Blu-ray Review - Woman in Love: A Story of Madame Bovary

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1978's "Woman in Love: A Story of Madame Bovary" is a take on the classic 1857 novel by Gustave Flaubert. The source material is used to inspire an adult cinema version of desire and disruption, following the passions of a woman who wants to experience everything as she moves from lover to lover. Director Kemal Horulu tries to turn the endeavor into a classy take on betrayal, employing a large cast and mining some dark emotions as he also tends to the needs of carnal activity. It's a somewhat strange mix of melodrama and heat, but it's varied enough to engage, providing opportunities for the actors to handle conflict and bedroom activity in a semi-consistent feature. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com


Blu-ray Review - Late Night with the Devil

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"Late Night with the Devil" returns viewers to the ways of television talk shows in the 1970s, where looser standards for constant audience engagement meant that wild situations could develop. With horror fanatics typically favoring a younger demographic, it'll be interesting to see if there's an audience for the feature, which uses the conventions of network television programming from 50 years ago to serve as inspiration for a demonic possession film. Writer/directors Cameron and Colin Cairnes ("100 Bloody Acres," "Scare Campaign") have the right idea for what's technically a found footage endeavor, creating a special evening of surprise for the host of the show, "Night Owls." "Late Night with the Devil" visibly battles to come up with stuff to do to fill 90 minutes of screen time, but the helmers deliver effective atmosphere for the effort, which periodically scores with T.V. replication and visits to the dark side. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com


Film Review - Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy

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It took 12 years to make a second sequel to 2001’s “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” and “Bridget Jones’s Baby” was a mildly entertaining return to the ways of the eponymous character and her struggles in life and love. “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” represents another production gap for the franchise (nine years this time), but this reunion with author Helen Fielding’s creation is much more satisfying. The screenplay (by Fielding, Dan Mazer, and Abi Morgan) sets a slightly mournful tone for the picture, giving it a pleasant softness between expected bits of slapstick and humiliation as Bridget confronts all the losses in her life and deals with new adventures in romance. “Mad About the Boy” is quite amusing and nicely balanced by director Michael Morris, and it’s a treat to see star Renee Zellweger return to screens (six years after her Oscar-winning turn in “Judy”), backed by an outstanding supporting cast. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com


Film Review - The Gorge

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“The Gorge” is the latest film from director Scott Derrickson, who went the lower budget route for 2021’s “The Black Phone” and ended up with a surprising hit. There’s a “Black Phone 2” coming later this year, but before Derrickson returns to small scale horror, he tries the blockbuster business back on for size in “The Gorge,” which was shot two years ago. Screenwriter Zach Dean (“The Tomorrow War,” “Fast X”) cooks up material that’s somewhere between a zombie film and a YA romance, gifting Derrickson room to go big with the endeavor, delivering major action set pieces and monster attacks, which gives the effort a glossy, CGI-laden appearance. The tone and pacing of the picture are off, making for a bit of a slog as the characters gradually find their way to love and eventually encounter dangers. It’s no nail-biter, and Dean’s command of mystery definitely lacks snap, as the unknown is far more interesting than the fully explained in his mediocre offering. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

 


Film Review - The Monkey (2025)

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Last summer, Osgood Perkins scored a surprise box office hit with “Longlegs.” The horror picture wasn’t much different from everything else he’s created, but marketplace magic was certainly on Perkins’s side, enticing people to spend time in a deadly serious world of mystery and evil. Less than a year later, the writer/director is back in theaters with “The Monkey,” which is also a tale of mystery and evil, this time sourced from a short story by Stephen King. The iconic genre author required just under forty pages to deliver a strange journey into a cursed life, but Osgood isn’t fully committed to moodiness. Instead, the movie is a presentation of shock value that loses effectiveness the longer it lasts, as Perkins can’t extend King’s ideas for a feature-length offering. He goes spotty with a limp sense of dark humor and gory events, keeping “The Monkey” more about grisly visuals than an engrossing study of dread. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

 


