After almost a decade as a short-film maker, director Keith Miller hit pay dirt in 2012 when his first feature film, “Welcome to Pine Hill,” was either chosen, or nominated, as Best Narrative Feature at film festivals from Atlanta to Tribeca. With that history behind him, fans were ready for his next film, the gang drama “Five Star,” which again earned Miller acclaim both behind the camera and for his editing. Not to be outdone, he also wrote the screenplay!

Currently playing in New York City, the film opens today (July 31st) in Los Angeles and will be available on VOD and iTunes beginning August 4th. While promoting the upcoming release, Mr. Miller took time out to talk about “Five Star.”

Mike Smith: How did you conceive the story of “Five Star?”
Keith Miller: I wanted to tell a story about manhood, and what it means to be a man. I met Primo (Primo Grant, the star of “Five Star,” is a former member of the Bloods street gang) and we did a one-hour, on-camera conversation. We hung out a bunch of times and got close so I decided to tell a story and use a lot of the details from his stories. So that was the origination of setting the story in that locale and with those specific figures.

MS: A majority of the cast, Primo among them, are not professional actors. Was that something you looked for when casting…trying to gain more realism?
KM: Yes, definitely. There are a couple people in the film who are actors but the goal of the movie, and an important part of the decisions I make to heighten the realism, is my shooting style. The lighting…the choice of locations…and definitely casting. I want it to feel like the audience is actually visiting the places I’ve imagined and are being introduced to them and the people there.

MS: Because of Primo’s past was there ever a time he felt he needed to correct something in the script…maybe disagree with a line or a situation?
KM: Rarely. There was one point where we talked about him getting mad and mentioning his work with his family around and he said he wouldn’t do that. He wouldn’t talk about work at all in front of his kids. There were also small things in other scenes that, to him, didn’t feel right, but it was really no different than working with any other actor.

MS: You mentioned trying to achieve realism. The film almost has a documentary feel to it. Was that an intentional decision on your part?
KM: Yes. The inspiration for the movie is a lot of what I would consider “realist” movies from the past five years or so and also a lot of observational documentaries. Movies that really made you feel like you were experiencing something from the inside. I wanted the camera and the look of the movie to feel as non-judgmental and intimate as possible. I thought that if it were locked down on sticks…on a tripod…it might be more cinematically recognizable but also that it would feel more staged. And I didn’t want that. Also, two of the four camera operators I used shoot mostly documentaries and I really wanted to work with them.

MS: What else do you have coming up?
KM: I’m working on a comic web-series that was written by a friend of mine, Chris Poindexter. And I’m working on the script of my next feature, which is still in the early stages. I’ve got a long way to go!

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Actors: Robert Vaughn, David McCallum
Number of discs: 11
Release Date: August 4th, 2015
Run Time: 1560 minutes

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

To celebrate the release of the new reboot hitting theaters this August, Warners is releasing the original 1960’s series “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” on DVD in The Complete First Season. This release includes all 29 episodes. Even though this international spy spoof show was released over 60 years ago, it still has its charm and is a blast to watch. The series was nominated for 7 Emmy Awards over its four seasons.  If you are looking to catch up before you head to the theaters, this is a great way to get introduced or refreshed on the series that inspired the upcoming movie.

Official Premise: In this hit spoof of the spy genre, actors Robert Vaughn and David McCallum play the roles of top agents Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin who use their charm, wit, and a never-ending assortment of gadgets to defend the world from evil, chaos and bad taste. The successful series also stars Leo G. Carroll as Alexander Waverly and features guest stars such as William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, of Star Trek, Kurt Russell, Ricardo Montalban and longtime comedy favorite Ken Murray. From trying to save the world from fear gas to trying to save themselves from a pack of bloodthirsty cheetahs, these serious spies bring the suspense and fun to life. You may even forget it’s in black and white!

“The Man From U.N.C.L.E.: The Complete First Season” is just the beginning. I would expect the following three seasons to be released probably by the end of year or early next year. These episodes have been digitally remastered and look great. Personally, I would have loved an upgrade to Blu-ray but this is a good release. There are also some special features included. There is a featurette called “The Cloak and Swagger Affair: The Untold History of The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”. There is the original pilot shown in color “Solo”. Lastly there is a bonus feature called “U.N.C.L.E. V.I.P.S: A Celebration of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Guest Stars”, of which there were MANY!.

