Directed by: Michael Drumm
Starring: Ralphie May
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Distributed by: Image Entertainment
Release Date: May 1, 2012
Running Time: 108 minutes

Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars

I am new to the comedian Ralphie May, but boy I am super glad I was introduced. He is one funny son-bitch, dirty as hell, but super funny. In “Too Big to Ignore”, which is his record breaking fourth Comedy Central Special, he leaves no stone unturned. The special is also an amazing 108 minutes, which is extremely long for comedy act. What I also liked was that it was uncut and raw. If you haven’t heard of Ralphie May, this is a must to check out. You will not be disappointed.

He seriously covers everything and nothing is safe including politics, race, religion and of course his family. I think I almost fell out of my car when Ralphie paused for a minute, looked around laughing and said “I wish they are just jokes”, while telling a story about his family. This guy is constantly touring and if you can get a chance to catch this guy don’t miss it. I will be attending the show myself when he heads around to Flordia. He even jokes about that he looks exactly like Chaz Bono, aka Cher’s daughter/son. I couldn’t look at his the same way. What a riot!

The only extra included on this is a brief five minute look behind-the-scenes featurette. Even though only five minutes it is pretty entertaining. I would have like to seen any extended scenes if possible but I doubt this show actually had any. If you are looking for a good time and some great laughs, this DVD will not disappoint at all. Also now, I am officially a life-long fan of Ralphie May.

Directed by: Ti West
Starring: Sara Paxton, Kelly McGillis, Pat Healy
MPAA Rating: R
Distributed by: Dark Sky Films
Release Date: April 24, 2012
Running Time: 101 minutes

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

The director, Ti West, has recently become one of my favorite new horror directors. I ignore the fact that he directed the horrendous “Cabin Fever 2”, which he has since disowned, and remind myself that he did the absolutely amazing “House of the Devil” from 2009. Such a brilliant film if you have never seen it, it is a must watch. This film doesn’t quite capture that same brilliance but is a fantastic return of the slow-burn horror genre. Props go to the amazing Sara Paxton’s (redeeming herself for “Shark Night”) for providing a simple amazing and haunting performance.

The film focuses around the closing of The Yankee Pedlar Inn, which has been open for over 100 years. We meet the remaining employees, Claire (Sara Paxton) and Luke (Pat Healy). They are determined to prove that the inn is one of the most haunted hotels in New England. The pair of “ghost hunters” begin to explore but are met with very strange and creepy events that will uncover many unexplained events of the inn’s history.

The video on the Blu-ray is dark in parts but works well with its high def 1080p resolution and presented in 2.40:1 aspect ratio. The Blu-ray packs an eerie DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and works perfectly with the score. I just wished there was more jumps and spooks to have it take advantage. It is definitely recommended, as stated in the menu, that you should play this film loud.

The special features are a bit disappointing overall though unlike the film. There is a very short featurette “The Innkeepers: Behind the Scenes”, which focuses on the real location of Yankee Pedlar. There are not one but two audio commentary tracks included. The first features director Ti West, producers Peter Phok and Larry Fessenden, and 2nd unit director/sound Graham Reznick focuses heavy on production. The second features Ti West and stars Sara Paxton and Pat Healy, which it is more light and fun. Lastly there is a trailer included.

Directed by: Gerardo Naranjo
Starring:  Stephanie Sigman
Distributed by: Fox World Cinema
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 113 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1 out of 5 stars

“Miss Bala” directed by Gerardo Naranjo is the fictional story of Laura Guerrero (Stephanie Sigman), a young Mexican girl aspiring to become the next Miss Baja. When Guerrero finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time she becomes involved in a drug war that is raging in her city. In order to save her family and her hopes of becoming the pageant winner Guerrero is forced to take part in a variety of dangerous events.

After hearing a number of good things about this film I was more than ready to finally sit down and see what the hype was all about. 10 minutes or so in to the film it was no wonder why it was an official selection of the New York, Toronto and Cannes film festivals. “Miss Bala” is an aggressive and at times unsettling story of devotion. You instantly feel for new comer Stephanie Sigman’s character and her desire to save her family. No matter what the situation or mood of the scene Sigman’s performance read true. Personally I was a big fan of the various build ups where it seemed as though Laura was being released only to be pulled immediately back in after seeing some glimmer of hope. These scenes combined with a tailspin ending left me with just one word. “Wow”.

