REAL MOVIE NEWS

The Space Between Us Blu-ray Review

Actors: Gary Oldman, Asa Butterfield, Carla Gugino, Britt Robertson, BD Wong
Director: Peter Chelsom
Writer: Allan Loeb
Producer: Richard B. Lewis
Disc Format: Color, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1)
Subtitles: Spanish, English
Region: All Regions
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Rated: PG-13
Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Release Date: May 16, 2017
Digital Copy Expiration Date: May 2, 2018

From the trailer of The Space Between Us, I anticipated an inoffensive (albeit uninspired) movie that would likely appeal to a small demographic of younger teens. What I wasn’t expecting was a film that has absolutely no audience, as the content is questionable for impressionable youths but filled with too many groan-inducing moments for any adult to enjoy. Imagine the polar opposite of an intelligent science fiction film like The Martian (2015) mixed with contrived fish-out-of-water romance elements stolen from Starman (1984) and you may have a chance at anticipating how bad The Space Between Us actually is. I can say without hesitation that this is the worst film I have seen in 2017 thus far, and this is a year that even had a Fifty Shades of Grey sequel.

Fifty Shades Darker Blu-ray Review

Actors: Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Eric Johnson, Rita Ora, Luke Grimes
Director: James Foley
Writer: Niall Leonard
Producers: Michael De Luca, E L James, Dana Brunetti, Marcus Viscidi
Disc Format: Color, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (DTS 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (DTS 5.1)
Subtitles: French, Spanish, English
Region: All Regions
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Rated: Not Rated
Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Release Date: May 9, 2017
Digital Copy Expiration Date: May 2, 2018

They have made it far too easy to bash the Fifty Shades of Grey film franchise, simply by deciding to adapt books that are absolute garbage. The narrative itself is flawed from the very beginning, even more so than the first film. Here’s where reviewing Fifty Shades Darker gets tricky; while the filmmaking has noticeably improved since the first outing, the story being adapted in the second book is even more pointless than the first time around. There is virtually no plot, the characters are poorly developed and often contradictory, and somehow even with increased sex scenes it has become even more blandly forgettable.

The Salesman Blu-ray Review

Actors: Shahab Hosseini, Taraneh Alidoosti, Babak Karimi, Mina Sadati
Director: Asghar Farhadi
Producer: Asghar Farhadi
Format: AC-3, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: Farsi
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Region: Region A/1
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Rated: PG-13
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: May 2, 2017
Run Time: 124 minutes

There are numerous ways to approach thinking about The Salesman, a deceptively simple film from Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi and the winner of Best Foreign film at this year’s Academy Awards. Although resembling a basic revenge narrative, it is also a film that is distinctly Iranian. At the same time, the film comments on the differences between East and West in the depiction of an Iranian stage adaptation of Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman.” But the beauty of Farhadi’s work is not simply that it is a revenge narrative, nor that it has commentary on cultural differences, but in the way that it accomplishes both of these tasks with subtlety and ambiguity. Even as I continue to think about the end, I am constantly faced with shifting certainty about the events in the film and their meaning.

Tunnel DVD Review

Actors: Jung-Woo Ha, Doona Bae, Oh Dal-Su
Director: Kim Seong-Hun
Disc Format: Color, Dolby, NTSC, THX, Widescreen
Language: Korean (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Subtitles: English
Dubbed: English
Region: Region 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Rated: Not Rated
Studio: Well Go USA
DVD Release Date: May 2, 2017
Run Time: 127 minutes

Disaster films are a difficult sub-genre, relying on the effectiveness of filmmaking to build suspense even when the narrative itself rarely offers many surprises. If it is a disaster film about tornados, the audience is anticipating the specific destruction they will bring. Tunnel has an even harder task, limiting the cast and the number of things that can happen in a confined space after a tunnel collapses as our protagonist is driving through it. In fact, only the first portion of the film actually feels like a disaster movie, with much of the run-time being more of a confined survival narrative.

Orange is the New Black: Season Four Blu-ray Review

Actors: Taylor Schilling, Laura Prepon, Kate Mulgrew, Michael Harney, Nick Sandow
Directors: Andrew McCarthy, Constantine Makris, Erin Feeley, Tricia Brock, Uta Briesewitz
Disc Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
Region: Region A/1
Number of discs: 3
Rated: Not Rated
Studio: LIONSGATE
Release Date: May 9, 2017
Run Time: 778 minutes

Even the best televisions shows need to find ways to reinvent themselves after the first few seasons, otherwise it begins to feel repetitive and formulaic. Despite primarily being a comedy based series, “Orange is the New Black” made some boldly dramatic moves in season four, not afraid to change the dynamic of the show and even the cast. This was also the season that the prison series decided to enter the discussion of current events and social issues, specifically relevant to the minorities making up a majority of the inmates.

