Actors: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth
Directors: Francis Lawrence
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Lionsgate
DVD Release Date: March 7, 2014
Run Time: 146 minutes

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

When I saw “The Hunger Games”, I plain out hated it. No, I have never read the books and have no interest in doing so either. I thought the movie was completely bland and watered down of what it could have been. It was also during a time when I was not a huge fan of Jennifer Lawrence. Well, thanks to “Silver Linings Playbook” and “American Hustle” that has changed and I have actually become a huge fan of Lawrence now. Unfortunately it only pains me more to say that this sequel could actually be worse the first film. Firstly, it is WAY too late at nearly two and half hours. Nothing happens for the first hour and then is so anti-climatic throughout the rest of the film that the cliffhanger ending just makes you slap your head in disgust.

Official Premise: Based on the best-selling second novel of Suzanne Collins’ award-winning trilogy, with a screenplay by Simon Beaufoy and Michael DeBruyn and directed by Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend), The Hunger Games: Catching Fire begins as, against all odds, Katniss and her fellow tribute Peeta have returned home after surviving The Hunger Games. Winning means they must turn around, leaving their loved ones behind and embark on a “Victory Tour” through the districts. Along the way, Katniss senses a rebellion simmering – one that she and Peeta may have sparked. At the end of the Victory Tour, President Snow announces a deadly 75th Hunger Games that could change Panem forever.

Since this film was in such high demand (no idea why), we only were able to snag this on DVD. The DVD also comes with an HD Digital Ultraviolet copy. In terms of special features, the DVD once again gets the short end of the stick. There is an audio commentary track from director Francis Lawrence (not relation to Jennifer) and producer Nina Jacobson. No cast involved at all which is a shame since it could have added some life to this track. The only other real special feature are a few deleted scenes. Then there is a sneak peak of “Divergent”, which looks even worse than this film if that is possible. The Blu-ray release comes with a nine-part feature-length documentary called “Surviving the Game: Making Catching Fire”, so fans of the film should be sure not to miss that. I am sure I will still see “Mockingjay: Part 1 & 2” but I really hope they are a vast improvement on these first two.

Starring: Jim Cummings, Ken Sansom, Jimmy Bennett, David Ogden Stiers, Kath Soucie, John Fiedler
Directors: Elliot M. Bour, Saul Andrew Blinkoff
Rated: G (General Audience)
Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Release Date: March 11, 2014
Run Time: 65 minutes

Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1 out of 5 stars

“Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo” is a 2004 direct-to-video film, which features voice actors Jim Cummings as Winnie the Pooh and Tigger, Peter Cullen as Eeyore, and John Fiedler as Piglet. I have always loved this film but I have always been disturbed that the focus of the film is really on Rabbit, who is missing from the cover. It has “A Christmas Carol” theme but set with an Easter background. It is cute and packs tons of great songs. My 21 month old has already watched this quite since we received and she was dancing all around the house.

Synopsis: Each year, Rabbit plays Easter Bunny, but this year, he’s decided it’s “Spring Cleaning Day,” and he orders everyone to hop to it: scrubbing, dusting, and mopping. All his pals are disappointed — especially little Roo — until Rabbit learns that putting others first and showing friends how much you care turns every day into a precious gift.

This “Hippity Hoppity Roo Edition” comes with a Blu-ray and Digital HD Digital Copy. There is also a cute Winnie-The-Pooh baby mobile included inside the came. This strike a code because we have a Pooh mobile for my daughter growing up. For a direct-to-video installment from Disney, I was very impressed with the 1080p transfer. I thought the colors looks so vibrant and crisp. I really enjoyed watching it. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track worked so well with the numerous songs from the film.

Unfortunately, there is only one special features included “Get Up and Dance”, which gets kid to get up and dance to Rabbit’s Easter song. If you look back at the DVD release of this release, there were quite a few extras missing from that. I am not sure why Disney decided to leave those out. I hope that they are planning on releasing a double feature next with “Pooh’s Heffalump Movie” and its sequel “Pooh’s Heffalump Halloween Movie”. I would love to see these next perhaps in the Fall. Hint, hint!

Voices of: Corinne Orr, Jack Grimes, Peter Fernandez and Jack Curtis
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 637 minutes
Format: Made To Order DVD

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

After revisit “Marine Boy” with the first season recently, I was very excited to dive into the second season. This 3-Disc set includes the next 26 Episodes in this classic anime series, which airs from 1966-67. I warn you as cheesy as this show feels today, it is still entertaining and that damn theme song will definitely get stuck in your head. With 52 episodes in the bag, so far we still have another 26 to go, so I expect the third season to hit DVD later this year completing this series.

