Blu-ray Movie Reviews

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Phantasm: Ravager
Brandon A. DuHamel  |  Apr 07, 2017  | 
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Thirty-seven years after the horror franchise Phantasm debuted, director Don Coscarelli passes the directorial reins to David Hartman for what is being billed as the final installment in the popular mind-twisting series. Although there isn’t much left here for fans of the original to really cling to, there is a sense of the series getting back to its roots. Actor Reggie Bannister returns as Reggie, and other series regulars A. Michael Baldwin, Bill Thornbury, and Kathy Lester also return for a tale that brings the story right into the core of the Tall Man’s (Angus Scrimm reprising his role) home world.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Phoenix
Fred Kaplan  |  Aug 12, 2016  | 
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Phoenix was one of the best films of 2015 (the U.S. release date): taut, nerve-racking, gorgeous in a lurid way. It has a Vertigo vibe, leaning heavily on Hitchcock’s German Expressionist influences, but marked with Angst of a more sociopolitical nature, as if the likes of F.W. Murnau and Fritz Lang had shot films just after WWII instead of the two decades before. It begins with a woman, an Auschwitz survivor (played by Nina Hoss), entering a hospital for facial surgery to repair the damage done by brutal guards. She wants to look the way she did before, so her husband can recognize her. After the operation, she finds him waiting tables at a nightclub called Phoenix.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Phone Booth (Blu-ray)
Shane Buettner  |  Mar 03, 2007  | 

Wow. I'm generally more into Will Ferrell than Colin Farrell, and still haven't forgiven Joel Schumacher for <I>Batman and Robin</I>, so <I>Phone Booth</I> wasn't even close to being on my radar until it showed up on Blu-ray. Happy to say, this was a surpirse as both a movie and BD transfer.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Pink Panther 2 (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Jun 30, 2009  |  First Published: Jul 01, 2009  | 

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/pp2.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>The bumbling Inspector Clouseau (Steve Martin) is called when treasures around the world begin to mysteriously disappear, including the priceless Pink Panther diamond. With a dream team of international detectives at his side, Clouseau must apprehend the master thief known as the Tornado.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Pinocchio: 70th Anniversary Platinum Edition
Rad Bennett  |  Mar 25, 2009  | 
Disney
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I watched the Blu-ray Disc of my favorite animated film of a
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Pinocchio: 70th Anniversay
David Vaughn  |  Mar 04, 2009  | 

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/pinocchio.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Woodcarver Geppetto (voiced by Christian Rub) wishes upon a star for his latest creation, Pinocchio (Dickie Jones), to become a real boy. The Blue Fairy (Evelyn Venable) descends from the stars while he sleeps and makes his wish come true&#151;with a catch. Pinocchio must prove himself to be of good character before he can become a real boy. Since he doesn't how to achieve this goal, the Blue Fairy assigns Jiminy Cricket (Cliff Edwards) to act as his conscience.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews3D Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Piracy and High Tea
Chris Chiarella  |  Nov 19, 2012  | 
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The Pirate Captain (voiced by a wonderfully swaggering Hugh Grant) leads his merry men across the high seas, searching for gold, adventure…and ham? He’s never quite what we expect a career swashbuckler to be, and when the Captain sets his sights on the Pirate of the Year Award, we soon see that this criminal rogue is actually just a flawed softie with a chance at redemption. The underlying plot is surprisingly similar to the recent Despicable Me, but what sets The Pirates! Band of Misfits apart is a series of wacky twists involving a dateless, conniving scientist named Charles Darwin and a downright loopy Queen Victoria. The movie also overflows with subtle sight gags, little placards and such in the shadows just behind a character. My kids laughed hysterically along with me, and they didn’t even catch half the jokes, so this disc definitely merits a purchase for the sake of repeat viewings.
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Blu-ray Movie ReviewsUltra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
Corey Gunnestad  |  Jan 05, 2018  | 
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I typically tend to bash films that rely on hackneyed plot devices and laughably implausible action sequences, and Disney’s latest escapade in their beleaguered Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is guilty on all charges. The entire series has anchored its plot lines to a host of supernatural elements like cursed pirates, leviathan sea monsters, and homicidal mermaids.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides 3D
David Vaughn  |  Oct 23, 2011  | 
Captain Jack Sparrow is back with a new adventure on the high seas as he's on the hunt for the Fountain of Youth. After a daring escape from the King of England, Jack becomes enslaved on Blackbeard's ship and learns that a woman from his past has some hidden daddy issues that could cost him dearly. In pursuit are Sparrow's nemesis Barbossa and a separate Spanish armada, who have their own nefarious plans for Ponce De Leon's legendary spring.