The Expendables 1 & 2 4K Ultra HD Review

Actors: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts,
Director: Sylvester Stallone
Disc Format: 4K, NTSC, Widescreen
Language: English
Number of discs: 2
Rated: R
Studio: LIONSGATE
Release Date: May 2, 2017
Run Time: 103 minutes

The Expendables is a franchise that was both ahead of its time while simultaneously being dated. Often humorous, occasionally unintentionally, The Expendables feels like an 80’s action film in many ways, which is fitting considering the impressive cast of veteran action stars. At the same time it stylistically belongs to another decade, this franchise was also the first to benefit from the novelty of a beefed-up ensemble cast of movie stars. Simply put, without The Expendables, there may never have been The Avengers. It also served as a return for Sylvester Stallone, both as an action star and as a filmmaker, coming on the heels of revivals of several of his most popular 80’s franchises (Rambo, Rocky Balboa).

The Red Turtle Blu-ray Review

Director: Michael Dudok De Wit
Producers: Toshio Suzuki, Vincent Maraval, Pascal Caucheteux, Grégoire Sorlat
Disc Format: AC-3, Animated, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
Subtitles: Portuguese, English, Spanish
Audio Description: English
Region: Region A/1
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Number of discs: 1
Rated: PG
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: May 2, 2017
Run Time: 81 minutes

I usually take great pride in being able to analyze each film I watch, finding purpose and meaning in even the most ambiguous endings. While there are certain themes that were clear to me after watching The Red Turtle, aspects of the narrative were indecipherable to me. What’s more, I felt little desire to dissect the narrative. Despite having a number of confounding fantastical sequences in an otherwise realistic tale of survival, I was content to let the feelings from Michael Dudok De Wit’s images wash over me like the waves that kept him confined to his deserted island. Although one could speculate on deeper meanings and practical explanation, I found the beauty of The Red Turtle to lie in the emotions evoked by the atmosphere of the imagery, even when the film seems makes little realistic sense.

Catfight Blu-ray Review

Actors: Sandra Oh, Anne Heche, Alicia Silverstone
Director: Onur Tukel
Format: Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: English
Region: Region A/1
Number of discs: 1
Rated: Not Rated
Studio: Dark Sky Films
Release Date: April 25, 2017
Run Time: 95 minutes

Catfight is a film determined to follow through on the promise of the title, though somehow manages to complicate a simple premise with the uneven elements of social satire in the world beyond the main characters engaged in battle. At the center of the story may be a conflict between two former college friends that repeatedly results in violence, but filmmaker Onur Tukel is never satisfied with focusing on these characters between the fistfights. Instead, much of the movie becomes preoccupied with the world they live in, including too many unnecessary characters and odd elements which often make it unclear whether this is a satire of modern times or a prediction of where we will be in the near future.

The Marine 5: Battleground Blu-ray Review

Actors: Mike Mizanin
Director: James Nunn
Disc Format: AC-3, Dolby, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: French, Portuguese, Czech, German, Russian, Estonian, Finnish, Swedish, Polish, Arabic, Latvian, Italian, Korean, Dutch, Mandarin Chinese, Norwegian, Hungarian, Romanian, Thai, English, Spanish, Danish, Turkish, Greek, Lithuanian
Dubbed: French, Portuguese, German
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Rated: R
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: April 25, 2017
Run Time: 91 minutes

The title Marine of The Marine franchise has remained the same for the last three of the five movies, but even with a familiar character returning, these films often feel like ordinary scripts that have repurposed to become the next installment. There is rarely any connection in the storyline beyond the returning main character with a military background, this time even removing him from the job he is known for. I suppose titling the film The Former Marine is not as catchy, and it is actually somewhat of a relief that the latest entry has simplified the narrative.

Release Set for Wes Anderson's New Film

Fox Searchlight has announced the release date for the upcoming film ISLE OF DOGS, directed by Wes Anderson. Check out the cast list on the first poster released.

ISLE OF DOGS hits theaters everywhere on April 20, 2018.

