REAL MOVIE NEWS

The Hollars Blu-ray Review

Actors: Anna Kendrick, John Krasinski, Richard Jenkins, Margo Martindale, Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Director: John Krasinski
Producers: John Krasinski, Tom Rice, Ben Nearn, Allyson Seegers
Language: English
Subtitles: Mandarin Chinese, English, Japanese
Dubbed: Japanese
Region: All Regions
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Rated:

PG-13
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: December 6, 2016
Digital Copy Expiration Date: December 31, 2019
Run Time: 88 minutes

Considering how innovative actor John Krasinski’s directorial debut was, I was surprised to find his second attempt somewhat derivative. With Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, he had the near-impossible task of adapting a collection of short stories by David Foster Wallace into a coherent narrative, and he succeeded with artistry and skill, which is why The Hollars feels so blandly uninspired. Instead of trying to do something new, Krasinski has chosen to work in a narrative that has all but become the official genre of independent filmmaking: the dysfunctional family dramedy.

Call of Heroes Blu-ray Review

Actors: Sammo Hung, Eddie Peng, Louis Koo, Wu Jing
Director: Benny Chan
Format: Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, THX, Widescreen
Language: Chinese
Subtitles: English
Rated:

Unrated
Studio: Well Go USA
Release Date: December 6, 2016
Run Time: 120 minutes

Though firmly planted in the wuxia tradition of martial arts narratives, Call of Heroes has a story that most resembles the western genre. A small group of moral individuals must stand up to invading bullies in a rural village, who are threatening to harm innocent citizens. And these elements of the film work fantastically, though there are pacing problems and an uneven tone that occasionally drag the dependable narrative down.

Don’t Breathe Blu-ray Review

Actors: Dylan Minnette, Jane Levy, Stephen Lang, Daniel Zovatto
Director: Fede Alvarez
Producers: Fede Alvarez, Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert
Format: Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: Spanish, English
Dubbed: Spanish
Audio Description: English
Region: All Regions
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Number of discs: 1
Rated:

R
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: November 29, 2016
Digital Copy Expiration Date: December 31, 2019
Run Time: 88 minutes

Studios may be narrow-mindedly focusing on making films that create or extend franchises, from prequels and sequels to remakes and spin-offs, but they really should pay more attention to horror movies if profit is truly their largest concern. Don’t Breathe was made for a mere $10 million dollars (for perspective, the Independent Spirit Awards will allow films to be categorized as an independent with a budget as high as $20 million) but made $140 million at the box office. Horror movies are incredibly lucrative, partially because they don’t require the budget of a Marvel or a Star Wars film.

Hell or High Water Blu-ray Review

Actors: Chris Pine, Jeff Bridges, Ben Foster, Katy Mixon, Kevin Rankin
Director: David Mackenzie
Format: Color, NTSC, Widescreen
Language: English
Region: Region A/1
Number of discs: 2
Rated:

R
Studio: Lionsgate
Release Date: November 22, 2016
Run Time: 122 minutes

The film industry has become a strange beast in recent years, where Award-winning directors such as Charlie Kaufman are unable to get studios to take a chance on his critically acclaimed visions, but they will recklessly pillage any and all franchises for unoriginal dribble in hopes that it will become an international cash cow. It would be easy to become disheartened by the lack of creativity in the film industry, if independent filmmaking hadn’t found a way to pick up the slack. Kaufman eventually funded the award-winning Anomalisa through crowd sourcing, and Hell or High Water was made independent of the creatively-crippled studio system.

Howard’s End Blu-ray Review

Actors: Helena Carter, Joseph Bennett, Prunella Scales, Adrian Magenty, Jo Kendall
Director: James Ivory
Format: AC-3, Dolby, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: French, English
Region: Region A/1
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Number of discs: 2
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: December 6, 2016
Run Time: 143 minutes

Howard’s End was the third adaptation of an E. M. Forster novel by longtime film team, James Ivory and Ismail Merchant, and may very well be their greatest success. It was an unlikely choice, especially since Forster himself admitted to disliking all of the characters within his own story, but the nuanced Merchant Ivory production somehow makes them all more sympathetic without removing any of their many flaws. And despite some ugliness in the personalities of the characters, this is contrasted by the beautiful photography of the film, which has been given a wonderful new 4K restoration for its 25^th Anniversary release.

