Review: Ant-Man
July 17th, 2015 by Jordan Grout
“Ant-Man” is so funny, so charming, and so confident that its absurdly goofy premise never spirals into unbelievability. What director Peyton Reed and screenwriters Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish, Adam McKay, and Paul Rudd have created is an absolute joy to behold. The action is thrilling, the characters are engaging, the drama is emotional, and the surprises are actually surprising. The dialogue and gags are flat out hilarious all the way through. I haven’t laughed this much since last year’s “Guardians of the Galaxy.” With such an oddball premise, it’s approached the only way a film like this should be, which is to fill it with as much weirdness as possible. There are moments that reach Joe Dante levels of zaniness.
Somewhere there’s a big joke in all of this, that is if you’re familiar with all the Ant-Man drama over the past year. Between y’all and I, it’s a wonder this movie even got made, nonetheless successfully completed before its official July 17th release date. Now with most movies, there are some behind the scenes drama at play and some moments that may have made producers wonder is this ever going to be made. However, with Ant-Man, not only is this film almost a decade in the making of, but there’s a huge (no pun to the subject matter here) heaping of drama still left on the plate here to be cleaned off. Will we ever find out the official reasons as to why Edgar Wright and Marvel parted ways? Who knows! All I know is that it would make one hell of a two-hour documentary one day, the Marvel film that could have been. Oh well. You know what they say. Big things have small (pun intended now) beginnings, such is the cinematic superhero story of Ant-Man. 
Where will you be, who will you be with and who will you save when San Andreas arrives onto Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital HD? I know ! Hopefully you’ll be on your couch watching this! Right?! San Andreas follows a rescue helicopter pilot (Dwayne Johnson) and his estranged wife (Carla Gugino, Night at the Museum, TV’s Entourage) as they make their way to San Francisco to save their only daughter. The film will be available early on Digital HD on September 22nd and will see a Blu-ray/DVD release on October 13th. Read on for more information courtesy of Warner Bros. 
I missed this one in the theaters due to the flooding in Austin, TX over the Memorial Day weekend so curiosity has the best of me in regards to this news and I at least want to check this one out to give it the benefit of the doubt. Finally! I get my wish! Fox 2000 Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures present Poltergeist, from legendary filmmaker Sam Raimi (Spider-Man, Evil Dead, The Grudge) and director Gil Kenan (Monster House). It contemporizes the 1982 classic about a family whose suburban home is haunted by evil forces. When terrifying apparitions escalate their attacks and hold the youngest daughter captive, the family must come together to rescue her before she disappears forever. Check out the full press release of everything you’ll find here down below.
From the writer of Pontypool and Septic Man comes Ejecta, the tale of William Cassidy, a man haunted by a lifetime of alien encounters, searching for answers while evading menacing government agents. With an ingenious structure that stylishly interweaves William’s past and present, this sci-fi horror feature will makes its Blu-ray debut on August 18th, 2015 from Scream Factory, in partnership with IFC Midnight.
Great Scott! In 1985 
Shout! Factory has announced the August 11 Blu-ray release of horror master Wes Craven’s The People Under The Stairs (Collector’s Edition). The Scream Factory treatment of this much-loved film includes several new bonus features. Starring Everett McGill (Twin Peaks, Dune), Wendy Robie (Twin Peaks), Brandon Adams (The Mighty Ducks), Ving Rhames (Piranha 3D, Mission Impossible), A.J. Langer (Escape From L.A.) and Sean Whalen (Rob Zombie’sHalloween II, Hatchet III), this “ambitious…very strange horror movie” (Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide) will grab you when you least expect it… and never let go. This isn’t the film’s first rodeo on Blu-ray, but its definitely the worthwhile double dip, upgrade, enhanced version people who own the previous edition will want to shell out for.
KISS, one of the most popular rock bands of all time (and my all time favorite too), takes center stage in the latest Scooby-Doo! full-length animated film, Scooby-Doo! And KISS: Rock and Roll Mystery, set for release on Blu-ray by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment July 21st. Starchild (Paul Stanley), Demon (Gene Simmons), Catman (Eric Singer) and Spaceman (Tommy Thayer) join everyone’s favorite teen sleuths in an explosive, new, must-see musical adventure that I personally guarantee you no KISS Army member will want to miss! In Scooby-Doo! And KISS: Rock and Roll Mystery, the Mystery Inc. gang travels to KISS World, an amusement park dedicated to the band, for a special Halloween concert headlined by the legendary rock group. Can you tell how excited I am about this Blu-ray release? I’m frickin’ doing cartwheels over it. Read on and I’ll tell you why! 
