Aside from my issue with plot, Blow Out is a film that should be seen along with Coppola’s similarly themed The Conversation starring Gene Hackman which came out in 1974, 7 years earlier.
Shrek still holds up 20 years later, both in story, humor and even animation, albeit rougher when you compare it to the higher-end CGI animation today.
Bombshell, starring an all-star cast including Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, John Lithgow and Margot Robbie comes out on Blu-ray and DVD from Lionsgate this Tuesday, March 10th.
Obsession was a rather bland mystery-drama which doesn’t have a whole lot going for it aside from some good cinematography however the acting from Cliff Robertson in the lead was weirder rather than endearing, and the film lacked De Palma’s flair.
Pitch Perfect 3 is the conclusion to a trilogy that honestly didn’t need one. I can’t precisely remember why I enjoyed the first two only to say that I did (according to my ratings on IMDb) but this one was pointless and even the music doesn’t overcome a disorganized plot, even though the cast at least seemed to be having a good time.
Daddy’s Home 2 might not be very good and some Christmas comedy-classic-in-the-making this is not, but I did manage to chuckle a few times here and there and I did genuinely enjoy seeing Mel Gibson generally being a dick, otherwise it’s an unmemorable film.
Dreamgirls is a nice enough release and all as I did enjoy the film, albeit I’ll stick with the theatrical version from now on, it’s just a shame the studio didn’t port over all the features from the previous releases making this incomplete.
Beatriz at Dinner excels more on the performances by Salma Hayek and John Lithgow rather than the plot or screenplay writing or even any genuine laughs, as this is more drama than comedy.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes isn’t perfect but it is a fine way to reboot the series with a new trilogy, especially after the disastrous Tim Burton version. This addition actually gives the apes more character which will be furthered in the sequel.
The Accountant is a well done, albeit short of greatness, suspense-thriller from director Gavin O’Connor featuring a great performance from Ben Affleck with honorable mention for J.K. Simmons.
Although the last few seasons of Dexter were flawed (to say the least), the entire series still possesses some entertainment value and one can marvel at the performance by Michael C. Hall who was pretty consistent even in those weaker seasons.
Raising Cain isn’t high up compared with some of the other films by Brian De Palma even with the over-the-top performance by John Lithgow. However, this is a nice “Collector’s Edition” release by Shout Factory offering solid video/audio transfers and a good selection of bonus features.
I give a brief breakdown on Mill Creek’s June 7th multi-movie pack releases, specifically Streets of Fear and Midnight Movie Madness. None of these movies are of high-quality and are mainly remembered for the stars sometimes in smaller roles. At basement bargain prices, these might be worthy for collector’s of these cheap sets.
This quick cash-grab release is the exact the same as the 2010 release (the discs themselves are the same down to the artwork); I suppose if you never grabbed the original it might be worth picking up, otherwise pass this one on by.
This is 40 is a huge misstep for Apatow and company. The characters are nasty and highly unlikeable, the script itself just isn’t very funny lending itself to maybe a chuckle or two and where Apatow’s previous endeavors had a certain heart behind the sex jokes is lost here. Also not helping matters is the fact the story drifts aimlessly with multiple subplots that often don’t even have a resolution.