Actors: James D’Arcy, Bonnie Wright, Rhys Wakefield, Jacob Artist, Sophie Lowe
Directors: John Huddles
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Phase 4 Films
DVD Release Date: May 6, 2014
Run Time: 107 minutes

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

After watching “Cloud Atlas”, I became a huge fan of James D’Arcy. I thought this film had an interesting premise, which revolves around blending philosophy and ethics with the visualization of thought experiments. A little deep for me but I couldn’t watch this film just once. In fact, I had to watch it twice in a room because it really drew me in. This is a film that makes you think and not for everyone but that is what also makes it great since it requires a viewer with a brain.

Official Premise: Faced with an impending nuclear apocalypse, a group of twenty college students must determine which ten of them would take shelter underground and reboot the human race. The decision quickly becomes deadly as each in the group turns against each other in a desperate fight for survival.

Along with James D’Arcy, there is some great talent co-starring with him in this film. Bonnie Wright (“Harry Potter” series), Rhys Wakefield (“The Purge”) and Daryl Sabara (“Spy Kids” series). Personally, I can do without Sophie Lowe (“Once Upon a Time in Wonderland”), she needs to learn to speak up a little bit. Otherwise, I loved the cast as much as I loved this film.

Phase 4 Films released this film on Blu-ray with a very impressive 1080p transfer. I love the visual style of the film and it is well represented here. The biggest letdown for this Blu-ray though has to be the audio track included, which is only a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound track. This film has such an amazing score and it really deserves a high definition track. Bad move, Phase 4! The extras are a little light as well with a brief behind-the-scenes featurette, some cast interviews and theatrical trailers.

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Actors: Kellan Lutz, Scott Adkins, Liam Garrigan
Director: Renny Harlin
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Summit Inc/Lionsgate
DVD Release Date: April 29, 2014
Run Time: 98 minutes

Film: 2.5 out of 5 stars
3D: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars

Renny Harlin is quite the well respected action film director having done classics like “Die Hard 2”, “Cliffhanger” and “Deep Blue Sea”. “The Legend of Hercules” is the first of two films focusing on the mythical Greek hero. Unfortunately, this one stars “The Twilight Saga” star Kellan Lutz, which doesn’t really hold its weight against Brett Ratner’s “Hercules”, which stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The film takes itself way too serious and fails completely. Luckily there are some decent action scenes but they also feel too dramatic and therefore also laughable. I would wait until this summer if you want to watch a film about Hercules to be honest.

Official Premise: “The Legend Of Hercules follows the mythical Greek hero Hercules, the son of Zeus, who is blessed with extraordinary strength as a half-god, half-man. Banished by his stepfather, the king, Hercules slowly becomes aware of his true origins as the son of Zeus. As he learns to harness his demi-god powers, Hercules gathers an army to fight his way back to his kingdom in this action-filled epic.

Summit/Lionsgate released this film as a combo pack including a 3D and 2D version of the film on one Blu-ray along with an Ultraviolet Digital Copy. What the film does score a near perfect score with its audio and video. I thought the 3D transfer was quite awesome. Since the film is so brainless it leaves room for plenty of fast action scenes which looks quite awesome in the third dimension. From the rain to the fire to the lightning, the depth is there and it added a lot to this film. In fact, I would go as far as to say that without the 3D, I wouldn’t even have been able to finish watching this.

Even though some of the CGI looked a little cheesy, overall the 1080p transfer packed that certain 300” style feel but more on a direct-to-video standard. The real VIP of this release has to be the DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track, which literally shook my walls. I was very impressed with this track, especially for a film like this. The only special features included here are a short behind-the-scenes featurette “The Making of The Legend of Hercules” and an audio commentary with Kellan Lutz and director Renny Harlin. Although there is talent is on the track, it doesn’t make the film any more watchable unfortunately.

Actors: Kurt Russell, Terence Stamp, Matt Dillon, Jay Baruchel
Directors: Jonathan Sobol
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: ANCHOR BAY
DVD Release Date: May 6, 2014
Run Time: 90 minutes

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

What a cast! When I saw the cover for “The Art of the Steal”, I thought that this was a film that I had to see. I had a feeling that it wouldn’t be much otherwise, I think this would have been released bigger in theaters. I was right, the film is smart, funny but lacks that real draw that films like “Ocean’s 11” or “The Italian Job” packed. Nonetheless, the film is worth checking out especially for impressive cast including Kurt Russell, Terence Stamp, Matt Dillon and Jay Baruchel.

Offical Premise: Crunch Calhoun (Kurt Russell), a third rate motorcycle daredevil and semi-reformed art thief, agrees to get back into the con game and pull off one last big art heist with his conniving brother, Nicky (Matt Dillon). Reassembling the old team, Crunch comes up with a plan to steal a priceless historical book, but the heist leads to another far riskier plan devised by Nicky. They fail to realize each other’s separate agendas when their plan goes awry in this con movie about honor, revenge and the bonds of brotherhood.

