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- First reviewJanuary 20, 2015
- Last reviewJuly 25, 2016
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![Little Fockers [2 Discs] [Blu-Ray/DVD] [Blu-ray/DVD] [2010]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/2125/2125303_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
2
Coming soon.... Dead Fockers...
on June 2, 2016
Posted by: JakeInLivnColor
Verified Purchase:Yes
In the year 2000, a little unassuming comedy called Meet the Parents was released and was a surprise smash hit, critically popular and even earned an Oscar nod for Best Song. It was funny, but I failed to see why it was so popular with everybody. The cast was really good and played up to the comedy well, it was well directed and well written with a lot of potential, but it had one major flaw. The film wanted us to feel deep empathy for Greg Focker.
The film kept on dumping on him for him being a nurse, his unusual last name, his liberal leanings and non-WASPy background. If Greg accidentally did something wrong, everyone, including his fiancee, would turn their backs on him and leave him out in the cold. Sure, Jack was in the CIA and very protective of his family but his, and his family's, hatred for Greg was unjustified.
The sequel cranked up the gross-out humor, which is strange since the first film had next to none. The casting was yet again perfect (Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Blythe Danner along with Dustin Hoffman and Barbara Streissand as Greg's parents), but the film was overly long, fairly joyless and yet again, Greg being dumped on by Jack. So how is the third, and possibly last, film in the series?
5 years after Meet the Fockers, Greg (Ben Stiller, yet again returning) has left nursing behind to work at a pharmaceutical company. His twins are about to turn 5, and his father-in-law Jack (De Niro, reprising his role) comes in and visits along with his wife Dina (Blythe Danner). Jack has been diagnosed with a heart condition and decides to pass on the head of the family to Greg, rather reluctantly.
Greg's sister-in-law recently divorced her husband, and was the original pick to head the family, but cheating on her with a nurse changed things severely. Of course Greg and Jack butt heads, yet again, because Jack thinks he is having an affair with drug rep Andi Garcia (Jessica Alba). No joke, her name is Andi Garcia. Let it sink in.
Anyways Greg and Jack finally have it out but tragedy strikes and family must come first to keep it together despite problems that every family suffers.
Okay, first things first.... Why did it take 6 years for the writers to mash out more lame jokes based on the surname Focker? Is it really that hard Hollywood? Anyways, I have to say this is a hugely unfunny, unneeded and unfortunately successful.
The story could have been interesting, with death inching closer and closer, and trying to pass on the family torch to a new head, but then they revert back to Focker jokes, gross out gags and a hot chick, because why not?
Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro are such good actors, but the screenplay makes the characters unlikable and irredeemable that has me praising the heavens above that (So far....) there has been no more films in the series. Blythe Danner and Teri Polo, as Dina and Pam respectively, are given nothing to do, Jessica Alba is terrible in the film (Deserving of that Razzie) and Hoffman and Streissand contribute nothing but names on the marque, with their subplots shoehorned in with the grace of a size 14 slamming into a size 8 shoe.
Paul Weitz is usually a pretty good director, with his brother Chris Weitz at his side, with About a Boy, American Pie and several others under their beltz, but he just let the whole film sink into cheap cash-in mode, sucking up every last cent from unimpressed audiences. The screenplay, as I stated above, is complete garbage and crippled with sever sequelitis.
Of course there are a few positives, namely Owen Wilson returning as Jack's pick for Pam's husband, Kevin. The cinematography is decent, the score complacent, set design, sound and everything else pretty sound and well budgeted. But, after checking up on IMDb.com for some information, I saw the budget was for $100 million. I didn't see a CGI sci-fi film, an action extravaganza, or a crazy comedy that involves a huge cast traversing the southwestern US in search of money. This is a blockbuster budgeted movie where the joke is a last name.
Money not well spent...
Moving on to the disc itself, we start off with the PQ. Shot on 35mm film (Increasingly rare for comedies nowadays), the film looks like a modern day comedy, with that golden light glow, some murky indoor shots, but all around a sharp and detailed pictured. There is some softness and some minor ringing here and there, but I attribute this to the cinematographer and director's wishes.
The AQ is also well-done, being a standard comedy track. The 5.1 DTS-HD track is mainly centered upfront, rendering the dialogue balanced and audible (Unfortunately...) but sometimes there is some balancing issues where the music can overtake the dialogue from time to time. LFE is quite nice and surprising, but serviceable to fans of the film.
The AQ is also well-done, being a standard comedy track. The 5.1 DTS-HD track is mainly centered upfront, rendering the dialogue balanced and audible (Unfortunately...) but sometimes there is some balancing issues where the music can overtake the dialogue from time to time. LFE is quite nice and surprising, but serviceable to fans of the film.
Moving to the extras, we start off with 14 minutes of deleted scenes, all in HD, and all like the film; rarely funny. There is also 7 minutes of alternate scenes of the same quality, and in HD. There is a fairly lengthy outtakes reel, clocking in at 7 minutes, and there are actual laughs. More laughs than the entire film and at 1/10 the time!
