• Blu-ray Review – Wildwood, New Jersey

    During the summer of 1992, directors Carol Weaks Cassidy and Ruth Leitman set out to document the experience of Wildwood, New Jersey, a vacation destination for thousands of visitors looking to escape everyday life by spending a little time at the beach or boardwalk. For the moviemakers, a chance to really understand the tourists arrived, putting the pair out into the wild to find interviewees willing to discuss their lives for the camera. Instead of documenting recreation, taking in the sights and sounds of distractions, Cassidy and Leitman found their way into a study of the female experience. “Wildwood, New Jersey” is a slight endeavor, but an interesting one, permitting young women to share their opinions when it comes to life and love in 1992, giving them a voice during a time of change and possibility. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • 4K UHD Review – Escape from Death

    For this UHD release, the film is titled “Escape from Death.” The cover art features a deadly weapon, a character with their face bloodied, and a seductively posed woman. There’s a promise of mysterious, violent escapism to come with this Italian production, but the viewing experience quickly reveals extraordinarily little screen activity is actually involved in the production. Co-writer/director Enzo Milioni has an idea for a mystery involving a missing man, a lot of money, and a possible killer on the loose, but there’s no pursuit of thrills in the endeavor, which remains frustratingly talky as it tries to present itself as a study of suspects and potential madness. “Escape from Death” is a real bore that only gets something going in its final ten minutes, with the rest of the movie trapped in stillness with strangely defined characters and clunky, uninspired screenwriting. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Blu-ray Review – Liebestraum

    In 1990, writer/director Mike Figgis had something he would only encounter one other time during his lengthy career: a hit film. “Internal Affairs” was a creepy, sinister thriller starring Richard Gere and Andy Garcia, dumped into theaters with a January release date. And yet, something about the endeavor tempted a decent number of ticket-buyers, giving Figgis a chance to sample success with a major studio release. He elected to follow up the picture with 1991’s “Liebestraum,” which didn’t offer major stars, and largely pursued film noir influences, mixed with plenty of dream logic. Figgis visits David Lynch country with the movie, huffing “Twin Peaks” fumes with this attempt to deliver a mystery with touches of eroticism and emotional ruin. “Liebestraum” isn’t a riveting feature, but Figgis is working hard to turn a lot of nothing into something stylish and powerful. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – The Uprising

    In 2025, director Paul Greengrass orchestrated the horrors of a wildfire raging out of control for “The Lost Bus,” which played to his interests in everyday people experiencing some form of heroism, often reluctantly. He returns with “The Uprising,” which totally isn’t a Robin Hood origin story (wink), but a recreation of the 1381 Peasants’ Revolt in England, where corrupt and cruel royal domination was challenged by the poor and frustrated, resulting in a violent revolt. Greengrass isn’t playing the picture as a college lecture, hoping to turn the tale into an R-rated epic that occasionally explodes with big scenes of armies clashing and kingdoms threatened. It should work, as we’ve been here before, but Greengrass seems dramatically constipated this time around, with his screenplay struggling to find its footing as a thunderous tale of revolution, throttling pace and intensity. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – The Fix

    Co-writer/director Guy Moshe hasn’t enjoyed much creative success with his releases, previously overseeing the messiness of 2011’s “Bunraku,” and the nothingness of 2020’s “LX 2048.” He returns with “The Fix,” joining screenwriters Mark Bacci and Ron Hutchinson for what’s meant to be something approximating a heist story, only the goods targeted for lifting are stuck in a war zone, putting a team of trained Americans on a quest to extract a fortune, running into many complications along the way. Moshe has a premise that’s typically played for big thrills, inspecting the heat of greed and the danger of it all. With “The Fix,” the helmer doesn’t accept an invitation for a more active viewing experience, hoping to get procedural instead. The feature is missing a great deal of excitement as it attempts to sell a knotted tale of loyalties and deceptions, and it takes an incredibly long time to do it (140 minutes), managing to turn lust for treasure into an unwelcomingly protracted endeavor. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – The Weight

