Category: Review

11 Minutes – DVD Review

11 Minutes

A lot can happen in the span of eleven minutes and in the film, 11 Minutes, a lot definitely happens. Eleven minutes at first glance appears to be a short period of time, and yet so much activity and life-changing events can take place over the course of an eleven-
minute time frame that the thought of it is pretty intense.

In the film, 11 Minutes, we are presented with a broad array of seemingly innocuous and unrelated events happening all across the city. Some are mundane activities, while others are in themselves compelling and alter the lives of those directly involved. However, the film’s chronology is encapsulated all within the same eleven minutes, which leads to a collusion of events at the climax of the film.

11 Minutes is a clever metaphor for life as we know it. While what we’re doing, thinking, working for, and reacting to is uniquely from our perspective there are millions of other people living life and doing the exact same things in any given time frame. Sometimes our lives intertwine with others around us, other times we pass them by as nameless, faceless beings sharing the same space.

Whatever happens, we are collectively connected by one singularity: Time. And when our lives within that shared time connect, intersect, or clash is when we realize that we are never truly alone in this human experience.

Also, keep your eyes peeled for the number “11” in its various incarnations throughout the film. Can you spot them all?

For a unique narrative experience, check out 11 Minutes on DVD today.

Sky – DVD Review

SKY

Road trip movies have been a part of film since the beginning. From Bob Hope and Bing Crosby in their Road to… films, to Thelma & Louise, Planes, Trains, & Automobiles, Due Date, Road Trip, Euro Trip, and more, the road trip movie can be filled with conflict, wacky adventures, and self-discovery. Comedy road movies tend to shove opposites together for maximum comedic conflict, while dramas veer toward a more introspective, change-centered tone.

Sky presents the latter style of road movie, with our hero Romy (Diane Kruger) taking a rather rocky journey toward her own pathway toward renewal and personal evolution. She’s a French woman who finds herself alone in the United States, a woman doing what she can to live life to the fullest even when things seem bleakest. For the bulk of the story, Romy is on the road by herself and for herself.

Romy’s newfound freedom is a catalyst for the change she has so desperately needed in her life after years in a lifeless marriage. It is through her travels, the people she meets, and her uniquely American experiences that she begins to realize who she truly is as a human being and as a woman.

Along the way, she meets an array of characters that invite this wandering stranger into their lives and even into their hearts. Will Romy find the kind of life and love she has been yearning for?

With a solid supporting cast that includes Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead), Lou Diamond Phillips (Longmire), Lena Dunham (Girls), and Joshua Jackson (Dawson’s Creek), Sky delivers a powerful message that it’s never too late to start your life anew no matter they circumstances you find yourself in.

Sky is available now on DVD.

What’s your favorite road trip movie? Leave a comment and let us know!

Supergirl: The Complete First Season – Blu-ray Review

Supergirl: The Complete First Season

DISCLAIMER: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post. The opinions I share are my own.

Thoroughly entertaining, exciting, and enjoyable, the first season of Supergirl hits the ground running – or air flying? – proving once again that DC has the magic touch when it comes to bringing their characters to life for TV viewers. Whether it’s Arrow, The Flash, or Legends of Tomorrow, DC’s television division has done a tremendous job creating an interconnected world of superheroes much like the success Marvel has had with their Avengers cinematic universe.

Supergirl delivers a strong female superhero lead in Kara Danvers (Melissa Benoist), who is not only a former resident of the now-destroyed planet Krypton but is also Superman’s cousin. Residing in National City, Kara does her best to live a normal life until a potential tragedy causes her to leap out of the shadows and save the day, thus becoming Supergirl. Torn between living a normal life and being the superhero National City needs, Kara does her best to find a balance, which can be a tricky task.

Each episode showcases Kara’s ongoing quest to adapt to her newfound lifestyle as a superhero and learning about her powers and abilities. Along the way, we are treated some solid action sequences, some intriguing plot twists, and a whole slew of villains that Kara finds herself tasked with stopping both human and otherworldly.

With a solid supporting cast that includes Calista Flockhart, Mehcad Brooks, Chyler Leigh, Jeremy Jordan, and David Harewood, Supergirl is great superhero entertainment that will have you glued to the TV from the pilot to the exciting season finale!

Special features include:

Supergirl: 2015 Comic-Con Panel

The Man From Mars

A World Left Behind

Gag Reel

So, be like a bird, a plane, Superman, or Supergirl and fly out to own Supergirl: The Complete First Season on Blu-ray, DVD & Digital HD August 9, 2016!

Who is your favorite female superhero? Leave a comment and let us know!

Mother’s Day – Blu-ray Review

Mom

Director Garry Marshall is an icon of classic American TV. For decades, his creations entertained and provided laughter to millions with the 50s-based sitcom, Happy Days and it’s multitude of spin-offs that included Laverne & Shirley, Joanie Loves Chachi, and Mork & Mindy. He also helped develop the Neil Simon play The Odd Couple into a what would become another classic TV series of the 70s.

Along with this impressive list of shows, Marshall also directed the Julia Roberts/Richard Gere hit Pretty Woman, The Princess Diaries and its sequel, Runaway Bride, and most recently the holiday-themed flicks Valentine’s Day, New Year’s Eve, and his final film, Mother’s Day.

