I’ve spent a few weekend evenings in Tulsa, Oklahoma and the one thing that always catches my attention is the muscle-car atmosphere that takes over the city when the sun goes down. No matter where you drive, you can find parking lots full of car enthusiasts and their rides. Horror producer (and Tulsa native) Todd Lincoln and first time director Jeremy Lamberton have teamed up for the documentary “Biker Fox.”

The film tells the story of Frank P. DeLarzelere III, known to the good people of Tulsa as Biker Fox, a misunderstood motivational bicyclist, nature conservationist and muscle car guru. In helping spread the word about their new film, the two took time to answer some questions.

Mike Smith: How did you learn about Biker Fox?
Jeremy Lamberton: My first Biker Fox sighting was at a traffic light. He was on his bike, shaking his ass while staring at people in their cars. I pulled into a Taco Bueno parking lot next to an old bowling alley and he rode up next to my car and asked me if I was married. I told him I was (I wasn’t married at the time) and invited him to perform at Tulsa Overground. That night he told me about all the video he shot of wild life around his house and that I had to see it. Later that week he gave me an entire box of hi-8 and miniDV tapes. I watched everything. There were hundreds of hours of wild turkeys, coyotes, opossums, weed eaters, rabbits, lawn mowers, blue birds, bats and him hand feeding 50 raccoons. There were also tapes of him lecturing directly into the camera about the benefits of fitness and a healthy diet. Biker Fox and I started shooting together the next week.

MS: What made you decide to make a film about him?
JL: The footage he had already shot on his own was magical. He’s such a charismatic guy and it translated so well on video. But I didn’t think about it being a documentary until he started getting arrested. When trouble started swirling it grounded him and he became more genuine to his true character while shooting. And I thought it was funny that Biker Fox was continuing to preach his gospel of good health and happiness while at the same time his life was spinning out of control. He’s an indomitable being.

MS: Did you always intend to do the film as a documentary or did you consider doing a scripted feature film?
JL: “Biker Fox” was always meant to be a documentary. Or some kind of cross-genre film. Most of what happens in the movie you can’t make up. I don’t think his character would have the same impact if scripted. The spontaneity and what happened naturally is what made film special.

MS: Do you think that fans of your horror films will enjoy this film?
Todd Lincoln: Yes. Horror fans will definitely enjoy “Biker Fox.” Anyone who loves the unusual, the macabre, the dark arts and naturally occurring curiosities and oddities…. will appreciate the world of Biker Fox. While this is not at all a horror film in the traditional sense… it certainly could be seen as scarier than most. You will see blood. You will see violence. You will see killer raccoons.

MS: Jeremy, you’ve finally gone behind the camera. Was the experience what you expected?
JL: I’ve been making films for years but this was my toughest challenge. BIker Fox is a raw dog. I wanted the film to tap into Biker Fox’s psyche. Shooting with Biker Fox is like shooting a nature film. You can’t control it. You just hope to be rolling when something memorable happens. And Biker Fox has a tendency to perform in front of a camera. And he’s severely ADHD, so he’s constantly moving. He can’t sit still. The most effective way to show his true character – the character behind the character – was to make the film non-traditionally. So we set up cameras on tripods all over his house and in his shop and encouraged him to videotape himself. I would go to his house multiple times a week and pick up sometimes as many as 40 tapes at a time. He was shooting like crazy. Like video diarrhea.

MS: I’ve been to Tulsa and have observed their “muscle car culture” up close. What is your take on it?
JL: It’s crazy. The real collectors takes it very seriously. A lot of them too seriously. I’ve been to a few swap meets with Biker Fox. One time while looking at a guy’s 1967 GTO I put my hand on the car to look inside and he snapped his fingers and told me to never touch his car again. It doesn’t seem worth it. They spend all their time stressing over door dings and scratches. Seems like wasted energy.

MS: What do you have coming up?
JL: I’m working on a narrative script and producing a documentary called “Dreamland.” Also, Tulsa Overground make its return this August after a 7 year hiatus.

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Starring: Allie MacDonald, Meat Loaf and Minnie Driver
Directed By: Jerome Sable
Rated: R
Running Time: 89 minutes
Magnet Releasing

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

If there’s one musical slasher to see this year, it’s “Stage Fright”. Or maybe it’s this summer’s gory ode to musicals. Or maybe it’s 2014’s catchiest, disillusioned fantasy about someone who wanted to see all the theater kids at their school slaughtered. Regardless of the movie’s intentions and lack of settling on a genre, “Stage Fright” is one of those guilty pleasures that combines two unlikely affections, Broadway and horror.

