Love Is News DVD Review: The News Is Good
By Steve Geise |
A charming romantic comedy starring Tyrone Power and Loretta Young.
Midsomer Murders: Set 20 Blu-ray Review: Crime and Bemusement in the English Countryside
By Steve Geise |
Retiring star John Nettles is the best reason to watch these uninspired mysteries.
LEGO Ninjago Masters of Spinjitzu: Season One DVD Review: A Fun but Lightweight Extended Toy Commercial
By Steve Geise |
Show serves as a marketing vehicle for successful Ninjago toy line but fails to serve as serious entertainment.
The Samurai Trilogy Criterion Collection DVD Review: Mifune in His Physical Prime
By Steve Geise |
Director Hiroshi Inagaki and acting legend Toshiro Mifune combine to tell the epic story of folk hero Musashi Miyamoto.
American Reunion Blu-ray Review: Reunited and It Feels So Good
By Steve Geise |
The American Pie gang reconvene to celebrate their 13th high school reunion.
Doc Martin Series 5 DVD Review: Baby Makes Three, Doesn’t Spoil the Chemistry
By Steve Geise |
The good doctor and the rest of his neighbors in Portwenn continue to produce a charming show.
Shame (2011) Blu-ray Review: A Shameful Waste of Michael Fassbender’s Acting Talent
By Steve Geise |
Fassbender shines in this murky mess.
Wallander: The Revenge Movie Review: Original Book Author Contributes a Terrific Film Plot
By Steve Geise |
Sweden’s most famous fictional police investigator is back on the beat in this new film penned by his creator, Henning Mankell.
Summer with Monika Criterion Collection Blu-Ray Review: Bergman in Love
By Steve Geise |
Ingmar Bergman’s simple and predictable tale is highlighted by an ethereal middle third.
Certified Copy Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Certified Original
By Steve Geise |
Great performances by the two leads outweigh the questionable plot shift.
Sherlock: Season Two Blu-ray Review: It’s Elementary That You Must Watch This
By Steve Geise |
Benedict Cumberbatch is completely effective in the lead role of this modern take on the classic sleuth.
The Secret World of Arrietty Blu-ray Review: Another Ghibli Gem
By Steve Geise |
Miyazaki doesn’t direct this time around, but you’ll never be able to tell the difference.
Hell on Wheels: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Review: The Boiling Melting Pot
By Steve Geise |
Solid writing makes the show worth watching in spite of its dusty historical setting.
The Avengers (2012) Movie Review: Merry Marvel Mayhem
By Steve Geise |
Joss Whedon delivers an epic superhero team-up full of action and laughs.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1979) Blu-ray Review: The Spy Who Went Out in the Cold
By Steve Geise |
Alec Guinness fully inhabits the famed role of retired spy George Smiley in this 1979 BBC miniseries.
Late Spring Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: A Moving Look at a Family’s Season of Change
By Steve Geise |
Director Yasujiro Ozu paints a heartbreaking portrait of a modern woman trapped by tradition.
Frozen Planet Blu-ray Review: BBC Hits the Poles
By Steve Geise |
The singular focus on polar nature wears thin, but the HD photography is spellbinding.
Astonishing X-Men: Dangerous DVD Review: Joss Whedon Earns His Marvel Stripes
By Steve Geise |
Whedon proves to be a master in Marvel’s mutant universe, but the motion effects are subpar in the early stages.
David Lean Directs Noel Coward Criterion Collection DVD Boxset Review: Box of Delights
By Steve Geise |
A fascinating look at a winning creative partnership predating Lean’s later widescreen epics.
Secret Pleasures DVD Box Set Review: Asian Grab Bag
By Steve Geise |
A sampler of unrelated and unspectacular but offbeat Asian films.
In the Garden of Sounds DVD Review: Who Says Blindness is a Disability?
By Steve Geise |
A fascinating portrait of a caring man who refuses to be limited by his disability.
The Last Temptation of Christ Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Still Controversial
By Steve Geise |
The loopy ending still detracts from the rest of the fairly conventional film.
Todd & the Book of Pure Evil: The Complete First Season DVD Review: Join the Cult
By Steve Geise |
Slackers team up to save the world from an evil book of spells.
Vanya on 42nd Street Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: A Timeless Theatrical Experiment
By Steve Geise |
Louis Malle’s final film captures a performance that was never intended to be public.
Justice League: Doom Blu-ray Review: Action Triumphs over Plot
By Steve Geise |
Plenty of action, but not much in the way of story or character development.
World on a Wire Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: The Nature of Unnatural Reality
By Steve Geise |
While the plot is obvious, the film’s cerebral take on sci fi and impressive ’70s cinematography make it well worth its lengthy running time.
A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas Blu-ray Review: The 19th Best Christmas Movie of All Time
By Steve Geise |
A funny return to form for this generation’s Cheech and Chong.
Three Outlaw Samurai Criterion Collection DVD Review: Three is the Magic Number
By Steve Geise |
A serviceable samurai yarn spotlighted by a rewarding underdog story and above average fight scenes.
After Fall, Winter Movie Review: Love in the Time of Desperation
By Steve Geise |
Schaeffer revisits his character from 15 years ago and develops another ill-fated romance.
Belle de Jour Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: How Severine Got Her Groove Back
By Steve Geise |
A luminous young Catherine Deneuve crafts a memorable portrait of a bored, rich housewife exploring her dangerous proclivities.
Glee: The Concert Blu-ray Review: Fun Performances, Lame Interludes
By Steve Geise |
The kids put on an entertaining show but are hampered by fan interviews interspersed between songs.
Tokyo Drifter Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Style Over Substance
By Steve Geise |
Jam-packed with more than enough visual artistry to compensate for its lightweight story.
West Side Story 50th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray Review: The Story’s Not the Thing
By Steve Geise |
The choreography and music dazzle in HD, but the story still falls flat.
Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva DVD Review: Animated Sleuthing Success
By Steve Geise |
A richly illustrated full-length film based on the Nintendo DS puzzle game series.
Fanny & Alexander Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Bergman’s Documentary Trumps Feature Film
By Steve Geise |
While the film is somewhat bloated and slow, its accompanying documentary is revelatory.
Atlas Shrugged Part One DVD Review: Who Is John Aglialoro?
By Steve Geise |
Surprisingly faithful to the source material but hampered by lackluster casting and mediocre direction.
Blue Velvet 25th Anniversary Blu-ray Review: Just As Good As You Remembered It
By Steve Geise |
Sparkling new Blu-ray release with newly discovered deleted scenes proves you can go home again.
Cars 2 Blu-ray Review: Stuck in Neutral
By Steve Geise |
Pixar’s first misstep fails to capture the heart of the original.
Batman: Year One Two-Disc DVD Review: Rise of the Bat
By Steve Geise |
So similar to the original comic book it might as well be a motion comic.
Kuroneko Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Things That Go Bump In The Night
By Steve Geise |
Creates some spooky atmosphere but fails to drive a compelling narrative.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Blu-ray Review: Few Pirates, No Caribbean, But Still Fun
By Steve Geise |
Jack Sparrow’s fourth outing isn’t his best, but it is leagues better than the previous one.
Harakiri Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: The Samurai Condition
By Steve Geise |
A masterful indictment of the morally bankrupt samurai system.
Terri DVD Review: The Outsiders
By Steve Geise |
Has its charming moments, but fails to develop into a meaningful whole.
Angel of Evil DVD Review: The Italian Mesrine
By Steve Geise |
So similar to Mesrine in content and execution that there’s little to distinguish it.
Dum Maaro Dum DVD Review: Crime in Paradise
By Steve Geise |
Crime and punishment in a beachside paradise.
Book Review: Star Wars Omnibus: The Complete Saga Episode I – VI: Greedo Shoots First Here Too
By Steve Geise |
If you’re still on the fence about the Blu-ray collection, these may be the comics you’re looking for.
The Phantom Carriage Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Impressive Ghost of Cinema Past
By Steve Geise |
Well-crafted effects and a timeless tale make for a fine Swedish silent film.
The Butcher, the Chef, and the Swordsman DVD Review: Three Tales, One Blade, Zero Entertainment
By Steve Geise |
Brash young director Wuershan fails to impress with his modern take on martial arts cinema.
Bridesmaids DVD Review: A Star Is Born
By Steve Geise |
A hilarious star-making turn for writer/lead actress Kristen Wiig.
Brand New Day Blu-ray Review: Fast Forward to the Songs
By Steve Geise |
Charming songs and a promising start can’t overcome bloated and meandering road trip.