a few words about

My notes on Deep Rising may or may not be helpful, as I'm seeing a bit of controversy as to what this release from Kino Lorber might, might not be, or in fact - is. My problem is that I have no point of reference on this film, and can only go by what I'm seeing in this specific instance. I'm...

While I'm a huge fan of Tom Hardy's work, I somehow missed Taboo, which arrived via FX in January of 2017, and ran for eight episodes. It wasn't until my son mentioned it, presuming that I was aware, that I quickly ordered a copy. In short, the series, which is coming back for a second season...

Unfortunately, there's both good and bad news for fans of the Predator series, as Fox releases its new 4k home theater variant. Let's get the bad out of the way first. At just under $50 for the three films at street price, this is a fair deal, but it guarantees an expensive August for said...

When discussing any Fox Technicolor film from the nitrate era, expectations are to lowered - measurably. Extant film elements allow the films to appear never as they did, but rather, anywhere from impermissible to nice, while never able to hit anywhere near perfection. Ernst Lubitsch's 1943...

James Whale remains one of the great names of classic cinema. And his time at Universal, specifically from 1931 through 1936, provided an extraordinary series of quality motion pictures. The stand-outs... Frankenstein - 1931 The Old Dark House - 1932 The Invisible Man - 1933 Bride of...

Occasionally, when there isn't something that hits the top of the review pile, that must be viewed, one can delve in, and find some gems that have been waiting their turn. So it is with Starz' 13 episode The Girlfriend Experience, based upon the feature by Steven Soderbergh. My hope was that...

Especially after viewing the hour-long production doc, how might anyone not fall for Helen Slater, the then newly-minted 19 year-old star of the Salkind spin-off, Supergirl? While the production may be in the "for DC Super-hero completists" category, it's still a sweet, if not terribly...

I always enjoy discovering newly minted low-budget films that represent new talent - writer/director Adam MacDonald and lead actress Nicole Muñoz. The steadfast factor of stability here, with a bit of bottle age, is Laurie Holden, as Nicole's mother. Pyewacket (presumably named after Kim...

Although I've always been aware of the Buffy projects, both feature as well as TV, I'd never had the time or inclination to visit them. The release of Fox's Blu-ray of the feature last October, finally made it way to my screening room, and I found it an interesting conundrum. The film was very...

I've always felt that Steven Soderbergh should try his hand at a caper film, and he finally did in 2017. I've only recently caught up with this delightful Coenesque dramady on 4k, and loved every minute of it. Shot via a Red Epic Dragon, and yielding a final 4k DI, fans of the format have...

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Jordan Peele's Get Out, is a wonderfully creepy, horror / thriller, that was hyped to the gills during the awards season, and regardless of that fact, not because of it, it's worth your time, if you've not seen it. Zero discussion, so no spoilers. Universal's 4k is a superb looking affair...

In their continuing offering of original Vestron productions, Lionsgate is releasing spine numbers 15 and 16, Beyond Re-Animator (2003), directed by Brian Yuzna, and Dagon (2001), Directed by Stuart Gordon. Interestingly, more for the former than the latter, both were shot in Spain. Both have...

Shout Factory continues to do things in the best interest of the consumer, packaging their releases inclusive of everything that the consumer might wish, and more. They're a class act! Want to see what the films look like in 4k with HDR, or without? In Blu-ray, in either 2 or 3D? Their...

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I have no idea how many films have been created, based upon the premise of the highly trained ops / solider / assassin / whatever - now retired, and living the life they've always dreamed, when something occurs that forces them back on duty. Such is the case with The Equalizer, directed by...

"Check his vitals, and get the the boy some lip gloss." Alex Lawther, who some may recognize from The Imitation Game and Goodbye Christopher Robin, plays a self-proclaimed "freak," viewed by his ultra-conservative, religious classmates, as queer. He does nothing to alter their opinion. That...

According to IMDb, Joe Wright's Darkest Hour was shot with an Alexa Mini in both 3.2 and 3.4 resolutions, and finished as a 3.2 DI. One would presume, accepting the data as correct, that this is the reason why Darkest Hour looks superior to its 1920 Blu-ray counterpart. That noted, it's a pity...

I'm not a fan of cinema based upon computer games. Never have been. But Roar Uthang's Tomb Raider works. Probably because of the presence of Alicia Vikander (if you've not experienced her work in Ex Machina and The Danish Girl, you're missing out) and a storyline that doesn't go into computer...

What began as a TV series in 2004, and running three seasons (64 episodes), seems to have turned into a social phenomenon, when in 2013 fans, who wanted more, received their wish, when those behind the series, offered a feature film to be potentially funded via Kickstarter, with Rob Thomas, the...

I have very little to say about this film, except that those who have never heard of it, should immediately jump on this release. Those who do know, will already have it on pre-order. Powell Pressburger Cardiff Technicolor An absolutely magnificent Blu-ray from a new 4k restoration by...

Village of the Damned (1960), directed by Wolf Rilla, and its sequel Children of the Damned (1964), are classic British horror, both based upon the novel The Midwich Cuckoos, by John Wyndham, who also wrote The Day of the Triffids. It has previously been available as a "double bill" DVD, but...

Game Night, directed by John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein, is an odd comedy. Or possibly, a thriller / comedy. With Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams in the leads, it's a 100 minute exercise, with fits and starts. Every time it had me wondering if something interesting might occur, and...

As Marilyn Monroe's penultimate film, and her last in color, and her final completed film for Fox (her final work was the extraordinary The Misfits, which should not be missed), it has an interesting place in history. Great film? Not by a long shot. But... There's treasure to be mined here...

My Gal Sal is another musical from the notorious Fox three-strip Technicolor library. But this one is different. Whether by chance, or by some other means, this one allows us to see many of the gorgeous Technicolor attributes of the era. It could be far better, but one would need elements...

Richard Quine, a Columbia staple during this period, directed My Sister Eileen, based upon the stage play, in 1955. The color production, filmed in CinemaScope by Charles Lawton, Jr. (The Lady from Shanghai), has made its way to Twilight Time, and the wait has been worthwhile. Derived from a...

Finally, Billy Wilder's 1963 Irma La Douce, gets its due, with a new 4k OCN scan. And it's gorgeous. Great color, densities, a nice light grain structure. It's all there. A solid release from Kino Lorber, of a terrific film. Just pick up a copy, and enjoy. Image - 5 Audio - 5 Pass /...

No doubt about it. The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, director John Huston's 1972 paean to the old west, will not be to everyone's liking. But for those willing to take a shot, there's a bit of gold therein. Terrific cast - Paul Newman, Victoria Principal, Anthony Perkins, Tab Hunter, John...

It's always interesting to see how a quality actor does, when he or she turns to directing. For Peter Ustinov, it wasn't (like so many others) a one off. He had been writing, and directing, since the '40s, creating the English dialogue for Lola Montes in 1955, along with some dialogue for...