Runner Runner Blu-ray Review

**SYNOPSIS**


Justin Timberlake and Ben Affleck star in this high-stakes crime thriller where the lure of easy money is the riskiest bet of all. When Princeton grad student Richie Furst (Timberlake) believes he’s been swindled by an online poker site, he heads to Costa Rica to confront gambling tycoon Ivan Block (Affleck), the man he thinks is responsible. But Richie will soon face the ultimate power play as he finds himself caught between Block’s promises of unlimited wealth and the zealous FBI agent (Anthony Mackie) trying to bring him down.





**MOVIE REVIEW**


Starring two of the biggest names in Hollywood and entertainment Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake bring the star wattage but the film overall lacks as a thriller. While the film tries to explores the dark world that lies within gambling the script isn't as sharp a film such as Rounders that starred Affleck's friend Matt Damon in 1998. Timberlake is likeable enough throughout the film and he oozes charisma. Affleck has really turned things around with how much he has improved as an actor since the early 2000's. There are some beautiful locations and the run time isn't overly long so worth a definite rental but not a film that stayed in my mind too long after I watched it. 7/10


**VIDEO QUALITY**


Runner Runner arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p transfer in the aspect ratio of 2.40:1. - Colors exhibited deep saturation with skin tones leaning towards a warm orange hue. Black levels were deep with solid shadow delineation. Contrast was a tad blown out in brighter scenes. Fine detail was good overall with some striking closeups and lush overhead shots. 8.5/10


**AUDIO QUALITY**


Audio is provided by a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. - Dialogue was crisp and set dead center in the mix. There are moments of crowd din and environmental effects that use the surrounds. The main feature of the track is the clarity and well balanced mix of Christopher Beck's score. Bass is called upon to add heft to some music cues and a few tense moments during the film. 8/10


**SPECIAL FEATURES**


* House of Cards: The Inside Story of Online Poker (HD, 17min) - An interesting but a bit short too get to in depth look at online gambling. We hear from real life agents and gambling professionals. Justin Timberlake and Ben Affleck contribute as well.

* Deleted Scenes (HD, 10min40sec) - Nothing overly intriguing but good to watch the scenes with the "play all" feature. There is a total of 7 scenes included.

* Theatrical Trailer (HD, 2min25sec)

Disney's Frozen coming to Blu-ray and DVD March 18th

Walt Disney Home Entertainment has officially announced they will be bringing the blockbuster animated film Frozen to Blu-ray and DVD on March 18, 2014. The movie features the voices of Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad and Alan Tudyk. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video in the 2.40:1 aspect ratio. Audio will be provided by a DTS-HD Master 7.1 track. Below are the official details:





***SYNOPSIS***


Fearless optimist Princess Anna (Bell) sets off on an epic journey, teaming up with rugged mountain man Kristoff (Groff) and his loyal reindeer Sven to find her sister Elsa (Menzel), whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. Encountering Everest-like conditions, mystical trolls and a hilarious snowman named Olaf (Gad), Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom.


**Blu-ray Special Features**

* The Making of Frozen
* D'frosted: Disney's Journey From Hans Christian Anderson to Frozen
* Breaking The Ice: The Real Making of Frozen
* 4 Deleted Scenes with introduction by Directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee
* Original Theatrical Short: "Get A Horse"
* Let It Go" Music Videos by Demi Lovato, Martina Stoessel & Marsha Milan Londoh
* Frozen Teaser Trailer

The Best Man Holiday coming to Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD Feb. 11th

Universal Studios Home Entertainment has officially announced they will be bringing the hit film The Best Man Holiday to Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD on February 11, 2014. The film stars Taye Diggs, Morris Chestnut, Terrence Howard, Harold Perrineau, Nia Long, Sanaa Lathan and Regina Hall. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video in the 2.40:1 aspect ratio. Audio will be provided by a DTS-HD Master 5.1 track. Below are the official details:


Universal City, California, December 17, 2013 —A tight-knit group of college friends reunites for the first time in 14 years for an unforgettable celebration in The Best Man Holiday, coming to Blu-ray™ Combo Pack including Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD with UltraViolet™ on February 11, 2014, from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. The all-new sequel to 1999’s beloved ensemble comedy The Best Man finds all nine friends together again for a reunion packed with laughter, love, and surprises. The Blu-ray Combo Pack comes with exclusive bonus features that include an alternate ending and deleted & extended scenes.

