Wither DVD Review

Actors: Patrik Almkvist, Jessica Blomkvist, Johannes Brost, Sanna Ekman, Lisa Henni

Director: Sonny Laguna

Format: Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Surround Sound, Widescreen

Language: Swedish

Subtitles: English

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: Artsploitation Films

Release Date: August 20, 2013

Run Time: 95 minutes

 

 

        I grew up loving horror, actually desiring the films which were able to get under my skin. When I was too young for the bloodier films, I filled up on classic horror movies: creature films from Cold War paranoia, Depression-era Universal monster movies, all the way up to the beginning of the slasher films with Michael Powell’s Peeping Tom and Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. The truly daring movies all have numerous copycats, though rarely are they as engaging as the originals. Wither does well not to attempt to reinvent the wheel, but as a Swedish take on the ‘cabin-in-the-woods’ narrative it is able to offer an original style to that old familiar bloodbath.

 

        Made before the 2013 remake of Evil Dead, Wither could easily be an unofficial remake in many regards, though is a different reason for the demonic attacks on a group of viral young adults on a getaway in the woods, based on Swedish mythology involving a creature which lives underground. The storyline and its practical effects seem most inspired by Sam Raimi’s cult classic and its sequels, as well as the Dario Argento produced Italian films, Demons and Demons 2. A group of friends find themselves fighting each other off once some sort of possession/contagion is spread after a creature in the cellar is disturbed.

 

        With plot simplified and narrative somewhat predictable, much of the film comes down to characters and the film’s bloodier sequences. The effects are flawlessly done, never so flashy that they detract from the point of the sequence while always elevated to an extreme level. By the end of the film, the cabin walls are covered in blood from various battles between friends who have become possessed and those still trying to survive. There are many predictable characters in this film, though filmmakers Sonny Laguna and Tommy Wiklund throw a few unexpected twists in these caricatures, especially those you think may survive. The effect is not unlike the stoner’s escape from death in Joss Whedon produced hit, Cabin in the Woods.

        Though there aren’t more than a handful of Swedish horror films, those which do exist are compelling enough to anticipate more. Tomas Alfredson’s Let the Right One In was solid enough for Hollywood to snatch it up as a remake almost immediately. Though I don’t imagine Wither needs an American remake, I am certain we will be seeing more from Laguna and Wiklund in the future.

 

        The DVD release by Artsploitation Films comes with their standard booklet insert, which has an intro paragraph from the filmmakers, an essay by Ryan Clark and an interview with the filmmakers about the film’s combination of practical effects and CGI. The disc bonus features include a behind-the-scenes featurette, deleted scenes and a trailer gallery for Artsploitation Films.

       

       

Entertainment Value: 8/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 7.5/10

Historical Significance: 6/10

                                         Disc Features: 7

 

The Extraordinary Adventures of Adéle Blanc-sec DVD Review

Starring: Louise Bourgoin, Mathieu Amalric

Supporting actors: Gilles Lellouche

Directed by: Luc Besson

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Mystery

Runtime: 1 hour 45 minutes

Release year: 2010

Studio: Europacorp

MPAA Rating: Rated PG for some violence, language, brief sensuality and rude humor

 

 

 

        The name Luc Besson has always been synonymous with great action, whether as a director, writer or even just producer. Although he has continued to attach his name to solid action movies as producer, the upcoming action comedy, The Family, will be Besson’s first time directing a Hollywood film in some time. Odder yet are the films which have occupied his time most recently. From 2006’s Arthur and the Invisibles came two additional films in the franchise based on popular children’s books. In 2010 he also made this wonderful French family film, which plays somewhat like a quirky French Indiana Jones.

 

        The Extraordinary Adventures of Adéle Blanc-sec is a fantasy-infused adventure set in the early part of the 20^th century with a female author protagonist who is an early feminist icon. Hoping to find a way to save her comatose sister, Adéle (Louise Bourgoin) seeks out the strange Professor Espérandieu (jacky Nercessian) who has found a way to reanimate a dinosaur egg. Hoping that by reanimating the mummified doctor from an Egyptian tomb she will find the answers to saving her sister, Adéle must face numerous obstacles along the way.

