DVD Reviews

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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!

Revisiting the Horror of THANKSGIVING

Jeri Jacquin

Coming from infamous director Eli Roth and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment comes a serving up of the bloody kind on THANKSGIVING.

It’s the holiday season in Plymouth, Massachusetts and a time for family gathering and good food. That is unless you own the local RightMart store that is having a Black Friday sale. Jessica’s (Nell Verlaque) knows all to well of the chaos as her father Thomas (Rick Hoffman) owns the store. Store manager Mitch (Ty Victor Olsson) has missed his family’s dinner to run to the store and handle the out-of-control crowd.

Jessica takes boyfriend Bobby (Jalen Brooks) and friends Evan (Tomaso Sanelli), Yulia (Jenna Warren), Scuba (Gabriel Davenport) and Evan through a side store door but see what is happening outside. When the people outside see them, it causes a break through the store doors and the horror is captured, posted on social media and Bobby disappears.

A year later, RightMart is having another Black Friday sale and residents are not happy about it, especially Mitch. Jessica, new boyfriend Ryan (Milo Manheim) and friends wake up to be tagged in a social media post. It is eerie with a photo of a well-set Thanksgiving table with their names on the plate tags. Not long after, murder begins to happen in their small town by someone in a John Carver mask.

Sheriff Eric Newlon (Patrick Dempsey) is on the case and knows everyone that is involved in the posting. He tries to reassure everyone that he is following all leads. As the killings continue, Jessica and Bobby try to figure out what is causing it all. From axes to buzzsaws, it leads them ever closer to who is responsible for tearing up their Thanksgiving once again.

Verlaque as Jessica is a young woman dealing with a future step-mother, a father who has checked out a bit and a boyfriend who has disappeared. A year after the incident, Jessica is trying to live a normal life with very little success. When Bobby reappears, she is confused but that doesn’t last as the killings begin. Verlaque gives a strong female role but that doesn’t mean horror is put on the back burner.

Brooks as Bobby is dealing with his own serious trauma from the RightMart tragedy. Coming home Brooks’ character Bobby wants the chance to make things right with Jessica. That gets put on hold when he also wants to find out who is killing off everyone from the tragedy. Manheim as Ryan is the show off of the group and the loudest which isn’t the smartest thing if you are trying to avoid an axe murderer.

Dempsey as the town sheriff knows the families and kids involved. He makes it clear that he wants to find the killer. Dempsey definetly fits the look of a town law man as he navigates trying to put the pieces together of why anyone would kill in such a cruel manner.

Other cast include Addison Rae as Gaby, Tim Dillon as Manny, Russell Yuen as Peter Chu, Derek McGrath as Mayor Cantin, Jeff Teravainen as Bret Labelle, Joe Delfin as McCarty, Karen Cliché as Kathleen, Gina Gershon as Amanda Collins and Adam MacDonald as the voice of John Carver.

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 on Bluray and Digital include Exclusives, Deleted & Extended Scenes, Outtakes, Massachusetts Movies: Eli & Jeff’s Early Films, Behind the Screams, Gore Galore and Commentary with Eli Roth and Jeff Rendell. The DVD Special Features include Behind the Screams, Gore Galore and Commentary with Eli Roth and Jeff Rendell.

THANKSGIVING puts the gore in horror and doesn’t forget to add bits of twisted humor, the reality of Black Friday store shopping and plenty of ‘who-dun’ it’. Roth puts it all in a shaker and, like blood splatter, throws it up against the wall to see what it will look like. There is nothing left to the imagination and a few creative bits of gruesome that I hadn’t even considered, well done Mr. Roth.

My family loves Thanksgiving, the preparation, eating but not so much the clean-up. So, we find a way to distract ourselves from it and watch a some of our favorite movies. We are always looking for new and interesting additions and are quite picky. There should be no surprise to anyone who knows us as a family that ‘feel good rom-coms’ are not on the list. THANKSGIVING is now the top of our list!

There was cheering, groaning, laughing – you know, all the inappropriate reactions to a good horror film. That makes Roth practically family!

In the end – this year there will be no leftovers!

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!

NEXT GOAL WINS Arrives on

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray and DVD from writer/director Taika Waititi and Searchlight Pictures comes the unusual story of a soccer team they never see coming with NEXT GOAL WINS.

Soccer coach Thomas Rongen’s (Michael Fassbender) life is about to change but necessarily not the way he thinks. Up against a committee that includes estranged wife Gail (Elisabeth Moss) and smug Alex Magnussen (Will Arnett) he is given the opportunity to do something most consider impossible – coach the American Samoa national team. The reason it is considered impossible is because they have never goaled, not once.

Arriving in American Samoa, it is clear that Rongen is not a happy man. Meeting the team of players, he immediately thinks it is all a joke knowing he can’t turn back. He meets Tavita (Oscar Kightley) who introduces him to the team and eventually becomes a sort of spiritual guide for Rongen and Ace (David Fane) a coach who is more a father figure than a coach.

Daru (Beulah Koale) is on the team of those who haven’t really been coached before and the surprise for the new coach is Jaiyah (Kaimana). Preparing them to become an elite soccer squad before World Cup qualifiers is a challenge for Rongen and it takes a lot of learning for him to realize that perhaps he is the reason things aren’t going well.

Yet, the team comes together, Rogen finds where he belongs and the team finds what they have been looking for and that’s just one goal!

Fassbender as Rongen is a disgruntled soccer coach that is on the outs with the wife and dealing with something he can’t talk about. Being sent to American Somona feels like the worse punishment and once he sees what the team he is coaching is about, he feels like it is worse than he could ever have imagined. Fassbender is surrounded by a cast that just keeps the viewer one step away from totally wanting to kick a ball to his face but his character does grow on us all.

Kightley as Tavita is the spiritual coach of the team. He realizes quickly that Rongen has to be guided to the one thing Tavita has asked the universe for, one single solitary goal! I truly enjoyed Kightley’s character as the solid and calm needed in the chaos. Kaimana as Jaiyah gives Rongen a reason to rethink so much about how he sees the world but also Kaimana gives us a look at Jaiya’s own personal struggles of acceptance.

Koale as Daru is a young man who wants so much to give his father, Tavita, something to be proud of and resolve his own feelings about playing soccer. Koale gives us a young man who is proud of his heritage, family and friends which is the warm blanket of cuddles I love about the film.

Other cast include Rachel House as Ruth, Uli Latukefu as Nicky, Chris Alosio as Jonah, Rhys Darby as Rhys Marlin, Angus Sampson as Angus Bendleton, Luke Hemsworth as Keith, Kaitlyn Dever as Nicole, David Tu’itupou as Tall David, Levy Tuiala as Chief Sila, Frankie Adams as Frangipani, Semu Filipo as Rambo, Chris Alosio as Jonah, Lehi Falepapalangi as Pisa, Ioane Goodhue as Smiley, Hio Pelesasa as Samson, and Taika Waititi as the American Samoan Priest.

Bonus Features include the Featurette Creating The Pitch of Life - Explore filmmaker Taika Waititi’s loving homage to American Samoa, Polynesian culture, and the sports movie in this delightfully entertaining short-form documentary. See what it took to make a winning movie about the losingest soccer team in the world, Deleted Scene and Priest Blessing the Team.

NEXT GOAL WINS is a humorous and human look at individuals who each have their own struggles but when they come together, amazing and wonderful things begin to happen. The team shows what they have been lacking and Rongen shows what he can be good at given the chance. Leadership doesn’t mean just one leader when they all have the potential!

The film is based on the documentary Next Goal Wins written in 2014 by Mike Brett and Steve Jamison. It is based on the American Samoa soccer team who lost to Australia in 2001 with a score of 31-0 and considered to be the worst World Cup loss in the history of the game.

But hey, you can’t win them all right? Wrong.

In the end – just one goal!

The World is in Trouble with THE WANDERING EARTH II

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray from writer/director Frant Gwo and Well Go USA is the intense story of our world when looking for THE WANDERING EARTH II.

The United Earth Government is put together when they discover the Earth is being threatened by our own sun. It is continuing to expand and the only way to save mankind is to literally move the planet. The idea is to build over ten thousand fusion engines and push the Earth to a safer place. At the same time, the Lunar Exile Project wants to push the Moon away from the Earth.

UEG decides that to continue humanity, they would create mind technologies that will allow a person to be digitally uploaded. This doesn’t sit well with people and protests begin to occur. When a terrorist attack happens hitting the place where the engines are being constructed, the fighting begins between trying to save the planet and the people trying to survive. Liu Peiqiang (Wu Jing) is able to help but not in time for the Ark Space station to be destroyed.

When countries decide to stop with the program, China attempts to finish the engines. Tu Hengyu (Andy Lau) is brought out of hibernation and has the new computer that will test the Lunar engine. He also has his daughter Yaya on a hard drive having loaded her consciousness before leaving Earth. On Earth, over the next fourteen years, the engines are built while shelters are built for Earth’s citizens. Liu Peiqiang marries fellow astronaut Han Duoduo (Wang Zhi) and the project is renamed Wandering Earth Project.

The solar radiation is out of control as the sun becomes more and more dangerous. Peiqiang wants to help rebuild the Navigator ISS. The UEG knows it must detonate nuclear weapons on the moon’s Campanus Crater and after doing so realizes that the engines on Earth are not ready to move the planet. Tu Hengyu is called upon to get things back on track or the moon’s debris will destroy the earth before it can move towards Jupiter.

It is a change that will last generation after generation!

Jing as Peiqiang is a man pushed to his technological and emotional limits. He knows what is happening around him and makes it his goal to volunteer to help. Of course, he does this for his own personal reasons as well. Jing gives us a character that is dedicated to his job but also shows his emotions and the reasons for them.

Lau as Tu Hengyu is a man with a history that involves his young daughter and technology. They are intertwined together and it is up to him to find out how to correct the mistakes that have been made. When he does, it is absolutely everything. Lau takes his character from start to finish and doesn’t let off the gas once. Well done!

Cast include Li Xuejian as Zhou Zhezhi, Sha Yi as Zhang Peng, Ning Li as Ma Zhao, Zhu Yanmanzi as Hao Ziaoxi, Khalid Ghanem as Tower Commander, Andy Friend as Mike, Vitalli Makarychev as Andre Graschnov, Clara Lee as Tony Nicholson and Daniela Dassy as the Brazilian astronaut.

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.

THE WANDERING EARTH II is an eye full coming in at 174 minutes but don’t let that shy you away. It is a feast for the senses filled with excitement, tension, suspense, and CGI that is nothing short of stellar on every level. From the space crafts to the planets themselves, the pictures are crisp and full of color (even if that color is moon gray).

The cast gives it their all with a script that pops back and forth between what has happened to what is going to happen and each character goes in full force. There are stories here that are filled with emotion because once people realize the world is on the verge of ending, high emotions come into play as decisions about family must be made.

It is such a large cast and they should all be congratulated for bringing such an epic story to the screen. Surrounded by so much in the way of special effects, it does not stop their performances from coming across strongly. What an amazing project to be part of and they should all be very proud of what they accomplished.

THE WANDERING EARTH II is an epic space journey of man and the solar system so prepare for disaster to happen!

In the end – their goal is to save the earth!

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!

In a Stellar Six-Disc Collection is MASAAKI YUASA: Five Films

Jeri Jacquin

Coming in a stunning five film pack from director Masaaki Yuasa, GKids and Shout Studios comes a MASAAKI YUASA: Five Films.

Written and directed by Yuasa, MIND GAMES arrived in 2004 comedy that came about from Robin Nishi’s manga. In his directorial debut, Yuasa tells the story of Nishi from Osaka who wants to become a comic book artist. On night on the subway, he runs into Myon who happily takes him to meet her family.

But things turn bad and Nishi must come to Myon’s rescue in a violent turn-about. In a moment of life, death and brave choices, Nishi is on the run with Myon and her sister Yan. The yakuza men that started all of this are hot on their trail. Finding refuge in the most unlikely of places, it only buys them a little time before they once again must make life and death choices.

In 2017, director Yuasa brings the romantic comedy THE NIGHT IS SHORT, WALK ON GIRL based on an earlier novel of the same name written by Tomihiko Morimi. Two university students as Kohai meets Todo at a club but it is at a party where she participates in a drinking game with Rihaku (who is a powerful being) and wins.

At a school festival, Senpai and Kohai go to a book festival and Rihaku is also there but this time is having a food contest to win a rare book. Senpai wins a book but everything is side tracked as people fall ill. Finally, Senapi returns something meaningful to Kohai!

Also in 2017, director Yuasa brings LU OVER THE WALL which is also written by Yuasa and Reiko Yoshida. Kai is a young man who lives in Hinashi Town with his grandfather. He is part of a bank with his friends Kunio and Yuho. When Kai arrives on Merfolk Island, he meets Lu, a girl who has both a fin and legs. Along with her abilities come dangers.

When grandfather reopens a merfolk park, Kai’s band opens in a show but it is Lu who makes a splash. Yuho is upset and causes an uproar in the town that leads to Lu’s dangers becoming even more so. It becomes clear that the two sides must find a way to live together.

RIDE YOUR WAVE comes in 2019 as director Yuasa brings a stunningly beautiful story to the screen. Hinako Mukaimizu is a college student who takes on surfing the clear waves. The young woman is nineteen and quickly deals with life when a fire breaks out and she is rescued by Minato Hinageshi, a local firefighter.

Tragedy is not done with Hinako who leaves her beloved waves but Minato is not out of her life. Visiting his family, she meets sister Yoko and learns more about what inspired him to be a firefighter. Her brother also told her to ‘ride her own wave’. Again, tragedy strikes Hinako and her friends but now they have a choice on how they survive and grow stronger.

Finally, in 2021, Yuasa directs INU-OH based on the novel Tales of the Heike: Inu-Oh by Hideo Furukawa. The story is about Inu-Oh and his friend Tomoari. Living in Japan during the 14th century, the dancer and musician have shunned by those around them but nothing is going to stop them from being creative.

Their performances bring unwanted attention but the troupe they perform with tell the story behind what has happened to Inu-Oh. How a young boy, a father and a mask all bring about a performance that will come again in the future with Tomoari’s patience.

GKIDS brings award-winning feature animation for both adult and family audiences. The company has received ten Best Animated Feature Oscar nominations including The Secret of Kells, A Cat in Paris, The Tale of Princess Kaguya and The Breadwinner. GKIDS is also a distributor for Studio Ghibli films including Spirited Away and Princess Monokie and many more. To learn more about GKIDS please visit www.gkids.com.

Special Features include English-language dub of THE NIGHT IS SHORT, WALK ON GIRL for the first time on Bluray, Two Short Films by Masaaki Yuasa – Happy Machine (2007) and Kick-Heart (2013), Filmmaker Commentaries for MIND GAME, LU OVER THE WALL and INU-OH, and Scene Breakdowns and Commentaries from Each Feature Film, Masaaki Yuasa Draws Characters from MIND GAME, LU OVER THE WALL, and INU-OH.

Also, Filmmaker Interviews About LU OVER THE WALL, THE NIGHT IS SHORT, WALK ON GIRL, and INU-OH, A Night Out with Yuasa: An Exclusive Interview with Masaaki Yuasa at a Los Angeles Speakeasy, Where He Discusses His Inspirations, Favorite Type of Restaurants, Perfect Vacation, Dancing, and more, a 60-Page Book Featuring an Essay by Emily Yoshida and Excerpts from Masaaki Yuasa’s Sketchbooks and more!

This is a stunning collection and any anime fan would be absolutely thrilled to receive it as a gift. There are intense stories here but also vivid color, fantastic scenes, and brilliant animation from start to finish. The story telling is ethereal and, in fact, mesmerizing to watch come to fruition. If allowed to have a favorite, it would be RIDE YOUR WAVE because I live near the ocean and the colors are stunning in the film with a story that touches my heart.

Yuasa brings visual artistry and is the most visionary animator who is beloved and celebrated all over the world. This collection includes stunning art by Yuasa in the packaging, a 13x21 poster of the new art and an exclusive 60-page book celebrating the work of this one-of-a-kind storyteller. There are excerpts from the creative’s sketchbook and this six-disc set of MASAAKI YUASA: Five Films can be ordered on GKIDS.com/Yuasa and ShoutFactory.com.

Adding MASAAKI YUASA: Five Films to your own home entertainment library is going to be the crown jewel in any collection. Now, you still have time to ask Santa for that last special treat in time for Christmas too! Happy Holidays!

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!

BUTCHER’S CROSSING

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray from writer/director Gabe Polsky and Saban Films from the novel of the same name by John Edward Williams is the tale of BUTCHER’S CROSSING.

The west is still wild in 1874 when Will Andrews (Fred Hechinger) has decided to head west and experience it all. Joining Miller (Nicolas Cage) on a buffalo hunt, he learns what it takes from a true buffalo hunter taking him to Colorado. Wanting to see it all for himself, Andrews puts up the money for the adventure of a lifetime in Colorado.

Along is Charlie Hoge (Xander Berkeley) to be their camp cook and skinner Fred Schneider (Jeremy Bobb) and neither believe that Miller knows of the place where the buffalo still roam in big herds. When Miller finds the herd, weeks of slaughter begin and Will begins to feel the emotional strain of it all. When Schneider points out that they have more than they can carry, Miller refuses to stop even though winter is on its way.

When a blizzard comes in, the four men must find a way to survive which is the easy part since they are all turning against one another. If that isn’t horror enough, the spring and return to Butcher’s Crossing bring another setback. Will realizes that the romantic notion of the west he once had has turned to dust and Miller’s dreams of his own are equally worthless.

Welcome to the west.

Cage as Miller once again plays a role that he does oh so well, that of a man out of control to the point that no one knows what will come next. The moment his character discovers the large herd of buffalo, nothing else matters, not even the men he is with. The character of Miller doesn’t have much to say but when he says it you had better pay attention. I enjoyed watching Cage get his western chops on film, especially getting to play a character that is so unnerving.

Hechinger as Andrews is a young man who leaves a prestigious college to go out and see the west and all the wild he hopes it will have. Taking his own money to bring that dream to fruition, it is nothing that he anticipated. What he discovers is that there are men, like the ones he is with, that are as unpredictable and dangerous as the land surrounding them. Hechinger brings his character face to face with reality and the emotional toll that all of it takes on the human body and soul.

Berkeley as Hoge is a man who can not deal with what is happening around him and it doesn’t help that the skinner continually harasses him. Yet, he is a man of the wilderness who knows how to deal with it all in his own way. Bobb as Schneider hates that Miller is controlling everything and not listening to reason. He also is a character who seems to enjoy tormenting those around him for his amusement and that will cost him.

Saban Films was launched in 2014 and has built an impressive slate of high-quality feature films distributed with partner Lionsgate. Focusing on talent-driven films, the company looks at projects in all stages of production to be released across multiple platforms. Films such as SISTER OF THE GROOM, FATMAN and BREACH are part of the wonderful Saban slate, and more information can be found at www.sabanfilms.com.

First of all, the cinematography of the film, shot on the land belonging to the Blackfeet Nation in Montana, is stunning with its beauty and openness. That lends to the story that Polsky is trying to tell as the scenery is a silent character in the film and in that silence screams. Just absolutely amazing and worthy of praise.

BUTCHER’S CROSSING is the story of four men caught in a situation that won’t resolve itself with ease. Dominating with fear and brutality, Cage’s character Miller leads the cast with an insanity that permeates every frame of the film. Offsetting that brutality is Hechinger’s character Andrews, who just wanted to see the west, discovers quickly that what is in his head, his body can not handle. Dealing with what he is seeing sends him in a tailspin.

This film is well done, well directed and equally stunning visually. It is not filled with emotional music and special effects but instead, a brutal look at a world that none of us could ever comprehend. It also addresses the effects of bison hunting and who has stepped up to save what is left of these powerful animals.

In the end – who is the true savage animal?

THE FLYING SWORDSMAN Lands on DVD

Jeri Jacquin

Currently on DVD from director Lei Qiao and Well Go USA comes the tale of secrets, power and revenge with THE FLYING SWORDSMAN.

