« May 2008 | Main | July 2008 »
June 28, 2008
Movie Day
This was the first time I have gone to see 3 movies in one day, whew, getting tired even writing it... there have been many double features, but no trilogies. First up was the The Incredible Hulk, then I lightened the load with Kung Fu Panda, and topped it off with some sweet assassin action with Wanted.
Hulk was decent, but not great, and for the most part It's more Incredible than the first HULK. I thought Kung Fu Panda brought the awesomeness on screen, it wasn't amazing, but a whole lot of fun. I ended the evening with a treat, I Wanted more from of that fantastic action, more of those dramatic highly detailed extreme close up shots, and to be honest a bit more from the ending, but It was a blast to watch as it had a lot of candy for the eye... and it has MoFree in it!?!
enough said.
Posted by dschnee at 10:09 AM
June 24, 2008
The Spiderwick Chronicles DVD slash Blu-ray Released!
Extras: So many blu-ray titles have been bare bones of late that I really appreciate it when a company steps up to the plate as Paramount is known to do. In this case, the extras almost outweighed the feature itself in terms of entertainment value, requiring me to take a lot longer to finish the complete review but giving me additional insight as well.
The first extra on the disc was a 7:04 minute long clip called Spiderwick: It's All True! The feature was mastered in MPEG-2 but had a HD bitrate for those that care; the show allowing the director to introduce some of the main characters.
This was followed by the 6:44 minute long It's A Spiderwick World where the original authors gave a head's up on the origin of the stories they wrote, providing the background for the modern day fable that led to the movie.
Then came the extensive Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide that essentially combined pages from the artistic book with clips from the movie (in high definition) to outline the characters. There is an "in-movie" version of this as well to give you a look at the creatures as they appear in the flick too but I doubt many will need it since they are written so straightforward and commented on at length.
Then came the Meet the Clan extra lasting 15:54 minutes; detailing the human characters and the actors that play them, a self explanatory 20:53 minute long Making Spiderwick, a 14:23 minute long The Magic of Spiderwick that dealt with the special effects (mainly the animated characters), a quick 1:51 minute long comment from the director with "A Final Word of Advice!", an 8:14 minute selection of deleted scenes (several of which added something to the understanding of the movie's characters), and some theatrical & television trailers for the movie. I liked that the content here was presented in high definition (albeit not given as great a mastering job) but the volume of quality material alone was nicely done. (DVDTalk.com Review)
See Also: The UltimateDisney.com Review
Posted by dschnee at 10:18 AM
Saturn Awards Crown Cloverfield Best Scifi Film + Sequel?
Cloverfield won two 'Saturn' awards from the The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films.
Cloverfield was was the winner for Best Science Fiction Film, and Matt Reeves picked up an award in the The Filmmakers Showcase Award category. (saturnawards.org)
So... Is a Cloverfield sequel dead in the water? well it sounds like it's 'on hold' for now. Check out this interview with Matt Reeves after the Saturn Awards. Matt Reeves is onto his next project The Invisible Woman(2010) so at least for now this means any Cloverfield 2 is on hold for now, and I think this is a good thing, an even better thing is not to do a sequel at all. (collider.com)
Posted by dschnee at 6:32 AM
Enchanted is a big winner at the 34th Annual Saturn Awards
"Walt Disney Studios “Enchanted” proved magical at the 34th Annual Saturn Awards by receiving three Saturn Awards including Best Picture (fantasy), and Best Actress (Amy Adams)." (saturnawards.org)
See also: Best Music, Alan Menken (Enchanted)
A COMPLETE LIST OF WINNERS FOLLOW
THE RECIPIENTS OF THE 34TH ANNUAL SATURN AWARDS
Best Science Fiction Film:
Cloverfield
Best Fantasy Film:
Enchanted
Best Horror Film:
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet St.
Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film:
300
Best Actor:
Will Smith (I Am Legend)
Best Actress:
Amy Adams (Enchanted)
Best Supporting Actor:
Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men)
Best Supporting Actress:
Marcia Gay Harden (The Mist)
Best Performance by a Younger Actor:
Freddie Highmore (August Rush)
Best Direction:
Zack Snyder (300)
Best Writing:
Brad Bird (Ratatouille)
Best Music:
Alan Menken (Enchanted)
Best Costume:
Colleen Atwood (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet St.)
Best Make-Up:
Ve Neill, Martin Samuel (Pirates of the
Caribbean: At World’s End)
Best Special Effects:
Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Russell Earl,
John Frazier (Transformers)
Best Animated Film: Ratatouille
Best International Film: Eastern Promises
Best Network Television Series: Lost
Best Syndicated / Cable Television Series:
Dexter
Best Presentation on Television:
Family Guy: Blue Harvest
Best International Television Series:
Doctor Who: Sci Fi Channel
Best Actor on Television: Matthew Fox (Lost)
Best Actress on Television:
Jennifer Love Hewitt (Ghost Whisperer)
Best Supporting Actor on Television:
Michael Emerson (Lost)
Best Supporting Actress on Television: (TIE):
Summer Glau (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles)
/ Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost)
Best DVD Release: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (remix)
Best DVD Special Edition Release:
Blade Runner (5 Disc Ultimate Edition)
Best DVD Classic Film Release: The Monster Squad
Best DVD Collection: Mario Bava (Box Sets 1 & 2)
Best Television Series Release on DVD:
Heroes (Season 1)
Best Retro Television Series Release on DVD:
Twin Peaks (Definitive Gold Box Ed.)
The Life Career Award: Robert Halmi, Sr.
The Life Career Award: Robert Halmi, Jr.
The George Pal Memorial Award: Guillermo del Toro
The Filmmakers Showcase Award: Matt Reeves (Cloverfield)
The Special Achievement Award: Tim & Donna Lucas
The Service Award: Fred Barton
Posted by dschnee at 6:23 AM
June 3, 2008
Cloverfield on Blu-ray Today
This Blu-ray screening was the first time I'd seen Cloverfield, and I cannot wait to watch it again, especially now with the review complete so I won't be hindered by a computer on my lap and my brain and fingers taking notes. Cloverfield is Paramount's finest Blu-ray disc to date. The video quality is exactly as it should be, and the audio is astounding. The extra features are solid and numerous, and at times fairly entertaining. I cannot guarantee you'll enjoy this movie as much as I did, or not feel any motion sickness, but if you love the movie, are dying to see it for the first time, or need a reference disc, buying this disc is an easy decision to make. Highly recommended! (blu-ray.com review Reviewed by Martin Liebman, May 31, 2008)
The Blu-ray exclusive feature is the "Special Investigation Mode":
This is a clever and entertaining way to watch the movie. The movie plays in a box while the remainder of the screen provides a map showing the current location of the "large scale aggressor," "human subjects," and the "primary military activity." Facts about the characters, the monsters, and various locations around the city also appear at regular intervals in another box.
Posted by dschnee at 6:47 AM
