Actors: William Moseley, Adrian Pasdar, Eric Roberts
Directors: Simone Bartesaghi
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Millennium
Release Date: January 14, 2014
Run Time: 90 minutes

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

“Run” to be me feels like an indie version of “Step Up” mixed with a crime thriller twist. The film is pretty action packed and includes really solid cast. William Moseley, from “The Chronicles of Naria” film series, is impressive in this film and gets a chance to take the lead. Adrian Pasdar is always brilliant and honestly who doesn’t love Eric Roberts. For a film that runs 90 minutes, it really is tight and solid and definitely worth checking out especially for Amazon’s low price under $13 dollars.

Official Premise: Set in the streets of New York City, RUN is a fast-paced, 3D crime thriller that follows the life of Daniel Lombardi – a troubled seventeen year old who nomadically moves from city to city with his father and utilizes Parkour to commit crimes in order to survive. Daniel soon uncovers his father’s dark past that ultimately led to their life on the run. As he gets pulled deeper into an unsuspecting world of crime, Daniel is forced to put everything he holds dear on the line, including the love of his life who has secrets of her own.

Millennium is behind this Blu-ray 3D combo pack release. After watching the trailer for this film, I know that this would be even cooler in 3D. I have to admit, it probably doesn’t have to be watched in 3D to be enjoyed but I did like the option for sure. They take advantage of the third dimension when using the first person camera angles and the impressive stunts in the film. The Parkour aspect of the film also works well with the 3D effects. It reminded me of the film “District 13” quite a bit (and that is a good thing).

The 1080p transfer was crisp and capture the streets of New York quite well, same goes for the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track which really delivers the film’s score and music very well. It is also quite fast paced like the film. In terms of special features, there is only one extras included, which is “The Making of Run” and briefly goes behind-the-scenes on this film. Nice follow-up after watching this film but I would have hoped for a little bit more.

Actors: Richard Jordan, Jason Robards, Alec Guinness
Directors: Jerry Jameson
Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Shout! Factory
Release Date: January 21, 2014
Run Time: 114 minutes

Film: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars

“Raise the Titanic” was based on Clive Cussler’s fourth book in his “Dirk Pitt Adventure” book series. It was released back in 1980 or five years before the actual wreck was discovered and was never well received and or found an audience. What “Raise the Titanic” does have is a great score, impressive visuals and solid cast including Alec Guinness (“Star Wars”) popping up but personally I was never a huge fan of the film since it is borderline silly and not practical at all. But it is still worth a look on Blu-ray if you do enjoy it.

Synopsis: Join the underwater race to salvage the Titanic and its vital defense cargo. Adapted from Clive Cussler’s international best-seller, the story follows the exploits of American special agent Dirk Pitt as he sets out to recover vital material from the Titanic which could make the US impregnable to atomic attack. The ship is down too deep for divers and the only solution is to raise it. The incredible project must be managed in absolute secrecy because of deadly interference from a rival nation. The Titanic is finally, and majestically, brought to the surface — but the vital, rare mineral is missing…

Despite my opinions on the film itself, Shout! does deliver a solid Blu-ray presentation. The 1080p transfer holds up well for a film that is over 30 years old. It is quite sharp and there is little noise interference. They also delivered a great DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. Like I mentioned above, I was a fan of the score to this film and it is well represented here for sure. In terms of special features, unfortunately is nothing special here including only one behind-the-scenes extra called “Making of ‘Raise the Titanic'” and a theatrical trailer.

For nearly a decade, Superman fans came to love Michael Rosenbaum for his portrayal of Lex Luthor on “Smallville”. During that time Michael also found time to act in other TV shows and movies as well as voicing the Flash for DC’s animated universe. For the past two years though, Michael has been working on something near and dear to his heart. His first movie, “Back in the Day”, details a lot of his experiences growing up in a small town in Indiana. Some of those experiences are hilarious as well as very touching. Media Mikes was able to talk with Michael about his labor of love as well as the trials and tribulations with working on his first film.

Jeremy Werner: When watching “Back in the Day”, you really get this vibe that this is a love letter to the people and town that you spent your best years in.
Michael Rosenbaum: Oh yeah…I go back twice a year for whiffle ball. I really embrace the city. I really love where I grew up…cutting backyards, drinking out of firehoses, catching fireflies and playing baseball as a kid…It was a little bit of a love letter. I wanted it to be authentic and I wanted people to see how beautiful it can be instead of a stereotypical, ‘Oh I hate the small town and these people are rednecks’. It’s just the opposite of that. I’m very proud of where I grew up.

JW: I assume that every character in this movie is based off someone that you knew growing up.
MR: (laughs) Oh yeah, it is. Skunk is a real character played by Harland Williams…A lot of these things happened. I’ve known these guys for a long time, so it’s an exaggeration and loosely based on a lot of these guys, but definitely. There’s kind of a lot of characters all rolled up in one…I was kind of a nerd in high school and couldn’t get laid. So the girl in the movie is the one I had my first time with mixed in with the most beautiful girl in the world I could never get. They’re all based on the idea or of people that I knew.

JW: I’m almost afraid to ask, (laughs) but there’s a mom who drinks and smokes in the movie…did you know someone like that?
MR: (laughs)…You see some of those things every once and a while and you’ve seen it. That girl was a little bit of an exaggeration, but I hope that people find that funny…that was an exaggeration of someone I sort of knew, who when I go back home, I kind of still see every once and a while and it’s a big exaggeration…I thought she was just a larger than life character and people do that. They actually smoke light cigarettes and they’re smoking occasionally. They think it’s OK. They occasionally drink…an occasional shot of whiskey. So I think there are people out there.

JW: So have your friends watched this movie yet?
MR: They love it…they thought they were gonna see something shot on an iPhone and we had the budget to about do that (laughs). The laughs were loud, it’s great to see it with an audience…so far everyone has really enjoyed it. Obviously there’s some offensive moments and I’m sure somebody will say this isn’t for me, but it’s not for everybody. There is heart…so there’s a little bit of something for everybody. It’s what I wanted to make. I’m happy with that.