Official Premise: Marine Boy returns for a second volume of classic ‘American anime’ adventures! Operating out of the Ocean Patrol Marine Headquarters, super-scientist Dr. Mariner outfits his stalwart son with all the aquatic accouterments needed to keep the seas safe for all mankind. From Oxy-Gum and bulletproof wet suit, to flying subs and propeller shoes, Marine Boy has what it takes to face a variety of fearsome foes above and below the ocean’s surface.

Dive deep into the deep with villains like Skwid, Stormbrane, Count Shark, Professor Beelzebub and Captain Wraithand more who must learn to beware the boomerang of Marine Boy as he cruises the sea aboard the submarine P-1 alongside little Clicli, Professor Fumble, mermaid Neptina, dolphin best friend Splasher, and Ocean Patrol agents Bullton and Piper.

Thanks to Warner Archive Collection, this series is continuing to be available to its fans. It is available MOD (manufacture on demand), so if you want it buy it now before it stops being made. These episodes are not flawless but I expect these episodes to have a certain rugged feel to it. These haven’t been restored but have been taken from the best prints available. There are no additional special features available on this release just like the first season.

Voices of: Anthony Ruivivar, J.B. Blanc, Sumalee Montano, Kurtwood Smith
Rated TV-PG
Studio: Warner Archive Collection
DVD Release Date: February 18, 2014
Run Time: 286 minutes

Season: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: N/A

After “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” although a fun show, but with the success of “The Dark Knight” series, fans were looking for something with a darker tone. Enter, “Beware the Batman”. The show has a more serious tone and a really snazzy look and feel to it. The animation style is great and Batman is quite badass. Unfortunately Cartoon Network did not give this show much love, they pulled it from their schedule back in October after 11 episodes and left two unaired. They claimed it would be back on in January but as we approach March there is still no word. Either way I really dug this show and I would recommend it to any Batman fan out there. “Batman: The Animated Series” still holds the reigns but it is quite an impressive entry for the Caped Crusader.

Batman swings into an exhilarating new age, teaming with a powerful allies old and new for a thrilling new take on the classic Dark Knight franchise in Beware the Batman: Shadows of Gotham, Season 1 Part 1. The new action-packed detective thriller incorporates Batman’s core characters with a rogue’s gallery of criminals as the Caped Crusader faces some of Gotham City’s most despicable villains. Through the show’s first 13 animated adventures of this two-disc collection, ex-secret agent Alfred and lethal swordstress Katana join Batman to takes on an array of evildoers including the likes of Anarky, Professor Pyg, Mister Toad and Magpie. This thrilling series redefines what we have come to know as the “Batman show” and is sure to excite fans with cutting-edge CGI visuals.

This Blu-ray contains all 11 episodes that official aired and the additional 2 that are still unaired. Included are “Hunted”, “Secrets”, Tests”, “Safe”, “Broken”, “Toxic”, “Family”, “Allies”, “Control”, “Sacrifice”, “Instinct”, “Attraction” and “Fall”. There are some solid villains as well in these episodes including Professor Pyg and Mister Toad, Cypher, Magpie, Anarky and Lady Shiva to name a few. I think it was a brave move to include some new and not so well-known villains. Other shows have done in the past having Joker be the lead villains and who doesn’t love the Joker but you have to give it to “Beware the Batman” for being ballsy here. I am sure if this show continued on we would see the funny man pop up surely but we did not rely on it from the beginning.

This Blu-ray comes from Warner Bros’ made-on-demand (MOD) service, Warner Archive, which produced their releases as they are ordered. I feel that this series deserves more than that but at least it is seeing the light of day. The 1080p transfer works well with the tone of the show and the killer CGI visuals. There are no special features included on this release unless you count the two unaired episodes. I hope that Warner Bros and Cartoon Network continue this series this Spring otherwise, this “Season 1 Part 1” Blu-ray will not have a “Part 2” release to complete it.

