New on Home Video: “Missing” Blu-Ray + Digital

March 27, 2023 by Keith Garlington

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced the home video release of “Missing” from co-directors Nick Johnson and Will Merrick. This taut, savvy, and thoroughly gripping tech thriller is the spiritual successor to 2018’s “Searching”, similarly telling its story through phone calls, text messages, FaceTime, home movies, security cameras, web browsers, etc. It’s a fast-paced and absorbing ride that keeps us hooked on every virtual detail. You can read my FULL REVIEW of the film HERE.

This Blu-ray and Digital edition of “Missing” hits shelves March 28, 2023. See below for a full synopsis and features breakdown of this brand new combo-pack.

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS

Year: 2023

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 110 minutes

Directors: Will Merrick and Nick Johnson

Starring: Storm Reid, Nia Long, Joaquim De Almeida, Ken Leung, Amy Landecker, Daniel Henney

From the minds behind “Searching” comes “Missing”, a thrilling roller-coaster mystery that makes you wonder how well you know those closest to you. When her mother (Nia Long) disappears while on vacation in Colombia with her new boyfriend, June’s (Storm Reid) search for answers is hindered by international red tape. Stuck thousands of miles away in Los Angeles, June creatively uses all the latest technology at her fingertips to try and find her before it’s too late. But as she digs deeper, her digital sleuthing raises more questions than answers…and when June unravels secrets about her mom, she discovers that she never really knew her at all.

BONUS MATERIALS

BLU-RAY AND DIGITAL

Deleted Scenes
Hunting for the MISSING Easter Eggs
Behind-The-Scenes Featurettes:
- Storm Reid and the Challenge of MISSING
- Misdirects, Online Crimes and the Social Media Mystery
- The Screens that Rule Our Lives
Filmmaker Commentary

Blu-ray and DVD include a digital code for movie and bonus materials as listed above, redeemable via Movies Anywhere for a limited time.

SPECS

Feature: 1080p High Definition / 1.78:1 / Color

Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD MA, French (Doublé au Québec), Spanish, English & French (Doublé au Québec) – Audio Description Tracks 5.1 Dolby Digital

Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish

REVIEW: “John Wick: Chapter 4” (2023)

March 27, 2023 by Keith Garlington

Who knew that a little movie about a hitman avenging his dog’s death would evolve into the most popular action franchise going? Of course that’s an overly simplified synopsis of 2014’s “John Wick”, a movie that instantly won people over (yours truly included) with its ferocious style, exciting yet proudly tongue-in-cheek story, and the incandescent charms of its lead actor, Keanu Reeves. Great reviews from critics and strong word of mouth from audiences catapulted the film to unexpected heights.

2017’s “John Wick: Chapter 2” stepped up the world-building while 2019’s “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum” gave some fan favorite side characters more time in the limelight. Now Reeves is back for a fourth installment. “John Wick: Chapter 4” is the biggest, wildest, and certainly the most ambitious film of the franchise. It travels to more locations, introduces a slew of cool new characters, and features even bigger and more mind-blowing set pieces. “Chapter 4” takes much of what fans have loved about the previous three films and amplifies them. The results are nothing short of terrific.

Unfortunately there is a cloud of sadness that hangs over the release of “John Wick: Chapter 4”. Esteemed actor Lance Reddick, who has appeared in all four films playing Charon, the faithful concierge at the New York Continental Hotel, unexpectedly passed away on March 17th at the age of 60. It was a crushing loss for the franchise and the entertainment world. Reddick’s passing adds an extra level of emotion to a film that already has a surprising amount of feeling baked into it.

Fans of the franchise should know exactly what to expect from “Chapter 4”. Stuntman turned director Chad Stahelski returns after helming the first three films and orchestrates yet another stylish ballet of relentless heart-pumping action. Yet more than any of its predecessors, “Chapter 4” is almost poetic in its presentation, mixing together meticulously choreographed movements, pulse-pounding music, and some of the most incredible stunt-work I’ve seen in a while.

To say the affable 58-year-old Reeves has made the title character his own would be a massive understatement. His fourth venture as the almost mythical Baba Yaga is his most challenging yet (it’s said Reeves did 90% of his own stunts!!!). As mentioned, everything is bigger including the running time (2 hours and 49 minutes) and the budget ($100 million). Yet despite its waves of violence and the massive body count (140 by one pretty reliable count), in many ways “Chapter 4” may be the most intimate and personal John Wick film since part one.

