Gear Patrol

On-screen chemistry isn’t something to be overlooked (just ask Padme and Anakin). Luckily, Jake Gyllenhal and Michael Peña don’t suffer the same wooden fate. As LAPD Officers Taylor and Zavala, the two actors shine in a dark world, providing just the right amount of wit, raw humor and law enforcement street cred to make End…

Director Wes Anderson’s most recent (and perhaps most Wes Andersony) film to date, Moonrise Kingdom ($20), is now available on crystal-clear Blu-ray — obviously the best way to watch a movie that looks like it was shot on film equipment from the ‘60s. Featuring customary Anderson regulars Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman, the film also…

Bellflower is the debut film by Evan Glodell, who in many ways exhibits hints of both a young James Cameron and Quentin Tarantino. Like “the king of the world”, Glodell has a love for the mechanical — he built his own specialized camera to film Bellflower, as well as many of the movie’s ridiculous anarchist…

We’ll be honest. The Expendables isn’t a good movie per se — and it certainly won’t be up for any golden statue nominations. If you approach the film as the ridiculous farce of a blockbuster action film that it is however, watch it and you’re bound to have a good time. We won’t divulge any…

The Fox 75th Anniversary Collection ($358) is one of the easiest ways we can think of to buy a movie collection overnight. This mega box set contains 75 films produced by the studio and is divided into three volumes, each covering 25 years of production. Obviously there’s plenty worth watching — 46 have won at…

The Inception Blu-ray/DVD Briefcase Gift Set ($49) is an exclusive package only offered through Warner Brother’s WB shop and it’s the ultimate gift for Nolan fans still wondering if the top ever fell. Besides including both a Blu-ray and DVD copy of the movie, buyers also get seven Art Cards, “The Cobol Job Comic,” and…

In Bruges ($19) is a dark comedy that’s steadily picked up a cult following since its 2008 release. The story follows the actions of two Irish gangster/hit men who’ve been ordered to lay low – you guessed it – in Bruges (broozh), after a hit gets a little too messy. Don’t know how to pronounce…

Over fifty years old now, North by Northwest, is an Alfred Hitchcock classic. Starring Cary Grant as “Mad Man” (Madison Avenue advertising exec.) Roger Thornhill, Roger is mistaken for another man and kidnapped. Throughout the movie he’s relentlessly pursued through more plot twists than The Departed x5. Trying to explain it would be impossible. Suffice…

Based around a drug smuggling connection between Marseilles and New York City, The French Connection, follows “Popeye” Doyle (Gene Hackman) of the NYPD in his dogged pursuit of the drug smugglers. A bit of a rogue cop, Doyle gets onto the hunt for the smugglers after “interrogating” a suspect who’d slashed his partner with a…

Last December, Robert Downey Jr. proved to the world that he didn’t need the help of special robotic armor to hold his own in a big budget blockbuster. Then again, it shouldn’t have surprised anyone that Jr. fit right in as Holmes, who was characterized by Arthur Conan Doyle as a brilliant, substance abusing man,…

When a convicted robber escapes from prison and kills a cop, rogue detective Jack Cates decides to parole the robber’s old cell partner in crime, Reggie Hammond, for two days (48 hours) to help him solve the case. Starring Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy when they were both solid actors who weren’t bat-shit crazy, 48…

Before Stifler’s Mom there was Mrs. Robinson, the original MILF. Centered around recent college grad Ben Braddock, played by a young(er) Dustin Hoffman, The Graduate follows Ben as he returns home and after college and attempts to figure out what’s next. Quickly he finds himself the boy toy of Mrs. Robinson, the wife of his…

Shocking as it may seem, there was a time when Matthew Broderick was not married to John Kerry masquerading as a woman. During that time he made some solid movies and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is most certainly one of the best. The iconic Ferris Bueller is a senior in high school outside of Chicago…

Martin Scorcesse makes our list once again with Goodfellas. Based on the non-fiction book Wise Guys, it follows the life the Henry Hill, an Irish-American who dreams of being a gangster growing up in Brooklyn. Eventually he earns his way into the mafia, and works his way up through the ranks. Heavily involved in the…

A bit of a departure from Stanley Kubrick’s other movies, Dr. Strangelove is a black comedy about a Strategic Air Command General going off the deep end and attacking Russia in the middle of the Cold War. Though it stars George C. Scott, this essential movie is really a showcase for the comedic genius of…