The Blu-ray is standard for this crime thriller. The 1080p transfer shows off the impressive locations otherwise, there is no high tech heists here. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is solid. In the special features, there is an audio commentary track with writer/director Jonathan Sobol and producer Nicholas Tabarrok. Lastly there are two featurettes including “Doing the Crime: Making The Art of the Steal” and “The Making of ‘The Theft of the Mona Lisa'”. Nothing too spectacular but not terrible either.

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Actors: Jim Backus
Number of discs: 4
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Shout! Factory
DVD Release Date: April 22, 2014
Run Time: 420 minutes

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

Oh Shout! Factory, you’ve done it again! “The Mr. Magoo Theatrical Collection (1949-1959)” is a brand new special edition edition 4-DVD set available for the first time. Included on the DVD are all 53 theatrical cartoons, including 12 cartoons in anamorphic widescreen for the first time. If that isn’t enough, there is also the feature film “1001 Arabian Nights”. These have shorts never looked better and in fact they actually have been newly remastered and delivered in their original theatrical aspect ratios. A must own for again Magoo fan!

Mr. Magoo has delivered laughs to the world for more than six decades. Voiced by the multitalented comedic actor Jim Backus (“Gilligan Island”) who gave life to the character of Quincy Magoo or better known simply as good ole Mr. Magoo. The character has starred in two Academy Award winning theatrical shorts, three television series and two television specials. Watching these for the first time in many years was a real treat and I also enjoyed sharing these with my 2 year old daughter, who dug these as well. I think it is a about time that Mr. Magoo makes a come back and this is a great way to get this started.

To be honest with you, I was happy with the 53 theatrical cartoons and the feature film “1001 Arabian Nights”. These are a great collection item for fans but there is still more included in this release There are some pretty great extras included as well. There is the vintage documentary “A Princess For Magoo: The Making Of 1001 Arabian Nights”, whihc looks into the film. There is an interview with film critic and historian Leonard Maltin taking about the near-sighted character. There is a documentary on UPA & Mr. Magoo. Lastly and best yet are 14 commentaries tracks on these cartoons, which is worth the purchase alone.

Cast: Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Philip Abbott, Stephen Brooks, William Reynolds, Lynn Loring
Seasons 1-7
Made-To Order DVD
Distributed: Warner Archive
Rating: Not Rated

Series Score: 4 out of 5 stars

“The FBI” was a long running crime drama, which spanned from 1965-1974. It ran 240 episodes over 9 seasons. The show starts Lynn Loring, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. and Stephen Brooks. He was replaced by William Reynolds after the second season. This show is known for delivering some great up and coming and also established talent for guest appearances (see below fore more). What is also most interesting about this show is that it continued to be successful throughout it run and in fact the sixth and seventh seasons where its most popular. J. Edgar Hoover was even a series consultantfor this show until his death in 1972. Fans of this show should get this seasons, while they are available!

Warner Archive is responsible for giving this show a revisited life on DVD. They have been releasing each season since 2011. Season seven is the latest to come out this year and I have a feeling that they should be able to wrap up the remaining two seasons as well before the end of 2014. They are made-to-order and will not be produced forever, so I expect these to become quite rare once the eight and ninth season are released and the series is complete.d They seasons have not been fully restored by Warner Bros but they are taken from the highest quality transfer available. So these episodes might show a little age but they are still impressive on DVD.

“The FBI: The First Season Part One” Official Premise: From the files of the crime-fighting agency! Drawing in large part from actual Bureau investigations, The FBI is on the case with an exciting 4-Disc Collection of Season One’s First 16 Episodes from the fondly remembered series that ran from 1965 to 1974. Agent Lewis Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.) and Special Agent Jim Rhodes (Stephen Brooks) rely on real-life FBI detection techniques (and the occasional hunch) as they track lawbreakers ranging from organized crime bosses and extortionists to saboteurs and escaped convicts.

“The FBI: The First Season Part Two” Official Premise: More action-packed stories from the files of the crime-fighting agency! Drawing in large part from actual Bureau investigations, The FBI is on the case with an exciting 4-Disc Collection of Season One Episodes 17-32 from the fondly remembered series that ran from 1965 to 1974. Agent Lewis Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.) and Special Agent Jim Rhodes (Stephen Brooks) rely on real-life FBI detection techniques (and the occasional hunch) as they track lawbreakers ranging from political assassins and smugglers to spies and terrorists bent on destroying the U.S. Supreme Court building.

Season one packed some really amazing guest stars including Robert Blake, Beau Bridges, Dabney Coleman, Robert Duvall, Jack Klugman, Leslie Neilsen, Burt Reynolds, Ed Asner, Lew Ayres, Ed Begley, Charles Bronson, Colleen Dewhurst, Arthur Hill, Paul Lukas, Kevin McCarthy and Kurt Russell.

“The FBI: The Second Season Part One” Offcial Premise: The Sixties were kicking into full swing as The FBI moved into its sophomore season. Agents Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., more taciturn than ever) and Rhodes (Stephen Brooks) are dispatched to the far-flung corners of the USA by Assistant Director Ward (Philip Abbott) to tackle the big ones – kidnapping, extortion, murder, espionage and terror. Produced with full government cooperation with stories drawn from the real files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, The FBI set a new high mark in the depiction of law enforcement on television, giving viewers TV that was equally thrilling as it was realistic.

