DVD Reviews

Considering that first-time director Tony Gilroy, whose previous writing credits include the Bourne trilogy, also penned the lawyer-cum-Lucifer thriller, The Devil's Advocate, it doesn't exactly take a rocket scientist to discern where the legal profession falls on his hierarchy of moral fitness. (Or ...

There's a bitter irony casting a pall over one of this year's smartest and most entertaining films. Not one that's likely to ruin the experience of watching Charlie Wilson's War however. In fact, our knowledge of Afghanistan's role in the events of 9/11, coupled with the way director Mike Nichols and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin handle their ...

Rated: R for strong vampire violence and gore, language, sexuality and some drug use.
Runtime: 94 mins.
Director: P.J. Pesce
Writer: Janice Fischer & James Jeremias
Cast: Gabrielle Rose; Tad Hilgenbrink; Corey Feldman.
Tagline: Never grow old. Never die. Never know fear again.
Genre: Comedy | Horror | Thriller
Memorable Quote: "I'm Edgar Frog, surfboard shaper and vampire hunter. "
Release Date: July 29, 2008
DVD Release Date: July 29, 2008

MPAA Rating: R for strong bloody violence, sexuality/nudity, language and some drug content.
Director: Dario Piana
Writer: Evan Charnov, Hans Rodionoff
Cast: Corey Feldman; Tanit Phoenix; Casey B. Dolan
Genre: Horror
Memorable Movie Quote: "A father can't murder his own children. That would be in bad taste."
Release Date: No theatrical release.
Blu-ray Release Date: October 12, 2010.

MPAA Rating: Not rated by the MPAA.
Runtime: 138 mins.
Director: Federico Fellini.
Writer: Federico Fellini
Cast: Marcello Mastroianni; Claudia Cardinale; Anouk Aimee
Tagline: A picture that goes beyond what men think about - because no man ever thought about it in quite this way!
Genre: Foreign
Memorable Quote: "All the confusion of my life... has been a reflection of myself! Myself as I am, not as I'd like to be."
Release Date: June 25, 1963 (USA)
Blu-ray Release Date: January 12, 2010
Distributor: Criterion Collection, The

There’s a locker room scene between Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg – about two-thirds of the way through the film – that best defines the unbalanced problems with David O. Russell’s The Fighter.  Here you have the dynamic acting chops of Bale going...

In Charlie Chaplin’s two-role classic, The Great Dictator, we get his final salute to the silent films of his youthful exploits and the first words ever spoken by The Tramp.  It’s a haunting film; one that mocks Hitler and dictators in general (before it was en vogue to do so...

With faces frozen in horror, Death’s carriage arrives for the terrible soul of David Holm.  A reckless sinner, fouled with drink and consumption, and responsible for a great many grievances and other human suffering is Holm and it seems Death, that strict master, is ...

When the Golden Age of Horror goes off the deep end with all its pre-Hollywood Production Code perversions, the result is a long out of print masterpiece of makeup and maniacal terror.  Island of Lost Souls, from 1932, is proudly released in all its unedited ...

What do bathtub toy boats and plastic helicopters have in common with a dude in a monster suit?  Hint: the action takes place in Japan.  That’s right.  Godzilla, the mother of all mega-monster movies, is returning to run rampage through your home entertainment ...

What could be worse than being in Florida with a Category 5 hurricane bearing down on the state? No, the answer is not “waking up to discover that you now live in Boca Raton.” The answer we’re looking for is to awaken from the nightmare of your neighborhood now ...

As a self-confessed hound of the horror genre, I find myself happily unleashed in cinematic cemeteries and very familiar with the format of a good haunt.  It takes quite a bit of atmosphere and gore to jar me these days.  Starry Eyes, directed and written by  Kevin Kölsch and ...

Charles Bronson is back! Our fearless avenging angel has taken to the streets once again to kick a whole lot of criminal ass. Thank GOD. I already feel safe knowing that his 32-caliber nickel Colt revolver is blazing out of its 4-inch barrel again ...

Amongst the many memorable moments that occur during director Ridley Scott’s new film The Martian, is one particularly moving episode that perfectly illustrates that the director “gets it” and that his film has been constructed with loads of loving care and meticulous attention  ...

Like The King of Rock n’ Roll himself, Baz Luhrmann’s new film, deceptively titled Elvis (more on that later), is bold, brash, and over the top. This should come as no surprise as the Moulin Rouge! director – subscriber to the Auteur Theory of filmmaking – is known for his distinctive style and  ...

