Actors: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess
Directors: Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Warner Home Video
Release Date: May 14, 2013
Running Time: 172 minutes

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

I had the privilege of having a friend that worked on this production, so I heard about this film quite a bit before it was released. I have been a fan of The Wachowski’s since “The Matrix” and the same goes for Tom Tykwer (“Run Lola Run”), who is a very talented director (and composer). “Cloud Atlas” is based on the best-selling novel of the same name written by David Mitchell. The book was sad to be quite unfilmable since it is so epic and contains numerous stories that are all connected together. But thanks to the persistence of these directors this film was brought to life and is absolutely stunning. In fact, “Cloud Atlas” was my favorite film of 2012, if not also for the last few years overall. It is thought provoking and has many deeper lying themes throughout that makes it sticks with you long after you have watched it. In fact, I have literally seen this film probably around 20 times now (obsessed much?) and I can honestly say that it gets better with each viewing.

Official Premise: Future. Present. Past. Everything is connected. An exploration of how the actions of individual lives impact one another in the past, present and future, as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero, and an act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution.The story is a time-shifting weave of six interlinking narratives, with diverse settings from the savagery of a Pacific Island in the 1850s to a dystopian Korea of the near future.

This film packs one of the years best cast lead by Academy Award® winners Tom Hanks and Halle Berry.  There are also great performances from Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Doona Bae, Ben Whishaw, James D’Arcy, Xun Zhou, Keith David, David Gyasi, Susan Sarandon and Hugh Grant. There are six narratives in the film, spanning from “The Pacific Journal of Adam Ewing” (1849), “Letters from Zedelghem” (1936), “Half-Lives: The First Luisa Rey Mystery” (1973), “The Ghastly Ordeal of Timothy Cavendish” (2012), “An Orison of Sonmi~451” (2144), “Sloosha’s Crossin’ an’ Ev’rythin’ After” (2321). Throughout these stories, each of the cast takes on various roles. Some of transformations even go as far as striking them completely unrecognizable. Click here for a great infographic for more details into which actor plays which roles.

The film running just shy of three hours but every minute is better than the next. I have trouble watching some films that are under 90 minutes and this one literally flies.  You become completely transported into this these various stories. It maybe seem confusing at first once you get to meet these characters it is impossible not to get intertwined along with these stories. They are also carried perfectly by Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek and Reinhold Heil mesmerizing score. I have been listening to this score for months and it has been stuck in my head. I even had the chance to chat with Reinhold Heil about the score, click here to check it out. Did I mention that this is one of the best scores that I have ever heard 😉

Warner Bros delivered a very impressive combo pack.  The release comes with a Blu-ray and DVD discs with the film. Also included is an UltraViolet digital copy, which allows you to download and instantly stream the film to devices including computers and compatible tablets, smartphones, game consoles etc. The 1080p transfer on this Blu-ray looks stunning with its aspect ratio of 2.39:1. I would have loved to see this film when it was released in IMAX, I am sure it was stunning.  The video is matched with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 audio track, which is quite flawless.  I would have loved to see them give this a 7.1 treatment but it is still amazing, especially with the film’s action and score.

The special features are great but I am a little disappointed that there is no commentary tracks included. First off we have “A Film Like No Other”, which looks into how this visual masterpiece came together with it’s three directors. “Everything is Connected” features the cast and crew as the dive into the connections that tie the various stories together. “Spaceships, Slaves & Sextets” looks into the deeper mysteries, themes and subtexts that are within the film. “The Bold Science Fiction of Cloud Atlas” looks into some of the futuristic science that is found in the film. “The Impossible Adaptation” looks into how this was taken from a novel to a feature film. “The Essence of Acting” looks into this wonderful cast and their various roles. Lastly we get “Eternal Recurrence: Love, Life, and Longing in Cloud Atlas”, which is another look in the film and its themes.

Own Cloud Atlas on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital Download 5/14

Here is a further breakdown of the chart, from top to bottom: Credit to CinemaBlend.com

Jim Sturgess: In 1849, he is Adam Ewing whose friendship with escaped slave Autua (David Gyasi) inspires him to give up his father-in-law’s slave trade and join the abolitionists with his wife Tilda (Doona Bae). In 2012 he reappears as a hooligan-loving highlander who attacks Nurse Noakes (Hugo Weaving) to defend Timothy Cavendish (Jim Broadbent) and his friends. But Sturgess leaps to action hero status in 2144 as freedom fighter Hae-Joo Chang who frees Somni-451 (Doona Bae) and inspires her to join his rebellion that aims to end the slavery of clones. Finally in 2321, he’s an Adam once again, this time Zachry’s (Tom Hanks) brother, who meets a bloody end.

Doona Bae: In 1849, she plays Tilda Ewing, who rejects her father Haskell Moore’s (Hugo Weaving) slave trade business and joins her husband Adam (Jim Sturgess) in the abolitionist movement. In 1973, she resurfaces as the Mexican woman (not pictured) who saves Luisa Rey (Halle Berry) and Joe Napier (Keith David) from the gun happy Bill Smoke (Hugo Weaving), then makes her final appearance in 2144 as Sonmi-451, a fabricant who becomes a political activist and ultimately religious icon.

James D’Arcy: Absent from the earliest-set tale, D’Arcy debuts in 1936 as a young Rufus Sixsmith who falls hard for dramatic composer Robert Frobisher (Ben Whishaw) but fails to save him from himself. But 37 years later, he saves untold lives as old Rufus Sixsmith who attempts to warn the world about a dangerous plan for a faulty nuclear power plant by whistleblowing to reporter Luisa Rey (Halle Berry). Surprisingly, in 2012, he resurfaces as the gruff and growling Nurse James who helps Nurse Noakes keep the residents of the prison-like old folks home under thumb. His arc seems to end in 2144 as the Archivist, who takes down Somni 451’s life story and is suggested to defy the ruling authority by releasing her revolutionary message.