Creators: Jackson Publick, Doc Hammer
Rating: TV-MA
Studio: Warner Bros
DVD Release Date: March 4, 2014
Run Time: 200 minutes

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

When I saw the beginning of the fourth season of “The Venture Bros”, I was really disappointed to see the replacement of Brock Samson. I love the rest of the characters but he was really 75% of the reason why I watched the show. Sergeant Hattred (voiced by co-creator Jackson Publick aka Christopher McCulloch) is a decent character but Samson’s shoes are a bit too big to fill. This season was actually an improvement over four, it picks up right from season four and is pretty funny and action-packed. But I think the huge gaps between seasons has caused myself to loose interest overall in this show. Fans of the show who still love it should rejoice since there is a sixth season which should be airing late 2014-early 2015.

Official Premise: The fifth season of The Venture Bros. picks up moments after the stunning climax of season four and hits the ground running for a season of globe-trotting adventures and stay-at-home suspense. But no matter where it runs?from the steamy jungles of Central America, to the sparkling sands of the Greek Islands, to the seedy back alleys of Tangier, to the jagged cliffs of By-Golly Gulch?the Venture family can¹t escape the treachery of enemies old, new, and within.

What the “The Venture Bros” has never lacked is quality voice talent. This season get packed with tons of great guest voices including Aziz Ansari, Paget Brewster, Wyatt Cenac, Kevin Conroy, Bill Hader, John Hodgman, Gillian Jacobs, Kate McKinnon, Tim Meadows, J.K. Simmons, and Brendon Small. In terms of the episodes, the fourth season contained fifteen thirty-minute episodes and a one hour-long season finale but this season was amped up to an hour long premiere episode and seven thirty-minute episodes. I still think this show works better as an fifteen minute show much like “Metalocalype”.

This Blu-ray contains the eight episodes from its fifth season PLUS two bonus episodes “A Very Venture Halloween” and From the Ladle to the Grave: The Shallow Gravy Story”. The animation looks solid with the show’s 1080p transfer. Also included is an HD Digital Ultraviolet copy of the season as well. In terms of special features, there some deleted scenes and episode commentaries from series creator Jackson Publick and fellow writer, director and executive producer Doc Hammer. The commentary tracks are a nice touch to give the episodes some replay value as the duo are quite interesting together.

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgaard, Idris Elba, Christopher Eccleston, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Kat Dennings, Rene Russo
Directed By: Alan Taylor
Distributed by: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 112 minutes
Release Date: February 25th 2014

Film: 4 out of 5 Stars
Extras: 5 out of 5 Stars

It’s no secret here at Media Mikes that Thor’s is my personal favorite storyline in Marvel’s movie lineup. The first film in 2011 by Kenneth Brannagh managed to brilliantly balance the Asgardian-out-of-water comedic elements with the weightier family politics at play. It boasted a great cast of established talent including Natalie Portman, Rene Russo and Anthony Hopkins while effectively launching two more stars in Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston. Their on screen fraternal conflict as Thor and Loki respectively was strong enough to jump front and center in 2012’s The Avengers. The Dark World as a follow up to that megahit is slightly less successful in accentuating the appeals of the Mightiest Avenger and often struggles in balancing its tone. Still, with its strong cast of characters intact and imaginative otherworldly battles, the sequel remains a worthy entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Like the 2011 film, The Dark World begins in a prologue detailing an ancient battle between the Asgardians and the film’s baddies, the Dark Elves. Lead by Malekith (Christopher Eccleston), the Dark Elves lost a powerful evil force known as the Aether to Thor’s grandfather who hid this mysterious red goo out of their reach. Ancient feud established, we move forward to Loki, who actually always manages to speak before Thor in his own trilogy, how’s that for a silver tongue? Last seen muzzled by the Avengers in Central Park, Loki is now on trial before Odin. By his mother’s (Russo as Frigga) mercy, Loki is granted life in the dungeons as punishment for the mess he made in New York. His adoptive brother Thor remains next in line for Odin’s throne. Finally we get to Thor, who has just restored peace to the nine realms yet is distracted by his lingering feelings for astrophysicist-turned-love-interest Jane Foster (Portman). He didn’t even think to call on his last visit to Earth. The nerve. For her part, Foster is still invested in intergallactic goings-ons from her new base in London. Her devices lead her to an unfortunate possession by the Aether, necesitating a field trip to Asgard with Thor to both exorcise her and prevent the Dark Elves from regaining their power. Long story short (too late!) there’s a lot going on in the universe.

