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Blu-ray Review “Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man”

Actors: Leonard Cohen, Martha Wainwright, Teddy Thompson, Nick Cave, Kate McGarrigle
Directors: Lian Lunson
Rated: PG-13
Studio: Lionsgate
Release Date: February 7, 2017
Run Time: 103 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

“Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man” is a film that is over 10 years old but this is the first time that the documentary focusing on the legendary singer-songwriter, Leonard Cohen, and features performances of his songs by those musicians he has influenced is being released on Blu-ray. If you are a Leonard Cohen fan, I mean who isn’t, and have never owned this film, this is a good time to honor this very talent individual and his music. Crazy to thing that he is gone from us but at least we have films like this celebrating him.

Narrated by Cohen himself, the film features performances by artists like U2, Rufus Wainwright, Nick Cave, Jarvis Cocker, Antony, Martha Wainwright and Beth Orton and others singing Cohen’s songs. Here is the official premise: Sure to please both die-hard Cohen fans and the newly initiated, this film is full of captivating music and offers an intimate portrait of a truly singular artist — poet, songwriter, cultural icon.

Lionsgate is releasing this film as a combo pack with a Blu-ray and Digital HD copy included. There are some solid bonus features included on this Blu-ray. There are exclusive performances not seen in the movie by Martha Wainwright, Perla Batalla, The Handsome Family, and Teddy Thompson that are worth checking out for sure. There is also “A Conversation with Leonard Cohen” and an audio commentary with the director, Lian Lunson, included. Worth checking out if you are a hardcore fan.

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Blu-ray Review “Vice Principals: The Complete First Season”

Actors: Danny McBride, Walton Goggins, Kimberly Hebert Gregory, Georgia King, Sheaun McKinney, Busy Philipps
Directors: Jody Hill, Danny McBride, David Gordon Green
Number of discs: 2
Studio: HBO
DVD Release Date: February 7, 2017

Season: 3.5 out of 5 star
Blu-ray: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

“Vice Principals” is the latest project from HBO’s “Eastbound & Down” co-creators Danny McBride and Jody Hill. It is a set series with two seasons and 18 episodes total. The first season consisted of 9 episodes was pretty kick ass and definitely left me wanting more. Definitely excited to see what they have cooked up for the second half of the series. Danny McBride and Walton Goggins are awesome together and play off each other really well. I would have loved to see this series go longer than just two seasons but I also appreciate when something has a proper beginning and end. Definitely worth binging on before season two airs this year.

Official Premise: In this new comedy series “Vice Principals”, the longtime principal of a suburban high school steps down, leading ambitious vice principals Neal Gamby (McBride) and Lee Russell (Goggins) to both set their sights on the vacated top spot. But when new rival Dr. Belinda Brown (Kimberly Hébert Gregory) enters the picture, these bitter antagonists must form an unholy alliance to bring down the outsider by any means necessary.

HBO is releasing this season as a combo pack with a Blu-ray and Digital HD copy included for this show. The special features are decent and worth checking out if you enjoyed the show. Who doesn’t love a good Blooper Reel?! This Blu-ray packs a bunch of solid laughs with this one included. There are audio commentaries for each of the episodes, which is awesome with cast/crew participating. This was a great way to re-watch the season and get to enjoy it more due to the comments. Lastly there are a bunch of deleted/alternate scenes included that are worth checking out.

Blu-ray Review “Life on the Line”

Actors: John Travolta, Kate Bosworth, Devon Sawa, Gil Bellows, Julie Benz
Directors: David Hackl
Rated: R
Studio: Lionsgate
Release Date: February 7, 2017
Run Time: 98 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1.5 out of 5 stars

“Life on the Line” is the latest film starring John Travolta and surprisingly packs a solid supporting cast including Kate Bosworth, Devon Sawa and Sharon Stone. Besides the fact that Travolta looks terrifying on the cover with his facial hair and strange hairline. I am still a fan at heart! This film definitely has problems but it also has some decent action-packed moments. So I will call it a toss up for everyone and a maybe for us Travolta fans.

Official Premise: As a huge electrical storm sweeps towards Texas, lineman Beau (John Travolta) is haunted by memories of his brother’s death by lightning years earlier. Bailey (Kate Bosworth), the niece he helped raise, has a secret she needs to share with her boyfriend Duncan. But he and Beau’s brave team are racing to replace miles of power cables before the tempest strikes. Also starring Sharon Stone, Life on the Line is a tribute to the heroes who risk it all to keep us safe.

