Recent DVD, HD DVD and Blu-Ray reviews from DVD Authority

Vantage Point (Blu-Ray)

7/3/2008

I'm a big fan of the more counter-culture films out there, films that don't exactly mold themselves to the usual Hollywood fare. "Vantage Point" is a movie that I'd place in that category as it's interesting and unique, though not all together completely original. I'm reminded of a few other movies that play tricks on our senses: "Sliding Doors" ...

Drillbit Taylor (Blu-Ray)

7/2/2008

I'm a pretty big fan of Owen Wilson, so when his private problems became so public it was a bit hard to take. Wilson has been in some of my favorite movies over the last decade or so starting off with "Bottle Rocket" and moving onto others like "The Royal Tenenbaums" and I even enjoyed "Starsky & Hutch", not to mention "Meet the Parents" with long...

Classe Tous Risques: Criteron

7/1/2008

Abel Davos (Lino Ventura) was involved in organized crime for most of his life, until he forced to go on the run and leave his life behind. For over a decade, he has been lying low in Milan, but now he plans to return to his native France. Of course, the police haven't forgotten about him and if he is captured, a death sentence is automatic. At his...

Superhero Movie

7/1/2008

"Superhero Movie" like all of the other "...Movie" films, doesn't exactly tread upon fresh ground. The one time spoof, "Scary Movie" has now become a franchise in its own right and it seems that there will be a "...Movie" for every genre of film out there. Currently we have "Date Movie", "Epic Movie", "Scary Movie" and now "Date Movie" (and I cou...

The Ruth Rendell Mysteries: Set 3

6/29/2008

If you're a fan of mysteries, there are a lot of choices out there. The Ruth Rendell Mysteries series offers some nice options not found on most other shows of this kind. The episodes are each unique, so there is no central character who returns each time, while the stories tend to be more psychological, instead of traditional crime drama. I found ...

Deadliest Catch: Season 3

6/29/2008

One of the most dangerous and deadly professions in the world, the crew aboard the crab boats in the Bering Sea face a constant battle of the elements. These crews race to haul in as much crab as possible, while enduring insane conditions and fierce competition from other crews. The Discovery Channel takes us inside this dangerous world in Deadlies...

EliteXC: Shamrock vs. Baroni

6/29/2008

Frank Shamrock vs. Phil Baroni. Two men who have trash talked each other for years and now, the time has come to step into the cage and settle the score. EliteXC put Shamrock and Baroni together so that the talking could stop and the two could let their fists finish the conversation. The bad blood was immense, but only man would be able to back up ...

The Sender

6/29/2008

A man filled his pockets with rocks, then walked into a lake and tried to drown himself. He wasn't successful, but now he has severe amnesia and is taken to a mental institution. He has no identification, so he is labeled as John Doe #83 (Zelijko Ivanek) and assigned a doctor, Dr. Gail Farmer (Kathryn Harrold). As time passes, Farmer begins to make...

The Grand

6/28/2008

The Grand is the ultimate tournament in the world of indoor poker, with a ten million dollar prize to a single winner. That kind of cash attracts the best of the best, which means that to win The Grand, you have to beat the world's elite and eccentric poker players one after another. This year's field boasts an impressive field of players, from bro...

Point Break (Blu-Ray)

6/28/2008

Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves) might be new to Los Angeles' FBI office, but he has confidence to burn. So when he is partnered with veteran agent Angelo Papas (Gary Busey), the two take on a high profile case that been open for three years, but no one has been able to solve. A group of bank robbers known as The Ex-Presidents has struck twenty-seven ban...

Gangs of New York (Blu-Ray)

6/28/2008

The epoch saga of the making of this movie almost rivals the sheer intensity of it. Though Martin Scorcese has had plans to make this film for quite some time, we've only heard of it for the last few years. It's one of those movies, like Titanic, that had everyone guessing "...when will it be done...". Done it is and it was then nominated for...

Journey to 10,000 BC

6/27/2008

Just as Last Stand of the 300 showed us the historical events behind the movie 300, Journey to 10,000 BC takes us to the world shown in 10,000 BC. The planet was a state of immense change, as evidenced by a minor ice age and extinctions of many animals, not to mention the early exploits of mankind. In a world filled with danger and scarce resources...

The Deadly Bees

6/26/2008

Vicki Robbins (Suzanna Leigh) is one of the hottest females in the entertainment field, but she has pushed herself a little too hard in recent times. As she performs her latest pop hit, Robbins collapses and on medical advice, she agrees to take a respite to allow her mind and body some much needed rest. The destination of choice is Seagull Island,...

Phase IV

6/26/2008

After an unexplained cosmic event, a world that was once ignored has risen and demanded to be heard. The ants of the world are small and their world is underfoot, so humans don't pay much attention to what goes on down there. But after this cosmic event, the ants have stopped just taking all the stomps, sprays, and magnifying glasses, in ways that ...

The Possession of Joel Delaney

6/26/2008

Joel Delaney (Perry King) was raised around wealth and privilege, as part of Manhattan's social elite. As an adult, he left Central Park West behind and moved to the East Village, as part of his desire to help the less fortune. He is a kind, if a little timid man and his intentions are good. He remains close to his sister Nora (Shirley MacLaine), w...

Zero Population Growth

6/26/2008

The world has fallen into a dire condition, with pollution that is out of control and resources at dangerously low levels. At the same time, the world's population continues to grow and that only causes more stress on the global landscape. People have to wear protective devices to breathe while outside, but that is just one result of these horrific...

The Skull

6/26/2008

Christopher Maitland (Peter Cushing) has a deep interest in the occult, to the point that he collects unusual and sometimes disturbing pieces related to occult elements. His primary fascination lies with the Marquis de Sade and recently, he acquired a book about de Sade's life, bound in actual human flesh. But the centerpiece of his de Sade collect...

In the Line of Fire (Blu-Ray)

6/26/2008

Frank Horrigan (Clint Eastwood) is a man haunted by a mistake in his past, when he failed to save President Kennedy from assassination. Although he is a good man and was a good agent, that ghost in his past has troubled him ever since, making it hard for him to move beyond that event. But he must face those inner demons when thirty years later, he ...

Student Bodies

6/22/2008

As she enjoys a quiet evening, a young babysitter receives a phone call that shatters the calm night. A strange voice on the other end of phone troubles her, with constant breathing and yes, even drooling. When her boyfriend comes over to relieve some tension, both he and his nubile chick are murdered. The maniac from the phone has struck, but not ...

Signs (Blu-Ray)

6/21/2008

One of the unexpected hits of the last year (financially speaking, of course) was the third installment from M. Night Shyamalan; who we know from The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable. Though I'm not really a fan of his work, I admit that he's a great writer and director, so it was with some hesitation, yet excitement that I approached the film. I mean w...