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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Directed by: David R. Ellis
Starring: Sara Paxton, Dustin Milligan, Chris Carmack, Katharine McPhee, Donal Logue, Joshua Leonard
Joel David Moore
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Running Time: 91 minutes

Film: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

I had very high anticipation for this movie when I saw it in theaters but was utterly disappointed. I thought the 3D was decent but the film fails to really entertain. When re-watching the Blu-ray, my feelings on the film did improve slightly.  My main issue with the film was the side story of how the local hillbillies capture the kids to be shark bait for their planned TV show. I thought that was beyond stupid and ruined the movie. The sharks in the film are OK but not great. I wish they would have had a lot more screen time and less crappy teen angst. The problem I have with this home release is…where is the 3D? The film was original called and marketed as “Shark Night 3D”. I really hope that Fox is planning on releasing it in the near future.

When I think sharks, I think kick ass death scenes usually. The kills are lame in this one and really suffer from its PG-13 rating. Honestly, I feel that there are better kills in the cheesy SyFy creature features.  If they would have made this movie rated R and amped up the kills and got rid of the hillbillies, this probably would have been 100 times better.  The video on the Blu-ray does look very clear and definitely showcases what little shark scenes there is.  The sound is also very sharp and plays well with the films action scenes. One thing that I felt about the film on home release compared to theater is that I was able to replay the quick but cool shark scenes, which made this worth wild for us shark enthusiasts.

The extras are decent but run less than 20 minutes all in all.  The first extra is called “Shark Attack! Kill Machine!”, which just sums up all the kills into one five-minute scene. Honestly its plays better than the whole film since the only good scenes are the shark scenes. “Shark Night’s Survival Guide” is trivia game about shark attacks, using clips from the film.  It is lame overall but worth checking out once.  “Fake Sharks, Real Scares'” is a great featurette about the film’s animatronic and CGI sharks, my favorite feature but it runs too short.  “Ellis’ Island” is another short making-of featurette about the film, this one is worth missing.  Lastly there is the theatrical trailer and about 10 minutes of sneak peek trailers for upcoming 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

Director: Matthew Bate
Starring: Ivan Brunetti, Daniel Clowes, Mitch Deprey
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: New Video Group
Running Time: 89 minutes

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

Eddie Lee and Mitchell D’s audio vérité recordings of Peter and Raymond has been used in pop culture over the last 20 years in music, comics and film. This documentary follows the Eddie Lee and Mitchell D as they take us through how this whole phenomenon was born and what is has turned into today. The interviews are really interesting and we even have rare interview Peter himself back in 1993. If you are fan of where these recordings came from and their background leading to today, this is a very interesting film.

The recordings made by Eddie Lee Sausage and Mitchell D. where done back in the last 80’s when they discovered that their neighbors, Peter Haskett and Raymond Huffman, who at the time were constantly  arguing and Peter was often screaming “shut up, little man!” at Ray. If you have never heard these recordings, it is sure to impact you more than others who have been listening for years. Still though, the film is so well done that it will still make these recording feels fresh and document them well.

I was hoping for decent special features with this DVD and I was definitely impressed. There is an interesting extended interview with Ivan Brunetti, Peter Haskett and Raymond Huffman roommate. There is a shit load of deleted/extended scenes. Some of them are decent and some feel wasted. If you want some information on the behind the scenes about this documentary, you will be happy with the featurette that is included as well. Overall if you are looking for a good laugh, this DVD is a no-brainer.

Directed by: Chris Paine
Narrated by: Tim Robbins
Starring: Elon Musk, Carlos Ghosn, Bob Lutz, Greg Abbott, Dan Neil
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Distributed by: New Video
Running time: 90 minutes

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

If you are aware of the film “Who Killed the Electric Car?”, directed by Chris Paine, then you should known about this one. It is his follow up film focusing on the return of electric cars. The film is definitely interesting and shows a lot of great points. There are celebrity appearance from Danny DeVito, Jon Favreau and Arnold Schwarenegger. I enjoyed the flow of the film and I felt that it kept my interest from beginning to end. Docuramafilms is one of my favorite sources for choosing really great documentary subjects. It is rare to find that you are that entertained from a documentary especially about electric cars.

The film starts off around 2006 after the electric cars where destroyed, now they are back and want revenge. The film is narrated by Tim Robbins and follows GM and Elon Mush as they bring the return of the electric car. The film shows what the future of the car will be and how it is back faster, furiouser and cleaner than ever. The fighters to bring the electric car are Bob Lutz from General Motors, Elon Musk from Tesla Motors, Carlos Ghosn from Nissan, and Greg Abbott, an independent electric car converter. The director, Chris Paine, did a great job and is definitely on my radar now. He knows how to take a topic and turn it into a great documentary.

The extras on the film are really decent and impressive. There is a Tribeca Film Festival Talk which runs about 35 minutes. The panel features Elon Musk, Dan Neil, Carlos Ghosn, David Duchovny and director Chris Paine. There is about 20 minutes of additional bonus footage, definitely worth checking out if you enjoyed the film. If you enjoyed the celebrity interviews in the film, there are about 25 minutes of additional interviews. Lastly there is the theatrical trailer and Nissan Leaf promo trailer also included.

