Jennifer Lopez: Dance Again DVD Review

• Director?: Ted Kennedy
• Format: Color, NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region 1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated:
  Not Rated
• Studio: ANCHOR BAY
• DVD Release Date: December 6, 2016
• Run Time: 86 minutes

        For about the first 15 minutes of Jennifer Lopez: Dance Again, I was convinced that this was going to be one of those documentaries that made me a fan out of the subject through thoughtful consideration and compelling footage. I even found myself getting choked up over the inspirational build-up to the first performance of her first world tour, but quickly after that it became obvious that this is a glorified piece of marketing, a vanity piece made for fans of Lopez alone. I went from loving to hating this film in record time.

Decommissioned DVD Review

• Actors: Michael Pare, James Remar, Johnny Messner, Vinnie Jones
• Disc Format: Color, NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1
• Rated:
  R
• Studio: Lionsgate
• DVD Release Date: December 6, 2016
• Run Time: 80 minutes

        There is a rich tradition for drama and comedy in the world of low budget independent filmmaking; all you really need is a script, some actors, and a camera. Films have been shot entirely on cell phones with this simple formula. Even genre films have their place among independents, with many horror films made with a little innovation and creativity. But action films are another beast entirely, and it takes a sturdy set of stones to tackle the expected spectacle of the genre. Timothy Woodward Jr. has established himself as one of the few filmmakers bold enough to embrace this challenge, filming the ambitious narrative of Decommissioned for a cool million, with mixed results.

Why Emmy Rossum’s Refusal of Equal Pay is Dangerous

   I’m going to say some unpopular things about the gender pay gap. Typically, this is a straightforward issue. Dealing with wage inequality in the average workplace, women with the same job and experience as men should get paid the same. It is fairly simple concept (and one that I wholeheartedly support, to be clear), but this same idea is much more complex in Hollywood, where fame is a commodity.

Don’t Think Twice Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Keegan-Michael Key, Gillian Jacobs, Mike Birbiglia, Kate Micucci, Chris Gethard
• Director: Mike Birbiglia
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1)
• Subtitles: French, Spanish, English
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
• Rated:
  R
• Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
• Release Date: December 6, 2016
• Digital Copy Expiration Date: May 2, 2018

        While it may do little to sway disbelievers into becoming fans of improv shows, a medium that has long been viewed as the only step below stand-up comedy in the list of shows that friends of entertainers dread attending out of mere obligation and support, Don’t Think Twice is so profoundly insightful in its discussion of larger issues that it ultimately doesn’t matter what the art form is. This may sound somewhat crass considering the weeks that the cast spent rehearsing and performing real improv shows, which were filmed for inclusion in the final edit, but it is the way that success effects their group dynamic which is well-thought out and insightful. The improv, despite being edited down to presumably show the funniest of the real material, lacks the kind of laughs to counter the spot-on criticism of planned sketch comedy on shows like Saturday Night Live.

Phantasm: Remastered Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Angus Scrimm, A. Michael Baldwin, Reggie Bannister
• Director: Don Coscarelli
• Disc Format: Color, Dolby, NTSC, THX, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English
• Rated:
  R
• Studio: Well Go USA
• Release Date: December 6, 2016
• Run Time: 89 minutes

       

        Easily one of the strangest horror movies ever made, Phantasm has a little bit of everything crammed into one movie. The 1979 cult classic is a rare sci-fi horror film made on a low budget. There are moments of gore (primarily involving the sphere weapon), a dark sense of humor, erratic and purposefully disorienting editing, and even a bit of unexpected realism (a victim urinating during his death scene is still shocking today). This movie is far from a masterpiece, but there are undeniable moments of genius in here, and this remastered version presents them in startling clarity.

Henry: 30th Anniversary Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Michael Rooker, Tom Towles
• Director: John McNaughton
• Format: Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region A/1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated:
  Unrated
• Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO
• Release Date: December 6, 2016
• Run Time: 82 minutes

        The character of Henry is based loosely on the real-life serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, including many of the facts about the killer’s life in the movie. There are some changes, but the relationship that the serial killer has with an ex-con friend was borrowed from reality. The murders in the film, however, were taken from the countless lies that Lucas told once in prison. He confessed to crimes that he hadn’t committed once he had already been sentenced. The element of truth is part of what makes Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer so disturbing, much like In Cold Blood. The fabricated murders simply add to the myth of the man.