Into the Blu

At first glance Paranormal Activity 2 seems like an interesting blu-ray to review… I always tend to try and invest in titles that will flex the muscles of my home theatre and when we’re dealing with a film that is supposed to look like it was shot with a handheld camcorder it may seem like it’s a sure bet this will be getting a skip on the technical aspects, but if a film is valuable enough and caters to the right market it just might surprise us. Lets see how it does.

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Rambo, Rambo: The Extended Cut, Rambo IV,John Rambo or whatever you want to call it is Sylvester Stallone’s follow-up, some 20 years later, to the successful Rambo franchise of the 80’s.  Unlike its predecessor, this film kicks a$$ in all four of my major action/war critical requirements: realism/believability, brutality, heart pounding action sequences and satisfying necessary emotional ties.  However, this time around, Lionsgate provides us Blu-ray customers with an alternate Director’s Cut version of what many peeps may call Stallone’s best entry into the franchise since the original film. Did we really need another cut of the successful 2008 film or should the question simply be did the fans really want another version?  I can’t speak for everyone, but in the case of the last question my answer would be a loud hell yeah, bring it on!  But perhaps the real question here is whether this new Extended Cut is really better than the theatrical presentation?  That was the firs thing that was on my mind as I sat down to watch/review this Blu-ray disc.  So give me a few minutes of your time and I will give you my two cents on this important issue/debate. Continue Reading

When Elektra, a spin-off from 2003’s Daredevil, was first announced so many years ago my heart filled with overwhelming anticipation.  Back then; I guess you could say I had a small crush on Jennifer Garner.  She was, after all, in prime physical form for her hit TV series Alias, not to mention that sexy vixen outfit that adorned her promiscuous curves opposite Ben Affleck in 2003’s Daredevil.  So I guess you could say that I was looking forward to seeing her fill that uniform once again and kick some ninja clan a$$. There was only one small problem.  Didn’t she die in Daredevil?  How would they ever bring her back?  Inquiring minds wanted to know.  I can’t tell you how many sleepless nights I laid awake contemplating this.  It was horrible. Continue Reading

The original The Stepfather was an early favorite of mine, featuring an amazing performance by Terry O’ Quinn as a man struggling to find the perfect family. He is so determined in his quest that he has no problem killing anyone who stands in his way. I heard news of a remake awhile ago and was rather discouraged by the news, especially after I heard it was being made by the same people, director Nelson McCormick and writer J.S. Cardone, who brought us last year’s unremarkable and ultimately forgettable Prom Night remake. Still, I decided to watch it with an open mind.

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One must wonder when enough is enough when it comes to movie franchises like the Terminator series. Despite the most ardent of fans, the general public eventually becomes tired of all move franchises. That was even the case with the Star Trek movie franchise. Even a fine final film with the Next Generation cast went nowhere as did the Enterprise TV series despite the last two seasons which were excellent. Continue Reading

Every now and again I see a film that really makes me scratch my head, wondering what the heck it was that I just watched. These movies are often very confusing and opaque, with overly complicated plots, numerous flashbacks and poor storytelling. These films may even have very interesting and original plot lines that simply fall under the weight of there own obtuseness and incoherence. Such a film unfortunately, is Watchmen, making its debut on Blu-ray. Continue Reading

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button certainly has a very interesting and innovative premise. Imagine living your life in reverse, being born as as baby with old and winkled skin, no hair, advanced cataracts that make you virtually blind as well as advanced arthritis that makes it nearly impossible for you to move let alone walk. However, as you grow older and into your teens, things begin to improve. You begin to see better, you can walk with the aid of a cane, your hair begins to grow in. As you get older and older, you get better and better, actually getting younger as you get older. Continue Reading

It was a decade ago when Pitch Black was released in theaters.  Little did we know at the time that the character of Riddick would be expanded upon with another film and content outside of both movies.  For now though, we’ll focus on the movie that started it all with nighttime baddies galore, Pitch Black. Continue Reading

The character Riddick, played by Vin Diesel, made its big screen debut in 1999′s Pitch Black.  In 2004, the hard-nosed, no-nonsense, intergalactic convict, made his return in The Chronicles of Riddick.  Upon unleashing this Blu-ray in my PS3, I was prompted by a Riddick screen that asked me to choose between the uncut director’s version or the theatrical release.  Not one to have previously seen this film, I opted for the director’s cut.  I will say, I was open-minded yet apprehensive going into this film.  Pitch Black certainly did not light my fire or most of the movie-going public for that matter.  After all, it pulled in a dismal U.S. gross at under $40 million.  Nevertheless, let’s give The Chronicles of Riddick a shot because here come the Necromongers! Continue Reading

Saw IV initially left a sour taste in my mouth, but nonetheless I drudgingly went out and bought the Blu-ray release of it when it came out that first week.  Of course, I justified that purchase with the notion that I had a $25 Target gift card burning a hole in my pocket.  On a cold October day, with great reluctance, I was dragged to the theatre to check out the latest installment of the Saw horror franchise, Saw V, despite hearing so many friends and co-workers tell me how horrible it was.  Despite my lack of desire to see how the rest of the Saw franchise played out, my wife had scheduled a couple’s night out at the movies with her co-worker.  I kindly asked my wife to pay the price of admission for us, as I was not the one who initiated wanting to see this.  After all, I have strict principles to uphold.  Anyway, every time she does pay for a movie, I end up loving it.  I think I am starting to see a trend here.  Hmm…I wonder if that would have worked on the latest Friday the 13^th movie, if I had let her pay.  Let’s get back on subject, shall we? Continue Reading

For such a recent film, Zodiac has had quite a few releases to date. Because Paramount was one of the last supporters of HD DVD back ion the day, this is actually the second high definition release of the film to date. I never jumped on the HD DVD bandwagon so I can’t really compare the two, but I suspect Paramount simply used the same transfer of the film for Blu-ray. You do have to give them some credit for a likely upgrade on the codec and bitrate. Continue Reading

Not being the biggest Jet Li fan, I was kind of relieved back in 2006 when Fearless was billed as his final film. What ever happened to that? I don’t know. I referred to him as the Brett Favre of the Silver Screen but I think I was just hearing what I wanted to hear. Later I learned that it was supposedly marketed as his final martial arts epic. So I guess that does free him to do other movie projects without being labeled a liar, as long as they aren’t coined as “epics.” Continue Reading