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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nBAD THINGS \u2013 A group of friends decide to take a vacation at\na remote mountain resort. Since this is a horror movie, this kind of trip can\nonly be a bad one. Friction arises between group members and, if that isn\u2019t\nenough, spirits of past guests begin terrorizing them. It isn\u2019t long before the\nghosts and the friends begin attacking one another. This picture debuted on the\nShudder screening site and is now arriving as a DVD-only release. Reaction from\nthe press was split. Almost half stated that the screenplay attempted to juggle\ntoo many elements and suffered from pacing issues as well as a weak finale.\nHowever, slightly more admired the film\u2019s attempts to alternate between\ntraditional shocks and psychological horror, suggesting that enough of it\nworked to earn the movie a pass. It features Gayle Rankin, Hari Nef, Annabelle\nDexter Jones, Rad Pereira, Jared Abrahamson and Molly Ringwald.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nTHE CREATOR \u2013 An ex-special forces member with a missing\nwife is the lead in this science-fiction epic. The grieving protagonist is\nasked by his old bosses to come out of retirement, catch and eliminate The\nCreator, known as an architect of an advanced form of artificial intelligence.\nIt is believed that this newly created being is a deadly weapon that can end\nhumanity. After locating the AI, the lead discovers that his target has the\nappearance of a sweet child. More critics liked this feature than disliked it.\nAbout one-third complained that the story was corny, borrowed from other sci-fi\nefforts and failed to engage them emotionally. Still, the majority thought it\nwas visually striking and the script had a lot of fascinating and\nwell-developed ideas. The cast includes John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Ken\nWatanabe, Sturgill Simpson, Madeleine Yuna Voyles and Allison Janney.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nTHE DIRTY SOUTH \u2013 A bartender in the south discovers that\nher debt-ridden father hasn\u2019t been paying the mortgage on the family watering\nhole. When a nasty businessman announces that he intends to buy the place at an\nauction, the lead realizes that she must take extreme measures to save the bar.\nTeaming with a local thief, the pair decide to pull an elaborate heist and earn\nsome cash. There currently aren\u2019t many reviews for this feature and the ones\nthat have appeared are divided. One reviewer liked the work of the cast and\nthought the performances made up for the predictability of the story. The other\ncommented that despite the film\u2019s desire to be stylish and gritty, the writing\nwas clumsy and the film didn\u2019t generate much excitement. Willa Holland, Shane West,\nDermot Mulroney, Laura Cayouette and Wayne Pare headline the film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nDUMB MONEY \u2013 Based on the true story of the GameStop stock market shenanigans from a couple of years back, this biopic explains how one man inspired a nation of amateur traders to invest in the troubled company. At the beginning of the COVID Pandemic, video blogger Keith Gill recommends Gamestop as an undervalued stock and plunks his entire fortune into it. His ideas gain momentum, resulting in difficulties for billionaire investors and analysts. The consensus was that the movie was effective. A small number suggested that the movie felt sluggish and needed to delve more deeply into the real implications of what occurred from all sides. Everyone else was impressed with the cast, thought it told an interesting underdog story and was even inspirational. It stars Paul Dano, Shailene Woodley, Pete Davidson, Vincent D\u2019Onofrio, America Ferrera, Nick Offerman, Anthony Ramos, Sebastian Stan and Seth Rogen. Read a detailed review of the movie here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY\u2019S \u2013 Based on the popular computer game\nand set in the year 2000, this tale follows a troubled man who takes a position\nas a security guard at the now-abandoned title location. On his first night,\nthe lead brings his little sister with him. The pair soon discover the\nhorrifying history of the location and must fight evil animatronic creations.\nThis feature was a huge box office hit over Halloween, but didn\u2019t impress\ncritics. About one-third of them thought that it took the story a while to get\ngoing, the movie did deliver a few chills as well as some amusing nods to the\nsource material. Still, most called it a missed opportunity that jumbled tones\nand failed to scare or amuse in any memorable manner. Josh Hutcherson,\nElizabeth Lail, Kat Conner Sterling, Mary Stuart Masterson and Matthew Lillard\nheadline the film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n GUILLERMO DEL TORO\u2019S PINOCCHIO \u2013 Last year, Netflix premiered this title, first releasing it at theaters and then making it available to stream on their site. The movie is a new adaptation of the classic novel about an Italian villager who creates a marionette and wishes for it to come to life. When the