A large part of the fun and playfulness of the Toy Story films has always been the self-aware recognition that a human child’s playthings are inanimate objects that come to life when humans aren’t around. What a great bit that has always served the franchise well ...

Beginning with a pixelated Atari-like Universal logo, complete with the familiar sounding bleeps and squawks from that gaming system as it blips out the usually orchestrated Universal Studios theme music, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World announces its thunderously playful attitude as a sugary  ...

The first impression I get from writer/director Christos Nikou’s Apples is that it bears a strong resemblance to that of the films by fellow Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos. Blending deadpan, black comedy with a degree of tragedy, Nikou, like Lanthimos, is keen on showing the awkward  ...

On its surface, Where the Crawdads Sing appears to be a rather maudlin murder mystery wrapped within the sappy folds of a modern YA romance. But a calculated look beneath its mucky veneer reveals something much more compelling. Something much deeper than even its swampy setting  ...

Intelligent horror. Yes, such a thing actually exists. Granted, that’s not always what the hordes of hungry horror fans looking to fulfill their bloodlust want from the genre, but for those who like their spilled blood and severed body parts served with a touch a class, do I have a film for you! ...

D. W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation, a groundbreaking film that is quickly approaching its 100^th anniversary, is still – to this day - a controversial film igniting the fear and loathing that invites the gnashing of teeth and tearing of flesh ...

One of the most highly regarded science fiction films of the 1950s; this Gordon Douglass directed cautionary tale about a small township under siege by irradiated mutant ants has influenced countless filmmakers for generations. Remember the awesome egg ...

Exploitation fans rejoice!  Shout! Factory has seen fit to bring their ongoing Roger Corman Triple Feature DVD releases to the Blu-ray market. Their initial release is also one of their best-selling: The Women in Cages Collection. This triple feature...

Using the “found” footage style of The Blair Witch Project and countless movies since, Apollo 18 sets the record straight on why NASA never returned to the moon.  The movie, while familiar, should thrill gritty sci-fi lovers and anyone prone to ...

As inconsequential as it is, Jeremiah Chechik’s Benny & Joon remains a charming look at one young couple’s handling of love and separation anxiety.  With the opening music provided by the Scottish duo known as The Proclaimers, the mood and...

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for crude and sexual content, language, violence and some drug material.
Director: Adam McKay
Writer: Adam McKay & Chris Henchy
Cast: Will Ferrell; Mark Wahlberg; Eva Mendes
Genre: Action | Comedy
Memorable Movie Quote: "I am a real cop, working on a big case"
Release Date: August 6, 2010
DVD Release Date: Not yet announced.

MPAA Rating: R for sexual content, language and drug use.
Runtime: 90 mins.
Director: Miguel Arteta
Writer: Gustin Nash
Cast: Michael Cera; Portia Doubleday; Steve Buscemi
Tagline: Every "Revolution" Needs A Leader.
Genre: Comedy / Romance
Memorable Quote: "I say we let the kid do the dishes and you and I retire to the master bedroom."
Release Date: January 8, 2009
DVD Release Date: June 15, 2010.
Distributor: Dimension Films

Rated: R for language, some violent images and sexual content/nudity.
Runtime: 129 mins.
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Writer: John Le Carré (novel); Jeffrey Caine (screenplay)
Cast: Ralph Fiennes; Rachel Weisz; Pete Postlethwaite; Daniele Harford
Genre: Drama/Thriller
Studio: Focus Features
Official Site: theconstantgardener.com
Memorable Quote: "Big pharmaceuticals are right up there with the arms dealers."

MPAA Rating: R for language throughout, and some violence.
Runtime: 116 mins.
Director: Clint Eastwood
Writer: Nick Schenk
Cast: Clint Eastwood; Christopher Carley; Bee Vang; Ahney Her ... complete cast
Tagline: Gran Torino.
Genre: Action | Drama | Thriller
Memorable Quote: "Get off my lawn! " ... more quotes
Release Date: January 2, 2009
DVD Release Date: June 9, 2009

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sequences of martial arts action and some violence.
Runtime: 113 mins.
Director: Rob Minkoff
Writer: John Fusco
Cast: Jet Li; Jackie Chan
Tagline: The path is unsafe. The place is unknown. The journey is unbelievable.
Genre: Action | Adventure | Fantasy
Memorable Quote: "Praying Mantis! Very good... for catching bugs! But not Tiger! "
Release Date: April 18, 2008
DVD Release Date: September 9, 2008