Blu-Ray Review: FENCES

Starring Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Stephen Henderson, Jovan Adepo, Russell Hornsby, Mykelti Williamson, Sahiyya Sidney. Directed byy Denzel Washington. (139 min, 2016).

PARAMOUNT

Troy Maxson is quite a character. 

He's harsh and abrasive. Though he may mean well, he's verbally abusive to his sons, belittling their loftier goals in life, perhaps because his own life decisions made it impossible to achieve his. He boasts about himself at every given opportunity, yet remains angry at the cards life dealt him. He's proud of everything he's worked hard for, but still resentful of those he perceives have held him back. While we never doubt his love for Rose, Troy's dutiful wife of 18 years, he commits the ultimate betrayal by keeping a mistress who ends up pregnant with his child. He drinks too much, is closed-minded, always convinced he's in the right and insists on dominating every conversation and argument he's part of.

Whether by his own doing or simply his circumstances, Troy is often a pretty terrible person, but what makes him fascinating is he genuinely doesn't think he is. Of course, the best villains were always those who don't see themselves as truly villainous. I hesitate to label Troy a villain in the purest sense, since the character's views and attitude are the driving narrative force behind Fences. After all, we've all known someone like Troy Maxson.

Someone had garlic for lunch.

He's played with almost manic gusto by Denzel Washington (who also directed), and like his Oscar-winning turn in Training Day, it's one of those performances where we forget we're watching Denzel, the Movie Star. What we see instead is a domineering, embittered man who's unwilling - or unable - to tear down the fence he's built around himself - of course, the title is a metaphor, as is the one he takes years to build in his back yard. The further he progresses on its construction, the more alienated he becomes from everyone close to him.

Washington's performance alone makes Fences worth seeing, but Viola Davis as Rose is every bit his equal (and certainly deserving of her Best Actress Oscar). Assertive yet vulnerable, Rose is strong enough to advocate for her sons when Troy is tearing them down. As someone whose love and dedication to her husband is put to the ultimate test, Rose is a better wife than he probably deserves. We suspect she knows it, too, but would never betray the sanctity of marriage, even as her respect for him threatens to wane. Davis plays off Washington perfectly, perhaps because both honed these characters on Broadway first. In fact, much of the primary cast did, which is probably why they're all so convincing.

"Ha, ha...shrimp joke. Haven't heard any of those before."

From a narrative standpoint, Washington does right by August Wilson's play, though aside from a few brief-but-effective scenes in and around Pittsburgh's Hill District (the setting for most of Wilson's work), the film never quite escapes its stage origins. Much of it takes place in a few rooms of the Maxson home and in the backyard where the fence is being built.

But that's okay. A movie like Fences lives and dies by its characters. The film isn't the most uplifting experience on Earth, but everything about these characters, from their mannerisms & expressions right down to their dialect & voice, feel completely real. Even during the most seemingly trivial conversations, we learn as much about their lives, both past and present, as the words Wilson gave them.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES:

"Expanding the Audience: From Stage to Screen" - How Fences was adapted while remaining faithful to the play;

"Building Fences: Denzel Washington" - Denzel's challenge working as oth actor and director;

"Playing the Part: Rose Maxson" - A featurette on Viola Davis

"The Company of Fences" - I did not realize much of the main cast also performed it on Broadway;

"August Wilson's Hill District" - Recreating Pittsburgh's Hill District as it looked in the 1950s

DIGITAL COPY

KITTY CONSENSUS:

PURR-R-R...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS

Blu-Ray Review: ELLE

Starring Isabelle Huppert, Laurent Lafitte, Christian Berkel, Anne Consigny, Virginie Efira, Charles Berling, Alice Isaaz, Judith Magre. Directed by Paul Verhoeven. (2016, 131 min).

SONY

Regarding Elle: What the hell??

I had that reaction several times throughout this movie, which isn't necessarily intended as criticism. After all, it's directed by Paul Verhoeven, certainly no stranger to provocative material or ruffling feathers. It's been awhile since we've heard from him, and while it's nice to see he's lost none of his audacity, Elle is unlike anything he's done before.

