Blu-ray Movie Reviews

2012

David Vaughn | Mar 05, 2010 | 0 comments

Roland Emmerich blew up the White House in Independence Day, stomped around New York City in Godzilla, and created a modern-day ice age in The Day After Tomorrow, so it's fitting he would co-write/direct an epic adventure about a global cataclysm. 2012 is essentially a planetary snuff film as the Earth is bombarded by a new type of solar radiation that cooks the planet's core—think of the Earth being stuffed into a microwave.

Surprisingly, the script is quite entertaining and even touching, but Emmerich couldn't resist the urge to create a CGI-infested action flick that causes more laughter than tension. Regardless, it looks and sounds fantastic with an amazingly detailed 1080p/AVC encode and bombastic DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack.

Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Where the Wild Things Are (Blu-ray)

David Vaughn | Mar 03, 2010 | 0 comments

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/wildbd.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Max (Max Records) is a rambunctious and sensitive boy who feels misunderstood at home and escapes to where the Wild Things are. He lands on an island and meets a group of strange creatures whose emotions are as wild and unpredictable as their actions. When Max is crowned king of their land he promises to create a place where everyone will be happy but this proves to be more complicated than he originally thought.

Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Old Dogs (Blu-ray)

David Vaughn | Mar 02, 2010 | 0 comments

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/olddogs.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Dan (Robin Williams) and his best friend and business partner Charlie (John Travolta) are on the verge of a big sports marketing deal when their lives are turned upside down by a surprise visit from a former one night stand of Dan's. Their brief liaison seven years earlier produced twins and his ex-fling (Kelly Preston) needs him to watch the kids for a couple of weeks while she spends some time in the pokey.

Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Ponyo (Blu-ray)

David Vaughn | Mar 02, 2010 | 0 comments

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/ponyo.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Walking on the beach near his home, a five-year old boy named Sosuke (voiced by Frankie Jonas) finds a beautiful goldfish trapped in a bottle. He releases the tiny creature and names his new friend Ponyo (Noah Lindsey Cyrus). As the two grow closer, she reveals to him that she's the daughter of a powerful wizard (Liam Neeson) and a sea goddess (Cate Blanchett). When she magically transforms herself into a real human girl it creates a dangerous imbalance in nature which threatens to destroy Sosuke's home.

Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Mystic River (Blu-ray)

David Vaughn | Mar 01, 2010 | 0 comments

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/mystic.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Jimmy (Sean Penn), Sean (Kevin Bacon), and Dave (Tim Robbins) were your typical neighborhood kids growing up in Boston until Dave was plucked from the streets and sexually abused for three days. Since that tragic day their lives have gone in different directions. Jimmy's an ex-con trying to straighten out his life, Sean is a police detective, and Dave is married with a son but is tormented by his past. When tragedy strikes the neighborhood the demons of the past rear their ugly head.

Blu-ray Movie Reviews

The Informant! (Blu-ray)

David Vaughn | Mar 01, 2010 | 0 comments

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/inform.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>In 1992, Archer Daniels Midland (AMD) divisional president Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon) became the highest ranking whistleblower in US history when he accused his company of price-fixing schemes with its worldwide competitors. Instead of leaving the company, Whitacre stays on the inside and helps the FBI gather evidence by wearing a wire and videotaping secret meetings in order to build the government's case against the greedy executives. Unfortunately for Mark, he wasn't as smart as he thought.

Blu-ray Movie Reviews

A Serious Man

David Vaughn | Feb 26, 2010 | 0 comments

It's 1967, and poor Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg) isn't having a good year. His wife is leaving him, his unemployed brother (Richard Kind) is sleeping on his couch, his kids are deviants, and he's being blackmailed by a student at the Midwestern university where he serves as a physics professor. Diving into his faith, Larry seeks the advice of three rabbis. But do they have the answers he seeks?

I'm generally a fan of the Coen brothers' films, but this bizarre tale confused the hell out of me with all the Jewish references. Despite my bewilderment, I couldn't stop thinking about the plot for days afterward, and when revisiting some scenes for this Ultimate Demo, I found myself laughing out loud, and I will certainly revisit it in the future to not only laugh but to enjoy the demo-worthy video presentation.

Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Ong-Bak 2: The Beginning—Magnolia (Blu-ray)