Blu-ray Review: Free Fire!
Hi everyone, Bryan here….
THE FILM
Film Portion Reviewed by Janet White:
In typical 70s film fashion, Free Fire opens with an aerial scan of the city below. Curvaceous, bold letters displayed nearly every cast member and some of the crew. This got very old, long, and kept the pace slow. Two men waiting in an alley… (Sounds like a bad joke, it was). Stevo (Sam Riley) and Bernie (Enzo Cilenti) meet up with Justine (Brie Larson), Chris (Cillian Murphy), and Frances (Michael Smiley) for a shady gun buy with Ord (Armie Hammer), Vernon (Sharlto Copley), Martin (Babou Ceesay), Gordon (Noah Taylor), and Harry (Jack Reynor, how did they turn this hottie into a slob?). Great cast, right? Well, great casts alone do not a great film make. The dialogue and plot points must harness and ride with that talent.
read comments (0)‘Free Fire’ Drops To DVD From Exec Producer Martin Scorsese!!!
Hey guys, Jana here,
From Executive Producer Martin Scorsese Comes the Bloodiest Shootout of the Year, ‘Free Fire‘. Starring Armie Hammer, Cillian Murphy, and Oscar Winner Brie Larson on Blu-ray & DVD on July 18.
Film Review: ‘[Free Fire]’!!
Hello Everyone, Janet W. here…
In typical 70s film fashion, Free Fire opens with an aerial scan of the city below. Curvaceous, bold letters displayed nearly every cast member and some of the crew. This got very old, long, and kept the pace slow. Two men waiting in an alley… (Sounds like a bad joke, it was). Stevo (Sam Riley) and Bernie (Enzo Cilenti) meet up with Justine (Brie Larson), Chris (Cillian Murphy), and Frances (Michael Smiley) for a shady gun buy with Ord (Armie Hammer), Vernon (Sharlto Copley), Martin (Babou Ceesay), Gordon (Noah Taylor), and Harry (Jack Reynor, how did they turn this hottie into a slob?). Great cast, right? Well, great casts alone do not a great film make. The dialogue and plot points must harness and ride with that talent. Inundated with morons and piss-poor shooting for a calamitous combination, Free Fire leaves the audience either shaking their heads or bowing over laughing. Between the mumbling of lines and poor volume control, I missed bits of the dialogue for sure. It is as if they were aiming to repeat what Tarantino did with Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs, but they were not clever enough. Complete with wondrous never-ending bullet supplies and a villain’s miraculous ability to stave off death repeatedly aka “movie magic,” Free Fire simply does not make much sense. Could a person, shot in their right arm, fire a weapon (even automatic rifles) with their right hand? Read the rest of this entry »
4K UHD Review: ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’!
Hi everyone, Bryan here…
THE FILM
This portion of the review was written by Suzanne Loranc.
Everyone can understand that the second movie in any series can be the problematic middle child of a franchise. They tend to suffer between the spellbinding beginning and the satisfying conclusion. However, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire rises above the usual awkward bridge label with excellent performances and a script that remains faithful to the book to make it a movie that could almost stand on its own.
‘The Possibility Of Fireflies’ Lands Joey King & Courtney Love For Movie Adaptation!!!
Hey guys, Jana here,
‘The Possibility Of Fireflies‘ is a novel by Dominique Paul published in 2006 and is, at it’s heart a coming of age story. Taking place during the summer of 1989 in suburban Maryland. It follows Ellie Roma (Joey King) – a precocious teenager with dreams of becoming a writer – who must cope with her chaotic, self destructive mother Susanna (Courtney Love) and a volatile metal-head sister, Gwen. When Ellie falls in love with her older neighbor, aspiring singer Leo, she finds herself caught in the alluring undertow of a reckless rock n’ roll freedom, and must make a decision that will change her life for ever.
Galifianakis Steps Down From ‘Freeheld’ Making Way for Carell To Step In!!!
Hey guys, Jana here,
In a not unusual move, scheduling conflicts have cropped up on the set for ‘Freeheld‘. Zach Galifianakis was originally on tap to play the male lead in the film based on a documentary about domestic partner benefits. The furry, funny man had to step down due to other commitments, making way for Steve Carell to step into the vacated position. The docu followed the story of Laurel Hester and Stacie Andree as the pair fought to amend the Domestic Partnership Act, which would grant pension benefits to domestic partners of all New Jersey public employees. Ellen Page and Julianne Moore are under contract to play the couple.
