In the Name of My Daughter Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Adele Haenel, Catherine Deneuve, Guillaume Canet

Director: Andre Techine

Format: Multiple Formats, Blu-ray, NTSC, Subtitled, Surround Sound, Widescreen

Language: French

Subtitles: English

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R

Studio: Cohen Media Group

Release Date: September 22, 2015

Run Time: 116 minutes

 

        Some of the relevance in the true-crime narrative of In the Name of My Daughter may be lost on those who have not followed the ongoing French murder case, which returned to the courts even as the film was being completed. This may have made this a hard sell for international audiences, but it was lack of excitement and relatable characters which caused this movie to fail for me as entertainment, far more than relevance. Filmmaker André Téchiné does his best to theorize answers to the mystery and fleshes out the characters involved with this process, but the result is as unsatisfying as it is unsavory.

 

The Red Road: The Complete Second Season DVD Review

     Actors: Jason Momoa, Julianne Nicholson, Kiowa Gordon, Martin Henderson, Tom Sizemore

Director: Aaron Guzikowski

Format: Multiple Formats, Color, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Region: Region 1

Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1

Number of discs: 2

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: ANCHOR BAY

DVD Release Date: September 22, 2015

Run Time: 265 minutes

 

        Television shows are at an advantage over films when it comes to character development. Even with minimal episodes in each season, as is the case with Sundance TV series “The Red Road,” more time is spent with the characters than would be in a film. There is also usually the opportunity for story continuation, though that chance ended for this show when it was cancelled after the second season. This is unfortunate, because this is the season that I truly became invested in these characters and would have likely returned for more episodes with them.

Pitch Perfect 2 Blu-ray Review

Actors: Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, Elizabeth Banks, Hailee Steinfeld

Director: Elizabeth Banks

Format: Multiple Formats, Blu-ray, Color, Widescreen

Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (DTS 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (DTS 5.1)

Subtitles: French, Spanish, English

Region: All Regions

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 2

Rated: PG-13

Studio: Universal Studios

Release Date: September 22, 2015

Digital Copy Expiration Date: May 2, 2016

 

        The basic premise is downright asinine; the structure is a mirror image of Pitch Perfect; the climactic final song never believably sold me as a winning number; and yet, despite the many flaws of Pitch Perfect 2, it is undeniably entertaining. Even though the film feels directed at a specific demographic of teenage girls (who make up a surprisingly large percentage of all cinema ticket sales), I found myself easily won over by Pitch Perfect 2 and its irreverent charm. More impressive was how little this movie reminded me of the similarly toned television series, “Glee,” which far outstayed its welcome.

 

Breaker Morant Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Edward Woodward, Jack Thompson, Bryan Brown

Director: Bruce Beresford

Format: Multiple Formats, Blu-ray, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: English

Rated: PG

Studio: Criterion Collection (Direct)

Release Date: September 22, 2015

Run Time: 107 minutes

 

 

        The complexities of the true story which Breaker Morant is based upon layers the narrative with moral ambiguities and discrepancies, making this a difficult film to categorize. It plays out like a typical courtroom drama, though the audience must sit in as members of the jury in a case which is not clear cut or simple; one could easily find justice in the argument from each side, as well as fault. This was a case that was much larger than the men or lives involved, having impact on the outcome of a peace treaty to end the war these crimes occurred during, as well as effecting relations between the countries involved long after the case had been closed.

 

Zathura Blu-ray Review

Actors: Josh Hutcherson, Jonah Bobo, Kristen Stewart, Dax Shepard, Tim Robbins

Director: Jon Favreau

Producers: Scott Kroopf, William Teitler

Format: Multiple Formats, Blu-ray, AC-3, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: French, Portuguese, Korean, Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Dutch, Indonesian, Thai, English, Spanish, Japanese

Dubbed: Portuguese, French, Thai, Spanish, Japanese

Region: All Regions

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: PG

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Release Date: September 22, 2015

Digital Copy Expiration Date: December 31, 2018

Run Time: 101 minutes

        As Jumanji was one of the vehicles to catapult Kirsten Dunst into celebrity, Zathura served the same purpose for Kristen Stewart and Josh Hutcherson ten years later. This was also a chance for director Jon Favreau to try his hand at a spectacle-filled adventure film prior to delving into the world of comic book films. Zathura is part of another interesting trend in the actor-turned-filmmaker’s work; this film followed the success of Elf, and Favreau’s next film is a live-action adaptation of The Jungle Book. I once heard Favreau say that he wants to make movies that his kids can enjoy, and that seems to be a genre he thrives in.

 

Jumanji Blu-ray Review

Actors: Kirsten Dunst, David Grier, Bonnie Hunt, Jonathan Hyde, Robin Williams

Directors: Joe Johnston

Producers: Scott Kroopf, William Teitler

Format: Multiple Formats, Blu-ray, AC-3, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: French, Portuguese, Finnish, Swedish, Korean, Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Norwegian, Dutch, Thai, Spanish, English, Danish, Japanese

Dubbed: Portuguese, French, Thai, Spanish, Japanese

Region: All Regions

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Rated: PG

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Release Date: September 14, 2015

Digital Copy Expiration Date: December 31, 2018

Run Time: 104 minutes

 

        Jumanji was made during a time when digital effects were far from perfect, however moderately they were relied on in telling the imaginative story of a board game come to life. It was also made during a period filled with nostalgia for me, as I remember experiencing the excitement of the film in theaters as a kid. Regardless of how cartoonish the computer generated monkeys may be, Jumanji will always brings me back to a place of joy and wonder; a perfect fit for an adaptation of the storybook by author Chris Van Allsburg, which I enjoyed as an even younger child. Now I can enjoy the experience all over again, twenty-years later, with the Blu-ray Anniversary Edition release.

The Indian in the Cupboard Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Rishi Bhat, Lindsay Crouse, Litefoot, Steve Coogan, Richard Jenkins

Director: Frank Oz

Producers: Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall

Format: Multiple Formats, Blu-ray, AC-3, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: French, English

Dubbed: French

Region: Region A/1

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Rated: PG

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Release Date: September 22, 2015

Run Time: 96 minutes

 

 

        I didn’t much like The Indian in the Cupboard when it came out, and I found it somewhat tiresome to watch 20-years later. Part of the problem with this unfortunate children’s book adaptation is that it came out the same year as a far more exciting and successful adaptation: Jumanji. The Indian in the Cupboard, by comparison, is slow-paced and unfortunately cast. While Jumanji had the performance from a young Kirsten Dunst, The Indian in the Cupboard has the awkward Hal Scardino, whose credits ended soon after this performance. Even with Frank Oz as the director, there is no sense of humor and minimal excitement to make this movie memorable or even enjoyable.