Number of discs: 4
Studio: 20th Century Fox
DVD Release Date: April 2, 2013
Run Time: 440 minutes

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

I may not be the most religious man in the world. I grew up going to church and catholic school, so I know the stories of The Bible quite well. There has been many history specials on these stories but never in the scale of this. The new epic mini-series is produced by Mark Burnett (“The Voice”, “Survivor”) and, his wife, Roma Downey (“Touched by an Angel”). If you watched the show on The History Channel, this is worth revisiting since this Blu-ray for an exclusive an all-new cut  featuring more stories than was show on television.

This mini-series is narrated by Emmy winning actor Keith David (“They Live”, “Cloud Atlas”) and features a fantastic international cast including Portuguese actor, Diogo Morgado as Jesus Christ and Roma Downey as Mother Mary. The score of the mini-series also features sound beautiful score from Oscar and Grammy winning composer Hans Zimmer, who reunited with acclaimed vocalist Lisa Gerrard for the first time since “Gladiator”. The score blends perfectly with the breathtaking visuals created for the mini-series. The performances are very impressive and the production value on the series really is on a high-scale and packed with some amazing visual effects.

Official Premise: From Executive Producers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett comes The Bible — an epic 10-part miniseries retelling stories from the Scriptures for a whole new generation. Breathtaking in scope and scale, The Bible features powerful performances, exotic locales and dazzling visual effects that breathe spectacular life into the dramatic tales of faith and courage from Genesis through Revelation. This historic television event is sure to entertain and inspire the whole family.

“The Bible” really looks stunning on Blu-ray. When I first watched this on television, I knew that this was a show that had a lot of production put into it. Whether it is the set locations, visual effects or costumes, this show did not take the cheap route. The 1080p transfers are near-flawless and represent the action and the epic quality of the series quite well. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track also delivers. From every sword fight to thunder strike to battle scene they each sound absolutely amazing.

The special features are quite amazing for this mini-series. First off we have “The Bible: Creation” is a very in-depth three-part making of series. “Creation I: The Vision, The Look” is a behind-the-scenes look into the locations, production overall and costume design. “Creation II: Production Stories” is a cast/crew recollection of unique events that occurred throughout the production. “Creation III: Crucified & Resurrected” looks into the making of these emotional scenes.

“The Bible: Genesis” is a chat with with Mark Burnett and Roma Downey about how they prepared to film the stories of the Bible. “The Cast of The Bible” is again with Mark and Roma as they talk about the actors used for the mini-series. “Scoring The Bible” takes us into the score with composer Hans Zimmer and award-winning soloist Lisa Gerrard. “Believing in Miracles” feature cast and crew reliving moments that occured during filming. Lastly, “The Bible: Visual Effects” is a montage clip of all the amazing scenes created for the series.

Actors: Carol Kane, Charles Durning, Colleen Dewhurst, Melissa Sue Anderson, Glenn Ford
Directors: Fred Walton, J. Lee Thompson
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Mill Creek Entertainment
Release Date: March 26, 2013
Run Time: 208 minutes

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

When it comes to late 70’s / early 80’s horror, this is a period of horror films that will always be held special. This double feature comes with two classic horror flicks “When a Stranger Calls (1979)” and Happy Birthday to Me (1981)” that I grew up watch (without my parents permission, sorry guys). These films are fun and represent that classic period of horror to the T. There was some worry with this release since “Happy Birthday To Me” is used the artwork for it’s 2004 release, which used a terrible disco score for the film. But rejoice since the original score is included for this release and it sounds great! Horror fans this release should be an instant purchase, especially for less than $10 bucks for both films.

“When a Stranger Calls” Official Premise: A terrified young baby-sitter…an incessantly ringing phone…and whispered threats set the stage for one of the most suspenseful thrillers ever filmed. Carol Kane stars as the baby-sitter who is tormented by a series of ominous phone calls until a compulsive cop (Charles Durning) is brought on the scene to apprehend the psychotic killer. Seven years later, however, the nightmare begins again when the madman returns to mercilessly haunt Kane, now a wife and mother. No longer a naive girl, though still terrified, but prepared, she moves boldly to thwart the maniac s attack in scenes that culminate in a nerve shattering conclusion.

“Happy Birthday To Me” Official Premise: Get ready for a taut mystery-shocker that will keep you at your wit s end and at the edge of your seat. Popular high school senior Virginia Wainwright (Melissa Sue Anderson) survives a freak accident, but suffers from memory loss and traumatic blackouts. As she attempts to resume a normal life, something terrible is happening – her friends are ruthlessly murdered one-by-one. Will she be the next victim or is she the killer? The terrifying truth is finally uncovered at Virginia s 18th birthday party and you re invited!

Both “When a Stranger Calls / Happy Birthday to Me” look amazing on Blu-ray, especially for films that are over 30 years old. The transfer are sharp and clear. “When a Stranger Calls” is presented with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, while “Happy Birthday to Me” comes with an 1.78:1 aspect ratio. In the audio department, “When a Stranger Calls” comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track, which delivers for the film itself. Surprisingly, “Happy Birthday to Me” comes with an amped up DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, trying to apologize to its fans of the past release with the terrible disco scores. No additional special features are included on this release.

Actors: Steven Seagal, Lisa Lovbrand, David Kennedy, Danny Webb, Matthew Davis
Directors: Michael Keusch, mink
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Mill Creek Entertainment
Release Date: March 26, 2013
Run Time: 192 minutes

Our Score: 1 out of 5 stars

When it comes to Steve Seagal, I am always first in line. His films in the last 10 years haven’t been groundbreaking but I still dig them.  These films included in this double feature, “Attack Force” and “Into the Sun”, are nothing unique and far from his best films to date but I still have enjoyed them when they were released. After Seagal had a brief comeback with “Exit Wounds” and “Half Past Dead“, aka his “rapper phase”, his films have since been solely heading right to DVD. These films are no different and if you are a fan of Seagal you know that they fun and entertaining….if they were presented well.  This release has way too many issues and I wouldn’t recommend it at.  Even if you are an insane hardcore Seagal fan, be prepared to be letdown.

