Peter Jackson draws on the original 1933 classic in his 2005 remake of King Kong and the film is every bit the epic that one would expect. The 1933 classic is iconic for its pioneering use of stop-motion technology. It would also go onto inspire Peter Jackson to go into special effects. Lo and behold, the Oscar-winning filmmaker would tackle a remake after finishing up The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. After all, the filmmaker…
"King Kong: Peter Jackson’s Epic 2005 Remake"Tag: Jack Black
Richard Linklater’s hit musical comedy, School of Rock, is now available on a 20th anniversary Limited Edition Blu-ray SteelBook. Directors often say that animals and children are the hardest to direct. You wouldn’t know this from watching School of Rock. These are talented children and it shows throughout the entire 109-minute runtime. The film nails every single beat even during the scenes where Jack Black has both the energy and room to improvise. It’s not…
"School of Rock Gets 20th Anniversary SteelBook"
Chapter 22 of The Mandalorian sees veteran Star Wars director Bryce Dallas Howard going behind the camera for another episode. Spoilers follow for the newest episode of The Mandalorian. Did anybody else know that Jack Black and Lizzo were going to be joining the Star Wars universe? Just me? Okay. Christopher Lloyd finally makes his appearance on the show and well, you’re in for quite the treat. But anyway, this episode is probably going to…
"The Mandalorian: Chapter 22 – Guns for Hire"
Tropic Thunder, Ben Stiller’s outrageous Hollywood satire film that could never be made again, is making its arrival on 4K Ultra HD. Tropic Thunder, the Vietnam War satire directed by Ben Stiller and released in 2008, goes to extremes with all sorts of surprises. While the film gets an upgrade to 4K UHD, only the theatrical presentation arrives in HDR. The director’s cut only features a remastering in 4K. Both of which are under Ben…
"Tropic Thunder Arrives on 4K Ultra HD"
Richard Linklater is back with an animated film, Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood, that is sure to be an awards contender. Animation is cinema and it is not only for children if you go by the film’s PG-13 rating. I’m not sure whether unique is the right word to use but there’s something about the visuals here that stand apart from watching other animated movies. Maybe it is the fact that they utilize…
"Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood"
Orange County, the Jake Kasdan comedy starring Colin Hanks and Jack Black, marks its 20th anniversary since the 2002 theatrical release. When best friend Lonnie (Bret Harrison) is killed in a surfing accident, Shaun Brumder (Colin Hanks) starts rethinking his life. Until then, Shaun didn’t really value his education. He was the type to surf, drink, and party–so basically, he was your average high school student! Throw Marcus Skinner’s (Kevin Kline) novel into the equation…
"Orange County Turns 20 Years Old"
Life’s a happy song when there’s someone by your side to sing along as The Muppets marks its tenth anniversary since the 2011 release. Films like The Muppets are exactly why the Academy Awards needs a Best Comedy category. We’re long overdue and this is certainly one of the best comedies in 2011. Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller deliver a crowd-pleasing script, beautifully directed by James Bobin. And the set pieces, oh my! There are…
"The Muppets Celebrates 10th Anniversary" Tropic Thunder, the Vietnam War satire directed by Ben Stiller and released in 2008, goes to extremes with all sorts of surprises. This year marks the 13th anniversary and while Tropic Thunder may be one of the edgiest satires I’ve ever seen, it certainly hasn’t aged well. There is language in this film that we don’t use anymore. A whole sequences in the film features a derogatory slur repeated at a mile a minute. The…
"Tropic Thunder: War Satire Goes To Extremes"
Jumanji: The Next Level appropriately raises the stakes as the game takes all the major players to the next level upon their return. If you read nothing else, please do not immediately leave as the credits begin to role. There is a mid-credits scene. It’s been two years since the previous adventure. While some things have changed, the core four have remained friends. So what happened to lead us to where we find ourselves today? …
"Jumanji: The Next Level Raises The Stakes"
Starring Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, and Owen Vaccaro, Eli Roth’s The House With a Clock in Its Walls is now available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD. I missed this film when it played in theaters mostly because of the Jewish holiday marathon combined with film festival coverage. While Nathan Barr’s score compliments the film, that’s one of the few positives I have to say about it. This is the first film to use…
"The House With a Clock in Its Walls hits Blu-ray"