DVD Haul Update: October 28,2013 (Late Post)

It's been a while since my last DVD Update and from what I believe,the last time I made these posts,I only had one DVD to show off that's why I just considered it a "QuickPick" post.But now,I'm back with four new DVDs to show to you and 3 of them are newly released.I know it's already November,and I bought these DVDs last Oct.28 so I want you to pardon me if I posted/typed this late.In case you wanna know why this is a late post is it's because of scheduling conflicts again.But anyway,that's enough.Here are the 4 new DVDs I have that my dad got me for my birthday.

*Pardon me for the low-quality pics.I captured them using my phone's camera.

According to the picture above,my four new DVDs are (in alphabetical order) Despicable Me 2,I Am Legend,Man Of Steel and World War Z.

Now,I want to show and analyze them one by one.Again,in alphabetical order.

Let's first start with...

Despicable Me 2:




First thing I wanna say is that slipcover is just really cute.Replacing Gru and the kids in the front artwork are these 2 little yellow minions.And it's a cool replacement knowing that DM2 features the minions consistently.Anyway,DM2 is a pretty good sequel to the 2010 animated hit Despicable Me but despite the giddy goodness of this sequel,it had flaws of its' own.And that main flaw would be the "heart".DM2 had very little of that.It had more laughs but less heart compared to Despicable Me.By the way,under that cute,white slipcover of DM2's DVD lies this:

*Whoomp! There it is!*

Yep,what lies under that slipcover is more minion madness.And I really like it so much.It's a cute replacement for Gru being on the front cover.Anyway,DM2's DVD only has 3 bonus features and they are: "Gru's Girls",Gadget Galore and a feature commentary with director Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud.If you compare DM2's DVD to the first film,this one loses when it comes to bonus materials.The first film's DVD was chock-loaded with bonuses while this one was a little poor.But anyway,I consider that slipcover to be a redeeming factor.The film is presented in 1:85:1 anamorphic widescreen and includes 5.1 English,Thai,Cantonese and Mandarin Traditional audio tracks.Same with the subtitles.The subtitles also include those languages.That's all I could say for DM2's DVD.I can't wait to watch it though.But all I know is,fun is guaranteed.Despicable Me 2 is now available on DVD for P750.

Next would be...

I Am Legend:



Okay,okay,I know.This is an old movie but it's not that old.Anyway,this was just a bonus actually.I bought this one after we left the store and before we got home.Anyway,I've heard that I Am Legend is a good film so that's why I bought it.Plus,ever since I've seen WWZ,I became interested in watching this again properly.In fact,I've already seen this,but I was just a child back then so I probably didn't understood a thing.Anyway,another reason of getting this is to tie in with my DVD of World War Z since both films have almost the same theme "survival".I Am Legend is available to own on DVD for P199.

Now,we've finally arrived at this post's highlight...

It's...

Man Of Steel (Limited Edition Figurine Giftset W/Superman) :

                                    

Finally! I now have my favorite movie of the year in the palm of my hands.Magna released 3 different versions for the DVD.First edition would be the one with the Superman figurine,second would be the one with Zod and the third and last would include an excerpt from the film's book (I forgot the title).Among those three,I chose the one with the Superman figurine because I thought it was "heroic".The one with the Zod figurine looked cool though.But I settled down with this one.The figurine stands 4.5 inches tall and includes an "S" pedestal for the figurine to stand on.The figurine's art finish is decent enough.But the figurine isn't in any way posable.The DVD comes with a transparent case (a first for a WB DVD new release) which looks exceptional and different from the usual transparent cases Magnavision does for their DVDs.The DVD presents the film in a 2:40:1 widescreen aspect ratio w/ Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound English & Brazilian Portuguese audio tracks and English SDH,Korean,Bahasa Indonesia & Brazilian Portuguese subtitles.The DVD includes 3 Special Features and they are: "Kypton Decoded",A New Zealand featurette (I forgot the official title) and "75 Years Of Superman".I've already watched the DVD and I must say that the picture quality of this DVD is nothing but superb.The picture is crisp specially in fight scenes.Meanwhile,the audio quality remains the same.It offers 5.1 surround sound that packs a punch particularly during the noisy scenes.You can just hear the metal crashing and the beautiful score by Hans Zimmer in 5.1 glory.Kudos to Magnavision for this wonderful release.Man Of Steel's DVDs are available in 3 editions: The Limited Edition Figurine Giftset w/either Zod or Superman which is selling for P1,500 and The 1-Disc DVD with Book that sells for P1,995.

Last but not the least would be...

World War Z:




WWZ is also one of my favorite films of this year because of its' clever but not really original story and amazing action sequences.In a nutshell,WWZ is basically Brad Pitt fighting off zombies around the world.Anyway,the DVD dons a pretty cool slipcover that is sturdier than my slipcover of Star Trek: Into Darkness and that giant Z behind Brad Pitt looks awesome.The DVD presents the film in 2:40:1 widescreen aspect ratio,includes English and Thai 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound audio tracks and English,Thai,Mandarin,Cantonese,Bahasa Indonesia and Bahasa Malaysia subtitles.The only bonus features this DVD includes are "Origins" and "Looking To Science".Unfortunately,the DVD only includes the theatrical cut of the film.Anyway,I'm excited to watch this again on DVD.I had so much fun watching this in theaters.World War Z is available on DVD for P799.

Anyway,that's all.Those are my 4 new DVDs.I hope you enjoyed this post.Thanks for reading and see ya 'til the next DVD Update.

*All the DVDs pictured and mentioned in this post are distributed by Magnavision Home Video.

DVD QuickPick: October 5,2013 (Late Post)

Last Saturday,I decided to pick up one new DVD since I figured that I haven't bought one since my purchase of Fast 6.And if you're wondering why I typed "DVD QuickPick" instead of "DVD Haul" because like I said,I only have one newly purchased DVD and since I consider 2 DVDs to be a haul,I consider 1 to be a QuickPick since I picked it up quick.Kinda corny if you ask me (yes,I admit),but that's the way it's gotta be.So...here it is,my newly bought DVD...

(Cue intergalactic theme music from a famous Sci-Fi show in the 60s)

Beam Me Up! It's Star Trek: Into Darkness! (Finally)




Among the heap of newly released DVDs (Like World War Z,The Hangover Part III,Iron Man 3,etc.),this one was the only one that struck my interest.I was interested in this for 2 reasons.First,I loved JJ Abrams' 2009 remake of Star Trek and secondly,I've been told that this is one of the films not to be missed this year.If there's gotta be a third reason,it would have something to do with the action and Benedict Cumberbatch.Anyway,I'm really digging that slipcover's front artwork.It gives me the impression that this one's gonna be darker and more action packed than the first film.Speaking of slipcovers,I love them so much.I like Trek 2's,but my problem is that my slipcover is a little soft and easily foldable.Not as hard as Magna's previous slipcovers for Fast 6 and Django Unchained.Regarding the features,this DVD's only got 2.Those are: "The Enemy of my Enemy" and "Ship to Ship".Well,they really are few.They should've added in at least 2 or 3 more featurettes to make up for the value.But anyway,I'm cool with that.Above all else,all I wanna say is that I am so excited to watch this.I was really happy to have this in my hands the moment I picked it up and brought it to the cashier and then finally brought it home.I'm gonna watch this when I have some time.

