Jiang Ziya Blu-ray Review

 

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• Director : Teng Cheng, Wei Li
• Actors : Zheng Xi, Yang Ning, Tute Hameng
• Media Format : Dolby, Surround Sound, Widescreen
• Run time : 1 hour and 50 minutes
• Aspect Ratio : 2.35:1
• MPAA rating : (Not Rated)
• Subtitles: : English, Mandarin Chinese
• Language : Mandarin Chinese (DTS 5.1), English (DTS 5.1)
• Studio : Well Go Usa
• Release date : February 9, 2021

         Prior to the release of Ne Zha, I had little experience with Chinese animation, more familiar with the more commonly distributed Japanese and French variety. Ne Zha was distinctly Chinese in the adaption of a classic folk legend, but it was also widely distributed with broad appeal. It also follows the recently popular trend of Hollywood, creating a shared cinematic universe for a series of animated films, with the second being Jiang Ziya.

 

Come Play Blu-ray Review

 

• Director : Jacob Chase
• Writers : Jacob Chase
• Producers : Andrew Rona, Alex Heineman
• Actors : Gillian Jacobs, John Gallagher, Jr., Azhy Robertson, Winslow Fegley
• Media Format : Digital_copy, NTSC, Subtitled
• Subtitles: : French Canadian, Spanish
• Language : English (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1), French Canadian (DTS 5.1), Spanish (DTS 5.1)
• Studio : Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
• Aspect Ratio : 2.39:1
• MPAA rating : PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)
• Run time : 1 hour and 37 minutes
• Release date : January 26, 2021
• Number of discs : 1

 

        Prior to the pandemic, there were a few rising trends in the themes of American horror films. Along with the rise in occult and witchcraft narratives, we saw an increased anxiety over society’s dependence on technology and social media. Some of these films involve the supernatural, as seems to be the case in the Unfriended franchise, or an addition to the previously mentioned witchcraft subgenre, like Friend Request. Even the supernatural serial killer doll Chucky was reinvented as a smart device with disabled safety features. The terror comes from social media, apps (Countdown), or in the case of Come Play, the devices themselves.

 

Synchronic Blu-ray Review

 

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• Director : Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead
• Actors : Anthony Mackie, Jamie Dornan, Katie Aselton
• Media Format : Dolby, Surround Sound, Widescreen
• Run time : 1 hour and 41 minutes
• Release date : January 26, 2021
• MPAA rating : R (Restricted)
• Studio : Well Go Usa
• Number of discs : 1

 

        The news that indi filmmakers Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead have just been hired as directors for a new Marvel show on Disney Plus shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who has seen Synchronic, particularly after having followed the progression of their career prior to their latest low budget science fiction thriller. There are distinct differences in their latest film, most notably being the casting of name actors and an unambiguous sci-fi premise. This is easily their most accessible film, and at times it feels like a calling card to Hollywood to prove that it is possible to make Christopher Nolan films with a fraction of the budget and half the plot holes.

 

Max Cloud Blu-ray Review

 

• Director : Martin Owen
• Actors : Scott Adkins, Tommy Flanagan, John Hannah, Lashana Lynch
• Aspect Ratio : 2.35:1
• MPAA rating : Not Rated
• Media Format : Dolby, Surround Sound, Widescreen
• Run time : 1 hour and 29 minutes
• Release date : January 19, 2021
• Language : English (DTS 5.1)
• Studio : Well Go Usa

 

         Campiness used to be a kind way to justify the enjoyment of poor filmmaking, but now it is an intentional stylistic choice. Max Cloud is so over-the-top that one hopes it to be an example of the latter, but the intention of the campiness does not equate to quality or enjoyment of it. And it does not equate to originality, which this film has little of. The budget is obviously low, but it doesn’t take a lot of money for halfway decent humor.

 

Love and Monsters 4K Ultra HD Review

 

• MPAA rating : PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)
• Media Format : Widescreen, 4K
• Run time : 1 hour and 48 minutes
• Release date : January 5, 2021
• Actors : Dylan O'Brien, Michael Rooker, Ariana Greenblatt
• Studio : PARAMOUNT
• Number of discs : 2

 

         You might think that a film about an apocalypse which forces all of humanity underground would be relatable during the current pandemic, but Love and Monsters has themes that ultimately feel tone deaf. Fortunately, this is not the type of film that demands deep analysis. Even if the message of getting out in the world and taking some risks doesn’t perfectly align with the current climate, we can all use this type of escapist entertainment. Derivative and predictable as it may be, Love and Monsters is an easy view during a time when everything seems more difficult than it should be.

