TULSA KING Season Three (Blu-ray) - Considering his filmography over the last three decades or so, to call Dwight Manfredi Sylvester Stallone’s best role in years might be considered faint praise. But he really is quite good in Tulsa King, which is about to enter its fourth season. In fact, there are even moments when he (almost) disappears into the character, where we feel like we’re watching a larger-than-life mobster, not the larger-than-life actor playing him. You’d probably have to go all the way back to 1997’s Cop Land for a more believable performance. But like Cop Land, he ain't doing all of this singlehandedly. Sly is supported by a great cast that includes Dana Delany, Annabella Sciorra, Frank Grillo, Jay Will, Martin Starr, and joining for Season Three, Kevin Pollack and Robert Patrick. Having not watched the previous two seasons (sorry, Paramount+, I have enough overpriced streaming apps), I appreciated Tulsa King quickly recapping a few open storylines before diving into the main plot of Season Three, which pits Manfedi and his family against the ruthless leader of the Tulsa Mafia (Patrick), while being pressured by an FBI agent (Pollack) to become an informant. While seldom as compulsively watchable as Paramount+’s other crime series, MobLand, Tulsa King benefits from good characters and solid writing. (2025/418 min/Paramount).
KITTY CONSENSUS: 😼😼😼
L.A. GUNS - LIVE FROM THE GUILD THEATRE (Blu-ray) - Back in the ‘80s, when hair metal ruled the world, you had your big guns, then you had your L.A. Guns. A little raunchier than your usual Bon Jovi clones but less dangerous than Guns ‘N’ Roses (though cut from similar cloth), the band didn’t pack arenas or dominate MTV, but managed to crank out a catchy hit or two that ended up becoming their legacy. Led by singer Phil Lewis and guitarist Tracii Gunns (the sole original member), the band has gone through more line-up changes than Spinal Tap, but hey, they’re still kicking around. Live from the Guild Theatre shows the most recent version of the band chugging through a set-list consisting of “classic” and more recent material, including their best-known song, “The Ballad of Jayne.” Though their glory days are obviously far behind them, L.A. Guns sound okay for a bunch of geezers, but this perfunctory concert video is strictly for die hard fans who still feel the band never got its due. (2026/83 min/Cleopatra Entertainment).
KITTY CONSENSUS: 😼😼
BAD COUNSELORS (DVD) - I know what you’re thinking...taking one look at the generic cover and title, you’re assuming Bad Counselors must be yet another raunchy teen comedy set at yet another summer camp. But you’d only be half right. It is indeed a comedy set at a summer camp, but it’s a Christian youth camp and Bad Counselors is actually a faith-based movie that throws in just enough mild “naughtiness” to earn its PG-13 rating. The plot itself ain’t half bad, that of a couple of douchebags trying to fulfill their community service by posing as counselors, even though they know nothing about Christianity (yet, of course). I’ll give the movie kudos for one thing…it doesn’t beat the viewer over the head with sanctimonious preaching. But despite being surprisingly sweet-natured at times, it’s only occasionally funny and ultimately kind of a chore to endure, not helped by characters who are largely uninteresting, though Missi Pyle (in a small supporting role) is cute as always. (2026/97 min/Alliance Entertainment).
KITTY CONSENSUS: 😺😺
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