3D conversions are all the rage in Hollywood, but thankfully this isn't one of them and it shows from the outset while Jack is loose on the streets of London. Detail is excellent in both foregrounds and backgrounds and separation between objects adds a lot of depth to the image. But as good as the 3D is, it's the DTS-HD MA 7.1 soundtrack that's the star of the show. It features plenty of discrete effects, strong bass response, and virtually unlimited dynamic range.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Pitch Perfect 2
Chris Chiarella  |  Dec 23, 2015  | 
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In an era when Glee was everywhere, moviegoers understandably didn’t flock to see the seemingly similar Pitch Perfect on the big screen, but Blu-ray/DVD and TV showings ultimately brought the charming comedy the audience it deserved. Three years later, the mettlesome young songstresses from Barden University are back, eager to win an international competition with the help of a new recruit. Returning co-star/producer Elizabeth Banks also makes a triumphant directorial debut with Pitch Perfect 2, seamlessly maintaining the ongoing franchise’s breezily mean-spirited humor while staging many memorable new cover versions of eclectic pop tunes.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Pixar Blu-ray Pix
Tom Norton  |  Nov 14, 2007  | 
Ratatouille, Cars, and Pixar Short Films Collection
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3D Blu-ray Movie ReviewsBlu-ray Movie Reviews
Pixels
Guido Henkel  |  Feb 26, 2016  | 
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Traditionally, I avoid Adam Sandler films, for the simple reason that I just don’t think he’s funny. In the case of Pixels, however, I made an exception because the theme of retro arcade machines definitely appeals.

As aliens invade Earth, disguised as digitized characters from old-school arcade favorites, the military is stumped. Nothing could prepare them for an assault of video-game nemeses, and neither their tactics nor their weapons are a match for these attackers. That’s when the president calls upon old pals from his nerdy teenage days spent at the arcade, and with their lightning-fast reflexes and ingrained strategies, they set out to stop the onslaught of deadly avatars.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
David Vaughn  |  May 02, 2013  | 
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Steve Martin stars as Neal Page, an uptight advertising executive who misses his scheduled flight from New York to Chicago when an obnoxious salesman steals his cab. As fate would have it, the cab thief turns out to be a shower curtain ring salesman (John Candy) who just happens to sit next to Neal on his flight home. Due to inclement weather, their plane is diverted to Wichita, and when they land, Neal fails to secure a place to stay for the evening. Lucky for him, his new “friend” has booked the last room in town. Thus begins a relationship made in heaven—or hell, depending on your perspective.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Planet Earth (Blu-ray and HD DVD)
Shane Buettner  |  Jul 11, 2007  |  First Published: Jul 12, 2007  | 

Talk about a win-win. Not only is the BBC's <I>Planet Earth</I> series spectacular hi-def eye candy, it's so well-made and narratively compelling that it holds up to an insane number of repeated viewings. And I should know- my two-year old son has us watching several of these episodes (especially <I>Shallow Seas</I> and <I> Ocean Deep</I>) several times a week.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Point Break
David Vaughn  |  Jul 27, 2008  | 

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/point.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Rookie FBI agent Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves) goes undercover to bring down a gang of bank-robbing surfers. Moving into the gang's inner circle, Johnny befriends their thrill-seeking, charismatic leader, Bodhi (Patrick Swayze), and finds that he is attracted to Bodhi's lifestyle. He must ultimately choose between his newfound friendship and his duty to the law.

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