ZOOTOPIA Arrives Home on June 7 via Digital HD, Blu-ray & Disney Movies Anywhere

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ comedy-adventure, Zootopia,has broken records worldwide earning more than $900 million at the global box office to date. The best reviewed movie of 2016, critics and audiences around the world have fallen in love with the wonderfully innovative animal metropolis of “Zootopia” and the comedic chemistry of rookie rabbit officer Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and scam-artist fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman).  It’s been called one of the best buddy cop comedies in years! Viewers will not only be able to enjoy the vibrant world of Zootopia and reunite with their favorite characters, but also discover more about the evolution of this extraordinary tale through in-depth bonus offerings. The runaway hit arrives home on June 7 via Digital HD, Blu-ray™ and Disney Movies Anywhere.

CHECK OUT ONE OF THE BONUS FEATURES:

Blu-Ray Review: WHERE TO INVADE NEXT

Narrated by and Starring Michael Moore. Directed by Michael Moore. (2015, 120 min).
ANCHOR BAY

It goes without saying that Michael Moore's incendiary brand of documentary filmmaking is polarizing, to say the least. You are either totally down with his outspoken socio-political views or completely enraged by them. And he probably wouldn't have it any other way.

Love him or hate him, Moore's latest, Where to Invade Next, isn't likely sway your opinion. Like most of his other films, it is deliberately subjective, but Moore's never been a true documentarian in the purest sense, anyway. He has an agenda, wears it proudly on his sleeve and ventures out into the world to find evidence which supports it. Objectivity has never been part of his vocabulary.

In Where to Invade Next, Moore travels to several countries which appear to have the whole “American Dream” thing figured out better than we do, from employee benefits to the treatment of women to educating their children on even the darkest moments of their history. He compares other cultures’ views on recreational drug use to the United States’ misguided “War on Drugs” campaign that has waged for decades, creating some admittedly tenuous arguments that African-American slavery is still alive and well. While the film will undoubtedly create some ‘a-ha’ moments with some viewers, an equal number will just as likely call bullshit on Moore’s entire agenda.

"Mr. Moore...I don't think you've quite grasped the concept of 'Capture the Flag.'"

But that’s neither here nor there. The biggest question is, like any other film, is Where to Invade Next interesting and entertaining? Yes...for awhile. Unlike his more inflammatory films, such as Bowling for Columbine or Fahrenheit 9/11, Moore keeps pounding his message home long after he’s laid his cards on the table and viewers have already gotten the point. This one could have been thirty minutes shorter without losing any of its intended impact.

BONUS FEATURES: None

KITTY CONSENSUS:

NOT BAD...LIKE CAT CHOW

DEADPOOL Came Early... on Digital HD!

Available HERE on Amazon!

CITIZEN KANE, Willy Dixon and the Perfect Martini

Starring Orson Welles, Joseph Cotton, Dorothy Comingore, Everett Sloane, Ray Collins, George Coulouris, Agnes Moorehead. Directed by Orson Welles. (1941, 119 min).

Essay by D.M. ANDERSON
 
Anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of cinema (as opposed to someone who’s simply seen a lot of movies) has to give-it-up for Citizen Kane. The first and most enduring film by writer/director/actor/super-auteur Orson Welles, its influence, from both narrative and technical standpoints, cannot be understated. Movies as we know them today, whether directed by geniuses like Martin Scorsese or chest-thumping hacks like Michael Bay, wouldn’t exist without the foundations first committed to celluloid by Welles and his merry band of subversive Hollywood rebels. Even a cultural phenomenon like Star Wars doesn’t hold a candle to Citizen Kane in terms of its impact on how films are made. Nearly 80 years later, Kane is still regularly cited by historians, critics and legendary directors (living and dead) as the greatest film of all time.

Still, I fucking hate this movie.

I’ve seen Citizen Kane at least a half-dozen times over the years. The first was back in my mid 20s, when my cinematic enthusiasm (and arrogance) was extending beyond what typically played at the suburban multiplex. Mostly thanks to home video, I discovered Hollywood’s rich history and countless classic films of various genres. Many were groundbreaking and influential in their own right, and viewed within the context of the era when they were made, a lot of them are just as enjoyable as any modern blockbuster you’d care to name. Not only that, you can easily see how many modern marvels would never exist without these ancient chestnuts paving the way. George Lucas himself acknowledged Akira Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress as the primary inspiration for Star Wars. If you think Ridley Scott’s Alien was influential for its time, seek out the seldom-seen relic, It! The Terror from Beyond Space, made two decades earlier with the exact same plot.

