Actors: Trine Dyrholm, Pierce Brosnan
Directors: Susanne Bier
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: September 10, 2013
Run Time: 116 minutes

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

“All you need is love (all together, now!)
All you need is love (everybody!)
All you need is love, love
Love is all you need (love is all you need)”

No ones says it better than The Beatles, right? Although this film is unrelated to the film, I couldn’t help it but make the connection here.  And also what is it about films set in Italy that make they so beautiful and very romantic? I am Italian, so I have grown up with a big Italian family but have never made the trip. Normally I am not a big “romantic comedy” fan but set in Italy, the city of love, I just couldn’t resist.  I also have found a new found love for Brosnan since he rocked it hard on “Mamma Mia”. The film is well directed and well-acted.  I recommend this for any couple to enjoy on a date night.  It is a little cheesy but it will definitely score you point men! Take my word for it!

Official Premise: From Susanne Bier, director of the Academy Award and Golden Globe-winning film In A Better World (2011, Best Foreign Language Film) comes a romantic comedy set in Sorrento, Italy. Philip (Brosnan), an Englishman living in Denmark, is a middle-aged widower and estranged single father. Ida (Dyrholm) is a Danish hairdresser who’s just been left by her husband for a younger woman. The fates of these two souls are about to intertwine as they embark for a trip to Italy to attend the wedding of Patrick and Astrid, Philip’s son and Ida’s daughter. It’s a story about seeking love and having the courage to change your life – even when you think it’s too late.

Sony delivered an impressive Blu-ray release. The 1080p transfer really captures the beauty of the film’s surroundings and looks very sharp. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks works with what is it given, there is nothing special but it is clear for the dialogue. The special features are decent as well. I was excited to see that there was an audio commentary with Pierce Brosnan, as well as the director Susanne Bier. This makes for a great revisit to this film. There is a Q&A included with Pierce Brosnan, Trine Dyrholm, Susanne Bier & Anders Thomas Jensen. There are additional cast interviews from the 2012 Venice Film Festival and also a Behind-the-Scenes with Trine Dyrholm from Venice Film Festival 2012.

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Sam J. Jones is best known for the lead role in the 1980 cult classic “Flash Gordon”. Sam recently appeared in the the Seth MacFarlane directed live-action film “Ted”, as himself and stole the show. Sam took out some time to chat with Media Mikes about his work on “Flash Gordon”, “Ted”, plans for “Ted 2 and his work in the security business.

Mike Gencarelli: Can you reflect on the fandom that surrounds “Flash Gordon” over 30 years since its release?
Sam J. Jones: It has been wonderful and is such a blessing. We filmed it in 1979, so that is 34 years ago and was released in Christmas of 1980. We are talking about three different generations here. It is amazing. It has had a good run and it has opened a lot of doors for me. I have traveled all over the world. It has even continued in the film “Ted”.

MG: Queen’s score in the film is so iconic, how do you feel that it works in the film?
SJ: It really complemented the film well. Queen was huge, obviously but it also opened up doors for them as well at the time. Combine their amazing soundtrack with the great visuals and you have a winner. All that creativity came together and produced this unforgettable visual experience.

MG: How often are you approached with people screaming “FLASH!! AAA-AAAHHH!!” and how do you respond?
SJ: Well, I get real close to them…then I head butt them [laughs]. No, it is fun it really is. Sometimes people walk by me on the street and don’t even say anything just scream and continue walking. They don’t even wait for a reaction. That sort of thing happens a lot.

MG: I wanted to ask about about you being originally signed up for seven “Gordon” sequels. Is that true?
SJ: I think it was a couple sequels at the time, yeah! Like anything else they decided not to pursue it. It has been optioned a couple of different times over the years with various development deals for a sequel, so hopefully that will happen soon. I would love to be apart of it again.

MG: Also can you talk about how your voice being dubbed over in the film?
SJ: We filmed the entire project in London, England and one week in Scotland. After filming you always have to go back and do ADR to fix the vocals. So I didn’t head back, I was working on other projects at the time. So they went ahead and got another actor to try and match my voice. It is what it is. I am sure next time I would rather find a way to get back there and do it myself.

MG: Tell us about how your role in “Ted” came about?
SJ: It is pretty simple, Seth MacFarlane called me and said that when he was eight years old he saw “Flash Gordon” and it changed his life. He knew then that he wanted to be a creative guy in the business and that was his inspiration. So he called and said he had this script called “Ted” and if I would be interested and I said “Of course”. At first, he wanted me to play myself but it turned out to be a parody of myself.