With so much going on, you might expect a longer film but The Dark World is shortest in runtime in the MCU and suffers a bit for it. Reviewing the blu-ray I could feel myself suddenly resenting having had to endure the excesses of say, The Desolation of Smaug while being so acutely aware of cut scenes here. The fact is in its rush to get to the action and the big battles, The Dark World misses out on the strengths unique to the Thor franchise. Specifically the family dynamics. Thor and Loki at this point have so much history and when they’re forced to team up against the larger elf threat, it’s no surprise that the strongest scenes in the film are between the two brothers. Considering we last saw them pummeling the living daylights out of one another in The Avengers, it is a great relief to see both actors really using their on screen chemistry and in the case of Hiddleston, Loki’s scene-stealing sarcasm, rather than they’re weapons. Their grief over a loss in their familly is palpable but then they’re also capable of fighting like children over who gets to drive the spaceship in one riot of a flight sequence. Hemsworth too has great comedic timing that often is overshadowed by his physical presence when it shouldn’t be. The scenes featuring both brothers have emminently more life to them than any between the heroes and this film’s villains.

Likewise, when Jane Foster is able to get her science on instead of being saddled with the Aether, we’re reminded what made her passionate character so likeable the first time. Her continued friendship with Kat Dennings’ outspoken intern Darcy is even more fun this time around with Dennings giving a pretty realistic response to seeing a god teleport through space. At least, I too would be swearing.

A major upside to this galaxy spanning story is how much the scale of Thor’s world increased since his solo outing. Asgard itself is given an entirely new depth and has been equipped with some magnificent viking-inspired flying machines. There’s also the welcome return of Thor’s fighting companions, the Warriors Three and Sif (Jaimie Alexander’s shield maiden who gets the award for most bad ass entrance in the film). The climatic battle which whips all the players around every corner of the universe–cleverly keeping Earthbound Act-of-Marvel-Movie damage to a minimum this time– provides fun glimpses into realms we’ve both seen previously (hey, Jotunheim!) and might explore in the future. As Thor 3 was recently confirmed, here’s hoping next time the creators do take this opportunity to expand their horizons and realize when it comes to the Asgardians more is more.

EXTRAS: Poor Rene Russo–as with the first film, the majority of her lovely performance as mother to the two warring Princes is relegated here to the deleted scenes. There are approximately eight minutes of them which were mainly cut, we’re informed in commentary, to make the film go faster. Unneccessarily I think, but I’m nevertheless grateful they see the light of day here. And with the amount of additional footage that was splashed all over the film’s marketing campaign in the fall of last year that’s still M.I.A on this set, I have no doubt that’s there’s likely still more in the Marvel vault waiting for its turn in the Marvel Phase Two box set.
Seriously, where’s Loki rocking this look from?

I digress.

As with all the recent Marvel releases, the disk is in fact packed with bonuses. Beyond the deleted scenes, there’s a fun gag reel, commentary with Kevin Feige, Alan Taylor and Tom Hiddleston sharing easter eggs that I even missed on theatrical viewings. Hiddleston also gets a moment to comment on his time spent in Captain America’s suit for a shapeshifting sequence (“it fit like a glove!”) and if you have need to see him looking like Thor, you can also find that screen test on one of the Blu-ray’s featurettes.

Crucially there’s the most substantial Marvel “one-shot” short film to date with “All Hail the King.” We get to catch us up with Ben Kingsley’s Iron Man 3 character in a funny way but also in a way that has much larger implications to the Iron Man story. Also it has a hilarious cameo from a character I had genuinely not expected to see again.

Actors: Dominic Purcell, Adam Beach, Michael Ironside
Directors: Jonathon Tydor
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: February 25, 2014
Run Time: 95 minutes

Film: 1.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: N/A

When I saw the trailer to “Ice Soldiers”, I thought it could have had some potential. First of all it stars Dominic Purcell, Adam Beach, Michael Ironside, and Gabriel Hogan. So there is some decent talent there. The premise has a “Universal Soldier” set during the Cold War feeling to it, which sounds cool quite frankly. Unfortunately, the film takes way too long to get started and the visual effects just don’t deliver. The story is weak and there is way too much talking for an “action” film. I would save yourself the disappointment and check out “Nazis at the Center of the Earth” for the same comedic effect.

Official Premise: Buried beneath the Arctic ice since the Cold War, genetically modified Soviet soldiers have been rediscovered, reactivated and are ready to unleash devastating destruction. They are cold-blooded killing machines with super-human strength and one man, a scientist who has been searching for them his entire life, will try to stop the carnage before they complete their terrifying, top-secret mission.

