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Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Blu-ray Review

Format: Blu-ray, Subtitled
  • Language: English
  • Subtitles: German, Greek, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese
  • Dubbed: German
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Rated: NR (Not Rated)
  • Studio: Sony
  • Release Date: December 2, 2014
  • Digital Copy Expiration Date: December 31, 2014
  • Run Time: 90 minutes



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            The Poverty Row studio Columbia Pictures won 13 Academy Awards in the 1930s, and 11 of them were directed by Frank Capra. Capra was a filmmaker both loved and despised for his saccharine handling of social issues in film, each making grand statements in themes with the help of likeably quirky characters. Some criticize this style, while others revel in the pure emotional pleasure of films like It’s a Wonderful Life and You Can’t Take it With You. While there is an incredible amount of realism in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, including a recreated set of the Senate chamber, it also has the unmistakably familiar touch of Capra sentimentality.

     

    Justified: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray Review

         Actors: Timothy Olyphant, Nick Searcy
  • Format: Blu-ray, Widescreen
  • Subtitles: English, French
  • Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
  • Number of discs: 3
  • Rated: Unrated
  • Studio: Sony Pictures Entertainment
  • Release Date: December 2, 2014
  • Digital Copy Expiration Date: December 31, 2017
  • Run Time: 607 minutes



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            Based on the short story “Fire in the Hole” by crime novelist Elmore Leonard, “Justified” works as an adaptation with room for growth. Timothy Olyphant has a strong presence as the lead, and he has plenty of experience carrying a western-type show, though this FX seriesis far more similar to “Sons of Anarchy” than “Deadwood.” The premise had begun to run a little bit thin by the third season, though the inevitable final season in sight has increased the stakes of the drama. He is still a lawman who often operates outside of conventional law, and surrounded by corruption this is often a necessary approach.

     

    Dead Snow: Red Vs Dead Blu-ray Review

         Actors: Vegar Hoel, Organ Gamst, Martin Starr
  • Director: Tommy Wirkola
  • Format: Blu-ray, Widescreen
  • Language: English
  • Dubbed: Norwegian
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Rated: R
  • Studio: Well Go USA
  • Release Date: December 9, 2014
  • Run Time: 100 minutes



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            I have a vague recollection of enjoying Dead Snow, but little about the actual film stands out in my mind. The main problem is the cookie-cutter co-ed characters and set-up that resembled numerous other horror movies. The familiarity of this set-up was only off-set by the creativity and tone of the film’s violence, though the first act forces the audience to spend far too much time with a predictable premise and disposable characters. This problem is immediately resolved in the sequel, which begins where the first film ended, with solitary survivor Martin (Vegar Hoel) battling zombies after accidentally killing his girlfriend and sawing his own arm off. This fast-paced beginning only lets up for moments, but once again filmmaker Tommy Wirkola’s strength lies in the creatively gory action.

     

    What If DVD Review

         Actors: Daniel Radcliffe
  • Format: Multiple Formats, Subtitled, NTSC
  • Language: English
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
  • Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
  • DVD Release Date: November 25, 2014
  • Digital Copy Expiration Date: December 31, 2017
  • Run Time: 90 minutes




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            I desperately wanted to like the romantic comedy spoof, They Came Together, because few genres of film are as formulaic and predictable. The problem with that film was the inability to exceed the sheer ridiculousness of the popular date movie narrative. Even in the attempt to mock romantic comedies, They Came Together simply resembled the worst, most contrived, formulaic and cliché of the genre; like What If. If you picture any stereotypical romantic comedy scenario, it is presented unironically somewhere in the 98-minute running-time of this fluff art.