figure does, it leads to complications as the puppet tries to survive in a complicated and, at times, vicious world. The film won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and earned a great deal of praise. Admittedly, a lone voice or two couldn\u2019t get on the film\u2019s wavelength and didn\u2019t like the alterations to the original source material. However, all others found the film dark but life-affirming and rewarding. They wrote that the animation was beautifully executed and that the finale was moving and emotionally resonant. The voice cast includes Gregory Mann, Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Tilda Swinton, Cate Blanchett, Finn Wolfhard, Christoph Waltz, John Turturro and Ron Perlman. The title is being released by Criterion and is available as a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray set or as a standalone Blu-ray. Read a full review of the movie here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n MERCY ROAD \u2013 In this Australian thriller, a frantic father\nsearching for his missing daughter commits a violent act against a suspect. He\ngoes on the run from authorities and begins receiving threatening calls from an\nunknown figure who taunts him and claims to know where he is hiding. After\nbeing given disturbing instructions by the voice on the phone, the lead is\nforced to follow them in the hopes of learning his daughter\u2019s location. This\neffort split reviewers right down the middle. Half claimed that the movie was\ngimmicky, full of plot holes and ran out of gas long before it reached its\ndestination. But just as many were taken by the performances and described the\nfinal product as eccentric, twisty and completely original in its execution. It\nfeatures Luke Bracey, Toby Jones, Susie Porter and Huw Higginson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n NEVER TOO LATE FOR LOVE \u2013 A retired professor with money\nproblems decides to move back to his small hometown and take up residence at\nhis inherited family estate. He quickly befriends a hobo, a retired chef and a\nyoung handyman and the foursome end up staying together on the property. The\nlead also falls for a local woman. The shy prof is encouraged by his oddball\ncompatriots to try and woo her. This foreign-language rom-com from Italy hasn\u2019t\nbeen seen by many in this part of the world. Still, those who have managed to\nview it have been upbeat. They write that while the romance plot may be overly\nfamiliar, the cast are so good that the film is very enjoyable. For the time\nbeing, this is a DVD-only release. Gianni Di Gergorio, Simone Colombari and\nAgnese Nano headline the picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n OUTLAW JOHNNY BLACK \u2013 Anyone who appreciated Michael Jai\nWhite\u2019s comedy Black Dynamite<\/em> will likely be interested in his latest\nindependent effort, which mixes elements of blaxploitation, action and kung fu\nwithin a western setting. He plays an outlaw who is determined to avenge the\ndeath of his father, becoming a wanted man in the process. The lead pretends to\nbe a preacher in a corrupt mining town, only to end up having to save locals\nwith his fists, feet and firepower. Reaction was more positive than negative\ntowards this effort. One-third of reviewers thought the running time was far too\nlong and the jokes started to wear thin about halfway through. Still, most\ncalled the movie fun and thought that it delivered enough laughs to keep them\nengaged. For now, this is a DVD-only title. Besides White, it also stars Anika\nNoni Rose, Erica Ash, Byron Morris, Barry Bostwick and Randy Couture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n PASSAGES \u2013 A seemingly happy relationship between a gay film\ndirector and his long standing partner is altered at a party celebrating the\nend of a film shoot. The filmmaker meets a young woman and begins a passionate\naffair with her. The three attempt to work out what should happen between them\nall, but their problems draw the attention of friends, co-workers and family\nmembers who all have strong opinions. Reaction was very positive towards this\ndrama. A small contingent found the fictional moviemaker completely unlikable\nand didn\u2019t think the film explored its relationships in enough depth. However,\nall others thought the movie was powerful, beautifully acted and presented\nflawed and believable characters that one might meet in real life. It features\nFranz Rogowski, Ben Whishaw and Adele Exarchopoulos. <\/p>\n\n\n\n PAW PATROL: THE MIGHTY MOVIE \u2013 The hugely popular animated children\u2019s series gets a second title featuring the heroic pooches. When a meteorite crashes to the ground in Adventure City, the PAW Patrol are sent to clean the mess. They discover gems in the rock and find themselves gaining new superhero abilities based on their various skill sets. Unfortunately, sinister forces become interested in gaining these incredible powers for themselves. Reaction towards this effort was generally upbeat. Slightly more than one-quarter of reviewers did think that the superhero angle was dull and uninteresting and suggested the movie felt like a commercial for the show