ROCK THE KASBAH - Bill Murray Kicks Off #Rocktober in "The Man and the Music"

This is the story of Richie Lanz…The Man and the Music. 

Celebrate the start of ROCK THE KASBAH’s #ROCKTOBER by getting to know legendary rock manager Richie Lanz (Bill Murray) in this brand new behind-the-scenes look - “The Man and the Music.” Hear what some of your favorite rock musicians had to say about Richie, his legacy, and his famous antics throughout the years.

Check out “The Man and the Music" HERE

Bill Murray stars as has-been rock manager Richie Lanz in the upcoming dramatic comedy ROCK THE KASBAH, inspired by stranger-than-fiction, real-life events and directed by Oscar winner Barry Levinson. The film co-stars Kate Hudson, Zooey Deschanel, Danny McBride, Scott Caan, Leem Lubany, and Bruce Willis. ROCK THE KASBAH is in theaters October 23.

Digital Review: MARVEL'S AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olson, Paul Bettany, Idris Elba, Stellan Skarsgard, James Spader, Samuel L. Jackson. Directed by Joss Whedon. (2015, 141 min).
MARVEL/WALT DISNEY

As someone who isn't an obsessive fanboy when it comes to comic book adaptations, movies like Avengers: Age of Ultron are a challenge to review, especially since I'm of the humble opinion that Marvel's every-movie-is-connected mantra is becoming exhausting & tiresome (with no visible end in sight). I've enjoyed many Marvel films and happen to think Captain America is the best superhero franchise since Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy. At the same time, I have recently become resentful of the conceit that moviegoers need to see every single Marvel film in order to grasp the big picture, lured by the promise of greater things to come.

Case-in-point...the original Avengers was a terrific surprise...assorted superheroes brought together for the ultimate mash-up. Whether or not you actually saw every previous movie leading to this inevitable teaming didn't matter. That film masterfully presented each character in such a way that, even if you never previously took time for Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger or Iron Man, you got the gist. That, more than anything, is arguably why it became the biggest superhero film of all time. If this was the only Marvel movie you ever watched, it was still a complete experience.

So here we are with Avengers: Age of Ultron, the capper to Phase 2 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe which relies much more heavily on the audience's familiarity with, not only the first Avengers, but the individual films released in the interim. If you haven't been keeping up, the very first scene is nothing but a disorienting, hyper-kinetic exercise in pyrotechnics (with surprisingly bad CGI). The film doesn’t stop to remind us what Hydra is, nor the stone in Loki's apprehended scepter, nor the fact S.H.I.E.LD. is currently in shambles, nor the importance of two super-twins first introduced in a post-credit sequence of a previous film. The conceit that everyone is up-to-speed essentially renders much of this movie a mere transitional chapter for those already in the MCU club. The full-speed-ahead attitude of Age of Ultron sometimes works against it’s effectiveness as a film which can stand on its own merits.

A bee suddenly flies into the car.

Still, despite a rocky opening and a sometimes meandering second act, things improve considerably once it calms itself down to focus on the story, that of a malevolent A.I. empowered by Tony Stark’s engineering skills (not to mention a lot of ego). By now, these characters are like visits from old friends and their interactions with each other is what keeps it going during the duller bits. There are a few new characters as well, most of which are interesting, although some appear to be shoehorned in for the sake of future films. The climax is nearly as rousing as the New York battle from the first film (with the fate of the world at stake, of course), each Avenger getting showcase moments of inimitable ass-kicking and quotable one-liners.

Ultimately, Avengers: Age of Ultron is a film which mostly preaches to the converted, aiming to please the core audience who lap-up everything Marvel has to offer. As such, it’s enormously successful, even if the novelty of seeing all these guys together has worn off just a bit. The casual moviegoer may be at a disadvantage, however, since this train doesn’t really stop to let new passengers onboard.

