Category: DVD/BLU-RAY

"Natural Selection" has all the hallmarks of an average independent
production, with its HD cinematography, mild razzing of religious
conviction, and unshowered performers embodying the middle-class and the
borderline insane. Writer/director Robbie Pickering isn't shy about
following trends, but he's also smart about storytelling, endeavoring to
disrupt the norm with a strange tale of devotion and love buttered on a
road trip saga where things often go horribly wrong for the lead
characters. "Natural Selection" is a comedy, with excitable
personalities and broad confrontations, but Pickering clearly loves
these screwed-up souls, bending the material away from mockery,
gradually revealing his sincerity in a manner that's contagious.
Supported by marvelous performances and a prominent soundtrack, the
feature satisfies and even surprises on occasion, introducing Pickering
as a filmmaker with an interest in emotional content instead of serving
up pedestrian acts of humiliation. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Hoffa" is a presentation of shameless mythmaking, though one that's
supported by such barnstorming direction, it's impossible to dismiss it
outright. It's a boldly designed, volcanically acted endeavor that
doesn't seek to understand its subject on anything more than a surface
level of engagement. This is not "Jimmy Hoffa: The Movie," but a
valentine to a shifty guy who didn't let anything stand in the way of
his vision for a unionized America, shielding his unsavory interests
behind an ideal of blue collar protection, where the common man could be
comfortable in the knowledge that loyal brothers and sisters were there
to defend his right to work in a safe, financially rewarding
environment. There's little dimension to Danny DeVito's picture,
replaced with shockwaves of cinematic orchestration that help to
preserve interest in the titular titan, even if viewers walk away from
the film with only a slightly more refined appreciation for Hoffa's
dedication to the cause. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The easiest way to describe "Life Happens" (which is technically titled
"L!fe Happens," but let's pretend it doesn't) is to compare it to Judd
Apatow's hit, "Knocked Up." While the general comedic ambiance isn't
nearly as sharp, the same message of extended adolescence smashing up
against the demands of responsibility is shared by both pictures, with
"Life Happens" electing to portray the female version of slackerdom,
which, to be fair, is rarely explored in film. Credit co-writer/director
Kat Corio (a longtime actress making her feature-length debut) with the
inspiration to shake up the routine, forging a dramedy about best
friends and the arrival of adulthood. However, this isn't a terribly
compelling effort, often wasting energy on dreary ideas for comedy while
being too permissive with its actors. In fact, for a movie that hopes
to tickle, it actually finds surer footing expressing deep emotions,
pinpointing the terror and grief that comes when pleasurably distracting
routines are abandoned. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

I recognize that the 2001 Victor Salva horror film, "Jeepers Creepers,"
is revered in some corners of genre fandom, but I don't share the
enthusiasm. Plodding and poorly acted, "Creepers" (and its 2003 sequel)
nevertheless managed to make the notorious director into a brand name,
with threats of a third installment possibly surfacing in the next few
years. At this point, Salva needs the second sequel more than the public
does, forced to taste the bitter pill of the cruel DTV market with
"Rosewood Lane," a wretched, idiotic chiller that makes "Jeepers
Creepers" look like "The Exorcist" by comparison. Absurdly scripted with
no attention to detail, "Rosewood" is Salva's attempt to generate a
fright feature built entirely out of mood, dismissing storytelling to
maintain a tight focus on unexplained supernatural events, unexplained
characters, and unexplained explanations. The picture is a mess without a
resolution, perhaps only of value to students of genre cinematography
and Rose McGowan fans who enjoy seeing their favorite actress look as
confused as they are. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"The Night of the Devils" arrives with a little extra pedigree than the
average Italian shocker. The 1972 release was based on Aleksey Tolstoy's
1839 story, "The Wurdalak," providing inspiration that's more
interested in mood than overt scares, aided by leadership from director
Giorgio Ferroni (the mind behind "Mill of the Stone Woman," in his
penultimate film), who embraces the hauntingly straightforward interests
of the material. Startlingly fulfilling while remaining minimal in its
terror output, "The Night of the Devils" is an engaging viewing
experience, perhaps best suited for those open to its simplistic
narrative design, odd sensuality, and period-rich macabre details,
shaped into an entertaining examination of trauma and vampirism, sold
with all the sustained stares and zooms a viewer could ever want. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Before he was Mark Wahlberg, king of Hollywood, he was once Marky Mark. A
flexing rapper with his group The Funky Bunch, Wahlberg enjoyed some
degree of MTV-assisted success, but clearly there was no future in
shirtless video dancing and the occasional modeling campaign. Acting was
his big ticket out, and the industry welcomed him with open arms,
feeding him supporting work in "The Basketball Diaries" and "Renaissance
Man," but the real test of Wahlberg's skill as a potential leading man
arrived with 1996's "Fear." Handed a role that required a certain level
of insular emoting and broad display of serpentine brawn, Wahlberg was a
perfect candidate for the part, guided by director James Foley, who was
coming down from a career high working on 1992's "Glengarry Glen Ross."
