Flatliners 4K UHD Review

Director ‏ : ‎ Joel Schumacher
Actors ‏ : ‎ Kimberly Scott, Julia Roberts, Kiefer Sutherland, Hope Davis, William Baldwin
Media Format ‏ : ‎ Anamorphic, NTSC, Surround Sound, Widescreen
Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 54 minutes
Studio ‏ : ‎ Arrow Video
MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
Release date ‏ : ‎ August 2, 2022

After the gore-soaked horror films of the 1980s, which were more often interested in base entertainment above all else, Flatliners was an intelligent alternative to start off the 1990s. Rather than scenes focused on creative ways for characters to die, Flatliners asked questions about what happens after death. Directed by Joel Schumacher (St. Elmo's Fire, The Lost Boys), Flatliners is a psychological thriller that takes its time to build suspense and develop characters before attempting to frighten the audience with scenes of the supernatural. More than questions about death, Flatliners explores the choices we make in life and the consequences that they can have.

Jurassic World Dominion Blu-ray Giveaway Contest

THE MASSIVE BLOCKBUSTER CONCLUSION TO THE JURASSIC WORLD TRILOGY JUST GOT BIGGER WITH AN ALL-NEW EXTENDED EDITION BLU-RAY, FEATURING 14 EXTRA MINUTES OF THE FILM, AN ALTERNATE OPENING, MORE ACTION AND MORE DINOSAURS

Two worlds collide as the epic saga that began with Jurassic Parkcomes to a grand conclusion in JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION.Directed by Colin Trevorrow and executive-produced by Steven Spielberg, the director of the first two Jurassic Parkfilms, JURASSICWORLD DOMINION takes place fouryearsafter Isla Nublar’s destructionwhendinosaurs roam the Earth again. Facing the cataclysmic consequences of a planet once again dominated by prehistoric predators, two generations of Jurassic heroes unite as doctors Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), Ian Malcolm(Jeff Goldblum) and Alan Grant (Sam Neill) return to join Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) and Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) for an incredible adventure that will determine the destiny of humans and dinosaurs once and for all.

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The Righteous Blu-ray Review

Director ‏ : ‎ Mark O'Brien
Actors ‏ : ‎ Henry Czerny, Mark O'Brien, Mayko Nguyen
Media Format ‏ : ‎ Anamorphic, NTSC, Surround Sound, Widescreen
Studio ‏ : ‎ Arrow Video
Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ Canada
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 37 minutes
Release date ‏ : ‎ July 19, 2022

The Canadian psychological thriller The Righteous isn’t so much frightening as it is a suspenseful meditation on faith and religion, which is what leads me to believe filmmaker Mark O'Brien was likely inspired by the work of Ingmar Bergman. There are also many narrative similarities to Carl Theodor Dreyer’s 1955 film, Ordet. While these are admirable reference points, they may not be solid selling points for the average modern film viewers, who often expect a bit more clarity and spectacle. But for those who enjoy thoughtful and ambiguous cinema, The Righteous may be a welcome relief from dumbed-down Hollywood blockbusters and entries into shared cinematic universes.

The Lost City 4K UHD Review

Director ‏ : ‎ Adam Nee, Aaron Nee
Actors ‏ : ‎ Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Brad Pitt
Studio ‏ : ‎ PARAMOUNT
Media Format ‏ : ‎ 4K Ultra HD
Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)
Release date ‏ : ‎ July 26, 2022

There is something refreshing about seeing a blockbuster can still exist without being a part of a larger franchise or cinematic universe. For that reason, I was fully in support of The Lost City, even if the final product felt somewhat lazily constructed. Even with some fun adventure, The Lost City mostly feels formulaically reliant on the worst the romantic comedy has to offer. Star power is what moves the narrative forward, and audience enjoyment mostly depends on how much the audience likes the cast members. Unfortunately, even liking Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum as individuals did little to convince me of their chemistry together. And the film needed much more from Brad Pitt’s character, who has always been underutilized as a comedic actor.

