Editorial: Why Mill Creek Entertainment Is the Film Buffs Best Friend

    I can’t tell you how many films I know have yet to be released on blu-ray (or even DVD for that matter).  It can be very frustrating for a movie buff to not have access to certain films except on VHS.  Thankfully, there are certain film distributors who cater to movie collectors with a wide array of rare releases but the company I feel is leading the pack is Mill Creek Entertainment.

    With films like “The Abyss” without a blu-ray release, smaller films such as “High School High” seemed unlikely to see anything better than it’s original standard definition full screen release.  It was a funny film and a movie I remembered fondly but it was hardly a film on the level of “The Abyss”.  Imagine my delight when I found out that Mill Creek Entertainment was releasing “High School High” on blu-ray.  Now, Mill Creek Entertainment isn’t the only company producing obscure titles, but they do produce more catalog titles than some of their peers.  I love Arrow, Kino Lorber, MVD, and other boutique labels like them as well as Mill Creek Entertainment but they simply do not release films on the level of Mill Creek.  One could argue which company has the ‘best’ films, but that boils down to personal opinion so there are no right answers.  In the end, regardless of which companies titles are ‘better’, we as movie buffs are grateful for all of these labels for providing rare catalog titles to us.

    Mill Creek Entertainment has a large selection of cult hits available on blu-ray and DVD and seem to unearth many forgotten classics.  From the films of Andy Sidaris to cultural phenomenons like “Ultraman”, Mill Creek Entertainment continues to provide some of the best underground hits available to film buffs.  Speaking of “Ultraman”, Mill Creek Entertainment just announced several blu-ray season sets starting with “Ultra Q” and “Ultraman” in October.  I am eagerly looking forward to both releases (especially the steelbook editions).

    As a television fan, Mill Creek Entertainment has become the top distributor of classic television sets on DVD and Blu-ray.  As a blu-ray fanatic, I love their sets of classic shows like “Quantum Leap” and “Miami Vice”.  They have also released an incredible set for the last great American sitcom, “That 70s Show”.  How can you not love a company who provides physical media releases of some of the greatest shows ever?  The company is even releasing a full series set of “Charlie’s Angels” to coincide with the release of the upcoming movie.

    Unlike other film distributors, Mill Creek Entertainment has also managed to stay ahead of the curve with their release of a new streaming service called ‘Movie Spree’.  Movie Spree is offering a ton of their catalog titles instantly through their streaming service right now.  Movie Spree offers those obscure titles that Netflix and Hulu would never bother to stream.

    While I do love other film distributors like Arrow and Kino Lorber, they often want quite a lot for their releases.  As an individual not swimming in cash (cashiers don’t tend to make a fortune), I very much appreciate the fact that Mill Creek Entertainment has always provided their titles at super reasonable prices.  How many studios have tons of titles available for $15 or less?  I don’t know of many off the top of my head.

    Lastly, I do admit that Mill Creek Entertainment has been generous enough to provide me review copies but that is part of what makes the company so great.  They are extremely costumer focused and hugely supportive of the film community.  My blog, for instance, may not be much for now but they understand the importance word of mouth among us film buffs is.  I can’t tell you how many film buffs I work with and how often we talk about new video releases, yet alone how many film buffs I connect with online.

    Mill Creek Entertainment has come along way in the last few years from when they primarily released public domain titles.  I am just so happy to have a company how understands the importance of physical media and the power of the film loving community as a whole.  Thank you for bringing a smile to my face countless times Mill Creek Entertainment, you guys are the best!

“Love, Simon” Movie Review

    I few months ago, I was hearing a lot of goods things about a movie I had never heard of before.  The movie I heard a lot of praise for was called “Love, Simon” and I figured I would look into it when it came out on home video.  After some time passed, I forgot about the movie and happened to run across it again at our local video store, Family Video.  I had no idea what it was about and decided to blind buy the movie.

    Well, as it turns out, the film is about a young man named Simon who is trying to survive High School without his sexuality being revealed before graduating.  Simon realized he was gay from a young age but wasn’t sure what the right way to do it or when the right time to reveal it would be.  Simon seems to have everything in his life under control until an anonymous post by a fellow student leads them to writing each other and discussing their frustrations about how or when to come out.  Unfortunately, another student discovers that Simon has written this student and threatens to out Simon on the school’s website if he doesn’t help him get a date with one of his good friends.  Simon must choice between his friends and his secret as he navigates High School with increasing pressure.

    “Love, Simon” is based on the popular young adult novel “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda” by Becky Albertalli.  I am guessing the title was shorten to make it easier for marketing reasons and perhaps they felt the book’s title was a little on the nose.  The adaptation is important because it was the first major Hollywood film to feature a gay teenage romance.  Seeing as High School is a tough period of time for almost everyone, it’s refreshing to have a movie someone in the LGBTQ community can relate to.  The best part of the movie is it is funny and charming and really lets you connect with Simon which helps remind audiences that people are people regardless of their sexual orientation.

    The film was directed by Greg Berlanti and he proved a wise choice.  Berlanti is an openly gay producer and director and I imagine that helped him navigate the sensitive subject matter while also bringing a great deal of warmth and humanity to the project.  The only slight problem I had with the film was the tone was a little inconsistent (which is common with teen romantic comedy-dramas so I won’t be too down on it for that).

    The cast was filled with a lot of talented newcomers led by Nick Robinson as Simon.  Robinson really puts into focus the struggle his character is going through.  Robinson was charismatic and he really made you root for Simon.  Katherine Langford from “13 Reasons Why” also shines as one of Simon’s best friends.  There are also a lot of cast members from Berlanti’s Arrowverse in the film.

    The film succeeds largely because of how simple it takes the subject matter.  “Love, Simon” isn’t about what it’s like to be gay, it’s about what it is like to be in love.  The sad part of the film is that it reminds us that we live in a society where the bravest thing a person can do is be themselves.

Grade: B+