Starring: Lou Richards, Arthur Burghardt, Frank Welker, Bernard Erhard, Bob Holt, Marilyn Lightstone, Sparky Marcus, Leslie Speights, Morgan Paull, Phil Hartman, B.J. Ward, Brock Peters, Peter Cullen
Number of discs: 3
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Warner Archive
Run Time: 660 minutes

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Being a young boy in the 80’s, I used to be glued to watching cartoons all day and night. Thankfully, Hanna-Barbera helped me grow up with there endless supply of cartoons. “Challenge of the Gobots” was based on the Gobots toy-line released from Tonka. Warner Archive has been behind this series for a while now as they released the “Challenge of The Gobots: The Original Miniseries” back in 2011. This volume one collection includes the first 30 episodes in this 65 episodes series. Hopefully we will not have to wait as long for volume two. Getting a chance to revisit this show has been such a treat and reminded me how much I love giant transforming robot cartoons. I just do. Love them as a kid and nothing has changed now 30 years later. A must have for any 80’s cartoon fan!

Official Premise: They’re mighty robots and mighty vehicles are back at last! Cy-Kill! Leader-1! Cop-Tur! Turbo! Crasher! Scooter! The noble Guardian GoBots and the nefarious Renegade GoBots continue the war begun in The Battle for GoBotron (see Challenge of the GoBots: The Original Mini-Series) across time and space in their epic 60 episode series that comes to you factory fresh and newly remastered – from the original film elements! With Earth as their chosen staging ground, the Renegades deploy Earth’s worst such as the deranged Dr. Braxis (voiced by Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s Rene Auberjonois) in their quest to conquer Earth and GoBotron, so it’s a good thing the Guardians have Matt, Nick and AJ of UNECOM on their side! This 30-Episode, Three-Disc set collects the first half of the series and finds the amazing, metamorphosing cyborgs taking their fight to Ancient Rome, lost Atlantis and back to GoBotron in a series of adventures that will leave you shouting for “MOAR”!

The first 30 episodes included are: Battle for GoBotron; Target Earth; Conquest of Earth; Earth Bound; The Final Conflict; It’s the Thought That Counts; Renegade Alliance; Time Wars; Terror in Atlantis; Trident’s Triple Threat; Lost on GoBotron; Cy-Kill’s Shrinking Ray; The Quest for Roguestar; Ultra Zod;
Sentinel; Cy-Kill’s Cataclysmic Trap; Speed is of the Essence; Genius and Son; Dawn World; Pacific Overtures; Forced Alliance; Invasion from the 21st Level Pt. 1 & 2; Doppelganger; Scooter Enhanced; Tarnished Image; Cold Spell; Crime Wave; Auto-madic and Renegade Rampage Pt. 1. They are presented with their aspect ratio of 1.37:1. They look good but haven’t been restored. I am personally happy to have them available on DVD for the first time ever in one collection. Bring on volume two!

Starring: Sean Schemmel, Stephanie Nadolny, Christopher Sabat, Daisuke Gōri, Mayumi Tanaka, Kenji Utsumi
Director: Daisuke Nishio, Mike McFarland
Number of discs: 4
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Funimation
Release Date: May 13, 2014
Run Time: 755 minutes

Season: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

FUNimation Entertainment is power housing through this series starting with the first at the beginning of the year and averaging about a season a month. Season Five is already set for release on June 24th as well. “Dragon Ball Z: Season Four” was personally never my all-time favorite. It follows the Garlic Jr., Trunks and Androids Sagas. This uncut collection features episodes 108-139 of the classic anime series, which are presented in remastered high definition for the first time ever.  These episodes have never looked better. If you are a fan of “Dragon Ball Z”, this is yet another impressive release! Keep them coming Funimation!

Official Synopsis: Having returned victorious from their battle with Frieza, the Z-fighters can at last breathe a collective sigh of relief. But they won’t have long to rest. A new host of villains has appeared, ready to wreak havoc on the Earth – and Goku, the Z-Fighters’ greatest hero, is still missing!

