Blu-ray Review “Blood Money”

Directed by: Gregory McQualter
Starring: Gordon Liu, Pitbull, Zheng Liu
MPAA Rating: R
Distributed by: XLrator Media
Release Date: August 28, 2012
Running Time: 107 minutes

Film: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1 out of 5 stars

“Blood Money” tries to be a fun and action packed movie and it delivers most of the goods…except a cohesive plot. The film stars newcomer Zheng Liu and cameos from “World Famous Rap Star” Pitbull (don’t blink) and Kung-Fu legend Gordon Liu (“Kill Bill 1 & 2”). The only thing that keeps this movie from computer sucking is because it includes real action and real fighting. The film’s fight sequences are done without stuntmen or CGI. One of the most noteworthy scenes are where Zheng Liu does a flying somersault over the raging Harley Davidson. If that isn’t cool enough, Zheng Liu sldo breaks a steel bar on his dead with the actual location sound captured. The action is awesome but doesn’t make it overcome its weak and blotchy plot.

SYNOPSIS: BLOOD MONEY introduces American audiences to the martial arts sensation Zheng Liu, often called “the next Bruce Lee,” and features world-famous rap star Pitbull and Hong Kong film legend Chia Hui Liu aka Gordon Liu (Kill Bill 1 & 2). When a powerful Shaolin warrior (Zheng Liu) turns to crime after his parents are killed and sister kidnapped, the drug cartels of America, Australia and Hong Kong are about to feel the sting of the world’s deadliest hitman.

I think we are going to be seeing a lot more of Zheng Liu in the US. This film is being released by XLrator Media as a combo pack with both Blu-ray disc and DVD disc. The Blu-ray presentation overall is good. The 1080p presentation is sharp and the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks works perfectly with the film’s action sequences. If you are looking for special features to see behind-the-scenes on this production you will be very disappointed. Since this film promotes “real action and real fighting”, I would have loved to have seen how it was all done etc.  Oh well. There is only a trailer included on this release.

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: blood, bluray, money, review

3D Blu-ray Review “The Pirates! Band of Misfits in 3D”

Directors: Jeff Newitt, Peter Lord
Starring: Hugh Grant, Salma Hayek, Jeremy Piven, Martin Freeman, Imelda Staunton
MPAA Rating: PG
Distributed: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: August 28, 2012
Running Time: 88 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

After seeing the trailer for “The Pirates! Band of Misfits” five thousand times over a course of a few months, I grew very disinterested in this film. Though when viewing it at home on 3D Blu-ray, I was very impressed. It is a fun, over-the-top stop-motion animated adventure film that will entertain the entire family. There is colorful characters for the kids and colorful jokes for the adults. The voice cast is also very impressive with Hugh Grant, Martin Freeman, Salma Hayek and Jeremy Piven. The humor is a little British but still manages to keep you entertained throughout the film feature.  I am not sure how many times I would be interested in revisiting this film but it is definitely game for at least one good viewing.

This film has been released as a three-disc set with two Blu-ray’s (3D and 2D) and a DVD copy of the film. There is also a Ultraviolet digital streaming copy available. The 3D on this film was not the best I have ever seen but overall decent. That doesn’t mean the film doesn’t look stunning on Blu-ray. It’s 1080p video resolution is beautiful and really showcases the animations and its colors. The film also includes a DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround track and it is also near perfect as well. It works so well with the film’s action scenes and zany antics. Like most 3D films, all of the extras are located on the 2D-only disc. The only extra on the 3D disc are 3D previews.

The special features are decent but nothing out of this world. I just would have loved to seen some 3D features. There is an audio commentary with directors Peter Lord and Jeff Newitt and Editor Justin Krish. Very detailed but overall not that interesting. There is short film included, which runs almost 20 minutes called “So You Want To Be a Pirate!”. “Pirate Disguise Dress-Up Game” is a cute ‘hide-the-pirate’ game for kids. “From Stop to Motion” is my favorite feature which goes into detail on the development process on the animation. “Creating the Bath Chase Sequence” is a specific focus on one of the film’s most complex scenes. Lastly there are two short films from Peter Lord including “Wat’s Pig” and “War Story” both are available with optional director’s commentary.

