Blu-Ray Review: “MaXXXine”

Starring: Mia Goth, Elizabeth Debicki and Moses Sumney
Directed by: Ti West
Rated: R
Running Time: 104 minutes
A24

Film: 4 out of 5 Stars
Audio/Video: 5 out of 5 Stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
Overall: 4 out of 5 Stars

“What is Ti West trying to tell me?” That was a thought that kept popping up during the brief and distantly scattered lulls in “MaXXXine.” If you didn’t know, “MaXXXine” is the conclusion to director/writer West’s Mia Goth horror homage trilogy. Just like in “Pearl” and in “X,” Goth plays an antihero that we sympathize with because she’s fierce. She’s an ambitious young woman looking to escape a humdrum confining life. She finds power in violence, but will she finally achieve the infamy and freedom that she so desperately wants?

Maxine (Goth) just landed a role in “Puritan 2,” the upcoming horror sequel currently being protested by…well…modern day puritans. Radicalized individuals picket outside Hollywood studios in the background as Maxine sees a bright future ahead for herself. After years of porn work, she believes she has her big break. She’s so starstruck by her own potential stardom, she seems to care less that the Night Stalker is terrorizing the surrounding hills. Yes, it’s the 80s. Every corner of Hollywood looks like Skid Row, the morality police are in panic mode and slashers populate cinemas across the nation. Maxine blends in with it all, but her dreams of being a star seem too good to be true. A mysterious individual leaves a tape at her front door. What’s on it? Her dark past.

West has already solidified himself in the horror community, but with “MaXXXine,” he may have solidified himself as a household name with the completion of this fascinating and wildly entertaining trilogy. Each film, while fitting neatly in different aspects of the horror genre, manages to feel magnificently different and fresh. However, “MaXXXine” is the most audacious and grandiose of the bunch. While “MaXXXine” features a thick cast, like Kevin Bacon’s old school magnetism, Giancarlo Esposito’s scene chewing, or Elizabeth Debecki’s commanding screen presence, Goth casually remains the focus from her first time on screen to her last.

“MaXXXine” is able to entertain without any knowledge of the other films, just like “Pearl” and “X,” but it is immensely richer if you have seen the other films. Not only does “MaXXXine” love being self-referential, to the point of being meta on its own meta, it builds upon its own mythos in subtle ways. Watching the trilogy will also help you understand Maxine even more during her long stares and daydream fantasies. Also, let’s be blunt, this trilogy is a true horror showcase for Goth’s range and power to maintain viewer’s attention over five hours.

Back to the opening question of this review…West looked to tie his main theme in ”MaXXXine,” simply by going to Hollywood and going big. “MaXXXine” hammers home its nuanced commentary on art imitating life and vice versa. In all these movies, we not only see how the power of cinema impacts Goth’s character, but we see how much the act of making films, both the fictional ones within the movie and the actual films, become the ultimate commentary on the power of storytelling. “MaXXXine” takes place during the 80s when crazed Christians thought the devil had infested pop culture, and lawmakers were considering regulations and bans on art because of that moral panic. It took about 40 years for history to repeat itself. West loves filmmaking, it’s very obvious from not only watching “MaXXXine,” but this trilogy as a whole. Hell, maybe West channeled his life and ambitions into Maxine. Or, maybe West wants us to know Hollywood is not only a fucked up place, but so is everyone in it.

Extras

Belly of the Beast: This feature talks with the actors and crew about the making of “MaXXXine”

XXX Marks The Spot: This feature breaks down the visual aesthetic of the film while discussing it’s influences.

Hollywood Is A Killer: This features goes over the makeup and digital effects of the film.

Q&A With Ti West: This interview is a good 25 minutes of Writer/Director Ti West.

Trailers 

4K Review: “Drive”

 

Every once in a while, a movie comes out that redefines “cool.” It seems to have a ripple effect on every piece of pop culture in its wake–from other movies paying tribute to it, to music, to TV, and everything else under the sun. Think of the waves of parodies to follow movies like The Matrix or Pulp Fiction. They had their own unique look down pat. In 2011, that movie was Drive. The silent antihero. The 80s synth-wave. The slow-mo. Drive was iconic and we’re still feeling its effects to this day – Stranger ThingsThe Guest and every type of vaporwave nostalgia owe Drive a huge debt of gratitude.

 

Drive is totally self-aware and knows how clever it is, but never devolves into a parody of movies that it lovingly homages. If anything, its self-awareness is part of its overall earnestness. Drive is a movie with heart. The reason the movie is thrilling isn’t because of car chases, action or mayhem. It’s thrilling because we care about what happens to its characters.  When the nameless Driver (played by Ryan Gosling) stomps a man’s head in, it’s not a “Whoa, cool!” moment. It’s layered with tragedy, knowing that his quickness to employ gruesome violence is part of his nature and represents a point of no return for him.

 

Driver is a stunt driver for the movies by the day, and at night he’s a getaway driver for robberies. His rules are simple: “You give me a time and a place, I give you a five-minute window. Anything happens in those five minutes and I’m yours. No matter what. Anything happens a minute on either side of that and you’re on your own.” In the opening chase sequence (in a movie called Drive, I think it’s awesome that there are only two car chases), Driver, instead of punching the car like Bullitt and swerving through crowded streets, plays a game of cat and mouse with the police. He accelerates to punch out his car to an advantage, waits in the shadows, listens to the police scanner, and keeps ahead of his pursuers by a couple of steps psychologically. And in a moment of too-coolness, he pulls the car into a crowded area, puts on a hat, takes off his jacket, and blends in with the crowd. Job done. Cue the main title sequence.

Irene is his neighbor in an apartment complex you don’t normally see in the movies.  In the movies, if a character doesn’t have a lot of money, they still always live somewhere with a nice view and modern appliances. The apartment complex in Drive is something realistically and quintessentially LA.  It looks lived in. It looks real. Drive is to LA as Star Wars is to its own fantastical sci-fi universe.

When Driver meets Irene, they have an instant attraction. He falls for her, but she has one problem: A husband named Standard (Oscar Isaac, who continues to be one of the best living actors today) is due to be released from prison. Driver agrees to help Standard with some problems he’s having, with gangsters who say he owes them money. Driver arranges a means of pulling off a heist, a one last heist, to get the gangsters the money that they say is owed to them, and then after that, the agreement is that they leave Standard, and his family, alone for good. There’s internal strife between organized crime soldiers Bernie (Ron Perlman) and Nino (Albert Brooks) and the “family” back home. Driver unwittingly gets in the middle of it and becomes a complication that would be better off erased.

Drive remains Winding Refn’s most accessible movie, while still rife with the directorial trademarks and flourishes he’s known for. There are long, hallucinatory stretches of silence. Apparently, huge swaths of dialogue were done away with when he signed on as director, taking a red pen to the script.  Refn loves to tell a story visually, to the point of obsession. There’s an expression sometimes in writing that he seems to have taken to heart: Why tell it when you can show it?

As focused on visuals as it may be, Drive actually seems to be having fun with the actors and performances, watching someone like Bryan Cranston as Driver’s good friend and mentor, Shannon, limp around, chain smoke and espouse life lessons in a gravelly voice.  The ensemble cast is amazing.  Christina Hendricks shows up in a bit role to help with the heist to get Standard out of trouble.  Albert Brooks plays against type as a sympathetic villain.  Ron Perlman plays Ron Perlman, beautifully so.

 

Drive is one of those “love it or hate it” movies. If you’re expecting it to be a movie in the tradition of the Fast and the Furious series, only more serious, and with Ryan Gosling as the lead, you’re probably going to be incredibly disappointed. If you go in to the movie knowing that it’s going to be an offbeat, show-offy work from a European director and is less concerned with cars and more of a contemplation on violence, you’ll have a better idea of what to expect.

 

VIDEO

Drive is gorgeous, bathed-in-neon picture from start to finish. And while it’s always been an attractive movie, from its theatrical release to previous Blu-ray editions, this 4K master, courtesy of Second Sight, takes it to another level. The dark/light levels are incredibly adept, Drive will have scenes take place during the darkest of nights and during the brightest of days in sunny Los Angeles. No matter what extreme, it always looks natural and balanced.

 

AUDIO

Second Sight’s release on 4K features a Dolby Atmos mix that helps elevate and widen the soundstage a bit. It’s not leaps and bounds above its predecessor Blu Ray release, but in certain scenes, the enhancement is noticeable and welcome. In the beginning cat-and-mouse chase scene, the front, height speakers and rear speakers work in a wonderful unison to simulate a circling police helicopter. When the main title sequence blasts to life, “Nightcall” by Kavinsky fires across the entire soundstage, (front, back, and from above) enveloping the listener in a bubble.

 

EXTRAS

Like its previous Blu-ray release, while there aren’t hours and hours of features to keep you entertained, or a booklet with essays like you’d find in a Criterion release, the features that are there will help deepen your understanding of the film and familiarize you with the process of making this modern-day masterpiece.

