5 Razors

The Great Films – Unbreakable

  • Title: Unbreakable
  • IMDb: link

“They say this one has a surprise ending.”

Unbreakable movie reviewToday’s Throwback Thursday post takes us back to one of my favorite super-hero movies. Overshadowed by writer/director M. Night Shyamalan‘s far more commercially successful first film and his subsequent slide into mediocrity, Unbreakable stands alone as the one film from his catalog that gets better with each subsequent viewing. A perfect origin story, Unbreakable is a super-hero film without any of the trappings of super-hero films. A low-key, slow-paced drama, the story slowly unfolds while staying true to the basic truths of comic book storytelling. If there’s an anti-Batman and Robin, it’s Unbreakable.

The film has everything going for it including a writer who understood his subject manner, stars perfectly cast as real-life comic book characters, a terrific humor, and some of the best shot scenes of any film from this decade by Eduardo Serra whose framing choices help mold and develop each character climaxing in the traditional birth of a hero that remains grounded in reality more than any super-hero movie before or since. It’s a perfect storm that results in an amazing film that holds up as well today as when it was released more than 18 years ago.

The Great Films – Unbreakable Read More »

BlacKkKlansman

  • Title: BlacKkKlansman
  • IMDb: link

BlacKkKlansman Blu-ray reviewBased on the insane true story of African-American Colorado Springs police officer Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) infiltrating the Klu Klux Klan, Spike Lee delivers one of the most fascinating and entertaining films of the year. Laugh-out-loud funny while also proving timely and relevant to today, Lee crafts an amazing film structured around the performances of John David Washington and Adam Driver as the Black and Jewish cops who performed something so miraculous that, if it hadn’t happened, Hollywood would have been forced to invent it. As a cherry on top, Topher Grace gives us his hilarious take on Grand Wizard David Duke whose white supremacist organization becomes the target of Stallworth’s investigation.

Lee and company provide a near-perfect film that holds up to multiple viewings. Available on Blu-ray and DVD, extras include a short featurette and an extended trailer for the film featuring Prince‘s “Mary Don’t You Weep.”

BlacKkKlansman Read More »

Samurai Jack – Episode XIII: Aku’s Fairy Tales

  • Title: Samurai Jack – Episode XIII: Aku’s Fairy Tales
  • wiki: link

Samurai Jack - Episode XIII: Aku's Fairy Tales TV review

Throwback Tuesday takes us back to the adventures of the time-displaced samurai and his quest to make his way home. The First Season finale of Samurai Jack is an unusual episode as it is presented entirely from the perspective of the show’s villain, Aku (Mako). Frustrated with the growing hero worship for Jack (Phil LaMarr), Aku gathers children together and tells them a series of fairy tales in an attempt to present himself as the hero and paint the samurai as the villain.

Samurai Jack – Episode XIII: Aku’s Fairy Tales Read More »

Justice League Unlimited – Double Date

  • Title: Justice League Unlimited – Double Date
  • wiki: link

“You’re cute when you’re an insufferable smarty pants.”

Justice League Unlimited - Double Date television review

Our Throwback Thursday post takes us back to the animated adventures of Justice League. If it wasn’t for “Clash” this would be my favorite episode of Justice League. There’s so much to enjoy here as the episode gives us pairings of the Question (Jeffrey Combs) and the Huntress (Amy Acker) along with Green Arrow (Kin Shriner) and Black Canary (Morena Baccarin). Opening with the Huntress failing a test and being kicked out of the League when she attempts to kill a Federal witness (who murdered her family years before), the episode moves into Huntress teaming up with the Question while Black Canary and Green Arrow are tasked with keeping the loathsome Mandragora (Glenn Shadix) safe from them. Written by Gail Simone, starring Amy Acker and Morena Baccarin, and featuring my favorite version of the Question, it would be nearly impossible for me not to love this episode. And the humor! Oh, my.

Justice League Unlimited – Double Date Read More »

Voltron – Monsters & Mana

  • Title: Voltron: Legendary Defender – Monsters & Mana
  • wiki: link

Voltron - Monsters & Mana TV review

Okay, that was awesome! With their down time, the Paladins of Voltron sit down with Coran (Rhys Darby) for an Altean roleplaying game known as “Monsters & Mana.” Almost completely separate from the other storylines of the season, the Dungeons & Dragons style episode proves to be the best of the series. Given the opportunity to play as different characters, we get Pidge (Bex Taylor-Klaus) as a Dwarf, Allura (Kimberly Brooks) as an archer, Hunk (Tyler Labine) as a mage, Lance (Jeremy Shada) as a thief, and (to the disappointment of all) Shiro (Josh Keaton) as a Paladin, as they work together to complete their quest and leave the larger issues of the galaxy to be solved for another day.

Voltron – Monsters & Mana Read More »