Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on September 27th, 2019
"Who are we? Are we simply what others want us to be? Are we destined to a fate beyond our control? Or can we evolve? Become something...more?"
The simple reality is that this franchise should have ended with Days of Future Past. That would have been a good point to call it quits; it had a good resolution and all, but the chasing of additional box office revenue has forced us to have to endure two more mediocre additions to the franchise. Though Dark Phoenix is better than Apocalypse, and it is a better telling of the Dark Phoenix Marvel Storyline, Fox’s second bite at the apple is still not the film that I hoped it would be. Fortunately, with Marvel recovering the property, we are undoubtedly due for another reboot, and perhaps the third time will be the charm. Picking up after the events of Apocalypse, the X-Men have become a national treasure, widely considered to be the world’s first line of defense. It would seem that Charles Xavier’s dream of mutant unification is within reach. However, the realization of his dream comes at a cost of those closest to him. Matters come to a head during a questionable mission to rescue astronauts following a failed space exploration. With a solar flare closing in, the team pushes themselves too far, resulting in Jean Grey taking the full force of the cosmic energy.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 26th, 2019
The biggest complaint I hear about today's movies is that there's no originality at the box office anymore. While it's true that most of the big earners are comic book heroes, sequels, reboots, monsters, or fantasy book franchises it's simply not accurate at all to say there isn't anything original happening in cinema anymore. If you are willing to take a chance on something different, you'll find it everywhere, and while it might not dominate the media buzz, it's there all the same, and your local multiplex likely dedicates at least a couple of screens to these kinds of films. Yesterday is certainly one of those little gems that go by not completely unnoticed but receiving far less buzz than it deserves. The fact is, there's still room for all species of film. After pulling in a more than respectable $150 million at the box office, Yesterday is now out on home video, including this UHD Blu-ray release in 4K.
Have you ever imagined what the world would be like with (fill in the blank)? For me it's cell phones. For others it might be a particular person. What if it were The Beatles? Better yet, what if you were the only one who remembered them?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 11th, 2019
"I think it's time I told you about Aladdin, the princess, and the lamp."
There is very little new coming out of the Walt Disney Studios in recent years. For the last few years and into the near conceivable future, there has been a concerted effort by the Mouse House to remake as live-action films the vast library of animation classics. It pretty much started with the huge success of The Jungle Book, directed by Jon Favreau in 2016. The film did a wonderful job of bringing these jungle creatures to life through the modern-age miracle that is CGI. Somehow the film captured the very heart of the original animated feature and immersed us more fully into that world. No, it wasn't the first time Disney recreated an animated feature with live-action releases. But it was so dominant at the box office that it appeared to set the mold for these conversions going forward. This summer Disney set an ambitious schedule, delivering no less than three of these remade films to the summer schedule. In March it was the tepidly-received Dumbo. In July it will be The Lion King, where Disney is playing with the most successful classic animation film in box office history, and eyes will be keenly on how that unfolds. With Elton John's recent resurgence with a new Farewell Tour and the upcoming bio-film Rocketman, The Lion King might deliver Sir Elton a hat trick, or at least a large hat filled with money. Set between these two films is another Disney animated classic: Aladdin. Will that deliver the same three-point bounty to Disney this summer?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 22nd, 2019
"It's going to be a tearjerker."
It all started with Iron Man in 2008. Marvel Studios put together the most ambitious film saga in the history of the medium. 22 films that served as introduction to comic book heroes and the various story threads that would ultimately bind them together into one epic tale. All along the way it was important that each film stand on its own legs and provide enough story and action to satisfy the film audiences at each signpost along the way. 22 films over 11 years, and it all finally comes to its inevitable conclusion in The Avengers: Endgame. From this film forward, it's going to be a very different landscape for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. New heroes are on the way, and some will either no longer be there or will take on an entirely different form and persona. I'm not about to tell you where these changes come down. That would ultimately ruin this three-hour ride you are about to embark upon. But when it ends, you will completely understand that it was all leading to this point, and it will be a sad but satisfying conclusion. But before we talk about endings, let's enjoy that final ride into the end.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 13th, 2019
"Tell me a story..."
One of the first people in my life to tell me a story was J.R.R. Tolkien. I was given a colorfully illustrated copy of The Hobbit that I still have to this very day. Sure, it was abridged and was mostly filled with pictures, but I was likely five years old when I got the book. The fact that I've kept it this long should tell you something about the kind of story Tolkien told me. Since that time I've read the Fellowship Of The Ring trilogy at least three times. I've written music inspired by those stories. And then there are the six massive films from Peter Jackson. In all these years I've never quite shaken the words of a man I never did have the opportunity to meet... that is, until now. Watching the biographic drama Tolkien leaves me with a sense of connection that I always wished I might obtain to the man himself. It's still rather early in the film season, and while this might not quite be the season for such things just yet, I must say I've at least seen the best film of 2019 to date.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on July 30th, 2019
"The fall of the worlds, it was the war to end all wars. There was no one left to fight, no war memorials, no wall with the names of the dead, no statues of heroes. Only empty cities and the ruins of great civilizations on two planets. Tumbleweeds, skulls, crows. Only in Zolem did the lights stay on."
