Category: DVD/Video Reviews

Koch

MPAA Rated – Unrated
It’s 1:35 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

Koch
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Ed Koch, and others.
MPAA Rated: Not Rated
Released By: Zeitgeist Films
Released On: August 27, 2013
Kiddie Movie: They’d be bored unless they want to be Mayor someday.
Date Movie: Only if she likes documentaries.
Gratuitous Sex: Nothing gratuitious, but there is discussion about the AIDS epidemic.
Gratuitous Violence: Nah.
Action: Nah.
Laughs: Some of the commentary.
Memorable Scene: For whaterver reason I like when Ed Koch is driving through Times Square and say…
Memorable Quote: “I’ve never been to a Red Lobster.”
Directed By: Neil Barsky

Released August 27th on iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, Playstation, Xbox, YouTube, Google, Cable VOD, and DVD

Love him or hate him, Ed Koch left a legacy in New York that changed much of how some things were done in the city, and of course, left many questions as to just how much he played the corruption game to maintain power. The documentary “Koch” doesn’t give a ton of answers to questions about the man, but it does give a fairly balanced look at the good he accomplished, as well as not shy away from the scandal and seeming “old-school” attitude that plagued what could have been a man everyone could love.

The documentary begins showing Ed Koch in his early days, more liberal in his attitude, and we can begin to see the shift to more of a mix of business than liberalism, although it would seem if helping people could make a buck, and keep people loving him, he was all for it. There are a ton of clips of life back in New York City in the 70’s to the late 80’s, helping to show how he kept working the system, as he says “It’s theatrics. Everyone has a role.” And he seemed to know what his role was even to his death in February of 2013, throwing his support and endorsements to whomever he seemed to like, much to the dismay of some of them.

If there is anything about Ed Koch it is that the man didn’t hold back an opinion, even if it seemed to cross a line or two, and the documentary doesn’t sugarcoat his opinion. A great example of this is during a family gathering we hear him talking about the proposed mosque to be built near the site of the World Trade Center attacks. He’s got his opinion, and you’re not likely to change it, even with some seeming rational comparisons.

There are some nice moments in the film, showing a side where even setting up his gravesite we see a form a narcissism, but I suppose for the role that was needed in New York City when he took over, that narcissism was necessary to get things done. We see instances where he appears racist, sexist, and homophobic, but as one man explained in the movie, “He’s not a racist; He’s an opportunist, and that’s worse than being racist.” I don’t know about it being worse, but the documentary did show that he was able to shift a view on a dime if it seemed like it would keep him in power. And liked.

There are things I forgot about Ed Koch, and not being from New York City he’s not as an iconic figure in my life as a Mayor Daley in Chicago. They both have their faults, but if there is one thing true to both of them it is that they love their City with all of their soul.

You almost feel bad when, while watching the documentary, the corruption scandals hit, because you want to believe he had nothing to do with them, and those around him tarnished any good he accomplished. Such is politics, though, and I think Ed Koch knew this. What he did know, or at least wanted to make sure people knew, is that he loved New York City, loved its people (I’m guessing at least most of them), and loved the United States. How do I know this? Because he wrote it on his tombstone.

I balanced look at Ed Koch is how I would portray “Koch,” and I didn’t really fade as I was watching it, especially as it took me back to those late 70’s and 80’s, and vaguely remembering stories of a mayor that rode the subway. It’s 4 stars out of 5 for “Koch.” If you want a fair look at the man, it’s probably worth the hour and a half of your time.

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

To The Wonder

MPAA Rated – R
It’s 1:53 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

To The Wonder
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Ben Afleck, Olga Kurylenko, Rachel McAdams, Javier Bardem
MPAA Rated: R
Released By: Magnolia Home Entertainment
Release Date: August 6, 2013
Kiddie Movie: They’d be bored. Send them to bed.
Date Movie: They’d also be bored. Send them to bed.
Gratuitous Sex: It’s got some.
Gratuitous Violence: Neil and Marina get in some fights.
Action: Nope.
Laughs: Nope.
Memorable Scene: Only memorable because there was so much of it: The frolicking.
Memorable Quote: None.
Directed By: Terrence Malick
On the Blu-Ray: You get some “Making of…”, Actors stuff, dancing stuff, and some other extras.