EXTRAS:

• 2 Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes: "From the Inside Out: The Making of Avengers: Age of Ultron"; "Global Adventure"
• 2 Other Featurettes: "The Infinite Six" (about the powerful stones featured throughout the MCU); "Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron: Connecting the Universe"
• Gag Reel
• 4 Deleted Scenes

KITTY CONSENSUS:

NOT BAD...HAVING PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE HELPS CONSIDERABLY

Rest in Peace, John Guillermin

John Guillermin (1925-2015)

Blu-Ray Review: THE ANOMALY

Starring Noel Clarke, Ian Somerhalder, Alexis Knapp, Luke Hemsworth, Ali Cook, Brian Cox. Directed by Noel Clarke. (2014, 97 min).
UNIVERSAL / ANCHOR BAY

It’s the future. A powerful organization is using mind-controlling bio-technology as a weapon to manipulate others into doing all sorts of nasty deeds. One victim is our hero, Ryan (Noel Clarke), who has no idea what’s going on, especially since his mind transfers from one individual’s body to the next every ten minutes. But that doesn’t stop him from commencing in some ass-kicking to discover this organization’s nefarious agenda.

The Anomaly never makes it quite clear what that agenda actually is, nor the stakes involved. Still, ambiguity isn’t the film’s problem. I love nothing more than well-made, intricate sci-fi which takes its time laying its narrative cards on the table and forcing me to think. But there’s a big difference between challenging and convoluted. The Anomaly is a dull, derivative mess, plucking story elements from similar films like Total Recall without any rudimentary understanding of what makes a good mindbender.

"Dude, we are so lost."

But even that could be overlooked if the film at least provided some interesting characters and action, which The Anomaly doesn’t. As directed and co-written by star Noel Clarke (can we say vanity project?), the film is populated with dull, cliched characters and bland performances. The numerous fight scenes are ultimately rendered unintentionally funny due to the extreme overuse of Matrix-style slow-motion, even when two combatants are merely shoving each other.

Narratively confusing without ever earning the right to be so, The Anomaly is a laborious chore to sit through. In fact, it almost plays like a failed pilot for a SyFy channel series. There are plenty of better films of this genre (both blockbuster and low budget) which are more worth your time.

EXTRAS: None

KITTY CONSENSUS:

MEH...ON PAR WITH A HAIRBALL

DVD Review: DEAD RISING: WATCHTOWER

Starring Jesse Metcalfe, Meghan Ory, Virginia Madsen, Dennis Haysbert, Keegan Connor Tracy, Rob Riggle. Directed by Zack Lipovsky. (2015, 118 min).
SONY

Just to show you how out-of-touch I am...

My oldest daughter saw this DVD screener on the dining room table and remarked, "They made a movie out of this?"

"Out of what?" I asked. "What do you mean?"

"Dad, Dead Rising is a super popular video game," she replied with just the slightest hint of amusement at my ignorance.

Needless to say, I have no frame of reference to judge how faithfully this film adheres to the game which inspired it. Though I occasionally indulge my road rage fantasies with a few rounds of Mario Kart, I've never been much of a gamer. Maybe that's why I was always able to appreciate the Resident Evil films on their own merits and enjoy them for what they are...mindless, flashy fun aimed at those who've probably never seen a real zombie movie. Maybe that's also why I found Dead Rising: Watchtower a reasonably entertaining way to kill two hours. I couldn't tell you if the premise, characters and occasional bits of off-the-wall humor are indicative of the video game series, but for a low budget zombie film which first premiered on Sony's Crackle network, I've seen a lot worse from the genre.

Dead Rising: Watchtower takes place in a fictional Oregon metropolis where zombie outbreaks are commonplace, but the infection can be neutralized with daily injections of Zombrex. When the drug suddenly stops working, the undead run rampant and the city is quarantined. Thousands are trapped inside, including an opportunistic reporter, a mysterious woman whose own stash of Zombrex still works, a grieving mother and a gang of lawless bikers taking advantage of the sudden anarchy. Outside the walls, the military tries to keep things contained while a national news network amusingly covers the events as they transpire. But not everyone is who they seem, and the government may be using this particular outbreak for a more nefarious agenda.