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Blu-ray Review “Pocahontas / Pocahontas II: Journey To A New World”

Directors: Tom Ellery, Bradley Raymond
Starring: Irene Bedard, Mel Gibson, David Ogden Stiers, Christian Bale, Linda Hunt, Frank Welker
MPAA Rating: G
Studio: Walt Disney Video
Release Date: August 21, 2012
Running Time: 153 minutes

Films: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

This release for “Pocahontas” 2-Movie Collection includes both “Pocahontas / Pocahontas II: Journey To A New World”. Of course we all know that “Pocahontas II: Journey To A New World” is not as good as it’s predecessor but is not the worst DTV sequel that Disney ever made. I would rather have the film included on this set to complete the series then on a separate release. This three-disc set includes 1 Blu-ray disc and 2 DVDs. “Pocahontas” never really found its main audience with fans, besides having a hit song “Color of the Wind”. I have always liked it and it is still a beautiful film and worth the purchase. Whether you like “Pocahontas” or it’s sequel “Pocahontas II: Journey To A New World”, this is still a must for all Disney fans!

This isn’t the only film released out of the vault though. Besides this film, August 21st saw the release seven animated films over five different Blu-ray, including “The Aristocats”, “Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp’s Adventure”, “The Rescuers / The Rescuers Down Under” and “The Tigger Movie”. Disney if you are reading this, I still want to see a Blu-ray release for films like “Robin Hood” and “The Sword in the Stone”…(hint-hint).

“Pocahontas and Pocahontas II: Journey To A New World” are both included on the same BD-50 disc, though this doesn’t affect either film’s presentation.  The 1080p video transfers look impressive on both films though age has not been kind to either one.  “Pocahontas” looks better than its DTV sequel since “Pocahontas II: Journey To A New World” shows its cheaper animation budget. Both “Pocahontas and Pocahontas II: Journey To A New World” contain a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. I thought that the music and score for “Pocahontas” definitely sounds better and overall really sharp.

The special features are decent for these films and definitely leave you satisfied.  There is an audio commentary track with Producer James Pentecost and co-directors Eric Goldberg and Mike Gabriel.  Overall not my favorite track ever but still informative.  The next two extras are presented in HD.  “Drawing Inspiration: The Lost Story of Hiawatha” follows Goldberg and animation historian Charles Solomon as they discuss the long-lost animated feature film that was never made. Highly recommended.  There is a deleted song called “If I Never Knew You” with optional commentary with Goldberg, Gabriel and Pentecost. There is also nine storyboarded scenes deleted from “Pocahontas”, running about 15 minutes. “The Music of Pocahontas” is a featurette on the film’s notable music and songs.  There is a cartoon short called “Little Hiawatha” from the 1937 Walt Disney Silly Symphony.  Lastly there is “Disney’s Virtual Vault” which included featurettes and extras from the original DVDs available via BD-Live.

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Blu-ray Review “The Rescuers / The Rescuers Down Under”

Directors: Wolfgang Reitherman, Hendel Butoy, Art Stevens, Mike Gabriel, John Lounsbery
Starring: Bob Newhart, Bob Newhart, Eva Gabor, Geraldine Page, John Candy
MPAA Rating: G
Studio: Walt Disney Video
Release Date: August 21, 2012
Running Time: 155 minutes

Films: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars

This 35th Anniversary Edition release for “The Rescuers” 2-Movie Collection includes both “The Rescuers / The Rescuers Down Under”.  Of course we all know that “Down Under” is not as good as the 1977 original but still a decent film. This three-disc set includes 1 Blu-ray disc and 2 DVDs. Cool note is that this release also includes an exclusive offer though Disney Movie Rewards to own a piece of music history with “Disney’s The Lost Chords: The Rescuers”.  It include original music not included in the film and is available for only $4 dollars.  This is truly a no-brainer for fans of this film. Overall whether you like “Down Under” or not, this is still a must for all Disney fans!

This isn’t the only film released out of the vault though. Besides this film, August 21st saw the release seven animated films over five different Blu-ray, including “The Aristocats”, “Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp’s Adventure”, “Pocahontas & Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World” and “The Tigger Movie”. Disney if you are reading this, I still want to see a Blu-ray release for films like “Robin Hood” and “The Sword in the Stone”…(hint-hint).