MG: What was it like getting back into those tights again after all those years?
SJ: It was fun. It was great working with the cast with Mark Walhberg, Mila Kunis and Patrick Warburton. Actually Patrick and I used to be in acting classes together, so it was good to see him again. It was Seth’s first time directing live-action and he did a fantastic job. He was always very prepared each day.

MG: Going from film business to security business, tell us about your current work?
SJ: It has been natural transition for me. I was a marine before I was an actor, so the background was there before I was in the movie business. So I got married and started having our five children and things slowed down a bit since there is a lot of downtime in the film business. So I wanted to fill that void, so I talked to my wife and decided to do that I was already trained in. I went and took some additional specialized training, actually the same as the Secret Service and the State Department. I started working the Los Angeles area, then I worked in Katrina and excelled in security operations. From there I got an invitation to move to San Diego to help run the Cross-Border Security Operations into Mexico. So that is what I have been doing for the past eight years now. I love it because when a film project comes up, I am able to drop everything and do the film. So it works out.

MG: “Ted 2” is planned for release Passover 2015, any word of a return for you?
SJ: Yeah, of course. Seth already asked me to do it. He mentioned that they will be filming in the Spring of 2014. So I can’t wait for that!

Starring: Ken Marino, Gillian Jacobs, Patrick Warburton, Mary Kay Place
Directed by: Jacob Vaughan
Distributed by: Magnolia Pictures
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 84 minutes

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

I have been a fan of Ken Marino dating back to the early MTV days of “The State”. He is incredibly funny in everything that he has done since including “Wet Hot American Summer”, “Veronica Mars”, (one of my favs) “The Ten” – with the very quotable line “I was spoofing” and of course his most recent role in Adult Swim’s “Children’s Hospital”. In “Bad Milo!”, he gets to take the spotlight front and center. When I saw the poster for this film, I literally what “What the F*ck” and knew that I immediately had to see it. Not suprised after watching this film I had the exact same reaction. This was easily some of the most fun I have had watching a movie all year. It is a great blend of horror and comedy. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a good time. I see this become a cult classic for sure!

The film follow Duncan, whose life is really in the shitter…literally.  He has a boss is taking advantage of him, not to mention trouble at home with his mom dating a much younger man and pressure from his wife to have start a family. Due to this his life is filled with stress and it is starting to take a turn on his body including extreme stomach pains. When he takes his wife’s suggestion to see a hypnotherapist, he discovers that his pain is actually a creature living in his ass. No you did not read that wrong, a creature lives in his ass.  It comes out of Duncan when he is stressed and “takes care” of the people that aggravate him. Duncan attempts to understand why this is happening while at the same time trying to keep Milo’s (yes, he gets named) appetite at bay.

“Bad Milo!” features some quite impressive creature effects. I loved the look of Milo and thought that he was creepy yet he still kinda cute…is that weird since it is an alien that came out a guys ass? If I am not mistaken there is a little bit of digital effects as well but it is well-blended to not take over the creature effect. Besides Marino, the rest of the cast is also pretty awesome as well.  Patrick Warburton (“Rules of Engagement”) is always fun at playing the douche bag and he does it quite well here as Duncan’s boss. Peter Stormare (“Fargo”) plays Duncan’s hypnotherapist and is a riot as well. If that is not enough, Stephen Root (“Office Space”) plays his stoner father with a secret of his own. I should just mention that as this film goes on it also gets stranger and stranger yet at the same time more fun, so sit back let go and just enjoy.

Starring: Ron Perlman, Katey Sagal, Kim Coates, Mark Boone, Jr., Charlie Hunnam, Maggie Siff
Creator: Kurt Sutter
Number of discs: 3
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: August 27, 2013
Run Time: 917 minutes

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

I have to admit, I have not been a fan of “Sons of Anarchy” from day one.  I came onto this show late but had a blast catching up with past seasons. Season five was easily the best season of the show, no question.  It really took us all by surprise and keep you guessing where it was going to hit next. Sutter is really one kick-ass creator, he has a lot of love for this show and it shows with each episode.  This Blu-ray releases comes stocked with some awesome extended episodes for our favorites from this season. This is easily are worth the purchase alone. At Media Mikes, this season we had the priviledge of casting with various of the cast members this season including Ashley Tisdale, Drea de Matteo, Harold Perrineau, Kurt Sutter, Ron Perlman and Attika 7’s Rusty Coones. Read all of them here. I cannot wait to see what Sutter has drummed up for the sixth season, which premieres on September 10th, 2013. This Blu-ray is a great way to hold you off until then!

