Into the Blu

I cant say that I am a fan of extended edition films. Normally, the film as exhibited in the theater was the best version of the film. Extended material which is usually from the cutting room floor, was there for a darn good reason and really was better left unseen. It kind of reminds me of a poor answer to a college essay exam where you don’t really have a clear vision of what the answer should be, so you just regurgitate everything that you can recall about the particular subject of the question in the hopes that you hit upon just enough to get some credit. Continue Reading

I had seen the trailer for Unknown and thought that it looked rather interesting. Clearly, Liam Neeson has become something of an action suspense stars what with his riveting performance in Wanted in a role that is rather similar to the one he has in Unknown. While I was intrigued by the story line for the film as revealed in the trailer, I was quite surprised by the film, which while keeping one’s attention for a time , is nothing more than a remake of another film, set in Berlin rather than on Mars. Continue Reading

This is a film that has become a significant contribution to the very the time line it depicts, which is that of US President Nixon being forced into resignation after the Watergate scandal. This film is an engrossing depiction of the actual reporters who used anonymous tips to help uncover a scandal so big that it rocked the entire US nation. Continue Reading

The live action Scooby-Doo franchise always felt fine where it was, they were silly films that captured the slapstick humor, mysterious monsters and overall tone of the classic cartoon… So when I found out that they’ve rebooted the series with a direct-to-video prequel with a completely new and unheard of cast I was a bit weary… How’d it pan out?

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Will Smith is one of the biggest entertainers on the planet. It is that sort of weight that only helps to bloat blockbuster films further than is comfortable. Wild Wild West is an overhaul of the original TV series of the same name and is about as bloated as they blockbusters come. Michael Bay, eat your heart out. 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

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

There is little doubt that life’s greatest mystery doesn’t involve life at all but what happens when you die, as life’s curtain is drawn to a close. There are those who believe that when the lights go out, that is it. There are others who believe that that is not the end, that there is another side. The problem is that it is really just a matter of faith, as there is no definitive proof one way or the other, despite the claims of those who have had near death experiences. While those with near death experiences may have compelling stories to tell, there are scientists who will tell you that those experiences, i.e. the light at the end of a tunnel pulling you towards it, are simply methods developed by the brain over the years to prepare you for the end and do not portend an afterlife. I for one am hoping that there is. I am sure you are wondering why I am getting so philosophical. Well, that is because this very issue, about whether there is life after death, is the issue that forms the heart of the film that is the subject of this review, Clint Eastwood’s Hereafter. Continue Reading

Warner Home Video in Canada is releasing Wave II of their Limited Edition Steelbooks (available exclusively through Futureshop).  The first of five releases is Batman Begins (also being released are Goodfellas, Heat, 2001 & The Matrix).  While the differences between this release and the previously released version are slight (same A/V specs with only three new “additional footage” special features), it is the Steelbook packaging (with slick cover art) that makes this release stand out.   Most of this review will be ported over from our original review of Batman Begins (written by Brian White), with the new features highlighted for easy finding. Continue Reading

It’s always great seeing a Steven Spielberg film get released on Blu-ray and although his sci-fi endeavors may seem better suited for the format it’s great to see his dramatic efforts get some attention. Does the re-release breathe new life into this classic film or was this simply a product of its time?

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Some directors go to the same well over and over again, making films with the same basic formula with different settings and actors but the same basic plot. Once a film is successful, the natural inclination is to repeat that formula so long as it remains box office gold. Whether the films are any good or not is irrelevant. The only issue is will it make money. Well, that is the case with the film that is subject of this review, Due Date, which is brought to us by the same team that brought us the widely successful (at least at the box office), The Hangover, looking to repeat that box office gold. Continue Reading

As I had admittedly gushed about my appreciation for Elvis in prior reviews, I could be viewed as somewhat prejudicial in my viewing of Jailhouse Rock.  Although Elvis on Tour was disappointing, I thoroughly enjoyed Viva Las Vegas and was hoping this other “young Elvis” film would deliver an equally lightweight and enjoyable cinema experience.

I was somewhat curious about reviewing my first “true” black and white film (Young Frankenstein was the first I had reviewed), and was equally curious to see how much charisma the relatively young Elvis of 1957 possessed. Continue Reading