Director Joe Wright is a strong visual storyteller with a talent for period pieces. Having won lots of fans with his adaptation of Pride & Prejudice, he again takes on another famed literary work; Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. Wright blankets the heartbreaking tale with lavish visuals attempting to soften the blow of the tortured romance. In doing so he also infuses this complicated story line with an amusing sense of theatrics you just don’t get to see outside of an old-fashioned stage performance. The result is an impressive film that, despite the off-putting and self-destructive lifestyle of the ill-fated Anna Karenina, still manages remain vibrant and beautiful amid all the tears and heart-break. It’s…
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Off the Shelf…'Brave'
Brave, the latest offering from animation giant Pixar, comes to home video following its successful theatrical run. And just as it was a sight to behold in the cinema, the Blu-Ray transfer is even more mystical and enchanting. Now Brave, either on paper or as a finished product, could be defined very quickly by an odd tension struck between two different bodies: its studio and its pedigree. The very idea of Pixar, long-established as a font of creativity and raw talent put forth in service to compelling and original storytelling, tackling princess films and fairy tales is admittedly weird on its face; at a distance that move seems like a step back.…
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“What’s New on Blu?” – Week of 11/12/12
Whether you rent or buy movies, Blu-ray offers the ultimate in sight and sound. Streaming is convenient, but if you plan on watching the movie more than once, you need Blu. So, What’s New On Blu? you ask. Well, good, bad or indifferent, Go,See,Talk offers up a trio of titles that are being released each week. Check out what’s hitting the shelves this week… ——————————————————————————————————————————— The impetuous, tangle-haired Merida, though a daughter of royalty, would prefer to make her mark as a great archer. A clash of wills with her mother compels Merida to make a reckless choice, which unleashes unintended peril on her father’s kingdom and her mother’s life.…
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G-S-T Review…Brave
Stories of fantasy and high adventure are certain to contain genre stand-bys like magic, kingdoms a far, fair maidens and the like. Yet in Pixar’s latest (and first true period-piece) this “maiden” is not a damsel in distress by any means. Brave‘s Princess Merida actually has more in common with any number of Hayao Miyazaki’s female protagonists than it does the colorful princesses whose posters grace little girls’ walls. It channels some of the more stand-up kind of womanly characters we’ve seen in the last few decades…even if in this case she is defiant to a fault. With a line like “I am Merida, and I’ll be shooting for my own hand”…
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“The CineMagic 8-Ball” – In Theaters 6/21/12
When so many movies are released each weekend and trailers often seem better than the movie itself, what should one do? In this precarious situation, we consult the The CineMagic 8-Ball (TM) to help us see through the nebulous marketing haze. Doing so just might save us all a disheartening trip to the cinema and spare us unnecessarily springing for $7 popcorn. See what the 8-Ball says about this week’s releases… ——————————————————————————————————————————————- ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter explores the secret life of our greatest president, and the untold story that shaped our nation. Visionary filmmakers Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov (director of Wanted) bring a fresh and…
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Ohhh, Look…First Two & A Half Minutes of Pixar Epic ‘Brave’
Seems more and more movies are releasing a “sneak peek” like this to pique interests. That’s fine with me and in a way I prefer over a cherry picked or misleading trailer. So for those eager to see Pixar’s first epic/period piece film Brave, feast your eyes on the first two and a half minutes… Kelly Macdonald stars as Merida and leads an impressive cast inlcuding Billy Connolly (The Boondock Saints), Emma Thompson (Love Actually), Robbie Coltrane (the Harry Potter series) and Kevin McKidd (Grey’s Anatomy). Disney has slated Brave for release this Summer on June 22nd, 2012. And in case you missed it yesterday, here is the second, might I add very vibrant, theatrical poster for Brave. I can’t wait!! I…