Archive Page 250
November 20th, 2016 by Aaron Neuwirth
It is irritating to see a filmmaker get close to putting something great out there, but still be ultimately undone by script issues. Split has the makings of a very clever and tense psychological thriller. A terrific turn from star James McAvoy certainly deserves plenty of praise. Still, for every new layer and reveal, there is a feeling suggesting how another look at this screenplay could have helped to better workout some of the old-fashioned ideas and configure a better resolve for the characters. Split does well to work in the moment as tense fun, but misses out on nailing what it promises in a better sense.
a Continue reading ‘AFI Fest 2016: Split (Movie Review)’
November 20th, 2016 by Aaron Neuwirth
As you now realize, it’s been 20 years since the release of Space Jam. This blend of Looney Tunes adventure with the patience of Michael Jordan made for a box office success that was admired by few and battered by others. If your thoughts on Space Jam weren’t favorable back in 1996, you likely will not find yourself suddenly coming around to it. For those who do have some nostalgic joy or genuinely find amusement and admiration for the technological achievement had here, the film is back on a Blu-ray that features no new additional content or much reason to re-buy it if you haven’t already, save for a fancy steelbook package.
a Continue reading ‘Space Jam 20th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray Review)’
November 20th, 2016 by Gerard Iribe
Mike Regan (Pierce Brosnan) is a successful, self-made man who has it all: a gorgeous wife, a beautiful teenage daughter and a sleek, state-of-the-art “smart home.” But he soon finds himself in a deadly, high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse when his I.T. consultant, Ed (James Frecheville), starts using his skills to stalk Mike’s daughter and endanger his family, his business, and his life. In a world where there is no privacy, and personal secrets can go viral by the click of a mouse, Mike needs to rely on his old connections to defeat a new kind of nemesis.
Continue reading ‘I.T. (Blu-ray Review)’
November 19th, 2016 by Brian White
Here we are once again. Only this time winter is coming much earlier than usual for the sixth season of HBO’s Game of Thrones on the Blu-ray format. Last year’s Emmy Award winner for Outstanding Drama Series and currently nominated for 23 2016 Emmy Awards including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Writing, Outstanding Directing Outstanding Supporting Actress (Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, Maisie Williams) and Outstanding Supporting Actor (Peter Dinklage, Kit Harrington), Game of Thrones is bigger than ever as its starting to all wind down to the final upcoming two seasons. In other words, this sh1t is finally starting to get real every single episode. If you missed any of our past coverage of these best selling Blu-ray sets, please refer to the following links to seasons 1 and 2 here, 3 here, 4 here and 5 over here. So without further ado let’s talk Game of Thrones: The Complete Sixth Season and get this beast of a review started down below. Continue reading ‘Game of Thrones: The Complete Sixth Season (Blu-ray Review)’
November 18th, 2016 by Aaron Neuwirth
So it seems that every five years we will be getting a new edition of Taxi Driver on whatever home format is available. The classic Martin Scorsese neo-noir/psychological thriller has been given its share of acclaim so many times that delving into something new about the film almost feels unnecessary. And yet, this latest release adds on a new 40-minute Q&A to go along with all the other extras and the 4K digital restoration previously found on other Blu-ray releases of the film. For those who have never owned the film before, this is (for now) the ultimate edition as far as all that comes with this terrific and legendary film.
a Continue reading ‘Taxi Driver – 40th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray Review)’
November 18th, 2016 by Brandon Peters
A serial killer’s curse unleashes a season of slaughter in the backwoods of Mississippi in the grisly slasher The Devil’s Dolls. Available December 6th, 2016 from Scream Factory, in conjunction with IFC Midnight, this visceral film goes beyond the typical midnight slasher, featuring an incredibly intense, tightly-paced story and character-driven Southern Gothic thrills.
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Continue reading ‘Southern Gothic Slasher THE DEVIL’S DOLLS Makes its Blu-ray Debut December 6th’
November 18th, 2016 by Brandon Peters
Home audiences will cheer for Disney’s Queen of Katwe, which has earned widespread critical acclaim. Based on the vibrant true story of a young girl (Madina Nalwanga) from the streets of Uganda whose world changes when she is introduced to the game of chess, and, as a result of the support she receives from her family and community, is instilled with the confidence and determination she needs to pursue her dream of becoming an international chess champion. It is a remarkable story of perseverance against all odds that will leave viewers feeling humbled and inspired. According to director Mira Nair, “The triumph of the human spirit is not to weep for what we don’t have but to focus on what we do have and allow that to take us to a place we never imagined possible.” Disney’s heartwarming and triumphant tale arrives home on Digital HD on Jan. 10 and Blu-ray™ on Jan. 31. Continue reading ‘QUEEN OF KATWE Becomes The Queen Of Blu-ray January 31st!’
