New Blu-ray Reviews

James Dean Blu-ray Movie  

Ultimate Collector’s Edition / With Book / Rebel Without a Cause / East of Eden / Giant / Blu-ray + DVD

Warner Bros. | 1955-1956 | 3 Movies | 430 min | Rated PG-13 | Nov 05, 2013 | Michael Reuben

See individual titles for synopses.

Drama / Romance / Western / Teen / Period / Coming of age

Prince Avalanche Blu-ray Movie  

Magnolia Pictures | 2013 | 94 min | Rated R | Nov 12, 2013 | Michael Reuben

Two highway road workers spend the summer of 1988 away from their city lives. The isolated landscape becomes a place of misadventure as the men find themselves at odds with each other and the women they left behind.

Comedy / Drama

Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion Blu-ray Movie  

Indagine su un cittadino al di sopra di ogni sospetto / Blu-ray + DVD

Criterion | 1970 | 116 min | Not rated | Dec 03, 2013 | Dr. Svet Atanasov

A Kafkaesque tale of a Roman police inspector investigating a heinous crime—which he himself committed.

Crime / Drama / Foreign

Eve of Destruction Blu-ray Movie  

Shout Factory | 1991 | 99 min | Rated R | Nov 19, 2013 | Jeffrey Kauffman

Eve is a robot, modelled on "her" creator. Eve's armoury includes a nuclear bomb, which for unexplained reasons is on-board during Eve's testing. When things go wrong during the tests, Eve is lost in the big city. Enter the rescue team, which includes the real (human) Eve. They must find and disarm her before...

Action / Sci-Fi / Thriller

The To Do List Blu-ray Movie  

Blu-ray + UV Digital Copy

Sony Pictures | 2013 | 104 min | Rated R | Nov 19, 2013 | Martin Liebman

Feeling pressured to become more sexually experienced before she goes to college, Brandy Klark makes a list of things to accomplish before hitting campus in the fall.

Comedy / Romance / Teen

The Message Blu-ray Movie  

Le message

Starz / Anchor Bay | 1976 | 178 min | Rated PG | Nov 12, 2013 | Martin Liebman

Handsomely-mounted historical epic concerns the birth of the Islamic faith and the story of the prophet Mohammed

Adventure / Biography / Drama / History / War

Lion of the Desert Blu-ray Movie  

Omar Mukhtar

Starz / Anchor Bay | 1980 | 173 min | Rated PG | Nov 12, 2013 | Martin Liebman

This movie tells the story of Omar Mukhtar, an Arab Muslim rebel who fought against the Italian conquest of Libya in WWI. It gives western viewers a glimpse into this little-known region and chapter of history, and exposes the savage means by which the conquering army attempted to subdue the natives.

Biography / Drama / War

Monty Python's The Meaning of Life Blu-ray Movie  

30th Anniversary Edition / Blu-ray + UV Digital Copy

Universal Studios | 1983 | 107 min | Rated R | Oct 08, 2013 | Brian Orndorf

The Monty Python group examines the meaning and purpose of life in a series of sketches from conception to death and beyond. In typical Monty Python fashion they satirizes almost everyone.

Comedy / Musical / Dark humor / Surreal

Nosferatu Blu-ray Movie    

Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens | Masters of Cinema | Limited Edition / Blu-ray + DVD

Eureka Entertainment | 1922 | 94 min | Rated BBFC: PG | Nov 18, 2013 | Dr. Svet Atanasov

In this first-ever screen adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula, a simple real-estate transaction leads an intrepid businessman deep into the superstitious heart of Transylvania. There he encounters the otherworldly Count Orlok — portrayed by the legendary Max Schreck — who soon after embarks upon a cross-continental voyage to take up residence in a distant new land...

Horror / Supernatural / Foreign / Period

Giant Blu-ray Movie  

Warner Bros. | 1956 | 201 min | Rated G | Nov 05, 2013 | Michael Reuben

Jordan 'Bick' Benedict Jr., is a wealthy landowner and cattle rancher who marries a spoiled and wealthy Virginian woman. When the two return to his cattle empire in Texas, conflicts around race, class and changing traditions including former cowboy and now rich oil tycoon Jett Rink rise to epic proportions through the years and test the unity of the family and surrounding community.

Drama / Romance / Western

Tank Girl Blu-ray Movie  

Collector's Edition / Blu-ray + DVD

Shout Factory | 1995 | 104 min | Rated R | Nov 19, 2013 | Jeffrey Kauffman

Rebecca, aka Tank Girl, and her friends are the only remaining citizens living in the wasteland that is Earth, where all the remaining water is controlled by Water and Power, the mega corporation/government that runs the territory. While incarcerated at W & P, Tank Girl and her new friend Jet Girl break out and steal... a tank and a jet. After meeting some mutant kangaroo/humans, and rescuing her little girl (adopted by her friends), the kangaroos and the girls kick Water and Powers' butt.

Action / Comedy / Sci-Fi / Comic book

Nosferatu Blu-ray Movie  

Nosferatu, a Symphony of Horror | Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens | 2006 Restoration, Hans Erdmann/Heller compilation score

Kino Lorber | 1922 | 1 Movie, 2 Cuts | 94 min | Unrated | Nov 12, 2013 | Casey Broadwater

In this first-ever screen adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula, a simple real-estate transaction leads an intrepid businessman deep into the superstitious heart of Transylvania. There he encounters the otherworldly Count Orlok — portrayed by the legendary Max Schreck — who soon after embarks upon a cross-continental voyage to take up residence in a distant new land...