I must admit these are both guilty pleasures of mine. I have “Wicked” on my iPod and “Cannibal Holocaust” in my DVD collection. While “Stage Fright” doesn’t quite meet the satisfying highs that both of these make within the context of their own category, it manages to stitch together a working piece of parody that provides some hearty laughs and a string of snickers during songs. At times it’s surprising how much more fulfilling the corny songs are than the eventual killings.

The movie presents us with two siblings, Camilla (MacDonald) and Buddy (Douglas Smith), the children of a murdered opera diva, Kylie (Driver). She’s stabbed to death by a freak wearing the mask of the villain in the musical she’s performing in, The Haunting of the Opera. The murder goes unsolved and the young ones are taken in under the care of one of Kylie’s former lovers, Roger (Meat Loaf). Fast forward to 10 years after these events, the two children are all grown up and toiling in the kitchen of Roger’s dilapidated summer camp for theater kids. The deeply in debt camp allows it’s summer time students to put on their own plays and this summer, they’re putting on a Japanese version of The Haunting of the Opera. Once again another psycho, this time donning a Kabuki mask, stalks the sets and bides his time before he can kill the young campers.

The cheesiness seeps into nearly every line of dialogue and shows that director Sable has a deep appreciation of horror and the musical styling of theater. For every reference to “Hellraiser” and “Friday the 13th”, there’s an obvious nod to “Phantom of the Opera” and unforeseen wink at “Glee”. While the blueprints are obvious, Sable’s final product is a bit shrouded. The straight face acting would lead you to believe this is a parody, but to the astute viewer, the potpourri blend of humor, theatrics and midnight frights are an homage to Sable’s influences. I can understand why this can be off-putting to viewers hoping for one or the other.

Despite having to play the shy girl that eases out of her cocoon throughout the running time, MacDonald really blossoms when panic sets in. And if that’s her actually singing in this movie, I can’t believe this incredibly attractive 26-year-old actress only has 20 acting credits to her name. While Minnie Driver gets her name near the top, her short screen time and quick murder appears to be a bow to “Psycho”. Meat Loaf really steals the scenes he’s in and in my humble opinion, needed more opportunities to really belt one out and stretch those monster vocal cords of his. Not that I’m complaining that Sable was able to nab Meat Loaf for another rare on-screen singing role.

“Stage Fright” is far from perfect and definitely needs to be refined, but the nucleus of this movie is fun enough to turn a blind eye to its predictability. I wouldn’t actually mind seeing a stage performance of this movie with a lengthier amount of time given for silly songs and a splatter zone for audience members. It worked for “Evil Dead: The Musical”. Sable’s next project will be featured in “The ABC’s Death 2”, which might show us which one of his talents is stronger, music or violence. Until then, relish in the absurd tongue-in-cheek goodness that “Stage Fright” gives in every octave.

Starring: Reese Witherspoon and Colin Firth
Directed by: Atom Egoyan
Not Rated
Running time: 1 hour 54 mins
RLJ/Image Entertainment

Our Score: 2 out of 5 stars

The easiest way to describe my view of “Devil’s Knot” is that it’s like going to see a cover band of The Cure play for two hours, instead of going to see The Cure play for nine hours; even though they are across the street from each other and are the same ticket price.

“Devil’s Knot” is based on the triple murder of three eight-year-old boys in West Memphis, Arkansas, on May 5th, 1993; and the subsequent arrests, trials, and convictions of three teen-age boys.

The film focuses primarily on two people: Pam Hobbs (Witherspoon), the mother of one of the murdered boys; and Ron Lax (Firth), a private detective who has offered his time and resources to the defense team. What ensues is a hodge-podge of images, characters, lines from court-room transcripts and footage from previous documentaries about the same case. If this film could be rated based just on its ability to approximate the time period or on the actors offering extremely convincing impersonations of their real-life counterparts, then this film would be given an “A” for effort. However, none of the performances were strong enough to merit mentioning. Which is disappointing considering the film does boast two Academy Award winning actors. In fact, throughout most of the film, I felt as if I were watching a dress rehearsal. If anything, the performances are hindered due to the wealth of footage that has been seen in no less than four documentaries featuring the real people. The same can be said for the writing. When I heard dialogue taken from the transcripts – or previous documentaries – most often the lines were not entirely correct – but perhaps slightly paraphrased.

