Orange is the New Black: Season Four Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Taylor Schilling, Laura Prepon, Kate Mulgrew, Michael Harney, Nick Sandow
• Directors: Andrew McCarthy, Constantine Makris, Erin Feeley, Tricia Brock, Uta Briesewitz
• Disc Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
• Region: Region A/1
• Number of discs: 3
• Rated: Not Rated
• Studio: LIONSGATE
• Release Date: May 9, 2017
• Run Time: 778 minutes

        Even the best televisions shows need to find ways to reinvent themselves after the first few seasons, otherwise it begins to feel repetitive and formulaic. Despite primarily being a comedy based series, “Orange is the New Black” made some boldly dramatic moves in season four, not afraid to change the dynamic of the show and even the cast. This was also the season that the prison series decided to enter the discussion of current events and social issues, specifically relevant to the minorities making up a majority of the inmates.

The Expendables 1 & 2 4K Ultra HD Review

• Actors: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts,
• Director: Sylvester Stallone
• Disc Format: 4K, NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: R
• Studio: LIONSGATE
• Release Date: May 2, 2017
• Run Time: 103 minutes

        The Expendables is a franchise that was both ahead of its time while simultaneously being dated. Often humorous, occasionally unintentionally, The Expendables feels like an 80’s action film in many ways, which is fitting considering the impressive cast of veteran action stars. At the same time it stylistically belongs to another decade, this franchise was also the first to benefit from the novelty of a beefed-up ensemble cast of movie stars. Simply put, without The Expendables, there may never have been The Avengers. It also served as a return for Sylvester Stallone, both as an action star and as a filmmaker, coming on the heels of revivals of several of his most popular 80’s franchises (Rambo, Rocky Balboa).

The Red Turtle Blu-ray Review

• Director: Michael Dudok De Wit
• Producers: Toshio Suzuki, Vincent Maraval, Pascal Caucheteux, Grégoire Sorlat
• Disc Format: AC-3, Animated, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Subtitles: Portuguese, English, Spanish
• Audio Description: English
• Region: Region A/1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• Release Date: May 2, 2017
• Run Time: 81 minutes

        I usually take great pride in being able to analyze each film I watch, finding purpose and meaning in even the most ambiguous endings. While there are certain themes that were clear to me after watching The Red Turtle, aspects of the narrative were indecipherable to me. What’s more, I felt little desire to dissect the narrative. Despite having a number of confounding fantastical sequences in an otherwise realistic tale of survival, I was content to let the feelings from Michael Dudok De Wit’s images wash over me like the waves that kept him confined to his deserted island. Although one could speculate on deeper meanings and practical explanation, I found the beauty of The Red Turtle to lie in the emotions evoked by the atmosphere of the imagery, even when the film seems makes little realistic sense.

Catfight Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Sandra Oh, Anne Heche, Alicia Silverstone
• Director: Onur Tukel
• Format: Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region A/1 
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Not Rated
• Studio: Dark Sky Films
• Release Date: April 25, 2017
• Run Time: 95 minutes

        Catfight is a film determined to follow through on the promise of the title, though somehow manages to complicate a simple premise with the uneven elements of social satire in the world beyond the main characters engaged in battle. At the center of the story may be a conflict between two former college friends that repeatedly results in violence, but filmmaker Onur Tukel is never satisfied with focusing on these characters between the fistfights. Instead, much of the movie becomes preoccupied with the world they live in, including too many unnecessary characters and odd elements which often make it unclear whether this is a satire of modern times or a prediction of where we will be in the near future. 

The Marine 5: Battleground Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Mike Mizanin
• Director: James Nunn
• Disc Format: AC-3, Dolby, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: French, Portuguese, Czech, German, Russian, Estonian, Finnish, Swedish, Polish, Arabic, Latvian, Italian, Korean, Dutch, Mandarin Chinese, Norwegian, Hungarian, Romanian, Thai, English, Spanish, Danish, Turkish, Greek, Lithuanian
• Dubbed: French, Portuguese, German
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Rated: R
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• Release Date: April 25, 2017
• Run Time: 91 minutes

        The title Marine of The Marine franchise has remained the same for the last three of the five movies, but even with a familiar character returning, these films often feel like ordinary scripts that have repurposed to become the next installment. There is rarely any connection in the storyline beyond the returning main character with a military background, this time even removing him from the job he is known for. I suppose titling the film The Former Marine is not as catchy, and it is actually somewhat of a relief that the latest entry has simplified the narrative.

