Hatchet III is a needless sequel with plenty of gore and splatter but little story. I somewhat enjoyed the first entry and what Writer-Director Adam Green wanted to convey, but the sequel was a mere rehash and this third entry was surprisingly dull to sit through.
Q: The Winged Serpent is a fun little B-movie from the early 80s featuring some bad special effects, though this is part of the film’s charm and why it’s garnered somewhat of a cult following over the years.
Black Rock is respectable little film featuring two daring performances from Aselton, who also served as director, and Bell. The story is good enough to keep one’s attention but the villains are rather one-dimensional, almost Deliverance-lite, and it is brutal in its violent nature that I’m not sure I really would revisit it any time soon.
Passenger 57 is a silly action film typical of the 1990s era but between Wesley Snipes kick-ass nature and Bruce Payne’s delightfully ham-filled villainous performance, it makes for at least a fun viewing even if it doesn’t offer anything new to the genre. But outside of a couple of lines, it’s fairly forgettable.
Scary Movie 5 is an ugly, ugly movie even by comparison to #2 and #4 which were easily the worst of the franchise. But even worse so, this “movie” rivals the crap Friedberg/Seltzer continually puts out and those are some truly awful films in their own right. I’m astonished that credited writers David Zucker and Pat Proft didn’t downright file a lawsuit to have their names removed. The Blu-ray unfortunately does have respectable audio/video transfers but the bonus features are unsurprisingly minimal in content.
The Fog is another classic thriller from John Carpenter featuring good scares without getting gratuitous with the horror (in fact, there is no blood) and a respectable cast..
Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox is another solid entry into the DC Universe Animated line. The movie have had quality voice talent to go along with a well paced and finely tuned adaptation work providing for provocative storytelling, unflinching violence that even Tim Burton would avoid and an all around entertaining experience that I only wish the future DC live action movies could live up to.
The Sword in the Stone is still a nice story all these years later and an entertaining film as a whole. The Blu-ray released by Disney, however, isn’t fun. While the audio track isn’t very dynamic and the video is downright disappointing, the features also have much to be desired with Disney not bothering putting any new material such as a retrospective and/or impact the movie has had.
Hood does look dated in its animation style but it’s still a rollicking good time the entire family, especially with young children, will enjoy. The story of course is familiar but getting that Disney spin makes it stand out.
Oliver & Company was panned by the critics back in 1988 but in recent history has found a strong fan base… and for good reason. The movie features a wonderful, Disney-fied twist on an old story and some decent voice acting.
“Star Trek: The Next Generation” Season Four is another fantastic chapter in the “Trek” franchise. In the third season, there were signs of greatness in many episodes and this season offers even more amazing chapters in the saga where even the “worst” episodes sometimes rivaled the first and second season’s best.
Kiss of the Damned has some things going for it. The story is a bit slow to develop but it does at least offers some interesting drama between the sister vampires. The performances from the main cast – Josephine de La Baume, Milo Ventimiglia, and Roxane Mesquida – are well done, however de La Baume and Mesquida are breakouts.
Vehicle 19 had an interesting filmmaking concept in taking the viewer inside the van but instead of making for a suspenseful little flick, it’s one that seemingly meanders and gets downright dull in spite of a relatively short running time. I’d like to say Paul Walker was a saving grace but that’d be a lie as he only shows one expression and has a couple scenes that would even rank low in his career. Plain and simple, this is a movie one can skip.
The Spider-Man 2 Mastered in 4k Blu-ray release looks good but is it worth the price of an upgrade (around $15)? I don’t think so especially since, as with the other 4k releases none of the features were ported over. Still, if you own the proper equipment and have made the determination to dive into the field, this is a top title worth having in your collection.
“Portlandia” Season Three is hit or miss with the jokes, but when they land, it’s quite amusing, especially for somebody born and raised in the state of Oregon. Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen are both fairly versatile in their outlandish characters and situations.