The Knick: The Complete Second Season (Digital HD + BD) [Blu-ray]

• Number of discs: 4
• Rated: 
   NR 
   Not Rated
• Studio: Hbo Home Video
• DVD Release Date: August 2, 2016
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• Synopsis: In the second season, The Knick faces an upheaval, as Dr. John Thackery's absence (due to his hospitalization for cocaine addiction), a dearth of affluent patients, and financial missteps have led to the board's decision to shutter the hospital in favor of a new building uptown.  In this world of corruption, invention and progress, everyone is searching for the new path that will help him or her survive. Whether it's a path toward justice, freedom, love or just plain survival, nothing comes easy. As relocation plans proceed, the gifted but under-appreciated Dr. Algernon Edwards jockeys to become Thackery's successor as chief of surgery, while fellow doctors, nurses, nuns and administrators grapple with challenges at work and in their private lives. 

• Review - Let's be honest, many of us do not have a Cinemax subscription. So we eagerly await these explosive offerings that we can watch again and again in our home theater. THE KNICK is the brilliant series that explores the world of 1900's medicine but with a plethora of intrigue and back stabbing. Every cut is uncut and you feel the scalpel with each hand gesture. The cast is superb and the writing is the best on Television. Now you can witness it all in Blu-ray beauty. 

Confirmation BD + Digital HD [Blu-ray]

• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: 
   NR 
   Not Rated
• Studio: HBO Home Video
• DVD Release Date: August 2, 2016
• Run Time: 110 minutes
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• Synopsis: CONFIRMATION details the explosive Clarence Thomas Supreme Court nomination hearings, which brought the country to a standstill and forever changed the way we think about sexual harassment, victims' rights and modern-day race relations. It looks behind the curtain of Washington politics, depicting a pivotal moment in American culture that became a turning point in workplace equality and gender politics.

• Review - Politics is on the mind of everyone in our nation.It is trending on social media like never before. This is the perfect time to revisit one of the most intriguing political moments in our history. CONFIRMATION brings the gritty trial that had us all on the edge of our seats and glued to the news networks. And if you think you loved Kerry Washington in Scandal wait until you see her in the biggest scandal of all! 
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Sniper: Ghost Shooter

• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: 
   R 
   Restricted
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: August 2, 2016
• Run Time: 99 minutes
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• Synopsis: Elite snipers Brandon Beckett (Chad Michael Collins) and Richard Miller (Billy Zane) are fighting extremists in the Middle East when Colonel (Dennis Haysbert) gives them a new mission: to protect a gas pipeline stretching from the Republic of Georgia to Western Europe from terrorists eager to make a political statement. But when skirmishes with the enemy lead to U.S. snipers being killed by a ghost shooter who locks into their exact location, a security breach is suspected. Fingers are pointed and battle lines are drawn, all leading up to an explosive climax.
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• Review - This is another in a long list of Sniper flicks. It has a familiar setting but the additional angle of politics and the gas pipeline give it more than just a run and gun theme. Definitely a must see for those who own scopes and cartridges and appreciate a clean shot. 

Viral [Blu-ray]

• Number of discs: 1
• Studio: Anchor Bay
• DVD Release Date: August 2, 2016
• Run Time: 85 minutes
• 
  
• Synopsis: Teenaged sisters Emma (Sofia Black-D’Elia) and Stacey (Analeigh Tipton) live a normal life, until their small suburban neighborhood is stricken with a mysterious parasitic virus. As the disease rapidly spreads throughout the town, the two band together to barricade themselves from infection. But it may already be too late – when the virus enters their home, the sisters are faced with an impossible choice: protect each other, or survive the virus.

• Review - Funny that this releases the same day as another Anchor Bay film about two sisters trying to survive, IN THE DEEP. Sharks are far scarier than a virus but this poster is enough to hook us in and make us watch. No sibling rivalry here. Just the will to survive! 

Traded [Blu-ray]

• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: 
   Unrated 
   Not Rated
• Studio: Cinedigm
• DVD Release Date: August 2, 2016
• Run Time: 99 minutes
• 
  
• Synopsis: In 1880s Kansas, sharpshooter turned rancher, Clay Travis (Paré), goes from happily married father of two to a man on a mission after the disappearance of his 17 year-old daughter, Lily.  Determined to protect what little family he has left, Clay leaves his quiet ranch and heads to Wichita where, after confronting the ruthless Ty Stover (Adkins), he discovers that Lily's been traded away into an underground sex ring in Dodge City.  And it's there, with the help of an unlikely companion -- hardened old barkeep Billy (Kristofferson) -- that Clay makes a stand to bring his daughter home, leaving a trail of gunsmoke and bodies in his wake.
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BONUS FEATURES

• The Making of Traded

Deleted Scenes 

• Review - We do not see many westerns these days so fans should snatch this up eagerly. Trace Adkins and the legendary Kris Kristofferson bring true grit to the dusty trail. 

