Actors: Bela Lugosi, Madge Bellamy
Directors: Victor Halperin
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Kino Lorber
Release Date: January 29, 2013
Run Time: 69 minutes

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

If you are a fan of zombies and shows like “The Walking Dead”, let me introduce you to “White Zombie”.  This is the film that started it all…the first zombie movie. This has influenced so many films over the last 80+ years. For the firs time, this film has been remastered in HD, thanks to Kino Classics! “White Zombie” has been released many times before on DVD and never looked like this at all.  Bela Lugosi, who is best known for playing Dracula, stars in this fan favorite with those mystical eyes of his. If you are a fan of this film, then this is the Blu-ray for you. Personally, this might not be Lugosi’s best film but it is certainly become a cult classic over the years and I recommend it highly on Blu-ray.

Official Premise: Along a desolate road in the Haitian mountains, a carriage bearing Neil Parker and Madeleine Short encounters a funeral in which the body is being buried in the road. Further down the road, the coach stops at the sight of a man of satanic appearance: six human shapes step forth, and the horrified driver shouts ”Zombies!”, signaling the first appearance of the living dead in American cinema. When first released, “White Zombie” occupies a deserved place beside “Dracula” and “Frankenstein” as one of the most eerie and interesting horror films of the 1930’s and remains a horror classic.

Kino’s Blu-ray of “White Zombie” comes with two complete versions of the film.  Both versions have been taken from an original 35mm negative with a few missing scenes taken from a 16mm print. Both are presented in it’s original aspect ratio: 1.37:1. This Blu-ray doesn’t really blow you away with its presentation of this film and for a film that is 80+ years old it shows its age quite a bit.  Same goes for the Linear PCM 2.0 audio track, it is decent but nothing special. The special features are a bit of a let down with quantity not quality.  There is a commentary track with film historian Frank Thompson, worth checking out for some good zombie references.  There is a nice interview with Bela Lugosi, which was filmed during White Zombie’s production. Lastly, there is a trailer from the 1951 re-release.

Starring: Justin Gregg, Pail Tylak, Nicola Coughlan, Alan Stanford, Liz Lloyd, Paul Tylak
Directors: Oskar Jonasson
Distributed by: Arc Entertainment
Release Date: 01/15/2013
MPAA Rating: PG
Run Time: 83 minutes

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

After the success of “The Avengers”, you have to imagine that there will be tons of copycats trying to cash in on its success. “Thor: Legend of the Magical Hammer” though is a pretty well done CG animated film. The story is very silly and not the sharpest but still fun, especially for kids. This film includes a few firsts This is a Walmart exclusive and is the first full-length animated film to come out of Iceland, thanks to the studio CAOZ. For that being said, it is really well done. The animation is quite impressive, if you can over the way Thor looks. Kids who are fans of superheros should definitely enjoy this.

Official Premise: Thor, the son of the mighty god Odin, battles the evil Ice Queen and her army of vicious giants in this exciting animated adventure! Thor is a village blacksmith who dreams of being a mighty warrior, practicing with a broomstick as his mother laughs at him. When a talking hammer falls from the sky, he realizes he may truly have a way to fulfill his dreams.  Soon after, the Ice Queen kidnaps his mother and the rest of the villagers, and he must reach deep inside himself to unleash his full powers to fight the queen and her army.  Will Thor and his magical hammer be enough to save the world from destruction?

On thing I just need to point out is that the Ice Queen reminded me so much like Izma from Disney’s “The Emperor’s New Groove”, she is decent baddie but no Loki. Arc Entertainment is the distributor and they have yet to cross over into 3D Blu-ray, as they barely release many Blu-ray but this film was made in 3D.  It includes many over-the-top 3D gimmicks, though would have been fun to see but remain unavailable. There are no special features besides a trailer included.  Lastly there is a Vudu digital copy of the film included.