The critically acclaimed musical biopic about the fascinating life of the Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson, Love & Mercy will be available on Digital HD August 25th and on Blu-ray™ (plus Digital HD), DVD (plus Digital) and On Demand September 15th from Lionsgate Home Entertainment. Golden Globe® nominee John Cusack (Best Actor, High Fidelity,2001)stars in”one of the best performances of his career” (The Hollywood Reporter) alongside Paul Dano (Little Miss Sunshine, Looper) as troubled musical genius Brian Wilson at two pivotal stages of his life – the 1960s, at the peak of The Beach Boys’ fame and the 1980s, as Brian reclaims his life after a mental breakdown. They are joined by Elizabeth Banks (The Hunger Games franchise) as Wilson’s present-day wife Melinda, and two-time Golden Globe® winner Paul Giamatti (Best Actor, Barney’s Version,2011; Best Actor, John Adams,2009). 
The handyman of horror is back with a new box of tricks and fear in TOOLBOX MURDERS 2, a highly anticipated follow-up to the 2004 Tobe Hooper-directed slasher classic. Directed by legendary special effects artist, producer and filmmaker Dean C. Jones (Dark Awakening, X-Men: First Class), TOOLBOX MURDERS 2 stars Chauntal Lewis (Séance), Oscar® nominee Bruce Dern (Nebraska), Brian Krause (Stephen King’sSleepwalkers), Clifton Powell (Ray), Chris Doyle (Toolbox Murders) and Ethan Phillips (Star Trek: Voyager). Picking up directly after the shocking events of the previous movie, TOOLBOX MURDERS 2 ratchets up the terror as it follows one of Hollywood’s most twisted killers. Resurfacing in the darkest corners of the L.A. underworld with a serious axe to grind, the killer hammers out a plan to put the screws to a new victim! 
Fans of legendary director Wes Craven (Scream, The Last House on the Left, A Nightmare on Elm Street) know well the terror mayhem inflicted by Horace Pinker, a diabolical mass murderer who harnesses electricity for unimaginable killing powers, from the 1989 horror cult classic SHOCKER. On September 8, 2015, Scream Factory™ is proud to present Wes Craven’s SHOCKER Collector’s Edition Blu-ray, packed with insightful bonus content including, special audio commentary with Wes Craven, all-new interviews with Mitch Pileggi, Cami Cooper, executive producer Shep Gordon, music supervisor Desmond Child and soundtrack artists, new audio commentary with director of photography Jacques Haitkin, co-producer Robert Engelman and composer William Goldstein, retrospective featurettes, original storyboard gallery and much more! 
This fall, the tension-filled, critically acclaimed thrillers Backcountry and The Harvest 
From Academy Award®-winner Cameron Crowe (2001, Almost Famous, Best Writing), comes ALOHA on Digital HD August 11 and on Blu-ray™ and DVD August 25 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The smart romantic comedy — starring Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook), Emma Stone (Irrational Man), and Rachel McAdams (“True Detective”) — revolves around a once-admired pilot, Brian Gilcrist (Cooper), who returns to Hawaii for a military contract job and is assigned to work with a young US Air Force pilot (Stone). Enter Tracy Woodside (McAdams), an old flame, who reconnects with Gilcrist, creating a love triangle that forces Gilcrest to examine what truly makes him happy. ALOHA features an all-star ensemble cast including Bill Murray (The Monuments Men), John Krasinski (“The Office”), Danny McBride (“Eastbound & Down”) and Alec Baldwin (Still Alice).
Three all-time family classics are marking anniversaries this year and to celebrate, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is releasing JUMANJI: 20th ANNIVERSARY EDITION, ZATHURA: 10thANNIVERSARY EDITION and THE INDIAN IN THE CUPBOARD: 20th ANNIVERSARY EDITION on Blu-ray™
