Mike Spring
Recap
Review
Wow, it’s a huge release slate this week compared to some recent months. We’ve got new movies, classic catalogue titles hitting 4K for the first time, TV shows, and more! Phew! Read on for all the details! ALSO: Please note that starting this week, each title also includes whether or not the release comes with a Digital Copy!
Civil War
The Movie: Alex Garland has developed a great reputation as a screenwriter thanks to movies such as 28 Days Later and Ex Machina, His directorial debut, Ex Machina, was a massively critically-acclaimed film, but his follow up, Annihilation received a mixed reaction from fans and critics alike. With Civil War, not only did he create a movie that everyone seems to have liked, but it was a bona fide box office hit as well, grossing over $120 million worldwide. The film takes place 15 minutes in the future, in an America that is in a Civil War, with the Western Forces (mostly Californian and Texas, as far as we’re told) marching towards Washington D.C. and a president who is nearing the end of what has clearly been a dictatorial tenure. We meet up with a world-weary Lee Miller (played by Kirsten Dunst in one of her finest performances), a photojournalist, along with Joel, Jesse, and Sammy, fellow journalists who are traveling to D.C. to try and get an interview with the president before he’s deposed. Along the way they encounter some harrowing moments as we see the devastating effects of the Civil War on America and its people. The film isn’t an easy watch, as it’s pretty serious and scary stuff; scary especially because many days it feels like we’re almost at where the movie tells us we’re heading. (It starts off with real footage from events like the Charlottesville murders, which is sobering and powerful.) So while this isn’t a feel-good movie, it’s an incredibly effective viewing experience.
The 4K Video/Audio: Civi War looks absolutely beautiful in 4K Ultra HD, almost deceptively so. What I mean by that is that the film has a lot of grey, greens and browns in it, so while color saturation is terrific, there isn’t a ton to work with. So sometimes it can feel like you’re just watching a regular high-quality Blu-ray movie (which isn’t a bad thing.) And then there will be a scene like the one where Kirsten Dunst and Cailee Spaeny are sitting in front of a river and the sun is reflecting off the water behind them, and it will just blow you away. The image has an almost 3D quality to it that you just don’t get on Blu-ray. There’s another scene where they crew drives into a small town filled with blooming flowers and sunshine, and the colors and clear imagery seem to leap off the screen. There are scenes like that scattered throughout the film that will take your breath away. The surround soundtrack has a lot to work with and it makes the most of it, featuring strong directional effects and an immersive soundfield, plus a thumping low-end bass that really gibes the action scenes some oomph. It’s a terrific A/V presentation from start to finish.
The Special Features: There is a six-part documentary that runs just under an hour that is rather fascinating and quite well-made. Worth the watch.
Digital Copy Included?: Yes
The Wrap-Up: Everything works in Civil War: the performances are terrific (Jesse Plemmons shows up in an extended scene and practically steals the whole movie), the writing is strong, the cinematography is outstanding… it’s just firing on all cylinders. If you don’t mind a movie that will make you fear for our future (which is ultimately the point), then you should check out Civil War immediately.
Challengers
The Movie: To be clear, the name of this movie isn’t just Challengers, it’s Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers, which is a little odd to me because the Italian director has never really made a hit film. I mean, he directed Call Me By Your Name, which introduced the world to Timothee Chalet and netted the actor an Oscar nomination, but his other films such as Bones and All and Suspiria were far from big hits. Even Call Me By Your Name was not exactly a box-office smash. So why does he get his name above the title? I honestly have no idea. Maybe it’s to warn you that when you watch Challengers, you should be forewarned that this is not a straightforward drama. I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with this movie. On the one hand, there are definitely parts of the movie — which focuses on a love triangle of sorts between three young tennis stars as they grow into adulthood — that I liked. But, man, are there also parts that I hated. For starters, the soundtrack. Every single time two characters would get into an argument (which is often), this driving techno music would start playing, and playing so loudly that it nearly drowns out the dialogue. And then there’s a climactic scene in the movie where two characters finally start to give in to their sexual desires, and the the music that accompanies it is a children’s choir singing about getting water from a well. I mean, talk about taking your audience out of a film. The very last scene of the movie provides a completely unsatisfactory ending (and a little bit of a confusing one, as well.) Plus, there’s a subplot about a character who may or may not be gay that ultimately goes nowhere, and we never find out why Zendaya’s character hates her husband so much. Despite great performances and some incredible tennis cinematography, the movie often feels underdeveloped and/or overblown; often both at the same time. And honestly, I see no one to blame other than Luca Guadagnino, who’s name is splashed across the film’s title.
