Lady Macbeth DVD Review

• Actors: Florence Pugh, Cosmo Jarvis, Paul Hilton, Naomi Ackie, Christopher Fairbank
• Director: William Oldroyd
• Disc Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 1.0)
• Subtitles: Spanish
• Region: Region 1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R
• Studio: LIONSGATE
• DVD Release Date: October 17, 2017
• Run Time: 90 minutes

        Having no previous knowledge of the source material (Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk) that served as inspiration for the film, Lady Macbeth provides a protagonist whose compulsive need for control and power above all else very gradually turns her into an anti-hero. The end result isn’t what makes the film interesting, but instead it is the process the narrative takes to change our opinion about the central character, especially since her ultimate goal is to keep things the way that they are. It isn’t an exciting film, but somehow manages to remain gripping even when it is mundane, thanks in part to taut direction by William Oldroyd and an electric breakout performance by Florence Pugh.

God of War Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Vincent Zhao, Sammo Hung, Regina Wan
• Director: Gordon Chan
• Disc Format: Color, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, THX, Widescreen
• Language: Mandarin Chinese (Dolby Digital 5.1), Mandarin Chinese (DTS 5.1)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region A/1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: Not Rated
• Studio: Well Go USA
• Release Date: October 17, 2017
• Run Time: 129 minutes

        Characteristically biased in its depiction of Chinese heroism when faced by outsider invaders and heavy use of martial arts action, God of War still manages to provide enough originality in its narrative to stand apart from the dozens of other historical Chinese epics that are released each year. Although the latest addition to this popular national genre is inconsistent throughout the 129-minute run time, there are enough successful elements in God of War to make it one of the better releases in recent years.

All the Sins of Sodom/Vibrations Blu-ray Review

 

        In 1967, sexploitation filmmaker Joseph W. Sarno traveled to Sweden for the freedom to make a film that would cement his significance in erotic films. But before the impact of Inga would be known, Sarno returned to the United States to make a series of low-budget erotica that is better known for discussion of taboo topics than for the graphicness of the actual content. The scenes of sexuality being awakened in a young girl may have been shocking in Inga, but the discussion of vibrators, the pill, and lesbianism in All the Sins of Sodom, Vibrations, and The Wall of Flesh were just as shocking without the need for the content to be as explicit.