There are secrets and conspiracy between a group of villains and a sword master who are all looking for a box that has the destination for treasure. Death follows the group where ever they go destroying village after village trying to put the two together. In the middle of it all is Qing Wen/the Hidden Fox (Chen Yusi) who, as a young boy, has been living with Miao Reneng (Mark Cheng) and his daughter Zheng Sanniang (Chen Zihan).

Now grown, he follows the deceitful plot of Reneng wanting to find both the map and the key before the others in the group of villains. Each villain has a power that the others don’t know about and as they continue their search, the tables are turning as death and destruction come to the villains.

Each of them will soon discover that revenge has a way of coming around!

Yusi as Qing Wen is a powerful character in that he does not have much to say but is observant to everything happening around him and what everyone has to say. He is cautious in following out the plans played out before him but certainly makes it clear that no one is going to stop him from his ultimate goal. Yusi is engrossing to watch in this role and when its time to get serious, his moves are swift and powerful.

Zihan as Sanniang is a beautiful young woman who is obedient to her father and has no problem taking on any fight that comes her way. She, like Qing Wen, does not say much but when she does you can be sure that something bad is about to happen to you! I enjoy watching female characters that don’t mind getting their hands dirty and Zihan’s character is all in from start to finish.

Cheng as Reneg is an evil man using every one around him to get what he wants and that is especially true when treasure is involved. He may be a vindictive villain but he definetly has plans of his own and doesn’t care what anyone else says or wants. Using his daughter and ward Qing Wen to obtain his devilish goals, Cheng is on the mark with the mix of emotions for his character but evil always wins out in his case.

Other cast include Ray Lui as Tao Baisui, Ben Ng as Hu Yidao, Chu Yu Shan Shan as Bao Shu, Fu Jia as Yin Ji, Huawei Zhao as Gui Yu and Yi Yang as Zhou Yunyang.

THE FLYING SWORDSMAN is a in Mandarin with English subtitles and has a running time of 104-minutes of action.

The film definetly embraces action and swordplay but with each of the eight villains having their own powers that are unique. I enjoyed that each didn’t know what the other’s power was which made for interesting and continual plot twists. The setting for the film is set in snow, blizzards and fog acting as a silent villain if you ask me. That being said, it is a perfect set up allowing the moments of scenic color to truly feel vibrant.

Director Qiao has taken given this story many levels and it is important to keep up with the timeline. The tale has so many twists, turns and subplots that one bowl of popcorn wasn’t enough for me. So, make sure the bowl is big enough and settle in for an epic tale of revenge, greed and secrets!

In the end – soon there will be no more secrets and plenty of revenge!

THE CHILDE

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray, DVD and Digital from writer/director Park Hoon-jung and Well Go USA is the story of a fight for life when it comes to THE CHILDE.

Marco (Kang Tae-joo) is attempting to deal with the needs of his very sick mother. One way is by illegal fighting that goes on in the Philippines paying him but he is always looking for other ways to earn money. Marco is also using his money to find out where he’s father, who is Korean, might be to help pay for a surgery she needs. A friend offers him a side job but it proves dangerous as it goes wrong.

He receives a call saying his father is actually looking for Marco and wants to see him. With the promise of paying for surgery and leaving his mother in the care of a hospice nurse, Marco flies to Korea to meet his father. On the plane he meets a man who explains he is a friend but what he tells Marco doesn’t make sense. Arriving and whisked away to meet his father, he is ambushed by an assassin called the Nobleman (Kim Deon-ho), the same man he met on the plane.

But, the Nobelman isn’t his only concern as Han Yi-sa (Kim Kang-woo) has decided that Marco’s father’s fortune should be his and Yoon-ju (Go Ara), a woman with a mystery of her own. Now Marco is on the run in a country he doesn’t know with people not explaining why it is all happening to him. When he does discover what it is all about, he will certainly need a friend to guide him through it all.

Sometimes a friend is all you have!

Tae-joo as Marco is a man who has spent years taking care of his mother and it’s getting more difficult. Trying to find his father is the answer, or so he thinks. Once he has made contact with his father, going to Korea seemed the next logical step but what happens the moment he lands in Korea is a whole other story. Watching Tae-joo taking on such a physical role is absolutely impressive. From his boxing scenes to constantly being on the run, this actor takes on the mystery and the madness.

Seon-ho as the Nobleman is absolutely stunning in this role. He is devilishly hilarious, calm to the core, impeccably dressed (gawd forbid he gets blood on his shoes), laser focused, saucy and very patient. These are all unusual but seriously awesome in this role. Seon-ho delivers to the point that I found myself giggling at some of the things he says and how he behaves. The action he delivers is straight forward and bloody yet still weirdly calm. It actually was quite enjoyable and, may I say, I love Seon-ho’s portrayal of the Nobleman! Well played Seon-ho, well played!

Kang-woo as Yi-sa is arrogant and believes that the world should do whatever he wants. He sees no consequences for his actions and thinks taking someone out is the way to go. He is ruthless and only knows one thing, causing havoc for his own personal gain. Kang-woo gives his characters moments but it must be said, those moments are viciously brutal.

Ara as Yoon-ju has her own way of handling things and it is clear she is a stunner behind the wheel of a car. Ra-el as sister Ga-young is arrogant, full of herself and knows that the family is dangerous but perhaps not as dangerous as she can be.

Other cast include Lee Ki-young as Kim Seon-saeng, Heo Joon-seok as Andrew Kang, Caroline Magbojos as Marco’s Mother, Jeong Ra-el as Han Ga-young, Choic Jung-woo as Chairman Han and Justin Harvey.

THE CHILDE is in Korean with English subtitles coming in at 118 minutes.

THE CHILDE is definetly a thrill ride of plot twists, storylines and characters you will likely never forget. The secrets keep Marco on his toes most of all as he attempts to discover what his role in the chaos is. As the pieces come together, Marco realizes that everything he had hoped for his life has all just been thrown to the wind.

The car chases are filmed beautifully and the cinematography is just so darn well done. Director Park Hoon-jung has written a story and put every thrilling moment on film. It is so well done and full of thrills as Marco and the Nobleman carry each and every frame of film they are in.

This is one of the finest thrill rides to enter us into 2024 and I absolutely will be watching it again. That’s my favorite thing to do when a film has captured my attention, a second watch is required! So, buckle up because they are not about to slow down for anyone or anything and get in their way and bullets will fly!

In the end – he is on the run!

Denzel Washington is Back with EQUALIZER 3

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD, Bluray and Digital from director Antoine Fuqua and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the return of the man known as the EQUALIZER 3.

Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) is sitting in a winery of crime boss Lorenzo Vitale. He is waiting to get a key that will help him get money that was stolen and while leaving, is shot in the back. Driving to get help, he passes out and is found by cop Gio Bonucci (Eugenio Mastrandrea) and taken to Altamonte where Dr. Arisio (Remo Girone) takes care of him.

Recovering, he calls Emma Collins (Dakota Fanning) who now works for the CIA to tell her what is happening and what he found at the winery. The CIA, with Collins go to Sicily and finds cash and drugs. Walking around the town, Robert watches and listens to what is happening to the people. A man named Marco Quaranta (Andrea Dodero), a member of the Camorra, is part of a plan hurting the villagers, taking their money or their house and brutalizing small business owners.

Robert decides to intervene softly but to no avail and the Camorra now have something to really worry about. The Camorra fire bomb a fish store, Bonucci is attacked and Collins is under attack. Camorra’s Vincent (Andrea Scarduzio) is taking great pleasure in putting further fear into the town by demanding they hand over Robert. Forcing Vincent and his gang to retreat, Robert knows this is something he has to do alone.

Finding solace in this town, he is going to make sure they are safe and that Collins knows he still keeps an eye on her from afar. Has Robert MacCall finally found peace?

Washington as McCall plays a man who knows how to be destructive and does it in a subtle way. Never loud and angry, but what he says, he means and those who don’t believe it are shocked on their way to being dead. It is an interesting twist to this character and Washington could teach a master class on it. I enjoy this part of his career in that he doesn’t need to be hugely physical to make a point with the character of McCall. He is just smarter about how he handles it thanks to Washington.

Fanning as Collins is coming from behind the desk into the field trying to figure out who McCall is and why he feels the need to help her so much. It is nice to see Fanning and Washington together again as she creates her own side of the Equalizer story.

Mastrandrea as cop Gio Bonucci has a family to protect and a town that relies on him. Helping McCall was the first step to helping and it does cost him a bit. He is part of the solution to bringing justice to their lovely seaside town and McCall is going to help him get it all back.

Scarduzio as Vincent has been taking and taking with no one challenging his growth in power. McCall does because there isn’t anything for him to lose. Vincent, however, loses a brother and he wants payback of the biggest kind all while keeping the CIA away from his businesses. He has no fear of anyone or anything and Scarduzio is kind of scary actually1

Other cast include David Denman as Frank Conroy, Alessandro Pess as Viking, Daniele Perrone as Angelo, Dea Lanzaro as Gabriella Bonucci, Sonia Ben Ammar as Chiara Bonucci, Bruno Bilotta as Lorenzo Vitale and Gaia Scodellaro as Aminah.

Special Features on 4K and Bluray Over 15 Minutes of Deleted Scenes, Blood Brothers: The Collaboration of Denzel Washington & Antoine Fuqua, Call to Action, Robert McCall: A Man of the People, Denzel and Dakota: A Reunion, Postcards from the Amalfi Coast, and Jacob Banks “Monster” Lyric Viceo.

EQUALIZER 3 is an intense storyline that takes everybody up and down the emotional roller coaster following McCall. The good and the bad go head-to-head the only way they can – with destruction and a gun. Washington’s character only wants to find a place to rest and maybe even call a bit of home but, with evil all around him, it becomes difficult.

Not for McCall, the difficulty is for the bad guys who just don’t seem to realize that he doesn’t know the word quit. Every move he makes is clear and every warning he gives is verbal and using small words for criminals to understand. Yet, there are moments of pain, suffering and innocence lost but which happens when a town decides enough is enough.

Washington and Fuqua give it all and so much more. This story is not for the faint of heart but every moment of it has everything you need to know about Robert McCall.

In the end – justice knows no borders!

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.

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 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!

JUSTFIED: City Primeval Season One Returns

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray from FX and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the return of a successful series with JUSTIFIED: City Primeval Season One.

Willa Givens (Vivian Olyphant) is a fifteen-year-old problem child for Raylan (Timothy Olyphant) and it doesn’t get easier when criminals steal his car. That means he can’t take Willa off to camp meaning he now has to take her at the same time he is extraditing men to Michigan. Things don’t go easier in Detroit but, Raylan gets a gig with judge Guy (Keith David) as someone is trying to kill him. Things doing go according to plan when there is a third problem involving Clement Mansell (Boyd Holbrook) and Skender and they aren’t going to stop.

Rayland and Detective Robinson (Victor Williams) don’t know there is a history going back to 2017 and a robbery. Interesting that the good detective remembers the woman Sandy (Adelaide Clemens) and she is off telling Mansell the cops are snooping around and Sweety Sweeton (Vondie Curtis-Hall) is also in on what is happening. Later, Willa sees what her father is capable of when he deals with Mansell his way.

Mansell tells Carolyn but the police have other plans. One of the men working for Sweety finds the gun that could cause trouble and re-hides it. Things are getting heated as there is a larger plan that Raylan is getting involves with. Knowing this, Raylan has it out with his daughter making it clear she is returning to Florida.

Knowing that he is in bigger trouble than he could imagine, Mansell has Skender’s uncle after him. Sweety has no intention of helping Carolyn, especially when he learns that Judge Guy has a notebook that could destroy a lot of people and the Albanians are on the hunt as well. Raylan is in over his head with Carolyn and Mansell starts off his blackmail schemes to get money from anyone in the notebook.

Rayland, working with detective Downey (Marin Ireland) are trying to get information about the notebook as well. Everyone wants their name off the list and will do just about anything to get it. It’s all starting to fall apart when they learn where the mysterious gun might be and everyone starts singing like a flock of birds. When it is all said and done, Raylan wants to high tail it back to Miami to continue his retirement but – when the phone rings…..

Olyphant as Raylan brings back the swagger the series became known for and he picks it up like a favorite overcoat and the fit is perfect. The one thing about Raylan the viewer can be sure of, his involvement in things is not surface but goes deep with so many twists and turns that you could get whiplash keeping up. That’s what made the series so successful and I’m thrilled to see him back in action.

Other cast include Norbert Leo Butz as Norbert Bryl, Ravi V. Patel as Rick, Paul Calderon as Det. Cruz, Amin Joseph as Jamal, Regina Taylor as Diane, David Cross as Dickey, Terry Kinney as Toma Costia, Natalie Zea as Winona, Luiz Guzman as Officer Ramirez, Matt Craven as Dan Grant, David Koechner as Dep. Sutter, and Walton Goggins as Boyd Crowder.

Episodes include City Primeval, The Oklahoma Wildman, Backstabbers, Kokomo, You Good?, Adios, The Smoking Gun, and The Question.

JUSTFIED: City Primeval is the perfect season one to binge on and, just to make things more interesting, I watched all the previous seasons prior. That made for a fun time getting to spend a little quality time with Raylan (come on, you know you love it) and remembering bits and pieces about the character that I had forgotten.

FX did a fantastic job creating this series in the first place with its memorable (shout out Goggins!!) characters. I don’t see this as much as bringing it back and picking up where we left off. There is no way that the character of Raylan was going to ‘retire’ because it is just not in his wheelhouse. Instead, he is still as good as he always was and will continue to be so, thanks to good writing, as we wait for a potential new season.

In the end - dust off your cowboy boots and hats because the handsome sheriff is back in town!

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 OFFICE: Complete Christmas Collection on DVD

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray and DVD from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is a group of people who know how to party during the holidays with THE OFFICE: Complete Christmas Collection.

The gang of the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company celebrate with a Christmas Party at the office. This year’s gift exchange has a $20 limit but, as usual, no one pays attention to the rules. As each picks a person and decides on what gift will suit them, Michael (Steve Carell) isn’t happy with his gift from Phyllis (Phyllis Smith) and decides to do a Yankee Swap. So, there is a reshuffling as everyone panics with Pam (Jenna Fischer) exchanging, Jim (John Krasinski) worked hard on Pam’s gift, and Kelly’s (Mindy Kaling) gift is going to be really hard to swap out!

In The Benihana Christmas, Michael is dealing with the breakup with Carol (Nancy Walls). The rest of the gang including Andy (Ed Helms), Dwight (Rainn Wilson), and Jim go to Benihana’s. Once there, Michael and Andy manage to get dates! At the office, A Christmas party is being planned but there is a lot of tension between Pam, Angela (Angela Kinsey) and Karen (Rashida Jones). Leaving them to deal with it, Michael heads off to Jamaica!

It is time to celebrates a Moroccan Christmas as Phyllis (Phyllis Smith) plans this themed party. As the spiked punch flows, so does Meredith (Kate Flannery) as Dwight comes to the rescue. Michael feels it is time to talk about Meredith’s problem and tries to trick her to get some help. Dwight is also busy trying to make a buck off of the holidays with a Princess Unicorn but Jim is literally not buying it. Angela is keeping busy trying to rearrange Christmas to be more Moroccan.

Time for Secret Santa as Michael shows up in a Santa suit after it had already been decided that Phyllis would do it. Michael is not about to give up his spot and does everything possible to keep all eyes on him. When Jim tries to put him in his place, an upset Michael calls CFO David (Andy Buckley) but he’s busy selling the business. Oscar (Oscar Nunez) has a crush and Pam wants to help make his Christmas wish to come true. Michael isn’t finished acting like a bad Santa as secrets aren’t so secret any more.

When Michael learns that Toby (Paul Lieberstein) is taking off for jury duty, Holly (Amy Ryan) takes his place in Classy Christmas. But, its time for a second Christmas party because Michael is thrilled to see Holly again. The problem is, Holly is with A.J. (Rob Huebel) forcing him to tell a little relationship lie of his own. Darryl’s (Craig Robinson) daughter Jada needs a little Christmas cheer so Pam and Andy try to help. Jim and Dwight decide its time for an indoor snowball fight!

Christmas Wishes as Andy wants to make everyone’s wishes come true with the addendum to all to please be nice to girlfriend Jessica (Eleanor Seigler). The only one who doesn’t want any part of being nice is Erin (Ellie Kemper) nor does Robert (James Spader). When a prank pulled by Dwight and Jim goes a little wrong, Cathy (Lindsey Broad) doesn’t think it was all that funny. It doesn’t seem to stop the two from getting on Santa’s naughty list big time!

Finally, it is a Dwight Christmas as Dwight wants the office to help celebrate a Schrute Pennslvania Dutch Christmas. Andy is still sailing the Caribbean and Toby (Paul Lieberstein) tells Nellie (Catherine Tate) all about the Scranton Strangler. Darryl and Jim have to talk about a new job in Philly and Pete (Jake Lacy) clues Erin in on the finer points of the film DIE HARD (yea, yea, we know Bruce…DIE HARD isn’t a Christmas movie).

The Bonus Features include Producer’s Extended Cut of “Secret Santa”, Deleted Scenes and Audio Commentary with “Christmas Party” Commentary with Jenna Fischer, B.J. Novak, Kate Flannery, David Denman, Editor Dave Rogers, Writer Mike Schur and Executive Producer Greg Daniels, “Moroccan Christmas” Commentary with Kate Flannery, Angela Kinsey and Brian Baumgartner and “Secret Santa” Commentary with Mindy Kaling, Ellie Kemper and Claire Scanlon.

The cast of THE OFFICE has staked their claim to one of the best comedies on television. From its first season in 2005 until its sad end in 2013, that is nine glorious seasons of getting to know these zany characters. There is something about this cast that just meshed so well it seemed effortless while we all watched.

Now, with the holidays here, THE OFFICE: Complete Christmas Collection brings old friends home again with the spirit of the season. Remembering why we loved them all in the first place, it’s a great chance to spend the holidays with them for seven wonderful episodes. So grab your cup of whatever and settle in a comfy spot and revisit the office!

In the end – we all want to work there!

He is on MERCY ROAD

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray writer/director John Curran and Well Go USA is the terror filled ride of a father for his child that leads down MERCY ROAD.

Tom (Luke Bracey) has just committed a brutal crime and someone knows every detail about it. Daughter Ruby (Martha Morgan) has been abducted and call after call from the authorities and ex-wife Terri (Alex Malone) have Tom on the verge of insanity.

Driving down a dark road, he is trying to understand what is happening as calls come flooding in, one in particular is about to explain what is next. The associate (Toby Jones) is making it clear that Tom is to keep driving and will be told what to do step by step. The voice also seems to know what has happened with his daughter and it is horrific.

Tom reaches out to anyone he can think of to piece together how he can get his daughter back. There is no reason to what he is being asked to do or why, only that he has no other choice than to listen to the calm voice coming through his phone.

The end of the road brings shocking realizations to a man caught up in a voice.

Bracey as Tom is a man totally out of control. He wants to help the daughter he has an estranged relationship with at any cost. The heinous act he commits is almost more than he can handle when driving frantically into the night. Bracey gives every spectrum of panic that one would go through realizing that the situation is in someone else’s hands.

Jones as the voice of The Associate is calm and does not react to Tom’s out of control behavior. Instead, he makes it clear that he is not motivated by emotion but, in fact, is motivated to do whatever any client wishes without emotion being a factor. Jones has a distinctive voice and, even though the character claims to have no reactions, that is the creepy element that is so well done here.

Malone as Terri is reacting to her ex-husband based on an incident that continually plagues her anger. When Tom tries to explain what is really happening, she wants to believe him but that doesn’t change her range of anger. Well done, Mom!

Morgan as Ruby is the reason for everything that is happening. A kidnapped daughter who is going through something in her life that has brought it all about is living on borrowed time according to The Associate. There are moments where we see Ruby but it is so quick that it adds to the already building tension of the film.

MERCY ROAD is a fast-paced film of a father trying to protect a daughter he is estranged from. Being away from her does not change the fact that something horrible has happened to her and Bracey’s character is going to do everything he can to fix it, even commit a crime. Once on the road, his life is no longer his own as he discovers that someone is watching every move.

Once the clock starts on her survival, Bracey’s character Tom tries everything that he can to reach out for help – but someone is listening and controlling everything. That’s what makes this film so intense is watching Tom try to escape a situation, reaching out for help and trying to figure out who it is that is watching and listening to every move he makes.

Keeping the cast small adds to that intensity because all eyes are on Tom and his reaction to the situation. Voices over the phone and short videos keep hope alive but barely. This is the type of film that you have popcorn in your hand and it’s almost in your mouth but just stops short and stays there for a long while.

In the end – one wrong turn can cost you everything!

LIFETIME Brings the Holidays with A VERY MERRY MOVIE COLLECTION

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to DVD in an awesome 12-Movie Collection from Lifetime jingles in the new year with love, family, and the holiday spirit with A VERY MERRY MOVIE COLLECTION Vol. 5-6.

CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF CHRISTMAS, Bridget (Valery Ortiz) finds herself in Leavenworth, Washington. The network where she is the weather person sends her to the Christmas Eve festival to do a snow-cast. Thinking this would be a moment for her career, the lights get dimmer when Drake Kincaid (Brandon Quinn) shows up. Not on the best of terms makes the situation less holiday and more oh-holiday-no! But, it’s the magical time of year, who knows what can happen when the spirit of love sprinkles holiday cheer. Also starring Audrey Landers, Fabiana Udenio, Deon Richmond, Nicole Bilderback, John Laughlin and Sarah JaneMorris.

In Oaxaca, Mexico, MERRY TEXTMAS and the Diaz family live in a town that celebrates the holidays with “12 Challenges of Christmas”. Gaby (Ariana Ron Pedrique) is an app developer living Austin, Texas and is preparing travels to her grandmother’s home in Mexico. As all the plans are made on a group chat, Gaby accidentally adds graphic designer Alex (Rodrigo Massa) and her family decides to get the single gal Gaby into the mix. It’s time to wrap a perfect match and get it under the Dias family Christmas tree! Also starring Lorena Enriquez, Mar Carrera and Luisa Muriel.

Christmas in Switzerland is the setting for MERRY SWISSMAS as architect Alex (Jodie Sweetin) is preparing to spend some holiday time with her mom Caroline (Jane Wheeler). Preparing to attend the opening of her mom’s new inn, Alex is about to freak out when she learns that her ex-Jesse (David Pinard) and ex-best friend Beth are going to be there. Liam (Tim Rozon) is the new manager of the inn and really wants to show Alex the wonders of a Christmas in Switzerland but is love included in the tour? Also starring Alexander Bisping, Zayn Maloney, Raphael Grosz-Harvey and Amanda Ip.

If it is a little country you are looking for then A COUNTRY CHRISTMAS HARMONY might lift your spirits. Country music star Chrissy (Brooke Elliot) is from a small town and she got her big dreams. Her manager sets up a concert set in her hometown and she isn’t sure this is all such a good idea. Once home, she runs into ex-boyfriend Luke (Brandon Quinn) who is still holding onto some resentment since Chrissy walked away from what once was a musical duo. The snow is whipping up outside and they are locked down on Luke’s ranch. Is the concert going to happen? Does this time of year bring forgiveness and a little bit of love? Also starring Ann Walker, Danny Pintauro, Chris Gann, Caden Dragomer, Bradley Dodds and Nikki Crawford.

Bringing the holidays to the Onota Theatre stage, A SHOW-STOPPING CHRISTMAS tells the story of Riley (Jamie Perez) who is the director of the theatre and preparing for a holiday show. Regina (Maureen Keiller) owns the building and decides its time to sell it. Star Sam Palmer is cast as Bob Cratchit in Riley’s production of A Christmas Carol and he is hoping that the magic of the season will change Regina’s mind before its too late. Also starring Thomas McDonell, Caroline Portu, Robert Walsh, Paul Melendy and Junior Cius.

But that’s not all, the DVD also includes seven more holiday films with SERVING UP THE HOLIDAYS, SCENSATIONAL CHRISTMAS, THE HOLIDAY DATING GUIDE, SWEET NAVIDAD, A NEW ORLEANS NOEL, WELL SUITED FOR CHRISTMAS and MERRY LIDDLE CHRISTMAS.

But if you need more than twelve days of holiday love and cheer, well, then Lifetime brings twelve more films in A VERY MERRY MOVIE COLLECTION Volume 6.

Harper has created a program called SIX DEGREES OF SANTA with a unique idea of giving a gift, using it for a bit and then regifting as it goes along again and again. When a gift from Harper is given to Jason, he believes that he might have just found his person and that’s a really personal gift. He has decided that to do this Jason must go to the creator of the program to get the information he needs. Will he discover that Harper is his Secret Santa? Starring Kathryn David, Steve Lund, Catherine Davis, Kimberly Huie, Alex Jade, Charlie Ebbs and Ainara Alleyne.

When Billy Holiday (Mario Lopez) is fired from his job on a hit dance television series with STEPPIN’ INTO THE HOLIDAY, he decides to go home. Meeting his nephew’s dance teacher Rae (Jana Kramer), he learns she is planning a recital and all the money goes to taking her students to Broadway. This is where Billy shines being a former Broadway performer and he volunteers. Rae takes him up on the offer and they bring back a local town tradition of a talent show. Nothing wrong with talent and love making a holiday connection! Starring Terri Hoyos, Carla Jiminez, Enzo Rodriguez, Courtney Mazza Mario Cantone, Cheri Oteri, Stefanie Black and Alicia Haymer.

Inside a lovely church on Christmas Eve are heart-broken parishioners who have learned that their holiday concert has been cancelled in KIRK FRANKLIN’S THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS. Out in the blizzard is Journee (Naturi Naughton) and Nia (Lorea Turner) who get to the church to wait out the storm. Meeting the pastor, Adam (Luke James), who brings the music, miracle of faith, hope, love, understanding and reconciliation happen inside the church. Nothing is going to stop the Christmas music from being louder and more powerful than the storm outside. Also starring Loren Lott, Kirk Franklin, Nijah Brenea and Aspen Kennedy.

The Christmas Queen Ashley (Brittany Bristow) loves the holidays in WRAPPED UP IN LOVE, and it shows from craft making to Christmas sweater competitions. Having been the center of the holidays, she is about to be put off kilter when Ken (Olivier Renaud) roles into town who loves the holidays as much. Ashley begins to feel the green-eyed jealousy monster creep into her ho-ho-holiday dreams until she has to make a decision about whether she wants to remain a solo queen or have a king and be the couple who loves Christmas

Helping to run a very successful toy company, it is hard for Emma (Natasha Wilson) to actually feel Christmas since she lives it all year round in SINGLE AND READY TO JINGLE. She also doesn’t have time to find that special person to spend the holidays with because she is so busy. Deciding it’s time for a tropical holiday, Emma decides its best for a little non-Christmas time at a resort. Assistant Lucy books the time but Emma ends up not at a swanky resort with guys everywhere but a town that is all about Christmas and a guy named Connor (Edward Ruttle). Also starring Eva Tavares, Jimmy MacDonald, Crystal Tisiga, Lynn Whyte and Beth Fotheringham.

Lifetime Entertainment Services features programming that focuses on women and features women in leading roles. To learn more about the films and programming please visit www.mylifetime.com.

The Vol. 5 set includes Cloudy with a Chance of Christmas, Merry Textmas, Merry Swissmass, A Country Christmas Harmony, A Show-Stopping Christmas, Serving Up the Holidays, Scentsational Christmas, The Holiday Dating Guide, Sweet Navidad, A New Orleans Noel, Well Suited for Christmas, and Merry Liddle Christmas.

The Vol. 6 set includes Six Degrees of Santa, Steppin’ Into The Holiday, Kirk Franklin’s The Night Before Christmas, Wrapped Up In Love, Single And Ready to Jingle, The Dogs Days Of Christmas, Christmas on Mistletoe Lake, Record Breaking Christmas, Baking All The Way, A Recipe For Joy, A Christmas To Treasure and Merry Little Christmas Wedding.

Lifetime has always brought some of the most charming, lovely, funny, and thought-provoking stories and that is why the channel is so successful. The holidays are one of my most favorite times of the year and to share it with the Lifetime films is going to make twenty-four holly-days so much more fun.

If you are looking for a fun way to choose which film to watch, do what we do, put all the names in a bowl, mix them up and pull a name! Sending special invitations to all the ladies who, well, love love and get the goodie tray prepared with holiday treats of all kinds and settle in for twenty-four evenings of fun.

In the end – it is 24 wonderful days of holiday love!

BLACK HAWK DOWN Lands on 4K Ultra HD

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD, Bluray and Digital from director Ridley Scott and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the true story of the men and BLACK HAWK DOWN.

Somalia is a nation in civil war and the UN Security Council wants a peacekeeper through military operations. However, within a year, there is rivalry between UNOSOM II and a militia in Mogadishu loyal to Mohamed Farrah Aidid. The United States has their own response as President Clinton decides to send the Task Force Rangers to capture Aidid who is taking from his own people.

Immediately they capture Osman Ali Atto who sells arms to Aidid and continue their mission to capture Aidid’s top advisers. Staff Sgt. Mathew Eversmann (Josh Hartnett) leads Private Todd Blackburn (Orlando Bloom) and Specialist John Grimes (Ewan McGregor) up for the operation. When a helicopter goes down, Sgt. Jeff Struecker (Brian Van Holt) and his Humvee team converge on the crash site but Lt. Col. Danny McKnight (Tom Sizemore) can’t get through. The Rangers led by Cpt. Mike Steele (Jason Isaacs) and team are also pinned down.

Aidid’s militia is now doing everything they can to destroy any American military they find. Death and destruction happen among the soldiers trying to find a way to escape from those who will do anything to kill. What the militia didn’t count on was the strength and determination of their fellow soldiers and the countries who refuse to tolerate it all.

To go into detail for each of these actors would take more pages than I can possibly use. This is an intense film that brings together the work of all these actors taking on roles that are poignant, frightening, heart-wrecking, strong, protective and every other descriptor of a hero you can possibly want to use.

In a country that is run by individuals who only know death and destruction, their aim was to brutalize anyone who got in their way. This is a difficult film for some to watch for its brutality and its general hatred portrayed all around. Yet, in the midst of that is a wide cast of roles that each see their duty and do not question what it is they are to do – save lives if they can.

Other cast include Ewen Bremner as SPC Shawn Nelson, Gabriel Casseus as SPC Mike Kurth, Hugh Dancy as SFC Kurt Schmid, William Fichtner as SFC Jeff Sanderson, Kim Coates as MSG Chris Wex, Steven Ford as LTC Joe Cribbs, Ioan Gruffudd as Lt. John Beales, Tom Guiry as Sgt. Ed Yurek, Charlie Hofheimer as CPL Jamie Smith, Danny Hoch as Sgt. Dominic Pilla, Zeljko Ivanek as Ltc. Gary L. Harrell, Johnny Strong as SFC Randy Shughart, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Msg. Gary Gordon, Richard Tyson as Ssg. Daniel Busch, Ron Eldard as CW4 Michael Durant, Glenn Morshower as Col. Thomas Matthews, Ian Virgo as Pfc. John Waddell, Tom Hardy as Spc. Lance Twonbly, Gregory Sporleder as Sgt. Schott Galentine, Carmine Giovinazzo as Sgt. Mike Goodale, Chris Beetem as Sgt. Casey Joyce and Jeremy Piven as CW4 Clifton Wolcott.

Boyd Bestner as CW3 Mike Goffena, Pavel Vokoun as CW3 Donovan Briley, Jason Hildebrandt as CW3 Dan Jollota, Keith Jones as himself, Tac, Fitzgerald as Spc. Dale Sizemore, Enrique Murciano as Sgt. Lorenzo Ruiz, Michael Roof as Pvt. John Maddox, Kent Linville as Pfc. Clay Othoic, Norman Rees as Lt. Tom DiTomasso, Razaaq Adoti as Yousuf Dahir Mo’alim, Treva Etienna as Firimbi, Ty Burrell as Tsgt. Timothy Wilkinson, Dan Woods as Sgt. Scott Fales, Giannina Facio as Stephanie Shughart and Sam Shepard as MG William Garrison.

The Special Features include Three Audio Commentaries Featuring Director Ridley Scott-Producer Jerry Bruckheimer-Author Mark Bowden- Screenwriter Ken Noland -Task Force Ranger Veterans, “The Essence of Combat: Making BLACK HAWK DOWN”, PBS Presents: “Frontline: Ambush in Mogadishu”, 8 Deleted & Alternate Scenes with Optional Commentary, “Designing Mogadishu” Featurette, Production Design Archive, Ridleygrams with Commentary and Target Building Insertion with Commentary.

Also included Q&A Forums: BAFTA, Motion Pictures Editors Guild & American Cinematheque, Jerry Bruckheimer’s BLACK HAWK DOWN Photo Album, Title Design Explorations with Commentary, “Gortoz A Ran – J’Attends” Music Video Performed by Denez Prigent & Lisa Gerrard, Photo Galleries, Theatrical Poster Concepts, Trailer & TV Spots, and Original Special Features Designed & Produced by Charles de Lauzirika.

BLACK HAWK DOWN is probably one of the most intense films about war that I can recall seeing. Seeing how the people of Somalia were being treated and subjected to brutality and starvation, it is clear why the world reacted as it did. However, going according to plan had dangers of its own, dangers that the soldiers that committed to the mission knew existed.

It is one-hundred and fifty-two minutes of intensity but a story that director Scott felt compelled to tell. In that lies the story in the book by Mark Bowden and while a dramatization of events, the re-writes and help of the military, BLACK HAWK DOWN has once again come to the forefront and worthy of a spot in anyone’s home entertainment library.

In the end – leave no man behind!

On Steelbook is the Telling of THE GUNS OF NAVARONE

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD, Bluray, Digital and in Steelbook from director J. Lee Thompson and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the story of THE GUNS OF NAVARONE.

Kheros is an island and in 1943 over 2,000 British soldiers are unable to leave. What is called the Axis powers plan to assault the island and even when the Royal Navy tries to intervene, they are fired upon from Navarone Island. The only way to stop the shelling is by sending in a unit that can destroy the guns.

Major Roy Franklin (Anthony Quayle), along with Cpt. Keith Mallory (Gregory Peck), Col. Andrea Stavros (Anthony Quinn), Corporal Miller (David Niven), Spyros Pappadimos (James Darren) and “The Butcher” Brown (Stanley Baker) make up the group that will sail across the Aegean disguised as Greek fisherman and steal a German boat. Now that they are on high alert, Franklin is injured and the group is eventually captured by Muesel (Walter Gotell) and the interrogations begins.

This isn’t a team that is going to be stopped easily as they get German uniforms and make their way to their destination, Navarone. What they find there is treachery, lies and more difficulty than they could imagine to finish the mission, yet, that is what they plan to do and no one or nothing will stop with their own plans.

Peck as Mallory was/is a large presence on the screen in the film. He has the presence and the voice that is captivating and would make any soldier snap-to! Along with Peck is Quinn as Stavros who has a secret of his own but it does not stop him from going forward with the mission. Darren as Pappadimos was, at the time, a heart throb for many yet he fits into the cast extremely well.

Shout out to Richard Harris as he has been an actor I would recognize a mile away when growing up. I followed every film he was in and, as I got older, was thrilled beyond belief when he took his turn as the headmaster of Hogwarts and, quite honestly, was the reason I saw the film in the first place. As Barnsby, he is equal to the task as his American counterpart actors in telling this story.

Other cast include Irene Papas as Maria, Percy Herbert as Grogan, George Mikell as Sessler, Gia Scala as Anna, James Justice as Jensen, Albert Lieven as Commandant, Tutte Lemkov as Nicolai, Bryan Forbes as Cohn, Allan Cuthbertson as Baker, Michael Trubshawe as Weaver and Richard Harris as Barnsby.

Special Features include Main Title Progression Reel and Theatrical Trailer on 4K Ultra HD. On Bluray the Features include Commentaries with Director J. Lee Thompson & Film Historian Stephen J. Rubin, Three Documentaries.

Also included is Audio Commentary by Director J. Lee Thompson, Audio Commentary by Film Historian Stephen J. Rubin, The Resistance Dossier of NAVARONE: interactive Feature, Forging THE GUNS OF NAVARONE: Notes from the Set, An Ironic Epic of Heroism, Memories of Navarone, Epic Restoration, A Heroic Score, Gret Guns, No Visitors, Honeymoon on Rhodes, Two Girls on the Town, Narration-Free Prologue and Message from Carl Foreman.

THE GUNS OF NAVARONE hit theatres in 1961 and is based on the novel by Alistair MacLean also called The Guns of Navarone. Premiering at London’s West End Odeon Leicester Square, it went on to be one of the top grossing films of 1961. It went on to win the Academy Award for Best Special Effects, two Golden Globe Awards for Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Original Score – Motion Picture, and a Laurel Award for Top Drama. It also came in at #89 in the AFI’s 100 Years…100 Thrills.

Coming in at two hours and thirty-eight minutes, it is a story fraught with intrigue, war, missions, dedication, locations, and the enemy trying to conquer the world. The cinematography is amazing for its age yet holds up to the test of time. Watching it once again reminds me of spending time with the family watching a good Friday night film at home with popcorn cheering on the hero.

In the end – it is the greatest adventure ever films!

It is A HAUNTING IN VENICE

Jeri Jacquin

On Bluray, Digital and Hulu from director Kenneth Branagh and 20th Century Home Entertainment is the next mystery to be solved with A HAUNTING IN VENICE.

Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) has been living quietly in retirement in the city of Venice along with bodyguard Vitale Portfoglio (Riccardo Scamarcio). On what he thinks is a Halloween outing with writer Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey), they end up at a séance in the home of Rowena Drake (Kelly Reilly) the famous opera singer. What ends up happening is that Poirot can not stop himself from exposing medium Joyce Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh).

Actually, the house itself is supposedly haunted by children who suffered under its roof. Reynolds picks up on it but no one is happy except Rowena who wants to communicate with her daughter Alicia in the afterlife. Also, there is Maxime Gerard (Kyle Allen) who broke her heart. Also attending is housekeeper Olga (Camille Cottin), family physician Dr. Ferrier (Jamie Dornan) and his young son Leopold (Jude Hill) and Desdemona Holland (Emma Laird).

Before there is communication, Poirot begins to tear the séance apart and while some are upset, Reynolds doesn’t seem bothered by it at all. What happens next is Alicia’s voice accusing someone in the room of murder! But, as with Poirot, murder in the house begins to set him on the trail of what it happening in the house – and to him hearing strange voices.

Nothing will stop Poirot from chasing down the murderer as one by one he questions everyone in the room. Clue after clue puts him out of retirement and back in the game.

Branagh as Poirot gets the grand opportunity to give life to one of Agatha Christie’s most memorable detectives. I enjoy watching him jump from clue to clue (be careful of the accent slip Mr. Branagh) and the response from his fellow characters. I am a total fan of period pieces so it is fun to watch the set and cinematography also play a part in the film at his direction.

Fey as Oliver wants to get Poirot out of the house and back into life. Taking him to the séance was suppose to be a success but instead, she got the detective she remembers so well. Fey is charming and equally as witty as Poirot. Reilly as Drake portrays a mother who wants nothing more than to speak with her departed daughter. What is so great about her in this role is I don’t see the viciousness of Beth from the series ‘Yellowstone’ but instead a stealthy character with her own secrets.

Yeoh as Joyce does not have a big role but it is one that sets the stage for everything that comes after. Yeoh is so good at this so its easy to see why she was chosen to be part of the séance and the conversation with Poirot. Allen as Gerard has a history with the family and he wants to make sure he gets answers as well. Cottin as Olga knows the ins and outs of the house and is loyal – almost to a fault.

