Actors: Jennifer Nichole Porter, Scott Winters, Brian A. White, Kathleen Kimball, Wayne Newton
Directors: Dana Packard
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Honey Tree Films
DVD Release Date: October 16, 2012
Run Time: 120 minutes

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

I have to admit that I had never heard of “40 West” before it showed up at my door. I am glad that I checked this out (for the most part) since it is a well-written low-budget indie with a nice punch ending. This plays out like a slow-burn character drama/thriller, though maybe a little too slow. Running two hours, this could have been easily trimmed by 30 minutes and been much more effective. Jennifer Nichole Porter is not just the star of this film, she is also the writer and composer as well. Being a fan of music, I really enjoyed the music in the film for sure. Speaking of music, who doesn’t love Wayne Newton? His role in this film is very clever and well-executed.

“40 West” focuses on Maeve (Jennifer Nichole Porter), a blues singer, that ends up with her car breaking down and purse stolen, when she is about to take a trip. She is helped out by a stranger Elijah (Scott Winters), who looks helpful but then ends up setting her up with ex-con husband Colin (Brian A. White), who handcuffs her in a hotel room and plays catch up after being in prison for five years. The events get more complicated when Colin’s girl from the pen, Arlene (Kathleen Kimball), shows up and on top of that Arlene’s husband Bud (Wayne Newton) makes his appearance as well.

The film’s website boasts winning 17 international awards, which is very impressive for an independent film. Though I am a little confused since The New Maine Times is quoted on the box calling this “A Gripping Thriller”, while it won Best Comedy at the Mountain Film Awards. I guess the pickings were a little light for that festival, the film has a certain dark comedy aspect but really lands more in the drama/thriller genre. Nonetheless, the film does deserve any recognition it gets. So kudos to them, hopefully more to come! You can get this film from iTunes, Amazon.com, Walmart.com and of course the film’s website.

Actors: Sid Haig, Courtney Gains, Allen Maldonado, Taylor Piedmonte, David Schwager
Director: Douglas Schulze
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
DVD Release Date: February 12, 2013
Run Time: 95 minutes

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

“Mimesis” is a very clever homage to George Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead”…for the first 30 minutes. It plays out scene for scene at first…before it crashes and burns into a modern killer flick. I have to give it to them for trying to be original here but they lost focus in the second half. They also got horror genre favs like Sid Haig and Courtney Gains to make a brief appearance. They are listed on the back of the box as “starring” but one scene doesn’t constitute starring. Horror fans, I would say watch this if you want find it free or on Netflix but otherwise, I would steer clear.

Official Premise: A group of horror fans find themselves unwilling participants in a living nightmare that pays homage to a classic horror film. Seven complete strangers whose only common link is a love for classic era horror films are invited to attend an exclusive “horror fan” party at a remote farm. But as the sun sets, these strangers soon find themselves within a real life version of the 1968 George Romero cult horror classic “Night of the Living Dead”!

The Blu-ray presentation looks good enough with its 1080p transfer. The DTS TrueHD 5.1 track work well with the score and suspense in the beginning. I got tired real quick with the speed up/slow down shots throughout the whole film. This isn’t “The Matrix”, you know! The only special feature listed here is an audio commentary track from the Director/Co-Writer Douglas Schulze and Co-Writer Joshua Wagner. I love their passion for the genre but it still doesn’t make it up for it’s disappointing third act.

Margaret Kerry is known best for her role as the live-action reference model for Tinker Bell in Walt Disney’s animated feature, “Peter Pan”. She also worked as the live-action reference model for the Red-Headed Mermaid in the lagoon sequence. With Disney’s “Peter Pan” being recently released on Blu-ray, Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Margaret about her role in the film and working with Walt Disney himself.

MG: How did you end up working as the model for Tinker Bell in the Walt Disney Pictures animated feature, “Peter Pan”?
MK: It may sound like I am going too far back but it is really not. I was adopted when I was 3 1/2 years old by this wonderful couple that were old enough to be my grandparents. They had no idea what to do with a tiny kid. They thought that I cute as a button and talented, so they started training me in acting. I got into Central Casting and I started working at 4 years old. I started in a movie called “A Midsummer’s Night Dream” and I made $8.50 a day, which was a lot then. So my mother became a “Hollywood mother”, but she really wasn’t very good at it [laughs]. I remember the first time I walked onto Warner Bros lot, it was terrifying. I worked with Meglin Kiddies, which is the group that MGM hired for their films. Producer Al Burton started out and put me down as a co-host of a local show where we found talented high school kids and put them on the show. At the same time, I was working in radio and was cast as the eldest sister on “The Ruggles”. I also had done the Eddie Cantor movie “If You Knew Susie” and you can see me on YouTube dancing up a storm. Next, I got hired to do a movie at Fox. So while, I was working at Fox I got the call if I wanted to try out for the reference model of Tinker Bell. Also while I was working at Fox, I was with a choreographer named Roland Dupree, whom I ended up getting him the reference model for the character Peter Pan. So all come around that is how it happened.

MG: Can you reflect on your experience working with the legendary Walt Disney?
MK: I have worked at almost every studio in town by the time I was working at Fox. So I was pretty well-versed at what studios were like. When I got the call from my agent that I might have a chance at working at Disney Studios, Michael I can’t tell you how exciting that was. During those times, Disney was the premiere studio to work with. It was just thrilling. In fact, I was just there a few days ago and it is still just as thrilling. Everything is for the employees. Creativity is blessed there. And Mr. Disney himself was just great. You will see in my book (more on that below) photo archives found two photos with him working on the same sound-stage as Buddy Ebsen. He would then come over and chat with Marc Davis, who was the animation director of “Peter Pan” and I got to chat with him at least five times. There were people who worked in the studio for over a year and never even met Walt. So I was so fortunate. I went to school with both of his daughters at Monticello School for Girls, while they were there for a short period. So I spoke to him about that and it was like I was the only person in the whole world. It was such a great experience.