    “The Weight” explores the heaviness of existence during trying times and the physical demands of carrying a bag filled with gold bars over 50 miles of dangerous terrain. The title has a dual meaning, and the screenplay (by Matthew Booi and Shelby Gaines) embraces all the dramatic possibilities of such a mental and physical challenge, taking viewers back to the tortuous days of the Great Depression, where a man facing a dire future is handed a chance to escape it through an opportunity that could destroy him. It’s the stuff of classic fiction, and director Padraic McKinley rises to the challenge of visual interpretation, submitting an outstandingly leathery feature that’s rich with suspense and cold-blooded interactions. “The Weight” fumbles its resolution, but the road to an ending is riveting and superbly performed by the cast. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – Practical Magic 2

    “Practical Magic” was originally released in 1998. An adaptation of an Alice Hoffman novel, the feature didn’t stir up much attention when it initially hit theaters, rewarded with lukewarm box office and minimal pop culture attention. But something happened to the endeavor when it arrived on home video and especially basic cable, finally finding its audience, and one that grew in size over the last 28 years. “Practical Magic 2” hopes to return to the world of the Owens witches, presenting viewers with a sequel that’s very much like the original picture, only now the screenplay is a bit more managed this time around. “Practical Magic” was messy work, electing to be four different movies instead of a single consistent one, and while “Practical Magic 2” has moments of slackness, it’s more of a complete viewing experience, putting director Susanne Bier (“Bird Box”) to work corralling the many characters and feelings the follow-up contains. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – Mr. T: I Pity the Fool

    About 45 years ago, Mr. T entered the media landscape. He didn’t intend to become a star, but it’s difficult to deny his presence, with this man of mohawk and gold chains, joined by attitude and confidence, pulled from a life in Chicago to become a very big deal in Hollywood. At least throughout most of the 1980s. There was a point when Mr. T was everywhere, showing up as a new kind of superhero for the kids of the day, using his practiced gruffness to deliver big entertainment and solid messages on respect in all its forms. “Mr. T: I Pity the Fool” isn’t going to win any awards for depth when it comes to an inspection of the subject, but director Scott Weintrob provides a decent 45-minute-long understanding of Mr. T and his personal and professional choices, offered access to the man himself to help track the development of an icon. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – On a String

    Isabel Hagen is a stand-up comedian and Julliard graduate using her viola skills to help boost her stage presence and add something different to her routines. She makes her moviemaking debut with “On a String,” using her background as inspiration for a comedy about a twentysomething woman facing the troubles of romantic entanglements and the slow death of her dream. Hagen goes full indie with the picture, handling writing and directing duties while also starring in the picture, and she creates a very modest endeavor that feels completely lived-in at times. “On a String” is a feature of details, which Hagen tends to with care, and she also scores some laughs along the way, finding humor in the blues. It’s an incredibly small film, but well-observed and nicely performed, offering viewers an interesting look at the world of musicians and the strange discomfort that comes with perceived failures. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – Why Did I Get Married Again?

    It’s hard to believe, but 2007’s “Why Did I Get Married?” was only Tyler Perry’s third outing as a director, made during a period in his career when he was hoping to get past his Madea fame and try different things. Arguably one of his best endeavors, “Why Did I Get Married?” became something of an industry for Perry, who followed it up with 2010’s awful “Why Did I Get Married Too?,” also exploring this world of relationship woes in the television series “For Better or Worse,” which ran for 162 episodes. After many years away, Perry returns to the brand with “Why Did I Get Married Again?,” which looks to expand the community of miserable people as a second generation of troubled minds joins the ongoing story. At it’s best, “Why Did I Get Married Again?” is an improvement on the last chapter in this saga. However, Perry is rarely at his best in this movie, clearly contained by budget and time as he speeds through the basics in trust issues with generic characters. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • 4K UHD Review – Office Killer

