Actors: Mathieu Amalric, Golshifteh Farahani, Jamel Debbouze, Serge Avedikian and Isabella Rossellini
Directors: Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: February 26, 2013
Run Time: 91 minutes

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

What is “Chicken With Plums”? It is the latest film from Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud, the Academy Award-nominated filmmakers of “Persepolis”. Like “Persepolis”, this is also an adaptation of a graphic novel by Satrapi.  It is a fun and whimsical film which combines live-action sequences with a blend of genre (expressionism, fantasy, melodrama) with an animated sequence of the classic tale ““Appointment in Samarra”. ”It is one of those films that I just have to say you need to see it.  It is hard to really give it justice otherwise. If you were a fan of the fantastic “Persepolis” or others like “Amelie” then I would recommend checking this out.

Official Synopsis: Tehran, 1958. Since his beloved violin was broken, Nasser Ali Khan, one of the most renowned musicians of his day, has lost all taste for life. Finding no instrument worthy of replacing it, he decides to confine himself to bed to await death. As he hopes for its arrival, he plunges into deep reveries, with dreams as melancholic as they are joyous, taking him back to his youth and even to a conversation with Azrael, the Angel of Death, who reveals the future of his children. As pieces of the puzzle gradually fit together, the poignant secret of his life comes to light: a wonderful story of love, which inspired his genius and his music.

The DVD presents the film with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1. There is only a French (PAR) audio track, boasting a nice 5.1 Dolby Digital. So get ready to reach those English subtitles. The special features are a little light on this film. There is an commentary with with the Directors Marjane Satrapi & Vincent Paronnaud, it is worth checking out if you enjoyed the film. Then there is a Q&A from 2012’s Tribeca Film Festival again with the directors Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud”. I was hoping for a featurette on the visual effect aspect of the film, especially the unique animated sequence. Also this would have look much better on a Blu-ray presentation.  I am not sure why Sony decided to only go the DVD route.

Actors: Takehito Koyasu, Gackt, Unshou Ishizuka, Adam Dudley, John Paul Shephard
Director: Takashi Watanabe
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Rating: TV: MA
Running Time: 175 min.
Release Date: February 12, 2013

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

If you are a fan of Kenshiro and the “Fist of the North Star” franchise, then you know that this release is nothing new and has been released before. But since it has been long out-of-print, Section23 has given life to this OVA yet again. This is the complete OVA collection and contains all three episodes; “The Cursed City”, “The Forbidden Fist” and “When a Man Carries Sorrow”. I really enjoyed this series and it has been a while since I last saw them but they have held up well. It is crazy to believe that it has been almost 10 years since these were first released. Wow, time sure does fly. I still wish that this series will be rebooted or continued in the future cause Kenshiro is such an awesome character and he needs to continue kicking ass (and blowing people’s heads up).

Official Synopsis: A twist on the classic favorite that begins in the aftermath of the great apocalypse. Across a barren Earth, chaos is the rule and order, the exception with bandits and enterprising overlords terrorizing the survivors of the holocaust. Will a hero rise from the ashes and cut a swath of justice across the Earth’s ruined landscape?!

I was just thinking that since this was previously released on DVD, I would have loved to seen it cleaned up and coverted to Blu-ray format. That would have been ideal for this release. The DVD contains two audio tracks both English & Japanese with English Subtitles. So you have the option to watch whichever you want but of course we know that the Japanese track is the way to go. Lastly, There are no additional special features available on this release. This release is also timed perfectly with the new release of Tecmo Koei’s “Fist of the North Star: Ken’s Rage 2” available on XBOX 360 on February 5, 2012.

 

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Actors: Kathryn Newton, Katie Featherston, Alexondra Lee, Matt Shively, Stephen Dunham
Directors: Ariel Schulman, Henry Joost
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: January 29, 2013
Run Time: 87 minutes (Theatrical) / 96 minutes (Unrated)

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

I am a big fan of the “Paranormal Activity” franchise. I was literally first in line with my sister and fellow fan for the fourth film. I have to say, I was a little bit disappointed. This film was fun and exciting but it didn’t pack the mystery and intrigue that the others had. This release includes both the unrated director’s cut and the theatrical cut of the film.  I watched the unrated cut and I really didn’t pick up on the difference. Also there are two new characters added according to the credits. Even though, the film does works a little better second time though, since I think my expectations were lower. Nonetheless, I still stand behind this franchise and look forward “Paranormal Activity 5” this October, as well as the spin-off “Paranormal Activity: The Oxnard Tapes” later this year. Bring it on Toby!

