Steve Geise

Cinema Sentries

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

Stan Lee completely eschews supervillains for a two-year comic strip run of real-world issues.

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

The legendary anime director emerges from retirement once again, with a documentary crew in tow exploring whether he’s still the master or just chasing an old man’s folly.

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Liz and the Blue Bird Blu-ray Review: Take a Flyer on This Moving Anime Film

Close friends face the end of high school and differing plans for the future.

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Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms Blu-ray Review: Anime at Its Finest

Veteran scriptwriter Mari Okada makes a dazzling directorial debut.

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Humans 3.0 Blu-ray Review: Third Time Is the Charm

The third season succeeds by totally resetting the premise of the show for the better.

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Blindspotting Blu-ray Review: Not Throwing Away Their Shot

Hamilton alum Daveed Diggs and his best friend team up to write and star in this thought-provoking film.

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A Story from Chikamatsu Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: A Tale Worth Watching

Criterion continues their welcome attention to the works of director Kenji Mizoguchi with this superb new Blu-ray release.

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BlacKkKlansman Blu-ray Review: Power to the People

Spike Lee’s latest joint recounts a true tale of an African-American cop’s infiltration of the KKK.

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Shampoo Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Head and Shoulders Above the Rest

Warren Beatty and Goldie Hawn relive the swinging ’60s in the mid-’70s.

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

Writer/director Boots Riley crafts a thoroughly engrossing debut feature 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 assembles an impressive cast for a lackluster biopic.

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Matangi / Maya / M.I.A. Movie Review: Raw / Chaotic / Fascinating

Less a documentary than a lightly curated trip through M.I.A.’s personal video archives, the film explores her wildly unconventional life.

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My Man Godfrey Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: My Man Powell Strikes Gold

Screwball comedy masks an insightful examination of the class divide in the wake of the Great Depression

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Tag Blu-ray Review: Chase This Down

Although Tag seemed to get overlooked in this summer’s box office competition, it’s well worth chasing down on Blu-ray this fall.

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Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji Blu-ray Review: Low on Blood, High on Social Commentary

Despite the lurid title, Tomu Uchida’s most famous work is more social commentary road movie than samurai action film.

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

Double feature from filmmaker Hong Sangsoo presents two equally bewildering tales.

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

Director Paul Schrader crafts a daring, spellbinding biography of Japanese writer Yukio Mishima.

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

The latest release of this animated classic includes over two hours of bonus features.

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

Garland follows up his impressive directorial debut on Ex Machina with another unsettling sci-fi tale.

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Batman Ninja Blu-ray Review: East Meets West

Japanese anime creators play in the DC sandbox.

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

Diane Kruger puts in a powerful performance in this Golden Globe winner.

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

Spielberg surrounds himself with an incredible cast and crew for an average story.

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Tomb Raider (2018) Movie Review: Dead on Arrival

There’s a tomb and some raiding, but weak direction and scripting doom this one to an early grave.

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

French director Louis Malle launched his award-winning career with this spellbinding crime thriller.

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

Veteran director Takashi Miike reaches the unimaginable milestone of his 100th film with this spellbinding supernatural samurai tale.

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

While it’s an above average DCU animated film, it’s best for viewers with no knowledge of its superior comic book source.

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

Veteran anime writer/director Kenji Kamiyama successfully launches a delightful new property.

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

Criterion’s new edition of the classic ’80s film is packed with hours of fascinating bonus features.

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

The veteran animated series makes a successful jump to a feature film.

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

Morrissey biopic explores his formative years to no great effect.

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

Contains only one Silly Symphonies adaptation, but plenty of other Disney magic.

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

Korean import mixes hyperkinetic action scenes with insufferable melodrama and confusing flashbacks.

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

Documentary chronicles the rise and fall of Commodore Business Machines.

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

It’s great to see so much effort put into delivering a robust and informative package.

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

The film excels at creepy atmosphere, but the included source novel is the more entertaining story.

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

Don’t let the period costumes scare you away; this film is a spellbinding thriller that transcends its setting.

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

Director Kinji Fukasaku and star Junta Sugawara team up again for more impressive results.

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

Bruce Timm disrespects his Harley Quinn creation in this sophomoric travesty.

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Hopscotch Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: The Matthau Supremacy

Matthau plays a disgruntled spy out for comedic payback against his boss.

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Cinema Sentries

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

The creative trio do their best to elevate uninspired plots contributed by Marvel’s bullpen.

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Get Out Blu-ray Review: Get In

Writer Jordan Peele makes a winning theatrical debut as director.

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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)

IDW Publishing’s latest Donald Duck comic strip collections drive home the U.S. domestic impact of World War II while also serving up laughs aplenty.

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

Final collection of Silver Age Batman daily comic strips finds our hero in decline due to diminishing publication and artistic changes.

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808 Movie Review: All About That Bass

Documentary about the Roland TR-808 drum machine explores its indelible contributions to modern music.

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

Chanbara film series is aided by the screenwriting of the manga series creator, Kazuo Koike.

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

The tale as old as time gets some brand new bonus features for its 25th anniversary release.

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Cinema Sentries

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

Stan Lee contributes his most original stories to date, aided by great incoming artist Fred Kida.

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

Jon Favreau’s live action/CG remake hits the mark.

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Zootopia Blu-ray Review: The Great Bunny Detective

Disney’s latest animated adventure focuses on an odd couple of buddies tasked with setting aside their differences for the greater good.

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