    Cindy Sherman is a respected and celebrated artist specializing in self-portraits, earning a reputation for strange, evocative work, with labor mostly provided by herself. Sherman advances to the world of filmmaking in 1997’s “Office Killer,” and the experience must’ve been something, as she’s never made another movie since. It’s a shame, as the helmer clearly has an eye for the artform, working to make this examination of an insane person trying to bring balance to her life through murder as visually interesting as an extremely low budget will allow. Of course, storytelling struggles are found through the offering, with Sherman eventually losing control of the endeavor, but “Office Killer” has unusual atmosphere and sharp performances, giving it a little boost of appeal when dramatics start to sputter out. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • 4K UHD Review – Mutant

    1984’s “Mutant” (a.k.a. “Night Shadows”) is an odd picture. It seems to have the right idea, with the story basically about unrepentant corporate pollution unleashed on a small town that doesn’t have the resources to fight it. And to help the medicine go down, the production launches something of a zombie film, keeping things, at least in the final act, reasonably exciting. The writing has the potential to offer a bit of commentary on corruption, but there’s not much of an effort to really investigate the central idea of the feature. “Mutant” is fairly slow-going with a television production vibe, with director John “Bud” Cardos (who replaced original helmer Mark Rosman) unable to inject much life into mysterious happenings and violent encounters for the first hour of the endeavor. The offering eventually gets a little wilder, but the wait for a payoff can be a true test of patience. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • 4K UHD Review – The Spine of Night

    Some time ago, I stumbled across a video titled “Mongrel & The Wrath of the Ape King,” which was created by Morgan Galen King. The director was paying tribute to the work of Ralph Bakshi with the short, creating a “Fire and Ice”-style fantasy adventure with the use of rotoscope animation, which offers fluid bodily movement and fascinating strangeness, helping to set the mood of the adventure. It was bloody and gorgeous, dripping with synth and loaded with R-rated content, recalling an era when such creative risks were actually attempted. King has now graduated to feature-length filmmaking with “The Spine of Night,” joined by co-helmer Philip Gelatt, extending ideas found in his earliest works to construct an epic tale of magic and horror with the same visual approach as before. “The Spine of Night” is deep dive genre entertainment, possibly for a very small audience, but it retains King’s love of barbaric storytelling, creating an unsteady but visually arresting picture. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Blu-ray Review – Micro Budget

    Co-writer/director Morgan Evans goes the mockumentary route with “Micro Budget,” which examines the troubled production of a low-budget disaster movie inside a Los Angeles rental home. Humor is the star here, with Evans overseeing a troupe of actors trying to find the funny with filmmaking setbacks and personality conflicts. There’s not a lot to the endeavor beyond riffing and increasing woes for the characters, but Evans tries to maintain a sense of humor throughout the feature, which really isn’t hilarious, but consistently amusing, following small issues of incompetence that snowball into larger displays of stupidity, providing a chance for the talent to find their way around awkwardness and the messiness of production mishaps. “Micro Budget” certainly has its moments, though the endeavor could definitely cut a little deeper with its comedy and interest in the difficulty of moviemaking, especially when a complete idiot is calling the shots. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – Just Play Dead

    Samuel L. Jackson is not shy about admitting that he often picks his acting roles based on the production’s proximity to golf courses. It’s not the most professional thing to admit to, but such candor certainly clears up a good chunk of his career choices. “Just Play Dead” could be added to the list, with the endeavor taking cast and crew to Malta to make sense of Dan Gordon’s screenplay, which approaches the darker edges of film noir while keeping a firm hand on comedic entanglements. Director Martin Campbell (“GoldenEye,” “Casino Royale,” but also “Green Lantern” and 2024’s “Dirty Angels”) is in charge of finding a smooth balance between dangerous encounters and extended exposition, and the helmer often fails to supply a decent reason why viewers should remain interested in the pretzel-like storytelling. “Just Play Dead” has lovely locations and a lot of sun, but there’s little happening here that commands attention. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – By Any Means