In the opening scene, the main character, Michele (Isabelle Huppert) is brutally raped in her home by a masked assailant. However, she does not report it to the police, initially choosing to go on with her life as if everything is normal. Normal is a relative term, though. Michele owns and strictly runs a company which - ironically - produces video games with ample amounts of violence and sexual assault. She has a lazy, milquetoast son with a domineering girlfriend (who's pregnant with someone else's child), and is repulsed by her own aging, promiscuous mother (who is about to marry her latest man-toy). Michele infrequently sleeps with her best friend's husband, yet has mixed feelings about her own ex-husband's much younger new girlfriend. Her father, in prison for a mass murder spree 40 years ago, is due for a parole hearing; despite pleas from her mother, Michelle refuses to visit him. All the while, she's increasingly attracted to Patrick (Laurent Lafitte), who lives across the street with his wife.

Future crazy cat lady.

Michele herself is emotionally aloof (to the point of appearing cold-hearted) and accustomed to being in control. In fact, when she finally does confide to those closest to her - during a dinner party - that she'd been raped, she is shockingly non-nonchalant, refusing to let the incident change her. Though they urge Michele to go to the police, we eventually learn why she doesn't: When she was ten years old, Michele's father involved her in the murder spree (though not the actual killings), and she remains tormented by the subsequent police investigation and media attention.

Then the movie gets weird (like I said...what the hell). Her assailant taunts her with threatening texts, and she initially suspects someone who works at her company (Michele isn't liked by her mostly male staff of designers, presumably because she's strong-willed and assertive). But after her rapist attacks again and she discovers who he is while fighting back, the decisions she makes afterwards might have the viewer thinking Michele has lost her mind (or was never right-minded to begin with).

How to liven up an office party.

In either case, Elle is both genre and expectation defying. Whether or not that's a positive is highly subjective. One thing it's definitely not is your traditional rape-revenge film. The scenes of sexual assault are unflinching and graphic, as is some of the violence, made more shocking by the main character's ultimate response, which will likely upset and anger some viewers. But even though we don't often understand, approve-of, agree-with or sometimes even like her, Michele is a strong, fascinating character, perfectly played by Huppert (this is easily the bravest performance of any of this year's Best Actress Oscar nominees).

One thing is certain...Elle is probably a film only someone like Paul Verhoeven could have pulled off this effectively; artfully made, yet incendiary and polarizing. You may not necessarily like what you see, but chances are you won't forget it anytime soon. That alone probably makes it worthy of attention.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES: "A Tale of Empowerment: Making Elle"; "Celebrating an Icon: AFI's Tribute to Isabelle Huppert"

KITTY CONSENSUS:

WTF...ULTIMATELY IN A GOOD WAY

Blu-Ray News: THE PHANTASM COLLECTION Arrives April 11

 Six-Disc Box Set Includes All 5 Movies and is Bursting with New Bonus Features,

Plus 120-page Retrospective Book & Reversible Poster

ON BLU-RAY APRIL 11 

 
EXTENSIVE ALL-NEW BONUS MATERIALS INCLUDED IN
THE PHANTASM COLLECTION:

Disc 1: PHANTASM 

Audio Commentary with writer/director Don Coscarelli, co-producer Paul Pepperman and visual consultant Roberto Quezada 
Additional home movie footage
 
Disc 3: PHANTASM III: LORD OF THE DEAD

“Balls of Steel: Bob Ivy’s Stunt for the Ages - The Phantasm III Car Stunt” – This featurette shows the planning and behind-the-scenes footage of the dangerous stunt performed in the film and includes recently rediscovered material.

“It’s Never Over: The Making of PHANTASM III: LORD OF THE DEAD” – This featurette  includes  interviews with Don Coscarelli, A. Michael Baldwin, Reggie Bannister, Bill Thornbury,
Gloria Lynn Henry, Stuntman Bob Ivy, director of photography Christopher Chomyn, composer/sound designer Christopher L. Stone, sphere designer/mechanical effects artist Kerry Prior, special makeup effects designer Dean Gates and Production Assistant Kristen Deem.