Halle Berry: In 1849, she gets little more than a featured extra role as a Maori woman that Adam Ewing (Jim Sturgess) sees toiling on a plantation. But 1936, she’s the elegant Jocasta Ayrs who cheats on her ailing composer husband (Jim Broadbent) with his assistant Robert Frobisher (Ben Whishaw). Then in 1973, she’s an outright hero as Luisa Rey who nobly investigates the corrupt business practices of Lloyd Hooks (Hugh Grant) even when it puts her—and her love interest Isaac Sachs (Tom Hanks)—in the way of hitman Bill Smoke (Hugo Weaving). In 2012, she and Hanks romance gets little chance to blossom, though she is an Indian party guest who catches the eye of Dermot Hoggins (Hanks) before he hurls a literary critic to his doom. In 2144 she helps sow the seeds of rebellion as Ovid, a surgeon who risks his freedom to set free fabricants for the rebellion movement of Neo Seoul. Lastly, in 2321 she is the brave and brilliant Meronym, a prescient who risks her life trekking into the lost ruins of a fallen civilization in hopes of sending a distress signal she hopes will save what remains of mankind.

Jim Broadbent: First in 1849, Broadbent is Captain Molyneux who is crass and cruel, kicking the poor cabin boy (Ben Whishaw) before the watchful eyes of Adam Ewing (Jim Sturgess). But things grow darker in 1936 with Broadbent playing the pretentious and credit-stealing Vyvyan Ayrs who bullies, threatens and tries to steal Robert Frobisher’s (Ben Whishaw) masterwork symphony “Cloud Atlas.” He does not appear in the Luisa Rey section, but later reads of her life story as the cantankerous publisher Timothy Cavendish who heads an escape from the prison-like old folks home where Nurse Noakes (Hugo Weaving) reigns. In 2144, he plays an impoverished musician performing in the streets of Neo Seoul, and his final incarnation comes in 2321 as a prescient (not pictured) seeking a new world free from mankind’s blunders.

Hugh Grant: Grant’s dark arc begins in 1849 as Reverend Giles Horrox, who firmly believes women and people of color are inherently beneath him. A brief appearance in 1936 has him as the abrasive hotel heavy who prevents young Rufus Sixsmith (James D’Arcy) and Robert Frobisher (Ben Whishaw) from having a proper goodbye. Next up in 1973, he is Lloyd Hooks, the sleek but vile businessman who knowingly puts lives at risk—and victims in the way of Bill Smoke’s (Hugo Weaving) gun—for his own financial ends. His crimes are cruel but petty in 2012 as Denholme Cavendish who imprisons his brother in Nurse Noakes’ (Hugo Weaving) old folks home for an old blow to his pride. But in 2144, Grant is the unsavory Seer Rhee who keeps the fabricants of Papa Song in line with brainwashing drugs, propaganda, and violence while also using his position to rape his clone slaves. This all leads to his final bloody turn as a ghoulish cannibal who is more animal than man as he slaughters the friends and family of Zachry (Tom Hanks) in 2321.

Hugo Weaving: Appearing in each era, Weaving begins as Haskell Moore, father-in-law of Adam Ewing (Jim Sturgess) who profits from slavery in 1849. Though not pictured above, he next plays Tadeusz Kesselring, friend of Vyvyan Ayrs (Jim Broadbent) who is suggested to have Nazi ties in 1936. By 1973 he’s a full on hitman as Bill Smoke, whose hellbent on killing Luisa Rey (Halle Berry) and anyone else who Lloyd Hooks (Hugh Grant) needs silenced. 2012 he’s a beast of a broad as Nurse Noakes, who isn’t a murderer, but a bully, thief and cruel dictator of the old folks home that imprisons Timothy Cavendish (Jim Broadbent). In 2144 he plays Boardmen Melphi, the politician who decides Somni-451 (Doona Bae) must be executed to suppress the revolution that demands fabricants (clones) should be treated the same as full-bloods (non-cloned humans). Lastly he is the epitome of evil as Old Georgie who is essentially the devil that plagues Zachry (Tom Hanks).

Tom Hanks: The long loved star begins his journey as the treacherous Dr. Goose who tries to murder Adam Ewing (Jim Sturgess) for his gold. Then in 1936, he’s an unnamed hotel manager who gleefully blackmails Robert Frobisher (Ben Whishaw) for his last prized possession, the waistcoat of Rufus Sixsmith (James D’Arcy). But there’s a turn for the better in 1973 where as Isaac Sachs he finds a spark of love with Luisa Rey (Halle Berry) and so chooses to help in her investigation of corporate corruption. 2012 brings a darker role as Hanks tackles the fiery tempered writer Dermot Hoggins who chucks a cruel critic off a balcony to a bloody end. Next he flexes his comedy skills as an actor (not pictured) who plays Timothy Cavendish in the biopic of his life, a movie that inspires Somni-451 (Doona Bae). Finally for Hanks, he plays Zachry the cowardly goat herder who redeems himself by saving his niece from bloodthirsty cannibals, and at long last finds lasting love with Berry’s Meronym.

Created by Hanna-Barbera
Voices of Dave Willock, Shirley Mitchell, Stanley Livingston, Pamelyn Ferdin, Daws Butler, Dom DeLuise, Hal Smith
Distributed by: Warner Archive
Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 292 minutes

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

When it comes to Hanna-Barbera, I am always curious to see anything that they have created, especially obscure shows like “The Roman Holidays”. This animated series was aired back in 1972 on NBC, but only ran for 13 episodes. The show is set in 63 AD but has a very modern day feel to it. Daws Butler is a blast voicing Brutus the Lion, who is known best for voicing Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound and many more. Dom DeLuise also voices Mr. Evictus and gets some good laughs. It is probably not the best product that Hanna-Barbera ever released, especially since it was canceled after a few episodes but it is worth checking out if you are a fan of classics animated series.

