99 Homes Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Andrew Garfield, Michael Shannon, Laura Dern, Clancy Brown

Director: Ramin Bahrani

Format: Color, Dubbed, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Dubbed: Spanish

Rated: R 

Studio: Broad Green Pictures

Release Date: February 9, 2016

Run Time: 112 minutes

 

 

         Somehow 99 Homes got lost in the awards season shuffle, perhaps overshadowed by the similarly themed contender, The Big Short. But while Adam McKay’s unconventional docu-drama looks at the big picture causes of the 2008 crash and its effects on homeowners all over the country, 99 Homes is far narrower in its scope, choosing instead to examine the effects on one man. While this may have worked to the benefit of the film, thanks to a talented cast of actors embodying the roles, they are let down by contrivances in the screenplay that are transparent (and slightly exploitative) in their attempt to insert suspense into the narrative.

 

Freaks of Nature Blu-ray Review

Actors: Ed Westwick, Josh Fadem, Nicholas Braun, Mackenzie Davis, Joan Cusack

Director: Robbie Pickering

Producer: Matt Tolmach

Format: Ultraviolet

Language: English

Subtitles: French, Portuguese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Indonesian, Thai, Spanish, English, Japanese

Dubbed: French, Thai, Spanish, Japanese

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Release Date: February 9, 2016

Digital Copy Expiration Date: December 31, 2019

Run Time: 92 minutes

 

         As often as vampires and other horror monsters have been adopted to teen fantasy narratives (mostly adapted from poorly written YA fiction) or zombie horror is combined with humor (Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse, Warm Bodies, Shaun of the Dead etc), Freaks of Nature is a parody which seems so inevitable in its arrival that it feels somewhat derivative. Everything and the kitchen sink is thrown into the mix, filling the narrative with every usual suspect from the horror genre, while never taking any of it seriously enough for impact beyond pastiche. Even in the gruesomeness of the film’s monster violence (which includes every horror creature, save ghosts) the impact is for humor shock value rather than any intention to inspire fear from the audience.  

 

Labyrinth of Lies Blu-ray Review

Actors: Lukas Miko, Johannes Krisch, Johann Von Bulow, Robert Hunger-Bühler, Hansi Jochmann

Director: Giulio Ricciarelli

Producers: Sabine Lamby, Uli Putz, Jakob Claussen

Format: AC-3, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: German

Subtitles: French, English

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Release Date: February 16, 2016

Digital Copy Expiration Date: December 31, 2019

Run Time: 123 minutes

 

         It seems that every award season there will be at least a few films having to do with the Holocaust, from both Hollywood and various entries into Best Foreign Language Film category. This year it seems to be the Hungarian drama Son of Saul which is receiving the most attention, though Germany’s submission in the category has similar interests. Labyrinth of Lies makes a convincing argument for the widespread ignorance about the wartime atrocities by the German public, or at least an unwillingness to remember by those who were aware. Though it may have been more effective with more courtroom suspense than personal anguish from the protagonist, Labyrinth of Lies provides a respectful record of events for Germany fifteen years after World War II.

 

Paulette Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Bernadette LaFont, Carmen Maura

Director: Jerome Enrico

Format: NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: French

Subtitles: English

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: Cohen Media Group

Release Date: February 9, 2016

Run Time: 87 minutes

 

 

        There could be an entire sub-genre of movies involving senior citizens and marijuana, so I initially thought I knew what to expect from another lighthearted comedy about a struggling widow forced to put her homemaking skills to illegal use. I anticipated another sweet protagonist such as the one in Saving Grace, but instead was shocked to find the title character of Paulette to be a spiteful racist. It is a bold decision which wears off in shock value as the narrative drives this protagonist down a predictable character arc, so that the stakes must be raised into a contrived climax. The overall outline of the film adheres remarkably close to the structure of a Hollywood film, though its direct approach to the discussion of racism that stands apart as something American films are rarely brave enough to tackle. 

Estranged Blu-ray Review

    Actors: Amy Manson, James Cosmo, Craig Conway

Director: Adam Levins

Format: Dolby, NTSC, THX, Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: English

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated (Not Rated)

Studio: Well Go USA

Release Date: February 16, 2016

Run Time: 101 minutes

 

 

        I went into Estranged blind, not having seen a trailer or read much about the plot. This is often necessary with films about amnesiac characters, because the suspense is derived by how slowly information is doled out to the audience, often at the same time as it is revealed to the protagonist. This works for Estranged until the secrets are revealed and it becomes a different movie entirely. I would liken it to the sudden tonal shift in David Fincher’s Gone Girl at about the halfway mark, though his film provided far richer payoffs whereas Estranged is content to unravel into a mindless and bloody revenge film.