The film’s stellar ensemble cast includes Morris Chestnut (Identity Thief), Terrence Howard (Hustle & Flow), Taye Diggs (Baggage Claim), Nia Long (Soul Food), Sanaa Lathan (Contagion), Regina Hall (Scary Movie franchise), Harold Perrineau (Zero Dark Thirty), Monica Calhoun (Love & Basketball) and Melissa De Sousa (Miss Congeniality), all reprising their career-launching roles, as well as Eddie Cibrian (Good Deeds) and John Michael Higgins (Pitch Perfect) in the long-awaited next chapter of the film that ushered in a new era of comedy.

The Blu-ray Combo Pack includes a Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD with UltraViolet.


***SYNOPSIS***


Share the laughter, love and surprises as Harper (Taye Diggs), Lance (Morris Chestnut), Quentin (Terrence Howard), Jordan (Nia Long), Robyn (Sanaa Lathan), Mia (Monica Calhoun), Murch (Harold Perrineau), Candy (Regina Hall) and Shelby (Melissa De Sousa) all reunite for the first time in years. As they share their triumphs and tragedies, these college friends soon discover how easy it is to reignite long-forgotten rivalries and romances—all while new discoveries are made and secrets are revealed.


**Special Features Exclusively on Blu-ray**

* Alternate Ending
* Deleted and Extended Scenes with Commentary by Writer/Director/Producer Malcolm D. Lee
* Smack Talk: Filming The Girl Fight Scene — Step into the ring to learn how the big fight scene was filmed. Hear from stars Regina Hall and Melissa De Sousa and writer/director/producer Malcolm D. Lee

**Special Features on Blu-ray and DVD**

* Feature Audio Commentary - Writer/Director/Producer Malcolm D. Lee
* Holiday Reunion: The Making of The Best Man Holiday —Join the cast and crew of the of The Best Man Holiday to find out how the characters, and the actors who play them, have evolved in the 14 years since the first film and what it’s like for them to be working together again, as well as how “new kid on the block” Eddie Cibrian fits in, and what writer and director Malcolm D. Lee brings to the franchise.
* Gag Reel

20th Century Fox Studio Classics Brings The Inn of the Sixth Happiness, The 300 Spartans and The Agony and the Ecstasy to Blu-ray for the First Time

20th Century Fox Studio Classis has officially announced they will be bringing home the first ever Blu-ray versions The Inn of the Sixth Happiness releasing February 4, 2014, The 300 Spartans releasing February 25, 2014 and The Agony and the Ecstasy releasing on March 4, 2014. Below are the official details:


***SYNOPSIS***


All her life Englishwoman Gladys Aylward (Ingrid Bergman) knew that China was the place where she belonged. Not qualified to be sent there as a missionary, Gladys works as a domestic to earn the money to send herself to a poor, remote village. There she eventually lives a full and happy life: running the inn, acting as "foot inspector", advising the local Mandarin and even winning the heart of mixed race Captain Lin Nan (Curt Jurgens). But Gladys discovers her real destiny when the country is invaded by Japan and the Chinese children need her to save their lives. Based on a true story.


