Into the Blu

All college hoop fans are surely aware of the Big 5, the collection of 5 Philadelphia area based colleges that have been playing basketball in their own association since the 1950′s. It is unique and there is nothing else like it in college basketball. There is another Big 5 out there as well, at least according to film historians and that is the 5 films that form the foundation of the Disney Empire. Those films are Snow White, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Bambi and Dumbo. The first three of this so-called Big 5 have already made their way to Blu-ray. The fourth, Bambi, is finally making its debut on Blu-ray as well. Continue Reading

The folks at Disney have sure been busy restoring and releasing some of their masterpieces on the Blu-ray format. Since the inception of the format, Disney has released classics such as Sleeping Beauty, Pinocchio and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs all of the which look spectacular and better than they ever have in the home environment by a wide margin. To that list of Disney classics you can now add Alice in Wonderland, which is coming to Blu-ray on its 60th Anniversary. Will it hold up to the other films in terms of picture and audio quality? Continue Reading

King Kong was a groundbreaking achievement in special effects using stop motion and animatronics and it captured audiences’ attention around the world for its unique filmmaking techniques and thus held records for selling out for four days in a row. For the time King Kong was piquing peoples’ interests, but in a world where we have a truck turn into a robot and dinosaurs roam our streets; how well does a film which based a lot of its appeal on its special effects hold up?  Continue Reading

There are movies that are timeless for their ability to touch audiences over the generations, regardless of the time period in which they were made. These films have several things in common, including a great script, a perfect cast and a message that inspires hope and inspiration. One of these films is Miracle on 34th Street, which made its debut in theaters in 1947 and is making its high def debut on Blu-ray this month. Continue Reading

I am not a fan of musicals.  That’s my pessimistic intro and when I found out I would be reviewing An American in Paris, I was apprehensive but moved forward with an open mind.  After all, it does star Hollywood legend Gene Kelly.  Growing up, I remember my mom frequently watching musicals such as The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Oklahoma! and Meet Me in St. Louis.  Meanwhile, my dad was listening to Black Sabbath and Lynard Skynard.  I drifted toward the latter.  Guys in cowboy hats smiling and singing in a circle just didn’t do it for me.  Open mind, here I come.  Let’s review the classic musical, An American in Paris. Continue Reading