DVD Reviews

Grief is a Distraction with the DEVILS STAY

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray from writer/director Moon-Sub Hyun and Well Go USA is a story of a father dealing with grief in DEVILS STAY.

Dr. Cha (Park Shin-yang) is grieving the death of his young daughter So-mi (Lee Re). Believing she was on the road to recovery after heart surgery, something obviously went wrong. That is the talk around the hospital as the family comes together for the funeral.

In the local parish, the young priest Father Ban (Lee Min-ki) is watching videos of his family visits to So-mi trying to understand what happened to her. As So-mi’s funeral begins with family and friends, strange occurrences begin happening. Dr. Cha can not explain what is driving his obsession not accepting his daughter has passed other than his grief.

As chaos breaks out at So-mi’s funeral, Father Ban is drawn to intervene. The priest cannot seem to reach Dr. Cha as he sets out to discover who the donor was of his daughter’s heart. His journey leads him to the dark Russian underworld. There he finds the answers with the help of the unrelenting Father Ban who has a few surprises of his own, yet both must continue the fight for good against evil.

A grieving father and a priest who carries his own sorrows must come together to find a way to save a young girls soul!

Shin-yang as Dr. Cha is a grief-stricken father who cannot believe that his daughter is gone. The struggle begins with knowing how she died but not understanding why she died. When strange things begin to happen, it is Dr. Cha who refuses to let go as easily as the rest of the family. His anger toward the whole situation is not understood by anyone other than the priest. Shin-yang gives a stellar performance bringing in every range of emotion one would expect from a father – and a father with a secret.

Min-ki as Father Ban a young priest who believes he can help Dr. Cha and his family. He has his own deep past that pushes him to help even when Dr. Cha makes it clear that his help isn’t wanted. Knowing that it is grief coming from the good doctor, Min-k makes it his goal to stay close and jump in when needed. There is an added surprises that Min-ki bring to his character and, of course, I’m not going to say what it is but when it happens, I’m sure everyone will have the same reaction of ‘oh whaaaaat?’ as I did.

Re as the young So-mi is absolutely charming and for such a young actress in this role, I’m seriously applauding her performance. She is sweet and then things go crazy. This young actress takes us on a huge thrill ride and brings more than a few jaw dropping moments. Well done young lady, extremely well done.

Well Go USA Entertainment is a theatrical and home entertainment company specializing in bringing the best Action, Genre and Independent films from around the world to North American markets. As a leader in independent film distribution, Well Go USA Entertainment’s titles can be seen across a variety of platforms including theatrical, digital, subscription and cable VOD, packaged media and broadcast television. Well Go USA Entertainment currently releases three to five films per month. To see more please visit www.wellgousa.com.

DEVILS STAY is the genre of thriller film from Korea that is visually stunning, a story that is captivating, a cast that embraces their characters taking us on a thrill ride until the very end. Of course, there have been films similar in storyline to this but the direction Moon-Sub Hyun takes I am here for. Following Dr. Cha’s story and Father Ban’s part in the story had me at go immediately.

The grief of Dr. Cha and the determination of Father Ban truly makes the story one to watch. Possession is the theme of the film but it is the two male characters that bring the full-on drama to this ninety-five-minute running film. There truly isn’t anything about this film that I do not absolutely love. The cinematography is also brilliant and is another quiet layer to the story that is truly well done.

DEVILS STAY is a film that needs to have the lights off, the sound bar up and cuddles under thick protective blankets. Well, that’s how I watched it anyway so grab a tub of popcorn and do your best not to jaw drop because this film will definitely make that happen.

In the end – they must believe!

There is a History About WOLF MAN

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD, Bluray, DVD and currently available on Digital from writer/director Leigh Whannel, Corbett Tucker and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment comes the story of what can happen in the woods with a WOLFMAN.

Blake (Christopher Abbott) lives in San Francisco with Charlotte (Julia Garner) and daughter Ginger (Matilda Firth). A writer spending most of his time at home with his young daughter, Charlotte is often off working as well. One morning Blake receives mail with a death certificate for his father and a set of keys to the house he grew up in Oregon. Knowing that he must go and clean out the house, he asks Charlotte to make it a bit of a vacation and spend time as a family together.

Getting a moving van, they make their way into the deep forest trying to get to the house before sun set. On the way they meet Derek (Benedict Hardie), a friend of Blake’s when they were younger who offers to lead them to the house. As the road narrows, something is in the road as Blake tries to avoid it heading off the road. Something comes after the van and scratches at Blake who grabs his family and races toward the house.

Locking all the doors and windows, Blake is attempting to protect his family as Charlotte takes care of Ginger. She also notices that her husband is bleeding from a deep cut. Still watching out for whatever is outside, Blake starts to feel out of sorts and Charlotte notices it. Realizing she needs to get Blake some help, it becomes a game of cat and mouse. Blake knows that he must take on whatever is outside if he is to protect his family.

Charlotte focuses on how she can protect her daughter for what is becoming more dangerous minute by minute. It becomes clear that what is happening to Blake is something she could have never imagined.

Abbott as Blake is a man who hasn’t had much luck at his work and has taken to being a good house dad for his daughter. When his father is declared dead, although he isn’t affected like he perhaps should be, clearing out his childhood house needs to be done. Feeling as if his marriage is not going well, he sees this as an opportunity for he and Charlotte to reconnect. Abbott gives his character an unassuming nature but he knows more than he has been telling his family.

Garner as Charlotte is a wife who has been going along to get along in her marriage but when Blake asks straight out, she has to admit that things aren’t as it should be. There is also a feeling of disconnect with young daughter Ginger as she seems to prefer her father much more and they have a connection that causes her to feel left out. Garner gives a straight performance, and although I wouldn’t have stuck around as long as her character did, at least she was supportive.

Firth as Ginger is a loving daughter who is now caught up in something that clearly no child should be. She is pretty calm for a kid being chased by something through the forest so well-done Firth. Hardie as Derek is a scary character who doesn’t say much, it is the look on his face that is pretty frightening and Garner’s character senses it immediately.

Other cast include Sam Jaeger as Grady Lovell, Benedict Hardie as Derek Kiel and Leigh Whannell as the voice of Dan Kiel.

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has just added an amazing film to their library and making it available for us to all experience and re-experience in our own home theaters. There are films of every genre available from scary to drama to family films. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.uphe.com.

MOVIES ANYWHERE gives viewers the ability to download the Movies Anywhere App. With that you can view films by downloading or streaming to your favorite device using a Digital Code. For more information on Movies Anywhere please visit www.MoviesAnywhere.com.

Bonus Features on Digital, 4K Ultra HD, Bluray and DVD include Unleashing a New Monster, Designing Wolf Man, Hands on Horror, Nightmares and Soundscapes and Feature Commentary with Director/Co-Writer Leigh Whannell.

WOLF MAN is another telling about the mythical world of wolf people and this one aims directly at a family with history. Able to escape the life his father put him through in his young life, there is part of Blake that doesn’t want to return back to his childhood home. Keeping the story limited to the three characters means the battle becomes between what’s outside and what’s inside.

The film does remind me a bit of the film THE BEAST WITHIN but that isn’t a bad thing at all. Each interpretation of the wolf man stories brings a new set of eyes in the way it can be told and the surroundings in which to tell it. Whannel chose his story to be isolated deep in the forest of Oregon (although it was filmed in New Zealand) forcing the three main characters into survival mode and that is a fascinating part of the story.

In the end – protect your own!

THE STORY OF CHI

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to On Demand and Digital from director David Grovic, Lionsgate and narrated by Morgan Freeman comes the look at the mystical with THE POWER OF CHI.

The film brings us into the thought process and the teachings of Chi which originated from Tai Chi Chuan centuries ago. The power of the body is stunning in this piece as a large man and a smaller man go face to face with a result that is unexpected. Adam became fascinated with Kung Fu and meditation. He went deeper into the world of internal force and he helps athletes with Chi and strongman Brian Shaw is the first to experience Adams force.

The UFC, kickboxing, boxing athletes like Lyoto Machida, Thanasis Michaloudis and Fabricio Werdum are experiencing proof of the power of Chi and experience with fingers touch how off balance they can become. Adam Mizner makes it look amazingly easy just by using what he calls his life force. Explaining to the athletes how Chi works for each of them, the smaller Adam clearly makes them nervous with the power one would think his size wouldn’t bring! Using technique and energy, each of the athletes are startled at what Adam can do. Neither standing nor sitting are they able to move him.

Calli Taylor sees for herself the power of Adam as she watches them push him sitting down, standing up and even on one leg. They athletes are stunned by what he can do with his energy and they want to know more to use in their own professions. Adam believes that Chi is in every part of existence believing the force is life. He also believes that it is possible for anyone to feel it by opening up to it.

In Chi, there are movements that converge to bring power by releasing tension and opening up to the force of the universe. The mind and body are one and the results show exactly that. Tim Morehouse is a member of the US fencing team and meets with Adam with practice sword in hand. Morehouse says he has never felt anything like the energy that Adam is emitting. The thickness of their practice swords should not be breaking, yet, they are.

Up against a large football player, Hunter Hillenmeyer played for the Packers and Bears in the NFL and explains how a player sees the game. The large Hillenmeyer can not seem to move Adam referring to him as “slippery”. Both Morehouse and Hillenmeyer can only explain it as feeling strange and confusing that Adam can do what he is able to do. Adam also shows that Chi is transferrable as Calli takes on the NFL player.

Jason Collins is seven feet tall and played in the NBA and he is about to experience Chi with the much smaller Adam. Collins also learns that the touch of a finger can change his ability to complete a simple lift.

Lionsgate is a global leader in motion picture production and distribution for theatres, television, home entertainment and more. Theatre franchises include THE HUNGER GAMES, and DIVERGENT along with JOHN WICK. Now, adding this film to its 16,000-motion picture and television titles you can see everything coming soon as well as available now at http://www.lionsgate.com.

THE POWER OF CHI is such a remarkable documentary showing us what is possible manipulating energy. Seeing Adam Mizner come face to face with men larger in height and weight than himself and controlling the situation in stunning ways can make anyone a believer in the simplicity of Chi. Add that to Freeman’s explanation of what our mind is capable of and doing every second of every day, it is a lot to comprehend.

Watching the reaction of these very large and very strong athletes go through the pushing and pulling shows the power and the force that they could never have believed unless they experienced it for themselves. They are quite stunned by what they are experiencing and we are seeing it on film for ourselves.

Adam says that what drew him to Chi was that one can get better at it as they get older. His Grandmaster in his 70’s was able to do the same to men much younger than he was. He believes that you have to cultivate the Chi and age is not a barrier nor is there a difference between a man and a woman. The technique allows both sexes to practice Chi with amazing results. The young woman Lily has no difficulty moving even the largest of the athletes that Adam moved also with ease.

THE POWER OF CHI, I believe, is about the energy we all have inside us, it is a matter of connecting with it to enrich so many aspects of our lives.

In the end – he is showing the power of Chi!

I LOVE YOU FOREVER

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Digital for Valentines Day from writer/directors Cazzie David, Elisa Kalani and Entertainment 360 is a different kind of emotion with I LOVE YOU FOREVER.

Mackenzie (Sofia Black-D’Elia) is trying to understand her on and off again relationship with Alex (Adam Alpert). Roommate’s Lucas (Jon Rudnitsky) and Ally (Cazzie David) have pretty much heard it all but still love their friend. Unexpectedly, Mackenzie meets Finn (Ray Nicholson) and her love life is about to totally change.

Finn immediately shows Mackenzie that he knows how to treat a lady and she is surprised. Feeling as if she finally found someone who understands her, Mackenzie is all into the relationship and the honeymoon phase has her on a cloud. Meeting Lucas and Ally, Finn shows them his best side with charm. But some things come to her attention and she isn’t quite sure why.

Trying to study one evening, Finn doesn’t seem to get the hint that she needs space to complete her work. When Mackenzie tries to smooth over the situation, things become sideways and again, she isn’t sure what to make of his reaction. Finn apologizes and she brushes it off as stress for both of them. Lucas and Ally talk with her about the change they see in their friend but it’s going to take more than talk for Mackenzie to see where her relationship is going.

Black-D’Elia as Mackenzie is a smart young woman who just has lousy luck when it comes to the kind of love she believes, and rightfully so, she deserves. Mackenzie is stunned to think that someone would sweep her off her feet with charm, style and humor. Black-D’Elia gives us all the stress and insecurities of her character and it is totally believable which makes the film amazing in the story its telling. Wonderful performance!

Nicholson as Finn gives his character all the charm and fun of a boyfriend every girl is looking for. The problem is once you get past that, there is a dark side that is probably the reason why many women don’t dive into dating. That being said, Nicholson is outstanding in portraying this character because, once again, there is a believability that causes uncomfortable tingling that is also relatable for many.

David as Ally is that girlfriend that we all just love. She is snarky, has fantastic one-liners and gives Mackenzie the blunt friendship she deserved. David has me giggle-snorting but also realizing I have a friend exactly like her character and couldn’t imagine life without her (shout out to Val!). Rudnitsky as Lucas is the guy-friend surrounded by females but none of them are his. He is the male counterpart to Ally with equal snark and one-liners and there isn’t a minute where an ‘awwwww’ didn’t escape me. These two actors together are spectacular plain and simple.

Other cast include Oliver Cooper as Harrison, Raymond Cham Jr. as Jake, Mireia Jiminez-Phinilla as Sam. Myke Wright as Freddie, and Alex Crawford as Danny.

Founded in 2002, Entertainment 360 is a talent and literary management/production company based in Los Angeles. We Work with Storytellers across the entertainment industry to help produce and foster content that impacts culture, entertains, and inspired. For more please visit www.ent360.com.

Directors David and Kalani talk about their film, “When we set out to make this film, we wanted to create a relatable romantic comedy for our generation. Something that satirized the horrors of being single in today’s unsettling, and constantly evolving romantic landscape. It was immediately clear to us that the romcom our generation has been waiting for is the anti-romcom. The irony is that the textbook toxic relationship almost always begins "just like the movies." Buzzwords like “love bombing,” “gaslighting,” “narcissist,” have saturated the vernacular on the internet to the point that they’ve lost all meaning. I LOVE YOU FOREVER depicts the nuance of what these words truly mean, and pokes fun at the culture that has glorified and overused them.”

I LOVE YOU FOREVER is such a mixture of emotions from start to finish. The character of Mackenzie just wants to be loved and seen as everyone does. With those emotions running high, it is easy to see how this character would fall hard and fast for Finn! All relationships have a honeymoon phase and these two take full advantage of that. When the necessities of life come back into focus, meaning Mackenzie’s need to study for example, there are some red flags that get waved.

The film truly does take in, as the directors state, the buzz words like ‘gaslighting’ and ‘love bombing’ to the highest heights. Watching the character of Mackenzie go through the ringer can also be a manual of ‘hey, see the red flags?”. The character is so relatable to both men and women because we have all experienced it at one time or another. Take the time to see how one woman handles her choices!

In the end – romance is a challenge!

It is Time to Fly Once Again with WICKED

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD, Bluray and DVD this Friday from director Jon M. Chu and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment comes the much-anticipated film WICKED.

Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo) is a young woman who has been living with a difference, she happens to be green. While taking her sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode), a paraplegic, to her first day at Shiz University, she is noticed by Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), the Headmistress. Believing she has found something special; she makes sure that Elphaba is taken into Shiz as well. Looking for a room to place her, Galinda Upland (Ariana Grande) is unwittingly chosen.

Galinda is a very popular girl who has a dreamy pink-like quality that Elphaba doesn’t warm up to at first meeting. Setting boundaries makes Galinda unsure of how it is possible that someone doesn’t like her. No matter, Galinda has found something new to keep her in the clouds and that is the arrival of Fiyero Tigelaar (Jonathan Bailey), a Winkie very good-looking prince. He sees Galinda as well and the two strike up a flirtation. But another, Boq (Ethan Slater) also has eyes for the floating beauty.

In history class, Doctor Dillamond (Peter Dinklage), a goat, is giving the students their first lessons but it is Galinda making it about her until Elphaba interjects. Once again Galinda is confused. When it is announced that a group is going out together, Boq tries to make his move but Galinda redirects him to Nessarose which makes the young girl so thrilled and Elphaba wonder if perhaps she might be too harsh on Galinda. At the dance is when everything beings to change for the two young women.

Elphaba now finds a way to include Galinda in her studies with Madame Morrible and Galinda finds ways to show others that Elphaba is one of them. Madame Morrible has decided, after seeing Elphaba’s powers, to write to the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) to see if a private audience can happen. Again, Elphaba includes Galinda in the exciting adventure but once there, both of them see what the Wizard is really about and what part Madame Morrible is playing.

The two young women must each make a decision on what path down the yellow brick road they are going to take. Elphaba now understands the strength of her powers and is about to unleash the Wicked Witch of the West!

Grande as Galinda and Erivo as Elphaba play off one another very well. They seem to be having fun play their respective roles and that is important to the audience watching. I just love Michelle Yeoh and when she gets the opportunity to play bad, she just plays it bad to the bone and as Madame Morrible it is as underhanded as it gets and I’m here for it.

Bailey as Fiyero is handsome, dashing and quite the dancer around books. He is the Ken to Galdina’s Barbie (outfits and all) but there will come a kitty-cat moment where he begins to question feelings he seems to have never had before. Slater as Boq is a love-struck young man and the problem is that the heart wants what the heart wants. We will see how this plays out.

Goldblum as the Wizard is exactly what I expected and actually waited to see out of the whole film. He is quirky, theatrical, and when the tables turn, he keeps up the wide-eyed innocent act with style. Dinklage as the voice of Doctor Dillamomd is just so damn cool…period. He may be the voice of a goat but I cheered hearing him none-the-less.

Other cast include Karis Musongole as young Elphaba, Bowen Yang as Pfannee, Bronwyn James as ShenShen, Keala Settle as Miss Coddle, Aaron Teoh as Avaric, Grecia de la Paz as Gilligan, Colin Carmichael as Professor Nikidik, Courtney-Mae Briggs as Melena Thropp, Andy Nyman as Frexspar Thropp, and Sharon D. Clarke as Dulcibear.

Cameos include Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth, Stephen Schwartz, Kerry Ellis, Luke Bayer, Georgina Onuorah and Dianne Pilkington.

Bonus Features include Sing Along – Alternate Feature Length Version, Deleted and Extended Scenes, Making WICKED, Welcome to Shiz, A Wicked Legacy, The Wonderful Wizard, Feature Commentary with Direction Jon M. Chu, and Feature Commentary with Stars Cynthia Erivo and Arina Grande.

WICKED has already won a few accolades from the Manaki Brothers Film Festival with the SUMOLIGHT Creative Synergy Award, the Heartland Film Festival for Truly Moving Picture Award Cameriage for Production Designer Award for Nathan Crowley, Celebration of Black Cinema and Television with Actress Award – film for Cynthia Erivo, and Santa Barbara International Film Festival Virtuoso Award for Ariana Grande.

The film is very colorful with a 2023 Willy Wonka and Harry Potter school type deal with spells, witches, wands and outlandish characters. Galinda is washed in Pepto Bismal so much than her brain is basically mush but enough left for her to be sweetly dastardly.

Elphaba - I give a nod for her basket bike riding skills. By the way, when did the Wizard get a side-kick? Not sure what a prince has to do with the story but I guess I’ll maybe find out in Part 2? The story is created from a screenplay by Winie Holzman and Dana Fox but the stage musical was by Stephen Schwartz and Holzman and is “loosely” based on the 1995 story by Gregory Maguire. Now I have to go read the book!

My granddaughter is happy to be home with mom and dad basking in the glow of a shared experience. I’m here for that absolutely and see that WICKED hits a target audience who are going to be just as thrilled that they will be able to watch at home again and again. The color, the songs, the dancing, the few giggles is exactly what fans expect. Get the kudos, get the awards and make the fans happy because I’m all for that absolutely.

Grab up every musical lover you know, grab up every WICKED fan who is excited, for the kids and the kid at heart, and come together once again (dressing in costume is optional) but always fun, make sure you get a comfy seat and prepare to look towards the western sky!

In the end – everyone deserves the chance to fly!

It is the LAST SHADOW AT FIRST LIGHT

Jeri Jacquin

Currently on DVD from writer/director Nicole Midori Woodford and Indiepix is the haunting tale of LAST SHADOW AT FIRST LIGHT.

Ami (Mihaya Shirata) is a young girl who is constantly thinking about her mother Satomi (Mariko Tsutsui). To keep her going daily are the recordings of her mother’s voice. At home, Ami’s grandmother is moving into her father Low Wen (Peter Yu) house yet, it is the recording that comfort her, or do they?

Her struggles at school bring about a confrontation with her father about her mother and what truly happened to her. Ami believes she is still alive somewhere. Learning she has an uncle Isamu (Masatoshi Nagase) that lives in Japan, Ami wants to go to find out why she is so consumed with her mother. Her father says he cannot go due to his mother’s illness.

Isamu meets her at the airport and Ami realizes that she doesn’t remember him at all. He also doesn’t seem very interested in getting to know his niece. Intending to send Ami by herself on the bullet train to northern Japan, Isamu changes his mind. His disposition also changes when he comes across the signs that where they are is exactly where a tsunami swept away so many lives.

Ami begins to learn more and more about the family and lets Isamu know that she has more than just recordings but letters and photographs that are a mystery to her. There is a blow out between them as Isamu begins to feel again that the world he once knew is empty, cold and just as deserted as now. Ami takes off and finds a friend who spends time with her and taking her mind off of her troubles.

Neither Ami nor Isamu can continue to run away from what is in front of them. Uncle and niece must find a way to deal with a past that continues to haunt them both. What is true and what was meant to protect young Ami comes full circle. Both are pulled by something they cannot explain!

Shirata as Ami is a young girl that has been living in a world that is full of mystery. Wanting to understand why her mother left and the message she feels she is getting; it is causing strain with her father as well. Shirata is absolutely stunning portraying this character with such intense emotion, depth of feeling and confusion that only this young girl can feel. No answers, no one to talk to and extended family she’s doesn’t remember having contact with, Ami takes it upon herself to get the answers and her journey is heartfelt.

Nagase as Isamu is a man who has his own grief to deal with and having Ami show up in his life, he builds a bit of an emotional wall. Trying to stay clear of her, there are moments where he knows that Ami can not do this alone but there is also something else pulling at him. Going toward his own grief, the stress drives him to do and say things that push him to his saddest point. Nagase is wonderful in this role and playing opposite Shirata proves to be a winning combination.

Other cast include Michiyo Yokoyama as Asako, Kwan Sau Yuet as Grandmother and Yong Ser Pin as Grandfather.

IndiePix Films, Inc is an independent film distribution and online streaming service based in New York City. IndiePix Unlimited, the company's subscription-streaming service, uses Streamhoster to deliver the desktop version for the service, and Ireland-based DMD Max for its mobile content. For more information, please visit https://indiepixfilms.com.

Director Woodford says of her film, “This film explores scars left on individuals who wrestle with different forms of escape from the same traumatic past. We shot on location in Rikuzentakata, one of the worst hit cities of the 2011 tsunami disaster. Although the debris had been cleared, the coaster part of Rikuzentakata, remained as undeveloped brown earth. Being there, I felt a profound existentialism which led me to making a film that captures the emotion of arriving at a faraway destination containing the memory of a personal tragedy, but also asking us “what is the future?”

LAST SHADOW AT FIRST LIGHT is such a stunning story between a young girl stuck in a place she doesn’t understand and an uncle who has lived with grief by hiding. Filmed at the actual tsunami site of Rikuzentakata, the location adds a level of mystery and grief to characters that are already filled to the brim with both. I was moved by the entire film from beginning to end and, without saying much more, is a tale to be experienced. Have Kleenex on hand, absolutely.

In the end – remembering is better than forgetting!

The Life of NADIA

Jeri Jacquin

Currently on DVD and Digital from writer/director Anissa Bonnefont along with Edith Chapin and Indiepix Films comes the extraordinary story of NADIA.

It begins with the memories of Nadia Nadim and the death of her father when the family lived in Afghanistan. Her mother, Hamida, found a way to take 8-year-old Nadia and siblings away from their home country. As the years passed, Nadia became a professional football (soccer) player and a need arose in her to revisit her homeland.

Speaking with her mother, the fears of the Taliban are still real but there is a slim chance that Nadia can recover something of her fathers, his military medals. Her idea is a difficult one as most of those she could talk to have passed in the twenty years since leaving Afghanistan. Remembering the night they escaped; their first stop was Pakistan and spending time in Karachi with nothing but the bare essentials.

They found there way to Italy and then settled in Denmark. The family tells Nadia that her father had 48 medals that were hidden for fear that the Taliban would find them leading to the death of who ever held onto them. The details that a few family members could share gives a sketchy idea of where they could possibly be if, in fact, they were still there but Nadia must also focus on her athletic career. An ambassador to the Danish Refugee Council, Football Foundation and UNESCO, Nadim wants to be part of the changing world.

Nadim’s mother worries about the trip to Afghanistan but the player is focused on football, her charitable works and fan who love her as the season begins to wind down. Even with all of that, Nadim thinks about her father and how, as a child, she dealt with the grief. Hamida worries about her security and that’s when a plan is created as to what she would need to make the homeward trip. She realizes also that she will have to purchase the traditional garb to fit in.

All the while Nadim is focusing on the upcoming final games. What is after football is a medical career. She meets with the French Ambassador who lets her know of the dangers happening in Afghanistan. They fear that knowing who she is in that country makes her a bigger target. More and more people who love her come forward telling Nadim that it is not a good time to return to Afghanistan.

She meets with sister Muskan and Nadim believe that she and all of her sisters get their strength from the parents of course, but feel something more for their father. Having five daughters, Nadim’s father raised them to be tough girls. So, Nadim feels going to Afghanistan is a way of saying a proper goodbye to a father she misses so much.

Nadim remembers when football became her obsession. That obsession leads her team to win the Paris Saint-Germain French Championship in 2021. Still waiting to go to Afghanistan, Nadim cannot believe how her life at 33 years old has been a mixture of so much emotion, change, challenge, memories, family, countries, friendship and a story that needed to be told.

From Tribeca Film Festival, Award-Winner Anissa Bonnefort, this film was nominated for an International Emmy for Best Sports Documentary. The film was also nominated for an International Emmy Award and in the Highlights section of CPH: DOX and winner of the Jury Ward for the 11mm Football Film Festival in Berlin.

NADIA is an uplighting story that comes from a woman who had seen and experienced the terror of the Taliban on her family. That also brings a harrowing journey hiding and being shuffled from one place to another and ending up somewhere they could never have imagined. Yet, the young Nadia was able to find her place in the word by simply seeing kids playing football one day. That turned into international recognition that enabled her to see the world but still, she never forgot where she came from and what that meant.

Listening to Nadia tell the story, it is as if it was yesterday as she provides such intricate detail. I found myself intrigued by everything she had to say. I journeyed to find my father and although the situations are not the same, the emotion of wanting to have a piece of a father explains her desire to find medals that, perhaps, no longer existed yet she wants to try. I understand that completely.

This is definitely a sports film but more than that, it is the heart of an athlete that loves where she is but must make peace with the past.

In the end – she began as a refugee but became an international star!

The Fear of NOSFERATU Comes to Bluray

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD, Bluray and Digital from writer/director Robert Eggers and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment comes another retelling of the story of NOSFERATU.

Ellen Hutter (Lily-Rose Depp) is a young woman living with her husband Thomas (Nicholas Hoult) in Germany. As an estate agent, Thomas is hoping that his position as Schloss Grunewald will give him an opportunity to bring a wonderful life for his wife. Called in to see his employer Herr Knock (Simon McBurney), Thomas is told that he would be traveling to visit the recluse Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgard) who wishes to purchase property in Wisborg.

Thomas asks friends Friedrich Harding (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and wife Anna (Emma Corrin) to look after Ellen as he travels to Transylvania. Arriving after weeks, he is greeted with hostility by the Romani townsfolk and witnesses a ritual that is shocking. Having to make the rest of the journey to Orlok’s castle, he is greeted by Orlok and the appearance is disturbing to Thomas. Yet, he does what he must to finish the paperwork so he can return home to Ellen.

Lord Orlok has other plans and it includes also wanting to return to see the lovely young Ellen. Thomas realizes that he must escape before the nightmares and their effects consume him. Near death, his makes his way home without realizes that Ellen is also suffering melancholy to be confronted by scientist Albin Eberhart Von Franze (Willem Dafoe). Olek has no choice but to sail for Wisborg in a rat-infested ship, using the scurrying creatures to cause havoc in his new hometown met by Knock.

Wisborg is struck by the plague and Thomas attempts to regain his strength as Ellen realizes that her own dreams and nightmares are caused by one thing. Now, Thomas, Dr. Wilhelm Sievers (Ralph Ineson), Von Granze and Ellen must come together with a plan that can put a stop to the madness and destruction happening in their town.

Hoult as Thomas is a man that clearly wants a standard of life for himself and wife Ellen. Accepting an assignment that could bring him financial reward, it could never have imagined what was truly to come. Hoult has truly spent the last few years covering almost every genre of film and standing out. In this film he is challenged with horror and a bit of bravery all in the name of love. Depp as Ellen is clearly a woman who suffers from a strange malady. Finding refuge in her marriage, it is only a temporary reprieve. Depp gives her character the look of a woman struggling to discover what is true in her life and what is madness.

Skarsgard as Orlok is a strange character but that is nothing new for this actor. The mystery is in how Orlok truly looks which is masked by shadows. Pennywise and Orlok do have a lot in common and that’s where Skarsgard wins. Dafoe as Von Franze comes across as slightly rattled in his own mind with zippy Shakespearean one liners causing a bit of chaos trying to convince everyone that there is a vampire present.

Taylor-Johnson as Fredrich is a wealthy man who befriends Thomas and Ellen. He loves his wife and children and as the world becomes unhinged, Taylor-Johnson character has a difficult time grasping the reality of the situation. Corrin as Anna loves her friendship with Ellen and is distraught at her condition. There is nothing Corrin’s character Anna won’t do for Ellen and it may cost her.

McBurney as Knock is the servant of Orlok but that doesn’t mean his opportunity to cause a little mayhem on his own isn’t possible. Creepy and dedicated, every opportunity McBurney is on screen is a chance to shock. Ineson as Sievers is a former student of Von Franze and doctor to Ellen. Seeking help to discover the cause of a young woman’s malady, he knows that his mentor may be a little off, but brilliant none-the-less.

Bonus Features include the Extended Cut and Theatrical Version, Deleted Scenes, NOSFERATU: A Modern Masterpiece and Feature Commentary with Writer/Director Robert Eggers.

NOSFERATU is a film that is grey, dark and filled with vampiric folklore. The characters felt more like this should be a dark and eerie stage production. The costuming is one of my favorite things about period pieces and the film definitely comes through on that score brilliantly. The women truly looked like the era and gave it such a richness to the story.

The cinematography was beautifully done with the eeriness of greys, blacks and a fogginess that lends feels like another character in the film. The music added a nice touch of intensity to the scenes. However, the 1992 film BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA continues to be my standard and this film hasn’t changed that opinion. It is interesting to note that every generation or so a Dracula film comes along and sticks with the audience of that era. My grandmother had her Bela Lugosi, my mother had Frank Langella, I have Gary Oldman and now Bill Skarsgard.

In the end – succumb to the darkness!

The Take on the INVASION

Jeri Jacquin

Coming from director Bobby Boermans and Well Go USA is the story of those who sacrifice everything to stop the INVASION.

Off the coast of Curacao, the Coast Guard is on the tail of smugglers who think they can outrun the law. Finally catching up, the soldiers are surprised to get a call to come back to the ship. The new is that there is an attack by a rogue nation on Curacao and plans must be made. On the shore, three Marines are in the middle of training as one soldier believes that he is on his way to leaving military service. Word comes down that every man is needed to get the enemy under control.

Attacking civilians and the military, the soldiers realize they must do whatever is necessary to protect the people and keeping Curacao from being taken over. When the base is overrun, those in charge realize that a prisoner is the reason for the attack and now they must get him out of the line of fire.

Each step they take brings them all closer to either dealing with the invaders or buying time until more help arrives. These aren’t just any Marines; they are soldiers willing to do whatever it takes!

The cast includes Tarikh Janssen, Gijs Blom, Ortal Vriend, Jasha Rudge, Fedja Van Huet, Gijs Scholten Van Aschat and Raymond Thiry.

The story is one of friendship, courage, leadership and the fight to do what is right protecting those who cannot protect themselves. Director Boermans takes on a mixture of all of these and facets them into an action film that stretches the full 90 minutes. Taking it from the perspective of the ship at sea, those affected and the soldiers pushing the interlopers back, nothing is left to chance.

As the military does what it can, they are not helped much by those in government as they can’t seem to get it together one way or the other. It is the soldiers who know what needs to be done and how to do it. I am a fan of action films and INVASION gives plenty of that from beginning to end. The cast bring the story to fruition and as an ensemble make the story work seamlessly.

In the end – every war becomes personal!

The Story of SATURDAY NIGHT

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray, DVD and currently on Digital from director Jason Reitman and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the story of the beginnings of SATURDAY NIGHT.

It is October 11th, 1975 and Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) is attempting to pull off something revolutionary for television in the NBC building. Bringing together young comedians and writers to pull of a comedy show is not as easy as it may sound. Ninety minutes before the show goes live, Michaels is trying to coral his players consisting of Chevy Chase (Cory Michael Smith), Gilda Radner (Ella Hunt), Dan Aykroyd (Dylan O’Brien), Laraine Newman (Emily Fairn), Garrett Morris (Lamorne Morris), Jane Curtin (Kim Matula) and John Belushi (Matt Wood).

When not dealing with their antics, he is wrangling the talent of Andy Kaufman (Nicholas Braun), Billy Preston (Jon Batiste), Jim Henson (Nicholas Braun), and George Carlin (Matthew Rhys). Keeping him moving forward is wife Rosie (Rachel Sennott) and Dick Ebersol (Cooper Hoffman) and the later is up against David Tebet (Willem Dafoe).

Fighting the clock, Michaels deals with Belushi and his dramatics, Morris who brings up his existential problem of “why am I here?”, Jim Henson and puppet issues, writers who think going up against the censor is a sport, Carlin who has his own opinion of what Michaels is trying to do, Milton Berle (J.K. Simmons) taking on the youngsters, and Johnny Carson having his own input.

Michaels learns that the jokes are on him when Ebersol comes clean with what NBC really had planned for the show. Having a meltdown, he finds a second wind of belief in what they are all trying to accomplish with the show and because of that, every Saturday after that, the world waits to hear LIVE FROM NEW YORK! IT’S SATURDAY NIGHT!

Labelle as Michaels runs through this film from start to finish putting out fires and dealing with drama from the big wigs upstairs to the little guy laying bricks on the stage. There is barely a scene that Labelle isn’t in and by the end I was absolutely dog tired even though I never left my seat. He gives us a fast-paced look at the first show and it is absolutely stunning with Labelle at the head of a shaky ship. Sennot as Rosie is Michael’s partner in the madness and she’s the one running around with a bucket of water for most of the fires.

Smith as Chase is charming and the biggest wise cracker of the bunch. That all comes to a stand still when confronted the likes of Milton Berle. Hunt as Radner is giddy to be a part of the cast, Fairn as Newman wonders where she fits in between Radner and Curtin, Matula as Curtin is quick and is willing to try anything to get the laugh. Morris as Morris is trying to fit in and that’s difficult when he sees himself as an Italian opera singer! O’Brien as Aykroyd must have study his character because I fell into his portrayal swiftly and made me laugh.

Braun gets the opportunity to play both the roles of Andy “Here He Comes to Save the Day” Kaufman and Jim “they are messing with my puppets” Henson. How fantastic that he does both and does them exceedingly well. Rhys as Carlin is playing one of the most iconic funny men of the time. Hoffman as Ebersol tries to keep Micheals on track but also knows something that he doesn’t and struggles with it.

Shout out to Willem Dafoe as Tebet and Simmons as Berle are both absolutely amazing in the film. Dafoe as the kind of slick haired smooth talker for Michaels but has an ace up his sleeve. Simmons is perfection as Milton Berle and his confrontation with Chase, Simmons gives us an Uncle Miltie that is jaw dropping.

Other cast include Finn Wolfhard as the NBC page, Ellen Boscov as Mrs. Kaufman, Andrew Feldman as Neil Levy, Leander Suleiman as Anne Beatts, Taylor Gray as Al Franken, Mcabe Gregg as Tom Davis, Abraham Hsu as Leo Yoshimura, Corinne Britti as Valri Bromfield, Rowan Joseph as Jim Fox, Kirsty Woodward as Audrey Dickman, Kaia Gerber as Jacqueline Carlin, Robert Wuhl as Dave Wilson, Drew Scheid as Bob Pook, Tommy Dewey as Michael O’Donoghue, Catherine Curtin as Joan Carbunkle, Josh Brener as Alan Zweibel, Paul Rust as Paul Schaffer, and Brian Welch as Don Pardo.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment encompasses motion picture production for television, digital content and theater releases. The studios include Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, TriStar Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Stage 6 Films and Sony Picture Classics. To see what is coming to theaters and to home entertainment please visit www.sonypictures.com.

Special Features include The Making of the Movie of The Show That Almost Never Made It, Filmmaker Commentary and more!

SATURDAY NIGHT is a fast-paced film that delves deep into the opening night of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. It is a fantastic film and a wonderful way to learn about the beginnings of a show that still runs today – fifty seasons later! For my generation, there was nothing better in the world than gathering up friends, having a potluck, everyone bringing their favorite drink and sitting together on a Saturday night to laugh ourselves onto the floor. We understood the jokes, the underlying censor-pass humor, Land Shark!, Julia Childs aka Dan Akroyd bleeding vigorously and John Belushi in a bee costume.

