As I said when the DVD was announced, I wanted to see The Dark Knight Rises mainly because of Anne Hathaway’s Catwoman, um, Selina Kyle. I didn’t catch it in theaters, because I find these spectaculars too dark for my taste. I don’t even recall if I ever saw The Dark Knight (because I was [...]

Although I published the first half of this list earlier this month, I did watch a few more movies I wanted to chat about. The Craft The Craft (1996) Four teen girls indulge in magic, bad things ultimately happen in this “be careful what you wish for” film. I remembered that the girls were Robin [...]

Idea Channel this week, in looking at how the “Happy Birthday” song is still legally protected, takes on a subject dear to my heart: how to balance copyright with, as they put it, “adding to the pool of freely available culture”. It’s a complex question, and I think they do a good job of pointing [...]

Parker, a movie based on the Donald Westlake novels about an extraordinarily tough guy, is in theaters January 25. You may be familiar with the graphic novels adapted by Darwyn Cooke from the same source material. The film stars Jason Statham, Jennifer Lopez, Michael Chiklis, and Nick Nolte. Here’s the trailer: To promote the film, [...]

I’ve brought back this feature after a six-month hiatus (due to my cross-country move), but I’m posting early because the rest of the month is likely to be taken up with holiday prep and such. Her Cardboard Lover (1942) The ever-debonair Robert Taylor (who didn’t often do comedy) is infatuated with the often-scandalous Norma Shearer. [...]

Dredd, the recent movie take on the long-running comic character, has been announced for home video on January 8, 2013. Dredd on Blu-ray There are two disc editions: 3-D Blu-ray (which includes both 3-D and standard movie versions on one disc, plus digital copy and UltraViolet, suggested retail price $39.99) or the DVD version (which [...]

Warner Archive, the made-on-demand DVD site that sells directly to customers, is expanding into Blu-rays. The first two releases, available on November 20, will be the 1982 Deathtrap, a twisty adapted-play thriller starring Michael Caine and Christopher Reeve (available on DVD, but the Blu-ray will be widescreen), and the 1962 Gypsy, a musical about the [...]

Ah, Warner Archive, home of so many wonderful childhood TV memories. Actually, I don’t remember watching Shazam! The Complete Live Action Series, but I must have, because I remember watching The Secrets of Isis, and the two shows ran together. (By the way, big thanks to my buddy David for picking me up a copy [...]

The Amazing Spider-Man As I expected from reviews, I thought the performances in The Amazing Spider-Man were better than the material. I was a bit burned out on the story after recently rewatching the first three movies on Blu-ray, but I was sucked back in to this reboot due to the casting. The acting keep [...]

MADtv: The Complete First Season The comedy TV series MADtv, inspired by everyone’s favorite comic magazine, was one of those shows that only ever released one season to DVD. Warner brought out the first season in 2004 (which, by the way, you can get right now for under $8 through the link on the right), [...]

TCM’s Star of the Month is Constance Bennett, with a focus on her films every Tuesday in November. Probably best known today for Topper, where she was the fun-loving female half of the ghost couple, I’ve found her lesser-known movies quite enlightening about far-gone mores as well as enjoyable. Tuesday night starts off with Lady [...]

Trying to kill time at work while waiting for Halloween? Check out these two online entertainments posted to promote Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, now out on DVD. The first is called Axe Yourself, and no, it has nothing to do with the gross body spray. You upload a photo and dress yourself up as a [...]

For some reason, I’m really getting into Halloween this year, so I thought this historical fantasy thriller mash-up would be fun — especially since a friend recommended it as goofy and enjoyable. It was. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter jumps right into things, with Lincoln as a boy trying to stop the [...]

Due to my move, I had missed seeing Magic Mike in theaters, so I was thrilled to check it out on home video. It’s available today on Blu-ray, DVD, or digital download. Superheroes just don’t do it for me when it comes to attractive, buff men in tight-fitting clothing, since unlike this movie, they don’t [...]

The marketing for Iron Man 3, opening in theaters May 3, 2013, is ramping up with today’s release of the trailer, as shown here: The movie, directed by Shane Black from a screenplay by Drew Pearce and Shane Black, features Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) fighting the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley). As shown in various promotional [...]

The Dark Knight Rises, the third in the most recent cinematic Batman trilogy (the one directed by Christopher Nolan), comes to Blu-ray, DVD, and digital download on December 4. Here’s a trailer: I look forward to seeing Anne Hathaway’s Catwoman, and I find the extras promoting the Batmobile (as opposed to any of the human [...]

Disney has finalized plans and dates for some upcoming Marvel movies. Iron Man 3, opening May 3, 2013, will now be available in 3-D. So will Thor 2, which is now called Thor: The Dark World, opening November 8, 2013. I don’t watch 3-D films any more, because they give me a headache and I [...]

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter I haven’t seen Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, but a good friend loved it, since he was in the mood for a cheesy action flick at the time. Now, it’s coming to home video on Tuesday, October 23, just in time for Halloween. For an historical action thriller, it doesn’t look too [...]

Shout! Factory’s horror line, Scream Factory, is running a Year of Fear contest where the grand prize winner will get a one-year subscription to their releases. That means the winner gets one copy of each new Scream Factory title released between Halloween and 10/31/13. (Winner gets to choose Blu-ray or DVD format.) Titles include: They [...]

Masters of the Universe (25th Anniversary) To mark the release of Masters of the Universe on Blu-ray for the movie’s 25th anniversary, Warner Bros. has provided a copy of the movie for me to give away! To enter this contest, simply leave a comment below. A winner will be picked randomly from all entries on [...]