It’s a lofty, ambitious, attention-grabbing title: James Cameron’s Story of Science Fiction. But in reality, it’s best to approach this six-part documentary series (which originally aired on AMC in 2018, but is now receiving a home video release July 28, 2020) with reasonably low expectations. Ken Burns territory this ain’t. Story of Science Fiction plays...
The new Lionsgate horror release Room 9 opens with an elaborate, multi-format introduction. Flashing between seemingly random, bizarre imagery, the image frantically switches between all manner of film/video stock—it’s as if writer-director Thomas Walton had deliberately set out to out-do Oliver Stone at his Natural Born Killers extreme. The following story—muddled and unfocused—unfortunately doesn’t match...
To coincide with the release of the all-new Space Jam: A New Legacy, starring LeBron James, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has dusted off the original 1996 megahit Space Jam. They’ve spruced it up with an outstanding new 4K UltraHD edition that looks great, even if it exposes the limitations of the era’s live-action/animation combo. The...
New from Shout Factory’s imprint Shout Select comes City Slickers, a collector’s edition Blu-ray that presents a brand new 4K HD scan of the smash hit comedy. For viewers of a certain age (i.e. those who were barely adults in 1991), it may be a shock to contemplate that City Slickers is now 27 years...
Epic. Engrossing. Thrilling. Funny. Tragic. What else do you want from a blockbuster spectacle? Avengers: Infinity War is all these things, ably proving that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is far from exhausted. In fact, however improbable it might be, it just seems to keep getting better. The 19th film in the now-20-strong franchise, Infinity War...
Maybe ten years ago Rampage, the new Dwayne Johnson-starring action film, would’ve been a must-see blockbuster. But honestly how many times are studios planning to serve up the same mega-budget, CG-dominated creature features? Though it probably made enough overseas to qualify as a solid recouper, domestic audiences did not flock to Rampage during its spring...
When it comes to direct-to-video movies these days, it’s really a roll of the dice. Even with the presence of major name stars, there’s usually the perception that most of these movies are outcasts for one reason (or many). A different scale of expectations, rightfully or wrongfully, is usually applied to a title falling under...
A tremendous effort by director Lili Fini Zanuck and Eric Clapton, Life in 12 Bars is that rare rock documentary that goes well beyond the hagiography style frequently adopted by “official” filmed bios. Too often we get basically a Wikipedia entry fleshed out with some performance clips, mixed with endless praise by contemporaries and disciples—many...
Gothic horror thriller The Lodgers is new to home video via indie distributor Epic Pictures as a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack. Director Brian O’Malley, previously known for the horror indie Let Us Prey (2014), has crafted a deeply atmospheric ghost story in The Lodgers. Creepy, isolationist twins Rachel (Charlotte Vega) and Edward (Bill Milner) live in...
Marvel Studios’ phenomenal hit Black Panther is still in the box office top ten, closing in on a $700 million domestic gross, as it arrives on Blu-ray (also 4K UltraHD). Of course, the titular character—portrayed by Chadwick Boseman—is a featured player in the biggest movie in theaters at the moment, Avengers: Inifinity War. Safe to...