The Making of a Godfocker (Awww geez.....) is a pretty decent 15-minute featurette on the making of the film, just nothing groundbreaking. Bob and Ben is a 5 minute sitdown with de Niro and Stiller, but with de Niro being infamously quiet and shy, it ends up being a one-sided affair. Ben and Owen though improves on matters, but its also 5 minutes and fairly forgettable.
Bout Time is a 4 minute is probably the most interesting featurette, talking about the fight Jack and Greg have at the climax, but being as short as it is makes it disheartening that nothing substantial was really included on the disc. Finishing off the on disc extras is The Focker Foot Locker, a very lame 2 minute mashup of every time someone has said "Focker", and BD-Live functionality as well. There is also a DVD and a digital copy included along with another code for a free movie, both of which are expired.
So if you couldn't tell, I pretty much hated the film and not really fond of the franchise as a whole. I pretty much expect to be thrown out of the Circle of Trust at this point, and I couldn't be more happier.
My Best Buy number: 0751976050
My Best Buy number: 0751976050
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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![E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial [Anniversary Edition] [Blu-ray/DVD] [Includes Digital Copy] [1982]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/6499/6499319_sa.jpg)
Posted by: JakeInLivnColor
Verified Purchase:Yes
After making people scared to swim in the ocean, wonder what was inside the alien spacecraft, deciding what to make of 1941 and making kids actually believe archaeology is more than just dusting off dirt from fossils, Steven Spielberg needed a much needed break from directing blockbusters, and decided to do a little tale about a young boy who finds a friend.... who is from another world.... from another galaxy. Is this a small film that is just there gathering dust on the filmography of Spielberg, or an instant classic?
Set in modern times (circa 1982), a group of aliens who are studying flora of Earth are scared into fleeing back to their spaceship to escape capture. Unfortunately, one of them was left behind to fend for itself. Alone.
Elliot (Henry Thomas giving a hugely impressive performance, coming from a 10 year old) lives in a California suburb with his mother, Mary (Dee Wallace), older brother Michael (Robert MacNaughton) and his little sister Gertie (Drew Barrymore, in a star-making performance) whose father has recently divorced Mary and ran off to Mexico. Elliot strives to hang out with his older brother and his friends playing cards, and is made to pick up a pizza, in order to be dealt in.
While coming back, pizza in hand, Elliot hears something in the tool shed, and scares off the creature. He tries to get his family to believe him but they brush him off. Of course, Elliot, being the inquisitive type, plants some Reese's Pieces to lure out the alien. Discovering that this is a creature from another world, Elliot hides the being from his mother, but lets Michael and Gertie in on his secret friend. After awhile, he bonds with the alien psychically, which alters their moods and feelings and affects them physically as well.
The alien starts to learn English by watching Sesame Street with Gertie and even names himself E.T., after Elliot's encouragement. E.T., after reading a Buck Rogers comic strip, gets the idea to build a communication antenna to "phone home". Sneaking out during trick'r'treat, Elliot and E.T. manage to successfully contact his homeworld, but E.T. starts to get ill, with their symbiotic relationship affecting their health and both start dying.
Unfortunately, the US government manage to track E.T. and want to use E.T. as an experiment. But will E.T. die? Will Elliot recover? Will E.T.'s home world ever rescue E.T.?
It was kind of interesting that this was a small-scale film for Spielberg, just seemingly trying to vent some steam from blockbuster filmmaking, and inadvertently directed the highest grossing film of all-time (Which lasted 11 years until Jurassic Park), an instant classic and possibly his best directed film.
The cast is fantastic, Thomas delivering a great performance as Elliot, managing to carry the movie. MacNaughton is a natural big brother, believably picking on his younger siblings while also managing to capture the innocence of a child. Barrymore is a 5 year old, and is spot on with rampant imagination, talking and asking questions a great deal and no filter, just like real children.
Although this is a kid-centric film, the two major adult actors also do well, though their parts aren't as fully fleshed out as the children. Wallace is quite good as Mary, managing to keep things together despite an impending dissolution to her marriage of her (unseen) husband, while being a terrific mom, making a living, cooks, cleans... you know, motherly things. Peter Coyote is the government agent chasing E.T., only know as "Keys", due to him carrying a keyring on his belt, and does well with the few scenes he has available.
The direction by Spielberg is terrific, giving us a sensational kids point of view, with wide, open eyes full of wonder and amazement that he brings out in the cast and, most importantly, the audience. The screenplay by the late Melissa Mathieson is quite good, with memorable set pieces, dialogue and capturing child's mentality to a tee.
The camerawork by the oft-overlooked D.P. Allen Daviau is amazing, with great use of nighttime shots, shadows, lighting and camera placement for awe-inspiring affect. The score by the legendary John Williams, is outright fantastic, managing to be subtle but also able to deliver a rousing, epic chase scene score that stands with his music from the Star Wars films, Indiana Jones and Superman as some of his best work. The editing, sound effects (That E.T. voice is largely credited to Ben Burtt's effective sound mixing and editing), set design and visual effects are also top notch and effective.
