Directors: David Schmoeller, David W. Allen, David DeCoteau
Number of discs: 3
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Full Moon Features
Release Date: November 20, 2012
Run Time: 264 minutes

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

“Puppet Master: The Blu-ray Collection – Volume 1” includes the following films “Puppet Master”, “Puppet Master II” and “Puppet Master III: Toulon’s Revenge”. When you think of Full Moon Features, you thing of “Puppet Master”. They are the face for this company and in fact, they are the most successful independent direct-to-video horror franchise of all time! There has been a dozen films in this series and they may not all be perfect but they are certainly fun. This series has also seen some great talent come through including Paul Le Mat (“American Graffiti”, William Hickey (“The Nightmare Before Christmas), Irene Miracle (“Midnight Express” and Jimmie F. Skaggs (“Lethal Weapon”. A must own for any Full Moon fan. I just have one question since this came out in late 2012…where is Volume 2?

Series Official Premise: The secret of life has been discovered by master puppeteer Andre Toulon. But we quickly discover Toulon’s secret of death in the form of five killer puppets-each one uniquely qualified for murder and mayhem. Tunneler has a nasty habit of boring holes in people with his drill bit head. Ms. Leech regurgitates killer leeches that suck her victims dry. Pinhead strangles his enemies with his powerful vice-like hands. Blade has a gleaming hook for one hand and a razor-sharp knife for the other. And Jester, the ruthless brains of the bunch, is absolutely merciless. Together, they’re an army of skilled assassins, diabolically programmed to guard the deadly secrets of the Puppet Master throughout the decades.

The first 3 films, “Puppet Master”, “Puppet Master II” and “Puppet Master III: Toulon’s Revenge”, have been fully remastered in HD and presented in 16:9. Each of them come stock with a 5.1 Surround Sound track as well. “Puppet Master” was surprisingly the worst of the bunch. But when you watch the comparison video below you realize how much work they actually did. Concerning “Puppet Master II” and “Puppet Master III: Toulon’s Revenge”, they were both a vast improvement and looked pretty darn sharp in their high-def transfers. Full Moon actually went to work and deliver it’s fans some decent special features as well for these films. There are brand new introductions by Puppet Master creator Charles Band. There are also never-before-heard audio commentaries by Charles Band, writer C. Courtney Joyner (“Puppet Master III”), and director David DeCoteau (“Puppet Master III”). There are a few behind-the-scenes VideoZones episodes. There is a montage of “Puppet Master” kills. Lastly there is a rare “Puppet Master” promo and various Full Moon trailers included.

Check out below to see how the film was restored and a nice comparison:

Starring: Tracy Scoggins, Daniel Cerny, Bentley Mitchum
Director: Peter Manoogian
MPAA Rated: R
Studio: Full Moon Features
Release Date: January 16, 2014
Run Time: 86 minutes

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

When I think of Full Moon, I think of cute yet very deadly creatures reigning terror. Whether it is puppets, gingerbread men or kids toys. “Demonic Toys” is a great entry in Full Moon’s films of the 90’s. Baby Oopsie Daisy, Jack Attack and Grizzly Teddy are a few of the character this film swamped. They have been reprised in various future films including spinoffs “Dollman vs. Demonic Toys”, “Puppet Master vs Demonic Toys” and sequel, “Demonic Toys 2”. This film is not perfect but it is a classic 90’s horror film and this is a must purchase for any Full Moon fan!

Official Premise: They’re cute and cuddly by day, lethal demons by night. Ruthless killing machines come alive for just one purpose…death. And for five adults in an abandoned warehouse, every child’s worst nightmare has become a deadly reality. While on a stakeout, Judith Gray (Tracy Scoggins), a beautiful, tough cop, is trapped inside a warehouse full of toys. But these are no ordinary playthings they have been awakened to murderous life by a strange child of darkness, “The Kid” (Daniel Cerny). Each toy feeds on blood: Jack Attack heads straight for the throat; Grizzly Teddy is not afraid to show its claws; and Baby Oopsie Daisy is truly to die for. Now it’s up to Gray and a passing delivery boy, Mark Wayne (Bentley Mitchum), to stop the deadly, DEMONIC TOYS!

