Doctor Who: Web of Fear DVD Review

     Actors: Patrick Troughton, Frazer Hines, Deborah Watling, Nicholas Courtney

Director: Douglas Camfield

Writers: Mervyn Haisman, Henry Lincoln

Producer: Peter Bryant

Format: Black & White, NTSC

Language: English

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: BBC Home Entertainment

DVD Release Date: April 22, 2014

Run Time: 150 minutes

 

        Many of the “Doctor Who” episodes are long lost, wiped by BBC’s unfortunate decision to wipe many hours of broadcast years ago. This has left many of the Patrick Troughton storylines in the series forever incomplete, though an occasional miracle brings back episodes thought to be gone. There are still sections of “Web of Fear” which are missing, though episode 6 was discovered in 2013, and now is available with all of the existing episodes in this storyline on this DVD release.

 

Most Hated Movies: Alexander the Last (2009)

 

 

        Filmmaker Joe Swanberg is at the head of the independent film movement often referred to as “mumblecore.” These films often include awkward nudity, natural lighting and mumbling dialogue. The attempt is supposed to be realism, but these films simply suggested that reality is both depressing and dull. Though Alexander the Last is an improvement on Swanberg’s previous films, Hannah Takes the Stairs and Night and Weekends, this is not saying much. The improvement can immediately be attributed to Greta Gerwig’s missing presence from the cast.

 

Desert Island Films: Slasher Franchises

 

In “An Introduction to the American Horror Film,” Robin Wood describes a simple structure for the Classical horror film as normality “threatened by the Monster,” but following Psycho the significance of the monster shifted (Wood 117). The greatest fear addressed in a majority of horror films since 1960 is the fear of other people. It took a directors like Michael Powell and Alfred Hitchcock to first break this barrier for filmmakers in the genre to “expose the illusory securities and limited rationales of contemporary life to reveal the chaos which underpins modern existence and constantly threatens to ensure its collapse” (Wells 75).  Peeping Tom and Psycho helped contribute to the feeling of social insecurity, as they created monsters that were fully human and would change the face of horror.

 

Most Hated Movies: Death Do Us Part DVD Review

     Actors: Peter Benson, Julia Benson, Christine Chatelain, Emilie Ullerup

Director: Nicholas Humphries

Format: Color, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: ANCHOR BAY

DVD Release Date: April 15, 2014

Run Time: 89 minutes

 

 

        Would a bride really take her wedding dress along for a joint bachelor/bachelorette celebration in the wilderness, far from any location that the actual event will be held? Would said bride randomly decide to put the dress on once the party has begun in the remote cabin in the woods? Should the audience expect the kind of logic that would explain these actions in a poorly made slasher film such as Death Do Us Part? The answer to all questions is clearly no, but a lapse in logic is not what makes this such a poorly constructed horror film. It is everything else makes this film terrible, which subsequently makes the lack of intelligence in the filmmaking all the more unforgivable.

 

Confession of Murder Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Jung Jae-young, Jo Eun-ji, Jang Gwang Choi Won-young

Director: Jeong Byeong-gil

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

Language: Korean

Subtitles: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: Well Go USA

Release Date: April 15, 2014

Run Time: 121 minutes

        Somewhere in here was the potential for a really good movie, but thanks to an uneven filmmaking that bounces between realism and comically cartoonish action it becomes difficult to feel much gravity in the film’s final twists. An action film which embellishes human abilities can be easily forgiven, but Confession of a Murder is not an action film despite a few high octane moments. This is more of a suspense film, hinging all of the action on the mystery at the center of the narrative. The extreme coincidences tying all of the film’s melodrama together requires suspension of disbelief enough, leaving no room for acceptance of the slapstick style of action contained in one of the film’s largest chase sequences.

 

Trap for Cinderella DVD Review

     Actors: Aneurin Barnard, Tuppence Middleton

Director: Iain Softley

Format: Color, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO

DVD Release Date: April 15, 2014

Run Time: 100 minutes

 

 

        There are enough moments in Trap for Cinderella that are good enough to make a majority of the film feel like wasted potential, and enough moments of contrived silliness to make the viewing experience feel like a waste of time. For one thing, there are far too many scenes which feel manufactured for the simple goal of showing Tuppence Middleton’s exposed breasts as often as possible. The fact that the lead actress is nude nearly as many scenes as she is clothed only highlights how failed the eroticism of Trap for Cinderella is, which is disappointing considering how little else there is to offer within the narrative.

 

Everyday DVD Review

     Actors: Shirley Henderson, John Simm

Director: Michael Winterbottom

Format: Color, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO

DVD Release Date: April 8, 2014

Run Time: 90 minutes

 

 

        Filmmaker Michael Winterbottom is not afraid to try new methods in his filmmaking process, even when they often work better in theory than in practice. Whether jumping back and forth from mainstream Hollywood cinema to small independents, narrative features to documentaries, or simply making a movie that controversially utilizes un-simulated sex scenes from his lead actors, Winterbottom has been a fearless filmmaker willing to take chances. Everyday is built upon yet another unique method of filmmaking, which once again proves far more interesting than the end result.

