DVD & Blu-Ray

Interview: Suka director Heidi Lee Douglas on what inspired her action-romance hybrid debut feature

The story of two generations of warring families in Sydney’s West, Suka is a violent love story…with a twist.  Brought together by fate, but pulled apart by family, this genre-bending romantic action film marks the feature debut of Australian filmmaker Heidi Lee Douglas. Ahead of the film’s release this week on DVD and Digital, Peter…

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Film Review: River Wild reimagines the classic Meryl Streep thriller with a more violent, survivalist layering

Branding itself as a reimagining rather than a traditional remake – and this is one of those cases where that wording does actually tie into the overall mentality – River Wild takes the basic premise of Curtis Hanson’s 1994 thriller The River Wild, a Hitchcock-in-the-great-outdoors chiller that raised its own profile through the inclusion of…

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Blu-Ray Review: Ticket To Paradise is more a charming detour than it is first-class entertainment

Few actors possess and exude as much movie star wattage as George Clooney and Julia Roberts.  And it’s his attractive gruffness and her screen-lighting smile that keep Ticket To Paradise from being a destination you’d request a refund for. Local audiences – predominantly those based in Queensland – are sure to get a thrill from…

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Blu-Ray Review: Reacher: Season 1 is tightly paced and welcomingly brutal

When Lee Child‘s novel creation Jack Reacher was first introduced to audiences in a motion-captured capacity it was in the form of Tom Cruise’s filmic duo of Jack Reacher (2012) and Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016).  Whilst Cruise’s action capabilities have never been questioned, the fact that he was chosen to portray such a…

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Blu-Ray Review: Beast is an entertaining and emotional creature feature

Given that we’ve had a share of snakes and sharks and bears (Oh My!) over the years as the creatures that have opted to stalk various familiar-faced talent, it’s only fair that the majestic king of the jungle get their due too. If the circle of life taught us anything, it’s that what goes around…

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4K Ultra HD Review: The original Scream remains a horror classic as it upgrades its specs for killer home release

Releasing a horror movie only days out from Christmas doesn’t seem like the smartest marketing ploy.  Add to that a slasher example of the genre at a time when “horror” was a bad word – and so often relegated to the straight-to-video treatment – and you had, essentially, a film slashed dead on arrival.  Such…

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Blu-Ray Review: The Invitation‘s “Unrated Edition” adds extra blood but not enough bite

It’s all too easy to wax lyrical these days about trailers spoiling and “giving too much away” for the keyboard warriors who oft decide they hate a film before they even see it.  Whilst the jury is still out on how many will dislike The Invitation, I can attest that, as far as spoilers go, Jessica M….

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4K Ultra HD Review: Bullet Train‘s bombastic energy is enhanced by neon visuals and booming audio

The Hitman Vs. Assassin subsect of the action genre is one that rarely deviates from its rather tried and true formula; aside from a hefty injection of cash and a star-studded cast, something as recent as Netflix’s throwaway actioner The Gray Man is proof that the genre, even in 2022, seems comfortable resting on its…

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4K Ultra HD Review: Nope is a visual and technical wonder

It’s understandable to be going into a film like Nope and be expecting horror greatness, given that it’s stemming from the mind of Jordan Peele, who, with both Get Out and Us, redefined the genre with his “woke” sensibilities and penchant for symbolism and commentary. Ominous alien invasion is seemingly what’s promised here.  The trailers (at least initially, before the studio…

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Film Review: Blowback is a disposable but watchable actioner that breaks no new rules within the genre

It was only a matter of time before crypto currency became something of a talking point in films, and in Blowback, an incredibly generic heist actioner, it’s a point of interest for wronged pretty boy Cam Gigandet as he tries to get out alive from a plan that, wait for it, goes fatally wrong for…

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Film Review: Panama indulges in an excessive aesthetic that speaks to Mel Gibson’s unbridled energy

Sporadically seen but frequently heard throughout via storytelling-like narration that speaks to the throwback era of filmmaking Panama adheres to, Mel Gibson waltzes in and out of Mark Neveldine‘s action effort with little care as to how his scene chewing is going to disrupt the heavy lifting supplied by co-star (and actual lead) Cole Hauser….

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Film Review: Gasoline Alley is a lazy, ugly thriller that furthers the sad decline of Bruce Willis’ career

Another day, another Bruce Willis direct-to-DVD effort that continues the odd, sad decline of his career.  Keeping in tune with the last dozen or so efforts he has sleepwalked his way through (that is if he decides to actually show up for filming that day), Willis barely registers in Gasoline Alley, the fourth collaboration with…

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Win 1 of 5 Blu-ray copies of Marvel’s Eternals starring Angelina Jolie

Marvel Studios’ Eternals is gearing up to defend humanity on Blu-ray™, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD™ from February 2nd, 2022, and to celebrate the release we have 5 Blu-ray copies up for grabs! Marvel Studios’ Eternals follows a group of ancient heroes from beyond the stars who had protected Earth since the dawn of man. When monstrous…

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Interview: Australian filmmakers the Spierig Brothers on the 20th anniversary of their cult horror hit Undead; “There’s something to be said about leaving directors alone to go and make their movie”

Before making waves in the horror genre with such box office successes and critical winners as Daybreakers, Predestination, and Jigsaw, German-born, Australian-raised brothers Michael and Peter Spierig pooled their talent, connections and coins together for Undead.  Originally released in 2003, the low-budget Australian zombie thriller was an homage to the B-grade horror entries of the…

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Film Review: 13 Minutes channels your favourite childhood disaster flicks

Remember those natural disaster films from the ’90s? You know, Deep Impact? Volcano? Dante’s Peak? Twister? Well, if the recent Amazon hit Greenland has whet your appetite for disaster, then 13 Minutes will also satisfy your urge. Writer/Director Lindsay Gossling has assembled an all-star cast – including Anne Heche (to bring us back to Volcano for a…

