Blu-ray Review “Men in Black”

Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Linda Fiorentino, Vincent D’Onofrio, Rip Torn
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Distributed by: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: May 1, 2012
Running Time: 98 minutes

Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

It’s funny going back and watching this film and realizing how young Will Smith looks. “Men in Black” is still one hell of a fun movie though. It reminds me of a live-action comic book. The visual effects are also still amazing especially for a film that is 15 years old. I can’t believe it is that old but here we are approaching the third film this summer. This film is a great collection of comedy, action and science fiction. This release also includes a sneak preview and $10 voucher to go see “Men in Black III”.

This Blu-ray packs a very solid and sharp 1080p high-def transfer, with its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. I feel that this release even trumps the first “MIB” Blu-ray release in 2008. The audio is also different than the prior release boasting a very clear DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track compared to the last release Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track. Danny Elfman’s score really sounds fantastic through this audio track. I would have like to seen Sony give this film a 7.1 track but the one included is still solid. Lastly, a real draw for this release is a streaming Ultraviolet digital copy. I love that most if not all Sony releases are following this path.

There is definitely no shortage of special features on this disc, but not really anything new from the 2008 release and more are in standard definition not high-def. There are a few silly extras that are Blu-ray exclusive. Like “Ask Frank the Pug!”, which is like an interactive magic 8-ball. “Intergalactic Pursuit: The Men In Black Trivia Game” is a interactive game which you can play in a single-player mode or online with multi-players. Lastly there is an alien subtitle track, which is cool.

There are two commentary tracks included on this release. There is an enhanced telestrator commentary with director Barry Sonnenfeld and actor Tommy Lee Jones and feels like an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. The second one is the more focus on production with director Barry Sonnenfeld, makeup effects artist Rick Baker and the Industrial Light and Magic team. There are five extended and alternate scenes but only in in standard definition. “Metamorphosis of Men in Black” is an impressive behind-the-scenes feature, though also in SD.

“Visual Effects Scene Deconstruction” focus on two scenes: “Tunnel Scene” and “Edgar Bug Fight Scene.”. “Character Animation Studies” is similiar to the last but focuses on the film’s character like Mikey, Jeebs, or Worm Guys. Next, we can enter the “Scene Editing Workshop”, which allow to create you own scenes. Of course, there is also the music Video for “Men in Black” included with Will Smith and Mikey. Lastly, there are a few photo galleries consisting of “Storyboard Gallery,” “Conceptual Art,” and “Production Photos.”

DVD Review “Madison County”

Directed by: Eric England
Starring: Ace Marrero, Joanna Sotomura, Katie Stegeman, Nick Principe, Colley Bailey, Matt Mercer
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Distributed by: Image Entertainment
Release Date: May 8, 2012
Running Time: 82 minutes

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

When you have a film boasting a killer with a pig on his head, immediately I can’t help but want to immediately watch this. The film doesn’t break any new boundaries in horror but does setup some decent suspense and great kills. Nick Princpie aka Chromeskull from “Laid to Rest” series, kicks ass in the masked role. The rest of the cast is impressive as well Joanna Sotomura and Ace Marrero look to have a great career in the cards. I also look forward to future work from director Eric England. I only wish that there would have been more back story on Madison County itself and its masked killer.

The film follows a group of college kids who travel to a small town of Madison County in order to interview an autho, who authored a book about the murders that happened there. Of course when the kids get there, the author is nowhere to be found and the towns people act like nothing has ever happened. Of course that doesn’t stop the kids, who start investigating but might not like what they find as they may have gotten themselves in too deep.

The special features aren’t as good as the film is unfortunately. There is an audio commentary track with writer/producer/director Eric England, producer Daniel F. Dunn and actor/producer Ace Marreo, it is busy but entertaining and informative. There is a roughly 20 minute Q&A from Screamfest, worth checking out if you enjoyed the film.  Lastly included is a theatrical trailer for the film.

 

Related Content

DVD Review “Descendents”

Actors: Cristobal Barra, Patricio Lynch, Sergio Allard
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Number of discs: 1
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Lionsgate
DVD Release Date: May 15, 2012
Run Time: 75 minutes

Film: 1 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1.5 out of 5 stars

“Nobody is immune to fear”…more like nobody is immune to being bored. Zombie films are always welcome in my horror library.  This film barely registers as a horror film, yet alone a zombie film.  If it spent more time trying to be a zombie film and less on an MTV music video, it might have something. I do want to add though, I did like the color effects showcasing the apocalypse and the blood. Though story is just boring and weak and relies to much on flashbacks to help.

With a world that has turned most humans to zombies, caused by a virus, we follow a young girl, Camille, as she tries to find her mother. With the whole world in chaos and all alone Camille sets out to find others like her in order to survive.  Don’t even get me started on the film’s terrible ending.  Holy crap.

The special features on this DVD include a brief featurette “The Making of Descendents”,. There is also some music videos including Voodo Zombie, Los Ninos and Llevane, didn’t interest me at all. Lastly there is a trailer gallery. The DVD does come with a decent audio through it Dolby Digital 5.1 track, wish the scares would have been their to accompany it.