I know it's been short,but that's it.That's it for today.See ya soon 'til my next DVD QuickPick/DVD Haul (I really hope it's gonna be a haul next time around).Thanks for reading.

*Star Trek: Into Darkness is now available on DVD & Blu-Ray distributed for home viewing by Magnavision Home Video.Thanks to them for releasing a lot of great movies for home viewing.Other blockbusters now available from them would be World War Z,The Hangover Part III,The Great Gatsby,etc.

(C) 2013 Magnavision Home Video.
(C) 2013 Paramount Pictures/Skydance Productions/Bad Robot Productions.

FilmReviews: Gravity (2D)

Don't Let Go.

The moment I saw Gravity's trailer,it left me astonished 'cause the trailer made me believe that the film would be great.And the moment I left the cinema after the film,I was definitely stunned by the film's greatness.In case you don't know much about the film,Gravity is a 2013 space set drama-thriller directed by Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men),written by Alfonso Cuarón & Jonás Cuarón and stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney.The film is often categorized as a Sci-Fi,but I consider it to be a drama-thriller.




Damn.That exclusive IMAX poster is just stunning.So...here are the contributing factors of what makes this a review:

>Story/Plot
>Acting/Performances
>Miscellaneous
>Direction/Director's Effort

Alright.Let's start.

Story:

Gravity's story is quite simple but yet,it's what makes it so ambitious.And yet so great.The plot is about a medical engineer and an astronaut who work together to survive after an accident leaves them adrift in space.So yeah,based on the plot description,the film would be about survival in space.And that's one of the best things about Gravity's plot.It's all about survival and hope.Not to mention that it's pretty realistic in terms of the film's overall atmosphere.Which all worked.The way Alfonso and Jonas Cuaron managed to keep the story simple but moving was perfect.Simple but masterful storytelling is what they had.The film's trailer and the poster above made it seem to have homages to the classic Sci-Fi film 2001: A Space Odyssey.And guess what? It seemed to did homage the said classic film.To be particular,the homage was the "astronauts drifting in space".And that homage was terrific and I definitely loved it since the film was really pushing hard to make itself a cinematic masterpiece like that one.And fortunately,it's starting to be one.But definitely,Gravity is no 2001 in terms of legacy and greatness.But it's just so good to see this film tributing such a loved classic.One thing I also thought about Gravity is that it would be another Apollo 13.Never could I be so wrong.It actually was better than Apollo 13 somewhat,somehow.What made it look so similar is the "survival in space" theme.But both differed regarding the way it was executed.Apollo 13 did it dramatically (mostly) but Gravity presented the space survival theme scarily.I really don't know what it is about it,but after seeing Gravity,I realized that getting lost in space (with or without a ship) was definitely no joke.It was scary to get lost in the dark reaches of space.So after watching Gravity,I immediately realized that it and Apollo 13 were two different films.But on which executed the "lost in space/survival" theme better,I would pick Gravity.Gravity did it better,but Apollo 13 will still have a special place in my heart.Kudos to Alfonso & Jonas Cuaron for making Gravity have basic but compelling & masterful storytelling.

Acting/Performances:

Gravity (literally) only consists of two A-list Hollywood stars,and I'm happy to say that both of 'em shined.In case you're asking who they are,they go by the names of the talented George Clooney and Sandra Bullock.And even Bullock is criticized by a lot of critics about her acting,she does a nice job in Gravity.I wanna talk about the performances formally,and I wanna start with George Clooney 'cause I wanna save Bullock for the best and last.First of all,Clooney is definitely a talented actor and in Gravity,he gets to show off again,only that he lacks screentime.But despite his short screentime,his character was likeable.Even though Clooney gets short screentime,the performances get redeemed by Bullock.Yes,you heard me right.Sandra Bullock.Bullock who mostly gets criticized for her bad acting redeems herself in Gravity.In my own honest opinion,I thought that her acting was outstanding.Her deliveration of lines/dialogue was terrific and her acting was really great when she was struggling in space throughout the film.She was able to let her emotions out,and her struggle affected my emotions.Therefore,she acted well and she definitely outshined co-star George Clooney.I can't help it,so Imma have to say she's worthy of Oscar gold.That's just my opinion.

Miscellaneous:

Gravity is just amazing in so many ways.All throughout the film,it didn't stop to impress and still continued to amaze me once I left the cinema.Everything about the film's technicality was astonishing.The cinematography,the score,the visuals and everything else.Gravity's cinematography was wonderful.The way the entire film was shot really made you feel like you were in space.The shots of Earth are definitely beautiful,but the shots where the debris were flying around and the astronauts struggle were even more fantastic.But one of my fave camera techniques in the film was the "rotation".You'll figure out what I'm talking about if you've seen the film or the trailers.Gravity didn't use a lot of scoring/music throughout the entire film but when it did,the score intensified the film's atmosphere a lot.The score broke the silence by getting louder and louder.I have to say that this film homages 2001 a lot specially by using a lot of silence.Nonetheless,the film's silence makes the film all the more eerie.For the visuals,that's what this film is rich in.I couldn't say a lot about the visuals because I only saw it in 2D.But all I could say is that the visuals were stunning and would really look great in 3D.Specially in IMAX 3D.Too bad I wasn't able to get the opportunity to see this in 3D.To shorten it up,Gravity might be this year's Life of Pi in terms of visual richness.One of the best things about Gravity is the overall tone and vibe.The fim is dramatic,suspenseful,eerie,dark and intense.And how they incorporated those elements altogether was just perfectly effective.

Direction/Director's Effort:

I don't know Alfonso Cuaron a lot,but all I could say is that he must've outdone himself by directing Gravity.He managed to make a film with 2 A-list Hollywood stars,apply stunning visuals,and homage a lot of space movies.And speaking of space movies,I honestly think that Gravity might be the best space movie yet (Not including 2001: A Space Odyssey).The film and the director is worthy to take home Oscar gold.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PROS:

+ The film is just great.
+ The two Hollywood stars' performance were terrific.
+ Bullock's acting was top-notch and redeeming.
+ Amazing,astonishing,stunning visuals.
+ Visually rich.
+ Balances style and substance.
+ Pretty nice dialogue.
+ There are a lot of thrills.
+ The score was pretty good.
+ The drama,suspense,intensity,eerieness and dark tone makes the film better by heightening up the film's atmosphere

CONS:

- Clooney needed at least a bit more of screentime.
- Not that entertaining for those entertainment seekers.


Verdict:

Gravity's compelling storytelling,terrific performances and stunning visuals are enough to consider this as a modern masterpiece.But among all else,Cuaron's direction is amazing.Therefore,Gravity is a solid modern masterpiece.Among the many films released this year,this is one film not to miss.

Gravity gets a high-flying 8.8 stars over 10.Definitely see this in 3D.




