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    5
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    June 9, 2014
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    June 9, 2014
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GreaterThanDiNozzo's Reviews
 
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
a fitting 50th Anniversary celebration of The Doct
on June 9, 2014
Posted by: GreaterThanDiNozzo
from Tampa, FL
For the 50th Anniversary Special episode of Doctor Who, fans finally get to see a story we’ve only previously heard hints about. 11th Doctor Matt Smith is joined by fan favorite 10th Doctor David Tenant and John Hurt as the War Doctor in an adventure chronicling the darkest story in the Doctor’s past, his committing the genocide of both the ever-homocidal Daleks and his own people The Time Lords in order to spare the universe from all the death and destruction being caused by their ongoing conflict. By the time the 9th Doctor showed up in the modern Doctor Who series in 2005, he carried the weight of that awful event with him. Now, many years later the Doctor is pulled back in time to help his former selves and forced to relive the worst event of his many lives to see if he can fix his past mistakes. This story has not only Daleks as a villain, but also the long overdue reappearance of his old enemies, the shape-shifting Zygons.
The Blu-ray transfer looks great and extra supplements include 2 mini-prequel shorts, a making of segment and Doctor Who Explained – a 50 minute special on all 50 years of Doctor Who. This set includes both the 3D and 2D versions of the special on the same Blu-ray disc and also a dvd copy of the episode.
My Best Buy number: 0749510112
What's great about it: has Matt Smith, David Tennant, John Hurt, Billie Piper, Daleks AND Zygons
What's not so great: n/a
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
2of 2voted this as helpful.
 
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
the best relationship/romance movie of 2013
on June 9, 2014
Posted by: GreaterThanDiNozzo
from Tampa, FL
As I’d expected it probably would be, BEFORE MIDNIGHT was my favorite film of 2013. I’d already been a big fan of the previous 2 films in the trilogy BEFORE SUNRISE and BEFORE SUNSET (see them if you haven’t already, but sadly they’re only on dvd so far, no Blu-ray release yet) and I’d heard that the 3rd film was the best one yet (how many times can you say that about the 3rd film in a series?). While the first film was about Jesse and Celine’s meeting on a train and subsequent night spent walking the streets of Vienna getting to know each other and the 2nd film detailed their meeting again 9 years later in Paris while he was on a book tour, the 3rd film visits them another 9 years later when they are a couple with 2 children vacationing in Athens, right after his son from a previous marriage has just gotten on a plane to return to America. Once again, the story takes place over the course of one day, but this time we see them not during a period of courtship, but as an established couple that has real problems to deal with and enough knowledge of each other that they can get petty and even hurtful in the course of an argument. The best part of the film is an extended argument they have that waxes and wanes and threatens to damage their relationship. This is the best written film of the year and a great, more realistic look at relationships instead of the idiotic, implausible drivel we’re usually subjected to as an audience with typical Hollywood romantic comedies and melodramas. This is a breath of fresh air for anyone tired of the ridiculously formulaic movies we’re often subjected to in the genre.
Being a new movie, the Blu-ray transfer looks beautiful as expected. Professional reviewers have described the picture as flawless.
The only other smart movie about relationships that came out in 2013 that I can think of are HER (basic premise sounded stupid, but it surprised me), THE SPECTACULAR NOW (a thoughtful film on the difficulties of youthful mistakes), and ENOUGH SAID (James Gandolfini).
My Best Buy number: 0749510112
What's great about it: another chance to spend time with Jesse and Celine
What's not so great: the earlier 2 movies still need a Blu-ray release
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
 
