Steve Geise

Book Review: Prince Valiant Vol. 27: 1989-1990 by Hal Foster, John Cullen Murphy, and Cullen Murphy

By Steve Geise | Dec 5, 2023

More than 50 years after its 1937 newspaper debut and years after the departure of its original creator, Prince Valiant ...

Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer Movie Review: The Master Becomes the Subject

By Steve Geise | Dec 4, 2023

After a lifetime of training his lens on other fictional and real subjects, Werner Herzog is now the subject of ...

Spin: The Complete Series DVD Review: French Political Intrigue

By Steve Geise | Nov 29, 2023

This French TV series takes a look into the halls of power at the top tier of French government. Our ...

Shaw Brothers Classics Vol. Three Blu-ray Review: The Formula Remains Strong, Even As the Stars Disappear

By Steve Geise | Nov 22, 2023

Shout! Factory continues their torrid pace of classic martial arts releases with this latest installment of restored Shaw Brothers films. ...

Book Review: The Complete Alien Collection: Symphony of Death by Alex White and Tim Waggoner

By Steve Geise | Nov 22, 2023

Following on the heels of their initial Alien omnibus collection at the start of the year, Titan Books is closing ...

Book Review: In Search of Gil Scott-Heron by Thomas Mauceri and Seb Piquet

By Steve Geise | Nov 16, 2023

Less a biography than a MacGuffin hunt, writer Thomas Mauceri details his years-long quest to track down and interview the ...

Book Review: Macanudo: Optimism Is for the Brave by Liniers

By Steve Geise | Nov 14, 2023

Fantagraphics continues their English-language collections of this Argentine comic strip with this charming second volume. If you haven’t stumbled across ...

The Challenge Blu-ray Review: Accept This Challenge

By Steve Geise | Oct 26, 2023

Before you write this film off as a typical low-budget ‘80s actioner, take a closer look at the credits. Star ...

Book Review: Time Under Tension by M.S. Harkness

By Steve Geise | Oct 23, 2023

After a three-year gap, M.S. Harkness returns with her third autobio graphic novel, and first for Fantagraphics. She continues her ...

EO Blu-ray Review: The Secret Life of Donkeys

By Steve Geise | Oct 18, 2023

EO is a happy circus donkey, content to travel with his raggedy troupe to rural outposts in Europe. He’s motivated ...

Book Review: Dauntless Dames: High-Heeled Heroes of the Comics

By Steve Geise | Oct 16, 2023

After entering into a partnership last summer to distribute the back catalog of Sunday Press, Fantagraphics is now releasing the ...

Farewell My Concubine 30th Anniversary Movie Review: Leslie Cheung Shines Once More

By Steve Geise | Sep 28, 2023

In celebration of its 30th anniversary, Chen Kaige’s searing epic is returning to U.S. theaters with a new 4K restoration ...

American Pop Blu-ray Review: Try, Try, and Try Again

By Steve Geise | Sep 21, 2023

Ralph Bakshi’s animated voyage through 20th century popular music has finally arrived on Blu-ray. While music is an integral part ...

Book Review: Totem by Laura Pérez

By Steve Geise | Sep 16, 2023

In Laura Pérez’s beautiful, bewildering graphic novel, a flashback begets another flashback, unidentified characters drift in and out of the ...

The Prodigal Son Blu-ray Review: Sammo Hung Meets Wing Chun

By Steve Geise | Sep 13, 2023

Continuing their series of Sammo Hung Blu-ray releases, Arrow Video’s latest entry is this 1981 gem. Sammo directs and co-stars ...

Gay Purr-ee Blu-ray Review: Judy Garland Gets Animated

By Steve Geise | Sep 13, 2023

By the 1960s, Judy Garland was in decline, no longer a potent or reliable force at the box office and ...

Book Review: Eden II by K. Wroten

By Steve Geise | Sep 6, 2023

K. Wroten’s sophomore graphic novel is a sprawling, 452-page meditation on the bleak existence faced by the current twenty-something generation. ...

Book Review: Memoirs of a Man in Pajamas by Paco Roca

By Steve Geise | Aug 30, 2023

This is not a new graphic novel by Spanish cartoonist Paco Roca. Instead, it’s a compilation of archival autobiographical comic ...

A Moment of Romance Blu-ray Review: HK Stockholm Syndrome

By Steve Geise | Aug 22, 2023

When a bank heist goes awry, getaway driver Wah (Andy Lau) grabs the closest civilian as a hostage as he ...

Book Review: Starseeds 3 by Charles Glaubitz

By Steve Geise | Aug 21, 2023

By any conventional literary measure, the Starseeds series is bewildering and left so far open to interpretation that it’s difficult ...

Cosa Nostra: Franco Nero in Three Mafia Tales by Damiano Damiani Blu-ray Review

By Steve Geise | Aug 18, 2023

Superstar Italian actor Franco Nero headlines three separate projects by director Damiano Damiani with a unifying spotlight on the mafia ...

Is Paris Burning Movie DVD Poster With a Character

Is Paris Burning? Blu-ray Review: Night of 100 Stars

By Steve Geise | Aug 16, 2023

Not to be confused with Paris Is Burning, this 1966 WWII drama boasts a seemingly unbelievable roster of stars reenacting ...

Du Barry Was a Lady Movie DVD Front Cover

Du Barry Was a Lady Blu-ray Review: All Show, Little Story

By Steve Geise | Aug 3, 2023

Even by the admittedly low bar of plot development in classic movie musicals, this film’s story is so half-baked it ...

Aber Bergen: Complete Series DVD Review: Divorce Norwegian Style

By Steve Geise | Jul 28, 2023

When married partners of a law firm divorce, their office is left in flux as they try to continue working ...

Four Quartets DVD Review: Magnetic, Mesmerizing Solo Stage Performance

By Steve Geise | Jul 22, 2023

While we spent our pandemic lockdowns doomscrolling, Zooming, and making bread, Ralph Fiennes decided to memorize the entirety of T.S. ...

Book Review: Alison by Lizzy Stewart

By Steve Geise | Jul 21, 2023

Alison is a plain teenager getting by in a small English town, running out the clock on her high school ...

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 4K Digital Review: All the Feels

By Steve Geise | Jul 18, 2023

After focusing on Star Lord’s family back story for the first two movies, writer/director James Gunn turns his attention to ...

Book Review: Dear Mini: A Graphic Memoir, Book One by Natalie Norris

By Steve Geise | Jul 15, 2023

Natalie Norris was just 16 years old when she was shipped off from the U.S. to France for a summer ...