Actors: Tom Baker, Lalla Ward, David Brierley, Christopher Neame
Directors: Pennant Roberts
Number of discs: 3
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: BBC Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: January 8, 2013
Run Time: 109 minutes

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

“Shada” is my first experience to Doctor Who prior to the 2005 revival. It probably isn’t the best idea to start with an story 109, which is half way through The Tom Baker Years 1974-1981. This DVD features the legendary unfinished Fourth Doctor story, which is newly restored from original film negatives and studio recordings with 1992 linking material from Tom Baker, which fills in the blanks from the missing material. This show was intended to close the 17th season of the show was in 1980 and was never shown on TV. I appreciate the fact that this is finally being released for all the Doctor Who fans. Though if you think that this release is cool to own wait till you see the TWO discs, that’s right TWO discs of special features. Easily worth the purchase alone.

Official Premise: Written by Douglas Adams as his final contribution to Doctor Who, Shada was envisaged as a Time Lord story without a Gallifreyan setting. It sees the Doctor bringing Romana to present-day Earth to visit Professor Chronotis, an elderly Time Lord who absconded from Gallifrey and now lives a quiet academic life at St Cedd’s College in Cambridge. Also seeking Chronotis is a scientist called Skagra who has a device, in the form of a floating sphere, with which he intends to steal the Professor’s mind and thereby learn the location of a book entitled The Worshipful and Ancient Law of Gallifrey. Skagra eventually succeeds in obtaining the book, which has been borrowed from the Professor’s study by a student named Chris Parsons. He then kidnaps Romana and hijacks the TARDIS.

On the first disc, the special features focus are with commentary. The first feature is “Shada – BBCi/Big Finish Version” is DVD-ROM content only, which is an animated radio/webcast version with Paul McGann as the voice of the doctor. There is no commentary track included but there is info text option, which is quite entertaining to read. The second disc focuses more on featurette based extras. The first is “Taken Out of Time: The Making and Breaking of Shada”, which includes interviews from Tom Baker, Daniel Hill (plays Chris Parsons, Pennant Roberts and more. “Shada: Now & Then” looks at the locations from the shoot from 1979 to 2012. “Strike! Strike! Strike!” is a new extra with interviews from Tony Lennon (ex-president of BECTU union), Nicola Bryant (who played Peri Brown) and looks into the strikes that caused this series an major problem. “Being a Girl” is narrated by Louise Jameson (who played Leela) and looks into the female companions. Lastly there is a Photo Gallery.

The third disc is where the meat is for this release. Besides “Shada”, the star is the 90-minute documentary from 1995 called “More Than 30 Years in the TARDIS”. This is highly recommended for all Whovians. Next up is “Remembering Nicholas Courtney” is a feature looing into Courtney’s roles and is moderated by Michael McManus. “Doctor Who Stories – Peter Purves” looks into his role as Dr. Who’s companion Steven Taylor in various Dr. Who series. “The Lambert Tapes – Part 1 & 2” is an in depth interview with the actor. “Those Deadly Divas” focsues on Kate O’Mara, Camille Coduri and Tracy Ann Oberman. O’Mara. Lastly there is a Photo Gallery for “More Than 30 Years in the TARDIS” and also a hidden Easter Egg.

Actors: Boris Karloff
Number of discs: 1
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Warner Archive
DVD Release Date: January 8, 2013
Run Time: 181 minutes

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

When you think about classic horror, you think about Boris Karloff, who is an icon of his time.  In this three-film collection it shows three different roles from his films at Warner Bros including playing a warlord, a murder suspect and a prison inmate.  The films included are “West of Shanghai (1937)”, “The Invisible Menace (1938)” and “Devil’s Island (1939)”.  These aren’t the best films of his career but they are fun roles nonetheless.  These are available for the film time on DVD, thanks to Warner Archive.  If you are a fan of Karloff, then you will certainly appreciate being able to now own these films all on one DVD.

When it comes to quality Warner Archive tries to deliver decent content with what is available. These films have not been remastered or restored but have been manufactured from the best-quality video master currently available.  The films look decent overall but have quite a bit of age showing. They are each presented in 4 X 3 full frame and with their original aspect ratio of 1.37:1.  The audio track is a standard Dolby Mono track but I felt there was a bit of an issue with some of the dialogue, specifically with “The Invisible Menace”, otherwise they worked well. My personal favorite is “West of Shanghai (1937)”, since it delivers some great make-up work for Karloff’s character, especially for the time.

