Any director bold enough to take on a film set
in a single location should be commended, especially one essentially relying on
a single actor to carry the narrative. Mercy Road follows in the
tradition of movies like Locke or Buried, where an isolated
character only has conversations on a cell phone to propel the plot forward.
Unfortunately, while director John Curran may have been daring enough to
attempt a similar feat, the filmmaking does not match his ambition.
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Mercy Road Blu-ray Review
Eye for an Eye: The Blind Swordsman Blu-ray Review
- Director : Yang Bingjia
- Actors : Xie Miao, Gao Yi, Zhang Haosen, Gao Weiman, Xiang Hao
- Dubbed: : English
- Language : English (DTS 5.1)
- Studio : Well Go Usa
- MPAA rating : NR (Not Rated)
- Country of Origin : USA
- Number of discs : 1
- Media Format : Widescreen, Subtitled
- Run time : 1 hour and 18 minutes
- Release date : November 28, 2023
The character of blind martial artist has
existed in numerous forms throughout film history, including the longest
running Japanese film series based on the wandering swordsman and ronin, Zatoichi.
There have also been iterations of the trope in other national cinemas,
including Hong Kong and Hollywood. The Chinese release, Eye for an Eye: The
Blind Swordsman, doesn’t reinvent the wheel but it is a solid contribution
to the archetype, expertly made with impressive choreography and gorgeous
cinematography. Even with an overcomplicated plot despite the simplicity of the
story, this is one of the best action films to come out of China in years.
Expend4bles 4K Ultra HD Review
- Director: Scott Waugh
- Actors : Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren
- Studio : Lionsgate Home Entertainment
- Country of Origin : USA
- Number of discs : 1
- MPAA rating : R (Restricted)
- Media Format : Subtitled, 4K, DVD+Blu-ray, Digital_copy
- Run time : 1 hour and 44 minutes
- Release date : November 21, 2023
When the first film in The
Expendables franchise was released, it was both ahead of its time and
simultaneously felt intentionally dated. Often humorous—occasionally
unintentionally—The Expendables films resemble action releases from the
1980s, which is fitting considering the impressive cast of veteran action
stars. While the films seem to belong to another decade, this franchise was
also the first to benefit from the novelty of a beefed-up ensemble cast of
movie stars. Simply put, without The Expendables, there may never have
been The Avengers. With that being said, The Expendables 4 (released
as Expend4bles) has slipped in quality even more than the Marvel Cinematic
Universe in recent years.
The Expendables 4K SteelBook Collection Review
When
the first film in The Expendables franchise was released, it was both
ahead of its time and simultaneously felt intentionally dated. Often humorous—occasionally
unintentionally—The Expendables films resemble action releases from the 1980s,
which is fitting considering the impressive cast of veteran action stars. At
the same time the films seem to belong to another decade, this franchise was
also the first to benefit from the novelty of a beefed-up ensemble cast of
movie stars. Simply put, without The Expendables, there may never have
been The Avengers. It served as a return for Sylvester Stallone, both as
an action star and as a filmmaker, resulting in the revival of several of his
most popular 80’s franchises (Rambo, Rocky Balboa).
Crocodile Island DVD Review
- Director : Xu ShiXing, Simon Zhao
- Actors : Gallen Lo, Liao YinYue, Wang BingXiang, He QiWei, Dang Wei
- Studio : Well Go Usa
- MPAA rating : NR (Not Rated)
- Country of Origin : USA
- Number of discs : 1
- Media Format : Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
- Run time : 1 hour and 27 minutes
- Release date : November 21, 2023
There are two kinds of bad films: the ones
that know they are bad and lean into it with a campy approach, and the ones
that are sincere and serious in their efforts despite the glaring shortcomings
in filmmaking. Crocodile Island does not appear aware of just how bad it
actually is, which removes some of the enjoyment found in other B-film creature-feature
releases like Sharknado or The Meg. There is some unintentional enjoyment
to be found in the laughably bad execution of visual effects in this Chinese B-film,
but this may not be enough to make watching Crocodile Island a
worthwhile experience for sober audience members.