As I was watching “To The Wonder,” all I could keep thinking was that had Neil (Ben Affleck) just bought some furniture for his house, maybe he wouldn’t have had all of the problems with his new love, Marina (Olga Kurylenko). Okay, I was also trying to think of something nice to say about the film.

I guess I’ll start with the story…

For “To The Wonder” we get Neil. He’s in France and meets a beautiful woman, Marina, and her daughter. They fall in love, and what does Marina do? Of course she pulls up stakes and moves to Oklahoma. Yes, the wonders of Paris to Oklahoma. Does anyone actually think the couple would have a chance at succeeding? As the movie plays out we get to see a happy couple, a couple who isn’t so happy, a happy couple, a couple who isn’t so happy, a dude going to work and testing soil or something, a couple who isn’t so happy, and a priest who seems confused. Oh, yea, did I mention there is also a priest, Father Quintana (Javier Bardem), who seems to have lost his faith and is somehow part of the movie, but doesn’t seem to play that big a role?

Yes, the movie is about love and all of its factors, but it’s also a movie that seems to show there is no chance at love, at least for the two main characters, and it’s an artsy film about love, with a lot of Marina frolicking through the fields of Oklahoma, a lot of Marina dancing around in ballet moves, even Rachel McAdams as Jane, Neil’s old girlfriend, coming into the picture and she’s spinning and frolicking. All along it also seems like a great role for Ben Affleck as he seemed to have relatively few lines to learn with most of the commentary by Marina in French (Yup, that means you’ll also spend a lot of the movie reading it), as well as Father Quintana commentarying in Spanish (again, more reading for you, the viewer).

Yes, there are people who will like this movie, just not me, and definitely not my wife as, when it ended, she pretty much wanted to give it zero stars for wasting her time. Me, I’m not so critical, seeing some of the artsy ways the movie was working, but even for me, and I can normally try to appreciate an art-house type of film, even this one had me saying things like “Again with the dancing,” and while looking at the interior of Neil’s place wondering why he just doesn’t let Marina do some shopping for some furniture. There are other, better movies about love, I would give this one about 2 stars, but I’ll average things with my wife and end up with 1 star out of 5 for “To The Wonder.” I guess the key if you will like the movie is knowing what to expect, so if you expect frolicking, talking, and reading (unless you understand French and Spanish), you might like it, but for most everyone else you might just wonder how Ben Affleck became involved.

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Hatchet III

MPAA Rated – Unrated
It’s 1:21 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

Hatchet III
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Kane Hodder, Danielle Harris, Zach Galligan, Caroline Williams
MPAA Rated: Not rated.
Released By: Dark Sky Films
Blu-Ray Release Date: August 13, 2013
Kiddie Movie: Only if you want to turn them into a psycho killer, or a horror film director.
Date Movie: If she’s a fan of over-the-top gore.
Gratuitous Sex: Sadly, no.
Gratuitous Violence: Lots and lots.
Action: There is a little chasing, but not that much.
Laughs: In the over-the-top horror vein.
Memorable Scene: I don’t know why, but I loved the rocket launcher scene.
Memorable Quote: “And that’s the only reason those aren’t my balls hanging from that tree!”
Directed By: BJ McDonnell
Cool Things About the Blu-ray: The extras are actually well-done. Not too long, and pretty interesting to see how some of the things are done.

“And eventually the hatcheting starts and Victor Crowley stomps on a head.”

I scribbled that in my notes after I became a little worried watching “Hatchet III.” Fine, there was the opening scene with Victor Crowley and Marybeth, and sure, there was Marybeth, covered in blood at the police station, but for a brief moment I was worried that the folks making “Hatchet III” failed to read the title of their own movie. Low and behold, my worry ceased, any disappointment was gone, and Victor Crowley was back to his good ol’ self, hatcheting away, and we had a wonderfully bloody end to a trilogy of gory goodness.

