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Critically maligned and badmouthed by one of its stars, 2000's "The Watcher" is not a film that's used to a kind word. To be fair, it's a mess of the movie, with choppy editing, misbegotten stylistics, and a story that covers the basics in cop psychology and procedural cinema. However, scrape away the obvious production problems and there's a perfectly acceptable junk food thriller ready to be enjoyed, one doofy, borderline amateurish scene at a time. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com
In a long career of strange but absorbing cinema, 1985's "The Emerald Forest" is one of John Boorman's more straightforward efforts. A take on the action/adventure genre, the picture doesn't follow a traditional path of violent excess, electing to provide a more meaningful journey between spasms of violence. The subject presented here is the Amazon rainforest and the indigenous people within, finding the movie passionate in its communication of oncoming ecological and tribal disaster. Of course, there's gunplay and high stakes involved, along with an emotional undercurrent of parental ache, but "The Emerald Forest" is primarily focused on screen immersion, following Boorman's interests in native rituals and interaction, respectful of culture as he tends to more obvious beats of storytelling. The feature doesn't deliver on pulse-pounding suspense, but it offers something different, showing concern for characters and fragile surroundings. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com
1976's "Drum" is a sequel to "Mandingo," and the feature is thrilled to share that information in the opening moments of the movie. Hitting the viewer with a recap of previous events, overdosing on faces and places before the new film has a chance to breathe, "Drum" is eager to replicate the formula that made its predecessor such a hit. Director Steven Carver is happy to oblige hungry viewers, serving up heaping helpings of sex, violence, and issuing so many racial slurs, it could make a Grand Dragon blush. It's raw stuff, feral and shameless, and the picture largely succeeds as a provocative Blacksploitation offering, flopping when attempting anything more ambitious. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com
Alistair Bruce is the person the producers of "Downton Abbey" turn to when they require an expert in all things Edwardian England. His nickname is "The Oracle," maintaining tight control of period authenticity and continuity on-set, making him a creative leader in a way, helping out the cast when they lose sight of the details. "The Manners of Downton Abbey" is a program devoted to the work put into onscreen wealth and manners, dissecting the labor required to make labor looks effortless. Hosted by Bruce, "The Manners of Downton Abbey" is best appreciated as a tool for tourists unable to make their way to the location of the series, with the host winding through the house, stopping in major sections to share a behind-the-scenes look at the show and its mission of authenticity. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com
While it wasn’t an impressive picture, 2012’s “The Woman in Black” managed to summon an eerie atmosphere of spectral menace, while star Daniel Radcliffe gave the effort a proper dramatic depth, handling the unhinged demands of the genre professionally. Although the plot didn’t invite a second chapter, box office returns were too impressive for Hammer Films to turn down a lucrative financial opportunity. Now there’s “The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death,” a dull and Radcliffe-free continuation that’s more about cashing in on a potential franchise than opening the tale up for a second inspection. Ghoulishness is in limited supply this time around, watching director Tom Harper struggle with pace and imagination when it comes to the pulse-pounding elements of this anemic ghost story. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com
Belgian filmmakers Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne are primarily known for their naturalistic style, telling stories of hardscrabble lives to put the test by tragedy and neglect. Gifted helmer, the brothers have risen to prominence with efforts such as “Rosetta,” “The Child,” and “The Kid with the Bike.” “Two Days, One Night” is as close to a mainstream drama as the Dardennes are likely to make, recruiting star Marion Cotillard to join their parade of anxiety with this sensational tale of a desperate woman in an impossible situation. Highlighting raw emotions and torturous decisions, “Two Days, One Night” is exceptionally crafted, with a bracing honesty that challenges the viewer, making it the rare offering of participatory art-house cinema. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com
After teaming up to create two sensational horror efforts in 2007’s “[REC]” and 2009’s “[REC] 2,” co-writer/directors Paco Plaza and Jaume Balaguero went their separate ways for two more sequels. Plaza took the reins on 2012’s “[REC] 3: Genesis,” and now Balaguero receives his shot at creative independence with “[REC] 4: Apocalypse,” reportedly the final installment of this surprisingly durable franchise. While missing the sheer terror velocity of the first two features, the helmer commits to a decent path of closure with “[REC] 4,” returning star Manuela Velasco to the storyline and serving up blood-drenched chase sequences. Missing is the primal fear of the earlier pictures, yet this final chapter is immensely entertaining and dramatically satisfying. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com
“Goodbye to All That” proves that a movie can feel unfinished and somehow manage to satisfy. The directorial debut for “Stone” and “Junebug” screenwriter Angus MacLachlan, the picture is on the prowl for a precise mood of discouragement in the face of victory, updating the sex-and-the-single-dad formula to fit contemporary dating insanity, weaving through online hook-ups and cyber stalking. “Goodbye to All That” is more amusing than funny, and while it’s disjointed, it’s sincere, working to articulate the laborious inflation of morale after the pain of divorce and the humiliation of daily life. MacLachlan shares a distinct point of view here, just not a particular gift in the editing room. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com
Director Joe Johnston is primarily known for major motion pictures. Previous movies include “The Rocketeer,” “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids,” and “Captain America: The First Avenger.” He’s dabbled in low-fi cinema before with 1999’s “October Sky,” but “Not Safe for Work” feels like an intentional cleansing of big-budget habits. A brief, blunt exercise in thriller cinema, the feature is a mean but not entirely lean machine, though Johnston puts in a heroic effort trying to build tension inside a limited space, working with a script that bites off more than it can chew when it comes to comfortable passages of exposition. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com
The reboot of an Irish legend, the daydreams of a creep, a less than amazing race, the return of Wayans woe, sibling misery, the Friedberg/Seltzer effect, fake cops on the run, Zach Braff’s growing pains, an uneventful home invasion, and the terror of found footage. These are the Worst Films of 2014.
