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Hugo (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on March 17th, 2012

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In the 1930’s, the orphaned Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield) lives in the access tunnels of the Gare Montparnasse in Paris, winding the clocks, making sure that no one knows his guardian uncle has long-since gone AWOL, and filching bits and pieces of mechanisms that will allow him, he hopes, to repair the automaton he keeps in his living quarters. This is his last connection to his deceased father, and his dream is that the repaired machine will grant him a message from the beyond.
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Nurse Jackie: Season Three (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by M. W. Phillips on February 25th, 2012

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“At this very moment, I have no desire to stab you in the neck.”

Between Weeds and Nurse Jackie, Showtime has the corner on shows about drugged up, ethically challenged women. The great Edie Falco somehow keeps Nurse Jackie relatable even though she is an unrepentant drug addict, thief and manipulative narcissist. It doesn’t hurt being surrounded by such a smart supporting cast and given lines that crackle with poignancy and humor.
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Puss In Boots (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on February 24th, 2012

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One of the more popular characters from the Shrek franchise steps into the starring spotlight here, in an adventure whose locale is rather different from the familiar swamp-forest-castle fairy-tale settings of the parent films. Seeking to steel magic beans from the husband-and-wife thugs Jack and Jill, Puss (Antonio Banderas) and rival Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek) become caught up in a wild scheme masterminded by the duplicitous Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis).
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Weeds – Season Seven (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on February 21st, 2012

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I completely understand if you bailed out on Weeds a long time ago. The fact is the current show bears little resemblance to the subversive, suburban sitcom that became one of Showtime’s first comedy smashes. That’s partly because the tone of the show took a dark turn into Mexican cartels and human trafficking after the end of season 3. Even worse, the once-fresh characters had become, at
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Lady and the Tramp (Diamond Edition Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on February 18th, 2012

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The yesteryears of Disney were full of classic movies from Aladdin to 101 Dalmations. Each of those films holds a special place in my heart due to its warmth and very colorful, cute story. Having never seen Lady and the Tramp before picking up this early copy, I didn’t know what to expect of the film. Many declare it to be one of Disney’s best, which is certainly a remark that is quite distinguished. Would Lady and the Tramp capture my emotions and heart like so many old, classic Disney films did years ago? Read on to find out.
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Transformers: Dark of the Moon (3D Limited Edition) (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on February 15th, 2012

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Back when I reviewed the original Blu-ray/DVD combo release, I said that those wanting special features should wait for the inevitable double-dip. Well, here it is, and so loaded with features that they get a Blu-ray to themselves.
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The Expendables (Extended Director’s Cut) (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 21st, 2011

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“Man, we’ll die with you. Just don’t ask us to do it twice.”

Well… that’s exactly what Sylvester Stallone is asking you to do. Many will look at this release as a simple case of a double-dip, and to a certain extent it is. But Sly isn’t kidding when he tells us that it’s a better film this way. At least I thought so. No question the studio wants to build buzz going into the second film, and this edition works as a sort of placeholder. It’s still a tough decision, but let’s look at the film again, just for argument’s sake, shall we?
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Fright Night (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 14th, 2011

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“He’s a real monster. And he’s not brooding or lovesick or noble. He’s the shark from Jaws. He kills. He feeds. And he doesn’t stop until everybody around him is dead.”

Okay, there’s going to be two schools of thought going on when it comes to this movie. There are going to be plenty of fans who, like myself, absolutely loved the original tongue-in-cheek 1980’s film. It has endured over the years, and I have found it to be just as charming and chilling now as I did when I first saw it back in 1985.
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The Devil’s Double (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 6th, 2011

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There have been a lot of films out that deal with the Iraq war and the various political situations that region of the world has had to deal with since that time. Most of these efforts are trying so hard to make some radical political point that they tend to serve their audiences poorly as entertaining films. Happily, that’s not the case with Lee Tamahori’s The Devil’s Double. The film cuts through the polarizing political elements and provides a brutal view of the Hussein regime through the actions of one of Saddam’s sons, Uday. Tamahori has created a modern Scarface
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Super 8 (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on November 28th, 2011

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It is 1979. While filming a Super 8 horror movie, a group of young friends on the cusp of adolescence witness a spectacular train wreck. They later discover that they accidentally captured evidence that there was an alien creature on the train, and it is now loose in their small town. But if the mysterious disappearance of dogs, engines and (increasingly) people wasn’t trouble enough, the military descends upon the community with an agenda far more merciless and inhuman than that of the alien itself.
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West Side Story: 50th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by M. W. Phillips on November 22nd, 2011

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“When you’re a Jet, you’re a Jet all the way! From your first cigarette to your last dyin’ days.”

West Side Story is a masterpiece in film making. Its DNA comes from the greatest entertainers in the business. The great Robert Wise (The Sound of Music, The Day the Earth Stood Still) shares directing credit with one of the world’s greatest choreographers, Jerome Robbins. The music was composed by Leonard Bernstein with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Daniel Fapp’s cinematography is epic and evocative. The movie was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won 10, a record at the time, including Best Picture and Best Director.
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Cars 2 (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 3rd, 2011

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“Hey everybody, McQueen’s back.”

Cars is only the second film in Pixar history to have at least one sequel added to the franchise. Of course, all of that is about to change. Monster University will explore the world of Monsters, Inc as a prequel. Brad Bird has recently spoken about plans for a follow-up to The Incredibles. And Toy Story appears ready to continue at least a little longer into the future. Personally, I’ve been looking forward to the Monsters film. But after watching Cars 2 I’m a little bit worried,
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Captain America: The First Avenger (Blu-ray)(3D)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 28th, 2011

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In the world of Marvel comics Captain America was indeed the first Avenger, and as the full title implies we’re going quite a way into the past to create this hero. But the first shall be last, and it’s certainly true on this long road to the May 2012 release of The Avengers on film. You see, this is the final piece to the puzzle for that great assembly of heroes. We’ve had two chances to witness both The Hulk and Iron Man and a recent film introduction to Thor. Other characters like Black Widow and Hawk Eye came as guests on the other films. But the introductions are now complete.
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Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 28th, 2011

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“That be the cold hand of fate I feel down my nape.”

