Directed by: Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske
Starring: Barbara Luddy, Larry Roberts, Bill Thompson, Bill Baucom, Peggy Lee
Distributed by: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: G
Running time: 75 minutes

Film: 5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 5 out of 5 stars

Almost 60 years after its release “Lady and the Tramp” looks better than ever. Although it is honestly not a surprise since Disney seems to out due itself with each new restored film that they release on Blu-ray. Disney’s frame-by-frame restoration pays off as this Blu-ray is absolutely perfect. The Blu-ray presentation is so crystal clear throughout. The colors are so sharp and vibrant throughout the animation. The sound is also superb boasting Disney’s usual DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1. Another added bonus of this release is the fact that Disney even included a 3.0 audio track of the film’s restored original audio. This is an obvious must for Disney fans.

The story of “Lady and the Tramp” still feels relevant to today’s audience both old and new. This film really captures you in its romance and makes you lean closer to your husband/wife. I mean that spaghetti and meatball scene renders you utterly mushy. When you start the film, you also have the option to watch with an introduction by Diane Disney Miller (Walt Disney’s daughter), who talks about her father and his love of “Lady and the Tramp”.

Like Disney’s past releases, there is definitely no shortage of special features. “Inside Walt’s Story Meetings” is an audio commentary track with a dramatic recreation with voice actors of Walt Disney’s story meetings. Must listen for animation fans. If you use the Disney’s Second Screen app on your iPad or PC, you will be able to sync the film to create a real interactive experience. “Diane Disney Miller: Remembering Dad” is a short feature which features Miller remembering her father. It is a great insight into Walt Disney from a different perspective. There are almost 20 minutes of deleted scenes, though told via storyboards. There is also a never recorded song called “I’m Free as the Breeze” which was written in 1946 by Ray Gilbert and composed by Eliot Daniel. It was cut because Lady was decided not to sing in the film.

If all that isn’t enough there are all of the classic DVD features from past releases, although only in SD, rounding up another three hours of extras. Included is a seven-part featurette called “Lady’s Pedigree: The Making of Lady and the Tramp”, which runs about an hour. “Finding Lady: The Art of the Storyboard,” and “Original 1943 Storyboard Version of the Film” focus on the storyboard process of the film.  “The Siamese Cat Song: Finding a Voice for the Cats” and “PuppyPedia: Going to the Dogs” are fun and aimed for kids.  One of my favorite songs from a Disney movie, “Bella Notte” has a music video included.  There are three theatrical trailers and four clips from “Excerpts from Disneyland TV Shows” and two more deleted scenes.  Overall, Disney does not disappoint again!

Directed by: Andrew Niccol
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Justin Timberlake, Cillian Murphy, Olivia Wilde
Alex Pettyfer, Vincent Kartheiser
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Running time: 109 minutes

Film: 2 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars

Andrew Niccol seems to have a thing for futuristic themes like in his 1997 film “Gattaca” and then again in 2002 with “S1m0ne”. This film is set in the year 2161 and packs a great cast including Amanda Seyfried and Justin Timberlake. When you factor that in this film should be kick ass…except it stalls after it takes off. The whole science fiction factor of the film, which was the main draw from me, gets old and overused very fast. Instead of focusing on the that the film focuses on a love story. The cast is great but feels restricted by this boring and confused film. Kudos to Cillian Murphy for a great performance but I am sorry…does he really look 25?!

Taking place in the future, genetic alteration has stopped humanity from aging past 25 in order to control population. Once someone turns 25, you die unless you earn time by working but if your clock, implanted in your arm, reaches zero you die instantly. Will Salas (Justin Timberlake) doesn’t have it easy, just turning 28 years old has been struggling to stay alive. This is until his given over 100 years by a rich man who is tired of living. He meets Sylvia (Amanda Seyfried), a rich girl who is looking for life on the edge and the two head out to change the world.

Props needs to go to the Blu-ray though for packing some great video and sound. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 rocks it, especially in the action scenes. The special features though are also lacking like the film and there are only two extras included. The first feature called “The Minutes” and it is a faux-documentary which gives back story for how scientists discovered immortality. There are also 10 short deleted/extended scenes, which don’t add too much but does include a subplot with Will’s father. Lastly, if you like trailers though Fox has included almost 15 minutes of them but I just skip to the main menu usually.

