The Virgin Suicides is a movie that didn’t have a huge impact on me then and now I can appreciate it for its direction and the performances, but nothing else otherwise in terms of any emotional impact.
This Drama 4-in-1 Collection is another fine compilation from Mill Creek especially considering the low SRP and getting some at least okay John Travolta movies, though I believe these all were already released on Blu-ray in the past.
Saving Private Ryan is just one incredible experience from the amazing war sequences from the D-Day invasion to the Ramelle scene but in between are some excellent performances headlined by Tom Hanks, and should’ve taken home Best Picture especially over Shakespeare in Love.
The Virgin Suicides is a movie that didn’t have a huge impact on me then and now I can appreciate it for its direction and the performances, but nothing else otherwise in terms of any emotional impact.
The Triple Feature set is an okay release from Mill Creek and although I don’t like that no features were ported over from previous studio releases, as budget titles go, it’s worth picking up if only to get two out of the three in high-definition for the first time.
Meadowland is a respectable enough debut from Reed Marano to the point that although it misfires on an emotional level, not to mention the screenplay could’ve used a re-write, it does excel with a stellar performance by Olivia Wilde.
Results is a quirky if not uneven romantic comedy with a couple fine performances, particularly Kevin Corrigan and Guy Pearce. The writing isn’t the best and by the end I can’t say it’s very memorable either way. The Blu-ray released by Magnolia is basic with slim bonus material and good video/audio transfers.
Boiler Room unabashedly takes its cues from Wall Street and Glengarry Glenn Ross with a clip from the former being shown and quoted by the characters, so kudos for at least not denying it and claiming to be original through and through. The performances are mostly solid but the screenplay and in particular, the ending needed work because it had potential to be memorable.
Ruben Fleischer’s Gangster Squad no doubt blew the opportunity to be a special crime-drama and instead it stumbles trying to emulate other gangster movies in the past. Still, I couldn’t help but enjoy the movie especially the performances from Brolin, Gosling, Robert Patrick and Sean Penn that it makes for a worthwhile viewing even with its flaws.
It’s a shame Columbus Circle wasn’t better as it has a good cast and, at its core, at least an interesting premise. Although the script does them no favors, I give a pass to the cast as they seem to struggle through stilted dialogue and contrived situations, especially a finale that flies in the face of what we watched before.
The Rum Diary is the kind of film that doesn’t linger after it’s over. It’s not bad enough to mock or good enough to recommend, it kind of is just… there. Depp delivers another good performance but even he can’t save an undercooked screenplay.