“Attack the Sun” Official Premise: Steven Seagal is back in this high-octane, action thriller! When Marshall Lawson (Seagal) loses his striketeam in a cold-blooded and seemingly random attack, he takes it upon himself to investigate the suspicious circumstances of the brutal killings. Soon he uncovers CTX Majestic, a covert military operation so secret, that now the military wants Marshall eliminated. Resolute in his pursuit, Marshall engages in a merciless battle with a drug dealer operation that appears to be secretly funded by a rogue arm of the military.

“Into The Sun” Official Premise: Action superstar Steven Seagal is back in this nonstop thrill ride! When the governor of Tokyo is murdered, it falls on ex-CIA agent Travis Hunter (Seagal) to track down the responsible terrorists. However, the plot to kill the Governor is only the beginning of a web of corruption and violence. Hunter discovers a plan by a rising Yakuza leader to build an enormous drug-dealing network with the Chinese Mafia. With time running out and the Yakuza determined to see their plan through, Hunter must thwart the operation and get out alive.

The 1080p transfers on both “Attack Force” and “Into the Sun” looks good and both films have a decent DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, but that is not where the problem lies. “Attack of the Sun” has issues with dialogue syncing and looks like a bad “Godzilla” movie. I am not sure why this wasn’t addressed before distributing.  It makes the film very hard to watch unless it is just background noise.  But that isn’t even the worst of it, most of “Into the Sun” is in various different languages, mostly Japanese I believe, and get this…there are no regular subtitles for the non-English languages.  So you miss most of what is being said.  Now given there is an English SDH track but then you have to even watch the English dialogue subs…and badly subbed to boot. There are no special features included either for this release. Although it is available at less than $10 bucks, this is a solid pass!

Actors: Elisabeth Shue, Kevin Bacon, Josh Brolin, Greg Grunberg, Peter Facinelli, Laura Regan, Christian Slater
Directors: Paul Verhoeven, Claudio Fäh
Rated: Unrated / R
Studio: Mill Creek Entertainment
DVD Release Date: March 26, 2013
Run Time: 210 minutes

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

When I think about Paul Verhoeven, I immediately think about the brilliant work he has done with “Robocop”, “Starship Troopers” and “Total Recall”, hell, even “Showgirls”…but I don’t really think about “Hollow Man”. The film was a see once and then forget about. Watching the film about on Blu-ray gave it a bit of new life. There are parts that I really liked and some I didn’t but overall it is a pretty good film. “Hollow Man 2” is exactly what you expect it would be. It is a lower budgeted direct-to-video film. It doesn’t reach half the standards of the first film due to time and budget but still entertains. Both of these films together on one Blu-ray seems like a no brainer, especially when it is less than $10 bucks. Can’t go wrong.

“Hollow Man” Official Premise: What would you do if you were invisible? How far would you go? After years of experimentation, Dr. Sebastian Caine, a brilliant but arrogant and egotistical scientist working for the Defense Department, has successfully transformed mammals to an invisible state and brought them back to their original physical form. Determined to achieve the ultimate breakthrough, Caine instructs his team to move on to Phase III: human experimentation. Using himself as the first subject, the invisible Caine finds himself free to do the unthinkable.

“Hollow Man 2” Official Premise: Christian Slater stars in the action-packed sequel to the box office hit Hollow Man as a volunteer soldier/assassin who goes mad after he turns invisible. A driven Seattle detective and the molecular biologist he s been assigned to protect, find themselves on the run from an undetectable solider gone rogue as he destroys everything in his path in order to find the serum to save his life and punish the unscrupulous scientists and agents of the government responsible for this creation.

Mill Creek delivered impressive audio and video and both films, even being compressed on one Blu-ray. The 1080p transfer for “Hollow Man” is sharp and clear, as was Sony’s 2007 Blu-ray. The audio is slightly different yet still very effective, boasting a DTS-HD MA 5.1 track. The action and the score sound great. “Hollow Man 2” has that direct-to-video feel but still looks decent with its 1080p. Same goes for the DTS-HD MA 5.1 track, which works well but doesn’t have the same suspense the first film did, also the score is not comparable. There are no special features on this release but at least “Hollow Man” comes with the director’s cut of the film. If you couldn’t care less about the sequel and want some extras you could always pick up the original “Hollow Man” Blu-ray from 2007, which still holds up.

Actors: Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Rose Marie, Morey Amsterdam
Directors: John Rich, Robert Butler, Sheldon Leonard
Number of discs: 3
Rated: Unrated
Studio: IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT
Release Date: April 9, 2013
Run Time: 750 minutes

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

There is just something about classic 60’s television. I actually miss it quite a bit. Today when you turn on the television it is all reality TV shows and trash. I really love escaping into the world when in order to be on television you needed to have talent. Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore are two of the funniest people in the business. Rose Marie and Morey Amsterdam are also fantastic compliments to the two leads. The humor is very funny and clean family fun. It is also very timeless. It has been over 50 years since this show aired and I still laugh out loud many times during each episode. Image Entertainment is the leader of bringing these great shows to Blu-ray with great shows like “The Twilight Zone”. This is not the first rodeo on Blu-ray for “The Dick Van Dyke Show”. Image released the complete series last year. This is the first time though that the individual seasons are being released. If you are a fan of this show this release is a must have! Relive the classics again!