Director: David Frankel
Starring: Steve Martin, Jack Black, Owen Wilson
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: PG / Unrated
Run Time: 100 minutes

Film: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

When you have three comedy geniuses like Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson…you get high expectations. This film let’s down on all accounts. The story is lame and honestly boring. I do not actually think there were any jokes in the film. It plays more like a romance between the men and the birds. I also do not understand the point of releasing the film “unrated” when the original film was rated PG. I think it is just a way to cash in at the fact that this was a major flop.

The film is based off a novel written by Mark Obmascik. It follows three bird lovers who secretly compete against one another in order to spot the most birds to obtain the prestigious “Big Year” award. That is really it. No real surprises in the film at all and in fact the payoff is lacking as well. The film has a little heart in it but not enough to make you actually care for these characters. The best part of the film lies in its co-stars like John Cleese, Tim Blake Nelson, Anjelica Huston, Dianne Wiest, Brian Dennehy and Rashida Jones. That is sad with all the amazing talent in the main cast.

This release includes not only a Blu-ray but also a DVD and Digital Copy of the film as well. The theatrical cut and an extended version is also included on each of them. The video on the Blu-ray sharp but the film really doesn’t push it either. There is a great 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track included, which is impressive. The special features are decent and pick up some slack from the film. There is an interesting behind-the-scenes featurette called “The Big Migration”, which is worth checking out. There is also a gag reel, which catches some of the funny missed in the film. Lastly for deleted scenes fans, there is no shortage in this department. There are 14 deleted scenes included, worth a watch but the film honestly felt long enough in the theatrical cut.

Directed by: Jeff Nichols
Starring: Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: R
Running time: 121 minutes

Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

In the most cases, movie posters really influence whether or not you will see a movie. This one definitely packs a really cool poster and drew me to want to watch this film.  It is also backed with some amazing tension and amazing performances. Michael Shannon really knows how to take his character and hide deep in it in order to deliver some great drama. Jessica Chastain also delivers another emotional performance after her role in “The Help”.

The film takes place in a small town in Ohio. It follows Curtis LaForche (Michael Shannon) who has apocalyptic visions in his dreams. He starts planning to create a tornado shelter in his backyard. With history of mental illness in his family, his wife Samantha (Jessica Chastain) is having trouble believing him. Is the apocalypse really coming or is Curtis family history catching up with him.

The Blu-ray presentation looks and sounds great, especially during the dream sequences. The special features included on this film complements the great film. There is a very interesting commentary with director Jeff Nichols and Michael Shannon. There is a great behind the scenes included as well as a featurette called “Better Safe Than Sorry”. Lastly, there is a brief Q&A with Michael Shannon & Shea Whigham, which is worth checking out.\

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Directed by: Todd Strauss-Schulson
Starring: John Cho, Kal Penn, Neil Patrick Harris, Thomas Lennon, Danny Trejo
Distributed by: Warner Bros Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: R (Theatrical) / Unrated (Extended)
Running time: 90 minutes (Theatrical) / 96 minutes (Extended)

Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

Traveling back to 2004 with “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle”, who knew that today we would have a third film about these guys. Not to mention a Christmas movie…not to mention again that it would be in 3D. I think that this film is easily the best installment in the series. The Blu-ray video looks so fantastic and vibrant with the color especially the claymation scene. The sound is another issue if you are watching the theatrical cut either 3D or 2D it is amazing. The extended cut is missing the amazing DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 for a decent but lacking Dolby Digital track. Let’s talk about the 3D Blu-ray as it seriously makes the whole movie. The 3D adds so much to the film and really allows the film to additionally laugh at itself within the third dimension. You can still watch this film in 2D, but it does loose some of the fun factor and over-the-top cheese that this film delivers.

