Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on January 2nd, 2017
Since we are knee-deep into the holidays, it would only be fitting to discuss the independent horror film Never Open the Door; after all it takes place on Thanksgiving Day. It’s a shame we don’t have more horror films to watch during turkey day, but for some this new title may be a nice fit to change all that. When I picked up the title I hadn’t heard a peep about it, but I’m a sucker for horror, and seeing that it was shot in B&W just made it all the more enticing. Now, when I watch a title like this, one thing has to work. It has to have a story that engages me; story is what matters with these smaller films, because the budgets tend to not have room for big makeup FX or big-name actors. The limitations placed upon the filmmakers seem to force their hand and have them get more creative with the execution of scenes, whether this means creative camera work or unique storytelling. Many of my favorite directors came from shoestring budget beginnings: Peter Jackson, Sam Raimi, and Kevin Smith, to name a few. So is the next up-and-coming directing star putting his goods on display here?
It’s Thanksgiving, and a group of friends have gotten together to celebrate by making a trip to a secluded cabin in the woods. While the dinner is going on, we get a perspective from outside of a man running through the woods. Most of this is through his POV, so there is plenty of shaky camera footage here; thankfully it’s not too bad. The dinner is interrupted by a knock on the door, Tess (Jessica Sonneborn) gets up to answer it and as a result has blood spat upon her from a stranger that falls to the ground giving an ominous warning about answering the door. There’s nothing new here, and we can pretty much telegraph what happens next; the problem is most viewers are not going to care.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Dan Holland on January 2nd, 2017
Road to the Well is about what you would expect from an independent thriller: atmospheric and character-driven, sporting a slow pace. While the pacing was indeed slow, it was most certainly deliberate and aided in the storytelling. I can’t necessarily say that I would watch the film again, but I can say I understand why it has won awards while on the festival circuit, especially given the fact that it is writer/director Jon Cvack’s first feature length film. It is a good movie. It satisfies. And even though good movies have their faults, Road to the Well succeeds in balancing its failures with tremendous amounts of successful feats.
Jack (Micah Parker), is a drifter who wanders into the town of his youth and starts to look up old friends. He convinces Frank (Laurence Fuller) to spend a night out with him, which ends in the murder of a prostitute. Together, the two strengthen their bond through the initial trauma and must make a series of difficult choices together in order to relieve themselves of the dead body. Along the way they encounter characters who add a unique flare to the story, including an intimidating seasoned military chaplain, played by Marshall R. Teague. With each new character comes a new set of choices, a subtle theme that is rather important to the development of each character.
Posted in: Contests by Gino Sassani on January 2nd, 2017
It's another huge bag of goodies from Magnolia. They've given me copies of the following titles on Blu-ray and DVD: The Last King. Imagine if Three Men and a Baby was remade with just two guys, a baby, a battle axe, and a bunch of arrows. Despite its exceedingly generic Americanized title, The Last King has a little something different to offer action-weary movie watchers. Then there is A War. This one is about a Danish commander and his weary, overwhelmed young soldiers fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan. Finally we have Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The True Story Of National Lampoon. That's six total winners for this contest. Odds look pretty good thanks to our Holiday heroes over at Magnolia Home Entertainment.
To win a copy of this prize, follow these instructions.
Posted in: Contests by Gino Sassani on January 1st, 2017
A huge collection of National Geographic television DVD sets. You get Mygrations Season 1, which follows a group of humans migrating across the Serengeti. In Return From The Dead Dr. Steven Laureys investigates death and the human brain. When Sharks Attack Season 3 continues to look into shark attacks across the world. Animals Gone Wild Season 3 takes us from jungles to the depths of the ocean where animals reveal fierce natures. Finally there's Missing Dial which looks into the case of Cody Roman Dial, who vanished in 2014. It's all going to one lucky winner thanks to Upcomingdiscs and Fox Home Entertainment.
To win a copy of this prize, follow these instructions.
Posted in: Contests by Gino Sassani on December 31st, 2016
A wonderful bag of vintage entertainment. One lucky winner is going to receive Bob Hope: Hope For The Holidays on DVD. It's the 1993 special where Bob Hope looks back at some of his classic holiday moments. You also get The Red Skelton Hour In Color. This 3 DVD set features full color episodes of the classic show. Guests include John Wayne and Mickey Rooney. Add Hee Haw Salute, which gives you another 3 DVD set this time featuring vintage moments from the old show featuring performances by Johnny Cash and Loretta Lynn. Finally, it's The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson Featuring Jerry Seinfeld. Catch some wonderful moments with Johnny and Jerry. It's where the star got his start. You get all of this free thanks to our wonderful friends at Time-Life.
