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Orlando, My Political Biography Blu-ray Review: A Highly Original Celebration of Personal Identity

Virginia Woolf's Orlando (1928) remains one of the seminal literary works of the twentieth century. One of the first of ...
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Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema XIX Blu-ray Review: Loads of Stars, Tons of Thrills

Kino Lorber continues their excellent series of releasing relatively obscure film noirs. For this, their 19th set in the series, ...
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Victims of Sin Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Zoot Suit Riot

If you’re new to Mexico’s rumbera musical genre, imagine classic Hollywood musical tropes filtered through a crime-ridden back alley, removing ...
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Arthur Dong’s LGBTQ Stories Blu-ray Review: Necessary Documents

Although Pride month will be over in just a few days, our endless fight to as LGBTQ individuals will never ...
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Macbeth (1948) Blu-ray Review: Orson Welles Gets Shakespearean

William Shakespeare was one of the greatest writers in the English language. Macbeth is arguably his greatest play. Orson Welles ...
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Never Open That Door Blu-ray Review: Two Stories of Humanity Against Inhumanity

Film noir is universal. It reaches all over the world. The United States isn't the only country that can produce ...
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Sympathy for the Underdog Blu-ray Review: Crime Takes a Holiday

Director Kinji Fukasaku began a string of memorable 1970s yakuza films with this newly restored gem. The film follows a ...
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Mr. and Mrs. Smith (1941) Blu-ray Review: Hitchcock Comedy, for Better or Worse

There's an underrated aspect of Hitchcock's films, and that is their comedy. The comedy tends to be ironic, and based ...
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Act of Violence (1948) Blu-ray Review: Terrific Film Noir with Heart

A trench-coated figure hobbles toward us in shadow. The New York City skyline hovers over him at an odd angle. ...
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Dune Part Two Blu-ray Review: Will the Prophecy Be Fulfilled?

Director/co-writer Denis Villeneuve continues his adaptation of Frank Herbert’s novel with Dune Part Two, an interplanetary political epic that equals ...
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The Boys in the Boat Blu-ray Review: Wasted Potential and Talent

Legendary actor and inconsistent director George Clooney brings the #1 New York Times Bestselling Non-Fiction novel to the big screen ...
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Cat Ballou Blu-ray Review: The End of the Western

When I talk to people younger than myself about Westerns, the first name they generally mention is "Clint Eastwood." What ...
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Into the Wild Blu-ray Review: The Lost Boy

Sean Penn’s adaptation of Into the Wild was what initially inspired me to then read the book on which it’s ...
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Eight Men Out Blu-ray Review: We’re Talking Baseball…Scandals, and Say It Ain’t So, Joe!

Bottom of the ninth, writer/director John Sayles steps to the plate. He takes a big swing and hits a home ...
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American Fiction Blu-ray Review: Will Be Talked About for Years to Come

There are some movies that just come and go, meaning that you watch them once and move on. Cord Jefferson's ...
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Querelle Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: A Man in Every Port

In director Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s Querelle (1982; adapted from a book by Jean Genet), a Belgian sailor, Querelle (Brad Davis), ...
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South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut 4K UHD Review: Still Funny but Aging Rapidly

South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut, directed by Trey Parker, and written by Parker, Matt Stone, and Pam Brady, is ...
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Remembering Gene Wilder Blu-ray Review: A Loving Portrait of the Man, the Myth, and the Legend

Gene Wilder, legendary Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning actor, writer, and filmmaker was one of the geniuses of his generation. A versatile, ...
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Thunderheart Blu-ray Review: A Gritty Neo-Western

Thunderheart (1992) was directed by Michael Apted (Gorillas in the Mist), written by John Fusco (Young Guns I & II) ...
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All That Breathes Blu-ray Review: A Profound, Lyrical Film

I also appreciate cinematic stories about the relationships between humans and wildlife, where our bonds are much stronger than we ...
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Monk: Season Six Blu-ray Review: A Particularly Winning Season

As I have mentioned in reviews of past seasons of Monk (2002-2009), there is a formula and familiarity there, but ...
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The Burglars Blu-ray Review: Some Great Action Set Pieces

The Burglars opens with a long, mostly silent, jewel heist. It is reminiscent of a similar scene in Jules Dassin's ...
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Saigon (1948) Blu-ray Review: Alan Ladd & Veronica Lake’s Last Film Together

During World War II and for about a decade after, there were a slew of American movies set in exotic ...
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Against the Storm (Herbert Kline in a Darkened Europe) Blu-ray Review: Capturing Pivotal Moments from History

As I may have mentioned in previous reviews, I really love documentaries. They dare to tell the truth about the ...
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The Old Oak Blu-ray Review: When the Bough Breaks, the Village May Fall

Ken Loach’s latest film takes a micro look at the impact of refugees on English towns, putting faces to a ...
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The Good Die Young Blu-ray Review: The Transfer Deserves Better

