Directed by: Justin Simien
Starring: LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rosario Dawson, Dan Levy, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jared Leto
Distributed by: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Running time: 123 minutes

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Having visited three Haunted Mansion rides at Disney World, Disneyland and Disneyland Paris, this movie really gets the attraction down! I wasn’t sure what to expect from “The Haunted Mansion” but I walked out of the theater with a smile on my face.

Official Premise: Inspired by the classic theme park attraction, “Haunted Mansion” is about a woman and her son who enlist a motley crew of so-called spiritual experts to help rid their home of supernatural squatters. 

LaKeith Stanfield’s character brings the believability to the story. Owen Wilson just played Owen Wilson, the same character. Danny Devito was my personal favorite, simply hilarious… and I didn’t expect that either. I wish Dan Levy was in it longer, and same goes for Jared Leto.

I really enjoyed the darker side of the story. The PG-13 rating really gave it a chance to go deeper into love, loss and finding oneself. But don’t let ’em fool you, the beginning had a good portion of excellent jump scares. The ending also catches you off guard, which I enjoyed quite a bit!

The visual effects were impressive but felt a little cartoony at the end due to the Hat Box ghost appearance. But overall, I think “The Haunted Mansion” did a great job representing the attractions. But just a warning to parents, it is a solid PG-13, so little ones might be left scared.

• OPPENHEIMER
• Starring: Cillian Murphy and Emily Blunt
• Directed by: Christopher Nolan
• Rating: R
• Running Time: 3 hrs
• Universal Pictures

The Academy Awards ceremony is several months away, but a serious contender is already in theaters now – Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer.” Based upon the Pulitzer Prize-winning 2005 biography “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer” by American novelist Kai Bird and the late historian Martin J. Sherwin, “Oppenheimer” is an important work of cinema about a figure most Americans don’t know. Led by a fantastic performance by Cillian Murphy (“Inception”), seamless direction by Nolan, and a three-hour story that doesn’t waste a second of our time, “Oppenheimer” is a diligent drama that also manages to generate some suspense.

The story takes us back to 1929 when Oppenheimer was just a young, anxiety-riddled physics student. After earning his physics doctorate in Germany, he returns to the U.S. to teach quantum physics, initially in California. It is during those pre-war years that Oppenheimer develops ties to the Communist Party via an on-and-off relationship with a female party member and later his future wife, Katherine (Emily Blunt) an ex-Communist herself. Despite these associations, which were dangerous to have in America at the time, Oppenheimer is recruited by U.S. Army General Leslie Groves (Matt Damon) to lead the Manhattan Project, a top-secret initiative to build an atom bomb before the Nazis.

Once he sees the destruction wrought by the dropping two atom bombs on Imperial Japan, Oppenheimer becomes a vehement opponent of a nuclear arms race. His past interactions with the Communist Party, and his personal dalliances make good cannon fodder for slighted U.S. Atomic Energy Commission member Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey, Jr.) to go after when he seeks out to ruin the “father of the atomic bomb.”

Nolan, who adapted the novel into screenplay form, does not waste a moment of our time with a fairly accurate story that is always moving forward. The pacing never wavers, and Nolan keeps it basic without a lot of special effects. Even though we know how the experiment is going to turn out, it is still terrifying, for example, when Oppenheimer and his crew realize there is a slim chance that their bomb may spark cataclysmic destruction on a global scale.

Murphy delivers a complex performance of a man who raised to the pinnacle of fame only to see himself crashing to earth. Blunt as his alcoholic wife shares some good moments with him with Downey, Jr. arguably delivering the best performance of his career.

Overall, “Oppenheimer” is a satisfying movie that is educational, enlightening, and entertaining.

“Oppenheimer” receives four stars out of five.

Starring: Holland Roden, Kyle Gallner and Chris Mulkey
Directed by: Laurence Vannicelli
Rated: NR
Running Time: 99 minutes
Dark Sky Films

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

When death occurs, it leaves a scar. Not only the loss of a loved one, but the words that will never be said. The emotions that will now never be conveyed or felt. The questions that will now go on unanswered. I won’t bother looking up who said it because it’s a universal truth, but the only sure thing in life is death. In “Mother, May I?,” death is really the only sure thing.