Firstly to clear up, “The Rescuers and The Rescuers Down Under” are both included on the same BD-50 disc, though this doesn’t affect either film’s presentation.  The 1080p video transfers on both look out of this world.  I have to saw that “Down Under” does look slightly better but I give that to the age difference between the two. “The Rescuers” looks simply terrific for a film made in 1977.  The colors are very sharp and vibrant on Blu-ray. “The Rescuers Down Under” is also very satisfying and makes for one impressive transfer and definitely worth checking out just for the transfer. Both “The Rescuers and The Rescuers Down Under” contains fantastic DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround tracks.  The music in “The Rescuers” sounds beautiful and extremely clear, which is impressive for a 35 year old film.

The special features are decent but nothing to brag about.  There is a deleted song called “Peoplitis”, from “The Rescuers” with a introduction from Ron Clements in high definition.  “Water Birds – A True Life Adventure” is a 1952 Academy Award-winning  documentary, which runs about 30 minutes.  It was produced by Walt Disney and narrated by Winston Hibler.  “Three Blind Mouseketeers” is an Walt Disney Silly Symphony animated short circa 1936, presented in SD. There sing along for The Rescuers’ “Someone’s Waiting for You.”  Lastly the only special feature for “Down Under” is “The Making of The Rescuers Down Under”, which is a short 10 minute vintage behind-the-scenes featurette, also only presented in SD.

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Chad Kichula talks about latest album “A Fire”

Singer/Songwriter Chad Kichula’s latest album “A Fire” was released in May of this year and Media Mikes had a chance recently to ask Chad a few questions about the new album and about his writing process.

Adam Lawton: What sparked your interest in music?
Chad Kichula: As far as I can remember I’ve always been interested in music. As a kid, I’d play old records that I’d find around the house, and I’d always have a radio on in my room. As I got older, I tried to figure out how to write and play my own music.

AL: Can you tell us about your new album?
CK: The new album is a mix of rockabilly and rock influences. It is mostly about my working life and what drives me. The album is a very blue-collar record.

AL: What is your writing process like?
CK: My process starts with an inspiration, which can come from any where these days. Sometimes good things happen, and the music meshes with the lyrical side. If it doesn’t, some parts get used later for future songs or it all gets thrown out. It’s kind of like spare parts from a car. After releasing 5 albums, I find that the more songs that I write, the harder it is to come up with something new.

AL: Do you have any music video in the works?
CK: We created some videos in the spring and then I started working on a new project. I do want to get some more live videos from shows this summer up on YouTube.

AL: Do you have any other thing in the works you can tell us about?
CK: We’re recording a new EP that should be ready for a late fall release. It’s pretty exciting. The single from this new EP is sounding really good.

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As I Lay Dying’s Josh Gilbert talks about new album “Awakened”

Josh Gilbert is the bassist for the metal-core band As I Lay Dying. The band is set to release its 6th full length studio album titled “Awakened” on September 25th and Media Mikes had the chance to talk with Josh recently about the upcoming release.

Adam Lawton: What can we expect from the band’s new album “Awakened”?
Josh Gilbert: We worked with producer Bill Stevenson this time around and approached things much differently. We added more of a punk rock attitude to Bill’s suggestions and routines. I think that had a part in how the record was shaped and sounds. The album still sounds like us but we spent a lot more time on crafting the flow of the songs and not just the actual riffs.

AL: Did you have any reservations about going into the studio with a new producer?
JG: I think we were all pretty excited about it. We probably would have used Adam D. but he was busy finishing up things for Killswitch Engage. We had been at a standstill and the idea to work with Bill came up. It was a bit out of the ordinary but I think that is what peaked our interest. Once we talked with Bill everything started to click. He had these very detailed notes on the songs and we all got really excited.

AL: Was there a lot of pre-production for this album?
JG: We went in with 14 or 16 songs that we had fully demoed with vocals and guitars. We usually will write a riff and then show it to one another and go from there. We basically will record the album twice because we want to hear how everything will sound together. We are very thorough and we get a bit obsessive about the writing process.

AL: Can you tell us about the video you shot recently?
JG:  We just finished shooting a video for the song “The Greater Foundation”. We have started to get edits back on it and its looking really cool. We hope to release it very soon.