“Life on the Line” is being released as a combo pack with Blu-ray and Digital HD included here. The Blu-ray is presented in 1080p with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround. Both looks and sounds great especially when the action kicks in. The special features aren’t great though. There is a “Life on the Line” Music Video by Fiona Culley featuring Darius Rucker and some Behind the Scenes with Cast/Crew Interviews included.

Blu-ray Reviews “Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween & Madea on the Run”

Director: Tyler Perry
Starring: Tyler Perry, Cassi Davis, Yousef Erakat, Diamond White, and Bella Thorne / Tyler Perry, Cassi Davis, Yousef Erakat, Diamond White, Bella Thorne, Jimmy Tatro
Distributed by: Lionsgate Films
Release Dates: January 31, 2017
Running time(s): 103 / 134 min

Boo! A Madea Halloween: 3 out of 5 stars
Madea on the Run: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-rays: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1.5 out of 5 stars

To kick off 2017, we have not one but two new Tyler Perry Blu-ray’s coming out. “Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween” is the first and was had in fact a very successfully run at the box office last year. “Madea on the Run” is a stage play filmed for Blu-ray. I have never seen a Tyler Perry play to date and this was very enjoyable. “Boo!” was silly fun like all Madea films. Worth checking out both if you are a fan of Tyler Perry’s most famous character.

“Boo! A Madea Halloween” Official Premise: Madea winds up in the middle of mayhem when she spends a hilarious, haunted Halloween fending off killers, paranormal poltergeists, ghosts, ghouls and zombies while keeping a watchful eye on a group of misbehaving teens.

“Madea on the Run” Official Premise: On the run from the law, Madea hides out at Bam’s house, thinking she will lie low. Unfortunately, Bam’s house is packed with rambunctious family and friends, and Madea finds herself needing to lay down her own law and drop the hammer!

Lionsgate is releasing both of these films as a combo pack with Blu-ray + UltraViolet included. For “Boo!”. The AV is average for the comedy genre. Looks good and sounds good enough with its DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. In terms of special features, only “Boo!” has them included other than the Digital HD copies. We get two behind-the-scenes featurette. The first is called “Why We Love Madea!” and the second is “Boo! From the Crew Montage”, nothing special on either. “Madea on the Run” does not have any additional bonus features.

Blu-ray Review “Pinocchio: The Signature Collection”

Actors: Walter Catlett, Frankie Darro, Cliff Edwards, Dickie Jones, Charles Judels
Directors: Ben Sharpsteen, Hamilton S. Luske
Rated: G
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Release Date: January 31, 2017
Run Time: 88 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 4 out of 5 stars

“Pinocchio” has never been one of my favorite Disney movies. It is very dark and intense in certain parts but on the other hand some parts are so classic like the song “When You Wish Upon a Star”. So I will treat this film like a classic and since it is nearly 80 years old give it a break. This is not the first time that “”Pinocchio” has been released on Blu-ray. Back in 2009, it was released as a 70th Anniversary Platinum Edition and now it is getting the “The Signature Collection” release. It is a big of a cash in cause the only major give we are getting is a Digital HD copy (which is definitely cool) and a few new extras. If you have never owned this, now is the time. If you already do it is a flip of the coin to be honest.

Official Premise: Pinocchio tells the tale of wood-carver Geppetto’s beloved puppet who embarks on a thrilling quest – with faithful friend Jiminy Cricket – that tests his bravery, loyalty and honesty, all virtues he must learn to fulfill his heart’s desire: to become a real boy.

Disney is re-releasing this movie as a combo pack including a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD copy. Nothing has been changed in terms of AV on this release from the previous release. The 1080p transfer looks sharp for this nearly 80 year old movie. The colors are crisp and the animation looks awesome. The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track is honestly not what I would expect from a 7.1 track, feels like its not getting to its full potential. In terms of special features there is all the previous content included back on the “70th Anniversary Platinum Edition” release, which some of it includes an Audio Commentary By Leonard Maltin, Eric Goldberg, and J.B. Kaufman, a few making of featurettes, deleted scenes and music videos.

