Topic: Dave's DVD/Blu-ray Reviews

[Achim]

The best one for me was the classic line spoken by Lt. Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) from Aliens - "Get away from her you bitch!" - used in this film against The Big Guy (Sigourney Weaver).

Can't wait to order mine...

[dfmorgan]

Megamind

Year: 2010
Director: Tom McGrath
Cast: Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt, Tina Fey
Overview: Packed with high-flying action and non-stop laughs, MEGAMIND puts a hilarious new twist on the superhero movie. Super villain Megamind's (Will Ferrell) dreams have come true when he conquers the city's protector, Metro Man (Brad Pitt), gaining control of Metro City. But when a new villain (Jonah Hill) is created and chaos runs rampant, the world's biggest "mind" and his comic sidekick Minion (David Cross) might actually save the day. With an all-star cast, including Tina Fey, and amazing animation, Megamind is "brilliant... the perfect film for anyone of any age" - **** The Sun

Watched: 11th Jun 2011
My Thoughts: Fairly standard animated romp with superheroes and supervillains.

My Rating: A mildly enjoyable 3

[dfmorgan]

Apocalypse Now

Year: 1979
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Cast: Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Martin Sheen
Overview: Francis Ford Coppola's stunning vision of man's heart of darkness revealed through the madness of the Vietnam War. Lieutenant Willard receives orders to seek out a renegade military outpost led by the mysterious Colonel Kurtz. Willard's mission: "Terminate with extreme prejudice." One of the most powerful films of all time, Apocalypse Now was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won two for Best Sound and Best Cinematography.

Watched: 12th Jun 2011
My Thoughts: I have seen this film before in both theatrical and Redux versions and decided that for this Blu-ray edition I would watch the theatrical cut. The cut used in this edition has a fade to black with no credits ending and is supposed to be the original 70mm theatrical cut, apparently it is also the first time that a home video release of this film has been in the correct aspect ratio of 2.35:1. The enhanced definition given by the HD presentation adds to the film.

My Rating: Still thought provoking for a 5

[Najemikon]

I saw this remastered cut in the cinema last week. Seriously awesome. The whole Ride of the Valkyries sequence is one of the absolute best cinema experiences I've had and that's considerable when I knew it was coming. The end without credits did catch me off guard though! 

[dfmorgan]

The best one for me was the classic line spoken by Lt. Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) from Aliens - "Get away from her you bitch!" - used in this film against The Big Guy (Sigourney Weaver).

Can't wait to order mine...

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. That line is one of my favourite lines from a film and for a long time I had it as a tag-line in a signature block until one time at work I was warned about inappropriate language.

[Najemikon]

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

Part of

Summer Wars / The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

Year: 2006
Director: Mamoru Hosoda
Cast: Riisa Naka, Takuya Ishida, Mitsutaka Itakura
Overview: What would you do if you could "leap" backward through time? When tomboyish 17 year old Makoto Konno gains this ability after an accident in her high school chemistry lab, she immediately sets about improving her grades and preventing personal mishaps. Before long, however, she realizes that even innocuous changes can have terrible consequences. Changing the past is not as simple as it seems, and eventually Makoto will have to rely on her new powers to shape the future for herself and her friends.

Featuring brilliant character design by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (Neon Genesis Evangelion) and stunning visuals by long time Studio Ghibli Art Director, Nizo Yamamoto, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is a feast for the eyes as well as the heart.

Watched: 3rd Apr. 2011
My Thoughts: I know I saw this just over a year ago but I felt in the mood, after Summer Wars yesterday, for another anime and went for this the second film in the set. I found this to be still as wonderful a film even in this repeat viewing, although in High Definition on Blu-ray this time.

My Rating: A wonderful film so 5

I've had the Blu-Ray double pack of these on Find DVDs price watch for ages and it's never dropped its price. Until today and it's now just £6.85 for both! I'm using The Hut because Zavvi's "3 days" suggests they might be out already.

 http://www.find-dvd.co.uk/blu-ray/Summer-Wars-The-Girl-Who-Leapt-Through-Time/1104743.htm

[dfmorgan]

I saw this remastered cut in the cinema last week. Seriously awesome. The whole Ride of the Valkyries sequence is one of the absolute best cinema experiences I've had and that's considerable when I knew it was coming. The end without credits did catch me off guard though! 

Yes that sequence is one of the best. When I saw the film originally on release that was a mind-blowing moment.

[dfmorgan]

I've had the Blu-Ray double pack of these on Find DVDs price watch for ages and it's never dropped its price. Until today and it's now just £6.85 for both! I'm using The Hut because Zavvi's "3 days" suggests they might be out already.

 http://www.find-dvd.co.uk/blu-ray/Summer-Wars-The-Girl-Who-Leapt-Through-Time/1104743.htm

Nice one. I see that all bar one of The Hut's on-line stores have at that lovely low price. Unless of course I am wrong and W.H.Smith Entertainment is not part of The Hut.