Official Premise: Trip into the living room of comedy writer Rob Petrie (Dick Van Dyke) along with his lovely wife, Laura (Mary Tyler Moore), wisecracking co-workers and nutty neighbors. Winner of 15 Emmy Awards, this groundbreaking series is consistently ranked among the top TV comedies of all-time and renowned for its top-notch cast and stellar writing. Now enjoy the first season’s entire 30 episodes (air 1961-1962), each digitally remastered to its original full-length version. Get ready to laugh out loud with such classics as Rob and Laura balancing a career-building cocktail party with caring for a sickly son in the series’ first episode, The Sick Boy and the Sitter; then in My Blonde-Haired Brunette and insecure Laura disastrously dyes her hair; and Rob’s shy brother (Jerry Van Dyke) is a sleepwalking Jekyll and Hyde in the hilarious two-parter I am My Brother’s Keeper/The Sleeping Brother.

Image Entertainment does nothing of short of delivering “The Dick Van Dyke Show” looking better than it ever has on Blu-ray. The 1960’s black-and-white television show looks honestly stunning on high definition. For the Blu-ray, Image delivered each episode’s 1080p transfer with new scans from the camera negatives. You can tell that there is a lot of love for a show like this. Also for a show that is over 50 years old, you could have easily fooled me. There is no issue at all with the DTS-HD MA 1.0 audio track. The show doesn’t really need much in order for it to succeed well. The track is perfect for the show’s dialogue, the music and laugh-track.

The special features are very impressive for this release (and mirror last year’s complete series release). There is audio commentaries track with Carl Reiner and Dick Van Dyke on the following episodes 19: “Where Did I Come From?” and episode 29: “The Sleeping Brother”. I love the chemistry between both of these guys and they are a riot. I would have loved to see them cover each episode but that is not practical. There is the Original Series Pilot Episode, “Head of the Family”, which is a riot. There are interviews with various members of the cast and directors from the show. There are Emmy Award Telecast Clips Honoring “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and also Original Commercials with the Cast and Network Promos. Lastly there are Photo Galleries for the 16 out of the 30 episodes. Can’t wait for the the rest of the seasons being released. Keep them coming Image Entertainment!

Actors: Bridget Hoffman, Wayne Akers, Stephen Apostolina, Heather Ashton, Michaline Babich
Directors: Ryutaro Nakamura
Number of discs: 4
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Funimation
Release Date: November 27, 2012
Run Time: 325 minutes

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

“Close the World. Open the Next”

I have to admit, I am a bad anime fan.  I have not heard of “Serial Experiments: Lain” until recently. The series originally aired in 1998 from acclaimed artist Yoshitoshi ABe. This very existential series has been said to pave the way for films like “The Matrix”. The word “existential” barely even describes this show show since it is one hell of a trip.  If you are looking for a light watching material for an afternoon, this is definitely not it.  It is a slow, deep and very intense series. I enjoyed it as a whole because I was able to marathon the whole series in one sitting.  I think that if I had to watch this episode by episode over time, I wouldn’t be as optimistic. Overall, this isn’t my favorite anime series of all time but I did like the futuristic and almost sci-fi feel of it.

Official Premise: Follow along as fourteen year old Lain driven by the abrupt suicide of a classmate logs on to the Wired and promptly looses herself in a twisted mass of hallucinations, memories, and interconnected-psyches. The episodes are setup as “Layers”.  There are 13 layers to this series including “Weird”, “Girls”, “Psyche”, “Religion”, “Distortion”, “Kids”, “Society”, “Rumors”, “Protocol”, “Love”, “Infornography”, “Landscape” and “Ego”.

Serial Experiments: Lain is finally available on Blu-ray, thanks to Funimation. No need to  shell out major bucks anymore for the Japanese import. There have been some complaints of banding issues with this release but I thought that the 1080p transfers look fantastic. The colors are very sharp and the animation still holds up in high-def despite being 15 years old.  There are two audio tracks includes for “Serial Experiments: Lain”. There is an Dolby TrueHD 2.0 track for the original Japanese track and English dub as well. I have to say that the English track definitely impresses the most.  It is well-cast and sounds stronger than the Japanese track, which is a rare case for anime.

“Serial Experiments: Lain – Complete Series” is being released as a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack. This limited edition release comes in slipcase with a case for the Blu-ray discs and a case for the DVDs. In terms of watchable special features, they are disappointing but luckily there is additional readable extras included. The special features only include a brief Promo Video, Original Commercial, U.S. Trailer and Textless Opening and Closing Songs.  The reason why the extras are worth the purchase is due to the additional booklet included with episode commentaries between Saito and Ueda, as well as emails from Saito.  The star of the release though is easily the larger book called “Inside Serial Experiements: Lain Artbook.  This contains tons of sketches and animation details for the show.

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Actors: Takeru Shibuya, Hikari Mitsushima, Tamaki Ogawa, Teruyuki Kagawa
Directors: Takashi Shimizu
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Well Go USA
DVD Release Date: April 2, 2013
Run Time: 83 minutes

Film: 1.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1/2 out of 5 stars

When it comes to Japanese horror, the name Takashi Shimizu stands out and can carry a lot of wait. He is the genius behind amazing horror films like “Ju-On” and “The Grudge”. “Ju-On” is one of the only horror films (besides “Insidious”) that still gives me nightmares. Though recently his films have been nothing but disappointing. His last film, “The Shock Labyrinth”, was his first attempt at 3D and was also his worst film to date. At first I was thrilled for a 3D horror film from the dude that made “The Grudge”. Boy, was I wrong. But being a sucker for 3D horror, I was still excited for “Tormented 3D”. I figured how couldn’t mess up twice in a row…could he? Damn, this film was worse than the last one.

The horror factor in the film is at the level of a PG rated film. While watching there were several moments that I was waiting for the jump moment and it just passed right by. I am not what he was aiming to do here but he completely missed the mark. This film is being blended as a terrifying tale but then they have the main villain as a giant human sized person in a bunny costume. There is literally nothing creepy or scary about that at all. To make it worse, Shimizu connects his last film, “The Shock Labyrinth” together with this one using the actually film in parts and used the same sets and even shot for shot takes.

