Author: BO

The dynamic between a father and his young son takes an especially dark turn in “Last Ride,” a largely atmospheric picture that carries itself confidently through some frightening displays of behavior. Mournful, with a central mystery more substantial than expected, the feature creates a compelling sit out of the barest of filmmaking elements, trusting the natural beauty of Australia to settle the soul while leads Hugo Weaving and Tom Russell spend the run time working to disturb with their unpredictable performances, capturing an uneasy and abusive familial relationship with a natural chemistry, guided patiently by director Glendyn Ivin. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Fun is in short supply during “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter,” a strange development for a picture that posits the 16th President of the United States as a fearless destroyer of bloodsuckers, armed with a silver-dipped ax and gentlemanly outrage. I’m not suggesting such a premise needs to be camp, but it should be a widescreen riot of the highest order. In director Timur Bekmambetov’s care, “Vampire Hunter” is a CGI-drenched drag suffering from a gutted script and dependence on noise to carry itself forward. Poorly cast and much too severe for its own good, this ambitious attempt to pants history in the blockbuster tradition carries unnecessary weight, eventually slumping to a dreary finale that renders the whole effort a missed opportunity. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

With “Brave,” the wizards at Pixar attempt to subvert the animated princess genre in a significant manner, constructing a story of self-reliance to shoo away all those outdated fairy tale inclinations towards the sweet relief of a princely entrance. It’s a wonderful idea, sharply executed through a few exemplary vocal performances and, of course, miraculous CG-animation. However, the core message of vibrant singularity is buried under folds of fur, as “Brave” is more of a bear story with magical overtones than a precise inspection of a restless princess spirit. It’s a fine picture but seldom remarkable, expelling far too much energy on fantasy when a firm human touch was all that required to bring the theme to life. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Seeking a Friend for the End of the World” is a delicate movie that does a fine job keeping predictability at bay, at least until the ending. A sensitive film about the apocalypse, the picture displays a fine sense of taste and timing, mixing laughs and discomfort with a love story that carries genuine weight. The directorial debut for actress Lorene Scafaria, the feature showcases a helmer with an interest in human emotion, despite a massive extinction level event ready to wipe out the world. With a premise that promises chaos of all shapes and sizes, Scafaria plays the effort with equal parts tenderness and madness. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

With a title like “Love Birds” and a plot about a man discovering romance while nursing a bird back to health, eyes will understandably roll. However, not every duck-rehabilitation picture includes a sharp comedian like Rhys Darby, a wonderful dramatic actress like Sally Hawkins, and features extensive use of Queen on the soundtrack, including cuts from “Flash Gordon” and “Highlander.” While it ends up a muddled pile of subplots with an odd lack of common sense, “Love Birds” fights its way to the middle due to efforts from the cast and crew, who struggle heroically to bring character and sonic lift to a bland premise. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It’s been a struggle during my filmgoing experience to fully embrace the idiosyncrasies of Parker Posey. She’s shined in a handful of pictures, but, more often than not, she plays the same role, always the semi-sarcastic acid queen on the prowl for the perfect sardonic barb. “The Love Guide” (previously known as “Sunny Side Up,” which is a better title) actually benefits from Posey’s spazzy energy, unleashing the former it girl of indie cinema in the role of a daffy spiritual guru, giving her plenty of room to improvise and wind herself around the frame. It’s not an especially good performance, but “The Love Guide” isn’t an especially good movie. Still, her fireworks display adds some needed life to an otherwise insignificant feature, bringing some mild fun to material that doesn’t deserve her. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

While I don’t dispute the authenticity of the “true story” behind “For the Love of Money,” the filmmaking choices are strictly second-hand, pulled from all areas of gangster cinema. An attempt to make an Israeli “Goodfellas” with a splash of “Scarface” on a minuscule budget, the feature simply bites off more than it can chew, fumbling through a series of underworld encounters while burdened with an ensemble of uncharismatic actors, a few who’ve frolicked in these blood-spattered fields before. Director Ellie Kanner-Zuckerman labors to fluff up the picture with a colorful soundtrack of rock and pop hits, but it’s merely a smoke screen to keep attention off the general disorganized atmosphere of the effort, which looks to ape Scorsese but can only muster Corman. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Using the blockbuster success of “Mamma Mia!” as inspiration, the Broadway musical “Rock of Ages” gallops to the big screen in all of its neon-drenched glory. Merging the sonic power of hair metal from the late-1980s with campy performances intended to reach all the way to the back row, the feature is nothing short of a party, with glitzy actors prowling around the frame, belting out power ballads and anthems regardless of vocal ability. Director Adam Shankman plays the material as broadly as humanly possible, blasting the music, the costumes, and the hair at full volume, hoping to razzle-dazzle summertime audiences looking for a thrill that doesn’t emerge from the pages of a comic book. It’s a lively picture, beaming with energy and excess, evoking a debauched era of music and sexual gamesmanship with an exaggerated sway. It’s only a shame “Rock of Ages” is quite awful, because it looks like it was a ton of fun to make. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

After the debacle of last holiday’s “Jack and Jill,” Adam Sandler officially hit bottom. After a decade softening his edge in romantic comedies and family pictures, Sandler returns to form with “That’s My Boy,” at least to a certain degree. While loaded with dud jokes and unnecessary gross-out material, the feature does return the star to a realm of cartwheeling, absurdist comedy he once churned out on a yearly basis. Now older and richer, it appears that Sandler is once again in the mood for some reckless fun, guiding this rare foray into R-rated monkey business, backed by a spirited cast of famous faces and a soundtrack of rock hits. I’m not suggesting “That’s My Boy” is a good film, but it certainly has highlights, returning some of the old goofball Sandman magic to the screen. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Safety Not Guaranteed” is dramatically all over the map, aching to be the lone movie about time travel that’s not actually about time travel. The lean toward characterization and heartfelt feelings shared between shattered souls is all well and good, yet the emotions are rendered meaningless when funneled into this messy picture. Painfully deadpan (the opening 15 minutes resembles an unofficial sequel to “Napoleon Dynamite”) and meandering, with plenty of dangling plot threads, “Safety Not Guaranteed” is one central recasting and brutal editorial session way from being a lovely little short film, where its mystery and sentiment is more easily controlled and considered. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Lola Versus” is a loaded title pertaining to the main character’s struggles with life. The title is also an apt description for the creative woes that plague this surprisingly loathsome movie. “Lola Versus” flaccid screenwriting. “Lola Versus” punishing clichés. “Lola Versus” idiotic improvisations. “Lola Versus” common sense. The list is endless. Co-writer/director Daryl Wein has a lot of explaining to do with this punishing picture, which submits such contemptuous characters and harebrained situations, yet asks the audience to fall in love with these stock personalities from a failed IFC pilot. The entire film ends up depending on star Greta Gerwig to smile her way out of sticky dramatic situations, but she’s not an actress carrying a significant amount of inspiration to fuel her screen skills. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com