But those examples are strictly related to standard story tropes. 1941’s Citizen Kane arguably drew the line drawn between Hollywood’s formative years and film as we know it today. The cinematography alone (extended takes, set lighting, deep focus, low angles, shots of actual ceilings) was a game changer, as was the overall flashback structure of the narrative, told from the points of view of multiple secondary characters (not all of whom were 100% reliable).

So I’d read and heard enough about the film that, if I truly wanted to expand my horizons, I was compelled to check it out. I think compelled is the right word, because Citizen Kane’s actual story (a thinly-veiled biography of newspaper mogul, William Randolph Hearst) held little personal interest. If the film were made today, it isn’t something I’d pay to see in a theater.

Donald Trump...the College Years.

And indeed, watching it for the first time, I could appreciate the film’s technical wizardly, especially Gregg Tolland’s cinematography, which nearly gives Kane the look of a gothic horror film. Still, I checked my watch a lot, anxious to get this movie milestone out of the way so I could pat myself on the back for having seen it, much like when I once bought a Willie Dixon album because it seemed cool at the time to demonstrate I was hip to the traditional blues music that made rock & roll possible. But honestly, I’ve always hated blues (especially Chicago blues) and only dragged that album out when my musically-elitist friends were around to see me play it. So while I’m grateful that Dixon’s “You Need Love” made Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” possible, I’ll take Zep’s rip-off over his sludge any damn day of the week.

To anyone who’d listen, I championed Citizen Kane because I thought I was supposed to. While films such as Gone with the Wind and Casablanca may have represented Hollywood’s so-called Golden Age in the eyes of the masses, true cinephiles embraced Kane as the singular masterpiece which made modern filmmaking possible. But despite subjecting myself - and others - to this film numerous times over the years (ballyhooing its virtues every time), the truth is I’ve personally never actually enjoyed Citizen Kane. As played almost too perfectly by Orson Welles, Charles Foster Kane is a megalomaniacal, nepotistic douche whose narcissism makes Kanye West look like the poster boy for humility. The film itself is a slow, cold and dark depiction of how one man’s abuse of power alienates everyone around him, to the point where he dies alone with nobody left to mourn his passing. I’m not saying all movies should be sunshine and lollypops, but for a film to be this continually lauded, at least some actual entertainment value should be a considering factor.

But still, I buried my personal feelings about Citizen Kane and used it as a springboard to show off my cinema smarts. If it bored the shit out of any uncultured rube I ever showed it to, my snobbery told me they simply didn’t get it. With hindsight, I realize they actually did get it. They just simply didn’t enjoy it.

I’ve never enjoyed martinis, either, but tried like hell for awhile (likely because of James Bond movies). Martinis always looked like the cultured man’s drink...the epitome of class. The perfect martini consisted of just the right mix of vermouth or vodka, splashed over ice with a few plump, salty olives tossed in for good measure, all poured into a delicate glass and intended to be sipped by those individuals with impeccable palates who could tell the difference between a good martini and a bad one after a single taste. I think I was more in love with the idea of martinis as my drink of choice, because I’ve never had one that didn’t taste like Windex. I eventually had to concede that I hated them, and would rather pound a half-rack of Natty Ice than nurse a dry martini in the same amount of time.

I’m now at the age where I don’t really care what others think, including fellow cinephiles I used to worry about impressing. Life is short, and if I’m gonna waste time revisiting old movies (which is often), I’d rather sit through a kid being pancaked by a steamroller in Maximum Overdrive for the umpteenth time than endure Citizen Kane ever again. It’s enough to truly acknowledge Kane’s technical & narrative influence without declaring anything resembling love. If that means my license as a true blue cinephile is revoked, I’ll just have to live with it.

2nd Book Excerpt: CINEMA 69: FROM VICTORY TO WONDERLAND

This is an early chapter from the book, CINEMA 69: FROM VICTORY TO WONDERLAND, which discusses the 1976 film, Grizzly. Essentially a ripoff of Jaws, this chapter lays down the overall mindset of undemanding young moviegoers at the time, drawing comparision to kids today, who generally equate the best movie of all time to the last movie they watched.

GRIZZLY and the Stupidity of Children

Starring Christopher George, Andrew Prine, Richard Jaeckel, Joan McCall, Teddy the Bear. Directed by William Girdler. (1976, 91 min).

Kids are dumb. I know this because I teach middle school.

