Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on January 7th, 2014
In case you’ve managed to miss the tabloids lately, it would seem that Phil Robertson, the founder of Duck Commander, has found himself in some hot water over some comments he made in GQ magazine. These comments managed to get him suspended from the show, but not long after, he was brought back. I’m not here to point fingers or even add fuel to the fire. Instead I simply want to say these kinds of scandals are inevitable when a hit series is involved; this especially becomes the case when the show is reality-based. The result that usually follows is the fans end up with the short end of the stick. If Phil were to be removed from the show it simply wouldn’t be the same show, and the thought of replacing him with another family member just wouldn’t work for me. This is the danger of having a successful reality show; scandal and drama are bound to occur, and people are bound to get upset by decisions made. I hope this is a situation that can sort itself out, because this show is one of the few guilty pleasures I have, and it would be a shame to lose it.
OK, stepping off my soapbox and on to the review. Season 4 starts off with Phil and Kay renewing their vows after 48 years of marriage. Normally I don’t really go for these sap-trap (cheesy romantic stuff) episodes, but what saved it was Uncle Si’s trip down memory lane that he takes Phil and Kay on. Uncle Si, no matter how much of a ham for the camera he is, I can’t help but enjoy the moments he graces the show with his screwball antics. This episode works as a prime example for my one gripe I have: for a show that is supposed to be reality-based, every aspect felt scripted. It’s not that I have a problem with the shows being mapped out, but it’s starting to feel more as though the Robertsons have become caricatures of themselves, and it just doesn’t feel as genuine any more.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on January 6th, 2014
I’m curious if there will ever come a time that people will simply give up making WW2 films. After all these years you would have figured that every possible story about this time period would have managed to find its way up onto the silver screen. I have nothing against these war pictures, but the bar has been set so high by films like Tora Tora Tora, Saving Private Ryan, The Longest Day, and many others, that if someone were to tackle the genre, that filmmaker would have to step up their game to be noticed amongst these titans of cinema.
Angel of the Skies is a feature out of the UK that boldly attempts to tackle the story of a pilot and his crew who crash inside enemy lines and have to struggle together to make their escape to return home. For a low-budget feature, this is a lot to tackle, but what helps is that writer/director Christopher-Lee Dos Santos spends more of his time focusing on his characters instead of grandiose effects and action set pieces.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on January 2nd, 2014
The first film I saw of Anthony DiBlasi was the adaption of the Clive Barker short story, Dread. It was a small film that hasn’t seemed to have found its audience, but I enjoyed it and thought that DiBlasi showed some promising signs of becoming a name in horror to look out for. In his new release Cassadaga he continues to show his signs of promise, though I feel he’s still got a way to go before he releases the film that is truly going to wow us and have him become a major player in horror cinema.
With the latest horror entry from DiBlasi we meet Lily (Kelen Coleman), who early on suffers the loss of her younger sister in a tragic accident. Lilly ends up relocating to a small town, Cassadaga, for an art fellowship program, but like all quaint small towns in horror films, nothing is ever as innocent as it may seem.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on December 22nd, 2013
Unless it’s the Zucker brothers or Mel Brooks, I wouldn’t ever consider myself a fan of parodies. But every once in a while, one will come along that can squeeze a few chuckles out of me. The found footage and reality genre has saturated the market, and it was only a matter of time before a filmmaker decided to lampoon the genre. Ghost Team One takes on the genre, and instead of taking the easy route and simply spoofing what’s already been done, the film makers actually made the effort to mold a decent story and film it in the style the Paranormal Activity films have made popular, only Ghost Team One does so with its tongue planted firmly in its cheek.
Roommates, Sergio (Carlos Santos) and Brad (J.R. Villarreal) decide to start documenting everything that is going on in their apartment after Sergio believes he had an encounter with a ghost. Armed with Gopro and other digital cameras, the two embark on trying to acquire proof on camera. Sergio does what he can to try and take this seriously, while Brad continues to derail the experiment with his oversexed antics that consist mostly of him violating the camera or those around him on camera. But once the two meet Fernanda (Fernanda Romero), a true believer in the supernatural, the guys buckle down to try to impress her.
Posted in: The Reel World by Brent Lorentson on December 20th, 2013
“Some of this actually happened.”
It’s the quote that opens a film that I don’t just consider the most enjoyable experience on the big screen this year, but one of the best films to be released in years. It’s a comedy, it’s a love story, it’s all a giant con wrapped in the world of the mid 70’s that David O. Russell captures with flare and detail and often at times feels as though it could be a sister film to Goodfellas. By no means is this a gangster film (although the mob is present), but this is a film about characters who are all trying to do the right thing only the method by which they go about accomplishing the task is morally questionable.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on December 19th, 2013
“Think of it as a hall pass, a permission slip to just let go of your fear and embrace the world…”
These are the words of advice a reiki master, played by Allison Janney (The West Wing) says to her patient, Abby (Rosemarie DeWitt) as she is handing her a bag filled with MDNA. Touchy Feely is definitely an offbeat comedy from writer/director Lynn Shelton who may be best known for her indie hit Humpday. At first glance the film may come across to some as some New Age, hippy, nonsense journey about self-discovery, and to a point you’d be right, but really, the themes of self-discovery are universal with everyone, and it’s in these types of films I feel everyone can at least attain a nugget of introspective wisdom after watching.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on December 18th, 2013
Just when I thought the home invasion genre was on its last legs, another addition to the oversaturated canon of films has been released on DVD. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of the genre, but like everything else in Hollywood once something works and is a success the first time the only reasonable thing to do is exploit it till there is nothing unique or fresh with the idea, and then try to exploit it some more. Entries into the genre like Funny Games, The Collector, The Strangers and even Panic Room all have a soft spot in my genre-obsessed heart, but seriously, enough already.
The film’s opening follows a cheating couple as their night of passion is interrupted by what they believe are kids simply playing pranks on what the town calls Mischief Night the day before Halloween. There are the typical jump scares, and it all follows the horror movie formula where we know by the end of the sequence one or both of these characters will be killed, and this of course introduces the film’s featured killer, a masked figure in a bright yellow hoodie. I’m fine with the film sticking with the same formula that has worked for hundreds of horror films over the years, but what bothered me from the start was the decision to put the killer in a bright yellow top; even at night this would leave the killer sticking out like a sore thumb, and the element of terror and surprise is immediately taken away; at any minute I was expecting organ music to play announcing the killer followed by him creeping through the halls on his tippy toes and snickering as the tormented couple moved through the house not seeing him.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on December 11th, 2013
Posted in: The Reel World by Brent Lorentson on December 6th, 2013
Director Scott Cooper made his directorial debut with the much critically acclaimed film Crazy Heart. It was an impressive first film that managed to get Jeff Bridges an academy award. With Out of the Furnace, Cooper again has a film on his hands that may gain some award recognition due to the many great performances sprinkled throughout the film. But aside from the great performances, how does the actual film hold up? It’s something I’ve been pondering for a bit. The film wastes no time showing us its dark side right from the start. Harlan DeGroat (Woody Harrelson) is out on a date and heaving outside his car at a drive-in theater. This isn’t the Woody Harrelson we’re used to. He’s rough-cut and mean. When his date talks back him, not only does he seem to enjoy degrading her, but like a vicious dog he snaps and attacks her. When an on looker walks over to help, you already know this won’t end well for the man who simply wants to do the right thing and help a woman in distress. This scene plays out as one of my favorite introductions to a film’s villain in quite some time.
As for the star of the film, Christian Bale, he plays Russell Baze, a working-class man who works at the town steel mill barely making ends meet, but he’s content. The same cannot be said about Russell’s little brother Rodney (Casey Affleck); he’s a veteran who is back from Iraq and is struggling to get back on his feet. He doesn’t want a life in the mill but the town has little to nothing to offer which leaves Rodney with little choice but to spend what little he has (and borrows) on gambling. Russell wants to help his brother, but Rodney, whether through pride or stupidity, simply won’t take help when it’s offered regardless of the circumstances.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on November 29th, 2013
Everyone knows the name Bill Cosby, and if you’re an 80’s kid like me then you most likely know him as one of TV’s most likeable dads, Mr. Huxtable. Cosby has been the comedian who’s managed to succeed for decades by keeping his comedy routine clean and family-friendly. From his animated series Fat Albert and his numerous other television projects and the Jell-O pudding pop ads, we all seemed to just feel this was a guy we all let into our homes through the television where we all felt we knew him as a part of our extended family. But following the tragic death of his son, something changed, and for a while I was starting to think we might never get back the man with the uncanny ability to make people of all ages and ethnicities laugh.
In the new 90-minute comedy special I’m happy to say that Cosby is back to form and delivers a special that not only is filled with laughs but also plenty of advice for young men out there ready to take the plunge into marriage. Cosby takes all his years of marriage and delivers a performance that is honest, effortless and relatable for those who have already been married for some time now. He makes it clear how in the start of all relationships, men feel like they are doing the right thing when they find their perfect woman and make her the “girlfriend”. But Cosby is here to warn us how that all changes once we make a fool of ourselves and ask these girlfriends to spend the rest of their lives with us.
