Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on January 23rd, 2013
Anytime a horror film is released with a religious element, I can’t help but be a little interested. The film that first won me over for this sub-genre was, of course, The Exorcist, and ever since seeing that film I keep hoping that one day a film will hold up to it in quality, but it seems I’ll be waiting a while. That’s not to say there haven’t been some good films to come out along the way. The Possession is one of those valiant attempts that brings something fresh to the genre but never quite reaches its full potential.
Posted in: The Reel World by Brent Lorentson on January 18th, 2013
Sometimes a movie comes along that simply has so much to say that two hours simply isn’t enough to flesh it out to its full potential. Broken City is a film that is filled with many great characters and story threads that needed more than just the 109-minute running time to tie everything all together. Broken City is more than just a film about a private eye trying to take down a corrupt mayor. Every character involved has something to gain from winning an upcoming election and even more to lose depending on the results. The same can be said about any election.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on January 17th, 2013
Shout Factory this week releases a Jackie Chan double feature that I can actually stand behind and say, “Yes, buy this.” Chan has been churning out movies since the early 60’s, and with a rumored retirement looming, soon we’ll only have his vast catalog of films to gush and cringe over. Though I think it is safe to say his body could use a break; after all, how many broken bones has this man sacrificed all in the name of cinema?
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on January 8th, 2013
Coming into the HBO animated series on its third season, I wasn’t sure what to expect from The Life & Times of Tim. Even after a quick search on IMDB to see what else creator Steve Dildarian had worked on, it left me with little to go on concerning what to possibly expect. I got to go into season three with virgin eyes, and overall it was a good time. When we first meet Tim (Dildarian), his life is at a low point, lower than what most twenty-something graduates would be used to. But on the bright side Tim has managed to find a job as the personal assistant to a women’s basketball player (Kym Whitley), though Tim is too ashamed to admit to his girlfriend Amy (M.J. Otto) what he really does.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on January 7th, 2013
When it comes to writer/director Spike Lee, he seems to have a very polarizing effect on the people who watch his films. I’d like to consider myself a fan of most of his work. For me Clockers, Summer of Sam, and The 25 Hour rank at the top of my list of favorites. He’s a director with a very distinct style and voice that sets him apart from most filmmakers. But it’s that voice of his that often times gets him in trouble, whether it is in the message of his films or oftentimes comments he makes (most notably his comments on Tarantino and Django Unchained).
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on January 2nd, 2013
It’s hard to not appreciate a film that wastes no time jumping into the action, and with a title like Kill’em All you go in expecting the action to be piled on and non-stop. I have to say I’m a little surprised this little film lived up to the title; after all most straight-to-DVD titles seem to be lackluster if not simply awful. I’m also not saying this is a film that’ll be remembered too long either, but it is a B movie that delivers on the action and has Gordon Liu doing what he does best.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on December 31st, 2012
Back in 1964 a film was released about a reporter who wanted to know what it was like to be black in the deep south during the civil rights movement. When I first heard this my initial reaction had me picturing some white guy in black face strolling the streets and then subsequently being beaten by both sides of the race coin. It turns out this thankfully wasn’t the case, and the reporter, John Howard Griffin, underwent medical treatments, as well as hours under a sunlamp, to change the hue of his skin. From the procedure on, the film explores a dark time in America seen through the eyes of both a white and a black man at the same time.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on December 27th, 2012
The idea of traveling out into the middle of nowhere, surrounded by snow and with no running water or toilet around, is not my idea of a nice vacation. In fact, being a former Eagle Scout, just hearing about camping is enough to recall nights of sleeping on the hard ground, in the cold with rocks and sticks being stabbed into my back while trying to sleep. It’s not that I hate the outdoors; I’ve simply grown to appreciate the niceties of life, and if getting in touch with nature means mosquito bites, I’ll stick with the motel 8 and enjoy the view from my room.
Posted in: The Reel World by Brent Lorentson on December 25th, 2012
There is a difference between calling something the “best” and calling it your “favorite”. For instance when I look back at the films I’ve seen over the course of the year, I can say Django Unchained is my favorite film of the year that I enjoyed immensely, but I don’t believe I can say it is the best film of the year. Will Django be a film to live on for decades and be hailed a classic in the annals of film history? It’s too soon to even suggest such notions, but what I can say is that the film was a hell of a good time.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on December 21st, 2012
This short-lived UK television series from 1995 is something I had never heard of, and after watching it, I consider it one of the best horror anthologies produced. Tales from the Crypt, The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits all hold their own place in what they brought to the small screen, each with episodes that are given the same reverence we would give a classic film. What Chiller managed in five episodes left me wanting so much more; five episodes simply was not enough.
