“Welcome back to Jumanji!”

It would seem that welcoming the audience back to the jungle is in order. Now here is a sequel that when I heard it was being made, all I could do was shake my head. I just couldn’t fathom a reason for a sequel to be made. The film was already a continuation of the previous installment. I also couldn’t fathom a worthwhile story being told. And if it wasn’t for the hard work of Jack Black, who basically made the movie, I believe that my opinion would not have been changed otherwise. After barely escaping the game the first time, the group finds themselves drawn back into the world of Jumanji in order to save one of their own. However, the stakes are higher, as not only is the gang venturing into brand new territory; they are hampered due to being saddled with two new players in the form of franchise newcomers Danny DeVito and Danny Glover. The previews did not do the film justice, as it truly turned out to be far better than I was initially anticipating. It does get a bit long-winded, but for the most part it is a good, fun, and funny return to the established universe.

Bombshell is a dramatization of the real-life scandal that occurred at broadcast news giant Fox News in 2016, where multiple women came forward to report incidents of sexual harassment, many of which involving the chairman and CEO of the company, Roger Ailes. This is an event that I’m sure everyone had some awareness of back then, and if you didn’t, you know about the events involving Weinstein. In regards to this film, it is told from the prospective of three women who were employed at Fox News: Megyn Kelly, played by Charlize Theron, Gretchen Carlson, played by Nicole Kidman, and Kayla Pospisil, played by Margot Robbie. Unlike Theron’s and Kidman’s characters, Robbie’s character is actually a composite character based on accounts of multiple women. In addition to these talented women, this film has someone recognizable names that it would take me the length of this entire review for me to record them all, but I will give you a few of the most prominent cast members: John Lithgow, who portrayed Ailes, Malcolm McDowell as Rupert Murdoch, and Kate McKinnon, who played a friend and confidant to Robbie’s character. The list literally does go on and on. I can honestly say that I did not expect to see so many recognizable faces, but I suppose that speaks to the cultural relevance of this movie, as it tackles the idea of sexual harassment in the workplace and the pressures that victims find themselves under, as well as the potential ramifications of reporting it, no matter how tragic it may be that they face such consequences in the first place.

One of the things I really liked about this movie is the multiple layers, as it displays three women, all of whom face this issue and struggle to figure out how to handle the situation and how to cope afterwards. Theron’s character finds herself between a rock and a hard place. Despite having to ward off Ailes’ advances early in her career, she has managed to thrive at the network, and when the allegations come to light, she’s put under immense pressure by the network to defend the chairman. All of this coming not long after another public battle with the then presidential candidate Donald Trump. After barely surviving that very public ordeal where she found her private life brought into the public view, she wants nothing more than to stay out of the matter. Theron does a good job of humanizing Kelly, despite her initial inaction, and actually becomes the character who propels the story as she goes on her own search for the truth.

A sure sign that Easter is just around the corner is yet another home video release of perennial seasonal favorite The Ten Commandments. In years past, we got the multi-disc edition, complete with original silent version of the film. This particular version is rather more stripped down, as far as features go, but it does mark the film’s re-release on Blu-ray. It's a collector's item kind of package with the discs arriving in a book form that isn't quite that full of info but looks kind of nice. The set includes the exact same discs and extras as the original Blu-ray release offered. On the surface this looks like one to avoid if you already have the previous release. But they baited the hook with more than fancy packaging. You get the original DeMille 1923 version of the film, and that's quite a good reason to pick this up. I'm disappointed that there's no 4K version of the film. It was originally shot in 70mm, and a restored 4K disc could look incredible. Maybe next Easter.

The first act of Cecil B. DeMille’s epic is as much a tale of Egyptian power politics as it is the story of a man coming to terms with his identity and destiny. We follow Moses (Charlton Heston) as, rising from triumph to triumph, he has the throne of Egypt within his grasp (much to the displeasure of Yul Brynner, the Pharaoh’s actual son and rival for the affections of the sinuous Anne Baxter), only to lose all worldly power when he realizes he is actually the son of Hebrew slaves. Cast out of Egypt, he returns to demand the liberty of his people, and comes clutching a fistful of plagues to make sure his former brother pays heed.

The notion that there are two sides to every story is at the center of The Affair. Almost every episode depicts the same events related to the titular adulterous relationship from two different perspectives. It’s an ingenious and inclusive storytelling tool, because TV viewers are encouraged to spot the differences in each character’s account of events. (Along with inconsistencies in hairstyles, wardrobe, wallpaper, etc.) That’s why I was somewhat disheartened by the latter portion of the season veering away from what made the show great.

– “Marriage means different things to different people.”