REAL MOVIE NEWS

Center Stage: On Pointe DVD Review

Actors: Peter Gallagher, Sascha Radetsky, Ethan Stiefel, Kenny Wormald
Director: Director X.
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Language: English
Subtitles: Spanish, English
Region: Region 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Number of discs: 1
Rated:

PG
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: September 6, 2016
Run Time: 92 minutes

Center Stage is a franchise that has somehow stayed alive, despite the mediocrity of the original movie. As far as dance films go, these have always been a bit more sophisticated than the Step-Up films, though this latest sequel begins the inclusion of contemporary dance styles. The original film also featured some truly impressive dancing because of the casting of dancers over actors. While Center Stage: On Pointe has learned from this tactic by casting actual actors, making for far better scenes of dialogue, it also means that the dancing is far less impressive to watch.

King Jack DVD Review

Actors: Danny Flaherty, Charlie Plummer, Christian Madsen
Director: Felix Thompson
Format: Color, Dolby, NTSC, THX, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: English
Region: Region 1
Number of discs: 1
Rated:

Unrated
Studio: Well Go USA
DVD Release Date: September 13, 2016
Run Time: 81 minutes

King Jack doesn’t offer much new to the coming-of-age narrative; despite the modern addition of sexting, the behavior of teens hasn’t changed much over the years. What the debut feature film from writer/director Felix Thompson does have to offer is authenticity. Even if the story resembles countless others, the ability to create sympathy for these specific characters shows strengths in filmmaking which is never forceful or contrived. In the end, believing these characters could exist is more important than having an original story.

Love & Friendship Blu-ray Review

Actors: Kate Beckinsale, Jemma Redgrave, James Fleet, Chloë Sevigny, Emma Greenwell
Director: Whit Stillman
Producers: Whit Stillman, Katie Holly
Format: AC-3, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Region: Region A/1
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Number of discs: 1
Rated:

PG
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: September 6, 2016
Run Time: 93 minutes

Although there are many elements within the period narrative of Love & Friendship which make it distinctly Jane Austen, including her biting social commentary on romance among the landed gentry of 18^th century England, the choice of source material feels particularly aligned with the work of filmmaker and auteur Whit Stillman. Borrowing name only from one of Austen’s other works of fiction, Love & Friendship is actually based on the novella, “Lady Susan.” This was written prior to the novels she is most famous for, and is far more unsentimental in its treatment than film fans may be accustomed to. While Austen may be best known cinematically for her sweeping romance, it is the satirical humor of her work that Stillman gravitates towards.

Now You See Me 2 Blu-ray Review

Actors: Morgan Freeman, Jesse Eisenberg, Daniel Radcliffe, Woody Harrelson, Mark Ruffalo
Director: Jon M. Chu
Format: NTSC, Widescreen
Language: English
Region: Region A/1
Number of discs: 2
Rated:

PG-13
Studio: Lionsgate
Release Date: September 6, 2016
Run Time: 94 minutes

The basic premise for the Now You See Me franchise resembled Oceans 11 with magic rather than grifters, filling the film with an impressive cast of actors to distract from the gaps in logic. Although there were moments of real illusions and magic tricks, eventually the first film slipped into CGI nonsense rather than providing a realistic explanation for the events. It should come as no surprise that a plot giving the writers a computer generated ‘deus ex machina’ for every impossible situation would turn into a series of films, and if Now You See Me 2 is any indicator, the third film should be off-the-charts absurd.

Maggie’s Plan Blu-ray Review

Actors: Greta Gerwig, Ethan Hawke, Bill Hader, Maya Rudolph, Travis Fimmel
Director: Rebecca Miller
Producers: Rebecca Miller, Rachel Horovitz, Damon Cadasis
Format: Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: Russian, French, Polish, Mandarin Chinese, Thai, English
Dubbed: Thai
Audio Description: English
Region: All Regions
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Rated:

R
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: August 23, 2016
Digital Copy Expiration Date: December 31, 2019
Run Time: 99 minutes

It has become difficult for me to decipher whether Greta Gerwig is a good actress, or simply proficient at finding roles that resemble her own personality. Nearly every character that the actress has played in the last decade feels like the same bubbly, narcissistic, and irresponsible New Yorker. The characters get older as Gerwig does, but they are maturing at a glacial rate. Maggie’s Plan is no exception, giving Gerwig the title role of another self-absorbed Manhattanite desperately trying to exist in a Woody Allen film.

