Blu-ray Movie Reviews

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David Vaughn  |  Nov 08, 2009

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/rocky.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>An unknown boxer (Sylvester Stallone) scores a once-in-a-lifetime chance to fight the heavyweight champion of the world (Carl Weathers) when the champ comes to Philadelphia and gives the chump an opportunity to be the champ.

Avi Greengart  |  Jul 28, 2017
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The opening scroll of the original Star Wars states, “Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire.” If you ever thought, “Hey, I’d like to see a movie version of those 17 words,” Rogue One is for you. There’s plenty of plot-driven action, minimal character development, and ample fan service. It’s certainly entertaining. Wisecracking droid K-2SO in particular is terrific. However, the movie is anchored by the serious theme of sacrifice. If you’re looking for a jaunty kiddie flick, try a different Disney movie.
David Vaughn  |  Mar 17, 2009

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/rolemodels.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Two energy-drink salesmen, Danny (Paul Rudd) and Wheeler (Seann William Scott), are sentenced to 150 hours of community service mentoring young kids after an unfortunate traffic accident. After one day on the job, Danny thinks spending 30 days in jail would be the better alternative when he's assigned to a 16-year-old boy, Augie (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), who has an obsession with medieval role playing. Meanwhile, Wheeler's youngling is a foul-mouthed fifth-grader named Ronnie (Bobb'e Thompson) who's just looking for respect.

David Vaughn  |  Nov 16, 2009

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/rome.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>The story begins 50 years before the dawn of Christianity, when Rome was the wealthiest city in the world and the epicenter of a sprawling empire. Founded on principles of shared power and personal competition, the Republic was created to prevent any one man from seizing absolute control. But as the ruling class became wealthier, that foundation began to crumble and old values went by the wayside. Along came modern politics with infighting, corruption, and the drawing of party lines.

Brandon A. DuHamel  |  Oct 27, 2017
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Ronin is director John Frankenheimer’s 1998 crime thriller, with a script co-written by David Mamet (under a pen name) and featuring an all-star cast headlined by Robert De Niro and Jean Reno. This gritty film borrows heavily from classic genre predecessors such as The French Connection, Le Cercle Rouge, and Bullitt. It follows a former U.S. intelligence agent (De Niro) working with a group of mercenaries trying to track down a package being pursued by both Irish and Russian interests.
Anthony Chiarella  |  Jul 22, 2016
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Jack’s (Jacob Tremblay) fifth birthday is typical: He says good morning to the various objects in his home, brushes his teeth, then exercises with Ma (Brie Larson). Gradually, however, we realize that Ma was kidnapped seven years earlier by a sexual predator, and her son’s knowledge of the world extends no further than the inner walls of the tiny, locked shed he calls “room.”
David Vaughn  |  Aug 24, 2011
Mike McDermott (Matt Damon) is trying to leave his poker playing days behind him while he attempts to earn his law degree and prove to his girlfriend that he can hold a "real job." Bu when his best friend, "Worm" Murphy (Edward Norton), is released from prison, he coaxes Mike back to the tables. "Worm" gets himself into serious trouble with a local mobster/poker legend, Teddy KGB (John Malkovich), and Mike's rear-end ends up on the hook since he mistakenly vouched for his friend and he needs to come up with a boatload of cash in short order. Look out poker world, here he comes.

For the record, I love playing poker—specifically Texas Hold'em—so it's only natural that this is one of my favorite movies. While I limit my gaming to tournaments and avoid cash games like the plague, I've witness many people who constantly chase the big score and get in way over their head and lose their entire bankroll. One of the biggest thrills of my life was winning a seat to the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event, but sadly my dream of winning the title went down in flames when my set of queens was beat when an ace hit on the river giving my competitor a higher set—that's poker!

