DVD/Blu-ray Reviews

After an eight year hiatus of major animated theatrical releases, thanks to World War 2 and lower box office returns, Disney would again take a major gamble, as he did with Snow White, and put into production a lavish animated fairy tale at the princely sum of ...

Troma Entertainment, one of the longest-running independent movie studios in United States history, is back in action with the release of Father’s Day, a four-disc set that practically oozes with blood and mayhem.  This over-the-top VHS-inspired Grindhouse ...

To say that the Roger Corman-produced Dinoshark is a bit of letdown is an understatement.  While it is refreshing to know that Corman is back doing what he does best with B-movies, this one is simply a dull excursion into dangerously...

MPAA Rating: R for some nudity, sexuality and brief language.
Runtime: 127 mins.
Director: Avi Nesher
Writer: Hadar Galron & Avi Nesher
Cast: Fanny Ardant; Ania Bukstein; Michal Shtamler ... complete cast
Tagline: The Secrets.
Genre: Foreign/Drama
Memorable Quote: "As Orthodox women, our liberation is more difficult than that of secular women." ... more quotes
Release Date: March 13, 2009
DVD Release Date: This title not yet on DVD.
Distributor: Monterey Media

Brutal is the immediate adjective that comes to mind when watching Takashi Miike’s 13 Assassins.  It’s a gloriously harsh and bloody affair; limbs and heads are hacked off and there are enough scenes of hari-kari to make even...

For the last week we’ve spent three individual articles exploring the history of Quentin Tarantino - his highs and lows, his techniques, trademarks - and now we explore his most recent film to be released - Django Unchained. He continues his quest to rewrite the ...

The age-old debate of nature vs. nurture gets an unsettling examination in We Need to Talk About Kevin, British filmmaker Lynne Ramsey’s adaptation of Lionel Shriver’s best-selling novel of the same name. While the nature vs. nurture discussion typically initiates ...

“A good many dramatic situations begin with screaming,” says Barbarella (Jane Fonda) on her way to save her winged friend.  Such is the reaction many people have to Fonda in the title role of Roger Vadim’s Franco-Italian science fiction flesh for fantasy film from 1968 ...

Beginning with the celebration of the arrival of spring by means of a massive bonfire in the center of town, Frederico Fellini’s Amarcord ignites in a blaze of heavy childhood memories. That’s its purpose. Amarcord literally means...

The musical genre of film cannot get any better than with George Cukor’s excellent screen adaptation of My Fair Lady.  Stephen Sondheim declares it victorious in the musical comedy department and, to this day, people still sing its praises ...

MPAA Rating: R for bloody horror violence and gore.
Runtime: 125 mins.
Director: Joe Johnston
Writer: Andrew Kevin Walker and David Self
Cast: Emily Blunt; Benicio del Toro; Anthony Hopkins ... complete cast
Tagline: Hang six Summer 2007.
Genre: Horror
Memorable Movie Quote: "Your brother's body was found in a ditch. He'd been torn to pieces. "
Release Date: February 12, 2010
DVD Release Date: Not yet on DVD.
Distributor: Universal Pictures

And, with this release, Spielberg makes good on his promise to never revisit his classic films and tweak them with newly-minted special effects, additional footage, and whatever PC changes modern times dictate. For its blu-ray release E.T. The Extra Terrestrial ....

MPAA Rating: R for bloody violence and pervasive language.
Runtime: 112 mins.
Director: Neill Blomkamp
Writer: Neill Blomkamp & Terri Tatchell
Cast: Sharlto Copley; Nathalie Boltt; Jason Cope ... complete cast
Tagline: You are not welcome here.
Genre: Sci-Fi
Memorable Quote: "At least they're keeping them separate from us." ... more quotes
Release Date: August 14, 2009
DVD Release Date: Not yet on DVD.
Distributor: Tri-Star Pictures

Think you know westerns?  If you haven’t seen High Noon, then you are two boots short of a genuine cowboy outfit.  In 1952, this “little” film defied the genre and saved all its bullet-slinging action for the final few moments.  And what of the rest of the film?  ...

Your choices are: (a) Ambitious (b) Pedestrian (c) Quaint.  Circle one of the words and you could anchor a review of Moontrap, written by Tex Ragsdale, around it.  For this review, it works best if I take elements from all three words because the flick is all about the gooey  ...