Posted in: The Reel World by John Delia on April 13th, 2018
Bold and incredibly compelling, the movie Chappaquiddick is a “tell all” with a lot of authority. Much like last year’s The Post, it tells its story pulling no punches, playing out the characters and holding nothing back. Although I’m familiar with the incident, many of the facts were clouded, squashed, or lost due to current events at the time. If you liked The Post, then here’s a film that will enlighten you and make you cringe. In 1969 about one year after the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy while he was touring for votes to be nominated for President, his brother Ted Kennedy (Jason Clarke) was already thinking about his chance at the highest position in America. On the fateful night of July 18, however, things ran amok, taking him out of any chance for the Presidency.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 13th, 2018
When David Ayer's Suicide Squad film was released a couple of years ago, the reviews were certainly mixed. One of the biggest complaints from the diehard fans was that Warner opted for a PG-13 version of the film, which took away much of the edge of the material. One only need look at the success of Deadpool to understand that there is a place for a comic film that pushes envelopes and doesn't shy away from an R rating. It almost appears that the new Warner/DC animated feature film Suicide Squad: Hell To Pay would attempt to make up for that decision. This may very well be an animated "cartoon" film, but it's a hard-edged R-rated experience that doesn't shy away from brutality, blood, and violence.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by J C on April 13th, 2018
- “We’ll get another chance…to go home. It wasn’t the right time.”
- “What’s the right time?”
When The Americans received a two-season renewal back in 2016, the news was met with unanimous enthusiasm. Fans of FX’s acclaimed (but low-rated) spy drama were guaranteed two more years’ worth of stories, while TV critics applauded the fact that creator Joe Weisberg and Co. could carefully plot out their show’s endgame. That’s why it was a bit shocking — and more than a bit disappointing — to find that much of this fifth season felt like The Americans was saving all the good stuff for the end.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on April 13th, 2018
Lin Oeding has been involved with stunt work in film and TV for nearly two decades; it should come as no surprise that his first feature film would showcase some excellent stunt work throughout. Before Braven, I knew Jason Momoa had done work on Game of Thrones and had his bit as Aquaman in Justice League, but I had never gotten the chance to see him genuinely flex those acting muscles of his till now. I’m not about to say Momoa delivers a tour-de-force performance here, but it’s nice to see that he’s attempting to show a little range while beating up on the bad guys in the process. One would think the pairing of Oeding and Momoa would equal a surefire action hit, but instead we get an action film that unfortunately lacks any substance beyond some of its unique kills.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by John Delia on April 11th, 2018
by John Delia, Jr.
"Everyone has an act."
One man’s determination to rise from rags to riches helps find a place for the unwanted few. His strong desire to become someone special and with the ability to convince others to believe in his dream, P.T. Barnum creates history and the circus.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 11th, 2018
"Hey, it's Hannah... get a snack. Settle in because I'm about to tell you the story of my life. More specifically, why my life ended. But if you're listening to this tape, you're one of the reasons why."
13 Reasons Why started out as a novel in 2007. It didn't catch the world on fire and went largely unread until something appeared to cause the novel to pick up steam in 2011. It hit the New York Times Best Seller list and started to become a teen phenomenon around middle and high school campuses throughout the nation. If Harry Potter didn't provide enough proof that kids were still reading and doing it for their own enjoyment, this novel should do the job.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by J C on April 11th, 2018
“Did you hear what the teacher wants?”
We’ve all had that especially demanding teacher whose class we quietly dreaded. Yet instead of pushing her students toward academic excellence, the educator at the center of The Teacher is infinitely more interested in what her kids’ parents can do for her. This Czech/Slovak drama hints at some interesting points about compliance. But like a student — or perhaps even a certain movie reviewer — who uses too many flowery words before finally getting to the point…the movie ultimately can’t get out of its own way.
Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by J C on April 10th, 2018
Looks like the hellraising bad guys of DC’s Suicide Squad didn’t wreak quite enough havoc during their recent big screen debut. The butt-kicking, wisecracking villains are back this week — in animated form — thanks to Warner Bros.’ Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay (4K). Elsewhere, Lionsgate gets in on the action with Braven (starring Aquaman himself, Jason Momoa) and Western adventure Gone are the Days. Meanwhile, Paramount tries to find itself with Tad the Lost Explorer and the Secret King Midas and tokes up with the Cheech and Chong stoner classic Up in Smoke. Finally, Hugh Jackman and Co. sing and dance their way into our living room with Fox’s The Greatest Showman (4K).
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 Brent Lorentson on April 10th, 2018
When you are about to sit down for a comedy with Ed Helms and Owen Wilson, you pretty much know what you’re getting yourself into. Sometimes you just want to watch a movie for a few good laughs; then when it’s over, you return to your day-to-day routine. When it comes to Father Figures, the problem is that the film from the get-go is trying to get you to believe that Helms and Wilson could possibly be fraternal twins. Yeah, we’ve seen this before with the film Twins, only this time around we have a film about brothers attempting to overcome their differences as they work together to find their real father.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Dan Holland on April 10th, 2018
Cinema is a beautiful thing, and it is really special when a film can remind you of its beauty. So often are we blinded by genre conventions: we want to see the gore of horror, feel the laughter of comedy, or the tears of drama. Yes, the films we watch are all indeed beautiful in their own right, but not every film captures the pure essence of cinema. In Search of Fellini delivers that essence on all fronts, whether it be through cinematography, on-location shooting in Italy, stylistic editing, or the fantastic acting. Naming your film after a man who’s widely considered to be a master of his craft sets the bar of expectations very high by default, and this film cleared the hurdle with no problems.
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