101 DALMATIANS (1961) | 79 min | G
Director: Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske and Wolfgang Reitherman
Stars: Rod Taylor, Betty Lou Gerson, J. Pat O’Malley, Martha Wentworth and Ben Wright
Disney continues adding to the list of animated classics on Blu-ray, and next up is 1961’s 101 DALMATIANS. This is the classic tale of dog meets dog, owner meets owner, and both parties fall in love and babies are made— and lots of them.
It’s hard to say where 101 DALMATIANS sits in terms of the Disney collection, but it’s a hard one to beat, mainly for the sheer love of animated entertainment and wonderful storytelling that appeals to audiences young and old.
If you don’t already own or are looking to update your copy to Blu-ray, you might want to partake in adding 101 DALMATIANS to your collection today. It looks crisp, sounds great, and the extra features are above average. It’s a cherishable delight for those who are familiar to fall in love again and introduce to a younger generation. – Preston Barta
This Blu-ray includes:
ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY | 81 min | PG
Director: Miguel Arteta
Stars: Steve Carell, Jennifer Garner, Ed Oxenbould, Dylan Minnette and Kerris Dorsey
Yes, that title is a mouthful, but most of us probably remember reading ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY in grade school. I remember after my teacher read the book to my class asking us what Alexander could do to get over his bad day, and I always thought about that one line that the mom said: “Everyone has bad days, even in Australia.” It was a great book that taught us to overcome our bad days and remain positive. Now, over 40 years later, the book gets adapted into a movie, and it’s just an endearing.
Steve Carell, Jennifer Garner and the rest of the cast are all very likable and elevate the material. The message, like the book, is very sweet and delightful: putting your family first when they need you, looking on the bright side of things and just because bad things happen doesn’t mean things are not OK. This film’s heart is in the right place and it’s worth picking up for a family movie night. – Preston Barta
Blu-ray Includes:
FORCE MAJEURE | 120 min | R
Director: Ruben Östlund
Stars: Johannes Kuhnke, Lisa Loven Kongsli, Clara Wettergren, Vincent Wettergren and Kristofer Hivju
Directed by Swedish filmmaker Ruben Ostlund, FORCE MAJEURE focuses its gaze upon the imploding male ego after the patriarch’s primal instincts fail to protect his family. The film is incredibly thought-provoking and a frequently funny study of a floundering family dynamic. Ostlund captures beautifully framed long takes that employ both comedic and dramatic tones. – Cole Clay
Blu-ray Includes:
LAGGIES | 99 min | R
Director: Lynn Shelton
Stars: Keira Knightley, Chloë Grace Moretz, Sam Rockwell, Mark Webber and Mark Webber
Director Lynn Shelton and writer Andrea Siegel have forged a not-so great collaboration that echoes a much more successful film, Noah Baumbach’s FRANCES HA, that simultaneously celebrated and recognized the fleeting nature of being young. LAGGIES doesn’t takes the necessary steps to get answers for the questions that are posed. Yes, these are emotional issues we have all faced, but take your false sense of sympathy elsewhere. – Cole Clay
Blu-ray Includes:
NIGHTCRAWLER | 117 min | R
Director: Dan Gilroy
Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Bill Paxton, Riz Ahmed and Marco Rodríguez
NIGHTCRAWLER is a haunting movie with a stilted atmosphere. Great character studies punctuated by violent action scenes keep the audience immersed in this gripping film. Some powerful performances (especially Gyllenhaal at the front) stylish direction and intricate plotting, complete this whirlwind of near-perfection. – Preston Barta
Read Preston’s full review and watch his interview with writer-director Dan Gilroy here.
Blu-ray Includes:
PREDESTINATION | 97 min | R
Director: Michael Spierig and Peter Spierig
Stars: Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook, Noah Taylor, Christopher Kirby and Christopher Sommers
PREDESTINATION premiered at last year’s South by Southwest Film Festival. Many, including myself, thought it would employ common aspects of the sci-fi genre; however, PREDESTINATION takes what we expect and puts a darker and grimmer twist on them. That being said, while the direction it goes is original and creative, it’s also kind of disgusting and hard to get past.
I’ve talked with several people about the film, and you will either call this movie “brilliant” or “too stomach-churning to handle.” Although I admired how ambitious the film was, I leaned towards the latter. It’s difficult to go into detail as to why I feel that way without going into spoilers, but give PREDESTINATION a shot and see which side of scale you lean on. – Preston Barta
Blu-ray includes:
ROSEWATER | 103 min | R
Director: Jon Stewart
Stars: Gael García Bernal, Kim Bodnia, Dimitri Leonidas, Haluk Bilginer and Shohreh Aghdashloo
In the summer of 2013, THE DAILY SHOW host Jon Stewart took a sabbatical from the long standing political satire program to write and direct his filmmaking debut ROSEWATER. The project on the surface comes across as your run-of-the-mill story of modern political oppression and how hope will always triumph, and it many ways it is this, but Stewart puts the story into a perspective that’s both thoughtful and earnest. – Cole Clay
Blu-ray Combo Pack includes:
Other available films:
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