The Whistleblower highlights one of the scummiest things people can do to each other. Sex for money isn’t new. Sex for money when the choice is made by everyone involved to participate isn’t lovely but it’s still a choice. Buying and selling human beings, women and children, for the purpose of forcing them to be fucked by greasy sleazy MEN is beyond vile. The essence of this growing money making evil is that MEN want to get a hard on, have an ejaculation, abuse another human being and then throw them away. If you think it’s any thing other than that you are either an idiot, delusional, or one of THEM.

It’s an infuriating, incredibly depressing subject, and yet this film elevates it to more than a cause. It’s an attack on freedom, life, liberty, choice, living a fulfilling satisfying life or at least getting that right that everyone should have. The direction is delicate but at times up close with that hand held feel to keep us in the mind of the lead character. A woman who transfers to a foreign land surrounded by corruption, greed, filth, MEN wallowing in self indulgence and want. She is driven to do the right thing and finds a brick wall at every step. It’s based on a true true story.

The performances are the same, delicate, hard core and solid. There is not one moment when any of the actors seems like an actor. It’s a quality international cast that cross every layer of this grotesque world. There is a Herzoeovinian mother, played beautifully as she struggles with having her teenage daughter go missing. There are soldiers of all kinds. horribly horrible, noble, creepy, and respectable. There are upper management people, some cold and robotic, some who want to crack the system and make things right. The teenage girls are the real stars of this show though. Even Rachel Weisz, who is amazing, is out shined by these fantastic young performers. They handle their roles with the exact right amount of liveliness and horror and depth. I wanted to protect them and painfully murder the assholes who do such unspeakable things to them….all in the name of debauchery and cash. Ugh…this is a real thing people, men buying young women to abuse and sexually violate, all while creating a culture of giving no value to their lives other than dollars and cum. Yes, it’s ugly and uncomfortable. All this unpleasantness is still presented in a way that is captivating and full of tension, the right balance to make it at least palatable enough to get the point across.

Features: 3/10

• Kathy Bolkovac: The Real Whistleblower – A 5 minute behind the scenes with a really short interview with the real lady of this story. Such a missed opportunity in terms of extras on this disc.

Cover Art and Menus: 6/10
I wouldn’t want this cover to outshine the content of the movie. It’s fine if not a bit of a lost opportunity. I would like to see something more specific, but it’s fine as it is. The menu is the same, functional. That’s fine with me for this movie.





Audio & Video: 7/10 (By Ascully)
The Whistleblower is actually quite an ugly film. This is not a bad thing as the story is also ugly and the images portrayed really amplify the fact. Director of photography Kieren McGuigan has given the film an intentional grain that permeates the entire frame. One of the hardest things for encoders is to preserve grain but FOX have kept the grain and not touched the film with the dreaded DNR. If I had to complain about anything here it’s a very strong crush in the black areas of the image. I actually feel it might be intentional but on occasion (very dark corridor shots) you do end up looking at mostly nothing.

Audio comes courtesy of FOX’s lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround mix. This is quite a talky movie so there is nothing here that will blow you away but the dialog is centered and clear for the most part. When I say for the most part there are several areas where I couldn’t tell what was being said, again it could have been intentional but worth of note anyway.

I really enjoy dark true stories like The Whistleblower. Well, enjoy is probably not the right word, but if you like something that will challenge you to think about things happening right under your nose that you might not be aware of otherwise, take a look at this film. I think you will be suitably educated.


Value: 7/10
There is nothing about this movie on Blu-Ray that should speak louder than the topic and the movie itself. So, if you find it for 20 or less it’s a valuable purchase. It’s a film to watch with a select few people. It’s worth the long conversation afterwards that will most definitely happen.

Overall Score 9/10

The best part of Transformers 3 are the special effects and the scope of the danger we piddly ass humans are in. The building falling over, the scale of the destruction, the bad guys, and the detail of the transforming, it’s all more more more. Bigger and more, these are the signs of a block buster summer flick, not a thinking quiet masterpiece. Keep that in mind as you watch the low brow chuckles and mostly naked ass we are subjected to in the first minute of the movie. Men..blah

I do long for the good old days when Witwicky was new to the alien robot world and we hadn’t yet been innodanted with very boring, very unfunny ‘side kicks’. What the hell is wrong with these writers and director? What exactly seems funny about exploiting folks with accents or hinting at horrible racial stereotypes? Are they so rich and above us all that they forget to not be so rude to the world? That’s the worst thing going in all the Tranformer movies, the very very very bad taste tucked into every nook and cranny. Other than that I always find a good time lurking between the eye-rolls and sighs.

There was only a little visit with the comic stylings of Witwicky’s parents, which is kind of unfortunate. I like them even if they are a bit much sometimes. Dempsy makes a good snively rich guy who may or may not be in cahoots with the overlord metal factions. He’s making eyes for the woman in our heroe’s life, which makes him even less charming. I did like the young lady who played opposite LaBeouf, or whatever his name is. I am too lazy right now to look up their names, but you know who I’m talking about. She’s pretty tough and brave and her acting out classes our bumbling leading man by about 165%. The voices of the transformers are all pretty good, except the really super annoying “funny” ones. I say “funny” in quotation marks because they are not funny, just in case you weren’t sure where I was going with that.

For this installment Witwicky has a new girlfriend, of course, has no job, is on the outs with the government, and is mostly dispensible to the real story. The alien robots have more secrets. The bad guy robots are looking for something, while the good guy robots are becoming a nusance to mankind. When the evil robots actually come around and start blowing shit up, including lots of innocent by standers I perked up. I mean, these movies generally don’t have much in the way of collateral damage when it comes to human life, so this time it takes a darker turn. When it comes to alien invasions I’m all over any movie that goes down that path. For Tranformers 3 they do a pretty good job of giving the vibe of our whole planet being in jeapardy. What would it be like to have the human race enslaved by an alien neighbor? It actually got me to feel more supportive of the fighting folks, the soldiers who keep coming back for each movie, for nutsy ex-FBI guy, and even Witwicky and his girlfriend. They are what stands between our freedom and being the under appreciated work force for an alien race who want their world to be rebuilt brick by brick, or whatever their world is built with. I had to root for the flimsy humans, it only seemed right.

Overall I really had a good time, minus the few eye rolls and brief wishes that they would just let the franchise go away. The specticle of the special effects is enough to get my approval. To hear Bumble Bee piece together phrases to get his point across, I love that. Was that a sentence? Whatever. If you want a brainiac movie do I need to tell you not to watch this or any of the Transformers flicks? If so, maybe brianiac movies aren’t up your alley.


Features: 9/10

• Above & Beyond: Exploring Dark Of The Moon – A five part documentary that is almost as long as the film itself (1hour 50 minutes). This covers all aspects of the production and is as awesome as it sounds. Michael Bay also goes into great detail on the process of shooting in 3D so if you are interested in the latest technology this is for you.
• Uncharted Territory: NASA’s Future Then & Now – A 30 minute featurette that examines NASA’s space program. Lots of great footage of the international space station and interviews on where the space program will go next.
• Deconstructing Chicago: Multi Angle Sequences – Multiangle sequences from most of the major action scenes in the movie. You can even watch them with commentary by Michael Bay and a bunch of special effects wizards. This feature clocks in at around 40 minutes and usually I skip multi angle stuff but this time I didn’t.
• The Art Of Cybertron – Still galleries of all the robots used in the film. This is split into the following sections: Autobots, Decepticons, Enviroments, Weapons & Gear and Ships.
• The Dark Of The Moon Archive – A bunch of short featurettes that cover everything from sound editing to a look at the wing suits used in the iconic action scene.
• The Matrix Of Marketing – The teaser trailer, theatrical trailer, and all the films posters and merchandise are here for your viewing pleasure.
• 2D Blu-Ray – The standard 2D version of the movie in 1080P on Blu-Ray.
• DVD Version – A DVD copy for the kids bedroom, you know this one will keep them quiet for a while.
• UV Digital Copy – One of those new Ultraviolet digital copies that people seem to like these days.

Cover Art and Menus: 5/10
There is a giant robot on the cover, as would be expected. I don’t mind it, but it’s not very exciting. I wouldn’t have this as a poster, it’s just not interesting enough to look at everyday. I do like the Transformers logo, that would have been a nice bold look for the front of the box and I would have it in my house. The menus are tricked out with all the charm of a space ship control panel.





Audio & Video: 9/10 (By Ascully)
The transfer here is stellar. Bay shot the movie partially on film and partially digital but you won’t be able to see which is which as they did an awesome job of blending the two mediums. The picture is rich colorful and has the blackest blacks this side of the moon. In fact only an idiot would complain about this transfer it is indeed one of the finest in 2011.

I saw the 3D version theatrically and the Blu-Ray actually looks better than I remember in 3D. There is no sign of cross talk or fidelity loss here. It’s just an awesome looking sharp 1080P Blu-Ray 3D transfer that should be at the top of your demo pile.

As you might expect with a disc supervised by Michael Bay himself the audio is also out of this world. Encoded in a Dolby True-HD 7-1 mix this is possibly the best surround mix not just of this year but perhaps of all time. From the opening Paramount Logo with the famous metallic transformers sound effect that whooshes through all your speakers you can clearly tell a lot of care was taken here. If you thought the other two movies were great on Blu-Ray this release will convince you otherwise as it’s light years ahead in terms of audio and visuals. Give this disc a spin you will not be dissapointed. Well unless you hate Transformers movies!!!!!


Value: 9/10 (By Ascully)
We reviewed the 2D version of the Blu-Ray when it came out and my complaint was no extras and no 3D version of the movie. Well all is good with this new release as it literally changes everything including the final score. Paramount have packed enough special features onto the disc that even Optimus Prime would not have room in his trailer for them all. The 3D version of the movie is, of course, how it should be seen. If you held out for this version you will not be dissapointed.  If you bought the bare bones disc from a few months ago you can use the $10 coupon to get a discount on the new one :)

Overall Score 9/10

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Killer Elite has a strong testosteroney smell about it, smell, feel, sound, action, everything is manish. I would say manly, but that’s not really what I mean. It’s like Killer Elite was written by MEN who will put an unnaturally beautiful young woman in a flowery dress and boots, throwing hay stacks in a field out of the back of her rugged vehicle while she puffs a short breath from her natural lips  to gently toss the mussed hair from her face. You get the picture. Men write these things, direct these things, envision these things. Women, not so much.

There are a lot of really good fights in this flick, yes, good fights. For anyone who listens to our podcast or reads any of my past reviews of action movies, I get BORED during long drawn out fight scenes. I get it, you are kicking the crap out of each other and someone will be going down….let’s get to the point. Then again, there are fights put together that keep my eyes glued to every choreographed punch, kick, and chair (watch it to see what I mean). There is something about a tussle between two men when it’s severe but not brutal, well planned but not boring. The car chases, however, blah.

There is a lot to this movie that goes a step beyond a dude flick-o-rama. A story of assassins for hire, assassins for the government, killing in a war, killing for big business, it could get confusing, and for me it did. Every once in a while I had to just let go of my slight “HUH?” feeling, but that’s just me. Don’t let it worry you. My husband, the one with the penis in this relationship followed all the lame motivations for the pointless violence and greed and other penis related situations. :)

I enjoyed the cast, even if there are moments of bad accents, bad line delivery, throw away characters, that’s the ups and downs of a large group pulled together to tell the tale. The music feeds the tension in a good full frontal kind of way. The locations are awesome, taking us all around the world in that gritty immersive way. Overall the elements are quality, the combination is solid, the movie is a good time, and even with the slight details that needed to be elevated a bit it’s one of the best popcorn chomping flicks I’ve seen in a long time.


Features: 1/10

• Deleted Scenes – Quite a few deleted scenes here, but that is it for extras folks.
• DVD & Ultraviolet Digital Copy – A digital copy and DVD so you can watch anywhere you like.

Cover Art and Menus: 3/10
I would not have this cover as a poster. It’s boring and brain dead in the design appeal department. I think that covers the cover. The menu is completely forgettable since I forgot what it was and no matter how hard I try to dig it from my memory, it ain’t happening.





Audio & Video: 8/10 (By Ascully)
Another week another great looking Blu-Ray transfer, some might say a KILLER Blu-Ray transfer. Killer Elite boasts one of Universals finest looking discs to date with a beautiful 1080P/AVC encode that really is a level above the actual movie. There are a couple of instances of crush and some minor noise in the image (it sort of suits the films, grimy style anyway). That is all that stopped me giving this transfer a top score.

Speaking of score, the audio presentation is quite nice with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 encode that is quite aggressive and uses the surround speakers a lot. The opening scene with De Niro firing shots from an assault rifle is true showcase material. Unfortunately the movie has a problem with bad ADR it’s quite obvious some of the dialog was rerecorded in a studio then synced with the mouths later and at times it’s very distracting. This isn’t a problem with the disc though, so I cannot take points off for that. Overall Killer Elite is a mediocre movie with a above average presentation on Blu-Ray. If your an action junkie you should give it a spin.


Value: 5/10
With a pretty darn good action flick but no extras this package doesn’t demand much cash. I say if you find it for 10$ on Blu Ray, add it to your collection. If you want to just have a good Friday night at the movies on your couch, rent it and spend the rest on a 6 pack and bag of popcorn from the gas station…come on…you know it’s good stuff!!

Overall Score 6.5/10

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This time around, Po is struggling with finding his identity, as he discovers that his father, a goose, is not his real father, and that he was adopted.  Po of course is shocked (even though the whole goose/panda thing is obvious to just about everyone else).  Thus begins his journey, while at the same time he and the Five are sent on a mission by Master Schifu to find and destroy a weapon created by the evil Lord Shen (a peacock), played by Gary Oldman.  The new weapon is supposedly more powerful than even Kung Fu, and it threatens the whole existence of the art form, and the entire land of China.

On their journey, Po has flashes of memories of his childhood, and the memories are somehow tied to Lord Shen and his evil plan.  When they finally meet, Lord Shen knows all about Po and his fate, as the two are truly tied together.

Kung Fu Panda 2 is really a good movie.  It definitely focuses more on the story, and has a much more emotional feel than the original movie, which appeals more to adults than kids, while at the same time there is enough humor and action to keep the kids entertained.  I enjoyed the second movie, even though it took a little while to get going.  The voice acting was excellent (again), and the overall style of the movie was again excellent.  You kind of just have to wonder how many of these Kung Fu Panda movies we are going to get?  If they continue like this one, I am okay with the continuation.


Features: 9/10

• Kung Fu Panda : Secrets Of The Masters (New Film) - This is a 23 minute long short feature that focuses on some new characters in the movie: Croc, Storming Ox, and Thundering Rhino, who Po obviously looks up to, and are integral to the story.
• The Animators Corner - Focusing on the process of making the movie, this picture-in-picture feature goes in depth on the movie and how the animators brought it to life.  This is a nice extra, and worth the watch.
• Animation Inspiration - This section focuses on actual locations in China that the Director and animators used as inspiration for the locations created in the movie.  It is a pretty facinating thing to see the comparison here.
• Trivia Track - This is a pop up type of trivia that discusses various aspects of the movie.  It is interesting, if not a bit distracting.
• Kickin It With The Cast - This short focuses on the voice actors as they work on the movie.  It clocks in at about 13 minutes.
• Deleted Scenes - There are a few scenes that were left out of the movie that are showcased here.
• Panda Stories - This is a cool little 8 minute section on the plight of the endangered panda bear.  This is a nice little feature to show kids.
• Kung Fu Shuffle Game - There are two interactive games included on the Blu-ray, and they are defiintely for kids only.
• Ni Hao Learn to Speak Chinese - This is an interactive bit designed to promote and show how to speak basic Madarin Chinese.
• Kung Fu Panda : Legends of Awesomeness - This is a 24 minute short feature which is part of the new Nickelodeon Kung Fu Panda cartoon series.  It is a full episode.
• Filmmakers Commentary - Director Jennifer Yuh features on the commentary that goes in depth on a great deal of the movie and it’s development.  There is involvement with the production designer Raymond Zibach and head animator Rodolphe Guenoden, as they discuss the movie process.
• & More - 
• DVD & Digital Copy - We get both the DVD and the digital version of the movie, which is standard at this point, but appreciated as always.

Cover Art and Menus: 8/10
Stylized and bright, the cover and menus for Kung Fu Panda 2 are a continuation of the first, with Po and the gang looking menacing and ready for any fight.  Just like the movie, the cover and menus are the perfect fit for this movie, and add a lot to the presentation as a whole.





Audio & Video: 10/10
It does not get any better than this.  The 1080p MVC encode at 2.35:1 is fantastic, with insane clarity and color.  The action sequences are spectacular, and there are no issues with black levels or ghosting whatsoever.  The audio is also spectacular, with a peppy Dolby TrueHD setup that is constantly at work with ambient sounds coming from all directions, mixed with solid music and insane bass and action sequences.  This is truly an amazing presentation.

Value: 8/10
I am a big fan of the Kung Fu Panda series, and this second movie was better than the first.  It really is a strong release.  The Blu-ray release is spectacular, with a nice mix of extras.  This far exceeded my expectations, and the emotional driven story is a nice addition to the humor of the first movie.  If you enjoyed the first movie, you will really enjoy this second movie, and let’s be honest – how often can you say the sequel is better than the original?

Overall Score 8.5/10

Next, when the opening sequence started and stunned me into “oh my god I think I’m in love with this movie” mode, I flashed back to vague memories of seeing the box and thinking, “UGH another brain dead flick about cars and men and violence.”

I love being wrong. DO NOT tell that husband person.

This movie brings me to a place in my mind where entertainment really does take me away. I like that. The intentional pace, lots of quiet moments, characters I’m interested in, awesome performances, groovy 80′s style music, all swirled together and made me a happy comfy wife watching a good movie with the husband person. It does have a few cars, and there are men characters, and the violence rears its ugly head as a powerful ! throughout the story. The combination can cause me to be bored out of my mind, but not in Drive. I was interested in the lead character, a man. I had a somewhat annoyed reaction to his friend, a man character (happens to be Walt from Breaking Bad). The villains are all real assholes and played with enough quality moments to even make them part of the overall pleasureable experience.

I like brooding loner types when they are played with that delicate balance of brooding/loner and lovesick/loner at risk. It’s not new and my snotty tendencies could be prickled awake to be critical, but I won’t do it. Drive is good enough, moment by moment, line by line, intense breathing sequence to intense breathing sequence to get over the prickly skepticism.

This isn’t a movie for everyone. No kids, no easily rattled, no one who needs action and movement crammed in their face constantly. If you enjoy the less obvious types of movies, those with a hint of artsy directorial touches and that force you to do some of the thinking for yourself, Drive is right up your alley. (get it, drive, alley…yea)


Features: 7/10

• 4 Featurettes – Some pretty decent featurettes here, weirdly though Ryan Gosling is nowhere to be seen in the interview portions.
• Drive Without A Driver: Interview With Nicolas Winding Refn Documentary – I was initially disappointed that Director Nicolas Winding Refn was nowhere to be seen and there is no director commentary on this disc. Fortunately though you have this awesome interview that runs about 30 minutes. Refn is quite candid about the whole Hollywood process and talks about his earlier movies and funding Drive.

Cover Art and Menus: 2/10
Hate it, hate everything about the packaging. I would not have the cover as a poster. The only thing that is OK is the image on the disc, and even that is kind of just so-so.





Audio & Video: 9/10 (By Ascully)
Drive is an amazing movie, one of those rare movies that makes me think differently about film. Sony have a stellar Blu-Ray transfer here as well, with crisp blacks and superb detail in every scene Refn and Cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel make great use of the Golden Hour to give the movie a real 80′s look. You will be hard pressed to find a better looking movie, as every shot is intentionally glamorous looking. Even the ugly violence in the movie looks great, and this movie has some really dark ugly violence.

Audio is presented using the DTS-HD Master Audio codec and is a showcase for sound design. The opening scene is an interesting mix of a ball game, a police scanner and the roar of a car engine, it’s so masterfully mixed together the sound literally puts you on the edge of your seat. The soundtrack deserves a special mention, I for one picked it up the second the movie was over.

it’s not often a movie like this comes along and Drive makes me glad to be a movie fanatic. You would be mad to miss this one.


Value: 5/10
It’s a great movie with enough extras to add to the experience but not over do it. I think it’s worth a rental, but not really the whole 20 bucks you will find it for online at the moment. It might turn out to be one of those movies you want to watch over and over and over, so that will make it a good purchase, but still, wait a while for some discounted pricing if you can.

Overall Score 8/10

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The interaction between the humorous Carrey as Popper, with his classic facial expressions and overacting, and the real and CGI penguins is pretty interesting. As Popper starts to warm up to the icy birds, his business takes a hit, while his family life seems to flourish. The family friendly theme is a nice one, and with the overall cuteness of the birds, and Carrey’s infectious charm, the movie turns out to be unexpectedly fun.

Not all things in penguin land are rosy though, as the story and penguin poop jokes are at times a bit much, but I had a decent time with this movie. Like I stated earlier, Mr. Popper’s Penguins is a decent family movie that is squarely aimed at kids, who will find the movie irresistible. It does leave a bit to be desired for those older than 12 though.


Features: 7/10

• All New Animated Short: Nimrod & Stinky’s Antartic Adventure – This animated short is around 6 minutes in length, and features the penguins as they are the victims of an attempted penguin-napping from the evil zookeeper. This was a fun extra that my son enjoyed.
• Deleted Scenes - There are several deleted scenes that really are not needed. They are available with commentary from the Director and others, but again, they are not missed from the movie.
• Gag Reel - The gag reel is short, at just over 2 minutes, but it is cute.
• Penguin Pandemonium - This 3 minute feature is all about the CGI work that went into making the penguins in the movie.
• The Legacy Of Mr Poppers Penguins - The children’s book by the same name that inspired the movie is the focus of this 4 minute extra. Written by Richard and Florence Atwater, the book is the basis for the movie.
• & More - Also included are more extras that focus on real penguins at SeaWorld, a full length commentary with Director Mark Waters and others, and trailers for the movie.
• DVD & Digital Copy - Included with the Blu-ray are both the DVD and a digital version of the film.

Cover Art and Menus: 8/10
The cover for Mr. Popper’s Penguins features a close-up of Jim Carrey’s face (man he is getting older,but aren’t we all) surrounded by his 6 little ice loving penguin friends. It is a good cover, as is the menu, which has animated penguins and snowflakes with fun music and scenes from the movie. Both the cover and the menu are well done and great for this type of movie.





Audio & Video: 8.5/10
Both the audio and video for this movie are impressive, with an amazing sounding 5.1 Surround Sound presentation and a striking looking 1080p encode. The audio is sharp and has a lot of directional sound, as well as a happy feet sounding musical background, while the whole movie is crisp and colorful from start to finish.


Value: 7/10
This is a family movie, with Jim Carrey at his goofiest. For a children’s movie, one could do worse, and it is a decent watch for everyone. My son adores the movie, and my wife is also a big fan, so the replay value is definitely there. This is not a classic by any means, and the jokes tend to be a bit monotonous and on the gross side, but overall Mr. Popper’s Penguins is a fun little movie.

Overall Score 7/10

The music is awesome with the tension and a touch of sadness mixed with enough hopefulness to make a great accompaniment to the story. The story, while I’m on the subject is pretty clear from the title. A contagious virus has become a threat to humankind. It’s not a new idea, of course, so let’s get over that. The thing that makes this  movie special is the delicate but acute way the subject is handled. With subtle and excellent performances by everyone on the screen I felt a connection with almost all of the characters. Jude Law is fine with me, but that guy he played was not at the same level of being worthy of compassion or understanding. I can’t put my finger on why precisely, but it’s got to do with the kind of annoying personality traits this guy has. I think that’s on purpose, but it made him the weakness in the movie.

There is a compelling element to the end of human life, for some reason. I mean, the concept that something can and probably will wipe us out some day. If it’s because we are too close to each other physically, well, I guess there are worse ways to go. The ideas that mingle with social, economic, cultural, political, personal, intimate and on top you put the potential for extinction in a very ugly way, from disease, it becomes something I can’t take my eyes off of even if I try.

The reality that the people who work with contagious diseases on this planet are at the forefront of keeping us alive is a strong theme in this movie. I appreciate that. It’s a thankless job and I hope this reminds people that when we get a cough and go to the doctor followed by a shot or pill that gets rid of that cough, well, some of the process that made that happen was because of the medical people who track down, study, and find ways to control unfriendly germs .

I enjoyed the movie so much. It might sound weird to enjoy a movie about millions of people dying of a very contagious disease, but that’s a credit to the writers, director, cast, music makers, set designers, everyone involved. It’s a great movie that I would recommend to many people for many different reasons.


Features: 6/10

• The Reality Of Contagion – An 11 minute featurette where the stars of the movie comment on how this movie could leak into real life.
• The Contagion Detectives – A 4 minute piece that examines the agents this movie actually focuses on.
• Contagion How A Virus Changes The World – A small informational video done in the 1950′s public announcement style.

Cover Art and Menus: /10
I dig the cover, but not as a poster. It’s bold and the yellow does put the idea of viral something or other, ick.  Usually I don’t like the stars’ faces shoved on the cover, but this one comes together in a less obnoxious way for some reason. The menu is standard, so not much to say about that..





Audio & Video: 9/10
Soderbergh uses the REDONE camera to give Contagion that high definition look that most of today’s movies have. This is quite an intimate film (even with a budget of 60 million to play with) and it comes across like the slickest fly on the wall documentary you have ever seen. Colors are pitch perfect and there are no signs of crush or noise in the image. If your looking for a great looking Blu-Ray for 2012 this is a great start.

The DTS-HD Master Audio track is punctuated by a great electronic score that really sets the tone of the film. The rest of the movie is talky as you would expect and despite sounding a little thin in parts really comes alive during scenes involving crowds. A scene where a crowd  try to get rations from the back of a military vehicle really envelopes you making you feel overwhelmed. Don’t expect much from your sub woofer during Contagion though.


Value: 6/10
Contagion is good quality entertainment. It’s thought provoking and dramatic in a way that makes it a memorable movie watching experience. I say it’s worth around $17 if you can find it for that price it make a good addition to your movie shelf .

Overall Score 9/10

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Sterling Archer is now the author of the definitive handbook detailing how you, too, can learn how to be a killer secret agent. HOW TO ARCHER is Sterling Archer’s gift to the world, in which he reveals his secrets on how to dress properly, drive an elephant, haggle with a Thai prostitute in her native tongue, pilot an airboat and make about a million delicious cocktails, including a Molotov one. Buy your copy now, available wherever books are sold.

Archer Season Premiere Thursday, January 19 at 10PM ET/PT only on FX.

To win a Large Poster &  How To Archer Book  email your name and the answer to the following question.

What Is Archers Job?

Winner will be notified on January 31st 2012 via email. Thanks to Fox Entertainment for the Prizes. Read Contest Rules before entering.

Email all entries to contest@ascully.com

It’s not a crime to dislike a Tom Hanks movie. It’s not a sin to dislike a Julia Roberts movie. Now that we have that clear, we can accept anything that’s not a buttkissing review.

The cast is OK, well, not really. I intensely dislike the youthful college brat who changes Larry Crowne’s appearance and does it in that very extremely annoying way. Her boyfriend was equally ick, and even worse, super boring.

The premise of an aging man losing his job because he’s not got a college degree is fair enough. I get it, it’s reality and it sucks. The thing is, Larry never seems very down and out. He buys a scooter and tries to sell his expensive golf clubs in a yard sale, other than that we don’t see any economic suffering. He mulls over the benefits of keeping his expensive house and big SUV. These are not things that endear a character to me.

Let me just keep on the topic of that annoying young woman who is the one who comes around to untuck Larry’s shirt, get his hair cut, change his style, rearrange his house, beebop around with that endlessly hippy-dippy la la la thing and I do not like that in real life, nor in a movie. She’s the worst part of the movie, and I would even go so far to say that if she had been replaced with a toned down version of an inspiring character I would have liked the whole of the movie much better.

There will be a lot of people who love this movie. It’s mushy and medium and safe and there is nothing gritty or sharp about it at all. If you like happy happy rosey looks at life, this is the one for you. I know I’m not that person so it fell super flat for me.

Features: /10

• Deleted Scenes – A set of deleted scenes presented in HD, they do not add much to the experience but there is a better firing sequence to watch.
• The Making Of Larry Crowne – A short EPK style feature that has quite a few insights into how this movie got made.
• Fun On Set – B-Roll footage of crazy antics on the set. Oh and guess what Julia Roberts does in her downtime? She knits!!!!

Cover Art and Menus: 6/10
The cover is actually alright. I like the slight weirdness of it and after having seen the movie I understand the moment it represents. I would not have this as a poster. The menu is nothing, just the standard blu-ray style with still images.





Audio & Video: 8/10 (By Ascully)
Larry Crowne comes to Blu-Ray in a barebones disc with very little in the way of extras. The transfer also continues the trend with a ordinary transfer that looks simply OK. The VC1 encode is presented in 240:1 aspect ratio and overall has a very soft look for a movie produced in 2011. There are also a few instances of crush which is surprising as Universal have fared very well this year with new releases (catalog releases not so much).

Thankfully on the audio side of things Larry Crowne comes to life. The DTS HD-Master Audio mix is lifelike and quite accurate. You wouldn’t expect much in the way of surround sound effects in a romantic comedy such as this but in one scene I turned to my wife and said “I heard where that landed right behind your chair”

I am not a huge fan of this movie and the Blu-Ray is also fairly ordinary. I am not sure how two huge stars like Tom Hanks & Julia Roberts could have been interested in such a vanilla smelling product. For my first movie of 2012 I was disappointed hopefully things pick up in the coming weeks.


