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Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witness Protection (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on November 10th, 2012

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After watching Tyler Perry’s Awkward Attempt at Action Stardom less than a month ago, it was oddly comforting to see the multi-media superstar back in his wheelhouse. Don’t get me wrong: I like to see a performer expand his horizons. It’s just that Perry looks infinitely more comfortable in his signature character’s wig and muumuu than tracking down a serial killer and grimly saying things like “I will meet his soul at the gates of hell before I let him take a person that I love from me.”
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Ruby Sparks (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on November 4th, 2012

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“Quirky, messy women whose problems only make them endearing are not real.”

On the surface, Ruby Sparks could be mistaken for the Manic Pixie Dream Girl biopic no one asked for. In case you’re not familiar with this particular cinematic archetype, MPDG derisively describes any unabashedly artsy, quirky young female character that inevitably brightens the life of a brooding, young male protagonist. However, the quote at the start of this review only hints at the fact that this whimsical romantic comedy isn’t afraid to stare down the ugly side of relationships.
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“31 Nights Of Terror” Wrong Turn 5 (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 31st, 2012

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“Fairlake, West Virginia, established in 1814. The entire population disappeared in 1817. To this day nobody knows what happened to them.”

I know what you’re thinking. When I look at a direct-to-video horror series and see a number 5 next to the name, it’s usually time to roll my eyes and reluctantly place the disc in my Blu-ray player so that I can warn you guys just how bad it really is. But we’re not talking about just any horror title. We’re talking about the Wrong Turn franchise, which has actually gotten better since it went into sequel-hell.
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The Doors: Live at the Bowl ’68 (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on October 30th, 2012

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Whether you’re into their music or not, The Doors: Live at the Bowl ’68 gives fans a chance to see a band (and a rock icon) at the height of their powers. Admittedly, The Doors didn’t have the longest shelf life — the band was formed in 1965, released their self-titled debut album in 1967, and frontman Jim Morrison was found dead in a Paris apartment in 1971 — but their impact can be felt to this day. Of course, when I say the band was at the height of their powers, you should understand that means there’s a pretty good chance Morrison was on acid.
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Sound of My Voice (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 30th, 2012

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“Somewhere in the valley, there is a woman living in a basement. She’s actually amassing followers. These people believe that she will actually lead them to salvation, or whatever. And yes, she’s dangerous – but we have to see this thing through. All the way.”

When The Sound Of My Voice opens you really don’t know what to expect. We watch a group of people acting almost as though they have been taken hostage. They are given drab clothes to wear and ordered to clean themselves very thoroughly
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Pete’s Dragon: 35th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 23rd, 2012

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“A dragon. A dragon. You bet we saw a dragon. So big and brave he came to save a village in distress. He kept the ship from crashing when he heard the SOS. He faced a group of villains and he fought them with success…”

When Walt Disney Studios released Mary Poppins, the entertainment world was turned on its ears. The integration of live action footage with animation had never been done with such success before. The studio that nearly singlehandedly perfected modern methods of animation was also the studio that learned how to combine it almost seamlessly with real breathing actors
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Bones: Season 7 (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 23rd, 2012

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Dr. Temperance Brennan, or Bones (Deschanel) is the world’s leading bone specialist. She works in Washington, D.C. for the famous Jeffersonian (I assume it’s intended to be the Smithsonian). Her talents have proven themselves very helpful in solving crimes where skeletal remains are all that there is to go on from the victim. Her FBI agent/liaison is Seeley Booth (Boreanaz). Together they have an uneasy relationship that grows into a kind of friendship. The problem is that Bones doesn’t have a ton of social skills. She relies on Booth to guide their social interactions. More on that later.
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Mad Men – Season Five (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on October 18th, 2012

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“When is everything gonna get back to normal?”

Is a happy, well-adjusted Don Draper a good thing? That’s one of the biggest questions posed during Mad Men’s excellent fifth season, and it’s aimed at the other characters in the show as well as a passionate TV audience that has become seriously invested in Jon Hamm’s suave antihero.
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“31 Nights Of Terror” The Raven (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by M. W. Phillips on October 17th, 2012

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“What cannot be disputed is your imagination is the inspiration of a horrendous crime.”