I’d say the story for “Hatchet III” doesn’t really matter, but for this movie it sort of does as it’s not just a gore-fest, but actually does a nice job in giving the final answers as to why Victor Crowley can’t be killed by normal means, why he can be cut in half and still come back to massacre (And if you think I’m giving anything away, oh, please!), and what needs to be done to finally put him to rest. The story revolves around Marybeth (Danielle Harris), hell-bent on killing Victor (Kane Hodder), and how she seems to do the job, finds herself happily locked up on jail for doing so, and Sheriff Fowler (Zach Galligan – Yes, that Zach Galligan from “Gremlins”) and his boys investigating the bloodbath Marybeth told them about. Low and behold Amanda (Caroline Williams) enters the picture explaining to a deputy and Marybeth that Victor isn’t really dead, and when the screams start coming over the radio it’s off to the person holding the key to getting rid of Victor.

In the meantime, well, the SWAT team and the sheriff’s crew are stuck in the swamp with Victor, and of course things don’t go so well. We find that Victor has a thing for testicles, we find that it really isn’t that easy to aim a rocket launcher, and when our heroine finally shows back up, if she would have just listened to the crotchety lady she could have save a couple of lives, especially after a tender, touching moment towards the end of the film between Amanda and Victor.

The one thing really missing from “Hatchet III,” especially in the realm of the horror genre, was blatant nudity, and I was even watching the “uncut and unrated” version. The gore was top-notch, the story told enough without boring you too, and the people are generally stupid. Heck, I even really liked the “Hatchet III: Behind the Scenes,” and I rarely like extras on Blu-ray. But the lack of gratuitous sex and/or nudity, that hurt the movie for me, especially when, for the original “Hatchet,” on the extras, Adam Green, the writer for the “Hatchet” trilogy, says “If I’m not going to see some nudity and some gore, don’t waste my time.” I know Adam didn’t direct this one, but I’m sorry, Marybeth getting hosed down in the slammer didn’t cut it.

You will get most of what you would expect for a movie called “Hatchet III,” especially as a viewer of the previous two, but in terms of homage to the great films, the lack of boobs was bad, and I sadly have to drop my rating a star. I was heading to a 4 star review, but I’ve got to stick with some rating morals and drop “Hatchet III” to a 3 star out of 5 movie. The gratuitous violence just wasn’t enough to overcome the lack of gratuitous nudity.

The extras on the Blu-ray will probably be fun for the fans. Like I said, I did enjoy the “Hatchet III: Behind the Scenes,” and the “Raising Kane” feature was nice. Yes, you get some commentary stuff, too, for those so inclined.

I good gore-fest, but I’m still wondering if the nudity ended up on the cutting room floor.

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Errors of the Human Body

MPAA Rated – Not Rated
It’s 1:42 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

Errors of the Human Body
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Michael Eklund, Karoline Herfurth, Tomas Lemarquis
MPAA Rated: Not rated.
Released By: IFC Films
DVD Release Date: August 13, 2013
Kiddie Movie: They’d be bored. Put them to bed.
Date Movie: If she likes an artsy thriller with some gruesomeness.
Gratuitous Sex: It’s got some sex.
Gratuitous Violence: Nah.
Action: Nah.
Laughs: Nah.
Memorable Scene: The dream sequence with the mice.
Memorable Quote: Nothing really.
Directed By: Eron Sheean
Cool Things About the DVD: A weird Q&A between a mouse and a deformed baby thing.

There was a scene towards the end of “Errors of the Human Body” where I simply blurted out, “Cool!”, and then the ending scene continued. I have to say I became a little let down as things wrapped up, hoping instead for total mayhem. Instead I got “shocking,” though not really shocking at all.

The movie gives us Geoff (Michael Eklund). He’s a bit distraught as he is recently divorced, but even more distraught over the loss of his son due to a horrible genetic mutation. With his distraughtness, Geoff makes his way to a German lab to work on a cure to the mutation that killed his son, and finds himself in a twisted world of scientists. There he begins working with Rebekka (Karoline Herfurth), a geneticist who was once Geoff’s intern, and becomes entangled in a boatload of crap when he, of course, hooks up with Rebekka, and also stumbles upon one of Jarek’s (Tomas Lemarquis) mice. You see, Jarek was involved with Rebekka, too, he might be stealing her research, or they all might be in cahoots in some twisted genetic mutation experiments to find a regenerative gene.