Emmett’s (Kyle Gallner) mother, who abandoned him, has recently passed. Understandably, he wants to go to her house, get in, get out and move on with his life. Emmett’s fiance, Anya (Holland Roden), is in tow as emotional support, but that support seems a little flawed. At least from my vantage point. In an effort to help alleviate the pain of the experience of being in her house, Anya recommends they take psilocybin mushrooms. I have yet to try this method, but seeing people on mushrooms without having to deal with trauma tells me…I won’t. While tripping, Emmett and Anya decide to play a little roleplaying game where Anya is Emmett’s mother. It’s weird, oddly sexual and freaks Emmett out a bit. However, the troubles continue when he wakes up the next day and Anya is still pretending to be his mother. Or is she?

“Mother, May I?” is the definition of unsettling. As the film progresses, we begin to wonder if something supernatural is happening. Anya, who professes to not know how to swim, begins to swim whilst continuing to “be” Emmett’s mother. She also begins to exhibit ticks that Emmett knows his mother had, but has never told Anya. The emptiness of the house they’re in, compounded by the callousness of Emmett’s mom in flashbacks, allows the film to creep slowly under your skin, wriggling around when tensions come to a boil. When things explode between the two, it’s like a therapy session in hell.

Since most of “Mother, May I?” is filled with our two leads, so much of the film’s emotional weight is carried by Gallner and Roden who do spot-on jobs when their characters are hurt, vengeful, remorseful and horny. Rarely does the film relent, seemingly putting its foot down on the emotional accelerator. At some points you have to wonder who’s attempting to inflict emotional damage and who’s using brutal honesty to progress their own self-reflected feelings forward.

So what exactly is going on with Anya? Is she possessed or is she creating a cruel new form of psychotherapy? Or better yet, what’s going on with Emmett? Is he truly disturbed and upset or is he a unique byproduct of a broken mother-son relationship that would have Sigmund Freud licking his lips? Since the film leaves every question unanswered, the film in of itself is like death. As the credits roll, we’re left wondering what if and why.

Sean Gullette is known for his role of Max Cohen in the 1998 film, Pi, directed by Darren Aronofsky. Sean also has stepped before the directors chair himself with films like, Traitors from 2013. Media Mikes had a chance to chat about the 25th anniversary of Pi and his work directing.

Roddy Bogawa is known for his work with Storm Thorgerson on, Taken Storm: The Art of Storm Thorgerson and Hipgnosis, back in 2011. This new project, Have You Got it Yet?: The Story of Syd Barrett and Pink Floyd, with Storm was shot before his death in 2013 and they Roddy finished it. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Roddy and discuss his love for Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett and his stories about Storm Thorgerson.

Greg Sestero is known best for his role of Mark in the cult classic THE ROOM, from Tommy Wiseau. Greg also stepped into the world of directing himself with his film, Miracle Valley and his upcoming film Forbidden Sky, which just recently funded on Kickstarter.

Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Greg about the 20th anniversary of The Room, his role in the upcoming remake, The Room Returns! and talks about writing and directing his new film called “Forbidden Sky”.

• MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: DEAD RECKONING PART ONE
• Starring: Tom Cruise and Hayley Atwell
• Directed by: Christopher McQuarrie
• Rating: PG-13
• Running Time: 2 hrs 43 mins
• Paramount Pictures

Unlike other tired movie franchises that never seem to end, think “Transformers” and “Fast and Furious,” the “Mission Impossible” series, which began way back in 1996, has bucked the trend and has continued to not only stay fresh with each passing installment, but it has managed to find a way to get better. “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One,” the seventh installment involving secret agent Ethan Hunt, more than lives up to the hype with lots of great action, tremendous stunts, suspense, and a solid storyline that provides a cautionary tale about the dangers artificial intelligence could hypothetically pose to humanity.

The seemingly ageless Tom Cruise, in the wake of the wildly successful “Top Gun: Maverick,” is in top form as IMF secret agent Ethan Hunt, who is tasked with a new mission if he chooses to accept it. This time, he is asked to retrieve half of a key from his ally, sometimes romantic interest, and former British agent Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson). He soon learns that both halves of the key are desired by every nation on Earth as it could possibly lead to controlling an artificial intelligence called Entity, which has gone rogue much to the detriment of every network on the planet.

