Posted in: The Reel World by Brent Lorentson on May 31st, 2019
Back in 2014 when Godzilla came out, I had a blast with the film, though one of the major complaints people had seemed to have been that there was not enough fights or not enough of Godzilla. Personally I didn’t see how this could be a complaint to take too seriously; after all, if you watch some of the older films, we’d only get maybe 15 minutes of screen time, but thankfully this wasn’t always the case. Now with the release of Godzilla: King of the Monsters, the human story is a bit of an afterthought, and it’s the titans that carry this blockbuster bonanza. Is this a good thing? You bet it is, though I’m sure there are plenty of stuffy critics who will complain about there being too many monster fights; for those critics, this movie wasn’t made for them. This is a movie made for the kid in all of us who wanted to believe in the possibility that giant monsters could exist, and seeing these hulking giants duke it out while destroying cities in the process just made us smile.
Right from the get-go we get to see Godzilla in action, though it’s back in 2014, and Mark Russell (Kyle Chandler) is trying to find his son during the chaos of the final fight from the previous film. Then we get a 5-year time jump where we meet up with Madison (Millie Bobby Brown) and her mom, Dr. Emma Russell (Vera Farmiga), who are living in a Monarch facility in China. Emma and Mark are clearly having difficulty handling the loss of their son, and Madison is simply doing what she can to maintain a happy balance between the two. But the film doesn’t waste much time with this, as we are immediately introduced to the ORCA device, an invention Emma and Mark created that was originally meant to communicate with whales, but Emma has figured out a way to use it to communicate with the MUTO’s of the world (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms). And it’s early on where we get to meet one of these new organisms, and it’s none other than Mothra. But just as we’re enjoying getting to see this new incarnation of Mothra, a group of environmental terrorists led by Jonah Allen (Charles Dance) come into the Monarch facility and kidnap Madison and Emma along with the ORCA device. Yeah, basically this film is not messing around when it comes to story as it keeps things at a nice fast pace so we can get to the monster action.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on May 29th, 2019
Did you ever wonder what it would be like if on the many journeys Forrest Gump took, one of them involved him trying to solve a young boy’s disappearance and eventual murder? I didn’t think so. I’m not trying to be funny, but for the most part that is basically the gist of A Dark Place, where we see a young man who is on the spectrum become obsessed with solving a murder. It’s not that people who are on the spectrum can’t be highly intelligent and problem solvers, but this film takes things to another level, to where disability or not, no one could get away with what occurs in this film. Sure, there are movies that are about escaping reality, and one shouldn’t judge it for its realism, but when a film is attempting to be a slice of life in this small town that is devastated by the loss of a missing child, well, there comes a point where the audience should be allowed to call BS.
When we first meet Donny (Andrew Scott), he’s a trash collector in a small town. He’s a likeable guy, but we see early on that he’s on the spectrum and most likely has OCD amongst other things. The way Scott plays this character makes him very likeable from the start, and that’s important, because as the film plays out he does some questionable things, and it’s important to see that they are done with the best intentions. Along for the ride is his partner, Donna (Bronagh Waugh) who is doing her best to break through some of Donny’s emotional walls and quirks. The moments between Donny and Donna are some of the best moments in the film, and it doesn’t take long to see the potential relationship between the two. Unfortunately, Donny is still carrying a torch for the mother of his child. To be fair, this side story of Donny attempting to pursue a relationship with his ex really brings down the story and serves to do nothing but attempt to make us feel sorry for the guy when that’s not even necessary. The movie is 89 minutes; time is simply wasted as though it were padding.
Posted in: Super Round Up by Brent Lorentson on May 24th, 2019
We got another batch of films from Film Movement sent to us here at Upcomingdiscs. This time around we have a pair of documentaries that delve into separate directions in the art world. I think to be fair when talking about these films for the most part I was going in blind on the subject matter when it comes to the Antonio Lopez documentary, with my lack of knowledge when it comes to the fashion scene of the 1970’s, and, well, even today’s standards of the industry. As for the painter Heironymus Bosch, I only remember vague details about the infamous painting that the documentary was about, so once again I’m pretty much going into this documentary with a clean slate on the material as well. So for those fashion gurus or art snobs out there, I apologize in advance for my ignorance on the subject matter.