Official Premise: Somewhere between the pre-hysterical Hanna Barbera’s Stone Age of The Flintstones and the fantastic future of The Jetsons lie The Roman Holidays, tackling family life circa AD 63. Augustus “Gus” Holiday (Dave Willock) is the man of the clan, lovely and level-headed spouse Laurie (Shirley Mitchell) keeps things on an even keel while teen-age trouble maker Happius (Stanley Livingston) and child prodigy Precocia (Pamelyn Ferdin) threaten to break the Pax Familia. Housed at the humble Venus de Milo Arms, the Holidays face constant threats from their aptly named landlord Mr. Evictus (Dom DeLuise, in his toon debut) while Gus gets equally harried by his boss, Mr. Tycoonius (Hal Smith) at the Forum Construction Company. It’s a good thing he gets to come home to a Roman’s best friend – his pet lion, Brutus (Daws Butler)! So hop aboard your chariot – it’s time to pay a visit to The Roman Holidays!

Episodes included are: “Double Date”, “The Lion’s Share”, “Star For A Day”, “Hero Sandwich”, “The Big Split Up, “Hectic Holiday”, “Switch Is Which”, “That’s Show Biz”, “Double Dilemma”, “A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Chariot”, “A Buried Treasure”, “Cyrano De Happius” and “Father Of The Year”. Warner Archive is releasing this series as part of their Hanna-Barbera Classic Collections. They have been behind releasing many rare Hanna-Barbera show’s as part of their manufacture-on-demand (MOD) service. The episodes are released with their original aspect ratio of 1.37:1. They have not been remastered or restored but have been at least manufactured from the best-quality video master currently available. They look decent but could have used a little sprucing up. They also have a typical Dolby Digital Mono track included, which is the usual for Warner Archive MOD releases.

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Kyle Chandler, Barry Pepper, Justin Chambers
Director: Allen Hughes
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: April 30, 2013
Run Time: 109 minutes

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

Both Mark Wahlberg and Russell Crowe had big years in 2012, with “Ted” and “Les Misérables”, respectively. Wahlberg gives a a solid performance with the messy story that he is given. The film keeps switching being being a cop drama to a political war film. I didn’t really hate this film but I do not think that I will give it a second thought after this first viewing. The drama is not very intense and you really don’t fall in love with these characters. So it is worth checking out if got nothing else to do but like I said nothing special.

Official Premise: Seven years after being forced to resign as a New York police officer, private detective Billy Taggart (Wahlberg) takes on his toughest case yet: following the wife (Zeta-Jones) of the city’s hard-nosed mayor (Crowe), who’s convinced she’s cheating on him. But by the time the mayor reveals his true intentions, Billy is already in too deep. Now, with his freedom – and quite possibly his life – on the line, Billy will risk it all in a desperate bid to expose the truth, and seek redemption in a city where second chances don’t come cheap.

Despite the film, 20th Century Fox delivered a nice release with a combo pack including Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy. The digital options include both an Ultraviolet digital streaming and and iTunes digital copy. The film was shot digitally and still looks very impressive and well-detailed with it’s 1080p transfer. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 works with what it is giving here. There is nothing epic that happens here but the dialogue at least sounds great.

The special features included decent but nothing special like the film itself. “Putting It All Together” is an in-depth making-of documentary blended with nice behind-the-scenes footage and interviews. There are six deleted scenes, including an great alternate ending. I saw great since I was not a fan of the ending at all. There is also a theatrical trailer included and also a sneak peek at other upcoming 20th Century Fox titles.

After an Oscar-winning film career that has taken her to Iowa (“The Music Man”), Maine (“Carousel”) and, of course, “Oklahoma,” Shirley Jones will be appearing later this month at a benefit screening of “Carousel” to be held in Omaha on Friday, May 24th.

With a multitude of successful benefit screenings under his belt, including “The Godfather,” “Jaws” and, most recently, “American Graffiti,” Bruce Crawford has chosen, for his 32nd Classic Film Event, one of the most beloved musicals of all time, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Carousel.”

Miss Jones will be on-hand for the screening as will Mandy MacRae Daley, daughter of the film’s co-star Gordon MacRae. Also in attendance will be world renowned pop artist Nicolosi, who will unveil an original art design he created for this event honoring the film’s stars (Jones and MacRae) and Rodgers and Hammerstein, which will be available as an official United States Postal Service commemorative envelope.

The event begins at 7:00 p.m. and will be held at the Joslyn Art Museum’s Witherspoon Hall, 2200 Dodge St. in Omaha.

Tickets are $20 at all Omaha-area Hy Vee food store customer service counters.
Proceeds benefit the Omaha Parks Foundation. For more information call: 402-926-8299

Craig Zisk’s new comedy, The English Teacher stars Julianne Moore as Linda Sinclair, a teacher in smalltown Pennsylvania whose quiet life is interrupted by the return of former student, Jason Sherwood. Sherwood, played by Michael Angarano (Haywire, Red State), is a failed playwright who Linda decides to redeem by mounting a production of his college thesis play at her school. Linda is helped along by the school’s drama teacher played by Nathan Lane. Moore and Angarano spoke to MediaMikes as the film made it’s debut at the Tribeca Film Fest this week.

Lauren Damon: How was it to work with this ensemble cast? You have all these Broadway veterans as well as small cameos from John Hodgman and Jim Bruer.

