Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 2nd, 2021
"The theme of this picture is whether man ought to be ruled by God's law, or whether they are to be ruled by the whims of a dictator, like Rameses. Are men the property of the state, or are they free souls under God? This same battle continues throughout the world today. Our intention was not to create a story, but to be worthy of a divinely inspired story, created 3,000 years ago, the five books of Moses. The story takes three hours and 39 minutes to unfold. There will be an intermission. Thank you for your attention."
A sure sign that Easter is just around the corner is yet another home video release of perennial seasonal favorite The Ten Commandments. In years past, we got the multi-disc edition, complete with original silent version of the film. This particular version is rather more stripped down, as far as features go, but it does mark the film’s debut release on UHD Blu-ray and in 4K. Unlike previous editions, this one takes full advantage of the superior source material. The film was shot on 70 mm film, and that gives us an equivalent of 8K in today's resolution terms. And while this recent remaster doesn't take full advantage of that fact, it does amount to a 6K restoration that goes above and beyond the current specs of this release. No new extras are provided, and this version does not include the earlier silent film, but it's a must-have for completely technical reasons. You'll enjoy the improvement here, and you'll get to enjoy the film in a format that is the best resolution at which anyone has seen this film since the 1950's, and it was likely a very rare theater that actually projected the film at 70mm, if any actually did. It's the best this thing will ever look. Well ... at least until the eventual 8K release, and that's going to be ... never mind; don't want to break any of those commandments reviewing the film.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 31st, 2021
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd, and I'm here tonight to bring y'all the news from across this great world of ours. Now, I know how life is in these parts, working a trade sunup to sundown. No time for reading newspapers. Am I correct?"
How about reading a review for Universal's News Of The World? If you spare a few minutes, I'll tell you a little something about the film, and you might just end up with a copy of the film on UHD Blu-ray in 4K on your home video shelves. I'm certainly glad there's a copy on mine. The film is based on the novel by Paulette Jiles with a screenplay by Luke Davies and director Paul Greengrass.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on March 24th, 2021
“It’s not the end of the world.”
Just in time for the delayed release of Godzilla vs. Kong, we get a look back to the very beginning of this particular string of films. Of course it all really started back in 1954, but for our purposes this was the beginning of the current Warner Brothers/Legendary Pictures franchise featuring the true king of the monsters. Now Warner has released the film on UHD Blu-ray and in glorious 4K. So before you head to the cinemas or (God forbid) your phone screens for the latest battle, check in here to relive round one.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 9th, 2021
They say that timing is everything. When Dreamworks released The Croods back in 2013, it performed rather nicely both at the box office and on home video. The combined take brought the studio over a billion dollars and a bit of a comeback for their animated studio branch. It appeared to be the anchor for a new franchise that could hold its own against such juggernauts as Ice Age, Shrek, and pretty much anything Pixar puts out. I expected there to be a follow-up, but I didn't expect it to take over seven years. Kids have relatively short attention spans, and sequels really need to strike while the box-office iron is hot. That wasn't the case here. I'm not sure what the holdup might have been. The project was quickly greenlit by Dreamworks, and we should have seen something in a couple of years at the longest. Instead it took the better part of a decade, and the film faced a double whammy when it finally was ready for release. Of course, no one could have predicted the last year with its closed-down theatres and worldwide panic. The film just didn't have a chance to bring in anything close to what the original took. Now it's out on home video, which hasn't been hit quite so hard by the pandemic. It's a chance for the franchise to find some legs and allow for the chance that there will be more.
