Blu-Ray Review: APPOINTMENT WITH CRIME

Starring William Hartnell, Raymond Lovell, Robert Beatty, Herbert Lom, Joyce Howard. Directed by John Harlow. (1956, 91 min).
OLIVE FILMS

Funny...I always assumed "smash & grabs" were perpetrated by strung-out tweekers, tossed in jail because they didn’t think-out their plan before hurling a brick through a store window. I guess that's what I get for watching too many “caught on tape” shows on Spike TV, because smash & crabs are apparently a time-honored avenue to quick riches, practiced by British organized crime syndicates as early as the mid 1940s.

Leo Martin (William Hartnell) is one such smash & grabber, hired by local boss Gus Loman (Raymond Lovell) to hit a downtown jewelry store. During the job, however, Leo’s wrists are broken and Loman leaves him behind to be apprehended by the police. After doing his time, Leo is released and plots revenge by framing Loman for a murder. But Loman answers to an even bigger crime boss, Gregory Lang (Herbert Lom), the actual owner of the gun Leo’s used. Meanwhile, Leo hooks up with local dancer Carol Dane (Joyce Howard) in order to provide an alibi and throw local police off his trail.

"I'm wearing nothing under this."

This is typical film-noir fodder with the usual tough-guys, femme fatales and overwrought performances, Hartnell’s in particular. Although Appointment with Crime is a relatively obscure entry in the genre and offers nothing new (Leo still refers to the police as coppers), the story is told with enough panache to maintain interest. Old school Doctor Who fans will enjoy seeing Hartnell unleash his inner Cagney here, and it’s always a pleasure to check out the late, great Herbert Lom before he gained worldwide notoriety as Inspector Clouseau’s oft-suffering police commissioner.

Olive Films continues to overturn cinema stones to release films we didn’t think we needed (or even knew existed) on Blu-Ray. It’s doubtful too many of us were pining for a Blu-Ray edition of Appointment with Crime, but its relative obscurity is also part of its charm. Those who love the golden era of film-noir should get a minor kick out of this.

BONUS FEATURES: None

KITTY CONSENSUS:

NOT BAD...LIKE CAT CHOW

Blu-Ray Review: THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR

Starring Sarah Wayne Callies, Jeremy Sisto, Javier Botet, Sofia Rosinsky, Suchitra Pillai-Malik, Logan Creran. Directed by Johannes Roberts. (2016, 96 min).
20TH CENTURY FOX

The Other Side of the Door is a box recipe made from common ingredients found in Insidious and The Ring, along with a heaping tablespoon of Stephen King's Pet Sematary. The results are edible enough, but so is macaroni & cheese. It takes a special kind of chef to make old things new again, which this dish doesn't have.

Sarah Wayne Callies (she of The Walking Dead fame) plays Maria, living abroad in India with her dedicated-but-dull husband (Jeremy Sisto, one of the reasons I quit watching Law & Order). She's still grieving over the loss of her son, Oliver, who recently died in a car accident. When her native housekeeper, Piki, informs her of a ritual involving spreading her son's ashes on the steps of an ancient temple in order to briefly bring him back to life so she can give a proper goodbye, Maria jumps at the chance. There are rules, of course, the main one being that Maria should not open the temple door, no matter how much her resurrected son begs. Of course, Maria violates that rule, otherwise, no movie. Oliver does indeed return, but in a revelation that'll shock no one, he's completely evil.

Extreme face-palming.

The film starts off pretty slow, then only moves in fits & starts once it gets down to business. There are a few jump scares along the way, but for the most part, we've seen this story before, the kind which depends on the utter stupidity of certain characters to move it along. In this case, it's Maria, which comes as no surprise. The desperate, grieving parent is such a hoary old cliche that we're 100% certain she's going to make the worst possible decisions before we even pop in the disc.

So what we're left with is the cinema equivalent of mac & cheese. It’s by-the-numbers filmmaking, as if preparation instructions were listed on the back of a box. What’s wrong with throwing a pinch of this or a dash of that just to make it all a bit more memorable?

BONUS FEATURES:

• Deleted Scenes
• Gallery
• "Behind the Door" (a very short promotional featurette with co-producer Alexandre Aja) 

KITTY CONSENSUS:

MEH...

Blu-Ray Review: THE MARTIAN: EXTENDED EDITION

Starring Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels, Michael Pena, Kate Mora, Sean Bean, Donald Glover, Sebastian Stan, Aksel Hennie, Chiwetel Ejiofor. Directed by Ridley Scott. (2015, 141/151 min).
20TH CENTURY FOX

Though it isn't even a year old, it's safe to say The Martian will likely go down in history as another Shawshank Redemption: One of those movies everyone loves, watches repeatedly, quotes endlessly and pauses channel surfing long enough to catch a few minutes whenever it happens to air on TNT or FX.

