Author Archives: Keith Garlington

New on Home Video: The Ocean’s Trilogy on 4K Ultra HD and Digital

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Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment has announced the release of The Ocean’s Trilogy on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and Digital. The stylish and star-studded “Ocean’s Eleven”, “Ocean’s Twelve”, and “Ocean’s Thirteen” were directed by Steven Soderbergh and inspired by the 1960 Rat Pack film from Lewis Milestone. These beloved films reinvigorated the heist genre and won over crowds in large part thanks to their stellar ensembles which included George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, Casey Affleck, Andy Garcia, Bernie Mac, Elliott Gould, Don Cheadle, and more.

This terrific new 4K Ultra HD collection of The Ocean’s Trilogy will be available to purchase for the first time on April 30th. See below for a full synopsis and release information including special features.

About the Films:

“Ocean’s Eleven” (2001)

Danny Ocean (George Clooney) likes taking chances. All he asks is that his handpicked squad of ten grifters and cons play the game like they have nothing to lose. If all goes right, the payoff will be a fat $150 million.

“Ocean’s Eleven”, in alphabetical order, stars George Clooney, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts.Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Elliott Gould, Bernie Mac and Carl Reiner also star.

 

“Ocean’s Twelve” (2004)

They’re back. And then some. Twelve is the new eleven when Danny Ocean and pals return in a sequel to the cool caper that saw them pull off a $150 million heist. But $150 million doesn’t go as far as it used to. It’s time to pull off another stunner of a plan. Exciting locations include Amsterdam, Paris and Rome.

“Ocean’s Twelve” stars George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Andy Garcia, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac and Julia Roberts.

 

“Ocean’s Thirteen” (2007)

Danny Ocean rounds up the boys for the most dazzling heist yet, after casino owner Willy Bank (Al Pacino) double-crosses one of the eleven, Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould).

George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and more reteam with director Steven Soderbergh for a split-second caper that stacks the deck with wit, style and cool.

“Ocean’s Thirteen” stars George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac, Ellen Barkin and Al Pacino. Rounding out the ensemble cast are Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Eddie Jemison, Shaobo Qin with Carl Reiner and Elliott Gould.

Special Features:

“Ocean’s Eleven”

  • Commentary by Steven Soderbergh and Ted Griffin
  • Commentary by Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Andy Garcia
  • Are You In or Out? The Making of “Ocean’s Eleven”
  • Pros & Cons: Inside Ocean’s Outfit
  • The Style of Steal
  • The Look of the Con
  • Original Ocean’s, Original Cool

 

“Ocean’s Twelve”

  • Commentary by Steven Soderbergh and George Nolfi
  • Ready, Jet Set, Go: The Making of “Ocean’s Twelve”
  • HBO First Look: Twelve Is the New Eleven: The Making of “Ocean’s Twelve”
  • Deleted Scenes

 

“Ocean’s Thirteen”

  • Commentary by Steven Soderbergh, Brian Koppelman and David Levien
  • Third’s a Charm: The Making of “Ocean’s Thirteen”
  • Ahab with a Piggyback: The Means & Machines of Ocean’s
  • Jerry Weintraub Walk and Talk
  • Masters of the Heist
  • Deleted Scenes

New on Home Video: “Fletch” and “Fletch Lives” Blu-Ray Collector’s Editions

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Kino Lorber Studio Classics has recently released two Chevy Chase comedy favorites on home video. “Fletch” (1985) and its sequel “Fletch Lives” (1989) have each received their own individual special edition Blu-ray. Directed by Michael Ritchie, both films follow investigative reporter Irwin “Fletch” Fletcher (Chase) who dons countless wacky disguises in his attempts to get the big scoop for his newspaper. Both movies remain showcases from Chase’s heyday and they look great in their handsome new editions.

These special editions Blu-rays of “Fletch” and “Fletch Lives” from Kino Lorber Studio Classics are available to own now. See below for a full synopsis and release information including special features.