As excited as I was for this movie, I still wondered what the purpose of it could be. Based on Mara Leveritt’s book of the same name from 2002, I didn’t find this to be that accurate of an adaptation. Granted, it’s a non-fiction work and not a novel; but the book only covers 1993 to 2001. The time period of the film spans from the time of the murders in May of 1993 to the sentencing of the accused men during the Summer of 1994; yet it references evidence and accusations that came to light in 2007 and later. I would have rather seen a film called “The West Memphis Three” than “Devil’s Knot”; that way it would allow for information that spans the twenty-year history of this case. That being said, I will concede that “Devil’s Knot” is a much more enticing title.

When one reads the book of “Devil’s Knot” you walk away almost convinced that a particular person is guilty of the murders; since that was the main focus of the defense and the followers of the case at the time of its writing. However, in this dramatized film that person is given little screen time, and barely factors into the story at all. Which would be fine if the film were a general look at the case and not based on this specific source material.

I don’t see how anyone not familiar with this case would be interested in this movie. Even with its ensemble cast of notable actors, it’s not a strong vehicle for any of them. It is an interesting watch for followers of the West Memphis Three case, but I highly doubt even I will watch it as often as I do Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofky’s Paradise Lost Trilogy, or Amy Berg’s West of Memphis.

If this movie accomplishes anything, in my opinion, it will be that it keeps the conversation going about this case. As the film points out, before fading to black, there are too many unanswered questions. “Devil’s Knot” will also serve as a way to honor the memory of Ron Lax, whom sadly passed away in October of 2013. He was a firm believer in the innocence of the three accused men from day one, and worked extremely hard to get them out of jail and exonerated. The latter of which has yet to happen.

John Schneider, best known for his work on stage and screen, has taken his talents behind the camera to create what is being called “The EXPENDABLES of Horror Movies,” the new fright-fest SMOTHERED.

The film, which Schneider also wrote, tells the story of a group of horror movie icons who, while attending a poorly attended horror convention, accept a cash offer to go scare the residents of the local RV park. But the tables turn when the movie monsters become the prey!

Starring such horror legends as Kane Hodder, Don Shanks, Michael Berryman, R.A. Mihailoff, Bill Mosely and Brea Grant, SMOTHERED features the largest number of horror icons to ever grace the screen at the same time. The film also features John Kassir, Dane Rhodes and Shanna Forrestall. Shot on location in Louisiana, where Schneider’s Fairlight Films is located, the film will host it’s premiere on Friday, May 16 at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel. Get there early for a pre-screening social hour and stay around for a post-screening Q&A with John Schneider.

SMOTHERED will be released in late 2014

Actors: Kit Harrington, Carrie-Anne Moss, Kiefer Sutherland, Emily Browning, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
Directors: Paul W. S. Anderson
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: May 20, 2014
Run Time: 105 minutes

Film: 2 out of 5 stars
3D: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I am a sucker of Paul W.S. Anderson. I love the “Resident Evil” film franchise, every one of them. I love his cult classic “Event Horizon”…but I really hated this film. The story is so absolutely terrible that I was left just twiddling my thumbs until that damn volcano just blew already…and too be honest when it blew finally about an hour and seven minute in, I really wasn’t that impressed. I am a big “Game of Thrones” fan, so it was cool to see Kit Harrington on the big screen and he did a solid job. As for the rest of the cast, Emily Browning wasn’t great (and she was awesome though in “Sucker Punch”). Kiefer Sutherland seemed miscast. And why is Carrie-Anne Moss second billed, where she has maybe 10 minutes of screen time. Can I get my 105 minutes back?

Official Premise: Set in 79 A.D., POMPEII tells the epic story of Milo (Harington), a slave turned invincible gladiator who finds himself in a race against time to save his true love Cassia (Browning), the beautiful daughter of a wealthy merchant who has been unwillingly betrothed to a corrupt Roman Senator (Sutherland). As Mount Vesuvius erupts in a torrent of blazing lava, Milo must fight his way out of the arena in order to save his beloved as the once magnificent Pompeii crumbles around him.

