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The Bridge on the River Kwai
David Vaughn  |  Dec 22, 2017
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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

<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
The Butler
David Vaughn  |  Apr 23, 2014
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White House butler Cecil Gaines has a front-row seat to the inner workings of the people’s house as the Civil Rights era begins. Raised in Georgia as the son of a sharecropper, he’s turned into a house servant when his father is murdered and ventures out on his own into the cruel world as a teenager. Though he makes several stops along the way, he eventually ends up in the White House serving a string of presidents starting with Eisenhower and ending with Reagan.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
David Vaughn  |  Dec 01, 2008

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/princecaspian.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>The Pevensie children&#151;Peter (William Moseley), Edmund (Skandar Keynes), Susan (Anna Popplewell), and Lucy (Georgie Henley)&#151;face a perilous mission and a greater-than-ever test of their faith and courage. Thirteen hundred years of Narnia time have passed since their last visit, but only one year in their normal reality. Although the White Witch (Tilda Swinton) is gone, making only a brief appearance in the movie, the realm is ruled by a cruel tyrant, King Miraz (Sergio Castellitto), and Aslan (voiced by Liam Neeson) has been missing for over a thousand years. With the help of Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes), the four children embark on a journey to find Aslan and restore magic and glory to the land.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
David Vaughn  |  May 23, 2008

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/052308narnia.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>In World War II-ravaged England, four siblings discover a magical wardrobe cabinet while playing hide-and-seek in the rural country home of an elderly professor. The wardrobe is a passageway to the world of Narnia, a charming land inhabited by talking animals, dwarfs, centaurs, and giants. But the evil White Witch, Jadis (Tilda Swinton), has cursed the world into a perpetual winter. Aided by the lion Aslan (voiced by Liam Neeson), the children battle to overcome the evil White Witch's powerful hold over Narnia.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Apr 22, 2011
Precocious siblings Lucy (Georgie Henley) and Edmund (Skandar Heynes), along with their cousin Eustance (Will Poulter), are sucked into a painting and transported back to Narnia. They join King Caspian (Ben Barnes) and the noble mouse Reepicheep in a quest to rescue lords who had been lost fighting evil on a remote island. Aboard the magnificent ship The Dawn Treader the courageous voyagers travel to mysterious islands, confront mystical creatures, and reunite with the Great Lion Aslan on a mission that tests their characters to determine the fate of Narnia itself.

I haven't been a big fan of this theatrical franchise (nor the books, for that matter), but I do appreciate the family friendly message and just adore Georgie Henley's character. Fortunately, the director keeps the runtime under two hours and the brisk pacing helps keep the film more entertaining than the bloated second installment Prince Caspian. Disney decided the dump the franchise after the poor box office showing of the second film and Fox stepped in to the mix, but with a much lower budget (about $80 million less), and it shows in the finished product. The CGI isn't nearly as good and the cinematography takes a step back compared to its two predecessors.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
The Color Purple (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Jan 27, 2011
Celie (Whoopi Goldberg) is a southern black woman virtually sold into a life of servitude to a brutal husband, sharecropper Albert (Danny Glover). Celie pours out her innermost thoughts in letters to her sister Nettie (Akousa Busia), but Albert has been hiding the return correspondence making Celie believe she's dead. Finally, Celie finds champions in her daughter-in-law, the take-no-shit Sofia (Oprah Winfrey) and the glamorous Shug Avery (Margaret Avery), a local entertainer.

Up until Steven Spielberg produced and directed this film, he was more known for "popular" cinematic titles such as Jaws, Indiana JonesE.T and he hadn't had to deal with meaty subjects such as rape, incest, and woman's rights. Ultimately the film received 11 Academy Award nominations (winning none) and Spielberg proved he was up for the challenge and went on to become one of the best director's of his generation.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  May 05, 2009

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/buttonx.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT><i>"I was born under unusual circumstances…"</i> &#151; Benjamin Button

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
The Dark Knight
David Vaughn  |  Dec 07, 2008

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/darkknight.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Batman (Christian Bale) continues his war on crime in Gotham City with the help of Lt. Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart). Determined to destroy organized crime, the three make great strides toward restoring order until a criminal mastermind know as The Joker (Heath Ledger) thrusts the city into anarchy, forcing Batman closer to crossing the fine line between hero and vigilante.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
The Day the Earth Stood Still
David Vaughn  |  Dec 19, 2008

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/dayearthstill.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>A flying saucer lands in Washington D.C., capturing the attention of the world. When Klaatu (Michael Rennie) and his robot Gort (Lock Martin) emerge from the vehicle, Klaatu is shot by a nervous soldier and taken to Walter Reed Hospital for recovery. He soon receives a visit from the President's envoy, Mr. Harley (Frank Conroy), who apologizes for the misunderstanding. Klaatu's only request is to meet with all of the world's leaders to deliver a message, but given the political climate, this is an impossible request.

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