Stranger at My Door is actually a well made crime-western-drama. The acting from Skip Homeier and Patricia Medina were both great and shared some darkly charming chemistry. The Blu-ray released by Olive Films is pretty basic with no bonus material yet the audio/video transfers were both nice, however at a premium $20 price tag, it might be too steep for some.
Final Prayer is yet another found footage film that might have a couple scares but it’s no different than any of the others that permeate the market every year. The acting is so-so and the camera work is jolting, probably to mask the film’s limited budget. I suppose if you enjoy the sub-genre or even collect them, this might be worth a watch, otherwise skip and wait until it airs on SyFy.
This Double Feature set from Scream Factory is mixed. For one, instead of getting De Palma’s original version of Carrie we instead receive the weaker 2002 TV movie. However, on the plus side, especially for fans, The Rage: Carrie 2 is the second feature and is a sequel to De Palma version, so for completions sake, this might be worth picking up (especially if you also own the remake).
Solomon and Sheba is a so-so Biblical war-drama with some good performances by Yul Brynner and Gina Lollobrigida and fine cinematography giving the film an epic feel. The Blu-ray released by Twilight Time offers good video and audio transfers however the bonus material is relatively sparse so considering the high $30 price point, unless you get it on sale, probably not worth it.
Song One is a simple romantic-drama that, albeit not wholly satisfying like Once or Begin Again, still features solid performances by Anne Hathaway, Johnny Flynn and Mary Steenburgen. The Blu-ray released by Cinedigm offers good video and audio transfer while the bonus material is disappointing with no commentary or even making-of featurette.
After watching The Better Angels, it comes to no surprise this not only was produced by Terrence Malick but was written and directed by his editor of To the Wonder and Knight of Cups, A.J. Edwards. Full disclosure, I am not a Malick fan and Edwards more or less copies his mentor’s style making for a downright dull and boring film.
First Men in the Moon is hokey for sure but it’s also a fun flick with some impressive special and visual effects work that still, for the most part, hold up today and especially in high-definition where flaws can be highlighted.
The Master might be homage to the old school martial arts film but it’s not very well made, the acting is spotty and the unnecessary dubbing is distracting. The DVD released by Lionsgate is weak with no bonus material and so-so video and audio transfers.
Aaliyah is yet another trashy “biopic” (loosely) that doesn’t really have much to offer. The performances aren’t anything exceptional (even Alexandra Shipp didn’t have the charisma) but I can’t place that much blame on the actors with a bad script and generic made-for-TV direction.
Killers is a well made foreign film with a good psychological underbelly to the blood, gore and torture pitting two characters against one another to the bitter end, it wouldn’t surprise me if someone in the States didn’t try to remake it in some fashion.
As with Scooby-Doo, The Flintstones and WWE: Stone Age Smackdown is another way for the WWE to reach a new generation which is smart business but the end game for casual viewers is pretty weak, though again, not a fan of the original show anyway…
Halo: Nightfall isn’t a half-bad series with decent performances, though the visual effects, some anyway, look to be a step below something you’d seen in a SyFy Original Movie. I’m not big into games so I can’t compare this to any of the “Halo” games but on its own, it’s at least enjoyable if not throwaway entertainment.
The Divine Move isn’t a great foreign crime-drama but it is well made and at least entertaining especially in the revenge sub-genre. I will say, the English dubbing is laughable so make sure you select the original Korean language. In any case, the Blu-ray release offered by CJ Entertainment has decent video, average audio and a fluff featurette along with the trailer.
Double dips isn’t anything new from studios and no doubt this 30th Anniversary Edition of The Breakfast Club is no different where what’s different from the release five years might not be enough to warrant a purchase if you already own that version. However, at a good price, the upgrade to a new video codec from the original 35MM film print might make it worthwhile.
“Star Trek”: The Original Series is a cheap option for those non-Trekkies to get a few solid episodes from the three seasons the show aired. Of course, if you are a fan, you already have all of these, even in high-definition for the Blu-ray releases, you get nothing out of this “best of” collection.