Starring: Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton and Keke Palmer
Directed by: Todd Graff
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 1 hour 57 mins
Warner Brothers

Our Score: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Whether you’re a regular church goer or just drop by on Easter and Christmas Eve, you can’t resist tapping your toes to the music that rises from the choir. In one small Georgia town that choir is run by Bernard Sparrow (Kris Kristofferson), who has guided them to the regional competition of a national Gospel Music contest many times. When Bernard passes away, the pastor (Courtney B. Vance) appoints not Bernard’s widow, G.G. (Parton) but Ms. Vi Rose Hill (Latifah). Vi, a nurse, is raising two children alone, her husband (Jesse L. Martin) currently serving in the Army. Her oldest, daughter Olivia (Palmer) also sings in the choir. However, she and her mother disagree on her style of music. Vi wants all of the voices to blend together while Olivia feels the need to belt out the occasional solo. Son Walter (Dexter Darden) is a young man who has trouble socializing. He has Aspergers Syndrome and is currently fixated on how many one-hit wonders he can name. When G.G.’s grandson Randy (Jeremy Jordan) returns to town the die is cast for a feel good musical. Or a teen love story. Or, possibly, both.

Uneven in every way, “Joyful Noise” is best described as “Sister Act” done by the cast of “Glee” (minus Blaine, thank goodness). Director Graff also penned the screenplay and has apparently decided that all Southern people speak in metaphors. “There’s always free cheese in a mousetrap but the mouse ain’t happy” is a great piece of sage advice that G.G. dispenses. What it has to do with the story I don’t know. Another gem: “it’s like trying to sneak dawn past a rooster,” which was funnier 30 years ago when Sylvester Stallone mispronounced it to Miss Dolly in “Rhinestone.”

I have to give credit to the cast. They seem to be trying hard and the three young leads give fine performances. Cast as the strict mother, Latifah does her best to avoid playing a stereotypical over-protective parent. Parton, who turns 66 next week, hasn’t headlined a film since 1992’s “Straight Talk” and that’s a shame because her personality has always been a plus on screen. The films strongest scenes take place when everyone gathers and lifts their voices. The songs here are powerful. Gospel fans will enjoy hearing not only Latifah and Parton but Gospel legends Kirk Franklin and Karen Peck.

Musical? Love story? I still don’t know. Neither does Warner Brothers, apparently. In the past two weeks their entire television advertising campaign has gone from highlighting the two Oscar nominated stars to featuring the kids with hardly a mention of the adults. If you like Gospel music you might give it a look. If not, I’ll see you in church.

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Ben Foster and Giovanni Ribisi
Directed by: Baltasar Kormakur
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 50 mins
Universal

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

As a freighter ship approaches New Orleans it is suddenly surrounded by boats and helicopters manned by members of the Customs and Border Protection team. Fearing the discovery of his “shipment,” one of the crew members tosses a package overboard. That package cost somebody a pretty penny. And now it may cost him and his family their lives.

Told in a quick, straight ahead style, “Contraband” is an update of the 2008 Icelandic film “Reykjavik-Rotterdam,” which director Kormakur not only produced but starred in as well. The story concerns happily married father of two Chris Farraday (Wahlberg). Farraday was one of the best smugglers in his time, bringing pretty much whatever he wanted from anywhere he chose. He’s retired from the life now, happily running his own alarm company. And who better to know how to foil crime then a former crook. When he finds out his brother-in-law Andy (Caleb Landry Jones) has had to dump a major package of drugs he realizes that soon HE will be the one thrown overboard. After paying a visit to Andy’s “benefactor” (Ribisi, channeling Nicolas Cage in “Kiss of Death”), Chris decides to pull one more job, hoping the proceeds will keep Andy alive.

After a holiday season of more serious fare, it’s nice to see the new year start off with a bang. There are twists and turns, crosses and double crosses here and if you don’t pay attention you may fall behind. Wahlberg has always done “tough” well and he doesn’t disappoint here. Of course, growing up a bad ass in South Boston probably has a lot to do with it! His on screen relationship with wife Kate Beckinsale, who plays his wife, Kate, feels real and that is why you can’t help but root for him. As played by Jones, Andy is more a whiner then a tough guy. It’s obvious to me that, to paraphrase Joe Pesci in “Goodfellas,” Andy “would fold under questioning.” Foster is strong as Chris’ long time friend and partner Sebastian. The supporting cast that makes up Chris’ shipmates are also enjoyable as is J.K. Simmons, who plays the cargo ships Captain.