Sony Pictures is releasing this film as a combo pack with 3D Blu-ray + standard Blu-ray + Ultraviolet digital copy. I wanted to really say that I was this film has to be seen in 3D but I wasn’t overly impressed with it personally. I thought that only the last thirty minutes benefited from the format, which wasn’t really that impressive anyway. The 1080p transfer was still solid but I felt like I saw through the visual effects a bit and couldn’t help but see the green screen behind them. This happened to me recently on “Oz, the Great and Powerful” as well. The best part of this Blu-ray is easily the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, which did deliver for the film’s action sequences.

The special features are actually a major step up form the film, there are tons of very impressive extras to dig into (if you still want to after watching this quite terrible film). There is a filmmakers’ audio commentary track to kick things off. “The Assembly” is a look as the cast and characters. “The Volcanic Eruption” looks into the special effects of the big scene.”The Gladiators” looks into the film’s stunts. “The Journey” focuses on the production design. “The Costume Shop” looks into the costume design. “Pompeii: Buried in Time” goes behind-the-scenes into on of history’s greatest disaster. Lastly there are 20 deleted and alternate scenes, rounding out the extras.

Starring: Pyotr Fyodorov, Thomas Kretschmann, Mariya Smolnikova
Director: Fyodor Bondarchuk
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: May 13, 2014
Run Time: 131 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
3D: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1.5 out of 5 stars

“Stalingard” is directed by Fedor Bondarchuk, the son of legendary director Sergei Bondarchuk, who directed classics like “War and Peace” and “Waterloo”. This is an epic war film that was a huge box office hit in Russia last year and was recently released in select IMAX 3D theaters across the country. When I saw an ad for this film in IMAX, I had never heard back it before but I thought that if it was being released in IMAX I would give it a chance. Normally war films are not my cup of tea, especially foreign war films. “Stalingrad” was also Russia’s first ever 3D film. The movie itself dragged a little for me even though there were some powerful moments but what kept my attention was the quite spectacular special effects and combat scenes. If you are a war film buff you might enjoy this but I would highly recommend the 3D version if possible.

Official Premise: Stalingrad, Russia’s first ever 3D film, is a drama set in 1942, during one of the most important battles of World War II, which stopped the progress of Nazi forces and turned the tide of war in favor of the Allies. The Soviet army mounts a counter-attack on the Nazi forces that occupy half of Stalingrad on the other side of the Volga, but the operation to cross the river is unsuccessful. A few soldiers who managed to get to the other side take refuge in a house on the bank of Volga. Here they find a girl who didn’t escape when the Germans came. While the whole might of the German army descends onto them, the heroes of Stalingrad experience love, loss, joy and the sense of ultimate freedom that can only be felt by those about to die. They defend the house at all costs while the Red Army prepares for another attack.

Sony gave this WWII film an impressive release. They delivered this as a combo pack with a standard Blu-ray + UltraViolet and included the Blu-ray 3D as a bonus disc. Like I said if you were to watch this film, the “ohhh” and the ahhh” really comes from the added dimension, I thought. I did check out the film in 2D as well in key battle scenes and it was still a very solid 1080p transfer, I just enjoyed the added depth a little more. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track was a real powerhouse with the combat and action sequences. I literally had to keep turning down the surround sound to avoid waking my sleeping daughter. In terms of special features (not including the 3D Blu-ray), there is only one behind-the-scenes features on “The Making of Stalingrad”, which is a bit of a bummer.

Starring: Ingrid Pitt, Nigel Green, Lesley-Anne Down, Peter Jeffrey, Patience Collier
Director: Peter Sasdy
Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Synapse Films
Release Date: May 6, 2014
Run Time: 93 minutes

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

“Countess Dracula” is the latest film in The Hammer Horror Collection from Synapse Films. It stars the stunning Ingrid Pitt playing the role of real-life Hungarian Countess Elizabeth Bathory, a woman accused of torturing and murdering more than 600 virgin girls. This is considered one of Hammer’s more underrated films. This film has been double-billed on DVD in the past with two of my other favorites Hammer films including “The Vampire Lovers” and “Twins of Evil” but this it is making it’s Blu-ray debut here for the first time. I honestly do not think I have seen this film in the last 20 years and yet, it was still as effective as it was the first time. It looses some steam towards the end but overall, it is a great role of Pitt and another classic from Hammer.

