Blu-ray Review: Paul Blart – Mall Cop
I’ve been ripping on movies with the “Happy Madison Production” label a lot lately but with Paul Blart: Mall Cop, I actually found one I enjoyed. Think of Paul Blart: Mall Cop this way, it’s what Die Hard would have been had John Candy starred in it. More succinctly, it’s a blend of comedic styles […]
Blu-ray Review: The Last Kiss
A remake of the popular 2001 Italian film L’ultimo bacio, The Last Kiss is yet another tale of generational angst. Written by Paul Haggis (Crash) and directed by Tony Goldwyn (A Walk on the Moon), A group of thirty-year-olds are forced to deal with the issues that arise around friendships, relationships and commitments. At the […]
Blu-ray Review: Last Chance Harvey
This modest story has been told a million times–loveless singles who find each other. However, that age old tale still works as a film when it’s done with the right details and fine actors. Such is the case with Last Chance Harvey; written and directed by Joel Hopkins (Jump Tomorrow) has all the nuances that […]
DVD Review: Skins – Volume 2
The second series of Skins, a BAFTA-winning teen drama created by father and son television writers Bryan Elsley and Jamie Brittain, is notably darker and more dramatic in tone than its predecessor. The series is an unflinching attempt to capture the lives of a group of young people on the verge of adulthood. Tony (Nicholas […]
DVD Review: To Catch a Thief – The Paramount Centennial Collection
Few would argue director Alfred Hitchcock’s status as a master of suspense. However, his 1955 effort, To Catch a Thief, can hardly be considered among the best in his suspense cannon. If a person’s first exposure to Hitchcock is To Catch a Thief, they may wonder how he got his “master of suspense” moniker. While […]
Blu-ray Review: The Robe – Special Edition
I first saw The Robe when I was about eight years old, at a showing by a local film society. I remember the man who introduced the film telling us that the movie we were about to see was the first film released in CinemaScope. That meant nothing to me then but I would later […]
DVD Review: Johnny Got His Gun
With credits including Kitty Foyle (1940), Bill of Divorcement (1940), Roman Holiday (1953), (using the name of Ian McLellan Hunter as a front) and Spartacus (1960), Dalton Trumbo is considered by many one of the best screenwriters to ever work in Hollywood. Dalton Trumbo is also widely remembered as being part of the “Hollywood Ten,” […]
Blu-ray Review: The French Connection II
History has shown that film sequels can be a risky proposition; for every Godfather II, there’s a Grease 2. While The French Connection II certainly isn’t the failure that was Grease 2, it has been well documented that neither Gene Hackman nor the any of the filmmakers were very pleased with the film. Released in […]
Jean Harlow (March 3, 1911 – June 7, 1937)
Born Harlean Carpenter,the dentist’s daughter eloped at age 16 with a young businessman and wound up in Los Angeles where she found work as an extra and bit player (examples: Moran of the Marines (1928) Liberty (1929) and somewhat more prominently in Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy shorts Double Whoopee (1929), Bacon Grabbers (1929). Her […]
Blu-ray Review: Wonder Woman
In this direct-to-video animated release of Wonder Woman, the plot is based on George Perez’ reboot of the character. Specifically, the “Gods and Mortals” arc that started the character’s second volume back in 1987. The film presumes that Wonder Woman exists in a world of her own and there are no references to the greater […]