Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on August 5th, 2019
I think most men as they take on the journey from boys to men usually encounter a fascination with an older woman. Usually it's nothing more than an infatuation, an impossible ideal that even the woman herself can't live up to. But the ideal of what we think of her is important to our growth and vital to exploring our feelings. In our film, Penguin Highway, we meet a boy who becomes fascinated with an older woman named Onee-San. However, the mysteries surrounding this lady are numerous and turn this common coming-of-age story into something extraordinary. Let us take a look.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on August 1st, 2019
When it comes to Body At Brighton Rock, there was an opportunity for this to be something pretty awesome. After all, when you think about it, only a few years ago The Revenant was showing just how great a film can be about surviving in the wilderness and how intense a bear attack can be. Well, to be fair, I don’t believe Body At Brighton Rock was aiming to be in the same ballpark of The Revenant, but as I was watching this, it was difficult to not think about what could have been. Really, the film is a simple little tale about a state park employee who gets lost in the woods and stumbles upon a dead body in the process. It’s a good start for the film, but sadly this turns into a bit of a snooze-fest despite some spurts of promise.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on August 1st, 2019
With a title like Hail Satan? you know your film is going to evoke a reaction. I’m not sure when doing a documentary you really want to polarize your audience, but when you also have DVD cover art of Baphomet, well, then you’re basically taking the ram (in this case) by the horns and just going for it. One of the core subjects the documentary is covering is about the freedom of expression in regards to having a Baphomet statue erected to stand next to a statue depicting the 10 commandments on government property. It’s a film that does its best to stay neutral when it comes to religious freedom but in the process becomes a bit problematic for both sides of the debate. This is one where it got a little frustrating to watch, but I was impressed by how entertained I was throughout it all.
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.
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 Brent Lorentson on July 19th, 2019
Warner Brothers has done an impressive job when it comes to their live-action DC Universe television shows. Arrow, The Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow have been fun, entertaining experiences. Now with them starting up their own streaming service, they have upped the ante by releasing Titans. When I first heard about this one I wasn’t sure what to think, considering I wasn’t much of a fan of the animated series, but I’m so glad I came into this show with an open mind, because this show is jam-packed with coolness. Since this was made for a streaming service and not broadcast television, not only do we get superheroes dropping F-bombs, but we get some edgier storytelling along with some violent action you may not expect. Seriously, this one is not for the kids. The show introduces us to Dick Grayson, aka Robin ( Brenton Thwaites) a year after he has fled Gotham City and has moved to Detroit to become a detective. It doesn’t take long before we find out he’s made the move from being Batman’s sidekick because he’s started to develop a taste for dispensing violence and is worried about what he could become. Don’t worry; he’s still down for inflicting some vigilante justice, but we see it comes at a price over the course of the season.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 17th, 2019
Criminal Minds is about to enter its 15th and final season, and unlike some of the other long-running shows on CBS, this one has had a fair share of bad luck. Cast members have gone, and even returned after a couple of years. Two years ago the show's top star gets fired for physically threatening people on the set. The series has had two attempts to spin off, but unlike CSI or NCIS, neither show could get out of its second year alive. Not even Gary Sinise could save the franchise. The mothership is finally about to land, and the 14th season would become the most stable season in a few years. No new cast members, and no one left the show from the previous year. The 14th season was a shortened one that only came in at 15 episodes, but they made the most out of each of them. The show started the season with their 300th episode, and while it's all coming to an end after the upcoming 15th season, there's still a little life left in the show to be worth another look here.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 12th, 2019
"After the bridges blew and the government declared Gotham off-limits the city was up for grabs. Given over to criminals and murderers. Now territory is controlled by whoever has enough power to hold it. I mean we have Penguin in City Hall for God's sakes..."
Gotham City. You know the name, just as you know the names of Metropolis and Smallville. These are important places in the DC comics universe that have existed as part of modern American mythology since the 1930's. Warner Brothers has decided to tackle Gotham in much the way it spent 10 years bringing us to Smallville. But there is a decided difference to be found here. Smallville was indeed the origin story of Superman, and while the obvious answer might be that Gotham serves the same role for Batman, I found that to be a bit of an oversimplification. This is not the origin story for Batman, and while many of the future major villains from that universe take their first baby steps here, this is not their origin story either.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 12th, 2019
"Once upon a time in a faraway land, there was a tiny kingdom: peaceful, prosperous, and rich in romance and tradition. Here, in a stately chateau, there lived a widowed gentleman, and his little daughter, Cinderella. Although he was a kind and devoted father, and gave his beloved child every luxury and comfort, still, he felt she needed a mother's care. And so he married again, choosing for his second wife, a woman of good family, with two daughters just Cinderella's age, by name, Anastasia and Drizella. It was upon the untimely death of this good man, however, that the stepmother's true nature was revealed: cold, cruel, and bitterly jealous of Cinderella's charm and beauty, she was grimly determined to forward the interests of her own two awkward daughters. Thus, as time went by, the chateau fell into disrepair, for the family fortunes were squandered upon the vain and selfish stepsisters while Cinderella was abused, humiliated, and finally forced to become a servant in her own house. And yet, through it all, Cinderella remained ever gentle and kind, for with each dawn she found new hope that someday her dreams of happiness would come true."
Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs put the Walt Disney Studios on the map. It's a literal truth.
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