MG:How long did you work on the film?
MK: It was about 9 months. But I wasn’t there every day. I also voiced the red haired mermaid in the lagoon along with June Foray and Connie Hilton. I said lines like “Oh Peter, we just wanted to drown her.” We also did the live-action work and had our legs bounded together and we had to slither around. It was just fabulous.

MG:Where you ever approached to model for any other Disney films after “Peter Pan”?
MK: I got married and had a family. When I met Jodi Benson, from “The Little Mermaid”, I told her that I was the great-great-grandmother of Ariel and we had a great laugh. But I ended up going into voice over. I speak 21 different dialects and 48 different voices. So I worked on shows like “Clutch Cargo” and “Space Angels”. So my primary focus was voice-over and radio. But they keep calling me back each time they re-release “Peter Pan”.

MG: Tell us about your autobiography “Tinker Bell Talks: Tales of a Pixie Dusted Life”?
MK: I am shooting for Valentine’s Day 2013, but of course you never know what can happen with printers. There are 110 chapters, none of which are over six pages. There are 80 photos and some really fun stories. Did you know I produced an animation short for George Clinton from Parliament-Funkadelic. In 10 days, I produced seven minutes of animation for one of their concerts. There is a funny story about that because this as well.  Since my boss (at the time) did not get the cash for the animation when it was delivered, I had to go and track down this group of people on the Sunset Strip. There are all these very tall black men around me and I am only 5’2 [laughs]. I walked up to them looking to get paid. We had a great laugh and they were such nice people. Those are the some of the stories included. It has been great fun to work on.

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Actors: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Christopher Walken, Catherine Keener, Wallace Shawn, Anne Sofie von Otter
Directors: Yaron Zilberman
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: February 5, 2013
Run Time: 105 minutes

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

When I saw the cast for this film I was immediately drawn.  I mean you’ve got both Academy Award Winners Christopher Walken and Philip Seymour Hoffman, who are absolutely brilliant in this film.  They have also had very strong years with “Seven Psychopaths” and “The Master”, respectively.  Also Academy Award Nominee Catherine Keener takes the stage with force. The film is very powerful and packs an intense passion of music.  I am a sucker for anything when it comes to music.  Something about it really speaks to me…maybe it is my yearning to be a musician myself.  Well if you are looking for a great piece that you probably missed in it brief theatrical release, I would recommend giving this a watch for sure.

Official Premise: After 25 years together, the members of a world-renowned string quartet learn that their beloved cellist (Walken) may soon be forced to retire. But the news stirs up equally painful challenges when competing egos, harbored resentment, and irrepressible lust threaten to derail the group as they struggle to maintain harmony in their music – and their lives.

20th Century Fox has delivered a nice Blu-ray presentation on this release.  It is just a sngle disc Blu-ray no DVD combo.  The 1080p looks very crisp and sharp, within its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1.  Since the film is about music, I was really hoping for a smashing audio track and it was delivered here with its DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1.  Works well with both the dialogue heavy scenes and the music as well.  The special features is where this release fails. There is only one short featurette called “Discord and Harmony”.  I would have loved to seen a commentary track with the director and this wonderful cast.

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Actors: Adelaide Clemens, Kit Harington, Sean Bean, Carrie-Anne Moss, Malcolm McDowell
Directors: Michael J. Bassett
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Universal Studios
DVD Release Date: February 26, 2013
Run Time: 95 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1 out of 5 stars

When I first saw “Silent Hill”, I wasn’t really blown away at first.  The film has grown on me since but still isn’t near perfect.  With the sequel I was really hoping that this was going to fix all the issues they had but with the first film but they leave way too many loose ends and focus too much on the back story. There are also flashbacks to the first film countless times, I would have like to seen them take the film it is own and new direction instead of holding onto the first film like a crutch.  The film is still entertaining though and visually beautiful (like the first).

If you have played the games then you know they are scary as shit.  This film (and the first) never really captured that fear aspect.  The creepiest part in the film was the nurses but nothing really scary here. Pyramid Head plays the role of the anti-hero more than a villain. When it comes to gore, there are some decent gory moments, but not very many.  Maybe I am desensitized but I was missing some major “What the F***!” moments here.

Let’s get to the aspect of the 3D.  I have to say I was very impressed with the 3D.  It feel like it was used well and almost sparingly.  It delivered some great in-your-face moments without going cheesy, while also providing some amazing depth to the town of Silent Hill.  I loved any shots with the falling ash since I felt like they really stood out well.  I might even go as far to say that the 3D was in fact the best part of this film.  Having also seen the film in 2D, it plays well but misses that depth that really binds it all together with the extra dimension.

In the video game world, “Silent Hill: Revelation” is a take on the game “Silent Hill 3”. Sean Bean returns from the first film, but really feels more like a cameo.  It is similar to the appearances from Radha Mitchell and Deborah Kara Unger, who also return from the first but only one scene in the whole film. Carrie-Anne Moss is almost unrecognizable playing Claudia Wolf, the head priestess of the order. Adelaide Clemens takes the lead in this and does a good job playing Sharon Da Silva / Heather Mason, but I couldn’t get over her resemblance to Michelle Williams.  Lastly there is another fun cameo from genre favorite Malcolm McDowell.

Official Premise: Return to a place of insanity and blood-curdling chills in this shocking sequel to one of the most surreal and gruesome horror films ever created. Heather Mason (Clemens) and her father (Bean) have always tried to stay one step ahead of the malevolent forces intent on their destruction. But on the eve of her 18th birthday, a dangerous revelation leads her deeper into a demonic world that threatens to trap her in a nightmarish landscape forever.

When it comes to the release itself though, Universal has all option covered here and delivers the goods. There is a Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + DVD + UV Digital Copy. I mean what else can you ask for? Everything format is covered and you have the option to what this film whenever/wherever you go. The 1080p transfer is very nice with the dark colored film and works well with the 3D presentation. The audio track is also solid here with its DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1.  It definitely delivers the score well and adds a lot of eerie aspects to the film.

The special features or should I say lack there of is another knife for “Silent Hill: Revelation” though. There is only one VERY short behind-the-scenes featurette, running about three minutes. The good thing is that it is actually presented in 3D, which is rare for extras but it doesn’t last long enough to deliver anything worth actually watching. Where are the rest of the extras? I would have loved to seen a visual effects featurette and even a commentary track.

“THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY,” A PRODUCTION OF NEW LINE CINEMA

AND METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER PICTURES, ARRIVES ON DIGITAL DOWNLOAD ON MARCH 12 

AND ON BLU-RAY COMBO PACK, BLU-RAY 3D™ COMBO PACK AND 2-DISC DVD SPECIAL EDITION ON MARCH 19 FROM WARNER BROS. HOME ENTERTAINMENT

Unlock a Sneak Peek of “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” on March 24 When You Purchase the Movie on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Download at Select Digital Retailers

Burbank, CA, February 5, 2013 – From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), arriving on Digital Download on March 12  and on Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack and 2-Disc DVD Special Edition on March 19  from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. All disc versions feature UltraVioletÔ and more than 130 minutes of bonus content. The first of a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” which is nominated for three Academy Awards*, is an epic adventure that immerses audiences once again in the fantastical world of Middle-earth. The March 19 home entertainment release will be followed by an Extended Edition available just in time for the holidays.

In addition, Peter Jackson will host a live first look at “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” the second film in The Hobbit Trilogy, on Sunday, March 24 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern/Noon Pacific. Content will be streamed live and an edited version will be archived on the Trilogy’s official website. Access to the live event will be limited to holders of an UltraViolet code available by purchasing “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack or 2-Disc Special Edition DVD. Select digital retailers will issue access codes upon purchase of the film.  Visit www.thehobbit.com/sneakfor more information.

Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf the Grey, the character he played in “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy, with Martin Freeman in the central role of Bilbo Baggins, and Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield. Also reprising their roles from “The Lord of the Rings” in “The Hobbit” Trilogy are: Cate Blanchett as Galadriel; Ian Holm as Old Bilbo; Christopher Lee as Saruman; Hugo Weaving as Elrond; Elijah Wood as Frodo; and Andy Serkis as Gollum. The international ensemble cast also includes James Nesbitt, Ken Stott, Sylvester McCoy, Barry Humphries, Aidan Turner, Dean O’Gorman, Graham McTavish, Adam Brown, Peter Hambleton, John Callen, Mark Hadlow, Jed Brophy, William Kircher, Stephen Hunter, Lee Pace, Benedict Cumberbatch, Manu Bennett and Conan Stevens.

The screenplay for “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” is by Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson & Guillermo del Toro, based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. Jackson also produced the film, together with Carolynne Cunningham, Zane Weiner and Fran Walsh. The executive producers are Alan Horn, Toby Emmerich, Ken Kamins and Carolyn Blackwood, with Boyens and Eileen Moran serving as co-producers.

New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Present a WingNut Films Production, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.” All three films in “The Hobbit” Trilogy, also including “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” and the final film, “The Hobbit: There and Back Again,” are productions of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), with New Line managing production. Warner Bros. Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories as well as all international television distribution being handled by MGM.

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” was released on December 14, 2012, with the second film, “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” releasing December 13, 2013, and the third film, “The Hobbit: There and Back Again,” slated for July 18, 2014.

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” will be available on 3-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack for $35.99, on 5-Disc Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack for $44.95, and on 2-Disc DVD Special Edition for $28.98. The Blu-ray Combo Pack features the theatrical version of the film in hi-definition on Blu-ray, and the theatrical version in standard definition on DVD. The 3D Blu-ray Combo Pack features the theatrical version of the film in 3D hi-definition on Blu-ray, the theatrical version of the film in 2D high definition on Blu-ray and the theatrical version in standard definition on DVD.  The Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack and the 2-Disc DVD Special Edition all include UltraViolet, which allows consumers to download and instantly stream the standard definition theatrical version of the film to a wide range of devices including computers and compatible tablets, smartphones, game consoles, Internet-connected TVs and Blu-ray players.*

SYNOPSIS

The adventure follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome Dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the Wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of 13 Dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild, through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins, Orcs and deadly Wargs, as well as a mysterious and sinister figure known only as the Necromancer.

Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain, first they must escape the Goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever…Gollum.

Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of ingenuity and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities…A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.

BLU-RAY AND DVD ELEMENTS

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack and DVD Special Edition contain the following special features:

• Full Suite of Peter Jackson’s Production Videos. Enter Middle-earth of “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” as Academy Award-winning Director Peter Jackson takes you behind the scenes, on location and amidst the star-studded cast in a series of video journals that puts you in the forefront of latest in filmmaking with more than two hours of additional content. Highlights of the journals include:

o   Start of Production

o   Location Scouting

o   Filming in 3D

o   Post-production Overview

o   Wellington World Premiere 

EST Release Date:  March 12, 2013

Standard Street Date: March 19, 2013

DVD Languages: English, Latin Spanish, Parisian French

BD Languages: English, Latin Spanish,

DVD Subtitles: English SDH, Latin Spanish, Parisian French

BD Subtitles: English SDH, Latin Spanish

Running Time: 169 minutes

Rating: Rated PG-13 for extended sequences of intense fantasy action violence, and frightening images

DLBY/SURR   DLBY/DGTL   [CC]

Its been forty years since Bob Fosse’s classic musical Cabaret walked away with eight Academy Awards. Warner Brothers is celebrating the film’s anniversary with its release of a fully remastered Blu-Ray book set on February 5th.

The stars of the film, Joel Grey, Michael York, Marisa Berenson and Louise Quick, along with Bob Fosse’s daughter, Nicole, and Warner Brothers’ Vice President of Mastering Ned Price, gathered in Manhattan, where the film originally premiered to discuss their memories of the movie as well as this new release.

Ned Price, the Vice President of Mastering at Warner Brothers Technical Operations oversaw the actual restoration process of the film.

Media Mikes: What was the biggest challenge about this remaster?
Ned Price: The technical challenge on this particular film was that one of the film reels was literally scratched right through the emulsion. I can tell you basically how. It happened back in the late eighties and I know that it was on a film cleaner…and it’s meant for newer negatives but somebody put it up with an older negative. And on older negatives, dirt becomes embedded into the emulsion, so what it did was it picked up a piece of dirt that was in the emulsion and it rolled as it went through the cleaner all the way down. And it wasn’t a fine scratch to the point where you could just paint it out with a wet gate and it wasn’t fine enough where you could just say ‘okay kind of meld the image a little bit’ it was large enough where you would have to paint…by eye frame by frame. We tried to create a digital process, new software where it could identify information in between the scratch and replicate the material, but all we really succeeded in doing was warping things and it wasn’t good enough. So ultimately we ended up painting.

MM: Seeing the restored version was there anything you noticed that struck you and you didn’t see before your work?
Price: Color design. My experience had been seeing the film with rather poor prints commercially before I was with the studio…When we started to pull in prints that were technicolor made which means that they didn’t fade, we started weening through those and found about three or four which really looked accurate and good for color. I saw amazing color design. You know, you’ve got green nails against purple and just beautiful color design that were not necessarily apparent in the poor prints. Which were more blue, more green, just kind of muted and polluted in terms of their color values.
Also, the Kit Kat girls! Man…We were going shot by shot and you see these women in these impossible poses and you think ‘oh god, how many takes did they take?’

One such dancer was Louise Quick, who talked about her experience of being a Kit Kit dancer.

Louise Quick: I never thought of it as tough because it was…exciting is kind of a plain word–there was so much electricity, the air was so alive and the work is hard but you don’t think about that. That’s not important.

In one of the film’s most iconic musical numbers, “If You Could See Her”, Quick, dressed in a gorilla suit, dances with Joel Grey’s Master of Ceremonies.

Media Mikes: How did you wind up being in the gorilla suit?
Louise Quick: I don’t know! I didn’t know until right before we started doing it. It wasn’t decided before hand.
Nicole Fosse: I’m going to take a guess and say it was there were only two Kit Kat dancers that spoke English and it was Kathryn Doby and Louise Quick. And Kathryn was much taller–[laughs] not that it would have been Kathryn had she been shorter! But you have two who speak English, how do you communicate? So, Louise, get in the suit!
Quick: Her mother, Gwen Verdon, brought that mask back from New York to Munich on a plane with it on her lap I heard, she would not part with it because it’s a beautiful mask.

Joel Grey won an Academy Award for best supporting actor in his role as the Kit Kat Klub’s MC, a devilish character we never see outside of the club environment. When asked about his favorite scenes from the film, he discussed “If You Could See Her”:

Joel Grey: I like the Gorilla number of course. It’s so mean, seductive, beautiful melody and it’s just a big idea. I wanted to make him as vile as I possibly could and that gave me that opportunity late in the film. To not be charming but to be evil.

Media Mikes: Did you have a backstory for the MC?
Joel Grey: Of course!
MM: What is it?
Grey: You can’t know! It’s reeeeally gross. I made a whole life for myself since there was no text and no really description about who he was. I was terrified because I thought it was gonna be a musical comedy–four, five numbers– and I wanted it to be horrifying and important and capable of saying many things. Not just a song and dance number. So I dug and dug and dug and looked at German expressionists paintings and listened to music…and he came. One day, he came.

Michael York played Brian Roberts, a British language teacher who enters the world of the Kit Kat Club when he meets Sally Bowles (Liza Minnelli) in their German boarding house. His character isn’t in any of the musical numbers and fittingly, York selected a quieter scene as his favorite:

Michael York: It’s easy for me, it’s a scene that was unscripted. We’re at the Baron’s castle…and Maximilian von Heune [Helmut Griem] has invited us to stay in this threesome. There was no scene written, you just turn up at 8 o’clock in the morning trying to be awake. And there was this beautiful room where they lit fires on each end. And we started to improvise. And it ended up where there’s a shot in the movie where they start dancing around each other and the heads go in and out. They’re looking at each other and it’s this sort of, I don’ t know, it’s a microcosm of all that’s been going on, that is going on, that will go on.

Grey: I thought you looked like you were enjoying that a little too much.
York: It was exciting. You’re right it was exciting.

Grey: Tell the truth!
York: Yes, it was one of those rare days you don’t know what you have. But what they did cutting it together, David Bretherton and Bob between them, edited this film in such a brilliant way that you never see too much. You’re always left wanting more. And so that was a good day.

Finally, actress Marisa Berenson who took on the role of Natalia Landauer discussed what it was like working with the other actors on what was only her second role.

Media Mikes: You were a newcomer when you did Cabaret, were the other actors welcoming to you?
Marisa Berenson: Immediately. Because they’re all the most generous, wonderful people…they made me feel instantly comfortable…which is rare because not everybody makes you feel like that. It’s a rare thing and it’s a wonderful thing.

MM: What was it like doing scenes with Liza Minnelli?
Berenson: We became close friends very early on and the minute we met we became–you know how you immediately meet someone and you connect with them? And Liza and I have that connection all our lives now…I learned so much from Liza just watching her as an actor. Seeing the way she worked. I have such respect for her as an actor, her talent, and she was so funny. She was so intelligent too. She’s such an intelligent person.

Cabaret 40th Anniversary Blu-Ray is available to own on February 5th

Click here for our review

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Actors: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Jesse Plemons, Price Carson
Directors: Paul Thomas Anderson
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
DVD Release Date: February 26, 2013
Run Time: 144 minutes

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

“The Master” is quite amazing…but is definitely not for everyone. This film deals with a lot of very deep underlying issues that don’t reveal themselves in one viewing. But that would mean you would really have to watch this film more than one. I do not think that I could do that. Is this film well-shot/well-acted etc? YES! But it is something that I would watch once and probably never speak of again. The film was shot for 70MM IMAX and I am sure that would have been an amazing way to see it but I did not have a chance. If you like Paul Thomas Anderson or looking for great performances, then I would recommend it but be warned it is not an easy dish to swallow.

Official Premise: A striking portrait of drifters and seekers in post-World War II America, Paul Thomas Anderson’s THE MASTER unfolds the journey of a naval veteran (Joaquin Phoenix) who arrives home from war unsettled and uncertain of his future–until he is tantalized by The Cause and its charismatic leader (Philip Seymour Hoffman).

Anchor Bay is releasing “The Master” as a Blu-ray Combo Pack including a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy (not Ultraviolet though). The 1080p transfer is flawless as is DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 audio track. The special features include: “Back Beyond” which features outtakes and additional scenes edited to music by Johnny Greenwood.  Next up is “Unguided Message”, which is an 8 minute short, as well as a behind-the-scenes featurette looking into the production.  I was very interested in the fact that John Huston’s landmark documentary about WW-II veterans was included, called “Let Their Be Light (1946)”. Lastly there is teasers/trailers included.

Starring: Liza Minnelli, Joel Grey, Michael York, Marisa Berenson, Helmut Griem
Director: Bob Fosse
Rated: PG
Studio: Warner Brothers
Run Time: 124 minutes
Own it on Blu-Ray: February 5, 2013

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

Musical and film fans will be pleased to own Warner Brothers’ blu-ray release of Bob Fosse’s 1972 classic, Cabaret.

Official Synopsis: Flamboyant and eccentric American entertainer Sally Bowles (Minnelli) sings in Berlin’s decadent Kit Kat Club, even as Nazism rises in Germany in 1931. She falls in love with a British language teacher (York) – whom she shares with a homosexual German baron (Griem). But Sally’s insular, carefree, tolerant and fragile cabaret world is about to be crushed under the boot of the Nazis as Berlin becomes a trap from which Sally’s German friends will not escape.

Even forty years later and amidst modern movie musicals such as Les Mis and Chicago, Cabaret still maintains its edge. It’s perhaps because of Joel Grey’s disturbingly impish Master of Ceremonies that we never quite get to know while his Kit Kat Klub performances are all too aware of, if not concerned by, the dark times brewing outside. It was not for nothing that one of this film’s eight Oscar wins was for David Bretherton’s film editing, which among other structural coups features Grey doing a gleeful German slap dance as we watch a man beaten by Nazis.

Bridging the gap between the club and the outside world at the center of the film is Liza Minnelli’s brash American entertainer Sally Bowles. Bowles may seem at first to be the manic-pixie-dreamgirl to York’s straight-laced Brian Roberts but she’s much more than that. On top of the powerhouse performances Minnelli gives to such classics as “Maybe this Time” and “Mein Heir”, she is by turns hilarious and heartbreaking as Sally’s eccentricities expose a loneliness and desperation for attention that she may finally get from York’s charming Brian.

Some of the major themes explored in the film such as homosexuality and abortion, though far more taboo at the time of the film’s release, still hit home today. Cabaret sharpened the edge on movie musicals in a way you’d be challenged to find in the big bright musicals of the sixties. That impact is more thoroughly discussed on this set’s new featurette “Cabaret: The Musical That Changed Musicals” which features the film’s stars as well as additional commentators. Most notably director Rob Marshall, whose Chicago was the most direct benefactor from the structure set in place by Cabaret.

As for the Blu-Ray remastering, which apparently involved the manual removal of a thousand foot scratch on the film’s original print, the film looks stunning. The effects of the remastering, the first done to the film in over twenty years, are most evident when you compare the feature presentation to the clips of the film utilized in previously produced (1997) featurettes “Cabaret: A Legend in the Making” and “The Recreation of an Era” which are also included here. Additional features included many of the cast sharing fond memories from making the film and are welcome additions if perhaps not new to any die-hard fans out there.

Actors: Barbra Streisand, Kris Kristofferson, Gary Busey, Oliver Clark
Directors: Frank Pierson
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Warner Home Video
Release Date: February 5, 2013
Run Time: 139 minutes

Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

They just don’t make films like “A Star is Born” anymore.  The wonderful cast of Barbra Streisand, Kris Kristofferson, and Gary Busey.  Yes Gary Busey, before he got all messed up! This 1976 musical was awarded an Academy Award and five Golden Globes, back in the day. The main draw for this Blu-ray release is the fact that it comes with packaged with a super cool 40-page Digibook with live performance photos and rare behind-the-scenes photos and more.  If you are a fan of this movie and of musicals in general, I would highly recommend this release for sure. The film is still as touching as it was and very entertaining.  Time has been good to this film, as Warner has been good with this Blu-ray release.

Official Synopsis: The fire of Barbra Streisand. The magnetism of Kris Kristofferson. The reckless world of big-time rock ‘n’ roll. All three bring a new passion and timeliness to A Star Is Born one of the screen’s classic love stories (previously filmed in 1937 and 1954) and winner of five Golden Globe Awards including Best Picture Actress and Actor (Musical/Comedy).Paul Williams Kenny Loggins Leon Russell and others worked with Streisand on one of the most popular song scores ever topped by the Streisand/Williams Evergreen winning the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award as 1976’s Best Original Song.

Warner does not chimp on its Blu-ray releases. They always deliver the best possible video and audio for their catalog title Blu-ray releases. The 1080p transfer looks amazing for the near 40 year old film within its original aspect ratio: 1.85:1. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track also perfectly works with the film. Especially for a film who’s soundtrack sold over four million copies in the US alone. “Evergreen” sounds amazing and is just such an amazing and emotional song. The special features include a nice audio commentary with star Barbra Streisand. There are a few additional deleted scenes and wardrobe tests included as well. Lastly there is a trailer gallery included. Overall not bad but nothing new to really draw ya in.

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Actors: Luke Pasqualino, Ben Cotton, Lili Bordan, Mike Dopud, John Pyper-Ferguson
Directors: Jonas Pate
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Universal Studios
Release Date: February 19, 2013
Run Time:  97 Minutes

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

When it comes to “Battlestar Galactica” you are eitehr a hardcore fan or nothing.  There is really no in-between here. This all-new chapter is a prequel to the 2004 “Battlestar Galactica” series. Since the failed attempt at the spin-off prequel with the short-lived “Caprica”, fans are now giving the chance to get more out of this franchise. Syfy is behind this and delivered this show in web-series format airing it over weeks on Machinima.com in a 10-part series. After the enormous success of “Mortal Kombat Legacy”, they were trying to grab that success. For a web series, this packs some killer visual effects and amazing CGI work. Did I mention the visual effects on this show are EPIC! Seriously? How did they do this on a web-series budget? They initially pitched this as a pilot of a new series but they decided against it, but at least we get this new two-hour movie. I am sure we have not seen the end of this franchise for sure. So if you enjoy “Battlestar”, are you going to dig “Blood & Chrome”…you bet your FRAKING ass! I WANT FRAKING MORE!!!

Official Premise: An all-new chapter in the Battlestar Galactica saga, Blood & Chrome takes place in the midst of the first Cylon war. As the battle between humans and their creation, the sentient robotic Cylons, rages across the 12 colonial worlds, a young, talented fighter pilot, William Adama (Luke Pasqualino, The Borgias), finds himself assigned to one of the most powerful battlestars in the Colonial fleet: the Galactica. Though Adama quickly finds himself at odds with his co-pilot, the battle-weary officer Coker (Ben Cotton, Alcatraz), the two men must set their differences aside when a routine escort mission with an enigmatic passenger (Lili Bordán, Silent Witness) turns dangerous and becomes a pivotal one for the desperate fleet.

So why would you want this Blu-ray release instead of just watching it on Machinima.com or Syfy? Well, that is simple it is for the never-before-seen Unrated Edition cut.  The unrated cut adds about 10 additional minutes to the show and is worth checking out for the new footage.  Universal is behind this release and they are delivering the goods with a sharp two-Disc combo Pack with Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy + UltraViolet. The 1080p looks much better than it does online. Even though the show has a web-series scale, the quality and production scale is very high.  The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 audio track is banging with the non-stop action and the ships will literally fly right past your head! The special features are usually a big draw for a web-series to Blu-ray but lacking a bit here. There are 13 deleted scenes included, seven which are exclusive to Blu-ray only.  Lastly there is “Blood & Chrome: Visual Effects”, which looks into how this series looks as good as it does.  I was hoping for a little more here in terms of featurettes but overall it is still worth the purchase.

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Sung Kang and Christian Slater
Directed by: Walter Hill
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 31 mins
Warner Brothers

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

As a movie fan in the 1980s I was a huge fan of both Sylvester Stallone and director Walter Hill. Sly was kicking ass over and over, from the various “Rocky” and “Rambo” films to “Night Hawks” and “Tango and Cash.” And Hill, coming off “The Warriors,” was creating such gems as “The Long Riders,” “Southern Comfort” and, of course, “48 Hours.” It’s taken the two of them three decades to finally work together and I’m happy to say that the resulting film doesn’t disappoint.

Jimmy (Stallone) and Louis (Jon Seda) are hit men. Their current assignment finds them visiting a man in his hotel room. The deed is done but a witness is left behind…a woman who Jimmy discovers in the shower but doesn’t kill. Asked if the woman could identify him Jimmy replies, “she won’t.” Later that night both men, while waiting for their payment, are attacked and Louis is killed. Needless to say, Jimmy isn’t happy. He not only has to find the man who killed Louis but he still wants his money! And he’s not a patient man.

Two weeks ago the enjoyable return of 66 year old Arnold Schwarzenegger was deemed a failure because it didn’t have a big weekend at the box office. And that may happen this weekend for Stallone, also 66. Which is a shame because, 35 years after the fact, he still has the screen presence that caused Roger Ebert to compare him to Marlon Brando after the release of “Rocky.” In “Bullet to the Head” he becomes partners with Washington D.C. detective Taylor Kwon (Sung Kang, probably best known for his work in several of the past “Fast and Furious” films). Their relationship is typical good cop/bad cop (or in this case good cop/bad hit man) and it’s their exchanges that give the film a sense of humor. Jimmy isn’t fond of Kwon’s Asian heritage and prefers to call him Odd Job (not to be outdone, another character calls Kwon Kato) and Kwon marvels at how stuck in the 20th Century Jimmy is. However, when the time comes, both men excel at dispatching the bad guys, with each action scene a testament to the talent of director Hill.

The supporting cast also does well, including Slater and “Lost’s” Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as the resident bad guys of New Orleans. Credit also Sarah Shahi as Jimmy’s tattooed daughter and the screen’s most recent Conan the Barbarian, Jason Momoa, as the baddest dude Sly has tangled with in a long time. Also credit Momoa for taking a character that begins very one dimensional and giving him some life. And also give a round of applause to the visual effects department. “Bullet to the Head” isn’t just a clever name…the film has a pretty hefty death count with the bullets pretty much hitting everywhere!

Jason Trost & Lucas Till are the lead stars in the superhero film “All Superheroes Must Die” (formerly known as “Vs.”) Jason besides star in the film is also the Director, Writer, Producer, Editor. He also co-directed the recent cult film “The FP”. Lucas Till is known best for his role of Alex Summers/Havoc in “X-Men: First Class” and its upcoming sequel “X-Men: Days of Future Past”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with both these actors about this film and what each of them have planned next.

Mike Gencarelli: With the overflow of superheroes taking over Hollywood, how do you feel that “All Superheroes Must Die” fits in it?
Jason Trost: We are definitely like the bastard step-child of all of those. We had the budget that probably cost the others to drive the actors to the set for like a week [laughs]. Because of that we are able to take more chances and go a bit darker. We were pretty much able to do whatever we wanted with them. When you make a studio superhero movie, there are so many cooks in the kitchen. There is not just one person directing, it is more like a committee of 40 people all with different ideas. We are very not inhibited by what we had to do, which is nice.

MG: Jason, tell us about your inspiration when you created these characters?
JT: They are all characters of things that I like. I grew up with “Batman: The Animated Series” and that has really been a bit inspiration for me with this. All of the characters are offshoots of Batman, Robin, Bat-Girl and the Riddler etc. It is really all derivatives of “Batman” for me.

MG: Lucas, how was it going from Alex Summers/Havoc in “X-Men: First Class” to Ben/Cutthroat in this?
Lucas Till: It’s was pretty cool. When we originally scheduled my scenes, we had to shift them so that I could do screen test for Havoc while I was playing Cutthroat. So, that was an interesting situation. I was able to provide a lot of input with Jason on Cutthroat. That is a little bit different with Havoc because it was a superhero that people are already are familiar with and expecting from it. When you are working on a $100+ movie, they tell you want to do and you listen. I was certainly lucky to have done both though.

MG: Due to the low budget of this film, what were each of your biggest challenges?
JT: Probably the most challenging part for me was the whole sequence in the bar. It was when Lucas and I have our big fight scene and there was also this big emotional scene and we had to shoot all of it in like 1.5 days. We are doing everything ourselves. Not only are we choreographing a fight while also acting. We had to the do whole five minute fight scene in one take. We didn’t have time for different angles. Then we had to go help people get food or write something or move lighting equipment. There was no one job for any of us on this film.
LT: I was just thinking, what was one of those rough nights were we came back and thought that this wasn’t going to work. I don’t think we ever had any. I think we were too busy to think about it.
JT: Probably for you it would be the night we did both of the explosion scenes.
LT: Oh yeah. I remember we jumped away from an explosion. I think it was one of the last shots before a weekend. I get up and everyone is cheering since it was the weekend and we can relax for a day or two. I just walked away and thought I hope you got it because it is not going to happen again [laughs]. It was mostly as rewarding as it was tough though. We also lived in the bar the whole time we made the movie. We each had our own personal tents and were really roughing it. The bar had this little scorpion/spider hybrid creatures all over. We shot it up in the mountains by Frazier Park. There were tons of critters crawling around. So that was a challenge also for sure.

MG: The ending hints plans for a sequel; any interest in pursuing that?
JT: We would love to do one. Just have to see the response to this one first. There definitely are more stories. I hope we can keep pursing the timeline of these superheroes. We already have a script for the sequel and hopefully we can make that some day.

MG: Have you been approached at all from any comic book company to do a series on these characters?
JT: No, I haven’t but I would like to make one at some point regardless. I could see having one bridging the events between the first and second films, as well as giving an origin story to this characters.

MG: You guys are reuniting in “#WetAndReckless”, tell us about that and what can we expect?
JT: Right [laughs], I do not think if anyone is ready for this one yet. This movie is insane, it is about a reality TV show that goes horribly wrong. It is like “Jersey Shore” meets “National Treasure”. We get into some crazy treasure hunting antics in Thailand. We are finishing up the movie now and then will try and figure out distributing after that. We had a screening for “All Superheroes Must Die” and showed just the opening of this film. People laughing hysterically but they didn’t get the dichotomy between a movie like “All Superheroes Must Die” and “#WetAndReckless”. We are playing assholes. I am not even sure how to describe it. They are ridiculous characters. We treat woman terribly and have no consequences for their actions. They are two completely different beasts.

MG: Jason, tell us about your role in “Hatchet III”?
JT: I play Deputy Hamilton. I am the main man at the scene for the aftermath of “Hatchet II”. It is just me and the sheriff trying to go back and figure out what is going on. The sheriff was playing by the main kid from “Gremlins” (Zach Galligan), so that was really awesome. But now that kid is a 47 year old man, so that was interesting. “Gremlins” was one of my favorite movies as a kid, so it was awesome.

MG: Jason, can you tell us about reprising your role of JTRO from “The FP” in “This is The End” this year?
JT: I don’t really know how much I can say about that. But I definitely appear in one form or another as JTRO.

MG: Lucas, any word on “X-Men: Days of Future Past” or anything else you got coming up next?
LT: I will steer away from that question [laughs]. Maybe if we were a few weeks down the road, I would have a more definitive answer for you. As far as the demographic will recognize, I just finished up a movie with David Hayter, who wrote “X-Men” and “X2: X-Men United” and is actually the voice of Snake from “Metal Gear Solid, if you like video games. He is making his directorial debut with a film called “Wolves”. Jason Momoa is in it also amongst a great cast. it is really cool and hopefully it will be out within the year.

Actors: Mathieu Amalric, Golshifteh Farahani, Jamel Debbouze, Serge Avedikian and Isabella Rossellini
Directors: Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: February 26, 2013
Run Time: 91 minutes

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

What is “Chicken With Plums”? It is the latest film from Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud, the Academy Award-nominated filmmakers of “Persepolis”. Like “Persepolis”, this is also an adaptation of a graphic novel by Satrapi.  It is a fun and whimsical film which combines live-action sequences with a blend of genre (expressionism, fantasy, melodrama) with an animated sequence of the classic tale ““Appointment in Samarra”. ”It is one of those films that I just have to say you need to see it.  It is hard to really give it justice otherwise. If you were a fan of the fantastic “Persepolis” or others like “Amelie” then I would recommend checking this out.

Official Synopsis: Tehran, 1958. Since his beloved violin was broken, Nasser Ali Khan, one of the most renowned musicians of his day, has lost all taste for life. Finding no instrument worthy of replacing it, he decides to confine himself to bed to await death. As he hopes for its arrival, he plunges into deep reveries, with dreams as melancholic as they are joyous, taking him back to his youth and even to a conversation with Azrael, the Angel of Death, who reveals the future of his children. As pieces of the puzzle gradually fit together, the poignant secret of his life comes to light: a wonderful story of love, which inspired his genius and his music.

The DVD presents the film with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1. There is only a French (PAR) audio track, boasting a nice 5.1 Dolby Digital. So get ready to reach those English subtitles. The special features are a little light on this film. There is an commentary with with the Directors Marjane Satrapi & Vincent Paronnaud, it is worth checking out if you enjoyed the film. Then there is a Q&A from 2012’s Tribeca Film Festival again with the directors Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud”. I was hoping for a featurette on the visual effect aspect of the film, especially the unique animated sequence. Also this would have look much better on a Blu-ray presentation.  I am not sure why Sony decided to only go the DVD route.

Actors: Takehito Koyasu, Gackt, Unshou Ishizuka, Adam Dudley, John Paul Shephard
Director: Takashi Watanabe
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Rating: TV: MA
Running Time: 175 min.
Release Date: February 12, 2013

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

If you are a fan of Kenshiro and the “Fist of the North Star” franchise, then you know that this release is nothing new and has been released before. But since it has been long out-of-print, Section23 has given life to this OVA yet again. This is the complete OVA collection and contains all three episodes; “The Cursed City”, “The Forbidden Fist” and “When a Man Carries Sorrow”. I really enjoyed this series and it has been a while since I last saw them but they have held up well. It is crazy to believe that it has been almost 10 years since these were first released. Wow, time sure does fly. I still wish that this series will be rebooted or continued in the future cause Kenshiro is such an awesome character and he needs to continue kicking ass (and blowing people’s heads up).

Official Synopsis: A twist on the classic favorite that begins in the aftermath of the great apocalypse. Across a barren Earth, chaos is the rule and order, the exception with bandits and enterprising overlords terrorizing the survivors of the holocaust. Will a hero rise from the ashes and cut a swath of justice across the Earth’s ruined landscape?!

I was just thinking that since this was previously released on DVD, I would have loved to seen it cleaned up and coverted to Blu-ray format. That would have been ideal for this release. The DVD contains two audio tracks both English & Japanese with English Subtitles. So you have the option to watch whichever you want but of course we know that the Japanese track is the way to go. Lastly, There are no additional special features available on this release. This release is also timed perfectly with the new release of Tecmo Koei’s “Fist of the North Star: Ken’s Rage 2” available on XBOX 360 on February 5, 2012.

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