Here’s the thing, “Errors of the Human Body” plays out like an artsy thriller, with lots of camera work that pans across scenery, seeming deep conversation, and a story trying to mix up twists and turns, but unfortunately, for me, it lost things when it could have really taken a gruesome turn after Geoff, well, got a bump on his head is the best things I can say without giving too much away.

There were a few things that gave too much foreshadowing for me, but the premise of the story was interesting, and could have really taken a fabulous turn with some viral infections. I also find the dying sequence just a little too long as it didn’t really have the payoff I wanted. In any case it was kind of creepy, especially a dream sequence, and if you want a nice, little thriller, in an artsy kind of way, “Errors of the Human Body” might be a nice rental or DVD to pick up.

In the end it’s about a 3 star out of 5 movie. It had the potential for more creepiness, but I guess they were going for more of an artsy ending. So be it.

Not too much on the Special Features side for the DVD, just a creepy Q&A with a mouse and a deformed baby for the most part.

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

On the Road

MPAA Rated – R
It’s 2:04 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

On the Road
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Sam Riley, Garrett Hedlund, Kristen Stewart, Kirsten Dunst, Amy Adams, Viggo Mortensen
MPAA Rated: R
Released By: IFC Films
Blu-ray Release Date: August 6, 2013
Kiddie Movie: There is sex, drugs, and jazz. Send them to bed.
Date Movie: If she likes sex, drugs, jazz, and a long, drawn-out tale of boys and a girl travelling across the country.
Gratuitous Sex: Quite a bit.
Gratuitous Violence: Ehh.
Action: Nah.
Laughs: Ehh.
Memorable Scene: Sadly even some of the more shocking scenes didn’t shock me.
Memorable Quote: Nah.
Directed By: Walter Salles

I wanted to like “On the Road” a lot more than I did, I think mostly because I think I was supposed to. I guess that’s not a great start for a review, at least if you are thinking of getting the movie, but there was a part of me just waiting for Sal’s travels to end.

“On the Road” is the film adaptation of the novel by Jack Kerouac by the same name. Having not read the book, whether or not the movie is a fair adaptation of the book I couldn’t tell you, but I do know that what seems like should be an interesting story of the travels of a young writer across the highways and byways of these United States turns into, at least for me, an uninteresting after uninteresting story of Sal the writer, played by Sam Riley, and Dean the ex-con, played by Garrett Hedlund, with Dean’s woman, Marylou (Kristen Stewart) along for the ride. Sure, they come across all kinds of characters in their journeys, and sure, all of them being kind of young they all seem to be searching for life’s meaning, but after a while I just wanted to tell them to stop and finally tell me exactly what is going on.

Sure, Kristen Stewart isn’t her normally brooding self that we know and love/hate from “The Twilight Saga” stuff, and she’s actually kind of a spitfire, but as the movie plods along from one escapade to another, I just got bored.

From the critical acclaim that the book has received over the years, I’m thinking that, in the end, it’s probably a story best left to the pages of a Kindle. The movie looked great, especially bringing a lot of the periodness as it was set in the late 50’s, and the scenery of the United States and the parlay into Mexico with a giant joint were beautifully shot, but as Jack/Sal was punching a line into his typewriter at the end, “I first met Dean…”, I was glad the story was over.

Maybe it was my mood at the time, but I doubt it, as usually I can be easily drawn into any story about people meeting fun people, and living on the edge, but not this time. The boys get in trouble, they boys smoke weed, the boys get laid, and the boys see the country. In the end the boys ended up kind of boring to me with a story that’s been told a hundred times before. It’s 2 stars out of 5 for “In The End.” I think I wanted more with the reputation I kept seeing about the book, and maybe that ruined it for me. Nah, I just didn’t like it.

