The Movie Review and Discussion Thread - Page 1547 - Blu-ray Forum

Pondosinatra · 01-27-2013, 04:21 AM

Director: Rian Johnson

Main Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Jeff Daniels, Piper Perabo

Rating: 4 out of 5

"Time travel has not yet been invented. But thirty years from now, it will have been." And thus begins Looper, a rare sci-fi gem that offers a fresh look at the time travel genre which has been done so many times before it. While it stars Willis, Gordon-Levitt who plays Willis in the past is the real star. I actually didn't recognize him at first and it was bugging me trying to figure out who he was. He gets Bruce's mannerisms and icy stare down pat. The story is a bit confusing at first but by the time you get a handle on it you're sucked into the movie. There are so many small details in this that show how much thought went into the script and story. And while the film takes place in the future it's a gritty near-future - no spaceships or laser guns to be found here. Without giving anything away, there's also a supernatural element which adds an interesting dimension to things. Think Inception meets Carrie. This is easily Willis' best role since 12 Monkeys which is ironic as that was another excellent time travel movie. I went into this not knowing much about it other than hearing good buzz when it was screened at the Toronto Film Festival. It was a pleasant surprise and I would rank it up there with my favourite sci-fi films. Highly recommended.

Pondosinatra · 01-27-2013, 04:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

...Most of the scares throughout the Alien saga is based on the sexually suggestive stuff...

Well anyone who knows Giger knows he's quite the perv...

Foggy · 01-27-2013, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Dont blame that on the movie, blame it on the viewer.

Why is that a problem? Thats what really happened, including torching the gazillion dollar helicopter that they left behind.

Fair enough, but if I learnt about the 14th Amendment, it would of been quite a long time ago.

The UK doesn't really prioritises a lot of American modern history at high school level (when I stopped doing History).

Quote:

Originally Posted by dag

I'm sorry, I don't understand what you may be dismissing here. The sequence actually is completely accurate.

[Show spoiler]

Again, I didn't read about the raid before going in, but in context of the film it did feel very much out of place.

Romulus · 01-27-2013, 04:48 PM

Watched my first Criterion via Netflix last night.

Ivan's Childhood

Wow. I loved Andrei Tarkovsky's Solaris (1972) and have been meaning to see his other work, so I decided to start from the very beginning. This film is absolutely wonderful across the board. The cinematography is dynamic and beautifully shot. For it being a 1962 film, it has one of the most interesting visual styles I've seen before. The moments where Ivan's dreams clash with reality are striking. Tarkovsky's use of sound to serve as a conflict with the image were well crafted.

Story is dark and bleak, and pretty depressing--but it's captivating from start to finish. Really interesting to see a film about the orphans surviving in a world that is ravaged by war. I found it to be pretty spiritual, which seems to be a common trait among Tarkovsky's films.

[Show spoiler]

Overall the film was pretty perfect for me, so I'm giving it a rare 5/5.

jvince · 01-27-2013, 05:10 PM

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
dir. Peter Jackson

The Good: Martin Freeman surprises as he proves to be a more than capable lead for such a high-profile property. Solid performances. Delightful chemistry. Love the scenes with Gollum; dude's one creepy motherf*cker, that's for sure. Doesn't feel drawn out like most claim. And I must admit (and this is coming from a non-LOTR fan), it's actually fun.

The Bad: Over-reliant on contrivances. There are numerous instances where things happen too conveniently in the nick of time. Nothing particularly special about this adventure (although I didn't see it in HFR 3D, so I can't comment on that). There are some pretty-looking scenes, but I kind of expected much better CGI from such a ridiculously profitable franchise.

The Bottom Line: It's not quite as good as any of the previous Lord of the Rings films, but An Unexpected Journey is good, lighthearted fun for all ages.

SquidPuppet · 01-27-2013, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Romulus

Watched my first Criterion via Netflix last night.

Ivan's Childhood

Wow. I loved Andrei Tarkovsky's Solaris (1972) and have been meaning to see his other work, so I decided to start from the very beginning. This film is absolutely wonderful across the board. The cinematography is dynamic and beautifully shot. For it being a 1962 film, it has one of the most interesting visual styles I've seen before. The moments where Ivan's dreams clash with reality are striking. Tarkovsky's use of sound to serve as a conflict with the image were well crafted.

