Directed by: Bruce Davison
Starring: Barry Williams, Danny Bonaduce
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Distributed by: Asylum Home Ent
Release Date: August 14, 2012
Running Time: 90 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1.5 out of 5 stars

When it comes to Syfy creature features, I am usually first in line no matter how bad.  This film was a real blast to watch.  I also had the privilege to interview with Barry Williams and Danny Bonaduce on the film and they couldn’t stop saying how much fun it was.  It is really show throughout the film and even though it is a silly premise and not the best production, it just ends up being a lot of fun.  There is also a brief and funny appearance from Alice Cooper, though I am not sure why he is billed on the front cover.  The CG for Bigfoot is actually rather decent as well, I am mean not “Avatar” grade but damn good for a low-budget creature feature.  I am also very impressed that Bruce Davison (“X-Men”) helmed this film and he did a real good job.  Maybe not the best film ever, this is a fun romp and definitely worth checking out.

The plot is very simple for this film.  It follows local radio DJ Harley Henderson (Danny Bonaduce), who is promoting an 80’s flashback concert.  Though in order to host the event and build the stage, he’s going to have to tear down part of the local forest. He meets his rival, washed-up rock star, Simon (Barry Williams) that will fight him tooth and nail. Despite all of Simon’s efforts Harley gets the go-ahead from local officials to resume construction. The show once it starts gets paiud a visit from the creature, Bigfoot, who wrecks havoc on the festival. It is up to Simon and Harley to stop the creature from destroy all of Seattle.  But can they get the beast without killing one another first?

“Bigfoot” looks decent with its 1080p transfer and is inline with past Asylum Blu-ray releases. It includes an MPEG-2 encode and an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. Overall it is clear and sharp presentation.  The audio on the release is not the best either but works good enough for the film   There are two tracks including a Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 track. The 5.1 track works best and sounds good enough.  The special features though are bit of a letdown.  There is a brief making-of featurette, running just over 5 minutes.  There is a funny but short gag reel.  It is wrapped up with a bunch of other Asylum trailers.  If you need something to do on a Saturday night, I would suggest checking out “Bigfoot” for a good time.  It is worth it just alone for the amazing collaboration between Barry Williams and Danny Bonaduce.

Director: Larry Charles
Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris, Ben Kingsley, Chris Parnell, Jessica St. Clair, Jason Mantzoukas
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Distributed by: Paramount
Release Date: August 21, 2012
Running Time: 83 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars

I feel very honored to review this Blu-ray release and would like to thank the Wadiyan treasury and the Admiral General for their kind donation.  Media Mikes though cannot be bribed ;-). Paramount delivered this Blu-ray to review with a personalized letter from Admiral General Wadiyan and a butt load of Wadiyan dollars.  Unfortunately it doesn’t help me to see the film in any better of light.  The film itself just doesn’t work for me.   It is very funny in parts but then very bland and boring is the rest of the film.  I can’t say that I hated the film because I did laugh quite a bit but overall I was left with calling the film forgettable.   I don’t really see myself bragging about it and will probably never watch again.  I call it a “one-timer”.  The unrated cut of the film just adds more of the vulgarity and boobs, which I actually thought the theatrical cut was lacking. Nonetheless, the cut ends up feeling even more drawn out…and don’t forget this film runs less than 90 minutes already.

The film follows Admiral General Aladeen, who while planning to address the United Nations in New York, to ensure that democracy would never come to the country. He ends up becoming a target for assassination. Even though he survives he is left shaven of his signature beard and wandering the streets of the Big Apple, unrecognized. While Aladeen, most trusted friend, Tahir (Kingsley) brings in a dimwit body double in his place in order to pull the strings and take power. It is up to Aladeen to adapt to everyday life in New York, where he meets and befriends a left-wing activist Zoey (Anna Faris). He plans a way to get his life back and ensure that democracy does not fall into his country or is it learning that his past ways are not what he really is looking for?

