Passion (Blu-Ray) Review
It’s a genuine rewarding experience when you find a new director that you find intriguing. Mostly because as the consumer, it’s then a research project to find everything that person has ever done and then dissect which films you can go find to watch immediately. When I watched Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, I had that experience instantly. I wanted to see more of Rysuke Hamaguchi’s films. So I bought a Criterion blu-ray copy of Drive My Car back in July. Shortly after that, I saw that his student film, Passion was going to be released by Film Movement on blu-ray and I was eager to get a copy. Luckily, I didn’t have to wait too long because the opportunity to review presented itself, even before the release date. Let’s dive into this film and see the early workings of a true master of the conversation.
The original copy of this review can be found at
Upcoming Reviews for October 2023
Unlike the previous month, this month when it comes to reviewing is almost certainly going to be way more productive. To this point, I’ve already snuck in two Film reviews for Paw Patrol and A Haunting in Venice in which I can’t remember the last time I went to the theater in two straight weeks. I don’t know if I’m going to sneak in any other movies but while I was at A Haunting in Venice, I did see posters for the re-release of A Nightmare Before Christmas and something called Inspector Sun as possible films to see with my wife and son. Obviously, if we went to the former, I probably would not write a review, but it’s still worth mentioning.
However, it looks like that I’m getting four discs from Upcomingdiscs.com to review this week. Most of it is from Film Movement, but I am getting one 4k as well. I don’t think I will be able to slide in any other reviews on my own (unless I go to the theater for something else), but it all depends on how quickly I finish these four first. I have also provided a link to more information if you are curious about these films and don’t want to wait for my reviews.
Passion (2008) – Blu-Ray from Film Movement – This one I have wanted since I knew it was going to be available. From the same director, I greatly enjoyed Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy and need to watch Drive My Car (have the Criterion copy from the last B&N sale) but I just haven’t had the time. The added fact is that Film Movement rarely does blu-rays (I mention this all the time in my reviews) and so the fact that they are releasing this one in blu-ray is certainly something to take notice of.
The Night of the 12th (2022) – DVD from Film Movement – This is a French mystery film that looks 200% up my alley considering my reviews of such films like The Third Murder and Unidentified. Now thankfully if I do like it a lot, it has been released in Blu-Ray but I would have to import from the UK. It might surprise you but I do not own a region free Blu-Ray player and bypass region restrictions with my Panasonic 4k player which has a nifty top menu feature that gets around those things about 75% of the time. I’ve literally had a region free player on my Amazon wishlist for a very long time. Mostly because I have no idea where to put it. Anyway, should be an excellent film.
Cracked (2022) – DVD From Film Movement – Most of you know I don’t really review Horror movies. It’s not my thing, especially when there are a couple of people on Upcomingdiscs that are FAR more gifted with the genre than I’ll ever be. However, neither of them to my knowledge really want to dive into foreign horror films which is where I get the call so to speak. See my review of Seire earlier this year. So this is a Thai film about some scary pieces of art. Not sure what to think or even if I’ll like it, but it has an interesting premise and Asian horror films really are top notch typically.
Mortal Kombat Legends: Cage Match (2023) – 4k from Warner Bros – One of these things is not like the others. But seriously, I have watched just about everything Mortal Kombat animation or live action since the very first movie in 1995. The animated features have always been something of a mixed bag but they always deliver on the action and really make use of the 4k format. This should be no different and also deals with my favorite character not named Scorpion in Johnny Cage. Cage was the unsung hero of the first live action film (and what they did with him in the 2nd film was absolutely ridiculous), and I can’t wait to see this one. I know picture and audio will most likely not disappoint but I’m hopeful that the story is interesting enough. I still need to see Snow Blind by the way, that should be a Black Friday type title somewhere for sure.
Anyway, thought I would share those four with the regular readers of this site. Feel free to drop your comments below and enjoy!
A Haunting in Venice Film Review
When it comes to watching films at the theater, often I will want to see a movie sometimes three, four weeks into their release. The crowds have quieted down and I can often focus on the movie rather than the person next to me who might be munching on their popcorn a little too loudly or on their cellphone. However, with many films not sticking around as they should, it can often be difficult to make that work. This past Sunday, I was fortunate enough to go with my dad to see A Haunting In Venice, a film that opened in mid-September to honestly rather tepid box office earnings. I had seen Murder on the Orient Express on 4k disc and Death on the Nile with my wife in theaters, so I certainly wanted to see the third film in the Kenneth Branagh’s version of Hercule Poirot. So quality time aside, was this film actually worth our matinee dollar or was it better spent at the local sandwich shop? Let’s take a look.