November 18th, 2016 by Jason Coleman
With only two more Friday’s left in November my four weeks of sheer and utter movie embarrassment is almost at an end so let’s finish off this second to last selection in the guilty pleasure series quick – welcome to Forgotten Friday Flick! Today we’re going into deep, deep character clichés, cornball comedy and stereotypical scenarios for some pure gamey movie cheddar that most would consider sub-par cinema. But for yours truly all of the above B-movie badness is music to the ears with a tale of a man whose dream of finding the right woman comes true – even if she is made of wood, polystyrene and fiberglass. Where can I get a…Mannequin! Continue reading ‘Forgotten Friday Flick – “Mannequin”’
November 18th, 2016 by Aaron Neuwirth
Manchester by the Sea is the equivalent of an arthouse blockbuster. It’s an impressively made drama from acclaimed writer/director/playwright Kenneth Lonergan about a man’s grief, while back in his hometown. It features reserved, but impressive performances from the likes of arthouse favorites Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams, with an expanded running time to make sure we follow all the moving parts to these characters and this story. Manchester by the Sea allows for more resonance when it comes to taking in the emotional payoffs of a feature like this. There’s also the universal nature to the film being shown, which means it has enough heart and humor to go along with the drama and make it ultimately quite rewarding.
Continue reading ‘Hometown Drama In ‘Manchester By The Sea’ (Movie Review)’
November 17th, 2016 by Brian White
Mechanic: Resurrection was a film I never made it to theatrically this year. In fact I never even saw the first film in the series. After reading Aaron Neuwirth’s review of the second one here I took away the fact that I don’t even need to visit the first film for continuity sake at all. Bonus for me! Truth be told though I always felt like you’ve seen one Jason Statham action movie you’ve seen them all. Now I know that is being ignorant and completely not true. I also adore Jason Statham in a lot of his features too. It’s just that some of his outings are so damn generic they’re not memorable one bit to say the very least. However, how often does Jason get paired with Jessica Alba? To top it off this one’s being released in glorious 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray. How on Earth can I say no to that combo? It’s a rhetorical question. I cannot! Continue reading ‘Mechanic Resurrection (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)’
November 17th, 2016 by Aaron Neuwirth
In addition to being a talented journeyman director, 2-time Oscar winner Ang Lee has shown a profundity for technical ambition in his films. 2003’s Hulk, flawed as it, could still be considered one of the more ambitiously made superhero films of the modern age. Life of Pi is one of the few films in this post-Avatar world to properly utilize 3D as more than just a monetary-based gimmick. Now we have Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, a dramatic satire focused on a young Army specialist and how he deals with newfound fame back in 2004 America, following a heroic act while fighting in Iraq. For this, Lee went with the whole shebang, shooting at 120 frames per second in 3D at 4K HD resolution. That is wild just to think about, but the results are a film that is not only overly familiar from a story standpoint, but lacks the essence of what makes me appreciate cinema.
Continue reading ‘‘Billy Lynn’s Long’ Walk Away From Cinema (Movie Review)’
November 17th, 2016 by Jason Coleman
Still in the midst of catching up on end of the year fare (saw a whopping six movies previously missed in the last few days alone!), there’s only a trio of flicks up for dissection this week. (The Edge of Seventeen and Nocturnal Animals were not made available to yours truly, but thankfully covered by my fellow website cohorts!) So keeping a few indie nuggets alive are a dramatic doc, a strange thriller and a revenge flick that’s not standard stuff. Check out the Encapsulated Movie Reviews of Peter And The Farm, The Similars and Elle below! Continue reading ‘Encapsulated Movie Reviews – Three New Indie Titles’
November 17th, 2016 by Brandon Peters
Four weeks to go until we see the first of the three planned Star Wars “spinoff” films, Rogue One. This film about the band of Rebels and spies that steal the plans to the Death Star, kicking into motion the original film, is the kind of spinoff I’m more eager to see from these than younger versions of characters’ we’ve spent many films with origin stories (Though I must say, the Han Solo film is doing and saying all the right thing and seems to be having all the right people). This one features some good footage and behind the scenes, and while being a bit of a softball, still manages to get me really pumped for the film. This is a film that has a lot of questions as what its going to be like. For instance…how does the film open? An opening crawl? They’ve said there’s probably not one. So, then how? These and more questions will be answered on December 16th (But, lets not be silly, we are all going to see it on the 15th). Continue reading ‘Enjoy This New ROGUE ONE: A STAR WAR STORY Featurette! 4 Weeks To Go!’