I have to be honest, I wasn’t really expecting a crystal clear 1080p transfer for this title. What we got though was a bit of a let down personally. There was quite a bit noise and the transfer shows its true age. It is still a step up from DVD release but I think they could have done a little more in terms of cleaning this up. The same goes for the audio track, since there is only a Dolby Digital 2.0 track included for me that screams DVD not Blu-ray. The only special features included are an original VideoZone episode and a few rare trailers.

Actors: Tim Thomerson, Jackie Earle Haley, Kamala Lopez, Humberto Ortiz, Nicholas Guest
Director: Albert Pyun
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Full Moon Features
DVD Release Date: December 17, 2013
Run Time: 80 minutes

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

I remember the first time that I saw “Dollman”, I rented it on VHS from a mom and pop store called Royal Video in Long Island, New York. The film introduced me to Tim Thomerson and due to that I also became a huge fan of “Trancers” series. The film does have the best script or effects but that matter…but it does have done cool kill scenes and overall is fun as hell. So this film has a special place with me and I am glad to see that Full Moon Features gave it new life on Blu-ray.

Official Premise: Brick Bardo (Tim Thomerson) is a traveler from outer space who is forced to land on Earth. Though regular sized on his home planet, he is doll-sized here on Earth, as are the enemy forces who have landed as well. While Brick enlists the help of an impoverished girl and her son, the bad guys enlist the help of a local gang. When word leaks out as to his location, all hell breaks loose. Brick is besieged by an onslaught of curious kids, angry gang members, and his own doll-sized enemies, and he must protect the family who has helped him and get off the planet alive.

The 1080p transfer for this title looks good, it is not perfect but definitely good. You have to imagine that this was made in the early 90’s on video and due to that it shows its age a little but I feel that it adds to the charm. The audio options for a bit of a let down in terms of HD option but there are both Dolby Digital 2.0 and Dolby Digital 5.1 track available. The score is still sharp but I would have loved to see HD options.

There are some decent special features included. First, there is the original VideoZone episode included. There is a video vidcast with Tim Thomerson and Charles Band from July 2013, instead though I would have loved to see Charles and Tim and do a new commentary track. There is 1988 promo for the lost “Pulse Pounders”. Lastly there are series trailers for “Trancers” and other Full Moon titles.

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Actors: Victoria De Mare, John Patrick Jordan, Robin Sydney, Sonny Carl Davis, Amy Paffrath
Director: Charles Band
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Full Moon Features
DVD Release Date: January 21, 2014
Run Time: 80 minutes

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

If you are a fan of Full Moon Features, then you are probably just as excited as I was for this crossover horror/comedy film. “Gingerdead Man vs. Evil Bong” brings together two of Full Moon’s successful characters into one crazy-ass film. I have to admit, I was really expecting a little more from this crossover. The main problem I had with it was that it spent a good portion of time rehashing each of the battling characters’ prior films in a flashback sequences. So it felt like a bit of a cop out and just burning through time. I am still a fan of both franchises, so it was fun to see them come together. If you enjoy Full Moon films, then this is worth checking out though I am sure that this would work much better under the influence of the “evil” bong.

Official Premise: It’s a War of the Colossal Freaks when serial killing cookie, Gingerdead Man, tracks down the lone survivor of his murderous rampage, Sarah Leigh (Robin Sydney), to take care of unfinished business. But his devious plans go up in smoke when Sarah meets Larnell (John Patrick Jordan), who has a pint-sized problem of his own. The Evil Bong, Eebee, has been unleashed once again. Bodies begin to pile up as Gingerdead Man carves a path for them. Their only salvation is to turn to help from the dastardly Bong. It’s one tough cookie versus one bad trip mother when the two Titans of Terror hash out a war in the Bong World. The stakes have never been higher.

