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Blu-ray Review: The Player
New Line Cinema | 1992 | 124 mins. | Rated R
A stubbornly independent filmmaker, director Robert Altman was known for making films that no one else dared to touch. MASH, one of Altman’s biggest successes, had been passed over by over a dozen other filmmakers. It was a difficult shoot, but Altman took on the challenge. In an admission that is decidedly un-Hollywood, Altman said he actually aimed to have his film rated R by the MPAA so as to keep children out of the audience – he did not believe children have the patience his films required. This sometimes spawned conflict with movie studios, who wanted children in the audience for increased revenues.
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Blu-ray Review: Lost – The Complete Sixth and Final Season
Disney/Buena Vista | 2010 | 714 mins. | NR
Finales of popular series are often a mixed bag, but ABC’s Lost might have been one of the most scrutinized final seasons in television history. Endlessly scrutinized by fans and critics alike, many wondered whether the sixth season would deliver both answers and a satisfying conclusion. That said, show runners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse had a big task on their hands. After a tremendous season five cliffhanger, fans were more excited to learn what would happen to the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815.
During the fourth season,”The Constant,” introduced the element of time travel into the series. From conclusion of the fifth season, the series continued to expand on the concept by sending the survivors through time until they ended up landing in 1974 (or 1977, for those on Ajira 316). More specifically, at the end of the fifth season, the survivors came up with a plan to explode the hydrogen bomb located on the island. The idea being that it might be a way to kick-start a reboot back to Oceanic 815 so they could resume their lives without the island being a part of the equation.
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Blu-ray Review: $5 a Day
Image Entertainment | 2008 | 98 mins. | Rated PG-13
One of the great things about reviewing movies for my own website is that I get to see hundreds of movies a years. While I get to watch my share of blockbusters, I also get to see smaller films, ones that graced theater screens so quickly; most readers may not even know they were made. Granted, sometimes these movies are beyond terrible and deserve to be buried; other times they’re little gems that simply got lost in the shuffle of big budget blockbusters. Take for example, $5 a Day, sporting a cast that includes Oscar winner Christopher Walken, Sharon Stone and Amanda Peet, I was immediately intrigued.
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Blu-ray Review: The Backup Plan
Sony Pictures | 2010 | 104 mins. | Rated PG-13
Jennifer Lopez returns to the screen in The Back-up Plan, a typical romantic comedy with a twist. The normal order of things is reversed; she is artificially inseminated before the couple meets—otherwise it’s still boy-meets-girl, and the only issue between them — because it’s more or less a love match right away — is a question of how the boy feels about the girl already being pregnant. Other than a couple of mildly suggest8ve scenes, The Backup Plan harkens back to a Doris Day/Rock Hudson film, except it’s not nearly as funny.
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Blu-ray Review: The Last Song
Disney/Buena Vista | 2010 | 107 mins. | Rated PG
The Last Song marks the first time that wildly popular novelist Nicholas Sparks (The Notebook, Dear John) wrote the novel and screenplay concurrently. The film was pitched to Disney as little more than a typical Nicholas Sparks heart tugger, starring Hannah Montana herself, Miley Cyrus. Cyrus is seventeen now, so it’s easy to understand her desire to escape the Hannah Montana persona and move on to more mature roles. Unfortunately, even the best actresses (a list Miley doesn’t come anywhere near approaching), would likely have difficulty making something memorable out of Sparks’ strictly paint-by-the-numbers story.
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Blu-ray Review: Hamlet (1996)
Warner Bros. | 1996 | 242 min | Rated PG-13
The Bard’s longest and most frequently adapted play, Hamlet is as iconic and essential as they come; a masterpiece in every sense of the word. It has entranced audiences for centuries and given rise to countless adaptations, some brilliant, others utterly forgettable, and some that have carved out a niche in between, deserving of attention, only to fall short of greatness. Kenneth Branagh’s sweeping, Oscar-nominated film has long been hailed as one of the greats — several critics have even called it the finest Shakespeare adaptation committed to film – of course, it’s a matter of personal choice, but I place it right up there with Olivier’s 1948 adaptation for the screen.
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Blu-ray Review: Clash of the Titans (2010)
Warner Bros. | 2010 | 106 min | Rated PG-13
Hollywood loves remakes. With that understanding, it makes sense that someone in Tinseltown would come up with the idea to remake the beloved, but by no means classic, stop-motion-assisted action adventure Clash of the Titans, what with the amazing advancements that have been made in the field of special effects. However, not even the best effects can save a weak story, and this version of Titans doesn’t even have particularly memorable special effects. By the time the big shots of the Kraken arrive, it’s difficult to care about the gods or the humans. For anyone who knows the story, this is not a positive development.
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Blu-ray Review: Elvis Presley Blu-ray Collection
Warner Bros. | 274 Mins. | 1957-72 | Unrated
Had he lived, Elvis Presley would have celebrated his 75th birthday on January 8th. Given his status as a cultural icon and top moneymaker, it should come as no surprise that many of his albums and films have been repackaged to mark the occasion. Not to be left out, Warner Bros. has recently released the Elvis Presley Blu-ray Collection consisting of 1957’s Jailhouse Rock, 1964’s Viva Las Vegas both previously released in high definition—and the classic 1972 concert film, Elvis On Tour which is making its Blu-ray debut. Warner has also released Elvis On Tour as a Blu-ray Book for those who want to purchase the film as a standalone.
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Blu-ray Review: James and the Giant Peach
Disney/Buena Vista | 1996 | 79 mins. | Rated G
Back in the mid nineties when I read that Disney would be releasing a theatrical version of Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach, my first thought was, “what a perfect pair.” Throughout their long history, Disney’s films have often involved departed or largely absent parents whose departure has allowed the children to become heroes in charge of their own destiny. Conversely, British writer Roald Dahl always made children the heroes of his of his stories.
James and the Giant Peach wipes out the nasty aunts with so much glee, you can’t help but root for our little hero. The film opens with a pastel, soft-focus live action sequence in which young James (Paul Terry) lives an idyllic life by the seaside with his parents. Then all of a sudden, both parents are gobbled up by a giant rhinoceros.
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Blu-ray Review: The Losers
Warner Bros. | 2010 | 97 mins. | Rated PG-13
A classic action movie, The Losers is based on a comic book series of the same name. Smartly, the film pays homage to its drawn beginnings and then quickly morphs into a sleek and efficient thrill ride. There’s no doubt that non-stop actioners like this can often be far too overwrought and manic, when helmed by director’s looking to create a testosterone high. Thankfully, it seems as though director Sylvain White (Stomp the Yard, I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer), attempted to create a cohesive story with a discernable plot. The Losers is straightforward; no gargoyles.
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