*Gravity is still showing in 2D,3D and selected IMAX 3D theaters theatrically distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures .(Philippines) and rated PG-13 by the MTRCB.
**Looking for more space movies? Check out Apollo 13 and2001: A Space Odyssey.Those mentioned films are available to own on DVD & Blu-Ray distributed for home viewing by  Magnavision Home Video.
That's all for now,MovieGeeks.Thanks for reading my review and stay tuned 'til my next.

For the meantime,why not take another look at this clip from the film:





*Film clip courtesy of Warner Bros.Pictures/Heyday Films.*

(C) 2013 Warner Bros.Pictures/Heyday Films.

FilmReviews: Fast & Furious 6

"All Roads Lead To This."

So...It was a dark and rainy sunday and I was looking for a movie to watch then I made a fast decision to watch Fast & Furious 6.Supposedly,I was going to watch Fast Five before Furious 6,but I was running out of time and I felt unproductive.I don't know about it,but during sundays,I always feel not like doing something even though that day's pacing is fast.But anyway,I've made it through the laziness and I've had a really good time after watching this.Before digging into my insights,I'd like to give you few details regarding the movie first.Fast & Furious 6 is the sixth installment in the Fast and the Furious film franchise that launched in 2001.The film is directed by Justin Lin (Fast & Furious/Fast Five) and written by Chris Morgan & Gary Scott Thompson.It stars Vin Diesel (XxX/The Fast and the Furious),Paul Walker (Pleasantville/Flags of our Fathers),Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (Pain & Gain/G.I Joe: Retaliation),Jordana Brewster (The Faculty),Michelle Rodriguez (Girlfight/Avatar),Tyrese Gibson (Transformers/2Fast 2Furious),Sung Kang (The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift),Gal Gadot,Ludacris,Luke Evans (Immortals) and Gina Carano (Haywire).The film was released in the Philippines in IMAX and regular 2D May 24,2013.The same date as the US release.




Before I start this review's engine up,here are the factors that make this a review:
>Story/Plot
>Acting/Performances
>Miscellaneous
>Direction/Director's Effort

Now...Engine start!

Story/Plot:

One of the key elements I loved in Fast & Furious 6 was the story.It just had to be.In Fast Five,they go heisting which they do of course illegally while in Fast 6,they work for The Rock who orders to capture a group of fugitives led by Owen Shaw.It was good to see these guys face off against another bunch of fugitives just like them.Only to know that the other is more dangerous and tactical.But what Shaw's team didn't know is that Dom's crew can take them down no matter what the cost specially when it comes to family.If there's one thing that you shouldn't mess with them,that should be family.That theme worked in Fast Five,but I would have to say that it was more effective and felt more emotionally grounded in this one.What I would love to speak out is that it was a delight seeing these bunch of fugitives take each other down.And this plot theme made the film play out like a thriller.In the previous film,I liked their take on heisting which was fun,but in this one it feels like a gritty thriller...Fast & Furious style.Which means we have outrageous stunts and cool car action.But aside from the gang against a gang plotline,I also loved F&F 6's story for the film served as a puzzle that completes the others' missing links (Tokyo Drift included).The film itself tells that it truly is directly linked with the others and not loosely connected for in this chapter,few more characters from the past F&F films appear once again and also,these characters have something to do with the film's new character.Thus,I found the tagline "All Roads Lead To This" fitting to the film as it brings the story full circle and it tells that all the previous F&F films paved the way for this big vehicle of a film.I just have to say that F&F6's story is much better when compared with Fast Five.'Cause what I realized in Fast Five is that the story had a few missing links and one of them had the big question which It tend to think remained unanswered and that would have to be "Why the hell do they rob a million dollars from a rich guy?".But in this one,I tend to think that the story is well-written considering that there are a lot of revelations and twists.What's also good is the change in direction.Fast Five felt light,while this one was a little dark but nonetheless,still fun.To writers Chris Morgan and Gary Scott Thompson,all I could say is that you guys did a really good job.You didn't just wrote a story,but you managed to make it a puzzle to fit in with the previous chapters of this high-octane saga.

Acting/Performances:

From the previous F&F films,the dialogue may be sappy and well,sometimes crappy but in this one,I can say that the dialogue is improved even by a bit.It was less cheesier than Fast Five's.But enough of the dialogue analysis,I wanna talk about the actors.The cast mainly consists of Vin Diesel,Paul Walker,Dwayne Johnson,Jordana Brewster,Michelle Rodriguez and Luke Evans while the supporting cast includes Tyrese Gibson,Gina Carano,Chris "Ludacris" Bridges,Sung Kang and Gal Gadot.First that I wanna talk about is the main casts' acting.I found Vin Diesel's performance here slightly improved here than in Fast Five though there are some parts of his performance here that was reminiscent of his in Fast & Furious.Maybe it was because of his concern for Letty.But enough of the emotional talk.I thought that he was pretty bad-ass in this one.His one-liners were cool and the way he says his dialogue with his deep gruelly voice is just oh so macho.For Paul Walker,I thought his acting was pretty flat but still acceptable though I found his acting here to be almost on par with his in Fast Five.It's like almost nothing changed.It's as if Vin Diesel steals every scene that has him in it.For Dwayne Johnson,his performance was pretty good too and he gets to have fun with Dom's crew which always resulted into a good and fun scene.I found his tranformation from bad guy to good guy pretty well done.He blends with the F&F crew well without losing his militaristic bad-ass attitude.And,the best part is,he gets to make some jokes in this one which are all pretty funny.But still,The Rock was bad-ass and makes a good team together with Vin Diesel.Talk about team muscle.Jordana Brewster's acting wasn't something special.Her dialogue was normal and there were no scenes which let her stand out,but it was still good to see her with the crew.Now,if we're talking about the toughest girls onscreen whether on film or TV,one of them would be Michelle Rodriguez.Rodriguez's character Letty was one of my favorite characters from the original F&F films.And in this chapter,she's tougher than ever.In this one,Rodriguez's acting was bad-ass and I think her character Letty has always been the female counterpart of Dom.She was just so bad-ass and cool specially in this one.Her one-liners and dialogue in Fast 6 were clever,funny and awesome.And let's not forget the highlight of her comeback appearance in this chapter: the fight scene between her and Gina Carano in the subway in Waterloo.That scene was exactly the female counterpart of Dom and Hobbs' fight scene in Fast Five.And of course,Rodriguez stands out in that scene.Representing femme fatale bad-assery.For Luke Evans,both his character and performance were amazing.I think they chose just the right guy to play Owen Shaw.The character was like Dom's,only more notorious,less muscular,but more tactical.And I would have to give Luke Evans a thumbs up for his performance in Fast 6 for he may be the best villain this franchise has ever had yet.Fast Five's rich and corrupt Hernan Reyes definitely was no match for this brains and brawns fugitive.For the main cast,those who I would like to give a thumbs up would be Vin Diesel,The Rock,Luke Evans and Michelle Rodriguez.These four really stand out in terms of character value and performance.As for Paul Walker and Jordana Brewster,they were still good but they needed more.Now for the supporting cast...To start it right,I wanna begin by talking about Tyrese Gibson's perf.In my opinion,I think he improved right where Fast Five left off.I think that in Fast 6,his lines were just funnier and somehow even clever.But let's not forget that he gets a (bigger) piece of the action this time.From the opening chase to runway pursuit,I just had fun with his character getting involved in all these mischievous adventures and believe me,he serves as the film's biggest comedic relief which was great.For Ludacris' perf.,he was pretty decent.And like Tyrese,his lines are occassionally funny and the two of them make up a good team.Behind Tyrese/Ludacris,one of my many favorites performances from the supporting cast would come from the lovely bad-ass duo of Sung Kang and Gal Gadot.It was a really fun time seeing this awesome lovebirds onscreen once again.The best part is,that both get to kick some ass.But really,I just wanna focus on Gal.I thought her very final scene in the film where she triggers the gun just before she falls to her untimely death was well done.I could just somehow feel her emotions and I thought she was sweet to Han by sacrificing herself.For Sung Kang alone,he was quite good.His perf. was on par with his in Fast Five.That and that,the last performance I wanna tackle is Gina Carano's.She was the latest addition in the F&F films,I wasn't expecting her to be good,and turns out that my expectations succeeded.Her performance was quite bland in terms of lines,delivery and dialogue but when it comes to physical or something what I like to call bad-assery,she impressed me.Her fight with Michelle Rodriguez was amazing and will make you cheer at times.Overall,the actors' performances in Fast & Furious 6 sometimes outdid their's in the previous films but some actors' acting were just on par with theirs' in the last film.In terms of dialogue,I found them improved and less cheesy than the last.There were cool one liners and some funny jokes.For the cast,the ones that really stood out were Vin Diesel,The Rock,Michelle Rodriguez and Luke Evans.Their performances impressed me because of their proper execution and delivery of dialogue.Perhaps,a thumbs up for them would work.