The presentation of the release is much worth mentioning. It comes in a very cool “Nookie Crisp”/”Weedies” Double-Sided Cereal Box and yes, there is actually an 11.5 oz bag of cookie cereal included!  I had a bit of a hard time opening the box as it was super glue sealed shut. So I had to do a bit of surgery to open the bottom of the box, so that was a little annoying. Still it is a great display piece and is down right funny as well. There is also a a surprise collector’s item gift in every box. I got a “Evil Bong” magnet, which features the poster art from the first film. There is also some special features included as well for the film including some trailers and a VideoZone episode.

Actors: Saoirse Ronan, George MacKay
Directors: Kevin Macdonald
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Magnolia Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: February 11, 2014
Run Time: 101 minutes

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

I found out about “How I Live Now” through the composer Jon Hopkins, who asked me to check out his score to the film. Let me tell you the score is outstanding but the film is definitely not. I think it is safe to say now that I am official not a fan of Saoirse Ronan. With this film, which was quite unwatchable topped with last year’s gem and official worst film of the year, “The Host”. I honestly expected more from co-writer Tony Grisoni (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) and Academy Award-winning director Kevin MacDonald (The Last King of Scotland). Skip the film, buy the soundtrack.

Official Premise: Set in the near-future UK, Saoirse Ronan plays Daisy, an American teenager sent to stay with relatives in the English countryside. Initially withdrawn and alienated, she begins to warm up to her charming surroundings, and strikes up a romance with the handsome Edmund (George MacKay). But on the fringes of their idyllic summer days are tense news reports of an escalating conflict in Europe. As the UK falls into a violent, chaotic military state, Daisy finds herself hiding and fighting to survive.

The Blu-ray presentation on this Blu-ray is quite beautiful. It really captures the locations quite well. I enjoyed it very much. The real winner of the release is the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, which portrays the music and Jon Hopkins score so well. I love his score, it is soft and deep but also quite dark. In terms of special features, there is only a cheap EPK featurette, “AXS TV: A Look at How I Live Now” and trailer included.

Starring: Peter Cushing, Susan Denberg, Thorley Walters, Duncan Lamont, Barry Warren
Director: Terence Fisher
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Millennium/Hammer
DVD Release Date: January 28, 2014
Run Time: 92 minutes

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

Personally, when I think about Peter Cushing, I think about him as Baron Frankenstein. He became well-known for playing that role through six films spanning from late 1950’s through the 1970’s under Hammer Studios. “Frankenstein Created Woman” is the fourth film in Hammer’s Frankenstein series. The film is such a classic and thanks to Millennium Films, the film is getting Blu-ray treatment for the first time ever. They have big proprietor of Hammer Films and I hope that this trend continues because it great to see classics like this get the spotlight again. A must have for any true horror fan!

Official Premise: A tormented girl (Susan Denberg) drowns herself after her lover is framed for her father s murder and guillotined. Baron Frankenstein (Peter Cushing), experimenting with the transfer of souls, places her lover s soul into her body, bringing Christina back to life. With no memories of her past life, she becomes driven by a ghostly revenge and carries out a violent retribution on those responsible for both deaths.

It is crazy to this that this film is nearly 50 years old…but it is true. Millennium delivered a solid 1080p transfer. It is clean and really sharp looking. I thought it really packed a visual punch. The same goes for the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, which really captures the essence of what a Hammer film should sound like.  This Collector’s Edition Blu-ray also includes limited edition exclusive collectible cards. They are basically smaller reproduced lobby cards for the film and a must have for any collector.

In terms of special features, this release scores again. There is a fantastic audio commentary track with Derek Fowlds (“Johann”), Robert Morris (“Hans”) and Jonathan Rigby (Hammer Historian). There is also a brand new documentary called “Hammer Glamour”. This is a must watch for any Hammer fan. There are also two “World of Hammer” episodes included. The first is “The Curse of Frankenstein” and “Hammer Stars: Peter Cushing”. Great extras. Lastly, there is an Animated Stills Gallery and trailer included.

