Knight of Cups Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Antonio Banderas, Christian Bale, Brian Dennehy
• Director: Terrence Malik
• Format: Widescreen
• Language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated:
  R
• Studio: Broad Green
• Release Date: June 21, 2016
• Run Time: 118 minutes

        Knight of Cups is less ambitious than Terrence Malick’s notoriously enigmatic Tree of Life, but somehow contains even less narrative and presents it even more ambiguously. The legendary director’s films have always been distinguished with dreamlike visual qualities, though his narratives are drifting further from structure as the years go by. While some remain dedicated fans of this experimental and improvisational style of filmmaking, others often remark that his freestyle methods have almost become a parody of what was once praised about the director. I find myself somewhere in-between, able to appreciate the braveness of his style while wishing that it were paired with a less noncommittal narrative.

The Brothers Grimsby Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Isla Fisher, Gabourey Sidibe, Rebel Wilson, Mark Strong, Barkhad Abdi
• Director: Louis Leterrier
• Producers: Sacha Baron Cohen, Nira Park, Peter Baynham, Todd Schulman, Ant Hines
• Format: Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: French, English, Spanish
• Dubbed: French
• Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired: English
• Audio Description: English
• Region: All Regions
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated:
  R
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• Release Date: June 21, 2016
• Digital Copy Expiration Date: December 31, 2019
• Run Time: 83 minutes

        Sacha Baron Cohen’s original three characters from “Da Ali G Show,” and their subsequent individual theatrical films, were highlighted by their ability to shock in a way that was simultaneously amusing and intelligently satirical. While his latest endeavor, The Brothers Grimsby, certainly lives up to the shock value, it is done for mindless puerile amusement rather than social commentary. While this may provide a few chuckles for an evening’s entertainment, The Brothers Grimsby has more to say about the spy film genre than any real-world issues. Although there are a few jokes about gun violence which could be construed as relevant, the silliness overpowers any commentary. On the other hand, he does use the film to give Donald Trump aids, which should count for something.

Every Thing Will Be Fine Blu-ray Review

• Actors: James Franco, Rachel McAdams
• Director: Wim Wenders
• Format: Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region A/1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated:
  Unrated
• Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO
• Release Date: June 7, 2016
• Run Time: 118 minutes

        Despite the familiarity of the plot in Every Thing Will Be Fine, it manages to rustle up a few unique and compelling themes. Unfortunately, these are ideas which remain always on the cusp of the narrative, hinted at and briefly mentioned rather than delved into the way that audiences may desire. Director Wim Wenders instead invests most efforts into the visual style, attempting to bring audiences into the mind of the protagonist with the use of 3D photography. While we may at times feel as though we exist in the same world as its characters, rarely do we understand what they are thinking or feeling, and this is a glaring shortcoming of the film’s screenplay. Performances which could have been heartbreaking are instead enigmatic, and suddenly the visual effort is all for naught.

The Other Side of the Door Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Sarah Wayne Callies, Jeremy Sisto
• Director: Johannes Roberts
• Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English (Dolby Surround)
• Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
• Dubbed: French, Spanish
• Region: Region A/1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated:
  R
• Studio: 20TH CENTURY FOX
• Release Date: June 7, 2016
• Run Time: 96 minutes
•        
  
  
   The setting may be somewhat unique, but don’t let that fool you. This horror film has been done many times before. The narrative alone shares themes similar to countless other movies, most notably the classic Pet Cemetery, but even more derivative are the stylistic choices made by director Johannes Roberts. It isn’t so much that this is a bad film. In fact, many of the sequences are effectively eerie. The problem is that they all have been done before. The ghost-like woman apparition threatening to come from the afterlife looks and moves remarkably similar to the TV-dwelling spirit from The Ring franchise, while other imagery from Japanese ghost narratives such as Ju-on (remade as The Grudge) are also peppered throughout the familiar storyline. Production elements are on point, but The Other Side of the Door would be far more effective if I was unfamiliar with previous releases in the ghost story subgenre. 
  
