Starring: Brad Pitt, Michael Pena and Shia LaBeouf
Directed by: David Ayer
Rated: R
Running time: 2 hours 14 mins
Columbia

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

“Do what you’re told and don’t get close to anyone.”

With these words Staff Sergeant Don Collier (Pitt) welcomes Private First Class Norman Ellison (Logan Lerman) to his tank crew. Doing battle in Germany, Collier has just lost his assistant gunner and young Norman, a clerk typist by training, has been assigned to replace him. His first job? Get in the tank and clean up what’s left of the man he’s replacing. They’re not joking when they say “war is hell.”

Part “Das Boat” with a bit of “Platoon” tossed in for good measure, “Fury” follows the crew of the title tank as it slowly rumbles across the German countryside. Quarters are close and, despite Collier’s instructions, it’s almost impossible for the men to not get close. “Gordo” Garcia (Pena) drives the tank while “Bible” Swan (a subdued and outstanding LaBeouf) takes aim. “Coon-Ass” Travis loads and fires while “Wardaddy” Collier oversees everything. Despite their obvious differences, this mechanized family is closer than most.

Ayer, the writer/director of films like “End of Watch” and “Sabotage,” has crafted a look at the brotherhood between men without too much sentimentality. The feelings are there, under the surface. No dramatic breakdowns or tearful remembrances are necessary to convey the bond between Fury’s crew. Pitt, whose SSG Collier could be a close relation to “Inglorious Basterd’s” Lieutenant Aldo Raine, has aged into a fine character actor and he does an excellent job here. Lerman, title star of the “Percy Jackson” film series, literally grows before our eyes, from wide-eyed innocent to battle hardened soldier. The war is seen, and presented through both Lerman and Pitt’s eyes and the audience is asked to make up their own mind. “Ideals are peaceful,” Collier explains. “History is violent.” Sometimes you can’t have one without the other.

Starring: Rosemarie DeWitt, Jennifer Garner, Judy Greer, Ansel Elgort and Kaitlyn Dever
Directed By: Jason Reitman
Rated: R
Running Time: 119 minutes
Paramount Pictures

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Before the lights are dimmed and the movie begins, nearly every single person was looking at a smartphone, whether it is their own or simply sharing with the person next to them. They sat still with their fingers plugging away at a text or simply transfixed by a viral video. Some played mindless games while others, like me, were checking Twitter. It wasn’t always like this. I remember entering a movie theater and having to have a interpersonal conversation while easy movie trivia flashed on the screen. Things are different now, our lives, communication and feelings are all affected by technology and “Men, Women & Children” gives us a blunt look at its influence.

First we meet Don (Adam Sandler) who’s sexually dissatisfied in his marriage and resorts to Internet pornography to service his needs. His wife Helen (DeWitt) is also unhappy, but has yet to find a way to service her needs. Their son is also setting himself up for a life of porn addiction and a fervent discipline for touching himself. The other kids at school are slightly saner. There’s Hannah (Olivia Crocicchia), who gloats about her sexual conquests, and aspires to be a model. Her mom, Joan (Greer), supports these dreams and aspirations in the creepiest way possible, helping her daughter set up an online website to upload risqué photos.

The craziest parent, believe it or not, is the one who stalks her own daughters every cyber movement and reads through page after page of online chat. Patricia (Garner) believes the Internet is a vast, scary, and dangerous place for her daughter, Brandy (Dever), needless to say, is a social outcast at school because her life is under a miscroscope. Oddly enough, she draws the attention of Tim (Elgort). He’s lost meaning in life, recently quitting the football team and finding comfort in his online gaming friends on the massive multiplayer game, Guild Wars. His mom abandoned him and his dad, and as much as he’d like to still talk with her, she blocks on him on social media to prevent his prying eyes from seeing her fabulous new life without them. He doesn’t get much in the way of comfort from his Guild Wars pals who respond to his maternal predicament with “is she DTF?” (I’ll let you look that chat speak up for yourself if you don’t know what it means)

It may seem like a lot to handle (I know trying to explain it was), but Reitman weaves it all smoothly. He manages to give us a contemporary, albeit crude, look at a dysfunctional nuclear family, the overbearing parent, the single parent balancing their own personal despair and their child’s misery, eating disorders, and how these have changed as we’ve evolved from face-to-face talking to texting. It’s not a red flag of danger on where we’re headed, but more of a reminder that we can still be cruel, insensitive and clueless no matter what the means of communication are.

Instead of fixing their marriage and finding that old spark (or Hell, even divorce), Helen turns to online adultery and Don finds an escort through a website. It’s not a condemnation of these websites; married people aren’t the only ones who use these kinds of websites. It’s pointing out how the means to cheat have been filtered through a different way. The old form of peer pressure for students now comes through online help forums and websites pressuring young girls into a particular body image or thought process. Even the classic teen romance bubbles through talking on Tumblr, but the traditional means of affection remain intact. Technology has yet to replace human contact…yet.

