DVD Movie Review

Rome on DVD

admin — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The first season of the acclaimed show “Rome” was released on DVD in 2006, with the following season released the next year. In 2006, it was announced that “Rome” would be cancelled, and that a third season would not occur. The show itself centers around two 1st century BC Roman soldiers, Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo. Vorenus is played by Scottish actor Kevin McKidd, best known as Owen Hunt from the show “Grey’s Anatomy.” His counterpart is portrayed by Ray Stevenson, who previously stared in the action movie “Punisher:War Zone” as the main character, Frank Castle. Entwined by fate, their characters’ lives serve as the fulcrum for Roman history. Countless historical figures make appearances in the show, including such noted Romans as Julius Caesar, Augustus, and Mark Antony. The first season of “Rome” begins in 49 BC, during Julius Caesar’s civil war. The season culminates with his assassination and the rise of his successor, Augustus. The second season picks up roughly were the first ended, and focuses on the turmoil created by the death of Caesar. “Rome” was critically acclaimed while it was on air, winning awards from the Art Directors Guild, Directors Guild of America, and Visual Effects Society.

The Band of Brothers Collection

admin — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Anyone who enjoys good war movies, and television shows, will thoroughly enjoy the Band of Brothers Collection.

Band of Brothers, is a miniseries that follows a unit of American soldiers during their experience in World War II. It does an excellent job of capturing the grittiness of combat, as well as the comradely that forms among the soldiers. After watching this miniseries, viewers will walk away with a better understanding of certain military affairs, and the struggle for life over death that is intertwined with warfare. All of the ambushes and running battles in the movie, combined with the scenes of humanity, make an up and down rollercoaster ride.

A tremendous amount of detail went into the making of this epic miniseries. The director made sure that every aspect, of every scene was worthy of telling the stories of the men who lived the events, portrayed in the film.

The story for this film is based on the recollections of the people actually lived them. This is one of the main reasons why the story is so realistic, and is able to draw people in.

This is the kind of film that keeps viewers guessing, and sitting at the edge of their seats because they have no idea what’s going to happen next.

Gotta Love Seinfeld

admin — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Jerry Seinfeld is a practical comedian. He discusses things like why do socks come on little hangers? We don’t have little sock closets, and the like. We also like him and find him funny because he talks about things we can relate to. Parents moving to Florida. Driving and getting a great parking spot in New York City. (Okay maybe everyone can’t relate to that, but most can relate to driving)

His stand up is fun, laid back and tons of fun to listen to. Now that he’s matured a bit, in addition to his dating routines of yesteryear, he has updated his schtick with marriage and children. Again, most of this your average baby boomer can relate to.

Let’s not forget about his groundbreaking television show “Seinfeld”. The perverbial show about “nothing.” It was really about four friends, and about insignificant things like parking spaces, wedding gifts, subway delays, and not so cute babies. It also included Seinfeld’s unforgettable pals, Kramer, his always invading neighbor, and George, who lied, or at least, embellished, on most of his background. He did manage to finagle a job working for George Steinbrenner, though. Elaine, Jerry’s ex, was hilariously involved in most episodes.

’127 Hours,’ ‘Megamind’ Best Picks Among Recent DVD Releases

admin — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Here are a few DVD choices from recent releases you can enjoy from a cable tv provider (like Megamind (PG) Tina Fey, Brad Pitt, Will Ferrell and Jonah Hill lend voice support to this charming tale of a supervillain bent on destroying the city. He ends up destroying his superhero competition and soon realizes it’s no fun being a diabolical villain without a hero to challenge him, so he creates one. Things don’t go according to plan. What happens next? Check it out for yourself to find out. An excellent family film. Director: Tom McGrath

127 Hours (R) Recent Oscar-host James Franco stars in the movie that earned him a nomination for Best Actor. This is the true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston who is forced to cut off his own arm to free himself when he becomes trapped. It’s a compelling story. It’s not easy to pull off a story that has such a limited setting, but it works here. Director: Danny Boyle

Burlesque (PG-13) Christina Aguilera makes her official acting debut as a small town girl with a big voice who saves a struggling club ran by Cher. The dance numbers and singing are entertaining enough, the actual storyline suffers though. Stanley Tucci’s talents are wasted, but there is enough entertainment value to make it worth seeing. Director: Steven Antin

If you’re in rush to watch these. I’ve recently become a fan of redbox. You have to wait a little longer for your movies but the pricing is awesome.