Considering Shutter Island opened this past weekend, it’s only fitting that we add another Scorsese masterpiece to our 30 Essential Movies roster. Fast approaching its 30th birthday, Raging Bull follows the life of prize fighter Jake LaMotta, played by Robert Deniro. An absolute beast in the ring, Jake literally dismantles his opponents. That viscous instinct…

Obvious as it seems, Patton is a biographical movie about the life of General George S. Patton. With George C. Scott assuming the lead role, it follows General Patton’s exploits throughout World War II, including campaigns in North Africa, Sicily, and mainland Europe. Patton captures the genius and flawed humanity of a man who has…

Bullitt… McQueen. Bisset. Car chase. Mustang. Charger RT. Car chase. Witness Protection. Mafia. Car chase. Turtlenecks (that are cool). Dirty cops. Did we mention the car chase? Buy Now: $9 (Blu-Ray | $22 (Special Edition DVD) 30 Essential Movies is a Gear Patrol series focused on highlighting the 30 core films every guy should own…

Dirty Harry follows Inspector Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood) as he pursues Scorpio, a psychopathic sniper. Never one to go by the book Harry hunts Scorpio relentlessly as he leaves a trail of innocent bodies in his wake. Continuously waylaid by politically correct superiors, Harry toes the ethical line between cop and criminal as Scorpio leads…

Seriously, if you don’t know The Shawshank Redemption or watch it every time you catch it on TNT, you might not have a soul. It’s a classic that follows two men coping with prison life in the 1940s. Andy Dufrain has been convicted of murdering his wife and lover, but maintains his innocence. Red, “the…

The second movie in the rebooted Batman series, The Dark Knight is a master piece. It captures the darkness and ethical questions that plague the Caped Crusader and Gotham City, alike. The plot line is well done and keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time, supported by a stellar cast featuring…

Though technically a trilogy, splitting them up into separate parts is just wrong. The fact is, your DVD collection needs The Godfather in its entirety. Arguably the best trifecta of films ever made, The Godfather is based on the 1969 book by Mario Puzo. It follows the Corleone mob family, originally from Sicily, starting in…

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels was Guy Ritchie’s first big hit. Four friends get in debt for a half-million pounds to local porn king “Hatchet” Harry after a high stakes card game goes horribly wrong. Given a week to pay, the friends come up with a plan to get the money by robbing their…

Not too long ago, we told you to watch The Hurt Locker and now we’ll say it again. Even better, this time it’s worth buying. Without crossing any political boundaries (for or against), director Kathryn Bigelow weaves a tension filled suspenseful cinematic “war movie” with The Hurt Locker, but not in a way you’d expect….

It’s been a good year for cartoons-from-the-80s-turned-movies. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is the latest in the nostalgic lineup to make the move from cell-shading, to live action on the silver screen, to your home theater. The DVD and Blu-ray release next Tuesday, November 3rd. As usual, we relish the opportunity to not only…

After what seems like ages, it finally appears that Sony and Netflix have reached an agreement to bring the movie company’s glorious streaming service to over 9 million U.S. PS3 units in November. This is a major boon to current PS3 owners, as it finally provides a key service that the competing Xbox 360 has…

Explosions, alien robots, a hot chick, more explosions: those are plenty of reasons to add a flick to your personal DVD or Blu-ray collection. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen has them all and makes for a great Friday night adrenaline-fest, as well as for booting up anytime you need to bask in the glory of…

Thanks to all who entered our latest GP Giveaway via the comments and on Twitter. We’ve selected a winner, and the lucky gent is none other than Aaron K. Keep your eyes peeled for our next offer of free stuff. We like to give out the swag just as much as you like to receive…

If there are two things that the editors Gear Patrol never tire of, they are (1) watching the outstanding edutainment programming offered by HISTORY and (2) giving stuff away. That said, we’re combining those two great passions into one stupendous giveaway. One lucky reader is going to walk away from this posting with an eyeful…

Chances are if you missed this in theaters, you probably mistook it as a kids movie, or worse. Perhaps as a dumb comedy along the lines of “Soul Plane”. Though the title may ring bells of “Disneyland”, Adventureland is really a film for the nostalgic adults of our generation. Hilarious at sometimes and thought provoking…