With each of the previous Pirates Of Caribbean films pulling in over a billion dollars in total revenue, it was indeed the cold hand of fate that determined the franchise would not end. Like Captain Jack Sparrow himself, this franchise isn’t going to be easy to kill. It’s true that the last two films, the third in particular, were rather universally scorned by the critics. But they still pulled in a boatload of money
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Scarface (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 20th, 2011

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“In May 1980, Fidel Castro opened the harbor at Mariel, Cuba with the apparent intention of letting some of his people join their relatives in the United States. Within seventy-two hours, 3,000 U.S. boats were headed for Cuba. It soon became evident that Castro was forcing the boat owners to carry back with them not only their relatives, but the dregs of his jails. Of the 125,000 refugees that landed in Florida an estimated 25,000 had criminal records.”

One of those refugees was Tony Montana.
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The Lion King (Two-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 12th, 2011

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“From the day we arrive on the planet and blinking, step into the sun, there’s more to see than can ever be seen. More to do than can ever be done. There’s far too much to take in here. More to find than can ever be found…”

There’s a period in the 1990’s that has often been referred to as the second golden age of Disney animation. The studio had fallen from its once mighty perch, and most film historians tend to agree there was a creative dark ages through the 1980’s. But the renaissance of the studio began with Aladdin in 1992
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The Lion King (Four-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray 3D)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 6th, 2011

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Written by John Delia

I don’t know if you recently had the opportunity to see The Lion King in 3D at your local theater or the original version in 1994 when it came out, but I had the opportunity to see the film in the 3D Blu-ray disc version and it’s amazing. The film will probably never be replaced as the all time animated entertainment event for me because it has all the action, drama, comedy and values that make it the best for family viewing, and now in 3D Blu-ray.
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Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 27th, 2011

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In the wake of the financially successful but critically drubbed Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Michael Bay and company return to the fray with this considerably more coherent exercise. Given that this movie committed to advancing the cause of 3D like no other film since Avatar, the question arises as to how well its visual splendour and over-the-top technological extravagance will translate to home video. The answer is: pretty damn well.
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Dumbo (Two-Disc 70th Anniversary Edition) (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 26th, 2011

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“Through the snow, and sleet, and hail / Through the blizzard, through the gale / Through the wind and through the rain / Over mountain, over plain / Through the blinding lightning flash / And the mighty thunder crash / Ever faithful, ever true / Nothing stops him, he’ll get through.”

When Walt Disney’s big gamble with Snow White paid off an entire studio was created and financed. The man and his merry little band were on top of the world. But then Walt decided to try and sophisticate his audience somewhat, and the result was box office disaster.
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Thor (Three-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 15th, 2011

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“Once, mankind accepted a simple truth: that they were not alone in this universe. Some worlds man believed home to their Gods. Others they knew to fear.”

Marvel has rolled out some rather ambitious plans for the next two years. Of course, it has all been leading to the huge Avengers film coming summer of 2012. If you’ve been watching the scenes after the credits of both Iron Man films, you’ve already seen the groundwork has been laid. Now comes Thor, and we’re talking more than just groundwork here. This is the first in a series of films that lead directly to The Avengers.
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Gnomeo and Juilet (Blu-Ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on May 24th, 2011

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The story of Romeo and Juliet is a story that is retold at least once every generation. It can be retold using a different time period or with alien races or perhaps even in a thirty second commercial. It is a fairly easy story and parts can be tweaked given the audience and intention. So begins the story of Gnomeo and Juliet. Take one part animation, one part garden gnomes and a dose of laughter that could be just what the classic play needs. Or it could become a tragedy of the highest order.
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Thor: Tales of Asgard (Blu-Ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on May 16th, 2011

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Recently, I saw the brand new live-action film of Thor in 3d on a giant IMAX screen with some close friends (watch for the Hawkeye cameo!). All of us thought the movie was pretty good (though we really didn’t see the point of 3d, big shock). As to be expected, I knew (and hoped) an animated feature of Thor with his big hammer was right around the corner. However, when I received said feature, Thor was right on it, but he was holding a sword? This requires some further analysis.
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Tron: Legacy / Tron: The Original Classic (Five-Disc Combo)(Blu-ray)(Blu-ray 3D)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 6th, 2011

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If you are old enough to have seen the original Tron back in 1982, you know how much things have changed in the digital world since then. The block graphics of the film and subsequent game might have been state-of-the-art at the time, but it looks like something very primitive to the younger generation. Like all good science fiction, many of the incredible elements of the film have become quite commonplace. The idea that a person can be scanned by a laser and transported into a virtual world
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Bambi (Diamond Edition) (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 8th, 2011

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“Good morning, young Prince.”

The forest is alive with the news. It travels from tree to tree, from animal to animal. A new prince has been born, and the creatures of the woods gather to welcome the young fawn. His name is Bambi, and he soon wins the hearts of the entire population of the forest.
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Megamind (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on February 21st, 2011

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It’s funny how the zeitgeist works, in that it is hardly unusual for two films with very similar high concepts to hit the screens at close to the same time. Dante’s Peak and Volcano. Deep Impact and Armageddon. Hell, The Towering Inferno came about as a result of Fox and Warner cooperating in order to avoid making identical films. And this year, two animated features with super-villains as their protagonists: Despicable Me and our current subject: Megamind.
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