Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on October 6th, 2018
It seems the 80’s is the go-to gimmick nowadays. With the success of Stranger Things and It, I can’t really blame the studios for cranking out the films set in this time period. Personally my favorite film to do this would be Summer of 84. For me it’s been the film that has best captured what it was like to grow up during that time period, but Sleep No More is definitely a film that I’m glad has climbed aboard the 80’s bandwagon. Personally what grabbed me was how the DVD boasts that it is from the creator of Final Destination. While the sequels fell more into the guilty pleasure category for me, the first film holds up and is great, so of course I’m curious to see what he has cooked up for Sleep No More.
A group of graduate students are working on a study to see what happens to the body after it has gone more than 200 hours without sleep. Their theory is that once you reach this threshold you will never have to sleep again. Unfortunately their first subject that they used for the study snapped and ends up killing themselves in a rather gruesome manner. Still confident in their research, they plan on continuing their study, only this time using themselves as the test subject. It’s a cool little setup for a horror film; one you know can’t possibly end well for those deciding to take part in this experiment. It’s like Flatliners meets an episode of The X-Files called “Sleepless”. In the episode it’s soldiers being put into a sleep study that of course has nasty consequences. So how does the film come out?
Posted in: The Reel World by Brent Lorentson on October 4th, 2018
When I first heard that Bradley Cooper would be making his directing debut with A Star is Born, honestly, I kind of groaned. It’s not because I didn’t believe he’d have the chops; after all, he’s worked with many successful directors over the span of his career. I groaned because I believed the world didn’t need yet another remake of the film. This will be the fourth incarnation of the film, and while many can debate on which version is their favorite, the film was pretty much a relic I felt should have stayed in the past. I mention this and want to also put out there even after some of the trailers I had caught for the film; my excitement level was pretty low going into this. Well, this turned out to be the sleeper hit of the year for me. Sure, many could have told me this would be a hit, and because of the cast I wouldn’t dispute it, but when I walked out of the auditorium I felt like I had experienced something special (even if it had been made three times before).
The film opens up with Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) taking the stage and performing for a large crowd. After his show he’s looking to get a drink and stops off at the closest bar; as it turns out it is one that caters to drag-queens. Jackson doesn’t care about the location; all he’s interested in is getting some drinks, but that all changes when he sees Ally (Lady Gaga) perform on stage. As the night stretches on and the two continue to get to know one another, one thing is undeniable; the chemistry between Cooper and Gaga is phenomenal. The flow of the first act of this film is perfect, and by the time Maine has Ally convinced to go on tour with him, I was convinced this movie will be a box office smash.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on September 26th, 2018
With Halloween just around the corner, it’s that time of the year when the studios start cranking out horror films to fill up the shelves hoping that eager fans will scoop up any new horror titles they can add to their collection. The Row is one of those releases that has the cover with beautiful girls and the tease of murder and mayhem to ensue. Does it deliver what the cover is attempting to sell? Well, the simple answer is yes, but to call this film horror is the equivalent of calling a toddler’s finger painting art. This is a film that sadly is a product of the times. Though it has an R rating, the film seems tame, and considering the director claims he was aiming for Spring Breakers meets Friday the 13th, I have to wonder if he saw either of those films.
Riley (Lala Kent) and her best friend Becks (Mia Frampton, yes, Peter Frampton’s daughter) are attending college, and as rush week is occurring they are looking to join the Phi Lambda sorority. As it turns out Riley’s mom was also a member of the sorority, just one of the many mysteries that seem to shroud her mother’s past, a mother Riley seems to know little about since her mom died when she was seven. Randy Couture plays Riley’s overprotective father, who is on suspension after a drug bust goes wrong, so to deal with his empty nest syndrome he manages to involve himself with a homicide case involving a student who is killed at Riley’s college. It just so happens that it seems this killer is just getting started, and there are plenty of pretty sorority girls who can be potential victims.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on September 21st, 2018
It’s okay to groan. I get it. Just when you thought the found-footage genre was dead, another film manages to get released. I think at this point we all simply have to accept that this is a genre that will never completely die on us, but we can always hope that it will eventually produce a hit every once and a while. When it comes to Found Footage 3D, it’s a bit of a mixed bag for me, and since the Blu-ray came with both a 3D and 2D version, I did in all fairness watch both versions, and there is definitely a version that won out, and if the time comes that I check this out again, I know how I plan on doing so. In case you were wondering, the disc does come with two individual 3D glasses, not the ones you can pick up at your local theater, but instead the throwback red and blue kind.