Official Premise: The beautiful Ingrid Pitt (“The Wicker Man”) stars as Elisabeth Nádasdy, an aging Hungarian Countess who discovers she can reverse her aging by bathing in the blood of young women. While in her youthful state, the Countess falls for the handsome Lt. Imre Toth (Sandor Elès), and impersonates her own daughter to win his affections. Soon, girls in the village go missing… kidnapped and murdered by the Countess and her steward, Julie (Patience Collier) to satiate her horrifying bloodlust. Can Elisabeth live a life of deception with her grotesque lust for blood to stay eternally young, or will her ghoulish secret finally be revealed?

Synapse Films are usually a toss up in terms of Blu-ray presentation, this one is in the middle area. It is not perfect at all yet it is not terrible. Either way Ingrid is still amazing to look at in HD! The DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track works well with the original music score composed by Harry Robertson. The special features include an audio commentary track with Actress Ingrid Pitt, Director Peter Sasdy, Screenwriter Jeremy Paul And Author Jonathan Sothcott. There is a featurette called “Immortal Countess: The Cinematic Life Of Ingrid Pitt”, as well as a vintage audio interview with Ingrid Pitt. Besides that there is a Still Gallery and theatrical trailer included along with Synapse’s signature reversible cover artwork.

Actors: Felissa Rose, Jonathan Tiersten
Directors: Robert Hiltzik
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Shout! Factory
Release Date: May 27, 2014
Run Time: 84 minutes

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

Man oh man! I remember the first time I snuck a screening of “Sleepaway Camp” late at night during a sleepover with some friends. I still remember our reaction to the famous “surprise” ending [shivers]. I think if you are a horror fan you will never forget that experience. This film is easily one of my favorites growing up and still today. The kills are so memorable and the make-up effects are top notch. This was 1983, it was peak in the middle of the slasher craze for horror films and it really left a mark on not just me but all of horror fans. This is the first time that this film is hitting Blu-ray, thanks to Scream Factory, and this is a must purchase for any horror fan. Hopefully this is just the beginning since I would love to see them also put out a double feature for the two sequels as well “Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers” and “Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland”, even though they are more campy, I still love them and fingers crossed this will be next!

Official Premise: After a terrible boating accident killed her family, shy Angela Baker (Felissa Rose) went to live with her eccentric Aunt Martha and her cousin Ricky. This summer, Martha decides to send them both to Camp Arawak, a place to enjoy the great outdoors. Shortly after their arrival, a series of bizarre and violent accidents begin to claim the lives of various campers. Has a dark secret returned from the camp’s past…or will an unspeakable horror end the Summer season for all? From its grisly makeup effects to the truly shocking, and unforgettable, climax, Sleepaway Camp is no ordinary slasher film…it’s a cult classic!

You will be happy to know that this isn’t just a simply port upscale of the last Blu-ray release. They did a brand new 2K scan of the original camera negative and to top it off this Blu-ray contains the uncut version as well, so double bonus. In this Collector’s Edition from Scream Factory they delivered this as a combo pack with Blu-ray + DVD. The 1080p transfer looks great. There are some gritty moments but it adds to the film and otherwise looks stunning. The DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track works perfectly with the film’s catchy score and great scares that are still effective.

Like Scream Factory is know for, they went out of their way to deliver some great new extras. There are two brand new commentary track one with the actors Felissa Rose and Jonathan Tiersten (“Ricky”) and the other with writer/director Robert Hiltzik, moderated by SleepawayCampMovies.com webmaster Jeff Hayes. There is also the original audio commentary with writer/director Robert Hiltzik and star Felissa Rose for hardcore fans. “At the Waterfront After the Social: The Legacy of Sleepaway Camp” contains new interviews with Robert Hiltzik, Felissa Rose, Jonathan Tiersten, Paul DeAngelo, Karen Fields, Desiree Gould, Frank Saladino and Ed French. There is the short film, “Judy” by Jeff Hayes starring Karen Fields. Lastly there is a music video for “Princess” by Jonathan Tiersten, “Camp Arawak Scrapbook”, which is a still gallery and Theatrical Trailer & TV Spots included.

Starring: Bela Lugosi, Madge Bellamy, Joseph Cawthorn, Robert Frazer, John Harron, Brandon Hurst
Director: Victor Halperin
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: VCI Entertainment
Release Date: May 6, 2014
Run Time: 67 minutes

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

Bela Lugosi is a legend in the horror business. He gave life and a face to the name Dracula that have lived on for over 80 years. “White Zombie” was a film it did just one year after “Dracula”. In fact, it was also claimed for being the very first zombie movie many many years before George A. Romero did it with “Night of the Living Dead” in 1968. The film has become such a classic among horror fans. The black and white atmosphere in this adds such character to the settings. This is no question best presentation available to date that I have ever seen. If you are a hardcore horror fan and have been holding out, this is the one you want to purchase.