 

Honest Thief Blu-ray Review

 

• Director : Mark Williams
• Writers : Steve Allrich, Mark Williams
• Producers : Mark Williams, Myles Nestel, Tai Duncan, Craig Chapman
• Actors : Liam Neeson, Kate Walsh, Robert Patrick, Anthony Ramos, Jeffrey Donovan
• Run time : 1 hour and 40 minutes
• Release date : December 29, 2020
• Subtitles: : Spanish
• Language : English (DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1), English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Studio : Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
• Number of discs : 2

 

         It is always interesting to watch an actor lean into the persona that they have become famous for, but I find it absolutely fascinating when an actor seems to reinvent the type of roles they are known for when they have a success that revives a career that is waning. It isn’t that Liam Neeson didn’t play tough guys prior to Taken, but he was probably better known for his intimate romance and drama. What is interesting about Honest Thief is that it promises a premise from Neeson’s recent filmography, while allowing him to play a character with softer sides that resemble older roles. Unfortunately, little else about the film is deserving of being called interesting, even if it serves as passable entertainment if you stumble on it streaming in a few years.

 

Possessor: Uncut Blu-ray Review

 

• Director : Brandon Cronenberg
• Media Format : Dolby, Surround Sound, Widescreen
• Run time : 1 hour and 44 minutes
• Release date : December 8, 2020
• Actors : Christopher Abbott, Andrea Riseborough, Rossif Sutherland, Tuppence Middleton, Sean Bean
• Studio : Well Go USA

 

         It must be difficult living in the shadow of a legend. I imagine the instinct would be to avoid comparisons, to choose another line of work, or at least vary in approach. Brandon Cronenberg not only chose to become a filmmaker, with Possessor he has made a movie that feels like the descendant of some of David Cronenberg’s best. As a director, Brandon has proved his value, though I found myself questioning the screenplay’s follow-through on an undeniably creative sci-fi premise. The movie seems to devolve into splatter horror, though never with enough insight into character motivation for this to feel like much more than shock value. While Possessor may have style and precise filmmaking, I question the value of the storytelling.

 

Peninsula Blu-ray Review

 

• Aspect Ratio : 2.35:1
• MPAA rating :  (Not Rated)
• Director : Yeon Sang-Ho
• Media Format : Dolby, Subtitled, Surround Sound, Widescreen
• Run time : 1 hour and 56 minutes
• Release date : November 24, 2020
• Actors : Gang Dong-won, Lee Jung-hyun, John. D Micheals
• Subtitles: : English
• Language : English (Dolby Digital 5.1), Korean (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Studio : Well Go Usa

 

          It wasn’t until nearly two decades after Night of the Living Dead that George A. Romero returned to the zombie genre with his first follow-up in the franchise, Dawn of the Dead. As such, the series did not continue with any specific human characters (which would have been difficult anyway, given the bleak lack of survivors), but instead traced the progression of the zombie apocalypse as an allegory for something larger. While the follow-up to hit South Korean zombie film, Train to Busan, follows the same model of continuing the narrative, it lacks the impact of Romero’s shifting social relevance. Instead, Peninsula feels more like the traditional sequel, capitalizing on the success of the last film rather than evolving from it.

 

Hosts DVD Review

 

• Media Format : NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Run time : 1 hour and 29 minutes
• Release date : November 10, 2020
• Actors : Lee Hunter, Neal Ward, Frank Jakeman
• Studio : Dark Sky Films
• ASIN : B08FP5V34H
• Number of discs : 1

 

        Mood and atmosphere can be crucial with lower budget horror filmmaking, especially when making up for shortcomings in other areas. Hosts understands this well, with a few truly horrifying moments that are executed with an understanding of how to make the budget work for you. And for these brief moments, I commend Hosts. Unfortunately, nearly every aspect of the storytelling beyond the atmosphere and moments of violence fail to impress. In fact, while some elements of the film are stellar, others are equally unimpressive.