Julianne Moore: “That’s right! It was a pretty extraordinary cast actually. There were great, really really great people with yeah, Norbert Leo Butz and Jessica Hecht and Nathan Lane, Greg Kinnear and then yea, John Hodgeman and Jim Bruer. Jim Bruer I’d done SNL with a long time ago so I knew him from that. I mean that was my son was two months old, so that was fifteen years ago, which is crazy. But yea, we had a great cast. We were pretty lucky.”

Michael Angarano: “It was amazing, especially for me. Like I grew up watching them…Nine Months, The Birdcage, all these movies are like my family favorite movies. Like the kind of movies that you watch with your family. So for me it felt really cool and there was one scene, like other than the scenes I got to do with Julianne and Nathan and by myself which were so much fun, the scenes we would do with the whole ensemble really felt kind of like a play. Which was kind of fun to think about. I did a play when I was seven years old. I was Tiny Tim in Radio City and so I don’t have play experience. It was really fun.”

LD: Your last play experience was in 2006’s The Vertical Hour, is there anything that would lure her back to Broadway?

Julianne Moore: “Nothing!”

Michael Angarano: “I eavesdropped on a lot of conversations with her and Nathan where he was like ‘You know you’d be really great…’”

Moore:  “But then Nathan was like ‘I have this play’ and he’d send it to me and it’d be something that he’d like to direct and I was like ‘If you’re not gonna be in it, I’m not gonna do it!’ because directors do it and then, you know, they leave and stuff. Plays are really hard when you have children and when I did The Vertical Hour years ago, I just, I didn’t think about that. About how they wipe out your entire weekend and one day in the middle of the week where you’re not home and it’s just not worth it for my family. It’s actually easier to do a film. Because you come home at the end of the night, you’re there for dinner, you put them to bed, you get up, you go to work. You know, it’s like you’re on their school schedule and you have weekends free. But the theater is tough with kids.”

In that production Moore played opposite onstage boyfriend Andrew Scott who’s since went on to a MediaMikes favorite, BBC’s Sherlock.

LD: Do you keep in touch with Andrew Scott since he’s become Moriarty?

Moore: “I haven’t seen him in ages! He’s a great guy. He’s a wonderful guy.”

Crucial to the story of The English Teacher is the role Moore’s Linda played in inspiring Angarano’s Jason, Moore was lucky enough to have a similarly life changing teacher she spoke about:

Moore: “I had a teacher, I mean my high school drama teacher, Robie Taylor was the one who said to me you know, ‘you could be an actor’ and I was in plays after schools but I’d never met an actor, I’d never seen a real play, I didn’t think you could make a real living doing it. I didn’t know anything about the theatre. And she said ‘here’s a copy of dramatics magazine and here are different schools that you can go to’ and she kind of…I was like oh, okay! If I hadn’t met her, I don’t think I would have done that. I mean, so she really changed my life. And she knows that. I told her. I met her years later when I was in LA for a while and she was living in Arizona. And yea, she altered the course of my life.”

LD: Were there any special school productions that you did with her that you thought was like a turning point?

Moore: “Well she was…super ambitious in terms of what she put on. I mean the first production I put on with her was Tartuffe, Moliere’s Tartuffe. So nobody does that. They usually do Barefoot in the Park, you know? Or something. So she, I also did The Music Man with her which is a little more traditional. But I also played Madea for her. She just was very, she was like a real director, she seemed like a real theater director.”

LD: What drew you to the character of Linda?

Moore: “I loved Linda. I mean I was like Linda, I was the kind of kid that read all the time and went to the library and won the summer reading contest and ended up in the drama club after school because it was just another–I wasn’t athletic, I couldn’t do anything else–it was just another extension of reading. I feel like it would have been very easy for me to have been Linda if I didn’t have a high school English teacher who told me I could be an actress. So I found her incredibly relatable and I loved her. And I loved her kind of…she’s sort of an innocent, you know? And yea, I thought she was really endearing actually.”

LD:  A lot of these characters offer no apologies for their actions where it might be expected, can you talk about that?

Angarano: “It was kind of interesting because when we did a table read for it and when I first read Jason out loud with everybody there, it came across much angrier than I think he should have come across and I realized that there’s like this real like, kind of childishness about him that’s very annoying. You know what I mean? Like even his relationship with LInda in movie is kind of, I don’t know, he thinks that he’s this mature guy and he’s kind of projected himself to be that but he’s really just a boy. And so in the end I think it’s kind of like, you know I don’t think he really intentionally wants to hurt anybody. But he’s kind of like you know, kind of manipulative in an annoying childish, annoying kind of guy-getting-what-he-wants kind of way.”

Moore: “I think one of the nice things though about the movie too is people don’t apologize. A lot of them do some things, it’s kind one of those cause and effect things. Where at the end of the day, a lot of people are very shamed by their behavior [laughs] but there’s a kind of forgiveness that they all offer one another and a kind of looking the other way. Maybe they all weren’t their best selves at that moment but they had the best intentions. There’s a humanity I think to their recovery that’s very nice. In a sense where you know, your mother always told you ‘just let time go by and it’ll be better’ it’s true, they all kind of let a little time go by and it all sort of settles down again.”

The English Teacher is available now OnDemand and will hit theaters on May 17^th.

Actors: Marlon Wayans, Essence Atkins, Cedric the Entertainer, Nick Swardson, David Koechner
Directors: Michael Tiddes
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Universal Studios
Release Date: April 23, 2013
Run Time: 86 minutes

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

Ever since I saw “Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice”, I have been a fan of Marlon Mayans. And who doesn’t love “Scary Movie”? With found-footage films taking over Hollywood in recent years thanks to “Paranormal Activity”, it paved the way for this latest parody from Wayans. This film does parody but plays out more like a film that a bunch of stupid skits. The film also co-stars the very funny Cedric the Entertainer, Essence Atkins, Nick Swardson and David Koechner. They all give some great performances each with some great laugh of loud moments. Overall, I really enjoyed this film and it was filled with some great laughs. Can’t wait for next winter for “A Haunted House 2”. Bring it!

