Steve Lemme is known best for being a member of the comedy troupe Broken Lizard.  He has co-star in “Super Troopers”, “Beerfest” and “Club Dread”.  He is taking the lead role in the upcoming 3D family film “I Heart Shakey”.  Steve is also currently touring comedy clubs with Broken Lizard co-member Kevin Heffernan.  Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Steve about his new film and also his current comedy tour.

Mike Gencarelli: “I Heart Shakey” looks like sweet family film and a sharp right turn from your work with Broken Lizard, what did you enjoy most about it?
Steve Lemme: Actually, I can honestly say it was the best acting experience I have had. When we made the Broken Lizard films, it’s been an ensemble. Right off the bat, we got to the set and I got to rehearsals and realized I had 90 pages of disalogue to learn. Suddenly I had a much greater responsible because I was “the guy”. It then became aware to me that I would be acting with only a 9-year old girl and a dog. The conversation I had with the director was that I was going to have to be pillar of strength and experience here. In someway, I think I grew up a little bit. With the Broken Lizard movies, you always have to be improving and acting on your toes. I think you have to be more so with this film. You find yourself right in the middle of your lines and all of the sudden the dog pulls you off in a different direction. You have to put a greater amount of focus into this. It is also harder not to do comedy certain times. Overall it was just a great experience.

MG: As a new parent yourself, did that contribute to your playing J.T. O’Neil?
SL: The truth is we did the movie before my baby was born or my wife was pregnant. So some people have said that this experience gave me the desire to be a dad…and I wouldn’t deny it. The girl that play my daughter in the film, Riley, after a week or two I became very naturally protective of her. We were spending 14 hours a day together and we bonded. So the running joke is she made me want to be a dad.

MG: You’ve known director Kevin Cooper since college and collaborated with Broken Lizard, how was it reuniting?
SL: We met when he was in NYU film school and Broken Lizard has just started. I acted in his first two student films. He went to Hollywood then and worked for Michael Bay and Jim Cameron. He then moved back to Chicago and became a professor of film production at Columbia College. When we were kids we always talked about making our careers about working together and makings tons of movies together. We just bonded in that way. He called me up a few years ago and sent me the script for “Shakey” and asked me to play the lead. It is a kids movie and so far from the stuff I have done. Overall it was a great experience for me and also a challenge. It was a low-budget feature being shot in 3D and with a dog.

MG: How was it shooting your first film in 3D?
SL: I had mixed feeling about it honestly. In terms of the distribution of the film, since 3Dmovies are so popular right now. But what we are finding it is actually hindering our distribution. Then people are thinking to themselves it was going to cost much more to market and cost the audience more as well. You are then going to be competing with the Pixar movies for 3D screens and be bumped in a heartbeat. On a shoestring budget, shooting 3D is such a time constraint. You are really at the mercy of the 3D cameras.

MG: Was it exciting to work 80’s legends Steven Guttenberg and Beverly D’Angelo?
SL: Well I only got to work with Beverly for one day. In the film her character and my character don’t get along, she doesn’t like me. So I think she was a method actor…so in between takes she would just sort of glare at me [laughs]. So I didn’t enjoy my day with Beverly very much. But Guttenberg and I, we had a great time shooting together. We are both very immature guys. He was in “Police Academy” movies and I was in “Super Troopers”. We really had a blast working together.

MG: You also reunite in this film with Philippe Brenninkmeyer from “Super Troopers”; planned or not?
SL: They were looking for local German actor, who has a good sense of humor. I told them I knew a guy but they were going to have to bring him down from Los Angeles. He showed up on set and just nailed it. He is one of the best characters in the movie. Of course awesome to work with again.

MG: Tell us about your currently comedy tour with Kevin Heffernan?
SL: Broken Lizard started off as a stand-up comedy group. We wanted to do more of that with sketches and that culminated a few years ago with a Comedy Central special. Kevin and I decided afterwards that we liked it so much that we wanted to do more. The problem with the Broken Lizard tour is that we each only got like ten minutes of time. I felt I had a lot more to say and Kevin felt the same. Jay wanted to get back to directing TV. Paul was going off to direct a script he did. Eric was focusing on doing motivation speaking. Kevin and I decided to put together this show and have been touring for the last year and a half. We are going to shooting this show as well for a special during our stop in San Francisco. We are having a blast.

