Directed b: Larysa Kondracki
Starring: Rachel Weisz, Vanessa Redgrave, Benedict Cumberbatch, David Strathairn, Monica Bellucci
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox
MPAA Rating: R
Running time: 112 minutes

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

Honestly, the driving factor for me to watch this film was really only the cast. After watching it that hunch was proven, great acting was definitely the driving force for this film. The subject matter in this film is definitely intense dealing with human-trafficking but film feels like it drags in the middle and could have used a few tweaks in the pacing. First-time director Larysa Kondracki definitely shows her passion for the subject since it is based around a true story but misses the thrilling aspect for the film itself.

The film follows Kathy Bolkovac, a policewoman (Weisz), who takes a job as a peacekeeper in Bosnia, finds out that she is about to enter a whole new world of crime. She risks her job and life to help to uncover and bring to notice a child sex-slave and human-trafficking scandal, which even includes the United States involvement.

The Blu-ray video is decent and has a gritty look though which adds to the film. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 sound is decent but nothing to call home about. The only extra found on this Blu-ray unfortunately is called “Kathy Bolkovac: The Real Whistleblower”. It is a short featurette with interviews with the real Kathy Bolkovac, as well as Rachel Weisz, and the film’s writers and director. Overall, unless you are aware of this true story and find its topic interesting, I would steer clear.

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Directed by: Tom Brady
Starring: Nick Swardson, Christina Ricci, Don Johnson, Stephen Dorff
Distributed by: Sony Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: R
Running time: 97 minutes

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

This film was gone in theaters before you could have even know it was there. It was very unpopular with the critics but I have to highly disagree. I honestly think it is one of the best Happy Madison Productions releases in the last 10 years. Nick Swardson is so likable and definitely has fun with this character. If you think this film is bad…have you even seen Adam Sandler’s recent pieces of crap…like “Jack and Jill” and “Grown-Ups”. this film should win an Oscar. It is just simple fun, stupid, yet simple.  Don Johnson is really crazy and funny and Kevin Nealon gets a few good one liners. the Blu-ray presentation is also very impressive as the video is extremely sharp and rocks the 1080p transfer. So love it or hate it, I found myself laughing out loud and really enjoyed this film.

Nick Swardson plays Bucky Larson, who is destine to travel to Hollywood to make it in the porn business. After finding out the his parents were in the business back in the 70’s, Bucky wants to follow in their footsteps. He is a simple person in a very complicated and advanced business. Along the way Buck meets Miles Deep (Don Johnson), who plans to turn Bucky into a star…but is the world ready for Bucky Larson?

The special features are made up of basically four featurettes. The first one is called “Laughter is Contagious” and it is a 5 minute gag reel, with a couple good laughs. “Behind the Teeth” is the real look into the production with discussions from the cast and crew. “Gary: Tough Customer” is a focus on Kevin Nealon and his under used funny character in the film. Lastly, we have “Bucky Sparkles” is honestly a feature on Bucky’s orgasms. It is laugh out loud funny. Overall, I think this film had horrible marketing in theaters but fans of Nick Swardson should definitely give it a chance as it is quite funny.

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Directed by: George Clooney
Starring: Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei, Jeffrey Wright, Evan Rachel Wood
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
MPAA Rating: R
Running time: 101 minutes

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

Normally, I stay far away from political dramas but this drew me in with its one hell of a powerful cast. George Clooney not only co-stars he directs, produces and co-wrote this film. Ryan Gosling continues to take over the world of acting. Paul Giamatti also gives a great performance and has great execution on his lines. Which brings me to discuss the dialogue in the film.  It is so sharp and leaves you hanging on every next word. The pacing of the film is also so fast yet very precise and well planned. This is a must to check out for sure if you haven’t already.

The story follows Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling), the Junior Campaign Manager, who is working with for Mike Morris (George Clooney), Governor of Pennsylvania, as they are campaigning to win the preliminaries for Ohio and secure the candidacy for the Democratic party. Of course in any political race there is lies, deceit and cover-ups. All that and more is included in this story and it asks the question: How much are you will to give up to win and how far are you looking to go?

The special features are a decent overall are are mostly saved by a strong commentary track from George Clooney and co-writer/co-producer Grant Heslov. It is a great companion to the film as they discuss the making-of elements of the film. Definitely enjoyable. Next up, the feature “Believe: George Clooney” features Clooney talking about wearing all the different hates on this production. Lastly “On the Campaign: The Cast of The Ides of March” is a short discussion with the actors in the film about the film and their roles. Even though the extras are short they still leave you mostly satisfied. Though in case you are looking for more the Blu-ray release contains more extras than the DVD.

