Christmas and thriller. These two words are typically not used together but Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale, directed by Jalmari Helander, has attempted to make the words compatible. The movie begins in the Finnish mountains, where we see a conversation between a driller and the benefactor of what appears to be an expedition. The driller says that they found some sawdust in the mountain, something that obviously doesn’t exist inside a mountain. At this point, the benefactor demands that the crew must keep drilling and gives the driller rules to follow as he continues his work. A closer examination shows these are basic rules for any one good person to follow, such as not to swear and make sure to wash behind his ears. The camera pans out to show that two children are spying on the drillers: Pietari, our protagonist and his friend Jusso. Pietari, our very young protagonist makes a very educated and seemingly random guess that the drilling has something to do with Santa Claus. After this opening scene, shots during the opening credits show us that Santa Claus was in fact, evil and that over time the folklore has evolved to what we know Santa Claus to be now.
The Howling Reborn
Werewolf movies have a long and hairy past. Ever since Universal’s golden age of horror cinema, unfortunate individuals who get bitten by Lycans transform into snarling beasts and terrorize hapless victims all under the eerie glow of a full moon. The topic of werewolves has been a successful entity over the years in film and now yet another movie has been released to further showcase these nasty monsters. That film I’m referring to is a direct-to-Blu-ray reboot of the 80’s horror franchise The Howlingand it is called The Howling Reborn.
Devil’s Playground
The zombie genre has been done and redone and just seems to be producing the same stuff again and again. This movie is no different. Devil’s Playground is directed by Mark McQueen and stars Craig Fairbrass as Cole, our heroic protagonist. Cole is that tough Jason Statham like dude that all the zombies are scared of. A chemical company creates a zombie clan with a new drug. You can actually tell who the zombies are in this movie because of the large and apparent dark veins coming out of the zombie’s bodies. Chaos ensues in an England town as the zombies run rampant, big and eating the flesh of the commoners.
Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On
Pop diva Bette Midler (a.k.a. The Divine Miss M) has enjoyed a long successful career in a wide array of mediums most notably on stage. She has a wonderful stage presence and is liked by many. Her three-year Las Vegas show The Showgirl Must Go On which began in February of 2008 and ended in January of 2010 featured many songs that the performer made popular including “From a Distance” and “Wind Beneath My Wings”. Now, The Showgirl Must Go On is out on Blu-ray so fans of Midler’s can rejoice and enjoy her show in crystal-clear high definition.
The Lion King: Diamond Edition
Hakuna Matata, what a wonderful phrase! Now thatThe Lion King: Diamond Edition is out on Blu-ray and DVD, you will probably be singing the classic film’s delightful tunes in the shower all over again. And if the first time around was any indication, the Disney merchandising mills and t-shirt printing presses will be primed and ready to ride the second wave of Lion King madness! Originally released in 1994, Disney’s The Lion King was met with enormous praise both critically and commercially. During its initial run and its subsequent re-releases, the film has made a whopping total of over $800 million worldwide. It is the highest grossing hand-drawn animated film of all time and its legacy is still being honored through a very successful show on Broadway, two sequels, piles of merchandise and a TV spinoff. It is obvious that The Lion King’s influence is strong and a recent 3D reissue coinciding with the release of the Blu-ray/DVD Diamond Edition reinforces that fact.
40 Days and 40 Nights
Once upon a time in the early 2000s, the tall and lean heartthrob Josh Hartnett had a relatively promising film career. He made a splash in the late 90s with the popular horror films Halloween H20 andThe Faculty. He then continued into the 21st century with the military blockbusters Pearl Harbor and Black Hawk Down. He seemed to be destined for even more success but once he branched off into comedy, he kind of ran out of steam. One of the films that derailed him was 2002’s 40 Days and 40 Nights, a lackluster romantic comedy that proved that Hartnett has zero range as an actor. The film is now out on Blu-ray but seriously, why would you want to punish yourself by buying it?
The Others
Ghost stories have been a strong staple of entertainment and folklore for centuries. The existence of life after death and the supernatural seem to fascinate and often times frighten people. Spirits that neither end up in heaven or hell linger around on Earth because they have unfinished business to take care of and usually that unfinished business encroaches on the daily activities of the living. Nicole Kidman seems to be stuck in this type of paranormal dilemma in 2001’s horror-thriller The Others now out on Blu-ray.
Dressed to Kill (Unrated)
The thriller genre has a long-established history of keeping audiences on their toes and delivering some well-timed scares. Intelligent mysteries, tight writing and expert acting are just some of the many elements that make up a quality thriller. 1980’sDressed to Kill is one of these finely tuned suspense films and now the unrated version of the film is out on Blu-ray so you better think twice about hopping in that cab with that attractive stranger.
The Beaver
In recent years, Mel Gibson has been down, shall we say a rather dark and awkward path. After directing the religiously controversial film The Passion of the Christ and several drunken encounters and rants that offended pretty much everyone, the man just can’t seem to stay out of trouble. This however, has not prevented him from continuing to act which is news you may either hate or feel pretty nonchalant about. His latest film, the Jodie Foster-directed dramedy The Beaver is now out on Blu-ray and this subtle piece of cinema is actually worth checking out.
C.S. Forester’s Horatio Hornblower: The Further Adventures
Author C.S. Forester’s fictional character Horatio Hornblower has been featured in a wide array of books, film and television programs. The popular British character is an adventurer, a hero and a naval legend. His exploits have been the subject of many forms of media and now A&E has released C.S. Forester’s Horatio Hornblower: The Further Adventures on DVD, a set which contains two feature-length made-for-TV movies. They are The Duchess and the Devil and The Wrong War. They come in a robust 2-disc set which is filled to the brim with so-so acting, decent dialogue and exciting high sea adventure.
Continue reading C.S. Forester’s Horatio Hornblower: The Further Adventures
Unger the Radar 