FLETCH

About the Film

Year: 1985

Runtime: 98 Minutes

Director: Michael Ritchie

Screenwriter: Andrew Bergman

Cast: Chevy Chase, Joe Don Baker, Tim Matheson, M. Emmet Walsh, Richard Libertini, Dana Wheeler-Nicholson, George Wendt, Geena Davis, Kenneth Mars, Bill Henderson, George Wyner, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Avery, Burton Gilliam, William Sanderson

Comedy legend Chevy Chase is at his fetching best in this suspense-packed and laugh-stacked thriller based on Gregory Mcdonald’s bestseller. Irwin Fletcher, a.k.a. Fletch (Chase), is an investigative reporter who changes his identity more often than his underwear. While working on a drug exposé, Fletch attracts the attention of a strange businessman (Tim Matheson, “Up the Creek”) who wants to be killed so his wife will inherit more insurance. The wily Fletch senses a scam, and soon he’s up to his byline in frame-ups, murder, police corruption and forbidden romance. It’ll be the story of the year, if he can stay alive to meet his deadline!

Take fast-paced direction by Michael Ritchie (“Prime Cut”, “Diggstown”), add an uproarious screenplay by Andrew Bergman (“The In-Laws”), sprinkle in a spicy cast with Joe Don Baker, Dana Wheeler-Nicholson, Richard Libertini, M. Emmet Walsh, George Wendt, George Wyner, Kenneth Mars, Geena Davis and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and you’ve got the makings of Chevy’s funniest chase ever!

Special Features

  • Brand New HD Master – From a 2K Scan of the 35mm Interpositive
  • NEW Audio Commentary by Entertainment Journalists/Authors Bryan Reesman and Max Evry
  • Just Charge it to the Underhills: Making and Remembering Fletch – 2007 Featurette with Actor M. Emmet Walsh, Actor Richard Libertini, Actor Tim Matheson, Screenwriter Andrew Bergman, Actor George Wyner, Actor Larry Flash Jenkins, Actress Dana Wheeler-Nicholson, Producer Alan Greisman, Producer Peter Douglas, Editor Richard Harris, First Assistant Director Wolfgang Glattes, Associate Producer/Production Manager Gordon Webb and Featurette Producer Jason Hillhouse (26:32)
  • The Disguises: From John Cocktoaston to Harry S. Truman – 2007 Featurette with Makeup Artist Ken Chase, Hair Stylist Bunny Parker, Screenwriter Andrew Bergman, Actress Dana Wheeler-Nicholson, Actor Tim Matheson, Actor Larry Flash Jenkins, Producer Peter Douglas, Producer Alan Greisman and Associate Producer/Production Manager Gordon Webb (4:53)
  • Favorite Fletch Moments – 2007 Featurette (2:35)
  • Chevy Chase: Reba Merrill Profile – 1985 Interview with Chevy Chase (3:41)
  • 4 TV Spots
  • Theatrical Trailer (Newly Mastered in 2K)
  • Optional English Subtitles

FLETCH LIVES

About the Film

Year: 1989

Runtime: 95 Minutes

Director: Michael Ritchie

Screenwriter: Leon Capetanos

Fletch fans rejoice! Comedy great Chevy Chase (“Three Amigos!”) returns to the screen as the reckless I.M. Fletcher, investigative reporter, in Fletch Lives. This time, the chameleon-like reporter ventures to Belle Isle, a sprawling 80-acre Louisiana plantation which Fletch inherits from his aunt. Trouble begins when a lovely attorney mysteriously turns up dead, a neighborly lawyer (Hal Holbrook, “Creepshow”) warns him to leave town, and a ravishing real estate agent comes calling with a persistent offer he may not be able to refuse. Fletch must unravel the reasons for the mad land scramble with his trademark bag of hilarious disguises in this fast-moving comedy-mystery.

Directed by Michael Ritchie (“Semi-Tough”, “The Couch Trip”), written by Leon Capetanos (“Down and Out in Beverly Hills”) based on Gregory Mcdonald’s bestselling books, and sporting a spunky supporting cast with Julianne Phillips, R. Lee Ermey, Richard Libertini, Randall “Tex” Cobb, Cleavon Little, George Wyner, Geoffrey Lewis, Richard Belzer and Phil Hartman.