“Men, Women & Children” has a bizarre ensemble cast, but I may only be saying that because this is Adam Sandler’s second dramatic role in a career spanning way too many fart jokes. Elgort shows off his range by become a sullen woeful soul, a complete opposite of his charismatic and witty character in “The Fault in Our Stars”. Dever, who I haven’t seen in anything else to my knowledge, is really good here along with Garner who seems borderline psychotic. I would have loved to see more interactions between those two. There’s simply not enough time to go too far into their lives, but I had an feel that this kind of movie could easily be transcribed into television format in today’s golden age of TV dramas.

“Men, Women & Children” is an Instagram snapshot into our digital lives, which runs the risk of being dated within a matter of years. Its social observations are long lasting though. It’s definitely a conversation starter about a topic that needs to be talked about before we fall into the archetypes we seen in this movie. Something tells me it won’t though. As soon as the first line of credits began rolling upwards, people immediately whipped out their smartphones.

There’s simply not enough time to go too far into their lives, but I have a feeling that this kind of movie could easily be transcribed into television format in today’s golden age of TV dramas.

Steven Price is the very talented composer behind the film “Gravity”, which ended up winning him last year’s Oscar for Best Score (along with numerous other awards). Steven has also worked on film like “The World’s End” with Edgar Wright and TV series like “Believe” with “Gravity” director Alfonso Cuarón. Media Mikes had a chance to follow-up with Steven to discuss his new score for “Fury” and what we can expect.

Mike Gencarelli: You worked on the score for “Gravity” for about two years; at what point in the production did you come on board “Fury”?
Steven Price: I started on “Fury” about a year ago. I got the scripts and read through them. Usually, I am pretty useless at judging scripts. I tend to do better off waiting until I can see a little bit of what they have shot. But with this film, the script was really gripping. (Director) David Ayer has this ridiculous ability when writing characters that you feel like you totally know them in only a couple of pages, you care about them and you want to know what is going to happen to them. I loved the script. So I made a couple of calls and it turns out they were shooting it about 40 minutes from where I live. So I asked if I could visit and I actually ended up going a couple of times while they were shooting. I got to watch it being shot but also I got to spend a bit of time talking with David discussing what he was doing and what he hoped the music would be. It was an amazing opportunity to get to work with another director that really values what music can do for a film. It was important for him to have the music to carry emotion and be a part of the experience. So I was very keen to be involved.

MG: “Gravity” was set in the vast unknowns of space; tell us about how you approached “Fury”, which is set in the hell of World War II?
SP: I think “hell” was the key to it actually. We talked about what the characters had already been through by the time that we meet up with them in the first reel of the film. They have been in the war for 3-4 years by that point and have seen and done unimaginable things. They are exhausted and terrified but they have to keep going forward. So it was a matter of capturing that sense of exhaustion and of being in hell with this constant motion and this grinding forward. I wanted to capture that quality in the music whilst putting you there with the men and their emotions throughout the film. So that’s the conversation we had at the start and then had to work out how that would actually sound.

MG: I was going to ask if you looked for influence from other World War II films but this has such a unique sound for the genre and even sort of crosses over the line of horror with the use of the overlying chanting throughout.
SP: With where they are within the timeline of WW2, the film being set just 3 weeks before the Nazi surrender, I think it is easy to imagine that things were less intense at that point, but in actual fact the crews were in the middle of Nazi Germany… they were surrounded, and things were unimaginably bleak and threatening. I did a lot of work with a choir that is constantly chanting and whispering around you. It is an eerie sound in lots of ways. You never feel, like they never felt, safe for a moment. There is something that could happen that would be life ending, you never know. It was a real turning point for me, while writing, when I got the idea to use the choir in that way. I recorded them in all sorts of different ways. Sometimes it was as a choir but often times I would give them all their own individual microphones and get them saying different things. We could make it sound like individuals at times or make them sound like this group marching forward. They are only really used as a traditional choir in terms of singing at the very end of the film. So until then, they are this voice of constant persistent danger.

MG: Were you able to able anything you learned from “Gravity” on this project?
SP: I think the great thing I learned from “Gravity” experience was to just keep trying and keep experimenting with new things. That was a process for me that was really useful on this. The film was evolving as I was working on it and there was always a chance to look at something from a different angle.

MG: What were some of your biggest challenges that you faced here?
SP: The biggest challenge on this film was just getting the journeys right. Take the character, Norman (played by Logan Lerman), when we first meet him in the film and he goes from being terrified to suddenly plunged into a tank battle. So trying to figure out musically, how was his journey through the film and his growing and understanding of what it means to be in this was a challenge. Also Brad Pitt’s character, Wardaddy, was challenging since his enigma itself almost could be played musically and how much we should learn about him and his team through the music. So a lot of it were character challenges and trying to support them and their stories. That was the stuff that got me scratching my head at night and trying different things.