Hard Target 2 Blu-ray Review

Actors: Scott Adkins, Robert Knepper, Rhona Mitra, Ann Truong, Temuera Morrison
Director: Roel Reine
Writers: Dominic Morgan, Matthew Harvey
Producer: Chris Lowenstein
Format: NTSC, Subtitled
Language: Hungarian (DTS 5.1), Russian (DTS 5.1), Japanese (Dolby Digital 5.1), Polish (DTS 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1), Portuguese (Dolby Digital 5.1), Portuguese (DTS 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (DTS 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (DTS 5.1)
Subtitles: Portuguese, Bulgarian, Cantonese, Czech, French, Greek, Hungarian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Thai, Turkish, English
Region: All Regions
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Rated:

R
Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Release Date: September 6, 2016
Digital Copy Expiration Date: May 2, 2018

If every other property from the 1980s and ’90s is being pillaged to make money off of sequels and remakes, they might as well begin cashing in on Jean-Claude Van Damme classics. This past week we saw the revival of the Kickboxer franchise, with Van Damme following in the footsteps of Sylvester Stallone by retiring to the mentor role. Hard Target 2 also returns on home video, without Van Damme, or any connection to the original film beyond loose similarities in the plot. Although more technically accomplished and visually polished than a majority of DTV action sequels, this film shares little beyond a title with John Woo’s original film.

Genius DVD Review

Actors: Nicole Kidman, Jude Law, Colin Firth, Guy Pearce
Director: Michael Grandage
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC, Widescreen
Language: English
Region: Region 1
Number of discs: 1
Rated:

PG-13

Parents Strongly Cautioned
Studio: LIONSGATE
DVD Release Date: September 6, 2016
Run Time: 98 minutes

Thankfully Genius is not a biopic in the most traditional sense, which often makes it difficult to guess the direction or point of the story being told. Untraditional as it may be, the film is biographical in nature in that the screenplay is based on a non-fiction book about famed editor Maxwell Perkins, though it focuses exclusively on the time in his career spent with writer Thomas Wolfe. But what the film lacks is thematic consistency and a direction for the true story to go in, before the natural end becomes a narrative closer in replacement of actual resolution. What the film has is a great period look in the production design, and a cast at the top of their game under the direction of first-time filmmaker Michael Grandage, better known for his work in the theater.

Compadres DVD Review

Actors: Omar Chaparro, Aislinn Derbez, Kevin Pollack, Eric Roberts, Joey Morgan
Director: Enrique Begne
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC, Widescreen
Language: English
Region: Region 1
Number of discs: 1
Rated:

R
Studio: LIONSGATE
DVD Release Date: September 6, 2016
Run Time: 94 minutes

Compadres could be pitched as an international film featuring collaboration between Mexico and the United States, but I think Hollywood would prefer little association with this politically incorrect action/comedy from filmmaker Enrique Begne. Despite using the generic structure of a Hollywood buddy action-comedy, having Eric Roberts and Kevin Pollak appear in two of the supporting roles, and the fact that half the dialogue in English, it is quite obvious that this is a Mexican film with some American actors, not the other way around. At its best, this cultural style influences the direction and tone of Compadres’ comedy, though the objectification of the female characters is overwhelming even for Hollywood.

Blunt Talk: Season 1 DVD Review

Actors: Patrick Stewart, Jacki Weaver, Adrian Scarborough, Richard Lewis
Format: NTSC
Language: English
Subtitles: Spanish
Region: Region 1
Number of discs: 2
Rated:

Not Rated
Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
DVD Release Date: August 30, 2016
Run Time: 300 minutes

Despite the fact that Sir Patrick Stewart has lent his voice to countless episodes of “Family Guy” and “American Dad,” not to mention his contributions to three of Seth MacFarlane’s feature films, the unexpectedness of his involvement in this live-action Starz sitcom is half of the fun. The role of Walter Blunt is so different from the persona we have come to expect from Stewart that it becomes humorous just to watch the talented British actor play against type. The role actually resembles many of those that Stewart has played in MacFarlane’s animated shows, but it is somehow far more shocking to see the actor rather than just hearing him.

On Guard/Five Day Lover Blu-ray Review

Actors: On Guard: Daniel Auteuil, Fabrice Luchini, Vincent Perez, Marie Gillain, Philippe Noiret
Director: Philippe de Broca
Format: Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: French
Subtitles: English
Region: All Regions
Number of discs: 2
Rated:

R
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: August 9, 2016
Run Time: 216 minutes

This two-film Blu-ray set includes a pair of films that might never be viewed together if it weren’t for the director they share in common. The two films come from French filmmaker Philippe De Broca, though they are movies from different genres and separated by over 35 years. Five Day Lover is a romance drama from 1961, while On Guard is a swashbuckling action comedy from the late 1990s. It makes for a strange double feature, but these two films offer a sampling from the beginning and end of De Broca’s expansive career.