That’s what made this show and continues to make this show exciting, fun and a bit daring at times. Seeing how the first night came to be is just so amazing and Reitman, along with writer Gil Kenan, left no brick unlayed with the antics of the crew, the cast and those slinking around it all looking for a reason to pull the plug. SATURDAY NIGHT is a lesson in believing (especially in barrier breaking comedy) and how an idea can still resonate 45-years later. Hopefully friends are still gathering, potlucking and byob’ing.

In the end - the revolution begins at 11:30 p.m.!

Bluray Brings the Secrets of CONCLAVE Home!

Jeri Jacquin

On Bluray, DVD and coming to Digital from director Edward Berger based on the Robert Harris book of the same name and Focus Features is the story of secrets and desires for power in the CONCLAVE.

Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) arrives at the Vatican to discover that the Pope has passed. Gathering his emotions, he knows that now he must organize the election of the next head of the church. Turning to Cardinal Bellini (Stanley Tucci), they talk of the grief and who the rest of the cardinals are thinking of supporting.

Almost immediately there are three, Cardinal Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati), Cardinal Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto) and Cardinal Tremblay (John Lithgow) who quietly make it known of their desire to be the next Pope. Preparing for the conclave, Sister Agnes (Isabella Rossellini) brings other sisters in to prepare the rooms and cook the meals for the cardinals.

Cardinal Lawrence attempts to accommodate everyone and everything – especially the unexpected arrival of Cardinal Benitez (Carlos Diehz). This Cardinal is unknown to any but when presented papers from the previous Pope, Lawrence accepts him into the group even as the others are suspicious. Unfortunately, there isn’t any time to go deeper as the voting must begin.

There is no surprise that the three candidates are going to head-to-head with the votes, what it a surprise is a vote for Cardinal Lawrence. Shrugging it off, he begins to hear whispers of issues regarding the cardinals and he is not going to let it go, even if Cardinal Bellini suggest it is the best way to handle situations.

The problem is, now that Cardinal Lawrence has gone down the rabbit hole, he is confronted with the loss of a friend and a connection he could have never possibly ever seen.

Fiennes as Cardinal Lawrence is absolutely the film in every way. There isn’t a scene where his portrayal of this character isn’t stunning. He is the anchor to this story with his calm manner as he tries to navigate what is a gambit of secrets all in the name of faith. Not wanting the position himself, he actually isn’t looking to rise but to scale back to a simpler life. That is what Fiennes gives us – the duality of a man who has his own desires and must confront the powerful desires to rise of other men. This actor’s career has shown his diversity and legendary in the choices of roles he takes and Fiennes is an actor that if I know he is in a film – I’m there.

Tucci as Cardinal Bellini makes it clear that he does not want the position but he is adamant about who does. Believing that the changes the previous pope made strengthened their faith and those who trusted their religious leaders. He doesn’t want a reversal of it all and sees some of the candidates as a threat to it all. Tucci, as always, just takes the role and runs full speed with it. Of course, I am in the Tucci fan club and this role cements my belief that you can throw any role at this exceptional actor and he will make it stick!

Rossellini as Sister Agnes is the eyes and ears of everything around her. Believing deeply in the church and what is requires of the faith, she is not going to let anyone interfere just to be the new pope. Her stern appearance reminds me of a nun who would have no problem whacking your knuckles with a ruler but also a compassionate human being. There is her roles duality. Rossellini continues to show that there is a place for her still in films, are you listening Hollywood?

Lithgow as Cardinal Tremblay presents himself in a way that gave me the icks immediately. The words coming out of his mouth seem sincere but yet… That’s what makes this such a powerful role for Lithgow and he is amazing every second he is on the screen. Msamati as Cardinal Adeyemi believes he is the change the Vatican needs and makes his determination quietly clear to supporters. Msamati gives his part of the story a punch that the audience will be wide eyed about. Castellitto as Cardinal Tedesco is outspoken, rough in his beliefs and has no problem coming face to face with anyone who challenges him. Castellitto gives his character the outspoken fierceness that rocks the vote – literally.

The surprise here is Diehz as Cardinal Benitez! Arriving to bring a ripple in the waters, Diehz’ character is soft spoken, aware of what his presence brings to the conclave and a belief that is unshakable. Diehz is a strong presence in this role without overtaking any scene and the reason for this character’s presence shakes the films foundation completely.

Other cast include Brian F. O’Byrne as Monsignor Raymond O’Malley, Merab Ninidze as Cardinal Sabbadin, Thomas Loibl as Archbishop Mandorff, Jacek Koman as Archibishop Wozniak and Loris Loddi as Cardinal Villanueva.

Focus Features’ mission is to make a lasting impact on global audiences by creating the home for artists to share diverse, distinctive stories that inspire human connection. Focus Features is part of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies that brings entertainment and news to a global audience. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.focusfeatures.com.

Exclusive Bonus Features include: Sequestered Inside CONCLAVE – Enter the mysterious world of CONCLAVE with the cast and filmmakers for a behind-the-scenes look at what it took to raise the curtain on one of the most secretive and secluded processes in the world, Feature Commentary with Director Edward Berger – Commentary with director Edward Berger.

CONCLAVE is a thriller but not the kind that is filled with car chases and people running for their lives. Instead, this is a thriller that is confined in a space that doesn’t allow secrets to go undiscovered for long. Fiennes carries this film from the first frame to the last and his character takes us on a ride of faith, deception, secrets and the want for power. Cardinal Lawrence begins to understand his reason for being and Fiennes portrays it all so beautifully. If he isn’t up for an Oscar, then those who chose need to think about their life choices!

The construction of the set is so beautiful and it is, in fact, another character in the film. Each scene is surrounded by a history and a belief that is steeped in tradition and mystery. CONCLAVE uses that tradition and mystery to bring the Harris book to the screen in such a fantastic way with an ensemble cast that slowly bring us in for the thrill ride.

In the end – what happens behind these walls changes everything!

VENOM: The Last Dance

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray and Digital from writer/director Kelly Marcel and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the next adventure with VENOM: The Last Dance.

Eddie (Tom Hardy) and his symbiote Venom are sitting in a bar in Mexico drinking and chatting away when a he sees a news report that is accusing him of murdering Patrick Mulligan (Stephen Graham). Now the only thing to do is go back to New York to find out what happened and straighten it out but they end up in the desert. What they don’t know is that a Xenophage is tracking them!

Rex Strickland (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is a soldier that doesn’t yet understand what is happening while decommissioning Area 51, but watches what Imperium Dr. Teddy Paine (Jeno Temple) and Sadie (Clark Backo). The women are attempting to discover the connection with the symbiote who is now part of Mulligan. Meanwhile, Eddie and Venom are attacked by the Xenophage sent by Knull (Andy Serkis) who wants the Codex.

Getting away, Eddie meets the Moon family with Martin (Rhys Ifans), wife Nova (Alanna Uback), daughter Echo (Hala Finley) and son Leaf (Dash McCloud). He and Venom see what a normal life can look like but also know they must find a way to stop what is happening. The trip leads them to sin city and the bright lights of Las Vegas. Unfortunately, Eddie can’t hide much longer and Krull wants that Codex at all cost.

Back at the defunct Area 51, the Martin is thrilled to finally see it but disappointed in what he finds. That disappointment won’t last long when Eddie, Venom and the Xenophage go at it once again. Dr. Paine and Sadie make a run for it releasing other symbioses’ that want to go against Krull’s creatures. Now the fight is on to discover a way to stop it all before the world is destroyed!

Hardy as Eddie is the straight guy to Venom’s humor. Hardy as Eddie acts as if he wants to go back in time when he didn’t know Venom. That’s the duality of their relationship – the wonderful emotions of love and hate. Yet, when it comes down to it, Eddie cares about Venom and vice versa (although a little crazier on Venom’s part). I love Hardy’s relationship with Venom and yes, I realize it’s a “character” but it is still important that this actor make it look flawless which he does.

Ejiofor as Strickland is a soldier who is doing what he is told. Once things get a little crazy, the only person he trusts is himself. Suspicious of what is really happening, he is shocked to see the Xenophage and now knows he is being kept in the dark. Ejiofor is always amazing in these character roles and I enjoy his performances. Temple as Dr. Paine along with Backo as Sadie are the two women who are working with Mulligan and his symbiote. Knowing about the Codex and dealing with Strickland bring about surprising results.

Ifans as Martin is so charming as a dad who only wants to go to Area 51 with his family. Ubach as Nova is so encouraging of her husband and wants him to be happy. Finley as Echo is a daughter going along for her father’s ride and McCloud as Leaf is a son who is enjoying the ride and meeting Eddie but doesn’t want anything to do with aliens!

Other cast include Otis Winston as Donald, Jack Brady as Jim, Ivo Nandi as Javier, Reid Scott as Dan Lewis, Jared Abrahamson as Captain Forrest, and Peggy Lu as Mrs. Chen.

Special Features on 4K UHD, Bluray and Digital Extras are Deleted & Extended Scenes,

Venomous Laughs: Outtakes & Bloopers, Bonded in Chaos: Tom Hardy, Author of Mayhem: From Writer to Director, Venom’s Inner Circle, Venom Unleashed: The Action & Stunts, Select Scene PreVis, One Last Dance – Tom Morello x Grandson Music Video, Savor the Last Bite: The Venom Legacy, and Brock Bottom: Mrs. Chen Interview.

DVD Extras include Venomous Laughs: Outtakes & Bloopers, Author of Mayhem: From Writer to Director and Venom’s Inner Circle.

VENOM: The Last Dance is an adventure for sure with Hardy and Venom going at it together. I have to say that it is those two characters that I enjoy the most because its just two friends who are constantly going back and forth with wit, sarcasm and even a bit of sweet friendship. The action and adventure part are evident from the very beginning and doesn’t stop until the end (which you must be prepared for).

The special effects are pretty darn good considering they are the important part of the storytelling which by the way includes Tom Hardy and Todd McFarlane. The film has received nominations from the Academy of Science, Fiction, Fantasy & Horror for Best Science Fiction Film, the Indiana Film Journalist Association for Best Vocal/Motion Capture Performance and the Hawaii Film Critics Society for Best Comic Book Film.

In the end – till death do them part!

He is THE NIGHT AGENT

Jeri Jacquin

Currently on DVD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the first season of THE NIGHT AGENT.

When FBI Agent Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso), after saving people from a bombing, comes to the attention of the White House Chief of Staff Diane Farr (Hong Chau). She asks him to become part of the Night Agent program. Meantime, Rose Larkin (Luciane Buchanan) who had a career in cybersecurity, visits her family as the house is attacked and she has the telephone number that would get her to Sutherland. Farr gives instructions to Sutherland and he learns that Rose’s family were part of the Night Agent program but more becomes unraveled. Assassins are hot on their trail as Sutherland and Rose search for answers.

Someone has called the assassins Dale (Phoenix Raei) and Ellen (Eve Harlow) telling them where Larkin is located to finish what has been started. When Sutherland realizes that the posted Secret Service agents are gone, he finds Larkin and the chase is once again on with the assassins. Farr and Hawkins speak to the Campbell’s and begin to put the pieces of a puzzle together. Now the story of Farr and Hawkins comes together as well.

President Travers (Kari Matchett) wants an investigation and Farr wants more than that. When Larkin runs, Sutherland comes up with a cover in order to have time to deal with the encryption. When Farr finds out what is happening, she implicates the President. Chelsea Arrington (Fola Evans-Akingbola) is a Secret Service agent responsible for protecting the Presidents daughter Maddie (Sarah Desjardins) and is assigned with new partner Eric Monks (D.B. Woodside). Even with problems, there is something in Maddie’s school that needs attention.

Larkin, still working on the hard drive, discovers so much more than they could have imagined. Still leery of Farr, she agrees to work with her. Following leads, they meet Lorna and it becomes clear what the plans were for D.C. As everything unwinds, another target becomes clearer. Sutherland tries to question Arrington while Larkin finds a link to Andrej Pavelic. Sutherland is also investigating a link to a government contractor. The two come together to compare notes and just as quickly, Maddie is kidnapped.

Sutherland is following leads but tells Larkin she needs to stay away for her protection. Cisco is with her but Farr makes plans of her own and once again Sutherland is on the run. Ellen and Dale are following to do what they seem to do best but while that is going on, Redfield (Christopher Shyer) gives a press conference naming Sutherland as a kidnapper. Now Arrington and Monks are looking at Maddie’s art teacher and anyone associated with him. The name Matteo (Andre Anthony) is brought up and a rift between he and Redfield emerges. Wick Farr and Redfield are also dealing with footage from a nanny cam. Ellen, dealing with grief, is on a fierce and angry rampage of her own.

Sutherland and Larkin are working with Arrington and Monks as much as they can with each other. Arrington informs them about Omar “Osprey” Zadar from the Travers administration. Maddie discovers something that will help those looking find her and it leads to an all-out take down.

Redfield finally admits to Farr what he has been doing in the Balkins. Not happy, Farr does agree to work him on what should be done. Sutherland and Larkin are back on the run as Arrington wants to take Maddie back to her family and tell the truth about everything but it doesn’t go as planned. Larkin gets into Ellen’s phone and discovers Farr’s playing both ends against the middle. When Farr realizes what Redfield and Wick (Ben Cotton) have planned, she realizes how far out of the loop she actually is.

Arrington is taking Maddie to Redfield who is waiting at Camp David as he tries to use her. Farr once again works with Sutherland and Larkin and it is a whirl of events that could possibly cause the death of the President. Sutherland isn’t about to let that happen but instead, hold those accountable for everything that has happened, even if it means finding out things he must deal with on his own.

Basso as Sutherland is a strong lead in the series as a man shadowed with a rumor about a father and his own past mistakes. When he is asked to be the Night Agent, he tries to look at the role as one of upward momentum in the bureau instead of a position that might not go anywhere. Basso is quick in portraying his character as a man constantly on the move as he unravels a new mystery that might be connected to his own.

Chau as Farr is absolutely stunning. Portraying the trusted position and friendship with the President, there is nothing that gives her away. Presenting her character with monotone reactions, it seems like nothing shakes her. That doesn’t stop her from having a sharp tongue and letting those around her know that she will not fall for anything – or anyone. I loved her in the film THE MENU so to see her again in a stand out role is everything.

Buchanan as Larkin finds herself in the same position as Sutherland once was. When her family is under suspicion, she must follow the bread crumbs the best way she knows how and that is her ability to us the same technology as those around her. Buchanan is just as strong of a female lead as Chau and I love when they have moments together in scenes. Evans-Akingbola as Arrington is protecting the Vice Presidents’ daughter and also trying to find Sutherland and Larkin. She slowly learns that not everything is at it seems. Evans-Akingbola is another strong female character in the series who is trying to keep her balance in all the intrigue.

Woodside as Monk is an agent known for his duty with the former President, dealing with his own demons, he is partnered up with Arrington. They don’t trust one another at first but there comes a point where they realize they might have been put together for a reason. Desjardins as Maddie is a rebellious young woman who wants to live her own life out from under the shadow of her father’s position. Desjardins character finds herself in the middle of the intrigue but she isn’t going to go down quietly.

Raei as Dale and Harlow as Ellen are two of the strangest assassins and I’m all about following their assignment of terror. They are quick, ruthless, show no fear and Harlow’s character is the one that harbors intense rage. Throughout the series, you never know when these two show up but when they do, it’s not a good thing!

Special Features include Episode 1 Commentary with Executive Producer Shawn Ryan, 12 Deleted Scenes, Blooper Reel, Episode 1 VFX and Episode 10 VFX. The DVD includes the 10-part episodes of The Call & Redial directed by Seth Gordon, The Zookeeper & The Marionette directed by Guy Ferland, Fathoms directed by Ramaa Mosley, Best Served Cold & Redux directed by Adam Arkin and The Devil We Know & Fathers directed by Millicent Shelton.

THE NIGHT AGENT Season One is an introduction to these characters but by its end, it is clear that there is more of the story to tell. Already cleared for more seasons, this is definetly one you want to keep on your radar. There are twists, turns, betrayals, lies, deception and relationships that can be difficult to maintain through corruption. In the midst of all of it are chases, evasions, plotting, and shocks but that is what a good series brings.

The cast brings their best and it shows from start to finish. Working together to bring this puzzle to viewers is so well done with the ensemble of talent. This is definetly a show worth binge watching, especially preparing for the next season.

In the end – heroes aren’t born, they answer the call!

A Herzog Epic Tale with AGUIRRE, THE WRATH OF GOD

Jeri Jacquin

Currently on 4K Ultra HD for the first time from writer/producer/director Werner Herzog and Shout! Studios comes a tale of greed with AGUIRRE, THE WRATH OF GOD.

It is 1560 and Spanish conquistadors are marching through the Incan Empire into the Amazon rainforest looking for El Dorado. These men, along with hundreds of slaves under the control of Gonzalo Pizarro (Alejandro Repulles) are pulling cannons and women in carriers through vines, mud and anything else the jungle has for them.

Pizarro decides to build rafts to go down the river and orders Don Pedro de Ursua (Ruy Guerra), along with his mistress Dona Ines (Helena Rojo) and daughter Flores (Cecilia Rivera), to take men with the order to be back in one week. Along with Ursua is Don Lope de Aguirre (Klaus Kinski), a second-in-command and Don Fernando de Guzman (Peter Berling) speaking for the Spanish crown. Also going on the river is Brother Gaspar de Carvajal (Del Negro) to bring the word of God to all he finds.

Another of the rafts is caught in the rapids and by the next morning the men are dead or missing. Pizarro wants to retrieve the men but Aguirre has other plans and so do the natives. When Ursua wants to turn back to Pizarro, Aguirre tells the men of all the riches of El Dorado and convinces the men to continue on with him. Bringing on Guzman as their new leader, they keep moving down the river. Moment after moment brings more tension to the men as they decide who it is they are going to follow.

Finally, Aguirre declares that he is the rightful leader as everyone aboard the raft begins to suffer becoming malnourished and still under the attack of the natives. Aguirre comes face to face with the choices he has made!

Kinski as Aguirre looks, from the very onset, like someone you wouldn’t want to cross paths with. He is devious, cunning and has eyes for only one thing – El Dorado. Kinski gives us all the looks without necessarily the words to know exactly what Aguirre is willing to do and what to do to those who get in the way of his plans. Guerra as Ursua is the first leader and has the audacity to bring his mistress and daughter into such a dangerous and desolate place filled with natives who have no time for intruders. By the time he realizes that it might be best to turn back – he is up against those who want the riches.

Negro as Brother Carvajal wants to reach the natives with the good book, the problem is he can’t get close enough to them for that to happen. When he sees what is happening aboard the raft, he begins to understand what is happening to the men and the danger they are all in. Berling as Guzman is gullible, misguided and has no thought for his own men which becomes clear to everyone on the raft but serves Aguirre’s purpose.

Shout out to Rojo as Ines for doing the exact thing I would have done surrounded by a bunch of greedy men.

Other cast include Daniel Ades as Perucho, Edward Roland as Okello, and Justo Gonzalez as Gonzalez.

SHOUT! Studios has grown into a tremendous multi-platform media company. Releasing new animated features such as the exquisite Long Way North, and the epic fantasy Beauty and The Beast. Also, their own original horror film, Fender Bender gives fans a good scare. For more of what SHOUT! Studios has to offer please visit www.shoutfactory.com.

AGUIRRE, THE WRATH OF GOD on 4K Ultra HD and Bluray on both Discs Bonus Features include New 4K Transfer of the 35mm Original Camera Negative, New Presented in Dolby Vision, Audio Commentary with Writer/Producer/Director Werner Herzog, and Audio Commentary with Werner Herzog, Moderated by Lauren Straub (in German with English Subtitles).

AGUIRRE, THE WRATH OF GOD is an epic tale that Herzog released in 1972. It is not a film with consistent dialogue but instead allows the viewer an opportunity to come up with their own views of each of the characters and the surroundings they are in. The director says of the film that “history doesn’t change, and that the desire for power and wealth is always a drug.”

Admitting that the plot of the film is fictional, he does bring 16-century events and historical figures to the story. He also admits that no one wanted to finance his film until a company in France picked it up. He says that he wrote the screenplay in three days on a bus full of drunk soccer players. Herzog is a storyteller that brings in a haunting tale here filled with realism in men believing they have the right to ravage natives for riches and natives making it clear that they will protect what is theirs.

In the end – it is the search for El Dorado!

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE Hits Home!

Jeri Jacquin

Coming this week only on Digital and later this month on 4K Ultra HD, Bluray, DVD from director Shawn Levy and Marvel Studios comes the film and story everyone has been waiting for with DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE.

Okay, so this is going to be a tad different because I am doing my best to write this up without laughing myself into fits again but here we go:

Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) is once again trying to figure his life out. Back living with Blind Al (Leslie Uggams) his Deadpool days seem to be a thing of the past. Trying to celebrate a birthday and feeling sad that he and Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) are trying to work things out, it is all interrupted by Mr. Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen) from the Time Variance Authority (you remember them, right? Loki’s reason for being irritated).

He convinced Wade that its time to take up his Deadpool mantel again because the timelines need saving. Suiting him up, he also tells Wade that there is one person in particular who’s timeline is fading fast, Wolverine (Hugh Jackman). Taking matters into his own hands, Deadpool slips through time to find Logan. Returning, Paradox has other ideas and sends them both into the Void where they meet a very calm Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin). She shows her power but Wolverine isn’t about it and they escape.

Meeting up with other (no, I’m not going to tell you who these others are so stop asking), the only way to get past Nova and get back home is by Juggernaut’s helmet. After a battle royal, Nova gives up how to get back as Deadpool and Wolverine make a jump through time. Nova isn’t happy about how this has all taken place and wants decides to make her own jump.

When Deadpool & Wolverine discover that Paradox is preparing to use a Time Ripper, they have had enough of his antics and decide its time to put him and Nova in their place! No one could have imagined what they were in for when these two came together!

Reynolds as Deadpool will always be Deadpool. There is no way he can ever be replaced and I absolutely okay with that. He delivers on every level with his delivery of insults, witticisms and even on emotion. His continual fourth-wall breaking is something audiences wait for sitting on the edge of their seats. This time out he has become a used car salesman which, if you think about it, is Wade in every way. Be prepared to go on a ride of pure insanity as Reynolds is the conductor of the crazy train.

Jackman as Wolverine is still in his feels with a coating of heavily alcoholic anger. Trying to deal with it all, Deadpool is not exactly the ideal person to be partnering up with. Believing that helping him will somehow fix the mistakes he’s made, it doesn’t mean its all love and light between these two. In fact, its hardly that as Wolverine pushes and pushes to get away from anyone coming close. That doesn’t stop Deadpool, in fact it causes him to push back in his usual hilariously antagonistic way. Jackman as Logan is absolutely amazing and, alongside Reynolds, makes these two the perfect pair – the characters both have issues and both have razor sharp wit, not to mention good at fighting.

Corrin as Cassandra Nova is as bald as she possibly can be and calmly as evil as she wants. There is a reason she is this way, which you will discover soon enough, and you don’t know whether to join her or choke her out, oh the duality of it all. Baccarin returns as Vanessa although her time on screen is short it does play into the storyline.

Let’s talk Macfadyen as Paradox! I fell for him in 2005 as Mr. Darcy in PRIDE & PREJUDICE, then I cheered for him in 2018 beat down character Tom Wambsgans in the series SUCCESSION and neither of these roles had real comedic timing to them, wisecracks maybe, but no real comedy. THIS is Macfadyen’s role for pure comedy and it had me laughing so hard at his antics. Well done Mr. Darcy, I mean Paradox!

Marvel Studios has released sixteen films since 2008 in what is known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel is built on a library of over eight thousand characters featured in a variety of media content for over seventy years. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.marvel.com

Bonus Features include Finding Madonna: Making the Oner, Practical Approach: Celebrating the Art of Ray Chan, Loose Ends: The Legacy of Heroes, Wolverine, Filmmaker Commentary, Gag Reel, Deleted Scenes of: Elevator Ride, Do Nothing, Daddy’s in Love, and Fun Sack: Dr. Deadpool, Product Reviews, Wade is Back.

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE blew up theatres and now it’s going to do the same at home. I am not going to list anyone else from the film because I truly want home viewers to find out for themselves what writers Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick came up with. There are stunners, more laughs than anyone has a right to have and visuals that stunning. Is it raunchy? Yes. Is there language that might make a few people cringe? Absolutely Are their references that can slip by if you’re not careful – seriously? Of course there are!

I remember when the news was that in 1984, the film RED DAWN had the 118 highest body count in film, but I’m willing to bet that this film will blow any 80’s body count out of the water. Of course, there is an amazing soundtrack to help the fight scenes have nostalgic meaning to those of us old folks.

It’s pretty much sure to this writer that DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE is going to be my favorite film of the year. I hope the Academy is paying attention because I think it’s really time that we acknowledge a superhero (or anti-superhero depending on your outlook on life) comedy with this particular dynamic duo to win a golden statue or two.

Gather up everybody you know, I mean everybody that loves Deadpool and that loves Wolverine because this is where people can come together. It is time to have the best movie going experience at home that we have had in a long time. There is nothing better than coming together to cheer, laugh (expect LOTS of laughs), action, twists, intertwining stories and recognizable faces as the MCU welcomes its newest and screwed-up beloved character – yes, that’s you Wade Wilson!

To Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds, thanks for being at San Diego Comic Con, thanks for the popcorn bucket and thanks for knowing that the characters you represent are everything to fans. Don’t stay away too long!

In the end – everyone deserves a happy ending!

They Stay BEYOND THE WASTELAND

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Digital followed by Bluray in January from writer/director Vardan Tozija, Darijan Pejovski and Well Go USA is the world BEYOND THE WASTELAND.

Marko (Matej Sivakov) and his father (Sasko Kocev) live in the deep woods surviving after the world seems to have fallen apart and people have become infected called the Evil Ones. His father teaches Marko how to survive but little else in the way of a father/son relationship. Instead, the boy’s life is full of rules, what not to do, survivalist tactics and silence are what he is raised on.

Retrieving water one day, Marko comes upon a camper in the middle of the woods. Investigating, he discovers toys and to his shock, another boy! Miko (Aleksandar Nichovski) shares the afternoon of boyhood fun with Marko and it is only interrupted by Ana (Kamka Tocinovski), Miko’s mother who is just as surprised to see another boy.

Marko’s father is angry when the boy returns with no water and questions him about where he has been. Later, the boy asks questions about his mother, something he has not done before and isn’t given much in the way of answers. Deciding to deal with things on his own, Marko decides he needs to go to the Stone City to find answers and, after an incident, decides to take Miko with him.

When Marko’s father discovers him gone, the hunt is on to find him. It doesn’t stop Marko from continuing on his journey and what he discovers is frightening and an answer that will shake up everything!

Sivakov as Marko is absolutely amazing in this role of a young boy who begins to understand that following his fathers’ daily commands isn’t really living. As he begins to question his father about the family and life beyond the forest, circumstances begin to change. Sivakov gives us a performance of a savvy young boy who is still just a young boy. Once he leaves the forest, he realizes the reasoning’s for his father’s behavior. I just loved watching Sivakov develop the role of Marko and it is truly a beautiful performance.

Nichovski as Miko is just a loving, fun, giving, understanding and clever young man with a disability that survivors don’t understand. Being with Marko is important to the boy as their friendship is based on the understanding of being a boy. Nichovski’s portrayal of Miko does double duty on the heartstrings from warming it to squeezing the life out of it. Well done young man.

Kocev as Marko’s father is a man trying to survive while teaching his young son to be a survivalist. He has memories of his own and decisions that, instead of flowing with emotion, cause him to be harder toward Marko. He is taken by surprise when his son wants to know more and now there is a returning fear in this man’s eyes. Kocev takes his role and gives it the right amount of grit needed to understand Marko.

Other cast include Toni Mihajlovski as John, Vladimir Tuliev as Man in the Overcoat, Tara Popova as Mark’s sister, Verica Nedeska as Marko’s mother.

The film was Awarded Programmers’ Choice Award at the 26th Annual Dances With Films: NY., the city’s leading indie film festival. In addition, the film was awarded a Special Mention/Balkan Competition and nominated for the Grand Prix at the Sofia International Film Festival. The film came from the Republic of North Macedonia (a co-production between North Macedonia, France, Croatia, Luxembourg and Kosovo.

BEYOND THE WASTELAND is a slow-moving film that needs to be so. The story unravels at a pace one would expect survivors to live after human catastrophe. Going on that ride is one that will not disappoint because it is Marko’s story in the grand scheme of things. It is the story of a boy who lives as he should until the questions become larger and larger about his life and where he feels he needs to be to get answers.

Keeping the cast extremely small is what makes this film easy to go along with. Taking out the noise, we the viewers have our attention directed where it should be – with Marko and even Miko as young boys trying to make it to being young men. The world around them is beautiful when it is not being savage. This is a film that should be savored from start to shocking finish!

In the end – he is a truly special boy!

The Thrill in Space with ALIEN: Romulus

Jeri Jacquin

Now on Digital (Prime Video, Apple TV and Fandango at Home) and coming to 4K Ultra HD, Bluray and DVD from writer/director Fede Alvarez and 20th Century Studios

is the science fiction thriller that comes from a legacy with ALIEN: Romulus.

It is 2142 and Rain (Cailee Spaeny) is a young girl trying to make it on her own in the Jackson’s Star LV-410 mining community taking care of her brother Andy (David Jonsson). After being forced to work under a contract wo the Weyland-Yutani company, Rain is angry that they have extended her contract when all she wants to do is go to the planet Yvaga. That’s when she received a call from ex-boyfriend Tyler (Archie Renaux) who wants her and Andy, along with sister Kay (Isabela Merced), Bjorn (Spike Fearn), and Navarro (Aileen Wu) to head to an abandoned ship to get cryostasis chambers that will help them get to Yvaga.

Of course they need Andy to make their personal mission work. Why? Because Andy can talk to the computer system on the ship and help them get the cryo-chambers. The idea is to get in and get out quickly before the ship falls into a destructive orbit. Agreeing, Rain, Tyler, Andy and the crew take off in the Corbelan IV to meet up with the abandoned ship and discover there are two sections called Romulus and Remus.

After a few miscalculations, they are learning as they go but not soon enough to release something deadly into the ship. They find a synthetic named Rook (Daniel Betts) who tells them that he has a prime directive and is loyal to the company. Rook is completely honest with the crew when something is happening to Navarro but Bjorn decides Navarro, Kay and the situation to take matters into his own hands. When the Corbelan spins out of control, it crashes into the ship’s dock and those inside are now susceptible to what is taking over the ship.

Andy has the idea that to get to the part of the ship that can help them, Rain and Tyler are told they must control themselves to walk through more of the xenomorphs. Rook is sending them to retrieve a compound that the company wants but when things become out of control, Rain takes over and does what she needs to helping to take out as many survivors as possible. Finding the fight in her, Rain isn’t about to go down easy!

Spaeny as Rain is a young woman who is trying to do right by adoptive brother Andy. Trying to start a new life on another planet, teaming up with Tyler seems to be the only way left. Frustrated about the extension of her contract, Rain has to make decisions that are now going to put her face to face with horror. Spaeny gives us a strong, empathetic yet very smart character and following in Sigourney Weaver’s footsteps, she does an excellent job to the very last frame.

Jonsson as Andy is a synthetic who has found a home with Rain. She takes care of him and when things go wrong, she is always there to turn the key. Jonsson gives us a tad different perspective of a synthetic showing care for one person even if it is his directive. Taking on this incarnation, Jonsson does an extremely good job of giving fans someone to root for besides Rain. Renaux as Tyler also wants to start a new life on Yvaga but also knows he needs something Rain has. Gathering his crew together to make the decision to go, he leads and fights for them all.

Fearn as Bjorn has a chip on his shoulder against Andy and does not try to hide it in the least little bit. Merced as Kay has a secret of her own that is so explosive (sorry, had to) but in a way fans are not going to expect. Wu as Navarro gets the opportunity to be the chest bursting victim because what would an ALIEN’s film be without it.

Huge shout-out to Betts as Rook because the way they bring Ian Holmes original character of Ash through Rook is stunning with the AI and, in a weird way, I was happy to see him!

Twentieth Century Studios Home Entertainment brings award-winning global product and new entertainment to DVD, Bluray, and Digital HD. There amazing collection offers fans an opportunity to expand their own home libraries with the best films. To discover what other titles they have please visit www.20thcenturystudios.com.

Bonus Features include Return to Horror: Crafting Alien: Romulus, The Director’s Vision, Creating the Story, Casting the Faces, Constructing the World, Inside the Xenomorph Showdown, Alien: A Conversation, and Alternate/Extended Scenes.

An added note is that the original 1979 sci-fi thriller, ALIEN, is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year. Fans can experience the terror in a 2-movie collection digital bundle (Alien & Alien: Romulus) on October 15 in 4K UHD, HD and SD.

Remembering vividly the first time I saw ALIEN in 1979, it was mind jolting because it was a new way to look at a thriller with space being the “box” this is all happening in. There was no where for Ripley, or anyone on the Nostromo, to run! The creation of a new cold, calculating and acid blood alien was and still is absolutely stunning in every way. Since then, any fan of ALIEN has followed each story that has come about and flocked to theatres to see them.

This new cast has given us another look at the space-horror-thrill but added easter eggs that are not hidden at all. They are there and when something works as effectively as they have from other films in the franchise, then use it right? The face-to-face scene between the xenomorph and Rain is an absolute classic scene as a nod to the original scene in ALIEN. Things like that just draw fans in and we are here for it. I’m thinking, it’s an ALIEN franchise binge weekend because ALIEN: Romulus is up on space deck!

In the end – in space no one can hear you!

The Fear is LONGLEGS

Jeri Jacquin

On DVD and Bluray from writer/director Osgood Perkins and Neon comes a thriller when you fear LONGLEGS.

It is 1990 and Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) is an FBI agent who seems to have an unusual gift for understanding crimes, one might even say clairvoyant. Working with boss William Carter (Blair Underwood), they are dealing with a case of unusual murder-suicides. In each of the incidences, they find a letter signed by someone named Longlegs. What is even more unusual, the note is not written by any of the family members.

Lee begins to take each case apart piece by piece to find some similarities, one being that each family involved had a 9-year-old-daughter with upcoming birthdays. Trying to get a handle on the case, she does make her daily call to mom Ruth (Alicia Witt) who is living on her own promising to find time to see her. Ruth is understanding about her work but mainly wants to know that she is well. When she and Carter find an unusal doll at the crime scene, it is a clue that they must visit the only survivor of one of the attacks.

As they continue to follow the clues, Lee begins to feel that something is drawing her closer and closer to the answers she seeks but it is going to come at a very high cost. The thing is – sometimes you go looking for answers, you might not like what you find!

Monroe as Lee portrays an agent who is clearly into her work and not much else. Wanting to solve crimes, she delves in deep and uses her unusual ability to sense things and that comes to the attention of her boss. Monroe gives this character a haunting look and feel but, then again, what she is being asked to do is bound to bring about a sense of foreboding. It is a eerie performance and I am here for every second of it.

Witt as Ruth is much like her daughter but clearly has mental health issues. It feels as if her disconnect is what keeps daughter Lee away. When she must question her mother about her childhood, the answers are vague and unnerving. Well done! Underwood as Carter takes up the mantle to follow every lead no matter where it takes him. Noticing that Lee has uncovered so much so quickly, they go together to find clues and it gets stranger and stranger. Underwood is a strong presence with Lee being the quieter of the two and his trust in her skills is everything.

The huge shout out goes to Cage as Kobble. What a fantastically frightening transformation but it is something we should be use to. From his character of the no conscience of FACE/OFF Castor Troy, the film MANDY as Red Miller, or even the devilish Dracula in the film RENFIELD, it is easy to realize that he can play good guys of course, but man when he lets out the bad, it is BAD in the best possible way!

Other cast include Lauren Acala as young Lee, Dakota Aulby as Agent Fisk, Kiernan Shipka as Carrie Anne Camera, Maila Hosie as young Carrie, Jason Day as Lee’s father, Lisa Chandler as Lee’s mother, Ava Kelders as Ruby Carter, Carmel Amit as Anna Carter, Peter Bryant as senior FBI Agent, and the fantastic Nicolas Cage as Dale Kobble.

Neon is a film production company that is best known for such films as I, TONYA and one of the most incredible Oscar winning film PARASITE. With a total of 12 Academy Award nominations, Neon appeals to audiences that are looking for in-your-face storytelling. For more information, please visit www.neonrated.com.

Bonus Features include On-Set Interviews with Osgood Perkins, Maika Monroe, Blair Under and Alicia Witt, Feature Commentary with Osgood Perkins, The Clues, The Evidence, Dirty & Sweet, Teaser and Trailer.

LONGLEGS is a film that can swim along with SILENCE OF THE LAMBS and probably be half a lap ahead. Set in the 1990s, it has the feel of films from that era and I absolutely love films from that time period. They aren’t all blood and gore but more mental freak outs and jumps which are much more fun. There is a solid story here and I was not prepared for all the twists and turns so had to pick my jaw up off the floor once or twice.

This is what a good thriller looks like on the big screen and a big flat screen with a good soundbar. Perkins knew exactly what he was doing while writing the script, he found a cast that absolutely embraces where the characters are going and found in it all, an actor who could deliver the evil required to take us all on this mind-bending ride. Turn the lights out and be prepared to pick up your own jaw off the floor!