Picking up where the previous movie left off, the story (penned by Shay Hatten and Michael Finch) sees John Wick in New York City preparing to enact his revenge on the formidable High Table – the powerful and mostly faceless faction of crime lords that rules the underworld. He’s helped by The Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne), a loyal and reliable provider of useful information, weapons, and finely tailored Kevlar suits.

John’s first order of business is to head to Morocco where he assassinates The Elder (George Georgiou), the one person who sits above the High Table. As a result, Winston Scott (Ian McShane), John’s friend and the manager of the New York Continental Hotel is summoned by Marquis Vincent de Gramont (Bill Skarsgård), a high-ranking member of the High Table. In response to failing to kill John in the previous movie, the Marquis revokes Winston’s status as hotel manager and then doles out some even harsher punishment.

De Gramont then hires a blind yet deadly hitman named Caine (Donnie Yen). He’s retired and wants no part in killing his old friend John Wick. But he’s forced to take the contract after the Marquis threatens to kill his daughter. Meanwhile John is holed up in the Osaka Continental which is managed by his trusted friend Shimazu Koji (the always great Hiroyuki Sanada) and Koji’s daughter/concierge Akira (Rina Sawayama). Soon Caine arrives, accompanied by de Gramont’s right-hand muscle Chidi (Marko Zaror) and an army of High Table assassins. It leads to the first of several hyper-kinetic showdowns.

Among the many joys of watching a John Wick film is relishing the incredible world-building and the colorful array of side characters. “Chapter 4” delivers both in spades. Stahelski takes us around the world, shooting on location in places like New York, Paris, Tokyo, and Berlin. At each stop we’re thrust deeper into the franchise’s vibrant (and often violent) underworld network. In addition to Koji, Akira, and Caine, we’re also introduced to other fascinating players such as The Harbinger (Clancy Brown), a high-ranking representative of the High Table, a crime boss in Germany named Killa (Scott Adkins), and a mysterious “Tracker” who adopts the name Mr. Nobody (Shamier Anderson).

If there was ever a movie that showed the need of Oscar categories for stunt-work and choreography, it’s “John Wick: Chapter 4”. Whether throwing down in a famed Berlin nightclub or on a never-ending outdoor staircase in Montmartre; in a neon-bathed hotel in Osaka or on a busy roundabout circling the iconic Arc de Triomphe, Jeremy Marinas” graceful yet intense fight choreographer stuns and the work from stunt coordinators Scott Rogers and Stephen Dunlevy will routinely have your jaw on the floor. And it’s all emphasized by Dan Laustsen’s gloriously precise cinematography.

“John Wick: Chapter 4” is a full-on action extravaganza and an unforgettable cinematic experience. It’s an adrenaline-fueled spectacle but with a beating heart. It’s also one of the best action movies of the last decade-plus. Keanu Reeves, with his quiet charisma and amazing physicality, once again has us rooting for his tragically heartbroken yet intensely lethal former hitman who remains trapped between his insatiable thirst for revenge and his longing for some semblance of peace. John Wick has evolved into a legendary character – one who I’ll follow to his grave. “John Wick: Chapter 4” is now showing in theaters.

REVIEW: 4.5 STARS

REVIEW: “The Tutor” (2023)

March 24, 2023 by Keith Garlington

(CLICK HERE to read my full review in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

Who knew the world of big city professional tutoring was so treacherous? Well it certainly is in the lightly gonzo and undeniably entertaining new thriller “The Tutor”. The film comes from director Jordan Ross, working from a screenplay by Ryan King, and stars the inspired trio of Garrett Hedlund, Victoria Justice, and Noah Schnapp.

Hedlund plays Ethan, a highly sought after tutor for the children of the rich and privileged. He works for a firm ran by his boss and friend, Chris (Joseph Castillo-Midyett), that sends its private educators to the homes of one-percenters to teach an assortment of pampered pupils. Ethan has earned a good reputation, mainly due to his ability to connect with the often troubled teens he instructs.

**Image Courtesy of Vertical Entertainment**

Ethan gets a call from Chris who tells him about a new client who has requested him by name. The family wants to start with a one-week trial basis, during which they’ll pay Ethan $2500 per day. There are a couple of conditions. First, he’ll have to spend the entire week on the premises. Second, they’ll be paying him under the table (now if that isn’t a warning sign). The deal is too sweet to pass up, especially since Ethan and his girlfriend Annie (Justice) are about to have a baby. They need the money so Ethan takes the job.

