Steve Geise

The Peasants Blu-ray Review: Drama with a Fresh Coat of Paint

The latest film from married writers/directors DK and Hugh Welchman follows the formula of their breakout prior effort, Loving Vincent. ...
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Heroes: The Complete Collection Blu-ray Review: Save the Cardboard, Save the World

“Save the cheerleader, save the world.” With that simple theme, NBC’s superhero TV series captured the nation’s attention years before ...
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The Crime Is Mine Movie Review: 2 Broke Girls

Madeleine and Pauline are five months behind on their rent, struggling to make their way as young adults in 1930s ...
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Colt .45: The Complete Series Blu-ray Box Set Review: Revolving Peacemaker

Ask anyone not collecting Social Security to name an old Western TV series and you’ll likely get one of two ...
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Book Review: How War Begins: Dispatches from the Ukrainian Invasion by Igort

Italian cartoonist Igort began serializing reports from Ukrainian citizens in the early days of their ongoing invasion by Russian forces. ...
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The Fox (2022) DVD Review: Two Against the World

This German/Austrian co-production dramatizes the real-life story of an Austrian soldier who adopted a fox cub during World War II. ...
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Book Review: Anna by Mia Oberländer

Anna is tall. Like, freakishly tall, with legs so long she’s able to stride over small mountains in a single ...
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Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell DVD Review: Inside the Heart of Vietnam

This award-winning entry from last year’s Cannes Film Festival takes viewers on a mournful quest through present-day rural Vietnam. As ...
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Suits: The Complete Series Blu-ray Review: Game of Phones

Suits completed its nine-season broadcast run in 2019, but following its addition to Netflix last year, it’s more popular than ...
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Bombs Over Burma DVD Review: Chungking Express

Anna May Wong stars as an elementary school teacher in China who moonlights as a World War II spy. The ...
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The Prince of Egypt: The Musical Blu-ray Review: Holy Moses

DreamWorks makes another attempt at a live musical theater adaptation of one of their animated films, this time reaching all ...
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Driving Madeleine Blu-ray Review: Driving Madame Daisy

Wait, haven’t we seen this movie before? Yes, the concept is similar to Driving Miss Daisy, with shades of Green ...
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Jeanne Moreau, Filmmaker Blu-ray Review: Girl Power

Any casual fan of French cinema recognizes the name of esteemed actress Jeanne Moreau. Of far less common knowledge is ...
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Book Review: Reading Love and Rockets by Marc Sobel

Continuing their celebration of four decades of Love and Rockets, Fantagraphics presents this comprehensive overview of the first 50 issues ...
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The Bridge: The Complete Series DVD Box Set Review: The Saga of Saga

After a four-season, 38-episode run originally broadcast between 2011-2018, the full story of Swedish detective Saga Noren is now available ...
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Book Review: Return to Eden by Paco Roca

Spanish cartoonist Paco Roca returns with his most personal graphic novel to date, a nostalgia-soaked ode to the Franco-era Valencia ...
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Black Tight Killers Blu-ray Review: Branded to Thrill

Yasuharu Hasebe’s delirious caper oozes with style, and is better than ever in this new hi-def transfer restored by Radiance ...
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The Golden Coach Blu-ray Review: Jean Renoir’s Tribute to Theater

When a traveling theater company rolls into a rich Peruvian town, the star actress named Camilla (Anna Magnani) quickly attracts ...
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The Promised Land Movie Review: Mads Mikkelsen Harvests Another Winner

When a destitute retired army captain sets out on a quixotic quest to cultivate inhospitable land, he runs afoul of ...
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La Syndicaliste Blu-ray Review: The Woman Who Maybe Cried Wolf

Director Jean-Paul Salomé and star Isabelle Huppert team up again in this fascinating drama that is not at all what ...
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Scarlet Street Blu-ray Review: Take a Walk on the Wild Side

Aside from the direction by Fritz Lang, I didn’t have much initial interest in watching this film. Edward G. Robinson ...
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Book Review: Hypericum by Manuele Fior

Italian cartoonist Manuele Fior’s latest graphic novel, his sixth picked up for U.S. release by Fantagraphics, follows two distinct stories ...
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Waitress: The Musical Blu-ray Review: Small-Town Servers Accentuate the Positive

Following the conclusion of its four-year original Broadway run in early 2020, Waitress: The Musical returned to Broadway in late ...
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Perfect Days Movie Review: Wim Wenders Examines Perfect Solitude

Acclaimed German director Wim Wenders might seem an odd choice to helm a narrative feature about an elderly toilet cleaner ...
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Loaded Guns Blu-ray Review: Firing Blanks

By any conventional measure, Loaded Guns is a terrible movie. The wisp of a plot goes nowhere, the acting is ...
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The Outside Man Blu-ray Review: Outsider Deray Crafts an Insider Look at 1970s L.A.

While this film may look like a typical 1970s U.S. crime drama at first glance, dig a little deeper and ...
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Has Anybody Seen My Gal Blu-ray Review: Keep Looking, the Old Man Is in the Way

This 1952 charmer masquerades as a Rock Hudson/Piper Laurie rom-com, but pay close attention to that waving man behind the ...
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Slamdance 2024 Review: Chaperone: Highs and Lows in Hilo

Misha is going nowhere fast. Nearly 30 years old, she’s in a perpetual state of arrested development, plodding along in ...
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Book Review: Atlas Artist Edition No. 1: Joe Maneely: “The Raving Maniac” and Other Stories

Before Marvel Comics was Marvel Comics, it was Atlas Comics. Fantagraphics kicks off a new archival series in their ongoing ...
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Please, Not Now! Blu-ray Review: Brigitte Bardot Will Have You Saying Please, Now!

Brigitte Bardot is here to heat up the New Year in this steamy comedy from provocative writer/director Roger Vadim (Barbarella). ...
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Blast of Silence Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Silent Night, Hole-y Night

Frank is grumpy because he has to travel out of town for work during Christmas season. Leaving Cleveland for the ...
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Masaaki Yuasa: Five Films Blu-ray Review: Time to Ride the Wave

Just in time for next year’s 20th anniversary of anime director Masaaki Yuasa’s first feature film, GKIDS and Shout! Factory ...
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Shaun the Sheep: The Complete Series Blu-ray Review: A Cracking Collection of Agricultural Mayhem

Just in time for your last-minute holiday shopping needs, Shout! Factory has released a new Blu-ray box set of the ...
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Book Review: Everywhere an Oink Oink by David Mamet

When presented with a new Hollywood memoir by lauded playwright/screenwriter/director David Mamet, one might logically expect the results to follow ...
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Book Review: Prince Valiant Vol. 27: 1989-1990 by Hal Foster, John Cullen Murphy, and Cullen Murphy

More than 50 years after its 1937 newspaper debut and years after the departure of its original creator, Prince Valiant ...
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Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer Movie Review: The Master Becomes the Subject

After a lifetime of training his lens on other fictional and real subjects, Werner Herzog is now the subject of ...
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Spin: The Complete Series DVD Review: French Political Intrigue

This French TV series takes a look into the halls of power at the top tier of French government. Our ...
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Shaw Brothers Classics Vol. Three Blu-ray Review: The Formula Remains Strong, Even As the Stars Disappear

Shout! Factory continues their torrid pace of classic martial arts releases with this latest installment of restored Shaw Brothers films. ...
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Book Review: The Complete Alien Collection: Symphony of Death by Alex White and Tim Waggoner

Following on the heels of their initial Alien omnibus collection at the start of the year, Titan Books is closing ...
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Book Review: In Search of Gil Scott-Heron by Thomas Mauceri and Seb Piquet

Less a biography than a MacGuffin hunt, writer Thomas Mauceri details his years-long quest to track down and interview the ...
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Book Review: Macanudo: Optimism Is for the Brave by Liniers