The Equalizer 3 Blu-ray Review
- Director: Antoine Fuqua
- Actors : Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, David Denman
- Studio : SONY
- Country of Origin : USA
- Number of discs : 1
- MPAA rating : R (Restricted)
- Media Format : Digital_copy, Blu-ray, Subtitled
- Run time : 109 minutes
- Release date : November 14, 2023
Denzel Washington won his second Academy Award
for his first collaboration with director Antoine Fuqua, so it is not
surprising that the pair have worked together multiple times since. In addition
to remaking The Magnificent Seven, the star and director have turned 1980s
crime series “The Equalizer” into a successful action franchise. The first two
installments were action-packed, turning the network-safe show into some of the
most intense American action films of the twenty-first century. While The Equalizer
3 slows down the pace of the narrative to close out the film series, there
is still enough brutal action to satisfy fans.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 Blu-ray Review
- Director : Nia Vardalos
- Actors : Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Louis Mandylor, Lainie Kazan, Andrea Martin
- Subtitles: : Spanish
- Producers : Rita Wilson, Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman
- Language : English (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1), Spanish (DTS 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
- Studio : Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
- Writers : Nia Vardalos
- Country of Origin : USA
- Number of discs : 2
- Media Format : Subtitled, Digital_copy
- Run time : 1 hour and 32 minutes
- MPAA rating : PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)
- Release date : October 31, 2023
When My Big Fat Greek Wedding was
released in 2002, it was a surprise hit with both audiences and critics, even earning
an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. It was followed up
with the first sequel in 2016, which was such a disappointing decline in
quality that it is surprising the franchise continued beyond that. My Big
Fat Greek Wedding 3 feels like a cash-grab, made possible because most of
the cast doesn’t have much else going for them. The results reek of desperation
while none of the cleverness or creativity found in the original remains.
Warhorse One Blu-ray Review
- Director : Johnny Strong, William Kaufman
- Actors : Johnny Strong, Athena Durner, Raj Kala, James Sherrill, Siya Rostami
- Language : English (DTS 5.1)
- Studio : Well Go Usa
- MPAA rating : R (Restricted)
- Package Dimensions : 6.73 x 5.39 x 0.55 inches; 3 Ounces
- Number of discs : 1
- Media Format : Subtitled, Widescreen
- Run time : 2 hours and 6 minutes
- Release date : November 7, 2023
Though the specifics may vary some, survival
narratives with tough men of violence protecting innocent children have become
increasingly common in films from multiple countries and existing within several
genres. Even the recently released science fiction film 65 follows this
formula. Warhorse One doesn’t have a genre revision of the formula and
is just a straightforward survival film set within recent history, but that
doesn’t make the film any more believable than a sci-fi film with dinosaurs. Unfortunately,
despite some decent efforts at staging the film’s violence, the narrative
always feels contrived and attempts emotional manipulation with the youngest
cast member.
3 Days in Malay Blu-ray Review
- Director : Louis Mandylor
- Actors : Louis Mandylor, Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone, Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson
- Studio : Well Go Usa
- MPAA rating : R (Restricted)
- Number of discs : 1
- Media Format : Subtitled, Widescreen
- Run time : 1 hour and 39 minutes
- Release date : October 17, 2023
Basing a war film on actual events is hardly a
new idea, though the budgetary restraints and artistic shortcomings of 3
Days in Malay make it stand out in the worst ways. Directed by minor character
actor Louis Mandylor, who also gives himself a leading role, this World War II film
has the best of intentions and the worst of execution. It is one thing to laugh
at the unintentional hilarity of bad filmmaking when the story is inconsequential
fiction, but 3 Days in Malay is weighed down by melodrama in a painful
attempt to be respectful of the historical events.
Douglas Fairbanks Double Feature Blu-ray Reviews
Douglas Fairbanks was one of the biggest stars
of silent films, right up there with Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford, though
he was known for starring in notably different genres than the other two. As a
swashbuckling star, there were few classic stories involving swordplay that
Fairbanks didn’t star in during his period of extreme popularity with
audiences. Cohen Film Collection has recently released two double feature
Blu-rays, each containing a pair of classic films from Fairbanks’ filmography.
These releases are perfect for fans of Fairbanks as well as those who have yet
to discover the incredible scope of silent swashbuckling action/adventure
films.
