Blood and Black Lace is easily one of the better in the giallo sub-genre and the place to start for those new to it. The suspense is generally intense and the plot is well developed with true intrigue throughout. This Blu-ray released through Arrow Video offers excellent video/audio transfers and a fine selection of bonus material.
OUTATIME: Saving the DeLorean Time Machine is a well made documentary yet I still wanted something more in-depth though knowing the limitations the director was facing, it’s not half bad and any fan of Back to the Future will find it fascinating and a good addition to their BTTF video library.
Barbershop: The Next Cut is the latest installment in the vaunted series and actually might be the best of the four (including the Beauty Shop spin-off). No, the acting isn’t the best as Ice Cube’s range isn’t exactly that great, but the story has a fine emotional core and it’s a solid advancement for these characters.
The Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice: Ultimate Edition does plenty things to correct the hacked up theatrical version though if you didn’t like the plot the first go-around, the UE won’t change your mind. For myself, as a fan of Batman in particular, found it entertaining mainly for Ben Affleck’s portrayal as the Dark Knight and a nice glimpse of what’s to come for Gadot’s Wonder Woman.
Criminal is your run-of-the-mill action/thriller that succeeds mostly with a strong ensemble cast led way by Kevin Costner who gives a nice performance while Gary Oldman, Tommy Lee Jones and Ryan Reynolds are more background noise. This is the perfect movie as a rental, but not much more.
The Perfect Man isn’t your run-of-the-mill romantic comedy so that’s a plus, unfortunately it’s not very funny in spite of a well rounded cast. Still, I guess I’ve seen worse and might say it’s worth a rental but not much more than that.
“iZombie”: The Complete Second Season continues and expands on the first season’s fun take on the zombie craze. The performances from this ensemble are fantastic led by Rose McIver who continues to play some fun off-beat characters. New this season, although introduced last year, is Steven Weber portraying a great new nemesis.
Term Life for sure is not a good movie but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was at least moderately entertained. At only 90-minutes long, it’s a decent enough time-waster but that’s about the extent of it for a movie that will easily be lost in the shuffle of the numerous STV releases.
Vigilante Diaries is based on a 2013 series that also starred Jason Mewes and Paul Sloan amongst others and while it’s nothing special, there’s just enough there to have it standout amongst the rest, though the screenplay could’ve used a rewrite or two.
“iZombie”: The Complete First Season is an incredibly fun series that takes more than a few cues from the likes of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” and “Veronica Mars” just taking advantage of the zombie craze. Still, this primarily unknown cast works so well together and Rose McIver is a star in the making.
Allegiant is the latest mundane entry in the Divergent Series and while I didn’t think it was classically bad and not an original moment from the production to the visual effects, heavily borrowing from other dystopian-set movies, I can’t say was bored and I at least did care about the Tris character.
Neither The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave nor The Red Queen Kills Seven Times are ‘great’ films, though I’d probably give the nod to Red Queen, they are at least passable Italian giallo flicks however anyone new to the genre would be better served checking out Blood and Black Lace (also available on Arrow Video).
LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League: Gotham City Breakout is pretty much in line with their other entries: the storytelling isn’t great, animation standard and the focus is primarily geared towards kids though adults will find it semi-entertaining.
Anesthesia is a bit uneven in its storytelling with some elements not quite coming together as others, but the performances by Sam Waterston and Kristen Stewart, with honorable mention to Gretchen Mol, makes for a more than watchable drama particularly for those who enjoy ensemble pictures.
Search Party may not be awful of epic proportions but it does come across as bottom of the drawer from writer/director Scot Armstrong, recycling much of his material from Road Trip and The Hangover Part II. Problem is, there’s not many, or at least consistent, laughs and is utterly forgettable.