Movieman's Guide to the Movies
The Final Word on Physical Media
The Sword of Doom, directed by Kihachi Okamoto (who was often overshadowed by other Japanese mainstays), this drama has heart and features great performances from its two leads. This Blu-ray released by The Criterion Collection might not have an abundant amount of features but the video and audio transfers are both well done and alone are worth the price.
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Bird People is a slow moving film that will test one’s patience where scenes tend to drag on but the performances are all pretty good and on that front, it at least has some redeeming value, but little else. The DVD released by MPI doesn’t have much to offer with a mere trailer and standard video/audio transfers.
Well intentioned for sure but ultimately Days and Nights, written and directed by Christian Camargo, is a fairly dull film with some OK acting from a nicely put together named cast; despite the talent involved, it just was not an engaging flick. The DVD released by MPI features good video/audio while the bonus material is relatively basic.
V/H/S: Viral has little to offer and, unlike its predecessors, seems to be mish-mash of stories with little, if anything, to do with one another, all held together with a lame “main storyline.” The acting also isn’t the best and add to the fact I’m not a fan of the found footage format, this just was not something I enjoyed.
Exterminators of the Year 3000 is a cheesy, bad but ultimately harmless clone of Mad Max. The production values are cheap, the synthesized music harsh on the ears and the acting is nothing amazing either. The Blu-ray released by Shout Factory is actually relatively weak, though considering the limited audiences, not altogether surprising.
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101 Dalmatians isn’t one of my favorite classic animated Disney films, though on the whole save for a couple, they’ve never been my cup of tea, but with the inclusion of Cruella De Vil makes it far more memorable and the animation is still fantastic to this day and still plays well today for younger viewers.
Zarra’s Law is a disjointed mess story and a film as a whole, not so much for the cinematography which looked good but feels more like a television series and as a viewer, we’re looking in at episodes 2 or 3. The acting is alright though seeing Tony Sirico as a cop was somewhat jarring after so many years as a mobster on “The Sopranos.” This might be worth a rental but nothing more.
Breaking Away is a well done coming-of-age drama featuring four solid performances from up-and-comers and excellent direction by Peter Yates. The Blu-ray released by Twilight Time offers adequate video/audio transfers and a nice commentary track in the bonus material department.
Richard Pryor was one of a kind who rarely compromised his standards, not giving a lick about offending others and also revolutionized stand-up comedy and has influenced so many over the years and till this day. The documentary itself is well done if not low key in its approach nicely weaving archival footage with new interviews (including the late Robin Williams) with a variety of comedians and show biz folks who knew and worked with Pryor.
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New Year’s Evil is a ho-hum horror movie with little horror and the kills pretty standard. Save for the finale, this is a bore of a film that might have a minor following but for myself, little about this was enjoyable outside of Kip Niven’s creepy but fun performance. The Blu-ray released by Shout Factory has good video/audio transfers while the bonus material is somewhat thin.
The Aviators is a forgettable animated feature and for adults it might be tedious but kids will get something out of it even if the animation style isn’t anything to be blown over by and the voice casting isn’t that special either, though Brad Garrett gives it his best. The Blu-ray released by Cinedigm has average, unfortunately no features were included.
The Drop is a well made if not a bit ordinary crime-drama that excels with the main three actors headlined by Tom Hardy who continues to impress and there’s special interest with James Gandolfini being his final feature film and he gives his usual great performance.
Bandit Queen is a raw film highlighted by star Seema Biswas though from my reading, the accuracy of the picture is questionable so for those like me, you should go in with some skepticism. That being said, it’s a decent film worth a watch especially if the subject matter interests you.
Frankenstein vs. The Mummy is what it seems to be: a cheap direct-to-video schlock with (at best) so-so performances. This isn’t a great movie by any stretch and the only reason to even see it, and endure the lengthy 115-minute running time, is for those who want to check out B-movie material. The DVD is pretty basic from the menu design to average video/audio transfers.
“Tom & Jerry Show”: Funny Side Up is an OK set for a decent series and is a fine companion for the previous released “Frisky Business” which contained the first 12 episodes. As it stands, for the family this is a fine purchase if you can nab it for under $10.
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