The Swindlers Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Hyun Bin, Yoo Ji-tae, Bae Seong-woo
• Director: Jang Chang-Won
• Disc Format: Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Surround Sound, Widescreen
• Language: Korean
• Region: Region A/1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: 
   NR 
   Not Rated
• Studio: Well Go Usa
• Release Date: July 30, 2019
• Run Time: 117 minutes

        I almost feel bad for modern South Korean filmmakers. This generation is following one of the most innovative and prolific in the nation’s entire cinematic history, and many of the latest endeavors simply pale in comparison. The Swindlers is a perfect example of how South Korean cinema has learned from the successes of Hollywood, while also retaining very distinct national themes (revenge narratives are common across multiple genres). There is no difference between the way that Chang-Won Jang adopts the Ocean’s 11/Now You See Me/The Italian Job formula for Korean audiences and how Chan-Wook Park did the same with 90s thrillers (specifically Fincher films, The Game and Se7en) for his iconic ‘Vengeance Trilogy’ (Oldboy being the most influential in the West), other than the familiarity with this structure and the quality of the films imitated. The reason I feel bad for Jang is the same that I felt bad for every Tarantino-hack in the late 90s, but it isn’t enough to make The Swindlers a more memorable film.

Buster Keaton Collection: Volume 2 Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Buster Keaton, Kathryn McGuire, Ward Crane, Frederick Vroom, Joseph Keaton
• Directors: Buster Keaton, Donald Crisp
• Writers: Jean C. Havez, Joseph A. Mitchell, Clyde Bruckman
• Producers: Buster Keaton, Joseph M. Schenck
• Disc Format: NTSC
• Language: English (DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0), English (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1)
• Region: Region A/1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: 
   NR 
   Not Rated
• DVD Release Date: July 9, 2019
• Run Time: 111 minutes

        Buster Keaton’s most remembered and technically accomplished feature films is, without a doubt, The General (featured in Volume 1 of the Buster Keaton Collection). If we are talking about innovation within the medium, however, few films have contributed quite so much as the accomplished Sherlock Jr., which is featured in Volume 2 alongside The Navigator, which displays Keaton’s endless creativity with slapstick and comedic timing. Sherlock Jr. is not only a great early slapstick film, it is one of the first films to really expand on the potential discovered in Georges Méliès’ ‘magic show’ shorts.

Master Z: Ip Man Legacy Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Michelle Yeoh, Tony Jaa, Dave Bautista, Max Zhang
• Disc Format: Dolby, HiFi Sound, Subtitled, Surround Sound, Widescreen
• Dubbed: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: 
   NR 
   Not Rated
• Studio: Well Go Usa
• Release Date: July 23, 2019
• Run Time: 107 minutes

        There were so many diverging plots in Ip Man 3, one would be forgiven for forgetting the place Cheung Tin Chi (Max Zhang) has in the series, despite his being given the first spin-off film in the franchise. With that being said, Master Z: Ip Man Legacy lives up to its name, and earns the honor of carrying ‘Ip Man’ in the title, despite his complete absence in physical presence from the film. For those eager for the upcoming Ip Man 4, Master Z is a welcome deviation in the meantime.

The Intruder DVD Review

• Actors: Dennis Quaid, Michael Ealy, Meagan Good, Joseph Sikora
• Director: Deon Taylor
• Format: NTSC, Subtitled
• Language: English
• Subtitles: Thai, Mandarin Chinese, Korean, English, French, Spanish, Vietnamese, English
• Dubbed: French, Spanish
• Audio Description: English
• Region: Region 1 
• Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: 
   PG-13 
   Parents Strongly Cautioned
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: July 30, 2019
• Digital Copy Expiration Date: December 31, 2020 
• Run Time: 102 minutes

        When a horror film’s social or political subtext becomes more important than the logic of the narrative and the characters within it, it is somewhat like being able to see behind the curtain. The surface narrative of horror should be strong enough to support the themes, not the other way around. While The Intruder is clearly playing upon some real American fears, with an aggressive white landowner as the villain against a newly arrived/assimilated black couple, it does so with zero subtlety and consistently illogical behavior written into each character as a lazy way of moving the story (and its racially-driven themes) forward. Taking the home invasion narrative away from the post-9/11 terrorist anxieties and replacing it with fears of white nationalists refusing to surrender ‘their’ America to the minorities they consider to be ‘less American,’ all that The Intruder is missing is a good film to go with its themes (ones already visited in the last installment of The Purge franchise).

