Poker Night isn’t a terrible movie but it really doesn’t offer anything new to the genre as it delves into every cliché in the horror book. That said, the acting wasn’t half bad and I can’t complain seeing more work from the venerable Titus Welliver in a supporting role. The Blu-ray released by XLrator Media is very basic with good audio/video transfers but the bonus material is almost non-existent save for the trailer.
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.
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.
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.
Left Behind is a mess of a film with bad acting, terribly dialogue and an all-around poorly written screenplay. It’s also apparent why Nicolas Cage took on this role, which he mostly slept walked through, as he obviously needed to pay off the IRS, a mortgage and others odds and ends. I get what the filmmakers were going after but it comes off as amateurish and had more unintentional funny moments more than anything.
Nightcrawler is one of the more stomach-churning films but not for the violence but Jake Gyllenhaal’s performance proving once again, following great turns in Prisoners and Zodiac, to be a versatile actor. But even putting him aside, Dan Gilroy’s satirical screenplay is just one other reason to see this film, it’s akin to a dark and grittier version of Network.
Fury isn’t the best war drama around, not even in the top 5, but it’s still well made and features a great cast, with Brad Pitt delivering a fine performance (one of his best in some time), that elevates the writing while Ayer’s direction keeps the pacing just right. The Blu-ray released by Sony has excellent video/audio transfers while the bonus material is quasi in-depth with 50+ minutes of deleted/extended scenes.
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.
The plot for Men, Woman & Children does get heavy-handed towards the end and Garner’s character is more caricature than anything, but despite its flaws, and even though this is hardly Reitman’s strongest film, it’s still a job well done.
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.
Justice League: Throne of Atlantis is not DCUA’s best output to date but it’s a perfectly entertaining film with a few flaws, primarily the limited running time. But the voice casting is mostly good, even Jason O’Mara, and on the whole I enjoyed it and some of the darker humor and taking the PG-13 rating to the limits in terms of animated affair.
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.