Official synopsis: When overactive man-child Malcolm (Marlon Wayans) takes the plunge and lets girlfriend Keisha (Essence Atkins) move into his house, he quickly senses they’re no longer alone. Videotaping a series of paranormal events, Malcolm is shocked to discover the love of his life carries more than your average relationship baggage: she’s possessed by an evil spirit. Malcolm enlists the help of priest/ex-convict Father Williams (Cedric the Entertainer) to exorcise the demon from his girlfriend before it ruins his relationship… and his sex life.

Universal has release yet another impressive release. “A Haunted House” comes as a Two-Disc Combo Pack: Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy + UltraViolet. Universal never cuts corners with giving their viewers options and always comes through with great releases like this one. The film is low budget yet the 1080p transfer really looks sharp and clear. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track also delivers for the laughs and lands the jokes well. The worst part of this release is the special features or features, I should say. There is only one short extra called “How to Survive a Paranormal Presence”. I would have figured a production like this would have been able to drum up a ton of great extras. I mean not even a blooper reel?

Studio: History Channel
Distributed by: Lionsgate Films
Rating: Not Rated
Release Date: May 7, 2013
Run Time: 94 minutes

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

There has been countless programs about WWII over the years and thanks to The History Channel they have been behind most of these. I am a sucker for these programs and a downright History buff. When I heard about viewing the events of “WWII from Space”, I have to admit I was extremely interested. I mean who isn’t curious about anything to do with space. Of course, there is nothing new here in terms of content but this special does feature some really stunning CGI mixed with historical facts, which gives us a interest look into America’s part in World War II from a new angle. A must for all History buffs.

Official Premise: WWII FROM SPACE delivers World War II in a way you’ve never experienced it before. This two-hour HISTORY special uses an all-seeing CGI eye that offers a satellite view of the conflict, allowing you to experience it in a way that places key events and tipping points in a global perspective. By re-creating groundbreaking moments that could never have been captured on camera and by illustrating the importance of simultaneity and the hidden effects of crucial incidents, HISTORY presents the war’s monumental moments in never- before-seen context. And with new information brought to the forefront, you’ll better understand how a nation ranked 19th in the world’s militaries in 1939 emerged six years later as the planet’s only atomic superpower.

History Channel delivers nothing but a stunning Blu-ray release. The 1080p transfer with an aspect ratio of 1.78:1 is very sharp. This works very well with the CGI effects, I would have loved to seen them release them in 3D as they have done with some specials. I have a feeling that this could have made this even cooler. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is also very impressive. It features a stronger narrative and a powerful score. There are no additional special features included with this release, but that is typical with specials like this.

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Based on Matthew Jones’s 1996 novel of the same name, A Single Shot stars Sam Rockwell as a down and out hunter who accidentally kills a young woman. Having found money in her camp, he decides to hide what he’s done and use it to try and put his life back together leading to an escalating cat-and-mouse game with the owners of the money. Having made its debut at the Berlin International Festival, the film held it’s US premiere at Tribeca on Friday April 26^th.

Actress Heather Lind plays Mincy in the film whom she describes as a “free spirit, impulsive woman that tries to befriend Sam’s character and bring him out of his funk”. Lind is a familiar New York face coming from Boardwalk Empire as well as a long list of Broadway credits, I asked her what it meant to have the Film Fest in the city:

Heather Lind: “It’s a great question, I’ve been in New York for about twelve years, I grew up up in Albany but I’ve been in the city for twelve years. I just love this city, I think anything that happens, that appears in the city is a good thing. Working on this film was kind of surreal enough and then getting to come to the premiere here in New York was, you know great.”

The atmospheric film, though set in West Virginia, was shot in Vancouver, Canada. Director David M Rosenthal discussed this choice:

David M Rosenthal: “I was looking for a place to shoot that had, you know this kind of gray weather and that provided this fog layer and this mist layer. And there’s not that many places where you can find that and Vancouver has it in spades and also has great crews and great secondary actors. It seemed to make a lot of sense.

Rosenthal went on to praise his ensemble cast: “It was so wonderful for me to get all of these people together because you know, there’s so many actors in this movie that I got to work with who I absolutely revere. I’m not even talking shit, I really revere these actors like Sam Rockwell and Jeffrey Wright and Bill Macy and Jason Isaacs and Kelly Reilly. Really I just walk around feeling just blessed about the fact that I got to work with them.”

The director was particularly excited to see Sam Rockwell take on the part of John Moon: “Sam Rockwell is one of the most versatile actors in America. He’s maybe one of the very best actors of his generation. I don’t think many people could argue with that. So the list gets short when you’re thinking of someone of a specific age, it’s like ‘okay, maybe we could get x, maybe we could even get this guy, maybe we can get this guy, maybe we can get Sam Rockwell. Let’s get Sam Rockwell.’ ‘Sam Rockwell read it, he likes the script.’ ‘Really?’ Fantastic!”

British actress Kelly Reilly plays Rockwell’s wife in the film and added to Rosenthal’s enthusiasm for their lead: “I had probably six days on this movie, all-in-all and I just remember working, just having a blast with Sam. He’s such a fun down-to-Earth man. So I really enjoyed working with him.”