Starring: Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin
Directed by: Jason Reitman
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 1 hour 51 mins
Paramount

Our Score: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Thirteen year old Henry (Gattlin Griffith) is heading back to school. Summer is over and it’s time to do some shopping. Henry lives with his mother, Adele (Winslet) in a small New England town. Actually it’s the other way around. Since her husband divorced her and remarried Adele has withdrawn from the world. So much so that she only leaves the house once a month, when she drives Henry to the bank to cash a check then takes him around on a shopping run. Today she managed to actually get out of the car and join Henry as he shops for clothes. A pretty uneventful start for a holiday weekend.

Well intentioned but lacking in credibility, “Labor Day” is a bump in the so-far smooth cinematic road of director Jason Reitman. The director of such Oscar-nominated films as “Juno” and “Up in the Air,” Reitman has adapted Joyce Maynard’s novel into what can best be described as “Nicholas Sparks lite.” The story takes off when Henry is approached in the store by Frank (a never better Brolin), who has just escaped from the nearby prison. Injured, Frank strikes up a conversation with Henry and then “insists” that he and Adele give him a ride. Hoping to hide out until dark, Frank forces Adele to drive to her home, where he will be safe. He ties Adele up and warns Henry of the consequences of telling anyone what’s up. Then he makes dinner. Seriously. Digging through cupboards and the fridge he concocts what can only be described as the world’s best bowl of chilli. As Adele is still bound, he feeds it to her. Somewhere between “open up” and “thank you,” a connection is made. We know that because of the way Adele seductively blows on each spoonful to cool it off. When a neighbor comes by with a bucket of peaches Frank teaches the other two how to make a pie. I’ll assume the sight of all three of them putting their hands in the mixing bowl to squeeze the ripe peaches was supposed to evoke the pottery table scene in “Ghost,” but all I could think of was “is that really sanitary?” Of course, Frank doesn’t leave that night. He must really like pie!

If you can get past the plot (what there is of one) you’ll discover Winslet and Brolin at the top of their game. In scenes with Henry it is obvious that Adele has been hurt terribly by her divorce. She is a romantic and that romance has been taken from her. Which makes her take notice when Frank enters the picture. We’re told that Frank is a murderer but as the film progresses we learn things that go beyond black and white. Both actors give their all here and deserved a much better script. Young Griffith is equally good, giving a performance that belies his youth. Supporting turns by James Van der Beek as a local patrolman and Clark Gregg as Henry’s father keep the film interesting. But time and again, the story takes a weird turn that makes you say “huh?” I’m not an expert, but if I’d just escaped from prison and was hiding out in a small town with the law looking for me I wouldn’t be out in the driveway, fixing Adele’s car. Or fixing the porch. Or out in the yard having a catch with Henry. Of course, maybe that’s just me.

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Actors: Jim Breuer
Directors: Jay Chapman
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT
DVD Release Date: November 26, 2013
Run Time: 58 minutes

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

At the beginning of this special, Jim Breuer questions himself about how he should do his latest stand-up special. He does this with multiple impersonations. From Joe Pesci to Ozzy Osbourne. It seems like an odd way to begin his latest special. A moment the live audience won’t see from his dressing room. It’s even more bizarre because it’s not necessarily funny, but if you don’t listen to metal, then you’re not gonna find too much to laugh at in the first 20 minutes.

I’m someone who owns every Iron Maiden, Metallica and Slayer album. Sadly though, I’ve only seen Slayer live. So when he kicks things off by talking about becoming an aging metalhead, he has my full attention. Jim Breuer has always had hard rock and metal as a staple of his stand-up, but this time around he’s hit his 40’s. He compares his usual suburban outings, dressing up and watching musicals, to convincing his wife to see Metallica and surviving the madness of Slayer fans. Just so you’re not too out of the loop, he cleverly compares fans seeing Eddie in Iron Maiden to children watching the plush children’s music group, the Wiggles.

If that’s not your cup of tea, he manages to tell the stories of life. The pitfalls of becoming a father, a “jungle safari” and talking about those unnecessary conversations he has with other parents about why his children don’t own a cell phone. He’s very skillful at weaving his stories and comically acting out the folks in his scenarios. He makes sure to complete his stories with Michael Winslow style, microphone induced sound effects. He manages to mouth everything he can from guttural noises to horns. Instead of joke after joke, it’s more like he’s laying out real and possible scenarios and tells it like a story. He really gets into it making full use of the stage to act out.

