Elsewhere Blu-ray Review

Sarah (Anna Kendrick of Twilight) is the do-gooder, track star, with a nice home and a lawyer mom. Jillian (Tania Raymonde of Lost) is a rebellious teen who despises her mom, lives in a trailer, and entertains herself by chatting with men online. Somehow, these two manage to become best friends in the small town of Goshen, Indiana. Elsewhere, from feature film debut director Nathan Hope, is an E1 Entertainment Blu-ray released June 2nd.

One night, after a party, Jillian becomes the latest in a string of teen girls to turn up missing in Goshen. The only clues left behind are a random cell phone message that Sarah struggles to understand. After a failed attempt to get the police to help, Sarah turns to Jasper (Chuck Carter of Senior Skip Day), the town’s computer geek, and the two plunge head-long into Goshen’s dark secrets – uncovering corrupt police, jilted boyfriends, and a mother driven mad by loss. The final truth they unearth will rock the town to its foundations.

When Sarah shows a relentless drive to find her missing friend, someone gets a little nervous and begins to issue some threatening warnings. Scared of what she might discover, Sarah pursues the truth to no end.

Elsewhere is a suspenseful teen thriller that features a cast of some of the top teen stars of today. Anna Kenrick is a rising teen star with Twilight under her belt already, and an upcoming role in Up in the Air with George Clooney. She is a talented young actress and makes this movie modestly successful at keeping the viewer engaged. Paul Wesley (“Everwood,” “Fallen”), Jon Gries (Napoleon Dynamite, Taken), and Olivia Dawn York all add to the story in supporting roles.

If you like suspenseful movies, you might enjoy Elsewhere. There is some decent acting talent behind the story. There are, however, some aspects of the film that are not exactly seamless. The connection between the initial kidnapping of Jillian and the plot conclusion with the guilty party identified is not strong. Much of the movie is built on the fear and action of Sarah’s chase to find her friend, with less emphasis on developing the plot and building toward a sensible finish. Still, a movie that teens and young adult suspense movies will appreciate. Themes and language make this movie unfit for younger viewers.

Special Blu-ray features include:

• Audio commentary with Director Nathan Hope and Producer Vincent Palomino
• “The Road to Elsewhere” Featurette
• Deleted Scenes
• Photo Gallery

• Actors: Anna Kendrick, Paul Wesley, Jeff Phillips, Shannon Holt, Tania Raymonde, Chuck Carter
• Directors: Nathan Hope
• Format: Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: Spanish
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Studio: E1 Entertainment U.S.
• Blu-ray Release Date: June 2, 2009
• Run Time: 106 minutes

Blu-ray Review by Neil of Movie Room Reviews

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Slumdog Millionaire Blu-ray Review

Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) is one question away from winning a fortune in India’s version of the popular game show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” Unfortunately, the power-that-be have a hard time accepting that this uneducated young man from the slums could get all of the questions correct that many scholars before him had failed to answer. Jamal’s explanation for his success turns into a wild, romantic, sad, humorous, and dramatic journety through his life, beginning with his escape from the slums through his appearance on a popular game show.

Slumdog Millionaire was one of the most accomplished theatrical movie releases of 2008, including a Best Picture win at the Academy Awards. Now, you can enjoy this heartwarming and poignant story from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and Director Danny Boyle, on March 31st.

Filmed using a blend of actors and actual children from the slums of India, Slumdog Millionaire is a captivating story about a boy who grows up in the slums of India and only wants to find a place to live with his one love, Latika. Jamal’s journey is not easy, though. In the movie, he shares his difficult journey as it relates to the questions he faces in the game show. Each question has a connection to some significant event in Jamal’s life, which is the reason he knew the answers the more educated men did not.

Watch Slumdog Millionaire Movie Trailer and More!
Can a boy who grew up in poverty and religious conflict on the streets of India really make it big? Will his love story come to fruition or will he be left to struggle with the life he was destined to live? What is his destiny? Will Jamal be able to walk away alive with his millions?

