always the case, as certain films and albums are simply ahead of their times and had they been release later in different times, would have struck more of a chord with the mass audience. Continue Reading

It is nice to come across a film about the travails of everyday life, the stresses of raising kids, stress at work and end of life issues surrounding one’s parents, as difficult as they may be. Such films don’t get much notoriety and certainly aren’t blockbusters but can really strike a nerve. Such a film is the subject of this review and aptly entitled, Every Day. Continue Reading

When you look over the mass marketplace of entertainment, it is amazing to see the lack of totally original content that seems to be available these days. From films to TV to music, the mass market seems to regurgitate the same things over and over again, looking to cash in on what they think has been popular in the past or looking to create content on the cheap. You see it in TV with the upsurge in reality TV shows which seem to gather high ratings at low cost. You see it the non reality genre as well. I mean, have many versions of CSI or Law and Order Do you really need? Then there is the recycling of old TV shows that haven’t been on in decades. The same is true for popular music, where act after act does nothing but imitate another. After all, isn’t Lady Gaga nothing but a clone of Madonna? Continue Reading