Miscellaneous:

The music,the score,the cinematography,the actions and everything else miscellaneous were all amazing in Fast & Furious 6 and they worked on so many different levels.I wanna tackle them one by one properly.The music is a big part of the F&F culture and F&F6's music was great and I wanna say that part of it reminded me so much of the first film.The film's theme "We Own It" by rappers 2 Chainz & Wiz Khalifa worked properly in the film.The moment it played in the opening credits,it gave me goosebumps.The song was aggressive and furious in tone and it fits properly with the film due to song's tone and the film's aggressive,serious vibe.And IMO,it was better than Fast Five's theme "How We Roll".Other than "We Own It",the techno music in F&F6 was amazing too and was very reminiscent of the first film's techno music.And when part of it was played in the "Letty & Dom" race scene,believe me that it made me wanna engage in a race.And oh yeah,that song worked effectively in that scene.This time,the score is not composed by Brian Tyler,but instead it's handled by some guy named Lucas Vidal.I really haven't heard of him until this,but I can say that this guy was good in terms of being a composer but of course not as good as Brian Tyler who composed the scores for Fast Five,Fast & Furious and The Fast & The Furious: Tokyo Drift.His score was quite good.He made it quite more serious than Fast Five's fun score which was good in terms of changing direction.Perhaps my favorite piece from him would be the piece which plays during the scene where Riley and Gisele go recon and hunt down one of Owen Shaw's teammates. What I found relieving though is that numerous times within the film,glimpses of the last 2 F&F films scores are heard and that makes it better.Hearing those memorable themes from the previous two films were good to the ears.But still,I thought that Lucas Vidal needed to improve his score.For the cinematography,the film was shot pretty well.The camera work was better in this one than in Fast Five.Perfect example of the well-done camera work was the tank chase scene.The way the camera moves when Rome jumps off from his car to Brian's was pretty awesome.The cinematography was definitely improved thanks to director of photography Stephen F.Windon who also did Fast Five's photography.For the action set pieces,it couldn't get any more ridiculous in Fast 6.If you saw a vault get dragged in the streets of Rio in Fast Five then in Fast 6 you get to see a tank roaming the busy highways of Spain,two chicks beating off each other and don't forget Dom's team taking down a big-ass plane.Sure Fast 6's action scenes are ridiculous but damn are they fun despite the lack of realism in those scenes.Specially the tank chase and the runway pursuit.Those scenes outdid almost every action scene in Fast Five IMO.For the other stuff,I thought that the opening credits was a pretty cool move.It made me happy as an F&F fan seeing those montages of clips from the first,second,fourth and fifth film with "We Own It" as the background music.And yeah,it gave me goosebumps the first time I saw it.That was unexpected and it was a true surprise.For the post-credits scene,I didn't see that one coming and the way that scene was built was astonishing.It revealed that Han's death from Tokyo Drift wasn't just an accident but instead,it was all part of a plan.To be exact,Ian Shaw's plan who's played by Jason Statham.Judging from that small but surprising scene,I can say that Jason Statham would do a great job in playing Ian Shaw in Fast & Furious 7.

Direction/Director's Effort:

About my opinion on Justin Lin in directing this film,I would say that he did a really good job by piecing everything together in the film's story,creating the action set pieces,bringing the team back and choosing the locations.But the thing is,he wasn't able to bring back the fun vibe Fast Five had.He made this film more serious but thankfully still fun,entertaining and highly enjoyable.In conclusion,he made Fast 6 more entertaining and more enjoyable than Fast Five but he wasn't able to make Fast 6 just as good as Fast Five was.Either way,I thought he did a job well done.But what's sad is that he isn't coming back to direct the next F&F.Taking in his place would be Insidious director James Wan who I think will make Fast & Furious 7 darker in tone.I just hope that Wan will do a good job just as Lin did in 5 F&F sequels.

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PROS:

>Fast & Furious 6 is incredibly enjoyable and more entertaining than Fast Five.

>The storytelling is amazing.

>MORE ACTION!

>The villain Owen Shaw is the best villain this franchise has ever had to date.

>Michelle Rodriguez's comeback is very refreshing.

>So many surprises.

>It's refreshing to see the F&F team back.

>The action set pieces outdoes those in Fast Five.

>The performances are amazing.
CONS:

>Sure there is more action,but damn are they ridiculous.

>Gina Carano's (verbal) performance is dull.

>Lacks realism.

>Still not as good as Fast Five.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Verdict: More ridiculous,more action packed and more enjoyable is what you can describe Fast & Furious 6,but it fails to bring the strong sense of fun Fast Five had.What's good though is that F&F6 has a strong,well structured story which is also a puzzle,and the film brings so many surprises with it.Long story short: Fast & Furious 6 is highly entertaining and for fans,you may call it the best in the series.I am also a fan but I still think Fast Five is the best but F&F6 is more enjoyable,entertaining and better in terms of plot.

Fast & Furious 6 gets 7.5 stars over 10.



*The high octane 6th installment in the F&F franchise Fast & Furious 6 is now available to own on DVD & Blu-Ray distributed for home video by Magnavision Home Video.The previous 5 F&F films are also available to own on DVD & Blu-Ray also distributed by Magnavision Home Video.

