Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on February 28th, 2018
I have to start by talking about the mustache. You’ve probably already seen the outrageous facial hair Kenneth Branagh rocks as Hercules Poirot, the brilliant Belgian detective who appeared in 33 Agatha Christie novels (including 1934’s Murder on the Orient Express). But it is truly a sight to behold on the big screen! Up close, it looks like a fake, ridiculously twirly mustache has been layered on top of an even longer fake, ridiculously twirly mustache. I bring this up because the two things that truly separate this sumptuous, all-star take on Poirot’s most famous case from previous (and superior) adaptations are the film’s eye-popping production values and…well, Branagh’s mustache.
“My name is Hercule Poirot, and I am probably the greatest detective in the world.”
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on February 25th, 2018
"Welcome to game night".
Everybody loves playing games. OK, most people like playing games. Friends have been getting together for game nights since there have been games. From the couples’ bridge days of the 1950's to poker night with the guys, most of us have gotten together to play some kind of a game with friends. The thing about games is that they're frivolous. Playing games with some buddies is a good excuse to kill a few hours, maybe have a few drinks. You're not solving the world's problems, and it's usually just a simple night of entertainment. The same can be said for New Line Cinema's Game Night starring Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams, and Kyle Chandler. It's not an important film, and it isn't going to go down in the books as a timeless classic. It's a chance to get together with a few of our own friends and spend about 100 minutes or so having a few laughs and taking a break from all of those problems we're not solving. It wouldn't hurt to pick up an extra large tub of popcorn. Yeah, it'll kill you, but then you won't have so many of those problems, right?
Posted in: The Reel World by Brent Lorentson on February 24th, 2018
Going into Annihilation a couple days ago I had only seen the trailer once but was excited for it based on the strength of Alex Gardner’s first directorial effort Ex Machina. The film is based on a series of books that I had never read, and from what I understand the film takes many liberties with the storyline and characters. As his sophomore effort behind the camera, there were high expectations for what Garland would do, and the result I believe is one of the most divisive films I’ve seen in a while. This is the kind of film that gets me excited for the future of cinema, not just because I loved the film, but I love the conversation it can provoke with other filmgoers.
The film has a non-linear narrative; really, this is my only complaint, since it opens virtually where our story is nearing its end. While I usually don’t have a problem with this kind of storytelling, I’m annoyed by it this time around, because all the suspense around the survival of our lead is stripped away. The film still manages to squeeze in some head-spinning surprises at the end, so I can easily put my one measly complaint aside.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on February 24th, 2018
With the success of The Revenant, it shouldn’t be a surprise that other survival films would follow in its wake. At first glance when I came across Walking Out, I didn’t expect much and figured it would be nothing more than a halfhearted attempt to capitalize on the success of The Revenant. I couldn’t have been more wrong. What Walking Out brings to the table is a heartfelt tale of survival for a father and son, yet instead of focusing on the bleak conditions in the mountains of Montana, the focus is rather on the bond the two are attempting to develop. With a beautiful landscape as the backdrop of the film, it’s easy to see how Cal (Matt Bomer) could fall in love with his home and want to share it with his son. David (Josh Wiggins) lives in Texas and is only able to make the trip out to see his father once a year, and it’s when David is fourteen that Cal has a special hunting trip planned out. From the start it’s obvious the two don’t share much of a bond, though Cal is trying the best he can to show his son that there is more to life than his cell phone. Cal has fond memories of going out hunting with his father (Bill Pullman), and we see many of these memories in flashbacks.
The relationship between Cal and David is touching, and for some I can see where this film can possibly hit close to home as we begin to see that Cal’s fear and frustration is that his son really doesn’t know him. And just as we are seeing a bond growing between the two, this is when disaster strikes, and David is put into the position of having to save himself and his father. As an audience member we go from not thinking much of this teenager to rooting for him to manage to pull off the impossible and get the two to safety.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 22nd, 2018
"Maybe we could use a dad's night out."