Fox World Cinema once again does not offer really anything in the way of “Special Features”. In this section of the DVD you get the films trailer a sneak peak of “Miss Bala” and a couple trailers for other Fox World films. The Fox Company really needs to take a good look at this portion of their productions as it is in need of some serious attention. If you are looking for a film with a suspense filled story line then Gerardo Naranjo’s latest film “Miss Bala” should do the trick.

Directed by: Hong-Jin Na
Starring: Jung-woo Ha, Yun-seok Kim, Seong-Ha Cho
Distributed by: Fox World Cinema
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 137 min

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1 out of 5 stars

“The Yellow Sea” written and directed by Hong-Jin Na is the story of a desperate Chinese cab driver who is asked to carry out an assassination in South Korea. Shortly after arriving the cab driver realizes he has become entangled in a dangerous conspiracy. If you are looking for a medium paced foreign film that will keep you guessing at every turn then pick up a copy of Fox World Cinema’s “The Yellow Sea”.

Being a big fan of Asian cinema I was quite interested in checking this film out. Director/Writer Hong-Jin Na did not disappoint. From the overall look and feel of the film to its actual content “The Yellow Sea” was a rollercoaster ride of deception.  Jung-woo Ha did a great job in the lead role and was very convincing playing a man who had nothing to lose. Seong-Ha Cho played a great villain who as the film progressive we start to see that his character is a little more than Jung-woo or us as the viewers bargained for. There were a few points in the film where you really had to pay attention as the number of characters involved and their intersecting story lines did cause a bit of confusion. This observation aside the film still had relatively good flow and progression.

The special features portion of the disc I felt left something to be desired. Here you could find the trailer as well as a sneak peak of the film along with a few other Fox World Cinema Trailers. I am not a fan of when film companies do this and list them as “extras” or “special features”. Personally if I have already chosen this movie to watch I am probably not going to spend my time watching the trailer or sneak peak’s of the film when I already have the full version of the film to watch. I understand some people do want to have these types of so called “special features” but maybe they could have at least included an interview or two with cast/crew to help beef up this section.

Directed by: Delmer Daves
Starring: Edward G. Robinson, Lon McCallister, Judith Anderson, Rory Calhoun
Distributed by: Film Chest Media Group
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Release Date: April 24, 2012
Running time: 100 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars

I would like to thank Film Chest Media Group for releasing this classic 1943 film restored on Blu-ray. Before receiving this film, I was not aware of this gem. It is a slow release thriller that packs a fantastic conclusion. It not only looks and sounds great on Blu-ray, it still holds up as a film itself almost 70 years later. I also really enjoyed Miklós Rózsa (“Ben-Hur”) haunting score as well, which rally drove the film. The film itself has been digitally restored in high definition and transferred from original 35mm elements.

This 1947 thriller stars Edward G. Robinson (“Double Indemnity”) as a farmer with a wooden leg trying to keep his family from uncovering a mysterious red house. After need help around the farm his hire’s his adopted daughter Meg’s friend Nath to come help with chores.  When Nath decides to take a short cut home through the woods, Pete warns him to stay out and clear of the red house.   Of course this only makes Meg and Nath more curious and decide to ignore his warnings and begin exploring.  As they get closer to the truth about what the deal with the red house is, it might be too late.

The high definition 1080p B&W transfer looks really sharp and clear. The special features even include a before-and-after restoration demo, which is short but shows how much better the film looks. The film is also presented in full screen with an aspect ratio of 4×3. The sound on the film is also notable packing a great DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track. There is a commentary track included from author William Hare, who talks about film noir aspects of “The Red Room”. Also within this combo pack is a DVD of the film, the original 35mm trailer and an original movie art postcard.

