Actors: Peter Cushing, Brooke Adams, John Carradine
Directors: Ken Wiederhorn
Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Blue Underground
Release Date: November 25, 2014
Run Time: 85 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 2 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I remember the first time that I saw the VHS box to “Shock Waves” at the loyal mom and pop video store. I mean what young boy can put down a box with the words Nazi zombies?! This cult classic is is making’s its Blu-ray debut thanks to Blue Underground. This film still holds up and is quite fun. The film stars Peter Cushing (The Curse of Frankenstein), Brooke Adams (The Dead Zone) and John Carradine (The Howling). The zombies aren’t very zombified according to today’s standards. I loved the idea of people randomly just jumping out of the water, still effective. Worth checking out, but be wary of the lacking audio/video presentation.

Official Premise: In the dark days of World War II, the Nazi High Command ordered its scientists to create a top secret race of indestructible zombie storm troopers – un-living, unfeeling, unstoppable monstrosities that killed with their bare hands. They were known as The Death Corps. No member of this horrific SS unit was ever captured by Allied Forces – and, somewhere off the coast of Florida they have survived…

Blue Underground claims that this is fulled remastered and restored from original elements but this film looks pretty sad with its 1080p transfer. There is a whole lot of consistent noise in the background throughout. The DTS-HD Master Audio Mono is pretty harsh as well. The dialogue seems a muted but the score is still great and sounds decent, courtesy of composer Richard Einhorn

The special features are a nice bonus though. There is an audio commentary with Co-Writer/Director Ken Wiederhorn, Make-Up Designer Alan Ormsby and Filmmaker Fred Olen Ray. There is a new interview with Producer/Cinematographer Reuben Trane called “Nazi Zombies On A Budget”. “Notes For The Undead” is an interview with Composer Richard Einhorn. “Sole Survivor” is an interview with Star Brooke Adams. “From Flipper to Shock Waves” is an interview with Star Luke Halpin. Lastly there is an trailer, TV/radio spots and a poster/stills gallery included, closing out the extras.

Starring: Paul Reubens, Lynne Marie Stewart, William Marshall, S. Epatha Merkerson, Laurence Fishburne, Phil Hartman
Number of discs: 8
Studio: Shout! Factory
Rated TV-PG
Running Time: 1103 minutes

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

If you grew up in the 80’s then you properly watched “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” as a kid. This show is the simple definition of ADD. Watching this show today literally gives me a headache but this show has never lost it’s charm. This Complete Series Blu-ray release includes all 45 wacky episodes, plus Pee-wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special, that have been completely remastered the original film elements. This is the first time that this series has even been released in high definition and it is one hell of a release, thanks to Shout! Factory.

If you are looking to meet back up with Pee-wee Herman and his pals: Jambi the Genie, Miss Yvonne, Cowboy Curtis, Reba the Mail Lady, Captain Carl, Magic Screen, Conky, Globey, Chairry, Pterri, Randy and many more, I would highly recommend picking up this amazing series. This show isn’t just a cult classic though, it was the winner of an amazing 22 Emmy® Awards during it’s run. I am excited to be able to share this show with my two year old daughter, who has really been enjoying it so far. She calls it the “weird man show”, which she is totally correct in saying. We also already have her yelling “Mecka-lecka hi… Mecka-hiney ho!”

Shout! Factory delivered an amazing release here. Even the case is hard stock and had some amazing new cover art. The reverse side of the art also includes a complete episode list including each episodes “Word of the Day”. The  high definition transfers are presented in 1.35:1 and looks amazing. Shout! has said that it was taken from original film elements and that the restoration process was supervised by Paul Reubens himself. The colors are amazing and look extremely vibrant. Same goes for the series’ uncompressed LPCM 2.0 audio track, which works well with the zany madness and Mark Mothersbaugh.

In terms of special features, this release still impresses. There are over four hours of brand-new interviews with the cast and crew, plus never-seen, behind-the-scenes footage with ten featurettes, including: “Building the Playhouse”, which goes into the show production design. “Opening the Playhouse” looks into the title sequence. “Writing for the Playhouse” looks into the scripts and also the music with composer Mark Mothersbaugh. “The Look of the Playhouse” shows the construction of the Playhouse.

“Music of the Playhouse” is a full focus on Mothersbaugh’s tunes. “The Cast of the Playhouse” is a near 50 minutes feature jam-packed with great interviews. “The Puppets of the Playhouse” is a 30 minute look into the shows puppet work. “Animating the Playhouse” looks into the various aspect of animation. “Fans and Memorabilia of the Playhouse” shows the fans obsession with the show of the year. Lastly there is a behind-the-scenes look at the “A Very Merry Christmas Special”. I would have also loved some commentary tracks but there are so many interviews thrown in here, it makes up for the loss. A must own for any Pee-wee fan!