Moving on to the bluray, we start with the PQ/AQ. Being a Universal catalog title, I was curious how the picture was going to turn out. Mainly, I was worried because they tend to overuse DNR on their BluRay's to give the film a waxy, digital look and effectively removing film grain and details. Luckily, the 1080p remastered picture retains the 35mm film grain, but manages to look amazing after 30+ years after release. Sharp details, accurate colors and skintones, and revealing details into the E.T. suit and visual effects shots (Sometimes too revealing) all add up to a beautiful transfer that can only be outdid by an 8k remaster and plopped onto a nice 4K BluRay.
The AQ is also impeccable with the 7.1 DTS-HD track aiding the film with impeccable quality. Though sourced from analog sound elements, the BluRay sound mixers managed to give E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial some much needed TLC, giving us subtle but noticeable directional elements, some nice bass and the biggest beneficiary being the score. Williams' score sounds amazing in lossless surround sound, managing to fill the air space with every speaker utilized to the highest with some deep low-end output.
The extras are plentiful and manage to mix old and new features, starting off with a new, 13-minute featurette entitled Steven Spielberg & E.T. Spielberg focuses on how the film came to be, making the film and how it has lasted all these years. Next up is the best extra, The E.T. Journals, which is almost an hour's worth of BTS films shot during production of the film, and all in glorious HD! The final new extra are two deleted scenes spanning over 4 minutes and also in HD.
Coming from the 20th Anniversary DVD is a 38-minute featurette called A Look Back. It is a look back on the film on the past 20 years and is quite good. The Evolution and Creation of E.T. is a 50-minute making of, also a very worthwhile featurette. The E.T. Reunion (18-minutes) is a cast and crew reunion for the 20th Anniversary talking about their favorite memories from making the film. The 20th Anniversary Premiere is 18 minutes of John Williams performing music from the film live at the 20th anniversary screening. The last featurette is The Music of E.T., a ten minute chat with the maestro himself, John WIlliams, talking about his ideas and thoughts of creating the music for E.T. Finishing up are 45 minutes of photos, drawings, posters and more from the movie, an Olympics TV spot and the film's trailer finishing off the on disc extras.
The Digibook offers photos, actor bio's, essays and more and is very sturdy and well-designed. Also included is a DVD with a couple of extras and a digital copy to watch on the go.
Missing extras include a much-talked about scene featuring Harrison Ford, a 90-minute documentary from the 1996 laserdisc, an intro from Spielberg, a music only soundtrack, and most importantly, the 2002 version with added scenes and CGI "enhancements". Although disliked by Spielberg, I still would've appreciated the inclusion, if only for comparison's sake.
As you can tell, this is one of my favorite movies of all time, and is definitely a must own for any film lovers collection. Go and buy it now!
My Best Buy number: 0751976050
My Best Buy number: 0751976050
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![The Notebook [Blu-ray] [2004]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/2602/2602546_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
4
Saccharin... It makes a movie extra sweet!
on May 31, 2016
Posted by: JakeInLivnColor
Verified Purchase:Yes
Nicholas Sparks isn't a great writer, in my honest opinion. He struck gold with the film's namesake (The Notebook), and just kept pumping out the same story over and over again, regardless of character. If it's two white Southerners who fall in love under difficult circumstances, then its a Sparks novel/film. Sort of like Stephen King with horror movies: i.e. if its kids who live in Derry, ME, unearth an Indian burial mound and the parents are abusive Christians, then its a King novel/movie.
The film is no different but despite my distaste for Sparks' body of work, this film was a huge success and has apparently stood the test of time.... so far.
Set in modern day (Circa 2004) Duke is an elderly man (Played by the late, great James Garner) who makes his regular visit to an elderly female patient suffering from dementia (Gena Rowlands, mother of director Nick Cassavettes) to tell her stories from the 1940's.
We then cut to 1940s South Carolina, where a young teenager named Noah (Ryan Gosling in his breakout role) is smitten with new girl Allie (Rachel McAdams), and desperately tries to get her attention. After threatening to kill himself from the top of a Ferris Wheel (Real romantic....), they slowly fall for each other and have a summer romance.
Unfortunately the romance is short lived when her parents dislike of Noah due to his lack of wealth and they pack up to return to Charleston, SC, their original home. Noah is desperate for her love, and Allie desperately wants Noah but her mother hides her letters away the Noah sent everyday for year, just to keep them apart.
Noah joins WWII over in Europe, while Allie becomes a nurse for wounded soldiers and falls for a soldier named Lon (James Marsden) and they plan to wed. Noah spies the couple after returning home to South Caroline, and in order to reacquire their love, he buys a house he promised to buy Allie hoping to win her back.