Let’s get to the Blu-ray presentation now.  The 1080p comes with an aspect ratio of 2.40:1, which looks good but isn’t going to break any real Blu-ray standards.  Same can be said for the DTS-HD MA 5.1 track.  Don’t get me wrong this film looks and sounds good but for a comedy it doesn’t stand out.  The Blu-ray release comes as a combo pack.  Besides the Blu-ray the film also comes with a DVD disc and a digital copy included.  The special features include basically just two features. There are over 30 minutes of deleted and extended scenes including, some funny and some completely missable.  There is a funny but short music video for “Your Money is on the Dresser” featuring Aladeen. Lastly there is an extended Larry King Interview as seen briefly in the movie.

Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss
MPAA Rating: PG
Distributed by: Universal Home Video
Release date: August 14, 2012
Running time: 2 hour 4 mins

Film: 5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 4.5 out of 5 stars

As someone that considers “Jaws” his favorite film of all time it would be easy for me to review it like this:

“The greatest film ever made!”

The End

But that would not do justice to why I have loved this movie since the first time I saw it on September 21, 1975.

During a night time beach party a young woman and her beau run off towards the surf. Her intention is to go skinny dipping but his over indulgence leaves him passed out at the water’s edge. While swimming she is suddenly attacked by something and pulled, screaming beneath the waves. Thus begins one of the best stories ever to be brought to the screen. Featuring a trio of heroes, “Jaws” allows the audience to identify with each of them as the film progresses. There is police chief Martin Brody, newly arrived to the town of Amity via the streets of New York City. Oceanographer Matt Hooper, a wealthy wise ass with a love for sharks. And Quint (just Quint), the crusty fisherman whose chosen profession came about in part by a horrible tragedy in his past. Due to the often repeated story that “the shark was not working, director Spielberg had to improvise on the set, shooting the film without the shark visible. This decision makes the tension genuine as the audience is lulled into believing every time it hears the ominous notes of John William’s Oscar winning score that the shark is going to appear. However, after a few false alarms, you’re never sure when or where the shark is or will be. The cast delivers award winning performances, most notably Shaw. His lone soliloquy in describing the harrowing tale of the sinking of his ship during World War II is an acting tour de force. Spielberg’s direction is flawless. By placing his camera at the waterline the audience gets to imagine what it would be like to be in an unfamiliar situation. The film earned four Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, and won three Oscars (Best Musical Score, Best Film Editing and Best Achievement in Sound).

On the technical side, the transfer of “Jaws” is outstanding. I own a 16mm copy of the film and it isn’t as clean and bright as the picture here. Scenes that may have appeared overcast or murky are now vivid and bright. The audio transfer is equally well done. “Jaws” won an Oscar for its soundtrack and all of the original elements are heightened here. When you look at the 1080p transfer for the film, it is completely amazing.  Universal’s complete restoration is one of the best Blu-ray transfers that I have ever seen.  The DTS-HD 7.1 surround track is absolutely pristine.  It includes sounds incredible and include complete clarity and the film sounds better than it ever has.  Besides the Blu-ray disc, this film also includes a DVD copy of the film and a Ultraviolet streaming digital copy.

When it comes to the special features the spotlight of them is the documentary “The Shark Is Still Working”. With an original running time of over three hours, “The Shark is Still Working” is a labor of love created by a quartet of “Jaws” fans. It includes interviews with cast and crew, including the last interviews with the book’s author, Peter Benchley, and co-star Roy Scheider, who also narrates. Edited down to a smooth 100 minutes, the film is a worthy companion to the brilliant Laurent Bouzereau documentary that appeared on the “Jaws” laser disc boxed set. An added plus: both of Media Mikes “Mikes”appear in it, making this disc well worth purchasing. Other new features include The Restoration of “Jaws”, which is a short piece on the restoration of the film. For more on this process, see our interview with the man who directed the restoration, Peter Schade, here. ”The Making of ‘Jaws’” is a very condensed portion of the Bouzereau film. The original documentary ran a minute longer then “Jaws” and it’s a shame Universal didn’t include it here in its entirety. Outtakes including different footage from the estuary attack is included. There is a collection of various deleted scenes, none featuring the shark, most of which were included during the first television showing on ABC in November 1979. There are only a couple of outtakes included, the most recognizable one being where Scheider’s pistol constantly refuses to fire. Other outtakes are included in the various other extras.  “From the Set” is a a short but enjoyable visit to the set on the second day of filming. Includes an on-set interview with Steven Spielberg and the original discovery of Ben Gardner’s boat scene, scrapped when Carl Gottlieb, whose character was along for the ride, accidentally fell overboard. “Jaws” Archives is a collection of storyboards and production photos, as well as marketing items and bits on the phenomenon of the film. Lastly there is the theatrical trailer included for the film. There are other trailers, including a great teaser, featured in the full version of the Bouzereau documentary. Overall a great collection of extras but they lose ½ a star for not featuring the entire “Making of ‘Jaws’” doc.

