Blu-ray Movie Reviews

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Review: "Mad Men" Season 4 Page 2
Mike Mettler  |  Mar 29, 2011  |  0 comments

"Who is Don Draper?" That's the opening line-and the crux-of Mad Men's Season 4 arc, something that show creator Matthew Weiner confirms multiple times over the course his welcome appearance this three-disc Lionsgate Blu-ray set's commentary tracks.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews3D Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Review: The Amazing Spider-Man
Thomas J. Norton  |  Apr 16, 2013  |  0 comments
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It’s not exactly a secret that Sony Pictures produced a fabulously successful trilogy of Spider-man films from 2002 to 2007. All three were directed by Sam Raimi and starred Tobey Maguire as the resident arachnid. Though the last of the three laid something of a critical egg, it was nevertheless a golden one at the box office. The Amazing Spider-Man is not a sequel but instead a complete reboot, origin story and all. Clearly, Sony was hoping to re-invigorate the franchise. Judging from its commercial success, I’d say it succeeded.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Review: Two Takes on Tinker Tailor Solider Spy
Josef Krebs  |  Apr 10, 2012  |  0 comments

More modest and thoughtful than action-packed, John le Carré’s 1974 spy-novel classic Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a spook story filled with civil servants (not double-0 operatives) in a world where little happens beyond talk, but the stakes riding on those conversations are supremely high.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Revolutionary Road (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Jun 01, 2009  |  0 comments

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/revroad.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Based on the bestseller by Richard Yates about married life in the 1950s, April (Kate Winslet) and Frank Wheeler (Leonardo DiCaprio) have what appears to be the perfect life&#151;a happy marriage, two kids, and a beautiful home in Connecticut. But behind the scenes, it's a different story. Frank loathes his job, and April's dream of becoming an actress is all but dead. Looking to improve their circumstances, April hatches a plan to leave the suburban life behind and move to Paris to discover new beginnings. But when unforeseen events derail her plan, what measures will she take to get things back on track?

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Rhythm Devils: Concert Experience
Andrew Nash  |  Mar 08, 2009  |  0 comments
StarCity Recording Company/RED
Show •••½ Picture ••• Sound •••• Extras ••
The Rhythm Devils' Conce
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Ricki and the Flash
Anthony Chiarella  |  Apr 29, 2016  |  0 comments
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Ricki Randazzo’s dreams of rock stardom are shrinking in the rearview mirror. While her group, The Flash, is the house band at a dive bar, Ricki (Meryl Streep) struggles as a cashier at an upscale supermarket. It’s there that she receives a call from her ex-husband (Kevin Kline) asking her to come home to Indianapolis as her estranged daughter has attempted suicide. Ricki returns not only to an unstable daughter but also to one son fresh out of the closet and another about to be married… with no intention of inviting her to the wedding.
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Rise Of The Guardians
Thomas J. Norton  |  Oct 08, 2013  |  0 comments
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When boogeyman Pitch Black schemes to plant fearsome nightmares into the minds and hearts of children throughout the world, it falls on the Guardians to derail his plans. When they attempt to convince Jack Frost, a free-spirit prankster, to join them, he agrees only when things turn truly grim.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
David Vaughn  |  Dec 23, 2011  |  0 comments

WETA Digital, the effects house that gave us The Lord of the Rings, hits a homerun with its digital effects employed in this reboot of the popular 1960s franchise. Minute details in the chimp's faces look strikingly real and blow away the effects seen in any of the previous movies. They blend seamlessly into the live action shots and make you truly believe that the chimps are real creations and not CGI-based. Not to be overshadowed is the absolutely fantastic DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio track that's extremely aggressive on the low end and offers an immersive and engaging surround mix. This is one of the must-see discs of 2011.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Riverworld (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Jun 22, 2010  |  0 comments
After being killed by a suicide bomber in an overseas nightclub, Matt (Tahmoh Penikett) awakes on a mysterious planet populated by other resurrected Earthlings from across history. Determined to find the woman he loves (Laura Vandervoort), he joins forces with a 13th century female warrior (Jeananne Goossen) and riverboat captain Mark Twain (Mark Deklin) as they travel the mysterious waterways of the planet in search of lost love and some answers about the peculiar planet.

Based on a series of novels written by Phillip Jose Farmer, Riverworld had the potential to be a very entertaining sci-fi show. Sadly the excellent first act is wasted with a meandering story that drags through its nearly three-hour runtime. By the final hour I was bored with the characters and couldn't wait for the predictable ending to finally arrive.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Road to Perdition (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Aug 03, 2010  |  0 comments
As the right hand man to mob boss Joe Rooney (Paul Newman), Michael Sullivan (Tom Hanks) struggles with balancing his family life and the guilt he carries with his career choice. Unbeknownst to Sullivan, his son Tyler Hoechlin) stows away on a business trip and witnesses a shootout that eventually leads to the death of his sibling and mother. Now father and son must go on the run and in the process form a unique bond.

Director Sam Mendes adaptation of Max Allan Collins and Richard Piers Raynar's graphic novel features beautiful cinematography but the story lacks heart. It's hard to root for Hanks' flawed character given his past and the scenes he shares with his onscreen son aren't very compelling.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Robin Hood (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Sep 21, 2010  |  0 comments
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.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves (Blu-ray)
Kris Deering  |  Jun 03, 2009  |  First Published: Jun 04, 2009  |  0 comments

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/robinhoodpot.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT><i>Kevin Costner triumphs as the legendary Sherwood Forest outlaw leader in this epic adventure bringing a 12th-century medieval world to spectacular screen life. Enhancing the fun are 12 added minutes of footage not seen in theatres, especially more juicy malevolence of Robin Hood's archenemy, the Sheriff of Nottingham. Morgan Freeman, Christian Slater, and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio also star in this lavish production lensed in Britain and France, where historic structures, majestic forests, and vividly realistic recreations of Olde England combined to create a world at once ancient and ageless.</i>

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Robin of Sherwood (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Jun 08, 2011  |  0 comments
Shot entirely on location in England's castles and countryside, this modernization of the classic Robin Hood tale combines elements of history, myth, and magic with plenty of action thrown into the mix. The ensemble cast includes Michael Praed as Robin of Loxley, Ray Winstone as Will Scarlet, and Nickolas Grace as the conniving Sheriff of Nottingham.

Broadcast on PBS and Showtime in the 1980s, this British series certainly shows its age with the outdated music, 1.33:1 framed image, and campy production value. The series has a cult-like following and I don't mean to insult the fans, but I don't get it. My wife and I did our best to get through all 13 episodes, but couldn't make it to the end.

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Blu-ray Movie ReviewsUltra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
RoboCop
Chris Chiarella  |  Apr 29, 2022  |  1 comments
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Let's get right to the point: This new RoboCop boxed set gets my highest recommendation. For starters, director Paul Verhoeven's cheeky tale of a crimefighting cyborg is still thrilling, still funny, and still uniquely satisfying.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
RoboCop
Chris Chiarella  |  May 07, 2014  |  0 comments
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There are many reasons to enjoy RoboCop, still beloved (and now remade) after 27 years. If you don’t like the brilliantly executed action, there’s the biting statement about ’80s greed in America. If you don’t appreciate the scathing satire, there’s the poignant struggle of a good man trying to regain his identity.
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