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
The most thrilling big screen blockbuster of 2013
on June 9, 2014
Posted by: GreaterThanDiNozzo
from Tampa, FL
THE movie to see on the big screen in 2013 wasn’t some overblown comic book movie, it was a quick, 90 minute visual FX thrill ride called GRAVITY and was one of the very few modern movies actually worth paying the extra money to see in 3D (LIFE OF PI was the best 3D presentation of 2012). Alfonso Cuaron is no slouch, he directed CHILDREN OF MEN, one of the best serious sci-fi movies of the decade. He also directed PRISONER OF AZKABAN, the most artsy movie of the Harry Potter franchise. He’s now proven his ability to tell a lean, compelling thriller. I can’t remember the last time I’d been so on edge at the movies before GRAVITY and the next time that I felt that tense was on the small screen watching GAME OF THRONES season 4 episode 9 with the big battle to defend Castle Black, a tv series which had a lot of episodes prior to make me invested in the fates of its characters and the threat to the 7 Kingdoms if the enemy broke through to pillage the land. GRAVITY doesn’t have the same luxury of time to invest you in its characters, yet it still succeeded in doing so. Despite minimal time for backstory to acquaint us with our characters, we still care what happens to Sandra Bullock and George Clooney’s astronaut characters.
GRAVITY isn’t the type of movie to win awards for a great screenplay, because that’s not what it’s aiming to be. HITCHCOCK was famous for his ability to elicit responses from his audiences, directing their emotions from scene to scene and Cuaron’s GRAVITY works in a similar fashion, albeit in a different genre. I was on the edge of my seat throughout most of the film’s runtime, hoping the characters could survive in the face of an orbiting storm of deadly space junk shrapnel and dwindling oxygen supplies. This was the most tense, thrilling movie of 2013 and I won’t spoil it for you. I was rooting for GRAVITY to win Best Picture on Oscar night because I hadn’t yet seen Spike Jonze’s HER or AMERICAN HUSTLE and my favorite film of the year BEFORE MIDNIGHT was only nominated for Adapted Screenplay (even though the winner of the category was an excellent film, I still think BEFORE MIDNIGHT deserved the recognition).
I’ve long felt that the best visual FX movie illusions aren’t used for the digital conjuring of imaginary dragons or futuristic spaceships and aliens, but the photorealistic creations which our eyes have trouble discerning from real objects. GRAVITY succeeds at this just like LIFE OF PI did the previous year. By adding 3D rendered computer graphics objects to a brilliant conversion of filmed 2D elements, the filmmakers made more effective use of 3D than most films photographed entirely in 3D.
Being a new movie, the Blu-ray transfer looks beautiful as expected and professional reviewers have described the picture and sound quality as flawless and as one of the best-looking, best-sounding Blu-ray releases of the year. I’ve only watched it in 2D so far, but it looks great! I was impressed with the 3D version in theaters, but don’t have the set-up at home to watch the 3D disc right now. I figured it was worth the extra $5 for the 3D disc that I can eventually check out on a friend’s home theater system and the professional reviews on the 3D disc have been very positive.
My Best Buy number: 0749510112
What's great about it: flawless picture and sound on a great movie
What's not so great: was out of stock at first Best Buy I checked, had to drive a bit far
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
 
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
classic action movie fun in beautiful HD quality
on June 9, 2014
Posted by: GreaterThanDiNozzo
from Tampa, FL
Chances are that you already know that this is a highly entertaining popcorn movie classic that spawned one of the most popular American movie action-adventure movie trilogies of its time (I prefer to act as if the disappointing and unnecessary Crystal Skull outing never happened), so all I need to tell you is how the Blu-ray transfer looks on this disc. I haven’t seen the movie look this good since I saw it back in the theater in the early 1980s. I didn’t notice any issues with the transfer and fortunately there’s not excessive use of DNR to artificially smooth over the picture (which notoriously ruined a Blu transfer of Arnold’s action blockbuster Predator and some other big titles). The only down side to this stand-alone release is that the only extras are a few trailers & re-release trailers. If you want behind-the-scenes & interviews, you’ll have to get the Complete Adventures boxset, which has a bonus disc of supplementary materials, including some Hi-Def making-of material of Raiders that wasn’t on the old trilogy dvd boxset. If all you need is a really good-looking Blu-ray transfer of the film itself, this is the way to go.
This is probably my favorite film of the Indy Jones trilogy, followed by Last Crusade and then Temple of Doom, but they’re All a blast!
My Best Buy number: 0749510112
What's great about it: Indy Jones looks better than ever before
What's not so great: no extras except movie trailers
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
 
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Best animated film of the year
on June 9, 2014
Posted by: GreaterThanDiNozzo
from Tampa, FL
As is the case with most Studio Ghibli releases, FROM UP ON POPPY HILL was my favorite animated film of the year. Director Goro Miyazaki will have a long struggle if he’s ever to get out of the shadow of his famous father -- considered among the greatest animation directors of all time (PIXAR’s head honcho John Lasseter is among the ardent admirers of Hayao Miyazaki’s work) -- but this film is a step in the right direction. TALES OF EARTHSEA was a lackluster directorial debut, but Goro’s second feature film really won me over. I hope we can expect more great films from him in the future.
Studio Ghibli has long been associated with making fantasy films like PRINCESS MONONOKE, SPIRITED AWAY, PONYO, MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO, NAUSICAA, CASTLE IN THE SKY and HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE, but Hayao and company have recently decided to start to focus on telling stories set in a more reality-based world. This film fits in more with Ghibli movies like WHISPER OF THE HEART and older titles which sadly haven’t been released yet in America like ONLY YESTERDAY and OCEAN WAVES. FROM UP ON POPPY HILL is basically a charming teenage romance set in early 1960s Yokohama coupled with a subplot about the students doing some major cleaning and renovations to their high school’s large, dilapidated clubhouse to rescue it from being demolished to construct a new building for extra-curricular activities clubs during a sweep of beautification being done in advance of the Tokyo Olympics. Even though this film isn’t quite up to the level of Goro's father Hayao Miyazaki’s best and most famous works, it’s still a great movie and highly recommended and is better than most non-PIXAR animated films.
Being a new movie, the Blu-ray transfer looks beautiful as expected and professional reviewers have described the picture and sound quality as flawless. There are hours of special features on here, from trailers and interviews & press conferences with the director, writer and even the singer and arranger of the theme song. There’s even a supplement looking at how the city of Yokohama looks now compared to back in the early 1960s when the story is set. The only extra I haven’t watched yet is a storyboards feature which runs the length of the film itself.
My Best Buy number: 0749510112
What's great about it: heartwarming family entertainment
What's not so great: Hayao Miyazaki is still a better director than Goro
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
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