AVC MPEG4

Lawless (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on November 28th, 2012

“In 1920 they passed the prohibition act making the sale of alcohol illegal. Well… at least it was supposed to be.”

I know what you’re thinking, and I was also incredibly disappointed to learn this film was not a biopic of Xena: Warrior Princess actress Lucy Lawless. (This hypothetical film would obviously star the ageless Kiwi, because the actress still looks incredible.) Fortunately, Lawless makes up for its startling lack of Lawless by being one of the better films I’ve seen this year.
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Friends: The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 16th, 2012

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“So no one told you life was gonna be this way. Your job’s a joke, you’re broke, your love life’s D O A. It’s like you’re always stuck in second gear. When it hasn’t been your day, your week ,your month or even your year. But I’ll be there for you…”

And for ten years and 236 episodes, they were there for you. It was part of NBC’s famous Must See TV Thursday Night. The show has been a perennial Top 10 placeholder in the Nielsen ratings.
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The Day (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on November 16th, 2012

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To be a cannibal or not to be? That seems to be the question we will all have to ask ourselves if we ever go on to live in a post-apocalyptic society. Sure it’s in the name of survival, but can things really get so bad that one day I could be huddled up with a group of survivors and everyone wondering whose the next to keel over and if there are any special recipes someone would like to try out? Remember it’s all in the name of survival,
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My Big Fat Greek Wedding (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 15th, 2012

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“Nice Greek girls are supposed to do three things: marry Greek boys, make Greek babies, and feed everyone until the day we die.”

If ever a movie could be negatively affected by monstrous box office numbers, it’s My Big Fat Greek Wedding. When a five-million-dollar film rides a tsunami of critical buzz and excellent word-of-mouth past the two hundred million dollar box office gross (finally ending somewhere over $230 million), it’s impossible to see it for the first time completely free of expectation.
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Brave (Ultimate Collector’s Edition) (Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 14th, 2012

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“The ancients spoke of it. It is the heart of this fierce land. It is carried in the wind. Born of our legends, and when we are put to the test, it is the one thing that we must always be.”

Readers of this site already know that I have a particular fondness for most of the films that have come from Pixar. The studio pretty much invented the computer-animated feature film, and they’ve been setting the bar higher with each new release. I’ve always thought it was rather fitting that the studio ended up as part of Disney. After all, it was the Mouse House that invented the animated feature to begin with
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Snowmageddon (Blu-ray)

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

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People make fun of us Floridians for a variety of reasons. (Some of them don’t even involve our performance in presidential elections.) One of the most popular ways out-of-staters in the northern part of the country — as well as our Canadian readers — mock us is by chuckling whenever we dash to our closets and dust off our winter wear as soon as the weather dips below 60 degrees. So I can’t even imagine how we’d handle a full-blown Snowmageddon!
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Fire With Fire (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on November 12th, 2012

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“Every man’s got his dark side”

This is the most fitting quote to describe the exploration of Fire with Fire. My intrigue began with the film’s title, I just love that title. Nowadays most film titles have been reduced to using the name of one of the characters or including “the” in the title; it’s refreshing to have a title that encompasses the overall plot of the film. TV director and reputable stunt coordinator David Barrett takes the director seat for his first feature film (a quick IMDB search would tell you that this step was long overdue)
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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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So: Peter Gabriel (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on October 28th, 2012

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“I think we all knew it was good. But it was only when we started getting hits, which is sort of a rare thing in my life, that you start thinking, ‘Maybe we’re gonna sell something here.’”

Peter Gabriel was one of the founding members of late ‘60s prog rock pioneers Genesis and released four untitled/self-titled solo albums in the late 1970s and early ‘80s, which spawned hits like “Solsbury Hill” and “Shock the Monkey.” But it wasn’t until 1986 that the British rocker enjoyed the greatest success of his career.
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Gone in 60 Seconds – Car Crash King Edition (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on October 23rd, 2012

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The best thing about Gone in 60 Seconds is that the film knows exactly what it is. Just take a look at the breathless blurbs on the Blu-ray case for the latest release. “Over 500 crashes!” “93 cars wrecked in the 40-minute car chase!” No one involved with this movie thought they were making an intimate character piece. I mean the top-billed star is “Eleanor.” Did I mention that Eleanor is a 1973 Ford Mustang?
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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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“31 Nights Of Terror” Excision (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 20th, 2012

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“Long story short, I want to reshape my navel, and allowance won’t cover it.”

Long story short is precisely the words I would use to describe Excision. You see, it started out as a short subject film and writer/director Richard Bates, Jr. decided to make it his first feature film. That was his first mistake. While I have never seen the short film that inspired this feature, I get the strong feeling that this was better served in that format.
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“31 Nights Of Terror” Mother’s Day (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 19th, 2012

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“I’m so proud of my boys. They never forget their Momma.”

What did you do for your mother the last Mother’s Day? Did you buy her some flowers and candy? Perhaps you took her out for a little adventure. You might have even cooked her a special meal. If you’re like Ike (Coffin) and his brothers, you treat your mom to a show. You torture, rape, and kill a few women who happen to find themselves in the woods. Good times, right?
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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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Prometheus (Blu-ray)

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

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“In space no one can hear you scream.”

It was the tagline that brought us by the droves into our neighborhood cinemas in 1979 to see one of Ridley Scott’s two classic science fiction adventures. Alien was one of the scariest science fiction films we’ve ever seen. It wasn’t just the wonderfully organic H.R. Giger designs that had us on the edge of our seats. Scott delivered a claustrophobic nightmare that caged us with this remarkable killing machine. Much the same feeling I had recently trapped in a minivan with a large spider on the prowl.
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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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