4K UHD Review: Evil Under the Sun
Peter Ustinov first appeared as famed detective Hercule Poirot in Death on the Nile (1978) and returned as the titular character, once again leading an all-star cast in 1982’s Evil Under the Sun that includes Colin Blakely, Jane Birkin, Maggie Smith, Roddy McDowall, Sylvia Miles, James Mason, and Diana Rigg. While looking into an insurance […]
Blu-ray Review Downton Abbey – The Motion Picture
A critical and ratings success during its six-season run, period drama Downtown Abbey captivated viewers, boosted public television ratings and garnered critical acclaim. After four years away, fans can catch up with the Crawley family and their servants in Downtown Abby: The Motion Picture. As the film opens, the Earl of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) receives […]
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (Blu-ray)
Edinburgh, 1932. Jean Brodie (Maggie Smith) is a dedicated teacher at the very conservative Marcia Blaine School for Girls. “I am in the business of putting old heads on young shoulders,” she says to her class, “and all my girls are the crème de la crème.” Her unusual teaching methods regularly with school officials. Miss […]
Downton Abbey: Season 4 (Original U.K. Edition) (Blu-ray)
After the shocking events of the third season finale—in which heir Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens) was killed off in a bloody car accident—one wouldn’t blame viewers for hoping for a sunnier fourth season. However, in the wake of major changes both upstairs and downstairs, and a time when large estates like Downton were struggling to […]
Blu-ray Review: Quartet
Though sweet and predictable, the talented cast’s affable charm makes Quartet impossible to pass up. More than forty-five years after becoming a star on the heels of his role as Benjamin Braddock in The Graduate, Dustin Hoffman finally makes his directorial debut with Quartet. He really does a commendable job, wisely giving his talented, veteran […]
Blu-ray Review: Masterpiece Classic – Downton Abbey, Season 3 (Original U.K. Version)
Now one of the most widely watched television series in the world, Downton Abbey has become a phenomenon. A kind of Upstairs/Downstairs for the 21st century, writer/creator Julian Fellows paints a vivid picture of the aristocratic Crawley family in early 20th century England, their beloved estate and the people who work for them. The Crawley’s […]
DVD Review: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel does what movies are supposed to do: Show us something different; show us something new. The different is in Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy and Tom Wilkinson appearing together, along with Ronald Pickup, Celia Imrie, Penelope Wilton, Dev Patel, and other fine Indian actors who add to the movie […]
Blu-ray Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Ultimate Collector’s Edition)
The first Harry Potter effort for director Peter Yates, Order of the Phoenix is probably my least favorite of the films. While the ending creates some excitement, getting there is ponderous to say the least, even after cutting the standard 200 pages from J.K. Rowling’s original text.
Blu-ray Review: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (Ultimate Edition)
I’ve come to think of this sixth film in the Harry Potter franchise as the one where the young wizard truly begins to grow up. When we last saw Harry in The Order of the Phoenix, he was engaged in war, suffering a great personal loss that would forever rob him of innocence and compassion […]
Blu-ray Review: Gnomeo & Juliet
The story of Romeo & Juliet has been told a lot, but never quite like this. Imagine Shakespeare’s classic told by a group of garden gnomes, scored to the music of Elton John. How about a voice cast that includes Hulk Hogan, Dolly Parton, Ozzy Osbourne, and Maggie Smith? Strange though it may be, Gnomeo […]