The Raven may not be a turkey, but it doesn’t really soar either. Director James McTeigue (V for Vendetta) attempts to fashion a historical fiction around the mysterious final five days of Edgar Allen Poe’s life. A notorious drunk and opium addict, Poe (John Cusack) careens through 19^th century Baltimore dead broke, bitter from years of writer’s block, and harassed by the locals for being a blustering has-been. Due to a distinct lack of social sympathy, he can’t even borrow money for a single drink
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Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 17th, 2012

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“Do you want me to give it to you straight?”

When last we left our main characters from the first two Madagascar films they were stranded in Africa after being shipped from their home in the New York Zoo. We knew the sequel was coming. They couldn’t have left it any more wide open than they did. Of course, the reasonable questions were already being asked by the time the second film began. Do we really need another Madagascar film? Is there any new territory to explore?
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Holliston: The Complete First Season (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on October 17th, 2012

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When I first learned that Adam Green (director of Hatchet and Frozen) would be creating a show to air on Fear Net, this seemed like a slice of heaven to me. I love horror, and with the exception of The Walking Dead and American Horror Story there just hasn’t been much to watch from the genre. So when I discovered that Green was going to be actually developing a sit-com instead, it would be fair to say I was more than a little disappointed by this news. But then I was given a glimmer of hope when I heard it would be about a pair of struggling horror filmmakers. As a film graduate and a lover of horror, this instantly became something relatable to me.
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Wall Street (Filmmakers Signature Series) (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 16th, 2012

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“Greed is Good.”

No other cinematic phrase described the 1980’s better. And no other movie captures the financial corruption of the 80’s better than Oliver Stone’s Wall Street. Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) is a small-time stockbroker, making cold calls to businessmen who won’t give him the time of day.
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Legendary Amazons (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on October 13th, 2012

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Ever wonder what a martial arts epic directed by Baz “Moulin Rouge” Luhrmann would look like? Me neither. But that’s pretty much what we get with Legendary Amazons, (loosely) based on the exploits of the Yang family during the Song Dynasty. The story has an intriguing hook — the men of the Yang clan are massacred in battle, leaving their women to throw on armor and take to the battlefield — but is ultimately bogged down by its cartoonish tone and embarrassingly bad production values.
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Hoffa (Blu-ray) (Signature Series)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 11th, 2012

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Among the more unjustly ignored performances was Jack Nicholson’s turn as union boss Jimmy Hoffa in Hoffa. Fox finally decided to put out the Danny DeVito-directed, David Mamet-written film on DVD. Mamet’s script seems to romanticize Hoffa, portraying him as more of a union man, as one who was forced to make deals that could compromise his integrity, but he overlooks his integrity in order to help benefit the American working man. The story is told in the point of view of Hoffa aide Bobby (DeVito), a fictitious character whose flashbacks are used to help us see how Hoffa perhaps should be viewed, as opposed to the punchline in some jokes we may make now.
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French Connection – Signature Series (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 10th, 2012

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“Did you pick your feet in Poughkeepsie?… Have you ever been to Poughkeepsie?… When you were in Poughkeepsie, you sat on the edge of the bed, didn’t you? You put your fingers between your toes and you picked your feet…. If I can’t bust you on this other thing, I’m going to bust you for picking your feet in Poughkeepsie.”

There can be no argument on this point. The 1970’s was a golden age for the cinema.
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The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on October 7th, 2012

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“I don’t want to grow older, to become marginalized and ignored by society. I don’t want to be the first person they let off the plane in a hostage crisis.”

Normally, a movie has to have the words “Harry” and “Potter” in its title to attract the caliber of British acting talent assembled for The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. The characters in the film may be in the twilight of their lives, but the performers who play them are at the top of their game.
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“31 Nights Of Terror” Pet Sematary (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 6th, 2012

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“Sometimes dead is better.”

