Just a quick welcome to the new Movieman’s Guide to the Movies home page. I’m hoping this will help streamline updates in the future. The rest of the site will remain as is including side links to new reviews and such but I may change that over in the future. For now, enjoy and let me know what you think!
Heat is an incredible and well layered crime-drama featuring two dynamic performances and one of the best supporting cast of any modern film. I’m a little hesitant to give this Blu-ray a full recommendation since the picture isn’t awe-inspiring but it is still a step above the DVD video, so if you can get this on sale, it is well worth picking up.
I think The Number 23 could have been a niche classic but unfortunately, it never quite builds the right momentum to take it across the finish line. Carrey once again gives a good performance, as does Virginia Madsen — who takes some risks with her Fabrizia alter-ego —, and I must give even Joel Schumacher some credit just for Fingerling’s world. The film has some intriguing ideas that might make watching once worthwhile.
If it weren’t for such an average video transfer — since there’s not a whole lot of difference between this and the DVD from what I could tell —, Wrong Turn just might’ve been a moderately acceptable purchase, but with only a nice DTS-HD MA audio mix and the same features, this is one I would skip, unless you don’t already own the DVD and can find it for under $10…
The Uninvited isn’t a particularly a great movie by any stretch but it did manages to exceed my own low expectations given it was advertised as yet another PG-13 teen horror movie. Also, some may not like the ending but for me it was surprising enough, even if the groundwork to get to that point was a bit lazy.
While Taking Lives may not be a top of the shelf serial-killer thriller, it at least has a creepy vibe to it and some decent performances from Angelina Jolie, Ethan Hawke and the woefully underused Kiefer Sutherland. The Blu-ray, however, is not all that impressive. Since you can get a new copy of the DVD pretty cheap, I’m not sure if it’s worth the extra cost.
The Spirit is a sad misstep of a film big on style – even if it is copied almost exactly from Sin City – but short on story. I know what Miller was going after with the campy nature but what might look good on the page (screenplay or comic book) may not translate too well on the screen. The jokes weren’t funny and the acting, when it not atrocious, was way over-the-top not surprisingly headlined by Samuel L. Jackson.
Zodiac is a fantastic film and probably one of my favorites from director David Fincher. It’s a fascinating mystery/crime drama with excellent performances that were sadly overlooked by the Academy. Of course, it didn’t help that Paramount released this in March rather than December.
The Ruins may not be the most original horror film to come out, but it is definitely a lot better than the rash of remakes and sequels we have been force-fed down our throats for the past few years. The film feels like it could have been something wonderful if it had fleshed out the actual ruins and vines a bit more, and included a much larger (and expendable) cast.
While the picture and audio Quality are top notch and the disc is filled with hours of bonus features, it’s hard to recommend a purchase. This is an entertaining flick but not something I plan on going back to until its inevitable sequel comes out. It’s still a great rental an excellent popcorn flick for the entire family.