Directors: Troy Nixey
Starring: Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce, Bailee Madison, Bruce Gleeson, Eddie Ritchard
MPAA Rated: R
Distributed: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Running Time: 99 minutes

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

When you have a horror film, or any film, that is written and produced by Guillermo del Toro, you set your expectations very high. This film unfortunately disappoints and  fails to delivers his usual charm. The film is a remake of the 1973 horror film of the same title but it doesn’t capture the same spark that the first film did. One of the film’s faults is that it is an R-rated film that plays like a PG-13 rated film.

The film follows a young girl, Sally, who moves to live with her father and his new girlfriend in a 19th-century mansion, that her father is restoring. During Sally’s exploration of the old mansion, she starts to finds out that creatures are living in the basement. Her curiosity ends up releasing them loose in the house and she finds out that they have a lust for little children.

I actually really enjoyed the performances from Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce and specifically Bailee Madison. They all gave decent performances, especially for a horror film. I wish that they also didn’t show the creatures as much as they did. It could have been a lot more successfully if we didn’t have a close up on them each scene. The Blu-ray looks clear and definitely uses the dark scenes to deliver great picture.  The sound also is great but I wish the film was more suspenseful because it could have benefited more.

The special features are slim but decent overall. There is a behind the scenes featurette, which consists of three parts. The first focuses on “The Story”, the second focuses on “Blackwood’s Mansion” and the last focuses on “The Creatures”. I feel that it covers all the proper grounds and gives decent insight into the films story and production. There is also a Conceptual Art Gallery included and it is actually decent, especially since it feels like it comes from Guillermo del Toro’s mind. Lastly, the film comes with the new instant streaming using UltraViolet digital copy.

Directed by: Scott Spiegel
Starring: Kip Pardue, Brian Hallisay, John Hensley, Sarah Habel, Skyler Stone, Zulay Henao, Thomas Kretschmann
Distributed by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Running time: 88 minutes

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

Alright so here we are at “Part III” of the Hostel series and surprisingly this series still had a lot of steam left in it and a bright future. Most of this praise needs to go to the film’s director Scott Spiegel, writer of “Evil Dead II” and writer/director of “Intruder”. Scott knows horror for sure and in fact actually produced “Hostel” and “Hostel: Part II” as well, so he has been invested in this series. What is great about this series is that they can just pick up and move to a new location and grab some new kids and it definitely works again in this film. What better of a location to pick-up and move to then VEGAS!

The third film in the franchise follows a group of guys going on a bachelor party to Vegas. The group gets swopped to a private party off-the-strip and that is where things go wrong, of course. The group gets taken hostage and are sent to their death to the highest bidder at an elite hunter’s club. The plot is similar from the from two films but puts a new spin on it. The film is backed with amazing gore and some really new kick ass kill scenes.  That is really key for this franchise and it definitely doesn’t disappoint.

I hope this series continues because I could see many new opportunities. After enjoying the film, I was hoping for some decent extras but the DVD special features are disappointing with only a commentary track included. The commentary track though is with director Scott Spiegel and star Kip Perdue, it is informative and fun and definitely worth checking out. Horror fans should give this film a chance.  I would say it falls in line with “Hostel: Part II”, so if you enjoyed that this will not disappoint.

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Directed By: Joe M Castro
Starring: Brinke Stevens, Nick Principe, Cleve Hall, Lisa Garcia, Lauren Boehm, Felipe Winslett, Scott Barrows, Tim Cooley
Distributed by: Breaking Glass Pictures
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 98 minutes

Our Score: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Right off the bat, this film has an instant draw for me with the fact that it holds the Guinness World Records™ for “Highest Body Count in a Slasher Film” with a ridiculous 155 body count. The film heavily uses CG effects, which could normally be annoying but for this it sort of works. I am not sure how but this film has also received over 20 film festival awards including Best Horror Film, Best Visual Effects, Best Editing, Best Action Sequence, and Best SFX Feature. It is not the best horror/slasher ever but it definitely deserves some attention.

The man behind the “Terror Toons” series, Joe Castro brings us this very original anthology slasher film which follows eight different killers through five different stories. This film also includes a decent genre cast featuring Brinke Stevens from “Slumber Party Massacre”, Nick Principe from the “Laid to Rest” series, and Cleve Hall from “Nightmare”. The first stories follows the brutal beatings of a young man who then sets off a bloody rampage. The next story deals with a paraplegic girl as she heads out to kill her older, beautiful sister after she tries to murder her. Another story deals a woman who was raped 36 years ago by her biological father and after hiding for year he finds them. The next one follows a group of teenagers that are stalked in the forest. The last story features three serial killers that terrorize Los Angeles by murdering everyone in sight.

There were no special features included on my screener but the retail copy includes the following: Director’s Commentary, Director’s Diary (Behind-the-scenes), Interview with Brinke Stevens, Cast Auditions, Director Joe Castro’s Childhood Massacre Short Film. Definitely packed with some good stuff.  Overall this is just a fun ride that answers to no one and just goes nuts with itself.