Episode List:
1. The Vulcan Affair
2. The Iowa-Scuba Affair
3. The Quadripartite Affair
4. The Shark Affair
5. The Deadly Games Affair
6. The Green Opal Affair
7. The Giuoco Piano Affair
8. The Double Affair
9. The Project Strigas Affair
10. The Finny Foot Affair
11. The Neptune Affair
12. The Dove Affair
13. The King of Knaves Affair
14. The Terbuf Affair
15. The Deadly Decoy Affair
16. The Fiddlesticks Affair
17. The Yellow Scarf Affair
18. The Mad, Mad Tea Party Affair
19. The Secret Sceptre Affair
20. The Bow-Wow Affair
21. The Four-Steps Affair
22. The See-Paris-And-Die Affair
23. The Brain-Killer Affair
24. The Hong Kong Shilling Affair
25. The Never-Never Affair
26. The Love Affair
27. The Gazebo in the Maze Affair
28. The Girls of Nazarene Affair
29. The Odd Man Affair

Actors: Robert Englund, Yancy Butler, Nigel Barber
Directors: A.B. Stone
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: August 4, 2015
Run Time: 92 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: None

When it comes to giant monsters fighting other giant monsters, I definitely have to admit this is a weak match-up to me. I love all these cheesy dumb Syfy Originals like the Mega Shark and Sharknado franchises. The Lake Placid series was supposed to end with “The Final Chapter” back in 2012, but if you are a horror fan you know that it is never the true end as long as there is a demand. This is now the fifth film in both the “Lake Placid” and “Anaconda” franchises. They are definitely cheesy and nothing special, but all in all they are fun. And who doesn’t want to see these two franchises face off?!

Official Premise: Anacondas large enough to crush an SUV. Crocodiles strong enough to leap onto speedboats. When they’re not hunting for human prey, they’re more than willing to take on each other. Get ready for a non-stop bloodbath unlike anything you’ve seen before in this heart-pounding battle between mutated crocodiles and genetically engineered anacondas. Packed with hot sorority girls, big guns, and jaws massive enough to swallow a human in one bite, this is one screaming good time!

The film was made-for-TV and aired on Syfy earlier this year. It brings back “Lake Placid: The Final Chapter” stars Robert Englund (aka Freddy Krueger) & Yancy Butler (also from Lake Placid 3), so it is cool to see these character return. Englund is always great. This DVD (no Blu-ray planned) brings an unrated version of the film which slightly differs from the TV cut. There are no special features though included on this DVD.

Starring: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson and Jeremy Renner
Directed By: Christopher McQuarrie
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 131 minutes
Paramount Pictures

Our Score: 4.5 out 5 stars

If you haven’t heard yet, Tom Cruise hangs off the side of a plane for his latest movie, “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol”. The 53-year-old actor, who’s been known for doing his own stunts, figured the best way to hook you from scene one is to jump on to a plane and dangle for life as it climbs through the area. The kicker is that this is done without the use of special effects, just a good ol’ camera mount to capture his unterrified expression as he soars into the air. If the first five minutes of “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation” doesn’t hook you in, you apparently don’t like action movies.

Cruise is reprising his role as Ethan Hunt, the mastermind, physically unlimited, and fatigueless spy operating with the Impossible Mission Force (IMF). Before his suspicions about a global terrorist network, called the Syndicate, can be confirmed, they reveal themselves to him and capture him. Using his mind, fighting prowess, and in general luck, he escapes from his unfamiliar and mysterious captors only to be a fugitive from his own country. While he was busy being beat up nearly tortured, the U.S. has disbanded the IMF and now is after Ethan for treason. That’s a lot of exposition in the first 10 minutes, but it’s handled quite well without overloading the viewer’s processing senses.

A lot of the exposition in this movie is masterfully done, without too many lingering questions of whom, what, where, when and why. The finer details could be scrutinized, but the general plot is intricately laid out in a simplistic and fun fashion. As the story progresses, Ethan Is helped by various people to help him find out who heads up the syndicate. There’s Brendt (Renner), the inside man at the CIA, who lets Ethan know when the CIA is hot on his trail. Then there’s Benji (Simon Pegg), the computer geek who’s called into justify absurd gadgetry. Then there’s the mysterious double crossing former agent known as Ilsa (Ferguson). There’s other characters that crop up and add to the mix, but their sudden appearances are a joy upon watching.

To break up the constant tension is some much needed comic relief, provided by nearly every character, but in heavy does by Benji. Tom Cruise is charismatic, but he seems more in sync when his partner in crime throughout Europe arrives, Benji. Simon Pegg, who’s had some experience in comedy and action, is a perfect outlet for what everyone in the audience is thinking, “How the hell did you just do that?”

Just like previous installments in the “Mission: Impossible” movie series, there’s lots of twists, turns, fake face pulling off, neat gadgets, and all the other things that have actually been missing from all the latest Bond movies, which isn’t a bad thing. There are actually plenty of comparisons between both movie series, but the major difference right now is tone. While the Bond series seems to be aiming for a growing character study and keeping Bond emotionally resonant, “Mission: Impossible” seems to be going for what early Bond was like, exhilarating action and non-stop fun.

