# HD Movie Reviews ## Posts - [Sentimental Value (2025)](https://www.hdmoviereviews.com/index.php/2026/01/24/sentimental-value-2025/): Back home from seeing Sentimental Value in theaters, as part of a Q&A event. My head is still buzzing from the experience, so I won’t write anything detailed, but I loved this film. I was drawn in right from the start, where the family home is imagined as a character; being a witness to to all the happy and sad moments that transpired within its walls. The performances were strong across the board, but Renate Reinsve and Stellan Skarsgård were incredible here. Reinsve has such an expressive face, even without speaking, she says so much about her strained relationship with her father, […] - [Frankenstein (2025) Review](https://www.hdmoviereviews.com/index.php/2025/10/20/frankenstein-2025-review/): Yesterday, I got to see Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein at the Paris Theater, in 35mm, with GDT in attendance for a Q&A after. It was an awesome experience, which I’ll give some of my impressions below. The Film This is the best adaptation of Frankenstein that I’ve seen. While not 100% faithful to Shelley’s novel, I found it comes closest to matching the major plots, and structure of the book. The film is broken into three main parts, a prelude set in the Arctic, and then followed by chapters telling the story from both Victor, and the creature’s perspectives. The […] - [Godzilla vs Hedorah (1971) Review](https://www.hdmoviereviews.com/index.php/2024/06/12/godzilla-vs-hedorah-1971-review/): I watched Godzilla vs Hedorah for the first time recently. This has to be one of the strangest Godzilla films I’ve seen yet. The intro song feels in the vein of a James Bond jazzy song but with a a pretty morbid message about how much we’re destroying the Earth with pollution. I assumed it would be Honda directing it given this strong social message, so I was surprised to find it was someone else (Yoshimitsu Banno). Hedorah is actually a pretty cool monster. He has a few distinct phases, two of which he can switch between at anytime. I […] - [Playtime (1967) Review](https://www.hdmoviereviews.com/index.php/2024/06/12/playtime-1967-review/): This was my first time seeing the film, and I went in completely blind, so I actually felt rather lost in the first few minutes, seeing one strange, yet humorous, scene follow another. And that’s how much of the movie plays out. There is no storyline, nor narrative, but a series of wonderfully elaborate set-pieces that are the backdrop for countless gags, and chaotic mishaps by Monsieur Hulot, and others in this world. There is a lot to take in here as a first-time viewer, and perhaps even for those that have seen it numerous times. So much is happening […] - [Full Time (2021) Review](https://www.hdmoviereviews.com/index.php/2024/06/12/full-time-2021-review/): Full Time (À plein temps) is a French-language film directed by Eric Gravel. The main character Julie Roy (Laure Calamy) lives in a Paris suburb with her two young children. We first see her waking in the early hours of morning, making breakfast, and getting her kids ready for school, before heading to the train station for her daily commute to work. She works as the head maid at a 5-star hotel in Paris, and appears to run a tight ship, delegating assignments efficiently to other maids, and cleaning up the mess (putting it kindly) left behind by guests as […] - [Young Mr. Lincoln (1939) Review](https://www.hdmoviereviews.com/index.php/2024/05/05/young-mr-lincoln-1939-review/): With it being President’s Day, I thought it was time I finally watch John Ford’s Young Mr. Lincoln (1939). I can’t say I know anything about Abraham Lincoln outside of the general knowledge that we were taught in school. Not that I’m expecting to learn a great deal more from this early biopic film. Lincoln has reached almost mythical status, and there’s no doubt that stories about his life are filled with all kinds of embellishments that may or may not have any truth to them. I think a line from another John Ford classic, The Man Who Shot Liberty […] - [The Bounty Hunter Trilogy](https://www.hdmoviereviews.com/index.php/2024/03/11/the-bounty-hunter-trilogy/): On March 26th, Radiance Films will be releasing The Bounty Hunter Trilogy, which stars Tomisaburo Wakayama, and directed by Shigehiro