Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on September 30th, 2012
Oregon may have been the 33rd state to join our union — and Portland may be its most populous city — but Portlandia is a state of mind. And according to the surreal IFC sketch series created by stars Fred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein and director Jonathan Krisel, that state of mind is happily stuck in the simpler time represented by the '90s.
Armisen and Brownstein co-star in almost every sketch, and each segment lasts no more than five minutes. That shrewdly gives the audience multiple opportunities to laugh within one episode even if a particular concept isn’t working or is too bizarre. (One especially painful skit consisted of Armisen and Brownstein repeatedly calling out “Sacagawea!" Thankfully, it was over relatively quickly.)
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 27th, 2012
"Now this is going to be so much fun."
They've just saved the world, yet again. If you watch Supernatural, you know I'm talking about the Winchester brothers Sam and Dean. You also know by now that saving the world is never the end of the story. Each time they put themselves out there to stop the big evil from putting a major hurt on planet Earth, it comes at a cost, and this season is no exception.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on September 27th, 2012
When you pick up a movie with the title Strippers vs. Werewolves, to expect anything more than schlocky B-movie horror is a mistake by the viewer and the viewer alone. This foray into cheesy cinema is best viewed after a few drinks or just as random fun late at night when you can’t sleep. It’s never a movie trying to change the way we view cinema but instead just something to have some fun with, a simple escape where our brains can shut off and simply enjoy the show.
While giving a private dance, Justice (Adele Silva) kills a well-dressed gentleman who changes into a werewolf. Little does Justice know that he is connected to a powerful pack of werewolves that will stop at nothing to avenge their fallen pack member. But this isn’t the first run-in with werewolves by Jeanette (Sarah Douglas), the owner of the Vixens strip club; she’s fought and killed werewolves before and is ready to do it again to protect her club and the girls.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by William O'Donnell on September 26th, 2012
The first word that springs to my mind when considering this box set is “essential.” I try to use that word without all of the marketing baggage that comes with it, conjured up by countless previous DVD releases of other films that have claimed to be “essential.” This set lives up to that term perfectly. Raiders of the Lost Ark alone is an incredibly important film (as my review below explains in a gushing fanboy-ish manner) and the entire series is a must have for any true fan of American cinema. This transfer to Blu Ray is a very successful one, making this the ultimate collection to purchase.
Raiders of the Lost Ark:
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on September 21st, 2012
Written by Bob Ross and David Annandale
Bill Paxton accompanies James Cameron on another expedition to the Titanic, and narrates this documentary about their exploration of the ship. Though the narration is hobbled by an endless stream of pseudo-profundities, the underwater photography is simply stunning. Thanks to two remote-controlled robots, we get to see the interior of the ship. Computer animation and superimposed extras (the ghosts of the title) both re-create the ship as it once was, and help us visualize where…we are in the wreckage, and what transpired there.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on September 21st, 2012
One of the first rules I’ve set for myself when writing reviews that I’ve managed my best to follow has been to avoid bringing up politics and religion. After all, this is a site dedicated to cinema, but sometimes these topics are injected into the films we review, and like it or not it’s something I was bound to encounter at some point. To simply spit it out, October Baby is a movie the tackles the subject of abortion and delivers a very pro-life message. So for those of you who are very passionate about this topic, I mention this not to offend or start a debate but simply give a disclaimer.
When we first meet Hannah (newcomer Rachel Hendrix) it is just before curtain call, and she is nervously going through her lines. She’s the star of the play, and it’s opening night. All the seats are full, most notably by her parents and her friends, so of course it’s fair to say she has a case of the jitters. But as the curtains rise, something is wrong as Hannah collapses on stage. After numerous tests and it is discovered it’s not just the stress of the show that got to her, but that she is sick and it is due to some complications surrounding her “birth”.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on September 20th, 2012
Every once in a while, we get surprises in the disc review world. I had reviewed the first volume of G.I. Joe Renegades on DVD and found it the best G.I. Joe series since the original. The cartoon only lasted a season and I secretly wished for a blu-ray of the complete season though I was pretty convinced it would never get made (and certainly not make it to my door). But lo and behold, it actually did. Furthermore, it looks impressive. Let’s take a look inside shall we?
(Some of this review is borrowed from my Season 1, Volume 1 review)
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on September 20th, 2012
They say blood is thicker than water. Both of those substances are on display in Brawler, which cannily stages its bloody, illegal fights on a New Orleans riverboat. The film’s plot was inspired by a real-life pair of feuding brothers who infamously came to blows, but the Big Easy practically shares top billing with the squabbling siblings.
At the start of Brawler, we get to see Charlie (Nathan Grubbs) and Bobby (Marc Senter) Fontaine in separate fights. Those fights also serve as a shorthand introduction into their personalities: older brother Charlie has a more workmanlike approach, while Bobby is a ruthless showboat. Charlie and Bobby are the sons of a legendary fighter who we never get to see.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on September 18th, 2012
Being on this planet more than a few years, I can say I have had my share of relationships as well as those times when I felt like I was starting over. In that time I was able to reflect, I always felt like a new person, well at least temporarily. But every relationship helped me to refine my personality and build my character to the person I am today. As it turns out today, I get to review Lola Versus which takes us on a journey of self realization after a crushing breakup. Let’s see how it does.
We open up to a beach where Lola (played by Greta Gerwig)is performing various yoga exercises and over analyzing her horoscope which says that something will soon turn her life upside down but in the end it will only make her stronger. Her ears start ringing to a sound of a persistent noise blower. The next thing she knows she is waking up next to her boyfriend, Luke (played by Joel Kinnaman). It’s her birthday and she is turning twenty-nine.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on September 16th, 2012
As I was watching the new Ocean’s Eleven for the 185th time — it’s the last movie I saw twice on the same day in theaters — it occurred to me that the stakes were entirely too high. Three casinos…$160 million…the threat of being caught and glared at by Andy Garcia. The Babymakers, on the other hand, builds up to a heist with absurdly low stakes. It’s basically like Ocean’s Eleven, only the exact opposite.
After a few years of marriage, Tommy (Paul Schneider) and Audrey (Olivia Munn) decide they want to have a baby. We then watch Tommy try to get Audrey pregnant — strategic camera angles keep Munn mostly modest — without any success. Since it appears that Tommy is shooting blanks, the couple decides to visit a fertility clinic after receiving a bunch of advice from their respective groups of friends that I’m not sure I’m allowed to repeat on this site.