Horror / Supernatural / Foreign / Period

Akira Blu-ray Movie  

アキラ | 25th Anniversary Edition / Blu-ray + DVD

FUNimation Entertainment | 1988 | 125 min | Rated R | Nov 12, 2013 | Jeffrey Kauffman

On July 16, 1988, Tokyo was destroyed by what was believed to be a new type of bomb, triggering World War III. Thirty-one years later, in 2019, Neo-Tokyo has arisen from ashes under Japan's new political system; but the glittering city is built on foundations of poverty, ignorance and despair. Kaneda and his friends, a bunch of juvenile delinquents, rumble with a rival group of bikers. While the police attempt to disperse a riot with tear gas, the rumble continues. Tetsuo takes the lead and, after disposing of his opponents, nearly runs down what looks to be a 100-year-old baby. Tetsuo's bike suddenly explodes and he is taken prisoner by the top-secret Akira Project where he is subjected to a series of tests which unleash his latent psycho-kinetic powers. But he is really more powerful than anyone imagined and breaks out, creating a swathe of destruction across the city as he mutates into another life form.

Action / Anime / Drama / Fantasy / Sci-Fi / Thriller / Comic book / Foreign

Under the Dome: Season 1 Blu-ray Movie  

Limited Collector's Edition

Paramount Pictures | 2013 | 541 min | Not rated | Nov 05, 2013 | Martin Liebman

Based on Stephen King’s bestselling novel, "Under the Dome" is the story of a small New England town that’s suddenly and inexplicably sealed off from the rest of the world by an enormous transparent dome. The town’s residents need to survive the deteriorating post-apocalyptic conditions while searching for answers to what this barrier is, where it came from, and how to make it go away.

Drama / Mystery / Sci-Fi

Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler Blu-ray Movie    

Dr. Mabuse the Gambler / Masters of Cinema

Eureka Entertainment | 1922 | 271 min | Rated BBFC: PG | Oct 28, 2013 | Dr. Svet Atanasov

Dr. Mabuse the Gambler (German: Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler) is the first film in the Dr. Mabuse series, about the character Doctor Mabuse who featured in the novels of Norbert Jacques. It was directed by Fritz Lang and released in 1922. The film is silent and filmed mostly 16 frames per second. It would be followed by The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933) and The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse (1960). It is about four hours long and divided into two parts: Der große Spieler: Ein Bild der Zeit and Inferno: Ein Spiel von Menschen unserer Zeit. The title, Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler, is ambiguous. Der Spieler means the player in German, and can be translated as the gambler, the actor, or the puppeteer. Dr. Mabuse, who disguises, plays with emotions and tricks other people, is probably all of them in some sense. The film is included in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, being the first of five Lang films to be entered

Crime / Drama / Mystery / Thriller / Foreign

WWE: Straight to the Top: The Money in the Bank Ladder Match Anthology Blu-ray Movie  

WWE Studios | 2013 | 540 min | Rated TV-14 | Oct 29, 2013 | Martin Liebman

A collection of the best of the "Money in the Bank" matches, hosted by The Miz.

Sport

Kokoro Connect: TV Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie  

Sentai Filmworks | 2012 | 325 min | Rated TV-14 | Oct 22, 2013 | Jeffrey Kauffman

The five members of the Cultural Study group that meets in class 401 have spent a lot of time wondering what it would be like to be in someone else’s shoes. But they’re about to learn that there’s a huge difference between thinking about it and literally being in someone else’s shoes! Because that’s exactly what happens when, suddenly and inexplicably, they each find themselves inside the body of the girl (or boy) next door. What happens next? Well, besides bringing a whole new meaning to the term “Exchange Student” and the to be expected freaked out runs to the bathroom, it’s not hard to do the math.

Anime / Comedy / Drama / Romance / Teen / Foreign

Rebel Without a Cause Blu-ray Movie  

Warner Bros. | 1955 | 111 min | Rated PG-13 | Nov 05, 2013 | Michael Reuben

Story of rebellious middle-class teens, disenfranchised with their parents, and given to a life of thuggery and deadly dangerous drag racing to win over women.

Drama / Romance / Teen / Coming of age

Hanging for Django Blu-ray Movie  

Una Lunga fila di croci

RaroVideo U.S. | 1969 | 97 min | Not rated | Oct 29, 2013 | Casey Broadwater

The rich and evil Mr. Fargo runs an immoral business of illegally smuggling poor Mexicans across the Texan border. Once he cashes the little amounts of money these people have, he sadistically dumps them into a ravine. The large list of notorious outlaws that he works with lure two different bounty hunters to town: Johnny Brandon and Everett "Preacherman" Murdock.

Western

Man of Steel Blu-ray Movie  

Blu-ray + DVD + UV Digital Copy

Warner Bros. | 2013 | 143 min | Rated PG-13 | Nov 12, 2013 | Jeffrey Kauffman

A young boy learns that he has extraordinary powers and is not of this Earth. As a young man, he journeys to discover where he came from and what he was sent here to do. But the hero in him must emerge if he is to save the world from annihilation and become the symbol of hope for all mankind.

Action / Adventure / Fantasy / Sci-Fi / Comic book