Summer Camp [DVD + Digital]

• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: 
   R 
   Restricted
• Studio: LIONSGATE
• DVD Release Date: August 2, 2016
• Run Time: 84 minutes
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• Synopsis: An unseen terror strikes in this heart-pounding thriller about a group of counselors who desperately need to escape their camp before they’re infected by a mysterious virus.

Review: This is no Friday the 13th but it is a decent, modern telling of classic camp counselor carnage. For some reason a virus will never take the place of a machete wielding madman but it does drum enough enough jumps and scare.

The Lobster [Blu-ray + Digital HD]

• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: 
   R 
   Restricted
• Studio: LIONSGATE
• DVD Release Date: August 2, 2016
• Run Time: 89 minutes
• 
  
• Synopsis: In this highly imaginative, delightfully absurdist comedy, Colin Farrell stars as David, a man who has just been dumped by his wife.  To make matters worse, David lives in a society where single people have 45 days to find true love, or else they are turned into the animal of their choice and released into the woods.  David is kept at the mysterious HOTEL while he searches for a new partner, and after several romantic misadventures, decides to make a daring escape to abandon this world. He ultimately joins up with a rebel faction known as The Loners, a group founded on a complete rejection of romance. But once there, David meets an enigmatic stranger (Rachel Weisz) who stirs up unexpected and strong feelings within him.
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BLU-RAY/DVD/DIGITAL HD SPECIAL FEATURE*

“The Fabric of Attraction: Concocting The Lobster” Featurette

• Review - Yes! The most creative script from Hollywood in some time comes to Blu-ray/DVD/Digital. This film will delight audience of all relationship statuses.. Creative and imaginative movie that is a fresh look at the romantic life. 

The Trust [Blu-ray + Digital HD]

• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: 
   R 
   Restricted
• Studio: LIONSGATE
• DVD Release Date: August 2, 2016
• Run Time: 92 minutes
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• Synopsis: Oscar® winner Nicolas Cage and Elijah Wood star as Vegas cops who stumble upon the location of a hidden vault belonging to local drug dealers. Immediately, they devise a master plan to make off with the mad stacks of cash they are sure are stored within. But what they find inside puts their lives in grave danger in this action-packed, twist-filled crime-thriller.
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BLU-RAY/DVD/DIGITAL HD SPECIAL FEATURES*

• “The Dynamics of a Duo: Nicolas Cage and Elijah Wood” Featurette
• “The Visuals of Vegas” Featurette
• Audio Commentary with Directors Alex and Benjamin Brewer

• Review - The mustaches alone made me want to watch this. Elijah Wood is still trying to escape the shire and break free of his Hobbit bounds. Cage has always chosen the most random roles. The two together are an odd couple for sure but they create a fairly decent heist film that is easily a solid renter. 

Manhattan Night [Blu-ray + Digital HD]

• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: 
   R 
   Restricted
• Studio: LIONSGATE
• DVD Release Date: August 2, 2016
• Run Time: 83 minutes
• 
  
• Synopsis: Based on The New York Times “Notable Book of The Year” noir thriller, this pulse-pounding mystery begins as reporter Porter Wren (Brody) meets attractive widow Caroline (Strahovski). When she asks him to solve the bizarre death of her filmmaker husband (Scott), Wren is unable to refuse — or resist — her. But when a rich mogul blackmails him into investigating Caroline, the reporter realizes this job could cost him everything.
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BLU-RAY/ DVD/ DIGITAL HD SPECIAL FEATURES*

• Audio Commentary with Director/Producer/Screenwriter Brian DeCubellis, Actor/Co-Producer Campbell Scott, and Cinematographer David Tumblety
• Behind the Scenes with Cast & Crew
• “The Watcher” Featurette
• Deleted/Extended Scenes
• Director’s Notebook and Storyboards

• Review - Strahovski sizzles in this well written thriller. A perfect addition for fans of Brody and lover of the Noir genre.

Keanu [Blu-ray]

• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: 
   R 
   Restricted
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• DVD Release Date: August 2, 2016
• Run Time: 99 minutes
• 
  
• Synopsis: When Rell’s beloved kitten, Keanu, is catnapped, the hopelessly straight-laced pair must impersonate ruthless killers in order to infiltrate a street gang and retrieve the purloined feline. But the incredibly adorable kitten becomes so coveted that the fight over his custody creates a gang war, forcing our two unwitting heroes to take the law into their own hands.
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“Keanu” Blu-ray contains the following special features:

• Keanu: My First Movie (Featurette)
• Deleted Scenes
• Gag Reel

“Keanu” Standard Definition DVD contains the following special features:

• Keanu: My First Movie (Featurette)
• Deleted Scenes
• Gag Reel

• Review: This entire movie is one long gag reel. The funny and outrageous dynamic of Key and Peele make this feature length film a purrfect option for fans. Just when you think they could not get any more ridiculous they offer you a line of dialogue or scenario that proves they have no shame. In this sort of comedy that is a needed asset to have.Plus Keanu is so darn cute he will have you eating out of his little paw. 