Directed by: Krishnendu Majumdar, Luke Campbell
Starring: Karl Pilkington, Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant
Distributed by: BBC Worldwide Americas, Inc.
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
No. of episodes: 8
Running Time: 347 minutes

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

Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant and Karl Pilkington are just such a great team. They could sit in a white room and they could make it funny. In this series, they decide to send Karl Pilkington all over the world and have him experience different cultures. Karl Pilkington is just so clueless and over the top funny. Whether or not he is joking is meaningless since almost every word out of his mouth is magic. Ricky Gervais’ laugh is also infectious. He just cracks you up every time if you don’t find it funny. A friend of mine suggested that his laugh should be a ringtone and I couldn’t agree more.

In this first series of 8 episodes called: “The Seven Wonders”, Karl gets sent to the following places: China, India, Israel, Jordan, Mexico, Egypt, Brazil and Peru. In China, he visit the Great Wall of China. In India, he visits the Taj Mahal. Episode 3, while in Israel we see Karl visit a few places like East Jerusalem for the Western Wall, the Palestinian territories Bethlehem, The Dead Sea and Petra in Jordan. In Mexico he explores Chichen Itza, the city built by the Maya civilization. In Egypt he visits the Great Pyramid of Giza. In Brazil he meets the statue of Christ the Redeemer. Lastly in Peru, he visits the 15th-century Inca site, Machu Picchu.

I think the special features are a little lacking but overall still decent if you are a fan of the trio. “The Preview Show” has a sit down with the group and it definitely get a few laughs. There are about 8 deleted scenes totaling about 15 minutes, which are great. Then the only extra left is a 3 minute slideshow of stills. I would have loved to have more hands on features from Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant and Karl Pilkington and perhaps some commentaries or featurettes. I wish this was also released on Blu-ray in the States.  I know for sure that I am really looking forward to season two.

An Idiot Abroad: Season 1 now available on DVD at http://bit.ly/zQOTWr!
With friends like these, you’d be better off alone! In this hilarious travel series the co-creators of The Office and Extras, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, send their mate Karl Pilkington (The Ricky Gervais Show) around the globe- against his will-to visit the Seven Wonders of the World. Along the way he’s forced to endure camel rides, dine on toads, search for a clean bathroom and worse!

Directed by: Mark Mylod
Starring: Anna Faris, Chris Evans, Joel McHale, Zachary Quinto, Martin Freeman, Andy Samberg, Anthony Mackie, Blythe Danner, Ed Begley, Jr.
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
MPAA Rating: R / Unrated
Running time: 106 minutes (R-Rated), 117 minutes (Unrated)

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

Since “Scary Movie” series, Anna Faris’ films really haven’t appealed to me, this one is no different. In fact I think it might be the worst one and she seems to spend a lot of time shows off her fake boobs. I am a fan of Chris Evans but it is sad that he is in this film the same year as the great “Captain America: The First Avenger”. But I guess for woman watching this film he walks around naked half the movie and I am sure they will enjoy it more. The film has terrible pacing and feels long after the first 30 minutes. The film does have some decent yet awkward  brief cameos from SNL’s Andy Samberg as a creepy puppeteer and Reno 911’s Thomas Lennon as a creepy gynecologist.

After losing her job, Ally (Anna Faris) reads a magazine article called “What’s Your Number?”, which tells the average number of people America sleeps with.  Ally realizes that her number is nearly double the average at 19.  She decides to track down her ex-boyfriends in hopes to find one to marry and to avoid going over 20 men that she has slept. Ally gets some help from her neighbor Colin (Chris Evans), who sleeps around, so guess what happens next while she tracks down her past exes.

The “ex-tended” unrated cut just adds 11 minutes to the already unbearable 106 minutes. Just to note there is also a DVD and digital copy of the movie included in case actually enjoyed it.  The special features on the disc are also lame, There are about 17 minutes of deleted scenes, nothing worth wild. The gag reel is decent and runs about 7 minutes and that is it on the features besides a trailer and some previews for upcoming Fox films. No audio commentaries or behind-the-scenes features, even though I wouldn’t watch them anyway.

Director: John Michael McDonagh
Starring: Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle, Mark Strong, Liam Cunningham, David Wilmot
MPAA Rating: R
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Run Time: 96 minutes

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

“The Guard” is a comedy that mixes the following plot points murder, blackmail, drug trafficking, and police corruption. When you put that together and add it to a great cast including Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle, you expect a great turnout. Unfortunately the film is quite slow moving and really doesn’t take off until the closing scene. The humor is the film is dark and doesn’t really show up much or if it does at all  I completely missed it. Brendan Gleeson was great in the role of the clueless but sharp cop but Don Cheadle feel a little bit under used and doesn’t really like he belongs here.

