The House with a Clock in Its Walls 4K Ultra HD Review

• Actors: Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, Owen Vaccaro, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Sunny Suljic
• Director: Eli Roth
• Writer: Eric Kripke
• Producers: Bradley J. Fischer, James Vanderbilt, Eric Kripke
• Disc Format: 4K, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Subtitles: French, Spanish, English
• Region: Region A/1 
• Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: 
   PG 
   Parental Guidance Suggested
• Studio: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
• Release Date: December 18, 2018
• Run Time: 105 minutes

        I’m certain if there are fans of the novel by John Bellairs, they will appreciate the nuances transferred over from that work. But for everyone else, The House with a Clock in Its Walls is likely to resemble numerous other fantasy family films from recent past. Because of the film’s use of magic, comparisons to Harry Potter are inevitable, despite being based on a work that came long before that British behemoth of a franchise ever existed. While this film adaptation of that classic children’s book is certainly watchable, assuming the audience member is old enough to handle the frightening elements, the most original aspect of the production is the choice of director. And he is likely the reason that younger audience members must be wary of the content.

4DX: Relief from Average Film Experience

        I complain about Hollywood blockbusters often. As a lifelong fan of genre filmmaking, a film critic and professor, I typically end up seeing everything that major American studios have to offer, and my experience is nearly always the same. Desensitized by constant emersion in the big-screen spectacle and bored by formulaic structure of the narrative, it feels as though I spend a sad amount of time unengaged while sitting in the increasingly comfortable chairs of my local multiplex. The movie industry has become just that; an industry, churning out a product with consistency that seems to be the death of creativity and innovation. For years, I have complained, and I thought that the only solution was for the films to get better. But after watching my first film in 4DX, my entire perspective has been changed. And not just about Hollywood blockbusters. The truth is, after experiencing the latest advances in public film exhibition provided by CJ Group, including their 4DX and ScreenX technology, I now see a new direction for the future of the art form as a whole.   

Night School 4K Ultra HD Review

• Actors: Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish, Rob Riggle, Romany Malco
• Director: Malcolm D. Lee
• Writers: Kevin Hart, Harry Ratchford, Joey Wells, Matthew Kellard, Nicholas Stoller
• Producers: Kevin Hart, Will Packer
• Disc Format: 4K, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), Spanish (DTS 5.1)
• Subtitles: French, Spanish, English
• Region: Region A/1 
• Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
• Rated: 
   Not Rated
• Studio: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
• Release Date: January 1, 2019
• Run Time: 116 minutes

        There are no surprises with Night School, especially if you have seen the trailer or any of Kevin Hart’s sub-par comedic releases over the past five years. It is a generic and harmless comedy, the equivalent of watching a bad sitcom with no real plot structure and a bloated run-time. After a long day in the reality of the world, there are worse things than shutting your brain off and watching a stupid comedy. I’m just pretty sure that if my brain were off enough to enjoy this film, I would probably be dead. But those who typically enjoy the high-pitched short jokes of Kevin Hart will likely find this adequate entertainment.

Schindler’s List: 25th Anniversary 4K Ultra HD Review

• Actors: Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes, Caroline Goodall, Jonathan Sagalle
• Director: Steven Spielberg
• Writer: Steven Zaillian
• Producers: Steven Spielberg, Gerald R. Molen, Branko Lustig
• Disc Format: 4K, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1), French (DTS 5.1), Spanish (DTS 5.1)
• Subtitles: French, Spanish, English
• Region: Region A/1 
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Rated: R
• Studio: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
• Release Date: December 18, 2018
• Run Time: 196 minutes

        There’s a quote that I like to refer to when discussing the purpose of watching movies, which is something I am inclined to do in order to justify the amount of time spent in front of a screen. There is debate over its origins (I first heard it said by David Foster Wallace) and the quote discusses art in general, claiming the function, “is to comfort the disturbed, and disturb the comfortable.” More and more, it feels like a majority of the films made in America are simply intended to comfort, to entertain and amuse without too many challenged, intellectually or emotionally. We are so accustomed to popcorn entertainment in this country that it is easy to forget how powerful a film can be when the intention is discomfort instead. Schindler’s List is exactly this type of film; a masterpiece that is painful to endure. This is a film everyone should see at least once in their life, and there is now one more way to view it, with the release of the 25^th Anniversary 4K Ultra HD Edition.

First Man Blu-ray Giveaway!

First Man is available on Digital on January 8th and Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD and DVD on January 22nd

 

And Real Movie News has a copy for you!