If you are looking to watch the extended cut in 3D, look again as it is only available in 2D. That is a little disappointing, but the extended cut is really nothing special. There are some gross gags added to the cut but the film works well without it. Next up, I am a HUGE fan of the UltraViolet Digital Copy and I recommend everyone to start using this great service. Other special features includes a bunch of EPK shorts hosted by Thomas Lennon called “Through the Haze with Tom Lennon”. They are hilarious and definitely worth checking out as Lennon was a great asset to the film. There is a look into the claymation sequence and includes picture-in-picture with its animated storyboard reel and the final scene. Lastly there are about four minutes of deleted scenes…funny but not hilarious.

When Kumar accidentally burns down Harold’s father-in-law’s prized tree on Christmas Eve, the two embark on another ill-advised journey to New York City to replace it.

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Directed by: Bruce Robinson
Starring: Johnny Depp, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Rispoli, Amber Heard, Richard Jenkins, Giovanni Ribisi
MPAA Rating: R
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Run Time: 119 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

Johnny Depp + Hunter S. Thomspon novel = match made in heaven. After Depp’s performance in 98’s “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”, there has been talks about this novel being made into a feature. It has a LONG road and even though it finally was released, it misses a certain HST feel to the movie. You can’t compare this film at all to “Fear and Loathing”, they are unrelated and two different novels. Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed it thoroughly enjoy this one as well and Depp acting definitely delivers another great ode to HST. Depp even pulled director Bruce Robinson (Withnail and I) out of retirement, since 1992, to sharply direct this adaptation. Funny, suave and free-spirited, this film can be enjoyed if you just sit back and let the rum flow.

Johnny Depp plays Paul Kemp, a journalist working for a newspaper in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He arrives in PR in order to escape his past life in New York and hopes to be able to write the truth for The San Juan Star. During Kemp’s work and investigations he befriends co-worker, Bob Sala (Michael Rispoli) and both of them consistently get into a lot of trouble. Kemp next meets Hal Sanderson (Aaron Eckhart), who tries to get him involved in a corporate scheme to take over the island. Besides Kemp getting in too deep, he also becomes obsessed Sanderson’s girl Chenault (Amber Heard) and then things go all wrong for the journalist.

Sony’s Blu-ray presents the video in 1.85:1 aspect ratio with a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track. The video is sharp and in some scenes really captures the beauty of Puerto Rico. The audio track also impressive especially during the music sequences in the film. There are only two special features and no commentary track but overall they are still good. “A Voice Made of Ink and Rage: Inside The Rum Diary” is a basic featurette about the film. It covers cast/crew interviews, costuming, location challenges, and on the spirit of Hunter S. Thompson on set. Lastly there is a VERY in-depth feature called “The Rum Diary Back-Story”, which runs about 45 minutes. It features interviews from Depp, HST himself and make others influences from the book. There is also a reading excerpt from the book and a looks into the writer’s career. It is a fantastic look into film’s path to the screen by Wayne Ewing.

Directors: Peter Winther
Starring: Felica Day, Adam Rayner, Doug Jones, Marcia Battise
Rated: Unrated
Distributed by: New Video
Running Time: 90 minutes

Film Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 4.5 out of 5 stars

This six-part web series is based on the BioWare video game series of the same name. The series is created by Felicia Day, who is known best for her work on “The Guild” and “Dr. Horrible’s Sing A-long Blog”. When it comes to web series, when you have her included it is instant magic. If you are fan of this video game series, you will definitely enjoy getting to see this universe coming alive. You can tell that Felicia Day is a fan of this series herself and does not want to let the fans down. The show is definitely low-budget and it shows a little in it’s production but overall it kicks some major ass.

The series follows Tallis (Day), an Elvish assasin, who gets sent on a mission to capture a Qunari mage named Saarebas (Jones) who is wreaking havoc. along the way she meets up with Cairn (Rayner) and Nyree (Battise) to assist her. Even though this is a web series, like I said it has this way bigger feeling. As the six parts only total about an hour, I was left happy but wanting more…sequel in the cards?! Felicia Day is funny, strong and sexy as Tallis. Props also need to go to Doug Jones who always plays a awesome bad guy, just wish he was in it more.