 

        The DVD features include a dubbed version of the dialogue, so as to spare younger children the task of reading the speedy French dialogue. The dubbing is good, and appropriately silly at times with the film’s lighthearted fare. There is also the original French tracks for the purists and multilingual. The special features include a making-of featurette, as well as interviews with the cast and a featurette about the music. There are also a few deleted scenes.

       

Entertainment Value: 8/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 7/10

Historical Significance: 6/10

Disc Features: 7/10

 

 

Floating City Blu-ray review

Actors: Aaron Kwok, David Peatfield, Josie Ho, Leon Hill, Seith Leslie

Director: Ho Yim

Format: Blu-ray, Dolby, NTSC, THX, Widescreen

Language: Chinese

Subtitles: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: Well Go USA

Release Date: August 20, 2013

Run Time: 105 minutes

 

        Filmmaker Yim Ho was one of filmmakers to inspire what we now refer to as the Hong Kong New Wave in the 1980s, with his film Red Dust honored with a record twelve nominations at the Taiwan Golden Horse Festival. With such acclaim from his earlier work, I couldn’t understand the less than enthusiastic reception for Ho’s thirteenth film, Floating City. Although this film is not likely to inspire any new movements in Chinese cinema, it is a solid drama and personal filmmaking done without unnecessary melodrama.

 

        The film tells the story of a poor peasant boy in 1940s Hong Kong, who is raised aboard a fishing boat until sent to work as a laborer. With blue-eyes and slightly reddish hair, Bo Wah Chuen (Aaron Kwok) has many questions about his origins, which his peasant parents refuse to answer. Though his past is uncertain, the mixed race look allows for few advantages in Chuen’s future. Ridiculed constantly for being a “half-breed,” Chuen works his way up by learning English and becoming an engineer for the British colonies.

 

        The success also comes with a devoted wife and a passionate lover on the side, but somehow this is still not enough to keep Chuen satisfied. Forever tormented about his past and future, nothing seems enough for the man who is able to achieve what nobody though possible from someone of his status. In some ways, we are never properly allowed to penetrate Chuen’s exterior. There is much he leaves unsaid and bottled in, leaving the audience on the outside as much as the women in his life are.

 

Entertainment Value: 7/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 7/10

Historical Significance: 6/10

Disc Features: 1/10

 

 

Amour Blu-ray review

Actors: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Emmanuelle Riva, Isabelle Huppert, Alexandre Tharaud, William Shimell

Director: Michael Haneke

Writers: Michael Haneke

Producers: Alice Girard, Bettina Reitz, Bettina Ricklefs, Daniel Goudineau, Hans-Wolfgang Jurgan

Format: Color, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: French

Subtitles: English

Number of discs: 1

Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Release Date: August 20, 2013

Run Time: 127 minutes

        Filmmaker Michael Haneke does not make easy films to watch. Though often undeniably entertaining, he is a director more interested in challenging audiences with his art form than he is entertaining them. Funny Games (1997) is a film that the director said was intended to get audiences to leave the theater, almost a test of endurance meant to jar audiences from the place of traditional complacent voyeurism we bring to a darkened theater. The act of watching is thematically significant in Haneke’s latest masterpiece, Amour.

 

What we are watching is the difficult end to a long and gratifying love story, and we watch it without musical manipulation or forced sentimentality. Georges (Jean-Louis Trintignant) and Anne (Emmanuelle Riva) have lived a fabulous life when a silent stroke begins the slow end to their romance and Anne’s life. With such a simple storyline Amour is inevitably a film about performances, and they are spectacularly and bravely played by two film legends that have literally aged before our eyes through the years. But it is also a film about direction, and what Haneke is willing to show us.