The Huntsman: Winter’s War 4K Ultra HD Review

Actors: Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, Emily Blunt, Nick Frost, Sam Claflin
Director: Cedric Nicolas-Troyan
Writers: Evan Spiliotopoulos, Craig Mazin
Producer: Joe Roth
Format: 4K
Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), French (DTS 5.1), Spanish (DTS 5.1)
Subtitles: French, Spanish, English
Region: All Regions
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Number of discs: 2
Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Release Date: August 23, 2016
Digital Copy Expiration Date: May 2, 2018

This was a film that was doomed to fail long before anyone had even seen it. First of all, you are dealing with characters that many consider sacred, and critics were already unkind to the adaptation of Snow White. You might think that the prequel/sequel/spin-off film, The Huntsman: Winter’s War would have a better chance going in an original direction, but instead it pillages a more recent animated Disney film. Add in the controversy over Charlize Theron’s pay being less than Chris Hemsworth, which was revealed by the now-infamous Sony email hacks, Stewart and director Rupert Sanders’ absence following rumors of an affair onset of the last film, and it all adds up to a recipe for failure.

The Tiger Blu-ray Review

Actors: Choi Min-sik, Jung Man-sik, Kim Sang-ho
Director: Park Hoon-jung
Format: Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, THX, Widescreen
Language: Korean
Subtitles: English
Region: Region A/1
Number of discs: 1
Rated:

Unrated
Studio: Well Go USA
Release Date: August 9, 2016
Run Time: 139 minutes

The screenplay for The Tiger is like a delicate balancing act, made possible by the tradition of effective melodrama in South Korean cinema and by the carefully patient screenplay from Hoon-jung Park (I Saw the Devil, New World). The film’s basic premise requires the audience to sympathize for the non-human title character, while also respecting the inevitable decision of the human protagonist to hunt him. This may seem contradictory, but it never feels forced within a simple but layered screenplay which is effectively executed thanks to nuanced human performances and an impressively realistic CGI tiger.

The Wonder Years DVD Review

Complete Set: This 22-DVD set contains all 115 episodes from the six seasons of this landmark series.
Booklet: Also get complete show notes with episode synopses, cast member reflections, “Current Events,” and more.
Bonus Content:
- Highlights from the first cast reunion in 16 years
- Roundtable discussions with Danica McKellar, Fred Savage, and Josh Saviano
- 6 newly produced featurettes
- Farewell set tour
- One-hour ABC broadcast of the series finale
- Exclusive interviews with the show’s creators and cast including Fred Savage, Danica McKellar, Josh Saviano, Alley Mills, Dan Lauria, Olivia d’Abo, Jason Hervey
“The Wonder Years” was one of those shows I thought would never make it to DVD, mostly because of how much great music from the show had copyright issues. Not only is it now available on DVD, it comes with the originally broadcast music, including Joe Cocker’s memorable rendition of The Beatles’ With a Little Help from My Friends and over 300 other classic songs. This is a show that is much more than the fantastic soundtrack, but it is also just as much of a classic as the hits that took so long to get copyrighting for. The full series was first released in a massive 26-disc box set a little less than a year ago, but this revised 22-disc set is pared down for those more interested in owning all of the episodes than how many hours of special features are included.

11 Minutes DVD Review

Actors: Richard Dormer, Paulina Chapko
Director: Jerzy Skolimowski
Disc Format: Color, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: Polish
Subtitles: English
Region: Region 1
Number of discs: 1
Rated:

Unrated
Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO
DVD Release Date: August 16, 2016
Run Time: 83 minutes

Approaching 11 Minutes with the goal of deciphering the intended meaning will likely to lead to frustration, as Polish filmmaker Jerzy Skolimowski has created a narrative with intentional ambiguity. Meaning is subjective, and 11 Minutes is to be approached an analyzed in the same way one might try and understand a poem. Not everything seen must be taken literally, and not all of the images will have the same meaning inferred by every viewer. It isn’t the plot points or the characters which are indiscernible, so much as the themes and the larger messages. Two people can watch this film and come to completely different conclusions on what is being said by the film’s message, even if the characters and events are themselves fairly straightforward.

Sky DVD Review

Actors: Diane Kruger, Norman Reedus
Director: Fabienne Berthaud
Disc Format: Color, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: Spanish
Region: Region 1
Number of discs: 1
Rated:

Unrated
Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO
DVD Release Date: August 16, 2016
Run Time: 106 minutes

Sky begins as a thriller, drifts into a road trip romance, and ultimately ends as an unrealistic Midwestern melodrama. The only consistency throughout all of it is Diane Kruger’s performance, despite the fact that the screenplay doesn’t provide much depth to the film’s protagonist, or any of the supporting characters she meets along the way. This is a film which is more dedicated to the melancholy of each moment rather than the details which have made each character so depressing. Life is hard, seems to be the message, and it doesn’t particularly matter why.

