Movieman's Guide to the Movies
The Final Word on Physical Media
Five Easy Pieces might not have been my cup of tea as it is slow moving and no real plot to speak of being a character study, but Jack Nicholson’s performance, in one of his first lead roles, is fantastic and it is a fairly well written film with one iconic scene.
Scarecrows isn’t a great supernatural horror but it has its moments with a few impressive make-up effects and a well rounded cast of scumbags to get their comeuppance. The Blu-ray released by Scream Factory is fairly impressive with decent to fair video/audio transfers and a decent selection of bonus material.
Private Number is just the latest in a long line of cheap DVD releases destined for the cheap bin at Wal-Mart and even then it’s not worth that kind of money. It’s a shame as there was some good elements bogged down by bad writing and a really stupid third act and it’s another movie with Tom Sizemore being prominently displayed on the cover but having little to do with the plot.
Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland isn’t a good horror movie and honestly kind of dull, though some of the kills are at least unique (i.e. the lawnmower) but by today’s standards, and this is nothing against this film in particular, it is rather tame in all areas from sex to the violence. Even so, I guess big horror fans, and fans of the Sleepaway Camp movies specifically, might enjoy otherwise it’s a forgettable sequel.
Continue reading “Review: Sleepaway Camp III BD + Screen Caps”
Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers is absolutely not a very good movie but in fairness, I don’t think the filmmakers or cast thought they were making high horror art. The performances are mostly throwaways though Pamela Springsteen does make for an effective psycho, I suppose. Personally I didn’t care that much for this movie, and wasn’t that fond of the first one outside of the now well-known “twist”, but horror fanatics might treasure this sequel.
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Neil Blomkamp’s Chappie isn’t quite the homerun some expected it to be with a thin story and even thinner characters but like District 9, it impresses in the technical department with excellent motion capturing and all around solid visual effects. The Blu-ray itself has a nice selection of bonus material while the audio/video transfers are both demo worthy.
Assassin’s Game is the rare “gem” of a film with a once respectable actor headlining relegated to a caricature and starring another who should remain way behind the camera. This is an all around poorly made movie and one can’t just blame the budget because I have seen many low budget movies that weren’t half bad. This one, however, isn’t even deserving of being in Wal-Mart’s bargain bin.
Serena might have been an earnest film worthy of the hype but somewhere in the process, something went wrong. Yeah, it’s got a respectable cast including two Oscar winners who previously worked together and shared good chemistry, a reputable director who has displayed some visual talent and much loved source material with a decent fan base, and yet what we got was a mess.
Asmodexia is the latest exorcism movie and, with the likes of so many others… isn’t very good. The plot has been seen before in some fashion and the acting isn’t the best though the make-up effects weren’t altogether bad. Unless the genre is your thing, it’s not even worth a rental. The DVD itself only has a trailer while the video and audio transfers are merely adequate.
It’s something else, but Camp X-Ray manages to show that Kristen Stewart isn’t a half bad actress (though she still employs the eyes half closed look) and her co-star, Payman Maadi delivers a fine performance as well with the pair sharing a nice on-screen chemistry. The Blu-ray released by IFC is rather basic with thin bonus features while the video and audio transfers are both excellent.
“The Mentalist” season seven isn’t great but still a nice sendoff for a fun, if not uneven, series. The ensemble cast share good chemistry, including the one newcomer, and Simon Baker is as charming as ever while the cases are generally interesting enough. The DVD released by Warner, like the previous season sets, are rather basic and unfortunately we don’t get a nice retrospective featurette on this series’ run.
Continue reading “Review: “The Mentalist”: The Complete Seventh Season DVD”
“Boardwalk Empire” is yet another great show from HBO and although it’s not up to par with “The Sopranos,” “Deadwood” or “Game of Thrones,” that standard is hard to meet. That being said, I will say the ensemble cast ranging from Steve Buscemi to Michael Shannon is one of the best and the performances all around, in conjunction with quality writing beginning with Terence Winter, is top notch.
Continue reading “Review: Boardwalk Empire – The Complete Series BD + Screen Caps”
Tracers is not a good movie and it’s easy to see why it didn’t get a wide release and instead quietly was released onto home video. Taylor Lautner actually isn’t the problem, though Hollywood should stop trying to make him into an action star, but instead it’s a ridiculous plot and overwrought character drama that bogged the film down. That said, the parkour action scenes were very well done.
Hombre is a great Western drama with a fantastic performance by Paul Newman to go along with a beautiful cinematography by James Wong Howe and direction by Martin Ritt (The Spy Who Came in Out of the Cold). The Blu-ray released by Twilight Time offers limited features but the video and audio transfers are both great.
Focus had the chance to be great and instead makes for a good film that reminds you how charming Will Smith can be. Add to that another great performance from Margot Robbie and you’ve got two actors who could overcome any of the issues with the script, and its schitzo storytelling between the two halves, and makes for an all around fun movie that might be worth a rental.