Actors: Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans
Director: Peter Jackson
Number of discs: 5
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: NEW LINE HOME VIDEO
Release Date: November 4, 2014
Run Time: 186 minutes

Film: 5 out of 5 stars
3D: 5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 4 out of 5 stars

If you are a fan of Peter Jackson, then it is no surprise that he is a big fan of releasing extended cuts of his films. “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”. The new Extended Cut includes 25 minutes of additional content that extends individual scenes making this a must see for fans of the film. Sone extras scenes include much more of Mirkwood, as well as more of Dol Guldur and Thranduil and of course, more Stephen Fry, who is just simply awesome…amongst much more. This film is no question of my favorite films of last year and only gets better with each viewing. This 5-disc 3D Extended Edition also includes more than nine hours of new bonus features. This should at least hold you off until “The Battle of Five Armies” hits theaters this December!

Official Premise: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug continues the adventure of the title character Bilbo Baggins as he journeys with the Wizard Gandalf and thirteen Dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield, on an epic quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain and the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor. Having survived the beginning of their unexpected journey, the Company travels East, encountering along the way skin-changer Beorn and a swarm of giant Spiders in the treacherous forest of Mirkwood. After escaping capture by the dangerous Wood-elves, the Dwarves journey to Lake-town, and finally to the Lonely Mountain itself, where they must face the greatest danger of all–a creature more terrifying than any other; one which will test not only the depth of their courage but the limits of their friendship and the wisdom of the journey itself–The Dragon Smaug.

Warner Bros is bringing this film home with a combo pack including a Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + UltraViolet Digital HD copy. Like the previous Blu-ray release for “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”, the Extended Edition is no different. I enoyed the 3D in “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” but this film really shines with the added effect. The scale of the film is so large and Smaug is just a cinematic marvel. If you watch this film, especially the Extended Edition, I would absolutely recommend doing it in 3D. The 1080p transfer is simply outstanding, as is the DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track. Easily, this is one of the best Blu-ray presentations that I have seen all year.

The Extended Edition extras include a new audio commentary track with Director/writer/producer Peter Jackson and writer/co-producer Philippa Boyens discussing the new cut etc. “New Zealand: Home of Middle-Earth, Part 2” features Jackson and his team traveling through the film’s locations. “The Appendices Part 9 & 10” is the next two installments in Jackson’s sprawling “Appendices” documentary showcase this massive production. Combine these extras with the special features that were included in the first release of “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” on Blu-ray and we finally got a winning package here.

The other extras include: “Peter Jackson Invites You to the Set” is a two part look into the behind-the-scenes on this production. There are four Production Videos featurettes including “Introduction to Pick-Ups Shooting,” “Recap of Pick-Ups, Part 1,” “Recap of Pick-Ups, Part 2″ and “Music Scoring.” “Live Event: In the Cutting Room” is a recording of the March 2013 worldwide live event where Jackson answered fans questions and gave a tour of his production facilities. “New Zealand: Home of Middle-earth, Part 2″ gives a follow up look into the locations. Lastly there are Trailers & Previews and Music Video for “I See Fire” by Ed Sheeran.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Extended Edition, a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, the newest epic in The Hobbit trilogy arrives on Blu-ray 3D™ and Blu-ray™ November 4th from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. The Extended Edition features a 25-minute longer cut and more than nine hours of new special features.

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Eduardo Sánchez is best known for co-directing and writing the found footage horror flick “The Blair Witch Project”. Since then he has given the horror genre some great films like “Altered” and “Lovely Molly” and even crossed over into TV with the BBC America series “Intruders”. His latest film is a real labor of love and easily his best film to date called “Exists”. It is a Bigfoot creature feature like no other. Eduardo took out some time to chat with Media Mikes again about his kick-ass Bigfoot film and what we can expect.

Mike Gencarelli: What made you want to do a film about Bigfoot?
Eduardo Sánchez: I grew up in the 70’s and Bigfoot was my “Avengers”. It was my monster growing up. It scared the crap out of me but at the same time it also fascinated me. I mean, this creature lives in the woods? Daniel (Myrick) and I were inspired by the Patterson–Gimlin film, “The Legend of Boggy Creek” and the TV series “In Search Of” and without those there wouldn’t have been “The Blair Witch Project”. I have wanted to make a Bigfoot movie for a long time. The movie “Harry and the Henderson” made Bigfoot a punchline, even though I laughed myself. There is still this part of me that wants to show this kick-ass Bigfoot that is scary and fucks shit up and not in a cartoon way. It doesn’t have super human strength, it is just a strong big ass animal. This is the like the third Bigfoot project that we have tried to get off the ground and we finally got it financed. I have been looking for THIS version of Bigfoot since I was a kid. It is a guy in the suit but he is cool, fast, strong and smart. It is my sort of my love letter to Sasquatch. I owe that whole culture so much and I really wanted to do right by it.

MG: I love that you kick off the action and suspense right from the start of the film with no bullshit!
ES: Thanks dude! I mean, we all know who the main character of the movie is. You can’t delay man. You can’t. That is how I felt. I wanted to see it just as bad as the audience did. I wanted to get to the creature fast and get right into the good stuff.