MG: What do you have planned next either solo or with Broken Lizard?
SL: Kevin and I have been writing a lot together. We just sold a show to NBC for us to act/write in. On the side, when the group is not together, Kevin and I have taken it up to write a new Broken Lizard script. Our agent is telling us we are going to hit every comedy club in the country. So after a year and a half, we still haven’t been to the same place twice. So we are just building our stand up reputation and really enjoying it.

Alexander Newton stars in the upcoming independent film “Justice/Vengeance”. Media Mikes had a chance to speak with Alexander recently about the film and what it’s like working with his father, Joshua Newton.

Adam Lawton: What can you tell us about the film “Justice/Vengeance”?
Alexander Newton: The film is a revenge/thriller set in two different time periods. One of those periods is today and the other is in the 1940’s. My scenes are during the flashback portions of the film as I play the younger version of the lead character. I think the film is quite important as it speaks out against racism. It is sort of a morally questioning movie. It’s one of those what if? stories. When my dad wrote the story he asked himself what if his dad found the man that killed his family during the holocaust and what would he do. There is a lighter side of the story as it has some romance set in the 1940’s. The movie definitely will appeal to a wide variety of people.

AL: Can you tell us a little more about your character?
AN: My character escapes the execution of his village and becomes sort of a freedom fighter. He spends the rest of his time in Europe fighting the Nazi’s. He eventually moves to New York where he becomes a police officer. This is where you see the older version of my character Joseph played by Roy Scheider.

AL: What was it that drew you to this role?
AN: It’s such a powerful story. It is heartbreaking as well. I felt like this was a role that was really important to do. It was great working with my dad on the film as well. I really trust him and I think he did a great job directing the movie.

AL: Do you ever find it difficult working with a family member?
AN: I don’t really think so. I find it very rewarding. We are both very comfortable with each other. I don’t think we are ever afraid to say anything to each other. (Laughs) It’s fun and we work very easily together. We haven’t ever had any problems on set. We get along really well. He is a cool Dad.

AL: Can you tell us about your song that is featured in the film?
AN: The song is called “Lost in Forever”. It is played over the end credits of the film. We also did a music video for the song. The song has not been released yet as we are still waiting for the right time to release it. Everything is all ready to go we just have to find the right time to put it out there.

AL: Did you write this song specifically for the film or was it written beforehand?
AN: We set out to make a song for the film. This song is separate from the others that I am doing as it is about the story in the film.

AL: Can you tell us about some of your other music?
AN: I dabble. (Laughs) I am working hard at the moment on a couple interesting projects. Separate from when I am acting and auditioning several times a week I am making music. I am writing with other artists and producing other artists. I also am writing for my own material as well. I am pretty busy and it’s all been cool. You will definitely be hearing my stuff this year.

AL: Do you find one of the arts to be more difficult than the other?
AN: Not really. Like anything that you put enough work into it’s worth it. I love both of them so I don’t really see either as difficult. I just see them as things I do.

AL: Do you have any other projects going on?
AN: I have a small load of projects that I am working on. I have a movie that we are going to make this year that is a comedy. That will actually be the second film I am doing with my Dad. I also will be doing a film in Texas that will be a lot of fun.

Starring: Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg and Tony Orlando
Directed by: Sean Anders
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 54 mins
Columbia

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I must admit at the start that I had a major crush on one of my teachers in high school. I’m not going to name her (she knows who she is) but it appears to be something that everyone goes through at one time or another. It happened to Donny Berger (Justin Weaver) when he was in 8th grade. In an attempt to show off for some classmates Donny gets fresh with the very beautiful Miss McGarricle (Eva Amurri Martino) and ends up in detention. While there the teacher scolds him for his actions. She continues to scold him through the school year until they are discovered. She is sentenced to 30 years in prison and, on her way to the big house reveals that she is pregnant. Donny’s parents are given custody of the baby and, upon turning 18, Donny is given the responsibility of raising it. Bad move.