The Special Features: Nothing. Zip. Nada. This is becoming a trend with Warner Bros. releases of late and I don’t like it. Maybe Luca Guadagnino could have explained some of his filmmaking choices in a bonus feature.
Digital Copy Included?: Yes
The Wrap-Up: Challengers is a solid watch; it’s rarely boring, and all three of the main actors are terrific, so you do get caught up in their drama. But when it all comes to an end, you sort of sit there for a minute and go, “Wait… what?” It’s an unsatisfactory experience at the end of the day that will leave you wishing it was constructed a little bit better.
The Boy and the Heron
The Movie: I know many, many people will stop reading right here, but I have to be honest: I don’t get all the love for Studio Ghibli films. It’s not that I hate anime, because I do like some of it — even if I admittedly am not a ravenous fan of the genre. But every Studio Ghibli film I’ve ever seen amounts to one overarching opinion: looks beautiful, couldn’t care less about the story or characters. And The Boy and the Heron, directed by Ghibli’s revered grandmaster, Hayao Miyazaki, is just more of the same, except I think I actively disliked this film more than almost any of the previous ones. The fact that it opened at #1 in the North American box office the week it debuted is absolutely mind-blowing to me. The film follows a young boy named Mahito who is sad that his mom is dead, but luckily, the world’s creepiest heron comes along and tells him that his mom might not be dead, after all. Cue the requisite journey to a fantastical land to try and rescue his mother’s soul. What makes this movie so intolerable to me is that it’s over two hours long, and it’s a solid 45 minutes before anything even remotely interesting happens. And while the animation is good, as usual, it honestly blew me away less than other efforts from the studio I’ve seen in the past. It felt a little pedestrian, if I’m being honest, at least compared to some of the studio’s more visually inventive works. I’m sure everyone else will love this movie like everyone always seems to love every Studio Ghibli movie, but I flat out hated it.
The 4K Video/Audio: The Boy and the Heron comes to home video on 4K Ultra HD (as well as Blu-ray and DVD). Not surprisingly, the film looks and sounds very nice in 4K. As you would want for an animated feature, blacks (and black outlines) are deep and solid and colors are well-saturated, although the whole thing feels a little darker than I would expect from a 4K disc. The surround soundtrack is also nicely done, with a generous use of surround effects through the various speakers, as well as clean and clear dialogue, a must for animated films.
The Special Features: There’s a decent amount of making-of material here, including Storyboards for the whole film; Interview Featurettes with the movie’s composer, producer, and supervising animator; and a music video, drawing feature, and trailers.
Digital Copy Included?: No
The Wrap-Up: Yess, yes, I know: Studio Ghibli is amazing, Hayao Miyazaki can do no wrong, this is a beautiful film, and I’m just a stupid movie critic who wouldn’t know a good movie if it bit me on the @$$. I’ve heard it all before. Look, if you can make it through The Boy and the Heron without being bored, you clearly have a stronger constitution than I do, and congrats on that. Me? I did not enjoy this movie.