**Catch the next high-octane chapter in the F&F franchise Fast & Furious 7 in theaters July 2014.

That's it MovieGeeks.Thanks for reading my review and stay tuned for my next FilmReview.

For now,check out this clip from the film:



Film clip courtesy of Movieclips.com and Universal Pictures.

(C) 2013 Universal Pictures/One Race Films/Original Film/Relativity Media.All rights reserved.

DVD Haul: September 7,2013

Last Saturday,I managed to pick up 2 DVDs.Yeah,you heard 'em right,two just two.But even though I know it's a small amount,I'm still happy to have them added in my collection.Let's not wait,here are the 2 DVDs I bagged last Saturday...

Captain America: The First Avenger

Just to let ya know,I actually own the 2011 release of this,but it wasn't working anymore so I decided to pick this up so I can watch it again since I missed watching this.In case you wanna know my opinions regarding the film,I thought this was a nice one Marvel came up with.It's entertaining and fun to watch but I just found Thor to be better than this.The film isn't worth re-buying though I just bought it again to replace my original copy which doesn't work anymore plus,it's available for a cheap price.But even though it was on sale for a cheap buck,I just found out that this in fact the 2011 release only slipcover-less.Talk about a bang for your buck.Captain America is available on DVD for a cheap but valuable price of P100 along previous Marvel films Thor and Iron Man.

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Fast & Furious 6


In case you don't know,this isn't available yet in the US 'til October,but look! it's now available on DVD here in the Philippines.Anyway,just to let you know I really really anticipated this but wasn't able to have the opportunity in theaters but instead I saw this first on (pardon me) pirated DVD.So yeah,you may say I'm a non-supporter of the film industry but I would like you to think "no" 'cause I am definitely a true supporter of the film industry.It just so happened that I wasn't able to beat off my temptation.But look on the bright side! I'm now able to see it on original DVD properly with crystal clear picture quality and groundbreaking 5.1 audio.Just in case you wanna know what I thought of the film,I thought that it was a little bit better than Fast Five because of the actions and everything else.By the way,I really am loving that slipcover.Even though it doesn't include the entire crew due to spacing conflicts,the four main stars of the film really look furious in there.And yeah,the logo looks more "furious" in red.It's bathing in fury.Also gotta love that London backdrop.Looks beautifully furious.Alright,that's enough.Fast & Furious 6 is available on DVD for P750.

So...that's it.My 2 new DVDs.I still consider it a DVD Haul despite the small quantity.In my future DVD Updates,when I pick up only 1 DVD,I'm going to call it a QuickPick.But if two or more,it's gonna be called a DVD Haul then.

That's all folks for my DVD Haul update.Stay tuned for the next DVD Haul and thanks for reading.See ya soon!
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*Captain America: The First Avenger and Fast & Furious 6 are available to own on DVD distributed by Magnavision Home Video.

**Own the previous F&F films The Fast and The Furious,2Fast 2Furious,The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift,Fast & Furious and Fast & Furious 5 on DVD.Distributed by Magnavision Home Video.

FilmReviews: Elysium

From the director of District 9 comes another Science Fiction thriller,Elysium.

Just watched Elysium last Sunday night at SM MOA.This was the only good film showing last night next to The Conjuring and OTJ.And I thought that the plot was interesting so I gave it a go.Before I start this review,I would like to give some details regarding the film.Elysium is the sophomore directorial effort of District 9 director Neill Blomkamp.It is both written and directed by Neill Blomkamp and stars Matt Damon (The Departed/The Bourne Trilogy),Jodie Foster (The Silence Of The Lambs/Flight Plan),Sharlto Copley (The A-Team/District 9),Alice Braga (I Am Legend),Diego Luna and William Fichtner (The Dark Knight/Drive Angry).




Now,to start this review properly,here are the contributing factors of what makes it a review:>Story/Plot
>Acting/Performances
>Miscellaneous
>Direction/Director's Effort

Now,we may begin...

Story:

Elysium is set in 2154 where Earth is overpopulated and the poor live in Earth while the rich and wealthy live in a city outside the Earth called Elysium.That's the film main concept but it still has another.In the film,we are introduced to Max Da Costa,a regular worker who repairs droids or robots.While repairing a robot,he gets stuck in the repairing chamber and gets radiated by the chemicals the repairroom emitted.After getting radiated,he begins to learn that he only has 5 days left to live and that in order to get healed,he must get up to Elysium knowing that there are healing pods there.In order to get up to Elysium without a ticket,he gets a deal from his past workmate who stole cars with him to insert an exoskeleton that can steal data/codes from the persons from Elysium with the highest position.Elysium's story is somewhat reminiscent of other Science Fiction films from the modern classic Inception to the highly respected classic 2001: A Space Odyssey.Therefore,it is not original but I consider the plot interesting.Other than that,it is all seen and done before by past Sci-Fis.For my opinion,Elysium needed to be written not by Neill Blompkamp but instead other low-rent but smart writers.All I can say about Elysium's story is that needed so much more,the concept is very interesting but it needed to be executed properly.For Neill Blompkamp,I can say that he did a good job and I appreciate his effort but he should have done better and had some originality in some moments of the film.He should keep it up on his next film,Chappie.

Acting/Performances:

Elysium's cast aren't that well known,but I can say that they all did a good job.Perhaps the only ones whose performances I thought were good and praisable would be Matt Damon's,Jodie Foster's and even Sharlto Copley's.From the mentioned trifecta,the best performance or performances I would have to consider would be from Jodie Foster's and Sharlto Copley's.But if you really were to let me choose between Jodie and Sharlto,my pick would be Sharlto.Sharlto's character here is very different from the one in D9.If in D9,he played a reporter who then gets exposed from alien-liquid,slowly transform into a Prawn and then fully becomes one but in Elysium,he plays a cold blooded agent/hunter in pursuit of killing those who attempt to illegally enter Elysium.I loved Sharlto in here because I thought that he was irresistible not to praise,he became one of the film's high points for his strong,villainous performance plus,he was just bad-ass.Jodie Foster's performance was praisable also,but in my opinion Sharlto tops her.Sure,Jodie was amazing but her role was too common either way I also praise her having a strong portrayal.For Matt Damon's,I liked him too but his performance here made me remember of him from The Bourne Trilogy at some points throughout the film.Only these three are the ones that I praise,'cause above the rest they stand out as a trifecta.On to the other side,these 3 are the only known stars this film has.Matt Damon and Jodie Foster perhaps garners the film's star-power.