Fantagraphics continues their English-language collections of this Argentine comic strip with this charming second volume. If you haven’t stumbled across ...
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The Challenge Blu-ray Review: Accept This Challenge

Before you write this film off as a typical low-budget ‘80s actioner, take a closer look at the credits. Star ...
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Book Review: Time Under Tension by M.S. Harkness

After a three-year gap, M.S. Harkness returns with her third autobio graphic novel, and first for Fantagraphics. She continues her ...
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EO Blu-ray Review: The Secret Life of Donkeys

EO is a happy circus donkey, content to travel with his raggedy troupe to rural outposts in Europe. He’s motivated ...
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Book Review: Dauntless Dames: High-Heeled Heroes of the Comics

After entering into a partnership last summer to distribute the back catalog of Sunday Press, Fantagraphics is now releasing the ...
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Farewell My Concubine 30th Anniversary Movie Review: Leslie Cheung Shines Once More

In celebration of its 30th anniversary, Chen Kaige’s searing epic is returning to U.S. theaters with a new 4K restoration ...
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American Pop Blu-ray Review: Try, Try, and Try Again

Ralph Bakshi’s animated voyage through 20th century popular music has finally arrived on Blu-ray. While music is an integral part ...
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Book Review: Totem by Laura Pérez

In Laura Pérez’s beautiful, bewildering graphic novel, a flashback begets another flashback, unidentified characters drift in and out of the ...
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The Prodigal Son Blu-ray Review: Sammo Hung Meets Wing Chun

Continuing their series of Sammo Hung Blu-ray releases, Arrow Video’s latest entry is this 1981 gem. Sammo directs and co-stars ...
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Gay Purr-ee Blu-ray Review: Judy Garland Gets Animated

By the 1960s, Judy Garland was in decline, no longer a potent or reliable force at the box office and ...
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Book Review: Eden II by K. Wroten

K. Wroten’s sophomore graphic novel is a sprawling, 452-page meditation on the bleak existence faced by the current twenty-something generation. ...
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Book Review: Memoirs of a Man in Pajamas by Paco Roca

This is not a new graphic novel by Spanish cartoonist Paco Roca. Instead, it’s a compilation of archival autobiographical comic ...
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A Moment of Romance Blu-ray Review: HK Stockholm Syndrome

When a bank heist goes awry, getaway driver Wah (Andy Lau) grabs the closest civilian as a hostage as he ...
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Book Review: Starseeds 3 by Charles Glaubitz

By any conventional literary measure, the Starseeds series is bewildering and left so far open to interpretation that it’s difficult ...
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Cosa Nostra: Franco Nero in Three Mafia Tales by Damiano Damiani Blu-ray Review

Superstar Italian actor Franco Nero headlines three separate projects by director Damiano Damiani with a unifying spotlight on the mafia ...
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Is Paris Burning? Blu-ray Review: Night of 100 Stars

Not to be confused with Paris Is Burning, this 1966 WWII drama boasts a seemingly unbelievable roster of stars reenacting ...
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Du Barry Was a Lady Blu-ray Review: All Show, Little Story

Even by the admittedly low bar of plot development in classic movie musicals, this film’s story is so half-baked it ...
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Aber Bergen: Complete Series DVD Review: Divorce Norwegian Style

When married partners of a law firm divorce, their office is left in flux as they try to continue working ...
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Four Quartets DVD Review: Magnetic, Mesmerizing Solo Stage Performance

While we spent our pandemic lockdowns doomscrolling, Zooming, and making bread, Ralph Fiennes decided to memorize the entirety of T.S. ...
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Book Review: Alison by Lizzy Stewart

Alison is a plain teenager getting by in a small English town, running out the clock on her high school ...
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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 4K Digital Review: All the Feels

After focusing on Star Lord’s family back story for the first two movies, writer/director James Gunn turns his attention to ...
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Book Review: Dear Mini: A Graphic Memoir, Book One by Natalie Norris

Natalie Norris was just 16 years old when she was shipped off from the U.S. to France for a summer ...
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Tintin and the Mystery of the Golden Fleece / Tintin and the Blue Oranges Blu-ray Review

The iconic Belgian comic book character has been translated into many forms of media over the years, and now two ...
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Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman DVD Review: Murakami Gets Animated

Writer/director/composer Pierre Földes stitches together unrelated Haruki Murakami short stories into a somewhat cohesive narrative in this animated feature film. ...
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Book Review: The Planetoid and Other Stories by Al Feldstein and Joe Orlando

After over 30 volumes in the long-running Fantagraphics EC Artists’ Library series, Joe Orlando’s sci-fi stories return to the spotlight ...
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Book Review: Nudism Comes to Connecticut by Susan Schade and Jon Buller

Imagine having a scandalous but fascinating tale buried deep within the branches of your family tree. Then imagine having the ...
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Tommy Guns Blu-ray Review: Blasts Conformity to Smithereens

Angolan-Portuguese director Carlos Conceição announces his arrival on the global stage with this blisteringly original, confounding film that defies categorization. ...
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Film: The Living Record of Our Memory DVD Review: Boiling the Preservation Ocean

This new documentary takes a look at film preservation and restoration efforts underway around the world. We tend to think ...
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Joy House Blu-ray Review: Love and Death on the French Riviera

This 1964 gem exudes cool, from the lead performances by gorgeous stars Alain Delon and Jane Fonda, to the jazzy ...
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Book Review: Listen, Beautiful Márcia by Marcello Quintanilha

Brazilian favelas typically evoke images of poverty, drugs, and desperation, as most notably explored in the film City of God. ...
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Anna May Wong Collection Blu-ray Review: To Wong Blu, Thanks for Everything

Kino Lorber’s new box set shines a light on a string of 1930s films starring the iconic Anna May Wong. ...
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Book Review: Daughters of Snow and Cinders by Núria Tamarit

When a determined young adventurer sets out into the wilderness in search of gold, she quickly encounters threats from the ...
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One Way Passage Blu-ray Review: Book This Voyage

When a convicted murderer gets extradited from Hong Kong to San Francisco, the last thing on his mind is falling ...
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Sick of Myself Movie Review: The Dark Side of Narcissism

Writer/director Kristoffer Borgli’s new film is the darkest of black comedies, at least until the comedy runs out. He imagines ...
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The Hunters: Complete Seasons 1 & 2 DVD Review: A Man Called Backström

A grumpy old retired cop is slogging through his golden years as a security guard at a start-up gold mine ...
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iMordecai DVD Review: Judd Hirsch Strikes Gold in His Golden Years

iMordecai is the Taxi TV series reunion I never knew I needed, starring alums and fellow Oscar nominees Judd Hirsch ...
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Secret Defense Blu-ray Review: Twisty Secrets Hampered by Indefensible Direction

This French drama gets off to a promising start when a scientist named Sylvie (Sandrine Bonnaire) learns that her father ...
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Arsène Lupin Collection Blu-ray Review: Two Hits and a Miss

The famous fictional thief arrives on Blu-ray in this new collection of three of his French theatrical adventures. The Lupin ...
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Star Trek: The Next Generation 4-Movie Collection 4K UHD Review: First 4K Contact

Following up on last year’s six-movie 4K box set of the original Star Trek movies, Paramount has moved on to ...
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Book Review: The Heavy Bright by Cathy Malkasian

A young girl is tasked with a seemingly impossible quest: to hunt down and destroy 999 black eggs closely held ...
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Knockabout Blu-ray Review: Sticks, Shticks, and Slapstick

Arrow Video continues their new series of Sammo Hung releases with this action comedy from early in his directorial career. ...
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Make Believe Seattle 2023 Review: Smoking Causes Coughing

