Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on April 16th, 2019
Back in 2015 when the prison escape took place in upstate New York, this was one of those news stories that kept me glued to my television, as I’m sure it did for countless others. As the story unfolded in front of news cameras, the story just got more scandalous, and as the days ticked by with the prisoners on the run, a part of me was sort of rooting for them. I know they’re felons, but seeing them manage to outmaneuver authorities and evade capture, it was sort of like rooting for the underdog, because most of the time these incidents don’t end well. It’s no surprise that Hollywood would latch onto this story, but what is surprising how well this Showtime mini-series turned out. With funny-man Ben Stiller at the helm, I was surprised to see that he was attached to direct this. He’s been successful behind the camera, and my favorite films of his have been Reality Bites and The Cable Guy. So how did the nearly 7 ½ hour series turn out?
The series opens up with Tilly Mitchell (Patricia Arquette) being questioned by New York State Inspector General Catherine Scott (Bonnie Hunt) in June of 2015. This was a bit of surprise that they would chose this moment to open up the series, but this is for the most part Tilly’s story. You’d want to believe this is a falling-from-grace story and that she was simply conned by these prison inmates, but as you’ll see, Tilly is no saint. Arquette is almost unrecognizable beneath the makeup, the accent and weight gain for the role. This performance goes to show that Boyhood was no fluke and that she is one of the best actresses working today. Things then shift back to January, and we meet inmates Richard Matt (Benicio Del Toro) and David Sweat (Paul Dano). They are in neighboring cells and also work together in a tailor shop at the prison that Tilly happens to oversee.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 16th, 2019
The Donovan family has been a prominent part of the Showtime lineup for six years now. What started as a series about a fixer didn't quite remain that way for long. The stories very quickly focused on this rather dysfunctional family, and we appear to love our dysfunctional families in movies and television. Most are awkwardly dysfunctional without a lot of heart, and Ray Donovan was certainly heading in that direction before the fifth season took us on one of the best emotional rollercoaster rides in the business. For me that season and the death of the family matriarch changed the stakes and the center for each of the characters. Abby was the thing that held this family together no matter how twisted things got. So we ended up with what I consider the best season of the show to date. So where did we go from there, you might ask. You don't have to. Showtime has released the complete 6th season of Ray Donovan on DVD, and now you can find out for yourself. Here's my take.
When a family loses its center, things tend to unravel a bit. That's not quite how it works with this family. They've been unraveling since the first episode, and let's be perfectly honest here, a long time before we first met them. It's more than that. Ray is at rock bottom over Abby's death and finds himself in New York, where coincidentally other members of the family have migrated from L. A. He's saved by a down-on-his-luck cop, played by The Wire's own Herc, Domenick Lombardozzi. He ends up bringing Ray home, and the two share each other's misery for a while. But what Ray is truly avoiding more than his own grief is working for the powerful woman Samantha Winslow, played just as powerfully by Susan Sarandon. She's really the female version of Ray in many ways. She uses people, and she's very used to getting her way. What she wants is Ray's help to assist her in obtaining a private prison and its lucrative property. The first stage of that plan brings Ray into the world of politics, where he works to fix the New York City mayoral campaign for newcomer Anita Novak, played by Lola Glaudini. But Ray can't help shooting himself in the foot and ends up on a cycle of changing sides to the point everyone hates him, and it costs him and those close to him dearly.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on April 16th, 2019
When it comes to Robert Zemeckis films, you never know what you’re going to get. Like most, I’m a fan of his Back to the Future trilogy, and then there is Who Framed Roger Rabbit that to this day I feel is his best work. While he’s churned out many good films, there are films of his that I’m simply not a fan of. Forrest Gump happens to be one of those films. For the most part he makes audience-friendly films, but what I’ve always admired about the guy is how he’s always attempting to integrate new technology into his films. Zemeckis has become one of the pioneers of motion-capture technology. Ever since The Polar Express (2004), he’s been making improvements with the technology, and now with Welcome to Marwen, it is stunning to see just how far he has come.