Value: 4/10
I am not going to be fair. This movie is not worth buying, but if you want to try it, rent it, watch it online, whatever. Invest the smallest amount of cash you possibly can to experience Larry Crowne. It might make it more enjoyable:)

Overall Score 5/10

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Mike Weiss (Evans) is a talented young Houston lawyer and a functioning drug addict. Paul Danziger (Kassen), his longtime friend and partner, is the straightlaced and responsible yin to Mike’s yang. Their mom-and-pop personal-injury law firm is getting by, but things really get interesting when they decide to take on a case involving Vicky (Shaw), a local ER nurse, who is pricked by a contaminated needle on the job. As Weiss and Danziger dig deeper into the case, a health care and pharmaceutical conspiracy teeters on exposure and heavyweight attorneys move in on the defense. Out of their league but invested in their own principles, the mounting pressure of the case pushes the two underdog lawyers and their business to the breaking point.

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Who directed Puncture?

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The cover for the movie talks about how George is a master at just barely getting by, but in reality, George is flunking out, so he is not even close to “just getting by.”  Enter the effervescent Sally (Emma Roberts) who is popular, outgoing, and much more worldly than George when it comes to interacting with people and pretty much everything else.  The two seem  to hit it off for some reason, and they both seem to help the other.  He keeps her a bit grounded, and she becomes his guide to high school.  Soon he starts interacting with people that he would never have talked to before, and it is not long before he falls deeply and madly for Sally, even if it is not really apparent as to her intentions.

The two play New York teenagers quite well, and both are pretty solid in their roles.  The movie is slow, but not too slow for this genre.  I liked the story, and even though this was not perfect, it was a nice little independent film.  George finally is told that he must make up all of the assignments that he didn’t bother to do in 3 weeks, or not graduate.  His inability to tell Sally how he feels about her, and her inabilty to do the same for him cause tension when she ends up sleeping with George’s art mentor, who is much older and who should knoew better.

The Art of Getting By just barely skates by itself.  The movie is average, with some tender moments.  Highmore’s accent is spot on, and the acting was decent all around.  I enjoyed the movie, but feel that there was a lot more that could have been done with these two.


Features: 4/10

• Fox Movie Channel Presents In Character With Freddie Highmore – This 4 minute feature has Highmore talking about his role, and how he prepared for it, and his view on the movie.
• HBO First Look: The Making Of The Art Of Getting By – If you take the 3 other shorts, and put them together, you get this 12 minute short.
• Director Commentary – This is a regular commmentary that is just average at best.
• New York Slice Of Life – This 3 minute feature focuses on filming in New York, which is the setting for the movie.
• On Young Love – The movie is all about teenagers in love, or trying to find love.  This is another super short 3 minute extra that discusses that aspect of the movie.

Cover Art and Menus: 6/10
The cover for the movie is a nice shot of the two teenagers walking in New York.  My only issue with the cover is the fact that it seems a lot brighter and cheerier than most of the movie itself.  It is a decent cover though for this type of movie.  pretty standard stuff.  The menu is equally innocuous as it features scenes from the movie without much else.  I actually liked the movie posters a bit more, which had the two teenagers walking past each other, instead of basically hand in hand.





Audio & Video: 7/10
The Art of Getting by is a mellow type of movie that is presented in a very muted way. The video is sharp for the most part, and the scenes of New York have a grainy, at times drab feel to them. The video presentation is good, but not spectacular. This is a lower budget movie that was shot on 35 mm film, and it gives the movie a nice feel. The audio is decent, as the 5.1 surround sound is adequate. There is not a whole lot of use of the rear speakers but the overall audio is good.


Value: 6/10
This is a slower movie that focuses mainly on the characters. The replay value is not all that great, but the movie itself is a good one. I don’t think that this will get played more than once in my house, so the value of the movie really has to take a hit. I thought Freddie Highmore and Emma Roberts were good in this, and had they been bad, this movie would have been a disaster. It is a slow, coming of age romantic movie, that overall was a nice little movie.

Overall Score 6/10

I was excited from the first minute all the way through the last minute when I did not want it to be over. The story is, as the title states quite obviously, the rise of the planet of the apes. In a possible near future the genetic research to cure Alzheimer’s disease leads to an increased intelligence in the primates unfortunate enough to be the test subjects. I don’t need to go in to detail about the truth about experimentation on animals for our human gain, the movie does a good job of that and it was done with a good balance from both sides of the issue. So, beyond the solid ground of a good message, this movie just thrills me, yes, thrills me.

I buy the whole thing, the scientist who is handed a small ape after a disaster in his corporate lab. I totally am there and convinced that his father has Alzheimer’s and our leading man’s motivation for his scientific endevours is for the good of mankind. I also am convinced, as always, that this big corporation is full of assholes. This isn’t an original movie theme, shall we flip back the pages to Alien, Terminator, and even 2001 to some degree. The big company with its greed and blind ambition is the villian along with its co-villian the evil primate keepers who thrill at the thought of torturing the animals at every opportunity. So, while some dickhead is claiming that The Muppet movie is teaching children communistic ideas because they want to rise up against the big corporation….get a clue jerk-off, that’s how it works in movies where we are shown the evils of greed and its impact on the human condition…duh.

Andy Sirkis is amazing. There isn’t a minute that goes by, even though he is cloaked in a fully CGI and beautiful Chimpanzee facade, that I’m not fully aware of his eyes, his facial expressions, his body movements and everything else he pours into his performance to bring Ceasar to life so brilliantly. Make a category for motion capture performances you Academy Award committee so-and-so’s.

I always like Franco. He’s got a very solid way about him. He’s so serious and there isn’t much of a sense of humor about his performances, and yet when the light hearted moments are needed he is spot on (as my British husband would say). There is no problem in this cast, except I don’t have much love for Brian Cox, his characters have seen to that over the years. The jerk who does the torturing in the ape ‘sanctuary’ is the weakest link, a bit over the top, trying to hard at times, but in the end he is portraying a very nasty character so I’ll give him a pass.

There are moments of sheer movie watching grace in The Rise of the Planet of the Apes. I’ll let you find them for yourself, but they widened my eyes, shortened my breath, reminded me of the late night as a kid when I first watched the original Planet of the Apes and learned the lesson that humans are idiots….can’t get enough of that lesson.

I would recommend this to any Ape Planet fan, any Science Fiction lover, any action junky, it’s just a great movie experience.


Features: 8/10

• 11 Deleted Scenes – 11 deleted scenes most of them with unfinished CG work, nothing here that will shatter your world but interesting anyway.
• The Genius Of Andy Serkis – A showcase of motion capture expert Andy Serkis, this would be great to show the Oscar voters to show what he really does.
• Scene Breakdown – A multiangle scene breakdown that you control with your remote.
• A New Generation Of Apes – The creators of the film talk about the challenges involved bringing a prequel to the series.
• Breaking Motion Capture Boundaries – The scene at the end of the movie on the bridge actually was a first in many ways. Check out why in this featurette.
• The Great Apes – Basically a nature documentary that is split into 3 parts, really useful information here for ape/chimp/orangutan lovers
• Mythology Of The Apes – The stars and creators of the movie look back at the original films and how those inspired the performances here.
• Composing The Score – Behind the scenes on the composing of the epic score.
• Audio Commentaries With Director & Writers - 
• Art Galleries – Concept art and images from the movie.

Cover Art and Menus: 10/10
Exactly. I want this as a poster. Enough said. Well, the menu is fine too but pales in comparison to the cover art.





Audio & Video: 9/10
Special effects have changed since Avatar! That was the first thing I thought when I saw the amazing effects WETA have come up with in Planet Of The Apes. And Blu-Ray has also come a long way as FOX have a stunning transfer here light years ahead of the crusty Mpeg 2 transfers of old. From the first time you see the fully CG animated Caeser you know you are in for a treat. The detail here is incredible from individual hairs to flecks of light in the eyes. Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes has a lot of digital special effects but interestingly this movie was filmed on 35mm stock, this gives the film a traditional grainy look to go along with the cutting edge CGI, the result is a unique looking movie that really has to be seen to be believed.

What can  I say about the audio, it is out of this world. The lossless DTS-HD master audio track simply rocks the house. The mix is front anchored but the subtle sounds of this world are always playing behind you. Basically if you heard this theatrically this is what you have here. I highly recommend you grab a copy of Rise, it is a perfect prequel to the rest of the series that will leave you wanting more.


Value: 7/10
I’m owning this, regardless of the price, but the truth is you can find it for around 17 bucks and that’s a great deal. I do not like spending money on DVD’s or BluRays or entertainment of any kind really. I like my Netflix and that’s enough for me, but if you can add this awesome movie to your Planet of the Apes collection for less than $20 I can’t see how that could be anything but a good purchase.

Overall Score 9/10

To celebrate the launch of the new Bosch Icon bracketless wiper blades we are giving away a Bosch prize package. For a chance at winning simply email your name and the answer to the following question:

Which cable channel airs Stormchasers?

Prize Pack Includes:

• A set of Bosch ICON wiper blades ($50 value)

• “Storm Chasers – Season 4” DVD ($55 value)

• A signed copy of Reed Timmer’s book “Into The Storm” ($20 value)

• A Bosch C3 6V/12V Fully Automatic 4-Mode Battery Charger ($70 value)

Winner will be notified on January 30th 2011 via email. Thanks to Bosch for the Prizing. Read Contest Rules before entering. US entries only!!!!

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One Day starts in the late 1980′s, on July 15. The idea here is that we get to see the interaction between these two characters Emma and Dexter, in various years, but always on July 15. The movie starts off with the two of them graduating University, as they kind of hook up, and fail miserably, but become good friends. Emma is a bit of a homebody, and shockingly Dex is not. He is the life of the party, often times taking things to the extreme, yet they always seem to keep their friendship, and skirt the boundaries of becoming more.

In the early years it is apparent that Em is madly in love with the free spirit Dex, but he does not hold the same feelings for her. We get to see the two of them as they grow older, with Dex parading around with beautiful girlfriends while Em slowly settles for second best, dating a really bad comic who is nothing like Dex, who she obviously pines for.

The years roll by and we get glimpses of the two of them as they stay in touch. Dexter has family issues, and drug and alcohol issues, and Emma struggles with the fact that she hates what she is doing, but as the years go by, they seem to cherish each other more and more. When they both finally grow up a bit, eventually they realize that perhaps they are meant for each other after all, until finally in Paris, they decide to try to out this whole couple thing.

Part of my problem with the movie is that it takes forever to get anywhere in the plot. I understand the build up, but the end of the movie is so strong and abrupt that it does not work with the beginning. It really is a bit predictable also, but the movie just seems to drone on until the last small bit, where things dramatically (for the first time in the film) start to move.

Along with that is the focus change, which occurs at the same time. We spend a majority of this movie from basically Emma’s point of view,band then are forced to see and try to feel things from Dex’s perspective, which is awkward and poorly done. In my view the movie would have been better if it was more Dex centric from the start, but then again, I don’t care for Anne Hathaway.

In the end One Day is a slow, unhappy ending movie with little chemistry, bad accents, and a mediocre story. I really did not care for it one bit, and aside from Jim Sturgess as a decent Dex, there was not a lot of redeeming value to the movie. My wife actually asked if it was named One Day because that is how long the movie seemed to take to watch.


Features: 3/10

• Deleted Scenes -There are a few deleted scenes on the disk that are not missed. There is one with Dexter driving his car precariously while drunk and on cocaine that is interesting, but as a whole these scenes would have just made the movie seem longer.
• Em & Dex, Through The Years -This is just a 4 minute short with interviews and scenes from the movie.
• Anne Hathaway Bringing Emma To Life -This 2 minute feature focuses on Anne Hathaway and her portrayal of Emma, with the changes from the book.
• The Look Of One Day -This 5 minute extra discusses the way that they attempted to make these two actors look both younger and older than they are in real life.
• Director Commentary -Lone Scherfig is passionate about this movie and book, and her commentary shows it. It is just too bad that the movie is not all that great in the end.
• Pocket Blu & BD Live -Universal still is pushing the Pocket Blu and BD Live, which are included here.

Cover Art and Menus: 8/10
Well if there is one things quite like from the movie it is the cover. It is bold and uncluttered, and features a great kiss, and not some posed front view shot of the two main characters. It is a simple, effective cover that speaks volumes without overdoing it. No extra type on the front, just s nice solid cover. The menus are of course the Universal universal menu, with shots of the movie playing and the standard menu choices on the left of the screen.





Audio & Video: 7.5/10
I thought the video was pretty solid, with nice detail and color, and decent contrast where it needs to be to accentuate the scenes of the movie. Presented in 2.35:1 1080p AVC encoded widescreen, the movie looks good. The audio for me was a bit less dramatic, with solid dialogue but scarce use of the rear speakers or bass.


Value: 2/10
There is no real replay value for this movie based on the ending of the movie. The whole thing is not something that I would recommend, even if you are a huge Anne Hathaway fan, as this is not her best movie by any stretch.

Overall Score 3/10

The cast is literally packed with what I call “anonymous famous” folks. Those are people you have seen hundreds of times in movies and TV shows but you might never know their name and they may never be a “star” in their own right. The thing about an anonymous famous cast is that it’s top quality and every time someone hits the screen it’s compelling, entertaining, and feels even more familiar than the sweet story we are already watching.

I might gush a bit, even though I don’t think it’s a perfect movie, not at all. The thing is, it’s fantastic, and fantastical, and exciting, and pleasurable. Not many movies these days are pleasurable in the way that this little innocent gem strikes me. My husband commented that it predates the modern trend of making characters and things in movies break that wall of mystery and disconnect from real life, Like these days characters are snotty, mouthy, watching YouTube and using their cell phones and referring to things we all know from current modern culture….and that’s kind of boring to be honest. He loves that The Rocketeer is pure fantasy, removed from reality in a way that’s escapism at its best. I agree.

A bad guy on a Zeppelin, FBI men playing the tough guys, mobsters fronting their mobster personas, a charming ensemble crew in the good guys’ corner, the romantic look at the 1930′s, it’s just packed with personality and eye candy. It is the kind of movie that makes my youthful movie lover come alive. That feeling of “wow wouldn’t it be cool to be in that world, in that moment of crazy action, a cafe shaped like a bulldog, flying in an airshow dressed like a clown, a car chase in really old cars, all the physical comedy and stunts, it’s just full of wonderful pleasure:) Need I say more?

Oh, I’ll say one more thing, Alan Arkin as Peevy is one of my favorite movie characters ever. One more, Jennifer Connely must have drank that potion from Death Becomes Her, seriously…she hasn’t aged in 20 years!! Mysterious!

Features: 1/10

• Original Trailer – A short poor quality trailer, really Disney this is not how to do a 20th anniversary release :(

Cover Art and Menus: 8/10
The cover does it for me. I would have it as a poster, mostly because I do love the movie. I like the cheeky vibe and the throw back to a kind of old fashioned image from old movie promotional materials. The menu…not sure, as my husband. He had the movie starting by the time I got in the room:)





Audio & Video: 8/10 (By Ascully)
I have been a big fan of The Rocketeer since it hit theaters in 1991. Unfortunately fans of the movie had to deal with a really poor DVD transfer until this week. So what I am saying here is if you are a fan of the movie and have a Blu-Ray player this is a must own as the superb filmlike HD transfer is incredible. I will go as far to say that this is better than what you saw theatrically in 1991. Sure it’s not perfect with slight ringing and what some might say DNR on some scenes but still this is the best version of the movie out there hands down. Hopefully Disney give us a 30th anniversary edition with some extras though.

The DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack doesn’t hold a candle to the latest Hollywood comic book movies but for it’s age the remastered soundtrack does it’s job well. I would describe the soundtrack as “slightly thin and tinny” similar to a lot of movies from the 80′s and 90′s on Blu-Ray. It really highlights how much sound design and mixing has developed over the years. Still dialog is crisp and clear and the heroic music track comes over perfectly.


Value: 6/10
The lack of extras dents my enthusiasm for buying this version of the Blu-Ray, however, for just under 20 bucks you can enjoy this super flick many times and totally get your money’s worth!! I don’t say that very often, so it’s from the heart!

Overall Score 8/10

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The Hangover 2 tries to recreate the same formula that worked in the first movie, but the unpredictability is basically gone, because we kind of know where this is going, but the question now is simply “how”? It just seems to be more of the same, and while the sequel is still funny, and still a fun watch, it just seems to be lacking something.

For part 2 we are off to Thailand, as Stu has finally met a girl who he is going to try to marry who is not a hooker, who just happens to be from Thailand. Her father hates Stu, and makes no attempt to hide his feelings, by basically calling Stu a boring lazy dentist (not a real doctor). Stu (Ed Helms) and his merry wolf pack, which again includes Phil (Bradley Cooper), Alan (Zach Galifianakis), and the now married Doug (Justin Bartha), all show up for the wedding and decide to have a nice relaxing night on the beach with some unopened beers, to avoid the fiasco that occurred at the last bachelor party. The next morning, we discover that the same nightmare has happened again, only this time Stu’s fiancé’s underage brother is missing, well most of him anyway, as his finger is still there. Not to mention that Alan’s head is shaved, and Stu has a face tattoo similar to Mike Tyson’s.

We once again are set on a massive hunt to find the young Teddy and make it back to the wedding on time. We basically see a new set of craziness as the pack search for clues as to what occurred the night before, in there quest to find  Teddy and make it back before they ruin the wedding, as if it is not already in jeopardy. The movie has some funny stuff in it, but a lot of this just feels like repeating the original, and it makes it seem a bit old and tired. We hear the mantra “I can’t believe that this is happening again” repeated over and over, and it kind of feels that way for the viewer at times.

I like the Hangover 2, but I guess I just expected it to have the same flair and freshness that the first movie did, and it does not. It is just not on par with the original, which is a shame.

Features: 6/10

• Unauthorized Documentary -This extra is kind of a mockumentary type of set up, and it is pretty funny. This 25 minute feature talks a behind the scenes look at what is supposed to be the horrible experience that everyone had making the movie. It features interviews with cast and other movie luminaries, and it is very good.
• The Comedy Of Todd Phillips -This short extra is all about Todd Phillips, the mastermind of these two movies. This deals a lot with his love for improvisation and retakes of original scenes.
• Not Your Everyday Monkey -The movie features Crystal, a monkey who joins up with the pack for some fun, and this feature delves into her involvement with the story.
• Bankok Tour With Chow -The funny Ken Jeong stars in this extra as Leslie Chow, from the movie, and he gives a very funny, very short tour of Bangkok, Thailand. I love the character, but in the movie he was kind of all over the place, and I felt not as effective as he was in the original.
• Gag Reel and Action Mashup-There is a very short gag reel included here, which is fun, and a very, very short sequence that includes all of the action from the movie.  The action mashup is a little bit strange, but perfect for those with massive attention deficit disorder, and who love action.
• DVD & Digital Copy -We get a regular DVD copy, as well as the new digital version of the movie.

Cover Art and Menus: 6/10
The cover for the movie features a nice still shot of the group on the floor, as they wake up from another night which they can’t remember. It is a cool little shot, and a nice cover. The menus for the movie are unfortunately just the same still shot, which was a shame on a Blu-ray.





Audio & Video: 9/10
Normally I talk about the video first, but on this Blu-ray, the audio for me was outstanding, and has to be mentioned first. The use of the Surround Sound for ambient noises was excellent, and the rest of the 5.1 is spot on. Dialogue is crystal clear thought the movie, and the whole audio experience was excellent. The video was really good also, with the 2.40:1 AVC encode looking sharp and bright. The scenes in Thailand on the streets are gritty and harsh, and the scenery on the island is beautiful. Overall the presentation is excellent.


Value: 7/10
I will watch the Hangover 2 again, and I will still enjoy it. It is funny and at times, really great, but overall it was not as good as I wanted it to be. It definitely does not have the x factor the original movie had. Having said that, I still liked it, and even though it feels like a cheaper version of the original, I think most people will still want to see it, and will still like the movie. Just don’t expect the same magic as the first. Hopefully the Hangover 3 will bring back some of that earlier magic.

Overall Score 7/10

The drama of the characters’ choices and struggles they are facing internally is the heart of the movie. The catalyst for their pain and anguish, redemption and healing are all wrapped up in this second Earthlike planet appearing in the sky. They do a weak job of explaining the science of this whole thing, so don’t bother yourself to be annoyed or impressed by it, just take it for what it is. This new planet in the blue sky is a constant reminder of options in life. We see a physical representation of another life, another way, another “me” and in the cases of these people and their emotional states the looming alternative life away from their realities dominates their behavior here and now.

There is a very strong presumption by the writers that we all wonder about another us, another life, a doppleganger out there in the universe who is a mirror image of ourselves, living our life but with tweaks and turns we might prefer to our own. I can’t disagree with this more. There has never been a moment in my life, even upon watching this movie, when I pondered the kitch of finding another Cidtalk roaming around and around this big world, or other world. I can let my mind leap to believe so many things when it comes to movies and stories. When something comes along that becomes a bit of a brick wall for my brain to conquer it does impact the respect I have for the movie overall. I really did enjoy the movie, loved the vibe, appreciated the tone, pace, heart, and honesty at times, and then those weaknesses kept taking me out of the wonderous world they were oh-so-close to successfully creating.

The best parts of the movie are hard to describe. The subtle references to this other planet are just right. I mean, it’s a big planet in the sky next to our moon, so that’s not obviously subtle, but it really doesn’t jump into Sci-Fi territory. The balance of human drama tipping the scale against the potential of introducing a new Earth, space travel, a world in wonder, etc. is pretty well achieved. It’s that push toward subtle that wins me over. I had a good time, even though there is a fair amount of depressing concepts in the story, it feels strangly hopeful and honest.

It’s not an easy movie to recommend to just anybody. I would say if you like drama and a you can go with the flow of a Science Fiction story that’s more fiction than science in all respects, give it a try.


Features: 5/10

• Deleted Scenes – A few deleted scenes with text commentary by the Director.
• Music Video – I do not normally like music videos but this stop motion animation from Fall On Your Sword is worth a watch.
• The Science Behind Another Earth – A so called “Expert” tries to explain the science behind the movie (If you think about the science of this movie too hard you might like the movie less)
• Creating Another Earth – A set of featurette’s that examine the making of the movie, unfortunatly they are very short and not that insightful.
• Direct Effect – A short interview which was aired on the Fox Movie Channel.
• DVD & Digital Copy – This three disc set comes with a DVD & separate Digital Copy Disc.

Cover Art and Menus: 5/10
The image of a young woman with an Earth in the background in the sky, it’s striking if not a little bit misleading. Well, maybe not misleading exactly, but kind of leaning more toward looking cool than being representative of the story. I wouldn’t have it as a poster just because it is more of an image that stands along than one that reminds me of the movie it’s supposed to be reminding me to think about again and again. The menu is standard and functional.





Audio & Video: 7/10 (By Ascully)
Another Earth was filmed entirely in 720P so the 1080P image you are seeing in the AVC encoded transfer is essentially upscaled. You might think that would make the image a little soft but that is not the case. The very stylish look the film has been given in post sharpens up the image and gives it a dream like feel. Overall I saw no issues with the image at all which is unusual for a low budget indie film like Another Earth.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack is low budget by design, don’t expect any crash bang wallop sound effects here as this movie is mostly talky. Aside from a car crash early on in the movie the rear speakers are not used at all. The superb music by Fall On Your Sword sounds great though and the opening and closing credits are a few of the standout moments in this soundtrack.


Value: 7/10
I don’t feel like this movie has much rewatchability. It’s got a great vibe and took me on an interesting journey with the characters, however there is a certain simplicity to it that makes it lose a lot of the intrigue. For 20 bucks you get the movie and a few extras which is a fair night in if you are having over a group of friends to watch and discuss. If you want to check it out wait for it to be on Netflix or other online streaming service so you can relax, watch, and still have enough cash to buy a delicious pizza!! (I’m hungry).

Overall Score 7.5/10

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At the same time her friend Hilly (Bryce Dallas Howard) has decided that her goal is to make sure that the races do not mix, and takes it upon herself, as the self-appointed leader of the group of women, to make sure that her new directive is adopted by everyone, where all white families not only not allow their black maids to use the same bathroom in their own houses, but that they build a separate bathroom just for use by their maids, as she states that “there are diseases” that need to be worried about.  It is this kind of thinking that pervades Jackson, and the maids, who do everything they can to help raise these women’s children, as well as prepare food and keep houses clean, are left as the viewer is; totally dejected and downtrodden.

Two of the maids are the main focus of the movie, with Aibileen and Minny (played brilliantly by Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer respectively, and who I will be surprised if both do not garner the attention of the Oscar buzz) decide that they will help Skeeter out in her burgeoning quest to become a New York journalist, as she decides to write down the stories of the black maids in Jackson, and give these silent women a voice.  The stories are at times so hard to hear and watch, as is a lot of the movie, as the times were so difficult in Jackson, and around America.  The result is a movie that hs a very slow pace, but tells a gripping story, and shows a time period that is a major breaking point in the civil rights movement.

The acting was quite good, even though I was not totally blown away by Emma Stone, who normally is so vivacious and great.  I felt as if she was trying too hard to be reserved, and as a result her performance felt stiff.  The rest of the cast was exceptional, and really brought this story to life, regardless of the pace of the movie.  Overall the Help is a good little movie, that I am sure will be mentioned when Oscar nominations roll around.


Features: 5/10

• Deleted Scenes - There are a total of 5 deleted scenes, that really are not missed from the movie in my opinion.  Director Tate Taylor does introduce each of the scenes.
• Making Of The Help: From Friendship To Film - This is a classic behind the scenes making of the movie.  It clocks in at about 23 minutes, and is a decent feature.  They discuss the book, and how the movie came about.
• In Their Own Words: A Tribute To The Maids Of Mississippi - This extra has Tate Taylor going back ot the town where the mocie was made, and he talks to some of the women who were involved in the movie.
• Mary J Blige Music Video - Mary J. Blige’s video for “The Living Proof” is also on the disk, with the video featuring scenes form the movie.

Cover Art and Menus: 6/10
I thought the cover for the Help was better than the semi-boring menu.  The cover is bright and cheerful, and pretty well sums up the movie in one presentation.  The menu is pretty boring, and features scenes from the movie.





Audio & Video: 8/10
There is a noticeable grain that helps give the movie an older feel, that goes with the setting of the movie.  The colors are brilliant and solid, as are the blacks.  I really thought the video, in its 1080p AVC encode was great.  The audio was good also, even though this is not the type of movie that makes big use of bass or surround.  It is presented in DTS-HD 5.1 MAster Audio Surround Sound.  The audio is dialogue heavy, and therefore center oriented for the most part.

Value: 7/10
The Help is a great movie that shows the deep South in the 1960′s in all of its glory and all of its gore.  The movie is very well done with a solid story and solid acting.  At times it can be tough to watch, and that is what makes the movie so compelling.  I would recommend the movie for a viewing, and it is sure to garnish some Oscar nods.  This is a slow movie though, and the subject matter is intense.  Owning the Blu-ray is not necessarily a necessity, but I would say that if you like movies, this is one to see at some point.

Overall Score 7/10

The obvious thing to say has been said about this movie already, so I won’t say it.

What I really enjoyed about Cowboys and Aliens was that it took me to that time and place almost completely. I love period piece flicks going to other times in history and how every writer has a slightly different way to tell the tales of the times. This is a gritty, dirty time period, lots of dust and grime, and yet in this movie things are a tiny bit on the Hollywood warehouse of Western props side of the dirt road. I can accept that since there are lots of dirty faces, muddy dresses, and a fair share of grunting that makes me think living then was really hard work.

We’ve got a story that’s pretty solid. A man wakes up in a desert not sure who he is with a strange bracelet on his arm. We learn quickly that he’s not to be messed with after he kicks some desert ass right away and heads to the nearest dusty town. One woman knows about his past, maybe, maybe not. I’m not sure about that particular part of the story. I mean, she’s cool and mysterious and intriguing, but the way it plays out in the beginning doesn’t pan out as we get to know her. She’s a good character and I wish they had made her more interesting and less of a question mark early on in the movie.

We find out that a bully dude runs this town. A cattleman by the name of Indiana Solo Jones. He’s got a snotty spoiled grown son who terrorizes the town. There is a sherrif who tries to keep the peace with his big moustache, and the obligatory “Doc” who happens to be the saloon owner and is also Sam Rockwell. With this cast of characters it’s easy to see why I do lean more toward liking this movie.

The music is a bit heavy handed at times, but overall does a find job of keeping me in the old western vibe. The introduction of the aliens with their other worldly sounds and subtle music works alright, but I’ll get to the weakest part of the whole thing in a minute, and yes it has to do with the alien part of the story. OK, I’ll tell you now what problems I had with the movie. Hmmm how do I break this to you without sounding picky or unappreciative of the clash of genres? The clash of genres is awesome, in theory, but I felt that there was a big disconnect between the amazing world of the old west and their encounters with other worldly beings. I have no idea what it would be like, true, however, the visual telling of the whole story has such a jarring contrast between the cowboys and the aliens that it took me out of the movie every once in a while. I would liked for them to resist the temptation of going full Alien during the scenes in their lair. That being said, I like each element seperately. The blending of the two felt like there could have been more connective tissue, but hey, it’s a new world to explore.