But unlike The Shawshank Redemption (which took years achieve the classic status it enjoys today), The Martian was a blockbuster from day one and a huge seller when released on DVD & Blu-Ray in January. Now, not even six months later, we're already getting an Extended Cut of the film with a whole new batch of bonus features, along with a few holdovers from the original disc. Since many of you reading this probably already have the film on your shelf, it's time to ask how big of a fan you really are. Rather than summarize the plot, it's more important to discuss two things: The extended cut, which is ten minutes longer, and the new bonus features.

The original version was already Ridley Scott's best film since Black Hawk Down. The reinsertion of additional scenes (some featuring Damon during his Martian exile, others focusing on those on Earth trying to bring him home) don't add anything revelatory to the plot (though it'll inspire some viewers to Google the definition of 'felching'). In fact, unless you've seen the film multiple times, you'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference between both cuts. Still, it's a testament to the strength of the story, Scott's direction and Damon's performance that the additional footage doesn't feel like a gratuitous cash grab.

"Funny...I don't feel extended. Guess those ads were wrong"

Which brings us to the bonus features (outlined below). They are far more comprehensive than those included on the original disc. Featuring audio commentaries, lengthy multi-chapter documentaries on the making of the film and the real-life logistics of an actual journey to Mars, this disc is loaded with the kind of stuff cinephiles and superfans will feel are worth the upgrade.

Of course, The Martian is a must-own, since it's one of those rare films that transcends its genre (much like The Shawshank Redemption). Casual fans who enjoyed the original version will be perfectly content with the disc they've already purchased. This Extended Edition is for those whose love extends far beyond the multiplex. For them, the decision whether or not to pick this up is a no-brainer, and they won't be disappointed.

BONUS FEATURES (a few of which were included on the previous release):

• Extended & Theatrical Cuts 
• "The Long Way Home: Making The Martian" - A lengthy multi-part behind-the-scenes feature that includes interviews with most of the major cast & crew.
• "The Journey to Mars 101" - Multi-part panel discussions about the film itself, as well as the real-life logistics of visiting Mars, featuring Scott, screenwriter Drew Goddard, original author Andy Weir (who's actually a little annoying to listen to) and various experts in the field of space exploration.
• "Dare Mighty Things: NASA's Journey to Mars"
• "Ares III: Refocused"
• Audio Commentary (on both versions) by Scott, Goddard and Weir.
• Deleted Scenes
• Gag Reel
• Ares Mission Videos
• Digital Copy

KITTY CONSENSUS:

PURR...FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T GET ENOUGH

Blu-Ray Review: HELLO, MY NAME IS DORIS

Starring Sally Field, Max Greenfield, Beth Behrs, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Stephen Root, Elizabeth Reaser, Natasha Lyonne, Tyne Daly. Directed by Michael Showalter. (2015, 90 min).
SONY

Of course, we all agree Sally Field has always been adorable. That was scientifically proven decades ago. Her days as a leading lady may now be few and far between, but she's had the good sense to age gracefully. And you know what? She's still pretty damned adorable, even when playing an aging, lonely, anxiety-ridden eccentric, the title character in Hello, My Name is Doris and a role which seems tailor-made for her.

Doris' days have consisted of the same routine most of her life, toiling in a cubicle of a Manhattan office building while taking care of her ailing mother. Her life is thrown into turmoil when her mother dies and her brother (along with his bitchy wife) insists she sells the house...no small feat since Doris is resistant to change and a compulsive hoarder. At work, she becomes smitten with John (Max Greenfield), a charming & handsome executive who's a third her age. After attending a motivational speaker seminar with her best friend (Tyne Daly), Doris becomes hopeful that she and John could be more than just co-workers.

Doris discovers Free Kittens Movie Guide.

This premise could have been depressing (maybe a little bit creepy) in the wrong hands, but instead, it's generally sweet, poignant and often quite funny, even during moments when we're sort-of cringing at some of Doris' actions (like a drunken Facebook post...who hasn't done that?). Field, however, manages to make us truly like Doris. Despite her eccentricities and somewhat delusional expectations, Doris is never depicted as a clown or object of ridicule. Director/co-writer Michael Showalter also does an admirable job keeping things light and unpredictable, peppering the story with interesting, complex supporting characters and giving the film an ending that's both surprising and, to a certain extent, audience rousing.

