1999 was such a formative year for many. I was sixteen and experiencing new hobbies, and learning to love movies. And the internet was still in its infancy, transforming in to a fascinating but still mysterious technology. 1999 had much to offer in the way of the film world with studios releasing so many interesting and great films. With the 25 year marked in 2024, I spotlighted five of the best films I saw in 1999.
Tag Archives: Sequel
Five Favorite Channing Tatum Cameos
Channing Tatum originally began his career being pegged as the dreamy bad boy who was mostly in romance movies. Over the course of his career, he’s also garnered an admirable sense of self-awareness never being afraid to poke fun at himself thus setting himself up as one of the big-time actors who love to make cameos in random movies. Tatum has popped up in many movies over the last ten years, including “Deadpool & Wolverine.”
Whether you like him or not, Tatum has offered up some surprising cameos over the years, here are my favorites.
When Titans Ruled The Earth: Clash of the Titans & Wrath of the Titans – Limited Edition [Blu-Ray]
1981’s Desmond Davis-Ray Harryhausen classic was a hard act to follow and sadly Louis LeTerrier tries to topple that bar opting for a remake that’s pretty much all style with none of the awe or amazement of the original film. Louis LeTerrier’s remake is dripping with early aughts ephemera with dark and grimy set pieces, a self serious script, and a part of the movie that would become the internet meme of the year. That snippet of dialogue would be “Release the Kraken!”
Demons (1985)/Demons 2 (1986): Remastered [4K UHD Blu-ray]
Available August 13th from Synapse Films.
For folks that missed the deluxe editions of “Demons” and “Demons 2” back in 2021, Synapse Films re-releases the set but on standard Blu-Ray and 4K UHD. The pair of horror classics are back on the format and still in considerable high demand. That’s not too much of a bad thing as they play very well as party movies. The 1985 Lamberto Bava horror gem finds a group of movie goers trapped in a movie theater besieged by an endless army of demons. When they realize that the theater is literally a virtual death trap, they have to find their way out alive or risk becoming one of the hordes.
Deadpool and Wolverine (2024)
Now Exclusively in Theaters.
“Deadpool and Wolverine” is that example of what happens when young boys take their action figures and spend hours just smashing them in to one another. There’s not much of a narrative, but there are appearances from other action figures, and maybe even a transformer or two. That’s what watching “Deadpool and Wolverine” was like—and I’m still not sure if that is a compliment or criticism. For all intents and purposes “Deadpool and Wolverine” is fun, and Shawn Levy seems to have a good time satirizing Marvel Studios as well as the scope of comic book movies. But through it all, there’s a very low stakes, and pretty overcooked movie that painfully overstays its welcome.
Rocky Ultimate Knockout Collection [4K Ultra HD/Digital]
Now Available from Warner Home Entertainment.
This isn’t the ultimate Rocky Collection. I’m sure Warner is planning a big deluxe set with all the bells and whistles somewhere down the line because, while it is a very good set, it doesn’t have every Rocky chapter. Despite being a spin off, the “Creed” movies are “Rocky” movies to their very soul and should be included in the library. I don’t know if they’re waiting for “Creed III” or some anniversary, but “Creed” deserves its spot in this massive library alongside “Rocky III” and “Rocky.” They’re both wonderful films the same as Stallone’s creations are. Stallone has also expressed big interest in re-cutting “Rocky V” for re-release over the last few years, so if that ever gets off the ground, there’s room for another set down the road.
Nevertheless, for fans that wanted another go at the “Rocky” series, Warner releases an interesting and more thorough (thorougher?) collection.
Diary of the Dead (2007) [Blu-Ray/Digital]: Wal-Mart Exclusive Steelbook
Later in his career, George Romero never could win with audiences. If he was too campy, he was berated for not being serious enough. When he was too serious, he was berated for “losing his sense of humor.” With “Diary of the Dead,” Romero has a very unique and important statement to make about the media, misinformation, and the dangers of social media. With “Diary of the Dead,” Romero bounces back and forth between cheeky camp and some stern warnings about misinformation and sensationalism during very real times.
With this iteration of the zombie apocalypse, it isn’t so much the death of death that kills us, but the lack of information for the sake of entertainment.