  

Under the Sun of Satan Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Gérard Depardieu, Sandrine Bonnaire, Alain Artur
• Director: Maurice Pialat
• Format: NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: French
• Subtitles: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated:
  Unrated
• Studio: Cohen Media Group
• Release Date: June 14, 2016
• Run Time: 98 minutes

        Faith is a difficult concept to convey cinematically, even with the use of dialogue as primary tool of discussion. While there are scenes in which the characters have a conversation about religion and life-purpose, Under the Sun of Satan approaches most ideas through character action, making for a straightforward but often ambiguous viewing experience. Perhaps due to my inability to relate to the flawed individuals within the film, or a difficulty in conveying the material adapted from the work of Georges Bernanos, I find the viewing experience of Under the Sun of Satan to be far more intellectual than emotional. Director Maurice Pialat worked as a painter prior to becoming a filmmaker, and at times it feels as though he expects his audience to approach this film as they would a work of art hanging in a museum.

Eddie the Eagle Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Taron Egerton, Hugh Jackman
• Director: Dexter Fletcher
• Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English (Dolby Surround)
• Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
• Dubbed: French, Spanish
• Region: Region A/1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: 
  PG
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• Release Date: June 14, 2016
• Run Time: 106 minutes

        As is often the case with films based on true stories, much was altered for the cinematic story of courageously inexperienced British ski-jumper, Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards. Characters were added, events were changed, timelines were skewed, and in some cases the facts were more outlandish than the fictional screenplay by Sean Macaulay and Simon Kelton. While one can’t help but wonder what a darker and more accurate version of this story may have looked like onscreen, Eddie the Eagle easily wins over audiences with a charming spirit and a pair of magnetic performances. Sometimes a crowd pleasing feel-good movie is more desirable, especially in the cynical times we live in.

Get a Job Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Miles Teller, Bryan Cranston, Anna Kendrick, Alison Brie, Christopher Mintz-Plasse

Director: Dylan Kidd

Format: NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Region: Region A/1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R                    

Studio: LIONSGATE

Release Date: June 14, 2016

Run Time: 93 minutes

        Millennials have been called the “entitled generation,” carrying an air of arrogance and expectation without the benefit of experience or hard work to back it up, and Get a Job is a cinematic enabler for this infantile mentality. While it does address the egotism of modern college graduates, the sycophantic screenplay from first-time writers Kyle Pennekamp and Scott Turpel attempts to lay blame on the encouraging way that this generation was raised, as though their shitty attitude were the fault of supportive parents and participation trophies. But rather than following through with this cynical game of finger-pointing to some actual social commentary, these amateur screenwriters lazily resort to resolve it with a mindless young adult wish-fulfillment fantasy. This movie is utter garbage, made even worse by the talent that was wasted to make it.

 

Jarhead 3: The Siege Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Scott Adkins, Charlie Weber, Dante Basco, Romeo Miller, Erik Valdez

Director: Will Kaufman

Writer: Michael Weiss

Producers: Jeffery Beach, Phillip Roth

Format: Color, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: 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: 2.35:1

Number of discs: 2

Rated: Not Rated

Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Release Date: June 7, 2016

Digital Copy Expiration Date: May 2, 2018

        Jarhead, the 2005 war film from director Sam Mendes, is an unlikely movie to build a franchise from. The reception was mediocre, the action was nonexistent as intentional commentary on the state of modern warfare, and there was little opportunity for significant characters to return. Thematically, the sequels don’t even belong in the same category, much less carrying the same title. They get away with this by carrying over a supporting character and turning the franchise into mindless action. While it may not be cut from the same cloth as Jarhead, it is rather predictable for a straight-to-video sequel.  