It's been a long time since Sally Field has been tasked to carry the majority of a movie on her shoulders, but she definitely still has the acting chops to pull it off. Hello, My Name is Doris is a charming little dramatic comedy that features one of her best (and more adorable) performances in years.

BONUS FEATURES:

• Deleted Scenes
• Alternate Ending
• Audio Commentary by Michael Showalter

KITTY CONSENSUS:

PURR...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS.

DVD Review: SHAUN THE SHEEP: THE FARMER'S LLAMAS

Starring the voices of Justin Fletcher and John Sparkes. Directed by Jay Grace. (2015, 59 min).
LIONSGATE

Fans of the Nick Park-created Shaun the Sheep series and film should enjoy this, since it's essentially more of the same. The Farmer's Llamas initially aired as a half-hour TV special in 2015, but that alone would make a pretty slight DVD, so enough bonus features are included to make it a decent purchase.

This time around, Shaun goes with the Farmer and Blitzer to a country fair, where they bring home three wild, soccer loving llamas. It seems like a good idea at the time, but soon these animals are wreaking all kinds of havoc on the farm. Essentially an extended episode of the series, the stop-motion animation, as usual, is wonderful and the situations are fairly amusing (especially presented with nearly no dialogue).

While I personally never found Shaun the Sheep as witty or endearing as Wallace & Gromit, fans will want to pick this one up to complete their collection.

BONUS FEATURES (which actually run longer than the feature itself):

• Featurettes: "Meet the Llamas"; "The Director's Perspective"; "Behind the Fleece"
• 2 Additional Episodes: "Cheetah Cheater" & "Zebra Ducks of the Serengeti"
• Digital Copy

KITTY CONSENSUS:

NOT BAD...LIKE CAT LLAMA CHOW

Blu-Ray Review: VINYL: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON

Starring Bobby Cannavale, Paul Ben-Victor, P.J. Byrne, Max Casella, Ato Essandoh, James Jagger, J.C. MacKenzie, Jack Quaid, Ray romano, Birgitte Hjort Sorensen, Juno Temple, Olivia Wilde. Various Directors (including Martin Scorsese). (2016, 660 min).
HBO HOME ENTERTAINMENT

Vinyl is a convincing depiction of the record business during the 70s (its most decadent & lucrative period). So of course, there's an over-abundance of prerequisite sex, drugs and rock & roll, but we're also made privy to its unscrupulous, cut-throat and greedy side. If anyone is qualified to bring this Babylonian period back to life, it's Martin Scorsese (a master of recreating an era) and Mick Jagger (who lived it firsthand). It goes without saying that the attention to period detail is nothing short of exemplary, right down to the constant barrage of music from the time (if nothing else, Vinyl features the greatest soundtrack in television history).

So why is it such a chore to sit through?

It doesn’t start off that way. In fact, the Scorsese-directed pilot episode initially has us gleefully anticipating 10 glorious hours combining the extravagance of The Wolf of Wall Street with the narrative panache of Goodfellas. The cast is certainly game, too, lead by Bobby Cavannale (making the most of a rare leading role) as Richie. The head of American Century records, he's struggling with drug addiction, a failing marriage and distancing himself from the brutal murder of an associate, all while desperately trying to keep his failing label afloat by changing its image to keep up with the times. The rest of the cast, including Olivia Wilde as Richie’s estranged wife, Ray Romano as American Century’s head promoter and James Jagger (Mick’s son) as a brash, cocky rock & roll upstart, are terrific in their roles.

But nearly all of these characters become less interesting and likeable as the season wears on. Of course, Scorsese has made a career from making a variety of morally-questionable individuals fun to watch. But his aesthetically similar period pieces like Goodfellas, Casino and The Wolf of Wall Street work because they are singular viewing experiences, so masterfully directed that it’s only after the credits roll when we realize the characters we’ve been enjoying for 2-3 hours are actually terrible people. Vinyl, however, forces us to hang out with its variety of shady folks long after we've had enough of their bullshit.

"You know, not everybody loves Raymond."

Not helping matters is the fact that the seedy, dark side of the record business isn't really anything new. There aren’t any real revelations here, no matter how realistically they are presented. Yet we’re constantly reminded, in damn-near every episode, that the business of making & selling records is only marginally more legitimate than prostitution.

Despite tackling a familiar subject, I’m ultimately left believing Vinyl's story would have been far more effectively told as an single, epic, theatrical film (directed by Scorsese himself, of course). We’d spend just enough time with its characters to remain interested, while Scorsese’s directorial flourishes carry us back to an era he’s obviously still in love with. Instead, long before the tenth and final episode of this first season (and a second is coming), Vinyl has already exhausted us.

