Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on June 2nd, 2018
Much to the dismay of probably most of my family and friends, I like to watch lots of weird films. Films directed by David Lynch, Planet of the Apes movies, and Johnny Mnemonic (I freaking love that movie) among many others I have watched over and over again. This is even more true with animation as I love to find clever styles that goes beyond convention and still produce a wonderful and thrilling story. So today, I review Satellite Girl and Milk Cow, a Korean animation film that is sure to test the boundaries of my fondness for weirdness. Is it too much for this critic or is it right in my sweet spot? Let's find out.
Above the Earth, we see various satellites circle the great planet. One of those satellites is named KITSAT-1 who takes pictures of the Korean Peninsula and provides other measurements. But like all things, KITSAT-1 has started to break down and stop working. Instead she uses her time to focus in on various sounds, sounds like a boy playing a wonderful song on a piano at a lonely club. The sound captivates her so much, she decides to speed towards Earth to seek it out.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on May 24th, 2018
“I find giants…I hunt giants…I kill giants”
This is one of those films that for some reason didn’t find an audience during a theatrical run, but I can guarantee there are viewers who are going to connect with this film and embrace it for years to come. I say this because only a few years ago there was a film that was similar in tone, A Monster Calls, and to be honest, that film devastated me as we went along with the main character as he and his imaginary monster helped him cope with his mother who is dying from cancer. I Kill Giants is at face value the same film, only told through the eyes of a young girl, though despite the films being so similar, it doesn’t lessen the film’s overall impact in the least. Sometimes a good story simply works. No matter how much you may dress it up, its emotional impact can remain the same.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 23rd, 2018
"Just another American who saw too many movies as a child? Another orphan of a bankrupt culture who thinks he's John Wayne? Rambo? Marshall Dillon?"
So the great debate rages on. Is Die Hard a Christmas movie or just a movie that happens to be set at Christmastime? Recently Stephen Amell from Arrow told a press group that his favorite Christmas movie was indeed Die Hard. He's not alone there. I've had the debate a few times myself. Unfortunately, I come down on the side that Die Hard is not a Christmas movie. Here's my criteria. Does Christmas play a vital part in the plot of the movie? The truth is that Die Hard could have happened at any time, as the many sequels have demonstrated over the years. Fox obviously doesn't think of it as a Christmas film. Why? Because they've waited until summer to release the film on UHD Blu-ray in glorious 4K. They could have released it for the shopping season or even held it for next shopping season. Either way, be glad it's not a Christmas movie, because it's May, and the film is out now in 4K. Grab it up and enjoy Christmas in May, if that's your thing.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 20th, 2018
"Welcome to game night".
Everybody loves playing games. OK, most people like playing games. Friends have been getting together for game nights since there have been games. From the couples’ bridge days of the 1950's to poker night with the guys, most of us have gotten together to play some kind of a game with friends. The thing about games is that they're frivolous. Playing games with some buddies is a good excuse to kill a few hours, maybe have a few drinks. You're not solving the world's problems, and it's usually just a simple night of entertainment. The same can be said for New Line Cinema's Game Night starring Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams, and Kyle Chandler. It's not an important film, and it isn't going to go down in the books as a timeless classic. It's a chance to get together with a few of our own friends and spend about 100 minutes or so having a few laughs and taking a break from all of those problems we're not solving. It wouldn't hurt to pick up an extra-large tub of popcorn. Yeah, it'll kill you, but then you won't have so many of those problems, right?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on May 17th, 2018
I think it’s a fair assumption to say the DTV market for film is pretty much the best it has ever been in regards to securing talent to star in the films. When you look at a film like Bent and its cast of Karl Urban (Dredd), Sofia Vergara (Modern Family) and the great Andy Garcia (The Godfather 3, and my personal favorite Things to do in Denver When You’re Dead), it’s difficult to not get excited over its potential. To sweeten the pot, the film’s director, Bobby Moresco, has produced two films that have best picture Oscar nominations, so one has to wonder, what went wrong? I’m not saying the film is bad, but instead you’d just expect this film to be in another tier and not simply settling with a soft release in the new release section at Wal-Mart. There doesn’t seem to be much buzz for this film, but it also seems that unless you’re a film that is a film festival darling or a big-budget blockbuster, it’s hard to generate any attention towards the smaller releases, and that seems to be where Bent has fallen. With so many titles and numerous platforms releasing content, it’s simply not enough to just be good, but if you want to make waves and attract an audience you need to be something special, and unfortunately Bent just doesn’t deliver the goods.
