“The Hollow Crown” (2012) Historical Drama Three years after the BBC filmed the four Elizabethan docudramas known as “The Henriad” - “Richard II,” “Henry IV” (parts 1 and 2) and “Henry V” - as “The Hollow Crown,” it picks up the history with “The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses". It recounts the history of the houses of Lancaster …
Continue reading DVD/Blu-ray review: “Hollow Crown Series 2: The War of the Roses” (2016)
“The Kettering Incident” (2016) Thriller/Drama 8 Episodes Produced by: Vincent Sheehan and Andrew Walker Directed by: Rowan Woods and Tony Krawitz Featuring: Elizabeth Debicki, Matthew Le Nevez, Henry Nixon, Anthony Phelan, Damon Gameau, Damien Garvey, Sacha Horler, Brad Kannegiesser, Sianoa Smit-McPhee The last few years has seen an upsurge in not only Australian television but …
Continue reading DVD/Blu-ray review: “The Kettering Incident” (2016)
“T2 Trainspotting” (2017) Drama/Comedy/Thriller Running Time: 117 minutes Written by: John Hodge Directed by: Danny Boyle Featuring: Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Robert Carlyle, and Kelly Macdonald Renton: I gave you 4000 pounds. Spud: Well, what did you think I would do with them? I'M A FUCKING JUNKIE! Renton: Yes... Yes, I suppose you was. Spud: I still …
Continue reading DVD/Blu-ray review: “T2 Trainspotting 2” (2017)
“Cosmos: A Personal Voyage” (1980) Documentary/Mini-series Thirteen Episodes Written by: Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan, and Steven Soter Produced by: David Kennard, Geoffrey Haines-Stiles, and Gregory Andorfer Featuring: Carl Sagan Carl Sagan: “There are some hundred billion galaxies, each with, on the average, a hundred billion stars, 1011 x 1011 = 1022, ten billion trillion. In the face …
Continue reading DVD/Blu-ray review: “Cosmos: A Personal Voyage” (1980)
“Childhood’s End” (2015) Science Fiction/Mini Series/Television Running Time: minutes Executive producers, Akiva Goldsman, Michael De Luca, Matthew Graham, Alissa Phillips; producers, Paul M. Leonard, Nick Hurran, John G. Lenic; director, Hurran; writer, Graham; based on the novel by Arthur C. Clarke Featuring: Charles Dance, Mike Vogel, Daisy Betts, Julian McMahon, Osy Ikhile, Colm Meaney, Yael …
Continue reading DVD/Blu-ray Review: “Childhood’s End” (2015)
“Patriots Day" (2017) Drama Running Time: 133 minutes Directed by: Peter Berg Featuring: Mark Wahlberg, J. K. Simmons, John Goodman, Kevin Bacon, and Michelle Monaghan Sgt. Tommy Saunders: “What I saw today, good versus evil, love versus hate. There’s only one weapon you have to fight back with, it’s love. You wrap your arms around …
"Fences" (2016) Drama Running Time: 138 minutes Directed by: Denzel Washington Featuring: Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Stephen Henderson, Jovan Adepo, Russell Hornsby, Mykelti Williamson and Saniyya Sidney Bono: “Some people build fences to keep people out, and other people build fences to keep people in.” Denzel Washington as actor, producer and director brings August Wilson’s …
"Hidden Figures" (2016) Drama Running Time: 127 minutes Directed by: Theodore Melfi Featuring: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Mahershala Ali, Jim Parsons Mary Jackson: “Every time we get a chance to get ahead they move the finish line. Every time.” Whilst some could argue last year was a good year …
Continue reading DVD/Blu-ray review: “Hidden Figures” (2016)
"Manchester by the Sea" (2016) Drama Running Time: 137 minutes Directed by: Kenneth Lonergan Featuring: Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler, Gretchen Mol, and Lucas Hedges Randi Chandler: “I said a lot of terrible things to you. My heart was broken, and I know yours is broken, too.” The third film written and directed by …
Continue reading Blu-ray/DVD Review: “Manchester by the Sea” (2016)
"Jackie" (2016) Drama Running Time: 99 minutes Written by: Noah Oppenheim Directed by: Pablo Larraín Featuring: Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup and John Hurt Jacqueline Kennedy: “I’m not the First Lady anymore. I lost Jack somewhere. I was real, that was performance.” So much has been written and filmed about ‘Camelot’ and …
