David Van Der Haeghen writes for MovieMet with a strong interest in horror, action, cult cinema, and collector-friendly home video editions. His coverage highlights both the entertainment value of a release and the details that matter to fans browsing Blu-ray and DVD catalogs.
I’ll come clean: I missed “How to Train Your Dragon” when it first landed in theaters during 2010. These animated flicks seem to be a dime a dozen these days, and I probably wasn’t all that intere
Say what you will about modern comedies. And judging from what Hollywood has kicked out in the last, say, five years, you might be able to muster up a whole lot. But once in a while something comes al
The Charlie Brown character will never, ever grow old. Charles Schulz likely had no idea when he initially created the humble, gentle boy and his critical but trustworthy sidekicks, but he was in real
“The Judge” is a relatively simple film that wants you to think that it is more complicated. To do this, it drops in multiple subplots that have all reared their ugly heads in prior similar titles
I knew absolutely nothing about “Men, Women & Children” when it showed up. And after watching it, I know even less. Why? Because it’s bad. Very bad. And it brings down a decent cast and director w
This time of year, it’s easy to want to indulge. But perhaps this is the reason that a quiet, subtle film can sometimes sneak up on you without any warning to knock your socks off. Enter **“The Good L
My wife summed “Into the Storm” up way better than I probably can, and she doesn’t write for this web site: “It’s sort of like part ‘Blair Witch,’ part ‘Jurassic Park’ and a whole lot of ‘Twister.
I love “Jersey Boys” the musical. I’ve seen it in San Francisco, Las Vegas (twice) and Portland, OR. And I would see it again. And again. I would take my parents, my wife, my in-laws, you name it. For
I suppose if desperate times call for desperate measures, the place you might look for guidance is “Tammy,” which lands on Blu-ray disc soon. Given how disjointed a motion picture this is, however
Striking its way onto Blu-ray disc for the first time is “Kingpin,” a late 1990s comedy from the Farrelly brothers that you’ve probably heard of and seen a few moments of in passing during its per
There are a lot of good documentary filmmakers out there. Most of what they produce is somewhat similar and unoriginal in its structure, ebb and flow. This doesn’t make them bad filmmakers, of course.
It seems everyone has an opinion about “Gone with the Wind,” and if you don’t, I’d like to meet you. Pretty much everyone has seen it, or at least parts of it, and if you haven’t, I’d like to meet
To me, the gold standard for twenty-first century sci-fi films was established when I saw “District 9. ” Man versus alien, wrapped within a government conspiracy plot and a love story. It worked ever
Is college worth the cost? The answer to this relatively simple question used to be a resounding yes, but in today’s economy, more and more young people and their families are pondering whether or not
If you really want to know how good a set “Star Trek: The Compendium” is, and whether or not it’s worth adding to your Blu-ray library, do what I did and show the two films to someone who has neve
There are more than a few problems with “Blended,” which lands in stores soon from Warner Bros. Rather than be persnickety and go after the boring script, the uninspired performances or the well b
When the press release for **“Woodstock: 3 Days of Piece and Music 40th Anniversary Limited Edition Revisited”**showed up in my Yahoo! Inbox, I wasn’t sure whether or not I should request a copy for r
You can’t help but wonder whether or not the modern day biblical adaptations that grace the silver screen every so often are in any way, shape or form like what really happened. Or didn’t happen. Or s
There are probably quite a few more family friendly movies out there than this one. There are also probably quite a few better films out there. But, let’s just stop kidding ourselves and get right to
I had a more difficult time digesting “Winter’s Tale” than I initially anticipated, and perhaps the fact that it will plop (or flop, depending on your opinion) into homes in late June has somethin
I’m going on record, right here, right now: “The Lego Movie” is the best Blu-ray set I have reviewed in 2014. This packaging from Warner Bros. has more or less everything a viewer could want, and
Comedy legend Jerry Lewis jumps to life in “The Nutty Professor 50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition,” landing on Blu-ray from Warner Bros. Featuring Lewis in his best known role, this well-crafte
Flashy lead characters and modern technology are the foundation that “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit” stands on as it adds another layer to the popular character that the late Tom Clancy developed in a
