Red Angel Blu-ray Review

 

• Director ‏ : ‎ Yasuzo Masumura
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Ayako Wakao, Shinsuke Ashida, Yusuke Kawazu
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Anamorphic, NTSC, Widescreen
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 35 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ January 18, 2022
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Arrow Video
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ Japan

 

         I wasn’t prepared for the intensity of Red Angel, a 1966 Japanese war film told from the perspective of a dedicated young military nurse. Directed by Yasuzo Masumura (Giants and Toys, Blind Beast), Red Angel may be artistically shot in black-and-white, but the film is grounded by the realism in its depiction of the effects of war. Although there are scenes of military warfare, the action at the center of the film is primarily concerned with the violence of medical operations carried out on the frontline. The other aspect of the film is much more psychologically driven, centering on the impact wartime has on the sexual drives of doomed soldiers.

 

Lies and Deceit: Five Films by Claude Chabrol Blu-ray Review

 

• Director ‏ : ‎ Claude Chabrol
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Anamorphic, NTSC, Widescreen
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 9 hours and 17 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ February 22, 2022
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Isabelle Huppert, Emanuelle Beart, Lucas Belvaux, Francois Cluzet, Stephane Audran
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Arrow Video
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09MSP9DRN
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 5

 

Claude Chabrol began as a film critic for the French film magazine/journal Cahiers du cinema before he got his start as a filmmaker, and his films have always been an intellectual playground because of this. While not as widely celebrated as some of his fellow critics-turned-filmmakers, Chabrol had the ability to blend arthouse sensibilities with genre narratives, often compared to Alfred Hitchcock in his approach and preoccupation with thrillers. The Arrow Video release of Lies and Deceit contains five classics from the French New Wave filmmaker, including Torment, Betty, Madame Bovary, Inspector Lavardin, and Cop Au Vin.

 

Shock Blu-ray Review

 

• Director ‏ : ‎ Mario Bava
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Daria Nicolodi, John Steiner, Ivan Rassimov
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Anamorphic, NTSC, Widescreen
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 35 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ January 18, 2022
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Arrow Video
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ Italy

 

         Mario Bava’s final film was only made with the encouragement of his son, Lamberto Bava, his filmmaker son who helped with the process of writing the screenplay for Shock (and may have had a hand in directing as well). While it isn’t the crowning achievement of his career, Shock was a worthy final film, a hybrid haunted house and possession film with a worthy mystery at the center. 

 

Escape from Mogadishu Blu-ray Review

 

• 
  
• Director ‏ : ‎ Ryoo Seung-Wan
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Kim Yoon-Seok, Zo In-Sung, Huh Joon-Ho, Koo Kyo-Hwan, Kim So-Jin
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Well Go Usa
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Subtitled, Widescreen
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 2 hours and 1 minute
• Release date ‏ : ‎ January 18, 2022
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ South Korea
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
• 
  

         Escape from Mogadishu is a historical thriller set during the Somali Civil War in the early 1990s, as both the North and South Korean embassies lobbying the Somali government for support to be admitted into the United Nations. Although based on a true story, Escape from Mogadishu also relies on tropes expected of genre films, which adds familiarity and excitement to a historical narrative many may not remember. It is also idealistic in nature, which is not necessarily a bad thing for a film traversing the complex relationship between North and South Koreans. In many ways it reminded me of similar South Korean films, such as Joint Security Area and Swing Kids. 

 

See For Me Review

 

Directed by: Randall Okita

Written by: Adam Yorke and Tommy Gushue

Produced by: David Di Brina, Adam Yorke, Matt Code, and Kristy Neville

Cinematographer: Jackson Parrell and Jordan Oram

Edited by: James Vandewater

Starring: Skyler Davenport, Kim Coates, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Pascal Langdale, Joe Pingue, George Tchortov, and Laura Vandervoort

Runtime: 92 mins

 

         Within the home invasion sub-genre, it has become something of a trope to use a victim with an impairment. This was established early on with the blind protagonists in Wait Until Dark (1967) and See No Evil (1971) and has continued with the recent wave of home invasion films including Mischief Night (2013) and Blind (2019). Mike Flanagan also provided a variation on the trope with the hearing-impaired victim of Hush (2016). Often these impairments are a new reality for the protagonist, and the efforts to evade and fight back against the intruders of the home invasion narrative provide opportunity for renewed confidence. Canadian home invasion thriller See For Me predictably follows this formula, though it does so with a few new twists.