Tintin and the Mystery of the Golden Fleece / Tintin and the Blue Oranges Blu-ray Review

By Steve Geise | Jul 4, 2023

The iconic Belgian comic book character has been translated into many forms of media over the years, and now two ...

Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman DVD Review: Murakami Gets Animated

By Steve Geise | Jul 3, 2023

Writer/director/composer Pierre Földes stitches together unrelated Haruki Murakami short stories into a somewhat cohesive narrative in this animated feature film. ...

Book Review: The Planetoid and Other Stories by Al Feldstein and Joe Orlando

By Steve Geise | Jul 1, 2023

After over 30 volumes in the long-running Fantagraphics EC Artists’ Library series, Joe Orlando’s sci-fi stories return to the spotlight ...

Book Review: Nudism Comes to Connecticut by Susan Schade and Jon Buller

By Steve Geise | Jun 27, 2023

Imagine having a scandalous but fascinating tale buried deep within the branches of your family tree. Then imagine having the ...

Tommy Guns Blu-ray Review: Blasts Conformity to Smithereens

By Steve Geise | Jun 17, 2023

Angolan-Portuguese director Carlos Conceição announces his arrival on the global stage with this blisteringly original, confounding film that defies categorization. ...

Film: The Living Record of Our Memory DVD Review: Boiling the Preservation Ocean

By Steve Geise | Jun 16, 2023

This new documentary takes a look at film preservation and restoration efforts underway around the world. We tend to think ...

Joy House Blu-ray Review: Love and Death on the French Riviera

By Steve Geise | Jun 7, 2023

This 1964 gem exudes cool, from the lead performances by gorgeous stars Alain Delon and Jane Fonda, to the jazzy ...

Book Review: Listen, Beautiful Márcia by Marcello Quintanilha

By Steve Geise | Jun 7, 2023

Brazilian favelas typically evoke images of poverty, drugs, and desperation, as most notably explored in the film City of God. ...

Anna May Wong Collection Blu-ray Review: To Wong Blu, Thanks for Everything

By Steve Geise | Jun 5, 2023

Kino Lorber’s new box set shines a light on a string of 1930s films starring the iconic Anna May Wong. ...

Book Review: Daughters of Snow and Cinders by Núria Tamarit

By Steve Geise | May 18, 2023

When a determined young adventurer sets out into the wilderness in search of gold, she quickly encounters threats from the ...

One Way Passage Blu-ray Review: Book This Voyage

By Steve Geise | May 10, 2023

When a convicted murderer gets extradited from Hong Kong to San Francisco, the last thing on his mind is falling ...

Sick of Myself Movie Review: The Dark Side of Narcissism

By Steve Geise | Apr 14, 2023

Writer/director Kristoffer Borgli’s new film is the darkest of black comedies, at least until the comedy runs out. He imagines ...

The Hunters: Complete Seasons 1 & 2 DVD Review: A Man Called Backström

By Steve Geise | Apr 13, 2023

A grumpy old retired cop is slogging through his golden years as a security guard at a start-up gold mine ...

iMordecai DVD Review: Judd Hirsch Strikes Gold in His Golden Years

By Steve Geise | Apr 12, 2023

iMordecai is the Taxi TV series reunion I never knew I needed, starring alums and fellow Oscar nominees Judd Hirsch ...

Secret Defense Blu-ray Review: Twisty Secrets Hampered by Indefensible Direction

By Steve Geise | Apr 11, 2023

This French drama gets off to a promising start when a scientist named Sylvie (Sandrine Bonnaire) learns that her father ...

Arsène Lupin Collection Blu-ray Review: Two Hits and a Miss

By Steve Geise | Apr 9, 2023

The famous fictional thief arrives on Blu-ray in this new collection of three of his French theatrical adventures. The Lupin ...

Star Trek: The Next Generation 4-Movie Collection 4K UHD Review: First 4K Contact

By Steve Geise | Apr 7, 2023

Following up on last year’s six-movie 4K box set of the original Star Trek movies, Paramount has moved on to ...

Book Review: The Heavy Bright by Cathy Malkasian

By Steve Geise | Mar 28, 2023

A young girl is tasked with a seemingly impossible quest: to hunt down and destroy 999 black eggs closely held ...

Knockabout Blu-ray Review: Sticks, Shticks, and Slapstick

By Steve Geise | Mar 27, 2023

Arrow Video continues their new series of Sammo Hung releases with this action comedy from early in his directorial career. ...

Make Believe Seattle 2023 Review: Smoking Causes Coughing

By Steve Geise | Mar 26, 2023

If you’re in the Seattle area this weekend, Make Believe Seattle Film Festival is making its debut with a fascinating ...

The Son of the Stars Movie Review: Rare ‘80s Romanian Cartoon Gets Blu-ray Release

By Steve Geise | Mar 24, 2023

Thanks to Deaf Crocodile Films, U.S. viewers will finally get the chance to watch this Romanian sci-fi rarity. The film ...

Book Review: Ephemera: A Memoir by Briana Loewinsohn

By Steve Geise | Mar 21, 2023

Briana Loewinsohn’s debut graphic novel heralds the arrival of an intriguing new talent already operating at a masterful level. Her ...

Book Review: Mickey and Donald: For Whom the Doorbell Tolls

By Steve Geise | Mar 18, 2023

In 1999, a teacher at Disney’s Italian school for cartoonists presented his students with a prompt: select a short story ...

Book Review: Evita: The Life and Work of Eva Perón by Héctor Germán Oesterheld, Alberto and Enrique Breccia

By Steve Geise | Mar 13, 2023

Fantagraphics continues their series of Alberto Breccia releases with this graphic biography of the polarizing Argentine icon, Eva Perón, popularly ...

Millionaires’ Express Blu-ray Review: Chinese Bullet Train

By Steve Geise | Mar 13, 2023

After shining a light on the rise of the Hong Kong film industry with their phenomenal Shaw Brothers box sets, ...

The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom Blu-ray Review: Guess Who’s Coming to Breakfast

By Steve Geise | Feb 24, 2023

London, 1968. It’s the height and epicenter of the Swinging Sixties, and hip housewife Mrs. Blossom (Shirley MacLaine) is content ...

Love on the Ground Blu-ray Review: Much Ado About Nothing

By Steve Geise | Feb 15, 2023

This 1984 French drama follows actors rehearsing a play, a time-worn concept of a show within a show dating back ...

Emily Movie Review: Frances O’Connor’s Directorial Debut Soars to Wuthering Heights

By Steve Geise | Feb 13, 2023

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

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

By Steve Geise | Feb 10, 2023

While this Italian film was a critical success in its native land in 1986, winning seven of its national awards ...

