Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 13th, 2020
"That's the bravest damn thing I think I've ever seen."
Director Roland Emmerich is no stranger to big-screen battles. The difference is that up until this year those battles have been against aliens, huge climactic changes, or giant lizards named Godzilla. There's no question that he understands how to shoot epic confrontation. The question I had going in to Midway was, can he deliver a battle that wasn't fiction? After nearly tow and a half hours, the answer came back somewhat mixed. This isn't the first time that the Battle of Midway has been brought to the big screen. In the 1970's Charlton Heston gave us a film that was more renowned for the trendy Sensurround gimmick than it was for the drama that unfolded on the screen. Sensurround was a fancy name for huge subs that would shake the theater, and if you were lucky enough to be seeing the film at a theater with enough money to go all the way, you might have found yourself in a seat that was wired to shake, rattle, and roll. Today the chains call that Dolby. This Midway didn't lend itself to some William Castle hustle. It's all up on the screen. The film bears no relation to that earlier effort except for the legendary battle in the Pacific that turned the tide of the Pacific theater of World War II toward the Allies. The film actually shares more in common with the classic Tora Tora Tora in that we spend a good deal of screen time with the Japanese players in the battle. Not at all like the earlier gimmick film, this movie is intended to place you squarely in the middle of the action. If that's what you came to see, you are certainly in for an immersive experience, only without the hot-wired seat.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on March 11th, 2020
Warner Brothers has done an impressive job when it comes to their live action DC Universe television shows. Everything including Arrow, The Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow have been fun entertaining experiences. Now with them starting up their own streaming service, they have upped the ante by releasing Titans. When I first heard about this one, I wasn’t sure what to think considering I wasn’t much of a fan of the animated series, but I’m so glad I came into this show with an open mind, because this show is jam-packed with coolness. Since this was made for a streaming service and not broadcast television, not only do we get superheroes dropping F-bombs, but we get some edgier storytelling along with some violent action you may not expect. Seriously, this one is not for the kids. Season 2 picks up right where Season 1 left us hanging as we see the Titans coming together to save Rachel (Teagan Croft) from her father, Trigon, as he’s about to destroy the world. You know; typical bad guy behavior. What’s a little disappointing is how easily this villain is taken out, but of course it doesn’t take long before a new villain to be introduced. For those who are familiar with the DC comics and for those who are fans of Arrow, the big bad is a familiar masked villain as Deathstroke is brought into the show. Considering the number of characters in the DC rogues gallery, it is a bit annoying how we are given a character that we’ve seen before, but thankfully this live-action version is different enough from the Arrow-verse version that the storyline feels somewhat fresh.
This season not only does it head west to make San Francisco the team headquarters, Season 2 also takes place over two separate timelines, one being present day as they facing Deathstroke for the second time, while the other timeline takes us five years into the past where we see the original Titans in their prime when they first confronted Deathstroke. Seeing the dynamic of the old and new Titans is certainly one of the season’s high points. It’s not just about seeing a bunch of superheroes together, but seeing their chemistry as well as their feuds offers up plenty of drama. At times the drama is absurd and is like watching a superhero version of The Real World.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on March 6th, 2020
"The system is rigged. They want us to believe that it'll protect us, but that's a lie. We protect us. We do. Nobody else. Not the companies, not the scientists, not the government. Us."
Dark Waters is an alarming, based-on-true-events thriller that will have you more than little worried about your cookware. Mark Ruffalo plays Robert Bilott, an attorney who is drawn into a conspiracy involving a chemical conglomerate that resulted in hundreds of unexplained deaths. Anne Hathaway is his wife, who has to endure her husband’s over-twenty-year obsession with bringing down this company, all while trying to hold their family together. As I said, this was truly illuminating movie based on the 2016 New York Times article, The lawyer who became Dupont’s worst nightmare. The idea that something like this could happen for so long without any real consequences makes this story worth telling.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 3rd, 2020
I remember over my years watching History's Duck Dynasty that the lead characters had very characteristic beards. One of the multi-season collections even came with a beard you could put on or display. A lot of folks thought it was a clever element that set these "good ol' boys" apart from the other eccentric characters the network parades in their "reality" shows, but if you're a fan of American music, you would know those beards anywhere. They originally belonged to ZZ Top iconic guitarist Billy Gibbons and equally iconic bass player Dusty Hill, who along with the ironically beardless drummer Frank Beard form the trio ZZ Top. After 50 years they remain the longest running rock band in history to still feature the complete original lineup. Of course, that's not quite as hard to do with only three members, but it's a milestone that even few marriages celebrate, and that's only two people. Like them, love them, or not, ZZ Top have become one of the most quintessential American bands in history. It's easily recognized with just a few opening chords, and it's about time someone sat down with these boys to find out what makes them tick and just how three poor cowboys from Texas changed the American music scene forever.
