Movieman's Guide to the Movies
The Final Word on Physical Media
The Scorpion King 4: Quest for Power is what you think it would: really dumb and it doesn’t pretend to be otherwise so on a certain level, for as bad as it might be, it’s a harmlessly bad flick that many can enjoy and at the very least has mock value to hold an “MST3K” movie night. The Blu-ray released by Universal actually has good video and audio transfers and a decent selection of special features.
Continue reading “Review: The Scorpion King 4: Quest for Power BD + Screen Caps”
“Tom & Jerry Show”: Funny Side Up is an OK set for a decent series and is a fine companion for the previous released “Frisky Business” which contained the first 12 episodes. As it stands, for the family this is a fine purchase if you can nab it for under $10.
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Francois Herrmann’s The Bride Wore Black some call a homage to Alfred Hitchcock, though some experts disagree, is a unique film experience for sure featuring a dangerously mesmerizing performance by Jeanne Moreau and wonderful cinematography. The Blu-ray released by Twilight Time offers good video/audio transfers while the bonus material was limited, though the commentary was interesting to listen to.
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Open Windows, written and directed by Nacho Vigalondo, The ABCs of Death, V/H/S: Viral), is more or less an experimental film that’s been done more than a few times with the entire picture taking place via a webcam, and although a nifty idea, the execution wasn’t the best.
La Ciénaga is a compelling drama-comedy with great performances from its lead but beyond that, an engrossing story. It’s not normally my type of film, and has little replay value, and for some, as with a fair number of Criterion Collection releases, it’s not for everybody.
Continue reading “La Cienaga: The Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review”
Annabelle might have been a good idea on paper and certainly had a built-in audience thanks to the breakout box office for The Conjuring, but its execution was lackluster with not that many scares and the creepy quotient also wasn’t up to par.
Revenge of the Green Dragons is an ambitious film for sure with a fascinating subject matter but in the end, it’s also uneven. The performances are least half-decent and the always reliable Ray Liotta lends it some weight, though the bulk of the picture is led by Justin Chon and Kevin Wu.
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Henry V is yet another fine Kenneth Branagh Shakespearian drama with great performances all around including future Dame Judi Dench, Derek Jacobi and Emma Thompson while Christian Bale makes an appearance in one of his early roles. The Blu-ray released by Shout Factory has good audio, merely acceptable video but sadly no features.
7 Assassins is not the best martial arts film but the acting I guess isn’t bad and it does have admirable set designs, but the story doesn’t quite gel. That being said, it might be worth a rental if one can find it. The DVD released by Lionsgate is pretty basic with good video/audio transfers but unfortunately no bonus materials were included.
This revival of the “Dallas” wasn’t great but it offered solid entertainment in the form of primetime soap opera storylines and characters. The acting also was fine headed by Patrick Duffy and Josh Henderson with the rest holding their own.
Continue reading “Review: “Dallas”: The Complete Third Season”
While well intentioned, The Color of Time is basically a student film, by Franco’s pupils, with high level actors filling the roles. The story isn’t that well written and all in all just not that interesting. The DVD released by Anchor Bay is very basic with no features and so-so video and audio transfers.
Gone Girl is hardly David Fincher’s strongest film and arguably might not be in his top 5, but there’s much to admire in spite of a momentum killing third act from the performances by Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike, the suspension early on and the atmosphere Fincher and company establish.
Lost Legion might have admirable costumes and props but otherwise this is community theater-level of quality when it comes to the performances with more than a few were over-the-top and utterly laughable, though not helped by terrible dialogue. The DVD released by Lionsgate is yet more filler for the studio destined for the $5 dump bin at your local Wal-Mart but even that price is far too much…
The Longest Week has a great cast and an interesting story, but the execution was off and seemed to draw from other, often better, movies and filmmakers like P.T. Anderson and Woody Allen, the latter especially. If you can get over the pretentious nature of the two male leads then it might be worth a rental, otherwise skip this misfire of a drama-comedy.
By the Gun is a well intentioned but ultimately lifeless and clichéd crime-drama. Ben Barnes turns in a fine performance and anytime we see Harvey Keitel is a treat but otherwise the writing isn’t up to snuff and the direction is relatively standard.