Dornan as Dr. Ferrier is trying to keep things together but raising a young son on his own is difficult. Keeping his job with at the Drake home is important but can be deadly as well. Hill as Leopold is a very, very smart little boy who is not scared by much and he clearly loves his father. Hill is an impressive young actor and I do so hope he is recognized for this role and goes on to do much more.

Other cast include Ali Khan as Nicholas Holland and Emir El-Masry as Alessandro Longo.

Bonus Features include Murder, Death and Haunting: Discover The secrets behind the scenes of A HAUNTING IN VENICE. Join Kenneth Branagh and his team as they bring Agatha Christie’s classic Poirot novel ‘Hallowe’en Party’ to life with elaborate ensemble scenes and extravagant sets. Deleted Scenes include Morning Route, The Doge’s Palace, Halloween Party Extended, Desdemona’s Warning, Children’s Story, Poirot Needs Air, Guarding the Gates, Secret Doorway Extended, Ferrier’s Shouts, Poirot Pauses for Thought and Journey Home.

A HAUNTING IN VENICE comes out around the spooky season and gives enough frights and twists of its own. It is a fun film to watch if you love a good murder mystery surrounded by musty colors and finery. The sets and cinematography are one of my favorites about the film. The noir-feel with handle bar mustaches and smart suits along with the fashionable women looking lovely as every is very cool.

Pop the popcorn, turn out the lights and go on a murder mystery with one of the finest retired detectives ever.

In the end – death is just the beginning!

WARHORSE ONE Saves on Bluray

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray and DVD from directors Johnny Strong, William Kaufman and Well Go USA comes the story of survival from WARHORSE ONE.

During an ordered rescue in Afghanistan, Navy SEAL Master Chief Richard Mirko’s (Johnny Strong) helicopter is shot down and he is thrown clear. The only survivor, he is sent to the location where the civilians they were to pick up are located. Once there, he finds one survivor, the young Zoe Waters (Athena Durner).

Not far away is the enemy and their goal is to capture the American and young girl and finish what they had started. Determined to not let them escape is leader Radam (Raj Kala) directing his men where to go to find them. Tarad (Siya Rostami) leads the chase and it is on completely.

Attempting to get to the spot where the military could rescue them, Mirko and young Zoe begin to form a bond. Zoe quickly understands that those who are responsible are the same people that Mirko must save them both from. Mirko is straight forward with the young girl as to what they are up against and what they must do to make it to the top of the mountain.

Their fight for survival is on!

Strong as Mirko immediately gives the character a strong military sense of what the mission is even after the crash. Even when survival becomes the mission, he is focused, straight forward and knows what must be done. Adding a young child to the mix could have gone wrong in the storytelling but Strong guides the story to its heart-pounding conclusion with more than a job well done.

Durner as Zoe is a little girl who gives her character such range of emotion. She could easily have been just a kid carried around but no, Durner gives us a very young girl who has seen what she shouldn’t ever have had to. In that, she comes quickly to understand that Mirko is her protector and that means, once again, doing things that he tries to protect her from.

Kala as Radam is a man on his own mission and it is heinous and terrifying. It is hard to play the role of the villain and Kala doesn’t hide behind anything to give it his all. Rostami as Tarad follows Radam as the leader and is equally dedicated to the destruction of the Navy Seal.

Other cast include Todd Jenkins as Youssef, Danny Augustus as Jarrah, Michael Sauers as Chief Petty Officer Mike Miller, Xander Gomez as Lewa, David Ibrahim as Abu Bakar, Steve Mokate as Commander Johns, E.K. Spila as Assistant Director Dave Mattis, Adam Dietrich as Mike, Jay Moses as Rev. Matthew Walters, Damian Turner as Petty Officer Darnell Reece, Nash Bland as Rahmi and Chris Calvert as Petty Officer Chris Martin.

Bonus Features include Director’s Commentary Featurette and Trailer.

WARHORSE ONE is the first-time film for actor Johnny Strong as co-director and he has done an awesome job. The story is straight-forward and action packed but doesn’t forget the emotional side with a young girl who deserves as much protecting and anyone else. What I truly enjoyed is that Strong’s character Mirko stays focused and even though his emotions are being tested, it doesn’t change the mission. If anything, he remains focused and lets Zoe know what the rules of survival are.

Keeping the location mainly out in the open, the chase is on and that is what keeps the story flowing. Of course, Mirko knows his job but that is made difficult when those trying to kill him are everywhere. I have always enjoyed films of this type that keep moving because only the directors know what is behind every rock, building and corner.

The film is well done with cinematography that covers the action and a cast that brings the story being told by Strong and Kaufman a strength without glorification and a finish to cheer for.

In the end – worth living for and worth dying for!

The Gang is Back with THE BOYS Season 3

Jeri Jacquin

On Bluray and DVD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the return of the Best-Selling Comic Book Series by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson with THE BOYS Season 3.

It has been a year since the Stormfront scandal as they tried to catch Supes. Hughie Campbell (Jack Quaid) has moved up the ladder dating Annie January (Erin Moiarty) and she is co-captain of the Seven by CEO Stan Edgar (Giancarlo Esposito). If that isn’t enough, Queen Maeve (Dominique McElligott) wants Billy (Karl Urban) to help him discover hold superhero team leader Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles) died. In the meantime, Hughie meets with Tony who has claims about Neuman (Claudia Doumit) that she doesn’t believe about Red River.

So, off the Boys go to check out the death of Soldier Boy as Hughie discovers that Red River is actually an orphanage for kids with superpowers and learns the truth about Neuman. The stories that come out cause chaos and Gunpower (Sean Patrick Flanery) is confronted and tells the truth about Soldier Boy. Mother’s Milk (Laz Alonso) rejoins the group but he does so for very personal reasons and Homeland (Antony Starr) is on a televised tear of his own.

That has a double-edged sword as people rally around Homeland after his rant and thinks much more of himself than he should. Mallory (Laila Robins) tells the Boys what Payback has done with the CIA and that Black Noir (Nathan Mitchell) is messed up and Soldier Boy was hurt by a Russian superweapon. Butcher makes a plan with Little Nina (Katia Winter) to go to Russia.

Butcher ends up in Russia with the Boys and after Hughie does something quiet stupid, they discover a power blast that wreaks havoc. Butcher decides the Russians are responsible for what happened to Soldier Boy. Homelander is still dealing with his fallout but Neuman gets involved and causes problems of her own with Compound V.

Frenchie (Tomer Capone) takes Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) to get checked out and in the process, he is taken by Nina while Maeve uses Butcher. That doesn’t last long as Noir and Homelander get their hands on her as well. Edgar is out and Ashley Barrett (Colby Minifie) is in as CEO of Vought. Homelander finds footage of what Soldier Boy has been up to, Nina isn’t finished kidnapping and Butcher, along with The Deep (Chance Crawford) makes a decision about Homelander. That doesn’t stop the TNT Twins, Tommy (Jack Dooland) and Jessa (Kristin Booth) from throwing a party that goes all sorts of wrong.

Noir finds himself reliving what happened to himself and Soldier Boy. A-Train (Jessie T. Usher) gets his transplant from Blue Hawk (Nick Wechsler). Annie makes a discovery about the V24 drug that could affect everyone trying to use it. Homelander makes a big mistake going on another rank and the fall out is even worse than before. He also learns about his parentage which is a pretty good shock.

The showdown is about to happen when Homelander, Ryan, Hughie, Butcher, MM, Noir, Maeve and Annie. They all think they are in control but they will soon discover that isn’t the case and chaos ensue which is what they are good at. Neuman decides to join Robert Singer as his Vice-President which causes a new set of anger for Butcher and delight for Homelander!

Other cast include: Simon Pegg as Hugh Campbell Sr., Jordana Lajoie as Cherie, Abigail Whitney as Moonshadow, Joel Labelle as Swatto, Jasmin Geljo as Oligarch, Miles Villanueva as Supersonic, Paul Reiser as The Legend, Laurie Holden as Crimson Countess, Jack Fulton as Lenny Butcher, Aya Cash as Klara Risinger and Ryan Blakely as Mindstorm.

Season Three episodes include Payback, The Only Man in the Sky, Barbary Coast, Glorious Five-Year Plan, The Last Time to Look on This World of Lies, Herogasm, Here Comes a Candle to Light You to Bed and The Instant White-Hot Wild.

Bluray and DVD Special Features include Gag Reels, Deleted & Extended Scenes and The Making of Fearturette.

THE BOYS is a huge production with a large cast of well-known actors that just sweep us all away with their antics. The Anti-Supe weapon starts it all and keeps the action and guessing going for all eight episodes (which never seems to be enough for us binge watchers). My family and I just love the series and talk about each episode and that should be made into a show on its own.

Urban leads this amazing show, he is actually one of my favorite actors for years and f@*king diabolical. It must be said that everyone looks like they are having a twistedly fun time making the show. Of course, it takes a lot of hard work but still, I actually enjoy watching a show that is such a wonderful mix of action, story and humor (even the dark humor that creeps in).

THE BOYS is just a fantastic show that has gained an audience that knows a good thing when they see it. Gather up your own group of supes and binge on Season 3!

In the end – never meet your heroes!

GRAN TURISMO

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray and Digital from director Neill Blomkamp, PlayStation Productions and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the story of gaming to reality with GRAN TURISMO.

Danny Moore (Orlando Bloom) takes a chance going to Nissan and pitching an idea no one else would dare. The idea is to find the best Gran Turismo video game players and turn them into real race car drivers. The concept is so far fetched that Nissan agrees! Turning to someone who can train the racers, Moore calls on Jack Salter (David Harbour) who needs a moment and a talk down from his driver to walk away and join in the vision.

At home, Jann Mardenborough (Archie Madekwe) is a teenage gamer who is set on Gran Turismo much to his father Steve’s (Djimon Hounsou) dismay. When it is announced that there would be a qualification race to join the GT Academy, Jann believes this is his chance to prove his father wrong. When his chance is put to the test, Jann has to again compete but this time against the other gaming winners to get the final seat.

Jann realizes he must earn his professional license to get a contract with Nissan. Race after race, the young man learns what it takes to go from being behind the wheel of a video screen to the wheel of a real race car. Up against tested racers, he is also up against those who don’t believe a gamer should be anywhere near the race track and put him in danger. After many challenges, it is Le Mans that will test Jann and Salter to finally do what they both have dreamed possible!

Madekwe as Jann is a young man with a dream that is not impossible even though others around him might disagree. Given the chance, Jann is proving that not only is dreaming a good thing but that he is going to go further than he ever imagined. I truly enjoyed watching Madekwe portray the young driver. He is portraying a real person of course but he does it to the point that I forget he isn’t the real Jann. That’s what a surprise this was for me.

Harbour as Jack is a man who has his own issues and carries a big of an anger bag around with him. Not seemingly a nice person with his snaps and quips, he finds a relationship with Jann that is solid and positive in a way the young man needs. I always enjoy watching Harbour create his characters and their range or lack of range of emotion, he mixes them together and what comes out is so very cool.

Bloom as Moore is a marketing executive at Nissan who came up with the idea to bring gamers to the race track. He is a bit over zealous and an even bit more controlling, but up against Salter he doesn’t win much of the time. His success is his career and understandably he wants things to go well, when they don’t – he melts down a tad but sees that Jann is really in it. Bloom doesn’t get as much screen time but when he is, the emotions are clear and set. Win!

Shout out to Maeve Courtier-Lilley as Audrey, Jann’s love, as she sees something special in the young man and cheers him on at every track turn.

Other cast include Josha Stradowski as Nicholas Capa, Daniel Puig as Coby, Pepe Barroso as Antonio Cruz, Emelia Hartford as Leah Vega, Sang Heon Lee as Joo-Hwan Lee, Max Mundt as Klaus Hoffman, Mariano Gonzalez as Henry Evas, Harki Bhambra as Avi Bhatt, Lindsay Pattison as Chloe McCormick, Theo Christine as Marcel Durand, Nikhil Parmar as Persol and Takehiro Hira as Kazunori Yamauchi, the creator of Gran Turismo.

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

The Engine: Driving the Visuals,,The Pit Crew: Action and Stunts, The Garage: The Amazing Automobiles, The Plan: The True Story of Jann Mardenborough, and The Wheels: The Fast-Acting Cast. On DVD the Special Features include The Plan: The True Story of Jann Mardenborough and The Wheels: The Fast-Acting Cast.

The Gran Turismo game came about in 1992 by Kazunori Yamauchi as he took five years to complete. The idea was to create a game that came to be subtitles “The Real Driving Simulator” with vehicles that drive like actual cars. Each incarnation of the game created more and more definitive aspects as Gran Turismo released its 7th version in 2020.

GRAN TURISMO is definetly exciting for several reasons, one if that it is the true story of a young man who stayed true to his dreams. It is also a story that resonates with other gamers who have dreams, perhaps not to race, but to do what others think they may not. Even the creator Yamauchi could never have imagined how his own dream would become so captivating to the world.

It is also the story of a young man who sees the world differently in that his loves his father despite their differences, has great fondness for his coach Salter and concern for his fellow racers whether they know it or not. Mardenborough’s story is a classic ‘rags to riches’ but it is also an inside look at what it took to accomplish his goal.

Director Blomkamp managed well to mix the story with intense and pretty darn awesome racing action. Hearing and seeing the interaction between Jann and Salter was intense and exciting at the same time and brings so much to the story being told.

In the end – from gamer to racer!

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!

It is Time to RIDE ON

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray, DVD and Digital from writer/director Larry Yang and Well Go USA is the story of family and a horse that will RIDE ON.

Lao Luo (Jackie Chan) is a former stuntman who has been living a quiet life with his companion horse Red Hare. Missing his daughter after a divorce, Xiao Bao (Liu Haocun), she is about to come back into his life once again. Owing a lot of money, Lao Luo learns he may lose Red Hare to an auction. Not knowing where to turn, he seeks out daughter Bao for legal help since she is studying law.

Keeping an emotional distance, she asks her boyfriend Naihua (Guo Qilin) if he would be able to help. After a street fight with Red Haire goes viral, movie makers want him and the horse for their action films. Bao becomes a bit of an ad litem agent for her father but finds herself becoming closer to him. Watching her father work, she becomes very worried about them both as the stunts seems to be more and more dangerous.

After one fateful stunt, Bao learns more about her father and what he has been through during their time apart. She realizes what she thought about Lao was all wrong. At the hospital, Lao tells her that it is time for he and Red Hare to retire. The court case still looms about Red Hare’s fate and Bao is still trying to understand her feelings and her father.

Families and stunts can be complicated.

Chan as Lao is definetly playing to his strength with his history as being a stuntman himself. That gives him an edge to playing this role with the added family storyline. He gets the chance to do stunts and show he’s still got it at his tender age of 69 and shows it to be flawless. Chan’s comedic timing is still wonderful and, in this film, even his emotional moments are tender and thoughtful.

Haocun as daughter Bao has her own feelings toward father Lao feeling abandoned by him. There are big trust issues for Bao not understanding the circumstances that led to her father leaving or what happened to him during their time apart. Haocun is stubborn and at the same time protective of Red Hare and eventually her father. Haocun is charming and lovely to watch as her character navigates relationships.

Qilin as Naihua is watching the father-daughter-horse relationship unfold while also wanting to move forward marrying Bao. He truly does enjoy seeing this once detached family come together and wants to do anything to help. Qilin is so sweet as their character navigates it all.

Shout out to Wu Jing as Yuanjie who wants to help Lao offering him a chance to not only sort of relive his stuntman days but helps him out of his financial troubles. Jing is a bit crazy at times with his emotional outburst but he truly does show a good heart. Well done, Jing.

Also, a nod to the beautiful horse Red Hare! Playing opposite Jackie Chan, this horse makes it clear that being a legend doesn’t mean he can upstage this horse. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Red Hare and Chan work together.

Other cast include Joey Yung as Yingzi, Yu Ailei as Xiamao, Yu Rongguang as He Xin, Andy On as Dami Ge, Xiaoshenyang as Li Yan and Shi Yanneng as Dawei.

RIDE ON is a complex story about a man and his relationship to a wonderful horse, renewing a relationship with a long-lost daughter and a profession he once excelled at. Chan takes every chance to be hilarious, comedic, emotional and strong and that’s everything for this former stuntman. The added bonus of the horse Red Hare allows Chan to play opposite a ‘character’ that doesn’t have much to say but sure makes his feelings clear.

The martial arts look seamless (thanks to great choreography) and although there are not a lot of fight scenes, when they are on screen it is well done and not over played. RIDE ON comes in at one hundred and twenty-six minutes and the language can be adjusted if subtitles during a movie isn’t your thing.

The film is colorful, the story is impactful and plays a serious ode to stuntman including Jackie Chan. They are basically unsung heroes in many Asian films with Chan and crew making it clear at the end that they are dearly appreciated. Asian films are known for their grandeur and large casts, especially where martial arts are involved, and writer/director Yang makes sure the story never forgets who makes that possible.

In the end – it is time to get back on the horse!

The Family is Back with MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 3

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray and DVD from writer/director Nia Vardalos and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is the return of the family with MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 3.

It has been a difficult year for the Miller and Portokalos family with deaths, Maria’s (Lainie Kazan) illness, Paris’ college problems and Nick back home going through a mid-life crisis. Toula (Nia Vardalos) decides it is time to take Gus’s journal back home to Greece and to his childhood friends.

Of course, this means the whole family is going including Ian (John Corbett), Nick (Louis Mandylor), Paris (Elena Kampouris), Aunt Voula (Andrea Martin), Aunt Frieda (Maria Vacratsis), and Aristotle (Elias Kacavas). In Greece they are met by Victory (Melina Kotselou), the town’s mayor who wants to have a gathering and celebrate now that the Portokalos family is home.

They meet Qamar (Stephanie Nur), Christos (Giannis Vasilottos) and a man named Peter (Alexis Georgoulis) who turns out to be a surprise for the whole family. Ian discovers a list of the people that Toula has been looking for and she calls on Angelo (Joey Fatone) and Nikki (Gia Carides) to do their own bit of digging.

All of the problems each of them has slowly begin to dissolve when each realizes that there is nothing more important than love, life and family – even if they aren’t all Greek!

Vardalos as Toula makes every attempt to bring the story of the Portokalos family full circle still based in love and togetherness, even if every member of the family has their own quirks. The relationship between Toula and Nick a great example and actually feels stronger in the midst of their Greek trip. I love that Vardalos doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel and stays in the parameter that brought her films such success.

Mandylor as Nick gets a chance to show what he’s got and even more so the extent of his feelings for family and the importance Greece has for him. The humor that Nick has been known for is still there, a bit of the spacey as well but his heart is just so wonderful and I appreciate seeing it. Corbett as Ian just goes along to get along which is who he is, always supportive of Toula and the Portokalos family. Even though he is going through his own sadness, he is all about the Greek.

Martin as Aunt Voula is everything I ever wanted in an aunt. She is nutty, smart, nutty and hilarious. Vacratsis as Aunt Frieda is an amazing sidekick to Voula and carries her own set of wise saying that I love. Kampouris as Paris is coming to terms with grown up problems with less hassle from her mom and more worry from her dad. Kacavas as Aristotle isn’t about to give up on love and hopes to find it once again with Paris.

Carides as Nikki is back with her big hair, loud voice and eyes for any sexy guy she can get her retina’s on and I’m here for it. Fatone as Angelo is always up for an adventure if it means celebrating being Greek when he gets there. Kotselou as Victory is a mayor who doesn’t believe in failure. Gathering the family together for a huge celebration, no one is going to tell her that it isn’t going to work.

Georgoulis as Peter has something to share with the Portokalos and it the reaction is one of thrill and acceptance, lucky Greek! Nur as Qamar is in the same pickle as Toula once was as her heart is given to non-Greek Christos. Vasilottos isn’t about to let a little thing like not being Greek stop him from the love of his life.

Other cast include Spyros Kasfiks as Thanasis, Menelaos Ntaflos as Dimos, Ektoras Kaloudis as George and Anthi Andreopoulou as Alexandra.