Hell High Blu-ray Review

Director ‏ : ‎ Douglas Grossman
Actors ‏ : ‎ Maureen Mooney, Christopher Stryker, Christopher Cousins
Media Format ‏ : ‎ Anamorphic, NTSC, Widescreen
Studio ‏ : ‎ Arrow Video
MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 24 minutes
Release date ‏ : ‎ July 19, 2022

Hell High is a unique horror movie combining elements from multiple sub-genres. There is an inciting incident often seen in the creation of a slasher monster, but this doesn’t occur until decades later when a home invasion and attempted assault triggers a rape revenge narrative. And the home invaders also wear masks often associated with the slasher genre, making it difficult to categorize this film down. It is difficult to pin down who the victim and who the villain is, and that is part of what makes Hell High a fascinating enigma, if not a particularly great film.

God Told Me To 4K Ultra HD Review

Director ‏ : ‎ Larry Cohen
Actors ‏ : ‎ Richard Lynch, Tony Lo Bianco, Sandy Dennis, Sylvia Sidney, Deborah Raffin
Media Format ‏ : ‎ Anamorphic, NTSC, Widescreen, Surround Sound
Studio ‏ : ‎ Blue Underground
MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 2
Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 30 minutes
Release date ‏ : ‎ July 19, 2022

In the 1960s Time Magazine released two issues discussing the end of religion, including a bold cover that asked the infamous question “Is God Dead?” Moving into the 1970s, there was a surge in alternate religions including The Church of Satan and several pagan movements. As a result, there are multiple horror movies released in the ‘70s which are centered on these themes of religion. Controversial director Larry Cohen (It’s Alive, The Stuff) joined the conversation with God Told Me To, a movie that begins as police procedural and slowly becomes a descent into madness and religious paranoia.

Downton Abbey: A New Era Blu-ray Review

Director: Simon Curtis
Actors ‏ : ‎ Hugh Bonneville, Jim Carter, Michelle Dockery, Elizabeth McGovern, Maggie Smith
Producers ‏ : ‎ Gareth Neame, Julian Fellowes, Liz Trubridge
Writers ‏ : ‎ Julian Fellowes
Studio ‏ : ‎ Universal Pictures Home Entertainment New Release
MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ UK
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 2
Run time ‏ : ‎ 125 minutes
Release date ‏ : ‎ July 5, 2022

When Downton Abbey began airing in 2010, it became a surprise hit amongst audiences. Audiences eagerly awaited new episodes of the historical drama set on the fictional Yorkshire country estate of Downton Abbey during the early 20^th century without the need for action or excitement. While there was some spectacle in the setting and immaculate period clothing, Downton Abbey’s primary selling point was the characters and the slow-burn development of relationships. As the show ended, fans had a feature film to look forward to, and three years later we have the follow-up with Downton Abbey: A New Era. Although the sequel film doesn’t break much new ground, despite the title, it is a welcome return and an excuse to spend more time with beloved characters.

One-Armed Boxer Blu-ray Review

Director ‏ : ‎ Jimmy Wang Yu
Actors ‏ : ‎ Jimmy Wang Yu, Yeh Tien, Hsin Tang
Media Format ‏ : ‎ Anamorphic, NTSC, Widescreen
Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 33 minutes
Studio ‏ : ‎ Arrow Video
Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ Hong Kong
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1

Release date ‏ : ‎ May 24, 2022

After starring in the highly successful One-Armed Swordsman (1967) at Shaw Brothers Studios, Jimmy Wang Yu transitioned to directing. Although he initially made films for Shaw Brothers, including The Chinese Boxer (1970), Yu left the studio to make films for Golden Harvest, a rival studio formed by veteran Shaw Brothers film producers Raymond Chow and Leonard Ho. Golden Harvest may be best known for producing Bruce Lee’s films, but they had their first major success with this kung fu classic.