MG: I love that the score is so epic and yet you still have some beautiful piano work in tracks like “I’m Scared Too”.
SP: I did an early demo with piano and David sort of immediately attached to it. It is very simple piano work and all quite blunt actually in terms of the musical construction of it. They characters aren’t verbose sort of characters. They speak clearly and what they say is clear. Musically, I wanted it to be like that too. I wanted it to be very concise. The piano writing was very simple and also it needed to be played with great emotion. One of my oldest friends, who is not a full time professional musician but is a great player, ended up playing it for me. He came in and just completely understood what I wanted to do with it. His touch on the piano really made the whole thing work. We spend a long time getting the right sound for it as well. We ended up going about it in a peculiar way using two very old 1940’s microphones underneath the piano. It is not the sound that you would ordinarily do for a big posh film piano sound but it just felt right. You hear the mechanics of the piano, the pedal sounds, the contacts between the hammers and the strings and that seemed like it was suitable for this film.

MG: Since you are no longer working on “Ant-Man”; what is your next project?
SP: There is stuff knocking around a bit but not allowed to say much about anything at the moment though. But at the moment, I am in the bit where I should have been doing “Ant-Man”. Having spent a lot of time with Edgar Wright and considering him a good friend, it was never going to be an option for me to do that film. We spent so long talking about musical ideas for the film and it would have been so wrong taking it with someone else’s vision really. Hopefully I will have the opportunity to work with him again soon. But we will see what is around the corner next, yeah!

Starring: Craig Sheffer, David Cronenberg, Anne Bobby, Charles Haid, Hugh Quarshie, Hugh Ross
Director: Clive Barker
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Shout! Factory
Release Date: October 28, 2014
Run Time: 120 minutes

Director’s Cut: 3 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

“Nightbreed” is one of those movies that as a horror fan you can’t help but love. It is far from perfect in any sense but it is a cool little flick that has stuck around over the years. About 2 or so years ago, a new cut of the film emerged called “The Cabal Cut”, which ran about 160 minutes long put together with lost footage compiled over the years. Unfortunately, this is not “The Cabal Cut” that many fans have hoped for. What it is though is a new “Director’s Cut” of film which contains over 40 minutes of new and altered footage. So we get some new footage and at the same time loose some footage. The director’s cut is good but I feel like it is rather choppy and not as tight as I would have thought so. We do certainly get a completely different viewing experience if you think you know “Nightbreed”, so I will let horror fans see for themselves. Either way, “Nighbreed” is finally on Blu-ray”!

If you are wondering what director Clive Barker thinks about this, here is his office’s official statement: “The Nightbreed Director’s Cut is an entirely different film than the one which was released in theaters. Its 20 minutes longer than the theatrical cut, but it contains over 40 minutes of new and altered footage. Clive oversaw the reconstruction and edit himself, personally ensuring that, at long last, he was able to tell the story he always wanted to tell, but until now, had never been given the chance. Once the scenes were reordered, and the original film footage restored, the entire film received a brand new sound mix and color pass. It is, in every way, a different movie. It contains more story, more monsters, and there’s even a musical number. Ultimately, what we’ve delivered is a love story 25 years in the making”.

Official Premise: Boone (Craig Sheffer) may be a troubled young man, but his troubles are just beginning. Set up as the fall guy in a string of slasher murders, he decides he’ll hide by crossing the threshold that separates ’us’from ’them’and sneak into the forbidden subterranean realm of Midian. Boone will live among the monsters. Hellraiser creator Clive Barker writes (adapting his novel Cabal) and directs this vivid leap into horror that asks: in the battle of man vs. monster, who’s really the monster? The answer supplies flesh-crawling suspense, sudden fear, a colorful Danny Elfman score and a creepy array of shape-shifting beings. They are the Nightbreed, denizens of a world beyond death, beyond the imagination, perhaps beyond anything you’ve seen.

Shout Factory! is releasing this Director’s Cut as a combo pack with a Blu-ray + DVD included. They are also releasing a Limited-Edition 3-Disc release consists of only of 10,000 copies, which includes a collector’s book, a bonus disc of extras and the theatrical cut available on Blu-ray for the first time only in this release. I would certainly recommend that release over this one any day. The 1080p transfer has been said to been mastered in high definition from the original camera negative but there is some parts where the quality is very questionable. I understand it was taken from many different sources, I just expect a little more polish. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 works perfect though along with Danny Elfman’s amazing and memorable score.

The special features on this “Director’s Cut” release are good but not super outstanding. Like I mentioned the Limited Edition release has an entire Blu-ray for extras. Here we get an introduction by writer/director Clive Barker and restoration producer Mark Alan Miller, which goes into about the Director’s Cut…man does Barker look like shit BTW> There is a brand new audio commentary track with writer/director Clive Barker and restoration producer Mark Alan Miller. There is a new featurette called “Tribes of the Moon: The Making of Nightbreed”, which runs over 70 minutes and features interviews with Craig Sheffer, Anne Bobby, Doug Bradley and more, “Making Monsters” runs over 40 minutes with interviews with makeup effects artists Bob Keen, Martin Mercer and Paul Jones. “Fire! Fights! Stunts! 2nd Unit Shooting” is a 20 minute interview with Andy Armstrong. Lastly there is an Original Theatrical Trailer included.