 

FINAL THOUGHTS

Drive is an oddity, in that it’s a hypnotic contemplation on violence in reality, and violence in film, with action sequences few and far between, but boasting demo-worthy visuals and audio during those tense, white-knuckle moments. It’s both a thinker and a shower, allowing quiet moments to simmer with seriousness and louder moments to be more impactful and consequential. Second Sight’s work here is, as usual, incredible and their release of Drive on 4K Blu-ray is Highly Recommended!

FILM ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

VIDEO ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SOUND ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

EXTRAS ⭐️⭐️

(Out of five stars)

4K Review: “The Fall Guy” (EXTENDED CUT)

 

Is there a group of creative filmmakers in Hollywood that barely get recognized for making some of the most memorable and coolest sequences in movies and television? Yes, there is a group of brave individuals called stunt performers (or Tom Cruise) who are responsible for those long falls off buildings, impossible jumps over mountains, and wild car chases in movies. There’s not a major award show that recognizes the genius of these people, but there should be one in the sea of dull acceptance speeches for sound editing or documentary shorts. There should be a segment that honors the coolest parts of cinema. That’s where the new film The Fall Guy blazes its way into the arena, covered in sweat and high wires that will hopefully change every award show in the future with an award for Best Stunt in a movie. Not to mention, The Fall Guy is a blast from start to finish with Gosling once again oozing charm, comedy, and general badassery. 

Director David Leitch is the perfect person for the job here, where he was a former stuntman turned director who gave the world John WickDeadpool 2Bullet Train, and Hobbs and Shaw. He and writer Drew Pearce have perfectly conjured up a wonderful story that takes its cues from the ’80s show of the same name and brings that energy and action to life in the present day with an all-star cast that subtly breaks the fourth wall to showcase the ins and outs of stunt work on movies. But Leitch adds a wonderful love story to the mix along with some hilarious comedy that serves as some insider stunt jokes that also appeal to the masses. And the jabs at the Hollywood industry in the form of wacky producers, and egocentric actors are spot on with how over-the-top they are. But The Fall Guy manages to have it all in one movie, the comedy, the action, the romance, the one-liners, and the thrills all led by Ryan Gosling.

Leitch’s career has driven him to this place where Gosling plays a stuntman for a Tom Cruise-like actor (Aaron Taylor Johnson of Kick-Ass fame), where after an accident on set, puts Colt Seavers (Gosling) out of commission for a year, ghosting his romantic interest and camera-girl Jody (Emily Blunt) without any word of his well-being. A year later, Colt gets called back into action, and he reluctantly accepts to board a brand new big-budget movie when he finds out that Jody is directing her first big gig. Little does anyone know that the producer (Hannah Waddingham) and the ego-centric actor (Johnson) have nefarious plans for Seavers that will put his stunt game to the test in real life. With cheesy ’80s and ’90s romantic quips and stellar action sequences – The Fall Guy never disappoints. 


Each action scene is meticulously planned and real, as the end credits show all of the real stunts that were performed in the movie by either Gosling or a stunt team. From falling down stairs, jumping onto a moving car, being smashed by a truck, or hanging off of a helicopter, this movie shows it all. It executes its narrative of the movie industry, making a movie, and two people falling in love all over again in such a sweet and comical way that Leitch can probably add romantic comedy to his resume. The chemistry between Blunt and Gosling is very infectious, but is there a situation where anyone does NOT have chemistry with Gosling? The man is a gentle comedic god with a penchant for beating people up. The Fall Guy has a ton of surprises and is some of the most fun you can have in a theater with laugh-out-loud moments, inside jokes, top-notch action scenes, and a great romantic tale with Ken. 


The Fall Guy delivers an impressive UHD 4K image with Dolby Vision. The streaming version looks amazing, however, this physical copy allows more room to breathe with its wide gamut of colors and detail. The soundtrack comes with an exquisite Dolby Atmos track that could be the new demo in any media room. Sound effects are loud and boisterous with tons of nuanced noises from the surrounding speakers as well as plenty of subwoofer LFE activity. As for extras, there are about 91 minutes of supplements included in this release which includes the 20 minutes of the extended cut. All of these bonus features are highly entertaining and worth watching. There is also an audio commentary included. 

Lastly The Fall Guy has risen to be one of the biggest and best action flicks in years. The amount of fun, heart, soul, and the ability to finally pay homage to the impressive stunt people throughout the years is fantastic. This 4K image with Dolby Vision looks excellent and is a definitive upgrade from the 1080p version and even the 4K streaming option. The Dolby Atmos track is demo-worthy. The bonus features are a ton of fun to watch as well. Highly recommended!

Movie ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Picture ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sound ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Extras ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Out of five stars 

Blu-ray Review: “Tarot”

‘Tarot’ tells the haunting tale of a group of friends who rent out an ancient mansion in order to celebrate a friend’s birthday and in the course of the evening’s festivities uncover a secret room packed with ancient artifacts. After finding an eerily hand-painted deck of tarot cards and convincing their friend to do readings for each of them which violate the sacred tarot rules, the friends start mysteriously dying in gruesome fashion. As the surviving friends attempt to uncover the truth behind the deaths they soon realize that they are being killed off in the manner described in their readings. But stopping the curse will be significantly harder than triggering it, especially if they hope to end it before any more of them perish.

Written and directed by Spenser Cohen & Anna Halberg who each make their feature length directorial debut and do a solid job at the helm of ‘Tarot’ capably guiding along the creepy and violent fun. The film’s cast includes Harriet Slater (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny), Adain Bradley (Wrong Turn 2021), Avantika (Mean Girls 2024), Wolfgang Novogratz (The Half of It), Humberly González (Slumberland), Larsen Thompson (Bloodline) and Jacob Batalon (Spider-Man: No Way Home) with the majority offering capable or at the very least fitting performances in each of their respective roles.

‘Tarot’ is a fun, over the top and surprisingly bloody teen-centric horror offering that may not be an Oscar contender or a remarkable film by any means, and is often lacking in cleverness and originality but ends up delivering a significantly more enjoyable PG-13 horror film than you might expect. It’s a fairly goofy and silly concept to begin with and it takes the story and twists further than expected, while also delivering some surprisingly violent and bloody deaths that even while they never reach the level of outright gory seem to repeatedly push the boundaries of the rating. Somehow the goofy concept itself helps to make this one as fun as it is by the filmmakers repeatedly going so far with the material while playing it off in a serious manner at the same time; allowing it to almost maintain a tongue-in-cheek style without actually portraying it as such.

The key characters of ‘Tarot’ are fairly basic and it’s difficult to become too attached to most of them, although that only helps to make it even more entertaining when they are killed in one gruesome manner after another, while many of the other characters within seem unable to accept the reality of the situation as others couldn’t be more done with it. It’s a curious approach and I honestly can’t say whether it was intended or not, but it certainly makes for a fairly solid and engaging ride into darkness that genre fans who don’t mind a little bit of cheese (albeit possibly unintentional) should enjoy this one a fair amount, especially if you can go in expecting as much.

Overall, ‘Tarot’ is an entertaining and somewhat over the top supernatural horror film that plays things fairly straight but ends up becoming almost silly at times due to the out there story and reasoning behind the chaos, as well as the bloody and violent ways the characters are eliminated throughout which almost feels reminiscent of a tamed down version of ‘Final Destination’ at times. Even while it may not be intentionally silly and never portrays the events in that way, its serious approach and the almost surprisingly brutal moments end up forming into a slightly above average ride that’s somehow way more enjoyable than it should be. If you’re a fan of similar horror films and are at all interested in ‘Tarot’ then it’s definitely worth giving a chance, although I would encourage first time viewers to rent it before purchasing a copy just to be safe.

The Blu-ray release of ‘Tarot’ features a full 1080p High Definition presentation with the film’s original Aspect Ratio. The video presentation looks tremendous and offers a clean, sharp and richly detailed presentation from start to finish that never suffers from any notable faults or glitches to be uncovered along the way. Detail is sharp and impressive on everything from character faces and clothing to the sprawling mansion and almost everything else appearing onscreen at one point or another, which is all complemented by rewarding black levels that benefit this often very dark film and keep any artifacts or anything else from negatively affecting the darker moments which never disappoint. Overall, this is a great high definition video presentation that holds up wonderfully at all times and shouldn’t disappoint fans or newcomers.

The Blu-ray release features a 5.1 channel DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. This multichannel soundtrack makes a splendid complement to the onscreen fun and provides a clean, crisp and frequently aggressive audio presentation throughout. It repeatedly utilizes all five available channels in order to send music, creepy and violent sound effects along with nature elements and plenty more whipping throughout the various speakers whenever appropriate, while never resulting in any dialogue or other audio elements becoming negatively affected or rendered problematic in the process. Overall, this is a fantastic 5.1 DTS-HD MA soundtrack that repeatedly benefits the film and should easily excite viewers.