JW: How much of yourself did you put into the movie’s main character, Jim Owens?
MR: I obviously have a lot to be thankful for and I’ve done it all for myself and God bless, but there’s always a part of me that longs to be back home. I miss that side, that part of my life. Jim left someone behind, a girl he was in love with. I think that we all wanna find that, that love and he remembers that she was probably the best thing to ever happen to him and even though it happened years ago, he’s seeing what happens. I think there’s a big part of Jim in me or me in Jim because I think a lot of people long to go home and they miss home. Sometimes when they’re home, they realize: I do love home. But maybe I was destined to be an actor. I was destined to be a doctor somewhere or was destined to be…whatever it was. To each his own. I miss my friends back home. I miss the simplicity of being in a small town and living in a neighborhood and having seasons. I’m in Los Angeles and as beautiful as it is and you go to the beach and you have all these great things in life…everybody will sit there and go, “Oh my God. I’d love to have your life”. It’s funny because I’d like to have their life in a lot of ways too…It’s kind of mixing it. I think you can have the best of both worlds.

JW: So with so many memories, when did you start work on this script?
MR: Well, it’s one of those things where it was one of the first scripts I’d written and then I kind of let it go because it’s too small for a studio to buy and go, “Yes! It’s gonna be a big blockbuster comedy.” They consider it not high concept enough, I would say. I was trying to say, “I know these characters, wait until you see them.” It’s funny, I wrote it so long ago that I started working on all these other projects and then when another movie that I was suppose to make fell through…I was asked, “Do you have anything you wrote on growing up in Indiana?” I said, “Holy shit, I do.” I kind of switched gears and within three months I was prepping this movie and I pulled it out of the woodwork. I updated it a bit and I asked my friends to be in it. It’s a passion project. I can’t believe this movie is my first. Honestly, it was my first step in directing and it was the best first step. I hope people look at it and go, “Wow! For a million bucks, this is friggin’ funny. It looks great.”…You hope that people appreciate it and you hope you can get your second shot and that’s what I’m aiming towards.

JW: Was there a lot of pressure going into this?
MR: Yeah, I didn’t know how much work it was until I started doing it and then I realized…how am I gonna do this scene in one day? I don’t have enough money for this stunt, how am I gonna do that? How am I gonna get these actors from LA…and why would they do some independent movie in the middle of Indiana for no money in the dead of winter? So there’s a lot of obstacles. Then you finally make it happen and then you’re shooting and you start to have more problems. It’s raining…a snowstorm is coming in…whatever’s happening. Oh my God, it can’t be a Christmas movie anymore, it’s getting warm now. And then how do we finish the movie…and then post-production. How can we afford sound design? How can we afford a composer? How can we afford getting the songs that I really wanted to be in this movie? And then all of sudden we’re trying to screen the movie and we only have ‘x’ amount of weeks to edit it and now we’re trying to sell it. On a studio movie, once you’re done directing and cut, you’re done. Studio takes over and they have an infrastructure. With an independent movie there’s multitasking and I’ve been doing a ton of jobs with my amazing producer, Kim Waltrip and my post supervisor Aaron Peak, for no money. I haven’t taken a job for a year and a half because I’ve become so invested in this.

JW: Is there another script you have in mind after this?
MR: Yeah, I can’t really name it. There’s a camp movie that I’m considering directing that I wrote. I also wrote a TV show that we’re probably gonna shoot digitally for a studio. So that’s in negotiations…a lot of good stuff on the horizon.

JW: Now finally…as a nerd, I gotta ask…
MR: Do it!

JW: (laughs)…have you gotten any calls to be Lex Luthor in the upcoming Batman vs. Superman movie?
MR: The fans have been unbelievable. They’ve tweeted me, I’ve tweeted back…I’ve been to conventions and they always ask me, “Would you do it?” And I’m not an idiot, of course I’d do it. I’d love to do it. But I think Joaquin Phoenix is probably gonna do it or somebody. I’m a big Zack Snyder fan. Obviously, I think I could play the role. I would do it in a heartbeat, but I don’t hold my breath because I know there’s the stigma, “He was the TV Smallville Lex Luthor.” I say that sarcastically, but I think it’s a shame. If people like the role and what I did with it, then they should consider it. But I’m not the director. I’m not the producer. Long story short, I’d do it in a fucking heartbeat.

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Nick Swardson is probably best known for his role in “Grandma’s Boy” and cameo appearances in numerous Happy Madison films, but a quick look at his career shows that he’s an incredibly busy guy. For people who aren’t familiar with Swardson’s work, he started doing stand-up at age 18 and since then has gone on to produce, write and act. Die hard fans have known this for years that he’s constantly writing, acting and working on fresh material for his stand-up. Media Mikes had the chance to catch up with Nick and ask him about the numerous TV and movie projects he’s been working on for 2014, as well as a new comedy special.

Jeremy Werner: It looks like you got a busy year ahead of you…especially this month. Let’s start off with “Back in the Day” which comes out on January 17th. How did you land the role of Ron?
Nick Swardson: Michael Rosenbaum, the director/writer, is a buddy of mine and he just called me up and he’s like, “Man I got this passion project I’m doing. It’s low budget. We have no money.” He goes, “It’s a great character. You’ll kill it. We’ll shoot in Indiana. It’d be fucking great to have you.” So he sent me the script and I thought it was a really funny character and it was something different than what I’ve done in the past. Ya know, it wasn’t a crazy character. It was a grounded, real dude. So I was pretty stoked. So as a favor to Michael too, I wanted to help him out. So I did it.

JW: Was there anything you had to differently than in past roles?
NS: It was just a lot more understated. I didn’t have to come in to the scene and be insane. This role is also based on a real guy so I was kind of interested to play a real dude…and I talked to Michael a lot about what this guy was like. So it was fun to play a real person.

JW: Was it a role that he had you in mind for the entire time he was writing it?
NS: He had the script for like 10 years. He had it for a long time. So I don’t know who he had initially envisioned, but he called me first.

JW: Now also this month, you have a big release on TV. “Chozen” premieres January 13th on FX and you play Troy. What can you tell us about that character?
NS: Troy plays Chozen’s nerdy, minion friend. He kind of saves him from bullies and so they become pals. Chozen shows him this whole world of sex and drugs. It’s pretty funny. The show’s pretty crazy..it’s one of the craziest things I’ve done and I’ve done a lot of crazy shit. Working with Danny McBride is awesome. His company is amazing. I love all the “Eastbound and Down” guys…it’s FX, so they really push the envelope.

