Category: DVD/BLU-RAY

1985's "Climax" takes viewers to Atlantic City for a study of marital insecurity and carnal appetites featuring a variety of undersexed characters. It's not a comedy, but the material seems primed for some type of farce to breakout, as the story (a loose term here) deals with revolving partners in different beds, setting viewers up for a lively viewing experience highlighting iffy behaviors from odd people. However, "Climax" elects to go a little dark during the run time, with the endeavor more interested in detailing kinks and obsession, which basically throws a wet blanket over what becomes a half-baked tale of manipulation and revenge. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Marriage is a big dead end in terms of bedroom satisfaction in 1985's "Wet Dreams," with director Henri Pachard using relationship incompatibility to inspire a study of fantasy experienced by a handful of characters. There's limited story here, with a basic introduction into a bad relationship soon transformed into a series of sexual encounters with heightened circumstances, tracking the growing confidence of a woman who can't get much out of her husband, but can tour all sorts of sensual encounters just by dreaming it up. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Dennis Hopper was in a strange place during the 1980s. An actor and director who helped to change the course of the film industry with his work on 1968's "Easy Rider," Hopper gradually rode such fame into the ground, embarking on a longstanding battle with alcohol and other vices, sending him on a weird creative path where he worked with top directors (including Francis Ford Coppola, Sam Peckinpah, and Robert Altman) and participated in various B-movies. A plan towards sobriety really returned Hopper to the mainstream, working on himself while offering memorable turns in "Hoosiers" and "Blue Velvet," making himself known to the business in a different way. 1990's "Flashback" is representative of the new Dennis Hopper, with the thespian clearly inspired to work on a studio picture, perfectly cast as an aging countercultural figure reconnecting with his past, dealing with all the baggage involved in such self-reflection. If Hopper had a tail, it would be wagging throughout the feature, delivering an energetic performance that mixes elements of his past with traditional servings of action and comedy, handed a decent scene partner in co-star Kiefer Sutherland. It's difficult to imagine what "Flashback" would've been without Hopper's participation, as he's working hard to make the material work, adding something special to an endeavor that's engaging, but needs his energy to work through some lazy screenwriting from David Loughery (who would go on to disappoint with rough scripts for "Fatale," "Nurse," "The Intruder," and "Shattered"). Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

There was a weird, unsettled vibe to the world as the year 2000 approached, and Hollywood was ready to exploit it, trying to cash in on the unknowns of the Y2K experience, turning to the ways of Heaven and Hell to do so. There was a brief uptick in religious chillers, with 1999's "The Omega Code" and especially Arnold Schwarzenegger's "End of Days" hoping to deliver some unsettling big screen experiences for audiences potentially in the mood to bask in creepiness, watching the forces of good and evil duke it out for control of humanity. While a little late to the party, 2000's "Bless the Child" offers the same idea, with star Kim Basinger endeavoring to cash-in on her Oscar-winning performance in "L.A. Confidential," taking the lead on a chiller involving a special child and her potentially unholy position as Satanists and guardians battle for custody. "Bless the Child" hopes to summon a thunderous level of threat, but ridiculousness wins the war here, finding director Chuck Russell struggling to land even a single moment of genuine suspense and fear while the material grows increasingly ugly to hold attention. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Crazy People" reportedly had some difficulties making it to the screen, with original star John Malkovich exiting the production after weeks of work, joined by co-star Michelle Pfeiffer, while writer Mitch Markowitz was eventually fired from what was meant to be his directorial debut. It's not an easy start for any feature, but this production was cursed, forcing producers to clean up the mess by hiring Tony Bill ("My Bodyguard") to take over as the helmer, while Dudley Moore was brought in to replace Malkovich, joined by co-star Daryl Hannah. This feel of moviemaking panic creeps into "Crazy People," which takes a promising idea for a ripe farce about the world of advertising and slowly sands off all the rough edges, trying to bring warm feelings to an endeavor that should be served ice cold. There are laughs in the film, big ones too, but the whole offering comes across as half-baked, resembling a picture that once had a clear idea of what it wanted to be, only to change almost everything at the last minute, ending up an unsatisfying blend of tones and jokes. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

