Directed by: Michael Winner / J. Lee Thompson
Starring: Charles Bronson, Jill Ireland, Vincent Gardenia / Kirk Taylor, Martin Balsam, Ed Lauter / Kay Lenz, John P. Ryan
MPAA Ratings: R
Distributed by: MGM Entertainment
Release Date: August 14, 2012
Running Time: 89 / 92 / 99 minutes

Blu-ray Scores: 3.5 out of 5 stars

When I think Charles Bronson, I always think about ass-kicking. I watched “Death Wish” at as young teen and was taken over by its violence. At that time in the 80’s, the violence was completely over-the-top. If you are wonderingwhere is “Death Wish” and “Death Wish 5” in the series. The original is owned by Paramount and the last is owned by Lionsgate, neither have plans for Blu-ray. My really only issue is that “Death Wish 2” is not the unrated edition, it would have been great to finally seeing it get a proper release. Nonetheless, if you are looking for some awesome revenge films, don’t miss out on these Blu-rays.

Paul Kersey takes on the role of vigilante again in “Death Wish II”. He sets out to to find and seek revenge on the the five street punks who murdered his daughter and housekeeper on the streets of Los Angeles. In “Death Wish 3”, Paul Kersey hits back on New York City and is forcibly recruited by a crooked police detective to fight crime against a large gang that is terrorizing the neighborhoods. “Death Wish 3” also packs a great score by Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page and also the film debut of Alex Winter (“Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure”). “Death Wish 4: The Crackdown” was back in the day, the first Isaw in this series (sorry).   Even though it is not the best entry in the series, it still features vigilante Paul Kersey who kicks major ass against members of a vicious Los Angeles drug cartel.  This time he is trying to stop the flow of drugs after his girlfriend’s daughter dies from an overdose.

I really enjoyed the 1080p Blu-ray transfers for these films. They are all also presented in their original aspect ratio: 1.85:1. They are not perfect presentations but they are a real bump from past DVD’s. The audio on each release come with DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 tracks. They are not really spec for Blu-ray but still sound decent. The transfer and audio are very similar to the recent Chuck Norris films released on Blu-ray, which I also enjoyed quite a bit. It is not a Criterion release but if you are a fan you should be satisfied overall just to have the films in HD.

Directed by: Andrew Davis / Steve Carver
Starring: Chuck Norris, Ralph Davis, Henry Silva, Bert Remsen, and Mike Genovese / David Carradine, Leon Isaac Kennedy, Robert Beltran
MPAA Rating: R / PG
Distributed by: MGM Entertainment
Release Date: July 17, 2012
Running Time: 101 / 108 minutes

Blu-ray Scores: 3.5 out of 5 stars

When it comes to Chuck Norris, I can honestly never have enough. MGM dug into their archives and have delivered two classics from the films of Chuck Norris, “Code of Silence” and “Lone Wolf McQuade”, which is easily one of his best films. These films really represent true 80’s action and show the rise of the badassness of Chuck Norris. Plus in “Lone Wolf McQuade”, if Chuck isn’t enough we had the also fellow Kung-fu master David Carradine. Even though these releases feel like a cash in to time with “The Expendables 2”, if you are looking for a fix of Chuck Norris in high definition, I would recommend these very reasonably priced Blu-ray.  They aren’t the best releases but it’s enough to give your Blu-ray player a nice roundhouse kick.

In “Code of Silence”, Chuck stars as Eddie Cusack, a Chicago police officer whoaims to take down a drug gang.  When two rival gangs go at each out, it is up to Cusack to take let since no one at the police force is willing to help him since he who broke the code of silence by testifying against a fellow cop. His only help is a  police robot called “Prowler” that assist Cusack in taking down the gangs.

In “Lone Wolf McQuade”, Chucks plays legendary renegade Texas Ranger J.J. McQuade.  That name alone is bad-ass enough for me. He is quick with his gun but more lethal with his black belt! McQuade comes face to face with big-time kingpin and also martial arts expert, Rawley Wilkes.  McQuade must face his biggest challenge in order to save his daughter.