For every moment you think “Mission: Impossible” is going to let up, it pushes harder on the throttle without giving you a moment to breathe. Small to big action sequences are done with precision; creating tension despite the fact we know that Ethan will be fine. Those moments of tension are created by characters constantly discussing the longevity of Ethan, who flirts with death and laughs at danger. Of course those might just be a hint at whomever will take over Ethan’s place when Cruise becomes too old. But right now, Tom Cruise is still an action star not to be messed with.

Starring: Frank Welker, Mindy Cohn, Grey Griffin, Matthew Lillard, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley
Director: Tony Cervone
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Warner Home Video
Release Date: July 21, 2015
Run Time: 78 minutes

Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars

“Scooby-Doo! And KISS: Rock and Roll Mystery” is one hell of an amazing mash up. It takes two of the greatest things I grew up with “Scooby Doo” and the music of Kiss and brings them together. I literally couldn’t be happier. It also features six classic KISS songs and most importantly an all new original song from the band just for this film. If you love “Scooby Doo!” and KISS, this is a match made in heaven! This is such a blast!

Official Premise: When a ghoul begins to terrorize an amusement park, the Mystery Inc. gang come head to head with the legendary rock group, KISS, who claim they’re also there to solve the mystery. Now the two groups must learn to work together as the clues lead them on a cosmic journey to another dimension.

The voice cast are impressive as well. We see Kiss on board featuring Demon (Gene Simmons), Starchild (Paul Stanley), Catman (Eric Singer), and Spaceman (Tommy Thayer). Guest voice performances include appearances from Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Darius Rucker, Garry Marshall, Penny Marshall, Jennifer Carpenter and Pauley Perrette.

Warner Bros delivers a comob pack with a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD Ultraviolet copy. The 1080p transfer is super impressive. The colors are outstanding. The star of the film is easily the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. The KISS classic tracks, including “Shout It Out Loud,” “I Was Made For Loving You,” and “Detroit Rock City”, all sound AMAZING!

The special features though are a little lacking unfortunately. There are two classic 1978 episodes from the “Scooby-Doo” archives, “To Switch a Witch” and “The Diabolical Disc Demon”. “Are You a Scooby or a Shaggy?” is a super brief chat with voice cast including KISS, Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes, and Darius Rucker. Lastly there are some KISS bloopers in “KISS Cut-Ups”. I was really hoping for more features about the involvement of KISS and bringing these two classic pop culture icons together.

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Voice Cast: Michael C. Hall, Benjamin Bratt, Tamara Taylor, Paget Brewster, Jason Isaacs, Tahmoh Penikett, C. Thomas Howell, Penny Johnson Jerald, Richard Chamberlain, Josh Keaton, Carl Lumbly
Directors: Sam Liu
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Warner Home Video
Release Date: July 28, 2015
Run Time: 72 minutes

Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

“Justice League: Gods and Monsters” features a super cool alternate universe where Superman is the son of Zod. Batman is actually Man-Bat and Wonder Woman is the, God of War,  Princess Bekka. I really enjoyed this latest original movie in the DC animated universe and have always been a fan of DC Comics’ Elseworlds stories. Plus this film sees the return of animation legend Bruce Timm delivering a super cool new view of Justice League. A must see for an DC Comics fan!

Official Premise: “Justice League: Gods & Monsters” features a Superman born of General Zod’s blood, a Batman with a healthy dose of bat in the man, and a Wonder Woman rising from the ranks of the New Gods. This ain’t your daddy’s Justice League. They are as likely the world’s saviors as Earth’s despotic rulers. When a group of famed scientists experience untimely “accidents,” a government task force follows the trail of clues to the Justice League — and into a high stakes game of intrigue, mystery and action that asks the question: How do you serve justice to those above the law?

The voice cast of this film is nothing short of absolute epic and easiest the best accumulation of talent in a DC Animated Universe film.  The voice cast includes Michael C. Hall (Dexter) as Batman, Benjamin Bratt (Law & Order, 24) as Superman, Tamara Taylor (Bones), as Wonder Woman; Paget Brewster (Criminal Minds), as Lois Lane; C. Thomas Howell (E.T., Southland), as Dr. Will Magnus; Jason Isaacs (Harry Potter films, Dig) as Lex Luthor, Richard Chamberlain (Dr. Kildare, The Thorn Birds) as Highfather, and Tahmoh Penikett (Battlestar Galactica) as Steve Trevor.

Warner Bros is delivering this film as a combo pack with a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD UltraViolet. The 1080p transfer is decent and delivers with the CG effects and animation. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track sounds great and no complaints there. “Alternate Realities: Infinite Possibilities” features various executives talking about the DC Comics’ Elseworlds stories. “Calculated Risk: The Making of Gods and Monsters” is a great behind-the-scenes look.

