Actors: Alyssa Lobit, Jennifer Blanc, Brianne Davis, Dana Daurey, AJ Bowen
Directors: Danielle Harris
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Lions Gate
Release Date: August 27, 2013
Run Time: 80 minutes

Film: 2 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1.5 out of 5 stars

If you are a horrorhound like myself then you know who Danielle Harris is. She started down the path of becoming a scream queen after her roles in films like “Halloween 4 & 5” and “Hatchet” series. “Among Friends” is her Harris’ first time directing solo and she does a great good job. But I have to admit, I am a little tired of these psycho party game flicks, especially after IFC’s recent “Would You Rather”.  They are all for shock and gore but it grows old quick and it doesn’t help that this 80 minute flick feels like two hours.

Official Premise: Good times take a dark turn when longtime friends get together for an ’80s-themed murder-mystery party that is soon hijacked by someone from their past. The dinner guests will have to face their lies and secret betrayals as they discover the terrifying lengths to which their host will go to expose the truth.

What film does have is a kick-ass cast including Jennifer Blanc (“The Victim”), AJ Bowen (“You’re Next”) and of course Kane Hodder (“Friday the 13th VII-X”). I haven’t heard of Alyssa Lobit but she is really one crazy son-bitch. Harris even makes an appearing in costume from “Halloween 4 & 5” during drug trip scene. This DVD only comes with one special feature, including a commentary track with director Danielle Harris, Jennifer Blanc and AJ Bowen. I have to admit, they definitely had fun on this track and I preferred it to the film but no enough to win me over.

Stars: John Ratzenberger, Michael Teigen, Jason Earles
Directors: Robert Vince
Rated: G (General Audience)
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Release Date: August 27, 2013
Run Time: 81 minutes

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

I have been a fan of these talking puppies since the Buddies Series starts back with “Air Buddies”.  Since then there has been five other films including “Snow Buddies”, “Space Buddies”, “Santa Buddies: the Legend of Santa Paws”, “Spooky Buddies” and “Treasure Buddies”. Sure they are cheesy but they are just great family fun.  And most importantly my daughter loves them.  “Super Buddies” is a family friendly send-up of “The Avengers” and other superhero films. It features our favorite pups including Rosebud, B-Dawg, Budderball, Buddha and Mudbud as they become caped crusaders and embark on their biggest adventure ever. Filled with great jokes, action and some great new characters, “Super Buddies” is super family fun.

Official Premise:  An ordinary day at Fernfield Farms turns extraordinary when Budderball, Mudbud, B-Dawg, Buddha and Rosebud discover mysterious rings that grant them each a unique super power. Before you can say, “Buddies, assemble,” the pups unleash their amazing abilities and race to the rescue when a shape-shifting bully from outer space threatens the planet. But can they succeed in kicking major tail without revealing their new secret identities?

“Super Buddies” stars John Ratzenberger (“Cars”, “Cheers”), Michael Teigen (“TRON: Legacy”), Jason Earles (Kickin’ It”, “Hannah Montana”). In terms of voice stars, the legendary Tim Conway voices Deputy Sniffer. The “Buddies” voices include Cooper Roth (“Are you Faster Than a 1st Grader), who voices B-Dawg; Tenzing Trainor (“Stevie TV” ) who voices Buddha; Jeremy Shinder (“Louie,” “Newlyweeds”) who voices Budderball; Ty Panitz (“Because I Said So,” “How To Eat Fried Worms”) who voices Mudbud; and G. Hannelius (“Good Luck Charlie”, “Sonny With A Chance”) who voices Rosebud. So there is no shortage of great talent here!

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment delivers this film as a 2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy). Disney has recently crossed over into the world of digital streaming, which is fantastic news.  I know my daughter is going to re-watch this release over and over on the iPad.  The 1080p transfer works with the action and visual effects and the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track also is very impressive and delivers a mainstream feel despite this direct-to-DVD release. These films are well made, like I said cheesy but still pretty sharp.  The downfall here is that there are no additional special features for the kiddies.  I could have seen some fun extras included for the kids included. Can’t see what is in store next for the “Buddies”!

Photo by Munetoshi Mukai

Ryuhei Kitamura has directed some of my favorite recent films like “Versus”, “The Midnight Meat Train”, “Godzilla: Final Wars” and most importantly his latest “No One Lives”. This film packs a great cast and is a hell of a fun ride. Media Mikes had a chance to ask Ryuhei a few questions about “No One Live” and also got some news about his planned sequel to the cult classic “Versus”.