Film Review - La Dolce Villa

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Mark Waters once made big screen comedies of various quality (“Mean Girls,” “Freaky Friday,” “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past”), and now he’s making streaming movies of various quality (“Mother of the Bride,” “He’s All That,” “Magic Camp”). It’s a career move that hasn’t inspired a lot of creative filmmaking, and Waters returns to the ease of formula in “La Dolce Villa,” which serves as comfy sweater cinema for viewers who enjoy the reassurance of romantic comedies set in exotic locations. In this case, it’s Italy, offering the production team a pleasant work trip to capture the usual in relationship development and easily solvable problems. Waters doesn’t push himself with the endeavor, but “La Dolce Villa” does have the benefit of an enthusiastic cast, as lead Scott Foley treats the acting assignment with enthusiasm, which lifts up an otherwise leaden effort. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

 


Film Review - Captain America: Brave New World

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“Captain America: Brave New World” is meant to become the first step forward towards a new “Avengers” movie (due in 2026), beginning to realign heroic forces for a fresh team-up against a new source of evil. The production wants to be a big screen spectacle, but it carries a little homework, as some of it plays like a sequel to 2008’s “The Incredible Hulk,” and the rest picks up after the 2021 Disney+ streaming show, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.” If you haven’t kept pace with the Marvel Universe, the latest chapter will be a tad puzzling. And if you’re a faithful student of all things comic book entertainment, the picture might be a little infuriating. “Brave New World” boasts some impressive technical credits and a wonderful supporting turn from Harrison Ford, who’s new to the superhero game. It’s storytelling that’s a real struggle for the endeavor, as director Julius Onah (“The Cloverfield Paradox”) shows little authority with this collection of battling characters, making it difficult to get involved in the loosely knotted tale. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com


Film Review - Paddington in Peru

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While a fine sequel with a pure heart and a wonderful final scene, 2017’s “Paddington 2” has become a religion for some people, evolving into a true test of cineaste authority, newly treated as one of the best family films of all time. It’s an excellent movie, and it gives the producers a tremendous challenge in following it up, and perhaps this is why it’s taken “Paddington in Peru” so long to reach screens. The second sequel is the first not guided by co-writer/director Paul King (who turned his attention to the “Paddington”-esque “Wonka,” establishing a new franchise), who hands helming responsibilities over to Dougal Wilson. And there’s a change in location, pulling the eponymous bear and his family out of London and into South America for a jungle adventure. Marmalade and slapstick remains, and “Paddington in Peru” successfully sustains the merriment for another chapter, keeping things light and funny while the screenplay attempts to locate a way to match the unbeatable emotional content of the last installment. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com


Blu-ray Review - Bad Company (1972)

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For his screenwriting debut, Robert Benton made waves with his work on 1967's "Bonnie and Clyde," going deep into psychology, relationships, and violence to help detail the recklessness of criminals on the run. For his directorial debut, Benton sticks with the formula for 1972's "Bad Company," which also explores troubled people trying to escape from all sorts of dangers. Going the western route, Benton (joined by "Bonnie and Clyde" collaborator David Newman) looks to explore the ways of survival and perceived freedom in the open world, using the pressurized experience of the Civil War to examine men on the move to a better life, not fully realizing the dangers and labor of such a vision. In a career that would eventually turn to more defined acts of dramatic engagement (including "Kramer vs. Kramer" and "Places in the Heart"), Benton shows some level of grit and surprise with "Bad Company," which is always interested in the impulsive ways of inexperienced men taking on an incredible challenge of self-preservation. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com


Blu-ray Review - Bloodbath at the House of Death

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As a British comedian, Kenny Everett offered silliness and sauciness to his audience, working to push a few boundaries on television. Offered a chance to bring his sense of humor to the big screen, and Everett surprisingly doesn't make a sex comedy, instead looking to pants horror happenings in 1984's "Bloodbath at the House of Death." It's not exactly ambitious work, but screenwriters Barry Cryer and Ray Cameron (who also directs) get a little strange with the tone of the endeavor, which plays extremely goofy at times, but also contains a few vivid scenes of slaughter. The movie doesn't really know what it wants to be, but there are a few laughs scattered around the picture, and Everett is absolutely working hard to please, going big in a feature that's most enjoyable at its wackiest. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com