If you’re in the Seattle area this weekend, Make Believe Seattle Film Festival is making its debut with a fascinating ...
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The Son of the Stars Movie Review: Rare ‘80s Romanian Cartoon Gets Blu-ray Release

Thanks to Deaf Crocodile Films, U.S. viewers will finally get the chance to watch this Romanian sci-fi rarity. The film ...
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Book Review: Ephemera: A Memoir by Briana Loewinsohn

Briana Loewinsohn’s debut graphic novel heralds the arrival of an intriguing new talent already operating at a masterful level. Her ...
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Book Review: Mickey and Donald: For Whom the Doorbell Tolls

In 1999, a teacher at Disney’s Italian school for cartoonists presented his students with a prompt: select a short story ...
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Book Review: Evita: The Life and Work of Eva Perón by Héctor Germán Oesterheld, Alberto and Enrique Breccia

Fantagraphics continues their series of Alberto Breccia releases with this graphic biography of the polarizing Argentine icon, Eva Perón, popularly ...
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Millionaires’ Express Blu-ray Review: Chinese Bullet Train

After shining a light on the rise of the Hong Kong film industry with their phenomenal Shaw Brothers box sets, ...
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The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom Blu-ray Review: Guess Who’s Coming to Breakfast

London, 1968. It’s the height and epicenter of the Swinging Sixties, and hip housewife Mrs. Blossom (Shirley MacLaine) is content ...
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Love on the Ground Blu-ray Review: Much Ado About Nothing

This 1984 French drama follows actors rehearsing a play, a time-worn concept of a show within a show dating back ...
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Emily Movie Review: Frances O’Connor’s Directorial Debut Soars to Wuthering Heights

First-time writer/director Frances O’Connor reimagines the final years of writer Emily Brontë’s life in this stunning period drama, heralding her ...
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Lets hope its a girl, a film poster

Let’s Hope It’s a Girl Blu-ray Review: Italian Film, Continental Cast

While this Italian film was a critical success in its native land in 1986, winning seven of its national awards ...
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Book Review: The Extraordinary Part: Book One: Orsay’s Hands by Florent Ruppert and Jerome Mulot

The latest work from powerhouse French graphic novelist duo Ruppert and Merlot imagines a world much like our own with ...
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That Man Bolt Blu-ray Review: That Man Hammer

At first glance, this movie seems to bear all the hallmarks of a blaxploitation classic: its prime 1973 release date, ...
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Little Nicholas: Happy as Can Be Movie Review: Adventures in Real and Imagined Past

This thoroughly charming French animated feature takes a unique approach in its storytelling. Rather than solely recounting the fictional adventures ...
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Broker Movie Review: The Korean Shoplifters

Japanese writer/director Hirokazu Kore-eda continues his cinematic explorations outside his native land and language with this dysfunctional relationship drama set ...
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The Girl on a Motorcycle Blu-ray Review: Spins Its Stylish Wheels

This 1968 UK/France co-production boasts star turns from Alain Delon and Marianne Faithfull in their prime, automatically making it an ...
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5-25-77 Blu-ray Review: A Long Time Ago in a Town Far, Far Away

For sci-fi starved ‘70s youth, the arrival of Star Wars was a watershed moment forever etched in our collective memories. ...
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Entre Nous Blu-ray Review: Sisters Are Doing It for Themselves

Writer/director Diane Kurys borrowed from her own family history to craft this story about two women finding their way in ...
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Three Thousand Years of Longing Blu-ray Review: George Miller’s Genie

Writer/director George Miller enables his whimsical side in between Mad Max movies in this modern riff on the Aladdin myth. ...
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Book Review: The Man Who Fell to Earth by Dan Watters and Dev Pramanik

The creators of this new graphic novel were faced with three apparent approaches to its production: craft an adaptation of ...
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Private Desert Blu-ray Review: Troubled Characters Seek Their Oasis

Daniel is in a rut. As a disgraced macho cop with anger management issues, he spends his days in Brazil ...
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Carmen (2022) Blu-ray Review: Welcome to Malta

When a lifelong servant of the church finds herself out on the street, she’s faced with an uncertain future that ...
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Bullet Train Blu-ray Review: Snakes on a Train

Stuntman-turned-director David Leitch (Deadpool 2) helms this crime caper featuring a colorful collection of scheming assassins gathered on a bullet ...
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Going Places Blu-ray Review: Traveling Nowhere, Reaching Enlightenment

The title of this 1974 French film is somewhat ironic, considering the rudderless path of its twenty-something drifter characters. Co-written ...
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TV Review: Love & Rockets: The Great American Comic Book

After 40 years of ongoing publication, the Love & Rockets comic book is long overdue for a celebratory retrospective. Thankfully, ...
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A Fugitive from the Past Blu-ray Review: An Epic from the Past Finally Reaches USA

Director Tomu Uchida’s sprawling 1965 crime drama has finally arrived on home video for the first time outside of Japan. ...
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The House of the Lost on the Cape Blu-ray Review: House of Lost Time

Two girls and their elder move into a remote country home and set about cleaning it up for their residence. ...
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South: Ernest Shackleton and the Endurance Expedition Blu-ray Review

It’s hard to imagine the trials and tribulations that must have befallen Ernest Shackleton’s expedition to reach the South Pole ...
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Rain 90th Anniversary Blu-ray Review: Luminous Joan Crawford Drives the Clouds Away

When a massive monsoon wallops the tiny South Pacific location of Pago Pago, it traps an assortment of colorful travelers ...
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Karmalink Blu-ray Review: Dreams of Treasure and Past Lives

When a teenage boy starts having dreams about his past lives, he discovers that he may have the key to ...
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If…. Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: If Only It Had a Plot

This 1969 UK film has exactly one notable claim to fame: Malcolm McDowell’s first star turn in a film just ...
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Neptune Frost Blu-ray Review: The Revolution Will Be Televised

This feature film from recording artist Saul Williams and Anisia Uzeyman is undeniably ambitious, boasting an enticing amalgamation of Afrofuturist ...
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The Gilded Age: The Complete First Season DVD Review: Manhattan Abbey

While this period drama originates on HBO and is based in New York, its DNA is wholly derived from the ...
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Night Gallery: Season Two Blu-ray Review: The Gallery Expands

If you started your Night Gallery Blu-ray collection with the Season One set (as I reviewed here), the first thing ...
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My Old School Movie Review: Something Is Rotten in Scotland

In 1993, a 16-year-old boy named Brandon Lee enrolled at a secondary school in an upscale neighborhood in Scotland. A ...
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The Nan Movie Review: Bad Grandma

Before Catherine Tate gained recognition in the U.S. with her turns as a Doctor Who companion and a boss in ...
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Giallo Essentials [Black Edition] Blu-ray Box Set Review: Back in Black

Arrow Video is back with their third limited-edition box set exploring three lesser-known giallo films from the early 1970s.  In ...
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Hero (1997) Blu-ray Review: The Heroic Return of Shaw Brothers

This classic Hong Kong action movie has two big draws for me: a star turn by Takeshi Kaneshiro and direction ...
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Book Review: Radical: My Year with a Socialist Senator by Sofia Warren

A young Latina politician runs for and wins office in New York as a virtual unknown, ousting a veteran incumbent ...
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The Clock Blu-ray Review: Judy Garland’s Time

By 1945, 23-year-old Judy Garland was already a screen veteran with 20 leading roles to her credit. She was also ...
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Poupelle of Chimney Town Blu-ray Review: A Whole New World

Following a brief U.S. theatrical run, this charming new anime is now making its way to home video. The story ...
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The Red Shoes Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: 15 Minutes in Heaven

Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s classic 1948 film treads a well-worn path of backstage drama at a stage production, but ...
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Uncharted Blu-ray Review: Charted in the Video Games

As I watched the thrilling mid-air action scene that opens Uncharted, I realized that it seemed familiar to me. That’s ...
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Twisting the Knife: Four Films by Claude Chabrol Blu-ray Box Set Review

Following quickly on the heels of Arrow Video’s five-film Chabrol box set, this second box set is smaller but contains ...
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Saturday Fiction Movie Review: Return of the Queen

Lou Ye’s latest film has a huge ace: a star turn by Gong Li. After rising to art house prominence ...
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Paris, 13th District Movie Review: The City of Light Romance

Writer/director Jacques Audiard’s latest film follows four young adults as they navigate the ups and downs of dating and professional ...
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Book Review: The Junction by Norm Konyu

Far too rarely, a graphic novel lands in the market with such an assured sense of style and substance that ...
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Man’s Favorite Sport? Blu-ray Review: Rock Out of Water

Rock Hudson stars in this romantic comedy about the author of a well-known fishing guidebook who has never actually fished, ...
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Rick and Morty: The Complete Seasons 1-5 Blu-ray Review: One Pickle, Two Crows, and a Multiverse of Mirth

Rick and Morty is the rarest of TV phenomena: a series so popular that the studio keeps releasing “complete” series ...
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Blue Skies Blu-ray Review: Holiday Inn Revisited

While most musicals would be lucky to have one of the three powerhouses featured in Blue Skies, this film suffers ...
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Lies & Deceit: Five Films by Claude Chabrol Blu-ray Box Set Review

Arrow Video’s latest box set shines a light on the works of French New Wave director Claude Chabrol. Although he’s ...
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The Three Musketeers (1948) Blu-ray Review: Night of 100 Stars

MGM’s 1948 version of this classic tale is full of stars but short on clear direction. The first act plays ...
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Drive My Car Movie Review: A Sublime Journey

As the least-known contender in this year’s Oscar Best Picture nominees, Drive My Car has the best opportunity to surprise ...
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Catwoman: Hunted 4K Ultra HD Review: DC Goes Anime

DC’s latest animated film answers the question you probably never asked: what would a DC film look like as anime? ...
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The Lover 4K UHD Collector’s Edition Review: Fall in Love Again

Famed director Jean-Jacques Annaud’s adaptation of this steamy semi-autobiographical tale by author Marguerite Duras caused a sensation upon its 1992 theatrical ...
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Giallo Essentials [Yellow Edition] Blu-ray Review: Masked Killers, Disrobed Victims

Arrow Video’s second box set collection of giallo classics is now available, arriving less than a month after the first ...
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West Side Story (2021) Movie Review: Spielberg Keeps It Real

In Steven Spielberg’s vision of 1950s New York City, the West Side resembles a bombed-out warzone. That’s largely due to ...
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Giallo Essentials [Red Edition] Blu-ray Box Set Review: Mixed Bag, Solid Box

Just in time for the holiday gift giving season, Arrow Video has repackaged three individual Blu-ray releases from 2018/19 into ...
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Night Gallery Season One Blu-ray Review: Rod Serling’s Other Series Gets a Fresh Coat of Paint

Rod Serling will always be most closely identified with The Twilight Zone, but his follow-up series is finally getting Blu-ray ...
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Mad Max Anthology 4K Ultra HD Box Set Review: Work in Progress

You know how all major video games launch with issues that have to be fixed after release? Well, sometimes it ...
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Freud Blu-ray Review: Montgomery Clift Exorcises His Demons

This mid-career effort by legendary director John Houston is overlong, clinical, and ponderous, and yet Montgomery Clift’s tortured lead performance ...
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Lullaby of Broadway Blu-ray Review: Don’t Sleep on This Joyous Delight

Doris Day leads an engaging cast in this fairly conventional but highly entertaining musical. She stars as a young dancer ...
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The Bitter Stems Blu-ray Review: Argentine Noir

Alfredo Gasper is a hard-working newspaper reporter in Argentina who has become disillusioned about the trajectory of his stalled career. ...
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Audrey Hepburn 7-Movie Collection Blu-ray Review: More Loverly Than Ever

This collection of Audrey Hepburn’s most memorable starring roles has been available on DVD since early 2019, but has only ...
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Doctor Who: The Edge of Reality Video Game Review: Allons-y!

Licensed video games are always fraught with the peril of hardcore fan expectations vs. actual gameplay. Add in the burden ...
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Change of Habit Blu-ray Review: Easy Habit to Break

This offbeat film bears the distinction of being Elvis Presley’s final acting role, which is about the only remarkable thing ...
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Becoming Cousteau Movie Review: From Exploration to Conservation

Decades before David Attenborough became a household name in the U.S., Jacques-Yves Cousteau was the king of nature documentaries. Along ...
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Come September Blu-ray Review: Hudson Rocks the Riviera

Rock Hudson is in prime leading man form in this beautifully photographed 1961 romp through the Italian Riviera. Hudson plays ...
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On Broadway DVD Review: Start Spreading the News

After an unprecedented 18-month shutdown caused by the pandemic, Broadway finally started reopening many shows last month. Oscar-nominated director Oren ...
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Blithe Spirit (2020) Blu-ray Review: Bland and Unspirited, But Mann and Fisher Shine

Noel Coward’s play has been adapted for the screen multiple times dating back to 1945, but it’s been long enough ...
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The Nowhere Inn Movie Review: Make Plans to Check In

St. Vincent decides to try out smoking during the production of her concert tour documentary film, declaring to her friend ...
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Star Trek: The Original 4-Movie Collection 4K Ultra HD Review: 4K, The Final Frontier

In celebration of the 55th anniversary of the debut of the Star Trek TV series this month, Paramount has released ...
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In the Good Old Summertime Blu-ray Review: You’ve Got Snail Mail

Modern Hollywood gets plenty of well-deserved grief for rebooting stories before the originals have even faded from memory, but it’s ...
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Blind Beast Blu-ray Review: An Assured Vision by Director Yasuzo Masumura

When an alluring young fetish model named Aki visits a gallery exhibiting her nude works, she’s shocked to find a ...
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Thoroughly Modern Millie Blu-ray Review: Thoroughly Charming

This zany musical was a big hit in the 1960s, garnering huge box office and seven Oscar nominations, along with ...
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The Daimajin Trilogy Limited Edition Blu-ray Box Set: Stone Cold Kaiju Action

What if a Godzilla-sized monster was a living stone statue who battled evil human warlords instead of other monsters? Japan’s ...
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It Happened at the World’s Fair Blu-ray Review: It Probably Shouldn’t Have

Elvis Presley starred in dozens of films in the ‘50s and ‘60s, and many of them were quite entertaining. This ...
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Take Me Out to the Ball Game Blu-ray Review: Almost a Home Run

Now that it’s mid-summer, it’s peak time to enjoy the national pastime: baseball…in musical form. Warner Archive rounds the bases ...
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An American in Paris: The Musical Blu-ray Review: C’est Bon

As live musicals shut down during the pandemic, recorded performances stepped in to help fill the entertainment void. The 2014 ...
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Years of Lead Limited Edition Blu-ray Box Set Review: Transforms Lead into Gold

When most film fans think of Italian genre films of the 1970s, the first term that comes to mind is ...
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It Happened on 5th Avenue Blu-ray Review: Thoroughly Charming Happenstance

You know how sometimes you stumble across a movie you had no intention of watching but end up really liking ...
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Irezumi Blu-ray Review: Kiss of the Spider Woman

A wealthy merchant’s daughter becomes a murderous geisha after receiving a huge back tattoo of a spider. At a glance, ...
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World of Wong Kar Wai Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: What a Wonderful World

