Undercover Punch and Gun Blu-ray Review

 

• MPAA rating : NR (Not Rated)
• Media Format : Subtitled
• Release date : June 8, 2021
• Actors : Andy On, Vanness Wu, Philip Ng
• Studio : Well Go Usa
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         If the plot was taken seriously, Undercover Punch and Gun could easily be accused of derivative content. The sheer amount of undercover cop narratives in the history of Asian action has made this the case, and Undercover Punch and Gun throws us directly into this exact scenario. It is with variation in tone, and where the film goes with the predictable premise that promises some originality. First of all, despite an emphasis on martial arts action in the storyline, the tone is comedic enough to consider the parodic elements of the narrative. At least to some degree, the derivative elements feed into the humor in this regard.

 

Long Weekend DVD Review

 

• MPAA rating : R (Restricted)
• Director : Stephen Basilone
• Media Format : Subtitled, NTSC
• Run time : 1 hour and 31 minutes
• Release date : May 25, 2021
• Actors : Finn Wittrock, Zoë Chao, Casey Wilson, Jim Rash, Damon Wayans Jr.
• Subtitles: : English, French, Spanish
• Producers : Audrey Rosenberg, Sam Bisbee, Deanna Barillari, Laura Lewis, Theodora Dunlap
• Studio : Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

 

         I had a really hard time with this film. It sets up a premise that is grounded in realism, and the painful twists and turns in the road of life. We are following a protagonist so painfully down-on-his luck, that it isn’t difficult to get pulled into the relatability of the situation. In some ways, it was too realistic for where I am in life right now, but I appreciated this dedication. That is, until the movie decides to throw away the realism in favor of a fantasy twist. The movie even makes a game out of keeping the reveal of whether the fantasy elements are real or simply mental illness until the very end. This is problematic, because regardless of which you are hoping for, the reveal makes entire elements/aspects of the narrative irrelevant.

 

Shit House Blu-ray Review

 

• MPAA rating : R (Restricted)
• Director : Cooper Raiff
• Media Format : Subtitled, Widescreen
• Run time : 1 hour and 41 minutes
• Release date : May 18, 2021
• Actors : Dylan Gelula, Cooper Raiff, Amy Landecker, Logan Miller
• Studio : IFC Independent Film

 

         For an accurate depiction of the irresponsibility of college life, in particular the propensity to bulldoze through handling of romantic relationships, you could do a lot worse than Shit House. If you are in the middle of your own romantic entanglements, this may not be the best choice for your mental/emotional state. While it is excusable as a realistic depiction of youth, the way in which some of the characters treat poorly is sometimes difficult to watch.

 

The Father Blu-ray Review

 

• Director : Florian Zeller
• Actors : Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Colman, Mark Gatiss, Imogen Poots, Rufus Sewell
• Producers : Jean-Louis Livi, David Parfitt, Simon Friend, Philippe Carcassonne
• Studio : Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• MPAA rating : PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)
• Media Format : Subtitled
• Run time : 1 hour and 37 minutes
• Release date : May 18, 2021
• Subtitles: : English

 

        Most of the time I don’t enjoy being disoriented by the films that I watch. The Father was a unique experience, in that my disorientation felt crucial to the viewing experience. If the movie is simplistic in terms of story, that only allows for the focus to be on the presentation of the plot involving an aging man named Anthony (Anthony Hopkins). Even the choice to have the character named the same as the actor playing him simplifies things. We understand that the experience of aging is one that even a famous actor must face, and this film puts in the perspective of a person who is going through this.

 

Deliver Us From Evil Blu-ray Review

 

• Director : Won-Chan Hong
• Actors : Hwang Jung-Min, Lee Jung-Jae, Jung-Min Park, Moon Choi, Akuryu
• Aspect Ratio : 2.35:1
• MPAA rating : (Not Rated)
• Media Format : Dolby, Subtitled, Surround Sound, Widescreen
• Run time : 1 hour and 49 minutes
• Release date : May 25, 2021
• Subtitles: : English
• Language : Korean (DTS 5.1)
• Studio : Well Go Usa
  
  
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           Genre films have a tough balance to fulfill. They have to be inventive enough to please fans who feel they have seen it all, but also must be familiar enough to provide the content audiences expect to see. As a result, we see a lot of films like Deliver Us From Evil, which feel like an amalgamation of several franchises, from Taken to John Wick, though it is also distinctly South Korean in themes. But even with all of the expected pieces, it felt like something was missing from Deliver Us From Evil.

