Into the Blu

Here is a barebones release for that is destined to become a safe bet, bargain-bin-buy (perhaps I should create a “Triple B” moniker for such titles?) for 80s nostalgia fans. A film running on a reliable teen comedy formula, with an amusing supernatural twist. Plus Michael J. Fox is charming…how can we lose?

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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

While new films seem to be what most of the Blu-ray buying public is looking for, I also really enjoy the back catalogs, even the deep back catalogs. It gives me a chance to get a fresh look at films I never had the opportunity to see, didn’t know about or haven’t seen in a long time. One such film is the subject of this review, Moonstruck which I hadn’t seen since its original theatrical run in 1987. I really loved it then. Would I love it just as much now all these years later? The answer is an unqualified yes. Continue Reading

It is amazing how the passage of time makes what once seemed scandalous seem rather mundane. I can recall how they had to show Elvis from the waist on the Ed Sullivan Show in the 1950′s, how his shaking and gyrating while performing was seen as dangerous for America’s youth. Rock N’ Roll after all was the devil’s music. This came to mind while I was thinking out the subject of this review, Last Tango in Paris. I was in high school, when this film debuted in 1972 and I can recall how it caused quite a stir, with what was for the time, shocking sexuality in a mainstream film. Due to my age, I did not see the film during its initial run and have never seen it before its arrival on Blu-ray. Would its sexuality seem as mundane now as Elvis’ performances on Ed Sullivan now seem in retrospect? In a word, yes. Continue Reading

Back in the late 1980′s, the subject of Autism was not well known throughout America. It was the film that is the subject of this review, Rain Man, that thrust the topic of Autism into the mainstream of the collective American consciousness. Since then, Autism has been in the news more and more, with the incidents of the diagnosis of Autism on the upswing and with the since discredited concerns about the role of vaccinations in the rise of the of the incidents of Autism over the past decade or so. Continue Reading

The good old days. I am sure that we have all at one time hankered back for what we think were the Good Old Days. You know, when life was simpler, the food better and the music too. Perhaps even films? The funny thing about the good old days is that we sometimes look back at them through a filter and they are not really as good as we thought them to be. I was giving this subject some thought before I popped the subject of this review, Dances With Wolves, into the Blu-ray player. Continue Reading

There is no doubt that is great that we are seeing all of there 20th and 30th and beyond anniversary releases of some truly classic films on Blu-ray. However, there is a downside for any of us, like yours truly, who were around when some of these films hit the theater for the first time. They really remind us how fast time is flying by, whether we are having fun or not. Holy cow, Batman, has it really been 20 years since Thelma & Louise first hit the screen? Has it been 20 years since Mr. Angelina Jolie i.e. Brad Pitt, first hit the screen and had all those ladies cooing in their seats? Well, unfortunately is is true. We are now all 20 years older. Just how does Thelma & Louise hold up all these years later? I am pleased to report, quite well. Quite well indeed. Continue Reading

Originally released as a novel in 1955, The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney has been adapted several times for the screen. The most successful and widely known being the 1978 version Invasion of the Body Snatchers starring Donald Sutherland, Jeff Goldblum, and Leonard Nimoy.

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In this day and age remakes are common place; with original thoughts receding from our imaginations like a glacier. Most of the time these remakes do little to no justice in regards to the original, especially to classics. Well sometimes re-imaginations give us an opportunity to enjoy characters in a whole new light (i.e. The Dark Knight or Casino Royale), so while the characters are the same it’s a whole new plot and direction. Then there are remakes like The Amityville Horror that initially have me feeling sceptical. I ask myself how can you take a plot that simply revolves around a house and its horrific effects on a family, and keep its original intensity while offering something new to bring viewers in.    Continue Reading

Although I have enjoyed the music of Elvis since being a wee lad (and even being known for performing Suspicious Minds occasionally at Karaoke), it was very odd that I had never sat down and watched an Elvis movie.

My impression of the films was that they were fluff pieces, that Elvis wasn’t really much of an actor, and that they were really “teen exploitation” films (the logical successors of which include The Hannah Montana Movie).  So it was with some amusement that I sat down to watch Viva Las Vegas, curious to see just exactly what an Elvis film was. Continue Reading

For the penultimate movie in my review of the Mel Brooks Collection, I selected the classic Spaceballs, Mr. Brooks’ send up of science fiction movies.  Although I thought I had watched this movie previously, I was surprised to discover that I had only watched it in parts and not as a whole.

When viewing the film previously, I had been struck by its obvious wink to Star Wars, emphasized through characters such as Barf, Dot, Yogurt, Pizza the Hutt, and Dark Helmet.  As a long-term lover of science fiction films, Spaceballs was treading dangerous ground.  My question was, was this film sublime satire, or pure farce. Continue Reading