Blu-ray Movie Reviews

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
There Will Be Blood
David Vaughn  |  Jun 23, 2008  | 

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/blood.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Daniel Day-Lewis delivers a spellbinding performance as Daniel Plainview, a turn-of-the-century independent oil baron prospecting in California. He is a ruthless man who hates all men, including himself. Plainview manipulates the locals into selling their land to him, and in the process, he makes an enemy of a resident preacher.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
The Bucket List
David Vaughn  |  Jun 23, 2008  | 

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/bucketlist.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Billionaire Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) and scholarly auto mechanic Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman) have virtually nothing in common&mdash;with the exception of terminal cancer and a shared regret about missed opportunities in their lives. When they end up side by side in a hospital room, the two devise a "bucket list" detailing the experiences they would like to have before they kick the bucket. Together they embark on a journey of self-discovery and friendship as they check off the items on their list.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Fool's Gold Fool's Gold
David Vaughn  |  Jun 23, 2008  | 

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/foolsgold.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Ben "Finn" Finnegan (Matthew McConaughey) is a fortune hunter whose obsession with discovering the Queen's Dowry, a treasure that mysteriously disappeared in the Caribbean in 1715, has consumed him to the point of ruining his marriage to Tess (Kate Hudson). Discovering a clue that he believes will lead him to the cache, he must charm his way into the pocketbook of billionaire Nigel Honeycutt (Donald Sutherland) in order to finance the expedition.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
The Spiderwick Chronicles
David Vaughn  |  Jun 23, 2008  | 

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/spiderwick.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Seeking to escape her failed marriage, Helen Grace (Mary-Louise Parker) moves her three children away from New York City to a country home left to her by an insane aunt. The children soon discover that the old house harbors many mysteries, and Jared (Freddie Highmore) finds his great-great uncle Spiderwick's Field Guide, which reveals the unbelievable truth about the Spiderwick Estate&mdash;a secret world of fantastical creatures hidden from normal view.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Short Circuit
David Vaughn  |  Jun 13, 2008  | 

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/061308short.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Struck by lightning, a Defense Department robot malfunctions and, as a result, develops its own consciousness. Escaping the military, it finds refuge with a young woman (Ally Sheedy) who helps hide "Number 5" from its inventor, Newton Crosby (Steve Guttenberg), and the government who wants its weapon back.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
The Other Boleyn Girl
David Vaughn  |  Jun 13, 2008  | 

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/061308boleyn.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Based on the novel by Philippa Gregory, <i>The Other Boleyn Girl</i> is the story of Anne Boleyn and her sister Mary as they rival for the bed and heart of Henry VIII. Discovering that the king's wife, Katherine of Aragon, is unable to provide him with a male heir, the girls' ambitious father and uncle devise a bold plan to advance the family's power and status by courting the affections of the king.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
David Vaughn  |  Jun 13, 2008  | 

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/061308master.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Captain “Lucky Jack” Aubrey (Russell Crowe) of the HMS <I>Surprise</I> receives orders to sink or capture the French privateer <I>Acheron</I> off the east coast of South America. In his first encounter with the enemy vessel, the more powerfully built French warship gets the better of his crew and nearly sinks the <I>Surprise</I>. Dr. Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany), Aubrey's best friend and ship's surgeon, tries to convince him there is no shame in returning home given the conditions they face. Torn between duty and friendship, the fate of his crew weighs on his mind.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Men in Black
David Vaughn  |  Jun 13, 2008  | 