The special features are really the main reason you are buying this DVD, since the episodes are available online. The extras as up to about 45 minutes and are very entertaining. To start there is a great commentary from the series’ director and producer.  There a a bunch of features including “Bringing the Game to Life”, “Costumes”, “Characters” and “Stunts”, which all focus on various aspects of the series’ production. They are very in depth and give great insight. There are a funny blooper reel included, it is a must watch. Also there are trailers for “Dragon Age II and Origins” games and also DLC. All in all, these extras are definitely worth taking the plunge for this DVD purchase.

Starring: Styx
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Eagle Rock Entertainment
Run Time: 131 minutes

Concert: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

The boys of “Styx” still got it. They still know how to put on an entertaining show and they definitely can still sing and rock out! They might throw in a little extra cheese now and then but that should be expected. This concert was filmed on November 9th, 2010 at the Orpheum Theater in Memphis, TN. The whole theme of this show is Styx performing their classic albums “The Grand Illusion” and “Pieces Of Eight” in their entirety for the first time, back to back.

These albums were the pinnacle point in the bands career that brought them to global success. Of course, included in these albums are some great classic songs like “Come Sail Away” and ‘Renegade”. What I also thought was cool was that they are also performing some songs for the first time live. So it is cool to see how they put that together and nail each song. Each member of the band gets a chance to showcase their still existent skills at this concert also and it is very impressive how great they still sound today! Just loose the red hair please, Lawrence Gowan.

The Blu-ray looks decent even though it is only presented in 1080i definition. The concert itself though is very colorful and exciting. It is really a very impressive event that they put together. The sound is also superb and really pushes the limits. Of course great sound should be expected from a concert Blu-ray. There is only one special feature included but it is one really good one. It is called “Putting On The Show” and it is an in-depth look on what it takes to setup for such an epic concert.

TRACK LISTING: 1) Intro/1978 2) The Grand Illusion 3) Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man) 4) Superstars 5) Keyboard Interlude 6) Come Sail Away 7) Miss America 8) Man In The Wilderness 9) Castle Walls 10) The Grand Finale 11) Great White Hope 12) I m O.K. 13) Sing For The Day 14) The Message 15) Lords Of The Ring 16) Blue Collar Man (Long Nights) 17) Queen Of Spades 18) Renegade 19) Keyboard Interlude 20) Pieces Of Eight 21) Aku-Aku

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Starring: Owl City (Adam Young et al)
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Eagle Rock Entertainment
Release Date: February 7, 2012
Run Time: 110 minutes

Our Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

“Owl City: Live from Los Angeles” is like finding the golden ticket in a Willy Wonka bar. With a single plop of a disc and a click of a play button, we get transported to a land in which each sugary song gets devoured by all of the assembled ‘tweeny masses that have gathered in the City of Angels to see the Owlies. Adam Young, the 20-something geeky goliath behind Owl City, clearly loves holding the keys to the chocolate factory and is all smiles while delivering his candy-coated concoctions all of which have been baked using one musical recipe: take one batch of simplistic lyrics flavored with overly-enunciated nasally vocals, knead in a repetitive keyboard sample sequence and baste with standard electronica big beats. Initially, it’s a pretty tasty snack but, after a couple of helpings, you start wishing that you had opted for the Whitman’s sampler.

As easy as it is to immediately like Young’s genuine enthusiasm for what he’s doing and his “aww…shucks” emo-impishness when he’s bantering with his audience, the music that results doesn’t show any real tonal variety. It’s all sing-songy la-la-la type of stuff that would work well in a live-action Care Bears movie (trust me…one will happen). He’s also got a long way to go before his lyrics become compelling in any way. They’re always so cheery and peppy, it makes you wonder if the worst day in his life was when a toy failed to make its way into his McDonald’s Happy Meal. And it’s pretty easy to guess that when he introduces a song by saying “here’s one about angels”, the one he’s probably going to launch into is called…you guessed it…”Angels”.

For the one-trick pony that is Owl City, the number of musicians in the band is staggeringly large. In addition to Young, who serves as the group’s guitarist, keyboardist and lead vocalist, there are at least five other people onstage playing a wide array of instruments such as violin, cello and xylophone. At one point, there’s even a second drummer. Why such an arsenal is needed to produce music so banal is unclear as the whole show basically plays as one song in eternal-loop. The only exception to this is when Shawn Chrystopher video-screens in his guest rap during “Alligator Sky”. Even though Chrystopher’s not going to go down in hip-hop history as a flashy grandmaster, the addition of his vocal makes you fully aware of the monotony that you’ve had to endure up to that point.