Corey Gunnestad  |  Nov 06, 2015
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Remember all those humorous aphorisms concerning Chuck Norris? You know, “Chuck Norris is so tough… yadda yadda yadda.” Well, if there’s a worthy contender to seize that crown of ultimate machismo from him, it would have to be Liam Neeson. Seriously, look at the guy’s rap sheet of action flicks in the last ten years, and you’ll see a body count that would rival that of the Black Plague. Yes, the man who was Oskar Schindler could now take on the Expendables all at once at still come out grinning. And his string of gritty action thrillers continues with Run All Night.
David Vaughn  |  Sep 25, 2008

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/fatboy.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Minutes before his wedding, Dennis Doyle (Simon Pegg) leaves his pregnant fianc&#233;, Libby (Thandie Newton), at the altar. Five years later, he realizes he made the biggest mistake of his life and wants her back. Unfortunately, Libby has moved on and is dating Whit (Hank Azaria), a super-successful financial manager with a great personality and even better abs. Dennis, on the other hand, is overweight and employed as a security guard at a London mall. In order to prove his worth to Libby, Dennis decides to enter the same London Marathon that Whit has been training for&#151;the big difference is that Dennis has only three weeks to prepare for the grueling 26-mile race.

Chris Chiarella  |  May 21, 2014
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Fasten your seat belts for the fastest thrill ride of 2013! Ron Howard’s best film since A Beautiful Mind chronicles Formula One during the mid-’70s—the deadliest era for one of the world’s deadliest sports—and dramatizes the true story of champions James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl), whose rivalry mirrored Frazier/Ali and Borg/McEnroe. Peter Morgan’s screenplay evenhandedly illuminates the destructive and empowering aspects of their competition. Hemsworth and Brühl channel two genius drivers with divergent personalities: Hunt, the cavalier, reckless playboy versus serious, disciplined Lauda, whose obsession with besting Hunt culminates in a crescendo of flames that nearly kills him.
David Vaughn  |  Dec 13, 2010
LAPD Detective James Carter (Chris Tucker) likes to work alone and vows to never have a partner but he must join forces with Detective Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan) of the Hong Kong police department when the daughter of a visiting Hong Kong official is kidnapped in the United States.

Chan became a household name in America when this film debuted in 1998, although he was already a star in China. His amazing stunts wowed audiences and showed impressive comedic timing when paired with Tucker. The action-comedy spawned two additional sequels but this is the best of the three.

Mike Mettler  |  Apr 05, 2011

“It’s a timeless record with so much detail,” says surround-sound remix guru Richard Chycki about Rush’s 1981 masterpiece, Moving Pictures. “I’m glad you’ve clued into all of the nuances.” Chycki is referring to what I said to him last week about the PCM 5.1 and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mixes he did for MP’s 30th anniversary reissue. Today marks the release of the CD+DVD version, something certainly worth getting if you’re not equipped for Blu-ray — but the much preferred Holy Grail CD+BD version won’t be out until May 3.

Jamie Sorcher  |  Jul 12, 2004

It all began with a film projector on the hood of a car showing images on a bed sheet hung between two trees. Richard Hollingshead went on to perfect this apparatus, and the world's first drive-in cinema under the stars opened to the public in Camden, New Jersey, on June 6, 1933. By the late 1950s, there were more than 4,000 drive-ins - and why not?

David Vaughn  |  Mar 04, 2011
LAPD officer Paul Cutler (Gabriel Macht) leaves the sun and fun of California when he's ordered by Homeland Security to relocate to Detroit in order to train its S.W.A.T. team on the latest rescue techniques. Things are going great until a botched domestic dispute turns ugly and the surviving spouse (Robert Patrick) wants revenge.

I had low expectations considering this is a direct-to-video release, which allowed me to moderately enjoy the flick. The script, acting, and production value all have a low-budget "made for TV" feel, but director Benny Boom does his best to keep a brisk pace to keep it interesting.

Anthony Chiarella  |  Nov 04, 2014
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Legendary DEA agent John “Breacher” Wharton (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and his task force infiltrate a drug cartel and confiscate $10 million, which immediately disappears. Caught between suspicious Feds and vengeful drug lords, members of Arnold’s team start turning up dead…but who’s killing them? Schwarzenegger excels as both hero and anti-hero in one of the most complex and demanding roles of his career. David Ayer’s directorial style—war correspondent realism with a Michael Mann vibe—is highly flattering to both stars and subject matter.

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