“Ice Soldiers” comes with a decent Blu-ray presentation. The 1080p transfer doesn’t have much to complain about. I called the film a bit of a whiteout since it was primarily taken place around snow areas. The action takes a while to get started but when it kicks in finally the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 does deliver with the explosions and gunfire. Sony didn’t really give this film much love as it delivered this release completely barebones. I can’t say I am shocked or disappointed here but it just feels lazy.

Director: Bob Smeaton
Number of discs: 1
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Shout Factory!
Run Time: 90 minutes

Blu-ray: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 4 out of 5 stars

In the summer of 1970, some of the era’s biggest rock stars took to the rails for “Festival Express” a multi-artist, multi-city concert tour that captured the spirit and imagination of a generation. What made it unique was that it was portable; for five days, the bands and performers lived, slept, rehearsed and let loose aboard a customized train that traveled from Toronto, to Winnipeg, to Calgary, with each stop culminating in a mega-concert. The entire experience was filmed both off-stage and on, but the extensive footage and sound tapes of the events remained locked away for decades, only recently having been rediscovered and restored. The film Festival Express is a momentous achievement in rock film archaeology which combines the long-lost material with contemporary interviews that add important context to the event nearly 35 years after originally being filmed.

Directed by Bob Smeaton “Festival Express” is an all inclusive look at this unique tour that in today’s musical climate probably would not be possible. Everyone from the Grateful Dead to The Band and Janis Joplin are showcased on this half concert half documentary film. Probably my favorite part of the whole film was in the early minutes when concert going protesters were complaining over the $14 ticket price. This made me laugh as a bill of this character in today’s world would certainly be pushing triple digital numbers. Though the film was shot in 1970 and subsequently shelved for 40+ years the Blu-Ray version of this release is visually stunning and though the images are clean and crisp there is still that element of graininess that puts a date stamp on the piece. Along with the films stunning visuals is a great audio mix which only further showcased the group’s performances. If you’re short on time definitely jump ahead to The Bands performance of their hit song “The Weight” as Drummer/Vocalist Levon Helms vocals are always a treat to listen to.

If the 90 minute feature film wasn’t enough the special features portion of the disc picks up where the film ends. Bonus performances from Buddy Guy, Eric Andersen and others along with a full length documentary related to the feature titled “Derailed: The making of Festival Express” is a great addition to this portion of the release. Fans of 70’s music and the spawning of the festival concert scene will definitely enjoy this film.

Starring: Jeremy Shada, John DiMaggio
Creator: Pendleton Ward
Studio: Cartoon Network
Release Date: February 25, 2014
Run Time: 286 minutes

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

“Adventure Time” is no question of the most bizarre, unique and best shows on television right now. There are some episodes where I am left on the floor laughing and then some where I am totally freaked out and that is why I love this show so much. The third season was when this show started really getting some steam behind it and fans were spreading the word like wildfire and making it the mega hit it is today, myself included. This was my first season that I watched and fell in love. A must own for any fan of the show!

Official Premise: It’s one crazy adventure after another in Cartoon Network’s #1 hit comedy show and Emmy-nominated series. Follow the post-apocalyptic adventures of Finn (voiced by Jeremy Shada), a human boy with a funny hat, and his friend Jake (John DiMaggio), a magic and mischievous dog. They’re out to have the most fun possible and they sure do find it exploring the Land of Ooo!

Here are the episodes included from this season: “Conquest of Cuteness”, “Morituri Te Salutamus”, “Memory of a Memory”, “Hitman”, “Too Young”, “The Monster”, “Still”, “Wizard Battle”, “Fionna and Cake”, “What Was Missing”, “Apple Thief”, “The Creeps”, “From Bad to Worse”, “Beautopia”, “No One Can Hear You”, “Jake vs. Me-Mow”, “Thank You”, “The New Frontier”, “Holly Jolly Secrets (Part 1)”, “Holly Jolly Secrets (Part 2)”, “Marceline’s Closet”, “Paper Pete”, “Another Way”, “Ghost Princess”, “Dad’s Dungeon” and the introduction of Flame Princess in the finale, “Incendium”.

Cartoon Network delivered this Blu-ray release with beautiful 1080p transfer for each episode. The animation on the show isn’t Pixar quality but I simply love it. The colors are amazing and really shine on this release. I am not pleased with the plain Dolby Digital 2.0 (DVD quality) audio track. This has been the trend for the first two seasons as well, but I was hoping they would upgrade to HD tracks, as the show got more popular. They did include the entire season available to add to your Ultraviolet digital account, which is a super cool.

