Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Leonard Cohen, Martha Wainwright, Teddy Thompson, Nick Cave, Kate McGarrigle
• Director: Lian Lunson
• Disc Format: NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Region: Region A/1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG-13
• Studio: Lionsgate
• Release Date: February 7, 2017
• Run Time: 103 minutes

        Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man is a kind of hybrid documentary/concert video, jumping back and forth between two different mediums. While both have value in the overall presentation, I often felt myself longing for one or the other. A documentary without the constant interruption of a tribute concert might have felt more focused, just as there is a desire for an uninterrupted presentation of the performances. It also would not have hurt the documentary about Leonard Cohen to hear a few more of his songs actually sung by him.

The Eagle Huntress Blu-ray Review

• Director: Otto Bell
• Producers: Otto Bell, Stacey Reiss, Jason Weinberg, Sharon Chang
• Format: AC-3, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: French, English, Spanish
• Audio Description: English
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Rated: G
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• Release Date: February 7, 2017
• Run Time: 87 minutes

        The Eagle Huntress is a beautifully shot documentary which tells an inspirational story of Aisholpan, a 13-year-old girl who is the first female in her family to become an eagle hunter. It is a feel good narrative, a rare G-rated film tackling issues of feminism while also celebrating cultural traditions. So why is it that this film is also being bashed by many online skeptics? There are concerns that some of the polished visuals are too polished, and that some of the sequences have been staged specifically for the camera. Even if this is true, it does little to change the narrative. Staging beautiful shots of an eagle flying to Aisholpan does not detract from her inspirational story, unless you go out of your way to look for a reason not to like The Eagle Huntress.

Fifty Shades of Grey Hidden Camera Prank Revealed

          Real Movie News has released a hidden camera prank that doubles as a parody of the 2015 hit film, Fifty Shades of Grey, and a satire of the faith-based film industry. The video has been released as the first in a series of casting pranks labeled "Audition Nightmares." Watch the video below or on Vimeo and YouTube.

The sequel to Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker, will hit theaters in the U.S. this Friday, February 10th. 

 

The 9th Life of Louis Drax Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Aaron Paul, Jamie Dornan, Michael Adamthwaite, Aiden Longworth
• Director: Alexandre Aja
• Format: NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Region: Region A/1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R
• Studio: Lionsgate
• Release Date: February 7, 2017
• Run Time: 108 minutes

        Dark children stories made for adult audiences are somewhat rare, but not entirely uncommon. Though only PG-13, last year’s A Monster Calls dealt with heavy topics within the structure of a coming-of-age tale, and nearly all of Guillermo del Toro’s filmography is made up of R-rated fables featuring young protagonists. In that sense, The 9^th Life of Louis Drax is in good company, even if it is not nearly as successful as the films it resembles. 

Graves: Season One DVD Review

• Actors: Nick Nolte, Sela Ward, Skylar Astin, Heléne Yorke, Chris Lowell
• Directors: Joshua Michael Stern, Bob Balaban, Robert Weide, Iain B. MacDonald, Frank Coraci
• Format: Color, NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1
• Number of discs: 3
• Studio: Lionsgate
• DVD Release Date: February 7, 2017
• Run Time: 300 minutes

        If the last election period was an indicator of any one thing, regardless of party lines, it was frustration by the American people of politicians and their double-talk. It has gotten to the point that you can no longer ever trust what a politician says, as they seem to say whatever is necessary in order to win elections. This is why the television show “Graves” may be the timeliest of the political satires to be released in recent years. And calling it a satire may not even be completely accurate, because there is a level of sincerity in the show’s writing that is more optimistic than one might anticipate. Even while there is obvious criticism of the political system, the emphasis remains on hope rather than cynicism.

Spirit of the Game DVD Review

• Actors: Kevin Sorbo, Aaron Jakubenko, Wade Briggs, Anna McGahan
• Director: J.D. Scott
• Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Subtitles: French, English, Spanish
• Region: Region 1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Rated: PG
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: February 7, 2017
• Run Time: 98 minutes

        Christian faith-based films have a notorious reputation for amateur filmmaking, but Spirit of the Game, along with other recent Mormon entries into the faith-based genre, proves that no one denomination is guiltier than another. No matter what religion is making the film, if the primarily goal is to evangelize with the content, the result is more propaganda than art. This might even be forgivable if the quality of filmmaking weren’t so laughably poor. Spirit of the Game is no worse than countless Christian-made films, but it certainly is no better either.