Allie visits Noah and that's when the crucial decision between young love and new love come to a head. Will she choose a man named after a the builder of the Ark or Cyclops?
If you have seen every chick flick, romantic film or any film, rather, you know where this is headed. Predictable, saccharin, overly saturated and not good for you at all. But once in a while its ok to indulge.
Let me start with the acting, firstly Ryan Gosling. Is there anything this man can't do (besides starring in The Lovely Bones but that's another review for another time) extremely well? He is likable, charming and acts beyond his years. Rachel McAdams, was a relative newcomer, only knowing her at the time from The Hot Chick and Mean Girls and is pretty good here, matching with Gosling remarkably well.
The real showstoppers are Garner and Rowlands, as Duke and the patient. I loved the emotion and effort they put into their rather small roles but man I wish the whole film was about their blossoming romance instead of reverting back to the 1940s.
The direction by Nick Cassavettes is another issue. Sure he lends the look of the film an appropriately Southern feel, warm glowing colors, rustic roads and houses and also directs his actors with aplomb but as a whole the film is uneven. A more skilled director could've smoothly transitioned from the modern day to the past, instead of jarring cuts that go from a hospital to Europe, in the heat of battle.
The screenplay, by Jeremy Leven, is equally problematic, with sluggish pacing, sugary dialogue and all around predictable. The score provided by Aaron Zigman is syrupy-maudlin at its finest, and with the addition of the golden hour cinematography c/o Robert Fraisse all add up to a movie so sweet, that it's been known to cause diabetes.
But.... I must admit I do like the movie. I really do. Mainly due to the Rowlands/Garner angle but McAdams and Gosling also make the film work and sell the living daylights out of the movie. I have seen better romance films (Ghost, Pretty Woman, etc.), but watching it with your loved one(s) makes it that much more likable, and therefore watchable. Just not too much or you'll regurgitate.
As for the BluRay, we move along to the PQ/AQ. Shot on 35mm film, the film is rather good on the PQ, with the colors popping off the screen, exceptionally sharp details, and the constant glow from the summer sun shine on your TV/monitior. The audio, though not as showy as the picture, it does what it does and does it well. The 5.1 Dolby TrueHD track is accurate and on point, centered for the most part, but picks up steam when there is the hustle and bustle of a busy street, music plays, the short time spent in WWII, and a few other scenes offer a nice experience, just not a demo worthy experience.
Moving on to the extras, we start off with 2 commentaries, one with the director and the other with author Nicholas Sparks. Next up are 28 minutes worth of deleted scenes. After that are 4 featurettes, starting with All in the Family (12 min.). The featurette is about the director, talking about his career, his filmmaking style, and so on and so forth. Southern Exposure (12 min.) talks about the sets and locations used in the film.
A Simple Story, Well Told (7 min.) talks about the life and career of Nicholas Sparks, albeit very briefly. Last, and certainly least according to the runtime of 4 minutes, is Casting Ryan & Rachel. This deals with the casting of the two young leads. Finishing up the extras are the audition tapes of Rachel McAdams and the films trailer. Pretty solid, though not exceptional... just like the film.
All in all, this is a decent film, overrated but still charming, with great picture and sound, along with some decent extras that gives some insight about the film. $10 or less if you can find it cheaply and comes recommended to the romantic in your life.
My Best Buy number: 0751976050
My Best Buy number: 0751976050
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Skyfall [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/7005/7005273_sa.jpg)
Posted by: JakeInLivnColor
Verified Purchase:Yes
I waited eagerly for four years for the next 007 film to come out, after the minor disappointment that was Quantum of Solace. I waited mainly for the next theme song, after disliking Another Way to Die to some extent and eagerly awaited the return to glory of the previous theme You Know My Name.
When Adele was announced to sing the title, I wasn't too surprised but was disappointed, since I wasn't a huge fan of hers at the time. I listened to the music video for the first time around a month before SkyFall was to be released. I listened to it, kind of perplexed by how I was indifferent to the song. I listened to it again, and again nonplussed.
When Adele was announced to sing the title, I wasn't too surprised but was disappointed, since I wasn't a huge fan of hers at the time. I listened to the music video for the first time around a month before SkyFall was to be released. I listened to it, kind of perplexed by how I was indifferent to the song. I listened to it again, and again nonplussed.
After skipping the release in theaters and listening to the song over and over the months until February, when the film was released on BluRay, I slowly became a fan and then a huge defender of the song to those who bashed the song or Adele personally on chatboards and YouTube comments.
Lyrically, the song is beautiful, giving off the mysterious nature of Bond, keeping in tune the nature of the story. Adele delivers her vocal talents extremely well here, her smoky vocals starting off well, then bursting at the chorus with energy and passion and emotion. The backing music by Paul Epworth gives us the epic Bond music with amazing orchestrations of the horn section and the slow, steady guitar feeding the string section in the middle that swells into an awesome finish.
