Into the Blu

Confession time.  Yes, I am old enough that I saw National Lampoon’s Vacation at a real life movie theatre.  If memory serves correct, it was at the Garrick Theatre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and I had orange soda shoot out of my nose when laughing at the hilarious adventures of the Griswolds and their Travel Queen Family Truckster.  Vacation is one of those rare movies that still appeals as much to me today as it did when I was younger. Continue Reading

“Ah…ah…ah…ah…stayin’ alive…stayin’ alive…”  Saturday Night Fever is a film I have owned on every major home theater format, and will continue to do so as new formats evolve.  It’s just that good.  Throw in all genres such as drama, action, dance/musical and even some comedy into a Corningware cooking pot and what you have as a cohesive result is one of the best tasting stews around; a brilliant movie that is.  Not even Rachel Ray can concoct a recipe this good and flavorful.  In my humble opinion, Saturday Night Fever is one of those rare 1970′s gems that can traverse multiple generation gaps and still be appreciated today as a rare cinematic masterpiece, whether it was originally planned that way or not.  There’s a little something in it for everyone to take away from it.  It’s the story of the inner child in all of us trying to figure out his/her place in this cold, harsh and cutthroat world.  Only you have the insight into your core values and belief systems and the power to do what you know is right.  This ladies and gentlemen…is Saturday Night Fever.  Now let’s get our “Jive Talkin’,” shall we? Continue Reading

Not only is this the second Blu-ray release of I Am Legend, it is also the third time the Richard Matheson novel I Am Legend has been adapted to film. The first time was The Last Man on Earth, starring Vincent Price, still the best version in my mind to date. The second attempt was the cult classic The Omega Man starring Charlton Heston, although major portions of the adaption were changed from the book. Finally we have are third version, this 2008 release of I Am Legend starring Will Smith.

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Unlike most people, I have been waiting for Rob Zombie’s interpretation of Halloween to come out on the Blu-ray format for over a year now. Words cannot express how disappointed I was that I had to buy the Standard Definition DVD of this movie when it came out in late 2007 because there was no release date in sight for the Blu-ray format. Coincidentally, that was the last DVD I ever bought. Having always been a big Michael Myers fan, I was extra stoked that the theatrical release of this movie fell on my birthday. What a birthday that was! Could you imagine a better way to celebrate your birthday? There is no need to seriously answer that one. That is what they call a rhetorical question. I really enjoyed Rob Zombie’s eccentric visions in House of 1,000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects so I was very much looking forward to him tackling one of my all-time favorite movie villains, Michael Myers. Continue Reading

Blade Runner: The Final Cut is the fifth version of director Ridley Scott’s 1982 film taking place in a dystopian future set in Los Angeles in 2019. Blade Runner is based loosely on Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? It places us in a grim future, in a dirty and overpopulated Los Angeles. The Tyrell Cooperation has taken genetic creation to a new level; they now have the ability to create a person. These people are called Replicants, and can be created to have more strength, endurance and intelligence than a normal person. Continue Reading

Let me first say that I love Godzilla and I love monster movies. The Host is a South Korean film that has received much critical acclaim for the return of the giant monster. With many comparisons to both the Godzilla movies and Jaws, to say that I was looking forward to watching this would be an understatement. Yet, when all was said and done, I was left, like the monster, a little cold. Maybe I had just bought into the hype a little too much. Continue Reading

Where do you start with a film like The Untouchables? I suppose you start at the beginning. This has to be the best script David Mamet has ever written. The highly stylized vision of 1930 Chicago utilizes as much of the myth as it does the fact. After all, we want our mobster dramas larger than life. For rights issues the film claims to be based on the 1959 Robert Stack television series; however, all of the participants admit the result is completely unique and original. Continue Reading

Other than seeing bits and pieces of this film on TV over the past few years its been quite some time since I saw this film in its entirety. Like with most movies from the past I openly welcomed the chance to check out Coming to America and see if it lived up to what I remembered. Continue Reading

I will admit that on occasion I have enjoyed a romantic comedy or two, and when I initially saw the trailer for Failure to Launch, I anticipated it to make the list. Aside from the film’s stars Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew McConaughey, Failure to Launch has a rather well assembled list of co-stars, including Kathy Bates (Misery), Terry Bradshaw (Former NFL Quarterback), Justin Bartha (National Treasure), and Bradley Cooper (Wedding Crashers). Sounds good enough, how does it turn out? Continue Reading

Let’s face it, they don’t make action movies like they used to, instead now we are bombarded with special effects and explosions so I was pleased to be able to watch a movie that came from an era of superb action pictures. Starring Michael Douglas, Andy Garcia, and Ken Takakura, Black Rain seemed pretty promising going on, how does it stack up compared to the heavy hitting action movies of the late 80′s/early 90′s? Continue Reading