Miscellaneous:

Elysium had amazing camera work as I would say.The outer shot of Elysium (the space station) had me gazing at it beautifully.Then there's the aerial views of  wasteland Earth or Los Angeles that I liked.Maybe for the way it fit into the story,since the film is set in a distant future where Earth is thrashed and has become a deserted wasteland sprawling with sickness.For the film's sound editing/score,I liked it but I thought that it sounded generic like the ones used in previous Sci-Fi films of last year such as Total Recall or even this year's Oblivion.Despite the lack of proper execution,one of the small things I loved in Elysium was the realistic side it was on which made me consider it a political Sci-Fi film.Despite the film's setting is in the future,the political agenda within the film made me realize that this is the futuristic depiction of how life is now.The wealthy are treated as if they were kings and queens while the poor are given less attention.You'll know what I'm talking about once you see the film.But what I didn't like that much in Elysium though is that it recycled one main theme from District 9 and that is equality.The film also aimed at equality like D9 did.Replacing humans and aliens with the poor and the rich persons.But I understand it,I think Neill Blompkamp did that intentionally.Maybe he's just a very realistic person,who thinks too political.I respect him though.

Direction/Director's Effort:

Neill Blompkamp made District 9 a masterpiece by having Peter Jackson's name plastered all over it and by having a strong script and plot.However,that's not what happens with Elysium despite having Hollywood A-stars Matt Damon and Jodie Foster's name being mentioned in every marketing material.What happens with the film is that it had a quite decent plot but almost weak execution,almost no originality and the script was kinda dull in some points.All I could say to him is that,sure he made a good job but he should've kept it better,'cause Elysium for me is a letdown after District 9's massive success.On the other side of the road though,as mentioned above,I liked how me made the film realistic and gritty.

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PROS:

>Sharlto Copley and Jodie Foster's performances are outstanding

>Gritty and realistic,making it non-mainstream but still a decent Sci-Fi

 film

>Damon was quite good,his character Max Da Costa was interesting.

CONS:

>The film's plot/concept sure is interesting,but wasn't executed well.

>Lacks action
 
>Some characters feel like cardboards and have no depth
>Some moments in throughout the movie have been seen before in past films.
>Script not written well

>Damon's acting felt reminiscent.

Verdict: Elysium may be one of this year's interesting films,but it almost fails to deliver.It lacks action,and the film may not be original but at least it redeems itself thanks to Jodie Foster and Sharlto Copley who both gave fantastic performances.



Elysium gets 7.1 over 10 stars.

*Elysium is still showing in theaters nationwide and is rated PG-13 by the MTRCB theatrically distributed by Columbia Pictures Philippines.

**Want more Sci-Fis? Check out Oblivion,Total Recall (Original and Remake),Star Trek (2009),Star Trek Into Darkness and G.I Joe: Rise of Cobra/G.I Joe: Retaliation.All available to own on DVD for home viewing distributed by Magnavision Home Video.

That's all folks,thanks for reading this review and see ya soon 'til the next FilmReview.This has been TheMovieGeek.

But before I say goodbye in this review,check out this clip from the film first:




(c) 2013 TriStar Pictures/Columbia Pictures.

FilmReviews: The Conjuring

I just watched The Conjuring last night which was treated to me by one of my friends,but before I saw it last night in the cinema,I have seen this 4 times already via online streaming.I promised myself though to not make a review for this until I see it properly in theaters or original DVD.Thankfully,I was able to see it last night in theaters thanks to one of my friends.So here it is now,my review for The Conjuring.But before I start this review,I'll give away few details regarding the film.The Conjuring is a supernatural horror movie directed by James Wan (Insidious/Saw) and stars Vera Farmiga (Orphan/TV's Bates Motel),Patrick Wilson (Insidious/Watchmen),Lilli Taylor (TV's Six Feet Under/The Haunting) and Ron Livingston.

One last thing,before we start this review up,here are the factors that would make this a film review:

>Story/Plot
>Acting/Performances
>Miscellaneous
>Direction/Director's Effort

So,without further adieu,let's begin.

Story/Plot:

You may see in marketing materials that The Conjuring is based on the true case files of The Warrens,well it really is.And the film is really hard to believe that it is based on true events for those events were disturbing and devastating.Just in case you don't know,The Conjuring tells the real life events of paranormal investigators Ed & Lorraine Warren and their investigation of a family's dark,mysterious farmhouse wherein they feel terrorized.So okay,the plot sounds familiar but it's a nice thing how the screenwriters were able to tell the story effectively despite the redundance of plot.But on the other side,this is a true story anyway and the events seen on film are devastating enough to be seen in real life.For those who are wondering if the Annabelle doll has massive effect in the film's story,well it really doesn't.It only appeared in the opening scene of the film to introduce Ed & Lorraine Warren and their earlier cases.The film's story is somewhat flawed whether it is about the film's plot redundancy,the happy ending and more.But regarding the people ranting about the happy ending,I disagree with 'em.Even though this is a dark horror movie,it doesn't mean it should have an ending where everyone dies and such.I thought that the ending was relieving since it was disturbing to see the family getting terrorized and shit.The ending was in fact,a breath of fresh air from all the scary shit that happened all throughout the film.Well,that's just my opinion.For those who thought that the plot is redundant,I agree and you got a point due to the fact this is indeed is another haunted house movie only this was crafted much better than any of the PA movies nor Mama.But like I've been saying moments ago,this is a true story and the haunted horror movie tropes are unavoidable in terms of it being repetitive again in this film.Well,I'm just glad that the screenwriters chose a new case not the never-ending Amityville case that has been made into films to the death.The Conjuring's plot may be very familiar,but at least it succeeds in making it work well.I just have to say that the screenwriters did an excellent job in adapting another real life devastating supernatural case that does not regard the Amityville into a film.

Acting/Performances:

All I could say about The Conjuring's acting,is that the cast's performances were pretty good, not great but still outstanding.My favorite performance in the film perhaps was Lilli Taylor's.I thought that she had nice acting in playing the mother,specially during the times when she gets into weird situations such as her falling off the stairs heading straight to the cellar then she lights a match and the match starts to flick off when someone or something clapped.Her facial expression was just priceless,she looked authentically scared and clueless.But I loved her acting even more when her character got possessed.It seems like she researched The Exorcist really well 'cause she sorta had that Regan MacNeil feel to her performance in that said scene.Nonetheless,her performance was pretty good,and I would like to give her a thumbs up.For Vera Farmiga & Patrick Wilson,I thought they were both quite decent in their acting,plus their characters were interesting.Specially Vera's.I thought that her character is interesting noting that she was a clarevoyant.As for Patrick Wilson's he did well too but I just felt that his character had a role reversal from Insidious.Instead of him being the main character who gets haunted,he gets to play one of the paranormal investigators.But all the while,their duo was good.It was fun to see them onscreen.For the child actresses in the film,their performance was pretty good.My favorite child performance would be from Joey King.Her acting was pretty nice and applausable in the scene where the door slams shut.She felt all creepy and added more thrill to that scene.All I could say about The Conjuring's performances is that while some dialogue in the film are very generic in other horror films,the actors were still able to show off their acting skills neatly thus all did good a job in playing their respective roles.

