Rio 2 Blu-ray Review

    Actors: Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, Jemaine Clement

Director: Carlos Saldanha

Format: Multiple Formats, Blu-ray, AC-3, Animated, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen

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

Subtitles: English, Portuguese, Spanish

Dubbed: French, Portuguese, Spanish

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Rated: G

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Release Date: July 15, 2014

Run Time: 101 minutes

 

        Every mildly successful animated film warrants a quick sequel these days, and Rio 2 feels as though it were written the morning after the first box office numbers came in. The story is lazily written with forgettable dialogue and a familiar narrative contrivance, reserving any of the film’s creativity for the colorful musical numbers. As with the first film, it succeeds in the colorfulness of its setting but offers even less in terms of characters or story.

 

The Pretty One DVD Review

     Actors: Zoe Kazan; Ron Livingston; Jake Johnson; John Lynch; Shae D'Lyn

Director: Jenée LaMarque

Writer: Jenée LaMarque

Format: NTSC

Region: All Regions

Number of discs: 1

Studio: SPE

DVD Release Date: June 3, 2014

Run Time: 95 minutes

 

 

        The Pretty One is one good casting choice away from being completely unsalvageable, and surprisingly it isn’t Zoe Kazan. Kazan does a perfectly convincing job playing two different personalities, but that’s not nearly enough to save the film from a horribly over-confident and under-written screenplay from first-time director Jenée LaMarque, who has the obnoxious gall to announce herself as an auteur in the opening credits of her first feature. Had this film been given a rewrite (preferably by a more seasoned screenwriter) and a completely different director, there might have been a chance for the cast to help overcome the distasteful premise.      

 

The Last Days DVD Review

     Actors: Jose Coronado, Quim Gutierrez, Mikel Iglesias

Directors: David Pastor, Alex Pastor

Format: Multiple Formats, Color, Widescreen, NTSC

Language: Spanish

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO

DVD Release Date: July 15, 2014

Run Time: 103 minutes

 

 

        This Spanish post-apocalyptic thriller imagines the end of the world in a new manner, which is saying something considering how many of these films we have seen in the last decade. This is a narrative familiar to brothers and filmmakers Alex and David Pastor, whose debut feature (Carriers) was also about a viral pandemic. The unique aspects of The Last Days are the lack of answers about how the disease is spread and reasons for why it is happening, not to mention the original attributes to the infection itself.

 

Like Father, Like Son DVD Review

     Actors: Masaharu Fukuyama, Machiko Ono

Director: Hirokazu Koreeda

Format: Multiple Formats, Color, Widescreen, NTSC

Language: Japanese

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO

DVD Release Date: July 1, 2014

Run Time: 121 minutes

 

 

        It is difficult imagining anyone other than a Japanese filmmaker handling this material, having a longstanding tradition in carefully paced family dramas best remembered in the lifelong works of master filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu. Kore-eda Hirokazu has picked up that tradition wonderfully in the past with a portrait of sibling codependence and compassion with Nobody Knows, as well as the lasting effects of grief on a family in Still Walking, and utilizes it yet again in this touching inspection of what it means to be a parent. While there is a satisfying resolution to the conundrum of the film’s basic premise, Hirokazu’s strength as a filmmaker comes with his patience. The ending is satisfying because we feel we have earned it, taking a slow but intention path to reach that final resolution.

 

The Face of Love DVD Review

Actors: Annette Bening, Ed Harris, Robin Williams

Director: Arie Posin

Format: Multiple Formats, Color, Widescreen, NTSC

Language: English

Number of discs: 1

Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)

Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO

DVD Release Date: July 15, 2014

Run Time: 91 minutes

 

 

        I wanted to like The Face of Love, both out of appreciation for director Arie Posin and the effective and clearly dedicated performances given by Annette Bening and Ed Harris, but it felt like a film in constant struggle with itself. While powerfully portrayed, we are given a protagonist nearly impossible to relate to due to the extremeness of the situation. The end result is far less-than-satisfying to fit into any genre mold, but this is a case where originality in filmmaking feels more like indecisiveness.       