AL: How does this album compare to the bands previous work?
JG: Are previous albums all have the classic As I Lay Dying sound to them. They are very melodic with a Swedish metal influence. Then there is version 2 of our sound which is more brutal and less melodic. When we do a record we usually have a few songs in each of those styles. On this record our goal was to craft these songs to be as seamless as possible. We didn’t want there to be any gaps as we wanted to cover the full spectrum of our sound in each song.

AL: What are the bands plans after the Mayhem Festival wraps up?
JG: We get to go home for about a month just to re-group. We have been in the studio and on the road for a few months now. While we are home we will be finishing everything up that we need to for the new album to be released. In October we will be heading over to Europe with Trivium and Caliban. After that we will be hitting the states for a club tour.

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Ricky J talks about album “Paint the Town”

Ricky J is a singer/songwriter whose album “Paint the Town” hit the Canadian music charts at #3. His latest single “One Drop” is currently also making its way up the charts. Media Mikes had a chance to ask Ricky a few questions about the album and his involvement with the internet site Cheaterville.com.

Adam Lawton: What made you want to get into music?
Ricky J: I was always into music for some reason. My parents always had music playing around. I always felt a strong connection to music. It’s like a gut feeling that’s kind of hard to explain.

AL: Can you tell us about your latest video/single “One Drop”?
RJ: “One drop” is my current single in Canada off my current album “Paint the Town”. The album has been #3 on the hit charts in Canada. I’m still working the single so I can say we are still building and pushing that song. “One Drop” came about through my co writer DatDude back in Montreal. He had an idea started that he showed me and I came on and we wrote pretty much the entire song together. The aim was to get a Taio Cruz vibe but with my swag and vibe on it. The song is about how there are some girls that you can buy them everything and there are some girls who just want to go out and have fun. They are the girls who don’t care about money or status.

AL: Can you tell us about your work with cheaterville.com?
RJ: Cheaterville! I Love that site. The owner James is a cool dude. Here is a guy who got cheated on and based a site out of it. (Laughs) CheaterVille was looking for an anthem for their site and we connected through mutual friends. I wanted to give them an anthem that was NOT cheesy and not too cliché. I wanted the song to be a little more real. I produced and wrote this song with Sibley who is another HOT L.A artist. I took some of my thoughts and also based it on some situations people I know were kind of going through. Cheaterville wanted it to be something that would work for their site, for radio and for clubs. Don’t forget the song is on iTunes now! (plug plug).

AL: How would you describe you latest album?
RJ: “Paint the town” is a feel good album. It hits you with a little bit of all my influences. The album makes you want to get up and move. Expect a good time with some good music.

AL: Where is the best place for people to go to keep up with your latest news and releases?
RJ: Fans can always check out my music on iTunes. For anybody that wants to check out my music videos or all the online content I have they can go to  www.youtubec.com/rickyjmusic and or all the readers can show their support and follow me on www.twitter.com/officialrickyj

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Filed Under: Interviews, Music Interviews Tagged With: album, paint, ricky, talks, town

Jerry Piscitelli talks about changing beer pong with co-founding “Port-O-Pong”

Jerry Piscitelli is one of the co-founders of “Port-O-Pong”, which takes the game of beer pong into the water. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Jerry about this amazing creation and his love for beer pong.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us how you came up with the idea for aquatic beer pong?
Jerry Piscitelli: We were planning a vacation and wanted to stay in the pool as much as possible and have fun, with a few failed attempts we came up with the idea for portopong and the world of aquatic beer pong was created.

MG: Tell us about the huge world record recently set in Las Vegas and how did that come about?
JP What you dont know about this already? Well pretty much we got some amazing looking people together for a day in the pool in vegas to play portopong and now can claim the most people to play at the same time was with us!

MG: Tell us about your latest trend for “PortOPongING”?
JP: Tebowing was pretty much all anyone did for a while – this got a bit lame so we wanted to spice it up a bit. #PORTOPONGING comes about similar to planking – you lay as flat as you can on a table and someone takes your pix. Now with a portopong you can do this trend in a pool or lake as well as on the roof of a car.

MG: What is the fastest you have ever completed a game of beer pong?
JP: Once we were at a beer festival and were challenged by some fans for a free table – we gave them first shots, they missed and we ran the table with back to back double cups and won the game in less than 5 minutes. (We gave them the table afterwards).

