The Star Wars saga is coming to Blu-Ray starting next week, Sept. 16.  Toys R Us will have episodes 4-6 (the original trilogy) for $30.  I wasn’t planning to buy it on release date because box sets usually get cheaper around the Holidays, especially Black Friday.  But for $10 each per movie, why not.  There has been controversy (surprise, surprise) because Lucas messed with the original cut again.  Here’s the most significant one:…

 

Chocolate is a Thai movie directed by Prachya Pinkaew (who directed the groundbreaking Tony Jaa vehicle Ong-Bak Thai Warrior) about an autistic girl who can absorb martial arts abilities by watching them either  on TV or in person.   The girl named Zen (played by JeeJa Yanin) is the love child of two butt kickers who are forced to split by a jealous mob boss.  The mom takes Zen and disappears and eventually this young girl starts to exhibit innate hand-eye coordination abilities which go beyond what the average little girl can do.  Her only drawbacks are that she is …

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Possible cover for the 3D version.

The insider at Blu-ray.com is telling the forum that Transformers 3 will be released on blu-ray and DVD on Friday, September 30th.  He said Paramount wants to release movies quickly because of piracy.  The version that’ll be released at the end of the month will only be bare bones.  The 3D version will come out in December and the special collector’s edition in between.  The date of the September release has gained momentum because several forum members verified they saw ads for it on their smart phones with the date.  Also, Wal-Mart and Netflix has …

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In case you missed the Anime Expo 2011 in Los Angeles, fans of the virtual idol Hatsune Miku will still get to experience her live performance there when Sega releases the CD and DVD on December 21.  According to ANN, 5000 fans attended the concert and also got to see Miku’s buddies Kagamine Len & Rin and Megurine Luka.  I’m surprised Black Rock Shooter didn’t make an appearance.  I’m sure she would’ve been a huge hit.

The CD will cost around $40 bucks while the DVD/Blu-Ray will be around $95.  I’ve seen clips of her concert in Japan and, being …

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Trollhunter is a Norwegian movie that’s similar to Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield’s camerawork.  It’s shot handheld with a “camcorder” and everything is scene through the cameraman’s point of view.  While the American movies focused on the mystery and vagueness of their subjects, Trollhunter isn’t afraid to show the giant creatures clearly.  In the beginning of the movie, 3 journalists are investigating mysterious bear deaths in the beautiful and scenic Norway.  They suspect one hunter is the culprit for all the killings but as they dig deeper, the journalists find out that human eating giant trolls actually exist. 

The movie has …

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Hanna is a hard film to pigeonhole. It’s a mix of intense action and has elements of old fairytales (grim ones of course), unique and stylish camera work and stunning visuals. The three main performances are all top-notch with young Saoirse Ronan the standout as an icy killer. Her father (played well by Eric Bana) and a sinister agent named Marissa (played with a crazy zeal by Cate Blanchett) round out the characters.

Hanna is about a 16 year old girl who lives in the icy wilds of Finland with her father. They are on the run from various dark forces …

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Released on August 4, 2011, Sector 7 goes down in Korean cinematic history as the very first 3D IMAX film to be shown there ever, which is wild considering how long 3D films have been showing in the US.  But what’s equally remarkable is that the hero/protagonist is a female, which is another rarity in Korean cinema. Not only is she female, but she is a tomboy, which flies in the face of the typical Korean female archetype of someone who is either voluptuous and sexy or quirky and cute.

Sector 7 is about the crew members of an oildrilling …

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Eward Zwick is set to direct a film about……The Great Wall for Legendary East. Same company as Legendary (300, Hangover) but for the East? So, does this mean that this film will cater more towards the Asian market? But, why hire Zwick?

There’s not much info about the film yet, but it could be epic. Considering that Zwick directed one of my favorite films of all time, Glory. Not to mention, Last Samurai, a ridiculous film if you really think about it. But, it was lots of fun.…

The film made only around $10 million ($90 million budget) the first week. Conan is a popular name, and should have been marketed better. I think the biggest mistake of the film was hiring the lead actor, Jason Mamoa. He’s the main reason I lost interest in the film. He played Drogo in HBO’s Game of Thrones, and he had no presence. Maybe he needs better direction, or more experience. I wish him all the best. But, at this point in time, he is a hard sell.

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I always visualize Batman as a creature of the night and being a loner.  In the animated show, Batman: The Brave And The Bold, it’s the exact opposite.  He teams up with mostly B and C-list superheroes to defeat the bad guys.  The Caped Crusader also likes to run around during the daytime beating up enemies like Rha’s Al Ghul, Mongol and of course, the Joker.  It reminded me of the original 60’s Batman show with Adam West.  The stories are a bit too simple for my taste but I like the interactions with the characters.  While most of the stories …

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