Official Synopsis: Fourth film in the found footage horror franchise which follows on from events in the first two films. Alice (Newton) and her mother were fine until their new neighbors moved in, but the creepy little kid next door, Robbie (Brady Allen) and his auntie Katie (Featherston) have brought more than just their belongings to the neighborhood. It seems that the demonic presence which has tormented them for years has followed them and is keen on getting to know the neighbors.

Paramount delivers a nice Blu-ray presentation in a combo back including a Blu-ray disc, DVD disc as well as an Utralviolet streaming digital copy.  I am a big fan of the UV digital copies and enjoy this being an added feature to this release.  When it comes to found footage, you have to give the quality of the transfer a big of room since it is shot on various formats.  But “PA4” really delivers a nice clean 1080p transfer with a sharp DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. The special features on this release are not that great in terms of quantity.  “The Recovered Files” is the only extra included but it does include about 30 minutes more additional ‘found footage’ (check the link below).  There are a great deal of pre-release footage for “PA4” that did not end up in the final film. So we get a chance to see that footage here and some of it really backs some decent content. If you are a fan of the franchise though, I did enjoy footage and I recommend you checking it out.

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Starring: Various
Director: Various
Number of discs: 23
Rated: Various
Studio: Warner Home Video
DVD Release Date: January 29, 2013

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

With Warner Bros celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, they are releasing a 20 film collection on DVD focusing on the Best Pictures awarded throughout the years. Looking over the list below, Warner Bros have really delivered some wonderful films over the film 90 years. The films have not only entertained the public but also influences the media in whole. They are broken into three different chapters focusing on various times in film history. The first chapter is from 1929-1942, called A New Era. 1946-1959 is next and is called The Golden Years. Lastly 1975-2006 is labeled The New Classics. This is only the beginning of five genre film collections being released this year. Next up we have Musicals in February, Romance in April, Comedy in July and Thrillers in September. Warner Bros really lined up a very impressive year to celebration their anniversary.

If you are wondering, why not a perfect score for these perfect films that is due to the aspect of DVD. Of course some of these films are not yet available on Blu-ray. Still though with Blu-ray taking over the media world right now, the need and want of the DVD format is second picked and not the preferred way that I would like to view some of these “Best Pictures”. Still this release though is highly recommend for all true fans of quality films. If you prefer Blu-ray and do not mind missing some of these unreleased classics then be sure to also check out “The Best of Warner Bros. 50 Film Blu-ray™ Collection”, since it contains most of these in this collection.

Let’s take a look a the first chapter 1929-1942 (A New Era). I have to say being a big film buff, this is the section that I was excited to explore the most.  I have to admit that I have only see two of these films in this era, “Mutiny on the Bounty” (1935) and “Casablanca” (1942). I am very excited to watch and enjoyed much the stage revue aspect of the 1929 classic “The Broadway Melody”. When I was watching these films though, I wasn’t just sitting there and watching.  I was actually learning and researching about these films and their production, actors, and legacies.  I found that to be the most exciting aspect of this review for me.

Next up is the 1946-1959 (The Golden Years), which a period that I am more familiar with than the prior.  Also I have seen every film during this time except “The Best Years of Our Lives” (1946), which runs just shy of three hours but still a brilliant film.  “An American in Paris” is one of Gene Kelly’s classics. Sticking with musicals, “Gigi” is one of the best ever made for sure.  When it comes to long running time though, let’s get to “Ben-Hur”.  The film clocks in at over four hours but man is it such an adventure and really deserves to be included in this set.  This is also one of the best roles for Charlton Heston in his career.  To be honest though, last year I had the privilege to view this film on Blu-ray and once you have experienced that is hard to go back to the DVD version of the film. There is no doubt that these films are from the Golden era of films and I look forward to revisiting this section quite off.

The last period in this collection is 1975-2006 (The New Classics).  To be honest, I think this could have been split into different eras since I do not really consider films like “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975) and “Driving Miss Daisy” (1989) to be considered “new classics”.  They are surely classics but not very new.  In fact it has been a while since I have revisited those films, as well as Amadeus: Director’s Cut (1984) and it has been a real treat.  I forgot how amazing and influential these films are.  “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2003) is one of my favorites of all-time and though like “Ben-Hur”, it just really needs to be seen on Blu-ray to really be enjoyed and appreciated.

Wrapping up this release is a 12-Page booklet included, which gives some information on each of the films and Warner’s history over the years. I could see this release being very popular with those that haven’t really crossed over to the high-def format yet.  Some of the films included in the 1929-1942 (A New Era) chapter is worth it for the purchase.  Like I said above though, it is only January and this is only the beginning of Warner Bros year long 90th anniversary celebration.  Stay tuned!