JW: As a comedian, does voice acting provide you a lot of opportunities to improvise or are you restricted?
NS: No. I’m never restricted in anything I do. I only do projects where I can bring a lot to the table. I use to get fired just because I improvised a lot. It’s the main thing I do, I love improvising.

JW: I’ve read that usually in voice acting, you’re just kind of in a booth on your own. Who were you able to bounce jokes and ideas off of with your character?
NS: Usually you’re all alone…you’re just sitting in a booth and the producers are in the other room, so you just kind of run with it. They’ll give you a thumbs up if it’s good or they’ll do the heads up and tell you if it works. They’ll just feed you ideas…but it’s a great gig.

JW: Later this year you’ll also be voicing a character in the animated movie, “Hell & Back”. You actually voiced a character in the kid’s movie “Bolt”, but based on the premise I was reading…this is not a kid’s movie.
NS: (Laughs) Yeah, that’s pretty insane. It’s stop motion, so it looks like a kid’s movie. So if a kid saw it on TV he’d be like, “Oh! I wanna see this!” But it’s a hard, hard ‘R’. That’s another project that me and Danny McBride are both in with TJ Miller and Mila Kunis. It’s a great cast and that one’s gonna be really awesome. We’re finishing that up this week. I’ve got like one more record session…we’re really excited about that.

JW: Now with all these projects, are you working on any comedy specials this year?
NS: Yeah, I’ve been developing for the last two years, a new hour special and a new tour. So we’re looking to tour in the Spring…early Summer. Shoot the special maybe sometime in the Summer. It’s definitely in the works. It’s been a long time coming, but I’m really excited..it’s coming together really well.

JW: Anything you can tell us about it?
NS: It’s just more stories, drinking jokes and it’s nothing too out of the box. I’m not all of a sudden really political. If you’re a fan of mine, you’ll be happy with it. The new hour’s going really well. I think the title of it is gonna be, ‘Taste It’.

JW: I know last year you were talking about a show you were working on called “Bro-Sassin”. How is that coming along?
NS: Bro-Sassin’s done. It didn’t fly. The network just didn’t get it. They thought it was gonna be too expensive…so they kind of backed off it, which bums me out, man. I wrote the pilot and it was really funny. People loved it, I’m gonna save the idea for a movie. I sold a new show to FX. My own show with the director of “Grandma’s Boy” and Danny McBride’s producing it. It’s called “Game On”. It’s like the office of a video game company…so we’re developing the pilot right now.

JW: Does that have any connections to “Grandma’s Boy”?
NS: Not really.

JW: Looks like you got a lot of stuff going on, is there anything else you’re working on for later this year?
NS: A lot of it depends on the pilot with FX and shooting that, seeing if we get picked up. That’s the primary focus right now. I’m developing two other feature scripts. So if this FX pilot grows, I’m gonna jump into an idea I sold to Sandler and Happy Madison and I’ll hopefully write that next Fall and start developing that.

Actors: Chloë Grace Moretz, Judy Greer, Portia Doubleday, Alex Russell, Gabriella Wilde
Directors: Kimberly Peirce
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: MGM
Release Date: January 14, 2014
Run Time: 100 minutes

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

Let’s just say that when I saw that “Carrie” was being remade again, I couldn’t be any less interested. This is the fourth (and hopefully last) rendition of Stephen King’s 1974 novel. The first go around was, of course, in 1976 (and still the best). The terrible sequel “The Rage: Carrie 2” came in 1999 and the even worse TV Movie remake came in 2002. I really wanted to go into this with an open mind but just couldn’t do it.

This latest remake is absolutely unnecessary and just plain terrible. Chloë Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore are fine in the their respective roles. Moore, I think forgets this is a “horror film” and tries to go for the Oscar nomination. The film also relies way too much on CGI in the last 30 minutes, which is quite sad because it is such a cop out and to be honest doesn’t have the gore edge like the ’76 film despite being R-rated. What we have here is a sad remake of “Carrie” for today’s MTV generation.

Official Premise: “Carrie” is a re-imagining of the classic horror tale about Carrie White (Chloë Moretz), a shy girl outcast by her peers and sheltered by her deeply religious mother (Julianne Moore), who unleashes telekinetic terror on her small town after being pushed too far at her senior prom.

The film came in a combo pack with Blu-ray + DVD + Ultraviolet Digital Copy. It also comes in a neat Collectible Lenticular package. The 1080p transfer is clean and showcases well all the film’s terrible CGI effects. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 works well with the prom scene action but too bad had no edge and lack of terror in it.

The special features are better than the film but not amazing. There is an equally bad alternate ending and some Deleted/Extended Scenes with commentary by Director Kimberly Peirce. There is also a feature commentary track by Director Kimberly Peirce. There is a featurette “Bringing Back Carrie”, which takes us behind the scenes. “The Power of Telekinesis” looks into Carrie’s abilities. There is the “Telekinetic Coffee Shop Surprise”, which was an online viral joke video. Lastly there is a theatrical trailer included.

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams and Scarlett Johannson
Directed by: Spike Jonze
Rated: R
Running time: 2 hrs 6 min
Warner Brothers

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Theodore Twombly (Phoenix) leads a pretty ordinary life. He spends his days at work, where he is known as Letter Writer #612. He is employed by a company known as HandwrittenLetters.com. His job is to write letters for people that either can’t or don’t want to. The rest of his day is spent engrossed in the technology that surrounds him. Currently unattached he “meets” like minded people for…umm…chatting purposes. Then one day he meets Samantha (the sultry voice of Johannson), who voices his new operating system. And before you know it, it’s love at first sound.

Spike Jonze has always amazed me as a filmmaker. His brilliant first feature, “Being John Malkovich,” earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Director. His adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s “Where the Wild Things Are” not only took you into the fantastic worlds of your childhood, it made you wish you were there as an adult. With “Her” he establishes himself as the quirkiest, yet most talented, director to come along since Tim Burton unleashed Pee Wee Herman on the world almost three decades ago! Here he has taken an almost laughable premise and given it a heart.