These episodes have undergone a frame-by-frame restoration to remove any blemishes, tape marks and foreign bodies from the film. Funimation has been consistently delivering for the fans on this series and this season is no different. There are three audio tracks included, the Japanese audio and two English tracks: the U.S. English-language broadcast dub and a mix with English dialogue and Japanese music. These have also been re-mastered in the interest of noise reduction and superior sound quality. This series has also received a precise shot-by-shot reframing to create “a modern HD widescreen presentation.” So quality is the key word here for sure.

Like the seasons two and three, Funimation has stepped up from the first season and delivered some decent special features with this season. There is a two part interview series with “Inside Dragon Ball Z” featuring chats with Matthew O’Hara and Daniel Mancilla. There is also a feeaturette called “From the Vault” with a look into Goku vs. Vegeta and “The World of Dragon Ball Z”. Lastly there is also Textless opening and closing songs and trailers included.  I am holding that that we will be getting some commentary tracks on this series before we get to season 9, fingers crossed!

Actors: Chris Pine, Kevin Costner, Keira Knightley, Kenneth Branagh, Lenn Kudrjawizki
Directors: Kenneth Branagh
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: June 10, 2014
Run Time: 105 minutes

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

The character of Jack Ryan from Tom Clancy’s novels has been played by many very talented actors over the last roughly 25 years from Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck. They have all done great with the character…yes even Affleck. Chris Pine, who just revived life into the character of Captain Kirk in the reboot of the “Star Trek” franchise, is hoping to do the same with this character but fails due to an extremely bland and unoriginal story. The film is so generic that you know where every scene it going with little to no surprise around each corner. I guess we will have to wait until they decide to reboot this series yet again or finally put it to sleep.

Official Premise: The thrills are non-stop as CIA recruit Jack Ryan (Chris Pine, “Star Trek” series) is caught in a dangerous web of intrigue and espionage spun between a shadowy government agent (Kevin Costner, “Field of Dreams”), his unsuspecting fiancee (Keira Knightly, “Pirates of the Caribbean” series) and a fearless Russian power broker (Kenneth Branagh, “Thor”). Jack must quickly evolve from soldier to analyst to full-fledged operative to stop a devastating terrorist plot against the United States.

Despite, the painfulness of the film itself, Paramount delivers an phenomonal release. “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit” comes as a combo pack with a Blu-ray + DVD + UltraViolet digital copy. It boasts an outstanding 1080p transfer. The film just looks stunning and very details. The real winner though for this release is easily the DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track. It works perfect building the film’s tension and shakes the walls in the action scenes. The score is also highlighted so well and sounds absolutely amazing. Overall, this was very effective and quite unexpected from this film, so I give major kudos.

The special features are quite decent as well. There is a solid and quite engaging audio commentary track from director Kenneth Branagh and producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura. “Jack Ryan: The Smartest Guy in the Room” is an all-around behind-the-scenes look into the film. “Sir Kenneth Branagh: The Tsar of Shadow Recruit” focuses on the director/actor role in the film. “Jack Ryan: A Thinking Man of Action”
looks into several key action sequences. “Old Enemies Return” is a look into the film’s villains in depth. Lastly, there are a five deleted & extended scenes, as well an alternate ending all with optional commentary by Director Kenneth Branagh and Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura.

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Starring: Kevin Costner, Amber Heard, Hailee Steinfeld, Connie Nielsen, Richard Sammel, Eriq Ebouaney
Director: McG
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
DVD Release Date: May 20, 2014
Run Time: 117 / 122 minutes

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

Kevin Costner has been on a hot streak recently with “Hatfields & McCoys” and “Man of Steel” but “3 Days to Kill” cools down his streak quite a bit. The film is produced by Luc Besson but seems to follow the spy-thriller format and doesn’t really deliver anything new. I wouldn’t say this is unwatchable since if you REALLY like Costner you can probably find something that you like about this. I just had trouble making it fully through it. There was a lot of yelling at the screen and eye-rolling happening here. When it comes down to it good action, decent acting, bad story.