As I talked to my dad moments before popping the “McLintock!” Blu-ray disc into my machine, he commented that when he was growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, many adults he knew (my grandparents in
There are funny movies. And then there’s “Blazing Saddles.” Depending on who you ask, “Blazing Saddles” is among the funniest movies of all time. And if you’ve ever seen it, you likely agree. Thi
Warner Bros. is seemingly forever digging into its catalog to kick out more and more titles on Blu-ray disc. Next in line is “The Bridges of Madison County,” one of those movies that I saw tidbits
I knew it had to arrive at some point. As I sat down to watch “The Wolf of Wall Street,” which cusses its way onto Blu-ray disc from Paramount Pictures quite soon, I firmly believed there would be
Any film that articulates how the human spirit can try, fail, get back up, try again, fail again, get back up and not take “No” for an answer is bound to find its way to a soft spot in somebody’s hear
“A.C.O.D.” stands for adult children of divorce, as you’ll learn if you decide to take on this 87 minute comedy that brings together some awfully recognizable faces for what turns out to be a very
I love a good thriller. And “Prisoners” is probably the best thriller I’ve seen since “Zodiac,” which I happen to think was the best film made from 2000 to 2009. Not flashy, but instead gritty, gr
American author Tom Clancy died in October 2013, and Paramount is releasing four films based on four of his best-selling novels together on Blu-ray for the first time in **“The Jack Ryan Collection.”*
“Hey! Where did you get those clothes? At the toilet store?” There are movies out there that I flock to when I need to unwind and separate myself from the world around me. There are films I frequen
**“Getaway”**failed before it even got going. Any film that puts Ethan Hawke and Selena Gomez into a car together and forces them to interact while they drive around really fast is bound to start and
Desperate people do desperate things, and every so often, those things pan out a-okay. More often than not, however, they blow up and get really messy, really quickly. That’s essentially the premise b
Warner Bros. is at it again with another collector’s edition box set, this time celebrating one of the most recognizable young faces in Hollywood history, James Dean. The **“James Dean Ultimate Collec
Timing is everything, which makes **“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition”**hitting Blu-ray disc today especially convenient given the fact that the second film, “The Hobbit: The Desolat
Halloween beckons. Instead of spending the days leading up to this fear inspired annual late October day watching edited mid-1980s horror flicks on AMC, why not try on **“The Conjuring”**for size? It’
My father taught American history and geography for 35 years to middle school students. We were raised to know, among other things, that history was, is and will always be extremely important. This sa
Another day, another film from the past taken into the present with a 3D enhancement. This time it’s the timeless, cherished classic, “The Wizard of Oz.” I suppose when your 75th birthday rolls ar
I should have known from the opening scene that “The Hangover Part III” was trouble. We see supreme bad guy/trouble maker Leslie Chow (Ken Jeong) running full speed ahead on his way out of a Bangk
I’ll level with you. I’m not a Trekkie. Sure, I know the big names in the Star Trek franchise (it’s hard not to), but if you had me try to differentiate from film to television show to action figure,
Warner Bros. asked that I not just write another boring old review of “The Dark Knight Trilogy: Ultimate Collector’s Edition,” which hit Blu-ray disc earlier this week and packages all three Chris
I was born in 1985, just a few years after the first “Friday the 13th” film hit American theaters and freaked audiences out something awful. I remember watching most of the films in this series on net
*“Listen up, ladies and gentlemen! Our fugitive has been on the run for 90 minutes. Average foot speed over uneven ground, barring injuries, four miles an hour, that gives us a radius of six miles. Wh
Michael Bay is back, and if you’re a fan of his, you’ll love what he brings to the table with “Pain & Gain,” a brutally violent but occasionally brutally hilarious dark comedy action flick with so
Detective film fans can rejoice thanks to the “Charlie Chan Collection” landing on DVD from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. Perhaps slightly lesser known than Sherlock Holmes, but better known th
YES! A rock ‘em, sock ‘em, full length animated feature with the big time super heroes we all know and love kicking butt and taking names. What more could a comic book fan ask for? Well, he or she mi
With characters like DJ Bootytime and DJ Hardcap, plus a terrible script and some plain old flat out lousy acting, **“House Party: Tonight’s the Night”**seems destined to fail. And it does just that.
