What!?! These Aren't On Blu-ray Yet?

It is the holiday season and with that comes the mad dash to find something for everyone on your list. For the movie geeks out there Blu-rays are must own items featuring the best picture and sound quality possible, but many of the most asked for movies aren’t available in the format. Sure some of these can be imported and played in region-free players, but the average consumer probably doesn’t know or care about that.  I compiled this list to point out some of the Blu-rays that are almost no-brainers, but still haven’t made the leap to Blu-ray.

1.      1.The Big Lebowski- You quote it, I quote it, and we all quote it. Arguably the most widely loved Coen brothers’ movie is for some reason not on Blu-ray. This modern noir tale where Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski is mistaken for a millionaire with the same name and is thrust into a complicated web of deceit, greed, and death. The movie has gained so much popularity after release that it has spawned festivals, books, and even religions (Dudeism, of which I am an ordained minister). The Coen Brothers are my favorite working film makers and this movie is near the top of my list of their best films, but for some reason this movie isn’t available in complete HD-glory. Now the next Coen film is being released in the coming weeks and it would seem like a great time to release their film where Jeff Bridges previously starred, but for some reason the people running the show don’t  think like that. When Blu-ray and HD-DVD were battling it out to become the next king of heap, HD-DVD released a version of “The Big Lebowski” and now here we are a couple years after Blu-ray has taken over and we are still deprived of The Dude in High-definition. It is a shame because I feel like this Blu-ray would really tie the room together, but that is just, like, my opinion man.

2.      2. Most of the other Coen Brothers films- Now I know that I’m cheating here a bit by lumping these all behind one number, but these films really need to be released in HD-glory. For those not too familiar with the Coens’ work here are the ones not yet released on Blu-ray: “Raising Arizona”, “Miller’s Crossing”, “Barton Fink”, “The Hudsucker Proxy”, “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”, “The Man Who Wasn’t There”, “Intolerable Cruelty”(I wouldn’t mind this not being released ever again actually), and “The LadyKillers. Now not all of these movies are household hits, but for the most part all of them deserve a Blu-ray release. Film makers early films can often tell us about their later films and these earlier films are often a gateway into the mind of these film makers when they are starting out. “Barton Fink” is my favorite Coen Brothers film and it deserves the HD treatment. Also a problem with the DVD is that it spoils the last parts of the movie by literally showing them as the menu, not a good way to first see a masterpiece like “Barton Fink”. “The Man Who Wasn’t There” definitely a rerelease because it is beautifully in all black and white that would look great in Blu.

3.      3. Pulp Fiction – It is nothing short of a crime that one of the most influential films of the 90’s is not available in Blu-ray. Sure “Reservoir Dogs” is available but “Pulp Fiction” has somehow not been released. I feel that “Reservoir Dogs” is the better film because it does so much even though it takes place mostly in one location, but that doesn’t take away the fact that “Pulp Fiction” is not available in the format. The film follows the lives of two mob hit men, a boxer, a gangster's wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwines in four tales of violence and redemption. This is the film that whenever I hear someone talking about quarter-pounder with cheese I want to respond back, “a Royale with cheese”. This is the film that has spawned countless spoofs and parodies that are already available on Blu-ray, but the original is somehow not. If it comes down to it I may even be willing to smuggle a copy out of the factory up my ass ala “the watch”.

4.      4. The Star Wars Saga- Full disclosure here, I am a huge Star Wars geek. I have wanted to become a Jedi and wield the force since my dad first showed me these films when I was a wee lad. Well now that we have all six films out in DVD, what is the holdup? George Lucas has already proven to the fanbase that he likes money and that he likes to revisit the films, but somehow Blu-ray has escaped his grasp. Sure he’ll probably make someone else shoot first again, but there is a chance that we will get the complete beautiful originals intact. Sure us Star Wars nerds will probably buy the prequels as well to have the set, but just think as finally getting the two best things about the prequels in HD: the effects and Natalie Portman.