An emotional test of twinship, southern revenge served cold, the happenings inside a most unusual hotel, wearying concerns during an all-night car ride, a retired assassin on the hunt for blood, a demon born from depression, dragons and the Vikings who love them, doomsday on a speeding train, friendship between a mouse and a bear, and a creature of the night who can't be stopped. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com
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Emerging during Robert Altman's heyday in the early 1970s, "The Long Goodbye" is perhaps one of his most successfully translated ideas, finding a comfortable home in this loose adaptation of Raymond Chandler's 1953 novel. The helmer dreams up a fluid fantasy world for the character of Philip Marlowe, a fatigued detective most famously played by Humphrey Bogart in 1946's "The Big Sleep," only instead of updating the source material for modern consumption, the screenplay (credited to Leigh Brackett) imagines a world where Marlowe remains in his period headspace, trapped in an updated, post-hippie landscape of crime and self-exploration. The contrast isn't emphasized, but it's enough of a tease to keep "The Long Goodbye" on the move as it attempts to marry Altman's habitual disinterest in plot with Chandler's commitment to the steps of criminal investigation. Playing subtle and slack, with a fantastic lead performance by Elliot Gould, the picture is easily one of Altman's best, allowing his specialized approach a chance to breathe as the particulars of murder and theft are sorted out. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com
Studying the stain of violence, 1969's "More Dead Than Alive" takes on a troubling reality with the western genre, where men of sheer brutality have to eventually move on with their lives, with some looking to step away from such physical temptations. For Cain (Clint Walker), a history of violence has left him unemployable, tempted by sideshow owner Ruffalo (Vincent Price) to pick up a gun after 18 years of imprisonment and revive a brand name, "Killer Cain," that's made him a legend in the old west — a legacy he wants nothing to do with until financial strain demands to be tended to. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com
After taking on the apocalypse with their last effort, 2013’s “This Is the End,” directors Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg take on an even more volatile enemy in North Korea for “The Interview,” their farcical take on an assassination thriller. Continuing their quest for rude and crude entertainment, the pair remains fixated on cursing and bloodshed with their follow-up, working to hit high points of shock value with this violent comedy, which isn’t nearly as hilarious as it should be. Lost in a haze of aimless improvisation and dreary dumb guy antics, “The Interview” isn’t a lethal weapon of a movie, it’s merely a mediocre one, never matching its hellraising potential. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com
“The Gambler” is a remake of a 1974 feature, a semi-autobiographical effort that launched screenwriter James Toback’s career and provided star James Cann with one of his best roles. It was a complex, gritty look at self-destruction, boasting a decade-approved detachment that added to its severity and sophisticated characterization. 2014’s “The Gambler” doesn’t share the same sense of tonal bravery, hoping to remain in a claustrophobic space of personal ruin while keeping hope alive through half-realized romantic prospects. There are moments of moral muddiness that stick to the movie in fascinating ways, but this is not cohesive work from director Rupert Wyatt (“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”), who’s often caught trying to make a pretty picture when the material begs for ugliness. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com
There’s a tight, tempting, and dangerous 80 minute musical fighting for oxygen in the 120 minutes it takes for “Into the Woods” to tell its story. An adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s Tony Award-winning musical, it’s difficult to tell if this particular work was ever meant for the big screen, much less a Disney production, with all its nasty parts and ghoulish developments either haphazardly muted or sawed off completely in an effort to appeal to a family audience. I don’t think Sondheim was aiming for the matinee crowds with this movie, but that doesn’t stop director Rob Marshall from softening the blow, botching tonality and ease of characterization in this visually engaging but ultimately joyless celebration of death and deceit, with the periodic musical number arriving to restore some snap to the picture. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com
“Big Eyes” reunites director Tim Burton with screenwriters Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. Their last collaboration was 1994’s “Ed Wood,” a bio-pic about one of Hollywood’s worst filmmakers and his collection of friends and artists. It’s also considered by many to be Burton’s best picture. Returning to the bio-pic routine, the trio cooks up “Big Eyes,” an overview of Margaret Keane’s marriage and life as a frustrated artist. Those anticipating another affectionate and playful romp in the “Ed Wood” style should rein in expectations, as the production elects the Lifetime Movie route, missing many of the askew elements that typically shadow a Burton effort. Creative growth is welcome, but “Big Eyes” is hurt by a flavorless, humorless script and generic direction. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com
“The Imitation Game” tells the heroic story of brilliant mathematician Alan Turing and his incredible effort to crack Nazi Germany’s Enigma code, helping to turn the tide of World War II in a way nobody else could’ve achieved. It’s also the tale of Turing’s homosexuality, and how such a secretive life was punished severely by a government that would’ve been toppled without him. There are two distinct speeds to “The Imitation Game,” and they don’t gel as successfully as director Morten Tyldum requires. However, performances are fiery and committed, successfully communicating the brain-bending decoding mission and its many areas of paranoia, deception, and dark confession. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com
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BRIAN ORNDORF 