Let me begin this review by stating that I did not see the first Daddy's Home film. There are pros and cons to that situation. I'm not really in a good position to judge the film's value or quality as a sequel, and I wasn't familiar with any of these characters when I started to watch the film. It does, however put me in a good place to evaluate this film on its own merits. Is it the kind of sequel that functions as a standalone film, or will you be lost from the start with no chance to catch up? I'm happy to say that I never felt like I was at a disadvantage. Yeah, there were moments where I felt like I wasn't part of the inside joke, but those moments are actually quite rare. I was able to enjoy this one just fine. The relationships were a bit confusing when it came to which kid really belonged to which parents, and some of that I never completely sorted out. The performances allowed me to get at what kind of characters the leads were from the beginning. I might have been the new "in-law" invited to this family's holidays for the first time, but that doesn't mean I didn't manage to have a lot of fun along the way.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on February 22nd, 2018
The days of drive-in cinema and grindhouse pictures are all part of a bygone era, where the films were fearless and took chances with their subject matter. Now films seemed to be made so carefully as to not offend anyone. When it comes to Macon County Line, as much as it is a staple of its time, it’s hard to imagine this film being made today. It’s a film that’s a blend of two genres. It’s a road film, but because of the location and characters, it’s also a good ol’ boy picture. So how does this drive-in classic fare on Blu-ray? Despite having a runtime of 88 minutes, the story doesn’t rush into anything but instead lets us get to know the two brothers Chris (Alan Vint) and Wayne Dixon (Jesse Vint) who are on a quick joyride before they enlist in the military. Whether they are hooking up with married women or doing a quick dine-and-dash for breakfast, the boys seem to always be on the run from something, whether it’s an angry husband or the police. The Dixon brothers are far from your hardened criminals, but instead just a pair of guys enjoying their last days as civilians in 1954 Louisiana. Along the way they pick up Jenny (Cheryl Waters) a beautiful young hitchhiker the boys vie for affection over, but it never gets all that serious, because they know they don’t have much time left before they enlist.
The chemistry between the brothers is easy to see since they are brothers in real life, but the fun doesn’t last for long once Sheriff Reed Morgan (Max Baer) crosses their path.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Dan Holland on February 22nd, 2018
I always have a significant degree of excitement when watching a film that takes place in Florida, especially when it is filmed in a place I either live or have lived. The Punisher (2004) was filmed in downtown Tampa, and Miami Connection (1987) in downtown Orlando and the University of Central Florida’s campus. To further explain this excitement, I even waited till 3 AM on a busy street in Seminole Heights, Tampa, hoping to get a chance to see a part of The Infiltrator (2016) when they began filming here. Inoperable does indeed take place in the Tampa area of Florida, but you really only come to understand that through the dialog. For all the audience knows, we could just be being told that we are in Florida, and we would be none-the-wiser. While that doesn’t take away my enjoyment from the film, it certainly would have helped if it actually looked like Tampa.
The film takes place in a hospital while a large hurricane is happening outside (so realistically, the one thing that lets us know it is Florida is the impending threat of inclement weather). While in the hospital, Amy (Danielle Harris) is plagued by a series of nurses and doctors assaulting her, the sight of grotesque surgical experiments, and of course a time loop so that her experiences are repeated, adding to the nightmare. So, imagine Groundhog Day, but with less Bill Murray and more gory scenes. While trapped in this time loop, she meets Ryan and Jen, who learn they are trapped in the loop as well. Together, the group discover clues that might help them escape.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Dan Holland on February 22nd, 2018
Neo-Liberalism is a concept that was introduced to me in 2014 while I was in graduate school. In an effort not to bore the reader and save my own amateur understanding from ridicule, I will not discuss the philosophical musings at length. However, I will briefly offer what I take to be the “important things to know” for reading this review. Essentially, Neo-Liberalism began as an economic ideology favoring policies that allow private businesses to function while uninhibited by the government. Then, from about the 1970’s onward, Western scholars brought popularity back to the term, allowing it to take on the characteristics of a catch-all term that ranges from economic structure, to economic philosophy, to academic discourse.
Much more can be said about the concept, but I will leave the learning up to you. David Harvey’s A Brief History of Neoliberalism is an excellent starting point, and that is where I dove in about four years ago. However, this text is a film review, leaving me the responsibility to deliver a fair, evaluative assessment of the documentaries Encirclement and Oncle Bernard. So the question becomes: how can you make a documentary about such a complex philosophy whose very meaning has evolved over time? The short answer is, through extensive interviews with notable interdisciplinary academics about the expansive topic. Plus, the topic is still unable to be covered to completion within the two hours and forty minutes it was cut into.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on February 21st, 2018
If The Wire isn't the greatest television show of all time, it's certainly in the conversation. That landmark HBO series was created by David Simon, who took a journalistic and novelistic approach in telling the story of a decaying city (Baltimore) and its various institutions. Now, Simon has teamed up with crime novelist George Pelecanos for The Deuce, which takes a similarly 360-degree approach in examining Times Square in the early 1970s and the evolution of the porn industry. Capturing every facet of that time and place doesn't just mean that The Deuce depicts the lives of pimps, prostitutes, and police officers. It also means the show is alternately thought-provoking, tragic and darkly funny.
“You got some pimp in you.”
Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by J C on February 20th, 2018
I know Father's Day isn't until June, but we don't feel like waiting around that long to celebrate. For this week's Round Up, we're moving the paternal holiday up by a few months in honor of the UHD release of Paramount's Daddy's Home 2 (4K). But wait there's more! Check back at the end of the week to get our take on a pair of theatrical releases: Natalie Portman ventures into dangerous territory in Annihilation, while Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams try to survive a raucous Game Night.
Before you run off until next week, here's 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!
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