Neeson vs. man eating wolves. Need we say more?
Whether he’s starting an Irish Revolution, fighting kidnappers, mentoring Batman, or starring in a George Lucas debacle, we love us some Liam Neeson. In The Grey, Neeson plays John Ottway, a remote oil company worker (with a very particular set of skills, of course) whose plane goes down in an Alaskan blizzard. Ottway leads the [...]
Goes for the nuts first
Think of Mallory Kane (played by MMA Fighter, Gina Carano) as Jason Bourne with a functioning memory and some sweet heels. Carano comes alive in this action-thriller by acclaimed director Steven Soderbergh. As hired heavy for a private black bag ops firm working for the United States Government, Kane is betrayed by the very people [...]
An animated classic resurfaces
After being out of print for what seems like an eternity, The Beatles’ 1968 animated hit, Yellow Submarine has finally been digitally restored for DVD and Blu-ray. Getting the Blue Meanies all primped up and ready for their 1080p debut apparently was no easy feat. In fact, each frame of the film was restored by [...]
Look who's back on top
Our insincere condolences to Hunger Games fans everywhere. This week we’re celebrating the release of the 70th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray of Casablanca ($45). Thanks to the Michael Bays and James Camerons of today, movies have certainly come a long way since 1942 in terms of production value. Yet this timeless classic continues to shape generations [...]
Suspicion goes HD
While most assumed Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was bound for success the moment it went into production, thanks to a combination of elite UK actors and one of the best spy-thrillers ever put to paper as a basis for a script, we were still skeptical. Call us George Smiley’s, but director Tomas Alfredson, after all, [...]
Third Eye Refined
Some say the “Golden Era” of 3D cinema was in the 50s after Edwin H. Land developed a linear polarizing projection system and a set of companion glasses to view the format. The system used two projectors, placed behind different polarizing filters, to superimpose two images shot from slightly different perspectives onto the same screen. [...]
Grips with both hands on the wheel
Drive confidently swerves around pigeonholes. Pink scripted credits, seemingly plucked from an 80s billboard, burn over opening shots of the LA skyline, right before plunging into a tense getaway that would make Michael Mann grin from ear to ear. The protagonist — whose proper name is never revealed throughout the entire flick — barely speaks [...]
Making the most of a bad situation
Cancer is poor topic for a comedy, but then again, humor has always served as tent pole for those suffocating under grief. 50/50 also isn’t your generic, “let’s get edgy” script, because its writer Will Reiser was actually diagnosed with spine cancer, and his real life friend, Seth Rogan, actually stood by him through the [...]
The whole Bondchilada
MGM has announced the mother of all boxed sets in celebration of 50 years of James Bond wooing women, breaking gadgets, and thwarting global disaster on the silver screen. Never before have all 22 films been available in high definition Blu-ray and compiled into one epic collectors item that’s truly a must have for any [...]
Unique films, everyday low prices
Here’s a nice concept for the cinephile. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a service, like Netflix or Hulu, that pooled and sent you (or that you could choose from) great independent films to discover and watch — all for just a few bucks? Well, there is. It’s called Prescreen, a start-up video-on-demand platform [...]
The wrong kind of touchy-feely
Contagion is a germophobe’s worst nightmare. Director Steven Soderbergh and his usual team tackle a well-worn niche, ploughed by titles like Outbreak, to create a pandemic horror story that will leave most viewers running to stockpile Purell and hesitant to enter airports. Much of its success comes from a grounded depiction of how the world’s [...]
Back in time with no DeLorean in sight
Midnight in Paris features plenty of Woody Allen trademarks, while avoiding many of the quirks that have irritated us about his work in the past. “Pair-eee” has rarely looked so good in a film and leaves viewers pining to hop a plane to de Gaulle as soon as the credits roll. The cast boasts a [...]
A foreign masterpiece in 1080p
When it comes to Brazilian cinema, it doesn’t get any bigger than City of God. After its release in 2002, the outstanding film based on true events quickly stormed the international film community, grabbing four academy award nominations in the process thanks to its raw depiction of life in the slums of the notorious Rio [...]
Date-approved, yet still enjoyable
Despite what the posters say, Our Idiot Brother is less of a roll-on-the-floor-comedy, and more of a feel-good-indie. That doesn’t mean you won’t laugh out loud while watching though (the parole officer conversations and an attempted threesome are particularly rich moments). Loaded with generation X stars including Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, Rashida Jones [...]
Small town sci-fi with plenty of laughs
While Steven Spielberg has been busy wearing in his boots as the bankroller of nearly every mega-budget Sci-Fi production over the last few years, we’ve personally missed him behind the camera. Thankfully, J.J. Abrams has been methodically honing his Spielberg impersonation skills with each passing film he’s directed. Super 8 was certainly his best outing [...]