Some of the new content included is worth checking out for sure but I wouldn’t rush out to buy this if I already owned the previous Blu-ray unless I really needed that Digital HD copy. “The Pinocchio Project: When You Wish Upon A Star” is a short two parter looking at the music video featuring JR Aquino, Tanner Patrick, and Alex G and a behind-the-scenes look. “Walt’s Story Meetings: Pleasure Island” are taken from the transcripts in the Disney vaults and features sketches and photographs from the design team as well as interviews with Director Pete Docter and Historian J.B. Kaufman. “In Walt’s Words – Pinocchio” is old archived footage from 1956 talking about the film and the times. Lastly, “Oswald The Lucky Rabbit In ‘Poor Papa'” is an all new cut of the vintage black-and-white animated short released special for this Blu-ray. Didn’t really capture the interest of my nearly 5 year old.

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Blu-ray Review “Queen of Katwe”

Actors: Madina Nalwanga, David Oyelowo, Lupita Nyong’o, Martin Kabanza, Taryn Kyaze
Directors: Mira Nair
Rated: PG
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Release Date: January 31, 2017
Run Time: 124 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Usually, I stay clear of true-life Inspirational films in general. Not my typical come of tea, so to say. I was draw to this film due to the Disney brand and the casting of the wonderful Lupita Nyong’o (even though her role isn’t huge). Like I thought this really wasn’t a film for me but it also wasn’t a bad film. Don’t forget here we are dealing with the rather tame topic of chess, so this is not a shoot ’em up action film for sure. The performances from the talent involved were fantastic and left me with inspired for sure. So if you enjoy these type of movies, I would surely recommend this.

Official Premise: “Queen of Katwe” is based on the vibrant true story of a young girl (Madina Nalwanga) from the streets of Uganda whose world changes when she is introduced to the game of chess, and, as a result of the support she receives from her family and community, is instilled with the confidence and determination she needs to pursue her dream of becoming an international chess champion. It is a remarkable story of perseverance against all odds that will leave viewers feeling humbled and inspired. According to director Mira Nair, “The triumph of the human spirit is not to weep for what we don’t have but to focus on what we do have and allow that to take us to a place we never imagined possible.”

Disney is releasing this film a a combo pack with a Blu-ray + Digital HD included. The 1080p transfer captures the film’s setting perfectly and really looks solid. Same can be said for the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. I enjoyed the score a lot. The special features are impressive as well. “Queen Of Katwe: Their Story” looks into the people behind-the-scenes who made this movie. “A Fork, A Spoon & A Knight” is director Mira Nair’s short film about Robert Katende. “In The Studio With Alicia Keys” focuses on the film’s song, which its music video is also included. Lastly there is an audio commentary with the director, Mira Nair and eight deleted scenes included with director intros.

Blu-ray Review “Keeping Up With The Joneses”

Actors: Jon Hamm, Isla Fisher, Zach Galifianakis, Gal Gadot, Patton Oswalt, Maribeth Monroe
Director: Greg Mottola
Rated: PG-13
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: January 17, 2017
Run Time: 105 minutes

Film: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars

“Keeping Up With The Joneses” is a film that probably looks great on paper. They got a fantastic cast including Jon Hamm, Isla Fisher, Zach Galifianakis, Gal Gadot, Patton Oswalt. These are all top notch talent but the film itself just feel rather generic and not memorable at all. If you dig the cast like myself, it is worth checking out. I don’t regret watching it but at the same time I feel like I wasted 105 minutes and could have done something better with that time.

Official Premise: Go deep undercover in this hilarious action-comedy with an all-star cast including Zach Galifianakis, Jon Hamm, Isla Fisher and Gal Gadot. An ordinary suburban couple finds it’s not easy keeping up with the Joneses — their impossibly attractive and ultra-sophisticated new neighbors — especially when they discover Mr. and Mrs. Jones are covert spies embroiled in international espionage.

20th Century Fox released this as a combo pack with Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD included. The 1080p transfer looks solid, no major complaints there. The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 is definitely a surprise but doesn’t really get a chance to show off its stuff. The special features are very special. There are two featurettes including “Spy Game” and “Keeping Up With Georgia”, which cover the behind-the-scenes with the cast/crew and lastly there are some deleted scenes included.

Blu-ray Review “Roger Corman’s Death Race 2050”

Actors: Manu Bennett, Malcolm McDowell, Marci Miller
Directors: G.J. Echternkamp
Rated: R
Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Release Date: January 17, 2017
Run Time: 93 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

“Death Race 2050” is produced by the king of cult classics, Roger Corman, creator of the original “Death Race 2000”, which introduced us to an actor known as Sylvester Stallone. “Death Race 2050” is an insane no-holds barred re-imagination of the original cult classic and stars Manu Bennett (“The Hobbit”) as Frankenstein and Malcolm McDowell (“A Clockwork Orange”) as the Chairman. This is a must see if you are looking for a wild ride and a great ode to the good ole cult classic genre.

