The Panic in Needle Park is a grim, sometimes hard to watch drama that gives insight into drug addiction and the power it holds. The film features one heck of a performance by Al Pacino marking his first leading role and Kitty Winn keeps up with Pacino is a number of scenes.
Inserts is an oddball of a film with Richard Dreyfuss turning in a typical Dreyfuss type of performance from the 1970s. The character drama-centric story works well enough and the inclusion of Bob Hoskins as the main antagonist is always a plus.
Not sure how this version compares to the others, even the 1939 one which I saw several years ago, but Hammer Films’ 1959 The Hound of the Baskervilles is still an entertaining Sherlock Holmes mystery featuring a solid performance from Peter Cushing as the great detective.
Romeo is Bleeding is certainly a unique movie though also kind of typical Gary Oldman from the 1990s turning in a bizarrely fascinating performance as does Lena Olin who manages to keep up with his insanity, and at times topping it. It’s not perfect but with Oldman and Olin, well worth checking out.
10 Cloverfield Lane is a strong sci-fi thriller that, even though it’s been many years since I last saw it, equals the original and had the added bonus of not being in the found footage style and features better characters. I’m not sure how well this will hold up in the long run however but at the moment I found it to be thoroughly entertaining.
Gridlocked is probably one of the more surprising movies based on expectations since my history with direct-to-video flicks hasn’t been the greatest. Sure, the acting isn’t anything special but Dominic Purcell and Stephen Lang serve well as the protagonist and antagonist respectively.
Rollercoaster is a well made and suspense-filled thriller with an impressive cast that includes George Segal, Timothy Bottoms (who effectively portrays a domestic terrorist) and Peter Fonda in a small role.
The Funhouse Massacre isn’t a half bad indie horror flick with some impressive make-up effects and even the performances aren’t terrible, though Robert Englund’s role is very much a cameo appearing in the film for maybe 10 minutes.
Jarhead 3: The Siege is at least an okay flick though it takes more than a few cues from the real life events in Benghazi that were portrayed in the big budget Michael Bay flick, 13 Hours. As it is, it’s passable entertainment.
Rollerball is an interesting vision of the future which, if the NFL is an example, seems to have come to fruition. The acting from James Caan is terrific and Norman Jewison’s direction is swift and although hardly the perfect movie, it’s still well worth checking out.
It just doesn’t seem fair that it would seem subsequent seasons of “Game of Thrones” gets better but it’s happened… yet again. After a third season ripe with more violence, and blood, than the previous two probably combined (and that’s saying something), season four might take it up a notch, but it’s at least a lateral move.
This 5-movie collection release, Possessed by Evil, is a bargain-bin fodder from Mill Creek. If you don’t own a couple of these titles, it might be worth picking up given the cheap SRP, just don’t expect too much.
Zootopia is on the heavy-handed side of its message however it’s a good one that would be beneficial to kids (and their parents for that matter). The animation is fantastic and the humor mostly works as does the voice talent involved.
This quick cash-grab release is the exact the same as the 2010 release (the discs themselves are the same down to the artwork); I suppose if you never grabbed the original it might be worth picking up, otherwise pass this one on by.
“Roots” was a phenomenon for television and still relates so well today. Featuring top-notch performances from the likes of LeVar Burton and Louis Gossett Jr. amongst many others, this is well worth watching even for younger viewers though I suspect some will navigate toward the recent remake.