The video quality on both “Code of Silence & Lone Wolf McQuade” are very impressive.  I would even go as far to say that they look awesome on Blu-ray. The 1080p transfers are quite good and are presented in a sharp 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The sound on the other hand is good but nothing amazing with its DTS-HD MA Mono audio track.  If you are looking for extras, look elsewhere.  These releases are totally very lacking extras. The Blu-ray’s only come with each film’s original theatrical trailer, presented in standard definition.  Fans of Norris should not miss out on these releases, nonetheless.

Director: Stanley Kubrick
Starring: Matthew Modine, Adam Baldwin, Vincent D’Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey, Dorian Harewood, Kevyn Major Howard
MPAA Rating: R
Distributed: Warner Home Video
Release Date: August 7, 2012
Running Time: 116 minutes

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

As much as I absolutely love this film, the 25th Anniversary release of “Full Metal Jacket” feel a little but like a double dip…but you know you still need it if you are a die-hard fan. The main draw here is a newly added 60 minute documentary and an impressive 48-page DigiBook with photos from Matthew Modine’s personal collection. Also within there are behind-the-scenes stories on the production and the music. I think for this is honestly worth the purchase alone. If you agree then you don’t want to miss this release. I know it may be hard to believe but this is the first time I am watching this film on Blu-ray and it was definitely worth the wait.

The film says to included a new remastered video though it is the same as the 2007/2011 releases. Nonetheless it still looks incredibly impressive. It easily warrants 5/5 stars for 1080 transfer alone. There are many a few audio when it comes to the film’s audio. The Dolby Digital 5.1 is the default but the uncompressed PCM 5.1 surround track is sharper and more impressive. The special features are decent but feels a little light overall. “Stanley Kubrick’s Boxes” is an hour-long documentary, which follows director Jon Ronson as he is given a chance to dig through thousands of boxes on Kubrick estate following his death. There is a commentary track from author/screenwriter Jay Cocks and actors Adam Baldwin, Vincent D’onofrio and Lee Ermey. Sounds perfect right? It would have been but it was recorded individually, so the fun was gone. Matthew Modine takes the lead in “Between Good and Evil” focusing on the filming, casting, and the overall production. Lastly, there is the theatrical trailer included.

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Premise: Marine recruits endure basic training under a leather-lunged D.I., then plunge into the hell of Vietnam. Matthew Modine heads a talented ensemble in this searing look at a process that turns people into killers.

Directed by: Sam Fell, Chris Butler
Starring: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Tucker Albrizzi, Anna Kendrick, Casey Affleck, John Goodman, Leslie Mann
Jeff Garlin, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Elaine Stritch
MPAA Rating: PG
Distributed by: Focus Features
Running time: 92 minutes

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

“ParaNorman” is the latest film from Laika, the studio behind one of my favorite films “Coraline”. It is a 3D stop-motion animated adventure but may be too scary for the kids and not entertaining enough for the adults.  The film starts off really great  straight through the middle but fails through a in the end.  I am a sucker though for stop-motion animation and you can just tell how much work actually went into this film. I was very impressed with its blend of CG as well.  It is also the first one of them to utilize a 3D Color Printer to create replacement faces for its puppets.   The 3D effects are very impressive and does add a lot to the film.  This is a decent follow-up feature for Laika but it doesn’t come close to the charm of “Coraline”.

The film takes place in the small town of Blithe Hollow.  The town is cursed by a 3,000 year old witches curse. We meet a young boy named Norman (Smit-McPhee), who is misunderstood by everyone around him, and is also the only person that can save the day.  He has the ability to speak with the dead and it is up to him to stop the undead from taking over and prevent the witch from destroying the town.