“The FBI: The Second Season Part Two” Official Premise: The second half of The FBI’s sophomore season sees Agents Erskine ((Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.) and Rhodes (Stephen Brooks) battling threats both foreign and domestic at the behest of Assistant Director Ward (Philip Abbott). The action amps up to all-star heights in the two-part episode “The Executioners,” in which the agents take on a fractured La Cosa Nostra.

Season two saw the return of Robert Blake along with Ralph Meeker, Jack Lord, Richard Anderson, Fritz Weaver, Suzanne Pleshette, Ralph Bellamy, Gene Hackman, Alejandro Rey, Louis Jourdan, Peter Graves, Jessica Walter, Bradford Dillman, Charles Grodin, William Wellman, Jr, Walter Pidgeon, Telly Savalas, Susan Strasberg, Celeste Holm and Robert Duvall.

“The FBI: The Third Season Part One” Official Premise: Shortly before the Summer of Love signaled a radical shift in popular culture, the smartly dressed agents of The FBI marshaled their talents to keep the nations safe from a myriad of menaces both foreign and domestic. Under the auspices of legendary executive producer Quinn Martin, The FBI’s third season had the craft of creating teleplays “produced with full government cooperation and based on real FBI cases” down to a science – well before today’s forensic descendants. Special guest stars playing victims and victimizers of the Cold War and the war on crime waged by Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) and Special Agent Colby (William Reynolds).

“The FBI: The Third Season Part Two” Official Premise: They’re straight arrows, all right – and they’re aimed right at our country’s foes. The second half of The FBI’s third season sees the nation’s enemies take a decided turn to the worst. Bank robbers, blackmailers, saboteurs, defectors, embezzlers, their victims and accomplices. Among the specific case crimes drawn from the real files of the FBI and tackled by Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) and company in this compendium are espionage, extortion, kidnapping, murder and interstate transport. So strap on your badge and fire up the Ford.

Season three includes film noir queen Phyllis Thaxter, ’60s siren Carol Lynley, and stage and screen stalwarts Henry Silva, Kevin McCarthy, William Windom, Anne Baxter, Bradford Dillman, Lynn Bari, Fritz Weaver, Robert Walker and Suzanne Pleshette and the return of Ed Asner with Martin Sheen as a deadly pair of kidnapping brothers.

“The FBI: The Fourth Season” Official Premise: As the Summer of Love faded to the winter of our national discontent in the fall of 1968, Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.), Special Agent Colby (William Reynolds), and Assistant Director Ward (Philip Abbott) continue to battle the nation’s enemies, foreign and domestic. Delivering drama at the height of its powers, The FBI’s well-oiled machine of TV talent continued to draw in the star power – both the iconic and the up-and-coming.

Season four delivers appearances from golden age great Ralph Bellamy, TV superstar Chad Everett as well as include Dawn Wells, Susan Strasberg, Dorothy Provine, Cicely Tyson, Lynda Day, Gene Tierney, Dean Stockwell, Robert Duvall, Harrison Ford, James Caan, and young teenage Ron Howard.

“The FBI: The Complete Fifth Season” Official Premise: As the Sixties come to an end and a new decade begins, it’s business as usual for Inspector Lewis Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.) and the men and women of the FBI as they continue to protect America from enemies within, in this hard-hitting fifth season collection. Inspired by actual cases and produced with the personal support of J. Edgar Hoover, these 26 action-packed episodes find Erskine, Special Agent Tom Colby (William Reynolds) and assistant director Arthur Ward (Philip Abbott) on the hunt for murderers, kidnappers, bank robbers, hijackers, extortionists, communist spies and more.

Season five’s guest stars include now Oscar winners Robert Duvall (again) and Jeff Bridges, Hitchcock femmes Vera Miles and Laraine Day, Anne Francis, Sam Elliott, Jack Klugman, David Cassidy, Joe Don Baker, Cicely Tyson and Harrison Ford (again).

“The FBI: The Complete Sixth Season” Official Premise: At the dawn of the Seventies the Culture War captured as much attention as the Cold War, and the storylines seen in this sixth season of The FBI (drawn from real Bureau files) reflected this. While still on the watch for saboteurs and spies acting as agents for foreign powers, the dedicated crimebusters of the Bureau, as personified by Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.), Special Agent Colby (William Reynolds), and Assistant Director Ward (Philip Abbott) were just as likely to be tasked with tracking down psychotic Vietnam veterans or stopping college kids with a terrorist bent.

“The FBI: The Complete Seventh Season” Official Premise: As the 70s came into its own, the intrepid agents of the FBI saw the Cold War and the Culture War cool down, but the domestic war on crime start to come to a boil. Whether its suburban salesmen roiling with self-loathing who plan the perfect crime (Bradford Dillman) and don¹t care who they cross in the process (an ice-cold Clu Gulager), crushed lumber merchants with a fail-proof kidnap cache (John Colicos), or syndicate-raised hit-men with the heart of an angel (Martin Sheen, redeemed by Meg Foster), the intrepid professionals of the bureau, Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.), Special Agent Colby (William Reynolds) and Assistant Director Ward (Philip Abbott) have the savvy and the science to bring them all to heel.