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Win 1 of 5 Blu-ray copies of Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Witness the origins of a new MCU superhero when Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings arrives on Blu-ray™, DVD, 4K Ultra HD™ and Digital November 12th, 2021.  To celebrate the release, we have 5 copies up for grabs! Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings stars Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, who…

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Win 1 of 5 Blu-ray copies of Free Guy starring Ryan Reynolds

Make it a great day by adding Free Guy to your movie collection!  20th Century Studios’ action-comedy Free Guy debuts on Digital, 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and streaming on Disney+ on September 29, and to celebrate the release we have 5 Blu-ray copies up for grabs! A bank teller (Ryan Reynolds) who discovers he is actually a background…

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Win 1 of 5 Blu-ray copies of Marvel’s Black Widow starring Scarlett Johansson

The wait is over when Marvel Studios’ Black Widow lands early on Blu-ray™, DVD, 4K Ultra HD™ and Digital September 15th, 2021.  To celebrate the release, we have 5 copies up for grabs! In Marvel Studios’ action-packed spy thriller Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff — aka Black Widow — confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises….

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Win 1 of 5 Blu-ray copies of Disney’s Cruella starring Emma Stone

Disney’s Cruella follows the early days of one of cinema’s most notorious –and notoriously fashionable –villains. The film releases on Blu-Ray and digital August 18th and we have 5 copies up for grabs! Set in 1970s London amidst the punk rock revolution, Cruella follows a young grifter named Estella (Oscar® winner Emma Stone), a clever and creative girl…

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Blu-Ray Review: Possessor blends the psychological and visceral effects of proposed technological voyeurism

Opening with one of the most violently stunning set pieces witnessed in cinema in recent memory, Possessor suggests something of a techno-thriller is to follow in the 100-or-so minutes.  But, almost to be expected given it has the Cronenberg name attached to it, the rug is more than swept out from underneath us as the…

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Win a DVD set of the complete series of Schitt’s Creek

Out this week through Acorn Media, you can now enjoy the entire hilarious Canadian series Schitt’s Creek thanks to a jam packed 12 disc DVD box set. That’s no less than 80 episodes across 6 seasons, from the award winning, critically acclaimed and much loved show that stars Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara (who in…

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Film Review: Dogs Don’t Wear Pants: In case Fifty Shades was too safe for you…

In case the filmic version of Fifty Shades of Grey was ultimately a little too safe in its actuality compared to the near-porn mentality of E.L. James’s novel, J-P Valkeapää‘s striking Dogs Don’t Wear Pants stands as something of a reparative.  And as much as the bold, dark comedy intends to shock its audience, this remains…

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Win the 6th Season of Schitt’s Creek on DVD and enjoy the final 14 episodes

And so my dear Bébés, it’s time to say goodbye. After 6 seasons, 80 episodes, countless nonsensical European-inflected ramblings, and, surprisingly, only two “Ew, David”‘s, Schitts’s Creek has come to and end. In the series’ swan song, the Roses (co-creators Eugene Levy and Dan Levy, Catherine O’Hara, and Annie Murphy) are achieving success in their careers and…

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Film Review: 1983’s Ozploitation classic Hostage is little more than a Lifetime movie with sporadic moments of exploitation thrown in

Given the fact that Hostage has something of a reputation for being one of Australia’s biggest Ozploitation films, you’d be forgiven for assuming it would live up to its supposed status.  And whilst the opening credits suggest the film to come will be one heavy on uncomfortable violence – there are sudden, furious flashes of…

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4K Ultra HD Review: 1917 is visually spectacular and undoubtedly a polished feat of filmmaking craft

Given 1917‘s rather simplistic plot – a pair of infantrymen having to cross the treacherous No Man’s Land in order to prevent a doomed attack during the height of World War 1 – it makes sense that director Sam Mendes (Skyfall) would opt for a more complex manner to detail the story.  Single camera shots…

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12 things we learned from the Star Wars Episode IX feature length documentary, The Skywalker Legacy

With each Star Wars film in the latest trilogy, fans have been treated to a feature length documentary about the making of the film, alongside its home release. They have surprisingly honest and detailed, in particular The Director and The Jedi, which took time to address some of the backlash Episode VIII received. The latest…

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Come To Daddy

Film Review: Come To Daddy is a pitch black comedic thriller bathed in gory oddity

If we have learnt anything throughout cinema’s depictions of estranged families, it’s that the more alienated you are from one another, the more unpredictable your journey will be. This proves especially true in Come To Daddy, a pitch black comedic thriller that director Ant Timpson bathes in gory oddity. There’s an unease immediately present from…

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Film Review: Freaks is one of the best genre surprises of the year

One of the pleasures of watching films is the feeling of surprise and enjoying the journey and not knowing where it will lead you. In other words, a little mystery goes a long way. In the case of Freaks by co-directors Adam B. Stein and Zach Lipovsky, it comes with an interesting premise that has…

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Interview: Captain Marvel‘s VFX Supervisor Chris Townsend talks working with Australians and de-aging Samuel L Jackson

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (the MCU) doesn’t just regularly bring together a connected group of actors on screen – but also the creatives behind the scenes, regularly working on Marvel projects that help connect the universe in more ways than just the themes that tie it all together. One of these hard working artists is VFX…

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Interview: Charlayne Woodard on reuniting with M. Night Shyamalan after 19 years for Glass, film secrecy and the “other”

While she was on the Upper West Side in NYC, filming the second season of Pose for FX, I caught up with Charlayne Woodard to talk about her role as Mrs. Price in the film Glass, which is about to enjoy a home release. It’s a role she first came to perform some 19 years…

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