Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on May 29th, 2018
The film is based on a series of books that I had never read, and from what I understand the film takes many liberties with the storyline and characters. As his sophomore effort behind the camera, there were high expectations for what Garland would do, and the result I believe is one of the most divisive films I’ve seen in a while. This is the kind of film that gets me excited for the future of cinema, not just because I loved the film, but I love the conversation it can provoke with other filmgoers.
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.
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.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on May 23rd, 2018
“Don’t give them all of you, Dominika. Hold something back. That is how you will survive.”
There appears to be nothing Jennifer Lawrence can’t do. She is an Oscar winner, the face of a successful movie franchise, and now she is a Russian spy who specializes in seduction techniques. Now in the looks department, there are scores of men that would gladly hand over their social security number for the opportunity to be seduced by J Law, so her casting was a no-brainer. But she went much deeper than that, showing an unparalleled intellect and natural aptitude for the world of espionage.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 22nd, 2018
"My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions and loyal servant to the TRUE emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next."
After nearly 20 years, it's hard not to already consider Ridley Scott's Gladiator a classic. But not in the same way we think of Blade Runner, which has become more of a cult classic, or Alien, which has all the trappings of a genre film, blending horror and science fiction into a nice little package
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 22nd, 2018
The Matrix (1999) was a landmark film in the Sci-Fi genre. While its box office intake was dwarfed by Episode 1, it was The Matrix that had people talking. Andy and Larry Wachowski’s story of a post-apocalyptic world where humans serve as biological generators of energy for the machines that rule the planet challenged people’s perceptions of what reality was. Computer hacker extraordinaire Neo (Reeves) has this gut feeling that life isn’t all that it seems to be. Turns out he’s right in a big way. A group of revolutionaries led by the thought-to-be-mythical Morpheus (Fishburne) open his eyes to the Matrix.
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.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 20th, 2018
Clint Eastwood has been at the top of the game both as an actor and a director, often both at the same time. There's no question that he still has the skills. Unfortunately, 15:17 To Paris isn't a great example of his direction skills. Don't get me wrong. There is a nice intense film in here, but it only lasts for about 10 minutes and hungrily screams out for more of the same. Eastwood's problem is much the same that he had in Sully. He doesn't really have enough material for a truly great feature film, so he is forced to fill the screen time with something he hopes will entertain us long enough to stay with him for the good stuff. But as Clint said once as Dirty Harry, "A man's got to know his limitations."
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.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 16th, 2018
"I shall tell you of William Wallace. Historians from England will say I am a liar, but history is written by those who have hanged heroes. The king of Scotland had died without a son, and the king of England, a cruel pagan known as Edward the Longshanks, claimed the throne of Scotland for himself. Scotland's nobles fought him, and fought each other, over the crown..."
Mel Gibson had a bit of a rollercoaster life for a while there.
