Thirty-five years ago, Sally Field delivered her first Oscar-winning performance. The film was Norma Rae, directed by Martin Ritt and written by Harriet Frank, Jr. and Irving Ravetch. Now available on Blu-ray for the first time, the film is every bit as engrossing, entertaining, and inspiring as it was upon its first release. The plot...
Author: Chaz Lipp
Blu-ray Review: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
With a worldwide box office haul of $950 million (about five percent less than 2012’s An Unexpected Journey), it’s hard to argue with the decision to turn The Hobbit into a series of three excessively lengthy movies. That said, it’s hard to imagine a lesser return—in terms of narrative complexity and character development—than what Peter...
Blu-ray Review: Grudge Match
Grudge Match coasts by, for a while at least, on its lighthearted atmosphere and the energy of a game cast. Aging boxing rivals Henry “Razor” Sharp (Sylvester Stallone) and Billy “The Kid” McDonnen (Robert De Niro) are called upon to provide motion capture and voiceover work for an upcoming video game. The 60-somethings each won...
Blu-ray Review: Brian May & Kerry Ellis – The Candlelight Concerts – Live at Montreux 2013
An unexpectedly emotional surprise arrives as a Blu-ray/CD combo pack from Eagle Rock Entertainment in the form of Brian May and Kerry Ellis’ The Candlelight Concerts – Live at Montreux 2013. May, of course, needs no introduction for fans of classic rock. He’s a founding member and guitarist extraordinaire for Queen. Less familiar to most...
Interview: Mike McGear McCartney Shares Extraordinary Life in New One-Man Show
“What an extraordinary life you’ve led,” one attendee tells Mike McCartney at the conclusion of his new one-man show, a nostalgic look back on his colorful life. “What’s extraordinary about it,” McCartney answers, “Is that it’s all true.” One only need glance at Mike McCartney’s resume for a reminder of why it’s only natural that...
DVD Review: Scooby-Doo! Adventures: The Mystery Map
Aimed at the very youngest Scooby-Doo! fans, Scooby-Doo! Adventures: The Mystery Map offers a truly unique take on the classic Mystery Inc. gang. For the first time in the franchise’s 40-plus-year history, we see the Scooby universe populated entirely by puppets. Keep in mind this isn’t the type of puppet film that’s as fun for...
Blu-ray Review: Zulu – Twilight Time Limited Edition
Zulu is a 1964 film that depicts the epic Battle of Rorke’s Drift that occurred in 1879 between the British Army and Zulu warriors during the Anglo-Zulu War. That line alone may very well be enough to either inspire or repel prospective viewers. The Cy Endfield-directed production already has its share of devoted followers who...
The Beatles Again… Semi-American Style: Thoughts on The U.S. Albums
With The U.S. Albums 13-disc box set, Capitol Records has finally brought the “Americanized” Beatles catalog to CD and iTunes. Though not without controversy, fans can now choose between the original, Beatles-sanctioned U.K. albums or the rejiggered U.S. versions. It should be made clear up-front —these new reissues are, with a handful of exceptions, the...
Book Review: Furious Cool: Richard Pryor and the World That Made Him by David & Joe Henry
Sadly, unconscionably, Richard Pryor has been largely erased from the pop culture landscape in the eight years since his passing. His ardent fans remain, but it’s hard not to wonder what will become of Pryor’s legacy once that ever-shrinking demographic eventually slips away. Ask a random teenager, or even a 20something, if they know who...
Music Review: The Beatles – Live at the BBC (Remastered)
Nineteen years after it was originally released, The Beatles’ double-disc set Live at the BBC has been reissued in remastered form, its two discs housed in a cardboard digipak matching the style of the 2009 studio catalog reissues. Also available is the long overdue sequel, On Air – Live at the BBC Vol. 2, leaving...