I begin each day of my 7th grade English class with a warm-up writing exercise, where students respond to a prompt on the screen. It's mostly silly stuff, like 'write about a time you were scared,' or 'what would you do with a million dollars?'. But occasionally, I throw them something a little more challenging, one of my favorites being 'name the greatest American who ever lived.' I get an amusing variety of responses with that one. Sure, there are a few who actually think hard about the question and provide such reasonable responses as Lincoln, Washington, Kennedy and King. As of this writing, a lot of kids select Barack Obama, probably because he's the one modern president they're familiar with.

Then there are the wacky answers, such as Michael Jackson, Justin Beiber, Lebron James, etc. My all-time favorite was, 'I don't know who the greatest American was, but I know the dumbest...my brother.'

Several years ago, one girl responded with Mike Tyson.

After reading her response, I said to her, "So let me get this straight...you believe Mike Tyson, a disgraced athlete who once bit off an opponent's ear and went to prison for rape is the greatest American who ever lived."

She sheepishly shrugged and replied, "Yeah...we named our dog after him."

For some students, I guess my warm-up questions are above and beyond challenging.

Further evidence that kids are dumb is when I ask them to write about the best movie they've ever seen. Seems simple enough, right?

I don't expect them all to have experienced The Godfather, although there's the occasional kid who mentions Grease, The Wizard of Oz or the original Star Wars. But for the most part, less than 1% ever write about a movie that came out before they were born. That's to be expected; even though I'm getting on in years, there are very few movies made before I popped from my mom that I would list among my all time favorites.

One year, several boys responded with Alien vs. Predator, which briefly oozed into theaters the previous summer. I offered my two cents, saying it didn't hold a candle to the original Alien.

One kid's stunned reply was, “There was another Alien movie?”

Okay, I understand that, since I'm used to the common middle school philosophy that nothing ever existed before they were born. But I won't ever forgive this other punk who had seen the original and proudly stated Alien vs. Predator was far better because it was newer, therefore more realistic. This was one of those times that I wished they still allowed paddling in schools.

Year in and year out, most kids tend to equate the best movie they've seen with the last movie they've seen. This used to bug me until I took a good look back at my own past. Like everyone on Earth except my high school History teacher, I was a kid once...and just as dumb. Maybe even dumber because, after seeing 1976's Grizzly, I initially declared it to be bigger, better and scarier than Jaws.

Jaws is obviously considered one of the greatest movies ever made (the greatest, in my humble opinion). It's on several AFI best-of lists in various categories. It was nominated for four Oscars, winning three (losing Best Picture). It also was the first film to earn over $100 million at the box office and, adjusting for inflation, is still the seventh biggest movie of all time.

Grizzly, on the other hand, is a low-budget Jaws knock-off. In fact, it is Jaws, only with a bear instead of a shark, a national park instead of an island, a park ranger instead of a sheriff, a chopper pilot instead of a boat captain. Even several scenes are nearly identical...shots from the beasts' POV, climaxes where said-beasts explode, dumbass authority figures proven wrong by our hero, Susan Blacklinie as a victim (though she's uncredited in Grizzly).

The movie's poster art also was similar. '18 feet of gut-crunching, man-eating terror!' touted the tag-line in ads back in 1976, roughly a year after Jaws first scared the living shit out of everybody with a pulse. That was enough for me to check it out when it hit the 69.

I thought Grizzly was awesome. Sure, it was just Jaws-in-the-woods, but Grizzly was brand new and Bruce the shark was a distant memory. In 1976, when they didn't show-up on-demand or on disc a few months after their theatrical runs, movies became distant memories really fast, especially when you were 13 and stupid. So for a long time, Grizzly was the better of the two movies, though not necessarily scarier. In fact, the co-feature playing with Grizzly at the time, a William Castle cheapie titled Bug, disturbed me a lot more (especially a scene where a fire-spewing cockroach barbecues a cat...man, I was days getting over that).

Grizzly was simply better because it was new. When you're young & stupid, you don't notice the dumb dialogue, how cheap the movie looks or that Christopher George is no Roy Scheider. You sure-as-hell don't compare director William Girdler's meager talents to those of Spielberg (in fact, you don't even know who the hell Spielberg is).

But my eyes were opened a few years later when Grizzly aired on TV, retitled Killer Grizzly, apparently to avoid confusion with the huggable, fun-loving bears that play with our kids in the back yard. It was the same old film, only this time I could see it for what it was...a cheap knock-off of a classic.