ISLE OF DOGS Official Channels

Like ISLE OF DOGS on FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/isleofdogsmovie/

Follow ISLE OF DOGS on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/isleofdogsmovie

Follow ISLE OF DOGS on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/isleofdogsmovie

Punching Henry Blu-ray Review

Actors: Henry Phillips, J.K. Simmons, Ashley Johnson, Sarah Silverman
Director: Gregori Viens
Disc Format: Dolby, NTSC, THX, Widescreen
Language: English (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1)
Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired: English
Region: All Regions
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Rated: Not Rated
Studio: Well Go USA
Release Date: April 18, 2017
Run Time: 94 minutes

Part cynical satire of celebrity and the shallowness of the entertainment industry, part true-to-life depiction of the life of a struggling artist, Punching Henry is the opposite of a feel-good comedy. Stand-up comedy has a long history of celebrating self-deprecating humor, and Henry Phillips simply takes this idea into a feature film role as he essentially just plays himself. It is somewhat like watching a stand-up comic’s set being played out in script form, which is somehow less satisfying as one might expect. That is not to say that there isn’t humor in the depressing exploits of the traveling comic troubadour, but the funniest part of the film is when he puts down the guitar at the end of the film and makes jokes about the torturous events that we have endured in the narrative.

A Cowgirl’s Story DVD Review

Actors: Bailee Madison, Chloe Lukasiak, Pat Boone, Aidan Alexander, Froy Gutierrez
Director: Timothy Armstrong
Disc Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Language: English
Subtitles: French, English, Spanish
Region: Region 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Number of discs: 1
Rated: PG
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: April 18, 2017
Run Time: 98 minutes

Filmmaker Timothy Armstrong has an odd preoccupation with films about young girls and competitive horseback riding, with A Cowgirl’s Story being his third entry into the genre. Reuniting with the star of his 2012 feature, Cowgirls ‘n Angels, Armstrong piles a typical saccharine story with an extra dose of patriotism and faith-based melodrama, nearly to the point of eliminating horseback riding from the film altogether. While some undiscerning pre-teen girls may find the film mildly diverting, there is hardly a redeeming moment in within A Cowgirl’s Story for any intelligent viewer.

Mad Families DVD Review

Actors: Charlie Sheen, Leah Remini
Director: Fred Wolf
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Language: English
Subtitles: French, English
Region: Region 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Number of discs: 1
Rated: Not Rated
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: April 11, 2017
Run Time: 89 minutes

Mad Families relies wholly upon an unrealistic scenario of coincidence for its plot, lazily treating the feature film as though it were a forgettable episode of a poorly written sitcom. This is somewhat fitting, considering how much of the cast is made up of television actors in obvious need of a payday. But even these fading stars of the small screen deserve better than writer/director Fred Wolf has to offer, a man whose crowning achievement was writing the screenplay for the Grown Ups movies and directing the straight-to-video sequel to Joe Dirt.

Isolation DVD Review

Actors: Dominic Purcell, Luke Mably, Marie Avgeropoulos, Tricia Helfer, Stephen Lang
Director: Shane Dax Taylor
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC, Widescreen
Language: English
Region: Region 1
Number of discs: 1
Rated: R
Studio: LIONSGATE
DVD Release Date: June 20, 2017
Run Time: 94 minutes

After sitting on the shelf for several years, this 2015 action thriller has finally been given a release on VOD and through an exclusive Walmart DVD release. Isolation is home invasion horror mixed with a tourists-in-peril thriller, though it is ultimately as bland as a Lifetime movie, which is fitting considering how many TV actors make up the cast. Watchable as the film may be, it offers no surprises and very little excitement beyond the opportunity to see these beautiful actors in different roles.

We Don’t Belong Here DVD Review

Actors: Catherine Keener, Anton Yelchin, Kaitlyn Dever, Riley Keough, Annie Starke
Director: Peer Pedersen
Producers: Annelise Dekker, Adam Gibbs, Michael Kristoff, Roger Pugliese
Disc Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Language: English
Subtitles: French, Portuguese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Thai, Spanish, English
Dubbed: French
Region: Region 1
Rated: R
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: April 4, 2017
Run Time: 89 minutes

Dysfunctional family films tend to work a lot better if there is at least one character to ground the extremeness of the rest. While We Don’t Belong Here does afford the film one family member not suffering from a traumatic past, addiction, or mental illness, but it also happens to be the most inconsequential of characters. Even more troubling is the film’s overall lack of direction, mistaking scenes of quirky character traits as an adequate replacement for plot. The characters may be well developed and played by talented actors, which make it even more of a shame that filmmaker Peer Pedersen doesn’t know what to do with them.

