Phoenix DVD Blog

Some nights, you just want a good laugh, no deep plots, no heavy themes, just pure, ridiculous fun. The best comedies are the ones you can rewatch again and again, the kind that lift your mood and make even the dullest Tuesday night feel better. Whether it’s physical humour, clever dialogue, or over-the-top characters, these films all have one thing in common — they deliver when you need a dose of feel-good escapism. I’ll admit, this one was tough to narrow down. there were at least another four or five films I could’ve included. I might just have to make a Part Two! Related Posts If you enjoy classic comedies with a bit more edge, check out my post 5 Essential Old-School Comedies That Couldn’t Be Made Today — it’s packed with nostalgia and films that pushed the limits of what comedy could get away with. If you are wondering whether streaming is going to take over completely and wipe out the old disc media, have a read of my post Is Disc Media Dying – or Just Waiting for Its Comeba...

There was a time when walking into a video rental shop on a Friday night felt like a weekly ritual.You’d browse the shelves, study the covers, and maybe even argue with friends over which VHS to take home. Those were the days when film collecting meant something tangible, a wall of big, colourful tape covers that showed your taste and told your story. Then came the DVD. Overnight, VHS became yesterday’s news. The picture was sharper, the sound was cleaner, and you didn’t have to spend five minutes rewinding before dropping it back to the shop. No fines for returning an unwound DVD, that’s for sure. After working hard all week, you were ready to line up the weekends entertainment and pick up those lovely slimline jewel cases.

There was a time when comedies didn’t tiptoe around feelings or try to tick every politically correct box. They were loud, ridiculous, completely unapologetic and frequently pushed gross-out boundaries which was mostly hilarious but sometimes poorly pulled off.  That’s exactly why we still fondly remember them, for the most part. These five movies aren’t just funny; they’re proof that humour used to have a backbone and I so wish that we could return to those days without somebody taking offense. If you'd like to watch something grittier, check out my other post  5 Modern War Films You Must See for Intense, Gritty Viewing  and prepare to feel the action. 1. Wedding Crashers (2005) Back when Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn were at their peak, Wedding Crashers nailed the formula: quick-fire one-liners, slightly dodgy morals, and enough charm to get away with it. It’s a film that reminds you how great comedy can be when it’s not trying to teach a lesson. Just pure chaos, rom...

I’ve written before about why I’m not a fan of method acting, you can read my opinion in this post — Method Acting Gone Too Far . Some actors swear by it, but for me, it often crosses into disruption, ego, or even danger. But here’s the thing: plenty of actors deliver world-class performances without needing to live as their character off set. They can switch it on when the director calls “action” and switch it off when the cameras stop rolling, and in my view, that’s the real mark of talent.

I’ve been a movie collector since the day I picked up my very first movie, Phenomenon . There was something special about holding that case, peeling off the plastic, and sliding the disc into the player. Back then, I loved receiving movies in the post from Play.com or finding one at the local store (when they still sold them regularly). Very few shops sell discs these days, it seems to be going the way of the Dodo and I for one am sad to see it happen.

There was a time when Hollywood meant spectacle, risk, and unforgettable storytelling. These days? It feels like the film industry has lost the run of themselves. Every other release is a safe reboot, a lazy reimagining, or a paint-by-numbers blockbuster starring once-great actors who now look tired, phoning it in while delivering lines from scripts that wouldn’t pass as decent TV episodes twenty years ago. Instead of bold, sweeping epics, we’re stuck with recycled franchises and CGI noise. Where’s the ambition? Where’s the bravery to tell a story that leaves a mark? Where's the risk taking?

When it comes to World War II television, few names carry more weight than Band of Brothers , The Pacific , and now  Masters of the Air . All three came from the powerhouse partnership of Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, each tackling a different front of the war in Europe, the Pacific islands, and the skies above them. They share the same DNA: ensemble casts, grounded realism, and an unflinching look at the toll of war. Yet they’re very different experiences. After rewatching Masters of the Air again this weekend, I found myself thinking about what makes each series unique and why Band of Brothers still stands as the benchmark for many viewers.