Up Blu-ray review

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Disney, Adventure, Animation, Family, DVD Reviews

This week, Pixar released their latest film, Up, on DVD and Blu-ray, and we’ve been going through all the content on the Blu-ray release over the past couple of weeks. We know that the movie did extremely well at the box office, and reviews for the actual movie were great - but how does the home release of Up hold, er, up? Hit that read link, and we’ll let you know our thoughts on one of the biggest home releases of the holiday season.

The Movie
As is typical with our Blu-ray and DVD reviews, we won’t actually be reviewing the movie itself in full, but we will say this: Up is another Pixar release that combines family fun and entertainment with some highly emotional storytelling, with a perfect balance.  The movie easily beats a lot of the cruft that you see other Hollywood studios pumping out on a regular basis. You’ve got lovable characters in Carl Fredrickson, Russell, and Dug, with dialogue that’s funny for kids, with some lines specifically aimed at adults. The movie even features miscarriage and death, but with subtlety, so the kids don’t get confused. It’s definitely worth seeing.

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Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Diamond Edition Blu-ray review

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Disney, Animation, Classics, Family, DVD Reviews

Not many people realize this, but Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is Disney‘s very first full-length animated motion picture. Some would say it is the most prized possession inside the Disney Vault, since one could argue that this movie not only pushed the still-young Disney studio well on its way to being the global powerhouse that it is today, but it also expanded and legitimized the art of animation. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is the first movie to be released as part of the Disney Platinum Series, which has been around for a while now. However, when it came time to get the Blu-ray treatment, Sleeping Beauty and Pinocchio were both released before Snow White, as Disney wanted to get this one just right. The result? The Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Diamond Edition Blu-ray set.

Is it worthy of the title? Journey with us as we dig deep into the Snow White Diamond Edition and find out.

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FilmCrunch 067: Hairspray, Chuck & Larry, Premonition reviewed

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: MGM, New Line, Universal, Adaptation, Drama, Musicals, Period, Science Fiction, Comedy, Thrillers, DVD Reviews, Full Episodes, Theatrical Reviews, Videocasts

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In this episode of FilmCrunch, Veronica Santiago and Neil Estep review Hairspray, along with the DVD release of Premonition. Neil also hits us with a 60 second review of I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry. All that, plus your typical dose of hilarity, in this episode.

Now we want to hear from you - hit the forums and let us know what you think, what you want us to watch next, and any other recommendations you have for the show.

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FilmCrunch 066: Rescue Dawn, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, The Astronaut Farmer

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: MGM, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Drama, Period, Sequels, Comedy, DVD Reviews, Full Episodes, Theatrical Reviews, Videocasts

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Veronica Santiago and Neil Estep are back with more FilmCrunch video goodness, this time focusing on the theatrical releases of Rescue Dawn and the DVD release of The Astronaut Farmer. Veronica also checks in with her review of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. This episode kicks off with Veronica and Neil naming what they chose as their most inspirational movies.

Now we want to hear from you - hit the forums and let us know what you think, what you want us to watch next, and any other recommendations you have for the show.

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DVD REVIEW:  ‘Away From Her’

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Lionsgate, Drama, Romance, DVD Reviews

As I was putting the DVD of Away from Her back in its case, I noticed this line on the cover:  Sometimes you have to let go of something you can’t live without.  Of all the vague, cheesy and misleading taglines on most movie posters today…I couldn’t have chosen something more apt for this film.  The next best thing would have been:  If you loved that weeper ‘The Notebook’, this movie will rip your heart out.

Away is the feature-length directorial debut from actress Sarah Polley, who’s probably best known by younger audiences as Ronna from Go.  She is also credited with adapting the screenplay from a short story by Alice Munro (‘The Bear Came Over the Mountain’).  Atom Egoyan, Polley’s director in her breakthrough film The Sweet Hereafter, served as the movie’s executive producer.

The film stars the beautiful Julie Christie (Fiona) and Gordon Pinsent (Grant) as a couple still madly in love after 45 years of marriage.  Their peaceful existence in their cozy cabin is eventually interrupted by a series of signs.  Signs they tried to do their best to ignore.  Unfortunately, it comes to a point where Fiona’s memory lapses prove too worrisome to simply brush off.

Click to continue reading DVD REVIEW:  ‘Away From Her’

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FilmCrunch 064: Blades of Glory Review

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: DreamWorks, Comedy, Sports, DVD Reviews, Short FilmCrunch, Theatrical Reviews, Videocasts

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Veronica Santiago and Neil Estep take a look at Blades of Glory in this episode of FilmCrunch.

When the macho, swaggering Chazz Michael Michaels takes to the rink, he is the rock star of the arena, leaving a trail of thrashed ice and shrieking female fans in his wake. The only competitor who can match Michaels’ scores is the driven former child prodigy, Jimmy MacElroy. Spotted as a youth executing triple lutzes on the frozen pond of an orphanage, MacElroy was whisked away to days of endless training, and now stands as the picture of poise, the personification of the highest ideals of the men’s sport. Michaels and MacElroy have met in finals rounds before, but their latest head-to-head at the World Championships—when they tie for first—is more than either one can bear, and their longstanding rivalry erupts into a no-holds-barred fight. The ensuing brawl not only sets fire to the World Championship’s helpless mascot, but lands both athletes in hot water: Chazz and Jimmy are called before the sport’s governing board, stripped of their gold medals and banned from the sport for life. Now, three-and-a-half years later, both men are still trying to find their way in a world without competitive skating. To skate again, all Chazz and Jimmy have to do is set aside their long festering hatred of one another and join forces—as the first male/male figure skating pair to compete in the history of the sport.

Now we want to hear from you - hit the forums and let us know what you think, what you want us to watch next, and any other recommendations you have for the show.

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DVD REVIEW:  God Grew Tired Of Us

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Documentary, DVD Reviews

Every once in a while you are fortunate enough to watch a movie that really shakes you to your core.  Afterwards, you feel compelled to grab any and everyone you see to tell them about it.  I had that experience just last week—and since then, my friends have had to bear the brunt of my enthusiasm.

Earlier this year, I caught a Nightline piece about the film, God Grew Tired of Us.  This documentary about the ‘Lost Boys of Sudan’ was having it’s Los Angeles premiere.  But the road to completion required a lot of celebrity assistance along the way.  Actor Dermot Mulroney sought Brad Pitt‘s help when his director friend (Christopher Quinn) was running low on funds.  Pitt provided financial assistance and took on an executive producer role.  Nicole Kidman also contributed as narrator after being asked by actress Catherine Keener.

Click to continue reading DVD REVIEW:  God Grew Tired Of Us

Read More | Nightline

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This Week on DVD:  August 28, 2007

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Romance, Comedy, Sports, Home Entertainment, Upcoming Releases, DVD Reviews

Hopefully you have some good plans for yourself this Labor Day Weekend because the DVD offerings this week are slim.  But if you need a backup in case your BBQ is rained out, here are a few of the choices coming out this Tuesday:

• Blades of Glory (click to see previous FilmCrunch review)—starring Will Ferrell and Jon Heder
• Year of the Dog—starring Molly Shannon, Peter Sarsgaard
• A Night at the Roxbury (Special Collector’s Edition)—starring Will Ferrell, Chris Kattan
• Kickin’ It Old Skool—starring Jamie Kennedy

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FilmCrunch 063: Ocean’s Thirteen, SiCKO, Live Free or Die Hard, Black Snake Moan

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: 20th Century Fox, Paramount, Warner Bros, Weinstein Company, Action, Documentary, Drama, Political, Sequels, Thrillers, DVD Reviews, Full Episodes, Theatrical Reviews, Videocasts

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Veronica Santiago and Neil Estep are back with another episode of FilmCrunch - this time we review Michael Moore’s SiCKO, Live Free or Die Hard, Ocean’s Thirteen (in under a minute), and the DVD release of Black Snake Moan.

Now we want to hear from you - hit the forums and let us know what you think, what you want us to watch next, and any other recommendations you have for the show.

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DVD REVIEW:  Red Dawn: Collector’s Edition

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Action, Drama, DVD Reviews

Vanessa Williams giving up her Miss America Crown….the Summer Olympics in LA….The Cars stealing MTV’s Best Video Award from Michael Jackson….and Tommy Howell drinking deer blood on Red Dawn.  These were things I distinctly remember from 1984.

I can’t even tell you how many times I watched Red Dawn around that time….nor do I really remember why.  Could it have been because my best friend loved Darren Dalton?  Was it because I was fascinated seeing Ponyboy Curtis from The Outsiders (Howell) turn into a cold-hearted Wolverine?  Was it the newly introduced PG-13 rating?  Maybe it was because young women (Jennifer Grey, Lea Thompson) got to help take down the Russians?  (This was the era of the Cold War after all).  So when I heard that they were coming out with a collector’s edition of Red Dawn, I was all over it.

For those who can’t remember the 23-year-old film, here’s a quick refresher:  The movie begins with Soviet paratroopers landing behind a high school.  They immediately start shooting at the students gawking through their classroom window.  It seems the Soviets and Cubans have invaded the US and have basically started WWIII.  A group of teens drives into the woods with the weapons they have stockpiled.  Although they struggle being away from their families, they eventually create their own insurgency and do their best to wreak havoc on the foreign troops.

Click to continue reading DVD REVIEW:  Red Dawn: Collector’s Edition

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