• Film Review – Remarkably Bright Creatures

    Initially published in 2022, the novel “Remarkably Bright Creatures” has become a smash hit for author Shelby Van Pelt, also serving as her writing debut. With such success comes Hollywood, and now there’s a screen adaption of the tale, with John Whittington and Olivia Newman handling screenwriting duties, out to make cinematic sense of the original text and its semi-whimsical, deeply introspective ways. Newman also directs the picture (previously helming “Where the Crawdads Sing”), and she has tremendous help from star Sally Field, who doesn’t act very often anymore, and here’s another reason why she should. Field gives a powerful performance, carrying the emotional weight of the endeavor in a tricky role that demands attention to the deep recesses of pain. The actress is splendid, and “Remarkably Bright Creatures” is graceful when it comes to investigating personal issues and Van Pelt’s somewhat fanciful ideas for friendship, sure to please those looking for a softer film to get lost in. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – Mortal Kombat II

    “Mortal Kombat” returned to screens with a do-over in 2021, and producers were intent on making a movie that played more like the video game that inspired it. Instead of candied action, there was blood and guts, and a major attempt by the screenplay to generate world-building capable of sustaining a fresh take on an old franchise. The picture did well, surviving pandemic release blues, but I wouldn’t fault any viewer out there who’s now a little hazy on the details of a feature that came out five years ago. “Mortal Kombat II” isn’t quite as concerned with the specifics of all the universe jumping, trying, at least for the first half of the offering, to explore the tournament setting promised at the end of the last effort. “Mortal Kombat II” offers no noticeable creative gains in screenwriting, but it remains an entertaining endeavor, returning to the violence of it all with a more capable lead actor in Karl Urban. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – The Sheep Detectives

    A pastoral setting. A farmland looked over by a tough but secretly tender sheepherder. A collection of talking animals trying to understand the horrors that face them while enjoying light play in the open world. Surely another sequel to 1995’s “Babe” is here! “The Sheep Detectives” isn’t another chapter in the aborted franchise, with screenwriter Craig Mazin (“Scary Movie 3,” “The Huntsman: Winter’s War”) out to make sense of author Leonie Swann’s 2005 novel, “Three Bags Full.” The book was a dark take on the cartoon premise of sheep out to solve the murder of their handler, putting Mazin to work softening up the source material, tasked with making it a bit more palatable for family audiences. Kyle Balda makes his live-action directorial debut with “The Sheep Detectives” after a lifetime spent in the world of animation (helming hits such as “Minions” and “Despicable Me 3”), and he’s presented with quite a tonal challenge here, out to balance the gentleness of the CGI characters with the general menace of the human world. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – Couples Weekend

    The trials of being in a long-term relationship are examined in “Couples Weekend.” The picture comes from writer/director Nora Kirkpatrick, a television helmer making her feature-length debut, and she aims to inspect the difficulties of partnership involving two couples seeking to enjoy a holiday weekend together. The screenplay doesn’t break free from the main location, and the theatrical nature of the material isn’t avoided, but Kirkpatrick takes on a few interesting areas of insecurity while trying to manage what’s basically a comedy. And she has a decent cast to aid in this understanding of doubt, with Alexandra Daddario, Josh Gad, Ashley Park, and Daveed Diggs capturing the intensity of thought as infidelities arrive during a seemingly peaceful time of celebration. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – The Wizard of the Kremlin

    “The Wizard of the Kremlin” is an adaptation of a 2022 book by Giuliano da Empoli, which explored the fictional tale of a young man’s rise in Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union. The film emphasizes the “fiction” label, making distance from real events clear, especially since the tale charts the development of Vladamir Putin as he goes from government spy to the new “Tsar.” Co-writer/director Olivier Assayas clearly has a passion for this era in Russia’s history, offering viewers insight into power plays and relationships that helped to form the country as we know it today. “The Wizard of the Kremlin” is interesting when it comes to politics, exploring shifts in control and information as Putin became used to running things his way. It’s also an extremely dry viewing experience, with Assayas refusing screen momentum at times to linger on character tensions that aren’t always there. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – Affection