MG: Tell us about how you created your Bigfoot, which looks fantastic?
ES: I had an idea that I could bring a really cool Bigfoot to life. Most importantly, I thought I could do it without the use of CGI. Not that I am against CGI but Bigfoot needs to real man. I basically just went balls to the wall to try and create something that has never been seen before or at least in a long time. I knew we would need to have a kick-ass creature. We first got WETA, the guys who did “The Lord of the Rings”. We had a connection to them through our producer, Mark Ordesky. They came in and did some design work for us. When it came time to build the suit, we called our friends at Spectral Motion. They have done a bunch of films with us and we are like family. They finished up the design and built this crazy suit. Let me tell you man, at the end of the movie we get close to this character and it really holds up. So we were all excited.

MG: Brian Steele is a man who knows how to become a monster; how did he get involved?
ES: Spectral Motion are the ones that pitched me on having the right person in the suit. They brought up Brian Steele. It’s funny because Brian actually played the role of Harry in the “Harry and the Hendersons” TV series. So he was just perfect man and it really worked out. When the suit was done, we went to LA and were going to see it on Brian for the first time. So we shot this little test movie and once we saw it man…it just blew us away man. A couple of times during shooting, we would all look at easy other and just say that we couldn’t believe that we were making a Bigfoot film. We had to pinch ourselves to make sure it was real.

MG: Tell us about the use of GoPro cameras in the film?
ES: You can’t really do a found footage film these days without the use of GoPros since they are so ubiquitous. Everyone has got them today. If they are out in the woods and shooting them these guys doing all this crazy shit then we figured we would have to use GoPros. We haven’t worked with them before this and it was before the new ones came out, so we were using the Hero2 model. It definitely had some limitations but we are very happy with the way it turned out. There is a lot times where it is supposed to be a GoPro also and we are shooting with a 5D or something like that. I just love that you can run and hide and that camera is just shooting non-stop. I love that.

MG: How did you shoot the house tumble scene?
ES: I can’t really discuss the budget, but we didn’t really have a lot of money. Obviously the Bigfoot suit was where most of our money went. But our effects guys were just great. They shot all the outside stuff and it going over the cliff. Then the inside stuff, we literally took the same trailer and put it on a gimbal, between two stands, put some silly stunt people in there [laughs] and just shook it up man, like a clothes dryer! You are always nervous asking stuntmen to do certain things but they really had a lot of fun with this and nobody got hurt, which is good. While they were spinning, we just put a bunch of cameras in there and then we just cut it together with a bunch of different angles. I think it came out really well.

MG: What was your biggest challenge on this film?
ES: It really was figuring out the creature like where the creature looked good and where it didn’t work out and then just trying to keep that sensibility throughout and not letting it get out of control. A lot of times you get a really good effect and the movie just shows it to death. But if you are going to do a Bigfoot movie man…you got to show the fucking monster. You can’t cheat the audience. This was one of my main goals…to show this creature. But we focuses on how to do this right and not let the audience get tired of seeing this creature. I never forgot that this was a guy in a suit and we shoot it with that in mind. People were just having so much fun though and we really have a great team. This film was a labor of love for a lot of people.

MG: What do you have in the cards next?
ES: Absolutely man! I have been getting into some TV recently. I just did the show on BBC America called “Intruders”. I directed the first four episodes of that and I loved it. It was such a great experience. Gregg (Hale) and I are actually trying to get a TV show of our own going. We are close. I think we have the right idea from the reactions we have been getting. It is just a matter of getting everything pitched to the right people. Then we also have like five features right now that are currently in various stage of development. We are about to get a green light on one of them very shortly. So 2015 seems like it is shaping up to be a very busy year, which is great.

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Starring: Dane Cook, Julie Bowen, Ed Harris, Curtis Armstrong, John Michael Higgins, Hal Holbrook
Director: Roberts Gannaway
Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Release Date: November 4, 2014
Run Time: 83 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

When I saw “Disney’s Planes”, I enjoyed the film but it was hardy very memorable and not a favorite for sure. I really wasn’t running into the very quickly released sequel with any high expectations at all. I was surprised though that the sequel is quite better than the first film. It is action packed and very funny. If you enjoy the world of “Cars”, I mean what little boy doesn’t this should certainly keep them entertained and glued to the screen and parents can get a few laughs and enjoy as well. This film is another one that Disney has neglected to release on 3D Blu-ray after it’s 3D successful theatrical release. This would really look much cooler at home with that added dimension.

Official Premise: Bring home the thrill of a lifetime with Disney’s “Planes: Fire & Rescue”. This heart-pumping comedy-adventure features a dynamic crew of elite aircraft devoted to protecting historic Piston Peak National Park from raging wildfires. When world-famous air racer Dusty learns that he may never race again, he must shift gears and is launched into the world of aerial firefighting. Dusty joins forces with a team of veteran firefighters; together, they battle a massive fire, and Dusty learns what it takes to be a true hero.