The film starts off with a man watching a loved one climb into a car that is set to explode once the ignition is turned. There’s nothing wrong with this start, and it does a good job at setting up the viewer to want to know more, but the film has other plans and instead thrusts us into the story about Danny Gallagher (Urban), who is a disgraced cop who is sent to prison after a sting goes bad that results in a cop getting killed. After serving his time, Gallagher has one thing on his mind, and it’s to get payback against the person responsible for putting him behind bars. Garcia plays his mentor, who tries to help Gallagher put these thoughts of revenge aside and instead try to rekindle his romance with Kate (Grace Byers), a singer and bar owner who lost her bar while he was serving time. While it would make sense for Danny to pursue his love interest and keep his life on the straight and narrow, going this route also doesn’t lead to a compelling film.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on May 9th, 2018
“This has got to be the largest AA meeting in the Western Hemisphere.”
That one-liner from 2015 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Bill Withers is one of the funnier nods to the, ahem, well-traveled club he just joined. It's also featured in Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: In Concert, a wonderfully comprehensive collection of the four induction ceremonies between 2014 and 2017. This 2-disc Blu-ray set features over 10 hours of content, including full induction speeches, 53 musical performances, and reunions that will have classic rock fans drooling. (Not to mention some notable snubs.)
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 1st, 2018
"We just shoot you. Less paperwork."
Most of us like a good heist film. It's fun to watch clever crooks work out complicated plans and then execute them. It's not hard to root for the crooks if they're likable enough characters. With me I almost have a kind of reluctant respect for criminals who are able to outsmart sophisticated systems. There's something about the perfect crime that fascinates a film lover like me. Logan Lucky was one of the better heist films I've seen in years, and I was ready to spend an hour and a half being impressed by ingenious crooked plan that runs like clockwork once again. What I ended up with was a horribly overlong 2 hours and 20 minutes. And the only thing that was running like clockwork was my impatience to get to the end. Logan Lucky was clever and a lot of fun. Den Of Thieves? Let's just say I was not amused.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on April 26th, 2018
Like probably most folk out there in the real world, I learned everything I know about foreign diplomats from television and film. They dress in expensive suits, usually have a drinking or smoking problem, and harbor some immense secret that could bring about the fall of a whole country or even the world. They don't have friends or associates, instead they have pawns that they move around a theoretical chess board for influence and money. Finally, they would sell out their own grandmother if it meant a little more information at the bargaining table. Today, I review Backstabbing for Beginners, a movie that deals with UN Diplomats and the country of Iraq. Somehow, I don't think my opinion is going to change.
The New York skyline, September 2003. We are at the Wall Street Journal building and Michael Sullivan (played by Theo James) has a story to tell. We fade to black and then see an Iraqi propaganda piece before arriving at the United Nations Building in October of 2002. Michael has been called in for an interview, actually the fourth time he's tried to find work as a diplomat.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on April 20th, 2018
“Wonder what he's been smoking.”
When it comes to Cheech and Chong, you hardly have to wonder. What better way to celebrate 420 today than by revisiting Cheech and Chong's Up in Smoke, the OG stoner comedy? The film is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, which Paramount has commemorated with this new edition. But how well does this high-larious comedy classic hold up in 2018?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 13th, 2018
When David Ayer's Suicide Squad film was released a couple of years ago, the reviews were certainly mixed. One of the biggest complaints from the diehard fans was that Warner opted for a PG-13 version of the film, which took away much of the edge of the material. One only need look at the success of Deadpool to understand that there is a place for a comic film that pushes envelopes and doesn't shy away from an R rating. It almost appears that the new Warner/DC animated feature film Suicide Squad: Hell To Pay would attempt to make up for that decision. This may very well be an animated "cartoon" film, but it's a hard-edged R-rated experience that doesn't shy away from brutality, blood, and violence. But if you're thinking that maybe this is the film the live-action movie should have been, you are in for a disappointment of the epic kind.
The film begins with a bloodbath before the title credits even roll. A squad of Tobias Whale (Fennoy), Count Vertigo (Pirri), Punch (Devall) and Quinn lookalike Jewlee (Nathanson) are betrayed on a mission and graphically slaughtered. What was their mission, and what were they after? Amanda Waller (Williams) quickly puts together an A-team of criminals to follow up. In this film the team is made up of Deadshot, voiced by a badly-cast Christian Slater, Harley Quinn, voiced by Tara Strong, who has the unenviable job of following Margot Robbie's performance, Flash rouge Captain Boomerang, voiced by Spartacus himself, Liam McIntyre, Killer Frost, voiced by Kristin Bauer van Straten, Copperhead, mostly slithered by Gideon Emery, and Bronze Tiger, voiced by Billy Brown. They are sent after an object sought by a few bad guys, most notably the not-so-immortal Vandal Savage, voiced by Jim Pirri. The object is where the film wastes its violent mayhem. The object of such desire is literally a "Get Out Of Hell Free" Card. Yeah, that's what I said. It's a card that says "Get Out Of Hell Free" on its surface. The idea is that anyone who dies in possession of said card gets to bypass the eternal flames and head directly to the Pearly Gates. It can only be used once, and in the film's final crimson massacre, a few characters attempt to meet their end with the card.