Book Review: The Extraordinary Part: Book One: Orsay’s Hands by Florent Ruppert and Jerome Mulot

By Steve Geise | Feb 7, 2023

The latest work from powerhouse French graphic novelist duo Ruppert and Merlot imagines a world much like our own with ...

That Man Bolt Blu-ray Review: That Man Hammer

By Steve Geise | Feb 7, 2023

At first glance, this movie seems to bear all the hallmarks of a blaxploitation classic: its prime 1973 release date, ...

Little Nicholas: Happy as Can Be Movie Review: Adventures in Real and Imagined Past

By Steve Geise | Dec 27, 2022

This thoroughly charming French animated feature takes a unique approach in its storytelling. Rather than solely recounting the fictional adventures ...

Broker Movie Review: The Korean Shoplifters

By Steve Geise | Dec 23, 2022

Japanese writer/director Hirokazu Kore-eda continues his cinematic explorations outside his native land and language with this dysfunctional relationship drama set ...

The Girl on a Motorcycle Blu-ray Review: Spins Its Stylish Wheels

By Steve Geise | Dec 21, 2022

This 1968 UK/France co-production boasts star turns from Alain Delon and Marianne Faithfull in their prime, automatically making it an ...

5-25-77 Blu-ray Review: A Long Time Ago in a Town Far, Far Away

By Steve Geise | Dec 12, 2022

For sci-fi starved ‘70s youth, the arrival of Star Wars was a watershed moment forever etched in our collective memories. ...

Entre Nous Blu-ray Review: Sisters Are Doing It for Themselves

By Steve Geise | Nov 29, 2022

Writer/director Diane Kurys borrowed from her own family history to craft this story about two women finding their way in ...

Three Thousand Years of Longing Blu-ray Review: George Miller’s Genie

By Steve Geise | Nov 19, 2022

Writer/director George Miller enables his whimsical side in between Mad Max movies in this modern riff on the Aladdin myth. ...

Book Review The Man Who Fell to Earth Poster

Book Review: The Man Who Fell to Earth by Dan Watters and Dev Pramanik

By Steve Geise | Oct 28, 2022

The creators of this new graphic novel were faced with three apparent approaches to its production: craft an adaptation of ...

Private Desert Blu-ray Review: Troubled Characters Seek Their Oasis

By Steve Geise | Oct 27, 2022

Daniel is in a rut. As a disgraced macho cop with anger management issues, he spends his days in Brazil ...

Carmen (2022) Blu-ray Review: Welcome to Malta

By Steve Geise | Oct 20, 2022

When a lifelong servant of the church finds herself out on the street, she’s faced with an uncertain future that ...

Bullet Train Blu-ray Review: Snakes on a Train

By Steve Geise | Oct 17, 2022

Stuntman-turned-director David Leitch (Deadpool 2) helms this crime caper featuring a colorful collection of scheming assassins gathered on a bullet ...

Going Places Blu-ray Review: Traveling Nowhere, Reaching Enlightenment

By Steve Geise | Oct 13, 2022

The title of this 1974 French film is somewhat ironic, considering the rudderless path of its twenty-something drifter characters. Co-written ...

TV Review: Love & Rockets: The Great American Comic Book

By Steve Geise | Oct 5, 2022

After 40 years of ongoing publication, the Love & Rockets comic book is long overdue for a celebratory retrospective. Thankfully, ...

A Fugitive from the Past Blu-ray Review: An Epic from the Past Finally Reaches USA

By Steve Geise | Sep 28, 2022

Director Tomu Uchida’s sprawling 1965 crime drama has finally arrived on home video for the first time outside of Japan. ...

The House of the Lost on the Cape Blu-ray Review: House of Lost Time

By Steve Geise | Sep 27, 2022

Two girls and their elder move into a remote country home and set about cleaning it up for their residence. ...

South: Ernest Shackleton and the Endurance Expedition Blu-ray Review

By Steve Geise | Sep 26, 2022

It’s hard to imagine the trials and tribulations that must have befallen Ernest Shackleton’s expedition to reach the South Pole ...

Rain 90th Anniversary Blu-ray Review: Luminous Joan Crawford Drives the Clouds Away

By Steve Geise | Sep 23, 2022

When a massive monsoon wallops the tiny South Pacific location of Pago Pago, it traps an assortment of colorful travelers ...

Karmalink Blu-ray Review: Dreams of Treasure and Past Lives

By Steve Geise | Sep 20, 2022

When a teenage boy starts having dreams about his past lives, he discovers that he may have the key to ...

If…. Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: If Only It Had a Plot

By Steve Geise | Sep 15, 2022

This 1969 UK film has exactly one notable claim to fame: Malcolm McDowell’s first star turn in a film just ...

Neptune Frost Blu-ray Review: The Revolution Will Be Televised

By Steve Geise | Aug 16, 2022

This feature film from recording artist Saul Williams and Anisia Uzeyman is undeniably ambitious, boasting an enticing amalgamation of Afrofuturist ...

The Gilded Age: The Complete First Season DVD Review: Manhattan Abbey

By Steve Geise | Aug 9, 2022

While this period drama originates on HBO and is based in New York, its DNA is wholly derived from the ...

Night Gallery: Season Two Blu-ray Review: The Gallery Expands

By Steve Geise | Jul 29, 2022

If you started your Night Gallery Blu-ray collection with the Season One set (as I reviewed here), the first thing ...

My Old School Movie Review: Something Is Rotten in Scotland

By Steve Geise | Jul 27, 2022

In 1993, a 16-year-old boy named Brandon Lee enrolled at a secondary school in an upscale neighborhood in Scotland. A ...

The Nan Movie Review: Bad Grandma

By Steve Geise | Jul 26, 2022

Before Catherine Tate gained recognition in the U.S. with her turns as a Doctor Who companion and a boss in ...

Giallo Essentials [Black Edition] Blu-ray Box Set Review: Back in Black

By Steve Geise | Jul 25, 2022

Arrow Video is back with their third limited-edition box set exploring three lesser-known giallo films from the early 1970s. In ...

Hero (1997) Blu-ray Review: The Heroic Return of Shaw Brothers

By Steve Geise | Jul 10, 2022

This classic Hong Kong action movie has two big draws for me: a star turn by Takeshi Kaneshiro and direction ...

Book Review: Radical: My Year with a Socialist Senator by Sofia Warren

By Steve Geise | Jun 16, 2022

A young Latina politician runs for and wins office in New York as a virtual unknown, ousting a veteran incumbent ...