This sequel includes a solid voice cast including Dane Cook (“Planes”) as Dusty, Julie Bowen (“Modern Family”) as Dipper, Ed Harris (“Gravity”) as Blade Ranger, Captain Dale Dye (“Saving Private Ryan”) as Cabbie, Cedric the Entertainer (“Ice Age”) as Leadbottom, Erik Estrada (“CHiPs”) as Nick “Loopin” Lopez, Brad Garrett (“Everybody Loves Raymond”) as Chug, Teri Hatcher (“Desperate Housewives”) as Dottie, John Michael Higgins (“Pitch Perfect”) as Cad, Hal Holbrook (“Into the Wild”) as Mayday, Stacy Keach (“Planes”) as Skipper, Regina King (“Ray”) as Dynamite, Anne Meara (“Night at the Museum) as Winnie, Jerry Stiller (“The King of Queens”) as Harvey and Wes Studi (“Avatar”) as Windlifter…whew…deep breath!

Disney is releasing this film as a combo pack with a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD including Disney Movies Anywhere. I have been enjoying the Disney Movies Anywhere site but they need to get their asses in gear and get on board with Android systems. The 1080p transfer is very impressive. The colors are amazing and the animation is very crisp and sharp. Like I said, this would have been a lot better in 3D but we got to work with what we got. The The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 also sores high and really works great with the film and the films solid animated action throughout.

The special features are also a score for this release. There is a new exclusive animated short “Vitaminamulch: Air Spectacular”. as well as other shorts “Dipper” and “Smokejumpers”. There is a fun mockumentary called “Welcome to Piston Peak!” looking at the Piston Peak National Park and its aerial firefighting team. There is a funny “CHoPs” TV Promo. “Air Attack: Firefighters From The Sky” is a fun and entertaining behind-the-scene look at the real life inspiration for the film with Director Roberts Gannaway and Producer Ferrell Barron talking about the making of. There is a music video for Spencer Lee’s “Still I Fly”. Lastly, there are two deleted scenes included with filmmaker introductions.

Starring: Angelina Jolie, Juno Temple, Elle Fanning, Miranda Richardson, Sam Riley, Sharlto Copley
Director: Robert Stromberg
Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Release Date: November 4, 2014
Run Time: 96 minutes

Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I went into “Maleficent” prepared to be wowed by the visual appearance and I got much more than I expect. The film plays out what a live-action fairy tale is really like. I loved this film. This was a role that was meant for Angelina Jolie. She nails it so well, even from the most subtle lip moments, she is outstanding. The story is also not what you would expect from the tale of “Sleeping Beauty”, this is not just a retelling of the classic story. I love the path that they decided to take with this and it is just a ton of fun to watch! I want sequel Disney!! Bring it on! I am just very disappointed in Disney though that they are skipping the 3D Blu-ray for this film. I loved the 3D in this film it added so much to the film. The film made over $750 million worldwide Disney, why you being cheap on us U.S. fans!?

Official Premise: Maleficent tells the untold story of one of Disney’s most iconic villains. A beautiful, pure-hearted young woman, Maleficent (Jolie) has an idyllic life growing up in a peaceable forest kingdom, until an invading army threatens the harmony of the land. Maleficent rises to be the land’s fiercest protector, but she ultimately suffers a ruthless betrayal; an act that begins to turn her pure heart to stone. Bent on revenge, Maleficent faces an epic battle with the invading king’s successor and, as a result, places a curse upon his newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Maleficent realizes that Aurora holds the key to peace in the kingdom, and perhaps to Maleficent’s true happiness as well.

Disney is releasing this film as a combo pack with a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD including Disney Movies Anywhere. I have been enjoying the Disney Movies Anywhere site but they need to get their asses in gear and get on board with Android systems. The 1080p transfer is still outstanding even though I would have preferred this film in 3D. The colors are vibrant and the design of the feel just looks so freaking slick and sharp. The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 is a thing of beauty as well. The score for this film was unbelievable and really acted like a character in the film. It has that fairy tale feel that really adds a lot to the film.

The special features are another score for this release. There are five featurettes taking us behind the scenes on this beautiful film. “From Fairy Tale to Feature Film” takes us through how they re-imagined “Maleficent” for a new generation. “Building An Epic Battle” focuses on the fight between Maleficent and King Henry’s Forces, which was quite epic. “Classic Couture” looks into the wonderful head piece and other accessories in the film. “Maleficent Revealed” dives into the special effects. “Aurora: Becoming A Beauty” features Elle Fanning talking about the role. There are also a bunch of deleted scenes included.

Recently, the family and I decided to take our first camping trip. Thanks to the wonderful people at Coleman. They hooked us up with some amazing products including the Coleman Evanston Screened 8 Tent, which is simply outstanding (read our review here) But one after effect of our camping trip was one hell of a sore back. Getting old definitely sucks. I used to be able to sleep absolutely anywhere and have no effect. My bad was killing me after this trip, so I thought to myself that if we are going to do this again (which we certainly are), I need to get an airbed.