Conclusion 

The Blu-ray release of ‘Tarot’ features a few brief extras. Included on the release are the Behind the Scenes Featurettes ‘A Twist of Fate: Making the Film’ (running approximately 6 minutes in length) and ‘Circle of Friends’ (running approximately 7 minutes) which feature interviews/comments with the cast and crew, plus behind the scenes footage and more. Also included are ‘Killer Outtakes’ from the film (approximately 2 minutes). I had fun with ‘Tarot’ but as aforementioned, it’s not cleverly executed. But sound and picture are absolutely amazing. Incidentally, ‘Tarot’ is presently a major hit on Netflix! Not surprising since it is a good watch with friends.

 

Film: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Picture: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sound: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (out of five stars)

Blu-ray Review: “Godzilla Minus One”

 

 

Godzilla Minus One has become a genuine phenomenon even in America, where it quickly became the highest-grossing Japanese language film of all time. That’s impressive by any metric, especially for the 30th live action installment in a seventy-year-old franchise. While Godzilla movies can be a little divisive, with everyone having their own favorites, the reaction to Godzilla Minus One has been uniformly positive. It’s been something of a revelation to many people, which is interesting considering that it’s undeniably derivative of all the films that came before it. The genius of writer/director Takashi Yamazaki is that he took all those familiar elements and combined them in a way that manages to feel fresh, even to hardened fans of the franchise. It’s more of a refinement than a revelation, and where Godzilla Minus One really shines is in its execution rather than its conception. Yet the key to making all of that work is still a conceptual choice on the part of Toho and Yamazaki.

When Toho rebooted the entire franchise in 1984 with The Return of Godzilla, it did so by effectively erasing all of the Shōwa era sequels and offering a direct sequel to the 1954 Godzilla instead. The rest of the Heisei era films followed that new continuity. When Toho performed another reboot with Godzilla 2000, they once again reset everything that happened after 1954, and for a time they did that with every Millennium film that followed suit (up until Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S., anyway, which was a direct sequel to Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla.) That offered a bit more freedom for filmmakers to pursue the stories that interested them the most—all under Toho’s watchful eye, of course. Yet when Hideaki Anno launched what would become known as the Reiwa era series with Shin Godzilla, he took the more radical step of not just disregarding all of the previous continuities, but the 1954 original as well. This new Godzilla represented the re-imagined first appearance of the King of Monsters, offering the opportunity to once again show the reaction of the Japanese people to a previously unheard-of threat. Anno also crafted the most radical alteration to Godzilla’s origins since Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack.

Godzilla Minus One does something similar to Shin Godzilla, but by taking the additional step of a giant leap backwards before 1954. It’s another standalone origin story, yet it still honors the films that preceded it in a way that Anno’s film didn’t. In a nutshell, Godzilla Minus One is the 1954 Godzilla mixed with Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah mixed with Godzilla vs. Destroyah mixed with Giant Monsters All-Out Attack mixed with an inversion of Giant Monsters All-Out Attack. To elaborate slightly: it’s the basic setting of the original Godzilla mixed with the retconned origin story of King Ghidorah mixed with the pissed-off Godzilla of Destroyah mixed with the “Japan dealing with the ghosts of what it did during WWII” of GMK mixed with an individual dealing with the ghost of what he actually didn’t do during WWII. Whew. (It even throws in a generous dose of Jaws for good measure.)

Appropriately enough, Yamazaki’s script for Godzilla Minus One opens on the fictional Odo Island, although this particular version of it has more in common with the Lagos Island of Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah. Kōichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki) is a kamikaze pilot who puts his plane down at a repair base on Odo Island in the waning days of World War II, ostensibly because of mechanical issues, but the reality is that he can’t go through with his mission. While he’s there, the island is attacked by a small proto-Godzilla, leaving everyone at the base dead except for Shikishima and the lead mechanic Tachibana (Munetaka Aoki). Both of them end up scarred from the attack in very different ways, with Tachibana resenting Shikishima for once again failing to act. After the war ends, Shikishima ends up working on a civilian minesweeper to clear out both the Axis and the Allied mines that fill the waters around Tokyo. It’s a dangerous job, but he’s suffering from survivor’s guilt, and he feels compelled to work in order to support the woman who he lives with (Minami Hamabe) and the orphaned child that they’ve both unofficially adopted. When the U.S. nuclear testing at the Bikini Atoll reawakens and mutates Godzilla, the larger and much more powerful monster sets course for the mainland. That sets Shikishima and Tachibana on a collision course with each other once again, but this time, Shikishima will finally have to exorcise his own demons once and for all.

The way that everything resolves is predictable enough, with any potential twists being telegraphed well in advance (literally so, in one case). Again, though, it’s all about the execution. While there’s still a bit of humor in Godzilla Minus One, Yamazaki chose to eschew most of the sillier and more fantastical elements of past films in order to focus on the horrific nature of the beast (so to speak). The stakes are high, the casualties are enormous, and this particular iteration of Godzilla is playing for keeps. It’s not quite the avenging angel of Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, and Godzilla isn’t being driven by the pain of an internal meltdown like in Destroyah, but this is still one mean green mother from inner space. It’s the living embodiment of pure rage.

That appears to be the primary element of Godzilla Minus One that audiences are responding to the most: Yamazaki managed to make Godzilla scary again. That’s no mean feat, but he also muddied up the thematic waters a bit in the process. As ham-handed as Shikishima’s redemption arc may be, Godzilla ends up being a bit more enigmatic. While Operation Crossroads is still at least partly responsible for Godzilla’s (re)birth, the nuclear metaphors from Honda’s Godzilla are missing here. So are the Fukushima metaphors from Shin Godzilla, as well as the ghosts of WWII from Giant Monsters All-Out Attack. Godzilla doesn’t really represent anything in Godzilla Minus One other than perhaps a manifestation of Shikishima’s guilt, but that’s a heavy burden for an entire nation to bear on his behalf, so the metaphor becomes a bit strained. The reality is that some monsters just want to watch the world burn.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course. Godzilla has proven remarkably resilient over the decades, changing with the times, and no one version of the King of Monsters can truly be considered definitive. Godzilla Minus One’s rendition is memorably malicious, and that’s good enough. Yamazaki staged some remarkable set pieces in support of that, including the Jaws-inspired minesweeper chase that’s already become the stuff of legend—it’s legitimately one of the best sequences in the entire history of the Godzilla franchise. Proving, of course, that it’s all about the execution. Still, that execution is far from perfect in Godzilla Minus One. The digital Godzilla works reasonably well despite the limited means at Yamazaki’s disposal, but there are still a few weak spots like an awkward hitch in the walk cycle and some other animation that doesn’t scale well. There are also a few moments during the finale that strain suspension of disbelief past the breaking point, especially when a logistical nightmare that would have taken all day to execute is dispatched in a split second by a single jump cut (all while Godzilla sits beneath the waves, patiently waiting for everyone to finish). Yamazaki is guilty of exploiting a few too many narrative conveniences in order to keep the story moving, and he does rob some of the suspense by telegraphing the twists too far in advance. Those are minor quibbles, though. Godzilla fans are a tolerant lot (Roland Emmerich’s American remake notwithstanding), and they’ve grudgingly accepted a lot of worse things over the decades. Yet many of them have still longed for a darker, more serious take on the material, and Yamazaki delivered that in spades. There’s a damned good reason why Godzilla Minus One has struck such a chord worldwide: imperfect as it may be, it’s still the best representation of the Godzilla that many fans have wanted but rarely received prior to this.

While Godzilla Minus One was eventually re-released in a black-and-white version (more on that later), it’s important to remember that it was conceived of and shot as a color film, albeit one with a muted color palette. It’s not really desaturated to any significant extent, however; it’s just that the costuming and production design favors grays, browns, and dark blues. The opening shots of Shikishima landing on Odo Island look much richer, with the green grass and the deep blue of the ocean providing more visual variety, but once Godzilla makes his first appearance, greens, reds, and even whites are at a kept at a minimum for the rest of the film. Yet those intentionally drab colors are still offset by the warm hues of the flesh tones—the environmental details of Godzilla Minus One may appear bleak, but the people don’t. Browns may dominate, but there’s a wide variety of shades of brown on display. In other words, there’s still plenty of depth to the colors, just not much breadth, and that look has been replicated perfectly in this HDR grade.

Primary audio is offered in Japanese Dolby Atmos, with optional Japanese barrier-free subtitles (which is the Japanese equivalent of SDH). It’s a wildly aggressive and highly immersive mix, and it’s not shy about advertising the fact that it’s Atmos during the opening shot when Shikishima’s plane passes over the camera and through the overhead channels. There are plenty of subtle environmental effects that also provide envelopment, like the way that rain dripping on the roofs can be heard above the viewer. Yet it’s some of the panning effects that are the most interesting. When Shikishima gets back into his plane and freezes while Godzilla passes by to the left, the sound of the monster’s growling can be heard panning overhead from the front left height channel to the rear left one, as if you’re sitting in the cockpit with him. The death and destruction that follows offers plenty of channel engagement and dynamic impact. Most of that happens in just the first few minutes of Godzilla Minus One, but it sets the stage for what follows for the rest of the film. It’s consistently immersive and exciting from beginning to end. The ambient score by Naoki Satō tends to get buried in the mix sometimes, although it’s still effective, but Akira Ifukube’s legendary fanfare and march are both front and center when they make their inevitable appearances. (There’s even a snippet of the Island theme from King Kong vs. Godzilla at one point.) The only minor disappointment is that the bass doesn’t dig as deep as it could, but there’s still enough of a low end to provide some appropriate rumble whenever Godzilla is on the rampage. That minor caveat aside, this is still a reference-quality Atmos track.