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Antiviral

MPAA Rated – Not Rated
It’s 1:48 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

Antiviral
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Caleb Landry Jones, Sarah Gagon, Malcolm McDowell
MPAA Rated: Not Rated
Released By: IFC Films
Video Release Date: August 6, 2013
Kiddie Movie:

It’s a weird, twisted movie with lots of needles, blood, sexiness, and all around creepiness. Put them to bed.
Date Movie: Only if she’s into needles, blood, sexiness, and all around creepiness.
Gratuitous Sex: Ehh.
Gratuitous Violence: Some fighting and stabbing with needles.
Action: Ehh.
Laughs: Nah.
Memorable Scene: The dude sporting the herpes of his favorite celebrity just creeped me out.
Memorable Quote: Nah.
Directed By: Brandon Cronenberg
Cool things about the Blu-ray: The features are pretty standard, but it is a nice look at Brandon Cronenberg, and if you are a film buff the Making of… is pretty decent.

What a whacked-out movie. The sad part, there are some, obsessed, fans who would probably actually do the things that happen in “Antiviral.”

Let’s get to it.

Let me start by saying this is not a film for everyone. Things that happen in this movie are mostly slow, deliberate, artsy, and sometimes just downright weird. The premise of the story is that as a society obsessed with celebrities, people can’t get enough, even to the point that companies are able to sell viruses a celebrity may have so that the obsessed fan can have the same herpes, the same illness, the same sore, as their favorite celeb. Syd (Caleb Landry Jones) works for one of these companies selling the virus injections to the public, and he has also figured out a way to smuggle a virus out of the company so he can sell it on the black-market. Low and behold he finds himself with the crème de la crème of a virus, a new sickness that hottie Hannah Geist (Sarah Gadon) has, he injects it to sell it, and when she dies he finds out everyone wants this virus, and they are now after him. Here’s the problem – if Syd doesn’t find a way to get rid of it, a way to cure it as it would be, he’s going to end up with the same fate as Hannah, if he doesn’t end up that way anyway from those trying to get it from him.

So, if Syd thought he was in some twisted, black-market world before, now he is in a world of black-market, corporate espionage, and just out-right creepiness.

Like I mentioned, I’ll bet if Justin Bieber or some other celebrity had herpes, there would be some fan out there who would be happy to “catch” if from him, even if by an injection to the lips with a needle instead of actually kissing The Bieb, and “Antiviral” takes obsession to that level. The movie is set against a white, sterile-looking backdrop, and the acting is as creepy as you would want, from Syd the employee, to Malcolm McDowell who is trying to get to the bottom of the Hannah virus. They all do their parts well, and as I recommended this movie, if you are looking for some high-action thriller, this isn’t the movie, but if you want some weirdness centered around obsessed celebrity fans, this is a twisted look at those fans, and the world that might be built to appease them, including a butcher shop of “celebrity meat.”  It’s 3 1/2 stars out of 5 for “Antiviral,” as long as you know the kind of movie you are in for.

As far as the Blu-ray, it’s got some extras, namely some looking at Brandon Cronenberg (Yes, the son of David Cronenberg, which should give you an idea of where the son gets his ideas from), some “Making of…” stuff that is pretty standard, and the normal “Deleted Scenes” that are better left deleted for the most part.

Enjoy creepiness.

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

My Amityville Horror

MPAA Rated – Not Rated
It’s 1:29 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

My Amityville Horror
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Daniel Lutz, Laura Didio
MPAA Rated: Not Rated
Released By: IFC Films
Video Release Date: August 6, 2013
Kiddie Movie: It’s a little creepy and a documentary. Send them to bed unless you want them fascinated with the paranormal.
Date Movie: If she’s a documentary fan.
Gratuitous Sex: Nope.
Gratuitous Violence: Nope.
Action: Nope.
Laughs: Nope.
Memorable Scene: Nothing stood out.
Memorable Quote: Nah.
Directed By: Eric Walter

It’s been a long time since “The Amityville Horror” movie hit the scene, nearly 35 years as a matter of fact, and most people forget, or have never even realized that the story was based on the accounts of a real family, the Lutz’s, and that there are tons of websites on the internet dedicated to the paranormal activity that supposedly went on at the time. As most people forget the story is based on a real family, most people also forget that it also means there were kids involved, and for this documentary, “My Amityville Horror,” Director Eric Walter takes us directly to Daniel Lutz, one of the children in the house, who tells his tales of what went on.