Abigail
The Movie: Most horror movies these days are boring retreads of ideas we’ve seen over and over again or elevated, artsy nonsense that bores you to tears (while wowing movie critics. Yawn.) Then there’s a movie like Abigail, a delightfully fun movie that feels like a Quentin Tarantino movie mashed up with Interview With the Vampire. Abigail sees a hodge-podge group of criminals team up to kidnap a little girl in order to receive a $50 million ransom. They bring her to a mansion to hold her for 24 hours while they await the money, but things quickly start to spiral out of control and it becomes very clear that little Abigail is more than they bargained for. While most of the film’s plot has been spoiled by the trailer and press materials, I don’t want to say anymore so I can try and keep as much of the surprise for you as I can. There’s a lot to love about this movie, starting with a cast that includes Melissa Barrera, Kathryn Newton, the always-outstanding Dan Stevens, and Giancarlo Esposito. It’s also got a great script and a ton of practical effects. Interestingly, I watched the first half of the movie thinking that it’s nice that the filmmakers didn’t go for making the film overly gory, and then at a certain point, the directors were like, “Soooo… blood.” And from that point on, it becomes one of the bloodiest movies I’ve ever seen. There’s even a featurette in the special features about the copious amounts of fake blood used in the movie and how the cast were often just covered in it all day long. So the film manages to be super bloody without feeling gratuitously gory, which is a hard balance to strike. Ultimately, the movie is fun and fast-paced and exciting and stylish, and I loved it.
The Special Features: You get a Filmmaker Commentary Track, a collection of Deleted & Extended Scenes, a Gag Reel, a handful of making-of Featurettes (including the aforementioned one on the movie’s use of fake blood), and more.
Digital Copy Included?: Yes
The Wrap-Up: Abigail is a terrific and fun horror movie that takes a familiar genre and — while not quite reinventing it — gives it a new spin that I absolutely loved. Check it out ASAP so you can be the person to tell all your friends about it.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
The Movie: Somewhere along the line Guy Ritchie went from being a director I didn’t really like to being a director who occasionally made a surprisingly good film to being a director that I really, truly enjoy. I don’t know why or how or what happened exactly, but pretty much every time a new Guy Ritchie movie comes out, I’m pretty happy with it. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is based on an incredible true story of what is largely considered the world’s first special ops unit, a ragtag team of British operatives in World War II who were tasked with a secret mission to cripple the Germans’ submarine fleet so America could enter the war and help Britain stave off complete defeat by the Nazis. With a great cast consisting of Henry Cavill (once again showing how great he can be), Alan Ritchson, Henry Golding, Alex Pettyfer, and Eiza Gonzalez, the film is a Dirty Dozen-style ensemble piece that is filled with great action, lots of charisma, and a flourish of humor. It’s not Ritchie’s best film in recent years, but it’s an enjoyable romp that tells a story that seems like it was more important to the history of the world than most people realize.
The Special Features: There’s just one making-of feature on the disc (and a trailer) but it runs a solid 25 minutes and is both informative and entertaining.
Digital Copy Included?: Yes
The Wrap-Up: If you’re looking for a good action film that feels both like a war movie but also more like a spy movie, then The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is exactly what you’re looking for. It didn’t make a splash at the box office but it’s definitely worth a watch.
True Detective: Night Country (Season 4)
The Show: Let’s skip all the reminiscing about the first three seasons of True Detective and how good or bad they were. This is an anthology series, so Season 4 (which hit airwaves earlier this year, a full decade after Season 1 aired) has nothing to do with any previous seasons, and it has to stand on its own merits. And boy, does it! Night Country takes place in Alaska, right after the sun sets for the last time and the town of Ennis is enveloped in 24-hour darkness for the next few months. At a remote research station on the outskirts of town, all seven scientists disappear at once, leaving no trace behind. Enter Sheriff Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) and State Trooper Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis), as they try and not only solve the mystery, but also solve another case from six years prior that may or may not be related to this new one. I’m not gonna lie, I was hooked from the very first episode. The mystery is compelling, the drama is interesting (and boy, is there a lot of it), and characters are interesting. Maybe a little too interesting, actually; my one complaint about the show is that there’s literally one character in the show who doesn’t act like a complete jerk at least 50% of the time. Maybe one or two more well-adjusted characters whose relationships aren’t disasters would have made the ensemble a little more likable. That said, the show is incredibly compelling; once you start watching the six episodes, you won’t want to stop. I blew through this faster than I do most TV review titles, because it’s that good.
The Special Features: There are five making-of featurettes that delve into different areas of the show, such as the Alaskan setting and the anthology nature of the show, plus there are episode recaps included.
Digital Copy Included?: Yes
The Wrap-Up: If you’ve lost interest in True Detective because some of the middle seasons didn’t hold your attention, I completely understand. But I would also implore you to check out Night Country: it’s utterly fantastic. Highly Recommended!
