New Releases on DVD/Blu-ray: September 27th

By Paco McCullough

Only one new release this week. Technically, it's getting released Friday, but as most new on dvd/ blu-ray are released today, I figured I'd have the column on the normal time. Why only one release? It's something of a behemoth, something I imagine most companies are scared of competing with. Check out what it is after the break.

Killer Elite (2011) Review

By Paco McCullough

Killer Elite left me more conflicted than any movie I have seen in a long time. Simply put, I could not decide how to feel about this movie. More importantly, I don't know whether or not I can recommend it to you. What makes this movie so difficult to pigeonhole? Find out after the jump.

Another Take: Attack The Block (2011)

By Paco McCullough

Attack The Block finally made it to Portland after months of traveling the US. This meant months of hype and suspense. Did Attack The Block live up to its stellar reputation? I think so.

Lion King 3D (2011) Review

By Jason Haskins

Who the blazes hasn’t seen The Lion King? It’s definitely one of those classic Disney movies that ushered them into a new era that made them a company not just solely for kids, but for adults alike with a Hamlet-esque storyline with darker tones and themes that kids would still enjoy and maybe not understand fully enough ‘til they were older (case in point: me). This past weekend Disney has released the 1994 hit in 3D for a swift two weeks in theaters across the company and the big question is: how different is this remastered release from the original version and is it worth the sixteen dollars to see it in 3D at the movie house?

Another Take: Straw Dogs (2011)

By Terry Cleveland

I am not one of the many who have seen the original Straw Dogs so I can’t comment on this film’s inadequacies as a remake, but I can certainly comment on its inadequacies as a standalone end of the summer thriller.

Videogame Bits: Tron (1982)

By Terry Cleveland

While Tron may not technically be a video game adaptation it’s still a movie about video games (and therefore applicable to this column) and is easily better than most of the other trash of the genre by a significant margin.

New Releases: September 20th

By Paco McCullough

Not much new on DVD or Blu-ray this week- a popular comedy and a straight-to-video release.

BRIDESMAIDS

This film comes highly recommend by several people, but it never really seemed that great to me. As we couldn't get a screener, I didn't have a chance to review it. Check it out if you're into comedies.

The Worst Buddy Cop Movies Of All Time

By Terry Cleveland

Buddy cop movies are almost always bad. We figured we'd list the very worst of the bunch.

Straw Dogs (2011) Review

By Paco McCullough

Sam Peckinpah's 1971 film, Straw Dogs, is unarguably a classic. No matter your opinion of the film, it has certainly stayed in the cultural consciousness for the last forty years. Peckinpah's film makes the viewer feel quite dirty, especially during a prolonged (and questionable) rape scene. It's been called misogynistic and even facistic by respected critics like Pauline Kael. So what does this weekend's remake do to bring the story to a new generation of viewers?

Drive (2011) Review

By Jason Haskins

You sonuvabitch, Nicholas Winding Refn. You made such a good movie a few years ago with Bronson that how could you, under your own badass obligation, give movie audiences such a cheap and sterile film devoid of anything interesting or entertaining for that matter? You sonuvabitch.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Sneak Peek Notes

By Paco McCullough

At the sneak preview of Straw Dogs, we were given a little treat: an eight minute preview of David Fincher's upcoming The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Here are some notes about what I saw.

New Releases: September 13th

By Paco McCullough and Terry Cleveland

This week on dvd, we had more than we were properly able to cover. Amongst the titles, an OSCAR winner, a superhero film, and an interesting documentary. Check it out after the jump.

Crapsterpieces/Martial Arts Madness: Immortal Combat (1994)

By Paco McCullough

I'm on vacation at the moment, so to make things easier for myself, I decided to combine my two columns for the weekend. The film that is both a crapsterpiece and a martial arts film? 1994's Immortal Combat, starring Rowdy Roddy Piper and the legendary Sonny Chiba. This is the sort of movie I devoted one of these columns to finding, but which one?

Contagion (2011) Review

By Paco McCullough

Contagion is one of the best movies I've seen this year. After a summer of brainless movies, it's nice to have a film that actually makes you think. Besides this, I think this is easily one of the most terrifying non-horror movies I have ever seen. And I'm one of the people that make fun of germaphobes. Read more after the jump.