The tension is powerful and the drama is high in this action-packed and turbulent story that is sure to tug at your soul. Slumdog Millionaire is a movie that does not disappoint. It certainly lives up to the hype afforded it by its numerous award nominations and wins. The movie offers humor, romance, sad moments, intense action, and an emotional roller coaster. One of the most enjoyable aspects of the film is the amazing Indian music. You will be affected by Slumdog Millionaire.

Slumdog Millionaire Blu-ray special features include:

• Making of Slumdog Millionaire Featurette with Golden Globe-winning Director Danny Boyle
• 12 Deleted Scenes
• Behind the Scenes of the “Toilet Scene”
• Exclusive Short Fim – Manjha
• “Bombay Liquid Dance” Music Video
• Audio Commentary with Directo Danny Boyle and Actor Dev Patel
• And More!
• Digital Copy of Slumdog Millionaire for Portable Media Players

• Actors: Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Anil Kapoor, Saurabh Shukla, Rajendranath Zutshi
• Directors: Danny Boyle, Loveleen Tandan
• Writers: Simon Beaufoy, Vikas Swarup
• Producers: Cameron McCracken, Christian Colson, Francois Ivernel, Ivana Mackinnon
• Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rating:
• Studio: Twentieth Century Fox
• Blu-ray Release Date: March 31, 2009
• Run Time: 120 minutes

Blu-ray Review by Neil of Movie Room Reviews

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Bedtime Stories Blu-ray Review

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment present a touching tale of an underdog who finds his chance for success and happy endings in the April 5th Blu-ray release of Bedtime Stories, directed by Adam Shankman. The movie is available for a limited time in a 3-disc combo pack that includes the Blu-ray movie, DVD, and Digital Copy. The single disc DVD and 2-disc Deluxe Edition DVD follow with an April 7th release.

Bedtime Stories is a family comedy and adventure about a goofy underdog, Skeeter Bronson (Adam Sandler), who is asked to babysit his sister’s (Courteney Cox) children for a week while she is away. Uncomfortable at first, Skeeter reverts to his own childhood experiences and begins to drum up wildly elaborate bedtime stories in which he always stars as the hero.

The fictional bedtime stories soon taken on a larger than life reality when the kids dream up their own ideas of heroics and chivalry. Skeeter’s dreamy fantasies become reality and he goes on a real life adventure to find a happy ending.

Watch Bedtime Stories Movie Trailer
Joining funnyman Sandler in this Disney Blu-ray release are Keri Russell, Guy Pearce, Russell Brand, Richard Griffiths, Jonathan Pryce, Courteney Cox, Lucy Lawless, and Teresa Palmer. This is a pretty impressive cast. Some of them take on villainous roles as people who get in the way of Skeeter’s opportunity to get a management position in his father’s former hotel.

Bedtime Stories is not one Sandler’s greatest efforts, unfortunately. There is a bit of a nice romantic story that brews between Skeeter and Jill (Russell), but I would not describe it as compelling and intoxicating. Kids might appreciate the adventurous side of the story with the storytelling. However, this comedy offers only a few modest laughs and not an overly deep story. Overall, it is a bit of a letdown for a movie that boasts such a nice cast.

At least the advanced Blu-ray technology offers a nice picture! The Bedtime Stories Blu-ray includes some great Bonus Features:

• Hilarious Bloopers and Deleted Scenes
• Get to Know Bugsy the Big-Eyed Guinea Pig
• A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Special Effects

• Actors: Adam Sandler, Keri Russell, Guy Pearce, Russell Brand, Richard Griffiths, Jonathan Pryce, Courteney Cox, Lucy Lawless, and Teresa Palmer
• Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: French, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only)
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating:
• Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
• Blu-ray Release Date: April 5, 2009
• Run Time: 99 minutes

Blu-ray Review by Neil

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