Drive Ultra HD Review

Director ‏ : ‎ Steve Wang
Actors ‏ : ‎ Mark Dacascos, Kadeem Hardison, John Pyper-Ferguson, Brittany Murphy, Tracey Walter

Enjoyment of Drive will dependent entirely on the viewer’s appreciation of good fight choreography and tolerance for a derivative narrative. Released straight-to-video in the late 1990s, Drive wasn’t trying to reinvent the buddy action comedy as much as it was capitalizing on the success of the sub-genre. At the same time, the fight scenes in the film are often better than a majority of the theatrically released films from the decade, and certainly more impressive than the CGI-laden action dominating movies today. It may not be a masterpiece, but Drive is hidden gem sure to be appreciated by fans of action.

Beast Blu-ray Review

Actors ‏ : ‎ Idris Elba, Sharlto Copley
Studio ‏ : ‎ Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 2
MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
Run time ‏ : ‎ 93 minutes
Release date ‏ : ‎ October 11, 2022

On one hand, the fact that the movie industry is moving away from using actual animals as a part of the filming process must be seen as progress. On the other hand, the computer-generated effects used to create the lions in Beast lack believability, which diminishes the effectiveness of the film’s suspense. This is not to say that Beast should have taken the approach of films from the past, but there is no ignoring the fact that it may have made for a more exciting film.

Outlander: Season Six Blu-ray Review

Actors ‏ : ‎ Caitriona Balfe, Sam Heughan, Sophie Skelton, Richard Rankin, Mark Jones
Producers ‏ : ‎ Michael O'Halloran, Michael Wilson, Elicia Bessette, Sam Heughan, Caitriona Balfe
Studio ‏ : ‎ Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Dubbed: ‏ : ‎ French
Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English, French
Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.78:1
MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 4
Media Format ‏ : ‎ Blu-ray, Digital_copy, Subtitled
Run time ‏ : ‎ 8 hours and 48 minutes
Release date ‏ : ‎ September 20, 2022

“Outlander” is a historical drama series based on the novel series by Diana Gabaldon, which has been a remarkable success for Starz since its premiere season in 2014. The show developed by Ronald D. Moore follows a former WWII military nurse named Claire Randall (Caitríona Balfe) as she is mysteriously whisked from 1945 back in time to 1793, leaving behind her unhappy marriage for a romance with Highland warrior Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan). Despite bouncing back and forth between time periods, this romance remains the central focus of “Outlander.”

Massacre at Central High Blu-ray Review

Director ‏ : ‎ Renee Daalder
Actors ‏ : ‎ Robert Carradine, Kimberly Beck, Andrew Stevens, Derrel Maury
Media Format ‏ : ‎ Anamorphic, NTSC, Widescreen
Distributer ‏ : ‎ Synapse Films
MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 28 minutes
Release date ‏ : ‎ September 13, 2022

Although the title sounds like a slasher film, the killer of Massacre at Central High is never a mystery to anyone, audience included. Instead, the film plays out like an after-school special about bullying with excessive violence and nudity. You can almost imagine how it could be remade today as a heavy drama in the same vein as We Need to Talk About Kevin, but is instead an odd mix of camp and self-serious teen melodrama in this 1976 release. Even though the film approaches the narrative more realistically than a slasher, there is nothing remotely believable about Massacre at Central High.

Preman: Silent Fury Blu-ray Review

Director ‏ : ‎ Randolph Zaini
Actors ‏ : ‎ Khiva Iskak, Muzakki Ramdhan, Kiki Narendra, Paul Agusta, Gilbert Pattiruhu
Media Format ‏ : ‎ Subtitled, Widescreen
Studio ‏ : ‎ Well Go Usa
MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ Indonesia
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 32 minutes
Release date ‏ : ‎ September 27, 2022

Often it is more significant what the protagonist does in an action film, rather than what they say. For this reason, the hero being deaf in Preman: Silent Fury allows for the emphasis to remain on the action elements. For much of the buildup, the protagonist is a silent observer, until he decides to make his stance known through violence. This is a wonderful setup for an action movie, but it is unfortunately let down by the execution of Preman’s narrative.