Life on the Line Blu-ray Review

• Actors: John Travolta, Kate Bosworth, Devon Sawa, Gil Bellows, Julie Benz
• Director: David Hackl
• Film Format: NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Region: Region A/1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R
• Studio: Lionsgate
• Release Date: February 7, 2017
• Run Time: 98 minutes

        I can honestly say that I never put much thought into the effort it takes to keep electricity working, nor was I aware of the dangers faced by the lineman making necessary repairs. If nothing else, Life on the Line succeeded in waking me up to the realities about the dangers of a job like that. Life on the Line serves as a tribute to the brave men who risk danger each time there is a fallen line or a repair is needed, but they deserve to be honored with a film that isn’t also full of contrived melodrama and sub-par filmmaking.

Beyond Redemption Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Brian Ho, Osric Chau, Linna Huynh
• Director: Bruce Fontaine
• Film Format: Dolby, NTSC, THX, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Not Rated
• Studio: Well Go USA
• Release Date: February 7, 2017
• Run Time: 89 minutes

        Beyond Redemption is the feature film directorial debut from longtime stuntman, Bruce Fontaine, which makes sense considering the only time the film is slightly bearable is during the sequences of action. The rest of the filmmaking is wholly incompetent, from the derivative undercover cop narrative to the poor production values. This could have been a moderately amusing low budget action film, but instead resigns to being a humorless melodrama with a few fights scenes sprinkled throughout.

Dirty Dancing: 30th Anniversary Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey, Jerry Orbach, Cynthia Rhodes, Jack Weston
• Director: Emile Ardolino
• Film Format: Color, NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Region: Region A/1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: PG-13
• Studio: Lionsgate
• Release Date: February 7, 2017
• Run Time: 101 minutes

At a certain point, with films as successful as Dirty Dancing, cultural impact becomes more significant than critical reactions. Dirty Dancing may be far from a masterpiece, but it has had lasting popularity that can’t be ignored. Despite all of the cheesy lines and contrived romantic melodrama, this is still a film that is easily quotable and difficult to switch away from when stumbled across on television late at night. Sometimes a guilty pleasure is the greatest pleasure of them all.  

       

Story of God: Season One DVD Review

• Disc Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• DVD Release Date: January 10, 2017
• Run Time: 270 minutes

        It may seem like somewhat of an obvious choice to have Morgan Freeman as the host of the National Geographic documentary series investigating various faiths and their belief in God. Playing off of the fact that he was cast as the creator in the Hollywood comedy, Bruce Almighty, “The Story of God” follows Freeman on his journey to different countries and a wide variety of cultures in his examination of the belief in a higher power. That Freeman actually seems personally invested in the questions being raised may merely be an indicator of his abilities as an actor, but it does wonders for the accessibility of the topics.

Nerdland Blu-ray Review

• Director: Chris Prynoski
• Format: Animated, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: French, English, Spanish
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Rated: Not Rated
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• Release Date: February 7, 2017
• Run Time: 83 minutes

        The concept behind Nerdland has seen many different forms over the years. First the idea started as a live-action feature film, before it was pitched as a television series. Then it was an animated series, before it morphed once again, into the animated feature that was finally made. After all of the alterations needed just to get to this finished product, the story of the production of Nerdland resembles the same desperation of the characters searching for fame within the narrative.

Gimme Danger DVD Review

• Actors: Iggy Pop, Ron Asheton, Danny Fields
• Director: Jim Jarmusch
• Producers: Carter Logan, Fernando Sulichin, Rob Wilson
• Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region 1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Rated: R
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: January 31, 2017
• Run Time: 109 minutes

        Despite an anarchistic title and the chaotically unprofessional band that the documentary is about, Gimme Danger ends up a rather bland film experience. The biggest problem is that this film is far more interested in Iggy Pop than all of the remaining members of The Stooges combined, with his interview taking up at least 85 percent of the run time. There are large sections of the film which simply contain Iggy recounting stories from his past, which may be of interest to his biggest fans but doesn’t serve the documentary’s narrative well. Even as we trace the origins of the influential punk band in a conventionally linear fashion, the film often feels as distracted as the band during their many drug-fueled years.