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One 4K UHD Review
- Director : Christopher McQuarrie
- Actors : Tom Cruise, Vanessa Kirby, Simon Pegg
- Dubbed: : French, Spanish
- Studio : PARAMOUNT
- ASIN : B0C9KJ8M4C
- Country of Origin : USA
- Number of discs : 1
- MPAA rating : PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)
- Media Format : 4K
- Release date : October 31, 2023
Despite Tom Cruise proving his value as a
movie star and bringing audiences back to theaters is record numbers last year
with the release of Top Gun: Maverick, the movie star’s latest Mission:
Impossible film ran into countless issues preventing it from reaching the
same level of success. First there was the disruption of Covid-19, which caused
delays that greatly inflated the film’s budget, but an even bigger obstacle
seems to have been the decision to release in theaters the week before a pair
of films that became an undeniable cultural moment. This is unfortunate, because
while Dead Reckoning Part One may not be the unmitigated success that
the Top Gun sequel was, it is a fitting continuation of one of the most
compelling action franchises to come out of Hollywood in the past few decades.
The Hive Review
Home invasion horror movies seemed to be on
the decline, but they have returned with several revisionist narratives, including
hybrids combining other sub-genres with the formula. Given the allegorical parallels
between both home invasion and alien invasion films, it is unsurprising the two
sub-genres have been combined to create hybrid home invasion films. First Hulu
distributed No One Will Save You this year, an alien home invasion
hybrid with only a handful of lines of dialogue. Now the low budget release The
Hive has been released with a body snatchers element added to the formula,
though it may also have been better off without the dialogue given the
effectiveness of the performances.
The Storms of Jeremy Thomas DVD Review
- Director : Mark Cousins
- Actors : Jeremy Thomas, Mark Cousins, Tilda Swinton, Debra Winger
- Subtitles: : English
- Studio : Cohen Media Group
- Aspect Ratio : 1.78:1
- MPAA rating : NR (Not Rated)
- Country of Origin : United Kingdom
- Number of discs : 1
- Media Format : NTSC, DVD
- Run time : 1 hour and 32 minutes
- Release date : October 10, 2023
Jeremy Thomas is a producer who has worked
with truly legendary filmmakers, undeniably leaving his mark on film history.
The film follows Thomas as he prepares to see his latest film, Takashi Miike’s First
Love (2019), debut at the Cannes Film Festival. Each year the producer
takes a five-day road trip driving to the international film festival in France,
and for this particularly journey he is joined by filmmaker Mark Cousins. In
promotion for the film, Cousins is referred to as an “acclaimed filmmaker.”
This may be true, but it is hard to see in the home movie road trip footage he
filmed for this documentary. Everything feels thrown together, almost as an afterthought
to the journey itself.
Slava Ukraini Review
- Director : Bernard-Henri Lévy
- Actors : Bernard-Henri Lévy, Gilles Hertzog
- Subtitles: : English
- Studio : Cohen Media Group
- Aspect Ratio : 1.78:1
- MPAA rating : NR (Not Rated)
- Country of Origin : France
- Number of discs : 1
- Media Format : NTSC, DVD
- Run time : 1 hour and 34 minutes
- Release date : July 4, 2023
Journalism during times of war is truly invaluable,
which is what makes reviewing the film Slava Ukraini so difficult. On one
hand, it is easy to admire the efforts made by philosopher and filmmaker
Bernard-Henri Lévy to reveal the resistance by the people of Ukraine to the
invasion of their country by Russian forces. On the other hand, admiration for
the chosen subject and boldness in the filmmakers does not translate into good
filmmaking. As far as documentaries go, Slava Ukraini makes the offense
of being transparently biased, overly sentimental, and ultimately quite sloppy
in its construction. In short, the intention is great, but the execution leaves
a lot to be desired.
The Last Voyage of the Demeter Blu-ray Review
- Director : Andre Ovredal
- Actors : Corey Hawkins, Aisling Franciosi, Liam Cunningham
- Dubbed: : French, Spanish
- Subtitles: : Spanish, French
- Studio : Studio Distribution Services
- MPAA rating : R (Restricted)
- Country of Origin : USA
- Number of discs : 2
- Media Format : Subtitled
- Run time : 1 hour and 59 minutes
- Release date : October 17, 2023
Dracula was one of the first big horror
film successes to come out of Hollywood, preceding even the use of horror as a
genre term. Released on Valentine’s Day, Dracula was originally sold as
a gothic romance film, though it has since become an iconic staple in the horror
genre. This year alone has seen both the release of Renfield and The
Last Voyage of the Demeter in attempts to find a new angle to view the story.
