High Profile New Releases
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (Paramount Pictures)
Release Date: Dec 21, 2011
Director: Brad Bird
Cast: Tom Cruise, Paula Patton, Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner, Michael Nyqvist. Full cast + crew
Verdict: Buy Me
Available On: Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD
Special Features: About two hours of special features covering the entire production spread across a dedicated second disc. They're all worth watching.
Additional Thoughts: Taken from our full Blu-ray review, "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is just a plain 'ole good movie. Not only is it a great reminder of the qualities that made Tom Cruise an international superstar, but it showcases a level and scale of filmmaking that is becoming all the rarer these days. While digital advancements are making it all the easier to realize the wholly impossible on the big screen, director Brad Bird proves that all the processing power in the world pales next to a cast and crew who are willing to stick a man and a camera where normal people don't dare go. Thankfully, Paramount has assembled a disc loaded with not only superb audio and visual merit, but two hours worth of entertaining and informative making-of materials. Buy it, you won't be disappointed."
Read our full review of Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol on Blu-ray here.
The Divide (Anchor Bay)
Release Date: Jan 13, 2012
Director: Xavier Gens
Cast: Michael Biehn, Milo Ventimiglia, Lauren German,Rosanna Arquette, Courtney B. Vance. Full cast + crew
Verdict: Rent Me
Available On: Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD
Special Features: Just a trailer and an audio commentary.
Additional Thoughts: The Divide is a difficult movie, and we don't think we're hurting the movie's feelings by saying so. Most movies about the apocalypse get pretty grim, but The Divide makes most of them look downright cheerful by comparison. This is a movie about a group of strangers trying to ride out the end times in a bunker underneath their apartment building, and it's a pretty bumpy ride to say the least. In fact, we've been given an exclusive clip from the Blu-ray (featuring the commentary track) that gives a good idea for the finely shot nightmares in store.
Warning for the spoiler-minded, this does feature a character's death.
Also, check out our interview with The Divide star Michael Biehn here.
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