Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on May 28th, 2020
"Surprise."
It wasn’t all that long ago that Universal was seriously attempting to develop a Dark Universe for their classic monsters. Things changed after the releases of Dracula Untold and The Mummy and their poor box office showings, but having seen those two films, I feel fans were spared in the long run from a disaster that could have been. Then in 2019 word got out that Blumhouse was going to be doing The Invisible Man, and this somewhat reignited the talks of a Dark Universe project. When I first heard Blumhouse was backing the film, I was cautiously optimistic about the project; where the company does have its hits like Happy Death Day and Get Out, there are plenty of duds as well. It’s when Leigh Whannell got attached that I had some hope for the film. For those unfamiliar with the name, Whannell is the writer responsible for the Saw franchise as well as the Insidious franchise. Now the wait is over and the film has been seen; how does it turn out? The film opens up with Cecilia (Elisabeth Moss) attempting to escape from her home while her husband is asleep. This opening sets the tone masterfully, and as much as I hate the phrase “will leave you on the edge of your seat”, that is simply what this sequence is. So much is revealed in the visuals of the home and the performance that Moss delivers that the audience can appreciate that characters need for escape. If anything it’s in these opening moments of the film as Cecilia is wandering through the home that almost too much is revealed about the story that will follow.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 23rd, 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 Archive Authors on May 20th, 2020
"No one would have believed in the early years of the 21st century that our world was being watched by intelligences greater than our own; that as men busied themselves about their various concerns, *they* observed and studied, the way a man with a microscope might scrutinize the creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water. With infinite complacency, men went to and fro about the globe, confident of our empire over this world. Yet across the gulf of space, intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic regarded our planet with envious eyes and slowly, and surely, drew their plans against us."
Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise) is a middle-aged divorcee with a blue-collar job and a rundown home in the New Jersey suburbs. When his ex-wife unexpectedly drops his estranged kids—ten-year-old Rachel (Dakota Fanning) and sixteen-year-old Robbie (Justin Chatwin)—off for the weekend, Ray is less than pleased. He’s always struggled with his parental duties, but now finds it increasingly difficult to communicate with his children. However, events beyond his control are about to force Ray to come to terms with his responsibilities. Bizarre lighting storms herald the arrival of alien tripods, which explode from beneath the Earth’s surface and begin dispensing death and destruction on the surrounding countryside. Narrowly avoiding the first attack, Ray returns home, grabs his kids, and embarks on a frantic journey across country to find their mother in Boston.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 29th, 2020
“If you wish to be the king of the jungle, it's not enough to act like a king. You must be The King. And there can be no doubt. Because doubt causes chaos and one's own demise.”
After the horrific attempt at King Arthur, Guy Ritchie was dead to me. His films have always been more style than substance, but there have been moments when that style really told a story and told it well. Of course, I’m talking about films like Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels. That was just a fun film to watch. King Arthur wasn’t fun to watch. So when The Gentlemen showed up on my doorstep in UHD to be reviewed, it was a roll of the dice for me. Which version of Ritchie was going to show up? Fortunately, it was the brilliant filmmaker who knows his strengths as well as the strengths of his cast and plays completely to those strengths. And with a few irritating flaws, this was the kind of film I’ve been waiting for from the director for several years. Universal has released it on a rather nice UHD Blu-ray (4K) release, and it should be a fun night of action for anyone who gets their hands on it.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on April 14th, 2020
"There once was a peculiar doctor known for his extraordinary ability. He could talk to animals. Dr. Dolittle’s reputation spread far and wide. Even the Queen of England called on him. So grateful for his help, she gifted him a wondrous sanctuary, whose doors were opened to all creatures. His days belonged to the animals, but his heart belonged to one woman. Lily, the fearless explorer. They traveled the globe going on great adventures. Defending creatures who could not defend themselves. They made an extraordinary team. Soon, that team became a family. With Lily by his side, Dolittle never felt more alive. Until one day she left on an adventure. Lily died at sea. Heartbroken, he locked the gates of the manor and completely retreated from the world. As for me, and the animals whose lives he’d saved, we were left to wonder, could anyone save his?"
Well, it didn’t take long for Robert Downey Jr. to line up his next project following his iconic Marvel run. And there is definite franchise potential with this film about quite possibly the most famous veterinarian ever written. Primarily inspired by Hugh Lofting’s The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle, the film is likely anticipated to be a reboot to the Eddie Murphy-led film franchise of the same name (except with a “Dr.” in front of the name). Interestingly enough, the film’s inspiration is actually the second book written by Lofting about this famous character with the gift of talking to and understanding animals.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 31st, 2020
"The First Order wins by making us think we're alone. We are not alone. Good people will fight if we lead them. Leia never gave up, and neither will we. We're gonna show them we're not afraid. What our mothers and fathers fought for, we will not let die. Not today. Today we make our last stand for the galaxy. For Leia. For everyone we lost. They've taken enough of us. Now we take the war to them."
