Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by J C on July 18th, 2018
“Don't be jealous of a ghost.”
In Ismael's Ghosts, a French filmmaker's wife strolls back into his life 21 years after her sudden disappearance...much to the chagrin of the director and his current girlfriend. The tension created by the long-lost wife's return — combined with the question of where she's been and why she returned — is intriguing enough to carry this film. Unfortunately, Ismael's Ghosts is filled with way too many silly, half-baked tangents and ends up being as messy and frustrating as its main character.
Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by J C on July 17th, 2018
You’ve probably noticed that Upcomingdiscs HQ is already pretty canine-friendly, but this week’s Round Up has truly gone to the dogs. Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs (Blu-ray) arrives courtesy of Fox, and I'm sure your tails are wagging in anticipation of what we have to say. Meanwhile, big meets bigger in Warner Bros.’ Rampage (4K), starring Dwayne Johnson...and some even larger beasts. Finally, Shout! Factory is on its best behavior in order to get to The Good Place: Season 2.
But wait…there’s more! Denzel Washington returns to theaters as a badass avenging angel in The Sequelizer The Equalizer 2, and we’ll have a review posted later this week. And now it's time for your customary reminder: if you’re shopping for anything on Amazon and you do it through one of our links, it’ll help keep the lights on here at UpcomingDiscs. See ya next week!
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on July 14th, 2018
Dwayne Johnson appears to be a pretty busy guy. In addition to the HBO series Ballers about to enter its fourth season, Johnson puts out a couple or more films a year. We're not talking about small independent films, but rather huge high-budget and big f/x films. Next year will see Jungle Cruise and Jumanji 2, following with San Andreas 2, Suicide Squad 2, Black Adam and a remake of Big Trouble In Little China, all arriving in the next couple of years. This year saw Rampage, which comes to home video next week. It's a busy life for Dwayne Johnson, who appears to have dropped "The Rock" from his name. I sure hope it didn't hit anyone on the head. Now he's starring in Skyscraper, which shamelessly combines elements of Die Hard and The Towering Inferno. In Skyscraper, Johnson shows us that he's intent on hanging around for a while... this time from 220 stories high.
Posted in: The Reel World by Brent Lorentson on July 13th, 2018
In 2010 there was a little film called Winter’s Bone that came out; it didn’t make a splash at the box office, but it was one of the critical darlings of that year. For many it was the first time people got to see Jennifer Lawrence on screen, and it’s safe to say it is because of that film she is the star that she is today. I remember first seeing Winter’s Bone and being so floored by the film I immediately watched it again, and I had to know who it was that had directed the film. Debra Granik was the woman responsible for the film. It was a name I had never heard before, but it was one I’d be on the lookout for in the following years. Though she did a documentary between projects, it seems the wait is finally over as Leave No Trace is about to hit the big screen.
Posted in: The Reel World by Jeremy Butler on July 13th, 2018
So the director had my undivided attention until he went completely sideways. I mean, I was engaged; I was feeling the message behind the film. I found the characters to be original and the things that they had to say were unlike anything I had seen in recent years. Not to mention that opening scene was the perfect way to bring the audience into this world; and then it all came crashing down. Despite this disappointment, Sorry to Bother You remains among one of the most creative cinematic experiences that I had this year. I wanted very much to love the film, but sadly I can’t say that. I liked it a lot, especially the first half. It is the kind of film that was likely the gem of the film festival circuit. The number one slot of box office will be out of reach for it, though.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on July 13th, 2018
“This may very well be our last mission, Ethan…make it count.”
You wouldn’t know it from looking at him, but Tom Cruise was 53 years old when he did this film. So it’s only natural to wonder how many more Missions the indomitable superstar has left in him. Well, if Rogue Nation is any indication, the above quote is meant to be more winking than prophetic. Just like its tireless star, the fifth installment of the 19-year-old Mission: Impossible film franchise is spryer, tighter, and more energetic than its age might suggest with the sixth just about to drop at the box office
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on July 13th, 2018
No adults? Well, that must be every kid’s and teenager’s dream. No one to tell them what they can and can’t do, what to wear, or how late to stay out. Then again, I suppose if all the adults were transformed into mindless, violent zombies, that might put a damper on the festivities. I know it did for the group from Don’t Grow Up. For this group of juvenile delinquents, they are the last to know that the world as they know it has changed. One minute they are living it up, and the next they are fighting for their lives. Granted, production value is not of the highest caliber. The film more than makes up for it in an engaging story and not shying away from gore in this post-apocalyptic tale.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 12th, 2018
You might call me jaded, but I am pretty disappointed by the state of horror movies. It's not just the last few years. The truth is I haven't seen 10 really good horror movies in over a decade. Now that I've had a chance to see A Quiet Place, that number isn't going up. A Quiet Place is not a really good horror movie. It ends up making a lot of the same mistakes that filmmakers think define a horror film in the modern age. It relies too heavily on jump scares and characters who do some of the most idiotic things, thus placing them in a somewhat self-created dangerous situation. But I will make the argument that A Quiet Place is still a pretty good horror film because
Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by J C on July 10th, 2018
Shhhhhh…don’t make a sound. No, you didn’t wander into a library, but we are trying to keep things down this week at Upcomingdiscs HQ in honor of a certain surprise horror blockbuster. Paramount made a lot of noise with A Quiet Place in theaters, and we’ll soon have a review of the film in 4K. Elsewhere, Magnolia comes back to haunt us with Ismael’s Ghosts. There's also a pair of theatrical releases we'll be reviewing later in the week: Dwayne Johnson goes to great heights to entertain us in Skyscraper, while Sundance breakout Sorry to Bother You finds its voice.
One last reminder before signing off for the week: if you’re shopping for anything on Amazon and you do it through one of our links, it’ll help keep the lights on here at UpcomingDiscs. See ya next week!
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 9th, 2018
"The Secretary is dead. The President has invoked Ghost Protocol. We're shut down. No satellite, safe house, support, or extraction. The four of us and the contents of this car are all that remains of the IMF."
The fourth Mission: Impossible entry exchanges digits for a subtitle, and brings in Brad Bird to direct his first live-action feature. So the man whose The Incredibles made fun of the sort of thing that is the bread-and-butter of the M:I franchise is brought in to revitalize said franchise. Result? Job done. Gotcha. You thought I was going to say, “Mission accomplished,” didn’t you?
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