Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 6th, 2016
"I don't know if it's a demon or a devil, or just some hungry thing from some dark place in time. I just know it's not going to stop coming after you or anyone else it wants to. 'Cos once it has the scent of something it likes, it can't be stopped."
Just days before the tragic events of 9/11 brought so much real-life horror into our lives, Victor Salva attempted to resurrect some old-school monster movie magic on the movie-going public. The low-budget thriller hit the box office with a bang. Its $13 million opening weekend was a record for Labor Day and is partly responsible for studios taking a closer look at the traditionally slow release weekend. It was the #1 film, beating out sequels to both Rush Hour and American Pie. Unfortunately for all of us, 9/11 fell upon us, and box office numbers tanked. We had other things on our minds. The last thing the American public wanted suddenly was to be scared... we already were. Still, that strong opening weekend was a signal that monster movies might be back, and Jeepers Creepers might be the film to lead the genre into the 21st century.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on June 15th, 2016
“It's ok to be upset. We're all upset.”
A War is about a Danish commander and his weary, overwhelmed young soldiers fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan. But besides finding a fresh angle to explore a conflict that has essentially been going on for the entire 21st century — Denmark sent nearly 10,000 military personnel to Afghanistan between 2002 and 2013 — this morally complex movie succeeds because it fully explores the toll war takes on everyone involved. In this case, that also includes the unfortunate civilians caught in between the gunfire and at least one weary, overwhelmed wife/mother back home with three young children.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on June 10th, 2016
“I don’t know what kind of trouble he can get into in a day.”
At first glance, those words — spoken by a father in the midst of a particularly eventful weekend with his estranged son — sound like a filmmaker giving himself permission to put his characters in the most outrageous situations possible. But The Confirmation actually shines by keeping things simple. The movie is a low-key, thoroughly affecting story of a father and son forging an unexpected connection.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on March 9th, 2016
“It will be a work of fiction, inspired by truth.”
That one line best summarizes the entire movie, in my opinion. In In The Heart of the Sea, we are treated to the insight of how Herman Melville was inspired to write what may be considered one of American literature’s biggest epics, Moby Dick. As this is a film based on a true story, naturally we recognize that certain liberties were taken with the specific goal of maintaining the audience’s attention; however, as you watch, I am confident that you will find yourself wanting to believe in the legitimacy of the tale. I know I did.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on February 25th, 2016
“Don’t ever threaten my family again.”
In Extraction, a government analyst embarks on an unsanctioned rescue mission after his father — an over-the-hill CIA field operative — is kidnapped by a shadowy group of bad guys. In a related story, I think I got my dad a CD for Father’s Day last year. But while the hero of Extraction might edge me out in the Son of the Year race, the rest of this crummy actioner is basically a harmless debacle.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on February 18th, 2016
I was a little hesitant with picking up this film. I wasn’t sure if a film about a grandmother spending the day raising money to pay for her granddaughter’s abortion was a film I could find the humor in. Well, I’m glad I took a chance on this film; not only does this film have so many layers beneath its overall plot, but it never once attempts to have an agenda towards its audience. Considering the potentially heavy subject matter, the film instead keeps its attention on what matters most, the people who come in and out of our lives whether they are friends or family; in the end it’s how we treat them that make us who we are.
Elle (Lily Tomlin) is about as feminist as they come; she’s a proud lesbian who is independent and at one time was a successful poet who wrote about feminist themes. When we first meet her, it is in the middle of her and her girlfriend calling it quits. Like any breakup, it’s ugly and filled with emotion. Despite the tough exterior we see Elle trying to hold up, we know it is all an act, and we understand she is still hurt after the loss of her true love of 30-plus years.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on February 17th, 2016
“I earn money…I meet people…I can pay my debts…I can buy nice things for myself.”
Taken at face value, all of those pursuits sound totally admirable, especially when you consider that the person earning that money, meeting those new people, and buying those nice things is a bitter old woman who slowly comes out of her caustic shell. I mean, the only minor hiccup here is that Paulette — the title character in this wacky, soufflé-light French comedy — turns her miserable life around by selling drugs.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on February 11th, 2016
A detective appears to be trapped between heaven and hell in Convergence, which is not all that different from the way I felt watching this supernatural thriller. On one hand, I was impressed by some of the mood and unsettling imagery established by writer/director Drew Hall; the film is mostly set in an abandoned hospital, which inspires even more dread than spending time in a fully functional one. Then again, there are also a lot of nonsense characters and story elements here that don't get a satisfying payoff, making Convergence an occasionally confounding and hellacious slog.
The story opens in 1999 with a series of terrorist bombings targeting clinics in Atlanta. Detective Ben Walls (Clayne Crawford) is supposed to be enjoying a day off with his wife Hannah (Alysia Ochse) and new baby when he is called in by his captain (Mykelti Williamson) to investigate the latest bombing. But faster than Det. Walls can say, “I'm not even supposed to be here today” he and a few others are rocked by the bomber's latest explosion. The next thing Det. Walls knows, he is in an eerily empty hospital. Captain Miller is there too, but he insists that they can't leave.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on February 9th, 2016
The story is the star in Freeheld, which chronicles a same-sex couple's fight for equality. The film is based on the Oscar-winning documentary short of the same name and follows Laurel Hester, a New Jersey cop with terminal lung cancer, as she attempts to pass her pension benefits to domestic partner Stacie Andree. Despite being a modest production, Freeheld was able to enlist some top-drawer acting talent. Unfortunately, it also attracted a risk-averse team of filmmakers who tell Laurel and Stacie's story in a thoroughly rote and uninspired manner.
The movie begins in 2002 with Laurel (Julianne Moore) bailing her partner Dane (Michael Shannon) out of a jam during a sting operation. This opening is meant to illustrate that Laurel is an exceedingly capable police officer, but the clumsily-staged sequence has the unfortunate side effect of shining a light on director Peter Sollett's limitations. (Same goes for a subsequent storyline involving a double homicide that is equally clunky.) Laurel is also a lesbian who worries about someone at her job finding out about her sexual orientation, so she drives to Pennsylvania to take part in social activities. That's where she meets Stacie (Ellen Page), a younger woman who sparks Laurel's interest.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on February 4th, 2016
Edgar Allen Poe is on a short list of writers that has long been deceased that just about everyone has heard of. At some point in school we all had are chance to read about the taunting of The Raven or a number of Poe’s other famous works. With Extraordinary Tales we get an animated treat in the form of 5 animated tales written by the master of the macabre. This is more than just a simple animated retelling of the stories as each tale is given its own unique narration and animated style. Is it worth the time to sit back and watch these classic tales or did they belong on the shelf to collect dust? Come along with me and I’ll tell you about my journey if you dare.
Whether you’re a fan of Poe or simply only vaguely recall the name from those Classical Literature courses you’re trying to forget, there is something on this release I’m sure will connect with each viewer. Using 5 of Poe’s more popular works isn’t the only bait the film makers have decided to use to entice viewers; after all there have been numerous adaptations of his work in the past. The appeal is that every story, though told in narration is animated with its own unique style, ranging from 50’s comic book style to oil paintings that have come alive. The styles are so drastic from one another that in ways it’s hard to even compare the works without tipping your hat so to speak on your own artistic preference. After all ones taste in art varies from one person to the next. I say this because this is a piece that is hard to show objectivity without personal preferences nudging their way in.