Mike Gencarelli: How did you end up directing “No One Lives”?
Ryuhei Kitamura: I loved the script and this is not just about blood and guts, it’s a twisted and dark love story. I loved the main character DRIVER who does it all for love killing machine. I thought I could I create new iconic anti-hero. Also I liked the good old days 80’s Slasher movies.

MG: “No One Lives” is your second U.S. film after “Midnight Meat Train”; what was your biggest challenge on this project? How did the two productions differ for you?
RK: It’s always the same. Movie making is challenging no matter what size or where you do. You have to fight against time, money and ego. We had so many challenges, but I had strong support from my crew and cast, and my producer Harry Knapp and Elton Brand. They made me survive.

MG: What do you enjoy most about working in the horror genre?
RK: I enjoy killing tons of people in brutal ways because I can’t do that in real life even though there are tons of f*ckers I want to terminate (laughs).

MG: You are no stranger to gore; are you ever concerned about going too far?
RK: I was hired to do movies like “Midnight Meat Train” and “No One Lives”. What’s wrong with go too far? That’s what the fans want I believe. Of course I wouldn’t do the same when I do PG-13 horror movie.

MG: Being a huge Godzilla fan yourself, what was it like writing/directing the last film “Godzilla: Final Wars”?
RK: It was pure honor and fun to be the part of one of the greatest franchise of all time. Can’t wait to watch new Hollywood Godzilla.

MG: I’ve heard talk about a “Versus” sequel in the cards; what can you tell us?
RK: I can’t talk much, but I guarantee it will have same spirits, same craziness, much bigger scale and next level of action. I already have a great script and am going to make this happen in the next few years.

MG: What do you have planned next?
RK: I’m in pre-production of my new action movie to be shot in Asia. I have some projects lined up but it’s the movie business and never know what I’ll be doing in six months.

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Actors: Michael Shannon, Winona Ryder, Ray Liotta, Chris Evans, James Franco
Directors: Ariel Vromen
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Millennium
Release Date: September 3, 2013
Run Time: 105 minutes

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

I have been a fan of Michael Shannon since his role in “Groundhog Day”. Well, maybe that is not 100% true but since his turn in the film “Revolutionary Road”, he has really blown up. I mean the guy played General Zod in “Man of Steel”. He is such a deep actor and really gives him to each of his roles. He was the draw for me to “The Iceman” and he delivers yet again. The film also packs an impressive supporting cast including Winona Ryder, Ray Liotta, Chris Evans, James Franco. Great ensemble cast. Fans of mobster movies, should definitely check this out if not just for Shannon’s stone-cold performance.

Official Premise: Inspired by actual events, The Iceman follows notorious contract killer Richard Kuklinski (Academy Award nominee Michael Shannon) from his early days in the mob until his arrest for the murder of more than 100 men. Appearing to be living the American dream as a devoted husband and father; in reality Kuklinski was a ruthless killer-for-hire. When finally arrested in 1986, neither his wife nor daughters had any clue about his real profession.

Millennium is releasing this film on Blu-ray, after a very limited theatrical release. I could have seen this been huge in theaters, especially with this great cast. The 1080p transfer is good and gives a clear presentation but doesn’t blown me away. There are two audio tracks included. The first is obviously the best and only choice with its Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track. There is also a Dolby Digital 2.0 included but it is quite pointless. In terms of special features, there are two decent featurettes included. The first is “The Making of The Iceman”, delivers a look into the production with cast/crew. “The Iceman: Behind the Scenes” pretty much does the same thing but focuses more on the film itself but worth checking out.

Actors: Paul Walker, Brendan Fraser, Matt Dillon, Norman Reedus, Vincent D’Onofrio, Elijah Wood, Lukas Haas, Kevin Rankin.
Director: Wayne Kramer
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: ANCHOR BAY
Release Date: August 27, 2013
Run Time: 112 minutes

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

What a trip! From the moment this film starts, I couldn’t help but think that this feels like a live-action comic book. It is action packed and very intense. It is graphic, in-your-face and feels like “Pulp Fiction” on drugs. The film also packs one very impressive cast spread out and also intertwined between each of the three stories. Just look at the box, the better question is “Who isn’t in this movie?” Everyone in the cast, no matter how small the role, really adds a lot to the film. It is a real ensemble. My only concern is that the film slows down a bit in its third act but ends up paying off as it all comes together in the end. Very clever, unique and a ton of fun.

