Hawaii Five-O
CBS has given a pilot commitment to a modern version of classic 1970s cop series Hawaii Five-O, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The redo comes from Fringe co-creators and executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci and CSI: NY executive producer Peter Lenkov. Kurtzman and Orci are creating the story with Lenkov, who will write the script. All three will executive produce.
CBS first tried to launch a Hawaii update last year with Criminal Minds executive producer Ed Bernero. The original series ...
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Star Trek: The Original Motion Picture Collection (Blu-ray)
If you're anything like us, the recent theatrical release/franchise reboot of Star Trek probably made you a tad nostalgic for the original Kirk, Spock and the rest of the USS Enterprise. As luck would have it, Paramount is boldly releasing this mega collection of the six original films featuring Captain and Kirk & Co. on Blu-ray for the first time.
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The Wrestler (Blu-ray)
All the praise that's been heaped on this moving tale of a broken-down pro wrestler struggling to remain relevant despite his failing body is deserved. (The Academy really snubbed this one in the Best Picture race.) The standout, of course, is Mickey Rourke, whose portrayal of Randy "The Ram" will have even the big boys searching for their hankies by the time this one's down for the count.
Rourke's masterful performance is beautifully matched by turns from Evan Rachel Wood as Randy's bitter estranged daughter and Marisa Tomei, whose aging stripper is — like Randy — struggling to stay in her own game. All of these characters are so vivid and real, and in the hands of Darren Aronofsky, they continually remind us that life must still be lived once the spotlight fades and the crowd stops cheering.
The bonus features on the release are scarce, but they pack a serious punch. In addition to ...
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The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Blu-ray)
While the multiple Oscar-nominated The Curious Case of Benjamin Button might have been overhyped during award season, it deserved every single technical accolade it received. It's those technical achievements — namely the amazing visuals that made Brad Pitt both an 80-year-old baby and a teenaged grandpa — that make this Blu-ray release really shine.
This wacky tale of a man who ages in reverse — based on an F. Scott Fitzgerald short story — doesn't seem all that wacky in the hands of accomplished director David Fincher. In fact, the bits about Benjamin Button's fantastical life are the movie's high points, thanks to stellar performances, particularly Taraji P. Henson as Ben's adopted mother. However, "real-life" drama of the impending landfall of Hurricane Katrina in the framing device is laughable. It's in those hospital deathbed sequences that the movie gets way off track and you start checking your watch. Plus, the real meat of the story is so interesting you don't need all that extra doom and gloom (especially since it really doesn't add much to the whole in the end.)
As is true with most of Fincher's releases, the bonus features are where it's at...
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Dexter: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray
If you're a fan of Dexter, you're in for a bloody good time.
The second season of this acclaimed Showtime hit (still this reviewer's favorite of the series), comes to life in HD. Every drop of blood and city shot Miami leaps off the screen in crystal-clear high-definition that is matched with an amped up a 5.1 Dolby TrueHD audio track. Mix that with our favorite blood spatter expert/serial killer nearly getting caught by Det. Doakes and fending off an attack from a beautiful-but-deranged new lover, and you have an excellent reason to spend a weekend on the couch with this one.
The bad news is...
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Star Trek: The Original Series Season 1 Blu-ray
James T. Kirk & Co. boldly go where they haven't gone before: Blu-ray. With all the fanfare surrounding the Star Trek reboot hitting theaters, there's no better time to check out where the franchise first started — and in stunning HD picture and audio, no less.
Star Trek: The Original Series Season 1 includes all 29 episodes of the NBC series' first season, including ...
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Marley & Me
We'll say this up front: Dog lovers will adore Marley & Me. But that doesn't necessarily rule everyone else out. Based on the best-selling novel by John Grogan, the film tells the story of a young couple who, before raising a baby, gives raising a puppy a try. Marley is a beautiful Labrador... but he also happens to be a one-pup wrecking machine in the Grogan household. But like any family film, the owners ultimately learn that their pooch brings out the best in them.
As the exasperated dog owners, Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston have
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Slumdog Millionaire
If you haven't heard the buzz surrounding Slumdog Millionaire, we'd like to know exactly which rock you've been hiding under the last few months. Let us catch you up: This touching, compelling drama from Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later) was last year's critical darling and pretty much made a clean sweep of the awards circuit, ultimately taking home the Oscar for best picture. So if you are one of those people who are in the dark (shame on you), now you can see the movie in stunning high definition with this beautiful Blu-ray transfer.
The sights and sounds of Mumbai come alive
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Quantum of Solace (Blu-ray)
Believe the promotional taglines: Bond is better on Blu-ray. While we have some issues with the film itself, the 22nd James Bond adventure, Quantum of Solace, looks and sounds absolutely stunning in its high-definition release.
Picking up right where Casino Royale left off ...
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Pinocchio (2-Disc 70th Anniversary Platinum Edition + Standard DVD) [Blu-ray]
A few years ago I had a discussion with someone who told me "old movies can't be released on Blu-ray because they weren't shot with HD cameras." He was clearly wrong, since 35mm film is a higher resolution than HD to start with, and Disney proves it by releasing Pinocchio, their second animated feature, on Blu-ray 70 years after the movie was made.
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