A terrific song, and is already a classic in my books and will stand the test of time.
The CD itself is of high quality, with the audio sounding fantastic with a high bitrate aiding in a terrific presentation. The album cover art is ok, nothing special and would've loved an instrumental of the title theme, but for a physical copy, its a great way to buy the song and own it forever.
My Best Buy number: 0751976050
My Best Buy number: 0751976050
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Hocus Pocus [2 Discs] [Blu-ray/DVD] [1993]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/6623/6623158_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
4
It's all just a bunch of hocus pocus.....
on May 29, 2016
Posted by: JakeInLivnColor
Verified Purchase:Yes
1993 was an important year, for me at least. I had just turned 5, started kindergarten, Jurassic Park was a huge hit and revolutionized special effects and, of course, was the year Hocus Pocus was released. Renting it on VHS waaaaaay back in the day, my family fell in love with the film, watching it every year around Halloween, making a fall staple for us. I thought for years I was the only one who loved this movie, but lo and behold, it has grown into a quite sizable cult. But like any cult, should it be rightfully cherished 20+ years later, or should it drink the spiked Kool-Aid and fade away?
Starting off in 1693, Thachary Binx is a teenager in Pre-Colonial Salem, MA, right around the infamous witch trials. The Sanderson sisters Winifred (Bette Midler, going delightfully over the top), Mary (Kathy Najimy) and Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker) are witches, looking to suck the soul out of the local children to stay young and live forever.
They lure Emily Binx, Thachary's sister, to their cabin, to make success of their plan, but not with Thachary putting up a valiant fight. Emily perishes and Thachary is turned into a black cat, made immortal to live with the pain of Emily's death. The townsfolk successfully hang the sisters, and the Binx's mourn the loss of their two children.
300 years later in (then) modern day Salem, Max Dennison (Omri Katz) is the new kid in town, having moved from Los Angeles and is not a believer in.... well,... all the hocus pocus involved shaping Salem. Having a rough adjustment period (Being denied the girl, bullies stealing his shoes, his sister invading his space), his night is made worse by having to babysit his sister Dani (A very young Thora Birch) and be embarrassed in front of his fellow school chums.
Of course he and his sister make up and hit up the next house, which is the home of his crush, Allison (Vinessa Shaw). They chit chat for a bit, talking about the Sanderson sisters, before learning that their home was turned into a museum, but was shut down over superstitions involved with witchcraft. Max, still being bullheaded about the whole thing with witches, he lights up the Black Flame Candle, unknowingly unleashing the sisters in modern times. Teaming up with Binx, now a talking cat, they now must their wits and modern know-how to defeat the Sandersons before they take every child in Salem and become immortal.
Having grown jaded over the past two decades, having to pay bills, having a job, etc, I was weary that I would hate and despise this film, deeming it just a "kid's movie" or "nostalgic feelings that faded long ago", but on the contrary. I actually enjoy this film more than ever!
The plot is pretty much by-the-numbers, predictably going through certain story beats to an upbeat ending of triumph over evil, but there are some fun stops amongst the story. Though the kids are pretty much exposition stops, the witches facing the 20th century is a real hoot, discovering paved roads, television and new modes of transport when their rides are stolen by kids. The performances from Midler, Najimy and Parker are enjoyably over-the-top, with their exaggerated facesand actions beefing up the humor and selling it to the nth degree. The kids performances are very well done, as well. Katz is a good lead, Shaw being a believable love interest and Birch being the standout performer. Though she was only 7-8 when filmed, she had a future ahead of her and is still a terrific actress, though very underrated, unfortunately.
The direction by Kenny Ortega helps sell the main trio's performances, with him specializing in directing musicals, along with being a choreographer, while balancing the story, performances, comedy and special effects rather well. Speaking of the F/X, this was one of the first times I ever saw CGI enhancements and/or a photo realistic recreation of an animal on screen, and while it has gotten way better in 20 years, the effects still stand up and barely noticeable for the most part.
While the camerawork, sets, costumes, music and more are well done, the editing is kind of off in one segment. Late in the film, the kids lure the sisters into the high school, hoping to stop them, but viewing after viewing, I keep asking, "How do they lure them to the school?" or "How did the kids get in?" and several more like it. Overall, the editing is good, but be prepared for this eyesore of a scene transition.
Moving on to the BluRay, let's start out with the picture and sound. The PQ is nothing revolutionary, offering a stable image with accurate colors and decent detail, but comes across as fairly soft, though thankfully DNR-free. The AQ is nice as well, with some surround elements used from time to time, but nothing to show off your new Dolby Atmos setup.
The extras are non-existant. For such a cult classic that has grown bigger and bigger over the years, I expected to see something along the lines of a commentary, a reunion with cast and crew, possibly the deleted scenes show in the trailer, or even the 1994 making-of. Even the trailer would have been nice, but no. Disney cheaped out and just released the film to perfunctory levels and no extras to justify a $15 price point. A DVD copy is included (I don't know if it's the 2002 non-anamorphic release or not) and also has no extras whatsoever.