Antonio Lopez 1970 Sex Fashion & Disco
Posted in: Super Round Up by Brent Lorentson on May 24th, 2019
Our good friends at Film Movement and Omnibus Entertainment sent a batch of titles for us to check out at UpcomingDiscs. For those unfamiliar with the companies, they mostly release independent and art house titles, so if you’re hoping to find out about the next Michael Bay blockbuster, well, this review most likely won’t be for you. With the titles I’ll be talking about here, the subject matter is a bit on the sexy side, but I wouldn’t go so far to say these are titles that belong in the adults-only section. Both of these titles are also Italian imports, so unless you are fluent in Italian, there are subtitles involved. So for those who have stuck around, let’s go ahead and get right to it.
Cam Girl (Film Movement)
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on May 8th, 2019
In my review for The Hole in the Ground I talk about my feelings about the “Evil Kid” sub-genre. To sum it up, it’s pretty much my least favorite of the horror genres. Well, this week I got back to back reviews for movies in that genre, and I have to say, The Prodigy managed to surprise me. It brought in only $14 million at the box office with a production cost of about $9 million, and most of the critic reviews were not so kind to the film. Horror and critics really don’t get along so well, as history will show, mainly because for the longest time there has been a bit of a stigma attached to the genre. Thankfully things have started to change in recent years, but some critics still look at horror as nothing more than flashy B-rate cinema. Here at Upcomingdiscs I’d like to think we have always loved the genre and appreciate it at its most absurd and sometimes gory nature.
I bring this up because The Prodigy is something of a curve ball in its genre, and with its R rating I feel it’s earned its rating and has given us a character that is genuinely not just creepy but in fact terrifying while walking through scenes with a sweet innocent face. I needed to step away from the film and sleep on this review, because I have to admit I was a bit conflicted, but when I woke up there was still a moment in this film that stuck with me, and I’m a little more impressed by this.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on May 7th, 2019
Hollywood just can’t seem to get enough of kids doing creepy things and the parents believing their child has turned into some kind of monster. We’ve seen these films before, and to be honest, aside from The Omen and Children of the Corn, I can’t think of any other films in the “Bad Children” sub-genre that have made much of an impact on me. This week I’ll be reviewing two of them, and the first happens to be The Hole in the Ground. The major turnoff I have towards these kinds of films is that they play it too safe. It seems these movies tend to avoid crossing certain lines, and, well, that’s frustrating. After all, these tend to be horror films, and isn’t that the point, to make your audience squirm with unease and have genuine dread? It’s only a movie; it’s OK to be a little provocative in the name of entertainment. The films Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things and Come Out And Play pushed the envelope and were memorable for this, but unfortunately they didn’t have a gripping story to back up what they were doing. So where does The Hole in the Ground fare? Well, a lot better than I expected, but it missed out on some great opportunities.
Sarah (Seana Kerslake) and her son, Chris (James Quinn Markey) have recently moved to the Irish countryside as a way to give their lives a fresh start. From the looks of their new home, one would be surprised it was capable of have running water and electricity; it looks like a proper place to set a haunted-house film. With the exception of a random spider, the interior looks modern and homey. The start of the film mostly sets up the relationship Sarah has with her son. It’s a sweet bond the two share, and because it’s a horror film, we know this sweet bond won’t be lasting much longer.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on May 1st, 2019
If I’m being honest, I never would have guessed that Nicole Kidman could ever pull off playing a dirty undercover cop. I’m not saying she’s a bad actress; I just never thought the day would come that she would play such a lowdown gritty role, and I’m so glad she did. How Kidman wasn’t showered with awards this past year for her performance in Destroyer is beyond me. This isn’t just a good performance, but what we get in this film is a woman who transforms herself into a role so different from what she’s done in the past that I respect the chance she took with this role, and the result is mesmerizing even if the film suffers from some pacing issues.
The film opens up with Detective Erin Bell (Kidman) being called out to a crime scene. It doesn’t take long before she realizes that she knows the victim. This takes us back 17 years prior to when she is being assigned a case that will have her going undercover with Chris (Sebastian Stan) to take down a gang of thieves. What’s nice is getting to see Kidman and Stan together onscreen. Whether it’s their chemistry or just good acting, these two make it difficult to not be sucked into their story. While they are infiltrating the gang, we see a real relationship develop between Chris and Erin that actually seems natural and not forced.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on April 26th, 2019
Just imagine for a moment that a 12-year-old version of yourself was taking a little stroll and you came across a sword that was protruding from a slab of concrete. We’ve seen plenty of versions of the King Arthur story. Some have been good (Excalibur and First Knight) but many have been not so good. In the case of The Kid Who Would Be King, it’s not a story about King Arthur but more an adventure that asks what would happen if a boy were to find the sword in today’s world. The film didn’t do so well at the box office, which isn’t a big surprise considering the film was made in the UK and not the States, but is the film one to be overlooked and forgotten, or is this a gem worth checking out? Simply put, this is perhaps the best “kids’” film I’ve seen in years, and this is a film that I’m willing to bet will garner a cult status in the years to come.