There doesn’t appear to be an overall theme to the stand-up, but most of his stand-ups that I’ve watched didn’t seem to have one. If there is an idea to this, it’s about how aging has changed his perspective on many things. He could change his stand-up. He could become more relatable. Maybe he could swear more or not swear at all. Those are the questions he poses at the beginning, but by the end when he recounts the day he decided to stand-up, it becomes clear. He loves what he’s done and there’s no reason to change now.

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Starring: Zac Efron, Miles Teller and Michael B. Jordan
Directed By: Tom Gormican
Rated: R
Focus Features
94 Minutes

Our Score: 1 out of 5 stars

“That Awkward Moment” is the latest attempt at a bromantic comedy. I feel arthritis settling into my wrists as I type that prefix. Recent comedies and romances are trying to find the more affectionate and passionate side of males. It’s an attempt to break down the walls of gender and show that men can be hurt, endure love and loss and attempt to fill that emotional void by eating a pint of ice cream. If you’re reading this, you’ve probably experienced the pains of relationships and some of you have lost at the game called marriage. “That Awkward Moment” thinks it’s tackling relationships in a fresh way, but instead feels like a horrendously sexist retreading of every romantic movie you’ve seen before.

Mikey (Jordan) has just recently found out his wife has been cheating on him. His marriage is crumbling and he can’t quite face the facts. So he turns to his two best friends, Jason (Efron) and Daniel (Teller). Unlike Mikey, the only character in the movie who shows signs of thought and concern, Jason and Daniel are on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. They still go to the bar and pick up chicks for a one night stand. Daniel even has a girl to help him be his wingman. At some point between the terrible jokes and predictable story, the three make a pact to not get into a relationship. I can’t believe I just witnessed that. I just watched a movie justify the character’s motivations, to sleep with random drunk girls they meet at the bar, by saying it’s for their friend who’s going through a divorce. That flimsy, barely mentioned pact, is what causes the main characters to display a failure of commitment towards the women they fall in love with in this movie. Mikey tries to reconcile with his wife, Daniel falls for his wingman(obviously) and of course Jason meets a quirky girl to fall for. And this pile of garbage just expects us to just go with it….for thousandth time in movie history.

Jordan and Teller starred in a pair of my favorite movies last year, “The Spectacular Now” and “Fruitvale Station”. To see them go from the top of their game to trying their best quick fire Judd Apatow liners about the color of a penis is a head shakingly bad drop off. After going home to look up who would ever put a pen to paper over this movie, I found out that it was on the 2010 Hollywood Blacklist. A list considered to be the best unproduced screenplays. So what the hell happened? My best guess is that the script was one page and simply said, “I have an idea that involves Zac Efron going bare ass”. But seriously, I think that none of these actors have comedic timing, but it’s not like any of the jokes were going to really cause side splitting laughter with the right talent. Even when the joke should be done, it continues flailing manically like a train off the tracks before crashing into a theater of silence.

There are no twists and turns, which gave me plenty of time to think during this dumpster fire. I managed to play out the rest of the movie in my head before it happened. I waited for their chauvinistic schemes to fall apart followed by the proverbial get back together happy ending trap all these movies have. It’s not entirely too easy to hate this movie because the actors are in this are easy to like. They’re just portraying unlikeable people. These people would be tolerable if you actually felt like there was some camaraderie and emotion behind them discovering that they’ve reached that special age where they want something more. Even if this movie was fine tuned, it’d still feel like it’s sputtering along for 94 minutes. Instead you’re left with this. And then comes that awkward moment where you ask the ticket taker if you can get a refund.

