Highly respected for a trifecta of films from the late 1940’s–Odd Man Out (1947), The Fallen Idol (1948), and The Third Man (1949)–few truly questioned Carol Reed’s talent. However, by 1962, following a decade of up and downs, and perhaps …
Blu-ray Review: Can’t Stop the Music
After the massive success of Grease, I guess producer Allan Carr thought he could turn absolutely anything into box office gold. I mean, why else would he think Can’t Stop the Music was a good idea? That’s not exactly true. …
Blu-ray Review: A Patch of Blue
These days, A Patch of Blue is dismissed by some as being corny and predictable. Perhaps, but I, a longtime fan of star Sidney Poitier (Lilies of the Field) have always enjoyed the film. Released in 1965, it’s a story …
Blu-ray Review: The Prisoner of Second Avenue
Directed by Melvin Frank (A Touch of Class), The Prisoner of Second Avenue is based on the hit Neil Simon play. Amid a New York City heat wave, long-time married couple Mel and Edna Edison (Jack Lemmon, Grumpy Old Men, …
Blu-ray Review: Nixon (3-Disc Special Edition)
Kino Lorber Studio Classics recently released a three-disc Special Edition of Oliver Stone’s 1995 film, Nixon. It contains both the original 191-minute Theatrical Cut (premiering for the first time in HD on a Blu-ray disc) and the extended 212-minute Director’s …
Blu-ray Review: Boom!
By 1968, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were one of the most famous couples in the world, their glamorous lifestyle documented in newspapers and magazines. However, both were dealing with dimming film careers due to recent box office disappointment. Naturally, …
Blu-ray Review: Earthquake (Collector’s Edition)
Throughout much of the 1970’s, disaster movies ruled the box office. The zenith came in 1974, when three genre films–The Towering Inferno, Airport 1975 (the first sequel to the movie that started the trend) and Earthquake were big hits. The …
Blu-ray Review: Blue Velvet (Criterion Collection)
Three years after the disappointment of Dune, David Lynch returned to form with Blue Velvet. The film begins, appropriately enough, with the opening credits superimposed over a beautiful piece of blue velvet swaying in the breeze. The tone of Angelo …
4K UHD Review: Cold Pursuit
A typical revenge film with a bit of a twist, Cold Pursuit has Liam Neeson as snow-plow driver Nels Coxman tracking down the thugs and drug dealers responsible for his innocent son. He kills them one-by-one, feeling no guilt for …
Blu-ray Review: Princess Mononoke (Collector’s Edition)
The first of Hayao Miyazaki’s films to make a real impact in North America, Princess Mononoke was originally released in Japan back in 1997, and two years later stateside. The story concerns A young warrior named Ashitaka is inflicted by …