The Secret Life of Pets 4K Ultra HD Review

Actors: Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet, Kevin Hart, Jenny Slate, Ellie Kemper
Director: Chris Renaud
Writers: Cinco Paul, Ken Daurio, Brian Lynch
Producers: Chris Meledandri, Janet Healy
Format: 4K, Digital_copy
Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), French (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Subtitles: French, Spanish, English
Region: All Regions
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Rated:

PG
Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Release Date: December 6, 2016
Digital Copy Expiration Date: May 2, 2018

Illumination Entertainment (an animation production company owned by Universal Studios) has established a distinct style in their releases, offering a welcome variation from the type of animated movies being made by Disney and Pixar. This is similar to the contrast that Disney once had with Warner Bros. animation, which makes sense considering how much the Illumination Entertainment titles seem to resemble the classic Looney Tunes style of comedy chaos. This was a welcome return to style, especially since Warner Bros. have been far more interested in the superhero franchise and have dedicated most of their attention on a string on animated comic book movies (even including a Lego Movie spin-off dealing exclusively with the toy version of Batman).

Baked in Brooklyn Blu-ray Review

Actors: Alexandra Daddario, Josh Brener, Al Sapienza
Director: Rory Rooney
Format: Dolby, NTSC, THX, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: English
Number of discs: 1
Rated:

Not Rated
Studio: Well Go USA
Release Date: November 29, 2016
Run Time: 85 minutes

For a film that is trying as hard as it is to appeal to the hipster crowd, Baked in Brooklyn is remarkably outdated. And even if it weren’t too late to jump on the overcrowded bandwagon filled with films and TV shows about marijuana, Baked in Brooklyn isn’t really about marijuana at all. Even worse, it isn’t very good. While too disconnected from real life to effectively carry out any of the dramatic elements, it is an even bigger crime that a film being sold as a stoner comedy has absolutely no humor.

Cardboard Boxer Blu-ray Review

Actors: Thomas Haden Church, Terrence Howard, Johanna Braddy
Director: Knate Lee
Format: Dolby, NTSC, THX, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: English
Number of discs: 1
Rated:

Not Rated
Studio: Well Go USA
Release Date: November 15, 2016
Run Time: 89 minutes

The acting is so phenomenal in Cardboard Boxer that it makes the laziness of the screenplay all the more shameful. Rather than relying on the brutal realism of the situation, first-time screenwriter and director Knate Lee (who previously worked as cinematographer and producer on the Jackass movies under the name of Knate Gwaltney) forces contrived situations onto his characters. No matter how powerful Thomas Haden Church’s performance is or how admirable the message of Lee’s screenplay might be, no amount of the film’s strengths can make up for the emotional manipulation used to get that message across.

Uncle Nick Blu-ray Review

Actor: Brian Posehn
Director: Chris Kasick
Format: Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: English
Region: Region A/1
Number of discs: 1
Rated: Not Rated
Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO
Release Date: November 1, 2016
Run Time: 81 minutes

Holiday movies about dysfunctional families and their behavior are almost as commonplace as the saccharine feel-good films of the season, but Uncle Nick takes it to a darker place than usual. It isn’t just the darkness, but how grounded in realism Uncle Nick is that makes it so depressingly bleak. I appreciate dark comedies, but this one has too few laughs for the dreariness that must be endured. Most Christmas films all end the same, with the family coming together and repairing damaged relationships in order to celebrate the season. While I commend Uncle Nick for avoiding the seasonal clichés, few films have left me with less of a desire to celebrate the holidays.

Taxi Driver: 40th Anniversary Blu-ray Review

Actors: Cybill Shepherd, Harvey Keitel, Albert Brooks, Jodie Foster, Leonard Harris
Director: Martin Scorsese
Producers: Julia Phillips, Michael Phillips
Format: AC-3, Dolby, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: German, Portuguese, French, Czech, Polish, Finnish, Swedish, Korean, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian, Hungarian, Mandarin Chinese, Turkish, Spanish, Danish, Greek, English, Japanese
Dubbed: German, French, Czech, Portuguese, Italian, Hungarian, Spanish, Japanese
Region: All Regions
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Number of discs: 2
Rated:

R
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: November 8, 2016
Digital Copy Expiration Date: December 31, 2019
Run Time: 114 minutes

Taxi Driver is a bold film, even by today’s standards. It was a timely film in 1976, both a character study of one mentally unstable man and a larger representation of the times. Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) represented an entire generation of men, war veterans and social outcasts alike. He is a man plagued by loneliness, but continually making decisions which push him further away from people. His politics are confused, but passionately driven by an undercurrent of violence within him. And as timely as Travis Bickle seemed in 1976, it feels every bit as relevant in today’s social and political climate, 40-years later.