Twister (4K Ultra HD)
The Movie: I’m a self-professed disaster movie junkie. I love disaster movies of all shapes and sizes, and I’m generally predisposed to like a movie if it lands in that genre. But one of my absolutely favorite movies of all the disaster films out there is the original Twister. Starring Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt as a pair of tornado chasers trying to unleash a new scientific device that might help them predict tornadoes and save lives, Twister was a massive box office hit back in 1996. Now, just in time for the long awaited sequel, we are treated to Twister on 4K for the first time courtesy of Warner Brothers. And even though the special effects are almost 30 years old, they still look great and the film hasn’t lost even an ounce of its charm; watching it on my big screen TV in 4K Ultra HD resolution took me right back to the theaters. I felt like I was in tornado alley once again, and I had more fun watching this movie than I have watching anything else in quite some time.
The 4K Video/Audio: Twister looks and sounds terrific in 4K, featuring realistic and vivid colors, terrifically sharp imagery, and deep, rich black levels. The print, of course, is devoid of any blemishes or debris. The film leans towards the darker side of things as almost every scene is under cloud cover, but the picture never feels too dark or lacking contrasts. The surround soundtrack has a lot to work with and it doesn’t waste any opportunities to fill your living room with activity, but it also makes sure the quieter moments and the dialogue ring true and clear. There’s also a nice low end bass channel that gives some of the climactic scenes an effective rumble that you’ll feel in your chest. This is the kind of movie I love to watch in 4K.
The Special Features: The extras kick off with an all-new retrospective featurette featuring director Jan de Bont discussing the film. There’s also an audio commentary track with de Bone and the film’s visual effects supervisor. Then you get three making-of features and a Van Halen Music Video.
Digital Copy Included?: Yes
The Wrap-Up: As of this writing, Twisters is still a couple of days away from hitting theaters, and it remains (as it has been for months), my #1 most anticipated movie of the summer, just as the original film was back in 1996. I can’t speak to the new movie, but owning Twister on 4K is one of the most guaranteed-to-entertain home entertainment purchases you can make.
Escape Plan Trilogy (Blu-ray Steelbook)
The Movies: I didn’t go into the original Escape Plan with an open mind. I went in to it for one reason and one reason only: to see two of my favorite movie stars beat the crap out of people. Yep, I grew up in the ’80s, on a steady diet of Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s movies, and I consider myself a huge fan of both actors and their entire genre of films. And you know what? I really wasn’t disappointed in the film. Sure, it has flaws. Sure, it’s kind of by-the-numbers. Sure, I wish they had teamed up 30 years ago when they were still at their prime. But Escape Plan is a huge hunk of fine action cheese, and I’m okay with that. Escape Plan 2: Hades, on the other hand, was a direct-to-video sequel, which saw Dave Bautista step in for Arnie. Unfortunately, it’s a complete mess. The story goes in an unnecessary sci-fi direction, the production values look like a TV movie, and Stallone and Bautista are barely in it, instead leaving all of the action to a much less interesting team that includes Jesse Metcalfe, Jaime King, and Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson. Honestly, it’s terrible. I have to imagine this was just an easy paycheck for Stallone. What a disappointment. Then there’s Escape Plan 3: The Extractors, which somewhat rights the ship, as it veers back to reality and sees Stallone and his team (which still includes Dave Bautista but no Arnold) trying to rescue the imprisoned daughter of a business mogul. Stallone is much more present this time around, there are some great action scenes, and the film – while not a masterpiece – is at least a worthy direct-to-video effort. Now, all three films have been collected on Blu-ray in a Wal-Mart exclusive Steelbook collection, which — despite featuring underwhelming Steelbook art that mostly reflects Escape Plan 2, the worst movie in the trilogy — does let you have the entire series in one place.
The Special Features: The extras from each of the original releases are included here, meaning you get audio commentaries on the first and third films, plus three making-of featurettes on both of the first two films and a single featurette on the third. The first film also offers up deleted scenes, while the second film includes almost an hour’s worth of cast interviews. All three films are included on the digital copy as well.
