Blu-Ray Review: MY SUMMER STORY

Starring Charles Grodin, Mary Steenburgen, Kieran Culkin, Christian Culkin, Whit Hertford, Geoffrey Wigdor, Tedde Moore. Directed by Bob Clark. (1994, 85 min).
OLIVE FILMS

I'd be willing to wager that some of you had no idea this sequel to A Christmas Story even existed, and for good reason. Originally titled It Runs in the Family and thrown away by its distributor, it played in just a few theaters before vanishing into obscurity...also for good reason. Watching it today mostly serves to reminds us how great A Christmas Story really was.

But it didn't have to be this way. Had A Christmas Story been a box office hit right out of the gate (rather than the belated classic it eventually became), perhaps director Bob Clark and author/narrator Jean Shepherd could have gotten a sequel off the ground while the original cast was still roughly the same age. Instead, 11 years later, they're stuck with an almost entirely new cast playing characters made iconic by other actors, and it just doesn't work.

Born to be wild.

Everyone tries their best (though Charles Grodin is woefully miscast as the Old Man), but My Summer Story's far weaker episodic story and script doesn't allow us to warm up to them. One can't help but assume some of it would have automatically been rendered more amusing with Darren McGavin, Melinda Dillon and Peter Billingsley in these situations. Worse yet, there's a completely out-of-place, mood-killing scene half-way through where the family of one of Ralphie's friends is evicted from their home. Considering lighthearted tone of the rest of the film, what exactly was Clark's justification for its inclusion?

Other than conjuring up fond memories of the original, My Summer Story doesn't really serve much of a purpose. Too little and way too late, it's no more than a historical curiosity. On the plus side, it's still infinitely better than A Christmas Story 2, which was vomited straight-to-video in 2012 (bet you didn't know that either).

BONUS FEATURES: None

KITTY CONSENSUS:

MEH...

Blu-Ray Review: CONCUSSION

Starring Will Smith, Alec Baldwin, Albert Brooks, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, David Morse, Arliss Howard. Directed by Peter Landesman. (2015, 123 min).
SONY

Considering all the public scrutiny the Galactic Empire NFL's been under lately (for various reasons), the timing of Concussion couldn't be more perfect. The long-term health effects that football has on its participants isn't anything new, but the findings of Dr. Bennet Omalu (Will Smith) became headline news, despite the numerous attempts to intimidate and discredit him.

But Concussion isn't really about Omalu's discovery. Anyone with a lick of common sense can conclude that years of getting bashed in the head every Sunday is bound to loosen a few marbles, no matter what safety measures are taken. So while Omalu's findings aren't exactly a revelation, the Galactic Empire NFL's attempts to keep him quiet might come as a surprise to many viewers. Then again, maybe not. It isn't as though the league has publicly done a bang-up job dealing with other recent controversies.

"Find Waldo yet?"

The NFL is definitely the evil empire in this film, with Roger Goodell (Luke Wilson) as its Sith Lord. The problem is we kind-of already suspected as much, meaning Concussion really doesn't offer any surprises. Omalu's story is an interesting one, though maybe better suited for an ESPN 30 for 30 documentary than a dramatic film. Still, the performances are worth watching. Some folks felt Will Smith was snubbed at this year's Academy Awards, and while I personally don't think he deserved an Oscar nomination, this is certainly one of his best roles.

In the end, Concussion is reasonably entertaining (though a tad overlong). It's a film we enjoy in the moment, briefly reminded that brain trauma is a serious issue facing professional athletes before we move on to other things which have a more immediate impact on our own lives. Nothing really resonates afterwards because most of us with common sense already knew all this.

BONUS FEATURES:
Featurettes: "Crafting Concussion"; "Inside the True Story"
Audio Commentary by director Peter Landesman
Deleted Scenes
Digital Copy

KITTY CONSENSUS:

NOT BAD...LIKE CAT CHOW

INDEPENDENCE DAY - 20th ANNIVERSARY EDITION

HAS IT REALLY BEEN 20 YEARS?