Overall, this film is fun for the whole family and stands up rather well. This is perfect for those looking for their next cult fix, reliving some 90s nostalgia or just want to be entertained for 90 minutes. The BluRay is worth the purchase for the anamorphic transfer, but with decent PQ/AQ and no extras, catch it on sale for $10 or less.
My Best Buy number: 0751976050
My Best Buy number: 0751976050
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials [Includes Digital Copy] [Blu-ray] [2015]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/4526/4526500_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
4
Not exactly The Godfather Part II, not Troll 2...
on March 8, 2016
Posted by: JakeInLivnColor
Verified Purchase:Yes
YA novel adaptations are a dime a dozen, since Harry Potter struck box office gold back in 2001 and running a full decade (Before of course the new trilogy coming out in November 2016) which has since been tried by Hollywood to start new franchises without any luck most of the time with films such as The Host, The Golden Compass and more failing to earn those box office ducats and much critical success, Twilight and The Hunger Games have come the closest earning back billions for Lionsgate/Summit and even Divergent earning some nice notice though considered a huge ripoff (Book and film) of The Hunger Games. Fox decided to upstart their own franchise in 2014 with The Maze Runner, to surprising critical notices and even more surprising earnings at the box office. It wasn't exactly a huge breath of fresh air, though it had enough ideas to keep things interesting and well-paced with good acting and nice direction by first timer Wes Ball. One year later (Can't we have breaks of two years to help prevent fatigue?) the sequel was released to mediocre notices and lesser success in the US, though still a huge hit worldwide and a promised sequel coming 16 months later vs. the usual year spacing, to help prevent tiredness and hopefully get a better movie in the process. The story takes place directly after the first, with the Gladers escaping the Maze and being led into the hands of the WCKD. Thought to be a sanctuary, they slowly realize they are trapped in a prison and decide to escape into The Scorch where there are creatures called Cranks after them but also a true sanctuary beyond the Scorch. So of course, the film was admittedly written to not follow the novel and along with the slight rushed feeling and you can feel it not being as good as the first film. Wes Ball gives us a slow opening where the kids enter the WCKD, but things do pick up once they escape and must face past civilizations of decades past, the acting is fairly good as well with the main stars and older supporting cast acquitting themselves nicely, the special effects looking nice for a moderately budgeted film (The first film was shot for $35 million and this one about $65 million). I just hope the third film doesn't split into two and stays closer to the source material than the this film, but all in all a good time and totally recommended. The BluRay PQ/AQ is of course reference quality, with the digitally sourced photography looking excellent with deep colors, sharp details that show every facet of clothes, skin and the environment, and just looks demo-worthy. The sound is also amazing and only the 4K bluray or an IMAX showing would best the home formats. Extras are just as numerous as the first film, starting with the audio commentary with Wes Ball, TS Nawlin, and two other film crew members, a detailed documentary called Secrets of the Scorch (A series of featurettes that go in depth of the making-of this film), a series of "confessions" from the character Jansen, Visual Effects Breakdown with commentary by Wes Ball, a 15(!) minute gag reel, deleted and extended scenes with optional commentary, photo galleries and the trailer complete the on disc extras. There is also the DVD with a few of the extras from the BluRay, a Digital HD copy and a nice comic book that follows the first one included with the first film. All in all, a very awesome set worth full price, even if the film isn't quite up to par of the first, but the terrific PQ/AQ, numerous extras make it easier to bite the bullet or wait until it hits the $10 mark, as I did. It is soooo worth it and totally recommended.
My Best Buy number: 0751976050
My Best Buy number: 0751976050
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![UHF [25th Anniversary Edition] [Blu-ray] [1989]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/2567/25674774_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
5
"We Got It All... On UHF!!!"