Starring: Chris Lowell, Rose McIver, Jessica Szohr, Clark Gregg, Allison Janney
Directed By: Maggie Kiley
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 80 minutes

Our Score: 1.5 out of 5 Stars

If you already know that the universe is not going to deliver everything to you personally, then you are light years ahead of the main character of Maggie Kiley’s “Brightest Star”. We meet him, simply called “The Boy” (Chris Lowell), in his self-described “biggest, deepest black hole” Which turns out to be just after being dumped by his college girlfriend. It seems a little melodramatic and the flashbacks to the actual relationship in question don’t offer much to support this reaction.

The Boy fell for this ex, Charlotte (Rose McIver), at first sight in an Astronomy class. He gazes longingly at her until he manages to score an invite to a party she’s holding for a proper introduction. They bond over Very Important Things like mac n’cheese and proper game watching snacks but eventually drift apart as Charlotte progresses in her career while the Boy stalls in his search for purpose. He falls back on dating convenient friend Lita (Jessica Szohr) whose father runs the impressive company where the Boy wishes to work to win back Charlotte. In a vaguely creepy turn of events he seeks out Charlotte’s division specifically to work on a project with him despite her protesting his presence in her life. His Charlotte obsession combined with the neglect of backup girl Lita brings the already bland Boy into very unappealing and overly-entitled territory no matter how he may wax poetic about the universe. Which as it turns out is with about as much depth as one might expect from one semester of mandatory liberal arts credit astronomy.

Along the way, there are many conversations between the Boy and his peers about the meaning of it all and seemingly an endless number of dead-end jobs he plows through–there are a baffling amount of positions available for the untrained soul-searching young guy in this film’s economy–which makes the film seem as rudderless as its protagonist. The charismatic Allison Janney turns up late in the game as an actual astronomer to seemingly set the boy on the right course but it’s remains unclear as to why this Boy deserves such salvation.

Starring: Tim Thomerosn, Helen Hunt, Art La Fleur
Directed by: Charles Band
Distributed by: Full Moon Features
Release Date: November 2013
Running Time: 30 minutes
MPAA Rating: Not Rated

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

If you are a fan of Full Moon, then you know about the lost original sequel to the classic series “Trancers”. Trancers: City of Lost Angels” was post of an unreleased anthology film that Charles Band directed back in 1988 called “Pulse Pounders”. It consisted of three short films, the first was the “Trancers” sequel, the next was “H.P. Lovecraft’s The Evil Clergyman” and the last was a sequel to “The Dungeonmaster”. For the last 25 years, these were though to be lost…until now.  “Trancers: City of Lost Angels” otherwise known as “Trancers 1.5” sees the return of Tim Thomerosn, Helen Hunt and the rest of the “Trancers” cast. A must have for any Full Moon fan!

In 2011, a once thought lost workprint of “Pulse Pounders” was found and the first segment “The Evil Clergyman” was digitally restored. It received such praise from fans that Full Moon decided to move forward on the digital restore of “Trancers”. According to the DVD disclaimer, it was a painstaking process that took over a year to bring this basically stock footage into a film and augmenting the soundtrack with music from the classic first “Trancers” film. So if it wasn’t for the fans, this would have never seen the light of day.

Official Premise: Jack Deth, the super cop from the future, has put away three centuries worth of time traveling criminals. But Deth’s most dangerous collar, the ultraviolent assassin Edlin Shock, has escaped from her maximum security holding cell and won’t rest until she’s exacted revenge. Meanwhile, Deth is trying to make a life for himself as a private eye in 1988 Los Angeles with his hot-blooded girlfriend Lena (played by Academy Award winning actress Helen Hunt). Relationship troubles are just the beginning of Deth’s problems when he learns that Edlin Shock has followed him back in time. Aided by his former police chief McNulty, whose consciousness is inhabiting the body of a 13-year-old girl, Jack Deth will have to use his wits, as well as his fists, to save the past, present, and future!

The lost sequel might only be 30 minutes long but following it there are some decent special features included. There is a Tim Thomerson Intro Video. There is “Flashback Weekend Premiere Documentary”.There is a “Pulse Pounders Show West Promo” included. Lastly there is an un-restored 60-second preview of “The Dungeonmaster” segment. This segment is also planned to be released on Full Moon’s streaming channel online and in fact all three segments will be shown there together as the original “Pulse Pounders” anthology. Leave it to Full Moon to deliver the best for their fans. If you are not a subscriber to Full Moon’s streaming channel, I would highly recommend it!