November 17th, 2016 by Aaron Neuwirth
So Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them was rather delightful. Imagine that? After a successful and unprecedented series of Harry Potter films, the choice was made to develop a spin-off series and this first entry delivered. Not being personally connected to the book series or all that familiar with Potter lore in general, this felt like a “we’ll see” type of situation and see I have. Working well to deliver on setting, spectacle and charm, this film exists in a blockbuster world where films have to play to nearly all audiences and does so without compromise. There are some issues here and there concerning how to balance a couple stories, but it did little to take away from the joy felt in seeing this wizarding world be brought back to life.
Continue reading ‘Where The Wild ‘Fantastic Beasts’ Are (Movie Review)’
November 17th, 2016 by Brandon Peters
Barring some sort of super late rush surprise announcement, 2016 for the year of Blu-ray is pretty much in the books. And as always, looking back, it was another terrific year. Many more Wishlist films from years’ past were granted on Blu-ray and some that were being prepped for this list got announced before it was time to write it and publish it (Punch Drunk Love and Duck Soup, for example-yes, I have this article in mind year round). There were also many other great surprises. 2016 also brought us a new format, 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray, which I’ve been fortunate to have been able to dabble with in year 1. Its far too early and easy to do a wishlist for that format, we’ve still got plenty to do for good ‘ol Blu-ray. This year’s list will be only 10 films because I had to scale back at some point, the years are counting up too high! While the picks aren’t all this way, I found myself getting slightly more filmmaker focused this year. Some great directors are missing films from their filmography on the format and would be a great addition to work to complete their catalog and just good movies in general to have on the format. Continue reading ‘Brandon’s Blu-ray Wishlist For 2017!’
November 17th, 2016 by Aaron Neuwirth
I’m excited to finally catch this one. Here’s the deal: Dubbed “… a fun, fast, tightly crafted genre film,” (Daniel Barnes,
Sacramento News & Review), the critically-acclaimed, zombie apocalypse thriller
TRAIN TO BUSAN debuts on digital
December 13 and on Blu-ray
™ and DVD
January 17 from Well Go USA Entertainment. Certified Fresh (96%) on Rotten Tomatoes, horror fans can take a harrowing
TRAIN TO BUSAN, where a group of terrified passengers must fight the zombie hordes to make it to their last bastion of refuge … or so everyone hopes. The film that set the box office ablaze across Asia, smashed box office records in South Korea and became the biggest Korean film of all time. Continue on to learn more about this upcoming release.
Continue reading ‘The TRAIN TO BUSAN Arrives On Blu-ray This January’
November 17th, 2016 by Aaron Neuwirth
Writer/director/fashion designer Tom Ford has certainly proven he knows how to dress up a scene and his characters. Nocturnal Animals presents multiple scenarios, be it characters at home or in the middle of something out of a Cormac McCarthy novel, which feel lovingly crafted for one to observe every detail, as if reading an intense description from a book through one’s eyes. Ideally the style does not overtake the narrative presented and while this film indeed has some strong components to tell an engaging story within the moment, I can’t help but shake a sense of emptiness. Never mind how uncomfortable some of the events in this layered revenge tale managed to make me feel, there was more a nibble than a bite when it came to the impact of Nocturnal Animals.
Continue reading ‘‘Nocturnal Animals’ Show Its Stylish Teeth (Movie Review)’
November 16th, 2016 by Blu-ray Brian
Here’s one I saw in the theaters and I liked quite a bit. So this is what it’s all about. Questioning everything she knows, a woman must face her terrifying past in the wake of a darkly mysterious event to piece together the truth in the provocative thriller, The Girl on the Train. Based on USA TODAY’s 2015 Book of the Year and the #1 New York Times Bestseller by Paula Hawkins, the suspense comes home when The Girl on the Train arrives on Digital HD January 3, 2017 and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand January 17, 2017 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment and DreamWorks Pictures. Continue reading ‘The Girl On The Train Rides On Blu-ray & 4K Ultra HD This January’
It is irritating to see a filmmaker get close to putting something great out there, but still be ultimately undone by script issues. Split has the makings of a very clever and tense psychological thriller. A terrific turn from star James McAvoy certainly deserves plenty of praise. Still, for every new layer and reveal, there is a feeling suggesting how another look at this screenplay could have helped to better workout some of the old-fashioned ideas and configure a better resolve for the characters. Split does well to work in the moment as tense fun, but misses out on nailing what it promises in a better sense.
