Blu-Ray News: RUNAWAY TRAIN & HELL IN THE PACIFIC - Two Forgotten Classics Coming in June

Director: Andrei Konchalovsky
Starring: Jon Voight, Eric Roberts, Rebecca De Mornay, John P. Ryan, Kenneth McMillan, T.K. Carter

Tearing up the tracks at 100 miles-per-hour, Runaway Train features hair-raising footage and spectacular Oscar-nominated performances by Jon Voight (Coming Home, Deliverance) and Eric Roberts (Star 80, The Pope of Greenwich Village). Manny (Voight) is the toughest convict in a remote Alaskan prison who, along with fellow inmate Buck (Roberts), makes a daring breakout. Hopping a freight train, they head full steam for freedom, but when the engineer dies of a heart attack, they find themselves trapped, alone and speeding towards certain disaster. Until, that is, they discover a third passenger, beautiful railroad worker, Sara (Rebecca De Mornay, Risky Business, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle), who's just as desperate and just as determined to survive as they are. Beautifully shot by Alan Hume (For Your Eyes Only), with top-notch direction by Andrei Konchalovsky (Siberiade, Tango & Cash) and based on a screenplay by Akira Kurosawa (The Seven Samurai). Co-starring John P. Ryan (Cops and Robbers, Avenging Force) and Kenneth McMillan (True Confessions, Ragtime). COMING JUNE 13 FROM KINO LORBER

Director: John Boorman
Starring: Lee Marvin, Toshiro Mifune

From John Boorman, the director of Deliverance and The Emerald Forest comes this gripping adventure about two wartime enemies trapped alone on a deserted island. Screen legends Lee Marvin (Prime Cut, Monte Walsh, The Dirty Dozen) and Toshiro Mifune (Yojimbo, The Challenge) deliver striking and well-etched performances in this searing psychological drama that packs plenty of action and excitement. From the instant they meet, a marooned American soldier (Marvin) and his Japanese counterpart (Mifune) have the same objective: to kill each other. But it soon becomes apparent that the only way they will survive is by forging an uneasy truce and cooperating with each other. Can they rise above the hatred that divides them long enough to stay alive? Two of the film's best features are the terrific color photography by the great Conrad Hall (In Cold Blood) and original musical score by the legendary Lalo Schifrin (Bullitt). COMING JUNE 27 FROM KINO LORBER

Rest in Peace, Michael Parks

Michael Parks (1940-2017)

Blu-Ray Review: THE SPACE BETWEEN US

Starring Asa Butterfield, Britt Robertson, Gary Oldman, Carla Gugino, B.D. Wong, Janet Montgomery, Colin Egglesfield. Directed by Peter Chelsom. (2017, 121 min).

UNIVERSAL

With the prospect of going to Mars being a trendy topic of late, the basic premise of The Space Between Us is quite intriguing. Too bad it eventually shoots itself in the foot by aiming for a different audience than it probably should have. I sort of knew that going in, but was still somewhat disappointed to see the whole thing playing out exactly as I suspected.

It begins with the mother of all implausibilities, that NASA would somehow remain completely unaware that one of the astronauts they just sent into space to colonize Mars is pregnant. Considering every astronauts' health is under constant meticulous scrutiny from the moment they're scheduled to fly, that's an enormous pill to swallow.

But there's nothing wrong with suspending a bit of disbelief for the sake of a good story. The child ends up being born on Mars. Because of the effects of Mars' lighter gravity on his bones and organs, he would be unable to survive on Earth. After his mother dies during childbirth, he's more-or-less raised by Kandra (Carla Gugino), one of the other colonists. Flash-forward sixteen years, and Gardner (Asa Butterfield) is a restless teenager who is internet pals with Kendra (Britt Robertson), a cynical foster child from Colorado (Wi-Fi technology apparently increases about a billion-fold in the near future).

"I take it there's no Listerine on Mars."

Then NASA develops a surgical method to strengthen his frame that allows him to come back, much to the chagrin of Shepherd (Gary Oldman), the scientist who planned the original mission. He fears the long-term effects of Earth's environment on Gardner's health. Sure enough, staying for any prolonged period could be fatal. Gardner doesn't want to return to Mars, however, so he escapes NASA's medical facility and heads out on a cross country journey to find Kendra.