Official Premise: Kevin Costner is a dangerous international spy who is determined to give up his high stakes life to finally build a closer relationship with his estranged wife and daughter, whom he’s previously kept at arm’s length to keep out of danger. But first, he must complete one last mission- even if it means juggling the two toughest assignments yet: hunting down the world’s most ruthless terrorist and looking after his teenage daughter for the first time in ten years, while his wife is out of town.

20th Century Fox has delivered this film as a Blu-ray + DVD + UltraViolet Digital Copy. There is a bonus extended cut included as a Blu-ray exclusive, which runs five minutes longer than the theatrical cut. Nothing ground breaking included in the new cut but still worth checking out over the theatrical. The 1080p transfer presented with an 2.37:1 aspect ratio looks very sharp and worked well with the gorgeous setting of Paris. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is also quite impressive especially with the big action sequences.

In terms of special features, there is not a ton of extras included here. “The Making of 3 Days to Kill” is just under 10 minutes long and is the basic behind-the-scenes look into the production. “McG’s Method” is a short profile on the director. “Covert Operation” is a cool feature featuring a real life former CIA agent talking about his work. Lastly there are some theatrical and extended trailers included.

Actors: Kit Harrington, Carrie-Anne Moss, Kiefer Sutherland, Emily Browning, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
Directors: Paul W. S. Anderson
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: May 20, 2014
Run Time: 105 minutes

Film: 2 out of 5 stars
3D: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I am a sucker of Paul W.S. Anderson. I love the “Resident Evil” film franchise, every one of them. I love his cult classic “Event Horizon”…but I really hated this film. The story is so absolutely terrible that I was left just twiddling my thumbs until that damn volcano just blew already…and too be honest when it blew finally about an hour and seven minute in, I really wasn’t that impressed. I am a big “Game of Thrones” fan, so it was cool to see Kit Harrington on the big screen and he did a solid job. As for the rest of the cast, Emily Browning wasn’t great (and she was awesome though in “Sucker Punch”). Kiefer Sutherland seemed miscast. And why is Carrie-Anne Moss second billed, where she has maybe 10 minutes of screen time. Can I get my 105 minutes back?

Official Premise: Set in 79 A.D., POMPEII tells the epic story of Milo (Harington), a slave turned invincible gladiator who finds himself in a race against time to save his true love Cassia (Browning), the beautiful daughter of a wealthy merchant who has been unwillingly betrothed to a corrupt Roman Senator (Sutherland). As Mount Vesuvius erupts in a torrent of blazing lava, Milo must fight his way out of the arena in order to save his beloved as the once magnificent Pompeii crumbles around him.

Sony Pictures is releasing this film as a combo pack with 3D Blu-ray + standard Blu-ray + Ultraviolet digital copy. I wanted to really say that I was this film has to be seen in 3D but I wasn’t overly impressed with it personally. I thought that only the last thirty minutes benefited from the format, which wasn’t really that impressive anyway. The 1080p transfer was still solid but I felt like I saw through the visual effects a bit and couldn’t help but see the green screen behind them. This happened to me recently on “Oz, the Great and Powerful” as well. The best part of this Blu-ray is easily the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, which did deliver for the film’s action sequences.

The special features are actually a major step up form the film, there are tons of very impressive extras to dig into (if you still want to after watching this quite terrible film). There is a filmmakers’ audio commentary track to kick things off. “The Assembly” is a look as the cast and characters. “The Volcanic Eruption” looks into the special effects of the big scene.”The Gladiators” looks into the film’s stunts. “The Journey” focuses on the production design. “The Costume Shop” looks into the costume design. “Pompeii: Buried in Time” goes behind-the-scenes into on of history’s greatest disaster. Lastly there are 20 deleted and alternate scenes, rounding out the extras.

Starring: Pyotr Fyodorov, Thomas Kretschmann, Mariya Smolnikova
Director: Fyodor Bondarchuk
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: May 13, 2014
Run Time: 131 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
3D: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1.5 out of 5 stars

“Stalingard” is directed by Fedor Bondarchuk, the son of legendary director Sergei Bondarchuk, who directed classics like “War and Peace” and “Waterloo”. This is an epic war film that was a huge box office hit in Russia last year and was recently released in select IMAX 3D theaters across the country. When I saw an ad for this film in IMAX, I had never heard back it before but I thought that if it was being released in IMAX I would give it a chance. Normally war films are not my cup of tea, especially foreign war films. “Stalingrad” was also Russia’s first ever 3D film. The movie itself dragged a little for me even though there were some powerful moments but what kept my attention was the quite spectacular special effects and combat scenes. If you are a war film buff you might enjoy this but I would highly recommend the 3D version if possible.