Directed by: John Shepphird
Starring: Jeremy Luc, Melissa Molinaro, Jack Scalia
MPAA Rating: R
Distributed by: Anchor Bay
Release Date: August 28, 2012
Running Time: 87 minutes

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

Whenever I see the word shark in a film’s title, I come running. Personally, I have never seen a single second of MTV’s “Jersey Shore” (reporting proudly). But I don’t think I missed much plot, this film a just about a bunch of dumb Guidos running around after sharks. It definitely packs a few good laughs including a cameo from Joey Fatone but overall misses on all other accounts. The sharks are actually really poorly done and not very intimidated. Honestly though with a title like “Jersey Shore Shark Attack”, the film delivers exactly what you should expect from a title like that.

Do you really need a premise described for this film?  It’s called “Jersey Shore Shark Attack”.  It is the Fourth of July and Seaside Heights is the place to be in New Jersey! That is until an illegal coastal drilling operation causes a horde of man-eating albino bull sharks to attack the cities patrons. Guess what? It is up Jersey’s finest crew of idiot Guidos to fight off these ravenous sharks before the whole town is consumed.  The Blu-ray itself looks good with its 1080p transfer and the audio is decent as well but nothing to call home about.  The special features including an audio commentary track from executive producers Barry Bernholtz and Jeffrey Schneck, as well as producers Peter Sullivan and director John Shepphird.  Lastly there is a quick production featurette called “On Set: Jersey Shore Shark Attack”, which plays like a mini-episode of “Jersey Shore”.

Leave it up to Syfy to mash up “Jersey Shore” with albino sharks.  Also keep an eye out for actors like Paul Sorvino, William Atherton and Jack Scalia who pop in. Unless you are a hardcore SyFy creature feature fan, then I suggest you completely stay away from “Jersey Shore Shark Attack.” I just would have liked to have seen more Guidos get eaten by the sharks, personally. I still haven’t figured out which Vinnie was killed in the beginning 😉

Directed by: Ken Russell
Starring: Roger Daltrey and Ringo Starr
Distributed by: Warner Archive
Release Date: August 7th, 2012
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 103 minutes

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I have to admit, I have never heard of the film “Liztomania” before it showed up on my doorsteps, thanks to Warner Archive. Boy, I was very happy to have seen this film. I am a big fan of Roger Daltrey and he is such a hoot in this film. He is over-the-top and does what he does best sings! We even get guest appearances other rock legends like Ringo Starr. The film is filled with woman, music, what else can you ask for? It is set in the 1840’s but really plays like a film in the 70’s. It has these unbelievable stage production and large scale feel. I have to say overall it is just one hell of a trip, literally.

The film is also outrageous funny and feels like “Pink Floyd: The Wall” meets “The Beatles: Yellow Submarine but on acid…and that is saying something for sure. The DVD presentation looks great and comes sporting 16X9 letterbox and with its original aspect ratio of 2.40:1. The audio track is Dolby Digital Mono track but it works well.  The film has a bunch of musically tracks throughout and it definitely doesn’t disappoint. Thanks again for Warner Archive for releasing this musical gem.

Synopsis: The shaggy-maned idol rips into his song – and the audience screams with excitement. Some ecstatic fans storm the stage, wanting simply to touch him. Some want to bear his child. One adoring woman announces she already has. And outside the hall, a horse-drawn carriage waits to whisk the performer away. Meet Franz Liszt (Roger Daltrey), rock star, circa 1840. And great ready for all the glitter, groupies and gaudy good times of Lisztomania. The incredible list of frenzied delights goes on and on in this splendiferous extravaganza from writer/director Ken Russell, whose works include Women in Love, Altered States and Crimes of Passion. He takes you where no one else does. Or dares. Brace yourself for Lisztomania. Viewers expecting a polite gathering of people neatly posed on Louis XVI furniture are going to be blown out of their chairs, but good!