Ozawa (Killer’s Mission, Eight Men to Kill), and Eiichi Kudo (The Fort of Death).. Here is the synopsis, and the official extras for the set: Before he made his name in Lone Wolf and Cub Tomisaburo Wakayama starred in this triptych of violent samurai spectacles that draw on James Bond and Spaghetti Westerns for inspiration yet feature the familiar style and blood-spattering action of the period. Wakayama stars as Doctor and spy-for-hire Shikoro Ichibei who in Shigehiro (The Streetfighter) Ozawa’s […] - [Demon Pond (1979) Review](https://www.hdmoviereviews.com/index.php/2024/03/11/demon-pond-1979-review/): (Possible minor spoilers below)This past Friday, I saw Masahiro Shinoda’s Demon Pond (1979) at the Film Forum in NYC (part of their ongoing Japanese Horror program), and I really enjoyed it. I went in knowing very little about the movie, but given the title, and some artwork I’ve seen, I figured it would be more of a traditional ghost story. While there is a supernatural element, the film was quite different than I imagined. In my mind, there are three distinct chapters, each with a somewhat unique tone and atmosphere. In the opening act, which was my favorite of the film, we […] - [Raid: Redemption 4K Review (Blu-ray.com)](https://www.hdmoviereviews.com/index.php/2024/03/04/raid-redemption-4k-review-blu-ray-com/): Sony’s new release of The Raid: Redemption has received glowing reviews so far. Blu-ray.com review the disc, and gave it a 4.5 for picture quality. They write: The Raid: Redemption is presented in 4K with an HVEC-encoded remastered transfer that features a completely new color grade created under director Gareth Evans’s supervision. This new edition of the film comes courtesy of XYZ Films and Merantau Films. First things first, the new color grading is dramatic, representing a substantial shift in the tone and appearance of the image. Black levels are much, much deeper and shadow delineation is more punishing to background detail. However, […] - [The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2019) Review](https://www.hdmoviereviews.com/index.php/2024/02/19/the-last-black-man-in-san-francisco-2019-review/): Just as 2018’s ‘Blindspotting’ addressed the shifting cultural landscape happening in Oakland, “The Last Black Man” does the same for San Francisco. We are shown, with startling imagery, a place where tech start-ups, and hipsters are moving in, while long-time residents are essentially being pushed out. The movie doesn’t mosey around this theme either, it shouts it loudly. It literally opens with a man atop his makeshift pulpit preaching to anyone who will listen about how toxic the air is, how poisonous the water is, how black people helped build the city, and so forth…It’s a hyperbolic rant, but the […] - [C'mon C'mon (2021) Review](https://www.hdmoviereviews.com/index.php/2024/02/18/cmon-cmon-2021-review/): Mike Mills’ C’mon C’mon is a family drama, but due to the nature of the main character Johnny’s (Joaquin Phoenix) job as a radio journalist, it also takes on a documentary quality as well. The premise is relatively simple, Johnny is on the road, interviewing kids across the country, and asking them complex questions about the future, and their lives. This is interrupted when his sister in LA has to go to Oakland to help her mentally unstable ex-husband, and there’s no one to look after their kid Jesse (Woody Norman). In steps Johnny, who now has to care for […] - [Prisoners (2013) Review](https://www.hdmoviereviews.com/index.php/2024/02/18/prisoners-2013-review/): Denis Villeneuve’s Prisoners was a movie that was very difficult sit through, but also so engaging that I couldn’t stop watching it.. On Thanksgiving day, while the Dover family are at the Birch’s for dinner, the youngest daughters of both suddenly are nowhere to be found. Of course, both sets of parents don’t think it’s serious at first, but as more time goes by, the panic begins to set in.. The terror unfolds, almost in slow motion, as we see these parents search frantically for their children to no avail. I’m not at a parent, but I can’t begin to […] - [Samurai Rebellion (1967) Review](https://www.hdmoviereviews.com/index.php/2024/02/18/samurai-rebellion-1967-review/):   Similar to Kobayashi’s Harakiri (1962), Samurai Rebellion is a masterclass in building tension. You feel it from the opening