 

In one sequence Georges is unexpectedly visited by their obtusely intrusive daughter (Isabelle Huppert) and he describes many of the difficult daily acts that must be endured caring for his dying wife. Georges also mentions that these are not events deserving of being seen, and though he is speaking to his insensitive daughter, Haneke also seems to be talking to the audience through these lines. We are not forced to endure more voyeuristic pain than necessary and the director’s choices in what to show and how editing quickens the passage of time is an act of mercy which also runs parallel to the film’s poignant narrative.

 

This is not an easy film to sit through, despite the way editing manages to quicken the timeline. It is also not an indulgent film, or one that begs for adoration, despite the glowing reviews and many awards. The Blu-ray includes a making-of featurette, along with a filmed Q&A session with Haneke.

 

Entertainment Value: 7/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 10/10

Historical Significance: 8/10

Disc Features: 6/10

 

 

The Devil’s Backbone Criterion Collection Blu-ray review

Actors: Marisa Paredes, Eduardo Noriega, Federico Luppi, Fernando Tielve, Irene Visedo

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Format: Blu-ray, Color, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: Spanish

Subtitles: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: Criterion Collection

Release Date: July 30, 2013

Run Time: 108 minutes

 

 

        Guillermo del Toro has made a career out of making nothing but monster movies, and has done it in a way which has elevated the genre picture rather than brought down his career. Proving that monsters have just as much of a place in foreign art films as they do in Hollywood blockbusters, del Toro may have gained mainstream popularity with big budget films such as his Hellboy franchise and Pacific Rim, but he has also achieved remarkable critical success with Cronos, Pan’s Labyrinth and The Devil’s Backbone.

 

        Del Toro began his career with a completely unique take on the vampire mythos with Cronos, setting the groundwork for the filmmaker’s style and ability to blend reality with fantasy realistically. It also began his tendency to utilize children protagonists, as was the case with Pan’s Labyrinth and also with The Devil’s Backbone, and with storylines that take place a specific time and place in history. Set in the final days of the Spanish Civil War, The Devil’s Backbone is a coming-of-age ghost story in which human behavior is more frightening than the film’s “monster.”

 

        The story follows a twelve-year-old boy as he is brought to a rural orphanage after his father is killed in the resistance. As one among many orphaned children of freedom fighters living in an orphanage in the middle of nowhere, there are many new dangers. Among them is the rumor of the ghost of a missing child, a spirit haunting the halls late at night and interacting with our newcomer protagonist. There is a mystery at the heart of The Devil’s Backbone, but even with the secrets revealed this is a film worth watching numerous times.

 

        Part of the reason that The Devil’s Backbone is such a great film is not because of the horror aspects, which is usually highlighted in Hollywood horror as the primary emphasis. Less important than the monster and the special effects used to create it are the characters within the screenplay and the actors who bring them to life. Del Toro makes personal horror movies with an emphasis on humanity over the monstrous even amidst dark material. Because of how we care for these characters, due to their elegant construction, the horror has more significance without needing to overwhelm the storyline.

       

The Criterion Blu-ray release comes with a newly restored 2K digital film transfer, supervised by del Toro and his director of photography, Guillermo Navarro. The film has 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master audio, with an optional director’s commentary track, who also provides a video introduction from the 2010. The special features also include new and archival interviews with the director, as well as a making-of documentary from 2004 and four deleted scenes with optional commentary by del Toro. It doesn’t stop there. With an interactive director’s notebook, new interviews with Spanish Civil War scholar Sebastian Faber, storyboard and thumbnail comparisons and a new English subtitle translation done by del Toro himself, this is as good as any fan could hope for. There is also a foldout insert with an essay by critic Mark Kermode.