Cruelly, instead of creating a feature of sinister ooze, the production
serves up a laughable thriller that's one of the all-time goofiest
movies, avoiding a tough inspection of troubling emotional speeds and
stunted communication to sneeze out a confused, half-realized story of
obsession and domination, with the layers of ultimate evil handed to a
guy who can't act. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Part of the mystery of Hollywood is the general inability of anyone to
predict a hit movie. Sure, there's a handful of blockbuster formulas
that are often used to great success, but the general rush of box office
triumph usually emerges from surprising titles. In 1982, the sleeper
hit of the year was "Porky's," a little raunchy comedy that home studio
20th Century Fox didn't even want to release, yet the picture ended up
as the fifth highest grosser of the year, just above such classics as
"Star Trek II" and "Poltergeist." It was lambasted by critics and
beloved by audiences, but why? Could it be that writer/director Bob
Clark tapped into a vein of nostalgia much like George Lucas did with
"American Graffiti," returning viewers to the eroding innocence of
youth? Was it the evocative Floridian atmosphere of backwoods clowning?
Maybe the compulsively silly performances were just that irresistible?
Or was it the boobs? I'm guessing the latter, as "Porky's" isn't a very
accomplished storytelling effort, wandering blindly around pranks and
melodrama as it fights to find a higher purpose beyond being just
another horndog teen feature. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The quest to unlock the mystery of Mars has bewitched scientists for
over 50 years, dating back to early probe discoveries of the 1960s. It's
a planet of untold resources and possible life, yet exploring efforts
with rovers have only managed to scrape the dust off the surface. Enter
Curiosity, a behemoth of a rover that was launched in 2011 in an effort
to send a machine skyward capable of doing a little more than to simply
collect soil samples. Here was a work of engineering mastery, with
drills, wheels, and cameras able to observe and tour Mars in ways
previous thought unimaginable. And while the rover made its miraculous
touchdown on the red planet in 2012, the story of Curiosity begins with
its construction — a concerted effort to build a machine durable enough
to withstand the harsh elements of an alien landscape. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 1999, the pairing of Martin Lawrence and Eddie Murphy was considered a
major event. While the two already worked together in
1992's"Boomerang," "Life" caught the pair during a celebratory career
run, with Murphy riding high on the success of "The Nutty Professor" and
"Doctor Doolittle," while Lawrence was burning off his "Bad Boys"
goodwill, developing his transition from sidekick tomfoolery to leading
man responsibility. This collision of comedic spirits creates an
interesting atmosphere of improvisational skill in "Life," though the
movie itself feels short-sheeted, without a full sense of the titular
experience, despite a premise that could reasonably carry a pleasing
episodic narrative. Laughs are found in the film, supplied by its varied
cast and director Ted Demme's patience, but "Life" is far from
satisfying, only masterminding a few compelling scenes of character
interaction and conflict before it's buried back in the screenplay,
which never figures out exactly what it wants to be, often content to
permit star power to carry the story along. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

David Siegel took the real estate world by storm when he founded
Westgate Resorts, a timeshare company based out of Orlando, Florida that
quickly grew in stature and profit with its slick sales techniques and
luxurious accommodations. Soon spawning multiple properties around
America, Westgate blossomed into a billion-dollar business, peaking five
years ago when the average vacationer could easily borrow money to
purchase their dream getaway. The corporation permitted David a lavish
lifestyle, a trophy wife in Jackie, and a family of eight children. The
man could buy anything his heart desired, and he did, culminating in the
construction of Versailles, a 90,000-square-foot home in Orlando
inspired by a vacation to France. In 2007, this cavernous dwelling
sounded like a great idea. In 2010, the unfinished domicile came to
represent everything that soured in David's life after the financial
collapse of 2008. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The direction of Rob Reiner's career has been quite curious as of late.
