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- Review count61
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- First reviewJuly 23, 2018
- Last reviewMay 26, 2023
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4
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- Last answerFebruary 18, 2020
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![The Fabelmans (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray) [UHD] [Standard] [4K Ultra HD Blu-ray]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/prescaled/500/500/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/31407e4c-0a0a-4043-af15-02c681cb8495.jpg)
The Fabelmans (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray) [
Customer Rating
4
Spielberg Sentimentality
on April 7, 2023
Posted by: VandyPrice
Verified Purchase:Yes
Both an ode to the movies that made him who he is and a full-frontal confrontation with the life events that shaped his adolescence and informed themes that have resonated throughout his career, Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans is an autobiographical approach to a story Spielberg has told metaphorically so many times before that it almost feels redundant to literalize to such an extent.
Length of ownership: 49
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![Babylon [SteelBook] [Includes Digital Copy] [4K Ultra HD Blu-ray/Blu-ray] [2022]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/prescaled/500/500/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/304b2327-370a-41e7-956a-951dd4939472.png)
Customer Rating
4
Gorgeous Steelbook
on April 7, 2023
Posted by: VandyPrice
Verified Purchase:Yes
A eulogy of wild west Hollywood and a celebration of the joy the movies can bring no matter how much despair is wrapped in the making of them. The content is gloriously deranged yet every frame is gloriously beautiful. Margot Robbie is a powder keg, Jean Smart injects real depth in her and the film’s single moment of clarity, and Brad Pitt is just so f’n good as a character he would have undoubtedly embodied had he been born in that era anyway.
Length of ownership: 21
Mobile Submission: False
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Customer Rating
5
One of the Best Movies of 2020
on January 8, 2021
Posted by: VandyPrice
Verified Purchase:Yes
I've said it countless times in reviews for the likes of 2009's Friday the 13th, Ryan Coogler's Creed and the Safdie Brothers' Good Time, but I'll say it again as one can glean very early on that there has been tremendous care and a deep pride taken in crafting writer/director Leigh Whannell's (Upgrade) re-interpretation of the H.G. Wells story, The Invisible Man, and we know this due simply to the way in which the title sequence is conveyed. Do I wish Whannell and co. might have saved the main title until after the breathtakingly tense opening sequence? Absolutely, but does this take away from the fact Whannell pays homage to the 1933 adaptation starring Gloria Stuart by opening on such a classic horror setting as a stormy night in a mansion perched upon a hill as the falling rain outside gives only the slightest hint of light in the dark (almost as if the film were in black and white) as the rain drops begin to outline text across the screen? No, no it does not. Not at all. And have no fear, for the entirety of this review will not consist of how well this little touch of brilliance sets the table for everything that comes after, but know that everything that comes afterward is all nearly as brilliant. 2020's The Invisible Man is both a product of its time in that it casts Elisabeth Moss in the lead as a suppressed, but capable woman stuck in an abusive, controlling relationship who-even when she escapes her brutal fiancé (The Haunting of Hill House’s Oliver Jackson-Cohen)-has a difficult time accepting this freedom due to the nature of her life as it was with him and of course, her worst fears come to be realized when she not only senses that Adrian is still alive after it's been reported he killed himself, but through how he terrorizes Moss' character by slowly cutting ties with every person in her support system and painting her as the one who has lost her mind. This is what makes The Invisible Man so frightening as the film itself is not necessarily "scary", but it’s a critical look at manipulation and the power this allows not only for one person to have over another, but how this power spreads to other people’s perception of you leaving one with their own self-doubts despite knowing deep down they aren’t the crazy one. Adrian is a master manipulator who gaslights Moss' Cecilia to the extent that, as a viewer, your frustration is boiling over by the time Whannell reaches his third act; not to mention the shock and rawness through which the director has executed this psychological breakdown given the rather fantastical elements of the scenario. In short, The Invisible Man might not break any new ground as far as story or scares go, but it does what it intends so well that it's difficult to deny the effectiveness of the monster or the message.
Length of ownership: 121
Mobile Submission: false
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![Paramount Presents: Pretty in Pink [Blu-ray] [1986]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/prescaled/500/500/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/4f66b794-6faa-4f3a-a1bb-83524648aa37.jpg)
Customer Rating
5
Constantly a Classic
on January 8, 2021
Posted by: VandyPrice
Verified Purchase:Yes
My wife's favorite movie of all time and so we had to get this new, special edition blu-ray as we only previously owned the film on DVD. Looks great, though not as many new special features as hoped would be included.
Length of ownership: 30
Mobile Submission: false
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![Little Women - BLU-RAY [Standard]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/prescaled/500/500/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/e315acf0-0198-4832-83ff-b00f1c1b4bfc.jpg)
Writer-director Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird) has crafted a Little Women that draws on both the classic novel and the writings of Louisa May Alcott, and unfolds as the author's alter ego, Jo March, reflects back and forth on her fictional life. In Gerwig's take, the beloved story of the March sisters - four young women each determined to live life on their own terms - is both timeless and timely.
