The Bourne Trilogy – BluRay U Control

The Bourne Trilogy – Background info

The Bourne Trilogy – Behind the Scenes

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Movie Info:
Writer: John Gatins, Mark Schwahn
Director: Thomas Carter
Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Ashanti, Rob Brown, Rick Gonzalez, Antwon Tanner, Channing Tatum
Rating: PG 13
Studio: Paramount

Release Info:
Theatrical Release:
DVD Release Date: December 16, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $19.99

By now, I’ve seen most of the sports inspired, true story movies. I’ve seen the Remember the Titans and the Rudy types of movies, and as a sports fan I like them. The Coach Carter story isn’t anything new. It’s just with a different sport (basketball) then many of the other inspirational, based on a true story, sports movies. The only difference is the true story part of this movie only happened about ten years ago.

Coach Carter is a real person. He really did work at the High School in Richmond, CA. He also did shut out his players from their undefeated season when he found out that they weren’t fulfilling an academic contract he made them sign at the beginning of the season. While this initially sparked outrage in the community, the truth about Carter soon came out. He was on a quest to get his players an education that would ensure they could attend college. This soon made him a local and national hero.

Today, Coach Carter is still working in the community, though he no longer works at Richmond High School. He continues to inspire youth to receive a quality education. There isn’t a lot of opportunity for these students, who come from an inner-city, poor neighborhood. In fact, Carter helped to turn the school basketball program and the lives of his players around during his tenure at the school. He was still working at Richmond High when Samuel L. Jackson played Carter in this movie, which was originally released in 2005.

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Movie Info:
Writers: Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan, David S. Goyer, Bob Kane
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Monique Curnen, Cillian Murphy, Chin Han, Anthony Michael Hall, Nathan Gamble
Rating: PG-13
Studio: Warner Home Video

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: July 18, 2008
DVD Release Date: December 9, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $23.99

Heath Ledger deserves an Oscar. Period.

I’ve heard the naysayers, who claim Heath’s performance is just hyped up because he died, but to watch him is chilling. It’s complex, to truly understand all that he took on to embody such a diabolical character, as the Joker. I was spellbound by his performance, and that truly is very rare in this day and age. He had the kind of presence in a film you see from a Daniel Day Lewis (though who could imagine Day Lewis as the Joker?). The hype about Ledger as the Joker began before he died, and continued to swell after his untimely passing.

All things aside, The Dark Knight is a great film. It’s one of the best I’ve seen in 2008. The performance level by all of the actors (save for a few) makes this movie more than just a comic-inspired movie. This film is a fully packed, action filled, blockbuster, with the capability of appealing to a wide range of audiences. Still, this is not just a Batman movie. Nolan and his cast turn this into a work of art. Just because it’s popular doesn’t mean it cannot have that bohemianly avant-garde feel to it. This was brought on by Ledger more than any other player. Just because a movie is popular, mainstream, and a blockbuster sensation doesn’t mean it can’t be deserving of Oscar-buzz. Some films are meant to transcend genres and expectations. The Dark Knight is one of them.

I haven’t seen the standard edition of this. I have no need to, because I own the Blu Ray. All I can say is, BUY BLU RAY. If you have a Blu Ray player, you need to buy this in Blu Ray. I was enveloped in this absolutely stunning, cinematography-filled, cacophony of blissful Batman-heaven. I love Batman. He’s my favorite comic book hero, but never have I seen such an excellent film adaptation of my favorite boyhood superhero. Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Jack Nicholson, Nicole Kidman. None of them can hold a candle to the kind of performances we see from the cast of The Dark Knight. This film is epic and lived up to any and all of my expectations. Despite all the hype, this movie surpassed it.

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THERE ARE NO RULES AND NO HOLDS BARRED WHEN POPEYE DOYLE CUTS LOOSE ON BLU-RAY

THE FRENCH CONNECTION & FRENCH CONNECTION II

Two-Time Academy Award® Winner Gene Hackman* Stars As The Gritty New York City Cop On Blu-ray February 24 From Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

–Loaded With All-New High-Def Bonus Material Including Exclusive Interviews

With Hackman And William Friedkin, Deleted Scenes, Featurettes Including A Ride-Along With Friedkin Reliving The Famous Car Chase And More—