Pretty much a “Hangover” – lite, “That’s My Boy” is Sandlers return to the raunchy side of his career, where films like “Little Nicky” are found. After 20 years as a talk show staple and the subject of a movie of the week starring “90210’s” Ian Ziering as Donny, Donny Berger (now played by Sandler) is now nothing more than a punch line. He’s just been informed that he’s never paid income taxes on the money he made and now faces prison unless he can come up with an initial payment. To get the money he tries to get a spot on a Jerry Springer/Maury Povich type show hosted by Randall Morgan (the getting-funnier-each-time-I-see-him-in-an-Adam-Sandler-movie Dan Patrick). Morgan offers Donny $50,000 if he can reunite with Miss McGarricle at the woman’s prison she’s in. And he needs to bring his son with him. If only he could find him.

Mildly amusing (and occasionally laugh-out-loud funny, “That’s My Boy” gets it’s good grades not from its stars but from the supporting cast. Hilarious turns by Tony Orlando (!), Vanilla Ice and the adult Miss McGarricle (don’t want to give away a bit of classic casting) keep the laughs coming. For those of you familiar with Sandler’s comedy CDs, he has decided to use his “Toll Booth Willie” voice for Donny, which is like a high pitched, intoxicated JFK. As Donny’ son, Todd (which he changed when he became an adult because he didn’t like his birth name – Han Solo), Samberg is adequate. He’s very funny in short bursts on “Saturday Night Live,” but the shtick gets old quickly as the film goes on. The film is also stocked with many SNL veterans in cameo roles, including Will Forte, Rachel Dratch and Ana Gasteyer. Also look for Sandler vets Nick Swardson, Colin Quinn, Dennis Dugan and others to fill the minor roles.

I took a lot of heat earlier this year when I became one of only three critics in the world to recommend Sandler’s “Jack and Jill.” But as a 15 year old boy in a 51 year old man’s body I make no apologies. “That’s My Boy” is much funnier than “Jack and Jill.” And, as I finish this, I see that no fewer than SIX critics have already been positive on Rotten Tomatoes so please don’t flame our site this time!

Starring: Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta and Tom Cruise
Directed by: Adam Shankman
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 2 hours 3 mins
Warner Brothers

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

It sounded like a good idea. Take a bunch of popular song from an era long past, add some singers and a couple of actor cameos and, voila, you have…”Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” Best known for being the only film in which Carol Channing, Leif Garrett and “Bowzer” from Sha Na all appear, the film was blasted for being nothing more but a bunch of hit songs strung together (though it does have a small place in my heart and in my DVD collection). But like the saying goes, that was then; this is now! Or at least 1987.

Small town girl Sherrie Christian (Hough) arrives in seedy Los Angeles from her small Oklahoma town via bus. After having her suitcase stolen (not to worry, the only thing in it were her albums) she ends up at a popular rock and roll club called the Bourbon. There she meets bar assistant Drew Boley (Boneta), who convinces his boss, Dennis (Alec Baldwin) to give her a job. Sherrie is a singer and she KNOWS that soon she’ll be, as John Lennon used to say, “the toppermost of the poppermost!”

Full of some of the biggest songs of the late 1980s (I hate to use the words “rock and roll” because, and no offense to Kevin Cronan or R.E.O. Speedwagon, but “I Can’t Fight This Feeling” is NOT a rock song!), “Rock of Ages” is almost like one of the old Hollywood musicals where everyone gets together and puts on a show in the barn. In this show, somebody just put a bunch of songs in a show and wrote a story around them. Sherrie Christian only has that name so that everyone on that night bus from Oklahoma can sing Night Ranger’s “Sister Christian” while, when Sherrie’s name is mentioned, you get a few bars of Steve Perry’s “Oh, Sherrie!” They did the same thing in “Sgt Peppers” when they named Peter Frampton’s love interest “Strawberry Fields.”

