Every couple of weeks we’ll be highlighting a new Criterion Collection release.

The first on the list is Terence Malick’s The Thin Red Line, which was released not too long ago in the Blu-ray format by Criterion. (You can order it here from Amazon.) Released in 1998, The Thin Red Line suffered too much at the time of its release with comparisons to Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan, which had come out fairly recently before. Malick’s film holds up much better than Ryan in a number of ways, though, and stands the test of time of being a true work of beauty and art.

Set in the Pacific front of World War II, the film is much more interested in the generic story of a soldier, told through the small vignettes and poetic voiceovers of the individual. The story is a sad one, about every flavor of American you can imagine forced to fight in a war, some who believe in it, some who don’t.

Malick adapted a book and shot the film and then, only later shaped the film to what it became in post-production. A risky choice, to be sure, but one that paid dividends.

This is an intensely beautiful and poetic film. If Saving Private Ryan can be described as a tough, terse prose, The Thin Red Line could be described as flowing poetry. And that flowing poetry helps it stand the test of time, much further than Ryan, which seems easily dated now.

This is a film you must experience. Now that you have the Blu-ray, put it on your television, turn the lights off, switch off your phone, and turn the volume up to levels beyond what you normally would and experience this symphonic movement of a war film. It’s not for everyone, that’s for sure. But for those with patience and a working knowledge of the language of cinema, the payoff is tremendous.

I remember I saw this film the morning it opened and was so struck by the emotional language of it that I left the theatre, walked out into the lobby, around to the box office, bought another ticket for the next show and saw it again. Aside from the six Star Wars films, I can’t think of another film I’ve ever done that with.

If you’ve written this film off, come back to it. Watch it with fresh eyes. The Criterion Collection has done an incredible job of putting the best possible print of the film on the screen and it will blow you away.

The film is available for purchase on Amazon.

We’re back with another episode of The Big Movie Mouth-Off podcast!

The podcast features the stars and producers of The Big Movie Mouth-Off film review show, which appears here at Big Shiny Robot! and on Xfinity (Utah On Demand and Channel 6).  That lineup is: Jeff Vice from MSN Entertainment, Jimmy Martin from SLUG Magazine, and Bryan Young (me) and Elias Pate from Big Shiny Robot! and ShineBox Media Productions.

To download the latest episode from iTunes, follow this link .

There, you should rate and subscribe to the podcast.

This week, we talked about:

• Oscar nominations
• Razzie nominations
• The downfall of the MPAA

Listen! Let us know what you think! Spread the word!

A new picture of Captain America has debuted on the cover of Empire!

I’m all about this Cap costume, I really couldn’t imagine a better “real-world” interpretation of a costume that definitely wouldn’t translate straight over from the comic books! Of course, there’s some people pointing out that this big “debut” is on the cover of a British magazine – but really, what does it matter? Empire is a solid publication and it’s not like Captain America is only being released here in the US.

In any case, look, enjoy, comment!

On Location News have posted a slew of new photos from the set of Marc Webb’s Spider-Man reboot (if you couldn’t tell by the over-zealous use of watermarks)! These pictures give us the best look at the new Spider-Man suit to date, and I have decided I like it.

There seems to be a pretty solid line drawn in the geek community with regards to liking and hating the new Spidey suit. I like the new direction, it brings in a good mix of Ultimate Spider-Man, 2099 Spider-Man, and Classic Spider-Man to give us fans something new instead of just a rehash of the movie costume that came before it. I’m glad Webb and company have taken some liberties with the costume while still staying faithful to the “feel” of the original costume and I can’t wait to see it in action on the big screen. Even if you disagree and hate the costume, keep in mind that the most important thing is that it’s a solid movie – I firmly believe that if the script and acting are all great, those who hate the costume will be willing to overlook it, and maybe even come to like it! Marc Webb’s untitled Spider-Man film is set for release on July 3, 2012.

Enjoy the pictures below and feel free to share your thoughts on the costume in the comments below!

It’s crazy to think that 14 years ago today I was skipping school with Clang! Boom! Steam! to see Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope on the big screen for the first time.

I was a junior in high school and this might have been the biggest, coolest, thing I did during High school.

We slept out overnight in the cold Utah winter to see it at The Academy theatre in Provo, Utah. A one room movie palace that was one of the last few of its kind. Sadly, it’s since been torn down to make for a high rise… I must have bought tickets to see it three times that first day. And there was nothing so tremendously exhilarating as seeing the Star Wars logo appear on the screen for the first time. I mean, I’d seen Return of the Jedi as a baby, I was three when it came out and it’s truly my earliest memories, but this time… This is the first time I knew what was going to hit me.

