Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on June 26th, 2011
When my webmaster asked if I would like to rehash my dvd review for Priscilla: Queen of the Desert for the new blu-ray edition, I jumped at the chance. After all, I did love the movie. But in this blu-ray era, this was strangely the first time I had to do this. I wrote that review almost four years ago to the day. As many would argue, my writing has changed considerably in that time. But without further adieu, let us take a look back at the review.
From the DVD:
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 24th, 2011
Most film-goers could identify a Michael Bay film just by the techniques he uses — quick edits, sun drenched color palette, and lots of action. This usually means that Bay is suited more for low-brow action movies as opposed to high-concept films. In Pearl Harbor, Bay proved that he couldn’t handle anything that didn’t explode — resulting in a lopsided film. The first hour was a tedious love story; the last 90 minutes were better — including an excellent recreation of the surprise attack.
The same is true in The Island. Bay can’t wait to make things explode, and once they do — Bay is very much at home. Though while the explosions are very well choreographed, The Island becomes another action movie that would have worked better had the concept been given more thought.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on June 24th, 2011
The second version of Cornell Woolrich’s novel “Waltz Into Darkness” (previously filmed as François Truffaut’s Mississippi Mermaid), this is a decidedly steamier version, especially here, in its unrated form.
Cuban plantation owner Antonio Banderas advertises for a wife, and the woman who answers his ad is, he believes, plain but pure. Who shows up, however, is the beautiful but duplicitous Angelina Jolie, who has larceny rather than matrimony on her mind. Her scam runs smoothly at first … but she hasn’t counted on the depth of Banderas’ obsession with her.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 20th, 2011
"In America we give our lives to our jobs. It's time to take them back."
It was only a matter of time before the current economic situation made its way into our theaters and finally our homes with a movie like The Company Men. Certainly the economy has influenced many films in the last five years. There have even been other movies to explore many of the current issues. But it's this film that makes those issues, particularly corporate raiding and downsizing, its sole reason for being.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on June 19th, 2011
More often than not, I don’t listen to too many female musicians. Most of them fall into the hard rock (Lita Ford, Donnas) or 80’s/90’s pop dance (Taylor Dayne, Sheena Easton). Occasionally, I will be wowed by good looks and a magical voice. I am a man after all. But when I received Sheryl Crow: Miles from Memphis – Live at the Pantages Theatre, on Blu-Ray, I was not sure what to think. Sure, she had looks but Crow’s music is ever-changing. However, I am certainly willing to give it a listen.
Most people know Sheryl Crow from her multi platinum albums, and selling well over fifteen million records domestically and probably a good thirty five million records worldwide. However, her start was kinda ominous. When she left college, she was teaching music to elementary school kids in Fenton, Missouri. Then came a couple of McDonald’s and Toyota commercial jingles. Before she knew it, she was a backup vocalist for Michael Jackson during his Bad tour.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on June 16th, 2011
It is that time again boys and girls for the movie of the week. This week, we visit a genre that is staler than your grandmother Edna’s cookies: the romantic comedy. *boo* *hiss*. Okay, okay before you start throwing those almond cookies, I think I need to let you know that there is a $5 bill in it for each of you. *whisper from editor* “Do we have that in our budget?” “No silly, just go with it.”. Audience – “What was that?” Why, our movie today is the Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston picture: Just Go With It. Roll the film!