    Writer/director BT Meza makes his filmmaking debut with “Affection,” and he’s determined to keep things small enough to manage. It’s a tale that only features three characters, and they work through their issues in an isolated area, keeping the outside away. Where Meza is a little more ambitious is in his screenplay, which carries enough spoiler-rific turns to challenge any film critic, so those who are determined to stay completely clear of information concerning the movie shouldn’t read anything about it. Meza attempts to generate a creeping sense of danger and confusion with his study of a family challenged by undefined trauma, and he’s invested in a few genres to help him out. “Affection” does fight limited ideas and somewhat sluggish pacing, and while the endeavor scores with performances and imagery, the effort often plays like a short story being stretched to fit a feature-length run time. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Blu-ray Review – Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point

    Co-writer/director Tyler Taormina made an impression on indie film audiences with 2019’s “Ham on Rye.” The helmer invested in atmosphere, not storytelling, examining the behaviors and social interactions of teenagers as they prepare for a party. Taormina wasn’t interested in plot, just the vibe, and he returns to the same idea for “Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point,” which takes the “Ham on Rye” concept and transfers it to the holiday season. There’s a family gathering to inspect in the feature, bringing all types of personalities together for a celebratory evening where relationships are revisited and experiences are pursued. “Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point” sustains Taormina’s filmmaking interests in shapelessness, but he’s remarkably observant when it comes to the creation of a reunion event with holiday flair. The picture is practically 3D in the way it captures household bustle and indulgence, creating some superbly vivid moments. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Blu-ray Review – The Advent Calendar

    The holiday season is meant to inspire warmth and joy, but to horror filmmakers, it’s a ripe opportunity to bring ghoulishness to the screen. 2021’s “The Advent Calendar” is a Belgian production that looks to disrupt the wonders of Christmas by offering a highly bizarre tale of a gift that keeps giving, and in increasingly malicious ways. Writer/director Patrick Ridremont shows some imagination with the picture, examining the tension of a young woman dealing with an unusual German present that takes command of her life, testing her sanity as the countdown to Christmas continues. “The Advent Calendar” is actually more a genie-style examination of wish-granting, following the main character’s journey into a different reality she wants for herself, only to be asked to sacrifice so much to keep it. Ridremont has a strong opening half, tracking the passage of days and the prizes inside the eponymous gift, achieving a strong atmosphere of mystery and menace as the central story develops. The endeavor eventually starts to lose focus in its second half, but there’s enough presented here to deliver on some welcome oddity and intensity as the main character experiences a very special countdown to Christmas. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Blu-ray Review – Code 3

    When making a movie about the lives of paramedics, intensity to a point of insanity is always the atmosphere. There’s nothing cozy about the vocation, which demands everything from employees, especially those working in troubled areas of the country. Madness is the journey, but co- writer/director Christopher Leone makes a valiant attempt to find some dark humor in the details of life and death. “Code 3” strives to follow the rocket sled ride of EMS life during a 24-hour-long shift for two veterans and a rookie, sending them around Los Angeles as they encounter people in dire need of medical treatment. Leone and co-writer Patrick Pianezza aim for realism in the work, delivering a disturbing understanding of mental illness and physical damage involved in this world. They also try to keep the feature at least somewhat approachable, giving star Rainn Wilson an opportunity to deliver perhaps the best performance of his career in a supremely challenging role. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Blu-ray Review – Hotspring Sharkattack

    People love shark attack cinema. Earlier this year, “Dangerous Animals” found release, which attempted to subvert the norm in the subgenre, playing around with human predators instead of strictly oceanic ones. And now Japan tries their luck with horrors from the deep in “Hotspring Sharkattack,” which is about an unserious as a film can get. We’ve done the “Sharknado” thing too many times, but writer/director Morihito Inoue delivers a different kind of wackiness with his presentation of death and destruction. He goes camp, but creatively so in the picture, which examines chaos caused by deadly ancient sharks awakened from the deep due to commercial development, seeking revenge on all for such an offense. “Hotspring Sharkattack” is low-budget and loving it, and while there’s definitely a limit on such exaggeration, Inoue has some imagination for his lunacy, mounting a bizarre and amusing riff on sharksploitation bedlam. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – Hokum