Official Premise: From creator Kurt Sutter comes the adrenaline-charged Sons of Anarchy, featuring extended episodes and kicking into high gear with its biggest, most explosive season ever! As SAMCRO’s new president, Jax is surrounded by ruthless enemies and gut-wrenching betrayal. With Gemma fighting for control of the family and a bloodthirsty Clay out for revenge, Jax finds himself haunted by the sins of his past. Alliances are forged, friends are murdered, and loyalties are put to the ultimate test. Now, with the truth in sight, Jax must do whatever it takes to secure the legacy of brotherhood and protect his family — even if it costs him everything.

20th Century Fox delivered a very impressive Blu-ray release. Each of the episodes are stunning with their 1080p transfer. It really captures the grittiness of the show. Same goes for the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, which delivers in terms of the action, the music and the dialogue very well. The special features are just as impressive as the season itself. There are two commentary track included the first on the episode “Darthy” featuring Peter Weller and the second on “Sovereign” featuring Kurt Sutter, Paris Barclay, Katey Sagal, Maggie Siff and Dayton Callie. “Kurt Sutter: Creating Anarchy” gives us a up-close and personal look at the show with the creator himself. There is featurette on Charlie’s character “Opie Winston”. There is a Fan Concert at The Club House”, which is a fun feature that I would have loved to attend. Lastly there are tons of great deleted scenes scattered over the discs and a Gag Reel included.

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Actors: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Benedict Cumberbatch, Alice Eve, Simon Pegg
Directors: J.J. Abrams
Number of discs: 3
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: September 10, 2013
Run Time: 132 minutes

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

“Star Trek Into Darkness” was easily one of my most anticipated films of 2013. After finally seeing it and calming down, it became easily my favorite film of the film. I actually loved its 2009 predecessor and it improved upon it in nearly possible way. “Star Trek Into Darkness” is a great blend of aspects from both the original series and the feature film that introduced us to the franchise’s most memorable villain, KHAN! Sorry kind of a spoiler…but if you were going to see this film you would have seen it already.  Did I mention Khannnnn!!!! yet? The film is action-packed to the brim with some of the best visuals I have seen in any film this year.  How the rather dull “Iron Man 3” made more money than this just proves that despite how good the movie is, people tend to stear clear from “Star Trek” franchise. Highly recommended “Star Trek” fan or not!

Official Premise: When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis. With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction. As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew

I have to admit, I am not the biggest Chris Pine fan. He does a great job playing Captain Kirk though with that arrogant persona. Zachary Quinto was fantastic in this film. Even though Vulcan’s aright suppose to show emotions, his character really had a lot of depth and his performance was spot on. what can I say about Zoe Saldana, except she is completely bad-ass. Benedict Cumberbatch played a fantastic Khan, hard to compare to Ricardo Montalbán but he is damn good. What a reveal too! J.J. kept going back and forth that I was never 100% sure. Alice Eve was a great addition to the cast as well and she like Zoe is not hurting on the eyes. Lastly and easily my favorite character in this new series is Simon Pegg playing Scotty. His role in this film was just amazing, everything from the rants and raves to the red shirt joke. Priceless.

Paramount delivered an all-star Blu-ray presentation with this release. The combo pack included a Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy and UltraViolet. So we get all the grounds covered here. The 1080p transfer is easily up there as one of the best for a Blu-ray release this year. Let’s get to the 3D aspect of this film now, it is good but it also isn’t really required to enjoy the film. It adds some good depth to certain scenes, like the volcano scene, warp speeds and the final battle but other than that it is a little idle in between. The film itself wasn’t shot in native 3D instead it was converted in post production. So luckily though the conversation to 3D doesn’t hurt the film, I just wouldn’t really care less if I was watching it in either format, which just adds to the fact of how amazing this film is. The Dolby TrueHD 7.1 is just as epic as the film itself. I loved Michael Giacchino’s score as well, which really delivers the true meaning of what a “Star Trek” film should sounds like. A+ guys!

The slight downfall of this releases comes within the film’s special features, or lack there of in terms of “blow-you-away extras”. There are a eight short yet still sweet featurettes included. There are no extras presented in 3D either. The featurettes include “Creating the Red Planet” talks about shooting in Hawaii and creating Nibiru and of course the volcano set. “Attack on Starfleet” looks into the film’s crucial scene and epic finale. “The Klingon Home World” looks into the incorporating of the Klingons. “The Enemy of My Enemy” looks into everything behind the villain Khan. “Ship to Ship” looks into this amazing sequences, from pre-viz to final scene. “Brawl by the Bay” chats with Zachary Quinto on the intense scene. The last two extras “Continuing the Mission” and “The Mission Continues” can be skipped all together.