Luckily, Coleman came to the rescue again with their product: Quickbed® Elite Queen Extra High Airbed W/ 4D BIP. Let me tell you, this thing is mega mega comfortable. I know that my next trip to the great outdoors if going to be must more comfortable. This airbed has extra height and along with the 48 internal coils provide fantastic support. Even with the whole family on board, this bed help up very well. It also comes with an Airtight system, which is guaranteed not to leak and the easy-to-use Double Lock valve that allows you very easily inflate and deflate the bed.

Another aspect during our camping trip that we figured out too late that we needed was light. Of course we have our phones but a little more stable light would have been nice. Luckily we were able to find the 4D CPX Personal Size Led Lantern. This lantern is outstanding. You are able to really control the this 360° light with four settings, which shines a strong 190 lumens up to 29 ft. (8.84 m) while it is on its highest setting and 100 lumens on the lowest. There are four positions to choice from including High / Low / Nightlight / Off. This will come in handy after the kids go to sleep and you need a little reading light.

If you are worried about how this bad boy is powered. You have control of that! You can choose whether you want to use four D cell batteries or one CPX 6 rechargeable power cartridge (both sold separately). This lantern will pack a runtime of up to 65 hours on high, which is plenty of time for a nice weekend away. Another bonus is that the Cree XLamp XR-E LED light actually lasts a lifetime and never needs replacing. This is a real treat especially for the price. Also this device runs cool, so there are no risks of burning and lastly it is water and impact-resistant.

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyquist and Alfie Allen
Directed By: David Leitch and Chad Stahleski
Rated: R
Running Time: 101 minutes
Summit Entertainment

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

An east coast kingpin by the name of Viggo (Nyquist) is furious. He’s just learned that the owner of a body shop struck his only son in the face. He’s called the owner to fume. He inquires about why the lowly proprietor would even think about laying a hand on his son. The man quickly retorts, “Your son stole John Wick’s car and killed his dog.” Viggo’s face quickly turns from anger to one of ominous regret and he quietly says, “Oh…”

John Wick (Reeves) is an unstoppable, former assassin, whose reputation is known throughout every little nook and cranny of the criminal underworld. Thing is though, he retired from his position as a contract killer, to settle into a normal life. Sadly that’s just not his destiny. His wife has recently passed, but before she died, she left Wick a memento of their love, an adorable puppy. The somber Wick quickly takes a liking to the pup that licks at his face and jumps with joy at the very sight of him. Wick also has another love in his life, his muscle car. He’s a complex man with simple pleasures. Before attempting normalcy with the love of his life, he was known as the guy you hire to kill the Boogeyman. So you can see why Viggo is less than thrilled that his numbskull son would even think about laying a hand on Wick, much less kill the last thing he had to remember his wife.

“John Wick” is slick, cool and fun as hell. It’s such a crowd pleaser, you would have suspected that a shoot-em up that’s so self-aware about its own gimmick would have been released against more tame summer action movies like the “Expendables 3”. The plot is alert to the fact that Wick is a larger than life character whose life and exploits exceed the length of the movie. That’s why were given so many verbal and visual cues that he’s a relentless machine that doesn’t stop until all the necessary blood has been spilt.

Leitch and Stahleski have spent their whole life performing stunt work and that really helps add to the craft of filming some of the more intimate hand-to-hand combat scenes. Writer Kolstad would appear to be an avid comic book/video game fan since his script relies so heavily on very little plot and first person shooter invincibility for Wick. I mean, he does get injured, but no real human being could shrug off a gaping wound and continue to tumble around like an acrobat. If there’s any marks against Kolstad in his fairly young career, it’s that he has an inability to find a correct time to wrap things up and allowed couple of lulls in what was a brute force adrenaline fueled movie.

There’s so much blood and violence, that the Reeves affable qualities make the more gruesome scenes light hearted in its own regard. Wick isn’t really a hero, but any time some Russian thugs senselessly kill a puppy, you’re going to have a lot of audience members eagerly awaiting revenge. What makes Wick pleasant is that he also doesn’t appear to take any kind of joy from killing, but views it as a way to rectify a universal wrong. Instead of shooting carelessly into a crowd, he waits for a clear shot, as to not harm any innocents. He also doesn’t want to kill anyone he doesn’t have to. If you’re looking for a sick, but pleasurable viewing experience, “John Wick” is your best bet.

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Starring: Olivia Cooke and Ana Coto
Directed by: Stiles White
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 1 hour 29 mins
Universal

Our Score: 2 out of 5 stars

“Ouija” should really be pronounced “gee-why?” For a movie based on a board game you can’t expect too much. However, I did expect a little more than what I received.

