DVD Review: THE GODFATHER Collection: The Coppola Restoration

In case you didn't know, all three GODFATHER movies have been released in a special new DVD collection, The Coppola Restoration, also available in Blue-ray, which features some pretty amazing special features.

Who hasn't seen The Godfather at least once in their lives? It's almost a requirement isn't it? But now is your chance to relive all three movies restored (for Part I & II) and remastered (for Part III).

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DVD Review: Tim Burton's THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS: Collector's Edition

Tim Burton's THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS is being released on DVD and Blue-ray today, August 26, in a special Collector's Edition version.

I was lucky enough to get an early copy and I wanted to make sure and let you know what a great buy it is.

But first let me say that I am not someone who buys products derived from movies or TV shows (except DVDs and books), but The Nightmare Before Christmas is the one exception to that rule. I love it so much that I am always on the lookout for some cool items featuring Jack and other characters from The Nightmare Before Christmas. I don't know why, but I just do.

Now that that's out of the way let's move on to the review of the DVD:

REVIEW

Film: The film has been digitally restored with its original deeper and darker qualities, which makes it even more enjoyable to watch, especially now with televisions having higher and higher resolutions. But apart from that, I just really love the story and how the film was created. From all the movies that I have seen, this one really stands out as something creatively original and just great. If you haven't seen this yet, you might want to get it, it will be a nice change from all the mainstream movies we watch everyday.

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DVD Review: CAMP ROCK

Disney Channel's original movie, CAMP ROCK comes out to DVD and Blu-ray tomorrow, August 19, pack with cool bonus features.

We were able to take an early look at the Camp Rock DVD and here is what we thought about it.

Director: Matthew Diamond

Cast: Demi Lovato, Joe Jonas, Meaghan Jette Martin, Maria Canals-Barrera, Alyson Stoner, Julie Brown, Daniel Fathers,Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, Jasmine Richards, Jordan Francis, Roshon Fegan, Kevin Jonas, and Nick Jonas

Release Date: 19 August 2008

Synopsis: Mitchie (Demi Lovato) knows she’s got what it takes to take the music world by storm. Her dream of spending a summer at exclusive Camp Rock seems to be coming true when her mother gets them both jobs at the camp as cooks. Arriving with stars in her eyes, Mitchie finds her confidence shaken by the stiff competition, especially when it comes to getting the attention of teen pop star Shane (Joe Jonas), the camp’s celebrity instructor. When Shane overhears Mitchie singing without seeing her face, he finds new inspiration in her unique sound. His curiosity about her identity sets off a Cinderella-style search for the unknown dream girl, while Mitchie must learn to overcome her own insecurity and step into the spotlight.

REVIEW

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DVD Review: SMART PEOPLE (2008)

SMART PEOPLE premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, but I hadn't heard of it until recently, when the DVD release was announced. Smart People was released today, August 12, on DVD and Blue Ray Disc.

And so it was with a curious mind that I took a look at the DVD.

Director: Noam Murro

Cast: Dennis Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker, Thomas Haden Church, Ellen Page, Ashton Holmes, David Denman, Camille Mana, and Christine Lahti

Release Date: August 12, 2008

Synopsis: Once an idealistic and ambitious academic, Professor Lawrence Wetherhold (Quaid) lost his passion for teaching when he lost his wife. Hunkered-down behind his books, Wetherhold has forgotten how to connect, even with his daughter, the acerbically witty Vanessa (Page). Suddenly a head injury sends Wetherhold to the emergency room where his world spins out of his control. Forced to depend on his brother (Church), a freeloading oddball, for transportation, Wetherhold is surprised to find himself attracted to his ER doctor and former ex student (Parker) and begins to emerge from his isolation—with surprising consequences for the entire family.

REVIEW

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DVD Review: DUCK

Yesterday I took a look at the newly DVD released DUCK.

Written and directed by Nic Bettauer, Duck follows the story of a retired widower (Philip Baker Hall) living in 2009 where Jeb Bush is the new president and social services have disappeared.

At the beginning of the movie, the widower finds a baby duck, which he brings back home with him and helps it grow up. The duck and other events lead him to be thrown out of his apartment, and he now has to live on the streets. With his duck, they go around Los Angeles in search of water. Throughout their journey, they meet different people who will challenge them along the way.

I hadn't heard of Duck before getting the DVD, but I found it very original and sweet. Director Nic Bettauer and Philip Baker Hall have found a way to make us care about this duck through the widower's interaction with it. I think the most fascinating thing is how the widower relates to the duck in the movie. The relationship feels so real that it's hard not to be rooting for them. Philip Baker Hall is really great at creating this whole world around the duck. His performance is one of the reasons why the movie works.

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DVD Review: STOP-LOSS (2008)

STOP-LOSS has just been released on DVD and I have been looking forward to checking it out ever since I first saw the trailer.

I was lucky to get a preview copy and so I want to share with you some of my thoughts about the DVD.