The documentary is interesting in that it doesn’t try to prove anything, nor give a final answer as to what happened in the house, nor try to say if what Daniel says is true or not, but it does a good job of letting Daniel tell his recollection of the events leading up to, while in the house, and the life he had to live after the movie became a sensation. He tells of mostly just trying to get away from the story, how sometimes people would realize who he was and the implications involved with being a back-ended celebrity. Much of the movie brings Laura Didio along for the story, as she early on befriended the Lutz family, and Daniel seems to feel almost the most comfortable with her around, which helps the movie travel along.

Was there a haunting at Amityville? Did the Lutz parents just try to capitalize on being in a house where some horrendous murders took place? This documentary doesn’t answer that, but if you are a fan of the Amityville story, seeing Daniel Lutz relate things from his perspective, even if he wasn’t even a teenager at the time  that things happened, is an interesting look on the events, and how being in that situation can turn a person into the man Daniel Lutz is today.

I felt the documentary was well made, even the “Making of..” featurette wasn’t bad, so whether or not you really believe it, if you do want to just see a decent documentary about a man with a story to tell, “My Amityville Horror” is a 4 star documentary in my book. No, it’s not a horror tale, so don’t expect all kinds of scares, just expect a man and his story.

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Welcome to the Punch

MPAA Rated – R
It’s 1:39 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

Welcome to the Punch
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: James McAvoy, Mark Strong
MPAA Rated: R
Released By: IFC Films
Released On: July 23, 2013
Kiddie Movie: Please put them to bed – there’s a lot of violence.
Date Movie: She might snuggle.
Gratuitous Sex: More would have helped.
Gratuitous Violence: Lots of guys who can’t seem to hit anything with their automatic weapons.
Action: It’s got some chasing.
Laughs: Not really.
Memorable Scene: The slow-motion, guns blazing, kidnapping scene was pretty cool.
Memorable Quote: Nothing stood out.
Directed By: Ridley Scott
Cool Things on the Blu-Ray: It’s got the “Making of…” for you film buffs.

Oh, how I wanted to like “Welcome to the Punch” a lot more than I did. How I really wanted to. Alright, before I give my final analysis, let’s get to the story a bit.

In “Welcome to the Punch” we get Max (James McAvoy). He’s a cop. Okay, he’s technically a detective, but who’s really countin?. We also get Jacob (Mark Strong). He’s a thief who robs banks. No, not your corner bank with a few bucks in it but the major money locations, with enough cash to live off of in a nice lifestyle for the rest of your life. Opening with Jacob in the middle of what is supposed to be his last run, his money-maker as it would be, his “I can retire from this life of crime now and live in a nice retreat in Iceland” kind of heist, he is almost taken down by Max, and during the ensuing fight Jacob get the upper hand, and instead of just shooting Max in the head, Jacob shoots Max in the leg, leaving Max to a life of guilt and gimpiness. So, Jacob gets away and is living a relaxing life, Max is trying to get through his demons, and then, wouldn’t you know it, Jacob’s son ends up living a life of crime, ends up shot, caught by the cops, and now dad has to come and break him out of the hospital.

Yup, you know what that means! Max is now going to get his chance to get his bad guy and get the demons out of his head! So, of course, Jacob comes back, Max is hot on his trail, but what kind of movie would that be? It could have developed into a great “cat and mouse” kind of flick, but nope, the movie folks decide to throw in some conspiracy crap, some government corruption, and a backend storyline about gun-running, or some stuff like that, and of course somehow Max and Jacob find themselves in the middle of it all, and although not becoming the best of friends, their life courses intertwine in their own quests to find the truth about what is really going on with Jacob’s son.