Directed by: Dominique Othenin-Girard
Starring: Donald Pleasence, Danielle Harris, Ellie Cornell, Beau Starr
MPAA Rating: R
Distributed by: Anchor Bay
Release Date: August 21, 2012
Running Time: 88 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
EXtras: 3 out of 5 stars

After the cliffhanger of “Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers”, the series takes another downfall. Although the fifth installment is still a decent film. The film also features some great gore from our buddies over at KNB EFX Group. The film has been full re-mastered and like the recent release of “Halloween 4”, it is definitely an essential upgrade from the previous DVD releases. Personally I am more excited about Scream Factory’s upcoming releases for “Halloween 2” and…yes…even “Halloween III”. If you are a fan of the series then this release will be a must.

“Halloween 5” looks very sharp and clear on Blu-ray just like “Halloween 4”.  It’s 1080p transfer is impressive with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1.  The audio track, Dolby TrueHD 5.1 is also surprisingly a lot better than the fourth film also. The special features does include a few new items unlike “Halloween 4”.  I am not sure why “Halloween 4” promised a bunch of new extras but didn’t deliver on the release.  This release is still missing the “Inside Halloween 5” featurette and the intro from Danielle Harris and Ellie Cornell from last DVD release.

The special features include a few ports from previous DVD releases, along with the new content.  I am a confused though since the packaging contains a bunch of typos and mismatched the names for each commentary.  Who was the proofreader for these releases? There is an audio commentary with director Dominique Othenin-Girard and actors Danielle Harris and Jeffrey Landman, worth checking out.  The star of this release is the audio commentary with actor Don Shanks aka Michael Myers and moderated by author Justin Beahm, this is new for this release. I also enjoyed the 17 minutes mix of raw production footage in “Halloween 5: On Set Footage”, a must for fans.  Lastly there is a the original promo trailer included.

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Director: Dwight H. Little
Starring: Donald Pleasence, Ellie Cornell, Danielle Harris, Sasha Jenson, David Jensen, Beau Starr
MPAA Rating: R
Distributed by: Anchor Bay
Release Date: August 21, 2012
Running Time: 88 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
EXtras: 2.5 out of 5 stars

I always thought that “Halloween 4” was a great reboot of the series especially after “Halloween III”, which lost it aim on the franchise. This will does what the subtitle says, it brings back the master murder Michael Myers. As a big fan of the “Halloween” series, I was hoping that this release would really bring something new to the table for its fans. In that sense, it really doesn’t but it is still an essential upgrade from the previous DVD releases. It is also crazy to believe that it has been almost 25 years since this was released.

“Halloween 4” looks very sharp and clear on Blu-ray.  It’s 1080p transfer is impressive with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1.  The audio track, Dolby TrueHD 5.1 is good but a little bit of a let down overall. The special features are also a bit of a let down, especially since Anchor Bay reported about a full half hour of deleted and alternate scenes but they are no one to but found. Also MIA is a promised audio commentary with writer Alan B. McElroy.  Also from past DVD releases, the “The Making of Halloween 4: Final Cut” is not included as well.

Since these features are all ports from past releases, don’t expect anything new.  The bulk of the special features are audio commentaries.  The first is from director Dwight H. Little with Justin Beahm, the editor-in-chief of halloweenmovies.com as the moderator. It is definitely worth checking out.  The second commentary is with actresses Ellie Cornell and Danielle Harris, which is not as good.  There is a “Halloween 4/5 Discussion Panel”, which is from the H25 convention and runs about 20 minutes.  Lastly a standard-def trailer is included.