Kormakur uses an almost documentary style during the more quiet moments of the film but opens up the screen when the action calls for it. An armored car robbery, very reminiscent of Michael Mann’s “Heat,” is one of the highlights in the adrenaline filled second act.

Director: John Michael McDonagh
Starring: Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle, Mark Strong, Liam Cunningham, David Wilmot
MPAA Rating: R
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Run Time: 96 minutes

Film: 2 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

“The Guard” is a comedy that mixes the following plot points murder, blackmail, drug trafficking, and police corruption. When you put that together and add it to a great cast including Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle, you expect a great turnout. Unfortunately the film is quite slow moving and really doesn’t take off until the closing scene. The humor is the film is dark and doesn’t really show up much or if it does at all  I completely missed it. Brendan Gleeson was great in the role of the clueless but sharp cop but Don Cheadle feel a little bit under used and doesn’t really like he belongs here.

The general plot of the film follows two cops (Gleeson and Cheadle) who join forces to take on an international drug-smuggling gang. One cop is an over the top-no rules Irish policeman and the other is a by-the-books FBI agent who is out of place in his environment.

The special features on this disc are definitely packed. There is a decent audio commentary with the director John Michael McDonagh and the film’s stars Don Cheadle & Brendan Gleeson. “The Second Death” is a short film written and directed by John Michael McDonagh and served as the basis for character Sergeant Gerry Boyle. “Making of The Guard” is brief look at the behind the scenes for the film. It is decent but runs less than 20 minutes overall. The outtakes, The deleted scenes include three short scenes running about 6 minutes total. The extended scenes are a lot longer, running about 20 minutes, and worth checking out for sure. If the commentary isn’t enough to finish off the special features is an fun Q&A With Don Cheadle, Brendan Gleeson and John Michael McDonagh done during the LA Film Fest.

Director: Trent Haaga
Starring: Will Keenan, Timothy Muskatell, Ricardo Gray, Max Haaga
Rated: Unrated
Studio: The Collective
Run Time: 88 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars

With horror comedies it is usually hit or miss to entertain, though this one kinda sits on the line of both. The film is called “Chop” but the gore really isn’t that present as would be expected. I think this film could have been much better if it just added a lot more gore. The story is well-planned and its plan to reveal the story progress works perfectly. It also seems to give a slightly new twist on the revenge classic story. If you are looking a few laughs and a little bit of mindless fun, this might be worth checking out.

The story follows Lance (Will Keenan) who is attacked and taken hostage by a stranger psycho though who seems to have met Lance in the past. Lance’s past is reveals to have not been the greatest due to his prior drug use. The stranger’s goal is to get Lance to sorry for what he has done to him. He is planning to cause pain to Lance by removing his limbs in order to get him to remember.

Will Keenan channels his inner Bruce Campbell from “Evil Dead” series. He really makes this movie worth wild just for his performance. He is funny and way over-the-top as needed. Will also reunites with first time director Trent Haaga, who also is a Troma veteran. The special features on the disc are lacking with a short gag reel that is only funny in its second half when Keenan steps in. There are two deleted scenes featuring an extended convenience store scene, which is funny. The other is a scene featuring Lance’s mother, which is not worth the time.

Channel: The History Channel
Running Time: 46 minutes
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: A&E Entertainment

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

Firstly, I am a sucker for History Channel programs…especially ones that are in 3D. Like said in the opening scene of the show, most of the photos and video from WWII have already been seen over the years. This show though provided new moments of WWII that has been hidden and buried until now. The coolest part about this is that they were captured in 3D with stereographs.

The man behind these 3D photos taken for the Nazi’s back during the war was Heinrich Hoffmann, the German photographer. This amazing collection includes Allied reconnaissance photos and images that documents the rise and fall of the Third Reich. The photos look absolutely amazing in 3D and its amazing that they have held up so well over these years. It is also interesting to be able to analysis the third dimension on some of these images.

If you thought that was enough this program also features an 3D film shot by the Nazis in 1943. The footage is a rare look behind the scenes into the Nazi during the war.  Overall, the video on the Blu-ray is presented perfectly and the sound is really sharp. My only complaint on this release is that I hoped that this could have been longer.  Maybe The History Channel & A&E will plan on releasing more 3D products in the near future.

