BRIAN ORNDORF

Author: BO

  • Blu-ray Review – Swimming to Cambodia

    Spalding Gray wanted to be an actor. Jobs weren’t exactly plentiful, but he received an opportunity to be part of a prestige movie when he scored a small part in 1984’s “The Killing Fields,” a picture that detailed the grim experience of the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia during the 1970s. The feature would go on to become a minor hit at the box office and win several awards at the 1985 Oscars. However, to Gray, it was a job, and one that took him across the world to Thailand for filming, placing the New Yorker in the middle of an alien environment that carried heavenly qualities, especially for those interested in hedonistic pursuits. Using the experience to fuel a stage event, Gray turned his time on “The Killing Fields” into a monologue, using “Swimming to Cambodia” to dramatically share pieces of his life and the depths of his brain, sold in a furious, colorful manner by director Jonathan Demme as stories and reflections pour out of the monologist for 80 minutes. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Blu-ray Review – Lost Country

    The vastness of political conflict and terror is handed an intimate treatment in 2023’s “Lost Country.” Co-writer/director Vladimir Perisic returns viewers to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1996, examining the woes of the region during the government rule of Slobodan Milosevic and a key election that inspired the formation of revolution. Perisic doesn’t show much interest in the fine details of the unfolding situation, instead using such tension to power a study of a mother and her son, examining the pair as their once tight relationship is challenged by the reality of the world around them. “Lost Country” is committed to silent moments of reflection and visual communication, giving the feature an interesting presence as it burns quietly. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • 4K UHD Review – Breathless (1983)

    Co-writers L.M. Kit Carson and Jim McBride (who also directs) endeavor to transform the ways of Jean-Luc Godard’s classic, “Breathless,” pulling it out of 1960 and into the 1980s with a rascally rock and roll spirit. The screenplay is after heat and impulsiveness, turning to the star of the year, Richard Gere (fresh off hits “American Gigolo” and “An Officer and a Gentleman”), to provide a nuclear-powered performance that captures pure recklessness and limited intellect, following the low impulse control of the main character as he seeks love and excitement. Gere is certainly invested in the part, presenting a wild take on sexiness that’s completely out of his range, but he commits, joining co-star Valerie Kaprisky on a screen adventure meant to drip with lust, danger, and fiery emotional entanglements. The concept of the updated “Breathless” is understood, but McBride’s execution is up for debate, mixing the rising threat of the story with two incredibly underwhelming performances that fail to support the electricity the helmer is attempting to conjure. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • 4K UHD Review – The Monkey

    Last summer, Osgood Perkins scored a surprise box office hit with “Longlegs.” The horror picture wasn’t much different from everything else he’s created, but marketplace magic was certainly on Perkins’s side, enticing people to spend time in a deadly serious world of mystery and evil. A year later, the writer/director is back with “The Monkey,” which is also a tale of mystery and evil, this time sourced from a short story by Stephen King. The iconic genre author required just under forty pages to deliver a strange journey into a cursed life, but Osgood isn’t fully committed to moodiness. Instead, the movie is a presentation of shock value that loses effectiveness the longer it lasts, as Perkins can’t extend King’s ideas for a feature-length offering. He goes spotty with a limp sense of dark humor and gory events, keeping “The Monkey” more about grisly visuals than an engrossing study of dread. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – Sisu: Road to Revenge

    Three years ago, there was “Sisu.” It was a Finnish production about an unstoppable man out to destroy Nazis during World War II, and writer/director Jalmari Helander brought a vivid imagination for bodily harm and big screen action. The picture wasn’t a major hit, but it attracted plenty of positive attention, celebrating Helander’s appetite for destruction. For “Sisu: Road to Revenge,” the formula hasn’t changed much, once again following the main character into many threatening situations as he seeks to calm his screaming mind by murdering his enemies in blunt fashion. Helander returns, joined by star Jorma Tommila, and the pair work out a new survival plan for the sequel, which remains as violent as possible while the helmer enjoys some Hollywood influences and a larger budget. The element of surprise is long gone, but “Road to Revenge” maintains an enjoyable viewing experience, running just a bit behind the original feature in terms of excitement. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review- The Family Plan 2