“Fruitvale Station” is the best film about the Black experience in modern day America since “Do the Right Thing.” It is just as good as other films that attempt to comment on and contextualize the
“G.I. Joe: Retaliation” is a very loud, over-stylized and more or less ridiculous action film that pushes almost every limit you can think of as it relates to suspending your disbelief. I’ll admit
Every so often, a movie comes along that doesn’t really leave any grey area in its title. Basically, what I’m saying is that some films more or less tell you exactly what they’re about at face value,
It seems fitting that a film about the person some would consider the most important man ever to play a Major League Baseball game lands on Blu-ray disc the very same day the 2013 MLB All Star Game wi
Every so often, we need a really good laugh. And a funny movie is a great way to do that. There are more than a few comedies out there, and in a genre that’s changed quite a bit over time, it’s always
An updated version of a classic fairy tale, “Jack the Giant Slayer” is a fun, albeit slightly misdirected, ride through the 14th century land where royalty rules, peasants exist to serve and giant
I don’t give a rat’s behind how many kung fu movies you’ve seen, or how many films over stylize martial arts these days so they look sexy. “Enter the Dragon” is, hands down, the best of them all.
It’s about damn time someone updated that silly fairy tale about Hansel and Gretel. It’s so 1800s. You know, the one where the little kids wander into the woods and leave a trail of bread crumbs to fo
I love films that offer commentary on our present culture, and cherish their ability to excessively overdo the minutest details so they can make their points. In some cases, this approach doubles as f
When I think of witches, I envision women with long black hair, moles on their faces, broomsticks in their hands and curled fingers adjusting pointy black hats. I think of phrases like “Double double,
With films like “Jack Reacher,” hitting stores in a sharp Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy combo pack from Paramount, questions are rarely related to the action or entertainment value. Both are there,
According to the “Not Fade Away” press release, the title was cited as one of the top 10 films of the year by the Associated Press, New York Times and more. I suppose, from a filmmaking or artisti
It seems gun control is stepping back to the forefront for many Americans, which makes a film like “Gangster Squad” all the more timely. Its theatrical release was, after all, impacted by the movi
I’m mildly ashamed to begin this review of “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” by stating that I’ve not read J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel The Hobbit. It probably would have helped me to contextualize th
I’ve seen Cirque du Soleil twice in person, and during each show, I was pretty impressed with the performance’s ability to keep my attention over a period of time. I appreciate the willingness from th
I vividly remember being a little kid and watching the opening scene to the very first “A Nightmare on Elm Street” with my older brother. He told me that if I was already beginning to freak out over F
People really love their pets. As someone who doesn’t own a pet, even I know that. In a lot of cases, people love their pets more than they love some of their own relatives, perhaps even immediate fam
Everything I know about musicals I more or less learned from my father. He was the one who brought this genre into my life and our home as I was growing up. It’s fair to say that I wasn’t all that thr
If I base my evaluation of 1976’s “A Star is Born,” recently released in a Warner Bros. Blu-ray book, solely on the music, the film is fine. Not great, mind you. But fine. The music was written fo
Before reading further, please understand that I enjoy scary films. And horror films. And films made with targeted fear. Please also understand I do not enjoy films that are made just to turn a profit
**“Flight”**made some noise prior to its theatrical release, but when I asked friends who had gone to see it what it was about, they stressed it was Denzel Washington’s film from start to finish. Of c
The first time I saw “Cabaret” was during my sophomore year of high school. I was fortunate to take an Introduction to Film Studies elective taught by my freshman English teacher. I remember him i
What if the stuff your childhood was built on was more than ideas and fantasy, but instead a fairly important component to your protection from evil and all the devastation it brings with it? Dependin