Photo © Briarcliff Entertainment
Liam Neeson in 'Marlowe'
Liam Neeson in 'Marlowe'
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
(In Theaters Feb 17)
In this latest Ant-Man iteration, and the third in a planned trilogy, Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) deals with a change to the time continuum that releases the villainous Kang (Jonathan Majors), from his quantum prison. Able to travel through time, Kang is intent upon destroying everything, and the time alteration means the Avengers do not exist. It’s up to Ant-Man and his newly power-suited daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton), along with Hope van Dyne/Wasp (Evangeline Lilly), and her quantum inventor parents (Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer), to stop Kang from enacting his evil plan. With nearly all the action taking place in the quantum realm, this two-hour Disney release introduces its own rules of physics along with alien creatures and a strange realty that may not entirely follow the science but will still be gobs of fun ... and in time, a mind-bending Disney World ride. (Lisa Miller)
.com for murder
(Arrow Films Blu-ray)
The 2002 film was rooted in Hollywood history and prescient about the new century. The opening frames, shot in blurry digital images, replay the shower scene from Psycho—rhythmic slash, slash, with perhaps a touch more blood than Hitchcock allowed.
The perpetrator is a lone psycho killer with a reach Norman Bates lacked thanks to the internet. Greek director Nico Mastroakis nails the early thrill of digital hook-ups, the prevalence of full-frontal online porn, the illusion of internet privacy and the prospect of harm coming from all of it. The psycho killer’s intended victim (Nastassja Kinski) lives in what we now call a “smart” house—but not so smart that a skilled hacker can’t manipulate it. Oh, and the house and laptop are all voice activated (years before Alexa) in this techno-forward drama. Roger Daltrey plays the architect-husband, away at a conference when the killer begins to stalk. Huey Lewis plays the FBI agent on the case. (David Luhrssen)
Invaders from Mars
(Ignite Films Blu-ray)
“Gee whiz!” the boy exclaims when he spots a flying saucer from his bedroom window. Invaders from Mars (1953) features green body-suited aliens who implant devices in the necks of their human victims, dispelling their personalities and rendering them as slaves to a totalitarian system (three years before Invasion of the Body Snatchers). The story is strong; the adults don’t believe the boy and many of them have fallen under alien control. Alas, the screenplay is inane for many stretches and the characters thin with the best performance coming from the boy actor, Jimmy Hunt.
However, the film is also interesting for the visuals by director William Cameron Menzies—whose resume included production design for The Thief of Bagdad and Gone with the Wind. His painted backdrops for exterior scenes endow the story with a fairytale aura, and his disorienting interiors are almost as surreal as a dream. And yes, in the final moments comes another twist … The new Blu-ray is fully restored. (David Luhrssen)
Marlowe
(In Theaters, Wednesday, Feb 15)
The Philip Marlowe novels, written by Raymond Chandler between 1939 and 1958, spawned a dozen film and television adaptations. In 2014, Irish crime novelist John Banville sought to add to the popular private eye’s cases with his own authorized entry, The Black-Eyed Blonde. Adapted by director Neil Jordan, the film version casts Liam Neeson as an aging Marlowe, still a private eye, still living in Los Angeles, and still working despite feeling the encroaching years. When approached by glamorous heiress Clare Cavendish (Diane Kruger), Marlowe agrees to search for her missing lover (Francois Arnaud), a bit Hollywood player. Clare’s case takes on additional intrigue because she’s the daughter of mega-star Dorothy Cavendish (Jessica Lange).
In typical Marlowe fashion, what initially appears to be a simple case proves to be anything but. Since this is a Neeson film, expect action sequences and fisticuffs. Fears that Neeson shouldn’t allow himself to be miscast are warranted here. Much world-weary wisdom is dispensed by Dorothy, an actress who struggles with being long past her prime. Lange excels as Dorothy, all but stealing this R-rated endeavor with her sly glances and knowing nods. (Lisa Miller)
