F9 4K Ultra HD Review

 

• Director ‏ : ‎ Justin Lin
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ 4K, NTSC
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 2 hours and 30 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ September 21, 2021
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges, John Cena
• Producers ‏ : ‎ Neal H. Moritz, Vin Diesel, Justin Lin, Jeffrey Kirschenbaum, Joe Roth
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B097SFHT6W
• Writers ‏ : ‎ Daniel Casey, Justin Lin
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 2

         What has made the Fast and Furious franchise thrive over the years is the ensemble cast of characters and the star power of the actors that played them. You could argue that it is also the over-the-top feats accomplished in cars, but I think F9 is evidence that the cast matters more. Even with the unlikely return of some forgotten characters from the past, it is glaringly apparent that several of the characters both original and added are missing from this installment. Obviously Paul Walker’s passing has left the presence of Brian off-camera, what really feels missing is Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and Shaw (Jason Statham). The resulting film feels off-balance, like a recipe missing ingredients.

 

Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard Blu-ray Review

 

• Actors ‏ : ‎ Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Salma Hayek, Antonio Banderas, Morgan Freeman
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Blu-ray, Digital_copy
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 39 minutes
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
• Release date ‏ : ‎ August 17, 2021
• Audio Description: ‏ : ‎ English
• Dubbed: ‏ : ‎ Spanish
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Lionsgate Home Entertainment
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 2

 

         I wasn’t a fan of The Hitman’s Bodyguard. The humor was crass, immature, and lazy, but at least there was some decent action. Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard has doubled down on all the things that didn’t work in the first film, including jokes best suited for an audience too immature to be admitted into the film without guardian, while simultaneously decreasing the amount and quality of the elements that did work. There is still a decent amount of action, but it often devolves to cartoonish unbelievability. The number of times Ryan Reynolds is run over by a vehicle alone in this movie warrants serious questions about the thought process of the filmmakers.  

 

Little Q Blu-ray Review

 

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• Director ‏ : ‎ Law Wing Cheong
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Simon Yam, Gigi Leung, Him Law, Charlie Yeung, Shanshan Yuan
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 47 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ August 17, 2021
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Well Go Usa
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)

 

         Being based on a true story often gives a film license to be a bit more melodramatic, and Little Q leans into this. On top of an untraditional structure that seems punctuated by dramatic life events, films involving dogs have endless potential for emotional moments. Following the life of a guide dog from beginning to end, there are more human characters and subplots than expected, not to mention all the anticipated canine moments. While there are some effective moments in the plot, they lack the same impact because of how often Little Q attempts to create an emotional response in the audience.

 

Midnight Diner Blu-ray Review

 

• Director ‏ : ‎ Tony Leung Ka Fei
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Tony Leung Ka Fei, Deng Chao, Eddie Peng, Vision Wei, Joyce Cheng
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎NR (Not Rated)
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 43 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ August 17, 2021
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Well Go Usa

 

         Midnight Diner opens with voiceover letting us know that there are midnight diners in many cities. Anyone familiar with the original manga series the film is based on should be aware of this fact, as there are versions of film and TV adaptations available in Japan, Korea, and China. This latest film adaptation takes place in Shanghai, though the premise remains much the same as it has in every adaptation of Yarō Abe’s internationally popular series. The narrative is highly adaptable because of the episodic structure. While the format allows includes a diner open from midnight to morning, the vignettes are made up in the variety of patrons.

 

Spiral 4K Ultra HD Review

 

• Director ‏ : ‎ Darren Bousman
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Chris Rock, Samuel Jackson, Max Minghella, Marisol Nichols, John Tokatlidis
• Producers ‏ : ‎ Oren Koules, Mark Burg
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Lionsgate Home Entertainment
• MPAA rating ‏ R (Restricted)
• Audio Description: ‏ : ‎ English
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ 4K
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 33 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ July 20, 2021
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 2

 

         Spiral (or Spiral: From the Book of Saw, if you need the full title as indicator of what you are getting into) revives a franchise that distinctly belongs to a sub-genre of horror that has fallen out of favor in recent years. Torture porn had its heyday after 9/11, and the Saw franchise was at the forefront with a sequel nearly every year soon after the first film was a success. We were promised the end with Saw: The Final Chapter in 2010, but that turned out to be untrue when it was revived in 2017 with Jigsaw. Spiral takes the series in a new direction, indicated by a new title and higher caliber cast members than typically found. Unfortunately, beneath the fancy new marketing is just another Saw film, derivative and predictable even with a bit of social relevance added to the formula.

 

Hydra Blu-ray Review

 

• Actors ‏ : ‎ Masanori Mimoto, Miu, Tasuku Nagase, Takaya Aoyagi, Takashi Nishina
• Director ‏ : ‎ Kensuke Sonomura
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Dolby, Subtitled, Surround Sound, Widescreen
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 17 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ July 20, 2021
• MPAA rating ‏ : NR (Not Rated)
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Well Go Usa
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
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         There isn’t necessarily anything wrong with a genre film having a derivative plot. In some ways, we go to see genre movies because of their familiarity, and the ability to give us what we came for. Audiences don’t go to romantic comedies expecting to see the couple do anything other than fall in love by the end of the movie, and most watch martial arts movies with the understanding that there are storylines that get re-used time after time. This is because they work. Hydra leans heavily into a set-up which has been used countless times in action movies, especially ones with martial arts. But while there isn’t much new to the story, that simply makes the fighting elements of the film that much more important.

 

Silat Warrior: Deed of Death Blu-ray Review

 

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• Director ‏ : ‎ Areel Abu Bakar
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Namron, Khoharullah Majid, Feiyna Tajudin, Fad Anuar, Taiyuddin Bakar
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen, Surround Sound
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 41 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ July 6, 2021
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Well Go Usa (Hi-Yah!)
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ Malaysia
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
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         In terms of seeing another international film industry find an audience outside of the country of origin, Silat Warrior is a minor success. Within the martial arts genre, we have seen this happen quite often in the past decade, most likely thanks to the success and international attention The Raid franchise brought to the Indonesian film industry. After Indonesia, we saw the first Vietnamese film distributed to the United States in Furie, so it should come as little surprise to find many familiar elements in the Malaysian martial arts movie Silat Warror: Deed of Death. Unfortunately, the film doesn’t quite have the same impact as those that came before, and we may have to wait to see Malaysian cinema truly take off in international markets.

 

The Paper Tigers Blu-ray Review

 

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• Director ‏ : ‎ Tran Quoc Bao
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Ron Yuan, Mykel Shannon Jenkins, Alain Uy
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Dolby, Surround Sound, Widescreen
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 48 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ June 22, 2021
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Well Go Usa
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         Apparently there were offers to make this film with a studio budget, as long as the roles were worked for major stars (Bruce Willis and Nicholas Cage among those wanted), but the filmmakers chose to seek funding on Kickstarter rather than whitewash their script. While I respect this decision, it shows that there is no studio influence, in both good and bad ways. As noble as the decision was to keep minorities in the main roles, it doesn’t help with their amateurish acting and the script problems a studio likely would have worked out. The Paper Tigers is a highly watchable film, but also one that constantly asks you to look past flaws in filmmaking.

 

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