“The Victim” has been routinely referenced as a classic grindhouse
production, out to charm fans of sleazy, violent entertainment. However,
writer/director/star Michael Biehn doesn’t put his best perverted foot
forward with this lackluster, budget-minded suspense picture.
Underdeveloped and occasionally directionless, “The Victim” is actually
quite tasteful for the genre, preferring windy dialogue exchanges to
wrathful acts of bloodshed. While not without a few highlights, the
feature is disappointingly tame, missing a grand opportunity for screen
insanity. Biehn has a germ of an idea here, but lacks the sickness
needed to bring this tale of murder, sex, and feverish uncertainty to
life. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The trailer for “The Apparition” contained more story than the picture
it was promoting. In fact, I think the trailer for “The Apparition” is
actually more of a movie than “The Apparition.” A wildly incoherent
effort that spends most of its running time avoiding its own plot, “The
Apparition” is one of those major studio releases that is so stunningly
inept, it’s a wonder it’s receiving a theatrical release. However, maybe
a brief stay in multiplexes is a positive thing, allowing those with
heavenly B-movie patience to sit down and decode the bungled filmmaking.
Perhaps there’s someone out there who could possibly explain the
feature to me one day. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

After his lackluster turn in the recent “Magic Mike,” it’s encouraging
to watch star Matthew McConaughey dig his teeth into something
positively evil like the character of Joe Cooper. A cop drenched in
Texas swagger, Joe is a man you wouldn’t want to cross, yet he carries a
seductive, strangely respectful aura about him that’s almost appealing.
It’s a tremendously controlled and creepy performance from the actor,
matching the intensity of director William Friedkin, who summons a humid
atmosphere of desperation and humiliation for “Killer Joe,” a ripe,
captivatingly repellent picture that challenges its cast with stark
portrayals of stupidity and intimidation, roasting in the Dallas heat.
It’s a punishing viewing experience, but a uniquely vile sit that
rewards the brave with exemplary technical credits, a sure pace in the
early going, and the sight of McConaughey reacquainting himself with
excellence. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The rush in “Premium Rush” only arrives in short bursts, often after
lengthy offerings of exposition I doubt most ticket buyers will care
about. A chase film that consistently torpedoes its momentum, the
picture is frustrating sit, finding co-writer/director David Koepp
insisting on a story that matches the intensity of the pursuit. He fails
to find one, though “Premium Rush” is determined to deliver on
characterization despite a premise that works just fine focusing on the
heat of the moment, supported by a marvelous display of bicycle stunts
and streetwise navigation that’s depicted with the utmost urgency. Koepp
doesn’t trust the basics of the hunt, bending over backwards to paste a
soul on a simplistic machine of suspense. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It’s hard to believe it’s been a decade since the release of “Like
Mike,” leaving “Thunderstruck” ample room to pick up where the
teen-centric sports fantasy left off. However, while “Like Mike” at
least made a faint attempt to conjure curiosity concerning the iffy
magic dust it was spreading, “Thunderstruck” doesn’t even attempt to
pinpoint its basketball enchantment. It’s a peculiar creative choice in
an otherwise bland, feebly acted comedy, concentrating more on laughs
and half-realized messages of adolescent responsibility than solidifying
a truly bizarre premise, at least to a point where it appears as though
the production actually cared about telling a coherent story. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Cosmopolis” requires viewers to set aside their every thought, perhaps
every motor function too, and focus on the enormous exchanges of knotted
dialogue launched between comatose characters. There’s no possible way
to appreciate the movie in a half-hearted manner, yet writer/director
David Cronenberg isn’t exactly inviting outside interest in this
polarizing work. With its stretches of byzantine conversations,
bloodless characterizations, and inert thematic push, “Cosmopolis” is a
rare miscarriage from the always exciting filmmaker. Cronenberg seems
like he has something specific, possibly devilishly satiric in mind, but
his screen instincts are numb, constructing a feature that lurches from
scene to scene, convinced it possesses a wicked intellectualism it
rarely finds the energy to display. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

A great car chase movie should inspire the viewer to leap out of the
theater when the end credits hit, sprint through the parking lot, dive
into their automobile, and burn rubber back home, dodging imaginary bad
guys on the way. It should trigger a dormant recklessness that’s frowned
upon in daily life, creating a surge of pedal-to-the-metal daydreams.
“Hit and Run” doesn’t bring out four-wheeled fantasies. It actually
encourages a great deal of boredom as it lumbers from scene to scene,
placing its emphasis on a troubled relationship between two insipid
individuals, while the “Run” of the title is a rare occurrence, making
more of a cameo appearance as writer/co-director/star Dax Shepard
provides more screen time to dreary drama than an electric pursuit
element most will be itching to dig into. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

There has been a rash of supernatural stories with period settings in
recent years, with “The Woman in Black” a box office smash just this
last February. “The Awakening” contains familiar working parts, carrying
a somber tone of torment in a secluded English setting, and while the
material doesn’t win points for originality, co-writer/director Nick
Murphy captures an immersive atmosphere of frights and paranoia,
creating a ghost story with a nice kick and deeply felt emotions. The
surface details suggest a banal return to a formulaic haunting, yet “The
Awakening,” while imperfect, captures an intensity of gradually eroding
conviction that carries the iffy material all the way to the intriguing
head-scratcher of an ending. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

I was a great admirer of Sylvester Stallone’s “The Expendables,” released two years ago. A brutal throwback to the sweat-stained, no-nonsense actioners of the 1980s, the picture was undeniably rough around the edges, yet contained a slick appreciation for genre necessities and broheim comfort. After its unexpected box office success, we’re now faced with “The Expendables 2,” a crisp sequel that employs a great deal of hindsight to move ahead as a possible franchise. Stripped of Stallone’s tendency to ramble, the follow-up is a more traditional bruiser, barreling forward with waves of violence, self-aware humor, and a rowdy supporting cast pieced together out of newcomers, B-actors, and martial art icons. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“The Odd Life of Timothy Green” forces an enormous amount of whimsy down the throat of its audience in the early moments of the picture, though it doesn’t take very long to develop a taste for the sweet stuff. Heartfelt and genuinely magical, this Disney release is perfect for a family moviegoing outing, touching on themes of parenthood for adults, while kids will likely be charmed by the mysteries presented. A touching fable, “Odd Life” benefits from an eager cast and a unique sensitivity, finding a comfortable, endearing position between a bizarre premise and its enthusiastic execution. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Those used to the animated movie routine of princesses and anthropomorphized animals might find themselves shocked by “ParaNorman.” A macabre adventure that pays tribute to zombie cinema while working out its own scares and iffy stabs at irreverence, the picture is a stunningly animated effort carrying unexpected bite, taking its horror reverence seriously with a ghoulish tale of a community haunting that’s occasionally broken up by traditional cartoon shenanigans. Those tuned into the screen tributes and surprisingly severity of the story will enjoy themselves immensely. Others would be well advised to pay attention to the PG rating, as “ParaNorman” creeps into a few dark corners that aren’t solved with musical numbers or tears. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com