Disc Reviews

"I'm telling you, it's empty nest syndrome. First Jess leaves for California. Then Torres volunteers to go deep under cover. And now McGee is applying for the Deputy Director position. Poor Parker. The man is alone." 

Mark Harmon as Gibbs was the soul of the NCIS franchise. When he finally called it quits after nearly 20 years, I have to admit I wasn't sure how much longer the show could go on. I mean, there has to be a reason for this kind of longevity. All of the spin-offs have now come and gone. NCIS: Hawaii has now ended.  NCIS: New Orleans shuttered its doors three years ago now after a mere seven years. The longest-running of the spin-offs was L.A., but even they have gone now after only 10 years. I say only 10 years. For most shows a 10-year run is rarefied air. So how about 22 years and counting? Only Dick Wolf's Law & Order franchise has accomplished more. Yes, Harmon might have been the franchise's soul. But Gary Cole came in and has taken up that slack far better than anyone could have imagined. Now CBS is releasing NCIS The Complete 22nd Season on DVD, and that short run of episodes puts the franchise past the 1000-episode mark. It's an unbelievable run, and it doesn't look like it's close to ending now.

“I read somewhere, thou shalt not steal. I think it was in the Bible, "Thou shalt not steal." That's not complicated, is it? But, if you do have a problem with that, you can always take it up with God, or Karl Marx, or the Kardashians, or anyone.”

Unfortunately, even Anthony Hopkins wasn’t enough to elevate this film beyond just an OK watching experience. A remake of a remake, Locked stars Hopkins as well as Bill Skarsgard, who I am convinced struggles with picking good movies to become attached to. Not saying that this is a shining example of those difficulties, but I doubt it will do anything to further his reputation in the industry. The film is a remake of the Argentine film 4x4 (2019), which was previously remade in Brazil as A Jaula (2022). Despite not being in the same room for the bulk of the film, I will say that the two played off one another quite well, which I attributed to both actors having significant stage presence. That aside, the film drew too many parallels to another psychological thriller franchise starring an enigmatic actor whose character had penchant for entrapping individuals who needed to learn a lesson.

"My dad used to say, wherever you go, there you are. I guess he was right. No matter how hard you try, or in my case, how far you go, you can't leave it all behind. There is no such thing as a clean slate. They're always there. They're always with you, the stories you've told. Hell, even worse, the ones you never could. This is a story I never tell."

Mark Harmon as Gibbs was the soul of the NCIS franchise. When he finally called it quits after nearly 20 years, I have to admit I wasn't sure how much longer the show could go on. I mean, there has to be a reason for this kind of longevity. All of the spin-offs have now come and gone. NCIS: Hawaii has now ended.  NCIS: New Orleans shuttered its doors years ago after a mere seven years. The longest-running of the spin-offs was L.A., but even they have gone now after only 10 years. I say only 10 years. For most shows a 10-year run is rarefied air. So how about 21 years? Only Dick Wolf's Law & Order franchise has accomplished more. Yes, Harmon might have been the franchise's soul, but the show managed to find its footing without him. Of course, Mark Harmon has remained involved in the franchise as a producer, but it looked like we would be going on without Gibbs. At least that's what everyone thought.

"I can see the future. It's full of pals helping pals, and being a boss. I'm on the edge of life, and the view is gorgeous." 

Andrew DeYoung has actually been around for quite a little while. He's been directing television episodes a short features since around 2008. And so into every working director a feature film must eventually fall. For Andrew DeYoung it turns out to be the self-written feature film for A24, Friendship. He took a pretty safe route, choosing to work with an actor who has shown a pretty similar shade of dark comedy as Tim Robinson, who plays the lead and very tragic figure. If you've seen episodes of The Office, there's a lot of that kind of humor here. Of course it goes off the rails quite beyond anything you might have seen from the show or Tim Robinson. It's a bit of an experimental film, and while it's listed as a comedy, I'm not sure it really fits into that domain. I think the film's uniqueness works both for and against the film. It's not the kind of thing that is going to bring in tons at the box office, streaming platform, or home video market, but on the other hand it's one of the most truly original films I've seen in ages, and I have a little bit of a soft spot when someone can show me something new and experimental without being so "out there" that it leaves you scratching your head. You won't have any trouble understanding what's going on here, and while it might get a laugh or two out of you, it will certainly give you something to think about. It's a dark film at its core, and you have to be willing to take that kind of a ride to enjoy Friendship. If you're coming into this to laugh yourself silly, this one might disappoint.

Ultraman is a huge part of Japanese culture and pretty much has been since the original live-action show in 1966. Perhaps Godzilla started the ball rolling, but Ultraman brought us these monsters on a regular basis. In Japan, Ultraman is like our Superman. He’s an iconic hero and a huge part of the pop culture. Since the 60’s he has appeared in many forms, most of them animated. But it is this 1966 series that made a ton of us kids fall in love with him and an entire genre. Yes, there were many from the era: Space Giants featured a giant fighting robot who fought monsters and sometimes converted into a spaceship (yes, before transformers were ever thought of); Johnny Socko had his giant robot; and the list goes on. But it was Ultraman who started it. Eiji Tsuburaya, who created the original Godzilla, formed a new company outside of Toho Pictures. Ultraman was pretty much the first thing out of the new shop.

It started with a series called Ultra Q. It was a popular series in Japan. There was no Ultraman here, but some of the elements of what would be the Science Patrol started there. When it was finished, the staff was approached to create a new show, and fast. But this one needed more action and also something that could be sold to the American markets. That was Ultraman.  In some form or another, the character has been around for over 60 years and is still plugging.

"We have sold the last of our herd, keeping only four bulls and 100 heifers. The seeds with which you must rebuild the ranch that trickery and laws drafted by loan sharks have stripped from us. The road to Bozeman is snowed over now, passable only on horseback. Our movement is restricted to the lodge and the pastures around the barn until spring. We dare not kill a beef, so the men hunt. Gone are the great feasts of summer. It is stews and stale bread and bland fuel of substance. Like the bear, we hibernate, impatiently awaiting spring." 

It is the second and likely final season for the Yellowstone prequel 1923. I have heard whispers that there will be more, and we might see Harrison Ford and Helen Miren again in a series likely to take place a little later, hence a new name, and focused more on Brandon Sklenar's character Spencer who will, no doubt, be raising the grandfather of Kevin Costner's patriarch character in Yellowstone. In the extras Ford hints pretty strongly by reminding us that Harrison Ford is still alive, as are Helen Mirren and Taylor Sheridan. My sources confirm something is in the works but likely years away, and these two leads are not spring chickens. Paramount has released this second season, avoiding the word "final" in the title on DVD and Blu-ray, and it's another one of those must-haves for your home video collection.

"Queen Ginnarra rules the Kingdom of Aberon with an iron fist. To her devout followers, she is the prophet of the abyss, a master of unfathomable power, commanding forces that lie beyond the grasp of mortal understanding. They believe that through evil deeds, they may win her unearthly blessings. She led a rebellion against us and murdered my father. I fled to the deadlands in exile. But there is a truth that chills the blood within my veins. Queen Ginnarra is not only ruler of our kingdom, she is my sister." 

Crown Of Shadows sells itself as Game Of Thrones Meets 300. There is a reason even small budget filmmakers want to do something akin to Game Of Thrones. It's been immensely popular and has made a mint for HBO and the author of the books, George RR Martin. But there is also a reason why budget filmmakers should stay away from such material. To do it correctly costs a fortune, and you can't hide cheap computer graphics with such an epic promise. It's almost assuredly going to disappoint, and that's the main story behind Crown Of Shadows.