Archive for October 2011
Cars Collector’s Edition Is the Pick of the Week
A less than stellar sequel gets the full treatment.
Read MoreWilliam Castle is Back! And Deader Than Ever
Skeletons are not the only things to emerge from a Halloween weekend screening of House on Haunted Hill.
Read MoreLe Havre Movie Review: Another Low-Key Delight from Aki Kaurismäki
Impeccable composition, glorious art direction and a charming, fantasy-tinged tale make Aki Kaurismäki’s latest a must-see.
Read MoreThe Howling: Reborn Blu-ray Review: Direct-to-Video meets Direct-to-Bargain-Bin
They should have included a free pooper-scooper, so that it could be disposed of properly.
Read MoreThe Captains DVD Review: William Shatner Logs Interviews with Peers
A must-have for any Trek fan.
Read MoreAct of Vengeance (1974) DVD Review: Watch Out, Men, ‘Cuz the Rape Squad is Here!
Guaranteed to have you waltzing in to take a hot shower once it’s over.
Read MoreSmiles of a Summer Night Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: All’s Well That Ends Well
Ingmar Bergman’s film will deliver a smile any night.
Read MoreBook Review: The Vampire Film: From Nosferatu to True Blood – A Highly Recommended Reference Book
Alain Silver and James Ursini have revised their already wonderful book to include several recent entries of vampire lore.
Read MoreThe Four Feathers (1939) Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Offers Quite a Bit of Excitement
Harry Faversham’s journey from coward to hero.
Read MoreIsland of Lost Souls (1932) Criterion Collection DVD Review: Are We Not Men?
One of the most unsettling films ever.
Read MoreCream: Live at Royal Albert Hall London 2005 Blu-ray Review: I’m So Glad This Was Recorded
A great concert disc showcasing their triumphant return.
Read MoreGrayeagle DVD Review: Charles B. Pierce’s Faux Native American, er, “Epic”
Is that red face paint you’re wearing, or are you really that embarrassed to be in this movie?
Read MoreThe Killing Criterion Collection DVD Review: A Day at the Races
The pairing of two early flicks from legendary director Stanley Kubrick makes for great viewing pleasure.
Read MoreLaurel & Hardy: The Essential Collection Is the Pick of the Week
The classic comedy duo get the big box treatment.
Read MoreWinnie the Pooh Combo Pack: A Wonderful Return to the Classic Characters
Geared more towards younger viewers but there are some clever moments for adults.
Read MoreA Big Box Of Cowboys, Aliens, Robots, and Death Rays Review: 75 Percent Accurate is Still Pretty Good
A good set for anyone interested in B westerns, sci-fi, and classic spooky fun from the 1930s.
Read MoreThe Four Feathers (1939) Criterion Collection DVD Review: One Man’s Journey of Redemption
Zoltan Korda’s adaptation is a nice piece of viewing history.
Read MoreBatman: Year One Two-Disc DVD Review: Rise of the Bat
So similar to the original comic book it might as well be a motion comic.
Read MoreCriterion Collection Eclipse Series #29 DVD Review: Aki Kaurismaki’s Leningrad Cowboys
Two films and a concert from the ultra-hip Leningrad Cowboys.
Read MoreBook Review: Alien Vault: The Definitive Story of the Making of the Film by Ian Nathan
In space, they would hear you scream with delight.
Read MoreNew York Film Festival 2011 Review: The Artist: Evoking Memories of Buster Keaton
A brand new silent film pays tribute to the visual masters and cinematic language of the past.
Read MoreKuroneko Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Things That Go Bump In The Night
Creates some spooky atmosphere but fails to drive a compelling narrative.
Read MorePirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Blu-ray Review: Few Pirates, No Caribbean, But Still Fun
Jack Sparrow’s fourth outing isn’t his best, but it is leagues better than the previous one.
Read MoreLEGO Star Wars: The Padawan Menace Combo Pack Review: NNNNOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Sombrero Grande has a bad feeling about this.
Read MoreWilly Wonka & the Chocolate Factory 40th Anniversary Edition Is the Pick of the Week
Willy Wonka gets a big box set for its anniversary.
Read MoreTake Shelter Movie Review: Preparing for the Storm
A compelling family drama anchored by Michael Shannon’s captivating performance.