Directors: Alan Rafkin, Jerry Paris, John Rich, Robert Butler, Sheldon Leonard
Starring: Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Rose Marie, Morey Amsterdam, Carl Reiner
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Distributed by: Image Entertainment
Release Date: May 1, 2012
Running Time: 500 minutes

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

Who doesn’t love Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore.  They both have such natural comedy timing.  This volume of 20 episodes are personal favorites of series creator Carl Reiner.  This seems to be a tradition with Image Entertainment, who released “The Dick Van Dyke Show: 50th Anniversary Edition: Fan Favorites” last year.  Overall great travel back to a special time in our TV history. If you are a fan of the series, and who isn’t, pick this up, sit back and enjoy.  It is also a good start for new fans because what is a better way to watch the series than with the favorites from the creator himself.

Since Image did “Fan Favorites” last year and Carl Reiner’s picks this year, I am curious what will be next.  I just hope that they try a different box cover since they only changed the color from blue to red on these releases.  There are also no special features included like the last release. The episodes though are said to be in pristine quality and they definitely looks great.  For a show that aired over 50 years ago they look especially well.  If we are traveling back to 60’s comedies on TV though, I would most likely prefer 1962’s short-lived “I’m Dickens…He’s Fenster” with Marty Ingels and John Astin.

Episodes: Never Name a Duck, The Attempted Marriage, Hustling the Hustler, A Bird in the Head Hurts, Gesundheit, Darling, Will You Two Be My Wife?, Ray Murdock’s X-Ray, Don’t Trip Over That Mountain, The Sam Pomerantz Scandals, Divorce, Laura’s Little Lie, Very Old Shoes Very Old Rice, The Life and Love of Joe Coogan, The Plots Thicken, The Return of Edwin Carp, Pink Pills for Purple Patients, Baby Fat, No Rice at My Wedding, A Day in the Life of Alan Brady, Obnoxious Offensive Egomaniac Etc.

Directed by: Guillermo del Toro, Jean de Segonzac, JT Petty
Starring: Mira Sorvino, Jeremy Northam, Charles S. Dutton, Bruno Campos, Alix Koromzay, Lance Henriksen, Amanda Plummer
MPAA Rating: R
Distributed by: Lions Gate
Release Date: May 1, 2012
Running Time: 270 minutes

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

The “Mimic” franchise was started by one of the greatest and visionary directors of our time Guillermo del Toro. It all started from him. Though he wasn’t happy with the film, so luckily this film set includes the director’s cut of the film and a whole lot of extras. This set is rounded out by its direct-to-video sequels “Mimic 2” and “Mimic 3: Sentinel”. There is something about direct-to-video sequels that I loved from Miramax like “Children of the Corn” and “Hellraiser”. They are not the best movies but they are true to this series and just fun to enjoy for fans of the series. All three films come backed with great visual effects, even the sequels. If you don’t own “Mimic” on Blu-ray already, I would highly recommend picking up this great collection.

The first film “Mimic” started it all with the ‘Judas’ breed of a new insect in order to prevent an epidemic. The film is directed by the fantastic Guillermo del Toro and it packs such a great cast. The second film “Mimic 2” picks up four years after, where the mutated cockroaches have now undergo another metamorphosis and plan on taking over again. To sum up this franchise, “Mimic 3: Sentinel” gives this series a new twist. Directed by JT Petty, the mutant breed of these giant insects comes back again and the world finds out that the ‘Judas’ breed is far from extinct.

The Blu-ray presentation are all absolutely stunning. The first “Mimic” not only looks great in its high def 1080p transfer, it sounds beyond fantastic with its DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track. The rain and special effects are showcased perfectly with this audio track. The other films also pack a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, which also shines very well. All three of the films are very dark but yet they look fantastic, overall very impressive transfers.

“Mimic: The Director’s Cut” comes packed with some very impressive special features. There is a “Video Prologue with Director Guillermo del Toro” and “Audio Commentary with Director/Co-writer Guillermo del Toro”. The audio commentary is very informative, as they always are with him. “Reclaiming Mimic” is a featurette that focuses on how the original vision for the film was brought in for this new cut. “A Leap in Evolution – The Creatures of Mimic” is featurette on creating these amazing creatures. “Back into the Tunnels – Shooting Mimic” is a featurette on the film’s dreadfully wet and dark shooting locations. There are three deleted scenes, including an alternate ending. There are six “Storyboard Animatics”, which I enjoyed but which they were longer. Lastly there is a gag reel included.

