Ex Machina is one of the better surprises of 2015 with a well told story taking a subject seen many times before yet giving it that extra layer and giving us three distinguished characters each fleshed out so well. Also top marks for the visual effects which are minimalized yet still quite impressive.
Woman in Gold may not be as powerful of a drama as I’m sure the Weinstein’s wanted or expected considering the subject and starring Helen Mirren, but even so, it’s still well done with solid performances all around. The Blu-ray released by Anchor Bay has an OK selection of bonus material while the video/audio transfers are both great.
The Town That Dreaded Sundown isn’t great but at least it has some creativity linking itself to the original in a movie within a movie sense. The self referencial aspects were fun and the acting wasn’t half bad, though one of the twists at the end wasn’t exactly unexpected. Still, for horror fans, this might be worth a pick up especially considering the reasonably low price.
The Pact 2 is a poor movie sequel or not. The pacing is deadly slow, no pun intended, and the suspense terribly limited with an incredibly predictable finale that I suspected within the first few minutes. This is one movie destined for the cheap bin and for good reason. The video and audio transfers are decent enough while the special features are limited.
Last Knights might’ve had a good story at its core but it’s a really forgettable film with one-dimensional characters and acting that at best was average if not a bit spotty while the action scenes are rather mundane and blasé. The Blu-ray released by Lionsgate isn’t much better though the video/audio transfers are decent enough and at least there are some bonus material to peruse.
Conceptually Maggie actually isn’t a terrible idea and manages to distinguish itself with the plethora of zombie films that have permeated the cinema marketplace and only grew more popular with “The Walking Dead.” Still, for all the flaws with the screenplay and a WTF casting of Schwarzenegger, this might be worth a rental.
The Gunman isn’t terrible and some interesting ideas but the execution was lacking through Sean Penn gives a solid performance though the supporting cast was a complete waste especially Ray Winstone and Idris Elba, neither of whose talents were adequately tapped in to. The Blu-ray released by Universal is a tad weak with no bonus features but the audio and video transfers are both excellent.
Elimination Game is a bad movie and I mean SyFy made-for-television bad. Dominic Purcell isn’t a great actor but he probably deserves better material than this. The production design is lousy and the plot, albeit a remake of a 1982 film entitled Turkey Shoot (the original title of this one), is a rehash of many others, often better films.
Virtuosity isn’t a great movie by any stretch but I don’t think it intended to be taken seriously. While Denzel Washington plays it safe with a steady if not forgettable performance, Russell Crowe is an absolute hoot and goes over-the-top and was easily the film’s saving grace to go along with a thin but entertaining plot. The Blu-ray released through Warner is rather basic with no bonus material while the video and audio transfers are at least well done.
The Cell might look nice with amazing visuals by director Tarsem Singh and the production design team and conceptually it is an intriguing idea, but man its hard not to realize how dumb the movie is while watching. I suppose if viewing for the first time one might get lost in the effects and style, but drilling down, the substance is lacking to go along with one-dimensional characters (though Lopez for her part wasn’t terrible).
The Unwanted has some things going for it especially with its two relatively young actresses in Hannah Fierman and Christen Orr and although some work could’ve been done with the writing and in the editing room, there’s enough there that makes it worth at least a rental.
Neither The Outing/The Lamp nor The Godsend are particularly well made movies but they do have a niche audience who might appreciate it. The Blu-ray released by Shout via their Scream Factory line is rather basic with basically no bonus material while the video and audio transfers are both OK and nothing extraordinary.
Robot Jox is a dumb but harmlessly cheesy sci-fi actioner done on a relatively limited budget. The acting isn’t anything amazing but for the most part the special and visual effects were impressive enough all things considered.
The DUFF might not achieve the same status of Mean Girls or Easy A (to name two of recent memory), but it does have a few things going for it from an amiable cast to some witty writing and dialogue as well as a charming story, syrupy conclusion and all. It was far better than what I thought it would be and perhaps it’s worth a rental if you’re on the fence.
The Lazarus Effect had some potential between a respectable cast who did a good job with what they were given and some nice production values, but the script came across as half assed and delved into horror clichés we’ve seen too many times before and done far better.