scene, right into the final act. I’ll do my best not to go into great details about the complex plot, but will just say it ultimately comes down to a choice between love, and duty. Mifune plays the vassal Isaburo Sasahara, who has lived his life honorably during a time of peace. He is in an unhappy marriage, but is shown to be a keen samurai who plans to retire, and let his son, and new wife, Ichi, head the family going […] - [A Thousand and One (2023) Review](https://www.hdmoviereviews.com/index.php/2024/02/18/a-thousand-and-one-2023-review/): A Thousand and One is often a difficult film to watch. So many scenes carry so much weight, and dread with them, like the characters are constantly on edge – just waiting for the other shoe to finally drop. There are also some truly gut-wrenching scenes, especially towards the end, that really affected me. I didn’t grow up in a broken, and dysfunctional home like this, but I know those that have, and the depictions here felt very real. There are some powerful performances in the film, but none more than Teyana Taylor, who plays Inez, the mother of the […] - [The Masque of the Red Death (1964) Blu-ray Review](https://www.hdmoviereviews.com/index.php/2024/02/17/the-masque-of-the-red-death-1964-blu-ray-review/):  One of the last films in Roger Corman’s Poe Cycle (1960-64), The Masque of Red Death is a wonderfully macabre film, and features some of the best uses of color I’ve seen in any horror film. The masquerade party at the end is perhaps its most memorable part, but everything building up to that is entertaining too thanks to Vincent Price’s performance as Prince Prospero. He is a complete tyrant, toying with the lives of others purely for his own pleasure. He does all of this without fear of consequence, which makes the ending all the more satisfying. As mentioned, […] - [Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022) Review](https://www.hdmoviereviews.com/index.php/2024/02/17/glass-onion-a-knives-out-mystery-2022-review/): When Knives Out came out in 2019, it was like a breath of fresh air. Here was a new whodunit that was brilliantly scripted, with excellent performances from a star-studded cast. I’ve seen it a couple times now, and despite knowing who the killer is, it holds up well to repeat viewings. So, with how much I loved the film, you would think I would be over the moon about a sequel, but no. I was very much against the idea. I felt Knives Out was so perfect that a sequel could only taint its reputation. Fast Forward a couple […] - [Criterion Collection Announces May Titles](https://www.hdmoviereviews.com/index.php/2024/02/17/criterion-collection-announces-may-titles/): The Criterion Collection have announced their upcoming slate for May 2024. It’s a very strong lineup that includes a recent Oscar-nominated film, a new box set from a famed Senegalese director, and a long-awaited classic from Ozu. Here’s what’s coming: A Story of Floating Weeds / Floating Weeds: Two Films by Yasujiro Ozu (Blu-ray) Ozu’s Floating Weeds (1959) is my second favorite film of all time. A 4K restoration was made several years ago, and I had the pleasure of seeing it in theaters on two separate occasions. So it goes without saying that I was extremely happy to finally […] - [Poor Things (2023) Review](https://www.hdmoviereviews.com/index.php/2024/02/17/poor-things-2023/): After seeing Poor Things in theater, I spent the train ride home trying to think of how would describe the film. Absurd, hilarious, erotic, grotesque, and beautiful are a few adjectives that I feel fit the film well. It does make it easier to think of it as female version of Frankenstein’s monster, at least at the onset of the film. The movie builds off that classic framework, but gives the protagonist, Bella Baxter, a greater capacity for learning. so we see several transformations over the course of the film. Bella at the start is pretty much a toddler in […] - [Invasion of the Neptune Men (1961) Review](https://www.hdmoviereviews.com/index.php/2024/02/15/invasion-of-the-neptune-men-1961-2/): Recently, Shout Factory announced a new Tokusatsu Blu-ray Collection of films. I’ve heard the term tokusatsu, but didn’t quite know all of what it stood for. In simplest terms, it seems to be any live-action Japanese film, or television program that uses great use of special effects. I’m