Toho’s Region-Free 4K Ultra HD release of Godzilla Minus One is a four-disc set that includes a Blu-ray with a 1080p copy of the original film, a second Blu-ray with the Minus Color re-release version, and a third Blu-ray with the bulk of the extras. They’re packaged in a fold-out case that displays a different spread of Big G on each side, doing what he does best: leveling a city. It also includes two different booklets, the first of which offers production photographs, promotional materials, and multiple essays. The second booklet is a mock vintage “Special Disaster Countermeasures” handout, showing off the various plans for dealing with a potential appearance by Godzilla. (The maps and some of the diagrams are re-creations of the ones that are seen in Godzilla Minus One.) Everything is housed inside an embossed hard keep case that’s genuinely striking—even the most ardent complainers about cover art will be at a loss for words when they get their hands on this one. Depending on which version that you order, there may be a variety of swag items included as well, like stickers, art cards, and other tchotchkes. (In addition, there’s also a Steelbook option.) I had to personally order my copy from China.

Per standard Toho policy, neither the film nor any of the extras offer English subtitles. That’s not necessarily an insurmountable obstacle, however. Some players like the Oppo UDP-203 and UDP-205 offer the ability to load external subtitles. You’ll have to do a little Googling to see if your particular player does so as well. If it can, all you need to do is take the English subtitle file (with an .srt extension), rename it “sub.srt,” create a folder on a USB drive called “sub,” and place the file in that folder. Insert the drive into the USB port on your player, then when playing the disc, use the subtitle button on your remote to select “other,” and Bob’s your uncle. You may have to adjust the sync to get it to line up properly. On the Oppos, that’s accessible using the Option button. However Netflix does indeed stream a copy with English dub!

While there hasn’t been an official announcement regarding a North American release as of my review, it’s always possible that a domestic 4K set could include Godzilla Minus One on UHD as well, but that’s still up to Toho. If they only produced a Blu-ray master for their Japanese release, that may well be what they provide to a domestic licensee. Time will tell. In any event, it’s unlikely that all of these extras will be ported over, so hardcore G-fans will probably still want to pick up this set and then double dip later. It’s a fantastic release that’s worth owning. Not cheap, of course, but still worth the investment for anyone who has a player that can load external subtitles. It’s the best set that Toho has ever produced for any of their Godzilla films, and it gets the highest possible recommendation from me.

 

Movie  ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

 

Extras ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

 

Sound ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

Digital Review: “STING”

 

To compare one horror film with another would often be like comparing a bicycle with a fighter jet. Both have wheels, but they have vastly different capacities and are completely unique experiences. Some are slow burns, crawling towards a climax that makes the journey all the more insidiously alarming. Others spend the totality of their runtimes with gross-out on-screen trauma. Such is why discussing “Sting,” the latest film to make its web in the arachnid category of the horror canon, should be in context with other like-legged creature features.
 
Despite a fear of spiders being a common response to “what are you afraid of?”, there aren’t too terribly many films that venture out in that universe. “Eight-Legged Freaks” was a poorly constructed homage to B-movie horror films of the 50’s and did little to incite fear in the insects. Though we get the thought behind it; the height of the  B-movie horror was filled with insect-led terror. 
 
Amblin-produced “Arachnophobia” is a quality spider-monster film with creepy crawly villains at its heart. It somehow turned little spiders into potential world-destroyers and spider bites into a death sentence. With over 20 years since the last mainstream arachnid film, “Sting” makes spiders scary again, standing as its own breed in the genre, piercing through audiences’ flesh with the right combination of humor, suspense, character development and, of course, horror. Set over the course of four days in one Brooklyn apartment complex snowed in by a winter storm, the film centers around Charlotte (Alyla Browne), a young girl struggling to find her orbit in the family after the birth of her new half-brother. She connects with her empathetic stepfather Ethan (Ryan Corr) but is still lost in grief and confusion from her biological father’s absence. Her prayers seem to be answered by a small ball of fire from outer space that shoots through a window of the building (yes, the spider is from outer space). From it, a spider-like being emerges and has every appearance of a normal house insect. After Charlotte claims this seemingly smart and precocious being as her newest pet, she learns it has incredible (and un-spiderlike) talents like the ability to mimic sounds and an insatiable appetite for much larger prey like rodents and birds. As the alien arachnid makes its way through the HVAC system of the building, the various residents must fight off a growing predator or face a fate worse than quick death. There are intriguing sub-plots, like Charlotte’s grandmother (Noni Hazlehurst), who is suffering from memory issues and fails to remember when the bug exterminator (Jermaine Fowler) makes several house visits to the funhouse of eight-legged nightmares. Or her neighbors in the apartment complex who succumb to the increasingly volatile and murderous bug, like Maria (Silvia Colloca), who’s grieving the devastating loss of her husband and children, or Erik (Danny Kim), the reclusive scientist who initially supports the creature’s evolution. As the threat of more alien spiders becomes a real possibility (our cinematic upbringing with films like “Aliens” has taught us that you never let the off-world life form procreate and/or successfully arrive on Earth), Charlotte must turn against her former ally to save her family and humanity at large. For a smaller film, the CGI mixed with some impressive practical visual effects are what works best about “Sting.” Five-time Academy Award Winner Weta Workshop, overseen by Creative Director Richard Taylor, created the physical effects from their New Zealand workshop, and they really will set your anxiety running. 
 
Sting” is a creepy crawly, squirm-in-your-seat ride. Writer-director Kiah Roache-Turner does a masterful job of creating a charming, detailed, moody scene onto which he can then terrorize his characters. It gives real “Krampus” vibes, isolating its subjects in a singular location forcing the action to take place in said confined space. Yet the character study that ensues and the rich world Roache-Turner builds from very little makes the film feel open to any possible outcome. With thoughtful, visionary guidance, “Sting” never feels claustrophobic, nor does it feel undercooked. The world built around the short span of the film’s action is visually engaging. The film moves quickly — 91 minutes to be exact — but steadily, pacing the action to spin a pretty silk turn and not abandoned cobwebs. The film is indeed creepy as I am personally fascinated with arachnids as well as fearing them (more so fascinated with them). This was a digital copy, as the Blu Ray won’t be available until June. But the digital copy is in high definition, so it’s very much like having a physical Blu Ray copy. But if spiders aren’t your thing, then you may want to avoid this one, as there are scenes of realistic sized spiders that will send shivers up your spine! The fear of perking into dark corners, big spider crawling on the ceiling, it’s all here! But when the spider gets to be an enormous size, then it’s no longer alarming, but a tribute to B-horror creature features. STING was a great time indeed! Unfortunately the digital copy did not come with extras, but perhaps the copy that will come with the Blu Ray in June will have extras. Picture and sound does not disappoint. As I noted, you get everything in a digital copy that you do in physical copies. Plenty of subwoofer activity as well as sound effects thru your surround speakers. But the film is R rated due to bloody images, violence and language. 
Film ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (out of 5)
Picture ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (out of 5)
Sound ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (out of 5)
Extras (none)

 

Blu-ray Review: “Night Swim”

 

Haunted/possessed things movies are a tough sell. It’s harder when the thing in question is a large stationary object that’s easily avoidable like a backyard pool. It gives the audience’s instinctual lizard brain time to kick in and say “Well, don’t go there. Problem solved.” For a haunted, cursed, or possessed object film to work there needs to be a reason basic avoidance tactics wouldn’t work. Bryce McGuire’s Night Swim almost makes it work, great performances abound, but the haunting horrors rest on too many telegraphed jump scares to let real terror rise to the surface.

Our little film opens with the Waller family trying to find a new home. Ray (Wyatt Russell) used to be a rising MLB legend and a hell of a hitter, but illness has taken him out of the game. Now he’s trying to find the right place with his wife Eve (Kerry Condon) and their kids Izzy (Amelie Hoeferle) and Elliot (Gavin Warren). They need enough room for their growing kids but also the space for Ray to get treatment and hopefully get back into the game. And they find the perfect house, complete with a spring-fed pool at a price they can afford. As the pool seemingly restores Ray’s health setting his illness into remission, it comes at a cost that threatens the lives of his family.