Bonus Features include Gag Reel, Deleted & Extended Scenes, On Set with Nia Vardalos, Opa! The Making MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 3, Wedding Drum Song – Extended Take, and Feature Commentary with Writer/Director Nia Vardalos.

MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 3 picks up the Portokalos and Miller family like we all have never been separated. Time passes as time does and things begin to change for everyone and the families are no exception. The good, the sad and the chaos in between are still prevalent in this third installment. Although its probably not as loud as most families, it feels like friends have come to visit once again with this cast.

Taking it to Greece is a little reminiscent of Vardalos’ 2009 MY LIFE IN RUINS, I don’t mind it at all. I mean I think we should all create what we are good at and clearly, Vardalos is good at being Greek, writing about being Greek and acting in all the ways she sees her Greek heritage. That’s a pretty cool thing to my way of thinking.

Although the cast isn’t totally complete with the absence of Gus and the limited role of Kazan’s Maria, it leaves the door open to new characters. Calling them new characters seems a little odd considering it feels as if they’ve been there all along. This is just a good time with a family we have been with since 2002 and its one heck of a 20+ year relationship which, if you think about it, makes us all Greek in this family!

In the end – it is all about the Opa!

GODZILLA Returns on 4K Ultra HD and Steelbook

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD, Bluray and Steelbook from writer/director Roland Emmerich and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is GODZILLA.

On an island in Polynesia, a military test has caused an iguana nest to be disturbed and, in the ocean, a Japanese vessel is attacked by something never seen before. Scientist Dr. Niko Tatopoulos (Matthew Broderick) who studies wildlife and radiation has an unexpected visitor and goes to other countries to see for himself what this “Gojira” has done. Discovering a species never before been encountered, Nick thinks it’s just a new species.

But Gojira has other plans making its way to New York leaving destruction in every direction. Nick tries to help the military capture whatever it is that causing all the problems. Also trying to discover what is happening is Nick’s girlfriend Audrey Timmonds (Maria Pitillo), a reporter who uncovers secrets the military has been hiding along with cameraman Victor (Hank Azaria). Preparing to put the information of air, boss Charles Caiman (Harry Shearer) steals the story and renames Gojira, Godzilla.

If things couldn’t get worse, Nick is taken by Philippe Roache (Jean Reno) who know what’s been happening but is trying to hide the French connection. Believing there was a nest somewhere in New York, Roache and Nick try to find it but a collision with a submarine sinks Godzilla but there is still the nest, oh yes, the nest.

In Madison Square Garden, the nursery becomes a shooting gallery for the military and Godzilla is not about to let that go without trying to settle the score. Man versus beast and someone has to win.

Broderick as Tatopoulos was happy studying worms until he finds himself standing in a footprint. The more he sees the more he realizes that the new species that is carving out a path of destruction is more important than the worms in Russia. Broderick gives his character a brain but also adds a bit of hero element in trying to stop Gojira from doing what he is doing.

Pitillo as Audrey is a young woman trying to start a reporting carrier in New York but finds herself a researcher to a douchebag. Doing what she needs to do, Gojira offers her the opportunity to get in the action, literally, walking into a nest! Azaria as Victor is a bit of comic relief who realizes what they are doing and doesn’t seem to mind jumping in to the fray as long as his camera is capturing it all.

Reno as Roache has a reason to be worried about what Gojira is doing because of how he was created. Now, to keep his country safe from blame, he jumps in along with Tatopoulos to not only find what Gojira is hiding but make it all stop. Reno is always a stern looking serious character and, in this film, he has a chance to smirk from time to time and crack a joke (which are actually funny).

Other cast include Kevin Dunn as Colonel Hicks, Michael Lerner as Mayor Ebert, Arabella Field as Lucy Palotti, Malcolm Danare as Dr. Mendel Craven, Glenn Morshower as Kyle Terrington, Chris Ellis as Gen. Hunter Anderson, Richard Gant as Admiral Phelps and Kurt Carley as Godzilla.

Special features 4K ULTRA HD DISC Feature presented in 4K resolution with Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos + 5.1 audio, Theatrical Trailers. Also, on Bluray Disc, Feature presented in High Definition, 5.1 audio, Visual Effects Commentary, Behind the Scenes of Godzilla® with Charles Caiman, All Time Best of Godzilla® Fight Scenes and “Heroes” Music Video by The Wallflowers.

GODZILLA is a fun action film with the worlds most iconic monster. Coming to life in 1954 from director and writer Ishiro Honda. From then on, the world has been fascinated with this character to the tune of 33 film, video games, comic books and even television. He is literally the king of the monsters.

Of course, being a king, he has arch-nemises’ of his very own including Rodan, Mothra and Anguirus. Remembering my brother and I up on Saturday mid-morning waiting to watch the black and white films and cheering on Godzilla (or Mothra sometimes). Then, for a few years, Godzilla faded a bit into the background of film only to be revived again bringing his atomic breath with him and angry roar.

Director Emmerich takes the story of Gojira/Godzilla and attempts to modernize it. From the cause of the monster’s birth to making his way to New York, Godzilla is once again back on the big screen wreaking havoc that fans all love. That means the family gets to gather up, shut off the lights and turn on the sound bar for an epic time with the king of the monsters!

In the end – he is taking over!

She is MATILDA

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD, Bluray and Digital and available in Steelbook from director Danny DeVito and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the 1996 magical story of MATILDA.

Matilda Wormwood (Mara Wilson) is a six-year-old who lives in a home being basically neglected by used car salesman dad Harry (Danny DeVito) and mother Zinnia (Rhea Perlman), as well as older brother Michael (Brian Levinson). Matilda finds comfort in book which drives her parents to distraction and brings things to a boil with Harry.

When he sells a car to the principal of Crunchem Hall Elementary, the deal is made to put Matilda in school. Thrilled to be going, it isn’t until she hears the other kids talk about Miss Trunchbull (Pam Ferris) that Matilda sees she is even more tyrannical. Her abuse includes locking kids in ‘the chokey’ and physically abusing the kids.

One teacher that Matilda enjoys is the very lovely Miss Jennifer Honey (Embeth Davidtz) who realizes what Matilda is capable of. She tries to tell the girls parents about her potential but they ignore it. Matilda decides it is time for Trunchbull to get a bit of her own when a punishment doesn’t go the way the adult bully intended.

When Trunchbull realizes that Harry sold her a lemon, she locks Matilda in the chokey for her father’s crime. The girl also knows her father is being watched by the FBI. The principal and Matilda are not giving up and it takes a newt to get her home. Miss Honey sees what Matilda is going through and is kind to her as they have a tea together and she shares with Matilda her life story.

Matilda begins to understand the connection between Miss Honey and Trunchbull and wants to help. That’s when they decide to go retrieve things that belong to Miss Honey. Matilda also explains the strange powers that she has allowing her to make things happen. But now, Trunchbull is on a mission to wreak havoc and cause as much destruction as possible and Matilda is in her line of sight.

Wilson as Matilda was, and is still, the most perfect casting for the role. Wilson is endearing, charming, cute and underneath all the ruffles is a girl who knows exactly what life is about. She is dealing with parents that can not be trusted and a school that can not be trusted, who she does trust is the lovely Miss Honey. The magical part of Matilda is always for the benefit of others and that makes her an even lovelier kid who deserves the best, that’s what Wilson gives us.

Davidtz as Miss Honey totally gets Matilda because she also came from a place of people abusing her delicate trust. Finding a kindred spirit in Matilda, she gets the chance to set things right in her own life and perhaps even find happiness being a part of the young girl’s life. My granddaughter loves Miss Honey and even though she isn’t magical, it doesn’t change how much she adores this character.

DeVito as Harry is just a slick and totally unlikeable human being who sees nothing wrong with being mean to his own child. The problem is, he unlikability sometimes causes giggles! That’s DeVito for you and a remarkable performance. Perlman as wife Zinnia is verbally abusing to Matilda having no problem referring to her as ‘weird’ but never stopping her nail filing for a second. These two are amazing together as actors.

Let’s talk about Ferris as Trunchbull! What a performance and one that has us consistently cheering for Matilda. The abusiveness of this principal is very disturbing so when Matilda discovers ways of turning the table, we are all about it. Ferris is stunning and an iconic character that even today, everyone knows the name Trunchbull.

Other cast include Paul Rubens and Tracey Walter as Bob and Bill, Kiami Davael as Lavender, Jimmy Karz as Bruce Bogtrotter, Kira Hesser as Hortensia, Jacqueline Steiger as Amanda Thripp, Jean Howard as Mrs. Phelps, Marion Dugan as Cookie and Jon Lovitz as Mickey.

Special Features include on 4K HD Commentary with Director Danny DeVito and Theatrical Trailer. On Bluray Disc the Features include Afternoon Tea” A Very Magical MATILDA Reunion, MATILDA’s Movie Magic, A Children’s Guide to Good Manners, Escape to the Library and My Movie About Making MATILDA by Mara Wilson.

MATILDA is based on a novel of the same name by the beloved children’s writer Roald Dahl. It was written into a screenplay by Nicholas Kazan and Robin Swicord. Directed by Danny DeVito, he has double duty as he also narrates the story.

This film is so iconic that I was thrilled to have the opportunity to share it with my grandkids. I remember when it came out in the theatres in 1996, my kids wanted to see it again. Once it came out at Blockbuster (google it kids), we rented and re-rented it so many times we could have owned it. Eventually we did and that poor VHS (google it again kids) just became stretched out just as the kids became young adults.

Seeing it again, those same young adults are now sharing it with their children and still laughing at all the same things they once did. That’s what makes MATILDA so iconic, the memories it brings up today now in a format that we don’t have to worry about stretching out. We get to visit again and again the lovely girl with a magic that is not only special but a magic in her personality.

Get the family together and make it an outdoor movie night with the one and only MATILDA.

In the end – see the world from a kid’s eye magical view!

3 DAYS IN MALAY

Jeri Jacquin

Coming from Bluray and DVD from director Louis Mandylor, Saban Films and Well Go USA is the story of past mistakes, coming together and struggling to survive 3 DAYS IN MALAY.

John Caputo (Louis Mandylor) has just been assigned to a remote airstrip in the jungle. Once there, he checks in with nurse Bess (Kelly B. Jones) who goes over his military jacket. Caputo makes a quick rundown of his boxing career, Marine tour and now with the Army. He is checked in and onto the barracks where he sees longtime friend James (Donald Cerrone).

But there is a history between these two men as Japanese forces are slowly surrounding the air field. The past mixes with the death of a friend as James starts feeling it all consume him. Even Reverend Conte (Quinton Jackson) tries to convince James that where they are and what they are doing comes with death.

Caputo is well known by the rest of the platoon with Adams (Ryan Francis), Conroy (Randall Bacon), and Simmons (Randy Wayne) and the accept him readily. On the other end of the compound, Murdock (Eoin O’Brien) is trying to convince General Harmon (Bear Williams) that the Japanese are going to attack and they are not ready.

For three days the men do what they need to do to stop the advancement of the enemy and save as many lives as they can.

Mandylor as Caputo is a man with inner demons that he is controlling. He has a history of mental pain trying to find a place to lay it to rest. Going from the boxing ring to the ring of war, Caputo wants to make the only peace possible and that is with his childhood friend James. On a personal note, I still love the character of Nick from MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING.

Cerrone as James wants to outwardly act like he isn’t shaken by seeing Caputo again. He keeps the conversation casual and light until one peek at his military jacket sends him into a rage. Taking it out on Caputo with boxing gloves, it is clear his friend has no desire for this kind of fight.

Bacon as Conroy takes a liking to Caputo and clearly does not agree with James’ tactics in handling their relationship. Bacon plays his soldier as a straight forward guy who knows what the job is and it’s not fighting each other. Jackson as the Reverand is a calming and strong force for the men and when the time calls for it, he doesn’t mind picking up a rifle and fighting with his comrades in arms.

O’Brien as Murdock is a man who clearly understand what is about to happen and cannot get the higher command to listen. Instead, he fights his way verbally through the ranks and when it all begins to come down, he jumps into fight without hesitation. Jones as Bess is a nurse who doesn’t take any guff from the men but almost instantly has an attraction to Caputo. She takes her job as a nurse seriously and stands up to anyone in her way.

Francis, Wayne and Williams bring the cast full circle and show what friendship, strength and faithfulness to the other men overshadowed the fear that anyone would feel. They bring a sense of camaraderie to the film and that’s important in showing what the men and women went through during with war with Japan.

Other cast include Kelly Reiter as Ellie, Alex Farnham as Jack along with Ron Smoorenburg, Jonathan Samson, John Garrett Mahlmeister, Alexander Winters, Vesse Saastamoinen and Andrey Kasushkin.

3 DAYS IN MALAY is a film not just about World War 2 but of the lives of the men and women during that time. There are stories within stories in the film and much of it is a rift between Caputo and James. Both have past issues and mistakes they are dealing with but James wants to take it out on Caputo whereas Caputo just wants peace with his childhood friend.

Director Mandylor does not sugar coat the horrors of war but instead lets it be known the truth of what war does to human beings. It is a brutal and, at times, shocking act and there is very little time to think about the consequences that come later, James’ inability to deal with his friend Evans death is proof of that.

In the end – it all happens in three days!

THE COMPLETE STORY OF FILM

Jeri Jacquin

Currently in a four-disc set from photographer/writer/director Mark Cousins and Music Box Films

Narrated by Cousins, the viewer is taken back into time and place to discover the hidden secrets of filmmaking. What is in this review is a tiny fraction of what these discs invite the viewer to know and experience.

The first disc includes Chapter One - 1895-1918: The World Discovers a New Art Form, Chapter 2 – 1918: The Triumph of American Film and the First of its Rebels, Chapter Three – 1918: The Great Rebel Filmmakers Around the World, Chapter Four – 1930s: The Great American Movie Genres and the Brilliance of European Film, and Chapter Five – 1939-1952: The Devastation of War and a New Movie Language.

Thomas Edison “a dark room where light matters” and W.K.L. Dickson begin to think about how to make pictures and take them into world of movement but it only allowed one person at a time to look at what was created inside a box. Louie & August Lumier create a projector and films and in December 1895, the Lumier brothers bring ARRIVAL OF A TRAIN AT LA CIOTAT (1896).

From George Melles A TRIP TO THE MOON with special effects, to the first female director in Alice Le Blanche, to Albert Smith and Ehoch J. Rector with his 63 mm wide-screen, cinema begins to expand as the imagination of what could be heightens. Edwin Stanton Porter creates editing as Buster Keaton explores using double exposure, Charles Pathe creates parallel editing and Charles La Bargy creates reverse angle shots as films can no longer be contained in a box.

Movie stars come into focus with Florence Lawrence in the 1909 film THOSE AWFUL HATS becomes the most recognizable woman and is instantly famous. She is followed by Gloria Swanson in STAGE STRUCK in 1925. Scandinavia brings their own brand of film famous in 1910 with Benjamin Christensen’s THE MYSTERIOUS X and the masterful film HAXAN. Viktor Sjostrom brings INGEBORG HOLM and years later THE PHANTOM CARRIAGE.

Studios are now being built and the 1906 film THE STORY OF THE KELLY GANG brings Charles Tait as director and Cecil B. DeMille films THE SQUAW MAN, Alice Guy’s 1912 film FALLING LEAVES, Louis Weber’s film SUSPENSE in 1913. D.W. Griffith had a range of films from THE HOUSE WITH CLOSED SHUTTERS in 1910, WAY DOWN EAST in 1921, ORPHANS OF THE STORM in 1921, the classic 1915 BIRTH OF A NATION and the three and a half hour 1916 film INTOLERANCE. Japan contribution is the 1921 SOULS ON THE ROAD from director Minora Murata. In twenty years, films have now exploded from nickelodeons to film houses.

Investment money comes in from east coast bankers as Paramount, MGM, Warner Bros. Studios are built and sound stages grow as Hollywood becomes a production line cranking out film after film. Costuming, makeup, engineers, dollies, new cameras and the list goes on as to what is needed. Films begin to have themes of love, action and adventure as well as the most popular thing today – comedy.

Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd would pave that road, and even become directors in order to get what they wanted on film. Keaton directs THE CAMERAMAN, ONE WEEK, SHERLOCK JR., THREE AGES, and THE GENERAL. Chaplain would direct LIMELIGHT, CITY LIGHTS, the iconic THE KID and, my personal favorite the 1941 THE GREAT DICTATOR. Harold Lloyd put himself in such adoring films as LUKE’S MOVIE MUDDLE, NEVER WEAKEN and SAFTEY LAST.

Documentaries begin with the film NANOCK OF THE NORTH from director Robert J. Flaherty. Director Erich von Stroheim’s 1919 film BLIND HUSBANDS and 1924 film GREED. King Vldor film THE CROWD has seven endings. Emotionalism comes to film with director Carl Theoder Deyer’s 1928 film THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC or his 1919 film THE PRESIDENT.

In disc-two, the director explores the years through Chapter 6: 1953-1957: The Swollen Story: World Cinema Bursting at the Seams, Chapter 7: 1957-1964: The Shock of the New: Modern Filmmaking in Western Europe, Chapter 8: 1965-1969: The New Waves Sweep Around the World, Chapter 9: 1967-1979: New American Cinema, and Chapter 10: 1969-1979: Radical Directors in the 70s Make State of the Nation Movies.

Melodrama brings the 1950’s in with wide-screen and color as James Dean show emotions that are out of control. Egypt starts as director Youssef Chahine brings the 1958 film CAIRO STATION. India also understands the feeling of Chahine, director Guru Dutt brings the 1959 great Indian film PAPER FLOWERS. Realism with 1936’s SANT TUKARAM directed by Vishnupant Govind Damle. In Calcutta, director Satyajit Ray brings the 1955 film PANTHER PANCHALI and changes the view of Indian film forever.

China also brings its culture to cinema. TWO STAGE SISTER directed by Xie Jin, along with director Akira Kurosawa films IKIRU, STRAY DOGS, SEVEN SAMURAI and THRONE OF BLOOD. In Latin America, there films are on the rise. The 1955 Brazilian film RIO 40 DEGREES from director Nelson Pereira dos Santos returns to the screen with his neo-realism. In Mexico, the film DONA BARBARA, LA PERLA and LOS OLVIDADOS.

America is idealized in filmmaking, the 1955 film ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS from director Douglas Sirk is a prime example. David Helpern brings the 1975 film I’M A STRANGER HERE MYSELF as well as directors Nicholas Ray’s, Kenneth Anger, Delbert Mann’s, Elia Kazan’s film ON THE WATERFRONT in 1954. The 1948 RED RIVER film shows that methods between John Wayne and the sensitive man Montgomery Clift as directed by Howard Hawkins.

That ideal is shown with James Dean in the 1955 Nicholas Ray directed REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE. Orson Wells, Alfred Hitchcock, Howard Hawks, and John Ford are making masterpieces. Wells directs the 1958 TOUCH OF EVIL, Ford directs the 1956 film THE SEARCHERS, Hitchcock brings the 1958 film VERTIGO and the Hawks directed 1959 film RIO BRAVO.

British films keep their feelings under cover, so to speak, led by director David Lean with the 1946 classic GREAT EXPECTATIONS and LAWRENCE OF ARABIA. The 1953 film O DREAMLAND from director Lindsay Anderson. France gives the world Brigit Bardot in the 1956 film …AND GOD CREATED WOMAN directed by Roger Vadim as well as directors Ingmar Bergman, Robert Bresson, Jacques Tati and Federico Fellini.

Bresson saw life as a prison and he made four films with that philosophy. PICKPOCKET is his 1959 film and 1966’s AU HASARD BALTHAZAR. Jacques Tati brings MR. HULOT’S HOLIDAY and MON ONCLE. Fellini’s film derives from the circus directing FELLINI’S CASANOVA, THE NIGHTS OF CABIRIA, and 8½ in 1963. The French new wave directors have arrived, Agnes Varda begins the waters in the 1962 film CLEO FROM 5 TO 7, Alain Resnais, Francois Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard and his 1960 film A BOUT DE SOUFFLE with close ups and UNE FEMME MARIEE in 1964.