 

Wrong Cops DVD Review

     Actors: Mark Burnham, Eric Judor

Director: Quentin Dupieux

Format: Color, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO

DVD Release Date: April 15, 2014

Run Time: 82 minutes

 

 

        Wrong Cops is the latest feature from Quentin Dupieux, following his cult hit Rubber in 2010, and the similarly titled Wrong from 2012. Despite the similarities in titles, Wrong Cops is not a sequel to Wrong, despite a brief cameo from Dolph Springer (Jack Plotnick) and his dog. This new sub-genre of extreme comedic irreverence in independent films is carried out with confidence by writer/director Dupieux. These films feel like a marriage between David Lynch and Jared Hess, what might happen if the random carnage and dreamlike narrative were to take place in a world of awkward character actors.

 

Bastards DVD Review

     Actors: Vincent Lindon, Chiara Mastroianni

Director: Claire Denis

Format: Color, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO

DVD Release Date: April 8, 2014

Run Time: 100 minutes

 

 

        Bastards captures the essence of film noir in structure and style, while removing all elements of entertainment and fun from the experience. It replaces the B-film elements of the sub-genre with brutal melodrama, which makes the discombobulated narrative far less of a spectacle and more of a test in endurance. There is far too little spectacle to make the dark elements of the film worthwhile, though this is less of an issue than the overpowering ugliness in the exploitation of the film’s main message. Real life issues are treated as plot development, making the movie no more profound than it is enjoyable, and leaves the viewer feeling abused without cause.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Adam Scott

Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: English (DTS 5.1), French (DTS 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Dubbed: French, Spanish

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: PG

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Release Date: April 15, 2014

Run Time: 115 minutes

        The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is sincere and sweetly hopeful in dealing with relevant topics and real-world issues, which would otherwise naturally slip into cinematic cynicism. Though there are also many moments of naïve simplicity in dealing with much more complex social issues, it is surprising how much can be willfully dismissed in favor of this buoyant spirit. PG is an appropriate rating for Walter Mitty, though more in terms of attitude than content. In the current climate of the world and workforce, I am less likely to find the narrative to be realistic in its optimism, but this is certainly the type of attitude I would aspire to have in the face of unfair adversity. In short, though unrealistic in its representation of what failure and loss looks like, Walter Mitty gives us something to aim for in our daily outlook.

 

Ride Along Blu-ray Review

    Actors: Ice Cube, Kevin Hart, John Leguizamo, Bruce McGill, Tika Sumpter

Director: Tim Story

Writers: Greg Coolidge, Jason Mantzoukas, Phil Hay, Matt Manfredi

Producers: Ice Cube, Will Packer, Matt Alvarez, Larry Brezner

Format: Color, Widescreen

Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (DTS 5.1)

Subtitles: French, Spanish,English

Dubbed: Spanish, French

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Number of discs: 2

Rated: PG-13

Studio: Universal Studios

Release Date: April 15, 2014

Digital Copy Expiration Date: May 2, 2016

Run Time: 100 minutes

 

        As much as I enjoy the mindless escapism of a good buddy cop film, Ride Along lacks the required laughs and action needed for success. Too much of the film seems to be cliché script-by-numbers, so that even when it is inoffensive entertainment, Ride Along is never a memorable trip. The best it has to offer is distraction during the 100-minute running time, offering nothing to contemplate or reminisce over once the credits have rolled.

 

The Invisible Woman Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Ralph Fiennes, Felicity Jones, Kristin Scott Thomas, Tom Hollander

Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: English, French

Dubbed: Portuguese, Spanish

Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired: English

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Number of discs: 2

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Release Date: April 15, 2014

Run Time: 111 minutes

        For a film about social impropriety, The Invisible Woman is incredibly tasteful in its approach. Despite its R-rating, the physical relationship between Charles Dickens and his much younger mistress takes backseat to the emotional toll of the secret liaison. Rather than reveling in gossip, as the film’s lovers were concerned that the Victorian society they existed in would have, director Ralph Fiennes has a delicate touch in the representation of sordid affairs. Unfortunately, much of the film then remains quite singular in the showing of the secrecy’s emotional impact. While fantastic for performances, The Invisible Woman provides only slight variations on the same note for its 111-minute running time.   

 

Throwback Thursday Review: Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones

 

(This review was written as a guest critic at www.christiananswers.net in 2002)

        For every generation there are a group of movies that are so incredibly new and exciting that we take them with us as we grow older. These are the movies that we can all remember who we were with when we first saw them and how we felt, even if the details of the film are not clear. For my parents Star Wars might fall into this category, as I'm sure it would for many people their age. However, although the new addition to this series does have somewhat of a timeless quality to it, I'm afraid it would never fit in my list.

BBC Earth DVD Reviews: The Bear Family & Me, Earth Flight, Extreme Bears, & Winged Planet

Language: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: BBC Home Entertainment

DVD Release Date: April 8, 2014

Run Time: 150 minutes

 

 

 

 

 

“The Bear Family & Me”

 

        “The Bear Family & Me” has a much more personal approach than your average nature program, bringing the audience into the experience by allowing Scottish wildlife filmmaker Gordon Buchanan to become part of the story. Buchanan travels to the wilds of Minnesota for a close encounter with a group of wild black bears over the course of several seasons, witnessing a number of remarkable scenarios first-hand. Devastating in its ability to inspire empathy for these specific creatures, “The Bear Family & Me” could very well impact each viewer’s feelings about the feared and hunted animals.