It’s a good time. That’s how I see this whole adventure. The guts of making a modern big effects flick with the old school boots and hats and more dust then you can choke on is a great idea. Opps, that’s the boring thing that has been said about this movie…well, I said it. Enjoy Cowboys and Aliens for what it is and you will have a great movie watcher experience like me.


Features: 7/10

• Conversations With John Favreau – A series of interesting interviews with members of the cast, the highlight here though is a 15 minute conversation with non other than Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard and Brian Grazier.
• The Making Of Cowboys & Aliens 5 Part Documentary – This is billed as a 5 part documentary but comes off as a 5 part EPK featurette, its certainly not up to the standard of the superb Iron-Man features you see on those discs.
• Feature Commentary With John Favreau – A full length commentary with Mr Favreau, I love any commentary with a enthusiastic director and this guy certainly is that.
• Second Screen – Universals Second Screen feature that lets you use an Ipad to experience concept art and the like during the movie.
• U Control - A PIP feature that spans 12 of the movies chapters, lots of interviews and behind the scenes footage here if you are a big Cowboys & Aliens fan.

Cover Art and Menus: 7/10
For some strange reason I kind of like this cover art. It reminds me of old Western novels, as I’m sure they intended. I like the whole idea of aliens and cowboys, so it would make a fun poster to hang in our movie room. (Hint hint hint Ascully…) The menu has live clips from the movie, and a lovely typo you can find for yourself. Hilarious.





Audio & Video: 8/10
While the movie was not an outstanding success in the theaters, the quality of the Blu-Ray transfer is leaps and bounds ahead of the 1800′s setting.  This transfer conveys the grit and grime of the setting perfectly with a crisp picture that looks way nicer than the period it’s set in. Cinematographer Matthew Libertique provides a lush sun drenched pallette and some extreme close ups of most of the actors. The only problem I have is some of the darker scenes (the riverboat notably) are slightly tweaked in post to make it darker and scarier, the transfer also crushes the black slightly making it hard to see the detail in the set.

The first thing I noticed about the DTS-HD Master audio track is how clear the dialog is. We have had some Blu-Rays recently with mussy dialog that bleeds into the rest of the ambient sound. Cowboys & Aliens does not suffer from this with a clear classy audio track that really delivers, when the action kicks up the music and alien sound effects sound great with some nice separation and surround sound effects. This is a very cool showcase soundtrack that can be used to show off your system, shame the film isn’t quite up to those lofty standards.


Value: 5/10
Big action, good extras, a fun night at home at the movies, what is it worth? I say it makes a good deal around $15. If you see it for that you are getting a fair price for what you have on offer. I would watch this movie a few more times, show it to my mom, and my nephew, so it’s going to be worth the cash. It’s not tempting at the $20 mark, so watch for the best deal you can find.

Overall Score 7/10

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A weakling wants to be a soldier. A scientist wants to make a new breed of super soldier. Hitler has an evil henchman who crossed paths with the scientist…..get the picture? It’s a good story for me. I know the skinny guy turned into a muscle man is weighing in on the annoying side, particularly when it obviously makes him more attractive and more of a romantic interest..blech….however, I still like it. The performance by the Human Torch is quite good. He’s subtle and yet does that “Captain America” thing now and then that makes it just right. I can’t help it if I sound a little gushy about this movie, I really had a great time and that just kind of makes me smushy. If a movie is fun, exhilerating, and has that quality that’s hard to describe, well, that’s what makes me love movies so much.

It’s not perfect or anything…no no. There are some moments of eye rolling here and there, but not much. The performances are awesome, every single one, so that’s the best part of the whole thing. The things that I didn’t really connect with were the gang of soldiers Captain America rounded up to be his team of butt kickers. I wanted more of a build up for them, but that would have added about a half hour to the whole thing, and that might not make everyone happy. I would love it, the longer the better if you ask me.

The bad guy…oh the glorious Red Skull bad guy. He’s Mr. Smith and a Elf and this twisted injected dude with a red burned or peeled or scalded head of some kind and it’s mesmerizing. Hugo is sometimes hit and miss for me, but this time around I couldn’t take my eyes off him. The idea of a Hitler henchman who breaks free and thinks Hitler isn’t enough of a bad dude and that he needs to really be the jerk of the world..well, that’s kinda cool and extra evil.

The CGI is an obvious thing to talk about in this movie, so I might not do it. Well, just this small note, making the Human Torch into a weakling with a big head wasn’t as bad as I thought it was gonna be, so that saved the whole movie and in the end it’s one of my favorite action flicks of the year. Go Captain America!! Is there a Captain France, or Captain England, or Spain, or Russia, or Italy, or Nigeria? Hmmm something to think about.

Features: 7/10

• Marvel One Shot: A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Thors Hammer – If you have seen Thor (we have not) you might get a kick out of this 5 minute short.
• The Assembly Begins – A short look at The Avengers movie that all of Marvels movies have been leading up to.
• 6 Featurettes – A bunch of nice featurettes that cover every aspect of the making of Captain America.
• Deleted Scenes – A few deleted scenes, the commentary that accompanies them is quite uninspiring.
• Director, DP & Editor Commentary – A full commentary that again is quite uninspired, it’s almost as if they are more interested in watching the movie than talking (perhaps that’s a good thing?)
• 3D Version Of The Movie, Digital Copy & DVD – This limited edition 3 disc set comes with the 3D movie the standard Blu-Ray and a DVD and Digital Copy.

Cover Art and Menus: 9/10
The cover is OK. I wouldn’t have it as a poster. The menu is pretty cool, very designed and made to match the theme of the movie. I like it, but it’s not really necessary. I would rather have them know a couple bucks off the price of these discs instead of jazzing them up so much. I mean, the movie is the thing, not the packaging.





Audio & Video: 8/10 (By Ascully)
Cap blasts his way onto Blu-Ray with a 1080P transfer that will satisfy. The image is subdued by design with a muted 1940′s look (was it really as muted in the 40′s as cinema leads us to believe?). The movie has a ton of low light sequences that would ordinarily make lesser transfers break down but here shadow detail is great and you will never be looking for the brightness button.

The DTS HD MA 7.1 track has an issue with how dynamic it actually is. The difference between loud and quiet is so vast that some of the dialog can be lost in the mix. This was true with the theatrical release as well so it’s not a fault of the disc more of the person who mixed the audio. It’s a shame really as when the action gets loud this soundtrack is really up there with the years best.

Overall I have a new favorite Marvel superhero movie with Captain America, I love the vibe of the whole story and the time period is a cherry on top for me. Really looking forward to seeing the Avengers Assemble in 2012 now, make sure you stick around after the credits of the movie for a sneak peek.


Value: 7/10
Get it if you will watch it over and over. I think you can find it for around 20 bucks. I normally would bark about that, but if you can really give the family or you and some friends a great fun night at the movies in your own little cozy hole in the world, well it’s worth it on this one. I would recommend adding another one to the night, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Yes, I know I have talked about it a lot, but seriously, it’s awesome and cool and fits in with the old timey stuff mixed with modern technology….trust me on this.

Overall Score 7.5/10

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As Oliver struggles with his father’s passing, he meets the beautiful Anna (Melanie Laurent). Anna is a French actress who is quiet and mysterious, and who Oliver finds solace as he spends time with her. Both have their own issues with intimacy and relationships, and we see the romance slowly kindle, only for their insecurities to drive them apart.

In Director Mike Mills presentation, we see real chemistry evolve between all of the characters. I was truly in awe at the performances of McGregor, Plummer, and Laurent, who really seemed to pour their heart into these roles, which means relying on a subtleness that made everything seem so real. A special nod should be given to Cosmo the Dog, who was lovable and an integral part of the movie, bringing a bit of humor to the sometimes sad film. The movie features a lot of unexpected flashbacks and backstories that are not overly explained, leading you to think, which I love in this type of story. To over explain would ruin the experience for the viewer, and Mills does a great job of making you work to figure out what is happening.

I thoroughly enjoyed Beginners, for it’s heartfelt look at some rough subjects. Death, failing love and sadness are a huge part of this movie, but in the end it is a great journey. Mill’s presentation is at times just quirky enough to make this feel fresh, and with the amazing acting, Beginners is a movie that I highly recommend.


Features: 3/10

• A Short Film About Making Beginners -This is pretty much what you expect, as this is all about the making of the movie. This is a 15 minute long behind the scenes extra where interviews with cast and crew piece together the movie.
• Beginners Promo -This is a 1 minute promo for the movie. I guess this is an extra, but not much of one.
• Feature Commentary With Mike Mills -Mike Mills gives a pretty dry commentary about the movie. You can tell that he really was into making this movie, and that it is a labor of love, but this is not the most dramatic of commentaries.
• Pocket Blu & BD Live -We also get BD Live extras, as well as the Universal Pocket Blu included here.

Cover Art and Menus: 4/10
The cover for Beginners features photos of the main characters, and not much else. It is stylish to a point, but it is also muted like the movie. The menu, which is a Universal standard, features the black background and scenes from the movie playing on the right hand side. This is the same format Universal always uses, so is is familiar, but not the greatest presentation ever.





Audio & Video: 7/10
The video for Beginners is very crisp, but just like the slow muted pace of the movie, the video coloring is very muted. We don’t get a lot of bright coloring, and the lighting is the same way. The result works,band adds to the realistic feel of the movie. The 1.85:1 VC-1 encode was decent. The audio left a bit to be desired. The 5.1 Surround Sound presentation was less than stellar. I thought the dialogue was way too low, and for some reason, very muffled. There is very little use of the rear speakers, and I was less than impressed with the clarity of the sound of the movie.


Value: 6/10
Beginners is a slow, thought provoking movie that is definitely worth a watch. There are very few who will want to watch this over and over though, and with a less than impressive extra set, the overall value for the Blu-ray is muted for me. I think this is a rental, and a highly recommended one at that, but you have to be a big fan of Ewan McGregor or this type of movie to want to own this one and watch it again and again.

Overall Score 7/10

Has there every been a time in your life when you thought the whole world was out there to explore with wide eyes and a zest that’s indescribable? That’s the vibe of this movie. Youthful excitement and fear and determination all wrapped up in a story that takes us from family traumas to secret creatures, cover ups and a hint of a message about how to be a good human being. I can handle all of that. I actually got that tingle in my gut and heart palpatations throughout the movie. I was so excited for these kids and so sucked into their ordeal I would have been on the edge of my seat if I hadn’t been so comfortably reclined.

Every performance is just right. There might be the occasional lack of confidence or wooden delivery of a line or two, but so what. These are kids under some pretty intense pressure, a big story to tell, lots of thrills and spills to deal with so the charm of it all is enough to keep me from being too picky.

If there was a way to measure fun I would like to see how my brain was coming along during this movie. I was smiling, afraid for the characters, invested in the outcome of every single being, crying when needed, laughing, and the smile on my face was shining all the time just from pure joy. The spirit of this story did lift me up, even with the harder bits to digest now and then (see the movie and you’ll know what that means).  I have said this before about some other movie, but if you are a jaded grown up with no sense of humor or adventure you will grumble at a few things, but COME ON, get over it and have a good time for goodness sake!!!

If I were to make a day of watching this kind of movie I would start with Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind, followed by ET, The Goonies, and finish with Super 8. What a day that would be!! Get me some popcorn and Kleenex, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride!


Features: 9/10

• Deconstructing The Train Crash – An interactive look at the train crash sequence.
• 8 Featurettes – Some very well produced featurettes that feature JJ Abrams and Steven Spielberg. My favorite is a retrospective of the Super 8 format.
• 14 Deleted Scenes – Lots of deleted scenes in full HD.
• Director Commentary – J.J Abrams talks you through the movie and has some interesting insight into his life as a young filmmaker.
• DVD & Digital Copy  - Lots of ways to view the movie, make sure you don’t watch it on your phone the first time though :)

Cover Art and Menus: 8/10
I do not like slip covers. This time they did a nice job. It’s graphic and bold and it applies in a kind of sweet way to the movie. I would have the slip cover design as a poster because it’s so colorful. It’s red and yellow in the style of super 8 Kodak film boxes. The menu is really cool, even if I don’t see the point.





Audio & Video: 9/10
Super 8 is quite a dark movie visually and this transfer by our friends at Paramount really delivers where others might fail with this kind of material. Set in the late 70′s the film stock used here is quite grainy and makes the time period more believable. The Blu-Ray preserves the grain and gives the whole movie a wonderful filmic quality that is missing from a lot of today’s movies.

Black levels are simply perfect and throughout a lot of the scenes set at night everything holds up with no crush or noise in the video. Skin tones are also natural if a little on the warm side, but again this is a creative choice not a technical problem.

Audio is delivered using the Dolby True-HD 7.1 codec and sounds incredible. From the train scenes on-wards you realize you are in for a treat. In fact I would go as far to say the train sequence alone is one of the best showcases for HD audio to date. The sound engineer on this sequence needs to be nominated for an Oscar as it really is that good. Listen out for the subtle hint of something otherworldly as the train screams by you are literally introduced the films protagonist and you don’t even know it.

Super 8 is a superb film and a great love letter to the adventure films of the 1980′s. I would recommend it to anyone. As usual with most PG-13 movies these days there is exactly one swear word so put your hands over the kids ears during that and you will be ok :)


Value: 4/10
Value is a funny thing. This movie is really good, really fun, and I will be watching it again for sure. The extras are excellent. I can’t say enough good things about it, however, it’s not worth almost 30 bucks. If they drop this gem down to maybe $17.00 I can get behind it as a purchase. Otherwise it’s a perfect rental and a whole evening of action fun. Add some Goonies and Close Encounters and it will be the perfect movie home date.

Overall Score 8/10

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The Lion King is the story of Simba, who is the son of the literal king of the jungle, Mufasa (voiced by the deep baritone James Earl Jones). Upon Simba’s birth, he is told that the balance of all of the lands will one day fall on his shoulders, and to respect the circle of life, where all animals play a role. When the jealous Scar (Jeremy Irons), the evil brother of Mufasa, plots with a group of hyenas to kill the king, and place the blame on Simba, the young prince is forced out of the pride, on a journey of self exile.

Simba’s journey sees him run into a warthog and a meerkat, who befriend the lost lion as he matures, only to find his way back to the pride and his long lost position as king.

The Lion King is one of those movies that just defines the magic that is Disney. Everything about this movie has classic written all over it. To me, this was one of the new classics, that really defined the new style of animation, and what can be done with these types of movies.


Features: 9/10

• Deleted Scenes -The deleted scenes are pretty average, but a nice inclusion for true Disney fans. There are five scenes included here.
• Bloopers -There are some bloopers and outtakes included that are of course set out to animation, that are uniquely funny. I like that they take some of the voice actor flubs and put them to animation.
• The Morning Report Extended Scene -We also get an extended scene from the movie, which is the Morning Report sequence and song.
• Pride Of The Lion King -This behind the scenes extra runs about 40 minutes in length, and is chock full of those involved talking about all aspects of the movie. This is a great watch.
• The Lion King A Memoir Don Hahn -Don Hahn was the Producer for the Lion King, and this 21 minute memoir is his view of the m asking of the movie, with details about the development and lasting legacy of the movie.
• Disney Sing Along Mode -Disney gives us more sing alongside here.
• Classic DVD Features -Many of the original extras are included here, or on the BD-live extra access feature if you are hooked up to the Internet.
• Interactive Blu-Ray Gallery -There are several art pieces included here from the development of the movie.

Cover Art and Menus: 8/10
The cover for this Blu-ray release is average, as I kind of expected more of a shot with Simba being held up on top of Pride Rock. This cover is more subtle, but it is fine. The menu features a nice rolling set of scenes with action from the movie displaying on various parts of the landscape. The menu is really kind of unique, and it looks and sounds, with the music from the movie, great.





Audio & Video: 9.5/10
Talk about stunning! Ascully and I were talking just the other day, and we can’t really remember a Disney Blu-ray release that is not spectacular. This is no exception. The high definition release is sharp and brilliantly colorful. This is truly a gorgeous movie to watch on Blu-ray. Th 1080p 1.78:1 widescreen presentation is amazing, and the DTS-HD 7.1 Surround Sound is the same. The audio booms where it needs to, is perfect for the musical numbers, which just shine, and the dialogue is perfect.


Value: 9.5/10
This is a Blu-ray to own. It looks and sounds amazing, and it is truly a great movie. This is a Disney classic, and if there was ever a Disney movie to keep in your collection, this one is it.

Overall Score 9.5/10

As always the animation is awesome. There is nothing I can add to what Pixar can show us with their well oiled machine these days. As for the content of the wonderfully drawn and rendered scenes we see, it’s really lovely to look at. I would like more slow panning shots across the cities and the landscape so we can really take in just how beautifully everything  is offered to us. The details on everything from he carvings on buildings to every single car, and there are a lot, is mind boggling. Art is everywhere and regardless of the fact that it’s being used in a movie to make bazillions of dollars, there is so much creativity in Cars 2 it’s undeniable. Artists made this movie, artists of the tech world who make the computing work and artists who do the endless hours in front of monitors and digital drawing pads and 3D rendering software. They deserve more credit than they get, so here it is CREDIT to the ARTISTS!!!

The story is Mater centric, of course, Mater goes along on the international race circuit while his friend whatshisname does a couple of races. Mater is the more colorful and interesting character, so I’m find with the way it plays out. The rednecky chatter gets a bit much after a while, but at his heart, Mater is a charming fellow who makes me smile and that’s good enough.

There are lots of named voices, look them up. I don’t really care who does what voices to be honest. If they are charming or fun or interesting that’s all that matters. If you sit there thinking, “Oh I’m listening to Michael Cane talk.” the whole time, that’s kind of boring.

Overall I enjoyed Cars 2, now that I think about it, a tiny fraction more than the original Cars. I’m pretty sure it’s the globe trotting that did it for me. I do love clankin’round the world with muh best friend, spyin’ and adventurin’! Yeee Hawwww!!


Features: 5/10

• Cars Toon Air Mater – Mater joins an elite flying group, luckily just in time to promote the new Pixar movie. Charming.
• Hawaiian Vacation Theatrical Short – A very cute and sweet short featuring Barbie and Ken in the Toy Story bedroom full of friends. It’s a nice little tale of friendship and romance, and silliness.
• Directors Commentary – It’s the dude talking about the movie. If anyone ever goes crazy and starts predicting the future or hypnotizing everyone via their commentary I’ll let you know….or will I?
• DVD Version Of The Movie –  Give the DVD to the kids for those trips in the car (cars get it)

Cover Art and Menus: 7/10
I would have this cover as a small poster in my house, or post card on the refrigerator, something like that. It’s cute but not too cutesy, so that’s a good thing. The menu is active, kind of spyish and gadgety. Even a good menu makes me wonder, why? We are on the menu for just seconds at a time and them move on to the content. I just wish they could put the cash they spend on the making of these jazzed up menus into something else, like more extras on the Blu-Ray!





Audio & Video: 9/10
Disney his the road running with a another sublime transfer on Blu-Ray disc. As usual with Pixar movies this is a showcase for the HD format. What you get here is a pristine colorful movie that has TONS of detail, from Mater’s rusty bodywork to Holly Shiftwells luminescent purple paint-job you won’t be able to take your eyes off the screen. Obviously Pixar are Disney’s crown jewel studio and everything they do gets the A+++ treatment and Cars 2 is no exception. This is nothing short of showroom condition.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 soundtrack is boombastic on every level. From the opening scene (which plays out like the start of a James Bond movie) you know you are in for something special. Speech is centered and crystal clear and there are lots of panning effects in the rear speakers especially during the big race scenes.

Overall I really enjoyed Cars 2, but I am glad that Pixar are going back to an original property with Brave next year, the sequels they have concentrated on recently are starting to wear a little thin with me.

Value: 3/10
You can complain about my complaining, but if you find a movie for your kids that costs more than 12 bucks, wait until it’s cheaper. I mean it folks, just because they try to convince us that $30 is a GREAT deal for a cutting edge movie with a DVD copy of the movie included, slick packaging, etc…does NOT make it a good deal. It is a movie, not food for your family or gas for your car to get to work to make the money that they want to suck out of you from movie to movie. Take a stand. Rent it first for a couple bucks and when it’s down to a reasonable price, buy it. If you think you are getting value for money because your kids will watch it a thousand times and that makes it worth the price, by that logic my shoes should cost a million friggin’ dollars. Just think of all the use they get from day to day, or my reading glasses, or my mouse. Don’t be fooled. If you love it soooo much  you have to have it or you just don’t mind paying over $20 for a Disney movie (original price nearly 40 dollars!), go for it. Not to mention when you get the Blu-Ray you don’t get all the extras. You have to buy the 3D version to get more for your money, and it’s not more for your money, it’s what Mater might call “hogwarsh”.

Overall Score 7/10

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Cal finds himself at odds with his wife and his work, as well as his family and friends, and he ends up running into Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling), who is a single, attractive guy who can’t understand how and why Cal has allowed himself to become what he is, which is pathetic. Jacob takes on the task of totally making over Cal, in the hopes of helping him rediscovering his manhood, so that he can move on with his life.

The interplay between the two actors is great, and the transformation is stunning. Soon Cal is turning heads and his whole outlook in life has changed. During that same time, Jacob runs into a girl who doesn’t initially fall for his suave routine. Hannah, (Emma Stone) ends up changing Jacob, who is not used to letting anyone in to see his true self or emotions, and like Cal, he is forced to deal with life in a new manner, as he decides that perhaps a relationship is not the end of the world after all.

The emotions and story for this movie seem genuine, and the great acting really adds some depth to what could have been another mediocre romantic comedy. Instead, we get a truly fun little film, that is solid from start to finish.


Features: 3/10

• Steve & Ryan Walk Into A Bar – This extra is just Ryan Gosling and Steve Carell sitting in the bar from the movie talking about the movie and the characters that they play. Pretty standard stuff.
• The Player Meets His Match - This feature focuses on Jacob, the ladykiller. This is short and touches a lot of the same ideas from the first extra, as they discuss Ryan Gosling’s character as he morphs in the movie.
• Deleted Scenes - There are a number of deleted scenes included here, and most are really stoic and not that great. There are a few that are funny, like the bathroom scene with Cal and Jacob, but most are not missed.
• DVD Version of the Movie - You also get the standard version of the movie, not in high definition.

Cover Art and Menus: 5/10
The cover for the movie is pretty decent, with nice color, and great shots of the main characters. It is not great, but it is stylish and adequate. The menu is static and really not all that exciting. The music is even a bit tame, giving the menu a boring feel.  It just was kind of a downer after watching such a good little movie.





Audio & Video: 8.5/10
The audio for the movie is really pretty strong, with nice bass and overall umph. This is a romantic comedy and so don’t expect booms or crashes that risk the house, but this was solid. The video, presented in 1080p AVC encoded MPEG-4 high definition is also really solid. There was a little bit of noticeable grain here and there, so again this was not the sharpest Blu-ray that I have ever seen, but it was a really nice visual presentation.  This is not a Blu-ray that you will pop in to show off the wonders of high definition or blow up your floor with the rocking bass from the audio, but for this movie everything works out well.


Value: 7/10
I am not totally sure about the replay value of this one. Once you have seen it, the originality and freshness of the movie kind of wears off, so it may not be one that you view over and over again. Having said that, I ally enjoyed the movie and would recommend it to almost all who love movies. The extras are a bit thin, but the movie and Blu-ray presentation is good.  Like I said, this is my favorite Steve Carell movie so far, and I was impressed by everyone involved.  Julianne Moore is amazing, as is Ryan Gosling (did I just write that?)  Emma Stone is perky and likable, and I thought even Marisa Tomei and Kevin Bacon were great.  This is a wonderful, clever little romantic comedy that is definitely worth a view.

Overall Score 8.5/10

Our leading man is your cocky pilot dude with a sad past. His peripheral characters are a young woman who someone started her out to be tough and semi cool but ended up writing her to be a swooning damsel in distress..yuck.. Then we have the tormented young man who has reasons to hate and defy his father enough to become tortured, corruptible. That father is a jerk, and there is a father who is too perfect (and dead), and then the father of the young woman who just kind of whiffs of bad guy but never has the chance to fully develop. Once we get to the other worldly folks things pick up, and yet still we get the immortal wise ones, the tough drill sergeant, the well balanced zen kind of fish dude, and a few others who look more cool than they really are. It’s a shame.

With all of this humdrum character stuff going on how did I actually enjoy this movie? I’m glad you asked. The history of the Green Lantern coalition, the scope of the whole universe being involved, the immense evil foe, it’s enough to get me in the groove. I let go of the shitty cheap one liners as much as I could, forgot about the lame trailer, and just enjoyed the ride. The special effects are ropy sometimes, lots of rag doll syndrome and the all CGI suits got pretty shaky sometimes. Then again, I might have noticed more because I got a little bit bored through a few scenes. I have no idea why, but there were times when I zoned out and started seeing the cracks in the shiny movie making glaze that’s supposed to wow us into a certain kind of movie frenzy blindness. I do fall for it sometimes, no doubt, but with Green Hornet, I was in and out of liking it about four different times.

Overall I had a good time watching a movie that I would not have chosen to watch and won’t see again. That sounds suspiciously like a criticism, but it’s not. Fun while it lasted, that’s a fair statement. I don’t look forward to more Green Lantern installments if they are to come. I wouldn’t recommend this over most other comic book/super hero movies I have seen. However, if someone was having a night in with some fun movies and it was on their “maybe” list I wouldn’t steer them away from it. Take that for what you will.

Features: 8/10

• Extended Cut – It’s the movie with 9 minutes that are not in the theatrical version. It does give us more for the opening sequence, a flashback, and really does add to the back story of our hero. I am not sure why they cut stuff out for the theater, but I wish I had one board meeting in Hollywood per movie!
• Theatrical Version On DVD Only – 9 minutes less than the extended version. :)
• Maximum Movie Mode – Watch the movie again with the writer taking you through a lot of extras, concept art, behind the scenes, etc. It’s an excellent way to explore the whole of the Green Lantern experience.
• The Universe According To Green Lantern – How the comic became a movie.
• justice League #1 Comic – An animated version of the comic, very cool.
• Additional Scenes – These scenes would not add anything to the movie. We get a bit more with the nephew, and then some unfinished CGI moments.
• Preview Of Green Lantern The Animated Series – If you are  in love with Green Lantern, this will add to the universe he occupies. It’s just a preview, so it might be too much of a tease.
• BDLive – There is nothing much to see here, as usual.
• Green Lantern: Emerald Knights – Find this on your Ultra Violet account when you add the code for Green Lantern. It’s a full length animated feature yours to view alongside your digital copy of Green Lantern.

Cover Art and Menus: 5/10
Getting lots of other worldly characters on the cover is pretty good, I just wish the Earthly dude wasn’t in the front. Why do I have this thing that the star of the movie is the most boring thing you can slam on the cover? I don’t really even care about the covers of movies. They just sit on the shelf facing each other, so why swoon over them? Well, if you give me a reason to NOT think like this you win the prize!! What’s the prize? Hmmmm I’ll buy the poster version and put it in my house. What an honor:)





Audio & Video: 6/10
Green Lantern comes to Blu-Ray with a 1080P AVC encode that is impressive in parts. The problem I do have with the encode is how dark some scenes are, funny that the tagline features with words “Blackest Night”. There is also a smattering of DNR applied which makes Ryan Reynolds look a little waxy at times.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is loud and bombastic which is perfect for a summer blockbuster flick like this one. The 5.1 surround really impresses with fighter jets and bulletfire coming from every angle. When Hal Jordan takes a trip into space listen for the whoosh of the subwoofer as hes sucked up that little green tunnel.

Overall the presentation here is quite good but the black levels let things down a little. Still it’s the best you will see this movie as I don’t think it was successful enough to warrant a special edition down the line.


Value: 5/10
Rental, that’s how I would define Green Lantern in the consumer world. I don’t have any desire to see it again, so owning it isn’t topping my list of priorities. It’s fun but it doesn’t grab me and demand that it be part of our collection. You might find this blu-ray for around 20 bucks, which is way way way too much. If you see it for 10 bucks, that might be a cheap night at the movies and with the added extras do give you a full evening of Green goodness.

Overall Score 5/10

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The cast is what it is, big stars dressed up in crazy costumes and being bigger than life. I’m a sucker for Geoffrey Rush, he commands me every time he’s on the screen. Johnny Depp is Jack, Captain Jack Sparrow and owns the whole of that persona. Penlope Cruz is really good, tough and charming and as the movie goes on I wanted more of her, less of everyone else.

My lovely husband, The Ascully, says the music is a big part of the whole experience and he loves it. I agree that it’s awesome, however, I felt it was a bit heavy sometimes and too demanding. It’s a wonderful score, if not a big chunked in there too much from time to time and it takes away from the fun or excitement of the moment.

The movie isn’t trying too hard to be big action, but there’s enough going on to make me want to go on the same journey. It’s truly the stuff of kids’ imagination. If you ever had one you might remember how it felt to stand in your backyard swing and pretend it was the front of a ship as you stormed across the tumbling sea battling monsters and discovering distant lands. I did that a few times and when I watch any on of the Pirate movies it takes me back. What Stranger Tides does is spark that desire to be hypnotized by the promise of myths and legends like mermaids. I do want more open oceans though, less cannons, more sea monsters.