The clever twist that Found Footage 3D has going for it is that it is found-footage film about a film crew that is setting out to make a horror film in 3D. It doesn’t take long before we realize how the film is very self aware understanding the numerous typical tropes that are in the genre and knows there are two key rules they need to follow. Rule #1: give a reason for why the people are videotaping every moment, and Rule #2: when the third act comes along, have a good reason to explain why they are still filming and not tossing the camera aside. Derek (Carter Roy) is the over-the-top filmmaker with a vision to make the first found-footage horror film in 3D and is overly ambitious by also having the making of the film shot in 3D as well.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on September 21st, 2018
Just about everyone has heard of Rolling Stone magazine. For me it was circa 1995 when I bought my first Rolling Stone magazine that had the band Green Day on the cover. While I never had a subscription, I still remember hitting up the Barnes and Noble and getting the new magazines when I could. It was the magazine I went to to read up on my favorite bands and random pop culture influences. The magazine is now celebrating 50 years of journalism on music, politics, and just about everything else in between. In the 4 ½ hour documentary, it is a combination of interviews and archival footage that tells the story from when the magazine was birthed in San Francisco to becoming one of the most popular publications of our time.
Though the Blu-ray says that it is told in two parts, the reality is that the two-disc set is broken up into six episodes that run just over 40 minutes each. Jeff Daniels handles the duties as the narrator, who starts off by explaining to us to where the magazine’s name came from as well as introducing us to the magazine’s creator and editor, Jann Wenner. The first episode really helps set the tone by telling the story of how the magazine and its staff came together as well as revealing how some of the magazine’s breakout articles first came together. From a story about Ike and Tina Turner before they were household names to John Lennon and Yoko Ono and their Bed In for Peace. It’s kind of amazing seeing how the magazine wasn’t so popular yet but was a part of something as historic on pop culture. Personally I really enjoyed getting to see Annie Leibovitz discuss some of her first shoots, and it’s easy to understand why she has become a legend in the photography world since.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on September 17th, 2018
When it comes to shows that simply sneak up on you and manage to suck you in, This Is Us would be a show I never saw coming nor expected to simply fall in love with. As a show that is on network television, it stands toe to toe with the best that cable has to offer. But what is most surprising is that what sets this show apart from the rest of the pack isn’t a complex antihero or dragons; instead it is as simple as being a show that feels as real as anything I’ve seen on television in some time. As the title would suggest This Is Us is simply about a family and the struggles and successes that come day to day, though as many of you can understand and relate, there is nothing simple about life and the constant hurdles that are thrown at us on a day to day basis. I was hesitant last year when I watched the first season, but I was quickly moved by its characters and their stories. I was so impressed with that first season I wondered if it could maintain at that level for the second season. Well, after 18 episodes and plenty of tears, I’m here to say it didn’t maintain; instead, it exceeded what it did the first season.
Dan Fogelman (Crazy, Stupid, Love) has created a show about the Pearsons, Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Rebecca (Mandy Moore), as they go about their journey raising their three kids, who all happen to share the same birthday with their father. This season we start off with the siblings turning 37. There is Kate (Chrissy Metz), who is continuing to follow her interest in singing as well as being with her fiancée Toby (Chris Sullivan), Kevin (Justin Hartley), who is working his way to becoming a serious actor in film, and then we have Randall (Sterling K. Brown), who this season is working on bringing in a new member of the family.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on September 10th, 2018
Is it such a bad thing to find it refreshing that Trench 11 is a horror film that takes place during World War I? There is something about it being placed in this time period that immediately makes the familiar plot seem entirely unique. The easiest way to describe this film is to say it’s The Dirty Dozen meets John Carpenter’s The Thing. Seriously, if that doesn’t at least raise an eyebrow and catch your interest at least a little bit, then clearly this won’t be the movie for you. Now, granted, this was shot on a low budget and is ambitious; while it doesn’t quite meet its full potential, Trench 11 is still a fun little flick to throw on late at night.