Directed by: Dustin Mills
Starring: Jessica Daniels, Josh Eal, Brandon Salki
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Distributed by: MVD Entertainment Group
Release Date: August 21, 2012
Running Time: 108 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: N/A on review copy

For a film that only costed $1,000 bucks, “Zombie A-Hole” is a pretty decent ride. Dustin Mills is the man behind the incredibly creative micro-budgeted movie “The Puppet Monster Massacre”, featuring an all-puppet cast. Mills will be making a sequel to this fun film but in the meantime we get “Zombie A-Hole”.   It is fun Grindhouse/exploitation flick filled with a lot of blood, nude girls, gore and some kick ass southern rock.  No the film is not amazing by any means at all but for its micro budget it looks awesome and packs some decent special effects.  IF you respect indie horror then you are going to definitely enjoy this little film…or at least get you through until “The Puppet Monster Massacre 2”.

The story follows cowboy and a one-eyed girl who are seeking vengeance on the Zombie A-Hole, who preys on naked twin girls. It is not just a revenge film though with a zombie, this film also tapers with voodoo and did I mention twins?.   It mixes live action with CG, as well as a mix of horror and comedy.  The review DVD is presented bare-bones with no special features.   But the official release coming August 21st actually does contain special features including a commentary, the original trailer, and a deleted scene featuring a fourth main character that was cut from the film.  Overall though I am a fan of horror films and even though low-budget this is worth checking out, since a lot of love when into making this little film.

Directed by: Ji-hun Kim
Starring: Ji-won Ha, Sung-kee Ahn, Ji-ho Oh
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Distributed by: Shout Factory
Release Date: June 26, 2012
Running Time: 112 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1.5 out of 5 stars

“Sector 7” was a real surprise. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this South Korean monster feature. But it is a really neat little action-horror film. It reminded me a mix between “The Host” and “Aliens”. The monster effects were good, not perfect but still entertaining. I suggest watching the film in 3D, I thought the effects were great. I know people are going to knock the motorcycle scenes but I thought they worked well. The film is not your typical Syfy creature feature though, this actually has some production value to it. It is actually Korea’s first 3D film as well and I give it a big thumbs up. Also it is also currently available on Netflix streaming, if you are not a fan of 3D.

“Sector 7” follows an oil rig crew who while digging for oil are forced to battle a deadly creature at sea. Hae-jun’s greatest dream is to find oil and has become obsessive with this quest on Sector 7 but has yielded no results. Hae-jun and her crew decide to try one more drilling effort before backing up and calling it quits as instructed by headquarters. Though things start to go terribly wrong on the rig and the crew finds out that they are not alone and need to struggle to survive.

This release includes both the 3D Blu-ray and a regular Blu-ray.  Like I mentioned the 1080p transfer looks sharp with it’s widescreen transfer of 1.85:1.  The audio tracks included are impressive as well.  There is a DTS-HD 5.1 Korean track and also a Dolby Digital 5.1 Korean track.  For all you that hate subtitles, the English dub track is actually watchable  though comes with a not as impressive Dolby Digital Stereo track only.  The special features are equally as disappointing only including one short making of featurette.  So overall, if you are looking for an entertaining 2 hours that is not groundbreaking but still memorable, then check take a visit to “Sector 7” for sure.

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Directors: Astron-6
Starring: Adam Brooks, Mackenzie Murdock, Matthew Kennedy, Conor Sweeney
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Distributed by: Troma Entertainment
Release Date: August 14, 2012
Running Time: 99 minutes

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

I think Astron-6 and Troma teaming up on this film is definitely a good match.  Do I think they made the perfect film, no.  The film is not only offensive, it is extremely offensive and almost hard to watch.  But that was the plan and what was expected for sure, so it does not come as a shock.  It doesn’t make it anymore watchable though.  I’ve been watching Troma films for over 20 years and vulgar they have always this is a new high…or low for even them.  Astron-6 definitely should get credit for trying to make a film that is so over-the-top it actually works…mostly minus the male/male rape. They even did this on a ridiculously low-budget of $10,000 and it looks like it costs at least 10x that.  So I commend the special effects, especially the green screen work that is very impressive.  This is really a true grindhouse film even including a commercial about two thirds of the way through.  Maybe this film wasn’t 100% for me personally, it definitely has an audience I assume (but not a very wide one though).

