Author: BO

The premise of “Starbuck” (A French-Canadian production) promises a
wacky time at the movies, dealing with accidental fatherhood, delayed
adolescence, and persistent loserdom. Perhaps other filmmakers would’ve
leaned into the potential of the tale, but co-writer/director Ken Scott
is hunting for something more meaningful with this tender blend of
mischief and maturation. A few laughs are offered during the feature,
yet “Starbuck” aims for more thoughtful storytelling, doing whatever he
can to separate expectations of slapstick from the effort’s gradual
influx of concern, eventually forming a warm, sugary feel of humanity
that’s a more inviting viewing experience than the exterior of the
picture promises. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Family Weekend” doesn’t travel very far as a comedy, and it isn’t
nearly as touching as the screenwriter would like to believe. It’s a
picture stuck in mediocrity, attempting to form something heartwarming
with a premise that demands a consistent blast of acid. A forceful lead
performance from Olesya Rulin manages to take command of the movie, but
her concentration is supported by a production that’s overwritten and
tonally unsteady, in need of a more judicious editor and a game plan to
approach the steady erosion of marriage with a profound hit of honesty,
not just a sitcom-style presentation of forced therapy. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“A Resurrection” will most likely be remembered as one of the last
screen appearances for Michael Clarke Duncan, the behemoth actor who
tragically passed away last autumn. It’s especially important to
celebrate his role as Duncan is the best thing about “A Resurrection,”
brightening up the picture with the ten minutes of screen time he has,
showing more comfort and range than anyone else in this dreary, cheapy
effort. With intentions to build a ghostly whodunit, the movie falls
asleep instead, as writer/director Matt Orlando doesn’t show the kind of
invention necessary to snap scares into position, working to shatter
the suffocating monotony that pins the feature down. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

When there’s no creativity to be found, shock value always rears its
ugly head. “InAPPropriate Comedy” is the latest picture to mistake
crudeness for cunning, trying to nab attention through bad behavior and
wretched use of comedy’s current crutch: interminable improvisation.
It’s racist, gross, and vulgar, and for all the time the production put
into constructing this movie (though that could be debated), there’s not
a single laugh to be found. “InAPPropriate Comedy” strains to be
outrageous, but it’s a corpse from the get-go, making the ensuing 75
minutes of screen time an extreme chore to sit through. The feature
doesn’t offend, it just bores. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

After their stab at epic storytelling with last holiday's "Rise of the
Guardians," Dreamworks Animation reduces the heat on the big movie
sweepstakes with "The Croods," a production that's willing to be silly
and sincere, employing a cartoon ambiance of pinballing people and
exaggerated body language to produce a considerable amount of laughs,
while also tending to the demands of heart that squeezes every family
film offering released these days. Toppling cliche to make a deep
impression as a fulfilling offering of entertainment, "The Croods" is
superbly constructed, dazzlingly animated, and genuinely hilarious, with
a spirited mood of adventure and a pleasing read of maturation. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Olympus Has Fallen" is one of the dumbest films I have ever seen. And I've watched all of Tyler Perry's movies. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

I'm willing to give writer/director Harmony Korine the special
consideration he requires when he makes a movie. He's an impish artist,
prone to deep free dives into excess while treating stupidity as sport.
He's created interesting pictures during his career, including "Gummo"
and "Julien Donkey-Boy," though even his best work has a way of feeling
like an endless night spent inside an art-school drunk tank, surround by
oddities as nausea sets in early. His latest is "Spring Breakers,"
currently sucking up blog buzz for the provocative way it parades around
former Disney Channel stars in various stages of undress and
intoxication. I wish there was more to the viewing experience than
gyrating flesh and deep inhales, but Korine is trapped in a shtick coma,
attempting to collect random images, poorly-defined fears, and swinging
bare breasts and form it all into cinematic poetry. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Perhaps we were spoiled with “30 Rock,” Tina Fey’s whip-smart,
heroically silly network comedy show that recently ended its run on NBC.
Graced with ace timing, a remarkably pliable cast, and a commitment to
playfulness, the show was a free spirit that never grew old. “Admission”
is Fey’s introduction to the world of Serious! acting, and while she’s
capable of expanding her craft, this movie doesn’t challenge the actress
in a manner that’s expected. Contrived and eventually gutless,
“Admission” is boosted by a few meaningful moments and a sharp ensemble
who always seem to be aware they’re being handcuffed by a disappointing
screenplay. It’s certainly a pleasant picture, but far from the
knuckleball wit and goofball wonder Fey is typically associated with. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“The Waiting Room” is a documentary about health care. While a touchy
subject these days in America, it’s also a topic worth every moment of
exploration, allowing for a deeper education and a wider appreciation
for patient and medical staff. Mercifully, it’s not a politicized effort
eager to turn heads with opinions, instead treating the topic with the
directness it deserves, highlighting the frustrations and complications
that take place during an average day at a public hospital. “The Waiting
Room” is grim but enlightening, perhaps required viewing for those who
care to debate themselves blue about a crisis they’ll never fully
understand. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Christian Petzold has proven himself to be a nuanced filmmaker with a
specific interest in the heartbeat of his characters. With “Yella” and
“Jerichow,” he’s displayed tight command of mood and visual
communication, using body language to express what long passages of
dialog cannot possibly convey. Even when the material doesn’t quite
stimulate the senses, Petzold shows an investment in the life of his
screenplay, refusing to hand his audience easy answers. “Barbara” isn’t a
tightly wound story of sacrifice, yet its distance is alluring,
retaining secrets and motivations, building to a satisfying conclusion.
Petzold may not summon a gripping pace, but his concentration on the
minutiae of behavior remains riveting. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