While Renfield focused on Dracula’s abused assistant, The Last Voyage
of the Demeter is entirely about the portion of the story the original 1931
film skipped over. While this does mean the ending is somewhat predictable,
there are still some well-executed sequences of suspense likely to satisfy
horror fans.
Strays Blu-ray Review
- Actors : Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx, Will Forte, Dennis Quaid
- Subtitles: : French, Spanish
- Studio : Studio Distribution Services
- Country of Origin : USA
- Number of discs : 2
- MPAA rating : R (Restricted)
- Run time : 1 hour and 34 minutes
- Release date : October 10, 2023
There have been plenty of movies centered
around talking animals, both live action and animated, though Strays may
be the first to use them for R-rated humor. While this initially sounds like a
clever idea, unfortunately Strays doesn’t do much with it beyond an
endless stream of vulgar and raunchy jokes without an ounce of cleverness. At the
very least, at least Strays makes the wise choice to use real dogs in
the filming process, saving the audience from enduring more poorly executed
CGI animals.
Cobra Kai: Season 5 DVD Review
- Actors : Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Courtney Henggeler, Xolo Maridueña, Tanner Buchanan
- Dubbed: : French
- Subtitles: : English
- Studio : SONY
- Country of Origin : USA
- Number of discs : 2
- Aspect Ratio : 1.78:1
- MPAA rating : NR (Not Rated)
- Media Format : Subtitled, NTSC, DVD
- Run time : 362 minutes
- Release date : September 12, 2023
With as many streaming services as there now
are, consumers must be increasingly selective about which they decide to pay
for. While some streaming services boast plenty of content, others may only
have a few shows keeping their subscribers. By providing the opportunity to purchase
these popular shows on physical media, consumers now have the choice between
viewing them on the streaming service or owning them on DVD and Blu-ray. Given
the popularity of “Cobra Kai,” which was good enough to upgrade the streaming
service producing it, it should come as no surprise that this is one of the
shows Netflix has chosen to make available for fans to purchase and own.
Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken Blu-ray Review
- Director: Kirk DeMicco, Faryn Pearl
- Actors : Jane Fonda, Toni Collette, Lana Condor, Will Forte
- Subtitles: : Spanish, French
- Studio : Studio Distribution Services
- ASIN : B0C8VBW65J
- Country of Origin : USA
- Number of discs : 2
- MPAA rating : PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
- Media Format : Blu-ray
- Run time : 1 hour and 23 minutes
- Release date : September 26, 2023
About halfway through Ruby Gillman, Teenage
Kraken it occurred to me that I had recently seen another film about a teenager
discovering she has the ability to change into a large monster. Pixar’s 2022
release Turning Red has nearly the exact same premise, albeit
landlocked, and I’m not entirely surprised. Monster movies have long been considered
helpful allegories for the teenage experience of puberty, and after Twilight
sterilized the horror genre it should come as no surprise to see animated
family films adopting these narratives too. That being said, Ruby Gillman,
Teenage Kraken doesn’t do much to elevate the formula, nor does the animation
prove particularly innovative or impressive.
Creepy Crawly Blu-ray Review
- Director : Chalit Krileadmongkon, Pakphum Wongjinda
- Actors : Chanya McClory, Mike Angelo, Benjamin Joseph Varney, Kulteera Yordchang, David Asavanond
- Language : Thai (DTS 5.1)
- Studio : Well Go Usa
- MPAA rating : NR (Not Rated)
- Country of Origin : USA
- Number of discs : 1
- Media Format : Subtitled, Widescreen
- Run time : 1 hour and 32 minutes
- Release date : October 3, 2023
Thailand has been contributing to the horror
genre for decades, significantly contributing inspiration for several films in
the wave of Asian horror remakes coming from Hollywood in the early 2000s.
Perhaps for that reason it should come as no surprise that the film Creepy
Crawly (originally titled The One Hundred) is one the first horror
movies to directly address the Covid pandemic within a narrative about a
contagion let loose in a confined area. Unfortunately, while there is relevance
in the societal context of the narrative, that does not make the quality of the
filmmaking any more effective.