and toy line. Still, the majority complimented the animation on display as well as the message being delivered. They believed that young fans of the show would adore the flick. The voice cast includes Kristen Bell, James Marsden, Mckenna Grace, Taraji P. Henson, Marsai Martin, Christian Convery, Ron Pardo, Lil Rel Howery, Kim Kardashian West, Chris Rock and Serena Williams. Read this site’s review of the movie here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n RADICAL WOLFE \u2013 This documentary tells the story of late\njournalist\/author Tom Wolfe. Viewers see his beginnings at the Washington Post\nand discover how the writer recognized and told stories about overlooked\nsubcultures and communities, trying to bridge cultural and class divides. It\nalso goes into his written work that includes books like The Right Stuff<\/em>\nand The Bonfire of the Vanities<\/em>. The film features interviews with those\nwho knew him personally, including co-workers and family members. Response was\ngood for this non-fiction film, although not exemplary. A significant number\ndid comment that the movie lacked subtlety and thought its subject would have\ncriticized the awe-inspired tone of the movie. Still, most thought it was a\nzippy and informative documentary that served as a great introduction to an\nimportant voice. For the time being, this is a DVD-only release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SATANIC HISPANICS \u2013 Set in El Paso, Texas, this independent\nhorror anthology begins with police raiding a house and finding it full of\ndeceased Latino men. They discover one survivor, who says that magical forces\nwere responsible for the slayings. He spins elaborate tales about Latin\nAmerican legends involving mythical creatures, demons and the undead. The\nofficers don\u2019t believe him, but as the story progresses some begin to wonder if\nthey may also be in danger. Response was positive towards this feature. One or\ntwo voices thought the approach to each story was too different in tone and so\nhit-and-miss that they didn\u2019t fit together as a whole. Still, everyone else\nfound themselves taken in by the various legends, enjoyed the effects and\nthought a few of the segments were remarkably entertaining. Efren Ramirez, Greg\nGrunberg, Sonya Eddy, Lombardo Boyar, Mark Stege and Alejandro Brugu\u00e9s headline\nthe feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SHOWDOWN AT THE GRAND \u2013 A small town movie theater owner is\npressured by corporate developers with shady interests to sell his business to\nthem. He refuses and sets up a special fundraising screening at the cinema with\nan aging action film hero. When the bad guys decide to take extreme measures to\npush the proud owner out, the protagonist and movie hero decide to fight back.\nIn the process, they find themselves in the middle of a modern-day 80s action\npicture. It looks like critics had a great time with this effort. As of right\nnow, every critic who has seen the movie has admired it. They all noted that\nwhile budget limitations did hamper some of the action, the lead actors were\nfantastic to watch and the picture offered a wonderful and amusing tribute to wild\nmovies of the past. It features Terrence Howard, Dolph Lundgren, Amanda\nRighetti, John Savage and Piper Curda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n STORY AVE \u2013 This independent feature follows a young teenage\nartist from the South Bronx whose brother is killed. Feeling grief and anger\nover what occurred, he heads on the streets and joins a graffiti gang. Not long\nafter, he is told by a gang leader to rob a man in order to earn respect in\ntheir outfit. The lead targets a transit authority conductor. Surprisingly, the\nvictim invites him out to dinner and a friendship grows between them over the\ncourse of the evening, potentially changing the youth’s path. The press gave\nthis drama high marks. One reviewer found it all a bit predictable, nor did the\nperson think it was memorable. All others were impressed by the cast and\nthought it was an engaging and inspiring effort. The movie stars Asante Black,\nLuis Guzman, Melvin Gregg, Alex R. Hibbert and Cassandra Freeman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM \u2013 The famous comic book and television heroes get a reboot in this animated feature film. Bored of living in the sewers and being bossed around by their overprotective guardian, the title characters decide to venture out on their own to fight crooks. They come into contact with a group of criminal mutants and wonder if they might just fit in more on the wrong side of the law. Generally, reviewers really admired this effort. A small number scrutinized the film for having a predictable story, generic characters and failing to take cinematic advantage of the turtles’ unique abilities. Still, most were impressed by the visuals, enjoyed the energy of the piece and thought it would be a fun nostalgia trip for long-standing fans of the characters. Multiple editions of this title are available, including 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray, a standalone Blu-ray and more. Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu, Brady Noon, Ayo Edebiri, Hannibal Buress, Rose Byrne, John Cena, Jackie Chan, Ice Cube, Natasia Demetriou, Giancarlo Esposito, Post Malone, Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd provide voices for the movie. Read a full review of the movie here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n WALK UP \u2013 In this foreign-language feature from South Korea,\na film director goes on an errand with his daughter, an aspiring interior\ndesigner. They visit an apartment complex owned by an old friend who works in\ndesign. Upon their arrival, the two are given a tour of the property and go up\nfloor by floor. They look at a basement office, a restaurant and cooking studio\non the first floors, residences on the next level and an artist\u2019s penthouse\nstudio. When the director is called away, he returns to find himself inside at\na different time in history, witnessing an alternate version of the very same\nbuilding. Critics appreciated this arthouse drama. One found the minimalist\nstyle difficult to contend with and wasn’t pulled in by the story. The others\nfound the movie to be an interesting and insightful look at different lives\nthat can be experienced in the very same location. It features Kwan Hae-hyo,\nLee Hye-young and Park Mi-so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n WEIRD: THE AL YANKOVIC STORY \u2013 Enjoy biopics that are, well,\nnot actually biopics? This story of parody musical artist \u201cWeird\u201d Al Yankovic\nis just that. We witness the artist record his first successful single in a\nbathroom (which is accurate) and then follow him on a wild and crazy journey\nthat features the artist\u2019s great hits, as well as family tragedies, torrid\nromances with celebrities like Madonna, an encounter with drug dealer Pablo\nEscobar, and an assassination plot. This picture premiered on The Roku Channel\nand is now debuting in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray set or as a standalone\nBlu-ray. Notices were very good for this comedy. A small number didn\u2019t like the\nmovie\u2019s eccentric tangents nor found them funny. However, the vast majority\ncalled the picture a consistently outrageous and funny spoof on musical biopics\nwith great performances and catchy tunes. The cast includes Daniel Radcliffe,\nEvan Rachel Wood, Rainn Wilson, Julianne Nicholson, Thomas Lennon, Toby Huss,\nas well as appearances by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jonah Ray, Will Forte, Patton\nOswalt, Michael McKeon, Demitri Martin, Conan O\u2019Brien, Emo Philips, Jack Black,\nJosh Groban, Seth Green and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n BLASTS FROM THE PAST!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Looking for something a little older? There\u2019s no shortage of options either. Arrow Video is presenting a Blu-ray of the period cult film The Day of the Locust<\/em> (1975). Based on a controversial novel by Nathanael West and set during the late 1930s, it\u2019s a dark tale of a group of aspiring but damaged individuals trying to make their mark in Hollywood. As their lives become grimmer and more hopeless, things spiral out of control, leading to a violent riot in the streets during a movie premiere. The picture stars Donald Sutherland, Karen Black, William Atherton and many more. It\u2019s a powerful film that contains plenty of unforgettable images and sequences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This effort from director John Schlesinger (Midnight Cowboy, Marathon Man<\/em>) wasn\u2019t a big hit with audiences or critics during its original release, but it has gained a larger and larger following over the years. For its North American \u201cLimited Edition\u201d Blu-ray debut, it also comes with an oral history audio commentary featuring interviews with the assistant director, a new appreciation of the picture with a film critic, a featurette on the costumes in the film, a visual essay on the movie, radio spots and an image gallery. Read a full review of the Blu-ray here!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Those who remember the recent box set Enter the Video\nStore<\/em> will know that it contained the Empire Pictures productions of The\nDungeonmaster <\/em>(1984), Dolls<\/em> (1987), Cellar Dweller<\/em> (1988), Arena<\/em>\n(1989) and Robot Jox<\/em> (1989). The \u201cLimited Edition\u201d with a fancy box sold\nout in a flash, but a \u201cStandard Edition\u201d Blu-ray with all the films and extras\nis now available. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also pick up Shaw Brothers Presents: The Basher\nBox<\/em> on Blu-ray, which contains the martial arts pictures King Boxer <\/em>(1972),\nThe Boxer from Shantung<\/em> (1972) and Chinatown Kid<\/em> (1977). The\n3-disc \u201cSpecial Edition\u201d presents 2K restorations of the films, as well as film\nhistorian commentaries, movie critic appreciations, cast and crew interviews, a\nthree-part documentary on the Shaw Brothers and other bonuses. Two different\ncuts of the latter title are included.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/DVD-Five-Nights-at-Freddys-fixed.jpg\")
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