I look forward to more, but it’s not required for me. Some people want these kinds of franchises to go on forever, not me. I think every story has it’s beginning and end, which is good enough. I don’t like it when something goes too long, and the fear of Pirates of the Caribbean could be screwed up if it is run through the movie mill for much longer.

Oh, the story of this one is finding the fountain of youth. There are mermaids who are incredibly compelling and unlike any mermaids I have ever seen. There is the missionary who is an excellent theme to drop into the pirate tales. There is Blackbeard, who happens to be my least favorite thing in the whole movie, brutal but not as interesting as Davy Jones (pardon the comparison). Finding something to not like about this or others in the series isn’t hard to do, I mean, there’s always hit and miss with any blockbuster flick. The thing is, the balance is tipped for me into the zone of having a really good time, walking away with a smile on my face. That’s always a good thing.


Features: 4/10

• Bloopers Of The Caribbean – A 5 minute blooper reel, funny at times.
• Audio Commentary With Director Rob Marshall – A detailed full length commentary that really gives insight into the production.
• Lego Animated Shorts: Captain Jack’s Brick Tales – Great for the small ones, but adults will see through these shorts and recognize they are really just advertisements.
• DVD Version Of The Movie – A DVD copy of the movie for those times you need to watch a fuzzier version of the film.

Cover Art and Menus: 9/10 (By Ascully)
The DVD combo version of on Stranger Tides comes with a slipcover which has some awesome holographic printing. The only thing I wish was different (and this applies to most Blu-Ray slipcovers) is that the actual slipcover contains different art to what is actually on the box. I do like the fact that Captain Jack Sparrow is given the whole cover though.

The menus are very impressive with a custom spinning map that shows you the main areas in which the movie takes place. It also has that awesome Hans Zimmer music playing which is always a bonus.

(Cidtalk says, no I would not have this as a poster. It’s not interesting enough, just very piratey.)





Audio & Video: 9/10 (By Ascully)
I really believe if there is a king of the high seas in terms of transfer quality on Blu-Ray it’s Disney. Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is no exception. Regular Pirates fans will notice that this is a more gloomy visual film with a new cinematographer onboard (Dariusz Wolski), but still Disney’s transfer keeps the gloomy visuals impactful without crushing blacks. The film is not all dark though as it moves to the lush jungle and things really start to look great.

One of the best surround tracks of the year can be heard on this disc. Surround activity is abundant at all times with lots of bass activity as well. The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track really delivers all the action of the high seas. A special mention must be made to Hans Zimmer’s amazing Swashbuckling score, if you have seen any of the Pirates movies this will be immediately recognisable and in this movie some could say overused. Not for me though I love the tune and more is better :)

Value: 7/10 (By Ascully)
There are several versions on the movie available and unfortunately the DVD combo is missing the disc that contains the majority of the special features. This brings down the value slightly for me. It’s a disturbing trend that the full suite of extras are only available on the 3D version of the movie but I guess they have to sell 3DTV”s  to the masses somehow. The transfer of the audio and video look incredible, so whichever version you plunk down that pirate booty for you will be pleased with.

Overall Score 7/10

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When I was a kid my mom said I thought about things too much. As I hit puberty and teenhood, my mom said I thought about things too much. This continued through my 20′s with some interuption due to heavy drinking and not giving a shit about anything. My 30′s settled down and now in my 40′s guess what, I think about life and living and the universe, and the meaning of it all an awful lot. After seeing Tree of Life, it’s obvious that I’m not alone. It’s all so big. Where do we fit in? Why do we bother?

The flip side of that deep troubling question is the answer, life is fantastic!! Life exists, moving around, blooming, babbling, growing, dying, sprouting, towering, crawling, it’s beyond our comprehension if we are honest with ourselves. See what this movie does to me, I’m thinking again, more, contemplating, wondering, and it’s lovely. Why bother? It’s cool to be here.

The cast is perfect. The art design is hypnotizing. The special effects are wondrous. Mixing the visual power of how the universe is thought to have begun cut together with a single family drama, then with the timeline of flash backs and flash forwards, well, it sounds muddied with complications, but it’s not. I just let it all happen and soaked it up. It’s a long movie, not long enough if you ask me.

The depth of the characters seems super complex, and then you realize it’s just how we are. We have the bully nature of men, the loving nature of women, the innocence of childhood crushed by the reality of growing older on this planet. I have no idea how Malick captured it so beautifully, but with the music and the dialog and the beautiful photography, the delicate touch mixed with harsh and then balanced with what I see as a lot of neutrality. I mean, it’s heavy handed with the God stuff, if you see it that way. Then again, it’s pointing out the futility of believing in a god at all. There’s the balance and the opportunity for you to think about it yourself. Decide what it is. Enjoy it while it lasts and then it’s over. Hmmm more deep thinking about life. I really dig this movie. 

Features: 6/10

• Exploring The Tree Of Life –  It’s a good extra, but for the scope of this movie I would like to see more. The explanation about how they did the creation of the universe is good, it only touches on the process though, so again, more would be awesome.
• DVD & Digital Copy – I might just utilize this feature for once. I would like to watch and absorb this movie a few more times. Thanks technology!!

Cover Art and Menus: 4/10
I do not like the cover at all. It’s that atrocious boxes with snapshots from the movie. I like the individual images, but it’s just not appropriate for the magnitude of what’s inside the box. The menu is made up of a similar design with clips of the movie playing…ugh. Seriously? I don’t want the poster, which is disappointing because I really enjoyed the movie.





Audio & Video: 9/10 (By Ascully)
Beautifully shot on film by director of photography Emmanuel Lubezki (Children Of Men) Tree of life is a visual masterpiece in every respect. Shot mostly using 35mm steadicam the movie has a look unlike any other. As I said on the Podcast, you can literally pause the Blu-Ray on any frame in the movie and you have a composed piece of art. The transfer here is impeccable with fine detail in every frame. Wardrobe on the leading actors is especially detailed. The 20 minute long  ’how the earth began’ segment is wonderful with amazing looking experimental visuals and even some CGI.

It’s not often a movie has a message on the screen before it starts that tells you to turn up the volume. Malick is famous for using sound as an emotional cue and it’s obvious from the opening frames why you should crank it up. Featuring over 40 pieces of classical music (some new stuff composed by Alexandre Desplat of Harry Potter/The Kings Speech fame) this disc is a sonic marvel. The director uses a lot of subtle voiceover that comes across clear and centered, and the surround speakers are used almost the entire time to paint a rich soundscape that will evoke memories of childhood.

Tree of Life is easily the best movie I have seen this year for a number of reasons. It’s not often I am truly moved by a movie and at times here I really was. I am sure this movie will polarize audiences as it asks a lot from the viewer, but sit back and give yourself to it and you may have a life changing experience which is easily worth the price of admission.


Value: 8/10
It is worth the price.

Overall Score 9/10

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Directed by Michael Jai White, who was the main actor in the hysterical Black Dynamite, Never Back Down 2 is a shell of the original.  Even White’s performance as a washed up MMA trainer Case is uninspired in parts.  The movie focuses again on a few mixed martial arts students who are preparing for a new tournament, called the beatdown, and put together by Max  Cooperman (Evan Peters) from the original movie.

Case has a particularly checkered past, and he is trying to do everything he can to stay out of trouble.  In this type of movie, that will not happen.  The fighters are all dealing with their own issues, and are trying to jockey and prepare for the final competition, which is a big one.

While the sequel mirrors the original in many ways, the fact that it just feels like a copy really hurts its overall appeal.  We have seen this before, and with better actors.  The result is a movie with too much acting when its actors are mainly just fighters.  Less acting and more action might have been the right combination here.


Features: 4/10

• Commentary With Michael Jai White, Todd Duffee & Scottie Epstein - The commentary here is sparse and has a whole lot of dead silence.  There is little in terms of details about the movie, and while it is somehwat entertaining, it is a sub-par commentary.
• Deleted Scenes - There are only two scenes included on the disc, and they are not memorable.

Cover Art and Menus: 3/10
To me the cover for this movie looks just like a cover for a mixed martial arts competition.  It makes sense, but there is not a lot going on here.  The movie is about fighting, and so is the cover.  The cover is kind of reminscient of old Jean Claude Van Damme movies.  The menu is a static shot of the same guys in a different, albeit still angles, pose.  There is not even any background music playing during the menu.





Audio & Video: 5/10
I reviewed the standard DVD of Never Back Down 2, and while the widescreen presentation was adequate, it really lacks the feel of a top rated action movie.  Colors and details are decent, but the overall effect is pretty standard and lackluster.  It seems that they did not light the movie correctly in spots, which gives this a low budget feel.  The audio is the same way, with a lot of Surround sound usage that seems to be over the top for no real reason.  The dialogue in spots seemed to be mixed too low also.  And I feel that I have to mention the music, which is pretty bad overall.  It is knd of what you would expect for a low budget martial arts movie, but I had to mention it.  It is bad.


Value: 3/10
This straight to DVD release is fun as long as you are into MMA fighting.  The story is nothing new, and the overall result is a ho-hum martial arts movie with sub par character development and lackluster acting.

Overall Score 3/10

Buy It 10/11 on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack with UltraViolet Digital Copy or Download to Own

The Movie: 7/10
Horrible bosses, that’s just a dose of reality we all have to swallow at some point in our lives. As for the movie Horrible Bosses, it’s the fantasy of dealing with wretched horrible people who happen to sign the paychecks of our three ‘heroes’. Something must be done about the sexually charged dentist who terrorizes, the maniacal corporate president who demeans and bullies, and of course the asshole creepy sleazy son who inherits his father’s company and wants to milk it for all it’s worth. These people must be taken down, down, and the somewhat hapless employees who decide to do the world a favor represent all of us who might have had tiny little plans in our minds to do the same to a boss or two along the way.

It’s well made, great stunts, good music, and just a good time….for that I say it’s worth the 7 out of 10. But, don’t take that too seriously, it’s for the laughter not for the overall experience.

The different types of workers that most of us are don’t really feel represented here, so you have to just take on board the sympathy for a rich executive (Bateman), a comfortable plant manager (Zaranakis), and a dental hygienist (the other guy, please insert name:)). There are no dish washers or floor moppers or waitresses or retail clerks, these are the people who do take the most shit at their jobs, but for the purpose of this movie we just need to summon up some connection with these dudes. I had a hard time with that so it was kind of the thing that neutralized the impact of the whole story….that being said, as they say, I did enjoy this movie a lot. I laughed, giggled, exclaimed “Oh my god!” a few times, and came away with a general sense of satisfaction and of being entertained. Does that sound kind of blah? Well, it’s hard to look back and summon up a lot of umph when I didn’t find myself represented at all, but I suppose it should be universal, that sense of camaraderie for fellow employees who have had to deal with jerky bosses, so the actual job shouldn’t matter. But it really does.

The cast is excellent, for me. Now, Ascully found the dental hygienist annoying. I disagree, but I can see where he’s coming from with the kind of over the top cartoon antics this guy had to engage in occasionally. I didn’t understand the indulgent Kevin Spacey moments, but hey, it’s Spacey. Jamie Foxx’s character is just so not necessary it made it very difficult to appreciate the wheezily dude he was playing. This movie does have a lot of things that seem to be poorly planned or just stuck in for reasons that don’t serve the story, or just do not need to be there. It’s a bit patched together with scenes that take it too cartoony. It could have been trimmed up, focused more on the job of being in a job with a horrible boss and less time on the crazy antics.

The biggest thing that I come away with that makes this movie less then it could be is that at the heart, it has no heart. I’m not saying every movie with comedy and the real life edge needs to have some kind of morality tale or soppy gushy middle, but when a story is told that has no connection to anything meaningful at all it becomes a hollow experience. I like some hollow movies, no doubt, it’s just that the potential for identifying with folks who live their lives being at the mercy of some schmuck who pays their paycheck, well, there is a lot of opportunity for something other than wild heists and slap stick.

I want to like it more than I do, however I did enjoy it while it lasted. I don’t know what else to add to that….it’s totally recommended for anyone who wants a cheap laugh or two. Just don’t go looking for that “OH yea fulfill MY fantasy of doing in my dipwad boss!!!” it might not be there.


Features: 6/10

• My Least Favorite Career – Most of the cast and director reflect on real jobs they have had in the past. Unfortunately none of them want to out any real people so not much information is given up.
• Surviving A Horrible Boss – The cast talk about how to survive working with a horrible employer.
• Being Mean Is Such Fun – The three horrible bosses talk about being horrible and how much fun it is.
• The Making Of The Horrible Bosses Soundtrack – Promotional extra about the forgettable soundtrack.
• Deleted Scenes – A few deleted scenes including two different alternate openings.
• Ultraviolet Digital Copy – A new era in digital copies.
• DVD Version – A DVD Version for you ludites

Cover Art and Menus: 4/10
I like the cover. It’s pretty bold and slightly obnoxious. It is comedy after all. I might even have it as a poster, hint hint Ascully! The menu is nothing, well, barely anything. It’s a still image and navigation.





Audio & Video: 8/10
Horrible Bosses is an uneven film and the transfer shares that trait. At times it shows great detail and superb black levels but at others (take the scene where Sudekis goes for a late night rendezvous with Aniston) the transfer inhibits lots of HD video noise. That’s not saying this is a bad transfer though far from it. The flesh tones and color saturation are spot on and there is not a hint of banding or DNR applied. For a comedy this stands up to most of 2011′s releases and as such gets an 8/10.

Audio is very central heavy. I don’t think I heard the surround speakers kick in at all throughout the whole running time. The DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack is very clear though and not an ounce of the funny dialog will be missed. I was going to use the word horrible in this section somewhere but this transfer is far from it.

Value: 6/10
If you find this blu-ray for 12 bucks, it might be worth having it around for a laugh now and then. Any more than that and I would just rent it or stream it on a Friday night movie bing. The extras are slightly boring and the movie is empty calories for the most part so I don’t have a desire to invest much in it.

Overall Score 7/10

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Cast members of other Fast and Furious movies join forces this time around, so that’s kind of cool. Even though it’s a nice nod to people who do enjoy the movies, for someone like me who doesn’t, it’s more of the same.

There are some pretty cool directing tricks here and there, however, it would take a lot of style to overcome the  shortage of substance. It’s not a secret, right? Fast Five is a movie a guy like my husband digs. He glosses over the flaws and just watches with a certain kind of Y chromosome sector of his brain that processes it in a way I do not understand. Even with the tiny items that made it entertaining, it took two glasses of wine to lube my tolerance for the rest of it.

Of course there is the top quality acting. No

The plot is complex and interesting. No

Not every movie I like is complicated or smart or a masterpiece of artistic film making, not by a long shot. For god’s sake I have laughed extensively at Dumb and Dumber. It’s just that Fast Five is empty, kind of boring for me. Those fights and car sequences run out of value in about a minute, maybe two, and then my mind wanders and I have a bad habit if then finding more and more things I don’t like.

You aren’t shocked, right? I mean, did you expect a love match between me and a movie with two bulky bald sweaty dudes who offer up way too much machismo to make my heart swoon. In fact, so much macho and poorly delivered, poorly written dialog filled the air that I realized I would rather spend the evening alone with another glass of wine and memories of the long list of movies from my past.


Features: 8/10

• The Big Train Heist – Behind the scenes on the opening scene of the movie. I really thought most of it was CG,but boy was I wrong.
• Reuniting The Team – A short showcasing each member of the crew.
• A New Set Of Wheels - Another short featurette this time focusing on the cars.
• Dom Vs Hobbs – From the moment the Rock shows up you know he will have to end up in a fight with Vin Diesel, this shows what it takes to arrange that.
• Tyrese TV – Tyrese being annoying with a flipcam, file under Youtube promotional.
• Inside The Vault Chase – The finale of the film includes a Heist like you have never seen, the title here will give you a clue.
• On Set With Director Justin Lin – A video diary style look at a day in yhe life of a Director.
• Deleted Scenes – A couple of deleted scenes, that were best left on the cutting room floor.
• Gag Reel – A gag reel, some mildly funny stuff here.
• Dom’s Journey – A look at how Dom has progressed,regressed over the five movies.
• Brian O Conner From Fed To Con – A short look At Paul Walkers storyline.
• Enter Federal Agent Hobbs – I think The Rock is a good addition to the movie. Here is a quick explanation of his charachter.
• Feature Commentary With Director Justin Lin - 
• UControl – A picture in picture mode with great insight into how the movie was made.
• Second Screen – If you have an Ipad chd k out the specs of the cars as the movie rolls.
• Digital Copy & DVD – Your standard DVD and digital copy.

Cover Art and Menus: 3/10
I wouldn’t have this cover art as a poster. It does line up with the others in the series, but that’s not saying much. I know, they don’t have to be appealing to the likes of me, the woman who wouldn’t be drawn to these movies if you paid me. They hit their target audience, people who like Vin and Paul and their car driving antics. The menu is what it is, navigation.





Audio & Video: 8/10 (By Ascully)
Justin Linn has taken the Fast & The Furious franchise and mutated it into something between a James Bond flick and a god old fashioned action movie. And Universal have given the new movie a great looking presentation on Blu-Ray disc. Filmed on location in Puerto Rico (which doubles for Rio in the film) the filmlike transfer captures every bead of sweat on the actors and the sweat on some of the finest cars in film. Much of the movie looks overbaked thanks to the hot sun but like Scarface which we looked at a couple of weeks ago this gives the movie a distinct look. Blacks are black and occasionaly slightly muddy which does stop me giving the transfer top marks. But that being said this is easily the best a Fast & The Furious movie has looked.

Universal have gone the whole hog here with a DTS Master Audio soundtrack that will literally blow you away. Yes the track is full of throaty V8 engine sounds but the highlight for me is a moment when a grenade goes off about two thirds into the movie. You will feel the grenade similar to the blast at the start of the first LOTR movie. Fast Five doesn’t have the greatest dialog but it is crisp clear and centered like it should be.


Value: 6/10
If you have to complete your collection of Fast Furious movies, you won’t care about the price. I, however, will not be. The extras are pretty darn good, I even like them better than the movie. It’s fun to see how they do the car stunts and behind the scenes with the reunited cast. $15 – $20 of my frivolous spending budget would go toward more pencils, paper, and pens, or maybe a few budget movie titles. My husband, however, has already added this to the Blu-Ray collection.

Overall Score 5/10

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I know that Cidtalk in her review references the fact that she does not do comparisons between movies, but when your movie review is a sequel to a Disney classic, (or midquel, as it technically takes place in the middle of the Bambi movie) you can’t help but make comparisions.  Bambi 2 is unfortunately going to be compared to Bambi, and the result is (somewhat predictably) not going to be good for the midquel.

Bambi 2 takes place after the heart wrneching death of Bambi’s mother in the original movie.  Bambi is forced to deal with the loss, and his ultimate focus, which is to gain the respect of his father, but in teh meantime, he also has to battle his fear of the forest, which as we know in the original movie, can be a terrifying place to live.

Returning with Bambi are his close friends Thumper, Flower and Friend Owl.  The crew, now kind of on their own, are attempting to battle the loss and help Bambi take his rightful place as heir to the thrown as Prince of the Forrest, which his father currently is.  the group (which in a change from the original movie) is now bubbly and chatty and more playful than before as they search for a surrogate mother to help bambi on his journy.

The midquel is a strange mix of frolic and fear, and while the story really isn’t all that bad, the execution just is not what it could have been.  You can’t help but compare here, and this isn ot the original.  And while the kids will enjoy this movie, it is not something that I would want to see more than once.  Bambi 2 is just not a Disney classic.

Features: 4/10

• Four Interactive Learning Games - Included on the disc are several interactive games that are definitely geared towards kids, and involve things like recognizing colors and simple math.  Again, aimed squarely at little kids.
• Deleted Song “Sing The Day” - This is an extra song that did not make the final cut of the movie.
• Disney’s Sketch Pad How To Draw Thumper - Various artist’s sketches from the movie are presented here.
• The Legacy Continues - In this extra, we get about 8 minutes of interviews and background about the Bambi story and Bambi 2.  Set in interviews of cast and crew, this gives a bit of the background into why this was made.
• Bambi’s Trivia tracks - Created for younger kids, this is a pop up trivia game based on the movie.
• DVD Version Of The Film - 

Cover Art and Menus: 9/10
The cover and the menu for Bambi 2 is a nice trhow back to the original.  The old style artwork and the orcehstral music in the menu really do make this seem like a Disney classic, even though in reality it falls far short of that  moniker.  The menu is alive with color and animation, and the cover is just what you would expect for a sequel (midquel) like this one. 




Audio & Video: 8.5/10
The 1080p AVC encoded presentation is just what you would expect from Disney: solid.  Imagine the old style artwork animation presented in a beautiful, crisp, high definition package, and that is what you get here.  Bright, sharp colors, insanely detailed artwork, and just an overall great visual experience.  This is the presentation that you would want all of the classic (sometimes less than sharp) older movies to look like, but they were not created with high definition in mind.  This Blu-ray is presented with that in mind.  The audio is good also, with a great mix and nice use of the rear speakers.  I notice a lack of real bass, but to be honest, the older movies lacked that ummph as well, and it is almost like it was meant to be.

Value: 3/10
I am not always sure what the impetus is for redoing and revisiting some of these old Disney classics.  This movie will still be a big splash with kids, but overall, I just think it does nothing to improve on what is a brilliant Disney story.  Sometimes things should just be left alone to stand on their own, and to me, this is a case where Bambi already did pretty good for himself (minus the whole mom dying thing).  Don’t mess with the original.

Overall Score 5/10

The best part of Transformers 3 are the special effects and the scope of the danger we piddly ass humans are in. The building falling over, the scale of the destruction, the bad guys, and the detail of the transforming, it’s all more more more. Bigger and more, these are the signs of a block buster summer flick, not a thinking quiet masterpiece. Keep that in mind as you watch the low brow chuckles and mostly naked ass we are subjected to in the first minute of the movie. Men..blah

I do long for the good old days when Witwicky was new to the alien robot world and we hadn’t yet been innodanted with very boring, very unfunny ‘side kicks’. What the hell is wrong with these writers and director? What exactly seems funny about exploiting folks with accents or hinting at horrible racial stereotypes? Are they so rich and above us all that they forget to not be so rude to the world? That’s the worst thing going in all the Tranformer movies, the very very very bad taste tucked into every nook and cranny. Other than that I always find a good time lurking between the eye-rolls and sighs.

There was only a little visit with the comic stylings of Witwicky’s parents, which is kind of unfortunate. I like them even if they are a bit much sometimes. Dempsy makes a good snively rich guy who may or may not be in cahoots with the overlord metal factions. He’s making eyes for the woman in our heroe’s life, which makes him even less charming. I did like the young lady who played opposite LaBeouf, or whatever his name is. I am too lazy right now to look up their names, but you know who I’m talking about. She’s pretty tough and brave and her acting out classes our bumbling leading man by about 165%. The voices of the transformers are all pretty good, except the really super annoying “funny” ones. I say “funny” in quotation marks because they are not funny, just in case you weren’t sure where I was going with that.

For this installment Witwicky has a new girlfriend, of course, has no job, is on the outs with the government, and is mostly dispensible to the real story. The alien robots have more secrets. The bad guy robots are looking for something, while the good guy robots are becoming a nusance to mankind. When the evil robots actually come around and start blowing shit up, including lots of innocent by standers I perked up. I mean, these movies generally don’t have much in the way of collateral damage when it comes to human life, so this time it takes a darker turn. When it comes to alien invasions I’m all over any movie that goes down that path. For Tranformers 3 they do a pretty good job of giving the vibe of our whole planet being in jeapardy. What would it be like to have the human race enslaved by an alien neighbor? It actually got me to feel more supportive of the fighting folks, the soldiers who keep coming back for each movie, for nutsy ex-FBI guy, and even Witwicky and his girlfriend. They are what stands between our freedom and being the under appreciated work force for an alien race who want their world to be rebuilt brick by brick, or whatever their world is built with. I had to root for the flimsy humans, it only seemed right.

Overall I really had a good time, minus the few eye rolls and brief wishes that they would just let the franchise go away. The specticle of the special effects is enough to get my approval. To hear Bumble Bee piece together phrases to get his point across, I love that. Was that a sentence? Whatever. If you want a brainiac movie do I need to tell you not to watch this or any of the Transformers flicks? If so, maybe brianiac movies aren’t up your alley.


Features: 2/10

• DVD Version Of The Movie – No extras on this Blu-Ray, obviously a super duper special edition is in the works. You do however get a DVD copy of the movie to tide you over.

Cover Art and Menus: 3/10
There is a giant robot on the cover, as would be expected. I don’t mind it, but it’s not very exciting. I wouldn’t have this as a poster, it’s just not interesting enough to look at everyday. I do like the Transformers logo, that would have been a nice bold look for the front of the box and I would have it in my house. The menus are tricked out with all the charm of a space ship control panel.





Audio & Video: 9/10 (By Ascully)
Paramount obviously have a special edition of Dark Of The Moon in the works as this bare bones release contains nothing but the movie and only the 2D version. That said, the transfer here is stellar. Bay shot the movie partially on film and partially digital but you won’t be able to see which is which as they did an awesome job of blending the two mediums. The picture is rich colorful and has the blackest blacks this side of the moon. Infact only an idiot would complain about this transfer it is indeed one of the finest in 2011.

As you might expect with a disc supervised by Michael Bay himself the audio is also out of this world. Encoded in a Dolby True-HD 7-1 mix this is possibly the best surround mix not just of this year but perhaps of all time. From the opening Paramount Logo with the famous metallic transformers sound effect that whooshes through all your speakers you can clearly tell a lot of care was taken here. If you thought the other two movies were great on Blu-Ray this release will convince you otherwise as it’s light years ahead in terms of audio and visuals. Give this disc a spin you will not be dissapointed. Well unless you hate Transformers movies!!!!!


Value: 6/10 (By Ascully)
Included in the package is a coupon for $10 off the special edition 3D Blu-Ray when it is released (which hopefully includes all the extras) which is a bit disturbing to me as it’s like saying sorry you bought this inferior version here is our apology up front. That being said if you just want the movie and do not care about 3D this is a fantastic looking and sounding disc to add to your Transformers collection. It can be found for about $17 at time of writing which is fair for a brand new release. I am sure Cidtalk will disagree with me though :)

Overall Score 7/10

Annie is in a relationship with a total asshole. She’s looking for someone to love and love her back, but not in a sappy way. She just wants someone who doesn’t call her f***buddy and tells her to leave after having sex. What more can a woman want? She has a failed bakery and it’s knocked the wind out of her. She’s pretty much got her childhood best friend and that’s about it. Now her best friend has found another best friend to be in her wedding and Annie is not going to share her without a fight, or several awkward hilarious adventures in bridesmaidery.

As the maid of honor in her friend’s wedding, Annie now has to face things like paying for an expensive dress, organizing a bridal shower, a bachelorette party, and other wedding planning stresses. All of this in direct competition with the new friend who is super rich, beautiful, organized, creative, and clingy. I don’t want to spoil the best moments, just trust me that when Annie kicks into competition mode for her friend’s attention or affections she is not just determined but so funny my face hurt from laughing every five minutes.

The cast is amazing. Kristen Wiig is, as always, so funny it makes me smile just thinking about some of her crazy wonderful moments. The bridesmaids are all exactly right for their parts. A sexpot mom who’s sick of her kids, an innocent Disney loving young woman who has not experienced much in this life, and a woman who is herself and to hell with the world, oh and the super rich new best friend of the bride. They are all fantastic to watch, to listen to, to soak up all their comic genius as they populate Annie’s world.

There are scenes in this movie that should go down in comedy history. There is a chocolate fountain, a giant cookie, bridesmaid rivarly, food poisoning in a bridal shop, the list goes on and on. I’m not always one for the gross humor but this time I was busting out laughing and for good reason.

The love interest in the story is a very groovy actor who I had not seen before but after this I want to see more. The relationship between Annie and Rhodes builds in a nice way without too much pressure from the story to hurry things along. His character is a nice change of pace for dudes in Romantic Comedies. I hope we see more of this type of character, calm, not taking any bullshit, not manipulative, not a sad sack, just a normal nice guy without any apparent issues to deal with.

I would watch this movie again and again if the opportunity came up. It’s fun to watch with friends and then discuss the whole “but I’M your best friend!!” thing:)

Features: 9/10

• Unrated & Theatrical Versions - Both versions of the movie for your enjoyment, the Unrated version is 6 minutes longer.
• Deleted Scenes - Almost 10 minutes of deleted scenes.
• Extended & Alternate Scenes - A full 50 minutes of extended scenes, including an epic endurance sex scene between Wiig and Hamm.
• Gag Reel - Funny stuff from the girls, some of the stuff here is funnier than the movie.
• Roommates - I hated the roommates in the film so these extended scenes were not on my radar. They are here if you want them though.
• Cholodecki’s - A bunch of scenes that take place in the jewlery store in the movie. Also a funny mock commerical for the store.
• Made Of Honor: Behind The Scenes Of Bridesmaids - A great 30 minute behind the scenes look at the making if the film, including a look a the best dressed director in Hollywood.
• Annie Vs Helen - 8 Minutes of Annie & Helen trying to win over the Bride.
• Drunk-O-Rama - Tons of outtakes from the drunk plane scene, the Blu-Ray is worth the price for this extra alone.
• Annie’s Blind Date With Dave - A whole subplot was removed from the movie which involved Annie having a Date with Dave played by Paul Rudd. Personally I would have left this in and taken the roommates out if I was editing the film.
• Tennis Pep Talk - Lots of alternate takes of the pep talk before the tennis scene.
• Feature Commentary With Filmmakers & Cast - An amazing commentary with just about everybody involved in the movie. Things get a bit hectic at times but you can tell everyone involved loved this project.
• DVD & Digital Copy - Lots of options for those of you on the go.

