CAVE RESCUE Doesn't Dive Deep

CAVE RESCUE (Blu-ray Review)

2022 / 100 min

FROM LIONSGATE

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😾

Cave Rescue is the third film released within a year that tells the same true story: The efforts to save a Thai youth soccer team trapped in a flooded cave. The first was The Rescue, a documentary, followed by Thirteen Lives, Ron Howard’s big budget dramatization with an impressive cast. 

Though actually produced first and re-edited for a 2022 release, Cave Rescue tries to offer the best of both worlds…the authenticity of a documentary and the dramatic urgency inherent within the situation. Unfortunately, the film ends up being a dull exercise in redundancy and it's the viewer that needs to be rescued...from boredom.

The promotional campaign touts casting many of the same divers who participated in the rescue, playing themselves as they reenact their heroism. While none of them embarrass themselves, it’s obvious acting is not their forte. Historically, hiring people to play themselves in a movie has never worked out very well. Just ask Clint Eastwood.

Real-life rescue diver Jim Warny learns his new SAG card will get him a Denny's discount.

But not even Viggo Mortensen could do anything with the screenplay, which is devoid of anything resembling characterization. We learn almost nothing about anyone involved beyond on-screen text providing their names and occupations. In fact, when one of them dies, instead of feeling a sense of loss, we’re just wondering which guy it was. It’s damn tough to become emotionally invested in any rescue when characters simply exist to swim, shiver or provide exposition. 

Speaking of which, the narrative dutifully documents events inside and outside of the cave. Each step of the rescue is preceded by a title card explaining things further. It’s all competently shot, but coasts on the conceit that meticulous attention to detail will manufacture all the drama and conflict the story needs. That may be true for documentaries, but in movies “based on true events” where the outcome is a given, some dramatic embellishment is expected. Otherwise, you might as well watch a documentary.

Despite honorable intentions and solid technical merits, Cave Rescue is a repetitive, redundant and tedious endurance test that practically dares the viewer to stick with it to the end. You’re better off seeking out one of the other films depicting the same event, both of which are far more compelling.

EXTRA KIBBLES

MAKING OF FEATURETTE

TRAILER

DIGITAL COPY

THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER...and Goats

THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER (Digital Review)

2022 / 119 min

FROM MARVEL/DISNEY

Review by Tiger the Terrible😺

Add THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER to your collection now on Digital and on 4K, Blu-ray and DVD September 27.

Those giant screaming goats…I could watch a whole movie featuring just them. A gift to Thor for saving a kingdom during the first act, they're a hilarious running gag that sets the tone for the whole film.

It’s funny how the Thor movies used to be the black sheep of the MCU but are now the ones I look most forward to, though I suspect I’m in the minority in this opinion. The first two films were watchable, but I never found the title character particularly engaging. Then Ragnarok came along, loaded with comedy which sometimes bordered on farce, as well as a crazy story that - refreshingly - did not involve the fate of the Earth. We can probably thank director Taika Waititi for that.

Well, maybe not everybody wants to thank him, especially since Thor: Love and Thunder (also directed & co-written by Waititi) ventures even further into comedy that sometimes approaches camp. Of course you have fanboys resentful of how jokey the franchise has become, apparently refusing to accept that the very concept of Thor is inherently ridiculous (so why not throw in a few giant screaming goats?). 

The real star of Thor: Love and Thunder.

Like the Ant-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy films, Thor has become a franchise with considerable appeal to those who don’t typically go-in for superhero films and couldn’t care less about the MCU timeline. Hence, Love and Thunder is light, breezy and fast-moving fun. There’s the usual visual fireworks, but with an emphasis on humor, relationships and some kick-ass Guns ‘N’ Roses music, the plot itself is almost perfunctory. Which is fine, because not only has Thor himself (Chris Hemsworth) become personable and amusingly fallible, Natalie Portman’s return as Jane Foster (and The Mighty Thor) allows for some romantic tension and heartfelt poignancy, especially during the final act.