“Assassins Creed” (2016) Action Running Time: 115 minutes Written by: Michael Lesslie, Adam Cooper and Bill Collage Directed by: Justin Kurzel Featuring: Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons, Brendan Gleeson, Charlotte Rampling and Michael K. Williams. Cal Lynch: “We work in the dark to serve the light. We are assassins.“ As I have said in other reviews, Michael Fassbender has been …
Continue reading DVD/Blu-ray Review: “Assassins Creed” (2016)
"Moonlight" (2016) Drama Time: 119 minutes Written & Directed by: Barry Jenkins Featuring: Mahershala Ali, Shariff Earp, Duan Sanderson, Janelle Monáe and Naomie Harris Juan: “I've been here a long time. Out of Cuba. A lot of black folks are Cuban. You wouldn't know from being here now. I was a wild little shortie, man. …
“The Hollow Crown” (2012) Historial Drama Running Time: 528 minutes Directed by: Rupert Goold, Richard Eyre, Thea Sharrock and Dominic Cooke Featuring: Ben Whishaw, Jeremy Irons and Tom Hiddleston This television show is an adaptation of Shakespeare's second historical tetralogy, the Henriad: Richard II, Henry IV, Part I and Henry IV, Part II and Henry V. The first series, which aired in the United Kingdom in …
Continue reading DVD/Blu-ray review: “The Hollow Crown” (2012)
“Cube: 20th Anniversary Special Edition” (1997) Science Fiction/Thriller Running Time: 90 minutes Written & Directed by: Vincenzo Natali Featuring: Maurice Dean Wint, Nicole de Boer, Nicky Guadagni, David Hewlett, Andrew Miller, Wayne Robson Rennes: “No more talking. No more guessing. Don't even think about nothing that's not right in front of you. That's the real …
Continue reading DVD/Blu-ray review: “Cube: 20th Anniversary Special Edition” (1997)
"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" (2016) Fantasy Running Time: 133 minutes Director: David Yates Featuring: Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Samantha Morton, Jon Voight, Carmen Ejogo and Colin Farrell Percival Graves: “You're an interesting man, Mr. Scamander. Just like your suitcase, I think there's more to you than …
Continue reading DVD/Blu-ray Review: “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” (2016)
"Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" (2016) Sci-Fi/Action/Thriller Running Time: 132 minutes Directed by: Gareth Edwards Featuring: Felicity Jones, Mads Mikkelson, Ben Mendelsohn, Forrest Whittaker, Diego Luna, Alan Tudyk, Donnie Yen Mon Mothma: “On your own from the age of fifteen; reckless, aggressive, and undisciplined.” Jyn Erso: “This is a rebellion, isn't it? I rebel.” …
Continue reading DVD/Blu-ray Review: “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” (2016)
“Sleepless” (2017) Thriller/Action Running Time: 96 minutes Written by: Andrea Berloff Directed by: Baran bo Odar Featuring: Jamie Foxxand T.I., Michelle Monaghan, Dermot Mulroney, David Harbour, Gabrielle Union and Scoot McNairy This film is a remake in all but name – the first one was at least set overnight hence the title – the only positive thing to say about this …
"Moana" (2016) Animation Running Time: 107 minutes Directed by: Ron Clements & John Musker Featuring: Auli'i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Rachel House, Temuera Morrison, Jemaine Clement, Nicole Scherzinger and Alan Tudyk Maui: “Do you know who Maui is? The greatest demigod that ever lived, who stopped the sun, who pulled up islands out of the sea, …
“The Void” (2016) Horror Running Time: 90 minutes Written & Directed by: Steven Kostanski and Jeremy Gillespie Featuring: Ellen Wong, Aaron Poole, Evan Stern, Kathleen Munroe and Kenneth Walsh Original horror films are so hard to produce, they can be even harder to find for the public with a love of the genre. This year has already …
“Why Him?” (2016) Comedy Running Time: 111 minutes Written & Directed by: John Hamburg Featuring: James Franco, Bryan Cranston, Zoey Deutch, Megan Mullally, Griffin Gluck and Keegan-Michael Key Laird Mayhew: “Motherfucking *Fleming's* are in the house! YES!” Ned Fleming: “Oh my God.” This new James Franco/Bryan Cranston comedy is a riff on the classic drama “Guess who’s coming to dinner” (1967), they …
spryfilm.com 