Official Premise: Daigo doesn’t speak anymore. Not since he killed that rabbit on the playground at school. His sister, Kiriko, is worried. He’s bullied. He sleepwalks. And their father is no help, trapped in his own grief and illustrating fantasy worlds where families are happily reunited and no one dies. They never should have gone to that 3D movie. The one with the stuffed rabbit that floated out of the screen. Now Daigo is missing. He’s in danger, and Kiriko will have to follow him into a world of nightmares to discover the truth. And the truth is worse than any dream. From the legendary director of THE GRUDGE, Takashi Shimizu takes an unflinching look into childhood fears, the ties that hold a family together, and bloody secrets that won’t stay dead.

The 3D presentation on this film is actually quite terrible. There is some major ghosting happening throughout various scenes whenever depth is added. For instance, when they are in the hospital and going up the stairs, I literally had to take my glasses off since it was that disrupting. I had a similiar issue with the 3D in “The Shock Labyrinth” and I would have thought that Shimizu would have worked out the bugs. The Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is not bad though but since there is little suspense or scares, it doesn’t get a good work out. There is no English dub track included, nor are there any special features besides a trailer. I will be thinking twice before being sucked into another Takashi Shimizu film. Fool me once, shame on you! Fool me twice, shame on me!

Directed by: Guy Vasilovich
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
DVD Release Date: March 26, 2013
Run Time: 22 minutes

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

I love the idea of “LEGO Star Wars”. I have various pieces built together all over my home office. When they made the feature, “LEGO Star Wars: The Padawan Menace”, I was head over heals. It was released in a beautiful Blu-ray/Combo pack with a limited edition Han Solo character. That brings be to wonder for this release, Why no Blu-ray? That is one thing that I am caught up for this release (would have been a 5/5 rating). Why release one in high def and not the other. If you can get over that than this is absolutely hysterical and a must own for any “Star Wars fan”. There is so much crammed in the short 22-minute feature that you are left wanting more but at the same time absolutely satisfied.

Official Premise: Your favorite characters are back to save the galaxy in LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out. The heroes of the Rebel Alliance including heroic Luke Skywalker, swaggering Han Solo and steadfast Princess Leia have no time to celebrate their victory over the Empire as a new Imperial threat arises. But as Jedi-in-training Luke embarks on this next mission, he discovers that his celebrity status as a “Death-Star-Blower-Upper” can be a double-edged lightsaber when he’s constantly mobbed by crazed fans. So much for secret missions! Meanwhile, Darth Vader and Darth Maul are locked in a hilarious “Sith-ling” rivalry as they compete for the Emperor’s approval. It’s an action-packed comic adventure that’s out of this world!

To be honest, I am shocked that they even got to release this film now that Disney owns Lucasfilm. They already canceled “The Clone Wars” and shelved “Detours”, so I am just happy that they didn’t shelf this as well. I do hope that Disney smartens up and that they are planning more of these “LEGO Star Wars” features because they are so much fun. “The Empire Strikes Out” packs some very funny yet witty slapstick humor. Fans can also expect your favorite LEGO Star Wars characters. Just because this title is related to “Empire Strikes Back”, we still get our favorites like Darth Maul, Ahsoka Tano and many more who pop in for a laugh or two.

Written by Emmy Award winner Michael Price (“The Simpsons”), the feature includes voices from series regulars including Anthony Daniels, Ahmed Best, Tom Kane and  Sam Witwer appear as the voices of C-3PO, Jar Jar Binks, Yoda and Darth Maul. Also a bunch of other veterans return including Kenneth Colley, Brian Blessed, Andrew Secombe and Julian Glover, whom reprise their roles of Admiral Piett, Boss Nass, Watto and General Veers, respectively. “The Empire Strikes Out” was dedicated in memory of Ralph McQuarrie, the designer of the original trilogy, who recently passed away. Lastly I haven’t forgotten  the DVD will include an exclusive collectible Darth Vader w/Metal LEGO minifigure. So that is easily worth the $10 price point alone.

Eric Walter is the director of the new film surrounding Long Island, NY’s famous haunted house with the documentary  “My Amityville Horror”. The film gets a first hand revisit the former house resident Daniel Lutz, who was only 10 during the events back in the 70’s. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Eric about the film and working with Daniel Lutz.

Mike Gencarelli: What made to you want to get involved with “My Amityville Horror”?
Eric Walter: To present a new perspective on the events in Amityville was my initial motivation. Daniel Lutz is the first of the Lutz children to come forward with his entire account of what he claims happened inside that house, so this was an extraordinary opportunity to explore these allegations with someone who was there. However, once I got to know Daniel, it was apparent he still wears the scars of The Amityville Horror to this day and has been unfortunately forever damaged by whatever happened to his family inside that house. I’ve also had an obsessive interest with this case since I was child. Reviewing the years of heated debates surrounding both the DeFeo murders and the Lutz haunting, I couldn’t help but be fascinated by the personalities that surround it and their apparent desire to defend their part of the story. This controversy would have never continued if the original participants weren’t still so entangled within it. In January of 2007, I launched AmityvilleFiles.com, an enormous online archive of Amityville-related research. I wanted to create an unbiased presentation of the known facts surrounding the case – somewhere people who are interested in these events could go and read through the original newspaper articles, view media and essentially draw their own conclusions on what they believe went down in that house.

MG: What are your thoughts on the events that took place at 112 Ocean Avenue?
EW: I believe that something very real occurred to the Lutz family that truly frightened them. I believe that they believed the house was haunted. I don’t believe their account was a complete hoax created for profit or attention, however there are inconsistencies that make it a difficult picture. How many of their stories were real or possibly elaborated upon, no one will ever know. Their accounts have been lost in over 35 years of misinformation about the story and media exposure that have clouded the truth. This is why I felt it very necessary to allow Daniel Lutz to speak openly in the film, giving him an objective stage to do so. In many ways, I think his account has only deepened the mystery.