Breakthrough Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Chrissy Metz, Topher Grace, Josh Lucas, Mike Colter, Rebecca Staab
• Director: Roxann Dawson
• Disc Format: Blu-ray
• Language: English
• Dubbed: French, Spanish
• Region: Region A/1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: 
   PG 
   Parental Guidance Suggested
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• Release Date: July 16, 2019

American faith-based films love their child-in-peril narratives like no other, with the possible exception of underdog sports stories. They also love cherry-picking the ones in which the child recovers despite all medical professionals predicting otherwise, making them films more interested in encouraging the belief in miracles than a need for faith itself. In other words, American Christian-made movies tend to celebrate wish-fulfillment rather than faith in God’s plan, leaving audience members having suffered real loss with unsavory questions about why their faith wasn’t rewarded in the same way. Breakthrough almost addresses this troubling question through the filter of the central survivor, but quickly sacrifices it for easily digestible messages of inspiration and repaired relationship.

Swing Kids Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Jared Grimes, Doh Kyung-Soo, Park Hye-Su
• Director: Kang Hyoung-Chul
• Disc Format: Dolby, Subtitled, Surround Sound, Widescreen
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: 
   NR 
   Not Rated
• Studio: Well Go USA
• Release Date: June 18, 2019
• Run Time: 133 minutes

   When I heard the title of the 2018 South Korean musical, Swing Kids, my first thoughts were of the 1993 American film with the same name. Despite both being backstage musicals set during wartime, I assumed that similarities would end there and the re-used title was merely a coincidence rather than a reference. Though it may be true that the filmmaker did not directly intend to make a connection between the two films, the similarities are also impossible to ignore. Swing Kids (’93) is a film about German youths attempting to grow up and enjoy ordinary lives appreciating swing music during an era of the Nazi regime and war that was anything but ordinary. Similarly, Swing Time (2018) is about a group of people finding simple pleasures in dance during wartime. Even more remarkably, while Swing Kids (’93) is an American film with German protagonists, Swing Kids (2018) is a South Korean film with North Korean characters as the primary focus. Most importantly, both films (along with the French Joyeux Noel) celebrate the empathetic powers of music and artistic expression during wartime, specifically considering those on the opposite side from the country in which the film is made.

Furie Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Veronica Ngo, Cat Vy
• Director: Le-Van Kiet
• Disc Format: Dolby, Subtitled, Surround Sound, Widescreen
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (DTS 5.1)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region A/1 
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: 
   NR 
   Not Rated
• Studio: Well Go USA
• Release Date: June 25, 2019
• Run Time: 98 minutes

        Americans notoriously avoid foreign films. The sad reality is that even those deemed the best of all imported cinema (subjectively determined by year-end lists and awards), are often ignored by a large majority of audiences in this country. The rare exception of a financially successful foreign film is often completely distanced from the idea of what wins awards, and tends to exist within a familiar genre convention. In the past, horror fans have flocked to the notoriously gruesome offerings of different cultures, but I have noticed the genre most influenced by foreign markets in recent years has been the action/martial arts movie. Ironically, while Furie’s major selling point is the casting of a Vietnamese actress already successful in Hollywood (Veronica Ngo from Star Wars: The Last Jedi), it is a film that will likely be an introduction to Vietnamese action for most in Hollywood. And for many it will be the first Vietnamese film they have seen; in fact, it was the first ever to be released theatrically in the United States, in any genre.

Between the Lines Blu-ray Review

• Actors: John Heard, Lindsay Crouse, Jeff Goldblum, Jill Eikenberry, Bruno Kirby
• Director: Joan Micklin Silver
• Writers: Fred Barron, David Helpern
• Producer: Raphael D. Silver
• Format: NTSC
• Language: English (PCM Mono)
• Region: Region A/1 
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: 
   R 
   Restricted
• Studio: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
• Release Date: June 18, 2019
• Run Time: 102 minutes

        Between the Lines feels as though it must have had its finger on the pulse of the counter-culture movement of the seventies, while simultaneously serving as an awkward reminder of how much even the liberals and progressives of that time were politically incorrect by today’s standards. The film follows a group of employees working at an alternative newspaper in Boston which is on the verge of a buyout from a major publishing company. Leaning heavily on the idea that selling out means a lack of integrity, Between the Lines feels laughably dated in its sensibilities (which would have been completely dismissed had the film been made a few years later, in the 1980s), but even worse is the awful treatment of female characters amidst the illusion of ‘free love.’ Sadder yet is the fact that this incredibly misogynistic film was directed by the rare female director.

Us 4K Ultra HD Review

• Actors: Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker
• Director: Jordan Peele
• Format: 4K, NTSC, Subtitled
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Subtitles: French Canadian, Spanish
• Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired: English
• Region: Region A/1 
• Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: 
   R 
   Restricted
• Studio: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
• Release Date: June 18, 2019
• Run Time: 117 minutes

Hype is a dangerous thing in the entertainment industry. One way this can take form is when fans have expectations set from previous success. Just ask any fans of “Game of Thrones” what they thought about the final season, and you will get a taste of the effects of this. No matter what the medium, following up an initial success is always a difficult task. The greater the success, the harder the task of following it up will be, so Jordan Peele was taking something of a risk when he decided to return right to the horror genre after the Academy-Award-nominated Get Out.

