Tag warner bros

What’s in the box? It’s the 4k remaster of Se7en from Warner Brothers staring Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt!

Warner Brothers are back at it again with another classic film released in the new and fancy 4k format, this time with Se7en, or Seven, depending on where you are reading about the film. This film follows a pair of detectives, portrayed by Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt, as they investigate a serial killer that is choosing his victims based on the seven deadly sins and using their sins themselves to kill them. One such murder is killing a glutton by force feeding him spaghetti until his stomach explodes.

What makes this film really stand out is how graphic it is while keeping the truly offensive parts off screen. By that I mean that you never seen any of the deaths until the killer is executed by our detective heroes, before that its all just the aftermath. Imagine how much worse it would have been had we also watched the the killer force feeding the guy till he died, I doubt the film would have ever made it to theaters had they included those parts of the story. In fact that scene has stuck with me since the original release on DVD over twenty years ago and I think about it EVERY time the family has spaghetti. When you can’t forget a scene after that much time, you know it was well done.

Start to finish this film is a masterpiece. I would have never guessed that this is the same director that was responsible for Aliens 3, a fun film but nothing special about it besides some slight expansion on the lore. Ironically just before our contact at Warner Brothers let us know they were sending this to us, I was discussing how brilliant the film was with my oldest who is now a few years older than I was when I first saw the film. I can’t wait to share this version on the larger screen with her. If you enjoyed the film or would like to see a film the exceeds the quality of most films these day in terms of tension building, story and practical effects then this is a must purchase for you. If we weren’t sent a copy I can guarantee we would be purchasing our own as well!

Joker has returned with Joaquin Phoenix reprising his role in Joker Folie A Deux from Warner Brothers Pictures.

Joaquin Phoenix returns to his rendition of the Joker in Joker Folie A Deux from Warner Brothers Pictures. The story follows the end of the first film as Arthur awaits trial in Arkham. During a regular meeting with his lawyer, when all humor had left him, he saw into a choir group therapy class, making eye contact for the first time with Harley Quinnzel. He starts attending the group soon after, using that meeting to talk to her more. The humor has returned and things escalate as she starts a fire as a diversion so they can be free, if only for a short time. The majority of the film centers around his trial for the murders committed in the first film.

As to be expected, the acting by the cast was fantastic and visually it looks like the perfect film to follow the original. I expected the film to have a few songs sung by the characters due to their meeting and them almost exclusively within the confines of that room. There were so many songs in this film being sung by the duo that it might as well have been categorized as a musical. I applaud them for continuing to push the idea of what and who Joker is but overall it fell way flat. All technical aspects of the film were fantastic but the story felt interrupted by all of the musical numbers, resulting in a film that was difficult to enjoy in the end.

Who watches the Watchmen? Perhaps we’ll get the answer with the next installment of the animated film series!

In mere months following the release of Chapter 1, Warner Brothers brings us the sequel and finale with The Watchmen Chapter 2. The former super team has seen one of their people murdered, one in self exile and one in prison. Two have donned their costumes once again to help where they could and continuing Rorschach’s investigation. Night Owl manages to find that each of these events seem to be tied together through corporations owned by Ozymandias himself. While this is happening the world is also on the brink of a new World War.

Alan Moore has penned some of the greatest stories in comics and many have seen adaptations in film. The Watchmen was first adapted in live action film but for some reason the studio saw fit to make this into a two film animated series. Having never seen the original film or read the comic, I am unable to compare the animated films to either but from what I’ve been told, the main story points are exactly the same. The voice acting is fantastic, which is not a surprise since it includes legends like Troy Baker, Katee Sackhoff and Matthew Rhys. The animation reminds me of the art style from the many games that Telltale Games published years ago and fits the story perfectly. Overall I thought the film was wonderfully written and once again proves how brilliant of a writer Alan Moore really is. In it’s entirety the film was fantastic and I know I must watch the live action film to see if it lives up to this version of the story because if it’s only half as good then its going to be a damn great film.

Trap is a film about a serial killer that attends a concert with his daughter that turns out to be snare meant to prevent him from escaping.