MG: How did you get in touch with Daniel Lutz?
EW: AmityvilleFiles.com proved to be the calling card for what became “My Amityville Horror.” I was contacted by a contractor in the New York area who claimed to be a friend of Daniel Lutz. Despite being very intrigued, I didn’t necessarily believe this man’s claims until I was able to see a picture of Daniel. After this, I knew this had to be him and I went about engaging in conversation with them. In 2009, I traveled to New York and conducted nearly 12 hours of audio recordings with Daniel.

MG: Tell us about your experience working with him.
EW: Working with Daniel has been very challenging at times. He’s very angry and difficult to approach at first. My immediate impression was that his willingness to speak to me was almost therapy for him — a way of unburdening himself of these stories that have lived inside his head for over 35 years. He was struggling to differentiate his point-of-view from the public’s perception of the story. Many of his memories seem to be skewed by the media fiction that surrounds these events. The subject of memory came heavily into play when listening to his account. For me, this started to transcend the Amityville topic and touch on a broader issue – the challenge of someone attempting to comprehend the unexplained. That’s what I hope people really take away from the film. This is something that has psychologically damaged and impacted this person. Whether it’s true or not, he believes it’s true.

MG: Some of the questions you approach him with are quite tough—were you ever concerned about that?
EW: There’s such intensity with him about this topic that I was constantly aware of how far to push him on certain questions. I never shied away from asking hard questions, but it was process of being conscious of when to ask certain things. He definitely does not like discussing Amityville and becomes very tense and angry when exploring those dark areas of his childhood. Looking back, I’m amazed I was able to capture as much as did within the film.

MG: What was your biggest challenge with working on the documentary?
EW: I’d have to say bringing all of the subjects together into one film was the greatest challenge. We tried very hard to interview Daniel’s other two siblings, but there’s such pain surrounding this time in their life, the remaining family members choose not to speak about it anymore. As filmmakers, we had to respect this, but it’s difficult because you desire that corroboration for the film. They seemed to have moved on from it more than Daniel apparently has. For me, obtaining all of the necessary witness testimony was the greatest challenge in producing this film.

MG: What do you have planned next?
EW: I’m currently in development on another feature documentary concept. The realm of the unexplained is what fuels my desire to make films, so I plan to stay in this field of study. I’m very interested in the combination of narrative and documentary and how these styles can be used to enhance the storytelling process. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to explore a variety of different subjects in the future and expanding my palette of work.

Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Max Irons and William Hurt
Directed by: Andrew Niccol
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 2 hrs 5 mins
Open Road Films

Our Score: 1.5 out of 5 stars

“What have you done to him? What have you done to his eyes, you maniacs!” Rosemary Woodhouse – “Rosemary’s Baby”

In the future, after wars have decimated the planets, ours is visited by an alien race that begins to take over our bodies, making everyone happy and polite. However, not everyone has been turned. As we meet Melanie (Ronan) she is being chased by several of the nice-guy aliens, only to hurtle herself out of a window. Surprisingly, despite the fact that “almost every bone has been broken and every organ damaged” (her teeth are still remarkably straight and even) Melanie has survived the fall. The “Healer” that examines her cuts a small hole in her neck and inserts a “soul”…the organism that has made the human race so docile. When she recovers Melanie renames herself “Wanderer” and begins living a docile life. However, deep inside Melanie’s personality and thoughts remain. But which one will emerge and which will be destroyed?

Horribly written with so many plot holes you could drive a truck through them, “The Host” is the latest work of “Twilight” author Stephenie Meyer. As the film progresses we get a glimpse of Melanie’s past…looking after her brother Jamie (Chandler Canterbury)…meeting and falling in love with Jared (Irons)…longing for those good old days on the Louisiana bayou. The majority of the film deals with Melanie and “Wanderer” (in the new world everyone is addressed with their new assignment on Earth – the “Healer” is known as Healer Fords, the aliens that are on “Wanderer’s” tail are known as Seekers. Diane Kruger is THE Seeker, a being who will stop at nothing to get to Melanie hidden deep inside. As the film progresses Melanie reunites with her Uncle Jeb (Hurt), though as she is visibly an alien there is an obvious lack of trust. Wait a minute…did you say she was VISIBLY an alien? Yes indeed. Apparently one of the side effects of having a soul take over your body is the appearance of beautiful blue eyes, shining brighter than a star. Which means unless you’re Yancy Butler or Jeff Fahey you have to hide your eyes lest you be discovered. Or wear sunglasses!

I feel so bad for the cast of this film because they are trying so hard. Ronan is constantly arguing herself, which gets funnier as she goes along because, as Melanie was from Louisiana, on occasion her “inside” voice has a little bit of a twang. But only occasionally. The eye thing gets really boring after a while, especially when director Niccol insists on tight close ups of Melanie’s face where, after a dramatic pause, she opens her eyes and stares blue darts into the camera. As the Wanderer (or “Wanda” as she’s now called by the earthlings) gets closer to Jared she and Melanie argue more. When Jared kisses her she slaps him…it’s like an internal battle…Melanie can’t stand the idea of another woman kissing her man…even when she IS the other woman. As the story goes on and the Seekers – led by THE Seeker – gets closer, you can’t help but wonder if there isn’t a Discovery Eye Center anywhere on the planet that stocks contact lenses? Hell, I could walk into Spencer Gifts tomorrow and get a set of beautiful blue contacts. Or a pair of sunglasses. But then I wouldn’t learn a valuable lesson about life, love and realizing I’m never getting back the two hours I invested in this film.

I really feel sorry for writer/director Niccol. Even though it’s noted that the film is based on a novel, the movie poster proudly proclaims the film was written and directed by Niccol, who actually DID write the brilliant “Truman Show.” If I was him I’d buy every poster I could find and destroy them!

On the positive side, the cast is game, the special effects not too cheesy and the scenery is lovely to look at. With any color eyes!