Comic Movie Collection: Batman Returns (1992)

By Jason Haskins

1992 was a different time. Tim Burton had revitalized the faltering image of Batman to the general public by making a colossal motion picture starring Jack Nicholson as the Joker with Michael Keaton as the big cheese: Bruce/Bats. But in 1992 things changed drastically. While the original Batman was much darker in tone than the television show starring Burt Ward and Adam West as well as the hokier stories in the comics from the seventies and mid-eighties,Batman Returns upped things a notch...well...several notches.

Videogame Bits: Postal (2007)

By Terry Cleveland

What can I say about Postal? Well basically it is one of the worst if not the absolute worst movie that I have ever had the displeasure of viewing.

Sci Fi Cinema: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

By Jason Haskins

After the dismal efforts of the first Star Trek film in 1979, Gene Roddenberry was taken off as executive producer and forced to sit idly while others stirred the pot for a change. In doing so they created perhaps the best known Star Trek movie and easily the highest regarded one in the history of the franchise. This is 1982's Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

New Releases: September 6th

By Paco McCullough

This week, there's actually a couple of things that might be worth checking out. There may even be something for almost every reader of this site. Check it out after the jump.

Crapsterpieces: Phantoms (1998)

By Paco McCullough

(Author's Note- Today's my 21st birthday, so I'm gonna keep this column short and snarky as I want to go do stuff)

Phantoms stars two of cinema's greatest actors of all time: Peter O'Toole (Lawrence of Arabia) and Ben Affleck (Reindeer Games, Paycheck, Daredevil, Pearl Harbor) in an adaptation of a Dean Koontz novel. As Koontz is the greatest living writer of our generation, how can this film be anything but a masterpiece?

Martial Arts Madness: Jackie Chan's Project A (1983)

By Paco McCullough

Jackie Chan's Project A is a fairly typical Chan film from the 80s. It has both his typical broad humor and incredible stunt work. The only thing that separates this from other Chan films of the era is its setting. Unlike most of his films, Project A is set in the early 1900s, during a time of British rule. So how does it compare to his other films?

Animated Writings: Gandahar (1988)

By Terry Cleveland

Welcome to Cinemecca's new column, Animated Writings. Every week we'll review an animated film. Hope you like it.

Gandahar is a the trippy classic directed by Rene Laloux (Fantastic Planet) that is as visually impressive as it is mind boggling.Laloux manages to craft a charming story interwoven with outrageous acid-trip like imagery that moves at a frantic brain bashing pace that leaves you wondering “what the fuck did I just see?” (But not in a bad way)

Comic Movie Collection: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010)

By Jason Haskins

Edgar Wright is the esteemed filmmaker behind the epic Shaun of the Dead feature as well as the fantastic Spaced television show. As a Brit, he made his American debut recently with the Michael Cera-helmed Scott Pilgrim vs. The World based on the graphic novels by Bryan Lee O'Malley to mostly positive reviews, but little box office return. The audience he was trying for virtually did not swarm to see this, however. Why did this movie not perform well? Is this movie worth the watch? What the hell is it all about?

Horror Flicks: The Fog (1980)

By Jason Haskins

The small Californian township of Antonio Bay is approaching their hundred-year anniversary and with that celebration comes a haunting reminder of what the town was founded on: blood money from sailors that the town elders had sabotaged. Now, these souls have returned for revenge in a valley of fog to sweep the town and bring about complete and utter chaos. Trapped in the middle is a local resident, Nick (Tom Atkins), a hitchhiker he picked up (Jamie Lee Curtis), and the local radio superstar who's held up in her darn lighthouse (Adrienne Barbeau). They must survive the night and possibly help bring justice for the wrong their town has done.

Cult Films: The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

By Jason Haskins

Texas native Wes Anderson came onto the scene with his directorial debut, Bottle Rocket, in 1996, which introduced the world to a younger Owen Wilson. His next feature boosted his reputation and is still a cult classic today--you might know it as Rushmore, starring Jason Schwartzman. It was in 2001 that he caught my attention with his magnum opus, The Royal Tenenbaums. All of the quirky qualities of his first two films remained and came together perfectly in this film. With an all-star cast he made one of the best films ever made--this is literally my favorite movie of all time.