“The Descendants” narrowly defeated “Drive” to win the top prize as the Kansas City Film Critics Circle held their annual end of year vote Sunday evening. The Alexander Payne directed film also took home the Best Actor award for star George Clooney. Best Actress went to Kirsten Dunst in Lars von Trier’s “Melancholia. Reclusive filmmaker Terrence Malick was named Best Director for “The Tree of Life.” Here is a complete list of winners:

Best Film: “The Descendants”
Robert Altman Award for Direction: Terrence Malick – “The Tree of Life”
Best Actor: George Clooney – “The Descendants”
Best Actress: Kirsten Dunst – “Melancholia”
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer – “Beginners”
Best Supporting Actress: Jessica Chastain – “The Tree of Life”
Best Animated Feature: “Rango”
Best Foreign Film: “A Separation” (Iran)
Best Documentary: “Cave of Forgotten Dreams” (Werner Herzog – Director)
Best Original Screenplay: “Beginners” (Mike Mills)
Best Adapted Screenplay: “Moneyball” (Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin)
Vince Koehler Award for Best Science Fiction, Fantasy or Horror Film: “Hugo”

This was the 45th annual vote by the organization, which was founded by Dr. James Loutzenhiser in 1966. The KCFCC is the second oldest critics group in the nation.

Directed by: Bennett Miller
Starring: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Running time: 133 minutes

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

Usually, I am not a fan of sports films in general but I was hoping this one would be different. It has high on every critic best of list for 2011 but this one will not be making my top 10 or top 50 for that matter. I found the film extremely slow moving but I was attracted by the  fantastic acting. I also really enjoyed the extras provided on the Blu-ray release. The 1080p transfer looks good and extremely clear and The DTS-HD MA 5.1 track works well with the sports scenes for sure. If you are a fan of digital copies you also will appreciate the new Ultraviolet digital streaming copy which is included.

Brad Pitt gave a great performances as Billy Beane, general manager of the Oakland Athletics. Even Jonah Hill was good in the film, he was funny but also showed a little bit of dramatic side. The story follows a pretty much true story of the events after Beane’s (Pitt) team lost to the Yankees in the 2001, he attempts to develop a strategy for assembling a more competitive team for 2002. Due to issues with the teams budget he recruits Peter Brand (Hill), to aid him in this almost impossible task. Billy takes a chance with his re-development of the team and hopes that his bet pays off.

The special features on the Blu-ray are great but there is no commentary track anywhere to be found. There is a funny blooper called “Brad Loses It”, which is a riot. There are also over 10 minutes of deleted scenes, called “Billy Tells Art: Play Bradford”, “Tara and Billy Dinner”, and “Peter Offered GM Job”. The next feature is called “Billy Beane: Re-Inventing the Game” and it runs just over 15 minutes. It features the books author Michael Lewis, the film’s director Bennett Miller, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, and Beane himself as they discuss the film and baseball in general. “Drafting the Team” is a 20 minute feature on the casting of the film. “Moneyball: Playing the Game” is a 20 minute feature about the film’s production and baseball scenes that were created for the movie. “Adapting Moneyball” focuses on the adaption of the book to the big screen. Lastly there is a trailer for the video game “MLB 12: The Show” and other previews from additional Sony titles.

Directed by: Jerzy Skolimowski
Starring: Vincent Gallo, Emmanuelle Seigner
Distributed by: New Video
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running time: 85 minutes

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

I have never been a giant fan of Vincent Gallo but he definitely deserves some respect for this role. “Essential Killing” is a subtle but powerful drama thriller and delivers some great suspense. The film runs a little long at only 85 minutes though. The film is beautifully shot and the locations are really spectacular. Overall the film itself it is deep and heavy though very interesting.

The story follows Mohammed, a Taliban fighter, who is captured by the US military in Afghanistan but during transport escapes. He spends the movie fending for himself in the wild trying to survive and has no regret for his actions. He is being tracked the whole time by men who are hot on his trail.

Gallo’s role in the film is of the Taliban fighter, is really intense and he who delivers a really tough performance with no dialogue. The film is mixed with elements of  seclusion and survival. The extras on the disc are virtually missing like most releases from Tribeca Film. There is only a brief interview with the director Jerzy Skolimowski.

Directed by: Brad Mirman
Starring: Kiefer Sutherland, John Hurt
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Episodes: 10
Running Time: 62 minutes

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

This mini-series consisted of 10 episodes originally aired online on Hulu last year. It is definitely a slow burning drama thriller which gets amazing performances from both Kiefer Sutherland and John Hurt. It takes place in a church confession but also features flashbacks in the story. The episodes fit really well as a movie but it only last about an hour. This film is simple and includes great dialogue between the leads and packs a story which slowly unravels leaving you on the edge of your seats.