 

 

Entertainment Value: 9/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 10/10

Historical Significance: 9/10

Disc Features: 10/10

 

 

Seconds Criterion Collection Blu-ray review

Actors: Rock Hudson, Salome Jens, John Randolph, Will Geer

Director: John Frankenheimer

Format: Blu-ray, Black & White, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R (Restricted)

Release Date: August 13, 2013

Run Time: 107 minutes

 

        Seconds makes a perfect companion paranoia piece to auteur filmmaker John Frankenheimer’s earlier masterpiece, The Manchurian Candidate. The storylines share little in common, though there is a similar mood and series of themes running through the dissimilar narratives. Both involve are shot in stark black and white, with purposefully feverish camera angles, and both stories rely on covert scientific experiments which force our protagonist to question the reality of his existence. These are science fiction films which make use of a growing distrust in government and authority in the 1960s.

 

        Seconds has the type of plot which could easily be made today as a large-scale Hollywood blockbuster, complete with as many chase sequences as the narrative could hold. The way that Frankenheimer approaches it is much quieter, however, combining the creativity and mysteriousness of a “Twilight Zone” episode with the artistic patience of John Cassavetes. The film follows the dark path taken by a tired old bank executive named Arthur Hamilton (John Randolph), who late in life realizes that he may have been too safe with his choices. Given the opportunity for a second chance, Hamilton is contacted by a friend telling him about a company with the ability to use science in order to give the old man a new body.

 

After bringing Frank Sinatra acclaim with The Manchurian Candidate, Frankenheimer makes another revelatory casting decision by placing Rock Hudson in the role of Arthur Hamilton’s new persona, Antiochus Wilson. Whereas the company that gave him this opportunity had planned for Hamilton to use Wilson to do thing differently, the life of quiet brooding changes only in location. Even with a new job as a painter, complete with a failsafe plan that removes any pressure for success, Wilson is even more maladjusted than Hamilton was, leading to a revelatory final twist which adds a chilling context for the entire film.

 

Frankenheimer’s filmography is remarkable for many reasons, one of which is the mere length of time he has continued to make solid suspense and thrillers, but his paranoia films from the 1960s are the solid foundation of his illustrious career. The Criterion Blu-ray release for Seconds includes a newly restored 4K digital film transfer, with an uncompressed monaural soundtrack and optional director’s commentary track. Additional special features include a new interview with Alec Baldwin, a new making-of program about the film, as well as an excerpt from an older behind-the-scenes program for the film and an interview with Frankenheimer from the early 1970s. There is the usual booklet insert with an essay by film critic David Sterritt, as well as a new visual essay by R. Bartin Palmer and Murray Pomerance, which is included on the dic.

 

Entertainment Value: 7/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 10/10

Historical Significance: 8/10

Disc Features: 9/10

 

 

Hatchet 3 Blu-ray review

 

 

Actors: Danielle Harris, Kane Hodder, Zach Galligan

Director: BJ McDonnell

Format: Blu-ray, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: Dark Sky Films

Release Date: August 13, 2013

Run Time: 81 minutes

 

 

        The Hatchet series started by Adam Green pays homage to the horror films of the 1980s, especially the Friday the 13^th franchise and its duplicates, so it should come as no surprise that the sequels have consistently been released since the original film. Adam Green helmed the first two films, though he passed directorial reigns to BJ McDonnell for this third installment. I’m sure we will see many more of these in time.

 

Beginning where the second film left off allows for an easy transition, and McDonnell is capable of continuing the franchise in the same bloody manner, for better or worse. None of the issues I had with the first two have been resolved, and all of the assets from the first films have been adequately amplified. In other words, this is a safe bet if you enjoyed the practical effects carnage and mayhem from the previous horror films.

 

        Danielle Harris was bad in Halloween, but she is absolutely unbearable as the continuing protagonist of the Hatchet franchise, Marybeth. After surviving the attacks of her inbred swamp-residing relative in the first film and returning for revenge with mercenaries in the second film, Marybeth is still alive and now teaming up with local law enforcement to try and take out the ghostly hatchet-wielding maniac Victor Crowley (Kane Hodder).