The general plot of the film follows two cops (Gleeson and Cheadle) who join forces to take on an international drug-smuggling gang. One cop is an over the top-no rules Irish policeman and the other is a by-the-books FBI agent who is out of place in his environment.

The special features on this disc are definitely packed. There is a decent audio commentary with the director John Michael McDonagh and the film’s stars Don Cheadle & Brendan Gleeson. “The Second Death” is a short film written and directed by John Michael McDonagh and served as the basis for character Sergeant Gerry Boyle. “Making of The Guard” is brief look at the behind the scenes for the film. It is decent but runs less than 20 minutes overall. The outtakes, The deleted scenes include three short scenes running about 6 minutes total. The extended scenes are a lot longer, running about 20 minutes, and worth checking out for sure. If the commentary isn’t enough to finish off the special features is an fun Q&A With Don Cheadle, Brendan Gleeson and John Michael McDonagh done during the LA Film Fest.

Director: Trent Haaga
Starring: Will Keenan, Timothy Muskatell, Ricardo Gray, Max Haaga
Rated: Unrated
Studio: The Collective
Run Time: 88 minutes

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

With horror comedies it is usually hit or miss to entertain, though this one kinda sits on the line of both. The film is called “Chop” but the gore really isn’t that present as would be expected. I think this film could have been much better if it just added a lot more gore. The story is well-planned and its plan to reveal the story progress works perfectly. It also seems to give a slightly new twist on the revenge classic story. If you are looking a few laughs and a little bit of mindless fun, this might be worth checking out.

The story follows Lance (Will Keenan) who is attacked and taken hostage by a stranger psycho though who seems to have met Lance in the past. Lance’s past is reveals to have not been the greatest due to his prior drug use. The stranger’s goal is to get Lance to sorry for what he has done to him. He is planning to cause pain to Lance by removing his limbs in order to get him to remember.

Will Keenan channels his inner Bruce Campbell from “Evil Dead” series. He really makes this movie worth wild just for his performance. He is funny and way over-the-top as needed. Will also reunites with first time director Trent Haaga, who also is a Troma veteran. The special features on the disc are lacking with a short gag reel that is only funny in its second half when Keenan steps in. There are two deleted scenes featuring an extended convenience store scene, which is funny. The other is a scene featuring Lance’s mother, which is not worth the time.

Channel: The History Channel
Running Time: 46 minutes
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: A&E Entertainment

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

Firstly, I am a sucker for History Channel programs…especially ones that are in 3D. Like said in the opening scene of the show, most of the photos and video from WWII have already been seen over the years. This show though provided new moments of WWII that has been hidden and buried until now. The coolest part about this is that they were captured in 3D with stereographs.

The man behind these 3D photos taken for the Nazi’s back during the war was Heinrich Hoffmann, the German photographer. This amazing collection includes Allied reconnaissance photos and images that documents the rise and fall of the Third Reich. The photos look absolutely amazing in 3D and its amazing that they have held up so well over these years. It is also interesting to be able to analysis the third dimension on some of these images.

If you thought that was enough this program also features an 3D film shot by the Nazis in 1943. The footage is a rare look behind the scenes into the Nazi during the war.  Overall, the video on the Blu-ray is presented perfectly and the sound is really sharp. My only complaint on this release is that I hoped that this could have been longer.  Maybe The History Channel & A&E will plan on releasing more 3D products in the near future.

Directed by: Bennett Miller
Starring: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Running time: 133 minutes

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

Usually, I am not a fan of sports films in general but I was hoping this one would be different. It has high on every critic best of list for 2011 but this one will not be making my top 10 or top 50 for that matter. I found the film extremely slow moving but I was attracted by the  fantastic acting. I also really enjoyed the extras provided on the Blu-ray release. The 1080p transfer looks good and extremely clear and The DTS-HD MA 5.1 track works well with the sports scenes for sure. If you are a fan of digital copies you also will appreciate the new Ultraviolet digital streaming copy which is included.

Brad Pitt gave a great performances as Billy Beane, general manager of the Oakland Athletics. Even Jonah Hill was good in the film, he was funny but also showed a little bit of dramatic side. The story follows a pretty much true story of the events after Beane’s (Pitt) team lost to the Yankees in the 2001, he attempts to develop a strategy for assembling a more competitive team for 2002. Due to issues with the teams budget he recruits Peter Brand (Hill), to aid him in this almost impossible task. Billy takes a chance with his re-development of the team and hopes that his bet pays off.

