David Vaughn

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Director's Intent: Kaleidescape 4K
The Batman
David Vaughn  |  Jan 24, 2023  |  6 comments
Picture
Sound
Kaleidescape Scenes
Extras
A killer is stalking Gotham City’s elite and a trail of cryptic clues sends Batman into the underworld of the city he has vowed to protect. There he meets a bevy of characters, each with their own agenda. Some wish him success but most want him to fail. As the evidence starts to solidify and begins to hit close to home, Batman must form new relationships before he can unmask the culprit and bring his own brand of justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued the city.
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Music Disc Reviews
The BBB Featuring Bernie Dresel - The Pugilist
David Vaughn  |  Mar 04, 2022  |  0 comments
Performance
Sound
In all honesty, I had never heard the name Bernie Dresel until I was sent The Pugilist, the latest disc from his jazz band, The BBB Featuring Bernie Dresel, to review. The outfit is a collection of studio musicians who play together at Los Angeles-area jazz clubs, but chances are you've heard their various talents before. For example, Dresel has 25 movie credits to his name, with A-list soundtracks such as Mission: Impossible III, Star Trek (2009), and Spider-Man: Far from Home, just to name three. Other members of the band also have extensive backgrounds with various Hollywood productions, and this ultimately brought them together back in 2014.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
The Big Lebowski
David Vaughn  |  Aug 11, 2011  |  1 comments
The Dude (Jeff Bridges) gets involved in a case of mistaken identity when some thugs show up at his place to collect a debt owed by another man who shares his last name—Lebowski. To add insult to injury, the goons pee on his favorite rug and he seeks out compensation from the other Lebowski, a well-healed wheelchair-bound millionaire who's willing to help The Due as long as he does one little favor.

The Coen Brother's have a unique perspective on the world and they definitely don't "go with the flow." While I don't consider this to be one of their best films, it does contain their most interesting character—The Dude. At the time of its release in 1998, it wasn't as critically acclaimed as Fargo or O Brother, Where Art Thou? but over the years it has obtained cult-like status with its fans and Bridge's portrayal of the iconic character set his career on an upward path.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
The Blind Side
David Vaughn  |  Mar 29, 2010  |  0 comments
Teenager Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) is living on his own when he is spotted on the street by the Tuohy family. Learning that the young man is one of her daughter's classmates, Leigh Ann (Sandra Bullock) invites him to stay at their home for the night. What starts out as a gesture of kindness turns into something more as Michael becomes part of the family despite the differences in their backgrounds.

In the 2009 NFL draft, Michael Oher's rags-to-riches story reached new heights when he was drafted in the first round by the Baltimore Ravens. I love inspirational sports stories, and this is one of the best I've seen in years. The performances are outstanding, especially by Sandra Bullock, who won her first Oscar for the role, and by young Jae Head, who provides a lot of comic relief in an otherwise dramatic subtext.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
The Book of Eli (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Jun 10, 2010  |  0 comments

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/eli.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Eli (Denzel Washington) walks alone in post-apocalyptic America. He heads west on a mission he doesn't fully understand but knows he must complete. In his backpack is the last copy of a book that could become the wellspring of a revived society or in the wrong hands, the hammer of a despot.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
The Bourne Trilogy
David Vaughn  |  Jan 23, 2009  |  0 comments

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/bourne.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>After being pulled from the sea with two bullets in his back, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) awakens on a fishing boat with no memory of his involvement in a top-secret, black-ops arm of the CIA called Treadstone. The only clue to his identity is the number of a Swiss safe-deposit box in which he discovers an array of passports, weapons, and cash. As he struggles to unlock the secret of his own identity, Bourne has to deal with his past in order to ensure his own future.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
The Bourne Trilogy (Dual-format)
David Vaughn  |  Jan 25, 2010  |  0 comments

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/bourne1.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>After being pulled from the sea with two bullets in his back, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) awakens on a fishing boat with no memory of his involvement in a top-secret, black-ops arm of the CIA called Treadstone. The only clue to his identity is the number of a Swiss safe-deposit box in which he discovers an array of passports, weapons, and cash. As he struggles to unlock the secret of his own identity, Bourne has to deal with his past in order to ensure his own future.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
The Breakfast Club (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Aug 03, 2010  |  0 comments
What happens when you take a jock (Emilio Estevez), a stoner (Judd Nelson), a geek (Anthony Michael hall), a prom queen (Molly Righwald), and a psychotic teenage girl (Ally Sheedy) and place them in detention for nine hours on a Saturday? Inquiring minds want to know.

John Hughes capture the teen mind, dialog, and spirit unlike any other writer/director in my lifetime. As a product of the 1980s, I can watch any of his films from the era and it's like reliving my youth. This film delves into the philosophical realm of existentialism and although each kid is part of a different clique, they each face the same struggles in school, at home, and in life and after a long day of detention end up becoming friends.

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Blu-ray Movie ReviewsUltra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
The Bridge on the River Kwai
David Vaughn  |  Dec 22, 2017  |  0 comments
Picture
Sound
Extras
Captured in 1943, a battalion of British soldiers is forced to work as slave labor to build a bridge for the Japanese over the River Kwai. The sadistic POW commander, Col. Saito, insists the British officers work alongside the enlisted personnel against the bylaws of the Geneva Convention. The British officer, Col. Nicholson, brings this to the attention of Saito, who promptly puts him in the “hot box” until he changes his tune. Nicholson refuses to back down, and a battle of wills ensues. Saito eventually realizes he’s fighting a losing battle and must find a way to inspire the prisoners to work faster, and Nicholson is the key to getting the bridge built on time.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
The Bucket List
David Vaughn  |  Jun 23, 2008  |  0 comments

<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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