Elsewhere, Christian Bale is sort of wasted as the primary antagonist, Gorr the God Butcher. As a grieving father sworn to destroy all gods after being betrayed by his own, he’s good - and somewhat sympathetic - but really, the character could have been played by anybody. Conversely, Russel Crowe has a field day playing Zeus, the mightiest of all Gods, as well as the most narcissistic. He’s to Love and Thunder what Jeff Goldblum was to Ragnarok.

Taika Waititi is arguably the film’s MVP, once again bringing irreverence (and giant screaming goats) to a franchise that really benefits from his touch. And while there’s a bit of MCU housekeeping near the beginning, Thor: Love and Thunder works just fine as a stand-alone film. Not everyone will appreciate its goofiness - or the surprising amount of sentimentality - but those who found Ragnarok a refreshing change in direction should have no complaints.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - “Hammer-worthy: Thor and the Mighty Thor”; “Shaping a Villain”; “Another Classic Taika Adventure”; “Christian Bale as Gorr the God Butcher.”

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By director Taika Waititi (with his daughters upstairs…”running amok”).

BLOOPERS

5 DELETED SCENES

DRIVE (1997): The Chairman in 4K

DRIVE (4K UHD Review)

1997 / 118 min 

FROM 88 FILMS

Review by Tiger the Terrible😺

I went into 1997’s Drive with excess baggage…

Back in the day, my wife, girls and I would religiously gather in the living room each week to catch Iron Chef America, a cooking competition on Food Network. Hands down, our favorite fixture on the show was “The Chairman,” master of ceremonies at Kitchen Stadium. Not only did he enthusiastically announce each episode’s secret ingredient, he’d signify the start of the contest by shouting ‘Allez Cuisine!’ accompanied by a swift judo chop.

He was played by actor Mark Dacascos, and for years, that’s all he’s ever been to me. It wasn’t until much later that I began spotting him in action flicks, where he’d display pretty impressive martial arts prowess. But even while reviewing Drive, which he made long before Alton Brown ever heard of him, The Chairman loomed large. That’s my hang-up, I guess.

While he’s certainly no method actor who disappears into a role, Dacascos has an agreeable screen presence. Not only does Drive nicely showcase his physical skills, he’s capable of displaying a little intensity when required, as well as some comic timing (though he’s mostly straight man to co-star Kardeem Hardison). Mark plays Toby Wong, a Hong Kong agent whose strength and speed are boosted by a high-tech device implanted in his chest. But when China re-assumes control of Hong Kong, they want the device back, so Wong escapes to San Francisco. 

Tonight's secret ingredient is pain.

Wong plans on selling the device to a buyer in Los Angeles, but he’s pursued by a bunch of hired killers led by Vic Madison (John Pyper-Ferguson). After a barroom brawl, he forces innocent bystander Malik Brody (Hardison) to drive him to LA. As a divorced, aspiring songwriter - but mostly kind of a slacker - Brody is an amusing character, the antithesis of Wong’s grim determination. What follows is a road trip where these two bicker, bond, fight bad guys and have run-ins with a variety of oddball characters. The trek culminates in a showdown between Wong and “Advanced Model” (Masaya Karo), another agent with an upgraded device in his chest. 

In addition to featuring impressive action sequences for a low budget film, Drive is often pretty funny. Best of all, just the right measures of self-awareness are detectable during the more ridiculous moments. However, some secondary characters are poorly conceived. The late Brittany Murphy is wasted in a ridiculous role, as is the great James Shigeta; playing the head of the organization trying to take back the device, he isn’t given much to do besides stare at monitors and complain. As Madison, Ferguson is initially funny, but his sardonic hillbilly schtick eventually grows tiresome. I suppose these are minor quips, though, since Dacascos and Hardison display enough on-screen chemistry to compensate. One might even consider them to be Drive’s “secret ingredient,” elevating the film a notch or two above the usual direct-to-video fight-fests of the era. It’s also an interesting look at Dacasco’s career before taking up residence in Kitchen Stadium.

Now it’s offered on 4K UHD, which is sort of surprising since it’s a relatively obscure film that was just released on Blu-ray only last year (by MVD Visual). I can’t comment on the upgrade because I never viewed the Blu-ray, but the 4K picture & sound is pretty impressive. The bonus features, however, are exactly the same as the MVD disc.