Official Premise: Stalingrad, Russia’s first ever 3D film, is a drama set in 1942, during one of the most important battles of World War II, which stopped the progress of Nazi forces and turned the tide of war in favor of the Allies. The Soviet army mounts a counter-attack on the Nazi forces that occupy half of Stalingrad on the other side of the Volga, but the operation to cross the river is unsuccessful. A few soldiers who managed to get to the other side take refuge in a house on the bank of Volga. Here they find a girl who didn’t escape when the Germans came. While the whole might of the German army descends onto them, the heroes of Stalingrad experience love, loss, joy and the sense of ultimate freedom that can only be felt by those about to die. They defend the house at all costs while the Red Army prepares for another attack.

Sony gave this WWII film an impressive release. They delivered this as a combo pack with a standard Blu-ray + UltraViolet and included the Blu-ray 3D as a bonus disc. Like I said if you were to watch this film, the “ohhh” and the ahhh” really comes from the added dimension, I thought. I did check out the film in 2D as well in key battle scenes and it was still a very solid 1080p transfer, I just enjoyed the added depth a little more. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track was a real powerhouse with the combat and action sequences. I literally had to keep turning down the surround sound to avoid waking my sleeping daughter. In terms of special features (not including the 3D Blu-ray), there is only one behind-the-scenes features on “The Making of Stalingrad”, which is a bit of a bummer.

Starring: Ingrid Pitt, Nigel Green, Lesley-Anne Down, Peter Jeffrey, Patience Collier
Director: Peter Sasdy
Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Synapse Films
Release Date: May 6, 2014
Run Time: 93 minutes

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

“Countess Dracula” is the latest film in The Hammer Horror Collection from Synapse Films. It stars the stunning Ingrid Pitt playing the role of real-life Hungarian Countess Elizabeth Bathory, a woman accused of torturing and murdering more than 600 virgin girls. This is considered one of Hammer’s more underrated films. This film has been double-billed on DVD in the past with two of my other favorites Hammer films including “The Vampire Lovers” and “Twins of Evil” but this it is making it’s Blu-ray debut here for the first time. I honestly do not think I have seen this film in the last 20 years and yet, it was still as effective as it was the first time. It looses some steam towards the end but overall, it is a great role of Pitt and another classic from Hammer.

Official Premise: The beautiful Ingrid Pitt (“The Wicker Man”) stars as Elisabeth Nádasdy, an aging Hungarian Countess who discovers she can reverse her aging by bathing in the blood of young women. While in her youthful state, the Countess falls for the handsome Lt. Imre Toth (Sandor Elès), and impersonates her own daughter to win his affections. Soon, girls in the village go missing… kidnapped and murdered by the Countess and her steward, Julie (Patience Collier) to satiate her horrifying bloodlust. Can Elisabeth live a life of deception with her grotesque lust for blood to stay eternally young, or will her ghoulish secret finally be revealed?

Synapse Films are usually a toss up in terms of Blu-ray presentation, this one is in the middle area. It is not perfect at all yet it is not terrible. Either way Ingrid is still amazing to look at in HD! The DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track works well with the original music score composed by Harry Robertson. The special features include an audio commentary track with Actress Ingrid Pitt, Director Peter Sasdy, Screenwriter Jeremy Paul And Author Jonathan Sothcott. There is a featurette called “Immortal Countess: The Cinematic Life Of Ingrid Pitt”, as well as a vintage audio interview with Ingrid Pitt. Besides that there is a Still Gallery and theatrical trailer included along with Synapse’s signature reversible cover artwork.