Official Synopsis: In this shop, these people may be pawning far more than they bargained for: Brendan Fraser (“The Mummy”), Elijah Wood (“The Lord of the Rings”), Vincent D’Onofrio (“Men in Black”), Academy Award® nominee Matt Dillon (“Crash”), Norman Reedus (“The Walking Dead”), Thomas Jane (“Hung”), Lukas Haas (“Inception”), and Paul Walker (“Fast & Furious”), star in 3 twisted tales all connected by items from a Southern small-town pawn shop. A man searching for his kidnapped wife, a couple of white-supremacist meth heads, and a sad-sack Elvis impersonator, plus more desperate characters come to life in the action-packed and hilarious story written by Adam Minarovich and from the director of “The Cooler” and “Running Scared”, Wayne Kramer.

Anchor Bay is releasing this film as a Blu-ray combo pack with a DVD disc as well. The 1080p transfer relays the film’s comic book feel very well and looks sharp doing it. The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 works well with the film’s fast paced again and music. In terms of special features, I would have expected more from this release. There is only an audio commentary from director Wayne Kramer and writer Adam Minarovich. I would have loved to seen some behind-the-scenes featurettes.

Starring: Wesley Snipes, Kevin Howarth, Riley Smith, Tanit Phoenix
Director: Andrew Goth
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Lions Gate
DVD Release Date: August 6, 2013
Run Time: 93 minutes

Film: 2 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1.5 out of 5 stars

Wesley Snipes is out of jail and back in the business! Too bad this is not the great comeback one could have hoped for. “Gallowwalkers” has a cool premise but plays off like a boring Western. Like most low budget films, the opening scene shows promise but then the story kicks in and drags this film down to the ground. Let’s hope that Snipes has a better comeback with “The Expendables 3” next summer!

Official Premise: A mysterious gunman, Aman (Snipes), is the son of a nun who breaks her covenant with God to ensure his survival. This act brings a curse upon Aman – all those that die by his gun will return. Soon, he is hunted by a gang of his undead former victims, led by the vicious Kansa. Aman enlists Fabulos, a new young warrior, to fight by his side.

Lions Gate is releasing this film only on DVD, no Blu-ray treatment. It is also includes a digital Ultraviolet streaming copy but I could not see myself re-watching this film a second time. The special features are also light like the film itself. There is a brief “Behind-the-Scenes look into the production with cast/crew interviews. Lastly there is a trailer gallery included.

Starring: Lily Collins, Jamie Campbell Bower and Robert Sheehan
Directed By: Harald Zwart
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 130 Minutes
Screen Gems

Our Score: 1/2 out of 5 stars

I can understand that some movies will always have clichés or that some movies will have to rely on other writer’s imaginations. That being said while watching “Mortal Instruments: City of Bones”, one could easily make two lists. One list would be all the tropes and the other could be all of the stolen movie ideas. If you’re somehow stuck in a movie theater with this movie rolling on the screen, you may consider turning those two lists into a drinking game, but I must warn you. You could die of alcohol poisoning before the halfway point of this flick.

Clary Fray (Collins) is a hip teenager. At least this movie would like you to believe that because she frequents coffee shops with her best friend, Simon Lewis (Sheehan). Recently she’s been seeing a weird symbol everywhere, even scribbling it out on paper and hanging it up all over her room. As she begins to question her sanity, she sees it at the entrance to a nightclub and heads inside to investigate. Next thing you know, she’s witnessed a tall dark stranger by the name of Jace Wayland (Bower) seemingly murder someone in plain view of others. Next thing you know, her mother (Lena Headey) is kidnapped, she’s attacked by a grotesque dog creature from “Resident Evil” and she’s told she’s a shadow hunter (even though they refer to them as demons). Next thing you know, I don’t care anymore.

In the first 20 minutes, I’m already beginning to wonder what I did in a past life to be punished in this manner. The story is muddled, the characters are incredibly stale and the plot laughs at creativity and embraces predictability like an old friend. Every serious moment meant to punctuate a revelation was incredibly comical. That means every attempt at humor in the movie was met with a groan (although I give them credit for a “Ghostbusters” reference). The writers for this movie must have gotten dialogue lessons from one too many ABC Family movies during Halloween. The studio must have hoped those eagerly waiting for the next “Twilight” franchise would eat up every shirtless scene with Bower. They probably also hoped that the romance between characters would once again melt tween hearts across the country, but instead it caused a tremendous pain in my groin. At times tears welled up in my eyes from stifling a laugh at how much this movie took itself seriously.