From the moment I saw the trailer for this I thought it looked like fun, but when I saw that it was written and directed by Joe Cornish, this film worked its way onto my must-see list. For those who may be unfamiliar with the name, Joe Cornish is responsible for the film Attack the Block (2011). For those that haven’t seen Attack the Block, please remedy this immediately. For a quick summary, it was a film about a group of kids who end up having to fight a group of aliens that have landed and are attempting to take over the neighborhood. The film is a fast-paced comedic blast that was responsible for kicking off the career for John Boyega, who went on to play the character Finn in a little franchise called Star Wars. So, it’s been a few years since Attack the Block has been out, and for me it was hard to keep my expectations in check, but Cornish managed to deliver another fun popcorn flick.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on April 19th, 2019
One of 2019’s most anticipated releases is M. Night Shyamalan’s conclusion to his superhero trilogy with Glass. This has been a trilogy 19 years in the making, following the release of Unbreakable and then 2016’s Split. When I first saw Unbreakable, I was a projectionist, and I had to screen it the night before it was released to make sure everything was spliced together and the film played properly, and I just remember not really liking the movie at first. I ended up giving the film another try, and I found I liked it a little more. Now over the years I’ve seen it several times, and the film has grown on me. I’ve grown to appreciate the film to the point that when that final scene in Split plays and we got the reveal of David Dunn (Bruce Willis) I was extremely excited at the prospect of seeing this character revisited. Before I get much further, if you haven’t seen Unbreakable or Split, if you plan on seeing Glass, do yourself a favor and watch the previous films first, and even if you have seen them, it wouldn’t hurt re-watching them just so the films are fresh in your mind while experiencing the conclusion of this trilogy. With all that out of the way, how was the film? It’s time to suit up and find out.
As the film opens up, it takes place not long after the events in Split, and we see that Kevin (James McAvoy) is under the control of his 24 personalities, and “The Beast” is responsible for numerous murders. The media has been following the killer and has been calling him “The Horde”. Also in pursuit of the killer is David, who with the aid of his son, Joseph (Spencer Treat Clark, who played his son in the first film) are fighting crime together, with their home base being a security shop that they run together. The opening act of this film is great. It flows nicely, and when we get to see David have his showdown with “The Beast”, it’s hard to not get excited for what is to come. It’s the direction the film goes from here where I can see there being disappointment in what follows from this point up to the end of the film.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on April 16th, 2019
Back in 2015 when the prison escape took place in upstate New York, this was one of those news stories that kept me glued to my television, as I’m sure it did for countless others. As the story unfolded in front of news cameras, the story just got more scandalous, and as the days ticked by with the prisoners on the run, a part of me was sort of rooting for them. I know they’re felons, but seeing them manage to outmaneuver authorities and evade capture, it was sort of like rooting for the underdog, because most of the time these incidents don’t end well. It’s no surprise that Hollywood would latch onto this story, but what is surprising how well this Showtime mini-series turned out. With funny-man Ben Stiller at the helm, I was surprised to see that he was attached to direct this. He’s been successful behind the camera, and my favorite films of his have been Reality Bites and The Cable Guy. So how did the nearly 7 ½ hour series turn out?
The series opens up with Tilly Mitchell (Patricia Arquette) being questioned by New York State Inspector General Catherine Scott (Bonnie Hunt) in June of 2015. This was a bit of surprise that they would chose this moment to open up the series, but this is for the most part Tilly’s story. You’d want to believe this is a falling-from-grace story and that she was simply conned by these prison inmates, but as you’ll see, Tilly is no saint. Arquette is almost unrecognizable beneath the makeup, the accent and weight gain for the role. This performance goes to show that Boyhood was no fluke and that she is one of the best actresses working today. Things then shift back to January, and we meet inmates Richard Matt (Benicio Del Toro) and David Sweat (Paul Dano). They are in neighboring cells and also work together in a tailor shop at the prison that Tilly happens to oversee.