Cover Art and Menus: 8/10
Do you know what I actually like about this cover? Well, let me tell you. First, my husband was complaining that I never like the covers and I always say the same thing about the value of movies week after week. Well Ascully, as your wife I would like to inform you that you are not correct. I wouldn’t have it as a poster, I’ll get that out of the way, but I do like one thing about this cover, even if it’s a little blah if I’m honest. It doesn’t have the names of the cast or a chosen few names slapped on the front. I dig it when they realize the movie is an ensemble effort and just because you might have one or two more known names you don’t have to shove them on the cover and outshine the rest of the cast. The menu is kind of fun, lots of pictures of the bridesmaids in their dresses and it changes for each feature you choose. I’m not in love with the menus, let’s face it, it’s navigation to what you want to see. However, when they make an effort it doesn’t go unnoticed.





Audio & Video: 8/10
The cover of Bridesmaids announced that it is the best comedy of the year and I usually disagree but this time I think they are right. Universal have a very tight sharp looking Blu-Ray to go along with the high praise the movie is getting. If you are looking for a filmic image that really does the movie justice you have come to the right place, Bridesmaids is a colorful movie and the colors here are simply perfect. The only thing that saves me giving it full marks are some of the nightime scenes are a little crushed.

The DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 mix is quite outstanding for a comedy, the rear speakers are used A LOT (listen to the girls stomach growls during the fitting scene). Most of the dialog is kept front and center though and when Wilson Phillips start singing things really move to all the speakers. You might not expect such a bombastic audio affair from a comedy but that is exactly what you get here.

Value: 7/10
If you can find this movie for around $15 I say go for it. It’s a fun one to share with your good friends, to watch at a wedding shower, to have around after the bachelorette party for the wind down period after wine and before sleep. There are tons of extras to laugh at and for a whole evening of fun it’s worth the price.

Overall Score 8/10

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Jackie Chan is a somewhat eccentric soldier who finds himself as one of the loan survivors after a seemingly massive battle that  wipes out armies from two warring factions.  Upon waking up, he finds a rival general from a warring Wei province (Leehom Wang) who he takes as his prisoner.  Chan is from the Laing province, and he takes the injured general on a journey to hopefully get a reward for his capture.

Add to the mix a few nomads who are out to take anything of value from anyone they run across, and a group of Wei soldiers who are trying to locate the missing general, and supposedly kill him, and we start to get a band of two enemies that are forced to bond together to avoid death.  The two start a friendship of necessity that grows throughout the movie, and makes for a strange buddy type of movie, set in ancient China.

The movie really is a period piece, and it is a nice departure from some of the slapstick comedy stuff that pervades most Jackie Chan type of movies.  I liked it, and thought that the two main characters were likable, and really did a good job of moving the somewhat slow story along.  While it is not for everyone, this was a movie that I thought really showed a different side of Jackie Chan.  While he is still goofy and just a bundle of crazy action, even in this movie, it was good to see him do a more story driven film.  And while it is not the best martial arts film I have seen lately, it is a good period piece, and I can respect the time, effort, and money that went into this movie.  Jackie Chan should do more movies like this.

Features: 4/10

• Trailers - I am not one who really considers adverts for the movie as a true extra, but with the sparse features on this release, this is one of them.  There are several trailers included here, with movies like Ip Man 2 and Shaolin.
• Jackie Chan Music Video - In a strange twist, we get a music video, in Chinese of course, from Jackie Chan.  It is a strange video with him in the studio, mixed in with actions sequences from the movie.  His signing is actually okay.  This is just a strange inclusion.
• Making Of - The making of feature is actually pretty decent.  Clocking in at about 14 minutes in length, it is infomative.  In Chinese, with English subtitles, we get a good basic review of the making of and the ideas behind the movie.
• English Language Dub - The movie is presented in English, but it is strange as it does not appear that they used Jackie Chan to overdub his parts in English.  It just seems bizarre sounding.  The blu-ray is also accompanied by a standard DVD of the movie.

Cover Art and Menus: 5/10
The cover and menu for Little Big Soldier is shockingly dull.  The colors seem to run together and are a mess of browns and dark tans, which kind of seem to get lost.  (Incidentally, the cover image above is much brighter than the image that is actually on the cover of the blu-ray box.)  I understand the two main characters ont he cover, but it just seems to be a muddle here, and on the menu.  The menu features the same idea, and has shots of the movie over a small menu in the right lower corner.  I just was not a huge fan of either the cover or the menu.  A brigher more recognizable cover (and better, more readable font) would be great here.  You can barely tell that Jackie Chan is on the cover to be honest, and he is the main driving force behind this movie.




Audio & Video: 8/10
I know that I complained about the muted coloring of the cover and menu, which is truly a gripe, and I realize that the movie is set to look this way, but the effect of the movie is pretty nice.  The desaturation is a big part of making the movie feel old, and I understand that.  The 2.40:1 AVC encode is sharp and it looks great.  The details are apparent from start to finish, and I liked the presentation.  The audio is good also, with nice use of the rear speakers, and a nice mix of action sounds (with a lot of bass umph) and good dialogue.  The Mandarin mix is very solid, and the English dub is only slightly less powerful.

Value: 7/10
This is not a movie that non-martial arts fans will covet, but for those of us that have taken a liking to these types of historic chinese “epics” that have sprouted up as of late, this is a very good movie.  Jackie Chan is at his best here, and he seems to make an effort to tone down his antics, and let the story drive this movie.  The result is more along the lines of the Ip Man movies than the Rush Hour trilogy.  It is a nice change to see Chan in a role like this.  While the movie does drag at times, it is a good watch.

Overall Score 8/10

First Class takes us back to when Professor Xavier and Magneto become friends and enemies, when Mystic finds her calling to be drawn to the dark side, and explains a lot of other elements of the future as we know it in the X Men saga. I loved it. I really really enjoyed every minute of this movie. It got my juices flowing for the multiple special skills and powers or mutations that the cast of character brings with them. A dude with big feet and a genius mind, a guy who can adapt to anything to stay alive (well almost anything), and a young lady who can fly with her delicate wings. These are just a few of the offerings to my desire to see and experience what humans can do with a little imagination.

The cast is all excellent. I can’t even pick out a handful who were better than the rest. From the leading characters to the most peripheral, it’s a classy group of folks who bring us into the skewed world of the 1960′s Cuban crisis. Along with the cast the music is awesome. It’s a powerful score of classy powerful accompanyment to the action on the screen. It’s not always necessary to throw the latest popular tunes at an audience for block buster movies.

The telling of the stories of what would be the leading male characters is so well done for what could have been just rushed through montages to “get to the action”. The director and writers really do justice to the development of Professor X and Magneto, from being young men of opposite childhoods to ultra powerful mutated humans who have to struggle to find their places in this world. The delicate egos and emotional needs of each leading or supporting character are addressed one way or another. From finding Angel, the winged wonder, in a strip club and thus instantly understanding why she might make some of the choices she makes later in the story, to the origins of Beast and his self esteem issues which leads to his transformation, they all come to life so fully and completely it makes the story that much more interesting.

We are introduced to a very bad man, Kevin Bacon, as a Nazi researcher or doctor, not sure what he was exactly, and he begins Magneto’s journey in a very very very bad way. Bacon does a great job of being creepy and evil and unappealing. He speaks about 4 different languages I think. His power is awesome and his crafting of a plan to bring plain boring humans’ reign over the world to an end is a bit over complicated but still compelling. It’s kind of other thought, since we are kind of easy to obliterate without elaborte plans, but whatever, it’s a comic book story so it needs to be diabolical.

Emma Frost is a woman made of diamond, how cool is that? She’s just plain awesome, even if she’s the bad guy’s right hand woman. Her style is so groovy, and the fact that we go all over the world and she seems to travel in class and with an outfit for every ocassion, well, I wish I had an Emma Frost doll and every design in her collection. I’m not even a fashion person at all, nor do I play with dolls, but that’s how friggin’ impressed I was with her character!

Mystic’s story is my favorite, even though I would have liked more of her actual back story and not just watching her struggle with accepting her natural appearance. Where did she come from? Why was she alone? Where are her parents? More more more, i want more about Mystic!!! Emma to for that matter. Let’s have a Mystic and Emma Frost movie. While I am usually the first to complain that women characters are not treated with much respect in movies, I have to mention but at the same time overlook the fact that these strong women characters are still mere assistants or pet projects of male characters. I have to take a deep breath and remember when and by whom the original stories were written and then remind myself that the writers and director of this movie are all men…get the picture?

With the international flavors all over the place, the big action sequences that look great, the super cool mutant abilities all over the place, and a good story, X Men First Class is a hit with me. I would recommend highly even if you are not a comic book fan, or super hero fan, or action flick worshiper. It took me to pure fantasy land and kept me there the whole two hours and more. It’s not perfect, but I think for a super hero movie it is a solid 8 out of 10 regardless of it’s flaws. I didn’t want it to end, and it did leave me wanting more of this cast of characters, and that says a lot.


Features: 7/10

• X Marks The Spot Viewing Mode – Great PIP viewing mode which can be watched full screen from a menu.
• Cerebro Mutant Tracker – Get the backstory behind your favorite mutants with this interactive encyclopedia of the X-Men.
• Children Of The Atom Multi Part Documentary – Very detailed behind the scenes documentary in three parts, covers all aspects of the movie from storyboards to onset interviews and behind the scenes.
• Deleted & Extended Scenes – Mostly extended scenes but the trist deleted scene with Xavier is worth the price of admission alone.
• Composers Isolated Score – Listen to the score while the movie plays without the talking, I highly recommend this as the score is AWESOME.
• Digital Copy – A digital copy of the movie to watch on the go.
• BD Live Lookup Powered By IMDB – I love this feature, I was wondering what Rose Byrne was in while the movie played and this answered my question. (Insidious)
• 10 X-Men Marvel Digital Comics – A code in the box allows you to read 10 X-Men comics on Marvel.com, more of a gateway drug to get you hooked into buying a subscription than anything but a cool feature nonetheless.

Cover Art and Menus: 5/10
I like the cover, even though there is so much more potential with this kind of movie to make a very bold cover, this one will do. It’s got the two leading characters and hints at some kind of conflict…imagine that. I might have it as a poster, but then again, I would rather just have a big poster of either Emma Frost or Mystique. The menu is fine, nothing special.





Audio & Video: 9/10
Obviously X-Men is one of Fox’s premium properties and they would’t want to stuff up the transfer on this Blu-Ray release. So what they have here is a PRISTINE transfer that goes right to the top of the pile of this years releases. This beautiful 1080P AVC encode is impressive with amazing detail (check out Beasts Fur) and superb color reproduction. The movie has a interesting color pallet especially near the end when the classic yellow X-Men suits come into play.

First up a big shout out to Henry Jackman who scored this movie, hes created a wonderful superhero main theme for the X-Men that is as recognizable as the theme from Star Wars or Superman. I hope FOX keep this theme for all future X-Men movies. Back to the disc the DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 track is sure to impress with tons of LFE action and some amazing pans around the whole sound-stage. X-Men first class is my favorite super hero movie of 2011 and is a superb return to form for the series, I would actually say the best in the series which is unusual for a prequel.


Value: 5/10
I say get this one and have it for a rainy weekend. It’s long and great for popcorn munching, lounging and having a good time. I wouldn’t bother with the special editions and all that, just the Blu-Ray will do and if you are not into paying the price to own it, just rent it and have some like minded friends (or in my case I would invite my mom who has only recently confessed to loving sci-fi movies) for a movie night. I wouldn’t pair this with other X Men movies though. I say get something like the original Flash Gordon or Barbarella or early Bond movies. It’s the big fun and total escape that makes it worth a few bucks however you choose to present it.

Overall Score 8/10

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When Red learns Granny’s fate, she leaves the Sisterhood to rescue Granny, and it is only then that she learns of the evil plot, and who is behind it.  It kind of sounds great after reading that little blurb, but the execution just doesn’t match up to the hype.

Hoodwinked Too is a movie that just bumbles along.  The story is too complex for smaller kids to follow, and the attempt to make the movie more appealing for adults just gets old after a while (the Starsky and Hutch car was pretty funny though, for about a minute.)  There are a lot of big name, recognizeable actors who offer up their voice talent here, and a lot of classically recognizeable story characters to boot. But the overall effect is just one of confusion, and there is not a real opportunity to identify and connect to the characters.  To me this just shows the real difference between this type of animated movie, and those that have great stories and great characters.  Even the Shrek series, although ti got old, has some characters that you really gelled with.  Unfortunately this is just not one of those movies, and as a result, it is just a throw away type of animated release.  Even the big name voice actors don’t really add much to this besides a “wow, I can’t believe they are in this movie” type of reaction.  Hoodwinked Too is just not a great movie.

Features: 3/10

• Music Videos - There are 2 music videos included here, with one by Hayden Panettiere.  The others are by Lavay Cole and CeeJ.
• The Voices Of Hoodwinked Too - In the most interesting of the extras, we get to see some of the voice actors interviewed about their characters.  This one runs about 20 minutes long, and is pretty good.
• Storyboards & Production Artwork - We also get storyboards and production artwork, with the storyboards overlayed over final scenes.

Cover Art and Menus: 7/10
These animated movies sometimes have covers that are really intricate, as they can be drawn specifically for the cover, whereas movies involving live actors sometimes have to improvise.  The cover for this movie features all of the main characters hanging off of a balloon, and behind Red, the main hero of this movie.  It is fun and colorful, just like it should be.

The menu features spy-movie type music, and clips from the movie itself.  This is pretty much standard fare for a release like this, but kudos for not having a static DVD menu on a regular DVD release.




Audio & Video: 8/10
I liked the visuals here on this regular DVD release.  This is not a high definition release that I am reviewing, and I thought it looked and sounded decent.  The video was very crisp and clear, and of course the colors were bright, especially considering the fact that this is a regular DVD.  The 5.1 Surround Sound was used well in this release, with a great deal of bass and use of rear speakers.  It really packed a nice ummph overall.

Value: 4/10
Hoodwinked Too is of course a sequel, and it suffers from the fact that it seems to meander a bit.  While it is fun to see some classic characters in a new light (think the Shrek movies), it does get old after a while.  I also did not love the voice acting, and never really connected with this movie.  To me this movie is a lot like the Open Season movies, which didn’t stand up over time.  The mix of adult and kid humor is too forced here, and the result is a movie that is kind of tough to get attached too, and something that I don’t think will get watched too much in my household, which is different from most of the kid’s movies that we get.

Overall Score 4/10

I’ll say I don’t get the whole “life did me wrong now I’m going to kick and scream and bully my way into a gaudy mansion surrounded by thugs and dealing massive amounts of cocaine to fund it all” syndrome. In movie character terms, yea, I do understand. He’s a tragic character. He wants to overcome all the shit he’s seen and done and been through in his life in Cuba. As a human being, this bullshit attitude eludes me. Tony needs to just keep washing dishes, buy the restaurant someday, make an honest living, marry a nice woman and calm the ‘F’ down!! But that wouldn’t make a very dynamic entertaining epic story to tell.

I did enjoy this movie on a huge scale. I love to prove my husband wrong, and this time I can do it in a big way. I was stimulated from the beginning with the explanation about the Cubans being tossed out and sent to the US in the early 80′s. I latched onto the bitterness and anger Tony had brewing from the start and even though I think it’s hogwash, I went with it. Why do men has this thing where they think it’s fair to destroy everything around them to just get want to make them feel better about themselves? Talk about being overly sentimental!!

The story is told with a perfect pace, slow at first and then spiraling near the end into the frenzy it becomes. The characters we meat along the way are all mezmerizing. I felt tension every single time a new person came on the screen. “What’s this yahoo gonna do to stir things up? would cross my mind and I felt afraid of what was hiding behind their accents, their awesome 80′s clothes, and their constant need to stare each other in the eye while they talk. I dig it, intense acting, hard core throwing yourself into the part. It pays off even for the folks who don’t spend much time on the screen at all, but have a big impact while they are there.

I can’t say this will be a movie I feel the need to watch over and over and over through the rest of my life. I would say once a year might be fun. There is no denying why this story and this movie capture people’s imagination and sadly even influence some human behavior. It taps into something very primal, the need to move forward at any cost. It’s just a shame that Tony moved forward with a bullet count of thousands and not enough good sense to keep his nose out of that big pile of cocaine. “Never get high off your own supply.”

Features: 8/10

• The Scarface Phenomenon – A 39 minute look at everything surrounding Scarface, I hate the way rappers and wannabe celebrities are the focus here, otherwise it’s an interesting look at a mindblowing movie.
• U-Control (Scorecard & PIP) – The score card racks up the bulletcount and Fbomb count as you watch. The PIP feature spans the full three hours and features a wealth of information for fans.
• Deleted Scenes – Over a dozen deleted scenes some good some not so good.
• The World Of Tony Montana – A 12 minute interview piece that comes across as an episode of I love the 80′s on VH1.
• The Rebirth – In this 10 minute short we take a look at the 1932 version of Scarface and how it inspired the 1982 version.
• The Acting – Director, Writer & Producer sit down to analyse the performances.
• The Creating – A great 30 minute doc that features De Palma, Oliver Stone and the cast. This is possibly the most informative extra on the disc a must watch.
• Scarface: The TV Version – One of my favorite features on the disc, they had to remove violence and language for a TV version and these clips are hillarious.
• The Making Of Scarface The Video Game – The making of the awful 2006 videogame.
• DVD Of The Original Scarface 1932 – Your probably not that familiar with this 1932 movie, it has very little in common with the newer version but is a nice extra anyway.
• Digital Copy Of Scarface – I think you all know what a digital copy is by now.
• 10 Collectible Art Cards – 10 awesome looking postcards, these are actually fan art chosen from a competition which took place last year.

Cover Art and Menus: 9/10
Every cover or poster I have seen for this movie is awesome, so there ya go. The Blu-Ray does come in a limited tin box, so that’s good for anyone who cares about such things. (that does not include me) I would have any of the promo images on my wall because they are graphic and striking and now that I’ve seen the movie the power of just Tony’s face and the stark black and white and red all makes it that much more cool. The menu has clips from the movie so don’t pay too close attention if you haven’t seen it yet.





Audio & Video: 8/10
Sometimes I think people will not be satisfied no matter what you do, reading reviews of Scarface on various websites it seems the response to the transfer is largly negative. I am here to tell you to ignore those reviews as Scarface on Blu-Ray was a revelation to me. For the first time ever I could actually see everything Director Brian Depalma so lovingly crammed into every shot. For a movie that is 28 years old this is the best it has ever looked. Fine detail is evident in every close up shot, colors are pinpoint accurate and darker scenes never crush or look murky. Older movies such as Scarface are where the HD formats shine so long as they are given the royal treatment during the tranfer process.

The DTS Master audio 7.1 track is pretty much what I expected from a movie of this age, like Platoon which we reviewed a few weeks ago the audio can only be described as thin. Not that I want them to mess with the audio making it sound modern but be forewarned this does sound like a movie from the 80,s and really makes me appreciate how far audio has come in the last 30 years.

If you are a Scarface fan, this set is a must buy, not only does it come in awesome collectable packaging with postcards and the original Scarface movie on DVD. It is simply the best version of the movie you will have ever seen. Highly recommended and one of my favorite releases of 2011.

Value: 10/10
You can find this special edition right now for around 17 bucks, so I say go for it. That is a great deal for a first timer like me or a long timer who wants to watch it over and over. The extras are good for a true fan so you are getting many hours of quality entertainment (if you can tolerate lots of f-bombs and guys getting shot:)).

Overall Score 9/10

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As a result, she quickly is forced to deal with the emotions that come with having to stop surfing, as well as learning to deal with the everyday challenges that obviously follow.  Her family is supportive to a fault, but as Bethany realizes that her true love is surfing, a new journey begins as she attempts to revive her love for the sport, and her competitive spirit.

Soul Surfer has its share of top notch stars, including Helen Hunt as Bethany’s mother, and Dennis Quaid as her father.  The story does tend to focus on Bethany’s faith, which obivously is responsible for a large part of her recovery and reemergence as a professional tour de force on the women’s surfing circuit, but it can be a bit preachy at times.  The movie looks great, but the CGI can also get a bit dicey in parts.

As for the look of the movie, it is simply gorgeous.  Filmed in Hawaii, the scenery is amazing, and the blue ocean just looks daunting.  How anyone can surf those waves, especially missing an arm, is amazing (granted, I am from the middle of America.)  The movie just looks gorgeous, and the surfing looks fun.

Soul Surfer surely is an uplifting story, and a decent movie.  It is kind of easy to give this one a pass due to the fact that it is based on a true story, and a true story that is so amazing, but overall I just ”liked” the movie.  I just didn’t ”like like” it, if you know what I mean.  I almost felt like a good documentary would be just as powerful and entertaining.


Features: 4/10

• Deleted Scenes - There are about 8 scenes that are included here, but none are noteworthy.
• 3 Behind The Scenes Featurettes - The behind the scenes extras focus on Annasophia Robb, as she explains her love for the story and movie, and her real life friendship with the real Bethany Hamilton, as well as a 12 minute standard behind the scenes making of feature, and a short feature on the Hamilton family and their love of the ocean and surfing.
• Heart Of A Soul Surfer Documentary - This massive, 30 minute documentary focuses on Bethany and her situation.  It is a great watch for fans of the true story here, and really well done.
• Bethany Hamilton On Professional Surfing Featurette - This is a highlight reel of Bethany as she competes.  Clocking in at about 5 minutes in length, this is a truly amazing video of Bethany competing at the highest level of professional surfing.
• DVD Version Of  The Movie - No digital version of the film is included, but the standard DVD is.

Cover Art and Menus: 8/10
The cover and menu for Soul Surfer are really pretty good actually.  Shockingly the main color used here is blue (ok, not shockingly) but it seems to work well.  The photo of Annasophia Robb, holding a surfboard with a giant bite out of it, infront of the Hawaiian waves is great.  The menu features shots of the movie, and while even the loop seems to show a few issues with the CGI, it is at least stylish and gorgeous.




Audio & Video: 7/10
I will start with the audio here, which was good, but nothing to write home about.  There were a few moments when I felt that the dialogue seemed out of sync, but the sound was generally decent.  The music was fun (and geared towards the young and young at heart.)

The video was really sharp and the colors of Hawaii are vibrant and dynamic.  The AVC encoded 2.35:1 aspect ratio was inpressive, and the only issue that I really had is that the picture is so sharp that it can make the  CGI errors seem much more blatant.  at times the missing arm and the shots of Bethany surfing can get a bit dicey.


Value: 6.5/10
Soul Surfer is a good movie, and a very impressive story.  Bethany Hamilton is surely a surf legend at this point, and her story presented here is inspiring.  The Blu-ray disc looks and sounds okay, and while the story is impressive, the film does tend to waiver a bit on just what it wants to be.  The shark attack scene is pretty scary and traumatic for very young kids, but overall this is a decent family movie, and with the religious overtones, this movie does send a nice message.  The religion aspect for me seemed a bit heavy handed at times, but I still enjoyed the story overall.  While this is not going to be a disc that gets watched in my house over and over, it is a good movie to at least rent.

Overall Score 7/10

This is a heavily talky movie, which is awesome. The dialog is honest and believable. It’s got the right balance of humor and real guts to just keep me hung on every word. The cast is, as one, excellent. There isn’t a dud in the bunch. I get tired of singling out the “stars” of movies so this time I won’t. The entire bunch make it work. Every character has a touch of quirk, a touch of sadness, a touch of umph, and enough clever writer-enhancement to keep them just one foot in the Hollywood world, just not all the way into lala land. Some movies that are quiet like this have a certain overly pretentious, overly written quality (The Kids Are All Right). Win Win does not suffer from this, not at all.

What would we all do to take care of our families if the money was running out? There are a lot of answers to that question, some extreme, some middle of the road, but everyone would probably be tempted and act on certain opportunities if given the chance and the need. So, do we condemn the leading character for his choices? Do we hate the druggie mom who doesn’t take care of her son? Do we decide to think badly of the old man who might not have been as likable before the dementia kicked in? Everyone has a story. Everyone has choices to make in life that will not please everyone else. It’s just that we tend to ‘forgive’ or overlook certain people, certain choices, because they make sense. Watch the movie and you will know what I’m talking about. That’s just it, this movie makes me want to talk about life and choices and about this movie. I dig it when a movie hangs around in my head for a long time and makes me want to discuss the topics it hits on, the ideas it brings up, the characters and how they relate to my life or just life in general.

Win Win is, as my husband says, “A slice of life movie”. It’s got a story folded in, but it’s more like a glimpse into some lives as we are walking past. It sounds insulting to say it’s comfort food movie watching, but it really is. As I sat watching the teenage leading young man put his heart and soul into some very emotional moments, and then the wife delicately but powerfully show all the signs of being a wonderful mother, and everyone else, they were such well developed and perfectly relatable people I wanted to just stay there and watch them live more of their lives after this little chapter was over.

The music was good, the beautifully crafted believable sets were inviting, all this woven in with wrestling matches that even got me, a non sports person, perked up. Oh, I just really enjoyed this movie. I want everyone and anyone to see it. If Trust (from a few weeks ago) was a very hard core serious and disturbing life family lesson, Win Win is the same caliber in the quality department it’s just a whole different approach, and yet they both have A LOT to say about holding a family together through tough times. Win Win is like a starter movie for anyone who wants to watch with their teens….Trust is the final exam to be pre-watched and contemplated by the grown ups and then introduced to the teens who might learn some of it’s harder lessons.

Watch Win Win on a weekend night with the family and a big bucket of popcorn. A good triple pairing, like a fine with with dinner and dessert, would be Win Win, Juno, and In Good Company. Don’t ask me why exactly, they simply seem to go together in my mind.

Features: 7/10

• Deleted Scenes – There’s not much here to add to the movie, and I like the movie as it is.
• Tom Mcarthy & Joe Tiboni Discuss Win Win – More talking and thinking about Win Win:)
• David Thompson At Sundance 2011 – The whys and whatfors about the movie at the popular film festival.
• In Conversation With Tom McCarthy & Paul Giamatti At Sundance 2011 – I like a good discussion about certain movies, but for some reason I wanted to let this one stand on its own, so I didn’t watch this.
• Family – Small promotional featurette, nothing to write home about.
• Music Video By The National – hmm

Cover Art and Menus: 8/10
Good cover, functional menu, great movie. I would have this cover as a poster, absolutely. I wouldn’t have it just because I like the look of it, but because I would like to be reminded of the movie every time I look at it.





Audio & Video: 9/10 (By Ascully)
Win Win is a 2011 movie so you would assume it was shot digitally right? Wrong this small indie drama was shot on film and looks beautiful as it is enriched with lots of grain. The movie looks great from shot to shot with really nice lighting and a well used color palette. The movie does not feature many dark scenes but some of the more shadowy areas retain a lot of detail. Overall the video qulaity is as perfect as you can get from  a 1080P presentation.

The DTS-HD Master Audio track as usual for a comedy/drama is subdued and realistic. Volume levels are high and speech is centered and clear throughout the entire movie. I was complaining about film studios using a higher sound mix recently, but found out it was actually a firmware update on the PS3 that raised the volume a little. So, ignore what I have said in the last 3 reviews about loud movies :)

Overall I loved this little movie. I challenge anyone not to get something from it.


Value: 4/10
It’s an excellent movie. It looks good and has reasonable extras. It is not worth the current asking price in some places, around 30 bucks. No way am I spending that on a movie, not even one that I enjoy so much. Therefore, rent it. That’s about as clear as I can be on the subject. If the price drops down to around 12 or 15, I would want to own it. If it stays at the prices they want for it right now, my one time view is enough and later I might rent it for a couple of bucks. Gee whiz people, we know you spent a lot to make the movie, but that was your choice. Don’t turn people off by making it so expensive!!! Lower price sells more!!!

Overall Score 8.5/10

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Prom is about a group of kids.  We have the class president good girl Nova (Amiee Teegarden) who has spent months planning the school’s prom, only to see all of the decorations burn 3 weeks before the actual night in question.  Faced with starting over, she finds herself the only person able to work on rebuilding save for rebel Jesse (Thomas McDonnell), who is forced to help with the decorations, or face not graduating.  Jesse is the classic bad boy, with long hair, a leather jacket, and a motorcycle.  Jesse is the misunderstood softy who hides behind his hair and fists.  Of course the two end up discovering that there is more to a person than their outside appearance, and when Nova’s flake of a boyfriend bails on her, she works with Jesse to create a new prom, and the two end up falling for each other.

But Prom is also about Lucas (Nolan Sotillo) who is a sophomore who falls for Simone (Danielle Campbell).  The main problem here is that Simone has had a fling with football star Tyler, who just so happens to be seeing someone.  In other words, Lucas is second fiddle, and it takes a while for Simone to see just what is going on.

I think you get the picture.  We also have comedic relief in Lloyd, who wants to take a girl to the prom, but can’t seem to pull the whole asking part correctly, and Mei and Justin, who have dated sinc ethe 8th grade, adn who are dealing with splitting up for college, even if they don’t know it yet.

