WE BOUGHT A ZOO Blu-ray Review

by Andre Dellamorte    Posted: May 23rd, 2012 at 7:00 am

At this point Cameron Crowe’s films have a feel that is distinctly his – he’s an auteur. Going in, you know the sort of music he’s going to use, and you know the sort of melancholy emotions he’s going to go for. With his latest, We Bought a Zoo, he’s totally in his wheelhouse and that’s going to be enough for people who want that Cameron Crowe feeling. Matt Damon stars as a widower who decides to take his children out of the city, and buys a country home that is also an operating zoo where Scarlett Johansson works. Our review of the Blu-ray of We Bought a Zoo follows after the jump.

David Lean’s IN WHICH WE SERVE, THIS HAPPY HOUR, BLITHE SPIRIT, and BRIEF ENCOUNTER Criterion Blu-ray Reviews

by Andre Dellamorte    Posted: May 21st, 2012 at 7:00 am

David Lean has been canonized as one of the great directors, an honor that he’s earned, even if his body of work is inconsistent. If his later years were less good, and some of his earlier films are weak, it doesn’t matter. He directed Lawrence of Arabia and Bridge on the River Kwai. The Criterion collection has brought together his first four films, and they were all adaptations of Noel Coward’s work (hence the title David Lean “Directs Noel Coward”). The films are In Which We Serve, This Happy Breed, Blithe Spirit and Brief Encounter. And our review of the Blu-ray set of David Lean Directs Noel Coward follows after the jump.

THE DESCENDANTS Blu-ray Review

by Brad McKay    Posted: May 19th, 2012 at 7:00 am

Living in paradise is not as glamorous or care free as many outsiders may believe, and the King family is a perfect example of it.  The Descendants, an Alexander Payne film adapted from the novel of the same name by Kaui Hart Hemmings, follows Hawaii-based lawyer Matt King (George Clooney) on his painful, yet often comedic quest to reunite his family after his wife suffers a tragic accident.  While the film tugs on heart strings towards the end, it mostly infuses audiences with almost uncomfortable laughter and anticipation for when the story will kick into gear.  Hit the jump for our review of The Descendants on Blu-ray.

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE Blu-ray Review

by Andre Dellamorte    Posted: May 18th, 2012 at 7:14 am

Sometimes a performance overwhelms a movie. On paper, Stanley Kowaski is an important role in A Streetcar Named Desire – of that there’s no doubt – but the showcase role should be Blanche DuBois. Blanche is a fragile woman who’s come to New Orleans after leaving her home city under dubious circumstances. And nothing against Vivien Leigh’s work in the film, but it’s Marlon Brando as Stanley who owns the movie. Brando was ready to pop when the film was released in 1951 – he’d done a film before, but when partnered with director Elia Kazan his method acting changed the way films were made. Seriously. Our review of the Blu-ray of A Streetcar Named Desire follows after the jump.

EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE Blu-ray Review

by Jeff Ames    Posted: May 14th, 2012 at 9:44 am

Movies like Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close are difficult to review.  On the one hand, part of me wants to rip Stephen Daldry’s film to shreds and call it a manipulative, corny, over-the-top, Oscar-seeking mess.  But the other part of me wants to drop the cynicism and enjoy the heartfelt emotional journey for what it aspires to be: a film that attempts to cope with the aftershocks of 9/11, and mourn those we lost in the fire.

Watching Extremely Loud on Blu-ray over the weekend, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.  While not exactly the masterpiece it thinks it is, Daldry’s film at least sidesteps the problems I had with the director’s previous efforts, especially the overtly saccharine The Reader and the morbid, depressing The Hours – both of which tried to do too much and therefore lacked focus.  Hit the jump for my review.

LET THE BULLETS FLY Blu-ray Review

by Rob Vaux    Posted: May 11th, 2012 at 10:33 am

You won’t see many Chinese movies as irreverent, mischievous or iconoclastic as Let the Bullets Fly. The nation is better known for works of gravitas and dignity: celebrating its rich history or exploring serious aspects of the human condition. Bullets is more Hong Kong than Beijing, with Stephen Chow its obvious spiritual kin. The distinction doesn’t necessary make it a great movie, though it certainly helps it to stand out from the crowd. Hit the jump for the full review.

CONTRABAND Blu-ray Review

by Andre Dellamorte    Posted: May 9th, 2012 at 5:58 am

It’s nice to see a down and dirty action movie, and Contraband offers a number of things that are fun. It’s got Mark Wahlberg in the lead, and a supporting cast that includes Kate Beckinsale, J.K. Simmons, Ben Foster, Giovanni Ribisi, and Lukas Hass.  It’s got a no-nonsense plot about smuggling, and at least one good shootout. But it’s also imminently forgettable. Our review of the Blu-ray of Contraband follows after the jump.

HAYWIRE Blu-ray Review

by Andre Dellamorte    Posted: May 4th, 2012 at 9:30 am

Steven Soderbergh approached Haywire as a chance to turn Gina Carano into a movie star. As she’s been cast in the next Fast and Furious movie, it’s likely that we’ll see more from her. But Soderbergh approached doing an action movie as an art project, so he played with the structure and style of the modern action film. It’s ambitious, and not entirely successful. But he was right on the money that Carano can carry a movie. Haywire costars Michael Fassbender, Channing Tatum, Ewan McGreggor, Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas and Bill Paxton, and our review of the Blu-ray follows after the jump.

THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST and VANYA OF 42ND STREET Criterion Blu-ray Reviews

by Andre Dellamorte    Posted: April 28th, 2012 at 6:00 am

The Martin Scorsese who put out The Last Temptation of Christ is not the Martin Scorsese we know today. He had yet to make Goodfellas, and though Raging Bull netted Robert De Niro an Oscar, Scorsese spent much of the 1980’s in the wilderness, making niche films which were considered disappointments, only to secure financing through directing a for-hire hit movie (The Color of Money). Christ was most notable for the controversy it engendered, as it was protested by a number of religious groups, which kept it out of most big chain theaters. Vanya of 42^nd Street is a project that transcends its set-up, and acts as a follow-up to Louis Malle’s My Dinner with Andre. It reunited Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn with a cast (that includes Julianne Moore) that performed Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya on the fly for years. Both have come out from Criterion on Blu-ray, and our reviews of both follow after the jump.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – GHOST PROTOCOL Blu-ray Review

by Andre Dellamorte    Posted: April 25th, 2012 at 6:01 am

Tom Cruise is a movie star, but after his public embarrassments in 2005, whether audiences could accept him in any role was questioned. And at this point, he probably can’t create a character who isn’t a variation on Tom Cruise, movie star, which may be why the Mission: Impossible franchise is perfect for him. After four films, what can you say about Ethan Hunt other than he’s an effective problem-solver? Ultimately, when you have a director engaged with the material, you get a good film, otherwise it’s just wheel spinning by craftsmen. Brad Bird had a lot to prove with Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, and it shows, he delivered a home run. Cruise is supported by Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner, and Paula Patton in his battle to stop a terrorist (Michael Nyqvist). And our review of the Best-Buy exclusive Blu-ray follows after the jump.

THE DARKEST HOUR Blu-ray Review

by Andre Dellamorte    Posted: April 24th, 2012 at 9:18 am

Computer generated imagery has revolutionized movies, of which there’s no doubt, but one of the side effects it that it’s made spectacle boring. You can destroy anything, create fantastical creatures, and combine different takes into one without audiences noticing at the click of a button. The one thing you can’t create with a computer is a compelling story, which is why The Darkest Hour is such a dull slog. Emile Hirsch, Olivia Thirlby, and Max Minghella lead a pack of Americans who are stuck in Russia when an alien invasion hits. Our review of the Blu-ray follows after the jump.

REBECCA, SPELLBOUND and NOTORIOUS Blu-ray Reviews

by Andre Dellamorte    Posted: April 21st, 2012 at 6:00 am

There are many ups and downs in Alfred Hitchcock’s long and varied career. From the British filmmaker who was learning his craft to the skilled thriller filmmaker we know today, there were many periods of uncertainy and compromise in his filmography. After proving his mastery with such films as The 39 Steps and The Lady Vanishes in England, Hitch was invited to America to work for David O. Selznick. It led to Rebecca, Spellbound and Notorious, which Fox has now put out on Blu-ray, and through the three you can see Hitchhcock learning how to work in America while retaining and refining his voice. Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck, and Cary Grant star in the movies, and our review of the three follow after the jump.

CHINATOWN and TO CATCH A THIEF Blu-ray Reviews

by Andre Dellamorte    Posted: April 20th, 2012 at 9:28 am

Paramount is good about releasing classics on Blu-ray from time to time, and their latest batch offers one of the greatest films of all time, and an entertaining minor work by a master director. Chinatown is Roman Polanski’s masterpiece. It stars Jack Nicholson as a private dick assigned to find out about an affair that uncovers statewide corruption in California. Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief offers Cary Grant and Grace Kelly on the Riviera in beautiful Vista-vision. Both are definitely worth checking out on Blu-ray (if not purchased immediately) and our reviews of both follow after the jump.

UNFORGIVEN Blu-ray Review

by Andre Dellamorte    Posted: April 18th, 2012 at 11:00 am

When Clint Eastwood made Unforgiven in 1992, he was in a transitional period of his career. Though he was still making pop junk like Pink Cadillac and The Rookie, he had also directed Bird – which started his career as an art-house/Oscar friendly director (though that film was mostly ignored). Eastwood was getting old, and there was sense that he had to stop playing these sorts of role. Unforgiven was his great Western standoff, and he assembled a great cast that included Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman, and Richard Harris in a career-defining work. Our review of the Blu-ray of Unforgiven follows after the jump.

CASABLANCA 70th Anniversary Limited Collector’s Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo Review

by Andre Dellamorte    Posted: April 17th, 2012 at 9:08 am

“You must remember this…” Calling Casablanca a classic is something of an understatement. It’s the machinery of Hollywood in the 40’s at its pinnacle. It’s got great direction from Michael Curtiz, a witty and fast paced script, and stars. Stars like stars should be – indelible – and a cast of memorable supporting players who pop in brief appearances. Huphrey Bogart plays Rick, the owner of a bar in Casablanca whose life gets shaken up by the appearance of Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), his long lost love. But she’s now married to a leading resistance fighter, and there’s a war on. Our review of the 70^th Anniversary edition of Casablanca on Blu-ray follows after the jump.

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