Blu-ray Review: Goldfinger
More than forty-five years after the first James Bond film hit movie theaters, it’s hard to remember when the character felt fresh and different, the plots bold and exciting. Though the first and second Bond films, Dr No (1962) and From Russia With Love (1963), were unquestionably successful, it was 1964’s Goldfinger that became the […]
Blu-ray Review: Arctic Tale
After the surprising box-office success of several wildlife documentaries like Winged Migration (2001) and March of the Penguins (2005), it’s no surprise that movie studios began to take a real interest in the genre. In 2007, The National Geographic Society released Arctic Tale, a documentary that was largely brushed aside by critics and moviegoers alike. […]
Blu-ray Review: Mean Girls
Given Lindsay Lohan’s current status as constant tabloid staple and occasional visitor to police blotters, it’s hard to believe it was only a few short years ago; she was being projected as Hollywood’s “next big thing.” She had made an impression on critics in 1998 at the age of twelve, when she stared in the […]
Blu-ray Review: Bedtime Stories – 3-Disc Special Edition (w/ bonus DVD & Digital Copy)
Adam Sandler can be a really funny guy; Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, and The Waterboy were truly hilarious pieces of dolt comedy. As he showed during his days on Saturday Night Live, Sandler had a real knack for a kind of childish humor that had the ability to appeal to all ages. Unfortunately for him, […]
Blu-ray Review: The Princess Bride
After watching 1987’s The Princess Bride again after several years, it’s hard to believe William Goldman’s (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President’s Men) brilliant script took so many years to make it to movie screens. Originally written in 1972 to entertain his children, the script went through development hell before director Rob […]
Blu-ray Review: Slumdog Millionaire
British director Danny Boyle’s (Trainspotting, The Beach, 28 Days Later) Slumdog Millionaire was the surprise hit of the year. Written by Simon Beaufoy (The Full Monty, Closer), and co-directed in India by Loveleen Tandan, the film is an adaptation of the novel Q & A by Indian author and diplomat Vikas Swarup. Slumdog was nominated […]
Blu-ray Review: The Matrix (10th Anniversary Blu-ray Book, w/ Bonus Digital Copy)
Released in 1999, The Matrix is credited by many with helping to push the fledgling DVD market into the big time. I actually bought the first DVD release of The Matrix the first day it was in stores. I remember being absolutely mesmerized at how good the action scenes looked on the big screen; she […]
Blu-ray Review: South Pacific – 50th Anniversary Edition
If you’re a fan of musicals, South Pacific is definitely one of the best. South Pacific is a 1958 film adaptation of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific, which was based on James A. Michener’s Tales of the South Pacific. Director Joshua Logan (Picnic, Bus Stop, Sayonara), shot much of the film on the […]
Blu-ray Review: The Reader
After five Academy Award nominations, Kate Winslet finally took home the coveted statue on her sixth try, for her portrayal of Hanna Schmitz in The Reader. Based on the 1995 German novel of the same name by Bernhard Schlink, the film adaptation was written by David Hare (The Hours) and directed by Hare’s frequent collaborator, […]
DVD Review: Yes Man
I’ve never been the biggest fan of Jim Carrey. Since he became a star with the release of 1994’s Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, it’s impossible to deny his comedic skills but his manic style hasn’t always appealed to me; in the last few years, Carrey has tried to broaden his horizons with more dramatic roles […]