After scoring a major hit with 2007's "The Bucket List," the helmer has
retreated into smaller films of a more wholesome nature, including
2010's unexpectedly tedious family offering, "Flipped." "The Magic of
Belle Isle" furthers Reiner's newfound interests in unexceptional
entertainment on a slightly more victorious note, though the picture
isn't something that demands attention. Better with intimacy than
artifice, the movie shines intermittently, holding out hope that Reiner
will wake up before the feature concludes and deliver a string of
amazing scenes. Instead, "Belle Isle" contains very little magic, at
least the sustained kind. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"White Men Can't Jump" is a lively movie, almost to a fault. Blessed
with a provocative title, perfect theatrical release timing, and a
commitment to the mischief of men conducting business on street
basketball courts, the feature made a sizable impression when it was
released in 1992, pulling in unexpectedly hearty box office returns
while hinting at a bright screen future for the pairing of Woody
Harrelson and Wesley Snipes. Audiences responded to the material's slack
broheim attitude and attention to sporting detail, while its
improvisational loquaciousness caught many off-guard, generating a rowdy
atmosphere of put-downs and double-crosses, soaked in a distinctly
urban Los Angeles atmosphere of desperation. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

I'm sorry to report that my education in all things Gamera is sorely
lacking. My only exposure to the longstanding film series (which kicked
off in 1965) was though UHF viewings as a child, a time where the thrill
of giant monster battle finds its greatest appreciation. And there's
the exquisite tomfoolery of "Mystery Science Theater 3000," the
brilliant cinema-roasting show that poked fun at five of the "Gamera"
movies, exposing the inherent weirdness and shrillness of the franchise
with a sublime sense of humor. "Gamera the Brave" is a 2006 revival of
the character, which alternates between a celebration of the magic
turtle's heroic exploits and a reboot of his cash machine potential,
aiming the production squarely at younger audiences to secure future
interest. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Returning American network shows have the benefit of a summer hiatus,
typically three quick months set aside for producers to get their act
together and map out a creative battle plan that will carry over 20+
hours of television. "Downton Abbey" elects the opposite route, securing
nine-month-long absences between seasons, creating a voracious appetite
among superfans for all things Crawley. The extended period allowed for
anticipation is incredibly brave, especially now with the program a
permanent fixture of message boards, award shows, magazine articles, and
personal diaries, creating an intimate universe of admiration and
expectation that's turned the series into a smash where most efforts
fail miserably. Emerging from the erratic but undeniably attractive
second season, "Downton Abbey" picks up the baton for another round of
heartache, frustration, humiliation, and doubt, sprinting ahead with a
robust third series that corrects many of the minor, heartburn-inducing
mistakes that ate away at the previous season, while establishing a bold
new realm of mortality that's sure to keep the faithful at the edge of
their seats, possibly hurling pillows at the screen in disgust. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Having only a fringe comprehension of actor/creator Chris Lilley and his
fondness for the mockumentary genre (explored in "Summer Heights High"
and "We Can Be Heroes"), I was surprised by much of his latest effort,
"Angry Boys." Billed as a comedy, the series is actually anything but at
times, refusing opportunities for humor to take the entire enterprise
with the utmost seriousness, as though Lilley was aiming for
respectability with his well-rehearsed sideshow act, trying to breathe
life into caricatures that he barely has a handle on. While his
improvisational breathlessness is something to behold, Lilley doesn't
have much to say with "Angry Boys" outside of some mild satire directed
at the fragility of emotionally stunted men. The rest is a blend of
profanity, touches of blackface and yellowface, anti-gay slurs, urine
and semen jokes, and wild tonal swings that render the show a real
patience-tester at times, watching the star feel around in the dark for a
narrative direction that he's never able to find. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Many images come to mind when the name David Geffen is mentioned. A
protector of music, a producer of movies, a billionaire, and a tenacious
businessman, Geffen has lived quite a life. Filled with the type of
entertainment world high adventure few will ever be able to equal,
Geffen has built a brand name of quality and longevity, often from mere
scraps of ideas, trusting in his instincts and a good hearty yell to
broker deals and secure interests, with over 50 years of ladders
climbed, egos endured, and financial risks to show for his work. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The haunted ship subgenre is not something that's explored much these
days, with 2002's "Ghost Ship" perhaps the last major effort to claim
multiplex attention, and that didn't go well. Back in the 1970s and
'80s, fascination with all things floating and demonic was more common,
with "Death Ship" (released in 1980) a prime example of what the premise
has to offer on an absurdly tiny budget. It's ridiculous and dips a toe
in tastelessness, but the core terror experience is acceptable for fans
of the scary stuff, eating up 90 minutes with creepy corridors,
unexplained antagonism, blood showers, and the most dangerous peppermint
candy ever committed to film. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Unless you happen to be an archaeologist or a closet fan of the 1994
adventure film, "Rapa Nui," there are plenty of mysteries left to
examine when investigating the cryptic Polynesian location, Easter
Island. Researchers and scientists have spent the last century
attempting to deduce the experience of the island's indigenous people,
with special concentration on monolithic human statues called "moai."
These enormous ancestral tributes are catnip to those with a curiosity
about the area, providing an irresistible puzzle of movement, with the
impossibly heavy rock creations (weighing about 14 tons) scattered
around the island, despite little evidence on how they were actually
able to reach their final resting places atop "ahus," or sacred stone
platforms. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Boasting over 120 species and a substantial history, it's about time the
ducks of America receive their own "Nature" special. "An Original
DUCKumentary" (hee-hee) endeavors to explore the strange, cyclical realm
of behaviors and quest of survival for these peculiar birds, studying a
year in the life of these animals. The journey is brief but
informative, aided by oddly enthusiastic narration from Paul Giamatti,
imparting a basic understanding of the duck experience, from the first
steps out of the nest to the gamesmanship of finding a suitable mate,
with feeding rituals, flight patterns, and regional habits inspected
along the way. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Babes in Toyland" represented a bold step forward for Walt Disney in
1961. His first live-action musical, the mogul proceeded carefully with
the work, updated from the operetta by Victor Herbert, casting
fan-favorite and loyal Mouseketeer Annette Funicello (the girl who
launched an entire generation of boys into puberty) in the lead role,
while filling the frame with all kinds of advanced Disney wizardry to
keep audiences amazed and, at times, distracted. Experimental in nature
but familiar in design, the picture is a mixed bag of delights, with the
majority of its success tied to the designers and animators, who bring a
surprising amount of invention to the screen, working to open up the
limited stage setting Disney requested. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com