Actors: Felissa Rose, Jonathan Tiersten
Directors: Robert Hiltzik
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Shout! Factory
Release Date: May 27, 2014
Run Time: 84 minutes

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

Man oh man! I remember the first time I snuck a screening of “Sleepaway Camp” late at night during a sleepover with some friends. I still remember our reaction to the famous “surprise” ending [shivers]. I think if you are a horror fan you will never forget that experience. This film is easily one of my favorites growing up and still today. The kills are so memorable and the make-up effects are top notch. This was 1983, it was peak in the middle of the slasher craze for horror films and it really left a mark on not just me but all of horror fans. This is the first time that this film is hitting Blu-ray, thanks to Scream Factory, and this is a must purchase for any horror fan. Hopefully this is just the beginning since I would love to see them also put out a double feature for the two sequels as well “Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers” and “Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland”, even though they are more campy, I still love them and fingers crossed this will be next!

Official Premise: After a terrible boating accident killed her family, shy Angela Baker (Felissa Rose) went to live with her eccentric Aunt Martha and her cousin Ricky. This summer, Martha decides to send them both to Camp Arawak, a place to enjoy the great outdoors. Shortly after their arrival, a series of bizarre and violent accidents begin to claim the lives of various campers. Has a dark secret returned from the camp’s past…or will an unspeakable horror end the Summer season for all? From its grisly makeup effects to the truly shocking, and unforgettable, climax, Sleepaway Camp is no ordinary slasher film…it’s a cult classic!

You will be happy to know that this isn’t just a simply port upscale of the last Blu-ray release. They did a brand new 2K scan of the original camera negative and to top it off this Blu-ray contains the uncut version as well, so double bonus. In this Collector’s Edition from Scream Factory they delivered this as a combo pack with Blu-ray + DVD. The 1080p transfer looks great. There are some gritty moments but it adds to the film and otherwise looks stunning. The DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track works perfectly with the film’s catchy score and great scares that are still effective.

Like Scream Factory is know for, they went out of their way to deliver some great new extras. There are two brand new commentary track one with the actors Felissa Rose and Jonathan Tiersten (“Ricky”) and the other with writer/director Robert Hiltzik, moderated by SleepawayCampMovies.com webmaster Jeff Hayes. There is also the original audio commentary with writer/director Robert Hiltzik and star Felissa Rose for hardcore fans. “At the Waterfront After the Social: The Legacy of Sleepaway Camp” contains new interviews with Robert Hiltzik, Felissa Rose, Jonathan Tiersten, Paul DeAngelo, Karen Fields, Desiree Gould, Frank Saladino and Ed French. There is the short film, “Judy” by Jeff Hayes starring Karen Fields. Lastly there is a music video for “Princess” by Jonathan Tiersten, “Camp Arawak Scrapbook”, which is a still gallery and Theatrical Trailer & TV Spots included.

Starring: Bela Lugosi, Madge Bellamy, Joseph Cawthorn, Robert Frazer, John Harron, Brandon Hurst
Director: Victor Halperin
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: VCI Entertainment
Release Date: May 6, 2014
Run Time: 67 minutes

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

Bela Lugosi is a legend in the horror business. He gave life and a face to the name Dracula that have lived on for over 80 years. “White Zombie” was a film it did just one year after “Dracula”. In fact, it was also claimed for being the very first zombie movie many many years before George A. Romero did it with “Night of the Living Dead” in 1968. The film has become such a classic among horror fans. The black and white atmosphere in this adds such character to the settings. This is no question best presentation available to date that I have ever seen. If you are a hardcore horror fan and have been holding out, this is the one you want to purchase.

Official Premise: Wealthy Plantation owner Charles Beaumont (Robert Frazer) turns to Voodoo Master Murder Legendre (Bela Lugosi) to lure the woman he loves Madeline Short (Madge Bellamy) away from her fiancé Neil Parker (John Harron), by turning her into zombie. Murders intention are to keep Madeline for himself. Neil seeks out Murder Legendre to break the Zombie spell and return Madeline to the world of the living.

VCI Entertainment has delivered this film under a Cary Roan Special Signature Edition with a new 4k HD transfer of his 35mm film materials. If anyone has seen the fairly recent Kino Blu-ray release of this film you probably haven’t seen the best of reviews. Well this one is not perfect either but it is a vast improvement in both the audio and video department for “White Zombie”. There is no mistaken that this film is still 80+ years old but they really did a solid job of delivering this film in fine form.

