Pain and Glory (Blu-ray) by Ryan Keefer The Movie: I have a bit of a Pedro Almodovar (Volver) blindspot in my film-watching history. Not because of preference or choice, with a lot of things going on there are bound to be things that are gently guided downwards, things that some people tend to advocate for. Yet like a lot of other well-regarded creative forces, he's managed to hit on some themes in his life that seem pseudo autobiographical and I feel close to at the moment, so I figured now was as good a time as any to dive in with Pain and Glory. Almodovar wrote and directed the film, which focuses on Salvador Mallo (Antonio Banderas, The 33) a film director dealing with a creative regression while going through some personal experiences. The film shows us Salvador's memorable or even life-defin...Read the entire review »

Zombieland: Double Tap (Blu-ray) by William Harrison THE FILM: Arriving for its belated victory lap nearly ten years after the release of Zombieland, this sequel, Zombieland: Double Tap, is fairly entertaining, but feels about as stale as the truckload of decade-old Twinkies the heroes find during their journeys here. The principal cast, including Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin, returns, and is joined by Luke Wilson and Rosario Dawson. Our four heroes have been moving about the country looking for a permanent home, and ultimately reach a crossroads with each other as permanent cabin fever sets in. Ruben Fleischer returns to direct, and Double Tap adds a newly evolved, more dangerous zombie into the mix, as well as an airheaded, blonde distraction for Eisenberg's c...Read the entire review »