 

Alaskan Bush People: The Complete Seasons 1&2 DVD Review

Actors: Billy Brown, Gabe Brown, Noah Brown, Ami Brown, Bam Bam Brown

Details: Box set, Color NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Region: Region 1

Number of discs: 3

Studio: LIONSGATE

DVD Release Date: June 14, 2016

Run Time: 450 minutes

        When the Discovery Channel reality series “Alaskan Bush People” first aired on television, many viewers were skeptical of the authenticity. Some theorized that the family claiming to have lived in the wild for the last 30 years was merely a group of actors, while others simply didn’t believe the outrageous claims of survival that they made to the cameras. Personally, I am hesitant to believe anything in reality television isn’t at least somewhat contrived. Although I have no reason to believe that this family isn’t related, I also have little faith that many of the situations in the show aren’t staged to a certain degree. Even in the trivia section of the series on IMDB.com, the episodes are referred to as “reenactments” of events taken from Billy Brown’s book. It automatically raises a red flag when the man claiming to want nothing from civilization has promoted himself through the publication of books. Others have found YouTube channels and other websites with other members of the family also trying to increase their fame.

 

Kill Your Friends Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Nicholas Hoult, James Corden, Ed Skrein

Director: Owen Harris

Format: Dolby, NTSC, THX, Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: English

Number of discs: 1

Studio: Well Go USA

Release Date: June 7, 2016

Run Time: 103 minutes

        Kill Your Friends is not outrageous enough in its violence or dark enough in its tone to give the satire of the novel it is based on enough edge, despite the screenplay being written by author John Niven. Worse yet, comparisons are bound to be made with American Psycho, which still feels more groundbreaking despite being made 16 years earlier than this film. Had director Owen Harris taken this narrative in another direction, it may have avoided the comparisons that the material obviously had no chance to live up to, but instead much of the violence ends up feeling more perfunctory than shocking. There is potential amongst the differences for some uniquely scathing commentary, but Kill Your Friends instead unwisely focuses on the most derivative elements of the narrative.

 

The Confirmation Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Clive Owen, Jaeden Lieberher, Maria Bello, Robert Forster, Tim Blake Nelson

Director: Bob Nelson

Format: NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Region: Region A/1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: PG-13             

Studio: LIONSGATE

Release Date: June 7, 2016

Run Time: 83 minutes

        Much of the narrative in The Confirmation has been done previously, and occasionally with far more dedication to realism (there are moments which bring to mind Vittorio De Sica’s Bicycle Thieves), but it is in the optimistic tone and engaging performances that this film finds its stride. Like the Oscar nominated film, Nebraska, which first-time director Bob Nelson wrote the screenplay for, The Confirmation is often equally hilarious and heartbreaking. Nelson understands as a filmmaker that these two things need not be mutually exclusive, which grounds the film without drowning audiences in cynicism and sadness. Some may find the resolution a bit too neat (especially those expecting the Bicycle Thieves similarities to play out), and others may find the film’s morality a bit too flippant. This is a balancing act between two extremes, likely to leave both sides slightly unsatisfied, while neither outright disappointed. A few more risks in the narrative may have solved this problem, or it could have brought the entire house of cards tumbling down.

 

Touched with Fire Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Katie Holmes, Luke Kirby, Christine Lahti, Griffin Dunne

Director: Paul Dalio

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

Language: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Region: Region A/1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R                  

Studio: LIONSGATE

Release Date: June 7, 2016

Run Time: 110 minutes

        While I appreciated the discussion of mental illness and its connection to artistic creativity within the narrative Touched with Fire, at times the individual scenarios of the specific plot overshadow the larger topic. Writer/director Paul Dalio based the film on his own experiences, and while this brings honesty to the material, it often also runs the risk of carrying romanticized bias of personal memory. In this case, some distance from the content may have helped to create a stronger film. Despite compellingly convincing performances from the lead actors, Dalio’s narrative often feels aimless at best, and predictably melodramatic at its worst.