A very simple story. Teen-age kids play with a spirit board and awaken the spirits of beings trapped within a house. Not much else to know. From the start this film suffers from the constraints of dealing with characters sitting around a table playing a board game. That in itself does not make for thrilling cinema. And being that this is in the age of cell-phones and cameras on computers, the audience must also suffer the overused contrivance of having to watch video footage from those devices in order to uncover clues as to how the spirits were summoned as well as how to defeat them.

The film’s weight is solely carried by the main character of Laine Morris, played by Olivia Cooke. Her performance is the most believable in the entire film. She seemed to be the only person, as far as the younger cast is concerned, to put their all into the story. I’ve not seen her in anything else, and while she was portraying a teen-ager she seemed to be wise beyond her years. I thought she was much better than the material she was given to work with. There was nothing in this film that I hadn’t seen before. The older-style Victorian home with a dark past, the evil spirits appearing in reflections, and even the appearance of the spirits themselves. It’s as if all movies of this sort have the same character design; the pale face with dark eyes and a mouth that opens far too wide when they release a ghastly scream.

It also takes way too long for anything to happen. And the piecing together of the Ouija board being the source of the disturbance was keyed in upon much too easily. It felt unnecessary that when one of the characters is killed, the kill is always done in a way that it could be viewed as a suicide. For anyone who knows story structure, you can see the scares and deaths coming long before they happen. The set-up is too obvious, so the pay-off is easy to predict.

Following the normal genre trope of writing out the parents in the story, I was truly disappointed in this gimmick. Laine’s father, listed on IMDB simply as Mr. Morris, was played by Matthew Settle, an actor I’ve always liked since his work in “Band of Brothers.” The film also features a small cameo by Robyn Lively from “Teen Witch.” I would have liked to see these two utilized a lot more.

Moving into the third act we are introduced to a previous inhabitant of the house in which the spirit board was found, wonderfully portrayed by Lin Shaye. While she is always great, at this point it’s too little too late. I do think the filmmakers did a passable job at coming up with a story to base around a board game. That being said, it’s definitely not worth seeing in theatres and will not be a horror film that will stand the test of time. It could have been much better. But, then again, it could have been much worse.

Starring: Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy and Jaeden Lieberher
Directed by: Theodore Melfi
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 42 mins
The Weinstein Company

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Vincent (Murray) lives alone with his cat. He spends his days at the track, his nights at the bar and the occasional afternoon with his pregnant Russian girlfriend (Naomi Watts) who, despite her condition, continues to entertain as an exotic dancer. Things change when Maggie (McCarthy) and her young son, Oliver (Lieberher) move in next door. Their first meeting doesn’t go well, causing young Oliver to quip “it’s going to be a long life.”

Full of strong performances, “St Vincent” is a film with many a cliché’d character that manages to avoid every cliché’ you’d expect. Yes, Vincent is a curmudgeon and set in his ways while McCarthy is the single mom trying her best to make things work. Throw in Watts as the “dancer” with a heart of gold and you could have had a film that would make you roll your eyes constantly. But somehow writer/director Melfi manages to pull everything together almost seamlessly.

Murray gives an Oscar-worthy performance here, rivaling his work in “Lost in Translation.” I should point out that I put Murray on the short list for supporting actor earlier this year for “Monuments Men” so, in Murray’s own words from Caddyshack, “I’ve got that going for me!” McCarthy is also strong in a rare dramatic role while supporting work by Chris O’Dowd, Terrence Howard and Ann Dowd stands out as well. And I must give a shout out to young Lieberher who, at the age of 11, manages to hold his own against the unpredictable Murray in his feature film debut.

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Starring: Ryan Guzman, Briana Evigan, Misha Gabriel, Stephen “Twitch” Boss, Izabella Miko, Alyson Stoner, Adam Sevani
Director: Trish Sie
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Lionsgate
Release Date: November 25, 2014
Run Time: 112 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

You would think that by the fifth film in the “Step Up” franchise that it would be losing some steam but that is hardly the case with “Step Up All In”. That may be the cast in terms of box office, but this film is jam-packed with high energy and outstanding dancing. Plus we get the setting moved to Las Vegas, which is always an amazing place to visit and showcase. I honestly hope there are more of these since they are a blast to watch. Plot aside, cause we all know this is about the dancing, you watch it and tell me that you aren’t considering busting a move!

Official Premise: One of the most popular dance franchises in film history takes competition to astonishing new heights in “Step Up All In”. Miami street dancer Sean Asa (Ryan Guzman) moves to Hollywood with visions of fame and fortune, only to discover the almost insurmountable odds of making it in the professional dance world. But when the new dance crew he forms with the beautiful and headstrong Andie West (Briana Evigan) reaches the final rounds of a high-stakes reality TV competition in glittering Las Vegas, he has a shot at finally making his dreams come true – if he can set aside old loyalties and long-time rivalries and just do what he loves most: dance.

The cast of this series really includes the best of from the entire franchise to date. It is the all-star “Step Up” Alyson Stoner returns from the first and third films. Briana Evigan makes her come back after stealing the show in the second film. Series regulars Adam Sevani, Mari Koda and Chris Scott are back as well. Luis Rosado was in the second and third film is back. Stephen “tWitch” Boss and Chadd Smith from the third and fourth are back. Lastly Ryan Guzman and Misha Gabriel return from the fourth installment.

