CHICAGO – In anticipation of the scariest week of the year, HollywoodChicago.com launches its 2024 Movie Gifts series, which will suggest DVDs and collections for holiday giving.
HollywoodChicago.com Blu-Ray Reviews
What to Watch: Nov. 24-Dec. 9, 2013
Submitted by BrianTT on December 2, 2013 - 4:35pmSorry, What to Watch took a turkey day break as last week was really light on new product worth mentioning. This week? Pretty much the same but we don’t want you to miss us too badly. Here’s five recent Blu-ray, DVD, and streaming releases that may have caught your attention on new release shelves lately, ranked in the order we’d add them to our holiday wish list.
Blu-ray Review: Cornetto Trilogy Now Available in One Set
Submitted by BrianTT on November 23, 2013 - 3:17pmThe three comedies made by writer/director Edgar Wright and stars Simon Pegg & Nick Frost — “Shaun of the Dead,” “Hot Fuzz,” and “The World’s End” — have become collectively known as The Cornetto Trilogy and Universal has been collectively smart enough to release them in one edition, complete with Ultraviolet versions of each beloved film. “The World’s End” is also newly available on Blu-ray and DVD, sure to find legions of loyal fans this holiday season. I like but don’t love “End,” finding it the least satisying of the three films but consider that criticism as coming from someone who adores both “Shaun” and “Fuzz.” There’s still a lot to like here, especially if you want to buy all three.
Blu-ray Review: Ozu’s ‘Tokyo Story’ Gets Criterion Remaster
Submitted by BrianTT on November 23, 2013 - 3:01pmIt’s not surprising that filmmakers led the way in the reappraisal of Ozu’s beloved “Tokyo Story,” which recently ranked #3 on the Sight & Sound poll of all-time best films and was remastered for a Criterion Blu-ray/DVD combo pack release now in stores. Ozu’s film is such a perfect blend of realism and conscious filmmaking. What I men is that it clearly strives to be about relatable, believable human behavior and yet one can also so clearly see the techniques which Ozu uses (or lack thereof given his never-moving camera) to achieve such realism.
What to Watch: Nov. 17-23, 2013
Submitted by BrianTT on November 20, 2013 - 8:43pmCHICAGO – What to Watch is back! Miss us? Every week, we roll out 5-10 of the latest films and TV shows to be released on DVD, Blu-ray, and various streaming services. This week’s highlights include a few classics, a cult hit, a couple of recent comedies, and a family flick. In the order we’d advise buying or renting them…
Blu-ray Review: Chaplin Section of Criterion Collection Now Includes ‘City Lights’
Submitted by BrianTT on November 20, 2013 - 12:34pmCHICAGO – Charlie Chaplin’s “City Lights” used to be more widely considered to be one of the best films ever made. In early editions of the Sight & Sound poll (the every-decade poll of film historians and critics), it appeared in the top ten regularly. Its esteem seems to have slipped a bit over the decades as some now prefer other Chaplin to “Lights” (me, I adore “Great Dictator” and “Gold Rush,” both available in Criterion Blu-ray editions as well) but the new Criterion edition reminds one why so many people consider this one of the best. It’s still a glorious gem.
Blu-ray Review: Lavish Extended Edition of ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’
Submitted by BrianTT on November 16, 2013 - 9:57pmCHICAGO – I had notable problems with “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” when it premiered in theaters but they were softened a bit when I saw it on Blu-ray and not in 3D nor 48 frames per second, two effects that I believe actually hurt the world designed by Peter Jackson in these films in that they make it look less artistic and faker than the standard HD image. Now I’m here to flop back again to the disappointed side with the extended edition of the film, one that runs WAY too long for a flick that was already too short.
Blu-ray Review: Glorious ‘JFK 50th Commemorative Ultimate Collector’s Edition’
Submitted by BrianTT on November 16, 2013 - 3:27pmCHICAGO – Oliver Stone reached the peak of his fascination with controversy, history, and epic productions when he made 1991’s “JFK,” arguably the masterpiece of the director of “Platoon,” “Natural Born Killers,” “Nixon,” and many more beloved films. “JFK” is a remarkable cinematic achievement, a movie that has lost none of its power 22 years after its release, looking like something that could come out today, especially now that we’re in the peak of Kennedy mania as we approach the 50th anniversary of his assassination, one of the most important events in American history.
What to Watch: Nov. 10-16, 2013
Submitted by BrianTT on November 13, 2013 - 8:51pmCHICAGO – It’s kind of a light week at the Blu-ray and DVD store (do they still have those now that Blockbuster has closed?). As studios prep a lot of major releases for holiday season, a few titles have been released on Blu-ray, DVD, and streaming services this week that we wanted to highlight, including a decent animated flick, a great foreign one, and a bunch of movies that may interest you but that you should probably avoid.
Blu-ray Review: Holiday Classics Come Home Featuring Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh
Submitted by BrianTT on November 13, 2013 - 1:19pmCHICAGO – It’s that time of year. Studios pull Christmas classics from the vault, given them the HD polish, and hope to re-sell them to families who probably already own them on scratched DVD or even beat-up VHS. Two such releases feature better HD remasters than your average title in that they’ve been given the Disney Blu-ray treatment, resulting in picture quality that tops any version you’ve probably seen them in before. The latest holiday pair hoping for Santa’s wish list includes a 30th anniversary edition of “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” and “Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year.” Disney fans will have a Merry Christmas.
Blu-ray Review: Xavier Dolan’s Personal Vision of ‘Laurence Anyways’
Submitted by BrianTT on November 13, 2013 - 12:04pmCHICAGO – “Laurence Anyways” is a carte blanche project of passion from Québécois director Xavier Dolan, a 24-year-old with two feature films (“I Killed My Mother,” “Heartbeats”) already under his belt. Close to a total three-hour running time and filled with numerous extended musical interludes, it is a bulky movie that could certainly be significantly slimmed down and still be able to leave the same size bruise. For Dolan, however, such hugeness is yet another statement from him and his growing understanding of filmmaking, this project a showcase for his current aesthetic artiness as filmmaker first, storyteller second.
