Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Criterion Sale at Amazon



Amazon.com has reduced the price on many of its Criterion Blu-rays. Here are the main deals, although several others have been reduced to the $24 range. Stock usually goes quickly, so order now if you see something you like.


12 Angry Men $20.99 (In the Frame review)
8 ½ $18.99
Anatomy of a Murder $20.99
Belle de Jour $20.99
Blow Out $20.99 (In the Frame review)
Bottle Rocket $20.49 (In the Frame review)
Broadcast News $20.99 (In the Frame review)
Cronos $18.49
Cul-de-sac $20.99
The Darjeeling Limited $18.99
David Lean Directs Noel Coward $52.99
Days of Heaven $18.49
Dazed and Confused $20.99
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas $20.99
Godzilla $20.99
The Great Dictator $20.99
High and Low $20.99
Identification of a Woman $19.02
Island of Lost Souls $20.99
The Killing $20.99
Kiss Me Deadly $20.99
Kuroneko $20.99
La Jetée / Sans Soleil $20.49
The Lady Vanishes $20.99
The Last Temptation of Christ $20.99
Letter Never Sent $16.99
The Makioka Sisters $18.80
Modern Times $19.49
The Moment of Truth $20.32
A Night to Remember $20.99
The Organizer $21.93
Paths of Glory $19.49
The Red Shoes $19.99
Repulsion $20.99
Ride with the Devil $18.99
The Rolling Stones: Gimme Shelter $18.99
Rushmore $20.99
Seven Samurai $24.99
The Seventh Seal $19.49
Stagecoach $18.99
Summer Interlude $19.99
The Thin Red Line $19.99
Three Colors Trilogy $41.99 (In the Frame review)
Three Outlaw Samurai $17.99
Traffic $20.99
Vanya on 42nd Street $21.49
World on a Wire $20.99

Sunday, May 27, 2012

What I Watched This Week, May 20-26

Welcome to the seventh installment of What I Watched This Week. I don't review everything I watch, but I have time for quick comments about the movies that I don't fully review.


The Descendants (2011)

I keep going back to The Descendants. I must have seen it close to 10 times. Read my full review for more of my thoughts.

Overall Score 5/5






Inglourious Basterds (2009)

After checking my Top 25, I realized that I had seen 24 of them in the past year. Inglourious Basterds was something I overdosed on when it was released, so I hadn't seen it for 13 months. It was good to revisit the movie and spend 2.5 hours with these characters again. I still think the opening scene is probably the best that Tarantino has ever written. Christoph Waltz deserved his Oscar.

Overall score 5/5



Castle in the Sky (1986)

I've been looking forward to seeing Castle in the Sky on Blu-ray ever since it was released in Japan. The presentation is perfect, but the film was not quite as good as I remembered. There are too many chase scenes and explosions for my taste, although the Miyazaki magic shines through at times. The third act was easily the best part of the story beginning when we first set foot on Laputa. It's good to see an early Miyazaki title given such good treatment.

Overall score 4/5



Larry Crowne (2011)

Tom Hanks was one of my favorite actors 10 years ago, but I've been disappointed with his recent output. He teamed up with Julia Roberts in Charlie Wilson's War, but I didn't like it at all. Larry Crowne has received a lot of poor reviews, but I quite enjoyed it. I identified with his character as I also went to college late in life. This is a gentle comedy with plenty of good moments.

Overall score 3.5/5


We Bought a Zoo (2011)

I didn't really know what to expect from We Bought a Zoo. I enjoy Matt Damon's acting and Scarlett Johansson is usually pretty good, but what kind of story would this be? Damon's character plays a widower who is reminded of his wife by his possessions and surroundings, so he decides to move house. He has a girl of 7 and a boy of 14. The boy is a bit of a problem child and doesn't want to move, but his daughter is incredibly sweet and steals a lot of scenes. The story tells the tale of what happens when the three buy a zoo. They love the house, but have very little idea of how to take care of the animals. Luckily, the small staff, led by Johanssen's character, know what they are doing. This is a feel-good story of how the family makes a new life and pulls together with the staff to make the zoo a viable attraction. There's nothing startling, but it's worth your time.

