Animal Factory is probably more noteworthy for the performances by Edward Furlong and Willem Dafoe than offering anything new in terms of story, and commentary, about prison life. Still worth watching, however.
Wolf Warrior 2, amazingly, is one of the highest grossing movies of all-time taking in $854 million in China, the second highest in any single market behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens. As for the movie itself, it’s entertaining enough for sure though nothing really separates it from others in the genre either.
M.F.A. is a movie that was written and released at just the right time considering the climate today, but beyond that story, which was only okay, the performance from Francesca Eastwood was phenomenal and one can only hope she gets even more work in the future.
American Assassin doesn’t manage to standout amongst the numerous other espionage thrillers out there and yet I found it entertaining mostly for the cast, namely Dylan O’Brien and Michael Keaton, not to mention relative newcomer Shiva Negar, more so than the plot.
Although I didn’t really watch Gilmore Girls when it originally aired, it’s a series that I found somewhat enjoyable on syndication with lively and likeable characters so it is nice seeing them back together in Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life is a fun experience of four mini-movies.
Home Again is hardly terrible but also hardly as charming as the filmmakers thought it was in spite of Reese Witherspoon whose talents are hardly taxed. This is at best a rental otherwise it’s a story that should’ve aired on the Hallmark Channel.
The Osiris Child: Science Fiction Volume One actually is a half-decent enough indie sci-fi flick, although I’m not a fan of these multi-parters where we may not know the entire story will be wrapped up. The performances are pretty good, though, and this is probably worthy of a rental.
Although Rememory doesn’t live up to what could’ve been a great premise, as a character-driven drama, in conjunction with Peter Dinklage’s impressive performance, this is still worthy of a rental.
Ingrid Goes West is a well made movie that tackles the darker side of social media, with comedic bite, and the obsession that can take over one’s life as was the case for Ingrid played by Aubrey Plaza turning in a great performance.
Silent Night, Deadly Night isn’t a horror film I’ve ever completely loved but considering there aren’t many great Christmas horror films out there and with some cheesy moments, it’s still a fun little 1980s flick.
Despicable Me 3 is a perfectly ‘fine’ CGI animated movie, though there’s nothing here that particularly stands out, but thanks to the Minions storyline and the scenes with Balthazar Bratt, I did manage to chuckle a few times.
Scarecrow is a bit of a gem, one that I honestly never heard of though I guess it’s easy to get lost amongst the 1970s classics like The Godfather, Rocky, Taxi Driver and A Clockwork Orange just to name a few. Hopefully with this Blu-ray it will be re-discovered.
Summer of ’42 is a well made and poignant coming-of-age movie featuring two excellent performances from Gary Grimes and Jennifer O’Neil that it makes it a worthwhile watch, albeit a tad creepy.
While The Trip to Spain might not have been as sharp as its Italian predecessor, it’s still a lot of fun with some truly laugh-out-loud lines, and just seeing Coogan and Brydon on the screen again was wonderful.
The 1967 version of Doctor Dolittle is a whimsical musical-fantasy that excels with some great set-pieces and a charismatic performance from its lead, Rex Harrison. Although it’s probably a tad too long for my taste, this is still a fun time for families even today.