Sadly, Marshall passed away in July of 2016, but his body of work will live on in his memory. His final directing endeavor, Mother’s Day, reunited him once again with long-time collaborator Julia Roberts along with an impressive list of comedic actors including Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson, Jason Sudeikis, and Margo Martindale.

The film centers around a chaotic week for all involved leading up to the mom-centric day that was proclaimed an official holiday by President Woodrow Wilson in 1914. What follow is a series of interwoven narratives – each one with a connection to the others – that eventually collide in a heartwarming finale that is befitting of a film with motherly love as its driving force.

While I’m not generally a fan of these types of movies, there are some genuinely funny moments that had me laughing out loud, and with such a talented cast it’s hard not to enjoy Mother’s Day for its ability to bring great actors together.

Chief among them are Jennifer Aniston and Jason Sudeikis who have appeared together in Horrible Bosses, Horrible Bosses 2, and We’re the Millers. They have fantastic on-screen chemistry, and I wish they would do a rom-com together along the same lines as a Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan film like Sleepless in Seattle or You’ve Got Mail (something original, please. No need to remake either film, and besides You’ve Got Mail is already a remake of the film The Shop Around the Corner).

Also of note is the storyline involving Kate Hudson and Margo Martindale who plays her hardcore right-wing mama from Texas. Martindale is a hoot in the role, and the entire situation involving Hudson’s character, her sister (played by Sarah Chalke), and their families is pretty amusing.

Mother’s Day has something for everyone and if you’re looking for a film that’s safe to watch with your mom, this one is pretty tame and won’t leave you scrambling for the remote or the mute button.

Special features include Deleted Scenes and a Gag Reel.

For some mom-friendly entertainment, check out Mother’s Day on DVD, Blu-ray, and Digital Download now!

Rushlights: New Unrated Director’s Cut – Movie Review

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Small towns are full of big secrets. Sometimes those secrets are known but not talked about. Other times they are known by a few who are willing to lie, cheat, and kill to keep them under wraps. But what happens when new elements begin enter the picture and those secrets are on the verge of causing chaos where it once lay dormant?

Rushlights begins innocently enough as a love story and quickly evolves into a noir-style thriller with plenty of twists, turns, and double-crosses to keep the audience on their toes. Our two heroes – Sarah and Billy (Haley Webb and Josh Henderson) – are two damaged souls who find solace in each other’s company. When the tragic end befalls a close acquaintance, they work together to take advantage of the situation.

couple

Both soon find themselves snagged in a web of small town secrets, greed, and corruption that they never saw coming. Will they do the right thing or do whatever they can do survive?

The moral ambiguity of all the characters in Rushlights reminded me of the characters on AMC’s Breaking Bad. While a lot of their actions and behaviors are reprehensible, you can’t help but root for them to achieve their goals no matter the cost. Will they get away with it? Will they be found out? Will double-crosses ensue? There’s plenty of that going on throughout the film that makes the story all the more intriguing.

Beau

Along with Webb and Henderson, Rushlights stars acting heavyweights Beau Bridges as the overzealous sheriff and Aidan Quinn as his lawyer brother. Both bring a level of gravitas to the film and help give it that dark, small-town-full-of-secrets feel.

Aidan

Rushlights is an intriguing crime-drama/murder-mystery/noir-thriller that keeps you guessing to the very last frame. I highly recommend it.

Rushlights: New Unrated Director’s Cut is streaming on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Vudu, Sony X-Box and more!

I Am Wrath – Blu-ray Review

I Am Wrath

John Travolta has been an iconic part of American film and TV for over four decades. From his early days on TV – his most notable roles on the series Welcome Back, Kotter and in the TV movie, The Boy in the Plastic Bubble – to his myriad roles in films ranging from high-octane actioners to song and dance spectacles, Travolta has forever cemented himself into the zeitgeist of American pop culture.

In his latest action flick, I Am Wrath, Travolta once again shows off his keen ability to be a bad-ass and take down the scum of the world one bloody battle at a time. When his wife (Rebecca De Mornay) is murdered in front of him, Stanley Hill (Travolta) quickly discovers that the city’s criminal justice system may not be entirely on his side. When it’s clear that the cops have no interest in helping Stanley find justice and closure for his wife’s murder, he takes it upon himself to rid the world of the thugs who killed his wife.

John Travolta

Travolta is fantastic in this role and it’s great to see him in another action flick shooting, stabbing, and blowing up the bad guys. But he’s not alone. In fact, his buddy is a familiar face, especially to fans of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Christopher Meloni – who played Detective Elliot Stabler for over a decade on SVU – is Stanley’s best friend and former associate Dennis who assists him in his quest for vengeance. It’s a great role for Meloni, and he gets to let the rage and violence flow that we all knew was just bubbling under the surface of his Stabler role season after season. It’s a great character and he and Travolta have solid chemistry together.

John Travolta and Christopher Meloni

With plenty of action and a couple surprise twists, I Am Wrath is a solid revenge flick from start to finish. Let’s hope a sequel is in the works.

Special features include an Audio Commentary by Director Chuck Russell and Writer/Actor Paul Sloan.

I highly recommend I Am Wrath!

I Am Wrath is available NOW on DVD and Blu-ray!

What’s your favorite John Travolta movie? Leave a comment and let us know!