Special Features

  • Brand New HD Master – From a 2K Scan of the 35mm Interpositive
  • NEW Audio Commentary by Entertainment Journalists/Authors Bryan Reesman and Max Evry
  • Fletch Lives: Making-of Featurette – with Star Chevy Chase, Director Michael Ritchie and Actress Julianne Phillips (6:14)
  • Fletch Lives: Chevy Chase Profile – with Star Chevy Chase and Director Michael Ritchie (2:40)
  • Fletch Lives: Julianne Phillips Profile – with Actress Julianne Phillips, Star Chevy Chase and Director Michael Ritchie (2:18)
  • 6 TV Spots
  • Theatrical Trailer (Newly Mastered in 2K)
  • Optional English Subtitles

REVIEW: “Challengers” (2024)

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The enigmatic Luca Guadagnino revisits many of his usual preoccupations in “Challengers”, his new film set within the world of competitive tennis. Of course you could say tennis is just a device in the Italian filmmaker’s latest swing at provocatively exploring such favorite subjects as sensuality, desire, and obsession. Whether it’s cannibalistic lovers, a coven of witches, or in this case sweaty tennis stars, his films rarely veer too far away from such themes. So you often know what’s underneath the dressing of a Luca Guadagnino film.

Those very fixations can sometimes hinder Guadagnino’s storytelling and that’s once again the case with “Challengers”, a slickly and stylishly made drama that teases a lot more than it delivers. But it’s not just a case of getting too hung up on your own interests. Guadagnino surprisingly pours much more into showing off his stylish filmmaking than offering any incisive and relatable access to his characters. As a result the tennis matches look spectacular but the trio at the story’s center come across as half-written and more contrived than organic.

“Challengers” sees Zendaya playing yet another icy brooding character. This time she stars as Tashi Duncan (Zendaya), a tennis prodigy who decides to go to Stanford rather than turn pro. While there she meets Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor) and Art Donaldson (Mike Faist), two childhood friends and fellow tennis players. Patrick is cocky and straightforward while Art is more earnest and sensitive. Both instantly fall for Tashi, turning into slobbering puppy dogs for no reason other than she’s “hot”. And so the competition begins.

The film’s surface level love triangle comes to light late one evening in a cramped messy hotel room as Tashi, Art, and Patrick gather after a party. It’s where we witness the two seemingly intelligent young men fully devolve into simpleminded saps, to the point of being putty in the hands of the Tashi who we’re to believe is an all-controlling force of nature. It culminates in a scene meant to unveil passion and desire but that isn’t nearly as revealing as it wants to be.

From there Guadagnino needlessly bops back-and-forth across his timeline, a choice that feels considerably more showy than necessary. It all coalesces into a story (written by Justin Kuritzkes) that’s content with following its three main characters rather than fleshing them out. So we’re left with incredibly shallow people and superficial relationships, all fueled by the power of desire and not much else. For Guadagnino that’s enough. For anyone wanting characters who feel real, it may not be.

After their lusty encounter in the hotel, we skip forward in time to where Tashi and Patrick are dating while she’s playing tennis at Stanford. But everything changes after a devastating on-court injury ends her playing career. Jump ahead thirteen years where Tashi has married Art and they have a 5-year-old daughter together. She’s also his coach, leading him to several major championships and making them a veritable power couple in the world of professional tennis. But Art’s current losing streak has put a damper on their high-profile life together. Meanwhile Patrick has fallen on hard times, living out of his car and forced to play on the Challenger Tour for money.

With the prestigious U.S. Open on the horizon, a concerned Tashi schedules the depressed Art in a Challenger tournament as a confidence booster. But wouldn’t you know it, in a stroke of bad luck (and narrative convenience), Patrick is set to play in the same tourney. It forces the former best friends to once again come face-to-face. And of course Patrick has never gotten over Tashi which complicates matters even more. Guadagnino works hard to patch it all together and he’s mostly successful. But it takes a lot of effort to make his nonlinear story cohesive – effort that could have been spent in areas that needed more attention.

As for the performances, all three young stars fully commit and try their best to make each character work. Zendaya’s star power is undeniable and Guadagnino leans heavily on it. But she can only do so much in a role that she doesn’t always seem right for. She spends the vast majority of the film sour and stone-faced. And through no fault of her own, she’s not always the convincing centerpiece Guadagnino desperately needs her to be. Faist and O’Conner are much better fits, but both are shackled to characters whose actions and emotions rarely go beyond skin-deep.

Cleverly shot through the lens of DP Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, the tennis scenes portray the sport as almost animalistic in its ferocity. The on-court battles mirror the off-court acrimony and it’s pretty impressive early on. But even it falls apart in the film’s laughably silly finish where we’re hit with countless editing and camera tricks that convey little more than a filmmaker indulging himself (there’s enough slow motion to make Zack Snyder giddy).

