Dead Trigger
Many films arrived in July. However, every few held my attention like Dead Trigger.
Dead Trigger is terrible. But, it also feels like a collection of cut scenes from a Dave & Buster’s zombie attack game. All the while, you watch Dolph Lundgren get red shirts killed while in pursuit of a contagion cure. Dolph isn’t looking that old, but he can’t hide his disdain for material anymore. He’s got a taste of that Aquaman and Creed 2 money. There is no looking back. The Blu-ray comes with a contemporary standard 1080p transfer and DTS-HD 5. 1 master audio.
Broad City: The Complete Series
There’s something about Broad City that inherently annoys me. It’s one of those shows that I can’t explain my hatred without relating it to a personal cultural standpoint. So, I was watching this episode of Doomsday Preppers. Normally, I hate reality TV. It’s just that there is something inherently about stupid people planning for something serious to happen. Especially when they have no factual reasoning for it to happen.
While watching this episode, an at-the-time older single lady came in the room and changed the channel to watch Chelsea Lately. Naturally, I picked a fight. After that ended, I tried to enjoy Chelsea Handler’s latest whatever. The result was an older looking lady taking easy jokes and slightly bitter jabs at any number of things. The aforementioned asshole channel change would chuckle, while I felt like I was watching CPR lessons in Esperanto.
How does this relate to Broad City? Well, after 5 seasons…every single episode felt like that experience. A cultural and gender-based battle to create comedy in the void of the other’s interests.
The special features range from featurettes to more! What is more? Well, I lost track. It was a lengthy set.
Pretenders with Friends Blu/CD/DVD
The Pretenders are still one of the baddest ass bands in history. This presentation was taken from the Decades Rock Live experience. Special guests Incubus, Shirley Manson, Kings of Leon and Iggy Pop pitched in to help the Pretenders jam through their hits. I really love big media releases like this. Especial for live music, as the audio needs to be taken to a complete level. I could’ve done without the DVD, though.
NASA: A Journey Through Space
NASA: A Journey Through Space is a 7 part documentary about the space program. Due to the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, it tends to be a little heavy on Apollo 11. Still, Mill Creek has put together quite the package about how our universe unfolded before us. There are two discs, but the real bonus is being able to add the film to your MovieSpree Digital Library. All you kids love streaming now.
IMAX Space Station 4K UHD
The IMAX 4Ks are always stunning. However, the more I watch the film…I wonder why they got Tom Cruise to narrate this one. He does a good enough job producing a fake sense of wonder over the stunning images. But, that doesn’t matter. You’re going to pick this one up to see how the ISS moves effortlessly in 2160p. The special features run the gamut from featurettes to a commentary. So, you’ve got that going for you.
The Fate of Lee Khan
The Fate of Lee Khan is another stunning restoration from Film Movement. King Hu has received a ton of love with his 60s/70s work getting revisited in the last year. However, I want to offer kudos to Film Movement for spotlighting one of the first Wuxia films to prominently feature women in lead roles. The Blu-ray comes with an NYAFF chat and new essay as the special features.
Hail Mary! Get Ready for the Sumo Bowl
Hail Mary! is a fun film about a loser football team that hires a bunch of Sumo Wrestlers to serve as his team’s O-Line. What was funny years ago is now a possible reality in the very near future. The special features are a comic book teaser and movie trailer. Other than that, just enjoy 90 minutes of giant Japanese men smacking around football players. This film snuck out onto DVD at the end of July.
July 2019 Indie Speed Round
Chain of Death plays with a crazy concept. Want to die by assisted suicide, well you have to kill someone first. Ray Wise kills in a fun supporting role. But, this film has an interesting mix of characters that produces quite the fun experience.
Hail Satan? asks audiences to understand the Church of Satan. Honestly, if we have to tolerate a world populated by anti-Vaxxers and Neocons, what harm are Satanists? The additional scenes helped out, but they are only in the special features. Still, I’d love to see this documentary followed up upon in the future.
Ayiti Mon Amour is a magically depressing movie from Haiti. A teenager discovers he has superpowers while a fisherman handles mortality. Plenty of topics are tossed around the room, but none really stick. Still, I dig it.
Don’t Look at Me That Way is a German Mongolian lesbian romance movie about ladies getting it together, while one tries to parent. Most of the themes have been approached before. But, none have been handled like this erotically charged German drama.
July 2019 also saw the release of some filthy movies, we’ll burn through them pretty quick
Woman in a Box: Virgin Sacrifice centers on a young woman caught in a box. She’s sexually abused and tortured. Eventually she gets a degree of retribution, but you’ve spent 80 minutes watching a young woman get tortured. No wonder they called them Roughies.
Zoom Up: Seiko’s Thigh is about the biggest fetish film I’ve seen on the site. It’s also pretty sweet, mainly because it’s the first of these Nikkatsu movies that might approach consensual. First seeing it back in July, the movie felt like a John Hughes movie from hell. Teenage love, voyeuristic snapshots and an ever-pressing desire to bone. Set it to Simple Minds and sent the shirts to Hot Topic.
42nd Street Forever: The Peep Show Collection returns with Volumes 30 and 31. What can I say that hasn’t been said? You get all your classic Americana porn stars taking it and giving it with little to no sound. If you can watch 2 hours of this stuff at a time, well you’re going to have a busy night ahead of you.