Free Autographs and Information on Star Wars Fan Days!!!
Hi Bryan Here….
Star Wars fans are in for a special treat at this year’s Fan Days where at least half a dozen guests will offer free autographs. Tom Kane, the narrator and voice of “Yoda” on the Cartoon Network’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars, will sign Fan Days’ exclusive photos at no charge during the show Oct. 8 and 9 in the new 300,000-square-foot Irving Convention Center in Irving, Texas.
‘Midsommar’ Blu-ray Announced!
One of the best films of the year is coming to Blu-ray in time for Halloween. ‘Midsommar‘, directed by Ari Aster (Hereditary) will be coming to Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy on October 8th from Lionsgate. It will be available digitally and On-Demand a bit before that on September 24th. Unfortunately, this is a bare-bones release without the talked about 3-hour director’s cut of the movie. I guess they’re milking it for a future all-out release.
‘Class of 1999’ is getting the Collector’s Edition Blu-ray treatment!
I’m so psyched for ‘Class of 1999‘ on Blu-ray from Vestron Video. This sci-fi thriller was part of my video collection when I was younger and I watched it all the time. Basically, this is about a high-school that puts in robotic teachers to keep the peace in school, but it turns into a real ‘Westworld‘ type of situation when the robot teachers start killing students. It’s then up to the kids to fight back. It stars Pam Grier, Stacy Keach, and Malcolm McDowell, which it doesn’t get cooler than that. There are new commentaries and interviews for bonus features. The Blu-ray will be released on January 30th, 2018 in a limited edition and I can’t be more excited about this if I tried to be.
Look What’s coming to Blu-ray from Arrow in September!
Hi everyone, Bryan here….
Arrow Video has announced their lineup for September with some excellent titles in time for Halloween. All releases come with new HD transfers and some pretty cool extras. Be sure to read all about them below and pre-order for the cheapest price. I can’t wait to watch these fun gems again.
We’ve Got The Schedule For The Dallas International Film Festival 2017!!!
Hey guys, Jana here,
The upcoming 11th edition of the Dallas International Film Festival, or DIFF, opens March 30 and runs through April 9 for 2017. The festival will celebrate the year of 1967 with a salute to films from that year and we’ve got the full schedule here.
Film Review: ‘Skin’!!
Hello Everyone, Janet W. here…
Based on the real-life story of Bryon Widener, Skin details the epic transformation from a life of hate to a purpose of love. Raised in the rural recesses of America, Widener (Jamie Bell) was molded to be a white supremacist “soldier.” Merciless in his mindless pursuit of an all-white United States of America, Widener’s world is rocked to its core. What could remove blinders from such a person? Love, of course, enter Julie Price (Danielle Macdonald) and her three adorable angels, Desiree (Zoe Margaret Colletti), Sierra (Kylie Rogers), and Iggy (Colbi Gannett). However, the Vinlanders SC will not just stand by and see its lieutenant snatched away. Read the rest of this entry »
Batman 30th Anniversary – 4K UHD Review!
In 1989, the birth of summer blockbusters became real with Tim Burton’s Batman. Before that, the superhero genre was not the behemoth it was today with A-list actors, 9-figure budgets, and compelling dramatic tones. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Us comic books fans had to settle for slapstick one-liners in low budget sets and costumes to get our favorite heroes on screen. It wasn’t until that summer where everything changed and paved the way for films like X-Men, the MCU, and Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight franchise. It was a strange decision too, but Warner Bros. and DC Comics decided on the young filmmaker Tim Burton to take on the large budget and big named comic book adaptation of Batman. Until then, Burton had only done Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure and Beetlejuice.
Echo in the Canyon – Film Review!
“Echo in the Canyon is a true music buff’s utopia.”
If you’re a music buff, this new documentary called Echo in the Canyon is a must-see. Music industry maestro Andrew Slater and musician Jakob Dylan (Bob’s son and member of the Wallflowers) have given us the gift of rock n’ roll on film that focuses specifically on the mid-1960’s music revolution that catapulted acts life The Byrds, The Mamas & the Papas, Buffalo Springfield, and later years of The Beatles and The Beach Boys to success and fame.
Dragged Across Concrete – Film Review!
Dragged Across Concrete is the third film from S. Craig Zahler that focuses on two police detectives (Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn) who are put on suspension and are looking to make some extra money to support their families, even if it means doing something dangerous off the grid. It’s a fantastic film for sure. The 1080p HD transfer, DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio mix, and two excellent bonus features are all worth your time. Highly Recommended!