The Town

www.dvdmoviereview.com — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0000

I was fully prepared to not like The Town because I’m not a huge fan of Ben Affleck’s acting although I think he’s a brilliant director as evidenced by his touch on Gone Baby Gone. So imagine my delight when I realized after watching The Town that Affleck not only stars in it, but contributed his directorial talent and writing acumen as well. No wonder I can’t stop talking about it (and I saw it over a month ago).The story line is similar to other Boston-set crime dramas where local thugs (as one would have you believe) have to connect with police and there’s a lot of bloodshed (think along the lines of The Departed), but Affleck brings a very human level to the screen where the complexities of relationships and brotherhood bonds are explored with insight and chilling results.While Gone Baby Gone was more of a psychological thriller with moral dilemmas, The Town explodes with a type of simmering action that will evoke the famous WTF? internal monologue from anyone watching. As mentioned, I was prepared to not like Affleck’s acting in the film, but his performance was not only authentic and compassionate, it also convincingly demonstrated the struggle so many of us face when it comes to growing from the comfort of what defines (and confines) us.Excellent performances were also turned in by the late Pete Postlewaite (The Usual Suspects and Inception) as well as Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker). In short, Affleck has proven himself as a triple threat when it comes to acting, writing, and directing; and I personally cannot wait to see what he next gives us.

Dennis Lehane

www.dvdmoviereview.com — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

If you’ve enjoyed the films Gone Baby Gone, Shutter Island, and Mystic River as well as appreciating the tense drama found in the television series The Wire, you might be interested to know that author Dennis Lehane has had a hand in all four. Yep, the three movies were adapted from Lehane novels and the author worked on three episodes of the Wire between 2004 and 2008. We consider that quite a talent, and one that you might want to keep tabs on as time progresses and you explore book-to-screen adaptations since Lehane obviously has the raw talent to deliver not only riveting novels, but ones that translate incredibly well to the big screen. If you’re interested in being ahead of the curve by reading something now that may be seen on the big screen in the not too distant future you may want to check out Lehane’s most recent offering Moonlight Mile (published November 2010). This riveting new novel picks up where Gone Baby Gone left off, and posits the same universal struggles and challenges of the ever-powerful conflict between good and evil, and its corresponding law and morality. We suggest that if you haven’t yet seen Gone Bay Gone that you do so before picking up Lehane’s latest offering lest it might not be as fully appreciated as it could be. At the very minimum you’ll have a great film to add to your collection, and at the very most you’ll see a film that had everyone talking about it when it was first released, and will no doubt be talking about again should Moonlight Mile get optioned for transfer to film since the two are so closely linked on the continuum of Lehane’s incredible talent pertaining to the universal theme of real characters dealing with real struggles of morality and conscious.

Just in time for Halloween

www.dvdmoviereview.com — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 11:16:30 +0000

With Halloween fast approaching, it’s no surprise that Hollywood would wait to release the following DVDs. Based on the classic tales we’ve known for years, the remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street, and a new chapter on the Predators, still manages to keep us on the edge of our horrified seats.A Nightmare on Elm StreetOctober 5^thDirected by Samuel Bayer, A Nightmare on Elm Street is a remake of the original Freddy film. When Freddy Krueger is killed in a fire, he sets out for revenge on his murderer’s children. While it doesn’t top the original film by Wes Craven, the idea of a dream killer is still disturbing. If you haven’t seen the new version, it’s certainly rental worthy for Halloween.PredatorsOctober 19^thThere’s nothing scarier than a predator. . . particularly when there’s more than one, and even more so when you’re stuck on their planet. The best group of killers on earth are brought to the Predators’s training ground as prey. Now, it’s up to them to kill or be killed. The latest installment of the Predator movies stars Adrien Brody (Royce), Topher Grace (Edwin), Alice Braga (Isabelle), Laurence Fishburne (Noland), and several other famous actors.