In the end – it’s almost-birthday girl!

They Take BONES AND ALL

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD and Bluray from director Luca Guadagnnino, MGM and Shout Studios is the love story with BONES AND ALL.

It is the Regan years and Maren (Taylor Russell) is a young woman living a secluded life. Dad Frank (Andre Holland) is doing all he can to protect the girl from the world. Coaxed to go against her father’s wishes, Maren starts to stretch her teen-legs. Sneaking out one night to hang out with girlfriends turns disastrous and the duo can only run out of town.

In the morning, Maren discovers Frank is gone leaving her with a birth certificate, a few dollars and some tapes. She decides it is time to go find the mother she never knew. At the bus stop, Maren meets Sully (Mark Rylance), and discovers that she is not the only person with her, shall we say, condition.

Sully shares things with Maren that surprises her. The behavior that drives her are considered normal to Sully and nothing to be ashamed of. After a night of feasting, Maren realizes she needs to go – and quickly.

At her next stop she meets Lee (Timothee Chalamet) and is even more shocked at his openness and finding someone else like her in such a short amount of time. The make a connection as they feed when they can and drive down the country’s back roads toward Maren’s mother. When Maren discovers that Sully is not far behind, things begin to come unraveled and that is never where Frank intended for his daughter to end up and a mother’s love has boundaries.

Russell as the young Maren is absolutely riveting to watch. Not quite understanding the world, it is the secrets that are what make it difficult for this character to survive it all. She is trusting and yet pensive, angry yet confused to just wanting to live some semblance of a free life without fear. Even with a father, this character basically raised herself in many ways. As Maren learns about her condition, she becomes more aware of the dangers. Russell captures and exudes every spectrum of emotion and yet it is all so subtle that it quietly screams out to be noticed.

Chalamet as Lee is laid back casual with his own past he is dealing with. Not accepted by his own family, he keeps moving on down the road. Finding Maren, he now has something and someone else to focus on, even if they tiff a tad. Chalamet makes no excuses for who he is and tries to share that with Maren who is still learning to accept it all. Chalamet’s gives his character charisma (which I’m assuming is necessary for their condition) and non-apologetic for anything he does. Yet, something comes out in Lee the longer he is with Maren.

Rylance as Sully – oh my gosh, I’m ready to hand him awards, I don’t care which ones. I’ll make one if I have to! The character of Sully is slow, deliberate, eerie, needy, and informative. Speaking about his performance I was telling a friend that it is ingenious that as Sully, Rylance has once again shown why he one of the best actors of our time even though he freaked me out. At the same time, my granddaughter sees him as the 2016 loveable BFG (Big Friendly Giant)! That is the diversity of Rylance. As Sully, he states his case to Maren and then skulks into the background and I mentally beg him to get back on the screen.

Shout out to Michael Stuhlbarg as Jake for making me hold my breath. Your beer talking back woods screeching behavior will have me forever shook!

Other cast include Madeleine Hall as Him, Sean Bridgers as Barry, Anna Cobb as Kayla, Kendle Coffey as Sherry, Ellie Parker as Jackie, David Green as Brad, Jessica Harper as Barbara Kerns, Burgess Byrd as Gail and Chloe Sevigny as Janelle.

MGM is a leading entertainment company focused on the production and global distribution of film and television across all platforms. Owning one of the world’s deepest libraries of premium film and television content and is home to two of the longest-running and most successful film franchise in cinematic history with JAMES BOND and ROCKY. For more please visit www.mgm.com.

Bonus Features include New 4K Presentation of the Original Elements, Presented in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, and the Bluray includes New 4K Presentation of the Original Elements, A Look Inside, Luca Guadagnnino: The Vision of BONES AND ALL, Meet Lee, Meet Maren and Outsiders in Love.

The Venice Film Festival as awarded Taylor Russell with Best Actress with the Marcello Mastroianni Award, Best Director Silver Lion to Luca Guadagnino and nominated for the Best Film Golden Lion for director Guadagnino. The Gotham Awards nominated Mark Rylance for Outstanding Supporting Performance and nominated for Outstanding Lead Performance for Taylor Russell and UA/MGM.

The Hollywood Music in Media Awards gave a nominee nod to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for Best Original Song – Feature Film with ‘(You Made It Feel Like) Home’. Reznor is a member of the band Nine Inch Nails and took his music into films such as NATURAL BORN KILLERS, LOST HIGHWAY, THE SOCIAL NETWORK and THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO.

Director Guadagnino says, “There is something about the disenfranchised, about people living on the margins of society that I am drawn towards and touched by. I love these characters. The heart of the movie is tender and affectionate towards them. I am interested in their emotional journeys. I want to see where the possibilities lie for them, enmeshed within the impossibility they face. The movie is for me a meditation on who I am and how I can overcome what I feel, especially if it is something I cannot control in myself. And lastly, and most importantly, when will I be able to find myself in the gaze of the other?”

BONES AND ALL is an intense story but with so many different layers. It is a story of a young girls search for who she is and where she belongs, it is a story of being different, it is a story of stranger-danger, it is a story of abandonment and so much more. Even if you took out one of the elements, the story would still hold together.

That being said, it is, well, a feast for the eyes also on several levels. The issue of cannibalism is a huge distraction from the other issues that each of the characters have but it is part of who they are. After a few jaw drops, I winced a bit but my jaw stayed in place as the film went on. I began to understand that as with most unusual things human beings do to each other, Maren and Lee do not shy away but instead keep pushing forward.

I loved this film on so many levels as well and the acting is so damn stellar. Watching BONES AND ALL again is something that I have to do because I want to understand even more about the direction Guadagnino takes these characters without the shock factor intruding. The cast has brought a story that is complex, complicated and worth every moment of big screen time.

In the end – it is a masticating love story!

The Story How IT ENDS WITH US on Bluray

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray and on Digital from director Justin Baldoni and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the story of how IT ENDS WITH US.

Lily Bloom (Blake Lively) is dealing with the death of her father but not in the way mom Jenny (Amy Morton) understands. Back in Boston, Lily is up on a rooftop thinking about what happened with Ryle Kincaid (Justin Baldoni) arrives on the rooftop as well and seems a bit unnerved. When he realizes Lily is there, a chemistry begins between the two and he is intrigued by the fact that Lily is not under his spell.

The next day, Lily is thrilled to get the keys to a shop she is going to open. Needing a caring touch, she is interrupted when Allysa (Jenny Slate) comes in with a big personality and wins Lily over and a job as well. Not too much later, Lily finds out that Ryle is Lily’s brother and is introduced to her husband Marshall (Hasan Minhaj). Spending time together, there is a mishap in Ryle’s kitchen and Lily gets injured.

When the shop opens, there is celebrating all around as the couple double date at a new eatery. Getting ready to order, Lily is shocked to see Atlas (Brandon Skylenar), someone who was extremely important in Lily’s younger years. They try to catch up but its an awkward situation and Ryle is unnerved. Then comes marriage and Lily believes things are going well. Even seeing Atlas one more time, she lets him know she is happy.

But a moment comes when Lily must decide what is true about her relationship, the memories that have come flooding back and is what she discovers going to become a generational pain.

Lively as Lily is absolutely stunning in this role. It seems a good fit actually as Lily is coming into her own yet there are so many shadows that she hasn’t come to terms with yet as Lively portrays all of it. This is a powerful role and it takes its time diving into it all and when it unwraps, so do all the emotions.

Baldoni as Ryle gives his role the right amount of everything to make his character believable. By this I mean it isn’t an out and out frightening performance but instead, subtle, in ways this character hasn’t been performed before. Baldoni gives the charm that, like Lily, allows us to see what we want to see. Well done.

Skylenar as Atlas has a history with Lily that not only does he refuse to forget but a love he can not let go of. When life separates them, it is the same life that brings them back together again. He sees her lot and once again feels the protectiveness over Lily. Skylenar is the quiet in the middle of the storm but also is the safe space that Lily hasn’t recognized yet.

Slate as Alyssa is a wild and whacky friend to Lily and sister to Ryle. She finds a friend in Lily but also sees what could be happening with her. I enjoyed watching her nuttiness and the relationship with co-star Minhaj as Marshall. He is just as charming and whacky as his wife so they are a perfect pairing for the film. Morton as mom Jenny has a secret past of her own that she refuses to acknowledge and instead focusing on trying to better her relationship with Lily.

Other cast includes Isabela Ferrer as the younger Lily, Alex Neustaedter as the younger Atlas, Kevin McKidd as Andrew Bloom, Robn Lively as Ms. Byland and Emily Baldoni as Dr. Julie.

Author Colleen Hoover published It Ends With Us in 2016 and says it is the hardest book she has ever written because it explores the themes of emotional turmoil and domestic violence. The book has been translated into twenty different languages and sold over one million copies worldwide. It quickly debuted at number 1 on The New York Times best seller list. Hoover wrote her next book It Starts With Us in 2022 and the relationship between Lily and Atlas.

Lively, Baldoni and Skylenar bring the story to life with amazing performances. Delving deep into the story, there are so many connections and also disconnects that come through that it feels relatable. That is why I believe the film is so successful. Those who love the book are immediately drawn to the film and are not disappointed. This is a film I see watching again and again.

In the end – it does end with us!

It all Ends with THE CROWN – The Complete Final Season

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray from writer Peter Morgan, directors Alex Gabassi, Christian Schwochow, May el-Toukhy, Erik Richter Strand, Stephen Daldry and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment comes

the royal finale of the most fascinating series to come to television with THE CROWN – The Complete Final Season.

Princess Diana (Elizabeth Debicki) is attempting to have a life after her divorce from Charles (Dominic West) going on vacation with Mohamed Al-Fayed (Salim Daw) while Prince Charles is having a party for mistress Camilla (Olivia Williams). Queen Elizabeth II (Imelda Staunton) is asked to attend but yet knows the repercussions of attending. One photograph of Diana upstages Camilla’s party sending Charles into a tizzy. When Dodi (Khalid Abdalla) arrives on his father’s yacht, he and Diana become closer.

Now the British government is being pressured to consider denying Mohamed’s application for citizenship but he is not going to take it lightly. Diana says goodbyes to William (Ed McVey) and Harry (Luther Ford) who are going with their father to Balmoral Castle, while she continues to support the Landmine Survivors Network charity. Charles takes the opportunity to use photographs of she and Dodi against her and coerces his sons to take a photo showing them happy with their father. The Queen is becoming irritated with the whole thing as Diana goes to France with Dodi.

Mohamed tells Dodi that if he marries Diana, he will work with him in the family business. Diana and Dodi are spending time together and to avoid the paparazzi go into a jewelry show where Diana points out a ring she likes. Jetting off to Paris, Dodi has a surprise planned but the surprise is that both he and Diana have a talk about their future. Back at Balmoral, Prince William is hunting in the vast lands of the castle and in Paris there is the sounds of a crash.

Mohamed goes to Paris to take his son home and the father is absolutely in grief but also returns Diana’s things to the royal family. Charles arrives to take Diana home and tells the family of the public response to her death. The Queen finds herself in a trap between what she believes should be the response to the Princess’ death and what the British outcry is telling her. Feeling pushed towards it, she agreed to a ceremonial funeral as Charles William, Harry and Philip (Jonathan Pryce), are followed with Diana’s brother Charles Spencer (Philip Cumbus) in the procession. The Queen does deliver a speech for Diana as well.

Charles is having trouble with William who wants to return to school even though the family tells him he can take his time. He starts receiving mail and becoming someone of a teenage heartthrob that makes him uncomfortable. On a skiing holiday, Williams makes it clear to his family that he is absolutely hating the press which Charles thinks is part of the struggle dealing with his mothers’ death. Thinking he is meeting the Queen but Charles is there setting William into accusing his father of Diana’s death. It takes Philip to calm the waters as William needs to visit Althrop.

Prime Minister Tony Blair is dealing with the invasion of Kosovo and wants US military help but Clinton isn’t as quick to give his support. When the Queen asks for ways he thinks will modernize the crown, she isn’t to keen to agree with his ideas. William meets a young woman named Kate (Meg Bellamy) who has a crush on the young prince. They meet again years later in college and he is now keen on her, unfortunately his awkwardness and a boyfriend get in the way. When Kate hears that William is thinking of leaving, she inserts her own opinion.

Princess Margaret (Lesley Manville) remembers a special time between she and her sister that is carefree but her life hasn’t been easy. Life choices and strokes are plaguing the now elderly royal. Taking care of her after a recent episode, they talk about that special night in 1945 as both become aware of their roles and how it, at times, kept them apart. More trouble is on the horizon as Mohamed accuses the royal family of being responsible for the death of Diana and Dodi and the Queen Mother has passes as well. William sees Kate once again and the two become roommates with friends.

The Queen’s 80th birthday is coming and advisers think its time for her to plan her state funeral and she already knows the bagpipe sound of Sleep, Dearie, Sleep must be played. Charles finally asks her if he may marry Camilla and at this point, she agrees to it after talking with the church bishops. William, Kate and Harry are put to the fire when a Halloween costume causes press trouble. After thinking of abdicating, the Queen reconsiders and Philip tells her it is the right decision as Charles and Camilla finally marry.

At the chapel, the Queen has a think on life and hears bagpipes.

Staunton as Queen Elizabeth was the absolute stellar choice to play the finale series look at the life of the Queen. She gave everything that showed what could have possibly happened in this remarkable woman’s life. Staunton gives poise, thoughtful choice, a bit of frustration and the care of a daughter/sister/wife/mother/grandmother that was not allowed to be seen to the public because of the raise she was taught to be a royal. Just brilliant actually. Let me just say that the final scene of the series absolutely gutted me.

Debicki as Diana is also a marvelous casting choice and I was in it for everything she gave. Playing someone with such a widely known public life is difficult enough, but to dive into the personal is another level difficult that Debicki did masterfully. Every award she received was absolutely well earned. West as Charles, well, of course he did it well. He is a diverse actor that can play good, bad and indifferent. In this case, that about sums up the portrayal of Charles and how the world sees this particular royal in the years prior to him becoming King. Williams as Camilla is portrayed as the sweet victim in all this which only lends to anyone watching to wonder how this portrayal came to be.

Daw as Mohamed Al-Fayed is a shrewd businessman but also wants a crown of his very own in the form of his son marrying Diana. That’s not to say he did honestly have a fondness for the royal but it is a duality in his character that Daw brings out. Abdalla as Dodi is a man who is trying to make a name for himself and doing it in a way that brings father and son tension. That is until he meets Diana but that in itself brings the media to the forefront in her life. Trying to find a way to share a life together. Abdalla is charming and frustrating all at the same time in his portrayal but it works in the story.

Pryce as Philip is by his wife’s side even when he doesn’t always agree with her decisions. He has an opinion and Pryce makes sure his character expresses it. McVey as William is a young man dealing with sad situation after sad situation and learns to come to terms with it in his own way. Ford as Harry is also trying but being younger, he is surrounded by those who jump in quickly to avoid the same situation that William finds himself in.

Manville as Margaret is so amazing but then again, I adore her as much as I do Staunton. The scenes between these two actresses are so beautiful as Manville puts her own touches on the lesser understood royal. Bellamy as Kate portrays the future Queen as actually how most people see her – open, genuine, lovely and outgoing. I secretly hope that in a few years they do THE CROWN again with Charles reign bringing Kate’s story out in the open.

Other cast include Claudia Harrison as Princess Anne, Eve Best as Carole Middleton, Viola Prettejohn as teenage Elizabeth, Beau Gadsdon as teenage Margaret, Harry Anton as Trevor Rees-Jones, Andrew Havill as Robert Fellowes, Jamie Parker as Robin Janvrin, Bertie Carvel as Tony Blair and Marcia Warren as the Queen Mother.

The series includes the episodes Persona Non Grata, Two Photographs, Dis-Moi Oui, Aftermath, Willsmania, Ruritania, Alma Mater, Ritz, Hope Street, Sleep Dearie Sleep, Special Features include A Family Saga, Royal Weddings and A Lasting Legacy.

THE CROWN has won so many awards including Best Supporting Actress and Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series at the Golden Globe Awards and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series at the Primetime Emmy Awards for Elizabeth Debicki.

As a thrilled super-fan of THE CROWN, this is a series I absolutely can and will watch again and again. The performances of the cast from Claire Foy ending with Imelda Staunton is just so stellar and even that seems like such a small word to describe such a big event in the life of the beloved Queen Elizabeth. Portraying her has having the ups and downs of life all while trying to have a personal life along with her royal duties is unfathomable to most yet she did so with the dignity she believed was required of her position.

The Executive Producers, writers and directors has an outstanding formula in this storytelling and they took it and ran – taking us all along with them. Having all six seasons available means only one thing, those who have not seen the series have the opportunity to binge it all at one time (which I can absolutely see happening). The cast is exceptional, the cinematography and set designs are another character in the series and the costuming allows us to follow along with the changes in their lives keeping up with the times. Although, the Queen and her hats, gloves, shoes and the snap of the purse are iconic and can never be done again.

The complete series collector’s box set is now available on Buray! Winner of over 20 Emmys including Outstanding Drama Series, the box set contains all six seasons on high-definition with over 100 minutes of special features and a collectable 24-page photobook with a special message from Peter Morgan.

In the end – they are the family royal!

They are Going SIDEWAYS

Jeri Jacquin

Coming home on Digital and Sideways 4K is now available for the first time at digital retailers (Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango) from writer/director Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor and Searchlight Pictures

based on the book by Rex Pickett is the story of going SIDEWAYS.

Miles (Paul Giamatti) is a depressed English teacher living in San Diego who is trying to write a book and loves wine. He decides to take best friend Jack (Thomas Haden Church) on a road trip through the Santa Ynez Valley to go wine tasting before he gets married. On their way, Miles decides to go visit his mother but its not really to visit, its to get in and get out before he is caught – in more ways than one.

All Miles wants to do is golf, eat and drink wine but bestie Jack wants to have one more fling before he says ‘I do’! Finally making it to wine country and stop for a bite to eat, Jack notices Maya (Virginia Madsen) who happens to notice Miles. Jack also manages to send Miles on a drunk when he lets slip that the ex has remarried and is coming to the wedding. Jack hooks up with Stephanie (Sandra Oh) and decides maybe he doesn’t want to get married after all.

As Miles is centered on his depression, Jack has decided he is going to have as many flings as possible even if there is an angry husband waiting in the wings. Back in San Diego, Miles receives an unexpected call and it sends him knocking on a door!

Giamatti as Miles is just stellar but I would expect nothing less. I have followed his career since he first caught my attention in the 1998 film THE NEGOTIATOR in the role of Rudy. I knew then that he was somebody to keep my eye on. Giamatti has the uncanny ability to take any role and make it memorable – comedy, drama, historical, good guy, bad guy, sad guy, you name it. In SIDEWAYS he once again gives us the role of a man who just can’t find his happy.

Church as Jack also has the same role qualities as Giamatti. He can play so many roles, and some of them caught me unexpectedly, yet I love when I see he in a new film. In SIDEWAYS he is the guy who wants the world and is going to do everything he can to do what he wants when he wants. Trying to keep his buddy’s spirits up led me to laughing a lot. Putting Church with Giamatti is a stroke of genius which is the reason the film holds up today.

Madsen as Maya is sweet, charming and seems to have a real interest in Miles. He doesn’t see it because he has spent to long in his closed off little world. He does manage to enjoy her company and it is in those moments that Madsen is just delightful to watch. Oh as Stephanie gets a chance to hook up with Jack but, as often happens in life, its just too good to be true. I loved her in THE RED VIOLIN and UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN and it becomes clear why she is a force to be reckoned with still today.

Other cast includes Marylouise Burke as Mrs. Raymond, Jessica Hecht as Victoria Cortland, Lee Brooks as Ken Cortland, Missy Doty as Cammi, MC Gainey as Cammi’s husband, Alysia Reiner as Christine Erganian, Stephanie Faracy as Ginny, and Natalie Carter as Siena.

Searchlight Pictures is responsible for such films as SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, 12 YEARS A SLAVE, THE SHAPE OF WATER and THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING MISSOURI. They have an extensive film library as well as documentaries, scripted series, and limited series. For more information, please visit www.searchlightpictures.com.

Bonus Features include Commentary by Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church, 8 Deleted Scenes and Making of Featurette.

SIDEWAYS is a film that is so memorable and it won Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay) for Jim Taylor at the 2005 Academy Awards. Other awards include the Bost Society of Film Critics Award for Best Film, Best Supporting Actor for Church, Best Ensemble Cast, Best Screenplay and Best Actor for Paul Giamatti. Jim Taylor and Alexander Payne won a BAFTA for Best Screenplay, Critics Choice Award for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for Church, Best Supporting Actress for Madsen and Best Acting Ensemble and the list of winnings goes on and on.

The ensemble cast is nothing short of fantastic and deserves to be recognized again and again. Giamatti and Church brought us into the story while Madsen and Oh kept us happy with a large glass of wine! They give us a story that is so memorable and relatable in the sense of heart ache and sometimes the recklessness we all deal in (maybe not so far as Jack!) when it comes to matters of the heart. Payne gets to direct us where he wants us to go and we go willingly, especially when it comes to watching and experiencing a film like SIDEWAYS.

In the end – wine can change their world!

He Has THE BEAST WITHIN

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray from writer/director Alexander J. Farrell and Well Go USA is summer frights in the night with THE BEAST WITHIN.

Willow (Caoilinn Springall) lives deep in the woods with her father Noah (Kit Harington), mother Imogen (Ashleigh Cummings) and grandfather Waylon (James Cosmo). In relative isolation, one evening Willow sees her parents going into the forest and decides to follow. What she sees is something ancient and frightening!

Noah loves his daughter but has a quick temper that upsets Waylon to the point of family arguments. When the family starts to become fractured, Willow begins to understand that the change in her father is going to force her to save her family.

Springall as Willow is a quiet young girl who lives in a world of the forest becoming a free spirit and her family that is full of secrets. This young actress gives a stoic and stellar performance that required equal parts childlike and survivalist at the same time. Watching Springall move through the world created by her parents is as much startling as it is riveting.

Harington as Noah clearly has anger issues that seem to be sparked by the smallest thing. Noah also lives in a world of duality from loving his wife and spending time with Willow, to setting the world around him on fire at the flip of a switch. Harington gives a broodish performance of a man attempting to navigate both worlds until the choice is made for him. Cummings as Imogen is a wife who is going to protect the family from itself but even then, it is a battle between love and family.

Cosmo as Waylan is a concerned grandfather who is tired of the tension in the family. His main concern is Willow and making sure that she is looked after. He gives the protective side that the family needs. This isn’t the first time that Cosmo and Harington have worked together. They spent a bit of time portraying Jeor Mormont and Jon Snow in the hit series GAME OF THRONES.

THE BEAST WITHIN is the struggle of a family that is dealing with isolation, an ancient secret and the love of family. Filmed in the lush forest, it is the perfect setting to bring the story to the screen. It is another character in the film that has its own story to tell and has a place in the life of Noah and Willow. Watching them in the forest, father and daughter have a bond with everything around them, even the evil.

The cast brings everything to the table with the complexities of each character filled with anxiety, secrets and a way to survive it all. Young Springall is the middle of the two worlds and has learned to live in each, until one becomes stronger. Watching this young actress play the role of a struggling child brings the tension and concern for anyone watching leaving the adults to their own devices.

It's nice to have a summer thriller in the midst of everything thrown out in theatres for the summer, and it’s even better where there is a monster involved. Dim lights in the theatre, a tub of popcorn where a lot ends up on the floor from the jumps and a curse that can destroy a family is everything when looking for a film to embrace.

In the end – it is the night that brings the beast!

The Life of REAGAN on Bluray

Jeri Jacquin

Come to Bluray, DVD and Digital from director Sean McNamara and Lionsgate is the story of the rise of REAGAN.

Andrei Novikov (Alex Sparrow), is visiting Viktor Petrovich (Jon Voight), a former KGB agent who has a story to tell about the fall of Russia. The reason he is asking Petrovich is because the man was given the mission to watch Ronald Reagan with the infiltration of Hollywood and what happens in Washington. Petrovich tells the story of Regan’s humble beginnings in Illinois and the troubles at home. He also makes it clear that ‘Dutch’ Reagan’s mother Nelle (Amanda Righetti) was the strongest influence on the young man.

Finding his way to Hollywood, Regan (Dennis Quaid) becomes a leading man at the Warner Bros. studios. When that doesn’t last long, he finds himself the president of the Screen Actors Guild in 1947. There is turmoil in Hollywood with the blacklisting and problems with Herbert Sorrell (Mark Kubr) and it is mixed with his marriage to Jane Wyman (Mena Suvarie).

Soon after, Reagan meets Nancy Davis (Penelope Ann Miller) and he turns to politics stomping for other politicians and running for governor of California. Dealing with protestors and disagreements in the state, Reagan holds his own. At a party, a pastor tells Reagan that he will become president but losing the nomination to Gerald Ford, he tries again in 1980 and fulfills the prophecy. A short time later Reagan is shot, clashes with the White House, deals with air traffic controllers, and begins to deal with Russia.

Even with the AIS crisis, Reagan wins reelection to the White House. It is Margaret Thatcher (Lesley-Anne Down) who talks Reagan into meeting with Mikhail Gorbachev (Olek Krupa) in 1985 to talk of nuclear disarmament. When things don’t go according to plan, Reagan has to deal with impeachment whispers and an arms-for-hostages deal that forces him to go public. In one of his final pushes, Regan demands that Gorbachev tear down the Berlin Wall to the praise of the people. Petrovich makes it clear that the Soviet Union did not understand their opponent and as a result, it is the end of an era.

After leaving the White House, Reagan’s life is remembered by people from all walks of life.

Quaid as Reagan attempts to bring the former Presidents to life with a swagger of a Hollywood leading man (not a far stretch). Once that has run its course, Quaid presents us with a man who has found his unlikely calling – politics. Learning quickly how the ‘game’ is played, Quaid invites us into that life. From Margaret Thatcher and Tip O’Neill, it is the biggest challenge with the back and forth of the Soviet Union and Gorbachev. Spaning the years, Quaid takes it all on ending with grace.

Miller as Nancy is given the opportunity to be the solid presence in Reagan’s life. Always supportive, Millers strength is there without many words needing to be spoken. History and journalists always showed Nancy this way but also as a strong woman who knew her own mind and wasn’t afraid to express it. Miller portrayed Nancy in this way. Suvarie as Wyman gives us a strong, opinionate and the Hollywood actress of the times.

Down as Thatcher is the strong British PM who knows that things are becoming strained and that the only way to get it under control is for Reagan to meet the leader of “the evil empire”. Krupa as Gorbachev has a dual relationship with the U.S. President. There is an understanding between two leaders but when it comes to what is best for his own country, Reagan won’t budge.

Voight as Petrovich tells his side of the story and doesn’t attempt to sugar coat it in any way. It is the story from his point of view and what he knew of Reagan and Voight gives us that portrayal. Righetti as Nelle is a small role but in that is a suggestion of why Reagan believed as he did about what was going on in the country at that time.

Other cast include Tommy Ragen as Dutch, David Henrie as young Reagan, Kevin Dillon as Jack Warner, Mark Moses as William Clark, Trevor Donovan as John Barletta, Robert Davis as Leonid Brezhnev, Jennifer O’Neill as older Nelle, Justin Chatwin as Jack Reagan, Dan Lauria as Top O’Neill, Will Wallace as Edwin Meese, Xander Berkeley as George Shultz, C. Thomas Howell as Caspar Weinberger, Nick Searcy as James Baker, and Darryl Cox as William Casey.

The film REAGAN is actually based on the 2006 book The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism by Paul Kengor. The screenplay for the film was written by Howard Klausner.

REAGAN is an interesting film in that it attempts in its 141 minutes, the entire life of Ronald Reagan. From his difficult childhood to his last days, it is a grand attempt to get it all on film. Quaid carries the heavy lifting of the film going from young Hollywood star to riding into the sunset on his ranch. That will always be a difficult thing to achieve but Quaid takes it all on in good fashion.

It is interesting to know of Reagan’s history before Hollywood as the first time I saw him was on a series called Death Valley Days from 1964 to 1966 (one of my parent’s favorite shows). Only later did I realize that he was Governor of the state I lived in. His presidency followed me through school after that and into adulthood. The world was complicated during his two terms and, as a history buff, I found that part of the film fascinating.

In the end – he believed in his country!

Prepare to Experience TWISTERS on 4K Ultra HD!

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD, Bluray and Digital from director Lee Isaac Chung and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment comes the anticipated adventure when dealing with TWISTERS.

Meteorologist Kate Cooper (Daisy Edgar-Jones) is attempting to recover from a major blow to her storm chasing. Javi (Anthony Ramos) has been testing a new tracking system since then and wants Kate to jump back into the game. Hesitant, Kate agrees to come back briefly and see what Javi has going. Out in the field, she meets Tyler Owens (Glen Powell), a “tornado wrangler” who lives for the thrill of the storm.

As Kate and Javi begin chasing, it is clear that she is hesitant and is causes the team to wonder if she can handle it all. When they see what Tyler and his crew are capable of, Kate takes on the challenge and works with Javi to start chasing the outbreak of tornadoes in the infamous tornado alley. Not far behind is Tyler along with videographer Boone (Brandon Perea) and tag-along journalist Ben (Harry Hadden-Paston) who wants to write about storm chasers, drone operator Lilly

More and more storms are on the horizon but Kate learns that she might be chasing with the wrong team. Tyler and Kate decide it’s time to take the chase to another level and its none too soon as the biggest tornado is about to test them all.

Powell as Tyler is the rough and rugged cowboy chaser who cranks up the music and shouts his way into storms. His character has a swagger that charms everyone, except perhaps for Kate, but that doesn’t stop him from trying. Taking on storm by storm, Powell gives his character depth with his look on those who suffer from the devastation of the tornadoes.

Edgar-Jones as Kate experienced what happens when you take on Mother Nature and it isn’t easy to shake. Getting back into the game, Edgar-Jones brings out the history of this character and what motivates her to accept tragedy and do everything possible to create a system that can prevent disasters.

Ramos as Javi is part of Kate’s original team but after the disaster he goes on his own way. That way is being part of a new storm chasing team but it causes a rift between he and Kate. Trying to make amends, Javi discovers that what he does and how he wants to do it are two very different things.

Shout out to Hadden-Paston as British journalist Ben and Maura Tierney as Kate’s mom Cathy.

Cast also includes: Daryl McCormack as Jeb, Kiernan Shipka as Addy, Nik Dodani as Praveen, David Corenswet as Scott, Tunde Adebimpe as Dexter, Katy O’Brian as Dani, David Born as Riggs, Laura Poe as Debra, Austin Bullock as Manny, and Stephen Oyoung as Mike.

Exclusive Bonus Features include Deleted Scenes, Gag Reel, Tracking the Fronts: The Path of TWISTERS, Into the Eye of the Storm, Glen Powell: All Access, Front Seat to a Chase, Voice of a Villain, Tricked-Out Trucks and Feature Commentary with Director Lee Isaac Chung..

The soundtrack TWISTERS: The Album features country music artists like Luke Combs with the lead single Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma, Miranda Lambert with Ain’t in Kansas Anymore and more. The music adds an element of fun to the film and I totally enjoyed it.

The story is a bit nostalgic with its twists and nods to the 1996 Bill Paxton-Helen Hunt film TWISTER. This includes an appearance by the late Paxton’s son Cody. I felt like there were a few Easter Eggs whether they were intentional or not. See if you can find them.

TWISTERS is non-stop action and that’s what will keep you on the edge of your seat. The best part of the film is that director Chung didn’t try to reinvent the windy wheel but instead remembers what made the film TWISTER such a massive hit and become iconic. Trust me when I say if you have a sound bar, turn that puppy up because it adds an amazing element to watching at home.

The cast keep it simple and stay on point with their one goal, characters that are pit up against the elements. Tornados are a force to be reckoned with by staying out of their way, storm chasers are the ones that run into the wind while others are getting away.

In the end – if you feel it, chase it!

The Horror of the EXHUMA

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray from writer/director Jang Jae-hyun and Well Go USA is the story of the supernatural and secrets with EXHUMA.

Korean Shaman Lee Hwa-rim (Kim Go-eun) and Yoon Bong-gil (Lee Do-hyun) have come to help a Korean-American family led by Park Ji-Yong (Kim Jae-cheol) with an illness that can’t be explained around their newborn son. Spending time with the boy, Hwa-rim discovers that a ‘Grave’s Call’ in on the entire family and it is coming from Ji-Yong’s grandfather. Deciding it is best to relocate the grave for the sake of the ancestor, Haw-rim knows she needs the help of Feng Shui master Kim Sang-deok (Cho Min-sik) and mortician Yeong-geun (Yoo Hae-jin).

Sang-deok’s career is finding burial locations for family members and Yeong-geun runs the funeral home. Almost immediately, Sang-Deok is unsettled by Ji-Yong’s request for cremation and does not want anything to do with the patriarch’s wishes. But he is persuaded by the money being offered which would help him with his daughter’s wedding. Still leery, Hwa-rim lets him know that a ritual can be done at the gravesite to keep clear of any curse. Thinking everything went well during the ceremony, one of the men helping to handle the gravesite is startled by a snake – and that’s when things begin to go horribly wrong.

Something is unleashed and it is something that can not be seen right away but it is going after Ji-young and his family. That is when Sang-deok decides that the coffin of the grandfather must immediately be cremated. Thinking things would get better, some time goes by and Sang-deok visits the grave helper and realizes that there is more to the gravesite. Hwa-rim, Bong-gil and Yeong-geun go back with him to look further and discover that there is something deeper in the ground. They learn that a Japanese shaman named Murayama Junji has a history and it is dark and evil.

Now, they all must do whatever is necessary to try and save Ji-young’s newborn and Bong-gil who is connected to Murayama Junji is the evillest of ways.

Cho Min-sik as Sang-deok is a man who takes his career seriously helping families to find proper burial places for their loved ones. Being invited by Lee Hwa-rim to help him understand what is happening with the Ji-Yong family is welcomed, especially financially. Min-sik portrays his character as a man who knows there is something more than a relocation of a grandfather. His performance kept me going further and further into the story.

Kim Go-eun as Lee Hwa-rim is a young woman with a gift. She understands that her life is mixed in a world that most people can not see nor understand yet, Hwa-rim knows there are those who need her. When she is asked to visit Ji-Yong’s newborn son to discover what is ailing him, she recognizes early what it is and calls out for reinforcements to handle it. Go-eun is amazing in her role and the moments of terror, her expressions are classic horror film.

Lee Do-hyun as Yoon Bong-gil is consistently at Hwa-rim’s side and part of the ceremony’s she must perform. He knows what needs to happen and follows her every step until he becomes part of the horror himself. Do-hyun gets the fun of being part of what is causing the evil and does it so well. Yoo Hae-jin as Yeong-geun is trying to keep the funeral business paying and when he receives a call from Hwa-rim, he also understands that whatever she is dealing with, it is going to need a quick response. He is Sang-deok’s sidekick and offers a bit of humor along the way. Kim Jae-cheol as Park Ji-Yong isn’t sure if he believes what Hwa-rim is telling him but knows that something has to be done, especially since he is on grandfather’s list it seems. Can’t blame a guy for wanting to do whatever is possible to save his family.

Other cast include Yeong-ran Lee as Bae Jeon-ja, Kim tae-joon as Chang-min, Jung Yun-Ha as Ji-yong’s wife, Jeong-ja Park as Ji-yong’s aunt, Hong Seo-jun as President Kim, Seol Chang-hee as the son-in-law and Lee Jong-goo as Bodhisattva.

Bonus Features includes the Making of EXHUMA and trailer.

EXHUMA runs 135 minutes in total but let me tell you, it is worth every moment. I happen to enjoy well done story telling and am willing to invest the time on a good one. This film takes it step by step and just when you think things are wrapping up – nope! There are so many levels to this story and it is done so very, very well. The cast is stunning in their portrayals to the point that I was with them every step of the way without even realizing it. There were moments I actually stopped moving and didn’t realize that either. That’s the sign of an awesome thriller.

The cinematography is beautiful as the story focuses on the five main characters and scenes deep in the woods. The special effects are so cool! I don’t need a ton of gore to get invested in a tale of thrills and EXHUMA uses the effects in the best way possible and it looks amazing. If you are not a fan of subtitles as the film is in Korean, watching it in the English setting does not take away anything from the film, it’s equally as exciting and full of edge-of-your-seat moments.

So, turn out the lights and cuddle up with blankets on the sofa because EXHUMA might have you pulling that blanket up to your eyes. Director Jang Jae-hyun gives us a thrill of a supernatural kind!

In the end – the vicious emerges!

The Continuation of the Story of VIKINGS: Valhalla

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray and DVD from Creator/Showrunner/Executive Producer Jeb Stuart and Warner Bros. Discover Home Entertainment with VIKINGS: Vahalla – The Complete First Season.

It has been over 100 years since the events of Ragnar Lothbrok and Ivar the Boneless as tensions between the Vikings and England are tense once again. King Aethelred II is the ruler in England and has decided to be rid of all the Danish settlers including Sten Sigurdsson. King Canute (Bradley Freegard), the ruler of Denmark decides to bring revenge to England’s doors by bringing Viking warriors to Kattegat to plan. Among those who want to war are Leif Erikson (Sam Corlett) and Freydis Eiriksdottir (Frida Gustavsson) from Greenland. Freydis has her own reasons for going as a man named Gunnar Magnusson caused her great harm and scared her. Leif goes to clear his reputation from his late father Erik the Red.