    A little under two years ago, “The Family Plan” debuted as a streaming title, and…it was awful. Strangely coarse for what appeared to be a family picture, also offering wretched performances, direction, and writing, the movie struggled to provide a single inspired moment. However, it seems the feature was something of a success, because the creative team is back for “The Family Plan 2,” a relatively quickie production aiming to get right back to PG-13 business, following the adventures of an ex-assassin and his desperate need to be a protective parent and husband for his loved ones. Director Simon Cellen Jones and screenwriter David Coggeshall return to duty, cooking up new challenges for the main characters, going international to help spice up the incredible blandness of the production. On the plus side, “The Family Plan 2” is an improvement on the original, locating a better villain to help create a modicum of screen tension. The rest remains generic and unfunny, but hey, at least some progress has been made. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – Champagne Problems

    Once the director of “Daredevil” and “Ghost Rider,” Mark Steven Johnson is on a different career path these days. He’s in the business of making romantic comedies for streaming services, trying his luck with Hallmark Channel-style offerings of mild drama and feels that provide viewers with a sense of escapism as beautiful performers work with a screenplay of no particular emotional emphasis. It’s vanilla stuff, but Johnson locates a degree of charm in “Champagne Problems,” hitting all the highlights of fantasy as the main character faces a crisis of the heart and business ties during a holiday work trip to France. Johnson (who also scripts) has no love for originality, but he finds some help from the actors, who maintain mild warmth and a sense of humor while the feature strives to conjure as much coziness as possible. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – Wicked: For Good

    This time last year, “Wicked: Part 1” found its audience. An adaptation of the 2003 stage musical, the feature managed to delight the faithful and enchant younger audiences, finding its place as event cinema when such a thing doesn’t come around much anymore. It was a charming picture for the most part, launching the world of Oz and the troubles at Shiz University with a bit of spirit and a number of big songs, helping to establish friendship and growing tensions between the characters of Elphaba and Galinda. The original show was a complete experience, allowing an intermission to divide its two acts. “Wicked: Part 1” chose an open ending, ready to keep the story going in an entirely new movie. “Wicked: For Good” means to be the dramatic payoff after a year away, taking on the darker, more adult side of the tale, and the batteries do feel a little worn down this time around. It’s difficult to watch “For Good” and not think that all of this really should’ve been contained to a single epic film. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – The Plague

    One can experience all kinds of nightmares on the big screen involving a community of movie maniacs or supernatural threats. But there’s nothing more frightening than a collection of unsupervised, parent-free 12-year-old boys. That’s the level of fear writer/director Charlie Polinger brings to “The Plague,” which studies to corrosive effects of bullying at a water polo camp for kids, taking special note of one boy’s quest to endure unimaginable cruelty. The helmer hopes to maintain a high level of artistry with the endeavor, but he’s also out to make a Stanley Kubrick film here, merging the creeping terror of “The Shining” with the cancerous group dynamics of “Full Metal Jacket.” “The Plague” is a lot to take in, exploring how horrible children can be to one another, and Polinger looks to make an intensely atmospheric offering. It doesn’t quite come together in full, but there are moments where the material is chillingly authentic and difficult to process. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – Altered

    If one squints hard enough, one could see some potential in “Altered.” It plays like a sci-fi novel, or perhaps a comic book, taking viewers to a future world that’s populated with mutated humans who live in two distinct classes, inspiring a tale of protection and revolution. There’s also a special mechanical suit in play, giving the lead character unusual powers to help deal with threats. Writer/director Timo Vuorensola (who made a positive impression with 2012’s “Iron Sky,” but hasn’t scored again since the picture’s release) blends all kinds of genre influences into the screenplay, maintaining interest in world-building and, for parts of the feature, action. However, “Altered” just doesn’t work, often caught struggling with momentum as the story starts and stops one too many times, and performances aren’t there, unable to bring the endeavor’s broadness to life. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • 4K UHD Review – St. Elmo’s Fire

    1985’s “St. Elmo’s Fire” is a divisive picture, but it does have a place in film history. It’s commonly regarded as the birth of the “Brat Pack” era, when young stars were taking over Hollywood, using their style and beauty to help mix personal and professional interests, which some viewed as too aggressive. It’s also the first major commercial and cultural hit for co-writer/director Joel Schumacher, who grew as a visual storyteller throughout the rest of the 1980s (including “The Lost Boys,” “Cousins,” and “Flatliners”). However, there are the characters in the feature that cause intense debate, as the script submits seven post-college people newly dealing with the demands of adulthood without a fully developed sense of maturity. It’s a tough sell for some, and while “St. Elmo’s Fire” makes curious creative choices, the offering actually manages to connect ideas concerning stunted emotional growth, fading friendships, and the troubling demands of life without a perceived safety net. That’s not to suggest it’s an intellectual exercise, but there’s more to the endeavor than the soap opera Schumacher occasionally wants to make. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • 4K UHD Review – The Golden Child