EXTRA KIBBLES

2 CUTS OF THE FILM - Original (100 min) and Extended (118 min). They also have different scores.

“THE FORCE BEHIND THE STORM” - An enjoyable vintage documentary.

“HIGHWAY TO NOWHERE” - Interview with actor Jason Tobin.

INTERVIEW GALLERY - Featuring director Steve Wang, actors Mark Dacascos & Kadeem Hardison, second unit director Wyatt Weed and stunt coordinator Koichi Sakamoto.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By director Steve Wang, actors Mark Dacascos & Kadeem Hardison and stunt coordinator Koichi Sakamoto.

TRAILER

REVERSIBLE COVER

MINI POSTER

THE POOP SCOOP: Classics & New Classics

😺CASABLANCA arrives on Ultra HD Blu-ray and Digital on November 8 from Warner Bros.

Celebrating the 80th anniversary of its 1942 release, the legendary Warner Bros. film Casablanca will be released on Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital on November 8, it was announced today by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. Starring Academy Award winners Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, critic Leonard Maltin calls Casablanca “the best Hollywood movie of all time.” The new Casablanca 4K Ultra High-Definition image was restored and remastered from a 2022 4K 16bit film scan of the best-surviving nitrate film elements. The 4K-scanned digital images went through an extensive digital restoration process to clean and repair the picture for an unprecedented and pristine ultra-high-resolution presentation.  The restored images were then graded in High Dynamic Range for today’s premium 4K display experience, providing the highest fidelity in image contrast and detail retention.  This work was meticulously handled by Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging.  The original theatrical mono audio has also been newly restored as well, providing a richer and broader frequency response than previously possible.

🙀NOPE on Digital September 20, 2022 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD October 25, 2022 from Universal.

Jordan Peele reimagines the summer movie with NOPE, an expansive epic of uncanny science fiction. Following their father’s shocking death, Hollywood animal wrangler OJ (Kaluuya) and his sister Emerald (Palmer) begin observing unexplained phenomena on their vast Southern California ranch that leads them down an obsessive rabbit hole as they plot attempts to capture the mystery on camera. Along with a former child star turned family theme park ringmaster (Yeun) who neighbors the siblings, the pair’s efforts to chase the spectacle soon bring terrifying consequences and unimaginable horror. The result is a complex social thriller that unpacks the seeds of violence, risk and opportunism that are inseparable from the romanticized history of the American West … and from show business itself. Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, this “spellbinder that keeps pushing boundaries” (Peter Travers, ABC News) will have you never looking at clouds the same way ever again. The exclusive Collector’s Edition comes filled with more than 90 minutes of never-before-seen bonus content, including a revealing documentary that dives deep into the film’s rich DNA and Peele’s extraordinary vision; an exploration into the conception, design and execution of entity “Jean Jacket”; deleted scenes, a gag reel and more taking audiences behind the scenes of the out-of-this-world adventure.

 

😺TOP GUN 2-MOVIE 4K STEELBOOK SUPERFAN COLLECTION Coming December 6 from Paramount.

The #1 film of 2022, with over $1.4 billion at the global box office, and the original pop culture touchstone that helped define a generation come together in one must-own set, the TOP GUN 2-MOVIE 4K STEELBOOK SUPERFAN COLLECTION, arriving on December 6, 2022 from Paramount Home Entertainment. This highly collectible release makes an ideal gift and boasts nearly six hours of bonus content exploring the enduing popularity of the 1986 sensation TOP GUN, as well as this year’s record-breaking global phenomenon TOP GUN: MAVERICK.  Celebrate the films that have captured the imaginations of fans around the world through behind-the-scenes footage, interviews with Tom Cruise and producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and much more. The TOP GUN 2-MOVIE 4K STEELBOOK SUPERFAN COLLECTION includes two SteelBook cases with both 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Discs of TOP GUN and TOP GUN: MAVERICK, access to Digital copies of each film, plus TOP GUN: MAVERICK dog tags, a leather “Maverick” keyring, magnetic decals, coasters and photos.

🙀BODIES BODIES BODIES arrives on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD October 18 from Lionsgate.