Official Premise: Wealthy Plantation owner Charles Beaumont (Robert Frazer) turns to Voodoo Master Murder Legendre (Bela Lugosi) to lure the woman he loves Madeline Short (Madge Bellamy) away from her fiancé Neil Parker (John Harron), by turning her into zombie. Murders intention are to keep Madeline for himself. Neil seeks out Murder Legendre to break the Zombie spell and return Madeline to the world of the living.

VCI Entertainment has delivered this film under a Cary Roan Special Signature Edition with a new 4k HD transfer of his 35mm film materials. If anyone has seen the fairly recent Kino Blu-ray release of this film you probably haven’t seen the best of reviews. Well this one is not perfect either but it is a vast improvement in both the audio and video department for “White Zombie”. There is no mistaken that this film is still 80+ years old but they really did a solid job of delivering this film in fine form.

The special features on this release are honestly a bit of a let down. The only real extra is a brand-new 2014 audio commentary by Gary Don Rhodes, author of “White Zombie”. This one covers similar ground to Frank Thompson’s track on the Kino Blu-ray release but this is still very interesting and informative. Especially since the film is just over an hour, I was willing to throw it on again right after the first viewing and give it a listen. Other than the commentary track, there is a “White Zombie Theatrical Reissue Trailer”. a bonus “Dracula (1931) Trailer” and a Photo and Poster Gallery included.

Starring: Seth Rogen, Zac Efron and Rose Byrnes
Directed by: Nicholas Stoller
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 36 mins
Universal

Our Score: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Meet the Radners. Mac (Rogen) and Kelly (Byrnes) and their young baby, Stella. A young couple in the early years of a long life together, they’re world is upset when the brothers (and pledges) of fraternity Delta Psi buy the house next door. Hoping to nip any problems in the bud, the Radners make friends with the frats president, Teddy (Efron). But when things get too loud one night, Mac calls the cops, which begins a long running feud that may never end. Meet the Neighbors!

A mildly funny script made tolerable by a fun cast, “Neighbors” tries to be a cross between “Animal House” and “Old School” but, sadly, is more like a second-rate “Van Wilder” sequel. Rogen is the film’s version of Frank the Tank (Will Ferrell in “Old School”), a man who, despite marital responsibilities, refuses to grow up. Efron is Otter (Tim Matheson in “Animal House”), the smooth talking frat boy. Both are well cast, as is Byrnes, who gets to reveal her Australian accent here. But the stand out actor here is Dave Franco. So good in films like “Now You See Me” and “21 Jump Street” (you’ll also see him in the sequel), Franco gives the best performance as the frat vice president with more going on for him than he lets on. He shares the best scene in the film, which encompasses him and Efron riffing on the various ways that “bros before hos” can be expressed.

If there is a complaint here it’s that the film is not original. Stereotypical fraternity pledges (the fat guy whose shirt is too small, the nerd with the oversized penis) show up frequently as do they’re hijinx. The script, by first time feature writers Andrew J. Cohen and Brendan O’Brien, mixes in some fun sight gags but isn’t consistently funny enough to keep the slow spots from showing up and dragging the film down with them. Director Coller is adequate here, but he’s done better work with other comedies, including “Saving Sarah Marshall” and “Get Him to the Greek.” Of course, he was also working with a much better screenplay.

Actors: Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten, Alexander Skarsgård
Creator: Alan Ball
Number of discs: 4
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: HBO Home Video
DVD Release Date: June 3, 2014
Run Time: 600 minutes

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

“True Blood” even though the series has an end in sight, the sixth season shows no signs of slowing down. I personally think it is just as sexy, scary, entertaining as it was in the first season. With Vampire Bill being rebirthed as a powerful ancient deity to Louisiana Governor Truman Burrell declaring open season on all vampires to Sookie Stackhouse finding herself sidelined by a mysterious stranger with a hidden agenda, this season is the most exciting yet. Like I said, the end is near and fans can catch up on this season before the final season makes its HBO debut this summer. This is also the series first season with out creator Alan Ball, who left to work on HBO’s “Banshee”. So fans were worried but I feel that this show has grow so much since the first and I can’t wait to see what they have planned for season seven!