Now Night Swim had modest origins. Writer/Director Bryce McGuire and Rod Blackhurst originally dipped a toe into the creepy pool as a short film in 2014. It was popular enough to get packed into a collection of horror shorts and caught enough attention to get the feature-length expansion. Conceptually, this film has a lot going for it. Haunted or possessed objects or locations have any number of tropes associated with them, but they’re tropes because more often than not they work. An evil Force threatening those who enter its domain is the makings for any number of classics. But how that force exacts its deadly tole is the key. While the personal angle of Ray and his family has some merit, the film, unfortunately, banks on more jump scares rather than real terror. But personally I appreciate the intents of the film, and that is to provide a thriller for the whole family (which is rare these days).
All kudos for the opening and setup. The film’s opening moments is some delicious creepy stuff. You may be ahead of it and know what will befall our first victim, but how it happens and the timing is pitch-perfect. Likewise when Ray takes his first plunge into the pool, genuinely creepy good stuff. After that, the horrors just slowly become more routine. There are some stylish bits and some interesting character beats, but nothing we didn’t see with Jack Torrance at the Overlook Hotel or George Lutz and his modest little house in Amityville albeit those films were notably dryer.
Night Swim may be a pretty thin feature overall, but the cast saves a lot of the effort. Wyatt Russell keeps showing up and giving it all he’s got proving he’s more than the talented genes that spawned him. Kerry Condon delivers another great turn as our emotional anchor. The feature is well-shot and does manage a creepy atmosphere, I just wish there was more to it. The premise is there, it just doesn’t visit new ground or reach to new depths to be a truly standout entry.
Audio/Video
New films often shine in this category. Night Swim’s Blu Ray picture is flawless. With the audio just is great. Lot’s of subwoofer activity especially during the scare scenes. We get four segments in the extras section including “Demons of the Depths”, which is an interesting view on how they provide scares with a swimming pool. The writer/director commentary with Bryce McGuire is the bigger extra. He offers up a nice discussion about the film, he’s very enthusiastic to discuss the project and often pauses to marvel at the opportunity he had to get to make this film. Flying solo he doesn’t let the material linger, only pauses to highlight an upcoming scene. After that, we have a few featurettes, all pretty basic but they do have some background about the making of the film.
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ movie (out of five)
⭐️⭐️ extras (out of five)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ picture (out of five)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ sound (out of five)

Blu-Ray Review: “Lisa Frankenstein”

Starring: Kathryn Newton, Cole Sprouse and Lisa Soberano
Directed by: Zelda Williams
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 101 minutes
Focus Features

Movie Score: 3 out of 5 Stars
Blu-Ray Score: 4 out of 5 Stars

I’m not really one to talk about the qualities of feminist horror. Not because I don’t like it, but mainly because I’m a man and I’m more than likely going to miss the point. For example, I probably dismissed “Jennifer’s Body” in 2009, solely for its similar feel to the “Twilight” films of the time. Now it’s considered a feminist cult classic. I guess I should re-watch and re-evaluate my attitude towards it. So, I approach “Lisa Frankenstein” cautiously, enjoying the elements I liked and questioning whether or not my dislikes are merely a viewpoint that I’ll need to re-evaluate in 15 years.

When we first meet Lisa (Kathryn Newton), she seems like a modern-day Lydia Deetz, with a wardrobe consisting solely of black-on-black and spending her free time at an abandoned cemetery with her nearest, dearest and deadest friends. We’re uncertain if she’s always been the gloomy outcast, but she explains that her more morose attitude is because of the death of her mother, at the hands of a serial killer slasher. Her father quickly remarries Janet (Carla Gugino), a less than caring stepmother who seems to believe Lisa is the embodiment of every cautionary 80s and 90s PSA about teenage drug use, sex and violence. On the flip side is Lisa’s new stepsister, Taffy (Lisa Soberano) with a personality brighter than the sun.

Taffy, always looking to please her stepsister, doesn’t question anything when Lisa joins her at a house party. Lisa’s intention? Hoping to connect with the cute boy at school who may or may not have a thing for Taffy. During the course of the night, Lisa partakes in a spiked drink, gets incredibly loopy, struggles to get a creep off her and ignores the Biblical lightning storm that resurrects a young Victorian man (Cole Sprouse) in her favorite headstone hangout. The man, simply referred to as the Creature in the film’s credits, goes straight to Lisa who has spent who knows how much time opining about love and loss at his gravestone. The rest of “Lisa Frankestein” involves watching Lisa and the Creature, copy and pasted from Tim Burton’s universe, as they stick out and get in trouble in this John Hughes-esque world.

Despite its glorious goth nature, the film never capitalizes on the 80s aesthetic. There are actually more Gen X vibes in the film’s promotional material than there is in the actual film. While it’s not necessarily a bad thing, it makes you wonder how much more visually stylish and eye-catching “Lisa Frankenstein” could have been. What it lacks in, it makes up for in dark humor, high school hijinks, and Newton’s magnetism as the lead. The film is also surprisingly energetic, a course of electricity runs through everyone, living and dead. The audience also has to see how it all plays out as Lisa loathes the living to the point that she begins creating her own reality through the Creature.

While the film’s flaws don’t derail the whole thing, they do eat at the back of your brain. There’s a lot of dangling plot threads, like the masked serial killer who killed Lisa’s mother, Taffy connecting with her stepdad, and the fact that as people begin dying, no one seems to be concerned or curious about it. In that regard, it feels a bit like “Heathers.” The absolute lunacy of these situations seems to be like everyday disturbances and the characters at times struggle to state why these issues are minor inconveniences. I’m not sure if the issue is Diablo Cody’s script, Zelda Williams direction, or a combination of the two. It could also be that the studio kneecapped the film, demanding a PG-13 to better sell tickets. I can only imagine the macabre ideas that could have been with an ‘R’ rating. However, I honestly don’t think any of my issues haunt the film. “Lisa Frankenstein” is a late night, teenage popcorn flick. I imagine the film is best viewed in pajamas at a sleepover.  Maybe 15 years from now, I’ll see if it is a midnight masterpiece.

For big fans of this film, the “Lisa Frankenstein” blu-ray is loaded. First off, it has a fantastic feature commentary with Director Zelda Williams. That being said, I’m not the biggest fan of solo commentaries, but Williams holds her own as she dissects her first film. The blu-ray also comes with deleted scenes and a gag reel that highlights the onset shenanigans. The other features serve as behind-the-scenes peeks that feature interviews with Williams, writer Diablo Cody and others. 

 

Digital Review: “American Fiction”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

American Fiction was a great time indeed. Without revealing too much, it was often hilarious whilst taking on some serious issues. It’s a different kind of film.

The kind of film which will hook you from its cracking opening dialogue – pre-credits – American Fiction has arguably been done a disservice by trailers and, indeed, reviews, which reveal far too much about a story that unfolds organically and expertly, and really needed no telegraphing, let alone descriptions that explain events that don’t happen until towards the start of the second act.

 

The story follows the character of Thelonious Ellison (everybody just calls him Monk) a struggling writer who has just been given a temporary leave for his blunt approach to racial “issues” in his classes, returning home to his ageing mum only to find her ailing health and requirements for medical care demanding the kind of money that zero book sales simply won’t cover. Taking a different approach to his work, Monk suddenly finds himself in an increasing series of cascading, complicated manoeuvres which offer him potential monetary rewards but only appear to fuel the bitterness in him.

 

Jeffrey Wright’s had some excellent roles, but is also an actor clearly capable of elevating even the less obvious ones – he’s a great Jim Gordon in The Batman; a great Felix Leiter in Bond, and he managed to impressively fill the gaping void left by Anthony Hopkins in later seasons of Westworld. Seldom gifted a leading opportunity, however, American Fiction is the perfect vehicle to showcase his weathered, cynical, but eminently intellectual charms.

 

It’s pure Wright, and whilst he gets a decent roster of chewy supporting cast members (This is Us’ Sterling K. Brown has a ball, Black-ish’s Tracee Ellis Ross steals her scenes, The Lovebirds’ Issa Rae challenges expectations, and a few nice cameos from the likes of Keith David and even Adam Brody sweeten the pot), the film is defined by Wright’s Monk and his fabulous use – and misuse – of language. Though the film throws a whole bunch of heady topics and themes into the melting pot, Wright’s Monk helps you not to get lost in some kind of messy sociopolitical quagmire and instead remain firmly focused on this one man, and his identity, and his ideals.

 

The directorial debut of writer Cord Jefferson (Master of None, The Good Place, Succession, HBO’s Watchmen, Station Eleven), it’s immediately impressive how smoothly Jefferson manages to navigate a potentially more aggressively racially bent landscape without hitting any landmines, all the while working in masterful subversion into a narrative that’s so staunchly satirical that you don’t even stop to question the motivations of its author – because he’s the lead character. Launching headfirst into quick-witted put-downs, but unspooling that almost immediately courtesy of some sibling honesty, American Fiction constantly bats back and forth between the unreal and the real, never so sublimely as a drunken shot at a manuscript that cleverly sees the characters brought to life before Monk’s eyes.