The story revolves around a hitman (Kiefer Sutherland) who goes into a confessional to discuss his crimes with a priest (John Hurt). The hitman tells the priest that he has killed many people and reveals that he will kill tonight, unless the priest hears his confession. As the hitman confesses all that he has done, we features flashbacks that lead up to the thrilling finale.

The extras are really worth the purchase of this disc and run almost 40 minutes. Since the disc consists of episodes previously available online, good extras are a must for this. There are four exclusive never-before-seen episodes includes on the disc, which were excellent. There were four promotional featurettes with cast and crew interviews, short but sweet. Lastly I really enjoyed that each episode has a great behind-the-scenes included, which gives great insight into the production.

Directed by: William Brent Bell
Starring: Fernanda Andrade, Simon Quarterman, Evan Helmuth, Suzan Crowley
Distributed by: Paramount Pictures
MPAA Rating: R
Running time: 87 minutes

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

In the wake of successful series like “Paranormal Activity”, “The Devil Inside” is the latest film to try and recreate its glory. The film immediately received bad press from its viewers complaining about how bad this movie was. I went into his film expecting the worse and was really pleasantly surprised. This film contains follows the same path as the other films but delivers some scares and some great “oh shit” moments. If you can get over the shaky camera, I would recommend this.

The film follows a young girl, Isabella, who wants to find out the truth about her mother, Maria Rossi. In 1989, she was arrested for killing three people during a supposed exorcism on herself. She is moved to a hospital in Italy for “undisclosed reason” and Isabella wants to get to the bottom of her condition. She hires a filmmaker to film her on her journey to Italy to learn more about exorcisms and her mothers situation. After meeting with her mother, she finds that she is involved with more than she can handle and the devil is definitely real.

The film is starts off with a documentary feel but then switches to the “Paranormal” feel just following Isabella on her journey through Italy. There are some really cool scenes during a few exorcisms and some good jumps. If you are not a fan of “Paranormal Activity” films, then clearly you need to stay away from this. If you enjoy these type of films then this will leave you satisfied. Due to the success of this film, we should be seeing more in this series. So like it or not, expect more exorcisms.

Director: Chris Kazmier
Starring: Daniel Baldwin, Sunny Doench, Alisha Seaton
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Phase 4 Films
Run Time: 90 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars

Right off the bat, the film drew me in due to its interesting box art.  When it comes to horror films unfortunately a good horror box art never means good movie…I am just a sucker.  This one definitely surprised me.  For one thing it definitely earned it unrated rating since it was very disturbing and very gross, but I guess that is why I enjoyed it.  The story is a little light but it overall it definitely keep me interested for the 90 minutes.

The film is about a crazy psychopath serial killer known as The Ghost, who has no limits, captures and tortures his victims, young girls, in his basement. After his latest kill, Police Detective Balasco and psychiatrist Dr. Metcalfe team up in order to find the killer and save the girls.  The team is in a race for time before it is too late to rescue these victims.

The best part of the film was easily Daniel Baldwin as a crazy psycho killer.  He nails the role of the lunatic who abducts, tortures and kills his preys.  Phase 4 Films are getting know for releases some pretty awesome titles in the last few months, so keep an eye out for there future releases.  In the special features category though, it is a little light.  There are a few deleted scenes, which are decent and only a trailer included.  Overall horror fans might want to check it out just for some good gore and one crazy Daniel Baldwin.

American World Pictures and StudioLine Entertainment’s sci-fi thriller “Infected” (formally titled “Metryville”) stars Danny Glover, Vinnie Jones, Taylor Handley, Margo Harshman, Beverley Mitchell, Tiffany Hines and Ryan Pinkston. The film is directed by (“Legacy”) from his own script. Greg Strasburg, executive producer of “The Tempest”, is producing.

The story is set at an off grid pharmaceutical testing facility hiring a renowned scientist (Danny Glover) to create a vaccine for a lethal airborne virus. Complications arise when Taylor Handle’s character and group of friends go to help clean out the house of his hoarding grandmother and save her from eviction.

INFECTED INTERVIEW SERIES:

Tiffany Hines is co-starring in “Infected” along side. She also has done a lot of TV including “Nikita” to “Bones”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Tiffany about her new film and also her TV work.

