Hands of Stone isn’t a half-bad boxing drama biopic and yet by the end, I wasn’t exactly connected on any level with the story and outside of some nice performances, there’s not much that stands out.
The Squid and the Whale is a poignant family drama featuring some really fine performances, the main one being Jeff Daniels who shockingly (or not) did not at least secure an Academy Award nomination. But beyond that, this is a story which transcends generations.
Punch-Drunk Love isn’t one of Paul Thomas Anderson’s greatest work, yet it’s still a lovely film nevertheless, what was most impressive then and now is seeing that Adam Sandler can turn in a well done, dramatic performance and paired with the exquisite Emily Watson makes for a poignant little romance-drama.
Re-Kan is a cute little anime series that has a far more supernatural element compared to others which seemed geared more toward science fiction or inner spirit plots and characters, so it was at least a nice change-up.
The Chase is an all-star centered crime-drama and an acting tour-de-force from Marlon Brando to Jane Fonda and Robert Redford. It’s somewhat of a forgotten film but thankfully finds a home on Blu-ray through Twilight Time’s Limited Edition series.
Bubba Ho-Tep is an oft fun little flick that has garnered cult classic status over the years and features a great performance by Bruce Campbell as well as Ossie Davis. I wasn’t as over the moon with it but on the whole, it’s a unique film with replay value.
Although hardly great, C.H.U.D. is a fun 1980s flick with some OK performances from an impressive cast led way by future Home Alone alums John Heard and Daniel Stern. The story is goofy but still classic so for any fans of the era, it might make for a enjoyable trip down memory lane.
Jennifer Lopez: Dance Again isn’t a great music-documentary or anything but for something indifferent towards the artist/actress, I found it completely watchable and I suspect any fans will get something out of it; others probably not.
Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders was certainly an interesting concept but perhaps one a decade or so too late and it was pretty distracting hearing a nearly 90-year-old Adam West and a 70-year-old Burt Ward voicing characters in their 30s and teens, respectively. Still, there is a modest amount of entertainment value.
Hannie Caulder is that rare female-led Western with the added rape-revenge angle which would come to more prominence in the 1970s with the likes of I Spit on Your Grave. However, while the “scene” is troubling, the performance from Raquel Welch was fantastic with honorable mention going to Robert Culp.
The Quiet Man very well might be one of Olive’s better releases from their Signature line with some good features and great video/audio transfers while the movie itself is great top-lined by some amazing performances from John Wayne, in a different kind of role, and Maureen O’Hara who is as charming as ever.
Legend of Bruce Lee: Volume One is a nicely produced series, which had a 50 episode run (oddly the back cover only mentions 30) in China in 2008, and here we only get the first 10 episodes so expect a couple more volumes at some point.
The Initiation is your common 1980s slasher film with some shoddy performances but at least a fun quotient that will entertain fans, though for myself this is probably a one-and-done viewing.
The Wild Life (originally titled Robinson Crusoe) is a harmless but nevertheless bad animated movie that I’m sure young kids will enjoy but adults could have a hard time sitting through and the animation itself feels cheap not to mention the humor fell flat.
Carnage Park had some interesting things going for it with an almost Western Film Noir aspect intermixed with the apocalyptic-like setting and the performances from Ashley Bell and Pat Healy but otherwise it’s a rather ordinary and forgettable flick.