Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 7th, 2020
"At least attempt to hide the bias."
Witness the birth of -- actually make that rebirth of --one of the most popular action heroes in literature. Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan has been a character of many jobs and many faces over the years. Baldwin, Ford, Pine, and Affleck have all stepped into the role of the man who has been a soldier, an analyst, an operative, and a president. What might appear as a clear advantage for this Amazon Prime streaming television show can be just as much a liability. When you throw in the Tom Clancy novels, comic books, and fan fiction, there is a ton of Jack Ryan history that pretty much gives us a story arc from his humble beginnings to extraordinary exploits and wearing the faces of a few good performers. It's a tall order for the series and perhaps an even taller order for actor John Krasinski, who has created a nice little horror franchise with wife Emily Blunt on the side. I don't really have the time or energy to watch streaming shows and films. There's always a backlog here of discs that need to be watched and reviewed, and I've created a rather comfortable viewing experience with my home theatre I call The Reel World. Our motto: Here there be monsters. So last year I had my first experience with this series when Paramount sent the first season on Blu-ray. It was far more of a captivating and compelling series than I expected. Now the second season has reached the Blu-ray home platform format, and while I certainly detect a sophomore slump here, there's still enough interesting drama to keep a fan engaged for another year.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on July 28th, 2020
James Cameron is easily one of the most recognizable names in the Hollywood industry. Every time he makes a movie, it manages to break box office records. As many of us have been waiting patiently for his sequel to Avatar, it seems he was busy working on a small project that takes an intimate look into science fiction. This isn’t a boring history lesson, though; instead he’s gathered some of the biggest actors and directors of the genre and has a discussion about the various ideas that science fiction presents its viewers and readers. Whether you’re a science fiction novice or a self-proclaimed expert in the field, there’s at least something for everyone in this six-part, four-hour-plus series. The series is broken up into six episodes. Each episode covers a specific theme in the science fiction genre, so it allows you to watch it in any order you’d like. For me, I have to be honest; it’s hard to be impartial and not let my inner geek get excited over this series. When you have James Cameron and Steven Spielberg discussing how Close Encounters of the Third Kind came to be or see Cameron and Christopher Nolan discuss time travel, this is some engaging material. The closest thing I’ve seen recently where we get to see talented filmmakers sit down and talk is The Director’s Chair that Robert Rodriguez hosts, but what makes Story of Science Fiction stand out is seeing these filmmakers express their appreciation of the genre and what inspired them.
The series as I mentioned is broken up into six episodes on two discs:
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on July 21st, 2020
Despite my dad being away a lot on business as I grew up, he would often make the most of his time spent with me and leave lasting impressions on my mannerisms and character to this very day. We would play baseball (even though I wasn't very good); he would teach me about money and how to be financially sound (which for the most part I think I do OK). He would also introduce me to the things he enjoyed, like root beer floats and Abbott & Costello. Even though these days I can't have many root beers, I can enjoy an Abbott and Costello movie almost any time I like. One of those movies I remember watching with my dad was Africa Screams. It was my distinct pleasure to watch that movie again and bring my review to you today.
Stanley Livington (played by Lou Costello) stares down a menacing creature with a gun and a whip. Except when we pan to the fearsome creature, it's actually a small kitten. But the tiny cat does have a snarl, and it's enough to send Stanley back into the department store from which he came. Buzz Johnson (played by Bud Abbott) comes around to tell Stanley that the cat is not that scary, but Stanley is still a little concerned.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 29th, 2020
"Everyone in this country is getting dumber, and I wish marijuana was illegal again!"
If anything can push the weed cause back 20 years, it's Tegridy Farms. South Park starts its 23rd season with a bit of a new twist on things. For the entire first half of the season, the opening credits change to make it look like a Tegridy Farms show. It's cute and funny for like the first three minutes. I was sick of the concept already last season. So for the first half of Season 23, you're going down to Tegridy farms. In fact it's only the 10th season where the credits and show come close to returning to normal. After Tegridy Farms, there's PC Babies, which actually made me pine for Tegridy Farms for a few minutes. The season sees a few highs, and I don't mean in Randy March's pot farm. Mostly the boys appeared to coast this season, and with a new 3-year deal in place to keep South Park airing into its 26th season, I hope the coast was merely a break so that everyone could catch their wind just a little bit.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on June 26th, 2020
It continues to amaze me how Warner Brothers does so well with their DC products in the television universe but manages to execute so poorly with their films. Despite being a bit formulaic, the CW DC shows are still a blast to watch, but it’s the more adult-oriented shows Titans, Doom Patrol, and Swamp Thing that have left me most impressed. Now they have released Pennyworth for the Starz Network. Despite the confidence I have in the other shows, I went into this one with cautious optimism. The biggest question that bothered me was do we need another series that delves into the Batman universe? Gotham recently wrapped up, there’s a Batwoman series, Joker was last year, and a new Batman film coming next year, not to forget all the other incarnations of the Dark Knight. What had me interested, though, is the notion of finally getting to see Alfred Pennyworth as the former SAS officer in his prime and the chance to see how he became entangled with the Wayne family. Was the series a letdown or yet another success for the DC television universe?
