See This Film: The Raid 2

 

       

        Genre films interact with each other, building off of trends and techniques from similar releases of the past. This is clearly apparent in the recent trend adapting young adult literature with revolutionary storylines in an apocalyptic future. Without The Hunger Games, there would be no Divergent or the upcoming adaptation of The Maze. Films play off of each other, but there is always an original source that the trends can be traced back to, and The Raid 2 is a film which is destined to blaze trails in the action genre for years to come. Whether it is gunplay, martial arts, or chase scenes, The Raid 2 reaches for the stars and achieves many moments of utter brilliance.

 

Return to Nuke ‘Em High Volume 1 Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Asta Paredes, Catherine Corcoran, Vito Trigo, Clay von Carlowitz, Zac Amico

Director: Lloyd Kaufman

Format: Blu-ray, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: ANCHOR BAY

Release Date: March 18, 2014

Run Time: 85 minutes

 

        I don’t think anyone was asking for another film in the Class of Nuke ‘Em High franchise, much less two of them. Regardless, we have been thrust back into the sub-culture of Troma with another release from filmmaker of prolific bad-taste, Llloyd Kaufman. Upon the suggestion of grindhouse cinema connoisseur Quentin Tarantino, Kaufman has split his campy piece of trash cinema into two parts. Return to Nuke ‘Em High Volume 1 contains the first half of this slimy satire, which has enough exploitation for the entire franchise.

 

The Book Thief Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Sophie Nélisse, Kelly Macdonald, Michael Shannon, Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson

Format: AC-3, Blu-ray, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: English (DTS 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Dubbed: French, Spanish

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Release Date: March 11, 2014

Run Time: 131 minutes

 

        For a film about the Holocaust narrated by death, The Book Thief was less depressing than I was anticipating. It is still far from being a feel-good family film, but at least manages to handle the difficult subject manner with an adequate amount of restraint. This often comes at the expense of realism, blurring the lines between true story and fantasy more than is often permitted with this material, resulting in something mostly family-friendly despite difficult content.

 

The Patience Stone DVD Review

     Actors: Golshifteh Farahani, Hamid Djavadan, Hassina Burgan

Director: Atiq Rahimi

Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

DVD Release Date: March 11, 2014

Run Time: 102 minutes

 

       

        In Hollywood it is often apparent that the female point of view is often overshadowed and ignored, which is what makes the recent rise in feminist films from Middle-Eastern countries even more remarkable. Wadjda was the first feature made entirely in Saudi Arabia, and it was simultaneously their first film with a female director with a narrative that encourages women’s rights in a society where they are treated as second-class citizens. The Patience Stone continues this trend in international cinema, both with its feminist narrative and willingness to allow the film to be carried by a female protagonist and performer.

 

Flu DVD Review

     Actors: Jang Hyuk, Soo-Ae

Director: Kim Sung-su

Format: Color, NTSC, Surround Sound, Widescreen

Language: Korean

Subtitles: English

Dubbed: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: CJ Entertainment

DVD Release Date: March 18, 2014

Run Time: 122 minutes

 

        At first glance Flu looks like dozens of other films that have come out in the last decade, all apocalyptic films about a spreading infection that takes out an entire population. At basic premise, Flu fits into this category perfectly, standing out with a modicum of realism which does not have the plot result in zombie-like symptoms from the victims. In Flu, the only monsters are the political figures making rash decisions in a seemingly noble attempt at keeping the infection contained. The fear comes from the chaos resulting from mass panic caused in a society helplessly quarantined with the diseased, and there is horror in the physical effects of the infection.