Experience the original OSCAR-Winning sci-fi epic that launched a new era in blockbuster filmmaking. Director Roland Emmerich, producer Dean Devlin and an all-star cast including Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman join forces to deliver the ultimate encounter between powerful aliens and the human race. When massive spaceships appear in Earth’s skies and blast destructive beams of fire down on cities all over the planet, a determined band of survivors must unite for one last strike against the invaders before it’s the end of mankind.

 Special Features

Attacker Edition Gift Set Blu-ray™

• Newly Restored Extended and Original Theatrical Cuts
• All-new 30-Minute Documentary – Independence Day: A Legacy Surging Forward
• Limited Edition Alien Ship Replica
• Collectible Booklet
• Includes Two Blu-ray^TM discs and Digital HD

Blu-ray™

• Newly Restored Extended and Original Theatrical Cuts
• All-new 30-Minute Documentary – Independence Day: A Legacy Surging Forward
• Includes Two Blu-ray^TM discs and Digital HD

DVD

• Newly Restored Theatrical Cut
• Includes Digital HD

Digital HD

• First time Digital HD Extras Including Newly Restored Extended Cut
• All-new 30-Minute Documentary – Independence Day: A Legacy Surging Forward

 

Sneak Peak of the all new documentary, Independence Day: A Legacy Surging Forward:

Blu-Ray Review: THE BIG SHORT

Starring Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt, John Magaro, Finn Wittrock, Hamish Linklater, Rafe Spall, Jeremy Strong, Marisa Tomei, Melissa Leo. Directed by Adam McKay. (2015, 130 min).
PARAMOUNT

While I remember the financial bubble bursting in 2008, causing a global crisis, I never gave much thought about what actually triggered it. Sure, I heard lots of soundbites tossed around about the housing market and bank screw-ups, but for the most part, the whole thing was simply too complex and confusing for my feeble mind to grasp. Kind of like Algebra when I was in high school.

But I did have one high school teacher, Mr. Oldham, who was able to explain Algebra in a way I could actually understand (at least long enough for me to graduate). The Big Short is the cinematic version of Mr. Oldham: The reasons for the financial crash are indeed complex, yet made crystal clear in the most entertaining way possible. This film is, by turns, funny, dramatic, suspenseful, infuriating...even a quite scary at times.

Taking place mostly during the months leading up to the crash, nobody appears to suspect the end of the decades-long mortgage boom (through which the biggest banks in the world have reaped billions) is about to come to a devastating end. A few intuitive guys, however, discover the housing market is actually wildly unstable due to years of writing high-risk subprime loans (which become difficult for borrowers to pay back). One of the first to predict the inevitable crash is Michael Burry (Christian Bale), an eccentric, heavy metal-loving fund manager who bets against the housing market with his investors' money. Meanwhile, self-serving bond salesman Jared Vennett (Ryan Gosling) convinces FrontPoint Capital, headed by Mark Baum (Steve Carell), to invest in the same credit default swap. Similarly, two young Wall Street hopefuls (John Magaro & Finn Wittrock) come across Vennett's proposal (which was rejected by another bank). With the reluctant help of their cynical, retired mentor, Ben Rickert (Brad Pitt), they decide to take the same risk in the hopes of making millions.

This actually plays a lot better than it sounds. I've never read the book on which it's based, but despite the potentially dry, dull and confusing subject matter, The Big Short is similar in pace, tone and structure to Goodfellas, and just as morbidly compelling. The players involved are fascinating characters. None are exactly heroes (though the brash, brazen Baum actually comes close), but we root for them because, even though some of them are motivated by personal gain, the practices of the banks they're squaring-off against are so greedy, short-sighted and downright illegal that we're actually rooting for the whole system to come crashing down.

"Vennett stole the cookies from the coo-kie jar."

While the film is given a considerable boost by performances from its ensemble cast (there's no single main character), director/co-writer Adam McKay deserves a huge share of the credit. The screenplay (which won a well-deserved Oscar) is sharp, knowing and often quite funny. Despite running 130 minutes, McKay makes every scene count and maintains our interest even during the most information-heavy scenes. There are even moments that are almost apocalyptic in tone, where we feel the fate of the world is at stake. What's truly scary is the fact that the film ends with an ominous reminder that those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. And remember...this is coming from the guy most famous for directing Anchorman and Talladega Nights. Who knew?

