3 Classic Films by Claude Chabrol Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Isabelle Huppert, Marie Trintignant, Emmanuaelle Beart
• Director: Claude Chabrol
• Language: French
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region A/1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
• Number of discs: 3
• Rated: Not Rated
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• Release Date: February 21, 2017
• Run Time: 310 minutes

        Claude Chabrol was a highly significant name in French cinema for half a century, even contributing to the legendary Cahiers du Cinéma during its peak in the 1950s. Among these contributions was a critical analysis of Alfred Hitchcock’s work (co-authored by Eric Rohmer), which clearly influenced his own work throughout his career. Although the mysteries within this triple feature are far from traditional, there are still influences of Hitchcock to be found. Each of these films was also made in the 1990s, despite this set being listed as “3 Classic Films.” I suppose one could consider them modern classics, even if they belong to his later phase of filmmaking. If nothing else, these films highlight Chabrol’s ability to discover and cast enigmatic young female stars, who often went on to achieve international success.

Contract to Kill Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Steven Seagal, Russell Wong, Jemma Dallender
• Director: Keoni Waxman
• Disc Format: NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Region: Region A/1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R
• Studio: Lionsgate
• Release Date: February 28, 2017
• Run Time: 90 minutes

        If you are wondering how Steven Seagal continues to make movies, despite being too lazy or out of shape to ever utilize the skills that once made him famous, blame filmmaker Keoni Waxman. The last eight films that Waxman has directed were all poorly made action films starring Seagal, impressive only for the level of incompetence across nearly every aspect of their production. Someone must be making money off of this garbage, because there seems to be no passion behind any of the filmmaking. Contract to Kill may be the worst one yet, but I honestly can’t remember much more than the ineptitude from my viewing of the previous collaborations between the pair.

Moonlight Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Naomie Harris, Trevante Rhodes, Janelle Monae, Mahershala Ali
• Director: Barry Jenkins
• Format: NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Region: Region A/1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R
• Studio: Lionsgate
• Release Date: February 28, 2017
• Run Time: 111 minutes

        Moonlight is everything that an independent film should be, focusing on the intimacy of characters and a story normally unseen onscreen. I was not at all surprised to see it sweep the Independent Spirit Awards, though somehow I doubt that it would have done so well this award season if it weren’t for last year’s “Oscars-so-white” controversy and the political turmoil that less than two months of a Donald Trump presidency has caused. This is to say nothing of the quality of the film, but I imagine Moonlight will be better known for being a part of the largest mistake in Academy Award history than anything in the film itself. Don’t get me wrong; it is a beautiful and well-made film, but it is also a film far easier to appreciate than it is to love. The praise for this film feels more like a statement supporting what it represents far more than a celebration of the film itself. Then again, I also don’t see Spotlight as having a lasting impact on film history either. Sometimes the underdog wins; I just don’t understand why this couldn’t have happened the years that Lord of the Rings and Titanic won best picture.