The Anne Hathaway-starring indie Song One could have been a solid, sweet film if it were not so wrapped up in trying to be too many other things. The movie casts Hathaway – who also produced – as Franny the older sister to Henry, who dropped out of college to be a musician. Franny, who has been estranged from her brother and mom, comes back home after her brother is…
It seems like Ryan Reynolds can’t catch a break. He’s a good, often great actor, depending on the role. Not content to simply play the leading man to Sandra Bullock’s leading woman in one mindless romantic comedy after the next, he often seeks smaller, darker fare, which explains his choice with The Captive. Unfortunately this small-budget thriller, pairs solid acting with a weak, hard to follow plot.
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is still an absolute force when it comes to the children’s market, and Shout! Kids has parlayed that fame into a compilation DVD containing five memorable episodes of the show (Twilight Time, The Cutie Pox, Pinkie Pride, The Cutie Mark Chronicles, and Flight to the Finish); these choice episodes are taken from seasons 1, 2, and 4. Of the included episodes, The Cutie Mark…
By The Gun is a film that rapidly reaches a break-neck speed, capturing the life and times of a newly made mobster, Nick (Ben Barnes, The Chronicles of Narnia, Dorian Gray). Nick things that things will change for the better after settling into his new digs, but things could not be more wrong. While he is the only individual directly in danger, collateral damage ensures that those he loves –…
The second season of Banshee saw this Cinemax series start to pivot from being an oddly fascinating action show with an original setting and complex characters to being a run-of-the-mill action show with ridiculously gratuitous sex scenes shoehorned in between gun fights. But there’s still hope for the show.
Zarra’s Law stars Tony Sirico (The Sopranos, Lillehammer) has a police officer that is grieving the death of his brother, who was entangled in criminal enterprises. After it comes to light that the man responsible for killing his brother is being released from prison. Tony is accompanied his nephew (Brendan Fehr, Roswell, CSI: Media), with a stated goal of destroying the entire apparatus that caused the murder. When one watches…
It’s a surprisingly common story: local band builds up a big regional following thanks to DIY recording and constant touring; gets discovered by a major label, signed and before the album comes out the record company implodes and the band goes back to near obscurity.
The visual quality of Starry Eyes is crystal clear with nice separation between the foreground/background elements.; The colors are realistic while still extending nicely from the screen, while a similarly crisp audio ensures that every line and noise from the film can be heard. Starry Eyes is a horror film that looks to expand what the style is capable of; Sarah begins the film trapped in a dead-end job. The…
The Atticus Institute is the latest title from Peter Safran (Buried, Scary Movie, and The Conjuring), and ties together a solid cast that includes John Rubenstein (Desperate Housewives, Angel), William Mapother (The Mentalist, Lost), Rya Khilstedt (Home Alone 3, TV’s Nashville), and Sharon Maughan (Holby City, By The Sword Divded). The film surrounds Dr. Henry West, who had the titular location commandeered by the U.S. Government. A special client –…
Though billed as a comedy, The Skeleton Twins is a pretty dark offering. It’s got a stellar cast and an engaging storyline, but aside from two brief moments of levity, thanks to dentist office laughing gas and a cheesy Starship lip synch moment, this indie is mostly a bleak affair.
The story of James Brown is tremendously interesting if one would choose to read a biography. However get on up is a compelling and always interesting film replete with talented actors no matter whether they are large forces in the Hollywood such as Dan Aykroyd or up and coming stars like Chadwick Boseman (42, Captain America: Civil War). Boseman’s role as Brown showcases all the glitz and glamour and the…
It comes as no shock to anyone who has been paying attention to politics, that the rich – from both parties – control our elections and own the politicians once they get in office.
Plastic is an engrossing film that has the perfect blend of up and coming actors. The casting of Plastic is incredibly solid establishing a dynamic between the lead actors that lends the film an honesty that few titles are able to provide their viewers. Together with intelligent casting choices, Plastic as a film that is extremely visual – the steps that are utilized in progressing the plot during the film…
It is rapidly becoming the holiday season and as such Christmas classics such as Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer could stand a little gussying up. As the original film is approaching its 50th Anniversary the video quality that many individuals recall is a far cry from the high definition world in which we find ourselves today. This Edition of the film provides some of the most clear video that we…
If Life of Crime, the action comedy from director Daniel Schechter, seems oddly familiar that’s likely because it uses the Elmore Leonard crime book-to-movie formula that has been a staple since the 1985 Burt Reynolds’ movie Stick. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, you just know what you’re getting when you watch a movie based off one of Leonard’s crime novels: The criminal is usually the good guy; the guy(s)…
Adventure Time is still one of the most viewed shows on Cartoon Network and consistently possesses some of the best numbers for any sort of animated show. Cartoon Network has continued to release DVDs of the show on a regular basis and Finn the Human is a fine inclusion to the home video market. The first thing that individuals will see if that Finn’s backpack is provided (a callback to…
In a documentary that is equal parts creepy and fascinating, Allison Berg and Frank Keraudren, catch up with John Wojtowicz, the inspiration for the movie Dog Day Afternoon. Wojtowicz was played brilliantly by Al Pacino in the 1975 movie about a Brooklyn man who gets two buddies to help him rob a bank to pay for his boyfriend’s sex change. And as the doc shows, Wojtowicz has been milking the…
What started out as a brooding, darkly comical, sometimes romantic look at centuries old vampires in modern day rural Louisiana, where clothing almost seemed unnecessary, grew into a universe that included werewolves, werepanthers, fairies and a number of other odd combinations of supernatural creatures. The show started to almost fell apart midway through trying to top the violence and addition of new characters, but covered quite nicely in the last,…
Rockabilly singer/guitarist/songwriter Jerry McGill recorded for the legendary Sun Records and was one of the shadow members of the Outlaw Country movement. He was also a bank robber, a burglary, a con man and drug addict, along with being a fugitive on the run from the FBI.
Ancient Aliens has attempted to create or otherwise unveil a history for humanity that involves extra terrestrials. The show provides ample opportunity for scholars and aficionados to discuss their own beliefs regarding the presence of aliens on earth. This box set is the perfect purchase for anyone that watches the show or would like a broad spectrum of different feelings concerning aliens. The format of the show – some narrative,…