The funny thing about Welcome to Marwen is that it may be one of the biggest-budget art films produced in a long time. Though the film is very much in tone with Zemeckis’s style, at the same time there is enough quirkiness in the characters and story that it may be a bit jarring for some. Because of this, it’s no surprise that it will have a divided audience that will love or hate this film.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on April 9th, 2019
It’s been expected that Season 10 of Archer would be the last one. With Fox recently putting out the 9th season Archer: Danger Island, it’s giving fans a chance to catch up before Sterling Archer (voiced by H. John Benjamin) sets off on his final adventure. There are still plenty of questions left unsolved from Season 7, and if you were hoping Danger Island would help fill in the blanks, well, sorry to disappoint; instead, season 9 gives us something completely new that I enjoyed, though I have to admit it left me scratching my head for where things may be going.
Season 9 takes us to a little island in the South Pacific named Mitimotu in 1939 just before the second World War is about to kick off. In this timeline, Sterling is a one-eyed seaplane pilot who works for his mother, Mallory (Jessica Walter). Sterling wakes up in bed with the newly wedded Cheryl (Judy Greer). No, Archer and Cheryl are not married; instead she is wed to a treasure-hunting Nazi named Fuchs (Chris Parnell). For those who were wondering, Pam Poovey (Amber Nash) is around as Sterling’s co-pilot, and I have to admit she was my favorite part about this season. The one oddball addition to these characters is yet another familiar voice: Lucky Yates, who this season is playing a talking parrot (well, macaw) that can say more than just a few words and in fact enjoys bantering with the characters over the course of the season.
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on April 6th, 2019
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 every day 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.
The story is essentially the same. The Creed family moves to rural Maine from the hectic big-city life. It's a wonderful a scenic home... well... except for that small rural road where oil tankers go flying by like bats out of hell. It all starts when little kitty Church is the first to meet a tanker head on. Spoiler alert! Church loses that one. Friendly Neighborhood Jud, this time played by John Lithgow, offers some homely advice. You see, there's this ancient Pet Sematary (yeah, the kids spelled it wrong) where the town's kids have been burying their Fidos for generations that just so happens to be part of the new Creed family estate. But just beyond said resting place is an extra special place where buried things come back. Jud just can't stand to see the Creed kids crying over poor old Church, so he lets slip to Dad Louis (Clarke) about the section with the extra secret sauce. Church comes back from the dead, but he ain't quite right. He smells funny. His fur is matted. Oh, and there's the psycho-killer new 'tude. OK as far as it goes. But you know the rest of the story. One of the young Creed rug rats has one of those tanker meetings, and Louis decides it's a good idea to try the same thing on said deceased child. It all goes downhill from there.
Posted in: The Reel World by Jeremy Butler on April 5th, 2019
Zachary Levi is every geek’s dream come true, becoming a superhero as he takes on the mantle of Shazam. I am not well versed with this hero, but it is safe to say that he is not someone to discount, having an impressive number of abilities that put him in the same league as a superhero. Going in, I was not expecting a lot from this film, as the previews made it seem very silly and without substance. However, I can honestly say that the previews did not do this film justice. Thanks to lively performances by Levi as well as his counterpart Asher Angel, much needed comic relief from Jack Dylan Grazer, and a surprise star-studded twist toward the film’s climax, Shazam is the film to see this weekend.
Billy Batson has spent his teenage years searching for his mother after being separated at a carnival when he was a young child. Determined to be reunited, he has run away an impressive 26 times as well as sought out every Rachel Batson in Philadelphia. After his latest search brings him in direct conflict with local law enforcement, he is sent to a group home run by two former wards of the state. There he meets Freddy, a disabled foster kid with a love of superheroes.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 5th, 2019
Ever since I was a kid I used to love to hear and read stories about the iconic filmmakers from the days before I was born. I soaked up material on John Ford and Hitchcock. Fritz Lang and James Whale were superhuman, it seemed. Meeting Robert Wise was a dream come true, and getting an invitation by Ray Harryhausen himself to attend his Hollywood star ceremony was an honor. But all of these folks were either already gone or at the end of their careers by the time I got to this planet. Since that time there have been plenty of great talents, but the only one in my lifetime who ever seemed to live up in that rarified air was Clint Eastwood. As both an actor and director, I'm not sure anyone has made more of a mark during my generation. Clint's approaching 90, and reality dictates that his days of directing movies are coming to a close. As an actor every film has the potential to be his last. So I have to ask myself why Warner Brothers would give this potential swansong such unfair treatment. Critics were not given a chance to attend screenings when the film came out. As a voting member of SEFCA, I received over 150 films for awards consideration as 2018 came to a close. None of them happened to be The Mule. When I asked a Warner rep about the slight, I was admonished to forget about the film and just move on. I was even told by a SEFCA co-member that I shouldn't be so greedy for screeners. I'm not ordinarily a conspiracy nut. But something doesn't pass the sniff test here, and after finally seeing the film in 4K, I'm convinced of it.