 

        The local sheriff (Zach Galligan) conveniently has an ex-wife (Caroline Williams) obsessed with the mythology of Crowley and a theory on how to stop the monster. There are many scenes of pointless violence and action as others try to take Crowley down in the incorrect manner, but this is much more engaging than the pointless dialogue that Marybeth and the sheriff’s have in between the effects shots. Bad acting abounds, along with dialogue that is only occasionally intentionally cheesy, but there is no denying the impact of practical effects that are used in the Hatchet franchise.

 

        The Blu-ray release includes a crew commentary track with writer/producer Adam Green along with McDonnell, cinematographer Will Barratt and make-up effects artist Robert Pendergraft. There is also a second commentary track with the Green, McDonnell and Hodder. The featurettes includes a typical behind-the-scenes making of feature, as well as one about Hodder and the swamp setting for the film. There is also a trailer gallery.

       

Entertainment Value: 8/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 5/10

Historical Significance: 3/10

Disc Features: 8/10

 

 

The Guillotines Blu-ray review

 

Actors: Zhang Wen, Xiaoming Huang, Shawn Yue, Yuchun Li, Ching-Tien Juan

Director: Andrew Lau

Format: Blu-ray, Dolby, NTSC, THX, Widescreen

Language: Mandarin Chinese

Subtitles: English

Dubbed: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: Well Go USA

Release Date: August 13, 2013

Run Time: 113 minutes

 

 

        I’m not sure how much historical accuracy there is in the weapons at the center of The Guillotines, but the special effects used to show what they are capable makes them seem more fantasy than fact. This is fine had director Andrew Lau committed to a film of spectacle, but instead The Guillotines attempts to balance between historical accuracy and fantastical action sequences. In the end, both suffer as a result, resulting in a moderately entertaining and modestly realistic historical epic with a rather typical storyline.

 

        The Guillotines were a secret brotherhood of assassins utilized by Emperor Yong Zheng during the Manchurian-ruled Qing Dynasty. When Emperor Qian Long took the throne, he brought Western ideas and technology with him, making the Guillotines unnecessary and expendable. While fighting against the Han Chinese rebels, The Guillotines must also worry about the new army of artillery brought by the new emperor, which could easily be turned on them.

 

        Though The Guillotines is not an action-packed film, and has less hand-to-hand martial arts than many might have hoped for, what action the film has is incredibly violent. The decapitations from the aptly named weapon and subsequent crew of assassins using them are the obvious source of many violence sequences, though there are many others involving more traditional weapons as well. There are a few good sequences here, though some of the action is a bit of a let down considering the buildup and emphasis that is placed on the title weapons.

 

        The Blu-ray includes a making-of featurette, as well as interviews with the cast and the crew. There is also a trailer which shows how much importance is placed on the film’s central weapons.

 

Entertainment Value: 7/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 7/10

Historical Significance: 6/10

Disc Features: 5/10

 

 

To the Wonder DVD review

Actors: Ben Affleck, Olga Kurylenko, Rachel McAdams, Javier Bardem

Director: Terrence Malick

Format: AC-3, Blu-ray, Closed-captioned, Dolby, Dubbed, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: Spanish

Dubbed: French

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: Magnolia Home Entertainment

Release Date: August 6, 2013

Run Time: 113 minutes

        Terrence Malick has a unique style of filmmaking which is immediately recognizable; gorgeous photography, often with fields and blowing summer dresses, combined with minimal dialogue and soft-spoken voiceover narration which is more poetry than plot. The familiarity of Malick’s style combined with the fact that he has drifted even further from the realms of mainstream storytelling makes To the Wonder simultaneously one of Malick’s most personal and most inaccessible films.