It’s not hard to see what Luca Guadagnino is going for with “Challengers”, a sports movie that works hard to not be a sports movie. He treats his story like a tennis match, fueling it with sexual tension and making winning the ultimate objective. Unfortunately his characters suffer. Aside from a shared love for their sport and their warped views of relationships, there’s little else to glean from the thinly sketched trio. Sadly the same can be said for the movie itself. And no amount of pseudo-sexy gloss can change that. “Challengers” is in theaters now.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

REVIEW: “The First Omen” (2024)

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I can’t say I was expecting much from another installment of the long dormant Omen film franchise. I can say I left “The First Omen” wonderfully surprised. I didn’t think it would tell such a smart and entertaining story. I wasn’t expecting such good instincts and control from first-time feature film director Arkasha Stevenson. And I had no idea that Nell Tiger Free would deliver such a bold breakout performance.

“The First Omen” is the sixth feature in the franchise and serves as a prequel to the original 1976 movie starring Gregory Peck. In several ways it resembles other religious horror films – the many church symbols, a handful of genre tropes, a generally predictable story arc. Yet “The First Omen” is a wickedly savvy chiller that has its share of wild plot swings and gnarly twists. Even better, there’s an intriguing supernatural mystery furtively nestled within the film’s classic-styled horror frame.

Set in 1971, a young novitiate named Margaret Daino (Nell Tiger Free) arrives in Rome. She was summoned by Cardinal Lawrence (Bill Nighy) who ran the Massachusetts orphanage she grew up in and has been a father figure to her since she was a child. He assigns Margaret to Vizzardeli Orphanage where she immediately connects with a troubled young girl named Carlita Scianna (Nicole Sorace).

Image Courtesy of 20th Century Studios

Margaret’s growing relationship with Carlita begins to concern the others nuns, especially the orphanage’s abbess Sister Silvia (Sônia Braga). Her efforts to reach Carlita are often stymied by her superiors who are quick to label the girl “a problem child”. Their cruel and abusive tactics include tying Carlita down with restraints and isolating her in a place dubbed “the bad room”. Perplexed by their treatment, the increasingly defiant Margaret begins pushing back against Sister Silvia’s wishes which creates even more tension.

Meanwhile away from the orphanage Margaret is persuaded by her more ‘adventurous’ roommate, Sister Luz (Maria Caballero) to slip off to a popular nightclub for an evening of unsisterlike revelry. It’s one of several key events that leads the devout yet conflicted Margaret to question much of what she’s known and loved about the church for most of her life. And in several ways that growing inner conflict indirectly drives many of her later decisions.

At this point you may be wondering about the supernatural horror. After all this is an Omen movie, right? To Stevenson’s credit, she takes her time unpacking the story and setting up what’s to come. She patiently defines her characters and their places, allowing things to slowly simmer before ramping up to a scalding boil. Yet even in the earliest scenes, Stevenson develops and maintains a looming sense of evil that steadily intensifies, leading up to utterly terrifying final act that’s not for the squeamish.

Image Courtesy of 20th Century Studios

Margaret’s story takes its biggest turn when she is approached by the disgraced Father Brennan (played in the 1976 film by Patrick Troughton, here by Ralph Ineson). He was excommunicated following his attempts to expose a sinister plot within the church. He warns Margaret to beware of Carlita and that “evil things” will begin to happen around the girl. An uneasy Margaret doesn’t buy his conspiracy theory. That is until truly horrifying things do indeed happen, leading to some dark and shocking discoveries that just may prove Father Brennan right.

Stevenson ratchets things up in the film’s final third as a blood-soaked wave of revelations come to light. The dark twists work well largely due to the time put into developing Margaret as a character and in turn raising the stakes (in sharp contrast to the somewhat similar and notably flimsier “Immaculate” from just last month). It all culminates into something wicked, grisly, and gloriously bonkers.

