Movieman's Guide to the Movies
The Final Word on Physical Media
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).
Continue reading “Review: Carrie/The Rage: Carrie 2 BD + Screen Caps”
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.
Continue reading “Review: Solomon and Sheba BD + Screen Caps”
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.
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 DVD released by Cinedigm offers good video and audio transfer while the bonus material is disappointing with no commentary or even making-of featurette.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies ends one of the more mundane trilogies and although certainly the passion was there, Peter Jackson and company turned what should have been a 5 hour two-parter into three movies with unnecessary filler to go along with characters, new ones specifically, that were utterly forgettable.
Continue reading “Review: The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies BD + Screen Caps”
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.
Continue reading “Review: First Men in the Moon BD + Screen Caps”
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.
Exodus: Gods and Kings had the best of intentions especially in the technical departments from costumes, construction and visual effects, but for all the talk and lengthy running time, it all feels empty, void of any interesting actors not to mention some unintentional humor. The Blu-ray release offered by Fox is pretty basic with an OK commentary track and selection of deleted scenes, but little else given the bulk of features were reserved for the 3D Blu-ray combo pack.
Continue reading “Review: Exodus: Gods and Kings BD + Screen Caps”
This Two-Disc “Diamond Luxe Edition” of Gravity is a quality release though this should’ve been what was released originally. What you get over the original version are a couple new features including a 42-minute historical featurette and the new Dolby Atmos audio track which is a fine upgrade, though the original DTS-HD MA 5.1 track was pretty darn good on its own and Atmos takes it to the next level.
Continue reading “Review: Gravity: Diamond Luxe Edition BD + Screen Caps”
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…
Continue reading “Review: Flintstones and WWE: Stone Age Smackdown BD + Screen Caps”
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.