Ethan believes Entity is uncontrollable and vows to destroy it. To do this, he assembles his team including Ilsa, Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames), and Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg). A highly skilled pickpocket and thief named Grace (Hayley Atwell, “Captain America: The First Avenger”) stumbles upon Ethan and gets pulled into their high stakes’ gambit. Ethan’s principal opponent, besides the George Orwell-type A.I., is an old nemesis of his named Gabriel (Esai Morales, “La Bamba”) who once played a pivotal role in Ethan becoming an IMF agent and is now aligned with Entity.

Directed by Christopher McQuarrie (“Mission Impossible: Fallout,” “Jack Reacher,” “The Way of the Gun”), who’s no stranger to Cruise, has crafted a wild roller coaster ride that is absolutely perfect for summertime entertainment. McQuarrie’s craftmanship leaves us wanting more, which is a good thing since “Dead Reckoning” is split into two parts with the second half to be released next year.

Cruise once again shows that he is arguably the last true movie star. The kind of star that harkens back to a bygone era when one name across the top of the movie poster could ensure its success. His skills as an actor have never been better as he seems to elevate the rest of the cast that surrounds him. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the film’s brilliant story taps into the fears of what an A.I., that doesn’t value human life, could be capable of.

Overall, “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One” is one of the two best movies of the summer season (the other being “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3”).

“Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One” receives four stars out of five.

Jack O’Halloran is known best for playing the role of Non in Superman and Superman II. He has acted against the likes of Marlon Brando, Chuck Norris and even Sylvester Stallone.

Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Jack to discuss his work with all of them throughout his amazing career.

• TIGER WITHIN
• Starring:  Ed Asner and and Margot Josefsohn
• Directed by:  Rafal Zielinski
• Rated:  Not Rated
• Running time:  1 hr 38 mins
• Menemsha Films

I didn’t have to move to the Kansas City area to understand the power of the late Ed Asner.  A local boy from the Kansas side of the state line, Asner went on to an amazing acting  career, earning (7) Emmy Awards (tied for third place in most acting wins with his “Mary Tyler Moore Show” co-star Mary Tyler Moore).

I grew up watching him on such long-running shows as “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” (Emmy) and “Lou Grant” (Emmy) as well as such mini-series’ as “Rich Man, Poor Man” (Emmy) and “Roots” (Emmy).  On a more personal note, I had the amazing opportunity to interview him once and he loved the fact that I felt his best role was as Axel Jordache in “Rich Man, Poor Man,” especially because he felt the same way.  And even more personal, he is only the second celebrity who asked my permission to give my wife a kiss on the cheek – the other being Jay Osmond.   So when I learned that one of his final films was being released I jumped at the chance to see it.

Casey (Josefsohn) is the new girl in class.  No sooner does she sit down at her desk when, thanks to an obnoxious classmate, she is sent to the principal’s office.  Returning to the home she shares with her mother and abusive boyfriend, Casey feels the time has come to leave Ohio and visit her father in Los Angeles.  Soon she finds that things aren’t always sunny on the West coast.  Until she meets Samuel.

A true coming of age story, “Tiger Within” is the story of a girl who refuses to conform to anyone’s perception of who she should be.  Realizing that her father and his new family aren’t really excited at her arrival, Casey decides to strike out on her own in the big city, sleeping wherever she can find space, including a local cemetery that Samuel (Asner) visits often.  Concerned for the young girl, he offers to buy her lunch and let her clean up at his apartment.  As time goes by, the two develop a true kinship, one that allows Casey to conquer her fears and embrace the tiger within.

The film works in many ways, but the key are the performances of Asner and Josefsohn.  Samuel is a Jew who last most of his family during the Holocaust.  He is appalled that Casey has a swastika on her jacket and even more appalled that she not only thinks of it as just a way to say “F-you” but that she has been taught that the Holocaust was false.  The film is eye opening in this way, tackling other social issues, including sex trafficking.

The script is well written, with the occasional bit of humor to bring some levity to some serious issues.   The film moves smoothly and takes advantage of the fact that Casey is always drawing in her notebook by using animated versions of Casey’s art to denote scene transitions.

