Mat Brewster

Maps to the Stars Is the Pick of the Week

This week brings us new films by David Croneberg, Jean-Luc Goddard, and Tim Burton plus old films by Carol Reed and Preston Sturges and much more.

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A Most Violent Year Is the Pick of the Week

This week brings us the Netflix rabbit hole, the Fighters of Foo, The Immigrant, and some TV boxed sets.

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The Imitation Game is the Pick of the Week

It’s a big week for interesting new releases including an Alan Turing biopic, a big outer-space epic, Reese Witherspoon getting real, Hugh Grant being Hugh Grant and much more.

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Into the Woods Blu-ray Review: Bringing out My Inner Theater Geek

Making me believe in big, bold musicals once again.

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Into the Woods is the Pick of the Week

This week brings a big Hollywood musical, a bigger battle for Middle Earth, a collection of documentaries, neatly packaged fury, and Angelina Jolie as a director.

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The Soft Skin is the Pick of the Week

This week brings us early Truffaut, new Chris Rock, classic film noir, a silly sequel, and more.

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The Sound of Music (50th Anniversary Edition) Is the Pick of the Week

This week brings us a Bible story, a silly remake, a sillier b-movie, and hills coming alive.

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Foxcatcher Is the Pick of the Week

This week brings us a very serious Steve Carell, a not so humble Al Pacino, an old Robin Hood, and a gruff sheriff.

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Lillies DVD Review: A Bittersweet Post-war Drama

With but one season in existence, Lillies makes a nice snack between larger television meals.

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Whiplash movie poster on display of the website

Whiplash Is the Pick of the Week

This week features two Oscar winners, two Criterions, and a quaint historical drama.

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Serangoon Road DVD Review: It Might Be HBO but It Plays Like Broadcast TV

HBO Asia’s first foray into original programming brings forth an entertaining, but ultimately disappointing crime drama.

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Crime Scene Cleaner DVD Review: A Job Ripe with Comedy

Seriously, Hollywood, take a cue from the Germans and make more shows like this.

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Birdman Is the Pick of the Week

This week has us talking about has-been super-heroes, Japanese folk-tales, dumb comedies, and life itself.

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Nicolas Le Floch Volume Two DVD Review: Sword Fights and Laughter

A silly French historical crime drama delivers good mysteries and some hearty laughs.

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Marie’s Mind for Murder: Set One DVD Review: The German Mr. Monk

For detective genre fans, Marie’s Mind for Murder is a nice bit of diversionary television.

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The Story of Adele H DVD Review: Of Love and Madness

The tragic true story of Victor Hugo’s daughter.

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Nightcrawler Is the Pick of the Week

This week brings us social commentaries, based-on true stories, foreign horror, and a drugged-up nurse.

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International Settlement DVD Review: A Forgotten, Forgettable Film That Has Its Pleasures

A minor and forgotten B-picture winds up being surprisingly entertaining.

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Agatha Christie’s Poirot: Series 13 DVD Review: The Very End of Poirot

With these five movies David Suchet has now played the detective in every Poirot story Agatha Christie ever wrote.

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John Wick Is the Pick of the Week

After missing a week I’m back talking about Keanu Reeves, the search for happiness, Australian nurses and more.

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ANZAC Girls DVD Review: Ladies at War and in Love

The exciting true story of Australian nurses serving in WWI.

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Above Suspicion: Complete Collection DVD Review: It’s No Prime Suspect, but It Ain’t Half Bad

It’s impossible not to compare it to La Plante’s other series, but it is well worth watching.

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The Drop (2014) Is the Pick of the Week

Rest in peace, James Gandolfini.

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Gone Girl Is the Pick of the Week

This week brings us David Fincher’s latest thriller, an empires final boardwalk, a Hendrix biopic, a space documentary and The Facts of Life.

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Boyhood Is the Pick of the Week

After a week off I’m looking for movies about boys, girls, a former wizard growing horns, and Nick Cage in his most inexplicable role ever.