SYNOPSIS: A cinematic icon, Boris Karloff was one of Hollywood’s greatest actors. Although synonymous with horror, Karloff excelled in other genres as well, providing a lasting legacy of memorable performances. And in this collection of three rarely seen gems drawn from his work at Warner Bros., Karloff shines in a wide range of roles, encompassing mystery, adventure and drama. West of Shanghai (1937): A wily warlord (Karloff) holds a small group of Americans prisoner in a northern China mission. The Invisible Menace (1938): Army intelligence suspects an ex-con (Karloff) of murdering the ordnance expert who framed him. Devil’s Island (1939): A French doctor (Karloff) wrongfully convicted of treason falls victim to the barbaric cruelties of the penal colony’s commandant.

Own it today on DVD http://bit.ly/BuyKarloffTriple

Actors: Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen, Leland Orser, Jon Gries
Directors: Olivier Megaton
Rated: PG-13 / Unrated
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: January 15, 2013
Run Time: 92 minutes

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

When I first saw Liam Nesson take on the role of former CIA operative Bryan Mills and his ‘particular set of skills’ in “Taken”, I was blown away. “Taken 2” is basically the exact same thing as the first film. I figured that they would have done something different this time around. If you saw the first one basically you can skip this one.
The film is based on a script by Luc Besson (“The Fifth Element”) and directed by Olivier Megaton (“Colombiana”, “Transporter 3”) so there is no issues with the action here, that is in good hands and gets delivered well. That is the only reason, I gave 3 stars for the action, the rest would be barely 2 stars. Overall, the whole idea just feels a little bit re-used and missing any fresh ideas. Let’s just hope that “Taken 3” doesn’t see the light of day.

Official Premise: Liam Neeson returns as Bryan Mills, the ex-CIA operative who stopped at nothing to rescue his daughter from sadistic kidnappers. When the father of one of the kidnappers swears revenge, it is Bryan and his wife who find themselves “taken” hostage in Istanbul. To survive, Bryan must enlist the help of an unlikely ally and use his brutally efficient skills to take out his heavily-armed foes one by one.

The release comes as a combo pack from 20th Century Fox with both the Theatrical and Unrated Extended Cut of the film.  Included in the release is a Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Copy of the film. The film looks great with its 1080p transfer and comes with a flawless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, which highlights the action well. The special features are also decent overall.  There is a “Black Ops Field Manual and Kill Counter”, which showcases Bryan Mills’ badassdom.  There are deleted and extended scenes, including an alternate ending that runs over 20 minutes and I enjoyed quite a bit. “Tools of the Trade” is an interactive feature on his ‘specific set of skills’.  Lastly there is a behind-the-scenes featurette focusing on the films elaborate special effects.

Actors: Seth Swirsky, Henry Winkler, Jon Voight, Smokey Robinson, Sir Ben Kingsley
Directors: Seth Swirsky
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Cinema Libre Studio
DVD Release Date: October 2, 2012
Run Time: 85 minutes

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

I like the idea of stories.  I am a big storyteller myself.  I like how Seth Swirsky has taken his love for The Beatles and really delivers a fun…yet also informative film here.  “Beatles Stories” is nice and tight documentary with a lot of great input from a lot of people who have known and been inspired by the music of The Beatles. This is not just a re-hash of already known stories, Seth really went out of his way to deliver new and very interesting stories from these people.  When I think of The Beatles, I want to hear the music.  So of course I was hoping to hear more Beatles tunes throughout but I understand the cost of that.  So being a big Beatles fans since I was little child, I really enjoyed this and highly recommend this.

Seth Swirsky is one of the ultimate fans of The Beatles.  He grew up in Long Island, NY (as did I) loving every aspect of The Beatles (also as I did). Seth sets out on a road trip gathering stories from many known people from Sir Ben Kingsley, Sir George Martin, The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson, Henry Winkler snd Beatles engineer Norman Smith. As well as people who were involved with The Beatles, Seth also dives into his other musical favorites like Smokey Robinson, Graham Nash and Davy Jones and then relates then back to The Beatles. It is a very personal project and even though it is independent and a little choppy in parts.  You can feel that it is just a real labour of love.