I am really disappointed that Lionsgate is neglecting to release this film with a 3D Blu-ray since it was released in theaters in 3D. These films look outstanding in 3D and it is a shame that since this film did poorly in theaters that they are slacking on the home release. The 1080p transfer still look good and really captures the beauty of Vegas. The Dolby Atmos track is absolutely outstanding. This is a wonderful track for this film since it is really jam-packed with great music. There is also an equally impressive Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track.

The special features are also a win for this release. There is an audio commentary track with Director Trish Sie and Actress Briana Evigan. There is a collection of Ryan’s Favorite dance scenes with optional commentary included. There is a collection of Blu-ray exclusive featurettes including “All in with the Crew”; “Dance Breakdown: Final Stage”; “Clap, Stomp, Slide: The Sounds of Battle” and “The Vortex Dance Index”. Lastly there are some Deleted Scenes including.

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Number of discs: 28
Starring: James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli, Tony Sirico, Dominic Chianese
Creator: David Chase
Studio: HBO Studios
Release Date: November 4, 2014
Rated TV-MA
Running Time: 4680 minutes

Series: 5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Every once in a while, a show comes along that changed television. “The Sopranos” was one of those shows. It built HBO to what it is today. The series is respected as one of the greatest television series of all time…and I easily agree. I remember dating back to 1999 watching the very first episode and being completely hooked from the start. During that time, I was hooked on mobster films like “Casino” and “Goodfellas” (in fact this series shares 27 actors with the 1990 Martin Scorsese gangster film), so this show was an epic TV version of those films. The cast is just simply outstanding including  James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, Michael Imperioli, Tony Sirico and numerous others. I miss this show and I miss James Gandolfini but at least now we have the complete series available in one collection on Blu-ray.

Official Premise: For six seasons, fans have devotedly watched Tony Sopranos deal with the difficulties of balancing his home life with the criminal organization he leads. Audiences everywhere tuned in to see the mob, the food, the family, and Catch up on, or re-watch your favorite episodes of the Sopranos with The Sopranos: The Complete Series DVD Set. For six seasons, fans devotedly watched Tony Soprano deal with the difficulties of balancing his home life with the criminal organization he leads for a very good reason: groundbreaking dramatic storylines. Audiences everywhere tuned in to see the mob, the food, the family, and who was next to get whacked. Celebrate the show that Vanity Fair called, “the greatest show in TV history”. Between 1999 and 2007, The Sopranos was honored with no less than 21 Emmy Awards and 111 Emmy nominations!

This 28-disc Blu-ray release features all 6 seasons from this series, adding up to 86 episodes. The seasons break down as follows: Discs 1-4: The Complete First Season, Discs 5-8: The Complete Second Season, Discs 9-12: The Complete Third Season, Discs 13-16: The Complete Fourth Season, Discs 17-20: The Complete Fifth Season, Discs 21-24: Season Six, Part 1, Discs 25-27: Season Six, Part 2 and Discs 8: Exclusive Bonus Features. HBO is releasing this Complete Series was a combo pack with a Blu-ray + Digital HD copy included. The 1080p transfers are good from season one to great by the end of the sixth season. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is a bit more balanced and sounds great throughout the entire series.

The special features are great even though alot of the content is ported over the previous DVD releases. There are 25 audio commentaries, which sounds amazing but some of good and some are not. I picked a few hear and there on some of my favorites and I realized that very quickly. Other than that there are a bunch of rather short featurettes spread across each of the 27 discs. Some of the highlight extras ported over is a nearly 80 minute interview with creator David Chase by Peter Bogdonavich, which discusses the series in-depth. There is also a decent featurette focusing around “The Music of The Sopranos” with David Chase, Steven Van Zandt and Dominic Chianese.

The main draw for the special features is easily the 28th disc, which offers all new high definition bonus content, including a 46-minute retrospective, two round table discussions between David Chase and members of his cast and crew, a 2-part interview with Chase, and deleted scenes for all 6 seasons of the series. This Blu-ray exclusive content runs about three hours and is worth the purchase of the release itself. “Defining a Television Landmark” is a 45 minute look into the effect this series had a television. “Supper with The Sopranos” is a 75 minute dinner conversation with David Chase and various guests. This is easily the best special feature on the entire release. Lastly there are over 20 minutes of lost scenes from each season.

Starring: Billy Crudup, Anton Yelchin and Felicity Huffman
Directed by: William H. Macy
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 45 mins
Samuel Goldwyn Company

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Sam (Crudup) is a hot shot advertising exec who has just landed a major deal. He excitedly calls his son, Josh (Miles Heizer) and invites him to come celebrate with him. Tragically, Josh never shows up. His son gone, Sam crawls into a bottle. He stumbles across an assortment of original songs that Josh had written and, in an attempt to understand the son he lost, Sam begins to learn each one. After playing one of the songs at an open mic night he attracts the attention of Quentin (Yelchin) a young musician intrigued by the song. They form a band but soon discover that music, like life, is unpredictable.