sure I’ve watched a fair number of films that fall under that umbrella term, but today I decided to seek one out that was specifically from this new collection. Invasion of Neptune Men has a short run-time of just 74 minutes, but somehow it manages to pack two movies in one. I’ll […] - [The Shaolin Plot (1977) Blu-ray Review (DVDBeaver)](https://www.hdmoviereviews.com/index.php/2024/02/10/the-shaolin-plot-1977-blu-ray-review-dvdbeaver/): DVDBeaver has published a review for the Blu-ray release of The Shaolin Plot (1977) from Arrow Films. Surprisingly the transfer for this release differs from the Blu-ray released by Eureka Entertainment in the UK. It appears to be more natural looking, with less of a yellow-tinge to it. See DVDBeaver’s comparison. Eureka is on top, Arrow is on the bottom. Besides that, the two releases appear to share identical extras. You can read DVDBeaver’s Full Review Here. If you’re interested in picking up Arrow’s Blu-ray release, it is available from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Shaolin-Plot-Limited-Sammo-Hung/dp/B0CP47RY49/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=the+shaolin+plot&qid=1707612640&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1 - [Perfect Days (2023) Review](https://www.hdmoviereviews.com/index.php/2024/02/09/perfect-days-2023/): The Japanese term “‘komorebi” roughly translates to sunlight through leaves. That interplay between light, and shadows constantly changing, with every moment existing just for that very moment. Perfect Days captures the notion of komorebi beautifully. You wouldn’t be wrong to think of the first half as a sort of documentary of a middle-aged man who cleans public restrooms for a living. There is very little dialogue to start the film, especially from our main character, Hirayama, who barely utters a word in this first half. We see him go through his daily routine of waking up, driving to work, eating, reading, falling asleep, […] - [Lady Killer (1937) Review](https://www.hdmoviereviews.com/index.php/2024/02/06/lady-killer-1937/): Jean Grémillon was not a name familiar to me at the start of the year. The Metrograph had two of his (films on their streaming service. The first I watched was The Strange Mistor Victor (1938), and I was very impressed by it. It seemed well ahead of its time in terms of its taboo story, and its sharp dialogue. Today I watched The Lady Killer (1937), and was equally enamored with it as well. The film stars Jean Gabin, one of, if not, France’s greatest actors. While he is perhaps better known for playing tougher characters in his career, this film shows he had […] - [Anatomy of a Fall Review](https://www.hdmoviereviews.com/index.php/2024/02/05/anatomy-of-a-fall/): Anatomy of a Fall, a French courtroom drama, has been well-received in the US, and abroad, getting a Palme d’Or at Cannes, and is now nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. I finally saw the film last week, and it’s been running through my head ever since. The film is set in a snow-covered mountain region of France. It opens with the main character Sandra Voyer (played by Sandra Hüller) giving an interview, which suddenly gets interrupted by music being blared from a stereo above them. The song, an instrumental version of 50 Cent’s P.I.M.P. is so loud that the interview […] ## Pages - [About Me](https://www.hdmoviereviews.com/index.php/about/): Hello, my name is Michael. I’ve loved everything about movies since I was a kid. it still feels like magic to me. My love, and appreciation has grown with every passing year, and I continue to learn new things with every new movie I watch.. I hope you enjoy my reviews, and become interested in seeking out some of the hidden gems I may discuss here. - [About](https://www.hdmoviereviews.com/index.php/about-2/): This is an example of a page. Unlike posts, which are displayed on your blog’s front page in the order they’re published, pages are better suited for more timeless content that you want to be easily accessible, like your About or Contact information. Click the Edit link to make changes to this page or add another page. - [Contact](https://www.hdmoviereviews.com/index.php/contact/): [contact-form-7 id=”69″ title=”Contact form 1″] - [Home](https://www.hdmoviereviews.com/index.php/home/) [comment]: # (Generated by Hostinger Tools Plugin)