April Love on some levels is a product of its time though with movies like Endless Love and any number of Nicholas Sparks’ adaptations, you take out the musical moments the story is more or less similar from the romantic and melodramatic scenes. That said, it’s not an altogether bad movie though not sure what kind of replay value it has, but Pat Boone and Shirley Jones share good chemistry.
The Vatican Exorcisms can be added to the very long line of found footage movies and this one is not even done particularly very well with bad acting and a really dumb story that offers absolutely no scares whatsoever. The DVD release is pretty basic with minimal bonus material and average transfers.
From the Dark is an effective Irish horror-thriller that, in spite of two main characters who aren’t the most likeable couple, has some scary scenes. Plot-wise, it’s more or less the same as many other independent flicks but if you enjoy the genre, this might be worth at least a rental.
Spare Parts is an inspiring and all around well made drama and features some fine performances from George Lopez to Jamie Lee Curtis and the four young men in the primary roles. The DVD released by Lionsgate is basic but the video and audio transfers are both well done while the bonus material is limited.
Dinosaur Island isn’t a very good movie but for the younger audience (probably 10 and under), it might be worth viewing, anyone older will find the acting to be pretty poor, some bad/cheap visual effects and a story that really isn’t all that interesting. The DVD released by Millennium is basic with no bonus material but the video/audio transfers are both well done.
Bedlam isn’t a terrible movie but it hardly stands out from any of the other horror direct-to-video flicks especially since it’s yet another found footage-like film. The acting is OK, though and I guess if this is your sort of thing, then perhaps it’s worth a rental, otherwise just wait for this to air on SyFy.
Firewalker is by no means a great action-adventure and being released in the mid-80s tried to tap into the same crowd as Indiana Jones but with a weaker script and less charismatic main character (no offense to Norris, but he doesn’t hold a candle to Ford), that said, it’s a harmless flick that the family can enjoy and might be worth a one-off viewing.
Richard III has a rich production design to go along with amazing performances headlined by Ian McKellen who is fantastic in the title role. Sure, the Laurence Olivier version is better but this is a well done and new take on the classic tale.
The Fantasticks is a well done musical with good production designs and (in a good way) is a fun throwback to the musicals of the 60s and 70s especially in its style. Outside of that, it’s a nice movie but nothing I feel will revisit anytime soon, though for those who haven’t seen it, might be worth a look.
Odd Man Out is a very well made and tense film noir thriller featuring incredible performances by, most notably, James Mason and Robert Newton. The Blu-ray itself released by Criterion Collection offers good video/audio transfers while the features are well done, headlined by an archive documentary about Mason.
Digging Up the Marrow had an interesting idea being a mixture of fantasy and horror and putting a mockumentary twist on both and while Adam Green proves yet again to be an affable guy (as demonstrated in his numerous commentary tracks), the plot never quite gels though I can’t say it’s not at least worth a rental.
Roadside began with plenty of promise but even with a short 70-minute running time (sans opening and end credits), lingers far too long with a thin plot and honestly two characters who are not the most likeable couple to grace the small screen.
The Rewrite is a film that ironically enough, doesn’t have the best screenplay but heavily relies on the charm and appeal of Hugh Grant and Marisa Tomei and also helping making this at least a rental is Grant re-teaming with Marc Lawrence (Two Weeks Notice, Music and Lyrics) and very well may be semi-autobiographical.
The Voices is certainly not a movie for everybody. The film is as dark of a comedy that has come down the pike in some time yet it further shows that Ryan Reynolds is actually a fairly versatile actor it’s just that the choice of certain projects hasn’t been the best. If you were a fan of “Dexter”, at least its early years, then this might be worth checking out if only as a Red Box rental.
It’d be an understated that Zardoz is one unique, and bizarre, movie from the subject to costumes but well worth checking out thanks in large part to Sean Connery in one of his most… interesting performances. The Blu-ray released through Twilight Time offers good video/audio transfers and although the bonus material is limited, the two commentaries are pretty good.