Here’s the thing… For the most part I was enjoying the movie, at least until it became all cookie-cutter on me with the story and some of the action sequences. Sure, there was a lot of low-talking by bad guys complete in nighttime scenes when all bad things happen, and there were an awful lot of bad guys with automatic weapons who really needed some time at a shooting range because, most of the time, these guys couldn’t shoot the broad side of a barn if they were standing ten feet in front of it. And, oh yea, I wondered how Max even still had a job what with his bad leg and mental issues. And, oh yea yea, I was close to wondering why no one really cared the lady cop was missing for the longest time. In the end, though, I was okay with most of that. It was really the “government officials are corrupt and now the bad guy and good guy need to team together to save the world, or at least get revenge” story that annoyed me.

The movie is good-looking, well shot with some great scenes (and yes, complete with the obligatory, slow-motion, show bullet come out the chamber, and here’s the bullet hitting the bad guy complete with blood splatter), and even the acting is good, but all of the Ridley Scott goodness gets lost in the not-really-original story.

The Ridley Scott goodness gets the movie 4 stars, the cookie-cutter story 1 star, so I suppose I’ll average everything together and add ½ star because I’m in a good mood.

With that it’s 3 stars out of 5 for “Welcome to the Punch.” So much potential lost in a story anyone could come up with.

The Blu-ray has a bunch of interviews, and a nice “Making-of” featurette, but unless you are an avid film buff looking for some artsy insight into the character development, you’ll probably skip it.

A decent rental none-the-less – enjoy it for the basic-ness that the movie is.

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Love and Honor

MPAA Rated – PG-13
It’s 1:36 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

Love and Honor
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Austin Stowell, Liam Hemsworth, Aimee Teegarden, Teresa Palmer
MPAA Rated: PG-13
Released By: IFC Films
Released On: July 23, 2013
Kiddie Movie: Probably best for the teen girls.
Date Movie: Nope.
Gratuitous Sex: They get it on, but nothing gratuitous.
Gratuitous Violence: Some war scenes, but they kind of look fake.
Action: Not really.
Laughs: Nope.
Memorable Scene: Mickey and Candace just have sex and they she pretty much goes, “Oh, by the way, the cops are looking to arrest you.”
Memorable Quote: Nothing really.
Directed By: Danny Mooney

And now I bring you “Love and Honor,” a movie trying to tell a love story set under the backdrop of the first moon landing and the Vietnam War. Yes, it’s a movie set in 1969, and it looks like the movie folks raided the prop room and found anything that seemed to resemble 1969, from cheesy t-shirts, to an acoustic guitar propped next to the period-piece couch, to the malt shop, to cheesy protest signs, to the afghan that looked like it was knitted by your grandmother, and somewhere along the way found cheesy, protest dialogue to go along with it all.

Let’s start with the story basics…

Dolton (Austin Stowell) and Mickey (Liam Hemsworth) are young soldiers serving in Vietnam. The only thing that keeps Dolton focused on staying alive is the love of his girl back home, Jane (Aimee Teegarden), but sadly she sends him the proverbial Dear Dolton letter telling him it’s over. What to do? Well, if you’re Dolton and you have a week of leave; you head back to the states to win your girl back. What to do if you’re Mickey? You tag along on the trip to help your buddy.

So, our two soldiers find themselves in smallish-town America, albeit with an active war protest movement, and to stave off the angry hordes, or at least avoid the confrontation, Mickey concocts the story that they are deserting, hoping to give enough time for Dolton to reconnect with Jane, maybe even propose, and head back to Vietnam. For Mickey, though, along comes Candace (Teresa Palmer). He’s smitten and now is in a pickle of lying to her, trying to get laid, and then having to leave, and maybe fall in love along the way.

Yup, they are entrenched in war protest central, they have to make life decisions, and through it all Mickey is somehow able to keep this shit-eatin’ grin on his face the entire time, at least so says my assistant, and spout wonderfully awesome lines like “When I was 14 I was just trying to figure out how to get laid.” Granted I was two years old in 1969, but did the pretty boys really use this as a line to get in the girl’s pants back then? Someone who might have been 18 back then please let me know.

Okay, back to the review and summary.

Sadly the movie comes off more like “Let’s put some pretty boys in this movie so some teen girls will watch it and keep saying ‘Oh, he’s dreamy!’ We can build it around the Vietnam war, I mean, who doesn’t like the story of the soldier and his girl?”, when, if the material was done with a different cast and some tighter writing, rather than seeming to try to appeal to the teen girl crowd, it could have really been a look at the conflict of soldiers, the protest movement, and love.

