From Dusk Till Dawn: Season Three Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Brandon Soo Hoo, Wilmer Valderrama, Robert Patrick, D.J. Cotrona, Eiza González
• Producer: Mark McNair
• Format: AC-3, Dolby, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 3
• Rated: Not Rated
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• Release Date: February 7, 2017

        I can only assume that this is likely to be the final season of “From Dusk Till Dawn,” if only because there is finally a level of closure to the narrative. What began as a predictable remake of the 1996 action-horror film has turned into another TV vampire soap opera, but at least this season manages to end with a bang. There are too many characters, most of which are interchangeable in the larger narrative, and they seem to switch sides and reasons for fighting with each season. There is a lot of filler material in season three (as was the case with the first two), but at least it ends with a memorable fight between opposing sides. And where the original premise combined the structure of a horror film within a crime narrative, the climax of season three cleverly integrates the western genre into the mix.

Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Leonard Cohen, Martha Wainwright, Teddy Thompson, Nick Cave, Kate McGarrigle
• Director: Lian Lunson
• Disc Format: NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Region: Region A/1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG-13
• Studio: Lionsgate
• Release Date: February 7, 2017
• Run Time: 103 minutes

        Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man is a kind of hybrid documentary/concert video, jumping back and forth between two different mediums. While both have value in the overall presentation, I often felt myself longing for one or the other. A documentary without the constant interruption of a tribute concert might have felt more focused, just as there is a desire for an uninterrupted presentation of the performances. It also would not have hurt the documentary about Leonard Cohen to hear a few more of his songs actually sung by him.

The Eagle Huntress Blu-ray Review

• Director: Otto Bell
• Producers: Otto Bell, Stacey Reiss, Jason Weinberg, Sharon Chang
• Format: AC-3, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: French, English, Spanish
• Audio Description: English
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Rated: G
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• Release Date: February 7, 2017
• Run Time: 87 minutes

        The Eagle Huntress is a beautifully shot documentary which tells an inspirational story of Aisholpan, a 13-year-old girl who is the first female in her family to become an eagle hunter. It is a feel good narrative, a rare G-rated film tackling issues of feminism while also celebrating cultural traditions. So why is it that this film is also being bashed by many online skeptics? There are concerns that some of the polished visuals are too polished, and that some of the sequences have been staged specifically for the camera. Even if this is true, it does little to change the narrative. Staging beautiful shots of an eagle flying to Aisholpan does not detract from her inspirational story, unless you go out of your way to look for a reason not to like The Eagle Huntress.

Fifty Shades of Grey Hidden Camera Prank Revealed

          Real Movie News has released a hidden camera prank that doubles as a parody of the 2015 hit film, Fifty Shades of Grey, and a satire of the faith-based film industry. The video has been released as the first in a series of casting pranks labeled "Audition Nightmares." Watch the video below or on Vimeo and YouTube.

The sequel to Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker, will hit theaters in the U.S. this Friday, February 10th. 

 

The 9th Life of Louis Drax Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Aaron Paul, Jamie Dornan, Michael Adamthwaite, Aiden Longworth
• Director: Alexandre Aja
• Format: NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Region: Region A/1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R
• Studio: Lionsgate
• Release Date: February 7, 2017
• Run Time: 108 minutes

        Dark children stories made for adult audiences are somewhat rare, but not entirely uncommon. Though only PG-13, last year’s A Monster Calls dealt with heavy topics within the structure of a coming-of-age tale, and nearly all of Guillermo del Toro’s filmography is made up of R-rated fables featuring young protagonists. In that sense, The 9^th Life of Louis Drax is in good company, even if it is not nearly as successful as the films it resembles. 

Graves: Season One DVD Review

• Actors: Nick Nolte, Sela Ward, Skylar Astin, Heléne Yorke, Chris Lowell
• Directors: Joshua Michael Stern, Bob Balaban, Robert Weide, Iain B. MacDonald, Frank Coraci
• Format: Color, NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1
• Number of discs: 3
• Studio: Lionsgate
• DVD Release Date: February 7, 2017
• Run Time: 300 minutes

        If the last election period was an indicator of any one thing, regardless of party lines, it was frustration by the American people of politicians and their double-talk. It has gotten to the point that you can no longer ever trust what a politician says, as they seem to say whatever is necessary in order to win elections. This is why the television show “Graves” may be the timeliest of the political satires to be released in recent years. And calling it a satire may not even be completely accurate, because there is a level of sincerity in the show’s writing that is more optimistic than one might anticipate. Even while there is obvious criticism of the political system, the emphasis remains on hope rather than cynicism.

Spirit of the Game DVD Review

• Actors: Kevin Sorbo, Aaron Jakubenko, Wade Briggs, Anna McGahan
• Director: J.D. Scott
• Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Subtitles: French, English, Spanish
• Region: Region 1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Rated: PG
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: February 7, 2017
• Run Time: 98 minutes

        Christian faith-based films have a notorious reputation for amateur filmmaking, but Spirit of the Game, along with other recent Mormon entries into the faith-based genre, proves that no one denomination is guiltier than another. No matter what religion is making the film, if the primarily goal is to evangelize with the content, the result is more propaganda than art. This might even be forgivable if the quality of filmmaking weren’t so laughably poor. Spirit of the Game is no worse than countless Christian-made films, but it certainly is no better either.