Wong Kar Wai burst into the international film scene in the 1980s and has remained an icon ever since. While ...
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Madame Curie Blu-ray Review: Geniuses Oblivious to Their Attraction

Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon portray the Curies in this biographical film about the early career of the discoverer of ...
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Ziegfeld Follies Blu-ray Review: Two Hours of Follies, Half Hour of Jollies

While movie musicals typically follow a paper-thin plot as a device to string together their songs, this oddity ditches the ...
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Indiana Jones: 4-Movie Collection 4K Ultra HD Box Set Review: Dolby Atmos to the Rescue

Just in time for this month’s 40th anniversary of the theatrical debut of Indiana Jones, this new box set presents ...
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Just a Gigolo Blu-ray Review: Bowie and Dietrich Make the Best of a Misfire

This Berlin-set film arrived at an opportune time in David Bowie’s career, since he was living in the city for ...
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Tove Movie Review: Moomin Mama Makes Her Mark

Tove Jansson rose to international fame thanks to her creation of the iconic Moomin characters. Although she passed away 20 ...
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The Tender Trap Blu-ray Review: Trapped in Dated Attitudes But Still Tender Fun

Frank Sinatra plays a wealthy Broadway talent agent named Charlie whose chief talent seems to be adding girlfriends to his ...
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Santa Sangre 4K UHD Limited Edition Box Set Review: Jodorowsky’s True Vision

Alejandro Jodorowsky is the quintessential Renaissance man, although he’s most widely known as a feature film director. His true definition ...
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Flowers of Shanghai Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Mise-ry en Scene

This Taiwanese movie was based on a novel about “flower houses” of 19th century Shanghai, high class establishments where courtesans ...
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Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House Blu-ray Review: Solid Comedy Construction

If I hadn’t watched this new Blu-ray, I never would have realized that the old Tom Hanks comedy The Money ...
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Masculin Feminin Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Tres Chic

Jean-Luc Godard’s study of young love in Paris pulses with style but doesn’t have much of a story. The film ...
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Annie Get Your Gun Blu-ray Review: Shoots a Few Blanks but Hits the Overall Target

Prior to its release this week, this classic MGM movie adaptation of an American musical theatre staple has never been ...
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Broadway Melody of 1940 Blu-ray Review: De-Lovely

The obvious draws for this classic MGM musical are the star turn by Fred Astaire and the songs written by ...
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On Moonlight Bay Blu-ray Review: Day and MacRae Play on the Bay

Booth Tarkington is most famously remembered as the author of the Pulitzer Prize winning novels The Magnificent Ambersons and Alice ...
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Book Review: Corto Maltese: Mu, The Lost Continent by Hugo Pratt

Italian comics star Hugo Pratt led a life that was nearly as adventurous as his most famous character, Corto Maltese. ...
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Three Films by Luis Buñuel Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: The Don’s Swan Songs

As Luis Buñuel neared the end of his life, he swore each time he made a film that it would ...
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The Harvey Girls Blu-ray Review: MGM Misses the Bullseye

Despite the top billing of mega-star Judy Garland and some pricey-looking location shooting and hundreds of extras, The Harvey Girls ...
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Young Man with a Horn Blu-ray Review: Birth of the Cool

Kirk Douglas was a force in Hollywood for so many decades that it's easy to forget that he was a ...
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Saturday Night Live: The Early Years: The Best of Seasons 1-5 DVD Box Set Review

This new box set cherry picks 33 complete episodes from the first five years of Saturday Night Live, acting as ...
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The Pirate Blu-ray Review: Choppy Seas Lead to Treasure

On paper, this classic musical has everything going for it. Headlined by the top-tier star pairing of Gene Kelly and ...
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Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project No. 3 Criterion Collection Box Set Review

Legendary writer/director and noted film buff Martin Scorsese established The Film Foundation's World Cinema Project in 2007 to restore and ...
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Sukiyaki Western Django Blu-ray Review: The Good, the Bad, and the Quentin

Writer/director Takashi Miike rose to international fame around the turn of the century with a string of audacious cult classic ...
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Taste of Cherry Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Not to Everyone’s Taste

Abbas Kiarostami's understated film won the prestigious Palme d'Or Award at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival, leading to its initial ...
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Solid Metal Nightmares: The Films of Shinya Tsukamoto Blu-ray Box Set Review

If you've seen one Tsukamoto film, you definitely haven't seen them all, as evidenced by this amazing new box set ...
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Wild Palms Blu-ray Review: It’s No Twin Peaks

In the wake of the spectacular rise and fall of the original Twin Peaks, its network ABC was keen to produce ...
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Portrait of a Lady on Fire Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Burning Bright

Writer/director Celine Sciamma's latest film is both exhilarating and depressing: spellbinding because of its absolute excellence and disheartening because it ...
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Watchmen (2019): An HBO Limited Series Blu-ray Review: An Instant Classic

If you come to HBO's Watchmen limited series with a knowledge of the original comic book series and/or Zack Snyder's 2009 movie, ...
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The Gentlemen Blu-ray Review: Finally, a Real Guy Ritchie Film

Guy Ritchie's latest film is a winning return to the gritty ensemble crime caper format that fueled his rise to ...
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Superman: Red Son 4K UHD Review: It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s a Communist

DC's latest animated movie explores the question of what would have happened if baby Superman landed in Russia instead of ...
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Frozen II Blu-ray Review: Call the Police, It Got Robbed of an Oscar Nomination

Frozen II represents a new pinnacle in feature film animation, with dazzling artistic and technical prowess, a surprising and engaging story, ...
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The Addams Family (2019) Blu-ray Review: Not Creepy or Kooky

The Addams Family is the very definition of Hollywood product, a project so completely lacking any creative spark or reason for ...
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The lighthouse, a film poster in black and white

The Lighthouse Blu-ray Review: A Shining Beacon of Excellence

I wasn't at all familiar with director and co-writer Robert Eggers until this masterful sophomore effort, but immediately added his ...
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Lucy in the Sky Movie Review: No Diamonds Here

Hey, did you hear about the new astronaut movie starring Natalie Portman and Jon Hamm directed by Noah Hawley, the ...
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Hustlers (2019) Blu-ray Review: Hustles the Audience

Inspired by a true story, Hustlers follows a group of conniving strippers as they turn the tables on their clients for illicit ...
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63 UP Movie Review: The Best Reality Show of All Time

Decades before we were deluged with a never-ending stream of “reality” TV shows, a British TV crew selected a group ...
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All About Eve Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: All the World’s a Stage

Best Picture Oscar winners don't always age well, but as All About Eve approaches its 70th anniversary, it's every bit as entertaining ...
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The Wizard of Oz 4K UHD Review: Somewhere Over the HDR Rainbow

Dorothy and the gang are back in a sparkling new 80th anniversary edition of the classic film, released in 4K ...
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Wonder Woman: Bloodlines 4K Ultra HD Review: All Hail the Princess

The latest DC animated film starts off poorly, with a prolonged 10-minute origin story on Wonder Woman’s home island of ...
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Midsommar Blu-ray Review: Unsettling in Any Season

Midsommar is marketed as a horror film, but it's so different from the typical entries in that genre that it really ...
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Dilili in Paris Movie Review: Michel Ocelot’s Love Letter to the City of Light

In his latest feature film, veteran animation auteur Michel Ocelot immediately toys with audience perceptions by opening on what appears ...
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Anna 4K Ultra HD Review: La Femme Anna

A tough, beautiful woman faces seemingly impossible odds as she battles her way to freedom. Can you name that Luc ...
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The Koker Trilogy Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: The Rise of Abbas Kiarostami

This series of Iranian films is a trilogy in only the loosest sense, as they don't share overlapping casts or ...
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Batman: Hush 4K Ultra HD Review: The Bat, the Cat, and Villains Aplenty

DC's animated films tend to be adaptations of their classic comic-book works, with this story in particular being one of ...
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Missing Link Blu-ray Review: Missing Story, Finding Artistry

Missing Link is the latest film from the animation wizards at Laika, the tiny U.S. studio responsible for gems including Kubo and ...
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The Doors: The Final Cut 4K Ultra HD Review: Break on Through

Although the movie is named after the band, it's really all about the rise and fall of Jim Morrison. The ...
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The Batman Four Film Collection 4K UHD Review: Long Live the Bat

It seems impossible now, but 30 years ago there was only one blockbuster cinematic superhero: Batman. In celebration of the ...
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Book Review: The Amazing Spider-Man: The Ultimate Newspaper Comics Collection Vol. 5, 1985-1986 by Stan Lee, Floro Dery, and Dan Barry

In its early years, the daily Spider-Man comic strip had typically followed a comfortable pattern of Spider-Man facing off against ...
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Never-Ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki Blu-ray Review: Return of the King, or Don Quixote?

