10 Criterion Recommendations
With the Barnes & Noble 50% off Criterion Blu-ray and DVD sale in full swing, film buffs across the country are hitting up the store to bulk up their home video collections with wonderfully produced discs comprised of foreign film classics, indie gems, obscurities, Hollywood classics and overall great films. Now, some folks out there might be overwhelmed by the company’s catalogue so I thought I’d help out by recommending some of my personal favorite releases of various eras and genres thus far. On with the list! Continue reading
Updated! DVDCorner’s Ranking Of The Pixar Films
With “Incredibles 2” making serious bank at the box office and Pixar Pier opening at Disney California Adventure, Pixar is making serious waves as of late. With that in mind, it felt like the proper time to update my ranking of the 20 Pixar films. Without further adieu… Continue reading
10 Random Recommendations Part 9
10 Random Recommendations is back! Read on for the list. Continue reading
Updated! Ranking The MCU Films
With “Avengers: Infinity War” now out in theaters, it felt like the proper time to update and reassess my personal ranking of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films (or MCU for short). Compared to my last list, there’s quite a bit of change here as some films have gone up or down while newer entries debuted high on the list. Anyway, enough of my yammering. On with the list! Continue reading
All The Sins Of Sodom/Vibrations Double Feature Blu-ray Now Available From Film Movement
Film Movement has recently released a double feature set containing 2 films from director Joseph W. Sarno. The films (“All The Sins Of Sodom” and “Vibrations”) are both low-budget B&W New York set sexploitation films. ‘Sins’ revolves around the dynamic between a photographer, a model, and a beautiful homeless woman while “Vibrations” is about a writer who fantasizes over her sexual neighbor. Obviously, there’s more to the plots than just that, but those are the basics.
As mentioned above, the films are very low budget and have an almost amateur feel to them due to the suspect acting, low production values, and an almost home movie esque vibe to them. Suffice it to say, these films are certainly not for everyone. Still, one has to admire Sarno’s ability to broach taboo topics in a serious manner. In that regard, he was a bit ahead of his time and I can see why the filmmaker has developed a fanbase over time.
Both films are presented in 1.78:1 1080p (with new 2K digitla restorations) and come with Dolby Digital 2.0 audio tracks.
Extras include Joe Sarno trailers, an interview with Joe Sarno, a commentary on “All The Sins Of Sodom” by Michael Bowen and actress Peggy Steffan Sarno, a mini-commentary on “Vibrations” by Peggy Steffans Sarno, a full length scripted commentary on “Vibrations” by Tim Lucas, and a booklet containing credits, photos, and an essay by author Tim Lucas
Runaways Is Now Available From Marvel Press
“Runaways” (which started out as a brilliant comic book series by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona) is becoming quite the multi-platform franchise these days. The recent Hulu TV series just wrapped its first season and now a brand new novel from Marvel Press has hit the shelves. The story of the book (which is written by Christopher Golden) is actually set AFTER the events of the comic book story arc (confusing I know). One would think there would be a novel that would logically tie-in with the TV series, but alas, that’s not the case. So, if you aren’t familiar with the comics and don’t want spoilers of what could happen in the show, skip this novel. At any rate, the book finds Nico, Molly, Gert, Chase, Karolina, and Old Lace the dinosaur in L.A. where they encounter a kid (Zeke) needing help and, yes, another batch of super villain adults known as the Nightwatch. The plot is a bit of a retread to be sure, but, if you like spending time with these characters, Golden captures their voices and character dynamics well.
As an added bonus, this novel includes part of the first issue of the “Runaways” reboot comic written by Rainbow Rowell which focuses on the characters at an older age. Truth be told, I just wanted to read more of this!
Black Panther: The Young Prince Hardcover Book Is Now Available
With the hotly anticipated Marvel film’s release date fast approaching, Marvel Press/Disney Book Group has wisely released a new YA novel titled “Black Panther: The Young Prince.” Written by Ronald L. Smith (who is perhaps best known for “Hoodoo” and “The Mesmerist”), this original novel focuses on T’Challa as a young child Prince as he embraces his destiny to become the hero of Wakanda- Black Panther. The story primarily involves his friendship with M’Baku, their travels to Chicago for schooling, a villainous student (and perhaps something even more sinister) , T’Challa adapting to a new life in America, T’Challa getting used to his new vibranium suit, and trouble brewing in Wakanda. Of course, a few familiar faces pop up here as well (won’t say who).
The prospect of reading a youth oriented novel about a kid T’Challa may not appeal to every Black Panther or Marvel fan, and indeed, the novel doesn’t quite have the crossover appeal to adults that some “Star Wars” novels have. If you’re looking for more adult skewed “Black Panther” material, I’d recommend checking out the graphic novel “Black Panther: Who Is The Black Panther?” However, as previously noted, the novel is intended for a younger audience and to that demographic this book might be appealing as it is filled with action/adventure and a story with strong themes of friendship, growth, destiny, and heroism.
Top 10 Most Anticipated Films Of 2018
2018 is a brand new year and with that comes a new slate of movies. While there are the expected anticipated comic book movies, the year will also offer up a variety of films in other genres from musicals to boxing films. Below I have posted the 10 films I am most looking forward to as of right now. Obviously, the slate will change and there will sure to be films that come out of nowhere, but for now, these are the ones I am most excited about. On with the list! Continue reading
Top 10 Films Of 2017
2017 was a strange year for cinema. There were great movies, there were good movies, there were overpraised movies, there were underrated movies, and, yes, there were plenty of bad movies. I suppose that is no different from any other year, but this year felt particularly split all over the place. That’s not to say it was a weak year for cinema because it wasn’t. There was much to admire about both blockbusters and art house fare. I think my personal top 10 reflects the odd year that 2017 was with a mix of comic book stories, an actor centric documentary, a movie about the making of a bad movie, and the story of a humanoid fish creature. Anyway, enough of my yammering, on with the list! Continue reading
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