

All is True: An Intriguing Treat for Shakespeare Fans (Blu-ray)
The Film: The great Sir Kenneth Branagh is well-known for his multiple Shakespeare adaptations that have included “Henry V,” “Much Ado About Nothing,” and “Hamlet” (the film I credit with making me fall in love with The Bard in the first place). Having not adapted a Shakespeare play since 2006’s “As You Like It,” Branagh has instead been filling his time with a variety of projects that includes “Thor,” “Cinderella,” and “Murder on the Orient Express.” However, his latest brin


Godzilla: King of the Monsters: A Solid Contender for Worst Film of 2019 (Blu-ray)
The Film: Over the course of 65 years, the “Godzilla” franchise has certainly seen its ups and downs. The original 1954 film is a decent monster flick (“kaiju”) that, while somewhat cheesy in this day and age, still holds up as a classic, with the multitude of films that followed (i.e. “Godzilla vs…”) having a solid fanbase. However, in more recent years, the films have taken an obvious turn for the worse. The 1998 “Godzilla” is constantly criticized as being a big mistake, w


The Flash: The Complete Fifth Season: A Decent Season That Takes a Step Back (Blu-ray)
The Show: Last season, “The Flash” managed to deliver another stunning arc that utilized the show’s incredible ability to combine action, drama, sci-fi, comedy, and even a little romance into one of the best superhero shows on television. What was also rather impressive was that they finally managed to move past having the main villain being an evil speedster, and instead gave us what could be considered an even more challenging foe, “The Thinker.” As it was at the end of sea


The Flavor of Green Tea over Rice: Compelling Set-Ups Requiring More Depth (Criterion Blu-ray)
The Film: When it comes to the great directors of Japanese cinema, it’s a shame that the great Yasujiro Ozu has never really become a household name, at least not as much as Akira Kurosawa. Mainly known for directing small, “slice-of-life” films, Ozu’s work may not have been the grand pictures that directors like Kurosawa, Inagaki, or Kobayashi worked on, but they still left just as big a mark as the rest. Right before he made what is arguably his most well-known film, the ma


Pokémon: Detective Pikachu: A Silly Idea Becomes a Compelling Adaptation (Blu-ray)
The Film: Anyone growing up in the ‘90s certainly remembers the phenomenon that is Pokémon. It seemed to come out of nowhere, but suddenly there were video games, trading cards, and an animated television show that everyone was talking about. While it was insanely popular, with several animated films following the show, it’s somewhat strange that a live-action movie wasn’t attempted during the height of its popularity. Whether studios just didn’t want to take the plunge, or t