Stopping Gunnar’s death by the hands of Olaf Haraldsson (Johannes Haukur Johannesson), Jarl Estrid Haakon (Caroline Henderson) listens to the reasons and tells them she will decide what to do. Leif is asked by Harald Sigurdsson (Leo Suter) to him in the fight against England along with Canute’s army. Haakon’s decides to send Freydis to Uppsala to find her destiny. There are those who don’t trust Leif and it causes serious problems. Playing the middle man in it all is Godwin (David Oakes) who is advising Aethelred. His wife, Queen Emma (Laura Berlin) knows that England needs defending and turns to Eadric Streona.

The Vikings are getting closer and its not without discovering Mercian soldiers before coming to the bridge to London. Edmund (Louis Davison) is trying to obtain the crown of England but it is Canute who makes it clear of his intentions. When they battle is over, Canute must decide what he plans to do with the boy. Freydis and her group are attacked by a berserker and companion Yrsa is injured (Alfrun Laufeyjardottir). What they don’t know is that a fanatical Christian, Jarl Kare (Asbjorn Krogh Nissen) is following them both.

Now in London, Queen Emma and the nobles are under their control. Now Canute is making promises as to who will be king in Norway and beyond. He also wishes to make peace with Emma but he doesn’t know that his wife, Queen Aelfgifu (Pollyanna McIntosh) has other plans as well. Leif is thrilled that Liv (Lujza Richter) has survived the battle but not happy that other Greenlanders have fallen. Freydis in Uppsala is visited in a hallucination by The Seer who gives her warnings about what is to come, referring to her as “The Last Daughter of Uppsala”. She also becomes a shieldmaiden who wants to protect Kattegat.

When Canute has to return to stop a rebellion in his country, his father King Sweyn Forkbeard (Soren Pilmark) has come in his place. Edmund is not happy about Canute’s replacement and makes it clear to Godwin. Olaf is not someone the other Vikings trust but it must be put aside as a plan is forged with Kare to take Kattegat. What Olaf wants is for Kattegat to become a Christian place but they city would rather fight.

Corlett as Leif is a man who is trying to create his own reputation and get away from his father’s. Finding friendship with Harald offers him a chance to fight for the right side. He soon discovers that fighting for that side comes with much intrigue and secrets. Corlett does a really good job of giving us Leif Erikson. Suter as Harald is also trying to do the right thing by his people and sees something in Leif that causes him to befriend the Greenlander. He also has feelings for someone he doesn’t think he should while dealing with his own challenge of faith.

Gustavsson as Freydis is a woman warrior of the most fantastic kind. She also fights for those who cannot fight for themselves. Once Hare decides that she is his target, Gustavsson’s Freydis takes up the sword and knows there will come a showdown between the two. Freegard as Canute is thrilled to take England by storm and finds himself drawn to its queen. The games are twisted and he knows that the plots need to be taken down one at a time.

Johannesson as Olaf is a sly Viking who thinks he knows better than everyone else how the game is to be played. His moves are covered in friendship but when push comes to shove, you never really know what side he’s on till he’s on it. Johannesson does a wonderful job of being the trickster. On the English side of things, Oakes as Goodwin is Olaf’s mirror in that he also knows how to play the game to his advantage. Oakes has always been an actor I’ve watched and here he gets to be as sly as he wants to be – and does it exceedingly well.

Berlin as Queen Emma is a Norman who became an English queen and she has not forgotten where she came from. When Canute takes control, she makes it clear the understanding of how to survive with a crown on your head instead of around your neck. Henderson as Haakon leads Kattegat and its people but also sees something in Freydis that can help. She takes the girl under her protection knowing that when called upon, Freydis will help her and the city.

Nissen as Kare is a religious fanatic that believes the only good heathen is a dead one. His goal is to rid the world of non-Christians and especially Freydis. He sees her as taking something from him that only these two share and that is The Seer. He is vicious, unfeeling and has no problem with killing. Kattegat is his goal and the prize is not money. Pilmark as King Forkbeard is watching over England while Canute is away. He is a stern leader who doesn’t take kindly to those who want to bend the rules in their favor, especially when it is the nobles trying it.

McIntosh as Queen Aelfgifu believes she is entitled to sit on the throne of England as its queen. Now Queen Emma might have something to say about that. I just love McIntosh, she is such a versatile actress but man when she turns the power on, she’s a force. Davison as Edmund is a prince who isn’t sure he can be king. When he tries on his King wings, its clear that this kid has a lot to learn about being a good king.

Other cast include Gavan O’Connor-Duffy as Njal, Kenneth M. Christensen as Jarl Nori, Paaru Oja as Arne Gormsson, Henessi Schmidt as Princess Gytha, Bosco Hogan as King Aethelred II, Wolfgang Cerny as Sten Sigurdsson, Yvonne Mai as Merin, Frank Blake as Birger and John Kavanagh as The Seer.

Warner Brothers is home to one of the most successful collections of brands in the world and stands at the forefront of every aspect of the entertainment industry from feature film, television and home entertainments with worldwide distribution to DVD and Bluray, animation, comic books, videogames and broadcasting. For more please visit www.warnerbros.com.

The Season One episodes include The Greenlanders, Viking, The Marshes, The Bridge, Miracle, The Last Daughter of Uppsala, Choices, and The End of the Beginning.

VIKINGS: Valhalla is a wonderful addition for those who miss the VIKINGS franchise (as my family does). The first season introduces the new players and where the Vikings and English are going and that the bitterness between the two has continued. The Vikings are not only fighting to get to England but betraying one another along the way in a power struggle and that what makes for good storytelling.

Kattegat has always been central to the story in the VIKINGS franchises and it is no different here. The gathering of the armies starts in Kattegat and the battle to hold the crown and the waterways lands in Kattegat. It is not the small city it once was but instead is now the center of the Viking world. Also, in the midst of it all is The Seer who has made his way into the lives of two characters especially but both for different reasons.

The action is intense, the battles are not for the meek and the betrayal among those in power affect everyone. Twists and turns are to be expected in this world but some of them change the dynamic for it only to be changed again and again. The third and final season of VIKINGS: Valhalla will premier in July of 2024. That gives everyone time to catch up with the first season on Blu-ray!

In the end – their story is not over!

The HBO Hit Series SUCCESSION Comes to Bluray

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray is the massively successful HBO hit series for fans who want to revisit the family of SUCCESSION: The Complete Series.

The Roy clan owns a media conglomerate called Waystar RoyCo. headed by the family patriarch Logan Roy (Brian Cox). The family also includes son Kendall (Jeremy Strong), daughter Shiv (Sarah Snook) and her husband Tom (Matthew Macfadyen), son Roman (Kieran Culkin), son Connor (Alan Ruck) and nephew Greg (Nicholas Braun). At a family party, Logan sends shockwaves through his family by announcing major shake ups and changes to the company. When Logan collapses, emotionally entitled son Kendall rushes to make deals but learns from general counsel Gerri Kellman (J. Smith-Cameron) that not everything is as it seems.

As Kendall shifts and twists with maneuvers, Roman and Shiv have other ideas along with Frank Vernon (Peter Friedman). He is not the only one that can play the conglomerate game. When things don’t go according to plan, meaning Logan is not one to be toyed with, Kendall is left in the cold but has plans of his own to go up against his own father. In England, a wedding is happening but that doesn’t stop Logan and the family from as the family is dealing with affairs, hostile takeovers, relapses and cover ups – more than usual for the family.

Back in the states, the family gathers again in the Hamptons as Logan tries to get an honest opinion from his family about the company. Shiv learns of her fathers plans but so do Logan and Kendall who are trying to find a way to deal with Logan. Connor has decided to run for president much to the amusement of his family. While all of this is happening, Logan rehires Frank and wants to go after a rival media company but finds out that someone has been telling a writer about his personal life history and is furious.

Logan and Kendall off a price to PGM, the media company they want but during the meeting, a gun shot rings out. Keeping the meeting going, Greg and Tom are going at it in a blackmail way while Roman is having a freak fest with Gerri. That doesn’t slow down a deal with PGM and Kendall is back on his self-destructive tour. Thinking they are celebrating a deal; the Roy’s learn of a potential scandal that could destroy everything. But, as with the Roy’s, there is always juggling happening. Tom is dealing with the investigation; Logan believes his daughter has not been loyal and Shiv suspects that another woman is trying to sabotage her plans.

Over in Dundee, Scotland, Logan is celebrating 50 years at Waystar and Shiv isn’t going to let anything get in her way. Gerri tells her that there is a whistleblower about the cruise rumors and Shiv finds a way to put all the blame on someone else. At the Senate hearing, things become a bigger disaster as Tom can’t string two believable sentences together. Escaping to the Mediterranean, its time for each to try and smooth over the problems plaguing the Roy family. Logan decides who will be the fall guy for the cruise ship disaster but there is one person that is not going to let that happen.

Logan makes changes in his inner circle sending Roman, Gerri and Shiv are back in New York and thinks about who will temporarily take over. Kendall decides it is time to re-vamp and re-create his public image with the thought of still going after his father and trying to convince his siblings to join him. Shiv has other plans and if she can wait it out, things might just go her way. In the meantime, Logan has made it clear he will not help the Department of Justice in anyway wanting the President to favor him. Kendall is still on a tear and his aim now is to his sister Shiv in the most brutal way forgetting that she can be just as lethal as he is.

Dealing with Stewy and Sandi, Shiv manages to find a way to keep Waystar functional while Logan recuperates from an illness. Kendall decides to go to the DOJ against his father but things don’t, once again, go as he plans. In Tuscany, Italy, the siblings learn their mother is engaged but Kendall decides to use the moment to once again attempt family to his side to no avail. In the meantime, Logan wants to meet the CEO of GoJo Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgard) to obtaining the streaming service but Roman wants a way in. Soon Roman discovers that business is a more brutal and unforgiving business than he could have imagined for himself.

As the siblings decide to fight Logan using a small piece of information, they are equally shocked when it is discovered that Tom was not on their side. As time passes, Kendall, Shiv and Roman decide they want to purchase PGM and rival bid against their father. Returning to New York, Logan and Matsson seem to be on a high of their own but Logan isn’t done playing the siblings against one another. At a very gloomy gathering at Logan’s apartment, the fight once again takes on sibling form were once together, now at cross purposes with each other.

Making separate decisions, it all comes to a head with Matsson causing senior management to make a crucial decision about Waystar. Shiv, Roman and Kendall can’t seem to get out of their own way but only one thing is going to save them – a lie that is not coming out of their mouths. That doesn’t take care of their problem with GoJo, especially with election night happening as everyone is running around insane trying to control every little event. Once again, the siblings are against one another as there is a made scramble for power and even more lies are being told and betrayed against one another.

No one sees how it is all going to end!

Cox as Logan Roy is a powerhouse that I have always admired as an actor. He has a stellar presence and a voice that forces you to listen whether you want to or not. As Logan, he has spent his life making deals and crushing anyone that gets in his way – including his own family members. I loved watching him play this role and it seemed to much fun to do. There is something to be said about playing a devious character and Cox absolutely nails it.

Strong as Kendall is a hot mess who can not seem to get it right. He fights against his father and it is like hitting a brick wall again and again. He definetly doesn’t seem to have the ability to understand why there are problems instead of recognizing that he IS the problem. Strong plays this role masterfully and has left an impression on his ability to chose such a complex role. Snook as Shiv is exactly like Logan Roy with her attitude. She wants something from her father that he dangles in front of her like a pot of gold continually and she tries to find ways around him to get it on her own terms. Shiv is such an amazing character and the Snook makes it every bit hers and the show would have a huge void without her.

Culkin as Roman is a character with a magazine rack full of insane issues. One minutes he is just the wisecracking son enjoying the rich life and the next he shows that he has potential to be a leader and then he switches it up again. Culkin may be the ‘comic’ relief of the show but his penchant for bizarre behavior is stunning. Macfadyen as Tom knows which side his bread is buttered on but that doesn’t mean he isn’t going to try and get a slice of bread all on his own. He is insecure for sure and not someone I’d tell a secret to, but he makes it work in his favor in the oddest and most unexpected ways. Well done, Macfadyen! Ruck as Connor is that family member that people know about but don’t expect anything from. In this case, it is absolutely true. The family basically keeps him out of everything and when he does silly things like running for President, they say, “that’s great” out loud but privately they are rolling their eyes and laughing.

Smith-Cameron as Gerri is a keeper of secrets, keeper of keys to the vault of family lies and deceptions and most of all, the most loyal to Logan Roy. Watching her always remain calm is the most stunning performance in the four seasons of this show. Smith-Cameron is always the strongest person in the room and spins lies into truth with precision. Braun as Greg is slightly under equal footing to that of Tom. He brings a childlike presence who seem oblivious to the real world, cannot be trusted with company secrets (or private family ones for that matter). He had me slapping my head consistently with his inability to read the room but Logan keeps him around anyway. Alexander Skarsgard as Matsson comes in to be the final adversary in the show. He is sleek, charming and a bit ditzy, but when it comes to what he wants for his company, he is enjoying the game of who is going to get what in the end. Skarsgard stands out and watching his performance is sharp, sly and enjoyable to watch.

Other cast include Hiam Abbass as Marcia Roy, Natalie Gold as Rava Roy, Rob Yang as Lawrence Yee, Dagmara Dominczyk as Karolina Novotney, Juliana Canfield as Jess Jordan,Arian Moayed as Stewy Hosseini, Justine Lupe as Willa, Scott Nicholson as Colin, David Rasche as Karl Muller, and Fisher Stevens as Hugo Baker.

HBO Home Entertainment brings critically acclaimed and groundbreaking programming throughout the world. Releases include the global hit Game of Thrones, True Detective, Girls, The Sopranos, Sex and the City, True Blood, The Wire and Entourage. The company's catalog contains hundreds of titles including Big Little Lies and Band of Brothers. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.hbo.com.

Special Features include Over Two Hours of Bonus Content, Including INSIDE THE EPISODE Featurettes, Character Recaps, Cast and Crew Interviews, and much more!

This is a family that is brutally verbal from the first scene to the last and I absolutely loved it. SUCCESSION is an absolute four season joy no matter how you slice it. This is a family that is loyal to no one yet loyal to who ever is on their side till they are not on their side – you follow? The games they play with each other and their thought process should be on someone’s psychology curriculum because they are all a hot mess in the grand scheme of things. Speaking of schemes, there are plenty, an absolute plethora of them which means there is never a boring episode or break in the game they are all playing.

I watched the series when it ran on HBO but trust me when I saw I spent most of my time stunned at the performances. Being able to revisit the complete series on Blu-ray, I had the opportunity to remember why I feel SUCCESSION was one of the greatest HBO shows ever. I once again cheered for my favorite characters and boo’d those who tried to take them down. The family one-liners are still my favorite and the cutting way they interact with each other reminds me that my family isn’t so bad after all.

As summer comes to a close and we spend more time indoors, get your own copy of SUCCESSION: The Complete Series and let the heat from the Roy family keep you warm.

In the end – take what’s yours!

From Adult Swim is RICK AND MORTY: The Complete Seasons

Jeri Jacquin

Currently on DVD from Adult Swim and Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment is an animated series that has something for everyone with RICK AND MORTY: The Complete Seasons 1-7.

Season One begins with after being drunk, Rick and Morty take a flight in a machine made from a neutrino bomb. Rick suggests that destroying humanity might help Morty get with Jessica to become the new Adam and Eve. Morty’s mom and dad think Rick is a horrible influence on Morty and think it may be time for a nursing home. Fortunately, or unfortunately, Rick has other problems involving Mega everything. Now, parents Jerry and Beth have a reason to be suspicious when they discover how many days Morty has been absent from school.

Rick thinks that going on adventure with Morty is more important learning more, like the laws of thermodynamics, than what he could learn in school. Oddly, Jerry and Beth let the two go on more adventures! Morty even helps around the house when Snuffles needs a better understanding about not pee’ing on the carpet. Rick is busy getting into the school’s math teacher’s mind.

More episodes include Lawnmower Dog, Anatomy Park, M. Night Shaym-Aliens!, Meeseeks and Destroy, Rick Potion #9, Raising Gazorpazorp, Rixty Minutes, Something Ricked This Way Comes, Close Rick-counters of the Rich Kind, and Ricksy Business.

After six months Rick tells Morty that time might be unstable beginning Season Two. When Morty and sister Summer bicker, it creates two realities and the garage has a weird void of Schrodinger’s cats. Trying to use a Time Crystal to fix thing, it is Morty an Summer who keep the madness happening and Rick sees it all split into four-dimension. It has to be fixed before the void has its way or before Einstein has something to say about it all.

More season episodes include A Rickle in Time, Mortynight Run, Auto Erotic Assimilation, Total Rickall, Get Schwifty, The Ricks Must Be Crazy, Big Trouble in Little Sanchez, Interdimensional Cable 2: Tempting Fate, Look Who’s Purging Now, and The Wedding Squanchers.

Season Three continue with the Galactic Federation is in charge of Earth and the family doesn’t have Rick around. Summer decides to dig up a Rick to get the portal gun for rescue. Morty wants Summer to go see for herself how Rick has messed up another alternate universe called the Cronenberg World. Once captured, the Council of ricks decide what to do next. The Federation is going to try something itself by sending Cornvelious Daniel to discover the secret of Rick’s portal gun. Things in the Smiths home are getting heated when Beth has to make a choice and Rick has a weird hankering for a 1998 Szechuan Sause from McDonalds.

The other episodes include The Rickshank Rickdemption, Rickmancing the Stone, Pickle Rick, Vindicators 3: The Return of Worldender, The Whirly Dirly Conspiracy, Rest and Ricklaxation, The Ricklantis Mixup, Morty’s Mind Blowers, The ABC’s of Beth, and The Rickchurian Mortydate.

Onto Season Four, Rick and Morty go off to Forbodulon Prime looking for a way to use death crystals to see the outcomes of death. Morty sees Jessica and follows what the crystal is showing him and Rick sees something totally different. When disaster strikes Morty goes home only to be followed by Holographic Rick. When you add Rick, Holographic Rick and Wasp Rick into the mix, well, Morty gets more than he bargained for.

More episodes include Edge of Tomotrty: Rick Die Rickpeat, The Old Man and the Seat, One Crew over the Crewcoo’s Morty, Claw and Hoarder: Special Ricktim’s Morty, Rattlestar Ricklactica, Never Ricking Morty, Promortyus, The Vat of Acid Episode, Childrick of Mort, and Star Mort Ricktum of the Jerri.

Rick and Morty are in their spaceship and there is a chance they are going to crash in Season Five. Morty wants to keep a date with Jessica and is going to do what it takes to make that happen. Landing in the ocean, Rick now has to tell Morty about Mr. Nimbus. When Nimbus appears, it is time to deal with a treaty but Rick has other ideas with Summer’s help. She has to dive to retrieve a conch shell that will turn the, excuse me, tide. Rick decides its time to wine up Nimbus but will it be enough?

Other episodes include Mort Dinner Rick Andre, Mortypolicity, A Rickconvenient Mort, Rickdependence Spray, Amortycan Grickfitti, Rick & Morty’s Thanksploitation spectacular, Gotron Jerrsis Rickvangelion, Rickternal Friendshine of the Spotless Mort, Forgetting Sarick Mortshall and Rickmurai Jack.

Season six starts with Rick Morty being rescues by Space Beth. Evil Morty has sabotaged the portal gun but Rick tries to fix it but instead, it glitches. Hoping Summer can help them get back, each need to get back to their own dimension. Rick wants an AI of his wife Diane but that goes crazy instead and now they have to deal with a Rick Prime. The two Beths have a disagreement about fighting off five-dimensional monsters and surprised at who saves them. Jerry has found a “cute” parasite he calls Mr. Frundles. It’s not so cute when it wants to take over the world. Rick makes the statement that Rick Prime is the “real deal”1

More episodes include Solaricks, Rick: A Mort Well Lived, Bethic Twinstinct, Night Family, Final DeSmithation, Juricksic Mort, Full Meta Jackrick, Analyze Piss, A Rick in King Mortur’s Mort, and Ricktational Mortpoon’s Rickmas Mortcation.

When Mr. Poopybutthole visits the Smiths, they quickly grow tired of his antics and demand that Rick take action. Calling friends like Quanchy, Birdperson and Gen’s cousin, it is now a party. That’s when PB is still upset about the Army and wants Rick to help mend fences with his son. Getting a P.I. involved, PB grabs his son but has second thoughts which is unfortunate since Rick and friends had a smack down with Gul’Karna.

Other epsiodes in the season include How Poopy Got His Poop Back, The Jerrick Trap, Air Force Wong, That’s Amorte, Unmortricken, Rickfending Your Mort, Wet Kuat Amortician Summer, Rise of the Numbericons: The Movie, Mort: Ragnarick, and Fear No Mort.

Adult Swim is an adult programming block on cartoon Network during the evening, prime time, and late-night. The channel features stylistically varied animated and live-action series aimed at adult audiences. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.adultswim.com.

RICK AND MORTY: The Complete Seasons 1-7 have Special Features that contain mature themes and vulgar and sexually explicit language that may not be suitable for viewing by children under 17. Parental discretion is strongly advised.

RICK AND MORTY is the twisted and awesome creation of Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland. Starting out with short film, Roiland began submitting a different kind of filmmaking to film festivals. Harmon liked the twisted humor and began collaborating with Roiland. By 2012, Adult Swim picked up the series and it aired in October of that year and has been a ratings hit ever since.

In 2015, the series won an IGN Award for Best Animated Series, in 2017 won again for Best Animated Series and Best Comedic TV Performance for Justin Roiland, won Best Animated Series from the Critics Choice Television awards, Best General Audience Animated Television/Broadcast Production for Pickle Rick and Outstanding Achievement for Writing in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production for Ryan Ridley and Dan Guterman from the Annie Awards.

Also, from the Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Program for Pickle Rick in 2018 and again in 2020 for The Vat of Acid Episode, in 2021 the series won Best Edited Animation for Lee Harting (Rattlestar Ricklactica) from the American Cinema Editors Awards, and Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards gave the show Best Broadcast Network or Cable Animated Series or Television Movie in 2022.

I am a big fan of adult cartoons as far back as The Ren & Stimpy Show in 1991 (yes, that aged me big time!) to Beevis and Butt-Head in 1993 and so many more. Each pushed the boundaries of what could be said and done on television seeing animation humor as kind of harmless fun right? We knew then as we know now, these shows have just become grittier, boundary pushing and absolutely hilarious. Sitting up late nights watching the shows in past years, our family became thrilled with Adult Swim’s content and we are still unapologetic about loving it all.

RICK AND MORTY is a continuation of that gritty, boundary pushing humor that is a reason to hang out of a Friday night with friends. We did a potluck on many nights and sat around who ever had the biggest television screen to have time together laughing (sometimes to the point of needing oxygen). That’s what RICK AND MORTY have done, spending seven seasons with us!

Now, all seven seasons are together in one collection so everyone can do it all over again because that’s what friends with twisted senses of humor do, encourage boundary pushing laughter!

In the end – they are out of this world!

The 50th Anniversary of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD, VHS (yes, VHS!) and Bluray in a Chainsaw Edition from director Tobe Hooper and Dark Sky Selects comes the film that caused a stir in theatres in 1974 and is celebrated fifty years later with THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE.

Driving through Texas in 1973, Sally Hardesty (Marilyn Burns), Jerry (Allen Danziger), Pam (Teri McMinn), Kirk (William Vail) and brother Franklin (Paul A. Partain) are on a road trip of fun. Siblings Sally and Franklin decide to stop and pay respects to their grandfather’s grave and Franklin speaks about his family’s history and their slaughterhouse. On the road is a hitchhiker and when the group picks him up, he also tells of his family’s involvement in the slaughterhouse. After a confrontation, the group kicks him out of the van!

Next to an empty gas station, they gang walks through the hold house the Hardesty family once lived but Kirk and Pam decide to go the swimming hole. When the couple comes across a run-down house, they go exploring and that starts a chain of horror events. When Sally and Franklin go looking for their friends, Sally finds herself in the same house chased by a masked man. Trying to escape, she ends up back at the gas station being told about Grandpa (John Dugan) and Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen).

The night of terror has only begun!

Burns as Sally brings the most memorable and frightening character to the screen. The chase between she and the vicious family is on in a night of terror. Through the years Burns has spoken about her role and how she never expected it to be talked about throughout the years. Supporting the film through conventions and appearances, Burns’ role in the film brought her fans world-wide. She did appear in other films and television productions such as the role of Linda Kasabian in the 1976 series Helter Skelter. Burns passed away in 2014.

The other notable character that continues to keep fans on their toes is Leatherface played by Gunnar Hansen. Every year, the costume of Leatherface is always front and center around Halloween, even fifty years later! Hansen took on roles after the film and also became an author with his Memoir on traveling with Islands at the Edge of Time: A Journey to America’s Barrier Islands and 2014 book Chains Saw Confidential.

Other cast include Jim Siedow as the Old Man, Robert Courtin as Window Washer, William Creamer as Bearded Man, John Faulk as the Storyteller and John Larroquette as the Narrator.

Dark Sky Selects is committed to delivering a meticulously curated selection of high-quality, limited edition film releases and exclusive merchandise to the collector's market. As an extension of MPI Media Group and Dark Sky Films, Dark Sky Selects hails from nearly five decades of experience in genre films, as a specialty label dedicated to preserving the legacy of iconic titles like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, and modern classics like The House of the Devil. Our mission is to provide premium, collector-focused products that honor our cinematic heritage and ensure its preservation for future generations.

Dark Sky Films works with emerging talent as well as established veterans to develop, produce and finance feature films and episodic television projects. Representing films from some of most talented directors working today, such as Ti West’s THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL and THE INKEEPERS, and Jim Mickle’s STAKE LAND, Dark Sky continues to identify original talent and projects to bring a vibrant slate of films to the world market, with original productions and releases such as GIRL ON THE THIRD FLOOR, WE ARE STILL HERE, and most recently, THE DARK and 1BR. For more please visit www.darkskyfilms.com

Bonus Features include Disc 1: 4-Feature Commentaries of Writer-Producer Toe Hooper, Actor Gunnar Hansen and Cinematographer Daniel Pearl, Actors Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger and Paul A. Partain, and Production Designer Robert Burns, Writer-Producer-Director Tobe Hooper, Cinematographer Daniel Pearl, Editor J. Larry Carroll and Sound Recordist Ted Nicolaou. Disc 2 includes the feature film.

Disc 3 Bluray Bonuses include: The Fil Which You Are About to See, Hunters of Another Kind, Documentary: The Legacy of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Cinefamily Presents Friedkin/Hooper: A Conversation About THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE Between William Friedkin and Tobe Hooper, Flesh Wounds: Seven Stories of the Saw, A Tour of the TCSM House with Gunnar Hansen, Off the Hook with Teri McMinn, The Business of Chain Saw: An Interview with Production Manager Ron Bozman, Grandpa’s Tales: An Interview with Actor John Dugan, Cutting Chain Saw: An Interview with Editor J. Larry Carroll, Deleted Scenes & Outtakes, Blooper Reel, Horrors Hallowed Grounds: TCSM, Dr. W.E. Barnes Presents “Making Grandpa”, Still Gallery, Trailers, TV Spots and Radio Spots.

THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE hit theatres in 1974 setting the horror genre and movies goers teeth on edge – and we’ve loved every minute of it. Starting out with an X rating, the film was edited with a final rating of R. Reviews went from hailing is a work of horror genius to trash and everything in between. No one who has seen the film through the years can ever hear the sound of a chainsaw and not have their, pardon the pun, skin crawl for half a second. The film has continued time and time again to bring fans to its story and although there have been many incarnations since then but, purist will always be the first in line to bask in the original frights.

Available in a stunning box set that includes your own chainsaw, a 4K Ultra HD/Bluray copy and, for all the purists at heart, a VHS copy. Is it twisted to say this is so much fun to have in anyone’s home entertainment library? It is time to gather up your own group of Leatherface’s, turn out the lights, crank up the big screen television and soundbar up loud because THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE has come home once again bringing that memorable sound to chill us all!

In the end – can you survive?

His Life is about SIGHT

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Digital from writer/director Andrew Hyatt, Angel Studios and Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment comes the true story of a man who learns about life through SIGHT.

Dr. Ming Wang (Terry Chen) has a practice in Nashville as an eye surgeon who takes on the tough cases. Along with his surgeon partner Dr. Misha Bartnovsky (Greg Kinnear), they have a wonderful success rate in helping children see. Sister Marie (Fionnula Flanagan) has brought them a case with the young Kajal (Mia Swaminathan) who had her eyesight taken from her in the most brutal way.

Studying her case and trying to find answers, Dr. Wang is almost broken hearted when, along with Dr. Bartnovsky, things don’t go according to plan. Trying to understand what is happening in his life, Dr. Wang sees someone from his past that is bringing up memories that are difficult. Along with his parents, Dr. Wang grew up in China during a difficult time in the country’s history. Both his parents were learned and wanted the same for their son.

From food insecurity to the closing of schools, Ming (Ben Wang) had to work very hard to learn the best he could and find his way to university. His best friend Lili (Sara Ye) was a big part of his life and with that a memory he can not seem to contain. All of this comes flooding back to a grown-up Ming and it is causing him to have doubts about his abilities as a surgeon.

When another case comes his way, Dr. Wang immediately steps away not understanding what is happening to him. Dr. Bartnovsky tries so hard to understand his friend’s difficulties that seem to be growing by the day. Then, it is one little girl’s warmth and kindness that helps Dr. Wang find his way back to his true calling!

Chen as Dr. Ming Wang plays the true-life role of a man that has seen the world through a different set of eyes. His growing up was difficult with its cultural challenges and striving hard for his education. Chen gives his role such heart, strength and beauty that this story truly moved me. His struggle is heartfelt and portraying someone’s real life is daunting enough but Chen does so with such grace.

Kinnear as Dr. Misha Bartnovsky is portraying a man who clearly loves what he is doing and the partnership with Ming comes across as effortless as they both want to help those less fortunate. Even when the friendship is tested by something Misha has difficulty understanding, he never gives up on his friend and Kinnear does so in such lovely form.

Wang as the teen Ming absolutely drew me into the story. Watching this young man who hungered for learning, had to struggle with the breakdown of his country that was going through struggles of its own. That being said, it did not stop young Ming from pushing forward and Wang is absolutely stunning in this role. Ye as Lili is sharing in what is happening to the teen yang as it affects her as well. My heart immediately went out to her and I am left wondering what happened to her.

Swaminathan as Kajal is such an adorable, charming and accepting young actress to take on this role. She truly is a small girl with a huge light that shines through it all. The character she plays is one that might break most people but then again, Kajal and Swaminathan are not most people. Flanagan as Sister Marie carries all her hopes with young Kajal and she, along with Dr. Wang, learn so much from the young girl – more than they could have ever expected. I love Flanagan and every time she is on the screen I smile!

Other cast include Natasha Mumba as Ruth Tarik, Raymond Ma as Zhensheng, Wai Ching Ho as Alian, Garland Chang as Yu Wang, Donald Heng as Zhensheng (30s), Leanne Wang as Alian (30s), Jeffrey Pai as Lao Bin, Kelvin Luo as Yu, Natalie Skye as June Bartnosvsky, Peter Chan as Gao, Danni Wang as Anle and Jayden Zhang as Ming (8-years-old).

Angel Studios is a new kind of movie studio that produces and distributes award-winning titles from independent creators. Covering genres including Christian films, comedy, drama, documentaries and kids shows, these are just some of the projects they include. For more of what Angel Studios has to offer, please visit www.angel.com.

Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment has new titles that include Grace and Pedro: Mission Impossible with the voices of Susan Sarandon, Brooke Shields, Alicia Silverstone and Billy Nighy; World War I action-epic Before Dawn; Scandinavian crime-thriller WHAT REMAINS starring Andrew Riseborough and Stellan Skarsgrd; sweeping bipic Cabrini from director of the smash-hit SOUND OF FREEDOM; and the all-female cast drama TELL THAT TO THE WINTER SEA. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.kaleidoscopehomeentertainment.com.

The film SIGHT was awarded ICVM Crown Awards for Best Picture for producer David E. Fischer and director Andrew Hyatt, winner of the Silver Crown for Best Cinematography for Michael Balfry, and a Bronze Crown for Best Actor for Terry Chen. The Heartland International Film Festival gave SIGHT Best Premier, Narrative Feature to director Andrew Hyatt and producer David E. Fischer.

This is truly a family that the entire family should see. It is not just about sight; it is about the world we have seen and how it affects the world we live in now. Everyone has a past, everyone has had struggles but this film shows us that it is how you deal with those struggles that either keeps you in the dark or helps you shine even brighter. The cast brings this story through the entire range of human emotion and that is what grabs the heart. Director Hyatt knew the story he wanted to tell and how to bring it to life – and he does so with perfection!

In the end – there is more than one way to shine your light!

They See the SIGNS

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD, Bluray and Digital from writer/director M. Night Shyamalan and Walt Disney Home Entertainment is the reason we fear the unknown when there are SIGNS.

Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) is a widower and ex-episcopal priest who is raising his two children Morgan (Rory Culkin) and Bo (Abigail Breslin). Also living on their farm is Graham’s younger brother Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix). One morning, Graham is woken up to the screams of daughter Bo out in the middle of their corn field. When he reaches the children, they show him that the corn has been pushed down in a distinct pattern.

He calls Officer Caroline Paski (Cherry Jones) reporting the discovering thinking that it was the doing of local town boys with a history of causing mayhem. Not long after, the news is reporting strange things happening all around the world as Graham and Merrill try to keep the kids away from it all until, they truly know more. Morgan discovers that using a baby monitor might help them listen in on the strange happenings in the field but it is Graham who sees for himself.

That’s when the family goes into lockdown to not only save their home but each other from whatever has decided that the planet should belong to them – they are in for a big surprise!

Gibson as Graham is a loving father who is having a difficult time being a widow. Doing right by his children, he also struggles with his faith and shuts down when people mention it to him. Once he realizes there are beings out there, he has a new struggle in protecting his children and understanding why it is all happening. This was a strong role for Gibson and that is in the proof that his performance still stands.

Phoenix as brother Merrill lives in an ADU (before ADU’s were even a thing) and helps where he can. Once the mystery lands on their doorstep, he tries to find a meaning to it and does so in the children. Phoenix’s character has its own backstory that haunts him as well and now he has the opportunity to help his brother defend the farm.

Culkin as Morgan is the reader of the family and makes sure that at least one of the family members is informed by ‘experts’. Morgan is smart and doesn’t hesitate to jump into the unknown to find out all he can to help the family survive what is happening around him. Culkin’s performance feels as if he is the adult in all of this and I was with him every step. Breslin as Bo has a bit of her own way of seeing the world and no one is going to stop her from seeing it any differently. She is also very smart, loves her brother Morgan fiercely and isn’t afraid to say exactly like it is. I just love the character of Bo and the dance she does at the end still sticks in my memory. Jones as officer Paski is a bit quirky but has a past with Graham that even she can’t shake. Trying to help them solve the field mystery, she is also about to deal with something she has no answer for. I am a huge fan of Jones and have followed her career for a long time. She is just a wonderful presence on the screen, even in smaller roles and that says something about her ability to make herself memorable.

Other cast include Ted Sutton as Cunningham, Merritt Wever as Tracey Abernathy, Lanny Flaherty as Carl Nathan, Marion McCorry as Mrs. Nathan, Patricia Kalember as Colleen and M. Night Shyamalan as Ray Reddy.

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment continues to bring quality programming to kids and kids at heart. Home of the most beloved animated features including SNOW WHITE, PINOCCHIO and SLEEPING BEAUTY to name a few is what keeps families coming back for more. To see what is currently available to add to your own family library please visit. www.movies.disney.com for their At Home titles!

SIGNS came into theatres in 2002 and my family and I were in line on day one. We love a good alien tale and this film is so much more than that. Yes, there are aliens to be sure but, this is also a film about a family dealing with grief, love, understanding and a fierce loyalty to one another. That is the part of the story that I truly

loved so much, the aliens are just a fantastic bonus. The film was such a success that it garnered nominations from the Online Film Critics Society and the Empire Awards and won an award from the American Society of Composers. The film was actually shot in different parts of Pennsylvania but an interesting side note in that the house and field are owned by the Delaware Valley University agricultural college. Shyamalan, once again, brings a stellar story to the screen, and now 4K Ultra HD, keeping the cast to a minimum and focusing on the family. Having his films as part of my home entertainment library means that when the family wants to have a thriller movie night, we go straight to the shelf that houses all of his films. That is what a fantastic family night with a big screen television and a sound bar can do!

THE SIXTH SENSE and SIGNS, are available for the first time ever in stunning 4K UHD digital now, and 4K UHD Blu-ray disc on October 22. A special bundle opportunity will also be available at digital retailers on August 27 which includes: THE SIXTH SENSE 4K UHD, SIGNS 4K UHD and UNBREAKABLE 4K UHD.

In the end – it’s not like they didn’t warn us!

He has THE SIXTH SENSE

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD, Bluray and Digital from writer/director M. Night Shyamalan and Walt Disney Home Entertainment celebrating 25 years is the thriller of THE SIXTH SENSE.

Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) is a child psychologist who is trying to save his marriage to Anna (Olivia Williams). Finding solace in his work, he begins to see Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), a nine-year-old boy who is having difficulties and his mother Lynn (Toni Collette) is beyond worried. What she doesn’t know is that Cole is having experiences that even he doesn’t understand. When he finally shares with Malcolm that he is seeing people in another realm, Cole asks Malcolm to please help make it all go away. Believing that Cole may be suffering from schizophrenia, Malcolm debates on whether he should continue the case. There comes a moment when psychologist and patient connect and discover whether there is a way for both to find the answers that are just a life away.