At least the cast has fun. Hough is engaging enough as a girl who must follow her own dreams, no matter the sacrifice. Boneta starts off shaky. His character claims to have stage fright but he has no problem butchering “Juke Box Hero” inside a crowded record store. But it’s the rest of the cast that make me recommend this film. As a Tipper Gore-like mayoral wife, Oscar winner Catherine Zeta-Jones gets to belt out some Pat Benatar while channeling Michael Jackson’s moves from the “Beat It” video. Baldwin is a hoot as is Russell Brand, as his assistant. But the star here is Cruise, who stars as Stacee Jaxx, lead singer of the band Arsenal looking to go solo. And when he announces that he’ll be giving his first performance as a single on the big stage at the Bournon, Jaxx rocks the house. Part “The Jungle Book’s” Kaa, the snake and part Guns and Rose’s Axl Rose, Cruise rocks the house’s socks off! He has the look and moves of a bonafide rock star, as well as a more then passible voice. When Cruise is on screen the film come to life! The songs are catchy (they should be, they’re pretty well known) and Shankman’s direction is brilliant. He did a great job adapting “Hairspray” from Broadway and does the same here. The script is hit or miss, with one of the biggest misses being Sherrie pretty much meets Drew, gets a job, buys new clothes, gets a place to live AND finds the cure for cancer all in one week’s time. Just kidding about the cancer curing.

Directed by: Nima Nourizadeh
Starring: Thomas Mann, Jonathan Daniel Brown, Oliver Cooper
MPAA Rating: R
Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: June 19, 2012
Running Time: 88 minutes

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

Maybe I am getting old but to have a film with this kind of warning…I just shake my head.”No one should attempt to recreate or re-enact any of the scenes, stunts or general activities portrayed in the film.”  I have seen all the “Jackass” movies and they do not come even close to this trash.  The film has aimed to be a comedy but is jokeless, it contains no plot and just proves that our teen society is out of control.  I can tell you one thing my kid will never see this film, its like having too much candy…it will rot your brain.

Since the film shot with handcam, it is choppy and raw, so it is not really a film that shines on Blu-ray.  It is still presented well in its 1080p transfer.  It’s audio contains a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, which work with the film’s madness.  Warner’s delivered the goods like normally, including a Blu-ray/DVD Combo + UltraViolet Digital Copy.

The special features are terrible just like the film.  “The Pasadena Three” is a featurette on the three idiot teens and how they got their roles “acting”, if you can call it that. “Declassified” is a basic behind-the-scenes look at the production or lack their of.  There is “Xpensive: Tallying Up the Damages” which looks into the aftermath of the crazy night. Lastly there is two cuts of the film, the theatrical and the extended cut.  Though the theatrical cut was enough “Project X” for me for a lifetime.

Premise: “Project X” is an out-of-control comedy that follows a group of buds who set out to throw the most epic 17th birthday party ever. The film documents a high school party that gets completely out of control, shot from the perspective of the digital cameras that the kids have with them.

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Directed by: Michael R. Roskam
Starring: Matthias Schoenaerts, Jeroen Perceval, Jeanne Dandoy
Distributed by: Image Enterainment
Release Date: June 26, 2012
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 124 minutes

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

“Bullhead” was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film in the 84th Academy Awards, last year.  The film is dark and intense though runs a little long.  Matthias Schoenaerts does give a very powerful performance though and definitely gained my notice from this film.  Drafthouse Films is getting a good rep for releasing some pretty great films.  This year alone it has released the awesome “The FP” and will be releasing the upcoming “THE ABCs of Death” later this year. The Blu-ray presentation is also notable with its 1080p transfer and DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 track. If you are looking for a slow-moving but decent crime film, give “Bullhead” a shot.