The Clock Blu-ray Review: Judy Garland’s Time

By Steve Geise | Jun 12, 2022

By 1945, 23-year-old Judy Garland was already a screen veteran with 20 leading roles to her credit. She was also ...

Poupelle of Chimney Town Blu-ray Review: A Whole New World

By Steve Geise | May 27, 2022

Following a brief U.S. theatrical run, this charming new anime is now making its way to home video. The story ...

The Red Shoes Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: 15 Minutes in Heaven

By Steve Geise | May 26, 2022

Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s classic 1948 film treads a well-worn path of backstage drama at a stage production, but ...

Uncharted Blu-ray Review: Charted in the Video Games

By Steve Geise | May 10, 2022

As I watched the thrilling mid-air action scene that opens Uncharted, I realized that it seemed familiar to me. That’s ...

Twisting the Knife: Four Films by Claude Chabrol Blu-ray Box Set Review

By Steve Geise | Apr 28, 2022

Following quickly on the heels of Arrow Video’s five-film Chabrol box set, this second box set is smaller but contains ...

Saturday Fiction Movie Review: Return of the Queen

By Steve Geise | Apr 22, 2022

Lou Ye’s latest film has a huge ace: a star turn by Gong Li. After rising to art house prominence ...

Paris, 13th District Movie Review: The City of Light Romance

By Steve Geise | Apr 14, 2022

Writer/director Jacques Audiard’s latest film follows four young adults as they navigate the ups and downs of dating and professional ...

Book Review: The Junction by Norm Konyu

By Steve Geise | Apr 14, 2022

Far too rarely, a graphic novel lands in the market with such an assured sense of style and substance that ...

Man’s Favorite Sport? Blu-ray Review: Rock Out of Water

By Steve Geise | Apr 9, 2022

Rock Hudson stars in this romantic comedy about the author of a well-known fishing guidebook who has never actually fished, ...

Rick and Morty: The Complete Seasons 1-5 Blu-ray Review: One Pickle, Two Crows, and a Multiverse of Mirth

By Steve Geise | Apr 4, 2022

Rick and Morty is the rarest of TV phenomena: a series so popular that the studio keeps releasing “complete” series ...

Blue Skies Blu-ray Review: Holiday Inn Revisited

By Steve Geise | Mar 25, 2022

While most musicals would be lucky to have one of the three powerhouses featured in Blue Skies, this film suffers ...

Lies & Deceit: Five Films by Claude Chabrol Blu-ray Box Set Review

By Steve Geise | Mar 9, 2022

Arrow Video’s latest box set shines a light on the works of French New Wave director Claude Chabrol. Although he’s ...

The Three Musketeers (1948) Blu-ray Review: Night of 100 Stars

By Steve Geise | Feb 22, 2022

MGM’s 1948 version of this classic tale is full of stars but short on clear direction. The first act plays ...

Drive My Car Movie Review: A Sublime Journey

By Steve Geise | Feb 12, 2022

As the least-known contender in this year’s Oscar Best Picture nominees, Drive My Car has the best opportunity to surprise ...

Catwoman: Hunted 4K Ultra HD Review: DC Goes Anime

By Steve Geise | Feb 11, 2022

DC’s latest animated film answers the question you probably never asked: what would a DC film look like as anime? ...

The Lover 4K UHD Collector’s Edition Review: Fall in Love Again

By Steve Geise | Jan 27, 2022

Famed director Jean-Jacques Annaud’s adaptation of this steamy semi-autobiographical tale by author Marguerite Duras caused a sensation upon its 1992 theatrical ...

Giallo Essentials [Yellow Edition] Blu-ray Review: Masked Killers, Disrobed Victims

By Steve Geise | Dec 24, 2021

Arrow Video’s second box set collection of giallo classics is now available, arriving less than a month after the first ...

West Side Story (2021) Movie Review: Spielberg Keeps It Real

By Steve Geise | Dec 8, 2021

In Steven Spielberg’s vision of 1950s New York City, the West Side resembles a bombed-out warzone. That’s largely due to ...

Giallo Essentials [Red Edition] Blu-ray Box Set Review: Mixed Bag, Solid Box

By Steve Geise | Dec 6, 2021

Just in time for the holiday gift giving season, Arrow Video has repackaged three individual Blu-ray releases from 2018/19 into ...

Night Gallery Season One Blu-ray Review: Rod Serling’s Other Series Gets a Fresh Coat of Paint

By Steve Geise | Dec 1, 2021

Rod Serling will always be most closely identified with The Twilight Zone, but his follow-up series is finally getting Blu-ray ...

Mad Max Anthology 4K Ultra HD Box Set Review: Work in Progress

By Steve Geise | Nov 29, 2021

You know how all major video games launch with issues that have to be fixed after release? Well, sometimes it ...

Freud Blu-ray Review: Montgomery Clift Exorcises His Demons

By Steve Geise | Nov 24, 2021

This mid-career effort by legendary director John Houston is overlong, clinical, and ponderous, and yet Montgomery Clift’s tortured lead performance ...

Lullaby of Broadway Blu-ray Review: Don’t Sleep on This Joyous Delight

By Steve Geise | Nov 19, 2021

Doris Day leads an engaging cast in this fairly conventional but highly entertaining musical. She stars as a young dancer ...

The Bitter Stems Blu-ray Review: Argentine Noir

By Steve Geise | Nov 11, 2021

Alfredo Gasper is a hard-working newspaper reporter in Argentina who has become disillusioned about the trajectory of his stalled career. ...

Audrey Hepburn 7-Movie Collection Blu-ray Review: More Loverly Than Ever

By Steve Geise | Nov 1, 2021

This collection of Audrey Hepburn’s most memorable starring roles has been available on DVD since early 2019, but has only ...

Doctor Who: The Edge of Reality Video Game Review: Allons-y!

By Steve Geise | Oct 30, 2021

Licensed video games are always fraught with the peril of hardcore fan expectations vs. actual gameplay. Add in the burden ...

Change of Habit Blu-ray Review: Easy Habit to Break

By Steve Geise | Oct 23, 2021

This offbeat film bears the distinction of being Elvis Presley’s final acting role, which is about the only remarkable thing ...

Becoming Cousteau Movie Review: From Exploration to Conservation

By Steve Geise | Oct 22, 2021

Decades before David Attenborough became a household name in the U.S., Jacques-Yves Cousteau was the king of nature documentaries. Along ...

Come September Blu-ray Review: Hudson Rocks the Riviera

By Steve Geise | Oct 19, 2021

Rock Hudson is in prime leading man form in this beautifully photographed 1961 romp through the Italian Riviera. Hudson plays ...