**Blu-ray Special Features**

* Commentary with Nick Redman, Aubrey Solomon and Donald Spoto
* Fox Movietone News: The Inn of the Sixth Happiness Rapturous and World Premiere

**Technical Spec**

Screen Format: Widescreen 2.35:1
Audio:English DTS-HD Master Audio 4.0, Spanish Dolby Digital Mono, French Dolby Digital Mono
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Total Run Time: 156 Minutes

***SYNOPSIS***


For the first time on Blu-ray comes The 300 Spartans, the iconic action classic about the epic 480 B.C. Battle of Thermopylae! Richard Egan stars as Spartan King Leonidas, who commands a small band of fearless Greek warriors in their defense of the civilized world’s last bastion of freedom. Impossibly out-numbered by the marauding forces of the totalitarian Persian Empire, these brave heroes will take no prisoners and never surrender—even unto death!


**Blu-ray Special Features**

* Original Theatrical Trailer
* TV Spots

**Technical Specs**

Screen Format: Widescreen 2.35:1
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 1.0, Spanish Dolby Digital 1.0
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
Total Run Time: 108 Minutes

***SYNOPSIS***


Now, for the first time, the acclaimed epic starring Oscar® Winners Charlton Heston* and Rex Harrison** is available on Blu-ray! Despite the grueling physical demands involved, renowned Renaissance artist Michelangelo (Heston) spends more than four years creating the Sistine Chapel’s spectacular ceiling fresco. All the while, he questions his own religious views and battles with the man who commissioned him, Pope Julius II (Harrison).

*1949, Best Actor, Ben-Hur; 1978, Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award
**1964, Best Actor, My Fair Lady


**Blu-ray Special Features**

* Teaser
* Theatrical Trailer

**Technical Specs**

Screen Format: Widescreen 2.20:1
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital Mono, French Dolby Digital 2.0
Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
Total Run Time: 138 Minutes

Free Birds on Blu-ray & DVD February 4th

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has officially announced they will be bringing the cute animated family film Free Birds to Blu-ray and DVD on February 4, 2014. The film includes the voices of Owen Wilson, Woody Harrelson and Amy Poehler. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Audio will be provided by a DTS-HD Master 5.1 track. Below are the official details:


***SYNOPSIS***


From the Academy Award Winning producer of Shrek comes a hilarious animated adventure about two turkeys from opposite sides of the tracks who travel back in time in order to keep their species off the Thanksgiving menu. Featuring an all-star voice cast, including Owen Wilson, Woody Harrelson and Amy Poehler, Free Birds is loaded with laughs and stuffed with fun for the whole family!


**Blu-ray Special Features**

* Birds Flipping History
* Animating Free Birds: The Main Course
* Winging It: Animators in Action
* Talking Turkey with Composer Dominic Lewis
* Shake a Tail Feather
* Theatrical Trailer

In the Heat of the Night on Blu-ray January 14th

20th Century Fox and MGM Home Entertainment has officially announced they will be bringing home the classic In the Heat of the Night to Blu-ray on January 14, 2014. Directed by Norman Jewison the film stars Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, Lee Grant and Warren Oates. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Audio will be provided by a DTS-HD Master 5.1 track. Below are the official details:


***SYNOPSIS***


While traveling in the Deep South, Virgil Tibbs, a black Philadelphia detective, becomes embroiled in the murder investigation of a prominent businessman when he is first accused of the crime and then asked to solve it in spite of the efforts of the bigoted town sheriff. They're forced to work together in a desperate race against time to discover the shocking truth!


**Blu-ray Special Features**

* Commentary with Norman Jewison, Lee Grant, Rod Steiger and Haskell Wexler
* Turning Up the Heat: Movie-Making In the 60's
* The Slap Heard Around The World
* Quincy Jones: Breaking New Sound
* Theatrical Trailer

A Chorus Line on Blu-ray January 14th

20th Century Fox and MGM Home Entertainment has officially announced they will be bringing the Michael Douglas starring A Chorus Line to Blu-ray on January 14, 2014. The cast is rounded out by Terrence Mann, Yamil Borges and Michael Blevins. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio. Audio will be provided by a DTS-HD Master 5.1 track. Below are the official details:


***SYNOPSIS***


A group of dancers congregate on the stage of a Broadway theater to audition for a new musical. After the initial eliminations, 16 hopefuls remain. As the film unfolds, the backstory of each of the dancers is revealed. Some are funny, some ironic, some heartbreaking. No matter what their background, however, they all have one thing in common - a passion for dance.