The film, also written by Jonze, also succeeds thanks to the talented cast. Joaquin Phoenix is pitch perfect here. Best known for playing more serious, and even surly, characters in films like “Gladiator,” “Walk the Line” and “The Master” (and earning Oscar nominations for all three films) here he shows a softer side bordering on sweetness. Seriously, I think this is the first time I can remember seeing Phoenix smile on camera since “Parenthood.” Just as sweet (and seductive) is Johannson, who delivers an amazing and award worthy performance as the voice of Theodore’s dreams. The supporting cast, including Amy Adams, Chris Pratt and Rooney Mara do solid work as well, but the film works best when it’s just Theodore and Samantha alone and center stage. If I had a cell phone company I would hire her immediately. Move over, Siri…Samantha is here!

Starring: Johnny Knoxville, Spike Jonze, Jackson Nicoll, Jack Polick, Catherine Keener
Director: Jeff Tremaine
Rated: R (Restricted) / Unrated
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: January 28, 2014
Run Time: 91 / 102 minutes

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

If you saw “Jackass 3D”, then you will remember Johnny Knoxville running around in old man makeup and it was epic. When you see this title, “Jackass Presents”, you might think this to be expect just gross ass stunts and funny antics but “Bad Grandpa” is much more. The film has quite a bit of heart…mixed in with the crazy stunts and funny antics.  Jackson Nicoll adds a different level of funny and balances out Johnny Knoxville quite well who again rocks that make-up.  Fan of “Jackass” series or not, I would highly recommend checking out.

Official Premise: Jackass ringleader Johnny Knoxville reprises his role as 86-year-old Irving Zisman in the story of a crotchety old man unexpectedly saddled with the care of his 8-year-old grandson, Billy (Jackson Nicoll). The two generations of troublemakers soon develop a bond, as they hustle their way across the heartland of America pursuing hijinks and pulling pranks on unsuspecting, real-life people—all of whom had no idea they were starring in a hidden camera film.

Paramount is releasing this film in a combo pack with a Blu-ray + DVD + HD Digital Copy. It also includes two different version of the film, the 91 minute theatrical cut and a 102 minute new unrated cut with more hilarious footage not shown in theaters! This is not your typical two minute longer unrated cut, this packs some impressive new footage. The 1080p transfer is good but you have to remember that a lot of this was shot with hidden cams. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track works ok but I had some issues here some of the talking over the louder music.

In terms of special features, the fun doesn’t stop with the film. There are eight Behind-the-Scenes featurettes including, “The Funeral”, “Estate Sale”, “Window Launch”, “Shipping Billy”, “The Penguin”, “Wedding Crashers”, “The Drop Off” and “Beauty Pageant”. There six different Alternate Reactions takes from Real People with “Meet Billy”, “Meet Irving”, “The Skype Call”, “Billy Shops for Parents” and “Irving Hits on Women 1 & 2”. Lastly there are three deleted scenes included.

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Available February 25, Release Contains More Than Four Hours of Episodes Plus Episode Commentaries for All 26 Episodes, an Interview with Pendleton Ward & Alternate Show Intro – All Packed Into a Custom, Collectible BMO Die-Cut Slipcase!

This February, Cartoon Network will release the third full-season installment of its most mathematical animated series on both Blu-ray™ and DVD as Adventure Time: The Complete Third Season hits retail. Continuing the franchise’s home entertainment momentum which has included a series of top-selling releases to date, the Blu-ray and DVD both feature all 26 episodes from the series’ third season, as well as must-have bonus features including episode commentaries for ALL 26 episodes, an interview with series creator Pendleton Ward, an alternate show introduction. Plus, further satiating even the most passionate Adventure Time fans, it’s BMO! Fans and collectors are in for a special treat with a custom die-cut BMO slipcase, which transforms the Blu-ray and DVD packaging into their very own collectible BMO figurine. Available on February 25 for the suggested retail price of $32.07 and $26.95 for Blu-ray and two-disc DVD, respectively.

“Adventure Time has become a phenomenon that has resonated with audiences of all ages – and we’re thrilled to keep up with the demand for full-season and Blu-ray sets for those most passionate fans with today’s announcement,” said Erik Resnick, vice president of Cartoon Network Enterprises, the home entertainment division of the network. “Our third full-season release will bring more of what Adventure Time fans love about these collectible sets: hours of their favorite episodes bundled with great bonus features created for fans by the show team, all in unique, collectible packaging.”

As one of Cartoon Network’s most popular series, Adventure Time continues to grow and thrive since its on-air debut in April 2010. With strong on-air success through its fifth season, critical acclaim, passionate fan base and strong consumer products program, the brand has become a massive hit among audiences of all ages. During its fifth season, the series was the #1 show among boys 6-11, as well as a top-rated show among kids 6-11, and kids and boys 9-14, according to Nielson Media Research. With a huge social following of more than 10 million fans on Facebook, Adventure Time consistently ranks as a top digital brand as well, with top-rated apps and online games featured on CartoonNetwork.com. Additionally, the Adventure Time consumer products program attempts to satiate the fan base’s desire to interact with their favorite characters with a robust licensing program that includes toys, apparel, publishing, accessories, interactive games, youth electronics, comic books, posters and much more. Some recent successes for the brand range from the Adventure Time Encyclopaedia from Abrams Publishing debuting on the New York Times Best Sellers list this summer to the monthly comic book line from Boom Studios winning the 2013 Eisner Award for Best Publication for Kids (Ages 8-12) at 25^th annual Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards ceremony at Comic-Con.

From the mind of series creator Pendleton Ward and produced by Cartoon Network Studios, Adventure Time follows the unlikely heroes Finn and Jake, best buddies who traverse the mystical Land of Ooo and encounter its colorful inhabitants – and always find themselves in the middle of heart-pounding escapades. Finn, a silly kid with an awesome hat and Jake, a brassy dog with a big kind heart, depend on each other through thick and thin. The Land of Ooo is teeming with imposing mountains, lush green plains, accessible forests, ubiquitous prairies and winding rivers, the cities and towns are filled with bizarre characters in need of unique assistance. Whether it’s saving Princess Bubblegum, defeating zombie candy, mocking the “oxy-moronic” Ice King, or rocking out with undead music wiz Marceline the Vampire Queen, with Finn and Jake it’s always Adventure Time.