The film Trap, from Warner Brothers and M. Night Shyamalan, follows a father and his daughter as they attend a pop concert where law enforcement hope to catch a serial killer. The story focuses on Josh Hartnett’s character Cooper and his alter ego, The Butcher. He bounces around the arena between searching for an exit and spending time with his daughter. This is all while trying to figure out how law enforcement learned he would be there.

Every step of the way it seems the police are a step ahead and have another avenue of exit blocked off. His creativity with how he avoids them and blends in is quite impressive. If only he used his skills for good.

Having seen the trailer my first impression was that the film would focus on him recognizing he was trapped and then going on a killing spree to as one last party before the end. That is not the film we got. Like a classic Shyamalan film there is always a twist and this time it was much more subtle than expected. Typically his twists basically slap you in the face but this time it could be argued whether it truly is the twist at the end. Despite the film not being the story I expected, or wanted, it was still very well written, exceptionally acted and directed. This is one of those films that I’m certain has hidden details throughout and will require multiple watches to see everything and I’m looking forward to what I find on the next viewing.

Blink Twice starring Channing Tatum is a thriller that surprises at nearly every turn. The pieces are there but will you see them?

Blink Twice is one of those films where the trailer seemed to imply the film was entirely different than it actually is. The film is a thriller but the premise was not at all what we expected. Almost feels like a bait and switch. The trailer from Warner Brothers made the film appear as a story where the uber rich Slater King was tricking people to come to his private island to then be hunted by him and his friends. There is some truth to that but not any of the hunting.

The film starts with Frida arriving to work her shift at a part for Slater King’s charity. With a change of outfits she attends the party and gets invited to the island by Slater himself, played by Channing Tatum. Other than some weird run ins with staff working the grounds, it all seems like fun in the sun with drugs, booze, gourmet meals and watching the help eliminate the native snake population. Everything seems to be great until Frida’s friend was bit by one of the many snakes and it changes everything for Frida.

For anyone interested in seeing the film, I must warn there are numerous scenes of Sexual Assault that I was not expecting to see. Despite those scenes the writing of the film and how it was filmed was quite brilliant. Without spoiling the movie I will only say that I loved the end. The acting, directing, all it, was fantastically done.

A Nightmare on Elm Street and it’s villain, Freddy Krueger, have haunted audiences for decades and have returned in 4k from Warner Brothers.

Freddy Krueger is back in the 4k edition of A Nightmare on Elm Street and was established as one of the ultimate horror villains when I was a kid. He is still talked about to this day. Of course many of us from the 80’s like to relive those films from our childhood and that is further helped by horror themed conventions and music, like Ice Nine Kills’ American Nightmare. That song was actually what got me not just listening to them but WANTING to see this film for the first time. That’s right, prior to this viewing I had never seen a single movie in the franchise. Thanks to Warner Brothers, this edition also includes the Uncut version as well! Of course, the only real differences between the two is an extension of a couple scenes, making them just a bit more graphic. I’m glad I watched this before letting my son, he doesn’t do well with gory elements.

My understanding about Freddy’s character is that he was simply some sort of demon that killed teens in their sleep and simply put, that is accurate but it goes much deeper than that. He was a man that was hung and is now targeting the children of his own killers. Of course the parents were justified as Freddy was evil even as a man and was already targeting children. Now he is targeting SPECIFIC children.

At this point I should stop being surprised at how well a story is told from the 80’s and learn to accept that to make a great film you don’t need all the new effects and rely more on actual talent instead. Finishing the film I was quite impressed and can easily see why Freddy remains one of the great horror villains.

Watchmen Chapter 1 is an animated retelling of the film and comics from DC Comics, Warner Brothers and Alan Moore.

Watchmen Chapter 1 is the first of a two part animated series from Warner Brothers, based on the comic by Alan Moore from DC Comics. Originally released in 1986, the story focuses on an alternative history that includes costumed heroes helping through some of the greatest conflicts of the last 100 years. I went into this film without having seen the live action film or having read the entirety of the story either. The only things I was truly aware of was the death of The Comedian, Rorschach is an absolute beast in a fight and Dr. Manhattan is beyond overpowered. When I saw the title, Watchmen Chapter 1, I was expecting some sort of prequel, not an animated adaptation of the book and live action film. Clearly I was wrong.