BONUS FEATURES:

• Featurette: "Making Vinyl: Recreating the 70s"
• Audio Commentaries (selected episodes, featuring various cast members, directors and co-creator Terence winter)
• Inside the Episodes (short promotional segments of each episode)

KITTY CONSENSUS:

NOT BAD...BUT CONSIDERING THE TALENT INVOLVED, THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A VICTORY LAP.

Blu-Ray Review: ZOOTOPIA

Starring the voices of Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Jenny Slate, Don Lake, Tommy Chong, J.K. Simmons, Octavia Spencer, Alan Tudyk. Directed by Bryon Howard & Rich Moore. (2016, 108 min).
WALT DISNEY

Zootopia is arguably Disney’s best movie since The Lion King, their cleverest since Who Framed Roger Rabbit and their most original since...maybe ever.
.
A big part of the reason it works so well is because it isn’t a kids’ movie, not in the purest sense anyway. Sure, it’s fast-paced, charming and visually stunning. So was The Croods: initially amusing, but a chore to endure upon repeated viewings (as any parent will attest to). And yeah, the story is engrossing, like most of Disney’s recent output, but Zootopia seems far more ambitious, drawing just as much inspiration from adult action fare like Lethal Weapon as it does tried-and-true animated story tropes, yet it never descends into pure parody. As is par-for-the-course, Zootopia has an underlying message. Lots of them, actually, but whether related to the main story or not, they are subtle, timely and subversive. The city of Zootopia is an ingeniously-rendered microcosm of humanity and the (sometimes ridiculous) prejudices which keep us divided.

But that’s just the story, which is as intriguing as any police procedural you’d care to name. With this film, the devil is in the details. Whether an obscure nod to The Godfather (obscure for kids, anyway), an off-the-cuff pop-culture reference, what we’ve always suspected about the DMV or simply something going on in the background, Zootopia is loaded with more throwaway scenes than we can possibly catch with a single viewing (kind of like the original Airplane!).

"Hasenpfeffer is made of WHAT?!?"

What’s ultimately ironic is the fact that Disney, after purchasing Pixar outright, has actually stepped-up their game with increasingly engaging films, while Pixar itself has fallen more-or-less into a holding pattern with unnecessary sequels and (Inside Out notwithstanding) generic concepts. Like The Lion King in the 90s, Zootopia may end up being a pinnacle of modern Disney animation, featuring the studio at its most creative in decades. Arguably among their all-time best, it’s hard to imagine topping this one any time soon.

BONUS FEATURES:

• Featurettes: “Zootopia: The Roundtables”; “The Origin of an Animal Tale” (the best of the bonus features); “Research: A True-Life Adventure”; “ZPD: Forensic Files” (a guide to many of the film’s Easter Eggs (and there’s a ton of ‘em).
• Deleted Characters
• Deleted Scenes
• DVD & Digital Copies

KITTY CONSENSUS:

MEE-OW! BETTER THAN  A FRESH CAN OF TUNA!

(or a plate of Hasenpfeffer)

Blu-Ray Review: 13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI

Starring James Badge Dale, John Krasinski, Max Martini, Dominic Fumusa, Pablo Schreiber, David Denman, Matt Letscher, Toby Stephens, Alexia Barlier. Directed by Michael Bay. (2016, 144 min).
PARAMOUNT

Either I’m losing my mind or the apocalypse is finally at-hand, because 13 Hours is a great film. This comes as a shock because it’s directed by none other than the notorious Michael Bay, our current whipping boy for the everything wrong with American cinema, who famously trivialized the horrific attack on Pearl Harbor by turning it into a shallow, bloated, FX-driven soap opera. To put my assessment in perspective, 13 Hours isn’t simply good-for-a-Michael-Bay film...it compares favorably to the likes of Black Hawk Down.

God knows I’ve done my fair share of Bay bashing, and it isn’t like he's really changed his brash, in-four-face style. But somehow, his particular skills are perfect for this film, which wisely eschews all the political baggage of this true story to focus exclusively on the incident itself. In 2012, six former soldiers (the Global Response Staff, or GRS) are ‘unofficially’ recruited to watch over the U.S. embassy (the last one remaining in war-torn Benghazi, Libya after the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi), while also protecting a secret CIA base-of-operations a mile away. When militants attack the embassy during Ambassador Stevens’ visit, the GRS are initially unable to offer aid due to the supposed secrecy of the CIA outpost, but when they finally do go in, it’s too late. None of the GRS need a slide-rule to figure out the CIA outpost is the next target. With outside U.S. forces hours away and Libyan ‘friendlies’ mostly unwilling to get involved, these guys are on their own to protect the compound and everyone inside.