Official Premise: Legendary filmmaking icon, Roger Corman, is back with his most outrageous film yet in this sensational, action-packed and darkly humorous reboot of the original Death Race 2000! It’s the year 2050 and America is controlled by an all-powerful corporate government ruled by The Chairman (Malcolm McDowell). The masses have been brainwashed with violent virtual-reality entertainment. The event of the year is the Death Race, in which a motley crew of violent drivers compete in a cross-country road race, scoring points for shamelessly running people over and driving each other off the road. The reigning champion and fan favorite, Frankenstein (Manu Bennett), who’s half-man half-machine, wants to take the crown, but his rebel spy co-pilot threatens his legacy.

universal is releasing “Death Rae 2050” as a combo pack with Blu-ray = DVD + Digital HD copy included. The 1080p transfer works perfectly with the visual overload of the film. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track nails with the action sequences. Great A/V combination! Special features are worth checking out for some cool featurettes. The first is “The Making of 2050”, which dives into this film behind-the-scenes with great detail from cast/crew. “Cars! Cars! Cars!” looks into the drivers and the stunts. Lastly “The Look of 2050” discusses the visual style of the film.

Blu-ray Review “The Whole Truth”

Actors: Renée Zellweger, Keanu Reeves, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Kenneth Choi, Sean Bridgers
Directors: Courtney Hunt
Rated: R
Studio: Lionsgate
Release Date: January 17, 2017
Run Time: 93 minutes

Film: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1.5 out of 5 stars

I have and always will be a Keanu Reeves fan. I know he is hit and miss with films (and this is a miss) but I still always check out when he has something new. On the other hand, I am not a fan of Renée Zellweger at all. In fact I can’t stand her, so that gave me immediately mixed feelings about this film. I call it a one time watcher. Interested but at the same time bland and definitely something I would not revisit.

Official Premise: Defense attorney Richard Ramsey (Keanu Reeves) takes on a personal case when he swears to his widowed friend, Loretta Lassiter (Renée Zellweger), that he will keep her son Mike (Gabriel Basso) out of prison. Charged with murdering his father, Mike initially confesses to the crime. But as the trial proceeds, chilling evidence about the kind of man that Boone Lassiter (Jim Belushi) really was comes to light. While Ramsay uses the evidence to get his client acquitted, his new colleague Janelle (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) tries to dig deeper – and begins to realize that the whole truth is something she alone can uncover.

“The Whole Truth” comes as a Blu-ray combo pack with a digital HD copy included. The Blu-ray A/V merits are nothing special but at the same time nothing to complain about. Just bland and basic like the film itself. There is only one special feature also included, which is an audio commentary by director Courtney Hunt. Skipped around on it but really didn’t interest me enough to watch again.

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Blu-ray Review “The Light Between Oceans”

Actors: Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Rachel Weisz, Bryan Brown, Jack Thompson
Directors: Derek Cianfrance
Rated: PG-13
Studio: Touchstone Home Entertainment
Release Date: January 24, 2017
Run Time: 133 minutes

Film: 2 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

It’s hard to imagine that a film with the talent of “The Light Between Oceans” can be a failure but this film is hard to finish. Michael Fassbender (“X-Men” franchise), Alicia Vikander (“Ex Machina”) are two of the hottest actors in the business. The film just runs so long and the story goes here, there and everywhere. I was lost a few times and nearly sleeping the next. So despite the talent included, skip this!

Official Premise: Lighthouse keeper Tom Sherbourne (Michael Fassbender) and radiant, spirited Isabel (Alicia Vikander) live together in married bliss on a remote, rugged island off the coast of Australia. But their windswept world is turned upside down when Isabel learns that she’s unable to bear a child. One day, a drifting lifeboat washes ashore with a crying baby in it. The dilemma the couple now face will echo far beyond the island, engulfing and irrevocably impacting their world — and that of a stranger (Rachel Weisz) — in a passionate story about love, hope, and a fateful choice. Get swept away by this stunning film, with an exclusive bonus Audio Commentary that will pull you deeper in.