"Balloon animals! NOW!"

This is actually pretty plot heavy for a zombie film, with cover-ups and conspiracies surrounding the latest outbreak. Good thing said-plot is interesting enough for the viewer to forgive the fact it’s never very scary and only infrequently lets the blood fly. And despite the overall serious tone, there is a playful sense of humor which runs throughout the film, particularly the frequent newsbreaks featuring an overly-macho Rob Riggle as the lone survivor of a previous zombie attack.

Not everything works. Sometimes the plot depends too much on the stupidity of its characters and the epic scope of the whole event is occasionally undermined by the limited budget. Still, the performances are decent and, even running almost two hours, the film doesn’t wear out its welcome. You’ve probably seen better zombie movies, but scores more which are far worse.

EXTRAS:

• Audio Commentary
• Featurettes: "The Weapons of Dead Rising"; "Genesis of Bonzo the Zombie Clown"; “The Epic One-Take Shot” (which documents an impressive sequence half-way through the film in which our main character dispatches dozens of the undead in a single unbroken take)
• Rob Riggle Blooper Reel (which is pretty funny)

KITTY CONSENSUS:

NOT BAD...LIKE CAT CHOW.

Blu-Ray Review: THE BEAR (1988): 25TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTOR'S EDITION

Starring Bart the Bear, Douce the Bear, Tcheky Karyo, Andre Lacombe, Jack Wallace. Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud. (1988, 96 min).
SHOUT! FACTORY

The Bear was actually released in 1988, so it's technically the 27th Anniversary, but that's just nitpicking. Since it's been at least two decades since most of us have seen it, what does a year-or-two matter? What's truly important is this beautifully-shot movie is finally available on Blu-Ray.

Revisiting The Bear after such a long time was sort-of an eye-opener. When the screener arrived at the house, I set-aside some TV time so my youngest daughter, Lucy, could enjoy it while I did my review. After all, what kid doesn't love animal movies, especially those with bears?

But I'd forgotten that The Bear begins on a heartbreakingly tragic note, with a female grizzly crushed by falling rocks, leaving her cub (Douce) to fend for himself. I also forgot how violent it is at times; Bart, the male bear who takes Douce in his care, is graphically shot by hunters. Other animals die badly as well, including horses and hunting dogs (one of which is shown partially disemboweled after-the-fact, just before its master puts it out of its misery). Nor did I remember Bart's long, loud, grunting sexual encounter with a female while Douce looks on, waiting for him to finish. Then there's the scene where Douce gets high after dining on hallucinogenic mushrooms. Considering The Bear is mostly remembered as a family film, that’s a hell of a lot of sex, drugs and rock & roll.

Upon learning a local death metal band is looking for a new singer, Bart & Douce decide to audtition.

By the halfway mark, Lucy had enough and wandered off to play Minecraft (bears in peril ain't her thing), leaving me with the conclusion that director Jean-Jacque Annaud never had any intention of making a family film in the first place. Indeed, The Bear is ultimately best appreciated by cinephiles onboard with a director’s attempt to present a story with a minimum of dialogue or exposition. For the most part, Annaud is successful. The Bear has a lot of beautiful moments, both visually and narratively, not-to-mention a considerable amount of character depth (no small feat when you consider half of the cast consists of animals). However, one aspect of the film has always been terrible, namely Touce’s dream sequences (including his whole LSD trip). These haphazard, FX-driven scenes are cheesy, dated and look as though they belong in an entirely different movie altogether.

Other than that, The Bear remains a timeless classic. The relationship between Bart and Douce is manipulatively heart-warming, and only the most cold-blooded individual wouldn't be charmed by these two. Best of all, the film has been nicely restored for this long-awaited Blu-Ray release, meaning its spectacular cinematography has never looked better on home video.

But I'd still think twice before sharing it with wee ones.