There was an effort made in Hollywood to transform comedian Richard Pryor into a leading man during the 1980s. He was an actor for years, but there was something about the decade that inspired a push to make Pryor a major force in movies, including a high-profile co-starring role in "Superman III," and starring vehicles in "The Toy," "Brewster's Millions," and "Bustin' Loose." Some money was made, but his future as a bankable name didn't solidify, and not helping the cause was a gradual decline in creative quality, including 1987's "Critical Condition," which spent two weeks on top of the box office chart, but quickly faded from memory after its initial release. And there's a good reason for that, as the screenplay by Dennis and John Hamill doesn't flow smoothly, offering different tones and styles of comedy, which doesn't help to inspire laughs, and subplots are plentiful, making Pryor's practiced shtick as a Nervous Nellie seem especially forced on material that likely wasn't originally conceived as a showcase of the actor's screen abilities. "Critical Condition" is a non-starter all around, and while it's not without some charms, the picture doesn't have a special sense of mischief to land its humor. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Director John D. Lamond has been open about his inspiration for 1980's "Nightmares" (aka "Stage Fright"), using the screaming success of 1978's "Halloween" to support his concept for a horror endeavor, which follows a shattered young woman's entrance into the predatory ways of the theater scene. Lamond replicates John Carpenter's use of subjective camera sequences, hoping to bring a little Michael Myers magic to his take on slasher entertainment, with this killer making use of broken glass to dispatch various targets. "Nightmares" has the foundation to make something happen with its display of theater-world egos and oversexed males, but Lamond doesn't have enough here to fill his run time, creating an empty directorial exercise that struggles to conjure any sort of scary business. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Just over a decade ago, "Magic Mike" rolled into theaters offering a boisterous time to excitable viewers interested in the seductive moves of male strippers, with writer Reid Carolin hoping to support all the gyrating with a sobering look at the personal problems facing the characters. The movie was modestly budgeted and turned into a major hit, giving star Channing Tatum and director Steven Soderbergh a shot at creating a most unlikely franchise. Audiences were a little less interested in 2015's meandering "Magic Mike XXL," but Tatum has managed to make a major business out of this underlit world, overseeing the creation a stage musical and even a reality T.V. show, and now he's ready to return to shirtless, Blue Steel duty with "Magic Mike's Last Dance." Soderbergh and Tatum attempt to turn away from uninspired pranks and general aimlessness with the second sequel, now on the hunt for a "let's put on a show!" vibe with this take on the formation of a stripper-heavy theatrical production, hoping to merge some major physical artistry with grind-happy sequences in what's easily the best installment of this oddball trilogy. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

When "Envy" was shot in 2002, the project seemed to be a comedy dream come true. There was Ben Stiller, who was riding high on his massive success with "Meet the Parents," also reaching pop culture prominence with "Zoolander," which would go on to become a big deal after debuting mere weeks after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Stiller's co-star, Jack Black, was working his way up the industry ladder, achieving great notices for his supporting turn in "High Fidelity," turned into a leading man for "Shallow Hal." Things were happening for him, including musical triumphs with his band, Tenacious D. Director Barry Levinson wasn't exactly hot property two decades ago, stuck in movie jail after wiping out with box office busts such as "Sphere" and "Bandits," but the helmer's filmography certainly encountered greatness before, with "Rain Man" and "Good Morning, Vietnam" becoming huge hits during their release years. The package was mighty, joined by "Saturday Night Live" performer Amy Poehler, "The Mummy" actress Rachel Weisz, and habitual kook Christopher Walken. And yet, "Envy" is as close to a wipeout as a picture gets. It's not a disaster or slapped together without care, it just simply doesn't work, offering a bizarre viewing experience where talented performers are stuck with DOA material, while the director tries to generate a farcical tone, but fails to acquire any sort of momentum or inspiration to make funny moments happen. The endeavor just falls asleep as soon as it begins. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