“Live from Los Angeles” is the first live concert DVD/Blu-ray release from Owl City.  One could guess given their immense popularity that it’ll move truckloads when it is released.  However, it’s possible that very few members of their fan base will actually plunk down the dollars to buy it as many of the frequent audience shots show so many of the gathered Youngins capturing the Owls with their iPhones rather than actually watching the live show. For those that do make the purchase, though, the disc has enough sonic clarity to most likely satisfy any Owlhead audiophiles. And while the Blu-ray’s 1080i presentation does show some artifacting during full-stage shots when the backstage hands have pumped up the smoke machines, close-ups of the band are consistently sharp and clear. Bonus interview segments with Young can be sandwiched in between live tracks or played as one contiguous extended interview.

So, if you’re one who frequents the sparkly Pleasantville that is Owl City, “Live from Los Angeles” will probably be worth the trip. As for me, I prefer to drive through musical landscapes which occasionally have seedy urban boroughs that make me check to see if my doors are locked.

Director: Robert Weide
Starring: Woody Allen, Antonio Banderas, Josh Brolin, Penelope Cruz, Larry David, Mia Farrow, Diane Keaton, John Cusack
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Distributed by: New Video
Run Time: 195 minutes

Film: 5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 4 out of 5 stars

This film is really an absolute complete look into the career of Woody Allen. It starts during his teenage years writing jokes for comics and local papers to working for Sid Caesar to doing standup comedian to his writer-director career. In that last career he has averaged one film each year for more than 40 years. If you are fan of Woody Allen this is a great tribute to his amazing career and if you don’t know Allen this is a great place to start.

In this very extensive look his films we get everything covered from his early films “Take the Money and Run” and “Bananas” to the favorites like “Annie Hall” and “Manhattan” to his latest critical and commercial successful films like “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” and “Midnight in Paris”. “Midnight” was easily my favorite film of 2011 and re-sparked my interest in his films. I thought I knew quite a lot of his films but I felt myself learning so much about Woody Allen and his work from watching this.

Besides Woody Allen himself, I would like to list just some of his people who contribute new interviews for this documentary: Antonio Banderas, Josh Brolin, Penelope Cruz, John Cusack, Larry David, Mariel Hemingway, Scarlett Johansson, Julie Kavner, Diane Keaton, Martin Landau, Louise Lasser, Sean Penn, Tony Roberts, Chris Rock, Mira Sorvino, Naomi Watts, Dianne Wiest, and Owen Wilson and many others. They all provide great back story into their experience of working with Woody.

The special features on this film are really great and plentiful. If the 3.5 hour film is not long enough for you, there are more extended deleted scenes and interviews. Woody Allen goes around Brooklyn reminiscing more about his neighbors, dating and the local movie theater; Mariel Hemingway talks about Allen’s meeting her family and the story behind Allen’s 1966 debut in The New Yorker are all among the scenes included. Lastly, there is a fast and fun Q&A between Allen and director Robert Weide.

Directed by: Kevin Tostado
Narrated by: Zachary Levi
MPAA Rating: G
Distributed by: New Video
Running Time: 88 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Who doesn’t love “Monopoly”? Everyone has played this game at least once in their lives. This movie is a great showcase of the game and its biggest fans behind it. This game has been around for the last 75 years and I am sure that it will continue to be successful for many more years. If you are ever wondering what is the back story to how this game came to where it is today, this is the movie for you.

The film is told in two parts. One part focuses on the history of the game and how it started and spread like a virus worldwide during the depression. The second part focuses on the competitive nature of the game. It takes us through stories during the 2009 Las Vegas and World Championships of Monopoly. I never even knew that these events took place, prior to watching this. We get to meet the people that compete for these events and some of them are laughable for there devotion to the game but some are normal people like lawyers and teachers.

