Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Dan Holland on March 6th, 2018
What exactly is the purpose of an art museum? Oftentimes, people travel from all over the world to visit Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” at The Louvre or Seurat’s “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte,” spending upwards of $50 on admission only to stand in line for a chance to see. That is just one of many issues covered in #artoffline, a documentary created for the sole purpose of exploring the philosophical questions that arise when thinking of art (physical media) in the digital age.
Drawing upon the expertise of contemporary curators, artists, and philosophers, #artoffline uncovers the anxious questions about art that no one is asking. More importantly, however, is that these questions are being uncovered in an accessible way: the philosophies are explained succinctly at the level of an “every man,” which is very inviting to spectators. What’s more, these ideologies are actually delivered in a way that generates intrigue. You are just sort of thrown into this world of experts, who are very inviting. Artists want you to know about the challenges they are currently facing in the digital age, and this documentary delivers on all fronts.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on March 5th, 2018
“Keeping the country safe is big business now. It's getting bigger.”
Much of this sixth season of Homeland is spent exploring the notion that the CIA's cloak-and-dagger activities in the Middle East might have outlived their usefulness and a new course of action is required. But considering that Showtime's previously white-hot spy drama — a Best Drama series Emmy winner for its stellar first season — is six seasons in and a lot less buzzy these days, it's hard not to extend that central question to the show itself: Is Homeland obsolete? Well judging by this twisty and thrilling collection of episodes, the answer is a resounding, “No!”
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 2nd, 2018
It was just two years after the release of the first Tomb Raider film that the second one reached the big screens. The film came with a ton of expectations not only from fans of the first one but fans of the video game who either loved the first movie or were disappointed and had hopes that their particular quirks would be addressed. To be sure, some of them were. Without the need to establish character and settings, Cradle Of Life wastes no time getting to the action at the heart of the video game experience. Gone were the rather laughable inflatable breasts as new director Jan de Bont wanted a more natural look for the character, abandoning the prominent look of the video game. But if it was more action both groups of fans wanted, this was the film to deliver on that demand. But whatever it really was that fans demanded, they stayed away from this sequel, which delivered less than half of the box office of the first. Whatever you might think of the movie itself, it pretty much spelled the end for the cinematic life of Lara Croft... until now. With a reboot just around the corner, expectations are high again, indeed. Until then Paramount has decided to whet your appetite with the original films in a 4K upgrade on UHD.
Cradle Of Life begins with the discovery of an underwater temple once built by Alexander himself. An earthquake nearby has shifted the tides and revealed to Lara Croft (Jolie) where the long-hidden treasure is located. It is within this find that Croft expects to uncover an orb that leads to either great treasure or great disaster. It's the key to the location of the Cradle of Life and Pandora's Box. Unfortunately, Croft isn't the only one alerted to the find. A Chinese organization called the Shay Ling have also discovered the site and take the box from our heroine. It's a rather nicely constructed scene as the temple begins to self-destruct as a fight for the orb plays amid the crumbing ruins.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 2nd, 2018
"It's begun."
It's been nearly 15 years since the last Tomb Raider movie was released. The franchise continues to be a popular video game series, and another film was inevitable. 2018 finally sees the release of a reboot of the title with a new actress playing the iconic Lara Croft. There's a lot of anticipation and box office potential here. What better time for Paramount to shake the dust off of their own relics and see if a UHD release in 4K could both create some new interest and ride along a little on the coattails of the big-budget reboot. It's good timing, and these are certainly two films that might benefit from the 4K upgrade. So now you have a little excuse to look backwards before you buy your ticket for the next chapter in the Tomb Raider franchise.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on February 28th, 2018
I have to start by talking about the mustache. You’ve probably already seen the outrageous facial hair Kenneth Branagh rocks as Hercules Poirot, the brilliant Belgian detective who appeared in 33 Agatha Christie novels (including 1934’s Murder on the Orient Express). But it is truly a sight to behold on the big screen! Up close, it looks like a fake, ridiculously twirly mustache has been layered on top of an even longer fake, ridiculously twirly mustache. I bring this up because the two things that truly separate this sumptuous, all-star take on Poirot’s most famous case from previous (and superior) adaptations are the film’s eye-popping production values and…well, Branagh’s mustache.
“My name is Hercule Poirot, and I am probably the greatest detective in the world.”
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on February 24th, 2018
With the success of The Revenant, it shouldn’t be a surprise that other survival films would follow in its wake. At first glance when I came across Walking Out, I didn’t expect much and figured it would be nothing more than a halfhearted attempt to capitalize on the success of The Revenant. I couldn’t have been more wrong. What Walking Out brings to the table is a heartfelt tale of survival for a father and son, yet instead of focusing on the bleak conditions in the mountains of Montana, the focus is rather on the bond the two are attempting to develop. With a beautiful landscape as the backdrop of the film, it’s easy to see how Cal (Matt Bomer) could fall in love with his home and want to share it with his son. David (Josh Wiggins) lives in Texas and is only able to make the trip out to see his father once a year, and it’s when David is fourteen that Cal has a special hunting trip planned out. From the start it’s obvious the two don’t share much of a bond, though Cal is trying the best he can to show his son that there is more to life than his cell phone. Cal has fond memories of going out hunting with his father (Bill Pullman), and we see many of these memories in flashbacks.
