Blu-ray Review: Jack Reacher
Based on the Lee Child novel One Shot, Jack Reacher hits the ground running. A man drives to a parking deck overlooking the Allegheny River in downtown Pittsburgh, loads a sniper rifle with handmade bullets, and kills five people walking along the riverbank. The cops arrest James Barr (Joseph Sikora), a solider with a violent […]
3D Blu-ray Review: Top Gun
Converted to 3D, this latest Blu-ray release of Top Gun isn’t just a cash grab, but a surprisingly solid presentation that uses the new technology to enhance some of the film’s most memorable aerial scenes. Fans should be excited to see this new 3D conversion from Paramount, which it’s worth noting, actually possesses a better […]
Blu-ray Review: Rock of Ages
Rock of Ages was a surprise hit on Broadway; a show with a real sing-along quality that wasn’t afraid to make fun of itself while paying homage to 80’s hair metal. Unfortunately, the recent film version seems to lack some of the fun of the stage musical, opting for a more serious tone that drags […]
Blu-ray Review: The Color of Money
1986’s The Color of Money isn’t a sequel, exactly, but continues the story of “Fast Eddie” Felson (Paul Newman), began in the Robert Rossen 1961 classic, The Hustler. With acclaimed director Martin Scorsese at the helm, Eddie Felson is such a different type of character, it’s perhaps best to decouple the two films in order […]
Blu-ray Review: Cocktail
Despite a near universal critical drubbing—Pauline Kael referred to it as “a tale of cock”—Cocktail was a commercial success for star Tom Cruise and director Roger Donaldson, raking in $171,504,781 at the box office. Even now, nearly twenty-five years after its initial theatrical release, Cocktail remains a guilty pleasure for many fans (this writer among […]
Top Gun Lands on Blu-ray August 30th
HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. – Celebrating 25 years of the need for speed, the action-packed, sexy and breathtaking thrill-ride TOP GUN soars onto Blu-ray with a Digital Copy on August 30, 2011 from Paramount Home Entertainment. The story of an elite group of pilots competing to be the best in their class and earn the title of […]
Blu-ray Review: The Firm
For much of the 1990’s, John Grisham’s novels dominated bestsellers lists. A Time to Kill, The Pelican Brief, The Client, and The Firm are considered among his best. While all four were adapted into successful films, The Firm is by far, the best of the lot. Director Sydney Pollack’s vision is just as engaging, suspenseful, […]
Blu-ray Review: Rain Man
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | 1988 | 133 mins. | R Released in December of 1988, Rain Man was a surprise hit with audiences and critics alike. Nominated for eight Oscars, Rain Man collected four including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director for Barry Levinson, and Best Actor in a leading role for Dustin Hoffman. Most importantly […]
Blu-ray Review: Knight and Day
20th Century Fox | 2010 | 109 mins. | PG-13 On the face of it, Knight and Day should have been box office gold. Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz starring in a comic caper/thriller sprinkled with romance. Unfortunately, director James Mangold manages to squander much of his star’s talents with erratic writing and a particularly […]
Blu-ray Review: Magnolia
New Line Cinema | 1999 | 188 mins. | Rated R It’s often been said that every filmmaker dreams of creating an opus; that one film that encompasses something important they want to say, and impresses audiences at the same time. Rarely does this happen at twenty-nine. It was clear almost from the start of […]