The film follows young cattle farmer Jacky Vanmarsenille, who after being approached from a mafia meat trader with a shady deal gets lead down a dangerous road of revenge and torment. Jacky must confront his past when a federal agent is killed and and a mysterious secret from Jacky’s past come forward. Jacky needs to decide his path in order to final the meaning of manhood.

The special features included are very impressive as well.  Firstly there is a special collector’s edition booklet included, which seems to be a trend for Drafthouse Films.  There is a decent length behind-the-scenes featurette called “The Making of Bullhead”. There is an interview with star Matthias Schoenaerts and director Michaël R. Roskam, as well as a commentary track from Roskam. Lastly included is Roskam’s 2005 Short Film starring Matthias Schoenaerts, called “The One Thing You Do”. Worth checking out.  There is also a digital copy of the film included for download.

Directed by: Michel Hazanavicius
Starring: Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo, John Goodman, James Cromwell, Penelope Ann Miller
Distributed by: Sony Pictures
Release Date: Jun 26, 2012
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 100 minutes

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

“The Artist” won Best Picture in the last year’s 84th Academy Awards. I love the film but it was not my favorite film of the year. It is unique, obviously, since it is a silent/B&W period film and don’t take me wrong it is really quite enjoyable. Berenice Bejo is so cute and completely lovable.  She has this amazing film presence. Jean Dujardin deserved his Best Actor award, since what he did in this film was extremely challenging and he gave an amazing performance. “The Artist” not only has comedy, it also has romance and plenty of drama. So if you can handle a  wordless film driven by an amazing score, then I would highly recommend this, just don’t expect to see 2011’s best film.

The film takes place in a 1927 Hollywood. Silent movie superstar, George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is facing the biggest challenge of his career…the rise of the talkies. This rise is also leading to his fall into oblivion. Though it has a complete opposite effect for his love interest the young Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo). She started off as an extra with George but hits stardom big with the talkies. Through these stories our two stars destinies are intertwined.

The Blu-ray comes in a really neat slipcase cause, that is definitely worth mentioning. This release also comes with a Blu-ray + UltraViolet streaming copy, which I absolutely love. The video resolution looks stunning and sharp with its B&W 1080p transfer, presented in widescreen with an aspect ratio of 1.37:1. The audio included is phenomenal with its Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track. It is funny when you comment on a silent film’s audio track as being great…but the score just sounds amazing.

The special features are decent but lacking any commentary tracks. There is a Q&A with the Filmmakers and Cast, which is fun. “The Artist: The Making Of A Hollywood Love Story” is a great behind-the-scenes look at the production. “Hollywood As A Character: The Locations of The Artist” takes a look at the filming locations showcasing them as members of the cast in a sense. Lastly there is a very funny Blooper Reel included. Overall decent but I expected a little more from the Best Picture of the Year’s Blu-ray release.

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Jonathan Sadowski is the star of the recent Oren Peli produced “Chernobyl Diaries”. Jonathan also star last year in TV’s short-lived “Bleep My Dad Says”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Jonathan about his new film and what we can expect.

Mike Gencarelli: What drew you to the “Chernobyl Diaries”?
Jonathan Sadowski: Starting from the audition process the project had a mystique about it. I didn’t really know anything about it as everyone was being very secretive. I did however figure Oren Peli was behind everything. The script was very improv based and we just let our characters run during the audition process.  Bit by bit we told more about the project and by the time screen testing started I knew what the film was about. Brad Parker is an actor’s director. He is very open to working with you. I had no idea the movie was going to be what it turned into.

MG: What did you like most about your character in the film?
JS: My character is the black sheep of the family. Everything that happens in this film is because my character decides to take these people on a tour of this abandoned city.

MG: Were the shooting locations challenging at all?
JS: We shot in a few different locations.  We were in Serbia as well as a few different cities outside of Budapest. There was a big language barrier there so communicating was extremely difficult. Trying to eat in restaurants there was really tuff.

MG: What was it like working with Oren Peli and first time director Brad Parker?
JS: For Brad being a first time director he is a pro. I can’t say enough about what he did with the film. He gave us tremendous liberties. Oren was on set every day and was also there during the audition process. The script really came out during rehearsals as it was very improv based. They actually taped the rehearsals and turned it into a script format. Oren was the first person to speak up if something wasn’t perfect. He was really amazing.