Captain Marvel Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson
• Directors: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
• Disc Format: Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0), English (DTS-HD High Res Audio), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
• Region: Region A/1 
• Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: 
   PG-13 
   Parents Strongly Cautioned
• Studio: MARVEL
• Release Date: June 11, 2019
• Run Time: 124 minutes

Captain Marvel marked the arrival of the first female-led superhero film from Marvel Studios, a fact that would have been far more impactful if it weren’t for that other superhero franchise getting there first and the fact that it took Marvel so many years (and sooo many movies) to finally release one themselves. The film itself, with some distance from its theatrical release, is likely to be best remembered for the petty online bickering between its star and internet trolls (from which neither emerged looking great) rather than any content in the movie itself. This seems especially true now that Avengers: Endgame has made Captain Marvel’s contributions to the franchise almost inconsequential, save a cheesy female-pride sequence during its final battle.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World 4K Ultra HD Review

• Actors: Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler, Jonah Hill
• Directors: Dean DeBlois
• Writers: Dean DeBlois
• Producers: Bradford Lewis, Bonnie Arnold
• Format: 4K, NTSC, Subtitled
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Subtitles: French Canadian, Spanish
• Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired: English
• Region: Region A/1 (Read more about DVD/Blu-ray formats.)
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: 
   PG 
   Parental Guidance Suggested
• Studio: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: May 21, 2019
• Run Time: 104 minutes

        As rare as a non-Disney/Pixar animated success story is in Hollywood, it is not surprising that those which are successful inevitably parlay it into additional films. How to Train Your Dragon first captured the attention of audiences in 2010 (released by Paramount Pictures), followed by a sequel in 2014 (released by 20^th Century Fox), with the final installation being this year’s How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (released by Universal Pictures). With a fitting close to the story of Hiccup and Toothless (the most unlikely of hero names) found in the last chapter of the trilogy, it looks as though Dreamworks is in the market for a new animation franchise to compete with.

4DX Review: Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Godzilla is a franchise larger than life (both in terms of the title character and the breadth of films made with the iconic daikaiju-hero), and this makes the largeness of the spectacle something special in the right format. This could not be truer of Godzilla: King of the Monsters, which has a collection of monsters to behold, as homage to the original Toho Studio films that the Legendary has adopted into their “MonsterVerse” (Kong is absent from this one, to be seen in a show-off teased during this film’s post-credit sequence), including King Ghidorah, Rodan, and Mothra.  Along with the integration of additional giant monsters from the Japanese counterpart, the film cleverly includes the use of the original weapon used to destroy Godzilla in the classic 1954 film

4DX Review: John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum

Part of the excitement of a new cinematic format is the discovery of its potential, and these are often dependent on the creativity and innovation of their use. With 4DX, part of the expansion of limits comes with the choice of films to pair the technology with. Before attending a screening of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum in 4DX, it occurred to me that four out of the four films I had previously seen in the format had belonged to the superhero genre. This is certainly due in part to the tendency to utilize the format with high-profile Blockbusters, and the industry’s simultaneous obsession with the ever-profitable comic-book-adaptation franchises. Whatever the reason, I had already spent a great deal of time in the moving seats of 4DX theaters as they simulated flight, underwater exploration, and spider-web swinging. In John Wick 3, I found an entirely different experience; one that was much more grounded, even to the point that the practice of being thrown to the ground was repeatedly simulated.

Glass 4K Ultra HD Review

• Actors: James McAvoy, Bruce Willis, Anya Taylor-Joy, Sarah Paulson, Samuel L. Jackson
• Director: M. Night Shyamalan
• Writer: M. Night Shyamalan
• Producers: M. Night Shyamalan, Jason Blum, Marc Bienstock, Ashwin Rajan
• Disc Format: 4K, NTSC, Subtitled
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: French, Spanish, English
• Region: Region A/1 
• Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: 
   PG-13 
   Parents Strongly Cautioned
• Studio: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: April 16, 2019
• Run Time: 129 minutes

        Unbreakable was somewhat of a disappointing film for audiences, especially after the extreme success M. Night Shyamalan saw with The Sixth Sense. Looking back now, it is clear that Unbreakable was ahead of it’s time, but the conclusion in Glass feels equally dated and unnecessary. This may have something to do with the 19-year-gap between the films, not to mention the onslaught of superhero films that have saturated the market in the meantime.