Blu-ray Review - Way Bad Stone

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Sometimes, when Hollywood won't take action, you just have to do it yourself. 1991's "Way Bad Stone" is a shot-on-video production that attempts to replicate parts of the "Dungeons & Dragons" experience, with director Archie Waugh looking to sustain the sword and sorcery subgenre with this tale of magic and battling. Instead of finding exotic locations to help set the mood, Waugh settles on a forest area in Florida to detail the battle between… well, evil and evil. There's basically no money being spent on the picture, leaving it up to Waugh to sell the enormity the screenplay with help from big performances and bloody acts of violence. "Way Bad Stone" is ambitious, and there's some entertainment value found in the manner the cast tries to locate the spirit of the material, laboring to bring this world to life. It's not a strong feature, losing its way in the final act, but for those who have a high tolerance for SOV efforts and low-budget fantasy, there's a certain charm to the offering. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com


Blu-ray Review - The Fabulous Four

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Didn't we just do this? Earlier this year, there was "Summer Camp," which detailed the experiences of four older woman working on relationships while dealing with a vacation getaway. And now there's "The Fabulous Four," which follows four older women working on relationships while dealing with a vacation getaway. There's some serious déjà vu going on here, but this can all be traced back to the unexpected success of 2018's "Book Club," which found an audience for its sustained mildness and use of seasoned thespians. "The Fabulous Four" looks to drink from the same fountain, offering its target audience more silly shenanigans with capable actresses, but the screenplay (by Jenna Milly and Ann Marie Allison) is relentlessly awful. Hope for sharp humor is lost in the opening moments of the picture, and elements of heart are simply DOA. What's left is a dispiriting collection of sitcom moments that's increasingly dire to watch. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com


Film Review - Love Hurts (2025)

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The comeback story for Key Huy Quan has been remarkable to watch. He was once a child actor who offered wonderful, natural work in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” and “The Goonies,” only to find career opportunities dry up as puberty hit, taking him away from acting for quite some time. Quan returned in a scene-stealing role in 2022’s “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” restoring his visibility with moviegoers and winning an Academy Award for his performance. With “Love Hurts,” Quan is giving this career revival its first major test, taking a starring role in the hardcore actioner, which marks the directorial debut for Jonathan Eusebio, who previously worked as a stunt performer in the “John Wick” series and “The Fall Guy.” “Love Hurts” is out to display flashy physicality and brutal violence, also looking to sell a few relationship issues along the way. The picture isn’t a stunner when it comes to storytelling, but it definitely packs a punch. And there’s Quan, who continues to impress with his enthusiastic acting, giving the endeavor his full commitment. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com


Film Review - Kinda Pregnant

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Adam Sandler’s nephew, Tyler Spindel, returns behind the camera for another Adam Sandler production, featuring Adam Sandler relatives in supporting roles. The helmer behind “Father of the Year” and “The Wrong Missy” tries another crude comedy on for size in “Kinda Pregnant,” welcoming comedian Amy Schumer to the Happy Madison family, and she’s ready to unleash her love of R-rated shenanigans in the feature. “Kinda Pregnant” details the mental and physical gymnastics involved with a woman who turns to faking a pregnancy to solve her emotional problems. Laughs are intended, but this is a Spindel joint, so viewers will have to settle for plenty of groans and sharp exhales while watching this witless endeavor, which, of course, tries to marry the screaming highs of slapstick with the honeyed ooze of romance. It’s a terrible movie, but it does provide colorful background noise for a streaming audience, which might be the ultimate purpose for this picture. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com


Film Review - Ship of Dreams: Titanic Movie Diaries

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1997’s “Titanic” was supposed to be a failure. It went wildly overschedule and overbudget, even missing a key release date in the process, giving James Cameron’s epic take on an oceanic disaster a special industry stink as the world awaited its release. And when it was finally put into theaters, it stayed there for nearly a year, creating a dedicated fan base happy to return to the movie over and over again, racking up views as the romantic fantasy and tragedy of the picture was almost too much to bear. “Titanic” became a box office and pop culture behemoth, meeting its event cinema potential for generations of viewers. “Ship of Dreams: Titanic Movie Diaries” dares to return to the days of production, as director Alexandra Boyd goes on a journey of remembrance, joined by other cast members armed with memories concerning their days on the set, creating an emotional reunion with thoughts, feelings, and experiences generated back in the mid-1990s, when Cameron was in the middle of crafting his most complex creative endeavor. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com