 

20th Century Fox Releases More Lost Classics on DVD-R

 

        Despite the fact that we have grown accustomed as consumers to have the option of buying films for home entertainment in a number of different mediums, the ability to watch a film on demand is a relatively new concept in the history of cinema. As such, there are decades of films which were created before VHS, DVD, Laserdisc, Blu-ray and digital copies. These films have been lost in the clutter of the constant influx of new movies, but 20^th Century Fox regularly dips into its archives in order to make these forgotten films available once again.

Hidden Kingdoms Blu-ray Review

     Format: Multiple Formats, Blu-ray, NTSC

Language: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: BBC Home Entertainment

Release Date: July 8, 2014

Run Time: 180 minutes

 

 

        The popularity of the nature program skyrocketed with the success of “Planet Earth” and there have been many visually stunning imitators since its release, but few have come as close as the latest mini-series, “Hidden Kingdoms.” This three-part marvel in nature photography was created by the makers of “Planet Earth,” and it retains the familiar formatting that includes a segment at the end about the making-of the nature program. At the same time, there are elements of this series which is unlikely to be found in many other nature shows. With as much respect and accuracy as possible, movie-magic was utilized to stage some of the shots in order to capture the essence of what it feels like to be a creature as small as those contained in “Hidden Kingdoms.”

 

SX Tape Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Ian Duncan, Daniel Faraldo, Caitlyn Folley, Diana Garcia

Director: Bernard Rose

Writer: Eric Reese

Producers: Eric Reese, Sebastian Aloi

Format: Multiple Formats, Blu-ray, Widescreen

Language: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: Well Go USA

Release Date: July 15, 2014

Run Time: 85 minutes

        I’m assuming that this horrendously obnoxious found-footage horror film is called SX_Tape because Sex Tape had been taken by the comedy starring Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel, and by that assumption I am giving the filmmakers more credit than they deserve. If they chose to call it SX_Tape (or sxtape, as it is listed on IMDB) to be hip or different for some reason, it would actually be more fitting for the garbage contained within this sad excuse for a narrative. I would rather watch the home footage of a real teenager rather than endure this awful movie ever again. I’m tempted to destroy the review screener just to ensure nobody else accidentally wastes their time watching this.

 

The Jungle DVD Review

     Actors: Rupert Reid, Agoes Widjaya Soedjarwo

Director: Andrew Traucki

Format: Multiple Formats, Color, Dolby, Widescreen, NTSC

Language: English

Subtitles: Englis

Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: Entertainment One

DVD Release Date: June 24, 2014

Run Time: 84 minutes

 

        I’m tired of writing reviews for bad found-footage horror movies. How many have actually been successful? Artistically, it is difficult to think of more than a handful, but they must all have some kind of financial success in order for the market to become so flooded. Horror has always been a genre that thrives in low budget, but all creativity has been lost in this generic formula.

Giveaway Contest: Cuban Fury Prize Pack!

Beneath Bruce Garretts shabby, overweight exterior, the passionate beating heart of a salsa king lays dormant. Only one woman can reignite his Latin fire, but first Bruce must learn how to unshackle his dancing beast, regain his long lost swagger and claim the love of his life. Spotlight hits, sweat drips, and heels click. Nick Frost IS Cuban Fury!

 

 

The Raid 2 Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Iko Uwais

Format: Multiple Formats, Blu-ray, AC-3, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: Indonesian

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Dubbed: English, Spanish

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Release Date: July 8, 2014

Run Time: 150 minutes

 

        Most action films are best seen in movie theaters; full of spectacle and excess fittingly paired with the event-like experience of seeing a film in public. While The Raid 2 was most definitely an experience that I am glad to have had in a theater, I think I may have enjoyed my second viewing at home even more. This is saying a lot, especially considering how praiseworthy my theatrical review was of the film. The reason that this film holds up and even increases in impressiveness is simply a matter of good filmmaking. Most theatrical spectacles don’t aspire for anything more than entertainment and can fall apart upon too much inspection, but The Raid 2 is a film whose impressiveness is only enhanced by dissection. While my first viewing was like a disorientating gut-punch of excitement, the second time allowed me to step back and examine just how spectacular all of the filmmaking elements are.