Official Premise: Season six introduces several exciting new story lines that threaten what little sense of normalcy remains in Bon Temps, The Authority is in flames, and True Blood is in short supply. As Bill comes to terms with his newfound powers after emerging reincarnated from a pool of blood, Louisiana’s governor has declared war, replete with novel anti-vamp weapons and a high-tech internment camp established to wipe out the vampire race forever. Meanwhile, Sookie and Jason must steel themselves for an encounter with their parents’ killer: the mysterious and ancient Warlow.

The cast continues to shines as well. Regulars like Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Alexander Skarsgård, Ryan Kwanten, Rutina Wesley, Sam Trammell, Nelsan Ellis, Deborah Ann Woll, Kristin Bauer van Straten and Joe Manganiello all really step up there game this season. Also joining them are new cast for season six includeing: Arliss Howard as Louisiana Governor Truman Burrell; Rob Kazinsky as Ben, a stranger with faerie ties; Rutger Hauer as Niall, a faerie grandfather; Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Nicole, a pro-vampire activist; and Amelia Rose Blaire as Truman Burrell’s daughter, Willa. Did I mention I can’t wait till season seven?

This DVD set comes with the full 10-episode season and I am very upset to find out that there is no Ultraviolet digital copy included with this…only Blu-ray. Honestly, that is a real bummer…what does it seriously cost HBO to include this?  There are also less special features on the DVD set than the Blu-ray set. Here only get ten clips of “Inside the Episodes” going behind the scenes on each with the show’s writers. There are five audio commentaries with cast/crew including executive producer Brian Buckner, Stephen Moyer, Carrie Preston, Amelia Rose Blaire and more! Lastly there are previews & recaps included.

Series: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: May 20, 2014
Run Time: 126 minutes

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

“Around the Clubhouse World” is the latest full-length feature from the Disney Junior series “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse”. I have searched the internet and I have not see any mention of this episode airing on Disney Junior yet, so this DVD looks to be the premiere and only place to see this as of right now. It is yet another great full-length feature after the last one “Minnie-rella”, which my 2 year old daughter still watches at least one a week. This special takes us exploring through France, Italy, China and more with Mickey and gang on a global adventure packed with song-filled fun. As an added bonus this DVD releases also comes with a passport activity book for any young explorer! If you kids love “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse”, this is a yet another amazing themed release for the show.

Official Premise: Pack your bags and grab your passport. Join Mickey, Minnie and pals on a whirlwind trip Around The Clubhouse World! Climb the Eiffel Tower in France and say “bonjour” to Mademoiselle Daisy and Monsieur Donald Duck. Then, rescue Gondolier Goofy when he goes adrift in Italy’s Grand Canal; solve the mysterious riddle of Pharaoh Pete’s pyramid in Egypt, and meet a dancing dragon at the Great Wall of China. With your help – and the right Mouseketools – your Clubhouse friends can get their special passport stamped at each wonderful location. Featuring over two hours of song-filled fun, including four additional episodes, this global adventure proves it’s a small world after all!

Along with the full-length episode, there are four additional bonus episodes includes from “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse”. “Donald And The Beanstalk” goes back all the way to the first season and is the sixth episode ever aired for this series. Funny enough “Goofy On Mars” is also from the first season and was the seventh episode aired. “Mickey’s Handy Helpers” comes from the second season and was the twenty ninth episode. Lastly “Pluto’s Dinosaur Romp” is a little more recent from the end of season three and in fact the ninety fourth episode in the series.  According to the trend of DVD releases, we should be getting another in December of 2014, so curious anxiously waiting for that.

Starring: Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, George Clooney, John Goodman, Bill Murray, Jean Dujardin
Director: George Clooney
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: May 20, 2014
Run Time: 118 minutes

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

When I saw that George Clooney was directing a film starring himself along with Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, John Goodman, Bill Murray and Jean Dujardin…I knew it would be a winner. The film was pushed back into February this year which did set off a few alarms but it all paid off. Like always Cate Blanchett, who just won the Best Actress award for “Blue Jasmine”, is alone is worth the price of film alone. Matt Damon is great in lead of this amazing group of actors. George is George, charming as always. The last year or two has been really kind to John Goodman (“Argo”, “Inside Llewyn Davis”) and same goes to Bill Murphy (“The Grand Budapest Hotel”). To be honest, this is probably not a film I will watch over and over but I was easily won over with the cast and it’s makes it worth checking out.