Youth in Oregon DVD Review

Actors: Nicola Peltz, Christina Applegate, Billy Crudup, Josh Lucas, Frank Langella
Director: Joel Moore
Disc Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Language: English
Subtitles: French, English, Spanish
Region: Region 1
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Number of discs: 1
Rated: Not Rated
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: April 4, 2017
Run Time: 99 minutes

Despite a bold subject matter that I can’t recall seeing addressed in previous films, Youth in Oregon still manages to end up feeling overly familiar and slightly derivative. Even with the choice to tackle a controversial topic, much of Youth in Oregon is by-the-numbers independent filmmaking. All of the usual tropes are dragged out, from family dysfunction to a revelatory road trip, and none are nearly as successful as they should be with a cast of this caliber.

War on Everyone Blu-ray Review

Actors: Alexander Skarsgård, Michael Peña, Theo James
Director: John Michael McDonagh
Disc Format: AC-3, Color, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: Spanish
Region: Region A/1
Rated: R
Studio: Lionsgate
Release Date: April 11, 2017
Run Time: 98 minutes

War on Everyone tries to be Bad Lieutenant meets Bad Boys, which ends up being both an asset and fault. Although the dirty cop genre is certainly lightened up by the buddy cop formula, nearly everything about the film feels noncommittal while still being overwhelmingly derivative. Unlike the period throwback of last year’s The Nice Guys, War on Everyone only has stylistic references to 1970s action, while remaining in modern times. The violence, while often unabashedly immoral, is never shocking enough to match the level of attitude contained in John Michael McDonagh’s dialogue, resulting in a film that is more bark than bite. And had any other director attempted this, it may have felt less empty, but expectations have been raised for McDonagh after the success of his first two features.

Planet Earth II 4K Ultra HD Review

Actors: David Attenborough
Disc Format: 4K
Number of discs: 3
Studio: BBC Home Entertainment
Release Date: March 28, 2017
Run Time: 360 minutes

When the original “Planet Earth” series aired in 2006, it amazed audiences and brought nature documentaries into mainstream popularity. The project took 40 camera teams shooting at over 200 different locations for more than five years, resulting in some of the most amazing nature photography that had ever been captured to film. Much of the success of the show came from the high definition camera equipment and the extreme efforts of the crews, which was displayed in brief making-of features at the end of each episode. While some things have changed in the making of “Planet Earth II,” including about half the number of episodes, the advances in cinematic technology continue to benefit the show. “Planet Earth” had high definition, but “Planet Earth II” has ultra-high definition, best seen in this 4K Blu-ray release.

20th Century Women Blu-ray Review

Actors: Annette Bening, Elle Fanning, Greta Gerwig, Lucas Jade Zumann, Billy Crudup
Director: Mike Mills
Disc Format: AC-3, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Region: Region A/1
Number of discs: 1
Rated: R
Studio: LIONSGATE
Release Date: March 28, 2017
Run Time: 118 minutes

In part, 20^th Century Women is a coming-of-age tale. It is also a period examination of feminism in the 1970s, a story of the relationship between mother and son, and a contemplation on the necessity and simultaneous criticism of masculinity. 20^th Century Women is only able to be all of these things because of the ensemble casting and an Academy Award-nominated screenplay by filmmaker Mike Mills, which does a careful balancing act that often feels like a precarious tight-rope walk. Although expertly constructed and easy to admire from a technical perspective, I did find myself longing for the emotional simplicity of Mills’ previous work.

Arsenal Blu-ray Review

Actors: Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, Adrian Grenier, Johnathon Schaech, Lydia Hull
Director: Steven C. Miller
Disc Format: NTSC, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Region: Region A/1
Rated: R
Studio: LIONSGATE
Release Date: March 28, 2017
Run Time: 92 minutes

Inconsistent is the best word to describe Arsenal, the latest low-budget crime thriller from director Steven C. Miller. The overly simplistic screenplay is peppered with cliché characters and bad dialogue, saved only occasionally by seasoned actors who seem to be slumming it in low budget filmmaking, either out of desperation or simple disregard for good taste. The rest of the cast is not talented enough to handle the poorly written words, leaving questions about either Miller’s ability to direct actors or the casting director’s judgment. The film is also inconsistent in visual style, spending a large amount of effort and money on a flashy climactic piece of violent action, while other areas of the film look as though they were hurriedly shot by an amateur filmmaker.

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)