Season six continues the trend of great guest stars including Martin Sheen (again), Joan Van Ark, Billy Dee Williams, Robert Loggia, Bradford Dillman, Dabney Coleman, Suzanne Pleshette, and William Shatner (playing as a rogue customs officer turned drug dealer!).
Guest stars from season seven include Lindsay Wagner, Mark Hamill, Dabney Coleman, Stefanie Powers and Vic Tayback. So if you are a fan of this show, I couldn’t recommend these seasons enough.

Actors: Forest Whitaker, Angela Bassett, Jennifer Hudson
Director: Kasi Lemmons
Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: April 15, 2014
Run Time: 93 minutes

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

I am sucker for musicals, especially around the holiday season. “Black Nativity” got lost in a sea of films that came out late last Fall. The film posts a very impressive cast including Forest Whitaker, Angela Bassett, Tyrese Gibson, Jennifer Hudson and Mary J. Blige. I really enjoyed the gospel take of these traditional Christmas songs, but when the music stops the fun stops for me. I was literally yearning for the next song in order to make myself enjoy this film.

Official Premise: Struggling to pay the bills, single mom Naima (Jennifer Hudson) sends her teenage son Langston (Jacob Latimore) to live with his estranged grandparents, Reverend Cornell and Aretha Cobbs (Forest Whitaker and Angela Bassett) in New York City. At first Langston resents their strict household, but with the help of new friends — and a little divine intervention — he embarks on an inspirational journey of self-discovery that brings the whole family together.

I personally don’t understand why Fox chose to release this film in April especially due to its themes but I guess they just wanted to drop it out. They also tried to change the cover art to make it seem less holiday related but it fails in my opinion. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track really gets a nice work out through these gospel-infused classics. The only special features included on this release are some Blu-ray exclusive deleted scenes and promotional featurettes. Nothing special at all.

Actors: Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Adam Scott
Director: Ben Stiller
Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: April 15, 2014
Run Time: 115 minutes

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

“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” was released last holiday season and basically lost in a sea of films. The film boasts an incredible cast. Ben Stiller is fun yet also inspiring in this film, also takes on director duty as well. I love his more dramatic work. Kristen Wiig is also growing on me quite a bit recently. When you watch this film you are just blown away by the shooting locations. When you find out that this costed $90+ million you easily understand why. For those people that are daydreamers wishing for an adventure daily, this is a great film to check out. It may not be for everyone since it isn’t your typical film but I really enjoyed it and I have a feeling this is going to have a life after theaters.

Official Premise: With sweeping cinematography and stellar performances “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”, tells the story of a timid magazine photo manager who lives life vicariously through daydreams and when a negative goes missing must embark on an incredible true-life adventure. With stand-out performances from Ben Stiller (“Night At The Museum”, “Meet The Parents”), Kristen Wiig (“Saturday Night Live”, “Bridesmaids”), Adam Scott (“Parks and Recreation”) and Shirley MacLaine (“Wild Oats”).

“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” is released as a combo pack including a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD Ultraviolet copy. The 1080p transfer on this film is absolutely stunning. They really shot this in some amazing locations and it really transfer well to Blu-ray (though I am sure it was more beautiful in theaters). The DTS-HD-MA 7.1 is a nice surprise as well and really adds a lot to the film’s experience. Between the action and the score, I was in love with this track. Also included inside this combo pack is a special gift of a Shutterfly 20-page 8×8 hardcover photo book which is valued at $29.99. Honestly, love the movie or hate it but if you can pick this up cheap at Target or Amazon, it is worth the purchase alone.

In the special features section, there is a nice in-depth look on the behind-the-scenes of the film. It is split up into nine different sections including a look into the following “The History of Walter Mitty”; “The Look of Life”; “That’s A Shark” (my favorite); “The Music of Walter Mitty”; “Icelandic Adventure”; “Nordic Casting”; “Titles of Walter Mitty”; “Sights and Sounds of Production” and “Pre-Viz”. There is also a collection of five deleted scenes, two extended scenes and two alternate scenes. For photo buffs there is an amazing Reference Photography Gallery included. Then wrapping up the extras is an Music Video for “Stay Alive” by José González and a Theatrical Trailer.

Author: Alexandro Jodorowsky
Illustrator: Juan Gimenez
Hardcover: 544 pages
Publisher: Humanoids Publishing
Relesae Date: November 13, 2012

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

“The Metabarons” is the cult classic spin-off science fiction comic series from Alexandro Jodorowsky’s own cult classic series “The Incal”. The Ultimate Collection brings together this epic multi-part, multi-generational space opera that follows the Castaka Clan as their family rises to fame as the galaxy’s greatest warriors, the Metabarons. I recently feel in love with Alexandro Jodorowsky’s work after watching “Jodorowsky’s Dune”, which is an outstanding documentary on Alejandro’s failed film adapation of Frank Herbert’s novel “Dune” back in to the 70’s. Like “The Incal, “The Metabarons” is also heavily influenced by Frank Herbert’s “Dune” novels and includes aspects from Jodorowsky’s “Dune” as well. Again, if you are a sci-fi fan looking to discover something new or re-discover this cult classic, I highly recommend checking out this amazing collection.