EXTRAS: "The Making of The Bear"

KITTY CONSENSUS:

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

Blu-Ray Review: FATAL INSTINCT (1993)

Starring Armand Assante, Sherlyn Fenn, Kate Nelligan, Sean Young, Christopher McDonald, James Remar. Directed by Carl Reiner. (1993, 90 min).
OLIVE FILMS

The price we paid for Airplane! has been very high indeed. That unexpected hit was unlike anything we'd seen before (not even from Mel Brooks): A spot-on satire presented with a completely straight face, featuring a cast best-known for dramatic roles. The gags came so fast and furious that you couldn't catch them all in one viewing. Airplane! was like a MAD Magazine satire come-to-life.

Naturally, we were inundated with dozens more parodies hoping to emulate the formula. Some were great (such as Top Secret!, made by the same team), others merely okay. Most, however, have been terrible, practically begging for laughs with a nudge and a wink to remind us they’re trying to be funny. One such example is 1993’s Fatal Instinct, an anemic attempt to parody erotic thrillers like Fatal Attraction, Basic Instinct and Body Heat, a genre quite popular at the time.

Like Airplane!, Fatal Instinct is loaded with more gags and puns than the average script can hold. Unfortunately, most of them are heavy-handed and dumb. Much of what made Airplane! so great, besides being the first of its kind, was the attention to details (often in the background) which may not be noticed even after many viewings. That subtlety is what separates the film from its imitators, even today. Most of Fatal Instinct’s gags are broad, slap-sticky and in your face. What’s ultimately sad is this is one of the last films directed by the great Carl Reiner, who’d previously helmed many comedy classics and is responsible for some of Steve Martin’s best movies of the 80s.

Some want to rock & roll all night. Others want to party every day.

However, one thing the film definitely does right is casting actors not normally associated with comedy. Armand Assante and James Remar, in particular, are pretty amusing, essentially spoofing their own images with the same intensity as their more serious performances, which is good for a few hearty laughs. Some other scattershot gags work as well, but not nearly enough to make it worthy of mention in the same sentence as Airplane! or Blazing Saddles. Even so, Fatal Instinct is a freaking masterpiece compared to the current visual vomit (mostly by Aaron Seltzer & Jason Friedberg or one of the Wayans brothers) passing itself off as parody.

EXTRAS:
None, even though there are bonus features listed on the cover.

KITTY CONSENSUS:

MEH

Blu-Ray Review: THE WOODS (2006)

Starring Agnes Bruckner, Patricia Clarkson, Bruce Campbell, Lauren Birkell, Rachel Nichols. Directed by Lucky McKee. (2006, 91 min).
OLIVE FILMS

It’s 1965. Heather (Agnes Bruckner) is a troubled teen whose parents ship her to Falburn Academy, an all girls school in the middle of a forest. Her slacker dad (Bruce Campbell) can’t afford the steep tuition, but she’s allowed to stay because of a mysterious scholarship test administered by the dean, Ms. Traverse (Patricia Clarkson).

But Traverse isn’t quite who she seems, nor is the school itself, apparently still haunted by three red-headed witches who vanished into the woods decades ago (but not before killing the headmistress). Soon, Heather is tormented by bizarre visions (as well as a bullying classmate), while girls begin to mysteriously vanish. And of course...something’s out there in the woods.

The Woods is a deliberately-paced, atmospheric piece of gothic horror from Lucky McKee, best-known for the cult sleeper, May. Like most of his films, The Woods features quirky, complex female main characters, Clarkson in particular. She makes the most of this rare chance to play to truly creepy villain. On the other hand, the great Bruce Campbell is largely wasted in a role which makes no use of hisbeloved talents. Granted, McKee is obviously aiming for something different from Campbell’s usual forte. So why cast him in such a thankless role which could have been played by anybody?

Who farted?

Storywise, The Woods walks a familiar path. There aren’t too many surprises along the way and the climax is a bit of a let-down. But as the old cliche goes, sometimes the journey is more important than the destination. This particular journey is sometimes pretty interesting and even manages to instill a bit of dread on a few occasions.