Considering the film begins with John Moon carrying out a murder, I asked writer Matthew F. Jones if he could see John Moon in a sympathetic light:

Matthew F Jones: “I always look to John as a very noble, upright guy in a very tough situation and part of the, I think part of the interesting of this movie…was that anyone of us could put ourselves in John situation. The life he was living and then what happens to him in a single shot and the decisions that he had to make and so…I don’t look at him as a shady character, I look at him as a noble guy in a tough situation.”

Sam Rockwell was in agreement with Jones regarding his character: “I do sympathize with him, but you know, that’s–I hope that everybody does. I think he’s really isolated and a lonely guy, he’s trying to reconnect with his family and stuff.”

Lauren Damon: Are you drawn to isolated characters like John?

Rockwell: Well, I don’t know, maybe. I’m drawn to those guys for some reason but I like them all.

LD: A lot of this movie is physically grueling, how was that?

Rockwell: Yeah, a lot of cramps! Waking up in the middle of the night with a lot of cramps and stuff.

Rockwell was also on the red carpet at TFF this year supporting other films he was in, Trust Me and A Case of You.

LD: Was it by accident you wound up with three films premiering at Tribeca?

Rockwell: Well, that was a fluke. That was a fluke.

You can read our review of A Single Shot here!

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Director: David M. Rosenthal
Starring: Sam Rockwell, Jeffrey Wright, Kelly Reilly, Jason Isaacs, Joe Anderson
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 116 minutes

Our Score: 3 out of 5 Stars

 A Single Shot begins with West Virginian hunter John Moon (Sam Rockwell) accidentally shooting a woman dead while hunting deer. As if this weren’t enough cause for alarm, John discovers both a hand gun and a suspicious stash of cash in her makeshift camp. Moon hides the body and takes the money. Never the best plan. What follows is a tense backwoods cat and mouse game held together by a strong lead in a terrifying setting.

Moon, it turns out, has already been in trouble with the law as a poacher and sees the money as a means to get back his estranged wife (Kelly Reilly) and son. It doesn’t forgive Moon for his actions but reveals him as a desperate fool for thinking his plan has any chance of succeeding. He’s not unfamiliar with breaking the law, but not on the scale of the men whose threats start with phone calls and escalate. Rockwell does an amazing job at taking John through all the levels of fear. Whether he’s trying to remain calm as his phone rings in the presence of an old friend (Jeffrey Wright) or outright challenging unseen attackers in the woods, you can really feel the panic of a man realizing he’s in way over his head. The forrest surroundings John was so familiar with at the start of the film suddenly turn on him and it seems as though violence can, and in fact does, break out anywhere around him. Often shockingly so. The woods are beautifully shot in all their ominous foggy glory by Eduard Grau, and manage to seem expansive and claustrophobic at the same time.

The strong ensemble cast is perhaps too large to be sustained by a film whose focus must remain solidly on Moon’s dilemma. For example, as Waylon, the thug behind the money, Jason Isaacs isn’t given as much screen time as you would like considering he’s supposed to be the big bad of the movie. Consequently he is out-menaced early on by lackey Obadiah (a magnetic, psycho Joe Anderson) and Moon’s divorce lawyer played by William H. Macy (wearing a crime against toupees). Similarly, Moon and his wife’s relationship could have been strengthened to get at the heart of Moon more than the flirtations we wind up seeing with his neighbor’s daughter. Ultimately though this is Rockwell’s movie and there’s no doubt he’s an expert at isolation. His Moon is reason enough to wander into these woods.

Actors: Kiara Muhammed, Lara Jill Miller, Robbie Rist, Loretta Devine, Jess Harnell
Created by: Chris Nee
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Rating: Not Rated
DVD Release Date: May 7, 2013
Run Time: 120 minutes

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

The minute I gave this DVD to my 11 month daughter, she put smiled ear to ear and put it right in her mouth. So in baby terms that is as good as you can get. Whenever she sees this show on she stops whatever she is doing and just stars and jumps up and down. We watched this DVD multiple times on loop over the weekend and we just can’t seem to get enough of this show. Doc McStuffins is a fantastic show from Disney Junior. It is cute, teaches great lessons for kids and packs some fun and catchy music as well. It even has daddy singing along and waking up with it in my head :-). I know this release is going to be re-watched quite a bit and I can’t wait to see new releases for this show. The Doc is in!

Official Premise: Get ready to start your day in a wonderful way! Doc McStuffins: Time For Your Checkup is all about helping to keep toys – and little ones – happy and healthy. Join Doc and her trusty team of lovable toys as every new checkup leads to miles of smiles. Laugh along when Doc cures Gus the Gator’s “Stuffedfulliosis.” Blast off with Star Blazer Zero as Doc shows him how to play it safe from launch through landing. Whether it’s eating right, getting enough rest, or getting an annual physical check-up, this delightful and nurturing program combines music, humor, and surprises in five fun-filled adventures that inspire friendship, hugs, and stay-healthy habits every day!

This DVD has five really fun and cute episodes that I am sure my daughter will be wearing out on loop. The episodes included are: 1. “Gulpy, Gulpy Gators!/ One Note Wonder, 2. “Tea Party Tantrum/ Blast Off!”, 3. “Arcade Escapade/ Starry, Starry Night”, 4. “Bronto Boo-Boos/ Brontosaurus Breath” and 5. “Doctoring The Doc/ Hot Pursuit”. Personally, I am a fan of “”Gulpy, Gulpy Gators!”, as it brings back childhood memories for myself with “Hungry Hungry Hippos”. Along with the episodes, there is also an activity growth cart and stickers included for all your little inspiring doctors to enjoy.