Welcome to Marwen Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Steve Carell, Leslie Mann, Diane Kruger, Merritt Wever, Janelle Monae
• Director: Robert Zemeckis
• Writers: Robert Zemeckis, Caroline Thompson
• Producers: Robert Zemeckis, Jack Rapke, Steve Starkey, Cherylanne Martin
• Disc Format: NTSC, Subtitled
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby TrueHD 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: French, Spanish, English
• Region: Region A/1 
• Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: 
   PG-13 
   Parents Strongly Cautioned
• Studio: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
• Release Date: April 9, 2019
• Run Time: 116 minutes

        It is strange to see Steve Carell in a film as contrived and emotionally manipulative as Welcome to Marwen in the same year that he made Beautiful Boy. Both are based on true stories and deal with sincere pain, and somehow Welcome to Marwen still feels like it was thought up by a studio executive capitalizing on someone else’s suffering. No matter how much Carell has been able to make odd characters loveable onscreen in the past, Marwen’s Mark Hogancamp mostly just made me uncomfortable.

The Great Buster: A Celebration Blu-ray Review

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• Director: Peter Bogdanovich
• Disc Format: NTSC
• Number of discs: 1
• Studio: Cohen Media Group
• DVD Release Date: April 2, 2019
• Run Time: 101 minutes

        Peter Bogdanovich has repeatedly proven his interest in film history through the subject choices in his narrative films (Nickelodeon, The Cat’s Meow), but fascination turns to adoration in The Great Buster: A Celebration. The film celebrates (as the title implies) one of silent film’s greatest stars, Buster Keaton. Bogdonavich clearly has a passion for the subject, and it is contagious, but the documentary may be better titled “An Introduction” rather than “A Celebration.” In other words, die-hard fans of Keaton are likely to be disappointed by the rudimentary nature of much of the information provided by the film.

I Like Scary Movies: Interactive Art Installation Opens in LA

For many people, scary movies are more than just something to watch near Halloween. As dedicated as the sci-fi and fantasy fans are, I would argue that the true horror fans still win out, which is why it is fitting that Ultra Productions has paired with Warner Bros. Consumer Products to bring a unique horror film experience to Los Angeles. Open now (as of April 4^th), The I Love Scary Movies Experience is located on the second floor of The Desmond and will run through June 16^th.

Choose Your Format: Captain Marvel

Deciding whether or not to watch a movie in theaters is only the first of many choices audience members now have, especially when it comes to the blockbuster releases. Which theater chain, where to sit, and what to snack on remain choices that have long existed, but now audiences have multiple options in regards to the actual presentation of the film. In an effort to help audience members make the best choice, we will discuss the specifics of each available option for Captain Marvel.

       

Second Act Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Jennifer Lopez, Leah Remini, Vanessa Hudgens, Treat Williams, Milo Ventimiglia
• Director: Peter Segal
• Writers: Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Justin Zackham
• Producers: Jennifer Lopez, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Justin Zackham, Benny Medina
• Disc Format: NTSC, Subtitled
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1)
• Subtitles: Spanish, English
• Region: Region A/1 
• Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: 
   PG-13 
   Parents Strongly Cautioned
• Studio: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
• Release Date: March 26, 2019
• Run Time: 103 minutes

        Second Act earned a certain amount of respect from me, but that had more to do with film history and marketing choices than the quality of the movie itself. Although the promotional material sold the film as a comedy about class differences, there are plot twists that quickly veer the narrative into more melodramatic territory. And I don’t use the word melodrama as an insult, but rather as the genre which was popularized in the 1940s, primarily dealing with stories of motherly love and loss. Sadly, Second Act is the rare exception of a film that doesn’t spoil these reveals in the trailers.

Mortal Engines 4K Ultra HD Review

• Actors: Hugo Weaving, Hera Hilmar, Robert Sheehan, Jihae, Ronan Raftery
• Director: Christian Rivers
• Writers: Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens
• Producers: Zane Weiner, Amanda Walker, Deborah Forte, Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson
• Disc Format: NTSC, Subtitled
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: French, Spanish, English
• Region: Region A/1 
• Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
• Rated: 
   PG-13 
   Parents Strongly Cautioned
• Studio: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
• Release Date: March 12, 2019
• Run Time: 129 minutes

        Just in case anyone was asking for a landlocked version of Waterworld, Mortal Engines released into theaters with the odd expectations that there was an audience for this film. A big-budget theatrical experience if ever there was one (shown in 3D, IMAX and the usual perks offered to those willing to watch it on the big screen), Mortal Engines has all of the pieces to make up a blockbuster, except one. There is an apocalyptic sci-fi storyline (which has proven successful in multiple franchises), action, humor, romance, and plenty of special effects. The only thing missing was audience interest.