Tag: movies

4/3/17 Movie Monday: Flight of the Conchords

Welcome to DMM’s 4/3/17 Movie Monday, where I’ll help you tackle movie night with brief reviews of movies and videos you may have missed. This week, I’m spotlighting the work of New Zealand musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords. Everything featured here is currently rated 4.5/5 stars; these guys are good! Most people here in the U.S. got their first exposure to this musical comedy team in HBO’s One Night Stand: Flight of the Conchords (NR). This clip from YouTube captures their quirky style far better than any description could.

3/20/17 Movie Monday: Demons and Angels

Welcome to DMM’s 3/20/17 Movie Monday, where I’ll help you tackle movie night with brief reviews of movies and videos you may have missed that are worth the rental or purchase. This week, it’s all about movies that pit angels against demons. I’m a sucker for this genre, and it’s one that many filmmakers seem fascinated by, too. Many of the modern interpretations explore the notion of angels not as loving, watchful caretakers, but as the footsoldiers of God. Here are a few of the most well-reviewed examples of the form. Legion (R) At a remote desert truck stop, the fate of the world will be decided. Evil’s armies are amassing. Armed and united by the Archangel Michael, a group of strangers become unwitting soldiers on the frontlines of the Apocalypse. Their mission: protect a waitress and her sacred unborn child from the relentless, bloody siege of the demonic legion.

3/6/17 Movie Monday: Smart Teen Comedies

Welcome to DMM’s 3/6/17 Movie Monday, where I’ll help you tackle movie night with brief reviews of movies and videos you may have missed that are worth the rental or purchase. This week, I’m focusing on teen comedies that raise the bar. Note that I’m not saying these movies are necessarily recommended for anyone aged at least 13, since some of them have strong language and adult situations. But for older teens and adults looking to reminisce, these are all worth the watch. Easy A (PG-13) After a little white lie about losing her virginity gets out, a clean cut high school girl (Emma Stone) sees her reputation tarnished until she decides to use the rumor mill to advance her social and financial standing. One of Emma Stone’s earliest starring roles, and definitely one of the first where she gets to show her comic timing chops. The excellent script hits all the usual…

2/20/17 Movie Monday: Tom Hanks Comedies

Welcome to DMM’s 2/20/17 Movie Monday, where I’ll help you tackle movie night with brief reviews of movies you may have missed that are worth the rental or purchase. This week’s focus is on lesser-known Tom Hanks comedies. Hanks has been known primarily for his dramatic roles for quite some time, but he got his start in comedies and all of these are winners.

2/13/17 Movie Monday: Anti-Valentine’s Day Movies

Welcome to DMM’s 2/13/17 Movie Monday, where I’ll help you tackle movie night with brief reviews of movies you may have missed that are worth the rental or purchase. This week’s theme is geared to those who aren’t feeling the hearts and flowers this Valentine’s Day. Funny, scary or thought-provoking: hopefully there’s something for everyone here.

2/6/17 Movie Monday: Three Takes On Snow White

Welcome to DMM’s 2/6/17 Movie Monday, where I’ll help you tackle movie night with brief reviews of movies you may have missed that are worth the rental or purchase. This week’s theme is three takes on that fairy tale classic, Snow White. Whether you’re looking for bright family fun, action and adventure or something a little darker, one of these is sure to suit the bill. Mirror Mirror (PG) One of the most beloved tales of all time comes to life in the spectacular Mirror Mirror, starring Lily Collins as Snow White and Julia Roberts as the evil Queen. A fresh and funny retelling of the classic fairy tale, the film also stars Armie Hammer Sean Bean, and Nathan Lane. This candy-colored version is directed by Tarsem Singh, the visionary auteur behind the painterly indie masterpiece The Fall, bold Immortals and spine-tingling The Cell. Like all of Singh’s films, this one is a beauty to…

1/23/17 Movie Monday

Welcome to DMM’s 1/23/17 Movie Monday, where I’ll help you tackle movie night with brief reviews of movies you may have missed that are worth the rental or purchase. This week, I’m featuring a few lesser-known horror movies that offer some big names and are better than critics’ reviews would have you think. I’m not a fan of gratuitous gore, so while any R-rated horror movie will of course have some splattery deaths, none of these linger too long or lovingly on the blood and guts. Ghost Ship (R) In a remote region of the Bering Sea, a boat salvage crew discovers the eerie remains of a grand passenger liner thought lost for more than 40 years. This movie stars Juliana Marguiles, Gabriel Byrne, Karl Urban and Ron Eldard, and includes Emily Browning in one of her first big-screen roles. It’s hard to say much about the plot without spoilers, but…

New Feature: Movie Monday!

Since Music Monday has been getting pretty repetitive, with lots of Classical music and not much else, I’ve decided to introduce a new feature: Movie Monday. On Movie Monday I’ll help you tackle movie night with brief reviews of movies, TV shows and other digital videos you may have missed that are worth the rental or purchase. This week, it’s all about the action movies. Escape Plan (R) One of the world’s foremost authorities on structural security agrees to take on one last job: breaking out of an ultra-secret, high-tech facility called “The Tomb.” Sylvester Stallone stars as Ray Breslin, the world’s top expert in structural security. When he’s framed for a crime he didn’t commit, his skills are put to the ultimate test in an attempt to break out of one of his own prisons. Co-stars some pretty big names: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Caviezel, Sam Neill, Vincent D’Onofrio and 50…

Closed Captions: What’s That All About?

As anyone who regularly reads my missives here at Digital Media Mom knows, I am in the process of switching to an all-digital movie library. I no longer buy new videos I want on disc, and I’m gradually replacing my existing discs with Amazon Instant Videos when I find those titles offered at a discount. Amazon is my digital video vendor of choice because I’m confident Amazon will outlive me, but I’m not so certain about any of the other folks who’re selling digital videos—like my satellite cable provider, VUDU, UltraViolet and so on. But that’s not what this post is about. This post is about those wonderful, useful, practical Closed Captions!

Amazon’s Instant Video Finder Is A Terrific, FREE Tool For Finding Your Next Great Movie Or TV Show

Whether you get your movies from Redbox, Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Video on Demand from your cable provider, or even the old-school way, by purchasing discs, you’ve got to give Amazon’s Instant Video Finder tool a try! You know there are LOTS of great movies and TV shows out there you’ve never seen, but you also know there are plenty of clunkers. How can you narrow the field down to the winners? When you’ve got specific criteria, like maybe you need a kid-friendly film to keep the young ones occupied while the grown-ups socialize in another room, how can you quickly drill down to appropriate viewing material, AND choose something the kids will actually enjoy? When you’re in the mood for something fairly specific in terms of subject matter or tone and the usual broad categories of Thriller, Drama and Action aren’t cutting it, how can you find what you’re looking for without spending as…