Bonus Content Includes Audio Commentary; Alternate, Extended and Deleted Scenes; Outtakes and Featurettes

Currently Available for Pre-Order on Amazon.com

NEW YORK, October 14, 2014 – Beloved cult comedy “RENO 911!” will now be available to take home when the complete uncensored series is released on DVD on Tuesday, November 4 by Comedy Central Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Media Distribution. Available at Best Buy and major retailers nationwide, the discs are currently available for pre-order on Amazon.com.

A critically acclaimed, hit series which ran for six seasons, “Reno 911!” let viewers ride shotgun with the courageous men and women of the Washoe County Sheriff’s Department as they lay down the law and put their lives on the line. Whether the Deputies are busting down the doors of a meth lab or busting “moves” at a local nightspot, the Reno 911! camera doesn’t blink.

Bonus features include audio commentary on 32 episodes; over an hour of alternate, extended and deleted scenes; almost two hours of outtakes; and featurettes “Cops Psychology: Inside the minds of Reno’s Deputies” and “Profiles in Valor.”\

The half-hour ensemble comedy was created by and stars Robert Ben Garant,Kerri Kenney-Silver and Thomas Lennon, and also features Carlos Alazraqui, Mary Birdsong, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Niecy Nash and Cedric Yarbrough. Throughout the 6-season run, guest stars included Aziz Ansari, Michael Ian Black, Wayne Brady, Andrew Daly, Charlie Day, Danny DeVito, Nat Faxon, Lou Ferrigno, Zach Galifianakis, Seth Green, Chelsea Handler, Jonah Hill, Cheryl Hines, Rob Huebel, Keegan-Michael Key, David Koechner, Nick Kroll, Lorenzo Lamas, Lisa Lampanelli, Natasha Leggero, George Lopez, Joe Lo Truglio, Jane Lynch, Ken Marino, Heather McDonald, Jerry Minor, Arden Myrin, Oscar Nuñez, Patton Oswalt, Jordan Peele, Brian Posehn, Jim Rash, Paul Reubens, Craig Robinson, Paul Rudd, Paul Scheer, Nick Swardson, Aisha Tyler, David Wain, Matt Walsh and Rainn Wilson.

On Friday, November 7th, Film Historian Bruce Crawford will present his 35th Classic Film Tribute by hosting a screening of Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds.” Crawford’s special guest that evening will be actress Tippi Hedren, star of the film as well as Hitchcock’s next film, 1964’s “Marnie.”

As with most Classic Film Tributes, artist Nicolosi has designed a commemorative U.S. Postal Envelope honoring the film and it will be unveiled at the event. The envelope will be available for purchase by fans and both Miss Hedren and Nicolosi will autograph it.

Crawford has brought many classic films to Omaha over the years, pairing each one with a special guest star. Recent films (and guests) include “Jaws” with Carl Gottlieb, “Young Frankenstein” with Cloris Leachman, “The Miracle Worker” with Patty Duke and “The Great Escape” with David McCallum.

The screening will be held at the beautiful Joslyn Art Museum, 2200 Dodge Street, Omaha, Nebraska. Tickets are now on sale and available locally at all Omaha Hy Vee Food Store customer service counters. Proceeds from the screening will benefit the Nebraska Kidney Association.

For more information, call 402-932-7200 or visit www.omahafilmevent.com

Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Leslie Nielsen, Jeff Wincott, Anne-Marie Martin, Robert A. Silverman, Mary Beth Rubens
Director: Paul Lynch
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Synapse Films
Release Date: September 9, 2014
Run Time: 92 minutes

Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Who doesn’t remember the classic 80’s tagline “If you’re not back by midnight, you won’t be coming home!” That is honestly something that films today lack, which is a solid memorable tagline! Synapse is behind this brand-new 2K high definition transfer which was taken from the original 35mm camera negative. Plus who doesn’t love seeing Jamie Lee Curtis in a bra in HD? 😉 They give this film a lot of love and it has never looked better. The film also still holds up today and hopefully will wipe the horrible remake from our memory. A must for any horror fan and perfectly times for the Halloween season.

Official Premise: Jamie Lee Curtis (“Halloween”) and Leslie Nielsen (“The Naked Gun”) star in this celebrated slasher horror classic. Four Hamilton High seniors are hiding a terrible secret. What happened to Robin Hammond six years ago was a game that turned into a horrible tragedy, and someone saw what they did… someone waiting for gruesome revenge! Wearing a black hood and wielding an axe, a killer brutally slaughters the teenagers one by one at their high school prom. As the spotlight falls on the newly crowned prom king and queen, the psychopath will show everyone his new favorite game to play…

The Special Edition Blu-ray release for “Prom Night” comes with a great Blu-ray presentation. The 1080p transfer for this film with a 1.78:1 aspect ratio is really outstanding. You can see that a lot of time and effort went into this restoration. Synapse Films also includes a solid brand new 5.1 DTS-HD MA surround track. It works well with the suspense and the film’s score. Also included with this Blu-ray is the original 2.0 Mono track, but the new track is personally my choice here.