There is really no words that can describe this film. From the trailer it makes it seem that this focuses on The Father’s Day Killer, but there is so much more including genital mutilation and many scenes of male rape.  If you are not a fan of acts of sodomy and other gross behavior you might want to skip this film all together.  But if you aware of Troma’s style you might be looking for this. The general story follows Ahab, a man who is seeking a violent revenge on the man who raped and murdered his dad. He joins up with an unlikely duo of a priest named John and a street hustler, Twink.  Together the three set out to find this so-called Father’s Day Killer and get their revenge.

The video presentation on this Blu-ray does look rather decent, even though its comes with an MPEG-2 encode and its purposely scratchy print and VHS quality aspects. The film also includes an aspect ratio: 1.78:1. I understand that this film trying to really be a Grindhouse film, so the Dolby Digital 2.0 track is in-line with that. Since it is on Blu-ray though, there is a certain expectation of quality…even though it is Troma. The audio is simply rather disappointing. The Blu-ray presentation comes in a great packaging with old school video store stickers. It comes in a four-disc set with one Blu-ray disc, two DVDs and even one CD.  The release is limited edition and numbered out of 5,000. The Blu-ray contains just the film and an HD trailer, there are no special features. The first DVD comes with the film in standard definition and a trailer and a two very short deleted scenes. The rest of the special features are located on the second DVD disc. The fourth disc includes a CD Sampler of songs from the film’s soundtrack.

While though, the special features are presented on the second DVD disc and besides being all in standard definition, there is no shortage of them. Lloyd Kaufman introduces the film at Comic-Con, which also starts with the beginning of the film. There are the same deleted scenes as the first DVD, no idea why they duplicated. There are four features focusing on foreskin, ranging from the original “Father’s Day” foreskin to extended to animated to TV version, but all offensive. There is a Behind the Scenes Slideshow, which runs less than 5 minutes. There are two “Make Your Own Damn” features on Fuchman and on a Tire Iron. Similarly, there is a faux “Create Your Own Damn Award Winning Movie Poster The Dude Designs Way”. I am a big fan of The Dude Designs personally. “Roll Out the Blood Carpet” runs just over 15 minutes and covers the various different “Father’s Day” premiere nights. “Troma & Astron-6 Charm Festival of Fear” is a short 5 minutes Q&A at Toronto. It’s not Troma with nude shots and that calls for “Super Tromette Elena Recreates the Low Life”. “Father’s Day Article at Rue Morgue Magazine” is so pointless and hard to read. “Babies the Fathers Gave Birth to Before Birthing Father’s Day” are shorts from Astron-6 including “Lazer Ghosts” and “Cool Guys”. “Make Your Own Damn Green Screen! (A Lesson by Lloyd Kaufman)” is the best feature focusing on those sequences, Lastly there are to non-connected with its with director James Gunn and South Park’s Matt Stone.

Directed by: William Kaufman
Starring: Dolph Lundgren, Cuba Jr. Gooding, Louis Mandylor
MPAA Rating: R
Distributed by: Anchor Bay
Release Date: August 21, 2012
Running Time: 91 minutes

Film: 2 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1 out of 5 stars

I have to admit with “The Expendables 2” hit theaters this month, I have been on Dolph Lundgren overload. Actually more like 80/90’s action films. I figured throw in Cuba Jr. Gooding how bad can this be…well, I should have stopped at that comment. The film starts off with a powerful opening scene and then literally fails as each minute progresses. Dolph Lundgren still is so bad-ass and totally suave. But it doesn’t save this action-less action movie.

Cuba Gooding Jr. plays Ray Carver, an assassin whose latest assignment has more involved then he has expected. While in Prague trying to resolve a mob conflict, the main target manages to escape. That brings us to meet Soviet assassin, Aleksey Andreev (Dolph Lundgren), also known as The Wolf. The Wolf is sent to clean up Carvers mess, but Carver isn’t going to set another man finish his job. The two face off to see which guy will prove to be the ultimate assassin.

This film is releases as a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack, so you have the option to watch this bad movie on either Blu-ray or standard DVD. Unlike the film, the Blu-ray does look decent with its 1.78.1 widescreen transfer. The picture is rather sharp and clean. The Dolby True HD 5.1 track is also solid, it would have worked better with the action if there was actually any in this film. The only extra included is a very short fifteen minute featurette “One In The Chamber: Behind The Scenes”. It is very messy and roughly throw together.

