Said Taghmaoui

CHICAGO – With NATO protests about to descend on Chicago, “La Haine” seems to have as much power as it did on its release almost twenty years ago. It is a visceral, draining experience about class struggles, increased diversity in Paris, economic inequality, and unchanneled rage. In other words, it’s a perfect choice for a Criterion Blu-ray upgrade as the Occupy Movement prepares to descend on the Windy City.

CHICAGO – “Yo Joe!” Before Paramount unleashes “G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra” in theaters on August 4th, 2009, viewers should catch up with the height of the phenomenon with Shout Factory’s “G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero: Season 1.1,” now available on DVD.

CHICAGO – “Traitor” walks a fine line between escapism and exploitation and essentially falls in the cracks in between, working as neither a thriller nor a topical drama. Great performances from Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, and Jeff Daniels almost make Jeffrey Nachmanoff’s film worth a rental, but the lackluster Blu-Ray presentation doesn’t help a film that already had some serious problems become more than a marginal recommendation.