1929-1942 (A New Era)
· The Broadway Melody (1929)
· Grand Hotel (1932)
· Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
· The Life of Emile Zola (1937)
· Mrs. Miniver (1942)
· Casablanca (1942)

1946-1959 (The Golden Years)
· The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
· An American in Paris (1951)
· Around the World in 80 Days (1956)
· Gigi (1958)
· Ben-Hur (1959)

1975-2006 (The New Classics)
· One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
· Chariots of Fire (1981)
· Amadeus: Director’s Cut (1984)
· Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
· Unforgiven (1992)
· The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
· Million Dollar Baby (2004)
· The Departed (2006)

On 1/29/12, WB officially kicked off the 90^th Anniversary celebration at the Paley Center in New York. Check out the images below from the event.

(L to R) Bill Gerber, Alan Cumming, and Warner Home Entertainment EVP Jeff Baker yesterday (Tuesday, January 29, 2013) celebrated the 90th Anniversary of Warner Bros. Studios at the World Premiere screening New York City of the feature-length documentary Tales from the Warner Bros. Lot, an inside look at the workings of the legendary studio and its history. Screening took place at the Paley Center for Media. The documentary will be part of two new just-released Warner box sets, “The Best of Warner Bros. 100 Film DVD Collection” and “The Best of Warner Bros. 50 Film Blu-Ray Collection,” the largest ever collections of their kind in the history of home entertainment. Gerber produced the documentary with Gary Khammar, who directed. Designer Bill Gold, a veteran of six decades of advertising at Warner Bros. whose work is included in the collections, also attended. Jeff Baker delivers intro to sold out crowd

 

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Directors: Michel Ocelot
Rated: Unrated
Studio: NEW VIDEO GROUP
DVD Release Date: January 29, 2013
Run Time: 84 minutes

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

When it comes to animation, especially Foreign animation, I am always drawn in. This film looked very interesting from its description and colorful presentation. The film itself though isn’t as exciting. I have to give it to Michel Ocelot though for delivering a unique approach to this animation process. The stories are told through the idea of shadows. Visually the film looks great especially on Blu-ray but I just wasn’t really drawn in with the stories. There are six “Tales” in this film:

1) The Werewolf
2) Ti Jean and the Belle-Sans-Connaitre
3) The Chosen One And The City Of Gold
4) Boy Tam-Tam
5) The Boy Who Never Lied
6) The Doe-Girl And The Architect’s Son

Official Premise: From the imagination of internationally renowned animator Michel Ocelot (Kirikou and the Sorceress, Azur & Asmar) comes a magical and visually stunning new film, delighting kids, families and animation fans of all ages. Silhouetted characters are set off against exquisitely detailed Day-Glo backgrounds bursting with color and kaleidoscopic patterns, as the film weaves together six exotic fables each unfolding in a unique locale, from Tibet, to medieval Europe, and even the Land of the Dead. In Ocelot’s celebrated storytelling, history blends with fairytale as viewers are whisked off to visit enchanted lands full of dragons, shape-shifting werewolves, captive princesses, and enormous talking bees – and each fable ends with its own ironic twist.

This release is delivered by New Video Group in a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack.  The 1080p transfer in presented with an aspect ratio of 1.77:1. Like I said above it does look very sharp and the colors really jump out.  Though this film was originally released theatrically in 3D, but this release only includes a 2D presentation. I am very disappointed in this since I feel it would have added a lot to the film itself.  Note: This is the second time this year already that New Video Group released an intended 3D Blu-ray only in 2D, the other being “Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai”. The English dub audio track, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, works well with the format but I actually did prefer the original French language but its track is only presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0.

The special features are like the film a bit of a let down and are both in standard defition.  There is “An Interview with Filmmaker Michel Ocelot” talks about his process of creating this film. It is in French with English subtitles. “The Festival of Color: Storytelling Through Animation Featurette with Filmmaker Michel Ocelot” is an extra focuses on the work with a UNICEF event again chatting about the production.  Also again in  French with English subtitles. Lastly there is a U.S. Trailer included.

Actors: Chuggington Characters
Directors: Sarah Ball
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: ANCHOR BAY
DVD Release Date: February 12, 2013
Run Time: 61 minutes

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

All aboard! The gang of Chuggington is at it again and taking preschoolers from coast-to-coast in their latest release “Safari Adventures”.  My eight month old daughter really digs this show, especially the theme song.  I love that fact that it is filled with valuable life lessons for her to enjoy as she grows up. This all-new compilation is being released just in time for Valentine’s Day! It comes in two different versions: the standard DVD and also a limited edition release that features a collectible Mtambo toy engine from TOMYTM.  If you are a fan of this show then this release is a no-brainer for sure! CHUGGINGTON!!

