Rope of Silicon » DVD and Blu-ray Reviews

'The Secret World of Arrietty' Blu-ray Review

Brad Brevet — Wed, 30 May 2012 20:12:45 +0000

I missed The Secret World of Arrietty in theaters, largely due to not wanting to see it with an English dub, now that it's out on pristine Blu-ray I can see it in its original Japanese language and boy does it look fantastic.

Nine Things I Learned Listening to David Cronenberg's 'A Dangerous Method' Blu-ray Commentary

Kevin Blumeyer — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 18:52:10 +0000

Kevin has sifted through David Cronenberg's audio commentary on the just released Blu-ray for A Dangerous Method and come away with nine interesting facts about the production.

I Happen to Like My Nose… I Like Breathing Through It!

Brad Brevet — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 19:44:54 +0000

Paramount's new Blu-ray transfer of Chinatown is well worth the purchase as the colors pop off the screen and this noir looks better than it ever has.

'The Muppets' Blu-ray Review

Kevin Blumeyer — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 15:15:30 +0000

Despite not knowing much about the Muppets, Kevin dives into the new The Muppets (Wocka Wocka Value Pack) Blu-ray and likes what he finds.

'The Three Musketeers' Blu-ray Review

Kevin Blumeyer — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 12:00:18 +0000

As tired as the Pirates franchise may be after four films, even its most mediocre entries fare better than cheap imitators like The Three Musketeers.

'High Road' Blu-ray Review

Kevin Blumeyer — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 20:03:33 +0000

Kevin sits backs and relaxes with the direct-to-DVD stoner, road comedy High Road and recommends you do the same. After all, just because it's straight to DVD doesn't mean it isn't funny, it just means it doesn't have a bunch of Usher and Kanye West songs.

'Battle Royale' (Extended Cut) Blu-ray Review

Brad Brevet — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 20:40:40 +0000

Even I have drawn comparisons between Battle Royale and The Hunger Games and I hadn't even seen Battle Royale yet. Now that I've seen it what do I think? How does the Blu-ray stack up? Find out everything with just a click...

'Footloose' Blu-ray Review

Kevin Blumeyer — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 21:44:58 +0000

Kevin takes a stab at reviewing Footloose and offers a kind backhand at its silliness.

Did You Know 'Mission: Impossible 2' is a Remake of Hitchcock's 'Notorious'? Here, Have a Look…

Brad Brevet — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:02:09 +0000

Credit isn't paid, but Mission: Impossible II is a clear rip-off of Alfred Hitchcock's Notorious. And while it's interesting that M:I 2 pays no credit to the Hitchcock feature, what's more interesting is the difference in how the stories are told as 55 years separate the two.

My Three Favorite Moments in Hitchcock's 'Spellbound'

Brad Brevet — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:47:04 +0000

Alfred Hitchcock's films all contain gems of brilliance, no matter how good or bad the film may be. When it comes to Spellbound, which just hit Blu-ray recently, I can't necessarily say it's a great film, but I can point to three specific moments that truly wowed me.

Hitchcock Shows Us How to Do a Flashback in 'Rebecca'

Brad Brevet — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:00:26 +0000

The Blu-ray for Alfred Hitchcock's Rebecca, his only film to ever win Best Picture, is now available and on top of taking a look at the new release I felt I'd point out one particular moment that truly impresses me when it comes to what may be my favorite Hitchcock feature.

Blu-ray Review: Godzilla (Criterion Collection)

Brad Brevet — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:15:15 +0000

Criterion has taken the metaphorical monster of the nuclear age and delivered it in pristine high definition with a slew of special features worth exploring. Here's my review of the Blu-ray edition of Godzilla as presented by the Criterion Collection.

Blu-ray Review: Belle de Jour (Criterion Collection)

Brad Brevet — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:31:32 +0000

Criterion brings Luis Bunuel's classic Belle de Jour to Blu-ray and with it a spectacular audio commentary and supplemental video piece that opened the film up to me and cause me to draw a comparison to David Cronenberg's A Dangerous Method.

Blu-ray Review: Traffic (Criterion Collection)

Brad Brevet — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:23:13 +0000

Criterion brings Steven Soderbergh's four-time Oscar winning drug war classic to Blu-ray in an impressive fashion with a transfer that makes the film look better than ever and a group of features worth exploring.

Blu-ray Review: The Help

Kevin Blumeyer — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:18:57 +0000

Kevin watched The Help three times in the process of reviewing it and now declares it "one of the most enjoyable movies of the year." Click on through to find out why.

Blu-ray Review: Super 8

Kevin Blumeyer — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:40:45 +0000

Kevin reviews the Blu-ray for J.J. Abrams' Super 8 saying it "remains enjoyable through repeat viewings, even if a little of the luster begins to wear off."