Chapter 1 is a direct adaptation of the comic and film. I can’t speak to differences based on my lack of experience with either of the prior properties but I suspect that is part of the reasoning behind this adaptation. As with the main story, this film begins with the murder of The Comedian but ends with Rorschach’s arrest.

The animation quality far surpasses most, if not all, of the animated properties from DC and Warner Brothers. It looks very similar to the art style of the Batman games from Telltale Games. The voice acting is great which isn’t a surprise considering some of the names attached. Without knowing the details of the story it kept me on the edge of my seat, needing to know who the killer was and why. Overall it was a fantastic film.

Watchers is the writing and directorial debut of Ishana Night Shyamalan, focusing on a group of of travelers that were lost in the woods.

Ishana Night Shyamalan is the writer and director of the film Watchers, starring Dakota Fanning. She is the daughter of film legend, M. Night Shyamalan who also acts as producer on the film. I didn’t know any of this, other than the title and the top billing star of the film. Watching the trailer, the film seemed to focus on Mina as she gets lost in the forest and discovering a strange building and darkness starting to fall. She’s told to enter the building immediately for her own safety and she does. She immediately notices that the room seems to be three concrete walls and a giant two way mirror where something or someone can see within. There she is taught the rules of the building, most important of which is that returning before nightfall is critical and that they are never to open the door during the night.

Based on the trailers I had seen, it appeared that the watchers may be some sort of cult or just some really weird people. Could even be some sort of corporation running some sort of social experiment. Regardless of who the watchers really are, the people within must put on a show of sorts for them, mostly just living within the confines of the their nightly cell.

For such a simple concept I was quite impressed with the film. With Shyamalan involved it comes as no surprise that there is a twist or two but within the context of the story they worked quite well. The lore of the story worked even better by the end. There was so little of it for the first half that I assumed we would never learn what was going on but thankfully I was wrong because the reveals were well worth it by the end. Overall the film kept me on the edge of my seat and was brilliantly written. I know that based on this film alone I look forward to seeing Ishana’s next project.

Furiosa follows the story of how she became the badass heroine from Mad Max: Fury Road and stars Chris Hemsworth and Anya Taylor-Joy.

Furiosa is the latest, or fifth, installment in the Mad Max franchise from Warner Brothers and features Chris Hemsworth and Anya Taylor-Joy. The story follows her from being a child through rising up through Immortan Joe’s ranks. It even covers how she lost her arm as well. The world of Mad Max is responsible for inspiring, or helping to inspire, so many other properties. My own novel I published years ago being one of them. The world has basically gone to hell. As far as anyone can tell, it is all wasteland in every direction. The remnants of society have banded behind blood thirsty leaders that promise to provide them with the best the world has left to offer while maintaining uneasy alliances. Due to Fury Road, we know how her story ends but not see how it truly begins with her abduction from her paradisical home.

The team did a fantastic job making a truly believable wasteland, leaving me curious about where they could have filmed everything. The effects were over the top, but in a great way and the cast was amazing. During Fury Road, Furiosa was my favorite character and this film  further reinforced that feeling. Overall it was a great film for fans of over the top action, fiery explosions and absolutely brutal combat.

Parents grab your children, children grab your blankies, this is not a test! Crisis on Infinite Earths Part 3 is finally here!

The team at Warner Brothers were kind enough to share Part 3 of Justice League Crisis On Infinite Earths for our review. The film starts with the death of the Monitor and pulling the Earths they could save into a realm between life and death called The Bleed. The protection of The Bleed has become increasingly unstable and incursions begin to happen across multiple Earths. First is a wave of dinosaurs attacking Metropolis and followed by Nazis armed with the weapons of Batman’s rogues gallery in Gotham. Both sequences were great.

The film does a great job of not just telling the conclusion of the story but explaining why the multiverse even exists. It even explains how the Anti-Monitor is a hero to the multiverse. Even having read the novel, my memory is that the Anti-Monitor was the ultimate villain. I loved seeing cameos from some of the other animate DC universes, like Batman The Animated Series including Mark Hamill as the Joker of that world. Overall it made for a great ending to the story and told in a better way than I had seen previously for this story.

I just hope that we get to see Batman Metal receive this same treatment because start to finish the team crushed this story!