Release Set for Wes Anderson's New Film

Fox Searchlight has announced the release date for the upcoming film ISLE OF DOGS, directed by Wes Anderson. Check out the cast list on the first poster released.

ISLE OF DOGS hits theaters everywhere on April 20, 2018.

ISLE OF DOGS Official Channels

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Punching Henry Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Henry Phillips, J.K. Simmons, Ashley Johnson, Sarah Silverman
• Director: Gregori Viens
• Disc Format: Dolby, NTSC, THX, Widescreen
• Language: English (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1)
• Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired: English
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Rated: Not Rated
• Studio: Well Go USA
• Release Date: April 18, 2017
• Run Time: 94 minutes

        Part cynical satire of celebrity and the shallowness of the entertainment industry, part true-to-life depiction of the life of a struggling artist, Punching Henry is the opposite of a feel-good comedy. Stand-up comedy has a long history of celebrating self-deprecating humor, and Henry Phillips simply takes this idea into a feature film role as he essentially just plays himself. It is somewhat like watching a stand-up comic’s set being played out in script form, which is somehow less satisfying as one might expect. That is not to say that there isn’t humor in the depressing exploits of the traveling comic troubadour, but the funniest part of the film is when he puts down the guitar at the end of the film and makes jokes about the torturous events that we have endured in the narrative.

A Cowgirl’s Story DVD Review

• Actors: Bailee Madison, Chloe Lukasiak, Pat Boone, Aidan Alexander, Froy Gutierrez
• Director: Timothy Armstrong
• Disc Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Subtitles: French, English, Spanish
• Region: Region 1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: April 18, 2017
• Run Time: 98 minutes

        Filmmaker Timothy Armstrong has an odd preoccupation with films about young girls and competitive horseback riding, with A Cowgirl’s Story being his third entry into the genre. Reuniting with the star of his 2012 feature, Cowgirls ‘n Angels, Armstrong piles a typical saccharine story with an extra dose of patriotism and faith-based melodrama, nearly to the point of eliminating horseback riding from the film altogether. While some undiscerning pre-teen girls may find the film mildly diverting, there is hardly a redeeming moment in within A Cowgirl’s Story for any intelligent viewer.

Mad Families DVD Review

• Actors: Charlie Sheen, Leah Remini
• Director: Fred Wolf
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Subtitles: French, English
• Region: Region 1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Not Rated
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: April 11, 2017
• Run Time: 89 minutes

        Mad Families relies wholly upon an unrealistic scenario of coincidence for its plot, lazily treating the feature film as though it were a forgettable episode of a poorly written sitcom. This is somewhat fitting, considering how much of the cast is made up of television actors in obvious need of a payday. But even these fading stars of the small screen deserve better than writer/director Fred Wolf has to offer, a man whose crowning achievement was writing the screenplay for the Grown Ups movies and directing the straight-to-video sequel to Joe Dirt.

Isolation DVD Review

• Actors: Dominic Purcell, Luke Mably, Marie Avgeropoulos, Tricia Helfer, Stephen Lang
• Director: Shane Dax Taylor
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R
• Studio: LIONSGATE
• DVD Release Date: June 20, 2017
• Run Time: 94 minutes

        After sitting on the shelf for several years, this 2015 action thriller has finally been given a release on VOD and through an exclusive Walmart DVD release. Isolation is home invasion horror mixed with a tourists-in-peril thriller, though it is ultimately as bland as a Lifetime movie, which is fitting considering how many TV actors make up the cast. Watchable as the film may be, it offers no surprises and very little excitement beyond the opportunity to see these beautiful actors in different roles.