Skillfully directed by William H. Macy, “Rudderless” is one of those small independent films that it’s a privilege to discover. The cast, led by Crudup, does a fine job of conveying the ups and downs of life and how people deal with them. Yelchin is equally good, giving a layered and nuanced performance that is miles away from the earnest Ensign Chekov he plays in the “Star Trek” films.

Supporting work by Laurence Fishburne, Selena Gomez and director Macy keep the film moving and the original songs are both well written and memorable. The script, which Macy worked on with writers Casey Twenter and Jeff Robison, hits all the right notes and packs an emotional wallop you never see coming. Director Macy keeps the story moving and never allows the emotions to become forced, hitting a home run with his feature film directorial debut.

“Rudderless” is currently available now on Digital HD and VOD.

Actors: Weird Al Yankovic, Victoria Jackson, Kevin McCarthy, Michael Richards
Directors: Jay Levey
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Shout! Factory
Release Date: November 11, 2014
Run Time: 93 minutes

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

Weird Al Yankovic is so hot right now after topping the charts with his newest album (for the first time ever). It is also the 25th anniversary of his cult classic film “UHF”. The film stars Weird Al Yankovic along with Michael Richards (“Seinfeld”), Kevin McCarthy (“Invasion of the Body Snatchers”), Fran Drescher (“The Nanny”), Gedde Watanabe (“Sixteen Candles”), Victoria Jackson (“Saturday Night Live”) and more! It has been many years since I have seen this film and it still holds up today and is extremely funny. If you are looking for some laughs and some great special features, be sure to pick this up!

Official Premise: A lot of TV stations have forgotten what ’quality’means. But not Channel 62. They NEVER knew what it meant. In the cult classic UHF, Weird Al Yankovic is George Newman, a daydreamer who becomes the manager of a small TV station that’s losing money as quickly as it’s losing viewers. Before long he’s programming shows like ’Stanley Spadowski’s Clubhouse, ’ ’Wheel Of Fish’ and ’Raul’s Wild Kingdom. ’ But can Channel 62’s new popularity save it from sinister forces? To find out… don’t touch that dial!

This 25th Anniversary Edition of “UHF” makes its Blu-ray debut, thanks to Shout! Factory. The 1080p transfer looks good and relatively clean. I was not a huge fan of the audio track though since it is not even a full HD track. It is basically a DVD English Stereo track. It is not terrible but I would have expected more.  There are a great deal of special features included. There is the Retrospective Panel from the San Diego Comic-Con 2014, which literally just happened a mere few months ago. There is an audio commentary track, deleted scenes, some behind-the-scenes footage, a music video, production stills and some Easter eggs included.

Starring: Eric Bana, Édgar Ramírez, Olivia Munn, Sean Harris, Joel McHale, Chris Coy
Director: Scott Derrickson
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony
Release Date: October 28, 2014
Run Time: 118 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

“Deliver Us From Evil” drew my attention since it is from the director of “Sinister” and “Exorcism of Emily Rose”, which are both great films. The film is claimed to be “Inspired by the Actual Accounts of an NYPD Sergeant”. The film stars Eric Bana (“Hulk”), Édgar Ramírez (“Zero Dark Thirty”) and supporting including Olivia Munn (“Magic Mike”) and Joel McHale (“Community”). Deliver Us From Evil” is aimed to be a mix between “The Exorcist” and “Seven” but it really comes off more as a thriller. There are a few decent scares/jumps but it really suffers from using too many horror clichés.

Official Premise: A New York police officer Ralph Sarchie (Eric Bana) begins investigating a series of bizarre and disturbing inexplicable crimes. When he uncovers that the crimes are of super-natural origins, he must join forces with an unconventional priest (Edgar Ramírez), schooled in the rituals of exorcism, to combat the frightening and demonic possessions that are taking over and terrorizing their city. Filled with action and thrilling suspense, the film is inspired by the book, which details Sarchie’s bone-chilling real-life cases.

Sony is releasing the film as a combo pack including a Blu-ray + Digital HD copy. The 1080p transfer captures the tone and atmosphere set well by the film. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track works great with Christopher Young’s terrifying score. The special features are pretty impressive. There is an commentary track from the director. ““Illuminating Evil: Making Deliver Us From Evil” is a fairly in-depth behind-the-scenes look into the production with writer/director Scott Derrickson’.

The following are Blu-ray ™exclusive bonus features. “Deliver Us From Demons” is a featurette on creating the film’s demonic presence. “The Two Sergeants” is a behind-the-scenes look into Ralph Sarchie and the actor playing “Ralph Sarchie,” Eric Bana. Lastly “The Demon Detective” is an intimate interview with Ralph Sarchie on his experiences and actual inspired events that the film is based on.

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