 

Sabotage Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sam Worthington, Olivia Williams, Terrence Howard, Mireille Enos

Director: David Ayer

Writers: David Ayer, Skip Woods

Producers: David Ayer, Bill Block, Ethan Smith, Paul Hanson, Palek Patel

Format: Multiple Formats, Blu-ray, Ultraviolet, Color, Widescreen

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

Subtitles: French, Spanish, English

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Rated: R 

Studio: Universal Studios

Release Date: July 22, 2014

Digital Copy Expiration Date: May 2, 2016

        David Ayer has another film coming out this year that isn’t a cop drama/action film, which previously appeared to be his only genre. As if attempting to make up for the fact that one of his films doesn’t have his usual, Ayer started out the first quarter release of 2014 with Sabotage, an onslaught of awful crooked cop film clichés and a poorly written vehicle for Arnold Schwarzenegger to show us his acting chops. It seems to aspire to be for Schwarzenegger what Copland was for Sylvester Stallone, but falls short in just about every way possible. Even though Schwarzenegger holds his own as a dramatic actor, a few of the supporting roles are comically cartoonish.

 

Jodorowsky’s Dune Blu-ray Review

Language: English

Subtitles: English, French

Audio Description: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1

Number of discs: 2

Rated: PG-13

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Release Date: July 8, 2014

Run Time: 90 minutes

 

 

        By today’s standards, Alejandro Jodorowsky’s vision for a film adaptation of the classic sci-fi novel still might have be adventurous, but there is a lot about it which would just feel familiar. Many of these images and ideas have been seen elsewhere, but that is only further proof of how influential Jodorowsky’s Dune was despite never being made. The vision created in a massive pre-production book for the film went on to influence dozens of remarkable films after the 1975 attempt at a large-scale science fiction epic failed. This was a filmmaker so far ahead of his time that it nearly makes George Lucas look like an opportunist and a bit of a plagiarist. But the same could be said for a dozen other filmmakers as well. Without the work that went into Jodorowsky’s Dune there might not have ever been an Alien franchise either.

 

Kid Cannabis Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Ron Perlman, Kenny Wormald, Jonathan Daniel Brown, John C. McGinley

Director: John Stockwell

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

Language: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: Well Go USA

Release Date: July 8, 2014

Run Time: 90 minutes

 

        Just because a story makes an interesting human interest piece in a newspaper or a magazine doesn’t always mean that it will transfer well into the medium of film. Fact may be more interesting than fiction at times, but that doesn’t mean that a narrative can be developed just by telling the facts without adding anything. The worst filmmakers think that simply slapping “based on a true story” in the intro will make up for the lack of effort. Kid Cannabis feels like a film made by someone too stoned to put forth the work needed for a newspaper article to become a film.

 

Rigor Mortis Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Anthony Chan, Richard Ng, Chin Siu-Ho, Kara Wai, Nina Paw

Director: Juno Mak

Format: Multiple Formats, Blu-ray, Dolby, Dubbed, NTSC, Subtitled, THX, Widescreen

Language: Cantonese

Subtitles: English

Dubbed: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: Well Go USA

Release Date: July 8, 2014

Run Time: 105 minutes

        My biggest concern with Rigor Mortis was the fact that Takashi Shimizu (best known for the Ju-On/The Grudge franchises) had his name attached as producer, because I have had quite enough of the long-black-haired ghost stories. There were additional elements which worried me, including actor turned director Juno Mak, and the fact that it is a film which relies heavily on the influences of a group of popular narratives in China which never made their mark internationally. I am certain that there is a great deal that I missed out on understanding because of my lack of knowledge when it comes to Chinese vampire series, but even in complete ignorance, I found Rigor Mortis to be a compelling watch.