The Big Short earned a well-deserved Oscar nomination for Best Picture, and a strong argument could be made that it should have won. Unlike some of the others which shared the nomination this year, it joins The Martian and Mad Max: Fury Road as one most-worth revisiting again and again. The Big Short has a good shot at becoming a classic of this era.

BONUS FEATURES:

• Featurettes: "In the Trenches: Casting"; "The Big Leap: Adam McKay"; "Unlikely Heroes: The Characters of The Big Short"; "The House of Cards: The Rise of the Fall"; "Getting Real: Recreating an Era"
• Deleted Scenes
• DVD & Digital Copies

KITTY CONSENSUS:

MEE-OW! BETTER THAN A FRESH CAN OF TUNA!

Rest in Peace, Keith Emerson

Keith Emerson (1944-2016)

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS - The Story Awakens at SXSW with The First Order Landing ­Images

In celebration of the documentary “Secrets of The Force Awakens: A Cinematic Journey” premiering at SXSW Film Festival, The First Order TIE Fighter and stormtroopers landed in Austin today.  stormtroopers landed in Austin today.  The feature-length documentary, which is an in-depth bonus feature on the upcoming Digital HD and Blu-ray Combo Pack debuts at the Paramount Theatre on March 14th in Austin, Texas.  The TIE Fighter will be stationed at South Bites at SXSW throughout the weekend for festival goers to experience the landing!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is coming home on Digital HD April 1 and is available on iTunes and other digital providers for pre-order now. Fans can also explore all things Star Wars at iTunes.com/Starwars.  It comes home on Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD on April 5.

Rest in Peace, George Martin

Sir George Martin (1926-2016)

THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2 - Gallery & Deleted Scene

 ...

In celebration of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 arriving Today on Digital HD 3/8 and on Blu-ray Combo Pack 3/22 as well as The Hunger Games Complete 4-Film Collection arriving for the first time ever on the same dates respectively we have this awesome photo gallery with a Deleted scene clip that highlights Katniss Everdeen's (played by Jennifer Lawrence) character as a strong kickass female heroine! Her strong female character ignites women empowerment as a heroine survivor and fighter in the critically acclaimed series based on Suzanne Collins' best selling trilogy. 

This is actually the first film with a female lead to top the annual box office since 1973 and the The Hunger Games franchise earned over $2.9 billion at the box office worldwide.

DVD Review: LEGO STAR WARS: DROID TALES

Starring the voices of Anthony Daniels, Billy Dee Williams, Eric Bauza, Michael Daingerfield, Michael Donovan, Heather Doerksen, Tom Kane, Trevor Devall, Matt Sloan. Various directors. (2015, 115 min).
DISNEY

The five-episode miniseries, Lego Star Wars: Droid Tales is an affectionate retelling/parody of the first six Star Wars films. I've personally never bothered watching any previous Lego programs or DVDs, but if they're equally loaded with the same irreverent humor, I've got some catching up to do because this is pretty funny stuff.

Taking place immediately after events of Return of the Jedi, C-3PO (Anthony Daniels himself) regales the rebel victors by retelling the entire saga from his point of view. The results are often hilarious, especially the first few episodes which have a lot of fun at the expense of George Lucas’ lamentable prequel trilogy. Legions of fans who thought those films were hampered by too much complicated plot (and hate Jar Jar Binks) will be laughing their butts off. The original trilogy gets a good ribbing as well, but since there is arguably less to make fun of, those segments, while still highly amusing, aren’t quite as uproarious.

A less wooden performance than Hayden Christensen's.

Overall, the dialogue is consistently clever and the animation is decent, as is the voice work. In addition to Daniels, Billy Dee Williams returns to reprise his role as Lando Calrissian. This disc is a must-own for Star Wars fans, and to be honest, it’s actually a lot more entertaining than Lucas’ own joyless prequel trilogy.

BONUS FEATURES: Lego Star Wars Trading Cards

KITTY CONSENSUS:

PURR...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS

Rest in Peace, George Kennedy

George Kennedy (1925-2016)