On Broadway DVD Review: Start Spreading the News

By Steve Geise | Oct 11, 2021

After an unprecedented 18-month shutdown caused by the pandemic, Broadway finally started reopening many shows last month. Oscar-nominated director Oren ...

Blithe Spirit (2020) Blu-ray Review: Bland and Unspirited, But Mann and Fisher Shine

By Steve Geise | Oct 4, 2021

Noel Coward’s play has been adapted for the screen multiple times dating back to 1945, but it’s been long enough ...

The Nowhere Inn Movie Review: Make Plans to Check In

By Steve Geise | Sep 15, 2021

St. Vincent decides to try out smoking during the production of her concert tour documentary film, declaring to her friend ...

Star Trek: The Original 4-Movie Collection 4K Ultra HD Review: 4K, The Final Frontier

By Steve Geise | Sep 12, 2021

In celebration of the 55th anniversary of the debut of the Star Trek TV series this month, Paramount has released ...

In the Good Old Summertime Blu-ray Review: You’ve Got Snail Mail

By Steve Geise | Sep 7, 2021

Modern Hollywood gets plenty of well-deserved grief for rebooting stories before the originals have even faded from memory, but it’s ...

Blind Beast Blu-ray Review: An Assured Vision by Director Yasuzo Masumura

By Steve Geise | Aug 31, 2021

When an alluring young fetish model named Aki visits a gallery exhibiting her nude works, she’s shocked to find a ...

Thoroughly Modern Millie Blu-ray Review: Thoroughly Charming

By Steve Geise | Aug 12, 2021

This zany musical was a big hit in the 1960s, garnering huge box office and seven Oscar nominations, along with ...

The Daimajin Trilogy Limited Edition Blu-ray Box Set: Stone Cold Kaiju Action

By Steve Geise | Aug 6, 2021

What if a Godzilla-sized monster was a living stone statue who battled evil human warlords instead of other monsters? Japan’s ...

It Happened at the World’s Fair Blu-ray Review: It Probably Shouldn’t Have

By Steve Geise | Jul 24, 2021

Elvis Presley starred in dozens of films in the ‘50s and ‘60s, and many of them were quite entertaining. This ...

Take Me Out to the Ball Game Blu-ray Review: Almost a Home Run

By Steve Geise | Jul 23, 2021

Now that it’s mid-summer, it’s peak time to enjoy the national pastime: baseball…in musical form. Warner Archive rounds the bases ...

An American in Paris: The Musical Blu-ray Review: C’est Bon

By Steve Geise | Jul 19, 2021

As live musicals shut down during the pandemic, recorded performances stepped in to help fill the entertainment void. The 2014 ...

Years of Lead Limited Edition Blu-ray Box Set Review: Transforms Lead into Gold

By Steve Geise | Jul 16, 2021

When most film fans think of Italian genre films of the 1970s, the first term that comes to mind is ...

It Happened on 5th Avenue Blu-ray Review: Thoroughly Charming Happenstance

By Steve Geise | Jul 7, 2021

You know how sometimes you stumble across a movie you had no intention of watching but end up really liking ...

Irezumi Blu-ray Review: Kiss of the Spider Woman

By Steve Geise | Jul 3, 2021

A wealthy merchant’s daughter becomes a murderous geisha after receiving a huge back tattoo of a spider. At a glance, ...

World of Wong Kar Wai Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: What a Wonderful World

By Steve Geise | Jun 29, 2021

Wong Kar Wai burst into the international film scene in the 1980s and has remained an icon ever since. While ...

Madame Curie Blu-ray Review: Geniuses Oblivious to Their Attraction

By Steve Geise | Jun 24, 2021

Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon portray the Curies in this biographical film about the early career of the discoverer of ...

Ziegfeld Follies Blu-ray Review: Two Hours of Follies, Half Hour of Jollies

By Steve Geise | Jun 22, 2021

While movie musicals typically follow a paper-thin plot as a device to string together their songs, this oddity ditches the ...

Indiana Jones: 4-Movie Collection 4K Ultra HD Box Set Review: Dolby Atmos to the Rescue

By Steve Geise | Jun 18, 2021

Just in time for this month’s 40th anniversary of the theatrical debut of Indiana Jones, this new box set presents ...

Just a Gigolo Blu-ray Review: Bowie and Dietrich Make the Best of a Misfire

By Steve Geise | Jun 11, 2021

This Berlin-set film arrived at an opportune time in David Bowie’s career, since he was living in the city for ...

Tove Movie Review: Moomin Mama Makes Her Mark

By Steve Geise | Jun 3, 2021

Tove Jansson rose to international fame thanks to her creation of the iconic Moomin characters. Although she passed away 20 ...

The Tender Trap Blu-ray Review: Trapped in Dated Attitudes But Still Tender Fun

By Steve Geise | May 27, 2021

Frank Sinatra plays a wealthy Broadway talent agent named Charlie whose chief talent seems to be adding girlfriends to his ...

Santa Sangre 4K UHD Limited Edition Box Set Review: Jodorowsky’s True Vision

By Steve Geise | May 21, 2021

Alejandro Jodorowsky is the quintessential Renaissance man, although he’s most widely known as a feature film director. His true definition ...

Flowers of Shanghai Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Mise-ry en Scene

By Steve Geise | May 19, 2021

This Taiwanese movie was based on a novel about “flower houses” of 19th century Shanghai, high class establishments where courtesans ...

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House Blu-ray Review: Solid Comedy Construction

By Steve Geise | May 18, 2021

If I hadn’t watched this new Blu-ray, I never would have realized that the old Tom Hanks comedy The Money ...

Masculin Feminin Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Tres Chic

By Steve Geise | Apr 28, 2021

Jean-Luc Godard’s study of young love in Paris pulses with style but doesn’t have much of a story. The film ...

Annie Get Your Gun Blu-ray Review: Shoots a Few Blanks but Hits the Overall Target

By Steve Geise | Apr 19, 2021

Prior to its release this week, this classic MGM movie adaptation of an American musical theatre staple has never been ...

Broadway Melody of 1940 Blu-ray Review: De-Lovely

By Steve Geise | Apr 13, 2021

The obvious draws for this classic MGM musical are the star turn by Fred Astaire and the songs written by ...

On Moonlight Bay Blu-ray Review: Day and MacRae Play on the Bay

By Steve Geise | Feb 25, 2021

Booth Tarkington is most famously remembered as the author of the Pulitzer Prize winning novels The Magnificent Ambersons and Alice ...

Book Review: Corto Maltese: Mu, The Lost Continent by Hugo Pratt

By Steve Geise | Jan 30, 2021

Italian comics star Hugo Pratt led a life that was nearly as adventurous as his most famous character, Corto Maltese. ...