The special features are fantastic like the film. There is over 10 minutes of additional footage from the original NBC TV Broadcast. There is a brand new 40+ minute behind the scenes featurette called “The Horrors of Hamilton High: The Making of Prom Night” with select cast and crew interviews. There is a decent commentary track with Director Paul Lynch & Screenwriter William Gray. Lastly there are Never-Before-Seen Outtakes From Prom Night and a Motion Still Gallery that are both Exclusive to Blu-ray along with the Original Theatrical Trailer & Television Spots, rounding out these great extras.

Starring: Andrew Lincoln, Lesley Sharp
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: BBC Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: May 13, 2014 / October 7, 2014
Run Time: 282 / 370 minutes

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

Hold on a sec…did BBC just release a series called “Afterlife” starring “The Walking Dead” star Andrew Lincoln?? Wait a sec, this aired back in 2005? This is honestly, the first time that I am hearing about this series. But BBC Home Entertainment is smart for cashing in on the ridiculous success of “The Walking Dead” and releasing the series 1 and series 2 of this psychological thriller. It also co-stars the brilliant Lesley Sharp (“The Full Monty”). This show didn’t last very long on TV and only aired in the United Kingdom when it did, so this is the first time it is crossing over the pond. If you dig Lincoln, this is a pretty solid show. I really enjoyed it and I wish I would have heard back it sooner. Luckily though, the complete series is available and I recommend it for any “The Walking Dead” fan.

Series 1 Official Premise: A medium who has been able to see spirits since she was a child, Alison appears to be the real deal- unable to avoid the dead who seek her aid, she is driven to resolve relationships torn apart by death. Science-minded Robert finds it hard to change his deeply rooted assumptions that such paranormal activity is impossible. When Alison’s readings provoke an adverse reaction in one of Robert’s own pupils, he begins to observe her with the intention of turning his study into a book. Choosing to believe that Alison is imagining her experiences, Robert finds himself caught up as Alison continuously puts herself at risk in order to comfort both the living and the dead… until she sets her sights on helping Robert come to terms with his son’s tragic death.

Series 2 Official Premise: A chilling psychological drama that enters the world of the dead to answer questions about the living. In the terrifying and emotional climax to the first series, Alison (Lesley Sharp, Scott & Bailey) collapsed and nearly died during a séance in which she was inhabited by the spirit of Robert’s (Andrew Lincoln, The Walking Dead) dead son. Now on the road to recovery, Alison has to accept that the spirits she has seen since she was a child will never leave her. Determined that her life should not be dictated by the dead, she wants to use her gift to help the living. Robert, meanwhile, is in turmoil – once a total skeptic, his beliefs have been shaken by what he witnessed at the séance. He struggles to make sense of his life and turns to Alison for answers… but she is jolted out of her own new-found security by a terrifying presence. For the first time in her life she is being haunted by a spirit from her own past, a ghost she must learn to confront if she is to hold onto her sanity.

The series is only being released on DVD from BBC Home Entertainment. I would have loved to see a Blu-ray release but this show barely looks good on DVD. It is quite grainy throughout. The first series has audio commentary tracks on episodes 1 and 6 with stars Andrew Lincoln and Lesley Sharp, the series creator, Stephen Volk and producer, Murray Ferguson. I like that Lincoln is actually involved here but I am not sure when it was recorded and if it was before his fandom from “The Walking Dead”. The second series only comes with a 45 minutes behind-the-scenes features, which is very thorough and dives into the series’ production.

DIRECTOR RICHARD LINKLATER’S 12-YEAR CINEMATIC MASTERPIECE COMES HOME

The Most Critically-acclaimed Film of the Year Debuts on Blu-ray^™ Combo Pack
January 6, 2015

Buy it Four Weeks Early on Digital HD December 9, 2014

 HOLLYWOOD, Calif.  –  Hailed as “a moving 12-year epic that isn’t quite like anything else in the history of cinema” (Andrew O’Hehir, Salon), “a breathtaking achievement” (Ann Hornaday, The Washington Post) and “a profound viewing experience” (Manohla Dargis, The New York Times), writer/director Richard Linklater’s extraordinary  film BOYHOOD debuts on Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD January6, 2015 from Paramount Home Media Distribution.  The film arrives four weeks early on Digital HD December 9, 2014.

Filmed over the course of 12 years with the same cast, BOYHOOD is a groundbreaking story of growing up as seen through the eyes of a child named Mason.  A box office hit from IFC Films that has garnered universal critical acclaim, BOYHOOD achieved a rare 99% Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, earned an unprecedented score of 100 on Metacritic and is the first film to receive an A+ score from Entertainment Weekly’s Critical Mass.  The film stars Academy Award^® nominee* Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette, Lorelei Linklater and Ellar Coltrane as Mason.

 The BOYHOOD Blu-ray Combo Pack includes a look at the extraordinary work that went into making the film, as well as an in-depth Q&A with Richard Linklater and the cast.