Story is dark and bleak, and pretty depressing--but it's captivating from start to finish. Really interesting to see a film about the orphans surviving in a world that is ravaged by war. I found it to be pretty spiritual, which seems to be a common trait among Tarkovsky's films.

[Show spoiler]

Overall the film was pretty perfect for me, so I'm giving it a rare 5/5.

Sounds good. Added to my queue. Thanks.

Al_The_Strange · 01-28-2013, 08:04 AM

Godzilla 1998

Just a few years after making Independence Day, Roland Emmerich wreaked even more mass destruction in this incarnation of the classic kaiju film. With CGI all the rage back then, the filmmakers used as much ambition as they could to ramp things up: Godzilla's rampage across New York is a pretty cool sight as he rams into buildings, chomps on helicopters, and something explodes every five minutes or so. At the same time, Emmerich uses his usual formula of intentional comedy and peril to keep the entertainment value rolling constantly.

After seeing a few of the original Japanese films, I got to say that even though Godzilla '98 is standard American popcorn movie fare, it does come close to replicating the style and entertainment of some of the other 90s kaiju films (Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah Giant Monsters All-Out Attack comes to mind primarily).

In spite of that, the story keeps things pretty light and somewhat fluffy. As it is with Emmerich's other films, it jumps around multiple characters to tackle the ambitious story. The characters themselves are generally likable, with some depth and relationships involved, but they never rise above and beyond the spectacle. What helps in the film's entertainment is that it focuses very little on the actual mystery of Godzilla (because by this time, we all know what it is), so it can cut straight to the rampage scenes in a fairly short time. Overall, the story is pretty well-built for what it is, and never aims for anything more.

The film has decent photography. Editing can be a little screwy, as some scenes seem truncated, but it's never irritating or anything. Special effects seemed like the bomb back in '98, but they are showing their age pretty badly. Acting and writing are not too terrible. This production has okay-looking sets, props, and costumes. Music is alright.

While this film won't add much depth to the existing Godzilla lore, it's always struck me as a good ol' fashioned popcorn flick so full of fun and adventure.

4/5 (Entertainment: Good | Story: Pretty Good | Film: Good)

Recommendation: As a rental.

This Blu-Ray looks fairly sharp and clear. Colors and contrast were never great for this film, since so much of it is dark and rainy. There is just a fine layer of film grain that seems slightly fuzzed, but most scenes do look pleasently sharp and clean. Sound quality is adequately bombastic.

PQ: 4/5, AQ: 4.5/5

jvince · 01-28-2013, 11:58 AM

Paddle to the Sea (1969)
dir. Bill Mason

The Good: It's all about a hand-carved toy canoe which drifts from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean, but damn, is it one fine story. Beautiful scenery. Nice photography. Great themes and messages. A film for all ages. "Who knows how far you may go? Who knows how far you've come? But that secret's only known to you..."

The Bad: Missing that extra something, a bit more impact, to put it over the top.

The Bottom Line: It's not quite as great as Lamorisse's immortal, poetic masterpiece, The Red Balloon, but Paddle to the Sea is still an exceptional little gem of a tale of nature and humanity. Recommended.

Abdrewes · 01-28-2013, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DjMethod

I haven't seen any of his other starring roles besides Hot Rod, which was much funnier but also very stupid. Hot Rod is essential viewing to understand his humor though (together with his digital shorts of course). For example, in Celeste and Jesse Forever, there is a scene where Samburg's character was talking to somebody on the phone next to Celeste, and I was cracking up during the entire phone call because I knew where the joke was heading and his emotionless "whatever" face was perfect for it. I don't think many would have found those kind of moments as funny if they don't sync well with his type of humor.

I love this quote.

Do you enjoy revisiting this or was it your first viewing?

Yeah, I cant get on board for anything Samburg is in. I haven't responded to any of the scenes (from trailers) with him. But yeah, I think I'll check this out

Scottie · 01-28-2013, 01:48 PM

I'm surprised there hasn't been a film based off of Lewis and Clark's expeditions yet.

If one ever comes into play, I feel Spielberg would do a good job on it, similar to Lincoln.