The dull characters are dressed like they’re about to hit up a gothic S&M bar. Apparently they’ve dressed this way so that they can fight demons who have made an effort to apply eyeliner before heading out. As the plot develops, characters make bone-headed decisions and let pre-pubescent emotions control their actions. The most enjoyable performance in this flick was by Lena Headey. She had very few headache causing lines, but that’s only because her character was in some form of a coma for the majority of the film. In fact once Jared Harris is revealed as the tutor for all these young warriors, you feel embarrassed for him. As for the other actors, they may want to leave this movie off their resume. Tell people this absence from movies was a time of self-discovery and reflection about where you were in life.

This movie, as well as the book series it is based on, is aimed at the “young adults” audience, but I don’t see “young adults” enjoying this movie. The imagination usually accompanied by this genre is missing and the only thing anyone might take away from this movie is a temporary crush on one of the actors. I love fantasy, but this movie abuses that title. This movie is so painful to watch, they should force prisoners to watch it. I know I’ve been incredibly harsh in everything I’ve said above, but I did take away one positive thing. This movie will make a great future Rifftrax.

By day Gerri Dandridge is a sexy professor, but by night she transforms into a real-life vampire with an unquenchable thirst for human blood. So when a group of high school students travel abroad to study in Romania, they find themselves ensnared in Gerri’s chilling web of lust and terror. Charley and “Evil” Ed must stop Gerri from drinking and bathing in the blood of a “new moon virgin,” which just so happens to be Charley’s ex-girlfriend, Amy. They enlist help from Peter Vincent, the vampire hunting host of a reality show called “Fright Night,” to drive a stake through Gerri’s plan and save Amy from a fate far worse than death.

Street Date: October 1, 2013
Screen Format: Widescreen 2.00:1
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1
Total Run Time: 83 minutes

Shout! Factory and Morgan Creek Productions officially announced today a strategic distribution alliance to bring Clive Barker’s classic horror film “Nightbreed” extended director’s cut to the home entertainment marketplace in the U.S and Canada and on digital entertainment platforms next year. The announcement was made by Shout! Factory’s founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos along with and David Robinson, President of Morgan Creek Productions. The news initially broke at Comic-Con 2013, however the agreement formally reached by both parties occurred today.

For years rumors swirled about substantial missing footage from the film. A fan-driven movement was created (www.OccupyMidian.com) to see the full version of the film restored and re-released, which was not only a more faithful adaptation of Clive Barker’s book “Cabal,” but is what originally he intended “Nightbreed” to be.

Clive Barker said, “I had a dream about the tribes of the moon. They would live in a city called Midian and, though they were monsters of every shape and size, they would be the heroes of a movie called “Nightbreed.” However, when I made the movie, the studio was not comfortable with this inversion of the classic structure. They wanted the monsters to be simple-minded scare machines, while I wanted them to be the dark side of all of us, mysterious and misunderstood. Finally, with this new version of “Nightbreed,” which contains over forty five minutes of previously unseen material, my original vision has been realized. Come with me to Midian, the city of monsters. The tribes of the moon await us.”

“We are excited by this opportunity with Morgan Creek and are huge fans of Clive Barker. His cinematic works and brilliant storytelling continue to captivate fans worldwide,” stated Shout! Factory’s founders in a joint statement. “We look forward to working closely with Clive to bring his original vision to life.”

Shout!’s SCREAM FACTORY plans an aggressive rollout of “Nightbreed” extended director’s cut through physical home entertainment releases and a variety of digital entertainment distribution platforms sometimes next year.

“We’d also like to take this opportunity to thank the fans,” noted Robinson. “Without their hard work and persistence, this would have never become a reality. Clive Barker is one of the greats, and we are tremendously proud and excited to be working with him and Shout! Factory on this release.”

The original “Nightbreed” was released in 1990 by Morgan Creek Productions and Twentieth Century Fox. Directed by Clive Barker, the film starred Craig Sheffer, Anne Bobby and David Cronenberg and centered on a tribe of monsters and outcasts known as the Nightbreed that hide from humanity.