 

        Though perhaps inaccessible is an unfair way of describing To the Wonder, which is ripe with emotions and ideas for those willing to participate. This is not a film for passive viewing. Audiences must be willing, and in some cases, brave enough to bring their own life experiences into the theater with them. This isn’t a film which demands intellectual probing, analyzing for significant ideas and concepts buried within the screenplay. I’m certain some scholars can and will do so, but this is a film which must be felt.

       

        There isn’t much of a plot in To the Wonder, but rather a series of vignettes following the various emotions echoing throughout a relationship, even after it has ended. Ben Affleck is an American contractor named Neil, though we rarely hear his name or learn much about him. While on a business trip of some sort he meets and has a relationship with Marina (Olga Kurylenko), bringing her and her daughter back to his home in rural United States. From here the film drifts through a series of vignettes, showing the stages of a relationship and the emotions along the way.

 

With a minimalist storyline involving a couple as they struggle through stages of a relationship, not much needs to be said for there to be moments which ring true. This is helped along by Emmanuel Lubezki’s photography and Hanan Townshend’s beautiful soundtrack, which is a bit like a sophisticated version of Thomas Newman’s Meet Joe Black score. Rachel McAdams has a brief supporting role as a former girlfriend that Neil reconnects with, and Javier Bardem plays one of the film’s most difficult roles as a bitter priest.

 

The DVD has a making-of featurette, as well as a couple additional extras. There is a featurette about the actors’ experience on set and one on the location choices that Malick makes. There is also a theatrical trailer.

       

Entertainment Value: 6/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 8/10

Historical Significance: 7/10

Disc Features: 5/10

 

 

New Classic Doctor Who on Blu-ray and DVD: Spearhead from Space and The Green Death

Actors: Jon Pertwee, Nicholas Courtney, Caroline John

Director: Derek Martinus

Writers: Robert Holmes

Producers: Derrick Sherwin

Format: Color

Language: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: BBC Home Entertainment

Release Date: August 13, 2013

Run Time: 96 minutes

 

 

        Each time the Doctor changes his appearance in “Doctor Who,” it provides the opportunity for new beginnings. This is helpful, especially since many of the earliest episodes of the series have been destroyed. Many actors have been able to play the same character with the convenient plot device of the Time Lords changing the Doctor’s appearance as punishment. “Spearhead from Space” marked the arrival of Jon Pertwee in the role, which he played for four years.

 

        Rather than releasing the show by season, the classic “Doctor Who” is released by stories, which are a series of half-hour cliffhanger episodes that make up an entire storyline. “Spearhead from Space” is story number 51, and “The Green Death” is 69, and both star Pertwee and are newly available for home entertainment purchase. While “The Green Death” is available only on DVD due to the typical video quality, “Spearhead from Space” was shot on film because of a strike at BBC and is now available on high definition Blu-ray as a result. This was also the first of the Doctor Who stories to be shot in color, adding some historical significance with the glorious picture.

 

        “Spearhead from Space” has a storyline remarkably similar to that of the pilot episode of the reincarnation of “Doctor Who.” The mannequins in London begin to come alive and attack people, and it is up to Doctor Who and a female cohort to put a stop to them. The Blu-ray extras include a restoration comparison, showing how the 2K Master from the original 16mm negative was done to bring a better version than was previously available. There is also 22-minutes of title sequence material, though a majority of the features are dedicated the cast members. There is an exclusive profile of Pertwee with actors Katy Manning, Judy Cornwell, David Jacobs, Geoffrey Bayldon, Kenneth Earle and writer Terrance Dicks. There is also a tribute to Caroline Shaw, who played Liz Shaw.

 

        “The Green Death” has giant bugs and a final appearance from Doctor’s assistant Jo Grant (Katy Manning). When a man is found dead in an abandoned mine with his skin glowing green, the Doctor and Grant go to Wales to investigate, only to discover a chemicals factory may be creating deadly giant maggots. The DVD Special Edition special features are extensive, including a commentary track with Manning, producer Barry Letts and script editor Terrance Discks. There are additional commentary tracks for episodes 3-5 with actors Richard Franklin and Mitzi McKenzie and visual effects designer Colin Mapson, moderated by Toby Hadoke. There is also one for episode six with Manning and writer Russell T. Davies. The special features also have a number of interviews and some making-of documentary type featurettes, but the highlight are a couple of episodes from the new “Doctor Who” featuring Manning returning to play the role of Jo Grant one more time, with Matt Smith as the 11^th Doctor.