The film finds the Guy (Reynolds) pretty much becoming a part of the Croods’ family. It's a bit of an irritation to patriarch Grug (Cage), who doesn't appreciate that his daughter Eep (Stone) has become quite close to the newcomer, and fears the family will fall apart if the two youngsters decide to leave and venture off on their own. It's pretty much the same emotion most modern fathers get when the boys start to show interest in their daughters, and worse yet, when their daughters start showing an interest in the guys. That's the dynamic within the family when they come upon a huge obstacle in their path in the form of a gate, the likes of which they have not encountered before. A series of pratfalls finds the family inside what was believed to be an impregnable barrier where another family resides in a world that is paradise. There is plenty of food and water. There are no dangerous animals trying to eat them, and this land of milk and honey appears to extend out forever. And in control of this new world are the Bettermans. Phil (Dinklage) is the father and patriarch here. Hope (Mann) is the mother, and there's teen daughter Dawn (Tran). The Croods are mesmerized by their massive treehouse and abundant resources. Of course Grug feels threatened by it all. He sees his family tempted by this new life and sees the family traditions lost forever. Instead of sleeping in a giant pile, they have their own bedrooms. It appears the Bettermans have it all, but there's one Eden-like taboo. You can't eat any of the plentiful bananas. Just the kind of restriction that Grug is going to rebel against. So he eats ALL of the bananas and is told later that they appease a terrifying creature that leaves them in peace in exchange for the fruit. Yes, it's King Kong being told here, and with predictable results. The story leads to a moral of family, and for Grug, the ability to let go, at least a little bit.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on March 4th, 2021
“Violence as a way of achieving racial justice is both impractical and immoral. It is impractical because it is a descending spiral ending in destruction for all. The old law of an eye for an eye leaves everybody blind. It is immoral because it seeks to humiliate the opponent rather than win his understanding; it seeks to annihilate rather than to convert. Violence is immoral because it thrives on hatred rather than love.”
This quote is one of two featured at the end of the film, the other coming from another prominent civil rights leader, Malcolm X. In his quote speaks about how though there are good people in the world, there are also a good many bad, and those bad people tend to be in positions of power that grant them protections from their misdeeds. In this current political climate, there is a lot of truth in both views. Do The Right Thing, arguably Spike Lee’s greatest and most cultural relevant film, does a good job of displaying both views. However, what I am most impressed by is how a movie made over thirty years ago can still have relevance in today’s society. The issues portrayed in the film are things that we as a nation still struggle with to this day, and though I like to believe that things are improving, it would be naïve of me to suggest that the themes of this film no longer apply. In addition to its cultural relevance, this film served as the film debut for Rosie Perez and Martin Lawrence. A testament to Lee’s eye for talent, the film has received several accolades over the years, including a Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor for Danny Aiello and Best Original Screenplay. I do not believe that I can upsell this movie enough, so if you haven’t seen it, let this be your figurative kick in the butt to do so.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 29th, 2021
"The door to destiny is always open, for those who are brave enough. Now shut the door before you let the heat out!"
Cartoons are now called animated features, and just like the comic books that provide the source material for these DC Universe animated features, they haven't been for children since the 1970's. The latest and 40th entry into this animated series is Batman: Soul Of The Dragon. It's rated R, which means some pretty rough language and a few surprisingly chilling scenes. So while the film itself will bring you back to the 1970's in so many ways, this is strictly a modern-day animated film inspired by more modern-day comics. Most of these features are based on established comic story arcs, but this one is completely original, even if it borrows heavily from many sources including more recent Batman adventures. If you are old enough to remember many of the iconic elements of the 70's, this film is for you. And that means you ain't no stinkin' child.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on December 8th, 2020
In 2004 when Collateral first came out, Michael Mann gave audiences something they’ve never seen before: Tom Cruise playing the bad guy. Sure, he played the vampire Lestat in Interview with the Vampire, but he just never seemed all that menacing. In Collateral we get to see him as a cold, professional killer with his salt-and-pepper hair and nondescript gray suit. Also at this time, Jamie Foxx was still carving out a name for himself as a serious actor; this was just months before the release of Ray (the movie that pretty much catapulted him into stardom). I was stoked for this movie when it first came out because it was Michael Mann getting back to what I felt he was great at, the down and dirty crime films like Thief and Heat. I have to admit, I do have a slight bias when it comes to Michael Mann films, and I’ve seen Collateral numerous times before doing this review. Considering it’s been 16 years since its release, sure, the film still holds up, but what I feel will surprise new audiences or those who are revisiting the film is the amount of talent that is on the screen.