The special features included are decent and worth checking out. “Bringing The Light to Life” features cast and crew talking about the film. There is a super in-depth audio commentary with director Derek Cianfrance and his film studies professor Phil Solomon. The last one is “Lighthouse Keeper” looks into the history of the lighthouse with the filmmakers, cast and Cape Campbell Lighthouse inspector/maintainer Rob Sword.

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Blu-ray Review “Come and Find Me”

Actors: Aaron Paul, Annabelle Wallis, Garret Dillahunt
Directors: Zack Whedon
Rated: R
Studio: LIONSGATE
Release Date: January 17, 2017
Run Time: 112 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Aaron Paul shines out of the shadow of “Breaking Bad” and delivers a great performance on a film that no one will see. Zack Whedon, brother of Joss, is making his directorial debut on this film and delivers a solid drama with an cast that including Whedonverse regular, Enver Gjokaj (“Dollhouse”). I loved Annabelle Wallis in “Annabelle” and she was also great in this! Worth checking out if your a big fan of Paul’s work or curious to see brother Whedon take a shot (and score) with directing.

Official Premise: David and Claire’s idyllic relationship comes to an abrupt and mysterious end after Claire disappears without a trace. Devastated but incapable of letting go, David follows her trail down a frantic and increasingly dangerous path. Shocked at discovering that Claire was living a double life, he’s forced to risk everything if he ever wants to see her again.

“Come and Find Me” comes as a combo pack with Blu-ray and Digital HD copy. the 1080p transfer looks great with the way that Whedon shot the film. The special features are not a whole lot but what is included is great. There is a behind-the-scenes featurette called “Unravelling the Mysteries of Come and Find Me”. There is a great audio commentary with Writer/Director Zack Whedon and Producer Chris Ferguson. Definitely worth checking out for some cool insight.

Blu-ray Review “The Accountant”

Starring: Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick, J.K. Simmons, Jon Bernthal, Jeffrey Tambor, Cynthia Addai-Robinson
Director: Gavin O’Connor
Rated: R
Studio: Warner Brothers
Release Date: January 10, 2017
Run Time: 128 minutes

Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Ben Affleck has been a busy guy in 2016. With his cameo in “Suicide Squad” and filming “Justice League” and also recently releasing the less reclaimed “Live By Night”. “The Accountant” is one of great successes. Outside of playing Batman, Affleck has delivered some epic films like “Argo” and “The Town”. I really enjoyed “The Accountant” and it is jam packed with Anna Kendrick, J.K. Simmons, Jon Bernthal, Jeffrey Tambor along side Affleck. Probably not a film I can re-watch over and over but surely enjoyed this as a one timer.

Official Premise: Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) is a math savant with more affinity for numbers than people. Behind the cover of a small-town CPA office, he works as a freelance accountant for some of the world’s most dangerous criminal organizations. With the Treasury Department’s Crime Enforcement Division, run by Ray King (J.K. Simmons), starting to close in, Christian takes on a legitimate client: a state-of-the-art robotics company where an accounting clerk (Anna Kendrick) has discovered a discrepancy involving millions of dollars. But as Christian uncooks the books and gets closer to the truth, it is the body count that starts to rise.

Warner Brothers is releasing “The Accountant” as a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD UltraViolet combo pack. The 1080p transfer is gorgeous. I would love to see how it transferred into 4K resolution. You have two choices for audio with both 5.1 and 7.1 soundtracks, both are encoded in lossless DTS-HD MA. This film is more dialogue led but both sounds great. The special features are honestly, disappointing. There are three rather quick/short featurettes. The first is “Inside the Man” with cast/crew discussing the character of Christian Wolff. The second is “Behavioral Science” with which brings in technical aspects and lastly “The Accountant in Action” looks at the films stunts.

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Blu-ray Review “The Monster”

Actors: Zoe Kazan, Ella Ballentine, Scott Speedman, Aaron Douglas
Directors: Bryan Bertino
Rated: R
Studio: LIONSGATE
Release Date: January 24, 2017
Run Time: 91 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1.5 out of 5 stars

I was excited for the film, “The Monster” due to the use of practical monster effects, which is always exciting for me. “The Monster” is much more than just a creature feature. It is a store of suffering and healing. I honestly missed that the first time seeing this film making it hard to enjoy. But this film redeemed itself for me during second more open minded viewing. The acting is superb from Zoe Kazan and Ella Ballentine. The creature effects did not let down at all providing an original rather terrifying design. Worth taking a look.