Though the film is not rated, it does deal with some serious issues.  But it is the handling of those issues, and Asner’s performance, that make this film a must see!

On a scale of zero to five I give “Tiger Within” four stars.  

Starring: Alice Lucy, David Schofield and Casper Van Dien
Directed by: Johannes Hartmann and Sandro Klopfstein
Rated: Unrated
Running Time: 92 minutes
Raven Banner

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

One of my favorite movie going experiences was 2007’s “Grindhouse,” by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino. Not so much the Tarantino portion, but the Rodriguez portion. After convincing several friends to drop money on a three-plus hour film, we were immediately rewarded as blood, guts, mayhem and tongue-in-cheek comedy took center stage. Even though there were only a handful of us in a mostly empty theater, there were times we could barely hear the movie over our own laughter at every exploding zombie head and intentionally bad scene. I sometimes wonder why more modern exploitation films aren’t made. Regardless, I’m glad someone did this year.

Heidi (Alice Lucy), of “Mad Heidi,” lives in the Swiss Alps with her grandfather, occasionally spending time (i.e. sex) with her lover, Goat Peter (Kel Matsena). Goat Peter, though, is quickly executed in the film by the fascist Swiss government in this alternate reality. Goat Peter’s crime? Selling illegal dairy products. In this cartoonish dystopia, Swiss Dictator Meili (Casper Van Dien) has outlawed lactose intolerance, conquered every inch of the dairy market, and is creating a cheese that forces the populace to be subservient Swiss patriots. After Goat Peter’s execution, Heidi is imprisoned, sending her on a trashy path towards vengeance.

“Mad Heidi” is what happens when you take an 1881’s children’s book, and smash softcore porn nudity, over-the-top violence, and out-of-date trashy storytelling in between the book’s pages. To say “Mad Heidi” is not for everyone, is like saying Jaegermeister is an “acquired” taste. Even the people watching, cheering and laughing during “Mad Heidi,” recognize it’s intentionally offensive humor, second rate CGI blood spurts and gore, and 80s action one-liners for what it is. Ridiculously amusing and oddly charming. The charm switch gets flipped on because of Lucy’s double sided performance of Heidi, a sweet relatable country girl who has to become a warrior badass. It helps that her nemesis is played by Van Dien, who may as well have eaten a spoonful of fondue before every cheesy line delivery.

The winks at other genre films is endless; all the way back to the sleaze of films like “Caged Women” to modern schlocky action-comedy like “Kung Fury.” With Van Dien on cast, the movie wastes no time in referencing “Starship Troopers,” and the references never get old as the film goes on. If I was to knock “Mad Heidi” for anything, it’d be that it’s a smidge too long and it doesn’t quite live up to the wall-to-wall insanity in other modern exploitation films like “Hobo with a Shotgun” or “Black Dynamite.” That being said, modern exploitation feels like an incredibly hard genre to pull off because exploitation is now the internet, and it’s hard to match the ferociousness of real violence broadcast into our eyeballs every day. “Mad Heidi” also has to tow this line of intentionally offensive stereotypes that are funny without upsetting modern sensibilities.

The great thing about modern exploitation and “Mad Heidi,” is that uptight people looking for the next thing to be outraged and shocked over won’t be watching the trailer for this film or looking at the poster and thinking, “I gotta check this out.” In a surprising way, it’s refreshing to watch something so politically incorrect, that you either have to hold your nose or roll with the offensive punches. I chose the latter. I relished every brutal bloody battle, every gruesome kill, every uncomfortable moment and all the little moments of absurd world building. For fans of any of the films I’ve mentioned above, or fans of B-movies with hyperviolence and immoral sexuality, “Mad Heidi” is a must. Also, someone find Tarantino and Rodriguez, and let them know another pupil of trash cinema has arrived.

Starring Russel Crowe, “The Pope’s Exorcist” casts out tone and horror surprises. Instead of jump scares and body distortion, this film relies on psychological horror keeping things grounded rather than providing action beats every few minutes. The result is something special with a fantastic performance from Crowe. This 1080p HD transfer looks stunning in the darkness and the DTS-HD 5.1 audio mis sounds even better. So, wait until night and turn off all the lights because this horror film is a stunner. 