The special features on the Blu-ray are great but there is no commentary track anywhere to be found. There is a funny blooper called “Brad Loses It”, which is a riot. There are also over 10 minutes of deleted scenes, called “Billy Tells Art: Play Bradford”, “Tara and Billy Dinner”, and “Peter Offered GM Job”. The next feature is called “Billy Beane: Re-Inventing the Game” and it runs just over 15 minutes. It features the books author Michael Lewis, the film’s director Bennett Miller, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, and Beane himself as they discuss the film and baseball in general. “Drafting the Team” is a 20 minute feature on the casting of the film. “Moneyball: Playing the Game” is a 20 minute feature about the film’s production and baseball scenes that were created for the movie. “Adapting Moneyball” focuses on the adaption of the book to the big screen. Lastly there is a trailer for the video game “MLB 12: The Show” and other previews from additional Sony titles.

Directed by: Jerzy Skolimowski
Starring: Vincent Gallo, Emmanuelle Seigner
Distributed by: New Video
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running time: 85 minutes

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

I have never been a giant fan of Vincent Gallo but he definitely deserves some respect for this role. “Essential Killing” is a subtle but powerful drama thriller and delivers some great suspense. The film runs a little long at only 85 minutes though. The film is beautifully shot and the locations are really spectacular. Overall the film itself it is deep and heavy though very interesting.

The story follows Mohammed, a Taliban fighter, who is captured by the US military in Afghanistan but during transport escapes. He spends the movie fending for himself in the wild trying to survive and has no regret for his actions. He is being tracked the whole time by men who are hot on his trail.

Gallo’s role in the film is of the Taliban fighter, is really intense and he who delivers a really tough performance with no dialogue. The film is mixed with elements of  seclusion and survival. The extras on the disc are virtually missing like most releases from Tribeca Film. There is only a brief interview with the director Jerzy Skolimowski.

Directed by: Brad Mirman
Starring: Kiefer Sutherland, John Hurt
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Episodes: 10
Running Time: 62 minutes

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

This mini-series consisted of 10 episodes originally aired online on Hulu last year. It is definitely a slow burning drama thriller which gets amazing performances from both Kiefer Sutherland and John Hurt. It takes place in a church confession but also features flashbacks in the story. The episodes fit really well as a movie but it only last about an hour. This film is simple and includes great dialogue between the leads and packs a story which slowly unravels leaving you on the edge of your seats.

The story revolves around a hitman (Kiefer Sutherland) who goes into a confessional to discuss his crimes with a priest (John Hurt). The hitman tells the priest that he has killed many people and reveals that he will kill tonight, unless the priest hears his confession. As the hitman confesses all that he has done, we features flashbacks that lead up to the thrilling finale.

The extras are really worth the purchase of this disc and run almost 40 minutes. Since the disc consists of episodes previously available online, good extras are a must for this. There are four exclusive never-before-seen episodes includes on the disc, which were excellent. There were four promotional featurettes with cast and crew interviews, short but sweet. Lastly I really enjoyed that each episode has a great behind-the-scenes included, which gives great insight into the production.

Director: Chris Kazmier
Starring: Daniel Baldwin, Sunny Doench, Alisha Seaton
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Phase 4 Films
Run Time: 90 minutes

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

Right off the bat, the film drew me in due to its interesting box art.  When it comes to horror films unfortunately a good horror box art never means good movie…I am just a sucker.  This one definitely surprised me.  For one thing it definitely earned it unrated rating since it was very disturbing and very gross, but I guess that is why I enjoyed it.  The story is a little light but it overall it definitely keep me interested for the 90 minutes.

The film is about a crazy psychopath serial killer known as The Ghost, who has no limits, captures and tortures his victims, young girls, in his basement. After his latest kill, Police Detective Balasco and psychiatrist Dr. Metcalfe team up in order to find the killer and save the girls.  The team is in a race for time before it is too late to rescue these victims.

The best part of the film was easily Daniel Baldwin as a crazy psycho killer.  He nails the role of the lunatic who abducts, tortures and kills his preys.  Phase 4 Films are getting know for releases some pretty awesome titles in the last few months, so keep an eye out for there future releases.  In the special features category though, it is a little light.  There are a few deleted scenes, which are decent and only a trailer included.  Overall horror fans might want to check it out just for some good gore and one crazy Daniel Baldwin.