The special features on the disc are very impressive for a documentary. There is a thorough commentary from director Kevin Tostado. They have completed match from the 2009 World Championship final game. I enjoyed most the featurette “The Methods, Math & Myths of Monopoly”, which into mythology behind the game. In case you didn’t realize, Zachary Levi (“Tangled”, “Chuck”) narrated this film and they have a great outtake reel of this work on the film. There are a few extended scenes included but I felt the film was already paced well. Lastly there is a fun (but challenging) interactive Monopoly quiz included.

Starring: The Richard Thompson Band
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Eagle Rock Entertainment
Release Date: January 31, 2012
Run Time: 148 minutes (including extras)

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Richard Thompson’s fourth foray into the live concert home video arena is one that truly shines and serves as a testament to his distinctive guitar-playing virtuosity, astute songwriting talents and dynamic bass-laden vocals. Lauded by critics worldwide, Thompson’s 40-year career includes being a member of the iconic pioneering folk-rock group Fairport Convention, milestone albums recorded while married to wife Linda, and over 12 solo albums in his back catalog. Filmed in January 2011 at the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow, “Live at Celtic Connections” captures Thompson and his band mates in peak form.

The 2+ hour concert splits itself into two halves.  The first features 11 of the 13 tracks from his most recent CD release, “Dream Attic”. The second half is a romp through his – as the ever self-effacing Thompson states at the show’s beginning – “greatest hits…with a small ‘h’.” The group demonstrates within the first two songs that they can run the gamut between straight-up rockers (“The Money Shuffle”) and hushed somber ballads (“Among the Gorse, Among the Grey”). This alternating upbeat/downbeat pattern persists throughout the “Dream Attic” portion of the show. Very few bands could pull this off but Thompson’s intricate fretwork (which once placed him at #19 in Rolling Stone’s ‘Top 100 Guitarists of All-Time’ list) and his collection of consummate musical companions do it with seamless fluidity. And Thompson’s innate ability to pen lucid and razor-sharp lyrics are consistently balanced by his in-between song stage banter in which his distinctly British sophistication and wit comes to the forefront. He’s a genuinely smart and likeable chap – one you could probably down a few pints with whilst discussing the pentameter of Renaissance-era motets. He’d probably even insist on paying the tab, too.

While “Celtic Connections” thoroughly documents Thompson’s capability as a Fender Strat-wielding electric guitar wizard that can shred a solo in a way that would cause musicians a third of his age to concede defeat, it really fails to showcase his talents as an acoustic guitarist. We only see Thompson playing his Lowden a few times during the entire 20-song performance and they’re essentially numbers in which he’s a backing player. Adding the epic “1952 Vincent Black Lightning” to the set list would have been most welcome.

Luckily, the two bonus tracks included as the sole extras on the disc, “Uninhabited Man” and “Johnny’s Far Away”, do just that and, as in much of the Celtic Connections concert, demonstrate his ability as a solo acoustic artist to effortlessly move from melancholy to merriment – all within the span of two songs. It’s such a satisfying sampler that it makes one hope that Eagle Vision will add the full 2011 Cambridge Folk Festival concert into their DVD/Blu-ray pipeline.

As one would expect from the 1080i Blu-ray edition of “Celtic Connections”, the picture quality is consistently top-notch and allows us to see all of RT’s string bends and other nimble finger work with startling clarity. The camera work captures all of the band members creating their magic, but the editing of the concert almost exclusively employs sharp cuts from one vantage point to another. This works for the giddier songs but the slower ballads and dirges would have been better served with the occasional dissolve.

Not enough can be said about the sound quality of the Blu-ray. Three options are available to the viewer: DTS-HD surround, Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Digital stereo. In all cases, the uncompressed audio is superbly mixed and allows RT’s silver strings to resonate with maximum clarity without impeding upon the strength of the low-end bass tracks. This is a demonstration-quality disc and it raises the aural standard for all concert Blu-rays.

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Directed by: Robert Vince
Starring: Richard Riehle, Edward Herrmann, Mason Cook, Adam Alexi-Malle, Mo Gallini, Christopher Maleki, Ranya Jaber, Anna Primiani
Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: G
Running time: 92 minutes

Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars

This series is a spin-off of the “Air Bud” franchise and this is actually the sixth installment in the “Air Buddies” series. Honestly I have enjoyed the “Buddies” films especially the holiday themed ones. This one is packed with great comedy, action and even special effects. The CG effects used in the film are really great included fire breathing snakes, sand storms and vicious sphinx cats.  It is “Indiana Jones” for kids…and with dogs. Parents grab your kids and plan to actually enjoy this film, since  they obviously are going to love it.