 

Cut Throat City Blu-ray Review

 

• Aspect Ratio : 2.35:1
• MPAA rating : R (Restricted)
• Director : Rza
• Media Format : Dolby, Widescreen
• Run time : 2 hours and 3 minutes
• Release date : October 20, 2020
• Actors : Shameik Moore, Demetrius Shipp Jr., Denzel Whitaker, Keean Johnson
• Language : English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Studio : Well Go Usa
• Number of discs : 2

 

         Social relevance showing up in genre filmmaking is far from new, though it has taken on additional significance in the current cultural climate in America. We have seen this in the increase of female representation in action-oriented genres, including the announcement that the next 007 will be a woman. Similarly, racial representation within Hollywood has taken some clear strides in recent years, which is why she is also black. Because of this, it is equally unsurprising to see RZA integrating these themes into his latest film. Unfortunately, these themes often get lost in a convoluted plot that can’t seem to decide what genre it belongs to or what it wants to say. In terms of representation, Cut Throat City wins, even though it fails at some basic aspects of storytelling.

 

Broil Blu-ray Review

 

• MPAA rating : (Not Rated)
• Director : Edward Drake
• Media Format : Dolby, NTSC, Surround Sound, Widescreen
• Run time : 1 hour and 31 minutes
• Release date : October 13, 2020
• Actors : Jonathan Lipnicki, Avery Konrad, Timothy V. Murphy, Lochlyn Munro, Catherine Lough Haggquist
• Studio : Well Go Usa
• Number of discs : 1

 

         Family-driven terror has been showing up more frequently in the horror genre in recent years, but not in the expected ways. Rather than having a family invaded or attacked by an outside force, we are now seeing the threat come within the family more regularly. These films show us husband against wife (The Invisible Man), parent against child (Mom and Dad), child against parent (Brightburn), among others. This has been especially true of occult narratives such as Hereditary and Ready or Not, and at first it appears as though Broil would fit into this category as well.

 

American Pie Presents Girls’ Rules DVD Review

 

• Aspect Ratio : 1.78:1
• MPAA rating : R (Restricted)
• Director : Mike Elliott
• Media Format : NTSC, Subtitled
• Run time : 1 hour and 36 minutes
• Release date : October 6, 2020
• Actors : Madison Pettis, Lizze Broadway, Natasha Behnam, Piper Curda, Darren Barnet
• Subtitles: : Japanese, Spanish, Thai
• Producers : Karen Gorodetzky, Abbey Lessanu, Joseph P. Genier, Mike Elliott
• Language : English (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Studio : Universal Pictures Home Entertainment

 

         The entertainment industry has always reflected the ideology of the times, adjusting as society changes their common belief systems. When this occurs sincerely, audiences feel their views being represented equally and accurately, but then there are times that filmmakers and studios are merely capitalizing on the trendy movements. Despite the obvious attempt by the American Pie franchise to become ‘woke’ with the female-led Girls’ Rules, it feels like a blatant attempt at pandering to audiences for a quick profit. It doesn’t feel the least bit sincere, and it is a shaky balancing act continuing a sexually exploitative narrative without offending the female sex. While this is done by shifting a vast majority of the objectification onto the male characters in a vengeful interpretation of modern feminism, even that feels contrived coming from a male director and his two male screenwriters.

 

The Secret: Dare to Dream Blu-ray Review

 

• MPAA rating : PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Director : Andy Tennant
• Media Format : Digital_copy, NTSC
• Release date : September 22, 2020
• Actors : Katie Holmes, Josh Lucas, Jerry O'Connell, Celia Weston, Katrina Begin
• Studio : Artisan / Lionsgate
• ASIN : B08CJV1XQR
• Number of discs : 1

 

        Any time a film is associated with a philosophy, religion, or self-help book, the filmmakers seem to have an exceedingly difficult time with subtlety. The agenda of selling the audience members on the belief system that the narrative is focused on often becomes more important than the narrative or other filmmaking elements. With The Secret: Dare to Dream, we are immediately assaulted with the source material being referenced in the form of a cumbersome title. But while this film is a far cry from being a memorable romantic comedy, audiences could do a lot worse in these days of bad Netflix teen romances, Lifetime movies, and the yearly bombardment of faith-based films released in the spring.