Overall score 3.5/5


Battle Royale (2000)

I've been hoping to see Battle Royale ever since Tarantino named it as one of his favorite films. It's a Japanese language movie which tells the story of a class of children who are forced to fight to the death over the course of three days. I'm really not sure how I feel about it. There's a lot of violence and not much story, and it's hard to identify with many of the characters. I'm not against violent scenes if they add something to the story, such as some of the scenes in Kill Bill, but this particular story isn't really my kind of thing. I'm glad I saw it and I understand why people like it, but I don't need to own it. I could score this anywhere from 1/5 to 5/5. I'll give it credit for attempting as much as it did.

Overall score 3.5/5

Shame (2011)

My final selection this week was one of the most interesting films from 2011. The subject matter isn't easy to view and I'm not sure how often I will revisit the film, but it's extremely well made. Michael Fassbender plays Brandon, and he's addicted to sex. Women find him attractive at first, until they discover his true nature. We see him pursue several women and have sex with them, but the act has become something without much joy. It drains him rather than pleases him. He's not content to just have sex with other people; he uses computers at home and at work to search for porn, he sneaks off to masturbate, and he has a liaison with a man. His sister, Sissy, is played by Carey Mulligan, and she also has problems relating to people. Director Steve McQueen hints that it may be because of childhood experiences, but we aren't given the full details. This film is not for everyone. It contains a considerable amount of nudity and fairly explicit sex scenes, as well as other material which may disturb some viewers. I was impressed with the main two actors and the honesty of the film.

Overall score 4.5/5


Click here to see what I watched April 8-14.

Click here to see what I watched April 15-21.

Click here to see what I watched April 22-28.

Click here to see what I watched April 29-May 5.

Click here to see what I watched May 6-12.

Click here to see what I watched May 13-19.

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Upcoming Blu-ray releases, May 28 - June 1, 2012









US Blu-ray releases

May 29

Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies
The Aggression Scale
Alonzo King Lines Ballet
Autumn
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 / Rimsky-Lorsakov: Scheherazade
Brother White
Bruckner: Symphony No. 5
Dawn Rider
Demoniacs
Denver and Rio Grande
Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker
Gintama: The Movie
The Goat Rodeo Sessions Live
Gone
Goon
Janáček: The Makropoulos Affair
Love Never Dies
Man on a Ledge
Memorial Day
Monteverdi: L'Incoronazione Di Poppea
Mozart: Piano Concertos       
Murdoch Mysteries: Season 4
Nature: The River of No Return
The Outlaw Josey Wales
The Rape of the Vampire
Requiem for a Vampire
Rookie Blue: The Complete Second Season
Run for Cover
Shiki: Part 1
Shiki: Part 2
Shostakovich: Symphony Nº 8
Silver City
Smithsonian Channel: Titanic's Final Mystery
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers
Strauss: Die Frau ohne Schatten
Summer Interlude
Summer with Monika
Swingers / Made
Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker / The Mouse King
Too Late Blues
Traveller / Telling Lies in America
True Blood: The Complete First Season
True Blood: The Complete Second Season
True Blood: The Complete Third Season
True Blood: The Complete Fourth Season
We Need to Talk About Kevin


Canadian Blu-ray releases

May 29, 2012

The Aggression Scale
Andre Rieu: Under the Stars - Live in Maastricht V
Brother White
Demoniacs
Denver and Rio Grande
Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker
Gintama: The Movie
The Goat Rodeo Sessions Live
The Good Doctor
Goon
Love Never Dies
Murdoch Mysteries: Season 4
Mutant Girls Squad
The Rape of the Vampire
Requiem for a Vampire
Shiki: Part 1
Shiki: Part 2
Shock Labyrinth 3D
Silver City
Smithsonian Channel: Titanic's Final Mystery           
Summer Interlude
Summer with Monika
There Be Dragons
Too Late Blues
True Blood: The Complete First Season
True Blood: The Complete Second Season
True Blood: The Complete Third Season
True Blood: The Complete Fourth Season
We Need to Talk About Kevin