Adventure Time: The Complete Third Season BASICS

Blu-ray SRP: $32.07

DVD SRP: $26.95

Street Date:  February 25, 2014

Order Date: January 21, 2014

Running Time: 286 minutes

Blu-ray UPC: 883929365548

DVD UPC: 883929365531

Languages: English

Subtitles: English

About Cartoon Network

Cartoon Network (CartoonNetwork.com) is regularly the #1 U.S. television network in prime among boys 6-11 & 9-14. Currently seen in 99 million U.S. homes and 194 countries around the world, Cartoon Network is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.’s ad-supported cable service now available in HD offering the best in original, acquired and classic entertainment for kids and families. In addition to Emmy-winning original programming and industry-leading digital apps and online games, Cartoon Network embraces key social issues affecting families with solution-oriented initiatives such as Stop Bullying: Speak Up and the Move It Movement.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment’s home video, digital distribution, interactive entertainment/videogames, direct-to-DVD production, technical operations and anti-piracy businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. WBHEG is responsible for the global distribution of content through DVD, electronic sell-through and VOD, and delivery of theatrical content to wireless and online channels, and is also a significant worldwide publisher for both internal and third party videogame titles

For more information on this and other titles distributed by Warner Bros Home Entertainment Group, visit www.whvdirect.com.

Starring: Meryl Streep, Ewan McGregor and Julia Roberts
Directed by: John Wells
Rated: R
Running time: 2 hrs 1 min
The Weinstein Company

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Hollywood is full of movies about pushy and/or overbearing mothers. From Mother Bates in “Psycho” to Mama Rose in “Gypsy” to Margaret White in “Carrie” (the original 1976 version), we’ve seen how they manipulate and mold their children through fear and threats. To that short list add Violet Weston (Streep). When Violet’s author-husband Beverly (Sam Shepard) goes missing, their three daughters return to the family homestead. Oldest daughter Barbara (Roberts) brings along her husband, Bill (McGregor) but doesn’t tell her family that they are currently separated. Middle daughter Ivy (Julianne Nicholson) has a new beau but if afraid to spill the beans. And youngest, free-spirited Karen (Juliette Lewis)….well, she’s young and free-spirited. As is her fiancée, Steve (Dermot Mulroney), who sadly has eyes for Barbara’s too old for her own good 14 year old daughter, Jean (Abigail Breslin). With all of these personalities in one house you know the fireworks can’t be too far behind.

Based on the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning play by Tracy Letts, “August: Osage County” could best be categorized as a class in Acting 101. Led by the magnificent Streep, the film takes a grounded play that ran for three and a half hours and compresses it into a two hour showcase of talent. It is during those two hours that stories are told and secrets are revealed.

What can I say about Meryl Streep that hasn’t been said elsewhere? The most honored actress in film history, she adds another jewel to her crown here. Violet is loud and vulgar, with a smart aleck comment always at the ready. “Are you supposed to be smoking,” she’s asked early in the film. “Is anybody SUPPOSED to be smoking,” she retorts. Unbeknownst to Violet, Barbara has learned to give as good as she gets and the verbal battles between Streep and Roberts are better than fireworks on the fourth of July. To be honest, there isn’t a bad performance in the lot, but I’d be remiss not to give credit to Nicholson and Margo Martindale, who manage to shine in front of this all star assembly.

If there is a problem with the film it’s because of its running time. You can almost sense that there are some things not told, but when the story begins to run over three hour longs you have to cut when you can. Director Wells does open the show up some, but the words and situations are all Letts, who also scored a cult hit last year with the film version of another one of his plays, “Killer Joe.”

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch and Eric Bana
Directed By: Peter Berg
Rated: R
Running Time: 121 minutes
Universal Pictures

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

You’re deep in the mountains of Afghanistan and you’re there to eliminate a dangerous Taliban leader. The only problem is, during recon, you’ve been discovered. Three goat herders have stumbled across you. One of them is a weathered old man, another is a young boy and completing the trio is a bitter young adult whose body language screams hatred. You can kill them and continue with the mission. Or you could leave them tied up to starve to death or get eaten by wolves. Or you can let them go and risk the entire mission and your safety. It’s not easy to kill and it’s not easy to condemn a man to death. It’s even harder to give yourself that fate. “Lone Survivor” is about four soldiers making that decision and witnessing hell.

The title makes it easy to assume things will not turn out well. This is reinforced by an establishing sequence of events showing you Marcus (Wahlberg) being brought in by helicopter, covered in blood stained bandages. Nonetheless the movie’s first 40 minutes attempts to establish our four main men. Besides Marcus, there’s Michael (Kitsch), Danny (Emile Hirsch) and Matt (Ben Foster). Before we have time to digest their personalities or soak in their background, we’re being thrust into Operation Red Wing. The goal is to kill or capture Ahmad Shah. The operation is being headed by Lieutenant Commander Erik (Bana). Just like our four main characters, we’re not acquainted long enough with Erik before he’s commanding our boys into the Kunar province. That’s where a routine part of the mission, surveillance, goes haywire.

The conversation between the soldiers is very honest. It’s not a decision any of us could ever make. It’s a moral dilemma that reveals a very human side to war. It’s easy to sympathize with both sides of the argument, but it’s clear what the decision will be: Letting the goat herders live. As far as movies about modern war go, this one deserves to be one of the models on how it’s done. The direction plops us right into the middle of the action as they realize their decision has doomed them. Some shots are so viciously intimate you feel twitches of pain watching these men’s bodies crack and break. The cinematography adds such a brutal touch to the shootout and the camera is not afraid of getting a bit bloody.

The best thing this movie does is avoid any kind of political stance. In a time where we continue to bicker about the “what ifs” of our contemporary wars, it’s a bit refreshing to watch a movie that’s nonpolitical. Instead of beating the war drums or waving the banner of peace, I feel that this movie’s purpose is to be a harsh slap of reality. We don’t need director Peter Berg to build up the human side of our characters before showcasing their fears and realizations of mortality because we’ve spent over a decade realizing some harsh truths about our world. Inherently, we already know the terror that happens overseas. We’ve also read and have seen the mental, emotional and physical toll of America’s soldiers. Berg simply let’s the story unfold naturally and gives us a very brisk and unsettling true-to-life battle.

