When Disney’s Wish is Very By The Book, You’ll Be Wishing For Something Better

Sometimes we don’t need another Disney Princess to highlight why this studio is loved. One Wish and One Vision is all that’s needed instead of executives saying we don’t need another Fantasia!

MNot every Disney's Wish Movie PosterSpoiler Alert

When the talents working for The House of the Mouse are more interested in introducing more princesses in their animated films than creating stories like Zootopia and Meet the Robinsons, my desire to see Disney’s Wish was not immediate. I’d rather wait for a presentation that’s very out there instead of by the book. And in what I found in this latest mostly celebrates 100 Years of Disney rather try to stand on its own.

I would’ve preferred to see a third movie along the lines of Fantasia to recognise just how old this studio is. Here, the creative team of writers Jennifer Lee and Allison Moore with directors Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn simply explore why the concept of “wishing upon a star” (which is only recognised in a handful of this studio’s films) is important. And when greed gets in the way, King Magnifico (Chris Pine) has to decide on why only one wish matters. This actor’s presence is the only reason I wanted to see this film.

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When Owning Megasets Are A Must; Presenting Our 2023 Holiday Home Video Gift Guide

Sometimes, gifting that pop culture enthusiast in the family is tough, and we got our top new release picks (from this year) on what to give that person!

Godzilla Christmas Tree and Holiday Home Video Gift GuideAnyone searching for a holiday home video gift guide of the godzilla sized home box sets of beloved franchises released this year are in luck! In this year’s edition on what to give that nerd in the family, what I offer is a list of works which I think are must own over others. Most of these major releases are available to purchase now.

There’s only two which will be out very soon, so they should arrive in time for the holiday. What’s offered looks amazing for genre fans and although a few of them are repackaged material, that’s okay since I’m considering anniversary releases too.

To note, each entry is separated out into its own page (please scroll further down to find the next page markers). Presented in alphabetical order are:

ALF- The Complete Series (Deluxe Edition)
Available to order on Amazon

ALF: The Complete Series (Deluxe Edition) + Bundle

Love him or hate him, Alf was part of 80s pop culture!

Everyone’s favourite wise-cracking alien from Melmac, Gordon Shumway — better known to Earthlings as ALF crash-lands onto DVD in this definitive 24-disc collection. The collection includes every episode of this interstellar hit series, restored to their original broadcast length for the first time in 30 years. It also includes the 1996 film Project: ALF starring Martin Sheen, and all 47 episodes of Saturday morning’s ALF: The Animated Series and ALF Tales! Never has a collection been so out of this world!

This ShoutFactory.com Exclusive includes the NEW DVD release of ALF, an exclusive 18” x 24” rolled poster featuring new artwork, a retro prism sticker, a 7″ vinyl, an enamel pin set, a lunch box, and an authentic Melmac rock.

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Two Shows in One Disc. Spirited Away: Live on Stage, A Blu-ray Review

Spirited Away: Live on Stage could’ve been made better by including the soundtrack like the box set anniversary releases, but that’s okay.

Spirited Away Live on Stage Blu-ray Case
Available to purchase on Amazon USA

GKIDS & Shout! Factory
Released Nov 14, 2023

Anyone who did not catch Spirited Away: Live on Stage can enjoy the best of both versions on home video! Although this release doesn’t contain any bonus features that look at behind the scenes, to have the two shows as played by Kanna Hashimoto and Mone Kamishiraishi in the title role, Chihiro, in one single release is a Ghibli fan’s dream release come true.

I wasn’t sure if this film would play in Canada, as locations and dates weren’t offered many weeks in advance. Thankfully, Cineplex eventually added more screenings which included my home town, but I was in Seattle that weekend. I didn’t plan to visit the States just to get my Ghibli fix–it was pure luck that I was at the right place and right time. What was presented at the Regal and where I sat made me feel like I had a front row seat to a live show rather than something broadcasted on a screen. My experience can be read here.

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When Your Life is Caught on Video, What Zoe.mp4 Captures on Tape Will Leave You Guessing!

In what makes Zoe.mp4 work is that it very nicely puts all of this character’s life in a container that’s over a fire, and it’s waiting to explode!

Zoe.mp4 movie posterMaking Its World Premiere at Whistler Film Festival on Nov 30. For tickets, please visit the link here.

Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of Zoe.mp4 is the title. Most digital videos are encoded in either the mp4 container format or MKV; and to put anything into a digital document can be unsettling, since anyone can look at it in order to deconstruct whatever gets recorded by the device’s lens. Some say a camera can capture your soul, but what else can it do?

Zoe’s life isn’t picture-perfect. She has doubts about where her career is going, and Julia Sarah Stone excellently plays those fears up. We witness her journey and, when she gets kidnapped, also feel her discomfort. Although the choice to make the title character young is curious, perhaps that’s to make this film relatable for today’s generation. Not everyone knows what they want to do with their growth or find themselves capable of doing.

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When Sniper: G.R.I.T., Global Response and Intelligence Team is About Fighting for Freedom Over Land and Air…

Only fans of G.I. Jooe need to apply here, to become a member of Sniper: G.R.I.T., Global Response and Intelligence Team.

Sniper G.R.I.T. Global Response and Intelligence Team
Available to purchase or stream on Amazon USA

An introduction is needed to welcome newcomers to the Sniper franchise and who Thomas Beckett (Tom Berenger) is. He is a Master Gunnery Sergeant and throughout the many films released since the 1993 original, he’s rising up the ranks. In Sniper: G.R.I.T., Global Response and Intelligence Team, he’s ready to join a new team to take on terrorists all over the world, and that also includes a religious zealot who kind of reminds me of a certain someone in a cartoon.

To be fair, I had to catch up to find out what has happened since the first film. After the one theatrical release, I didn’t realise there were many more direct to video releases. Thankfully to play catchup is easy; they are now available to stream online on platforms like Google Play, Netflix, and Amazon Prime.

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