COMPANY: OLIVE FILMS
PRODUCT REVIEW: DVDS
Two wonderful DVD's brought out by the wonderful company
Olive Films. A company that expresses the beauty of entertainment and gives
outlets to often forgotten cinema.
Blackwoods (2001)
Starring: Patrick Muldoon, Michael Pare, Clint Howard
Plot: Tormented by memories of having caused a deadly car
accident years earlier. Matt struggles to rebuild his life with his girlfriend
Dawn but his tentative happiness is shattered when he is attacked by an ax
wielding maniac in a secluded motel.
My Review and Thoughts:
First off I speak highly about the film DVD/Blu-Ray company
Olive Films they give whole new appreciation to the world of cinema. These two
releases Blackwoods and Sanctimony are forgotten little thrillers and thanks to
Olive Films both now have nice respected DVD's for today's movie collectors.
Say what you will about writer, director and odd visionary
Uwe Boll, but one thing is for sure, he loves cinema and no matter what he
expresses, he does it his way.
The first feature and DVD review is for Blackwoods which is
one of his older films before his Video Game Movies. I find his earlier work to
be something of the old classic style of Drive-In cinema.
This 2001 drama, Blackwoods is a mystery thriller that
brings out the class of suspense mixed with the reality of horror with
flashbacks and a trip of guilt inside an ultimate hidden truth. An
entertaining, solid movie in my viewpoint. It is the Direct to video style of
reality as so many lower budget films graced the movie world back in the day.
This reminds me of a 90's direct to video mystery film that has a story to tell
and in all reality even with many of its flaws, mainly editing the movie still
entertains and gives the viewer a solid tale, thick as a low budget Drive-In
thriller.
This Stars some Drive-In cinema legends the one and only
Michael Pare who has graced the entertainment world in many countless cult
films. He is always a treat to see and Boll has used him in many of his
features. Pare is an actor that I feel has never gotten the push he deserved in
the main stream film world but as long as there are Direct to Video features he
will shine and Boll has given him many outlets. He has starred in 14 of Bolls
feature films. Also in Blackwoods is none other than B-Movie icon Clint Howard.
Always a treat to see in anything.
Olive Films releases this with an aspect ratio of 1.78:1 and
an audio of 2.0 stereo. A lovely disc to own.
Our next feature film is Sanctimony and it also came out in
the year 2001. This too was before Boll infamous claim to fame through his
Video Game movie adaptions.
Sanctimony (2001)
Starring: Casper Van Dien, Michael Pare, Eric Roberts,
Jennifer Rubin, Catherine Oxenberg
Plot: A serial killer known as The Money Maker is not
satisfied with mutilating and murdering his victims and so he begins to taunt
the authorities by involving himself as a witness. The detectives come closer
to unmasking the culprit, the killer then grows even more demented.
My Review and Thoughts:
This is another old-school classic Boll. Murder, serial
killing and a very violent thriller. Like Blackwoods it has the classic Direct
to Video style. Lovers of action thrillers and films that display entertainment
will be enthralled and satisfied with this cat and mouse serial killing
thriller that entertained my inner lover Drive-In cinema. Boll gives like
always simple popcorn entertainment and that's why it works.
Sanctimony comes in an Aspect Ratio of 2.35:1 with audio 2.0
Stereo. Like Blackwoods Olive Films brought this out on a nice transfer and
clear audio. Both of these are the best I have ever seen them.
Both of these movies will have those who like them and the
majority of the people that dislike it will be because Boll is behind it. It's
a shame that people stereotype his films. It's a shame people put down the
majority of his work. I see Boll as a modern day William Castle or Roger
Corman. He gives at times simple, silly entertaining cinema and at others
action packed, bloody or suspenseful. I feel he does the Direct to Video and
B-Movie complete Justice in the modern sense of Drive-In cinema. I am a classic
late night, cult, B-Grade lover of cinema that most overlook. Boll lovingly gives
pure entertainment at its inner core to please in no matter how simple or deep
it may be. Boll has his own reality and his own visionary being that I am
personally fine with.
This is also another feature film starring Michael Pare but
most of all starring an actor I have liked ever since seeing him in Starship
Troopers Casper Van Dien. He like Pare I have felt has never gotten the push he
has deserved. He aced his part in Sanctimony. Also starring the very beautiful
Jennifer Rubin always a treat on the eyes. The whole cast works.
Like I say if you go into this with the idea of award worthy
Academy award production or award worthy direction then you're going to be
majorly letdown but if you go into to these with wanting simple popcorn
entertainment then both of these films succeed in doing that. That's what these
movies are about, to simply be entertained and both of them do that and that is
all I ask for.
Special Features: Both come with a great introduction by the
controversial directing legend himself Uwe Boll. Say what you will but to me it
was worth just watching his introduction. I enjoy for some odd reason listening
to the man. He's definitely a gifted artist in his own right and in his own
little world and he creates as he sees fit. Both films have the introduction
and each film adds to the Boll film legacy.
For fans and diehard collectors of Bolls films Olive Films
has brilliantly given to the fans, two wonderful products that lovingly sits on
my DVD shelf.
I was thoroughly entertained and absolutely satisfied with
both DVD's that Olive Films released. The video introduction is amazing by Boll
and the audio and visual is crisp and clear. Olive Films crafted there amazing mastery
and brought out two forgotten pieces of cinema.
Info:
Visit Olive Films at www.olivefilms.com
A place to buy extraordinary cinema.
Link for Blackwoods DVD:TO BUY
Link for Sanctimony DVD:TO BUY