The Final Word on Physical Media
Life was one of the bigger disappointments for me this year with a respectable cast and interesting, if not familiar, story that clearly took cues from Ridley Scott’s Alien. But while the execution was okay, though I didn’t find anything all that’s suspenseful, the script was a mess and perhaps a good re-write could’ve made a difference.
Warner Archive’s release of Vision Quest may not wow you in terms of its technical aspects as both the video and audio transfers I’d term as above average, and the bonus material is lacking, but this is a decently made drama from the mid-80s that likely would ever look better.
The Lego® Batman Movie does have some funny moments and great scenes with inside jokes for any Batman fan out there. The downside is the plot is rather thin but the message is one that kids and adults could get something out of while the jokes do run a bit dry and the film could’ve been cut down.
Continue reading “Review: The Lego Batman Movie 4K/BD + Screen Caps”
The Unholy is an uneven movie with some 1980s supernatural-horror charms but in spite of some spirited, so to speak, performances, this was a rather forgettable film from the era.
The Hearse has its moments but the combination of horror, supernatural, romance and mystery, didn’t quite gel for me, however actress Trish Van Devere does deliver for the type of movie this is.
Car Wash is an oft funny 1970s ensemble comedy with the likes of Richard Pryor and George Carlin making brief appearances but making the most of their limited screen time.
The Lawnmower Man Blu-ray released through Shout Factory has some good video/audio transfers and a nice selection of bonus features, though the movie itself is laughably bad and the 141-minute long director’s cut is quite tedious to sit through.
Continue reading “Review: The Lawnmower Man BD + Screen Caps”
Death Line was a bit of a disappointment for me with a story that somehow felt incomplete and characters, outside of Pleasence, not really making an impact. Still, there are some entertaining aspects and Donald Pleasence did seem like he was having a good old time.
This two-disc release from Arrow Films’ “Arrow Academy” line, Spotlight on a Murderer offers great video and audio transfers but falters a bit in the features department with only an older featurette, though the accompanied booklet is worth a read.
Continue reading “Review: Spotlight on a Murderer BD + Screen Caps”
Bambi honestly is not one of my favorite classic Disney animated films but it’s hard to become emotional over the journey for these characters and the positive message it presents that’s still more than relevant today that it was back in the day.
Continue reading “Review: Bambi: The Signature Collection BD + Screen Caps”
Evil Ed is one quirky but entertainingly bad film and although I really was even aware of it before this Arrow Video release, it apparently does have enough of a following that this set includes a “Special ED-ition Cut” with ~6 more minutes of footage.
This unnecessary remake offers none of the charm of the 1987 original, the updated music isn’t anything that special either and at over two hours long, really a bit of a slog to sit through.
Madhouse maybe has a modest following, but being this my first viewing, I found it awfully tedious with little to no thrills not to mention no scares whatsoever, and add in some below average performances, even by 1980s slasher standards, it makes for just a bad movie.
While Vega$ wasn’t quality, or even consistent, entertainment, I did find this to be an enjoyable enough series that rode almost solely on Robert Urich’s charms, with honorable mentions toward Bart Braveman and Greg Morris, rather than the writing.
Becker was a show which is easily forgotten especially since it never reached the creative levels of Cheers or Frasier, but as it is, I found the series had some truly hilarious moments and a strong supporting cast.