Prom is a cute, intertwined kind of movie that really was not as bad as this summary makes it out to be.  The acting by this young group is decent, and the story, while overly predeictible, moves along at a decent pace.  Overall this was fun little high school movie.


Features: 7/10

• Last Chance Lloyd Short - This 10 minute long extra goes into more depth about Lloyd, the poor sould who just can’t seem to properly execute a prom invitation.  He seems to try to invite just about every girl in the school, and he fails miserably each time.  It is an interesting short, and it more further develops one of the better (read funny) characters in the movie.
• Bloopers - Standard bloopers, said by the excessively cute cast.
• Deleted Scenes - There are four extra scenes that were cut from the movie.  They actually are some decent scenes, and the seem to give the movie a bit more depth, but of course, they were cut from the final product.  Each scene is introduced as well.
• Putting On Prom - Your classic behind the scenes extra, Putting on Prom is an amazingly short (6 minutes) feature that is pretty straight forward.
• 7 Music Videos - There are a gaggle of music videos here, which even for Disney seems over the top.  We get to see videos from bands like Allstar Weekend, Neon Trees, Moon, Nolan Sotillo, and Girl in a Coma.  The videos mainly feature more scenes from the movie.
• DVD Version Of The Movie - No digital version, but the standard DVD is featured here.  I would definitely watch on Blu-ray, as the video for this release is steller in high definition.

Cover Art and Menus: 6/10
The cover for Prom is not bad actually, with most (where is Lucas, who had just as big of a role as Lloyd, if not a bigger role) of the cast sitting in a high school hallway.  It’s cute, and will it definitely sums up the movie.  The menu features a lot of “high school” type artwork and writing, with photos and such.  It reminds me a bit to much of Napoleon Dynamite, as well as a host of other movies using the same “feel” for their menus.




Audio & Video: 9/10
Wow.  For a movie like this, the video was jaw dropping.  The clarity and pop for this 1.78:1 widescreen 1080p presentation is simply stunning.  The movie was apparently shot using a new Arri Alexa digital camera, which obviously produces some amazing shots.  The audio is decent, but nothing spectacular like the video, which again is stellar.  The 5.1 Surround Sound is paringly used here, and the movie, while sounding okay, lacks a bit of depth from bass and proper  use of the rear speakers.


Value: 5/10
It is kind of hard to put a value on this type of movie.  It is a good movie for what it is, but aside from a select group of pre-teens, the replay value on this type of movie is very small.  The music videos and extras are decent also, but Prom is still kind of a thing you only want to experience once, so as not to ruin its oveall effect.

Overall Score 6.5/10

She is played absolutely perfectly, let’s just say that applies to everyone in this movie and be done with the cast portion.

The music is the Chemical Brothers and it’s amazing. They struck the right tug and pull, push and relax through the whole movie. The raw emotions of some scenes tapped right into with very heart pounding tunes, along with action sequences that made my eyes and ears become completely hypnotized by it all. I don’t mind music that directs us to certain emotions and ideas through a movie, but when it’s so completely seamless and even the beat of the cities, the sound effects, the dialog is used as part of the music, well, without sounding pretentious it does become the heartbeat of the story.

The locations in this story are captivating. From the frozen arctic to the desserts of Africa we get so much life, so much color, so much everything it extends the experience of the movie that much more. My advice, if you are making an action adventure movie, go on an ADVENTURE first and the action can come as a bonus. The vibrant languages and cultural richness that our young heroine encounters truly sweep me away. It’s not often that my aging mind gets a charge from a movie like this.

There is so much to this movie that I enjoyed, the story, the details, the acting, the music, the, the, the, the….really it’s hard for me to focus on a few specific things when I think the whole of the movie is the only way to ‘get it’. There are things I want to talk about, but I don’t want to spoil anything. The moments I want to burst out and just rattle on and on and on about I don’t want to plant in your mind before you see it. It’s so much better to go along the this trip with young Hanna with the same wide eyed wonder that she had……and me too:)

Features: 7/10

• Adapt Or Die – These extras are deceptive. It looks like a good amount and even as you watch they seem hefty, but in fact they left me wanting more. Adapt or Die is a behind the scenes feature, interviews with cast, director and writer.
• Central Intelligence Agency – The world of our leading evil bad woman from the perspective of the performer, Kate Blanchett.
• Chemical Reaction - One Chemical Brother does a phone interview about their new adventure writing a movie score.
• The Wide World Of Hanna – Many locations are plotted through the movie and this is a very very brief run through of them.
• Alternate Ending – This is more of an epilogue than an alternate ending, but it’s still pretty cool. I’m glad it wasn’t tagged onto the movie and glad they put it in the extras:)
• Deleted Scenes - There are several of these little buggers, and a couple do have information in them that would have added to the the movie. I loved the movie so much that I was hungry for more deleted scenes, which is quite rare.
• Anatomy Of A Scene – A TV series that takes us through the making of one scenes, start to finish, special effects, writing, performance, etc.
• Feature Commentary With Director Joe Wright - I like this director, so I like listening to him talk:)

Cover Art and Menus: 8/10
I do enjoy this cover image. It’s mysterious, ever so slightly. It’s intriguing, eyes peeking through with an obvious bow and arrow. I would have this as a poster, framed and featured in my home somewhere. The menu is live action clips from the movie so don’t watch very much of it before you watch the movie.





Audio & Video: 9/10 (By Ascully)
Hanna is a visually stunning movie that cannot be ignored and Universal have brought the A game with this awesome looking transfer. With such different environments and color pallets on offer throughout the film you would think the transfer would have problems somewhere. But no this is as perfect as it gets from the snow covered forest to the hot sands of morocco and the cityscape of Germany. You will be hard pressed to find fault with Hanna on Blu-Ray.

As is becoming the norm with Universal releases of late, Hanna is mixed very LOUD. I had to turn the dial from 27db to 32db to reach a comfortable listening level so be prepared. The soundtrack is as awesome as the picture here with the Chemical Brothers score really amping up the scenes and adding a certain something to the movie. Even normal everyday sounds in the movie are amped up giving the film a otherworldy feel.

I LOVED Hanna, it’s a movie that came out of nowhere for me and really hit all the things I like (strong female lead, action, conspiracy) if any of those subjects wet your whistle you should give this disc a spin.

Value: 8/10
I did thoroughly enjoy this movie. Just re-read the bit above under the “Movie” section. The thing is, it’s 25 bucks and that’s too much for me this time around. Yes it’s awesome. Yes I want it on my shelf. No, I don’t want to recommend that anyone spend that much on any one disc. Therefore, wait a little while for a price drop, or rent it online. Definitely see this movie, just don’t spend your electric bill money on it:)

Overall Score 9/10

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Copper and Tod form an unlikely duo who run and play and frolick, until Copper is taken out hunting one winter and he returns as an enemy.  Their friendship is not allowed, and when Tod is taken out to the country to escape the mean hunter, a fight ensues whereby Copper vows to get Tod at any cost.  The rest of the movie sees the two pitted against each other, as Tod falls in love with a female fox, and fights copper to protect her until a bear gets in the mix and Tod ends up saving his “best friend” from certian death.  The movie has comedy and sorrow, like all of the classic animated movies, and it is a really good story.  There are musical numbers, but not quite as many as would be expected, which is nice change from some of the older Disney movies (and from the other movie on this disc.)

The sequel to the movie is a little bit of a mixed bag.  It actually takes place between the time where the pups meet and when they grow older and are pitted against each other, which is a strange turn for a sequel.  The movie is pretty aimless and has issue with both the story and pacing, as the two pal around together, and the musical numbers just seem to take center stage, instead of adding to the movie as the songs did in the original.  I don’t have much to say about the Fox and the Hound II, except that it was difficult to watch, and really it takes away from the original gem that Disney released.

The combination may be nice to have in one set, but I would almost stop after watching the original and leave it at that.

Features: 7/10
The bonuses that are included are included on 2 DVDs, with only a short piece about animals as unlikely friends on the Blu-ray, which I will say is a bit strange.

• Unlikely Friends – This is the only extra on the Blu-ray disc, and it is a piece about different speices of animals getting along in the real world.
• The Best of Friends sing-along – Included on the extra disc for the original Fox and the Hound, this piece is a sing along with words for the main song from the film.
• Passing the Baton – This 6 minute extra is all about the making of the movie, and it is a great little watch.  It features interviews with animators and looks at the storyboards as the story and movie came together.
• The Making of the Music – On the second disc, for the Fox and the Hound II, this feature is all about the music, which to me featured much more prominently int he sequel then the first movie.
• “You Know I Will” music video – Luca Grabeel’s video for the song “You Know I Will” is also included, adding another bizarre music video to the release of Disney movies.  I am still not sure how I feel about all these music videos.

Cover Art and Menus: 5/10
Well, the cover for the Fox and the Hound Collection is about as basic as you can get.  the two main characters Tod and copper are seen as puppies, looking cute and playing.  There is not much to this cover, but it is at least cute.  The menu features banjo music and the inside of a country house, with the two guys still frolicking in the window, in an animated sequence that repeats itself and is unbearably short.  I have seen worse, but not often from a Disney Blu-ray release.





Audio & Video: 7.5/10
The audio and video of both movies is pretty decent, especially considering that disney put both movies on the same Blu-ray disc.  There were some noticable artifacts in the  original at times, and the 30 year old movie did have some small flaws which were to be expected.  Overall the original looked great.   There are parts where the grain ia a bit noticable, but again, this is a 30 year old movie.  For the Fox and the Hound II, the colors and clarity are expectedly sharper and more clear.

The audio for the original was average, with some light use of the rear speakers.  The music seemed almost muted compared to some of the Disney releases that I have seen, even the older ones.  The Fox and the Hound II was a bit more modern and sounded quite a bit more sharp, which again, is to be expected.


Value: 5/10
The Fox and the Hound collection on Blu-ray is a fun watch.  This is one of those Disney releases that most tend to forget about, which is a shame.  It has less music and songs than many of the older Disney releases, which is kind of a nice reprieve.  The original movie is great and is gender neutral for the most part.  This is also a movie that doesn’t mind venturing into some more scary, darker scenes, which we rarely get to see in modern animated releases.

While the collection features the fun original, the Fox and the Hound II is kind of a letdown.  It is nice to have the collection all in one spot, and this is a Disney classic, so owning it is a good safe bet.  The issue here is that instead of getting any real features in high definition for the original movie, you get the mediocre sequel.  For Disney fans, that may not be the best trade-off.  The saving grace here is really the original movie, which is nicely presented on Blu-ray, and is definitely worth watching if you have not seen it in awhile.

Overall Score 7/10

The performances were amazing. From the teenage girl who played so many emotional scenes it felt relentless, to the creepy older man, to the parents, even the mean girls at school, they were all exactly right. I don’t think it matters about the more famous folks and the ones you might not have heard of, everyone made their character believable and interesting. The emotions at times are almost overwhelming (if you have a heart at all) and it seemed at times the things they were discussing were hitting home deeper than just learning some lines. I guess it’s a topic that grabs you even if you don’t want it to.

I find myself wanting to think about and not talk about the subject matter. It’s something you internalize, maybe as a woman, maybe as a grown up who loves and cherishes a few young people in my life, and definitely as a person who has seen the horrible, destructive power of predators, sexual intimidation, and I’m not alone. It’s a nerve that we learn to cover, to smile around, to shake off and sadly accept in this life. Men (yes men) who think they can sexually abuse anyone at anytime just for their own satisfaction and then move on are the destructive forces of this world. They break that trust, shatter people along their path and when we look around it seems acceptable or at least hidden. The movie does a brilliant job of pointing out our obsession and fixation with sexual images even younger and younger people in sexually provocative situations. We are tittilated, motivated, romanced by it all, and we are ultimately to blame for this twisted view of things. Young girls online shouldn’t be hunted down and lured, lied to, manipulated, and ultimately broken just for some asshole’s pleasure. The story crystallized something for me, even more than what I have already mentioned, but the idea that an urge to screw something, put your hard cock into someone and get pleasure from it and that’s ALL THAT MATTERS in life, because you are a man and are entitled to that conquest, entitled to dominate and control someone so completely that you want to violate their body and mind. They cross this topic slightly by having a teenage son going off to college and it’s accepted that he’s heavily drinking, and even one line of dialog tells us he’s going to college to drink and get laid…..so who is at the other end of a college age young man’s quest to “get laid”? Young women who have been taught something very different.

The pace of the movie is just right. We are introduced to Annie as a lively confident young lady who is hitting that time of life when our insecurities and self doubt can crush us or we learn to overcome them. Entering the age of sexual awakening in a world full of opportunists and bad people, well, it’s the story of humankind I suppose. We go slowly along the journey with her as she talks to Charlie online, first he’s a teenager, then confesses to being older, and older and then wants to meet in person. It takes a dark turn that if you are not rattled by, or ashamed of his behavior as a reflection of the potential of the power men can wield with sex, well, watch it again or get your head out of your ass.

It’s a lot to take in and I think the way the movie is written, acted, directed, even the attention to detail of the sets, it all makes an excellent movie watching experience along with a truly life affirming/soul crushing theme. It’s not perfect. The family is verging on privileged and slightly tuned to be that perfect American dream type thing, even though the dad is British:) So that can be argued to be hard to identify with on some levels. The thing is, scrape the surface of that and get to the heart of it, and I will say any woman, mother, father, teenage girl, and yes, even the wretched awful assholes who are the purveyors of the destruction of their victims, will find a truth in there some where. It’s not cheery or uplifting really, unless you take the position that this family, the parents, the siblings, they all do go through a learning process that gives us some hope a midst the wreckage.

I recommend watching this movie with any teenager in your life, boys and girls, if they are thinking people. It’s a valuable if not troubling set of events to plant in someone’s mind. It’s fiction but it’s also very true. If I can say I love the movie but still feel emotionally drained from it that would be accurate. It resonates even several days later. It shores up my point of view on specific topics surrounding sex, men in culture, family, youth, innocence, growing up, life…..so all that from a movie directed by Ross from Friends….come on, that’s AWESOME!! :)


Features: 4/10

• Between The Lines – A brief look at how the movie was made, why David Schwimmer was motivated to do such a project, and how the cast worked at such an emotional topic.
• Outtakes – These are more like cut out scenes. It’s not really a yuck-it-up kind of set so the laughs might not have come fast and furious with goofs and mistakes.

Cover Art and Menus: 4/10
The cover is serviceable, but it reminds me of an 80′s TV movie. I would only have it as a poster because the movie has such an impact, not because I like the image. It does make it look serious and shows us some of the brilliant cast so I’ll give it a pass. The menu is pretty much in the same category.





Audio & Video: 7/10 (By Ascully)
Trust is a great movie but the Blu-Ray transfer is how should I say it…. Inconsistent. Some scenes are razor sharp like a 2010 movie should be and some scenes look like they came from one of the first generation DVD’s back in the late 90′s. Black levels range from super crushed to light grey on occasion. Bottom line is the transfer here is better than DVD but in some scenes you will be hard pushed to tell you are watching a 1080P image.

Thankfully the 5.1 lossless track is much better than the image quality. This is a really talky movie and most of the dialog is audible and central. The scene at the Mall is a little muffled but it seemed to me that the audio recorded was muffled so you get what you are given. I loved this movie it made me think and actually left me a little depressed about the human condition. If you go into movies for a good time this isn’t for you, but if you want something to think about and hopefully discuss with your teenagers pick this one up.

Value: 8/10
I would own this movie probably regardless of the price…yes, it’s true. It’s a good story, well made, compelling topic. The extras are slim, but that’s not where the value of this film comes from. If you find it for around 20 bucks, that’s reasonable for a movie you might not really WANT to watch again, but if you are like me it tugs at you enough that it will probably be something I want to revisit, and maybe with a young person to open a discussion.

Overall Score 9/10

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The Movie: 4/10
This is a romantic comedy that is not all that funny, and there is not a whole lot of romance.  Something Borrowed is just a long list of characters acting out in ways that they should not, by doing things that just seem to frustrate the viewer.  The acting is not horrible, but the story and characters are so one dimensional that it just becomes somewhat hard to watch.

Rachel (Ginnifer Goodwin) is turning 30, and her lifelong best friend Darcy (Kate Hudson) is throwing her a party.  Darcy is the type of friend that is always the center of attention, and the life of the party, which makes it all the more interesting as Darcy is marrying Dex (Colin Egglesfield), who just so happens to be Rachel’s love interest.   Ever since Rachel and Dex met in law school, the two have apparently (and somehow unbeknownst to each other) been in love with the other.  Through flashbacks we see that the two were destined to be together, until that fateful night when Rachel kind-of-sort-of introduces Dex and Darcy, and then doesn’t protest when the two start to date.  So far, I can’t feel sorry for anyone in this story, as Rachel seems too meek to make a move, and now her best friend and long time crush are well past dating, as there is a ring on Darcy’s finger.  Perhaps it is too late, but against all odds, Dex and Rachel end up sleeping together, which starts the whole ball of wax moving towards destruction.

Rachel and Dex try to hide their relationship from Darcy, who seems just as oblivious, even though good friend Ethan seems to have figured out the affair.  The characters all seem to just roll on with decision after decision that pits best friend against love interest, so much so that in the end the entire group is obviously destinged for heartbreak.  There is nothing that seems to be able to save this group from themselves, and in the end, nothing does.

The main issue that I have with this movie is that the decisions that each of the characters make during the film are just bad, and it really makes the two hours seem long and frustrating, and by the end, I just didn’t care if Rachel ended up with Dex, mainly due to the fact that everyone seems to be getting hurt.  It made for a rough watch.  The acting was decent actually, but there was no real character development, and everything was pretty foreseeable right from the start.  Something Borrowed was not horrible, but it was a real challenge to find the bright spots in this long winded display of how  to ruin a few good relationships.

Features: 5/10

• Something Old - Apparently turning 30 is so horrible that we need a short extra about how bad getting that old can be.
• On Location Tours With Emily Giffin - Emily Giffin. the author of Something Borrowed, the book which the movie was based on, goes on tour in the 5 minute extra.
• Marcus’s Guide To The Ladies - This is a kind of impromptu set of rules for meeitng the ladies.  This 7 minute extra was actually kind of funny, and features Marcus from the movie (Steve Howey) as he takes his ladies man persona to the extreme.
• What Is Something Borrowed - This little extra is only 2 minutes in length, and is a super short overview of the movie.
• Additional Scenes - There are about 8 minutes of extra scenes included on the Blu-ray.  None of the scenes are missed.
• Gag Reel - The gag reel is relatively short, and decent as far as gag rels go.
• Digital Copy & DVD - Both are included with the Blu-ray.

Cover Art and Menus: 3/10
The cover for something borrowed is pretty drab really.  Two couples, in various states of cuddling.  It just seems a bit too plain for my liking, but the cover is miles above the stagnant menu that simply has shots of the 4 same characters, with no movement whatsoever.  Blu-ray menus should no be static at this point, so make at least an effort.  These are both just drab and unappealing.




Audio & Video: 7/10
Remarkably the audio and video were very well done.  I was very surprised at the 1.78:1 widescreen AVC encoded 1080p presentation, which featured great colors and blacks.  the video was also great, as was the audio, which was dialogue heavy, but very crisp and lively.  There is not a lot of need for Surround Sound here, but the overall presentation in 5.1 was very nice.

Value: 4/10
I really did not love this movie.  It dragged on and on and I really started to hate the characters.  For a romantic comedy, this  really kind of lacked any real comedy.  The movie itself is just not as good as it should be, and while I thought the acting was decent, the characters were so depressingly one dimensional, and at times loathesome, that it really ruined any chance that you actually feel anything for them or care what happens.  Even my favorite character, Ethan, who is funny and seems to have some brains, ends up being thrown in with the rest of the crew when he decides that the female that he has been screaming at to act like an adult, is somehow the one that he is in love with.  I just cringed.  This is a movie that I just don’t think has any lasting appeal.

Overall Score 4/10

A man comes across a pill that sharpens his ability to use his brain. It could be a metaphor or a cautionary tale about not living up to our potential, or it could be about addiction, or confidence, or mankind’s inability to ever be a perfect version of ourselves because we are so easily distracted. I really don’t know what the intentions of the story are, but for me it’s just good old fashioned excitement and fun wrapped in a well directed, well acted, special effect speckled flick that will stay on my mind for a long time.

Eddie, the guy who finds the pill, uses his new synaptic activity to wrangle the stock market, social engineer some folks, charm his way around town, raise his self image not to mention his mirror image. Everything he has ever seen or heard or ‘learned’ is available to him in any situation. No more of those buried references or forgotten tid bits back in the hidden corners of his mind, it’s all there flashing to the front. As an out of work writer he spent lots of time watching TV, old movies, Bruce Lee, and documentaries about history and weapons and all kinds of other stuff. All of this idiot box gazing finally pays off in his writing, in actual fighting, in dealing with a hard ass business man and in achieving his goal to be rich and influential.

If I were to complain about anything it would be that the plan to be rich and influencial isn’t designed very clearly for me. I get that he wants to be rich, fine. He buys some stuff, gets his girlfriend back, makes more money, and then what? He wants to be a wheeler dealer in big big big business and make billions. Fine. We get hints that he wants to change the world, or fix things, or what exactly? I’m still not sure. He does go from down and out to being a slick politician type, so we can infer that his plan is maybe world domination? Nah, it’s not that kind of movie, then again, it is called Limitless!!

I thoroughly enjoyed myself during this entire movie. It has a mixture of moods and from start to finish we are truly taken on a wild ride, and adventure in the city with this dude. We get to feel the rush of being so ‘tweeked’ on this drug that we are sucked through a certain kind of tunnel vision that’s hypnotic. It’s a visual effect I really enjoyed and unlike a lot of movies it really does clue us into the state of mind and experience Eddie is going through.  It might be a bit heavy now and then with the wonky visuals that are supposed to indicate when our hero experiences some not so fun effects of the drug, but by the time we hit those blips of ambitious effects I was hooked so it didn’t matter at all.

The idea that we have in our minds, our brains, our selves the potential to do so much more, well, duh!!! I am the first to put my hand up to “If you’re lazy and you know it raise your hand”. I’m fundamentally brilliant, genius even, I simply have other things to occupy my time like online Scrabble and writing movie reviews and watching all of the original Star Trek on Netflix. You know, important stuff. Right, yea, just give me one of those damn pills!!!

Features: 6/10

• Theatrical & Unrated Cut – Unless the scene with some nakedness or the violence sends the rating to the corner to pout, I really don’t know what the 2 versions offer that’s significant enough for this to be a selling point.
• A Man Without limits – About the story, mostly a produced, brief, and a bit dry promotional extra.
• Taking It To The Limit: The Making Of Limitless – Behind the scenes we go…stunts, script, director, cast, how, why, where….etc.
• Director Audio Commentary - I like this director and he’s not terribly obnoxious like so many dudes who make these “message without a message” modern flicks.
• Alternate Ending – Oh, give me a break!! (translation, what a lame extra. No offense to the movie, which I love, but the alternate ending is empty, carrot on a stick kind of thing that’s more of a deleted idea and not at all in line with the tone of the whole movie. Take it back you DVD making people, it is not as dramatic as to “change everything”.
• Digital Copy –  …and so it goes.

Cover Art and Menus: 3/10
I hate, or strongly dislike, or am not interested in this cover whatsoever. The split technique, a tri-sliced image with some nondescript  The movie poster is better and I would consider having it hang in my home. As for this package, cover, menu, it’s all quite underwhelming compared to the groovy movie within.





Audio & Video: 8/10 (By Ascully)
Limitless boasts a HD transfer that shows off the contrast between scenes. This movie was shot on a couple of different film stocks using varying levels of focus and saturation. Pay close attention to Bradley Coopers eyes which come through in such detail it looks like the diagram of an eye you would find in an opticians room. Black levels are consistent and overall this stylish looking film looks great in HD.

Sonically this movies loss less soundtrack is limitless in its scope (see what I did there). This isn’t an action movie by any means but the frenetic style of the editing and sound design use panning effects that whip around the sound field. the fight scene in the subway is standout here with all kinds of subtle sounds coming from every angle. There is little to complain about with Fox’s transfer of Limitless.


Value: 6/10
I do think I will watch this movie again. If it’s a rainy day off and I want some flashback to a simpler time I can either watch more Star Trek on Netflix, or watch Limitless and let my own unplugged, un-jacked mind take a ride, no over thinking, no analyzing, just watch Eddie take his awesome trip down the rabbit hole. Or maybe it’s the road to hell. Or maybe it’s a road to nowhere. Then again, it’s none of those things, it is what it is, an excellent What If? creation I am so glad I have welcomed it into my movie soaked brain. Ah, that’s why all my cylinders aren’t firing as they should, dusty crowded memories

Overall Score 8/10

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Milo (Seth Green, and voiced by Seth Dusky) basically tells his mom that he is sick of being bossed around, and as he feels terrible about telling her, he finds that she is being dragged to space by aliens.  He accidentally ends up in the spaceship, and when he runs into Gribble (Dan Fogler) on Mars, the two fight to save Milo’s mom, who is set for extermination just as soon as the Martians can extract the discipline that she possesses.  The Martians do not raise their young, and they have created robots that do it for them.  No love or affection is allowed on the red planet, and the results have been disastrous.

Milo and Gribble, with the help of Martian Ki (Elisabeth Harnois) set out to save Milo’s mom from an evil death.  Ki, like some of the Martians who are seen as outcasts by the establishment, long for any sort of affection, and while Milo sets out to save his mom, he ends up saving Mars.

The story is based on a bedtime story by Berkeley Breathed, but the movie seems to meander a bit at times.  The ending is prety well done, and very heartfelt, but it takes a long time to get there, which is never a good thing in a movie aimed at kids.  The movie overall is fun and watchable, but it has enough issues that this is not what I would consider a great movie.


Features: 5/10

• Extended Opening, and various Deleted Scenes - Included on the Blu-ray are several extended and deleted scenes, with introductions by Director Simon Wells.  they are in various stages of finish.  They include an extended opening sequences as well as deleted scenes from throughout the movie.
• Life On Mars - This is a picture-in-picture motion-capture feature that lets you view some of the action as t was filmed, with the motion capture actors suited up and moving.  there are introductions by Simon Wells included.
• Martian 101 – Speaking Martian With Lessons From An Expert - This is a strange little segment based on the creation of the language that the characters used when they ad-libbed the made up language.  It is kind of intersting to see the development of the phrases and terminology.
• Fun With Seth - This is a feature that is based on the motion capture parts of the movie that Seth Green, as the lead actor, has taken on for the movie.  In a strange twist, Seth Green does the acting and voice work, but since he is playing Milo, who is quite a bit younger then Green, the voice work is done by youngster Seth Dusky.  This short feature just highlights the fact that the set was apparently quite lighthearted, due to Seth Green’s inclusion.
• DVD Version Of The Movie - A standard DVD version is included, which is a staple of Disney Blu-ray releases.

Cover Art and Menus: 7/10
The cover for Mars Needs Moms is kind of a throw back to the alien movies of the 1950s.  A boy, opening the front door to a large spaceship is just a nice classic spave movie type of cover.  Even the font harkens back to the old school movies.  The menu features scenes of the movie playing inside Gribble’s control room. 




Audio & Video: 9/10
The audio and video for this Disney presentation were amazing.  The animation looks great, and the colors and black levels were simply spot on.  The creepiness of the capture animation is still there, but this presentation is amazing.  the audio was also excellent.  This is presented in 7.1 Surround Sound, and the panning from speaker to speaker was very well done.  Overall this is just a great Blu-ray presentation.

Value: 6/10
For a kids movie, this one is pretty straight forward in terms of the story.  The pace of the movie and the development seemed a bit off to be honest, and while it is a fun little watch, it is not overly remarkable.  It is almost like too much effort was spent on trying to capture Seth Green’s energy, and not enought time was spent on fine tuning the film.  It is a decent watch, but not a long term favorite.

Overall Score 6/10

It’s OK, I’ll wait.

While I sat patiently I searched and found enough offerings to satisfy my competitive nature. There is Cindy (1978) a Cinderella story, Frank and Cindy (2007) a documentary about an unusually dysfunctional couple, No Prom for Cindy (2002) a middle aged man plays the part of a teenage girl, Cindy and Donna (1970) a sexual coming of age romp, Ronny & Cindy (2006) a romantic comedy drama about a high strung couple, and one more of many, Cindy Goes to a Party (1955) a 9 minute short movie about a tom-girl who has a fairy god mother. As you can see my charming name is associated with some of the greats.

This buddy road trip alien contact flick surely can’t compare to the greatness of Cindy movies, but let’s look a little closer. Two British ‘nerds’ come to America for Comic Con and to tour the known alien tourist sites across our ET loving country. They rent an RV and head out on their journey packing a wollup of pop culture references, Star Trek, Star Wars, and whatnot. So far it’s worth a slight chuckle here and there.

Suddenly they cross paths with their wettest of dreams, a small gray alien. A pot smoking, cursing, too-cool-for-school, similarly pop cultural referencing alien. He can be invisible, do some cool stuff, and challenges the somewhat fearful duo to take some chances along the way. A few more chuckles slide out and the plot thickens.

There has to be peril, so there are governmental agents, Christians, and rednecks all in hot pursuit of the recreational vehicle. I sound like a IMDB plot summary machine, but it’s the kind of movie that has so much going on that the entertainment sometimes gets lost in the shuffle. The biggest part of the experience is all the clutter of activity with some heartfelt moments tucked in here and there like glue to hold it all together.