Official Premise: Honk Your Horns For The Ultimate Safari Adventure! In these six episodes — plus a bonus Badge Quest episode — Koko helps out a pack of playful squirrels, Brewster investigates banana thieves at the Safari Park, and Wilson hauls a mischievous elephant to its new home. There’s monkey business with Zephie, a royal visitor for Mtambo and jungle camouflage, too. With good friends and helpful adults like Puffer Pete, Eddie and Dunbar, your own little trainees will learn all about problem solving, working together and being patient with the animals, in this collection of fun-filled Safari adventures.

The special features are decent and fun for the kiddies. There is a bonus Badge Quest episode titled “Animal Helper”.  There are also two featurettes called “The Chugger Spotlight”, one called Koko and the other Mtambo (aka the toy car that comes with the DVD). Both very cute. Lastly there are various coloring and activity sheets to print for kids via the your DVD-ROM drive. Props have to go to Disney though cause without them I wouldn’t have found out about this show. The air it weekdays on Disney Channel’s Disney Junior programming block but more importantly daily on their new 24-hour Disney Junior cable.  The series is currently in its third season and I hope to see much more of these DVD’s released in the future.

Actors: Bobby Driscoll, Kathryn Beaumont, Paul Collins, Tommy Luske, Bill Thompson
Directors: Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske
Number of discs: 3
Rated: G (General Audience)
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Release Date: February 5, 2013
Run Time: 77 minutes

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

“Peter Pan” has always been my second favorite Disney movie (behind “Alice in Wonderland). It’s story is so timeless.  I mean, who doesn’t want to fly, no worries and get a chance to fight buccaneers (and pirates too!).  Seems like the perfect fairy tale  right? Walt Disney Studios is celebrating the 60th Anniversary of this wonderful classic and what better time than to release it for the first time every with a new digital restoration and high definition picture and sound on Blu-ray. “Peter Pan” is also a great display of Disney’s Golden Age of animation and was one of three films to actually include all nine of Walt Disney’s “Nine Old Men” working as Directing Animators. This release will have you soaring high, past the second star to the right and straight on ‘till morning.  If you have always wanted to take a trip to Never Land, this Blu-ray a good start to relive your childhood memories with Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, Wendy, Michael, John and Captain Hook with his band of bilge rats. If you don’t believe me take the words of the Indian Chief: “Me no spoof’em”.

Now let’s get down to the meat of this release   First of all, I am head over heals for the cover art of this release.  I love when a classic film get’s re-imagined. I understand the love of original art but this just feels so fresh and yet classic at the same time.  Disney is delivers a three-disc Blu-ray combo pack within under its well-respected Diamond Edition label.  Besides the Blu-ray disc, it also comes with a DVD, Digital Copy and even an Storybook App for iPhones and iPads. Now onto the wonderful (and probably much-debated) 1080p transfer. This film has been beautiful restored thanks to new digital advances used by the Disney restoration team. “Peter Pan” has been slightly altered in order to improve it to it’s original Walt Disney expectations.  But despite that, the film has never looked better.  And man, the colors just absolutely stunning! Disney tops it off with a first rate DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track that works so perfectly with the film’s beautiful music.  Of course, then there is also included is an original Dolby Digital Mono track. I easily prefer the 7.1 track, even if it is a little bit overkill for this film.  It still sounds amazing and really immerses you in this wonderful world of Never Land.

Disney did not skimp on the special features for this Blu-ray at all.  They come stocked with some great content.  To start there is an Introduction by Diane Disney-Miller, which has her reflecting on her father’s work. Roy Disney hosts a fantastically extensive audio commentary track, which was taken from the previous DVD release. Disney himself is a little stiff but still delivers some great knowledge and chats with animators, voice actors and more. Highly recommended. “Growing Up with Nine Old Men” is a 40+ minute feature on the Walt Disney’s famous group of lead animators. There are two deleted scenes and two deleted songs that have been restored to HD and dug out from the Disney Vault,including an alternate ending “The Journey Home”. They are presented either in original storyboards, concept art or rough cel elements format.  Also included are the classic DVD extras, starting with “Backstage Disney”, presented in SD and running just over an hour. This is made up of five behind-the-scenes featurettes and documentaries including “You Can Fly: The Making of Peter Pan,” “In Walt’s Words: Why I Made Peter Pan,” “Tinker Bell: A Fairy’s Tale,” “The Peter Pan that Almost Was” and “The Peter Pan Story”.  There is also a bunch of classics music extras as well including “Disney Song Selection”, “Deleted Song: The Pirate Song,” “Never Land: The Lost Song,” “Music Video: Never Land, performed by Paige O’Hara” and “Music Video: The Second Star to the Right, performed by T-Squad.”

