A high definition upgrade can be a revelation, and if the film is a classic, it can not only revitalize the film (not to mention save it from further degradation), it can make it look better than it ever has. That is the verdict on Paramount Picture’s release of the 1964 Rex Harrison, Audrey Hepburn…
Tag: academy award
The Ten Commandments (1956) -4K Review
Paramount Pictures came down from the mountain with a beautifully restored version of Cecil B DeMille’s epic 1956 version of The Ten Commandments that featured Charlton Hestson in the iconic, almost career-defining role of Moses, with Yuk Brynner going toe to toe with him as the pharaoh, Ramses. The film plays like a who’s who…
Ex Machina (2014) – Alex Garland
Alex Garland wrote and directed this stunning film, his first feature, that explores the concepts of Artificial Intelligence and the desire to live and survive. When a young programmer, Caleb (Domhall Gleeson) wins a contest to spend a week at his boss, Nathan’s (Oscar Isaac), remote estate, he loves the idea, when Nathan reveals that…
Dances with Wolves (1990) – Kevin Costner
It’s been a long time since I watched Dances With Wolves, it definitely hasn’t happened since the turn of the century. But I remember when this one came out. Actually I remember before that, because I read the original novel by Micheal Blake (who wrote the screenplay) as well. There was just something about this…
M*A*S*H (1972) – Pilot, To Market, to Market, and Requiem for a Lightweight
On 17 April, 1972, the television landscape changed with the premiere of a show that would run for eleven seasons, and ably walk the line between comedy and drama as it explored life on a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War. Developed for television by Larry Gelbart from the Academy Award winning film…
The French Connection (1971) – William Friedkin
William Friedkin’s 1971 classic has deserved a rewatch for awhile, and I was quite happy to settle in for it. I like Gene Hackman, who won himself an Academy Award for his turn as NYPD officer Popeye Doyle, and I’m a huge fan of Roy Scheider who plays his partner, Cloudy, and received a nomination…
Roman Holiday (1953) – Blu-Ray Review
For the first time ever, the Audrey Hepburn/Gregory Peck classic, Roman Holiday, from 1953, is being released to blu-ray by Paramount Pictures. It feels look overdue, but this absolutely delightful film proves that good things come to those who wait. Filmed completely on location in Rome, the film, Hepburn’s first made her a star, and…
Foreign Correspondent (1940) – Alfred Hitchcock
It’s not often that I come across an Alfred Hitchcock film that I haven’t seen, but Philip Kemp’s Movies book, but Foreign Correspondent was one of them. I was completely delighted with this one, and loved how the story played out as an American reporter heads to Europe and the UK to investigate the brewing…
Gladiator: 20th Anniversary 4k Review
It’s hard to believe that Gladiator is twenty years old. I can still recall the evening I saw in the theatre, and how the group of friends and I simply loved it. Ridley Scott proved what an amazing and technical director he was, and continues to be, Russell Crowe became a new hero to many…
Dragonslayer (1981) – Matthew Robbins
Vermithax Perjorative. Was there ever a better name for a dragon ever? DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies book brings me this classic film from ’81 as I continue my exploration of the dark chapter on dragons and dinosaurs. Boasting some fantastic creature effects, Vermitax may be the best looking dragon to ever be presented…
Man On Wire (2008) – James Marsh
In 1974, Phillipe Petit walked on a highwire between the twin towers of the World Trade Center. His story, which walked away with the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2009, is the next big film in DK Canada’s entertaining tome, The Movie Book. Filled with interviews of all the people involved, archival footage…
The Hurt Locker (2008) – Kathryn Bigelow
Kathyrn Bigelow’s war drama, The Hurt Locker is the next big title in DK Canada’s The Movie Book, with an all-star cast, Guy Pearce, Anthony Mackie, Ralph Fiennes, Evangeline Lily, David Morse all led by a stellar, captivating performance by Jeremy Renner as Staff Sergeant William James. James is serving in Iraq as part of…