For direct-to-video sequels, “Mimic 2” and “Mimic 3: Sentinel” also come with some decent special features. They are in SD like most of the “Mimic” extras but still decent. The second film has “5 Days of Mimic 2”, focusing on the production. “Behind the Sound of Mimic 2” focuses on creating the score for the film. Lastly included also are a few deleted scenes. The third film comes with an decent behind-the-scenes featurette, which I enjoyed. An audio commentary with Writer/Director J.T. Petty, which was also informative. Lastly there was cast auditions included as well.

Directed by: Joe Smalley, Tess Smalley
Starring: Josh Folan, Chris Perry, Natalie Wetta
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Distributed by: Image Entertainment
Release Date: April 17, 2012
Running Time: 81 minutes

Film: 3 out of stars
Extras: 1.5 out of 5 stars

Alright since “Ghost Hunters” made ghosts a hot topic and “Paranormal Activity” made found footage cool again, we have gotten a constant wave of these films.  This one can should probably be shuffled in with the others, but it does pack a few good spooks.  This even made me a little creeped out and scored a few decent jumps.  Overall though the acting is so terrible that it makes it hard to enjoy.  Luckily though,  I am real sucker for cool “creepy” aberration shots and this one definitely contained a few shots.

This film follows two television crews of paranormal experts who are taking on a major task of shooting their TV show at a haunted psych hospital.  One team of skeptics looking to debunk ghosts and another believers looking to prove their existence. The two team up but find that they got a lot more than they bargained for when a lot of strange phenomenons keep happening.  Although due to the events of the night, episode 50 of their show was never aired…until now.

Having personally staked out a paranormal activity investigation at famously haunted Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, PA, I have trouble sometimes watching this faux films that try to really scare you.  I have been there and I have been scared.  This is entertaining for the most part but like I said most likely will get shuffled with the others.  Lastly the special features on the disc are lacking only including an audio commentary from writer Ian Holt and the films directors and also a trailer.

Directed by: Kevin Carraway
Starring: Val Kilmer, Ving Rhames, Luke Goss, Bonnie Somerville
MPAA Rating: R
Distributed: Arc Entertainment
Release Date: April 17, 2012
Running Time: 93 minutes

Film: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1/2 out of 5 stars

When a film is deemed “A supernatural thriller in the vein of The Ring meets The Grudge”. I get myself set with some high expectations. Unfortunately, after watching the first 30 minutes with nothing happening you start to doubt its potential. The film does pack a notable cast though including Val Kilmer, Ving Rhames and Luke Goss. It does pick up towards the end and gets off a few good spooks but not enough for me to highly recommend this.

The film follows a group of strangers who become stranded by a storm in a strange house by a complete stranger. Of course this isn’t your regular house they find when they start encountering an evil presence. It turns out that back in 1910, a 10 year-old boy brutally murdered whole family in the same house. The group realized that they are in the same house and as the storm happens outside, inside strange and horrifying things start happening that will lead to the shocking conclusion!

It is sad that actors like Val Kilmer, Ving Rhames and Luke Goss have been deemed to these kinds of films.  Val Kilmer recently rocked the house in a promo for the new “Tenacious D” album.  Ving Rhames looks to entertain in “Piranha 3DD”.  Let’s just say if it wasn’t for them in this movie, I most likely would have taken a pass.  On the special features side, the film disappoints again with only a trailer being included. Overall it is a low-grade thriller though barely is able to entertain enough to fill the 90 minutes.

Directed by: Christopher Hatton
Starring: Zoe Naylor, Graham Sibley, Edward Foy, Lani Tupu
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Distributed by: image Entertainment
Release Date: April 17, 2012
Running Time: 84 minutes

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

Alright with a title like “Robotropolis”, you need to keep those expectations low and just look at it as a fun robot action film. It is definitely that and doesn’t attempt to really go beyond.  The special effects are decent…for a cheesy sci-fi movie.  The film stars Zoe Naylor, who was great in the shark thriller “The Reef”, and definitely leads this film well.  Plus who can argue with Ain’t It Cool News calling it “A hell of a a fun time”. I completely agree.