Digital Copy Included?: Yes
The Wrap-Up: Escape Plan isn’t the movie it could have been if these two action titans had teamed up in 1989, but considering both guys were pushing 70 when it was made, it’s a hell of a lot better than it has any right to be. You can skip Escape Plan 2, but Escape Plan 3 is at least a fun diversion. This cool little Steelbook collection is a great value, though, and I love having Steelbooks in my collection, so it’s a worthwhile pick-up if you like any of the three films.
Phantoms: Collector’s Edition (4K Ultra HD)
The Movie: “Yo, Affleck, you was da bomb in Phantoms!” If you don’t know that quote… well, that’s okay, because it actually has nothing to do with this movie. (It’s from Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and because I love Phantoms, it’s one of my favorite lines from that movie.) Based on a terrific novel by Dean Koontz, Phantoms was a lower-budgeted horror film released in 1998 starring a just-famous Ben Affleck alongside Rose McGowan, Liev Schreiber, Joanna Going, and Peter O’Toole. It wasn’t a big box office hit, but it has become something of a cult classic over the years, evidenced by the fact that we get new releases of it every time a new home video format debuts. This week, we’re treated to a new 4K Ultra HD version of the excellent Scream Factory Collector’s Edition, giving me yet another chance to rewatch a film I really love. The story sees a small group of people exploring a town that has been completely abandoned, or at least that everyone in the town has vanished from. An ancient force seems to be responsible, and our crew of survivors have to figure out how to keep it from spreading and overtaking the world. The film isn’t a masterpiece, but it’s creepy and fun and has a great cast, and for some reason I’ve always loved it.
The 4K Video/Audio: The 4K Ultra HD presentation helps out here because this is a movie with a lot of darker or nighttime scenes, and the improved shadow delineation allows us to see all of the onscreen action with no pixelation or blocking. Blacks are deep and color saturation is solid, although it’s a more tempered color palette to begin with. The surround soundtrack offers up some nice activity, allowing the action scenes to work their magic throughout the various speakers. All in all, it’s a well-done effort.
The Special Features: There are two new featurettes, a making-of interview feature with producer Joel Soisson and a new interview with the movie’s director of photography, as well as trailers for the film.
Digital Copy Included?: No
The Wrap-Up: I’ve seen Phantoms numerous times and I never get tired of it. This new 4 Ultra HD version of the film is the best one yet available, so if you’re a fan, add it to your collection pronto. If you’ve still never seen the movie, now’s a great time to discover a hidden gem of a horror film.
The Last Stop in Yuma County
The Movie: Writer/director (and editor) Francis Galluppi has made his way onto my list of directors to watch with his debut effort The Last Stop in Yuma County. Set in what appears tobe the 1970s (although the time period is purposefully vague), the story sees a disparate group of strangers holed up at a diner in the middle of the desert as they all await a fuel truck to fill up the gas pumps at the gas station next door, allowing them to move on. The only problem is that two of the people waiting are bank robbers who are on the run, and only a couple of the people in the diner are aware of this fact. It’s clear that Galluppi spent his youth watching movies (and probably a lot of Quentin Tarantino movies), as Yuma County feels a lot like the kind of ‘90s indie film that would have garnered a huge following (thing Reservoir Dogs meets Albino Alligator.) But the film, which doesn’t feature a lot of action, is quite riveting thanks to a really sharp script, clever pacing, and a few twists and turns along the way. I really enjoyed The Last Stop in Yuma County and I plan to keep an eye on Galluppi as a filmmaker with a lot of talent. I hope he moves on to bigger things as a result of this movie.
The Special Features: Theres only one featurette, a nine-minute making-of, but it packs twice as much entertainment into its short running time than it should be able to. Definitely worth the watch, if for nothing else than to see how the climactic shot of the movie was filmed.
Digital Copy Included?: No
The Wrap-Up: The Last Stop in Yuma County is a tense little thriller that was made for a small budget but feels like a much bigger film than it is. I really enjoyed it and I think Francis Gallup is a filmmaker to watch. Check it out now and see if you don’t feel the same way.