Audio Commentary with writer/director Don Coscarelli and editor Norman Buckley

Behind the Scenes Compilation
 
Disc 4: PHANTASM IV: OBLIVION

“Death is No Escape: The Making of PHANTASM IV: OBLIVION” – This featurette includes interviews with Don Coscarelli, A. Michael Baldwin, Reggie Bannister, Bill Thornbury,
special makeup effects artist Gigi Bannister, stunt co-ordinator/actor Bob Ivy, director of photography Christopher Chomyn, composer/sound designer Christopher L. Stone, sphere designer/mechanical effects designer Kerry Prior, cameraman Justin Zaharczuk and special makeup effects artist Robert Kurtzman.

Behind the Scenes Compilation

Phantasm sequels Conceptual Art Gallery by Justin Zaharczuk
 
Disc 5: PHANTASM V: RAVAGER

“The Making of PHANTASM V: RAVAGER” featurette

Interview with actor A. Michael Baldwin

Interview with actress Kat Lester

Interview with actor Stephan Jutras

Behind the Scenes Promo with Angus Scrimm Tribute

Phantasm V Red Credit Sequence
 
Disc 6: BONUS DISC

“Phantasm and You” – a comic recap of the first 4 films by PHANTASM V: RAVAGER director David Hartman

Flashback Weekend Chicago Convention Panel Discussion (2008)

Flashback Weekend Chicago Convention Cast Panel (2014)

Flashback Weekend concert performance by Kat Lester

2016 Fantastic Fest Premiere and Q&A
 

Blu-Ray Review: SOLACE

Starring Anthony Hopkins, Colin Farrell, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Abbie Cornish. Directed by Afonso Poyart. (2015, 102 min).

LIONSGATE

This one has an interesting history. An early version of the screenplay was once being groomed as a sequel to Se7en. Fortunately, someone wisely concluded Se7en was one of the last movies that ever needed a sequel, much less one featuring cops & killers with psychic abilities.

It's a decent premise, though, which eventually evolved into Solace. Anthony Hopkins plays John Clancy, a clairvoyant who's become a recluse since the death of his daughter to cancer. He reluctantly agrees to aid his friend, FBI agent Joe Merriweather (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), track down a serial killer. Clancy figures out that the one thing the victims have in common is they are all terminally ill, including a young boy whose brain tumor hadn't yet been discovered. This means the killer is psychic as well, with even stronger abilities. Since he can anticipate the FBI's every move well in advance, he's always several steps ahead of them, and develops a particular interest in Clancy.

"Well, someone stole the cookies from the cookie jar."

Solace is one of those movies that, while not bad, should have been much better. What could have been a solid cat & mouse thriller starts off well enough, with good performances (Hopkins & Morgan in particular) and interesting visual flourishes when depicting Clancy's 'visions.' However, once the killer, Charles Ambrose (Colin Farrell), meets Clancy in a bar and shares his motives, any sense of menace dissipates and the tension begins to unravel. This is when the battle of wits between these two should be shifting into high gear, not descending into a moral debate.

I also found myself thinking Hopkins & Farrell's roles should have been reversed. Sure, Hopkins playing another serial killer wouldn't be the most creative casting decision, but you have to admit it'd be more fun. And if, as the killer, he was still forced to helplessly watch as his daughter dies, his motives would carry more weight.

But as it is, Solace is a decent enough way to spend an evening, stylish and efficient, but ultimately forgettable. Too bad, really...with a premise and cast like that, with some narrative tweaks, this could have been something really special.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTE: "Visions and Voices: The Making of Solace"

AUDIO COMMENTARY BY DIRECTOR AFONSO POYART

DIGITAL COPY

KITTY CONSENSUS:

NOT BAD...LIKE CAT CHOW

Blu-Ray Review: JACKIE

Starring Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup, John Hurt, Max Casella, Beth Grant, Richard E. Grant, John Carroll Lynch, Caspar Phillipson. Directed by Pablo Larrain. (2016, 100 min).

20TH CENTURY FOX

Natalie Portman's performance is the primary reason to see Jackie.