   

The Marksman Blu-ray Review

 

• Director : Robert Lorenz
• Writers : Chris Charles, Danny Kravitz, Robert Lorenz
• Producers : Tai Duncan, Mark Williams, Warren Goz, Eric Gold, Robert Lorenz
• Actors : Liam Neeson, Katheryn Winnick, Juan Pablo Raba, Teresa Ruiz
• MPAA rating : PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)
• Aspect Ratio : 2.39:1
• Media Format : Digital_copy, NTSC, Subtitled
• Run time : 1 hour and 48 minutes
• Release date : May 11, 2021
• Language : English (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1), Spanish (DTS 5.1)
• Studio : Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
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           Everything about The Marksman feels very carefully constructed, but done so by a group of producers rather than storytellers. The difference between the two is often creativity: whereas a screenwriter or director are interested in the best way to tell a story, a producer is most interested in how to sell tickets. As a result, we get a production that is made up of Clint Eastwood collaborators making a movie that is similar to the ones he used to make. The casting of Liam Neeson in the title role is an acceptable stand-in for Eastwood, but also brings to mind any number of thrillers that have become his bread-and-butter since the success of the Taken franchise. The Marksman (originally The Minuteman) even has a plot which is intentionally timely, adding another reason to convince audiences to buy those tickets.

   

Morgue Blu-ray Review

 

• Aspect Ratio : 2.35:1
• MPAA rating :  (Not Rated)
• Director : Hugo Cardozo
• Media Format : Dolby, Subtitled, Surround Sound, Widescreen
• Run time : 1 hour and 21 minutes
• Release date : May 11, 2021
• Actors : Francisco Ayala, Maria del Mar Fernandez, Abel Martinez, Pablo Martinez, Raul Rotela
• Subtitles: : English
• Language : English (DTS 5.1), Spanish (DTS 5.1)
• Studio : Well Go USA
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        Prior to Morgue, I had never seen a horror film from Paraguay, and this added a level of significance even before watching the film. Unfortunately, however great the impact may have been on transnational cinema (the relationships between nations within the film industry), it had very little impact on me as a viewer and long-time fan of the horror genre. The storylines and the characters connecting them feel disjointed throughout, and even a seemingly fool-proof set-up ends up wasted potential that is traded in for cheap editing tricks and jump scares.

 

Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles DVD Review

 

• Director : Laura Gabbert
• Media Format : NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Run time : 1 hour and 15 minutes
• Release date : April 27, 2021
• Actors : Yotam Ottolenghi, Dominique Ansel, Sam Bompas, Dinara Kasko, Deborah Krohn
• Studio : IFC Independent Film

 

         I think my biggest mistake in the expectations I had from Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles comes from the knowledge that director Laura Gabbert previously directed City of Gold, a documentary I love. While City of Gold was about a man, however, Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles is about history and an event celebrating it. In premise alone, there is more of an emotional disconnect between the material, and it doesn’t help that a movie about sumptuous culinary artistry ends with discussion of Marie Antoinette’s death.

 

Eoin Macken interview for Here Are the Young Men

 

Eoin Macken is an actor’s director. This is clear from the way he talks about the process, from casting to the collaboration of improvisation on set, and perhaps it should come as no surprise. Macken is himself an actor, and has worked with some great filmmakers throughout his career so far. This gives him a perspective that is invaluable, an understanding of each side of the process. Pair that with a dream cast, and you have the boldly original coming-of-age film, Here Are the Young Men. Part juvenile delinquency drama and part psychological thriller, it is a film that leaves an impression. Sitting down to talk with Macken about the filmmaking process and his directorial style, I found an undeniably passionate artist inside of an actor blessed with natural charm.

