The Vanishing is yet another poor remake and even though it was from the same director (may he RIP) as the original, the acting was bad especially from Jeff Bridges who was more oddball than creepy, and a story that doesn’t have the same flow or pacing compared with the 1988 version.
The Steven Spielberg: Director’s Collection is a fine selection, that Universal has access to, that general movies fans will appreciate, even if a couple aren’t that great (1941 and Always specifically). However, given the studio’s history, those who already own previous releases like E.T. and Jurassic Park, could wait as I’m sure the exclusive titles will come available on their own at some point down the road.
Begin Again is one enjoyable movie about the music industry without too many inclusionary or referential backgrounds, unlike something like High Fidelity (which is a great movie on its own), and instead is a light-hearted character drama with some catchy songs and actually, Knightley isn’t a half-bad singer. Basically, this is a fun movie that’s neither challenging nor forgettable at the same time.
Audrey Rose is not what one would call a lost or forgotten psychological horror-thriller from the 1970s and frankly, even with Anthony Hopkins, it’s not a very effective film especially considering the ridiculous screenplay.
The Vanishing is a well made and one of the more disturbing dramas ever highlighted by a wholly creepy performance from Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu.
I suppose Sex Tape had good intentions to be a racy adult comedy and on the surface with Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel, not to mention supporting roles by Rob Cordory and Ellie Kemper, one would think it’d work on some level but instead it’s a laugh-less flick with maybe only one memorable scene while the rest is throwaway material.
Locked In actually isn’t a bad movie and despite some shortcomings with the screenplay/story, the acting from the main cast are pretty good and there’s enough there to keep one’s attention. Still, at best this is only worth a rental unless you can nab this for under $5.
I’ve made my thoughts clear on the “Ancient Aliens” series as tabloid junk marketed to the believers of aliens but worse than that, it makes assumptions and leaps with little to no evidence surrounded by so-called experts who we’re supposed to take at their word. Still, I guess as junk entertainment, it’s harmless, just don’t take anything at face value.
Albeit not the perfect first season, “Penny Dreadful” is a show that begins to run on all cylinders from the get-go and being only 8-episodes, made for binge-viewing. What stands out from the others even in the pay television venue is the performances from a cast of who’s who including Timothy Dalton, Josh Hartnett and Eva Green, the latter whom well deserving of a Golden Globe nomination.
Obvious Child is a bit uneven and frankly the main character of Donna is a bit annoying, though I guess one could call her, and Jenny Slate’s performance, refreshing that she is a flawed person. Still, it’s not a movie for everybody with one core subject matter that will turn many off.
Gone with the Wind: The 75th Anniversary Edition is another nice set but a bit unnecessary considering just five years ago had a ton of features and contains the same audio and video transfers.
Edge of Tomorrow is one of the better movies to come out of a (mostly) disappointing summer 2014 although due to a generic title change and less than stellar advertising, didn’t quite catch on with audience (it did manage to cross the $100M mark domestically, however). It’s a fun film from start to finish and well worth at least a rental if not outright day one purchase.
Sharknado 2: The Second One is a great entry into the series and is a whole lot of fun through and through with great in-jokes and some wonderful cameos that were great to see (particularly Robert Hays in a fun callback to Airplane). This obviously is not something to take seriously and is especially fun to watch with friends making for a better experience.
Stagefright has cultivated cult classic status and while it’s never was my kind of movie, never really found it that engrossing in a horrific kind of way.
Persecuted seems to try to be the religious version of an Oliver Stone film but fails at almost every turn. First, the actual plot is thin and seemingly inconsequential not to mention overly dramatic; second, the pacing and editing felt off making a 90-minute movie feel a lot longer; and third the acting is at best average although I’ll give some credit to James Remar for at least giving it a go.