The special features on this release are honestly a bit of a let down. The only real extra is a brand-new 2014 audio commentary by Gary Don Rhodes, author of “White Zombie”. This one covers similar ground to Frank Thompson’s track on the Kino Blu-ray release but this is still very interesting and informative. Especially since the film is just over an hour, I was willing to throw it on again right after the first viewing and give it a listen. Other than the commentary track, there is a “White Zombie Theatrical Reissue Trailer”. a bonus “Dracula (1931) Trailer” and a Photo and Poster Gallery included.

Actors: Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten, Alexander Skarsgård
Creator: Alan Ball
Number of discs: 4
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: HBO Home Video
DVD Release Date: June 3, 2014
Run Time: 600 minutes

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

“True Blood” even though the series has an end in sight, the sixth season shows no signs of slowing down. I personally think it is just as sexy, scary, entertaining as it was in the first season. With Vampire Bill being rebirthed as a powerful ancient deity to Louisiana Governor Truman Burrell declaring open season on all vampires to Sookie Stackhouse finding herself sidelined by a mysterious stranger with a hidden agenda, this season is the most exciting yet. Like I said, the end is near and fans can catch up on this season before the final season makes its HBO debut this summer. This is also the series first season with out creator Alan Ball, who left to work on HBO’s “Banshee”. So fans were worried but I feel that this show has grow so much since the first and I can’t wait to see what they have planned for season seven!

Official Premise: Season six introduces several exciting new story lines that threaten what little sense of normalcy remains in Bon Temps, The Authority is in flames, and True Blood is in short supply. As Bill comes to terms with his newfound powers after emerging reincarnated from a pool of blood, Louisiana’s governor has declared war, replete with novel anti-vamp weapons and a high-tech internment camp established to wipe out the vampire race forever. Meanwhile, Sookie and Jason must steel themselves for an encounter with their parents’ killer: the mysterious and ancient Warlow.

The cast continues to shines as well. Regulars like Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Alexander Skarsgård, Ryan Kwanten, Rutina Wesley, Sam Trammell, Nelsan Ellis, Deborah Ann Woll, Kristin Bauer van Straten and Joe Manganiello all really step up there game this season. Also joining them are new cast for season six includeing: Arliss Howard as Louisiana Governor Truman Burrell; Rob Kazinsky as Ben, a stranger with faerie ties; Rutger Hauer as Niall, a faerie grandfather; Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Nicole, a pro-vampire activist; and Amelia Rose Blaire as Truman Burrell’s daughter, Willa. Did I mention I can’t wait till season seven?

This DVD set comes with the full 10-episode season and I am very upset to find out that there is no Ultraviolet digital copy included with this…only Blu-ray. Honestly, that is a real bummer…what does it seriously cost HBO to include this?  There are also less special features on the DVD set than the Blu-ray set. Here only get ten clips of “Inside the Episodes” going behind the scenes on each with the show’s writers. There are five audio commentaries with cast/crew including executive producer Brian Buckner, Stephen Moyer, Carrie Preston, Amelia Rose Blaire and more! Lastly there are previews & recaps included.

Series: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: May 20, 2014
Run Time: 126 minutes

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

“Around the Clubhouse World” is the latest full-length feature from the Disney Junior series “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse”. I have searched the internet and I have not see any mention of this episode airing on Disney Junior yet, so this DVD looks to be the premiere and only place to see this as of right now. It is yet another great full-length feature after the last one “Minnie-rella”, which my 2 year old daughter still watches at least one a week. This special takes us exploring through France, Italy, China and more with Mickey and gang on a global adventure packed with song-filled fun. As an added bonus this DVD releases also comes with a passport activity book for any young explorer! If you kids love “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse”, this is a yet another amazing themed release for the show.