 

Vinyl: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Review

Director: Martin Scorsese

Format: Box set, NTSC

Language: English

Region: Region A/1

Number of discs: 4

Studio: Hbo Home Video

Release Date: June 7, 2016

Digital Copy Expiration Date: December 31, 2021

        “Vinyl” is a show that seemed destined for greatness, built upon a foundation of elements that should have all led to guaranteed success: Martin Scorsese returning to HBO as producer of the series (and director of the pilot), a collaboration with Mick Jagger as a legendary rocker with unique insight into the industry and time period, and a premise approaching the 1970s music industry in a manner similar to the way “Mad Men” tackled the advertising business in the 1960s. With the constantly shifting landscape of rock during this decade, it seems like a show that should have written itself. There should have been a plethora of material for the first season of “Vinyl,” but instead we end up with a repetitive character study centering on the endlessly flawed protagonist.

Extra Confessional: An Atypical Hail, Caesar! Blu-ray Review

Actors: Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Alden Ehrenreich, Ralph Fiennes, Jonah Hill

Directors: Joel and Ethan Coen

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

Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired: English

Region: Region A/1

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 2

Rated: PG-13 Parents Strongly Cautioned

Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Release Date: June 7, 2016

Digital Copy Expiration Date: May 2, 2018

        I regularly lecture my students on the significance of Audience Reception Theory in the interpretation of each film we watch, though I found myself a student of this very lesson while viewing Hail, Caesar!, with the Joel and Ethan Coen as my (presumably) unwitting professors. This film theory essentially argues that each viewer’s interpretation of art will be affected by their own background and personal experiences. In the plainest sense, this means that viewers of Hail, Caesar! with previous experience watching classics from the golden age of cinema are more likely to appreciate the references to Esther Williams, Gene Kelly, Carmen Miranda, and countless others. But the latest Coen brothers film took on additional significance for me, having had the experience of being on set while it was filmed.

In a Lonely Place Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Humphrey Bogart, Gloria Grahame, Frank Lovejoy

Director: Nicholas Ray

Format: Widescreen

Language: English

Region: Region A/1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Not Rated

Studio: Criterion Collection

Release Date: May 10, 2016

Run Time: 93 minutes

        Despite being adapted from a novel by Dorothy B. Hughes, In a Lonely Place says more about the director and stars than it does the author of the source material. Films about Hollywood have this tendency of bringing out the honesty from filmmakers who understand the cynicism of the text better than most, and beneath the violent noir narrative are raw performances and parallels with real life events. Bleak as the film may be, it also offers audiences one of the more unadulterated perspectives of the industry from those who knew it best. Nearly 70-years later and In a Lonely Place remains one of the most accurate depictions of the battle between art and commerce, reputation and reality, and the way that Hollywood often confuses them for each other.

Triple 9 Blu-ray Review

Actors: Casey Affleck, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Anthony Mackie, Aaron Paul, Jr. Clifton Collins

Director: John Hillcoat

Writer: Matt Cook

Producers: John Hillcoat, Keith Redmon, Bard Dorros, Marc Butan, Anthony Katagas

Format: NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: English (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1)

Subtitles: French, Spanish

Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired: English

Region: All Regions

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Rated: R

Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Release Date: May 31, 2016

Digital Copy Expiration Date: May 2, 2018

Run Time: 116 minutes

        If Triple 9 feels vaguely familiar, that’s because it resembles countless other similarly mediocre crime films. There is nothing inherently bad about it, but the unoriginality plagues the narrative until each derivative moment begins to feel like a parody of the genre, despite (or perhaps because of) a deadly seriousness with which the material is approached. A good ensemble cast and solid direction from John Hillcoat (The Road, Lawless) can’t make up for the derivative screenplay which plateaus in the opening sequences.