    In 2025’s “Flight Risk,” star Mark Wahlberg elected to wear a bald cap to aid in his portrayal of a psychopath unleashed during a long flight in the middle of nowhere. The hairpiece was a distraction. For “By Any Means” necessary, Wahlberg slaps on an enormous nose to portray a psychopathic gangster using his general disregard for others to inflict as much pain on his targets. The nose is a distraction. However, for this feature, shoddy makeup work is the least of the production’s issues, as screenwriter Sascha Penn turns to history to inspire a tale of a dangerous law enforcement partnership investigating a murder in 1966 Mississippi. “By Any Means” has scenes where it examines the horror and threats of racism, and the terror that stains lives. And it has more cartoony moments that undermine whatever seriousness Penn and director Elegance Bratton hope to communicate with the picture. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – American Summer

    “American Summer” intends to stir up feelings of nostalgia for times gone by. Co-writer/director Michael W. Gray is out to inspect the adolescent experience as it used to be, focusing on the struggles of a teenager fighting to make sense of his opportunities and future while dealing with daily demands from guardians and the pressures of a potential romantic partner. It’s not especially original material from Gray, who seems to be taking moves from the remarkable pop culture endurance of 1993’s “The Sandlot,” hoping to tap into the wonders of life and the feistiness of friendship. There’s earnestness to the feature that’s appealing, as Gray sets out to make a family film that hopes to impart a few messages on the value of persistence and bravery. However, “American Summer” is also a pretty clumsy endeavor, wrestling with a confusing timeline and unadventurous screenwriting as it tries to burrow into viewer hearts. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – Fall 2: Deadpoint

    2022’s “Fall” was a low-budget film issued during the waning days of the summer movie season, with pandemic blues still influencing box office returns. Little was expected of the picture, but it carried decent marketing and a high concept premise, ultimately managing to tempt a small amount of viewers into theaters to watch two characters deal with a disaster up in the sky. “Fall” went on to become a popular streaming title, and now there’s a sequel, albeit four years later. “Fall 2: Deadpoint” (titled simply “Fall: Deadpoint” in the main titles) arrives with very little pop culture momentum, and screenwriters Scott Mann and Jonathan Frank (who scripted the original effort) basically submit a remake with the follow-up, which once again takes to great heights to watch a duo try to survive the elements. “Deadpoint” isn’t adventurous in the least, simply mirroring the previous release to test the longevity of a newfound brand name. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – Mayday

    The Cold War is back in “Mayday,” the new offering from filmmaking team John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, returning to action after the bizarrely underwhelming box office performance of their entertaining 2023 release, “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.” The pair have a reputation for showy cinematography and comedic interests, and they return to their comfort zone in the new feature, which examines a special relationship between a downed American pilot and his Russian rescuer as they navigate Soviet Union troubles in the late 1980s. It’s a chase movie in some respects, but Daley and Goldstein are out to make a picture about partnership and cultural differences, coming up a little short when trying to sell thawing feelings between the characters. “Mayday” has bigness and broadness, which should be enough for most viewers, but it doesn’t reach its potential as a buddy comedy. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – Runner

    Scott Waugh hasn’t delivered a decent movie during his career, but he keeps getting work. The helmer of “Act of Valor,” “Need for Speed,” “Hidden Strike,” and 2023’s disastrous “Expendables 4” (aka “Expend4bles”), Waugh is someone with an interest in big action, playing with Hollywood excess as he hopes to deliver an adrenaline rush for viewers. He hasn’t done much worth remembering, and his streak continues with “Runner,” a high concept thriller from screenwriters Miles Hubley and Tommy White that attempts to deliver a cinematic shock to the system with its pacing and incredible violence, only to be undone by poor writing and Waugh’s generic approach to screen intensity. It’s meant to be a buddy comedy, but it isn’t funny. It hopes to be heartbreaking, but it doesn’t carry deep feelings. And it’s out to be exciting, with liveliness smothered by the helmer’s plasticized approach to raising hell. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com