The special features included are quite impressive for this independent release. There is 30 minutes of additional interviews or “stories” as they are called. The film alone runs 85 minutes, so the additional time is welcomed. There is an extended interview with The Beatles’ first recording engineer Norman Smith, which is highly recommended. Lastly there is a commentary track from the director Seth Swirsky, which is good if you enjoyed the film and looking for more. For a documentary overall, I am very impressed with these extras and this is a must for all Beatles fans!

Directed by: Patrick Reams, Ruán Magan
Actors: Justin Morck, Eric Rolland, Adam Jonas Segaller, Alex Falberg, Michael Chmiel
Rated: Unrated
Studio: A&E Home Video
Release Date: January 22, 2013
Run Time: 360 minutes

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

This mini-series original aired on History as an eight-hour, four-part miniseries. The series focuses on Cornelius Vanderbilt, John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, J. P. Morgan and Henry Ford and how they…take a guess…built America. This series is arriving on a 3-disc Blu-ray from Lionsgate Home Entertainment. This series is nice blend of dramatic recreation with plenty of learning factor as well. History really delivers a very entertaining series here and even though it is eight hours, I literally almost had to watch this series in one sitting. It keep you completely enthralled and actually has great reply value. This is a must for History buffs.

Official Premise: The Men Who Built America™ tells the story of those that played a significant role in the shaping of this country. From Carnegie, Morgan, Rockefeller, Vanderbilt and Ford, the epic mini-series looks at how these individuals took a nation decaying from the Civil War into the greatest economic and technological superpower the world has ever seen. The Men Who Built America™ is the story of a nation at its crossroads and of the people who catapulted it to prosperity.

The first episode is called “A New War Begins” follows Cornelius Vanderbilt as takes over the railroad empire. It also shows the rise of John D. Rockefeller and as he founds Standard Oil. The second, “Bloody Battles”, focuses on Andrew Carnegie as his builds his steel empire and his struggles between Henry Frick. The third, “Changing the Game”, follows J.P. Morgan as his goes forward with the direct current electric light of Thomas Edison and faces competition from George Westinghouse and Nikola Tesla. The last episode is called “When One Ends, Another Begins” and it focuses around Rockefeller, Carnegie and Morgan as they team up to help elect William McKinley as US President. Of course due to assassination it falls to Theodore Roosevelt. Morgan buys out Carnegie Steel. Henry Ford founds the Model T and starts his own business, Ford Motor Company.

History is known for consistently delivering many impressive Blu-ray presentations. The 1080p transfer really looks sharp and really shows the amount of scale that this series brings forward. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 also works really well. The special features are actually quite impressive for a mini-series. Normally a show like this would not come with any additional footage but this series does not skimp out. There are seven featurettes included on this release including “From Richer to Richer”, “The American Dream”, “Monopoly”, “Competitive Nature”, “The Every Man”, “The Rise of Cornelius Vanderbilt” and “Traits of a Titan”. If you are a fan of this series when it aired on History last Fall, I would highly recommend this Blu-ray just for the extras.

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Directors: Jake Schreier
Actors: Frank Langella, Susan Sarandon, Peter Sarsgaard, James Marsden, Liv Tyler
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: February 12, 2013
Run Time: 89 minutes

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

When I saw the trailer for “Robot & Frank”, I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen.  Frank Langella gives a wonderful performance as Frank, an aging thief, who gets a second life with the help of his robot. The story is very simple but really keep you on your toes.  I loved the futuristic aspect but without really needing to show too much of the future. If you are wondering who Peter Sarsgaard plays in the film, he is actually the voice of Frank’s robot. He really delivers a great vocal performance. This is a rare little gem and really deserves some attention.

Even though the film is set in the future, I like the fact that their are only a few subtle differences including snazzy cars, transparent phones and, of course, robots. Not to different from now, yes even the robots, have you ever seen what Japan is doing? The phone and TV displays were designed by Justin Ouellette, who works at Tumblr. Most importantly, the robot’s costume was designed by Alterian, which is the company behind the LED helmets worn by the electro duo Daft Punk. All very impressive since the film was very low-budget at $2.5 million, so don’t expect any major special effects.  This film is all character and story driven. The little touches just add the charm to the film.