5.      5. Jurassic Park saga- Dinosaurs in HD, let me repeat that, Dinosaurs in HD. Why are these films not in Blu-ray already? Jurassic Park made me believe that Dinosaurs existed when I was a young child and now that I’m an adult I want to believe that they are real again. The second and third entries in the saga may not be the best sequels to ever come into the world, but they aren’t completely shitty movies. Instead of the fourth film in the franchise that was rumored to be coming a couple years back (reports said that it included super smart dinosaurs from the future) why not just update these films and walk away. The state-of-the-art cgi effects may not holdup now but really those can be remastered. Why I am not sitting here watching these movies for the billionth time in HD right now is something I really don’t know.

6.      6. Titanic- James Cameron and one of the cheesiest lines in film history make this film one of the most talked about films ever made. Snatching up some of the highest praise when it came out and now still being talked about. This would have been a great rerelease at the time of “Avatar” to cash in on the hype, but for some reason we are left with. Plain old SD Leo “I’m the King of the world” Dicaprio.

7.      7. Some Pixar Films- Yes I’m cheating again. “Finding Nemo” and “The Incredibles” are two of the most beautiful animated films to have ever come out and they aren’t on Blu-ray? Somebody has fallen asleep at the wheel because these would have been among some of the first movies that I would have released in Blu-ray.  Also seriously “Cars” and “Monsters Inc.” are available on Blu-ray and they never won the best animated film Oscar.

8.      8. Lord of the Rings: The Extended Editions-Theatrical versions are for the pussies that casually like these films, but for anyone that is a LOTR nerd these versions will not cut it. I expect to see these released around when the much troubled “Hobbit” films are coming out, but really anyone that wants these things will buy these even if they came out tomorrow.

9.      9. Tron- The sequel is coming out this very month and for many people it will be the first time that they will have experienced the world of Tron. This is because for some reason Disney isn’t making any more copies of this film. I’ve heard that without this film, “Tron Legacy” doesn’t make as much sense. Why aren’t they releasing a remastered version of “Tron” to the masses?

10.  10. Arrested Development- Sure the rest of the list has been movies, but I had to reserve a spot for my favorite TV show. It is a shame that this show got canceled when it did, but it is even more of a shame that this show isn’t in HD. I want to see the chicken dance in all of its glory, I mean, Come on!

My Review of The Fighter

http://www.thecorsaironline.com/arts-and-entertainment/the-fighter-a-powerful-true-story-about-mickey-ward-s-rise-to-boxing-champion-1.1824031

Unstoppable: A Runaway Train of Frustration

Unstoppable Review

Tony Scott and Denzel Washington have worked together on several films now including the great “Man on Fire” their first collaboration. Since then they have worked together on “Deja Vu”, “The Taking of Pelham 123” and now “Unstoppable”. After “Man on Fire” each of Scott’s successive films have seemed to degrade in quality, but “Unstoppable” marks a slight step up in quality.

The film is based on a real runaway train in Northwest Ohio in 2001. The real life conductor Terry Forson and engineer Jess Knowlton were credited with saving thousands of lives that day. In the film, Frank (Denzel Washington) and Will (Chris Pine) must race against time stop the runaway train and save lives.

The structure of the film is really simple two guys who don’t like each other must work together to stop the train and in the process become buddies. The film tries to make this simple storyline as interesting as possible, but the simplicity of the story also works against it. Nothing in the film hasn’t been done better in other films like “Speed”.

The problems with “Unstoppable” outshine what the film does right. First, the actors do as much as they can with the terrible script. Almost every line spoken in the film is cliche or drenched in cheese. A line in the trailer, “We’re not just talking about a train...we’re talking about a missile the size of the Chrysler Building!”, is but one of the lines oozing cheese that you will hear the characters say in complete seriousness.