 

The Lunchbox Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Irrfan Khan

Format: Multiple Formats, Blu-ray, AC-3, Dolby, Widescreen

Language: Hindi

Subtitles: English, French

Audio Description: English

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Number of discs: 2

Rated: PG

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Release Date: July 1, 2014

Run Time: 105 minutes

 

        This debut feature by Ritesh Batra has the premise of an Indian romantic comedy, but has sense enough to allow the personalities of the characters to drive the narrative rather than the genre conventions. This may leave some viewers feeling unsatisfied with the more irresolute filmmaking choices, but the journey is undeniably delightful. Much of the credit for this goes to the film’s undeniably engaging leads, as well as Batra’s willingness to engage in crowd-pleasing moments of inspired human connection.

 

Afflicted Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Derek Lee, Clif Prowse

Format: Multiple Formats, Blu-ray, AC-3, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Dubbed: Spanish

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Release Date: July 1, 2014

Run Time: 86 minutes

 

        I was torn in deciding what to reveal in my review of Afflicted, because I greatly admire the marketing team’s restraint in revealing what the film is actually about. The plot description is purposefully vague and the trailer never clarifies exactly what the “affliction” is. On the other hand, this is one of those rare experiences where I was quickly disappointed once I realized what major plot point had remained hidden from the marketing. Personally, I would probably have enjoyed this movie more had I known more about the sub-genre it was going to conform to.

 

Two Lives DVD Review

     Actors: Juliane Köhler, Liv Ullmann, Rainer Bock

Director: Georg Maas

Format: Multiple Formats, Color, Widescreen, NTSC

Language: German

Rated: Unrated

Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO

DVD Release Date: June 24, 2014

Run Time: 99 minutes

 

 

        Two Lives is an extremely difficult film to review, for several different reasons. First of all, it is a mystery thriller which unfolds wonderfully; something I would never risk destroying with a clumsy plot description. Second, there is very little frame of reference in recommending it, because it stands alone without the typical trappings of genre filmmaking. From beginning to end, I was never certain of the film’s direction, which can be a wonderful cinematic treat for the more sophisticated moviegoers. I also couldn’t find myself easily recommending this, because it is the type of film with such a slow build that the first half is more work than entertainment.

 

Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me DVD Review

     Actors: Elaine Stritch, Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin

Director: Chiemi Karasawa

Format: Multiple Formats, Color, Widescreen, NTSC

Language: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO

DVD Release Date: June 24, 2014

Run Time: 81 minutes

        My grandfather was an actor his entire life. From a lengthy list of stage shows that he was involved in to a familiar filmography of TV shows and films, Victor Izay had a successful career as a performer that carried on well into his 80s. Weeks before his death at 90 years old, he was still reciting Shakespeare and Edgar Allen Poe, and so I found this documentary about 87-year-old actress Elaine Stritch to be remarkably familiar. Shoot Me captures the spirit of a performer perfectly, especially in showing struggles of the spotlight with the increased difficulty of aging. Elaine Stritch is a unique personality, but my experience with my grandfather showed me that there is also a great deal of universal truth in her individual struggles.

 

The Boondocks: The Complete Fourth Season DVD Review

Language: English

Subtitles: English, French

Dubbed: French

Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1

Number of discs: 2

Rated: Unrated

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

DVD Release Date: June 24, 2014

Run Time: 225 minutes

 

        The Boondocks is uncompromisingly shocking, potentially offensive, and always more intelligent than it seems at first glance. Based on Aaron McGruder’s award-winning comic strip, The Boondocks is about a group of upper-middle class black families living in a wealthy suburban neighborhood. Huey and Riley are young brothers living with their grandfather, both with completely different personalities. Riley is completely absorbed by the hip-hop lifestyle, while Huey is a more interested in learning and critical thinking than conforming to the pop culture pit-traps for a young black man. The neighborhood also includes a black man who is married to a white woman, a self-deprecating black man, and an assortment of other bit players along the same lines.