Abraham Lincoln is considered by historians to be one of the best, if not the best, President of the United States of America. It is only fitting that one of the best directors of our time takes the helm on Lincoln. Most audience members that wander into Lincoln will already be aware of the events that transpire throughout the course of the film. We know what the outcome of the movie will be, because it is history. However, the joy is in the journey as you are thrust back into an explosive time rife with turmoil and change. Lincoln is ripped from the pages of history, meticulously reenacted and then hurled onto the big screen…
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Off the Shelf…Walt Disney’s ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame I & II’
The Hunchback of Notre Dame, is a very different type of Disney film and further a bold step for Walt Disney Feature Animation. To some Hunchback can be considered a classic as well as a paradigm shift that marks a divergent tone in series of features previously found in the Disney catalog. For years Disney films were filled with a mix of fanciful characters and/or led solely by an assortment of cute and fuzzy (sometimes feathered) animals. But when, save for The Lion King, have we got a misunderstood male character that was actually a male (read: human, not animal)? The answer, we think, is never. Anyway this story, about…
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Off the Shelf…Walt Disney's 'Mulan I & II'
In their 36th animated feature, Walt Disney Feature Animation brings an ancient legend to life in this colorful tale about the brave Chinese warrior Mulan. The story of the titular heroine, Hua Mulan, follows the tomboyish girl who disguises herself as a young man so she can fight with the Imperial Chinese Army against the invading Huns. This rousing adventure, one that blends fact and fiction, is as exciting as it is fun and full of the familiar Disney mainstays; a trifecta of colorful characters, kooky sidekicks and an almost fantasy-based story line. Walt Disney Home Entertainment releases this underrated story, and its less than flattering sequel, in a glamorous Blu-Ray Collector’s…
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Off the Shelf…'Wreck-It Ralph'
Disney and director Rich Moore’s fantastic arcade themed adventure blazes to life on this solid 3D Blu-Ray release. Had you not seen this fun filled adventure in theaters, along with the now Oscar-winning short film Paperman, and manage to see Wreck-It Ralph blind and with no knowledge of its source of origination, you might be inclined to credit the film to Pixar. And while that wouldn’t be an unreasonable guess, you’d be wrong. Ralph has all the bearings of Pixar at its finest, yet Rich Moore’s first feature length effort comes to us from none other than the Mouse House itself. Arriving six months after the release of Brave, Ralph gives weight to the theory that both…
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Off the Shelf…’Peter Pan’
When it comes to classic Disney movies, usually, the older the title the more fascinating the film. Now that doesn’t have to do with the plot of story itself but rather the story behind the picture and how it all came to be. Back before computers, hand drawn animation was immensely challenging and time consuming to say the very least. But once completed, and exhibited on the silver screen, it soon became a feast for the eyes as well as the imagination. The result was something that would serve as inspiration to an entire generation of people both young and old. But like any great story there’s an even better back story. So…
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Off the Shelf…’Frankenweenie’
When Young Victor Frankenstein (voiced by Charlie Tahan) loses his beloved dog in a car accident he uses the lessons learned from his science class to bring Sparky back to life. It’s a success (to some degree) but his new experiment doesn’t stay secret for very long as Sparky’s revival brings the attention of his classmates eager to win the upcoming science fair. Similarly it raises awareness of the parents who deem the kid’s teacher a crackpot and while the parents are somewhat occupied ousting the foreigner, the kids are left to their own devices. The competing students take Victor’s experiment and recreate it to some adverse affects. With monster…
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Off the Shelf…Jaume Balagueró’s ‘Sleep Tight’
From Jaume Balagueró, director of [REC] and [REC] 2, comes one of the best and most suspenseful films I’ve seen in at least a decade. It’s a taut, complex and magnificently dark thriller that doesn’t let up until the credits roll. Sleep Tight (or Mientras Duermes) follows a tortured soul named Caesar (Luis Tosar) who by some weird personal quirk is unable to be happy. Nothing will brighten his sour mood…except seeing others more upset, displeased or depressed than him. Yet before you think this sounds like some hokey story or an odd iteration of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, this really is something special. The visuals are wonderfully intricate for such simple surroundings and the…
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Off the Shelf…’The Muppet Christmas Carol’
Who doesn’t just love the Muppets? With delivery and material geared for kids and adults they have such universal appeal exemplified by they fact that they’re so honest direct and friendly. The Muppet movies are known for their original humor and lovable characters but The Muppet Christmas Carol treads new ground though a lot of the tones and structure here just seem an odd fit. The film is an important distinctive film in the Henson legacy for reasons outside of the on-screen antics. First off, it is the company’s first outright adaptation. Second, and more importantly, it’s the first Muppet film following the passing if the legendary Muppet founder Jim Henson. As such this adaptation, very…
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Off the Shelf…Drafthouse Films’ ‘Trailer War’
From the deepest darkest pit of forgotten film reels comes Drafthouse Films’ latest time capsule feature. Trailer War is simply a collection of off-beat, hokey and trailers for some of the film world’s oddest flicks. Although cast off, they are not trash. After all, films like these are what have influenced scores of filmmakers, most notably Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, for decades. War is a patchwork of advertisements for films the likes of which have seen by only a handful of modern day film audiences or people from the time of the film’s release. But this presentation isn’t just a brainless compilation of trailers lined up end to end for 110 minutes. No, there’s a little more to…
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Off the Shelf…Drafthouse Films’ ‘Miami Connection’
Story has it that one afternoon in 2009, a curator from Austin, TX’s Alamo Drafthouse Cinema stumbled across an eBay listing for a 35mm print of something called “Miami Connection.” The Alamo bought Connection unseen and just as blindly added the print to their film archive. Like opening a time capsule that no one (including the people involved with the film) hoped would ever be found came a film that most likely would be a dud. Well luck favored the Alamo that day as Miami Connection was not a bad investment. Quite the opposite in fact as this deliciously wretched B-Movie has been wonderfully accepted at off-beat festivals and movie houses across…