Ip Man: The Awakening Blu-ray Review

Director ‏ : ‎ Li Xijie Adam, Zhang Zhulin
Actors ‏ : ‎ Xie Miao, Hou Tongjiang, Hua Qilong, Chen Guanying, Zhao Yuxuan
Studio ‏ : ‎ Well Go Usa
Media Format ‏ : ‎ Widescreen
Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 17 minutes
MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
Release date ‏ : ‎ June 21, 2022

Following Donnie Yen’s successful portrayal of Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man, there have been seemingly endless imitations and additional portrayals of the martial arts master best known for teaching Bruce Lee. Many of these have been unrelated to the series starring Yen, but still attempt to capitalize on its success. Ip Man: The Awakening is a perfect example, having no connection to the previous film series and made by mainland China while the Yen films were Hong Kong productions. Although the title suggests it is a prequel of sorts and there are stylistic similarities, Ip Man: The Awakening is something of a cheap knock-off.

The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue Blu-ray Review

Director ‏ : ‎ Jorge Grau
Actors ‏ : ‎ Ray Lovelock, Christine Galbo, Arthur Kennedy
Media Format ‏ : ‎ Anamorphic, NTSC, Surround Sound, Widescreen
Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 33 minutes
Studio ‏ : ‎ Synapse Films
Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
Release date ‏ : ‎ June 7, 2022

When George A. Romero brought the zombies into the modern era with a revision of the monster’s characteristics, the horror sub-genre was popularized in countless other countries. Long before Shaun of the Dead, The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue was set in England, a Spanish/Italian horror movie with clear influence from popular American zombie narratives. While it doesn’t stand up in comparison to some of the great zombie films, The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue has a place in the sub-genre’s history.

Hostile Territory Blu-ray Review

MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
Package Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.74 x 5.35 x 0.44 inches; 2.4 Ounces
Director ‏ : ‎ Brian Presley
Media Format ‏ : ‎ Widescreen
Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 35 minutes
Release date ‏ : ‎ June 14, 2022
Actors ‏ : ‎ Brian Presley, Craig Tate, Natalie Whittle, Matt McCoy, Brad Leland
Studio ‏ : ‎ Well Go Usa
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09X7DHTTT
Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1

Hostile Territory is a strange film, combining the type of saccharine sensibility often seen in faith-based films with violence expected from the western genre. If the filmmaking weren’t so clumsy, it may have worked. Instead, this is a film of good intentions and awful execution.

Last Passenger Blu-ray Review

Director ‏ : ‎ Omid Nooshin
Actors ‏ : ‎ Dougray Scott, Kara Tointon
Media Format ‏ : ‎ Anamorphic
Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 36 minutes
Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English
Studio ‏ : ‎ Cohen Media Group
MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
Release date ‏ : ‎ June 14, 2022

Sometimes action movies and thrillers can over-complicate the plot to the point that the elements audiences expect from the genre take back seat. Last Passenger goes the opposite way, providing plenty of thrills in a simplistic story. Perhaps it is a bit too simple because the end comes without any real answers to the villain’s motivations. Although I appreciate the direct approach and the effectiveness of the suspense, the entire endeavor feels a little pointless without any twist or revelation past the second act.

Row 19 Blu-ray Review

Director ‏ : ‎ Alexander Babaev
Actors ‏ : ‎ Svetlana Ivanova, Marta Kessler Timofeeva, Wolfgang Cerny, Ekaterina Vilkova, Anatoly Kot
Media Format ‏ : ‎ Subtitled, Widescreen
Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 18 minutes
Studio ‏ : ‎ Well Go Usa
MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
Release date ‏ : ‎ May 31, 2022

Given the global pushback with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, I imagine there will be a break in the importing of entertainment from the country. And if Row 19 is any indicator of the type of releases to come from Russia in the near future, we won’t be missing much. As with many of the Russian exports, Row 19 is a genre film with a generic storyline and sub-par CGI effects. At best, the supernatural horror movie feels like a “Twilight Zone” episode bloated to feature length.