Three Films by Luis Buñuel Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: The Don’s Swan Songs

By Steve Geise | Jan 6, 2021

As Luis Buñuel neared the end of his life, he swore each time he made a film that it would ...

The Harvey Girls Blu-ray Review: MGM Misses the Bullseye

By Steve Geise | Dec 16, 2020

Despite the top billing of mega-star Judy Garland and some pricey-looking location shooting and hundreds of extras, The Harvey Girls ...

Young Man with a Horn Blu-ray Review: Birth of the Cool

By Steve Geise | Dec 7, 2020

Kirk Douglas was a force in Hollywood for so many decades that it's easy to forget that he was a ...

Saturday Night Live: The Early Years: The Best of Seasons 1-5 DVD Box Set Review

By Steve Geise | Nov 29, 2020

This new box set cherry picks 33 complete episodes from the first five years of Saturday Night Live, acting as ...

The Pirate Blu-ray Review: Choppy Seas Lead to Treasure

By Steve Geise | Nov 24, 2020

On paper, this classic musical has everything going for it. Headlined by the top-tier star pairing of Gene Kelly and ...

Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project No. 3 Criterion Collection Box Set Review

By Steve Geise | Sep 30, 2020

Legendary writer/director and noted film buff Martin Scorsese established The Film Foundation's World Cinema Project in 2007 to restore and ...

Sukiyaki Western Django Blu-ray Review: The Good, the Bad, and the Quentin

By Steve Geise | Aug 10, 2020

Writer/director Takashi Miike rose to international fame around the turn of the century with a string of audacious cult classic ...

Taste of Cherry Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Not to Everyone’s Taste

By Steve Geise | Jul 18, 2020

Abbas Kiarostami's understated film won the prestigious Palme d'Or Award at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival, leading to its initial ...

Solid Metal Nightmares: The Films of Shinya Tsukamoto Blu-ray Box Set Review

By Steve Geise | Jul 8, 2020

If you've seen one Tsukamoto film, you definitely haven't seen them all, as evidenced by this amazing new box set ...

Wild Palms Blu-ray Review: It’s No Twin Peaks

By Steve Geise | Jul 1, 2020

In the wake of the spectacular rise and fall of the original Twin Peaks, its network ABC was keen to produce ...

Portrait of a Lady on Fire Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Burning Bright

By Steve Geise | Jun 23, 2020

Writer/director Celine Sciamma's latest film is both exhilarating and depressing: spellbinding because of its absolute excellence and disheartening because it ...

Watchmen (2019): An HBO Limited Series Blu-ray Review: An Instant Classic

By Steve Geise | May 31, 2020

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, ...

The Gentlemen Blu-ray Review: Finally, a Real Guy Ritchie Film

By Steve Geise | Apr 25, 2020

Guy Ritchie's latest film is a winning return to the gritty ensemble crime caper format that fueled his rise to ...

Superman: Red Son 4K UHD Review: It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s a Communist

By Steve Geise | Mar 21, 2020

DC's latest animated movie explores the question of what would have happened if baby Superman landed in Russia instead of ...

Frozen II Blu-ray Review: Call the Police, It Got Robbed of an Oscar Nomination

By Steve Geise | Feb 28, 2020

Frozen II represents a new pinnacle in feature film animation, with dazzling artistic and technical prowess, a surprising and engaging story, ...

The Addams Family (2019) Blu-ray Review: Not Creepy or Kooky

By Steve Geise | Jan 24, 2020

The Addams Family is the very definition of Hollywood product, a project so completely lacking any creative spark or reason for ...

The lighthouse, a film poster in black and white

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

By Steve Geise | Jan 9, 2020

I wasn't at all familiar with director and co-writer Robert Eggers until this masterful sophomore effort, but immediately added his ...

Lucy in the Sky Movie Review: No Diamonds Here

By Steve Geise | Dec 27, 2019

Hey, did you hear about the new astronaut movie starring Natalie Portman and Jon Hamm directed by Noah Hawley, the ...

Hustlers (2019) Blu-ray Review: Hustles the Audience

By Steve Geise | Dec 13, 2019

Inspired by a true story, Hustlers follows a group of conniving strippers as they turn the tables on their clients for illicit ...

63 UP Movie Review: The Best Reality Show of All Time

By Steve Geise | Dec 4, 2019

Decades before we were deluged with a never-ending stream of “reality” TV shows, a British TV crew selected a group ...

All About Eve Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: All the World’s a Stage

By Steve Geise | Dec 3, 2019

Best Picture Oscar winners don't always age well, but as All About Eve approaches its 70th anniversary, it's every bit as entertaining ...

The Wizard of Oz 4K UHD Review: Somewhere Over the HDR Rainbow

By Steve Geise | Nov 2, 2019

Dorothy and the gang are back in a sparkling new 80th anniversary edition of the classic film, released in 4K ...

Wonder Woman: Bloodlines 4K Ultra HD Review: All Hail the Princess

By Steve Geise | Oct 22, 2019

The latest DC animated film starts off poorly, with a prolonged 10-minute origin story on Wonder Woman’s home island of ...

Midsommar Blu-ray Review: Unsettling in Any Season

By Steve Geise | Oct 10, 2019

Midsommar is marketed as a horror film, but it's so different from the typical entries in that genre that it really ...

Dilili in Paris Movie Review: Michel Ocelot’s Love Letter to the City of Light

By Steve Geise | Oct 2, 2019

In his latest feature film, veteran animation auteur Michel Ocelot immediately toys with audience perceptions by opening on what appears ...

Anna 4K Ultra HD Review: La Femme Anna

By Steve Geise | Sep 23, 2019

A tough, beautiful woman faces seemingly impossible odds as she battles her way to freedom. Can you name that Luc ...

The Koker Trilogy Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: The Rise of Abbas Kiarostami

By Steve Geise | Sep 5, 2019

This series of Iranian films is a trilogy in only the loosest sense, as they don't share overlapping casts or ...

Batman: Hush 4K Ultra HD Review: The Bat, the Cat, and Villains Aplenty

By Steve Geise | Aug 9, 2019

DC's animated films tend to be adaptations of their classic comic-book works, with this story in particular being one of ...

Missing Link Blu-ray Review: Missing Story, Finding Artistry

By Steve Geise | Jul 28, 2019

Missing Link is the latest film from the animation wizards at Laika, the tiny U.S. studio responsible for gems including Kubo and ...

The Doors: The Final Cut 4K Ultra HD Review: Break on Through

By Steve Geise | Jul 27, 2019

Although the movie is named after the band, it's really all about the rise and fall of Jim Morrison. The ...

