Quick Flick Review: Black Mass

It's hard not to think of Martin Scorsese's The Departed when watching Scott Cooper's Whitey Bulger biopic Black Mass.

You've got the same South Boston setting, the same unscrupulous lowlifes, the same duplicitous cops, the same '70s-era rock hits and even the same bad guy more or less, as the Jack Nicholson gangster in Scorsese's film was loosely based on Bulger and his stint as one of the nation's most notorious crimelords.

Unfortunately, it's those similarities that give Black Mass that "been there, done that" vibe and ultimately cloud an otherwise exceptional performance from star Johhny Depp.

Depp, who has seemed content living in the shadow of Jack Sparrow the last 10 years, slips into the skin of Bulger with the ease of trying on a well-worn glove. With his Southie drawl, thinning blond hair and ice-blue eyes, Depp masterfully balances his performance between soft-spoken nurturer and unholy menance. One second he's talking up the merits of orange juice to his small son, the next he's strangling a woman inside his mother's house. It's a glaring reminder of the type of talent Depp still possesses, one that should warrant serious consideration come Oscar time.

Black Mass really doesn't offer audiences anything new to chew on. But if it gets Johnny Depp to seek out more challenging rolls, it'll have served its purpose. Grade: B -

Five Autumn Films Worth Falling For

You probably could tell from my lack of a preview post in May that I didn't think much of the then-pending summer movie season. Nothing but sequels and uninspiring CG-heavy fare. A far cry from last summer's bumper crop of original, character-driven offerings.

Four months and a handful of screenings later, my initial opinion hasn't changed much. Granted, Mad Max: Fury Road was amazing and both Jurassic World and Mission: Impossible - Rouge Nation were far better than I thought they'd be, but films like Avengers: Age of Ultron and Ant-Man seemed overly repetitive and unoriginal. And then there was Tomorrowland. What the heck happened there?

All told, I caught eight films this summer, the fewest in recent memory, perhaps ever, and with the exception of Mad Max, I'd give none of them a grade higher than a B. Too harsh? Maybe. All I know is that I love cinema and when I drop my $15 to see a movie on the big screen, I want to see something special, something with a little thought behind it. I bet most of you feel the same way.

Luckily for us, things look pretty optimistic from now through Christmas. Below are my five films worth falling for this autumn, especially on the big screen (in order of release).

The Walk: Oscar-winning visual maestro Robert Zemeckis takes us back to 1974 when French high-wire artist Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) took a covert, commando-like 1,300-foot-high stroll between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. This one definitely needs to be seen on the largest screen possible. Just don't look down. (Sept. 30)

The Martian: Ridley Scott adapts Andy Weir's 2014 bestseller in which an astronaut (Matt Damon) is left for dead on Mars and must find a way to survive until NASA and his Earth-bound crewmates can figure out a way to retrieve him. The book was a little too technical for my liking, but the story is undeniably cinematic and with sci-fi master Scott calling the shots, this one should prove to be a very worthwhile ride. (Oct. 2)

Bridge of Spies: Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks reteam for the first time in 11 years. I'm in! (Oct. 16)

Star Wars: The Force Awakens: As a first-generation Star Wars fan, I have my reservations on a J.J. Abrams-helmed SW tale filled with Rebels-like misfits only a seven-year-old could love. But here's what I keep telling myself: it's a sequel to Return of the Jedi and features Luke, Leia, Han and Chewie. How can you not go? (I'm actually writing this while waiting in line.) (Dec. 18)

The Hateful Eight : Quentin Tarantino's follow-up to Django Unchained is another "wild" Western in which a group of unsavory strangers get stranded together in close quarters and must "work out" their differences as only Tarantino characters can do. Kurt Russell, Samuel L. Jackson and Jennifer Jason Leigh headline the eclectic cast, and as an added bonus, select theaters will screen the film in glorious 70mm. I guess I know what I'm doing the day after Christmas. (Dec. 25, limited)


Five More That Should Be On Your Radar: Black Mass (Today); Everest (Today); Steve Jobs (Oct. 9); Spectre (Nov 6); In The Heart of the Sea (Dec. 11)

Quick Blu Review: Mad Max: Fury Road

George Miller's Mad Max: Fury Road was easily the best and most original film of the summer: simply two hours of non-stop, jaw-dropping, in-your-face action that completely immerses you in a world of sight and sound like few films ever have.

Fury Road is Miller's reimagining of his popular post-apocalyptic Mad Max films of the 1980s. Tom Hardy takes over for Mel Gibson as road warrior Max Rockatansky, a former highway cop who now battles gangs of vicious marauders across a dystopian wasteland. This time around Max finds himself in the middle of deadly conflict between warlord Immortan Joe and Imperator Furisoa (Charlize Theron). Nothing major, Furiosa's just absconded with five of Joe's enslaved wives in an attempt to secure their freedom.

The story and characters in Fury Road are pretty one-dimensional, and that's fine. We're here for the action and frankly there just isn't enough room for anything else. Miller and his team have taken the kinetic energy of the first three films and thrown them on their ear, delivering amped-up visuals unlike anything we've ever seen. Everything is a feast for the eyes. I've long dreamed of finding cinematic Xanadu. Damned if George Miller hasn't delivered it.

As expected, Fury Road looks spectacular on Blu-ray. Presented in its native 2.40:1 aspect ratio, the razor-sharp images leap off the screen. The rust-colored desert, the blood-red sandstorms, that fire-spewing guitar player from hell, everything, just gushes with vibrant color and gritty menace.

The Dolby Atmos-enhanced TrueHD 7.1 audio track is fully immersive and both dialog and music are crystal clear at minimal levels.

Extras include a handful of insightful make-of documentaries that should keeps fanboys busy for hours.

Mad Max: Fury Road is a landmark achievement in action filmmaking and will most likely end up on many reviewers' best-of lists for 2015, my own included. Grade: A