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Director: Eduardo Sanchez
Starring: Gretchen Lodge, Johnny Lewis, Alexandra Holde, Jane Fleming
MPAA Rating: R
Distributed by: Image Entertainment
Release Date: August 28, 2012
Running Time: 99 minutes

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

“Lovely Molly” is a brutal and leaves you completely uncomfortable. But since that is the film’s goal, then it is very successful. This is one of those horror films that you need to watch a view times in order to completely absorb it all. It is directed by Eduardo Sanchez (“The Blair Witch Project”), who delivers the type of horror that he would want to watch. The star of the film though, literally, is Gretchen Lodge. This is her film debut and she really delivers a chilling and terrifying performance. You should expect great things from her. There are not many scares, per se, though the whole film is a unsettling experience that leaves you starring at the screen to see what happens next. Must see for all fans of horror, will not disappoint.

The film follows newlywed, Molly Reynolds (Lodge), who moves back into her childhood home. It has been long-abandoned and has quite the history hidden within its walls. Molly begins to hearing noises and voices of things that are impossible to believe. Starting off similar to “Paranormal Activity”, “Molly” then takes a violent left turn and leads to the unexpected. We find out the dark secrets that lie in Molly’s past as she is haunted by a malevolent force that is set o wreaking havoc and terror on Molly and her family.

Image delivers an impressive Blu-ray presentation. The film is presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio and 1080p transfer is sharp, even though is shot handheld. Besides Lodge’s performance, the second star of the film is the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. The sound effects and score really help to create the fantastic atmosphere that this film delivers. The special features are a little light but cover a lot of the mystery of the film and its story. There are various featurettes, which cover different aspects including “Path To Madness”, “Haunted Past”, “Demonic Forces” and “Is It Real”. If you enjoyed this film these are a great follow-up and highly  recommended. I would have liked to see a commentary track included as well but still decent. Lastly there is a theatrical trailer included.

Directed by: Michael Winner / J. Lee Thompson
Starring: Charles Bronson, Jill Ireland, Vincent Gardenia / Kirk Taylor, Martin Balsam, Ed Lauter / Kay Lenz, John P. Ryan
MPAA Ratings: R
Distributed by: MGM Entertainment
Release Date: August 14, 2012
Running Time: 89 / 92 / 99 minutes

Blu-ray Scores: 3.5 out of 5 stars

When I think Charles Bronson, I always think about ass-kicking. I watched “Death Wish” at as young teen and was taken over by its violence. At that time in the 80’s, the violence was completely over-the-top. If you are wonderingwhere is “Death Wish” and “Death Wish 5” in the series. The original is owned by Paramount and the last is owned by Lionsgate, neither have plans for Blu-ray. My really only issue is that “Death Wish 2” is not the unrated edition, it would have been great to finally seeing it get a proper release. Nonetheless, if you are looking for some awesome revenge films, don’t miss out on these Blu-rays.

Paul Kersey takes on the role of vigilante again in “Death Wish II”. He sets out to to find and seek revenge on the the five street punks who murdered his daughter and housekeeper on the streets of Los Angeles. In “Death Wish 3”, Paul Kersey hits back on New York City and is forcibly recruited by a crooked police detective to fight crime against a large gang that is terrorizing the neighborhoods. “Death Wish 3” also packs a great score by Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page and also the film debut of Alex Winter (“Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure”). “Death Wish 4: The Crackdown” was back in the day, the first Isaw in this series (sorry).   Even though it is not the best entry in the series, it still features vigilante Paul Kersey who kicks major ass against members of a vicious Los Angeles drug cartel.  This time he is trying to stop the flow of drugs after his girlfriend’s daughter dies from an overdose.

I really enjoyed the 1080p Blu-ray transfers for these films. They are all also presented in their original aspect ratio: 1.85:1. They are not perfect presentations but they are a real bump from past DVD’s. The audio on each release come with DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 tracks. They are not really spec for Blu-ray but still sound decent. The transfer and audio are very similar to the recent Chuck Norris films released on Blu-ray, which I also enjoyed quite a bit. It is not a Criterion release but if you are a fan you should be satisfied overall just to have the films in HD.