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Starring: Liliana Komorowska, David Hewlett, Deborah Raffin, Valérie Valois, Yvan Ponton, Steve Parrish
Director: Christian Duguay
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Shout! Factory
Release Date: September 10, 2013
Run Time: 199 minutes

Scanners II: 3 out of 5 stars
Scanners III: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1/2 out of 5 stars

“Scanners” is one of my favorite horror flicks and one of the best films from David Cronenberg. The film was so unique, still holds up today and has spawned two sequels. “Scanners II” is a standalone from the 1981 film and has a different cast but still similar story. It has a hard act to follow-up but is a pretty decent film. The same can’t be said for “Scanners III”, which is not the greatest film but it still fun to watch (or at least it was when I was kid). Sort of reminds me a “Jaws 3-D”, terrible yet I still always watch it. This double feature is brought to us by Scream Factory, who is really coming to the aid of horror fans in need of obscure horror titles this year.

“Scanners II” Official Premise: Sequel to David Cronenberg’s 1981 feature, about a fringe group of humans who have developed telepathic powers. When a corrupt police commander (Yvan Ponton) decides to use the scanners to help take over the city, he convinces evil scientist Dr Morse (Tom Butler) to help him. Morse has plans to use a new mind-controlling drug on the telepaths, but has not reckoned with a rogue scanner who is determined to stop them.

“Scanners III” Official Premise: Second sequel to David Cronenberg’s 1981 horror, about a group of telepathic people, known as ‘scanners’, operating on the fringes of human society. Young Helena Monet (Liliana Komorowska) has exceptional telepathic abilities, but when she tries an experimental drug developed by her father she turns into a deranged killer, using her abilities to cut a murderous swathe to the top of her father’s pharmaceutical company. On her quest to dominate the world, Helena takes over a television station, and the only man who can stop her is her scanner brother Alex, recently returned from honing his skills in a Thai monastery.

Scream Factory delivered this double feature in a combo pack with Blu-ray and DVD of both films. “Scanners II & III” each located on one Blu-ray disc and one DVD. The transfers of these films are good but not out of this world. These films were never shot were not given a new touched up transfer for this release, so they both show their age a bit. Nonetheless, they both deliver what they need to in order to make the presentations worth checking out. They each come with a DTS-HD Master Audio track, which also work for what each film delivers. In terms of special features though there is no much hear except for Theatrical Trailers. But I am sure that some of you will just take “Scanners II” and consider “Scanners III” an optional bonus feature.

Actors: Karel Roden, Alexander Mercury, Joshua Sasse, Robert Gwilym
Directors: Richard Raaphorst
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Dark Sky Films
Release Date: September 10, 2013
Run Time: 84 minutes

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

Flesh-and-metal “Zombots”. Period. That is really all you need to know about “Frankenstein’s Army”, which should be enough to sell you. If that isn’t enough this film contains all  practical creature effects. Now take a look at the Blu-ray cover or the film’s poster and know that there are some crazy cool creatures created for this film. I am a super big fan of practical effects, which is not common in the age of digital but it really adds a lot of character to the film. I should also mention that the team that worked on this film also did the make-up effects on a few little known films in “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” franchise. Karel Roden (“Hellboy”) stars as Frankenstein and delivers a creepy yet powerful performance. If all that isn’t cool enough this was even filmed at abandoned World War II sites in Prague and throughout Europe. The first 20 minutes are slow but once it gets rocking…watch out!!! A must see for any fans of original and unique horror.

Official Premise: In the dying days of World War II, a battalion of Russian soldiers find themselves lost in enemy territory. Stumbling upon a village decimated by an unseen terror, they re lured into the secret lab of a deranged scientist (Hellboy’s Karel Roden) and forced to face off against his army of horrific flesh-and-metal war machines. Leaderless and faced with dissention amongst their dwindling ranks, the Russians must find the courage to face down this terrifying new menace or die trying. A nightmarish fantasy thrill ride unlike any other, Richard Raaphorst’s “Frankenstein’s Army” is a delirious plunge into the darkest depths of insanity.