on February 24, 2016
Posted by: JakeInLivnColor
Verified Purchase:Yes
1989.... considered one of the best film years in history. Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade, Licence to Kill, Batman, Glory, Driving Miss Daisy, Back to the Future Part II, Lethal Weapon II and many more to consider this is absolutely epic. In the summer of that year, a little film squeaked into the release schedule by fledgling studio Orion Pictures titled UHF, a comedy featuring Weird Al Yankovic in his first feature starring role. And last unfortunately, as this film was a critical failure and was a bomb at the box office despite Orion's test screenings saying it was their highest rated film in their history which warranted a summer release. As you can see with the slate of films of the summer being legendary, its no surprise the film failed to find an audience (That, an a hugely unwarranted PG-13 rating!) until it hit home video later that year. Year after year, the film was a high grosser in rentals and sales and became a staple of cable TV during the weekends and for many years was the only way to see the film since the LaserDisc and VHS copies went out of print until 2002 when a surprise extras laden edition was released by MGM and became a top seller for a while after that. So far I haven't mentioned the movie itself, and there is not much to tell except it is a classic comedy. Its really just about a daydreamer who is given the keys to a UHF station that is on death's door and is given life by Yankovic's character George Newman, with such shows that star their janitor (Played by Michael Richards) to such movies as Gandhi II where its more like Dolomite than a biopic of the famed leader. Yes, its very episodic, but with a nice performance by Weird Al as the lead, David Bowe as his faithful friend, comedian turned nutjob Victoria Jackson as his girlfriend and a terrific villain in Kevin McCarthy, it all adds up to a must watch and own. It'll make you want to buy the movie a spatula (Don't ask, see the movie) because you'll love it so much! On the disc itself, the PQ/AQ is surprisingly fantastic for a low budget film from 27 years prior with a nice sharp picture, natural film grain and accurate color detail, despite there not being a remaster and some various dust and specks here and there. The audio is also surprisingly strong from a LPCM 2.0 track with some great separation of audio and the music having a nice low end to it despite no subwoofer channel support. The extras are recycled from the 2002 DVD, with one of the best commentaries you'll ever hear with Yankovic and director Jay Levey that is funny, detailed and never goes silent for more than a few seconds at a time. There is also around 20 minutes of deleted scenes straight from a VHS from Weird Al's closet that has a few clips of unseen shows on the network (For good reason), some scenes of the villain and of course a deleted subplot featuring a friend of George's girlfriend. A fake making-of, with some real behind the scenes footage that lasts 4 minutes, the music video for the song "UHF", promotional materials including trailers, tv spots and posters and production stills complete the carried over materials from the original DVD. The only new feature is a 51 minute feature from the 2014 ComiCon panel about the 25th anniversary edition of the BluRay being released along with chats about his music career and et cetera. Truly, a fine release that has great PQ/AQ, terrific extras and just an all around great film that is totally worthy to sit on your bluray shelf! A must own!
My Best Buy number: 0751976050
My Best Buy number: 0751976050
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Kingsman: The Secret Service [Blu-ray] [2015]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/2700/2700041_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
5
Not Bond, but still an awesome flick!!!
on January 26, 2016
Posted by: JakeInLivnColor
Verified Purchase:Yes
When I first heard of Matthew Vaughn's newest film, I didn't think much of it. It was another comic book film, which was released concurrently with the release of the film, that had a big star in a supporting role and a young up-and-comer in the lead. So it was pretty much like Kick-A**, and was hoping it would be different. After seeing a few trailers, skipping it out in theatres (Too busy most of the time for a night at the movies, unfortunately) and seeing it got a ton of rave reviews (Along with a ton of controversy) and a hefty chunk of change at the box office, I decided to give this one a view. Boy am I glad I did! This film is filled with a story lifted from Bond (A billionaire decides to rid of most of Earth's populace with tampered SIM cards that produce a frequency that instantly makes everyone violent to the point of murderous rage) that has tons of callbacks to the 60s Bond era (Like Vaughn's previous film X-Men: First Class) and loads of style to choke a playboy. The cast is exceptional, with great turns by Colin Firth (He is surprisingly awesome as an action star!), Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Caine, Mark Strong and the big breakthrough performance by Taron Egerton as the hero, Eggsy Unwin. Just a total must-see, no matter if you view it in theaters, rent the DVD, buying the BluRay, or even a rental on CinemaNow, this is a must own, unless you are against a very-hard R film filled with brutal violence, coarse language, and some sensual scenes that contain nudity, but still buy it! The BluRay's PQ/AQ is a top notch presentation, with sharp, detailed picture sourced from a digital shoot, that is very filmic and colorful with details that range from wrinkles in the face to the very fabric of the Seville Row-suits being easily countable to the stitch, and very loud and accurate sound that surrounds the viewers in a wash of bullets, explosions and blows to the face with fists and/or feet. The extras, are a bit disappointing (with an early press release stating there would be an unrated cut and a commentary), but still contains some goodies. The big extra is a 90-minute documentary, split up over several featurettes which can be viewed together or in chunks, that is very detailed and BTS-oriented that covers everything from inception of the comic book to release. All in all, a very good documentary. Also of note is several photo galleries and some trailers to complete the mediocre, but still decent extras. Also included is a Digital HD copy of the film (Wished it had a DVD so I can view on the go without having to download a version on my phone so I don't waste data) and since it is a Best Buy exclusive, has the first issue of Kingsman, in mini-comic book form, a nice touch BBY. All in all, a very good release, that is not for all tastes, but has enough action and humor to satisfy fans of either genre, demo worthy PQ/AQ and some decent extras to make it a must buy. Of course, if you have a 4K TV, wait until March 1st to pick up the 4K release (Also includes the standard BluRay) to really show off your setup!!!