I'm making it sound like the movie is garbage, but as Jaws imitators go (and there were a lot of them back then), Grizzly isn't bad at all. It's pretty fun & fast-paced, reasonably well-acted by its B-list cast and makes the most of its limited financial resources. In fact, I'd say more creativity and care was put into this Jaws rip-off than any of that film's official sequels. As for me, the movie holds a great deal of nostalgic value. I still pluck it from my DVD shelf now and again to enjoy a good laugh...not at the movie (though it's sometimes unintentionally funny), but at my younger self for ever thinking Grizzly could be a better film than Jaws.

I'm sure when that maladjusted Alien vs. Predator-loving student of mine pulls his head out of his ass later in life, he'll do the same thing. Kids are dumb, but most aren't dumb forever.

CINEMA 69: FROM VICTORY TO WONDERLAND

is now available at Amazon

Twentieth Century Fox Partners With Earth Day Network For $.99 Digital HD Purchase of INDEPENDENCE DAY on Google Play

In Honor of Earth Day and the Film’s 20^th Anniversary,
Proceeds Will Benefit Earth Day Network’s Trees for the Earth Initiative

Catch INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE in Theaters June 24
 
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment has partnered with Earth Day Network and Google Play to offer fans 99 cent Digital HD purchases of the sci-fi classic INDEPENDENCE DAY for a limited time* in honor of Earth Day and the film’s anniversary.  Starting today, fans can go exclusively to Google Play and purchase the film for the discounted price, with all of Fox’s net proceeds benefiting Earth Day Network and their Trees for the Earth initiative.  

The offer is available HERE.

The support from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and the sale of INDEPENDENCE DAY on Google Play will allow Earth Day Network to continue its work around the world to protect the planet, such as working with local tree-planting partners to ensure that the most impoverished communities receive new trees that will help them better feed their families and grow their local economy.  The planting of these trees is so important that Earth Day Network has made Trees for the Earth their theme for Earth Day 2016 (earthday.org/2016).

Released in 1996, the original INDEPENDENCE DAY starring Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman was a global box office phenomenon, taking in over $800 million worldwide.  This Earth Day promotion with Google Play comes on the heels of the debut of the all-new trailer for the highly-anticipated sequel INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE, arriving in theaters June 24.  You can also wishlist the movie on Google Play HERE.

In celebration of Earth Day 2016, The Earth Day Network’s Trees for the Earth initiative will receive a minimum of 50 cents from each sale of INDEPENDENCE DAY from April 22-25 on Google Play to help support the planting of trees globally.

*Price available from April 22-25, 2016 on Google Play

Blu-Ray Review: THE 5TH WAVE

Starring Chloe Grace Moretz, Nick Robinson, Ron Livingston, Maggie Siff, Alex Roe, Maria Bello, Maika Monroe, Liev Schreiber. Directed by J. Blakeson. (2016, 112 min).
SONY

Yet another start-up attempt at a franchise based on a popular series of young adult novels, The 5th Wave offers strong evidence the genre has reached its nadir. It’s not badly made or anything, but like the Divergent films, there’s just nothing unique or memorable about it either. The film feels cynically assembled with the conceit that every popular novel series is a franchise waiting to happen.

It's sort of a shame, really, because The 5th Wave begins like gangbusters. A multi-waved attack by unseen aliens devastates most of the Earth through electromagnetic pulses (causing a worldwide power outage), massive quakes & floods and a lethal virus. These first 20 minutes are as dark and ominous as any young adult adaptation you’d care to name (including The Hunger Games), prepping us for an exciting post-apocalyptic war between the remaining survivors and the alien invaders.

Unfortunately, the focus shifts to a batch of bland teenagers who are the only ones capable of fighting back. The explanation for this isn’t very convincing, having something to do with the aliens able to mimic adults but not the children. So kids are recruited by the Army to train and fight. Despite being well-performed by a great looking cast of talented actors, these kids are walking cliches lifted from better movies, such as the badass chick who takes no shit (and suspiciously resembles Bella from Twilight), a few charming little rubes whose purpose is to unexpectedly die, and two hunky dudes obviously created to establish an obligatory love-triangle with the female lead in future movies. In this case, it’s Cassie (Chloe Grace Moretz), who spends most of the time looking for her little brother after they become separated. These characters are mostly symbols rather than flesh & blood people with unique personalities.

P.E. class...Texas style.