The Batman Four Film Collection 4K UHD Review: Long Live the Bat

By Steve Geise | Jun 5, 2019

It seems impossible now, but 30 years ago there was only one blockbuster cinematic superhero: Batman. In celebration of the ...

Book Review: The Amazing Spider-Man: The Ultimate Newspaper Comics Collection Vol. 5, 1985-1986 by Stan Lee, Floro Dery, and Dan Barry

By Steve Geise | May 20, 2019

In its early years, the daily Spider-Man comic strip had typically followed a comfortable pattern of Spider-Man facing off against ...

Never-Ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki Blu-ray Review: Return of the King, or Don Quixote?

By Steve Geise | May 11, 2019

Workaholic anime legend Hayao Miyazaki has “retired” so many times after completing difficult films that each announcement is met with ...

BlacKkKlansman Blu-ray Review: Power to the People

By Steve Geise | Nov 16, 2018

Truth really is stranger than fiction. Based on author Ron Stallworth's biographical book, Spike Lee's latest film follows the police ...

Sorry to Bother You Blu-ray Review: Better Bother to Watch This Film

By Steve Geise | Oct 30, 2018

Writer/director Boots Riley has pulled off an amazing feat with his fresh, fearless debut feature film. Arriving in the film ...

Woman Is the Future of Man / Tale of Cinema Blu-ray Review: Best Left in the Arthouse

By Steve Geise | Jul 14, 2018

South Korean arthouse cinema doesn't often receive U.S. Blu-ray release, so kudos to Arrow Academy for making these films available, ...

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Portrait of the Artist As a Fascinating Man

By Steve Geise | Jun 15, 2018

Yukio Mishima carved out a career as an esteemed playwright and author before ending his life by taking over a ...

Peter Pan (1953) Blu-ray Review: Soars with Hours of Bonus Features

By Steve Geise | Jun 1, 2018

Peter Pan was previously released on Blu-ray back in 2013 in a Diamond Edition, but after being briefly consigned to ...

Annihilation Blu-ray Review: Alex Garland Annihilates the Sophomore Slump

By Steve Geise | May 25, 2018

Annihilation gained notoriety during its U.S. theatrical release earlier this year when it was revealed that Paramount had decided to ...

Batman Ninja Blu-ray Review: East Meets West

By Steve Geise | May 7, 2018

Batman Ninja is truly unique in the DC animated universe, not only because of its radical premise, but because it ...

In the Fade Blu-ray Review: Law and Order and Nazis

By Steve Geise | May 2, 2018

This German film by writer/director Fatih Akin explores the aftermath of a horrific crime: the bombing murder of a husband ...

The Post Blu-ray Review: All the News That Fits

By Steve Geise | Apr 17, 2018

While The Post boasts an incredible cast and crew overflowing with legends, the actual movie fails to hold much interest. ...

Tomb Raider (2018) Movie Review: Dead on Arrival

By Steve Geise | Mar 15, 2018

Alicia Vikander is an inspired choice to play legendary adventurer Lara Croft. She's a close physical match to the current ...

Elevator to the Gallows Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Ruthless People

By Steve Geise | Feb 20, 2018

Louis Malle's directorial debut is notable for numerous reasons. He was only 24 years old at the time, fresh off ...

Blade of the Immortal Blu-ray Review: The Immortal Takashi Miike

By Steve Geise | Feb 13, 2018

Takashi Miike has directed some of the most well-known Japanese genre films to ever reach our shores, including his turn-of-the-century ...

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight Blu-ray Review: The Steampunk World’s Greatest Detective

By Steve Geise | Feb 7, 2018

Nearly 30 years ago, DC Comics launched an ongoing series of standalone stories set outside their normal comics continuity, eventually ...

Napping Princess Blu-ray Review: Don’t Sleep on This

By Steve Geise | Jan 30, 2018

While you might not be familiar with Kenji Kamiyama's name, he's the force behind many successful anime projects, most notably ...

The Breakfast Club Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Don’t You Forget About These Bonus Features

By Steve Geise | Jan 12, 2018

While The Breakfast Club is justifiably revered as a classic teen film, primarily due to the involvement of masterful writer/director ...

My Little Pony: The Movie Blu-ray Review: Friendship Is Magic

By Steve Geise | Jan 6, 2018

After seven seasons of animated TV adventures, the "mane" six ponies of Hasbro's current My Little Pony series have finally ...

England Is Mine Blu-ray Review: Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before

By Steve Geise | Dec 30, 2017

Before he was launched to stardom in The Smiths, Steven Patrick Morrissey was just a gloomy, depressed young man in ...

Book Review: Silly Symphonies Volume 3: The Complete Disney Classics 1939-1942

By Steve Geise | Dec 10, 2017

The Silly Symphonies comic strip started as a venue for adaptations of Disney's long-running series of animated shorts, but by ...

The Villainess Blu-ray Review: Villainous Melodrama Mars Mind-Blowing Action

By Steve Geise | Nov 20, 2017

The Villainess opens with one of the most insane action scenes ever committed to film, both for its stunts and ...

8-Bit Generation: The Commodore Wars DVD Review: The Real Halt and Catch Fire

By Steve Geise | Nov 15, 2017

Trivia time: what is the top-selling single computer of all time? If you guessed something in the Mac or IBM ...

Superman / Batman: Apocalypse Blu-ray Review: Destined to Be a Fan Favorite

By Steve Geise | Nov 5, 2017

Here's a recipe for surefire fanboy satisfaction: pair the two most recognizable superheroes in the world with their most well-known ...

Vampyr Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Come for the Film, Stay for the Book

By Steve Geise | Oct 19, 2017

Although Vampyr was released way back in 1932, it isn't the first vampire film, as it was released after the ...

The Beguiled (2017) Blu-ray Review: Coppola Beguiles Viewers

By Steve Geise | Oct 13, 2017

Sofia Coppola's latest project is a remake of an old Clint Eastwood film based on a novel, and at first ...

New Battles Without Honor and Humanity Blu-ray Box Set Review: Movies with Honor

By Steve Geise | Oct 3, 2017

That "New" in the title is your tip that these films are a continuation of a previous project. In this ...

Batman and Harley Quinn Blu-ray Review: Poison, But Not the Ivy Kind

By Steve Geise | Aug 30, 2017

After 10 years and 30 animated films, the brain trust behind the DC Universe Animated Original Movies is long overdue ...

Hopscotch Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: The Matthau Supremacy

By Steve Geise | Aug 18, 2017

Hopscotch is a conundrum. It's a comedic but still realistic spy movie filmed in the waning days of the terrifying ...

