All is Lost features a top-notch and award-worthy performance from Robert Redford in an ambitious film from writer/director Chandor making a solid follow-up to Margin Call. I can easily say this is well worth a rental.
The Blue Max is a well made, and very long, war-adventure-drama featuring fine performances from George Peppard and James Mason and has well done flight fight scenes to be put on film for the time.
Last Vegas is a movie that despite a weak script and some predictability succeeds thanks to its core cast. It delivers what the posters and trailers promote and that’s seeing four legendary actors on screen together having a grand old time together and there’s not much more one should expect from a movie like this.
Twilight Time’s release of Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, a long ignored title within the MGM catalogue line, is a fun flick featuring excellent performances from Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges set against the beautifully photographed backdrop of the Midwest.
Diana relies on innuendo and rumors to complete a romantic story the bulk of which takes place between Diana and Hasnat but even leaving that aside, it’s not a well told story even from a dramatic point of view as it’s hardly effective even at the end which was supposed to be something tragic and heartbreaking.
The Eddy Duchin Story is a well acted, if a bit stretched out, music drama featuring fine performances from Tyrone Power in the title character role as well as Kim Novak.
I don’t mind admitting Chicago is an amazing musical that holds up just as well today as it did 10 years ago and still deserving of its 6 Academy Awards including Best Picture. The performances, both in acting and singing, from Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere are astounding not to mention Queen Latifah and John C. Reilly also turn in wonderful performances.
The praise for Million Dollar Baby might have waned over the years and upon its release got its fair share of spoofs, but 8 years later I still loved just about every minute of it even if it’s as depressing as all hell.
Stop-Loss is a well made war-drama featuring several fine performances from Ryan Phillippe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Channing Tatum. I wasn’t floored by the film and it doesn’t even compete with the best war movies and it doesn’t possess much replay value, but it might be worth a watch.
A Chorus Line certainly has its fans and detractors with the latter angered at how it was adapted and although I’ve never seen the stage play, I can’t say I’d blame them as it’s not a very well made musical, though the opening musical number was catchy and some of the performances from the stage players weren’t bad.
Justice League: War might not be the best of the DC Universal Animated Movie line and a step down from Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox and The Dark Knight Returns, but it is entertaining enough though the voice casting this go around isn’t the best, though we might be stuck with them given War is to be the first of connecting DCUA movies.
Death Wish is quintessential 1970s crime and grit and with the performance of Charles Bronson makes it a classic in its own right. It’s a fairly thought-provoking flick as well about vigilante justice and its effect on society though even on that front, its skin deep.
Haunter is hardly perfect and definitely uneven with the first half bordering on brilliance and the second predictable yet still between the fanastic mood setting and the performance from Abigail Breslin, this is at the very least worth a rental or maybe purchase.
Two Weeks Notice isn’t the most memorable romantic-comedy or anything but Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock share good chemistry together even if the story is a bit thin. The catalog Blu-ray released by Warner ports over all of the features from the DVD and offers a moderate upgrade in both the picture and audio.
City of Angels has some cheesy moments and Nic Cage early on doesn’t quite exude leading man who can act creepy yet still nab pretty (and smart) surgeon, but once you get beyond that, the story mostly works and somehow Cage and Ryan share good on-screen chemistry.