We Don’t Belong Here DVD Review

• Actors: Catherine Keener, Anton Yelchin, Kaitlyn Dever, Riley Keough, Annie Starke
• Director: Peer Pedersen
• Producers: Annelise Dekker, Adam Gibbs, Michael Kristoff, Roger Pugliese
• Disc Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Subtitles: French, Portuguese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Thai, Spanish, English
• Dubbed: French
• Region: Region 1 
• Rated: R
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: April 4, 2017
• Run Time: 89 minutes

        Dysfunctional family films tend to work a lot better if there is at least one character to ground the extremeness of the rest. While We Don’t Belong Here does afford the film one family member not suffering from a traumatic past, addiction, or mental illness, but it also happens to be the most inconsequential of characters. Even more troubling is the film’s overall lack of direction, mistaking scenes of quirky character traits as an adequate replacement for plot. The characters may be well developed and played by talented actors, which make it even more of a shame that filmmaker Peer Pedersen doesn’t know what to do with them.

Youth in Oregon DVD Review

• Actors: Nicola Peltz, Christina Applegate, Billy Crudup, Josh Lucas, Frank Langella
• Director: Joel Moore
• Disc Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Subtitles: French, English, Spanish
• Region: Region 1
• Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Not Rated
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: April 4, 2017
• Run Time: 99 minutes

        Despite a bold subject matter that I can’t recall seeing addressed in previous films, Youth in Oregon still manages to end up feeling overly familiar and slightly derivative. Even with the choice to tackle a controversial topic, much of Youth in Oregon is by-the-numbers independent filmmaking. All of the usual tropes are dragged out, from family dysfunction to a revelatory road trip, and none are nearly as successful as they should be with a cast of this caliber.

War on Everyone Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Alexander Skarsgård, Michael Peña, Theo James
• Director: John Michael McDonagh
• Disc Format: AC-3, Color, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: Spanish
• Region: Region A/1 
• Rated: R
• Studio: Lionsgate
• Release Date: April 11, 2017
• Run Time: 98 minutes

        War on Everyone tries to be Bad Lieutenant meets Bad Boys, which ends up being both an asset and fault. Although the dirty cop genre is certainly lightened up by the buddy cop formula, nearly everything about the film feels noncommittal while still being overwhelmingly derivative. Unlike the period throwback of last year’s The Nice Guys, War on Everyone only has stylistic references to 1970s action, while remaining in modern times. The violence, while often unabashedly immoral, is never shocking enough to match the level of attitude contained in John Michael McDonagh’s dialogue, resulting in a film that is more bark than bite. And had any other director attempted this, it may have felt less empty, but expectations have been raised for McDonagh after the success of his first two features.

Planet Earth II 4K Ultra HD Review

• Actors:  David Attenborough
• Disc Format: 4K
• Number of discs: 3
• Studio: BBC Home Entertainment
• Release Date: March 28, 2017
• Run Time: 360 minutes

        When the original “Planet Earth” series aired in 2006, it amazed audiences and brought nature documentaries into mainstream popularity. The project took 40 camera teams shooting at over 200 different locations for more than five years, resulting in some of the most amazing nature photography that had ever been captured to film. Much of the success of the show came from the high definition camera equipment and the extreme efforts of the crews, which was displayed in brief making-of features at the end of each episode. While some things have changed in the making of “Planet Earth II,” including about half the number of episodes, the advances in cinematic technology continue to benefit the show. “Planet Earth” had high definition, but “Planet Earth II” has ultra-high definition, best seen in this 4K Blu-ray release.

20th Century Women Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Annette Bening, Elle Fanning, Greta Gerwig, Lucas Jade Zumann, Billy Crudup
• Director: Mike Mills
• Disc 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: March 28, 2017
• Run Time: 118 minutes

        In part, 20^th Century Women is a coming-of-age tale. It is also a period examination of feminism in the 1970s, a story of the relationship between mother and son, and a contemplation on the necessity and simultaneous criticism of masculinity. 20^th Century Women is only able to be all of these things because of the ensemble casting and an Academy Award-nominated screenplay by filmmaker Mike Mills, which does a careful balancing act that often feels like a precarious tight-rope walk. Although expertly constructed and easy to admire from a technical perspective, I did find myself longing for the emotional simplicity of Mills’ previous work.