Book Review: The Amazing Spider-Man: The Ultimate Newspaper Comics Collection Vol. 4, 1983-1984 by Stan Lee, Fred Kida, and Floro Dery

By Steve Geise | Aug 10, 2017

With Fred Kida in control on daily art duties, Stan Lee started his writing chores in 1983 with nearly four ...

Get Out Blu-ray Review: Get In

By Steve Geise | Jun 5, 2017

Get Out was a surprise critical and commercial box-office success earlier this year, seemingly coming out of nowhere to make ...

Books Review: Donald Duck: The Complete Daily Newspaper Comics, Volume 3 and The Complete Sunday Newspaper Comics, Volume 2 (1943-1945)

By Steve Geise | May 9, 2017

There's something decidedly comforting about reading old Disney comic strips, as they're reliably funny, relatable, and finely crafted. These latest ...

Book Review: Batman: The Silver Age Newspaper Comics Vol. 3, 1969-1972

By Steve Geise | Feb 15, 2017

Long before most of us were reading the funny pages, Batman was finishing up a six-year comic strip run fueled ...

808 Movie Review: All About That Bass

By Steve Geise | Dec 9, 2016

The singular defining aspect of all modern popular music is its deep, thumping bass. This new documentary explores the principal ...

Lone Wolf and Cub Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Manga Comes to Life

By Steve Geise | Dec 6, 2016

As the shogun executioner, Ogami Itto has a comfortable gig until he falls from grace and endures the death of ...

Beauty and the Beast 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray Review: New Features for the Old Classic

By Steve Geise | Nov 7, 2016

It's only been six years since the last time this Disney princess was allowed out of the video vault, but ...

Book Review: The Amazing Spider-Man: The Ultimate Newspaper Comics Collection Vol. 3, 1981-1982 by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Fred Kida

By Steve Geise | Sep 30, 2016

After taking over the art duties from comic strip originating artist John Romita Sr., Stan Lee's brother Larry Lieber continued ...

The Jungle Book (2016) Blu-ray Review: Much More Than the Bare Necessities

By Steve Geise | Aug 31, 2016

The biggest surprise about this charming and successful film is that it works at all. Sure, it had a solid ...

Zootopia Blu-ray Review: The Great Bunny Detective

By Steve Geise | Jun 15, 2016

Judy Hopps is a bunny. Nick Wilde is a fox. In the peaceful animal world of Zootopia, that doesn't automatically ...

The Naked Island Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: The Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

By Steve Geise | May 31, 2016

Kaneto Shindo's film about the daily struggles of a poor farming family has one major hook: a total absence of ...

Justice League vs. Teen Titans Blu-ray Review: That’s So Raven, Damian

By Steve Geise | Apr 11, 2016

DC appears determined to cater to all manner of Justice League fans this year. If the dark, brooding Batman V Superman ...

Book Review: The Amazing Spider-Man: The Ultimate Newspaper Comics Collection Vol. 2, 1979-1981 by Stan Lee and John Romita

By Steve Geise | Apr 4, 2016

st The trouble with a daily serialized story is how long it takes for anything to happen. Thanks to IDW's ...

Sisters (2015) Blu-ray Review: Forty-Six Candles

By Steve Geise | Mar 10, 2016

Sisters might sound like a sibling relationship comedy, but it actually joins Hollywood's long, proud heritage of ribald comedy films ...

SPECTRE Blu-ray Review: Ghosts of Bond’s Past

By Steve Geise | Feb 8, 2016

After the nearly universal acclaim and gigantic box office for the previous Bond outing, Skyfall, any follow-up was likely to ...

Bridge of Spies Blu-ray Review: Spielberg’s History Tour Reaches the Cold War

By Steve Geise | Feb 2, 2016

For the last decade, Steven Spielberg has been stuck in the past as a director, churning out one historical film ...

Bitter Rice Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: The Beauty of the Downtrodden

By Steve Geise | Jan 22, 2016

Long before Dino De Laurentiis was a noted Hollywood producer, he produced Italian films such as this 1949 drama. Interestingly, ...

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials Blu-ray Review: Diminishing Returns

By Steve Geise | Dec 28, 2015

While the first Maze Runner film delivered moderate thrills and sci-fi adventure, the sequel seems to be running in place. ...

Jellyfish Eyes Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Surprisingly Unsurprising

By Steve Geise | Dec 18, 2015

The most surprising thing about unconventional artist Takashi Murakami's first feature-length directorial effort is that it is entirely conventional. Based ...

Trainwreck Blu-ray Review: Apatow Wrecks the Comedy

By Steve Geise | Nov 14, 2015

Judd Apatow's latest directorial effort has its problems, but first-time leading lady Amy Schumer isn't one of them. Working from ...

A Special Day Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Special Performances from Italian Screen Legends

By Steve Geise | Oct 23, 2015

The setup for this Italian film is deceptively simple, but belies the impact of the performances by its two stars, ...

My Little Pony: Equestria Girls: Friendship Games DVD Review: Ponies No More

By Steve Geise | Sep 26, 2015

You know how kids are good for exposing you to stuff you otherwise never would have touched? This film is ...

Empire: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Review: Birth of a Dynasty

By Steve Geise | Sep 23, 2015

The pilot episode of this series is a huge mess. Stuffed with a random assortment of seemingly unrelated scenes, frequent ...

Pitch Perfect 2 Blu-ray Review: Re-Introducing Hailee Steinfeld

By Steve Geise | Sep 22, 2015

The Barden Bellas are in trouble. After winning the hearts of a cappella aficionados and casual fans everywhere, both within ...

Stray Cat Rock Review: Bento Box of ’70s Delights

By Steve Geise | Sep 3, 2015

Starting in 1970, Japan's Nikkatsu studio produced the five films presented here, labelling them all under the Stray Cat Rock ...

Orphan Black: Season Three Blu-ray Review: Maslany Clones a Success

By Steve Geise | Aug 10, 2015

The latest season of Orphan Black is easily superior to Season Two for one reason: more Tatiana Maslany. Where the ...

Insurgent Blu-ray Review: Improved FX Help It Surge Above Its Predecessor

By Steve Geise | Aug 7, 2015

The films of The Divergent Series have firmly established themselves in the second tier of young-adult literature adaptations, joined by ...

Book Review: The Amazing Spider-Man: The Ultimate Newspaper Comics Collection Vol. 1, 1979-1981 by Stan Lee and John Romita

By Steve Geise | Jul 8, 2015

Let's face it: daily newspaper comic strips have never been a great way to follow serialized stories. When a story ...