Official Premise: Set in the near future, Frank, a retired cat burglar, has two grown kids who are concerned he can no longer live alone. They are tempted to place him in a nursing home until Frank’s son chooses a different option: against the old man’s wishes, he buys Frank a walking, talking humanoid robot programmed to improve his physical and mental health. What follows is an often hilarious and heartwarming story about finding friends and family in the most unexpected places.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment only released this film on DVD, which is a little disappointing since I would have loved to see this film on Blu-ray.  Still though, the film looks great with its 2.40:1 aspect ratio. The special features on the DVD are a bit of a let down but worth checking out.  There is a commentary track from the director Jake Schreier and the writer Christopher Ford. Lastly there is a photo gallery included for the Robot posters created for the film.  I would have loved to see a feature on the Atlerian’s robots and Justin Ouellette’s designs.

Starring: Karl Pilkington, Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: BBC Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: January 8, 2013
Run Time: 344 minutes

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

When I first heard of “An Idiot Abroad”, I wasn’t sure what to expect but this show is a freaking riot. The second series is called “The Bucket List” but of course it is not even Karl Pilkington’s list.  Karl picks from a best-of list of 100 items in a generic bucket list and he pick some great choices. Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant put this poor guy through hell but it couldn’t be any funnier. Some of the words that comes out of Karl’s mouth are just so hysterically funny, but probably not on purpose. I feel this series was much more personal and on a larger scale than the first series. I can’t wait to see the final season of the show “An Idiot Abroad 3: The Short Way Round” with the very funny Warwick Davis.  Highly recommend this show for a great laugh.

Official Premise: In the second season of this hilarious series Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant co-creators of The Office and Extras help their friend Karl Pilkington (“The Ricky Gervais Show”) complete tasks from his bucket list…except the experience is never as easy or as fun as it seems. Gervais and Merchant find ways to arrange a few surprises along the way to keep things interesting. In the end Pilkington ends up visiting more places and suffering more detours than he did in the first season! Find out what happens when an idiot goes abroad…again!

Series 2 takes us to the following amazing locations: New Zealand, Vanuatu, Russia, Mongolia, China, Thailand, Australia, Alaska, Route 66, South Africa, Uganda and Japan. Some of the crazy shit that Stephen and Ricky get Karl to do including bungee jumping, Mongolian wrestling, swimming with sharks and even climbing Mount Fuji. I would have loved to seen more footage from the shark dive for sure. Some of the things they get Karl to do this series is just amazing and I really loved the first series.  I thought it would get old after a while but it seriously does not. I wish it was double the length of episodes.

The special features are decent but lacking any commentary from Gervais or Merchant which would have made this release perfect. There are a bunch of great deleted scenes running just about 12 minutes. I have a feeling that a show like this packs tons of cut scenes and alternate takes. They are definitely worth checking out and are very funny. “Pilko’s Pump Pants” is a hysterical infomercial piece that can only be described by watching. I am honestly never get enough of Karl Pilkington and this is classic! Lastly, “Ain’t No Pleasing You” is a very funny focusing on Karl’s song recording with Chas & Dave and gives an overview of Karl’s craziness from this episodes.

Directors: Thom Lu
Starring: Christian Slater, Tim Curry, Mark Hamill, Tom Kenny
MPAA Rating: PG
Release Date: April 2nd, 2013 (Walmart Exclusive: December 31, 2012)
Distributed by: Viva Pictures
Running Time: 96 minutes

Our Score: 2 out of 5 stars

When it comes to animated films taking place under the sea, I can’t help but compare to “Finding Nemo”.  “Back to the Sea” is a low-budget (very low) animated film that steals a lot from that said film but packs a nice voice cast to boot.  I am sure this film has been sitting on the shelf for quite some time.  Viva Pictures seems to be purchasing and releasing a bunch of older shelved animated features.  Next up is “Top Cat: The Movie” and “Foodfight!” (which was made back in 2003).  Nonetheless, kids might enjoy the film due to its relation to “Nemo” and parents can get a nap or two in for sure.