Wild Things 4K UHD Review

Director ‏ : ‎ John McNaughton
Actors ‏ : ‎ Neve Campbell, Denise Richards, Matt Dillon, Kevin Bacon, Theresa Russell
Media Format ‏ : ‎ 4K
Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 55 minutes
Studio ‏ : ‎ Arrow Video
Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
Release date ‏ : ‎ May 24, 2022

Wild Things was edgy and controversial when it was released in the late 1990s, though it is fairly tame by today’s standards. Although the reasons Wild Things was successful on initial release don’t pack the same punch, it does hold up as a campy take on the film noir genre. There are more twists than the plot seems capable of containing, until it almost becomes predictable. Kevin Bacon called the screenplay "the trashiest thing he had ever read" before becoming an executive producer and agreeing to co-star, highlighting the way exploitative elements were celebrated from the beginning.

Umma Blu-ray Review

Director ‏ : ‎ Iris Shim
Actors ‏ : ‎ Sandra Oh, Fivel Stewart, Dermot Mulroney, Odeya Rush, MeeWha Lee
Dubbed: ‏ : ‎ Thai, Portuguese, French, Spanish
Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ Thai, Korean, English, Portuguese, French, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Indonesian
Producers ‏ : ‎ Sam Raimi, Zainab Azizi
Studio ‏ : ‎ Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)
Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
Media Format ‏ : ‎ Blu-ray, Digital_copy, Subtitled
Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 23 minutes
Release date ‏ : ‎ May 24, 2022

Korean culture has had an increased presence in Hollywood since the monumental Academy Award win of Parasite. Along with the importing of South Korean films, American movies have had increased representation, including award-winner Minari and the Apple TV+ series “Pachinko.” Umma brings Korean representation to the horror genre, though it is light on both a revealing depiction of Asian culture and effectively frightening sequences. With themes similar to The Babadook and imagery resembling countless other ghost stories, Umma fails to add anything new to the conversation beyond its representation.

Girls Nite Out Blu-ray Review

Director ‏ : ‎ Robert Deubel
Actors ‏ : ‎ Julia Montgomery, Hal Holbrook, James Carroll, Rutanya Alda
Media Format ‏ : ‎ NTSC, Widescreen
Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 36 minutes
Studio ‏ : ‎ Arrow Video
MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
Release date ‏ : ‎ May 17, 2022

After multiple title changes, even following an initial release as The Scaremaker in 1982, the college-set slasher Girls Nite Out was released in 1983 with questionable grammar. The intention to mislead audiences into believing the horror film was full of sexually explicit content was clear, though Girls Nite Out is actually quite tame for the genre. Although the film’s resistance to exploiting the bodies of its young female stars can be commended, the mildness of the slasher violence is likely to disappoint.

Robocop 4K UHD Blu-ray Review

Director ‏ : ‎ Paul Verhoeven
Actors ‏ : ‎ Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Daniel O'Herlihy, Ronny Cox, Kurtwood Smith
Media Format ‏ : ‎ Anamorphic, NTSC, Surround Sound, Widescreen
Studio ‏ : ‎ Arrow Video
MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 43 minutes
Release date ‏ : ‎ April 12, 2022

Robocop is the kind of movie that makes me nostalgic for the 1980s, with bold filmmaking less concerned with reaching the broadest possible audience than blockbusters of the modern era. Director Paul Verhoeven pushed the boundaries of what would even be considered acceptable for an R-rated film, while the 2014 remake of Robocop was safely contained in a PG-13 rating. Beyond the edginess of this 1987 sci-fi action film, Robocop is a marvelous display of technical prowess in filmmaking. The practical effects remain impressive 35 years later, and the satirical elements of the story still have relevance today.

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