The Blacklist: Season 3 (Blu-ray + UltraViolet)

• Number of discs: 5
• Rated: 
   NR 
   Not Rated
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: August 2, 2016
• Run Time: 980 minutes
• 
  
• Synopsis: In the third season of the hit drama “The Blacklist,” FBI Agent Elizabeth “Liz” Keen is now a fugitive and on the run with criminal mastermind Raymond “Red” Reddington. With Assistant FBI Director Harold Cooper under investigation, a conflicted Agent Donald Ressler leads the FBI Task Force on a massive manhunt for Liz and Red. As they struggle to stay one step ahead of their former colleagues, Liz immerses herself into Red’s underworld of disreputable contacts and covert operations. Liz is on an unpredictable journey of self-discovery and all the pieces of her life, including her indefinable relationship with Tom, will be drastically challenged as she continues to believe Red holds all the answers.
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Blu-ray™ Exclusive Features:

·         Deleted and Extended Scenes

·         From the Shadows: Villains of Season 3

·         Episode Commentaries

·         Creating The Stunts: Script to Screen

Blu-ray™ and DVD Special Features:

·         Outside the Box: Making The Blacklist Comic Book

·         All About Aram

·         Red’s Gems: Favorite Lines From Season 3

Broadcast Year:  2015-2016.  THE BLACKLIST: THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON is not rated. 

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• Review: Thursday night would not be the same without Liz and Red. This one lets you relive the most dramatic season of all. The exclusive features give you a bit more behind the scenes but my favorite is the villains of S3. THE BLACKLIST has some of the best bad guys on TV.

Jason Bourne

PG-13  |  123 min  |  Action, Thriller
Review - Matt Mungle

*In theaters July 29th 2016*

Synopsis: Jason Bourne, now remembering who he truly is, tries to uncover hidden truths about his past.

Review: I think we were all so excited to see Matt Damon back as JASON BOURNE that we didn't stop to ask ourselves if we truly needed/wanted another Bourne film. After seeing this one many will walk away with the answer of, no, we actually didn't. Had this one been new, innovative, and something we had not quite seen before then maybe. But it is the same old song and dance with our favorite amnesiac.

This time around Bourne (Matt Damon) is starting to remember more of his past. It isn't helping him socially or professionally though. he is still on the run and hiding from the government he is sure used and manipulated him. Even as more answers surface you aren't sure if he cares. When he pings the CIA's computer system of course everyone drops everything to try and bring him in or take him down. All in fear that what he does know he will share with the world. CIA Director Robert Dewey (Tommy lee Jones) is especially concerned. He makes Bourne a top priority and enlists the help of an up and coming tech specialist (Alicia Vikander) to aid in the search. 

This film is a jumbled mess of lengthy chases, eye rolling CIA technical abilities, and a waste of talented actors. It is a copy and paste script from all the past Bourne films with new characters written in to regurgitate the dialogue. Writer/Director Paul Greengrass knows how to frame and deliver action sequences but here they feel more like a distraction from the dismal story line instead of an anticipated enhancement.  The flashbacks have zero continuity with modern characters and are just another out of shape puzzle piece in the Treadstone file. 

There are moments when what is happening on screen feels like science fiction. I watch Star Trek with more confidence in the technology than I did here. Maybe the CIA can erase encrypted files from half way around the world by tapping into an electric toaster (I am exaggerating but only slightly). But every scene was conveniently filled with satellite images, CCT cameras, and other gadgets that allow them to monitor Bourne. Yet once he goes around the corner they lose him mysteriously. It is nearly laughable. 

Vikander is one of the most beautiful and talented actresses on the screen today. She even has a Gold Statue to prove it. But they squander her talent with bad directing, poor delivery options, and a drab wardrobe that makes her look pathetically unmotivated. She seems confused as to why the CIA is acting as they are. But maybe her confusion runs more to the movie as a whole. Jones too seems to be laughing at the process even as he acts concerned about Bourne. He delivers the lines in standard TLJ fashion but gives us little more than a phoned in delivery. 

There is of course no doubt that Matt Damon is a great Bourne. He continues to give us the character we expect. As he matures so does Jason. But the character needs a world in which to live and react. This film gives him no solid platform on which to do more than punch and pout. If you simply want to see Matt Damon be Bourne then you will like it much more. If you want an elevated franchise offering then you will be disappointed. 

JASON BOURNE is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and brief strong language. It is safe for those comfortable with the action genre and 11 and up.I give the movie 1.5 out of 5 burner phones. We all like the character but didn't need to see him like this again with no supporting plot.