 

There’s a lot under the bonnet of this debut work, subtly dissecting its lead character(s) whilst lightly commenting – again through the veil of that very dissection – on the literary landscape and genre expectations (not just of books, but movies too), it has a lot of fun with the story-within-a-story approach, but mostly holds your attention through its commitment to real characters, given depth and lived-in lives. You’ll be sold (or not, as the case may be) from the opening lines, but you’ll hopefully stay for the underlying resonance, and pleasantly organic food for thought. And for the long overdue standout lead performance of Jeffrey Wright. Absolutely superb film.

Movie ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️  out of five stars

There are no extras as this is a digital copy

4K Review: “The Raid: Redemption”

 

The Raid: Redemption, a high-octane action thriller released in 2011, redefined martial arts cinema’s boundaries. Directed by Gareth Evans, this Indonesian masterpiece captivates with its raw intensity and breathtaking fight choreography, offering an adrenaline-pumping experience you’ll never forget!

 

Set in the heart of Jakarta, the film follows an elite SWAT team’s mission to infiltrate a high-rise building run by a ruthless crime lord. With limited resources and overwhelming odds, the team must navigate a maze of danger and deception. It’s a race against time and survival, where every floor presents a new challenge. All this culminates in a swarm of heart-stopping action sequences.

 

That is to say, The Raid: Redemption is a masterclass in action choreography. Each fight sequence is a symphony of brutality and grace, showcasing the Indonesian martial art of Pencak Silat. The relentless nature of these sequences keeps you on the edge of your seat, making The Raid an unforgettable experience for action lovers. Also, the close-quarter combat scenes are mesmerizing, displaying a blend of speed, power, and precision. Cinematographers Matt Flannery and Dimas Imam Subhono capture every bone-crushing hit and agile movement, immersing the audience in the relentless pace of the battles. Watch the hallway fight scene if you want a perfect example of this. It’s thrilling and artistically executed, elevating it beyond mere action into cinematic art.

 

The movie isn’t just about style; The Raid also has some substance — the dramatic stakes are also at play here. Each scene intensifies the peril, with the protagonist facing increasingly formidable foes in a claustrophobic environment. The film cleverly uses its limited setting to heighten tension, transforming the building into a character itself — an obstacle course of traps, challenges, and foes. This ingenious use of space amplifies the action, making each encounter a physical battle and a strategic play for survival. Sort of reminding me of the Bruce Lee film Game of Death, where Bruce faced a more lethal combat as he progressed up in the building.

 

While primarily action-driven, The Raid doesn’t skimp on performances. Iko Uwais delivers physically and emotionally, portraying a compelling hero with determination and vulnerability. Though limited in character development, the supporting cast adds depth to the narrative, making each character’s struggle in this high-stakes environment feel genuine and urgent. Overall, The Raid: Redemption is a groundbreaking action film, setting a high bar for the genre. It’s a must-watch for action enthusiasts and those who appreciate movies that push the envelope.

VIDEO

The Raid: Redemption hits Ultra HD Blu-ray with an upscaled 4K color corrected picture. The Ultra HD Blu-ray release of The Raid: Redemption presents a significant upgrade in video quality over its Blu-ray predecessor. Scenes are illuminated with a brightness that adds depth without any issues. At the same time, black levels are notably deeper, ensuring darker scenes retain detail and texture. With the film’s limited and mostly mute color palette, Dolby Vision can’t showcase its power.

Nevertheless, the colors that do appear on-screen look more vibrant and accurate, adding to the film’s intense aesthetic. Additionally, the clarity of detail is remarkably improved. Every sweat droplet, facial expression, and intricate background detail is rendered stunningly sharp. Film grain is present but handled carefully, preserving the film’s original texture without becoming distracting.

AUDIO

The Raid: Redemption hits Blu-ray with a Dolby Atmos or a 7.1 Dolby TrueHD audio presentation if Atmos is not supported. This review will cover the Blu-ray’s Dolby Atmos mix. While The Raid: Redemption‘s Dolby Atmos mix on Ultra HD Blu-ray might sound like an immersive feast for the ears, it’s more of a front-loaded mix. It’s not all that surprising since most of the film’s action takes place front and center. Thus, it doesn’t allow for any sense of dynamic sound because that’s how the movie is. Regardless, the object placement is precise — aligning perfectly with the on-screen events, putting you in the middle of the action.

EXTRAS

The Raid: Redemption doesn’t have any bonus features on the Ultra HD disc. However, there is plenty of bonus features on the HD Blu-ray Disc including a very immersive Director’s Commentary and Anatomy of a Scene breaks down key scenes, providing an in-depth look at the cinematic techniques and storytelling strategies employed in the film.

FINAL THOUGHT

Finally, this limited-edition steelbook packaging pays homage to the film’s iconic imagery, featuring key imagery of Rama in the back and the film’s key art in the front. The design captures the essence of the movie in a beautiful, matte metallic finish.

Overall, The Raid: Redemption is a groundbreaking action film, and it’s still one of the best action films since its debut thirteen years ago. Additionally, the video and audio quality surpasses the Blu-ray version, making it a must-have for fans of the film. Unfortunately, there aren’t any brand new bonus features included in this release. But you get previously released features.

Film… ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Presentation…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Extras…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

4K Review – “Oppenheimer”

 

Before I launch into – spoiler alert – a rave review for what I consider to be the best film of 2023 (sorry Barbie), I want to say right up front that I am a huge Christopher Nolan fan. I respect Nolan immensely as a director and writer, I find his movies to be epic creations. I love Memento and the Batman trilogy and appreciate the visceral power of Dunkirk, and the dazzling Inception continues to amaze me and Intersteller left me spellbound. Tenet was a big hit for me, too, so inspired by all the hype for Oppenheimer, I went into the IMAX screening this past summer with great anticipation, Excited of how this massive epic about the man who spearheaded the development of the atomic bomb would hit me.

To say Oppenheimer blew me away would be not only a bad pun and tired cliché but also a gross understatement. Nolan outdoes himself, crafting an ambitious, innovative, and beautifully constructed film that absorbed me from the get-go and held me spellbound for three solid hours. (I can’t recall a more enriching cinematic experience over the past decade.) Intelligent, intricate, thought-provoking, emotional, visually stunning, and brimming with potent performances, Oppenheimer is the complete cinematic package, a movie that satisfies on multiple levels and demands repeat viewings to absorb all the nuances. Of course, the big bang that occurs about two-thirds of the way through is the film’s central component, but it’s the small, intimate moments that reverberate the loudest and make this movie so memorable.

Oppenheimer isn’t just a biopic about an arrogant genius who’s driven by ambition, wracked by demons, and tortured by guilt. That would be enough. But Nolan goes further. The most fascinating parts of Oppenheimer actually occur after the bomb goes off. The repercussions and fallout (and I’m not talking about radiation) resonate so much more strongly than the intrigue surrounding the weapon’s development. Yes, this is a tale about scientific breakthroughs, crossing dangerous boundaries, grappling with weighty moral issues (like the potential destruction of mankind), and creating a beast that can’t be controlled, but more importantly, it’s about political persecution, unbridled ego, and the petty jealousies and insecurities that fuel small-minded men and inspire them to destroy the lives of others.

The bomb is the elephant in the room, but the crux of Oppenheimer is the bitter conflict between J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) and government official Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey Jr.). As the film opens, both men face critical trials that will ultimately scrape away their smug veneers and expose their faults, frailties, and carefully guarded secrets. Oppenheimer meekly battles a biased group of political operatives seeking to revoke his security clearance due to his prior association with the Communist party, while Strauss (pronounced Stroz), President Eisenhower’s nominee for Secretary of Commerce, must endure the probing questions of a Senate confirmation committee to secure his crowning career achievement. Nolan the writer, who based his screenplay on the book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, deftly and lyrically tells their parallel and intertwining tales, while Nolan the director keeps their stories distinct by filming Oppenheimer’s perspective in color and Strauss’s in black-and-white. The device may be off-putting at first, but it’s a stroke of genius that not only helps simplify the challenging narrative structure, which continually jumps forward and backward in time, but also adds even more style to an already visually arresting film.

One character calls Oppenheimer “a dilettante, a womanizer, a suspected Communist, unstable, theatrical, egotistical, neurotic,” and that’s all true, but he also possessed one of the most brilliant minds of the 20th century. Other films like A Beautiful Mind and The Imitation Game have explored such brilliance and shown it to be a burden and a curse. Oppenheimer treads similar territory but on a larger scale and broader canvas. The stakes are higher here and some of the film’s themes strongly resonate in our current social climate. We can relate to a world in crisis that’s hurtling toward chaos and possible destruction, where political enemies are targeted and attacked. And with the dawn of Artificial Intelligence, we now have our own debate about a new technology that can potentially threaten human existence.