 

#NobodyTime Twitter Watch Party Tonight!

Nobody is available On Demand! Let’s watch it together this Saturday using #NobodyTime, hosted by @pattonoswalt. Grab a copy of the film & join me, @mrbobodenkirk and the cast on Twitter Apr. 17 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET! https://www.uwatch.com/nobody  Join Bob Odenkirk, cast, filmmakers and guest host Patton Oswalt for an evening of kick-ass fun tonight!

 
Saturday, April 17
6PM PT | 9PM ET
 
Participating talent:
 
Bob Odenkirk / @mrbobodenkirk
Connie Nielsen / @CNconnienielsen
Director Ilya Naischuller / @naischuller
Stunt Trainer Daniel Bernhardt / @_D_Bernhardt
Host Patton Oswalt / @pattonoswalt
 
Set Reminder: https://www.uwatch.com/nobody
 
@NobodyMovie | #NobodyTime

 Press play at 6:00pm PT on Saturday, April 17 and follow the hashtag #NobodyTime to view real-time conversation on the film.  If you want to join in, tag your Tweet with #NobodyTime

Cosmoball Blu-ray Review

 

• Director : Dzhanik Fayzie
• Actors : Viktoriya Agalakova, Svetlana Ivanova, Mikhail Efremov
• Aspect Ratio : 2.35:1
• MPAA rating : Not Rated
• Media Format : Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen, Surround Sound
• Run time : 1 hour and 55 minutes
• Release date : March 23, 2021
• Subtitles: : English
• Language : Russian (DTS 5.1), English (DTS 5.1)
• Studio : Well Go Usa

         Where to start with this one… At first glance, I expected Cosmoball to be a bit more family-oriented, and to have a lot more to do with the title game. While there are elements of a family film, and scenes of the sport, this film is more interested in a larger sci-fi narrative that has closer resemblance to a superhero narrative. You may come to Cosmoball expecting Ready Player One or Alita, but you will end up with something closer to Green Lantern.

 

Crazy Samurai 400 vs. 1 Blu-ray Review

 

• Director : Yuji Shimomura
• Actors : Kento Yamazaki, Yousuke Saito, Ben Hiura, Fuka Hara, Tak Sakaguchi
• Aspect Ratio : 2.35:1
• MPAA rating : NR (Not Rated)
• Media Format : Dolby, Subtitled, Surround Sound, Widescreen
• Run time : 1 hour and 32 minutes
• Release date : March 2, 2021
• Subtitles: : English
• Language : Japanese (DTS 5.1)
• Studio : Well Go Usa
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•          Gimmicks can be great for marketing a film, and often terrible for the actual experience of watching the movie. Crazy Samurai 400 vs. 1 (alternatively titled Crazy Samurai Musashi) features a 77-minute long-take action sequence at the center of the narrative, which sounds far more impressive than it is enjoyable to actually watch. While one may marvel at the technical planning and execution needed to complete this sequence, it is also undeniably repetitive and often visually dull. The emphasis on action within this sequence also means that plot and character development suffer as well.

   

Horizon Line Blu-ray Review

 

• Director : Mikael Marcimain
• Actors : Allison Williams, Alexander Dreymon, Keith David
• Writers : Josh Campbell, Matthew Stuecken
• Producers : Fredrik Wikstrom Nicastro
• Aspect Ratio : 2.39:1
• MPAA rating : s_medPG13 PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)
• Media Format : Digital_copy, NTSC, Subtitled
• Run time : 1 hour and 32 minutes
• Release date : February 16, 2021
• Subtitles: : Spanish
• Language : English (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1)
• Studio : Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
• Number of discs : 1

 

         Simple survival stories can be extremely effective in cinematic form, but it is all about execution. The suspense and intensity of the sequences of survival are the essence of the narrative, and there isn’t much to fall back on if that doesn’t work. Horizon Line contains all of the expected twists and turns of a survival story, but I couldn’t have been less involved. Every moment felt rote and obvious, and I was just waiting for the next predictable moment to arrive.