It was 1978 when it all began. That's when George Lucas and a fairly unknown band of filmmakers and actors introduced us to that galaxy far, far away. We met characters like Han Solo and Princess Leia. We fell in love with droids named R2D2 and C3PO. We booed and hissed at the classic villainy of Darth Vader. And the hero of it all was a young farmer boy who pined for adventure on a backwater planet where nothing exciting ever happened. That's where we met Luke Skywalker, and for three films ending in 1983, we were treated to an epic adventure. This unknown band would become cultural icons, but it was all over after five years of space swashbuckling and good old good versus evil. At some point Lucas made it known that the first Star Wars film was actually the fourth film in a trilogy of trilogies. Star Wars would gain the tag A New Hope, followed by The Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi. Of course, while Lucas teased there was a prequel trilogy and a sequel trilogy, we were told not to get our hopes too high. But in the 1990's Lucas felt ambitious, and he delivered on that prequel trilogy with underwhelming result. Surely the rest of the story would remain untold.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on March 26th, 2020
For a while it was looking like 2019 was going to be a lackluster year for films, but once fall rolled around, we seemed to get bombarded with some quality award-worthy films. Aside from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, nothing jumped out at me as Best Picture. Sure, Joker was great, and I had a great time with Uncut Gems, but when 1917 rolled around, this was the film that left me in awe. Sure, there have been some great war films over the years. Platoon and Apocalypse Now are great Vietnam films, Saving Private Ryan is definitely a contender as the best film about WWII. Really, it would have been difficult to say what’s the “best” war film out there …well, that is, until now. It’s a bold statement, and I know many will disagree with me, but after two screenings of 1917, I’m feeling pretty confident when I say this is the best and my favorite war film. What’s even more impressive is how 1917 manages to standout from the big blockbusters, sequels, and comic book films and stand alone as a film that can remind viewers about that magic that comes with seeing a movie on the big screen and in Dolby sound.
The film’s setup is relatively simple. Lance Corporal Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) and Lance Corporal Schofield (George MacKay) are tasked with the mission to cross into enemy territory to deliver a message to prevent an attack that will lead 1,600 men into a trap. The pair must complete their mission before daybreak the next day; failure will pretty much mean certain death for Blake’s brother and most of the troops. No time is wasted in getting the story in motion, and once the two men set off on their journey, the film simply doesn’t slow down. The film takes us along their journey from deep into the trenches, to across a blood-soaked, corpse-riddled battlefield, to booby trapped dugouts, and cities in ruin from the war. I couldn’t help but think to myself the second time around how the journey of Blake and Schofield isn’t all that different from the journey the Frodo and Sam took on their adventure to destroy the ring by taking it to Mordor, only the distinct difference is 1917 is set during WWI.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on March 26th, 2020
“This is a vile waste of taxpayer dollars.”
Will Smith and Tom Holland team up for an animated spy movie; talk about a draw for the crowd. This premise alone was enough to get me and my daughter drawn into the movie. Of course there is a bit more to it, as it also involves Will Smith’s character being accidentally turned into a pigeon. An interesting twist of fate, but honestly, I think it would have been great if it just stayed a straight spy film, without the pigeon addition. Not to say that the film wasn’t still a success with this addition, because as it is the film tackles a very critical subject matter: the use of violence. Who said that a feature film can’t impart an important life lesson, especially with a younger audience? Granted, I did have to spell it out a bit for my daughter, but she’s eight; what are you gonna do? In addition to Smith and Holland, who is making a name for himself in the world of voiceover animation, the cast is rounded out with familiar faces, or should I say voices, such as Ben Mendelsohn, Karen Gillan, Rashida Jones, Reba McEntire, and DJ Khaled.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 13th, 2020
"Who are we if we can't protect them? We have to protect them."
As I write this there's a truly "Zombie Apocalypse" attitude going on around the world. With the launch of A Quiet Place II delayed because of health panic this might just be the time to "quarantine" yourself in your home theatre and watch the film again on UHD Blu-ray in 4K. There's nothing different about this release except for the steelbook format and different cover art. The discs provided are exactly the same discs you already have if you own the previous 4K release. It makes a nice collector's item as you wait for the eventual follow-up, which I hope will be very soon. You might call me jaded, but I am pretty disappointed by the state of horror movies. It's not just the last few years. The truth is I haven't seen 10 really good horror movies in over a decade. Now that I've had a chance to see A Quiet Place, that number isn't going up. A Quiet Place is not a really good horror movie. It ends up making a lot of the same mistakes that filmmakers think define a horror film in the modern age. It relies too heavily on jump scares and characters who do some of the most idiotic things, thus placing them in a somewhat self-created dangerous situation. But I will make the argument that A Quiet Place is still a pretty good horror film because of a rather clever and unique concept and a filming process that allows us care for these characters more than the usual horror film red-shirt fodder that too often leaves me rooting for the monster in a Darwin-like weed-out-the-gene-pool kind of way.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 29th, 2020
It's been six years since Frozen became somewhat of a surprise hit out of Walt Disney Studios in 2013. No one was surprised it made a good haul at the box office, but I suspect that even the masterminds at Disney never saw this billion-dollar baby when it was first being born. It's become the biggest original hit out of Disney since the original Lion King set animated feature records in the 90's. I'll give the studio credit. They didn't rush out and try to cash in on the momentum as quickly as other studios would have. They took their time and assembled the same team of directors and songwriters and allowed the process to follow a six-year process with the intent of doing it right rather than doing it fast. For the most part I think that strategy paid off, and while this film will never be the classic the original has become, it will fit rather snugly into the franchise and will delight children, while possibly cursing the adults who are fated to watch the film over and over again. This is absolutely one of those kinds of movies.
It all starts in the past where we spy young Elsa and Anna playfully getting ready for bed. The King puts them to bed with a story out of the kingdom's past. He regales them with how their grandfather met the people of an enchanted forest who had magical powers over the four elements of land, fire, air and water. They are told of the great gift of peace their grandfather gave these people in the form of a huge dam. It all turns nasty when the story continues to tell of a peaceful gathering where the people of the enchanted forest suddenly attack the people of Arendelle. The elements were so angered by the act of betrayal that they separated the kingdoms and enshrouded the enchanted forest with an impenetrable fog that has isolated the forest ever since.