Starring: Toby Jones, Sienna Miller, Imelda Staunton, Penelope Wilton
Directed by: Julian Jarrold
Distributed by: HBO Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: TV-14
Running Time: 90 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1.5 out of 5 stars

“Blondes make the best victims.  They’re like virgin snow that shows up the bloody footprints” – Alfred Hitchcock

When it comes to HBO Films, I don’t care about the topic or anything, I am immediately interested. They always seem to impress with their high profile cast and edgy and in-your-face films, for example the recent “Hemingway and Gellhorn”. “The Girl” was nominated for three Golden Globes including Best Actor, Actress and Motion Picture – Made for Television. The film focuses on Alfred Hitchcock’s obsessive relationship with Tippi Hedren, his leading lady in “The Birds” and “Marnie”. “The Girl” stars Toby Jones as Hitchcock and Sienna Miller as Hedren. Both actors did marvelous jobs. They were both very committed to the roles and delivered an intense performance. I was blown away with Jones’ portrayal of good ole “Hitch”. Everything from his look, to this walk or that voice was a real score. Move over Anthony Hopkins! If you are a fan of Hitchcock, do not miss this release.

Official Premise: “The Girl” tells the story of the director’s obsessive relationship with his leading lady during the making of The Birds and Marnie. As he attempted to sculpt Hedren into the perfect blonde of his imagination, Hitchcock became obsessed with the impossible dream of winning the real woman’s love. Her rejection of his misguided attempts only added to his obsession, putting both their careers and personal lives in jeopardy. “The Girl” is a complex tale of power, obsession, and the price exacted for stardom.

I am a little disappointed with this film’s release, not the actual release itself but the fact that is only being released made to order on DVD, thanks to Warner Archive. HBO has had great success with their original films and I would have loved to see this get a proper DVD and even Blu-ray. The transfer looks stunning with its 16X9 widescreen aspect ratio. The audio track packs nice Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track, which is a step up from previous Warner Archive releases. The only special features included is an interview with Tippi Hedren, the star of the original “The Birds” and Marnie”. She reflects on working with Hitchcock and related to the film. It is way too short though and only runs about three minutes. I would have loved to see more extras surround this film itself with featurettes on the production, interviews with Sienna Miller and Toby Jones and even a commentary track.

Directed by: Ralph Bakshi
Starring: Richard Romanus, David Proval, Jesse Welles, Tina Bowman
Distributed by Warner Archive
Release Date: April 2nd, 2013
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 77 minutes

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

“Hey Good Lookin'” is written, produced and directed by one of my favorites Ralph Bakshi, who is the man behind film’s like “Fritz The Cat”, “Wizards” and “American Pop”. There is a lot of back story behind the production of “Hey Good Lookin'”. The film was originally shot and delivered back in 1974 as a live-action/animated combination, eight years before it was finally released in 1982. Originally only the main characters were animated and the rest were portrayed by live actors. The final version of the film is quite different with most of the live-action sequences taking out with animated scenes replacing them. The original version remains unreleased and will probably never see the light of day. Either way I love Bakshi’s style of animated and this film is no different.  I love the 50’s setting and the animation still holds up well after over 30 years. Don’t miss this release!

Offical Premise: From Cool World creator Ralph Bakshi, Hey Good Lookin’ is an outrageous, nostalgic and adult take on a more innocent time. Well, not that much more innocent: not every street corner was a Happy Days setting. Our hero, Vinnie, leader of the ragtag gang known as the Brooklyn Stompers, plays it cool. His lady, Roz, thinks he’s the most wonderful thing on two legs. And his off-the-wall, hot-wired friend Crazy Shapiro would die for the honor of Vinnie and the gang. They’re all sympathetic and familiar characters turned loose in a funky, surreal cartoon landscape that really packs a punch, just as the ‘50s-styled soundtrack of original songs by John Madara and Ric Sandler evokes playful memories. With Fritz the Cat, Heavy Traffic and Cool World, Bakshi made animation history mixing mature themes and hip humor. If you know his work, then Hey Good Lookin’ is up your alley.

This film is released for the first time on DVD, thanks to Warner Archive.  It is only available via Warner Archive on a made to order basis.  The transfer of the film looks quite amazing on DVD with an sweet widescreen 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The animation really looks sharp and the line detail is well presented and restored. The colors are very sharp and pop off the screen.  The audio track included is a Dolby Digital Mono track and works well with the dialogue and the film’s music. I would have loved to seen Warner Archive give this film the Blu-ray treatment like they have been doing with some of their releases. But at least this film finally gets a decent DVD release and a chance to get the attention it well-deserves. Lastly, besides a trailer, there are no additional extras or special features included.

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Starring: Bill Blakemore, Geoffrey Cocks, Juli Kearns, John Fell Ryan, Jay Weidner
Director: Rodney Ascher
Running Time: 1 hr 38 min
Studio: Highland Park Classics / IFC

Our rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

If a picture is indeed worth a thousand words, then a motion picture is worth at least a million interpretations. Rodney Ascher’s documentary “Room 237: Being an Inquiry into ‘The Shining’ in 9 Parts” puts Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 masterpiece of modern horror under the microscope to present us with a wide range of interpretations through the hearts and minds of five of the film’s most avid watchers.

Within the documentary’s opening minutes, it’s clear that the film is not aiming in any way to be a standard “making of” documentary but, rather, a detailed scholarly deconstruction of a piece of art. Luckily, “The Shining” is a rich enough movie to warrant such an in-depth analysis and “Room 237” succeeds in being thought-provoking and intriguing throughout its 98-minute running time.

The hypotheses and theories put forth in “Room 237” range from plausible to wildly overreaching. Sure, it’s quite possible that the theme of the genocide of the American Indians is part of “The Shining”, especially given that the film’s grandest character – the Overlook Hotel itself – is built atop an ancient Indian burial ground. It’s a plot point that Kubrick elected to carry over from Stephen King’s novel and it sets the stage for something wicked that will its way come. And while you probably noticed the Navajo-themed décor that is prevalent throughout the Overlook , you may not have registered the cans of Calumet baking powder that are strategically placed in certain kitchen-based scenes. Or Wendy telling Danny that the loser of the race to get through the hedge maze has to “keep Amerca clean.” Hmmm…

The other interpretations presented are equally compelling: that “The Shining” has allegorical roots in the Holocaust, that the hotel is a sexual predator that feeds off of the people that inhabit it, and that the film is Kubrick’s secret confession to his wife that he was involved with faking the footage of the NASA moon landing.

Wait… Kubrick helped fake the moon landing?

Ascher’s documentary takes its craziest turn when he allows Jay Weidner to present the idea that interlaced in “The Shining” are various clues that the visionary that was able to create “2001: A Space Odyssey” in 1968 was the prime mover in staging and filming the televised footage of the Apollo 11 moon walk in 1969. While it would be easy to dismiss his theory as being that of a conspiracy-theorist nut job, he nonetheless presents a wide array of fairly convincing “evidence” to support his claim.

“Room 237” is at its strongest and most engrossing when it illustrates – via film clips, diagrams, and even computer-animated 3D models of the Overlook Hotel’s floor plan – the theories that all of its commentators are presenting. It often borrows fairly heavily from the Errol Morris school of documentary film-making in that often employs reenactments and simple single inanimate objects taking up the entire screen.

The documentary repeatedly takes wrong turns when it uses clips of existing films – including some of Kubrick’s – and manipulates them to be relevant to “The Shining”. The very first shot in “Room 237” is actually a scene from “Eyes Wide Shut”, but instead of Tom Cruise looking at a jazz club poster advertising the Nick Nightingale quartet, he’s looking at the European poster for “The Shining”. While this digital fakery is mildly amusing, it sets the wrong tone for “Room 237”. It also seriously begs the question of what the late Kubrick would have thought about his work being altered in this way.

The film’s weakest link is its horrendous original music. In many instances, it’s so out of sync with the material that “Room 237” presents, it makes one wonder if the wrong score accidentally got mixed in to the film’s soundtrack. Even the involvement of Walking Dead composer, Bear McCreary, can’t save “Room 237”’s music from cheapening the documentary as a whole.

Fortunately, the subject at “Room 237”s core – “The Shining” itself – is impervious to the goofs that a documentary about it may have. As is stated in the film, “There’s a lot of stuff [in “The Shining”] that people haven’t seen yet, so they should keep watching it.” Indeed, after watching “Room 237”, a repeat viewing of Kubrick’s 1980 horror masterpiece is pretty much a necessity – although you’ll never look at the magazine that Jack Torrance is reading in the Overlook’s lobby the same way ever again.

Recently in New York City, Media Mikes attended a press conference with Kristin Chenoweth and Olesya Rulin about their new film “Family Weekend”, which opens Friday March 29th. The film also also starring Matthew Modine, Shirley Jones,Joey King,Eddie Hassel and Robbie Tucker and it is directed by Benjamin Epps.

“Family Weekend” follows 16 year old Emily Smith-Dungy (Olesya Rulin an incredibly motivated overachiever who has grown increasingly frustrated with her parents lack of support and guidance. Her mom, Samantha (Kristin Chenoweth), is a career focused, no nonsense high powered business executive. Her dad, Duncan (Matthew Modine), is a happy go lucky artist who can’t be bothered to earn a paycheck. When they missed their daughter’s big jump-roping competition, Emily hits her breaking point and takes it upon herself to restore order in the home. With the help of her siblings, they unite and take their parents hostages in hopes of becoming a “family” again.

I’m curious to know what kind of students you were like in high school and was there anything you were fanatical about in terms of subjects and things that you did in terms of extra curricular activities?
Kristin Chenoweth: I’m a type A perfectionist personality. I did choir and drama…I know it’s shocking! I was a cheerleader. I really just wanted to be with my friends. I did church stuff. I was just a normal kid but I was in a small town. I was like the kid from “Glee” in a tiny town. Now of course they have “Glee”, so if they had only done that 25 years ago it would have been better. I was that girl.
Olesya Rulin: Me in high school? I was kind of a loner. I had a handful of friends. I was a ballerina and I was very focused on that. You kind of have to be. So that was two thirds of my week. I didn’t take theater…sorry! I went to a small school in Utah. It wasn’t developed. We didn’t have the funds for that, but I did act all through high school on film. The Disney Channel would shoot movies out there, so I was always busy. I was gone from school a lot. My teachers did not understand me either. They would ask “How did you have 70 absences in one quarter?”. But I got straight A’s and I wanted to graduate high school with my associates. I was constantly doing charity work. So I took a lot of AP courses trying to get all my credits, so I could dive into college. I’m gonna be in all the upper level classes…ah ambition! I was really into college.
KC: This girl is pretty much who you think she is and it’s really refreshing.
OR: Aw, thank you. I had fun, but I wasn’t a cheerleader or nearly that popular.

The movie opens with the parents missing the jump rope competition; Have either of you ever missed am important event for somebody else in your life or has anybody missed an important event in your life ?
KC: That’s a good question. I still have guilt from 4 years ago, my niece graduated and I didn’t make it. Granted there was a huge snow storm in Denver and I couldn’t get in. But I still had that pang that I want to be there on those important days. I wanted to make it. My mom was a stay at home mom and my dad had his own business, but even with his business he was at the important events. I wish I could tell some tale like “oh they were never there for me and I was alone”, but no they were great parents. I try to be the same for my nieces and nephews and my Godchildren. I think I do pretty good.
OR: Oh, I think everyone who misses a huge event feels a life long guilt. I am so thankful for my family and friends because they are the ones who stick with you and understand we don’t have a normal life. My girlfriends, family and boyfriends they understand I cant always be committed 100%. I almost missed being the Maid of Honor at my best-friends wedding.
KC: Now that’s unforgivable [laughs]!
OR: The day of her wedding I was supposed to work. It was during the filming of “High School Musical 3”, I talked to my director Kenny Ortega and told him I have to be there to fluff her hair and do what Maid-of-Honor’s do. This is how much I love my director, he changed the shooting and it’s very rare to have someone do that for you. If it wasn’t for Kenny Ortega that would have been my event.

You guys are playing characters from a dysfunctional family but it seems like you both grew up in healthy families so how do you channel that for the film?
KC: We’d all like to say we have perfect families. I did grow up in a great family but we have our issues. There’s a little passive aggression going on in my family. Everybody’s different, each family unit is different. I think for me tapping into that the part of me that is the type A perfectionist but so intense-staying on schedule. I’m a multi-tasker but I’m a wreck in my personal life but that’s not actually the question is it? [laughs]. That’s for therapy! For me I tapping into the part of me that is that strong woman, who wants to have it all and does. She is sort of failing at part of her job, which is being a mom in the film. Seeing the evolution of a family, that’s what makes me happy. That’s what our family the Chenoweth’s strive to do. When we get off the rails and we do we remember that really it’s all about love and forgiveness. Forgiveness is a hard thing to do but I say this a lot. If I want to be forgiven I have to forgive. That’s what we do in the Chenoweth’s, eventually this family gets there too.
OR: A family is like a kaleidoscope…you look through it and it changes. My family is like that. We are all different colors like a prism. When we have light shine, we shine and its beautiful. When it’s dark nothing shines, like a rock. Our goal in our family is to shine. We make sure each individual shines in their own way. I was really blessed with parents who never said I couldn’t do anything. They never told me “no”. I wanted to do the dying swan ballet in the high school talent show. It’s deep, it’s very intense. Your dying for 10 minutes. My mom said “K go get ’em”. She told me “Whatever you choose to do in life be the best you can be. If you choose to be a drunk, be the best drunk. If you choose to be an architect, be the best architect”. She always gave me the freedom of that
KS: It’s a great gift.
OR: Some people have told me I have child-like ambition. I never hold myself back. My parents never told me to hold myself back.
KS: They gave you self esteem.
OR: I feel I can accomplish anything. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t at all, but I’m really thankful. My mom gave me that and my dad too. We’re not perfect but without that you don’t grow

What are your pop culture obsessions?
KC: Mine are so easy. “The Real Housewives of ANY County”, preferably “New Jersey”, and “Hillbilly Hand Fishing”. I grew up in that area where my cousins did it.
OR: If you get on it take me I’ll do it.
KC: Done! When I get home at night after being so focused I just want to feel good about myself. I turn on reality TV. I know just how much I have it together and I feel great.
OR: I love blogs. I have someone building one for me right now. I write letters. I know that’s not a pop culture thing, I guess. No one writes letters.
KC: I do. I do!
OR: I have a pen pal for seven years. He lives in France and we watched our lives evolve. Pop culture, I would have to say the new show “Hart of Dixie” and Instagram. I’m all up in that. I love that.

The characters in the movie all had hobbies were they in the original script or changed to fit you?
KC: My hobby was the Blackberry and as you can see (holding up her Blackberry) I’m really good at it. I do have it with me a lot, but this one (pointing to Olesya). She had to learn the jump rope. I can barely walk up a flight of steps anymore.
OR: I trained for 4 months in L.A. and I got really built. I ate straight protein. I never craved a whole chicken before! It’s different in ballet. It’s long lean muscles but for this I had to be short and a little stocky. Your feet don’t come much off the ground.

You were using a wire not a regular rope?
OR: It’s what spies use to capture people in spy movies. We had a great training team, based in Michigan. These kids were amazing and what level of sportsmanship. I was lucky to able to jump rope with them.
KC: She was so good and she trained all day. I was at the dessert cart saying “You go girl!”
OR: I will never jump rope again [laughs].

Starring: Josh Stewart, Christopher McDonald, Navi Rawat, Lee Tergesen
Director: Marcus Dunstan
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Lions Gate
Release Date: March 26, 2013
Run Time: 82 minutes

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

In 2009, Marcus Dunstan co-wrote and directed a horror film called “The Collector” along with Patrick Melton.  The two of them are no stranger to horror writing (Feast” series, “Saw 4-7”). They reunited on the sequel to “The Collector” called “The Collection”.  This film is much more brutal and in your face that the first go-round. There is something called excessive gratuitous violence and this film is not afraid to go there.  Is it too much? Maybe but this film is really sticks to its guns and is pretty fearless.  “The Collection” stars Josh Stewart (“The Dark Knight Rises”), the film also stars Emma Fitzpatrick (“The Social Network”), Lee Tergesen (HBO’s “Oz”) and Christopher McDonald (HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire”).  If you like films like “Saw”, then get ready cause this film will have you rooting for more yet at the same time cringing.

Official Premise: When Elena (Fitzpatrick) is talked into attending an underground warehouse party with her friends, she finds herself caught in a nightmarish trap where the revelers are mowed, sliced and crushed to death by a macabre series of contraptions operated by a masked psychopath. When the grisly massacre is over, Elena is the only survivor. But before she can escape, she is locked in a trunk and transported to an unknown location. Fortunately for Elena, one man-Arkin (Stewart) -knows exactly where she’s headed, having just escaped from there with his life and sanity barely intact. Elena’s wealthy father hires a crack team of mercenaries to force Arkin to lead them to the killer’s lair. But even these hardened warriors are not prepared for what they encounter.

“The Collection” looks actually quite stunning on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films. The 1080p transfer delivers with its 2.34:1 aspect ratio. If you are not a fan of blood and gore then get ready but they in your face with this high definition release. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track really working with horror action and of course Charlie Clouser score. The special features are good as well. There is an audio commentary track with Director/Writer Marcus Dunstan and Writer Patrick Melton, whom are rather engaging. There are five Featurettes included on the production including “A Director’s Vision”, “Makeup and Effects of ‘The Collection'”, “Production Design”, “Special Effects of ‘The Collection'” and “Stunts of ‘The Collection'”. Lastly there are three alternate scenes and a theatrical trailer included.