The Blu-ray release from Dark Sky Films really looks awesome with its 1080p transfer.  The film has a handheld feel but captures the gritty feel to this crazy film. The creatures effects also look amazing under this.  There is a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, which really delivers with the war action and creepy score. The special features are not out of this world but worth checking out. The main sell is a very in-depth “Making-Of” featurette, which clocks in just over 30 minutes. Everything is covered in this film from pre-production and onwards. It is a must watch There are five (very short) creature spots for each of these baddies including “Burnt Match Man”, “Mosquito Man”, “Propellerhead”, “Teddy Bear Woman” and “Razor Teeth”. I would have loved to seen more in depth on these creatures, even though we do cover that some in the featurette. Lastly there is a trailer gallery.

Featuring a fantastic score of 17 all-new songs,Shrek The Musical was filmed on stage to capture the magic of a Broadway performance and stars an amazing celebrated cast including Brian d’Arcy James (Shrek), Sutton Foster (Fiona), Daniel Breaker (Donkey), Christopher Sieber (Lord Farquaad), and John Tartaglia (Pinocchio). The film was shot live with 10 cameras and directed by Michael Warren.

Now you can bring the magic of Broadway to your home and get the best seat in the house when the Deluxe Edition Blu-ray™ and DVD arrives on October 15th, and on Digital HD September 17th!

Pre-order Shrek The Musical today:
– Blu-ray/DVD: http://amzn.to/14WNO23
– Digital HD: http://bitly.com/stm-itunes

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Starring: Emma Roberts, Liam Hemsworth, Dwayne Johnson, Nikki Reed, James Ransone, Michael Angarano
Director: Dito Montiel
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Lions Gate
DVD Release Date: September 3, 2013
Run Time: 94 minutes

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

With Dwayne Johnson popping up in practically about every film this year and Liam Hemsworth role with “The Hunger Games” behind him, I am surprised that this film didn’t make it into theaters. But I guess look what just happened to Hemsworth’s “Paranoia” in theaters and he has Indiana Jones co-starring with him. “Empire State” is definitely not what I expected but is pretty cool crime-thriller and it is also based around a true story. Like you would expect from Johnson, the action is here and he kicks some ass (like usual). Not my favorite film of the year but still worth a rent and would recommend this for fans of Dwayne Johnson.

Official Premise: After failing to get into the police academy, Chris Potamitis (Liam Hemsworth), settles for a security guard job with the “Empire State” Armored Truck Company. Chris makes the mistake of mentioning the company’s lax security to his best friend, Eddie (Michael Angarano), and is soon unwittingly drawn into an elaborate scheme to rob the abundant amounts of cash being stored there – resulting in the largest cash heist in U.S. History. As the stakes continue to rise, Chris and Eddie must outwit James Ransone (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson), the veteran NYPD Detective that is hot on their trail, as well as the local crime bosses that want to know who pulled a job on their turf, or suffer the consequences.

Lions Gate is releasing this film as a Blu-ray + UltraViolet combo pack. The 1080p transfer works with the film’s action. The film has a pretty rocking DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track as well, which keeps the tension high throughout the film. The special features are decent and definitely worth checking out. There is commentary track from the director Dito Montiel. There is are behind-the-scenes interviews with cast/crew. The best extra is “Anatomy of a Heist: Interview with Chris Potamitis – The Mastermind Behind the Robbery”, which is featurette about the actual guy who the film is based on. Lastly, there a few deleted scenes included.

Actors: Sheri Moon Zombie, Bruce Davison, Jeff Daniel Phillips, Ken Foree, Dee Wallace
Directors: Rob Zombie
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: ANCHOR BAY
Release Date: September 3, 2013
Run Time: 101 minutes

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

“The Lords of Salem” is easily Rob Zombie’s best films to date, read our interview with him here. When it comes to original and unique horror films, they are pretty rare in this market. After Rob’s last film “Halloween II”, he really gets back to his roots with this gritty and very creepy and goes balls-to-the-wall with this one. It is not your typical horror flick though since it is thought provoking and actually needs you to think after watching it.  So it is not a brainless gore flick. I think people are going to shun away from this film but they need to give it a chance because it grows on your with each viewing. No question one of my favorite films of the year, so far! Great work Rob! Can’t wait to see what you have planned next!

If you are a horror fan, than this should be your dream cast. Rob’s wife, Sheri Moon Zombie (“Halloween”, “The Devil’s Rejects”) takes the lead in this film and gives her best performance to date, read our interview here. The three modern day witches in the film are amazing including Patricia Quinn (“The Rocky Horror Picture Show”), Dee Wallace (“The Howling”, “Cujo”) and Judy Geeson (“To Sir, with Love”). They are just amazing together. But the one that steals the show is easily Meg Foster (“They Live”, “Masters of the Universe”). She gets a full transformation on this film and really gets into the role 110%, read our interview here. Of course then there is a few cameos from Rob’s regulars as well. Great ensemble!