Official Premise: “Back to the Sea” tells the touching story of a heroic fish’s journey home. When little fish Kevin (Slater) is swept up in a net and taken from his home in the vast oceans to the small glass fish tank of a New York restaurant, he must find a way to escape and make his way back home to his family and to the sea he loves. Together with his new found friends and with the help of his trusted human companion, the restaurant owner’s son, Kevin embarks on the journey of his life. Filled with laughs, action and heart, Back to the Sea is a great film for the whole family.

The voice cast is decent for this film.  Christian Slater (“Heathers”), Mark Hamill (“Star Wars”), Tom Kenny (“The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie”) and Tim Curry (“The Rocky Horror Picture Show”) all lend their voices to this film.  I had a hard time find out which character was Tim Curry personally.  Christian Slater really sounded like a hyper kid in the film. Mark Hamill wasn’t in it enough to be cool. I would have loved to know when they recorded these voices.  The film is currently available on DVD, only at Walmart nationwide as of December 31st, 2012.  There are no special features included on this DVD.

Actors: Blake Freeman, Casper Van Dien, Jason Mewes, Moises Arias, Matt Shively
Directors: Blake Freeman
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Big Air
DVD Release Date: January 29, 2013
Run Time: 100 minutes

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

I wasn’t sure what to expect with “Noobz” but Hollywood shit where did this film come from? This movie is a riot and what a fantastic cast! It is great to see Jason Mewes getting a leading role. Casper Van Dien is a complete riot playing a hysterical version of himself, I wish he was in this more. Lin Shaye has a nice cameo and get some good laughs. I was not familiar with Blake Freeman, who also directed, but this guy is riot and I am sure we will be seeing a lot from him in the future. Matt Shively is also very funny, you may know him from “Paranormal Activity 4”. Moises Arias from “Hannah Montana” is all grown up and is awesome as well. Lastly, if you thought Jon Gries was funny in “Napoleon Dynamite”, he is 10x funnier in this film. If you are a gamer, especially “Gears of War”, then this is definitely for you. Jam-packed of funny gaming references that will have you rolling.

Official Synopsis: Noobz is the first big, outrageous comedy to capture gamer culture from the inside. Four friends hit the road to LA to compete in the Cyberbowl Video Game Championship but will they be able to compete with the worst hangovers of their lives?
 
Cody has just lost his job and his hot wife is leaving him because he can’t stop gaming. Game store clerk Andy (Jason Mewes, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back) convinces him to get the Reign Clan together, including sexually confused Oliver (Matt Shively, Paranormal Activity 4) and asthmatic teen “Hollywood” (Moises Arias, Ender’s Game, TV’s “Hannah Montana”), and head to California to win prize money and meet Andy’s online gamer-girl crush Rickie (Zelda Williams, daughter of Robin Williams). Nothing, not a Mom armed with mace or a bunch of bodacious strippers or a mulleted arcade game champion stuck in the ‘80s (Jon Gries, Napoleon Dynamite) or even Casper Van Dien (Starship Troopers) will stop this unlikely team from getting their frag on and bringing their A-game to the stiff competition.

The special features on the DVD are quite decent. There is a super funny audio commentary track with Blake Freeman and Jason Mewes, must listen. “One on one with Jason Mewes” is an in-your-face feature with the funny man himself. “Meet Director Blake Freeman” introduces us to this funny guy, who directed and starred in this film. “A chat with Casper Van Dien” shows you a new side of this guy and he is one funny son bitch. Lastly “Fun with Matt Shively” is very funny and a little weird…but still a riot. Overall, I am surprised that this little film has received such a nice DVD release. Overall, I recommend this little film for sure…gamer nerds spread the word!

Actors: Alexis Tipton, Robert McCollum, Bill Jenkins
Directors: Jerry Jewell, Tsutomu Mizushima
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: FUNimation Entertainment
Release Date: January 22, 2013
Run Time: 300 minutes

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

If you are aware of Production I.G’s anime “Blood: The Last Vampire” from 2000 and it’s follow up 50 episode series “Blood+”, then you are going to LOVE “Blood-C”. This new series consists of 12 episodes and is made along with the manga creators CLAMP.  The series manages to consists of a nice mixture of sweet and cute while still managing to kick some major ass and comes packed with gore. The production value is impressive and the animation is really clean and sharp. As the story develops, the show really gets its wind in towards the end of the series but still really entertains throughout each episode. The main issue I had with the series is that I would have loved for it to be longer.  If you are a fan of the manga then this really aims to please for sure. I hope that Production I.G. contains this franchise going as I cannot get enough of it.

