Category: DVD/BLU-RAY

The official synopsis for the Japanese film "X Cross" details a vicious story where crazed pagan men chase around helpless young girls, attempting to sever their legs and offer the bloody prizes to their deity. Understandably, this rundown conjures images of dank cinematography, porno-level acting chops, and a diseased interest in the prolonged suffering of women — not exactly an inviting viewing event. To my great surprise (and deepest relief), "X Cross" is actually nothing sinister, passing on the tempting opportunity to make a low-budget commotion with repulsive ingredients. Instead, it's a spunky, darkly comic creation with a refreshingly limited amount of agony to share. A few legs are indeed violated, but the production is more interested in the peppy particulars of rural survival and sisterhood, creating a superbly entertaining comic thriller with a few well placed twists and turns. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Death of the Virgin" is a supremely cluttered horror picture with a few striking ingredients. It offers a bizarre concentration on nightmarish imagery founded in fine art and contemporary dance, yet it also desires to be a gross-out slasher film of sorts, along with mimicking several other terror subgenres of questionable repute. "Death of the Virgin" is a smear of ideas supported by a lackluster technical effort, raising a strident genre ruckus when more attention should've been paid to the fundamentals, supplying a more rigorous display of thespian confidence and cinematographic ability. Instead, a handful of lofty thematic concepts and inspirations are left to rot while director Joseph Tito gradually loses control of the picture, resorting to ugly acts of ultraviolence to make a hasty impression. I'm not suggesting the script ever held promise, but there's something interesting going on during this unpleasant mess that's never quite developed to its full potential. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

On the outside, 2003's "Latter Days" appears like an average sitcom, presenting a formulaic collision of sexuality and religion, opening itself up to hundreds of broadly executed comedic possibilities. Mercifully, writer/director C. Jay Cox isn't interested in the crude workings of a primetime satire, instilling a beating heart into this tale of opposites attracting, facing disapproval from friends, family, and scripture. It's a hot potato of a story, challenging dogma and the reaches of personal doubt, yet the movie is surprisingly sensitive and illuminating, taking a very real approach to these characters when the urge to turn the proceedings into a cartoon must've been extraordinary. Instead of mockery, "Latter Days" is a vulnerable effort, rich with compassion and patience. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Filmmaking hero Monte Hellman hasn't made a feature in 21 years. The director of such cult hits as "Two-Lane Blacktop," "Cockfighter," and "China 9, Liberty 37" returns to the screen with "Road to Nowhere," a noir-flavored mystery about the puzzling creation of a complicated motion picture. In short, it's a movie about movies that's not really a movie. It seems fitting that this bewildering picture is the impetus for Hellman's return, as it appears the material is actually about him, dissecting the various jealousies and infatuations a driven director develops while in the midst of assembling a motion picture. Hellman is a true artist with a vision for disorientation that carries all the way through "Road to Nowhere," but the lasting impact of the film will be up to the individual viewer and their personal appetite for cinematic riddles. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1987’s “Hellraiser” dared to challenge the stagnant horror genre. Instead of slashings and stalkings, the picture submitted a low budget, but exhaustively unnerving depiction of sadomasochistic wonder smashed together with distorted monster movie mechanics. Expelled from the bottomless pit of despair known as Clive Barker’s imagination, the film was an absolute humdinger, submitting a bold, original vision that genuinely terrified, making chiller product from that year resemble a church picnic by comparison. Finding cult success at the box office, a sequel was quickly ordered up by the producers, looking to capitalize on the uneasy introduction of the Cenobite invasion, hoping to extend the moderately profitable nightmare for one more feature. So, where does one take “Hellraiser” for its second adventure? To Hell, naturally. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Jack Cardiff is a certified filmmaking legend, yet a man perhaps few, outside of hardcore movie appreciation circles, have ever even heard of. His name may not be immediately recognizable but his visual touch is unforgettable, working as a cinematographer and director for over 60 years, with show business ties that trace all the way back to his adolescence. Although he passed away in 2009 at the age of 94, his glorious creative spirit lives on in numerous filmmaking efforts and a riveting documentary, “Cameraman: The Life & Work of Jack Cardiff,” a picture that celebrates the lifelong adventure of a man who worshipped color, utilizing his fascination with art to infuse the big screen with an enormity and vibrant passion few could rival. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

A zombie movie just isn’t a zombie movie without endless close-ups of rotting flesh, idiot lead characters incapable of summoning even the most basic of survival skills, and a brief subplot involving incest. Well, at least this is the type of unusual viewing experience “Burial Ground: Nights of Terror” (originally released in 1981) offers to hungry genre fans. An undeniably sluggish though pleasingly wacky gore show, the film is ripe with peculiarities and amusing inconsistencies, almost enough to make up for the complete lack of suspense. Almost. Nothing cuts the boredom of a flaccid zombie stomp quite like a creepy young boy coming on to his bewildered, not yet entirely disapproving mother. It’s that type of insanity that makes a forgettable picture into something one wants to share with the world. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Actor and future Incredible Hulk Mark Ruffalo makes his directorial debut with “Sympathy for Delicious,” a sincere but fragmented feature that bites off way more than it can chew. Although rich with intention and authenticity, this tale of tainted miracles and crooked salvation just doesn’t contain the creative gas to power it through some dreadful melodramatic dead spots, while leaning too heavily on cliché to find a conclusion. After working with some impressive filmmakers throughout his career, learning from the best, Ruffalo’s effort is tremendously disappointing. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Out of all the Muppet features produced since 1979, I would rank “Muppets from Space” as the least effective of the bunch. It’s not an easy decision, since the picture features numerous gut-busting one-liners and a general Muppet anarchy that’s satisfying. It’s a fine motion picture, yet in terms of Jim Henson-style wonderment and overall cleverness, “Muppets from Space” comes up short. It’s entertaining enough, but lacks the magic the Muppets are so skilled at summoning.

