Check out our reviews of what’s new to home video 7/26/22:
Sam Raimi‘s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness opens mid-adventure, like an Indiana Jones installment. But, in that moment, it doesn’t really feel like it’s Sam Raimi’s movie yet. Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and an as-yet-unnamed companion (Xochitl Gomez) battle a demon in one of those Marvel Cinematic Universe trademark gloopy, formless pre-vis sequences marked more by momentum than by framing or, God forbid, editing… Review
Aaron and Adam Nee’s The Lost City is one of those rare movies in which, though there isn’t really anything wrong with it, it still manages to fall short of being truly recommendable. Every word I can think of to describe the film is a synonym for “average”. Words like “adequate”, “satisfactory”, and “competent” come to mind. The film knows what it is and it achieves exactly that, never exceeding anybody’s expectations to become something truly exceptional. That’s hardly a glowing review, but, with as many cynical, intelligence-insulting misfires as one can find in theaters at any given time these days, perhaps it should be. There can be something comforting – even reassuring – about a film that does its job sufficiently. We get what we came for and then go home, our memory of the film quickly evaporating. But at least it was vaguely enjoyable while it lasted… Review
It should come as no surprise that any serious-minded film about the pornography industry is also going to be a good Los Angeles movie. Most of the time, when a filmmaker sets out to depict a city, they understandably focus on streets and public transit, the liminal latticework that connects citizens to one another across their shared territory. But Ninja Thyberg’s Pleasure understands how, much of the time, existing in Los Angeles means inhabiting a series of disembodied rooms in a way that feels random when surveyed at large. Sometimes, these rooms are in tacky mansions in the hills. Usually, they’re in strip malls or industrial parks… Review
Also new to home video 7/26/22: Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, Fiddler’s Journey to the Big Screen
Battleship Pretension is a movie discussion podcast started in 2007 by Tyler Smith and David Bax. Since then, we’ve done live comedy shows, written reviews, commentaries and more.
Battleship Pretension is a film discussion show and a film review website founded by Tyler Smith and David Bax. Beginning in March 2007, Battleship Pretension the show (known to fans simply as “BP”) embodies the type of laidback, free-flowing conversations had by lovers of film around the world. Battleship Pretension the website is dedicated to being a destination for those seeking worthwhile opinions on current releases, be they foreign, independent, studio pictures, theatrical, home video releases, etc. From its meager beginnings in Los Angeles, Battleship Pretension has amassed a worldwide audience and readership. From Germany to Korea to Australia, people have tuned in to share in Tyler and David’s love of film. As Battleship Pretension’s following continues to grow, the purpose remains the same: Reach out to the international cinephile community, invite them to join in the discussion and perhaps even start one of their own.