Official Premise: The creators of “Blood – the Last Vampire” and “Blood+” team up with renowned powerhouse CLAMP to inject beauty into a chilling new addition to the Blood line. Horrifying beasts with a hunger for human flesh prey on the citizens of a quiet town. In moonlit twilight, Saya slays the monsters and returns home drenched in blood. As the attacks increase in frequency and intensity, her enemies relay cryptic messages about a broken contract. Limbs are torn from flesh and skulls are crushed and devoured while the huntress struggles with paralyzing visions and gaping holes in her memory. When the humans Saya promised to protect reveal the sickening truth about her role in the violence, she learns her mission isn’t as clear cut as she thought-and her most sadistic foe of all is so close she can taste it.

This Limited Edition release comes in a  Blu-ray + DVD combo pack.  This four-disc set including two Blu-ray dics and two DVDs.  They are packages in a slipcase cover with individual cases for each format.  It is a little weird that a DVD comes in a Blu-ray case but either way I like having the option of either Blu-ray or DVD.  The 1080p transfer of the episodes really look fantastic, especially the colors red and black ;-). The episodes are also presented with their original aspect ratio of 1.78:1.  The audio included packs a very nice (and preferred) English track with Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and the Japanese track includes a Dolby TrueHD 2.0 track.  The special features are lacking a bit with the main extra being two commentary tracks.  The first is on episode 6 with director Jerry Jewell and Robert McCollum, the voice of Fumito. The next is on episode 12 with Jerry Jewell with Alexis Tipton, the voice of Saya. There is the Textless Opening and Closing Songs “spiral” and “Junketsu Paradox”.  Lastly there are the Original Commercials,
Promotional Videos (both in 1080i) and U.S. Trailer included.

Actors: Kathryn Fiore, Flip Schultz, Olivia Alexander, Arturo del Puerto, Danny Woodburn, French Stewart
Directed By: Craig Moss
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
DVD Release Date: January 15, 2013
Run Time: 80 minutes

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

When it comes to parody spoof films, it is usually hit or miss (mostly miss).  With a title like “30 Nights of Paranormal Activity with the Devil Inside the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” how can they go wrong! I have to admit this one delivers. Nothing is safe here! Besides the film’s in the very long title, many other non-horror including “The Dark Knight Rises”, “The Hunger Games”, “The Artist” and “Black Swan” are ranked on, even TV shows like “The Bachelor”, “The Apprentice” and “Ghost Hunters”. The primary spoof is “Paranormal Activity” and with all the found footage films taken over Hollywood it is nice to see some fun poked at them. Not every joke is a score but there is enough here to make it worth a least one viewing.

Offical Premise: Scream with laughter in this found footage parody- Dana’s father was sent to a psychiatric hospital after he killed the entire cast of The Artist while an exorcism was being performed on him. She continues on with her life -gets married, has kids and moves into the same (haunted) house she grew up in. But now she must battle the demons which haunted her father before her.

Kathryn Fiore is hilarious and steals the show (Here is our interview with her from earlier this year). Writer/director Craig Moss knows how to work parodies and film’s with long titles after their last “The 41-Year-Old Virgin Who Knocked Up Sarah Marshall and Felt Superbad About It”. The only special features included on the DVD is “Behind the Scenes of 30 Nights of Paranormal Activity with the Devil Inside the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”, but it is a nice showcase on the production.  I would have loved to seen a gag reel included.  This film is not perfect but it is worth it for a few good laughs.  If you want more parodies, keep an eye out for “A Haunted House” and “Scary Movie 5” both coming this year.