Customer Rating
4
Greta Gerwig for President
on January 8, 2021
Posted by: VandyPrice
Verified Purchase:Yes
It kind of feels like there's more excitement around Greta Gerwig's take on Little Women for all the factors involved than there is necessarily for the final product itself. Gerwig's follow-up to Lady Bird was going to be anticipated regardless, but given she decided to go with an adaptation of the oft adapted Louisa May Alcott classic only added something of an IP stamp to it; a built-in audience of sorts that became more enhanced given the Christmas day release...Sony knows what it's doing. Add to all of this the fact the film reunites the writer/director with Lady Bird stars Saorsie Ronan and Timothée Chalamet while bringing in the likes of Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Laura Dern, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper and Bob Odenkirk to boot and you may as well permanently pencil in a screening of Little Women on your Christmas itinerary from here to forever.
Length of ownership: 49
Mobile Submission: false
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![The High Note (DVD + Digital) [Blu-ray] [Standard]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/prescaled/500/500/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/065d13f1-ae4e-40c8-90fa-3c1760c74c4d.jpg)
Customer Rating
4
Fine, Fun Formula
on January 8, 2021
Posted by: VandyPrice
Verified Purchase:Yes
A prime example of something completely formulaic being elevated by the look, the performances, and the MUSIC that this film in particular employs.
Dakota Johnson is slowly, but surely climbing to the top of the most affable "movie stars" (if there is such a thing these days) whose presence alone makes one want to spend time with a film.
What I really loved about The High Note though, was how it really focused on the creation and recording process of the music. Most music biopics aren't even wise enough to know to focus more on the "why" and "how" of the music its subject created rather than their personal lives, but this fictional tale not only puts emphasis on how the music comes to be, but realizes what it takes to bring melodies earth-side. The catharsis that comes with listening to Aretha here is tangible.
The whole idea of having Tracee Ellis Ross play this superstar singer who is at least physically modeled after her mother is pretty fantastic as well. Kudos to whoever cracked that bit of casting.
Length of ownership: 38
Mobile Submission: false
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Customer Rating
4
A Thrilling Twist on the Zombie Apocalypse
on January 8, 2021
Posted by: VandyPrice
Verified Purchase:Yes
Here’s the thing about Overlord: I saw the trailer so many times I felt like I knew the movie back to front before I even walked in. It was one of those things where I’d notice something different or pick up on something new every time I saw the trailer to the point that when I realized the actual feature was opening this weekend it wasn’t that I didn’t necessarily care to see it, but I definitely felt indifferent about buying a ticket to a movie I didn’t expect to gain anything more from that I hadn’t already been conditioned to expect from the trailer. I tell this aspect of the story to lend a little perspective on why Overlord then ultimately came to be something of a pleasant surprise. In expecting a certain level of craft, care, and creativity I low-balled my expectations and was more than happy to find out I was wrong when the film kicked off and immediately kicked into high gear with a level of energy that was infectious. Stranger even, the opening of the film is the same scene that opens the trailer, but while there is the expectation of this being a full feature rather than a short preview there is also something to the altered pacing, musical accompaniment, and/or character dynamics that immediately plays into the level of investment one is willing to give no matter how much they think they know. This is a long way of getting around to saying that, despite the initial indifference through which it had to battle, Overlord is a movie that does very well at what it's built to do. It’s not an exceptional film that says something new or even anything terribly interesting about life or the psychology each of us project on its meaning, but as a movie that sets out to combine the terror of war with the terror of a zombie apocalypse and roll those into a somewhat hackneyed, but fully aware camp fest-Overlord accomplishes everything it could hope to and then some.
Length of ownership: 63
Mobile Submission: false
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![The Equalizer 2 - BLU-RAY [Standard]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/prescaled/500/500/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/dd7fa7ae-5958-4b9b-833b-54da64d00023.jpg)
Now working as a Lyft driver, former government agent Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) still finds time to put his expertise to use helping those who can't always help themselves. But he's about to embark on his most personal mission yet after an old friend and colleague is brutally murdered and McCall must not only track down the killer, but do it before he becomes the next target on the hit list. Pedro Pascal, Bill Pullman, and Melissa Leo also star in director Antoine Fuqua's thrill-a-minute sequel. 121 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack English. Two-disc set.
