Sullivan’s Travels Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Joel McCrea, Veronica Lake

Director: Preston Sturges

Format: Multiple Formats, Blu-ray, Black & White, Full Screen, NTSC, Special Edition, Subtitled

Language: English

Subtitles: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: Criterion Collection (Direct)

Release Date: April 14, 2015

Run Time: 90 minutes

 

        True film buffs have ongoing debates about certain cinematic icons to rival rock-and-roll fan’s preferences between The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Charlie Chaplin admirers are contrasted by those who would hail Buster Keaton as the true king of silent slapstick, fans of The Three Stooges are often in competition with The Marx Brothers, and there is an ongoing rivalry between the sentimental films of Frank Capra and the more cynical and satirical work of Preston Sturges. The one film which seems to be in contradiction of this distinction between the two filmmakers seems to be Sullivan’s Travels, though it is still difficult to decipher how much of this was sincerity and how much was a subtle back-handed attack from Sturges against Capra’s iconic and popular style. Whatever the intentions may have been, Sullivan’s Travels remains my favorite Sturges film for the similarities it shares with that rival filmmaker’s movies.

 

The Man with the Iron Fist 2 Blu-ray Review

Actor: Dustin Nguyen, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Eugenia Yuan, Carl Ng, Pim Bubear

Director: Reine Roel

Writers: RZA, John Jarrell

Producers: Marc Abraham, Eric Newman, Ogden Gavanski

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

Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (DTS 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (DTS 5.1)

Subtitles: French, Spanish, English

Dubbed: French, Spanish

Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1

Number of discs: 2

Rated: Unrated

Studio: Universal Studios

Release Date: April 14, 2015

Digital Copy Expiration Date: May 2, 2016

 

        The fact that I can’t tell if the poorly constructed sequences, cheesy dialogue and shoddy special effects are meant to be intentionally bad as a way of imitating and parodying the genre or are simply signs of awful filmmaking means that The Man with the Iron Fists 2 was a failure, regardless. The failure is a result of a lack of commitment to either make a movie intentionally campy, like Robert Rodriguez’s Machete franchise, or a more sincere effort like the latest adaptation of 47 Ronin. This typical straight-to-video cash grab from Universal studios is not brave enough to take any real risks, and the result is a predictably bland follow-up film.

 

That Man from Rio/Up to His Ears Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Servais

Director: Philippe de Broca

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

Language: English

Number of discs: 2

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: Cohen Media Group

DVD Release Date: April 14, 2015

 

 

        Most American audiences are unfamiliar with the work of Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, though you would be hard-pressed to find many who are unfamiliar with the Star Wars franchise. George Lucas borrowed much from Kurosawa in the creation of Star Wars, specifically The Hidden Fortress (1958). Similarly, I would assume that even fewer Americans are familiar with French filmmaker Philippe De Broca, despite the recognized and apparent influence That Man from Rio had on Steven Spielberg’s Raiders of the Lost Ark. I could use this as a platform to complain about American inability to appreciate foreign film and the influence it has on Hollywood, but the truth is that That Man from Rio was also borrowing from something; the popular Tintin books from Belgian cartoonist, Hergé. I suppose everyone borrows from everyone, and audiences everywhere reap the rewards.

 

The North Hollywood CineFest 2015: April 10-16

 

        The North Hollywood CineFest premiere night this past Friday opened with the first of several short film collections at the local Llaemle NoHo 7, followed by a quick Q&A with attending filmmakers. Among these was Debbie DeLisi, co-director of The Re-Gift, who ended the session with a call to arms, of sorts. “We all gotta help each other, right?!” DeLisi asked of the over-sold theater of captivated audience members, and was answered by an enthusiastic round of applause and cheers. There were clearly more than a few aspiring artists amidst the crowd, and DeLisi’s passionate final words struck a sincere cord for many in attendance.

 

Vengeance of an Assassin Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Dan Chupong, Nattawut Boonrabsap, Ping Lumprapleng

Director: Panna Rittikrai

Format: Blu-ray, Widescreen

Language: Thai

Subtitles: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: Well Go USA

Release Date: April 14, 2015

Run Time: 93 minutes

 

 

        Watching Vengeance of an Assassin is kind of like watching a live stunt show; you know that there is nothing real or even slightly believable, but it is more about the spectacle behind the execution of the stunts that is meant to impress. Much of the action in Vengeance of an Assassin goes far beyond believability, which makes even more obvious the trickery used to accomplish the stunts. In the film’s worst sequence, a frail and petite looking woman with arms the size of broomsticks throws our muscular male hero around as if he were a lightweight doll. As a film, Vengeance of an Assassin is ruined by the absurdity of sequences such as this; as a stunt show, it is almost improved.

 

Echoes Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Steve Hanks, Kate French, Steven Brand

Director: Nils Timm

Format: Blu-ray, Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: ANCHOR BAY

Release Date: April 14, 2015

Run Time: 88 minutes

 

 

        Filmmakers these days have a need to creatively adapt their screenplay ideas in a way that requires less money to film, and a solitary remote location is one way of accomplishing this. It should then come as little surprise that so many first-time filmmakers choose the horror genre, as writer/director Nils Timm has done for his feature-film debut. Though this doesn’t feel like a feature as much as a feature-length demo reel. Derivative to the point of dullness, Echoes simply feels like a calling card for investors to see that Timm can complete a feature film. At the same time, he simultaneously proved an inability to entertain or engage the audience amidst all of the technical proficiency.