Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Belle (voiced by Paige O'Hara) is a bright and beautiful young woman who finds escape from her ordinary life by reading books. When her father is taken prisoner by a cursed young prince (Robby Benson), Belle comes to the rescue and agrees to take her father's place. With the help of the castle's enchanted staff, she sees beneath the Beast's exterior and discovers the heart and soul of a human prince.

Beauty and the Beast was the first animated film to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture (plus five other nominations) and won two Oscars for Best Original Song and Best Original Score. The talent behind the voices includes Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Potts, Jerry Orbach as Lumiere, the candelabra, and David Ogden Stiers as Cogsworth, the mantel clock. The story is engaging and filled with adventure, but it's the score by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman that makes this film a classic.

Aspiring record company exec Aaron Green (Jonah Hill) has the brilliant idea of rejuvenating the career of fading British rock star Aldous Snow (Russell Brand) with a comeback concert at the world-renowned Greek Theater in Los Angeles. Dispatched by his boss (Sean Combs) to transport the notoriously dissolute Snow from London to L.A., Aaron has just 72 hours to get the out-of-control rocker across the Atlantic.

Here we go again, another popular Judd Apatow production that I didn't find the least bit funny. Brand's character is annoying as hell and I was checking my watch after the first fifteen minutes—never a good sign. I did find Combs' role amusing, but maybe I'm getting too old to appreciate this brand of comedy.

Following the death of King Richard in France, Robin Longstride (Russell Crowe) and his gang are heading home to England when they encounter the dying Robert of Locksley who was tasked with bringing the King's crown back to London. Robin promises the dying man to return his sword to his father in Nottingham. When he arrives in Nottingham, his life takes a precarious turn as he assumes the identity of Robert of Locksley and helps the new King defend the country against a French invasion.

Reimaging a classic hero is a daunting task and unfortunately the screenplay from Brian Helgeland doesn't impress. With Crowe and director Ridley Scott reuniting I expected to be blown away by the production but I felt like I was watching Gladiator 2 instead of a prequel of Robin Hood. Furthermore, the first act is confusing as hell and I felt no emotional connection with any of the main characters.

What happens if you take 24 volunteers and have them role play as prisoners and guards in order to simulate the conditions of a prison? They're cutoff from any contact with the outside world and must adhere to a specific set of rules in order to receive a payment of $14,000 for their time.

From the opening credits there's an ominous undercurrent that the experiment isn't going to end well. The film is well acted and directed, especially by former Oscar winners Adrien Brody and Forest Whitaker, and it's certainly thought provoking although isn't for the faint at heart due to the brutally violent conditions that erupt during the experiment.

Feeling the weight of middle age upon his shoulders, Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) rebels against his cheating wife (Annette Bening) and ungrateful daughter (Thora Birch). Seeking to relive the life of a twenty something, he leaves his high profile job to work at a local fast food joint and along the way develops a dangerous infatuation with one of his daughter's friends (Mena Suvari) that can only lead to trouble.

Time has a strange effect on ones perceptions and tastes in movies and that's certainly the case here. I remember in 1999 how powerful I found this film due to the great performances and wonderful direction from first time director Sam Mendes. As a 41 year old father of a teenage girl, I find the subject matter too disturbing and the behavior of Spacey's character criminal and sickening.

Based on the novel by Phillip K. Dick, A Scanner Darkly is set seven years in the future when much of society is hooked on the drug Substance D. Bob Arctor (Keanu Reeves) is an undercover narcotics agent leading a double life as both an enforcer and breaker of the law. In his private time he associates with a group of junkies who have no idea that he's a narc.

While I love the style of animation and story, most of the voice acting is atrocious. Both Reeves and Winona Ryder are flat and wooden, but Robert Downy Jr. steals every scene with his superior acting talent. The film features prolific drug use, so if you're turned off by this sort of thing, don't tune in.