"You and your damned special orders..."

The premise alone makes 13 Hours smarter than any other film Michael Bay has ever cranked out. One revelation, however, is the amount of attention paid to the characters, especially Tyrone and Jack (James Badge Dale & John Krasinski), two long-time, battle-weary friends. Unlike most of Bay’s lengthy, hyperkinetic action-packed excursions, we’re afforded breathing room between the intense battle scenes to get to know most of the individuals involved, so we actually have a stake in who lives and dies.

As for the action itself, this is ironically where Bay’s oft-criticized style actually becomes an asset. These sequences are loud and chaotic, as they likely were during the incident. To depict them any other way would be a disservice to those of actually lived through it. This is another revelation...the complete respect Bay gives to the story and those involved by depicting events as accurately as possible, while still delivering an immersive, thrilling film. To be honest, I didn’t know he had it in him.

So I’m sort of troubled, since I’m usually ready and willing to bash Bay as the bane of modern movie making whenever I get the chance. But honestly, I can’t do that here. The true story behind 13 Hours is inherently riveting and Bay, accidentally or not, truly does it justice. Is he finally growing as a director? Maybe, though a fifth Transformers movie is next on the the pipeline. This one time, however, Bay delivers much more than his trademark visual chest-thumping. 13 Hours is great stuff worth repeated viewings.

BONUS FEATURES:

• Featurettes: “For the Record: Finding the Truth Amid the Noise”; “Uncovering Benghazi’s Secret Soldiers”; “Preparing for Battle: Behind the Scenes of 13 Hours” (a 30-minute making-of); “In Memorandum” (a montage of those who lost their lives during this incident). All of these featurettes are informative and interesting, though they didn’t really need to be included on an entirely separate disc).
• DVD & Digital Copies

KITTY CONSENSUS:

ME-OWW! BETTER THAN A FRESH CAN OF TUNA.

Rest in Peace, Muhammad Ali

"The Greatest" (1942-2016)

FIVE THINGS THAT HAVE US PURRING THIS SUMMER

INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE

The initial teaser didn't impress us, making it look more like a reboot of Battleship. But subsequent trailers included all the stuff that made the original so much damn fun...more returning characters, silly humor, jaw-dropping visuals and patriotic banner-waving. Sure, we don’t necessarily need an Independence Day sequel, but count us in anyway.

THREE LOST CLASSICS ON BLU-RAY

Anyone who's ever spent time browsing Free Kittens Movie Guide knows we have a soft spot for films of the 1970s. Not just the classics, but those of sentimental or nostalgic personal importance. This summer we're getting three of them, all of which have been covered extensively on our site. Shout Factory is releasing Rollercoaster and Two-Minute Warning, both originally released to capitalize on the disaster movie trend at the time (though neither are true disaster films), while Kino Lorber is putting out what looks to be the definitive Blu-Ray of The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, one of the great thrillers of the 70s. Guess who's doing an all-nighter in July revisting his childhood?

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

While we aren't big fans of remakes, we aren't opposed to them either (unless the original is absolutely perfect). Since 1960's The Magnificent Seven was itself a remake of The Seven Samurai, why not have another go-around? The cast this time includes Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke and Vincent D’Onofrio, to name a few. Throw in director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, The Equalizer) and the final music score by the late, great James Horner, how can this one possibly miss?

HORROR: THE PURGE - ELECTION YEAR and THE CONJURING 2

We’re the first to admit the first two films in the polarizing Purge franchise aren’t perfect, but the concept is killer and this was one of those rare cases where the second film vastly improved on the first in every way. Will the third chapter be even better? With Frank Grillo returning, this time protecting a president who wants to eliminate The Purge, this sounds like the most ambitious one yet. 2013’s The Conjuring was a wonderful surprise to many horror fans (including us). Based on the supposedly true exploits of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, the film was suspenseful, smart and scary-as-hell, while never relying on blood or a body-count. This sequel brings back the same director, writers and stars for yet-another go-around. The trailer looks suitably ominous, so unless somebody behind the scenes totally screws the pooch, The Conjuring 2 might be the horror event of the year.

THE WALKING DEAD, SEASON 6 ON BLU-RAY

The Walking Dead is our favorite show, but we never watch it when it airs weekly on AMC. The constant commercial breaks and week-long waits between episodes are maddening. We’d rather wait and binge during a single glorious weekend in August, when the most recent season is typically released on video, though it does make going online a tricky endeavor throughout the rest of the year (you know...spoilers). Still, there’s no better way to watch this show.