 

Only the Animals Blu-ray Review

 

• 
  
• Director ‏ : ‎ Dominik Moll
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Denis Ménochet, Laure Calamy, Danien Bonnard, Nadia Tereszkiewicz, Bastien Boullion
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Cohen Media Group
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Anamorphic
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 57 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ January 4, 2022
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1

 

        Based on Colin Niel’s novel of the same name, Only the Animals (Seules les bêtes) is a simple tale, despite taking place across several countries with various seemingly unrelated characters. Director Dominik Moll keeps the audience in the dark regarding the connection the various storylines have with each other, revealing them only after the tension has been built up. Each piece of the puzzle eventually falls into place in a way that feel inevitable, despite the initial disorienting introduction to each moving part of the narrative.

 

Hell Hath No Fury Blu-ray Review

 

• 
  
• Director ‏ : ‎ Jesse V. Johnson
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Nina Bergman, Daniel Bernhardt, Louis Mandylor, Timothy V. Murphy, Dominiquie Vandenberg
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Subtitled, Widescreen
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 49 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ December 21, 2021
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Well Go Usa
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1

 

         If your requirements for action entertainment go no further than the use of practical effects and stunt work, Hell Hath No Fury will satisfy that. If you demand interesting characters portrayed by capable actors delivering compelling dialogue, best look elsewhere. While there is a somewhat interesting set-up for this clear Quentin Tarantino rip-off, the execution is flawed. Beyond flawed, the narrative feels lazy, almost just as excuse for the mediocre action violence.

 

Copshop Blu-ray Review

 

• 
  
• Director ‏ : ‎ Joe Carnahan
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Gerard Butler, Frank Grillo, Alexis Louder
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ NTSC
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 48 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ December 7, 2021
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 2

 

         For years director Joe Carnahan has been attached to a remake of Indonesian action film, The Raid. In press, he has been insistent that it is a loose remake, because he has no intention of making another film with a raid on a building, having already tackled that premise for Smokin’ Aces. What is confusing to me is why instead of remaking The Raid, Carnahan has made another film about a raid on a building, with a set-up similar to Assault on Precinct 13.

 

Motherly Review

 

Director: Craig David Wallace

Starring: Lora Burke, Tessa Kozma, Kristen MacCulloch

Genres: Suspense, Horror

Language: English

 

        Home invasion narratives have been increasingly popular in the horror genre over the past two decades, especially with lower budget releases like Motherly. This is likely because of the affordability of a film with essentially a single location, and aside from a few flashback sequences, Motherly takes place entirely in an isolated farmhouse. While cost-effective, setting a film in one location places a lot of pressure on the screenplay and performances. Although far from the worst home invasion film (there are a lot of bad ones), Motherly has a script with a predictable twist and too much faith in the child acting central to the narrative.

 

Never Back Down: Revolt Blu-ray Review

 

• Director: Kellie Madison
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Olivia Popica, Michael Bisping, Brooke Johnston, James Faulkner
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Blu-ray, Digital_copy, Subtitled
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 29 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ November 16, 2021
• Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ French, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, English, Korean
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1

 

         The Never Back Down franchise loosely connected its first two sequels by bringing back supporting characters from the original 2008 film, but Never Back Down: Revolt is a sequel in name only. Aside from the film involving an underground fight ring, there is no connection to the other installments in the franchise. Although the latest sequel feels as though it has been updated to consider the current cultural climate, having a female fight club at the center of the storyline is not enough to prevent the formula from feeling stale and predictable.

 

The Emperor’s Sword Blu-ray Review

 

• 
  
• 
  
• Director ‏ : ‎ Yingli Zhang, Haonan Chen
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Fengbin Mu, Yilin Hao, Qihang Zhao, Qin Chu Ming, Ruoyao Pan
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ China
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 33 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ November 9, 2021
• Distributed by ‏ : ‎ Well Go USA
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Subtitled, Widescreen
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1

The wuxia genre has devolved in recent years. While CGI has made it possible to bring more fantastical depictions of classic narratives to screen, this is a double-edged sword that often makes the film feel lifeless. Add to that the new tendency to include sophomoric humor and cute creatures for the younger audience members, and Chinese wuxia begins to look a lot like the Marvel franchise.

 

The Forever Purge Blu-ray Review

 

• Actors ‏ : ‎ Ana de la Reguera, Tenoch Huerta, Cassidy Freeman, Leven Rambin, Josh Lucas
• Director ‏ : ‎ Everardo Valerio Gout
• Writers ‏ : ‎ James DeMonaco
• Producers ‏ : ‎ Jason Blum, Michael Bay, Andrew Form, Brad Fuller
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ NTSC, Digital_copy
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 2
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 44 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ September 28, 2021

         The subtlety of the Purge franchise ended with the decision to release an installment called The Purge: Election Year during an actual election year. Even set in an alternate/future America, there are clear parallels and commentary in each release of the horror film franchise, and The Forever Purge may be the most transparent of the series. With a conservative portion of the population deciding to refuse to follow the established rules of the system in a violent insurrection, it doesn’t take a genius to make the connection to the post-election Capital riots.