Actors: Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp, Wes Craven, Lisa Wilcox, Alice Cooper, Mark Patton, Monica Keena, Brendan Fletcher, Ronny Yu
Directors: Andrew Kasch, Daniel Farrands
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT
Release Date: January 21, 2014
Run Time: 238 minutes

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

“Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy” was originally released on DVD in 2010 but thanks to Image Entertainment, we get a new Blu-ray edition. Directing duo Daniel Farrands and Andrew Kasch has been known for their documentary work in the horror genre including the also recently released “Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th”, which runs over 7 hours itself. This film is a four-hour retrospective documentary that really dives very in-depth in the “Nightmare on Elm Street” film series. I have always loved this series, the good AND the bad and this is really the best way to give this series the respect that it deserves. A must have for any horror fan.

Official Premise: For decades, Freddy Krueger has slashed his way through the dreams of countless youngsters, scaring up over half a billion dollars at the box office. In this thrilling retrospective, fans will enter the world of Freddy Krueger and A Nightmare On Elm Street like never before: exploring what spurred mastermind Wes Craven to craft the first groundbreaking film; delving deep behind the scenes of the original and all of its sequels; learning how the cast and crew brought their worst nightmares to life; and finally, understanding the impact the series and its myths have had on modern pop culture and the horror genre. Child murderer. Dream demon. The son of a thousand maniacs. Any way you slice it there can be only one man, one monster, who epitomizes horror like no other.

So if you haven’t seen this film already it is jam packed with clips from each of the film along with never-before-seen photos, behind-the-scenes footage, conceptual art, publicity materials and exclusive new interviews with over 100 key cast and crew from every Nightmare film. Just some of amazingly talent people include Wes Craven, Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp, Jack Sholder, Mark Patton, Kim Myers, Chuck Russell, Jennifer Rubin, Renny Harlin, Lisa Wilcox, Tuesday Knight, Stephen Hopkins, Kelly Jo Minter, Rachel Talalay, Lisa Zane, Alice Cooper, Patrick Lussier, Miko Hughes, Monica Keena, Brendan Fletcher, Ronny Yu and many more. These filmmakers really set out to make the definitive documentary and they achieved that with no question.

In terms of special features, the Blu-ray comes stocked with the same amazing special features that the DVD did back in 2010. If four hours wasn’t long enough there are additional “Extended Interviews” covering each of the films and it definitely consists of some great additional content. There is a (or was a) “First Look: Heather Langenkamp’s “I Am Nancy”, which was a doc that came out in 2011 told from the star’s perspective of attending conventions etc. “For the Love of the Glove” follows online sellers as they talk about their work with making custom Freddy gloves. “Fred Heads: The Ultimate Freddy Fans” gives us an inside look into the world of the collectors behind this series.

“Horror’s Hallowed Grounds: Return to Elm Street” is an episode from the great online series from Sean Clark in which he visits all the old shooting locations of the classic film. “Freddy vs. The Angry Video Game Nerd” features James Rolfe talking about the (rather terrible) NES video game. “Expanding the Video Game Universe: Freddy in Comic Books and Novels” talks with authors and artists about their expanding universe for Freddy. “The Music of the Nightmare: Conversations with Composers and Songwriter” is an amazing extra diving into the memorable music from this great series.

“Elm Street’s Poster Boy: The Art of Matthew Joseph Peak” looks into the work of this very talent artist, who also brought us the cover art for this film. “A Nightmare on Elm Street in 10 Minutes” is an extended version of the actor line readings, which is shown in the film’s credits. Lastly there is a teaser trailer included. Whew! This movie and special features all together are so entertaining and I have never seen so much packed into one release. Don’t miss this one!

Actors: Justin Timberlake, Ben Affleck, Gemma Arterton, Anthony Mackie
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: January 7, 2014
Run Time: 92 minutes

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

“Runner Runner” seemed to have a lot going for it. A list cast including Justin Timberlake and Ben Affleck, who both are very hot right now. When I first saw a trailer for list I was just extremely disinterested. I think they had the right idea but it was just poorly executed. The script is quite poor and probably should take most of the blame here because our actors do their best to save this film with their performances. Since I am sucker for poker films, I could probably recommend this to fans of Timberlake and Affleck but just keep expectations very low.

Official Premise: Justin Timberlake and Ben Affleck star in this high-stakes crime thriller where the lure of easy money is the riskiest bet of all. When Princeton grad student Richie Furst (Timberlake) believes he’s been swindled by an online poker site, he heads to Costa Rica to confront gambling tycoon Ivan Block (Affleck), the man he thinks is responsible. But Richie will soon face the ultimate power play as he finds himself caught between Block’s promises of unlimited wealth and the zealous FBI agent (Anthony Mackie) trying to bring him down.

“Runner Runner” does get a solid Blu-ray, thanks to 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. The 1080p high-definition transfer is quite beautiful and really shows off Costa Rica quite well. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 works as well especially with Christophe Meck’s score. The special features are another let down though. “House of Cards- The Inside Story of Online Poker” take a look into the world the film is based around. Besides that there are about 10 minutes of deleted scenes and a Theatrical Trailer included.

Greg Grunberg is best known for playing Matt Parkman in “Heroes”. He also played Sean Blumberg in “Felicity”, the pilot Seth Norris in “Lost” and Eric Weiss in “Alias”. His latest film is “Big Ass Spider!” and it is one hell of a fun movie. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Greg about the film and how he ended up fighting a “Big Ass Spider!”

Mike Gencarelli: Congrats in advance for the early success and positive reactions to “Big Ass Spider!”
Greg Grunberg: Thanks! It one of these films that we just need to get the word out and I know it’s going to have some great legs. People are going to watch it and spread the word. I am so proud of it. Mike (Mendez), the director, did some a great job putting it all together. He let us improv and have fun and it really came together great.