 

Bad Ass 2: Bad Asses Blu-ray Review

     Format: AC-3, Blu-ray, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: English (DTS 5.1)

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Release Date: April 8, 2014

Run Time: 91 minutes

 

        Saying that Bad Ass 2: Bad Asses is better than Bad Ass offers little promise of quality; enduring the small-stature bravado of Danny Trejo’s persona is far less believable when forced to watch him attempt to act. Never before have I longed so desperately for Robert Rodriguez to swoop in and make light of bad filmmaking and horrendously contrived melodrama. Trejo really never belongs in a leading role, unless it is a film which is based entirely upon a joke premise that allows him to revel in bad acting. Bad Asses is nowhere close to the Machete franchise, but at least throws logic and common sense away in the climactic sequences. The absolute absurdity makes these moments unbelievable and campy, and this is almost bad enough to save Bad Asses from itself and its stars. 

 

Most Hated Movies: Frances Ha (2012)

 

        To my dismay, this film was met with an array of critical praise while I found it difficult not to throw items at the screen while enduring its minimal running-time. I suppose it should come as no surprise that the critics loved this film, as it is a house built upon nepotism and egos that most would rather not disturb. I could give a fuck. On that note, let's get started.

 

47 Ronin Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Keanu Reeves, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tadanobu Asano, Rinko Kikuchi, Ko Shibasaki

Director: Carl Rinsch

Writers: Chris Morgan, Hossein Amini

Producers: Pamela Abdy, Eric McLeod, Scott Stuber, Chris Fenton, Walter Hamada

Format: Color, Widescreen

Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), 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

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Rated: PG-13

Studio: Universal Studios

Release Date: April 1, 2014

Digital Copy Expiration Date: May 2, 2016

Run Time: 138 minutes

 

        Perhaps it is my developed love and understanding of samurai films which helped appreciate at least a portion of what 47 Ronin was attempting to do, because I can’t quite fathom why certain critics hated this film so much. Even Keanu Reeves does little to destroy this solemn story. While it is certainly not without faults, there are as many clear assets in the filmmaking and the well-told tale to be ignored. Along with classic cinematography and an age-old story from 18^th Century Japan, this film is a sincere attempt at a Hollywood samurai film. Like The Last Samurai, it falls short in the insistence of doing certain things the ‘Hollywood’ way.

 

Most Hated Movies: Cavemen (2013)

     Actors: Chad Michael Murray, Skylar Astin, Camilla Belle, Alexis Knapp, Chasty Ballesteros

Director: Herschel Faber

Format: Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, THX, Widescreen

Language: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: Well Go USA

Release Date: April 8, 2014

Run Time: 88 minutes

        Romantic comedies are built upon formulas, allowing the laziest of screenwriters to rely heavily upon the work of past filmmakers, adding very little of themselves into the artistic process. Writer/director Herschell Faber somehow left me wishing that he had inserted less of himself in this indulgent piece of shit film, while Cavemen simultaneously has a narrative so predictably emotionally manipulative that it left nothing to be unknown. I am angered at the fact that this film was ever made, and the only glimmer of a silver lining in my viewing experience would be this opportunity to steer anyone and everyone from watching this example of artistic ineptitude.

 

Knights of Badassdom Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Peter Dinklage, Steve Zahn, Ryan Kwanten, Summer Glau, Danny Pudi

Director: Joe Lynch

Format: Blu-ray, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: Entertainment One

Release Date: April 1, 2014

Run Time: 86 minutes

 

 

        I don’t know if this was a saving grace or fatal flaw, but Knights of Badassdom is such a brief film experience that I never had time to decide whether it was going anywhere before it was done. On one hand, the filmmakers removed the possibility of audiences growing tired of the single-joke premise, but the double-edged sword never allowed anything more than that gag in the 80-some minute running time. We are ultimately left with a film that seems as though it could have either been a lot funnier or a lot worse with fifteen minutes more, but instead feels like the shell of a film that doesn’t satisfy or offend.

 

Here’s Lucy: The Complete Series DVD Review

      Actors: Lucille Ball, Gale Gordon, Lucie Arnaz, Desi Arnaz Jr.

Format: Box set, Color, NTSC

Language: English

Subtitles: English

Number of discs: 24

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO

Release Date: March 25, 2014

Run Time: 4320 minutes

 

 

        Everybody with a television in the last sixty years is sure to know the television show “I Love Lucy,” because it has remained in syndication with very few series before color television. Despite being in full color and far more recent in production, only those who remember it when it originally aired are likely to be familiar with “Here’s Lucy,” although it was CBS’s number one show in the early 1970s. Lucille Ball had several shows that followed the success of “I Love Lucy,” and continued to utilize the slapstick humor she became known for. “Here’s Lucy” followed “The Lucy Show,” and in the 1980s there was “Life With Lucy.”