Abdrewes · 01-28-2013, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Most of the film is gorgeous, but it's the last fifteen minutes or so that I've always enjoyed the best. Tim Curry made an awesome devil. Yep, I agree with your review.

How does the Theatrical Cut compare? I thought The DC was pretty well paced.

Al_The_Strange · 01-28-2013, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iScottie

I'm surprised there hasn't been a film based off of Lewis and Clark's expeditions yet.

If one ever comes into play, I feel Spielberg would do a good job on it, similar to Lincoln.

Yep, that sounds like it could have potential.

Although when I picture Lewis and Clark traversing through the American wilderness, Terrence Mallick comes to mind (probably because I saw The New World just recently).

Spielburg does most anything decent justice though.

Al_The_Strange · 01-28-2013, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

How does the Theatrical Cut compare? I thought The DC was pretty well paced.

You know, I haven't seen the DC yet, so I'm not sure how they compare. I seem to remember the TC being kinda scrunched and jumbled in a way, so I'm certain that more scenes would give it better breathing room.

Ridley Scott's movies usually are better extended (Kingdom of Heaven, Alien, Blade Runner Final Cut, and Gladiator all come to mind).

Abdrewes · 01-28-2013, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

You know, I haven't seen the DC yet, so I'm not sure how they compare. I seem to remember the TC being kinda scrunched and jumbled in a way, so I'm certain that more scenes would give it better breathing room.

Ridley Scott's movies usually are better extended (Kingdom of Heaven, Alien, Blade Runner Final Cut, and Gladiator all come to mind).

The DC certainly feels like it's the right length, and only at times does it feel jumbled.

I agree that his DCs are much better. That's why I lament the lack of a Prometheus Extended Cut. I though that film could have used more breathing room in the second half.

Abdrewes · 01-28-2013, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Godzilla 1998

Just a few years after making Independence Day, Roland Emmerich wreaked even more mass destruction in this incarnation of the classic kaiju film. With CGI all the rage back then, the filmmakers used as much ambition as they could to ramp things up: Godzilla's rampage across New York is a pretty cool sight as he rams into buildings, chomps on helicopters, and something explodes every five minutes or so. At the same time, Emmerich uses his usual formula of intentional comedy and peril to keep the entertainment value rolling constantly.

After seeing a few of the original Japanese films, I got to say that even though Godzilla '98 is standard American popcorn movie fare, it does come close to replicating the style and entertainment of some of the other 90s kaiju films (Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah Giant Monsters All-Out Attack comes to mind primarily).

In spite of that, the story keeps things pretty light and somewhat fluffy. As it is with Emmerich's other films, it jumps around multiple characters to tackle the ambitious story. The characters themselves are generally likable, with some depth and relationships involved, but they never rise above and beyond the spectacle. What helps in the film's entertainment is that it focuses very little on the actual mystery of Godzilla (because by this time, we all know what it is), so it can cut straight to the rampage scenes in a fairly short time. Overall, the story is pretty well-built for what it is, and never aims for anything more.

The film has decent photography. Editing can be a little screwy, as some scenes seem truncated, but it's never irritating or anything. Special effects seemed like the bomb back in '98, but they are showing their age pretty badly. Acting and writing are not too terrible. This production has okay-looking sets, props, and costumes. Music is alright.

While this film won't add much depth to the existing Godzilla lore, it's always struck me as a good ol' fashioned popcorn flick so full of fun and adventure.

4/5 (Entertainment: Good | Story: Pretty Good | Film: Good)

Recommendation: As a rental.

This Blu-Ray looks fairly sharp and clear. Colors and contrast were never great for this film, since so much of it is dark and rainy. There is just a fine layer of film grain that seems slightly fuzzed, but most scenes do look pleasently sharp and clean. Sound quality is adequately bombastic.

PQ: 4/5, AQ: 4.5/5

I think I'll give this Monstrosity and several other of Roland's films a second look before White House Down comes out.

By the way I enjoyed reading your top 100 Guilty Pleasures and was inspired to rewatch or watch some of them

Al_The_Strange · 01-28-2013, 04:20 PM

There's a little story to my next greatest blind-buy...