After being picked by a spit-shined luxury Cadillac, Ethan is driven to a gated country estate with its swanky accommodations, well-manicured gardens, and a garage full of expensive motorcycles. There he meets Jackson (Schnapp), an oddly disconnected teen and the only child of glaringly wealthy parents who are nowhere to be found. His dad is away on business, but Jackson says he’s not allowed to talk about his father’s work. And he’s even more vague about his mother. If things weren’t weird enough, Jackson has no idea what he scored on his SATs. He doesn’t even know what they’re supposed to be studying.

Aside from the family’s stern yet well tailored butler, also staying at the estate is Jackson’s space cadet cousin Gavin (Jonny Weston) and his sex kitten girlfriend Jenny (Kabby Borders). The two add an extra coat of weirdness to a story that gets more twisted with each scene. Jackson’s behavior gets more erratic and he develops “a slightly unhealthy attachment” to Ethan. Soon we’re asking the question, is Jackson a mad genius or is he something far more sinister.

You may be thinking this sounds like just another crazy stalker flick, and you wouldn’t be wrong in doing so. It has all the pieces that help make it feel that way. But to Ross and King’s credit, they kinda bait us into that easy-to-make snap judgement. In reality, their story begins taking on a different shape in the third act, and the big twist(s) swing things in an unexpected new direction. It makes things fun, in a very ‘I didn’t see that coming‘ sort of way. But admittedly things get a little far-fetched and not all the pieces fit as nicely as they should.

Still, I can see “The Tutor” being catnip for fans who enjoy the steady flow of big-twist thrillers that regularly come out today. Both Ross and King seem to know what genre lovers are looking for and they meet those easy-to-define expectations. Really good performances from Hedlund, Schnapp, and Justice help keep the characters interesting and make it easier to overlook some of the material’s more far-out turns. But honestly, it’s those far-out turns that often make movie’s like this fun.

At the same time, you can’t help but pick apart some of the more outrageous aspects of the story. Some pretty obvious questions spring up once you start considering how things take shape. That ultimately holds the movie back and keeps it from being as memorable as it might have been. But for those able to avoid the traps of over-critiquing or even overthinking, “The Tutor” captures much of what people enjoy about these popular popcorn thrillers. “The Tutor” is now showing in select theaters and on VOD.

VERDICT – 3 STARS

REVIEW: “All the Old Knives” (2022)

March 23, 2023 by Keith Garlington

I’ve always had a soft spot for dense talky thrillers. When done well they highlight good screenwriting while giving actors the dramatic material to burrow deep into their characters. And when combined with the right director, able actors, and strong script, a simple conversation in a restaurant can be as tense and engrossing as any well-done nail-biting action sequence.

Based on the book by Olen Steinhauer, “All the Old Knives” delivers that kind of dialogue-heavy experience but with a strong romantic underpinning that sets it apart. Steinhauer, who also wrote the screenplay, teams with director Janus Metz and a lights-out cast to craft a heady and intelligent cloak-and-dagger mystery steeped in governmental intrigue, deep-rooted espionage, and betrayal.

The movie opens up in 2012 Vienna, with a room of stunned CIA agents getting word that hijackers have killed every passenger and crew member aboard Turkish Alliance flight 127. A shocking 120 men, woman, and children murdered inside the plane as it sat on the tarmac of Vienna’s international airport. The events of Flight 127 loom over the rest of the story like a dark ominous cloud.

Jump ahead eight years. Langley has reopened the investigation into flight 127 following the capture of a terrorist who was involved in the planning of the hijacking. He’s made a claim that the terrorists had help from inside the CIA’s Vienna station. CIA Chief Vick Wallinger (Laurence Fishburne), who was head of the CIA operation in Vienna, is tasked with combing over his old team to find out if they had a mole in their midst. He calls in case officer Henry Pelham (Chris Pine), a trusted agent who was also in Vienna eight years earlier. Vick sends Henry to discover the truth so they can finally close the books on Flight 127.

Before anything else, there are two former colleagues Henry will need to rule out first. Bill Compton (Jonathan Pryce), the Vienna station’s second in command now residing in London. And Celia Harrison (Thandiwe Newton), a wife and mother of two and Henry’s former lover. Both were key members of the Vienna team and both are potential suspects. From there the movie follows Henry’s meetings with Bill and Celia, hopping back and forth on the timeline as they each try and recall the events of that traumatic day.