Up until now, The Space Between Us is an interesting - albeit far-fetched - sci-fi tale of a young man discovering the wonders of Earth for the first time. Then it's as if someone suddenly decided they needed to appeal to the young adult crowd (and the movie was marketed as such). The second half turns into a sappy love story straight out of a Nicholas Sparks novel. Kendra and Gardner become two star-crossed young lovers on the run, boosting cars along the way in an effort to find Gardner's father while outsmarting Shepherd and the authorities.

The performances are good (especially Oldman, who gives more of himself than the role really requires) and Gardner is certainly a charming, likable character. I'll even concede that the film, despite repeatedly pushing the envelope of believability, is certainly watchable, especially if you're part of the teen demographic it's geared at. It's just a damn shame that what starts off as something akin to The Martian ultimately ends up as A Walk to Remember.

EXTRA KIBBLES

"LOVE" FEATURETTE - Very brief behind-the-scenes interviews

ALTERNATE ENDING

DELETED SCENES

AUDIO COMMENTARY (by director Peter Chelsom)

DVD & DIGITAL COPIES

KITTY CONSENSUS:

NOT BAD...LIKE CAT CHOW 

Blu-Ray Review: RESIDENT EVIL: THE FINAL CHAPTER

Starring Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Iain Glen, Shawn Roberts, Ruby Rose, William Levy, Eoin Macken, Lee Joon-gi, Fraser James, Rola, Ever Gabo Anderson. Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson. (2017, 107 min).

SONY

Fifteen years and six movies since the original Resident Evil offended zombie & video game purists everywhere, the franchise's final (?) chapter has finally arrived. To tell the truth, I'm actually sort-of disappointed it's coming to an end. None of the films are high art, and sure, they're often pretty derivative. But with the possible exception of Resident Evil: Apocalypse, none have been truly terrible (the third film, Extinction, even approaches greatness at times). I've always found them to be fast-moving, bloody fun with a more amusing kick-ass heroine than the aesthetically similar series, Underworld.

Revisiting Project Alice every few years is like catching up with an old friend and raising a pint or two. The company & conversation is light & congenial, never too deep, no real surprises or revelations. You bring each other up-to-speed and have a good time for a few hours before leaving the bar with a comfortable buzz, never giving that person second thought until they call you out of the blue again in a few years.

The Final Chapter picks up right after the last film, Retribution. Alice (Milla Jovovich) learns from the Red Queen - the Umbrella Corporation's malevolent computer program - that there's only a few thousand uninfected humans left on Earth, and the company's megalomaniac founder, Dr. Isaacs, plans on wiping them out, too. To stop him, she needs to return to Raccoon City and venture back into The Hive, where the outbreak started and an antivirus still exists. When released, it will kill anyone infected with the T-virus, which, logically, would include Alice.

Milla Jovovich's Smith & Wesson Workout

One of the main criticisms of the Resident Evil franchise is that it tends to ignore the stories of the original video games. Since I've never played any of them, I couldn't care less, though The Final Chapter probably plays more like a video game than any other film in the series. That's not really intended as a criticism, since this also means the movie is loaded with hyperkinetic action and seldom slows down for anything resembling character development (but other than Alice, do we really care, anyway?). Still, a few characters from previous films return - sometimes too conveniently - to either help or hinder Alice's mission.

As usual, there are plot revelations along the way, such as Alice's origins and Umbrella's ultimate agenda. Though none of them come as any real surprise, the way things play out is interesting. Still, the story takes a backseat of acrobatic gunplay, gravity-defying fights, flying body parts and imaginatively-rendered CGI creatures. Even the staunchest critics have to admit the one area where this franchise has always shined is the elaborate production design. This one is no different, especially once the dwindling cast ventures into what's left of The Hive.