Created by: Abi Morgan
Actors: Dominic West, Ben Whishaw, Romola Garai, Peter Capaldi, Hannah Tointon and Tom Burke
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: BBC Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: January 8, 2013
Run Time: 360 minutes

Series 2: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1.5 out of 5 stars

When I saw the first series of “The Hour”, I had no idea about it but fell madly in love. I had known of (and even met) Dominic West and was a big fan but no one else. Since the first season, Ben Whishaw is now one of my favs after his amazing role in “Cloud Atlas” and even “Skyfall”. There has been a huge gap between the first and season series of “The Hour” and I had my fingers very tight for more.  Luckily BBC came to its senses and signed up for more of this very gripping show.  There is something about it that really delivers and keep your entertained from the minute each episode starts. Abi Morgan is the creator of this show and also the screenwriter of the Oscar winning “The Iron Lady”.  She really set you up to sit on the end of every word spoken by this wonderful cast.  I feel that the second series is a nice improvement over the first season and I can’t wait till series 3! I just hope we won’t have to wait as long.

Official Premise: Season Two rejoins “The Hour” team in 1957 with the introduction of two new characters played by Capaldi (The Thick Of It, The Nativity), Tointon (The Inbetweeners) and Burke (State of Play). They strive to broadcast the stories they believe in while grappling with the looming specter of the Cold War and changing social mores. With the emergence of the Space Race and the threat of nuclear annihilation looming, Britain grapples with an era of unprecedented scientific advancement, economic opportunity and cultural change in the face of new immigration from the Commonwealth. The members of “The Hour” team live in a world of cover-ups, sexual intrigues and lurking fascism.

This is the first time that this show has aired on BBC America during its original broadcast and hopefully it left enough of an imprint to grab a new audience.  The episodes on the Blu-ray look much better in their 1080p transfer then they did on television.  The audio on this Blu-ray includes a sharp DTS-HD 2.0 track, which works with the dialogue and the score.  Last series, Daniel Giorgetti delivered some really great music. This season Kevin Sargent take over and continues making this show very intense and nail biting through the score. This two-disc Blu-ray set contains all six second-series episodes. I wish this series was longer than just six episodes but what is good is that they work well for repeat viewings.  The bad part of the release is that there is only one behind-the-scene featurette.

Actors: Woody Allen, Alec Baldwin, Penélope Cruz, Jesse Eisenberg, Ellen Page
Directors: Woody Allen
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: January 15, 2013
Run Time: 112 minutes

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

After “Midnight in Paris”, which was a favorite film of 2011, I was wondering how Woody Allen can top himself. Well I guess I set myself up for disappointment, and everyone seems to feel the same way. There was a certain bit of charm and magic that he is missing in “To Rome with Love”. It is not all bad though, especially with the film’s all-star cast including Alec Baldwin, Roberto Benigni, Penelope Cruz, Judy Davis, Jesse Eisenberg, Greta Gerwig, Ellen Page and the man himself Woody Allen. It is really a fabulous cast and everyone delivers a really swell performance. The story is very sweet and romantic but like I said it just a felt a little off. It was nice though to see Roberto Benigni back in the rat race. Overall if you are a fan of Woody Allen, I wouldn’t miss it just try and put “Midnight in Paris” out of your head.

Official Premise: The story is told in four independent vignettes about four characters whose adventures change their lives forever: an average Roman wakes up one day to find himself a well-known celebrity; an American architect revisits the streets on which he used to live as a student; a young couple on their honeymoon are pulled into separate romantic encounters; and an American opera director tries to turn a singing mortician into a star.

There is something amazing about the way that Woody Allen writes his films. His dialogue is so extremely clever and fast moving. It always makes you think and never ceases to entertains. I am dying to see what he has cooked up for “Blue Jasmine” next year starring Alec Baldwin, Cate Blanchett, Bobby Cannavale, Louis C.K., Andrew Dice Clay, Sally Hawkins, Peter Sarsgaard and Michael Stuhlbar. The Blu-ray looks great with its 1080p transfer and it’s depiction of Rome. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track works great with the dialogue and the fantastic score. The special features are almost virtually missing. There is one behind-the-scenes featurette called ““Con Amore: A Passion for Rome” which looks into the production with cast and crew interviews with Alec Baldwin, Penélope Cruz and Greta Gerwig.