Movieman's Guide to the Movies
The Final Word on Physical Media
VANish actually was a surprisingly well done, if not flawed, suspense thriller with what is hopefully a star-making performance by Maiara Walsh while the writing and direction from Bryan Bockbrader was well done with a unique format with the film entirely taking place in the confines of a van.
LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League isn’t great and is even a notch below LEGO Batman: The Movie but is still a fun little adventure with impressive animation and it’s something comic book fans and young kids will enjoy. The Blu-ray released by Warner has a good video transfer and an OK lossless audio track.
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The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre is a well acted, especially by Jason Robards as Al Capone, and all around well made crime-drama from Roger Corman. The Blu-ray released by Twilight Time isn’t amazing from both a features and video perspective but I suspect this 45 year old film has never looked or sounded better, though considering the high price, you might not be getting the most bang for your buck.
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this horror-oriented version of The Phantom of the Opera isn’t great but there are some things to admire: Robert Englund does well enough as the title character and Jill Schoelen is absolutely stunning as the female lead. The Blu-ray, though, is a bit limited. There is a good commentary track and a well made retro documentary with new interviews while the audio/video are at best serviceable.
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To Sir, With Love is a well made drama that is elevated not only with an uplifting story but also powerful, yet not forced, performance by Sidney Poitier. The Blu-ray released by Twilight Time offers up solid video/audio transfers and a fair amount of bonus material compared with other TT releases.
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Laggies is an uneven drama-comedy but it propped up and propelled by a charming performance from the cute and adorable Keira Knightley proving she can excel in spite of any issues with the screenplay, in this case it’s just not a memorable story. Sam Rockwell also works well opposite Knightley and although she’s nothing overly noteworthy, Chloe Grace Moretz turns in a passable performance.
Poker Night isn’t a terrible movie but it really doesn’t offer anything new to the genre as it delves into every cliché in the horror book. That said, the acting wasn’t half bad and I can’t complain seeing more work from the venerable Titus Welliver in a supporting role. The Blu-ray released by XLrator Media is very basic with good audio/video transfers but the bonus material is almost non-existent save for the trailer.
The Sword of Doom, directed by Kihachi Okamoto (who was often overshadowed by other Japanese mainstays), this drama has heart and features great performances from its two leads. This Blu-ray released by The Criterion Collection might not have an abundant amount of features but the video and audio transfers are both well done and alone are worth the price.
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V/H/S: Viral has little to offer and, unlike its predecessors, seems to be mish-mash of stories with little, if anything, to do with one another, all held together with a lame “main storyline.” The acting also isn’t the best and add to the fact I’m not a fan of the found footage format, this just was not something I enjoyed.
The Best of Me is the typical Nicholas Sparks tripe that was permissible in his earlier adaptations (still like The Notebook in spite of a few flaws) and now we get the template and a predictable story capped off with a chuckle-worthy conclusion which only had me cursing at the screen.
Exterminators of the Year 3000 is a cheesy, bad but ultimately harmless clone of Mad Max. The production values are cheap, the synthesized music harsh on the ears and the acting is nothing amazing either. The Blu-ray released by Shout Factory is actually relatively weak, though considering the limited audiences, not altogether surprising.
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101 Dalmatians isn’t one of my favorite classic animated Disney films, though on the whole save for a couple, they’ve never been my cup of tea, but with the inclusion of Cruella De Vil makes it far more memorable and the animation is still fantastic to this day and still plays well today for younger viewers.
Left Behind is a mess of a film with bad acting, terribly dialogue and an all-around poorly written screenplay. It’s also apparent why Nicolas Cage took on this role, which he mostly slept walked through, as he obviously needed to pay off the IRS, a mortgage and others odds and ends. I get what the filmmakers were going after but it comes off as amateurish and had more unintentional funny moments more than anything.
Nightcrawler is one of the more stomach-churning films but not for the violence but Jake Gyllenhaal’s performance proving once again, following great turns in Prisoners and Zodiac, to be a versatile actor. But even putting him aside, Dan Gilroy’s satirical screenplay is just one other reason to see this film, it’s akin to a dark and grittier version of Network.
Fury isn’t the best war drama around, not even in the top 5, but it’s still well made and features a great cast, with Brad Pitt delivering a fine performance (one of his best in some time), that elevates the writing while Ayer’s direction keeps the pacing just right. The Blu-ray released by Sony has excellent video/audio transfers while the bonus material is quasi in-depth with 50+ minutes of deleted/extended scenes.