MG: What ideas do you have planned next to improve beer pong?
JP: Improve it! We just want to play it, running a internationally known empire takes you away from what you love most. I think we will keep promoting the brand until everyone in the world can say I own one! Then we will say now its time to improve this – until then…

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Filed Under: Games Tagged With: interview, portopong

Los Angeles based rock band Attaloss talk about their first EP

The Los Angeles based rock band Attaloss released their first EP earlier this year titled “Attaloss”. The band is currently out on tour in support of the release and Media Mikes had the chance to talk with the band about the formation of the group and the making of the EP.

Adam Lawton:  What led to you guys starting the band?
Chris Johansen: The band started about two years ago. We had all came from other projects and each of us knew what we did and didn’t want to do. We really took our time and made sure we had great people who were in it for the right reasons. We took about 6 months getting it all together as we all came from different cities. When we all finally met each other in person we knew we had the right group.

AL: How would you describe the band’s sound? And what makes Attaloss stand out from other bands?
Matt: I would probably put us in the modern rock category. We have a very popular sound (Laughs). Other than our live show which I think is what really sets us apart, I would say our music is fresh and it keeps your attention.

AL: How would you describe the band’s latest release?
Danny Aguiluz: We are extremely excited about this album. We have been on tour now since before its release in March. We have gotten a lot of really great feedback from people who have bought the album which has been cool. We are very proud of how it turned out.

AL: What was the recording process like for the album?
Dakota Clark: We wrote as many songs together as a band as we could. I think we had 30 verse/choruses written. After that we got a hold of our producer and just rapid fired the songs at him. He would tell us what songs he thought would work and which ones didn’t. We would then take the remaining songs and work them really hard. We started out with 5 songs which we worked on for about 2 months in the studio. Once we had those done we thought it would be cool to just do a full length album. We wanted to show people that not only could we play rock music but we could also play acoustic.

AL: Did you find performing the acoustic versions of the songs to be any harder than the electric versions?
CJ: The songs were all originally written on an acoustic guitar. It was almost like taking them back to their birth. During this time we were still a four piece until Matt Geronimo joined us. He added a whole other layer of harmonies and vocals. Those added things really changed how the songs sounded. When we went back to playing them acoustically it opened up an entire new world of sound which we were really excited about.

AL: Are there plans to release a video for any of the songs?
CJ: We have  a video for our first single “Open Door”. We had also planned on doing another single/video release however the director who we worked with on “Open Door” got called out to shoot in China. This guys works all over the world and we had him locked in for about two weeks but then he got called out. Hopefully when we are done with this tour we will be able to work on the video.

AL: How much longer will you be out touring? And what other plans does the band have?
Zo Perea: We are actually going to be out for a couple more months. When we get back we plan to take 6 months off from touring to do some songwriting and hopefully release a new EP.
CJ: This whole year has been about being on the road. We will have been on the road for more than half the year when this tour wraps up. This has been about just getting out there and building up our fan base. We have been lucky enough to get on 27 different radio stations and made our way out to those places that have supported us. We now know a lot more about who we are as a band and I think our next release will be a true 12-14 song album.

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Filed Under: Interviews, Music Interviews Tagged With: angeles, attaloss, band, based, ep, los, ...

Film Review “Premium Rush”

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dania Ramirez and Michael Shannon
Directed by: David Koepp
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 1 hr 31 mins
Columbia

Our Score: 2 out 5 stars

There are 1500 bicycle messengers on the street in Manhattan every day. At least that is what we’re told in the opening narration of “Premium Rush.” If you’ve ever been to Manhattan (guilty) you can’t help but marvel at how these two-wheeled delivery boys (and girls) risk serious injury to speed through some of the most congested traffic in the world. Wilee (Gordon-Levitt) is one of those delivery boys. A former BMX/trick rider he zooms through the streets on a bike with one speed and no brakes. When a last minute delivery order comes in,with instructions to get the package to Chinatown before a certain time, Wilee jumps at the chance to get the gig. But when he finds himself being chased and harassed though rush hour traffic, for the envelope he’s carrying, he may decide to quit his day-job!