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The Night Porter Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: A Nazi Love Story

It’s a thin line between exploitation and art.

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Pride (2014) Is the Pick of the Week

It’s a slow week and I’m using that as an excuse to say very little.

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Intruders (2014) DVD Review: Moody Paranormal Thriller Looks Good but Lacks Depth

An interesting premise that’s well executed but not entirely thought through.

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Arrested Development: Season 4 Is the Pick of the Week

Another banner week of releases as Christmas comes near.

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Book Review: Popeye: Classic Newspaper Comics, Volume Two 1989-1998: A Surprisingly Modern and Adult Take On The Classic Character

If you think Popeye is some silly kids comic from a bygone era, think again.

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Guardians of the Galaxy Is the Pick of the Week

This week brings us several Criterions; more Woody Allens; three TV collections; a talking, space-traveling raccoon; and so much more.

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The Strange Color of Your Body’s Tears Blu-ray Review: Bizarre, Incomprehensible, and Mesmerizing

A hallucinatory fever dream of a film that is surprising, strange and wonderful.

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Austin City Limits Celebrates 40 Years Is the Pick of the Week

This week brings us an excellent concert series, some damn, dirty apes, short journeys, vampires, and more.

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Drunk History: Seasons 1 & 2 Is the Pick of the Week

I’m taking a chance that an odd comedy will actually tickle my funny bone.

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The Rolling Stones: From the Vault – L.A. Forum (Live in 1975) DVD Review: It’s Only a Concert Video, but I Like It

The band shows why they remain the very definition of rock and roll.

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Cinema Sentries

It Happened One Night Is the Pick of the Week

The Christmas season keeps bringing all sorts of great stuff.

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Borgen: The Complete Series DVD Review: Danish Politics Fit for Americans

Borgen makes the incomprehensible Danish political system not only understandable but lots of fun to watch.

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Saturday at Wizard World Tulsa 2014: My First Con Experience

My first ever Con found me checking out cosplayers and listening to James Marsters and William Shatner.

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Lots of TV Series Sets Are the Picks of the Week

Halloween is over so its time for the Christmas season and with it lots of big TV collections.

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Book Review: Puck: What Fools These Mortals Be!: Political Cartooning at its Finest

A collection of historic, important, and just a little bit esoteric political cartoons from a bygone era.

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Stanley Kubrick: The Masterpiece Collection Is the Pick of the Week

Christmas is coming and with it comes big boxed sets and lots of TV collections.

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Earth to Echo Blu-ray Review:  Steven Spielberg’s Lawyers Ought to Be Happy

A nostalgic family film that wants to remind you of classic ’80s adventure movies, but instead made me chuck things at my TV.

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Dr. Katz Live Album Review: The Classic Animated Comedy Live and on Stage

There’s no squigglevision, but the laughs are as strong as they ever were.

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Deliver Us from Evil (2014) Is the Pick of the Week

Surprisingly, it’s a weak week for scary movies, but a good one for everything else.

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Maleficent Blu-ray Review: Gorgeous to Look at, but Hard to Watch

It is an entertaining, well performed, family film that lacks a coherent vision and feels like it was made by a committee instead of a filmmaker telling a singular story.

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Book Review: Percy Crosby’s Skippy: Daily Comics 1931-1933: Long-forgotten Magic

With any luck this collection will bring Skippy back to the public consciousness – it certainly deserves it.

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Snowpiercer Is the Pick of the Week

This week’s releases include a highly acclaimed science fiction movie, several complete television collections, an HBO special, and more.

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Book Review: Owsley and Me: My LSD Family by Rhoney Gissen Stanley with Tom Davis

Making music, love, and enough LSD to get the whole world high.

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The Honorable Woman DVD Review: A Slow, Dense and Immensely Entertaining Thriller

A densely plotted drama that loses none of its depth while remaining thrilling to watch.

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