There aren’t many choices this week, but still a couple of titles worth checking out. Looking ahead to the rest of July, things aren’t going to get too much better either. Perhaps August will find a way to wow us.
- “42” (2013):
Jackie Robinson: Everybody knows his name; now you can see his story. Director Brian Helgeland masterfully pieces this historic story together in a way that is both informative and entertaining. The entire cast gives great performances, particularly Chadwick Boseman in the title role, Nicole Beharie as Rachel Robinson, and of course, Harrison Ford as Branch Rickey. This film falls under the heading of “highly recommended” from Lasso the Movies, as it seems to be a film for everyone to enjoy… not just baseball fans. Go Dodgers!
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- “Lord of the Flies” (1963)
: Way back when The Criterion Collection was first getting started, they inducted “Lord of the Flies” as the 43rd film into their collection. Now, many years later, as the collection now has 664 films to date, “Lord of the Flies” is being reintroduced on both blu-ray and a new DVD edition. In this wonderful adaptation of William Golding’s classic novel, Director Peter Brook has found a way to transport audiences to the island paradise that quickly becomes a violent nightmare to the young boys who are stranded there. This new edition comes loaded with bonus features, both new and old, and has a newly restored 4K digital film transfer on the blu-ray edition.
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- “Evil Dead” (2013)
: Who would have ever thought that we needed a retelling of this story? Director Fede Alvarez was chosen by “Evil Dead” creator Sami Rami to take over the directing duties in what is essentially the fourth film in the franchise. Surprisingly, this film has received mostly positive reviews, as it encompasses many of the same traits that made the original a cult classic; such as the violence, gore and thrills. The only area in which it lacks seems to be the humor. Imagine that.
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- “Bullet to the Head” (2013)
: Sylvester Stallone stars in this action spectacle in this film from director Walter Hill (“48 Hours”, “Another 48 Hours” & “Last Man Standing”), where he does what he has always done best: violence and action. This crime story revolves around a contract killer seeking revenge for the murder of his partner. Receiving less than great reviews, “Bullet to the Head” is the kind of action film that might have been entertaining at one time, but has trouble finding its place in today’s cinematic world. Perhaps home is the best place to catch this one.
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Well, that’s it for this week. What are you going to watch?
Lasso The Movies 
Evil Dead and 42 are two of the best so far this year. Looking forward to revisiting both.
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Good to hear that “Evil Dead” is worth watching. I really wasn’t sure on that one. “42” is one that I highly enjoyed, but being an enormous Dodgers fan I have been told that my blinding love for the franchise, has blurred my vision to any faults. Whatever.
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Looking forward to seeing “42” which I haven’t seen yet, and I’m excited to see the release of “Lord of the Flies”. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen it, but I remember thinking it was disturbing and SO well done.
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Excellent choices! I enjoy both of those films, even though they couldn’t be more different. I can’t wait to watch “42” again this week.
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My husband & I just saw “42” and we both really enjoyed it. I’d heard it was slow, but I liked the pacing. Also, Harrison Ford was sporting some crazy eyebrows!! I liked him in this movie because he didn’t play the usual “Harrison Ford” character.
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I agree about Harrison Ford branching out. It’s good to see he can still surprise.
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For me the actor who played Branch Rickey practically stole the movie, 42. Now don’t get me wrong I don’t smoke and think it is a very bad habit. But there is just something wonderful about a guy walking around with a cigar in his mouth especially in a baseball film. What Jackie Robinson had to endure was earth changing. I really enjoyed this movie!
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Harrison Ford was great and I really think it showed some growth in comparison to the other films he’s been in lately. I watched “42” again this week and enjoyed it just as much as the first time.
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Wow……… that was Harrison Ford! You now know my movie viewing definitely curtails post 1980 🙂 . To make matters worse I was stopping and pausing this movie in between watching baseball. Not an ideal way to watch a film.
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That’s hilarious John. I have often tried to convince my wife that we need two tv’s hanging right next to each other so that the game can be playing silently while I watch my movies. She doesn’t seem to understand.
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