The Blu-ray Combo Pack available for purchase includes a Digital Version of the film that can be accessed through UltraViolet™, a way to collect, access and enjoy movies.  With UltraViolet, consumers can add movies to their digital collection in the cloud, and then stream or download them—reliably and securely—to a variety of devices.

The BOYHOOD Blu-ray is presented in 1080p high definition with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description with English, English SDH and Spanish subtitles.  The combo pack includes access to a Digital HD copy of the film as well as the following:

Blu-ray

• Feature film in high definition
• The 12 Year Project
• Q&A with Richard Linklater and the Cast

DVD

• Feature film in standard definition

The BOYHOOD DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with English 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English and Spanish subtitles.  The DVD includes the feature film in standard definition.

Actors: Michelle Fairley, Samantha Barks
Directors: Stephane Berla
Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Shout! Factory
DVD Release Date: October 7, 2014
Run Time: 89 minutes

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

“Jack And The Cuckoo-Clock Heart” is a French animated film, which is based on the concept album by the French rock band Dionysos and on the illustrated novel “La Mécanique du cœur” written by the band’s lead singer Mathias Malzieu. The film was produced by Luc Besson’s company. Les Miserables’ Samantha Barks’ singing amazing, of course, since she is brilliant. It also stars Michelle Fairley (aka Lady Stark from “Game of Thrones”). The animation is absolutely really awesome and visually gorgeous. This feels like mix of “James and the Giant Peach” meets “Coraline”. It is funny, unique and has a nice heart. Recommended.

Official Premise: Edinburgh, 1874. On the coldest day in the history of the world, little Jack is born with his heart frozen solid. Wasting no time, midwife Madeleine takes action and saves his life by inserting a cuckoo-clock in place of his icy heart. And now Jack will live…as long as he observes three golden rules: He must never touch the hands of the clock. He must master his anger. He must never, ever fall in love. But fall in love he does, to a bespectacled young street performer, Miss Acacia, with a soul-stirring voice. Now begins a journey of escape and pursuit, from Edinburgh to Paris to Miss Acacia’s home in Andalusia.

If there is a film that I would have loved to see on Blu-ray, this would be one of them. In fact, Shout! Blu-ray comes in a combo pack with a DVD and digital copy as well. I actually would have loved to have seen this film released in 3D, since it would have really worked really well with the animation style. The special features included are decent, especially for a DVD. There are two featurettes focusing on “The Characters” and “From Book to Animation”. I enjoyed both of these for sure and they give a solid behind-the-scenes look at the film

Starring: Luke Evans, Sarah Gadon and Dominic Cooper
Directed By: Gary Shore
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 92 minutes
Universal Pictures

Our Score: 1.5 out of 5 stars

The latest movie surrounding Dracula (or Vlad the Impaler) is a story nobody asked for. The combination of historical, fictional and contemporary folly has created “Dracula Untold”. In the same vein of this summer’s “Maleficent”, albeit a lot more bloody and silly, we have yet another look at a villain turned anti-hero. In many other circumstances, the concept of retelling a story most people know is manageable, but Dracula just doesn’t seem like a fruitful tree to pick from.

“Dracula Untold” steals so many pages out of so many other movies; you could probably fill a book with the stolen pages. There are some slightly original differences from Bram Stoker’s creature. Instead of being the original vampire, Vlad (Evans) has to bargain with a different, original vampire, known as Caligula (yes, that Caligula). Vlad travels to the dark, bone covered cave where Caligula lurks to make a pact with him. Vlad will become a vampire by drinking Caligula’s dark red blood and he does so to protect his kingdom, his wife and his son from Sultan Mehmed (Cooper).

As the movie says, Dracula is given the power of a hundred men along with some other powers that don’t make a lot of sense. He’s able to command vampire bats at will and he himself is able to turn into a flurry of bats while gliding rapidly through the woods. Without breaking a sweat, he takes out an entire army of invaders mere moments after acquiring his newfound skills. With powers like this, the ultimate boss battle at the end with the mortal Mehmed feels entirely way too anti-climactic.

One of history’s greatest monster/butchers has been defanged as he’s reduced to crying, spouting righteous teachings to his son and comforting his wife, all the while yelling at his village that he’s become a vampire to protect them from the true evils of the world. Maybe in 500 years someone will have Pol Pot as the sympathetic anti-hero who just wants to live life and love. Of course if you’re not knowledgeable on Romanian history, you might not care, and that’s completely fine.

The movie is far from shy at hinting and saying that Vlad is a terrible person. He still finds time to impale people and there’s even a scene where he admits to feeling nothing as he scorched entire village and murdered thousands of innocents (it’s OK, he had his reason). The charming presence of Evans can’t save this movie’s main character because he’s flawed from the beginning. Turning the most iconic Universal monster into a man of courage and nobility with an inadequate historical backdrop is one of the worst uses of Dracula in recent memory. He would have been more entertaining as the creature of the night that falls into his old, sadistic ways with his new powers instead of becoming a fanged nobleman or blood drinking seeker of justice.