Director: Kimberly Peirce

Cast: Ryan Phillippe, Channing Tatum, Abbie Cornish, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rob Brown, and Alex Frost

Release Date: July 8, 2008

Synopsis: Decorated Iraq war hero Sgt. Brandon King (Ryan Phillippe) makes a celebrated return to his small Texas hometown following his tour of duty. He tries to resume the life he left behind with the help and support of his family and his best friend, Steve Shriver (Channing Tatum), who served with him in Iraq. Along with their other war buddies, Brandon and Steve try to make peace with civilian life. Then, against Brandon’s will, the Army orders him back to duty in Iraq, which upends his world. The conflict tests everything he believes in: the bond of family, the loyalty of friendship, the limits of love and the value of honor.

REVIEW

The Story: When I first saw the trailer I had a totally different idea of what I thought the story was going to be. Was I disappointed as to what it really was, not really because I think it was equally good in a different direction. The movie focuses on Sgt. Brandon King's journey after he gets the terrible news that he has been stop-lossed. In addition, I think the story really touches greatly on the effects that war has on soldiers, and how hard it is for them to assimilate back into life when they come home.

I will say that I would have written the ending differently. It felt a little bit underwhelming and kind of depressing in a way, but I think it still works within the story. Let's just say that it didn't bother me to the point where I didn't like the movie because of it.

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DVD Review: THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES (2-Disc Special Edition)

THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES has been released as a 2-Disc Special Edition DVD and in Blue-ray DVD format (I really have to get a Playstation 3!). I was able to take a look at the special edition and I will start by saying that the package is pretty cool, but of course that's not the most important thing about the DVD. Let's take a closer look.

Director: Mark Waters

Cast: Freddie Highmore, Sarah Bolger, Mary-Louise Parker, Nick Nolte, Joan Plowright, David Strathairn, Seth Rogen, and Martin Short

Release Date: June 24 2008

Synopsis: From the beloved best-selling series of books comes "The Spiderwick Chronicles," a fantasy adventure for the child in all of us. Peculiar things start to happen the moment the Grace family (Jared, his twin brother Simon, sister Mallory and their mom) leave New York and move into the secluded old house owned by their great, great uncle Arthur Spiderwick. Unable to explain the strange disappearances and accidents that seem to be happening on a daily basis, the family blames Jared. When he, Simon and Mallory investigate what's really going on, they uncover the fantastic truth of the Spiderwick estate and of the creatures that inhabit it.

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DVD Review: THERE WILL BE BLOOD (2007)

The oscar-nominated movie, THERE WILL BE BLOOD, is out on DVD. You can buy There Will Be Blood in a 2-Disc Collector's Edition (which I was able to take a look at), as well as on Blue-Ray DVD as of June 3rd.

Synopsis: The story chronicles the life and times of one Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis), who transforms himself from a down-and-out silver minder raising a son on his own into a self-made oil tycoon.

The Story: First of all it is important to know that this is a character study more than a story driven film, and I'm going to be honest here, I didn't get into it as much as I would have liked. It started out good, but as it went on I found myself waiting for something to happen that never came, and at the end I felt a little bit frustrated that there was no resolution (in my opinion). But I will say that I did have conversations about the story and even though some people really enjoyed the character study and the film the way it is.

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Review: ACROSS THE UNIVERSE (2007)

Update: Quick update on this review. I am now addicted to the soundtrack of the movie and might decide to give it a second chance just so that I can see the cast perform the songs again. Maybe the second time's a charm and I'll actually like the movie better this time. More on that when I watch it again.

I had been looking forward to watching ACROSS THE UNIVERSE for so long, that it was a little disappointing that the movie didn't live up to my expectations of it.

It wasn't horrible but it wasn't great. The first problem I had with it is that there were just way too many songs, and I am a musical lover so that's saying something. In addition, at least 30 minutes of the movie could have been cut out, it was getting pretty boring towards the end. I will say that the ending was thankfully good.

The actors were all very talented and I really enjoyed their renditions of the Beatles songs. The soundtrack of the movie is, as a result, very good.

Overall, it's not the best movie ever, but if you enjoy musicals and like the Beatles songs, you might want to give Across the Universe a try, but don't expect to be blown away.

[rating:3]

Buy the Across The Universe Soundtrack.

My Rental Queue: THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY (2006)

Director: Ken Loach

Cast: Cillian Murphy, Padraic Delaney, Liam Cunningham, Orla Fitzgerald, and Mary O'Riordan

Story: Ireland, 1920. Damien and Teddy are brothers. But while the latter is already the leader of a guerrilla squad fighting for the independence of his motherland, Damien, a medical graduate of University College, would rather further his training at the London hospital where he has found a place. However, shortly before his departure, he happens to witness atrocities committed by the ferocious Black and Tans and finally decides to join the resistance group led by Teddy.

Review: THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY is one of the best movies I have seen this year. I think what really touched me is how amazing the actors were. The only "known" actor is Cillian Murphy and that benefits the film so much because it makes it easier to identify with each character. The film is by no means an action film and even though it is about guerrilla fighters, there aren't any big fight scenes. That said, there are some pretty powerful scenes that will leave you thinking thinking about them for a while.

The Wind That Shakes The Barley won the Palm D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and usually I wouldn't even look twice at a movie that won that prize, because let's face it, these films are usually not really good, but one of my friends told me The Wind That Shakes The Barley was really good and since I trust his judgment I decided to take a look at it. I have thanked him ever since. In fact, after watching it the first time I bought the DVD and watched it again.

So if you have been looking for a good film that will touch you, The Wind That Shakes The Barley is definitely it.

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