Rounding out this release is one of my favorite new Disney special features, which is the “Disney Intermission”.  What is it?  Well try pausing the film at point and what what happens.  You are transported to Never Land with over 30 minutes of additional hidden treasures. Included are many fun activities and games for kids.  You can “Hunt for Peter Pan’s Shadow”, “Spot the Doubloon” and “Read Smoke Signals”, all wrapped up with video clips helmed by the first mate of the Jolly Roger.  I found myself pausing just for the heck of it. Even though I know every word to this film backwards and forwards, it is still great that a Sing-Along track is included. We also get to enjoy “DisneyView Side Bars”, which fills in the boring ‘ole black bars on the sides of the picture with beautiful artwork from Walt Disney background painter Cristy Maltese (“Beauty and the Beast” and “The Little Mermaid”). Lastly, there are a great deal of sneak peeks into what Disney has in store next including “The Little Mermaid 3D”, “Return to Never Land”, “The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh”, “The Muppet Movie”, the next “Tinker Bell” movie (no official title yet) and much more.

 

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Actors: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Pena, Anna Kendrick, Natalie Martinez, America Ferrera
Directors: David Ayer
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Universal Studios
Release Date: January 22, 2013
Run Time: 109 minutes

Film: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

Wow, I cannot believe it took me this long to see this movie. I never gave “End of Watch” a second look when it was in theaters last Fall, but boy was I missing out. This film has some amazing and powerful performances from both Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña, where are the Oscar nods?! The film is from the writers of “Training Day” and he really captures the same essence that he did with that film. The film is raw, gritty, in-your-face and very powerful. It is also a little bit scary to think that certain areas of the world are really like this. I liked the hand-held camera aspect to the film as well, since it really added the fly-on-the-wall feeling, which I really dug. Literally, this is one of the best films of 2012 and easily one of the most impressive and rawest cop films in years.

Official Premise: From the writer of Training Day comes a gripping, action-packed cop drama starring Academy Award nominee Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña. In their mission to abide by their oath to serve and protect, Officers Brian Taylor (Gyllenhaal) and Mike Zavala (Peña) have formed a powerful brotherhood to ensure they both go home at the end of watch. But nothing can prepare them for the violent backlash that happens after they pull over the members of a notorious drug cartel for a routine traffic stop. Seen from the point of view of the officers, gang members, surveillance cameras, dash cams and citizens caught in the line of fire, a 360 dergree perspective creates a gritty, compassionate and intense portrait of the city’s darkest streets, and the brave men and women patrolling them.

Universal delivered “End of Watch” with its typical yet very impressive Two-Disc Combo Pack.  It includes the following: Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy + Ultraviolet.  That Ultraviolet code was immediately redeemed and will be used and revisited as often as I can. The 1080p transfer on the Blu-ray looks sharp even though the film is so gritty and made to feel like it is shot using handhelds. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track on the Blu-ray is just as raw yet effective as the film. You literally find yourself dodging the bullets during the shootouts. Both audio and video are very impressive.

The special features on this release are not good in quantity but pack some good quality.  There is a fantastic audio commentary track from writer/director David Ayer.  He really adds great depth to the film and gives a lot of great insight. There are a hella lot of deleted scenes included here, in fact there are almost 50 minutes of deleted scenes.  Yes that’s right 50 minutes.  It is a mixture of eighteen deleted scenes and various alternate takes.  As much as I enjoyed the film itself, I loved some of the longer deleted scenes and a few of them would have really worked in the final product.  Lastly, there are five featurettes summing up the extras but they are very short and disappointing. They consist of  “Fate with a Badge,” “In the Streets,” “Women on Watch,” “Watch Your Six” and “Honors”, which consist of two-minute looks into the production with the cast and crew.

Actors: Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle, John Goodman, Kelly Reilly, Bruce Greenwood
Directors: Robert Zemeckis
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: February 5, 2013
Run Time: 138 minutes

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

“Flight” is Robert Zemeckis’ first live-action film since “Cast Away” and “What Lies Beneath”, both released in 2000. Let me tell you as much as I loved his motion-capture films, this is a fantastic return for him. It is a great original story and very performance driven, kudos to my man Denzel. I have had the wonderful privilege of meeting and interviewing Denzel Washington a few years back. He shines in this role and was rightfully given an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. The opening plane crash scene will leave you biting your nails and then it turns its this fantastic character piece that has you enthralled until the end. All around great acting, directing and script.  Recommended.

Official Synopsis: Academy Award® winner Denzel Washington stars in this “riveting and powerful nail-biting thriller” from Robert Zemeckis, the Academy Award®winning director of Forrest Gump and Cast Away. Airline pilot Whip Whitaker (Washington) miraculously lands his plane after a mid-air catastrophe. But even as he’s being hailed for his heroic efforts, questions arise as to who or what was really at fault. Action-packed, engrossing and powerful, Washington’s performance is being hailed as “a triumph” and one that “will be talked about for years.