Film Review - Renner

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“Renner” marks a return of sorts for actor Frankie Muniz. He’s been chipping away at an acting career over the last two decades, occasionally playing himself, but his new film puts him in a leading role for the first time in a long time, hired to carry a feature that attempts to expand his thespian range. Co-writer/director Robert Rippberger (“Those Who Walk Away,” “Strive”) joins a wave of storytellers looking to inspect the mysteries of artificial intelligence, and he lands on a drama about a young man and his computer-fu dealing with something he’s never encountered before: a woman’s interest. “Renner” is a glacially paced character study that eventually graduates to more physical interests, but Rippberger is in no hurry to get anywhere with the picture, overseeing a drab examination of an unraveling that’s way out of Muniz’s range. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com


Blu-ray Review - They Call Me Macho Woman

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Hell hath no fury like a woman prevented from purchasing rural land. That's basically the vibe of 1989's "They Call Me Macho Woman," which pits a seemingly average person against a gang of drug manufacturers in the middle of nowhere. It's a classic set-up for exploitation cinema, but writer/director Patrick G. Donahue doesn't have much finesse when it comes to the actual war between good and evil. However, he does have a stunt team, with the endeavor managing to offer a few slam-bang moments of physical danger, and there's some general oddity when it comes to the creation of tools used to take lives. "They Call Me Macho Woman" is mostly clunky, with Donahue visibly struggling to generate screen danger, but in a B-movie way, there's fun to be had with the effort, which certainly tries to put on a violent show for viewers. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com


Blu-ray Review - Observe and Report

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Acting as a counterpoint to the Judd Apatow brand of edgy-but-huggable comedy is Jody Hill. The director of "The Foot Fist Way" and a guiding force behind "Eastbound & Down" and "Vice Principals," Hill has built his name through a deployment of toxic absurdity, showcasing his favorite subject: the unholy wrath of the social reject who takes himself seriously. "Observe and Report" presents Hill with his largest cinematic canvas, and while the film doesn't always balance its bizarre mojo with razor-sharp skill, Hill deserves credit for sticking to his morbid vision, submitting an acidic, anarchic layer cake of mental illness with star Seth Rogen doing his best to capture such psychosis. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com


Blu-ray Review - The Instructor

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There's one thing to keep in mind while watching "The Instructor": you're not having a stroke. Remain assured that it's not you having a medical emergency, it's just the 1981 release's almost complete inability to tell a simple story of revenge. It's a martial arts extravaganza from writer/director/co-star Don Bendell, who has a vision for stunt moves and dark displays of crime and punishment, but he's caught working on several ideas for his endeavor, and none of them connect smoothly. "The Instructor" is a wild ride that often makes no sense, reflecting the work of a first- time filmmaker (actually, his only movie) who was in over his head, believing the visual power of karate action would be enough to support the whole effort. Go into this one expecting technical and editorial precision, and the room will start spinning immediately. Accept the ride as it is, and there's some amusement to be found, especially when rough physical confrontations arrive. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com


4K UHD Review - Devil Times Five

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Evil comes in many forms, and Hollywood loves to periodically explore the wrath of kids, testing the lure of innocence with horror pictures centered on children committing acts of violence. It's always a dicey prospect, and 1974's "Devil Times Five" (a.k.a. "Peopletoys" and "The Horrible House on the Hill," which is the title on this release) goes a little harder when it comes to grisly moments of viciousness. In a rare change of pace, it's the adults who aren't alright, with "Devil Times Five" exploring the many ways young people seek to destroy old people. While this level of aggression has its B- movie appeal, there's also a different side to the story, examining various acts of emasculation and addiction to dramatically strengthen the feature, which could use all the help it can get. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com