Half a century ago seems like a long time; but it was around that time that one of Hollywood’s most gifted and eccentric directors was in his prime; making classic films that would set the stage for today’s filmmakers. Alfred Hitchcock was one the kind of director that doesn’t really exist anymore; similar to Orson Welles, his films were carefully crafted masterpieces that were so layered that even today there are countless books and websites dedicated to analyzing his works. North by Northwest was screenwriter, Ernest Lehman’s attempt to create the Hitchcock picture to end all Hitchcock pictures, did he succeed? Read the full story

Angel Heart was a great representation of neo-noir, however it’s also a film that weds both horror and mystery together in a way that is both unique and very entertaining. Showcasing Mickey Rourke’s young talent and having one of De Niro’s more eclectic performances, does Angel Heart rise above the abundant horror thrillers of its time or does it go over the top? Lets see… Read the full story

Often times, turning an extremely popular book into a film is a daunting task. The book is often times filled with so much detail that to include most of it will lead to a rather slow and ponderous film. I am amazed at how well they have been able to translate the Harry Potter books into so many successful films given how dense the books are. Another author of extremely dense books is Dan Brown. Read the full story

The Taking of Pelham 123 is a remake of the 1974 film that starred Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw based on the 1973 novel by Morton Freedgood under the name John Godey. The title of the novel and films comes from the identity of the train which is the subject of the heist and ransom. it is the subway train leaving Pelham, New York at 1:23 p.m., hence the name Pelham 123. The 2009 incarnation of the film directed by Tony Scott is billed as an action -packed thriller and stars Denzel Washington and John Travolta. Those of you who actually saw the original film as I did a long time ago, probably don’t recall the film as an action packed thriller and for good reason, it wasn’t. The original film was a thriller but based mostly on the dialogue between the two lead characters. Given the advancements in film making, The Taking of Pelham 123 seemed like a very logical choice for some 21st Century updating. And the result? Well, read on. Read the full story

There is one particular movie that must have flown under my radar when it was out in theaters.  When I saw that The Siege originally came out in 1998, I was really surprised as to how I missed this one.  I’d like to say “Let me be the first to tell you…” something about this film but at 11 years old, I think most folks have come across this title before.  With an all-star cast of Denzel Washington, Annette Benning and Bruce Willis, how could anyone miss (beside me, of course)? Read the full story

Having just experienced two 10+ hour plane flights in the past two weeks, I sure have had my fill of bad films. When you are on flights of that duration and have a hard time sleeping on planes like I do,you will watch almost anything to help pass the time. Most of that time on this trip was filled with bad films a couple of which I may review when they arrive on Blu-ray in the next couple of months. It was therefore a pleasure once I returned home, to pop in State of Play, a well written and acted thriller that I enjoyed immensely, making up for all the bad films I watched on those flights, well almost. Read the full story

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! Read the full story

It seems that lately horror and thriller films have taken a turn to bloodying up the technological things we so often take for granted. From phones to internet connections; the things we so frequently use naively are intended to simplify life by enhancing our ability to communicate, however can be used for evil! While the concepts of such films in the past have completely lacked any sincerity in identifying our calamitous dependence for all things technology perhaps Elsewhere can provide some palpable social commentary. But I’m leaning towards Elsewhere averting any perceptive form of exploring societies misuse of social networking in place of sexual situations, violence, and tacky dialogue. 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

Just because you are paranoid doesn’t mean that people are not out to get you. With the explosive growth of the internet and its integration into the security grid via broadband and wireless connectivity, it is not all that far fetched to imagine a scenario where we can all be monitored 24 hours a day without our knowledge. I kept coming back to this while watching the film Echelon Conspiracy, which presents a scenario that may be a bit far-fetched today, but may not be so far-fetched in the not too distant future and makes you ponder how much electronic snooping and eavesdropping by the government is too much, and whether we have reached that level already. Read the full story

While First Look Studios is not one of the better known studios (at least to me!), they have released some interesting films such as War, Inc., King of California, Priceless and The Proposition. Of the recent films they have released. my favorite is Transsibberian, an action thriller which takes place on the Transsiberian railroad on a trip across China and Russia when American missionaries get caught up in a Russian drug deal. When I received word that their most recent film starring Morgan Freeman and Antonio Banderas would be released on Blu-ray, I was anxious to check it out. After all, with Morgan Freeman starring in it it has to be good, right? 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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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

Taken represents a parent’s worst nightmare. As children get older, they want to branch out and experience the world. A natural part of that experience is traveling to other parts of the country and perhaps the world. When they go out alone or with friends, we can no longer protect them from the many dangers the world present, unless of course we are a retired CIA black operations officer. Which brings us to the action thriller Taken. Read the full story

“if you were any thinner, you wouldn’t exist” is a line spoken a couple of times in The Machinist and describes the appearance of Christian Bale’s character, Trevor Reznick, the protagonist in the film. There are numerous examples of actors going great lengths to get into or become their characters. I am not sure I have ever seen an actor go to the lengths that Christina Bale does in this film, losing 63 pounds to become Trevor Reznick, whose appearance here is just as disturbing as the film. Read the full story

Every now and then, a film comes out with little in the way of fanfare or critical acclaim and just takes you by surprise. The film just completely captures your attention. pulling you into the action, playing mind games with you as you try to figure out what is really transpiring on the screen before you, all the while staying one step ahead of you. One such film is Inside Man. 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