Sometime this year, the critically appraised coming-age film Belfast came out on Blu-ray from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, and somewhere along the line, I received a copy for review purposes. I recall watching it immediately but never wrote down my thoughts on it until now. And yes, I did rewatch the movie before writing this post.

It feels like science fiction is starting to make a comeback in Hollywood. There's the new adaptation of Dune, a sequel in the works, and a spinoff television series coming soon to HBO Max. Then there's the Foundation series on Apple+ that I keep hearing good things about but haven't seen yet. Then there are the direct-to-VOD and Blu-ray flicks that aren't half bad. So, all in all, the future of onscreen science fiction looks promising. 

Why do movie studios keep modernizing classic novels? Seriously, I'm getting sick and tired of it. Then, again, at least it isn't another straight-up remake. Despite my dislike for this trend, I put aside my bias and watched Twist on Blu-ray a few nights ago. As you might have guessed by the title, it's a modern reimagining of Charles Dickens's Oliver Twist. 

There are way too many getting VOD and direct-to- Blu-ray releases and about 95% of them go under my radar. Occupation: Rainfall (R; 128 minutes) happens to be one of these films. It's an Australian science fiction sequel to 2018's Occupation, with Luke Sparke returning as writer and director.

I wouldn't have even known about The Green Knight (R; 129 minutes) if it wasn't for a YouTube recommendation for the trailer. A24 distributed it to USA theaters on July 30th, 2021. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the UK theatrical debut moved from August 6th to September 24th. Lionsgate Home Entertainment released the film on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital on October 12th.

If you haven't heard of the Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard (R; 99 minutes), there's a reason why. It came out in the summer of 2021 when hardly anyone was going to theaters in fear of the pandemic. The film came and went as fast as it could, grossing only $70.3 million against a $70 million budget. 

Never say never when it comes to horror sequels, especially when Blumhouse is involved. The Purge franchise should have ended with the third film, Election Year, in 2016. There's a rule in Hollywood that if a sequel makes money, then another cash grab sequel is almost always guaranteed. The prequel The First Purge, which nobody wanted, made over $137 million against a $13 million budget. It was supposed to be the final film of the series. That was back in 2018, the same year the horrible The Purge television series debuted on USA. It wasn't popular with the fans and got canceled after season two. Did the franchise end there? The answer is hell no! 

I knew Hasbro and Paramount Pictures were working on a G.I. Joe prequel reboot, but I must be living under the rock because I didn't realize the film got a theatrical release this year. From what I've read, Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins didn't go over well with the critics and moviegoers. Depending on the source, the budget is between $88 - 110 million and only brought in $37 at the worldwide box office. In other words - it was a major flop.

Did anyone else besides me forget about A Quite Place Part II even existed? 2018's A Quiet Place was a slick and suspenseful science fiction horror hybrid that I thoroughly enjoyed, except for the sudden cliffhanger ending. At one point in time, I was excited about John Krasinski's follow-up. Then the Covid-19 pandemic hit, and the sequel's theatrical release date got tossed around from March 2020 to September 2020. Then it got postponed to April 2021, pushed back to September 2021, and bumped up to May 28, 2021. Considering the world we currently live in, the sequel did alright at the box office, taking in over $290 million worldwide.

Yesterday, Lionsgate Home Entertainment released Spiral: From the Book of Saw (R; 93 minutes) on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, and DVD. It's also available on Digital and Demand.

The Saw film series is one of the slickest and sickest horror franchises in recent years. I've been a fan of these films ever since I rented Saw on VHS in early 2005. (Yes, I know I'm old.) While there have been a few half-ass sequels (Saw V and Saw 3D), I've continued to watch each new film, even 2007's reboot sequel Jigsaw. I was skeptical when I first heard that Chris Rock would produce and star in the spinoff Spiral: From the Book of Saw. Sure, he's good at comedy, but I had my doubts he could carry a horror film.