    In 2024, the horror movie “Oddity” was a pleasant surprise during the film year. Writer/director Damian McCarthy found his way around an unusual take on “The Mummy,” keeping his second picture intensity atmospheric and genuinely creepy, delivering a rare highlight in a genre that often struggles to surprise. McCarthy returns with “Hokum,” and he’s looking to creep out viewers once again with another dark tale, this time examining a depressed author’s experience inside a remote Irish hotel. It’s not a feature that’s big on plot, keeping drama relatively lean as the helmer returns to the ways of shadowy encounters and increasing hostility provided by a supernatural force. “Hokum” doesn’t offer quite the same kick as “Oddity,” but it’s assured work that understands the power of eeriness and mystery, providing charged moments during the run time. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – Swapped

    In 2010, Nathan Greno co-directed “Tangled,” winning over audiences with his effort to play with the world of storybook entertainment, and the film is arguably more popular today than it was when it was initially released. And yet, Greno wasn’t brought back to helm another picture for Walt Disney Animation, maintaining a company profile as a creative consultant. Now, after 16 years, Greno gets another at-bat with “Swapped,” joining the Skydance Animation team with a story about fantasy creatures and the magic they encounter while exploring their world. There’s a strong message about unity and community support, and the production delivers colorful, expressive animation. Greno can’t win with the screenplay (credited to John Whittington, Christian Magalhaes, and Robert Snow), which isn’t incredibly inspired when it comes to animated adventuring and conflict. Still, there’s charm in parts of “Swapped,” which should play very nicely with younger viewers. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – The Devil Wears Prada 2

    I don’t believe much was expected of “The Devil Wears Prada” when it was released in 2006. The picture was based on a successful book, but it was a mid-tier production, and positioned as summertime counterprogramming (going up against “Superman Returns”), looking to appeal to those not in a blockbuster-y mood. The fashion-minded endeavor managed to best all predictions for its success, making big money during its initial release before becoming a staple of DVD rentals and basic cable, helping to expand its fanbase. Twenty years later, such pop culture relevance is put to the test in “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” with director David Frankel, screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna, and stars Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, and Emily Blunt revisiting this world of style, pressure, and heartbreak, and, perhaps to the surprise of no one, the team isn’t about to offer something fresh to the faithful. If you loved “The Devil Wears Prada,” the production is happy to provide more of the same, presenting a spiritless journey inside a changing world of journalism and business. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – Deep Water (2026)

    “Deep Water” is an air disaster and shark attack picture. It’s a combination that’s perfectly suited to the directorial stylings of Renny Harlin, who made a mess of an airport in 1990’s “Die Hard 2,” and made a mess of the ocean in 1999’s “Deep Blue Sea.” Harlin hasn’t been a reliable helmer in years (recently stumbling through an attempt to revive “The Strangers” with a hopeless trilogy that wrapped up last February), but he’s back on solid ground with his latest feature, which gives the seasoned filmmaker a chance to flex old escapism muscles. “Deep Water” doesn’t stun with its dramatic intent, finding the screenplay (credited to four writers) striving to revive classic disaster movie formula and tone for the endeavor. The offering is potent in physical mode, watching Harlin manage plane horrors with some degree of comfort, though he’s more determined to find melodrama, not sustained thrills. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – The Last Viking

    Writer/director Anders Thomas Jensen has a particular set of actors he enjoys working with, and they return to duty for “The Last Viking.” Jensen makes quality films (“Men & Chicken,” “Riders of Justice”), and his latest is no different, remaining as strange as his previous efforts, this time following the tension between two brothers as they deal with a criminal and mental health crisis while returning to their family home. The helmer keeps the picture surprising in tone and dark humor, willing to head into some difficult areas of character evolution while using idiosyncrasy to brighten up an otherwise heavy endeavor. “The Last Viking” also enjoys all the color the cast brings to the feature, including a reunion with stars Nikolaj Lie Kaas and Mads Mikkelsen, who know exactly how to handle Jensen’s often peculiar way of thinking. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – One Spoon of Chocolate

