Secret in Their Eyes Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, Dean Norris, Michael Kelly

Director: Billy Ray

Writer: Billy Ray

Producers: Mark Johnson, Matt Jackson

Format: Color, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

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

Subtitles: French, Spanish, English

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Rated: PG-13

Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Release Date: February 23, 2016

Digital Copy Expiration Date: May 2, 2018

 

        Despite a solid cast and a sophisticated screenplay based on the Academy Award-winning Argentinean film, El secreto de sus ojos, Secret in Their Eyes never feels completely necessary. Even dismissing the common decision to remake a foreign film into an English-language copycat, Secret in Their Eyes feels too familiar to a string of better suspense films. With similar moral discussions about certainty of guilt and the consequences of acting on these assumptions, there are many parallels between this film and Prisoners, but not enough new ground is covered to warrant another addition into the sub-genre, much less a remake. 

 

Becoming Bulletproof DVD Review

     Actors: Alec Bandler

Director: Michael Barnett

Format: Color, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Number of discs: 1

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: Virgil Films and Entertainment

DVD Release Date: February 23, 2016

Run Time: 82 minutes

 

 

        Not unlike the movie that the documentary captures the filmmaking of, Becoming Bulletproof is far more admirable for the story behind the content than for the skill going into the filmmaking itself. It is a documentary with a message, but not one of political, economic or environmental significance. Instead it is a movie seeking only personal significance; obviously for the actors involved in the production, but also for anyone with a disability, or anyone with similar aspirations to pursue their dreams regardless of the odds they may face.

My All American Blu-ray Review

        Angelo Pizzo has made a career out of writing screenplays based on true life inspirational sports stories, and in the past they have all been directed by his former fraternity brother from his undergraduate days at Indiana University. But whether it is the fault of a diminishing ability to write an inspirational screenplay or his shortcomings as a first time director, My All American comes nowhere near the level of Hoosiers, Rudy, or even The Game of Their Lives. Considering it has been 10 years since his last screenplay made it to the screen, I’m afraid Pizzo may have returned to the well one time too many, with this latest endeavor feeling like a bad copy of his past successes.

The Sheik DVD Review

     Actors: The Iron Sheik, Dwayne Johnson

Director: Igal Hecht

Format: Color, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Number of discs: 1

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: Dark Sky Films

DVD Release Date: March 1, 2016

Run Time: 96 minutes

 

 

        I’m sure if you are a fan of WWE wrestling, especially of the iconic figure this film is based on, The Sheik will provide plenty of enjoyment. Personally, I prefer my soap opera with a lot less yelling and a lot better acting, but was still able to find some enjoyment in the character study at the center of this documentary. I may have been able to enjoy the human aspects of the story even more if the filmmakers didn’t allow themselves to seep into the narrative as giddy fans during the second half of the film. While I appreciate their passion, it did little to reassure me the filmmaking wasn’t affected by the filmmakers’ obvious bias.

The Taviani Brothers Collection Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Omero Antonutti, Claudio Bigagli

Directors: Paolo Taviani, Vittorio Taviani

Format: NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: Italian

Subtitles: English

Number of discs: 1

Studio: Cohen Media Group

Release Date: February 16, 2016

 

 

        There are many sibling filmmaker teams, and I’m sure that each has their own unique ways of distributing the directorial duties. For the longest time Joel Coen was listed as the film’s director with Ethan taking producer credits, despite both working together in all aspects of the process. The Taviani brothers, Paolo and Vittorio, have a completely different approach. Although they always share the director credit, each takes turn directing from one scene to the next, neither one interfering with the work of the other. The result is no less seamless, as can clearly be seen in three of their classics included in this Blu-ray film collection.