MG: Do you enjoy working in a more open environment?
JS: I love it! There are really no rules so you can push the envelope. They can always pull it back but at least you have the liberties to go further with your character.

MG: How does your experiences on this film compare to yours from previous works?
JS: The thing that was interesting about shooting this film was the whole secrecy aspect of things. Even when we were shooting we didn’t know what was going to happen or what things were going to look like until we were ready to do them. They were constantly pulling pranks on us to get real reactions.

MG: Can you tell us about any of your other projects?
JS: There is one film that I am in talks to do but the script is still being finished. They are also trying to get me to direct the project as well.

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Directed by: David Blair
Starring: Stephen Graham, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, David O’Hara
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Distributed by: Well Go USA
Release Date: June 26, 2012
Running Time: 108 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: N/A

“Best Laid Plans” caught my eye due to the fact it is an urban reworking loosely inspired by John Steinbeck’s novel “Of Mice and Men”..but meets MMA fighting.  The film itself is slow-paced in the beginning but is packed with really wonderful performances.  Stephen Graham, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and David O’Hara are absolutely fantastic in this film.  I mean fantastic!  David Blair is a amazing director and he really nails it with this powerful British Drama.  I would highly recommend this film, especially for MMA fans.

The film revolves around two friends, Danny (Stephen Graham) and Joseph (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), who is the muscle of the two but has a mental age of seven.  Danny gets really deep in debt to a crime boss and had no choice but to use Joseph in a series of underground cage fights in order to help Danny pay his debt.

The film is very thrilling and makes you want to re-watch a second time the minute it ends.  It is also very gritty and the violence is very raw and real.  Although the film does not contain any special features at all, Well-Go USA released this film as a combo pack.  There is a Blu-ray and DVD disc included in this set.  I wasn’t sure what to expect from this film overall I am very glad I saw it and I highly recommend it.  BTW did I mention that Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje gives one of his best performances of his career.

Directed by & Starring: Jackie Chan
MPAA Rating: R
Distributed by: Echo Bridge Home Entertainment
Release Date: November 29, 2011
Running Time: 386 minutes

Operation Condor: 3 out of 5 stars
Operation Condor- Armour of God 2: 3 out of 5 stars
Jackie Chan’s Project A: 3 out of 5 stars
Jackie Chan’s Project A2: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray Score: 2.5 out of 5 stars

I remember dating back to 1994 when I first saw Jackie Chan’s “Rumble in the Bronx”, still one of my favorites. It changed my life and introduced me to kung-fu films. Since then Jackie’s films have been ported to the US over the years. The films included in this set are not his best but are still entertaining. Though since they are American versions of the films, they are badly cut and edited. They also are only available with a dubbed track not the original language with subtitles. Though with the low price, fans of Jackie Chan will enjoy a chance to see this films on Blu-ray.

“Operation Condor” features Jackie Chan as the world’s greatest secret agent, code name Condor, who is sent to track down stolen Nazi gold. “Operation Condor: Armour of God 2” features Chan back as the fortune hunter whose ex-girlfriend is kidnapped and held for ransom by an evil cult. “Jackie Chan’s Project A” features Chan as Dragon, a coast guard officer on patrol in late 19th century Hong Kong, who battles with a vicious gang syndicate for control of the waters. “Jackie Chan’s Project A2” follows its predecessor where Dragon is assigned to lead the local police force but discovers and aims to remove police corruption.

The Blu-ray transfers on these films are not the greatest. They are all presented in 1080p though, which is a plus at least. The video quality on “Operation Condor 2: Armour of the Gods” is the best on the disc but it only comes with Dobly Stereo 2.0 audio track, as does “Project A”. “Project A” and “Project A2” transfers are also very grainy and rough, despite the 1080p transfer. “Operation Condor” and “Project A2” comes with Dobly Digital 5.1 surround tracks. Overall mixed results on these films, leading up to barely satisfactory. But when it comes down to it, you can find this Bluray for $10 or less and for that it is worth your money.