 

F9 4K Ultra HD Review

 

• Director ‏ : ‎ Justin Lin
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ 4K, NTSC
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 2 hours and 30 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ September 21, 2021
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges, John Cena
• Producers ‏ : ‎ Neal H. Moritz, Vin Diesel, Justin Lin, Jeffrey Kirschenbaum, Joe Roth
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B097SFHT6W
• Writers ‏ : ‎ Daniel Casey, Justin Lin
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 2

         What has made the Fast and Furious franchise thrive over the years is the ensemble cast of characters and the star power of the actors that played them. You could argue that it is also the over-the-top feats accomplished in cars, but I think F9 is evidence that the cast matters more. Even with the unlikely return of some forgotten characters from the past, it is glaringly apparent that several of the characters both original and added are missing from this installment. Obviously Paul Walker’s passing has left the presence of Brian off-camera, what really feels missing is Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and Shaw (Jason Statham). The resulting film feels off-balance, like a recipe missing ingredients.

 

Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard Blu-ray Review

 

• Actors ‏ : ‎ Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Salma Hayek, Antonio Banderas, Morgan Freeman
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Blu-ray, Digital_copy
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 39 minutes
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
• Release date ‏ : ‎ August 17, 2021
• Audio Description: ‏ : ‎ English
• Dubbed: ‏ : ‎ Spanish
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Lionsgate Home Entertainment
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 2

 

         I wasn’t a fan of The Hitman’s Bodyguard. The humor was crass, immature, and lazy, but at least there was some decent action. Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard has doubled down on all the things that didn’t work in the first film, including jokes best suited for an audience too immature to be admitted into the film without guardian, while simultaneously decreasing the amount and quality of the elements that did work. There is still a decent amount of action, but it often devolves to cartoonish unbelievability. The number of times Ryan Reynolds is run over by a vehicle alone in this movie warrants serious questions about the thought process of the filmmakers.  

 

Little Q Blu-ray Review

 

• 
  
• Director ‏ : ‎ Law Wing Cheong
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Simon Yam, Gigi Leung, Him Law, Charlie Yeung, Shanshan Yuan
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 47 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ August 17, 2021
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Well Go Usa
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)

 

         Being based on a true story often gives a film license to be a bit more melodramatic, and Little Q leans into this. On top of an untraditional structure that seems punctuated by dramatic life events, films involving dogs have endless potential for emotional moments. Following the life of a guide dog from beginning to end, there are more human characters and subplots than expected, not to mention all the anticipated canine moments. While there are some effective moments in the plot, they lack the same impact because of how often Little Q attempts to create an emotional response in the audience.

 

Midnight Diner Blu-ray Review

 

• Director ‏ : ‎ Tony Leung Ka Fei
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Tony Leung Ka Fei, Deng Chao, Eddie Peng, Vision Wei, Joyce Cheng
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎NR (Not Rated)
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 43 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ August 17, 2021
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Well Go Usa

 

         Midnight Diner opens with voiceover letting us know that there are midnight diners in many cities. Anyone familiar with the original manga series the film is based on should be aware of this fact, as there are versions of film and TV adaptations available in Japan, Korea, and China. This latest film adaptation takes place in Shanghai, though the premise remains much the same as it has in every adaptation of Yarō Abe’s internationally popular series. The narrative is highly adaptable because of the episodic structure. While the format allows includes a diner open from midnight to morning, the vignettes are made up in the variety of patrons.

 

Spiral 4K Ultra HD Review

 

• Director ‏ : ‎ Darren Bousman
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Chris Rock, Samuel Jackson, Max Minghella, Marisol Nichols, John Tokatlidis
• Producers ‏ : ‎ Oren Koules, Mark Burg
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Lionsgate Home Entertainment
• MPAA rating ‏ R (Restricted)
• Audio Description: ‏ : ‎ English
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ 4K
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 33 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ July 20, 2021
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 2

 

         Spiral (or Spiral: From the Book of Saw, if you need the full title as indicator of what you are getting into) revives a franchise that distinctly belongs to a sub-genre of horror that has fallen out of favor in recent years. Torture porn had its heyday after 9/11, and the Saw franchise was at the forefront with a sequel nearly every year soon after the first film was a success. We were promised the end with Saw: The Final Chapter in 2010, but that turned out to be untrue when it was revived in 2017 with Jigsaw. Spiral takes the series in a new direction, indicated by a new title and higher caliber cast members than typically found. Unfortunately, beneath the fancy new marketing is just another Saw film, derivative and predictable even with a bit of social relevance added to the formula.