When it comes to the voice cast in an animated film, the casting is very important.  The main cast here are impressive choices sporting Kodi Smit-McPhee (“Let Me In”), Anna Kendrick (“Twilight” series), Casey Affleck (“Ocean’s Eleven”) and Christopher Mintz-Plasse (“Fright Night”). The supporting cast includes Leslie Mann (“Knocked Up”), Jeff Garlin (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”) and John Goodman (“RoseAnne”). Casey Affleck was the real shocker of the group and is completely unrecognizable.  There are also a lot of little surprise Easter eggs included for hardcore horror fans, so be sure to keep an eye…and an ear out for them.  Personally I may just be getting old myself but having a younger daughter, I wouldn’t want her seeing this film until she is much older.  “Coraline” is a dark creepy film but this one is a little more edgy.  It does have some really great laughs and looks absolutely amazing, so it is guess overall it is fair toss-up.

Directed by: Te-Sheng Wei
Starring: Lin Ching-Tai, Umin Boya, Masanobu Ando
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Distributed by: Well Go USA
Release Date: August 7, 2012
Running Time: 422 minutes

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

When I reach out that “Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale” was the most expensive production in Taiwanese history (budgeted at around $25 million), I knew I just had to see it. I am a big fan of epic foreign films and definitely those produced by John Woo. When I say epic, this film delivers the epic. It runs over 4 1/2 hours long and split into two parts. If that is too long for you don’t worry there are two versions of “Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale” available on DVD and Blu-ray. There is also a cut two and a half hour version for the US. Though if you are looking for an equal amount of story to go along with the massive scale action sequences, then you are definitely going to want to watch the international version. The film was referred to as “Braveheart” meets “The Last of the Mohicans” but the film has the fierceness of these both and more.

The film itself chronicles the true story of Taiwan’s aboriginal tribes and their battle against the Japanese colonizers. That’s the short premise. The story takes us between 1895 and 1945, following the rival between a Japanese colony that inhabits the island and the aboriginal tribes who originally settled on the land. The Seediq leader, Mouna Rudo, (Lin Ching-Tai) recruits a number of other clans in order to band together to fight the Japanese. The film is beautifully different by Wei Te-Sheng (“Cape No.7”). The Taiwan landscapes are absolutely stunning, which are matched with some really top notch CGI. The action scenes are so amped up and also well paced within the story.

“Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale” looks absolutely fantastic on Blu-ray courtesy of Well Go USA. The 1080p transfer looks sharp and super clear within in aspect ratio of 2.34:1. It is a film that is meant for a high definition presentation and looks spectacular. There are two audio tracks, the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Dolby Digital 2.0 tracks. Obviously, I feel that the 5.1 track works much better, especially with the action. The special features are only have extras but they are quite epic, just like the film. “The Epic Journey of the Warriors” runs well over 2 1/2 hours, just in case the film wasn’t long enough. It is very a intensive behind-the-scenes look at the production, which plays out like a graphic shooting diary. There are also additional “Interviews with Director Wei Te-Sheng and Producer John Woo” and “Make-Up and Visual Effects” included. Lastly there are the theatrical and international trailers included.

JAWS fans from around the world descended upon Martha Vineyard (aka “Amity Island”) to kick start JAWSFEST: The Tribute on Thursday, August 9, 2012. The annual, four-day, fan-driven event takes place August 9-12, 2012, to celebrate the legacy of Steven Spielberg’s film and how it has impacted the lives of those who came to Amity in 1974. The tribute event also pays homage to the men and women of JAWS who have passed with a special focus on Peter Benchley, Roy Scheider and Robert Shaw.

The event coincides withUniversal Studios’ 100th Anniversary celebration and the August 14th release of JAWS on Blu-rayTM. Featuring an all-new, digitally remastered and fully restored picture, as well as 7.1 surround sound, the JAWS Blu-rayTM includes over 4 hours of bonus features including an all-new documentary “The Shark is Still Working.”

http://www.jawsonbluray.com
http://www.jawstribute.com/

Check out a clip from JAWSFEST:

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Jack Perez is known best as the director of the cult hit “Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus”. Jack also recently directed the new horror/comedy “Some Guy Who Kills People”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Jack about his new film and the cult success of “Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus”.

Mike Gencarelli: How did the title, “Some Guy Who Kills People”, come about?
Jack Perez: I came to the project after the script was already written. Ryan Levin had come up with the title and I loved it. Some people had wanted to change it as they thought it was too strange. I really fought for it as I thought it summed up the theme of the movie.

MG: What was your biggest challenge working on this production?
JP: I think getting the film done in the time we were given. We only had 16 days to do the film and its one of those films where performance counted. I wanted to make sure I could get all of those. Time was really the biggest thing. Fortunately we had a great crew and the cast was great as well.

MG: How was it working with such a great cast?
JP: It was great! I am a big fan of Karen Black and Barry Bostwick. These were all people Iadmired. I also admired Kevin Corrigan’s work and knew him socially however we had never made a film together. This film was a chance to work with people I loved. Thankfully they were all available as that generally never happens.

MG: Were the comedic parts of the film planned or were they something that just naturally occurred?
JP: Everything was deliberate. The script was designed to have equal parts of comedy, horror and drama. That was something that made me like the script so much. Mixing these things is always appealing but difficult to find.

MG: How did John Landis become involved?
JP: I think he had gotten script early on as Ryan was looking for a director. Landis was approached and it appealed to him however around that same time he was approached to make “Burke and Hare”. That was a project he has been looking to make for a long time and it then became about finding someone to replace him which is where I came in.

MG: Did you think “Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus” would ever reach the cult status that it has? And why did you choose to go by Ace Hannah?
JP: I never did. The reason I didn’t put my name on it was because I like to have control over the edit of my work. I think it is an essential part of directing. The Asylum doesn’t work that way. I knew they would sort of make a mess of my work. I wish people could see my cut of the film as it is a much faster, funnier movie. There was a bunch of stuff added to pad the length of the movie.

MG: What do you have planned next?
JP: I just did a movie for the Syfy channel called “Blowing Vegas of the Map”. It’s kind of a goofy, super natural disaster type movie. It was really a chance to work with Barry Bostwick again. Ryan and I also want to work together again.

Directed by: Robert Taylor
Starring: Lorne Greene, Margery Gray, Sammy Davis, Jr.
Distributed by: Warner Archive
MPAA Rating: G
Running Time: 93 minutes

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

When it comes to classic Hanna-Barbera animated films, I immediately become interested.  “Heidi’s Song” has never been released to DVD in the past, so thanks to Warner Archive for finally releasing this film.  Released originally back in 1982, this is time perfectly for the 30th Anniversary of this film. It is based on Johanna Spyri’s children’s classic, “Heidi” and has been translated into a full-length animated musical motion picture. It includes sixteen original songs written by lyricist Sammy Cahn and composer Burton Lane. The songs are fun but very 80’s.

This DVD released features the film newly remastered.  Though as much as I say that it looks good, the film really shows its age.  The film is very colorful but some of the shades come off still as a bit dull and faded.  But since this is the first time it has ever hit DVD, it is better than nothing and obviously VHS quality as well.  The audio includes a great stereo track, which works with the film’s songs.  There are no special features either like most releases from Warner Archive.  This title might not be the most popular but if you are a fan of retro Hanna-Barbera, it will be cool just to see this film getting a little love and restored on DVD.

Synopsis: Johanna Spyri’s best-loved children’s classic, Heidi, is affectionately retold in this colorful, full-length animated musical motion picture. The famed story has been supplemented with three new, unforgettable sequences: a musical review, The Nightmare Ballet, in which Heidi meets the mountain creatures of the Wunderhorn; a dream fantasy in which Clara, Heidi’s wheelchair confined friend, meets her Prince Charming at a fantastic ball; and Ode to a Rat, in which a band of evil but clownish rats, led by King Rat, are roused into attacking Heidi in a dark cellar. Voices are provided by Lorne Greene as Grandfather, Margery Gray as Heidi and Sammy Davis, Jr. as King Rat. Sixteen original songs were written by lyricist Sammy Cahn and composer Burton Lane. Heidi’s Song has all the elements to make a thoroughly enjoyable film that children will cherish a lifetime.

Directed by: Richard Linklater
Starring: Jack Black, Matthew McConaughey, Shirley MacLaine
Distributed by: Millennium Entertainment
MPAA rating: PG-13
Running Time: 104 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars

“Bernie” is directed by Richard Linklater, who is known best for his films “Waking Life” and “Dazed and Confused”. I feel that his work has lost the ‘Linklater charm’ recently especially after his last film “Me and Orson Welles”. The film stars Jack Black and Shirley MacLaine, who both give fantastic performances. The film itself starts off great and plays well between the its narrative and documentary style. Towards the end it seems either rushed or loses focus.

The film follows a small Texas town mortician Bernie Tiede (Black), who befriends a rich widow Marjorie Nugent (MacLaine) after her husband’s death. After becomes her friend and companion, Bernie murders Nugent due to her constant putdowns and tries to get away with it.  Since no one is town like her and she has no friends,  months go by before anyone really miss her.  When local district attorney (McConaughey) begins to investigate, things get complicated for Bernie and the local small town of Carthage.

“Bernie” is based off a true story from a 1998 Texas Monthly magazine article about a 1996 murder of a millionaire by her companion. Like I said, Jack Black gives one of his best performances to date and steals this film. He is funny yet isn’t really try that hard as usual. If you are looking for something different this summer from all the superheros and action films, this could be a good alternative for you.

The Blu-ray presentation is rather sharp for the low-budget film. The 1080p video looks good but not particularly challenged. Same goes for the Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track, which isn’t pushed much but sounds good nonetheless. The special features are a little disappointing for a Richard Linklater film. There is a featurette called “True Story to Film” talks about the film’s adaption of true events. To take advantage of Jack Black’s singing capabilities, there is a special performance of “Amazing Grace”. Lastly, there is featurette called “The Gossips” looking into the real-life townspeople of Carthage, including interviews and their auditions for the film.

“Jaws” fans can now breathe a sigh of relief because after years of begging and pleading Universal Studios is about to release Steven Spielberg’s 1975 blockbuster in an all new Blu-ray DVD package. But how do you take a film almost four decades old and make it look like better then brand new? That job fell to Peter Schade, Vice President of Content Management and Technical Services for Universal.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in Telecommunication and Film from California State University, Schade began his career as a scheduler for Turner Entertainment in 1989. He later worked in the technical services departments of both Turner and Worldvision. In 1999 he joined Universal as Director of Worldwide Home Video and Television Servicing, playing a key role in the relocation of International Home Video Servicing. He was promoted to his current position in August 2002. While finalizing his work on “Jaws” Mr. Schade found the time to sit down with Media Mikes.

Mike Smith: You have a Bachelor’s Degree in Telecommunication and Film. What were your goals when you left college? Did you intend on working in the technical side as you are now or were you looking to be more hands on as a filmmaker?
Peter Schade: When I was in school I always gravitated more towards being an editor. On student projects I was always the guy putting them together. But when I got my first “real” job after school I did intend to grativate more towards the technical side but circumstances pulled me more towards a management role. But I am managing a technical department so I’m very happy where I am.

MS: Can you describe a normal work day?
PS: Wow. My job has many facets so there are really no two days that are alike. My department sits right between production and distribution, so upstream of me you’ve got production both in the feature and television side creating content and delivering it to the studio. Then my team creates all of the archived assets that are made in support of distribution and then downstream of me are divisions like Home Video and Television…International…Domestic…Non-theatrical. So we’re delivering content every day to any number of those groups. The rest of the library has us dealing with contents that are decades old to contents that are brand new so there are lots of challenges. There’s never a dull moment!

MS: Were there any special processes that you needed to employ to transfer “Jaws?”
PS: The special processes begin in the way we care for the elements, from the original negative on down through any of the distribution masters that we make. We have our own vaults – buildings that are specifically designed to store material – that are kept at the proper temperature and humidity. In terms of taking the original negative and transferring it…digitizing it…we specifically used a film scanner that employed wet gate technology. This means the film is passed through a chamber before the gate which is filled with a liquid that is the same as the film base. Therefore any surface damage on the film is filled in and we don’t see the things that have gotten on the film as a result of its age. It’s scanned at 6K resolution, which is probably eight to ten times more then you’d see on High Def. Once that image information is digitized off the filmwe use any number of tools to work on color correction and dirt fixes and stabilization. There are manyparallel processes that go on at the same time that take weeks and sometimes months until we have a product that we think is of the quality needed to put out on Blu-ray.

MS: In the featurette describing the processes currently on line, it looks like you’re actually inspecting , cleaning and digitalizing the film frame by frame. Is that correct?
PS: There is an inspection that goes on. Before you put the film on a mechanical device you want to make sure there’s no broken sprocket holes or loose splices. You have to make sure the film is in good shape before you even begin to scan it. That is what they are referring to in the documentary as far as studying the film frame by frame. It’s literally a negative expert who is used to handling film. They go through every reel and hand inspect every foot…every frame…of that film.

MS: Do you also spend any extra time working on the supplemental aspects of the disc? I know the fan documentary “The Shark is Still Working” is included. Did your team work on that film as well?
PS: My team only focuses on the actual feature itself. There are other groups that focus on the supplemental material.

MS: I think I can speak, not only for “Jaws” fans, but for film fans when I say that the release of “Jaws” on Blu-ray is probably one of the most anticipated releases in the history of the format.
PS: It’s a great film. It’s one of my favorites as well. It stands the test of time. And coming out on Blu-ray, we’re very proud and honored to get it out there and have fans see it better than it’s ever been

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Directed by: Andrew Marton
Starring: Gene Kelly, Pier Angeli
Distributed by: Warner Archive
Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 92 minutes

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

Gene Kelly is known best for his musicals but this film is one of his dramatic performances.  The film itself has some problems and but honestly.  I am a sucker for Kelly and this performance was great.  The film was also shot on location which is breathtaking, especially some of the scenery in Germany.  Pier Angeli is also amazing, such a beauty. Warner Archive scores again for finally releasing the remaining, unreleased Gene Kelly films from the Warner Bros. vaults. The other film recently released is “Black Hand”, read review here. Fans of Gene Kelly’s work will not want to miss this opportunity to finally own this film on DVD.

This newly restored DVD looks great for a film that has never before released and was made almost 60 years ago. “The Devil Makes Three” is presented in black and white in full frame and the original aspect ratio of 1.37:1. The audio track presented is mono and sounds great, especially with the film’s music scenes. The only special feature on this release is an original trailer, which is honestly better than nothing. Even though Warner Archive is known for just delivering such great quality on their DVDs. I have yet to be disappointed. Keep them coming guys!

Synopsis: Capt. Jeff Eliot (Gene Kelly) roams the tawdry dives of post-war Munich searching for a delicate young beauty named Wilhelmina (Pier Angeli), the only survivor of the family that hid him from the Nazis after his plane was shot down during the war. He wants to help her. She wants to use him to smuggle contraband into Austria. But what looks like a small-time black market scheme hides something far more sinister: a vicious, well-financed conspiracy to revive the Third Reich. Shot on location and boasting a skilled international cast, The Devil Makes Three features footage of motorcycles zooming along Hitler’s sleek Autobahn and competing in a thrilling race on a frozen lake, plus a climatic showdown filmed at the Führer’s mountain retreat near Berchtesgaden. Kelly is both virile action hero and shrewd detective “in a fine, restrained characterization” (Howard Thompson, The New York Times) that anchors the intrigue-laced plot.

Directed by: Richard Thorpe
Starring: Gene Kelly, J. Carroll Nash, Teresa Celli
Distributed by: Warner Archive
Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 92 minutes

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

When you think of Gene Kelly you think of singing and dancing.  “Black Hand” was one of the first films to really showcase Kelly’s dramatic chops.  It is a real change of pace for him and pays off.  It is honestly surprising how suspenseful this film really is.  It leaves you sitting on the edge of your chair biting your nails.  Warner Archive scores again for finally releasing the remaining, unreleased Gene Kelly films from the Warner Bros. vaults.  The other film recently released is “The Devil Makes Three”, read review here. Fans of Gene Kelly’s work will not want to miss this opportunity to finally own this film on DVD.

For a film from 1950 that has been stuck in a vault and never before released.  It looks damn good. Of course there is the grain and age spots but this newly restored DVD really delivers the goods.  “Black Hand” is presented in black and white in full frame and the original aspect ratio of 1.37:1.  The audio track presented is mono and works perfectly with this release. Even though this film solely consists of just the film no special features.  You still feel like you are getting your money’s worth.  When I think of Warner Archive, I just feel comfort with quality.

Synopsis: Johnny Columbo was just a boy in 1900 New York when a gang of extortionists known as the Black Hand murdered his father. Now Johnny’s a grown man eager for vengeance. His switchblade and his anger are the weapons he intends to use but he ultimately realizes there’s a better way. He can use the legal system to deport the Black Hand terrorists by proving they are in the U.S. under false identities. but brining that proof to light will put Johnny and the people close to him in great peril. Movie-musical great Gene Kelly plays the change-of-pace role of Johnny in this suspenseful tale directed by the prolific Richard Thorpe (more than 180 IMDb credits). Kelly had played an Italian-American before in Pilot #5. He would portray a Greek-American in It’s a Big Country.

GIRLFRIEND is the first North American feature film to star a man with Down Syndrome in the lead role, Evan Sneider. After premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival to outstanding reviews, the film screened theatrically and recently won the prestigious Audience Award at the 2011 Gotham Independent Film Awards, an honor previously bestowed upon WAITING FOR SUPERMAN.

As a result of this tremendous support by the public, the film was recently picked up for distribution and will be released by Strand Releasing on DVD, VOD in 90 million homes (Time Warner Cable, Comcast, Dish Network, Direct TV), Amazon, iTunes, Netflix and Vudu.

More information about the film:
Official Film Stills for Download: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jslerner
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/GIRLFRIEND/247774270511
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/GirlfriendMovie

Official Selection at:
2010 Toronto International Film Festival (World Premiere)
2011 Festroia International Film Festival
2011 Moscow International Film Festival
2011 Galway Film Fleadh
2011 Woods Hole Film Festival
2011 White Sands International Film Festival
2011 Ghent International Film Festival
2011 Mill Valley Film Festival
2011 Sao Paolo International Film Festival
2012 New York Disabilities Film Festival
2012 San Francisco Independent Film Festival

Winner:
Best Narrative Film (Jury Prize) – 2011 Woods Hole Film Festival
Best Film of the Festival (Audience Award) – 2011 Woods Hole Film Festival
Grand Jury Prize – 2011 White Sands Int’l Film Festival
Best Director – 2011 White Sands Int’l Film Festival
Audience Award – 2011 Mill Valley Film Festival
Audience Award – 2011 Gotham Independent Film Awards

AMAZON:
http://www.amazon.com/Girlfriend-Shannon-Woodward/dp/B007TOSB7O/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1344529094&sr=1-1&keywords=girlfriend+DVD

ORDER ON iTUNES:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/girlfriend/id542926442?ls=1

NETFLIX:
http://movies.netflix.com/movie/Girlfriend/70154140

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Created by: Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady
Starring: Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Distributed by: Warner Home Video
Release Date: July 10, 2012
Running Time: 558 minutes

Season Two: 4 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars

The second season of “The Big Bang Theory” really kicked this show into full gear. During the first season, we got to meet and love our science nerds Leonard, Sheldon, Raj and Howard and their neighbor Penny.  When you are watching you don’t even realize that you just finished zipped through 23 episodes without moving from the couch once.  Now that this season has been released, the entire series is finally available on Blu-ray minus the fifth season, which is due in September 2012. Within this season, there are 23 very funny episodes. You can tell that Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady are really getting into a groove with this season and really deliver one of the best seasons.  The cast has really discovered their comfort zone in their characters as well. Fans of the series, should definitely pick this up.