Morris From America Blu-ray Review

Actors: Craig Robinson, Markees Christmas
Director: Chad Hartigan
Format: NTSC, Widescreen
Language: English
Region: Region A/1
Number of discs: 1
Rated:

R
Studio: Lionsgate
Release Date: November 8, 2016
Run Time: 91 minutes

Coming of age narratives are in wide supply within the film industry, and in that sense there is very little revolutionary about Morris from America despite its unique setting. What helps this films stand out from a plethora of others is the depiction of a father/son relationship. Even if that dynamic itself isn’t original, the warmth and honesty of the portrayal makes enough of a crowd pleaser to forgive some of script’s familiarity.

Better Call Saul: Season Two Blu-ray Review

Actors: Bob Odenkirk
Format: AC-3, Dolby, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: French, Arabic, Dutch, Spanish, English
Dubbed: French
Region: All Regions
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Number of discs: 3
Rated:

Not Rated
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: November 15, 2016
Digital Copy Expiration Date: December 31, 2019
Run Time: 459 minutes

The first season of “Better Call Saul” blew me away, in part because of the precise filmmaking used to tell the story, adding layers of nuance to an already clever set of scripts. But the main reason for my surprise in watching the first season was lowered expectations. Having watched and enjoyed all of “Breaking Bad,” it was difficult to imagine a show with less crime and a weaker protagonist would be as good. It turns out that it is even better, in some ways. “Breaking Bad” took several seasons for audiences to catch on and start watching, but “Better Call Saul” had record-breaking viewership and was renewed for a second season 7 months before even airing.

Indignation Blu-ray Review

Actors: Sarah Gadon, Logan Lerman, Ben Rosenfield, Noah Robbins, Tracy Letts
Director: James Schamus
Format: NTSC, Widescreen
Language: English
Region: Region A/1
Number of discs: 1
Rated:

R
Studio: Lionsgate
Release Date: November 8, 2016
Run Time: 111 minutes

Indignation has recognizable faces, but no movie stars. It is a period film, one without action or a typical romance to drive the narrative. There is humor as well as moments of melancholy, but the film doesn’t fit perfectly into either the comedy or the drama category. Even with the fairly traditional structure of a coming-of-age narrative, Indignation is something of an enigma in today’s film market, bold in its simplicity and reliance on good storytelling alone. Not every film needs a guaranteed audience brought by special effects and movie stars. My only hope is that enough people watched this movie to encourage further production of mature narratives as an alternative to the constant stream of comic book movies.

The Sea of Trees Blu-ray Review

Actors: Matthew McConaughey, Naomi Watts, Ken Watanabe, Katie Aselton
Director: Gus Van Sant
Format: NTSC, Widescreen
Language: English
Region: Region A/1
Number of discs: 1
Rated:

PG-13
Studio: Lionsgate
Release Date: November 1, 2016
Run Time: 110 minutes

There wasn’t a single twist in the narrative of The Sea of Trees that I didn’t see coming long before they arrived, but I still would have allowed myself to be swept up by the clichés in the grief-filled story. The intermixing of supernatural with emotion-filled melodrama did not even bother me, at least not until it became forcefully manipulative. It is one thing to use sadness to evoke emotions from the audience, but the way it is done in The Sea of Trees often feels sadistically manipulative, regardless of how authentic the performances may be. The emotions are not earned so much as thrust upon the audience, which is unfortunate considering the dedication and skill of the cast involved.

The IT Crowd: The Complete Series DVD Review

Actors: Chris O'Dowd, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Parkinson
Director: Graham Linehan
Format: Box set, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: English
Dubbed: English
Region: Region 1
Number of discs: 5
Rated: Not Rated
Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO
DVD Release Date: November 1, 2016
Run Time: 617 minutes

Many great film careers have started with a successful television show, but it is rare for one show to launch several careers. These are the shows that become lasting classics, which can be watched countless times, in part because of how much the cast embodies their roles: “Freaks and Geeks,” “Friends,” “Cheers.” “The IT Crowd” belongs in this category, perhaps even more so than its American counterparts. Television in the UK is such a dominate art form that it is not seen as the stepping stone it is in Hollywood, so a success in this medium almost guarantees a thriving career.