This review can also be found at: https://upcomingdiscs.com/2023/10/09/a-haunting-in-venice/
Continue reading “A Haunting in Venice Film Review”
Kylie Minogue – Tension CD Review
Rating – 4 1/2 stars out of 5
The US music landscape can prove to be a somewhat odd one. Nobody can really figure out why certain songs, certain albums, certain artists can’t break into the Billboard charts no matter how amazing their music may be. They could be loved overseas and yet the US radio stations and other outlets won’t even lift their finger to play the best of tunes from a given artist but will play absolute trash from another. Thankfully, in the age of streaming, it’s super easy to find those performers and those songs. But sometimes, one of those artists creates a piece so amazing that even those normal channels have to rise up and take notice. Today, we take a look at Kylie Minogue’s new album, Tension.
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PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie Film Review
The first Paw Patrol movie opened up in August of 2021 during the pandemic era where barely anyone wanted to go anywhere that wasn’t a grocery store (because somehow that was safe). It still managed to pull in forty million domestic and another hundred million internationally. With the built in audience from the television series, a sequel was almost a no-brainer. I remember taking my family to go see the first Paw Patrol (the theater was quite bare) and actually enjoying it quite a bit. It certainly helped to bring all of the key elements from the television series and produce something that wasn’t nauseating and over the top. However, sequels of movies based on popular properties often go the wrong direction. Let’s see what the Mighty Pups have in store for us in their second outing.
This review can also be found at: https://upcomingdiscs.com/2023/10/02/paw-patrol-the-mighty-pups/
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Jungle – Volcano CD Review
Rating – 3 1/2 stars out of 5
It’s Christmas Time 2014. I boot up a copy of Tales from the Borderlands on my Xbox. On this day, I’m thinking I am going to play another Telltale game where I make a few choices, enjoy a good story and get an easy 1000 achievement points. However, what I didn’t expect about this game was an unbelievable soundtrack. One of those songs was the amazing tune Busy Earnin’ by Jungle. So amazing, that I immediately found a copy online of the album and had sent to me post haste. I was instantly hooked to songs like Time, The Heat and Platoon among others. Since then, I’ve enjoyed their other albums, For Ever and Loving in Stereo. Today, we are taking a look at their fourth album, Volcano. Let’s see if their sound still holds up.
Seire (DVD) Review
Korean Horror has picked up in the last twenty years tenfold. From films like Bedevilled and Thirst, they took on the revenge and vampire themes that a lot of classic horror films are built upon. But honestly, I’ve been most impressed with films like The Wailing and Train to Busan. The latter bred new life into the very tired zombie genre and made a darn watchable film while The Wailing knew exactly what buttons to push when it comes to religion but then use that to make an interesting and thought provoking film. That’s why when I saw that we had a copy of Seire, I knew I had to review it even though I probably would be too scared to write about it for a few days. I’m so glad I did.
The original copy of this review can be found at: https://upcomingdiscs.com/2023/09/11/seire/
Three into Two Won’t Go (Blu-Ray) Review
I probably could be called a lot of things, some kind and some not so kind. But the one thing that probably most people would say about me is that I’m loyal. Loyal to my job, loyal to my wife, loyal to my son. However, in my life, I have certainly felt the pain of disloyalty, even to the point of infidelity. Despite what people might say or think, you never quite expect it and furthermore one can’t predict how you might feel or act given the situation. Today’s movie Three into Two Won’t Go explores the idea of what happens when a man cheats on his wife with another woman. However, this woman stays around long after the fact and continues to press into his everyday life until it becomes unbearable. Let’s take a look.
The original version of this review can be found at:
https://upcomingdiscs.com/2023/09/02/three-into-two-wont-go-blu-ray/
The Day and The Hour (Blu-Ray) Review
Typically, I avoid World War II period films like the plague. I literally see the word Nazi or German occupation and usually find a reason not to see the movie. I have nothing against the pictures, the problem is so many of these films are surrounded in clichés that it feels like an old hat with nothing new to offer. However, when I saw The Day and the Hour in my review pile, I was intrigued by the notion of it being in France with a female lead and something of a romance. Far different from the usual pow pow, war is heck or a film that’s going to have buckets and buckets of tears and worrying about the human condition. Though from the looks of things, this one might have some water works too. Let’s take a look.
The original version of this review can be found at:
https://upcomingdiscs.com/2023/08/29/the-day-and-the-hour-blu-ray/
Dead Heat on a Merry Go-Round (Blu-Ray) Review
I’m a sucker for clever movie titles. The best example I can think off the top of my head is I’m Gonna Git You Sucka. Or perhaps you need something from yesteryear like Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia or They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Along the lines of Sucka, we can’t also forget about Don’t Be A Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood or The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. So imagine my surprise when I saw the title of today’s movie and jumped at the chance to provide a review. Hopefully it is as good as the title suggests.
The original version of this review can be found at:
https://upcomingdiscs.com/2023/08/23/dead-heat-on-a-merry-go-round-blu-ray/
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