An almost thrilling 90 minutes, “Premium Rush” begins very slowly to set up the speed in which director Keoepp’s cameras speed recklessly through the streets. As the audience goes along for the ride you’ll marvel at how our two wheeled heroes maneuver around cabs and pedestrians to ensure they’re packages arrive, be it rain, sleet, snow or maniac.

The cast is so-so, with Gordon-Levitt having nothing more to do then ride a bike through traffic and antagonize the police. The first cop (Michael Shannon) was apparently told to do a comical yet serious imitation of Christopher Walken, which is a shame because when necessary Shannon is one hell of an actor. Here he bugs his eyes and whines his dialogue as he tries to recover what he thinks is his. He is truly one person to avoid on the streets, this current film included.

There is also a romance and scenes of what may or may not be human trafficking but unless the action is happening on the back of a Schwinn it pretty much is only hinted at on screen. The story is also very reminiscent of a 1986 film entitled “Quicksilver,” which starred Kevin Bacon and Jami Gertz. “Premium Rush” only comes to life when Gordon-Levitt plays “what if” – imagining the outcome on his person depending on which route he takes before he takes it. Clever, yes, but not enough to rescue this package!

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Filed Under: Film Reviews Tagged With: film, premium, review, rush

Blu-ray Review “The Aristocats”

Director: Wolfgang Reitherman
Starring: Phil Harris, Eva Gabor, Scatman Crothers, Sterling Holloway, Dean Clark
MPAA Rating: G
Distributed by: Walt Disney Video
Release Date: August 21, 2012
Running Time: 78 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

“The Aristocats” is the last animated film to be graced by the late Walt Disney’s blessing.  It is definitely a different kind of Disney classic but still a classic nonetheless.  If you go to France at Walt Disney World’s Epcot, you can still meet Marie in the country.  I am not sure if kids know who she is but maybe not the line with be a little longer.  Disney did a really great job of restoration this film.  The film is over 40 years old and even though it doesn’t look like it was made yesterday, it still looks good and has a certain charm about it.  I can’t wait to sit down and watch this film with my daughter (now only 3 months old).  Fans of Disney should definitely pick up this title quickly before they usher it back into the vault. I mean who doesn’t love swingin’ jazz cats who save the day?

This isn’t the only film released out of the vault though. Besides this film, August 21st saw the release seven animated films over five different Blu-ray, including “The Aristocats”, “The Rescuers & The Rescuers Down Under”, “Pocahontas & Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World” and “The Tigger Movie”. Disney if you are reading this, I still want to see a Blu-ray release for films like “Robin Hood” and “The Sword in the Stone”…(hint-hint). This release also includes a little bonus of a digital download of “The Aristocats: Disney Classics Storybook” app on iPhone. Definitely taking advantage of that bonus.

“The Aristocats” was restored to Blu-ray with a whole lot of Disney magic.  It’s 1080p video transfer couldn’t look anymore better, especially for its age. The forty-two-year old animation and hand-painted backgrounds are still sharp and very colorful. Diney’s DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track sounds just as amazing as the film looks.  The songs, the music, the jazzy feel for the film is just leaking out of this track and really gets your feet kicking.

The special features are decent as well and a bunch are even in HD.  “The Lost Open”  is a storyboarded deleted scene that features a cut character and song introduced by “Aristocats” songwriter Richard M. Sherman. There is a a second deleted song included as well called, “She Never Felt Alone.” “The Sherman Brothers: The Aristocats of Disney Songs” is an all-too brief  look at the Shermans’ contributions to “The Aristocats”. There is a sing-along version of the film with the lyrics in a subtitle track.  There is also a Classic Song Selection with four sing-along songs from the film. There is a music Video for “Oui Oui Marie,” a skipping-record Aristocats remix by D!tto. There is a retro 1956 Animated Special Excerpt called “The Great Cat Family,” hosted by Walt Disney.  Lastly there is bonus classic Walt Disney short called “Bath Day,” featuring Minnie Mouse and Figaro.