Mike Gencarelli: Give us a little background on the film, “Infected” and your role in the film?
Tiffany Hines: The film is a sci-fi thriller about six friends that are exposed to a lethal airborne virus and their struggle to keep from succumbing to its effects. My character Rhonda, is one of the friends who is exposed. She is the kind of girl who everyone wants as their best friend. She’d do anything to protect the people she loves and she’s got your back when it counts. I really enjoyed playing her.

MG: How was it working with such a great cast i.e. Vinnie Jones,Danny Glover and Beverley Mitchell?
TH: It was amazing! I love working with people that have been working for so long because you learn so much from them. When my agent called to tell me that I was going to do a movie with Danny Glover and Vinnie Jones, I almost dropped my cell phone on the floor. The opportunity to work on a film with two talented and respected veterans was such a blessing. And working with Beverley was such a dream. Not only is she the sweetest most amazing person, but she is such a gifted and brilliant actress. Every scene we had together, she brought so much honesty and pureness to the work and gave so much. It was incredible to work with her.

MG: Any fun stories from working on the film or difficult moments?
TH: The first day of shooting, a couple of our cast members Leebo Freeman and Ryan Pinkston started talking about Planking. Before we knew it, Leebo was planking on his Movie set chair and pictures were being snapped. After that, the planking on set got OUT of control. For the rest of the shoot, cast members could be seen planking almost any and everywhere. It was awesome! To this day, when I walk in a room, I can size it up in under a minute and tell you the best places to plank.

MG: What did you like most about playing Jaden on the hit series “Nikita”?
TH: I loved the physical part of my job the most. Every day I was learning some incredible fight choreography, or how to assemble and disassemble guns, or film some heart pounding shootout scene. It was a hell of a rush and very addicting. I definitely want to do more action projects in my career.

MG: Can we expect Jaden back for season two of “Nikita”?
TH: As of right now, I haven’t heard of any plans for Jaden to return, but fans can catch me on another CW show this year. I will play a detective named Kat during the new season of 90210 airing Tuesdays at 8pm. Kat is a lot different from Jaden, but she’s still a badass chick with a gun so I think you will really dig her!

MG: Going from “Nikita” to “Bones”, tell us how working on the two shows differ?
TH: The two shows couldn’t be more different. On Nikita I was a 20 year old assassin in training who got to play with guns all day and on Bones, my character Michelle Welton is only 17, is researching colleges, and is working on trying to balance becoming a woman while developing her relationship with her adoptive mother Camille Saroyan. The two worlds of Nikita and Bones are so different, and I like that. I find playing characters that are so different from one another incredibly stimulating.

MG: What do you look for most in a role when approaching a project?
TH: I find that what makes people interesting is the many different faces they have. I don’t believe that there is such a thing as a “good” person or “bad” person. A person can be loving, cruel, sweet, sinister all at the same time. We are all made up of so many different flavors and I try to find that in my characters. The more faces a character has to them, the more real they become to me, the more interesting I find them to be, and the more fun I have playing them.

Jason Dudek is the Producer/Writer/Director of the upcoming film “Infected” with Vinnie Jones, Beverly Mitchell and Danny Glover. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Jason about his new film and what we can expect from it.

Mike Gencarelli: Where did you come up with the story for “Infected”?
Jason Dudek: During the swine flu outbreak, the stock prices for the vaccine manufacturers skyrocketed. That got me interested as to why exactly. After some researching, I found there were cases of vaccine manufactures involved in unethical behavior, one case in particular where a vaccine company began testing on a strain before the FDA had approved the strain, just to get an upper hand on their competitors — that I found frightening. What happens when corporate greed goes unchecked in a business that truly is: life or death. being a conspiracy theorist myself, I wanted to construct an emotional human story within this larger system of corporate interests related to our health

MG: “Infected” started off as a sci-fi campy movie and has developed into a more sci-fi thriller and more grounded in reality, tell us about that process?
JD: The process was organic, in that it wasn’t planned; it just evolved as the project neared principal photography. The film is in constant flux until you shoot, and even then in post it’s another chance for a re-write. As a filmmaker I had two choices, try to be somebody that I wasn’t (a horror director), or embrace my instincts which was to create a realistic sci-fi thriller that had to be grounded in science in order to work. The initial concept of the film involved lots of gore and what I would call paranormal elements – situations that required a leap of faith in order to buy the particular gag. When dealing with an issue so real as manipulating the health of the masses, the gore was not an organic fit. The tone of the film is the exact opposite of camp now. We tried to create a world that is as photo-realistic as possible, where the scares, fear, and terror come from the performances – and the cast nailed it.

