Dealt DVD Review

• Actors: Richard Turner
• Director: Luke Korem
• Format: Color, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: Spanish, English
• Region: Region 1
• Rated: Not Rated
• Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO
• DVD Release Date: February 13, 2018
• Run Time: 85 minutes

        At first glance, Dealt seems to be the type of documentary that card magician Richard Turner would resent, in that it spends much of the run-time focusing on the fact that he is blind. While this makes his incredible feats with a deck of cards that much more impressive, Turner has spent much of his career attempting to hide the fact that he is visually impaired, believing that his accomplishments should be impressive enough on their own. While the focus of the documentary seems to contradict the beliefs of its subject, this changes as Turner has an arc of development over the course of the film, learning to embrace his handicap in the later years of his life.

Brotherhood of Blades II Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Chang Chen, Yang Mi, Zhang Yi
• Director: Lu Yang
• Film Format: Color, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Surround Sound, Widescreen
• Language: Mandarin Chinese (Dolby Digital 5.1), Mandarin Chinese (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: February 13, 2018
• Run Time: 120 minutes

        Imitating the formula of the popular Infernal Affairs franchise within the Wuxia genre, the Brotherhood of Blades sequel is actually a prequel for the three central characters from the 2014 hit. Although this removes any uncertainty over the fate of these characters, there is enough depth within the development of the plot to compensate for the lack of suspense. This paired with a complex plot that often takes full concentration to follow completely, makes Brotherhood of Blades II a rich film experience that is able to stand on its own, while also working as a companion piece for the pre-existing fans.

Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton DVD Review

• Actors: Laird Hamilton
• Director: Rory Kennedy
• Format: Color, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: Spanish, English
• Region: Region 1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Not Rated
• Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO
• DVD Release Date: February 6, 2018
• Run Time: 118 minutes

        Like its title, Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton is overlong and makes it painfully clear who the subject of the documentary is. Even with a number of scenes that have impressive staged and archived footage of big-wave surfing, this film consistently remains a portrait of the legendary surfer. I have to assume that he is a legend, anyway. As someone with little knowledge about trailblazing surfers, I mostly just have this film as reference, and it rarely feels like a balanced portrait of Hamilton, even when showing some of his major character flaws.