As for the story...these aliens appear to be really stupid, especially after a third act plot reveal which suggests their multi-wave attack is a half-assed plan in danger of being thwarted by a batch of teenagers. And of course, there’s an open-ended conclusion which promises the story will continue. But since the film begins with a bang and ends with a whimper, we aren’t left to care whether or not we see any of these characters again.

Even now, the memory fades. I’d be hard-pressed to name a single character or scene which had any lasting impact on me once the end credits rolled. Despite being competently made, with fairly decent (thought obviously CGI) visual effects, The 5th Wave doesn’t really resonate at all. Fans of Rick Yancey’s original novel might enjoy it a bit more, but even they might see it as just a checklist of events. There’s simply no attempt to make the film anything above and beyond the usual young adult fodder.

BONUS FEATURES:

• FEATURETTES: “The 5th Wave Survival Guide”; “Training Squad 53”; “Creating a New World”; “Inside The 5th Wave”; “Sammy on the Set”
• Audio Commentary by Director J. Blakeson & Chloe Grace Moretz.
• Gag Reel
• Deleted Scenes

KITTY CONSENSUS:

MEH...BEEN THERE, DONE THAT.

Rest in Peace, Guy Hamilton

Guy Hamilton (1922-2016)

Rest in Peace, Prince

Prince Rogers Nelson (1958-2016)

Blu-Ray Review: RIDE ALONG 2

Starring Ice Cube, Kevin Hart, Ken Jeong, Benjamin Bratt, Olivia Munn, Tika Sumpter. Directed by Tim Story. (2016, 102 min).
UNIVERSAL

If you're reading this review, you likely skipped the film in theaters (a wise choice) and are pondering whether or not it's worth checking out at home. So you can take the following statement as either good news or bad: Ride Along 2 is more of the same. More Cube & Kevin (with a huge emphasis on the latter), more lowbrow comedy, more decent-but-unremarkable action, more familiar actors in thankless supporting roles. Tim Story, who actually made a good movie once (Barbershop), is back for a second round in the director's chair.

This time around, Atlanta Detective James Payton (Ice Cube) discovers a local drug dealer has ties to a mysterious Miami crimelord (Benjamin Bratt). Ben Barber (Kevin Hart), Payton's soon-to-be brother-in-law, is now a probationary rookie cop, but itching to make detective. He's still a bumbling idiot, but coerces Payton into bringing him along to Miami to help with the case.

The plot is perfunctory, of course, a generic clothesline on which to hang a plethora of sight gags and ‘funny’ one-liners, mostly courtesy of Hart. Here inlays the problem (or virtue, if you’re so inclined): Kevin Hart’s manic persona dominates every scene he's in, which is a shame because Ice Cube has proven to be quite funny when given the chance. Here, he’s simply a straight man to Hart’s scenery-chewing, pratfalls and over-the-top delivery of nearly every line of dialogue. He’s not-so-much acting as constantly reminding us he’s Kevin Hart. Barber is essentially the same character Hart’s played in every movie he’s ever appeared in. If his brand of over-exaggerated humor strikes your fancy, you’ll be in hog heaven. Personally, I find him insufferable in doses this large.

Kevin Hart's voice proves to be more lethal than bullets.

Storywise, it’s one cop movie cliche after another...shoot-outs, angry police chiefs (two this time), disgraced heroes redeeming themselves, gratiutous sexual titilation, an overly cocky villain. Added into the mix is a pointless and stupid subplot of Barber’s ongoing verbal battle with his wedding planner. Alas, lost in the shuffle is Ice Cube. Aside from a few funny one-liners, he’s wasted in this role (even though it’s obviously paying the bills).

Still, if you loved the first film, I can’t think of a single reason why you wouldn’t enjoy this one. It’s simply more of the same. If that’s the case, since Ride Along 2 raked in a slew of quick cash, Ride Along 3 is likely on the horizon. Hooray for you. If that’s not the case...why are you still reading this?

BONUS FEATURES:

• NUMEROUS FEATURETTES: "Kevin and Cube: Brothers-in-Law"; "Inside Black Hammer Vision" (covering one of the few amusing moments in the film); "Ride Along Roundtable"; "The New Recruits"; "The Ride Diaries"; "Ride Along with Kevin Hart"
• "Ride Along with Us" (a 'recruitment' video)
• "Cori's Wedding Commercial"
• Deleted Scenes
• Gag Reel
• Digital Copy

KITTY CONSENSUS:

MEH...UNLESS YOU LOVED THE FIRST ONE.