It doesn't seem like much, at first. In fact, although Portman certainly resembles the beloved former first lady, it initially comes across as a well-rehearsed caricature, with little depth behind the look and voice. Then again, that was how Jacqueline Kennedy was presented to the public...on television, in particular.

It isn't until Jackie delves into the first lady's tumultuous days after the JFK assassination that we realize how dynamic Portman's performance really is. Oscar-worthy? That's debatable, but there's no denying she presents a masterful dichotomy between the charming & mannered public figure we're familiar with, and the one who never seemed completely comfortable with her role as the first lady.

Presented mostly in flashback through an interview she gives to a magazine writer (Billy Crudup), we see how this national tragedy affected her personally. Aside from being obviously distraught, Jackie is confused and overwhelmed, with both her husband's death and uncertainty of what is expected from her. Feeling mostly alienated from those in her immediate circle (not-to-mention just a bit resentful of Lyndon & Lady Bird), she really only lets her guard down to a priest (John Hurt, in his last role) and this writer she barely knows. And because we see Jackie as two different people, the so-called shallower segments actually end up being quite revealing.

"These are my horseys, and I don't like to share."

Since the film is not-so-much a biography as it is the portrait of how she mourns Kennedy as a husband and honors him as a leader (it's also hinted that a bit of estrangement had crept into their marriage), Jackie isn't exactly a ball of fun. And in a late sequence that's both harrowing and graphic, Kennedy's assassination is depicted through Jackie's eyes. It's hard to fathom what it must have felt like to endure such a tragedy, especially while being watch by the world, but Portman is at her best during these moments. Other scenes, while we admire the depth of her performance, aren't quite as emotionally compelling. Somewhat surprisingly, none of the other characters, including Robert Kennedy (Peter Sarsgaard), are fleshed out in enough detail to make them interesting.

Jackie is aided greatly by its attention to period detail (the costumes & production design are outstanding) and a screenplay that empathizes with its subject while resisting the temptation to deify her. While I question how often someone would want to revisit this dark chapter in Jacqueline Kennedy's life, the film does a good job humanizing her. Just don't expect to feel great afterwards, despite the joyous tune from Camelot fittingly playing during the fade-out.

EXTRA KIBBLES:

FEATURETTE: "From Jackie to Camelot"

GALLERY

DVD & DIGITAL COPIES

KITTY CONSENSUS:

NOT BAD...MOSTLY DUE TO NATALIE PORTMAN'S PERFORMANCE 

Rest in Peace, Robert Osborne

Robert Osborne (1932-2017)

Blu-Ray Review: MOANA

Starring the voices of Auli'i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Rachel House, Temuera Morrison, Jemaine Clement, Nicole Scherzinger, Alan Tudyk. Directed by Ron Clements & John Musker. (2016, 107 min).

DISNEY

The second Disney renaissance continues with Moana, and if you're of a certain age, a sense of deja vu might creep in. You can't quite place your finger on it, but aside from the CG animation, there's something comfortingly familiar about the film that recalls the glory days of the first Disney renaissance.

Perhaps it's because Moana is directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, the team behind The Little Mermaid, which arguably  made Disney animation relevant again. Despite the relative anonymity of most Disney directors, there was something distinctive about Clements & Musker's films throughout the 80s and 90s (which included Aladdin & Hercules). Though not always necessarily better, they were slightly more irreverent, the character depictions more imaginatively exaggerated, the musical numbers more effectively woven into the plots themselves (as opposed to isolated set-pieces).

Moana is their first fully CG animated feature, but their familiar stamp is everywhere and it's easily their best film since Aladdin.

"Boat? What boat?"

The title character is the daughter of Tui, her overprotective father & the village chief of the South Pacific island, Motunui. Though next in succession to lead their people, she yearns to venture beyond the reef and explore the ocean. When the their crops and trees start to mysteriously die, Moana's grandmother tells her why: a thousand years ago, the heart of the island goddess, Te Fiti, was stolen by the demigod, Maui, who in-turn was defeated by the lava demon, Te K, and banished to a remote island. The ocean itself chooses Moana to find Maui so he can return the heart to Te Fiti before everything dies.

