The Final Word on Physical Media
Bad Boys I & II is another bang-bang series from Michael Bay and although I disliked the sequel, the original at least is enjoyable enough. The pairing of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence offers fun chemistry between the two and the action scenes are at least unique in some sense although done to death by Bay himself to the point where you’re not sure if you’re watching Bad Boys or Transformers.
Tinto Brass isn’t a filmmaker for everybody and in my small sampling of his films that have been released on Blu-ray, its apparent I’m not as enamored with him compared with others. The Voyeur is no different but it does have interesting cinematography. However, this Blu-ray release has substandard video, average audio and limited number of bonus features.
Sense & Sensibility is a well made adaptation of the Jane Austen classic headlined by a stellar cast but especially Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet and Hugh Grant and is well worth watching as it has its heartfelt but funny moments. The Blu-ray released by Twilight Time has good video and audio transfers and a fine selection of bonus material.
Shadows and Fog is one of the more forgotten films in Woody Allen’s repartee and for the most part, it’s not a bad little comedy though it is typical Allen in terms of his performance and writing. Clearly it’s nowhere near the quality of Manhattan or Annie Hall, or more recently Midnight in Paris, but it might be worth a watch.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies ends one of the more mundane trilogies and although certainly the passion was there, Peter Jackson and company turned what should have been a 5 hour two-parter into three movies with unnecessary filler to go along with characters, new ones specifically, that were utterly forgettable.
The Exorcism of Molly Hartley is destined to be… yet another bad and forgettable supernatural horror flick and a reminder why The Exorcism is such a classic. This has so-so performances though I guess it’s nice to see Devon Sawa back but everything else is just bad.
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The Gift is one of the better surprises of 2015 and knockout feature-length directorial debut by Joel Edgerton and just one suspenseful and unpredictable (for the most part) film to come around in some time. It’s well acted, especially by Jason Bateman, and at the very least well worth a rental if not all out purchase.
Blood & Lace is quintessential 1970s with a catalogue score, bad ADR work and so-so performances, though Gloria Grahame is meticulously menacing and Melody Patterson has some charisma in the lead role. The Blu-ray released by Shout Factory offers OK video and audio and while the features are limited, the commentary is well worth listening to.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies ends one of the more mundane trilogies and although certainly the passion was there, Peter Jackson and company turned what should have been a 5 hour two-parter into three movies with unnecessary filler to go along with characters, new ones specifically, that were utterly forgettable.
Mr. Holmes isn’t great but it’s certainly watchable especially for Ian McKellen’s performance as the tragically aging Sherlock Holmes who is losing his memory. Not sure if I’ll ever revisit the film anytime soon yet at the same time it’s got just enough to make it worth a Redbox or Netflix rental before making the investment of purchasing.
Inside Out might not be in the upper echelon of Pixar movies (top 5 for me are the Toy Story 1-3, Monsters Inc. and Up) but it’s another solid entry and winner for the studio. I really enjoyed the story but beyond that the voice casting was so well done. This 4-disc set release offers excellent video and audio and a fine selection of bonus material.
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“Black Sails”: The Complete Second Season is another success for Starz with a compelling story arc and even better cast led by Toby Stevens and Hannah New while newcomer Zach McGowan from “Shameless” as the latest pirate villain, Captain Vane.
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Vacation might turn some off and the certainly the humor is off-color but for myself, it managed to surpass my exceptionally low expectations where I did manage to laugh more than a few times and tolerated characters who might annoy others. That said, this isn’t a good movie per se but a passable one that I probably would put on the same level as European Vacation and Vegas Vacation.
Paper Towns, while not great, has its moments with strong performances from Nat Wolff, Justice Smith and even Cara Delevingne and had enough entertainment value to keep my interest until the bittersweet end. The Blu-ray released by Fox offers good video/audio and the bonus features are decent enough.
Messenger of Death is an unusual turn for a Bronson film and is a bit more nuanced in terms of the story (vs. something like the Death Wish series) but performance wise he’s not bad and has one heck of an opening to draw in the audience.
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