 

Invincible Dragon Blu-ray Review

 

• Director : Fruit Chan
• Disc Format : Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Run time : 99 min
• Release date : October 6, 2020
• Actors : Jin Zhang, Anderson Silva, Kevin Cheng, Annie Liu, Stephy Tang
• Subtitles: : English
• Language : Cantonese (DTS 5.1)
• Studio : Well Go USA

 

         I don’t think it comes as any surprise that the main reason audiences tend to watch martial arts films are the action sequences. There is a reason that these films have a tradition of implementing action directors, as well as a primary director of the entire production, and that is not for consideration of plot or character development. Invincible Dragon has two action directors, likely responsible for the film’s greatest asset, but it also has a plot as focused on a mystery as it is kicking ass. If only the screenplay and direction by Fruit Chan (Dumplings) was as consistent as the action choreography, this Chinese martial arts-mystery would have been highly watchable. As it stands, the successful moments of martial arts fighting are enveloped by the tonally inconsistent narrative that surrounds them.

 

The Legend of Tomiris Blu-ray Review

 

• Aspect Ratio : 2.35:1
• MPAA rating : Not Rated
• Product Dimensions : 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 8.32 Ounces
• Director : Akan Satayev
• Media Format : Subtitled
• Release date : September 29, 2020
• Subtitles: : English
• Language : Russian (DTS 5.1), Russian (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Studio : Well Go USA

         After the onslaught of media coverage about the live-action Mulan film released by Disney, from marketing material to the controversy over the film itself, it is not entirely surprising that this female warrior was my first thought upon watching The Legend of Tomiris. While nowhere near as well-covered as the criticisms of Mulan have been, several nations have taken issue with the content in The Legend of Tomiris as well. However, while the issues of Mulan have much more to do with production and the politics of cast members, the issues with The Legend of Tomiris have more to do with the actual content of the narrative. And this would make sense, as this film is based on an actual historical figure, while Hua Mulan has long thought to have been a fictional character.

 

The Trip to Greece Blu-ray Review

 

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• Actors: Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon
• Director: Michael Winterbottom
• Format: Subtitled, Widescreen
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: 
   NR 
   Not Rated
• Studio: IFC Independent Film
• Release Date: August 25, 2020
• Run Time: 104 minutes

 

         In a scene near the end of The Trip to Greece, Rob Brydon remarks that it has been ten years since the first trip he took with friend and adversary, Steve Coogan. This is surprising to Coogan, as it may also be to audience members that have been following their journeys to beautiful scenery and expensive meals. The breezy irreverence often seems to main selling point of the series, which sets the dramatic character development behind overlong scenes of competing celebrity impressions and two men never afraid to talk with their mouths full, if it means they get to hog the spotlight. That this is the supposed last installment in the franchise doesn’t bring with it the promise of any grand revelations or resolutions, but simply another serving of the same.

 

How to Build a Girl Blu-ray Review

 

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• Actors: Beanie Feldstein, Alfie Allen
• Director: Coky Giedroyc
• Format: Subtitled, Widescreen
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: 
   R 
   Restricted
• Studio: IFC Independent Film
• DVD Release Date: August 11, 2020
• Run Time: 104 minutes

 

        How to Build a Girl feels like watching an entire TV series in fast-forward. The character arcs and development may make sense in real-time, but as movie, we watch a shy and awkward 16-year-old turn into a completely different person in less time than a montage would take. Perhaps if the film actually took place over a longer period of time, it would only be an issue of poor screenplay adaptation and sloppy editing, but since she remains 16 for the entirety, there is also the unsavory inclusion of her explicit sexual awakening with older men. However progressively feminist the narrative may be, there is nothing particularly enjoyable about watching an underage girl allow herself to be exploited in a misguided pursuit of liberation.

 

A Dog’s Courage Blu-ray Review

 

• Actors: Doh Kyung-soo, Park So-dam
• Director: Oh Sung-yoon
• Format: Subtitled, Dolby, Surround Sound, Widescreen
• Language: English (DTS 5.1), Korean (DTS 5.1)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region A/1 
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: 
   NR 
   Not Rated
• Studio: Well Go Usa
• Release Date: August 18, 2020
• Run Time: 102 minutes
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         There is a universality to animation which has otherwise been lost since the arrival of sound in film. It doesn’t matter what nation made the film when we are watching are constructed images; the common act of amorphization often meaning there are even fewer ways of distinguishing culture, and Disney long ago proved that cultural appropriation can be an effective tool. With a quick redubbing by voice actors in each language, it can be easy for an animated film to be accepted as essentially nationless. A Dog’s Courage (translated as Underdog from the original South Korean title), on the other hand, provides a narrative that is distinct in its representation of a precise place, however universal the overlaying canine storyline may be.