Arsenal Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, Adrian Grenier, Johnathon Schaech, Lydia Hull
• Director: Steven C. Miller
• Disc Format: NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region A/1
• 
  
• Rated: R
• Studio: LIONSGATE
• Release Date: March 28, 2017
• Run Time: 92 minutes

        Inconsistent is the best word to describe Arsenal, the latest low-budget crime thriller from director Steven C. Miller. The overly simplistic screenplay is peppered with cliché characters and bad dialogue, saved only occasionally by seasoned actors who seem to be slumming it in low budget filmmaking, either out of desperation or simple disregard for good taste. The rest of the cast is not talented enough to handle the poorly written words, leaving questions about either Miller’s ability to direct actors or the casting director’s judgment. The film is also inconsistent in visual style, spending a large amount of effort and money on a flashy climactic piece of violent action, while other areas of the film look as though they were hurriedly shot by an amateur filmmaker.

Ali and Nino DVD Review

• Actors: Adam Bakri, María Valverde
• Director: Asif Kapadia
• Format: Color, NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Not Rated
• Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO
• DVD Release Date: March 21, 2017
• Run Time: 101 minutes

    There is something very old fashioned about Ali and Nino, Asif Kapadia’s sprawling epic based on the true star-crossed romance between a Muslim Azerbaijani man and a Christian woman from Georgia during World War I. This classic style of filmmaking could have been nostalgic, but instead ends up feeling a bit stale. Though there was certainly potential for inserting modern relevance into the story, especially given the unity between Christian and Muslim characters, Kapadia’s film stays tied to the past in a way that is almost obtuse.

Sing 4K Ultra HD Review

• Actors: Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton
• Director: Garth Jennings
• Format: 4K
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), French (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: French, Spanish, English
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Rated: PG
• Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
• Release Date: March 21, 2017
• Digital Copy Expiration Date: May 2, 2018

        After the success of Zootopia, I am not surprised to see a sudden increase in animal-based animation, specifically ones in which they act just like humans. In fact, though there are many jokes about the characteristics of certain animals (Rosita the pig is a mother to a litter of 25 piglets, Johnny the gorilla comes from a family of thugs) or played against expectations (Mike the mouse is confidently arrogant despite his size), this film could easily have been done with human characters. This is where the fun of animation comes into play, imagining a world where animals act like humans just like Zootopia did with a buddy cop narrative. Where Sing differs is with the musical element, essentially playing out like an animated animal film version of “The Voice.”

Solace Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Anthony Hopkins, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Abbie Cornish, Colin Farrell, Matt Gerald
• Director: Afonso Poyart
• Disc Format: NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region A/1 
• Rated: 
   R
• Studio: LIONSGATE
• Release Date: March 14, 2017
• Run Time: 102 minutes

        Although there are slightly supernatural elements to the narrative, much of Solace is a by-the-numbers serial killer film. There are serious well-meaning law enforcement agents, a sadistic killer who believes his murders are somehow justified and possibly even righteous, all leading to an inevitable showdown between good and evil. There is very little that is new to be found in Solace, often so derivatively similar to a slew of the same movies that followed the success of David Fincher’s Se7en that one might be mistaken in thinking it was made in the 1990s if it weren’t for the age of the recognizable cast members.

100 Streets Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Idris Elba, Gemma Arterton, Ryan Gage
• Director: Jim O'Hanlon
• Disc Format: AC-3, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region A/1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Not Rated
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• Release Date: March 7, 2017
• Run Time: 94 minutes

        In a tired formula hindered further by emotional manipulation and melodrama, 100 Streets is a frustratingly pedestrian take on the interconnecting lives of several unrelated characters living in a square mile of London. While the opportunity for representing diversity in a small section of a metropolis city is available, the narrative in Leon F. Butler’s screenplay instead prefers contrivances resembling soap opera material. Even a solid cast can’t save the film from feeling like a bad Crash rip-off, never coming close to the casual ease with which Robert Altman utilized this story structure.