 

Freaky Blu-ray Review

 

• Director : Christopher Landon
• Actors : Vince Vaughn, Kathryn Newton, Katie Finneran, Celeste O'Connor, Alan Ruck
• Writers : Michael Kennedy, Christopher Landon
• Producers : Jason Blum
• Language : English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French Canadian (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1), French Canadian (DTS 5.1), Spanish (DTS 5.1)
• Studio : Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
• Subtitles: : French Canadian, Spanish
• Aspect Ratio : 2.39:1
• MPAA rating : R (Restricted)
• Media Format : NTSC, Subtitled, Digital_copy
• Run time : 1 hour and 42 minutes
• Release date : February 9, 2021
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         Nostalgia has been a big moneymaker for Hollywood in recent decades, pillaging the successes of the past for reboot and repurposing. Although never explicitly said, it is quite clear that Freaky is a mash-up of two unrelated film classics from the past: Freaky Friday and Friday the 13^th. Beyond the shared word in the title of each film, there is nothing connecting a family body-swap to a bloody slasher, and it often feels as though the filmmakers stopped trying to do anything else clever after coming up with the unique premise. What we get is a perfunctory horror comedy with a lazy script and none of the references to the two films which inspired it that might have given the entire outing more nuance. At the very least, it would have been nice to see some stylistic references, but this is filmed in the blandest way possible.

 

The Swordsman Blu-ray Review

 

• Director : Choi Jae-Hoon
• Actors : Jang Hyuk, Jeong Man-Sik, Kim Hyeon-soo
• Subtitles: : English
• Language : Korean (DTS 5.1)
• Studio : Well Go Usa
• Aspect Ratio : 2.35:1
• MPAA rating :(Not Rated)
• Media Format : Dolby, Surround Sound, Widescreen
• Run time : 1 hour and 41 minutes
• Release date : February 16, 2021

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           Upon seeing the title and poster for The Swordsman, I automatically assumed it to be a Japanese film. Although it has all of the icons and narrative distinctions for it to belong in the samurai genre, this is actually a South Korean film. Here is what makes The Swordsman truly fascinating; it has all of the markers of trends in modern Korean cinema, including themes of revenge, making it a compelling hybrid of cultures. Revenger had a similar approach to combine Indonesian action with a South Korean production, proving fascinating case studies, as well as solid genre entertainment.

   

Sudden Fear DVD Review

 

• Director : David Miller
• Media Format : Anamorphic, Dolby, NTSC
• Run time : 1 hour and 50 minutes
• Release date : January 12, 2021
• Actors : Joan Crawford, Jack Palance, Gloria Grahame, Bruce Bennett, Virginia Huston
• Studio : Cohen Media Group

 

        Film noir narratives rarely relied on sympathetic female protagonists, typically resigning them to either an innocent supporting character or a devious femme fatale. While there is a femme fatale in the 1952 noir, Sudden Fear, the main character is unusual enough just being a woman, but also has the added distinction of ending in a place of moral superiority. Star Joan Crawford had previously bent this male-driven movement of post-war cinema by blending the woman’s picture (now referred to as melodrama) and the film noir with the 1945 classic, Mildred Pierce.

 

 

Jiang Ziya Blu-ray Review

 

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• Director : Teng Cheng, Wei Li
• Actors : Zheng Xi, Yang Ning, Tute Hameng
• Media Format : Dolby, Surround Sound, Widescreen
• Run time : 1 hour and 50 minutes
• Aspect Ratio : 2.35:1
• MPAA rating : (Not Rated)
• Subtitles: : English, Mandarin Chinese
• Language : Mandarin Chinese (DTS 5.1), English (DTS 5.1)
• Studio : Well Go Usa
• Release date : February 9, 2021

         Prior to the release of Ne Zha, I had little experience with Chinese animation, more familiar with the more commonly distributed Japanese and French variety. Ne Zha was distinctly Chinese in the adaption of a classic folk legend, but it was also widely distributed with broad appeal. It also follows the recently popular trend of Hollywood, creating a shared cinematic universe for a series of animated films, with the second being Jiang Ziya.