Oppenheimer asks important questions: How far do we take science and how do we deal with the consequences of what we unleash? One of the film’s most powerful scenes shows a shell-shocked Oppenheimer addressing his colleagues after the A-bomb test. As he delivers his remarks, we see how the weight of what his team has produced and the devastation it will soon deliver hit him with almost the same force as the world-changing detonation he just witnessed. That detonation, the lead-up to which instills palpable dread, fear, and uncertainty despite the fact there’s no mystery about the test’s success, is breathtakingly depicted. I won’t spoil it, but it’s just one more example of Nolan’s brilliance. He leads us down a well-worn path, then rips the rug out from under us. It’s tough to creatively depict a seminal event, especially one as monumental as this, but Nolan finds a way to combine artistry with the sobering gravity and sheer awe of the moment.

While I often enjoy seeing films with star-studded casts, sometimes the plethora of high-profile personalities can be distracting and take me out of the movie. “Oh, there’s so-and-so. Wow, I didn’t know he/she was in this! What a great cameo!” I had none of those feelings here. Yes, the initial glimmer of recognition causes a spark, but the roles are so well cast, the actors disappear inside them. The list of luminaries in Oppenheimer is large. In addition to Murphy and Downey, there’s Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, Kenneth Branagh, Rami Malek, Casey Affleck, Gary Oldman, Jason Clarke, Tom Conti, Matthew Modine, Tony Goldwyn, and others. All of them nail their parts (though Pugh is saddled with a sketchily drawn role), but Murphy and Downey shine the brightest. Both men deserve Oscars for their finely etched portrayals of complex, fascinating, and deeply flawed men who scale massive heights, but must live with the consequences of their deeds and misdeeds. Murphy is riveting throughout, never striking a sour note, and Downey is a revelation. After far too many Marvel movies, he reminds us what a terrific actor he can be when given the opportunity to sink his teeth into a juicy part.

Oppenheimer isn’t perfect. Some of the story’s time shifts can be confusing and with so many characters popping in and out of the story – often for only a few fleeting moments – remembering all the names and how they relate to the narrative can be a challenge. Like almost every biopic, there are historical inaccuracies and liberties taken with facts for dramatic effect. The pivotal exchange between Oppenheimer and Albert Einstein upon which much of the story hinges is complete invention, but it’s nevertheless an inspired device to set up the division between Strauss and Oppenheimer and define the finer points of Strauss’ character.

Nolan bites off a lot here, but never more than he can chew. Yes, Oppenheimer is long, but unlike its fellow 2023 epics Killers of the Flower Moon and Napoleon, it doesn’t feel long. The pacing has a lovely ebb and flow as it mixes massive scope with searing drama, bits of humor, and a whole lotta visual stimuli. With insight, deep commitment, and tremendous care, Nolan has made a movie for history buffs, science nerds, political junkies, and – most importantly – movie fans. Oppenheimer is what cinema is all about. I Dug in and enjoyed it.

The video presentation of the 4K disc is flawless. Sound will shake your house and certainly give your system a true workout. The 1080p Blu-ray is certainly acceptable, but definitely a big step down from the exceptional 4K rendering. Flatter, duller, and a bit murkier, Oppenheimer on Blu-ray keeps the viewer at arm’s length. When I ejected the Blu-ray and went back to 4K, I felt as if I was looking at a totally different movie. The 4K disc is reference-quality stuff and anyone who enjoyed Oppenheimer in any theatrical format will be dazzled by this A-plus presentation.

The bonus featurettes are housed on a separate Blu Ray and they are aplenty. Included are all teasers and trailers. So much to delve into, that you could spend time on the bonus disc as much as the length of the film! 

2023’s best film is a slam-dunk on 4K UHD. This epic portrait of both a controversial scientist and turbulent era in American history is enlightening, entertaining, and exquisitely mounted by a master craftsman at the very top of his game. With a breathtaking HDR transfer, potent audio, and hours of supplements, Oppenheimer demands a spot on every movie-lover’s shelf. Must Own. Film ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Film Extras ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (out of five stars)

4K Review: “Rudy”

 

 Some become legends through all-American grit and determination. For college football fans, the story of Dan “Rudy” Ruttiger is well known. Even if you’re not a sports fan. If you were a kid growing up in the 80s or if you didn’t read his book about his determination to play football for Notre Dame, he may have dropped by your school as a motivational speaker. Reuniting the team behind another classic sports drama Hoosiers, Director David Anspaugh and writer Angelo Pizzo with composer Jerry Goldsmith set out to tell the tale of how one poor working-class kid fought his way to play for the Fighting Irish.

We first meet Rudy (Sean Astin) as he’s finishing high school. From a steel-working family, his father Dan Senior (a lovely turn from Ned Beatty) loves Notre Dame football, but can’t believe his young son or any Ruttiger could ever attend the university. But little Rudy has a dream and he’s ready to prove himself to anyone and everyone that doubted him. Beyond getting accepted into one of the most prestigious universities in the country, he’ll also have to make it onto one of the hardest-hitting most competitive football teams in the country.

I personally come from Wolverine country and the sight of the Irish blue and gold is usually a rage-inducing eyesore. But for Rudy – I love this film. Rudy is to college football as Rocky is to boxing. It’s a human drama first with sports as a backdrop. A classic underdog story, it’s a movie that inspires you to try to achieve your dreams and then in the face of repeated failures – keep trying. I saw this film in theaters and I’ve watched it countless times since. It’s remained a rousing inspirational film three decades later. It also happens to feature one of my very favorite Jerry Goldsmith scores.

Now when this film was announced for 4K, I was just happy to have the version of the film I’ve known and loved for three decades (DVD). But to sweeten the pot, Sony includes Anspaugh’s new Director’s Cut (via seamless branching) for a longer and I have to admit more fulfilling film. Not just frivolous scene extensions, the new cut gives more weight to a variety of characters. We see more of Robert Prosky’s Father Cavenaugh, he doesn’t just disappear now in the second act. We see more of Rudy trying to fit in with the Notre Dame team setting up their antagonistic struggle earlier while also giving them more time to ease into their redemptive actions in the final stretch. More interesting and meaningful, we see more of Greta Lind’s Mary. Thankfully this cut doesn’t force Rudy and Mary into a silly weightless romance but instead bolsters a more valuable friendship through to the end.

 

The film looks and sounds absolutely wonderful for the age that it has. Skin tones come alive and the football field has never looked so green! The set comes with a Blu Ray copy as well but that only contains the theatrical version. The extras come with a bit of old and new features. For the new stuff, Director David Anspaugh and writer Angelo Pizzo team up for a new Director’s Cut exclusive audio commentary. It’s a lively discussion about making the film, their long working relationship, and comparing the versions of the film. Then we come to a little over three minutes of deleted scenes that are separate from the new cut. They’re interesting in their own right, but I can see why they wouldn’t make it on either cut. Then we have the film’s trailer all on the 4K disc. Then we come to the archival material that’s housed on the included Blu-ray. 

As big a fan as I am, in the crowded pantheon of sports films, Rudy may not be the greatest of the pack, but it’s an emotional heavy hitter. Truthfully one would need to be a pretty jaded individual to not connect to this story in some way. Sean Astin is amazing as he headlines an excellent cast for this true (mostly) story of grit and determination winning the day. I’ve loved this film for three decades now and it’s a genuine pleasure to see it look and sound this good in 4K – in two cuts no less! For fans of the film, this is a no-brainer essential pickup. Newcomers will need to invest in a few boxes of tissues.

Movie ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Extras ⭐️⭐️⭐️

(Out of five stars)

4K Ultra HD Review: Expend4bles

I have been a fan of The Expendables franchise since day one. My personal fav is The Expendables 2
due to my main man Chuck Norris…I even liked the PG-13 entry with The Expendables 3. Unfortunately, this latest installment is my least favorite of the four films. It is definitely watchable but it feels forced and kind of unnecessary. They obviously were trying to turn the focus onto Jason Statham’s character and some new younger cast leaving behind the oldtimers like Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, and Randy Couture.

This film definitely has a lot of options for you to choose from for its home release. First up what we got to review there is the 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital combo pack. There is also a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital combo pack, plus an Amazon has an exclusive release with lenticular artwork and exclusive bonus materials while Best Buy has an exclusive SteelBook®, and Walmart also packs an exclusive SteelBook® Collection featuring all four of The Expendables films. Plenty of options when purchasing this film.

Official Premise: A new generation of stars is added to the adrenaline-fueled adventure of The Expendables as action legends Jason Statham, Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, and Randy Couture are joined for the first time by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Megan Fox, Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, and Andy Garcia. As the highly skilled mercenaries take on an arms dealer and his private army with every weapon they can get their hands on, the new recruits bring daring styles and tactics that give “new blood” a whole new meaning.

Personally, I thought that the visual effects in this fourth entry was quite weak and cheap looking even though it packed a $100 million budget. Still the 4K transfer for Expend4bles delivers a stunning Dolby Vision HDR with a room-shaking Dolby Atmos audio mix. All of the formats released are loaded with behind-the-scenes special features and an audio commentary from director Scott Waugh. The version I would recommend if you don’t care about SteelBook®, the Amazon-exclusive release features two additional special features not available anywhere else that dive deep into the bone-crunching fight choreography and the styling behind the badass look of The Expendables team members. So if you are a hardcore fan of The Expendables series, I would definitely check this out just keep expectations low.