UK Blu-ray releases

May 28, 2012

An American Werewolf in London
The Artist (In the Frame review)
The Awakening
Babette's Feast
A Beautiful Mind
Berg: Lulu
The Black Panther
Bleach Movie 1: Memories of Nobody
Bleach Movie 2: Diamond Dust Rebellion
Bleach Movie 3: Fade to Black
Brahms / Dvorak / Nielsen / Sibelius
Brassed Off
Carjacked
Catch .44
Cavalli: Il Giasone
Chinatown
Chronicle (Extended Edition)

Classic Bergman Collection (It Rains on Our Love / A Ship Bound for India / Sawdust and Tinsel / Dreams / So Close to Life)

De Falla: La Vida Breve
Fever Pitch (UK version)
From Dusk Till Dawn 1-3 Collection
From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money
From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter
Gluck: Orfeo & Euridice
Grave Encounters
Haywire
Iron Sky
Island of Lost Souls
Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island 3D
Klitschko
Life is Sweet
Love Story
Martha Marcy May Marlene (In the Frame review)
Michael
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie
Neverland
New Year's Concert: Teatro La Fenice
Nightbirds
Puccini: Il Trittico
The Queen (Diamond Jubilee Edition)
A Queen is Crowned
Rainforest 3D            
A Room with a View
Roxy Music: Live at the Apollo
Ruggles of Red Gap
Wagner: Lohengrin
The Warrior


French Blu-ray releases

May 28, 2012

Sherlock Holmes / Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (Steelbook)
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (Ultimate Edition)

May 30, 2012

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 / Rimsky-Lorsakov: Scheherazade
The Caller
Cavalli: Il Giasone
The Descendants (In the Frame review)
House: Season Seven
Jerome Rose Plays Brahms
L' Amour dure trois ans
Shostakovich: Symphony Nº 8
True Blood: The Complete 1-4 Seasons
True Blood: The Complete Fourth Season
Wuthering Heights

May 31, 2012

Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos

June 1, 2012

Blue Velvet
Breaking Wind
Cast Away (In the Frame review)
Cleopatra
The Divide
Fading of the Cries
Failure to Launch
False Trail
Four Brothers
The Haunting in Connecticut
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
The Hunters
Kagemusha
La vérité si je mens
La vérité si je mens! 2
La Vérité si je mens! 3
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
Prison Break: The Complete 4 Seasons and The Epilogue: The Final Break
Reign of Assassins
The Son of No One
Twelve O'Clock High
Von Ryan's Express
The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season (Special Edition)
West Side Story


Australian Blu-ray releases

May 30, 2012

Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked
Alvin and the Chipmunks Triple Pack
The Darkest Hour
The Darkest Hour 3D
Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park III
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
Underworld: Awakening
Underworld: Awakening 3D




Sunday, May 20, 2012

What I Watched This Week, May 13-19

Welcome to the sixth installment of What I Watched This Week. I don't review everything I watch, but I have time for quick comments about the movies that I don't fully review.


The Italian Job (2003) (Blu-ray)

I'm a fan of most of the cast and the 1969 original version is a cult classic, but this 2003 version disappointed. I found it unoriginal and quite boring in places. It's not that anyone performed badly, it was just a tired story with nothing to make it stand out.

Overall score 3/5





Killer's Kiss (1955) (Blu-ray)

Stanley Kubrick made so many interesting films in a variety of genres. I'm a fan of The Killing, but I was thrilled to find out that one of the special features on the Criterion Blu-ray was an HD version of Killer's Kiss. I had never seen the film. The story itself is an unremarkable crime drama and it's not something I will watch often, but it's worth seeing just to see how Kubrick's career evolved.

Overall score 3/5 (4/5 for The Killing)




Videodrome (1983) (Blu-ray)

Another Criterion that's been on my shelf for months. I first saw Videodrome soon after release and it was the UK cut version. It was good to revisit after all these years and I enjoyed the unsettling world that Cronenberg creates. James Woods was a good choice for the role of Max and Deborah Harry is surprisingly good as the twisted Nicki. The effects look dated, but it still succeeds in creating a unique atmosphere.

Overall score 4/5



The Secret World of Arrietty (2011) (Blu-ray)

I've seen Arrietty about five times this year, but this was the first time I had watched the Japanese dub. I had already seen the UK and US versions. This version follows the UK script and doesn't include the additional exposition present at the end of the US dub. I think my favorite version of the three is still the UK dub which I have already reviewed.

Overall score 4.5/5



The Grey (2011) (Blu-ray)

I like survival stories and usually enjoy Liam Neeson's movies, so I was excited to see The Grey. It wasn't exactly what I expected, but it may be even better than I had hoped due to the realism. Read my full review for all my thoughts.

Overall score 4/5





A Dangerous Method (2011) (Blu-ray)

I find it difficult to watch Keira Knightley, but she was actually fairly good as Sabina Spielrein. Fassbender and Mortensen were also convincing and I enjoyed the story, but something stopped it from being great. It felt unfinished in a way and I would have liked a stronger final act.

Overall score 3.5/5




Being John Malkovich (1999) (Blu-ray)

Amazon.ca managed to get this to me on release day, and I was very happy to see it again. Criterion has done another great job and this quirky movie has never looked so good. Cusack, Diaz and Keener are all good, but it couldn't work without Malkovich. It's one of the most enjoyable and unusual ideas that I've seen in a film.

Overall score 4.5/5





Cool Hand Luke (1967) (Blu-ray)

I can't quite agree with Roger Ebert on this one, and I would rate it as very good rather than great. That said, there's still a lot to like. Newman and Kennedy are both superb and the supporting cast includes Harry Dean Stanton, Dennis Hopper, Strother Martin and Ralph Waite. It's a prison drama and Newman is cast as a rebellious prisoner who doesn't want to conform. I think the thing that holds the film back from greatness is Luke's general behavior. He deserves to be in prison and it's hard to feel sorry for him. Cool Hand Luke is the subject of this week's discussion over at 1:37 exactly, so feel free to join in.

Overall score 4/5

Click here to see what I watched April 8-14.

Click here to see what I watched April 15-21.

Click here to see what I watched April 22-28.

Click here to see what I watched April 29-May 5.

Click here to see what I watched May 6-12.

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Upcoming Blu-ray releases, May 21-24, 2012



US Blu-ray releases

May 22, 2012

Adele: Feel My Love
American Warships
Best of Travel: Escape to French Polynesia   
Bettie Page: Dark Angel
Beyond
A Bullet for the General
Castle in the Sky (In the Frame review)
Certified Copy (Criterion Collection)
Dragon Ball Z Kai Season 1
Dragon Ball Z Kai, Season 2
The First Beautiful Thing
Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood: OVA Collection
Humans vs Zombies
Lethal Weapon Collection
Mutant Girls Squad
National Parks Project
Perfect Sense
Planzet
Racing Dreams: Coming of Age in a Fast World
Red Tails
Sade: Bring Me Home - Live 2011
The Secret World of Arrietty (In the Frame review)
Sherlock: Season Two
Simply Red: Live At Montreux
This Means War
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Alpha
Whisper of the Heart (In the Frame review)
The Woman in Black
WWE: The Best of WCW Clash of the Champions 


Canadian Blu-ray releases

May 22, 2012

American Warships
A Bullet for the General
Castle in the Sky (In the Frame review)
Downfall
The Grey (In the Frame review)
Haunted Anthology (Insidious / The Blair Witch Project / The Last Exorcism / The Others / 1408)
Planzet           
Red Tails
Sade: Bring Me Home - Live 2011
Sherlock: Season Two
Simply Red: Live At Montreux
This Means War
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Alpha
Waiting / Still Waiting
Whisper of the Heart (In the Frame review)
The Woman in Black 


UK Blu-ray releases

May 21, 2012

Alien Opponent
Azores: The World Under Water 3D
Battle Force
The Darkest Hour 3D
Demons (Dèmoni / Limited Edition)
Demons 2 (Dèmoni 2: L'incubo ritorna / Limited Edition)
The Descendants (In the Frame review)
The Fox and the Hound
Freerunner
Ghost In the Shell - Stand Alone Complex: Solid State Society
The House by the Cemetery (Limited Edition)
Humanity's End
In the Name of the King 2: Two Worlds
In Time
Intruders
The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride
The Lion King 3: Hakuna Matata
Pocahontas
Simply Red: Live At Montreux
Tarzan 
True Blood: The Complete Fourth Season
True Blood: Complete Seasons 1-4
Yatterman


French Blu-ray releases

May 21, 2012

Alonzo King Lines Ballet
Glazunov: Raymonda
Rimsky-Korsakov: Le Coq D'Or
Strauss: Salome
           
May 22, 2012

10 jours en or
Desert Flower
Ghost Machine
The Gundown
L.A. Zombie
Les chansons d'amour
The Private Lives of Pippa Lee
Triage

May 23, 2012

The Double
Fringe: The Complete Seasons
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (In the Frame review)
Halls of Montezuma
La délicatesse
New Year's Eve
V: The Complete 1-2 Seasons


Australian Blu-ray releases

May 23, 2012

The Aggression Scale
Arrietty (In the Frame review)
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (In the Frame review)
Howl's Moving Castle
Hugo 3D
Isenhart
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
A Lonely Place to Die
Tales From Earthsea
True Blood: The Complete Fourth Season

May 24, 2012
The Black Shield of Falworth
Prince Valiant
The Yellow Sea



Thursday, May 17, 2012

The Grey

The Grey (2011)
Action, Adventure, Drama
Directed by Joe Carnahan
Starring Liam Neeson, Dermot Mulroney and Frank Grillo

The presence of Liam Neeson is main reason that I wanted to see The Grey. I've become a bigger fan since I bought Taken and saw that he could even bring depth to a character in an action movie. Neeson seems authentic in just about any role, even if he's just providing the voice for an animated character.

In The Grey, Neeson is clearly the main character. We see him contemplate suicide at the start of the movie, before deciding against it. The story involves a group of oil workers stationed in Alaska. Ottway (Neeson) is a marksman who keeps the workers safe from wolves when they are at work. He carries a rifle and is always watching for possible attacks. He has a low opinion of most of the workers and doesn't enjoy having to spend time with them.


Ottway's world changes when he's involved in a plane crash. The oil workers encounter bad weather and turbulence, and the resulting crash leaves most of the group dead or dying. It's here that Ottway assumes a leadership role without being asked or voted in. Like the wolves he kills, his instincts cannot be denied. In the surviving group, it quickly becomes clear that he's the alpha. Ottway has a way of facing facts and helping others to accept the inevitable. This is perfectly illustrated when one of the crash victims dies in front of him. Ottway calms him and takes charge of the situation when the other men are incapable of deciding how to handle it.

The movie partly reminded me of The Edge, starring Anthony Hopkins. Although this group of survivors is larger, and they are hunted by wolves instead of a bear, the terrain is similar. The Grey seems realistic and doesn't idealize the situation in any way. The men are in danger and fighting for their lives, and their actions are plausible. If you are facing a pack of wolves unarmed, your chances of survival are not good. The Grey doesn't shy away from that fact.

Action scenes are infrequent, but have considerable impact. How would you try to survive if you had no food or shelter and had to make your way through freezing snow? Would it be best to try to make your own way back to civilization, or stay at the crash site and hope for rescue?


The movie explores the characters of several of the crash survivors and we come to understand their individual choices. The setting is grim, so don't expect a heartwarming story. This is real.

I didn't know what to expect from The Grey, but it left me somewhat surprised. The body count was definitely higher than expected, and I assumed that the group would generate more internal conflict than it did. That said, I did feel as though I was a part of the quest for survival and I was engaged at all times. Neeson carried the movie, but three or four supporting characters were important to the story.

