Disc Reviews

I’m going to go ahead and say that this limited series is only meant for the diehard fans of the original series. Those are the only people that I can see enjoying the show, based on the lack of context provided for newcomers. You are kind of just thrown into the mix without a real frame of reference for the characters or the central premise unless you already have some familiarity with the universe. Given that Adventure Time: Distant Lands was intended as a continuation of said series, that is fine. In fact, it is completely understandable. Barring extreme circumstances, there would be no reason for you jump to this four-episode limited series unless you were fond of the original format. However, I find myself in that said extreme circumstance, and as such without familiarity with the other series, I was pretty lost coming out of the gate. I am also not the intended audience for the show, but even my daughter failed to resonate with the series, as she walked out during the first episode.

Who would have thought that a movie that features the apocalypse and mass suicide would have moments of charm and levity? I mean, when you think of those type of themes, you don’t expect that you are going to have some laughs. And yet somehow Silent Night pulls it off. Part of that probably had to do with high-class talent that took part of the film, which featured Matthew Goode, Keira Knightly, Annabelle Wallis, Lily Rose Depp, and Lucy Punch. The film lulls you into a bit of a false sense of security; I initially thought that Goode’s and Knightly’s characters were going to turn homicidal and murder all their dear friends. I figured that was the central premise of the film. All in all I think I prefer the film as it is instead of that idea. While that might have been interesting to see, it would have made the film more of a one-trick pony. As it is, Silent Night is witty, funny, and still manages to tackle complex philosophical views in an easily comprehensible manner. That is a feat not easily accomplished.

This 1974 film has previously been regarded as an Italian version of the widely successful American supernatural film, The Exorcist. It’s been suggesting that The Antichrist was an attempt to cash in on some of the success that the American film experienced a year earlier. After watching it, I don’t see why the two films can’t coexist. Whether or not the American film had any bearing on this one will never be determined, but it stands to reason that if you enjoyed that one, there is no reason that you won’t enjoy this as well. I suppose there is the risk of it feeling redundant, but a little redundancy has never bothered me. Besides, if you can’t deal with films with similar premises and themes, your lists of viewing pleasure is going to shrink exponentially. I won’t spend a lot of time comparing the two films for couple of reasons: one, I believe that would be doing this film a disservice, given that I found it mildly entertaining; and two, it’s quite some time since I watched to The Exorcist, so my memory of it is slightly foggy. That said, I believe that will give me an objective view of The Antichrist, because I won’t waste undue time with comparisons.

Remakes are nothing new. They've been around for as long as there have been films. Today we appear to be dominated by the remake, but they've been around forever. There are many reasons to do a remake. Often, like the case of Peter Jackson's King Kong and the recent Kong/Godzilla movies, it's because technology has taken us to a place where we can do things on the screen that the original filmmakers couldn't have dreamed of. Other times it's merely a classic story that stands the test of time, and every once in a while someone wants to attach themselves to that history. Yet other times there's more that can be added to the story, or there is a fresh perspective to what came before. While many of these types lead to sequels and reboots, they still lead to the remake. Then there are those remakes that are almost a shot-for-shot imitation of the original with no apparent reason to exist other than to capitalize on the name. I really don't want to put the 1997 made-for-television remake of 12 Angry Men in that category.

“At present your home is not safe, even when you are there. So protect yourselves. Be sure to have good locks, good security systems.  I’m addition, you might consider getting a watchdog. And I’m not necessarily talking about a large dog. Any dog that can bark will make a good watchdog.”

Well, this dog does a lot more than bark in this 1979 family-friendly comedy. Standing for “Canine HOMe Protection System,” C.H.O.M.P.S. is the story of a young inventor who creates a revolutionary home security system that is as cute as it is effective: a robotic dog that is virtually indistinguishable from the real thing. Given that he modeled the robot after his actual pet, that creates a couple of funny hijinks later on in the film, but we are getting ahead of ourselves. The film stars Wesley Eure, an actor popular for his starring roles in family-friendly entertainment that includes Land of the Lost, Finders Keepers, and the educational television series, Dragon Tales.

It’s amazing how a pretty face can get you act against your better instincts. Letting someone you just met, a complete stranger, move into your house and giving access to your top-of-the-line security system. Yeah, that is not something that happens unless the person is breathtakingly beautiful. Incidentally, Lily Krug fits that description to a tee. She is a knockout beauty without question. However, looks alone wouldn’t have been enough, given the dark turn her character was destined to take; there had to be some malice behind those eyes. She had to have the eyes of a heartless and calculating sociopath. Did she deliver? Let’s just say, whenever I see her in future roles, even if she is playing a protagonist, it’s going to be hard not to see the predator that I know is lurking behind her eyes.