Legend of Bruce Lee: Volume One DVD Review

Actors: Danny Chan, Michelle Lang, Mark Dacascos
Director: Li Wenqi
Format: Color, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, THX, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: English
Region: Region 1
Number of discs: 3
Rated:

Unrated

Not Rated
Studio: Well Go USA
DVD Release Date: November 1, 2016
Run Time: 451 minutes

A love of Chinese cinema may mislead some English-speaking consumers to make incorrect assumptions about the DVD release of “Legend of Bruce Lee.” The first mistaken assumption is that this release is the same quality of the films that are exported from the country. “Legend of Bruce Lee” is a television miniseries, not a film, and it won’t take long to discover that the Chinese television industry is nowhere near as polished. Even this may have been easier to dismiss, if the presentation on the Region 1 DVD release weren’t also horribly dubbed as the only option for sound. Though there are subtitles available, the original language track is shamefully missing.

Amazonia DVD Review

Actors: Martin Sheen
Director: Thierry Ragobert
Disc Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: English
Region: Region 1
Number of discs: 1
Rated:

G
Studio: Lionsgate
DVD Release Date: October 4, 2016
Run Time: 93 minutes

Amazonia is a strange amalgamation of scripted narrative film and nature documentary, which seems unconventional by today’s standards despite a tradition of these type of films from Disney in the past. Though the facts about nature are accurate and informative, we follow a single narrative involving a monkey which has clearly been fabricated as the vehicle for the delivery of educational information. Though there may be some who will prefer the realism of actual nature documentary material, Amazonia is perfect for younger audiences unaccustomed to the more unpredictable elements of nature. This G-rated film provide educational information within the safety of a sanitized script.

Men & Chicken Blu-ray Review

Actors: Mads Mikkelsen, David Dencik, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Søren Malling, Nicolas Bro
Format: NTSC
Language: English
Region: Region A/1
Number of discs: 2
Rated:

Unrated
Studio: Drafthouse
Release Date: October 25, 2016
Run Time: 99 minutes

As a screenwriter, Anders Thomas Jensen has provided some of the strongest material for a few very serious-minded Danish filmmakers, which quite ironic considering the tone of the films which he seems to prefer making as a director. Although it has been 10 years since his last project as director, Jensen hasn’t missed a beat. Men & Chicken would make a perfect companion piece to Adam’s Apples (2005), not to mention the darkly comic similarities The Green Butchers (2003).

Skiptrace Blu-ray Review

Actors: Jackie Chan, Johnny Knoxville, Bingbing Fan, Eve Torres, Eric Tsang
Director: Renny Harlin
Format: NTSC, Widescreen
Language: English
Region: Region A/1
Number of discs: 1
Rated:

PG-13
Studio: Lionsgate
Release Date: October 25, 2016
Run Time: 98 minutes

Skiptrace feels like a movie made 15 years ago, and in many ways I mean that as a compliment. There is also a valid reason for the feeling of nostalgia brought on by this film, as it rejoins star Jackie Chan with director Renny Harlin, who were originally in the process of planning a film to take place on the World Trade Center when the attacks of 9/11 occurred. That film was understandably scrapped, and Chan went on to make The Tuxedo instead, which was the beginning of Chan’s shift from the physical comedy of his own stunt work to a reliance on CGI to make up for the growing limitations of his age. But despite being made a decade and a half after The Tuxedo, Skiptrace feels like a return to the signature Jackie Chan style.

Nerve Blu-ray Review

Actors: Emma Roberts, Dave Franco, Juliette Lewis, Emily Meade, Miles Heizer
Directors: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman
Format: Color, NTSC, Widescreen
Language: English
Region: Region A/1
Number of discs: 2
Rated:

PG-13
Studio: Lionsgate
Release Date: October 25, 2016
Run Time: 96 minutes

Nerve boasts an original idea with relevant modern commentary on the digital age and an over-reliance on social media for feelings of self worth, though it often feels like a creative concept destroyed by poorly drawn characters and increasingly idiotic plot twists. Individual traits only seem to exist in order for each character to shift the narrative where it needs to be, altered at the drop of a hat without consideration of consistency. The story manipulates everything in Nerve, including the audience. Rather than intelligently applying its themes, directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman merely cram them into a typical action movie formula.

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