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Directors: Patrick Lussier, Robert Harmon
Starring: Christopher Plummer, Jason London, Jonny Lee Miller, Omar Epps, Roy Scheider
MPAA Rating: R
Distributed by: Echo Bridge Home Entertainment
Release Date: November 29, 2011
Running Time: 364 minutes

Dracula 2000: 4 out of 5 stars
Dracula II: Ascension: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Dracula III: Legacy: 3 out of 5 stars
They: 3 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray Score: 3 out of 5 stars

The main draw for me to this release was the three “Dracula” films, all presented by Wes Craven. “Dracula 2000″ was a really clever and fun film. The two “Dracula” sequels are decent but have a direct-to-video feel, still the three together are worth the purchase alone. I was never a huge fan of “They” but it is also a decent bonus to this release. Wes Craven’s name personally to me does not bare much weight recently I feel that he has really lost his street cred…I mean have you see “Scream 4″? Nonetheless, they films are worth purchasing for horror fans, especially for the low cost.

“Dracula 2000” takes the tale of Dracula into the 21 century where a team of techno-savvy thieves break into a vault they find a crypt unopened for 100 years. Dracula is unleashed and wreaks havoc. “Dracula II: Ascension” follows a group of medical students who discover the body of the Dracula and will wish that they hadn’t. “Dracula III: Legacy” follows vampire hunters Father Uffizi and Luke as they follow Dracula back to Eastern Europe they aim to end his reign again. “They” follows a student who experienced night terrors only to find out that the monsters in their closets are real and they are coming for her.

The Blu-ray presentation of these discs are not the greatest like most Echo Bridge multi-feature releases but they are honestly worth it to have these films on Blu-ray. The first two “Dracula” films are the best two films but also the worst presented here. They both included 1080i transfers and are only equipped with Dolby Stereo 2.0 tracks. This is a bit disappointing as they have full 5.1-channel versions on the DVDs. Though “Dracula III” & “They” both are presented in 1080p and both have 5.1 surround tracks. I wish that Echo Bridge will focus on unifying their releases and include 1080p and 5.1 sound on all films in these sets. Fans of these films, will still be happy for these HD upgrades.

Directors: James D.R. Hickox, Greg Spence, Ethan Wiley, Kari Skogland
Starring: Terence Knox, Daniel Cerny, Ron Melendez, Paul Scherrer, Naomi Watts
Distributed by: Echo Bridge Entertainment
MPAA Rating R
Release Date: Nov 29, 2011
Running Time: 341 minutes

Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest: 4 out of 5 stars
Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror: 3 out of 5 stars
Children of the Corn 666: Issac’s Return: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray Score: 2.5 out of 5 stars

The “Children of the Corn” series is a guilty pleasure.  The films in the franchise were never my favorite horror films but I could never say no to a new sequel.  Over the years there has been a total of eight films in this series, so this Blu-ray is just the tip of the iceberg.  Echo Bridge is behind this release, which they are very well-known for their Miramax Multi-Features.  This release is a great pick-up for horror fans, especially for its extremely low price.  It is also a great place to get all these films in one place and it is a step up from DVD for sure.

“Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest” is one of my favorites and follows a couple who adopts a pair of orphaned brothers, but the boys may not be as sweet an innocent as they seem.  “Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering” follows a young medical student who must solve the mystery that plagues the children of a small Midwestern town, starring a young Naomi Watts.  “Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror” follow six college students who take a wrong turn in a deserted rural town to discover that this place hides a murderous cult of evil children. “Children of the Corn 666: Issac’s Return” follows Hannah Martin, who while looking for parents picks up a dark stranger, who ends up assisting her in completing a sinister prophecy.