A horror-comedy following a group of young friends after a party game turns deadly, Bodies Bodies Bodies arrives on Blu-ray (+ DVD + Digital) and DVD October 18 from Lionsgate. Directed by Halina Reijn (Instinct), Bodies Bodies Bodies will be available for the suggested retail price of $39.99 for Blu-ray (+ DVD + Digital) and $29.96 on DVD. Best Buy will have a 4K (+ Blu-ray + Digital) combo package exclusively with a suggested retail price of $42.99. OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS: When a group of 20-somethings get stuck at a remote family mansion during a hurricane, a party game ends with a dead body on the ground and fingers pointed everywhere. As they try to find the killer among them, fake friends and real enemies have to learn who to trust — and how to survive — in this fresh and funny Gen-Z meltdown starring Pete Davidson, Amandla Stenberg, and Maria Bakalova.

SNIPER: THE WHITE RAVEN: From Heartbreak to Headshots

SNIPER: THE WHITE RAVEN (Blu-ray Review)

2033 / 112 min

FROM WELL GO USA

Review by Tiger the Terrible😼

Rest assured, Sniper: The White Raven is not another entry in the endless Sniper franchise. Instead, this is a Ukrainian film that purports to be “based on a true story. ” How much of that claim is accurate doesn’t really matter. With the war between Russia and Ukraine still raging, this is about as timely as movies get, especially with recent reports of real-life snipers taking-out some of Putin’s higher-ups.

However, the film actually takes place in 2014 during the Russian occupation of Donbas. Mykola (Aldoshyn Pavlo) is a meek, eccentric college professor who lives a quiet life off-the-grid with his wife, Nastya (Maryna Koshkina). It’s a peaceful, hippy-like existence until a squad of Russian soldiers invade their isolated cottage. Suspecting Mykola of being a spy, they kill Nastya, burn down his home and leave him for dead. Left with nothing and vowing revenge, Mykola enlists in the military so he can fight back. Though the sudden change in lifestyle is difficult at first, Mykola becomes an excellent marksman - nicknamed Raven - and joins an elite group of snipers, whose job is to take-out specific targets. With his skills, he’s eventually tasked with finding and killing Russia’s most notorious sharpshooter. 

It's '80s Day at sniper school.

Narratively, Sniper: The White Raven is sharply divided into two segments. The first half focuses on Mykola and Nastya’s relationship, lifestyle and tragedy. The second half shows us Mykola’s transformation into a cold, calculating killing machine. Both are a little meandering at times, but mostly maintain interest. For obvious reasons, the first half is calculated to instill emotional investment in the main character, which it does more-or-less successfully. Afterwards, however, the film simply becomes a series of missions and head-shots, with Mykola displaying little more than cold, gritty determination, so efficient at his job that the outcome is never in doubt. While watching him blast faceless foes is fun, there isn’t much in the way of suspense.

Still, Mykola’s transformation from pacifist to killer is fairly compelling, featuring an understated performance from Pavlo. One might be inclined to take the “true story” claim with a grain of salt - especially since it follows the revenge movie playbook pretty closely - but current world events certainly add some urgency to the story. At the very least, Sniper: The White Raven beats enduring another Beckett family killfest.

MASSACRE AT CENTRAL HIGH : A Bit More Than Pure Exploitation

MASSACRE AT CENTRAL HIGH (Blu-ray Review)

1976 / 88 min

FROM SYNAPSE FILMS

Review by Tiger the Terrible🙀

Massacre at Central High didn’t get a ton of attention when inauspiciously released back in ‘76, but eventually became a minor cult classic. Despite the lurid title, this isn’t really a horror movie and has a bit more to offer than just another body count. As many have since pointed-out, it was the Heathers of its day, minus the intentional humor, of course.

David (Derrel Maury) is the new kid at Central High, a school where a group of bullies terrorize the student body. Part of that group is Mark (Andrew Stevens), who initially tries to protect David because they’re old friends and David once saved his life. But David doesn’t really need protection because he’s not willing to take any shit from these guys. Following an incident in which ringleader Bruce (Ray Underwood) severely injures him, David seeks violent revenge, offing these guys in a variety of creative ways.