Willis as Malcolm does what Willis has always done, embraces the role and makes it absolutely his own. A complex character dealing with a marriage he can not figure out, a past that haunts him and a boy who he feels like he is failing to help, Willis is extraordinary and iconically memorable. His career in action films speaks for itself but here, he gets a chance to really reach into our psyche and pull out our own fears.

Osment as Cole had me from the word jump. A massive talent wrapped up in a tiny little body of an actor that can make sadness so permeable that to this day I can instantly pull up his face of fear in my mind. It is such an intense, emotional and dark role for a child but Osment swings and knocks it totally out of the park.

Collette as Cole’s mother Lynn is doing her best to raise her son but knows there is something wrong that she can’t put her finger on. Try as she might, Lynn is unable to bring out of her the dark secret that he carries all by himself. What I love about this character is that even though she doesn’t understand her son, she doesn’t give up (even if frustrated) and makes it clear he is loved. Collete gives Moms a lesson in believing what you can’t see or understand but love all the same.

Other cast include Donnie Wahlberg as Vincent Grey, Glenn Fitzgerald as Sean, Mischa Barton as Kyra Collins, Trevor Morgan as Tommy Tammisimo, Bruce Norris as Mr. Stanley Cunningham, Angelica Page as Mrs. Collins, Greg Wood as Mr. Collins, Peter Tambakis as Darren, Jeffrey Zubernis as Bobby, M. Night Shyamalan as Dr. Hill and Olivia Williams as Anna Crowe.

The first time I saw THE SIXTH SENSE, I was riveted and walked out of the theatre with my jaw dragging behind me. That’s because Shyamalan wrote a story that no one could see coming and then directed it masterfully. That what we have come to expect from Shyamalan and even though there is only one film that I’m sort of meh on (no I’m not telling), the rest of his films always bring out conversations and twenty-five years later we are still talking about it. That’s the impression the film made.

It's dark tones and focus are very intense and, honestly, there doesn’t need to be a big cast to tell this big story. I loved and love the connection between Willis and Osment on screen because even when they aren’t talking, they are speaking loudly. Their performances bring an edge that twenty-five years later, the world knows the famous phrase, “I see dead people!”.

In the end – not every gift is a blessing!

CAPTAIN PHILLIPS Returns to 4K Ultra HD Steelbook

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD Steelbook from director Paul Greengrass and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment comes a story of a crew, pirates and a man known as CAPTAIN PHILLIPS.

Captain Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks) is a commanding officer of a U.S. container ship. Preparing for the next voyage he reads about pirates in the area so Capt. Phillips has the crew work on drills for safety.

As quickly as that is finished Capt. Phillips spots a few boats racing toward the container ship. Immediately taking action they manage to evade the pirates boarding their ship. What they don’t count on is the persistence of one particular Somali names Muse (Barkhad Abdi) who fixes his vessel and goes back for the ship.

Unable to stop them the second time, Muse and his crew board the container ship. Knowing it was inevitable, Capt. Phillips has the crew hide with orders not to show themselves no matter what.

Muse himself becomes a captive and an exchange is made – or one was to be made as the container ships lifeboat is launched and now Capt. Phillips is their only hostage. Heading for the Somalian coast, the pirates now including Bilal (Barkhad Abdirahman), Najee (Faysal Ahmed) and Elmi (Mahat M. Ali) are agitated.

As the military follows the lifeboat, plans are made that may bring everyone close to the edge!

Hanks in the starring role as Captain Phillips is everything an Academy Award winning actor should be. He is poised, controlled, in authority, smart and still a human being. The kind of acting Hanks does in this film is like a dream. I can honestly say I still walk away exhilarated by this performance.

Abdi as Muse is one of the saddest characters I’ve seen in a while. Knowing that every move he makes is wrong he continues to do so. Wanting to keep his village safe, it is desperation that hardens him to the realities of the situation of his own creation. Abdi is amazing and for his first role that is saying a lot. Born in Mogadishu, he immigrated to Minnesota in 1999 and worked for his brother’s cell phone business.

Working with Hanks and director Greengrass, Abdi knew he might face some resentment by the Somali people for his role. Determined to do the film, his performance is affirmation that CAPTAIN PHILLIPS would change his life forever.

Other cast include: Michael Chernus as Shane Murphy, David Warshofsky as Mike Perry, Corey Johnson as Ken Quinn, Chris Mulkey as John Cronan, Yul Vazquez as Captain Frank Castellano, Max Martini as SEAL Commander, Omar Berdouni as Nemo, Mohamed Ali as Asad, Issak Samatar as Hufan, and Catherine Keener as Andrea Phillips.

Bonus Materials include: 4K Ultra Disc Feature Presented in 4K Resolution with Dolby Vision, English Dolby Atmos and Theatrical Trailer. On Bluray Feature Presented in High Definition, Commentary with Director Paul Greengrass, and Capturing CAPTAIN PHILLIPS – in depth behind-the-scenes featurettes on making the acclaimed film.

I’m just going to say it folks – there is nothing, and I mean nothing wrong with this film. It is flawless! Yes, Hanks proves why he is a stellar fixture in Hollywood with a performance that nearly took me out. The cast is on point and melded together so well that not one thing pulled my focus off what was in front of me.

The cinematography is nothing short of perfect as well. From the moment the ship leaves port until the films ending, it is emotionally exhausting. We find ourselves literally in the film surrounded by the same emotions as Capt. Phillips and his crew.

Although nothing could ever bring about the real-life experience, with Hanks at the helm (as it were), be prepared to experience the story for yourself.

In the end – out here survival is everything!

Protecting Democracy with ANGEL HAS FALLEN

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD and Bluray from writer/director Ric Roman Waugh and Lionsgate is the return of an agent who is set up with ANGEL HAS FALLEN.

Secret Service Agent Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) is once again guarding a President, this time its President Trumbull (Morgan Freeman). Now a family man, he begins to think it may be time to take a higher position in the agency that affords him less danger. Even military friend Danny Huston (Wade Jennings) offers him a position with his company.

On a fishing trip with President Trumbull, Banning briefly discussed his options and is told to think about what he wants to do. Changing shifts with another agent, Banning heads towards shore but notices something odd coming their way. That’s when all hell breaks loose and he must turn around to save the President.

Waking up in the hospital he is told the President’s condition is serious and that he is considered the prime suspect in an assassination attempt. Vice President Kirby (Tim Nelson) has taken the oath to temporarily become the President. Assigned to investigate the attack is FBI Agent’s Thompson (Jada Pinkett Smith) and Ramirez (Joseph Millson).

Banning knows that he cannot stay handcuffed to the hospital bed if he is to discover who is after President Trumbull and when they will strike next. He turns to the only person he can trust but the history between them is sketchy at best. Clay (Nick Nolte) isn’t a fan of the government and sure knows how to protect himself which is what Banning counts on.

As the truth comes to the surface, and it is brutal, Banning isn’t about to let anyone get their hands on the President and he’ll bulldoze through anyone who tries!

Butler as Banning once again dons a suite and tie to begin with but ends up dirty and beat by the end. It’s what happens in between that makes Butler a perfect Banning. Not afraid in any way to get his hands, or anything else, dirty to make this film as action packed as it is. He’s not so much as a one-liner guy, more like a few questions and then an ass-kicking kind of agent.

Nolte as Clay is absolutely killer – literally and figuratively – and he brought cheers from the audience. This character is perfect for Nolte and the scenes with Butler are gems. Jennings as Houston once again plays the role he was born to play, a man with a mission who, like a dog with a bone, isn’t about to stop until he gets what he wants.

Smith as Thompson throws her tiny weight around and along with her partner Ramirez are also on a mission – to capture Banning (good luck with that!). Nelson as Kirby takes over while Turnbull is in the hospital. Keeping the country running is his goal as he decides how to move forward in case Turnbull doesn’t come back.

Freeman as Turnbull does what he does best – act very Presidential. Let’s be honest, he’s played the commander-in-chief before so we know he’s good at it. I adore Freeman so I don’t mind if he repeats a character because he does it with class.

Other cast include Michael Landes as White House Chief of Staff Sam Wilcox, Piper Perabo as Leah Banning, Lance Reddick as Secret Service Director David Gentry, Mark Arnold as CIA Director James Haskell and Frederick Schmidt as Travis Cole.

On 4K Ultra HD the Special Features include Even Angels Fall: The Story, Someone to Watch Over Me: New Blood, Calling All Angels: Casting, True Faith: Authenticity, Fight for You: Stunts and Action, Earth Angel: Recreating DC and Angel Declassified (3 Scenes Broken Down with writer/director Ric Roman Waugh).

ANGEL HAS FALLEN is an action-packed film from beginning to end with a lot of twists and turns. That makes writing about it a little difficult but I’m not about to give anything away.

There is applauding, hollering, cheering and thrills with the film. Alright, I’ll admit I had a good time as well. This is the kind of film that cries out ACTION and delivers every bit of it. This film isn’t rocket science or trying to reinvent the wheel.

Instead, it does exactly what I go see action films for – twists, turns, chases, slips and oh so much more. Butler makes sure we get that because, as with the previous FALLEN films, it is what drew us all into the theatres in 2013 with OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN. The story brought us in again in 2016 with LONDON HAS FALLEN.

ANGEL HAS FALLEN falls into line and makes me wonder, what will Mike Banning do next!

In the end – loyalty has fallen under fire!

Take a Jump with THE FALL GUY Landing on 4K Ultra HD

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD, Bluray and Digital this week from director David Leitch and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is the story of a stuntman who is becoming THE FALL GUY.

Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) is the stunt double for action star Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). Girlfriend Jody (Emily Blunt) is a camera woman on the picture that they are both working on. Ryder wants an action sequence to be bigger and asks Colt to make it happen. What ends up happening is an accident that ruins a lot of things in Colt’s life.

That is until almost two years later, Colt gets a call from film producer Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham). She tells him that Jody is the director on another Ryder action film, MetalStorm, and he is wanted on the set to do stunts. He is thrilled because he wants to help Jody with anything she needs, it isn’t until he is on the set that he finds out the truth.

He isn’t there a day before having to deal with ex-girlfriend rage and a disappearing action star. Gail asks Colt to go find him and it isn’t everything he signed up for. Arriving at Ryder’s place, he is sent on a wild goose chase leading him to a hallucinating chase and a body on ice in a hotel room. Trying to understand what is happening, he is chased down by thugs who want Ryder’s phone.

All of that is interfering with his reconnection to Jody and that is setting Colt on edge, especially knowing that the cops are on his case. Colt and Jody come up with a plan that will hold those responsible accountable but not without a few stunts thrown in.

Gosling as Colt comes on with a stuntman swag that had me giggling from the very beginning. What is stellar about Gosling is that he can take on a heavy role and become so entangled in the character that its mesmerizing and with comedy, he has facial expressions that just brings out such fun and it’s fantastic. He did justice to the role of Colt.

Blunt as Jody has her own set of issues feeling like the jilted ex-girlfriend who is taking her frustration out on her film. Blunt gives her character indignation that all jilted girls feel but don’t have a chance to make a sci-fi about it. I just love everything Blunt does no matter if it’s a serious character or comedy, like Gosling, she makes magic happen.

Taylor-Johnson as Ryder is an actor that is full of himself and doesn’t think the rules of anything apply to him. He has everyone on the set on the verge of craziness but has Colt on the verge of being the best stuntman. Waddingham as Gail is a woman who basically spends her time trying to plump up everyone’s ego all while babysitting a straw in a drink of who-knows-what. At the top of her game, she isn’t about to let a stuntman and a girlfriend ruin her kingdom.

Other cast include Teresa Palmer as Iggy Starr, Stephanie Hsu as Alma Milan, Winston Duke as Dan Tucker, Matuse as Doone, Adam Dunn as Nigel and Ben Knight as Dressler. There are cameos by Lee Majors, Heather Thomas and Jason Momoa.

Exclusive Bonus Features include Extended Cut, Gag Reel, Alternative Takes, Stunts: Breaking Down the Action, City Truck Jump/Sidewinder, Garbage Bin, Boat Chase, Car Jump, High Fall, Making a Meta Masterpiece, How to Break a World Record, Nightclub Mayhem, The Art of Doubling, Making METALSTORM, Falling for THE FALL GUY with Bob Reese, and Feature Commentary.

If you are into nostalgia mixed with comedy then this is the film for you. The soundtrack is amazing, especially the scene of Colt lamenting with a Taylor Swift song (All Too Well). From the very beginning, the action is exactly what one would expect from a stunt man. As the story goes along, the comedy is just completely hilarious.

Gosling once again brings in a fun performance that made the film, especially for someone who remembers the 1908’s television series fondly, a walk down nostalgia lane delightful. Blunt brings in the calm in the midst of chaos and at the same time is so darn charming in the process. All of that together makes THE FALL GUY a really good family fun film that calls for pizza or popcorn at the very least on a Friday night! Cheer from start to finish!

In the end – what could possibly go right?

On 4K Ultra HD is KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD, Bluray and Digital from director Wes Ball and 20th Century Studios Home Entertainment is the KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES.

The young ape Noa (Owen Teague) is living with his community in the lush forest. Noa and his friends are out climbing when they discover something unusual. Taking it to his father, he hears about those called the Echoes and how they are to be dealt with. Noa also knows that something is following him and one night goes looking only to discover apes wearing masks that are vicious. Frightened he returns to his village only to find it in flames and everyone being captured.

Managing to escape, Noa begins to follow the trail that would lead him to his people. Along the way he meets Raka (Peter Macon) who explains that the Echoes are, in fact, humans. The thing following them on the road is Nova (Freya Allan) and, to their surprise, she can speak! Captured by Proximus Caesar’s (Kevin Durand) army, Noah is sent to work on the city and Nova is sent to Trevathan (William H. Macy).

Proximus Caesar is twisting the beliefs and teachings of Caesar by breaking the law of ‘ape shall not kill ape’ and enslaving his own. In this city there is a door that the new Caesar wants opened and he is using slaves to get into it. Noa is brought before the leader, joined by Nova and Trevathan to tell them what he wants. It is Nova who convinces the apes that it is possible to stop Proximus and, at the same time free his people!

Teague as Noa plays a young and naïve ape who has been living basically happy with his people. When the attack on the village happens, it is time for the young ape to grow up. Once his family is taken, Noa uses what he has learned to help to free his family and discover how to become a leader that embraces the world. Allan as Nova must tell Noa the plan to retrieve what it is that Proximus Caesar wants for his own. Working with Noa, she gives the performance against the backdrop of cgi which makes her character shine.

Duran as Proximus Caesar is a harsh ruler who only sees what will benefit him. Using his people by way of falsehoods and twisting the beliefs of a beloved icon, Duran has always been good at being bad and I’m here for it. Macy as Trevathan has found a way to live with the apes without becoming a victim of Proximus. It has worked for him but his fear outweighs his desire to help.

Other cast include Eka Darville as Sylva, Travis Jeffery as Anaya, Lydia Peckham as Soona, Neil Sandilands as Koro, Ras-Samuel as Lightning, Sara Wiseman as Dar, Kaden Hartcher as Oda, Karin Konoval as Maurice, and Kichen Lachman as Korina.

Bonus Features include the Documentary Inside the Forbidden Zone: Making KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES – Join director Wes Ball, cast and crew as they expand the PLANET OF THE APES legacy for a new generation. Travel to the outdoor production in Australia, train at Ape School, and discover the practical and motion capture techniques in building a breathtaking Kingdom, and 14 Deleted/Extended Scenes with optional audio commentary by director Wes Ball.

This is another adventure in the ‘new’ Planet of the Apes series. The special effects are flawless as well as seamless. The actors inside the suits, as it were, give a voice to the effects to tell the story that director Ball is trying to tell. The effects are vast, mixed in with vibrant cinematography. The joining of the two make the film a feast for the eyes.

There are many nods to the original PLANET OF THE APES in 1968, such as the name of Nova and the X of the border into the forbidden zone. The turn of the film is that now, the apes are turning against one another in the same as ape and gorillas were intense in the original trilogy. I will say I do miss Andy Serkis as Caesar but, as with all ‘retellings’, you have to accept the change.

Me and mine are planning a Planet of the Apes marathon to watch each film back-to-back and ending with KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES!

In the end – no one can stop the reign!

Celebrate the 40th Anniversary Original Story of THE KARATE KID

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD, Bluray and Digital from director John G. Avildsen, Columbia Pictures and

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the 1984 blockbuster return of THE KARATE KID.

Teenage Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Mom Lucille (Randee Heller) to Reseda, California and is trying to find a way to fit in. Immediately he runs into bully Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), a black belt from the local Cobra Kai dojo, who has no issue showing Daniel who’s boss. He also meets Ali (Elisabeth Shue) who makes him feel welcome, the problem is she is the ex-girlfriend of Johnny.

Halloween comes and after an incident, Johnny, along with pals Bobby (Ron Thomas), Tommy Rob Garrison), Jimmy (Tony O’Dell) and Dutch (Chad McQueen), chase Daniel and begin to beat him. Handyman Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) jumps in to defend the boy against the bullies. Stunned by what he says, Daniels asks Mr. Miyagi to teach him to defend himself. Instead, he takes the boy to try to talk it through with the boys. Visiting Cobra Kai, they meet teacher John Kreese (Martin Kove), is amused by Mr. Miyagi and it is clear where Johnny gets his aggression from.

To solve the issue, Mr. Miyagi suggests that Daniel enter the All-Valley Karate Championship to take on his students. Kreese agrees to keep his boys off Daniel until then. Mr. Miyagi begins to train Daniel in unusual ways and through frustration, he begins to realize what he is being taught. Also, his relationship with Alli is becoming stronger.

When the day of the tournament arrives, Daniel and Mr. Miyagi come together for a match to prove that it is with heart that one can win!

Macchio as Daniel is a young man who is trying to fit into a place so removed from all he has known. To immediately find hostility is not something he knows how to handle and doesn’t have anyone to turn to. That is until he meets the very quiet Mr. Miyagi and his life changes in ways he could never have expected. Macchio was and will always be the original KARATE KID in my family. The performance of this, at the time, young actor is just engrained in the memories of everyone who was in the theatre in the 80’s and we will accept no substitute!

Morita as Mr. Miyagi has been in so many films and television and, as an older actor, he skyrocketed into fame portraying this very calm and understanding character. Showing Daniel the way of not fighting but instead of self-defense, his methods of training take the teen by surprise but there was always a method to his madness. Morita gives us a caring person who becomes an important part of a young teen’s life.

Zabka as Johnny is definetly a character that a lot of people in the 80’s knew (this was before such radical cultural change in feeling about bullies). Johnny finds a mentor in Kreese without realizing that what he is learning is violent, destructive and detrimental to everyone around him. Zabka is given a difficult role and yet, it is important to Daniels story and he does it well.

Shue as Alli is very supportive of Daniel while still dealing with the issues of ex-boyfriend Johnny. She joins in the journey of Daniel and Mr. Miyagi and it gives the teens and viewers the charming crush story. Kove as Kreese is an angry man who is teaching that very same anger to his students at the dojo. He is the biggest bully in the room and even his students are afraid of him. The only one who is not is Mr. Miyagi proving that size doesn’t matter!

Bonus Features on 4K Ultra HD include Restored from the Original Camera Negative, Presented in 4K Resolution with Dolby Vision, All New Commentary with the Creators of Cobra Kai Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, All New Over 30 Minutes of Deleted Scene Dailies, Four Deleted Scenes, Remembering THE KARATE KID Featurette and Theatrical Trailer.

Bonus Features on Bluray include Blu-Pop Pop-Up Track, Commentary with Director John G. Avildsen, Writer Robert Mark Kamen and Actors Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita, “The Way of THE KARATE KID” Multi-Park Making-Of Featurette, “Beyond the Form” Featurette, “East Meets West: A Composer’s Notebook and “Life of Bonsai” Featurette.

THE KARATE KID hit theatres in 1984 and just blew us all away, so much so that we all flocked to the theatres for ever sequel after that. Every adventure of Daniel and Mr. Miyagi was more to the tale of their lives and the flow was seamless. Revisiting the story from its beginning is so amazing and all the special features give insight even more to the creation of one of the most iconic films.

When our family speaks of growing up, THE KARATE KID is always part of the conversation. My two boys wanted to begin karate classes because of this movie but, thankfully, their sensei was a kind man who knew how to teach without Kreeses’ faults. They, like Daniel, learned to respect the art of karate along with when and where it was to be used. So, this film reached past a tub of popcorn in the theatres and into daily lives.

The film made such an impact in our culture that when the series COBRA KAI came to cable, people rallied around the return of the iconic characters of Daniel and Johnny as grown men with families of their own. So, return once again to the beginning and celebrate the 40th Anniversary of where it all began!

In the end – the secret of karate lies in the heart not the hands!

The Music of THE BOHEMIAN

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Digital from writer/director Petr Vaclav and Music Box Films is the story of a musician, love and being THE BOHEMIAN.

Josef Myslivecek (Vojtech Dyk) lives in Prague in the 18th century becoming a master miller in the family business. Unhappy with that, he turns to music studying with the likes of Habermann and Seger. Traveling to Venice, Italy with dreams of becoming a great musician while studying with Giovanni Pescetti. Seeking out those who would mentor his work, he finds a musical home in the world of opera.

Slowly his work becomes recognized and women have made their place in his life as well. From opera singer Caterina Gabrielli (Barbara Ronchi), to the Marchesa (Elena Radonicich), it seemed between writing about his emotions and it showing up in his work, the elite admire his music. Myslivecek even befriends the very young Mozart (Philip Hahn) with advice on how to see the world through the eyes of music.

From Il Bellerofonte to Armida, Myslivecek’s life begins to unravel when the married woman he loves takes him further down a path of destruction. When his physical appearance is marred by his lifestyle, those from his earlier years begin to reappear in his life but not in time to change what time has done.

Dyk as Myslivecek portrays the eager young musician who sees no future in mill work. Spending his time composing and understanding music makes him hungry to have his music heard. Dyk portrays all of that in his performance but also a hint of longing for something he does not yet understand. Finding himself in caught up in the times of indulgences, the games have more rules when he wants a simpler life. Dyk is lovely, charming and dedicated in the role so well done.

Other cast include Alberto Cracco as Conte Fioncchietti, Federica Vecchio as Cornelia, Diego Pagotto as Orfeo Crispi, Salvatore Langella as Conte di San Paolo.

Music Box Films is the prestigious North American distributor of acclaimed international, independent, and documentary feature films. Recent releases include Eric Gravel’s Cesar nominated thrilling social drama FULL TIME and Rebecca Zlotowski’s OTHER PEOPLE’S CHILDREN. Music Box Films also owns and operates Music Box Theatre, Chicago’s premier venue for independent and foreign films. For more of what they have to offer please go to www.musicboxfilms.com

THE BOHEMIAN is the winner of six Czech Lion Awards, including Best Czech Film and Best Director, and selected as the Czech submission for Best International Film at the 95th Academy Awards. The film’s music features such international soloists as Philippe Jaroussky, Simona Saturova, Emoke Barath and Raffaella Milanesi.

This film is so rich in music and beautiful voices from start to finish. Surrounded by the period piece set designs and costuming, it is so easy to quickly fall into the story and time period. The deep rich reds and blues from the clothing to the wall paintings to the color of the wine in stunning crystal glasses, it evokes everything of the period and the excesses covering up the realities.

The music is absolutely wonderful with the most moving scenes provided by the emotions of the actors feel amazingly genuine. I will admit to falling under its spell as well and that is what grand film making with beautiful music can do. Myslivecek is not a musician that most have heard of when along side Beethoven, Mozart and the like but he should be. His works are just as valuable and worthy of a listen and experienced.

THE BOHEMIAN is a film that I would put in my library alongside IMMORTAL BELOVED, AMADEUS, MAESTRO, THE PIANIST, IMPROMPTU, THE DEVIL’S VIOLINIST and, my heart favorite, THE RED VIOLIN. If you are in search of musical richness and beauty along with the tragedy of being frail humans, then THE BOHEMIAN is a must-see.

In the end – his world is music!

GHOSTBUSTERS: Frozen Empire

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD, Bluray and Digital from director Gil Kenan and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the next chapter in the adventures of the infamous GHOSTBUSTERS: Frozen Empire.

The Spengler family, along with Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd), are now living in New York in the original Ghostbusters firehouse. Callie (Carrie Coon), Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) are together going after the ghosts that are running rampant through New York City. The is only one problem in the form of now Mayor Walter Peck (William Atherton). He has made is clear that he still is aiming to stop the Ghostbusters and close down the containment that holds ghosts!

When Peck discovers that Phoebe is under age, he puts a stop to her being part of the group as well. Upset, she walks to the park where she meets ghost Melody (Emily Alyn Lind) and feels like there is finally someone who understands. At his store, Dr. Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) meets Nadeem (Kumail Nanjiani) who wants to pawn off grandma’s weird collection. Stantz is interested in a brass shaped ball with writing that only Dr. Hubert Wartzki (Patton Oswalt) can talk about.

In the meantime, Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson) shows Grooberson and Callie that their overcrowded containment area is about to be expanded with Lars (James Acaster) running things. His money has built another lab where they are finding a smarter way to do it all. But, while all this is going on, something weird is shaking the ground and trying to get out. When the group gathers to fight, some old friends show up like Dr. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) and Janine Melnitz (Annie Potts) to put on the suit and make a stand.

The evil spirit Garraka is about to freeze out New York City but there are a few people that aren’t going to let that happen because, after all, who you gonna call?

I have to start with Murray as it is a moral imperative! Returning as Venkman just filled me with so much joy and laughter. There isn’t much that has changed about his portrayal other than he didn’t get enough screen time as far as I’m concerned. Aykroyd as Stantz gives us full on Ray-mode with his insatiable curiosity for all odd things and putting the suit on because nothing says ‘oh yea’ more than having the pack back on ones back. Hudson as Zeddemore may have gotten rich but that didn’t stop him from suiting up and I was all for it.

Rudd as Grooberson is with the Spengler family ghostbusting and having a family life. Making the transition in his life from teacher to parental figure is complicated by ghosts. Rudd gives his trademark performance as the guy who doesn’t ruffle feathers in between ghost captures. Coon as Callie is being a bit of a ghost parent running through the city catching specters but not really addressing family issues other than collecting laundry.

Grace as Phoebe is going through her Spengler-mode upset that the world doesn’t see her more grown up than she really is. Making friends with Lind’s spirit Melody seems like a nature progression for them both, but is it? Potts returns as Melnitz and she brings with her the attitude and the only thing I would LOVE to have seen is when the phone rang, SHE was the one who picked it up and said, “Ghostbusters what do you want!”.

Wolfhard as Trevor decides to take matters into his own hands to go after a green that seems to plague the upstairs. Hudson as Zeddemore returns with a pocket full of money and a way to make containment easier but there is an entity out there that has other plans. Acaster as Lars runs his lab but isn’t immune from what is out there. Oswalt as Wartzki is well versed in what is inside the cute little brass sphere currently in the lab shaking things up.

Shout out to Nanjiani as the new “Keymaster” Nadeem. He gets the chance to wear the iconic metal strainer and go through the weirdness of discovering his family underestimated his potential.

Other cast include John Rothman as the Library Administrator, Chris Tummings as the Police Chief, Logan Kim as Podcast and Celeste O’Connor as Lucky Domingo.

Special features include Deleted & Extended Scenes, Easter Eggs Unleashed, Return to the Firehouse: Making GHOSTBUSTERS: Frozen Empire, Busted: Capturing the Ghosts of Frozen Empire, Manifesting Garraka, New York – New Gear, Welcome to the Paranormal Discovery Center, Knowing the Score and Commentary with Director, Co-Writer Gil Kenan.

GHOSTBUSTER: Frozen Empire is a trip down nostalgia lane from beginning to end. It seems writers Gil Kenan, Jason Reitman and Ivan Reitman reached into the iconic grab bag to pull out everything but the kitchen sink. Anyone who remembers clearly the 1984 script can quickly see that there are a lot of similarities into the storyline. It is lovely, however, to see that keeping the spirit of Spengler alive runs through the story as well.

This is a full-on special effects film with everything from freezing, electricity, spooks, colanders, mysterious moving objects, talking ghosts, a bit of sliming, a lot of things in the air and destruction of all kinds but that is what happens when ancient entities get a little grumpy. The cast is a big which can test an 8-year-olds ability to keep up. My granddaughter would point and say, “who’s that” followed by “and that person?” until she caught up. She did say, when the film was over that GHOSTBUSTERS: Frozen Empire is now her favorite film so there’s that!

I could not get enough of Murray, Aykroyd and Hudson with Potts coming in from moment to moment because those are the characters I still hold dear. My laughter came from seeing memorable ghosts and small Stay Puft’s (and I would love it if they made those for sale because there would be several on my desk!) that brought me back to 1984 with ease. Talk about joy in this ole heart, these four, along with their misty friends, gave good.

Now, the rest, (insert heavy sigh), I get it, GHOSTBUSTERS has become a generational thing but, to be honest, I think it is time to graciously close the book. Clearly, I am not a fan of remaking iconic and beloved films of the past and trying to resuscitate them with a Thor-like hammer to the chest of an audience who has no other choice when going to the theatres. Go out on a good note and let this be the ending we all deserve.

That being said, get grandma, grandpa, mom, dad, aunts, uncles, cousins and all kids together to have a family movie night at home. Laugh, love and remember why we loved them all in the first place! Cheer for the hero’s, cheer for the spirits we love and sing the song that always brings a smile because we know who we are going to call.

In the end – there is only one call you can make!

Celebrate the 35th Anniversary of GLORY

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD Steelbook from director Edward wick and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment celebrating its 35th Anniversary on Steelbook is the stunning film GLORY.

Young Captain Robert Shaw (Matthew Broderick) has been wounded the battle of Antietam during the Civil War. Home recuperating, he learns that he has been given the rank of colonel and is wanted to lead the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. Learning it is an all-black regiment, Cpt. Shaw appoints friend Cabot Forbes (Cary Elwes) as second-in-command.

Thrilled to be volunteering is Thomas Searles (Andre Braugher), a freeman who has known Cpt. Shaw since childhood and works for the Shaw family. Also signing up immediately is John Rawlins (Morgan Freeman), Jupiter Sharts (Jihmi Kennedy), and the full-of-attitude Silas Trip (Denzel Washington).

Knowing he needs to get the regiment up to par immediately, he requests Sgt. Mulcahy (John Finn) to do what he must. It also becomes clear quickly that he can not be seen to show favoritism because of his friendship. Cpt. Shaw also learns of the with the Emancipation Proclamation, comes a dire warning from the confederacy that African American soldiers caught wearing a uniform will be executed, as well as white officers. Offering to let the men go, Shaw is taken aback to learn that their determination is as strong as his own.

He turns to Rawlins in asking for help in understanding the men under his command and Rawlins obliges quickly. With that, Shaw is determined to get the men shoes and such as was promised when they joined. Rawlins is then rewarded for his character and becomes a Sgt. Major. The men are determined to be part of the fight but instead find themselves dealing with those who don’t think they belong.

There time comes when they battle on James Island and each show, they are fully capable to fight. Heading towards Fort Wagner, realizing there will be heavy casualties, Shaw volunteers his regiment to be the first to cross the beach. When they march out of camp, they are sent off with honor.

Broderick as Captain Shaw is a young man from a prominent family but does not use that to his advantage. Instead, he wants to do what is right by the men in his regiment and for something he truly believes in. The difficulty comes when separating his friendships and understanding his men. Broderick plays this role with thoughtfulness and as a young man of that time period having to do the unthinkable and it is beautifully done.

Braugher as Thomas is a man who believes in being a part of the fight but, like Shaw, has a hard time at first understanding how to separate his northern free life to what is happening all around him. His performance is so moving. Freeman as Rawlins is a man that doesn’t rush his feelings but, instead, considers each situation before him. Helping Shaw find his ground and the respect of his men are everything and Freeman is brilliant.

Elwes as Forbes is finding himself torn just as everyone else is. Its hard to go from a friendship with Shaw and James to being in the middle of a colonel and a private. He gets to be a little irate where the other two can not afford to. Kennedy as Jupiter is the surprise in this film because he goes through the paces and comes out as the being a constant source of pride in the midst of chaos. He has the support of Rawlins, the praise of his superiors and yet, he is a gentle spirit.

Washington as Silas as a man with a huge chip on his shoulder and he does not hold back on anything he feels. His anger is aimed at anyone, no matter color, who gets in his way or challenges him. But, with all men in war, there comes a turning point and maybe even a little bit of self-reflection on all that anger. Silas may be complex but he is also not one to shy away from a fight. Washington’s performance is equally as stunning and the story could not be told without his performance, or any of them for that matter.

Other cast include JD Cullum as Henry Russell, Cliff DeYoung as Col. James Montgomery, Alan North as Governor, John Andrew, Christian Baskous as Edward Pierce, RonReaco Lee as Honey, Donovan Leitch as Captain Morse, Bob Gunton as General Harker, Jay Sanders as General Strong, Richard Riehl as Quartermaster, Peter Goetz as Francis Shaw, Jane Alexander as Sarah Shaw and Raymond St. Jacques as Frederick Douglass.

Special Features include on 4K Ultra HD include Restored from Original Camera Negative Presented in 4K Resolution with Dolby Vision, English Dolby Atmos, Visual Feature-Length Commentary, and Theatrical Trailer. On Bluray is Feature Presented in High Definition, English Dolby True HD, Director’s Commentary, Deleted Scenes with Commentary, Virtual Civil War Battlefield Interactive Map, “The True Story Continues” Documentary, “The Voices of Glory” Featurette and “The Making of Glory” Featurette.

GLORY is a stunning film that, amazingly, is told from so many sides of one coin. From those in control of the war to those who fight it to the inner struggles of them all, scene after scene is powerful. The performances by this cast are just as amazing in 2024 as it was in theatres in 1989.

The film is actually based on such books as Brave Black Regiment – History of the Fifty-fourth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (1891) BY Captain Luis F. Emilio, Lay This Laurel (1973) BY Lincoln Kirstein, One Gallant Rush (1965) BY Peter Burchard as well as the personal letters of Robert Gould Shaw.

Yes, the cinematography is stellar, the costuming is on point and the music brings you further into the story. All of these are so very important adding a luster to the film and bringing this cast together is the absolute cherry on the cake. Revisit the story of these brave men in the 35th anniversary of GLORY.

In the end – nothing would be spared in the fight for their freedom!

The Origins of THE FIRST OMEN

Jeri Jacquin

Currently on Digital with Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu and Hulu followed by the Bluray and DVD release in July from writer/director Arkasha Stevenson and 20th Century Studios is THE FIRST OMEN.

In Rome, young novitiate Margaret (Nell Tiger Free) arrives in the city during a time of unrest in 1971. She goes to the Vizzardeli Orphanage to meet Cardinal Lawrence (Bill Nighy), Father Gabriel (Tawfeek Barhom) and the Abbess Sister Silva (Sonia Braga). Being shown around, she takes it upon herself to go into a room where another young girl, Carlita (Nicole Sorace), is be touted as a strange girl.

Not sure what to make of it, she dismisses it being taken to her apartment she is sharing with another novitiate Luz (Maria Cabellero). That night Luz convinces Margaret to go to a club where she quickly meets Paolo and they dance together. The next morning, she wakes up and hardly remembers anything that happened after that.

Back at the orphanage, Margaret spends time with Carlita but is warned off by Father Brennan (Ralph Ineson) as he says bad things happen around the young girl. Brennan wants to meet with Margaret so he can tell her about a power within the church that wants to bring the Antichrist to power and that Carlita is the aim at that. He also wants her to look into the Abbess’ files if she doesn’t believe him.

That is when things begin to turn for the worst. Playing on her anxieties, Margaret finds herself in the midst of madness. When Father Gabriel gets her to Brennan, they begin to realize that what they thought was happening is focused on the one person who has been oblivious to the religious game being played.

Free as Margaret does a darn good job of portraying a naïve young novitiate who has been raised in the church to trust those around her. Coming to the orphanage, she is excited to work among the children in their care. From the moment she arrived, there is something in the air that she doesn’t quite understand and Free portrays that well.

Ineson as Father Brennan is the one who clearly understands what is happening but, to say it out loud almost sounds a bit crazy. Reaching out to Margaret is the only way to get her to understand the dangers. Ineson gives us this twitchy priest who wants to stop what has started. Sorace as Carlita doesn’t have much to say verbally but her face shows everything and that is a talent. Trust the looks you see in this character!

Nighy as Cardinal Lawrence has been keeping an eye on young Margaret since she was a child and feel protective over her. I just love Nighy’s ability to play almost every kind of role possible, I don’t think there is one performance I have not thought amazing, this one is no exception. Braga as Sister Silva just freaked me out from start to finish, if I was in Catholic school as a kid she would probably have scared me straight with a single glance!

Shout out to Barhom as Father Gabriel, his role is a small one but important to Margaret’s story.

Other cast include Charles Dance as Father Harris, Ishtar Currie-Wilson as Sister Angelica, Andrea Arcangeli as Paolo, Eva Stevic Ras as the angry nun and Rachel Hurd-Wood as Katherine Thorn.

Twentieth Century Home Entertainment brings award-winning global product and new entertainment to DVD, Bluray, and Digital HD. There amazing collection offers fans an opportunity to expand their own home libraries with the best films. To discover what other titles they have please visit www.20thcenturystudios.com.