MG: Tell us about how rounded up once hell of a great cast for this film?
JD: To this day I still don’t know how I rounded up such a great cast. I can say there was no formula. I just believed in the project 110% and we have a very complex and unique theme that I haven’t seen before, so when the script went out, the response was fantastic. I wish I could say there was an intricate play-by-play strategy to casting “Infected”, but the fact of the matter is that projects that have a fresh new spin on something will usually garner interest. If your characters are unique and we haven’t seen them before, actors will want to play them. Actors love to be challenged and constantly push themselves to new limits, which is why I love working with them so much.

MG: What was the hardest aspect of working on this film?
JD: The amount of work we had to shoot per day. The schedule was grueling; we started the first week with some of the most technically challenging scenes because of actor availability. Shooting so out of order, during the summer in 110-degree heat in an old house dressed as a hoarders, made the physical demands on the cast and crew enormous, on top of the high-intensity performances and company moves. We all got physically beat-up, but we had a great production staff team and medic and thankfully nobody got heat stroke or severely sick.

MG: Tell us about your transition from working in the comedy genre to the horror/thriller genre?
JD: It was so natural. Comedy is all about surprising the audience. The set up, the build, and the punch line. The same beats go for horror, instead of ending in a laugh, it ends in a fear. I love to elicit emotion from audiences, that’s why they go to the movies, and I learned in comedy that the audience is the boss. In the comedy business, the answer to whether a joke is funny or not is: did the audience laugh? A joke that kills in Texas can bomb in Manhattan, so the challenge is to make sure the film doesn’t have an identity crisis, in that it switches tones. “Infected” is filled with an emotional roller coaster, but the tone is consistent, and that helps the audience not get lost from the story.

MG: What makes this project unique and stands out from other sci-fi thrillers?
JD: We have created a new lead character! Taylor Handley has a modern Steve McQueen quality and while most films in this genre have alpha males that kick serious ass, ‘Dean’ is just as badass, but he’s got no ego. The film is as much a thrill ride as it is a spiritual journey for Dean and we’re vested in his journey, so the film is probably the most emotional in the genre. It is definitely a big risk we took, but one that paid off. We have not seen the character “Dean” yet in any films.

MG: What do you have planned next? More writing? Directing?
JD: More of it all! I’m writing a script that I’m incredibly excited about. All I can say at this time is that’s I’m working with a writer on the true story of an Internet steroid scandal spanning across the globe during the dotcom bubble. Think 21 meets Social Network (on steroids). Pardon the bad pun.

Distributed by: Warner Archive
Run Time: 110 minutes
Episodes: 4

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I have to admit I grew up in the 80’s and I am real sucker for 80’s cartoons. This is the first time that the “The Centurions” have made their way onto DVD. The remastering looks fantastic and definitely notable…Great job Warner Archive. Every laser shoot to every explosion looks cleaned up and of course the classic “will return/back to” clips are included as well. If you are a fan of this original series then this will be a no-brainer purchase for sure.

The episodes included in the this mini-series consists of “The Sky Is On Fire”, “Battle Beneath The Sea”, “An Alien Affair”, “Found: One Lost World” and “Sand Doom”. Like most 80’s cartoon, this one consists of the first five episodes of the series, aired back in 1986. This series was short-lived only consisting of 65 episodes. Thanks to Warner Archive Collection, this mini-series is now available exclusively through Warner’s online store. Now we just want the rest of the series Warner Archive…keep ’em coming!!

Synopsis:
In the near future Doc Terror, and his cyborg companion, Hacker, unleash their forces to conquer Earth! Only one force can stop this evil: a handful of brave men. In specially created exoframes, they can be transported anywhere to fuse with incredible assault weapon systems, beamed down from the space station Skyvault, becoming man and machine, Power Xtreme! Max Ray, brilliant Sea Operations commander. Jake Rockwell, rugged Land Operations specialist. Ace McCloud, daring Air Operations expert. Whatever the challenge, they are ready—the Centurions!” Debuting as a 5 part mini-series, and enjoying contributions from three of the greatest action artists of the 20th Century – Doug Wildey, Gil Kane, and Jack Kirby – The Centurions promised to pack a punch – and it delivered! Get ready for mad machine action as 3 masters of land, sea, and air do battle with a mad inventor for the fate of a planet.