Italy brought new excitement to their cinema, Pier Paolo Pasolini brings his 1961 film ACCATTONE and THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW (1964). Sergio Leone took another direction as in the 1964 western A FIST FULL OF DOLLARS using the Italian created Techni-scope and written with Bertolucci, their film ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST in 1968 becomes epic. Luchino Visconti brings the 1954 film SENSO and the 1954 film ROCCO AND HIS BROTHERS. Michelangelo Antonioni sees the world a bit more abstractly as in his 1954 film L’ECLISSE or the 1975 film THE PASSENGER. In Spain, Marco Ferreri is pushing the limits with the 1960 film THE WHEELCHAIR.

Director Pedro Almodovar, in 1984, also pushes dysfunction with WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS? In 1961, director Luis Bunuel’s film VIRIDIANA also pushes mockery. In Sweden, director Vilgot Sjoman and his 1967 film I AM CURIOUS (YELLOW) uses politics as fantasy.

New wave gets a gut punch beginning with the 1973 film LA MAMAN ET LA PUTAIN directed by Jean Estache. In Poland, director Andrej Wajda’s 1958 ASHES AND DIAMONDS and TWO MEN AND A WARDROBE directed by Roman Polanski along with the 1962 film KNIFE IN THE WATER and THE FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS.

In Czechoslovakia, animation and puppetry could be seen in the 1966 film THE HAND directed by Jiri Trnka. Milos Forman in 1967 creates THE FIREMAN’S BALL, Vera Chytilova film DAISIES, and Hungary’s director Milos Jancso creates his 1968 film THE RED AND THE WHITE. The Soviet Union, filmmakers push to create films with Chris Marker in 2000 with UNE JOURNEE D’ANDREI ARSENEVITCH or ANDREI RUBLEV, Andrei Tarkovsky’s film THE MIRROR or STALKER and NOSTALGHIA show his ability with the long shot, to tell the story.

Sergei Parajanov created the 1965 film SHADOWS OF OUR FORGOTTEN ANCESTORS gives angles from up and down using foreground widely. Japan in the 60’s had an angry tone, director Nagisa Oshima brought the 1969 film BOY, IN THE REALM OF SENSES, director Shohei Imamura’s film THE INSECT WOMAN and the 1970’s NIPPON SENGOSHI – MADAMU ONBORO NO SEIKATSU.

India of the 1960s include Ritwik Ghatak 1958 film AJANTRIK, 1960 THE CLOUD-CAPPED STAR, and 1975 with JUKTI, TAKKO AAR GAPPO. Director Mani Kaul brings landscape to the 1970 film USKI ROTI. Brazil offering was Glauber Rocha’s 1964 film BLACK GOD, WHITE DEVIL. Cuba’s cinema produces director Mikhail Kalatozov’s 1964 I AM CUBA.

In Iran, director Forugh Farrokhzad’s 1963 film THE HOUSE IS BLACK is about a leper colony as she films in black and white. Senegal brings the film BLACK GIRL directed by Ousamane Sembene. England brought films in the 60s such as Karel Reisz 1960s film SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING, director Ken Loach and the film KES and Richard Lester film A HARD DAY’S NIGHT.

Ending in America radical voices are coming through film. Director Robert Drew’s 1960 documentary PRIMARY, John Cassavetes’s film SHADOWS does the same, and Alfred Hitchcock classic PSYCHO. Directors Jorgen Leth brings 66 SCENES FROM AMERICA, Mike Nichols WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOLF?, Haskell Wexler’s MEDIUM COOL, director Dennis Hopper with EASY RIDER, and Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 iconic 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY.

Now, the 70s satire comes to film with Buck Henry who wrote the script for THE GRADUATE in 1967 and the 1970 film CATCH 22 both directed by Mike Nichols and director Robert Altman’s MASH came out the same year and. Director Milos Forman comes to America to make the 1975 stunning film ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST.

Referring to these directors as “dissident filmmakers”, the honors go to Dennis Hopper with THE LAST MOVIE, Altman’s McCABE AND MRS. MILLER, Francis Ford Coppola brings THE CONVERSATION and Martin Scorsese’s MEAN STREETS and the breathtaking 1976 film TAXI DRIVER and RAGING BULL again with Robert DeNiro. Paul Schrader arrives in 1980 with AMERICAN GIGOLO and 1992’s LIGHT SLEEPER.

Charles Burnett made KILLER OF SHEEP in 1977, director Woody Allen brings ANNIE HALL and MANHATTAN the same year. Peter Bogdanovich with the film THE LAST PICTURE SHOW, Sam Peckinpah’s THE WILD BUNCH and 1973’s PAT GARRETT AND BILLY THE KID. Also, Terrence Malick’s BADLANDS and DAYS OF HEAVEN. Director Bob Fosse directs the 1972’s CABARET, Francis Ford Coppola’s THE GODFATHER and director Roman Polanski’s CHINATOWN.

The 70s also rings in the radical directors as the world of cinema begins to ask questions. Rainer Werner Fassbinder shows FOX AND HIS FRIENDS, THE BITTER TEARS OF PETRA VON KANT and in 1974’s FEAR EATS THE SOUL. Wim Wenders brings ALICE IN THE CITIES. Women decided they wanted to tell their point of view as director Margarethe von Trotta is show in 1978’s THE SECOND AWAKENING OF CHRISTA KLAGES.

Italy is also dealing with a war past look for identity as director Pier Paolo Pasolini brings ARABIAN NIGHTS, Bernardo Bertolucci is next with THE SPIDER’S STRATAGEM and THE CONFORMIST in 1970. In British films, Ken Russell directs WOMEN IN LOVE and Nicolas Roeg directing PERFORMANCE. Roeg also shows his 1971 Australian film WALKABOUT, Peter Weir’s film PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK and Gillian Armstrong’s MY BRILLIANT CAREER.

Japan films tried to reshape the country as director Noriaki Tsuchimoto brings the 1971 documentary MINAMATA, THE VICTIMS AND THEIR WORLD and Kazuo Hara’s film THE EMPEROR’S NAKED ARMY MARCHES ON. In Africa, Assia Djebar directs LA NOUBA DES FEMMES DU MONT CHENOUA and LA NOUBA. Ousmane Sembe’s XALA remove colonialism, Djibril Dio Mambety brings two films with the 1970 film BADOU BOY and HYENAS, and female director Safi Faye’s PEASANT LETTER and KADDU BEYKAT, and Haile Gerima’s 1976 film HARVEST: 3,000 YEARS.

Kurdish filmmaker Yilmaz Guney makes the 1970 film HOPE followed by the film YOL. In Chile, directors Patricio Guzman film THE BATTLE OF CHILE and Alejandro Jodorowsky’s THE HOLY MOUNTAIN hit theatres.

Innovation and pop-culture comes in the 70’s and it is world-wide. Hong Kong’s Sir Run Run Shaw brought its own studios where their own films were made. Director King Hu filmed A TOUCH OF ZEN and Robert Clouse 1975 hit ENTER THE DRAGON. Also, 1986s A BETTER TOMORROW directed by John Woo and Woo-ping Yuen’s film THE IRON MONKEY. Tsui Hark having directed 44 films shows his work in the 1991 film ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA and DRAGON’S INN.

India grew and created epics larger than anything Hollywood could do. Director Gulzar brings the beauty to the film MAUSAM, Prakash Mehra’s ZANJEER and Ramesh Sippy’s 1975 SHOLAY. Arab filmmakers take on THE MESSAGE from director Moustapha Akkad in 1976 and Youssef Chahine releases the 1972 THE SPARROW.

In America, the era of the block-buster had arrived. Beginning with director William Friedkin’s 1973 horror THE EXORCIST, Steven Spielberg’s 1975 JAWS, CLOSE ENCOUNTER OF THE THIRD KIND and the 1993 film JURASSIC PARK. Then the smash from a galaxy far, far away - George Lucas lands with the 1997 film STAR WARS.

In disc-three, Chapter 11: The 1970s and Onwards: Innovation in Popular Culture Around the World, Chapter 12: The 1980s: Moviemaking and Protest Around the World, Chapter 13: 1990-1998: The Last Days of Celluloid, Before the Coming of Digital, Chapter 14: The 1990s: The First Days of Digital: Reality Losing its Realness in American and Australia, and Chapter 15: 2000 Onwards: Film Moves Full Circle and the Future of Movies.

This section speaks about truth to power beginning with China and a rebirth of film. Tian Zhuangzhuang came alive directing his 1988 film THE HORSE THIEF and Chen Kaige’s film YELLOW EARTH. Two of my favorite films of all time come from director Zhang Yimou and the 1991 film RAISE THE RED LANTERN and 2004’s HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS.

The Soviet Union told stories about things that were not to be talked about. Director Tengiz Abuladze’s 1984 film REPENTANCE, Elem Klimov’s 1985 film COME AND SEE and director Kira Muratova’s 1971 LONG GOODBYES. Polish director Krysztof Kieslowlski brings the 1988 story A SHORT FILM ABOUT KILLING. African films move toward a different storytelling like director Gaston Kabore 1982’s film WEND KUNNI and YEELEN from director Souleymane Cisse.

In the United States, on the big screen FLASHDANCE in 1983 from director Adrian Lyne, Tony Scott’s skyward offering of TOP GUN, David Lynch gives two films THE ELEPHANT MAN and BLUE VELVET in 1986. Spike Lee also emerges with DO THE RIGHT THING.

France shines again starting with Luc Besson’s 1985 film SUBWAY and Leos Carax film LES AMANTS DU PONT NEUF. The 1982 Pedro Almodovar film LABYRINTH OF PASSIONS, Victor Erice’s THE QUINCE TREE SUN in 1992. In Britain, Stephen Frears offers the 1985 film MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE, Bill Douglas’s film MY CHILDHOOD, GREGORY’S GIRL from Bill Forsyth, and Terrence Davies 1988 film DISTANT VOICES, STILL LIVES.

Also, Peter Greenaway with A ZED AND TWO NOUGHTS in 1986 and Derek Jarman brings THE LAST OF ENGLAND. Director David Cronenberg shows his starkness with the 1983’s VIDEODROME, CRASH and Denys Arcand’s 1989 JESUS OF MONTREAL.

Before digital and the internet, directors are celebrated for the celluloid and the coming of an end of an era. In Iran, director Samira Makhmalbaf starts with the film THE APPLE, Mohsen Makhmalbaf’s A MOMENT OF INNOCENCE and Abbas Kiarostami’s three films WHERE IS THE FRIEND’S HOUSE?, LIFE GOES ON and THROUGH THE OLIVE TREES in 1994.

Hong Kong, still in the action movie stance, takes a turn into filming real life with Wong Kar Wai’s 1970 film DAYS OF BEING WILD and IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE. From Taiwan is director Hou Hsiao-hsien’s film CITY OF SADNESS and VIVE L’AMOUR in 1994 from Tsai Ming-liang. Japan wants to scare as director Shinya Tsukamoto shows TETSUO and TATSUO II: Body Hammer in 1992. It would be Hideo Nakata, in 1998, that would show fright with RINGU and Takashi Miike’s AUDITION.

Coopenhagen gets back to human nature as director Lars Von Trier starts with the 1996 film BREAKING THE WAVES and DOGVILLE. France shares director Mathieu Kassovitz’s 1995 film LA HAINE, Bruno Dumont’s film L’HUMANITE and in the same year directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne offer up the 1999 film ROSETTA. Claire Denis puts her work in the 1999 film BEAU TRAVAIL. Poland has director Dorota Kedzierzawska’s film CROWS, Viktor Kossakovsky’s WEDNESDAY, Michael Haneke’s FUNNY GAMES and CODE UNKNOWN.

America and Australia now come into view. Ridley Scott creates epic digital scenes like from his 2000 film GLADIATOR or James Cameron’s film TERMINATOR, TERMINATOR 2: Judgement Day and TITANIC. CGI and animation are now taking control. Steven Spielberg proved the work with his 1993’s JURASSIC PARK. John Lassiter brought CGI to life with the 1995 wonderful TOY STORY. The inexpensive 1999 Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sanchez fright THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT exploded at the box office.

Director Yimou Zhang’s 2004 film HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS shows the epic-ness of CGI as well. Martin Scorsese keeps it real with GOODFELLAS, Quentin Tarantino offers up the RESERVOIR DOGS and PULP FICTION. Oliver Stone’s 1994 NATURAL BORN KILLERS uses color and video for its post modernism. Joe and Ethan Cohn rule the 90’s starting with MILLER’S CROSSING, THE BIG LEBOWSKI, THE HUDSUCKER PROXY and 2000’s O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?

Gus Van Sant brought MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO, PSYCHO, ELEPHANT, GERRY, and 2005’s LAST DAYS. Paul Verhoeven’s ROBOCOP and the guilty pleasure STARSHIP TROOPERS. Jane Campion lights up with AN ANGEL AT MY TABLE and THE PIANO in 1993. Director Baz Luhrmann brings largeness to the screen with ROMEO + JULIET and the even larger is the 2001 MOULIN ROUGE.

Now, the 21st century makes its grand entrance into cinema with a returning clash. Documentaries rose as the twin towers fell and director Michael Moor’s film FARHENHEIT 9/11 and action at the box office with Paul Greengrass THE BOURNE SUPREMACY. Director Nicolas Philibert’s ETRE ET AVOIR in 2002 and ZIDANE – A PORTRAIT IN THE 21ST CENTURY in 2006.

Andrew Dominik’s 2007 film THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD came to the screen with sweeping photography. Nuri Bilge Ceylan offers up CLIMATES from Turkey, Romania from Christi Puiu with THE DEATH OF MR. LAZARESCU and Argentina with Lucrecia Martel’s THE HEADLESS WOMAN. From Mexico, director Carol Reygadas’s releases BATTLE IN HEAVEN in 2005.

Korea changes up its features with director Lee Chang-Dong’s 2002 OASIS, Bong Joon-Ho’s 2003 MEMORIES OF MURDER and the iconic Park Chan-Wook’s 2003 OLDBOY. Yet the U.S. isn’t done with their stunning work as David Lynch portrays the Hollywood life in the film MULHOLLAND DR. Darren Aronofsky invites us into REQUIEM FOR A DREAM. Roy Anderson, from Stockholm blurs the story lines with 2000’s SONGS FROM THE SECOND FLOOR or Roger Avary’s RULES OF ATTRACTION and James Cameron film AVATAR.

Thailand tries something different with director Apichatpong Weeresethakul’s TROPICAL MALADY as does Alexander Sokurov with the 1997 film MOTHER AND SON and RUSSIAN ARK. Innovation like Michel Gondry’s ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND or perhaps Christopher Nolan’s 2010 INCEPTION capture movie goers.

The fourth disc has a fascinating look with A New Generation: Part One – Extending the Language of Film and Part Two – What Have we Been Digging For?

Finally, in this disc set comes the passion and innovation of the stories that come to film with a new generation. Starting with director Todd Phillips 2019 JOKER and the animation of directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck in the smash 2013 FROZEN. The dream state can be found in the 2015 Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s film CEMETARY OF SPLENDOUR. Now the story talks about the language of film.

Jordan Peele breaks out in the 2019 film US, Olivia Wilde’s 2019 BOOKSMART, the Hindi 2014 film PK, and 2016 Tim Miller’s DEADPOOL, director Nabwana I.G.G’s 2014 CRAZY WORLD take us from horror to comedy. Bruno Dumont brings French comedy to light in the 2014 film P’TIT QUINQUIN.

Action films come into play starting with the five-hour long Anurag Kashyap 2012 film GANGS OF WASSEYPUR, Jonnie To with VENGEANCE, Argentina’s ZAMA directed by Lucrecia Martl, directors Benny and Josh Safdie show GOOD TIME and George Miller’s futuristic world in MAD MAX: Fury Road in 2015. Edgar Wright delivers the hit BABY DRIVER using music into its story, Melina Matsoukas’s BEYONCE: Lemonade and Steve McQueen’s SMALL AXE: Lovers Rock in 2020 use it as well. In Bollywood, dance reigns supreme – Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 2018 RAM-LEELA.

Bodies have always been a means for the eyes and some make a subtle point as with 2019’s Lorene Scafaria’s HUSTLERS and Barry Jenkins film MOONLIGHT. Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s 2005 THREE TIMES, Joao Pedro Rodrigues’s THE ORNOTHOLOGIST, Lucia Puenzo’s XXY, Alfonso Curon’s 2013 GRAVITY, Lucile Hadzihalilovic’s EVOLUTION, Rungano Nyoni’s I AM NOT A WITCH, Claire Denis’s 2018 HIGH LIFE and Jeremy Clapin’s 2019 film I LOST MY BODY also bring body and cinema together.

Horror in cinema rapidly comes back with an intensity as in Lucia Guadagnino’s film SUSPIRIA, Australia’s Jennifer Kent’s THE BABADOOK, IT FOLLOWS from David Robert Mitchell the same year, and Astonia’s film NOVEMBER from director Rainer Sarnet, and Ari Aster’s MIDSOMMAR brought a new level of what is expected of a horror film.

Changing gears into slow cinema with the 2006 Pedro Costa film COLOSSAL YOUTH, Kely Reichardt’s CERTAIN WOMEN, Lav Diaz’s 2013 NORTE, THE END OF HISTORY, and 2018’s AN ELEPHANT SITTING STILL directed by Hu Bo. Documentaries come into play again as well starting with Hanna Polak’s SOMETHING BETTER TO COME, Waad Al-Kateab and Edward Watts’ 2019 FOR SAMA, Patricio Guzman’s THE PEARL BUTTON and Anand Patwardhan’s REASON. Greece brings ATTENBERG from director Athina Rachel Tsangari and Aleksei German’s three-hour long 2013 film HARD TO BE GOD.

Asking the question ‘what have we been digging for?’ comes into focus starting with director Leos Carax HOLY MOTORS, 2013’s UNDER THE SKIN from director Jonathan Glazer, director Joanna Hogg’s THE SOUVENIR, Amin Sidi-Boumediene’s 2019 film ABOUT LEILA, Abbas Kiarostami’s film TEN and Castaing-Taylor and Verena Paravel brings LEVIATHAN in 2012.

Cell phones come into play as well as new inventive techniques shown in the 2017 Michael Haneke film HAPPY END, Sean Baker’s film TANGERINE, Jean-Luc Godard’s GOODBYE TO LANGUAGE, Laurie Anderson’s HEART OF A DOG in 2015, BLACK MIRROR: Bandersnatch from director David Slade in 2018, Tsai Ming Liang’s STRAY DOGS, I DON’T WANT TO SLEEP ALONE and 2017’s THE DESERTED done in VR.

Documentary filmmaker Kirsten Johnson films the CAMERAPERSON, THE LOOK OF SILENCE from Joshua Oppenheimer in 2014 or with Christine Cynn in THE ACT OF KILLING and in the same year Slavo Martinov shows PROPAGANDA. Performance capture comes alive with Matt Reeves’ WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES, 2019’s THE IRISHMAN from Martin Scorsese and DAU DEGENERATION from Ilya Khrzhanovskiy. Using no technology, Lenny Abrahamson introduces us to the 2014 film FRANK and Laszlo Nemes 2015 SON OF SAUL.

Now cinema reveals who we are starting with the 2018 Radu Jude film I DON’T CARE IF WE GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS BARBARIANS, Jordan Peele’s US and Korean director Bong Joon-Ho’s PARASITE, Ala Eddine Slim TLAMESS, and Mati Diop comes in the same year with ATLANTICS. In animation, the 2014 SONG OF THE SEA by Tomm Moore is flowing and transformative. BLACK PANTHER brought Wakanda from Ryan Coogler and in the same year BORDER from Ali Abbasi bring ‘paradise lost’. THE FARWELL by Lulu Wang brings family together, and QUO VADIS, AIDA? from Jasmina Spanic in 2020 (one of my favorites that year).