Official Premise: Pack your bags and grab your passport. Join Mickey, Minnie and pals on a whirlwind trip Around The Clubhouse World! Climb the Eiffel Tower in France and say “bonjour” to Mademoiselle Daisy and Monsieur Donald Duck. Then, rescue Gondolier Goofy when he goes adrift in Italy’s Grand Canal; solve the mysterious riddle of Pharaoh Pete’s pyramid in Egypt, and meet a dancing dragon at the Great Wall of China. With your help – and the right Mouseketools – your Clubhouse friends can get their special passport stamped at each wonderful location. Featuring over two hours of song-filled fun, including four additional episodes, this global adventure proves it’s a small world after all!

Along with the full-length episode, there are four additional bonus episodes includes from “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse”. “Donald And The Beanstalk” goes back all the way to the first season and is the sixth episode ever aired for this series. Funny enough “Goofy On Mars” is also from the first season and was the seventh episode aired. “Mickey’s Handy Helpers” comes from the second season and was the twenty ninth episode. Lastly “Pluto’s Dinosaur Romp” is a little more recent from the end of season three and in fact the ninety fourth episode in the series.  According to the trend of DVD releases, we should be getting another in December of 2014, so curious anxiously waiting for that.

Actors: Jackie Stewart, Roman Polanski
Directors: Frank Simon
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO
DVD Release Date: May 20, 2014
Run Time: 90 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1/2 out of 5 stars

“Weekend of a Champion” is a lost film from one of the world’s greatest filmmakers and given a new life after 40 years, being restored and including new footage. Roman Polanski produced this and also stepped in front of the camera for a thrilling inside look at racing great Jackie Stewart’s attempt to win the 1971 Monaco Grand Prix. This film has been nearly forgotten and is quite hot coming off its return to movie screens. Polanski recently found, restored and recut the film along with adding a new epilogue showing Polanski and Stewart revisiting the events of the film in present-day Monaco.

Official Premise: In 1971, Oscar-winning filmmaker and racing fan Roman Polanski (The Pianist, Chinatown, Rosemary’s Baby, Tess) spent a weekend with world champion Formula One driver Jackie Stewart as he attempted to win the Monaco Grand Prix, one of the premier events in the sport. Polanski was given intimate access to Stewart’s world for three days, both on the track and off. The result was an extraordinarily rare glimpse into the life of a gifted athlete at the height of his powers.

The only special feature included on this DVD is a trailer, which is a little disappointing. If Polanski spent the time to recut and restore this film, I would have loved to see a little bit of new extras as well. Obviously if you could the new epilogue that this is a little bit different. If you had a chance to see this film back in the day, you will find that the new footage features Polanski and Stewart today talking about their friendship over the last 40 years as well as the changing of racing and life in general. A real treat for any Polanski fan and Grand Prix fan for sure!

Starring: Jack Kelly, Marie Windsor, Sig Ruman, Reginald Owen, Kathleen Crowley, Jim Backus
Distributed by: Warner Archive
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 650 minutes

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Every good thing comes to an end. The legend of the West, Jack Kelly returns in the role of Bart Maverick, sans James Gardner in the role of Bret for the fifth and final season of “Maverick”. This was a great show and a strong ending season as well. I wasn’t sure how it was going to hold up without Gardner but I really enjoyed Bart riding solo. Notable guest stars this season include Marie Windsor, Sig Ruman, Reginald Owen, Kathleen Crowley and Jim Backus. Like past seasons, there are no additional special features includes besides this short 13-episode season.

Official Premise: This 3-Disc, 13-Episode Collection closes out the original series run with Jack Kelly riding solo as Bart Maverick. When the series originally aired, these new episodes were ran alternating weeks with re-runs featuring Garner’s Bret Maverick from series 1-3. Kelly’s Bart gets plenty of time to shine as this season pits the wily card sharp up against crooked senators, four-flushing bankers, glamorous grifters, wish-granting leprechauns, and Bonanza-spoofing ranchers.

Even though “Maverick: The Complete Fifth Season” marks the end of the series, the Maverick brothers would end up returning again, with Garner playing Bret in “The New Maverick” TV movie (1978) and the “Bret Maverick” series (1981-82), both guest-starring Kelly as Bart. In the word of old Pappy “You can’t keep a good cardsharp and con artist down.” That’s not even counting the 1994 remake with Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster either. It’s been 20 years and James Gardner is still kicking, I think it about time for another revival…am I right or what?