Paramount is known for delivering fine Blu-ray releases and that is definitely the case here. “Flight” comes as a Blu-ray + DVD + UV Digital Copy combo pack. The 1080p transfer on this release is very well represented and comes with a solid DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 audio track, which works well with the film’s dramatic tone and Alan Silvestri’s score. The special features are good but not amazing. I would have loved to see an commentary from Zemeckis at least. There are three behind-the-scenes featurettes including “Origins of Flight”, which looks into the story behind the film. “The Making of Flight” is a generic behind-scenes look with cast/crew. “Anatomy of a Plane Crash” is my favorite part of the film but runs a little short. Lastly there is a highlight of a Q&A session for the film.

Actors: Colin Farrell, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Christopher Walken, Tom Waits
Directors: Martin McDonagh
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: January 29, 2013
Run Time: 110 minutes

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

“Seven Psychopaths” works because it is an original idea that comes packs with an awesome cast and a sharp script. It is a laugh riot that surprises you around every corner. Original ideas are not the norm when it comes to Hollywood filled with sequels and remakes. The combination of Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson and Christopher Walken are cinematic genius. Farrell reunites with Academy Award® Winner Martin McDonagh, Writer/Director of “In Bruges”. The DVD of the film also includes an Ultraviolet digital copy, so I know that I will be revisiting this film quite often. Highly recommended for sure!

Official Synopsis: From Oscar®-winning writer and director Martin McDonagh comes a star-studded, blood-drenched, black comedy. Marty (Farrell) is a struggling writer who dreams of finishing his screenplay “Seven Psychopaths” and all he needs is a little focus and inspiration. Billy (Rockwell) is Marty’s best friend, an unemployed actor and part time dog thief, who wants to help Marty by any means necessary. Hans (Walken) is Billy’s partner in crime, a religious man with a violent past. Charlie (Harrelson) is the psycho-pathetic gangster whose beloved dog Billy and Hans have just stolen. Charlie is unpredictable, extremely violent and wouldn’t think twice about killing anyone or anything associated with the theft. Marty is going to get all the focus and inspiration he needs, just as long as he lives to tell the tale.

Here is the deal with the special features for the DVD. They come with six different featurettes but they are very short, each one and just leave you wanting more. Each one is just over 2 minutes long at most, which is just not worth it. “Martin McDonagh’s Seven Psychopaths” is featurette with cast and crew chatting about the film. “Colin Farrell is Marty” is a feature with Farrell chatting about his character. The same goes for “Woody Harrelson is Charlie”. “Crazy Locations” is an all too brief look a the shooting locations. “Seven Psychocats” is the best extra, mixing the trailer with cats standing in for the actors. Lastly, “Layers” is a short mash-up of the film set to a rap beat. Very disappointing extras for such a funny film.

 

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Starring: Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith
Studio: 20th Century Fox
DVD Release Date: January 29, 2013
Run Time: 22 minutes

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

The gang is back in “Madly Madagascar” in this new Valentine’s Day-themed special. This franchise is not a stranger to holiday specials after “The Madagascar Penguins in a Christmas Caper” and “Merry Madagascar”. They were both very clever and fun. This special is loaded with great jokes and continues the trend that the “Madagascar” franchise is not even close to being dried up. I recommend this for all families to enjoy for the holiday and I hope that they have more planned in the future, while we are waiting for “Madagascar 4”.

Official Premise: Your favorite Madagascar pals are back in an all-new adventure! Alex’s favorite holiday, Valentine’s Day, brings hilarious surprises and excitement for the entire gang. Melman plans a big surprise for Gloria, Marty tries to impress a new friend and everyone wants to get their hands on King Julien’s love potion. You’ll fall in LOVE with Madly Madagascar!

I would have loved to have this film on Blu-ray, I am not sure why Fox decided not to deliver that. The special features included on the DVD are two additional animated shorts. The first is called “Hammy’s Boomerang Adventure” and the second is “First Flight”. They are both very funny and worth checking out. Since the feature is only 22 minutes, the extra content is well worth checking out. In case you think it is not worth the purchase you can always catch it on TV airing on Valentine’s Day this year…and I am sure this will become a yearly tradition.

Actors: James Remar, Lucas Till, Jason Trost
Directors: Jason Trost
Rated: Unrated
Studio: IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT
Release Date: January 29, 2013
Run Time: 78 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
EXtras: N/A

Writer/director Jason Trost is a name that has come up twice now in the last year. He is part of the duo responsible for last years cult hit “The FP”, which I also really enjoyed. “All Superheroes Must Die” is a real treat with all the focus on superheroes thanks to “Marvel’s The Avengers”. I like the idea of focusing on a game where superheroes actually lose. Jason Trost stars as well along with Lucas Till (“X-Men: First Class”) and deliver a fun and very clever look at the genre. This is much more than just a superhero movie, it is a great character piece as well.

