It’s safe to assume that Judd Apatow has the market cornered on raunch-fest comedies with a gooey moral center. Since releasing The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Apatow’s actors have gone on to produce their own films, ranging from great (Superbad) to less-than-great (The Green Hornet). This Is the End, written and directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, falls squarely in the middle of that spectrum. Like a comedy-version of Soderberg’s Ocean’s Eleven, the film succeeds on the chemistry of its cast, whose madcap performances liven up the mediocre material. Read more
Archive for September 2013
THE KINGS OF SUMMER (Blu-Ray Review)
Every September I get this feeling of dread cut through my gut. It happens whenever I see signs for “Back To School” sales. It’s been years since I’ve sat in a classroom, but there’s still some sort of psychological hold it has on me. Growing up sucks. While I now look back on my school days with fond memories, at the time there was lot of unnecessary anxiety and pressure that seemed so damn important. It wasn’t. Yet, I still get that feeling… like an amputee’s ghost pain shooting through a phantom limb. I never want Summer to end!! Well, what if it didn’t have to? On 9/24 “The Kings of Summer” will arrive on Blu-Ray and attempt to run away from responsibility, heartache and the cold autumn of adulthood. Read more
BREAKOUT (DVD Review)
Seriously… what ever happened to Brendan Fraser? After “Furry Vengeance”, he more or less disappeared. How bad could that movie have been?? Honestly… now I really want to find out. But in any event, the guy was in some pretty big films and then *poof* he’s banished to straight-to-videoland. Well, I actually don’t mind the him… and I’m a sucker for comebacks; I want to see a Brendan Fraser revival, damn it! Well, on 9/17 “Breakout” hits DVD courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The dramatic actioner, which was also produced by Fraser could be the first step towards bringing my hopes to fruition. Or… maybe not. Read more
THE LAST TYCOON (Blu-Ray Review)
It’s pretty safe to say… no, it’s very safe to say that Chow Yun-Fat is one of the biggest badasses ever to grace a movie screen. The man has well over 100 films to his credit going back to the ’70s. From his work in John Woo’s Hong Kong pictures, to more recent Hollywood blockbusters, he’s shown an international appeal that few actors are able to achieve, much less maintain. For this reason alone, Mr. Chow must have been the only choice to star in Wong Jing’s new film “The Last Tycoon”, available on Blu-Ray 9/17. Part “Casablanca”, part “Grand Theft Auto”, he plays a gangster in 1930′s Shanghai at the top of his game, exuding a ruthless calm that only comes from years of being the baddest around. This is far from Chow Yun-Fat’s first rodeo, but he’s still riding hard. Read more
AN AMERICAN HIPPIE IN ISRAEL (Blu-Ray Review)

AN AMERICAN HIPPIE IN ISRAEL arriving 9/10 in a 3 Disc Blu-Ray Combo pack from Grindhouse Releasing!
“What the hell did I just watch!?!” That one line review, often blurted out immediately as credits roll, is the whole reason I started Cinema Judgement Day. It doesn’t mean you saw something bad, per se… but you did see something out of the norm. Such is the case with “An American Hippie In Israel“, coming to Blu-Ray on 9/10 from Grindhouse Releasing. With a story so pretentious it’s infantile, the film is chock full o’ hilariously bad acting and more body hair than the Kardashian family has combined. It’s the very definition of “so bad it’s good”… and is easily the most enjoyable film I’ve reviewed all year. I have no idea what the hell I just watched, but I do know that it was awesome.
PETUNIA (DVD Review)
“What a tangled web we weave.” If it wasn’t a full sentence, this idiom would be the perfect title for Director/Co-writer Ash Christian’s latest film, “Petunia“. Available on DVD on 9/3, this little indie sports some razor sharp dialogue and a superb cast that delivers some of the best performances I’ve seen in awhile. If you’ve ever considered your family to be insanely dysfunctional, Christian’s Petunia clan, with all of their eccentricities and sexual hang-ups, are sure to make you feel better about the ones you love (and maybe even the ones you don’t.) In the very least, you’ll feel better about your sex life… Read more