    “Beverly Hills Cop” opened in theaters on December 7th, 1984. It topped the box office charts that weekend, and remained the number one movie in America for the next 12 weeks. After his previous triumphs in buddy comedies “48 Hrs.” and “Trading Places,” Eddie Murphy was suddenly the new king of Hollywood, handed a golden opportunity to do whatever he wanted. There was talk of a Murphy-assisted “Star Trek IV,” but the actor rested for a moment, building anticipation for his next move. And that career-defining choice was 1986’s “The Golden Child,” putting the young thespian in his own all-ages, PG-13 special effects vehicle, tasking him to carry a dark study of magic and demonic influence with his traditional fast-talking ways. Coming from “Cop,” “The Golden Child” is an extreme disappointment, watching Murphy visibly give up on the production as director Michael Ritchie (way outside of his comfort zone) tries to compete in a Spielberg/Lucas industry with a halfhearted, shockingly unfunny effort that battles to balance many tones as it slows to a crawl. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • 4K UHD Review – Jade

    While enjoying a few career highlights in the 1980s (including 1983’s “Flashdance” and 1985’s “Jagged Edge”), screenwriter Joe Eszterhas enjoyed a very lucrative 1990s. 1992’s “Basic Instinct” transformed him into a major Hollywood entity, and all the studios wanted a piece of the action, paying millions to get their hands on his latest endeavors. 1995’s “Jade” is part of this gold rush, representing a portion of the mania that surrounded Eszterhas and also his downfall, as the box office failure of 1993’s “Sliver” and the bombing of 1995’s “Showgirls” helped to extinguish his once red- hot career. “Jade” is pretty much the final offering of indulgence when dealing with Eszterhas, who creates an erotic thriller that’s heavy on mystery and grim when it comes to sex. Director William Friedkin (no stranger to professional woes) steps in to make sense of the writing’s darkness, out to create his own version of an opera with the work, which enjoys wild swings of behavior and villainous reveals. The film is at least somewhat functional for its first two acts, watching Friedkin manage Eszterhas’s greasy imagination and clunky dialogue, pushing his actors to go bigger in an effort to merge behavioral broadness with sexual violence. The bizarre mix of detective activity and obsession doesn’t carry throughout the movie, but there’s enough here to embrace for those who enjoy lurid cinema. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • 4K UHD Review – Dirty Work

    1998’s “Dirty Work” was intended to bring the strange comedy of Norm Macdonald to the masses. The production followed the Adam Sandler path of dumb guy entertainment, sticking Macdonald’s subtle ways with a punchline into a vibrantly colored, happily crude endeavor, trusting viewers would accept the “Saturday Night Live” performer’s idiosyncratic ways. They didn’t (the film grossed less than “Air Bud: Golden Receiver”), but that didn’t stop the picture, which went on to achieve cult fandom through home video rentals and cable airings, giving the feature a second life. Looking to build on this reputation, Vinegar Syndrome attempts to deliver the goods for “Dirty Work,” giving the theatrical cut a fresh UHD scan, also going out of their way to restore a “Dirtier Cut” of the offering, which represents director Bob Saget’s original R-rated intent. There’s also an Assembly Cut for superfans, delivering a much longer version of the effort in workprint form. What a time to be alive. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – Jay Kelly

    In 2022, director Noah Baumbach took all the accolades and attention he received for 2019’s “Marriage Story” and funneled them into the production of “White Noise.” It was often described as an “unfilmable” novel by Don DeLillo, but that didn’t stop Baumbach, who attempted to bring the book’s absurdities and eccentricities to the screen, ending up with a flawed picture that failed to find much of an audience. The helmer is back on solid ground with “Jay Kelly,” which returns him to the wilds of human emotions, especially guilt and shame, joining co-writer Emily Mortimer (the veteran actress also appears in the endeavor) for a look at a movie star, the last of his kind, coming to grips with mistakes made with his loved ones during an impossibly successful career. “Jay Kelly” looks to give everything to stars George Clooney and Adam Sandler, and acting is excellent as the whole cast is offered room to explore. However, Baumbach gets carried away with the run time (135 minutes), on a quest to make sure this effort hits the heart, no matter how long it takes him to do so. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – Keeper