Workaholic anime legend Hayao Miyazaki has “retired” so many times after completing difficult films that each announcement is met with ...
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Liz and the Blue Bird Blu-ray Review: Take a Flyer on This Moving Anime Film

High school life is a favorite topic of anime productions, but this one differentiates itself by having a very narrow ...
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Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms Blu-ray Review: Anime at Its Finest

Although Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms didn't make as much of a splash in the U.S. as the Oscar-nominated ...
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Humans 3.0 Blu-ray Review: Third Time Is the Charm

After an initial two seasons that showed glimpses of promise along with multiple missteps, the Season-Two cliffhanger initiated an exciting ...
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Blindspotting Blu-ray Review: Not Throwing Away Their Shot

Daveed Diggs rose to fame as a prominent Tony-winning actor in the original Broadway cast of musical phenomenon Hamilton, so ...
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A Story from Chikamatsu Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: A Tale Worth Watching

When an adulterous nobleman learns that his wife is rumored to be carrying on an affair with a member of ...
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BlacKkKlansman Blu-ray Review: Power to the People

Truth really is stranger than fiction. Based on author Ron Stallworth's biographical book, Spike Lee's latest film follows the police ...
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Shampoo Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Head and Shoulders Above the Rest

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of this film is Warren Beatty's glorious hair. Playing a Beverly Hills hairdresser/lothario named George, ...
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Sorry to Bother You Blu-ray Review: Better Bother to Watch This Film

Writer/director Boots Riley has pulled off an amazing feat with his fresh, fearless debut feature film. Arriving in the film ...
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Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot Blu-ray Review: Don’t Worry, You Didn’t Miss Anything

Gus Van Sant's latest project barely made a ripple at the box office during its brief theatrical release this summer, ...
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Matangi / Maya / M.I.A. Movie Review: Raw / Chaotic / Fascinating

M.I.A. rose to fame as a recording artist, but her back story is so intriguing that she'd make a superb ...
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My Man Godfrey Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: My Man Powell Strikes Gold

At a glance, My Man Godfrey appears to be a typical formulaic production from Hollywood's golden age. Headlined by two ...
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Tag Blu-ray Review: Chase This Down

Tag is based on the remarkably true story of a group of men who have kept their same childhood game ...
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Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji Blu-ray Review: Low on Blood, High on Social Commentary

Director Tomu Uchida was an esteemed contemporary of Japan's most internationally well-known directors, Akira Kurosawa and Yasujiro Ozu, and yet ...
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Woman Is the Future of Man / Tale of Cinema Blu-ray Review: Best Left in the Arthouse

South Korean arthouse cinema doesn't often receive U.S. Blu-ray release, so kudos to Arrow Academy for making these films available, ...
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Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Portrait of the Artist As a Fascinating Man

Yukio Mishima carved out a career as an esteemed playwright and author before ending his life by taking over a ...
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Peter Pan (1953) Blu-ray Review: Soars with Hours of Bonus Features

Peter Pan was previously released on Blu-ray back in 2013 in a Diamond Edition, but after being briefly consigned to ...
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Annihilation Blu-ray Review: Alex Garland Annihilates the Sophomore Slump

Annihilation gained notoriety during its U.S. theatrical release earlier this year when it was revealed that Paramount had decided to ...
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Batman Ninja Blu-ray Review: East Meets West

Batman Ninja is truly unique in the DC animated universe, not only because of its radical premise, but because it ...
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In the Fade Blu-ray Review: Law and Order and Nazis

This German film by writer/director Fatih Akin explores the aftermath of a horrific crime: the bombing murder of a husband ...
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The Post Blu-ray Review: All the News That Fits

While The Post boasts an incredible cast and crew overflowing with legends, the actual movie fails to hold much interest. ...
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Tomb Raider (2018) Movie Review: Dead on Arrival

Alicia Vikander is an inspired choice to play legendary adventurer Lara Croft. She's a close physical match to the current ...
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Elevator to the Gallows Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Ruthless People

Louis Malle's directorial debut is notable for numerous reasons. He was only 24 years old at the time, fresh off ...
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Blade of the Immortal Blu-ray Review: The Immortal Takashi Miike

Takashi Miike has directed some of the most well-known Japanese genre films to ever reach our shores, including his turn-of-the-century ...
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Batman: Gotham by Gaslight Blu-ray Review: The Steampunk World’s Greatest Detective

Nearly 30 years ago, DC Comics launched an ongoing series of standalone stories set outside their normal comics continuity, eventually ...
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Napping Princess Blu-ray Review: Don’t Sleep on This

While you might not be familiar with Kenji Kamiyama's name, he's the force behind many successful anime projects, most notably ...
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The Breakfast Club Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Don’t You Forget About These Bonus Features

While The Breakfast Club is justifiably revered as a classic teen film, primarily due to the involvement of masterful writer/director ...
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My Little Pony: The Movie Blu-ray Review: Friendship Is Magic

After seven seasons of animated TV adventures, the "mane" six ponies of Hasbro's current My Little Pony series have finally ...
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England Is Mine Blu-ray Review: Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before

Before he was launched to stardom in The Smiths, Steven Patrick Morrissey was just a gloomy, depressed young man in ...
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Book Review: Silly Symphonies Volume 3: The Complete Disney Classics 1939-1942

The Silly Symphonies comic strip started as a venue for adaptations of Disney's long-running series of animated shorts, but by ...
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The Villainess Blu-ray Review: Villainous Melodrama Mars Mind-Blowing Action

The Villainess opens with one of the most insane action scenes ever committed to film, both for its stunts and ...
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8-Bit Generation: The Commodore Wars DVD Review: The Real Halt and Catch Fire

Trivia time: what is the top-selling single computer of all time? If you guessed something in the Mac or IBM ...
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Superman / Batman: Apocalypse Blu-ray Review: Destined to Be a Fan Favorite

Here's a recipe for surefire fanboy satisfaction: pair the two most recognizable superheroes in the world with their most well-known ...
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Vampyr Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Come for the Film, Stay for the Book

Although Vampyr was released way back in 1932, it isn't the first vampire film, as it was released after the ...
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The Beguiled (2017) Blu-ray Review: Coppola Beguiles Viewers

Sofia Coppola's latest project is a remake of an old Clint Eastwood film based on a novel, and at first ...
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New Battles Without Honor and Humanity Blu-ray Box Set Review: Movies with Honor

That "New" in the title is your tip that these films are a continuation of a previous project. In this ...
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Batman and Harley Quinn Blu-ray Review: Poison, But Not the Ivy Kind

After 10 years and 30 animated films, the brain trust behind the DC Universe Animated Original Movies is long overdue ...
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Hopscotch Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: The Matthau Supremacy