Movie theaters are nearly dead here in the United States. While the COVID-19 pandemic is taking the blame, I believe it has more to do with Hollywood running out of ideas. All they have been pumping out for the last decade is bad remakes or CGI bloated superhero tales. Yes, I understand the latter makes money, but only a handful of these films are actually good. Then there are the artsy dramas that receive awards and get high praise from mainstream critics. Nobody in Hollywood will admit it, but these artsy movies are downright horrible. If a film isn't trending or doesn't contain a political message, the critics will more than likely give it a negative review. This is what happened with this year's action-thriller, THE MARKSMAN.

Final Thoughts

How the hell did this movie get the green-light? 

HORIZON LINE is one of the stupidest movies ever made. Sure, the overall premise of a pilot suddenly dying inflight and leaving the passengers in a desperate attempt to survive sounds intriguing. However, the filmmakers, should've done their research before attempting such a story. Even though I have never stepped foot on a plane, I know more about flying than them.  

The first twenty minutes is a snoozefest, where we're introduced to Sara and Jackson and learn about their past relationship. It's pretty obvious why these two lovebirds broke up - they have zero chemistry! The characters are one-dimensional at best, with some of the dumbest dialogue ever penned. Allison Williams and Alexander Dreymon both give wooden performances. I'm not saying Dreymon is a bad actor because this is the first time I've seen him in anything. So, maybe it was more of the director's fault, or he's just a bad actor. However, I cannot say the same for Williams. I've seen her in two other films, and she's a godawful actress with no emotional depth.  

The cinematography was alright in some scenes and horrible in others. The musical score sounded like it was a rip-off from every other movie. 

For those who need to know, the picture and sound quality on the Blu-ray are exceptional. Besides a few deleted scenes, there are no special features or commentaries. The included digital code is only valid for iTunes (Apple TV). 

Overall, HORIZON LINE is the most empty-headed and lackluster film put to screen in recent memory.

For those who don't know, the neo-western drama LET HIM GO (R; 114 minutes) recently landed on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Director and producer Thomas Bezucha (The Family Stone; Monte Carlo) adapted the script from the 2013 novel of the same name by Larry Watson. Focus Features released the film to theaters in November 2020 and grossed just over $10 million. 

Final Thoughts

At first glance, AMMONITE looks like the kind of movie the critics would be drooling over. It's has a historical setting, a LGBTQ theme, and stars award-winning actresses. So, in other words, it's a movie I probably would have never watched if I hadn't received a screener.

There are two ways to watch this film - view it for what it is or nitpick the hell out of it for all the historical inaccuracies.

There's no proof of the real Mary Anning's sexuality. Yes, she never married. Yes, she had a friendship with the real Charlotte Murchison. Do these two facts make her a lesbian? According to historians, there's no evidence to prove they were nothing more than friends. The film's director/writer, Francis Lee, has a different opinion. He said on Twitter, "After seeing queer history be routinely 'straightened' throughout culture, and given a historical figure where there is no evidence whatsoever of a heterosexual relationship, is it not permissible to view that person within another context?"

If you take the historical aspects away from the film, then you might like it. However, there are many issues with the storytelling. For starters, it's dull as dishwater. No, I'm not referring to the dialogue. For whatever reason, Francis Lee decided his film doesn't need meaningful conversations between the characters, just long silent pauses.

While the film itself received mixed reviews, critics seemed to love Kate Winslet, and I couldn't disagree more. She gave an emotionless performance, except for the graphic sex scenes with Saorise Ronan. While these actresses are lovely, they have zero chemistry together.

Overall, AMMONITE is a long-drawn-out romantic drama with questionable writing and directing. Instead of focusing on Mary Anning's fictional love life, the director should have told the story about her contribution to science. It's far from being the worst movie from 2020, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

I spent the early Tuesday morning hours watching the science-fiction romance Love and Monsters (PG-13; 108 minutes), which landed on Blu-ray last week from Paramount Home Entertainment. The film had a wide theatrical release set for February 2021, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the studio released it to video on demand and select theaters in October 2020. It received a "Certified Fresh" from Rotten Tomatoes.