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/061308mib.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Agent "K" (Tommy Lee Jones) and Agent "J" (Will Smith) are members of a top-secret government agency charged with monitoring and policing alien activity on Earth. Clothed in their sharp black suits, the men must stop a deadly plot by a bug-like terrorist (Vincent D'Onofrio), who intends to start an intergalactic war by assassinating two ambassadors from opposing galaxies who are currently in New York.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
The Signal—Magnolia (Blu-ray)
Kris Deering  |  Jun 11, 2008  | 
Video: 3/5
Audio: 3.75/5
Extras: 2.5/5
Independent thrillers and horror films have become the leaders in innovation and original concepts these days. While Hollywood looks to mass produce and remake everything that already been done, independents are fueling the fires with new ways to provide chills. The Signal reminds me a bit of the zombie genre in the way 28 Days Later did but with a new twist. Instead of an infectious disease we have a signal being broadcast through TV and phones that causes mass hysteria and unexplainable rage. The film focuses on a small group of people caught in the horror and is divided into three main acts all written and directed by different people but using the same characters and time line. I must say I really enjoyed the first and last act but found the second act to be a bit disappointing. This writer/director took the tone of the movie in a different direction and added a lot of dark humor that just didn't work for me. Thankfully the third act is strong enough to erase most of the issues and I finished the film with a positive outlook on the work as a whole.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Paranoid Park—Tartan Video (Blu-ray Import)
Kris Deering  |  Jun 11, 2008  | 
Video: 3/5
Audio: 3.5/5
Extras: 2/5
Gus Van Sant has been working on some great independent titles and forgoing the usual mainstream route. Paranoid Park reminded me a bit of his earlier film, Elephant, and takes the same route of hiring non-actors and using a low budget. Despite this approach Van Sant still delivers a very strong story with good character development. The film follows a high school skater who's involved in an unfortunate accident that costs a security guard his life. The film focuses on how this affects the boy's life and trying to figure out what to do. The narrative is weaved from different timelines allowing you to get a feel for the character before plunging you right into the events. I'm glad to see notable filmmakers start to go against the mainstream Hollywood feel with their films. Films like this show you don't need big names or high budgets to make an effective film.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
The Bucket List—Warner Bros. (Blu-ray)
Kris Deering  |  Jun 11, 2008  | 
Video: 4.25/5
Audio: 3.25/5
Extras: 2.75/5
This film didn't seem to get much buzz at the box office despite the popularity of the leads. I didn't have high hopes going in because of this but really ended up enjoying this one. The chemistry between Freeman and Nicholson was great and this one had my wife and I laughing out loud quite a bit. The first half of the film is great and sets up the characters perfectly but I didn't think some of the journeys they took were as involving. But the director brings it back together by the end and tugs on the heart strings. Overall this is a heartwarming film ended up being a really fun ride.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Fool’s Gold—Warner Bros. (Blu-ray)
Kris Deering  |  Jun 11, 2008  | 
Video: 3.75/5
Audio: 3.5/5
Extras: 2/5
Last time we saw this couple together they were trying their best to lose each other while falling in love at the same time. This time isn't too different except the couple is already married and in the process of a divorce. I guess treasure hunting doesn't keep the thrills alive like it used to. Fool's Gold is a fun ride that is good brainless fun with a little bit of action flare. The film is set in the beautiful Caribbean and balances a good mix of adventure, flirting and romance. While I wouldn't put in the same category of adventure as National Treasure or the Indy films, it is still good popcorn fun with a good cast and gorgeous scenery.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Patton—20th Century Fox (Blu-ray)
Kris Deering  |  Jun 11, 2008  | 
Video: 4/5
Audio: 3/5
Extras: 3.5/5
While he may not have been the most popular General of World War II there is no denying his effectiveness and contribution to the campaign. Patton has become one of the benchmarks for character biographies and George C. Scott's Oscar winning performance is nearly one of legend. The film does a great job showing both sides of Patton's personality and leaves it to the viewer to decide his own opinions on the man's methods and ideas.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Kind of Blu
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jun 09, 2008  | 
Will Blu-ray’s state-of-the-art audio codecs become the format’s killer apps?

High-resolution audio is like a drowning man who, just when all seems lost, suddenly bobs back up to the surface for a convulsive gulp of air. CD replaces vinyl—he’s down. CD mastering improves—he’s up. Bad CD mastering squashes dynamic range—he’s down. SACD and DVD-Audio make their debuts with new 5.1-channel recordings and/or mixes—he’s up. The high-rez audio formats tank—he’s down. Vinyl makes a comeback—he’s up. Low-quality lossy downloads gut CD sales—he’s down. Oh Lord, he’s been down there a long time now. Will we ever see his head above water again?

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Jumper—20th Century Fox (Blu-ray)
Kris Deering  |  Jun 09, 2008  | 
Video: 4.25/5
Audio: 4.75/5
Extras: 3.5/5
I had high hopes for Jumper going in. I'm a big fan of the director's past work and the premise and cast displayed in the trailers certainly got my attention. Unfortunately the end result just doesn't pay off as much as I hoped for. The main character is mainly the problem. The film centers around a young man who learns he can essentially "jump" from one place to another instantly. With this power he journeys around the world. During his journeys he robs banks by jumping into their vault undetected and jumping out with the cash. What he doesn't know is there is a war that has been going on for centuries between a religious group and these "jumpers". Sound good huh? Well the problem is they focus too much on setting up the main character and he isn't that likeable. We spend a good majority of the film getting shots of him in various places around the world but it gets a bit boring, which is not what I'm looking for from an action film. Things get better toward the end but it was hard to wash away the damage that had already been done.
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