Bonus Features include The Mystery of Margaret – Join director Arkasha Stevenson and stars Nell Tiger Free, Bill Nighy and Maria Caballero as they dive into the character of Margaret, her relationships with other characters, and how she’s manipulated while trying to solve the film’s horrifying mystery, The Director’s Vision – Director Arkasha Stevenson talks about her love of horror films, the opportunity to expand on The Omen legacy, and crafting The First Omen entirely through a female lens. She also describes shooting in Rome, and the cast recounts working with Arkasha.

Also, Signs of The First Omen – Join the director and talented artists as they reveal some of the symbolism within the set designs and the costumes. Learn how the use of practical effects blurs the line between what is real and what is not in The First Omen’s terrifying world.

THE FIRST OMEN is a bit predictable but, it does lay the groundwork to the following Omen films which is nice. They didn’t try to reinvent the wheel here but instead stayed grounded to the story as it was laid out in the 1976 Richard Donner film and even a well-placed nod comes in at the end. I don’t mind an origin story in the slightest as long as it is well done and doesn’t forget where it came from so to speak. There is a bit of a twist here as well that leaves the door slightly cracked open for the imagination.

The images, as you would imagine, are pretty darn graphic as the story begins to unfold. I won’t lie, I did a bit of a jaw drop at a certain birthing scene and ended up with my hands across my eyes peeking through the fingers like a kid. Watching this at night in a dark room added the cherry on the top of spooky so I highly recommend trying the film that way. For horror genre fans, this might be a nice sway away from the norm so jump right in.

In the end – create something to fear!

THE FALL GUY Lands on Digital

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Digital this week from director David Leitch and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is the story of a stuntman who is becoming THE FALL GUY.

THE FALL GUY comes with an Extended Cut with an additional twenty-minutes of never-before-seen footage featuring more action, more laughs and more stunts when purchased from Apple TV, Fandango at Home (formerly Vudu), Comcast Xfinity, Cox and Microsoft Movies & TV. The original film is available wherever you rent or buy movies.

In the end – what could possibly go right?

It is the Question of WE GO ON Remastered

Jeri Jacquin

On Bluray from directors Andy Mitton, Jesse Holland and Lightyear is the remastered film WE GO ON Remastered.

Miles (Clark Freeman) is a man living is life in paralyzing fear of death. He decides the only way to stop the trauma is by offering anyone $30,000 for proof of ghosts, angels, demons or anything else that proves there is an afterlife. Mom (Annette O’Toole) tries to understand why he needs to do it but supports and follows him on the journey for answers.

He finds the names of three people he thinks can possibly help, the first being a scientist who attempts to prove a theory, one which Mom squashes immediately. The next person on the list is medium Josephina (Giovanna Zacarias) who attempts to make Miles understand what is happening around him but is having problems coping with her own visions.

Becoming strained by what has been happening, Miles and his mother try to talk about the past and the memories. He decides it is time to go on his own and sends Mom on her way but she isn’t about to go without talking to Josephina one more time. Miles agrees to meet with Nelson (Jay Dunn) who promises him the answers he is looking for but within the walls of a house, he might have finally found his answers.

Freeman as Miles is clearly a man at the end of his mind with the fears that plague him daily. Trying to deal with it all, offering money for proof of life seems to be all that is left. Jumping from one clue to another it causes him even more terrors. Freeman gives a believable performance of those fears from one search to the next.

O’Toole as Mom doesn’t believe in the afterlife but does have the memories of a husband who helped raise their son. She goes along with Miles believing that perhaps it will help him with his fears but isn’t going to let just anyone mess with her boy. O’Toole gives a strong character performance and when it comes to frights, she has to see to believe.

Zacarias as Josephina is a complex character as well living both in the real and spiritual world. Personally, I think anyone would go a bit crazy trying to tell the living from the not so much. Glover as Dr. Ellison comes on strong and believes in his quest equally. Glover has always been good at portraying these types of characters and does so in this film as well.

Dunn as Nelson gives the most frightening performance of all. He doesn’t seem to want the money but instead has a far greater motive for wanting to help Miles. Then again, with all help there is sometimes a price to be paid.

Other cast include Laura Heisler as Alice, Jay Dunn as Nelson, David Bickford as a TV personality, Justin Carpenter as Miles Dad, Tony Devon as Alberto, Cassidy Freeman as young Charlotte, Logan Kishi as Paulo, Peter Lucas as The Priest, and John Glover as Dr. Ellison.

Lightyear Entertainment is a Los Angeles-based distribution company that previously theatrically released TANNA, Academy Award nominated for Best Foreign Film. Additionally, CEO Arnie Holland and his team theatrically released THE ETRUSCAN SMILE, which starred Brian Cox (HBO’s Succession), MAZE, GOLDSTONE, VOODOO MACBET, and A-HA: The Movie. For more information, visit www.lightyearentertainment.com.

Bonus Features include Commentary from Stars Annette O’Toole and Clark Freeman, Commentary from director/writer (story) Jesse Holland and Commentary from director/writer Andy Mitton.

WE GO ON: Remastered was the winner of Audience Awards at Dances with Films and the Dead by Dawn Horror Film Festival and the Silver Raven at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival.

The film is a slow ride into horror, madness and what lies beyond in the open mind. The answer of life after death happens in mind of the viewer as the story makes it clear that we are all going to see death differently. In Miles’ case, his search is based on fear and with each step he takes, the fear grows more and more.

Step by step, the character of Miles feels he is either being dragged or led to the answers he is willing to pay for. That won’t stop him either way and we are all on his journey whether we believe or not – and that’s the horror of it.

In the end – is there life after death?

Celebrating the 35th Anniversary is STEEL MAGNOLIAS

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD and Digital from director Herbert Ross and Sony Pictures Home Entertainments celebrating the 35th Anniversary of release is the beloved story of women who are STEEL MAGNOLIAS.

In the quaint southern town of Chinquapin Parish in Louisiana, a young Annelle Dupuy (Daryl Hannah) is looking to restart her life in the new town with a job at an at-home beauty salon owned by Truvy Jones (Dolly Parton). Cross town, M’Lynn Eatenton (Sally Fields) is attempting to get her home together for a reception after the wedding of her daughter Shelby (Julia Roberts).

Causing problems is her husband Drum (Tom Skerritt) who thinks shooting birds is a good thing prior to the wedding. To get away, M’Lynn and Shelby head off to Truvy’s to get their hair done where they see the very intense Louisa Boudreaux (Shirley MacLaine). Amused by her is Clairee Belcher (Olympia Dukakis) who likes to poke her friend. While getting her hair done, Shelby, who suffers from diabetes, has an attack that brings the salon to a standstill.

At the wedding, Shelby marries Jackson Latcherie (Dylan McDermott) and Annelle meets bartender Sammy DeSoto (Kevin J. O’Connor). Months go by and Shelby visits home for the Christmas gathering and announces she is expecting. M’Lynn is horrified knowing that her health is at risk.

The girls come together to help their friend and support everything that they are going through. M’Lynn, Truvy, Clairee, Annelle, and Louisa know there is nothing that they can not handle together. Life with their men, love of their friends and family and knowing that there isn’t anything they can’t do with words of love, support and laughter.

Fields as M’Lynn seems to be the calmest character in the film but with the most intensity in her life. She goes with the southern flow and tries to see the good in all things but sometimes, there are moments where it all catches up. I love Fields in this role and when the story calls for it, she is free to let loose with emotion and sane insanity.

Parton as Truvy is straight forward and doesn’t take a lot of guff from anyone. This character loves good gossip, a salon full of women and is there when she is truly needed. Taking Annelle under her wing, it can be testing at times but no friendship is too small for Truvy. Hannah as Annelle comes in shy, gets a bit crazy, goes Sunday southern but one of the girls when it counts.

MacLaine as Louisa is the typical a tad grumpy southern woman who just doesn’t have room in her life for nonsense. I always saw this character as not exactly wrong in her thinking and totally misunderstood outside her friendship group, okay, I just adore this character. Dukakis as Clairee is the town grande dame who knows everyone, everything and treats it all as her own little playground in a way. She is just cheeky when she needs and strong when her friends need her to be, just an absolutely delightful character and the friendship with Louisa is perfection.

Skeritt as Drum cracks me up totally and loves his family, Sheppard as Drum is laid back and doesn’t like to rock the boat but clearly loves his wife, McDermott as Jackson is just trying to live the life he always has but now with a wife and a bit of legal status, and O’Connor hasn’t yet learned the phrase “happy wife happy life” but tries.

Other cast include Bill McCutcheon as Owen Jenkins, Ann Wedgeworth as Fern Thornton, BiBi Besch as Belle Marmillion, Janine Turner as Nancy Beth, James Wlcek as Marshall Marmillion, Ronald Young as Drew, Tom Hodges as Louie, Norman Fletcher as Latcherie Sr., Jonathan Ward as Jonathan, Knowl Johnson as Tommy and Sam Shepard as Spud Jones.

Bonus Materials include 4K Ultra HD Disc, Newly remastered in 4K resolution from the original camera negative, with Dolby Vision, and All-new Dolby Atmos audio + 5.1 + 2-channel surround. The Special Features are NEW: Steel Magnolias 1990 TV Pilot, Director’s Commentary, In Full Bloom: Remembering Steel Magnolias, 10 Deleted Scenes and Theatrical Trailer.

STEEL MAGNOLIAS is a film of love, family, friendships, loyalty and loss from start to finish. It is full of laughter, common southern sense with a heaping spoonful of no-nonsense. The cast brings Louisiana into the homes of everyone who has never experienced their world. Spending years in Alabama, I laughed through the film absolutely because none of it was a stretch. My parents actually lived next door to a real-life Truvy with her own salon in what was once a garage!

There isn’t anything in the film, actually, that doesn’t take me back to that small town living, small town friendships and every-body-knows-every-body’s-business feel. It is just a total delight from start to finished as the cast brings it home with just as much ease as the story begins.

Curl up on the sofa with your favorite people, make sure there is Kleenex available and a cup of sweet tea and revisit or see this film for the first time. I can guarantee that STEEL MAGNOLIAS will be one you watch again and again.

In the end – the funny of the south that will bring you to tears!

Sony Brings the Stunning Columbia Classics Vol. 4

Jeri Jacquin

On 4K Ultra HD is the stunning COLUMBIA CLASSICS COLLECTION Vol. 4 to include such iconic films as

HIS GIRL FRIDAY, GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER, KRAMER VS. KRAMER, STARMAN, SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE and PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE.

Director Howard Hawk brings a 1940 comedy to theatres with HIS GIRL FRIDAY. Cary Grant plays Walter Burns, the editor for The Morning Post, discovers that his ex-wife Hildy Johnson, played by Rosalind Russell, is getting remarried. Hildy use to be Walter’s star journalist, seems ready to be a suburban housewife to new husband Bruce.

Walter has other plans as he tries to convince Hildy to do just one more story. A bookkeeper has been jailed and tried for the murder of a policeman and is to be executed. Hildy makes a side agreement with Walter but their past history makes working together full of ups and downs. But when the bookkeeper escapes, Hildy kicks her journalistic instincts into high gear and when chaos ensues, the two former spouses realize that nothing ever changes!

Grant and Russell together are a marvel in this film and director Hawk knew exactly how to bring the best out of both of them. The story is full of twists and turn but along with that is the camp that Walter and Hildy bring to it all. There is a reason that this will forever be a classic and the kudos go to Grant, Russell and Hawk for every bit of it.

The film also stars Ralph Bellamy, Gene Lockhart, Porter Hall, Ernest Truex, Cliff Edwards, Clarence Kolb, Pat West, and John Qualen as Earl Williams.

This disc includes 4K Ultra HD Feature Presentation in 4K Resolution with Dolby Vision Restored from the Original Camera Negative, Feature Presented in High Definition Sourced from the 4K Master, Audio Commentary Featuring Film Critic and Author Todd McCarthy, Screwball Style: The Iconic Costumes of Robert Kalloch Featurette, Breaking the Speed Barrier: The Dialogue of HIS GIRL FRIDAY Featurette, Lighting Up with Hildy Johnson Featurette, Ben Hecht Featurette and On Assignment: HIS GIRL FRIDAY Featurette.

GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER lands in 1967 as director Stanley Kramer takes on the issue of family and belief systems engrained into them. Joanna Drayton, played by Katharine Houghton, is a young woman with a strong mind of her own which she gets from her mother Christina, played by the stunning Katharine Hepburn. Just as stubborn is her father Matt, portrayed by the equally stunning Spencer Tracy who seems set in his ways.

Joanna brings a special guest home to meet her parents and when she announces their intentions, the Drayton’s are shaken. Arriving with her is Dr. John Prentice, played by the incomparable Sidney Poitier and now it is time for the family to face their beliefs. These two people are in love and while Christina understands, Matt does not and so begin the back and forth of how to come to terms with what is said and what is done.

This is Hepburn (who won the Academy Award for her performance) and Tracy’s ninth time on film together and it would be their last as well as Tracy was ill at the time. What this film did and has done is bring all the questions of love, family and race straight to the forefront and has made it an instant iconic classic. I can watch this movie again and again because not only is it beautifully done, but these four actors put everything out in the open and their portrayal is legendary.

Other cast include Cecil Kellaway, Beah Richards, Roy E. Gleen Sr., and Isabel Sanford as housekeeper Matilda Binx.

The disc includes 4K Ultra HD Feature Presented in 4K Resolution with Dolby Vision Restored from the Original Camera Negative, Audio Commentary Featuring Eddy Friedfeld, Lee Pfeiffer and Paul Scrabo, Theatrical Teaser, Introductions: Karen Kramer, Steven Spielberg, Tom Brokaw and Quincy Jones, A Love Story for Today Featurette, A Special Kind of Love Featurette, Stanley Kramer: A Man’s Search for Truth Featurette, Stanley Kramer Accepts the Irving Thalberg Award, 2007 Producers Guild Stanley Kramer Award Presented to An Inconvenient Truth, and Photo Gallery.

In 1979, director Robert Benton brought the story by Avery Corman to the screen with KRAMER VS. KRAMER. Dustin Hoffman plays Ted Kramer, a man who works tirelessly as an advertising exec living in New York. Wife Joanna, played by Meryl Streep, turns his life around in a single moment when he comes home to her announcement that she’s leaving. Not only is she walking out the door, but leaving behind their very young son Billy, portrayed by Justin Henry.

Ted immediately goes into a mode thinking he knows exactly how to handle the situation, until he realizes he has no clue about what has been going on in his own home or raising a young son. Neighbor Margaret, superbly played by Jane Alexander, tries to not only clue Ted in on why Joanna left but then sees that they can be friends and help when she can.

Over a year later, after father and son finally have their life in a rhythm, Joanna returns and wants Billy back. Ted is hardly in the mood to give in to her demands and takes her to court. Once in front of a judge, Ted and Joanna go back and forth as to who is better for Billy as accusations fly. Somewhere in it all, it is Billy who will suffer the most.

Hoffman and Streep are not only superb in their roles but the issue of parents and children in a divorce are placed front and center. It is totally a heart-breaking story of a man who saw his career more important than his family and a woman who lost herself in the life of a wife and mother. In the middle is Billy, a young boy caught in the crossfire of the two adults who should be there for him.

Director Benton keeps the scenes tight without the superfluous noise from the outside world but instead let us get deep into the story. This is another film I can watch again and again because of its simplicity yet in-your-face courtroom scenes as they are relatable to so many. Winning 5 Academy Awards tells you that KRAMER VS. KRAMER falls sweetly into the icon category.

Other cast include Petra King, Melissa Morell, Howard Duff, George Coe, Howland Chamberlain, and JoBeth Williams as Phyllis Bernard.

The disc includes 4K Ultra HD Feature Presentation Restored from the Original Camera Negative, Audio Commentary with Film Professor Jennine Lanouette, Five Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scenes, Robert Benton on Directing, Justin Henry on Acting, Mothers and Daughters, Points of Pride, Theatrical Trailer, and Finding the Truth – The Making of Kramer vs. Kramer.

The world is about to be introduced to the 1979 alien film STARMAN starring Jeff Bridges, Karen Allen and directed by John Carpenter. When an alien discovers a message on a disk sent with Voyager 2, the invitation is about to be accepted. Jenny Hayden is dealing with the death of husband Scott and is alone in her home not realizing that a very intense journey is about to happen. As the alien crash lands and finds Jenny’s home, he uses a piece of hair from Scott to bring himself into a human form, Jenny is shocked and scared.

But Starman wants only one thing, to go to the crater in Winslow, Arizona so that he can go home. Jenny agrees believing she doesn’t have any choice and as they start their road trip, they learn about one another. Jenny teaches about life on Earth and the Starman shows her that humanity isn’t just for humans.

Following them is scientist Mark Shermin, played by Charles Martin Smith, who doesn’t want to hurt the Starman, but instead just talk with him. But once the military is involved, there is only one thing left to do – run!

STARMAN is an epic film about love, loss, adventure, understanding, learning, the list is endless. Bridges and Allen create such chemistry in these roles that it is hard to take your eyes off the screen. Their differences aren’t so different and Smith’s character is just so endearing that the film flows beautifully. Carpenter takes a story and gives it such life and richness proving he can scare us one minute and root for the alien the next. That is a gift and he shares it exceedingly well.

Other cast include George Fox, Robert Phalen, John David, Ted White and Lu Leonard as Roadhouse Waitress.

The disc includes 4K Ultra HD Feature Presentation Restored from the Original Camera Negative, Audio Commentary with Director John Carpenter and Actor Jeff Bridges, Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scenes, Behind-The-Scenes Time Lapses, They Came from Hollywood: Revisiting STARMAN Featurette, Make-Of Featurette, Music Video, Still Gallery and Theatrical Trailer.

Also included as a Bonus is STARMAN – The Complete 1986-1987 22-Episode Follow-Up Series, and Based on the Feature Film – Exclusively Presented in High Definition.

Nora Ephron makes her way into the collection as director in one of the most beloved stories as Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan show us how to be SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE. Hanks is Sam, a widow who moves from Chicago to Seattle with son Jonah, played by Ross Malinger. On Christmas Eve Jonah decides he wants to help his dad deal with the grief. Listeners from all over are hearing what Sam has to say, including Annie Reed. Ryan is Annie, a writer for the Baltimore Sun and is engaged to Bill Pullman’s character Walter.

Annie hears Jonah and Sam and is drawn to what has been said. Boss Becky, played by Rosie O’Donnell, begins to encourage Annie to write Sam. Well, it is Jonah who replies and a meet is set up for the Empire State Building on Valentines Day, reminiscent of the 1957 film AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER.

Jonah decides that if dad isn’t going to meet up with Annie, then he is just going to have to make it happen for himself. Sam realizes that his son has gone to New York City on his own and takes off after him. What happens next is the stuff that romance is made of!

Hanks and Ryan made the 90’s with their films because of the fantastic chemistry these two actors had with one another. In this film it is endearing, cute, sweet, charming and full of love which should give anyone diabetes but it doesn’t. Instead, we follow along on this journey and it is absolutely everything. Director Ephron gives us one of the best and most iconic rom-com’s (well that and YOU’VE GOT MAIL in 1998) of all time.

Other cast include Gaby Hoffman, Victor Garber, Barbara Garrick, Caroline Aaron, Carey Lowell, David Hyde Pierce, Dana Ivey, Rita Wilson and Rob Reiner as Jay Mathews.

The disc includes 4K Ultra HD Feature Presented and Restored from the Original Camera Negative, 30th Anniversary Critic Commentary with Karen Han and David Sims, A Conversation on SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE with Gary Foster and Meg Ryan, Audio Commentary Featuring Nora and Delia Ephron, Four Deleted Scenes, Love in the Movies Featurette, “When I Fall in Love” Music Video and Theatrical Trailer.

Finally, in 2002, writer and director Paul Thomas Anderson bring together Adam Sandler as Barry Egan and Emily Watson as Lena Leonard to tell the story of PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE. Barry is single and works in his company selling novelty goods. Dealing with seven sisters, he has serious anxiety from what they put him through. Seeing an accident, he meets Lena who happens to work with one of his sisters.

At his sister’s birthday party, all hades breaks loose and Barry wants a therapist. Instead, he settles for a little phone time but the therapist would have been cheaper. When Lena goes to Hawaii on a business trip, Barry arrives to her surprise. After spending time together and returning home, Lena is in a car accident and now Barry is set in motion for chaos and only Lena can turn it all around.

Sandler and Watson play their roles together in such a way that it is crazy but, in a way, they seem perfect together. Sandler’s performance with the social anxiety and range makes for strange situations that either cause jaw drops or laughing hysterically. That’s the way a good love story should make us feel – a little crazy. It is also dark but some of us find humor in that dark space. PUNCH-DRUNK love actually won for Best Director at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival.

Other cast include Mary Lynn Rajskub, Luis Guzman, Robert Smigel and Philip Seymour Hoffman as Dean Trumbell.

The disc includes 4K Ultra HD Feature Presented and Approved by Director Paul Thomas Anderson, Two Deleted Scenes, Mattress Man Commercial, Blossoms and Blood, Twelve Scopitones, Jon Brion Featurette, Recording Sessions and Theatrical Trailer.

Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection Volume 4 is a breathtaking group of films that are iconic and even beloved. To make it even more enticing, is the way these films are packaged. Encased in a colorfully designed box are the six films with three on each side that have unique cover. In the middle is a truly beautiful hard bound book Columbia Classics: Love at The Cinema.

The book contains The Romantic Professionalism of HIS GIRL FRIDAY by Julie Kirgo, Provocation, Not Prescription: The Role of Art in Effecting Social Change by Sarita Cannon, Kramer Vs. Kramer: Whose Side Are You On? by Esther Zuckerman, The Hopeful Humanity of John Carpenter’s STARMAN by Mike Ryan, SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE’s Affair to Remember by Katey Rich, and Stronger Than Anything You Can Imagine by Mark Kermode. The eighty-page book speaks on the history & Impact of Films.

Celebrating 100 Years of Columbia Pictures, this collection is a must have for film lovers for the generations!

Meet LISA FRANKENSTEIN

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray and digital from director Zelda Williams and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is the introduction of LISA FRANKENSTEIN.

It is 1989 and Lisa Swallow (Kathryn Newton) is dealing with the axe murdering of her mother, dealing with dad Dale (Joe Chrest) and the new wife Janet (Carla Guigino) along with step-sister Taffy (Lisa Soberano). That’s kind of a lot, so Lisa spends her time in the Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery which is annoying to the family.

After a weird night out with Taffy, bumping into her crush Michael (Henry Eikenberry) and a near assault by fellow teen Doug (Bryce Romero), leads Lisa back to the cemetery. Sitting at the grave of someone who died in 1837, a bolt of lightening strikes and The Creature (Cole Sprouse) comes to life. He is a love-struck young man who died from a lightening strike as well! Following Lisa home, Lisa realizes who he is and she wants to help the newly risen zombie.

When Dad and Janet come home to a dirt and debris mess from The Creature, Lisa tells them a story to cover up the truth. Janet is up in arms and hurls accusations at Lisa which is going to cause step-mommy dearest problems. Lisa and The Creature begin to put him back together in the oddest ways with a bond forming between the two. It is a body building bond that can possibly last into the great beyond!

Newton as Lisa is a young woman who doesn’t quite fit in with the other kids. Once she realizes that lightening brings good things, it is time for her to find happiness in the oddest way. Newton is subtly funny and it still made me laugh a lot. Sprouse as The Creature gets the best job of groaning, walking like a zombie and body part hunting. His physical and facial performance is everything and it had me laughing knowing exactly what The Creature was trying “to say”. Sprouse knew the assignment and turned it in on time.

Guigino as Janet has serious control issues and a bit of OCD where her perfect house is concerned. She also has a hair up about Lisa and makes sure to be insulting with a smile on her face. Guigino proving she can be a good gal and a bad gal all in the same role. Chrest as Dale just goes along to get along with wife Janet.

Soberano as Taffy is the ‘good’ daughter who is funny, charming and well-liked by the family. She is the only one that seems to treat Lisa with any care, even if it is a little over the top. Eikenberry as Michael is good-looking school boy who uses his charm to but in the wrong way to get the wrong results.

Bonus Features on Bluray and DVD include Deleted Scenes: Get Me Out of Hell!, Knock Knock, Music Lovers, Incredible Friend, Breaking News, and Gag Reel. Also, Resurrecting the 1980’s - Set in 1989, LISA FRANKENSTEIN is a loving tribute to the wacky, tacky, yet totally awesome 80s. Every department of production embraced the stylized world Diablo Cody created in her script and brought their A-game to making this colorful world a reality.

An Electric Connection – While it's no easy feat to turn a 19th century dead guy into the perfect boyfriend, this piece explores Lisa and her charming Creature and what makes their relationship work. Kathryn Newton, Cole Sprouse, and filmmakers explore how Lisa and Creature really need each other to truly thrive, why Creature is the “perfect man,” and Lisa’s choice at the end of the film.

And, A Dark Comedy Duo - Well-known for her ability to subvert genres, Diablo Cody delves into the inspiration behind LISA FRANKENSTEIN, what made her want to give the Frankenstein story a youthful, modern twist full of both horror and hilarity, and why Zelda Williams was the perfect choice to bring her story to life and Feature Commentary with Director Zelda Williams.

LISA FRANKENSTEIN is not only a fun comedy-horror film but surrounds itself in a bit of nostalgia in a time when the world wasn’t wrapped in technology. There are moments of laughter followed by jaw dropping fright without actually grossing me out. When the time comes for The Creature to do what he needs to, it is all in our heads, where it should be.

It is just all out fun actually and it is a film I have added to my Halloween binge watching collection. All good zombie/Frankenstein movies belong on that shelf because comedy and horror are absolutely fantastic separate and even more so together. So, prepare yourself for a new love story that will have you in stiches!

In the end – if you can’t meet your perfect boyfriend then make him!

He is OPPENHEIMER

Jeri Jacquin

On Bluray, DVD and Digital from writer/director Christopher Nolan and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is the intense story of our time about a man named OPPENHEIMER.

J. Robert Oppenheimer is a young man in 1926 studying theoretical physics in Germany after transferring from Cambridge. Earning a PhD. he continues to study in Switzerland and takes to quantum physics back in the United States. Marrying biologist Kitty (Emily Blunt) and starting a family, he begins teaching at the University of California at Berkeley.

Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) learns in 1928 that nuclear fission has been discovered and he knows that it can be used as a weapon. A few years later he is approached by Army General Leslie Groves (Matt Damon) and asked to lead the creation of the atomic bomb also called the Manhattan Project. The war with Germany is making the project a priority and Oppenheimer is dealing with an affair with Jean Tatlock (Florence Pugh).

Groves says he knows of Oppenheimer’s past but it doesn’t negate the need for the project. So, the team comes together with Isidor Isaac Rabi (David Krumholtz), Edward Teller (Benny Safdie), Enrico Fermi (Danny Deferrari), Leo Szilard (Mate Haumann) and David Hill (Rami Malek) moving them all to Los Alamos, New Mexico. Oppenheimer even consults with Albert Einstein (Tom Conti) but when Hitler’s reign is destroyed, the question of needing the bomb becomes paramount.

President Truman learns that the Trinity test worked and now his eyes are on Japan. What happens after is the U.S. government comes for Oppenheimer starts with AEC Chairman Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey, Jr.) opening up his life book but has personal goals as well. There are hearings and truths that come out and all in an attempt to use Oppenheimer as a scapegoat.

Murphy as Oppenheimer is stunning in this role. From the moment he is on the screen, his character is surrounded by louder voices yet my eyes are focused on Murphy. This is a look at a man who is made to look like a villain and a mad scientist who had no thought about what his creation could do. Instead, Nolan gives us a look at everything and everyone surrounding his life only to discover that the path is not as diabolical as history tried to portray. Murphy is flat out brilliant and that doesn’t seem enough praise for this work.

Blunt as Kitty is woman/wife/mother who had struggles of her own. Seeing her life with Oppenheimer going in one direction, she learns that it had the potential to take away who she was. Knowing her husbands work is important, Blunt’s portrayal of Kitty is of a woman who turned a blind eye to just about everything around her.

Downey, Jr. as Strauss is a man on a mission and it has nothing to do with the United States, it is his own selfish and personal goals. He spends his time trying to convince everyone around him of what is good and evil and when it boils down to it, evil lives close to home. To be clear, I love almost everything Downey, Jr. has ever done on screen and as his career has grown (and past Iron Man – don’t get me started on that or I’ll cry), the role of Strauss was brilliantly cast and Downey, Jr. makes it his very own.

Pugh at Tatlock is a woman who has her own issues and can not seem to let go of Oppenheimer. Pugh gives her character a combination of allure, insecurity and intelligence with more questions about her life than the movie has time to answer.

Other cast include Ronald Auguste as J. Ernest Wilkins Jr., Christopher Denham as Klaus Fuchs, Devon Bostick as Seth Neddermeyer, Trond Fausa as George Kistiakowsky, James Urbaniak as Kurt Godel, Gustaf Skarsgard as Hans Bethe, Josh Peck as Kenneth Bainbridge, Tom Jenkins as Richard C. Tolman, David Rysdahl as Donald Hornig, Jack Quaid as Richard Feynman, Olli Haaskivi as Edward Condon, Louise Lombard as Ruth Tolman, Emma Dumont as Jackie Oppenheimer, Guy Burnet as George Eltenton, Michael Angarano as Robert Seber, Rory Keane as Hartland Snyder, and Alex Wolff as Luis Alvarez.

Also, Josh Zuckerman as Giovanni Lomanitz, Gregory Jbara as Sen. Magnuson, Tim DeKay as Sen. Pastore, Harry Groener as Sen. McGee, John Gowans as Ward Evans, Macon Blair as Lloyd Garrison, Scott Grimes as Counsel Strauss, Jefferson Hall as Haakon Chevalier, Tony Goldwyn as Gordon Gray, Dane DeHaan as Kenneth Nichols, James D’Arcy as Patrick Blackett, Dylan Arnold as Frank Oppenheimer, Casey Affleck as Boris Pash, Josh Hartnett as Ernest Lawrence, Jason Clarke as Roger Robb, Casey Affleck as Boris Pash, Matthew Modine as Vannevar Bush and Kenneth Branagh as Niels Bohr.

Special Features include The Story of Our Time: The Making of OPPENHEIMER, Meet the Press Q&A Panel: OPPENHEIMER, To End All War: Oppenheimer & the Atomic Bomb and more!

The cast is so large that it would be impossible to speak on all the performances but know that they are absolutely stellar. I do want to shout out to Conti as Einstein and although he isn’t on the screen much, the moments are important. Also, Branagh as Bohr and again, it is not a huge role but he puts his stamp on the beginning and the end.

Although most viewers may not grasp quantum physics or hydrogen bomb theory etc. (honestly, I can barely do algebra), it is fascinating to see it come to life. It is an actual character to be watched in the film, it is a character that takes up the screen both verbally and physically with only one purpose – to scare the living daylights out of us all.

OPPENHEIMER is one of the best movies of the year and it is intense, jaw dropping, thought-provoking and worthy of conversations. The cinematography is equally all of those things but I would expect nothing less from Nolan. Writing and directing this film means he was totally invested in the outcome and that, my friends, is unique and filled with originality. I can say it’s going to be difficult for Nolan to beat this, but I have a feeling he will.

In the end – the world forever changes!

The Return of the Iconic THE LABYRINTH and THE DARK CRYSTAL

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to digital from Shout! Studios is the return of director Jim Henson’s THE LABYRINTH and directors Jim Henson and Frank Oz with THE DARK CRYSTAL.

In THE LABYRINTH, Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) is a 16-year-old who is frustrated with her family. Late coming home from a trip to the park reading her book The Labyrinth, she has to babysit her constantly crying infant brother Toby (Toby Froud). Making matters worse is discovering that Toby has taken her beloved bear Lancelot! At her wits end, she calls out to the goblins from the book to take Toby away.

When the house goes silent, Sarah realizes something is wrong. Going to Toby’s room she discovers him missing and standing before her is the Goblin King Jareth (David Bowie) offering her a deal. When she doesn’t take it, he gives Sarah thirteen hours to solve the labyrinth or Toby will be gone forever.

In the King’s world, Sarah meets Hoggle (Brian Henson/Shari Weiser) and once escaping a trap, Hoggle runs into Jareth who uses him to get at the girl. Sarah meets Ludo (Ron Mueck/Rob Mills) by helping him get free but loses him quickly. When they meet up again, a trapdoor takes them to the Bog of Eternal Stench. Guarding the smell is Sir Didymus (Dave Goelz/David Shaughnessy) and his steed Ambrosius (Steve Whitmire/Kevin Clash/Percy Edwards). But a peach changes everything as once again Sarah is rescued by her friends.

Jareth learns that the group is close and sends in his army of goblins and as much as Ludo wants to help Sarah, she realizes that she must take on the Goblin King alone.

Connelly as Sarah portrays how most teens feel about babysitting any sibling let alone one that seems to spend his babyhood wrapped in a veil of tears. Once the chase is on to recover him, she begins to soften her feelings knowing that the only thing she wants from the whole experience is to have her little brother back. Connelly is so young, charming and endearing in this role and I hope she knows how many of us not only love this film but love her in it.

Bowie as Goblin King Jareth is absolutely wonderful. They found the right person to wear the costume and give us all in 1982 a reason to embrace this bad-guy character. Bowie lulls us with his unique and mystical voice all the while trying to find a way to trick a rather smart young lady. It truly is a thrill to see him in this film again and again.

Other cast/puppets include Karen Prell/Timothy Bateson as The Worm, Frank Oz/Michael Hordern as The Wiseman, Dave Goelz/David Shaughnessy as The Hat, and Karen Prell/Denise Bryer as The Junk Lady.

In THE DARK CRYSTAL directed by Jim Henson, is a darker story yet iconic and embraced by those who love the puppetry he uses in this tale.

On Thra, there was once a Crystal of Truth and when it was shattered, two new races came into being. The Skeksis who found ways to extend their life and the urRu/Mystics who live in the Valley of Stones. They are a gentler race and their leader is UrSu the Master. UrSu is raising a Gelfling who lost his family to the Skeksis and his name is Jen (Stephen Garlick).

Now, the Great Conjunction is happening and UrSu tells Jen he must find a way to heal the Crystal and to get the Shard from Aughra (Billie Whitelaw). If he doesn’t before the three suns meet, then the Skeksis will take over. In the meantime, SkekUng (Michael Kilgarriff) is the new emperor and wants to capture Jen.

Jen meets Aughra and he finally gets a lesson about the Conjunction as he chooses the correct Shard. Before they can talk any further, Garthim and the army arrive to take Aughra as Jen manages to escape. In the swamp, Jen sees another Gelfling in Kira (Lisa Maxwell) and discover they share memories.

Jen and Kira find a deserted Gelfling city and the prophecy that can help them. SkekSil (Barry Dennen) tells them about what happened to the Gelflings. Getting away once again, Kira, Jen and Fizzgig (Percy Edwards) are now in the catacombs trying to get inside the castle. SkekSil finds them and chaos breaks out.

Will Jen and Kira make it in time before the three suns Align to bring the Crystal of Truth together once again?

Other cast include Jerry Nelson as SkekZok, Steve Whitmire as SkekTek, Hugh Spight as Swee Lim, Toby Philpott as UrTih the Alchemist, Hus Levant as UrAc the Scribe, Simon Williamson as UrSol/ the Chanter, Jean Pierre Amiel as UrUtt the Weaver, Hugh Spight as UrAmaj the Cook,and Joseph O’Conor as UrSkeks and Narrator.

Launched in 2003, Shout! Studios is a multiplatform media company specializing in film and TV distribution, development, and production. Shout! Studios owns and manages a large portfolio of contemporary and classic feature films, series, animation, and documentaries. The company’s creative acquisition includes Aardman Animations, ALF, The Carol Burnett Show, Stephen J. Cannell Productions, the Roger Corman New Horizons Pictures Library, GKIDS, Studio Ghibli, ITV Studios, The Johnny Carson Show, LAIKA Studios, Mystery Science Theater 3000 (in partnership with creator Joel Hodgson), and Sesame Street, alongside many others. For more please visit www.shoutfactory.com.

The Jim Henson Company has remained a leader in family entertainment for over 65 years and is recognized as an innovator in puppetry, animatronics, and digital animation. Henson’s most recent credits include the Oscar®-winning Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio for Netflix, the Emmy®-winning Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock for Apple TV+, and the feature film The Portable Door for MGM+.

The bonus offerings for APPLE iTunes Extras include:

THE LABYRINTH - Commentary with Brian Froud, Reordering Time: Looking Back on Labyrinth, The Henson Legacy, Remembering The Goblin King, Anniversary Q&A, Inside The Labyrinth, Original Theatrical Trailer, Original Teaser Trailer and Original TV Spot.

THE DARK CRYSTAL - Commentary with Brian Froud, The World of “The Dark Crystal”, Storyboard Track, The Myth, Magic and the Henson Legacy, Light on the Path of Creation, Shard of Illusion, Deleted Funeral Scene, Original Skeksis Language and Photo Galleries.

These two films are the amazing creation of Jim Henson (along with Frank Oz) and they have become too iconic to the generations. I saw these films first, then my kids and now my grandchildren are seeing the wonders that were created and hold as timeless. The imagination and creativity it took to bring both of these films to the big screen is nothing short of genius.

Now, they are back to entertain families once again with their beauty because, and it must be said, that the craftsmanship of the characters and the puppets is breathtaking at the very least. The scenery that becomes another character in the story telling is a story in itself. That being said, it is time to cuddle up the family, bowls of popcorn to go around and watch LABYRINTH and THE DARK CRYSTAL back-to-back. It is generational must see!

In the end – return to the mystic and the magic!