All that aside, it’s still not a very well made movie. The action sequences, while shot imaginatively, have no bite. The visuals are automatically forgettable and the budget seems to have cut some corners in the CGI department and the storytelling sector. If this does well, it’ll most likely spawn a sequel or two, and just like the “Twilight” franchise, let’s hope Blade shows up at some point to put an abrupt end to this monstrosity.

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Starring: Jeremy Renner, Rosemarie DeWitt
Directed By: Michael Cuesta
Running Time: 112 Minutes
Focus Features

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

“Kill the Messenger” follows the fallout experienced by reporter Gary Webb of the San Jose Mercury News of his 1996 article “Dark Alliance.” The article linked the US’s own CIA with rampant dealing of crack cocaine in California for the eventual funding of Nicaraguan contras. Director Michael Cuesta’s version of it, thoroughly from Webb’s point of view, skillfully balances the political thriller with the family life of the reporter.

The first half of the film plays a bit like a television procedural episode with Webb going from source to source in chasing his story. If it’s a little by the numbers in that respect, it does give us the opportunity to enjoy scenes with Andy Garcia in a south American prison and Michael Sheen as DC insider who warns Webb of the dangers of chasing this particular story.

It’s just before Webb publishes his story however, where the film really picks up steam. In an ominous meeting with government suits, it’s hinted that Webb’s family could be ‘affected’ by his work, enraging Webb and spurring him on to complete his article. It’s a thrill to see Renner take the lead here as Webb after the last few years of supporting work in franchises and last year’s American Hustle. He plays him as a passionate family man with a slight sense of humor that he attempts to employ as defense to the very serious people he’s up against. Though he is not without his breaking points. At home he’s given strong support by Rosemarie DeWitt as his wife and Lucas Hedges as his 16 year old son who Webb strives to be as truthful with at home as he is when reporting. Even if his wife would rather he didn’t.

Much of the film after the published story focuses on the ripple effect of exposing the truth whereby the closer Webb gets to it, the more threatening his world becomes and the more viciously personal the media gets with Webb himself. Nathan Johnson’s score subtly increases the tension throughout while Cuesta powerfully weaves in actual archival media to show just how far reaching Dark Alliance’s impact was.

If the film seems a bit one-sided with Webb as the straight up hero, it’s devastating closing title cards will likely send you to seek out more about the story for yourself.

Starring: Cameron Diaz, Jason Segel, Rob Corddry, Jack Black, Rob Lowe, Ellie Kemper
Director: Jake Kasdan
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony
Release Date: October 21, 2014
Run Time: 94 minutes

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

When I saw “Sex Tape” in theaters, I had a blast. I don’t man. I have read some terrible reviews for this film but I really enjoyed it. I mean Rob Lowe’s role in the film is just so amazing and worth checking out just for that. Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel are fun together. The plot is light but it is short and sweet. I love comedies that it is around 90 minutes. This is not ground breaking and may not even be remembered next year but it was fun and if you are looking for an hour and half of mindless stupidity, I would recommend it.   I haven’t laughed as hard as I did in “Sex Tape” in a long time, so have drink, kick back and enjoy this flick!

Official Premise: Jay (Jason Segel) and Annie (Cameron Diaz) are a married couple still very much in love, but ten years and two kids have cooled the passion. To get it back, they decide – why not? – to make a video of themselves trying out every position in The Joy of Sex in one three-hour marathon session. It seems like a great idea until they discover that their most private video has gone public. In a panic, they begin a wild night of adventure – tracking down leads, roping in friends and duping Annie’s boss – all to reclaim their video, their reputation, their sanity and, most importantly, their marriage.

There seems to be two versions of this film available, I happened to receive the Wal-Mart Exclusive with the alternate artwork. Sony is releasing this as a combo pack with  Blu-ray + UltraViolet digital copy. The 1080p transfer and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 are good but nothing spectacular. The special features include some Bloopers, Deleted & Extended Scenes and Line-O-Rama. There is also “Capturing the Moment” which is a chat with director and cast. “Romance Reboot with Dr. Jenn Berman” is a chat with licensed Psychotherapist, VH1 television host, and author discussing the reality of film. Lastly “Meet Hank Rosenbaum” is a funny faux chat with fictional Entrepreneur/Philanthropist/Art Enthusiast talking about the film’s Disney-inspired paintings.

Starring: Warwick Davis, Dylan Postl, Jennifer Aniston, Ice-T, Guy Siner, John Gatins
Directors: Brian Trenchard-Smith, Mark Jones (I), Rodman Flender, Zach Lipovsky
Number of discs: 4
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Lions Gate
Release Date: September 30, 2014
Running Time: 640 minutes

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

What horror fan doesn’t love the “Leprechaun” series? Warwick Davis built a career around this role. They are far from perfect films but they are certainly a ton of fun. I may get a role of the eyes but I especially love “Leprechaun 4: In Space” because it is just a blast. Plus who doesn’t love Las Vegas mixed that with “Leprechaun 3” and you have a winner. This Complete Movie Collection includes all seven films from the series including “Leprechaun” / “Leprechaun 2” / “Leprechaun 3” / “Leprechaun 4: In Space” / “Leprechaun: In the Hood” / “Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood” / “Leprechaun: Origins”, the 2014 reboot (and also the weakest title in the series). If you are a horror fan, this release is a MUST BUY!!