The Handmaiden DVD Review

• Actors: Min-hee Kim, Jung-woo Ha, Tae Kim, Jin-woong Jo, Hae-suk Kim
• Director: Chan-wook Park
• Producers: Chan-wook Park, Syd Lim
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: Korean
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region 1
• Rated: Not Rated
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: January 24, 2017
• Run Time: 145 minutes

        I refuse to watch dubbed foreign films if subtitles are available, but the cinematography and art direction is so rich in Chan-wook Park’s The Handmaiden that I found myself wishing that I understood Korean and Japanese. Torn between reading the text in order to follow the narrative and the captivating pull of magnificent images, The Handmaiden kept my eyes glued to the screen for much of the running time, afraid to miss a thing. Park has long been a filmmaker known for his excesses, and his latest is no exception, though he has somehow managed to make a film that feels both indulgent and restrained, often at the same time. The Handmaiden is overflowing with emotion and passion, but that never gets in the way of some of the director’s most precise and thoughtful filmmaking in years.

Passage to Mars DVD Review

• Actors: Zachary Quinto (narrator)
• Director: Jean-Christophe Jeauffre
• Film Format: Color, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region 1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Not Rated
• Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO
• DVD Release Date: January 24, 2017
• Run Time: 103 minutes

Passage to Mars is a documentary about a human mission to Mars, though it never leaves Earth to accomplish this. Scientific advancements come in stages, and the early stages of planning a trip to Mars include testing of the material in the safety of our own atmosphere. In order to be sure a land rover created for travel on Mars will be a suitable option for astronauts, first it is tested in the Arctic. This film is about that journey, which only seems tied to space travel by the constant reminders from voiceover and digital imagery of the Red Planet.

The Monster Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Zoe Kazan, Ella Ballentine, Scott Speedman, Aaron Douglas
• Director: Bryan Bertino
• Format: NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Region: Region A/1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R
• Studio: LIONSGATE
• Release Date: January 24, 2017
• Run Time: 91 minutes

        Even though this only the second film directed by Bryan Bertino that I have seen (out of the three he has made), The Monster clearly establishes a familiar style from the filmmaker. Like his directorial debut, The Strangers (2008), there is more emphasis on the construction of mood and development of characters than there is on typical horror elements, such as jump scares and gore. Even with a creature at the center of the storyline, the focus always stays on the relationships in the narrative. Both films also rely on flashbacks to add meaning to these relationships, as the drama of the present terror takes hold, and they both also have the distinct directorial trademark of record players playing scratchy old music.

Inferno 4K Ultra HD Review

• Actors: Tom Hanks, Felicity Jones, Ana Ularu, Ida Darvish, Paul Ritter, Irrfan Khan
• Director: Ron Howard
• Producers: Ron Howard, Brian Grazer
• Disc Format: 4K
• Language: English
• Subtitles: Czech, German, Russian, French, Portuguese, Finnish, Polish, Swedish, Estonian, Arabic, Italian, Korean, Latvian, Dutch, Norwegian, Hungarian, Mandarin Chinese, Romanian, Thai, Spanish, English, Danish, Turkish, Japanese, Lithuanian
• Dubbed: Czech, Russian, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Hungarian, Thai, Spanish, Turkish, Japanese
• Audio Description: English
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Rated: PG-13
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• Release Date: January 24, 2017
• Digital Copy Expiration Date: December 31, 2019
• Run Time: 121 minutes

        Inferno is the latest installment in the film adaptations of Dan Brown’s book series about symbologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks), but it is also missing a major element from the narrative and its protagonist. Beginning with Langdon discovering he has suffered some unknown head injury that has caused memory loss, our hero is unable to use the abilities that make him who he is. Langdon’s inability to solve puzzles and clues basically handicaps the character, leaving him like Sherlock Holmes without the ability to sleuth. This detour from what made the first films a success paired with an overly stylized approach to the visuals, as a way of reproducing Langdon’s disorientation and hallucinations, easily makes Inferno the least enjoyable in the franchise. And this is before even taking into consideration the major changes made from the book.