The special features are a must watch for any fan of the show. There are episode commentaries on ALL 26 episodes this season. This really makes watching the season over and over a must. There is a great interview with series creator Pendleton Ward in “How An Ida Becomes Adventure Time”. There is also an Alternate show introduction, which is cool. Most importantly this season come in a rad BMO case and as an added special treat this BMO slipcase can transforms into a collectible BMO figurine.

Cartoon Network has been great with releasing these seasons on Blu-ray. Season four is next, so hopefully they will be dating that season very shortly. Then that will bring up to the date with the current season five, which actually has been airing since 2012 and will contain 52 episodes or double the rest of the seasons. So I have feeling that Cartoon Network will be releasing season five in two volumes. Either way, bring it on because I want more! I suggest they do a fan contest to pick the box cover for the future Blu-ray case.

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Jeff Bridges, George Kennedy, Catherine Bach, Geoffrey Lewis, Gary Busey
Directed By: Michael Cimino
Distributed by: Twilight Time
Run Time: 115 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Release Date: Feb 11, 2014

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

Personally, I am not the biggest fan of Clint Eastwood at all. I never really got the whole fandom surrounding him. I am though a huge fan of Jeff Bridges and I read that he showed Eastwood up in this film, so that was a real draw for me.  I really enjoyed this movie and it still holds up today already 40 years after it was made, which is just crazy to think. Frank Stanley did an amazing job showcasing  Montana’s Big Sky country in the film. I am a score guy, I love film scores. This film packed a great score by Eastwood regular Dee Barton. If you are a Bridges or Eastwood fan, this is the first time that this film has ever been released on Blu-ray and it is a must purchase.

Official Premise: Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) marked the directing debut of screenwriter Michael Cimino (The Deer Hunter, Heaven’s Gate), working under the meticulous guidance of star/producer Clint Eastwood. Eastwood plays a typically laconic loner, a big-time thief in hiding who hooks up with a goofy young drifter (Jeff Bridges, giving an Oscar®-nominated performance). First attempting to escape from a couple of vengeful former partners (George Kennedy, Geoffrey Lewis), then joining forces with them to pull off a risky robbery, Eastwood and Bridges give us an ultimately touching portrait of masculine friendship.

This Blu-ray release is an Screen Archives Entertainment Exclusive and is a Limited Edition release with only 3000 copies produced. The 1080p transfer looks amazing for a film like I said that is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Jeff Bridges did not need CGI in this film, like in “TRON Legacy”, to make him look 25 again 😉 The DTS-HD MA 1.0 is solid and works with the action and the score. Speaking of the score, the special features include an Isolated Music Track for Dee Barton’s amazing music. There is an audio commentary with Film Historians Lem Dobbs, Julie Kirgo, and Nick Redman. It is not the most exciting commentary track but it is certainly informative. Lastly there is the Original Theatrical Trailer included.

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Starring: Woody Allen, Martin Landau, Alan Alda, Caroline Aaron, Claire Bloom, Mia Farrow, Jerry Orbach, Sam Waterson
Director: Woody Allen
Distributed by: Twilight Time
Run Time: 104 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Release Date: Feb 11, 2014

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

I am a big embarrassed to say this but I have never seen “Crimes and Misdemeanors”. I am a huge Woody Allen fan though and I am pissed that it took so long to finally catch this amazing flick. I love how clever the film and witty this is. The cinematography was also a highlight courtesy of Sven Nykvist. It also packs some amazing performances from Landau and of course Allen. The story also had me thinking the entire time trying to figure out how the stories intertwined. This film has never been released on Blu-ray prior to this release and if you are a fan of Allen, this is a must purchase.

Official Premise: Woody Allen’s Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) is a rare combination of film noir and black comedy, about an esteemed New York ophthalmologist (Martin Landau) whose affair with a flight attendant (Anjelica Huston) puts the careful construct of his life in jeopardy. As he contemplates a permanent solution to his problems, we are also treated to an interwoven story about another kind of moral crisis: a struggling documentary filmmaker (Allen) considers selling out by making a doc about a Hollywood jackass (Alan Alda), with the situation further complicated by the appearance of an entrancing TV producer (Mia Farrow).