The war is ending, and British intelligence has discovered a secret German bunker. It’s believed that down in this bunker the Germans have been working on a chemical weapon, so a team is put together to find out what is going on down there. A Canadian soldier, Lt. Berton (Rossif Sutherland), a tunneller, is recruited to help the British soldiers explore the bunker. The guy is still recovering from being buried for twelve days and developing a relationship with his French girlfriend when Berton is forced to leave, and things are only going to get more unpleasant for him as the film rolls on.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on September 7th, 2018
I’m pretty sure at some point we’ve all played the game Truth or Dare. Pretty much it’s a game we all play in our teenage years, where the results tend to end up with either some hurt feelings, shame, or someone getting injured. I think the worst instance I can remember in my past was on a camping trip, and it resulted in one of our friends falling into our campfire. As you’d imagine, it didn’t end well, and all our parents were pretty upset. Over the years the game has been brought to the big screen in a variety of ways, and this incarnation of Truth or Dare puts up a noble effort by injecting a supernatural spin on the game. And the result? I can honestly say I had a good time with this little flick.
The film opens up in 1983, and it would seem that there are two remaining players in the game, one of whom is standing on the roof of a house where they are expected to jump off. It’s no surprise that this doesn’t end well, and for the players it does indeed only get worse. When the film jumps to present day, a group of eight friends are meeting up at a “rental” house that happens to be where the events in 1983 took place. The home is rumored to be haunted. Carter (Luke Baines) has plans on catching some paranormal evidence, and by doing so he wants to get his friends to play Truth or Dare. As setups go, for a horror film this may not seem all to original, but this isn’t a film that’s attempting to break the mold; it’s simply just trying to have some fun, and it succeeds in doing so.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on September 6th, 2018
There is something about the notion of movie magic that I believe can grab hold of an audience member and pull them from their living room seat and into the story they are watching. This movie magic seems to occur more often these days, as special effects seem to take leaps and bounds every year as new technology is created to dazzle us all. Here’s the thing, though, sure, it’s great how we can now see lifelike 50-story monsters destroying cities, or how underwater worlds can exist, but none of it matters if the story or the characters are not relatable. If the story isn’t there, then your big effects are nothing more than overpriced cartoons that will be forgotten by the time the audience has exited the theater. When it comes to Higher Power, the best way to describe it is to use the overused expression, “all style and no substance.”
Co-writer and director, Matthew Charles Santoro comes from a special effects background, and you can tell he’s leaning heavily on his strengths with this film, and the result is a film that plays out more like a demo reel than an actual movie. Sure, there is a cast of characters to move the story forward, but the problem is none of it makes any sense.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on August 30th, 2018
After two seasons it seemed as though Lucifer had finally found its niche, and I was looking forward to seeing what season three would have in store. The story of Lucifer Morningstar (Tom Ellis) as the devil who has been vacationing on Earth is a fitting guilty pleasure of mine. This isn’t a show aiming to win Emmys; it’s simply a show that wants to indulge its audience for 44 minutes of fun, and week after week, it succeeds in doing just that. When Season 2 left off, Lucifer was kidnapped and left in the desert, and his wings had been returned to him. This is pretty much right where Season 3 picks up, and as expected, it’s a helluva fun ride.
Lucifer getting his wings back is a pretty big deal, and Season 3 spends a lot of time getting into what this all means and the sacrifice Lucifer made when he first removed his wings. This only further complicates things between Lucifer and his brother, Amenadiel (D.B. Woodside), who is now struggling with finding his purpose considering Lucifer has his wings back, while to Amenadiel’s dismay his wings have not returned. In episode 11, City of Angels, we get a flashback to when Lucifer first lost his wings. Personally this is one of my favorite episodes, and it feels like the writers and the cast had a lot of fun with this episode that is all about when Lucifer decided he wanted to stay on Earth. Everything from Lucifer and Amenadiel crashing a porn set to Amenadiel training to be a “human” fighter (with a sweet little homage to The Karate Kid), I mean, this episode is a fun ride.