Blu-ray Review: The Devil's Double

Brad Brevet — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 20:02:06 +0000

Both the supporters and detractors of The Devil's Double seem to be leaning too far to either hate or love as comparisons to Scarface are a bit too much and those looking for top notch drama were looking for too much. Find yourself in the middle and you should be quite satisfied.

Blu-ray Review: Fanny and Alexander (Criterion Collection)

Brad Brevet — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:08:22 +0000

Ingmar Bergman's final feature film deserves your attention for the quality piece of cinema it is and Criterion has done a knockout job of delivering a package well worth your money. Fanny and Alexander is highly recommended, click on through to find out why...

'The Tree of Life' Blu-ray Review

Kevin Blumeyer — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:30:25 +0000

Kevin has now watched The Tree of Life more than five times and can't wait for more and he's recommending you purchase the recently released Blu-ray, click on through to find out why...

Blu-ray Review: 'Kuroneko' (Criterion Collection)

Brad Brevet — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 21:40:55 +0000

I hadn't seen any of Kaneto Shindo's films before pushing play on Criterion's Blu-ray release of Kuroneko, the director's 1968 supernatural horror about two spirits in the bamboo forest that have been feasting on the throats of unsuspecting samurai. I was lured in by the premise, but how does it hold up?

'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides' Blu-ray Review

Kevin Blumeyer — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:00:47 +0000

Kevin sits down and endures Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides on Blu-ray and comes away unscathed, but does he recommend you buy it for yourself?

'Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings' DVD Review

Brad Brevet — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:30:02 +0000

I skipped Wrong Turn 3 after really enjoying Wrong Turn 2 and return to the franchise for the prequel story, Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings. How did it turn out?

Blu-ray Review: The Lion King (Diamond Edition)

Brad Brevet — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 17:23:44 +0000

Disney has done it again. They've released a definitive edition of one of their animated classics on Blu-ray as The Lion King will now dominate store shelves along with the box-office.

Blu-ray Review: The Killing (Criterion Collection)

Brad Brevet — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 17:59:45 +0000

Criterion recently brought Kubrick's Paths of Glory to beautiful high-definition and now the director's 1956 heist feature, The Killing, arrives with a special inclusion, the helmer's 1955 feature Killer's Kiss. Releasing The Killing is one thing and should be enough to get you to buy this title, but the fact it also includes Killer's Kiss pretty much means any Kubrick fan simply has to buy it. I'm sorry, but those are the rules.

Blu-ray Review: X-Men: First Class

Kevin Blumeyer — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 19:45:10 +0000

Of all the superhero movies released this year (and there have been a lot), X-Men: First Class is by far my favorite. Yes, it's another one of those origin stories, but it feels fresh and unlike anything else in the franchise while still tying together everything that came before (or should I say after?) it. [...]

Blu-ray Review: Scarface

Brad Brevet — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 12:25:41 +0000

Growing up in the '80s, Scarface was always one of those films I watched when I was younger because of the violence and Al Pacino's over-the-top, yet mesmerizing, portrayal of the title character and my enjoyment of it continues to this day. I notice a bit more than I did then, but the point of [...]

Blu-ray Review: Hanna

Brad Brevet — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 14:43:28 +0000

When it comes to owning movies the last concern of mine is the supplements. Special features are akin to the sprinkles on a cupcake most of the time and rarely do they add to the flavor of the overall package. Certainly there are moments when features stand out, such as the inclusion of Killer's Kiss [...]

Blu-ray Review: Léon Morin, Priest (Criterion Collection)

Brad Brevet — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 23:29:04 +0000

This is not the kind of film I expect from Jean-Pierre Melville based on the films of his I've seen. Taking place in Nazi-occupied France, who would've ever thought Melville would present a "life during wartime" drama and seemingly focus so little on the war? Instead, he focuses on a woman (Emmanuelle Riva) and her [...]

3 'Must Buy' Criterion Blu-rays: Clouzot's 'Diabolique,' Kurosawa's 'High and Low' and 'The Battle of Algiers'

Brad Brevet — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 17:12:00 +0000

Time is an annoying thing, it ticks away, aging us all and leaving behind things we meant to do, but never got around to. This is a statement that can be related to just about anything in our short lives, but in this case it happens to be my opening for a large batch of [...]

Blu-ray Review: The Beaver

Kevin Blumeyer — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 14:57:13 +0000

Kevin watched Jodie Foster's The Beaver, which didn't perform too well in theaters, so how does it play at home? Click on through to read Kevin's review of the newly released Blu-ray.