    As a writer/director, RZA is working to address certain issues in the black community. He was last seen trying to make sense of a post-Hurricane Katrina mess in 2020’s “Cut Throat City,” and now he takes on the rise of white power groups in America’s heartland in “One Spoon of Chocolate” (an odd title, but it’s explained in the picture). Of course, a lifelong fan of action cinema, RZA isn’t about to handle a story about hate and fear too seriously, electing to transform racial conflict into exploitation cinema, treating the production as though it was created in 1975. “One Spoon of Chocolate” has a lot of rage and a few potentially compelling ideas on the agitation of a nation, and certain scenes retain power. It’s also a very cluttered movie packed with half-realized ideas, missing editorial snap as the endeavor meanders to a violent conclusion. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Blu-ray Review – The American Revolution

    As the United States of America prepares to experience its semiquincentennial in 2026, directors Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt look to return to the formation of the states in “The American Revolution.” The six-part documentary means to walk viewers through years of conflict, taking the development of war almost one step at a time while examining rising tensions between Colonists and British occupation, creating a path to a prolonged and bloody battle. The production remains in line with previous projects from Burns, electing to pore over the details of the era and its personalities to present a richer understanding of motivations. And without the benefit of film footage and photographs, the series turns to paintings, documents, and brief recreations to best bring viewers into this march of history. “The American Revolution” is a reliable offering of information, tastefully organized as always, but it also aims to be a timely remembrance of sacrifice, betrayals, and various survival challenges, physically, mentally, and politically, putting viewers into contact with the scope of the war and the ragged formation of a nation. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Blu-ray Review – Krazee Kidz Video Party

    The children’s matinee. There was once a time in film exhibition history when theaters actively encouraged attendance from family audiences, luring them in with cheaper tickets and earlier showtimes, supplying a calendar of squeaky clean cinematic entertainment to keep youngsters glued to the screen while parents endured the pictures, slept, or simply allowed their kids to head to the local theater on their own to seek age-appropriate entertainment. These offerings rarely represented the finest projects production companies could create. They were mostly cheapy, short endeavors meant to be paired with cartoons and assorted distractions, delivered to viewers who were simply happy to be out of the house. “Krazee Kidz Video Party” is a collection of obscure efforts aimed at little ones, putting 1957’s “The Big Bad Wolf,” 1965’s “Fun in Balloon Land,” the 1960’s television show “Polly Pockets,” 1963’s “Kingdom of Cracked Mirrors,” and 1965’s “The Princess and the Magic Frog” on a single disc to help relive or revive the experience of surviving colorful, brightly performed, tedious nonsense. It’s a real viewing challenge, but “Krazee Kidz Video Party” is also a terrific reminder of a different time in movie theater patronage. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Blu-ray Review – Men from the Gutter

    1983’s “Men from the Gutter” is a lot of things. Director Ngai Choi Lam is in charge of keeping an easily distracted screenplay in order, overseeing the development of many subplots and a community of characters, with everyone assigned their own special motivation. The picture is not an epic crime story or even a rousing supercop thriller, often stuck attempting to juggle so much when it comes to characters and their missions of justice and crime. It’s not the most engaging feature around, but the production makes a wise choice to try and add excitement whenever possible, keeping the pace up as chases are periodic and brutality is common, generating some momentum to help the offering when the storytelling gets a little stuck in the murky details of character lives. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Blu-ray Review – Xeno

    The massive success of 1982’s “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” certainly spawned plenty of copycats, putting producers to work dreaming up stories involving alien visitors and the young humans who love them. Traces of the Spielberg smash can still be found in cinema today, with “Xeno” clearly inspired by the classic film, providing a tale of discovery and bonding with a monstrous creature who’s drawn to the benevolent ways of a teen girl. However, there’s very little that’s cuddly in the feature, as writer/director Matthew Loren Oates aims to push his PG-13 rating with the material, which has its sweet moments, but also a violent side. A little extra intimidation factor helps “Xeno” achieve a different type of atmosphere, which is welcome, and there’s some wonderful technical surprises, as Oates dials down CGI achievements in the movie, turning to the Jim Henson Creature Shop to create the eponymous visitor, giving the endeavor a sense of the real as it deals with fantasy conflicts. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com