The series was brought to life by Bruno Heller, a writer with experience in this universe since coming off from writing for Gotham. Now, if you’re thinking you enjoyed Gotham and perhaps this is a prequel you can enjoy with the kids, let me stop you for a moment and say, this one is not for the kids. This series embraces its adult content with its over-the-top violence and an abundance of sex, drugs, and profanity that more closely resembles a Quentin Tarantino film than a comic book series, and I love it for that. Heller pretty much writes most of the series, and because of this mostly singular voice (there are a couple other writer credits, but Heller it seems wrote 8 of the 10 episodes), it definitely succeeds in setting a clever and unique tone that somewhat blindsided me.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on May 29th, 2020
Despite my tender age of 44, I didn't see Escape from New York until I was in my early twenties. My parents never talked about it, my college friends didn't seem to care, and the Internet wasn't nearly as prevalent as it is now. But it has become my favorite movie of all time. What's curious is that the sequel to the film, Escape from L.A., is what introduced me to Kurt Russell and the character of Snake Plissken (and became the foundation of everything I consider to be "cool"). It holds a giant chunk of my movie heart, and I'm glad today to bring you this review of the Collector's Edition Blu-Ray released by Shout Factory.
It is 1998, hostile forces inside the United States were growing strong. Los Angeles is ravaged by crime, and the US Police Force is formed to keep the peace. A political candidate (played by Cliff Robertson) emerges and predicts a millennium earthquake that will destroy Los Angeles in divine retribution. An earthquake measuring 9.6 on the Richter scale hits at 12:59pm on August 23rd in the year 2000.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on April 14th, 2020
The 19th century novel penned by Louisa May Alcott has been adapted in numerous forms since it was first published. Personally the 1994 film is my favorite, but this new film from Greta Gerwig is a welcomed adaption that shows that Gerwig is a talented force to keep an eye on. Little Women is one of those stories that have entertained me over the years, despite it being a story that appeals to a radically different demographic. Even in my teens when I first discovered the story, when I was obsessed with horror films and reading the newest King novel, when I was required to read the story for class, what started as a reluctant task I was doing for a grade, by the time I finished the book and watched the 1994 film in class, well, I found myself smitten with the March family. I was a bit cynical when it came to this new film. Even with it getting all the critical attention I was still hesitant. Really, if it wasn’t for the quarantine, I’m not sure if I ever would have given this film a chance. Despite my reluctance, I’m glad this film found its way into my hands. The most noticeable change that Gerwig has made to the film is by telling the story in a nonlinear fashion. For those who are not familiar with the story, this won’t be much of a problem, but in some ways I feel this kind of cheats the story out of some of its emotional moments, both good and bad. In deciding to tell the story this way, I do appreciate how Gerwig went ahead and gave the film a visual style to help the audience tell what is a flashback as compared to a more current moment. The moments where Jo (Saoirse Ronan) seems to be looking back, there is warmth in the visuals. With Jo taking the front-and-center role as she struggles with being a writer while juggling her relationship with her family, there are moments where we have to question how reliable she is with her dreams and memories. One of these moments that stands out involves her sister Beth (Eliza Scanlen) as she struggles with scarlet fever.
