Movieman's Guide to the Movies
The Final Word on Physical Media
Eleven seasons in and “NCIS” is still going strong, being able to do the same old, same old and yet switch things up with multi-arc episodes as well as giving its characters, even if little by little, development. The only drawback is the production values seem to be limited but I can overlook it for solid storytelling and, of course, the chemistry between the core cast.
For a DTV flick, Legendary isn’t bad and the visual effects are halfway decent… well, probably Asylum levels and at least better than a SyFy Original Movie. Scott Adkins actually is alright here and Dolph Lundgren always seems to have a good time playing an unabashed villain. The DVD released by Lionsgate is unsurprisingly light on features but the audio and video transfers are both well done.
To be perfectly honest, I’m not a fan of zombie shows or movies with few exceptions (“The Walking Dead”), so Dead Within wasn’t exactly my cup of tea yet the psychological aspects were at least interesting and co-writer/director Ben Wagner at least gives some suspenseful atmosphere.
Agency of Vengeance: Dark Rising (aka Dark Rising 2) has to be sequel that not a whole heck of a lot of people were clamoring for but I suppose as a cheesy, low-budget sci-fi flick (with matching micro budget visual effects suitable for the SyFy network), it’s not an awful movie, just one with a thin script and questionable acting, though with someone with the body of Brigitte Kingsley, who spends some time in her bra and panties, who needs a script?
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Jesse might’ve been well intentioned, and certainly a passionate project for the writers and director, but the outcome was a spotty script, subpar acting and an all around boring film not worth the time, energy or money. The DVD also is less than desirable with an average video, substandard audio and basically no special features.
The Den actually isn’t a half bad horror/thriller with some good scares and an interesting plot line where the footage is entirely taken from, or like, web cam feeds. For a found footage film, a subgenre I generally loathe and feel is overused, this is an entertaining enough flick.
“Unforgettable”: The Second Season is solid entertainment through and through with good performances from the leads and a nice chemistry as an ensemble. The crimes themselves aren’t groundbreaking save perhaps for the assassin storyline yet the show is well worth keeping up with be it on DVD or, in its current form, as summer filler viewing.
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Amber Alert: Terror on the Highway is an all around bad movie with poorly written characters not helped by inane dialogue but most of all, it’s just a mess of a plot where the villain’s motivation isn’t entirely clear; it’s also filled with side stories, some character struggles which offer nothing but to bad out the running time.
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“Pretty Little Liars”: The Complete Fourth Season is actually a step up from season three. Sure, the four ladies make some boneheaded mistakes helping “A” further his or hers vendetta, but there are some good revelations which further the plot along nicely and we do get a few answers not to mention some solid drama for each of the girls.
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“Major Crimes”: The Complete Second Season is successful more on the ensemble cast, with Mary McDonnell leading the way, more so than the plots and the season-long subplot. The DVD released by Warner Brothers has good audio and video transfers but is a bit limited with the bonus material.
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Camp Dread is one bad horror film, amongst so many others that have come and gone; a movie that the likes of Eric Roberts or Danielle Harris couldn’t save. The DVD released by RLJ Entertainment is pretty minimal with OK video and audio transfers and nary a featurette to be found, though to be honest, that might be a good thing…
JLA Adventures: Trapped in Time, unlike its DCU counterparts, is a big downgrade in quality especially with the story, but I get what the filmmakers were after: a tongue-in-cheek comedy adventure and throwback to the old cartoon series; however the humor is pretty basic and really only anyone under the age of 13 might get anything substantial out of it.
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Beyond the Trophy isn’t a good movie. Perdiod, end of the discussion. The performances are at best wooden including Michael Madsen and the story is filled with cliché after cliché to go along with a poorly written script. Add to that, the production values are pretty bad making for a terrible looking picture.
Adult World isn’t perfect with a clumsy story but the performances by Emma Roberts and John Cusack are both quite good and the film itself is at least watchable though has a limited replay value. The DVD doesn’t have much with minimal features and so-so video/audio transfers.
The Pretty One is an interesting little drama toplined by a star-making performance by Zoe Kazan who plays dueling roles. However, the DVD released by Sony is pretty basic with average video and audio transfers and an incredibly short featurette.