Official Premise: A must-read cult spin-off of “The Incal,” by Moebius and Jodorowsky, centering around the fascinating lineage of the ultimate warrior. This collection introduces the Metabaron’s bloodline and reveals the origins of their deep-seated principles. Find out the source of the family’s vast wealth, learn why every Metabaron has cybernetic implants, and why the only way to become the next Metabaron is for him to defeat his own father in a mortal combat. Follow each successive generation as it struggles to overcome the forces amassed against it in a galaxy corrupted by greed, power, and terror. A true classic in the pantheon of graphic storytelling and Science Fiction as a whole.

Humanoid honestly does not mess around with their releases. This book is absolutely gorgeous and runs nearly 550 pages long at almost 2″ thick. No question, this is one of the most impressive comic releases that I have recently seen. If you’ve seen the film “Jodorowsky’s Dune”, and if you haven’t I HIGHLY recommend it, you will know that Alexandro developed a “book” for the film which includes the complete script wrapped around storyboards drafting out literally every scene and every character. There were originally only a handful of these made at the time but no only one or two are left. I believe that if Alexandro was ever to release that book to the world (which he really should), Humanoid would be the only company that would be able to do it justice. Just sayin’

The stories in this collection are so interesting and thought provoking. I really have a deeper appreciation for Jodorowsky’s work. This plays out like a space opera that is side acting as a futuristic Greek tragedy production. So there is a lot going on and it is so well tied together and delivered. The original French comics were reproduced in English in their original format. “The Metabarons Ultimate Collection” includes “Othon & Honorata”, “Aghnar & Oda”, “Steelhead & Doña Vicenta”, “Aghora & The Last Metabaron” plus two bonus short stories, “The Crest of Castaka” and “The Incal’s Dream”. So you get the works with this collection. If you are looking to get sucked and spit out by this incredible space opera, than I cannot recommend “The Metabarons” any more. I can’t wait to check out Humaoid’s release for “After the Incal” and “Final Incal” next.

Actors: David Tennant, Olivia Colman, Jodie Whittaker, David Bradley, Arthur Darvill
Created by: Chris Chibnall
Number of discs: 3
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Entertainment One
DVD Release Date: April 1, 2014
Run Time: 394 minutes

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

David Tennant can honestly do no wrong. He won us all over in his portrayal of the the 10th Doctor in the BBC hit revival series of “Doctor Who”. His latest series “Broadchurch” introduces us to Detective Inspector Alec Hardy, another role in which he nails. The show is a serial drama/thriller which centres on the death of an eleven-year-old boy, and the search for his killer. Just in the first season this show netted very high ratings and much critical acclaim. I really enjoyed this show and I am glad to see it finally get a US release. I wish Entertainment One could have given it a Blu-ray like in the UK personally. If you love David Tennant (who doesn’t), then I highly recommend this series.

Official Premise: Two detectives – the strong yet compassionate Detective Sergeant, Ellie Miller, and the by-the-book Detective Inspector, Alec Hardy – are brought together to solve the murder of an eleven year-old boy on a picturesque beach in a small coastal town. Under the glare of the media spotlight, the two race to find the killer, while the clock ticks and the mystery deepens.

Fun fact, Tennant’s co-star in this show Olivia Colman plays Detective Sergeant Ellie Miller. She also appeared in episode 5.1 of “Doctor Who” called “The Eleventh Hour” but missed Tennant’s reign by one episode. “Broadchurch: The Complete First Season” comes as a three-disc set contain all eight episodes. In terms of special features there is a making of featurette “Broadchurch: Behind the Scenes” and a few Deleted Scenes included. I would have loved to see some commentary tracks on these episodes which were originally included in the UK Blu-ray release.

Well “Broadchurch” fans, reassured since series 2 of this show is in currently development. If you don’t believe me watch the last episdoe of this season and you will see that “Broadchurch Will Return”. But wait there is more. Fox is also producing a US remake of “Broadchurch” to air in the 2014–15 season, called “Gracepoint”…and wait for it…David Tennant is playing the lead (again) detective named Emmett Carver. So it is going to be a broad future for this show. Keep it coming!

“The Rise and Fall of the Clash”
Director: Danny Garcia
Number of discs: 1
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Shout Factory!
Run Time: 90 minutes

Our Score: 2 out of 5 stars

“The Rise and Fall of the Clash” takes a look at the life-changing effects that The Clash had on a generation. The film tells the fascinating inside story of rivalries, treachery, betrayal and the internal dynamics and managerial interference that ultimately led “the biggest band in the world” to self destruct. Directed by Danny Garcia the film is packed full with rare and candid interviews from surviving band members and those who were with the band on their rocket like rise to stardom and their irrevocable fall from grace.

