Category: External Movie DVDs (Page 9 of 74)

A Single Man

July 5, 2010 / Jason Zingale

Renowned fashion designer Tom Ford must have been chomping at the bit to make his jump into feature films, but he was smart to hold out for the right project, because it’s hard to imagine a directorial debut more perfect than “A Single Man.” Based on the novel of the same name by Christopher Isherwood, the film take place over the course of a single day as middle-aged college professor George Falconer (Colin Firth) contemplates suicide following the death of his longtime partner, who was killed in a car accident eight months prior. George spends the day reminiscing about the past, putting his affairs in order, and even enjoying a dinner date with his childhood friend (Julianne Moore) without anyone the wiser, but when one of his students (Nicholas Hoult) takes a sudden interest in his well-being, George begins to rethink his fatal plan.

Admittedly, not a whole lot happens over the course of the film’s 99-minute runtime, but it’s so visually stunning that the anemic plot isn’t a big problem. With Ford’s background in fashion, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the ‘60s-era costumes and production design are flawless, but Eduard Grau’s cinematography is the real treat, transforming the movie into a perfume ad come to life that beautifies the style and sophistication of the period. Colin Firth also delivers a career-best performance as a broken man struggling to get through the day without falling apart in front of his friends and colleagues, and Moore and Hoult offer ample support in limited roles. Though the movie does drag a bit during its final act, “A Single Man” is a poignant drama about love and loss that will serve as the perfect calling card should Ford decide to quit his day job and focus on filmmaking.

Click to buy “A Single Man”

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A Single Man A Single Man review Christopher Isherwood Colin Firth Eduard Grau Julianne Moore Nicholas Hoult Tom Ford

Blu Tuesday: Hot Tub Time Machine, The White Ribbon and Predator

June 29, 2010 / Jason Zingale

Now that the U.S. has been eliminated from the World Cup, most Americans will probably get back to their normal lives, but for diehard soccer fans like me, the quadrennial tournament remains the best form of entertainment around. Nevertheless, there are still several great titles being released this week, so if you are looking for something to pad out your daily soccer diet, you’ll have plenty of options to choose from.

“Hot Tub Time Machine” (20th Cent. Fox)

It won’t become a cult classic any time soon, and the title is probably the funniest thing about it, but “Hot Tub Time Machine” is still a solid comedy thanks to its great cast and a smart script by Sean Anders and John Morris – the same guys responsible for the equally funny “Sex Drive” and “She’s Out of My League.” From the inspired casting of John Cusack and Crispin Glover (who’s involved in a hilarious running gag involving his bellhop character losing his arm), to playful nods to “Red Dawn” and the King of Bullies himself, William Zabka, the film is a love letter to popular 80s cinema with the comic sensibility of today’s R-rated comedies. It’s just too bad that the Blu-ray’s special features are so tame, because this is a movie that would have benefited from hours of outtakes.

“The White Ribbon” (Sony Pictures)

Michael Haneke’s “The White Ribbon” – winner of the 2009 Palm D’Or and Globe Globe for Best Foreign Language Picture – features an intriguing story, solid acting, and some truly beautiful cinematography. And yet, it’s perhaps one of the most unsatisfying films that I’ve seen in the last few years. Set in 1913 Northern Germany on the eve of World War I, the film centers around a series of mysterious accidents involving the children of a small farming village. Like most of Haneke’s films, “The White Ribbon” is a slow-burn – building tension over the course of its lengthy 144-minute runtime – but when it arrives at its climactic ending, the only thing that the director has to show for it is an open-ended analogy to WWI that will likely confuse and frustrate a lot of people. Up until that point, however, Haneke delivers one helluva suspense film, and though you might not like the way it ends, it’s worth seeing for the craftsmanship alone.

“Predator” (MGM)

With Robert Rodriguez’s reboot of the sci-fi action franchise due out on July 9th, MGM has unsurprisingly re-released the original “Predator” on Blu-ray for the second time in two years. What makes this edition different than the first, however, is a new digital restoration that holds up remarkably well, despite some special effect shots that really show their age. I almost forgot how much fun this movie is, and although Arnold Schwarzenegger is without a doubt the star of the film, the supporting actors definitely leave their mark – from Carl Weather’s cocky CIA agent to Jesse Ventura’s minigun-carrying commando. The single-disc effort also boasts a sneak peek of “Predators” and a new featurette that takes a look at the legacy of the original movie with interviews by Rodriguez and Nimrod Antal. If nothing else, it will serve to get you excited for the new film when it rolls into theaters in a few weeks.

Also Out This Week:

“The Crazies” (Universal)
“The Warlords” (Magnolia)
“When You’re Strange” (Eagle Rock)
“Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief” (20th Century Fox)

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Blu Tuesday Blu-ray new releases Hot Tub Time Machine Blu-ray Percy Jackson & the Olympians Blu-ray Predator Blu-ray The Crazies Blu-ray The Warlords Blu-ray The White Ribbon Blu-ray When You're Strange Blu-ray

Blu Tuesday: Green Zone, She’s Out of My League and Entourage

June 22, 2010 / Jason Zingale

With the World Cup in full swing, you’d think that the studios would have taken advantage of the event by releasing a few soccer-related titles on Blu-ray. (“Bend It Like Beckham” or “Victory,” anyone?) It was definitely a lost opportunity, but that’s okay, because there are still plenty of great titles to choose from, including the Blu-ray debuts of two HBO comedies.