Though it isn‘t likely to flat-out terrify anyone, The Woods is well made for what it is and worth checking out at least once. It’s not nearly as original or entertaining as McKee’s May, but it’s a nice take on a well-worm premise.

EXTRAS: None

KITTY CONSENSUS:

NOT BAD...LIKE CAT CHOW

Blu-Ray Review: HITLER: THE LAST TEN DAYS

Starring Alec Guinness, Simon Ward, Adolfo Celi, Diane Cilento, Doris Kunstmann, eric Porter, Joss Ackland, Julian Glover. Directed by Ennio De Concini. (1973, 105 min).
OLIVE FILMS

Another little oddity resurrected by Olive Films, Hitler: The Last Ten Days features Alec Guinness in the title role, practically gnashing the scenery as he rants, raves and pounds his fists while his co-stars look on helplessly, unable to compete for attention. Though his performance borders on high camp at times, Guinness himself always considered it one of his best roles (an opinion not shared too many others).

As the title suggests, Hitler's days are numbered, though he still behaves as though he's on the verge of total victory, hiding in a Berlin bunker with trusted generals, friends and advisors who often tell him what he wants to hear because they're afraid to concede Germany has no chance of winning the war. Hitler himself is depicted as a completely paranoid, overconfident, sexist, delusional megalomaniac (which he obviously was). Guinness attacks the role with the same over-the-top zeal as Faye Dunaway in Mommie Dearest, which is fine from an entertainment standpoint. In fact, the film becomes deadly dull whenever Guinness is off-screen. Even then, Hitler is mostly presented as a mere caricature of everything we already knew and suspected about him.

No one wants to play Rock-Paper-Scissors with Adolf.

Since there’s little actual plot other than secondary characters discussing what’s going on outside the bunker, Guinness is the sole attraction here. As such, Hitler: The Last Ten Days is an interesting curio, especially to those who mostly associate Guinness with David Lean epics or as Obi Wan Kenobi in Star Wars (a role which, ironically, he hated). His performance is decidedly one-note, yet interesting just the same, mostly because he seldom ever played such a blatantly hateful character.

EXTRAS: None

KITTY CONSENUS:

NOT BAD...LIKE CAT CHOW

Blu-Ray Review: THE INDIAN IN THE CUPBOARD Anniversary Edition

Starring Hal Scardino, Litefoot, David Keith, Lindsay Crouse, Richard Jenkins, Steve Coogan, Rishi Bhat. Directed by Frank Oz. (1995, 96 min).
SONY

The Indian in the Cupboard is another one of those films which garnered good reviews when released back in 1995, but got lost in the shuffle of other blockbusters. Thanks to home video, it received a new lease on life and is now considered sort-of a minor classic. But unlike Sony's simultaneously released Anniversary Editions of Jumanji and Zathura, this is the first time The Indian in the Cupboard has ever been remastered and released on Blu-Ray.

This tale of a boy who receives a magic cupboard which can bring his toys to life has aged pretty well from a technical standpoint (the visual effects still hold up). However, it's far more low-key and deliberately paced than the usual FX-driven kid-friendly film, which sometimes works against it. These characters, while likable and well-performed by the entire cast (especially Litefoot in the title role), aren't always particularly interesting. Still, the concept alone lends itself to enough visually-captivating moments that we tend to stick around until the end of the ride.

If you always meant to include The Indian in the Cupboard in your collection but never got around to it, this is probably the perfect time. Those who already own it on DVD may still want to upgrade because the Blu-Ray transfer and 4K mastering make the film look brand new.

EXTRAS:

• Audio Commentary by director Frank Oz
• "Little Bear: A Return to The Indian in the Cupboard" (New featurette with Litefoot looking back at the film)
• Original Making-of Featurette
• "Reflections of The Indian in the Cupboard" (cast members of the upcoming Goosebumps film briefly talk about this film while plugging their own)
• Original Trailers

KITTY CONSENSUS:

NOT BAD...FANS OF THE FILM WILL ENJOY THE BLU-RAY UPGRADE