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“31 Nights of Terror” Jeff Dunham: Minding the Monsters (Blu-ray)

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

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“I thought this was a family show.”

“Well, it depends on your family.”

Quick, who is the highest-grossing stand-up comic in America? Well, if you follow the live comedy scene — or you can’t help but notice you’re reading a review for one of his shows — you probably know the answer is Jeff Dunham. The man has single-handedly made ventriloquism cool again. (Pause.) Well he’s made it astoundingly lucrative, anyway.
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Magic City: The Complete First Season (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 11th, 2012

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“Every ambition has a dark side.”

And that includes the world of the cable television series. The world of cable series has brought us some of the most ambitious and compelling television shows we’ve ever seen. There’s no censor board to answer to, so that means the shows have the freedom to expand into visual areas that have long been taboo on network shows. Nudity, sexuality, language, and even violence are often huge parts of these kinds of shows. Because there isn’t really a ratings pressure, the shows can also cater to more specialized audiences.
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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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Key & Peele: Season One (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on October 2nd, 2012

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It’s been quite some time since The Chappelle Show went off the air, and it would appear Comedy Central has finally found its replacement. I wouldn’t go so far as to say the two shows are on the same par, but what Keegan Michael Key and Jordan Peele bring to the small screen is something that has peaked my interest and shows some potential. Both Key and Peele got their big breaks from working on the sketch comedy show MADtv, and it would seem they are taking their talents and what they learned to bring us something that is a little familiar but still fresh, and keeps its audience laughing.
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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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Portlandia – Season Two (Blu-ray)

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

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Oregon may have been the 33rd state to join our union — and Portland may be its most populous city — but Portlandia is a state of mind. And according to the surreal IFC sketch series created by stars Fred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein and director Jonathan Krisel, that state of mind is happily stuck in the simpler time represented by the ’90s.
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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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Brawler (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on September 20th, 2012

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They say blood is thicker than water. Both of those substances are on display in Brawler, which cannily stages its bloody, illegal fights on a New Orleans riverboat. The film’s plot was inspired by a real-life pair of feuding brothers who infamously came to blows, but the Big Easy practically shares top billing with the squabbling siblings.
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Etta James: Live at Montreux 1993 (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on September 20th, 2012

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The voice of Etta James — specifically on her rendition of “At Last” — has launched 1,000 wedding receptions. The singer, who passed away earlier this year, also had a long history with the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. Though this Blu-ray includes performances from the 1970s and 1980s, the focus is on her 1993 show, which came the same year James was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and followed a late ‘80s comeback from drug and alcohol addiction.
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The Babymakers (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on September 16th, 2012

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As I was watching the new Ocean’s Eleven for the 185th time — it’s the last movie I saw twice on the same day in theaters — it occurred to me that the stakes were entirely too high. Three casinos…$160 million…the threat of being caught and glared at by Andy Garcia. The Babymakers, on the other hand, builds up to a heist with absurdly low stakes. It’s basically like Ocean’s Eleven, only the exact opposite.
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Titanic (Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Bob Ross on September 14th, 2012

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It was an excellent experience in 1997, when I reviewed Titanic as it opened in America’s theaters. A sweeping disaster epic wrapped around a passionate romantic drama, the film quickly dispelled early rumors that it would sink faster than the actual boat did 100 years ago. Yes, I liked the movie a bunch. I admired its scope, its detail, its amazing effects and its superb cast. Director James Cameron’s extensive, expensive production schedule was vindicated by critics and box-office alike. Yet, somehow I never really wanted to see it again. Too intense, too tragic, too overwrought. Maybe it was just that horrid Celine Dion song.
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The Vampire Diaries: The Complete Third Season (Blu-ray)

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

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“If there’s a theme, you could call it The Return…”

Warner Brothers has entered the popular scene with yet another vampire series taken from yet another powerful franchise of popular books. Enter The Vampire Diaries. While I’ve avoided the Twilight series so far (I’ve had my fill of teenage angst as a high school teacher). The series follows loosely the series of novels written by L.J. Smith. If you’re a fan of the books, you have to take a few things into consideration.
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For Greater Glory: The True Story of Cristiada (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on September 12th, 2012

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Less than 100 years ago, the Mexican government declared war on the Catholic Church. This movie tells the story of the ensuing conflict known as Cristiada (also called the Cristero War), which took place between 1926 and 1929. In showing us all the different ways war can affect a country and all the different ways rebels can contribute to a cause, the movie sort of forgot to tell us why the Mexican government declared war on the church in the first place.
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Goats (Blu-ray)

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

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If you have a low tolerance for quirky indie comedies, just listening to the premise of Goats might be enough to make you gag. The film follows Ellis, a responsible 15-year-old Tucson boy who decides to attend a prestigious East Coast prep school. Left behind are his flaky, New Age-y mother and Goat Man, a pool man/weed grower who is also Ellis’s primary father figure. In case you’re already rolling your eyes, let me assure you there’s slightly more going on here than quirk for quirk’s sake.
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Piranha 3DD (Blu-ray 3D)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Bob Ross on September 7th, 2012

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What’s the latest home video gimmick? 3D, of course. And what’s the leading genre for cheap thrills on a low budget? The goofball horror movie, right? So it makes sense – sort of – for an enterprising filmmaker to throw together a low-comedy fright flick with cheesy gross-outs and bouncing breasts. See, in 3D, those babies can bounce big-time. And if that’s not enough boost for the boys in the audience, you also get severed heads, detached limbs, barf jokes and the dopiest plot this side of Lake Placid the Final Chapter. OK, you caught me. I never saw that one, it just sounds ridiculous.
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2 Broke Girls – The Complete First Season (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on September 6th, 2012

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Everyone on TV has nicer clothes and a bigger house than you do. And I’m not just talking about TV doctors or lawyers. Even small-screen characters with relatively modest incomes manage to live in palatial apartments. (Friends is probably the most famous example.) We complain about how unrealistic it is for a barista and a line cook to be able to afford such a nice place, but part of the appeal of turning on the tube is temporarily turning off our real-world problems.
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Sons of Anarchy: Season Four (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 5th, 2012

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“Ride into this world all alone. God takes your soul. You’re on your own.
The crow flies straight, a perfect line on the devil’s back until you die.
Gotta look this life in the eye”.

If you’ve already read previous reviews, skip ahead to find out what’s new this season
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