From Asia, director Hirokazu Kore-eda’s SHOPLIFTERS, from Russia is Evgenia Ostanina and Zosya Rodkevich’s WHITE MAMA, Debra Branik’s LEAVE NO TRACE and Alice Rohrwacher’s HAPPY AS LAZZARO all come in the same year. Rounding out years 2017 -2019 there is A FANTASTIC WOMAN from director Sebastian Lelio, 13th from Ava Duvernay, SHOP OF THESEUS from Anand Gandhi, PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE from Celine Sciamma and COLD WAR from Pawel Pawlikowski.

Incoming to theatres are more points of view and what cinema is offering us is a frame by frame look at ourselves and we love every moment of it.

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

If you are a filmmaker, a film lover, a student of film, a person who studies film for pleasure – then this is a must have, absolutely. It is challenging, thought provoking, informative, enlightening and goes in directions that are stellar and interesting. Being captivated is sometimes a hard thing to do, but A STORY OF FILM does it second by second.

I have always loved film, from my first viewing of BAMBI to the recent film THE CREATOR, I have witnessed the inventive of storytelling and embraced the good, bad and ugly of it all. Creator Mark Cousins has now become the voice in my head regarding film and a new point of view. There have been a few teachers in my life that have stood out and have followed along my life, Cousins is now added to that list as the newest teacher who taught an old dog new tricks in a sense.

To experience it all in five discs is breathtaking and equally exhausting, but the kind of exhausting that comes with learning something so fulfilling, that it will take time to recover from and process it all with joy. This is an 18-hour master class that is powerful, thoughtful and worthy of a standing ovation.

Prepare for a stunning master class!

Be Prepare for THE BOOGEYMAN

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray, DVD and currently on Digital from director Rob Savage and 20th Century Studios based on a short story by the master of horror Stephen King is THE BOOGEYMAN.

The Harper family is dealing with sadness as teen Sadie (Sophie Thatcher) returns to school for the first time. Along with younger sister Sawyer (Vivien Lyra Blair), the family is trying to find the new normal. Dad Will (Chris Messina) is a therapist who sees patients in his office located in the family home but has trouble talking to his own children.

Unexpectedly, Will comes face to face with Lester Billings (David Dastmalchian) who begs the doctor for help needing someone to talk to. He also has experienced devastation in his family and thought Will could relate. Will begins to suspect that Lester has deeper issues than he can handle. When chaos breaks out in the Harper home once again, it starts a chain reaction of fright.

It is Sawyer who first begins to understand that something is in their house and that something has the ability to speak. Trying to convince Sadie and dad Will, they just don’t see what the little girl does. After a gathering of friends at the Harper home, Sadie does not need any more convincing that what Sawyer has experienced is absolutely true.

Now Sadie must do whatever she can do protect her little sister while trying to make Will understand that what is in their home is powerful and deadly.

Thatcher as Sadie is a young teen dealing with sadness and grief and can’t find it within her home or with her friends. Feeling uber protective over sister Sawyer, she listens to the young girl’s tale but it takes her own moment of fright to believe. Thatcher gives a strong performance of a young girl determined to fight for family, home and whatever it takes to survive.

Messina as dad Will is doing what father’s do when dealing with fear and grief, act a bit as if it all can be explained as a therapist would. It doesn’t work! His daughters are both trying to tell him that something is in their home and he doesn’t listen – until he does. Messina gives us the broken family man who is busy being afraid of that to see the real fear.

Blair as Sawyer is so darn relatable for every child around the age of her character. Night lights on, monster check of the closet, check under the bed and anyplace else a monster could hide. Sawyer is charming, and watching what she goes through is a bit horrifying and this little actress gives it everything and make it believable.

Shout out to Dastmalchian as Lester because that man has the ability to bring you into a strange and frightening world of all kinds. This isn’t the first time he’s freaked me out and if he looks a tad familiar, he portrayed Albert DeSalvo in the 2023 BOSTON STRANGLER, Bob Taylor in the 2013 film PRISONER and 2008 THE DARK KNIGHT.

Also, shout out Marin Ireland as Rita Billings. She has an integral part to play in the backstory and the struggle is real, well done.

Other cast include Madison Hu as Bethany, Maddie Nichols as Natalie, Leeann Ross as Cassidy, Rio Machadio as Anne, Shauna Rappold as Cara Harper, Cristala Carter as Detective Garland, LisaGay Hamilton as Dr. Weller.

Bonus Features include Into the Darkness Featurette – Open the door into the dark world of THE BOOGEYMAN as the cast and crew share how the terrifying tale, based on Stephen King’s classic short, was crafted and Outtakes – It’s not all just jump scares and bumps into the night. Join the cast for some lighthearted full in the outtakes.

THE BOOGEYMAN is pure Stephen King and I don’t think fans will be disappointed. What I love about King stories is that it isn’t so much about the blood and gore as it is the suspense and anticipation of being scared out of our minds that is awesome. Be honest, we love being thrilled to the point of holding popcorn in our hands and just as we go to eat it – dead stop! I saw that at the screening.

There were jumps, several deep inhales followed by the infamous ‘wft’ moments. The film delves into things that have always frightened children but this time, adults are being brought back to their childhood only to discover that those fears never truly went away. Its honest time, who still walks a little faster when shutting off a bedroom light to jump under the covers, yea, thought so.

Did I jump? Absolutely, and I feel no shame in admitting it. My heart thump a few times, absofrakkenlootely! Once again, director Savage has taken moments all over the film to make sure we remember exactly who it is in the dark and the helplessness we can feel when the light is hard to keep on. I’m leaving out details of course because I want everyone to experience it without spoilers.

THE BOOGEYMAN comes in at an hour and thirty-eight minutes which is more than needed to bring this story full circle. It is dark, intense, thrilling, and brings a twisted face to the one thing we all were afraid of at one time in our lives. This movie doesn’t reinvent the wheel but it makes damn sure we hear the creaking when it rides down into our nightmares.

In the end – it’s not real, it’s not real, it’s not real!

LIFE OF STRAYS

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!

Return to the Beginning with INSIDIOUS: The Red Door

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray from director Patrick Wilson and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the next installment of a horror that is following a family with INSIDIOUS: The Red Door.

It has been nine years since the Lambert’s household was dealing with the terror that struck their home and family. Neither Josh (Patrick Wilson) or his son Dalton (Ty Simpkins) remember what happened but that hasn’t stopped the trauma. Since then, Josh and Renai (Rose Byrne) are divorced and the death of his mother Lorraine has caused even more strain.

Josh’s relationship with Dalton just doesn’t seem to work but dad wants to take Dalton to college. Thinking it would be an opportunity for them to bond, father and son only end their trip with an argument. Dalton is an art major and in college he gets the chance to really create. He also meets a new friend, Chris (Sinclair Daniel) who is funny and has a way with people.

Once home, Josh decides to get help for what is happening to him, especially when a mysterious man seems to be haunting him. In the meantime, Dalton begins his art class and a dark and intense drawing starts to cause him to see things as well. Both father and son do not realize that they are experiencing the same thing.

Chris figures out what is happening to Dalton and shares her suspicions. She becomes involved more and more as her life is in danger as well. Once Renai explains to Josh what she knows about it all, it is time for Josh and Dalton to stop ‘the Further’ from becoming part of their lives again.

They must find a way to close the red door!

Wilson as Josh cannot seem to figure out what is happening to him. The losses in his life have become part of the problem yet there is something nagging at him. There is something deep pushing him and it is running his life. So much so that he has little to do with a family he once held so dear. Wilson hasn’t skipped a beat portraying Josh and taking on the director’s role, he knows how the story needs to come together and it works really, really well.

Simpkins is back as the college bound Josh who, if he only really talked to his dad, would see that both are experiencing the same thing. When he realizes his art is telling him what is about to happen, it is also telling him about a past he has forgotten and a way to stop more pain from his family. It is great to see Simpkins come back so many years later to take the role once again and see where it could go.

Daniel as Chris begins to see what her new friend is going through and wants to help. It is her curiosity that leads to a YouTube video explaining what Dalton is experiencing. Chris has a way about her and Daniel makes it look smooth as silk, even when she is caught in it herself.

Byrne is back as Renai and she has her own story to tell. Hoping that the lid was put on the events nine years ago, there comes a point when the lid has to come off if she is to save both the man she truly cares about and her son. Byrne’s role is not a large but it is important to the story.

Other cast include Hiam Abbass as Profressor Armagan, Andrew Astor as Foster Lambert, Juliana Davies as Kali, Steve Coulter as Carl, Peter Dager as Nick, Justin Sturgis as Alec, Leigh Whannell as Specs, Angus Sampson as Tucker, Lin Shaye as Elise Rainier and Joseph Bishara as the Lipstick-Face Demon.

Special Features include Past, Present, Further and A Possessed Director.

INSIDIOUS: The Red Door takes one more look at what could happen when you keep secrets in the family. Wilson knew exactly what he was signing up for when deciding to direct as well as reprise his role as Josh. The equal amount of time to both Josh and Dalton’s journey is done very well.

I will admit that I jumped at least twice and hollered at least three times and that’s how I know this film is good. It is not filled with gore and such but instead it reaches into the part of us that loves tension and can’t wait to be scared. I spent more time with popcorn on the outer reaches of my mouth than actually made it in and the circle of popcorn that made it to the floor when I jumped!

If you are looking to revisit the Lambert family, see where they are now and how it will all turn out, then grab a bunch of scary film fans, turn out the lights and make it a night to remember.

In the end – it ends were it all began!

Laughs are Plenty in NO HARD FEELINGS on Bluray

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray from director writer/director Gene Stupnitsky and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment to start the summer season is the comedy NO HARD FEELINGS.

Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence) lives in the family home in the beach community of Montauk. Inherited from her mother, she also inherited the property taxes that go along with it. Working as a bartender and Uber driving, Maddie is keeping her head just above the water line. That is until her car is repossessed and now, she is getting around via another set of wheels.

Hanging out with friends Sarah (Natalie Morales) and Jim (Scott MacArthur), they find a Craigs List posting from parents Allison (Laura Benanti) and Laird Becker (Matthew Broderick) offering up a car if someone can bring their college bound son Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman) out of his shell.

Meeting the parents, everyone is clear on what is expected of Maddie and she embraces the challenge. Dressing up for her new part, Maddie goes to visit Percy at the local animal shelter and she pours it on. Percy does not seem moved by all the candy she is throwing his way and Maddie’s ups her game.

Seeing each other again and again, Maddie and Percy begin to learn about each other but it doesn’t mean that Maddie has given up on getting the car. That being said, she does start to really see Percy and what an amazing young man he is. The problem is the one big secret she is keeping is the one big secret that could hurt them both in ways she couldn’t imagine.

Lawrence as Maddie brings the comic relief in jaw dropping and hysterical ways. She is the life of the film bringing slapstick and one-liners faster than a tourist eating a lobster roll. Maddie clearly hates the invasion of the rich into Montauk so agreeing to crack the shell of one for a car doesn’t seem like a stretch. Lawrence clearly took a role that tested her comedy chops and she made it look easy.

Feldman as Percy is a young man who is either in his room or at the local animal shelter volunteering. His parents are worried because he just doesn’t seem to be enjoying life. Feldman gives his character so much range between quiet to entertaining with everything in between but deep within his portrayal is a young man with his own story to tell.

Benanti as Allison is, I think, the reason that Percy is as Percy is. She has all the signs of a mother who says she wants her son to come out of his shell but does nothing to have made that happen. Broderick as Laird is the dad who really wants her son to experience the same fun he had growing up, maybe a little too much fun. It’s like Ferris Bueller grew up and can’t believe his son has no Bueller in him! Hilarious!

Morales and McArthur as friends Sarah and Jim try to keep Maddie out of trouble and made me laugh in the process of doing it. Morales gets a chance to show who is boss in the marriage and takes Maddie just as she is. McArthur is a husband who just needs to stay in the ocean (you’ll get it) but he is sweet in his own way.

Other cast include Kyle Mooney as Jody, Jordan Mendoza as Crispin, Hasan Minhaj as Doug Kahn, Amalia Yoo as Natalie, Alysia Powell as Fern, Quincy Dunn-Baker as Travis and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Gary.

Sony Pictures 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 http://www.sonypictures.com.

Special Features include Outtakes & Bloopers, A Motely Crew: Meet the Characters and A Little Wrong: Making NO HARD FEELINGS.

NO HARD FEELINGS breaks the ridiculously sad film cycle as of late. It brings laughs, jaw drops, hilarity and just a good time to theatre seats. That translates to starting and finishing off the summer season the best way possible. This is the film that brings groups together to experience it together and laugh all the way out the theatre door.

Lawrence brings her own brand to the film and there is a particular scene where I’m not sure if she’s an MMA fighter or a clothing aficionado but I do know I couldn’t stop laughing and neither could the audience. In the midst of it all, Lawrence gives her character a bit of heart and warmth which just adds to the likeability of her character. Feldman is trying to see the world through Maddie’s eyes and let me just say his interpretation almost caused me to shoot soda out my nose!

The premise is not all that new but then again there is no need to reinvent the rom-com wheel. Instead, this is just a fun time with a film that doesn’t need to be dissected nor explained to the point of conspiracy theories. The only action and big explosions are the hilarious ones brought on by Lawrence and Feldman.

It is popcorn, friends, humor, fun and reminiscent of a time when films were meant to be filled with all of that. Now it can be enjoyed at home again and again.

THE MACHINE Brings Laughs on Bluray

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray and Digital from director Peter Atencio and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment comes a comedy based on comedy from THE MACHINE.

Bert Kreischer (Bert Kreischer) is trying hard to shake off his past, get closer to his wife and kids and change his ways. Thinking things are going well, he decides to make sure his daughter Sasha (Jessica Gabor) has a fantastic sweet 16 birthday party. Unimpressed by it all, Sasha decides to cut out of the party with Dad falling apart. Not making things any easier is dad Albert (Mark Hamill) with his quips about Bert’s profession and bbq’ing skills.

Bert is a comedian and one of the stories he tells for laughs is his train trip to Russia twenty years ago where he made friends with Igor (Nikola Duricko), partied, did a little thieving and earned the name THE MACHINE. Unfortunately, his family is not impressed by it and his father actually doesn’t understand how people think its funny.

He’s not alone, Bert is confronted in his party driveway by Irina (Iva Babic), a mobster from Russia who wants something that was stolen on the infamous train ride. She wants it back and doesn’t care how long it takes because it belonged to her father. Father and son are kidnapped until Bert takes Irina to the stolen item.

Taken to Russia, following them is Irinia’s brother Alexei (Robert Maaser) and Bert finds Igor and everything starts to come together to getting the item. That doesn’t mean they won’t be shot at, punched, knocked out and shocked at everything happening along the way – and that’s just Bert!

Kreischer as Bert is, well, Bert. I have been watching his comedy for a while now and he does crack me up (so that THAT Albert!). The story of the Russian train trip is memorable and if you haven’t seen his comedy specials, well, we might not be able to remain friends. Watching Kreischer take that comedy bit and turn it into a movie is genius as well as hilarious and fun to watch. He is….The Machine.

Hamill as dad Albert just does my heart so much good. I think I am still harboring that 16-year-old Luke Skywalker crush so any time I see/hear Hamill, I’m all in no matter what it is. Watching Hamill play off of Kreischer is just a diamond. They bounce off one another with such ease that even the ‘emotional’ moments had me cracking up. As Albert, he gets the fatherly opportunity to be irritating which turns into being a bit of a machine himself.

Babic as Irina is as badass as she wants to be from beginning to end. Irritated with The Machine, she sees getting her fathers stolen item back as a way to show she can handle being the head of the mobster family. Babic gets the chance to be a bad girl but at the same time, comedy leaks through and I caught on early.

Shout out to Duricko as Igor for just turning out to be a good guy, I just loved his attitude toward, well, everything. Tatro as young Bert nailed the attitude and what I would expect happened on the train by a young Bert.

Cast also includes Jimmy Tatro as young Bert, Rita Shaw as Ashley, Amelie Villiers as Tatiana, Martyn Ford as Sponge, Oleg Taktarov as Train Igor, Marko Nedeljkovic as young Igor, Mercedes Del La Cruz as Teacher and Stephanie Kurtzuba as LeeAnn.

Bluray, Digital and DVD Bonus Material includes Bert’s Big Bash – Premier Party, Bert, Bruised & Brawlin’: The Action of THE MACHINE, Outtakes & Bloopers, Deleted Scenes, The Making of THE MACHINE and The Cast of THE MACHINE.

THE MACHINE is a comedy that is just full of laughs, fun and a bit of unexpected action. Kreischer and Hamill get a chance to go full on John Wick when push comes to guns. To be honest, most of their action would be classified as ‘dumb luck’ but it’s entertaining none the less. I cheered them on because I’m all about underdogs and intrigue amateurs.

The cast just rolls with the story based on Kreischer’s comedy and it plays out so well. I enjoyed the cast, except for the 16-year-old Sasha who needs a whack with a flip flop in the beginning but at least missed her dad so she gets a flip-flop pass. The film has the total whacky element and that’s what a lot of us comedy hungry people want – far out whack hilarious fun and we got it.

In the end – to be a hero it takes a lot of guts!

DEAD MAN’S HAND

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to DVD from director/writer Brian Skiba, Corin Nemec and Lionsgate is the story of a couple heading west but first must deal with a DEAD MAN’S HAND.

Reno (Jack Kilmer), aka Jean Jaques Renau, and the lovely Vegas (Camille Colliard) are recently married and on a stage coach headed west. Wanting to open up a business of their own, the couple is excited about the prospects. That is until the coach is hit by bandits and Reno must defend everyone taking them all out. Moving on to the nearest town, there is something strange amiss.

What becomes instantly clear is that one of the bandits was the brother of Mayor Bishop (Stephen Dorff) and he is not the forgiving kind. Also, in town is Marshal Roy McCutheon (Cole Hauser) and his job is to take Bishop into custody and he is just as stubborn. Bishop has other plans as he wants revenge for his brother’s death and Reno is in danger.

Trying to escape, Reno and Vegas end up on the heinous end of Bishop’s anger. Separated, Reno is left to die while Bishop holds Vegas captive. Fate is on Reno’s side as he is rescued by Manto, an Indian who owes him a life debt and is about to repay it. Now the race is on to stop the madness Bishop has created in a town that would be happy to see him go.

It’s going to take a bitter fight to the end for one side to walk away alive!

Dorff as Bishop is as bad as he wants to be. Of course, his character is upset about the death of his brother but I have a sneaky suspicion that he enjoyed torturing for torturing sake. Dorff has made it clear through his career that he can be the bad guy and do it with his own style, sadistically, a bit of sarcasm and no conscience at all. Nothing wrong with being good at being bad.

Kilmer as Reno is a newly happily married man with big dreams to start something awesome in the west. That all is put on a huge hold when he is forced to pull his gun. Reno knows his way around a gun and has no problem using it. Once he is captured, Kilmer puts in a powerful note to his character fighting back the western way and with a little help from his new friends. Kilmer has the family name and is adding his own touch to acting.

Hauser as McCutheron is doing what Hauser does best. Be the quiet, stand back and see kind of character. When it calls for him to step in, he does, but also is not about to cross the line for someone like Bishop. Hauser has become known for his cowboy west image and, yes, I’m saying it, stands out as Rip in the series Yellowstone. That being said, he has taken on more roles outside of the western ranch image as well and it’s good to see.

Collard as Vegas is one tough cookie who knows how to handle herself around a gun. Once Bishop gets ahold of her, she bides her time waiting for either a chance to escape or Reno to take matters into his own hands.

Shout out to Mo Brings Plenty as Mahto, he is honorable and is loyal to that meaning. He looks after Reno once he is rescued and lets it be known that there is no place for people like Bishop in their world. Plenty gives his character a quietness that has always made me believe that there are two reasons for that: 1) he is assessing everything around him and 2) sometimes words aren’t needed when action speaks more clearly.