Though Mark is spared - for now - the reign of terror is over and David is seen as a hero and leader to the rest of the students (though he has no wish to be). But when they start behaving as badly as their former tormentors, David decides they need to die, too. With literally no adults around - throughout the entire movie! - nobody seems able to stop him.

"Remember...they're alphabetized by author and I'd like to keep it that way."

The logic is sometimes laughable. Not only is David a high-tech demolition expert, the school remains open even after a half-dozen kids have died and bombs have repeatedly exploded around campus. But considering real life school tragedies that have occurred since the film’s initial release, the icy calculation of David’s rampage is kind of disturbing (improbable as it may be). Additionally, writer-director Rene Daalder delivers a film which suggests people are inherently cruel and, given the opportunity, would become the very thing they despise. And who knows…maybe he’s right.

Having such a theme to chew on elevates this a notch or two above typical exploitation films of the time. Still, one has to overlook the usual quota of B-movie amateurism to appreciate it, like pedestrian performances, clunky dialogue and some glaringly gratuitous sex & nudity (including a rape scene which even the victims blow off as no big deal). But as revenge films go, Massacre at Central High is pretty well made on a low budget, with lively death scenes. Though we may not want to admit it, there’s some satisfaction in seeing some of these characters get what’s coming to them.

EXTRA KIBBLES

“HELL IN THE HALLWAYS” - An excellent retrospective making-of documentary featuring most of the main cast.

AUDIO INTERVIEW - With writer-director Rene Daalder.

AUDIO INTERVIEWS - Podcaster Mike White interviews actors Andrew Stevens, Robert Carradine, Derrel Maury and Rex Stevens Sykes.

TRAILERS & TV SPOTS

IMAGE GALLERY

ELVIS Defies Tradition

ELVIS (Blu-ray Review)

2022 / 159 min

FROM WARNER BROS #InPartnershipwithWB

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😺

I never really liked Elvis, but man, this film was great.

Big, colorful, flamboyant and irresistibly fun, Elvis is more spectacle than traditional biography. Not that the film doesn’t (more or less) accurately chart Elvis Presley’s meteoric rise and depressing fall, but it’s done with such visual and sonic flair that it becomes just as much a celebration of director Baz Luhrman’s unique style as the King’s life & music. And since Presley’s life has already been well-documented in films and books - probably more than any music artist in history - why not elevate the whole thing to the level of Shakespearean tragedy? Who better to do that than Luhrman?

Like the best tragedies, our hero (Austin Butler, in a star-making performance) is on the path to greatness, but destined to pay for it with his life, either by his own doing or forces beyond his control. That force is the infamous Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks), who also serves as the film’s (very) unreliable narrator. The relationship between these two is the crux of the entire narrative, and though Presley is certainly depicted as a flawed character, Parker is the film's unquestionable villain. 

Whether or not Parker was truly as conniving, greedy and vile as the movie suggests doesn’t really matter. From a story standpoint, his self-serving omnipresence gives evil a face, which renders Elvis far more compelling than just another respectful chronicle of a career cut short. Both Hanks and his grotesque appearance are a little over the top, but there’s no denying he’s a morbidly fascinating character. That’s not to say Elvis himself is depicted as a mere victim, a symbol to be mourned yet again. He’s extremely likable, of course, not to mention naïve and easily manipulated. However, Elvis also gets caught up in his own stardom and all the trappings that come with it (though we’re certain Parker is primarily responsible for hastening his demise). 

Butler only superficially resembles Elvis, which is actually a good thing. We don’t need yet-another uncanny impersonation, especially since Presley’s voice and mannerisms have long-since become objects of parody. In fact, with his jet-black hair, lanky frame and eye-liner in early scenes, there’s something almost gothic about his appearance. But since this was the era when Elvis was seen by conservatives as an evil, dangerous influence on America’s youth - and popularizing the “black” music that inspired him - the look perfectly conveys that forbidden fruit aspect of his appeal. While he does sound like the King, Butler’s interpretation allows us to look beyond the image. His performance might even be Oscar worthy.

Elvis, the flying squirrel.