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Starring: Lionel Barrymore, Lew Ayres
Distributed by: Warner Archive
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
DVD Release Date: January 23, 2014
Running Time: 737 minutes

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

With all the flashy films being released today with ridiculous large budgets, some times it is great to revisit simple classics from an earlier era of film. Dr. Kildare is a character created by the author Frederick Schiller Faust, under the pen name Max Brand. This movie collection release includes the series of films that he was featured in, which were released in the late 1930s and early 1940s. The character continues right through the 70’s with a radio series in the 50’s, a TV series in the 60’s and 70’s. If you are a fan of this character, then these films are a must to revisit.

The collection included the following 9 films: “Young Dr. Kildare” (1938), “Calling Dr. Kildare” (1939), “The Secret of Dr. Kildare” (1939), “Dr. Kildare’s Strange Case” (1940), “Dr. Kildare Goes Home” (1940), “Dr. Kildare’s Crisis” (1940), “The People vs. Dr. Kildare” (1941), “Dr. Kildare’s Wedding Day” (1941), “Dr. Kildare’s Victory” (1942). Also as an added bonus, there DVD set contains the unaired 1960 MGM-TV pilot film for the “Dr. Kildare” series starring Lew Ayres and also co-starring Robert Redford!. This is a real treat for any fan as well.

Official Premise: Although not the first actor to don the scrubs of Max Brand’s idealistic young intern, Lew Ayres owned the role for a series of superlative medical dramas that cemented in place all the ample talent that had long been on display, starting with All Quiet on The Western Front (1930). Ayres’ costar, the needs-no-superlatives Lionel Barrymore, who, as the grumpy, garrulous and brilliant Dr. Leonard Gillespie found a regular supporting role that was roomy enough to showcase his prodigious gifts that would continue in a series of flicks even after Ayres departed the title role.

When it comes to the quality of these films you have to consider that they are all over 70 years old. According to Warner Archives site, they have been manufactured from the best-quality video master currently available and has not been remastered or restored for this DVD release. So they are not perfect but still have that classic quality about them.  They are also presented in their original aspect ratio of 1.37:1.

If you are looking for the more “Dr. Kildare”, Warner Archive Collection have released the TV series available in their Manufacture-on-Demand (MOD) sets. “The Complete First Season” was released back in April 16, 2013 and “The Complete Second Season” was just put out this year on January 28 2014. They are available via available via WBShop.com & Amazon.com like this release as well. Like this release since they are MOD, we do not know how long they will be produced so get them while you can!

Starring: James Stewart, Ellen Geer, James Daly, Dennis Larson, Kirby Furlong, John McGiver
Distributed: Warner Archive
Running Time: 606 minutes
MPAA Rating: Not Rated

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

James Stewart was such an amazing actor both dramatic and comedic. “The Jimmy Stewart Show” started in 1971 and ran for 24 episodes. The show included guest stars such as M. Emmet Walsh, Cesar Romero, Kate Jackson, Alan Oppenheimer, Fran Ryan, Jack Soo, Will Geer, Nita Talbot, Regis Philbin, William Windom and Gloria DeHaven. It was a real blast from the bast to watch this show. It still has the comedic edge and delivered a few great laughs. If you are a fan of Mr. Stewart, this would come recommended.

Official Premise: James Stewart made a rare sojourn into the world of Situation Comedy on NBC at the dawn of the Seventies. His gift for comedy, on grand cinema display since the dawn of his career, made him a congenial fit for the familial world of episodic comedy. Stewart plays Professor James Howard, an anthropologist struggling to make sense of the generation gap with his college students and just plain struggling to make sense of his own family.