Resident Evil: Afterlife 4K Ultra HD Review

• Actors: Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Spencer Locke, Wentworth Miller, Shawn Roberts
• Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
• Producers: Paul W.S. Anderson, Jeremy Bolt, Robert Kulzer, Don Carmody, Bernd Eichinger
• Film Format: Dubbed, Subtitled, 4K
• Language: English
• Subtitles: French, Portuguese, Hindi, Czech, Slovak, Finnish, Swedish, Polish, Estonian, Italian, Korean, Norwegian, Hungarian, Slovene, Mandarin Chinese, Icelandic, Romanian, English, Spanish, Danish, Lithuanian
• Dubbed: French, Portuguese, Czech, Russian, Italian, Hungarian, Catalan, Spanish
• Audio Description: English
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Rated: R
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• Release Date: January 17, 2017
• Digital Copy Expiration Date: December 31, 2019
• Run Time: 97 minutes

        It may seem an odd choice to release the fourth film in the Resident Evil franchise on 4K Ultra HD before the first three, but it makes sense with knowledge of the production. First of all, Resident Evil: Afterlife marked Paul W.S. Anderson’s return to the franchise for the first time since the original film, despite retaining a writing credit on each of the films. That matter because of how visual Anderson is as a director, which was only enhanced for this release as he also made the choice to shoot the film in 3D. This is different than a post-production 3D conversion, and the difference is noticeable, even in 2D. All of this makes for a remarkably visual film, perfect for 4K presentation.

The Light Between Oceans Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Rachel Weisz, Bryan Brown, Jack Thompson
• Director: Derek Cianfrance
• Film Format: AC-3, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English (DTS-HD High Res Audio), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: French, Spanish, English
• Dubbed: French, Spanish
• Region: Region A/1
• Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
• Rated: PG-13
• Studio: Touchstone Home Entertainment
• Release Date: January 24, 2017
• Run Time: 133 minutes

        Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine, The Place Beyond the Pines) has established himself as a director capable of handling heavy drama without allowing it to devolve into the emotional manipulation of melodrama, so he seemed the perfect choice to direct a film adaptation of M.L. Stedman’s novel full of coincidence and heavy emotions. While Cianfrance continues to prove his capabilities as an actor’s director, even he is incapable of saving the film from drowning in its own sorrow. Beautifully shot and expertly acted, The Light Between Oceans still retains a narrative that often feels emotionally manipulative through its many contrivances.

USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Nicolas Cage, Matt Lanter, Thomas Jane, Tom Sizemore
• Director: Mario Van Peebles
• Film Format: NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Region: Region A/1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R
• Studio: Lionsgate
• Release Date: January 24, 2017
• Run Time: 131 minutes

        It is much more difficult to criticize a film that is based on a true story, especially when the end of the film is peppered with real-life footage and interviews. This can make a mediocre film seem better than it is by leaving the audience with its most powerful moments, but even connecting the actors to their real-life counterparts is not enough to save USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage. There is far too much to criticize, including a mouthful of a title, distracting from any ability to create empathy for the real-life men through the characters in the film.

Surf’s Up 2: WaveMania DVD Review

• Director: Henry Yu
• Producer: Henry Yu
• Film Format: AC-3, Animated, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Subtitles: French, Spanish, English
• Dubbed: French, Spanish
• Audio Description: English
• Region: Region 1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Rated: PG
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: January 17, 2017
• Digital Copy Expiration Date: December 31, 2019
• Run Time: 84 minutes

The decision to create sequels long after the release of the original film is not a new practice, though it seems somewhat of an unintelligible choice when considering Surf’s Up 2: WaveMania. First of all, it is always a questionable choice to release a sequel to a children’s film ten years after the original, if only because the fanbase has likely grown up past the age of appreciation. Sure, younger kids who have enjoyed the original through home entertainment may still be young enough, but that is assuming the original has had a lasting impact. And somehow I doubt this was a guarantee, as Surf’s Up wasn’t even the most popular of the animated films about penguins in 2007.