The relationship between Cal and David is touching, and for some I can see where this film can possibly hit close to home as we begin to see that Cal’s fear and frustration is that his son really doesn’t know him. And just as we are seeing a bond growing between the two, this is when disaster strikes, and David is put into the position of having to save himself and his father. As an audience member we go from not thinking much of this teenager to rooting for him to manage to pull off the impossible and get the two to safety.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 22nd, 2018
"Maybe we could use a dad's night out."
Let me begin this review by stating that I did not see the first Daddy's Home film. There are pros and cons to that situation. I'm not really in a good position to judge the film's value or quality as a sequel, and I wasn't familiar with any of these characters when I started to watch the film. It does, however put me in a good place to evaluate this film on its own merits. Is it the kind of sequel that functions as a standalone film, or will you be lost from the start with no chance to catch up? I'm happy to say that I never felt like I was at a disadvantage. Yeah, there were moments where I felt like I wasn't part of the inside joke, but those moments are actually quite rare. I was able to enjoy this one just fine. The relationships were a bit confusing when it came to which kid really belonged to which parents, and some of that I never completely sorted out. The performances allowed me to get at what kind of characters the leads were from the beginning. I might have been the new "in-law" invited to this family's holidays for the first time, but that doesn't mean I didn't manage to have a lot of fun along the way.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on February 22nd, 2018
The days of drive-in cinema and grindhouse pictures are all part of a bygone era, where the films were fearless and took chances with their subject matter. Now films seemed to be made so carefully as to not offend anyone. When it comes to Macon County Line, as much as it is a staple of its time, it’s hard to imagine this film being made today. It’s a film that’s a blend of two genres. It’s a road film, but because of the location and characters, it’s also a good ol’ boy picture. So how does this drive-in classic fare on Blu-ray? Despite having a runtime of 88 minutes, the story doesn’t rush into anything but instead lets us get to know the two brothers Chris (Alan Vint) and Wayne Dixon (Jesse Vint) who are on a quick joyride before they enlist in the military. Whether they are hooking up with married women or doing a quick dine-and-dash for breakfast, the boys seem to always be on the run from something, whether it’s an angry husband or the police. The Dixon brothers are far from your hardened criminals, but instead just a pair of guys enjoying their last days as civilians in 1954 Louisiana. Along the way they pick up Jenny (Cheryl Waters) a beautiful young hitchhiker the boys vie for affection over, but it never gets all that serious, because they know they don’t have much time left before they enlist.
The chemistry between the brothers is easy to see since they are brothers in real life, but the fun doesn’t last for long once Sheriff Reed Morgan (Max Baer) crosses their path.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on February 21st, 2018
If The Wire isn't the greatest television show of all time, it's certainly in the conversation. That landmark HBO series was created by David Simon, who took a journalistic and novelistic approach in telling the story of a decaying city (Baltimore) and its various institutions. Now, Simon has teamed up with crime novelist George Pelecanos for The Deuce, which takes a similarly 360-degree approach in examining Times Square in the early 1970s and the evolution of the porn industry. Capturing every facet of that time and place doesn't just mean that The Deuce depicts the lives of pimps, prostitutes, and police officers. It also means the show is alternately thought-provoking, tragic and darkly funny.
“You got some pimp in you.”
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by J C on February 15th, 2018
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: single gal pals looking for love — among other things — in the big city. On television, the trope dates back to the days of Laverne & Shirley and continues with more contemporary entries like Sex and the City and Girls. The queens kweens of Comedy Central's Broad City have given that timeless story hook a funny, druggy and tremendously weird spin for the past four seasons. That includes this most recent batch of episodes, which is lighter on comedy than usual as it explores the origin of NYC besties Abbi and Ilana's relationship...and the way even the closest friends can inevitably drift apart.
Broad City chronicles the (mis)adventures of Abbi and Ilana (co-creators Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer), a pair of uncommonly attached best friends living and playing in New York City. Season 4 begins with a long-overdue flashback episode (“Sliding Doors”) that reveals how Abbi and Ilana met...along with a darker, alternative outcome for their friendship. (Abbi is saddled with the most unfortunate wig I've seen in a very long time.) The rest of the season still contains the bizarre flights of fancy that have become the show's signature. The most polarizing example is the half-animated Ep. 4/“Mushrooms,” which will feel like an especially bad trip if you're not on Abbi and Ilana's wavelength.