Let me just get out of the way that in my eyes Winona Ryder in the 1994 Little Women is the perfect Jo, but Saoirse Ronan does an admirable job with how she handles the role while injecting a bit of a modern twist on the character. Honestly, all the ladies in the cast gave wonderful performances while making the characters uniquely their own, but the performance I didn’t see coming was from Florence Pugh, who is simply captivating as Amy. 2019 was a pretty good year for Pugh between Midsommer and having Fighting With My Family, but it’s her performance in Little Women that made it clear this woman is a star in the making (we’ll be seeing her again soon in Black Widow). As for Emma Watson, it should come as no surprise that she is enchanting as Meg. Gerwig did a great job with casting the March sisters; the chemistry between them is one of the crucial pieces she got right. If anything, my only major complaint with the casting is Timothee Chalamet as Laurie. This is all a matter of preference, and though I understand how Laurie and Jo are very similar to the point where they even wear the same clothes, he’s almost too feminine, and it makes his transition later in the film feel more forced than something done out of genuine emotion. In previous films we’ve seen the character simply transition from a boy to a man, and in this version we just don’t see that. Really, all the male characters are anecdotal at best, which is fine, because it allows for more attention to be placed on the sisters.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on March 25th, 2020
It’s hard to believe as a cinephile that Terrence Malick isn’t a more celebrated director. Sure, he has his fans, but his films virtually never translate to box office success, which is a bit of a shame. His past few films have managed to sneak into movie houses and disappear with little to no fanfare. Honestly, I was a bit surprised to realize how many films Malick has managed to release since the release of The Tree of Life. I understand how most will look at his films and say they are “pretentious” or even “boring”. To be fair, his films are not for everyone, but the one thing I think anyone can take away from his films is that they are each visually stunning. Malick doesn’t simply make your typical tent pole adventure film. Instead they all have a tendency to be contemplative and have a more spiritual or philosophical message. When it comes to A Hidden Life, he delivers just that, and while I’d consider labeling this one of his better films, its nearly-three-hour running time has this film feeling as though it’s overstayed its welcome.
A Hidden Life follows Franz Jagerstatter (August Diehl), an Austrian farmer who is called upon to fight with the Nazis in World War 2. We get to go along with Franz as he goes into training to be a soldier, but quickly we see how he wants to be no part of it; he’d rather be back at home on his farm with his wife and three kids. It doesn’t take long at all to get that Franz is a good guy who holds firmly to his beliefs, but is he willing to make the sacrifice of remaining true to himself and his nature by continuing to refuse to fight and not pledge loyalty to Hitler? Franz understands the consequences of his actions, and the film follows Franz and his family as it stretches over four years till he is finally faced with the ultimate decision of life or death. The plot is so simple, but Malick isn’t trying to tell a compelling story but rather film the experience of making such a difficult decision. We see the pain and turmoil that Franz and his family endures over the years, from Franz and his physical and emotional confrontations with Nazi officers at the prison, to the struggles Fani (Valerie Pachner) encounters at the farmhouse.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on March 13th, 2020
“You are in the presence of angels.”
After recently reviewing Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, it only seems fitting that I am returning to you in order to give you the scoop about the most recent installment of the franchise. It is in fact an installment into the franchise, as it exists in the same universe as the television series, as well as the two films that starred Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu. However, in this installment, the Townsend Agency has gone global with agents (called Angels) operating in several international cities, each with their own Bosley (a title that serves as a rank in the organization). For the purposes of this film, we are focused on Sabina Wilson, played by Kristen Stewart (Twilight), Jane Kano, played by Ella Balinska (Midsomer Murders), and Elena Houghlin, played by Naomi Scott (live-action Aladdin). Rounding out the cast are Patrick Stewart, Djimon Hounsou, and Elizabeth Banks, who also serves as the film’s director.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 13th, 2020
"That's the bravest damn thing I think I've ever seen."
Director Roland Emmerich is no stranger to big-screen battles. The difference is that up until this year those battles have been against aliens, huge climactic changes, or giant lizards named Godzilla. There's no question that he understands how to shoot epic confrontation. The question I had going in to Midway was, can he deliver a battle that wasn't fiction? After nearly tow and a half hours, the answer came back somewhat mixed. This isn't the first time that the Battle of Midway has been brought to the big screen. In the 1970's Charlton Heston gave us a film that was more renowned for the trendy Sensurround gimmick than it was for the drama that unfolded on the screen. Sensurround was a fancy name for huge subs that would shake the theater, and if you were lucky enough to be seeing the film at a theater with enough money to go all the way, you might have found yourself in a seat that was wired to shake, rattle, and roll. Today the chains call that Dolby. This Midway didn't lend itself to some William Castle hustle. It's all up on the screen. The film bears no relation to that earlier effort except for the legendary battle in the Pacific that turned the tide of the Pacific theater of World War II toward the Allies. The film actually shares more in common with the classic Tora Tora Tora in that we spend a good deal of screen time with the Japanese players in the battle. Not at all like the earlier gimmick film, this movie is intended to place you squarely in the middle of the action. If that's what you came to see, you are certainly in for an immersive experience, only without the hot-wired seat.