I was unfamiliar with the original source material. I found myself treated to a unique action-packed experience. Alita is unquestionably one of the top action films of 2019. I know it’s early, but I have no reason to doubt that my claim will be just as true as the year continues. I would have liked it a bit more if they expanded on the universe slightly more, but it was still a solid opening for the inevitable franchise. By the year 2563, the world has been ravaged by a catastrophic war known as “The Fall,” dividing the population. High-born members of society reside in a sky city known as Zalem, while low-born people live underneath in the junkyard metropolis known as Iron City. Many low-born people have cybernetic limbs and enhancements. One day cyborg surgeon Dr. Dyson Ido discovers a disembodied female cyborg with a fully intact human brain. Providing it with a body, the cyborg returns to life but does not remember her former life or her own name. Naming it Alita, Ido takes the cyborg and raises it like a daughter.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on July 30th, 2019
I thought Nalyce would be all about this animated movie, but it only managed to hold her interest for about forty minutes. After that, she was off playing with her toys without a care in the world. So that obviously means that Missing Link does not get the Nalyce stamp of approval. I remained more discerning than my daughter and continued to do my due diligence of sticking it out to the end. I’m glad I did; Missing Link does get my seal of approval. From the creators of Kubo and the Two Strings comes this new family-friendly film full of adventure and friendship. The story does drag a bit in the beginning, but it gets more interesting as things go on. Though there a couple of adult themes that I was not expecting at first, I would style characterize this as a film that the family can enjoy together, just not my family.
Sir Lionel Frost (Hugh Jackman) is an adventurer determined to take his place amongst a society of distinguished gentlemen. However, given his adventures to discover mythical creatures usually yield no irrefutable proof, he is considered a mockery and not granted access to the level of status he desperately seeks. After his latest adventure proves as fruitless as the others, he receives a letter revealing the existence of another fabled creature known as Sasquatch. His peers immediately disregard his claims as false, especially Lord Piggot-Dunceby (Stephen Fry), Sir Frost’s biggest detractor. A wager between the two men is struck: if Sir Frost can bring back proof of the creature’s existence, he will be granted access into the society of “great men.” As Sir Frost begins his journey, Lord Piggot Dunceby plots to rid himself of Sir Frost altogether.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by John Delia on July 27th, 2019
By Ian Delia
A good time to praise the lord just as many others have in the movie Breakthrough. A beautiful true story of young John, who fought for his life and the miracle brought through his belief in Christ. This movie shows the amazing things you can be blessed with with prayer and faith. Get ready to laugh and smile, but be prepared to cry your heart out with sweet tears. I suggest bringing tissues with you; bring a lot. Young John (Marcel Ruiz) was an orphan since he was an infant. He never knew his mother and always wondered why she gave him up. As a five-month-old baby he was adopted by a loving family, the Smiths. The Smiths, Joyce and Brian, are a very religious family. Joyce runs a bible study, and John is in a Christian school Living Word Christian School in his hometown of St. Charles. John plays basketball at his school, and he’s a very good player, even though the film shows he acted up quite a bit. John doesn’t do assignments, starts fights with others, and doesn’t really care too much about school. John hasn’t given himself to the lord as his adopted parents wish he would. He didn’t really believed in our lord and savior, until the lord shed the light upon John and saved him from the grave.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 2nd, 2019
"I don't wanna be buried in a pet sematary."
It's an inescapable fact of life that some things get lost in translation. Italian poetry loses its imagery. War And Peace is apparently much more compelling in Tolstoy's original Russian. And I've been told that Abbott & Costello is painful when told secondhand. You can add to that axiom that Stephen King really doesn't translate very well on the silver screen. The notable exceptions are films based on non-horror works like The Shawshank Redemption and the barely-horror-related Stand By Me. Both are wonderful films that manage to capture King's knack for the absurd in everyday life. While some consider Kubrick's The Shining a classic, you'll find just as many King fans who hated it, "Here's Johnny", and all of that. I've read most of Stephen King's books and a couple of them multiple times. Pet Sematary is one of my favorites, and I've read it at least three times. When the 1989 film was released, I was eager to see it. That was a mistake, but an even bigger mistake was made by all involved in what was essentially a mess. I blame Denise Crosby, but then again I blame Denise Crosby for hurricanes and urban blight. I don't blame Fred Gwynne. He was the only part of that film that reminded me even remotely of the printed word. Now writers Matt Greenberg & Jeff Buhler join directors Kevin Lolsch & Dennis Widmyer in a remake that while not the disaster of the 1989 film still fails to capture the imaginative prose of the novel. I think it's a translation thing.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by John Delia on June 17th, 2019
"There are thousands of miles of tunnels beneath the continental United States. Abandoned subway systems, unused routes and deserted mine shafts. Many have no known purpose at all."
A very creepy, violent, and disturbing film, Us, enters theaters, and it’s probably going to be there for some time. Not only is the plot haunting and filled with terror; the acting that makes it work is superb under the guidance of Jordan Peele who gave us the film Get Out. Adding more to the potentially Oscar-worthy film is the dank and fear-inducing cinematography with a soundtrack to match. If you like your horror nonstop, then Us is for you.
