Blu-ray Review “American Honey”

Starring: Sasha Lane, Shia LaBeouf, Arielle Holmes, Riley Keough, Will Patton
Director: Andrea Arnold
Rated: R
Studio: Lionsgate
Release Date: December 27, 2016
Run Time: 162 minutes

Film: 2 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1/2 out of 5 stars

I heard a little bit of hype around this film and then poof! Nothing. This film disappeared from everywhere, showing up on Blu-ray this month out of the blue. Honestly, Shia LaBeouf was such a promising actor and seemingly threw it all away. I was willing to check out this flick and give him another chance. I have to admit performance wise, this is not a bad one for him and I hope he gets back into the spotlight. Sasha Lane, though, is one to keep an eye out. I have a feeling that we will be hearing a lot more from her in the future. Unfortunately, the film itself is just barely watchable due to lack of cohesive story and ridiculously long running time.

Official Premise: An astonishing portrait of youth on the American fringe, American Honey is told through the eyes of a vivacious teenage rebel who joins a group of fellow misfits hustling and partying their way across the country. Bursting with electric, primal energy, American Honey is an immersive, exhilarating odyssey of heartbreaking beauty — a generation-defining film that celebrates the defiant resilience of youth in pursuit of the American Dream.

Liongate Films delivered this film on Blu-ray as a combo pack with a Digital HD copy. The 1080p transfer is presented with an aspect ratio of 1.33:1. This film was definitely shot with a big ole ode to the videophiles out there. It is extremely arty and specifically shot. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is interesting and doesn’t disappoint but didn’t really grab me either. If the film wasn’t worse enough, the special features on this Blu-ray are even more disappointing. “Sasha Lane and Riley Keough on American Honey” is the only extra which includes interviews with the actresses.

 

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Blu-ray Review “In the Land of Blood and Honey”

Directed by: Angelina Jolie
Starring: Zana Marjanovic, Goran Kostic, Rade Serbedzija, Dzana Pinjo, Nikola Djuricko
Distributed by: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: R
Release Date: March 27, 2012
Running Time: 127 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

When you hear that Angelina Jolie is writing/directing a film, the first thing that pops into my head isn’t a foreign film. Well she did a really great job with “In the Land of Blood and Honey”, it is directed with a sharp eye and written very smartly. The content of the film is very intense consisting of rape and violence but she is still able to intertwine her romance into the story. I felt the film drags a little in the second half and gets a little confusing but overall I would say I enjoyed it.

The film is set in the in the 1990s during the Bosnian War. It locks conflicted romance of Danijel and Ajla, two people from different ethnic backgrounds. Danijel, a soldier fighting for the Serbs, and Ajla, a Bosnian held captive in his camp. Shortly before the war though the two knew each other and were one their way to possibly falling in love. As the war develops the their relationship gets more complicated as war drives them apart.

This combo back includes the Blu-ray and also a DVD of the film. The authentic language version is available on the BD with English subtitles, and the newer before released English language version is available on the DVD. If I had the option to watch it I would highly recommended the foreign language version. The Blu-ray presentation is superb. It looks great with its 1080p transfer, very sharp and very realistic. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is also very impressive and works well with the war scenes and the film’s beautiful score.

The extras are decent but lacking commentary from Angelina Jolie. “The Making of In the Land of Blood and Honey” Featurette takes you behind-the-scenes through filming in two languages and the local cast reflections on the actual the war. There are a few deleted scenes also included. Lastly exclusively available on the Blu-ray version is a Q&A with Jolie and Actress Vanesa Glodjo. Definitely worth checking out to get more insight into the film.