This Blu-ray release is an Screen Archives Entertainment Exclusive and is a Limited Edition release with only 3000 copies produced. The 1080p transfer looks amazing for a film that is now 25 years old. The DTS-HD MA 1.0 plays out ok but I noticed that I had issues with some of the dialogue and consistently adjusting the volume. In the special features section, there is not much here. I did enjoy the Isolated Music & Effects Track quite a bit and adds another level to watching the film. Lastly, there is the Original Theatrical Trailer included.

Starring: Sean Schemmel, Stephanie Nadolny, Christopher Sabat, Daisuke Gōri, Mayumi Tanaka, Kenji Utsumi
Director: Mike McFarland
Number of discs: 4
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Funimation
Release Date: February 18, 2014
Run Time: 830 minutes

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

This is a very exciting Blu-ray release, actually, if you are a “Dragonball Z” fan. This is the first time ever that uncut Dragon Ball Z episodes are available on Blu-ray! This collection includes episodes 40-74 of this classic anime series fully remastered. This is a must own for any fan and real treat that these episodes are finally being a released. Dragonball Z: Season 3 Blu-ray is already slated to street on April 1, 2014, so like I said before I expect this series to be fully available by year end. Hopefully Funimation is planning a giant box set because that would be the ultimate release.

Official Premise: Having suffered heavy losses in the battle with the Saiyans, and with Goku still recovering from his injuries, the remaining Z-Fighters must embark on a perilous journey to Planet Namek in search of the Namekian Dragon Balls. Unbeknownst to them, however, a powerful new enemy has set his sights on the same prize—the ruthless tyrant Frieza!

These episodes are presented in 1080p high definition quality and 16:9 aspect ratio amd were restored using frame by frame, pan and scan technology. These episodes were given a lot of love from actual fans of the series and it shows in its release. There are three audio tracks included, which also have been re-mastered and have never sounded better. The English dub comes with an Dolby TrueHD 5.1 with the original Japanese music. The original English language broadcast version with the broadcast version music is presented with an Dolby TrueHD 2.0 track. Lastly the original Japanese track with the Japanese music, of course is delivered with a Dolby TrueHD Mono track.

This season stepped it up a bit from season one actually including some decent special features. “Inside Dragonball Z” is a two part interview series with Christopher R. Sabet and Sean Schemmel. There is a fun featurette called “Justin Cook Shares His Headshot Collection”. Then there are also the textless opening and closing songs, as well as trailers included. Lastly also like the first season, there is the ”Marathon Feature”. This allows you to view the episodes continuously without the credits each episode. This really adds a lot and makes it very easy to enjoy a great binge viewing experience of this amazing series.

Actors: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Carl Weathers, Burt Young, Mr. T
Directors: Sylvester Stallone, John G. Avildsen
Number of discs: 6
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Release Date: February 11, 2014

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

The “Rocky” franchise is really just great. Whenever you flip through the TV and come across any of the “Rocky” movies you know that it is quite impossible to turn it off or you hear Drago threatening “I must break you”. Rocky is a character that ever loves even as it has aged. This collection includes all six Rocky films, from the original “Rocky” (1976) to the latest “Rocky Balboa” (2006). So I am sure you are wondering how does this release differ from the 2009 release “Rocky: The Undisputed Collection”? Well this release an all-new 4K transfer of the original “Rocky” and then the previously released versions of “Rocky II-V” and “Rocky Balboa”. The original “Rocky” is now the spotlight of this release (as it should be) and makes this release a must own for all fans.

Official Premise: Go the distance with this Rocky Heavyweight collection, featuring all six knockout Rocky films including the first film with a stunning new master. Sylvester Stallone stars in the greatest boxing saga of all time and triumphs as one of the most inspirational characters in cinematic history. Witness every epic, action-packed fight and unforgettable moment as Rocky strives for greatness through sheer determination against impossible odds. This collection contains over three hours of bonus features including a new featurette “8mm Home Movies of Rocky” narrated by Director John Avildsen.

So the main reason to upgrade to this new collection would be for the 4K transfer of “Rocky” (1976). I personally think that this new restoration looks amazing. The 2006 previously released Blu-ray was quite the disappointment. In terms of “Rocky II-V”, the transfers are good but could have used a bit of a face-lift like the first film to make them perfect.  The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track for I-V are impressive though and really no major complaints either. “Rocky Balboa” easily delivers the second best transfer since it is the latest film and packs an even better uncompressed PCM 5.1 audio track. They really went all out here and it shows in the film. The music in the film is so well presented and makes you literally get out of your chair and those fights punching along with Rocky.

