Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Blu-ray Review

Format: Blu-ray, Subtitled

Language: English

Subtitles: German, Greek, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese

Dubbed: German

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: Sony

Release Date: December 2, 2014

Digital Copy Expiration Date: December 31, 2014

Run Time: 90 minutes

 

        The Poverty Row studio Columbia Pictures won 13 Academy Awards in the 1930s, and 11 of them were directed by Frank Capra. Capra was a filmmaker both loved and despised for his saccharine handling of social issues in film, each making grand statements in themes with the help of likeably quirky characters. Some criticize this style, while others revel in the pure emotional pleasure of films like It’s a Wonderful Life and You Can’t Take it With You. While there is an incredible amount of realism in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, including a recreated set of the Senate chamber, it also has the unmistakably familiar touch of Capra sentimentality.

 

Justified: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Timothy Olyphant, Nick Searcy

Format: Blu-ray, Widescreen

Subtitles: English, French

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Number of discs: 3

Rated: Unrated

Studio: Sony Pictures Entertainment

Release Date: December 2, 2014

Digital Copy Expiration Date: December 31, 2017

Run Time: 607 minutes

 

        Based on the short story “Fire in the Hole” by crime novelist Elmore Leonard, “Justified” works as an adaptation with room for growth. Timothy Olyphant has a strong presence as the lead, and he has plenty of experience carrying a western-type show, though this FX seriesis far more similar to “Sons of Anarchy” than “Deadwood.” The premise had begun to run a little bit thin by the third season, though the inevitable final season in sight has increased the stakes of the drama. He is still a lawman who often operates outside of conventional law, and surrounded by corruption this is often a necessary approach.

 

Dead Snow: Red Vs Dead Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Vegar Hoel, Organ Gamst, Martin Starr

Director: Tommy Wirkola

Format: Blu-ray, Widescreen

Language: English

Dubbed: Norwegian

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R

Studio: Well Go USA

Release Date: December 9, 2014

Run Time: 100 minutes

 

        I have a vague recollection of enjoying Dead Snow, but little about the actual film stands out in my mind. The main problem is the cookie-cutter co-ed characters and set-up that resembled numerous other horror movies. The familiarity of this set-up was only off-set by the creativity and tone of the film’s violence, though the first act forces the audience to spend far too much time with a predictable premise and disposable characters. This problem is immediately resolved in the sequel, which begins where the first film ended, with solitary survivor Martin (Vegar Hoel) battling zombies after accidentally killing his girlfriend and sawing his own arm off. This fast-paced beginning only lets up for moments, but once again filmmaker Tommy Wirkola’s strength lies in the creatively gory action.

 

What If DVD Review

     Actors: Daniel Radcliffe

Format: Multiple Formats, Subtitled, NTSC

Language: English

Number of discs: 1

Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

DVD Release Date: November 25, 2014

Digital Copy Expiration Date: December 31, 2017

Run Time: 90 minutes

 

        I desperately wanted to like the romantic comedy spoof, They Came Together, because few genres of film are as formulaic and predictable. The problem with that film was the inability to exceed the sheer ridiculousness of the popular date movie narrative. Even in the attempt to mock romantic comedies, They Came Together simply resembled the worst, most contrived, formulaic and cliché of the genre; like What If. If you picture any stereotypical romantic comedy scenario, it is presented unironically somewhere in the 98-minute running-time of this fluff art.