When "Birdemic: Shock and Terror" was released in 2010, viewers laughed. It was a particularly inept filmmaking endeavor from writer/director James Nguyen, who seemed to have no idea how awful a movie he was making, marching forward with a tale of a bird attack in Half Moon Bay, California, utilizing some of the worst helming instincts imaginable. Cult film fans ate it up, and Nguyen returned to the scene of the crime with 2013's "Birdemic: The Resurrection," where he achieved some level of self-awareness, trying to recapture the vibe of the first installment while leaning into expanding ridiculousness with a larger budget and fan support. Viewers didn't laugh. Ten years later, Nguyen returns to quite possibly his only source of income with "Birdemic 3: Sea Eagle," which basically rehashes "Shock and Terror," only this time around, the helmer is absolutely determined to establish the climate change message of the series, asking viewers to sit through an hour(!) of exposition, speeches, stillness, and Hitchcock appreciation before the birds return to attack humans. Viewers won't laugh. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The key to 2010's "Birdemic: Shock and Terror" was its sincerity. It was a genuinely awful feature from an enormously incompetent filmmaker, a man who thought he could match his idol Alfred Hitchcock in the suspense department, only to make a mind-numbingly tedious, technically disastrous picture about global warming, attacking birds, and young people dealing with vaguely defined vocational triumphs. Of course, it was hilarious to watch, leaning into every last creative pothole writer/director James Nguyen created, encountering a movie that had absolutely no ambition beyond being a movie, and it often failed at that. Molded into a midnight madness phenomenon, sold on its badness, "Birdemic: Shock and Terror" transformed into something of a hit. And with any unexpected cinematic success comes a sequel, whether we want one or not. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

As bad movies go, 2010's "Birdemic: Shock and Terror" basically came out of nowhere. Writer/director James Nguyen was a struggling filmmaker with a defined Hitchcock fetish, trying to make a career out of "romantic thrillers," channeling "Vertigo" with 2003's "Julie and Jack," somehow acquiring the acting services of Tippi Hedren in the process. The helmer turns to "The Birds" to inspire the violence of "Birdemic," but Nguyen's love of cinema doesn't translate to filmmaking competence, emerging with…well, whatever "Birdemic" is. It's not a fright feature, with attempts to scare viewers with deadly avian attacks using mid-'90s computer effects always ineffective. It's not a heartwarming study of new love, as the acting is amateurish, with the performers struggling to express a single human emotion during the run time. The effort is one huge question mark of intent and execution, with Nguyen aiming to be sincere with his offering of a climate crisis-minded romantic picture with a large body count, adding his bizarre vision to the hall of fame of goofball endeavors. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Zalman King was once a young actor trying to build a career in Hollywood, finding his way into television work, eventually graduating to features, including roles in 1977's "Blue Sunshine" and 1981's "Galaxy of Terror." King wasn't a remarkable performer, with career opportunities eventually drying up. A move behind the camera changed everything for him, taking on directorial duties for 1988's "Two Moon Junction," allowed to indulge his interest in erotic entertainment. The effort found its audience on VHS, where it became a staple of mom-and-pop video store selections, giving King an opportunity to keep working the system, returning to a similar study of distress and undress in 1989's "Wild Orchid," which enjoyed tremendous publicity due to the possible all-too-real heat generated between stars Mickey Rourke and Carre Otis, creating another picture perfectly suited for the rental market and late-night cable enjoyment. It was another green light for King's creative wheelhouse, and he jumps right back into the thick of sensual distress with 1991's "Wild Orchid 2: Blue Movie Blue" (aka "Wild Orchid II: Two Shades of Blue"), which carries a head-turning title, but actually has nothing to do with the 1989 endeavor, as King, who returns to write and direct, seeks a new screen adventure featuring an impressionable young woman and the world of predatory men she inhabits. "Wild Orchid 2" isn't a bold leap forward in imagination from King, who mostly rests on his laurels here, once again giving viewers an uneasy mixture of heated encounters and sexual violence, trying to craft a soap opera to give what's basically an exploitation offering some softness, helping the audience digest a story that's quick to dive into unpleasantness. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Brandon Cronenberg hasn't been shy about following filmmaking interests associated with his father, David, with the pair looking to tackle societal and emotional issues through surreal storytelling and violence. With 2012's "Antiviral" and 2020's "Possessor," Cronenberg did a wonderful job establishing himself as a helmer to watch, figuring out his own way with tales of diseased minds and severe consequences. With "Infinity Pool," Cronenberg comes dangerously close to self-parody, once again exploring a hazy world of human corruption, only without a sharper sense of storytelling that made his first two endeavors quite memorable. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1993's "The Flesh Merchant" is a strange blend of a T.V. cop show and fetish video. Director Mike Tristano and screenwriter Steve Jarvis look to make their own version of a police adventure with the picture, which follows the focus of two detectives on the hunt for a human trafficker who's made things personal, pitting the might of the LAPD against the brutality of goons trying to sell young women around the world. There's a big "been there, done that" vibe to the shot-on-video feature, with Tristano bringing nothing even remotely new to the supercop experience, content to rely on the same old stuff, found most frequently on network television. What's slightly different here is violence, as the helmer takes his time with brutality involving female characters, really lingering on suffering and humiliation in a way that suggests Tristano has some gender issues he needs to work out with a therapist. Promoted as exploitation, "The Flesh Merchant" is dreary and inert, in need of a much tighter edit and less focus on extended sequences of misery, which sucks all the potential bottom-shelf fun out of the endeavor. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1998's "Goodbye, 20th Century" is a Macedonian production, coming from local filmmakers trying to make themselves seen with an extremely odd endeavor. Directors Darko Mitrevski and Aleksander Popovski aim for the surreal and the extreme with the picture, which keeps them occupied enough to forgo most attempts at storytelling. "Goodbye, 20th Century" is mostly invested in the visual experience, with the movie impressively mounted, highlighting wonderful cinematography. It's only a shame the feature as a whole isn't nearly as compelling as its surface appeal. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1983's "Breathless" is hobbled before it even has a chance to show its stuff, emerging as a remake of an adored and influential 1960 Jean-Luc Godard film. One could argue that a second bite of the apple wasn't necessary, but screenwriters L.M. Kit Carson and Jim McBride (who also directs) bravely march forward with their take, which aims to provide a more manic understanding of behavior and lovesick psychology. The remake goes bigger and bolder in many respects, working to bring the central story into the 1980s, blending elements of rock and roll, comic books, and crime into a character study that's entirely dependent on the acting chops of its two leads, Richard Gere and Valerie Kaprisky. Such thespian might is open for discussion in "Breathless," which carries appreciable energy from McBride, who's aiming for something weird and itchy with the feature, putting a little too much faith in the actors, who seem very self-conscious in any moment that doesn't require them to be naked. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com 

