Jun 192015
 

1990: The Bronx Warrior was never meant to be good and it certainly is not. It is also not a movie to watch alone as I suspect one would have a far better time mocking it, “MST3K” style. This release by Blue Underground is alright with so-so audio/video transfers and an OK selection of bonus features.

 

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Jun 162015
 

Run All Night isn’t great but a perfectly satisfactory and entertaining action/thriller flick. Liam Neeson does employ his “special set of skills” but unlike the Taken movies, his character does get more depth and actual emotion. The writing isn’t the best, in particular developing the plot, but this is at least worth a rental.

 

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Jun 142015
 

It’s not too hard to see why Survivor went direct-to-video and in spite of the best efforts of a (mostly) respectable cast and some decent direction from the director, the screenplay needed a few more passes to iron out the plot and, in particular, the characters who are laughably thinly written and just laughable all around. This movie is destined for the dump bin and with a few cuts, will air on Spike TV one day.

 

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Jun 142015
 

State of Grace might not be the most well known drama especially in Sean Penn’s extensive filmography but it is a well done, if not overdrawn, flick worth checking out mainly for the performances especially by Gary Oldman who is at his finest. The Blu-ray released by Twilight Time has sufficient audio/video but is limited in the special features department.

 

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Jun 122015
 

The Night of the Generals isn’t the most well made WWII film but it is certainly different from others giving it a murder mystery spin to the formula. However, the cast is impressive with Peter O’Toole, Omar Sharif and Donald Pleasance each giving good performances. The Blu-ray released by Twilight Time is basic with good video and audio transfers but lacks in the special features department.

 

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Jun 112015
 

Project Almanac might not be a great movie, and in my book no found footage feature is anyway, but there is just enough that kept my attention from at least likable characters, as well as half-decent visual effects. That said, it’s nothing more than a Red Box rental and nothing more. The Blu-ray released by Paramount is really basic with minimal bonus material but the audio/video transfers were both impressive.

 

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Jun 102015
 

Both Tentacles and Reptilicus speak to a specific niche crowd, fans of the old creature-features so while I myself wasn’t overly impressed, it is nice to get both on one disc looking and sounding better than ever. Even though this release falters in the bonus feature department, it might be worth picking up for fans.

 

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Jun 082015
 

Scarecrows isn’t a great supernatural horror but it has its moments with a few impressive make-up effects and a well rounded cast of scumbags to get their comeuppance. The Blu-ray released by Scream Factory is fairly impressive with decent to fair video/audio transfers and a decent selection of bonus material.

 

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Jun 062015
 

Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland isn’t a good horror movie and honestly kind of dull, though some of the kills are at least unique (i.e. the lawnmower) but by today’s standards, and this is nothing against this film in particular, it is rather tame in all areas from sex to the violence. Even so, I guess big horror fans, and fans of the Sleepaway Camp movies specifically, might enjoy otherwise it’s a forgettable sequel.

 

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Jun 062015
 

Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers is absolutely not a very good movie but in fairness, I don’t think the filmmakers or cast thought they were making high horror art. The performances are mostly throwaways though Pamela Springsteen does make for an effective psycho, I suppose. Personally I didn’t care that much for this movie, and wasn’t that fond of the first one outside of the now well-known “twist”, but horror fanatics might treasure this sequel.

 

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Jun 052015
 

Neil Blomkamp’s Chappie isn’t quite the homerun some expected it to be with a thin story and even thinner characters but like District 9, it impresses in the technical department with excellent motion capturing and all around solid visual effects. The Blu-ray itself has a nice selection of bonus material while the audio/video transfers are both demo worthy.

 

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Jun 022015
 

Serena might have been an earnest film worthy of the hype but somewhere in the process, something went wrong. Yeah, it’s got a respectable cast including two Oscar winners who previously worked together and shared good chemistry, a reputable director who has displayed some visual talent and much loved source material with a decent fan base, and yet what we got was a mess.

 

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May 302015
 

It’s something else, but Camp X-Ray manages to show that Kristen Stewart isn’t a half bad actress (though she still employs the eyes half closed look) and her co-star, Payman Maadi delivers a fine performance as well with the pair sharing a nice on-screen chemistry. The Blu-ray released by IFC is rather basic with thin bonus features while the video and audio transfers are both excellent.

 

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