If you enjoy experiencing things that you are unlikely to witness in your real life, The Grey is a compelling story which transports you to an unfamiliar setting. If you are sensitive to watching characters get picked off one at a time, it might not be for you.

The Blu-ray offers a pleasing presentation. The audio is just about perfect, and you'll feel involved in scenes such as the plane crash. The picture quality is also very good, but sometimes appears intentionally grainy to heighten the effect of being lost in a bleak, snowy wilderness.

Overall score 4/5

Return to index of every review on the site.

Video: Upcoming Canadian Releases - May 22, 2012

I've recently been given the task of reviewing upcoming Canadian releases over at Movie Jury, who I have been writing for over the past two or three years. I'm still getting used to the video format, but here's my latest attempt if you enjoy seeing old men struggle with their words:



Monday, May 14, 2012

Upcoming Blu-ray releases, May 14-18, 2012


US Blu-ray releases

May 15, 2012

Albert Nobbs
Before and After
Being John Malkovich (Criterion Collection)
Born Yesterday
Bringing Down the House
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid / The Comancheros / Fistful of Dollars / Horse Soldiers
Cat Planet Cuties: Complete Collection
Chronicle
D.O.A.
Descendents
The Devil Inside
Duets
Fantastic Four / Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Father of the Bride / Father of the Bride Part II
Gone Fishin'
The Grand Duel / Keoma
The Grey        
Hell on Wheels: The Complete First Season
History of the World in Two Hours 3D
Holy Man
Mr. Wrong
National Parks Exploration Series: The Grand Canyon - A Wonder of the Natural World
National Parks Exploration Series: Yosemite - The High Sierras
New York Stories
Novecento
The Odessa File
One for the Money
The Order
Patton / The Longest Day / The Sand Pebbles / Tora! Tora! Tora!
Predator / Predator 2
The Princess Diaries / The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
Rampart
Road Trip
Romancing the Stone / Jewel of the Nile
Seven Wonders of the Buddhist World Smithsonian Channel: Aerial America - Pacific Rim Collection
Terminal Velocity
The Transporter / Transporter 2
The Universe: The Complete Season Six
The Walking Tall Trilogy
The War
White Squall
The Woman Knight of Mirror Lake


Canadian Blu-ray releases

May 15, 2012

Being John Malkovich (Criterion Collection)
Bringing Down the House
Chronicle
Cube
Fantastic Four / Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Father of the Bride / Father of the Bride Part II
The Front Line
Goin' Down the Road / Down the Road Again
Hell on Wheels: The Complete First Season
History of the World in Two Hours 3D
Killers
One for the Money
Predator Collection (Predator / Predator 2)
Romancing the Stone / The Jewel of the Nile
Saw I, II & III
The Transporter / Transporter 2
The Universe: The Complete Season Six
The Walking Tall Trilogy
The War


UK Blu-ray releases

May 14, 2012

Creature
Die Hard with a Vengeance
Dragon Dynasty
Forbidden Zone (Limited Edition)
Frida
Kate & Leopold
Legendary Amazons
Malcolm X
Osombie
Shame
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
The Sherlock Holmes Collection (Sherlock Holmes / Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows)
The Sitter (Totally Irresponsible Edition)
Underworld 1-4 Collection
Underworld: Awakening 3D
WWE: Royal Rumble 2012


French Blu-ray releases

May 15, 2012

Axed
The Bounty
Intruders
National Lampoon's Animal House
Take Shelter (In the Frame Review)

May 16, 2012

Blue Exorcist (Season 1)
Elena et les hommes
Les soeurs Brontë
Planzet
           
May 18, 2012

Barry White: The Man And His Music
Emmylou Harris - In My Own Style
The Rat Pack  


Australian Blu-ray releases

May 16, 2012

Mildred Pierce
The Muppets
The Women on the 6th Floor
Young Adult (In the Frame Review)

May 17, 2012

30 Minutes or Less
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy