Director: Dwight H. Little
Starring: Donald Pleasence, Ellie Cornell, Danielle Harris, Sasha Jenson, David Jensen, Beau Starr
MPAA Rating: R
Distributed by: Anchor Bay
Release Date: August 21, 2012
Running Time: 88 minutes

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

I always thought that “Halloween 4” was a great reboot of the series especially after “Halloween III”, which lost it aim on the franchise. This will does what the subtitle says, it brings back the master murder Michael Myers. As a big fan of the “Halloween” series, I was hoping that this release would really bring something new to the table for its fans. In that sense, it really doesn’t but it is still an essential upgrade from the previous DVD releases. It is also crazy to believe that it has been almost 25 years since this was released.

“Halloween 4” looks very sharp and clear on Blu-ray.  It’s 1080p transfer is impressive with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1.  The audio track, Dolby TrueHD 5.1 is good but a little bit of a let down overall. The special features are also a bit of a let down, especially since Anchor Bay reported about a full half hour of deleted and alternate scenes but they are no one to but found. Also MIA is a promised audio commentary with writer Alan B. McElroy.  Also from past DVD releases, the “The Making of Halloween 4: Final Cut” is not included as well.

Since these features are all ports from past releases, don’t expect anything new.  The bulk of the special features are audio commentaries.  The first is from director Dwight H. Little with Justin Beahm, the editor-in-chief of halloweenmovies.com as the moderator. It is definitely worth checking out.  The second commentary is with actresses Ellie Cornell and Danielle Harris, which is not as good.  There is a “Halloween 4/5 Discussion Panel”, which is from the H25 convention and runs about 20 minutes.  Lastly a standard-def trailer is included.

Directed by: Dustin Mills
Starring: Jessica Daniels, Josh Eal, Brandon Salki
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Distributed by: MVD Entertainment Group
Release Date: August 21, 2012
Running Time: 108 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: N/A on review copy

For a film that only costed $1,000 bucks, “Zombie A-Hole” is a pretty decent ride. Dustin Mills is the man behind the incredibly creative micro-budgeted movie “The Puppet Monster Massacre”, featuring an all-puppet cast. Mills will be making a sequel to this fun film but in the meantime we get “Zombie A-Hole”.   It is fun Grindhouse/exploitation flick filled with a lot of blood, nude girls, gore and some kick ass southern rock.  No the film is not amazing by any means at all but for its micro budget it looks awesome and packs some decent special effects.  IF you respect indie horror then you are going to definitely enjoy this little film…or at least get you through until “The Puppet Monster Massacre 2”.

The story follows cowboy and a one-eyed girl who are seeking vengeance on the Zombie A-Hole, who preys on naked twin girls. It is not just a revenge film though with a zombie, this film also tapers with voodoo and did I mention twins?.   It mixes live action with CG, as well as a mix of horror and comedy.  The review DVD is presented bare-bones with no special features.   But the official release coming August 21st actually does contain special features including a commentary, the original trailer, and a deleted scene featuring a fourth main character that was cut from the film.  Overall though I am a fan of horror films and even though low-budget this is worth checking out, since a lot of love when into making this little film.

Directed by: Ji-hun Kim
Starring: Ji-won Ha, Sung-kee Ahn, Ji-ho Oh
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Distributed by: Shout Factory
Release Date: June 26, 2012
Running Time: 112 minutes

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

“Sector 7” was a real surprise. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this South Korean monster feature. But it is a really neat little action-horror film. It reminded me a mix between “The Host” and “Aliens”. The monster effects were good, not perfect but still entertaining. I suggest watching the film in 3D, I thought the effects were great. I know people are going to knock the motorcycle scenes but I thought they worked well. The film is not your typical Syfy creature feature though, this actually has some production value to it. It is actually Korea’s first 3D film as well and I give it a big thumbs up. Also it is also currently available on Netflix streaming, if you are not a fan of 3D.

“Sector 7” follows an oil rig crew who while digging for oil are forced to battle a deadly creature at sea. Hae-jun’s greatest dream is to find oil and has become obsessive with this quest on Sector 7 but has yielded no results. Hae-jun and her crew decide to try one more drilling effort before backing up and calling it quits as instructed by headquarters. Though things start to go terribly wrong on the rig and the crew finds out that they are not alone and need to struggle to survive.

This release includes both the 3D Blu-ray and a regular Blu-ray.  Like I mentioned the 1080p transfer looks sharp with it’s widescreen transfer of 1.85:1.  The audio tracks included are impressive as well.  There is a DTS-HD 5.1 Korean track and also a Dolby Digital 5.1 Korean track.  For all you that hate subtitles, the English dub track is actually watchable  though comes with a not as impressive Dolby Digital Stereo track only.  The special features are equally as disappointing only including one short making of featurette.  So overall, if you are looking for an entertaining 2 hours that is not groundbreaking but still memorable, then check take a visit to “Sector 7” for sure.

Related Content

• DVD Review “Clash”
• DVD Review “Bodyguards and Assassins”
• DVD Review “To Be Takei”
• DVD Review “Killing Hasselhoff”
• Blu-ray Review “The Tiger”

Directors: Astron-6
Starring: Adam Brooks, Mackenzie Murdock, Matthew Kennedy, Conor Sweeney
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Distributed by: Troma Entertainment
Release Date: August 14, 2012
Running Time: 99 minutes

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

I think Astron-6 and Troma teaming up on this film is definitely a good match.  Do I think they made the perfect film, no.  The film is not only offensive, it is extremely offensive and almost hard to watch.  But that was the plan and what was expected for sure, so it does not come as a shock.  It doesn’t make it anymore watchable though.  I’ve been watching Troma films for over 20 years and vulgar they have always this is a new high…or low for even them.  Astron-6 definitely should get credit for trying to make a film that is so over-the-top it actually works…mostly minus the male/male rape. They even did this on a ridiculously low-budget of $10,000 and it looks like it costs at least 10x that.  So I commend the special effects, especially the green screen work that is very impressive.  This is really a true grindhouse film even including a commercial about two thirds of the way through.  Maybe this film wasn’t 100% for me personally, it definitely has an audience I assume (but not a very wide one though).

There is really no words that can describe this film. From the trailer it makes it seem that this focuses on The Father’s Day Killer, but there is so much more including genital mutilation and many scenes of male rape.  If you are not a fan of acts of sodomy and other gross behavior you might want to skip this film all together.  But if you aware of Troma’s style you might be looking for this. The general story follows Ahab, a man who is seeking a violent revenge on the man who raped and murdered his dad. He joins up with an unlikely duo of a priest named John and a street hustler, Twink.  Together the three set out to find this so-called Father’s Day Killer and get their revenge.

The video presentation on this Blu-ray does look rather decent, even though its comes with an MPEG-2 encode and its purposely scratchy print and VHS quality aspects. The film also includes an aspect ratio: 1.78:1. I understand that this film trying to really be a Grindhouse film, so the Dolby Digital 2.0 track is in-line with that. Since it is on Blu-ray though, there is a certain expectation of quality…even though it is Troma. The audio is simply rather disappointing. The Blu-ray presentation comes in a great packaging with old school video store stickers. It comes in a four-disc set with one Blu-ray disc, two DVDs and even one CD.  The release is limited edition and numbered out of 5,000. The Blu-ray contains just the film and an HD trailer, there are no special features. The first DVD comes with the film in standard definition and a trailer and a two very short deleted scenes. The rest of the special features are located on the second DVD disc. The fourth disc includes a CD Sampler of songs from the film’s soundtrack.

While though, the special features are presented on the second DVD disc and besides being all in standard definition, there is no shortage of them. Lloyd Kaufman introduces the film at Comic-Con, which also starts with the beginning of the film. There are the same deleted scenes as the first DVD, no idea why they duplicated. There are four features focusing on foreskin, ranging from the original “Father’s Day” foreskin to extended to animated to TV version, but all offensive. There is a Behind the Scenes Slideshow, which runs less than 5 minutes. There are two “Make Your Own Damn” features on Fuchman and on a Tire Iron. Similarly, there is a faux “Create Your Own Damn Award Winning Movie Poster The Dude Designs Way”. I am a big fan of The Dude Designs personally. “Roll Out the Blood Carpet” runs just over 15 minutes and covers the various different “Father’s Day” premiere nights. “Troma & Astron-6 Charm Festival of Fear” is a short 5 minutes Q&A at Toronto. It’s not Troma with nude shots and that calls for “Super Tromette Elena Recreates the Low Life”. “Father’s Day Article at Rue Morgue Magazine” is so pointless and hard to read. “Babies the Fathers Gave Birth to Before Birthing Father’s Day” are shorts from Astron-6 including “Lazer Ghosts” and “Cool Guys”. “Make Your Own Damn Green Screen! (A Lesson by Lloyd Kaufman)” is the best feature focusing on those sequences, Lastly there are to non-connected with its with director James Gunn and South Park’s Matt Stone.

Kodi Smit-McPhee is best known for his role in the dark horror film “Let Me In”. Kodi also voices the role of Norman in the stop-motion animated film “ParaNorman”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Kodi about this role in the film, the process of doing voice work and what he has planned upcoming.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about your experience voicing Norman in “ParaNorman”?
Kodi Smit-McPhee: It was really cool. I have done voice over work before but it was computer generated, a lot quicker and overall very different. I knew about stop-motion before this but when I worked on it, it was completely not what I expected. When I when to Oregon to see Laika studios, I was just blown away at how much passion they have and seeing how much work and patience goes into creating the town and these characters. It really motivated me to do the best that I can really do.

MG: Tell us about the process of recorded your role?
KSM: We knew that there were ten sessions that I had to record and there were a few months in between. I would go in and record the whole script and then send it off to Laika. They would work around my around my voice and then I would go back in and touch up anything we had to do over.

MG: How long did the whole process take?
KSM: It was about two years. I started when I was fourteen and now I am sixteen.

MG: When you recorded the voice were you with any of the other cast?
KSM: Yeah. It was really cool when I got to record my material with someone. Usually since I was typically in this black room when recording solo. When someone came in it helped fill in your imagination a bit and makes those scenes very natural. You can actually interact with someone and react off their energy. It was an awesome experience.

MG: What was your biggest challenge doing voice work?
KSM: I think the biggest challenge was keeping the voice up in that area, since I was getting older at the time. In the Town Hall scene, where he climbs up the side of the building and was yelling at the Witch, it was such an emotional scene. It was very hard to do. To get all of that emotion out through my voice was a challenge but we did get it in the end.

MG: After starring in “Let Me In”, what do you enjoy most about the horror genre?
KSM: I think the cool thing of horror is that as it gets older, people are bringing so much more into it. I think with “ParaNorman” and “Let Me In”, there is the horror aspect and it is fun but there are also these underlining deep stories within them. So you are able to take two things away from it.

MG: What do you have planned next?
KSM: Right after “ParaNorman”, I did “Romeo and Juliet”, which is something totally different. It is with Hailee Steinfeld, Douglas Booth and Paul Giamatti. Then I did a sci-fi film called “The Congress” which is also with Paul Giamatti and Jon Hamm. Right now, I am in New York working on a new film called “A Birder’s Guide to Everything” with Ben Kingsley.

Chris Butler & Sam Fell are the co-directors of Laika Animation’s latest stop-motion animation film “ParaNorman”.  The film is the first stop-motion film to utilize a 3D color printer to create replacement faces for its puppets and breaks all the boundaries which past stop-motion films have faced.  Media Mikes had a chance to chat with the directors about working in the horror genre and blending it with stop-motion animation.

Mike Gencarelli: I am a big stop-motion fan but I see a trend with “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, Coraline” and “ParaNorman” all tend to have creepy aspects, why and do you you feel this aspect relates to stop motion?
Chris Butler: I think is the tradition of the medium. If you trace it back to its early days, in the 1890’s the very first efforts in stop-motion were creepy. “The Dancing Skeleton” was one of the first back in 1897. I think what it comes down to is they feature inanimate objects moving on their own accord, which in itself is something like black magic going on there. If you look at the pioneers of this medium, there was a certain creepiness to them. There has always been that slightly unsettling side of it. I believe it is entirely to do with it being real objects moving. When Tim Burton comes along and re-invents with with “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, he is playing on that and having fun with that slightly dark sense of humor. I don’t think it should be the limitation of the medium by any means. “ParaNorman” is kind of spooky but I think there shouldn’t be any real limits to the kind of stories you can tell with stop-motion.

MG: This is the first stop-motion film to utilize a 3D color printer to create replacement faces for its puppets, tell us about about that decision?
Sam Fell: Obviously these things aren’t designed for stop-motion animation. You are always taking a chance. We wanted to do something different on this film. They got a color printer in the studio and we did some experiments with it initially with the character Neil, who is covered in  freckles. When we saw it on the tested it big screen it just looked so promising. It was one of those spine-tingling moments, when you see something you’ve never seen before. We didn’t know if it was going to work on all the characters or if it would literally last over a two year production. We took a risk and went for it but it really turned out so well. When you see how the light fall on those faces or comes through them. I think the characters look less like dolls and are even more tangible and believable.

MG: I read that Norman alone has about 8,000 faces, how does that compare from other stop-motion films?
SF: I think with the numbers of faces, it has increased exponentially. I think Norman had a possible 1.5 million expressions at hand. We would never even use all of them since I don’t even think the human face can use that many expression. But that was at our finger tips. So pretty much whatever we wanted to do with this character we were able to do. It was really freeing because in the past stop-motion has had it limitations. There was replacement heads as far back as “The Nightmare Before Christmas” but they had to be hand-sculpted, so they were limited. Pretty much every limitation has been blown up on this movie. The boundaries in place of previous stop-motion movies, we broke them all. That was how we felt going into this. We thought let’s push this as far as we can and see what we can achieve. Everything we tried to do…it worked.

MG: The film is animated for a younger audience but is quite scary for some kids, how can you reflect?
SF: I think we wanted to make a family movie more than a kids movie. Something aimed at the teens or actually “tweens”. It is about an 11 year old boy and reflects their lives on screen. We wanted laughs, as well as scares and in a way it is like designing a roller coaster ride. We actually think that kids like scares. It is firstly entertaining and it also adds in a dramatic story. The hero, in this case a kid, has real challenges. You take them through it and show the darkness can be defeated. I think it makes for a great ride. We didn’t want to wimp out on the scares. We may loose the toddlers or the preschoolers but that is the risk you take. It is very hard to make a film for everybody…without being bland.
CB: We were specifically referencing an era of movie making that I think was a little braver. The movie that I grew up watching like “The Goonies” and “Ghostbusters”. They weren’t afraid to have scares and show an imperfect world. But they did it with humor and style. I miss those movies and I feel that they are also sorely missed by many people. So it was nice to play in that era again. Even though it was a contemporary movie, it was very much referenced by the films of the 80’s.

MG: I loved the Easter eggs for horror fans like the hockey mask and ringtone, any other hidden gems?
CB: The movie is so dripped with references that I don’t even known where to start. It is not just stuff that was in the script. I wrote in the bar in touch is called the Bargento, in reference to the old Italian movies. The name of Neil’s dead dog is Bub, which is the name of the tamed zombie in “Day of the Dead”. Most of the characters surnames are either horror movie directors or writers, even if they do not appear in the movie. On top of that we have a whole crew of movie fanatics, who were responsible for making the props and locations. They stick all kinds of stuff in there as well. It is difficult to even pin-point how much there is actually in there. Sam’s name even ended up on the old tramps underpants [laughs].
SF: I didn’t ask for that by the way [laughs].

Related Content

• Interview with “Survivors Guide to Prison” filmmaker Matthew Cooke
• Ryan Reynolds talks about his latest film “Self/Less”
• Al Sapienza talks about roles in “Taken 3” and “Godzilla”
• Jai Courtney and Joel Edgerton talk about their new film “Felony”
• Jason Momoa talks about his latest film “Road to Paloma”

Starring: Ai Weiwei
Directed by: Alison Klayman
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hr 31 mins
IFC Films

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

If you spent any time watching the 2008 Summer Olympics you most probably saw the amazing art work of Chinese artist Ai Weiwei (pronounced “Eye Way-way”), most notably the “Birdsnest” stadium. But it is not only for his art that Weiwei is known. He has been very vocal about his political leanings and his troubles with the Chinese government are well known. And though this film purports to be about the man and his craft, it’s much more than that.

Ai Weiwei is a man whose vision is often achieved with the help of others. “I’m his hands,” explains one sculptor, working on a piece for an upcoming exhibit. As we get to know Weiwei we also get to know those around him, from his friends to his mother to his young son. He is very charismatic and it’s easy to see why those close to him love him.

But even those he is closest to can’t often protect him. After reporting an assault a year ago with no assist from authorities in solving the case, he marches to the local police station, followed by a camera crew, to find out why. Eventually he angers those in charge enough that he is detained for 81 days, only allowed to visit with his mother for one twenty-minute period during that time. When he is released he seems contrite, but soon he returns to his “in your face” ways and attitudes. When his fellow countryman Liu Xiaobo is awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize, an award that was mostly kept from the Chinese people because of Liu’s beliefs, Weiwei is shown celebrating the award, going as far as to mention the prize on Twitter. He shares a favorite saying of Weiwei’s that permeates his character: “Never retreat – – -Re-Tweet!” This allows the outside world to learn of crucial things happening in the country, 140 characters at a time.

A powerful film that teaches us as much about ourselves as it does it’s subject, “Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry,” is a sure bet to be nominated for an Oscar come January 2013.

Starring: Jordin Sparks, Carmen Ejogo and Whitney Houston
Directed by: Salim Akil
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 1 hr 56 mins
Tri Star

Our Score: 2.5 out of 5 stars

In 1968 Detroit, if you wanted to make it big as a singer you tried your luck at the Discovery Club. A place that gives you the chance to make your dreams come true. But what price would you pay to make those dreams come true?

A remake of the 1976 film of the same name (best known for introducing Irene Cara and “Miami Vice’s” Rico Tubbs), “Sparkle” is a film that shines when the music is playing and is dull as a butter knife when it’s not. The story follows the paths of the three daughters of Ms. Emma (Houston, in her final film role). The oldest, Tammy (Ejogo) – who everyone calls “Sister”- has just moved back into her mother’s house after trying unsuccessfully as a singer in New York. Middle sister Dolores (Tika Sumpter) – “Dee” – is currently applying to medical schools. At age 19, Sparkle (Sparks) is a budding songwriter who wants to sing but is afraid she’s not as good as her sisters. The three sing in the church choir and, when Ms. Emma falls asleep, sneak out to play local clubs. But as their popularity grows so do the pitfalls that come with it.

Let’s deal with the elephant in the room – the late Whitney Houston. Like Heath Ledger she has left us with a fine performance. Her face weathered from her hard living younger years (both in the film and in real life), Houston’s Ms. Emma is a God-fearing woman whose love and over protectiveness for her daughters becomes smothering. When things go wrong for Tammy, Ms. Emma fills the church with a shaky yet strong rendition of “His Eye Is On the Sparrow.” There is irony in many of her lines, including one where she warns her girls about a life of show business, asking “Is my life not a cautionary tale?” Along with Houston, the rest of the cast give strong performances, including former “American Idol” winner Sparks. She is following in “Idol” alumni Jennifer Hudson’s Hollywood footsteps (“Dreamgirls” is a very similarly themed film) though I don’t look for her to win an Oscar here. Male characters come and go, most notably comic Mike Epps in a rare dramatic turn and Derek Luke, who plays the groups manager and Sparkle’s possible love interest. And Curtis Armstrong has a nice role as a music executive who may or may not want to sign the group (Armstrong also played another famous music executive, Ahmet Ertegun, in “Ray”).

On the downside, when the story leaves the stage, or church, the film loses its ability to entertain. The audience is really given no timeline…the film starts in 1968 but by the end it could be 1970 or 1990! Characters, most notably Omari Hardwick’s Levi, come and go, often for huge chunks of time, with no real explanation of where they were or what they were doing. Which is a shame because there are characters here that you’d like to know more about.

Directed by: William Kaufman
Starring: Dolph Lundgren, Cuba Jr. Gooding, Louis Mandylor
MPAA Rating: R
Distributed by: Anchor Bay
Release Date: August 21, 2012
Running Time: 91 minutes

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

I have to admit with “The Expendables 2” hit theaters this month, I have been on Dolph Lundgren overload. Actually more like 80/90’s action films. I figured throw in Cuba Jr. Gooding how bad can this be…well, I should have stopped at that comment. The film starts off with a powerful opening scene and then literally fails as each minute progresses. Dolph Lundgren still is so bad-ass and totally suave. But it doesn’t save this action-less action movie.

Cuba Gooding Jr. plays Ray Carver, an assassin whose latest assignment has more involved then he has expected. While in Prague trying to resolve a mob conflict, the main target manages to escape. That brings us to meet Soviet assassin, Aleksey Andreev (Dolph Lundgren), also known as The Wolf. The Wolf is sent to clean up Carvers mess, but Carver isn’t going to set another man finish his job. The two face off to see which guy will prove to be the ultimate assassin.

This film is releases as a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack, so you have the option to watch this bad movie on either Blu-ray or standard DVD. Unlike the film, the Blu-ray does look decent with its 1.78.1 widescreen transfer. The picture is rather sharp and clean. The Dolby True HD 5.1 track is also solid, it would have worked better with the action if there was actually any in this film. The only extra included is a very short fifteen minute featurette “One In The Chamber: Behind The Scenes”. It is very messy and roughly throw together.

Related Content

• Blu-ray Review “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows”
• Blu-ray Review “Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes”
• Blu-ray Review “The Prophecy Collection: 4 Film Set”
• Blu-ray Review “Take Shelter”
• Blu-ray Review “Recoil”

LOS ANGELES, CA – Grand Entertainment Group (GEG), a newly founded independent multi-platform content and distribution company based in Los Angeles, is proud to announce the DVD releases of “Rewind” and “Neverlost”, two independent thrillers, on August 14, 2012.

“Rewind” stars Allen Leech (“The Sweeney”), Amy Huberman (UK’s “Threesome”) and new comer Sophie Brosnan.  This thriller takes you on a journey into a young woman’s past.   Karen (Huberman), a recovering addict, has settled into a successful new life with her husband and young daughter. When Karl (Leech), an old boyfriend recently released from prison, turns up unexpectedly, Karen’s buried past comes back to haunt her; and she is forced to confront a world she thought she’d escaped from, to protect her family and her future.

“Neverlost”, written and directed by Chad Archibald (“Bounty Hunters”) stars Emily Alatalo (“Dead Genesis”), Ryan Barrett (“Exit Humanity”) and Jennifer Polansky (“I Hate Toronto: A Love Story”).  After losing Kate (Alatalo), his high school sweetheart, in a horrific fire, Josh Higgins’ (Barret) life tumbles into a depressing mix of insomnia and poor choices. After taking seemingly harmless sleeping pill, Josh is thrusted from his current banal existence to one that he had lost years earlier. As the walls of his own psychosis slowly start to close in around him, Josh must race to save himself, Kate and the parallel life that he vows can never again become…lost.

Both “Neverlost” and “Rewind” are available at most major retailers and on Amazon.com along with GEG’s first release “Zyzzyx Road”.  President/CEO David Rand stated “These are the first of many films that GEG plans on distributing.  We will be releasing at least two films per month, through 2012 and anticipate more in 2013.”

For more information on these releases and other Grand Entertainment Group DVDs can be found online at www.GrandEntertainmentGroup.com

Grand Entertainment Group (GEG), launched in early 2012, as a complete destination for programming.  With the ability to distribute DVD, digital, streaming, television and limited theatricals, Grand Entertainment gives filmmakers and their films the platform they deserve. Grand Entertainment Group is a subsidiary of Grand Distribution Group that encompasses production and distribution for diversified products, services, and technologies.  With a line-up of films slated through 2013, GEG is moving forward in a “Grand Way.”

Director: Eduardo Sanchez
Starring: Gretchen Lodge, Johnny Lewis, Alexandra Holde, Jane Fleming
MPAA Rating: R
Distributed by: Image Entertainment
Release Date: August 28, 2012
Running Time: 99 minutes

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

“Lovely Molly” is a brutal and leaves you completely uncomfortable. But since that is the film’s goal, then it is very successful. This is one of those horror films that you need to watch a view times in order to completely absorb it all. It is directed by Eduardo Sanchez (“The Blair Witch Project”), who delivers the type of horror that he would want to watch. The star of the film though, literally, is Gretchen Lodge. This is her film debut and she really delivers a chilling and terrifying performance. You should expect great things from her. There are not many scares, per se, though the whole film is a unsettling experience that leaves you starring at the screen to see what happens next. Must see for all fans of horror, will not disappoint.

The film follows newlywed, Molly Reynolds (Lodge), who moves back into her childhood home. It has been long-abandoned and has quite the history hidden within its walls. Molly begins to hearing noises and voices of things that are impossible to believe. Starting off similar to “Paranormal Activity”, “Molly” then takes a violent left turn and leads to the unexpected. We find out the dark secrets that lie in Molly’s past as she is haunted by a malevolent force that is set o wreaking havoc and terror on Molly and her family.

Image delivers an impressive Blu-ray presentation. The film is presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio and 1080p transfer is sharp, even though is shot handheld. Besides Lodge’s performance, the second star of the film is the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. The sound effects and score really help to create the fantastic atmosphere that this film delivers. The special features are a little light but cover a lot of the mystery of the film and its story. There are various featurettes, which cover different aspects including “Path To Madness”, “Haunted Past”, “Demonic Forces” and “Is It Real”. If you enjoyed this film these are a great follow-up and highly  recommended. I would have liked to see a commentary track included as well but still decent. Lastly there is a theatrical trailer included.

A graduate of the University of Texas, Greg MacLennan has the job most movie fans would kill for.  As the Director of Interactive Programming for the Alamo Draft House theatres, he has the opportunity to schedule great events combining movies of the past with current features.  This week, the Alamo Draft House Mainstreet Theatre in Kansas City is offering fans the chance to experience “Van Dammage!” – a trio of action films featuring Jean Claude Van Damme leading into an exclusive first look at the new film “The Expendables 2.”  While planning his next event, MacLennan took some time out to speak with Media Mikes.

Mike Smith:  You obviously have a love of films.  What inspired that?
Greg MacLennan:  I had the generic “film student” job of working in a video store, which gave me a chance to devour more movies then I ever had in my entire life.  And when I was younger my brother would go to the video store and bring home these awesome action movies.  Jean Claude Van Damme….Steven Segal….Arnold Schwarzenegger.  All of these amazing 80’s action movies.  I would just devour them no matter what they were.  And when I got older I found myself in a position at Alamo Draft House to put those movies back on the big screen.

MS:  How did the concept for “Van Dammage” come about?
GM:  I wanted to show movies where guys get punched in the face really hard!  That level of awesomeness isn’t happening on the big screen any more.  You don’t see the sweat running off of a bicep that has a vein breaking out of it.  You don’t get a real performance.  You don’t feel like those guys today could actually beat the **** out of each other.  I wanted to do a celebration of that.  And when I heard “The Expendables 2” was coming out I knew this was a perfect time to do it.  We checked with Lionsgate and they were like “let’s do this!”  Seriously, this is the greatest dream of my life.

MS:  Is Jean Claude Van Damme aware of what you’re doing?
GM:  Jean Claude is very aware of it.  He is very flattered.

MS:  What goes into the planning of an event like this?
GM:  First we have to get the idea approved.  Then we have to decide what movies we want to feature.  We have to lock down the titles and then make sure we can get them from the studios.  We have to come up with the various promotion items and the ridiculous menu items.  We always have a lot of surprises when it comes to Alamo Draft House’s Interactive Programming.  Just because you may know the titles of the films or the menu items doesn’t mean you’re going to know everything.  It’s a lot of people working and coordinating all of the aspects of the event.

Here is the lineup and menu for “Van Dammage!”

5:00 PM:  Van Damme stars as real life martial arts champ Frank Dux (and does an incredible display of the splits) in “Bloodsport.”

6:45 PM:  Directed by John Woo, “Hard Target” finds Van Damme helping a woman search for her missing father.

8:45 PM:  Dolph Lundgren co-stars with the Muscles from Brussels in “Universal Soldier.”

11:00 PM:  Van Damme joins Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Chuck Norris and a who’s who of action movie greats in “The Expendables 2.”

The menu created for VAN DAMMAGE is action packed as well. Moviegoers can enjoy three special dishes that will put a stranglehold on even the largest appetite – KUMITE CHOP SUEY, a dish packed with meat, eggs, veggies and noodles. ANDREW SCOTT’S EAR NECKLACE, freshly fried pork rinds fit to be strung together and worn, or dipped in a spicy soldier dipping sauce. Finally, finish off your hunger with HARD TARGET BEIGNETS, a sweet and delicious New Orleans treat of fried dough finished with powdered sugar and served with chicory syrup.

This special event is also being held on Wednesday, August 15, at the Austin, Texas Alamo Draft House.  VAN DAMMAGE tickets are $20 and available now! Tickets for the Kansas City screening are on sale now here.

Check out the event trailer here:

Katherine LaNasa is playing the role of Rose Brady across from Will Ferrell in new political comedy “The Campaign”.  She is also co-starring the new Fall NBC drama “Infamous”.  Katherine took out some time to chat about her upcoming work and how it was working with Will Ferrell.

Mike Gencarelli: What was your inspiration for Rose Brady in “The Campaign”?
Katherine LaNasa: Well Rose is very bossy and ambitious. I call her a hick in a dress [laughs]. She is a combination for me of Sarah Palin, Sidney McCain, Ann Romney and a little bit of Rick Perry’s wife Anita all rolled into one [laughs].

MG: You have a hard time keeping it serious on set with Will Ferrell?
KL: Yes, that was kind of the main problem. I was glad to see the final cut and saw that I came off ok. I was pretty worried. The first couple of weeks, I kept thinking I was going to be terrible. All I was doing was trying not to laugh. I would look at Will and I had to focus between his eyes and think about like dead people or something in order not to get through the takes and not laugh. It was pretty bad [laughs].

MG: What would you say was the highlight of working on the film?
KL: There was an interview with Piers Morgan, that you saw a little in the trailer but didn’t end up in the movie. Cam (Will Ferrell) puts cigarettes out during an interview and they asked him “are you pushing cigarettes?” He says “Nooooo, I just enjoy the cool refreshing taste”. He is basically pushing Kool’s [laughing]. Or he would be like “Oh I am sorry what are we talking about…Coke Zero?”. It was so ridiculous. I was in the other room and was suppose to come into the interview as a surprise guest and sell him out. When we were shooting it, I was watching Will on a monitor in another room. The first couple of takes every time they got to me I would be crying from laughing so hard. Finally I had to have them cover the monitor and take my earpiece out. I couldn’t handle it. So that was one highlight. There also this big rally with pyrotechnics and flying around on wires. It was just fun and it was one of the things you get to do in a big-budget movie.

MG: Tell us about your two upcoming films this fall “Jayne Mansfield’s Car” and “The Frozen Ground”?
KL: “The Frozen Ground” should be coming out next. I did it right before “The Campaign”. It is a very dark drama, true story about this serial killer in the 80’s. I played his wife in the film. It also has Nicolas Cage and Vanessa Hudgens in it. Before that I shot “Jayne Mansfield’s Car”, it is a 1969 familydrama. I play the daughter of Robert Duvall and sister to Kevin Bacon and Robert Patrick. I really enjoy both of those experiences.

MG: Switching to the TV world, tell us about your character Sophia Bowers and we can expect from your new NBC drama “Infamous”
KL: I start working on this later in the month in New York. It is this brooding dark murder mystery. It is being shot at the house where they shot “The Great Gatsby”. I play a cross between Kathleen Turner in “Body Heat” and Glenn Close in “Damages”. Very dark and sexual. Should be a lot of fun.

LOS ANGELES, CA (August 14, 2012) – From the studio that brought you Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus and Zombie Apocalypse come two new action-thrillers – featuring Alice Cooper, two former teen heartthrobs, an especially tall and hairy beast and a large array of deadly species of shark – that prove that there is no escape from monsters both terrestrial and aquatic.

Two of TV’s most beloved child actors, Danny Bonaduce (The Partridge Family) and Barry Williams (The Brady Bunch) unite, assisted by Sherilyn Fenn (Rude Awakening, Boston Public), to make it through Bigfoot’s startling appearance at a music festival in North Dakota in Bigfoot.  Directed by Bruce Davison, Bigfoot is debuting on Blu-ray™, DVD and On Demand August 14 from The Asylum. And see who survives the shark-infested waters of an isolated island run by a rich madman, played by Patrick Bergin (Patriot Games) in Shark Week.  Featuring Yancy Bulter of As the World Turns and Kickass fame, Shark Week debuts on Blu-ray™, DVD and On Demand August 28.  Both projects successfully debuted on Syfy earlier this summer.  Pick up a copy of these hits on Blu-ray™ or DVD for bonus features including a behind-the-scenes featurette “The Making of Bigfoot” and “The Making of Shark Week,” respectively. The films will be available for $14.95 SRP (Blu-ray) and $14.95 SRP (DVD).

Synopsis of Bigfoot:

When Bigfoot attacks an 80s-themed music concert, a concert promoter and a hippie burnout will do anything to protect the “endangered species.”

Produced by David Michael Latt, David Rimawi and Paul Bales; directed by Bruce Davison; and written by Micho Rutare and Brian Brinkman.

Synopsis of Shark Week:

A group of complete strangers find themselves isolated by a wealthy madman on his island compound. They are forced into a horrifying gauntlet where they must survive a barrage of ever deadlier species of shark.

Produced by David Michael Lett, David Rimawi and Paul Bales; directed by Douglas-Olen Ray; and written by H. Perry Horton.

NEW YORK, NY – August 14, 2012 – The largest gathering of Star Wars fans, Star Wars Celebration VI, is about to take place again in Orlando, Florida August 23rd through the 26th and Ashley Eckstein announced today that she and her fangirl apparel company, Her Universe™, will be there in a big way with a special event, a panel and exclusive merchandise.

• After receiving hundreds of requests from female fans all over the country to be a Her Universe model, Eckstein (the voice of Ahsoka Tano on Star Wars: The Clone Wars) is offering a free Her Universe photo shoot on Saturday, the 25th from 10am till 7pm in room W305A. Girls are encouraged to come dressed in their favorite Her Universe top or hoodie to be photographed by professional photographer Preston Mack (www.pmack.com). Her Universe shirts will be provided just for the photo shoot if girls do not have one on that day. A sign-up sheet will be posted outside of room W305A that morning for those wishing to reserve a time slot and it will be first come, first served. The completed photos will be posted to a special photo board following the event on Facebook so girls can tag, share and download their photos. “Her Universe is a brand for the fans, and when the fans overwhelmingly tell me what they want, I do my best to make it happen,” said Ashley Eckstein. “It’s important to me that I am not the only Her Universe model because fangirls come in all ages, shapes and sizes and I want to represent the entire fangirl community by using real fans as my models. I am also so excited to have Preston Mack! He is such an accomplished photographer and I am honored that he will be sharing his time and talents with us!”

• In addition, Eckstein will be hosting a very special panel with author Carrie Goldman based on her new book, Bullied – What Every Parent, Teacher, and Kid Needs to Know About Ending the Cycle of Fear. Carrie is the mother of Katie Goldman, the little girl who was bullied for carrying a Star Wars water bottle to school. Carrie has spent the past year and a half researching and writing about this topic and Ashley encourages fans to come and join the conversation. The panel will take place on Thursday, the 23rd from 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM in room W311 ABCD.

• Celebration would not be complete without exclusive Star Wars merchandise and Eckstein divulged that Her Universe will have two exclusives that fans have been asking for at the Her Universe booth #915. One of the most popular characters from the Star Warsexpanded universe, Mara Jade, will be featured on a stunning new V-neck shirt with original art by renowned artist, Cat Staggs. Only 300 of these shirts will be available at CVI. “This is a shirt I was very excited to do,” said Cat Staggs. “I love Mara and wanted to depict her as both beautiful and powerful. She, like Leia, is such a fantastic character that while charming your socks off she can also take you down… I hope fans enjoy the shirt just as much as I did creating it.” Second, to accent the Mara Jade V-neck shirt, fans will have one more chance to pick up the exclusive R2-D2 3D Sterling Silver plated charm to add to the existing Star Wars by Her Universe charm bracelet. Standing 3/4” in height, there will be only 300 of these adorable little droid charms available at the convention. However, Eckstein recognizes that not all fans have the opportunity to join the fun and travel to Celebration VI, so she is making available a limited number (50 of each) of the two exclusive CVI items on www.heruniverse.com. The exclusives will be available starting at 10 AM EST on August 23rd. First come, first served. In addition to these exclusives, fans can buy Her Universe merchandise at booth #915 for female fans of all ages, including babies and plus sizes. Ashley will also debut two new tank top designs where fangirls can show their allegiance to the Republic or make a statement that they prefer the dark side.

About Star Wars Celebration 
The biggest party this side of the galaxy, Star Wars Celebration VI brings fans of all ages together, from all points of the globe, to celebrate the pop-culture phenomenon that is Star Wars. Both hardcore and casual fans will gather to have fun while celebrating their passion for all things Star Wars, discovering what’s new, and being the first to see what’s next. It’s four fun-filled days of exhibits, a vibrant, interactive show floor, screenings, exclusive merchandise, celebrity guests, panels, autograph sessions, fan-inspired activities, and other surprises. The event runs from August 23rd to August 26th at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. More info visit www.starwarscelebration.com .

About Her Universe
Her Universe was launched in 2009 by actress and entrepreneur Ashley Eckstein, and her partner, The Araca Group, known as one of the most innovative theatrical production and merchandise companies in the world. Her Universe was created to directly address the expanding market of female fans by entering into its first agreement with Lucas Licensing to develop and produce a line of female-centered Star Wars apparel and accessories. The success of that line was followed up with a collection for the Syfy network including such shows as Battlestar Galactica and with BBC America for its Doctor Who franchise and with CBS Consumer Products for Star Trek. You can learn more about Her Universe and purchase the current line of fangirl apparel and accessories by going towww.heruniverse.com and by following Eckstein on Twitter and visiting the Her Universe Facebook page.

About Photographer Preston Mack 
Preston Mack is a professional photographer based in Orlando, FL. He shoots for advertising agencies such as Yellow Shoes Creative, The Meyocks Group, GSD&M, Carol H Williams Agency, PUSH and Fry Hammond Barr. His corporate clients include MLB Advanced Media, ECCO Shoes, Southwest Airlines, Kraft, Hy-Vee and Walt Disney World. For more info visit www.pmack.com/Facebook/Twitter:@photopreston