Created by: Jim Henson
Distributed by: Gaiam Vivendi Entertainment
Rating: Not Rated
Street Date: May 14, 2013
Episodes: 6
Running time: 132 minutes

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

“Dance your cares away
Worry’s for another day
Let the music play
Down at Fraggle Rock”

“Fraggle Rock” has always been one of my favorite shows growing up. It also had one of my favorite theme songs from the 80’s, I still have a vinyl record from the show. This release is a great show to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Jim Hensen’s classic children series. The series originally aired from 1983 to 1987 and still captures the hearts of its fans today. Watching this show again just makes me yearn for more shows like this again. I am looking forward to showing this show with my daughter as she grows up. Gaiam Vivendi Entertainment is also releasing “Fraggle Rock: The Complete Series Collection” on DVD. Hardcore fans should definitely check that out.

Official Premise: Dance your cares away with this collection of 6 episodes highlighting everyone’s favorite fun-loving furry creatures Fraggles! Get to know Gobo, Red, Boober, Wembly and Mokey as they explore outer space, dodge the Gorgs and learn about themselves and the world around them in this silly compilation.

“Fraggle Rock: Meet The Fraggles” includes the series pilot, as well as five excellent episodes introducing us to each of the series main characters. The episodes included are: “Beginnings”, “We Love You Wembley”, “Boober’s Dream”, “Red’s Club”, “Mokey and the Minstrels”, “Gobo’s Discovery”. These episodes good look a little aged. I do not feel that much work went into restoring these episodes for their 30th anniversary. They are still fun to watch and relive your childhood and for those that are not too familiar with this series, this is a great way to introduce “Fraggle Rock” to a new generation of fans. Besides the episodes, there are no special features included on this DVD.

Directed by: James Plumb
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Lions Gate
DVD Release Date: April 30, 2013
Run Time: 90 minutes

Film: 1 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1 out of 5 stars

I understand that “The Walking Dead” has made zombie’s hot again but can’t we come up with a new idea here.  Why does everyone have to mess with George A. Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead”. If you are going to deliver a “Brand new take on the horror classic”, then I suggest you actually have seen the original film first. I have seen hundreds of rip-offs, remakes or related zombie films and yet I have never seen a more boring and poorly made film as “Night of the Living Dead: Resurrection”.  I was literally twiddling my thumbs. The zombies are terrible and laughable.  All around I won’t be recommending this to any Romero or horror fans and I will burning this DVD after this review.

Official Synopsis: Based on George A. Romero’s classic “Night of the Living Dead”. In 2012 the deceased have risen from their graves once again with the instinct to feed on the living. As academics speculate on the scientific cause of this phenomenon theologians point to the Armageddon foretold in the Book of Revelation. As the cities are overrun and civilization crumbles a family takes refuge from the undead army in an isolated farmhouse in West Wales. But the greatest threat is already among them as they fight to stay alive.

“Night of the Living Dead: Resurrection” is only being released on DVD and I understand why.  The transfer on the film looks like it was shot on a broken iPhone.  It is blurry and out of focus in various parts. The transfer is in widescreen with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1. The 5.1 Dolby Digital audio track is nothing special. The film features barely any underscore, which only adds to the the film dragging. There is no suspense added at all.  The special features are nothing special either.  There is a cast and crew commentary track, which I wouldn’t recommend unless you love the film.  There is also a trailer gallery included. Terrible extras for a terrible movie. You’ve been warned.  Don’t let the title of  “Night of the Living Dead” draw you in.

Actors: Maxey Whitehead, Vic Mignogna, Christopher Sabat, Caitlin Glass
Directors: Mike McFarland
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: FUNimation
DVD Release Date: April 24, 2012 / July 17, 2012
Run Time: 825 minutes / 775 minutes

Series: 5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

When “Fullmetal Alchemist” ended its original series run in 2004, I was left wanting much more. Then shortly after in 2005 “Fullmetal Alchemist- The Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa” was released and delivered a good ending to the show. But that wasn’t the last we saw of this series, in 2009 “Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood” started. This series, unlike the first anime which had an original story, follows the story of the manga series. So it is not a sequel or prequel. It is a new series. FUNimation is behind this release and is bringing this fantastic series to Blu-ray in two collections. “Collection One” contains episodes 1-33 and “Collection Two” finishes out the series with episodes 34-64. If you are a fan of “Fullmetal Alchemist” this is a fantastic series that even rivals the original…there I said it. I love originals series but if you read the animes, it is even cooler to see the stories come to life.

Collection One Official Premise: Edward and Alphonse Elric’s reckless disregard for alchemy’s fundamental laws ripped half of Ed’s limbs from his body and left Al’s soul clinging to a cold suit of armor. To restore what was lost, the brothers scour a war-torn land for the Philosopher’s Stone, a fabled relic which grants the ability to perform alchemy in impossible ways. The Elrics are not alone in their search; the corrupt State Military is also eager to harness the artifact’s power. So too are the strange Homunculi and their shadowy creator. The mythical gem lures exotic alchemists from distant kingdoms, scarring some deeply enough to inspire murder. As the Elrics find their course altered by these enemies and allies, their purpose remains unchanged – and their bond unbreakable.