My Best Buy number: 0751976050
My Best Buy number: 0751976050
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Vacation [Blu-ray] [2015]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/4575/4575915_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
2
Worst in the series.... not including NL CV 2
on January 4, 2016
Posted by: JakeInLivnColor
Verified Purchase:Yes
Yes... the new Vacation was unleashed to the average moviegoer last summer, debuting to lousy critical notice, even worse box office (Though a sequel is still planned since it did gross around $100 million worldwide on a $30 million dollar budget) but did fairly well with audiences according to CinemaScore with a solid B.... way better than most comedies this day and age but still its not that good of a movie in my opinion. This film is a reboot/sequel/remake of the original film, where Rusty Griswold is the family man this time around (Played by Ed Helms) with a family of his own consisting of his wife Debbie (Christina Applegate) and two sons, Kevin & James. The family all tire of going to the same cabin year in and year out, so Rusty decides to take his family to Wally World, hoping to strengthen the bond of his family and relive his past trip to Wally World 30 years prior. And hijinks ensue with stops at Debbie's old college sorority, run-ins with a mysterious trucker, a stop at an all "natural" hot spring and more all without the same charm and hilarity as the original film. The film has a great and talented cast, but the character of Rusty is all wrong. Ed Helms performance is okay, but the approach is not Rusty at all from the previous films. In the older films, Rusty is a witty, smart alleck kid who is cooler and even headed and is wise beyond his years, but in this film, he is mild mannered, and a bit of a doofus, which is Clark not Rusty. The kids are hugely annoying and one-sided (Look the other brother is a gentle hearted weakling! Look the younger brother is a foul-mouthed brat!), Audrey became hugely stupid and also unbelievable to the original character and seemingly only married her husband (A very game Chris Hemsworth, one of the best parts of the film!) for a man, the car is just a redo of the Truckster, and the humor is gross-out and expletive filled. I'm no lightweight when it comes to comedy, I love gross out comedy, but only if it suits the style of the film or stays true to the original film but this film is gross and brass for the sake of being gross and brass. Sure, I laughed at the whole hot springs scene, and the scene where a steer meets a 4-wheeler and Debbie vomits profusely after chugging a whole pitcher of beer and being repeatedly struck with teddy bears and other obstacles (Don't ask!), but the original's humor lie with the escalating situation of the ensuing journey and the slow descent into madness with Clark leading to one of the all time best verbal blow ups ever filmed. So if you like crude comedy that is unneeded and characters that are unfaithful to their previous incarnations, then by all means buy it, but even then, wait for it to hit $10 or less. The PQ and AQ are tiptop, with the modern digital photography looking sharp and colorful and the audio, when the occasion calls for it, surrounds the viewer with nice separation of sound effects and music and all heard loud and clear. No complaints here. The extras, are unfortunately fairly lackluster, with only a couple of decent EPK's with only a smidgen of BTS, and loads of talking heads saying its soo much fun being on the set and being part of a legacy. Meh. The deleted scenes are ok, but nothing worth being put in the film and the gag reel is terribly unfunny (OMG!!!!!) with the last feature being an advertisement on the state of Georgia and how filming there was such an amazing experience. A DVD and a DC is also included to round off the package. So in all fairness, just rent it from Redbox, or just catch it on TBS where its bound to end up in a few years and totally not worth your time.
My Best Buy number: 0751976050
My Best Buy number: 0751976050
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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![Terminator: Genisys [Includes Digital Copy] [Blu-ray/DVD] [Only @ Best Buy] [2015]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/9042/9042057_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
5
The 3rd Best Film in the Series!!!!
on January 3, 2016
Posted by: JakeInLivnColor
Verified Purchase:Yes
It has been 12 years since the last good Terminator film was released, 12 years since Arnold was the Terminator, but all the waiting was worth it! The film starts post-Judgment Day, with the intro on how Kyle Reese meets John Connor with years passed and the inevitable victory over SkyNet with one final offensive to end it all, with the exception of how SkyNet sent a T-800 back in time to kill Humanity's Last Hope's mother, Sarah. Instead of sending Kyle back in time to 1984 and having him do his thing like in the first film, something has changed and Reese is sent back and forward in time (But still back in time, from Reese's POV) with Sarah already the rough 'n' tough "soldier" as seen in T2 and with Arnold Schwarzenegger as her new father figure, Pop, teaming up to take on their toughest and most feared adversary yet... which I won't spoil for you here but watch the film and be surprised and very well entertained!!! I watched this film in 3D in theatres and was delighted how well the 3D was done (One of the best post-conversions ever) and the PQ was fantastic. Although this BBY exclusive was 2D only, the BluRay recreates the theatrical experience perfectly along with the loud and thunderous aural 7.1 core sound (Dolby Atmos surround) being amazing! The extras for the standard BluRay are mediocre, consisting of 3 featurettes nearly running an hour, but the bonus disc is outright awesome with a full length documentary on all things Terminator which is worth the price of admission alone, even if you hate Genisys, its worth owning this disc for the PQ/AQ to show off your 1080p display and best surround sound setup and comes highly recommended!!
My Best Buy number: 0751976050
My Best Buy number: 0751976050
I would recommend this to a friend!
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