The story is perfect Disney fodder, fraught with peril and epiphanies. And of course, it's impeccably animated, but at this point, is the quality of Disney animation a bone of contention anymore? What distinguishes Moana from the likes of Tangled and Frozen are the distinctive Clements/Musker touches. The imaginative rendering of Maui reflects the same level of creativity (from the animated tattoos to Dwayne Johnson's amusing voice performance) given to the genie in Aladdin. The obligatory non-human sidekick provides some of the funniest moments (made more amusing after we're initially led to believe it's the 'cuter' animal that'll be tagging along). As for the songs, not only are they memorable, they are a major part of the plot and character development (you can't really say that about "Let it Go"). And yes, in the context of the film, Johnson can actually sing without embarrassing himself.

Future club sandwiches.

On a side note, speaking of Johnson...do you wonder if he wakes up every morning, catches a glance of himself in the mirror and just laughs, basking in the fact he's Dwayne Johnson? He's almost obscenely likable and hardly fails at anything, which includes his work here. This isn't stunt casting; Johnson is a Pacific Islander himself, as is most of the cast, and he's terrific as Maui. Newcomer Auli'i Cravalho shines as the title character and is equipped with one hell of a set of pipes.

Storywise, Moana adheres to the tried & true Disney formula that has served them well over the years (though the climax is almost too reminiscent of the "Firebird Suite" sequence in Fantasia 2000). So while it's not as strikingly original as Zootopia, Clements and Musker's unique touches give Moana a distinct voice among Disney's other recent blockbusters..

EXTRA KIBBLES:

FEATURETTES:

"Voice of the Islands" - The longest and best of the bonus features, the directors travel to the Pacific Island region for inspiration. We get a look at its people and their culture, and how both helped shape the film. It also made me really want to visit.

"Things You Didn't Know About..." - The lead voice actors and soundtrack composers answer rapid-fire question on a variety of silly subjects.

"The Elements of..." - 4 part featurette on the challenge of animating such things as water, lava and characters' hair.

"Island Fashion"; "They Know the Way: Making the Music of Moana"; "Fishing for Easter Eggs" (titles tell all about these three features.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By directors Ron Clements & John Musker.

2 ANIMATED SHORTS: "Gone Fishing" & "Inner Workings" - The first feels like the usual Disney promotional short, while the second is original, creative and visually interesting. The latter also features an introduction by the producer and director.

DELETED SONG: "Warrior Face"

2 MUSIC VIDEOS: Both for "How Far I'll Go" - One features Alessia Cara, the other is sung in various other languages.

DELETED SCENES

DVD & DIGITAL COPIES

KITTY CONSENSUS:

PURR-R-R...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS

Blu-Ray News: PATRIOTS DAY Arrives on Digital HD March 14 and Blu-Ray March 28

Witness the heroism behind one of the most sophisticated manhunts in law enforcement history in the critically acclaimed film Patriots Day, arriving on Digital HD March 14 and 4k Ultra HD Combo Pack (plus Blu-ray and Digital HD), Blu-ray Combo Pack (plus DVD and Digital HD), DVD, and On Demand March 28 from Lionsgate and CBS Films. The 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and Digital HD releases have over 90 minutes of bonus material including five behind-the-scenes featurettes. 

Director Peter Berg (Lone Survivor, Deepwater Horizon) and Academy Award nominee Mark Wahlberg (Best Supporting Actor, The Departed, 2006) reunite in this intense and courageous story of a tragedy that shocked the nation. Patriots Day features an all-star cast including Golden Globe winner Kevin Bacon (Mystic River), Golden Globe winner John Goodman (Argo), Academy Award winner J.K. Simmons (Best Supporting Actor, Whiplash, 2014) and Golden Globe nominee Michelle Monaghan (TV’s “True Detective”). Story by Peter Berg & Matt Cook and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson. Screenplay by Peter Berg & Matt Cook and Joshua Zetumer.

VIEW THE TRAILER:

Blu-Ray Review: WE ARE THE FLESH

Starring Now Hernandez, Maria Evoli, Diego Gamaliel, Gabino Rodriguez. Directed by Emiliano Rocha Minter. (2016, 79 min).

