Author: BO

Last year, there was “Strange Magic,” which welcomed audiences into a fantasy realm populated with magical creatures who communicated through jukebox musical hits. Now there’s “Trolls,” which is basically the same movie, only with more adorable protagonists, a more marketable soundtrack, and a famous brand to exploit for its debut feature. Thankfully for “Trolls,” nobody saw “Strange Magic,” giving the new release an opportunity to impress with its attempt to create a cinematic world for a toy that’s been around since 1959. Keeping to the basics of animated endeavors, the film doesn’t color outside the lines, delivering big songs and heart for family audiences, but not much originality. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

After kicking off “Phase Three” of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with last summer’s superhero battle royal, “Captain America: Civil War,” Marvel Studios returns to experimental mode with “Doctor Strange.” Attempting to establish a comic book character that’s different from the costumed savior norm, the producers try to bring a little magic to multiplexes, messing with time and space to give the titular warrior a unique widescreen space to show off his capabilities. Much like 2015’s “Ant-Man,” “Doctor Strange” isn’t based on a household name, requiring a little invention from the production to make the weird world of Stephen Strange something special. While the feature recycles Marvel origin story formula, it’s a mostly successful and visually dazzling introduction for the wizard, who fits in comfortably with the ongoing brand name world-building, making him a welcomingly oddball avenger. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It’s been a full decade since Mel Gibson last directed a film, with 2006’s “Apocalypto” a challenging adventure story that miraculously managed to attract an audience. It was a follow-up to 2004’s “The Passion of the Christ,” a global phenomenon that cemented Gibson’s taste in extreme violence and depictions of abyssal faith, promising a helming career filled with unusual tales of survival and heroism. But then…other stuff happened, forcing Gibson to keep away from the camera after “Apocalypto.” He returns with a vengeance with “Hacksaw Ridge,” a stunningly vivid World War II tale that merges heavenly belief with earthbound horror, exploring the resolve of one man to serve his country without picking up a weapon. It’s an exceptional picture and Gibson’s finest work to date, gracefully but forcefully sharing faith-based interests without resorting to preachiness, putting Godly trust to the test on a merciless battlefield. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Trash Fire” does a terrific job of misdirection, retaining thematic wholeness while basically offering two different movies, or at least two genre experiences. Written and directed by Richard Bates Jr. (“Suburban Gothic,” “Excision”), the picture examines relationship dysfunction, first on a small, relatable scale, but soon inflating its menace to horror film proportions, introducing scares and a monstrous villain. “Trash Fire” is an unusual feature, mixing moods and offering dark comedy to brighten a grim subject matter. Bates Jr. brings a satisfying level of disturbance to the effort, keeping the audience sufficiently unnerved even with unknown turns of plot, while sustaining its rather lucid take on a terrible relationship. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Army of One” isn’t triumphant as a farce, but it does contain a surprisingly engaged performance from star Nicolas Cage. Over the last decade, Cage has mostly turned in dead-eyed, flat performances in terrible, low-budget movies, trying to do something with a career that’s lost its way due to financial concerns. His participation in the latest feature from director Larry Charles (“Borat,” “The Dictator”) isn’t going to change his fortune, but Cage is putting in a major effort to portray a mentally challenged man, going stratospherically big to capture the sheer force of Gary Faulkner, a man who decided to answer a spiritual calling by traveling to the Middle East in 2004, attempting to assassinate Osama Bin Laden. Cage is crazed, and it’s a joy to see the old madman juices flowing again, but “Army of One” doesn’t match his intensity, trying to stretch a thin premise that would be better served in a short film. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Craig Moss has been a problematic helmer for the last six years. He’s a fan of silly comedies and parodies, but lacking the filmmaking skill to pull off such slow-pitch softball endeavors, making audiences suffer through abysmal efforts such as “The 41-Year-Old Virgin Who Knocked Up Sarah Marshall and Felt Superbad About It,” “30 Nights of Paranormal Activity with the Devil Inside the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” and a trilogy of “Bad Ass” movies, which quested to turn the world of online memes into fodder for multiple features. Giving his iffy sense of humor a rest, Moss turns his attention to the world of horror with “The Charnel House,” which is more interested in scaring viewers than making them roll their eyes. The change of view is welcome, but Moss isn’t inventive, ornamenting a curiously bizarre premise with routine scares. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

When thinking about Paul Schrader, his work as a screenwriter on “Taxi Driver” and “Raging Bull,” and his direction of “American Gigolo” come to mind. But those projects were decades ago. The Schrader of the last 20 years has been decidedly more problematic, struggling to find his place in an independent film system that no longer welcomes his bitter point of view. He hit a career low point with 2013’s “The Canyons” (a wretched creation), and stumbled again with 2014’s “Dying of the Light,” a picture allegedly reworked without his permission (he did keep his name on the broken endeavor). Perhaps in an effort to cleanse himself of frustration, Schrader serves up “Dog Eat Dog,” a nihilistic, anarchic comedy that welcomes surreal imagery and the loosest definition of plot. It’s Schrader trying to raise hell with stars Nicolas Cage and Willem Dafoe, and while the feature achieves craziness, it doesn’t translate to anything particularly memorable. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Actor Anthony Edwards has only flirted with direction before, helming the 1995 family adventure “Charlie’s Ghost” and a few episodes of his hit television show, “ER.” Going back behind the camera, Edwards crafts “My Dead Boyfriend,” a dramedy about a journey of self-discovery triggered by a brush with mortality. It’s based on a novel, scripted by Billy Morrissette (his first piece of writing since 2001’s “Scotland, Pa.”), and while it’s ripe for an exhaustive emotional inspection, Edwards plays the whole thing with unexpected casualness, selecting a wandering alt-rock mood to inspire snowballing insanity. The approach doesn’t always demand full attention to the details of the plot, but “My Dead Boyfriend” does find itself with few inspired turns, and it’s the best role star Heather Graham has enjoyed in years. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Even after watching “King Cobra,” it’s difficult to tell how seriously one is supposed to take its tale of sex, obsession, and murder. It’s based on the true story of porn star Brent Corrigan, whose quest for fame led him to a series of encounters with predatory individuals. And yet, while the material is inspired by a true crime book (“Cobra Killer” by Andrew E. Stoner and Peter A. Conway), the feature almost reaches farcical levels of comedy as it investigates the lunatics that descended on Corrigan, from coldly calculating businessmen to complete morons. “King Cobra” has its highlights, including fine work from co-star Christian Slater, but writer/director Justin Kelly attempts exaggerate the strangeness of the case, losing tonal balance and interest in the human particulars along the way. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It’s been a long time since Robert Langdon was onscreen solving puzzles and sprinting across European cities. The famous symbologist, the central character in author Dan Brown’s series of literary thrillers, was last seen in 2009’s “Angels & Demons,” a sequel to 2006’s “The Da Vinci Code,” and while both films were sizable hits, director Ron Howard and star Tom Hanks took their time returning to the franchise. “Inferno” doesn’t offer a radical reinvention of the Brown formula, but it does show a sharpening of it. The production strives to tighten the whole viewing experience, emphasizing action and feverish academic study while dialing down the extensive exposition and lecturing Brown’s work is known for. “Inferno” doesn’t rock the boat, it simply paddles along with a little more efficiency, mindful of longtime fans who’ve enjoyed the previous adaptations. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com