Miscellaneous:

The Conjuring is particularly set in the early 70s and the cinematography,music,set design and everything else made it feel so 70s.The cinematography got me hooked,it was really beautiful and so is the lighting.It was as if the film was filtered to look like a 70s horror film.The result was a beautifully creepy color tone to the film.Also one of the contributing factors of what made the movie great was of course,the music.Joseph Bishara's score was very eerie which added intensity and scariness to the film.The set design was very 70s.From the farmhouse to the furniture.Everything was so old school cool.And yeah,that cellar might be one of the most reminding bits of the film.That cellar was so freakin' creepy.Thumbs up to the set designers for designing that.Some thought that The Conjuring was another ol' haunted horror house movie with generic plot and everything else but for me,I look at it as two things: a haunted house horror movie and also a kind of a tribute to 70s horror films.Since the film was loosely based on the true story,they must've had to add/replace some things from the true story.What I'm getting at here is that,the film borrowed huge elements from 70s horror movies such as The Exorcist,The Amityville,etc.The result was great,and still effective regarding scares.Particularly the entire possession thing and all the other creepy stuff this film was stuffed with.The Conjuring's vibe and atmosphere was dim to dark.Dim when the film opens but as the film progresses,it just gets darker and darker.Which is also one of the main reasons that made me love it.The atmosphere will get you hooked and once you're hooked,you may never get out.The dark atmosphere of the film will latch onto you until the credits roll.Speaking of the credits,the end credits played in silence which made it also creepy.So if you're asking if the film is scary,my answer would definitely be yes.It is both scary and terrifying.You won't be disappointed.

Direction/Director's Effort:

All I could say is that James Wan really outdid himself in making The Conjuring.It perhaps was better than his previous effort Insidious back in 2010 but it can still be debatable whether which is scarier,this or Insidious.But for now,my pick would be The Conjuring since this is based on true events while Insidious is based on a screenplay meaning the events in The Conjuring are more likely to happen rather than those in Insidious.For The Conjuring,I would like to give James Wan two thumbs up for delivering what may be one of the best horror films of this decade and by making this genuinely scary.

Overall:

Despite borrowing from the playbooks of 70s horror films,The Conjuring still delivers effective scares and thrills on its' own.It's a worthy cinematic experience that will make you jump out of your seat a few times.It's definitely a must see specially for horror movie lovers and might also be one of the best films of this year so far.Two thumbs up to James Wan.

The Conjuring gets 7.8 over 10 stars.




*The Conjuring is still playing in selected theaters nationwide distributed theatrically by Warner Bros. Pictures (Philippines) and rated R-13 by the MTRCB.

**Catch James Wan's next horror film Insidious Chapter 2.Opens Sept.18 to be theatrically distributed by  Columbia Pictures Philippines.

***Want more horror films? Check out Evil Dead (2013),The Shining,The Exorcist,Poltergeist,A Nightmare On Elm Street and Mama.All available to own on DVD distributed by  Magnavision Home Video.

For now,why not check out this clip from The Conjuring?



Video clip courtesy of Warner Bros.Pictures & Movieclips.com.All rights reserved.

That's it folks! Stay tuned for my next FilmReview.Thanks for reading and have a nice day.

*The Conjuring.TM 2013 Warner Bros.Pictures*

DVD Haul: August 18,2013,July 27,2013 & July Something Something 2013.

Well,it's been a very long time ever since I've made the last of this series of posts and now I'm back with 7 DVDs to show you.Those seven DVDs are (in alphabetical order): Dreamgirls,Evil Dead (2013),Flight,Oblivion,Rocky,The Bridge On The River Kwai and The Exorcist.Now,Imma show them to you according to the dates I bought 'em.

DVDs I bought July Something Something 2013:

Well,yeah I intended it to sound like that since I really forgot when I bought the DVDs that day.Ugh.

First up is...



Dreamgirls which is directed by Bill Condon and stars Jamie Foxx,Beyonce' Knowles,Eddie Murphy,Danny Glover,Jennifer Hudson & Anika Noni Rose.The film tells the story of a trio of black female soul singers and their cross over to the pop charts in the early 1960s.The film won 2 Oscars for Best Achievement In Sound Mixing (Michael Minkler,Bob Beemer & Willie D. Burton) and Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Jennifer Hudson).Actually,this DVD isn't really mine instead,it's my big bro's (He's a huge Beyonce' fan) but since it's located in my DVD rack,it's also partly mine.You know what I mean? Anyway,my first impression on the film is that it's gonna be good and just fun.Dreamgirls is available on DVD for P100.

Next up is...Rocky.



Thank God I finally found this film sold individually from a box set.I've been looking this up ever since.And now,I've finally got a hold of the undisputed champion's first outing in my DVD collection.Behold Rocky! Rocky is directed by John G.Avildsen and stars Sylvester Stallone,Talia Shire,Burt Young,Carl Weathers,Burgess Meredith and Thayer David.Rocky tells the story of a small-time boxer who gets a supremely rare chance to fight the heavy-weight champion in a bout in which he strives to go to the distance for his self-respect.Rocky won 3 Oscars for Best Director (John G.Avildsen),Best Film Editing (Richard Halsey,Scott Conrad) and Best Picture (Irvin Winkler,Robert Chartoff).I've been told that this sports-drama film is one of the most inspiring ever and I think I would have to agree with that saying even though I haven't seen it yet.Anyway,this film launched Sly to Hollywood fame and is considered as one of the best films you should see before you die.Rocky is available on DVD for P175-P199 depending on where you purchase it.

DVD I bought last July 27,2013:

Well,I only bought one DVD that day and it is...

The Exorcist:

Ahh yes.The Exorcist is also one of those hard-to-find movies on DVD and thank God I got mine.It's the only remaining copy in the store I bought from.The Exorcist is directed by William Friedkin and stars Max von Sydow,Ellen Burstyn,Linda Blair,Lee J.Cobb,Kitty Winn,Jack MacGowran and Jason Miller.Too bad,this version of the film isn't the director's cut which spans a runtime of 132 minutes and includes additional footage.Still,it's great to finally have this in my hands.The Exorcist is available on DVD for P199.

DVDs I bought last August 18,2013.

Last August 18,I bought 4 DVDs.3 modern films,1 classic.Here they are:

Evil Dead (2013)

Well,it's been said to be "The most terrifying film you will ever experience." well,I have to see it first for me to believe that statement.But judging from the cover and the marketing material,it already seems to be terrifying due to all the blood.The film is both remake slash re-imagining of the 1981 Sam Raimi horror classic and since I watched the cult-classic Evil Dead 2,I can't wait to see this for its'new darker modern spin on the horror classic that spawned two successful sequels.Evil Dead is available on DVD for P550,which is included in Magnavision's Buy 2 Take 1 promo.

Flight


 

TIME Magazine says that Flight "soars",well I couldn't agree more.The film is actually great and I might say it's underrated.The film doesn't seem to get much attention because people these days love CG-action fests but to those who would watch any type of movie (specially dramas),Flight definitely comes in recommended.I wouldn't say any more because I'm saving them all for the review,but all I could say is that this film truly is great but sadly underrated.Flight is available on DVD for P475 and is also included in Magnavision's Buy 2 Take 1 promo.