 

A Ballerina’s Tale DVD Review

     Actors: Misty Copeland

Director: Nelson George

Format: Color, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Number of discs: 1

Rated: NR

Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO

DVD Release Date: February 2, 2016

Run Time: 84 minutes

 

 

        Though it raises some valuable questions about society’s ideas of race in the art of ballet, A Ballerina’s Tale is the cinematic equivalent of a vanity piece, for more interested in promoting the brand of Misty Copeland than providing a thoughtful analysis of the questions raised. There is certainly some inspiration to be found in the talented dancer’s rise into fame, but it feels to easily earned in a film about struggles against adversity. Perhaps many of the difficult times were glossed over in favor of moments of inspiration, or it could be that the idea of discrimination is merely a selling point for her image, reason to praise her more than others who have worked just as hard.

 

The Kid Blu-ray Review

      Actors: Charlie Chaplin, Edna Purviance, Jackie Coogan

Director: Charlie Chaplin

Format: Full Screen, NTSC, Restored, Special Edition, Subtitled

Language: English

Subtitles: English

Number of discs: 1

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: Criterion Collection (Direct)

Release Date: February 16, 2016

Run Time: 52 minutes

        If it were possibly to adequately convey emotion on page as they are within our living flesh, I would have pages upon pages to pour out for Charlie Chaplin’s crucial classic, The Kid. This was the vaudeville performer’s transition from short films to features, but it also conveyed his signature ability to combine pathos with humor, blending the melodrama of a ‘woman’s pictures’ with the silliness of ‘slapstick.’ But The Kid is much more than historically relevant; it also carries deep personal significance for me.

Angry Birds Toons Prize Pack Giveaway

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ANGRY BIRDS TOONS: SEASON TWO - VOLUME TWO
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The Beauty Inside Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Park Seo-Jun, Han Hyo-joo

Director: Jong-Yeol Baek

Format: Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, THX, Widescreen

Language: Korean

Subtitles: English

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: Well Go USA

Release Date: February 2, 2016

Run Time: 127 minutes

 

 

        At some point, everyone who has been in love (and more importantly, loved) asks the question, “Why me?” What is it in me that deserves to be loved, or is it all surface attraction we use to convince ourselves of a deeper connection? These are the questions asked by The Beauty Inside, a fantasy romance in the tradition of Meet Joe Black, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and the final sequence of the Korean My Sassy Girl. Even though the narrative comes closest to the Brad Pitt vehicles, it is the blending of comedy, melodrama, and fantasy which make the tone align most with the Korean film. Other than revenge thrillers, romantic comedy with a tinge of the surreal is what South Korean cinema seems to do best, both in television and film. While The Beauty Inside doesn’t break any genre molds (adapted from a largely unseen American online series), it is a testament to the filmmaking that its unique ideas come off so unassuming.   

 

From Dusk till Dawn: Season Two Blu-ray Review

     Actors: D.J. Cotrona, Zane Holtz, Eiza Gonzalez

Format: Dolby, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Number of discs: 3

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: Entertainment One

Release Date: February 2, 2016

Run Time: 448 minutes

 

 

        Season one of “From Dusk till Dawn” had the benefit of a pre-established narrative structure lifted from the screenplay Quentin Tarantino wrote for Robert Rodriguez’s 1996 film. Season two doesn’t have this luxury, and it sacrifices much of the simplicity in the first season by creating a new direction for the characters and the plot. Unfortunately, a lot of the fun is also lost along the process, even more than was shed in the transformation from two-hour film to 10-episode seasons. Gone are the clever quips from Tarantino’s dialogue and parallelisms between vampirism and the criminal underworld now have as much subtlety as the fanged characters in direct sunlight.

 

Comin’ At Ya Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Tony Anthony, Gene Quintano, Victoria Abril, Ricardo Palacios, Lewis Gordon

Format: NTSC, 3D

Language: English

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: Mvd Visual

Release Date: January 26, 2016

Run Time: 91 minutes

 

 

        Nearly every blockbuster spectacle is now theatrically distributed with the option of 3D, to the point that it has just become another tool in storytelling. When 3D films first arrived in theaters, they served a less fluid function within the narrative, mostly because it was more gimmick than artistic tool in the 1950s. They were a novelty, utilized as a unique experience to get audiences back into theaters in the aftermath of television’s arrival. Comin’ at Ya! embraced this philosophy and revived the 3D trend for a second wave in the 1980s, though it took a recent advance in home entertainment technology for this unique historical experience to become available for audiences today.