“In the Land of Blood and Honey” Available March 27th on Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack

Academy Award® Winner Angelina Jolie Makes Her Acclaimed
Filmmaking Debut with the 2012 Golden Globe® Nominee for
Best Foreign Language Film – IN THE LAND OF BLOOD AND HONEY

Featuring Both Authentic Language Theatrical and Never-Before-Seen English-Language Versions of the Film Available March 27th on
Blu-ray™ + DVD Combo Pack. Get Both Versions Early on Digital and VOD – February 24th*

“Extraordinary! A total triumph!” -Danny Miller, MSN News

“Brilliant! A powerful, important, humane and uncompromising film.” – Pete Hammond / BACKSTAGE MAGAZINE

“Jolie is a startlingly effective director.” – John Powers / VOGUE

Culver City, CA (2/13/12) – From Academy Award® winner Angelina Jolie (Best Supporting Actress, Girl, Interrupted, 1999) comes the acclaimed war drama IN THE LAND OF BLOOD AND HONEY, available March 27th on Blu-ray™ + DVD Combo Pack from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Jolie makes her stunning directorial and screenwriting debut with this gripping tale of love and survival set against the backdrop of the Bosnian War. Nominated for a 2012 Golden Globe® Award for Best Foreign Language Film, IN THE LAND OF BLOOD AND HONEY has been hailed by critics as “the starkest, most relentless film about war since Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket.” (David Ehrenstein, Quarterly Review of Film & Video). Now, movie fans can experience this riveting film with a Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack which includes two versions of the film –the authentic language film with English subtitles on the Blu-ray and the English language version featured on the DVD disc. Both versions of the film will arrive early on VOD and Digital on February 24th.

The Blu-ray combo pack includes a “Making of” featurette that goes behind the scenes of filming in two languages with a local cast, who share their painful stories of their personal conflict during the war. Exclusively available on the Blu-ray version is a Q&A with Jolie and Actress Vanesa Glodjo.

IN THE LAND OF BLOOD AND HONEY is the winner of the Producers Guild of America’s 2012 Stanley Kramer Award, which honors films whose “achievement or contribution illuminates provocative social issues in an accessible and elevating fashion.”

Synopsis: Set against the backdrop of the Bosnian War that tore the Balkan region apart in the 1990s, IN THE LAND OF BLOOD AND HONEY tells the story of Danijel and Ajla, two people from different sides of a brutal ethnic conflict. Danijel, a soldier fighting for the Serbs, and Ajla, a Bosnian held captive in the camp he oversees, knew each other before the war, and could have found love with each other. But as the armed conflict takes hold of their lives, their relationship grows darker, their motives and connection to one another ambiguous, their allegiances uncertain.

IN THE LAND OF BLOOD AND HONEY features an all-Bosnian cast that includes Zana Marjanovic, Goran Kostic and Rade Serbedzija, cinematography by Academy Award® winner Dean Semler (1990, Best Cinematography, Dances with Wolves) and music by Academy Award® winner Gabriel Yared (1997, Best Music, The English Patient). It was produced by Angelina Jolie, Graham King, Tim Headington and Tim Moore.

The film has a run time of approximately 126 minutes and has been rated R for war violence and atrocities including rape, sexuality, nudity and language.

Blu-ray™ and DVD Bonus Material:
· “The Making of In the Land of Blood and Honey” Featurette
· Deleted Scenes
Blu-ray™ Exclusive:
· Q&A with Writer/Director Angelina Jolie and Actress Vanesa Glodjo

“Academy Award®” is the registered trademark and service mark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

* English-language version available on select providers.

ABOUT SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is a Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) company. Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition and distribution; television production, acquisition and distribution; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; worldwide television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of entertainment in more than 142 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.sonypictures.com.

Q&A with Angelina Jolie Talks “In The Land Of Blood And Honey”


On January 12th, we were proud to present Angelina Jolie in a Live online Q&A brought to you by PartnersHub. “In The Land of Blood and Honey” is the first film Angelina has written and directed. Fans were be able to ask Angelina questions LIVE! See the video below to hear her responses to those questions.

“In the Land of Blood and Honey” has been nominated for a Golden Globe. In the film, Angelina Jolie tells the love story between a Bosnian Serb who is in charge of a prison camp and a Muslim artist who is taken prisoner during the Bosnian War in the early 1990’s.

Behind The Scenes Photo With Angelina Jolie:

Promotional Film Still: