Atomic Blonde 4K Ultra HD Review

• Actors: John Goodman, James McAvoy, Bill Skarsgard
• Disc Format: 4K, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
• Dubbed: Spanish, French
• Region: Region A/1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: R
• Studio: Universal
• Release Date: November 14, 2017
• Run Time: 115 minutes

        There is nothing more upsetting than being misled by a film’s marketing campaign, and coming to this realization in the middle of a disappointing film experience. From the action-packed trailers of Atomic Blonde, one might have expected that the film would be the female equivalent to the John Wick franchise, but in actuality it is far less an action movie than it is a spy film that just happens to have a few action sequences. But since the trailer shows all of these action sequences and little else, audiences may be disappointed by how much of the movie is missing this intensity and by how many of the key sequences were already seen in the advertisements. There is still a decent film in Atomic Blonde, but it doesn’t feel like the same one that was promised by the high-octane marketing campaign.

The Old Dark House Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Boris Karloff, Melvyn Douglas, Charles Laughton
• Director: James Whale
• Disc Format: AC-3, Black & White, Dolby, Full Screen, Subtitled, Surround Sound
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region A/1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
• Rated: Not Rated
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• Release Date: October 24, 2017
• Run Time: 72 minutes

        A year after finding monumental success at Universal Studios with Frankenstein (1931), James Whale reunited with Boris Karloff to make The Old Dark House. What first appears to be one of the first haunted house films actually sets up the template for another horror genre that would primarily become popular in the 1970s with movies like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. There are no real supernatural events in The Old Dark House, and the only monsters are the disturbed humans that occupy the gothic estate. When a group of normal men and women find themselves stranded by a storm, they must survive the night and their abnormal and potentially dangerous hosts.

Broken Sword Hero Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Buakaw Banchamek
• Director: Bin Bunluerit
• Disc Format: Color, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Surround Sound, Widescreen
• Language: Thai (Dolby Digital 5.1), Thai (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region A/1
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: Not Rated
• Studio: Well Go USA
• Release Date: October 31, 2017
• Run Time: 122 minutes

        What it lacks in narrative depth, Broken Sword Hero makes up for in visual spectacle. Easily one of the best shot Thai films I have ever seen, it also features nearly non-stop martial arts action throughout the film. Although the story is often repetitive and almost inconsequential, varying styles of fighting and interesting cinematography to capture it keep the film engaging for much of the lengthy run-time.

The Good Catholic Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Danny Glover, Zachary Spicer, John McGinley, Wrenn Schmidt
• Director: Paul Shoulberg
• Disc Format: Color, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: Spanish
• Dubbed: Spanish
• Rated: PG-13
• Studio: Broad Green Pictures
• Release Date: October 24, 2017
• Run Time: 96 minutes

        Straddling the line between a faith-based film and a romantic comedy, The Good Catholic sets up a conflict in its premise that is destined to disappoint one of the two target demographics. This is not to say that it isn’t done in a thoughtful way, but by forcing the main character into a situation where he must choose between love and faith inevitably creates a rivalry between spirituality and worldly pleasures. On the other hand, this is a film unafraid to integrate issues of religion into its storyline in a way that is refreshing, even if the more pious viewer may take issue with the casualness of the depiction.