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Blu-ray Review “Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp’s Adventure”

Directors: Darrell Rooney, Jeannine Roussel
Starring: Scott Wolf, Alyssa Milano, Chazz Palminteri, Jeff Bennett, Jodi Benson, Bill Fagerbakke
MPAA Rating: G
Distributed by: Walt Disney Video
Release Date: August 21, 2012
Running Time: 69 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

When it comes to Disney’s direct-to-video titles, I give them a certain leniency since they are good for what they deliver. They don’t trump the previous films in quality but they also don’t try to either. “Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp’s Adventure” delivers a very fun and cute film that is filled with colorful characters and non-stop songs. This story picks up with Lady and Tramp’s mischievous pup, Scamp (Scott Wolf), who runs away after getting fed up with rules and restrictions and longs for a wild and free lifestyle. It is notable to say that this film does have some great voice talent including Scott Wolf, Alyssa Milano, Chazz Palminteri, and Disney voice legend Jodi Benson. Fans of “Lady and the Tramp” and the Disney animation will enjoy this release but it is definitely aimed to please the kiddies.

This isn’t the only film released out of the vault though. Besides this film, August 21st saw the release seven animated films over five different Blu-ray, including “The Aristocats”, “The Rescuers & The Rescuers Down Under”, “Pocahontas & Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World” and “The Tigger Movie”. Disney if you are reading this, I still want to see a Blu-ray release for films like “Robin Hood” and “The Sword in the Stone”…(hint-hint).

Disney released this film as a two-disc set, including a Blu-ray disc and a DVD disc. “Scamp’s Adventure” looks beautiful on Blu0ray with its 1080p video transfer. Even for its standard direct-to-video Disney sequel, it looks just as good as theatrical features. Same goes for its DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. Even though the songs are not the best, they still sound amazing.

The special features are impressive as well. Firstly we have an audio commentary with director Darrell Rooney, animation director Steve Trenbirth and co-director/producer Jeannine Roussel, which is worth checking out for parents. “From Tramp to Scamp” is the only extras presented in standard definition. IT is a making-of feature that runs just under 20 minutes and is a pretty in depth look a the production. There is a cute pop-up animal fact trivia track aimed for kids as well as five songs delivered with karaoke-style subtitles. Lastly (and my favorite) there are three classic Walt Disney Shorts in HD “Pluto Junior,” “Bone Trouble” and “Pluto’s Kid Brother.”

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: adventure, bluray, ii, lady, review, scamps, ...

Blu-ray Review “The Tigger Movie”

Director: Jun Falkenstein
Starring: Jim Cummings, Nikita Hopkins, Ken Sansom, John Fiedler, Peter Cullen, Andre Stojka
Narrator: John Hurt
MPAA Rating: G
Distributed by: Walt Disney Video
Release Date: August 21, 2012
Running Time: 77 minutes

Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

When it comes to anything to do with Winnie the Pooh and his friends at the 100 acre woods immediately count me in.  I remember seeing this film in the theaters 12 years ago.  This film took Tigger as his sets out looking through the hundred-acre-wood to find his family. I thought it was cute then but I absolutely loved it now.  Maybe it was the fact that I was watching it with my 3 month old daughter who was having a blast, especially whenever Eeyore came on the screen.  Maybe it was the stunning Blu-ray presentation from Disney.  Also if anyone is watching with kids, I would recommend pausing the film since it comes with a wonderful intermission presentation.  Pausing a movie has never been more fun with cute interactive activities for kids to enjoy during bathroom or sneak break.  I think every kids film should have something like this… brilliant!

This isn’t the only film released out of the vault though. Besides this film, August 21st saw the release seven animated films over five different Blu-ray, including “The Aristocats”, “Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp’s Adventure”, “The Rescuers & The Rescuers Down Under” and “Pocahontas & Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World”. Disney if you are reading this, this would have also been a great time to bring other similar titles like “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh”, “Piglet’s Big Movie” and “Pooh’s Heffalump Movie” to Blu-ray as well (hint-hint)…just sayin’.  Overall all Disney fans should definitely not miss this release. Can I stress definitely not to miss?

This Blu-ray is being released as a two-disc set including the Blu-ray and also a DVD copy of the film.  Like I mentioned, “The Tigger Movie” looks absolutely stunning on Blu-ray and completely trumps its past DVD releases.  It’s 1080p video transfer is very bright and colorful, I have never seen the hundred acre woods look some fantastic and its inhabitants. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 audio surround track works really well, especially with the film’s songs.  Overall it is just “fun, fun, fun, fun, fun” in the words of Tigger.