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter isn't likely to win over any converts and, despite being touted as the end, the door is left open for more sequels...just in case. That suits me fine. These movies aren't made to challenge the intellect or break new cinematic ground. Like the rest of the franchise, The Final Chapter is simply entertaining, undemanding fun.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - "Stunts & Weaponry"; "Explore the Hive"; "The Bad Ass Trinity of Resident Evil"

RETALIATION MODE - Allows the viewer the option of watching director Anderson and Jovovich discussing various production details during the movie

SNEAK PEEK: RESIDENT EVIL: VENDETTA - Trailer for the upcoming film in the CG franchise

DIGITAL COPY

KITTY CONSENSUS:

PURR-R-R...LIKE A FAMILIAR SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS

Rest in Peace, Don Gordon

Don Gordon (1926-2017)

DVD Review: SHARK WEEK: SHARK N' AWE COLLECTION

Various Directors. (2017, 1374 min).

LIONSGATE

23 hours of shark docs? Count me in.

Shark Week remains the only time of year the once-great Discovery Channel is worth watching. Though the "science" of some of the recent documentaries are occasionally dubious (The Monster Shark Lives, anyone?), who doesn't love watching these creatures in their natural habitat (and the men & women who enjoy taunting them)?

Many episodes and collections have popped up on DVD before, but content-wise, Shark n' Awe is the mother of all of them, 32 episodes on six discs. Now any week can be Shark Week, and freedom from commercial interruption really is the best way to watch these docs, especially since nearly every scheduled break is an obnoxious cliffhanger.

"Staring contest...GO!"

There are a lot of good episodes, including another in their ever-popular "Air Jaws" series and a second go-round by the Mythbusters gang to test the plausibility of the scuba tank explosion in Jaws. I could have done without the three "Sharksanity" episodes, which are simply collections of 'best-of' moments from previous shows (some of which appear in this same set). On the other hand, we're spared most of Discovery's lousy psuedo-documentaries claiming megalodons still exist.

Best of all, the whole thing is priced at just under twenty bucks (and available exclusively at Walmart). Even with no bonus features, how can you go wrong with a DVD set like this? For shark lovers, this is a great binge-a-thon.

EXTRA KIBBLES

None 

KITTY CONSENSUS:

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

Blu-Ray Review (by my cat): A DOG'S PURPOSE

Starring KJ Apa, Britt Robertson, Juliet Rylance, Luke Kirby, Dennis Quaid, Peggy Lipton, voice of Josh Gad. Directed by Lasse Hallstrom. (2017, 100 min).

UNIVERSAL

Reviewed by STINKY (pictured below)*

A Dog's Purpose? Isn't that an oxymoron? Anyone of reasonable intelligence can attest that dogs serve no actual purpose. But even though I've never been much of a science fiction fan, I'm an open minded enough to accept a dog as a protagonist.

GUEST REVIEWER: STINKY

I'll say this much: A Dog's Purpose starts off great, when a puppy gets snatched-up by dogcatchers, hauled to the pound and gets what's coming to him. Serves him right for having the audacity to be a dog. Even though one of the people I allow to share my sofa looked surprised and saddened, I briefly thought this was the greatest film of all time. Phenomenally short, maybe, but a rich viewing experience. Purring contently, I prepared to jump off the sofa to go partake in a few hours of much needed grooming. No need to sit through the end credits; I didn't care who played this stupid dog.

But the end credits didn't come. The movie wasn't over after all, and what could have been the greatest cinematic achievement of all time took a major turn for the worse. This dead dog comes back as another dog, still looking for his purpose, which he stupidly thinks is spending his life as some dumb kid's loyal companion. Really?

As a feline film critic, I'm willing to suspend disbelief for the sake of a story, so long as it doesn't insult my intelligence. But, come on, everyone knows only cats have nine lives; dogs are too inherently dumb to deserve more than one. For example, this pooch, named Bailey, runs into a burning house to rescue his boy. How stupid does an animal have to be to selflessly come to his master's aid when it's far safer to simply take off and find a new one? This idiotic animal even sticks around after the boy's dad becomes an abusive drunk. 