Official Premise: From the singular mind of horror maestro Rob Zombie comes a chilling plunge into a nightmare world where evil runs in the blood. “The Lords of Salem” tells the tale of Heidi (Sheri Moon Zombie), a radio station DJ living in Salem, Massachusetts, who receives a strange wooden box containing a record, a “gift from the Lords.” Heidi listens, and the bizarre sounds within the grooves immediately trigger flashbacks of the town’s violent past. Is Heidi going mad, or are the “Lords of Salem” returning for revenge on modern-day Salem?

Anchor Bay is releasing this film as a combo pack with Blu-ray + Digital Copy + UltraViolet. There is also limited edition collectible packaging available. The film was shot on a very low budget  but the 1080 transfer looks pretty sharp, thanks to Brandon Trost, who also working with Zombie on “Halloween II”. The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track works perfectly with John 5 haunting score.  The special features on this release are a bit of a disappointment though.  There is only an audio commentary track with writer/producer/director Rob Zombie. The track is solid though since Zombie talks us through his labor of love. I just would have loved to seen featurettes on the production itself, specifically Meg Foster’s transformation and the witch burning scene.

Wayne Kramer is the director of the “Pawn Shop Chronicles”, which has an epic cast including Paul Walker, Kevin Rankin, Elijah Wood, Brendan Fraser, Vincent D’Onofrio, Thomas Jane, Matt Dillon and Lukas Haas. Wayne has directed other recent films as well including “The Cooler”, “Running Scared” (also with Paul Walker) and “Crossing Over”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Wayne about this crazy fun film and how he achieve the feeling of watching a graphic novel coming to life.

Mike Gencarelli: How did you become attached to direct “Pawn Shop Chronicles”?
Wayne Kramer: I was originally talking to Paul Walker about directing him in a script that I had written, but it was having some difficulty getting set-up. Paul was already attached to “Pawn Shop” and when the original director fell out, he called me up and asked if I would be interested in coming on board because it was already financed and ready to go. I was initially reluctant because the budget was quite low and I was only looking to direct my own projects, but I read the script (by Adam Minarovich) out of a courtesy to Paul. I was immediately taken with it. I appealed to my sick sense of humor and I also enjoyed the more surreal aspects of the world Adam created. I also felt that the material would allow me to bring a certain fun filmmaking style to the piece, if we could figure out how to get there on such a low budget.

MG: From the moment the movie starts its feels like you are watching a graphic novel come to life, tell us about how you achieved that aspect?
WK: Upon first reading the script, I felt it required a very stylized, almost Tex Avery-ish approach. Despite the lazy critical assessment that we ripped-off Tarantino (I get this on every film – and it pisses me off to no end because I’ve never been influenced by Quentin’s films, but it’s clear that we share many of the same influences: De Palma, Peckinpah, Aldrich, Hill, etc.), my initial feeling was that PAWN SHOP belonged in a universe that felt like a cross between early Coen Brothers (“Raising Arizona”, “Big Lebowski”, “O Brother…”) and 70’s revenge/exploitation themed films like “White Lightning” and “Prime Cut”. The more I played around with it in pre-production, I started to pick up on a “Creepshow” meets “Crumb” kinda vibe as well – in that the actual storylines felt like something from old EERIE COMICS with a Redneck flavor to them. It’s a whole stew of whacky influences hopefully stirred into its own original thing. I just have to say, it’s near impossible for any filmmaker to escape the shadow of “Pulp Fiction” when telling an anthology crime story and it infuriates me in that’s the first thing film illiterate critics glom onto. Aside from one wink at “Pulp Fiction” about Alton’s brother being killed in a pawn shop on the west coast(which was always in Adam’s script and in hindsight, I probably should have cut), PULP was the furthest thing from our minds.

MG: How was it reuniting with Paul Walker and putting him in such a unique role?
WK: It was a blast working with Paul again. He’s the most game actor I’ve ever worked with and gives nothing less than 100 percent each time. We share the same sensibility when it comes to dark, kick-ass material, so it’s never a battle of wills when we get on the set. He’s also the kind of actor that always has the
director’s back and as a filmmaker you couldn’t ask for anything more. Paul is also a producer on PAWN SHOP, so he had a little more invested than just turning up and focusing on his own character.

