Movieman's Guide to the Movies
The Final Word on Physical Media
American Buffalo is what you think a stage play adaptation would be with singular locations, though a more open world in the beginning, and all the Mamet-isms you expect from his dialogue. The acting though is good from both Dustin Hoffman and Denis Franz so even though it is a slow film, it might be worth checking out especially if you can’t see the real thing.
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When it comes down to it Mortdecai is just a bad movie. None of the jokes worked and Johnny Depp’s latest outlandish performance is no longer charming and the respectable supporting cast is completely wasted. This is not even worth a rental. As for the Blu-ray, the bonus material is basic while the video/audio transfers are more than respectable.
Roommate Wanted isn’t a good movie but it is made tolerable by Alexa Vega and Spencer Grammar. However, the DVD cover artwork makes it out to be a horror thriller but instead we get a dark comedy which doesn’t always work but in the end, makes for a time waster, nothing more.
Fifty Shades of Grey is one of the more blasé “controversial” movies, one which doesn’t appeal to anybody, alienating its fans as well as those who have not read the novels. It also doesn’t help that the filmmakers seem to take the material so seriously and have actors read such terrible dialogue. That said, Dakota Johnson is pretty good and the production design and soundtrack are all far better than this material deserves.
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The Pyramid is an all-around bad movie. Yeah, there are a couple of scares but hardly enough to make up for the rest of the crap from the acting to the story. This was also an odd release originally limited and making a paltry amount in the process, it now curses its way onto Blu-ray, courtesy of Fox, with good audio/video transfers but really thin features.
My Dad’s a Soccer Mom is not within my demographic (I have no kids) and family films really don’t appeal to me as the jokes are obvious and often not that funny. That said, some younger viewers will enjoy it and even their parents might be able to sit through it especially considering the vastly short 82-minute running time.
Admittedly, I’m not the biggest fan of supernatural horror or demonic possession flicks with some obvious exceptions (The Exorcist for one) but for some of its flaws, mainly dating itself to the time period with the music and style, Stigmata is a decent enough flick and tolerable thanks to Patricia Arquette and Gabriel Byrne (who two months later would go on to play Satan in End of Days).
The Barber isn’t an altogether terrible movie but it doesn’t exactly break new ground in the genre and greatly benefits from the performance from veteran actor Scott Glenn. The Blu-ray released by Arc Entertainment offers good video/audio transfers and only some deleted scenes and a trailer.
The Gambler isn’t the worst film around but it’s uninspiring and lacks energy which is a shame considering the cast assembled, and that does include Mark Wahlberg, but otherwise the writing is subpar and the plot itself is just all around dull. For his part, John Goodman was a lot of fun to watch it’s just unfortunate it was more or less a cameo appearance.
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.
Much like its predecessor, The Marine 4 is a passable but ultimately forgettable action film. The bullets fly all over the place and are overused to the point of being annoying and downright repetitive and boring. For fans of this franchise, this will probably do just enough for you otherwise just outright skip this release.
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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.