Video: 4/5
Audio: 3.5/5
Extras: 3/5 The whiplash, double-pronged “Chungking Express” is one of the defining works of nineties cinema and the film that made Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Kar-Wai an instant icon. Two heartsick Hong Kong cops, both jilted by ex-lovers, cross paths at the Midnight Express take-out restaurant stand, where the ethereal pixie waitress Faye works. Anything goes in Wong’s gloriously shot and utterly unexpected charmer, which cemented the sex appeal of its gorgeous stars and forever turned canned pineapple and the Mamas and the Papas “California Dreamin” into tokens of romantic longing.
Before there was Rocky there was, in real life, James J. Braddock. Braddock was a respectable fighter and contender in the late 20's who fell on extremely hard times during the depression. He was reduced to poverty like so many millions of Americans and barely put food on this family's table between boxing and working the docks. In the mid-30's he went on the right winning streak at the right time, culminating in his capturing the heavyweight title in 1935. Offering some idea of what an underdog Braddock was in his title bout with Max Baer, he entered the ring that night with the very pedestrian record of 44 wins and 23 losses. The "Cinderella Man's" story inspired millions, not to mention the impact it's had on sports movies over the decades.
Video: 3.5/5
Audio: 4/5
Extras: 2/5 Vince Rizzo is a lifelong resident of the tiny, tradition-steeped Bronx enclave of City Island. A family man who makes his living as a corrections officer, Vince longs to become an actor. Ashamed to admit his aspirations to his family, Vince would rather let his fiery wife Joyce believe his weekly poker games are a cover for an extramarital affair than admit he's secretly taking acting classes in Manhattan. When Vince is asked to reveal his biggest secret in class, he inadvertently sets of a chaotic chain of events that turns his mundane suburban life upside down.
Video: 4.5/5
Audio: 4/5
Extras: 3.75/5 When a poor father brings home a mysterious alien "pet" from a local junkyard, he and his son learn a valuable lesson about the true nature of family and the things money can't buy.
Video: 4/5
Audio: 4.25/5
Extras: 4/5 Ten years after the original, slacker heroes Dante and Randal have become "funployees" at Moby's fast food. In addition to offending customers and debating anything and everything, their responsibilities now include ragging on their uber-nerd co-worker and teasing their sexy manager. But when Dante announces his plan to leave New Jersey, Randal plots a shocking and hysterical going-away party that will alter their lives forever.
Video: 4.5/5
Audio: 5/5
Extras: 3/5
I had the discomfort of sitting through Cloverfield during its theatrical run and I was actually a bit intimidated by the idea of seeing it again in my own theater room. My discomfort had nothing to do with the story itself, but rather the experience that the camera style offers. My wife and I both suffered from extreme headaches for several hours after the theatrical viewing and my wife thought she would be sick at any moment for quite sometime after. I found myself closing my eyes a lot just to help things during the movie. The film is merely stock footage of the events that happened in New York after a large monster of some sort attacks the city. The footage is taken with a handicam and follows a few young residents as they first try to escape the city and then turn around to try and rescue a friend. The camera work is all over the place and really only provides snippets of the monster and reminded me a bit of The Blair Witch Project at times. While I thought the execution and premise of this film were both excellent, they didn't justify the physical effects watching the film induced. I thought watching this on a smaller screen (120" diagonal in my case) would help, but that just wasn't the case. I would recommend anyone going into this film the first time be prepared.
Video: 2.5/5
Audio: 3/5
Extras: .5/5 Commando was slated for release on Blu-ray quite some time ago but was pulled at the last moment. A few people still managed to nab a copy at some stores resulting in some interesting prices on popular internet auction sites. This one has always been a pure action popcorn piece that moves along just enough to show a lot of Arnold's muscles and butt kicking. It's definitely mindless fun, but it's lost the allure it had when I was younger. Still, I'm glad Fox is delivering more of its catalog to HD and this is a welcome addition for action and Arnold fans.
Video: 4.25/5
Audio: 4.5/5
Extras: 3.5/5 Living in glamorous New York, Becky desperately wants a job writing for a high-fashion magazine. She gets her stilettos in the door when she gets a job writing a personal finance column at a sister publication. Much to her surprise, her column, "The Girl In The Green Scarf," not only becomes a hit, but she falls head over high heels for her overworked yet handsome boss. But Becky has a secret that leads to some hilarious high jinks that could unravel it all.
Video: 4.25/5
Audio: 4.5/5
Extras: 4/5 "Constantine" tells the story of John Constantine, a man who has literally been to hell and back. When he teams up with skeptical policewoman Angela Dodson to solve the mysterious suicide of her twin sister, their investigation takes them through the world of demons and angels that exists just beneath the landscape of contemporary Los Angeles. Caught in a catastrophic series of otherworldly events, the two become inextricably involved and seek to find their own peace at whatever cost.
Video: 4/5
Audio: 4.5/5
Extras: 3.5/5 At the Forest Ridge Mall, head of security Ronnie Barnhardt patrols his jurisdiction with an iron fist. The master of his domain, he combats skateboarders, shoplifters and the occasional unruly customer while dreaming of the day when he can swap his flashlight for a badge and a gun. Ronnie's delusions of grandeur are put to the test when the mall is struck by a flasher. Driven by his personal duty to protect and serve the mall and its patrons, Ronnie seizes the opportunity to showcase his underappreciated law enforcement talents on a grand scale, hoping his solution of this crime will earn him a coveted spot at the police academy and the heart of his elusive dream girl Brandi, the hot makeup counter clerk who won't give him the time of day. But his single-minded pursuit of glory launches a turf war with the equally competitive Detective Harrison of the Conway Police, and Ronnie is confronted with the challenge of not only catching the flasher, but getting him before the real cops do.
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