Read MoreNew York Film Festival 2011 Review: Martha Marcy May Marlene: A Chilling Parable of Millennial Pessimism
Writer/Director Sean Durkin’s indie thriller may be this generation’s Rosemary’s Baby.
Read MoreLeap Year (2011) DVD Review: A Painful Portrait Of Isolation
An unflinching story of loneliness, set almost entirely in a small Mexico City apartment.
Read MoreHarakiri Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: The Samurai Condition
A masterful indictment of the morally bankrupt samurai system.
Read MoreTerri DVD Review: The Outsiders
Has its charming moments, but fails to develop into a meaningful whole.
Read MoreThe Tree of Life Combo Pack Review: A Film About Life and Just as Confusing
I came looking for a story and only got parts of one.
Read MoreThe Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift Movie Review: An Enjoyable Escape
Brain Candy!
Read MoreNew York Film Festival 2011 Review: Martin Scorsese’s Hugo: A Valentine to Cinema
Scorsese’s new film is a pleasant surprise for the NYFF audience.
Read MoreThe Tree of Life Is the Pick of the Week
Terrence Malick’s new flick comes out this week and I’m ready to buy.
Read MoreFear and Loathing in Las Vegas Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Buy the Disc, Take the Ride
Highly recommended for Thompson fans and mildly recommended for Gilliam fans.
Read MoreBook Review: Music on Film: A Hard Day’s Night by Ray Morton
Morton succinctly tells the fascinating story of a classic movie musical that still enchants audiences.
Read MoreNew York Film Festival 2011 Review: Shame
Controversy is coming in director Steve McQueen’s sexy, disturbing new film.
Read MoreAngel of Evil DVD Review: The Italian Mesrine
So similar to Mesrine in content and execution that there’s little to distinguish it.
Read MoreNew York Film Festival 2011 Review: The Kid with a Bike: A Harrowing Tale of Troubled Tweenhood
Don’t kid yourself! The new film by the Dardenne brothers is a must-see.
Read MoreStraw Dogs (1971) Blu-ray Review: Don’t Mess With Dustin Hoffman, Dammit!
A fine-looking transfer that sadly, lacks any remarkable features.
Read MorePixar Short Films Collection Volume 1 DVD Review: A Study in Animation
A great collections of shorts that shows the company developing its talent and techniques.
Read MoreBlood Simple Blu-ray Review: The Coen Brothers’ Impressive Debut Launches a Few Careers
A well-plotted, modern-day film noir.
Read MoreNew York Film Festival 2011: Susan Orlean’s Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend
The greatest movie star of the 1920s was a dog. The new book about him is anything but.
Read MoreNew York Film Festival 2011: Melancholia Cast Comments About Lars von Trier
The controversial Danish director is back with the feel-bad hit of the fall.
Read MoreMy Life As a Dog Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: A Boy’s Eccentric Journey to Manhood
Lasse Halstrom knows just how to balance the lightness of the eccentric characters against the main themes of the film.
Read MoreO Brother, Where Art Thou? Blu-ray Review: An Epic High-Def Upgrade
While not one of the Coen Brothers’ best, O Brother looks incredible on Blu-ray.
Read MoreThe Phantom Carriage Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Spooky Silent Cinema That Transcends Genre
The father of Swedish cinema directs a film that obsessed Ingmar Bergman, and might do the same to you.
Read MoreShut Up, Little Man! Movie Review: Viral Outrageousness from the Pre-Internet Age
An amusing/disturbing, funny/depressing little documentary about a nearly forgotten cult “audio verite” hit from 20 years ago.
Read MoreKen Burns’ Prohibition Is the Pick of the Week
Lots of good releases this week, but my vote goes to the ever impressive Ken Burns.
Read MoreNew York Film Festival 2011 Review: Ben-Hur (1959)
Flawless restoration, flawed presentation.
Read MoreLe Beau Serge and Les Cousins Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: The True Origins of the French New Wave
Often unsung, Claude Chabrol’s debut films reveal his early mastery of the craft.
Read MoreThe Count of Monte Cristo (2002) Blu-ray Review: Why Bother?
Why should Disney put any effort into a film that couldn’t even get its own story straight to begin with?
Read MoreThe Tempest (2010) Blu-ray Review: A Nightmare of Pretentiousness
I’ll stick to Forbidden Planet if it’s all the same to you.
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