The film showcases the development of a new state-of-the-art city called New Town, which is completely run by robots working and living among humans. Reporter Christiane Nouveau (Zoe Naylor) are covering this news break, but of course things don’t go well.  A robot shoots down an innocent football player during filming and it starts a chain-reaction. Christiane and her crew use their camera to update the world live on this shocking robot development but are the robots able to be stopped before it is too late?

The special features on this film are disappointing, but what do you expect?  Included is a really hard to watch “video journal” from the co-star  Graham Sibley called “Robodyssey”.  It is very raw and not well produced.  Lastly there is a trailer include as well.  Overall it film is just plain stupid fun.  Leave your inhibitions at the door and sit back and get ready to be entertained.

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MPAA Rating: PG-13
Distributed by: Lions Gate
Release Date: April 24, 2012
Running Time: 259 minutes

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I am a big fan of Marvel’s animated features but lets just say if these were being reviewed individually the score would be lower. All of them together equal some decent superhero fun. The three movies included are “Planet Hulk”, “The Invincible Iron Man” and “Doctor Strange”. In that order they actually go from best to least. Especially for such a low price, if you don’t own this and love Marvel, I recommend you picking them up.

“Planet Hulk” focuses on the big green man but takes place on another plnet. Since Hulk is so impossible to control and dangerous, Earth’s mightiest heroes exiled him into outer space. But once he lands on distant planet SAKAAR, things get ugly. “The Invincible Iron Man” reveals the origin of Iron Man. “Doctor Strange”, who is not a very well known hero, focuses on Dr. Stephen Strange’s journey to seeks healing at the feet of the mysterious Ancient One. He faces his own and actual monsters in the process of finding the magic.

To top off this impressive collection of movies, there is also a ton of bonus features included on this release. There are a few making-of featurettes, interactive games, concepts art gallery and more. The animation on this film are very colorful and sharp. The movies are just plain fun and if you are fan of Marvel’s work it is a no brainer. I would honestly prefer these on Blu-ray since, they would look even better and packed with 7.1 surround sound.  If you have the choice, I would recommend that route for this collection.

MPAA Rating: PG-13 / PG
Distributed by: Lions Gate
Release Date: April 24, 2012
Running Time: 217 minutes

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

With “Marvel’s The Avengers” on the way this May, this is very hot content. The “Ultimate Avengers” series was made back in 2005 and “New Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow” was made in 2008. If you already own the “Ultimate Avengers” films, you don’t need to re-purchase this for the bonus film “Next Avengers”. If you don’t own any of these I would run out to the store and grab these, especially since they are being sold at a very reasonable price. If you have a Blu-ray player, I would recommend you grab this set

“Ultimate Avengers” is inspired by Marvel’s best-selling books, The Ultimates. It focuses on six heroes, lead by Captain America, who must fight as one to save the world. “Ultimate Avengers 2” forces our heroes to reunite in order to fight a rematch of heroic proportions in order to assist The Black Panther. “New Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow” focuses on the spawn of The Avengers taking the lead after their parents demise was met by Ultron.

To top off this impressive collection of movies, there is also a ton of bonus features included on this release. There are a few making-of featurettes, interactive games, concepts art gallery and more. The animation on this film are very colorful and sharp. The movies are just plain fun and if you are fan of Marvel’s work it is a no brainer. If you are looking to get more excited for “Marvel’s The Avengers” to hit theaters then this collection is a good way to brush up on your favorite superheros and get ready for May 4th.

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Created by: Loren Bouchard
Voices of: H. Jon Benjamin, Dan Mintz, Eugene Mirman, John Roberts, Kristen Schaal
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: April 17, 2012
Running Time: 286 minutes

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

If you can get past the first episode of this show, you will find this is a decent but not amazing show. If you find the voice of Bob familiar BTW, that is because is it done by H. Jon Benjamin, who also voices Agent Sterling Archer on FX’s “Archer”. I like the animation overall, it is raw and not perfect (which a a rare thing).  If you are a fan of this show be sure to tune it and support it. It is currently airing its second season on Sunday nights on Fox. I think the first season is a bit better than the current season as well.