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping Review

        Every aspect of Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping feels calculated and constructed for success. The structure of the film is largely borrowed from Rob Reiner/Christopher Guest’s classic mock-rockumentary, This is Spinal Tap, with a bit of VH1’s “Behind the Band” to update the format for younger audiences. It also updates the subject, switching from the fading hair bands in the 1980s to an indictment of pop/hip-hop stars of today, primarily focusing on a character very obviously based on Justin Bieber. While the jokes are consistently funny for at least two-thirds of the film and the music parodies created by The Lonely Island are at least as successful as the work they have done for “Saturday Night Live” over the years, something about Popstar feels a bit too safe. Even a scene of graphic male nudity (thanks to a contribution from producer Judd Apatow, who takes his efforts to use male genitals in a majority of his film one step further by offering his own for this gag) can’t save this film from being less shocking than reality itself. Anyone who has read about the spoiled-brat behavior of Bieber over the years or follows the narcissistic ramblings of Kanye West’s twitter feed will realize that real life is far more absurd than anything offered in Popstar.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies 4K Ultra HD Review

Actors: Jack Huston, Douglas Booth, Matt Smith, Charles Dance, Lena Heady

Director: Burr Steers

Producers: Marc Butan, Tyler Thompson, Brian Oliver, Allison Shearmur, Natalie Portman

Format: 4K

Language: English

Subtitles: Portuguese, Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, Spanish, English, Danish

Dubbed: Portuguese, Spanish

Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired: English

Audio Description: English

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Number of discs: 2

Rated: PG-13

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Release Date: May 31, 2016

Digital Copy Expiration Date: December 31, 2019

Run Time: 107 minutes

I can’t judge how the blending of zombie horror with Jane Austen’s classic text worked in Seth Grahame-Smith’s novel, but it was an all-around awkward cinematic endeavor in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. The film adaptation by Burr Steers tries to please too many audience demographics and instead succeeds at none. Many have remarked that the most successful aspects of the film are those which remain closest to Austen’s original story, and though I would agree, these are also the parts of the film that reminded me of the far superior adaptation by Joe Wright a little over a decade ago. Like Spider-Man, apparently this is a narrative we must endure a new incarnation of for each generation.

Rise of the Legend Blu-ray Review

Actors: Eddie Peng, Sammo Hung, Angelababy

Director: Chow Hin Yeung Roy

Format: Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, THX, Widescreen

Language: Chinese

Subtitles: English

Dubbed: English

Region: Region A/1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated 

Studio: Well Go USA

Release Date: May 24, 2016

Run Time: 131 minutes

In the latest adaptation of the Wong Fei Hung narrative, Rise of the Legend, comparisons are bound to be made with previous martial arts film classics that have tackled the same subject. Unfortunately, this latest endeavor starring Eddie Peng in the iconic role lacks the humor of The Legend of the Drunken Master, the epic qualities of the Once Upon a Time in China franchise, and the charisma of their stars, Jackie Chan and Jet Li. What Rise of the Legend does have is polished visuals that modernize the cinematic action to emphasize cinematography over the pure physical abilities of its star. The past films were more about the action choreography, whereas Rise of the Legend becomes about the camera work instead. Sometimes this emphasis on visuals works as a welcome distraction to the obvious shortcomings in other areas of filmmaking, though it occasionally runs the risk of being as soulless as any number of CGI-filled summer blockbusters.

Song of Lahore DVD Review

Actors: Wynton Marsalis

Director: Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Andy Schocken

Format: Color, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: English

Dubbed: English, Urdu

Region: Region 1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: PG 

Studio: Broadgreen

DVD Release Date: May 20, 2016

Run Time: 82 minutes

Song of Lahore DVD Review

        For the first twenty-minutes of Song of Lahore, I struggled to find an interest in the material. There were too many individuals introduced into the documentary narrative, without any context to explain to me why I should care about each of them. I’ll admit that I even began writing this review in my head, prematurely condemning the filmmakers for a lack of focus. Though these individuals eventually came into focus over the course of the film, it was the ideals and faith which turned the narrative into a cohesively moving piece. Like the jazz music the documentary is centered on, Song of Lahore is about the spirit of the individuals coming together to create, despite adversity and oppression faced in their daily existence.