Sure, there were problems with the Special Edition. Han not shooting first and Jabba the Hutt, but there were so many additions to this version of the film that made it that much more intense and incredible. My favorite addition to the Special Edition of A New Hope, more than any other, was the inclusion of the scene with Biggs toward the end. It turned his loss into something truly heartfelt and much less anonymous.

On the other hand, it’s been 14 years since some people began to turn on the saga. And instead of going quietly into the night and ignoring it, they’ve become one of the loudest minorities in the world (particularly on the Internet) about how much Star Wars has sold out or turned into something they hate or whatever.

But I don’t care. On that cold January morning, during the first matinee, 14 years ago, none of that existed, and I was left with the pure and holy experience of seeing Star Wars on the big screen for the first time.

Truly, one of the best and most memorable days of my life.

You can pre-order the Blu-ray’s of Star Wars from Amazon and receive them on September 27th, when they come out.

Tomorrow sees the release of Alice in Wonderland on Blu-ray and I must say I couldn’t be more pleased. Always a favorite of mine since childhood, the 1951 version of Alice is the high water mark in adaptations of Lewis Carroll’s novels.

Released in 1951, it took Disney 18 years to get his vision of Alice in Wonderland off the ground and his effort couldn’t have been better spent. The adaptation of the source material is unconventional, the characters are charming, the music is wonderful, and the nonsense is brilliant.

This is a crowning achievement amongst Disney’s animated pantheon.

I’ve seen this film a hundred times, easily as many times as I’ve watched Star Wars, and I was delighted to see the Blu-ray version. It does not disappoint. This film has never looked more crisp and new. In fact, I watched it with my son and he commented that the DVD version we’ve been watching together for years looked like a comic book and now, on Blu-ray, it finally looked like a real movie.

As for bonus features, it contains all the features from the previous DVD releases and some unearthed introductions that Walt Disney had prepared for showing the film on television. Because of the luke-warm critical response to Alice in Wonderland, it wasn’t rereleased in theatres until the mid seventies, instead it was played every few years on television starting in 1954. The introductions Walt Disney filmed for them are an interesting (and always welcome) look back to his television aura.

Everything about this film holds up, and there’s a good reason that it is by far and away my favorite animated Disney film bar none. The voice of Alice is soothing to me like a lullaby and this film is stupendous.

The Blu-ray comes out tomorrow and since it comes with the DVD version for the kids, don’t hesitate to snatch it up.

Good Morning, Big Shiny Roboteers! Today, we’re happy to add a column to the site that hearkens back to yesteryear. A time when children would pile into a movie house Saturday afternoons and be regaled by the derring-do of the heroes of the day! You could fly with Captain Marvel and Superman, swash your buckles with Zorro, or rocket into space with Flash Gordon! While we can’t guarantee that the magic of those bygone days can be recaptured, we’re sure as heck going to try!

That being said, out first offering is the first on-screen appearance of a hero who just graced the silver screen again, The Green Hornet! This serial adventure was released soon after the character was conceived for radio and as such is hugely responsible for how the Hornet and Kato are perceived visually. In fact, when the Golden Age incarnations of both characters are used today, they’ll still look similar to the appearances in this film. For our inagural column, we’ll be showing two chapters of this tale, but be sure to come back every Saturday morning, and we’ll resolve the cliffhanger for you!

The LA Times is reporting (via their gossip blog, so treat this news accordingly) that Joe Manganiello is in the running to play Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel in his upcoming Superman film.

Manganiello is apparently from the show True Blood, which is a little worrisome because every time I’ve watched that show (the first few episodes) it was beyond cheesy and boring.

From their report:

Here’s what we know: At last week’s Academy Bake Off, a celebration of visual effects in film, talk around the room (especially from the team working on the new “Superman”) said Manganiello kept popping up in serious talks about a new face for the franchise.

He’d fit right in — director Zack Snyder is no stranger to ab-tastic leading men (as he made Gerard Butler a star with “300”), and producer Christopher Nolan also has experience molding breakout hotties (ahem, Tom Hardy).

When Extra pressed Manganiello about it at the Producer’s Guild Awards, he said, “I would be honored. I love Zack Snyder, I love Christopher Nolan.”

So… There you have it. File this one under rumour, but it’s an interesting idea nonetheless.