So last week, I was in the store and I very impulsively decided to grab Hara-Kiri, Tai Chi Zero (both of which I've now seen and reviewed), and after some deliberation and looking it up on this site, I went back and got Painted Skin: Resurrection. However, I was dismayed to find that PS:R is a sequel, and the first film remains unreleased in the US. I just wouldn't feel right buying a sequel with no original.

I did see a copy of the original Painted Skin for sale from Amazon...in Germany. This site listed English subtitles, but Amazon did not. Hmm, who to believe? I decided to put my trust in Blu-Ray.com rather than Amazon, and I went ahead and ordered the sucker.

I got the disc in just today. No English listed on the back cover.

I decided to open it up and view the disc for myself, just in case it's a misprint.

I put the disc in my region-free player (yep, region-B locked

). It kept starting and stopping. I was getting worried that the disc was incompatible, since it has 3D content on it.

Finally, it loaded! I go to the menu...

No English.

So, that's why my next greatest blind-buy will be a Chinese film viewed with German subtitles, so I may not be able to get all the nuances of the story.

Will review it when I get through it...

Scottie · 01-28-2013, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Yep, that sounds like it could have potential.

Although when I picture Lewis and Clark traversing through the American wilderness, Terrence Mallick comes to mind (probably because I saw The New World just recently).

Spielburg does most anything decent justice though.

Good point.

Terrence Malick is a genius when it comes to the natural environment, so regardless, he would do it justice!

Al_The_Strange · 01-28-2013, 09:10 PM

So the next greatest blind-buy is Wa Pei (Painted Skin).

Watching with German subtitles, I understood maybe a quarter of the dialogue.

There really isn't as much action to the movie as I expected, but it has plenty of lavish scenery. There are a few good fights with exaggerated wuxia stunts and a few interesting (albiet very fake-looking) special effects). If there is any drag, it'd be in the middle; the story seems to meander for quite a bit, before kicking things into high gear for the last thirty minutes.

However, it is the story that matters, and from what I understand of it, it's quite endearing. I think I got the gist of what the thing is all about, and it is an interesting plot. What really stands out to me will be the characters, which are all lovely and endearing, and develop a whole bunch of melodramatic relationships that inevitably clash. I think this cast stands out to me because there are certain archetypes at work (there's a ruler, a seductress, a hero, a demon hunter, a demon, and some other righteous dudes), but none of them are stereotypical or shallow.

The film looks great with decent photography, editing, and a cool lighting and color palette. Acting is swell, I loved the whole cast. The production has plenty of really nice looking sets, props, and costumes. Music is lovely.

4.5/5 (Entertainment: Good | Story: Very Good | Film: Very Good)

Recommendation: Sure.

This Blu-Ray looks quite sharp and highly detailed. However, close inspection does reveal an abundance of digital noise (to include some macroblocking), maybe some slight pixilation, and quite a few grainy scenes. Color and contrast range from looking good to looking rather dull. Sound quality is not bad, but there are a few moments that tend to be louder than the dialogue, which is irritating.

As mentioned in my previous post, this disc has no English, just Mandarin and German.

PQ: 3.5/5, AQ: 4/5

This disc is region-B locked.

iam1bearcat · 01-28-2013, 11:30 PM

Deep Water (documentary) 3.5/5

decent documentary about a group of folks who attempted to sail around the world solo in the late 60's. the film talks about one person in particular and how he knew nothing about sailing when he headed out, lied about how far he was, panicked and began having psychological issues due to the isolation (as did all the folks who headed out).

a few died, the guy who "won" stayed out and went half way around the world AGAIN before stopping, and the guy who lied recorded and wrote his thoughts down and died (i believe fell overboard or committed suicide in this capacity) so the film shows some journal entries and recordings.

neat watch, but nothing memorable.

Abdrewes · 01-29-2013, 12:07 AM

Just Saw the first two movies from the Lone Wolf & Cub series. Absolutely fantastic! A very propulsive story of a ronin that accepts morally dubious assasination jobs from various clans. Along side him is his boy, the titular "cub" and, oh boy, do the ever go on one rip roaring adventure.

It's fantastic fun watching the laws of physics and physiology broken in the breathtaking squirt-tactic battle scenes.