On the plus side, Bailey dies, too, though I don't believe for a second the entire family would gather around to comfort him, then mourn his passing. These are the same people who unceremoniously buried their dead cat in the backyard without shedding a single tear, just so Bailey could dig her back up and bring her into the house for a cheap laugh. Ha-ha...very funny.

I shot a glance to my own person. He actually looked sad Bailey died. Geez, did he cry when the shark in Jaws exploded, too? While we're on the subject, why is it that when a dog dies in a movie, it's tragic, but when a cat does, it's exposition? Meh!

Cujo II

Anyway, this dog comes back again...and again...and again, still looking for his stupid purpose, always dying before he finds it. Talk about persistence. Judging from my person's face, these moments are supposed to be bittersweet, but for me, this was like watching Jason Voorhees repeatedly coming back in those Friday the 13th movies. I won't spoil the ending for you, but let's just say it's more far-fetched than Independence Day and as depressing as the climax of Seven. My person, however, actually had a smile on his face. Sick bastard.

Still, I concede I'm likely not the primary audience for a movie like this. As hard as it is to fathom, there's apparently lot of dumb people who actually love dogs. For them, A Dog's Purpose is probably a charming, sweet film, made more so by narration from some guy named Josh Gad, who voices Bailey's thoughts (though everyone knows if a dog could think in human language, the only word they'd be capable of is "duh"). As for you normal folks reading this, you're better off dusting off your old copy of Harry & Tonto.

*The views and opinions expressed by Stinky in this review do not necessarily reflect those of her owner. She's always been a grumpy little hairball who purred when Old Yeller died. While A Dog's Purpose is a bit too cloying for some tastes, dog lovers should enjoy it.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES:

"Lights, Camera, Woof" - A making of featurette, narrated from one of the dogs' perspective;

"A Writer's Purpose" - Interview with the novel's author, W. Bruce Cameron.

DELETED SCENES & OUTTAKES

DVD & DIGITAL COPIES

KITTY CONSENSUS:

NOT BAD...LIKE DOG CHOW 

Enter our giveaway HERE to win a Blu-Ray copy of A DOG'S PURPOSE

Blu-Ray News: LOGAN Home Video Release Dates & Black and White Screening of LOGAN NOIR Announced

On Digital HD May 16 and
4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD May 23

4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray includes LOGAN NOIR, a black and white version of the film, and nearly 90 minutes of special features.

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment brings Hugh Jackman’s celebrated seventeen-year run as Wolverine to a close when the box office phenomenon Logan arrives on Digital HD on May 16 and 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray^™ and DVD May 23. Sir Patrick Stewart (X-Men: Days of Future Past, Star Trek: The Next Generation), Stephen Merchant (Hello Ladies, The Office), Boyd Holbrook (Narcos) and newcomer Dafne Keen join Jackman in the iconic character’s final chapter, directed by James Mangold (The Wolverine, Walk the Line).

Touting an R-rating, allowing fans to finally see Logan’s legendary berserk rage unleashed, Mangold brings a visceral and gritty realism to the story, based on one of Marvel Comics’ most popular characters. In the near future, a weary Logan (Hugh Jackman) cares for an ailing Professor X (Patrick Stewart) in a hideout on the Mexican border. But Logan’s attempts to hide from the world and his legacy are upended when a young mutant (Dafne Keen) arrives, being pursued by dark forces. In addition to nearly 90 minutes of original content, including deleted scenes and a behind-the-scenes documentary, the Blu-ray will also include Logan Noir, a black and white version of the film that gives the acclaimed story an all-new look.

"During production of LOGAN I took many black and white photographs and noticed how striking and dramatic our gritty settings and characters appeared in monochrome,” said Mangold. “The western and noir vibes of the film seemed to shine in the format and there was not a trace of modern comic hero movie sheen. Then, while editing, Fox and I started posting some of the black and white stills online and fans also began to respond enthusiastically, many hoping that they would get a chance to see the finished film in carefully timed, high contrast black and white. Well. Sometimes hope becomes reality."
 
