• 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

  • Film Review – Over Your Dead Body

    A member of the comedy trio Lonely Island, Jorma Taccone hasn’t directed a feature film in a decade, last seen on the big screen with “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping.” He’s mostly worked in television, trying to revive the “MacGruber” brand with a streaming series few watched, and he contributed to “Knuckles,” a “Sonic the Hedgehog” spin-off show. Taccone returns to moviemaking with “Over Your Dead Body,” which is a remake of a 2021 Tommy Wirkola Norwegian picture (“The Trip”), and a darkly comedic one at that. Screenwriters Nick Kocher and Brian McElhaney (who recently created the dismal “Pizza Movie”) are out to bring European sensibilities to an American do-over, and they try to stick as close as possible to the source material. Taccone is tasked with managing the strange tone of “Over Your Dead Body,” but he can’t handle the execution, manufacturing a twisty offering that isn’t particularly funny nor all that surprising. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – Apex

    Director Baltasar Kormakur is certainly drawn to stories involving extreme physical challenges set around punishing locations. The helmer of “Everest,” “Beast,” and “Adrift,” Kormakur returns to the dangers of the natural world in “Apex,” though this isn’t a strict study of personal endurance. It’s a serial killer thriller, pitting Charlize Theron against a determined aggressor in the wilds of Australia, and while the film isn’t completely committed to the threats of the real world, it has enough of an outdoor vibe to give the helmer something to work with. “Apex” is primarily a chase picture, keeping things winded and panicked for the most part, and Kormakur understands what’s expected of him, delivering a competent take on chills and spills generated in Jeremy Robbins’s screenplay. The endeavor isn’t fully interested in building suspense all the way to a climax, but the movie gets most of the way there with a good sense of danger. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – Mother Mary

    Writer/director David Lowery is looking to forge a very interesting career. He’s attempting to navigate two vastly different tastes in material, spending part of his time on accessible Disney offerings such as 2016’s “Pete’s Dragon” and 2023’s “Peter Pan & Wendy.” He’s also presented esoteric visions for art-house releases, including 2017’s “A Ghost Story” and 2021’s “The Green Knight.” For “Mother Mary,” Lowery ends up somewhere in between the extremes. It’s definitely not another Disney production, but the helmer is looking to use the current dominance of pop music majesty to explore the aching intimacy of a friendship/collaboration that once meant something mighty to two women fighting to communicate their real feelings during a sudden reunion. “Mother Mary” is symbolic and stagey, but Lowery delivers impressive visuals throughout the picture, which help to engage when the story itself isn’t much of a draw. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – Animal Farm (2026)

    Considering the ways of the world these days, there’s certainly room for another big screen adaptation of George Orwell’s allegorical novella, “Animal Farm.” However, it’s not entirely clear if moviegoers need one that features flatulence, feces, and “The Price is Right” jokes. Screenwriter Nicholas Stoller and director Andy Serkis set out to transform Orwell’s original writing into a more approachable understanding of power and corruption for younger audiences, using Orwell’s work as the foundation for the picture, which is quick to explore other areas of crisis and conformity in an effort to fill a sellable run time. “Animal Farm” retains some potent ideas on political control and community failures, but Serkis and Stoller are after something flashier with the endeavor, and the cartoon-y approach does more to undermine the story’s message than help it reach young minds. Read the the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – Michael (2026)

    When it comes to the life and times of Michael Jackson, there’s enough material to fill four movies. However, there’s only one “Michael,” and screenwriter John Logan has to pick his battles when trying to fit an enormous legacy into a 125-minute-long film, and such stress shows throughout the viewing experience. Director Antoine Fuqua is out to make a very glossy picture about Jackson, which follows parts of his childhood to his music domination of the 1980s, making sure to sell the legend of the subject without delving too much into the reality of this extraordinary life. “Michael” is for the fans, and the production isn’t trying to hide such intent, making a hagiography about a complicated man and his very public battle with image and mental health. All the rough edges have been professionally sanded down by Logan and Fuqua, and perhaps this is what the faithful wants, presented with two hours of the cuddliest, kindest Michael Jackson imaginable. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – Desert Warrior

    “Desert Warrior” hasn’t enjoyed a smooth ride to release. The feature was shot five years ago and has endured plenty of behind-the-scenes conflicts preventing it from reaching theaters. And now it’s finally here, and the curious will probably get the most out of the viewing experience, watching director Rupert Wyatt (“Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” “Captive State”) aim to stage big, widescreen action and deal with fiery performances. The helmer has the money to do it, with the production happy to show off its expanse, as Wyatt is openly trying to sell the epic qualities of the picture. It’s the rest of “Desert Warrior” that isn’t as convincing, with editorial clunkiness and dramatic lethargy hurting the endeavor, preventing it from achieving a more dominating cinematic presence. There are highlights to enjoy, but it takes quite a bit of patience to wait for them. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – Dirty Hands

    Writer/director/producer/star Kevin Interdonato wants to make a crime film with “Dirty Hands,” looking to get tough with a study of brotherly bonds and underworld entanglements. Instead of getting inspired with the material, Interdonato turns to Tarantino for influence, generating another study of profane characters stuck in bad situations, with dialogue prioritized over physical activity. The helmer doesn’t have a budget to work with, as most of the action in the picture is contained to a single room. He doesn’t have much drama as well, losing viewer interest as potentially tense confrontations are passed on for the same old stuff in genre moviemaking. “Dirty Hands” disappoints, but it does have a few capable performances to make it passably interesting at times, with Interdonato wisely surrounding himself with more commanding thespians, helping him to find the threat level he’s looking for. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com