    Writer/director Osgood Perkins is working fast these days, and perhaps for good reason. He scored a major hit in 2024’s “Longlegs,” blessed with a slick marketing campaign to bring big screen chills to the summer season. The feature worked for some viewers, and Perkins was right back at it in last winter’s “The Monkey,” reviving his love of slow-burn creepiness in a Stephen King adaptation that worked for, well, less viewers. Perkins isn’t wasting any time once again, returning with his second release of 2025 in “Keeper,” which continues his career obsessions with macabre imagery, screen stillness, and shock value, only he’s really in no hurry to offer much of anything this time around. “Keeper” is a small picture, sticking mainly to one location, and it’s not effective as a chiller, finding the helmer essentially repeating himself with another ineffective, glacially paced nightmare. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – Now You See Me: Now You Don’t

    2016’s “Now You See Me 2” was an attempt to see if there was a franchise to be built after the unexpected success of 2013’s “Now You See Me.” The original feature found an audience for its display of magicians using faux magic to pull off heists and rescues, and the sequel was more of the same, working on developing a world for the brand name that never quite took. Grosses dipped a little for the follow-up (especially in North America), but money was made, and another sequel was certain to follow. Until it didn’t. Now nine years later, there’s “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t,” which is an attempt to get things going again, with the production adding new magicians to the cast to help take over should the box office gods be merciful. There are fresh faces around the picture, but the screenplay (credited to four writers) is the same old stuff, delivering a tepid return to “Now You See Me” business, with director Ruben Fleischer in charge of making something flashy, not fulfilling. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – Being Eddie

    There are certain expectations in place when approaching “Being Eddie.” It’s a documentary about Eddie Murphy, and he’s always been a bit reluctant to discuss his personal life, and there are times when it appears like the simple act of sharing anything with the press is downright torturous for him, making the sudden arrival of the feature a bit bewildering. Murphy doesn’t have a movie to promote or, publicity-wise, a wrong to right, but he submits to the process for the picture, opening parts of his home and sections of his life for director Angus Wall. “Being Eddie” isn’t a true dissection of the Eddie Murphy Experience, as Wall shoots for a more casual viewing experience, keeping the subject loose instead of overly guarded. A true peek into behavior and history isn’t offered here, but time with Murphy remains lively and often very funny, and there are certain parts of the effort that deliver a different appreciation of the subject and his wild ride of fame and family. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – Rebuilding

    Writer/director Max Walker-Silverman attracted some attention with his work on 2022’s “A Love Song.” He found praise for his sensitive handling of characterization and performances, on the hunt for emotions and people typically ignored by major releases. His indie heart remains beating in “Rebuilding,” which continues his journey into intimate storytelling, this time examining the worries of a cowboy who’s lost his ranch to a ferocious wildfire, left to rebuild his life with little to show for his work. It’s a timely tale of displacement, though Walker-Silverman isn’t making a disaster picture, willing to explore a human response to catastrophe. “Rebuilding” has every opportunity to slip into melodramatic extremes, but the helmer has no interest in overcooking the material. He goes mournful and oddly peaceful instead, creating a lovely understanding of resilience and community in a tender film that’s gracefully made. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

  • Film Review – The Carpenter’s Son

    Nicolas Cage in a biblical film? I mean, why not at this point. However, the workaholic star isn’t going the usual route to heavenly wonders in “The Carpenter’s Son,” which is a take on Jesus-adjacent happenings from the “apocryphal gospels,” giving the production an alternate path to take when dealing with known elements of Christian storytelling. Cage doesn’t hold back in the feature, offering his usual intensity for writer/director Lotfy Nathan, who’s genuinely trying to reach some intriguing moments of darkness for the effort, which, at times, almost plays like a horror movie. “The Carpenter’s Son” is moody and contains a few interesting visuals tied to the spread of evil in the area. Nathan can’t quite find a gripping final act for the film, but there’s a noticeable effort to offer something different and perhaps disturbing, tapping into parental and faith-based fears as he attempts to conjure a nightmare. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com