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris Blu-ray Review

Director ‏ : ‎ Anthony Fabian
Actors ‏ : ‎ Lesley Manville, Isabelle Huppert, Lambert Wilson, Alba Baptista, Lucas Bravo
Producers ‏ : ‎ Anthony Fabian, Xavier Marchand, Guillaume Benski
Writers ‏ : ‎ Carroll Cartwright, Anthony Fabian, Keith Thompson, Olivia Hetreed
Media Format ‏ : ‎ NTSC, Digital_copy
Studio ‏ : ‎ Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 56 minutes
Release date ‏ : ‎ September 6, 2022

I’m torn when it comes to Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, like the seam of a well-worn piece of clothing. On one hand, narratives with older female protagonists are rarely found onscreen and its mere existence is deserving of some praise. On the other hand, I found myself longing for more nuance and depth in the story itself. Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris is good-natured enough and has a solid message, not to mention spectacular production design, but every moment felt a little too predictable and contrived. I wish the feel-good moments had been better earned with a screenplay as detail oriented as the film’s performances and costumes.

Symphony For a Massacre Blu-ray Review

Director ‏ : ‎ Jacques Deray
Actors ‏ : ‎ Jean Rochefort, Michel Auclair, Charles Vanel, Jose Giovanni, Claude Dauphin
Media Format ‏ : ‎ Anamorphic
Studio ‏ : ‎ Cohen Media Group
MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ France
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 50 minutes
Release date ‏ : ‎ August 30, 2022

Symphony For a Massacre is an early 1960s French film noir that has all the seedy pleasure of the American counterparts, though it takes its time to unravel them. It is a sophisticated film about the cruel violence of men willing to betray their allies for a price. The simplicity of the storyline is what makes it so effective, and also provides director Jacques Deray plenty of time to build the suspense and outline the methods of betrayal with intricate details.

The Burned Barns Blu-ray Review

Director ‏ : ‎ Jean Chapot
Actors ‏ : ‎ Alain Delon, Simone Signoret, Miou-Miou
Studio ‏ : ‎ Cohen Media Group
Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.66:1
MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ France
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 38 minutes
Release date ‏ : ‎ August 23, 2022

The setup for The Burned Barns promises a provincial murder mystery and police procedural following the investigation into the crime. While it does trace the inquiry of a judge into those who may be involved, the film remains more focused on how this investigation affects a slightly dysfunctional family living on a farm near where the body is discovered. Despite solid acting, The Burned Barns is somewhat disappointing in its refusal to supply the audience with expected elements of a murder mystery. The investigation holds some interest, which is all but dissolved by the unsatisfying resolution. As a character study, the film is adequate. As a murder mystery, it is a failure, regardless of the pedigree of the cast.

Flying Guillotine Part II Blu-ray Review

Director ‏ : ‎ Cheng Kang, Hua Shan
Actors ‏ : ‎ Feng Ku, Hung Wei, Chung Wang, Locke Hua Liu
Studio ‏ : ‎ 88 Films
Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ Hong Kong
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
Media Format ‏ : ‎ Anamorphic, Widescreen, NTSC
Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 32 minutes
Release date ‏ : ‎ August 9, 2022

Quentin Tarantino lists Flying Guillotine as one of his favorite films, and its influence can be seen elsewhere as well. Along with inspiring a 2012 remake of the movie, there were multiple sequels released in Hong Kong during the 1970s. The first and most recognizable of these was Flying Guillotine Part II, also released as Palace Carnage. This film directed by Cheng Kang and Hua Shan brought back characters from the first film for a new conflict, and plenty more decapitations.

