Blu-Ray Review: Byzantium
Published on November 14th, 2013 in: Blu-Ray, Current Faves, DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews, Feminism, Movie Reviews, Movies, Reviews |
I think it’s safe to say that Neil Jordan has a fondness for vampires. Byzantium is his second film about them, and although I haven’t seen Interview with the Vampire in a long time, I feel confident in stating that Byzantium, while dealing with similar themes, is superlative in every way.
DVD Review: Blood
Published on November 13th, 2013 in: Current Faves, DVD, DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews, Movie Reviews, Movies, Reviews |
Cop movies are always a difficult thing to pull off. Although there are comedies, action, and sometimes horror cop movies, the most common are cop dramas. To actually pull off a cop drama, a few things are needed in order to keep your audience alert and occupied with what is actually going on.
Blood has these qualities. A cop drama needs not only characters, but good characters. In a short amount of time, we need to establish them and give them history. We need to know that they work well together as well as if they are friends.
DVD Review: Broken
Published on November 13th, 2013 in: Books, Current Faves, DVD, DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews, Movie Reviews, Movies, Reviews |
Broken is an apt title for director Rufus Norris’s feature debut; viewers will be forgiven if they have a hard time choking back sobs by the end. It’s not all doom and gloom, however. Broken‘s superbly arranged 90 minutes evoke a concatenation of emotions. Certainly there is much chest-constricting dread to be found in the film, and many scenes heavy with emotional baggage, but these are often simultaneously buoyed with moments of exquisite gossamer beauty and unbridled humor, reminders that joy can be ephemeral and often intertwined with grief.
DVD Review: Evidence
Published on November 11th, 2013 in: DVD, DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews, Found Footage, Horror, Movie Reviews, Movies, Reviews |
Sometimes we stumble upon a film we think we are not going to like; maybe that is because of the director, an actor, writer, or even the theme or setting. You might end up loving the film anyway or even consider it a “guilty pleasure”. Recently the film Evidence was released from the director of The Fourth Kind, which I did not really care for, so I wasn’t really expecting to like it, let alone expecting it to keep my attention.
DVD Review: The Colony
Published on November 7th, 2013 in: Current Faves, DVD, DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews, Horror, Movie Reviews, Movies, Reviews |
Whenever I see a newer flick that has gone DTV with a then or now major star on the cover, I will admit I usually pass. I know that might be wrong but most of those flicks are the same: Big time actor dies within the first five minutes. Done. Rest of the flick blows.
The other day I saw a cover for The Colony and noticed Bill Paxton and Laurence Fishburne on the cover. It looked like a sequel to The Day After Tomorrow. I put it back down and decided to watch something else in my pile. I really couldn’t decide on anything and since I love Paxton and Fishburne, I went against my better judgment and put it in my player.
DVD Review: Scavengers
Published on November 4th, 2013 in: DVD, DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews, Movie Reviews, Movies, Reviews, Science Fiction |
Hmph. Scavengers. Well, there aren’t a whole lot of things I can say for Scavengers. I’m not going to trash this film because that is not what I do. Making an “epic” science fiction film set in space with spaceships fighting and flying through the air on a minimal budget isn’t easy and it is extremely difficult to make it not look like a cartoon. Sadly, Scavengers is one of those films.
DVD Review: Double Feature: The Pack & Razorback
Published on October 31st, 2013 in: DVD, DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews, Horror, Movie Reviews, Movies, Reviews |
There are many “animal attack” films but most are really subpar. Either they pick goofy animals for the attacks or the special effects are just awful. Warner Archive, however, has put out two great films that deal with that subject. One is The Pack, and the other is Razorback. I’m reviewing both of them here because I believe they should be watched as a double feature.
Blu-Ray Review: The Amityville Horror Trilogy
Published on October 31st, 2013 in: Current Faves, DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews, Horror, Movie Reviews, Movies, Retrovirus, Reviews |
The Amityville incident is, to this day, one of the most widely known supernatural occurrences. Whether or not you believe what the Lutz family says happened in that house, you have to admit the story itself is terrifying. I’m one of those people who believe that something did happen in that house during their month stay at 112 Ocean Avenue. I certainly don’t believe everything that George Lutz says happened, but I do believe certain parts they have claimed.
After they left the house, their story became quickly and widely known and they were interviewed by just about every major network of the time. Shortly after their story came out, Hollywood saw a perfect opportunity to make some cash and The Amityville Horror was born.
Blu-Ray Review: Halloween: 35th Anniversary Edition
Published on October 31st, 2013 in: Blu-Ray, Current Faves, DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews, Halloween, Horror, Movie Reviews, Movies, Reviews |
As one of the most iconic horror movies ever—and certainly the most iconic Halloween horror movie ever—it’s hard to believe that there are still those (of a tender age) who haven’t seen the original Halloween, only seen it edited for TV, or via clips on YouTube. The new 35th Anniversary Edition, now on Blu-Ray from Anchor Bay, means, however, that there is no longer any excuse.
DVD Review: Bob And The Monster: The Story Of Bob Forrest
Published on October 30th, 2013 in: Current Faves, Documentaries, DVD, DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews, Movie Reviews, Movies, Music, Reviews |
How does a man go from being self-described as one of the “biggest assholes ever to live” to being credited with saving numerous lives as a drug counselor? How did he go from leading L.A.’s premier “drunk rock” band to being the subject of a moving, thoughtful documentary in which music’s luminaries eulogize him warmly without him even being dead?
First, Bob Forrest did a lot of drugs. Then, he hit rock bottom. Then, he did some more drugs and had to hit rock bottom again. Eventually, he rebuilt himself into a sometimes respected, sometimes controversial addiction specialist.
Director Keirda Bahruth spent six years making Bob And The Monster, a documentary of Bob Forrest’s journey of addiction and redemption. Told with archival footage, claymation, and animation, as well as new music from Bob Forrest, it’s a touching, sometimes infuriating, and illuminating movie.