01-27-2013, 05:10 PM	#30925
jvince Blu-ray Knight Top contributor Member since:Jan 2011 4K collection:17 Blu-ray collection:239 Blu-ray reviews: 15 Trading Score:15	A Movie A Day: Day 281 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) dir. Peter Jackson The Good: Martin Freeman surprises as he proves to be a more than capable lead for such a high-profile property. Solid performances. Delightful chemistry. Love the scenes with Gollum; dude's one creepy motherfcker, that's for sure. Doesn't feel drawn out like most claim. And I must admit (and this is coming from a non-LOTR* fan), it's actually fun. The Bad: Over-reliant on contrivances. There are numerous instances where things happen too conveniently in the nick of time. Nothing particularly special about this adventure (although I didn't see it in HFR 3D, so I can't comment on that). There are some pretty-looking scenes, but I kind of expected much better CGI from such a ridiculously profitable franchise. The Bottom Line: It's not quite as good as any of the previous Lord of the Rings* films, but An Unexpected Journey is good, lighthearted fun for all ages.*

01-28-2013, 08:04 AM	#30927
Al_The_Strange Blu-ray Prince Top contributor Member since:Apr 2009 Location:Out there...past them trees... Home Theater Gallery:126 4K collection:1143 Blu-ray collection:4960 DVD collection:530 Digital collection:1013 Blu-ray reviews: 132 Trading Score:32	Godzilla 1998 Just a few years after making Independence Day, Roland Emmerich wreaked even more mass destruction in this incarnation of the classic kaiju film. With CGI all the rage back then, the filmmakers used as much ambition as they could to ramp things up: Godzilla's rampage across New York is a pretty cool sight as he rams into buildings, chomps on helicopters, and something explodes every five minutes or so. At the same time, Emmerich uses his usual formula of intentional comedy and peril to keep the entertainment value rolling constantly. After seeing a few of the original Japanese films, I got to say that even though Godzilla '98 is standard American popcorn movie fare, it does come close to replicating the style and entertainment of some of the other 90s kaiju films (Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah Giant Monsters All-Out Attack comes to mind primarily). In spite of that, the story keeps things pretty light and somewhat fluffy. As it is with Emmerich's other films, it jumps around multiple characters to tackle the ambitious story. The characters themselves are generally likable, with some depth and relationships involved, but they never rise above and beyond the spectacle. What helps in the film's entertainment is that it focuses very little on the actual mystery of Godzilla (because by this time, we all know what it is), so it can cut straight to the rampage scenes in a fairly short time. Overall, the story is pretty well-built for what it is, and never aims for anything more. The film has decent photography. Editing can be a little screwy, as some scenes seem truncated, but it's never irritating or anything. Special effects seemed like the bomb back in '98, but they are showing their age pretty badly. Acting and writing are not too terrible. This production has okay-looking sets, props, and costumes. Music is alright. While this film won't add much depth to the existing Godzilla lore, it's always struck me as a good ol' fashioned popcorn flick so full of fun and adventure. 4/5 (Entertainment: Good \| Story: Pretty Good \| Film: Good) Recommendation: As a rental. This Blu-Ray looks fairly sharp and clear. Colors and contrast were never great for this film, since so much of it is dark and rainy. There is just a fine layer of film grain that seems slightly fuzzed, but most scenes do look pleasently sharp and clean. Sound quality is adequately bombastic. PQ: 4/5, AQ: 4.5/5 Last edited by Al_The_Strange; 01-28-2013 at 12:05 PM.

01-28-2013, 11:58 AM	#30928
jvince Blu-ray Knight Top contributor Member since:Jan 2011 4K collection:17 Blu-ray collection:239 Blu-ray reviews: 15 Trading Score:15	A Movie A Day: Day 282 Paddle to the Sea (1969) dir. Bill Mason The Good: It's all about a hand-carved toy canoe which drifts from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean, but damn, is it one fine story. Beautiful scenery. Nice photography. Great themes and messages. A film for all ages. "Who knows how far you may go? Who knows how far you've come? But that secret's only known to you..." The Bad: Missing that extra something, a bit more impact, to put it over the top. The Bottom Line: It's not quite as great as Lamorisse's immortal, poetic masterpiece, The Red Balloon, but Paddle to the Sea* is still an exceptional little gem of a tale of nature and humanity. Recommended.*