Official Premise: Based on the true story of the greatest treasure hunt in history, “The Monuments Men” centers around an unlikely World War II platoon, tasked with going into Germany to rescue artistic masterpieces from Nazi thieves and returning them to their rightful owners. In a seemingly impossible mission, the Monuments Men, as they were called, find themselves risking their lives in a race against time to avoid the destruction of 1,000 years of culture.

Sony Pictures is delivering this film as a combo pack including a Blu-ray + DVD + UltraViolet Digital Copy. The 1080p transfer is quite stunning. They really used some amazing locations to recreate parts of Europe. The cinematography is very well done. The transfer was also mastered in 4K for maximum picture and expanded color, so this is a real bonus here. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track works well to suite the aspect of war surrounding the war. The special features are a little light with no commentary tracks but still decent. “George Clooney’s Mission” and “Marshaling the Cast” are all-new featurettes that go behind-the-scenes into the making of the film. Exclusive to the Blu-ray is “The Real Monuments Men” which looks into the real heroes. “A Woman Amongst the Monuments Men” is a look into the characters brought to life. Lastly there are some Deleted Scenes included.

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Actors: Jackie Stewart, Roman Polanski
Directors: Frank Simon
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO
DVD Release Date: May 20, 2014
Run Time: 90 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1/2 out of 5 stars

“Weekend of a Champion” is a lost film from one of the world’s greatest filmmakers and given a new life after 40 years, being restored and including new footage. Roman Polanski produced this and also stepped in front of the camera for a thrilling inside look at racing great Jackie Stewart’s attempt to win the 1971 Monaco Grand Prix. This film has been nearly forgotten and is quite hot coming off its return to movie screens. Polanski recently found, restored and recut the film along with adding a new epilogue showing Polanski and Stewart revisiting the events of the film in present-day Monaco.

Official Premise: In 1971, Oscar-winning filmmaker and racing fan Roman Polanski (The Pianist, Chinatown, Rosemary’s Baby, Tess) spent a weekend with world champion Formula One driver Jackie Stewart as he attempted to win the Monaco Grand Prix, one of the premier events in the sport. Polanski was given intimate access to Stewart’s world for three days, both on the track and off. The result was an extraordinarily rare glimpse into the life of a gifted athlete at the height of his powers.

The only special feature included on this DVD is a trailer, which is a little disappointing. If Polanski spent the time to recut and restore this film, I would have loved to see a little bit of new extras as well. Obviously if you could the new epilogue that this is a little bit different. If you had a chance to see this film back in the day, you will find that the new footage features Polanski and Stewart today talking about their friendship over the last 40 years as well as the changing of racing and life in general. A real treat for any Polanski fan and Grand Prix fan for sure!

Starring: Jack Kelly, Marie Windsor, Sig Ruman, Reginald Owen, Kathleen Crowley, Jim Backus
Distributed by: Warner Archive
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 650 minutes

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Every good thing comes to an end. The legend of the West, Jack Kelly returns in the role of Bart Maverick, sans James Gardner in the role of Bret for the fifth and final season of “Maverick”. This was a great show and a strong ending season as well. I wasn’t sure how it was going to hold up without Gardner but I really enjoyed Bart riding solo. Notable guest stars this season include Marie Windsor, Sig Ruman, Reginald Owen, Kathleen Crowley and Jim Backus. Like past seasons, there are no additional special features includes besides this short 13-episode season.

Official Premise: This 3-Disc, 13-Episode Collection closes out the original series run with Jack Kelly riding solo as Bart Maverick. When the series originally aired, these new episodes were ran alternating weeks with re-runs featuring Garner’s Bret Maverick from series 1-3. Kelly’s Bart gets plenty of time to shine as this season pits the wily card sharp up against crooked senators, four-flushing bankers, glamorous grifters, wish-granting leprechauns, and Bonanza-spoofing ranchers.

Even though “Maverick: The Complete Fifth Season” marks the end of the series, the Maverick brothers would end up returning again, with Garner playing Bret in “The New Maverick” TV movie (1978) and the “Bret Maverick” series (1981-82), both guest-starring Kelly as Bart. In the word of old Pappy “You can’t keep a good cardsharp and con artist down.” That’s not even counting the 1994 remake with Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster either. It’s been 20 years and James Gardner is still kicking, I think it about time for another revival…am I right or what?