Distributed by: Warner Archive
Run Time: 110 minutes
Episodes: 4

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I have to admit I grew up in the 80’s and I am real sucker for 80’s cartoons. This is the first time that the “The Centurions” have made their way onto DVD. The remastering looks fantastic and definitely notable…Great job Warner Archive. Every laser shoot to every explosion looks cleaned up and of course the classic “will return/back to” clips are included as well. If you are a fan of this original series then this will be a no-brainer purchase for sure.

The episodes included in the this mini-series consists of “The Sky Is On Fire”, “Battle Beneath The Sea”, “An Alien Affair”, “Found: One Lost World” and “Sand Doom”. Like most 80’s cartoon, this one consists of the first five episodes of the series, aired back in 1986. This series was short-lived only consisting of 65 episodes. Thanks to Warner Archive Collection, this mini-series is now available exclusively through Warner’s online store. Now we just want the rest of the series Warner Archive…keep ’em coming!!

Synopsis:
In the near future Doc Terror, and his cyborg companion, Hacker, unleash their forces to conquer Earth! Only one force can stop this evil: a handful of brave men. In specially created exoframes, they can be transported anywhere to fuse with incredible assault weapon systems, beamed down from the space station Skyvault, becoming man and machine, Power Xtreme! Max Ray, brilliant Sea Operations commander. Jake Rockwell, rugged Land Operations specialist. Ace McCloud, daring Air Operations expert. Whatever the challenge, they are ready—the Centurions!” Debuting as a 5 part mini-series, and enjoying contributions from three of the greatest action artists of the 20th Century – Doug Wildey, Gil Kane, and Jack Kirby – The Centurions promised to pack a punch – and it delivered! Get ready for mad machine action as 3 masters of land, sea, and air do battle with a mad inventor for the fate of a planet.

Directed by: Law Wing-cheong
Starring: Anthony Wong, Richie Ren, Janice Man
Distributed by: Vivendi Entertainment
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Release Date: January 24th, 2012
Running time: 94 min.

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

The people behind “Punished” are more exciting than the film actually is. Producer Johnnie To and director Law Wing Cheong make this film seem extremely interesting. If you add in star Anthony Wong from “Infernal Affairs” and Richie Jen from “Fire of Conscience”, it should seal the deal, but it doesn’t. The film has a lot of twists and turns but utterly leaves you confused and a little bit bored.

The film follows real estate tycoon Wong Ho-Chiu (Anthony Wong) as he deals with the kidnapping and killing of his daughter Daisy (Janice Man). Wong Ho-Chiu turns to his trusted bodyguard Chor (Richie Jen) to find the people who are responsible for her death and seek revenge on them. As Wong gets deeper into this world, he will find that things may not be what they seem in his search for revenge.

The special features are slim and only really consist of two behind-the-scenes featurettes. They are interesting but leave you wanting more. Also included is a photo gallery and an international trailer. One cool feature is an exclusive QR Code on the DVD, which leads you to additional footage.

Director: Danfung Dennis
Starring: Sergeant Nathan Harris, Ashley Harris, The Marines of Echo Company 2nd Battalion
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Distributed by: New Video
Run Time: 88 minutes

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

If you haven’t heard of this film it is the 2011 Sundance Film Festival World Cinema Grand Jury Prize and Cinematography Prize Winner. Director Danfung Dennis really dives into behind the lines and captures the action of being in Afghanistan and follows 25-year-old Sergeant Nathan Harris and the aftermath of him being shot, returning home and coping with regular life. The film is well paced and has a good blend of blending the past and present. It really puts you in the shoes of the soldiers fighting for our country.

The footage in Afghanistan feels very real and gives an inside look inside to what is it like to be behind the lines. You really feel for Sergeant Harris and his struggles with recuperating after his injury. The Blu-ray also shines in video with a clear picture and great sound to back this release. Although it is not to an action film this format definitely adds a lot to this film. Also notable with this release is the fact that this film comes with both the Blu-ray and a DVD of the film which I enjoy having both.

The special features includes on this Blu-ray are really great starting with a great and informative commentary from director Danfung Dennis and editor Fiona Otway. It is very detailed and worth listening to if you are a fan of commentary tracks. In “Technical Gear Demo: How HELL AND BACK AGAIN was filmed”, it is pretty self explanatory, it goes into the process of how this film was made. I really enjoyed the inside look into the process. “Willie Nelson’s Hell and Back: Slide Show” is basically a glorified photo gallery with some good tunes. Lastly there are a few deleted scenes. I think the film was tight at 88 minutes and none of these really jumped out as being needed in the film but they are worth a watch if you enjoyed the film and want a little more.

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