Universal Studios was in a strange place in the early 1990s. The studio was producing and distributing a wildly diverse slate of features, mostly aiming for singles and doubles with one-weekend wonders to maintain profitability, often turning to horror to conquer the box office, making money with "Child's Play" sequels and kooky efforts, such as "The People Under the Stairs." But genre entertainment was facing a downturn in popularity, facing an oversaturated marketplace and a lack of bright ideas. Enter "Dr. Giggles," with co-writer/director Manny Coto ("Star Kid") aiming to create a new Universal Monster in the form of a madman posing as a medical professional, working to eliminate residents of a small town using various tools of the trade. His trademark? A laugh, of course. There's not a lot to "Dr. Giggles" beyond its premise, forcing Coto to jazz up the work with style and bloodshed, also making a decision to go camp with the picture, which wears out its welcome in a hurry. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In the 1980s, filmmakers became more confident when exploring the darkness and psychological horrors of the Vietnam War, with Oliver Stone's Oscar-winning "Platoon" developing audience interest in the experiences of those who fought in the conflict. There were many releases during the decade, some providing a respectful understanding of war, while others elected to transform the event into exploitation entertainment. 1987's "Dog Tags" is somewhere in the middle. Writer/director Romano Scavolini looks to pour his own experiences as a war reporter into the screenplay, which details the agony of survival and battlefield confusion, blended with a little "The Treasure of Sierra Madre" flavoring to achieve some level of marketplace accessibility. "Dog Tags" isn't "Platoon," but Scavolini has a powerful understanding of sacrifice, and he's attentive to the many dangers of the landscape, trying to generate more of a nightmare scenario than something mournful. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1996's "Freeway" made a little bit of money, just enough to inspire interest in the creation of a sequel. However, the story of Vanessa and her fight against the big bad wolf was complete, with nowhere left to go. Instead of bending settled characters to fit a continuation, writer/director Matthew Bright resurrects his twisted take on fairy tales for "Freeway II: Confessions of a Trick Baby," trading "Little Red Riding Hood" for "Hansel and Gretel," returning to depths of behavioral corruption for another ride of disturbed girls involved in dire situations. Bright has his fixations, and they remain on full display in the follow-up, which offers all sorts of abhorrent situations of protest and survival, only here the budget is smaller, the casting is weaker, and the helmer isn't as careful when trying to disguise his fetishes, making sure the viewing experience is as interminable as possible. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com