**Blu-ray Special Features**

* Theatrical Trailer

Killing Kennedy on Blu-ray & DVD February 11th

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has officially announced they will be releasing Killing Kennedy to Blu-ray and DVD on February 11, 2014. The film stars Rob Lowe, Will Rothhaar, Michelle Trachtenberg and Ginnifer Goodwin. The Blu-ray version will feature 1080p video in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio. Audio will be provided by a DTS-HD Master 5.1 track. Below are the official details:





***SYNOPSIS***


LOS ANGELES, CA (Jan. 6, 2014) – Produced by Golden Globe® winners Tony Scott (Unstoppable, Cyrus) and Ridley Scott (Prometheus, American Gangster), Kennedy’s legacy lives on 50 years later as National Geographic’s KILLING KENNEDY arrives on Blu-ray™ and DVD February 11 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment – timed to President’s Day.

Showcasing a phenomenal cast including Rob Lowe as John F. Kennedy, Will Rothhaar as Lee Harvey Oswald, Michelle Trachtenberg as Marina Oswald, and Ginnifer Goodwin as Jackie Kennedy, KILLING KENNEDY is based on The New York Times best-selling novel. The film traces the chilling events leading up to the gunshot heard around the world: the assassination of President John F. Kennedy by Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas in 1963. As John F. Kennedy (Lowe) rises to become U.S. president, a former Marine grows disillusioned with America. But when their paths ultimately cross, the course of history is changed forever in a chilling aftermath.

KILLING KENNEDY chronicles one of the most beloved United States Presidents, John F. Kennedy, and the shocking story of his assassination. The movie premiered on the National Geographic Channel and was seen by more than 3.4 million people, making it the most-watched broadcast in the network’s history. This epic journey is the second in a trilogy of books written by Bill O’Reilly and his researcher and partner Martin Dugard that have been adapted for the screen with National Geographic and Scott Free Productions. The first release in the trilogy was “Killing Lincoln,” a powerful display of the outrageous events surrounding the assassination of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. The final instalment in the trilogy is “Killing Jesus,” which follows the events leading up to the crucifixion.

The KILLING KENNEDY Blu-ray™ and DVD are loaded with never-before-seen special features that go even deeper into the conspiracy that shook the nation including an extended feature; behind-the-scenes featurettes, as well as an exclusive interview with author Bill O’Reilly!


**Blu-ray Special Features**

* Extended Feature
* Killing Kennedy: An Interview with Author Bill O’Reilly
* The Kennedy Mystique

Ridley Scott's The Counselor on Blu-ray & DVD February 11th

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has officially announced they will be bringing Ridley Scott's thriller The Counselor to Blu-ray and DVD on February 11, 2014. The Blu-ray will include an exclusive Unrated Extended Cut that will run 21 minutes longer than the theatrical version, clocking in at a total of 138 minutes. The film stars Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem, Cameron Diaz and Penelope Cruz. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video in the 2.40:1 aspect ratio. Audio will be provided by a DTS-HD Master 5.1 track. Below are the official details:


***SYNOPSIS***


An all-star cast, featuring Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Cameron Diaz, Javier Bardem, and Penélope Cruz, sizzles in this adrenaline-fueled thriller from visionary director Ridley Scott and Academy Award-winning novelist Cormac McCarthy. A talented lawyer (Fassbender) known for doing the right thing for the wrong people decides to put his connections to the test by diving into a treacherous drug deal for some quick cash. But The Counselor soon learns that having it all could mean losing everything.


**Blu-ray Special Features**


* Unrated Extended Cut
* Theatrical Version
* Truth of the Situation
* Virals