The documentary is by noted filmmaker Sam Dunn, who is usually known for his coverage of the metal scene. ZZ Top is a little out of the way for Dunn, but he manages to capture the essence of a band that has relied on an element of mystery their entire careers. They don't do a lot of events, interviews, or promotional gigs. They have traditionally let the music speak for themselves, and it likely took a director with a willingness to color outside the lines to bring the band's history and true personality out for the cameras. It's not a traditional kind of documentary. As history is told by one participant or another, you certainly get the expected vintage photographs, performance posters, and grainy footage of the days before fame. That's all here, but there's more. The film resorts to some black & white animation to cover some of the important meetings and decisions that came up along the way. Of most interest is the overall use of a private performance deep in the heart of Texas where the trio gather and recreate the milestone musical moments that served as turning points in their lives. It's not only nice to have a somewhat intimate concert with the band but be close enough to watch them recall those moments as they ran through the music being described. I loved those moments and wish there had actually been more of that.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 3rd, 2020
"Over the next two days you little critters will get to experience some of the things that the mighty German army goes through every day, and even though it would appear our country's on the back foot and there really isn't much hope in us winning this war, apparently we're doing just fine."
The book Caging Skies was written in 2000 by Christine Leunens. The book became more the inspiration for the film JoJo Rabbit rather than the source material, as they are very different animals indeed. The book is a rather sober look at the indoctrination of a young generation of boys and girls in Hitler's infamous Hitler's Youth organization. It was pretty much like the Boy Scouts of America, except, you know, for young Nazis. When director Taika Waititi got his hands on the material, it became somewhat a dark or black comedy with entire concepts added to the storytelling that were not a part of the original novel. Waititi is pretty much known as a comic director who has managed to intertwine his particular sense of comedy with other genre films with relative success. A prime example, of course, is his foray into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Thor: Ragnarok, which became one of the oddest entry in that film franchise. Expect more when we get to see his work again with that old God of Thunder when the next Thor installment Thor: Love And Thunder is released soon.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 29th, 2020
It's been six years since Frozen became somewhat of a surprise hit out of Walt Disney Studios in 2013. No one was surprised it made a good haul at the box office, but I suspect that even the masterminds at Disney never saw this billion-dollar baby when it was first being born. It's become the biggest original hit out of Disney since the original Lion King set animated feature records in the 90's. I'll give the studio credit. They didn't rush out and try to cash in on the momentum as quickly as other studios would have. They took their time and assembled the same team of directors and songwriters and allowed the process to follow a six-year process with the intent of doing it right rather than doing it fast. For the most part I think that strategy paid off, and while this film will never be the classic the original has become, it will fit rather snugly into the franchise and will delight children, while possibly cursing the adults who are fated to watch the film over and over again. This is absolutely one of those kinds of movies.
It all starts in the past where we spy young Elsa and Anna playfully getting ready for bed. The King puts them to bed with a story out of the kingdom's past. He regales them with how their grandfather met the people of an enchanted forest who had magical powers over the four elements of land, fire, air and water. They are told of the great gift of peace their grandfather gave these people in the form of a huge dam. It all turns nasty when the story continues to tell of a peaceful gathering where the people of the enchanted forest suddenly attack the people of Arendelle. The elements were so angered by the act of betrayal that they separated the kingdoms and enshrouded the enchanted forest with an impenetrable fog that has isolated the forest ever since.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by John Delia on February 26th, 2020
by John Delia, Jr.