Now if you are wondering what happened to the jam-packed seventh disc of extras from the “The Undisputed Collection”, which is missing from this release…well don’t worry. It has been added to the the original “Rocky” disc along with three commentaries restored from the “Rocky” DVD. There is only one new special feature included on this release. which is “8mm Home Movies of Rocky”. It is a bad-ass special features I might add and it is narrated by Director John G. Avildsen and Production Manager Lloyd Kaufman. So being a big fan of this franchise, this new purpose just makes you wonder how much the updated transfer of “Rocky” is worth to you. I wish MGM would have thrown in some HD Digital Ultraviolet copies of these films and that would have made this a no brainer!

The fest of the special features included are just as great. “In the Ring: Three-Part Making-of Documentary” is a great in-depth behind-the-scenes looks. There are a few Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes included focusing on the  Makeup, Music, Directing and Camera Work. There are also two Boxing Featurettes including Three Rounds with Legendary Trainer Lou Duva and The Opponents and The Ring of Truth. There are two tributes for Burgess Meredith and James Crabe. There is an interview with a Legend: Bert Sugar along with a Video Commentary with Sylvester Stallone. Lastly there is Sylvester Stallone appearance on “Dinah!” (1976) and Theatrical Trailers, TV Spots and More!

Starring: Luci Christian, David Matranga
Director: Takayuki Hamana
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Funimation
Release Date: February 25, 2014
Run Time: 168 minutes

Films: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1.5 out of 5 stars

If you are a fan of the series “Appleseed XIII”, then you might want to consider checking out “Appleseed XIII: Tartaros & Ouranos”…as long as you do not expect new content. This new release from Funimation is two-film shortened summarization of the 13-episode anime series. I have to admit, I was a little bit hesitant since I did like the “Appleseed XIII” quite a bit, but these two films do work very well. They are tighter and really pack a nice punch. What is nice about these, most importantly, is that I feel that you can own both of these, the movies and the series, since they are both different beasts. A no brainer purchase if you love great anime.

Official Premise: In the wake of destruction from a worldwide non-nuclear war, the city of Olympus has become the control center of the world. As humanity adopts biological enhancements in attempts to achieve perfection, a terrorist organization uprises to prevent what could be the eventual extinction of the human race. Two former LAPD SWAT members join a special mech-piloting, military force to take down the leader of the terrorist organization.

Funimation Entertainment are the best when it comes to their Blu-ray anime releases. They really give a lot of love to these and I respect that. This release comes stocked with a Blu-ray + DVD combo pack. The 1080p transfer is awesome and really works well with this sharp and snazzy CG animation. There are two DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks included for both English and original Japanese audio. In terms of special features, there is nothing too impressive here. There are original previews for both “Tartaros & Ouranos”. There is a textless closing song and trailers included.

Starring: Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen, Sharlto Copley, Samuel L. Jackson
Director: Spike Lee
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: March 4, 2014
Run Time: 104 minutes

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

“Oldboy” is a remake of the Korean cult classic of the same name directed by Park Chan-wook, which was released in 2003. This version was directed by Spike Lee and stars Josh Brolin and Elizabeth Olsen. It is hard to really fall in love with a movie personally when you read about how much the director hates the movie himself. Originally, Lee’s cut of this film was nearly three hours long and it was torn apart by the producers bringing it down to 104 minutes. I was a fan of the original Korean film, so I also had high expectations. This film isn’t terrible but it also doesn’t improve or surpass the original. Worth checking out for some fun shock and wow but I would prefer the original.

Official Premise: “Oldboy” is a provocative, visceral thriller that follows the story of an advertising executive (Brolin) who is abruptly kidnapped and held hostage for 20 years in solitary confinement. When he is inexplicably released, he embarks on an obsessive mission to discover who orchestrated his bizarre and torturous punishment only to find he is still trapped in a web of conspiracy and torment.

Sony released this film on Blu-ray including also a HD Digital Ultraviolet copy. I would have loved to seen them take a chance and release the director’s cut of this film also but maybe they are holding out for a double dip to make more money to recoup how bad this film did in theaters. The 1080p transfer works well with the look and feel of the film, same goes for the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. In terms of special features, there are three featurettes including “The Making of Oldboy”, “Transformation” and “Talking Heads”. There are some alternate and extended scenes. Lastly there is a Workout Video Promo, which is quite funny.