Similar Threads
thread	Forum	Thread Starter	Replies	Last Post
What movie have you watched the most ???	Movies	BLUE MYSTIC RAIN	822	02-04-2023 01:21 PM
The Most Boring Movie You Ever Watched	Movies	Blu Man	3990	10-11-2022 10:18 AM
What Blu-ray Are You Watching Or Just Watched? Give a Mini Review	Blu-ray Movies - North America	slick1ru2	30	01-24-2010 07:09 PM
Official Rate The Last Movie You've Seen Thread	Movies	_Bolt_	10	11-29-2008 03:28 AM
User Review Rate Down Trolls	Feedback Forum	Grant Matrix	1	10-30-2008 04:34 PM

01-27-2013, 04:21 AM	#30921
Pondosinatra Banned Top ranked HT gallery Member since:Jun 2008 Location:Calgary, Alberta Home Theater Gallery:45 Trading Score:2	Director: Rian Johnson Main Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Jeff Daniels, Piper Perabo Rating: 4 out of 5 "Time travel has not yet been invented. But thirty years from now, it will have been." And thus begins Looper, a rare sci-fi gem that offers a fresh look at the time travel genre which has been done so many times before it. While it stars Willis, Gordon-Levitt who plays Willis in the past is the real star. I actually didn't recognize him at first and it was bugging me trying to figure out who he was. He gets Bruce's mannerisms and icy stare down pat. The story is a bit confusing at first but by the time you get a handle on it you're sucked into the movie. There are so many small details in this that show how much thought went into the script and story. And while the film takes place in the future it's a gritty near-future - no spaceships or laser guns to be found here. Without giving anything away, there's also a supernatural element which adds an interesting dimension to things. Think Inception meets Carrie. This is easily Willis' best role since 12 Monkeys which is ironic as that was another excellent time travel movie. I went into this not knowing much about it other than hearing good buzz when it was screened at the Toronto Film Festival. It was a pleasant surprise and I would rank it up there with my favourite sci-fi films. Highly recommended.

01-27-2013, 04:48 PM	#30924
Romulus Special Member Member since:Mar 2008 4K collection:4 Blu-ray collection:158 Blu-ray reviews:2	Watched my first Criterion via Netflix last night. Ivan's Childhood Wow. I loved Andrei Tarkovsky's Solaris (1972) and have been meaning to see his other work, so I decided to start from the very beginning. This film is absolutely wonderful across the board. The cinematography is dynamic and beautifully shot. For it being a 1962 film, it has one of the most interesting visual styles I've seen before. The moments where Ivan's dreams clash with reality are striking. Tarkovsky's use of sound to serve as a conflict with the image were well crafted. Story is dark and bleak, and pretty depressing--but it's captivating from start to finish. Really interesting to see a film about the orphans surviving in a world that is ravaged by war. I found it to be pretty spiritual, which seems to be a common trait among Tarkovsky's films. [Show spoiler] Overall the film was pretty perfect for me, so I'm giving it a rare 5/5.

01-28-2013, 01:48 PM	#30930
Scottie Moderator Top contributor Member since:Oct 2010 Location:Rhode Island Trading Score:647	I'm surprised there hasn't been a film based off of Lewis and Clark's expeditions yet. If one ever comes into play, I feel Spielberg would do a good job on it, similar to Lincoln.