Angel Has Fallen (4K Ultra HD Steelbook)
The Movie: How Olympus Has Fallen has spawned not one but two sequels (especially considering that competing save-the-President thriller White House Down was clearly the better film) is beyond me, but I do believe they’ve actually gotten better with each outing. I found the original Olympus has Fallen mediocre at best, but London Has Fallen was more enjoyable, with better action sequences and stronger special effects. Now we have Angel Has Fallen, in which Gerard Butler’s Mike Banning is framed for attempting to kill the president and has to go on the run and prove his innocence. There’s not an original bone in the film’s body, but that doesn’t change that it’s an effective, entertaining action film that is a fun way to kill 90 minutes. There’s tons of action, Gerard Butler is his usual, steady self, and the movie works as a trilogy capper or on its own merits as an action movie. This week, we get a new version of Angel Has Fallen on 4K Ultra HD in a gorgeous Steelbook case courtesy of Sony.
The 4K Video/Audio: Angel Has Fallen looks and sounds very good in the premium format. The color saturation is quite vibrant, image clarity is sharp, and shadow delineation is very strong, helpful in a film that takes features endless nighttime scenes and dark moments. The surround soundtrack isn’t the most immersive ever, but it does a great job of maximizing what it has to work with and extending the sounds of mayhem into your living room.
The Special Features: All of the original extras are here, giving us a half-dozen making-of featurettes as well as three scenes that are dissected and discussed by the film’s director.
Digital Copy Included?: Yes
The Wrap-Up: I may have to go back and re-watch the first two. Movies, because Angel Has Fallen in 4K Ultra HD got me all excited. It’s a fun and exciting action film that looks and sounds great in the premium format, and the Steelbook could not look any cooler. A great collection piece for fans of the film or the franchise.
Icons Unearthed: The Simpsons
The Show: Created by Brian Volk-Weiss, who shot to fame with the Netflix series The Toys That Made Us, Icons Unearthed is a show that takes huge pop culture icons and dives into the making of them. The first season featured – what else? – Star Wars. Now, we are treated to another season of the show, but this time around, it focuses on the longest-running original prime time TV series of all time, The Simpsons. As with his previous shows, Volk-Weiss takes interviews with all the major players (focusing more on behind-the-scenes talent than the voice cast for this outing) and then puts it all together in a light-hearted and zingy way that makes the shows so much fun to watch; it really feels like no other documentaries out there. Over the course of six episodes, the show dives deep into the creation of The Simpsons, from its very genesis to its longevity.
The Special Features: While this will probably only appeal to the most die-hard fans, you get over 11 hours of uncut interviews with creators Bill Oakley, Jon Vitti, Rob Kennelly, Ken Estin, and Garth Ander.
Digital Copy Included?: No
The Wrap-Up: Even if you’re a Simpsons fanatic, I can guarantee that you’re going to hear fun new stories you’ve never come across before and you’ll love every minute of it.
I can’t recommend Icons Unearthed: The Simpsons highly enough, it’s everything a Simpsons fan could want.
Double The Romance: Once Around/Evening
The Movie: This new double feature from Mill Creek includes two romantically-themed films: Once Around and Evening. Evening is a little-seen film with a big-name cast from 2007, featuring Claire Danes, Toni Collette, Vanessa Redgrave, Patrick Wilson, Hugh Dancy, Natasha Richardson, Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, and Barry Bostwick, among others. It’s a sweet reflection on love and life and features multiple generations coming together in a family-based narrative. Once Around, on the other hand, hails from 1991 and is directed by Lass Hailstorm. Starring Richard Dreyfuss, Holly Hunter, Danny Aiello, Laura San Giacomo, Gena Rowlands, and Roxanne Hart, the film sees Hunter and Dreyfuss fall in love, but Hunter’s close-knit Italian family can’t stand Dreyfuss’s personality and loud mouth. It’s a “opposites-attract lovers surrounded by overbearing family” dramedy that works largely due to the great performances.
The Special Features: There are no extra features on this release.
Digital Copy Included?: No
The Wrap-Up: Mill Creek does great job of packaging up movies for budget prices, but these two films work especially well together. If you want a night in filled with love and drama, the Double the Romance Blu-ray will fit the bill nicely.