Oblivion

Oblivion might be one of my favorite films of this year probably because I loved the cinematography and the film itself despite the lack of action.But it's all okay.I loved this film for what it was,and in my perspective I look up to it as a modern tribute to Science Fiction films both old and new.And one of the main reasons why I loved this movie is also because of the human drama to it.That's all.All I could say is that this is also a good movie but it's up to you whether you'll like it or not.I can't wait to see this movie again on DVD.By the way,I love that slipcover despite it being not shiny like the one I imagined.I still love it though,it adds value to the item.Oblivion is available on DVD for P750 and is also included in Magnavision's Buy 2 Take 1 Promo.

The Bridge On The River Kwai



This film was recommended to me by one of my moviegeek friends Kuya Dom,so I decided to get it for a cheap price of P100.Great price,great film.I really don't doubt that this is a great one,'cause it's directed by the man who helmed Lawrence of Arabia which sadly,until I haven't seen due to schedule conflicts.Back to topic,this looks like a great addition to my war films section in my collection.David Lean's The Bridge On River Kwai is available to own on DVD for P100.

Well,that's the end of the list.Those are my 7 "not so recently" purchased movies on DVD.I suppose this is a very late post,pardon me but I'll see ya til the next DVD Haul Update.Thanks for reading.

*Dreamgirls,The Exorcist,Evil Dead,Flight,Oblivion and The Bridge On The River Kwai are all available to own on DVD distributed for home viewing by  Magnavision Home Video.

**Rocky is available on DVD distributed by Viva Video Inc.

FilmReviews: Pitch Perfect

Get Pitch Slapped.

Yesterday's afternoon,I watched Pitch Perfect to avoid the negativity the rain has brought and after watching it,it brought me nothing but good vibes and fun.Pitch Perfect is a very fun and entertaining film for the ladies but males might even like it for its' irresistible feel-good vibe and sing-song entertainment.The film is directed by Jason Moore (TV's Dawson's Creek/One Tree Hill),written by Kay Cannon (screenplay) and Mickey Rapkin (based on the book) and stars Anna Kendrick (Up In The Air,50/50),Skylar Astin (21 and Over),Ben Platt,Brittany Snow (Prom Night/Hairspray),Anna Camp (The Help),Rebel Wilson (Pain & Gain/Bridesmaids),Alexis Knapp (PROJECT X),Ester Dean & Adam DeVine.




Before we start,let me show you the contributing factor of what makes this a review:

>Story/Plot
>Acting/Performances
>Miscellaneous
>Direction/Director's Effort

Let's start this review up.

Story:

Pitch Perfect's story tells about college freshman Beca who gets cajoled in joining The Bellas,her university's all-girls singing group.Injecting some much needed energy into their repertoire, The Bellas take on their male rivals in a campus competition.So,that's Pitch Perfect's simple cutesy plot.But basically,I think of it as Glee meets Mean Girls.The simple storyline may be overused,but in Pitch Perfect it still is pretty effective.Especially for its' cute execution of the plot.So,in my own words,I would have to say that even the simplest of things can be effective and Pitch Perfect was able to prove this.Of all,Pitch Perfect is like Glee,in a good way.It wasn't too corny and it was all just clean fun.

Acting/Performances:

The performances from the cast were not Oscar worthy but still stands out.Don't expect the singing to be like Les Miserables' nor Dreamgirls.I thought that Anna Kendrick's character was a little likeable specially during the grand slam finale.Her acting wasn't dull,I thought that she did a nice job.Skylar Astin plays Jesse,the protagonist's love interest who also joins one of the school's singing groups The Treblemakers.Skylar's role was portrayed nicely.He stood out among the others (IMO) mainly because of his charm.His singing is quite good.Anna Camp portrays Aubrey who's head of The Bellas,performs the same dumb song then still hopes to win until the newbies came.Anna Camp's character was competitive and faithful and I thought that she was able to represent those traits well.Her singing was a little beautiful and pleasing.Brittany Snow meanwhile plays Chloe,Aubrey's second in command who is a little less competitive than her commander.She was right in her role and her singing's a little outstanding too.While most may have loved Rebel Wilson here,I was a little irritated of her.Sure,her lines were damn funny and heightened the film's humor a little bit more but at times,I felt that she was a little annoying.Well,that's just my opinion.Her singing may be the thing that irritated me,specially when she goes all out on the semi-finals.Plus,she almost ruined the routine at the film's finale.Sigh.Rapper Ester Dean's singing is what I praised the most,her voice was gripping and just so likeable.Specially when she raps at the end.And when she performs Rihanna's S&M at the Riff-Off.Last performance I would talk about would be Adam DeVine's.He wasn't that likeable and I didn't like his singing that much but he was still pretty good.Much of like how I felt for Rebel Wilson.Pitch Perfect may not have well-known stars but these fresh faces tend to pay off specially with their singing.The dialogue is well written,it wasn't clumsy and some of the jokes were genuinely funny.

Miscellaneous:

Your favorite songs both old and new are about to be heard in Pitch Perfect once again,but this time it's revamped for the new age.Songs like the hit Madonna track Like A Virgin are heard in the film acapella style.And it's just really pleasing to hear those tracks in a new style.The film's cinematography wasn't something special,I noticed nothing unusual.As for the music,it was very energetic and good-vibe inducing.Specially the hip new rendition of Rihanna's S&M and Pitbull's Give Me Everything.For the film's highlight,The Riff-Off,I thought that it needed to be prolonged specially in the "Ladies of the 80s" part.It just really needed more.But the good new rendition of Blackstreet's hit single No Diggity is just really hip and fit that scene's finale perfectly.The film's casting was just right,fresh faces with talents was just the right combination.For the film's feel,it will definitely give you good vibes from start to finish.It's pure clean acapella fun for everyone.Thus,I recommend you to watch this when you are stressed,'cause this is a great fun stress reliever.

Direction/Director's Effort:

For director Jason Moore,all I have to say is that he did a wonderful job in making Pitch Perfect wholly fun and entertaining.He found the right cast,made genuinely laughable gags/jokes,chose a wonderful selection of music and most of all,he made Pitch Perfect a combination of Glee and Mean Girls.If he's up for a sequel,I hope he makes better effort and once again,chooses a nice selection of music and maybe add some more well-known stars.

Overall:

Pitch Perfect is totally fun,totally entertaining and just really really wonderful.The characters are lovable,the vibe is really good and the film itself is just undeniably cool so to speak.If you haven't seen the film,I definitely recommend this to you specially if you love music.You'll definitely get pitch-slapped.

Pitch Perfect hits a note of 7.5




*Own Pitch Perfect on DVD & Blu-Ray today.Distributed by Magnavision Home Video.
**Want more fun teen films? Try Fun Size,Mean Girls & Footlose.And something for the much matured teens: 21 Jump Street,Bad Teacher,Superbad & Project X.All available on DVD distributed by Magnavision Home Video.

That's it folks.Thanks for reading and see ya soon until the next FilmReview.

For now,check out this film clip from Pitch Perfect:



Video clip courtesy of Universal Pictures.

(C)2012 Universal Pictures/Gold Circle Films.