Customer Rating
2
Denzel's First Sequel is a Stinker
on January 8, 2021
Posted by: VandyPrice
Verified Purchase:Yes
Denzel Washington is sixty-three years-old and will be sixty-four this coming December. I can recall taking note of this fact when writing about the first Equalizer film when Washington was about to turn sixty and how impressive it seemed that the guy had no intentions of slowing down. In the interim between that 2014 film and what is the first sequel one of the world's most charismatic actors has agreed to be a part of, Mr. Washington has still shown no signs of slowing down. Since The Equalizer Washington has already paired with director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) again prior to this latest entry with their remake of The Magnificent Seven which I found to be immensely entertaining as well as having adapted, starred in, and directed August Wilson's seminal piece of work in Fences for which he was shrouded in awards love. And again last year, the actor earned another Best Actor nomination for his work in Dan Gilroy's quirky, but largely effective Roman J. Israel, Esq. (which I probably liked more than you). The point being, each of these gave Washington the chance to continue to do what he loves as he flexed a different muscle in regard to each respective project, but the choice to return to the character of Robert McCall among every character Washington has played is a curious one. I enjoyed The Equalizer upon initial release and was happy to find it wasn't simply another case of an aging star attempting to cash in on the Liam Neeson-proven method of combining a once valuable name on the poster above a newfangled action-centric conflict. Of course, Washington was never relegated to being a star whose name ever lost any value. Denzel is Denzel and no matter what he does people typically turn out in fair enough numbers to justify his mid-range action projects and awards contenders. In fact, since 2009 (which accounts for Washington's last ten films), the star has never seen less than a $50 million lifetime gross with the exception of Israel last year with seven of those ten releases doing over $70 million worth of business during their theatrical runs. Denzel, the man, is typically all the brand recognition that is required and so it feels weird that Washington has been brought into this fold of sequels and franchises. Maybe it's just the first time someone has offered the actor a follow-up to one of his projects or maybe it's just a sign of the times. Whatever the case may be, The Equalizer 2 isn't exactly what one might hope for in a "first" from Denzel Washington, but more it plays into what the first did more to subvert in not being your by-the-numbers action flick as this sequel, with nowhere else to go, had no choice but to surrender to the trend.
Length of ownership: 49
Mobile Submission: false
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Customer Rating
5
Remains as Entertaining as Ever
on January 8, 2021
Posted by: VandyPrice
Verified Purchase:Yes
I have to start off by saying that I've never read the comic book from which 'Kick-A**' is based, but I imagine the film gets the tone of it right. That seems to be the most important thing about this film. It has huge elements of both action, comedy and drama. Neither of these are small elements of an otherwise dominate comedic, action or drama film. So, in order to mix all of these with a good balance and having to keep a consistent tone I'd also say it is the most impressive thing about this film. it does escalate from comedy to action comedy to action drama with bits of humor, but it knows what it wants and it goes for it with no regard as to who will be offended.
Length of ownership: 63
Mobile Submission: false
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![Maleficent: Mistress of Evil [Includes Digital Copy] [Blu-ray/DVD] [2019]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/prescaled/500/500/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/15b01d25-42ce-437c-bf9b-e88eb84a6478.jpg)
Customer Rating
4
Improves Upon the Original
on January 8, 2021
Posted by: VandyPrice
Verified Purchase:Yes
For a movie that primes its audience to experience a tale of villainy and "pure evil" as incarnated by the title character of Maleficent (Angelina Jolie returning), Maleficent: Mistress of Evil largely doesn't fulfill its promise as the character is a mistress in the sense she's in a position of authority or control, but never does she wield these positions in ways one would exclusively associate with or consider to be "evil". Misunderstood, sure, but evil? Nah. Like the 2014 original, this sequel is more telling the audience a story we were unaware of concerning the character with the intention of ultimately altering our opinion of her and gaining a newfound sympathy for the character as her representation in the 1959 Disney animated classic was apparently a by-product of those circumstances and not "the whole story"; a reputation built off a single perspective of not only an isolated incident, but one with some justification as far as Maleficent's emotions were concerned even if her actions never could be. While that 2014 film was more or less restricted by the original tale of Sleeping Beauty (we've seen the iconic cursing of the baby moment in live action, so let's move on) this second chapter in Maleficent's story breaks free of those constraints and pushes the narrative past Aurora's (Elle Fanning, also returning) sixteenth birthday and on into adulthood where she is now set to wed the re-cast Prince Philip (Harris Dickinson instead of Brenton Thwaites) as they start a life of their own together whereas Maleficent had now inadvertently become something of a mother figure to this young woman she originally cursed and has therefore only recently come to feel as if she's gained the genuine love of what she might describe as a family. Jolie's Maleficent exudes this gracefulness as embodied through the strong presence of Jolie herself as she is not only a warrior and commander, but a woman who is complex in her deep, emotional feelings that the film demonstrates are also possible for someone of such strong nature to possess. It is this characterization and the breaking of such long-standing archetypes that truly allows this sequel to outshine not only its predecessor, but the majority of these live-action Disney re-makes or re-tellings. Director Joachim Rønning (Kon-Tiki, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales) takes over from Robert Stromberg and brings with him an aesthetic less reliant on big, CGI spectacle (though there is still plenty of this) and a visual prowess more interested in broadening the scope of the world the first film only hinted at. At the same time, Linda Woolverton's screenplay brings together a trifecta of female characters that serve as the heart and soul of the themes of the narrative coalescing in a sequel that not only surpasses the quality of the original (which, admittedly-was not a high bar) by doing everything that original wanted to do, only better.
Length of ownership: 59
Mobile Submission: false
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