Welcome Back to WILLY’S WONDERLAND

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD and Bluray from director Kevin Lewis and Scream Factory comes camp and horror at WILLY’S WONDERLAND.

Driving down the road in Hayesville Nevada, a quiet man’s (Nicholas Cage) car hits a spike strip that causes him to have to call for a tow truck. Being told by Jed (Chris Warner) what the cost to replace his tires and having no funds, he is offered a one-night position that would take care of the bill. All he has to do is be the janitor at Willy’s Wonderland for owner Tex Macadoo (Ric Reitz) and clean up the place.

Liv Hawthorne (Emily Toasta) bucks against her Sheriff Lund (Beth Grant), she plans to take her friends to Willy’s Wonderland to burn it to the ground. Inside, the new Janitor takes his word seriously yet feels like something is odd about the animatronics in the place. There is Willy Weasel, Arty Alligator, Cammy Chameleon, Ozzie Ostrich, Tito Turtle, Knighty Knight, Gus Gorilla and Siren Sara and he is keeping an eye on them all.

Kicking up the music, drinking energy drinks and finding a pin ball machine, the Janitor passes the time by himself. That is until Ozzie Ostrich decides to be the very first of the animatronics to attack him. While this is happening, Sherriff Lund is telling Deputy Olson (David Sheftell) the story about the town and Willy’s Wonderland which includes who the animatronics really are.

That is when Liv arrives with her friends with the intention of burning the place but first, they want to rescue the Janitor who is still inside. None of her friends believes that the animatronics are moving until they are forced to believe, and the Janitor must repeatedly step in.

They must somehow make it till morning!

Cage as the unsuspecting Janitor is cool from beginning to end without ever giving anything away. Loaded up on energy drinks, music and pinball, the animatronics do not stand a chance. He is calm, cool, collected and ready to kick some metal and plastic ass. I actually love Cage in this role because he is the only one in the film that is not losing his focus both in cleaning Willy’s Wonderland and dealing with taking out the trash. Fantastic!

Toasta as Liv is a young girl with a story of her own that is linked to Willy’s Wonderland and she has one goal – to see it turned into ashes. What she does not expect is a night filled with terror running from something that does not make any sense. Toasta is just as wild as the Janitor so they make an excellent pairing to survive.

Grant as the Sherriff tells the story of Willy’s Wonderland and it makes one’s jaw drop to think that knowing what she does, that going along to get along is okay. Let me tell you, if animatronics were freaking out my community, trust when I say it would be all hands-on deck for a fight like no other.

Warner and Reitz are in it together from start to finish playing off one another in a bid to keep Willy’s Wonderland, well, operational. Sheftell as Deputy Olson does not have a clue about the town he is living in and even after he is told there does not seem to be much of a chance that he will help the overnight janitor.

Other cast include Kai Kadlec as Chris Muley, Caylee Cowan as Kathy Barnes, Terayle Hill as Bob McDaniel, Christian Del Grosso as Aaron Powers, Jonathan Mercedes as Dan Lorraine, and Grant Cramer as Jerry Willis.

Scream Factory releases genre and horror films and television shows under Shout! Studios. They have grown into a tremendous multi-platform media company. Releasing new animated features such as the exquisite Long Way North, and the epic fantasy Beauty and The Beast. Also, their own original horror film, Fender Bender gives fans a good scare. For more of what SHOUT has to offer please visit www.shoutfactory.com.

The WILLY’S WONDERLAND Collector’s Edition Special Features include “Inside Fun” Featurette, Set Tour with Actor Christian Del Grosso, “Fresh Meat” Featurette, “Colorful Darkness and the Demon-Atrons” Featurette, Trailer and Image Galleries.

Cage absolutely makes the film with his portrayal of the leather jacket turned Willy’s Wonderland t-shirt wearing one night janitor. Just everything he does has a purpose, and every situation gets the same ‘oh this?’ attitude. There is nothing that seems to surprise him which is pretty cool since everyone else around him keeps losing their minds.

I had such a fantastic time watching this film. It has a gitchiness to it as well as the feel of films from the 70’s. The story is campy, but the action is non-stop and spine tingling, literally. This is the new Friday night go to for fun times on the couch with popcorn and a group of like-minded twisted friends.

In the end – let playtime begin!

ALL OF US STRANGERS

Jeri Jacquin

Currently on Digital and coming to 4K Ultra HD from writer/director Andrew Haigh based on Taichi Yamada’s Strangers and Searchlight Pictures is ALL OF US STRANGERS.

Adam (Andrew Scott) is living a very secluded life in his high tower apartment in London. A screenwriter, he spends his time writing and being alone until one night he meets neighbor Harry (Paul Mescal). A bit drunk, Harry tries to entice Adam to spend the night. Trying to be polite, Adam makes it clear he isn’t interested. The next day, Adam is off to visit Mum (Claire Foy) and Dad (Jamie Bell) who are happy to see him.

Coming back home he sees Harry again but this time he invites him into the apartment. There begins their passionate relationship. They talk about their families as Harry tells Adam that there is a disconnect with his own parents. Spending a night out on the town, they drink and dance their troubles away. After a fitful night of dreams, Adam tells Harry about his own parents and wants them all to meet.

But reality slowly makes its way to Adam and he holds on to the things he loves.

Scott as Adam is stunning in the role of a writer who is dealing with so much emotion in his life. Relying on his parents for support, he is trying to come to terms with the events of his life. When a love enters into the picture, it is just another piece of his life that is blissful but filled with intensity. Scott moves in and out of the story like his feet are not touching the ground. He flows so smoothly and I am with him every frame through joy and heartbreak. This is a stunning performance by Scott.

Mescal as Harry is the larger-than-life person that seems to awaken something in Adam. He is light, funny, charming and has no judgements toward Adam. At first glance, his character gives off vibes that even had me backing away a bit and that says everything about what Mescal’s performance brings. This character draws you in slowly, is too charming to be ignored and it is all Mescal.

Foy as Mum is supporting of her son and shows him love and understanding. She listens to how Adam is feeling and is such a calming presence for him. That is what Foy brings to the story, with the grace she has come to be known for (watch THE CROWN for another stunning performance) and the eyes of an old soul. Bell as Dad has a history with Adam that is a bit strained as clearly there are things that need to be said between them. I enjoyed Bell’s performance as a man who has a difficult time sharing his feelings.

Bonus Features include Featurettes Roots of the Story – Uncover how the director blended his own personal story into the making of this moving film. Hear the cast and crew and learn how the filmmakers approached recreating the look and feel of the ‘80s, from the sets to the hair and clothing and Building Adam’s World – Discover how Adam’s isolated existence was shaped through constructed sets. Visit the locations of exterior shots and learn about the director’s choice to have Adam’s world feel real, and yet not quite real.

ALL OF US STRANGERS has won awards from the Valladolid International Film Festival, Montclair Film Festival, British Independent Film Awards, National Board of Review, Los Angeles Film critics Association Awards, Kansas City Film Critics Circle, and London Film Critics’ Circle.

This film is an emotional roller coaster from beginning to end with Adam at the helm. It is a story of loneliness, love, want of love and family. It is a powerful look at the complexity of life through the eyes of this haunted man. Director Haigh gives us nothing to hide behind when we feel as if there is an intrusion into Adam’s life. It is right before us and the emotion falls over us wave after wave.

Filmed beautifully with an amazing score, ALL OF US STRANGERS is insightful, complex, tender, and gauntlet of emotion. Might I suggest a box of tissue and someone to cuddle with as this moving piece of filmmaking doesn’t mind the teardrops nor our own family emotions mixing with Adams. In fact, I think it wants exactly that.

In the end – the paths to love are many!

Return to Australia with QUIGLEY DOWN UNDER

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD and Bluray from director Simon Wincer and Shout! Studios is the return of the tallest gunman Australia has ever experience with 1990 western QUIGLEY DOWN UNDER.

Matthew Quigley (Tom Selleck) is an American cowboy who can shoot at extraordinary ranges with his special rifle. When Australian Elliot Marston (Alan Rickman) places an advertisement in the paper looking for someone who is an excellent shot, Quigley answers the letter and is hired. When his ship arrives, he is met by Marston’s men and also in the wagon is a woman named Crazy Cora (Laura San Giacomo).

Arriving at Marston’s station, Quigley is tested and Marston who is pleased with his new employee. But the gunfighter learns quickly that what he is hired to do is kill the Aboriginals on the land and he refuses to do what he wants. That causes Marston to take action and after a beating he wakes up in the outback along with Cora. Knowing that being in the outback without water is a death sentence, the two must find a way to survive.

Cora tells Quigley her story of home and what brought her to Australia and it is a sad tale. She especially is horrified when she sees what Marston’s people are doing to the Aboriginals’ that have helped them along the way. That’s when Quigley makes it clear that what has been happening will no longer stand. That’s when the job takes a turn and the outback will know that one man stood against them all!

Selleck as Quigley is perfect in this role with the tall swagger and fitting right into western wear. His character is calm and doesn’t let much upset him, unless you are trying to hire him to kill innocent people. Then, there is a huge problem and Quigley is the only won strong enough to put a stop to it all. Selleck is charming and literally goes with the punches. Every time I have watched this film, it is because Selleck just does it all.

San Giacomo as Crazy Cora also fits into the role with ease. She is loud but certainly knows how to make crazy look good. Beginning with mistaking Quigley for someone else, it doesn’t seem to stop her from wanting to help her man. When she comes to terms with what is happening to the Aboriginal people, Cora knows that Quigley is going to make it right. San Giacomo is lovely, charming, and a great part of this cast.

Rickman as Marston just seemed to love this role so much because he gets to be a bit of a nut himself but with a gun. High on the outback horse, he is a ranch owner who thinks that hurting people is a sport and he enjoys it. Where he went wrong was attempting to hire a man with a conscience like Quigley. Rickman is just, as always, amazing as part of this cast. I have been a Rickman fan since I saw his 1982 television mini-series The Barchester Chronicles. I knew then that this was an actor to watch in everything he would do from them on – and I love being right.

Other cast include Chris Haywood as Major Pitt, Ron Haddrick as Grimmelman, Tony Bonner as Dobkin, Jerome Ehlers as Coogan, Conor McDermottroe as Hobb, Rober Wand as Brophy, Ben Mendelsohn as O’Flynn, Steve Dodd as Kunkurra, Karen Davitt as Slattern, William Zappa as Reilly and Ollie Hall as Carver.

Special Features include on Disc One of the 4K UHD New 4K Scan of the Original Camera Negative. On Disc Two Bluray is New 4K Scan of the Original Camera Negative, “Finding Crazy Cora” – Interview with Laura San Giacomo, “This One Shoots a Mite Further” – Closer Look at the Sharps Rifle with Master Armorer Mike Tristano, “The Rebirth of a Western” Featurette, Theatrical Trailer, TV Spots and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo.

QUIGLEY DOWN UNDER was a stunning, exciting, adventurous 1990’s film and I can honestly say they don’t make them like that anymore. I can’t even count how many times I’ve seen the film and can say that I will be watching it again and again in the future. It is a film that is fun and at the same time offers up the plight of Australia’s Aboriginal people who still have issues today.

If you are looking for a western with heart for the first time or just love Selleck, San Giancomo and Rickman together, then this film should be on the must-see list. This is definetly a large screen, sound system, tub of popcorn, comfy sofa type of adventure packed film that is worthy of inviting friends over for a movie night.

In the end – the west was never this far west!

It is His Story of Being DARKMAN

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD and Bluray in a Collector’s Edition from director Sam Raimi and Scream Factory is the story of the DARKMAN.

Dr. Peyton Westlake (Liam Neeson) is in the process of developing a synthetic skin but can’t get it to last more than 99 minutes. Keeping him in the lab, he wants to help burn victims with his discovery. Girlfriend Julie Hastings (Frances McDormand) is also hard at work when she discovers that developer Lous Strack Jr. (Colin Friels) has been dealing in bribery. Strack warns her that a memorandum that she found needs to be returned to crime boss Robert G. Durant (Larry Drake).

Back at the lab, Dr. Westlake are still working on the synthetic skin, they are close to fixing the problem making it work. They are interrupted when mobster Durant demands the memorandum that Westlake knows nothing about. Chaos erupts as Westlake is beaten, burned and the lab destroyed as Julie witnesses it all.

Blown into the river, Westlake is found and taken to the hospital as John Doe where he is given a treatment so that he no longer feels pain. Now he has unusual strength and after waking from a coma, escapes the hospital. Julie thinks Westlake is dead and goes on with her work while Westlake attempts to create a face for himself. His anger gives him motivation to go after Durant.

When Julie sees Westlake is alive, he keeps himself in the dark fearing she would reject him if she saw his face. While together at a carnival, his anger overwhelms him as anger takes ahold and his face begins to fall apart. Durant is still watching them both and now he has Julie kidnapped and they try to kill Westlake. Westlake realizes that he can not return to his old life and knows he must walk away from everything he knows.

Neeson as Westlake takes on his role and gives it the darkness it needs. His towering tallness is perfect for giving that ominous feel of a man who wants revenge while also wondering if a life with Julie is possible. I just love Neeson’s portrayal and with Raimi guiding him, it all works. McDormand as Julie is a strong female presence in the film with a toughness of her very own. That’s important as this story needs both of them and McDormand has no difficulty standing up for her own character.

Other cast include Nicholas Worth as Pauly Mazzuchelli, Ted Raimi as Rick Anderson, Nelson Mashita as Yakitito Yanagito, Julius Harris as the Gravedigger, Jessie Ferguson as Eddie Black, Rafael H. Robledo as Rudy Guzman, Dan Bell as Smiley Rogers, Arsenio Trinidad as Hung Fat and Bridget Hoffman as the Computer Voice.

Special Features include on Disc One are New 4K Restoration from the Original Negative in Dolby Vision Approved by Director Sam Raimi and Director of Photography Bill Pope, New Audio Commentary with Filmmaker and DARKMAN Superfan Josh Ruben, and Audio Commentary with Bill Pope.

On Disc Two include New 4k Transfer from the Original Negative Approved by Sam Raimi and Bill Pope, New Audio Commentary with Josh Ruben, Audio Commentary with Bill Pope, “Dissecting DARKMAN” – Interview with Actor Liam Neeson, Interview with Actor Frances McDormand, “The Name is Durant” – interview with Actor Larry Drake, “The Face of Revenge” – Interview with Makeup Designer Tony Gardner, “Henchman Tales” – Interviews with Actors Danny Hicks and Dan Bell, “Dark Design” – Interview with Production Designer Randy Set and Art Director Philip Dagort, Vintage “Making-Of” Featurette – Interviews with Sam Raimi, Liam Neeson, Frances McDormand and More, Vintage Interviews with Sam Raimi, Liam Neeson and Frances McDormand, Theatrical Trailer, TV Spots, Still Galleries – Posters & Production Stills, Behind the Scenes, and Make-Up Effects and Storyboards.

Director Raimi takes this story and mixes together action, horror, revenge, adventure and a bit of humor to bring a superhero movie to life. It is also a dark film take takes a comic book character and brings it from page to screen. As I am a fan of Neeson there isn’t anything I can say that would turn me away from seeing it again and again.

DARKMAN was ahead of its time with Raimi bringing this fourteen-million-dollar story to the big screen at a time when superheroes were looking for their spot is everything. Fire up that big screen television (the bigger the better) and crank up the soundbar because it’s time for his return!

In the end – he is everyone and no one!

THE HOLDOVERS

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray, DVD and Digital from director Alexander Payne and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is the togetherness of THE HOLDOVERS

It is 1970 and Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti) is considered a teacher at Barton Academy that no one wants to be around, students or staff. Known for his rules and strictness, it comes as no surprise when he is asked to stay behind at Barton Academy for the Christmas holidays and the ‘holdover’ students who have no place to go.

Agnus Tully (Dominic Sessa) is a forward student who doesn’t mind speaking his piece. Getting ready to go to Saint Kitts, he challenges Hunham’s decision about a test taking but karma has other plans. Tully’s mother burst the young man’s holiday bubble and now he is one of the holdovers. Also staying behind is Mary Lamb (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), the cafeteria administrator is grieving the loss of her son killed in Vietnam.

After a few days, some of the kids are taken off by one of the boys’ parents with the approval of staff. The only one left is Tully, now it is just a student, professor and cafeteria lady left behind. Hunham and Tully continually butt heads and argue with each other but something begins to happen between them as well.

Taking a trip to Boston, professor and student start talking, asking questions and realizing they have more in common than they could have ever imagined. Truths are told and pain is felt together when it becomes clear the reasons for Tully’s behavior and Hunham’s attitude about life in general.

They travel the road of redemption together.

Giamatti as Hunham is a man that is by the book and living with the ridicule of others. Being a professor, he is almost met with the distain of his students who do not see any reason to learn all that is learnable. When he tussles with student Agnus, there is verbal shots fired but when the smoke clears, there begins an understanding that is deep and palpable. This is a man who has been living a secluded life at the Barton Academy for reasons of his own and shut himself off from anyone that comes close to him. Giamatti always gives such a strong performance no matter what character he is playing but, in this film, Giamatti blossoms wonderfully.

Sessa as Tully is a young man who is trying to find his place in the world but in all the wrong ways. Constantly challenging Hunham at every turn, it becomes slowly clear what is driving his hostility and anger. Sessa gives his young character heart that is broken by the adults that are in his life that should be there for him instead of their own selfishness. When the layers begin to peel back, he sees that the man he has despised will be the adult who doesn’t let him down.

Randolph as Mary is a woman grieving for the loss of her son trying to find a way to move forward. She isn’t happy about the holdover situation but does her job and surprisingly gets to know Hunham through the quiet of the school and the chance to just talk. Trying to deal with her grief over the holidays becomes a challenge and Hunham is there for her. Randolph gives her character moments of weakness where the grief becomes too much but also finds those who will be there for her. Randolph gives a gentle and heartbreaking performance.

Other cast include Naheem Garcia as Danny, Carrie Preston as Lydia Crane, Tate Donovan as Stanley, Darby Lily as Elise, Andrew Garman as Dr. Hardy Woodrip, Brady Hepner as Teddy, Stephen Thorne as Thomas Tully, Gillian Vigman as Judy, Jan Dolley as Alex, Jim Kaplan as Ye-Joon, Michael Provost as Jason Smith,

Collector’s Edition Bonus Feature include Alternate Ending – “Mary Continues On”, Deleted Scenes, Introduction by Alexander Payne, New Room, Making a Scene, The Road Back to Barton, Ancient History, The Cast of THE HOLDOVERS – Sit down with the cast of THE HOLDOVERS, including Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and newcomer Dominic Sessa while they discuss getting into the minds of their characters, Meet the boys of Barton and learn more about director Alexander Payne’s casting process, and Working with Alexander – Hear the cast and crew about their on-set experience working with acclaimed director Alexander Payne.

THE HOLDOVERS is a film in the same vein as TO SIR WITH LOVE (1967), DEAD POETS SOCIETY (1989), STAND AND DELIVER (1988), LEAN ON ME (1989), GOOD WILL HUNTING (1997), and MONA LISA SMILE (2003) and what makes these so memorable is the story, character and emotion that is relatable.

Having the right person lead the ensemble, meaning the teacher, is so very important and Paul Giamatti is absolutely the right person. Keeping the ensemble to three people allows us to get to know these characters and become truly invested in their lives. We all have had the school experience, the disappointment in grown-ups and the life challenges as adults. THE HOLDOVERS lets us in and allows us to be angry, grieve and celebrate what it means to be a growing human being in every aspect. Well done!

In the end – it is the season of discomfort and joy!

Return of THE RAID REDEMPTION

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD and Steelbook from writer/director Gareth Evans and Sony Pictures Classics is THE RAID REDEMPTION.

Officer Rama (Iko Uwais) is part of the Mobil Brigade Corps that is led by Sgt. Jaka (Joe Taslim) and Lt. Wahyu (Pierre Gruno). There is a plan raid on an apartment building and their target is crime lord Tama Riyadi (Ray Sahetapy) but to get to him, the group must get past most tenants that are criminals and live under his protection. With a plan in place, they arrive at the building and met by a tenant who is trying to take care of his ill spouse.

Gaining entry, the brigade makes its way floor by floor and by the 6th floor they are detected and now dealing with Tama’s men coming from below and above. Knowing they are trapped, Jaka asks Wahyu to call for reinforcements and learns the truth about what they are doing. Finding momentary reprieve in an empty apartment, they aren’t safe for long.

Seeing all of this from Tama’s cameras that are strategically placed everywhere in the building is Andi (Donny Alamsyah) who feels the need to help Rama. The biggest threat is Mad Dog (Yayan Ruhian) who is laser focused on doing as much damage as possible to every cop he meets. As Jaka gets up higher and higher in the building, more secrets are revealed and his determination to survive and bring out the surviving officers

Uwais as Rama is a man who is just trying to get home to a wife who is expecting their first child. Trusting in the men he is being led by, going into the criminal apartment complex that is filled with those who will protect their gangster leader at all costs. Once Rama realizes what he is up against, Uwais puts his character into full steam ahead with swift and spectacular martial arts.

Alamsyah as Andi is working for Tama but there is a secret he is keeping from his crime boss. Once he teams up with Rama, there is only one person standing in their way and don’t let his size fool you. Ruhian as Mad Dog is that size! He is a one-man death-wrecking crew who doesn’t need to say much as his action make it clear who he is.

Sahetapy as Tama is ruthless and has control of more than just the apartment building. He is feared by everyone and crossing him is a death sentence. With almost everyone in his pocket, Rama knows that he is not going to give up. Taslim as Sgt. Jaka leads his men into the building and realizes too late that they are not going to be walking back out the front door alive.

Other cast include Alfridus Godfred, Henky Solaiman, Fikha Effendi, Verdi Soliman, Ananda George, Yusuf Opilus, Iang Darmawan as Gofar, Tegar Satrya as Bowo, Eka Rahmadia as Dagu.

Sony Pictures Classics brings television, digital content, new entertainment services, independent films and technologies to viewers. Such films as GREED, THE BURNT ORANGE HERESY, THE CLIMB, CHARM CITY KINGS, I CARRY YOU WITH ME and THE FATHER are just a few of the current and upcoming releases. For more information on what Sony Pictures Classics has to offer please visit www.sonyclassics.com.

Special Features include Unrated Version of the Feature Presented in 4K Resolution with Dolby Vision,5.1 Indonesian and English Audio, Commentary with Gareth Evans, Behind-the-Scenes Video Blogs, Inside the Score, In Conversation with Gareth Evans and Mike Shinoda, An Evening with Gareth Evans, Mike Shinoda and Joe Trapanese, Behind the Music with Mike Shinoda and Joe Trapanese, Anatomy of a Scene with Gareth Evans, Claycat’s THE RAID, THE RAID TV Show Ad (circa 1994) and Theatrical Trailer.

This is definetly an epic martial arts film as the cast goes floor to floor meeting some of the most vicious criminals that the crime lord Tama could gather together. Director Evans, who also wrote the script, had a vision that played fantastically on the screen. The apartment building itself plays a pivotal role in the fight scenes and ultimate survival of Rama and his team.

The cinematography is stunning keeping the greyish danger lurking around every corner. The skill of the martial arts is intense and exactly what I would expect and, of course, Uwais, Ruhian and Alamsyah are the stars. The scene between these three men had my own bones aching after it was all over.

If you are needing an intense one hundred and two-minute thrill ride of action and suspense then curl up, popcorn bowl in hand and be prepared to cheer for survival with THE RAID REDEMPTION.

In the end – survival is their mission!

They Fight with DUMB MONEY: The GameStop Story

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray and Digital from director Craig Gillespie and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the story of the underdog taking on Wall Street with DUMB MONEY: The GameStop Story.

It is 2020 and Keith Gill (Paul Dano) spends his spare time as Roaring Kitty on YouTube talking about the stock market. His day job is a financial analyst and husband to Caroline (Shailene Woodley) while dealing with brother Kevin (Pete Davidson) who still lives with his parents. Covid is running rampant when Keith notices that stock in his favorite place is falling.

GameStop is a place for all those who play games and Keith buys stock telling his viewers on YouTube all about it. He believes that hedge fun firms like Melvin Capital founded by Gabe Plotkin (Seth Rogen) have been short selling the stock. Listening to Roaring Kitty is Jennifer (America Ferrera) and she buys into the stock as well. Joining the ranks are college students Riri (Myha’la Herrold) and Harmony (Talia Ryder) and GameStop employee Marcos (Anthony Ramos).

They aren’t the only ones as people start aggressively buying stock and begin really following Roaring Kitty. Using the trading site Robinhood co-owned by Vald Tenev (Sebastian Stan), there is a huge surge of stocks and people begin to see they can make real money. Plotkin realizes he is in trouble when Ken Griffin (Nick Offerman) of Citadel finds a way to turn things around. That is when the United States House Committee on Financial Services decides to step in and find out what is truly going on and who is responsible.

Those who invested are stunned at what is happening and Keith stands firm in his belief only to discover there are those who stand with him, no matter what it takes.

Dano as Keith is a very quiet man who tries not to rock the boat in his life. Spending time on his YouTube just allows him a chance to talk about what he is interested in and that is the pattern of what happens on Wall Street. GameStop is, as for a lot of gamers, a place that brings them the joy of gaming so owing stock seemed the right thing. Dano gives his character the complexities of a man trying to take care of his family, working a straight job and having a few moments of online fun who never expected it to blow up. I enjoyed his portrayal and it is believable down to its core.

Davidson as Kevin looked like he was having so much fun because this role is not, in any way, a far-reaching stretch. Most of Davidson’s roles are like this but Kevin stands out as the brother who just likes to be a pain – and it works! Woodley as Caroline stands behind her husband, even when things get strange and believes in him. There really isn’t huge chemistry between the two characters but it doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of the story.

Rogen as Plotkin spends most of the film running, with a phone stuck to his ear and sweating – a lot. I mean I would too if I was losing billions (yes, millions with a b). Rogen has the unique ability to play nervous and he does it so well. Ferrera as Jennifer is a nurse that just wants a financial break, not the world, just a small break and her nerves are just as intense as Plotkin’s but for different reasons.

Herrold as Riri, Ryder as Harmony and Ramos as Marcos are people who believed in the Roaring Kitty and are willing to hold as long as he does. They not only hold but begin to understand the workings of Wall Street and are all in when it comes to stopping them from squashing the little guy! Stan as Tenev is a man who claims he is for the people but when a large chunk of money is thrown his way, he becomes worse than Robinhood.

Shout out to Offerman and D’Onofrio because I was watching these two giggle at each of their characters. They know they are sleazy and enjoy it with a side order of rich.

Other cast include Kate Burton as Elaine Gill, Clancy Brown as Steven Gill, Rushi Kota as Baiju Bhatt, Larry Owens as Chris, Dane DeHaan as Brad, Deniz Akdeniz as Briggsy, Olivia Thirlby as Yaara Plotkin and Vincent D’Onofrio as Steve Cohen.

Special Feature include Fat Cats vs. The Roaring Kitty, Diamond Hand Ensemble, Join the Cast & Discover the Insane True Story!, Deleted Scenes and Filmmaker Commentary.

DUMB MONEY is a great way for people to learn about what happens when you don’t understand what the rich are doing on Wall Street. Just the fact that they use the term ‘dumb money’ would make me want to find a few bucks to invest with. It is a shame that Roaring Kitty isn’t still around because I’d follow him!

The cast is brilliant at keeping the intensity up for the entire film. I found myself yelling at the screen as well before I realizes I was doing it. There are relationships in the midst of the madness but what is clear is that along with the learning comes a new found understanding that life is full of chances but only to those who are willing to risk losing a little.

In the end – bank on humor!

It is the Return of the 1986 Film STAND BY ME

Jeri Jacquin

Coming on 4K Ultra HD in a Special Edition Steelbook from director Rob Reiner and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the return of an iconic film with the story of STAND BY ME.

It is the summer of 1959 in the town of Castle Rock and Gordie (Wil Wheaton), Teddy (Corey Feldman), Chris (River Phoenix), and Vern (Jerry O’Connell) are teenage boys spending Labor Day weekend doing boy stuff. Vern tells his friends that brother Billy has discovered a body in the woods but can’t say anything because they would get in trouble.

The boy decide that they will go look for the body and become town heroes and pack up for the long walk. Chris goes as far as to take his father’s gun for protection. Much to their dismay, they run into the town bad boys led by Ace (Kiefer Sutherland), and Eyeball (Bradley Gregg) who threaten them and steal something precious to Gordie.

On the trip, the boys have a chance to bond even more. Around the campfire, Gordie tells stories of characters he has created. Chris encourages Gordie to continue becoming a writer and not let his homelife interfere with his goal. He also tells the story of what caused his reputation and the boys are shocked by what he tells them.

The next day they find what they are looking for and aren’t sure how to feel about it all. Right behind them is Ace and his gang who make demands and threaten the boys even more. By now these four young men have discovered that they are each very strong and Ace, even with his gang with Billy (Casey Siemaszko), Denny (John Cusack) and Charlie (Gary Riley), cannot change that.

When you are twelve, friendships are the memories you keep forever!

Wheaton as Gordie is such a gentle young man who was dealing with a very traumatic situation at home. The trip is something he wants to do and knows that along with his best friend, he is going to be okay. Wheaton fit the bill perfectly as Gordie. Phoenix as best friend Chris has a tough exterior but emotionally supports his friend Gordie. He also has a story that needs telling and when he does it shocks his friends to see such emotion. Phoenix was also a perfect fit to play Chris.

Feldman as Teddy is memorable, but then again anytime Feldman was on the screen in the 80’s he was memorable. He brought this character the relief it needed at times because the film without it would be so intense. O’Connell as Vern is the one person who held back and seemed the most fearful but that didn’t stop him from following his friends!

Sutherland as Ace is a ruthless teen who finds joy in being the bully to the boys. He is going to make his own mark and it will be at the expense of someone else’s’ death. Sutherland is also an 80’s star that left his mark on that era. Cusack flexes as brother Denny and knows what is happening isn’t right. Riley, Siemaszko and Gregg are definitely followers to Ace’s leadership.

Other cast include Scott Beach as Mayor Grundy, Marshall Bell as Mr. Lachance, Frances McCain as Mrs. Lachance, Jason Lipsett as Vince, Bruce Kirby as Mr. Quidacioluo, William Bronder as Milo, and Richard Dreyfuss as the writer Gordon.

Bonus materials include 4K Ultra HD Disc, Feature Presented in 4K Resolution with Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos +DTS-HD MA 5.1 and Mono Audio Options, along with Deleted and Alternate Scenes.

Bluray Disc Feature presented in High Definition 5.1 Audio BLU-RAY DISC

Feature presented in High Definition, Special Features: Picture-in-Picture Commentary with Director Rob Reiner and Actors Wil Wheaton & Corey Feldman, “Walking the Tracks: The Summer of Stand By Me”, Audio Commentary with Director Rob Reiner and Music Video.

STAND BY ME is based off the Stephen King novella The Body with the written script by Bruce A. Evans and Raynold Gideon.

This film is iconic in so many ways, as a coming-of-age story but also because it was, at the time, relatable to so many people. Most of us who are now in our sixties remember the days when we could take off from sun up until sun down doing goodness knows what without a parent in sight. Most of us did not have to be home until the sun was almost down.

Bike riding and exploring where everything at that age. My brother and I would go toward the hills separating us from Mexico and climb to see how far we could get before someone would yell at us. If it wasn’t the hills, then it was the winding back road to the beach, the estuary – any place where no one else wasn’t.

That’s what the film STAND BY ME came to mean for so many. It is a story of friendship, difficult times, emotions that you cannot share with anyone but your best friends, and memories we did not realize would have to last us a lifetime. We would be almost the last generation able to have such freedoms.

Now with the release of STAND BY ME, we can share in their journey once again.

In the end – it is the last summer to remember!

THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK Returns on 4K Ultra HD

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD and Bluray from writer/director Randall Wallace, United Artist and Shout! Select in a Collector’s Edition is the classic 1998 film THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK.

France is almost in financial ruin as King Louis XIV (Leonardo DiCaprio) continues to wage war against the Dutch. The once four Musketeers Aramis (Jeremy Irons), Porthos (Gerard Depardieu), Athos (John Malkovich) have gone on to live separate lives away from the fray. Only D’Artangnan (Gabriel Byrne) remained to help the king.

Athos son Raoul (Peter Sarsgaard) wants to be a Musketeer like his father was and also is in love with the beautiful Christine Bellefort (Judith Godreche). The King has other plans for both Raoul and Christine angering Athos beyond measure. The King believes there is a traitor among the Jesuit priests and he tells Aramis that he must hunt down the person and dispose of him.

Aramis decides to bring Porthos, Athos and D’Artagnan together to show him a plan to rid themselves of a king who starves his people and only cares for his own glory. D’Artagnan makes it clear he will have no part in whatever Aramis is planning and Athos makes it clear they will never see each other as friends again.

Aramis, Porthos and Athos take it upon themselves to get a man in an iron mask at the Ile Sainte-Marguerite prison. What is discovered is that the man is none other than Philippe (Leonardo DiCaprio), a son of Queen Anne (Anne Parillaud) that no one knows about. Their plan seems simple enough to exchange Phillipe for Louis but it will take time and time is not on their side!

DiCaprio as the King and Phillipe get the opportunity to play a double role but totally different from each other. As the King he plays an uncaring, spoiled man who doesn’t care who he has to destroy to get what he wants. The role of Phillipe is a man who doesn’t understand what has been happening to him but the changes are slow when it is time to take his place in the world. This is one of my favorite films and DiCaprio adds to that reason.

Irons as Aramis is, out of the three friends, is the cool, level headed smart planner. He knows what must be done and even if his friends are unpredictable, he needs them to finish what they have started together. Byrne as D’Artangnan is torn between being a friend and a Musketeer loyal to the kingdom. I truly enjoy his portrayal of a man who is loyal but with a secret of his own.

Malkovich as Athos has a sincere and heart-breaking reason for wanting to be part of the plan to rid France of a bad king. Although his character rages from the start, he does find a softer part of himself in Phillipe. Depardieu as Porthos is a man who knows how to have a good time and is a bit overdramatic but when he is called upon to act like a Musketeer, it is not a good thing for any enemy.

Parillaud as Queen Anne knows that her son the King does not care for anyone else but his own selfish needs but manages to keep herself together. There is a feeling for one particular Musketeer and a history that they have kept to themselves for years. Parillaud is lovely and charming and, more importantly, makes you believe she is a Queen.

Other cast includes David Lowe as King Louis Advisor, Edward Atterton as Lieutenant Andre, and Hugh Laurie as Pierre.

Bonus Features include New 4K Transfer from the Original Camera Negative, Audio DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, 2.0, In Dolby Vision, Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Randall Wallace. Interview with Producer Paul Hitchcock, Interview with Production Designer Anthony Pratt, “Myth and the Musketeers” Featurette, “Director’s Take” Featurette, “Alternate Mask Prototypes” Featurette, Original Behind-The-Scene Featurette and Theatrical Trailer.

I remember when THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK came out in theatres because I was so excited to see it. The period piece of me is always going to run to the theatre and with a historical family connection to France I am always curious as to a storyteller’s ideal of mixing history with action and adventure. It was an amazing time and thrilling to watch on the big screen.

Now, with the size of televisions, watching the film again is absolutely like being in the theatre once again. The action of the Musketeers and the adventure of the story is done with color and a vividness that has made the film a classic. The ensemble of actors truly makes the tale worthy of being part of any home entertainment library.

So, learn the secret and know the story of THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK!

In the end – the Musketeers take on a King!

Revisit All Six films of RESIDENT EVIL on 4K Ultra HD

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to an amazing Steelbook Collection set on 4K Ultra HD from writer/directors Paul W.S. Anderson, Alexander Witt, Russell Mulcahy and

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the legendary horror action series of RESIDENT EVIL.

Beginning in 2002 with RESIDENT EVIL, the Umbrella Corporation in Raccoon City has a facility called the Hive. Alice (Milla Jovovich) finds herself on the floor of a mansion not knowing what is happening and quickly attacked by Matt Addison (Eric Mabius) who says he is a Raccoon cop. Going down into the Hive, they are told that they all work for the Umbrella Corporation.

She is also told that the Red Queen (Michaela Dicker) kill a partner Alice doesn’t remember and that someone named Kaplan (Martin Crewes) shut down the system unleashing undead staff and creatures called Lickers. Through the madness surrounding her, Alice slowly starts to regain some memories.

Taking on the Red Queen, Alice and Matt are now being hunted and everyone is in terrible danger in Raccoon City.

Other cast includeRobert Tannion as Dr. Brown, Heike Makatsch as Dr. Lisa Addison, Stephen Billington as Mr. White, Michelle Rodriguez as Rain, Oscar Pearce as Mr. Green, Indra Ove as Ms. Black, James Purefoy as Spence, Colin Salmon as One, Fiona Glascott as Ms. Gold, Pasquale Aleardi as J.D. Salinas, Ryan McClusky as Mr. Grey, Anna Bolt as Dr. Green, Joseph May as Dr. Blue, Robert Tannon as Dr. Brown and Jason Isaacs as the narrator.

Features of the Bluray include Feature Presented in 4K Resolution with Dolby Vision and Theatrical Trailer.

In the 2004 RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE, Alice has been parted from Matt and the zombies are everywhere in Raccoon City. The Umbrella is trying to contain it by closing down the city but not before knowing that Dr. Ashford’s (Jared Harris) daughter Angela (Sophie Vavasseur) is missing. The Raccoon City Police officer Jill Valentine (Dienna Guillory) is trying to get people to leave before it’s too late. Even Umbrella soldiers Carolos Olivera (Oded Fehr) and Nicholai Ginovaef (Zack Ward) are trying to get away.