DVD Review “The Theatre Bizarre”

Directed by: Tom Savini, Buddy Giovinazzo, David Gregory, Douglas Buck, Jeremy Kasten
Starring: Udo Kier, Guilford Adams, Suzan Anbeh, Lindsay Goranson, André Hennick
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Distributed by: Image Entertainment
Release Date: April 24, 2012
Running Time: 114 minutes

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

I am a huge fan of horror anthology but sometimes like in the recent “George Romero’s Deadtime Stories”, the stories just don’t have enough quality and production value put into them. I loved the opening story with Udo Kier called “Theatre Guignol” and directed by Jeremy Kasten, I wish it was expanded more. In the other six tales, there is maybe two that totally kept my interest out of the them all. They should have just stuck to the three and kept the running time at 90 minutes instead of almost two hours. Props to Tom Savini for directing my favorite of the bunch, titled “Wet Dreams”. He knows horror and definitely stood out among the rest in this anthology. Let’s just say this is no “Creepshow”.

The film follow a young woman who wonders into an abandoned theatre, only to realize that it is now empty. There is a show going on and it is lead by a marionette-like man (Udo Kier) who introduces her to six tales of the bizarre. The first, “Mother of Toads”, follows a couple traveling in the French Pyrenees and crosses paths with a witch. “I Love You” shows the wrath of a partner who has been pushed to the limits. “Wet Dreams” is my favorite and lurks in the dreams of an unfaithful husband and the bur between fantasy and reality. “The Accident” should the horrors of the real world through the mind of a child. “Vision Stains” and my least favorite features a woman who is addicted to other people’s memories through the fluid of their eyeballs. Lastly and my second least favorite, “Sweets” focuses on a bizarre sweet fetish between a couple that gets out of control.

Even though the film is a bit hard to watch, the special features are not bad. There is directors commentary available, which works well in this case since the films are short. There is a behind the scenes featurette, which is worth checking out. There is also interviews with each director, which is a little short but working checking out. Lastly, there is the trailer included.

Blu-ray Review “W.E.”

Directed by: Madonna
Starring: Abbie Cornish, Andrea Riseborough, James D’Arcy
MPAA Rating: R
Distributed by: Image Entertainment
DVD Release Date: May 1, 2012
Run Time: 119 minutes

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

Who doesn’t love Madonna? Unfortunately her filmmaking skills aren’t as sharp as her music skills. “W.E.” is a decent love story but gets over complicated and loses focus fast. Madonna also did a song for the film titled, “Masterpiece”, and in fact the song won the 2012 Golden Globe® Award for Best Original Song (Motion Picture). The song is great but the film does not have the same award winning qualities.

The film features two love stories, one historic and one contemporary, which are both interwoven. We follow the famous romance between King Edward VIII and American divorcée Wallis Simpson. The second romance deals with the affair of a Russian security guard with a New York trophy wife Wally Winstrhop. The romance is there and the writing is decent but overall, the film drags major over the two hours.

This release comes with the following; a Blu-ray disc, a DVD disc and also a Digital Copy disc of the film. The 1080p video looks sharp and clear, especially with its locations where it was shot. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is impressive. The special features are lacking though just like the film. The only extra included is a featurette called “The Making of W.E.”.

Blu-ray Review “Clueless”

Directed by: Amy Heckerling
Starring: Alicia Silverstone, Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy, Paul Rudd, Donald Faison, Breckin Meyer
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Distributed by: Paramount Pictures
Release Date: May 1, 2012
Running Time: 97 minutes

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

I mean, as if, who doesn’t love the film “Clueless”. As if, it was not the best high school movie of the 90’s, if not of all-time. I grew up with this film and while entering my 30’s this year, this film still holds relevant. It launched many careers and became an icon of growing up. The film is now hitting Blu-ray and looks fantastic, as if it totally wouldn’t.

The Blu-ray presentation is quite impressive for a film shot in 1995. The video looks great it is 1080p transfer, with an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. This film is well known for its soundtrack, I spent the better half of the 90’s listening to it. The music in the film is really treated with a fantastic DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track.  If you do not own a copy of this film, this Blu-ray is a real tribute to this great groundbreaking comedy.  I would have like to also include a DVD copy or digital copy of the film but maybe in three years for the 15th anniversary edition.

The special features on the Blu-ray though are plain disappointing. With no new commentaries or features with cast/crew revisiting the film. The only new feature is a game called “Clue or False”, which is a pop up “trivia” challenge centered on “Clueless”. The rest of the features are standard definition and re-hash of the DVD features. “The Class of ’95” is a look at the ensemble cast in the film. “Creative Writing” focuses on the film’s road from television show into a film and its future. “Fashion 101” focuses on well, fashion, which is an important factor in the film. “Language Arts” focuses on the film’s slang. “Suck ‘N Blow: A Tutorial” is instructions to play the game as seen in the film. “Driver’s Ed” is a look into shooting the “driver’s ed” scene. “We’re History” is the cast and crew chatting about the film and its legacy. Lastly there is trailers and a teaser included.

DVD Review “Ralphie May: Too Big to Ignore”

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.

Blu-ray Review “The Innkeepers”

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.

DVD Review “Miss Bala”

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.

DVD Review “The Yellow Sea”

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.

Blu-ray Review “The Red House”

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.

DVD Review “The Dick Van Dyke Show: Carl Reiner’s Favorites”

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.

Blu-ray Review “Mimic: 3 Film Set”

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.

DVD Review “Episode 50”

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.

DVD Review “7 Below”

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.

Copyright: MediaMikes.com © 2012 · Powered by: nGeneYes, Inc. · Login

All logos and images used on this website are registered trademarks of their respective companies. All Rights Reserved. Some of the content presented on our sites has been provided by contributors, other unofficial websites or online news sources, and is the sole responsibility of the source from which it was obtained. MediaMikes.com is not liable for inaccuracies, errors, or omissions found herein. For removal of copyrighted images, trademarks, or other issues, Contact Us.