The number of demonic possession films is staggering these days. Ever since “The Exorcist” was released in theaters in 1973, many filmmakers have tried to capitalize on both the financial and critical success it conjured up fifty years ago. Some have stood the test of time and others haven’t. One thing is for sure though, the recent possession movies were more related to showcasing jump scares and strange body movements for cheap audience reactions. While some of those work, most are immediately forgotten with a laugh and an eye roll. This is not the case with “The Pope’s Exorcist,” which takes its cues from the original “Exorcist” film in terms of its tone and grounded character work. Like “The Exorcist,” this particular movie draws from real experiences, particularly a real-life Catholic priest named Father Gabriele Amorth who was the Chief Exorcist of the Vatican. Russell Crowe plays the role of Amorth with such class and vigor during those climactic moments that it proves that Crowe has not lost one step in his perfected craft over the years. This priest is a charismatic man who must save a young boy who is possessed and is being hidden from the church to prevent mass hysteria. Again,  “The Pope’s Exorcist” doesn’t mess about with a possessed person climbing the walls like an insect or contorting their bodies into unnatural positions. This focuses more on the back and forth between the human and the demon, while each sits down and verbally fights trying to outsmart the other. Being a demon though, allows for certain hidden truths to appear within Amorth and the boy’s family, which ultimately try and tear a banded team of God from completing the exorcism – something that was shown in the original Exorcist. These scenes are terrifyingly brutal and breathtaking all at the same time. For horror fans though,  “The Pope’s Exorcist” is a breath of fresh air where jump scares and those usual suspected elements don’t creep up to bring the film to a downgraded action romp. This is character driven with some elements of horror to keep things on pace. Crowe is delightful and the psychological horror of his relationship to this demon and to the church is poignant and relates to how the church might act today if something of this caliber were to go down. It’s a horrifying story, one that is true that the filmmakers kept their class telling it correctly without all the hoopla of a modern-day action horror flick. It’s grounded and scary and should satisfy those horror buffs out there. 

In closing, “The Pope’s Exorcist” is a surprisingly great and  grounded horror film which relies on character development and the psychological horror of the narrative rather than jump scares. The 1080p HD image looks great in its low light filters and the DTS-HD 5.1 audio sounds amazing

“Insidious” haunts the home video space once again after a long absence with a brand new 4K image with Dolby Vision/HDR and a new fantastic-sounding Dolby Atmos track. All of this is located in a sleek new Steelbook with new artwork and a Digital Code. Truly a must for fans! A film that was released over 12 years ago, “Insidious” is a horror movie that created a worldwide phenomenon in horror. It spawned a franchise and movie universe in the horror realm that is still very much alive today and could be said to have reignited those ghastly and terrifying moments of joy for horror. Still after all these years, Insidious is a fun and scary movie with great performances and spooky visuals that can’t be unseen. It’s held up strong and should continue to do so. 

Here we have a middle-class family being upset by a ghastly presence. At first, the family seems to think that it’s the house that’s haunted. But after relocating, it is revealed that it’s it isn’t the house that’s haunted but one of the family members! And hence, the dark underworld has formed an insidious plot to do its ghastly deeds. 

