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On DVD/Blu-ray: MARTYRS (2016); HOME INVASION (2016); and TURBO KID (2015)
MARTYRS(France/US - 2016)With its unbearably intense torture scenes supplanted by lofty spiritual and philosophical ambitions, Pascal Laugier's often-brilliant MARTYRS (2008) took France's "extreme...
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In Theaters/On VOD: MISCONDUCT (2016)
MISCONDUCT(US - 2016)Directed by Shintaro Shimosawa. Written by Adam Mason and Simon Boyes. Cast: Josh Duhamel, Anthony Hopkins, Al Pacino, Alice Eve, Malin Akerman, Byung-hun Lee, Julia Stiles, Glen...
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On DVD/Blu-ray: 99 HOMES (2015); MI-5 (2015); and FREAKS OF NATURE (2015)
99 HOMES(US/UAE - 2015)Despite critical acclaim and some major pre-release awards buzz, 99 HOMES fizzled in theaters, topping out at 691 screens and grossing just over $1 million. Directed and...
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In Theaters/On VOD: CABIN FEVER (2016)
CABIN FEVER(US - 2016)Directed by Travis Z. Written by Eli Roth and Randy Pearlstein. Cast: Gage Golightly, Matthew Daddario, Samuel Davis, Nadine Crocker, Dustin Ingram, Louise Linton, Timothy G....
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Retro Review: NUMBER ONE WITH A BULLET (1987)
For this blog's regular readers--a number that is coming perilously close to double digits--"Retro Review" will be shorter, less-detailed reviews of older (2015 and back) movies that I'm either looking...
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In Theaters: THE WITCH (2016)
THE WITCH(US/Brazil/UK/Canada - 2016)Written and directed by Robert Eggers. Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw, Ellie Grainger, Lucas Dawson, Bathsheba Garnett, Sarah...
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Retro Review: BULLETPROOF (1988)
BULLETPROOF(US - 1988)A year after playing memorable bad guy Mr. Joshua in the smash hit LETHAL WEAPON and about six months before the motorcycle accident that would be the first step in turning him...
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Retro Review: TUAREG: THE DESERT WARRIOR (1984)
TUAREG: THE DESERT WARRIOR(Italy/Spain - 1984; US release 1986)After his amazing early '80s run of legendary Eurotrash classics like 1990: THE BRONX WARRIORS, THE NEW BARBARIANS, and ESCAPE FROM THE...
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Retro Review: CASABLANCA EXPRESS (1989)
CASABLANCA EXPRESS(Italy - 1989; US release 1990)The great Sergio Martino's exceptionally late-to-the-party entry in the post-DIRTY DOZEN, WWII "men on a mission" subgenre, CASABLANCA EXPRESS plays...
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On DVD/Blu-ray: FRANKENSTEIN (2016) and DIABLO (2016)
FRANKENSTEIN(Germany/US - 2016)Bernard Rose's ongoing freefall into absolute irrelevance continues with this aggressively awful, straight-to-DVD/Blu-ray modern updating of Mary Shelley's classic novel,...
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In Theaters: TRIPLE 9 (2016)
TRIPLE 9(US - 2016)Directed by John Hillcoat. Written by Matt Cook. Cast: Casey Affleck, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Anthony Mackie, Kate Winslet, Woody Harrelson, Aaron Paul, Clifton Collins Jr., Norman Reedus,...
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On Netflix: CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON: SWORD OF DESTINY (2016)
CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON: SWORD OF DESTINY(US/China - 2016)Directed by Yuen Wo-Ping. Written by John Fusco. Cast: Donnie Yen, Michelle Yeoh, Harry Shum Jr, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Jason Scott Lee,...
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Retro Review: THE CHALLENGE (1982)
THE CHALLENGE(US - 1982)Not a ninja movie but usually lumped in with them (the recut TV version was retitled SWORD OF THE NINJA) if it's mentioned at all, THE CHALLENGE was probably conceived more as a...
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Retro Review: CODE OF SILENCE (1985)
CODE OF SILENCE(US - 1985)After achieving crossover success with Cannon's surprise smash MISSING IN ACTION (1984), martial-arts star Chuck Norris came as close as he ever got to the A-list with 1985's...
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Retro Review: ALMOST HUMAN (1974)
ALMOST HUMAN(Italy - 1974)With the possible exception of Umberto Lenzi's incredible 1976 Maurizio Merli ragefest ROME ARMED TO THE TEETH (aka THE TOUGH ONES), the director's ALMOST HUMAN is probably...
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Retro Review: PRAY FOR DEATH (1985)
PRAY FOR DEATH(US - 1985)A top-notch Sho Kosugi ninja film that's not from Cannon but sure feels like it, PRAY FOR DEATH is just out on Blu-ray from Arrow in its uncut version that originally got it...
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On DVD/Blu-ray: TERMINUS (2016); NARCOPOLIS (2015); and RATTER (2016)
TERMINUS(Australia - 2016)Produced by Shane Abbess, director of the awful INFINI, TERMINUS is another Australian genre outing trying to pass itself off as American but succeeding marginally better than...
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Retro Review: THE CURSE (1987) and CURSE II: THE BITE (1989)
THE CURSE(US/Italy - 1987)Based on H.P. Lovecraft's 1927 short story "The Colour Out of Space," THE CURSE could ostensibly fit in with the Stuart Gordon-led Lovecraft revival that was going on at...
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In Theaters: LONDON HAS FALLEN (2016)
LONDON HAS FALLEN(US - 2016)Directed by Babak Najafi. Written by Creighton Rothenberger, Katrin Benedict, Christian Gudegast, and Chad St. John. Cast: Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Alon...
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In Theaters: 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE (2016)
10 CLOVERFIELD LANE(US - 2016)Directed by Dan Trachtenberg. Written by Josh Campbell, Matt Stuecken, and Damien Chazelle. Cast: John Goodman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Gallagher Jr., voice of...
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