Official Premise: “All Superheroes Must Die” follows four masked avengers – Charge (Trost), Cutthroat (Till), The Wall (Valmassy) and Shadow (Merkley) — who find themselves stripped of their powers by their arch-nemesis (Remar), whom they defeated years earlier. Or so they thought. When the sinister mastermind puts the heroes through a series of brutal challenges that are virtually impossible to overcome, they must battle the clock, and even each other, in a race to stop a deadly countdown that could mean total destruction. Will the superheroes prevail, or will they be forced to meet their demise as mere human beings?

The film carries a budget of under $1 million dollars but looks quite impressive. The scale is small but feels a lot larger than it is. The 1080p transfer on the Blu-ray is very impressive, especially since the film is very dark. The accompany the impressive video is also a sweet audio packing a nice DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 track. After enjoying this film, I would wanted to run right to the special features and check them out. Unfortunately there are none – no commentaries, no featurettes. A little bit disappointing.

Starring: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Selena Gomez, Steve Buscemi, David Spade, Andy Samberg
Director: Genndy Tartakovsky
Number of discs: 3
Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Sony Animation
DVD Release Date: January 29, 2013
Run Time: 91 minutes

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

After Adam Sandler’s last few terrible films like “That’s My Boy” and Jack and Jill”, I didn’t want to see any more of him. Luckily in “Hotel Transylvania” you only have to hear him, so that works for me. This is also the directorial debut for Genndy Tartakovsky, who is known best for “Samuari Jack” and the 2003 “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” mini-series. The animation style is very different but the man definitely knows how to direct animation. I am a big fan of the classic monsters and this film feels like today’s reboot of Rankin/Bass’ “Mad Monster Party”. We get all the great monsters here and this film is actually really funny and entertaining. I would highly recommend checking this out for sure, especially in 3D if possible. Sony Animation is really stepping up its game and delivering hit after hit in this department.

Besides Adam Sandler playing the role of Dracula. Wizard of Wavery Place’s Selena Gomez plays Mavis, Dracula’s 118 year old “teenage” daughter, Andy Samberg plays the human Jonathan, Kevin James voices Frankenstein and his wife Eunice is voiced by Fran Drescher. Steve Buscemi is Wayne the Werewolf and his wife Wanda is voiced by Molly Shannon. David Spade voices Griffin the Invisible Man. Cee Lo Green is Murray, the obese mummy. Lastly, Jon Lovitz voices Quasimodo Wilson, the former Hunchback of Notre Dame now a gourmet chef. I love the twist that they put on each of these classic monsters. It adds a lot to the film and really delivers the laughs.

Official Premise: Welcome to Hotel Transylvania, Dracula’s lavish five-stake resort, where monsters and their families can live it up and no humans are allowed. One special weekend, Dracula (Sandler) has invited all his best friends – Frankenstein and his wife, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, the Werewolf family, and more – to celebrate his beloved daughter Mavis’s (Gomez) 118th birthday. For Dracula, catering to all of these legendary monsters is no problem, but the party really starts when one ordinary guy stumbles into the hotel and changes everything.

I have to come straight out and say that I feel that Sony delivers the best Blu-ray experience, specially with Blu-ray 3D. They have been very consistent and never let’s you down. This release is very impressive in all areas. It comes as a combo pack with a Blu-ray 3D disc, a stanard Blu-ray, a DVD disc and also an UltraViolet Digital Copy, which will be immediately added to my account for repeat viewings. The 1080p transfer is really perfect. The 3D effects in the film are fun and not too over-the-top. I feel that they look even better on home media format then in theaters. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track really works well with the music and crazy antics that this film delivers.

The special features are kick-ass just like the film and come jam-packed with a lot of kid-friendly goodies. First up we have ““Goodnight Mr. Foot””, which is the new mini-movie also directed and animated by Genndy Tartakovsky. There are three deleted scenes included. There is a music video by Becky G Featuring will.i.am for the song “Problem (Monster Remix)”, as well as a behind-the-scenes featurette on the video. There is a really sweet commentary with Director Genndy Tartakovsky, Producer Michelle Murdocca, and Visual Effects Supervisor Daniel Kramer. I loved listening to Genndy talks about the film and Daniel giving tips about the effects used. The rest of the extras are exclusive to the Blu-ray discs including three progression reels and two Featurettes: ““Meet the Staff and Guests: Voicing Hotel Transylvania”” and ““Making the Hotel””. Both featurettes are great and a higlight of the release.