The show centers on the Belcher family, who run the hamburger restaurant, Bob’s Burgers. The show is fun for all the family and definitely included quite a bit of family dysfunction. Some of the situations that Bob deals with are that his oldest daughter, Tina, can’t control her hormones. His middle son, Gene, helps promoting the restaurant by dressing up as a giant burger, but forgets to take the costume off to pee. Lastly we have Louise, the youngest, that tells her class that Bob’s burgers are made from human flesh!. It is no “Family Guy” or “The Simpsons” but it is far better than crap like “American Dad” and “The Cleveland Show”.

The special features are impressive overall. If you are a fan of audio commentary, this DVD set has it. In fact, it has an audio commentary for every single episode, which is quite sweet. There is a funny music video for “Lifting Up the Skirt of the Night”. There are two audio outtakes for the following episodes “Bed & Breakfast” and “Sexy Dance Fighting”. Lastly there is the original demo included with an introduction from the creator Loren Bouchard.

Directed by: Darren Lynn Bousman
Starring: Timothy Gibbs, Michael Landes, Wendy Glenn
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Distributed by: Big Air Studios
Release Date: April 24, 2012
Running Time: 82 minutes

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

When you have a title on the DVD, “From the director of Saw II, III & IV”, it is an immediate draw for me. I have loved director Darren Lynn Bousman’s work, specifically “Repo: The Genetic Opera”. This film is totally different from those works though. It is well-paced, haunting and delivers some great spooks for sure. “11-11-11” had a rocky road with distribution in theaters and seemed to get shun to DVD with the subtitle “The Prophecy”. Either way I am glad it finally made it out and people get to see it. Horror fans are going to want to check this out for sure. It definitely has similarity to “The Omen” series in a sense but overall stands perfectly well on its own. It manages to successfully make you look behind you back after watching the film.

After the death of both his wife and child, author Joseph Crone travels from the United States to Barcelona, Spain, in order to reunite with his estranged brother and dying father. Joseph is suddenly haunted with by the number 11 and he needs to get to the bottom of it. He finds that the number holds meaning not only to himself but possibly to all of religion and 11/11/11 turns out to be more than just a date…it’s a warning!

The DVD looks good with its Widescreen 16/9, 2:35.1 transfer.  I still would have loved to seen this film released on Blu-ray, not sure why Big Sky Studios skipped that option. The sound is also impressive for DVD and packs a 5.1 Dolby Digital track, which works well with the haunting score.  Major props needs to go to Joseph Bishara for creating such an amazing score just like he did last year with “Insidious”.  The special features only include a short behind-the-scenes making-of featurette and a few deleted scenes. I would have loved to seen a commentary track from Darren Lynn Bousman on this release.

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Directed by: Steve McQueen
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan, James Badge Dale, Lucy Walters, Mari-Ange Ramirez
MPAA Rating: NC-17
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: April 17, 2012
Running Time: 101 minutes

Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Michael Fassbender deserved to win an award for this role, his performance in this film is honestly nothing short of amazing. It is haunting and also very powerful. “Shame” tells the story of Brandon, who is a New York businessman that is completely obsessed with sex. His life is turned upside-down when his sister Sissy (Carey Mulligan) arrives and brings his past current in his life. Carey is also stunning in the film and really nails the role as well. The film was rated NC-17, since it is a pretty graphic, warning to the kiddies, but overall is packed with an amazing very intense and engaging story. Definitely one of the best of 2011.

The Blu-ray presentation is notable and and looks sharp in its 2.35:1 widescreen 1080p transfer. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is subtle but kills with the film’s music and score. I loved this film’s score and thought it drove the movie so well, kudos to Harry Escott. This release also comes with a DVD copy of the film and a digital copy (which expires on August 31, 2012). I wish Fox would get on the bandwagon and start including the streaming Ultraviolet digital copies.

The special features on the release are not as impressive as the film is though. There are four three-minute featurettes including “Focus On Michael Fassbender”, “Director Steve McQueen”, “The Story Of Shame” and “A Shared Vision”. They are short and a little bit of a let down overall. There is also an interview included with Fassbender called “Fox Movie Channel Presents: In Character With Michael Fassbender”. Lastly there is the the original theatrical trailer included.