To celebrate the release of Logan Noir, Alamo Drafthouse will be bringing the film to the big screen in all of its monochromatic glory for one night only starting at 8 PM EST on Tuesday, May 16th. The event screenings will also be accompanied by an exclusive, live streaming Q&A featuring director James Mangold. Attendees in every location of the screening will be able to participate in the live discussion with Mangold via Twitter using the hashtag #askalamo.  Los Angeles fans will also get the chance to see Logan slash through the big screen as Alamo Drafthouse and Fox co-present LOGAN NOIR with American Cinematheque for a screening at the Egyptian Theatre. Tickets for all screenings are available now at drafthouse.com/logannoir.


LOGAN 4K ULTRA HD AND BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES

• Logan Noir – black and white version of the film
• Audio commentary by Director James Mangold
• Deleted scenes with optional audio commentary by James Mangold (Blu-ray^™ only)
• Making Logan – behind-the-scenes documentary (Blu-ray^™ only)

Blu-Ray Review: THE RED TURTLE

Directed by Michael Dudok de Wit. (2016, 81 min).

SONY

Studio Ghibli fans should take note that although it is co-produced by the legendary anime studio (highly touted in ads and on the cover), The Red Turtle is primarily a French-Belgian production, the first full-length feature by director Michael Dudok de Wit. Those same fans shouldn't let that dissuade them either, because even though this film is stylistically different, it's as aesthetically beautiful as Hayao Miyazaki's best work.

As for the slight story...there's a man stranded on a deserted island. Since there's an abundance of food and water, survival isn't much of a struggle. However, his several escape attempts are thwarted by a giant sea turtle that keeps destroying his makeshift rafts. When the turtle crawls from the sea onto the beach, the man violently attacks it, then turns it onto its back, rendering it helpless. Without going into story-spoiling specifics, this single act changes the man's life in more ways than one, most significantly, the family he eventually has while on the island.

None of the characters have names or distinctive personalities, nor do we learn anything about them other than what we see. Even their facial features are drawn in a minimalist style. And aside from the occasional call of "Hey!", there's absolutely no dialogue. Yet The Red Turtle still manages to be emotionally stirring. From a narrative standpoint, the first half of the film - when the man is alone, save for some amusing white crabs who follow him around - is the strongest, effectively conveying his sense of isolation and desperation, not unlike Tom Hanks' character in Cast Away.

Some folks suck at Hide & Seek.

The second half isn't quite as compelling, though still stirring and poignant. But the story isn't really the driving force behind The Red Turtle. This is a brilliantly animated film, and while there are fantasy elements, the imagery is more fluid and realistically drawn than what you see in traditional anime. That, coupled with a haunting music score, renders the whole thing more like a piece of visual poetry. Or maybe it's simply been so long since I've seen a brand new traditionally-animated film that I was enraptured by its artistry.

The Red Turtle was nominated for Best Animated Feature this year. While I believe the best movie won (Zootopia), this is an equally impressive technical achievement. Best of all, it's appeal isn't limited to children. Its simple-yet-engrossing story, coupled with stunning hand-drawn animation, make the film a terrific change of pace from the usual stuff passing itself off as family fare. This one's definitely worth repeated viewings.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES: "The Birth of The Red Turtle"; "The Secrets of The Red Turtle"

AFI FEST Q&A - The director discusses making the film to a festival audience.

KITTY CONSENSUS:

MEE-OW! A DIFFERENT BRAND OF CAT FOOD, BUT STILL PRETTY DAMN TASTY

Blu-Ray News: Disney's BAMBI Signature Collection on Digital HD and Blu-ray May 23rd

Disney's Bambi, which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, joins the Walt Disney Signature Collection. The Collection release includes a variety of new bonus material, including recordings of Walt Disney discussing the challenges and triumphs during the production of “Bambi;” deleted scenes and characters; stories and effects that “Bambi” had on the Studio, other films and artists; and much, much more. Additionally, the Digital HD release includes an exclusive, heartfelt feature on the incredible artist, Tyrus Wong, who inspired the film’s soft watercolor backgrounds and beautiful palette. Bambi arrives home on Digital HD, Disney Movies Anywhere, and on DVD & Blu-ray May 23rd.

OFFICIAL TRAILER