Jem and the Holograms doesn’t have very much going for it, save maybe for Juliette Lewis who hammed it up well enough, and doesn’t even crossing into the so bad its good territory, and I’m not entirely sure if it’s even worth a Netflix/Redbox.
Sicario is one of the best movies of 2015 thanks to the direction, cinematography and Del Toro’s brilliant performance which bizarrely was overlooked by the Academy. Beyond that, it’s just a well paced thriller that never lets up yet still some nice character moments.
Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension is another dud of a sequel in a franchise that should’ve stopped at #3 in making for at least a endurable enough trilogy. While this entry is tolerable, it’s still really bad and tedious with little actual scares and once gain relies on jump scares more than anything.
Smooth Talk is an interesting albeit imperfect drama that culminates with a dark and creepy finale that, even though it went on a bit too long, still was incredibly effective. The performances from Laura Dern and Treat Williams also stand out and make it worth checking out.
Irrational Man is not nearly one of Woody Allen’s greatest films, a far cry from Midnight in Paris which was a magical film or comes close to his older classics, but it’s got its certain dark charms especially with the performances by Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone.
Needless to say, Everest isn’t exactly a lighthearted adventure flick but in spite of that, and some so-so writing, the performances from the ensemble cast, Jason Clarke and Josh Brolin especially, makes it worthwhile, though for myself, I’m not sure if I’d ever revisit it. The Blu-ray released by Universal offers excellent video and audio transfers and a fine selection of bonus material.
The Walk, technically speaking, is a well done biographical drama. However, I really didn’t find Petit’s past all that interesting in spite of a nice performance from Joseph Gordon-Levitt, French accent and all. But as one would expect, the highlight of the film is the prep and actual walk across the Twin Towers.
Sinister 2 has to have been one of the duller horror films I’ve come across and unlike the original this has no mystery, suspense or, laughably, anything remotely scary. The cast actually isn’t terrible considering what they had to work with but there’s nothing else that’s redeemable.
The Visit isn’t a bad movie but any stretch and certainly M. Night’s best offering in some time but by the same token, it employs the tired found footage style and although there are some creepy moments, as a whole, it’s not anything memorable. The performances especially that of Olivia DeJonge, are decent enough.
“True Detective”: The Complete Second Season is definitely a step down from its predecessor, however, for all of its faults from a needlessly complicated storyline, substandard writing and too many characters (main ones anyway), I still found this season fairly entertaining due to the performances by Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams and yes, even Vince Vaughn.
Hitman: Agent 47 might not be a horrible movie experience but it certainly much to be desired with a poor casting choice of Rupert Friend who seems too refined for the role while relative newcomer Hannah Ware came off fairly well. This is the type of film, despite an R-rating, destined to air on FX or FXX with some not-so-creative editing and certainly is not worth a purchase let along a rental.
Pan had some of the right ingredients between a good and capable director and respectable cast but between some odd choices with the soundtrack, mainly a rendition of “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, and an utterly joyless film which is surprising for a movie about Peter Pan, it makes for a soulless and forgettable flick.
It’s understandable why fans of the novels hate The Scorch Trials adaptation but as someone who isn’t attached to the books in any way, I found it acceptable and entertaining enough. Sure, the film does have its problems especially with the pacing and bloated story taking it over the two hour mark, yet at the same time I don’t regret seeing it.
What started off as an interesting story about the Milgram Experiment turned into a bit of a bore of film in the second half, though Peter Sarsgaard does give a fine performance and director Michael Almereyda certainly didn’t go the conventional route in the story and filmmaking style, so Experimenter does at least stand out in that regard.
Mysterious Island is a fun, light-hearted, fantasy flick highlighted by Ray Haryhausen’s incredible effects work combined with Bernard Herrmann’s score. The Blu-ray released under the Twilight Time line offers some decent features headlined by an extensive audio commentary, and good video/audio transfers.