The movie looks like a spy thriller, sounds like a spy thriller, and mostly plays like a spy thriller. But when it comes to mystery and truth-digging, it’s just as much about the core relationship between Pine’s Henry and Newton’s Celia. As the truth about Flight 127 is slowly unearthed, so are the details of their steamy romance which all but ended the day of the massacre. Metz and Steinhauer do a stellar job weaving together both threads of their story while bouncing back-and-forth from the past to present day. And pacing is everything in a slow-boil like this. “All the Old Knives” is definitely slow, but Pedersen keeps it at a steady boil.

Overall this is a fun and engrossing throwback thriller that’s a far cry from the more action-packed showy side of spy movies. It mines it’s tension from the emotions and intensity of its characters which lets the performances really shine. The cast sinks their teeth into this cerebral and tightly wound story which keeps us guessing right up to its solid payoff. It might not play as well for the more action-hungry crowd. But any fan of rich, layered, dialogue-driven thrillers will enjoy what “All the Old Knives” has to offer. “All the Old Knives” is streaming now on Amazon Prime.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

New on Home Video: “All Quiet on the Western Front” 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray Collector’s Edition Mediabook

March 22, 2023 by Keith Garlington

Netflix in conjuction with capelight pictures has announced the release “All Quiet on the Western Front” on home video. This attractive 2-disc Limited Collector’s Edition Mediabook contains both the 4K UHD and Blu-ray versions of the movie along with a 24-page booklet. The film is a stunningly made epic-scaled polemic from director Edward Berger who delivers some of the grittiest and most visceral battle sequences ever put to film. Yet, much like the classic 1929 novel that inspired it, the human cost always remains the movie’s focus. Read my full review of the film HERE.

This handsome new 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray Collector’s Mediabook Edition of “All Quiet on the Western Front” hits shelves on March 28th, 2023. See below for a full synopsis and breakdown of the bonus features.

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:

Year: 2022

Rating: R

Runtime: 147 Minutes

Directed by: Edward Berger

Cast: Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch, Aaron Hilmer, Moritz Klaus, Edin Hasanovic, Adrian Grünewald, Thibault De Montalembert, Devid Striesow, Daniel Brühl

Producers: Malte Grunert, Daniel Dreifuss, Edward Berger

Executive Producers: Daniel Brühl, Thorsten Schumacher, Lesley Paterson, Ian Stokell

Written by: Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson, Ian Stokell

Based on the Novel by Erich Maria Remarque

Spring 1917. 17-year-old Paul Bäumer (Felix Kammerer) and his friends are extremely eager to go to war, to beat the French soundly and march to Paris victorious. This is how the boys imagine it. This is the war they are promised by their principal in a rousing speech. With jubilation, fanfare and song, the “youth of iron” marches off – for Emperor, God and Fatherland.

The enthusiasm, however, does not last long. When they arrive at the Western Front after days of marching. It’s pouring rain. The trenches are filling up and fast becoming a swamp. But the French do not wait to attack. Flares rise up, brightening no-man’s land with a surreal beauty. Until all hell breaks loose again and the French bombard the trenches.

What follows portrays Paul and his comrades’ first-hand experience of how the initial euphoria of war turns into horror, suffering and fear as they desperately fight for their lives in the trenches.

Winner of 4 Oscars including “Best International Film”, “Best Cinematography”, “Best Original Score, and “Production Design”.

Winner of 7 BAFTAs including “Best Film”, “Best Director”, “Best Film Not in the English Language” and “Best Adapted Screenplay”.

Special Features:

24-page booklet
Making-of Featurette
Theatrical trailer
Teaser

The 4K UHD features the original German audio (with English subtitles) in Dolby Atmos audio of the original and 4K Dolby Vision image for the perfect picture and sound quality. The mediabook packaging comes with a 24 page booklet that includes “SHARING THE GERMAN PERSPECTIVE“ – a conversation with director Edward Berger and “A MACHINE OF DEATH UNLIKE ANY EXPERIENCED BEFORE” – an interview with historian and professor Daniel Schönpflug on the historical background of All Quiet On The Western Front.