Other cast include Forrie J. Smith as Alexander, Randall Batinkoff as Sherriff Winters, Louise Linton as Carrie, Costas Mandylor as Lucas, Tait Fletcher as Goliath, Corin Nemec as Red and William MacNamara as Johnny.

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.

DEAD MAN’S HAND is a western that gives everything, gunfights, thieving, viciousness, and all that the wild west would be. The town itself is filled with scared townspeople who know fighting against Bishop isn’t possible. Fear is what Bishop counts on but the arrival of a U.S. Marshall puts a damper on his big power plans.

Is the film a blockbuster? Probably not, it is clearly made on a budget that would not be able to compete with what is in theatres right now. That being said, if you are a fan of westerns and all that implies, then this film is for you. Now On Demand, Digital and DVD, it’s a definetly a Sunday afternoon being lazy on the couch indulgence film.

The film is based on the graphic novel No Rest of the Wicked: Dead Man’s Hand by Kevin and Matthew Minor.

In the end – play your cards right and you just might survive!

FAST X Speeds onto Bluray

Jeri Jacquin

Charging toward 4K and Bluray from director Louis Leterrier and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is the next story in the Fast and Furious franchise with FAST X.

Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) is happy with son Brian (Leo Abelo Perry) and wife Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), Roman (Tyrese Gibson), Tej (Chris Bridges), Han (Sung Kang) and Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel) take on a mission in Rome. It is only when Cipher (Charlize Theron) knocks on Dom’s door does he hear that there is no mission in Rome and that the crew is being set up, but by who?

Racing to Rome to warn the crew, it immediately becomes clear (because he makes it clear) that a man named Dante Reyes (Jason Momoa) wants to destroy everything in sight. Tearing through the streets, Dom and Letty are trying to stop a huge metal bomb that is heading straight toward the Vatican. Dante has a grudge against everyone who he feels responsible for his father’s death. He has also decided to take everyone that means something to Dom, especially his son.

But he isn’t your ordinary psychopath, Dante has stolen Cipher’s technology and is using it against Dom taking the groups money and resources as well. If that isn’t enough, Agent Aimes (Alan Ritchson) of the Agency has taken over for Mr. Nobody and wants Dom as well. Running everywhere to avoid Aimes and find Dante, Dom enlists the help of brother Jakob (John Cena) to help protect Little B.

After being arrested in Rome, Letty is taken to a black site where she meets Cipher. Tess (Brie Larson) has decided she is going to do what her father, Mr. Nobody, would do and helps plan the women’s escape. Dom returns to Rio de Janeiro to confront Dante and meets Isabel (Daniela Melchior) Elena’s sister who races cars. It is just another weapon for Dante to use against Dom and he has no problem using it.

Dante has made clear what his intentions are when trying to kidnap Little B, Dom realizes that there is only one way to stop all this – the Fast way!

Diesel as Dom brings the family back together once again. He is spending more time with Brian and Letty and letting the team take on missions. But when Cipher lets him know that the latest mission is a set-up, he has no choice but to try and save them. Diesel’s Dom has mellowed a little bit but he still makes it clear that he can drive a car better than anyone. It is when Dom is forced to make life choices that Diesel shows the grit and determination of this character.

Momoa as Dante is clearly a man with a magazine rack full of daddy issues. It is as if Momoa was let off a psycho chain and allowed to just have fun with this character. Being disgusted with what this character is trying to do, it is hard to maintain indignation when Momoa’s performance is making me laugh! Dante has evil intention and everything is done with flair and dramatic effect and Momoa lives for every moment of it.

Rodriguez as Letty jumps into the fray with Dom and it gets her put in a very, very solitary place but she gets a chance for some payback with Theron as Cipher as the two exchange punches and quips. Perry as son Brian is caught up in adult mayhem and sees up close and personal the life his father has been leading. Larson as Tess sees how the Agency has done the group wrong and decides if they are not going to right it, then she will.

Gibson, Bridges, Kang and Emmanuel continue on with missions given as only they can. Gibson and Bridges argue and scuffle like brothers from start to finish. Kang watches from the sidelines with his very interesting snack choices but there comes a time when he has to face a man he has been avoiding. Emmanuel is the babysitter but is also tech savvy and keeps track of what Dante is doing.

Cena as Jakob gets to spend quality time with Little B and teaches him the ropes, probably in ways no other kid would expect. There is the return also of other characters from the FAST AND FURIOUS franchise that will end up being seen in FAST XI (I’ve already named it see?).

The opening scenes with Paul Walker were lovely as well.

Other cast include Jordana Brewster as Mia Toretto, Gal Gadot as Gisele Yashar, Dwayne Johnson as Luke Hobbs, Joaquim de Almeida as Herman Reyes, Scott Eastwood as Little Nobody, Luis Da Silva as Diogo, Pete Davidson as Bowie, Meadow Walker as the flight attendant, Rita Moreno as Abuelita Toretto, Jason Stratham as Deckard Shaw and Helen Mirren as Queenie.

Bonus Features include scene breakdowns with Director Louis Leterrier, a look into this installment’s fast cars and global locations and more all-new featurettes.

FAST X is just that, fast! Going from one spot to another with car chases and car races is everything the franchise is known for. Diesel’s character has mellowed with each film and that’s to be expected with any repeating character. More and more Diesel maintains the belief in family and readily accepts anyone who wants to be part of it all. The thing about family is – you don’t mess with it!

Each destination the crew goes there is a piece of the franchise history ending up in Rio having a street race that leads to adding to an ever-growing Toretto family. From one stop to the next, the story intensifies as Momoa’s character has no problem making each bang bigger and more destructive.

FAST X is filled with an all-star cast and this review could go on and on but, I’d rather everyone experience this film for themselves. Put the pieces together and learn who to trust and where the story is going to curve next. That is what this franchise has done, taken us all over the world with action, speed and thrills.

In the end – this time, it is dangerously about family!

INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY Travels Home

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Digital this week from writer-director James Mangold and Lucasfilm comes the next adventure from the man we all know as INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY.

It is 1944 and Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) and sidekick Basil Shaw (Toby Jones) are looking for the Lance of Longinus in the French Alps. Also looking for it is Jurgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen) who tells his superiors the lance is fake. What he does find is a piece of Archimedes’ Dial which allows for time travel. As the Nazi’s try to stop him, Indy does things Indy’s way and escapes with Basil and the piece of the dial.

Years have passed and now Indy is retiring from Hunter College and Marion has left because Indy can not get over the death of their son in the war. Jumping back into his life is Shaw’s daughter and Indy’s god-daughter, Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) and she is looking for the Dial as Indy tells her that although her father wanted it gone, he just put it away and didn’t tell anyone.

Once again, she isn’t the only person looking for the Dial, Voller is back and he has brought the CIA with him. Now posing as Dr. Schmidt to his who he really is, he tells Indy that Helena is responsible for putting antiquities on the black market. Leaving a trail of bodies, Indy is blamed for everything and friend Sallah (John Rhys-Davis) comes to the rescue.

Sallah tells Indy to head to Tangier where once again he must deal with Helena, Voller and meets the young Teddy (Ethann Isidore). When things turn chaotic, Indy and the gang make their way to Greece where Renaldo (Antonio Banderas) helps them dive to retrieve a tablet that could lead them to the Dial’s other half.

With Voller hot on their tale and another escape, Indy, Helena and Teddy look for Archimede’s tomb but something mysterious is amiss. Before they can figure out the mystery, Voller captures Indy and tells of his plan to time travel back to 1939 and why. What truly happens is more than Voller could have imagined and Indy makes the ultimate decision.

Ford as Indy is everything one would expect from our hero that has been in theatres since 1981. The brown fedora and leather jacket wearing, whip carrying, wise-cracking Indy doesn’t show signs that he has changed. Yes, he is older but still adventurous, curious and not about to let Voller be the next guy taking his finds. I enjoyed him as I always have as Indy, especially with the eels.

Waller-Bridge as Helena is not a character I enjoyed, to be honest. She is sneaky, and uses the good memories that Indy has of his god-daughter to get what she wants. Chasing down the Dial, Helena just puts the man she says she cares about in more and more mortal danger and, as an Indy fan, I didn’t appreciate. Helena does make changes in the end as all unruly characters in Indy’s life do.

Mikkelsen as Voller is a man who knows what he wants to do and he’s not about to let anyone get in his way. Fast with a pistol, he manages to show up like a ninja where ever Indy is. His desire to change history is calmly motivating and he never lets his emotions get in the way, well, except for one moment. Once again, I just find Mikkelsen awesome in this role but then again, I love pretty much everything he does.

Isidore as Teddy is the new Short-Round and just as smart. He works with Helena with his sticky fingers but also has the fascination with what Indy is trying to do. I enjoyed his performance and see how this young actor will go far.

Other cast include Shaunette Wilson as Mason, Thomas Kretschmann as Col. Weber, Boyd Holbrook as Klaber, Olivier Richters as Hauke, Martin McDougall as Durkin, Alaa Safi as Rahim, Chase Brown as Larry, Nasser Memarzia as Archimedes and Karen Allen as Marion.

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!

Bonus Features include The Making of INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY Chapter 1- Prologue – Harrison Ford Leaps back into action as Indiana Jones! Journey to 1944 as this featurette reveals the filmmakers, characters, stunts, locations, and incredible visual effects that make up the thrilling opening of Dial of Destiny. Chapter 2 – New York – Blast off to adventure as James Mangold showcases the re-creation of 1969 Manhattan for the Moon Parade chase. This featurette spotlights Helena as John Williams conducts his beautiful new theme for this compelling character.

Chapter 3 – Morocco – The man in the hat is back! Explore Morocco as this featurette breaks down the white-knuckle stunts of the medina tuk-tuk chase and hotel brawl. Meet Teddy, Indy’s precocious new ally in the hunt for the dial! Chapter 4 – Sicily – Meet Renaldo as he guides our heroes on a perilous underwater treasure hunt! Catch up with Harrison Ford and Phoebe Waller-Bridge on location in Sicily and explore the caverns, traps, and bugs surrounding Archimedes’ tomb!

Finally, Chapter 5 – Finale – This featurette breaks down the thrilling climax to the Indiana Jones series. Cast and filmmakers James Mangold, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, Steven Spielberg, and Harrison Ford bid farewell to one of the greatest heroes of all time.

It is the end of the franchise (I hope because anyone replacing Indy just isn’t possible) and he goes out with some happiness in his life. The adventure is everything we have come to expect from Indiana Jones complete with chases, complex characters, mysteries to unravel and all done in the outfit that is all Indiana Jones.

It is time to say goodbye in style and add INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY to your home entertainment library. What an amazing way to revisit the adventure again and again!

In the end – history’s greatest hero returns!

APORIA

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray from writer/director Jared Moshe and Well Go USA Entertainment is the thriller with APORIA.

Sophie (Judy Greer) is a woman dealing with the grief at the loss of husband, Mal (Edi Gathegi). Also trying to deal with the pain is Sophie’s daughter Riley (Faithe Herman) and it has caused emotional detachment between them.

Trying to hold down a job and take care of Riley, Sophie has the help of Mal’s good friend physicist Jabir (Payman Maadi). Seeing that the grief of Mal’s death is too much, Jabir shows Sophie something spectacular, a time bending machine.

Telling her that it could be possible to change the day Mal died by a drunk driver, Sophie, at first declines to get involved. But when seeing the man who killed her husband, Sophie decides to see if it would work.

Mal’s return brings a dilemma to Sophie and Jabir in how to continue using the machine. Their lives are now vastly different and with every use of the machine, the danger of the changes grows. That’s when these three people realize that someone has to set things right.

Greer as Sophie portrays a grieving widow who is trying to keep her life together. The struggles with her job and a daughter who clearly wants nothing to do with the life before her father’s death. The wonderful thing about Greer is that she can do comedy and drama with equal measure and success. As Sophie, Greer develops her character from grief to conscience with the hope of a successful ending.

Maadi as Jabir is a man on a mission. Using a room in his house to create the time bending machine, he clearly believes it can work and help Sophie and Riley have some happiness back in their lives. Maadi becomes the middle man between Sophie and Mal but also realizes that perhaps the world isn’t ready for his machine. I enjoy Maadi as a solid character actor and this is the reason why.

Gathegi as Mal is a man who is, at first, rightly confused about what has happened in his life and death. Once he grasps what has happened, the wondering of what good could this machine do for bringing justice in some ways. I first saw Gathegi in the 2014 series JUSTIFIED and up to the 2022 series FOR ALL MANKIND. Gathegi has a presence that draws the audience in and wants to know more about the character he plays. Well done!

Herman as Riley has become withdrawn, standoffish and emotionally unpredictable since her father’s death. Taking it out on the only person she can, Riley leans hard on her mother and also acts out at school. Herman does the teenager like a teenager would be in the strange situation Riley finds herself.

Other cast include Rachel Paulson as May, Lisa Linke as Nurse Cohen, Adam O’Bryne as Darby, Whitney Cox as Kara, Veda Cienfuegos as Aggie, Dionne Audain as Hagerty, Mann Alfonso as Mr. Abante, Coel Mahal as Mary-Lou, Grace Hinson as VP Bae and Jeffrey Sun as Prosecutor Macias.

Bonus Features include Behind the Scenes and Trailer.

APORIA is a look at a family torn apart by grief and given the chance to try and correct what they feel is a wrong is dangerous. A put together machine is about to change Sophie and Riley’s lives and it won’t be a simple change either.

As a physicist, Jabir should know you cannot change the present by going back to the past, yet he shares his time bending machine with Sophie. Correcting what people believe are events that are wrong is still no answer yet, the shared grief between Sophie and Jabir pushes them forward thinking ‘oh nothing bad will happen to do this ONE thing’.

The consequences of their actions is what grips APORIA to its core and kept me watching. As we all know, making a mess it easy – it’s the cleanup that can be a hot mess. This film is proof that perhaps it’s better not to make the mess in the first place.

In the end – reality is a continuum!

It is a Thriller with a HIDDEN BLADE

Jeri Jacquin

Currently on Digital from writer/director Cheng Er and Well Go USA is a thriller of espionage and suspicions running rampant with a HIDDEN BLADE.

Japanese Officer Watanabe (Hiroyuki Mori) is a man who keeps his emotions and intentions close to his chest. As director of Shanghai’s Political Security Department, he watches everyone in the counterespionage division, especially Director He (Tony Leung). He has also taken Mr. Ye under his wing seeing potential in him. It is openly clear that everyone is loyal to the Wang Jingwei regime and they want to expand.

On an official visit to the Community Party’s Secretary Mr. Zheng (Huang Lei), Director He takes copious notes on the reasons he has chosen to change sides. He gathers information in such a way that Zheng believes he is doing the right thing. Also, Minister Tang (Da Peng), the very dangerous Captain Wang (Eric Wang) and the very young Mr. Ye (Wang Yibo) round out the division.

There are delicate peace negotiations happening between Japan and the Jingwei regime with the offer of taking Manchuria, the gateway to everything. All of this is happening as Mr. Ye’s love Ms. Fang (Zhang Jingyi) is warned to be careful of her Communist Party activities. Everyone is playing the larger game but have smaller events happening as well.

Thinking it is all going smoothly, the Jingwei regime declares war on the United States and Pearl Harbor is attacked. Now everything begins to unravel and the cracks are huge. The Security Department can hold its secrets no longer and who is on what side comes out. Prison awaits some as others believe they have bigger military careers in Manchuria.

Each have a secret and it will all be revealed!

Leung as Director He is the coolest cookie I have ever seen. He comes across as personable when he needs to but Leung gives an air of cold stares and unemotional responses when most people would be freaking out. I absolutely loved every scene he was in and as the story unfolds, it becomes clear what motivates him. I can’t say more because his character has to be experiences.

Yibo as Mr. Ye is another cool customer who, when needs be, can keep it on lock. The only exception is the relationship issues that cause him to show outburst much to the use of a colleague. I enjoyed watching Yibo work and weave his way into each character and it is done with perfection.

Wang as the Captain is a whole lot of issues wrapped up in a tightly wound package. Man, when he wants to take care of something, it is done and without really breaking a sweat. He makes it clear where his loyalty lies and will do anything for the cause without batting an eye. Well done!

Mori as Watanabe also has a game plan and when things begin to slip, he makes plans upon plans which include Manchuria. He watches what everyone does and listens to what everyone says to make it all work. Taking Mr. Ye under his wing is important because, Watanabe doesn’t think people see the young man as a threat. Mori portrays his character with strength and no non-sense.

Jingyi as Ms. Fang sees the bigger picture and no one is going to get in her way. She has a cruel moment that I could help but raise and eyebrow and thing ‘dang dragon lady!’ I’d say more but it would so ruin it. Shout out to Zhou Xun as Mrs. Chen and Jiang Shyuing as Ms. Jiang. Ladies, the roles you have seem small but they absolutely are not and I applaud you both!

HIDDEN BLADE has six nominations for the Shanghai International Film Festival, a Jury Award nomination from the Beijing Student Film Festival, winners for Quality Film of the Year – Er Cheng and Breakthrough Filmmaker of the Year Weibo Award for Yibo Wang and China Movie Channel Award for Most Promising Actor of the Year for Jingyi Zhang.

Subtitled in English and a running time of 139 minutes, it is impossible to take your eyes off the screen. The pieces of a very strategic chess board move to keep the audience guessing and trust me when I say the surprises are everywhere!

This is an extremely layered story which is shot in shadows of secrets and it is in these shadows of film that the story is exposed little by little. I love the grittiness of the story that is just bathing in period piece costuming and surroundings. That is just another layer and another character that draws everything together.

The cast is absolutely stellar and if you remove one the whole house of espionage would come tumbling down into dust. I was totally invested in what each character was trying to do in the story and found myself totally untrusting of anyone for the longest time. It took the actors convincing to have me choose the character I would ultimately root for – and if you are wondering, ask me later and I’d be happy to tell you.

In the end – the secrets will collide!

3 DAYS IN MALAY

Jeri Jacquin

Coming from director Louis Mandylor and Saban Films is the story of past mistakes, coming together and struggling to survive 3 DAYS IN MALAY.

John Caputo (Louis Mandylor) has just been assigned to a remote airstrip in the jungle. Once there, he checks in with nurse Bess (Kelly B. Jones) who goes over his military jacket. Caputo makes a quick run down of his boxing career, Marine tour and now with the Army. He is checked in and onto the barracks where he sees long time friend James (Donald Cerrone).

But, there is a history between these two men as Japanese forces are slowly surrounding the air field. The past mixes with the death of a friend as James starts feeling it all consume him. Even Reverend Conte (Quinton Jackson) tries to convince James that where they are and what they are doing comes with death.

For three days the men do what they need to do to stop the advancement of the enemy and save as many lives as they can.

Bacon as Conroy takes a liking to Caputo and clearly does not agree with James’ tactics in handling their relationship. Bacon plays his soldier as a straight forward guy who knows what the job is and its not fighting each other. Jackson as the Reverand is a calming and strong force for the men and when the time calls for it, he doesn’t mind picking up a rifle and fighting with his comrades in arms.

O’Brien as Murdock is a man who clearly understand what is about to happen and can not get the higher command to listen. Instead, he fights his way verbally through the ranks and when it all begins to come down, he jumps into fight without hesitation. Jones as Bess is a nurse who doesn’t take any guff from the men but almost instantly has an attraction to Caputo. She takes her job as a nurse seriously and stands up to anyone in her way.

Other cast include Kelly Reiter as Ellie, Alex Farnham as Jack along with Ron Smoorenburg, Jonathan Samson, John Garrett Mahlmeister, Alexander Winters, Vesse Saastamoinen and Andrey Kasushkin.

3 DAYS IN MAYLAY is a film not just about World War 2 but of the lives of the men and women during that time. There are stories within stories in the film and much of it is a rift between Caputo and James. Both have past issues and mistakes they are dealing with but James wants to take it out on Caputo where as Caputo just wants peace with his childhood friend.

In the end – it all happens in three days!