To win a copy of this prize, follow these instructions.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on December 30th, 2016
It’s been just about four years since Savages (2012) hit the big screen. For me Savages was Oliver Stone simply having a blast, shooting an over-the-top action film fueled by sex, drugs, and violence. Now it seems Stone has stepped back into the paranoid, government-conspiracy form that he seems to be best known for with Snowden. Whether you view him as a traitor to the United States or a self-sacrificing lamb to expose the government and its illegal wiretapping, it’s a choice that is up to you going into this film. Personally, while I feel his intentions were good, still, he did betray his government and committed treason. What I had hoped with this film is that Oliver Stone would capture both sides of the coin, but as the title would suggest, Edward Snowden (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is front and center on this ride, and that’s not my only problem here.
When we first meet Snowden, he’s locked away in a Hong Kong hotel room getting ready to give an interview to two journalists, Glenn Greenwald (Zachary Quinto) and Ewan McAskill (Tom Wilkinson) along with documentarian Laura Poitras (Melissa Leo) to film the event. It’s this interview that sets up the rest of the film that is told mostly in flashback form. The dynamic of this opening sequence works so well simply because of the elevated bar of talent on the screen; it sets up for what one could only expect will be filled with snappy dialog exchanges as these figures discuss what Snowden is about to unleash to the world. Instead we get a whimper of what could have been.
Posted in: Contests by Gino Sassani on December 30th, 2016
Greenleaf Season 1 on Blu-ray. Greenleaf is a show that points out that even the most righteous and respected have their flaws, and we get a glimpse at how this family confronts these indiscretions for better or for worse. You can check out Brent's review Here. Then enter to win a copy for your family. Thanks to the happy elves over at Lionsgate.
To win a copy of this prize, follow these instructions.
Posted in: Contests by Gino Sassani on December 29th, 2016
Two titles on DVD. First up is Presenting Princess Shaw, the amazing story of struggling musician Princess Shaw, who made her dreams a reality by inspiring a Youtube star to work with her and change both of their lives. The second title is Sunset Song, based on the heartwarming novel by Lewis Grassic Gibbon. It tells the story of a young woman's struggles against the world of World War I Scotland. I have two copies of each film to give away thanks to our Holiday pals at Magnolia Home Entertainment.
To win a copy of this prize, follow these instructions.
Posted in: The Reel World by Brent Lorentson on December 28th, 2016
When the closing credits rolled the first time I saw this, I was stuck in my seat paying some attention to members of the cast and crew, but mostly I was sitting there in awe. I’m honestly struggling to think of a film that has affected me on the screen so deeply, and the closest I can get is The Shawshank Redemption. While I’ve certainly seen many good films over the years, and I’ve seen some I would even call great, La La Land is something more, something special that came along that achieved what few would even dare to believe. It is an achievement that writer and director Damien Chazelle deserves the many accolades that he will soon be showered with as we enter into the award season as 2016 comes to a close. Just what is it that he managed to capture? In my most humble opinion, he captured all that was and is great from the Golden Age of Hollywood. This is a film that opens the door to the past, to when greats like Humphrey Bogart, Gene Kelly, Ginger Rogers, and Fred Astaire were the giants of the silver screen, a time that it seems Hollywood has all but turned its back on and become an industry of making CGI cash-making franchises and neglecting what brought us to the theaters to begin with: to show us how to dream, and to not be afraid to dream big.
Our introduction into the film (proudly boasts to be shot in Cinemascope), brings us into gridlock Los Angeles traffic and without warning passengers exit their cars to perform the film’s opening number, “Another Day of Sun”. It’s a big number filled with dozens of performers singing and jumping from car to car as the camera moves beautifully between the performers. The color in all the costumes simply pops across the screen, and this is simply a taste of what’s to come.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on December 28th, 2016
Writer/director Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver and Auto Focus) has been a guy I can’t help but root for. His films are filled with the kind of raw grit that I like to see in films. His knack for shining a light onto the outlaws of society is something I don’t feel anyone does as well. Usually we see these characters celebrated, or simply put, they get the Hollywood treatment. Schrader seems to always go the other direction and depict them with an unflinching eye that captures the character with honesty and dignity, even as their lives tailspin into darkness. Dog Eat Dog may not be an original work by Schrader, but the film certainly carries many of the staples that embrace his celebration of the anti-hero while filming the manic insanity of the reality they live in.
The film opens up with our introduction to Mad Dog (Willem Dafoe) as he is nursing a drug binge at a girlfriend’s house. He’s begging for her help, and she reluctantly allows him to stay at least till morning. It’s not long after that the girlfriend regrets this decision, and as a result she and her daughter are brutally murdered by Mad Dog. The kinetic energy of this opening sequence is just a peek at the insane, dark, and brutal violence that is to follow.
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