 

Actors: Jon Pertwee, Katy Manning, Nicholas Courtney, Richard Franklin, John Leven

Director: Michael E. Briant

Writers: Robert Sloman

Producers: Barry Letts

Format: NTSC, Color

Language: English (Mono)

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1

Number of discs: 2

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: BBC Home Entertainment

DVD Release Date: August 13, 2013

Run Time: 153 minutes

Entertainment Value: 7/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 7/10

Historical Significance: 9/10

Disc Features: 10/10

RMN Quick Critique: Side Effects (2013)

 

 

        The first act of this film had me worried that director Steven Soderbergh had made a drama dedicated to scolding the evil pharmaceutical companies with a cautionary tale, before tossing any preachy message aside for a twisty thriller with a top-notch cast. This continues a solid streak of small films with big box office potential for Soderbergh, following last year's Magic Mike and Haywire. Solid entertainment by a seriously talented director, though nothing of substance within the script by Scott Z. Burns (Contagion).

       

Entertainment: 7/10

Quality: 7.5/10

Availability: Blu-ray, DVD, Redbox

 

 

The World’s End theatrical review

 

 

 

 

        Apocalypse films have riddled our cinemas in the last decade, but in a surprising turn of events some of the most successful of this summer have been comedies. This is the End was as Hollywood as possible, while the somewhat similarly titled The World’s End is the final film in the extremely popular British films directed by Edgar Wright. The World’s End is the final film in the Cornetto Trilogy (also known as the ‘Blood and Ice Cream’ Trilogy), which began with Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz.

 

        Keeping true to the themes of male friendship paired with a melancholy about youth lost, The World’s End is a fitting end to the trilogy. Simon Pegg serves as our narrator, and the film’s most volatile and unpredictable character, Gary King. Struggling to adjust to the idea of being an adult as he reaches middle-age, King convinces his former cohorts of youth (Nick Frost, Martin Freeman, Eddie Marsan and Paddy Considine) for a return visit down memory lane. They attempt a pub crawl 20 years after they failed it the first time, and somehow become entangled in a robotic overtaking of sorts.

 

        The ways in which these three films interact with each other is worth investigating, and I could spend this entire review remarking on the clever connections. All three star Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, whose friendship is central to each narrative. Shaun of the Dead and The World’s End both imagine an apocalypse which must be survived by an adult male protagonist living an irresponsibly youthful existence. Both Hot Fuzz and The World’s End involve a small-town conspiracy uncovered by an outsider. There are many connections between the three, but they all also stand on their own.

 

At the same time, it seems as though the criticisms given to Hot Fuzz were taken into consideration while making The World’s End, though it may not have been for the best. While Hot Fuzz seemed slow starting, The World’s End may show its hand too early. Or perhaps these actors and the dialogue is just far more interesting than any way the robotic invasion can be elevated. This is not a film with ground-breaking special effects, but that is not due to a limited budget. With a poster design, title and basic plot borrowed from a science fiction dud and a soundtrack which could be taken straight from a 1980s John Carpenter film, there is a campiness to this film which is a delightfully and intentionally campy.