MG: What was your first response when the script for “Big Ass Spider!” lands on your desk?
GG: My initial response is “HELL NO” [laughs]. I read everything and tell people to send me whatever and either I or my manager will read it. I received and this immediately thought that it was so ambitious that it would never work. There are more effects shots in this film then “Hollow Man”…and I was in “Hollow Man”. Kevin Bacon was invisible the entire movie. So I thought how nobody was going to be able to pull this off. So I gave a polite “No” along with a few notes and caveats that I had. They came back to me and just asked me to meet with the director Mike Mendez. He is one of these guys that you cannot say no to him. He has such a singular vision and is such a talented filmmaker. He seemed to have everything planned out in terms of effects etc. He was also willing to consider my casting suggestion for Lombardo Boyar, who I worked with on my movie “Group Sex”. It just all ended up working out and we were all on the same page.

MG: How do you approach a role like this to make it funny without being too cheesy?
GG: No matter what people do in their life, everybody takes what they do seriously. I wanted to approach it that was but not in a cartoony way. I have seen characters like this in movies and they go above and beyond and are really nuts are killer spiders. It is entertaining but if you don’t believe it then you are not going to take the ride. I know that the unbelievable factor is obvious for this film, there is a ten story
spider but you want the characters to be real and relationships between them to be real. I think that is what we did here and it really worked. It was a really fun and I had a great time. Lombardo was fun to work with and I felt like we both stole the movie. It is one of those things that at the end you are talking about Lombardo’s one liner as much as you are the spider.

MG: What was the most demanding aspect of working on a film like this?
GG: It’s funny because when I am approached to do a film like this there always like “Look there’s not going to be trailer, it’s really low budget so…” I say “Who gives a fuck about any of that shit”. I want to make a great movie. I am always on set anyway and never in a trailer. I just love making movies. I love acting in them and every aspect about them. So that stuff doesn’t scare me. The hardest part is making sure that you have good people and they are prepared to do their jobs. Every single aspect and department matters. Mike Mendez is an incredible studied filmmaker and I can’t wait to see what happens when he is given a real budget. He is going to explode like James Wan and hopefully I get to work with him again.

MG: Why do you think sci-fi/horror fans are going to dig this film?
GG: The cool thing about this is that I have three boys, 10, 14, and 17 and all of them can watch it. This is a family movie and nothing in here is inappropriate. The scary parts of fucking scary and the funny parts are funny. It is a great combination in a very relatable way. If shit when down like this in L.A., this is how it would play out [laughs]. Is it the best movie in the world? NO! But it is damn close in terms of low budget spider movies are concerned.

MG: “Big Ass Spider!” was left off nicely for a sequel; any word of that happening?
GG: We have talked about it and are certainly thinking about what that next movie would be but it is all up to the financiers. It is doing well for Epic Pictures and they are pleased so far. Hopefully it will be the type of thing where the fans just demand it. I would love to make another one.

MG: You also recently wrapped on two very different films “Burning Dog” and “A Tigers Tale”, tell us about these?
GG: “A Tigers Tale” is a complete family movie. It is really sweet and has these two Bengal tigers in it. I did that because I really wanted to do something different. I mean I got to work with real Bengal tiger cubs and I couldn’t pass up an opportunity like that. It is a straight forward family film but there are some really amazing moments in it. It just mixes things up. Then I also did this film called “Burning Dog”, with Trey Batchelor directing, which was super cool. I produced the film as well. It is like a first person shooter movie. So the main character is the camera and you ride along with these two cops and I play one of the cops. It was awesome. So keep an eye out and spread the word about “Big Ass Spider!”

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PJ Byrne is known best for his scene stealing roles in films like “Final Destination 5”, “Horrible Bosses” and most recently in Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street”. He is also the voice of Bolin in Nickelodeon’s hit animated show “The Legend of Korra”. PJ is not only a great actor but also a great personal friend and Media Mikes got to chat with him about about his role in “The Wolf of Wall Street” and his new show on CBS “Intelligence”, which premieres on January 7th.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about how you got involved with “The Wolf of Wall Street”?
PJ Byrne: Having gone to Boston College as finance major, this was one of those movies that I had been tracking for a while. I wanted to make sure that I got an audition for this film. Mr. Scorsese wasn’t going to be at the auditions and they would be held in New York not Los Angeles, so I decided to put myself on tape and improvise my own monologue. So I came up with this monologue with me calling up a guy and finding out that he passed away from his wife and I end up selling her like $100,000 dollars’ worth of stock, just to show how manipulative these guys where. Mr. Scorsese saw it, loved it and asked me to come out to New York to audition. So I went there and was freaking out but he is just the coolest guy there is man. He put me at ease, I improvised some more and next thing I know I am in the movie and for the part I wanted, which was even better.

MG: What was it like working a legendary director like Martin Scorsese?
PJB: It was a really special experience. He is this great iconic director that if you are lucky you get to work with as an actor. The thing with these iconic directors is that they are also great communicators. They give you the confidence to go out and do anything you want but at the same time they also prepare you so well during that process. At the end of the day, he realized that he wasn’t in from of the camera we were and he just let us do our thing. That was the greatest gift that he could give. The trust he gave me and confidence he gave me to sort of unleash because a lot of the things I did was improvised, which is a scary world in its own but I have been doing it for a while now. It is also scary in the sense that these guys are extremely unethical and crazy guys, so I have to leave PJ at the door and go in and become this character.

MG: How can you address the reactions about people saying that the film is glorifying these characters?
PJB: You want people in America to know how bad these guys are, so you want really get into these characters and portray them correctly. So if anyone ever calls you on the phone, be aware since these people are out to get your money. This is a great way to tell people to be very aware and to raise your radar and in this film, we do it in an interesting way. Removing the fact that this is an artistic movie, we really break down what these guys are doing and how they are taught to sell. Not saying that all guys that sell you stocks are bad but this movie is aimed to raise your awareness to watch and realize who is handling your money. If I learned anything in college is that, first, there is no such thing as a free lunch and second, no one cares more about your money than you do. I think it is important for people to watch this movie so it is seared into their brain.

