How to Succeed in Business… isn’t a great musical as it is quite dated but some of the songs were on the catchy side even when the acting was a bit too broad (i.e. over-the-top) for my taste.
Although 3 out of the 4 movies in these are, well, utter crap, this Wishmaster Collection is a well done addition to the Vestron Collector’s Series and includes some excellent new bonus material for the first film
I know Firestarter has somewhat of a following, I wasn’t as enthralled with this Stephen King adaptation although the performances by Drew Barrymore and George C. Scott were great.
Peyton Place is a well acted and finely made atypical 1950s era drama based on a controversial book. This Blu-ray released through Twilight Time offers up good video and audio transfers and an okay amount of bonus material.
Fences was based on a stage play — and certainly looks it — of the same name and while it does boast a fine cast, headlined by Denzel Washington (who also directed) and Viola Davis, but despite the talent, it’s a talky and often tedious drama with a loathsome main character that even the charming Washington can’t make him very likeable.
Just a scooch too long and featuring music that, personally, I didn’t find all that great, not to mention some questionable performances including that of the legendary Fred Astaire though it’s not like he didn’t give it his all, Finian’s Rainbow was a dud from Francis Ford Coppola.
Passengers might’ve been slammed by critics, was a quasi bust at the box office given its budget and had a misleading marketing campaign, but I for one really enjoyed the lonely aspect of the story that tends to appeal to me and has an interesting premise.
Moana is a fantastic musical animated film from Walt Disney Animation Studios and maybe one of the best by the studio since Beauty and the Beast, though in general Pixar is still king with pulling at the heartstrings.
Ghost in the Shell is a well done, beautifully animated anime that not only was the inspiration behind The Matrix but has garnered a large following as well as numerous incarnations both television series and a sequel.
There’s a reason these multi-pack movie collections have a small SRP as they’re geared toward more casual movie fans and I suspect some of these were previously available in some fashion in other collections. If you’re not a videophile and want a wide selection to watch on a Saturday night, these might be worth the price.
Strange Cargo is a charming adventure romance and epitomizes 1940s Hollywood with Clark Gable and Joan Crawford starring.
Man Down does shine light on the important subject of PTSD for returning soldiers and as commendable as that is, it’s unfortunate the screenplay does it little justice but I will say Shia LaBeouf’s performance is amazing and it does feature a respectable supporting cast.
Middling ensemble drama, 100 Streets could’ve been better either being a set of vignettes or focusing on one story. Still, it is a worthwhile watch if only for Idris Elba who turns in yet another strong performance.
Emotionally distant at times, Jackie is propelled mostly from the Natalie Portman’s performance and also features respectable production and costume designs as well as an intriguing enough character study.
There’s no question When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth is not a very good movie but even as one trying to ride the coattails of One Million Years B.C., it fails on that level as well. The only plus I found was for the impressive special effects (for its time), only a shame the story and acting wasn’t good.