Jim and wife Martha are busy raising an eight-year-old, as is their twenty-nine-year-old first born, Peter (James Daly) and his wife, Wendy (Ellen Geer). And “Uncle Teddy” (Dennis Larson) is sure to demand “the proper respect” from his five-day-older nephew, Jake (Kirby Furlong). It’s a good thing Jim has a Nobel Prize-winning best friend, chemistry professor Dr. Luther Quince (John McGiver) to help make sense of the chaos, especially after a house fire forces Peter’s family to move in with Jim’s!

This series is brought back to life thanks to Warner Archive, who delivered it onto DVD for the first time. The release is MOD or Made-To-Order, so if you do want to get a copy of this show I would recommend doing so quickly because we do not know for how long they will be producing it. The show looks aged a bit and I do not think there was a full restore here but it looks still decent for DVD.  The show is presented in with its original aspect ratio of  1.37:1. There are no additional special features included.

Starring: Agnes Bruckner, Martin Landau, Adam Goldberg, Cary Elwes, and Virginia Madsen
Director: Mary Harron
Distributed by: Sony Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 89 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: N/A

When I saw the cover for “Anna Nicole”, I would have sworn that it was a documentary about the late supermodel. Agnes Bruckner (TV’’s ““Private Practice”) is really spot on with the looks and the nails this role. The film is based on the New York Magazine article “”Paw Paw & Lady Love”” by Dan Paul Lee. It also packs a solid supporting cast including Martin Landau, Adam Goldberg, Cary Elwes, and Virginia Madsen. Growing up “adoring” Anna Nicole in her prime as a kid, I really enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look into her troubled life.

Official Premise: Anna Nicole Smith (Agnes Bruckner) was a single mother from Texas, who became one of the biggest supermodels in the world, but her sudden catapult to fame came with a price, as drugs, alcohol and reckless behavior led her down a tragic path. Now you get to see the whole story in this compelling original film, as Anna Nicole’s sexual desires, crippling addictions and her overwhelming need to be famous lead her from incredible fame and fortune to her unfortunate descent.

This film also grabbed by attention since it comes from the Director of “American Psycho”, Mary Harron. I think she had a good vision and it shows both the rise and the fall of this supermodel quite well balanced. It is well-written thanks to John Rice & Joe Batteer (“Blown Away”, “Windtalkers”). If there are any fans out there still of Anna Nicole Smith, I would recommend giving this a watch for sure. Just remember this was made for Lifetime, so don’t expect any skin. The one thing that I was a little upset about that there are no special features included along with this DVD. I would have been curious to see about Agnes transformation into Anna Nicole.

Actors: George A. Romero, Larry Fessenden, Mark Harris, Gale Anne Hurd, Elvis Mitchell
Directors: Rob Kuhns
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: First Run Features
DVD Release Date: January 7, 2014
Run Time: 76 minutes

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

“The Walking Dead” is one of the hottest shows on TV right now. It is a world wide phenomenon. But this zombie madness all started back in 1968 with George A. Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead”. Originally when I heard about “Birth of the Living Dead”, I thought “another documentary?” but I was really pleasantly surprised. The documentary is smart, sharp and very informative. There are a very small list of interviews included, which I feel works for this film because it keeps Romero front and center, as he should be. Highly recommended for any horror fan!

Official Premise: In 1968 a young college drop-out named George A. Romero directed Night of the Living Dead, a low budget horror film that shocked the world, became an icon of the counterculture, and spawned a zombie industry worth billions of dollars that continues to this day. Birth of the Living Dead shows how Romero gathered an unlikely team of Pittsburghers policemen, iron workers, teachers, ad-men, housewives and a roller-rink owner to shoot a revolutionary guerrilla style film that went on to become a cinematic landmark, offering a profound insight into how our society worked in a singular time in American history.

This film delivers some impressive special features. There is an extended interview with George A. Romero, which runs just over 30 minutes. I liked listening to his stories and they interview is quite interesting. There is an audio only extra called “George A. Romero at the Museum of Modern Art, June 16, 1970”, which runs about 10 minutes. Lastly there is also a feature “Bill Hinzman and the World Record-Breaking Monroeville Zombie Walk”, which is worth the price of the DVD only.

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