See This Film: King of the Hill Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Jesse Bradford, Jeroen Krabbé, Lisa Eichhorn, Kristin Griffith, Lauryn Hill

Format: AC-3, DTS Surround Sound, Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1

Number of discs: 3

Rated: PG-13 

Studio: Criterion Collection

Release Date: February 25, 2014

Run Time: 103 minutes

 

 

        I remember watching King of the Hill when I was around the same age as the film’s protagonist, Aaron (Jesse Bradford). The mere fact that I was able to enjoy it as much today as I did as a child is a testament to the magnificence in Steven Soderbergh’s filmmaking. Never shying away from the harsh reality of the times, King of the Hill also manages to do so with a childlike naivety and optimism that slowly shifts to a hopeful independence. Soderbergh is able to obtain the feel of the times in this period film, but almost more important is his ability to place us in a coming-of-age narrative with effortless accuracy. As a child I was able to admire Aaron’s ability to survive starvation, but as an adult I was impressed by his ability to retain hope.

 

On the Job Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Piolo Pascual, Joel Torre, Joey Marquez, Gerald Anderson

Director: Erik Matti

Format: Blu-ray, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, THX, Widescreen

Language: Filipino

Subtitles: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: Well Go USA

Release Date: February 11, 2014

Run Time: 116 minutes

      

        On the Job has the type of premise which is begging for a Hollywood remake, excitingly original content for a genre that has been overdone in many countries. The promise of this unique plot is wasted somewhat in the execution, mostly because this Filipino film chooses character study over action sequences. There are still some riveting moments within the film, but it ends with more of an introspective whimper than a bang.

 

Battle of the Damned Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Dolph Lundgren, Melanie Zanetti, Matt Doran

Director: Christopher Hatton

Format: Blu-ray, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Dubbed: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R

Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay

Release Date: February 18, 2014

Run Time: 89 minutes

 

        I was actually surprised at how decent the effects were in Battle of the Damned, especially considering how ridiculous every other aspect of the film is. Dolph Lundgren is a far better actor than he gets credit for, especially being able to handle this material with a straight face. The only saving grace to Battle of the Damned beyond Lundgren’s weathered mug is the willingness to throw logic out the window when creating the script. An absurd addition of fighting robots to the story halfway through the film is inexplicable and strange enough to keep this from becoming just another low-budget zombie disaster.

 

Romeo and Juliet Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Hailee Steinfeld, Douglas Booth

Format: AC-3, DTS Surround Sound, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: English (DTS 5.1)

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Dubbed: English

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: PG-13 

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Release Date: February 4, 2014

Run Time: 119 minutes

 

        Anyone over the age of twenty-five is likely to be skeptical at the necessity of yet another adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, while it simultaneously seems doubtful that anyone younger will enjoy the somewhat straightforward approach to the widely recognizable tale. Everything about this latest adaptation is underwhelming, almost as if the filmmakers had hoped the entire production could lean on the popularity of Shakespeare’s most manipulative melodrama and a few pretty young faces.

 

Wadjda Blu-ray Review

    Actors: Waad Mohammed, Reem Abdullah, Abdullrahman Al Gohani

Director: Haifaa Al-Mansour

Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: Arabic

Subtitles: English

Dubbed: French

Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1

Number of discs: 2

Rated: PG 

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Release Date: February 11, 2014

Run Time: 97 minutes

       

        Even in Hollywood it is rare that a female director sees the same success as male competition, with only a few names as exception. If you were to remove the nepotistic connections which make this possible, even fewer female filmmakers would be standing, and so the production of Wadjda would seem a small miracle in any country. The fact that it was the first feature film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia is impressive enough, but that the project was driven by a female director with a message that challenges the male-dominated ways of life is more than a small miracle. Wadjda is a spectacular film exceeded only in the impressiveness of the story behind the production, with director Haifaa Al Mansour unable to interact directly with the male crew or be present during the filming of the street sequences.