Well, yes, but no. The concept of Kill is similar; the execution, the polar opposite. Reportedly, this single-setting project was shot in 2004, but only just now seeing DVD release because it “has been recovered from a crashed server.” Regardless of truth, that story is more compelling and suspenseful than the whole flick. All clad […]
DVD reviews
Posted inArts & Culture
Game of Thrones: The Complete First Season
I saw the Thrones pilot a few weeks before it aired last April, and liked it just enough to want to see if it got any better. Not having the channel at home, I had to wait for the home-video release of the first season, which now is here in HBO’s usual top-notch packaging. The […]
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Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Kid Jeopardy! champ Thomas Horn carries the drama as best as he can, playing Oskar Schell, the 9-year-old only child of a jeweler (Tom Hanks) and his cubicle wife (Sandra Bullock). Oskar has Asperger syndrome, or close enough, so his father keeps him entertained and engaged with all sorts of elaborate games and activities, the […]
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The Split / The Slams
Proof positive comes in DVD debuts of The Split and The Slams, both from Warner Archive. More popular entries exist on his filmography, but these two are important all the same, for putting a black man front and center, above the title, in pictures meant for mass consumption. Both also sound alike in title and […]
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The Descendants
An attorney, Matt’s laid-back life is hit with a metaphorical tsunami — not once, but twice — when his wife (Patricia Hastie) is thrown from a boat and into a vegetative state. The news from doctors that she’s not expected to recover is worsened by the accidental revelation that she was invested deeply in an […]
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Die
Awaking in adjoining glass cages are those unlucky half-dozen strangers: a police detective (Elias Koteas, A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas), a compulsive gambler, a doctor, a nurse, a young prostitute and her billionaire client. Jacob takes turns bringing them out in pairs; one is strapped to a chair, the other presented with a […]
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The Heir Apparent: Largo Winch
Neiro is killed on his yacht in the film’s opening moments, so Winch International is temporarily without a CEO. Ann Ferguson (Kristin Scott Thomas, Sarah’s Key) fills the shoes until Largo can be located and filled in on the deets. Assuming the mantle is his destiny, no matter how little he wants it. Naturally, with […]
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The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
However, those who have seen the original may wish to approach this version only to witness what Fincher brings to it, as the story remains unchanged in all but minor details. Many scenes seem shot on the very sets of Niels Arden Oplev’s 2009 film. What Fincher grants is a sharper, crisper look; a brisker […]
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Wizards
Spanning 3,000 years, give or take, the DayGlo colorful tale of warring wizards — siblings at that — doesn’t even attempt to disguise its political leanings, but kids today can appreciate it just for the pointy-eared fairies and various beasts, especially the low-IQ goons armed with laser guns. Splendidly drawn on cels, the fantasy epic […]
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Urbanized
Having previous explored how our life is affected by typefaces (Helvetica) and manufactured objects (Objectified), director Gary Hustwit provides the final chapter of a trilogy of sorts by exploring the language of urban city design. More thought is put into it than you realized, by more people than you would have guessed. An early observation […]