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In 2010, director Scott Stewart brought a dopey apocalyptic action film titled “Legion” to the big screen, which starred Paul Bettany as an agent of God caught in the middle of an unearthly war. For 2011, Stewart throws a curveball with “Priest,” a dopey apocalyptic action film that stars Paul Bettany as an agent of God caught in the middle of an unearthly war. And people say there’s no originality in Hollywood anymore. Well, instead of combative angels in a desert setting, the new feature offers a plague of vampires in a desert setting. Progress?

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“The Conspirator” is a sumptuously shot depiction of a lesser-known moment in history. Taking place after President Lincoln’s assassination in 1865, the picture seeks to recreate hysteria and shady political dealings during a time of nationwide turbulence. Unfortunately, instead of mounting a crushing procedural picture filled with facts and figures, director Robert Redford elects for a more melodramatic route, turning all the accusations and disgust into a wobbly drama of limited emotional impact.

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Extensive and unreal violent encounters are safely folded and shared in “The Bang Bang Club,” a potentially mesmerizing look at the work of combat photojournalists ruined by ham-fisted screenwriting and ill-equipped performances. A substantial discussion of mental strain and moral flexibility is thrown out of the nearest window to play with irksome television movie clichés, taking the sting out of an alarming vocation.

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“The Last Godfather” is “The Godfather” after eating a bucket of paint chips and huffing a can of gasoline. A slapstick send-up of mafia movies from the man who gave the world “Dragon Wars,” the picture is an unfunny, spectacularly tedious collection of dreadful ideas meant to pass as a wild good time. Instead of laughs, the feature will have viewers scrambling for the eject button and reconsidering the competency of the Korean film industry.

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“Stake Land” is ambitious, but only vaguely successful as a bleak horror concoction. Spare, mournful, and often inert, this vampire-flavored take on “The Road” is more admirable than fulfilling, expelling more effort with atmosphere than story, wasting time with stares when legitimate tension is desperately needed.

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As much as I wanted “The Perfect Game” to be a fearless Mexican version of “The Bad News Bears,” the picture just wasn’t in a wish-granting mood. More of an inspirational tale compounded with a true story, “Game” is a feature of sheer earnestness, which tends to grate and persuade with equal determination. However, it’s easy to praise the film’s gushing heart, which might be enough to satisfy less demanding viewer in the mood for a few smiles and cheers; a sparkling tale of baseball triumph ideally issued during the heart of the season.

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“Mars Needs Moms” is a peculiar viewing experience where its least effective element boils down to a single obnoxious performance. Lively, richly animated with intriguing motion capture fluidity, and pleasingly designed with special attention to sprawling Martian environments, the feature is nearly sunk by the efforts of co-star Dan Fogler, who’s biologically incapable of delivering funny business, squirting his spastic funk all over this nifty CG-animated chase film.

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“Rio” doesn’t break new ground in terms of animated entertainment for families, but what it does it does very well. A musical romp boasting an explosion of colors and an energetic range of voice actors, “Rio” keeps to a minimal plan of villains and personal triumph, summoning a charming, booty-shaking carnival ambiance where a bunch of crazy birds (as opposed to the angry kind) participate in some slapstick, adding to the riotous party atmosphere.

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Blessed with a promising concept for a dark comedy, “Meet Monica Velour” would rather tug at heartstrings or script repetitive behavior from derivative characters. It’s a wasteful effort, yet a few highlights manage to distract, namely Kim Cattrall in a bravely unglamorous performance, putting in an impressive effort to embody a once omnipresent porn queen facing the unrelenting trials of life after youth.

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I suppose the classic image of a grindhouse film is something along the lines of a bug-eyed man splattered with blood holding a knife over a half-naked woman. It’s an honest summation of the cinematic culture, but there’s an entire history here worth an examination. Elijah Drenner’s “American Grindhouse” traces the history, excesses, and glory of unsavory cinema, providing a magnificent education in the process, communicating the nuances and traditions of a brand often disregarded as forgettable schlock.

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I’d like to think that when Melissa Leo won the Academy Award this year for her supporting work in “The Fighter,” she was thinking, “Gee, the only thing that could make 2011 sweeter would be the hasty DVD release of a 1984 exploitation film I did for Roger Corman when I was brand new to the business.” Melissa Leo, I have wonderful news for you.

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