Rating: ««« out of 4 Stars

Running Time: 116 min.

With James Bond working hard to keep his newest adventures real and gritty, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. takes the reverse approach. This is no parody, but it is a love letter to the Dr. No era of espionage thrillers; it keeps the Cold War setting and production design, all the while holding its tongue firmly in cheek.

Thanks to some inspired casting and stylish visuals, director Guy Ritchie (Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows) manages to pull it all off. It’s a fun throwback that will keep most viewers amused and entertained.

Based upon the 60s television series that Bond author Ian Fleming assisted in creating, the...

Welcome once again to another look at the highlights coming to DVD and Blu-ray this week. So if you can’t make it out to the movies this week, be sure to give one of these titles a try!

Big New Releases!

I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story - This documentary charts the life of the puppeteer who has played “Big Bird” on Sesame Street for over 45 years (he has yet to retire and even at 81 still goes to work and dons the yellow suit). Besides interviews, the feature also includes early clips of the performer working with Jim Henson. Reviews were very strong, stating that while it can be overly sentimental, the doc still gives viewers a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at...

Rating: ««« out of 4

Running Time: 108 min.

While horror flicks and thriller pics from Blumhouse Productions often follow  supernatural tales along the lines of Insidious, Ouija and The Gallows, it appears that every now and then, the company does attempt some variations on their low-budget genre formula. The Gift certainly falls into this category. There aren’t any vengeful apparitions or undead axe murderers chopping teenagers to pieces. Instead, this is a mood piece, focusing entirely on its characters and attempting to create a general sense of unease.

Co-star Joel Edgerton also serves as writer and director of this effort, and it’s clear that as a performer, he’s far...

Rating: ««« 1/2 out of 4

Running Time: 85 minutes

Shaun the Sheep made his first appearance in the Walla ce & Gromit short A Close Shave, but in the years since the young buck has become the star of a very popular children’s “claymation” series. By now, tykes may be more familiar with the animal than the characters who introduced him. The 10 minute segment format of the television show might make one wonder whether the sheep can carry a feature. While it is certainly aimed at a younger audience, Shaun the Sheep Movie should entrance all members of the family - it makes for a pretty darn warm and woolly big screen debut.

The story is simple enough. Bored by the repetition of...