Hopscotch is a conundrum. It's a comedic but still realistic spy movie filmed in the waning days of the terrifying ...
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Book Review: The Amazing Spider-Man: The Ultimate Newspaper Comics Collection Vol. 4, 1983-1984 by Stan Lee, Fred Kida, and Floro Dery

With Fred Kida in control on daily art duties, Stan Lee started his writing chores in 1983 with nearly four ...
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Get Out Blu-ray Review: Get In

Get Out was a surprise critical and commercial box-office success earlier this year, seemingly coming out of nowhere to make ...
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Books Review: Donald Duck: The Complete Daily Newspaper Comics, Volume 3 and The Complete Sunday Newspaper Comics, Volume 2 (1943-1945)

There's something decidedly comforting about reading old Disney comic strips, as they're reliably funny, relatable, and finely crafted. These latest ...
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Book Review: Batman: The Silver Age Newspaper Comics Vol. 3, 1969-1972

Long before most of us were reading the funny pages, Batman was finishing up a six-year comic strip run fueled ...
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808 Movie Review: All About That Bass

The singular defining aspect of all modern popular music is its deep, thumping bass. This new documentary explores the principal ...
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Lone Wolf and Cub Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Manga Comes to Life

As the shogun executioner, Ogami Itto has a comfortable gig until he falls from grace and endures the death of ...
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Beauty and the Beast 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray Review: New Features for the Old Classic

It's only been six years since the last time this Disney princess was allowed out of the video vault, but ...
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Book Review: The Amazing Spider-Man: The Ultimate Newspaper Comics Collection Vol. 3, 1981-1982 by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Fred Kida

After taking over the art duties from comic strip originating artist John Romita Sr., Stan Lee's brother Larry Lieber continued ...
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The Jungle Book (2016) Blu-ray Review: Much More Than the Bare Necessities

The biggest surprise about this charming and successful film is that it works at all. Sure, it had a solid ...
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Zootopia Blu-ray Review: The Great Bunny Detective

Judy Hopps is a bunny. Nick Wilde is a fox. In the peaceful animal world of Zootopia, that doesn't automatically ...
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The Naked Island Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: The Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Kaneto Shindo's film about the daily struggles of a poor farming family has one major hook: a total absence of ...
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Justice League vs. Teen Titans Blu-ray Review: That’s So Raven, Damian

DC appears determined to cater to all manner of Justice League fans this year. If the dark, brooding Batman V Superman ...
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Book Review: The Amazing Spider-Man: The Ultimate Newspaper Comics Collection Vol. 2, 1979-1981 by Stan Lee and John Romita

st The trouble with a daily serialized story is how long it takes for anything to happen. Thanks to IDW's ...
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Sisters (2015) Blu-ray Review: Forty-Six Candles

Sisters might sound like a sibling relationship comedy, but it actually joins Hollywood's long, proud heritage of ribald comedy films ...
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SPECTRE Blu-ray Review: Ghosts of Bond’s Past

After the nearly universal acclaim and gigantic box office for the previous Bond outing, Skyfall, any follow-up was likely to ...
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Bridge of Spies Blu-ray Review: Spielberg’s History Tour Reaches the Cold War

For the last decade, Steven Spielberg has been stuck in the past as a director, churning out one historical film ...
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Bitter Rice Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: The Beauty of the Downtrodden

Long before Dino De Laurentiis was a noted Hollywood producer, he produced Italian films such as this 1949 drama. Interestingly, ...
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Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials Blu-ray Review: Diminishing Returns

While the first Maze Runner film delivered moderate thrills and sci-fi adventure, the sequel seems to be running in place. ...
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Jellyfish Eyes Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Surprisingly Unsurprising 

The most surprising thing about unconventional artist Takashi Murakami's first feature-length directorial effort is that it is entirely conventional. Based ...
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Trainwreck Blu-ray Review: Apatow Wrecks the Comedy

Judd Apatow's latest directorial effort has its problems, but first-time leading lady Amy Schumer isn't one of them. Working from ...
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A Special Day Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Special Performances from Italian Screen Legends

The setup for this Italian film is deceptively simple, but belies the impact of the performances by its two stars, ...
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My Little Pony: Equestria Girls: Friendship Games DVD Review: Ponies No More

You know how kids are good for exposing you to stuff you otherwise never would have touched? This film is ...
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Empire: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Review: Birth of a Dynasty

The pilot episode of this series is a huge mess. Stuffed with a random assortment of seemingly unrelated scenes, frequent ...
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Pitch Perfect 2 Blu-ray Review: Re-Introducing Hailee Steinfeld

The Barden Bellas are in trouble. After winning the hearts of a cappella aficionados and casual fans everywhere, both within ...
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Stray Cat Rock Review: Bento Box of ’70s Delights

Starting in 1970, Japan's Nikkatsu studio produced the five films presented here, labelling them all under the Stray Cat Rock ...
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Orphan Black: Season Three Blu-ray Review: Maslany Clones a Success

The latest season of Orphan Black is easily superior to Season Two for one reason: more Tatiana Maslany. Where the ...
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Insurgent Blu-ray Review: Improved FX Help It Surge Above Its Predecessor

The films of The Divergent Series have firmly established themselves in the second tier of young-adult literature adaptations, joined by ...
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Book Review: The Amazing Spider-Man: The Ultimate Newspaper Comics Collection Vol. 1, 1979-1981 by Stan Lee and John Romita

Let's face it: daily newspaper comic strips have never been a great way to follow serialized stories. When a story ...
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Five Easy Pieces Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: One Easy Role to Nicholson’s Stardom

A year removed from his breakout supporting turn in Easy Rider, Jack Nicholson moved to headliner status in this 1970 ...
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Teen Titans Go!: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Review: Polarizing Superhero Hijinks

Like much of DC's animated fare, this series has its share of fans and detractors, but not for the typical ...
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Star Wars Celebration 2015 Review: The Biggest Star Wars Convention in the Galaxy

The biennial Star Wars Celebration took place over the weekend at the Anaheim Convention Center, an occasionally frustrating experience in ...
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Batman vs. Robin Blu-ray Review: Another Dark and Dangerous Day in Gotham

The title of DC's latest animated film is catchy, but it's also a bait and switch. Sure, Robin briefly toys ...
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The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness DVD Review: The Glorious End of an Era

Studio Ghibli has long garnered acclaim as an animation powerhouse, and yet very little is known about its inner workings ...
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Atlas Shrugged Part III Blu-ray Review: Fool’s Gold

The final act of this unlikely trilogy spotlights a strong-willed individual who ignores public opinion and forges ahead with his ...
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The Maze Runner Digital HD Review: Lord of the Labyrinth Flies

Oh great, another teen dystopian flick, right? Yes, The Maze Runner seems like an also-ran following the lead of the ...
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It Happened One Night Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: The Original Runaway Bride

It's hard to imagine now, but there was a time in cinematic history when romantic comedies were extremely rare. That ...
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Unit One: Set 1-3 DVD Review: Hannibal Plays a Cop

Long before international star Mads Mikkelsen terrorized TV viewers with his take on the role of Hannibal Lecter, he acted ...
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Miss Marple: Volume 1 DVD Review: Old Dames Rule

Agatha Christie's famous fictional heroine has moved from page to screen many times, but this series bears the distinction of ...
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Snowpiercer (2013) Blu-ray Review: Off to See the Wizard

Chris Evans struck box-office gold with his latest Captain America film this year, but his other recent comic book film ...
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Neighbors (2014) Blu-ray Review: All Good in This Hood 

This summer's breakout comedy hit delivers on its deceptively simple concept via some fresh character development, largely avoiding what could ...
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Death in Paradise: Season Two DVD Review: Conventional Murder Mysteries, Unconventional Setting