The film has a relatively simple setup. Vincent (Tom Cruise) comes into Los Angeles for one night to perform a series of hits while roping in a cab driver, Max (Jamie Foxx) to take him to each of his targets around the city. The relationship between Vincent and Max is what carries this film, and despite a good portion of the film taking place inside the cab, the film crackles with tension and keeps us engaged from start to finish. Part of this is due to the fact that despite being a hired assassin, Vincent is a pretty likeable character, that is up until we do see Vincent in action and we get a taste of just how dangerous he can be. As for Max, he’s just a guy with a dream to have his own specialized limo service to cater to the stars. We see him possibly meet the woman of his dreams, Annie (Jada Pinkett Smith) as a fare he drops off just before Vincent steps into his cab. The two men couldn’t be any more different, but as we see them interact it has me wondering what could have happened if these men had met under different circumstances, Max seems to be a guy with insight who is able to tap into what little humanity may be left in Vincent, whereas Vincent seems be a good motivator for Max to perhaps stop talking about his dreams and starting acting on them to make it happen.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 27th, 2020
"On March 3, 1969 the United States Navy established an elite school for the top one percent of its pilots. Its purpose was to teach the lost art of aerial combat and to insure that the handful of men who graduated were the best fighter pilots in the world. They succeeded. Today, the Navy calls it Fighter Weapons School. The flyers call it: TOP GUN."
Back around the time I was born, when Tom Cruise had an ounce of sanity, a little movie called Top Gun swept across the globe, raking in over $350,000,000 worldwide, as well as sparking an interest in the US Navy and everything Tomcat, Skyhawk, and MiG related. Ever since its original release, Top Gun has kept a hold on its audience, being played almost weekly, and now it makes its way into the world of ultra high definition with its release on UHD Blu-ray. The timing couldn't be any more obvious. The long-anticipated sequel has been in production, and while delayed by the global circumstances, the film will be arriving soon (at least in release terms). This is a pretty good way to get you up to speed, pun intended. The film isn't alone in cashing in on the Tom Cruise upcoming slate of both the Top Gun sequel and two Mission Impossible films being shot at the same time. This is one of three Cruise films getting the 4K release treatment along with Days Of Thunder and the Spielberg remake of the War Of The Worlds George Pal film. Once the box office returns, you're going to be getting a lot of Tommy, so these films are intended to put you in the mood and get the party started a little early.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 24th, 2020
Remember when Eddie Murphy was funny? You know, before the fat suits and fart jokes. I guess many of you hadn’t even been born yet. Ronald Reagan was still president of these United States. CD’s were the latest thing. VHS was just catching on. The Rams were still in L.A., and it was the Cardinals who were playing in St. Louis. No one had ever heard about DVD, Blu-ray, 4K, MP3, or Wi-fi. It was 1988, and Eddie Murphy was staring in Coming To America. This is the second of two classic 80's Eddie Murphy films that Paramount is delivering on UHD Blu-ray this week. They happen to be two of his best films in 40 years. I’ve long considered this the last funny Eddie Murphy film. It just seems like he’d turned to gimmicks and quick physical humor. He got lazy, and you know what? So did I. I decided it wasn’t worth the effort to get my seat into those theater seats to see him clown around anymore. So journey with me back to a magical time when Murphy was still hungry and he let his talent shine.
Prince Akeem (Murphy) has come of age. He’s lived the good life where he has wanted for nothing. His Father (Jones) is king of their African country, and all is good. He even has chicks to wipe his butt for him. Yet he yearns to discover the real world. And so, with his right hand man Semmi (Hall) in tow, he seeks to sow his wild oats in America. From the moment he lands in Harlem, the fish-out-of-water story begins. He finds a crummy apartment and has all of his belongings stolen. He’s in search of his future queen, but doesn’t want to win her over with his title. He pretends to be poor, and the two take a job at McDowell’s, a blatant restaurant rip-off of McDonalds. There he meets owner Cleo McDowell (Amos), and more importantly, his lovely young daughter, Lisa (Headley). He tries to impress both father and daughter with mixed results, while Semmi is trying to get out of living in such squalor. When the parents arrive on the scene to put an end to this nonsense, they discover their son’s in love.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 24th, 2020
"The heat is on..."
From the bouncing opening music by Glenn Fry to the final frame of Eddie Murphy's smile, Beverly Hills Cop has established itself as a classic. Now finally out on Blu-ray, the film shows us all over again why we fell in love with it almost 20 years ago. Murphy hasn't been as funny since, but we'll always have Beverly Hills and Axel Foley.