The Academy Awards are no longer what they once were. What used to be an extraordinary celebration of the art of film and filmmaking is now a political rally. I suspect the "powers that be" didn't want Clint Eastwood anywhere near that political rally. He's got nothing to lose at this point, and I don't think he's the kind of guy to just shut up and take it. I can't prove any of this, of course. And I might even catch some flack for proposing the idea. But if it's true, there are a lot of folks who should be ashamed of themselves. Warner Brothers bears the greatest shame, if true. I doubt anyone has made as much money for Warner over the years than Clint Eastwood and he's owed better treatment. This is not about my or anyone's political beliefs, but about a legend who won't be here for decades to come, and it's unfortunate if the fact his politics don't align with the Hollywood establishment caused this movie to be treated like the crazy uncle you lock away in the attic when company comes. 'Nuff said.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by John Delia on April 4th, 2019
by John Delia, Jr.
The world of the Transformers is back with more action, adventure, and science fiction fun for everyone. The most-loved Autobot from this world has a history that explains where these troubled characters all began. As the battle of Cybertron comes to a conclusion, the Autobots make their move to flee from the Decepticons to an unknown location to later meet up and regroup. Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) tells B-127/Bumble Bee (Dylan O’Brien) that he must flee and head to Earth and hide until it is safe to meet up again. Once on Earth, Bumble Bee must find a place to be unnoticed. He must find a secure safe location for his fellow Autobots and defend Earth until Optimus Prime returns. During his landing on Earth, he encounters a team of soldiers training for battle called Sector 7. This team, led by Agent Jack Burns (John Cena), fear for their lives when the capsule transporting B-127 crashes in the forest nearly on top of his team.
Posted in: Blu Ray, No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 3rd, 2019
"One night will remind you how we touched and went our separate ways"
There's a Chinese proverb that says a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. In rock "n" roll history that proverb is a little different, and it goes something like, “A Journey into the Rock "n" Roll Hall Of Fame starts with a dozen hit songs.” And that's exactly where Journey landed in 2017 after kicking the year off with a return to one of the first arenas to hear those hits 35 years earlier. In 2017 Journey was inducted into that Hall Of Fame and played two sold-out nights at the Budokan in Japan where the band first debuted the hit songs from their 8th and first hit album, Escape. Eagle Rock Entertainment was there for the band's triumphant return where the band played both the albums Escape and Frontiers in their entirety for the first and only time in the band's history. If you're a Journey fan, you're going to want to get your hands on this one.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on April 2nd, 2019
As one might guess from my film reviewing resume, I watch a lot of Asian movies. Unfortunately, judging by the same resume, it would appear that most of that is anime and drama. But in my spare time, I do watch a lot of popular Asian cinema, especially with the likes of Donnie Yen or Jing Wu. In addition to contemporary favorites, I certainly have not forgotten the roots of martial art cinema in the likes of Bruce Lee and others. Well, today I received a box set featuring one of the legends of Asian cinema: Shin'ichi Chiba, better known to most American audiences as the one and only Sonny Chiba. That set of films would be of course, The Street Fighter Collection. Let us take a look.
The Street Fighter begins with Tateki Shikenbaru (played by Masashi Ishibashi) in a jail cell, a murderer about to be executed for his crimes. He is visited by a Buddhist monk who is presumably there to give him his last rites. That's no monk, but he might be there to give him his last rites. His name is Takuma Tsurugi (played by Sonny Chiba), karate man for hire, and he takes out Shikenbaru with a special punch that throws him into a coma. As the convict is rushed to the hospital, Tsurugi and his faithful sidekick Rakuda (played by Goichi Yamada) free him and send him off to Hong Kong.
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