 

       

Entertainment Value: 8/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 8/10

Historical Significance: 6/10

 

 

Political Animals: The Complete Series DVD review

 

Actors: Sigourney Weaver, Carla Gugino, James Wolk, Sebastian Stan, Brittany Ishibashi

Producers: Greg Berlanti, Laurence Marks, Sarah Caplan

Format: Color, NTSC

Language: English

Number of discs: 2

Rated: Unrated

Studio: Warner Home Video

DVD Release Date: August 6, 2013

Run Time: 301 minutes

 

 

        Transparently borrowing from reality for its cliché and predictable story, “Political Animals” attempts to enter the world of political television shows alongside “The West Wing” and the more recently successful Netflix Original, “House of Cards.” There is a strongly feminist through line in the narrative, which is ironic considering how sex-obsessed and exploitative nearly every episode of the miniseries seems to be. This show wants to have its cake and eat it too, but by trying to be everything and please everyone, it just ends up a jumbled mess of incoherent angry feminist rants amidst poorly constructed real-life recreations. In the end, it just feels like a de-fanged feminazi version of “House of Cards.”

 

        The series jumps around with flashbacks that are entirely unnecessary, especially when they reveal information that doesn’t really need to be shown once we have been given back-story enough to understand what happened in the past. If you followed Hillary Clinton’s failed attempt at running for President or her embarrassing marital issues while in the White House, there are no surprises here for you. Sigourney Weaver plays Clinton… I mean, Elaine Barrish Hammond, former first lady attempting to shake off her latest defeat in her political career and marriage. After blaming her husband’s infidelity as her reason for being unable to win a primary election, Elaine divorces her philandering former President husband (Ciarán Hinds) and prepares her plan to run again despite any damage it does to her family.

 

        I have no problem with a miniseries about the first female president, or one which appears to be heading that way. The problem that I had with this series is two-fold, and the first has to do with the angry feminist ideals written into the story. Elaine is not a proud female as much as she is a sexist woman who hates men and even admits that she wants to become president because she is tired of the egos of men. I found this personality equally egotistical, not to mention sexist and spiteful in the way she speaks of men in a way that would never be allowed were a man speaking about women. This type of double-standard goes completely against the feminist ideology, not to mention the fact that this series insists that every character is also sex-obsessed. There are far too many unnecessary and exploitative sex scenes, which seem to be inserted just to give it more edge. For example, what reason was there to have two separate scenes in which Elaine’s son discusses his impending nuptials with his fiancé during sex? These scenes could have been shot dozens of other ways. The sex doesn’t fuel the plot in any way, other than to titillate audiences as if they were all as sex-obsessed as former President Clinton… I mean, former President Hammond.

 

Entertainment Value: 6/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 4/10

Historical Significance: 2/10

Disc Features: 0/10

 

 

The Thick of It: Seasons 1-4 DVD review

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1

Number of discs: 7

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: BBC Home Entertainment

DVD Release Date: August 6, 2013

 

        If you have ever longed for a show which has the awkward sense of humor of “The Office” paired with the political savvy of “The West Wing,” this British satire is exactly that. “The Thick of It” follows the misadventures of the fictitious government offices of the Department of Social Affairs led by successive ministers, Hugh Abbot and Nicola Murray (Chris Langham and Rebecca Front). The series ran for four seasons and was the inspiration for the feature film, In the Loop, and HBO’s series, “Veep.”

 

        The series focuses on the daily spin put on the news in order to keep the truth from the public, though it mostly just points out the incompetence and uselessness of the positions. The Department of Social Affairs has several different cabinet ministers, with one being fired in the pilot episode. The one constant is the abusive party leader, Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi), who is the one to do the firing and a majority of the creative cursing that the show is famous for. They even employed a special writer just to come up with some of the more inflammatory insults used in each episode.

 

        This seven disc set includes all four seasons that make up the complete series. The first two discs are shorter, contained entirely on one disc each season. The third and fourth each take two discs each, with longer seasons, and there is a seventh disc with the specials. The special features are contained on each season along the way, which were all previously released discs combined in this set. The special features include commentaries on select episodes, deleted scenes and outtakes, and a number of making-of featurettes for the more dedicated fans.

       

 

Entertainment Value: 7/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 8/10

Historical Significance: 7/10

Disc Features: 7/10