Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 29th, 2018
"Once upon a time there was a great war that brought so much sadness to so many people. Hardly anyone could remember what happiness was like. But something happened that changed all that..."
“Winnie the Pooh doesn't know what to do …” begins a popular song written by Kenny Loggins, recorded first in 1970 by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band with a more popular and enduring version by Loggins and Messina a year later. Hundreds of millions of children since the 1920's know who Winnie the Pooh is.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on January 29th, 2018
“Everyone was warned, but no one listened.”
These words — which are about as subtle as a tsunami — are heard in voiceover at the start of Geostorm, the latest effort from master of disaster (films) Dean Devlin. Yes, I realize no one should venture into a big budget flick produced by Dean Devlin (Independence Day, 1998's Godzilla) looking for subtlety. But no matter what side of the climate change issue you fall on, Geostorm is equally offensive to all parties. And it's not because of its politics or its shoddy writing, which gives that opening monologue to a character who ends up being completely inconsequential. It's because this would-be blockbuster is shockingly short on both fun and spectacle.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 25th, 2018
"The games have begun again, and they will not stop until the sins against the innocent are atoned for."
It has been about seven years since last we heard Tobin Bell ask if we wanted to play a game. From 2004 until 2010 we were treated to seven films in quick succession, with The Final Chapter apparently bringing the popular franchise to an end. But most of us were pretty sure that the end wasn't quite so near. The films brought in billions of dollars and even inspired a new escape room industry around the globe where people could work out puzzles and attempt to beat a ticking clock to get out of a themed room.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on January 25th, 2018
During the second half of My King/Mon Roi — which examines the up-and-down nature of love by chronicling a 10-year relationship between two French lovebirds — a wife states that her husband's constant emotional abuse has caused her more pain than any single punch ever could. Psychological abuse isn't nearly as cinematic as its physical counterpart, so it's a jarring, too-real-for-TV moment to witness on screen. My King has a handful of those gut-punch scenes. And since the movie intentionally mimics the rollercoaster relationship at its center, My King is also occasionally romantic, funny, frustrating and flat-out sexy.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on January 24th, 2018
“Have you ever heard the legend behind the legend of Ninjago?”
Even though I loved the first two Lego movies, I was completely unfamiliar with the toy company’s Ninjago line before I sat down to watch this latest entry in the madcap cartoon franchise. (I wasn’t even sure how to pronounce “Ninjago”…and the answer isn’t as simple as it seems.) But my unfamiliarity with the source material isn’t the reason why I feel The Lego Ninjago movie is the weakest entry in the series so far.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on January 17th, 2018
In case you’ve been living beneath a rock and out of contact with any and all social media, this weekend the long-awaited film adaption of Stephen King’s It releases. Some of my friends look at the trailer for the new film and instantly reject what they see; they immediately cling to their memories of how the original mini-series scared them. One thing you’ll hear them all saying is how Tim Curry made such an impact on their lives and to this day gave them reason to fear clowns. While I respect their opinions, when you revisit the film, you can’t help but notice how dated the film is, and really, if you’re over the age of 10, it just isn’t scary.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on January 15th, 2018
Most people that survive a near traumatic experience don’t go back for seconds. Most people that is. For the group in The House October Built 2, I guess they were adhering to the logic that lightning doesn’t strike the same way twice. Or does it? Embarking on what I can only describe as a horror tour, five friends attempt to capitalize on potential fame and fortune by documenting their experience traveling city to city to explore various haunted houses or hay rides. They even managed to convince the most traumatized member of their group to join them, reopening old wounds and provoking things that best left in the past.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on January 11th, 2018
“I'm not saying women are better...I'm saying we deserve some respect.”
Battle of the Sexes chronicles a watershed moment for the women's liberation movement. And given the very bad behavior by very powerful men in Hollywood and other high-profile industries that has come to light in recent months, the movie suddenly feels particularly timely despite being set 45 years ago. But even if that weren't the case, this film — which dramatizes the 1973 exhibition match between top-ranked female player Billie Jean King and former male champion Bobby Riggs — would still be a funny, heartfelt winner.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by John Delia on January 9th, 2018
The crime drama Brawl in Cell Block 99 makes its way onto Blu-ray, DVD and 4K. The film tops the charts as one the most excruciatingly brutal movies to be released this year. If you are not offended by extreme violence and don’t get queasy from the sight of blood and cruelty, then this film may be your cup of java. That said, the crime story does have some vindication behind all the willful chaos. Getting laid off from his job at a towing company, Bradley (Vince Vaughn) cleans out his locker and heads home. When he gets there things start getting worse when he finds out that his wife Lauren (Jennifer Carpenter) has been seeing someone.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Dan Holland on January 3rd, 2018
“Backslidin’, how do you do? These slippery people gonna see you through.”
It has been a long while since I have witnessed a pop song’s lyrics fit so poetically into a feature film. “Slippery People” is a track off the groundbreaking Talking Heads album, Speaking in Tongues, released in 1983. Not only does this song fit the plot of American Made within its lyrics (hints of backsliding with a lot of slippery people), but it also represents a specific aesthetic for one of the many years shown throughout the film. Which, by and large, is what American Made does very well: appreciates the nostalgia of the 70’s and 80’s without exaggerating to extremes. More often than not, the “nostalgia aesthetic” very quickly becomes a parody of itself.
