Blu-ray Movie Reviews

The legend of the 47 ronin is a long-cherished Japanese story about a group of dishonored samurai who set out on a dangerous quest to avenge the death of their village lord. Technically, their lord was deceived and tricked into killing himself, but as far as they’re concerned, it still counts as murder. And in the Japanese feudal code of samurai conduct, there’s no greater shame than failing to protect and serve your lord and master. Masterless samurai are called ronin, and it sucks to be one. The story is simple enough: The dishonored and banished ronin stage an impossible attack on their enemy’s stronghold to avenge their fallen master and perform ritual suicide when their task is done to regain their honor. The End. It sounds like a great idea for a movie, and it probably would have been in the hands of someone like Kurosawa or Kubrick, but tragically, both were unavailable.

"I miss going to concerts."

It's a common refrain these days. Perhaps you've even said it yourself out loud on occasion to no one in particular but yourself, and/or to whomever you're jointly commiserating and quarantining with, and/or have typed it out as a comment-cum-lament underneath one of those incessant social media "memories" reminders that really only serve to bum you out about what you're missing—not to mention what you most decidedly won't be able to replicate in a comparable fashion in the near future.

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/8mile.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>In the slums of Detroit, it's a daily fight to keep hope alive. For trailer-park kid Jimmy "B-Rabbit" Smith Jr. (Eminem), his music is the only way out of the ghetto, but he must overcome many obstacles to realize his dreams.

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/9.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>The films of producer Tim Burton have a certain visual flair, and <I>9</I> is no exception. Co-produced with Timur Bekmambetov, it tells a tale of humanity's final days and how one dedicated scientist provides the spark of life to nine of his creations.

Video: 3.5/5
Audio: 4/5
Extras: 3.5/5
"127 Hours" is the true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston's remarkable adventure to save himself after a fallen boulder crashes on his arm and traps him in an isolated canyon in Utah. Over the next five days Ralston examines his life and survives the elements to finally discover he has the courage and wherewithal to extricate himself by any means necessary, scale a 65 foot wall and hike over 8 miles before he is finally rescued. Throughout his journey, Ralston recalls friends, lovers, family and the two hikers he met before the accident. Will they be the last two people he ever had the chance to meet? A visceral thrilling story that will take an audience on a never before experienced journey and prove what we can when we choose life.

Video: 4/5
Audio: 4.5/5
Extras: 3.5/5
John Cusack plays a skeptical writer investigating paranormal events. When he insists on staying in the reportedly haunted suite 1408 at the Dolphin Hotel against the grave warnings of the hotel manager, he discovers the room's deadly secret - an evil so powerful, no one has ever survived an hour within its walls.