A stuffy English investigator gets transplanted to a laidback Caribbean island to solve their murders and his own misanthropy. Even ...
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All That Jazz Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Lord of the Dance

Joe Gideon is tired. Tired of women, tired of choreography, tired of drugs, and yet inexplicably driven to continue pursuing ...
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Orphan Black: Season Two Blu-ray Review: Attack of the Clones 

Here's some breaking news: Tatiana Maslany is amazing. Although the Emmys don't seem to recognize her existence, or the existence ...
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Rio 2 Blu-ray Review: Welcome to the Jungle

Although the first Rio didn't really set the box office on fire or generate frantic demand for further adventures, it ...
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Hinterland: Series 1 DVD Review: The Prints of Wales

Although we Yanks are mostly familiar with Wales in relation to “Prince/Princess/Duchess of”, it is very much a real place ...
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Death in Paradise: Season 1 DVD Review: British Mysteries with a Tropical Twist

Given the sheer volume of British mystery series available, it's almost essential to have a hook to differentiate from the ...
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Ernest & Celestine Blu-ray Review: A Tail of Two Cities

One of the biggest surprise nominees at this year's Academy Awards was this little-seen French animated film. Thanks to its ...
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Wolverine Weapon X: Tomorrow Dies Today DVD Review: Days of Future Deathloks

Marvel continues their ongoing motion comics conversions with this tale starring the omnipresent Wolverine. While there's no shortage of Wolverine ...
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Republic of Doyle: Season 1 DVD Review: Conventional Mysteries, Unconventional Setting

Every so often a product crosses our desks that appears to be so unique it demands a closer look. This ...
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Nikita: The Complete Fourth Season Blu-ray Review: The Short Kiss Goodnight

Nikita's long strange trip from Luc Besson's original 1997 film to her second TV series reaches its conclusion in this ...
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Out of the Furnace Blu-ray Review: Burning Too Many Fires

Out of the Furnace is a frustrating misfire, made all the more dispiriting by the unwarranted high caliber of acting ...
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The Hidden Fortress Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: The Gold Standard

A long time ago in a country far, far away, esteemed director Akira Kurosawa filmed a grand adventure that took ...
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Book Review: Snowpiercer Vol. 1 & 2 by Jacques Lob, Benjamin Legrand and Jean-Marc Rochette

This French comic is currently receiving renewed international attention thanks to its use as the source material for a new ...
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Book Review: Sherlock Holmes and the Vampires of London by Sylvain Cordurie and Laci

With all of the Sherlock Holmes revisionism in movies and TV over the past few years, it's become confusing to ...
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Borgen: Season 3 DVD Review: Once More Unto the Breach

When we last saw feisty Danish Prime Minister Birgitte Nyborg (the stellar Sidse Babett Knudsen), she was calling for a ...
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Justice League: War Blu-ray Review: Take a Walk on the Darkseid

A few years ago, DC Comics rebooted their entire superhero line under the audacious New 52 plan, throwing out decades ...
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Book Review: Captain Midnight: Volume 1: On the Run by Joshua Williamson and Fernando Dagnino

A patriotic Nazi-fighting U.S. superhero who disappeared in the 1940s suddenly appears in the present day, seemingly not a day ...
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Wolverine Versus Sabertooth DVD Review: Not the Best There Is at What Loeb Does

Wolverine and Sabertooth are at the pinnacle of classic comic-book opponents. Jeph Loeb is a reliably impressive writer and TV ...
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Mary Poppins: 50th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray Review: A Disc Full of Sugar

Never ones to pass up a marketing opportunity, the fine folks at Disney lined up a two-fer with the Blu-ray ...
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Burn Notice: Season Seven DVD Review: Burning Bridges

USA Network's veteran spy show took a turn for the deadly serious in Season 6 with the murder of a ...
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Prisoners Blu-ray Review: Trapped in the Maze

Child-abduction movies aren't ranked high on the must-see lists of most viewers, making the stellar cast assembled for this project ...
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Morrissey: 25 Live Review: November Spawned a Monster of a Blu-ray

OK, it actually came out in late October, but I just watched it and the tagline was too tempting to ...
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Turbo Blu-ray Review: The Fast and the Cautious

An unusual thing happened in the world of feature film animation this year: DreamWorks didn't release any sequels. The home ...
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John Cassavetes: Five Films Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Independent Spirit

Whether or not you enjoy the directorial efforts of John Cassavetes, it's impossible to overlook his contribution to the rise ...
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Nikita: The Complete Third Season Blu-ray Review: La Reine Nikita

Shows airing on CW aren't generally known for the strength or complexity of their writing, but Nikita has been a ...
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Luther: Series 3 DVD Review: Panic on the Streets of London

If you're looking for a feel-good cop show with a tidy resolution at the end of every episode, this is ...
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Bones: The Complete Eighth Season Blu-ray Review: Going Through the Motions

Bones is the TV equivalent of comfort food. You know what you're getting, you know you won't be challenged in ...
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Star Trek: Into Darkness Blu-ray Review: The Wrath of Fans

Remember how in the original Star Trek film series the even-numbered movies were the best? Apparently the current revisionist Abramsverse ...
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From Up on Poppy Hill Blu-ray Review: The Son Also Rises

Goro Miyazaki is in a tough position. As the son of beloved living legend Hayao Miyazaki, and a budding anime ...
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Epic Blu-ray Review: Heart of Darkness

I don't ever pay attention to MPAA ratings on animated films, because why bother? After decades of reliably mild animated ...
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The Big City Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Girl Power

Prior to The Big City, director Satyajit Ray had never tackled a contemporary project, choosing to focus on explorations of ...
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Charulata Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Indian Film, European Sensibility

This is not a Bollywood film, at least not in the accepted modern-day definition of the term. Half a century ...
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Smiley’s People Blu-ray Review: The Man with the Olden Gun

George Smiley is the polar opposite of James Bond. They're both spies for the British Secret Intelligence Service, but Smiley ...
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Orphan Black: Season 1 Blu-ray Review: Black is the New Black

There's a point in this sci fi series that one clone is asked to temporarily impersonate another clone and you ...
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The Life of Oharu Criterion Collection DVD Review: The Downward Spiral

While watching this film, I was reminded of another tale of a classy lady who gradually becomes marginalized: Anna Karenina. ...
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Wolverine: Origin DVD Review: The Best There Is at What He Does.

Ever wonder about how Wolverine got his start? So did the rest of the Marvel Comics Universe and its readers, ...
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Borgen: Season 2 DVD Review: Nothing’s Rotten in Denmark

Who knew Danish politics could be so much fun? Picking up a year after the first season, this collection finds ...
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Todd & the Book of Pure Evil: The Complete Second Season DVD Review: Once More with Feeling

A group of high school outcasts battles supernatural beasties and their dastardly principal. Oh, and there's a musical episode. Nope, ...
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Marketa Lazarova Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Defiantly Experimental

You know how Game of Thrones gets really confusing with the various warring clans populated by so many characters that ...
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Slugterra: Slugs Unleashed DVD Review: Arrested Development

For those new to this vibrant and expertly animated series, Slugterra is an underground land populated with many different types ...
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Burn Notice: Season Six DVD Review: The Spy Who Came in from the Cold

If you've never watched USA Network's long-running crime/action show, here's a quick recap: faithful U.S. spy gets blacklisted by his ...
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Vexed: Series 2 DVD Review: A Vexing Decline

After only one season, co-star Lucy Punch is gone. While that wouldn't be a big deal for a show with ...
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LEGO Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite Blu-ray Review: Holy Bricks, Batman!

I recently slammed the achingly buffoonish LEGO Star Wars Blu-ray while lamenting that LEGO would have been much better served ...
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