Blu-Ray Review - Pacific Rim

Time for the first review of the year.  And by request of Solios, it's Guillermo Del Toro's 2013 effects extravaganza "Pacific Rim".

Now, as Solios suggested, I'm going to try and approach this review with a slightly different perspective.  In my opinion, it's a very fun movie in general - giant robots fighting giant monsters - bright, colorful, generally smooth combat well presented.  The plotting isn't deep, the characterizations aren't wonderful - but it's not that type of movie necessarily.  This isn't exactly "The Devil's Backbone" or "Pan's Labyrinth" - and it's not an adaptation like "Blade 2" or "Hellboy" - it's just a straight up popcorn flick - done very well!

Blu-Ray Review - Nightbreed: Directors Cut

This is a review of the just-released Blu-Ray of Nightbreed: The Directors Cut.  While this is not exactly the same as the fan-edited Cabal cut that has circulated in the last few years, it is the Director's original vision - as stated in the introduction to the disc by director Clive Barker and the restorer Mark Miller.

Frankly...a bit of backstory doesn't hurt - although you'll certainly hear more about this if you check out the film.  Much like Gilliam's original cut of Brazil - the studio decided they didn't like the overall tone of the film and hacked it to pieces for release.  If you've watched the theatrical cut - the only one previously available on DVD or VHS - you may have noticed some weird tonal shifts and plot holes - not to mention how different the story felt compared to the original novella it was based on - "Cabal."

Blu-Ray Review - Sorcerer

Holy Crap!  Talk about your nailbiters.  William Friedkin's "Sorcerer" is one of the best cliffhangers (literally) that I've seen in a long time. 

An American remake of Henri Clouzot's excellent "Wages of Fear" - Friedkin pulled out all the stops putting together something that most definitely is not a horror flick or a cop flick - even if it has elements of both included.

Blu-Ray Review - Repo Man

Almost the eponymous punk movie of the early 80s, Alex Cox's look at non-conformity and life in Southern California is a real piece of work.  Rented it from netflix a couple years ago (regretted not blind-buying Anchor Bay's OOP collectors edition tin when it first came out a few years back), and the new Blu-Ray special edition from the Criterion Collection is a gorgeous release.

Blu-Ray Review - Retreat, Hell!

Continuing it's cultural presence as "The Forgotten War", the Korean conflict remains under-covered in most western media.  Honestly, even with my military service there and my minor in Asian Studies (including Korean Politics) - I've got a stack of references still on my must-read list on the subject.  One reason I was really interested when I saw the excellent reviews posted for this Blu-Ray of a movie made during the war.

Frankly, although it largely plays out as a Marine recruiting film, this is a tight little number that does a really good job covering some of the first major marine actions involved in the war.  Starting from the very beginning, we find the USMC is barely able to muster a full division of men at the start of hostilities even after calling up all the reserves, embassy security forces and embarked detachments - a bare 6 years following the end of WWII.

Blu-Ray Review - Moonrise Kingdom

My first *full*/complete viewing of Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom since I first had the opportunity to catch it in the theater in Portland when my ship was there for the Rose Festival in 2012.

Anderson is rightfully recognized as an auteur and his style in this film is instantly recognizable if you've had the chance to watch any of his previous films.  He also revisits very familiar themes - particularly familial issues and relationships - failed ones, new ones, renewing old ones.  While clearly hitting some potentially very painful edges - for the characters - or the viewers - he's able to bring his characters to address them appropriately (for the most part) - and without the use of too much deus ex machina (also for the most part).

Sam the orphan Khaki Scout goes AWOL from his troop to run away with Suzy, the lonely, misunderstood daughter of two bickering lawyers (Frances McDormand and Bill Murray).  Enlisted in the search to find the two of them are the mismatched remainder of Sam's troop, his scout leader (Edward Norton), the local police officer (Bruce Willis) and Social Services (Tilda Swinton) - right as a massive storm is about to break out - as narrated by Bob Balaban.

Blu-Ray Review - Kamikaze Girls

First saw Kamikaze Girls when it came out on HK DVD almost ten years ago.  Really enjoyed it then and still do.

A beautifully filmed comedy about complete opposites meeting and clashing....repeatedly.  A lolita fan-girl (Kyoko Fukada) and a "yanki" biker girl (Anna Tsuchiya) stuck in the middle of nowhere (Shimotsuma, Ibaraki)...but somehow it works.

Blu-Ray Review - Streets of Fire

Just re-watched Streets of Fire last night.  I saw it a couple times back in college when I worked in a computer store (one of the other guys would leave it playing on the display monitor), but I didn't really catch onto it myself till a few years later.  It's the sort of thing you really need to be watching and listening to a the same time.

Local girl made good Ellen Aim (Diane Lane) from the group Ellen Aim and the Attackers is kidnapped by a biker gang led by Raven (Willem Dafoe) while giving a performance at a club in The Richmond district of the city.  One of the girls at the show sends a telegram to her brother Tom Cody (Michael Pare) who used to be Ellen's old boyfriend - asking him for help.  He turns up and accepts an offer from Ellen's manager/boyfriend Billy Fish (Rick Moranis) to rescue her - with a little help from ex-soldier McCoy (Amy Madigan).