01-28-2013, 04:20 PM	#30936
Al_The_Strange Blu-ray Prince Top contributor Member since:Apr 2009 Location:Out there...past them trees... Home Theater Gallery:126 4K collection:1143 Blu-ray collection:4960 DVD collection:530 Digital collection:1013 Blu-ray reviews: 132 Trading Score:32	There's a little story to my next greatest blind-buy... So last week, I was in the store and I very impulsively decided to grab Hara-Kiri, Tai Chi Zero (both of which I've now seen and reviewed), and after some deliberation and looking it up on this site, I went back and got Painted Skin: Resurrection. However, I was dismayed to find that PS:R is a sequel, and the first film remains unreleased in the US. I just wouldn't feel right buying a sequel with no original. I did see a copy of the original Painted Skin for sale from Amazon...in Germany. This site listed English subtitles, but Amazon did not. Hmm, who to believe? I decided to put my trust in Blu-Ray.com rather than Amazon, and I went ahead and ordered the sucker. I got the disc in just today. No English listed on the back cover. I decided to open it up and view the disc for myself, just in case it's a misprint. I put the disc in my region-free player (yep, region-B locked ). It kept starting and stopping. I was getting worried that the disc was incompatible, since it has 3D content on it. Finally, it loaded! I go to the menu... No English. So, that's why my next greatest blind-buy will be a Chinese film viewed with German subtitles, so I may not be able to get all the nuances of the story. Will review it when I get through it...

01-28-2013, 09:10 PM	#30938
Al_The_Strange Blu-ray Prince Top contributor Member since:Apr 2009 Location:Out there...past them trees... Home Theater Gallery:126 4K collection:1143 Blu-ray collection:4960 DVD collection:530 Digital collection:1013 Blu-ray reviews: 132 Trading Score:32	So the next greatest blind-buy is Wa Pei (Painted Skin). Watching with German subtitles, I understood maybe a quarter of the dialogue. There really isn't as much action to the movie as I expected, but it has plenty of lavish scenery. There are a few good fights with exaggerated wuxia stunts and a few interesting (albiet very fake-looking) special effects). If there is any drag, it'd be in the middle; the story seems to meander for quite a bit, before kicking things into high gear for the last thirty minutes. However, it is the story that matters, and from what I understand of it, it's quite endearing. I think I got the gist of what the thing is all about, and it is an interesting plot. What really stands out to me will be the characters, which are all lovely and endearing, and develop a whole bunch of melodramatic relationships that inevitably clash. I think this cast stands out to me because there are certain archetypes at work (there's a ruler, a seductress, a hero, a demon hunter, a demon, and some other righteous dudes), but none of them are stereotypical or shallow. The film looks great with decent photography, editing, and a cool lighting and color palette. Acting is swell, I loved the whole cast. The production has plenty of really nice looking sets, props, and costumes. Music is lovely. 4.5/5 (Entertainment: Good \| Story: Very Good \| Film: Very Good) Recommendation: Sure. This Blu-Ray looks quite sharp and highly detailed. However, close inspection does reveal an abundance of digital noise (to include some macroblocking), maybe some slight pixilation, and quite a few grainy scenes. Color and contrast range from looking good to looking rather dull. Sound quality is not bad, but there are a few moments that tend to be louder than the dialogue, which is irritating. As mentioned in my previous post, this disc has no English, just Mandarin and German. PQ: 3.5/5, AQ: 4/5 This disc is region-B locked.

01-28-2013, 11:30 PM	#30939
iam1bearcat Blu-ray Knight Member since:Nov 2009 Location:Club Loop Home Theater Gallery:7 Blu-ray collection:54 DVD collection:28 Trading Score:29	Deep Water (documentary) 3.5/5 decent documentary about a group of folks who attempted to sail around the world solo in the late 60's. the film talks about one person in particular and how he knew nothing about sailing when he headed out, lied about how far he was, panicked and began having psychological issues due to the isolation (as did all the folks who headed out). a few died, the guy who "won" stayed out and went half way around the world AGAIN before stopping, and the guy who lied recorded and wrote his thoughts down and died (i believe fell overboard or committed suicide in this capacity) so the film shows some journal entries and recordings. neat watch, but nothing memorable.

01-29-2013, 12:07 AM	#30940
Abdrewes Blu-ray Prince Top contributor Member since:May 2011 Location:Texas 4K collection:767 Blu-ray collection:9831 DVD collection:523 Digital collection:1 Blu-ray reviews:1 Trading Score:362	Just Saw the first two movies from the Lone Wolf & Cub series. Absolutely fantastic! A very propulsive story of a ronin that accepts morally dubious assasination jobs from various clans. Along side him is his boy, the titular "cub" and, oh boy, do the ever go on one rip roaring adventure. It's fantastic fun watching the laws of physics and physiology broken in the breathtaking squirt-tactic battle scenes.

Best Blu-ray Movie Deals