Actors: Fivel Stewart, Booboo Stewart, Eric Roberts, Vanessa Angel
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Lionsgate
DVD Release Date: January 22, 2013
Run Time: 90 minutes

Film: 2 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1.5 out of 5 stars

With “Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters” hitting theaters this month, here comes the low-budget DTV rip-off called “Hansel & Gretel​: Warriors of Witchcraft. The film is a dark modern day twist on this fairytale and aims to draws in the tweens and Twihard with casting Booboo Stewart of “The Twilight Saga” franchise and his sister Fivel Stewart. The film also co-stars Eric Roberts and Vanessa Angel, which just add more cheese to this already cheesy film. Unless you are a young girl, I would steer very clear from this.

Official Premise: Jonah and Ella Mazer (Hansel and Gretel) were happy, normal teenagers–sent to an elite boarding school. The Head Master, Sebastian, seems to know more about the brother and sister than they know about themselves. As both get to know their high school classmates, strange and frightening things begin to happen. When their new friends explain that they are all descended from powerful witches, and they’ve been waiting for Hansel and Gretel to join them and complete a new generation of the Coven, both refuse to believe them. But it’s not until Hansel discovers a message from his mother in an old leather-bound book of spells hidden in the school library, that he understands their true and dangerous destiny – slaying witches.

Some of the special effects look cool to be honest so it isn’t all bad. I was a little soft on my rating, since I had the priveldge of meeting and interviewing Mr. Booboo Stewart in person and he is really a super cool kid. I feel bad that he had to take on this role. The special features include an audio commentary track with the director David DeCoteau and the stars Booboo and Fivel Stewart. It is entertaining for the most part and Booboo and his sister Fivel seems like they are having fun together. Lastly there is a stills gallery including.

 

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Actors: Luke Goss, Danny Trejo, Tanit Phoenix, Frederick Koehler, Robin Shou
Directors: Roel Reine
Rated: R / Unrated
Studio: Universal Studios
Release Date: January 22, 2013
Run Time: 105 / 106 minutes

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

When Roger Corman made this original cult classic “Death Race 2000” back in 1975 with David Carradine and Sylvester Stallone, I doubt he ever though the film will be remade or turn up with two prequels either. When I saw “Death Race” in the theaters, I thought it was plain ole stupid fun. With “Death Race 2”, it feels a lot smaller than the first but I actually enjoyed it a bit more since there was no bullshit just action and plenty of Tanit Phoneix. This second prequel brings back Luke Goss (“Hellboy 2: The Golden Army”), Danny Trejo (“Machete”), Ving Rhames (“Mission: Impossible”), Fred Koehler (Death Race 1 & 2), Robin Shou (“Mortal Kombat”) and Tanit Phoenix (“Death Race 2”). So the crew is back from “Death Race 2” and it is really well-polished action film. The plot or lack of is forgivable but it is very entertaining. The scale of the film seems so much bigger than it is and shot in some really beautiful locations. I didn’t think I would say this but what’s next for this franchise? I’m still hungry!

Official Premise: Repentant convict Carl Lucas (Luke Goss)- aka Frankenstein- is a legendary driver in the brutal prison blood sport known as Death Race. Only one victory away from winning freedom, Lucas is plunged into his most vicious competition yet: the first-ever desert Death Race. Through South Africa’s infernal Kalahari Desert, Lucas is pitted against ruthless adversaries and powerful forces at work behind the scenes to ensure his defeat. Also starring Danny Trejo and Ving Rhames, Death Race 3: Inferno is an insane, action-packed thrill ride.

Universal has delivered a fantastic two-disc combo pack. This comes with a Blu-ray, a DVD and two digital copies – iTunes and UltraViolet. Count me in for the Ultraviolet, I will be adding that to my account for sure. I should note that the DVD disc actually includes both cuts of the film, which is impressive. You can tell though when it is including the unrated footage since it jumps/lags a bit. The film packs an unrated cut but only runs a minute longer than its also included R-rated version. We get some longer – very bloody kills, which is good enough for me. The 1080p looks very sharp with the locations used in the film, very impressive. As does the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 audio track, which revs up and kicks ass on my 7.1 surround sound system.

The special features for this film are quite fantastic actually. First up we have extras that are exclusive to the Blu-ray disc. There is an alternate opening, which is definitely worth check out. “Racing For Death” is a look into the cars and the work that went into them for the production. “Art Imitating Life” is a featurettes on the character Goldberg and the actor who plays him, Danny Trejo. The rest of the extras are available on both Blu-ray and DVD. There is a montage of deleted scenes to start. “The Making of Death Race 3: Inferno” is the best extra and takes us behind-the-scenes on this new version of the popular Death Race franchise. Lastly, there is an audio commentary track With Director Roel Reiné, also worth checking out for sure.