“Green Zone” (Universal)

Though not as exhilarating as the “Bourne” films, or as poignant as “United 93,” director Paul Greengrass’ post-9/11 thriller, “Green Zone,” is still a damn fine movie that takes a politically-charged look at the botched search for WMDs in Iraq during the infancy of the 2003 United States-led invasion. Matt Damon once again teams up with Greengrass as the Chief Warrant Officer in charge of the investigation, only to realize after coming up empty on several occasions that the “solid intel” he’s been given may not be as reliable as his superiors believe. Greengrass’ trademark shooting style will still have some popping Dramamine just to keep from feeling dizzy, but the chaotic nature of the action makes sense in a war zone environment. I’m not entirely sure why this bombed so badly at the box office, but Universal clearly still believes in the film enough to release a Blu-ray that’s been adorned with plenty of bells and whistles.

“She’s Out of My League” (Paramount)

It’s not exactly the most original romantic comedy to come down the pike, but thanks to some sharp writing and great performances from its cast, “She’s Out of My League” is a great Judd Apatow clone that will have you laughing more than you might expect. Jay Baruchel is like a young Ben Stiller as the anemic geek who can’t believe he’s dating someone as hot as Alice Eve, and though the movie never gets quite as crazy as “There’s Something About Mary,” there are definitely shades of the film throughout. But just like that movie, as well as Apatow’s “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” and “Knocked Up,” “She’s Out of My League” really gets a lift from its supporting players, particularly T.J. Miller and Kristen Ritter as the mean-spirited best friends of the two leads. Pity Paramount couldn’t scrounge up better special features, because while “She’s Out of my League” is worth owning, the lackluster Blu-ray is better off just renting.

Action Movies, Entourage, External Movie DVDs, Movie Comedies, Movie Dramas, Movie DVDs, Movies, TV Comedies, TV DVDs

A Star is Born Blu-ray Alice Eve Blu Tuesday Blu-ray new releases Green Zone Blu-ray Hung Blu-ray Red Desert Blu-ray Remember Me Blu-ray She's Out of My League Blu-ray The Last Station Blu-ray

Blu Tuesday: Vengeance Trilogy

June 15, 2010 / Jason Zingale

Though it’s technically been available for a few months due to an exclusivity deal with Best Buy, Park Chan-wook’s “Vengeance Trilogy” is available everywhere else starting today, so it seemed like a good time to finally take a look at this fantastic four-disc set from Palisades Tartan’s Asia Extreme division. Since I’ve already reviewed all three films in some capacity over the years, I’m not going to again, other than to say that “Oldboy” remains the highlight of the trio and “Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance” the most overrated. “Lady Vengeance,” on the other hand, is even better when watching the “Fade to White” version – a previously unreleased cut of the movie that is slowly drained of color until it eventually dissolves into black and white.

The “Fade to White” edition of “Lady Vengeance” is just one of many new extras that appear on the four-disc set. It’s also the only way to purchase two of the three films on Blu-ray in the U.S. (“Oldboy” has been available for a few years now), and although that may seem like a pretty voracious decision on the part of the studio, they’ve clearly done their research, because I haven’t come across too many people who want to own one of the films and not the others. With that said, Palisades Tartan has done everything in their power to make these new Ultimate Revenge Editions truly ultimate in every way. Both “Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance” and “Lady Vengeance” boast audio commentaries with Chan-wook and his lead actors, as well as hours of production featurettes, interviews and more. They also look and sound great thanks to brilliant 1080p video transfers that really play to the film’s strengths, and DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio tracks.

Of course, I’ve saved the best for last. While “Oldboy” isn’t quite as technically impressive as the other two films – namely due to an error on the packaging that promises a DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio track that doesn’t exist – the studio does make up for it with some killer extras. There are so many, in fact, that it’s a bit surprising that they didn’t decide to split up the content between two discs like they did with “Lady Vengeance.” Along with three commentary tracks – one with Chan-wook, another with him and cinematographer Chung Chung-Hoon, and the last one with the director and his cast – the Ultimate Revenge Edition also includes all the deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes documentaries, and interviews that have appeared on previous releases. The piece de resistance of the Blu-ray, however, is “The Autobiography of Oldboy,” a three-hour video diary that goes about as in-depth into the making of a film as you could possibly get.

Some studios are all too quick to splash around words like “special” and “ultimate,” but Palisades Tartan’s four-disc release of Park Chan-wook’s “Vengeance Trilogy” more than lives up to its billing thanks to an incredible collection of special features and a supplemental booklet filled with essays about each movie. Chan-wook’s ultra-violent revenge tales aren’t for everyone, but for fans of his twisted trilogy, this is quite the love letter.

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Blu Tuesday Lady Vengeance Blu-ray Lady Vengeance Fade to White Oldboy Blu-ray Park Chan-wook Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance Blu-ray Vengeance Trilogy Vengeance Trilogy Blu-ray

Movie news for now people

June 14, 2010 / Bob Westal

Get hip, hepcats and hepkitties.

* Somewhere between a rumor an an actual story, the ‘net geek movie item of today has to have been the flurry of speculation around the notion of Harry Potter director David Yates taking on the two-film directing gig on “The Hobbit” recently vacated by Guillermo del Toro. The Playlist claims to know that Yates has actually been offered the position though, even if true, in Hollywood there are a millions slips twixt cup and lip, so to speak, and the fun debates over who would be available and appropriate for the job continue. My first response was that Yates, a highly competent craftsman, wasn’t really enough of a visionary for the gig but, considering that del Toro and Peter Jackson remain pretty deeply involved, perhaps they’ve got visionaries enough on that project.

* On a somewhat similar note, Robert Rodriguez has possibly been offered a shot at directing a Deadpool movie. Since I missed the Wolverine movie and haven’t read Marvel Comics in a very long time, I have no idea what this actually means. I’ll learn.