 

Learning to Drive DVD Review

     Actors: Ben Kingsley, Patricia Clarkson, Grace Gummer

Director: Isabel Coixet

Format: Multiple Formats, Color, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC

Language: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Dubbed: Spanish

Region: Region 1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R

Studio: Broad Green Pictures

DVD Release Date: January 19, 2016

Run Time: 90 minutes

 

        Learning to Drive has a familiar set-up, and it doesn’t take long to figure out where the story is heading. It takes remarkably longer for the film to actually get there, stumbling down the well-worn narrative path, easily distracted by unnecessary and redundant sequences. Boiled down to its essence, Learning to Drive is little more than a short film which has been bloated by repeated sequences pounding the transparent metaphor of the title into audiences’ brains. It is a mild and innocuous; not so much bad as it is bland and forgettable, despite the best efforts from its stars.  

 

The New Girlfriend Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Romain Duris, Anais Demoustier, Raphael Personnaz

Director: Francois Ozon

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

Language: French

Subtitles: English

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: Cohen Media Group

Release Date: January 26, 2016

Run Time: 108 minutes

 

        The way that The New Girlfriend speeds through the film’s exposition with a cleverly stylistic and dialogue-free opening sequence, I was certain that filmmaker François Ozon (The Swimming Pool, 8 Women) was rushing in a specific direction. Instead, The New Girlfriend wanders aimlessly throughout a number of different tones and ideas, never committing to any one direction enough to fully deliver. Moments of the narrative seem to have the social sensitivity and relevance of a movie like The Danish Girl, though the peculiarities of sexuality are nearly turned into tools of ominous suspense and mystery, all wrapped up in a series of scenes that awkwardly shift tones between comedy and melodrama.

 

Inside Llewyn Davis Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, John Goodman, T Bone Burnett

Director: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen

Format: Multiple Formats, AC-3, DTS Surround Sound, Restored, Special Edition, Subtitled, Surround Sound, Widescreen, NTSC

Language: English

Subtitles: English

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R

Studio: Criterion Collection (Direct)

Release Date: January 19, 2016

Run Time: 104 minutes

 

 

        Every frame of Inside Llewyn Davis is a near miracle in visual storytelling, matched by the Coen Brothers’ signature subtext-filled witty narrative. It is implanted with a whimsical style of humor that only Joel and Ethan could accomplish in a film about the bleak cyclical existence of a struggling artist. Harsh realities about the music industry and real-world references are miraculously blended with touches of surrealism and clever parallels to classic literature. Inside Llewyn Davis has a deceptively simplistic storyline, but the actual filmmaking is richly layered with meaning and subtext, providing hours of introspection and analysis beyond the 104-minute running-time.  

 

Everest Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Josh Brolin, Keira Knightley, Jake Gyllenhaal, Robin Wright, Jason Clarke

Director: Baltasar Kormakur

Format: Color, Widescreen, 3D, Blu-ray, Digital_copy

Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby TrueHD), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)

Subtitles: French, Spanish, English

Region: All Regions

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Number of discs: 3

Rated: PG-13 

Studio: Universal

DVD Release Date: January 19, 2016

Digital Copy Expiration Date: May 2, 2016

        As I watched Everest, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had previously watched a documentary about the tragic events depicted in the film. The particular elements and difficulties leading to fatalities all felt familiar, but I think that has more to do with the similarity between separate events, like the ones also depicted in The Summit. This was the film I was thinking of, and though it took place in a different decade and on a different mountain, there are a remarkable number of things that remain the same. This seems to show that no amount of time diminishes the height of some peaks, but it also provides some narrative difficulty.