Being a fan of The Clash I wish I could tell you that this DVD is one you have to have for your collection. Sadly that is not the case. Though not a bad film per say it didn’t live up to the hype of the listed highlights shown the back of the packaging which boasted “new interviews” and “rare performance and archival footage”. Yes there may have been some new interviews however the same story that we all have heard countless times was basically just restated in a poorly edited piece of film. At several points during my viewing of the film I had to stop the movie just to try and figure out where the film/band was chronologically in their history and what relation the story being told had to that place and time. If the poor editing wasn’t enough the interviews sound quality wasn’t anything spectacular nor was the lighting which at times made the scenes that may have actually been interesting very dark and unappealing to the eye.

If anything can be taken from “The Rise and Fall of the Clash” DVD it should be merely accepted as a collective piece for hardcore fans of the band and not something containing “new” material as found very little if anything that truly could be considered new.

Starring: Eric Roberts and Danielle Harris
Directed by: Harrison Smith
Not Rated
Studio: Image Entertainment
Running time: 1 hour 34 mins
Release date: April 15, 2014

Our Score: 1 out of 5 stars

The newly released “Camp Dread” is everything you think it is, yet nothing like you would hope. I have now viewed this movie twice. One reason for this is because I was trying to understand the premise. I understood the premise as a movie, but I couldn’t fully decipher what the characters within the story thought it was.

The second reason I watched this film twice was to double the on-screen time of Danielle Harris, turning her whopping four minutes and thirty seconds of screen-time into a full nine minutes. That’s correct, Danielle Harris, whose visage is on the cover art, is only in this movie for four minutes and thirty seconds. It is her character that bookends the story.

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS: Julian Barrett (Roberts) was the director of the 1980’s “Summer Camp” series of horror films. However, as the series ended so did his career. In an attempt to raise funding for a reboot of his glorious franchise, Julian returns to the camp where he filmed his beloved series. Under the guise of filming a reality TV show with a group of angst-ridden twenty-somethings, his aim is to use this footage as a visual storyboard for his reboot.

The movie begins with a group of people seemingly auditioning for a reality TV series. But when the group arrives at the camp setting it is made known that they are somewhat court-ordered to be there for therapy. They HAVE to be there, yet they were auditioning? At the same time, Rachel Steele (Felissa Rose) arrives. She is the actress whom starred in the “Summer Camp” series; but since then she returned to school and became a therapist. Showing off her skills as a therapist, she proceeds to read private and intimate information of each one of the campers aloud to the entire group; sharing the personal tragedies and traumas that each character has encountered.

Barrett also explains to his campers that they are part of a game of survival, and they all have the opportunity to win $1 million. The story has now become ‘Survivor’ meets ‘The Hunger Games’ as the campers must attend therapy while avoiding a pretend killer whom will take them out of the game; while simultaneously preparing the camp for its re-opening, and still all being a part of the reality TV show whose footage will be used as a storyboard for the reboot of the “Summer Camp” film.

Did you follow all of that?

This is why I had to watch it twice. The story is so convoluted that it borders on making no sense whatsoever.

Besides using the ridiculous gimmick of placing cameras all over the grounds, each camper has a camera attached to their chest; the footage from which I don’t ever recall seeing. The characters are in their twenties, as is repeated in the movie several times, yet they are all portrayed as if they were teen-agers. The characters are one-note and cookie-cutter, they bring no depth or substance to the story at all. There is not one character that doesn’t fall into an obvious cliché’. The dialogue is stilted and obvious; the punch-line to any joke is easy to predict before the set-up is finished.

This movie is not scary, nor is it funny enough to be a satire or a dark comedy. To quote Julian Barrett, “That would be funny… if that were funny.” And for a movie with the tag-line: ‘Pitch Your Tent. Dig Your Grave.’ there should have been at least one tent in the movie: which there is not, since they all stay in cabins.

The only positives I have for “Camp Dread” is that it’s a good-looking cast. The men and women both aren’t bad to look at for an hour and twenty minutes. I also respect the use of practical gore effects over any computer-generated ones. The gore effects are decent enough, yet there are not enough of them for a movie of this genre. There also is a slight twist at the end of the movie, but by the time you get there it doesn’t matter. And when you fully analyze it you see how outlandish it really is.

For being the two main stars, Eric Roberts and Danielle Harris are both underutilized. Roberts could have done his scenes half-asleep and he would still be the best thing about this movie. Likewise, seeing Felissa Rose back in a “Summer Camp” setting is a nice touch of nostalgia; but all it really does is point out how good this movie is not. If you come upon this movie streaming on-line, it’s worth watching with a few friends, a bowl of popcorn and some rum; but there is no need to rush out and track a copy down. If you do watch it, though, watch it twice. That way it feels like it actually is a Danielle Harris movie. If I may suggest a better title: “Camp Dreadful!”

