Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 12th, 2018
"Well, I tried to start a revolution, but didn't print enough pamphlets, so hardly anyone turned up. Except for my mum and her boyfriend, who I hate. As punishment, I was forced to be in here and become a gladiator. Bit of a promotional disaster that one, but I'm actually organizing another revolution. I don't know if you'd be interested in something like that? Do you reckon you'd be interested?"
DC has finally gotten a recent comic superhero movie right with Wonder Woman. We'll know in just a few days if they can bring the streak to two films when Justice League hits the box office this month. Marvel, on the other hand, has a streak going that dates back to 2008 and reached a truly astonishing 16 films leading up to the third Thor film, Thor: Ragnarok. With three more films on tap for next year, that run could reach 20 films very soon. Not all of these efforts have been great by any means. I found the last Thor film to be one of the franchise's weaker moments. But all of these movies do have one thing in common. With even the least of these films, they have all been entertaining. And that's exactly where Thor: Ragnarok fits the mold perfectly. I wouldn't call this Marvel's finest moment. I would call it one hell of an entertaining ride through the Marvel Universe. Fasten your safety harness. Remember to keep hands and feet inside your seat at all times. No flash photography. You are encouraged to have food and drink; however, there is a choking hazard, as some of this movie is so funny there could be fountains of popcorn and sugary syrup substances ejected toward the rider in front of you.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on March 8th, 2018
“Sometimes I think I'm cursed.”
Up until recently, Pixar Animation Studios had a pretty spotless reputation. (At least when it came to the quality of their films.) But while the studio's last three efforts (Cars 3, Finding Dory, The Good Dinosaur) have been financially successful, Disney's own in-house animation studio (Moana, Zootopia, Big Hero 6) has been out Pixar-ing Pixar in terms of delivering creative, crowd-pleasing blockbusters for all ages. (I didn't even mention a little movie called Frozen.) That's why I'm pleased to report that Coco — Pixar's moving, colorful and exhilarating take on Mexico's Day of the Dead holiday — is a thrilling and touching return to form.
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 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 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: Disc Reviews by J C on February 9th, 2018
“There was a guy on TV the other night. Had a theory that nearly a quarter of all so-called fatal accidents were actually murders. That's ridiculous...it's only about 10 percent.”
It's one of the more familiar action/thriller tropes: an apparent suicide or accidental death that actually turns out to be an elaborate murder. Usually that story is told from the perspective of the murder victim's loved one, who will stop at nothing to uncover the truth. What's cool about Accident Man — a stylish and rollicking action romp — is that it gives us an irreverent look at the cold-blooded killers who craftily carry out these cinematic crimes.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on February 7th, 2018
Kenji Kamiyama is a fairly known name in the anime world. His auspicious beginnings had him contributing backgrounds to shows like Duck Tales and movies like Akira. He then contributed scripts to a Wild Arms anime show and also did the screenplay for one of my favorite animes, Blood: The Last Vampire. His really big break occurred when he landed the director chair for the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex films. After directing the TV show, Eden of the East, he came up with an idea for a new animated film called Ancien and the Magic Tablet. Unfortunately, that name didn't really stick and was renamed Napping Princess. Fast forward to 2018, and I have in my hands the Blu-Ray/DVD Combo set from Shout Factory. Let's check it out.
Once upon a time everybody had the same job. That job was to build machines or in plainer terms, BRAND NEW CARS! The King of Heartland thought this was the key to happiness. If you owned an old motorcycle or last year's model, you would get docked by your manager until you got the newest car right off the line. But there was a voice of hope and reason in the kingdom that belonged to Princess Ancien.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on February 4th, 2018
When coming into this film you need to put aside any expectations of seeing your typical Pixar or Dreamworks animated film. This is arthouse animation that is filled with originality while attacking the clichés we see in big-budget disaster films. I didn’t really know what to expect from this film, but with a voice cast that includes Jason Schwartzman, Lena Dunham, Reggie Watts, Maya Rudolf, and Susan Sarandon it was such an odd mix that my curiosity couldn’t resist. So is the trippy animated film a success, or is it a dud destined to sink into obscurity?
The film runs at 77 minutes which leaves the film little time to set up characters and plot, but somehow the film still manages to give us a group of fully-fleshed-out characters; though they are a bit exaggerated, they remain relatable. Dash (Schwartzman) and his best friend Assaf (Watts) are returning to school with hopes of being more accepted and respected than they were the previous year. The friends work together on the student newspaper where Dash enjoys writing exaggerated pieces while his friend prefers to stick to the facts and not blow the story out of proportion. It’s because of Dash’s flare for exaggeration that it’s difficult to find students to believe him when he discovers the school is in danger of falling into the ocean.
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. He's the happy-go-lucky bear who lives in the 100 Acre Wood with Piglet, Tigger, Owl, Rabbit, Eeyore, Kanga, and Roo. But Pooh's best friend of all was a young boy named Christopher Robin. The books have entertained children for nearly 100 years. Walt Disney introduced us to very different but equally as endearing animated versions in the 1960's. The stories have continued with Saturday morning cartoons, feature films, and an upcoming live action Disney production. Pooh and his friends remain a fond memory for most of us. But most of us don't know the story behind the iconic characters. Goodbye Christopher Robin does an admirable job of bringing that story to life as vividly as the stories have brought Pooh to life over the years. But this is not really a happy story at all. Real life seldom is, and I credit director Simon Curtis for being brave enough to tell the unhappy story without so many of the trappings of Hollywood and the need to have our stories end in happily ever after.
