Latest Blu-Ray Reviews

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Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985)

Explores the rapture and torture of desire, and the tension between harsh reality and escapist fantasy.
Starship Troopers (1997)

Insanely subversive...functions as a visually dazzling science-fiction action picture, a philosophical challenge, and a hilarious, incisive comedy.
Patriot Games (1992)

Ford gives one of his most commanding performances outside of a Lucas production, establishing an action formula Ford would repeat...
The Hunt for Red October (1990)

As for the film's suspense credentials, you know it's time to get tense when James Earl Jones intones, 'Mother of God.'
The Sum of All Fears (2002)

Though this political adventure requires substantial suspension of disbelief, the witty script and mature approach keep the film on track.
Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay (2008)

A latter-day Abbott and Costello flick, where the monster they encounter isn't Frankenstein, but the Bush Administration.
Nim's Island (2008)

Overplayed: there are entirely too many beaming smiles and emotional flip-outs...the only reason to see this movie is Foster, whose overplaying somehow succeeds at charming where her costars fail.
Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle (2004)

'This night is about the American dream,' Kumar promises. And you know what? It sort of is.
Lonesome Dove (TV) (1989)

Remains the gold standard for the TV miniseries format...stands among the best Western films ever made.
Dark City (Director's Cut) (1998)

Proyas assembles his inspirations into a unique amalgam with the power of myth to tap the fears and desires of our collective unconscious.
The Scorpion King (2002)

A ridiculous though not entirely unpleasant way to while away ninety-two minutes.
The Mummy Returns (2001)

The film's bloated ambition seems of a piece with its panting, happy-dog charm.
The Mummy (1999)

An unpretentious pulp adventure...
The Lost Boys (1987)

With its cool cast and classic kiss-off ending, The Lost Boys will forever be a cultural touchstone of '80s cinema.
Shine a Light (2008)

Whatever your taste, you'll have to agree: Shine a Light is music and cinema writ large.
The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)

An exploitation picture given the 'A' treatment... Putting aside the nagging liberties taken with Anneliese Michel's experiences...[it's] a good scary movie.
21 (2008)

Take it from this loss prevention specialist: don't play 21.
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)

A reasonably well-made low-end pic that serves as a cautionary tale for callow teens.
Urban Legend (1998)

Watchable...[but] a time-waster, with an insulting ending that unfortunately takes it down a few pegs.
The Ruins (2008)

Competent but somewhat slack, modest (and modestly budgeted) shocker that doesn't work quite hard enough to justify its plot mechanics.
Step Up 2 The Streets (2008)

Despite the bogus conflict...Step Up 2 The Streets is amiable enough...
Drillbit Taylor (2008)

Wilson proves again that he's a quick-witted comedic treasure—he's the sort of actor who gets hired to make mediocre movies almost good by his sheer force of comic will.
Point Break (1991)

Consistently stylish, dumb, and entertaining.
In the Line of Fire (1993)

You have a rendezvous with Dirty Harry's 62-year-old ass! And if you don't know what that means, you'd better figure it out!
Gangs of New York (2002)

The impact is all in the broad strokes of Scorsese's design: the corresponding coming-of-age stories of three confused and violent adolescents: Amsterdam Vallon, New York City, and America.
Batman: Gotham Knight (2008)

After the wayward kids' stuff of [Kids' WB's] The Batman, Batman: Gotham Knight's adult tone and visual wonderment are like (Bat-)manna from heaven.
Vantage Point (2008)

Asks us to believe the terrorists would, after slaughtering countless people, risk their entire plan—and their very lives—on...well, I won't say. But from my vantage point, it was ridiculous.
Natural Born Killers (1994)

Profane, hallucinogenic, and wickedly satirical, Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers mainlined a message from hell (a.k.a. modern America, as seen by Stone) into mall theatres and multiplexes.
Persepolis (2007)

Persepolis is so satisfying because it works on a few complimentary levels: as a coming-of-age story tracking innocence to experience, as an accounting of revolutionary and feminist struggles, and as an artful visual experience in cartoon form.
The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)

For a movie about magical beasts, The Spiderwick Chronicles does an awfully good job of pegging childhood emotional realities, particularly in a context of divorce.
Men In Black (1997)

Among the best of the summer movie blockbusters, Men in Black comes on like gangbusters and never lets up.
Fool's Gold (2008)

Harmless but seriously wit-deficient.
Batman (1966)

The delirious idiosyncracies of the '60s Batman are all on display...a pleasant-enough romp that's just a little too-distracted with its new toys.
Jumper (2008)

If Jumper too often feels like a special-effects demo reel in search of a story, at least the eye candy is pretty darn sweet.
There Will Be Blood (2007)

Anderson's most mature and ambitious film yet...[though his] growth as a filmmaker remains hindered by an obsession with effect and a disinterest in depth.
Patton (1970)

A bio-epic on the order of Lawrence of Arabia, Patton is a smart, fully realized historical film.
The Sand Pebbles (1966)

A fine old-school picture...elevated further by its progressive themes.
The Longest Day (1962)

Though the film makes a few egregious historical changes for dramatic effect, The Longest Day pretty much lives and dies by its scale.
A Bridge Too Far (1977)

Attenborough consistently reinforces the horrors of war by depicting not only the disasterous military engagements and their toll on heroes, but also the witless political decisions that led to needless, excessive loss of life.
Battle of Britain (1969)

Succeeds in giving the general impression of a pivotal historical moment, and excels in crafting some of the most astonishing aerial-warfare sequences ever put on film.

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