Actors: Adam Green, Joe Lynch, Corri English, Laura Ortiz, Dave Brockie, Dee Snider
Directors: Adam Green, Sean Becker
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT
Release Date: April 8, 2014
Run Time: 220 minutes

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

If you are a horror fan, then plain and simple it is in your blood to love “Holliston”. It was created by and also stars Adam Green (“Hatchet” series) along with Joe Lynch (“Wrong Turn 2”, “Chillerama”), who also executive produced. These guys are very talent directors and are taking over the genre. The series also crosses over into horror-metal music as well with appearances from Dee Snider and the late Dave Brockie aka Oderus Urungus from the band GWAR. The show focuses on some hororr themes but is also funny as hell and totally over-the-top. The second season amps up the ante with great new guest stars and takes the show to a whole new level of kick-ass.

Official Premise: The most original, groundbreaking sitcom to ever hit television is back with a whole new level of hilarity and outrageousness! Join Adam (Adam Green, Frozen), Joe (Joe Lynch, Knights of Badassdom), Laura (Laura Ortiz, The Hills Have Eyes), Corri (Corri English, Devil May Call), Oderus Urungus (GWAR’s Dave Brockie), and Lance Rockett (Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider) as they deal with zombies, werewolves, a suicidal horror icon, a cursed videotape, a psychotic 11-year-old girl and so much more!

Personally, this was a little hard for me to review right now with the passing of Dave Brockie last month. I have been a huge GWAR fan for the last 20+ years and he is gone just way too soon. He was hysterical in this show and was a legend in the music business. Some of the toher amazing guest stars from this season include Seth Green (“Family Guy”), Bailee Madison (“Trophy Wife”), Sid Haig (“The Devil’s Rejects”), Kane Hodder (“Friday the 13th” franchise), Danielle Harris (“Halloween” franchise), David Naughton (“An American Werewolf in London”) and more!

So like I said this season really stepped it up for the show. Some of the cool highlights include a Japanese horror inspired episode; a found footage episode and wraps up with an amazing season finale with not one but two musical numbers from the cast. If that doesn’t sound cool enough, also included is the uncut version of the show’s animated Christmas Special episode which bridgess the first and second seasons together.

But wait there is more! This Blu-ray also includes some solid special features. There are commentary tracks for each episodes including Creator/Star Adam Green, Director Sean Becker, Executive Producer/Star Joe Lynch and Star Laura Ortiz. There are is a great behind-the scenes look into the making of the show, which is a must watch for fans. There are some Deleted Scenes and Bloopers included. There are also some bonus Music Videos from the series.

Starring: Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, Michelle Monaghan, Ray Liotta, Jane Fonda
Directors: Geoff Moore, David Posamentier
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Universal Studios
Release Date: April 15, 2014
Run Time: 92 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: N/A

“Better Living Through Chemistry” is a film that came out of nowhere for me but packs an amazing cast. Sam Rockwell was amazing in “The Way Way Back” last year. I fell in love with Olivia Wilde due to her role in “TRON Legacy”, Michelle Monaghan was great in HBO’s “True Detective”. Then wrapping up the cast is Ray Liotta, who is always great and Jane Fonda, who is a legend. The film is a fun dark comedy but takes its self a little too serious. I enjoyed this but I consider it a one-timer. It is just a shame that all that talent didn’t have the power to drive this film further.

Official Premise: Rockwell stars as Doug Varney, a small town pharmacist with an overbearing wife (Monaghan) and an uneventful life running the drugstore he bought from his insufferable father-in-law. Following a chance encounter with a lonely trophy wife (Wilde), Doug embarks on an exhilarating drug-and-alcohol-fueled affair with the most glamorous woman he has ever met.

Universal Studios is behind this release giving the film a combo pack release with a Blu-ray + Digital HD UltraViolet Copy. The film comes stocked with the typical comedy 1080p transfer and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. It is nothing special yet not bad either. There are no special features are included on this release, other than a digital copy which is really no longer considered a special feature these days.

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Starring: Scott Bakula, John Billingsley, Jolene Blalock, Dominic Keating, Anthony Montgomery, Linda Park
Number of discs: 6
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: April 29, 2014
Run Time: 1009 minutes

Season: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Well this is the end folks. Season four is the final season of “Star Trek Enterprise”. The series starred Scott Bakula, Jolene Blalock, Connor Trinneer, Dominic Keating, Linda Park, Anthony Montgomery and John Billingsley. These final episodes follows the adventures of the first Earth-built vessel capable of breaking the Warp 5 barrier. The show was no question cut off too show. Season four was one of the best seasons but luckily since being canceled it has spawned a nice new life with fans. Since being canceled though, this marks the first time that the series “Star Trek” has not had a TV show on the air since The Original Series. This is a must own for all Trekkies.

Official Premise: In the final harrowing season of Star Trek: Enterprise, timelines collide as Captain Jonathan Archer and his crew rally with humans and other species to form the Federation and prevent intergalactic war. Starfleet and the crew of the Enterprise are put to the test as they fight to avoid a deadly virus on the ship, deal with an alternate “mirror” universe, battle radical alien factions, and prevent the alteration of history – including a Nazi-occupied America. If the Temporal Cold War is not brought to an end, history and life as they know it will be forever altered.

