Moms’ Night Out Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Sean Astin, Patricia Heaton

Format: Multiple Formats, Blu-ray, Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: PG-13 

Studio: Sony

Release Date: September 2, 2014

Run Time: 99 minutes

 

 

        The mere fact that there is no moral or spiritual lesson engrained into the plot of Moms’ Night Out means a step forward for the faith-based film industry. In the same year that major studios also found source material for their movies in biblical stories, Christian-made films have also started to understand the concept of entertainment. This one is still far from being anywhere near good, and despite a storyline involving mothers, much of the humor appears meant to amuse the children dragged to theaters this past Mother’s Day. There is enough mature material to appease the adults, and the entire subject of the film may go over most children’s heads. In trying to appease everyone, they have made a movie for no one.

 

14 Blades DVD Review

     Actors: Donnie Yen, Wei Zhao, Sammo Hung

Director: Daniel Yee

Format: Multiple Formats, Color, Widescreen, NTSC

Language: English

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R

Studio: ANCHOR BAY

DVD Release Date: September 2, 2014

Run Time: 113 minutes

 

 

        Donnie Yen has an amazing martial arts background, and when combined with his cinematic abilities this can make him an incredible asset to a feature. This is why it was so disappointing to find his talents weren’t put to full use in 14 Blades, a film which prefers inconsistent special effects over the skills possessed by the cast. Or perhaps Yen is simply getting older, transitioning to a different type of roles. Whatever the reason, 14 Blades feels like a film that should have been better than the average viewing experience it provides.

 

Baby Blues Blu-ray Review

    Actors: Raymond Lam, Kate Tsui, Karena Ng, Hoi- Pang Lo

Director: Po-Chih Leong

Format: Multiple Formats, Blu-ray, Color, Widescreen

Language: Chinese

Subtitles: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: Well Go USA

Release Date: September 2, 2014

Run Time: 92 minutes

 

 

        I enjoy horror movies with possessed toys as much as the next person, which is why I found Baby Blues so disappointing. While the end of the film finally utilizes the creepy doll featured on the cover, the first half of the film is more about a cursed pop song than the toy, despite cheesy overlapping footage to insinuate that the doll is using mind control to puppet people’s actions upon hearing the song. Clearly created for 3D theatrical exhibition, Baby Blues also has all of the elements which enhance this medium, despite the fact that brightly lit scenes and slow motion sequences are not conducive to the horror genre.

 

Queen Margot Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Isabelle Adjani, Vincent Perez, Daniel Auteuil

Director: Patrice Chereau

Format: Multiple Formats, Blu-ray, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: French

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: Cohen Media Group

Release Date: August 26, 2014

Run Time: 159 minutes

 

 

        Adapted from the classic novel by Alexandre Dumas, Queen Margot gives narrative to the real-life Saint Bartholomew’s Day massacre, which resulted in an unknown numbers of Protestants being slaughtered in France, 1572. It is a period piece that is absolutely brimming with urgency, rich with details of the period down to the ugliest blemishes. We feel immersed in another time, as though the world that director Patrice Chéreau has created would naturally extend beyond the view of the camera. All of the dirt and the blood which soils all of the fancy French garments bring the period to life in a way that makes the critical praise acquired by the film’s original 1994 debut at the Cannes Film Festival completely understandable.

 

Blood Glacier DVD Review

     Actors: Gerhard Liebmann, Edita Malovcic

Director: Marvin Kren

Format: Multiple Formats, Color, Dubbed, Widescreen, NTSC

Language: German

Dubbed: English

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO

DVD Release Date: August 26, 2014

Run Time: 97 minutes

 

 

        Nearly every element of Blood Glacier seems slightly derivative of recognizable horror/sci-fi film classics, but this is one of those genres where originality is not always the most important thing. There is even a throwback on the style of filmmaking, with practical effects in favor of the computer generated post-production work. German director Marvin Kren isn’t reinventing the wheel as much as he is rediscovering it, and it is a nostalgic journey that any true fan of 1970s and ‘80s horror will relish.

 

Young & Beautiful DVD Review

     Actors: Marine Vacth, Géraldine Pailhas

Director: François Ozon

Format: Multiple Formats, Color, Widescreen, NTSC

Language: English

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO

DVD Release Date: August 26, 2014

Run Time: 93 minutes

 

         

        The saddest aspect of the narrative of youthful prostitution in Young & Beautiful is how derivative it feels. I’m sure that it is an accurate portrayal worldwide, whether young girls becoming escorts as an even more lucrative option than stripping to put themselves through college, or those who take on the profession with no other options. At the same time, the film industry seems to latch onto these narratives far too often, and it just begins to feel like an excuse to encourage the male gaze, with actresses that always look young and beautiful. 

 

A Promise DVD Review

     Actors: Rebecca Hall, Alan Rickman

Director: Patrice Leconte

Format: Multiple Formats, Color, Widescreen, NTSC

Language: English

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO

DVD Release Date: August 26, 2014

Run Time: 98 minutes

 

 

         There is a long history of understated romance films like A Promise, with desire abstained from because of impropriety or distance. In many regards, I felt as though I had seen this film already, but that will not subtract from the enjoyment for fans of romance films filled with more longing than physical contact. Much of this enjoyment comes from an engaging cast and capable direction from Patrice Leconte. There are some melodramatic indulgences buried in the screenplay, but credit/fault is more likely to lie at the feet of the author of the novel that the film is based on.

 

Vengeance is Mine Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Ken Ogata, Rentaro Mikuni, Chocho Miyako

Director: Shohei Imamura

Format: Multiple Formats, Blu-ray, Widescreen

Language: Japanese

Subtitles: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: Criterion Collection (Direct)

Release Date: August 26, 2014

Run Time: 140 minutes

 

        Vengeance is Mine is the character study of a killer thief on the run, but it keeps the audience at a distance that never fully allows understanding of the deviant actions of our anti-hero. Following in the tradition of In Cold Blood and Purple Noon, the true evidence lies in his murderous actions, regardless of what masks are worn for the public. Director Shohei Imamura takes the real-life events from a 78-day manhunt for a thief and killer, translating the story into something with parallels in Japanese society in the late 1970s.

 

Triad DVD Review

     Actors: Patrick Tam, William Chan, Michelle Wai

Director: Daniel Chan

Format: Multiple Formats, Color, Widescreen, NTSC

Language: Chinese

Dubbed: English

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: Well Go USA

DVD Release Date: August 26, 2014

Run Time: 91 minutes

 

 

        More heavy-handed melodrama than hard-boiled gangster film, Triad is somewhat of letdown for what the title offers. Perhaps the filmmakers intended to give a more realistic portrayal of the Triad gang lifestyle, but the slow-motion romance scenes destroy this realism rather quickly. Although there are a few sequences of extreme violence, much of the film resembles something you might see in a soap opera.