Four men from different walks of life. Four men who were strangers four weeks ago. Four desperate men. Four men ...
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Fletch Lives (Special Edition) Blu-ray Review: A Subpar Sequel

Four years after the success of Fletch, Chevy Chase returned as journalist I. M. Fletcher in Fletch Lives. Rather than ...
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Misunderstood (1966) Blu-ray Review: An Unusually Mature Portrait of Childhood

I have seen more of my share of films about the trials and tribulations of coming of age, but only ...
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Of Mice and Men (1992) Blu-ray Review: A Fine Adaptation, but a Terrible Blu-ray

Gary Sinise had a brief period in his career where he also directed himself in certain movies. One of those ...
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A Story of Floating Weeds / Floating Weeds Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Two Films by Yasujiro Ozu

Previously released on Criterion DVD in 2004, this Ozu double feature finally gets a Blu-ray upgrade with newly improved technical ...
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The Sect Blu-ray Review: Can’t Help but Find It Fascinating

Italian horror movies are justifiably famous now, despite their inconsequential plots, gratuitous violence, and relentless nudity. However, they also have ...
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Defending Your Life Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Love in the Time of Purgatory

Defending your life is a task all face in the afterlife in Albert Brooks' film of the same name which ...
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Household Saints Blu-ray Review: The Entire Cast Is Terrific

As a dedicated movie viewer who is usually more interested in smaller and indie films, I always gravitate towards those ...
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Friendly Persuasion Blu-ray Review: William Wyler Handles the Material Well

A few minutes into Friendly Persuasion I had to pause the film. All of the characters were speaking with “Thee's” ...
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The War of the Worlds Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: A Special-Effects Spectacle

Based on the 1898 novel by H. G. Wells, Byron Haskin's The War of the Worlds transports the story of ...
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The Vanishing Shadow (1934) Blu-ray Review: What a Hoot

Before “Crash” Corrigan found an Undersea Kingdom (1936) or Buster Crabbe became Flash Gordon (1936) and even before Gene Autry ...
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Dogfight Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: More Than It Seems

Lili Taylor and River Phoenix shine bright in Dogfight (1991) directed by Nancy Savoca and penned by Bob Comfort. Set ...
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City of Hope (1991) Blu-ray Review: A Compelling Mosaic of Urban Life

John Sayles's City of Hope (1991) is his seventh film as writer and director. He also is the editor and ...
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Chokeslam Blu-ray Review: A Pro Wrestling Rom-Com

Chokeslam (2016), written and directed by Robert Cuffley, is an entertaining little romantic comedy with a pro-wrestling twist. Stars Amanda ...
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Monk: Season Five Blu-ray Review: This Season Showcases Monk’s Self-absorption and Selfishness

Despite the fact there isn't any real character growth and the show's formula is still there, Season Five of Monk ...
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Fletch (Special Edition) Blu-ray Review: Chevy Chase’s Star Turn Anchors This Comic Mystery

Journalist I. M. Fletcher first appeared in Gregory Mcdonald's novel Fletch (1974) working undercover to expose the flow of hard ...
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Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths Part Two Blu-ray Review: Doesn’t Stand on Its Own

Based on DC Comics' 12-issue miniseries Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985) written by Marv Wolfman and pencilled by George Pérez, ...
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Appaloosa Blu-ray Review: A History of Law-Abiding Violence

Ed Harris may be mainly known for his work as an actor, but the skills he has behind the camera ...
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Orphan (2009) Collector’s Edition Blu-ray Review: Surprisingly Strong Psychological Thriller

Jaume Collet-Serra’s Orphan, starring Vera Farmiga as the mom, Kate, and Peter Saarsgard as the dad, John, is a psychological ...
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You’ll Never Get Rich Blu-ray Review: A Wealth of Talent

This 1941 musical is blessed with an abundance of talent, led by co-stars Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth and songs ...
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Fear and Desire (Special Edition) Blu-ray Review: A Collection of Kubrick’s Early Works

After making three documentary shorts, included in the disc's Bonus Features, Fear and Desire is Stanley Kubrick's feature-film directorial debut, ...
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Vitagraph Comedies Blu-ray Review: A Beautifully Restored Archive of Early Silent-Era Films

Vitagraph Comedies are a collection of 40 short films curated by the Library of Congress and distributed by Kino Lorber. ...
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The Little Drummer Girl Blu-ray Review: Keaton Marches to Her Own Beat

John le Carré’s spellbinding 1983 novel about an actress caught up in the battle between Palestine and Israel is sadly ...
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Gravity (2013) Blu-ray Review: Out of This World

One of the most intense cinematic experiences I remember having in the last decade was seeing Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity on ...
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Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1998) and Scooby-Doo! Return to Zombie Island (2019) Blu-ray Review: Wallow in the Warmth of a 20-Year Story Arc

Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island starts with the gang (Scooby-Doo/Scott Innes, Shaggy Rogers/Billy West, Daphne Blake/Mary Kay Bergman, Fred Jones/Frank Welker, ...
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