MG:  Let’s talk about the rest of the cast, how did you gather all this great talent together?
WK: Well, once a film gets greenlit, you just start moving ahead and word gets out that the film is happening and agents start doing their thing, which is to get work for their clients and somehow it all just falls into place. I was super thrilled when Matt Dillon agreed to play Richard because Matt’s an actor I’ve always loved and thankfully he also turned out to be a joy to work with. I honestly think Matt had the most difficult role to pull off in the film because the leap his character makes tonally in just a few hours is insane and I don’t think many actors without Matt’s subtle comedic chops could have pulled it off. It felt to me like he was channeling Bruce Campbell circa EVIL DEAD towards the end there with his manic hysteria. I had met with Vincent D’Onofrio a few months earlier and he had a great take on Alton and thankfully it worked out and he ended up in the film. Vincent was another amazing actor to work with. I’d love to do anything with him in the future. Brendan Fraser really came and invested himself in the character and it was hysterical to watch him disappear into Ricky every day. He had the most difficult schedule on the film, having to fly in and out of Louisiana several times to accommodate his character turning up all over the schedule. We were also lucky to fit Elijah Wood into a very tight window as well and he was a total soldier for his few days on the film since he had to wear a very uncomfortable and complicated make-up rig, which he never ever complained about. Super cool guy and a total fan of the genre. I think one of the most exciting additions to our cast was Kevin Rankin as Randy, Raw Dog’s partner in crime. Kevin is the consummate actor and just disappears inside every character he plays. I didn’t even realize until we were a few days into shooting that he played the character of Devil on “Justified,” a show I’m a huge fan of. I also have to commend Pell James for having the courage to take on the role of Cyndi. She’s virtually unrecognizable in the part and we only see her clothed one time in a quick flashback moment – so she has my undying respect. She also happens to be an incredibly talented actor who should be doing way more movies. I’ve been friends with Thomas Jane for quite some time and he was kind enough to agree to play The Man for me, which I think is a fun little cameo. Another actor that should be working more often – and on bigger films. Same goes for Lukas Haas who was another joy to work with. We got very, very lucky with the cast and I hope to work with all of them again at some point.

MG:  Tell us about your decisions to switch aspect ratios between each segment?
WK:  I was just having some fun with some of the faux Sergio Leone type moments in each chronicle. The arrival of The Man felt like it wanted to be in widescreen, almost like those old Marlboro ads that played in movie theaters (it was probably more an international cinema thing because I saw them in South Africa when I was a kid and we saw a lot of commercials before the main feature started). When Matt Dillon faces off against Michael Cudlitz, it felt like it warranted a similar aspect ratio gag – and when Brendan Fraser’s Elvis impersonator arrives in front of the barber shops, again, I felt like it was almost a classical western motif of the stranger come to town. Having an aspect ratio gag in each chronicle also created a visual commonality between all three stories and for me is a reminder of the tongue in cheek approach to the film.

MG:  What was the biggest challenge of entwining these three segments together?
WK: I think the biggest challenge was taking three tonally very different stories and trying to make them fit within the same narrative. We jump from a Tex Averystyle, madcap Hillbilly episode to a darkly humorous Southern Gothic revenge story, to a more comedic take on the musician meeting the Devil at mythical crossroads in the deep South. But if someone looks a little deeper at the film, they will see a fun subtext about the town of Erwin, Georgia being purgatory and all the (morally dubious) characters coming through the portal of the pawn shop being challenged to make choices that decide their very fates. We buried lots of Satanic imagery throughout the film, some more obvious than others. There are pentagrams carved into the tables of the barbecue joint, which is also called “Lou’s Fire Pit” as in Lucifer, which features a very hellish red color motif. JJ gets his face burned into the seal of the smoker which reads, “Holy Smokes.” The meth lab goes up in hell fire… Satan makes a deal for Ricky’s soul by transforming him into Elvis for four minutes on stage… The liquor store with the blues player out front is called Cross Roads Liquor and the address is 666 Charon Street… The liquor store also has a painted clock sign with no hands suggesting time has stopped in this town. We have creepy, featureless masks on some of the carnival extras – if you look carefully, you’ll see them at times. Some of the girls at the carnival are also holding little devil dolls. Many other references as well…

MG: What do you have planned next?
WK: I’ve got a bunch of irons in the fire. It’s hard to talk about them until they actually get greenlit. I may be doing another film with Alec Baldwin (and Patrick Wilson) next year, so I’m really looking forward to that.

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Actors: Emily VanCamp, Madeleine Stowe, Gabriel Mann, Henry Czerny, Ashley Madekwe
Number of discs: 5
Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: ABC Studios
DVD Release Date: August 20, 2013
Run Time: 924 minutes

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

When I watched the first season of I thought to myself, “Ok the first season was good but how the hell are they going to keep this whole revenge thing going?” But from the moment the second season started I was blown away.  They really have some smart writers on this show and they really know how to create a great story line and keep it sharp throughout the whole season. To top it off, this show really builds on the first season and is actually quite better.  The cast also really comes together as well and gives great performances. Kudos to Barry Sloane, who came into this show this season playing Aiden Mathis and has quickly becoming my personal favorite character. Also what I enjoyed about the second season is that there is much more mystery and secrets revealed. I can’t wait to see what they have in store for the third season, which premiering on September 29, 2013. I can’t imagine how they can top this season!

Official Premise: Emily Thorne returns to the Hamptons with a vengeance. Her enemies may be the same, but her mission now takes on a new, suspenseful twist. Feel the power of television’s most seductive series, as the action and the passion hit new heights in all 22 episodes of Revenge: The Complete Second Season on DVD. Emily will stop at nothing to uncover the secrets of her father’s murder, but the web of deceit is larger than she ever imagined. Now, with her mother (Jennifer Jason Leigh) in the picture, even more will be revealed. Watch the sparks fly as Daniel and Ashley begin a torrid romance, while stunning events change the face of Amanda and Jack’s relationship, and new faces mean more trouble for Emily and Victoria, while a mysterious man from Emily’s past adds to her complications. Relive every biting and brilliant episode of Season Two, complete with never-before-seen bonus features that will lure you even deeper into the drama. Revenge: The Complete Second Season on DVD is addictive entertainment that will have you begging for more!

I am not sure why ABC is not getting on the Blu-ray wagon with these season releases. Same thing goes for one of my favorite shows “Castle”. But “Once Upon a Time” does get the Blu-ray treatment, so it beats me. I hope that they go Blu-ray for “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” Anyways back to “Revenge”, the fun doesn’t stop at the episodes since there is tons of great special features included for this season. The DVD special features include audio commentaries on the following episodes including “Illusion”, “Forgiveness” and “Truth – Part 2”. There are two featurettes including “The Sound of Revenge” and “Dressing Miss Davenport”, focusing on the score and the wardrobes used on the show. There are 35 deleted scenes, some are good and others are so-so, but worth checking out if you are a fan on the show. Lastly there is a trailer for “Schooled in Revenge” and bloopers included.

Actors: Dick Van Patten, Betty Buckley, Grant Goodeve, Willie Aames, Dianne Kay
Number of discs: 7
Studio: Warner Archive Collection
DVD Release Date: August 13, 2013
Run Time: 1342 minutes

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

“Eight is Enough” was a little before my time but I remember it more on the repeats. This fourth season DVD comes split into two parts. The first part DVD comes with 14 episodes and the second part comes with 13 episodes. This season deals with issues like multiple marriages, pregnancy, and a graduation to the ever-expanding family. In terms of rating it was the show’s best rated season since the second, yet still the next season would be it’s last. The show packs an impressive cast including Dick Van Patten, Betty Buckley, Grant Goodeve, Willie Aames, Dianne Kay, Connie Newton, Lani O’Grady, Adam Rich, Susan Richardson and Laurie Walters. The show definitely brought back some memories. I have to admit though, it shows its age but if you grew up with it, it should be worth checking out.

Official Premise: The Bradfords bid adieu to the seventies by ushering in even more changes to the clan dynamic in Season Four. First up, minor league ball player Merle “the Pearl” Stockwell (Brian Patrick Clarke) sweeps Susan (Susan Richardson) off her feet. An engagement soon follows, but there’s one problem – David (Grant Goodeve) has already set THEIR date for HIS wedding while Nancy (Dianne Kay) has a singing telegram gig that day…And first comes marriage, then comes Mary (Lani O’Grady) finding a positive home pregnancy test! Meanwhile, Joanie (Laurie Walters) and Tom (Dick Van Patten) become competing journalists, Nicholas (Adam Rich) curses the family by breaking a chain letter, and Tommy (Willie Aames) runs for Prom Queen! On the more tender side, Abby (Betty Buckley) comes to grips with the memories of her deceased husband, while Tom is forced into a reunion with the father he has not seen in forty years – and he’s about to turn fifty!

“Eight is Enough” is being released on made-to-order DVD, thanks to Warner Archive. It is presented with an aspect ratio of 1.37:1. Concerning the show’s transfer, this DVD has been manufactured from the best-quality video master currently available. So it has not been remastered or restored for this release. They episodes look good but they could most definitely looks better, definitely for a DVD release. The show does with a Dolby Digital audio track, which works well for the comedic timing. There are no additional special features included on this release.