Official Premise: Acclaimed horror filmmaker Bryan Bertino (The Strangers) wrote and directed this suspenseful and scary film, in which a divorced mother (Zoe Kazan) and her headstrong daughter must make an emergency late-night road trip to see the girl’s father. As they drive through deserted country roads on a stormy night, they suddenly have a startling collision that leaves them shaken but not seriously hurt. Their car, however, is dead, and as they try in vain to get help, they come to realize they are not alone on these desolate backroads — a terrifying evil is lurking in the surrounding woods, intent on never letting them leave.

This Blu-ray/Digital HD combo pack fails not in its technical merits but in it’s special features. There is only one featurettes called “Eyes in the Darkness”. I would have hoped so much more in the creatures design and the atmosphere, score and director’s commentary on this film. I feel like I could have enjoy aspects of the film more if I got a in-depth discussion of the film and its focused story.

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Blu-ray Review “USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage”

Actors: Nicolas Cage, Matt Lanter, Thomas Jane, Tom Sizemore
Directors: Mario Van Peebles
Rated: R
Studio: Lionsgate
Release Date: January 24, 2017
Run Time: 131 minutes

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

Whenever I think about the story of the USS Indianapolis, I go straight to Quint’s legendary speech from the 1975 film “Jaws”. It is a scary and grim story of courage and strength. Unfortunately, in short, this film neither captures that courage of strength at all and quite bores you with this adaption. There is definitely a cast of character who show up in this film including Nicolas Cage, Matt Lanter, James Remar, Tom Sizemore and Thomas Jane. But no talent can spare us from the slow motion scenes to the cheap CGI.

Official Premise: Based on a true story of survival and bravery, USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage stars Cage as the captain of the USS Indianapolis, a boat tasked with a top-secret mission at the end of World War II. With remarkable production value, the film tells the harrowing tale of real life American heroes shipwrecked in shark infested waters in the waning days of World War II.

The Blu-ray/Digital HD combo pack for “USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage” has no major issue with it’s technical merits. The 1080p does what it can with the film’s cheap production value and use of digital effects. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track works with the action but didn’t overly wow me either. The only special feature included is a featurette focusing around “The Making of USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage”.

Blu-ray Review “Deepwater Horizon”

Actors: Kurt Russell, Mark Wahlberg, James DuMont, Douglas M. Griffin, Joe Chrest
Directors: Peter Berg
Rated: PG-13
Studio: Lionsgate
DVD Release Date: January 10, 2017
Run Time: 107 minutes

Film: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

“Deepwater Horizon” is the latest team-up between director Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg, last being “Lone Survivor”. It is based on a true story and features a top notch supporting cast including Kurt Russell, John Malkovich, Dylan O’Brien, Kate Hudson and Gina Rodriguez. Honestly though, just not a film for me. I remember the events back in 2010 but I never thought to myself, “Damn, this will make a great movie”. Great acting and at points action packed for sure as Berg knows how to deliver but just not interesting enough topic to lock me down.

Official Premise: On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explodes in the Gulf of Mexico, igniting a massive fireball that kills several crew members. Chief electronics technician Mike Williams (Mark Wahlberg) and his colleagues find themselves fighting for survival as the heat and the flames become stifling and overwhelming. Banding together, the co-workers must use their wits to make it out alive amid all the chaos.

Even though “Deepwater Horizon” is not my favorite film of the year, it does pack a solid Blu-ray presentation. The 1080p transfer works perfectly with the film’s epic scale. In fact, I would have loved to watched the 4K presentation of this film. I can imagine that the action sequences would love outstanding for sure. The audio track included is an outstanding Dolby Atmos (mixed down to Dolby TrueHD 7.1), which really showcases the action perfectly. Literally wall-shaking!

In terms of special features, there is no shortage here at all. In fact, there is around two hours of content included. First up there is an hour-long five-part series “Beyond the Horizon,” which features cast discussing the film behind-the-scenes. There are three all-new featurettes, the first being “Captain of the Rig: Peter Berg”, which puts the director front and center. The other two included are “The Fury of the Rig” and “Deepwater Surveillance”, which dives behind-the-scenes on this difficult production. Lastly there is a real-life tribute in “Work Like An American”.

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Page 10 of 111

Tag: bluray

Blu-ray Review “Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man”

Blu-ray Review “Vice Principals: The Complete First Season”

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