Let’s get to the Blu-ray presentation which is actually surprisingly decent.  The video transfer for “Children of the Corn 3, 4 & 6” are only presented in 1080i but honestly look pretty good. “Children of the Corn V” is presented in 1080p.  The picture has solid clarity and the colors are sharp.  It is definitely a step up from the previous DVD transfers.  The audio for all four movies include only an Dolby 2.0 Stereo track. They work though I always prefer 5.1 audio on Blu-ray, since 2.0 just screams DVD quality. Nonetheless, this is still a great purchase if you enjoy the series.

Directors: Robert Rodriguez, Scott Spiegel, P.J. Pesce
Starring: George Clooney, Marco Leonardi, Robert Patrick, Harvey Keitel, Michael Parks, Bruce Campbell
Distributed by: Echo Bridge Entertainment
MPAA Rating: R
Release Date: Nov 29, 2011
Running Time: 290 minutes

From Dusk Till Dawn: 4 out of 5 stars
Full-Tilt Boogie: 2.5 out of 5 stars
From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Blood Money: 3.5 out of 5 stars
From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman’s Daughter: 3 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray Score: 3 out of 5 stars

“From Dusk Till Dawn” is such a great film and kick started the careers of Robert Rodriguez and George Clooney. It is such a unique and fun film. It’s two sequels, also included in this release, are good but don’t reach the same level of kick-ass. Don’t forgot the feature-length and well-respected documentary “Full-Tilt Boogie” which is also included here. These are conveniently included all on one release thanks to Echo Bridge. Now with that said, this isn’t the best presentation of the films ever but it is in high-def and for the low-price it is definitely worth the purchase. Horror fans should not miss this release!

“From Dusk Till Dawn” follows the Gecko brothers (George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino) as they head south to a seedy Mexican bar to hide out in safety. Of course it isn’t just your typical strip joint and has to fight for their lives to survive from the creatures it inhabits. “Full-Tilt Boogie” is a full length documentary which goes behind the scenes of on the production of the first “From Dusk Till Dawn”. “From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Blood Money” features a gang of misfits who head to Mexico for the perfect heist. But when they cross the wrong vampire, they get involved with a lot more than they can handle. “From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman’s Daughter” follows Johnny Madrid, who is on the run from the hangman along with the hangman’s daughter Esmeralda by his side. They embark on an adventure that leads them straight into the fight of their lives.

All four films are presented with 1080p transfers and they looks decent at the best but are still a step up from DVD. “Full-Tilt Boogie” is easily the worst quality of the three but it doesn’t bother me because I will watching the films more often than this doc. The audio is also decent with the first and third “From Dusk Till Dawn” pack a 5.1 surround track, but the second “From Dusk Till Dawn” and “Full-Tilt Boogie” are only Stereo 2.0 tracks. Also latestly there are no special features included, if you don’t count “Full-Tilt Boogie”.

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Directed by: Shelley Lee Davies, Or Shlomi
Starring: Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Jr.
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Distributed by: True Mind
Release Date: July 3, 2012
Running Time: 71 minutes

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

“Planeat” really cares about the planet and delivers their message well…but it plays more like I film I would be forced to watch in school. I was not completely engaged in the film overall through its 71 minutes. Though I still believe the message delivered is important and I give them some slack when it comes to quality. This film makes it case and then backs it up with a lot of evidence and research from prominent scientists.

This film asks a lot of important questions like…Why has the death rate from heart disease and cancer exploded in recent times? Why are the ice caps melting, the oceans dying and the forests being cut down as we produce the food necessary to support our burgeoning populations? These scientists have made it their life’s work to answer these questions.

If the film does nothing else it should help us inspire to make the right food choices in the future. These choices will also assist in reducing risk of heart disease and cancer…while also protecting our environment. The DVD packaging also included two recipes from Whole Foods Market’s Chef Chad Sarno.

The special features included are also interesting. There is a message from filmmakers Shelly Lee Davis and Or Shlomi. There is a 35 minutes short version of the film, which I guarantee you will be played in schools. There is a trailer and a few deleted scenes. Lastly there is an interview with philosopher Peter Singer talking about his comments on the situation.