The official “Nightbreed” page can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/FansOfNightbreed

About Morgan Creek
For over twenty years, Morgan Creek Productions has produced numerous highly successful and critically acclaimed motion pictures including the Young Guns and Major League franchises; Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves starring Kevin Costner; and Ace Ventura, the hit comedy that established Jim Carrey as one of the leading comedians of our time. Morgan Creek recently released Dream House, starring Daniel Craig and Naomi Watts. Currently in production is the biopic Tupac which is scheduled to start production next year. For more information, visit MorganCreek.com.
Insert Morgan Creek Productions boiler plate

About Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory, LLC is a diversified multi-platform media company devoted to producing, uncovering, preserving and revitalizing the very best of pop culture. Founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos have spent their entire careers sharing their music, television and film favorites with discerning consumers the world over. Shout! Factory’s DVD and Blu-Ray™ offerings serve up feature films, classic and contemporary TV series, animation, live music and comedy specials in lavish packages crammed with extras. Shout’s audio division boasts GRAMMY®-nominated box sets, Broadway cast albums, new releases from storied artists, lovingly assembled album reissues and indispensable “best of” compilations. In addition, Shout! Factory maintains a vast digital distribution network which delivers video and audio content to all the leading digital service providers in North America. Shout! Factory also owns and operates Timeless Media Group, Biograph Records, Majordomo Records, HighTone Records and Video Time Machine. These riches are the result of a creative acquisition mandate that has established the company as a hotbed of cultural preservation and commercial reinvention. Shout! Factory is based in Santa Monica, California. For more on Shout! Factory, visit shoutfactory.co

Actors: Pink Floyd
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Eagle Rock Entertainment
Release Date: August 27, 2013
Run Time: 92 minutes

Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Ever since I was a kid, I have been a huge fan of Pink Floyd, starting with “Dark Side of the Moon” (thanks Dad). After listening to this album over and over and over, I never got tired of it and still never have. “Dark Side” is one of those records that just gets better every time, I can’t explain it but if you are a Floyd fan that you will know what I am talking about. “Classic Albums – The Making Of Dark Side Of The Moon” was originally released in 2003 and covers the making of this amazing album. It features great interview with with band members including Roger Waters, Richard Wright, David Gilmour, and Nick Mason. But more than that there are also great and very insightful interviews with engineer Alan Parsons, the late designer Storm Thorgerson, and tons of others. After 40 years, “Dark Side” is still one of the best selling albums in history and will continue to shine on.

Eagle Rock Entertainment is behind this Blu-ray release to be honest it just feel a little lazy. This is the first in there new SD (Standard Definition) Blu-ray releases. So basically this is just an upscaled versions of the original DVD. So it is cool to have it on Blu-ray but it is not really worth the upgrade if you already own the DVD’s. Along with “The Making of The Dark Side of the Moon”, they are also giving this treatment to the following Blu-ray “Bee Gees: One Night Only”, “Scorpions: Moment of Glory”, “The Rolling Stones: Stones in Exile”, so be wary of these as well. In terms of audio, the uncompressed LPCM 2.0 track works but I would have love to see this given a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1.

Since this was originally shot for television, it runs 50 minutes. But there is an additional 40 minutes of bonus Features included on this Blu-ray. There are extra portions on “Brain Damage”, which features a complete solo acoustic performance by Roger Waters, which is amazing. “Money” features Roger Waters and Alan Parsons discuss the song and weaved in-between is David Gilmour playing guitar and Roger Waters playing bass. “Us And Them” features the late Richard Wright talking about the song and playing solo piano. “Breathe” features a complete solo acoustic performance by David Gilmour. “Time” features Waters discusses the track and showing demo footage. Lastly “Gilmour’s Guitars” focuses on track tracks including “Breathe”, “The Great Gig In The Sky” and “Us And Them”.

With a solid background of pretty much every behind the scenes job in Hollywood, it was obvious it would’nt be long before David Lowery began directing. With an impressive resume’ of short films and features under his belt he has now delivered “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints,” a classic film in the tradition of “Bonnie and Clyde” and “Badlands.” The film opened in limited release today (August 16) and to celebrate that opening I spoke with Mr. Lowery about his inspirations, misquoted songs and the proper use of the word “Malickian!”