I don’t discount the importance of the message contained within “Eden.”
Taking a look at the elaborate system involved in human trafficking, the
feature is noble in its efforts to depict the horrors of prostitution
and the psychological void of its victims. However, it’s not a very
comprehensive picture, brushing by salient points of submission to
achieve a conventional arc of consciousness punctuated with violence.
There should be more to chew on with a story as horrific as this, yet
writer/director Megan Griffiths isn’t interested in the crucial details
of decay, robbing the film of necessary motivations and a lasting welt
of reality. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Tempted by the success of all things Nicholas Sparks, the producers of
“Love and Honor” attempt their own take on the proven formula, offering a
story trafficking in warm acts of attraction and nostril-flaring
moments of decision. Also mirroring the Sparks touch is the picture’s
distracting weightlessness, tackling a significant story of choice and
heartbreak with all the impact of a soap opera, failing to find the
feral emotions inherent to such a taxing series of life choices. It’s
easy enough to digest, yet “Love and Honor” is capable of much more than
predictable melodrama, though director Danny Mooney seems absolutely
determined to ease this effort into a honeyed coma as quickly as
possible. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Upside Down” is a stunning visual experience spoiled by a trainwreck of
a screenplay. It’s an awful film that’s easy to watch, utilizing
intense CGI artistry to manipulate frame activity in a way that’s rarely
been seen before, out to manufacture a bizarre alternate universe of
swirling gravity defiance and megacity juxtaposition. Dramatically, the
feature goes nowhere fast, wasting the potential of the premise on
tiring clichés and absurdly earnest characterizations. Perhaps
writer/director Juan Solanas understood he had a clunker of a script,
watching him gradually downplay the story in favor of elaborate visual
effects. “Upside Down” is certainly something to see, but difficult to
sit through. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

With “The Machinist,” “Session 9,” and “Vanishing on 7th Street,”
director Brad Anderson has developed a reputation for smart, challenging
thrillers that embrace the art of manufacturing suspense instead of
pulverizing the audience with cheap thrills. Well, intelligence
apparently doesn’t pay the bills, finding Anderson in command of “The
Call,” an idiotic offering of tension (co-financed by World Wrestling
Entertainment) that plays like an exploitation picture made by a man
who’s never seen an exploitation picture. With plot holes galore, hammy
performances, and an easily telegraphed screenplay, “The Call” goes from
passably engaging to insulting in a hurry, finding Anderson unable to
make the sloppily cut puzzle pieces fit, relying on moldy trends in
horror cinema to maintain pressure. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“The Incredible Burt Wonderstone” is a great title for a promising
premise involving dueling Las Vegas magicians fighting for stage glory.
Unfortunately, the feature moves beyond the basics to beef up a sense of
character and fuel formulaic story arc ambitions, dropping its sense of
cartwheeling absurdity to tend to a tale of spray-tanned rebirth I
doubt few will be on the edge of their seats to see played out in full.
Thankfully, it’s an entertaining picture when locked on silly business,
and hilarious when the gifted cast is permitted to let loose pantsing
casino entertainment icons long overdue for such a treatment. It should
be funnier and tighter, but there’s amusement to be had for those who
can endure a few considerable comedic roadblocks. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com