Let’s get to the meat of this release.  Warner’s spared no expenses with this release rounding up a six-disc set consisting of two Blu-ray and four DVDs. So you can watch the series in high-def at home and bring the DVDs to leave at work. The real selling point for me though was the Ultraviolet streaming digital copy included of all 23 episodes.  I really look forward to revisiting this series on the go whenever I want from my iPhone. The 1080p video transfer is similar to the first season and is definitely sharp looking.  The audio included is an DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, which is on par with the first season.  The show is all dialogue but is well-balanced and very clear.

The special features on this release though are not as impressive as the season itself. They are also only presented in standard definition.  I was also hoping for some commentary tracks included but they seem to be MIA.  “The Big Bang Theory: Physicist to the Stars”,  runs about 10 minutes and takes a look into the show’s physics consultant Dr. David Saltzberg.  “Testing the Infinite Hilarity Thesis in Relation to the Big Bang Theory” is a basic behind-the-scenes look into season 2. Lastly there is a very funny “Gag Reel” included as well, though not uncensored.

Created by: Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady
Starring: Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Distributed by: Warner Home Video
Release Date: July 10, 2012
Running Time: 374 minutes

Season Two: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars

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“Our whole universe was in a hot dense state,
Then nearly fourteen billion years ago expansion started. Wait…
The Earth began to cool,
The autotrophs began to drool,
Neanderthals developed tools,
We built a wall (we built the pyramids),
Math, science, history, unraveling the mysteries,
That all started with the big bang!”

If you are a fan of the show, you probably find yourself, like me singing along to this theme song…even when the show is not on. “The Big Bang Theory” is easily my favorite comedy on television…period.  I have to be honest though, I was not always a fan of this show.  I remember dating back to 2007-2008, when friends of mine insisted we watch it and I just kept thinking “A show about science…Yeah right!”  Boy, was I so wrong.  This show is so much more and only has gotten better with each season. Thankfully Warner Bros has finally released this show’s first and second seasons on high-definition Blu-ray. “The Big Bang Theory” started its Blu-ray releases with season 3 back in 2010.  So luckily now we are all caught up, until the upcoming release of season 5 in September 2012.  If you are a fan of the show, this release is very welcomed and does not disappoint.

Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady have really created one of the most unique and funniest shows on television.  It is packed with some great pop culture aspects merged with a very creative use of scientific jargon and rapid-fire dialogue (mostly courtesy of the amazing  Jim Parsons). The first season is the shortest of the series due to the Writers Guild strike of 2007, but it still is able to capture its audience.  Fall 2012 also begins the show’s sixth season and it currently shows no signs of slowing down.  In the first season, we meet Leonard and Sheldon, who are science nerds and also roommates.  When they meet their new neighbor Penny, an aspiring actress/currently waitressing at The Cheescake Factory, Leonard goes on the prowl to get her.  We also get introduced to Leonard and Sheldon’s hilarious duo of friends, Howard, who is a suave nerd and Raj, who cannot speak with women (unless he is drunk).  Overall, this season is a great kick-off to a great series.

This Blu-ray release is much more impressive over seasons 3 and 4. This is a six-disc set consisting of two Blu-ray and 4 DVDs. The real selling point for me though was the Ultraviolet streaming digital copy included of all 17 episodes. When I originally saw the first season of “The Big Bang Theory”, it was not in high definition.  So it was great revisit this show on high-def Blu-ray.  The 1080p transfer is very sharp and colorful, definitely does not disappoint.  The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track also is great but of course isn’t challenged much especially since the show is 99.9% dialogue. The special features though are a bit of a letdown, not some much in what is presented but by what is not included.  “Quantum Mechanics of The Big Bang Theory”, runs just short of 20 minutes and is a retrospective on the origins of the series.  Lorre and Prady and all the principal cast chat about the series. Lastly there is a “Gag Reel” includes, which had me literally crying.