Rent The Back-up Plan before you buy it

www.dvdmoviereview.com — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 10:56:32 +0000

Having a baby can be hectic enough already. But when you’re single, opt for artificial insemination, then find the love of your life. . . well, that’s just a recipe for misadventure.After years of being single, Zoe (Jennifer Lopez) decides she wants a child. After her first doctor’s appointment, she runs into Stan (Alex O’Loughlin). They don’t hit it off straight away, but when they meet again, they fall in love. It’s then Zoe finds out she’s pregnant, and not just with one child, but two. The story that unfolds shows the good, the bad, and the ugly of love during pregnancy.The Back-up Plan is Kate Angelo’s first movie. Having written episodes of “Will and Grace,” as well as “The Bernie Mac Show,” the writer was well prepared for a comedic film. In-fact, Angelo does a great job of pulling the misadventures of pregnancy and making them humorous.Perhaps Angelo’s best character is Stan. You’ll laugh along as he witnesses the emotional rollercoaster of a lover’s pregnancy. Even if you’ve never had a child, O’Loughlin does well at letting us relate to the fears and confusions of being a future parent. More so, the actor captures a steadfast, loving partner well.While the storyline is humorous, the film is your average chick-flick. O’Loughlin is the best star in the film. Not to say that Lopez does poorly. The actress portrays Zoe’s troubled past and hormonal tendencies well; however, her role is not as memorable or moving as O’Loughlin’s.Overall, The Back-up Plan is a humorous, must-see film. . . but rent it on Netflix first. Chances are, you’ll watch it once and, unless it’s on T.V., not bother to watch it again.

Letters to Juliet

www.dvdmoviereview.com — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 20:53:37 +0000

Looking for something to do on your next date night? With a plethora of romantic Italian scenery, and moving love stories to boot, Letters to Juliet is the perfect movie for date night.Letters to Juliet tells the story of two heroines: Sophie and Claire. Sophie is a fact checker for the New Yorker but she’s eager to become a writer. On a pre-honeymoon to Italy (with fianc Victor) she runs into the infamous ladies of Juliet. These women respond to the messages left for Juliet, and it is here that the writer finds Claire’s letter and responds. As a result, Claire and her grandson (Charlie) travel to Italy to find her long lost love; Lorenzo. When Sophie and Claire meet, the writer tags along and documents the story.The film is written by Jose Rivera (The Motorcycle Diaries screenplay) and Tim Sullivan (Jack and Sarah). The storyline reminds its viewers of how strong love can be. Not only do you see what happens when love goes wrong, you get an insight into what great love is made of. Both humorous and romantic, there are several scenes you’ll want to quote over and over.But as great as the storyline is, it would be nothing without it actresses. Amanda Seyfried, who has starred in Mamma Mia and Dear John, plays the part of Sophie. Seyfried’s experience in romantic roles pays off. The actress does well at portraying her character’s steadfast belief in love, even when the writer’s relationship is failing.However, the most impressive performance is given by Vanessa Redgrave (The Riddle and “Nip Tuck”). During her role as Claire, Redgrave captures the sensitivity and optimism of her character. Not only do you eagerly hope she finds her lover, you laugh along with her as she finds Lorenzo after Lorenzo.From an unforgettable storyline, to actresses that keep you believing, Letters to Juliet is a love story as great as Romeo and Juliet itself. The film is definitely a purchase worthy DVD.