A Hologram for the King Blu-ray Review

Actors: Tom Hanks, Tom Skerritt, Sarita Choudhury, Ben Whishaw
Director: Tom Tykwer
Format: NTSC, Widescreen
Language: English
Region: Region A/1
Number of discs: 1
Rated:

R
Studio: LIONSGATE
Release Date: August 9, 2016
Run Time: 104 minutes

A Hologram for the King utilizes several common story structures and genre styles, and though they blend together into an inoffensive 98-minute piece of entertainment, no element within the film stands out. The fish-out-of-water narrative fails to provide enough humor to stand as a comedy alone, but the romance elements are even more ineffectually blasé. By the end of the film, it feels as though we have meandered past the heart of Dave Eggers source material. The narrative structure may be there, but filmmaker Tom Tykwer lacks the ability to unify all of the elements into a cohesive vision.

Narcos: Season One Blu-ray Review

Actors: Wagner Moura, Boyd Holbrook, Pedro Pascal, Luis Guzmán, Bruno Bichir
Director: Andrés Baiz, Fernando Coimbra, Guillermo Navarro, José Padilha
Format: NTSC, Widescreen
Language: English
Region: Region A/1
Number of discs: 3
Studio: LIONSGATE
Release Date: August 23, 2016
Run Time: 352 minutes

Netflix’s original programming has quickly surpassed all networks, including HBO. Not only does their content seem to be released much faster than the cable network, Netflix shows also have far greater variety in the tone and style of their shows, as well as their target audiences. Although the format for “Narcos” has surely existed previously, at least in film form, I am most impressed by the series’ ability to convince American audiences to read subtitles. Bilingual shows have also been done before, but in “Narcos,” Netflix has found a genre that audiences are willing to endure it for.

Last Days in the Desert DVD Review

Actors: Ewan McGregor, Tye Sheridan, Ciaran Hindis, Ayelet Zurer
Director: Rodrigo Garcia
Disc Format: Color, Dubbed, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Dubbed: Spanish
Region: Region 1
Number of discs: 1
Rated:

PG-13
Studio: Broadgreen
DVD Release Date: August 2, 2016
Run Time: 98 minutes

As a meditation on the delicate relationship between father and son, Last Days in the Desert is an obvious addition to filmmaker Rodrigo Garcia’s body of work. Having made a TV film about this dynamic, a feature focusing on the similarly significant connection between mother and daughter, and several other narratives which investigate relationships rather than plot development, there is far more than religious consideration to make this a fitting addition to Garcia’s filmography. Fans of this skillfully poetic filmmaker are likely to be pleased with the way that Garcia utilizes the biblical narrative to construct a fictional film containing his signature style and familiar themes. Those who enjoy the typical transparency and clumsy evangelism of most faith-based filmmaking, however, may be disappointed by the liberties taken with the adaptation of a brief biblical passage and a certain level of ambiguity which forces audiences to ruminate on meaning for themselves.

Sundown DVD Review

Actors: Camilla Belle, Sara Paxton, Teri Hatcher, Devon Werkheiser, Sean Marquette
Director: Fernando Lebrija
Disc Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC, Widescreen
Language: English
Region: Region 1
Number of discs: 1
Rated:

R
Studio: LIONSGATE
DVD Release Date: August 16, 2016
Run Time: 102 minutes

Sundown has all of the expected elements of a teen sex comedy without any of the creativity or good will that may have been its saving grace. Instead, all we are left with are a series of cliché situations, derivative plot twists, and atrocious stereotyping for nearly every character involved. Women exist in the narrative primarily to be ogled and/or saved, and nearly every ethnic character in the Puerto Vallarta setting seems to fall into one of Trump’s categorizations of Mexicans. All of this may have been slightly more excusable if there were anything remotely sexy or funny about this sex comedy.

The Last Diamond DVD Review

Actors: Bérénice Bejo, Yvan Attal
Director: Eric Barbier
Format: Color, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: English
Region: Region 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Number of discs: 1
Rated:

R
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: July 26, 2016
Run Time: 108 minutes

The Last Diamond is a thoroughly enjoyable heist film, despite an uneven tone and questionable story structure. There are many ridiculous elements to the second half of the film, despite the relative realism in the first half, and the lighthearted humor of the beginning is also dismissed by the film’s conclusion. Uneven as it may be, The Last Diamond is never anything less than watchable, providing the type of popcorn entertainment expected of Hollywood in the form of a French film.

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)