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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on April 16th, 2019
When it comes to Robert Zemeckis films, you never know what you’re going to get. Like most, I’m a fan of his Back to the Future trilogy, and then there is Who Framed Roger Rabbit that to this day I feel is his best work. While he’s churned out many good films, there are films of his that I’m simply not a fan of. Forrest Gump happens to be one of those films. For the most part he makes audience-friendly films, but what I’ve always admired about the guy is how he’s always attempting to integrate new technology into his films. Zemeckis has become one of the pioneers of motion-capture technology. Ever since The Polar Express (2004), he’s been making improvements with the technology, and now with Welcome to Marwen, it is stunning to see just how far he has come.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on April 9th, 2019
It’s been expected that Season 10 of Archer would be the last one. With Fox recently putting out the 9th season Archer: Danger Island, it’s giving fans a chance to catch up before Sterling Archer (voiced by H. John Benjamin) sets off on his final adventure. There are still plenty of questions left unsolved from Season 7, and if you were hoping Danger Island would help fill in the blanks, well, sorry to disappoint; instead, season 9 gives us something completely new that I enjoyed, though I have to admit it left me scratching my head for where things may be going.