Elsewhere, Buhrman emphasizes certain eras of Elvis’ life more than others, mirroring the highs and lows of the man’s real life career. Hence, the whirlwind success of his early days is given a lot more screen time than his entire decade-long movie career. Those sequences are thrilling, especially the numerous musical performances (by both Elvis and the black artists he admired). Buhrman gives these scenes the manic energy of a modern-day musical, along with the visual flourishes he’s known for. Though Elvis’ music is nothing I’ve personally chosen to throw on my turntable, how the songs are used in the context of the story is very effective, often exacerbating the tone of the scenes in which they’re heard.

Naturally, the second half of the film deals with more somber subjects…not just Elvis’ struggle to stay relevant in a changing musical landscape, but the social unrest of the late ‘60s, which certainly concerned Presley but Parker insisted on steering his career well clear of. It’s with no small amount of irony that the undisputed high point of Elvis’ post-Hollywood career was when he defied Parker to take creative control of his legendary 1968 TV special.

Throughout the film - almost constantly - is Elvis’ music, either performed by the King himself, Butler or modern artists interpreting some of his most enduring songs. Even a few of Elvis’ numbers are remixed for dramatic effect for certain scenes. Purists may balk at Buhrman messing with standards, to say nothing of including new songs in scenes taking place a half-century ago. Hearing Doja Cat usher-in Presley’s Vegas years is admittedly a little jarring. But again, this isn’t a biography in the purest sense. In addition to offering the King’s life as an epic tragedy with heroes and villains, Elvis is a celebration of his music and enduring influence. Presented with loads of panache, it’s a wildly entertaining and ultimately poignant film…for fans, non-fans and newcomers alike.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - “Bigger Than Life: The Story of Elvis” (making-of); “Rock ‘n’ Roll Royalty: The Music and Artists Behind Elvis”; “Fit for a King: The Style of Elvis”; “Viva Australia: Recreating Iconic Locations for Elvis”

MUSIC VIDEO - “Trouble”

DVD & DIGITAL COPIES

ABE LINCOLN IN ILLINOIS: Massey Makes the Movie

ABE LINCOLN IN ILLINOIS (Blu-ray Review)

1940 / 110 min

FROM WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION

Review by Mr. Paws😼

Raymond Massey was pretty much in the Abraham Lincoln business, not only playing him in Abe Lincoln in Illinois on both stage and screen, but several TV programs and at least one other high profile movie (How the West was Won). You might say Massey was to our 16th president what Bela Legosi was to vampires. Sure, he’s done a lot of other stuff, but hey, when you’ve found your niche, why not exploit it whenever the opportunity arises?

Massey is almost the whole show here, and the main reason the film remains watchable. He uncannily resembles Lincoln and instills the character with the folksy, philosophical charm we typically associate with the man. You’d be hard pressed to name any other actor who more convincingly embodied an American president…including Daniel Day-Lewis.

Abe selects his running mate.

But as presented in Abe Lincoln in Illinois, the man’s story isn’t quite as compelling. Not an encompassing biography, the film dutifully chronicles Lincoln’s rise from lowly backwoods shopkeeper to winning the presidency, ending on an ominous note with a final scene of Abe reluctantly boarding the train that’ll take him to Washington. In between are the highlights of his political career, with a few asides to explore his relationships with Ann Rutledge (Mary Howard), who was supposedly his first love, and soon-to-be First Lady Mary Todd (Ruth Gordon). The latter comes across as a little self-serving - maybe even unlikable - but she does provide welcome moments of emotional tension to the narrative.

Ultimately though, this plays sort of like a Cliff’s Notes summary of events that have been well documented. Not only that, Lincoln is depicted as so noble, saintly and above reproach that - despite Massey’s masterful performance - he becomes more of a symbol than a dynamic character. In fact, that final shot practically paints him as a Christ-like figure ready to die for our sins. Hyperbole notwithstanding, though, Abe Lincoln in Illinois remains an enjoyable history lesson that only hard-core cynics could dismiss entirely. Just don't expect any revelations or dramatic fireworks.

EXTRA KIBBLES

ABE LINCOLN IN ILLINOIS LUX RADIO THEATER BROADCAST - From 1940, featuring Raymond Massey.