Directed by: Andrew Davis / Steve Carver
Starring: Chuck Norris, Ralph Davis, Henry Silva, Bert Remsen, and Mike Genovese / David Carradine, Leon Isaac Kennedy, Robert Beltran
MPAA Rating: R / PG
Distributed by: MGM Entertainment
Release Date: July 17, 2012
Running Time: 101 / 108 minutes

Blu-ray Scores: 3.5 out of 5 stars

When it comes to Chuck Norris, I can honestly never have enough. MGM dug into their archives and have delivered two classics from the films of Chuck Norris, “Code of Silence” and “Lone Wolf McQuade”, which is easily one of his best films. These films really represent true 80’s action and show the rise of the badassness of Chuck Norris. Plus in “Lone Wolf McQuade”, if Chuck isn’t enough we had the also fellow Kung-fu master David Carradine. Even though these releases feel like a cash in to time with “The Expendables 2”, if you are looking for a fix of Chuck Norris in high definition, I would recommend these very reasonably priced Blu-ray.  They aren’t the best releases but it’s enough to give your Blu-ray player a nice roundhouse kick.

In “Code of Silence”, Chuck stars as Eddie Cusack, a Chicago police officer whoaims to take down a drug gang.  When two rival gangs go at each out, it is up to Cusack to take let since no one at the police force is willing to help him since he who broke the code of silence by testifying against a fellow cop. His only help is a  police robot called “Prowler” that assist Cusack in taking down the gangs.

In “Lone Wolf McQuade”, Chucks plays legendary renegade Texas Ranger J.J. McQuade.  That name alone is bad-ass enough for me. He is quick with his gun but more lethal with his black belt! McQuade comes face to face with big-time kingpin and also martial arts expert, Rawley Wilkes.  McQuade must face his biggest challenge in order to save his daughter.

The video quality on both “Code of Silence & Lone Wolf McQuade” are very impressive.  I would even go as far to say that they look awesome on Blu-ray. The 1080p transfers are quite good and are presented in a sharp 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The sound on the other hand is good but nothing amazing with its DTS-HD MA Mono audio track.  If you are looking for extras, look elsewhere.  These releases are totally very lacking extras. The Blu-ray’s only come with each film’s original theatrical trailer, presented in standard definition.  Fans of Norris should not miss out on these releases, nonetheless.

Director: Stanley Kubrick
Starring: Matthew Modine, Adam Baldwin, Vincent D’Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey, Dorian Harewood, Kevyn Major Howard
MPAA Rating: R
Distributed: Warner Home Video
Release Date: August 7, 2012
Running Time: 116 minutes

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

As much as I absolutely love this film, the 25th Anniversary release of “Full Metal Jacket” feel a little but like a double dip…but you know you still need it if you are a die-hard fan. The main draw here is a newly added 60 minute documentary and an impressive 48-page DigiBook with photos from Matthew Modine’s personal collection. Also within there are behind-the-scenes stories on the production and the music. I think for this is honestly worth the purchase alone. If you agree then you don’t want to miss this release. I know it may be hard to believe but this is the first time I am watching this film on Blu-ray and it was definitely worth the wait.

The film says to included a new remastered video though it is the same as the 2007/2011 releases. Nonetheless it still looks incredibly impressive. It easily warrants 5/5 stars for 1080 transfer alone. There are many a few audio when it comes to the film’s audio. The Dolby Digital 5.1 is the default but the uncompressed PCM 5.1 surround track is sharper and more impressive. The special features are decent but feels a little light overall. “Stanley Kubrick’s Boxes” is an hour-long documentary, which follows director Jon Ronson as he is given a chance to dig through thousands of boxes on Kubrick estate following his death. There is a commentary track from author/screenwriter Jay Cocks and actors Adam Baldwin, Vincent D’onofrio and Lee Ermey. Sounds perfect right? It would have been but it was recorded individually, so the fun was gone. Matthew Modine takes the lead in “Between Good and Evil” focusing on the filming, casting, and the overall production. Lastly, there is the theatrical trailer included.

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Premise: Marine recruits endure basic training under a leather-lunged D.I., then plunge into the hell of Vietnam. Matthew Modine heads a talented ensemble in this searing look at a process that turns people into killers.