Mike Smith: What was your inspiration…where did you come up with the story…for “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints?”
David Lowery: It really came from a lot of different places but one of the main inspirations were the old movies about lovers on the run. I love the idea of outlaws…the idea of a young outlaw couple on the run from the law. Those movies have always appealed to me…been inspirational to me as a story teller. I love the mythology of the outlaw. I love how America has been built on outlaw mythology. I wanted to make a film that would participate in that tradition. So the inspiration was very simple when I decided what I wanted to do. I wasn’t looking to reinvent the wheel. I just took the basic concept, the basic archetypes of a guy, a girl, a policeman and a couple of guns and tried to find a new way to present them.

MS: For a young director you got pretty lucky in nabbing two Oscar nominated actors for your two leads. Were Casey and Rooney your original choices and how were you able to cast them?
DL: I wrote the script with no actors in mind. I wrote it in a vacuum, not knowing who was going to be in it. But when we finally had the opportunity to select a cast Casey Affleck was the first person I wanted to meet. I sat down with him and we talked for about an hour or so. We got along really, really well and the next day he wrote me and said he wanted to do it. It was so wonderful to have my first choice not only able but so willing to do it. And we had gotten along so well in our talk that I felt like I had known him for years. For the character of Ruth I wasn’t sure if I wanted an established actress or not. Maybe I could go to west Texas and find someone who had never acted before…who really was a woman who lived in a small town. I wanted to find someone who was really a natural. While I was thinking that, Rooney Mara’s agent wrote me and asked if I could send the script to her. This was about a week before “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” came out and I never believed in a million years that she would be willing to go from this huge, David Fincher film to doing a tiny independent film in Texas. But he assured me that she would be interested in it. She read it and wanted to meet with me. I sat down with her, we talked and then she said yes. It was really a great and unique situation where both of the people that I wanted the most and who were the first people I met were the ones who wound up in the movie.

MS: I’m sure you’ve seen that you’re getting a lot of comparisons to Terrence Malick with your visual style. As a director was it important to be able to tell the story “visually,” in addition to presenting the action that was going on on screen?
DL: Absolutely. I love dialogue and I love listening to people talk when the dialogue is good. But more than that I love visuals. And I love to let the visuals do the heavy lifting in a movie. This film was very carefully designed to look a certain way and to feel a certain way. There’s no denying that if you go outside at a certain time in Texas and put a 25mm lens on a camera it’s going to look like a lot of other movies. Texas has a very specific look that a lot of filmmakers have used in the past. It’s very suggestive so you use that kind of imagery when you want to suggest something. If you want to suggest a timelessness…If you want to suggest an epic-ness. And Terrence Malick is someone who has used that kind of imagery quite a bit. I’ve certainly loved his movies. I’ve loved all his movies. But at the same time I never really thought about it while we were making the film. I knew that we were using “Badlands” as a jumping off point as far as the story goes but when it comes to visuals we really went in a different direction. Even though there are some things that are, to use a word, “Malickian”….there are some things that are similar to what he’s done about 10 minutes into the movie we go into a completely different direction. So it’s kind of a nice surprise to be compared with him because I do love his work and I’m flattered to be compared to him. But we were going for something completely with our visuals.

MS: The film has a very unusual title. Casey Affleck recently told Jay Leno that it came from a misquoted song. Is this true and, if so, what was the song?
DL: I don’t know what the song was because it was on a CD that a friend had given me with a lot of old folk and country music. And none of the songs were listed…it was just track one, track two, track three…there were no titles or artists. I don’t know what it was but I need to find out (laughs). I heard it years ago, long before I made this film. And I got that phrase stuck in my head. Misheard lyrics stuck in my head with the idea that they would make a great movie title. A strange movie title but a great movie title! And when I started writing this movie I wanted it to feel like an old folk song. And I thought there would be no better way to set the stage for this movie than to have the title sound like the lyrics of an old folk song. That was really all there was to it.

MS: What are you working on next? Do you have anything in the pipeline?
DL: Yes. I’m writing a lot of different scripts right now and I hope to be making another movie soon. One of the movies that I’m working on is an adaptation of an article in “The New Yorker” that Robert Redford is going to produce and star in and that I’m going to direct. I’m working on that scripts very quickly right now because I’d like to turn in a draft soon and see what he thinks.

