Punch-Drunk Love isn’t one of Paul Thomas Anderson’s greatest work, yet it’s still a lovely film nevertheless, what was most impressive then and now is seeing that Adam Sandler can turn in a well done, dramatic performance and paired with the exquisite Emily Watson makes for a poignant little romance-drama.
Re-Kan is a cute little anime series that has a far more supernatural element compared to others which seemed geared more toward science fiction or inner spirit plots and characters, so it was at least a nice change-up.
Jason Bourne had plenty going for it seeing the return of Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass after nearly a decade but what we got instead was a pretty much disinterested party involved and a half-assed script that seems to be a cliché of its previous movies.
Time After Time is an obscure movie from the late 1970s but as cheesy as it is in some instances, it’s still a fun flick featuring good performances from Malcolm McDowell and David Warner with honorable mention to Mary Steenburgen before she would fall in love with another time traveler a decade later.
The Chase is an all-star centered crime-drama and an acting tour-de-force from Marlon Brando to Jane Fonda and Robert Redford. It’s somewhat of a forgotten film but thankfully finds a home on Blu-ray through Twilight Time’s Limited Edition series.
Bubba Ho-Tep is an oft fun little flick that has garnered cult classic status over the years and features a great performance by Bruce Campbell as well as Ossie Davis. I wasn’t as over the moon with it but on the whole, it’s a unique film with replay value.
Although hardly great, C.H.U.D. is a fun 1980s flick with some OK performances from an impressive cast led way by future Home Alone alums John Heard and Daniel Stern. The story is goofy but still classic so for any fans of the era, it might make for a enjoyable trip down memory lane.
Jennifer Lopez: Dance Again isn’t a great music-documentary or anything but for something indifferent towards the artist/actress, I found it completely watchable and I suspect any fans will get something out of it; others probably not.
Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders was certainly an interesting concept but perhaps one a decade or so too late and it was pretty distracting hearing a nearly 90-year-old Adam West and a 70-year-old Burt Ward voicing characters in their 30s and teens, respectively. Still, there is a modest amount of entertainment value.
Hannie Caulder is that rare female-led Western with the added rape-revenge angle which would come to more prominence in the 1970s with the likes of I Spit on Your Grave. However, while the “scene” is troubling, the performance from Raquel Welch was fantastic with honorable mention going to Robert Culp.
The Quiet Man very well might be one of Olive’s better releases from their Signature line with some good features and great video/audio transfers while the movie itself is great top-lined by some amazing performances from John Wayne, in a different kind of role, and Maureen O’Hara who is as charming as ever.
The Initiation is your common 1980s slasher film with some shoddy performances but at least a fun quotient that will entertain fans, though for myself this is probably a one-and-done viewing.
Mechanic: Resurrection, while not awful and at times passably entertaining, had not reason to even exist, although from my memory was I guess a tad better than its predecessor. The only reason to even sit through this is for Jason Statham who still possesses great charm, otherwise the stunt work isn’t the best and the plot is incredibly thin.
Although hardly perfect, and doesn’t hold a candle to A New Hope or Empire Strikes Back, The Force Awakens is still an entertaining sci-fi action/adventure that not only brings back the old crew but does a great job introducing a new cast of characters as portrayed by Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Adam Driver.
The Wild Life (originally titled Robinson Crusoe) is a harmless but nevertheless bad animated movie that I’m sure young kids will enjoy but adults could have a hard time sitting through and the animation itself feels cheap not to mention the humor fell flat.