MG: How does it feel to be called a “scene stealer” in your films?
PJB: I guess it is flattering to be called that but I do not go into a scene thinking that I am going to steal this scene. I think it is a lot of preparation, especially when you are improvising. I did all my work and I know my character. If you wanted me to sell a cupcake, I was so prepared for this guy and I could have sold anything in that moment, using “Wolf” as an example. So that is one thing, the other is coming armed with not necessarily jokes but different approaches to the role. Let’s say I prepared like twenty things and I only use two, I am still fully armed and ready. The third piece of preparing is being ready to roll with it and see where any of it goes. What you prepared might not be useful at all since the director and actors might be thinking about something else. But since you know the character so well, you are ready to go any which way. In the film, there is a bunch of stuff that I prepared for and then there are other parts we just went with. I had no idea that Jonah (Hill) was going to do the part of “Don’t look him in the eyes” and we ended up just riffing off that. I had that horrible line the first time that we see Margo (Robbie) and the line that came out of my mouth even scared me, which was “She is so hot, I would let her give me AIDS”. As horrible as that line is that is exactly who these guys were though. It is inappropriate because the time period is inappropriate with AIDS but is something that is going to stick in your head. This goes back to the idea of glorifying them; this was there to show that these are bad dudes and to be wary of them. So it is not just about scene stealer, it is about being prepared when going into a role.

MG: Let’s talk about your new TV show on CBS called “Intelligence”, tell us what we can expect?
PJB: After doing “The Wolf of Wall Street” and I have done a lot of comedies, you can’t plan this but I have always thought in the back of my head that I would love to do a drama. This came along and everything worked out and I feel just blessed to be a part of it. Everyone involved is really cool and I love the premise. This show is great mixture of “Homeland” meets “The Bourne Identity”. Being a guy that loved watching James Bond as a kid and in this I get to be the Q character a bit was very appealing. I also have this family relationship since Josh’s character who is considered a brother to me and having that conflict there was also interesting.

MG: Can you give us a run down about your character, Nelson Cassidy?
PJB: I am a computer genius in the show. I can do anything that Josh’s character can do on the computer…except he can do it 1.6 billion times faster because he has a microchip in his brain. So that is very annoying to me. My father created this chip and Josh’s character and he looks to him as his own son as he is a brother to me…except Josh is incredibly handsome and I am not as good looking, so that is a point of contention. I can get into fights but he is a trained Delta Force guy, so he can kick ass better than me…and that is annoying. So there is a lot of that brotherly jealously going on if you will [laughs]. But he is my brother and I have his back and we are always there for each other and that is a cool part of the show. When you have that family aspect when working on a show and you play a scene with a person you know or a co-worker you have to be more delicate. But when it involves your brother you can go from 0 to 10 right away and to me that is much more interesting. Another aspect of the character that I love is that I am not just behind a computer; I actually get to be put into the field. I had to shoot guns, save people and pull bombs out of bodies, so it is awesome from that perspective. The last aspect that I loved about the show is that I am like the person at home watching being thrown into this world where Josh’s character is the complete opposite and trained to be in this world. Meghan Ory’s character Riley is Secret Service, so she is also trained to be in this world. Same goes for the character Lillian, who is played by Marg Helgenberger. I just happen to be this super genius and by default I was just thrown into this world. So I do not know how to be a “super-agent” and I had to slowly transition into it and I found that to be a lot of fun to play out.

MG: What else do you have going on for 2014?
PJB: I’ve got this show right now. So this is the first time that I haven’t had to do pilot season, which is a little scary but still comforting. I get to go off now and go into the movie world. I got something brewing but I can’t say officially yet. I have a little window now to shoot something because if the show gets picked up then we go back to work in June. Then I still have “The Legend of Korra”, which is coming back for its third season and let me tell you…it is awesome! We are currently doing ADR and I have seen it all and fans are going to freak out since it’s that good. I am so proud to be a part of that show. So for now be sure to tune in to “Intelligence” on CBS and watch out for some other great projects in the works this year.

Actors: Vin Diesel, Karl Urban, Jordi Molla, Matt Nable, Katee Sackhoff
Directors: David Twohy
Rated: R (Restricted) / Unrated
Studio: Universal Studios
Release Date: January 14, 2014
Run Time: 119 / 127 minutes

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

2000 was a big year for Vin Diesel, the sci-fi/action film “Pitch Black” was released and the franchise was born. The film was dark, gritty, intense and most importantly original. Then in 2004, we were given “The Chronicles of Riddick”, which was a bloated mess of a film. Luckily, “Riddick” is a nice return to the “Pitch Black” roots. It returns to its original R-rating and delivers some great bloody action. What “Riddick” doesn’t do is build on “Pitch Black” and take the franchise to a new place. Still for what it is, especially on a low $38 million dollar budget it is quite a ride. I would love them take this franchise further but I have a feeling that this will be the end of the road.  I definitely recommend checking  this out for sci-fi junkies and those who love the character of Riddick.

Official Premise: Vin Diesel reprises his role as the antihero Riddick in the latest chapter of the groundbreaking saga. A dangerous, escaped convict wanted by every bounty hunter in the known galaxy, Riddick has been left for dead on a sun-scorched planet that appears to be lifeless. Soon, however, he finds himself fighting for survival against alien predators more lethal than any human he’s encountered. The only way off is for him to activate an emergency beacon and alert mercenaries who rapidly descend to the planet in search of their bounty. With time running out and a deadly storm on the horizon that no one could survive, his hunters won’t leave the planet without Riddick’s head as their trophy.

Universal is releasing this Blu-ray with an Unrated Director’s Cut combo pack with a Blu-ray + DVD + UltraViolet digital copy. The  Theatrical Version is also included as well. Usually I am not thrilled with unrated director’s cut but this one really speaks to the fans. In fact I think that if they released this in theaters it would have received a warmer reception.  In terms of Blu-ray presentation, this film is a work of beauty. The 1080p transfer is stunning and looks like this is a $150 million dollar, easy! The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 will literally shake the walls during the action scenes, which there are plenty of. The year just got started but this is sure to be one of the best Blu-rays of 2014, no question!

I have to admit, I was expecting a little more love in the special features department for this film especially given how it is such a special project for Diesel and Twohy but I still dug quite a bit what we got. Don’t get me wrong a commentary track would have been great but there is some great content here. “The Twohy Touch” discusses how the film became and the legacy of the series. “Riddickian Tech” looks into the gadget and gizmos used to make this film as bad-ass as it was. “Vin’s Riddick” talks about the evolution of the character over the films. “Meet the Mercs” dives into the new group of mercenaires in the film. The World of Riddick” explores the world created for this franchise. Lastly “Riddick: Blindsided” is a neat motion comic.