Blu-ray Movie Reviews

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Reign of Fire (Blu-ray)
Tom Norton  |  Apr 09, 2007  | 

There's nothing like a great dragon movie. And, as the old saying goes, this is nothing like a great dragon movie. But it is an interesting one.

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Remaster Class: Alien
Chris Chiarella  |  Aug 09, 2019  | 
An unprecedented fusion of science fiction and horror, Alien burst upon the scene some 40 years ago in a spray of blood to the screams of audiences everywhere. Envisioned by artist H.R. Giger, realized by craftsman Carlo Rambaldi, and brought to life by performer Bolaji Badejo, the intruder of the title has remarkably little screen time, which only enhances his terror, Jaws-style, as he stalks the hapless crew of the spaceship Nostromo.
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Blu-ray Movie ReviewsUltra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Remaster Class: Star Wars
Chris Chiarella  |  May 22, 2020  | 
Enthralling in every way a movie can be, George Lucas' Star Wars (retconned as Episode IV: A New Hopein 1981) is simply one of the greatest achievements to ever hit the screen. A wildly imaginative yet classically inspired adventure, it has been entertaining audiences—and spawning prequels, sequels and spinoffs—since 1977.
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Blu-ray Movie ReviewsUltra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Remaster Class: Superman
Chris Chiarella  |  Feb 07, 2019  | 
In part because it has now endured for 40 years, but also because it is the sort of thrilling cinematic entertainment we never seem to tire of, Superman has appeared on just about every home entertainment format, and deservedly so. The first comic book blockbuster, director Richard Donner's visually stunning epic stars Christopher Reeve as the only survivor of a brilliant but arrogant alien culture who finds his place in our world as a god-like protector.
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Blu-ray Movie ReviewsUltra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction
Chris Chiarella  |  Dec 31, 2022  | 
Reservoir Dogs, 99 mins.
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Pulp Fiction, 155 mins.
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When an immensely talented young screenwriter with something to prove fights to make his movie his way—and wins—every once in a while, we get a Reservoir Dogs. Quentin Tarantino's auspicious directorial debut is rough and raw and all the better for it, the story of a heist gone wrong and the rat in the criminals' midst, with copious amounts of blood spilling and bodies piling up as plans spin wildly out of control.
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Blu-ray Movie ReviewsUltra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter
Corey Gunnestad  |  Sep 15, 2017  | 
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In 2002, Sony Entertainment kicked off the Resident Evil film series based on the popular zombie apocalypse video game of the same name. Fifteen years and five sequels later, the beleaguered franchise comes to a close… sort of. Resident Evil: The Final Chapter is technically the last installment in the long-running series, but plans are already afoot to reboot the entire franchise and start over again from square one. The expression “beating a dead horse” springs to mind, but I digress.
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Blu-ray Movie ReviewsUltra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Resident Evil: Vendetta
Brandon A. DuHamel  |  Nov 10, 2017  | 
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Resident Evil: Vendetta picks up the mantle yet again for the Capcom strain of this popular video-game franchise. Sticking to the animé-oriented roots and offering some visceral action without the frenzied camera panning and ADD editing of the live-action The Final Chapter, the film brings together favorites from the franchise. Game characters Leon S. Kennedy (voiced my Matthew Mercer), Chris Redfield (Kevin Dorman), and Rebecca Chambers (Erin Cahill) battle wanted bioterrorist Glenn Arias (John DeMita), who plans to release a deadly virus in New York City as revenge for the government killing his wife.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Restoration Software: Universal Studios Classics Restored for Blu-ray
Chris Chiarella  |  Oct 17, 2012  | 
Going back a few years, the arrival of high definition in general and Blu-ray specifically signaled a new era of entertainment. While home theater has long promised a movie-watching experience that we could enjoy in our pajamas—without getting arrested—the reign of the 1080p optical disc promised us DVD convenience combined with superior cinematic quality. Delivering on that promise wasn’t always so easy, however. Owing to a variety of variables, such as poor film storage, tight budgets, and the simple fact that some studios are more dedicated to the preservation of their libraries than others, many of the most anticipated Blu-ray debuts have been lackluster, frequently mere ports of existing standard-def masters.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Review: "Mad Men" Season 4
Mike Mettler  |  Mar 29, 2011  | 

"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 Reviews
Review: "Mad Men" Season 4 Page 2
Mike Mettler  |  Mar 29, 2011  | 

"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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Review: The Amazing Spider-Man
Thomas J. Norton  |  Apr 16, 2013  | 
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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  | 

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  | 

<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  | 
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  | 
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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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