ARROW FILMS 

You'll be happy to learn that, even after the apocalypse, there will still be a limitless supply of duct tape. 

 

Two sibling survivors, Fauna and Lucio (Maria Evoli & Diego Gamaliel), wander into an dilapidated warehouse where they meet a clearly psychotic vagrant named Mariano (Noe Hernandez), who feeds and shelters them for a price: They must help him convert the inside of the building into a womb-like cave. Eventually, they are also coursed to engage in incest, necrophilia, murder and cannibalism.

I had read & heard a lot about We Are the Flesh, both good and bad, prior to finally viewing it. Touted as surrealist art-horror by some, condemned as self-indulgent sleaze by others, there seems to be no middle ground. Regardless of which camp you'd plant your flag, I almost guarantee you haven't seen anything quite like it.

Maria spots her pants in a tree.

You'll also probably want to scrub-out your eyeballs afterwards. While not really a horror film, most of the imagery in We Are the Flesh is certainly horrific. It's loaded with grimy, semi-pornographic sex and (literally) in your face full-frontal nudity that's calculated to repulse more than titillate (if you are aroused, you've got issues, my friend). The film isn't particularly violent, save for one extremely graphic murder that goes on forever and is tough to endure in the context of why it's committed.

Little of it makes any actual narrative sense. Any "story" beyond the initial premise is nearly incomprehensible. Mariano rants and raves during the proceedings like the unholy offspring of Jim Morrison and Charles Manson, but none of his pseudo-philosophic ramblings render the movie any more coherent. Writer-director Emiliano Rocha Minter bombards us with gonzo grotesquery, then tacks on a twist ending that might impress anyone not completely baffled by the previous 75 minutes. But at-least that ending sort-of explains why all that duct tape is still available in abundance.

Only if viewed as some sort of twisted fever-dream does We Are the Flesh really work, and it's safe to say traditional horror fans will probably get more than they bargained for. The whole thing is also really pretentious, sometimes even tedious, including all the bizarre, perverse imagery Minter appears to enjoy rubbing our noses in long after it has dulled our senses. Some viewers may find it brilliant, and maybe there's something deeper here, but I sure as hell didn't find it. Perhaps someone should inform Minter that simply being uninhibited doesn't necessarily make you bold.

EXTRA KIBBLES

CAST AND CREW INTERVIEWS

VIDEO ESSAY BY VIRGINIE SALEVY - She's a strong advocate for the film, though her insight didn't render the thing any clearer.

"DENTRO" & "VIDEOHOME" - Two early shorts by the director.

BEHIND-THE-SCENES STILLS GALLERY

TRAILER

KITTY CONSENSUS:

WTF?

Zombie News: THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS Arrives April 25

The post-apocalyptic zombie thriller, THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS, arrives on Blu-ray Combo Pack (plus DVD and Digital HD), DVD and Digital HD April 25 from Lionsgate Home Entertainment. The film is currently available On Demand.

Step into a future dystopia when the post-apocalyptic zombie thriller, The Girl with All the Gifts, arrives on Blu-ray Combo Pack (plus DVD and Digital HD), DVD and Digital HD April 25 from Lionsgate. The film is currently available On Demand. Six-time Academy Award^® nominee* Glenn Close stars alongside Gemma Arterton and Paddy Considine in this story of society’s breakdown after the outbreak of an unprecedented plague. Hailed as “an effective, scary, and emotional zombie movie” by ComingSoon.net, it was shown during Midnight Madness at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival. Based on the critically acclaimed, Edgar Award-winning short story, "Iphigenia in Aulis“ by M.R. Carey, The Girl with All the Gifts Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $24.99 and $19.98, respectively.

Humanity has been all but destroyed by a fungal disease that eradicates free will and turns its victims into flesh eating “hungries.” Only a small group of children seems immune to its effects.  At an army base in rural England, these unique children are being studied and subjected to cruel experiments.  When the base falls, one little girl escapes and must discover what she is, ultimately deciding both her own future and that of the human race.

OFFICIAL TRAILER: