Blu-Ray’s
The type of sword-and-sandals epic that Hollywood has always appreciated, The 300 Spartans is a fairly factual account of the Battle of Thermopylae. The 300 Spartans, the film that inspired Frank Miller’s graphic novel 300, and the subsequent film of…
[Note: Portions of this review appeared in an earlier DVD review of the film.] Less than a year after delivering Cecil B. DeMille’s Samson and Delilah on DVD with an impressive DVD transfer, Paramount has stepped up their game…
Based on Thomas Hardy’s novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Roman Polanski’s Tess is dedicated to Sharon Tate, who had suggested the novel as a vehicle for herself. Perhaps it’s fitting then, that while the film is visually stunning; it lacks…
Filmed in black-and-white, Fernando Trueba’s The Artist and the Model was co-written with Jean-Claude Carrière whose many writing credits include Luis Bunuel’s Belle du Jour (1967), The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972), Milos Forman’s Taking Off (1971) and Philip…
William Shakespeare’s play of youthful, melodramatic love, Romeo & Juliet has been made into a film several times. Most of the adaptations of the past seem to feel an obligation to engage with the (preferably youthful) populace. It comes as…
Redefining the use of cinematography, visual, and sound effects, Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity is a truly unique cinematic experience. Opening the film with a 17-minute “unbroken” shot, it’s quickly apparent that the camera is as important to the story as any…
The Jungle Book, based on Rudyard Kipling’s book, is the 19th animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, and the final film produced by Walt Disney, who died during its production. With a group of memorable characters, catchy…
The director of The Descendants, Sideways, and About Schmidt, Alexander Payne returns with Nebraska, an intimate look at the relationship between fathers and sons. Shot in black and white and carefully scripted by Bob Nelson, Nebraska marks yet another delightfully…
Released in 2004, Clint Eastwood’s Million Dollar Baby took home Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Director. To celebrate the film’s tenth anniversary, Warner Home Video has reissued the Blu-ray, having previously having previously released…
There is no overt biblical reference in J.C. Chandor’s (Margin Call) All Is Lost, but it’s hard not to think of Robert Redford’s character as the biblical Job, the man who endures one misery after another, with no justification for…