In this action-packed sequel, the buddies set off Egypt this time for this amazing adventure. They are on a mission to find a legendary treasure called  the Cat’s Eye jewel which is from the lost treasure of Cleocatra! The buddies face a devious cat who plans to possess the mystical jewel to get rid of all dogs! With help from their new friend Cammy, a baby camel and a monkey named Babi they buddies needs to race time and save the day.

The special features are a little light but decent especially since this is a kids movie. Could have been cool to have some interactive games included for the kiddies. The first feature is called “DIGS: B-Dawg Edition” and has B-Dawg giving a tour of his home, cute for kids. Lastly there is a music video for the song “Roam”, it is a remake of The B-52s song performed by Caroline Sunshine, Kenton Duty and Adam Irigoyen from the cast of the Disney Channel hit series “Shake it Up.” Overall fun features to a fun film.

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Directed by: Dennis Lee
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Willem Dafoe, Emily Watson, Julia Roberts, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hayden Panettiere, Ioan Gruffudd, Cayden Boyd
Distributed by: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: R
Running time: 98 minutes

Film: 2 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1 out of 5 stars

“Fireflies in the Garden” is the type of film that really proves that an amazing impressive cast does not mean an amazing movie. The cast includes the amazing talents of Ryan Reynolds, Willem Dafoe, Emily Watson, Julia Roberts, Carrie-Anne Moss and Hayden Panettiere. Willem Dafoe easily gives the best performance out of the group by a long shot. This film has been in on the shelf for many years since it was filmed back in 2008, it is no surprise why either. In fact the film was completely re-cut recently prior to this release and I am scared to see what it was like prior to the that.

The film centers around an accident with Charles (Dafoe) and his wife Lisa (Roberts) as they are heading to a family reunion. From there I was completely lost with the film switching between past and present through flashbacks. When the family gets together during the funeral there lives become intertwined. Charles and his son Michael (Reynolds) try to work their difficult relationship…also told through flashbacks.

I did really enjoy the score of the film from Jane Antonia Cornish. It helps push this film a long during its short 89 minute running time that feels more like over 2 hours. The special features are almost non-existent. There is only a brief behind the scenes called “A Flash of Life: The Making of Fireflies in the Garden”. Watch it for the cast and Dafoe’s performance but otherwise it is worth taking a pass on.

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Directed b: Roland Joffé
Starring: Charlie Cox, Wes Bentley, Dougray Scott, Unax Ugalde, Olga Kurylenko
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Run Time: 122 minutes

Film: 2 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars

Just to clear the air, this film has nothing to do with dragons at all. It actually has to do with the Spanish Civil War and a Catholic priest who recent was canonized a saint. The story is very religious packed and is a based on true events of Josemaría Escrivá. The acting is decent but the war scenes are really the only saving factor in the whole film. The Blu-ray video and sound during the war scenes look and sound amazing especially when you have bullets flying by in surround sound. Though, if you are looking for a movie about the Spanish Civil War save yourself the preachy efforts of this film and check out Guillermo del Toro’s “Pan’s Labyrinth”.

The film follows journalist Robert Torres (Dougray Scott) who is writing a book about Josemaría Escrivá and his possible canonization. Robert seeks the help his father, Manulo (Wes Bentley). Don’t even get me started on how laughable Bentley looks in his “old” makeup. The movie is told in flashback through Manulo’s memories of the Spanish Civil War and his involvement with Josemaría. As details get reveals about his fathers past, he learns that there was much more dark secrets than he expected.

The special features on the film are weak also like the film. The first feature is called “Facing Your Dragons: Inspiring Testimony from Wes Bentley”. It is just Wes Bentley talking about working on the film. Lastly there is 30 minutes of deleted scenes which is really cool, if firstly, you enjoyed the film and secondly, if the scenes were actually worth watching…which they are not. I also want to add that they are not even in HD and are presented in 480i.