The special features though are a good but just a bit of a let down, even though they were at least presented in HD.  “A Tigger Tale” is a short roundtable with the filmmakers chatting about Winnie the Pooh, his friends and the development of the this feature. “Mini Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” include ten Winnie the Pooh mini-movies narrated by John Cleese.  But for those that don’t realize they are actually just re-used scenes from “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” and “The Tigger Movie”.  Lastly there is a Sing-Along Song for “Round My Family Tree,” as sung by Tigger and a Music Video for “Your Heart Will Lead You Home,” by Kenny Loggins.

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: bluray, movie, review, tigger

Blu-ray Review “The Life and Death of a Porno Gang”

Directed by: Mladen Djordjevic
Starring: Mihajlo Jovanovic, Ana Acimovic, Predrag Damnjanovic, Radivoj Knezevic
MPAA Rating: NR
Distributed by: Synapse Films
Release Date: August 14, 2012
Running Time: 113 minutes

Film: 1 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

Synapse Films is known best for delivering really great cult classic genre films, which all are beautifully presented on Blu-ray. This Serbian shocker film was more an acquisition, it is also the first film that I regret watching. Now I knew exactly what I was getting myself into prior to watching this but it didn’t make it any easier to swallow (no pun intended…well maybe some). As it is stated this film is definitely not for the faint of heart or easily offended. I am neither of those and yet I still had trouble with this film. Also the running time of almost two hours is just way to long. It might have worked better within a quick 80 minutes. Though if you are a fan of films like “A Serbian Film”, then you might want to check this out.

Premise: “During the final days of Slobodan Miloševic’s Serbian rule, a young film student named Marko becomes desperate to make a feature film. Finally getting a job as an adult film director, he quickly runs afoul of the mob and needs to get out of town fast! Assembling a traveling group of misfits into a “porno cabaret,” Marko and his new friends drive though the quiet countryside in a beat-up van performing live sex acts for peasants and farmers. But life is hard on the road, and they find it hard to earn enough money to survive.”

The Blu-ray presentation looks good enough even though it was shot to look homemade. Like most films from Synapse Films, this comes with a reversible artwork which the flip side is graphic. The special features are impressive and include some decent extras. “Made in Serbia” is a 101 minute feature length documentary focusing on the Serbian adult film industry. There is featurette focusing on the “Making of” this film, as well as some deleted scenes (which were rightfully cut). Lastly there is the theatrical trailer included.

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: bluray, death, gang, life, porno, review, ...

Blu-ray Review “Shark Week”

Directed by: Chris Olen Ray
Starring: Patrick Bergin, Yancy Butler, Josh Allen, Erin Coker
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Distributed by: Asylum Home Ent
Release Date: August 28, 2012
Running Time: 90 minutes

Film: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars

When it comes to The Asylum films, I am first one in line. I was anticipating “Shark Week” this summer timed to steal some spotlight with Discovery Channel’s 25th Anniversary of “Shark Week”, I am sure. The film manages to bring the Asylum’s usual charm but doesn’t excel much. I am a fan of Chris Olen Ray’s work, especially in the shark genre with “2 Headed Shark Attack” and “Mega Shark vs. Crocosaurus” but still one falls a little flat. The CG is not the worst, I’ve seen and some parts are actually kind of kick-ass. Lastly, it also seemed like Patrick Bergin and Yancy Butler didn’t really have much to do in the film besides sit in front of computer. I call this a one-time watcher at most.

The premise is quite decent actually b It follows a group of strangers who find themselves captured at a wealthy madman’s island compound and are forced to survive a barrage of ever deadlier species of shark. The film has been quoted as “Saw” meets “Jaws”, which would have actually been awesome but the execution of that cool idea is where the film fails. When I interviewed the director, even he did not have any faith in this film saying “I am surprised we were even able to get a movie out of it…The concept behind this movie was such a great concept for it to turn out the way it did.”

I have no complaints with the the Blu-ray itself. It is a typical Asylum release and delivers a decent HD experience with both its 1080p video and its 5.1 surround sound audio track. The special features also follow the typical Asylum route and are a little light but still decent. There is a short behind-the-scenes feature called “The Making of Shark Week”. Lastly there is a gag reel included. Both features are worth checking out, even if you didn’t enjoy the film. I just wish the film was as amazing as the box cover!

 

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: bluray, review, shark, week
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