[dfmorgan]

True Grit

Year: 1969
Director: Henry Hathaway
Cast: John Wayne, Glen Campbell, Kim Darby
Overview: JOHN WAYNE earned the 1969 "Best Actor" Academy Award® for this larger-than-life performance as the drunken, uncouth and totally fearless one-eyes U.S. Marshall, Rooster Cogburn.

The cantankerous Rooster is hired by a headstrong young girl (KIM DARBY) to find the man who murdered her father and fled with the family savings. When Cogburn's employer insists on accompanying the old gunfighter, sparks fly. And the situation goes from troubled to disastrous when an inexperienced Texas Ranger (GLEN CAMPBELL) joins the party. Laughter and tears punctuate the wild action in this extraordinary Western which also features performances by ROBERT DUVALL, JEREMY SLATE and STROTHER MARTIN.

Watched: 17th Jun 2011
My Thoughts: First time viewing for this film and I found it to be very enjoyable.

My Rating: A very enjoyable 4

[dfmorgan]

True Grit (2010)

Year: 2010
Director: The Coen Brothers
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon
Overview: True Grit is a powerful story of vengeance and valour set in an unforgiving and unpredictable frontier where justice is simple and mercy is rare.

Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld), is determined to avenge her father's blood by capturing Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), the man who shot and killed him for two pieces of gold. Just fourteen, she enlists the help of Rooster Cogburn (Academy Award® Winner Jeff Bridges)*, a one-eyed, trigger-happy U.S. Marshall with an affinity for drinking and hardened Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (Academy Award® Winner Matt Damon)** to track the fleeing Chaney. Despite their differences, their ruthless determination leads them on a perilous adventure that can only have one outcome: retribution.

* Best Actor, Crazy Heart, 2009. ** Best Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen), Good Will Hunting, 1997.

Watched: 18th Jun 2011
My Thoughts: Although the book is the same this version does have a slightly different take. Overall though the differences are minor enough to not matter too much. I enjoyed seeing this on the big screen back in March and now re-watching it on the not-quite so big screen it still stands up as very enjoyable.

My Rating: A very enjoyable 4

[dfmorgan]

Seraphim Falls

Year: 2006
Director: David von Ancken
Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Liam Neeson
Overview: A taut action film, an epic chase and primal battle set in the breathtaking landscape of the West.  The civil war has ended but Colonel Morsman Carver (Liam Neeson) is on one final mission: to kill Gideon (Pierce Brosnan) no matter what it takes.  Launched by a gunshot and propelled by rage, the relentless pursuit takes them both far from the comforts and codes of civilisation, into the bloodiest recesses of their own soul.

Watched: 19th Jun 2011
My Thoughts: Gideon (Pierce Brosnan) is being chased by Carver (Liam Neeson) and during a number of flashback sequences in the film we find out why. Some bits seemed a tad illogical like Gideon, who was on foot, getting far ahead of Carver and his men, who were on horseback, not once but three or four times, but then again we wouldn't have had much of a chase film if Gideon hadn't got away. The ending seemed a bit weird but when looking at the film in the context of the futility of war then maybe it wasn't so strange.

My Rating: A interesting 3

[Najemikon]

I remember quite liking Seraphim Falls, but the ending disappointed me. I like your comment though, putting it in context and I'll remember to give it another chance with that perspective.

Really glad you liked the original True Grit. Bodes well for the other Duke films. 

[dfmorgan]

Mulholland Drive

Year: 2001
Director: David Lynch
Cast: Naomi Watts. Laura Elena Harring
Overview: In MULHOLLAND DRIVE, David Lynch takes the viewer on a memorable neo-noir trip through Hollywood's dark underbelly in a mystery that blurs the lines between fantasy and reality and features astonishing performances from Naomi Watts and Laura Harring. Lynch dispenses with a conventional narrative in favour of a hallucinogenic assault on the senses that will stay with you long after the credits roll.

Watched: 24th Jun 2011
My Thoughts: After seeing Jon's review I decided to re-watch this film. I did spin it up when I got this Blu-ray edition but found that I wasn't in the mood for the film at that time. This time though I did settle down and watched. I originally saw this film on release in 2001/2 and was stunned and befuddled by it and have watched it since on DVD. However I'm still no clearer even with "David Lynch's 10 clues to unlocking this thriller" included in the booklet. There is an introduction by Thierry Jousse who states that the first hour and fifty minutes were the original pilot and the remaining film is the extra added with the French money to close the project as a film rather than leave an open ended pilot. The original DVD release had no chapter stops but this edition does include them however they go to random points in the film, not the usual predetermined orderly sequence. Even with all that I still find the film wonderfully weird.

My Rating: A wonderfully weird 4

[Najemikon]

Amongst the interviews and sound-bites, there's one with a cinema usher. He said he had seen it 28 times and was no closer!

[Achim]

The original DVD release had no chapter stops [...]

You probably know this, but I wanted to say that this is done on David Lynch's request, meaning if there are chapter stops is it's actually against his wishes. he wants the audience to experience his films without interruptions and therefore removes the ability to easily access center parts of the films. However. of my David Lynch DVDs only Eraserhead is done this way, since he distributes that himself; the studios apparently have the viewer in mind more than the artist...