"There's a point at 7,000 RPM... where everything fades. The machine becomes weightless. Just disappears. And all that's left is a body moving through space and time. 7,000 RPM. That's where you meet it. You feel it coming. It creeps up on you, close in your ear. Asks you a question. The only question that matters. Who are you?"
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 21st, 2020
"This is a mental institution, Marshal. For the criminally insane. Usual isn't a big part of our day."
When I first saw Shutter Island ten years ago, I thought it was a good movie. I didn't think it was a great movie. Like many Martin Scorsese fans out there, I have developed certain expectations from his films. It isn't at all fair, but as I've said here many times, expectations are killers. I bathed too often in Scorsese's modern mob mythology that I think it took seeing The Irishman and being royally disappointed and then getting to see Shutter Island again thanks to this wonderful new steelbook 10th anniversary release on UHD Blu-ray in 4K. I also never thought Shutter Island could ever improve with age. It's got a wicked twist that occupies the final 40 minutes of the film, and no matter how good the performances might be, how could it possibly get better when you know what's coming? But again, I recall it being a good movie, so I welcomed the opportunity to revisit it after 10 years in 4K. Why not, right? I'm glad I did, and no matter how good you thought it was the first time, it's better the second time through. And I was absolutely wrong in my first evaluation. Shutter Island is not a good movie at all. It actually is a great film, and it's a shame that it's been relatively overlooked among Scorsese's films. And spoiler alert!!!!!!! The twist is even better when you know it's coming. (You thought I was going to spill some beans?)
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on February 20th, 2020
“We got twenty-one bridges in and out of Manhattan. Shut them down. Three rivers. Close them. Four tunnels. Block them. Stop every train and loop the subways. Then, we flood the island with blue.”
Chadwick Boseman looks to be trying to bring back the days of Dirty Harry in this film as a cop known to kill cop killers. 21 Bridges is an action-packed film where nothing is really what it seems. Also featuring Sienna Miller, Taylor Kitsch, J.K. Simmons, and Keith David, I have to admit that some of these cast members’ appearances were more like cameos, as the action primarily focused on Boseman as he attempted to hunt down his target by any means necessary. Sorry, I just always wanted to say that, but for the context of this movie it rings true, as from the quote above, you can see the extent he was willing to go to.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on February 19th, 2020
It only took Warner Brothers five days to pull the plug on this series after it debuted the first episode on their streaming service. This was crushing news for fans who had been looking forward to the series that had seemed to be a promising adaptation of the comic material and bringing it to life. I was one of those fans. I’m a fan of Swamp Thing, even the cheesy Wes Craven film from back in the early 80’s to the short lived series in the early 90’s. It’s a character that has struggled to find life and longevity over the years, mostly because the finances and the technology were never really there to make it as good as it could be, but when James Wan came along with his lofty idea to bring this series to life and keep it true to the comics and keep it geared to adults, well, I had hope. Already the Warner Brothers/ DC Universe streaming service has delivered with their iterations of Titans and Doom Patrol, and if Swamp Thing was to follow in their footsteps, then this was going to be a show to get excited about. Now that I’ve seen Season 1 and all the plot threads that had been set up to extend the series for future seasons, all I can think is that the cancellation of this series is an undeserved gut punch to fans of the comic and those that will watch this first season, because it builds something that could have been so great but will not be brought to fruition.
Was the first episode “bad”? Could it be the reason for the shows swift demise? Not at all; in fact, when it comes to first episodes, this is an awesome fun ride that is helmed by Len Wiseman (Underworld). One of the first things that stood out about the show is how striking it looked, not in the sense of being bright and filled with color, but instead it’s with the muddy, foggy look of the swamp that instantly visually sets a tone for the show. The show was uniquely shot in Cinemascope (basically that means its width is about twice as wide as its height), so this helps in creating a sense of atmosphere and depth to the locations and just allows for this world to seem almost bigger than life. The opening sequence has us witness a trio of men on a boat suffer a vicious attack from what appears to be the plant life of the swamp that has come to life. My only slight complaint is that the blood looks too CGI, but with the exception of that gripe, I dug what the show had to offer right out the gate.