I love it when a movie surprises me and “The First Omen” did just that. This isn’t some lazy cash grab meant to milk an established franchise. It’s a smart, crafty, and artfully made horror film that doesn’t rely on cheap jump scares or tired gimmicks. It features confident direction and storytelling topped off with a fearless Nell Tiger Free lead performance. It all works to make a film that doesn’t feel bound by franchise constraints yet still shrewdly compliments and eventually connects with the 1976 original in a number of cool ways. “The First Omen” is in theaters now.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

REVIEW: “Boy Kills World” (2024)

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Moritz Mohr goes for the jugular in “Boy Kills World”, an action-driven fever dream that marks his directorial debut. Mohr conceived the idea with Arend Remmers and pitched it to Sam Raimi who subsequently signed on to produce. After navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic, production finally began will Bill Skarsgård cast as its lead. After premiering at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, it’s finally set to hit theaters.

When watching “Boy Kills World” you’ll have no trouble identifying the long list of inspirations that have their place in the film’s DNA. Kung-fu cinema, video games, anime, and graphic novels are just some of the influences behind Mohr’s go-for-broke vision. Its story is primarily a revenge tale, written for the screen by Remmers and Tyler Burton Smith. But both the visual and narrative style turns it into a delightfully bonkers and blood-drenched extravaganza that you’d swear was plucked straight from the pages of a comic book.

Image Courtesy of Lionsgate

Set in a near-future dystopia, a chiseled Skarsgård plays the story’s deaf-mute protagonist who’s known only as Boy. We learn through a smattering of flashbacks that Boy’s family was murdered right in front of him by a totalitarian dictator named Hilda van der Koy (Famke Janssen). Though just a child, Boy managed to escape but remained emotionally scarred and thirsty for revenge. We’re told how he sought the help of a Shaman (Yayan Ruhian) who for years has been training him to become the “ultimate warrior”.

As Boy’s rigorous and often agonizing training continues, Hilda and her power-mad family rule the unnamed city with a brutal iron fist. Nowhere is this more evident than in their annual event called “The Culling”. It’s essentially televised mass murderer as the fascist family gathers twelve citizens from the poor side of town and make examples out of them in front of a live studio audience. While gathering victims for the new year’s show, Boy witnesses acts of unspeakable violence by Hilda’s inept husband Glen (Sharlto Copley). He decides that enough is enough and sets off on his revenge-fueled campaign.

Skarsgård’s performance is an electric mix of physicality and expression, but he isn’t alone in depicting Boy. Acclaimed voice actor H. Jon Benjamin plays Boy’s inner voice who’s constantly letting us know what’s going in his mind. Benjamin makes for a great compliment to Skarsgård and Mohr is able to fuse them both into one fascinating and fun lead character.

Image Courtesy of Lionsgate

Meanwhile the film features an assembly of colorful supporting characters energized by a wonderful ensemble cast. In addition to Janssen, Ruhian, and Copley we also get Michelle Dockery as Hilda’s wicked sister Melanie and Brett Gelman as her unreliable brother Gideon. Young Quinn Copeland frequently pops up as Mina, the ghost of Boy’s murdered little sister. And Isaiah Mustafa and Andrew Koji are a lot of fun as the two-man self-identified “Resistance”. But tops on the list is the fiercely intense Jessica Rothe playing the family’s top enforcer. It’s a dramatically different kind of role for Rothe and she kills it.

“Boy Kills World” is a wild and zany mashup that can be outrageously funny one second and ferociously ultraviolent the next. While the humor is a welcomed ingredient, its the action that drives the movie. Choreographer David Szatarski unleashes some truly spectacular fight sequences. They’re savage, bloody, and stylishly in tune with the film’s spirited tone. There’s not a lot of depth to the story but there are some surprising twists. And Skarsgård gives us a rooting interest that we’re happy to follow to the very end. “Boy Kills World” opens in theaters this Friday.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

“Boy Kills World” Character Posters Tease the Upcoming Film’s Gonzo Style

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“Boy Kills World” comes out this weekend and lets just say if you’re a fan of classic kung-fu, video games, and graphic novels then first-time director Moritz Mohr has made a film just for you. I’ve seen the movie (my review drops tomorrow) and was surprised by how much I responded to it. It’s a funny, ultra-violent, and all out bonkers action film that’s full of energy and soaked in a very particular style that is shaped by the movie’s many pop culture influences.

Just a taste of that kinetic style comes through in the killer character posters released a few weeks back. Check them out and let me know what you think. Then stop back by tomorrow to read my full review.