All I know is that from about 5 minutes into the movie I couldn’t wait for it to end, and my assistant gave up after about 20 minutes. There was potential in this movie, somewhere, but it just didn’t find it. It’s 1 star out of 5, although, if you are a teen girl you might give it 4 based on dreamy and shit-eatin’ grininess. I’m sticking with 1 star.

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

6 Souls

MPAA Rated – R
It’s 1:42 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

6 Souls
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Julianne Moore, Jonathan Rhys Meyers
MPAA Rated: R
Released By: Anchor Bay Entertainment
Released On: July 2, 2013
Kiddie Movie: Only if you want them creeped out by old witches and people with multiple personalities.
Date Movie: It’s probably pretty good for snuggling with your mate.
Gratuitous Sex: Nah.
Gratuitous Violence: It’s got some pretty good gruesomeness.
Action: Some chasing and breaking glass.
Laughs: Nah.
Memorable Scene: The scenes with the creepy witch.
Memorable Quote: Nothing stood out.
Directed By: Mans Marlind, Mjorn Stein

Unless I give away the ending it’s hard to explain why I was pretty much enjoying “6 Souls” for the most part up until the last ten-ish minutes of the film, so I guess for now I’ll just say I was pretty much enjoying “6 Souls” for the most part, up until the last ten-ish minutes of the film. Maybe I’ll expound on that a little later, in which, here’s the proverbial “Spoiler Alert” warning, but for starters let’s get to the story.

In “6 Souls” we get the always-awesome Julianne Moore. She’s Dr. Cara Harding, a psychiatrist lady who’s having a hard time after her husband dies. Her dad, though, trying to get her back in the game, brings along Adam (Jonathan Rhys Meyers). Adam, it seems, is harboring a bunch of personalities inside of him, with one of them easily being called up when he answers a phone.  The thing is it’s not just a personality that Adam seems to have, but Adam actually mentally and verbally turns into the personality, who happen to be murder victims.

At first, of course, the good Doctor figures Adam has just read up on the murder victims, figures out their quirks and mannerisms, and then is able to channel the victims as different personalities. It isn’t until Dr. Harding brings along the mother of one of the murder victims that Adam channels, and Adam knows things that only the son would have known, that now she thinks something else, something mystical, something spiritual might be afoot.

The problem is that Adam begins meeting up with more and more people in Dr. Harding’s life, including her daughter, and as this isn’t really a case of multiple personalities as it is a case of possession, and now her family is deathly involved.

As it goes Dr. Harding’s  research takes her to more-than-rural America, to shacks in the back of the woods where the scary people live, and yet, our fair Doctor finds out the truth about Adam, but sadly it might be a little too late for…

Okay, I’m not going to give it away, but I will say that Hollywood cliffhanger mode came in to full play for the ending of the movie, setting up a possible sequel, I’m sure if the money is right, instead of going for a better mode of closure, and the true crushing of Dr. Harding’s spirit, which is how I would have ended the movie.

For the most part, though, ending aside, everyone is pretty fantastic in the movie. Julianne Moore, well, enough said – She could take the roll of a porn star and make it awesome. Oh wait, she did. The rest of the cast, especially Jonathan Rhys Meyers, does well, also, and kudos for Jonathan for actually pulling off great jobs as multiple roles, what with him having the multiple personalities and all. Then there are the creepy folks, especially Joyce Feurring as the witch and Katiana Davis as her helper girl.

As a thriller “6 Souls” is pretty good, even if some of the movie is standard fair, and even if it doesn’t offer too many surprises. I would have preferred the bad guy’s soul being sucked out of him and stored on a shelf for safe keeping as an ending, instead of the one we ended up with, but I guess I can’t have it all. It’s 3 ½ stars out of 5 for “6 Souls.” It could have easily ended up a 4 starrer for me with a different finish.

As far as the Blu-ray, there’s nothing special. Get this one for some creepiness on a night to snuggle with your honey.

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!