4-K Review: “Godzilla” (1998) STEELBOOK

Matthew Broderick takes on the biggest beast of his career with Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin’s 1998 special effects creature feature Godzilla. Celebrating its 25th Anniversary, the film is still a delightful collection of 90s blockbuster ideas and a lot of the visual effects haven’t aged well, but it’s still a good hunk of hammy fun. Secondly, the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray yields a new SteelBook, a slightly improved Dolby Vision transfer, but otherwise the same package as before. If you didn’t buy it already. However, 25 years later this film remains a piece of good dumb summer movie fun. From Broderick and his earthworms to Jean Reno’s chewing gum to every New Yorker reminding everyone they’re from Newe Yawk, it’s an entertaining show even if it doesn’t always succeed at hitting what it’s aiming for. Watching it again after all these years I almost wish we got those sequels! But considering all of the great kaiju action we’ve had the last few years, it’s probably for the best the franchise moved on.

 

Godzilla is released onto 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray for the second time thanks to Sony. Celebrating the film’s 25th Anniversary, we get a new SteelBook packaging for the 4K UHD and Blu-ray discs to sit in. The 4K is again pressed on a BD-100 disc while a BD-50 showcases the 1080p picture. The 1080p disc is the same old disc that’s been on the market for a while now. Also included is a digital copy slip. The disc loads to Sony’s standard static image main menu with bonus features panel along the right side.

 

At Sony, the motto seems to be “If we did it great in HDR10, let’s do a new Dolby Vision disc with SteelBook packaging!” Similar to some of their previous efforts in this arena like Air Force One. The Dolby Vision grade is sharp and clear as before and film grain still retains its natural cinematic appeal with just a little extra barely discernable improvement. I did feel like depth was a little improved for this disc, but that largely extends to live-action sequences. I now have both the older 4K release and this new Steelbook version. Bitrate has a healthier average overall but not so high as to blow the doors off what we saw before. Dolby Vision adds a little extra refinement most felt in the black levels and shadows. This film is fairly dark, rainy, and steeped in shadows and that little extra nuance in the HDR grade is appreciated. The third act where they’re trying to find Godzilla’s nest and the full sequence in Madison Square Garden really felt better there. However, as before, the film’s heavy CGI use has its visual drawbacks. The entire chase scene through the city or any of the CGI babies still feel weightless or just outright soft or poorly rendered. Not even Dolby Vision and a higher bitrate can compensate for that. So yes, this presentation is technically better, but the mileage isn’t going to get most viewers far enough to warrant a double dip purchase.

 

On the audio scale we get the same very aggressive Dolby Atmos audio track. Playing back through several sections on both discs, I didn’t notice any difference. Now I liked this mix better than the previous release, however my biggest issue with this Atmos track was more with volume than element placement. While height channels hear plenty of action and the whole surround soundscape is quite expansive, I also felt like volume was used to compensate for nuance. When big action set-pieces kick in, big explosions do still sound a little distorted or tinny. In the end, that’s a fairly mild complaint. It’s a big loud movie and this audio track matches that effort. The DTS-HD MA 5.1 track is an alternate option but in all honesty, flipping between the two sounded rather silly. If you’re rolling Atmos, stick with that.

 

Bonus features are pretty much the same bag as before. Sadly, nothing new was added for this film’s 25th Anniversary effort. Once again, the audio commentary is still only available on the Blu-ray disc. However, on the 4K disc we get all of the teaser and theatrical trailers.

 

Coming off the high-flying intergalactic success of Independence Day, Devlin and Emmerich were the go-to filmmakers for big-money special effects summer blockbusters. 1998’s Godzilla seemed like the perfect fit for their sense of cinematic destruction and mayhem, but the film was savaged by critics and longtime kaiju fans, and was ultimately profitable but still underperformed. 25 years later, we have Toho punching out their own new Godzilla flicks while Warner Bros. keeps cooking up new ways for the big beast to fight Kong or some other giant creature. Now celebrating its anniversary milestone, 1998’s Godzilla scores a new 4K UHD SteelBook release. The new Dolby Vision transfer offers up a slightly better image but probably not enough of an improvement to push for a double-dip. However, if you haven’t already bought this on 4K disc, this is the set to snag.

Movie ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Special Features ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (out of five stars)

Blu-ray Review: “Gran Turismo”

 

As a fan of the iconic gaming franchise, I had cautiously optimistic expectations about Gran Turismo. Thankfully, it didn’t disappoint. Neill Blomkamp delivers a visually stunning and emotionally charged racing experience. At the same time, the cinematography beautifully captures the sleek curves of the racing cars, the intensity of the tracks, and the breathtaking landscapes that serve as the backdrop for the races. The sound design also deserves special mention, with the roar of engines, screeching tires, and Lorne Balfe and Andrew Kawczynski’s score combined to create an auditory experience that complements the visual spectacle.

While the plot may follow some familiar underdog movie tropes, it doesn’t shy away from exploring Jann’s journey and his sacrifices for the thrill of the race. The screenplay successfully weaves together elements of competition, friendship, and the pursuit of excellence, adding depth to the film beyond its fast-paced exterior.

At the heart of the film is Archie Madekwe, whose charismatic performance adds depth to the character and serves as a compelling guide through the high-stakes world of professional racing. The supporting cast, including Orlando Bloom and David Harbour, sweetens the ensemble with incredible performances that capture the camaraderie and competition inherent in the racing culture.

Unfortunately, it’s a shame that we didn’t get more extended sequences of the races and only watch bite-sized versions of these exciting tracks. Instead, the film gets slightly bogged down by an unnecessary love story. That run time that was used to cover the love story could’ve been used to provide us with more racing sequences. After all, that’s what you’ve come to see. Maybe that’s a minor complaint since I personally have so much experience playing Gran Turismo on PlayStation 2.

Overall, Gran Turismo is a triumphant celebration of the beloved gaming franchise wrapped in an inspiring underdog story. It captures the essence of the virtual and real-life racing experience, delivering a cinematic joyride that will resonate with fans and entertain audiences seeking an adrenaline-fueled escape. Watching the film I noticed some visuals and sound effects that I recognized from GT3. A total joyride to say the least!

The Blu-ray picture is stunning! The brightness levels are finely tuned to enhance realism without sacrificing details in this area. The picture also has inky blacks that create dramatic and immersive visuals. Colors burst forth with brilliance and intensity in the Gran Turismo Blu-ray. Also, the video renders each color with stunning accuracy and realism as the colors pop off the screen. Whether it’s the fine textures of road surfaces, the reflection of surroundings on car exteriors, or the subtle weathering effects, the detail quality in this release is excellent. I can imagine if the Blu Ray looks this good. How does the 4K look?

Gran Turismo hits Blu-ray with a Dolby Atmos audio presentation. Prepare for an auditory racing experience as the Dolby Atmos takes Gran Turismo straight into your living room. The precision of dynamic pans adds a layer of immersion to the movie. Also, the audio dynamically shifts as vehicles move across the landscape, creating a three-dimensional auditory experience that places you right in the heart of the races.

Gran Turismo has some excellent overhead effects, from the thunderous roar of the engine to the subtle sounds of weather elements. Lorne Balfe and Andrew Kawczynski’s musical score adapts seamlessly to the pace of the race, enhancing the drama and excitement. The dialogue in Gran Turismo is delivered precisely, and every word is crisp and intelligible.

The Blu-ray has some interesting and unique elements, including how the games were made. The painstaking process of detailing the tracks around the world and the cars themselves. Real- life physics are applied to the games. If you spin out in real-life due to improper driving, you’ll spin out using that same technique in the games! The Plan featurette  uncovers the intricacies of adapting this compelling real-life story to the screen. Additionally, it looks at the role of simulators in the training process. Unfortunately, you don’t learn more about Jann—only what you find in the film.  Budding filmmakers will get a kick out of The Engine featurette. The feature delves into the film’s cinematography styles and Blomkamp’s vision for the film. The deleted scenes feature five scenes that offer a different perspective on pivotal moments in the movie. These scenes add an extra layer to the narrative. The Pit Crew featurette goes behind the scenes, showcasing the adrenaline-fueled choreography and usage of practical effects that make the racing sequences so exhilarating. With The Wheels, this featurette looks at the ensemble behind Gran Turismo, featuring interviews and insights into the actor’s experiences on set. The Garage featurette looks up close to the stunning cars that take center stage.

Overall, this is a must have for any gaming or racing fans. Gran Turismo is simply stunning.

Movie ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Special Features ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (out of five stars)

Copyright: MediaMikes.com © 2023 · Powered by: nGeneYes, Inc. · Login

All logos and images used on this website are registered trademarks of their respective companies. All Rights Reserved. Some of the content presented on our sites has been provided by contributors, other unofficial websites or online news sources, and is the sole responsibility of the source from which it was obtained. MediaMikes.com is not liable for inaccuracies, errors, or omissions found herein. For removal of copyrighted images, trademarks, or other issues, Contact Us.