A major problem with the film is the ending. Since “Unstoppable” was based on true events the ending of the film doesn’t change what happens, but that isn’t a problem plenty of films have been able to be captivating even though everyone knows the outcome like  the recent “127 Hours”. No, the problem with the ending is that all of the events of the film are worthless after the arrival of someone that helps to stop the train. That person could have shown up at the beginning of the film and the train would have been stopped before anyone was put into danger.

A scene that really shows the stupidity of the film is when a line of police officers literally shoot at the train to try and stop it. They stop only when they realize that they have been shooting near the fuel tanks. No one could have let them know ahead of time where the fuel tanks are? No one realized that shooting at the train is a bad idea? No one realized how stupid this movie is?

How the film is shot is also a problem. Scott’s style of shooting has worked in some of his other films like “Enemy of the State”, but here he feels the need to gussy up every dialogue scene with the most dynamic shots possible. The camera never just sits still and lets the actors work. The shots become annoying and Scott seems to run out of ideas halfway through. He then uses the same rapid spinning shots and helicopter shots over and over.

“Unstoppable” is better than Scott’s other recent train centered film, “The Taking of Pelham 123”, but fails to really capture what made his earlier works great. Let’s just hope that Scott doesn’t feel the need to center another movie on trains, at least for awhile.

127 Hours Review

"There is no force on earth more powerful than the will to live." (From the trailer)

A director can only do so much with a film like “127 Hours” in which the main character is trapped for most of its runtime. Danny Boyle has pulled all of the tricks out his bag to make one of the most interesting, intense and emotional films of the year.

The film tells the story of real life climber Aron Ralston (James Franco) trying to survive after he gets his arm pinned under a boulder while hiking in Moab, Utah. The premise for this film may seem similar to another film, “Buried”, from earlier this year, but they are radically different. Where “Buried” opted to never leave the coffin in which the main character was trapped, “127 Hours” frequently employs flashbacks and hallucinations to give a better backstory of Ralston before the accident. As a result of not being confined to one location “127 Hours” feels like a much more fuller film.

A film like this is hinged completely on the main actor’s/actress’ ability and James Franco doesn’t disappoint. He plays Ralston as a geek, and like all geeks he has an obsession. His obsession is the outdoors where he hopes to one day make a living as a guide, but all of his knowledge and hopes can’t prepare him for everything.

By now most people will have heard of Aron Ralston’s story, but knowing the ending to this story will not effect how powerful the journey to that ending is. By the end when he is forced to make a choice, it has almost not even become a choice, but desperate act to survive despite the costs.

In the hands of Danny Boyle, the film finds meaning in Ralston’s predicament. In a lesser director’s hands the film may have fetishized the grieving family or the team preparing a daring rescue. In “Cast Away” Tom Hanks at least has an island to explore while Franco stay in one spot. Like the volleyball in “Cast Away”, “127 Hours” uses a video camera to keep him company.

The most powerful scenes of the film are spent in silence, but the scene that everyone will remember from the film is the escape. In this scene Ralston finally makes the choice to live and leave a part of himself behind. Everything that Ralston does is shown without a cut to more pleasant sights. With each stab you feel his pain, but he must keep going to survive. When he gets to the nerve you feel every time the knife touches it with a blaring sound filling the theater. The scene that follows has Ralston, finally free, for a moment crack a smile. A smile of someone who never thought he would leave that spot, a smile that means that he has already won.

If there was one problem with the film it is the computer generated weather effects, but that is a small detail in a nearly flawless film.

Weezer's Hurley review that I did for the Corsair

http://www.thecorsaironline.com/arts-and-entertainment/weezer-goes-one-step-forward-after-two-steps-back-1.1597889

Buried Review that I did for the Corsair:

http://www.thecorsaironline.com/arts-and-entertainment/buried-review-1.1598753

The Devil Review that I did for the Corsair:

http://www.thecorsaironline.com/arts-and-entertainment/devil-a-surprise-hit-1.1639627

The Social Network review that Idid for the Corsair:

http://www.thecorsaironline.com/arts-and-entertainment/fincher-delivers-again-with-the-social-network-1.1652752

Editorial that I did a while ago about Colbert's testimony in front of Congress:

http://www.thecorsaironline.com/opinion/make-believe-political-pundit-causes-congress-to-cringe-1.1666778

It's Kind of a Funny Story review that I did for the Corsair:

http://www.thecorsaironline.com/arts-and-entertainment/a-kind-of-decent-comedy-1.1666776

Down Terrace Review that I did for the Corsair:

http://www.thecorsaironline.com/arts-and-entertainment/down-terrace-makes-huge-impression-for-a-small-film-1.1716611

Review of Inhale that Id did for the Corsair:

http://www.thecorsaironline.com/arts-and-entertainment/inhale-review-1.1729017

Opinion Article from awhile back that I did for the Corsair:

http://www.thecorsaironline.com/opinion/cal-state-undermines-alumni-s-savvy-business-sense-1.1729386

My Four Lions Rveiw that I did for the Corsair:

http://www.thecorsaironline.com/arts-and-entertainment/four-lions-a-hilarious-how-not-to-guide-to-martyrdom-1.1741501

Due Date Review I did for the Corsair

Here is the review of Due Date that I did for the Corsair:
http://www.thecorsaironline.com/arts-and-entertainment/due-date-provides-adequate-amount-of-laughs-1.1766923

The reviews are out of order

I did these reviews for the Corsair newspaper, but they didn't get published so I just put them here. I just went in almost alphabetical order and posted them here. Some of the movies have been in and out of theaters for a while, but anyway they're here. Also Hello anyone that stumbles onto my blog.

Wild Target Review

“Wild Target” Misses its Mark

How often do contract killers fall in love with their last victim? If the number of films that focus on this idea are to be taken as fact then the answer is pretty often. “Wild Target” tries to look at the lighter, comedic side of this idea, but manages to miss every target that it aims for.

In Jonathan Lynn’s “Wild Target” an extremely professional hitman, Victor Maynard (Bill Nighy), tries to retire after a last job of assassinating a art thief, Rose (Emily Blunt). He falls in love with her while following her every move and finds himself protecting her instead from other hired gunmen. Also along for the journey is Tony (Rupert Grint) a young man that is drifting through life and becomes Maynard’s assistant after helping Maynard save Rose’s life. After them is Hector Dixon (Martin Freeman) the second best hitman after Maynard with a fake tan and teeth too white to be natural.

The cast of the film is a major draw for fans of recent British films such as the “Harry Potter” series, “Hot Fuzz” and “Shaun of the Dead”. The cast may be interesting, but the mundane script by Lucinda Coxon fails to be as interesting as the cast promises. Every action or comedy beat has been done to death or done better in other films resulting in a boring experience. 

The direction by Jonathan Lynn doesn’t stand out as mediocre or great, but surely as the characters were spouting cliché ridden lines and performing logic challenging actions Lynn could have said something. At one point Rose decides that she must steal from a gas station while they are on the run from hitmen and she has millions in the trunk. The whole movie feels like an exercise in how not to make a movie stand out of the crowd.

There is one thing that the film does right: Martin Freeman. Martin Freeman is always a treat to see in British comedies like “The Office”. His character, in the film, is always trying to get out of the shadow that Maynard projects as the number one hitman. He just isn’t given much time to shine in the film and that is a disappointment. 

“Wild Target” fails at so much that even though films like “The Professional” or the recent “The American” aren’t comedies they are far funnier than “Wild Target”.

Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps Review

Looking over Oliver Stone’s recent filmography shows a man that is trying to remain topical. With “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps” Stone is trying to capitalize on the 2008 financial collapse by returning to his 1987 film “Wall Street”. Like his recent film “W.”, this film is so centered on being socially relevant that it misses the chance to offer insight into the financial collapse or create some controversy. “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps” does contain strong performances from the actors involved, but its convoluted plot and cheap ending makes the film less interesting than the trailer made it out to be.