Starring: Liam Hemsworth, Gary Oldman, Harrison Ford, Amber Heard and Richard Dreyfuss
Directed By: Robert Luketic
Relativity Media
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 109 minutes

Our Score: 1.5 out of 5 stars

Paranoia, paranoia, Gary Oldman’s coming to get me. Or is it Harrison Ford? Unfortunately it really doesn’t matter in the film Paranoia as this amazing cast’s greatest weapons are sadly their cell phones and techie babbling.

The film centers on Adam Cassidy (Liam Hemsworth), a young employee at a major tech company whose group is about to propose a smart phone concept to the intimidating Nicolas Wyatt (cockney Gary Oldman). The proposal’s a failure and Adam’s entire peer work group are abruptly fired. Immediately they all turn to heavy drinking on the not-yet-cancelled corporate credit card. Despite his stupidity in this decision, Wyatt decides Adam’s just the man to infiltrate the company of his equally tech-savvy rival, Jock Goddard (Harrison Ford). Helping Adam on his mission is that in his drunken celebration he just happened to have sex with the rival company’s marketing woman, Emma (Amber Heard). Of all the bars in all of New York…Also coincidentally, Emma has the highest level of access in the Pentagon-level security surrounding Goddard’s new smart phone. If you’re already questioning a lot of the logic in this setup, you get the gist of what you’re in for. The questions never stop piling up.

I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise that a film titled Paranoia is actually fairly self aware but blatantly stating it’s own flaws as when Goddard calls out protagonist Adam for being nothing but “a tool, an empty vessel” in his fight with Wyatt seems a bit much. Even if director Luketic’s usage of Hemsworth seems to actually be something akin to a man fatale to exec Emma. This emptiness in our hero isn’t the only lack of personality in this film, virtually no one here is playing a real human. Richard Dreyfuss appears as Hemsworth’s sickly father whose care drives Adam’s financial need to work for Wyatt. He’s there to be used as bait and do little else, though he does manage to wring some laughs out of his curmudgeonly character. Likewise, while it’s exciting to think of Harrison Ford having a snarl off with Gary Oldman, when they’re both saddled with the specs of fictional smart phones, you actually get really bored. In one scene, cell phones were treated with such over the top suspicion that I was tempted to thinking the film had been sent through that controversial process E.T. underwent some years back where guns were actually replaced with walkie talkies for the family audience. Unfortunately not the case.

Finally, despite all its late in the film twists, Paranoia remains completely predictable. For this reason the movie unfortunately lives down that mid-August/end of summer of mainly just being forgettable.

Actors: Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, Anthony Mackie, Rebel Wilson, Ed Harris, Tony Shalhoub, Ken Jeong
Directors: Michael Bay
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Paramount
DVD Release Date: August 27, 2013
Run Time: 129 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: N/A

This is definitely the year of Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson.  Mark Wahlberg is hot off his hit comedy “Ted” and just scored on “2 Guns” with Denzel Washington. Dwayne Johnson has put thrown into every franchise in Hollywood and come out swinging. The combo of the two together really work well for this film. It is not what you would expect from Michael Bay but it is definitely a fun ride. In fact, it is quite dark and violent which I was not expecting. Packed with a fast pace, this film definitely draws you in and besides the leads it packs an awesome supporting cast. I would recommend this as a renter for sure. Come on you know you will watch anything with The Rock in it just like me!

“Pain and Gain” is based on a true story about a group of personal trainers in 1990’s Miami who are sick of being poor and set out in pursuit of the American Dream. When they decide to mess steel from businessman (Shalhoub). They get complicated and they get caught up in much more than they expected. The film is adapted for the screen by writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely from articles written by journalist Pete Collins. The film also Ed Harris (A History of Violence), Rob Corddry (Hot Tub Time Machine), Rebel Wilson (Bridesmaids), Ken Jeong (The Hangover) and Bar Paly (The Ruins).

I think this movie didn’t succeed since when people think about Michael Bay, they just think about big movie with tons of explosions. That is not the case here at all. This quite a small film yet I appreciate Bay for trying something different. Paramount delivered this release in a combo back with Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy. As would be expected with a Bay film despite its size, the film look stunning with its 1080p high definition and sounds amazing with its completely amped Dolby TrueHD 7.1 track! But the fun stops there since this Blu-ray comes ABSOLUTELY bare bones in terms of special features. That is a real shock to be honest and disappointing.

Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloe Grace Moretz and Jim Carrey
Directed by: Jeff Wadlow
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 43 mins
Universal

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

When we last saw Kick Ass (the character, not the film) he was sending a missile through the body of crime boss Frank D’Amico, much to the chagrin of D’Amico’s son, Chris. As the new film begins we find that Chris, once a self-made super hero himself known as the Red Mist, has decided to use his inherited wealth to become the baddest villain of all time. To complete his turnaround he gives himself a new name. I can’t tell you that name on a family web site but let’s just say that it begins with the word Mother!

Sometimes funny and extremely violent, “Kick Ass 2” is a by the book sequel that continues the concept of regular citizens becoming heroes. Wanting to form a “Justice League”/”Avengers” style group, Dave Lizewski (Taylor-Johnson) takes to the Internet to find some like minded allies. Among them are a husband/wife team (Steven Mackintosh and Monica Dolan) who call themselves Remembering Tommy after their missing son, a sexy 20 something woman (Lindy Booth) who calls herself Night Bitch and a former Mafia hit man, recently born again, with the moniker Colonel Stars and Stripes (Carrey). Missing from the group is Mindy Macready, better known as Hit Girl (Moretz), who promised her late father, and her new guardian (Morris Chestnut) that she would not fight crime any longer. That being said, she will soon find out that crime is nothing compared to high school.

Even though the film is full of the same ideas that made “Kick Ass” so entertaining, it is that sameness that dulls the sequel. Without real powers these “heroes” take major ass kickings and the repeated sight of black eyes and broken bones becomes repetitive. Carrey brings some life to his character but when you remember his recent, very vocal objection to screen violence, it makes it hard to watch the carnage he dishes out. The language is equally as salty as the first film but, where it was almost, dare I say, “cute” to hear little 10 year old Moretz curse like a sailor here it seems forced, as if the writer kept looking for the next word that would shock the audience when heard. Moretz gives the best performance of the film, dealing not with the bad people of the street but the bitchy girls that walk the halls of her high school, which actually is the plot of her next film, the remake of “Carrie.”

The action scenes, especially one with Mindy on top of a speeding van, are well choreographed and fun to watch. Too bad the entire film doesn’t come with that same recommendation.

Starring: Ashton Kutcher and Josh Gad
Directed by: Joshua Michael Stern
Rated: R
Running time: 2 hrs 2 mins
Open Road

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

A lone figure walks down the halls at the Apple Computer campus. He enters the auditorium and takes center stage. He is about to reveal something that emphasizes the one rule he has for the company, that their projects touch the heart. With great fanfare he produces the small, handheld item that will hold and play 1,000 songs. “Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the iPod!”

The time is 1974 (or, if you read the giant poster on the wall of the student union, 1972). No, really. It’s 1974. Reed College, to be precise. We meet Steve Jobs (Kutcher) as he crashes on a sofa. Restless, he has left school but still battles with the various ideas in his head. When we meet him a couple of years later he’s fighting with his co-workers at Atari. He tracks down his friend Steve Wozniak (Gad) and together they come up with an idea, a new kind of personal computer system that Jobs calls APPLE.

A true inside look at the life of one of the most influential people of the past century, “JOBS” details the highlights of Steve Jobs career, warts and all. As portrayed by Kutcher, he was not a likable person, constantly driven by his pursuit for perfection and the inner feelings of rejection he felt from being adopted. The latter is a subject that is only briefly touched on, which is surprising. Also surprising is the portrayal of Jobs as a man who denies the child that is obviously his, yet then names one of his biggest projects after the daughter in question (he eventually recognized her as his). Kutcher bears a striking resemblance to Jobs and manages to embody him in full. It is an often emotional performance that could have very easily been turned into a characterization. That being said, it should be noted that, if you look at the casting, Steve Jobs may have been the only attractive man in the computer business. The majority of characters that little the APPLE campus appear to have been cast from the attendees at a local sci-fi/fantasy con, complete with oversized glasses. Gad is very good as Wozniak, whose main objective is to invent things and have fun doing them. Supporting work by Dermot Mulroney, Matthew Modine, Leslie Ann Warren and Kevin Dunn, among others, is solid. J.K. Simmons, a normally great supporting actor, is quickly identified as the “villain” and plays the role to a tee.

Many of the highlights (and lowlights) of Jobs’ life are visited during the film, though surprisingly there is no mention made of his involvement in the creation and support of PIXAR Films, which is curious. That being said, “JOBS” is an entertaining look inside the mind of a genius.