Episodes included in this season are: “Storm Front, Part I”; “Storm Front, Part II”; “Home”; “Borderland”; “Cold Station 12”; “The Augments”; “The Forge”; “Awakening”; “Kir’Shara”; “Daedalus”; “Observer Effect”; “Babel One”; “United”; “The Aenar”; “Affliction”; “Divergence”, “Bound”; “In A Mirror, Darkly, Part I”; “In A Mirror, Darkly, Part II”; “Demons”; “Terra Prime” and “These Are The Voyages”

“Star Trek: Enterprise – Season Four” boasts the best Blu-ray presentation out of the series. The 1080p transfer on these episodes are fantastic. This season was quite ambitious and really looked great. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks are equally impressive. I am going to miss hearing that theme song circle my surround sound system, luckily these episodes have great replay value. Other audio track included are German 5.1 Dolby Digital, French Stereo Surround and Japanese Stereo Surround as well. The discs also include English SDH, French, German, Japanese and Dutch subtitles.

If you are a fan of this series, you know that they have been jam-packed with amazing new and ported special features. The real highlight to this release was “In Conversation: Writing Star Trek Enterprise”, which is an exclusive, 90-minute writing staff reunion special. It brings together series creator and executive producer Brannon Braga, along with Mike Sussman, André Bormanis, David Goodman, Chris Black, Phyllis Strong, and Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens talking in great detail about behind-the-scenes stories for this series. There is also a newly produced, four-part documentary “Before Her Time: Decommissioning Enterprise,” which includes more in-depth interviews with the cast and crew.

Those two new extras and much of the rest of the extras resides on the sixth disc. Disc one includes a Deleted Scene on “Storm Front”, an Extended Scene and Script Gallery: Original Editing on “Home” and Archival Mission Logs: Enterprise Moments: Season Four. Disco two includes a brand new episode commentary track with Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens and Mike & Denise Okuda on “The Forge”. There is also a text commentary from 2005 with Mike & Denise Okuda on “The Forge”. Disc three includes another brand new episode commentary track with Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens and Mike & Denise Okuda on “Observer Effect”.

Disc Four includes another brand new episode commentary track with Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens and David Livingston on “United”. There is also a Deleted Scene on “The Aenar”. Disc Five kicks off with five commentary tracks. The first is from 2005 with Mike Sussman and Tim Gaskill on “In A Mirror, Darkly, Part I”. On the same episode, there is also an episode commentary with James L. Conway, Mike Sussman and Mike & Denise Okuda, which is brand new. Mike Sussman and Tim Gaskill have a commentary track from 2005 on “In A Mirror, Darkly, Part II”, again also on this episod is a 2005 text commentary from Mike & Denise Okuda on “In A Mirror, Darkly, Part II”. The last episode commentary is with Connor Trinneer and Dominic Keating on “Demons”, which is also brand new. Lastly there is a Deleted Scene from “In A Mirror, Darkly, Part II”, Archival Mission Logs: Inside the Mirror Episodes included.

Disc Six includes yet another three commentary tracks. The first is a brand new track with Connor Trinneer and Dominic Keating on “Terra Prime”. There is a 2005 episode commentary track with Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens and Tim Gaskill on “Terra Prime”. Lastly there is a text commentary with Mike & Denise Okuda on “These Are The Voyages” from 2005. There is a four part featurette including, “New Voices”, “Memorable Voyages”, “Final Approach” and “End of an Era”. Rounding out there extras are a few Archival Mission Logs, Outtakes Photo Gallery and an NX-01 File 10. Great way to close out a series.

Actors: James Spader, Steve Harris, Camryn Manheim, Michael Badalucco
Directors: Dennis Smith
Number of discs: 6
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Shout! Factory
DVD Release Date: April 15, 2014
Run Time: 960 minutes

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

I have to admit, I had never seen David E. Kelley’s Emmy® Award-winning legal drama but I was a HUGE fan of “Boston Legal”, which was this shows spin-off. This eighth and final season of “The Practice” was really awesome and perfectly set up the pass for the equally critically acclaimed spin-off, “Boston Legal”. I am never usually a big fan of law shows but David E. Kelley really knows how to deliver a powerful show.

This season introduced us to not only the debut of Alan Shore, but early appearances from Tara Wilson (Rhona Mitra), Catherine Piper (Betty White), Sally Heep (Lake Bell)… and the legendary attorney Denny Crane (William Shatner). The Alan Shore/Denny Crane relationship was something that can never be recreated on TV. Absolute thing of beauty. This final season of “The Practice” is a must-own for fans of “Boston Legal”.

Official Premise: Major upheavals have left Ellenor (Camryn Manheim), Eugene (Steve Harris) and Jimmy (Michael Badalucco) in charge of the firm. In an attempt to rebuild their ranks, Ellenor hires an old friend: the enigmatic and ethically-challenged Alan Shore (James Spader). Shore’s brilliant-yet-highly-unorthodox methods succeed in winning big cases — but will they also threaten the future of the firm?

I know this show has never received a Blu-ray release but I would have loved to see this season get that treatment. Just like I have been holding out buying the complete series of “Boston Legal” until they get released on Blu-ray. There are no additional special features on this release besides the 22 episodes. I would have loved to had some commentary tracks included on these episodes from the cast/crew.