Starring: Clint Howard, R.G. Armstrong, Claude Earl Jones, Don Stark, Charles Tyner, Hamilton Camp
Directors: Eric Weston
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Shout! Factory
Release Date: May 13, 2014
Run Time: 97 minutes

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

Clint Howard may not be a huge movie star but he really knows how to play a fantastic bad guy. “Evilspeak” is a great horror flick from 1981. He was also really amazing in “Ice Scream Man”, which never even got a DVD release! Can you believe it!  When this was released in theaters it was threatened with an X rating from the MPAA. Thanks to Shout! Facotory, the film has been completely restored from a newly discovered 35mm inter-positive source including all of the film’s long rumored scenes of bloody gore. If you are a horror fan, this is a great release and a must own!

Life sucks for Stanley Coppersmith (Clint Howard, Rock ’n’Roll High School), a teenage outcast who’s bullied by everyone at a strict military academy. When Stanley discovers the crypt of a 16th Century Satanist beneath the chapel, he creates a computerized Black Mass that unleashes unholy revenge upon his tormentors. Now, all hell is about to break loose, Evilspeak is not for the faint of heart.

Along with Clint Howard, he is joined by a great cast co-starring Joseph Cortese (“American History X”), Charles Tyner (“Cool Hand Luke”), R.G. Armstrong (“Children of the Corn”), Don Stark (“That ’70s Show”), Lenny Montana (“The Godfather”), Richard Moll (“House”) and Haywood Nelson (“What’s Happening”).

This film has never looked better as it also comes accompanied with a brand new 2013 1080p high definition transfer, which has been supervised and approved by producer/director Eric Weston (Hyenas). Weston also gives us a new commentary track as well for fans of the film to enjoy. There are new interviews with actors Joseph Cortese, Clint Howard, Don Stark, Richard Moll, Claude Earl Jones and Haywood Nelson. Lastly there is also a theatrical trailer included.

Actors: Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, Marcia Wallace
Directors: Peter Bonerz
Number of discs: 19
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Shout! Factory
DVD Release Date: May 27, 2014
Run Time: 3180 minutes

Series: 5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Dr. Hartley will see you now… Shout! Factory is bringing the The Complete Series of “The Bob Newhart Show” home to you in a spectacular 19-DVD box set. This iconic TV show is still relevant and extremely funny today. Bob Newhart has always been a riot and even still continues to co-starring recently in CBS’ hit sitcom, “The Big Bang Theory”. Originally airing on CBS from 1972 to 1978, this show is no question of the best television shows of all-time. I feel that if a show is able to still be this funny after all these years that it deserves to be considered a legend. I look at TV today in disgust as our programming is garage compared to real shows like “The Bob Newhart Show”. This is a must for an true classic TV fan out there.

Official Premise: This sitcom classic stars the incomparable Bob Newhart as Dr. Robert Hartley, a Chicago psychologist who finds himself surrounded by some unusual and neurotic characters on the job, as well as at home! Hartley faces an uphill battle to not lose patience with his patients, but with the support of his quick-witted wife Emily (Suzanne Pleshette), you can count on him to conduct a healthy session of laugh therapy in all 142 episodes of The Bob Newhart Show. An outstanding supporting cast is on call to back up Newhart and Pleshette, including Bill Daily (I Dream of Jeannie), Peter Bonerz (Man on the Moon), Jack Riley (Rugrats, Spaceballs), and Marcia Wallace (The Simpsons).

The box set includes new interviews with Bob Newhart, Jack Riley, Bill Daily, Peter Bonerz, and Michael Zinberg called “Group Therapy” (2014). There is “The Bob Newhart Show 19th Anniversary (1991)” special included, which is a one-hour clip show which finds the show’s characters in the present day. There are audio commentaries tracks with Bob Newhart, Marcia Wallace, David Davis, Peter Bonerz, Fred Willard, Jim Burrows, Suzanne Pleshette, Tom Poston and Jack Riley. There is a very funny Gag Reel included. Lastly there is a 40-page collectible booklet wrapping up this fine release.