“Cloud Atlas” is now out, so you can watch it with subtitles and try to decipher what the heck native Halle Berry and Tom Hanks were talkin’ about in the future! Boasting an enormous ensemble cast, who all play multiple roles within the six interlocking storylines that spans a variety of genres, this was a film that received mixed reactions. Co-directed by the Wachowski siblings (“The Matrix”) and Tom Tykwer (“Run Lola Run”), the ambitious feature is more impressive than it is successful, but reagrdless, it’s not a bad viewing experience. It’s definitely better than the latest “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” movie that came and went within a matter of weeks in January. I didn’t even bother with the 3D debacle. I’d rather visit a classic, like Delmer Daves’ “3:10 to Yuma” from 1957 starring Glenn Ford and Van Heflin, which recently received the Criterion treatment. If you only know the James Mangold remake then you should check it out.
And if you like what “Yuma” (based on material from Elmore Leonard) has to offer, Criterion released another Daves/Ford pairing in the 1956 Western “Jubal”. It’s about a new ranch foreman who rejects the sexual advances of a frustrated rancher’s wife, which leads to conflicts that could get him killed. It too has a screenplay based on a novel, written by Paul Wellman and it’s basically a reworking of Othello. Does that have you curious yet? The film also stars Ernest Borgnine, Rod Steiger, Valerie French, Felicia Farr, Charles Bronson and Jack Elam.
Also out this week – Shout Factory offers up a vintage cult classic that not many have seen. It’s a film called “Crimewave” and it’s directed by Sam Raimi (“Evil Dead” and “Spider-Man”) and written by the Coen brothers. That may sound good, but it’s really not that good of a film. We all have to start somewhere, right?
That’s it for this week! Previous reviews are highlighted below. Enjoy the Rundown!
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3, 2, 1… Frankie Go Boom (DVD/Blu-ray)
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3:10 to Yuma (Criterion Collection) (DVD/Blu-ray)
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A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III (DVD)
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The Amazing Spider-Man (Mastered in 4K) (Blu-ray)
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Angels & Demons (Mastered in 4K) (Blu-ray)
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Back to 1942 (DVD)
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Battle: Los Angeles (Mastered in 4K) (Blu-ray)
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Blood for Irina (Combo Pack) (Blu-ray)
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Brave New World (1998) (DVD)
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Cloud Atlas (DVD)
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Crimewave (Combo Pack) (Blu-ray)
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Dexter: The Seventh Season (DVD)
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Doctor Who: The Visitation – Special Edition (DVD)
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Face 2 Face (DVD)
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French Masterworks: Russian Émigrés in Paris 1923-1928 (DVD)
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Ghostbusters (Mastered in 4K) (Blu-ray)
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Glory (Mastered in 4K)(Blu-ray)
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Jubal (Criterion Collection) (DVD/Blu-ray)
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The Karate Kid (Mastered in 4K) (Blu-ray)
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Liz & Dick (DVD)
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The Locker (DVD)
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The Other Guys (Mastered in 4K) (Blu-ray)
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Power Rangers Samurai: The Sixth Ranger – Volume 4 (DVD)
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Spider-Man (Mastered in 4K) (Blu-ray)
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Taxi Driver (Mastered in 4K) (Blu-ray)
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Texas Chainsaw 3D (DVD)
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Tomorrow You’re Gone (DVD)