What do you guys think? Can this dude pull it off?

I was able to get my hands on a Slamdance film (as I was covering it for IN Magazine) and since it has an inherently geeky bent I thought I’d cover it for Big Shiny Robot! as well.

Superheroes is a documentary directed by Michael Barnett and features a quick look into the lives of Real Life Superheroes. Shot beautifully on what looks to be DSLR cameras, Barnett and his crew followed a few different groups of Superheroes on both coasts (and a few spots in between) and tried to examine what they did and why.

For me, the film works much better in its second half where the filmmakers drop the filming and editing style of superiority over their subjects and takes them seriously, finally treating them as peers. At that point, the movie becomes most engaging. I’ve watched this film twice and I can’t get over the grating nature of the first half of the film.

We’re introduced to a pair of Real Life Superheroes, Mr. Xtreme from San Diego and Master Legend from Florida, and the film is cut in such a way that we’re supposed to feel as though they’re weirdos or unbalanced or that we’re supposed to laugh at them. Mr. Xtreme is photographed in his overly cluttered house in sweatpants watching Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. These sequences are intercut with introductions to other superheroes, namely Master Legend, who the audience is led to suspect that he’s nothing more than a drunk in a costume. “Expert” interviews interspersed through this section are limited to Marvel comics legend Stan Lee who questions the sanity and intelligence of anyone willing to fight crime without super powers, and a San Diego Police Psychologist who is convinced that the subjects do more harm than good and they are probably unbalanced.

It’s not a very flattering opening. And I can only speculate, but it feels that the filmmakers were laughing at their subjects through the beginning of the production and not expecting to find the heart and soul they found in these people.

After that turning point, the film is incredible.

The best stuff, however, comes toward the end, following a Real Life Superhero named “Life.” The scenes of him connecting with the homeless on the streets of New York were touching and almost enough to elicit tears. I would love to see a doc dedicated to him completely.

There’s a great film in here somewhere, though not the exhaustive examination of Real Life Superhero culture they seem to think it is, and I hope before it gets distribution they’re able to salvage the first half of the film. Don’t get me wrong. I really liked it, but it’s hard for me to divorce my instincts as a documentary filmmaker from my instincts as a film viewer and this film is pretty good, but could be great.

I’d also love to see a much more long term take on the subject, following someone for a long time to really get to the heart of them.

Lee Eisenberg is one of the writers working with Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd on Ghostbusters 3. Gene Stupnitsky being the other. Currently Lee is doing a series of lectures titled “Great Beginnings: Conversations with Alumni” at Connecticut College. While talking with The Day something came up… you guessed it, Ghostbusters 3.

“We’ve been working really closely with Ivan Reitman for a couple years on it. Dan Aykroyd has been really involved. Harold Ramis has been very involved – we’re sharing a story credit on it with him. Then we reworked the script. I mean, that script went through a lot of rewrites, and it kept getting, we think at least, tighter and funnier. It took a little bit to really understand the tone of a movie like ‘Ghostbusters.’ It’s really scary when you’re writing characters you grew up on. … The last thing you want to do is disappoint.

“Right now, we have a script we haven’t worked on probably in a couple of months, and we’re waiting for Bill Murray to read it. People seem excited about it, and the studio seems high on it. … We’re very proud of it. We worked really hard on it, and I think it’d be a really fun movie.”

So nothing new really. Every one is still waiting on Bill to say, “Alright, let’s do this.” Personally I think he will eventually “cave”, or Sony will try and push it in a different direction. At this point it sounds like the studio and every one but Bill Murray is invested in seeing this happen. Hell, even The Atlantic (seen below in the first movie’s montage) is pleading with Murray to go with it.

Make Ghostbusters 3, Bill. Please? The long-awaited, long-long-long-rumored third installment could start shooting this year—but only if you agree to appear in it. Ivan Reitman, on a recent publicity tour for No Strings Attached, said you have been sent a reworked script. They even used your idea about Venkman dying and coming back to haunt the cast, too That’s badass. You’ll be like Swayze in Ghost, dude. With Sigourney Weaver as your Demi Moore. Pretty please? Maybe you could turn the whole thing to your advantage. Back when the studios were fighting over who would make the first Ghostbusters, you used that leverage to get The Razor’s Edge financed. You could do the same now—agree to make the threequel of the studio will finance a film you do care about.

While a little misinformed (Venkman won’t be dying and coming back as a ghost), it’s still pretty awesome. Thanks to Proton Charging for letting us know about this.