Sniper: Rogue Mission Blu-ray Review

Director ‏ : ‎ Oliver Thompson
Actors ‏ : ‎ Chad Collins, Ryan Robbins, Sayaka Akimoto, Brendan Sexton III, Josh Brener
Producers ‏ : ‎ Bay Dariz
Studio ‏ : ‎ Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Dubbed: ‏ : ‎ French
Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ Dutch, Norwegian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovene, Thai, Romanian, Arabic, Finnish, Russian, Mandarin Chinese, Danish, German, Italian, Korean, Swedish, Latvian, Estonian, English, Portuguese, Polish, Lithuanian, French, Greek, Spanish, Slovak
Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.78:1
MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 36 minutes
Release date ‏ : ‎ August 16, 2022

The Sniper franchise is one of the properties that never seems to die, with new films continually released whether audiences want them or not. There have been many ways to keep the film series alive, with or without the original protagonist Thomas Beckett (Tom Berenger). Even with Berenger often reprising his role, the series has shifted to focus on his son Gunnery Sergeant Brandon Beckett (Chad Michael Collins) in recent installments. Honestly, it doesn’t really matter all that much. Even with characters connecting the films, the storylines have rarely required audiences to be familiar with the events of past films.

Jurassic World Dominion 4K UHD Review

Director ‏ : ‎ Colin Trevorrow
Actors ‏ : ‎ Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neill
Writers ‏ : ‎ Emily Carmichael, Colin Trevorrow
Producers ‏ : ‎ Frank Marshall, Patrick Crowley, Steven Spielberg
Studio ‏ : ‎ Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Media Format ‏ : ‎ 4K, NTSC
Run time ‏ : ‎ 2 hours and 27 minutes
MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)
Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 2
Release date ‏ : ‎ August 16, 2022

In a recent interview actress DeWanda Wise responded the Jurassic World Dominion receiving some of the poorest reviews of the franchise by saying “You can’t tell me shit,” which may not be the best approach to promoting the film’s release on Blu-ray and 4K. Director Colin Trevorrow made the wiser decision to herald the

extended edition as the superior cut of the film, suggesting those

unimpressed with the theatrical cut would better enjoy a longer

version. While the extended edition doesn’t do much to improve the

faults of the film, it does have a few impressive sequences likely to

be enjoyed by those who were fans of final installment of the

Jurassic World franchise.

Baby Assassins Blu-ray Review

Director ‏ : ‎ Hugo Sakamoto
Actors ‏ : ‎ Akari Takaishi, Saori Izawa, Masanori Mimoto, Mone Akitani, Yasukaze Motomiya
Media Format ‏ : ‎ Subtitled, Widescreen
Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 35 minutes
Studio ‏ : ‎ Well Go Usa
MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
Release date ‏ : ‎ August 16, 2022

If only a film could be judged on the merits of a single scene, Baby Assassins would receive nothing less than stellar praise. For those patient enough to plod through the plotless scenes of forced humor and acting which ranges from over-the-top to underwhelmingly understated, Baby Assassins provides one of the most exciting climactic action scenes in years, highlighted by the action choreography by Kensuke Sonomura.

Running Out of Time Collection Blu-ray Review

Director ‏ : ‎ Johnnie To
Actors ‏ : ‎ Yoyo Mung, Waise Lee, Ruby Wong, Kelly Lin, Ching Wan Lau
Media Format ‏ : ‎ NTSC, Anamorphic, Widescreen
Run time ‏ : ‎ 3 hours and 8 minutes
Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ Hong Kong
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 2
Studio ‏ : ‎ Arrow Video
Release date ‏ : ‎ August 30, 2022

When other directors like John Woo and Ringo Lam took their success to Hollywood in the later part of the 1990s, Johnnie To continued to make and release films in Hong Kong. Two of these were Running Out of Time and Running Out of Time 2, action thrillers following police hostage negotiator Ho Sheung Sang (Lau Whing Wan). Each film is also highlighted by the villains that he must go up against, played by Andy Lau (Infernal Affairs) and Ekin Cheng respectively. Both films play like buddy cop action films, but ones in which the relationship is between combatants rather than partners.

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.

For a chance to win a copy, enter the Real Movie News raffle contest by emailing ryanizay@yahoo.com with your full name. You will be contacted if you are the winner and we will send the Blu-ray to you!

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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.

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