Language & Audio Options:

UHD: Dolby Atmos German, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 English, Dolby Digital 5.1 French, Spanish, Italian, Turkish, Polish, Ukrainian, Czech, Hungarian and Spanish (Latin America); Audio descriptions Dolby Digital 2.0: German, English, French, Spanish, Italian and Spanish (Latin America)

Blu-ray: Dolby Atmos German, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 English, Dolby Digital 5.1 French, Spanish, Italian, Turkish, Polish, Ukrainian, Czech, Hungarian and Spanish (Latin America); Audio descriptions Dolby Digital 2.0: German, English, French, Spanish, Italian and Spanish (Latin America)

Subtitles:

English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Spanish (Latin America), Portuguese, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Turkish, Polish, Ukrainian, Czech and Hungarian; SDH: English, German and Spanish (Latin America)

Aspect Ratio:

UHD: 2.39:1 (4K, Dolby Vision, HDR10) BD: 2.39:1 (1080p)

REVIEW: “Supercell” (2023)

March 22, 2023 by Keith Garlington

Director Herbert James Winterstern takes a swing at the disaster genre (sort of) in his feature film directorial debut “Supercell”. As you can probably tell by the not-so-cryptic title, it’s a killer storm movie set in North Texas and the Midwest. That’s prime territory for a movie like this. Unfortunately the storm-chasing in this modestly budgeted feature never amps up the excitement the way it needs to. And the human drama (though well-intended) isn’t strong enough carry us through.

Winterstern knows his way around filmmaking, having worked as a producer, writer, editor, cinematographer, and in a number of other behind the scenes technical roles. Here he directs from a script he co-wrote with Anna Elizabeth James. Their story attempts to meld straight-up genre thrills with a rather tepid family drama. There’s certainly some heart behind certain characters and you can almost sense a Spielbergian influence in how Winterstern and James handle one teenage boy’s journey. If only the performances had the same voltage as the massive CGI storm cells looming over the plains.

“Supercell” features an interesting supporting cast. First is Skeet Ulrich (“Scream”) who has been popping up in several films lately. It’s good to see. Then you have Alec Baldwin who is currently embroiled in a legal battle following a fatal on-set accident while shooting the movie “Rust”. And there’s Anne Heche, appearing in one of the late actress’ final roles.

The lead is Canadian actor Daniel Diemer who plays Will Brody, the son of renowned storm-chaser Bill Brody. Ten years ago his father was killed chasing a massive tornado near Wichita Falls, Texas. Since then, Will has been raised by his struggling mother Quinn (Heche). She once worked side-by-side with her late husband studying storms. After moving to Florida and filing bankruptcy, she now works cleaning houses to provide for her son.

Lately Will has taken an interest in his father’s work, but Quinn is quick to discourage him. She wants Will to go to college. “It’s your way out, ” she reasons, fearing he’ll meet the same fate as his father. But one day Will receives an old journal in the mail that belonged to his dad. Ignoring his mother’s wishes, Will sneaks off and follows the return address to the Texas home of his uncle Roy (Ulrich).

Once a studier of storms himself, the embittered Roy now drives for a storm-chasing tour line (are those really a thing???) owned by the surly Zane Rogers (Baldwin). An angry Quinn gets word that her son is with Roy and heads to Texas with Will’s soon-to-be girlfriend (Jordan Kristine Seamón) in tow. But wouldn’t you know it, the mother of all storms is brewing which manages to bring all the parties together in its dangerous path for a predictable and rather hammy climax.

It’s hard to watch the movie and not see it as a low-budget take on “Twister” (there’s actually a terrific nod to that 1996 film and Bill Paxton that’s easy to miss). But to Winterstern’s credit he does a lot with the resources he has. There are some stunning wide angle shots showing off the ominous clouds building up across the horizons. And we get a couple of nail-biting moments of pure intensity, the best taking place during a brutal hail storm. Winterstern puts us inside Roy’s van as three-inch hail beats it to a pulp. His shooting and cutting of the scene is top-notch.

But too much of the story is handcuffed by predictability, contrivances, and some shaky character work. Ulrich is a nice fit for Roy, although the character could use more depth. Much the same, Baldwin gives a solid performance. But his character was all over the map and (especially in the final third) never made sense to me. Heche struggles and it’s hard to put a finger on why. Quinn in pretty straightforward, but Heche often feels out-of-sync. And poor Seamón is reserved to being a tag-along with no real story of her own.

There are a few other issues that bring the movie down a bit (getting off to a slow start, composer Corey Wallace’s dramatic yet overbearing score, etc.). But I do appreciate the movie’s attempt at making something other that digitalized disaster porn. While they aren’t quite realized the way they need to be, the characters are the centerpiece. Diemer is a sturdy enough lead and gives the movie a good anchor. But there’s only so much weight he can carry. Ultimately we’re left wanting more, both from the human drama and the computer enhanced storms. “Supercell” is now showing in select theaters and on VOD.