The film focuses mostly on Jacob Moore, played by Shia LaBeouf, a player on Wall Street in 2007. After the financial company that Bretton James, played by Josh Brolin, tanks the stock of the company Jacob works for, Jacob tries to bring down James’ company and ends up working for James. Dropped into this is Gordon Gekko, played again by Michael Douglas, out of jail and on a tour for his new book. Jacob is marrying Gekko’s estranged daughter Winnie, played by Carey Mulligan, and Jacob is trying to get them to reconcile and for a father figure in Gekko.

The first “Wall Street” is remembered for Michael Douglas’ role as Gordon Gekko, which he won an Academy Award for, but in the sequel Oliver Stone has no idea what to do with him. The first movie’s best moment is Gekko’s famous “Greed is good” speech, but in the sequel the Gekko’s big speech is a clumsy montage of several little pieces of wisdom. Not until the third act of the film do we truly meet Gekko again like we fondly remembered him. For most of the film Gordon Gekko seems to be just looking for redemption. LeBeouf does his best acting here, and Mulligan has some good moments as well, as a couple onscreen they have good chemistry. Brolin is the villain; we know that because he looks sinister throughout the movie and isn’t given much to do otherwise. 

Stone’s direction sometimes feels gimmicky, with the use of silly editing tricks with little need for them. The use of the financial collapse doesn’t feel like he is trying to feed off of it, but it feels like a missed chance to do something meaningful. With this film Oliver Stone has put himself in the spotlight of current events, but he has nothing that needs to be said. If anyone deserves an award for this, it is for whoever made the trailer because it made this film look interesting.

The Town Review

Ben Affleck comes back to “Town” with a great heist film.

In 2007, Ben Affleck wowed everyone with his directorial debut “Gone Baby Gone” and now has followed up that success with “The Town”. The film is directed by Affleck and he also stars in it with Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker), Rebecca Hall (Vicky Cristina Barcelona), and Jon Hamm (Mad Men). The film takes place in Charlestown, a neighborhood in Boston, the world’s capital for carjacking, kidnappings, and armed robberies. The film follows Doug MacRay (Affleck) as he plans his next heist and tries to balance his feelings for a bank manager (Hall) connected to one of his earlier heists, as well as being pursued by an FBI agent (Hamm) trying to take him and his crew down.

Affleck’s directing is spot-on as he creates exciting bank heist scenes and his direction also has the restraint to let the actors in the scenes carry the film. The script is exciting and fast paced, but relies a bit too much on characters stating their wants or other characters wants in dialogue. The cast’s performances turn strong work in these situations and manage to hold our attention. The film is tight, but almost too tight to give breathing room for supporting characters to have some screen time. Hamm’s FBI agent isn’t given much except to be the raging good guy and fill us in with why he hates bank robbers with a passion. Blake Lively, playing Renner’s sister and Affleck’s spurned love, is mostly absent from the film until the last act where she gives a good performance with that little time.

The actors who do appear throughout most of the film give strong performances and coupled with Affleck’s really good directing means for a good film. “Gone Baby Gone” may have been a stronger film overall and a demonstration that Affleck is better behind the camera than in front of, but “The Town” is no slouch of a film. The three action scenes in “The Town” are packed with excitement, drama and comedy that makes up for its few short comings. This is a film that shows that “Gone Baby Gone” wasn’t a fluke and that Affleck’s acting skills shouldn’t be disregarded.

If you haven’t seen Affleck’s “Gone Baby Gone”, go out and do it now. That film shows what Affleck can do when he is directing and sports a great performance by his brother Casey Affleck. This film shows that Affleck has a promising career ahead of him in directing if he wants to stop acting. The film is like Michael Mann’s “Heat”, but set in Boston and is definitely worth a look in this dull year for film. You’re only hurting yourself if you skip this solid crime-drama because Affleck is involved in the film.