There are a lot of fart and penis jokes. When Kristen Wigg joins the party she is unraveling her lifetime of religious restrictions and swears up a storm, which makes me laugh out loud. Shaun of the Dead dudes are pretty fun to watch but they don’t really do it for me. Justin Bateman, now he’s got me hooked. He’s the straight serious agent chasing them just one step behind. Rogan’s voice and manerisms are Paul’s personality covered with a very good CGI alien body. Seriously, it looks awesome. There are good stunts and effects even a few crashes and explosions to liven things up between attempts at giggles.

The more I think about it the more fun I remember having, however, it’s draining from my memory quickly. If I wasn’t writing this review I might not have dredged up memories of it this many days later. Sure, the movie references are awesome and the image of Paul himself isn’t going to leave my brain anytime soon, but as a movie watching experience it’s left only a tiny impact crater.


Features: 8/10

• Bloopers – Funny Outtakes.
• The Evolution Of Paul – A 15 minute piece dealing with the special effects that made the character of Paul come alive. Some really fun insight here from all the special effects crew.
• Simon’s Silly Faces – This extra is exactly what it says on the tin.
• Who The Hell Is Adam Shadowchild – When you see the movie you will understand why you need to see who this character is.
• Feature Commentary – A full length audio commentary with the director and stars, this tends to go off topic everytime Nick Frost opens his mouth it’s kinda flustrating.
• Galleries – Lots of behind the scenes stills.
• Between The Lightning Strikes: The Making Of Paul – A 40 minute making of documentary, very informative stuff if you like behind the scenes.
• Behind The Scenes Featurettes – 63 minutes of various featurettes a treasure trove for fans of the movie.
• DVD, Digital Copy & Free Bonus Streaming Movie – You can choose between Tremors 2 or Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas. It’s a free one time rental basically. Plus on a second disc you get a DVD & Digital Copy of Paul.

Cover Art and Menus: 4/10
The poster is better than the cover image. I would have the poster as a poster, but that’s the end of Paul as decor in my house. The menu has live clips and navigation, blah blah. I will mention the opening credits here, not a normal feature of my reviews. They are pretty cool and more charming and interesting than some of the movie.





Audio & Video: 9/10 (By Ascully)
Unlike my technical ineptitude with this week’s podcast, Paul suffers no such issues. Boasting a 1080P VC1 transfer that looks out of this world (excuse the pun). This transfer is actually about as perfect as it gets on Blu-Ray with perfect color reproduction and shadow detail out the wazzoo.

Audio is also incredible but is mixed way to loud. I usually listen to Blu-Ray’s around 27db but I had to drop this disc to 32db to achieve my usual volume level. This is not really an issue just make sure you crank the sound system down a little if you do not want your ears blown out. Paul has a lossless track you will not soon forget despite the volume, with perfect panning across all the channels during some of the intense chase sequences and clear dialog throughout.

I went in expecting to love Paul given it’s pedigree and left entertained if somewhat underwhelmed. Depending on your penchant for dick and fart jokes your mileage may vary.


Value: 5/10
I would recommend it for a Friday night rental, with adults!! It’s not for the kids. I didn’t count but the f-word ran rampant. We watched the unrated version, so there ya go.  An average value for a middle of the road movie. Yes, it has it’s extraordinary moments and a dabble of laughter, it’s not enough to stretch over 20 bucks.

Overall Score 6.5/10

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I’ll be perfectly untemperedly honest and say I have a hard time talking about this new version of a story from a movie I have been in love with for over 25 years. Comparison is impossible to avoid, so deal with it. ARTHUR is Arthur with Dudley Moore and Liza Minelli from the early 80′s. Arthur is Arthur from 2011 with Jennifer Garner, Russell Brand, and Dame Helen Mirren. ARTHUR makes me laugh on every single line, every single scene, every word almost. Arthur made me laugh every few minutes, but not heartily. I liked it and it’s well worth watching just to enjoy the story again but with some different little tiny twists and turns here and there.

Arthur 2011 is more whacky and less dignified but sweeter. Russell Brand and Greta Gerwig are nice together but there is no convincing me that their little budding relationship is going anywhere. If they worked more at building that up a bit I might be more into it, but they are good together so it’s OK.

I really liked Jennifer Garner in this movie. She’s crazy and over the top and it made me have a new respect for her ability and willingness to just be out there in her roles. There was no holding back. When she’s magnetically stuck to a bed, I laughed for several minutes. She plays the asshole fiance of our billionaire who wants to rule the company. Her greed overrides her charm, but Arthur is seemingly trapped into marrying her….ohhhhh the suspense!!

Helen Mirren is awesome, of course, a hard core nanny of a bratty grown rich man, but funny too. She makes the movie for me. I do like Russell Brand though, he’s funny and there seems to be lots of heart behind his performance as the lost but determined rich boy/man.

It’s a good time. I will admit it. I wasn’t looking forward to it and in the first minute I was captured and interested and happy to be watching it. This after having watched ARTHUR just the night before and thoroughly enjoying myself for about the 125th time….now THAT’S a funny movie!! Genius. This modern version is good, not great, but good enough to find a place in my DVD collection for sure. I recommend it for a fun time.


Features: 4/10

• Arthur Unsupervised – Behind the scenes, sort of, in the making of Arthur 2011. It is pretty good with cast and crew chatting in that promotional kind of vibe.
• Gag Reel - Funny people giggling and props falling….OK, it’s fun!!
• Additional Scenes - I think these scenes could have easily been left in the movie and it would be fine. There doesn’t seem to be a reason to cut them except for time.
• DVD & Digital Copy - Take Arthur wherever you go. Laugh it up.

Cover Art and Menus: 4/10
The love interest of the story is left off the cover, which is unfair. The severe image is eye catching and it does capture the tone of the oppression of our billionaire hero:) I might be tempted to have it as a poster as long as I have my beloved original Arthur on a poster right next to it, and maybe bigger, higher up on the wall:) The menu is standard.





Audio & Video: 8/10 (By Ascully)
As usual Warner have a top notch transfer which is delivered in glorious 1080P to your HDTV. Arthur is a bright rich looking movie (figuratively and literally) and the extra colorspace the HD format allows really benefits the look of the movie. Actually having said that some other reviews I have read recently seem to believe the color in this movie is overcooked, I tend to disagree and think it was the cinematographers intent.

The DTS-HD Master Audio track as usual with comedy movies stays mostly central, surround speakers come alive during the batmobile chase and whenever music plays but that’s about it. Dialog is centered and anchored and even Nick Nolte’s mumbling vocal style comes through clear. Overall Arthur is fun and the Blu-Ray looks great but as usual with remakes the original is WAY better.


Value: 4/10
It’s a good crop of laughs and just a hint of extras so it’s well worth about 10 bucks if you can find it or rent it for big fun on the cheap. I do feel compelled to own it, so there ya go, I’ll pay the price hoping to find a good deal.

Overall Score 7/10

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A soldier in the midst of a plan to thwart terrorist attacks on Chicago, that’s the heart of the story. What we get in addition to that is Gyllenhaal’s performance which I really enjoyed. We also get Vera Farmiga and Michelle Monaghan who are both enough reason to see this movie on their own. Farmiga is an officer and part of the experiment, her presence is part of our leading soldier’s connection to the outside world, outside his participation in this experiment. She’s brilliant at times with just the subtle move of her head, facial expressions, and restraint she elevates this movie. Monaghan plays an interesting part, if not an interesting character. She’s part of a sequence of events that need to be replayed, relived, over and over. The variations of how she delivers the same lines, her reactions, and the way she and Gyllenhaal work together also makes this a better movie. I would enjoy another drama with these three any time, any place!

Even if the concept needs a bit of time and effort to let it soak in, and I did find a few questions linger about the possibilities of what they are trying to string together as a science fiction type story, it’s still a really good movie experience. The pace is right on, the music is good, the dialogue (for the most part) is well thought out. There are moments when our leading man has to break free from what might be expected of how a person should react in a situation and it’s exciting, plain and simple. Gyllenhaal gets a chance to fight, cry, worry, be charming, funny, even a hint of romantic titter tatter. That’s what makes it feel so substantial. I say see it. Open your mind first, and then see it for the fun and excitement of a summer thriller with an angle we haven’t precisely seen before.


Features: 8/10

• Access Source Code – If you watch through the movie again you will get a lot of extras, everything from behind the scenes to trivial trivia that’s not even about the movie at all:) It’s well presented and easy to access the features as you go through the movie.
• Audio Commentary – It’s always good to have a commentary to hear the stories behind the story.

Cover Art and Menus: 6/10
The cover is fine, that’s about it really. It’s not a new look at a techno thriller, but it does convey a certain concept that’s accurate to the theme of the movie. I wouldn’t have it as a poster, but it’s just because it’s a little bit boring to me. The menu is live action from the movie, but nothing that tells the whole story.





Audio & Video: 9/10 (By Ascully)
Source Code employs a great looking 1080P transfer that fills the whole of your widescreen display (1.78:1). This gives the movie a vibrant look that will not disappoint. This is literally a flawless transfer with no evidence of ringing, DNR, or edge enhancement. If I had to complain about anything it’s the lack of color in the image but that is a stylistic choice by the director and not a complaint you could nail down to the disc.

For an action movie Source Code is very “talky”. The dialog, as usual, comes through clear and centered on this DTS-HD Master Audio encode. Surround sound kicks in during scenes on the train with announcer voices coming through the rear speakers. There is also liberal use of bass when the train does happen to hit something.

Overall Duncan Jones has an awesome second movie here and one that demands to be watched. If you are looking for edge of the seat action with an intelligent edge Source Code is for you.


Value: 6/10
You can find the Blu-Ray for around $18 online, so that’s not bad. If you watch it with the extras and then with the commentary you are getting lots of value for your money. I would say that for me it’s not a movie I need to purchase. A rental or online streaming is fine for me. It’s good entertainment and I recommend it, however, it doesn’t need to live on my shelf forever.

Overall Score 8/10

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The first part of Insidious does a fine job of making me feel uncomfortable. The sounds of the old creaky house, the innocence of the children who are obviously in harms way with all the spooky stuff happening, and enough ‘out of the corner of your eye’ sightings of odd things, all got me hooked. I was not at ease for most of the night scenes and even gasped a few times, that’s saying something. Because the ease up to some of the first action is effective, I’m in the story along with this little family. Even as we meet the ghost hunter types and some explanations of what’s happening come to light, I’m hanging on for the sake of my desire to have a fully satisfying horror flick from the 21st century. Unfortunately they introduce some comedy amidst the real horrific images and freights. The comedy interferes with the vibe that’s been set. I was pulled out of the dark attic I was willing to be afraid of and had too many chuckles at the expense of the believable but hokey experts.

I like answers to why crazy shit happens in movies. I like explanations and origins, the problem with Insidious is that the explanation gave me that “oh, that’s IT?” reaction. Then the rest of the movie, the local haunted house costumes, the over the top change from reality to a demon’s lair, going into ‘the further’, it all was a downhill slope from my tingly little fears that I had piled up. I did like the movie. It’s a fun and has enough creepy images to last me a while, however, they aren’t enough to hold it all together.

Some things hit me later and it made the story better, believe it or not. I let some of it soak in and had some “ah ha” moments, but it’s not enough to make me want to watch it again. I would recommend it to any horror fan, it definitely has enough to tickle the fearometer. I don’t believe it holds together well enough to make it memorable though. Then again, the guy pacing past the window in the dark and then right into the bedroom to terrorize the young woman, that’s an image and feeling I won’t forget anytime soon!


Features: 4/10

• Horror 101 The Exclusive Seminar – How do you make a horror movie that will get the audience hooked? Throw everything you know about ‘haunted house’, ‘possession’, and other types of horror flicks at the wall and see what sticks. This is the way the writer and director put together the story to manufacture the right balance of scares and creep factors.
• On Set With Insidious – Behind the scenes with the director.
• Insidious Entities – How do you make a modern horror movie without using CGI to fill the screen? Creating ghosts and demons with make-up, lighting, and trickery.

Cover Art and Menus: 5/10
The red boy’s face and the image of a house in the background isn’t much to get my horror seeking bones excited. I wouldn’t have this as a poster. There are so many other good image opportunities through the story I’m disappointed at the missed chance at a great new horror movie iconic cover/poster. The menu is OK, just the same image from the cover with a little action going on, but not much to talk about.





Audio & Video: 8/10
The moment the credit sequence started rolling I knew this was a special looking transfer on Blu-Ray. James Wan brings us the inkyist blacks with a washed out pallet that actually adds to the creepy mood. This is a grade A transfer from Sony. Insidious was filmed digitally and looks modern but at the same time has a 70′s vibe.

Sound really plays a huge part in most horror movies and Insidious is no exception. A scene where our hero/coward is turning off the house alarm actually pierces your ears it sounds so real and sharp. The haunting score which sounds like a demon making love to a shed full of pots and pans totally creeps you out and when played LOUD will make you jump out of your seat.

I like Insidious more now than I did when we viewed it on Sunday.  It’s one of those movies that will grow on you the more you think about it. It’s actually a well constructed horror film that has almost the right amount of scares to satisfy that haunted house fan in all of us.


Value: 4/10
The extras are slim and the movie only holds just enough of my good graces to warrant a recommended Rental status. So, rent it for a couple of bucks and add a few other scary movies to the evening to make it an event. Lock the doors to your house and to your dreams….mwaaahhahahahaha

Overall Score 6/10

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I enjoyed it a lot. It’s got that sweetness that a lot of modern comedies have these days. An innocent, naive man goes to a convention and essentially hits a coming-of-age plot head first. He encounters some hyped up characters, the bad boy, the wife escaping her daily life, and the good conservative hard working insurance salesman. This is an insurance convention, which adds a bit of comedy before ever getting to the movie at all. I mean, insurance sales people are ruthless, rude, greedy, sleazy, horrible people, right? Hmmm this movie does a little bit to chip away at that attitude and that’s where some of the sweetness comes in. It’s not a hateful or ridiculing kind of story. They do highlight the hypocrisy of the god-freak leader of this insurance organization and make him look like an asshole, and I do like that idea:)

It’s understated with a bit of wackiness thrown in for good measure. That’s how I would describe Cedar Rapids. I like the cast and they fit this vibe just right. Sigourney Weaver as the ex-teacher girlfriend of our naive leading man to Ann Heche as the mom/wife who wants to escape and what she does in Cedar Rapids, stays in Cedar Rapids. Everybody is believable with a hint of outrageousness. John C Reilly, well, you just to experience his obnoxious character for yourself to get it. And  Isiah Whitlock Jr. plays the conservative straight-laced salesman exactly perfectly. There is a smaller part for a prostitute named Bree, but the woman who plays her, Alia Shawkat, steals the show for me. They all balance the obvious bold humor and the sincere message of the story well and keep it from being too grounded or too crazy.

If this is the way of the 21st century comedy, at least these early years of it, I’m all for it. I might not love it like I do Groundhog Day, or Stripes, or dare I say The Jerk (the memory of that one might be better than the movie itself, but the impact is worth mentioning), but Cedar Rapids is one I can recommend to so many folks for it’s humor and niceness. Beware of people who are a bad influence at conventions, that’s the first lesson to learn. Never go to a party with a prostitute and her “uncle”, lesson #2. Don’t ever let the veil of godliness blind you to the reality that a lot of people are corrupt but they pretend they aren’t by putting on a mask of purity…..these are good things worked into the story that I appreciate.

Features: 8/10

• Deleted Scenes – I think these extras could fit in the movie without any problem. They are not as disposable as they seem to think.
• Gag Reel – People laughing and messing up their lines doesn’t seem like much of an extra any more. It should be standard on these discs from now on…are you listening DVD making people??
• Convention Connection - How do you bring an insurance convention to life in a Hollywood comedy? That’s the question, here’s the answer, make it funny.
• Mike O’Malley – Urban Clogger - I have no idea why this is an extra nor why this guy had to learn clogging? The clogging in the movie is like about 10 seconds and the extra doesn’t make it any more interesting. Sorry folks, this not an extra, it’s a “which of these things doesn’t belong” items.
• Tweaking In The USA – Another brief behind the scenes look at one aspect of the movie, doing drugs. These are all pretty much the same and could have been made into one big extra, but hey, they don’t ask for my insightful advice.
• Wedding Belles – Crashing A Lesbian Wedding – Our leading characters step into the reception of a lesbian wedding and some antics ensue, this is how it all went down on the production side.
• Top Notch Commercial – This is a full blown commercial for the fictional insurance agency our leading man starts with his new friends. Strangely it seems almost real & gory.
• Fox Movie Channel Presents: Direct Effect with Miguel Arteta – A TV extra, interview style, that’s about what inspired the movie.
• Fox Movie Channel Presents: Writer’s Draft with Phil Johnston – Ditto from the Direct Effect extra.
• BD Live Enabled - Extra featurette, so go digging around for it. Ed Helms mad chopper skills with a tiny little helicopter on set.
• Pocket Blu – Take it with you wherever you go, fun.
• Digital Copy Of Feature Film - Copy copy copy

Cover Art and Menus: 8/10
I do like this cover in a weird way. It’s a strange color, his face looks really digitally altered and it’s really bold. I don’t normally like the star’s face on the cover and I wouldn’t usually say I would have something like this as a poster. This time, however, a mini poster on a small section of wall in our home would be kind of crazy movie-lovin’ enjoyment.





Audio & Video: 7/10 (By Ascully)
Cedar Rapids is a very brown movie. It’s almost like it stepped out of 1970 with the sets and the clothes, but here on Blu-Ray it shines. Shot digitally on the Arri D-21 the image is clear and sharp like most modern movies, but without that layer of grain that you see on movies shot on film. Lot’s of detail is evident with close up shots showing the age of a number of actors in the movie. Black levels are fine (slightly murky at times) and DNR is not evident. This is a 1080P AVC transfer that will satisfy even the most jaded movie buff.

The DTS-HD Master Audio track is serviceable, like most comedy’s nothing really jumps out at you. Dialog is front and center and the subwoofer only kicks in during the scenes in the bar when music is present. The movie won’t win any awards for sound design but what is presented on the disc is faithful to the theatrical version.

Value: 3/10
Seriously people, almost 27 bucks for a movie? Really? These days you have to take a step back and wonder which way they think they are screwing you next. Rent this one for a great evening in at the movies for sure, but to spend that kind of money on a passing comedy is not a productive use of your grocery money. The extras are really good and you will spend the better part of your evening laughing, but still, come on, order a pizza and buy your loved one a small gift. Don’t blow the wad on this extra special super awesome edition, hold out until it’s cheaper…waaaayyyy cheaper.

Overall Score 7/10

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I like this movie a lot. Mysterious, I know. Men are portrayed as assholes and it’s got enough fight/battle scenes to keep my brain unstimulated for many movies to come. You see, I generally don’t like long drawn out fight or battle scenes in movies, but I overlook these things. The entertainment factor of this movie is a powerful force. Having a great time while watching a flick on a Sunday afternoon is a lovely thing.

To say it’s a fun story seems a little creepy when you know what it’s about. A tormented orphaned young lady put in an impossible situation. The vibe of the movie is harsh on all counts. The design of the mental institution is severe, just the kind that would scare the crap out of anyone. It’s like a caraciature, all the key elements that are uncomfortable are exagerated. The brothel/burlesque club is the same. The common thread in both is that the young lady is captive, trapped by forces beyond her control…eh hem…bad men, very bad men.

There’s dancing, a little singing, lots of really powerful and exciting action sequences (despite my tendency to be bored with fights fairly quickly), awesome special effects, a style that’s a mix of old and futuristic, powerful women, and the list goes on. It’s not a perfect movie, not even one of the best of the year, however, it captured my imagination and me from the very first minute. The big idea of the movie is that you are in charge of your own fate, your life is your own, except you might find a bit of help in unexpected places.

The cast is suited to their respective roles. They turn every corner of the emotional trapezoids of life, tough, sad, hurt, mean, cruel, determined, evil, manipulative, loyal, vengeful, and there’s more but I don’t know how many sides a trapezoid has. (Upon a quick search I have determined the correct answer is 4, so the emotions of this movie really put the old trapezoid to shame!!)

Sucker Punch is moody and troubling and uncomfortable. The bad guys are super bad and oh so satisfyingly intimidating. That’s my favorite part actually, right after the bold almost indestructible women, of course. When our leading lady goes into a trance dance to hypnotize the dudes her mind wanders and we get the benefit. Each fantastic war scene is more explosive than the last and there seems to be no limitations on what can happen, giant mech robots, giant samurai, clockwork men, and a futuristic train in peril, it’s a wonderland for the eyes.

Never underestimate the power of a good time. I’ll say it loud and proud, I loved Sucker Punch, tucking the flaws deep in the recesses of my mind, and going with the flow of swords and high heels and  slow motion and swimming around in there is an incredible message of hopefulness and determination.

Features: 8/10

• Maximum Movie Mode – Watch it again and see what the director Zack Snyder has to tell about the making of the whole movie from start to finish. From costumes, music, special effects, it’s all here presented in a flashy but not obnoxious way.
• Original Sucker Punch Animated Shorts – The title says it all. They are cool, great artwork, and fun to watch, however, I just don’t think they do much go further the stories for me.
• Sucker Punch Behind The Soundtrack – Where did the music come from? The answer is in this extra, but then again what did you expect when you read the name of it? It’s kind of brief but you get all the information I think is necessary on the subject.
• DVD & Digital Copy

Cover Art and Menus: 7/10
The cover is fitting, if not that interesting to me. I like the style and the mood of it. It’s just not as good as the movie. The menu is OK, but not that memorable to be honest.





Audio & Video: 9/10 (By Ascully)
Sucker Punch is a thrill ride from start to finish (my favorite release of the year so far) and the AVC/1080P encode does the movie justice and then some. Sucker Punch is quite a dark movie (in tone and pallete) and Warner handle these difficult conditions with ease. Blacks are inky, skin tones are precise and when those explosions kick in the color really washes over the action. Facial clarity is amazing you can even see every speck of makeup on Baby Dolls face in close ups. If your looking for a movie to show off your home theater setup this is a great choice.

Audio on this movie is a showcase also, Sucker Punch has an amazing soundtrack that really brings the adventure of Baby Doll and friends to life. When the music kicks in the movie comes to life. Synder’s movie is LOUD and this is usually a problem when it comes to voices, but here even the most delicate whispers come through loud and clear. Your also treated to dragons, trains, giant mechs and clockwork soldiers each with unique sounds all of there own.

Also worthy of note is Sucker Punch comes on two BD-50 discs, one with the theatrical cut and the other the extended cut which is 17+ minutes longer. This keeps the bit rate and audio quality very high on both versions of the movie.

Sucker Punch is a movie that will divide audiences, but for me it’s one of the best movies I have seen in some time. With all the sequels and lame movies that come out year after year, I applaud Zack Synder with his journey into the imagination. If you like to daydream  this movie is for you.

Value: 4/10
It’s a quality good time of a movie, and the extras are good, it’s just not one of those that I would pay over 20 bucks for, maybe $10. It is a big action flick after all, not life changing or anything like that. I would like to see it again at some point, but probably when it hits cable TV or Netflix. My debit card just doesn’t have a swipe in it for this particular expenditure. However, I say make space in your mind to watch it, it’s worth the time and a handful of dollars, just not a bucketful.

Overall Score 7.5/10

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Cross is a straight to DVD release for a reason, and that reason is that the movie is not good.  Brian Austin Green plays Callan, who totes a mjagical green glowing cross that gives him special powers.  He is immune to bullets and can move objects, and Callan uses his cross, given to him by his father, for good.  When Los Angeles has a rash of missing females, Callan and his grouup of “weapons experts” take to the streets to use his magic powers to battle the crime boss Elrik (Michael Clarke Duncan) as he teams up with the Gunnar, an immortal Viking (Vinnie Jones).  The unbelievable story is only matched by the unbelievable dialogue and very weak story and character development.  The three main characters and Lori Heuring try their best to make this work, but given the source material, there really is just nor much here to grab onto.

I really wanted Cross to be a lower budget comic book movie that was full of guns and explosions, which it is, but the rest of the movie is just not good enough to make one want to sit through the whole thing.  The movie is stylistic, with some neat graphic text overlays that were used well to give this more of a comic book feel, but when the bad CGI was mixed in, it kind of killed the whole style.  There are lots of B level actors making cameos in the movie also, which is fun, but overall Cross as a movie is regretably forgettable.


Features: 2/10

• Commentary With Director Patrick Durham – This commentary consists of cast alllouts and location mentions, and is severely limited in terms of information and scope.
• Alternate Ending – This alternate ending is literally maybe a 25 second scene where a supposed comedic ending is used.  Basically Jake Busey’s character shows up after everything has gone down, which is supposed to be funny.  The movie’s real ending is more of a comic book, tough guy type of ending, which is at least better than this alternate.
• Deleted Scenes – There are several deleted scenes, including a different title sequence and a few forgettable scenes that were not good enough for the movie.
• Animatic – There is a animated storyboard for the opening sequence included also.

Cover Art and Menus: 4/10
The cover for Cross features a few of the main characters in verious “bad ass” types of poses, with the green cross prominently displayed on the chest of Callan (Brian Austin Green).  The mennu is the same cover shot, with absolutely no audio or music whatsoever.  I guess the cover photo is not completely horrible, but its not great either.





Audio & Video: 5/10
The video for Cross is a 1.85:1 widescreen presentation , which is very bland and suffers from the strange shot choices.  There are a few issues with uneven black levels thoughout the movie. and the cinematography is questionable at best.  The special effects here deserve a special callout, as they literally take you out of the scenes, as they really are not well done at all.

The sound was pretty decent though, with the 5.1 Surround Sound being heavily used here with decent effect.  The dialogue was at times a bit low, but overall the audio was okay.


Value: 1/10
I hate to pan a movie that seems to have such good intentions, but Cross is really just not very good.  The DVD has little to no real staying value, as this is not something you are going to want to watch again, if you make it through the first watch.  It is a shame, as Vinnie Jones is such a fun villian, and who doesn’t really love a comic book type of movie?  Cross is just not good, period.

Overall Score 2/10

Oh, I don’t like to be negative about movies. I love movies. I don’t love ALL movies. Little Red Riding Hood is such a compelling story. A little girl in the woods hunted mercilessly by a wolf who eats her grandmother (spoiler) and then is anti-climactically by a man, her father..whatever. The good parts of the story are the wolf vs. a young girl. It can be interpretted as a battle of wills, of strength against innocence,or just a cautionary tale to keep children from making choices their parents tell them to steer clear of, or choose from any other theory you have about the story.

This is one of the problems with this telling of this particular story, it has no heart. There isn’t one point of view that I can hang my movie loving mind on. It’s got our leading lady as pouty but sometimes bold with no real character. She’s not distinctly romanticized and she’s not particularly assertive. The leading men are the same. The leading leading man, her childhood love interest is really annoying. I can’t even sum him up except to say he’s like watching a cover of a bad romance novel come to life…ick.

The bad guy is Gary Oldman, well, he’s supposed to be a bad guy of sorts. He’s a deranged religious man, witch hunter or demon killer, something like that. Even Oldman couldn’t salvage this one for me, and that’s saying a lot about the weaknesses of this movie! The idea is that this guy has come to kill the wolf, or wolfman that is tormenting the village. OK, so is it a wolf or a wolfman? So many things about the writing of this slice of ‘entertainment’ left me a shadow of the happy film watcher I used to be:)

I’ll say the acting isn’t great, just borderline good, with our leading lady doing well enough to hold it all together. Other than that glimmer of averageness these folks did what they did with what they were given. The dialogue is often awkward and the story, well, it’s neither dark enough nor fantasy enough and that adds to the wishywashy feeling I get just thinking about it.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not even trying to be hateful or mean about Red Riding Hood, it’s just that there’s not much about it that gave me a positive vibe. I wanted to like it sooooo much, and that probably lead to even greater let down when scene after scene I was struggling to stay interested. I don’t have the feeling that I want a movie to be over very often, and yet that’s how I felt after about 20 minutes. It was like there must be something good around each corner of the twisting “who is the wolf” drama, but there never was. She’s got a cool cape, Grandma is kind of weird and watchable, the sets were too polished but still good enough, but none of these things adds up to a good movie watching experience.


Features: 4/10

• Alternate Cut – A different cut of the movie, doesn’t make it any better though.
• Secrets Behind The Red Cloak (PIP Commentary) – A PIP commentary mode similar to the Maximum movie experience, lots of trivia here for Twilight fans.
• Gag Reel – Lots of falling down and clothes getting stuck on the set, no outakes featuring Gary Oldman though I guess he never messes up.
• Red Riding Hood: Red’s Men – There are a bunch of featurettes in this catagory on the disc. They cover most of the production. It’s still interesting to pull back the curtain on movie making even though I have seen these kinds of featurettes before.
• Music Videos – A couple of sexy movie videos, excuse me while I go vomit.
• Additional Scenes – A selection of additional scenes, I would have prefered these reinserted into the Alternate cut though.
• DVD & Digital Copy – A DVD & A digital copy for viewing in every situation.

Cover Art and Menus: 2/10
I’m not picking on this movie relentlessly, trust me, I don’t like most dvd covers, and this makes that list. It’s uninteresting, not true to the story, style over substance, and it’s just not appealing to me in any way. The lintickular thing is annoying and the images are too swoozy romantic and immature. The menu is basic, functional, neutral.