Dr. Ashford wants Alice’s help finding her daughter and claims that they would be given safe passage if they recue Angela. Agreeing, they run into Nemesis (Matthew G. Taylor) and things become entrenched in zombies and anti-virus serum and people turning on one another because that’s what Umbrella does and Alice is in the middle.

Other cast include Thomas Kretschmann as Major Timothy Cain, Razaaq Adoti as Sgt. Peyton Wells, Mike Epps as Lloyd Jefferson Wade, Sandrine Holt as Terri Morales and Iain Glen as Dr. Alexander Isaacs.

Special Features include Feature Presentation in 4K Resolution with Dolby Vision, Theatrical and Extended Cuts of the Film and Theatrical Trailers, Filmmaker Commentary, Cast Commentary, Writer/Producer Commentary, Deleted Scenes, “Game Over: Resident Evil Reanimated” Documentary, “Corporate Malfeasance” Featurette, “Game Babes’ Featurette and “Symphony of Evil” Featurette.

RESIDENT EVIL: Extinction in 2007 brings Alice to a dump where she finds other “Alice’s”. She knows it is the Umbrella Corporation continuing to fail with their Alice Project. Now the T-virus has spread worldwide and it’s hitting the planet hard as well. Alice is wandering but finds that there might be an uninfected place in Alaska.

She also reunites with Carlos and Wade in a survivors group led by Claire Redfield (Ali Larter) and tells them about the place in Alaska. Isaacs is up to no good trying with a new zombie kind using them to track Alice and destroy the convoy. Alice isn’t about to stand for it and after a battle for control, she gets her hands on a computer that shows her where Umbrella is hiding in an underground place.

Arriving at Umbrella, Alice comes across the White Queen (Madeline Carroll) who tells her something that might help everyone. When Wesker (Jason O’Mara) realizes he has lost North America, Alice makes it clear that they are not finished, not by a longshot.

Other cast also includes Matthew Marsden as Alex Slater, Linden Ashby as Chase, Ashanti as Nurse Betty, Spencer Locke as K-Mart, Christopher Egan as Mikey, and Joe Hursley as Otto.Fe

Special Features include Feature Presented in 4K Resolution with Dolby Vision, Resdient Road Map: Reflections on the Future of the Series, Theatrical Trailers, “Under the Umbrella” Picture-in-Picture, Filmmaker Commentary, Deleted Scenes and 4-Featurettes.

In 2010, the film RESIDENT EVIL: Afterlife has Alice and the clones hitting the Umbrella headquarters in Tokyo. Their goal is Wesker who manages to escape but not before Alice has him in hand. He turns on her quickly to take away her abilities. Yet, months later, Alice is in Alaska following a place called Arcadia. Disappointed to find it in bad condition, she also finds Claire.

They both leave for Los Angeles where a prison holds survivors who are surrounded by zombies. Leader Luther (Boris Kodjoe) wants to get out and Alice learns that Arcadia is not a set place but a floating one but no one has heard from them in a while. When the group is attacked, Alice learns that Chris (Wentworth Miller) is Claire’s brother and more chaos among the group takes shape.

Aboard the plane, Alice heads for Arcadia and on the way remembers that Umbrella may have something to do with all this. As usual, its clean up time for Alice and the group if they are to survive.

Other cast include Shawn Roberts as Albert Wesker, Kim Coates as Bennett, Sergio Peris-Mencheta as Angel Ortiz, Kacey Barnfield as Crystal Waters, Norman Yeung as Kim Yong, Spencer Locke as K-Mart, Mika Nakashima as J-Pop Girl, and Ray Olubowale as the Axeman.

Special Feature include Feature Presented in 4K Resolution with Dolby Vision, Alice Activated, Theatrical Trailers, “Undead Vision” Picture-in-Picture, Filmmaker Commentary, Deleted and Extended Scenes, Outtakes and 7 Featurettes.

Alice has returned with the 2012 RESIDENT EVIL: Retrobution and the Arcadia has come under fire by Umbrella and is led by Jill and Alice is captured. When she wakes up, she is living a suburban life with husband Todd and her child Becky (Aryana Engineer). When the zombies hit, suburbia becomes Raccoon City and Rain is helping them escape.

The Arcadia Alice is being questioned by Jill but it doesn’t stop Alice from finding a way out but not before knowing she is in a sim of Shibuya Square in Tokyo coming face to face with Ada Wong (Li Biongbing). Wesker appears, somewhat, to let her know the Red Queen has started the Hive again. Where Alice actually is, she discovers, is Kamchatka, Russia.

A crew with Luther along with Leon and Barry, help to get Alice out and agree to all meet up again in Raccoon City. Suburbia Alice’s daughter Becky meets up with Arcadia Alice and attaches herself to “mom”. Once on the surface, Alice brings Jill back to herself and the battle is on landing them all at the White House where Alice has a showdown with Wexler.

Other cast include Robin Kasyanov as Sergei, Kevin Durand as Barry, Ofilio Portillo as Tony, and Colin Salmon as One.

Special Features include Feature Presented in 4K Resolution with Dolby Vision, Evil Goes Global, Undead Retribution, Theatrical Trailers, Director and Cast Commentary, Filmmaker Commentary, Deleted and Extended Scenes, Outtakes, Project Alice: The Interactive Database and 8 Featurettes.

Finally, 2016 is the year of RESIDENT EVIL: The Final Chapter as Dr. Marcus (Mark Simpson) who founded Umbrella has a daughter who is dying and uses the T-virus only to discover the horrors of it. Telling Dr. Ashford it is never to be used again and all research must be destroyed, Ashford wants to save his own daughter Angela who ends up with Wesker.

Alice wakes up in the White House and once again Wesker has lied and the Red Queen says her clock is ticking to get to the Hive. The Umbrella’s intention is to kill all infected and Alice is no exception. Back in Raccoon City she meets up with Claire who survived the Arcadia attack. Isaacs has his own plan however and they is a horde of zombies coming their way.

The Red Queen shows up again to show Alice what Isaacs true plan has been all along and who in her group can’t be trusted. Alice and Claire get their chance to make Isaacs pay for what he has done but he has other plans. Setting it all in place, he is ready for his plan to be complete and throws the switch but, is that the end?

Other cast include Eoin Macken as Doc, Lee Joon-gi as Commander Chu,, Rola as Cobalt, Fraser James as Razor, Ruby Rose as Abigail, William Levy as Christian and Ever Anderson as the Red Queen.

Special Features include Feature Presented in 4K Resolution with Dolby Vision, Newly Added: Directing THE FINAL CHAPTER, Rola as Cobalt, From Saints to Sinners, From Script to Screen: The Making of RESIDENT EVIL: The Final Chapter, Maximum Carnage: Best Kills, Creature Chronology, Theatrical Trailers, Retaliation Mode with Paul W.S. Anderson and Milla Jovovich and 3 Featurettes.

This is an amazing collection of films and if, like me, you love a good zombie action film then all six of the RESIDENT EVIL films in one package is a repeater binge-worthy addition to the home entertainment library. The Steelbook is very cool with the images that are perfection to the series and keeps everything in one nice place.

The film each hold their own and Jovovich bring her character of Alice to an iconic level that will never be repeated. The cast is consistent which is very cool because as they pop in and out of each storyline, I am always thrilled to see them again and again. My entire family gathered around to watch each of these films because we share in the thrills and chills and a good binge night is always special.

Anderson created these roles and took the story lines to places we never could have expected, even added directors Witt and Mulcahy stayed true to the character we loved watching. Jovovich’s Alice is strong, no nonsense, and focused knowing that every step she takes leads her to people who only have one goal – destruction. What an awesome character as they absolutely all are!

In the end – she is legendary!

Surf’s Up with the Return of POINT BREAK

Jeri Jacquin

Returning on 4K Ultra HD and Bluray in a Collector’s Edition from Oscar winning director Kathryn Bigelow and Shout! Studios is the return to the waves with POINT BREAK.

Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves) is an FBI Agent who is sent by Agent Angelo Pappas (Gary Busey) to discover who is responsible for bank robbers. Known as the Ex-Presidents, the robbers disguise themselves as Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Richard Nixon and Lyndon B. Johnson. Pappas has his own theory that they are surfers who use the money to follow the waves.

Going undercover, Utah meets Tyler (Lori Petty) who saves him from drowning as he tries to learn to surf on his own. Sharing his cover story, she introduces him to Bodhi (Patrick Swayze) and his group Roach (James LeGros), Grommet (Bojesse Christopher) and Nathaniel (John Philbin). Bodhi wouldn’t have accepted him so quickly if not for recognizing Utah as a former football player. Utah begins to experience their adrenaline filled life at the same time working on the case.

When a robbery goes wrong, and the DEA operation is blown, Utah believes he knows who the Ex-Presidents are. Staking out a potential bank, the Ex-Presidents strike and Utah runs after one of the robbers injuring himself. Tyler discovers something upsetting and Bodhi decides it is time to bring Utah in on the gang. The scheme goes wrong it will take some time before Utah finds his one chance to bring it all to an end.

Reeves as Utah is working his way through the FBI and Pappas knows he is the perfect agent to handle the case. The young Reeves takes to the waves and to the company of Swayze to offer up a budding good guy-bad guy set up and it is so well done. Swayze as Bodhi shines and opposite

Reeves makes it all look fluid, natural and it is perfection between these two actors.

Petty as Tyler is a wild child of the waves and takes to Utah fairly quickly. Their relationship becomes more serious which is what makes it difficult for her to understand what she feels is a betrayal. Petty is young and thrilling to watch as she fits into the boy’s club. Busey as Pappas gets a chance to not only be a little wild but also push the boundaries as he is determined to find the criminals. Busey is always charismatic, a bit funny and a presence that can never be missed on screen.

Other cast include John C. McGinley as FBI Director Ben Harp, Lee Tergesen as Rosie, Vincent Kyln as Warchild, Mike Genovese as FBI Corey, Chris Pedersen as Bunker, Sydney Walsh as Miss Deer, Dave Olson as Archbold, Anthony Kiedis as Tone, Jack Kehler as FBI Halsey, Galyn Gorg as Margarita, and Tom Sizemore as DEA Deets.

Special Features in the 2-Disc set include New Master and Restoration from a 2023 4K Scan of the Interpositive Dolby Vision, Additional Scenes, 4 Featurettes and Theatrical Trailer.

Reeves and Swayze are everything in this film. Good vs. bad or is it bad vs. good – its hard to say because these characters are truly complex. Knowing the rights and wrongs of the world, each chooses to test the limits and cross onto each other’s playing field so to speak. These two actors bring their roles in strong and that is what has made this film memorable and iconic.

POINT BREAK is that film that when it comes across our screens, we have to stop and watch it. It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve seen the film; I still enjoy it immensely. Partly to enjoy Reeves and Swayze on screen together, partly because I am a beach/surf admirer and all together because it is a wonderful time filled with suspense and action.

Having it arrive again on 4K Ultra HD with so many special features, it puts a shine on the iconic part of the film. Wax your board and prepare for another turn in the waves!

In the end – they run on pure adrenaline!

Christmas is Here with LOVE ACTUALLY

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD, Bluray and Digital from writer/director Richard Curtis and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment celebrating its 20th Anniversary comes the beloved new classic for

the holidays with LOVE ACTUALLY.

English Rock n’ Roller Billy Mack (Bill Nighy) is making a statement for Christmas bringing his own unique version of the song Love Is All Around. He promotes it but makes it very clear that it is horrible and he doesn’t mind in the slightest. Rather than party the night away, he joins his bff Joe (Gregor Fisher) for a night of drinking.

Mark (Andrew Lincoln) is the camera man on the day of friend Peter (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and his love Juliet (Keira Knightley). Peter wonders why Mark seems to dislike his chosen bride but Mark is keeping a heartfelt and longing secret. Jamie (Colin Firth) discovers that his relationship is over, gets away to a cottage to write and meets Aurelia (Lucia Moniz). She doesn’t speak English which gives Jamie some relief except for one thing, words aren’t always necessary.

Harry (Alan Rickman) runs an agency with Mia (Heike Makatsch) as his secretary. Wife Karen (Emma Thompson) is a stay-at-home Mom who makes sure the ship runs smoothly with their two children Bernard and Daisy (Lulu Popplewell). Harry seems to have become caught in a web that Mia is spinning and Karen is the one that gets caught in it surprised by a Christmas morning present. Also at the agency is Sarah (Laura Linney) who happens to be crushing on Karl (Rodrigo Santoro) but is dealing with the issues of her brother.

David (Hugh Grant) just happens to be Prime Minister and Karen’s brother. At 10 Downing Street there are a lot of people and Natalie (Martine McCutcheon) is one of them. Together they work well until David begins to wonder if there is more and doesn’t want to be accused of any impropriety. Sometimes the heart wins.

Colin (Kris Marshall) decides he is only going to find love in America and ends up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. John (Martin Freeman) works as a film stand-in and meets Judy (Joanna Page) while doing love scenes. Both seem comfortable with one another and John discovers he can say how he feels.

Daniel (Liam Neeson) is taking care of his young stepson Sam (Thomas Sangster) after the passing of his wife. Sam is going through his own heart story with the very cute school girl Joanna (Olivia Olson). Speaking with Daniel about it all, Sam wonders how best to get her attention, especially since she is moving away soon.

Neeson, Rickman, Firth, Nighy, Grant and Lincoln, Freeman, Marshall, Santoro, Ejiofor, and Fischer what can I say boys? Your storylines are wonderful and I couldn’t get enough of the wisdom from a step-father toward a boy who he sees as no step but just a wonderful son, to a PM who can shuffle with the best, to a man who will speak the language of love, to an aged rock star, to a man who should know better than to flirt with trouble and a man who knows when to hide his heart – you are all perfectly flawed human beings and we wouldn’t have you any other way.

Thompson, Page, Olson, McCutcheon, Knightley, Makatsch and Linney – ladies, just brilliant. You carry the light of family and see the frailty of husbands, to not being afraid of a powerful man, to discovering that a quiet love is closer than you think, to understanding that even though you may find love that other obligations can get in the way of the heart, to trying to take what isn’t yours, you are all women who make sacrifices in the name of dedication to love in all its forms and sometimes to the detriment.

Shout out to Rowan Atkinson as Rufus who kept me laughing the first time I saw the film and keeps me laughing still. I have never received a gift so well thought out and packaged and I’m not sure how I would react if I did however, if its Atkinson doing it – I’m all in!

Other cast include Julia Davis as Nancy, Ruby Turner as Jean, Adam Godley as Mr. Trench, Michael Fitzgerald as Michael AbdulSalis as Tony, Claudia Schiffer as Carol, Nina Sosanya as Annie, January Jones as Jeannie, Elisabeth Margoni as Eleonore, Meg Owen as Mary, Colin Coull as Gavin, Elisha Cuthbert as Carol-Anne, Ivana Milicevic as Stacey, Shannon Elizabeth as Harriet, Denise Richards as Carla, Marcus Brigstocke as Mikey, and Billy Bob Thornton as the U.S. President.

Bonus Features include Making LOVE ACTUALLY – Join writer/director Richard Curtis along with the cast and crew as they reflect on the making of the film and its legacy twenty years later, Deleted Scenes with Introductions by Richard Curtis, The Music of LOVE ACTUALLY with Introductions by Richard Curtis, The Storytellers – A featurette exploring the film’s main storylines, featuring interviews with the cast discussing their characters and the major elements within each on-screen relationship.

Also included is Kelly Clarkson “The Trouble with Love is” Music Video, Bill Mack “Christmas is All Around” Music Video and Feature Commentary with Director Richard Curtis and Actors Hugh Grant, Bill Nighy and Thomas Sangsters.

This film stole my holiday heart when I first saw it in 2003, yes it started out because Liam Neeson and Alan Rickman were in it but man, the entire cast just gave me Christmas tingles. The story is so heartfelt and sticky sweet which I usually barf over but I couldn’t help myself, I fell in ornament hook, lights line and full stocking sinker. The cast is absolutely brilliant and each character having a story of their very own is stunning still.

Look, I love me a good rom-com but LOVE ACTUALLY is so much more than that. Yes, it is on my Christmas stack of must-watch holiday movies after DIE HARD (get over it – think of it as an Alan Rickman double feature if you must). This film is about relationships, love, messiness of being a human being, whacky emotions trying to find the right places to settle, pushing the limits of the heart into places they/we are scared to go, and, of course the joy of Christmas that give us the extra push to say those three little words ‘I love you’ to someone who needs to hear it.

There is nothing, and I mean nothing that writer/director Curtis left out of this film. If anything was ever to be changed, I think I might have to throw a huge fit and Santa wouldn’t like that. It is a film of joy, love, celebration and by the end of the film, no matter how many times you watch it, the heart is just giggling with joy.

So, Happy Anniversary LOVE ACTUALLY, you have not aged a day and the world still loves you and isn’t that what it’s all about?

In the end – love is actually all around!

It is the Story of THE CREATOR on 4K Ultra

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD, Bluray and DVD from writer/director Gareth Edwards and 20th Century Home Entertainment is the future when they are all looking for THE CREATOR.

Joshua (John David Washington) is a happy man living on a remote tropical island with his love Maya (Gemma Chan). Expecting their first child, it is the calm of the island and the sound of the waves that keeps them happy. But this is the future and A.I. has become a serious issue and after a horrific incident in Los Angeles, the A.I. are being hunted by the hundreds. The military and their leaders are looking for Nirata, the one responsible for creating more of the A.I.

When it becomes clear that Joshua has a plan, Maya tries to escape the island with the military led by Colonel Howell (Allison Janney) closing in for destruction. Taking Joshua to Los Angeles, he now has the job of cleaning up the A.I. that are destroyed. He is then approached General Andrews (Ralph Ineson) and Howell wanting help in finding the location of the Nirmata and his chance to see Maya once again. They want the secret weapon they believe will control all A.I. and destroy the human race.

Who Joshua discovers is Alphie (Madeleine Yuna Voyles), a young A.I. who knows where Maya is. During a fire fight, they are rescued by Harun (Ken Watanabe) who begins to see a connection between Joshua and Alphie but there is no time as Howell and bulldog McBride (Marc Menchaca) are not going to let them get away. Jumping from place to place, everyone is looking for elusive Nirmata.

It is up to Joshua and Alphie to stop the military from their continual destruction, the same destruction they blame on the A.I.’s.

Washington as Joshua is a man on a mission, but what mission might that be? In a world that has turned itself upside down, the question becomes who is the good guy and who should be feared? Joshua’s only goal in all of the goings on is to find his love Maya, but along the way he learns what the truths are and his goal is to once again protect love. I enjoyed Washington’s performance given that most of his time is spend running.

Voyles as Alphie is charming and probably smarter than everyone else around her. Although this character is filled with emotion, Alphie manages to overcome the urge to react to them in a way that is destructive. The youngling sees the best and worst the world has to offer and responds in kind. Voyles is captivating as Alphie and enjoyable to watch her take this role and make it her own.

Janney as Col. Howell is exactly what you would expect from a psycho military colonel who will use any manipulation possible to get results. She is twisted, hard and doesn’t mind shooting anything that gets in her way. Janney has the uncanny ability to choose characters that are multi-dimensional but this character has one goal – destruction.

Chan as Maya is Joshua’s love and spent her childhood being raised by A.I. She supports their cause and will do anything to help them. Chan knows a bit about A.I. acting as Mia in the 2012-18 series HUMANS. Menchaca as McBride is the mirror image of Col. Howell wanting to wreak havoc and destruction all in the name of ‘humanity’. Ineson as Andrews is the dark horse, almost literally, as we don’t really see his face but instead a hauntingly low growl of orders commanding the human military.

Shout out to Ken Watanabe as Harun as he continues to prove how his presence on screen is so powerful. Personally, I think his eyes show so much depth in the way his character responds to love, caring, anger, distress and that becomes important in playing this particular role.

Other cast include Sturgill Simpson as Drew, Amar Chadha-Patel as Omni, Robbie Tann as Shipley, Michael Esper as Captain Cotton, Veronica Ngo as Kami, Ian Verdun as Daniels, Daniel Rodriguez as Hardwick, Rad Pereira as Lambert, Syd Skidmore as Bradbury, Karen Aldridge as Dr. Thankey and Teerwat Mulvilai as Boonmee.

Bonus Feature includes TRUE LOVE: Making the Creator – Join director Gareth Edwards and crew for nearly an hour look behind the scenes. Hear from actors about the filming experience, and learn about the production’s documentary-style approach, the innovative camera and lighting work, and much more.

THE CREATOR is a futuristic look at the complicated and destructive behavior driven by the fears of humanity toward their own creations. The concept and characters of the story, however, aren’t new. Watching the film, I can easily see the influences of STAR WARS (1977), THE GOLDEN CHILD (1986), INDEPENDENCE DAY (1996), A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (2001), AVATAR (2009), ELYSIUM (2013), EX MACHINA (2014), HUMANS (2015) and FINCH (2021) along with so many, many more.

It seems the film mainly shows off its ability to creative stunning visuals of machinery and its capability. There are some deep color and emotional filming of what is called ‘New Asia’ from villages to the temples that are very cool. The action sequences are just that, filled with action, chases, and weaponry.

The ‘human’ side of the story mainly comes from those fearful and angry carbon-based units who do not consider A.I.’s to be human at all. Their ability to destroy is the main focus of everything that happens in the film. On the flip side are the A.I.’s who make it clear to Joshua what it is they truly want and it is embrace worthy.

Coming in at two hours and thirteen minutes but it is a wild ride with a few twists and turns. The concept of love, relationships and fighting for what is right come out loud and clear.

In the end – humanity evolves!

It is Gold to the Classic AMERICAN GRAFFITI

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD, Bluray and Digital from director George Lucas and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment celebrating its Golden 50th Anniversary is the iconic AMERICAN GRAFFITI.

Curt (Richard Dreyfuss), Steve (Ron Howard), John (Paul Le Mat), and Terry (Charles Martin Smith) are spending what is left of their freedom after graduating high school basking in the summer of 1962. Meeting up at Mel’s Drive-In they are getting together because Curt and Steve are leaving for college. Steve’s girlfriend Laurie (Cindy Williams) joins them as they have a conversation about where their relationship is going.

On their way to the dance, Curt sees a white Thunderbird and the lady driving says “I love you” and it sends Curt on a journey to find her. The leader of the gang “The Pharaohs” tells him she is a hooker but he doesn’t believe it. Steve decides to let Terry have his car while he’s at college and all sorts of mayhem happens from that bad decision which involves Debbie (Candy Clark) and a beat down. All the while John is stuck with a precocious Carol (Mackenzie Phillips).

A race changes everything for a group of friends and Curt turns to Wolfman Jack to help him find the woman in the sports car as he races back to Mel’s Drive-In and the pay phone. You never know what you will see from an airplane window!

Dreyfuss as Curt is everything I loved about this character. He gives us angst, uncertainty, a longing for something he isn’t even sure really exists, friendship and the journey away from the small town of Modesto, California. The last summer is the one we carry with us forever because it is when a part of life ends and another begins and that summer is the limbo in between.

Howard as Steve is not Opie for sure (google it children) but he has an idea for his future. Then again, that’s what happens when you are in that limbo, leaving where you have been is so hard but the future is such a pull. Smith as Terry has always been underappreciated as an actor but in this film, he set the groundwork and standard for me following his work and, his character is so charming.

Williams as Laurie is every high school girl’s worry when the ‘love of your life’ goes away with promises of returning to that high school love. I can’t count how many times Laurie had me putting my hand over my heart with an ‘awwww’ moment. Phillips as Carol is a smart mouthed (even if she might get it wrong) girl who doesn’t let anyone get the better of her, until they get close and she needs a bit of rescuing. She is so good in this role.

Shout out to Harrison Ford for his role as Bob because he took on Carol and it was hilarious to watch.

Other cast include Bo Hopkins as Joe, Manuel Padilla Jr. as Carlos and Harrison Ford as Bob Falfa.

Bonus Features include The Making of AMERICAN GRAFFITI – Genesis of the Project, A Personal Story, Casting, Production Begins, Production Stories, Post Production, Final Words, Screen Tests, Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss and Paul Le Mat, Ron Howard and Cindy Williams, Mackenzie Phillips and Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Theatrical Trailer and Feature Commentary with Director George Lucas.

AMERICAN GRAFFITI is all the words you can find that describe something as a classic and iconic. What a beautiful look at a time that will never come again and that the sadness of it actually. In 1972, my class would have almost the same feelings because that’s what the final summer is about. Challenging the norms, trying to find out where, as a young person, we all fit in the grand scheme of things.

Some of us knew and some of us didn’t, some of us went head first into the future nervous but unafraid of what we might find and some held back and tried to stay in the world that was slowly dissolving making way for the next batch. I actually know quite a few people who still, in their 60’s (ironic, no?) never left their last summer.

AMERICAN GRAFFITI is stunning to watch in 4K Ultra HD, all the colors, imagination, beauty, and youth of the actors is bold and reminiscent. The connections are there and the story hasn’t lost an ounce of fascination and fun. This is the film that deserves to be watched repeatedly not only for what Lucas created and put on film but for the cinematography as well.

Happy Golden 50th AMERICAN GRAFFITI!

In the end – where were you in ’62?

VIOLENT NIGHT Celebrates the Holidays on 4K Ultra HD

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD, Bluray and Digital from director Tommy Wirkola and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is a different look about the man from the North Pole with VIOLENT NIGHT.

The holidays are here and Santa Claus (David Harbour) is disillusioned, disgusted and dismayed at what has happened to Christmas. Not his usual ho-ho-ho self, he does the minimum to get the job done and not with an ounce of jolly.

Jason Lightstone (Alex Hassell) gets wife Linda (Alexis Louder) to agree to go to mom Gertrude’s (Beverly D’Angelo) house for Christmas. Taking daughter Trudy (Leah Brady), it becomes clear quickly that there are family issues. Waiting for them is Jason’s sister Alva (Edi Patterson), her bad actor husband Morgan (Cam Gigandet) and son Bert (Alexander Elliot).

There is the usual sibling bickering about the family company and money. That is until all Christmas breaks loose as Mr. Scrooge (John Leguizamo) enters their festivities. He brings his band of merry gun-toting mercenary elves with only one mission – get money and go!

The problem is, they didn’t expect Santa to be in the house who catches on real quick that this is not the house to be visiting. Finding a radio, Santa hears Trudy on her radio telling him not only what she wants for Christmas but what is happening in the house. Wanting to walk away, there is something about Trudy that makes Santa decide that he needs to remember who he is and that makes all the difference.

It’s skull cracking time!

Harbour as Santa Claus is hilarious, sweet, a little vicious but has a story to tell. Once the gang realizes there is a Santa in the house, the chase is on and Harbour gets down and dirty. That makes the film so much more fun in a twisted sort of way. It is next to impossible not to cheer for Harbour’s character and, to be honest, I was all for it. That is part of the fun of the film and trust when I say it is Harbour who makes it thrilling every frame of film.

Leguizamo as Mr. Scrooge is a guy who has serious issues of his own. Money starts out being the motive for the madness but I suspect that Leguizamo’s characters issues run holiday deep. Deciding to go all out to get what he wants, there is nothing or no one, not even Santa that is going to stop this well-designed plan. Then again, Scrooge vs. Santa is a whole other knock down drag out.

Hassell as Jason wants his family back but has to go through a lot this night to see if that can happen. Louder as Linda knows the Lightstone family are a lot but puts it all aside to do the right thing for her daughter, bet she wished she had made other plans! Patterson as Alva is just one hot mess who thinks she has what it takes to take her own brother down, yea, about that…..! Gigandet as Morgan is that family member that just can’t help but show why everyone else rolls their eyes.

Brady as Trudy is just a sweet young girl who wants her parents to be happy and spending Christmas together. When the chaos happens, she reaches out to Santa for help and does not seem surprised when he comes through. There is a bit of another film mixed into Brady’s characters bag of tricks and it’s pretty funny. Well done young lady, well done. Elliot as Bert portrays all the kids us older folk can’t stand to be around and he does it really well!

Let’s talk about D’Angelo as Gertrude. She is saucy, mouthy and can take a hit. She knows what her family thinks of her and it doesn’t change anything about her naughty attitude. I just love this character and D’Angelo did it all with nothing short of bad attitude sprinkled with Christmas glitter!

Other cast include Brendan Fletcher as Krampus, Mike Dopud as Commander Thorp, Stephanie Sy as Sugarplum, John Lowe as Pub Santa, Andre Eriksen as Bjorn, and Erik Athavale as Richard.

Exclusive Bonus Feature include Deleted and Extended Scenes, Quarrelin’ Kringle, Santa’s Helpers: The Making of VIOLENT NIGHT, Deck the Halls with Brawls and Feature Commentary.

VIOLENT NIGHT does not waste a moment and from beginning to end it is Harbour that is a mixture of comedy, drama and charming. Oh sure, Santa has a history and sure he seems like a crushing Ninja but that does not change the fact that he brings gifts to believers. Don’t get me wrong, the film is really violent, really bloody but it is also really hysterical.

Now that being said, it has been quite a while since I’ve seen a film that had me cheering, making faces and dropping my jaw. Okay, so tried to close my eyes and ended up looking through my fingers at one point but darn it was fun. The cast assembled bring a holiday film that I will predict right now will become a holiday tradition (at least in my house).

I think we found another twisted film to add to the family’s equally twisted Christmas binging tradition.

In the end – you better watch out!

THE WAY WE WERE Celebrates its 50th Anniversary

Jeri Jacquin

Celebrating its Golden Anniversary from director Sydney Pollack and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is a timeless classic of storytelling and filmmaking with THE WAY WE WERE.

Katie Morosky (Barbra Streisand) is a young college woman with a strong opinion on just about everything. Catching her eye is Hubbell Gardiner (Robert Redford), a good-looking carefree college student who watches Katie with interest because of her way of defending social causes. There mutual admiration is nipped early as they graduate college and go their separate ways.

World War II has everything shaken as Katie finds work at a local radio station. While out one evening, she meets Hubbell again but this time he has had a bit too much celebrating. Katie decides to help him and, with time, they discover they are in love. The problem again is that Katie makes it clear her feelings on the political front much to the amusement of Hubbell’s friends but not so much for Hubbell himself.

She does encourage Hubbell to write a novel and when Hollywood comes calling, they move to California. Settling into that glam life, it is short-lived when McCarthyism comes into their lives. As Katie stands strong, it begins to have an effect on Hubbell’s Hollywood reputation. The strain on their marriage grows greater and greater but can love be the answer?

Streisand as Katie, let’s be clear here, what can I possibly say that hasn’t already been said or felt? Growing up with her music and seeing her on screen has solidified her place in film and music history. That being said, in her role as Katie, she gives us a powerful woman in a time when the idea of a powerful woman on screen was unheard or thought of. In the midst of that strength comes the human frailty that love can bring. Streisand portrayed everything I wanted to be when I grew up. Just a beautiful character!

Redford as Hubbell plays the stereotypical college guy who is popular, athletic and lives a very ‘easy’ care-free life. Katie catching his eye is out of curiosity but also an attraction that he can not quite place. She is the total opposite of him in that she has direction and cause, Hubbel does not. He falls into writing, falls into Hollywood and continues to fall into whatever comes his way. Hubbel also can not balance the strength of Katie and love her at the same time. Redford is just as beautiful and pairs with Streisand in such stunning fashion.

Other cast include Bradford Sillman as J.J., Lois Chiles as Carol Ann, Patrick O’Neal as George Bissinger, Viveca Lindfors as Paula Reisner, Allyn Ann McLerie as Rhea Edwards, Murray Hamilton as Brooks Carpenter, Herb Edelman as Bill Verso, Diana Ewing as Vicki Bissinger, George Gaynes as El Morocco Captain, James Woods as Frankie McVeigh, Sally Kirkland as Pony Dunbar and Susan Blakely as Judianne.

4K Ultra HD Disc and Bluray features include Featuring Both the Original 118-minute Theatrical Version and an All-New 123-minute Extended Version, Both Versions Remastered in 4K Resolution from the Original Camera Negative, 5.1 Audio and Original Mono for the Theatrical Version, Director’s Commentary (Theatrical Version Only), Making-Of Documentary “Looking Back” and Theatrical Trailer.

In close collaboration with Barbara Streisand and in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Sydney Pollack’s classic film, Columbia Pictures presents a new extended version of THE WAY WE WERE – restoring two important scenes where the love story and the political story come together alongside the original theatrical version.

THE WAY WE WERE captured the hearts of audiences fifty years ago and even made hearts thump at the unusual ending to the story. It has continually stood the test of time and can never be duplicated. Streisand and Redford are absolutely impeccable in their roles and bring heart and soul to the film. I remember the first time I saw this film and re-watching it, the feeling is still exactly the same.

It is the story of two worlds and two people who collided – one is head-strong and has a clear point of view about the world and its injustices and the other does not truly understand what is point of view is. In the mix of that is an undeniable love between these same two people that couldn’t keep them apart for long. Even at the end, their emotions are still so strong and palpable and that is the heartbreaking part of all.

In the end – everything seemed so important then…even love!

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray, DVD and Digital from director Josh Greenbaum, written by Dan Perrault and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is a dog’s world of STRAYS.

Reggie (voiced by Will Ferrell) is a small and loveable Border Terrier who lives with Doug (Will Forte). Not realizing he is being treated badly by Doug, Reggie sees their almost daily game of ‘find your way home’ as fun. That is until one day Doug goes way out of his way to play the game leaving Reggie in a world he doesn’t know.

That’s when Reggie meets Bug (voiced by Jamie Foxx), a Boston Terrier who may be small but has a huge, well, attitude and view of the world. He almost immediately takes Reggie under his paw to show him the life of being a stray. Reggie tries to explain he is not a stray and Reggie realizes the very sheltered life his new friend has lived.

Bug introduces Reggie to his friends Maggie (Isla Fisher) is a lovely Australian Shepherd with a nose like no other and Hunter (Randall Park) a Great Dane who might be a therapy dog but needs a bit of therapy himself. When they all hear Reggie’s story, they group decides to return to Reggie’s home so that he can show Doug what he really thinks of him.

Along the way, they all experience some of the craziest things known to dog kind and their reaction is, well, howlingly perfect!

Ferrell as Terrier Reggie is adorable, accepting and just sees the world in a sweet way. That is until he realizes that perhaps his new friends are telling him the truth. He is torn between wanting to be accepted by Doug and seeing the world in a whole new light. Ferrell lends his voice giving Reggie such sweetness but even sweet will talk a dog only so far.

Foxx as Boston Terrier Bug may be small but he makes his presence larger than life. Not about to take anything from anyone, man nor beast, he makes his stray rules clear and lives by them completely. Bug is inappropriate and hilarious all at the same time and Foxx lends his voice in such a way that I certainly wouldn’t want to mess with him, well, most of the time anyway.

Fisher as Maggie is a gorgeous Australian Shepherd who is almost the mother figure of the bunch but knows what she is good at and that’s sniffing! She has a bit of the feels for one of the pack but isn’t quite sure how to handle it. Fisher gives us charming, loveable, protective and one-of-the-boys without giving up being one-of-the-girls!

Park as Hunter the Great Dane is just a hot mess of issues. Insecure about his failures and hiding behind what our family calls ‘the cone of shame’, Hunter has a bit of the feels for a member of the pack as well. He wants so badly to be as brave as the others and sometimes questions it all but man, I just love Parks voice as a big dog with a small voice.

Forte as Doug soon realizes that perhaps revenge against an ex-girlfriend has the huge potential of being the worst thing he could have done. That being said, he is a manipulating, lying, using bit of an a-hole who really deserves everything he gets from both human and beast. When a dog adores you, don’t abuse that or else, well, Doug knows what the what else is!

More cast include Josh Gad as Gus, Havey Guillen as Sh%*stain, Jack De Sanz as Munchkin,Phil Morris as Bubsy, David Herman as Underbite, Charity Cervantes as Jenna, Rob Riggle as Rolf, Brett Gelman as Willy, Jamie Demetriou as Chester, Sofia Vegara as Deliliah the Couch, Greta Lee as Bella, Jimmy Tatro as Finn, and Dennis Quaid as Dennis Quaid.

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment brings amazing film to theatres and their home entertainment library and making it available for us to all experience and re-experience in our own home theaters. There are films of every genre available from scary to drama to family films. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.uphe.com.

Bonus Features include Talk Like a Dog, The Ultimate Treat: Making STRAYS, Poop, Booms and Shrooms, Will Forte: STRAY Actor, Training to be STRAY, A New Best Friend, and Feature Commentary with Director/Producer Josh Greenbaum and Screenwriter/Producer Dan Perrault.

STRAYS is a cute dog movie, yes, but it is not, I repeat, is not meant for children at all. Okay, now that that’s out of the way let’s get down and dirty because that’s what STRAYS is. It is a raunchy, dirty, pushing the limits and then jumping off the cliff comedy about what the hounds may be thinking, saying and doing when humans aren’t paying attention.

The jokes are good, the dogs are awesome, but man oh man be prepared to see things you never thought to see on the screen done by dogs. Is this raunchy humor, absolutely, did I laugh a lot, absofrakkenlootely. Mixed in with the laughter were moans, groans, ewwwwwww’s and every other human emotion regarding the things our four-legged furry friends might be thinking.

This is the kind of film that lets you know up front it isn’t about to play the cutsie game (even though there are cutsie moments) and its every dawg for themselves. No bones about it, when the big dog comes out, stand back because the poop is going to fly.

In the end – listen to their bark or face the bite!