The real draw for me besides each of the seven films, is that this Blu-ray collection comes with a Digital HD UltraViolet copy of each of the films. Right there, this is worth the purchase of the release alone. These films don’t really scream high quality but the 1080p transfers are solid and good enough for what I expect from this series. The first six films come with DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 tracks. “Leprechaun: Origins” comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. I still absolutely hated this film and almost wish it wasn’t included in this set. In fact it almost ruins this set.

The first Blu-ray disc includes “Leprechaun” and “Leprechaun 2”. There is an audio commentary on track on “Leprechaun” by director Mark Jones and there is an audio commentary on “Leprechaun 2” by director Rodman Flender. Both tracks are good, not outstanding but worth checking out for some decent insight/stories about the films. There is also a making of featurette on both “Leprechaun” and “Leprechaun 2” with never before seen behind the scenes footage and photos. This is a must watch for fans.

The second Blu-ray includes “Leprechaun 3” and “Leprechaun 4: In Space” aka my favorites in the series. So this is my favorite disc for sure. The special features include an audio commentary on “Leprechaun 3 and 4” by director Brian Trenchard Smith. These are fun and light, which is good because both of the films are just plain fun. Again there is another making of featurette for both “Leprechaun 3 and 4” including never before seen behind the scenes footage and photos. I am very impressed with these extras so far, no question.

The third Blu-ray brings us to the hood or when the series jumped the shark..even not as bad as when he went to space. We get “Leprechaun In the Hood” and “Leprechaun: Back 2 Tha Hood”. The first of the two is decent and co-stars Ice-T, so that is cool but the second one is just plain bad. The special features includes an audio commentary on “Leprechaun In the Hood” by director Rob Spera and an audio commentary on “Leprechaun: Back 2 Tha Hood” by director Steven Ayromlooi. Again, there was a making of featurette on “Leprechaun In the Hood” and “Leprechaun: Back 2 Tha Hood” with never before seen behind the scenes footage and photos.

The fourth Blu-ray includes just “Leprechaun: Origins”, which in case I didn’t say yet is terrible. There are two featurettes includes on this disc. “Leprechaun: An Icon Reborn”, which talks about rebooting this franchise. “Leprechaun: Behind the Blood” takes you briefly behind-the-scenes. So despite this film, I absolutely love the series as a whole and I just love how Lionsgate really delivered to their fans here. These movies look great, they come with digital copies and they have some great extras.

Actors: Sean Schemmel, Christopher R. Sabat, Stephanie Nadolny, Sonny Strait, Jason Douglas
Directors: Christopher R. Sabat
Rated: Unrated
Studio: FUNimation
Release Date: October 7, 2014
Run Time: 85 / 105 minutes

Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars

The first new “Dragon Ball” feature film in over seventeen years?! Yeah sign me up!! “”Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods” is a hell of a good time. I saw this film in theaters during its limited run and it was a real blast. The audience loved and we all really just loved seeing a new “Dragon Ball” feature. I think that diehard fans are going to love this as well (or loved it since it they are diehard fans they should have seen in theaters like me). I hope that the success of this film, still shows that there is plenty of demand for “Dragon Ball” content in the U.S., so I hope that they have future films planned as well. We are more FUNimation!! Bring it on!

Official Premise: Following the events of the Dragon Ball Z television series, after the defeat of Majin Buu, a new power awakens and threatens humanity. Beerus, an ancient and powerful God of Destruction, searches for Goku after hearing rumors of the Saiyan warrior who defeated Frieza. Realizing the threat Beerus poses to their home planet, the Z-fighters must find a way to stop him before it’s too late. Only Goku, humanity’s last hope, can ascend to the level of a legendary Super Saiyan God and stop Beerus’s from destroying Earth, and possibly the entire universe!

“Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods” delivered a solid Blu-ray presentation courtesy of FUNimation Entertainment The 1080p transfer in 1.78:1 looks amazing with this films colors and animation style. It keeps the original series look with not too much of an upgrade in terms of style but it just looks very polished and sharp. Same goes for the audio tracks. There are Dolby TrueHD 5.1 tracks for both Japanese and English on the Theatrical Version of the film and and an English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 track for the Uncut Version. Either one really rules personally. I originall saw it in English but I love DBZ in Japanese as wel.

The Blu-ray contains as a mentioned, two cuts of the film the Theatrical cut runs about 85 minutes, while the Uncut version runs about 105 minutes. Obviously, I love DBZ so the longer the better for me. The film already had slight pacing issues at 85 minutes, so it runs a little long but I still can’t get enough personally. In terms of special features, we get a Behind the Scenes look into the film with “Battle of Voice Actors” and also similarly “The Voices of Dragon Ball Z Unveiled”, which touches on the cast. There is also a Textless Closing Song and U.S. Trailer included.

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