Twenty years ago, Danny Maccabee (played by Adam Sandler) ended his wedding day with a big broken heart and an even bigger nose. Man, was that thing huge. Be sure to never invite him to a coke party. Coke party? Yes, this review is brought to you by Cherry Coca-cola. No, you can’t have any because I drank it all. Anyway, Danny goes off to a local bar to drink the night away (not Cherry Coca-Cola) and strikes up a conversation with a hot girl who notices his wedding ring.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 16th, 2011
On first glance it might seem like a rather odd choice to have the likes of Billy Crystal direct a movie about the 1961 drive to beat Babe Ruth's sacred homerun record by teammates and friends Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle. When the film first aired on HBO,,I recall doing a bit of a double take myself. But, once you've seen the man talk about his memories of the game and the absolute reverence and respect he has for its history you begin to understand why he was the perfect choice to direct 61*
The film begins in more recent times. We are placed in the heat of the 1998 baseball season when Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa were engaged in an eerily similar race to break Maris's 61 homerun mark. McGuire was the first to do it, coincidentally in a game against Sosa's Chicago team. Of course, at the time we didn't know that McGuire was juicing up and Sosa had a thing for corked bats. The Maris family was there to watch the record be broken, at least his children were. His widow had to watch from a hospital bed after having a health episode that very day. The family was gracious, and of course, it brought back memories of the 1961 season. It is here where the real story begins. The film recounts the friendship between Mantle and Maris, known as the M&M boys, and the film carries us through one of baseball's most tumultuous season.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on June 12th, 2011
As one could probably guess from my tender age of thirty five years, I listen to lots of 80's music. Not only did I grow up in it, the music was energetic and often thoughtful (without being too depressing). But the thing I remember most about the music on a whole is the brilliant videos behind them. David Byrne of Talking Heads was the head (literally) of one of my favorites, Burning Down the House. A great musician and pop legend, David Byrne is back to entertain us in Ride, Rise, Roar.
David Byrne was born in Scotland in the spring of 1952. He knew how to play the guitar, accordion, as well as the violin before he even entered high school. David went through a couple of minor bands before landing his first major gig with the Talking Heads in 1975. The band went on to do great things and several of their albums went gold with sales well over 500,000 copies. Unfortunately, the group broke up in 1991 after creative differences and David Byrne went on to a solo career.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 8th, 2011
"People scare better when they're dyin'"
Mention the name Sergio Leone and you immediately think of Clint Eastwood and their Man With No Name trilogy. The truth is that Leone was the master of the spaghetti western and largely responsible for making Clint what he is today. When the Italian director decided to try his hand at Hollywood, he was welcomed with open arms, except they weren't interested in anything but an American copy of a spaghetti western. Leone had something else in mind. He had a "been there, done that" attitude about the westerns and wanted to do an epic called Once Upon A Time In America. But Hollywood was hearing none of that. So they compromised. If Leone delivered a stylistic western, the studio would spring for the epic he wanted to make. The result of that parlay turned out to be Once Upon A Time In The West.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 8th, 2011
"Since the birth of time, humanity has endeavored to restrict evil men in prisons. But since Cain fled the murder of his brother, evil men have fled the walls of punishment. So it doesn't matter if you're a badass mother on the run because you think you're better than everyone else and somehow entitled to do what you gotta do. No, because you see, badass mothers are never fast enough. In the end, they will be accounted for."
People have been breaking out of Hell since the days of Dante. In recent years we've had two very good television shows on the subject. Brimstone suffered an early death but was a wonderful character piece with John Glover as the Devil and Peter Horton as a cop and resident of Hell he uses to track down his escapees. Reaper took a more comedic route and had Ray Wise as Satan utilizing the efforts of Jack Black clone Tyler Labine helping out damned soul Bret Harrison to bring in the escaped. Enter Nicolas Cage in the underachieving action film Drive Angry.
![The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert [Blu-ray] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/the-adventures-of-priscilla-queen-large.jpg)
![The Island [Blu-ray] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/the-island-blu-ray-large.jpg)
![Original Sin [Blu-ray] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/original-sin-blu-ray-large.jpg)
![The Company Men [Blu-ray] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/the-company-men-blu-ray-large.jpg)
![Sheryl Crow: Miles from Memphis Live at the Pantages Theatre [Blu-ray] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/sheryl-crow-miles-from-memphis-liv-large.jpg)
![Just Go with It [Blu-ray] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/just-go-with-it-blu-ray-large.jpg)
![61* [Blu-ray] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/61-blu-ray-large.jpg)
![David Byrne: Ride Rise Roar [Blu-ray] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/david-byrne-ride-rise-roar-blu-ra-large.jpg)
![Once Upon a Time in the West [Blu-ray] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/once-upon-a-time-in-the-west-blu-r-large.jpg)
![Drive Angry [Blu-ray] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/drive-angry-blu-ray-large.jpg)