From the rather twisted mind of Stephen King, Pet Sematary is actually one of my favorites of his horror novels. It’s scary to think the story was never meant to be published and only offered up to finish a contract with his earlier publisher. As has been the Stephen King plague at nearly every turn, something ends up lost in the translation. In the novel, the deeper subtexts that King is so adept at take several hundred pages to set up and ultimately pay off. Unfortunately a mere couple of hours of celluloid never …seem to scratch the graveyard surface soil
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Modern Family: The Complete Third Season (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 2nd, 2012

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We all remember Ed O’Neill as Al Bundy from Married With Children. It’s an iconic role that he’ll never be able to shake no matter what he does for the rest of his life. After that series ended its 11-year run, he even attempted to get out of comedy and take more dramatic roles. I’m sure there was a deliberate intent to try to distance himself from Al. It’s not that he likely didn’t love playing the role. He just wanted to avoid getting forever typecast in the mold. Those efforts weren’t all that successful. But now he’s back where he belongs again in a pretty solid sit-com.
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The Tall Man (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on October 1st, 2012

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“800,000 children are reported missing each year in the USA. Most are found within a few days. 1000 children disappear without leaving a trace.”

After seeing Pascal Laugier’s first film Martyrs, I instantly became a fan. It’s not often I can recall the exact emotions and thoughts I felt as I emerged from a theater years after the experience. He’s a director I also have no problem calling an artist, and I’ve patiently been waiting for him to assault my senses with his follow-up project.
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Supernatural: The Complete Seventh Season (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 27th, 2012

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“Now this is going to be so much fun.”

They’ve just saved the world, yet again. If you watch Supernatural, you know I’m talking about the Winchester brothers Sam and Dean. You also know by now that saving the world is never the end of the story. Each time they put themselves out there to stop the big evil from putting a major hurt on planet Earth, it comes at a cost, and this season is no exception.
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Strippers Vs. Werewolves (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on September 27th, 2012

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When you pick up a movie with the title Strippers vs. Werewolves, to expect anything more than schlocky B-movie horror is a mistake by the viewer and the viewer alone. This foray into cheesy cinema is best viewed after a few drinks or just as random fun late at night when you can’t sleep. It’s never a movie trying to change the way we view cinema but instead just something to have some fun with, a simple escape where our brains can shut off and simply enjoy the show.
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Indiana Jones – The Complete Adventures

Posted in Disc Reviews by William O'Donnell on September 26th, 2012

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The first word that springs to my mind when considering this box set is “essential.” I try to use that word without all of the marketing baggage that comes with it, conjured up by countless previous DVD releases of other films that have claimed to be “essential.” This set lives up to that term perfectly. Raiders of the Lost Ark alone is an incredibly important film (as my review below explains in a gushing fanboy-ish manner) and the entire series is a must have for any true fan of American cinema. This transfer to Blu Ray is a very successful one, making this the ultimate collection to purchase.

Ghosts of the Abyss (Blu-ray 3D)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on September 21st, 2012

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Written by Bob Ross and David Annandale

Bill Paxton accompanies James Cameron on another expedition to the Titanic, and narrates this documentary about their exploration of the ship. Though the narration is hobbled by an endless stream of pseudo-profundities, the underwater photography is simply stunning. Thanks to two remote-controlled robots, we get to see the interior of the ship.
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October Baby (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on September 21st, 2012

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One of the first rules I’ve set for myself when writing reviews that I’ve managed my best to follow has been to avoid bringing up politics and religion. After all, this is a site dedicated to cinema, but sometimes these topics are injected into the films we review, and like it or not it’s something I was bound to encounter at some point. To simply spit it out, October Baby is a movie the tackles the subject of abortion and delivers a very pro-life message. So for those of you who are very passionate about this topic, I mention this not to offend or start a debate but simply give a disclaimer.
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G.I. Joe Renegades: Season One (Blu-Ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on September 20th, 2012

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Every once in a while, we get surprises in the disc review world. I had reviewed the first volume of G.I. Joe Renegades on DVD and found it the best G.I. Joe series since the original. The cartoon only lasted a season and I secretly wished for a blu-ray of the complete season though I was pretty convinced it would never get made (and certainly not make it to my door). But lo and behold, it actually did. Furthermore, it looks impressive. Let’s take a look inside shall we?
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