Collection Two Official Premise: In the shadows beneath Central, the Elrics encounter Father, the creator of the Homunculi. His face is familiar – as is the new face of Greed – but his alchemy is unlike anything the brothers have ever seen. As Father’s dark plot takes shape, Ed and Al brave the frigid north to meet the top officer of the fortress Briggs: General Olivier Armstrong. With icy nerve and burning intensity, she commands the hardest soldiers in the land. When you witness her leading the warriors of Briggs in battle against the unstoppable, rampaging Sloth, you’ll know – the stakes are higher than ever

Collection One includes: 1. Fullmetal Alchemist, 2. The First Day, 3. City of Heresy, 4. An Alchemist’s Anguish, 5. Rain of Sorrows, 6. Road of Hope, 7. Hidden Truth, 8. The Fifth Laboratory, 9. Created Feelings, 10. Separate Destinations, 11. Miracle in Rush Valley, 12. One Is All, All Is One, 13. Beasts of Dublith, 14. Those Who Lurk Underground, 15. Envoy from the East, 16. Footsteps of a Comrade-in-Arms, 17. Cold Flame, 18. The Arrogant Palm of a Small Human, 19. Death of the Undying, 20. Father Before the Grave, 21. Advance of the Fool, 22. Back in the Distance. 23. Girl on the Battlefield, 24. Inside the Belly, 25. Doorway of Darkness, 26. Reunion, 27. Interlude Party, 28. Father, 29. Struggle of the Fool, 30. The Ishvalan War of Extermination, 31. The 520 Cens Promise, 32. The Fuhrer’s Son, 33. The Northern Wall of Briggs

Collection Two includes: 34. Ice Queen, 35. The Shape of This Country, 36. Family Portrait, 37. The First Homunculus, 38. Conflict at Baschool, 39. Daydream, 40. Homunculus (The Dwarf in the Flask), 41. The Abyss, 42. Signs of a Counteroffensive, 43. Bite of the Ant, 44. Reviving at Full Throttle, 45. The Promised Day, 46. Looming Shadow, 47. Emissary of Darkness, 48. The Oath in the Tunnel, 49. Filial Affection, 50. Upheaval in Central, 51. The Immortal Legion, 52. Combined Strength, 53. Flame of Vengeance, 54. Beyond the Inferno, 55. The Adults’ Way of Life, 56. The Return of the Fuhrer, 57. Eternal Leave, 58. Sacrifices, 59. Lost Light, 60. Eye of Heaven, Gateway of Earth, 61. He Who Would Swallow God, 62. A Fierce Counterattack, 63. The Other Side of the Gateway, 64. Journey’s End

FUNimation (like usual) really gave “Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood” a wonderful presentation. The 1080p transfer for each episode is near perfect and very impressive within its 1.78:1 aspect ratio. The colors are extremely vibrant and sharp. The line detail is also notable and transfers well onto the screen in high-def. These series on both collection are presented with the show’s original Japanese language and also an English dub. The Japanese audio only includes a Dolby True HD 2.0 track, while the English dub gets a more meaty Dolby True HD 5.1 track. I am usually gung ho for the original language track but I have to go with the English track for this series. I just love the voice actors and top that with a better audio track and it easily wins me over.

The special features may not be the greatest in terms of featurettes but there is sure a nice collection of audio commentary tracks for various episodes. Collection one contains audio commentaries on episodes 1, 10, 14, 23, 28. Collection two contains audio commentaries on episodes 36, 40, 46 and 64. The commentaries are focuses on key episodes and are a must for die-hard fans! Both Collection one and two have textless opening songs – “again”, “Hologram”, “Golden Time Lover” and textless closing songs – “Let it Out”, “ISO”, “Tsimaoda Te”. Collection two includes some outtakes, which are also fun and worth checking out. Lastly wrapping up the extras are trailers included on both collections.

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Directed by: Simon Barrett, Adam Wingard, Eduardo Sanchez, Gregg Hale, Timo Tjahjanto, Gareth Evans, Jason Eisener
Distributed by: Magnolia Pictures
Rated: R
Running Time: 95 mins

Score: 4 out of 5 stars

V/H/S 2 is, as was its predecessor, an anthology film comprised of horror shorts by different directors strung loosely together by a framing story. The excuse for getting the tapes together this time are investigators stumbling upon the collection on a search for a missing person. Sure. So how are the tapes?

The first one, “Clinical Trials” I thought was cause for concern. A man’s new artificial eye is doubling as a recording device for its creators’ research. Of course this being a horror film, the eye brings with it the startling additional ability to see the dead. Eventually the patient links up with an eccentric female patient who can hear the dead and panic and chaos ensue. Well made and a bit slicker for having the eye-camera being so super high-tech, “Clinical Trials” just seemed a bit predictable compared to what V/H/S delivered.

If “Clinical Trials” had me worried, the second short “A Ride in the Park” brought me right back on board. A biker mounts a camera to his helmet in order to record his ride through the park when he is unfortunately attacked by zombies. But the mounted camera records regardless. From then on, we get a hilarious look at the POV of a zombie– from the uninterrupted conversion from human to undead, to his bumbling recruitment of his small zombie posse. A bloody climax at a kids’ park birthday party had me cracking up.

“Safe Haven” continued the upward climb of these stories for the sheer number of WTF moments per minute. A film crew looks to investigate a cult leader and his flock in their compound. The Indonesian guru, ominously known as “father”, is surrounded by tons of female acolytes who eventually over power the crew in a deliriously over-the-top and hellish finale. The punchline of this short was my favorite in V/H/S 2.

It’s difficult to follow the madness of “Safe Haven” but “Slumber Party Alien Abduction” does so admirably. Eventually the most serious of the bunch, it relies on a dog-mounted video recorder (he’s the tool in a prank war), to capture a terrifying batch of aliens assaulting a kids’ party. It’s a blur of panicked teens, woods, and that poor dog having to face aliens. The sounds of the alien invasion are what really sell the terror here, but having the dog camera-man makes this one the hardest to watch both for the visual shakiness and his helplessness.

Notable in this installment is often its reliance on broad sunlight over shadows which help tip the scale towards more humor than horror on occasion, while helping to showcase the gore in all its glory. Like the previous film, the setup to our watching this collection is mostly irrelevant but the payoff contains to my mind the most gruesome shot of the film. After what we’ve been through, it’s an impressive feat and a great closer to our trip through this horror funhouse.