Audio & Video: 8/10 (By Ascully)
If you listened to the podcast you will realize that I did not really like this movie. That does not mean it’s a bad Blu-Ray though as the 1080P VC1 transfer looks great. Director Catherine Hardwicke uses a lot of soft focus shots which come across well in HD. The only problem I did have were some of the werewolf scenes seemed a bit muddy and dark (might have been for the best though). This is a decent transfer which unfortunately doesn’t make the film any better.

The DTS-HD Master Audio track is also quite good with some interesting spacial awareness in the surround speakers. Whenever the Werewolf comes around the Inception inspired score causes your subwoofer to shake. There are also some decent music sequences that wake you up from the dreary dialog.

Again whatever you think of the movie (I am sure it will come up on our worst of 2011 list) the Blu-Ray presentation is well above par.

Value: 2/10
If you come across this movie on late night cable on Halloween night, give it a try. If you see in in a store or online with a pricetag of more than five bucks, find something else to blow your cash on. I don’t want to sound snotty, but seriously, this movie doesn’t inspire me to recommend it or watch it again or even think much more about it once this review is done. It’s kind of sad really, because it has such great potential and yet it misses almost every opportunity to live up to it.

Overall Score 3/10

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From the directors of “There’s Something About Mary,” “Hall Pass” arrives onto Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital Download on June 14th 2011

The Movie: 5/10
Take a romp in the comic follies of modern marriage and a sentimental look at true love, or waller in the muddy waters of penis jokes and the immaturity of men, Hall Pass offers these broad choices.

Let’s not kid ourselves, sometimes it’s good to just giggle and laugh and roll your eyes at the ridiculous things some writers and movie makers throw at our movie watching faces. :) I like Owen Wilson. I like the other guy. I like Christina Applegate and Jenna Fischer. Do you know where I’m going with this? Let me tell you. The cast is enjoyable and occasionally there is an honest laugh or two. The story has some charm as a modern look at marriage and relationships. Try to fleck off any of the glossy paint and we are looking at a blank canvas, junk food for the brain, empty movie calories.

A husband and wife are at that mundane phase of their marriage and she offers him a week of not being married to get his sexual fantasies off his lips and out of his system. You see, these men, and their misfit crew of friends like to talk a good game. They fancy themselves a group of women magnets and talk endlessly about how they could get this woman and that women. Never mind the incredibly sexist attitudes, that women are nothing more than tits and ass meant for them to maul and drool over….I’ll skip the lecture and take it for what it is, an idiot’s guide to the man mind and the women who love them in spite of themselves.

Discussing it with Ascully we agree that it’s a fun lovin’ flick, and on the flip side that it’s not memorable. That makes it harder to review just because I would recommend it to a few people because it’s wacky, but other’s because it’s got a little romantic comedy attitude, and others just because it’s a grown up chuckle for a weekend afternoon (or whenever you choose to watch). Not everyone will appreciate the humor (even I struggle on a few attempted jokes), and the people who do like the dumb jokes might not have patience for the relationship examinations, so view with an open mind. Leave your mature grown up mind at the door and dust off that mind that laughed at Porky’s back in the day just warn it that there is a cautionary tale buried in amongst the boob and penis jokes.


Features: 2/10

• Additional Scene – This scene is not missed from the movie, just more hi-jinks.
• Gag Reel – Goofy giggles and forgetting lines, that’s what gag reels are meant to be, and these fit the bill.
• DVD Version Of The Movie – DVD

Cover Art and Menus: 2/10
Ugh. That’s what I say about this raucous wannabe cover. It gives the wrong impression of the movie, as a whole. The woman’s butt in  a bikini bottom with our two leading men peeking around, well, it’s just blah. It’s too Porky’sesque for what the movie actually offers. I’m not saying it’s an intellectual champion of cinematic history, however, it’s got more going for it than men drooling over mostly naked women….not MUCH more, but more. The menu is so forgettable, I have no recollection of what it looked like:)





Audio & Video: 8/10
The latest comedy from the Farrelly Brothers fares really well on Blu-Ray high definition. In fact the picture is so good that the fake tans (we couldn’t figure out if the tans were an in-joke or not) really show up in great and horrible detail. Blacks show great detail and are inky as they should be. The colors are slightly exaggerated but I think that is by design.

Hall Pass is a talky comedy so don’t expect your surround system to come alive. Where it does excel is the crystal clear centered dialog. Sure there are some nightclub scenes that kick the sub woofer up to 10, but this is no Battle LA or Lord Of The Rings in the sound department. Hall Pass does sound crisp and clear though Warner have done a bang up job on this one.

Value: 3/10
This movie is empty calories, and like any junk food it’s not meant to be savored and isn’t very memorable. Rent this little flick and get a couple other rainy day comedies to go along with it to make a fun day at the movies. There aren’t enough extras to pump up the experience overall, and it’s not the type of movie that would call to me for multiple viewing. A couple bucks thrown its direction is enough. If you buy it you are going to wonder why you gave up over $20. Avoid buyer’s remorse, but don’t avoid the movie.

Overall Score 5/10

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Upon returning to mainland China, Chen Zhen uses a dead friend’s identity and joins the rebellion that is focused squarely on stopping the Japanese threat to the mainland.  The Japanese are the main threat of the movie, and when Zhen and the rebellion discover a plot by the Japanese to assassinate one of the Chinese warlords, they decide to fight back.  Chen Zhen hides behind his mask to become a local hero as he fights the threat of the Japanese, by vowing to save those who are put on a “hit list” by the Japanese, as they attempt to kill off those in Shanghai who they feel are anti-Japan.  It becomes a list that Chen Zhen vows to protect, as the fight for China takes hold.

Intricately weaved into the movie is a love story as well, as Chen Zhen falls for nightclub singer Kiki (Shu Qi).  Chen Zhen spends a good deal of time at the nightclub as his friend is the owner (and local mafia boss), but Kiki, who is the star attraction, catches Chen Zhen’s eye, and he falls madly for her.  The problem is that this love story feels like, and looks like, it was just an after thought.  It is like someone thought the movie had to have a love story, and so they just tacked one in.  It kind of breaks up the movie in my opinion, and in the end, it added little to the movie.

Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen is a strange little movie that has some amazing action sequences.  The war setting was kind of new and was great to watch.  Donnie Yen is truly an amazing martial arts actor, and his calmness in the middle of the frenzy of action is very cool.  The movie itself leaves a lot to be desired, but it is a fun little movie.  It was just hard to get into the plot and story, and the action just doesn’t save this from being mediocre.  I also have to add that many of the Chinese martial arts movies have a very strong propaganda feel, and this is no exception, with the anti-Japanese, pro-China nationalism message pounding throughout the movie, which is fine (I am sure our action movies are pretty pro-US) but this one seems a little heavy handed compared to even the Ip Man movies.  It was so apparent that I had to mention it, as it does seem to invade every aspect of this movie, which is not necessarily a bad thing, considering the target audience here is obviously the Chinese.

Overall Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen was a nicely done martial arts movie, with a few twists on the genre, but the story and stop and go pace were a bit much.  I liked the movie, but I didn’t “like like” the movie, if you know what I mean.


Features: 4/10 - The extras are pretty straight forward and pretty sparse for a big budget Blu-ray release, but this is a martial arts movie.

• Behind The Scenes – There are several behind the scenes features here, including a few that highlight the World War I set, and the nightclub scenes.  There are also a few scenes that breakdown several of the fight sequences and their locations.  Overall there are about 40 minutes of behind the scenes features included here.
• Cast & Crew Interviews – There are several interviews here with cast and crew that go into detail about the movie.  We get interviews with Donnie Yen and Andrew Lau, the Director, as well as others.  The interviews are short and to the point.
• English Language Track – It is nice that the presentation is given in an English language track, as some people (my wife included) absolutely hate reading when they watch movies.

Cover Art and Menus: 7/10
The cover for the movie is actually very stylized.  The almost black and white shot with a splash of color (blood) is a very powerful image for this movie.  Donnie Yen always seems to look so serious on his covers, and this one is no exception.   The menu features background scenes from the movie playing over another stylized image of Shanghai, which is decent, but not as nice as the cover.





Audio & Video: 8/10
The widescreen 2.35:1 1080p transfer is very solid, with a great amount of color and detail up front.  The detail is what caught my eye, as some of the imported martial arts movies seem to have a level of grain that is totally lacking here.  This is a brilliant period movie that looks sharp and is given a nice color effect for added impact.  The audio is a bit tougher to judge, as any time that there are overdubs, the levels can be off.  Presented in Mandarin and English, both seemed pretty well done.  The effects of the war sequences prove that this is a well mixed audio track, with bass and Surround Sound well utilized throughout.


Value: 6/10
Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen is a strange little movie that takes over where the television show featuring Donnie Yen left off, with this being a kind of extension to the Legend of the Fist that was made popular by martial arts icon Bruce Lee.  The presentation is decent, and Donnie Yen really does a great job of playing an action hero, but there is just something that seems slightly off here.  It could be the fact that this seems like an attempt to keep a franchise going that might have been left alone, or it could be the in-your-face anti-Japanese sentiment here that seems to almost go overboard, but the movie just seems a bit shallow.  The presentation is spot on, and seeing a martial arts/war movie is kind of unique when presented in this manner, but this one just didn’t really hit home with me.

Overall Score 6/10

Alright. There are war movies and then there are WAR movies that get frozen in time, in our memories and just linger there for some reason. Platoon is one of THOSE war movies. I looked up a list of war related movies on Wikipedia, and wow, not only was I surprised at the number of movies, but the number of wars that movies have been made about. I bet, if you set a mission to watch them all you would find that the theme is often the same, just like Platoon. Young men sent to the meatgrinder of war for reasons they don’t always understand. There is an ananomous power fueling the war machine and in the process humanity, the best and worst of, comes out in the story.

I don’t mean to minimize the power of Platoon, or other quality war movies, it’s just that if it wasn’t so horrific, it would be funny how we just keep doing the same shit over and over and over. Oliver Stone isn’t the first and won’t be the last to tell his story, or the story of the war he survived. He taps into some more viseral experiences and brings us images and moments that make us all shudder, or she should. Blood, guts, violence beyond the trappings of war, the human mind breaking down amongst the chaos, that’s what Platoon brings to the world of story telling and to the consciousness of an audience made up of mostly people who will never know war up close.

I can’t fault any of the performances, some might be a bit simplisitic compared to others, but it’s irrelavant. I won’t go into every character and actor, you just have to see it. (Willem Defoe and Keith David are awesome.) I’m  not the kind of movie-talker who has to pick over every detail. The movie is powerful in that 80′s power movie kind of way. It has it’s moments of melodrama, yes. It has some heavy hitting comments on the Vietnam war and war in general, which is not unexepected. The thing I do like the most about it is that it never feels judgemental of anyone who’s on the front lines, not even the men in charge of each mission or platoon.  They might seem like assholes, but it’s always twisted around in a way that makes it clear that these men are offerings to the meat grinder as the soldiers of lower rank.

I will mention that the scar they put on Tom Berringer’s face is awesome. I wanted to know what the heck happened to him through the whole friggin’ movie!! That was some good make up for the times.

My favorite moment is when Charlie Sheen’s Chris character defies his fellow soldiers in a horrible moment and he is astonished as he tells them that the people of Vietnam are human beings, and he is almost choking on it himself for his own behavior just moments before.  That sums it all up for me.


Features: 9/10

• Audio Commentary by Director Oliver Stone – Stone doesn’t really grab me when I’m just listening to hime. He stutters around a lot and seems pretentious, but if you are a lover of the man, you will really appreciate the commentary.
• Audio Commentary by Military Advisor Dale Dye – This guy I like. He trains the whiny little actor boys to be better at maybe possibly portraying a soldier at war.
• Deleted and Extended Scenes with Optional Commentary by Oliver Stone – I would say there is quality in every drop of this movie in some form or another. Therefore, the deleted scenes are worth watching.
• Flashback to Platoon: Snapshot in Time: 1967 – 1968; Creating the ‘Nam; Raw Wounds: The Legacy of Platoon – These are all good behind the scenes and history lesson type extras that I really can’t get enough of.
• Documentaries: One War, Many Stories; Preparing for ‘Nam - Oliver Stone was in Veitnam, and he talks about what kind of bootcamp and the lack of training they actually had before shipping out to the distant country. Other military men talk about their experiences. Again, this one is a must watch for me.
• Vignettes: Caputo & the 7th Fleet; Dye Training Method; Gordon Gekko – More from the training master, tid bits about Oliver Stone’s writing process, and more history…can’t go wrong.
• Theatrical Trailer and TV Spots – It’s interesting to see how movies are sold to the public in different times through just my lifetime…watch it..it’s not that long ago!!
• DVD Copy Of The Movie – A copy of the movie for that time you have no access to a Blu-Ray player.

Cover Art and Menus: 10/10
If I were desiging covers for DVD’s and movie posters I would have this cover as a prime example of perfect…yes….perfect. It’s uncomplicated, straight to the point of the movie, and it’s just plain powerful. It means more once you see the movie, and that’s part of the appeal. I would most definately have this as a poster, in fact, I hope my husband (Ascully) puts this on my birthday list :) The menu is images and navigation, nothing special.





Audio & Video: 7/10
Fans of Platoon, let’s face it they will be the main buyers of this disc, will either be thrilled or really disappointed by Fox’s Blu-Ray offering. Let me explain, the transfer looks incredible, almost too good for a movie of this age. That means that Fox either did an awesome transfer job or some DNR (Digital Noise Reduction) was used. I can’t really tell if this is the case, but I’m sure someone out there will complain about it. To my eyes the movie looks the best I have ever seen it and that’s the point of Blu-Ray right?

The DTS-HD Master Audio on this movie is the weak point of the release. The audio seems really shallow through the entire movie. Surround does come off well but moments with music do not sound alive like they should. There are even a couple of moments where the audio seems out of sync with the mouth movement, most notably the scene where they are emptying the latreens. Overall though, for a movie that is 25 years old, the sound is quite good. It’s just not the showcase material I was expecting.


Value: 9/10
It belongs in your collection. Save up a few bucks and put it on your shelf for an annual Willim Defoe Appreciation Party! It’s only $15!! That means you can get a few others to go along with it, maybe something more light hearted like Apocalypse Now :)

Overall Score 9/10

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Danny (Adam Sandler) is a succesful plastic surgeon who has been dumped at the alter, and has since become a pretty uncaring womanizer, until he meets Palmer (Brooklyn Decker).  Palmer is a gorgeous single lady who finds Danny’s old wedding ring in his jeans, which he normally uses to pick up women.  She freaks out and then Danny is left trying to explain away the ring so as not to lose this beautiful girl, who he feels might be “the one.”  Danny ends up enlisting his office assistant Katherine (Jennifer Aniston) and her two kids, by calling them his family, who he is divorced from, thus explaining the ring.

When a trip to Maui with Palmer and the entire fake family occurs, the facade ends up being just too much for Danny as he struggle to keep Palmer interested, as he discovers that perhaps his real focus should be elsewhere.

Just Go With It features a big cast of famous names in some pretty strange roles, with the likes of Nicole Kidman, Dave Matthews, Kevin Nealon, and Nick Swardson being some of the highlights.  The ensemble keeps the movie from draggin on , and offers some nice laughs and a change of pace, which is well needed here, as this would have been a tough movie to sit through if it was just Sandler and Aniston, who both are really pretty good.  Overall this is a decently funny Adam Sandler release, which is a nice no brainer type of movie.


Features: 8/10 – There are a lot of decent extras here, some that are actually pretty darn funny.

• Laughter Is Contagious – This is a short blooper reel, basically with Jennifer Aniston cracking up.   It also features a lot of the cast blowing lines, and just shows how hard it would be to act with Adam Sandler or Nick Swardson and keep a straight face.
• Blooper Reel – There is a short blooper reel that is actually kind of neat.
• Filmmaker & Cast Commentaries – Two full length commentaries are included on the disk.  The first is basically Adam Sandler and Nick Swardson, with a variety of Sandler’s friends who also appear in the movie.  The second is a commentary from Director Dennis Dugan.  Both are just average, and a bit much for ths type of movie.  Total Sandler fans might get a kick out of his commentary, but overall it really is just an average commentary.
• Deleted Scenes – There are several deleted scenes included on the disk, most of which are not that great.
• 9 Featurettes Including Decker’s First Role – There are a number of short features here including a 5 minute extra featuring the very funny Nick Swardson, as well as practical fart jokes with Brooklyn decker, and other practical jokes.  There are a few extras focusing on some of the actors like Nicole Kidman and Dave Matthews.  The featurettes are short but fun.  There is also a short featuring Kevin Nealon in full bad plastic surgery” makeup walking around Los Angeles with a hidden camera.
• Kevin Nealon: The Plastic Man – This extra shows the extent of Kevin Nealon’s grotestque looking makeup as he pulls off a disturbing look for the movie.

Cover Art and Menus: 6/10
The cover for Just Go With It is pretty basic stuff and features Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston with a bikini clad Brooklyn Decker on a beach in Hawaii.  What is not to like, I guess.  It just seems a bit bland.  The menu is even more bland with shots of the movie playing over a sand looking background, with Hawaiian music.





Audio & Video: 8/10
It thought the movie looked and sounded great.  The colors and detail were spot on in this 1080p AVC encoded 1.85:1 widescreen presentation.  The audio was good also, with solid dialogue and a decent use of the surround sound, considering that this is a romantic comedy.  It is not overly bright, but decent for this type of movie.


Value: 7/10
Adam Sandler fans are rabid about his releases (even that nicky one) and this will be no exception.  The romantic comedy is like many of Sandler’s movies in this genre, with a decent bit of omedy mixed in with the romance, which is never over the top.  These are a bit more guy friendly, in terms of the romance.  As a case in point, this movie has Brooklyn Decker in a bikini, which seems to me to be a real selling point as they have her on the cover of the movie.  The story and movie are pretty decent, and the humor is sprinkled throughout.  It is not the best Adam Sandler movie, but the humor is pretty fun.  It is worth a watch at least, as it is a nice mix of talented actors with a fun, cute little story.  It is a nice little watch in the same vein as the rest of the Sandler presentations, so everyone knows what they are getting into.

Overall Score 8/10

Battle Los Angeles is a take on the idea from a different perspective, which I appreciate. A group of Marines in LA are called to action when an unknown enemy that’s otherworldly starts to attack the biggest ocean side cities on the planet. We don’t know why, we don’t know how, and that’s how it should be. Go along for the ride and the guts and the glory of it and you will have a good time. I did.

The cast varies from obviously expendable (as performers and as characters) to some really good moments. The main man, Eckhart plays a dude who’s on his way out of the Marines but is put back in to face this new enemy. He’s not in charge but clearly has has a troubled past as a leader, and he plays it all just right. He’s absolutely the best thing of the movie. Well, then there’s the dude from True Blood (He plays my favorite character on that show, Hoyt, falls in love with a teenage vampire virgin….oh, you haven’t seen it, unfortunate.) Jim Parrack is a young soldier with an obviously war torn past but we don’t have to see flashbacks or hear a long convoluted story. He does the emotions with little more than a flicker of his eyes and he brings a level of quality to every scene he’s in as we watch the battle of LA unfold.

The woman is uneventful for me. Bridget Moynahan is fine as far as her performance goes, but it’s a really tagged on character who is so conveniently plopped into the mix it’s almost comical. However, she’s also got enough umph of well thought out reactions and does her dialogue the service of not making it sound corny, so she gets a good score from me.

The special effects and sound are really the star of this show. I know it shouldn’t be true, but it is. Come on, it’s aliens from another planet coming to invade us with an unpleasant attitude. I want the action to match the sentiment. the aliens look awesome and the machines they bring are done so well I could have sworn they were props, but nope, all CGI. It’s a great time to be a movie lover. We can go on Netflix and watch movies from the beginning of cinema, over 100 years ago, and then plop in a disc that shows us a world in which modern day soldiers are battling interplanetary invaders and it looks amazing, real, believable, a spectacle to behold really. I’m not saying this movie is amazing on the whole. I did really enjoy it and add up all the elements it’s floating up there above average, teasing the idea of being a really good movie experience and  just tapping on the door this side of being a great summer action flick , it’s just that it will fade from my memory in time. It was fun while it lasted though.

If I were to explain why it’s such a middle of the road movie I would say because it is missing a few key elements that make my alien movies stand out in my mind. First, i didn’t feel a global threat, and I do like to feel we are ALL in danger. Second some of the stereotyped characters were too weak to mix in with the quite strong and solid characters. That cheapened it. Third, some of the ideas like a man about to retire but pulled back in, the lucky fortune to find a certain kind of civilian to fill in a belabored plot point about how to kill the aliens, and the annoying optimism of the characters always thinking they would be safe if they just get to that one place the government says to go…no people, you won’t be safe!!! That’s about it really, but those things drag it down just enough so that the best parts shine big time and then it averages out to be what it is, as I said before, a fun summer alien invasion movie with some stand out moments.


Features: 7/10

• Behind The Battle – A short behind the scenes look at all aspects of the production.
• Aliens In LA – A 17 minute look at the design and creation of the aliens used in the movie.
• Preparing For Battle – A few of the actors from the movie yapping about how hard it was to train for the physical roles. (maybe the millions of dollars they get paid will stop them whining :)
• Creating LA In LA – Most of the movie was filmed in Louisiana, so they had to use trickery to make it look like LA.
• Directing The Battle – A very interesting piece that allows you to see the Directors pre planning that got him the job on this movie.
• Boot Camp – Guess what? They sent the actors on a boot camp to train for the movie!!! (Didn’t see that one coming)
• The Freeway Battle – A behind the scenes look at one of the biggest set pieces in the movie.
• Command Control (PIP) -Almost like Warner’s now established Maximum Movie Mode. This feature uses PIP and full screen presentations to walk you through the making of the movie as it plays using Concept art and full featurettes. The featurettes are also available seperatly and are called Battle Points.
• Movie IQ – Sony’s service that uses Gracenote to look up facts about the movie while it’s playing. Ever sat there going what movie was he in, well now you can check with the click of a button.
• DVD Copy Of The Movie – It’s a DVD copy of the movie for those times when you would rather watch a low res version of the movie.
• Resistance 3 Playable PS3 Demo (non combo version only) – The combo pack does not feature the PS3 resistance demo, you need to get the single disc Blu-Ray to play this eagerly awaited demo.

Cover Art and Menus: 4/10
The cover is a bit confusing visually. The actual LA cityscape is lost in the bottom part of the image and we see just some big machine looking thing crashing? Maybe? It’s not terrible but this movie does have some very awesome effects and aliens that are fairly unique (as far as our vision of aliens goes) so why not slap them on the cover? I wouldn’t have this as a poster, but I would have a poster of the aliens or of Eckhart in full gear….he’s kinda cute. The menu is boring.





Audio & Video: 9/10
Sony have honored Battle LA with one of the best transfers I have seen in the last few months. This blockbuster action packed special effects extravaganza looks incredible on Blu-Ray.  The movie is mostly set in smoke filled suburban settings and is quite bland by design, colors are muted and the action seems like a war movie set in the middle east at times. The Blu-Ray transfer here is razor sharp and has amazing black levels, most of the movie takes place in broad daylight so little is left to the imagination. Sony have a knack of making other HD transfers look poor and Battle LA is no exception.

The audio on this release is also stunning, you will feel like you are in the middle of the action. Some stunning directional sound is present. One scene has explosions going off at various distances and you can actually feel where they are in relation to the picture just from the surround speakers. This is a very bombastic impressive track that you will show off to your friends.


Value: 7/10
You will get a lot of bang for your buck if you can find this movie for around $15. I think if you like this kind of action you will watch it many times and the extras are pretty hefty so you get your money’s worth. If you are just an alien watcher like me, rent it and enjoy it while you’ve got it on borrowed time and just a few bob (as the Brits say).

Overall Score 7/10

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When the two worlds of Migeul start to intersect, friction occurs between Santiago and Miguel, and when Santiago is dragged out to see by an undertow, the results really get strange when his ghost appears in Miguel and Mariela’s house.  Of course Migeul is the only one who can see Santiago, and it is upon his ghost’s return that Miguel is forced to deal with his emotions and his true self, as he can no longer live a double life, as part of his life has drastically changed.  Santiago asks Migeul to help find his body so that he can be properly buried and therefore his soul can be released, which forces Miguel to come face to face with his true self, regardless of how the rest of the village feels.

Undertow is a small movie that has a lot of heart, and does a great job of covering issues that are present in Peru as well as the U.S.  The struggle for acceptance and self identity is presented in a caring, realistic way in this movie.  The acting by the three main characters is very well done, and while the pace of the movie can drag at times, the overall feel of the movie was well done.  the use of Santiago’s ghost could have really been overdone to the point where the movie got cheesy, but writer/director Javier Fuentes-Leon does a nice job osf using the ghost to enhance the story and move forward the ultimate ending.

Undertow is not a great movie, but it is a great movie for what it is.  The low budget, endearing tale is a good watch, even with the presentation issues here on this Blu-ray release.  This is a non-Hollywood release, and instead of glitz and glamour, it has a lot of heart.


Features: 5/10

• Undertow A Look Inside - This 18 minute feature is a behind the scenes interview with the writer/director Javier Fuentes-Leon.  He goes into detail about the story and how it eveolved from a project that he started in film school, and goes through the process of casting all the way up to the finish of the movie.
• Interviews – There are a few interviews thron in with stars Tatiana Astengo and Cristian Mercado that run about 5 minutes each, and are a bit on the dry side.
• Behind The Scenes – Thsi 11 minute long behind the scenes extra is pretty average, and covers a lot of the same information that the interviews include.  It is not bad, but not great either.
• Deleted Scenes – There are quite a few deleted scenes here that run almost 25 minutes in length.

Cover Art and Menus: 6/10
The cover is a shot of the love triangle on a sofa on the beach.  It pretty much sets up the movie, and it is not a bad artistic cover.  the menu is a static shot of Manolo Cardona and Cristian Mercado in an embrace, with a moving underwater background.  It is a it sparse considering this is a Blu-ray release.





Audio & Video: 4/10
Undertow was filmed using 16mm stock, and the result is a grainy, washed out appearance to the movie that on Blu-ray is very distracting.  Their are some great shots of the peruvian ocean, that just seem to be rough and less than amazing.  The grain is noticeable, as is the variance of blacks here.  It is just not what one would expect, even though this is obviously a low budget movie.

The audio was also unerwhelming, with it being center channel driven, with dialogue at times annoyingly low.  The audio is very flat, and there is no real use of Surround Sound here.


Value: 5/10
Ths movie Undertow is a sweet, slow moving look at prejudice and life in a culture that still holds homosexuality in extremely low regards.  The acting is decent and the story, while slow, is solid.  While the presentation is lacking and some elements have obviously been seen before in other movies, the result is a low budget gem that despite its numerous faults, shows real promise.  It is worth a look for those who would find this type of movie enjoyable, but I am not sure of any real replay value.

Overall Score 6/10

I’m not a huge Jason Statham fan. I really did enjoy the Transporter, but since them it’s been a stretch to summon the same umph for the guy. He’s fine for what this story is telling us, a hard man, killer, organized, focused, loner. It’s that movie kind of character who is so precise and has such a perfect plan all the time that you need to check your bullshit radar at the door. I did that and enjoyed the action, the story, the bullshitty stuff, and the vibe of it all.

The story might not seem very original, and it is a retelling of another movie, but somehow it has enough elements that I have not seen to make it interesting. A son of a dude who the killer has crossed paths with is troubled and volatile. The killer needs to mentor him in the art of death. Sounds like a good tagline:) So, it has elements of intrigue and then the same old same old assassin tale stuck in for good measure. The thing is, I almost always like a good assassin movie. Why? Why do we find some kind of guts and glory in people who kill for money? Usually they are paid to kill people who we are told are unsavory so we can live with that, kind of super hero thing going on sometimes. Then again, we do have laws and courts….haha oh silly me, those are for movies like A Few Good Men and Liar, Liar.

Ben Foster takes the show for me. He’s got a tiny bit of over-acting here and there, but his character is troubled and lost in the world so that’s fine with me. He’s got a way about him that just makes each scene powerful and a little creepy at times because he’s so intense. If it wasn’t for Foster, I think this movie would have been a poor version of itself.

The fights in this movie are pretty intense and I didn’t get bored once. Oh, if you are just joining me on this review writing journey, I get bored when long fight scenes or car chases come along and it takes something pretty unique or powerful or high quality (stunts and effects) for me to keep my mind from wandering over to the “What’s going to be for supper” neighborhood of my brain. The Mechanic did not bore me for even one minute. I was into it from start to finish. It goes to show you that lots of fights, explosions, car bashing, troubled man tales of woe, they can stand up to the rigors of my threshold of what’s acceptable with testerosterony movie offerings.

This is a very violent movie, and it says so from the start. It’s brutal at at times. I would not let anyone under the age of 25 watch this..well, maybe 21, but definately not young men. I think it’s got a lot of that macho man bullshit riding along with the stuff that’s good and entertaining. I wouldn’t want to influence any young mind into thinking it’s ok to be an asshole killer with vicious tendencies.

Overall I enjoyed it. It was entertaining and severe at times to the point of almost putting my hand over my eyes…so that’s saying something.

Features: 3/10

• Tools Of The Trade Featurette – There isn’t much here, just how they did some of the stunts and effects.
• Deleted Scenes – One of these scenes could have changed the whole vibe of the movie so I’m glad it was cut.
• MovieIQ – Check on the details of people, places, things in the movie, just