 

Sinister 2 Blu-ray Review

     Directors: Ciaran Foy

Format: Digital_copy

Language: English (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1)

Subtitles: Spanish

Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired: English

Region: All Regions

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R

Studio: Universal Studios

Release Date: January 12, 2016

Digital Copy Expiration Date: May 2, 2016

Run Time: 98 minutes

 

        The beginning of Sinister 2 felt like a Hollywood remake of Goodnight Mommy, before quickly devolving into a typical sequel to the generic 2012 supernatural horror film. The villain in this series is an evil spirit called Baghuul, which is essentially just a mix between the boogeyman and whatever the angry spirits in The Ring franchise are. When viewers of old family videos, which turn into found-footage snuff films (Saw meets Paranormal Activity), Baghuul appears and possesses one of the family children to kill the rest of the family. They also record the murders for their own film to continue the cycle. The sequel continues this storyline while also attempting to pay homage to Stephen King’s Children of the Corn. And perhaps this is the problem; in my first paragraph attempting to describe Sinister 2, I have already mentioned five other horror franchises.

 

Deathgasm Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Milo Cawthorne, James Blake, Kimberley Crossman, Sam Berkley

Director: Jason Lei Howden

Format: Blu-ray, Widescreen

Language: English

Region: Region A/1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: Dark Sky Films

Release Date: January 5, 2016

Run Time: 86 minutes

 

 

        If you had no knowledge of heavy metal music prior to watching Deathgasm, you might assume that it is all demon-obsession and the raging of sophomoric teenage hormones from this blood-soaked horror comedy. The concept is far from original, with only a small shift in the music choices of the main characters. In fact, the outcasts fighting demons caused by their interest/hobby is a narrative which has been used before, including Knights of Badassdom taking a similar approach with the use of live action role playing or boy scouts in Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse. Appreciation of metal music is not necessarily required for enjoyment of Deathgasm, because it is secondary to the use of generic horror elements.

       

Flesh and Bone Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Sarah Hay, Sascha Radetsky, Ethan Stiefel, Emily Tyra

Format: Anamorphic, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Region: Region A/1

Number of discs: 2

Rated: NR

Studio: ANCHOR BAY

Release Date: January 5, 2016

Run Time: 482 minutes

 

 

        First, let me start by saying that I became easily addicted to “Flesh and Bone,” despite my initial reservations and various complaints with the overall product. Even when I found myself irritated by story decisions made, it had little to no effect on my desire to continue watching, suggesting that they were doing something right. I will even say that “Flesh and Bone” has increased by appreciation of ballet, though not as much as my desire to see this world of professional dancing portrayed on film or television without the inclusion of sexual deviance. First it was mental instability and masturbation-laden Black Swan and now we are given the strip clubs and incest of “Flesh and Bone.” And if this is your only knowledge of ballet, you would have to assume all of the directors use their power to sexually harass their ambitious company members.

 

Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Mark McGrath, Dennis Miller, Patrick Warburton, David Spade, Brittany Daniel

Director: Fred Wolf

Producers: David Spade, Fred Wolf, Doug Robinson, Amy Kim, Adam Sandler

Format: AC-3, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: French, Portuguese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Indonesian, Thai, Spanish, English

Dubbed: French, Portuguese, Thai, Spanish

Region: All Regions

Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: NR

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Release Date: January 5, 2016

Digital Copy Expiration Date: December 31, 2019

Run Time: 109 minutes

 

        For all of the grief that Adam Sandler receives for the films he stars in, 2015 was a fairly decent year for the actor. The sequel to the 2012 animated film, Hotel Transylvania 2, broke records at the box office for Sony and Sandler, becoming the highest opening weekend of the actor’s career. And while both Pixels and Ridiculous 6 were overwhelmingly deemed failures by critics, even these have bombs have silver linings. While Pixels did not make what was anticipated, it isn’t nearly as large of a financial upset as every other Sandler live action released in recent years. And regardless of how terrible the experts may agree that Ridiculous 6 is, it has still managed to become the most streamed film within the first 30 days of being released on Netflix.

 

Memories of the Sword Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Lee Byung-hun, Jeon Do-yeon, Kim Go-eun

Director: Park Heung-sik

Format: Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, THX, Widescreen

Language: Korean

Subtitles: English

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: Well Go USA

Release Date: January 5, 2016

Run Time: 121 minutes

 

        Martial arts films tend to contain many of the same narratives, simply retold with different characters and choreography, not unlike the genre’s gun-slinging Western counterpart. This can work as a double-edged sword for these films, providing familiarity and common themes for audiences to latch onto while also running the risk of blending in with countless others of the same nature. Memories of the Sword certainly has all of the familiar elements of a martial arts classic; a betrayal that must be avenged, a corrupt leader, and a young protégé trained to defeat injustice. Unfortunately, little amidst this familiarity is original enough to stand out, and the viewing experience itself is a bit too disjointed to provide the escapism of entertainment.