Granted, this particular film isn’t all that different from the neo-horror films, depending heavily on standard spooky devices like the random, unexplained sounds around the house, or the sudden, disturbingly-loud increase in the musical score. But director James Wan and screenwriter Leigh Whannell, who also partnered to kick-start the ‘Saw’ franchise, balance those scenes with plenty of visual creepiness. When the screeching cries of the house alarm goes off, dad (Patrick Wilson) runs downstairs to find the front door inexplicably wide open, as if someone ran out quickly (or ran in). Mom (Rose Byrne) sees faces standing over the baby’s crib and the figures of people walking around the house. There are no fake scares here. Filmmakers construct a thick air of alarm and go straight for the throat in order to startle and horrify. But before we even arrive at that point, Wan establishes a frightful, disconcerting atmosphere very early on. The instant the movie’s already ominous title occupies the entire screen like demonic vertical scratches, the room is saturated with piercing music which warns that something sinister this way comes. It feels like a clever combination of ‘The Exorcist’ and ‘The Omen’ with a subtle pinch of Hitchcockian suspense. Things really only start getting weird, however, after Dalton’s (Ty Simpkins) harmless accident in the attic strangely leads to a mysterious coma. The family’s torment grows progressively worse until we eventually find ourselves in an exceedingly fun haunted house thrill ride, which reminded me greatly of Knott’s Halloween Haunt back in their heyday. ‘Insidious’ also comes with an equally fun throwback feel to some classic paranormal flicks of decades ago, as if possessed by them but in a way that still feels original and terrifying. Tobe Hooper’s ‘Poltergeist’ is most obvious when Lin Shaye’s clairvoyant medium, Elise Reiner, shows up and gives proper explanation to the strange occurrences surrounding the family. Shaye is quite good in her portrayal, but the role and the things the character can do somehow seem limited so as to create a convenient excuse for dad saving the day. The movie also seems to sidestep ‘The Amityville Horror’ and goes for more of the classic scare stylings akin to ‘Legend of Hell House’ and ‘The Shining.’ And it’s all the better for it, because it delivers on what it promises – a frightfully atmospheric good time. I imagine there will be some serious nitpicks, namely the second half not quite living up to the first, but frankly, without some of that discussion on astral projection, the visually cool trip through “The Further” would not be possible. Besides, the old woman in the black wedding dress more than makes up for any shortcomings. The lipstick-face demon not so much, but he’s still sort of cool to look at. In the end, ‘Insidious’ is a slow-burning tension builder overflowing with hair-raising, spine-tingling atmosphere which can proudly sit alongside such paranormal horror classics as ‘The Innocents’ and ‘The Sentinel.’ 

Bottom line, if you don’t own the Blu Ray of “Insidious,” then the 4K UHD is a great addition to your collection (providing you’re a horror fan). Even if you have the Blu Ray, the 4K upgrade is well worth it. This film is dark most of the time and there are some imagery that can be seen clearly only with 4K Blu Ray. Such as the visitor in Dalton’s room, where he is more pronounced on 4K. “Insidious” is a great horror film. 

Steve Alten is the author of the book series “Meg”, which has spawned six sequels (seventh on the way) and a very successful movie franchise as well with Meg 2: The Trench coming to theaters August 4th. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Steve about everything upcoming including his next books The Loch: Heaven’s Lake & Meg: Purgatory as well as the Meg Legacy collector’s box set, which will include all seven books in the series.

John Miligore is the man behind the new movie “Ouija Shark 2”! He not only starred in the film but also wrote and directed it. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with John about the movie and his many roles.

The pandemic hit everyone differently.  For the women of the Book Club, it meant having their conversations virtually.  Now that things are back to “normal,” the ladies decide to meet again.  In Italy!

Oscar^® winners Diane Keaton (Father of the Bride, Something’s Gotta Give), Jane Fonda (80 for Brady, “Grace and Frankie”) and Mary Steenburgen (The Proposal, Parenthood), and Oscar^® nominee Candice Bergen.  
 
“An irresistible crowd pleaser” (Deadline), BOOK CLUB: THE NEXT CHAPTER showcases an all-star supporting cast alongside the four esteemed leading ladies including Oscar^® nominees Andy Garcia (Ocean’s Eleven, The Godfather Part III) and Giancarlo Giannini (Quantum of Solace, Casino Royale), Primetime Emmy Award^® winner Craig T. Nelson (“Parenthood,” “Coach”), and Primetime Emmy Award^® nominee Don Johnson (Knives Out, “Miami Vice”).
 
The highly anticipated sequel follows our four best friends as they take their book club to Italy for the fun girls trip they never had. When things go off the rails and secrets are revealed, their relaxing vacation turns into a once-in-a-lifetime cross-country adventure.

The cast bring a familiarity to the film, as if they truly are old friends, and play wrll off each other.  The Italian landscape is beautifully shot and well transferred and jumps off the screen while the sound, in DTS-HD MA 5.1 is crystal clear.

Bonus material is scarce and includes:

Book Club: Back In Session (6:05) – Standard EPK that takes a look at the filming while highlighting moments from the first film.

Still Stylish (5:19) – You can’t have a film with four stylish actresses and not talk about their wardrobe!

The Women In Italy (5:29) – A look at how the filmmakers chose Italy as a location as well as the adventures the cast and crew had there.