CENTURY CITY, Calif. – Doyle is bad news – but a good cop. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment presents one man’s tireless determination to break down a ruthless narcotics smuggling ring when The French Connection and French Connection II arrive in stunning high-definition Blu-ray on February 24. Gene Hackman (Behind Enemy Lines, The Royal Tenenbaums) stars as iconic New York City Police Detective Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle, a man who will stop at nothing to get his man. Directed by William Friedkin (The Exorcist) and winner of five Academy Awards® including Best Picture, Best Actor (Hackman), Best Director (Friedkin), Best Screenplay and Best Editing, The French Connection is a dramatic action-thriller featuring one of the most renowned car chases in cinematic history. The French Connection Blu-ray disc is loaded with all-new special features including an introduction and commentary with Friedkin, deleted scenes with optional commentary, seven behind-the-scenes featurettes with both Hackman and Friedkin and much more. The French Connection II Blu-ray disc includes commentary with seven-time DGA nominee for Best Director John Frankenheimer, two all-new behind-the-scenes featurettes including interviews with Hackman and more.

*1972: Best Actor in a Leading Role; The French Connection
**1993: Best Actor in a Supporting Role; Unforgiven

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IT’S THE MAXIMUM TRIP…AT MAXIMUM SPEED Vanishing Point Speeds Onto Blu-ray Disc February 24 From Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

“A fascinating road movie with mystical overtones.” – TV Guide’s Movie Guide

“In a time when vacant retreads such as The Fast and the Furious are the problem, Vanishing Point is the answer.” – Peter Kenis, Rolling Stone

CENTURY CITY, Calif. – Watch carefully because everything happens fast. The chase. The desert. The shack. The girl. The roadblock. The end. Take a death defying road trip across the American Southwest in high definition as Vanishing Point debuts on Blu-ray Disc February 24 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Director Richard Sarafian’s car chase classic comes to Blu-ray Disc delivering the ultimate high as ex-marine, ex-race car driver Kowalski (Barry Newman; “Petrocelli”) takes to the road in his 1970 Dodge Challenger. Vanishing Point follows the ride of a lifetime as Kowalski, the last American hero, races from Denver to San Francisco with the police on his trail. Attempting to reach “the vanishing point” where man and vehicle become one, he quickly becomes a media sensation thanks to a blind disc jockey with a police radio scanner.

Boasting powerful supporting performances by an all-star cast including Emmy® winner* Cleavon Little (Blazing Saddles) and Oscar® winner** Dean Jagger (Twelve O’ Clock High), the Vanishing Point Blu-ray Disc will be available for the suggested retail price of $34.99 U.S. / $37.99 Canada. Prebook is January 14, 2009

* 1989: Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series (“Dear John”)
**1950: Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Twelve O’ Clock High)

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GOLDEN GLOBE®-NOMINEE WILL FERRELL AND TWO TIME OSCAR-® WINNER EMMA THOMPSON STAR IN

STRANGER THAN FICTION SPECIAL EDITION Available On Blu-ray December 2, 2008

CULVER CITY, CALIF. (XXX) – Two-time Golden Globe®-nominee Will Ferrell1 shines in the hilarious comedy Stranger Than Fiction Special Edition, arriving from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment on Blu-ray Disc December 2, 2008. From celebrated director Marc Forster (Finding Neverland, Monsters Ball), comes the story of IRS Auditor Harold Crick (Ferrell), who lives a life of solitude and monotony, following the exact same routine from day to day. Harold’s life changes dramatically when he begins hearing a voice that narrates his every move, and he starts a journey towards self-discovery and a greater meaning of life. The film boasts an award-winning supporting cast including two time Oscar®-winner Emma Thompson2, two-time Oscar®-winner Dustin Hoffman3, Oscar®-nominee4 Queen Latifah and two-time Golden Globe-nominee Maggie Gyllenhaal5. Stranger Than Fiction Special Edition is filled with bonus features including deleted and extended scenes, funny on-set moments and more and is available for an SRP of $28.95.

Synopsis:
Author Karen Effiel (Thompson) is writing her latest novel about an unusual character named Harold Crick (Ferrell). What she doesn’t know is that her fictionalized character is real. The real Harold Crick is an IRS agent who has lived a monotonous, dull existence until one day he begins to hear Karen’s voice narrating his every move. Harold enlists the assistance of literary professor Jules Hilbert (Hoffman), to help him figure out what’s going on. Hilbert helps Harold change some of the mundane every day rituals in his life. However, trouble ensues and Harold’s life becomes fragile when he learns that Karen plans to kill him off and the events that follow become Stranger Than Fiction Special Edition.

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Firefly: The Complete Series hits shelves on November 11, 2008 courtesy of 20th Century Fox. You can pre-order this on Amazon for $57.95
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