“The New Gods” talks about the film’s character designs and approach to putting the film together. In “From the DC Comics Vault” there are two animated episodes including “Phantoms” from Legion of Super Heroes and “Brave New Metropolis” from Superman: The Animated Series. Lastly there is a super rad sneak peak at the next DCU animated original movie, “Batman: Bad Blood”, which will introduce Batwoman.

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Starring: Ed Helms, Christina Applegate and Chevy Chase
Directed by: John Francis Dailey and Jonathan M. Goldstein
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 39 mins
Warner Bros.

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

There’s a scene in the new film, “Vacation,” where one of the young sons of a now grown-up Rusty Griswold tells his father, “I’ve never even heard of the original vacation. Rusty’s response: “Doesn’t matter. The new vacation will stand on its own.”

Well, I’ve heard of the original. It’s a minute shorter and a heck of a lot funnier.

For the uninformed, 1983’s “Vacation” told the story of the Griswold family and their attempt to spend a family vacation at the Disneyworld-esque amusement park known as Walley World and the many mishaps that befell them on the way. In this version, it’s older son Rusty (Helms) who decides to rekindle that old feeling by taking his wife and sons to see the famous Moose. Along the way they stumble onto toxic waste, learn that Mrs. Griswold (Applegate) had a hell of a good time in college and discover that, despite all that can (and does) go wrong, dad’s heart is always in the right place.

What slows the film down some is Helms, who usually excels in supporting comedy roles. As the lead here, he doesn’t really bring any energy to the role. Chevy Chase’s Clark Griswold had a way of making Walley World seem like it really WAS the greatest place on earth. Helms just seems to think everyone already knows it. I would have much rather seen the original Rusty, Anthony Michael Hall, who still acts (he was so good in the “Dead Zone” television series) show up and bring have some fun. It’s not that the film isn’t “funny,” it’s that it isn’t FUNNY! The situations here are mostly too wild to laugh out loud. Here’s it’s a lot of nervous giggling and hoping that the next gag will be as funny as Helms and company try to sell it. The supporting cast does better, laugh wise, with Leslie Mann shining as the now grown-up Audrey and Chris Hemsworth shining as he plays a rural weatherman with a six pack abdomen and a little more than that packed below. He is truly unrecognizable and a hoot to boot.

This summer, give your new vacation a look if you’re really looking forward to it. Otherwise, sit back and remember how good the first “vacation” was!

Starring: Adam Sandler, Josh Gad and Peter Dinklage
Directed by: Chris Columbus
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 1 hour 45 mins
Columbia

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

In 1982 the world changed. Especially for kids. That was the year that video arcades began springing up all over the world, giving you a few minutes of fun for every quarter you dropped into them. The better you got, the longer your quarter went. That year found four young boys competing for Nintendo domination: Brenner, Cooper, Ludlow and Eddie. Their achievements were video-taped and included in a capsule sent out into space. 33 years later that capsule was found, a presumed challenge accepted, and now the quartet must pool their skills, remember their patterns and save the world.

A fun reminder for anyone that ever put a dollar bill in a change machine and pumped quarter after quarter into “Missile Command” (guilty) “Pixels” is really a series of individual episodes featuring a different video character from the past. The four boys have now grown up into men with varied careers. Brenner (Sandler), who came in second in the 82 tournament, is now a NERD (think the GEEK SQUAD from Best Buy), installing the latest electronic equipment into homes. Cooper (Kevin James) is somehow the President of the United States, caught in a mini-scandal when a bout of fatigue at an elementary school makes it look like he can’t read. Ludlow has gone off the grid, his mind a jumble of conspiracy theories. And Eddie, the winner of the event? Let’s just say he’s right where he belongs.

Things pick up some when President Cooper assembles his friends to take on a group of aliens who have recreated the actions of the video games of the past, allowing such forces as “Galaga” and “Pac Man” to attack. The effects are well done, but sometimes they overwhelm the on-screen action. The cast is game, no pun intended, with Gad and Dinklage rising high above the material. Sandler only pulls a couple “Sandler-isms” out here, which people who aren’t fans of the actor should appreciate. And a special nod to Q-bert, who has fun with a small, supporting role. Fans of the 1980s will also appreciate that the aliens appear in the form of people very popular in that decade, from Ronald Reagan to Madonna to Max Headroom. And if you have to ask who Max Headroom is, you probably shouldn’t be seeing this movie.

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Forest Whitaker and Rachel McAdams
Directed By: Antoine Fuqua
Rated: R
Running Time: 123 minutes
The Weinstein Company

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

After being denied a much deserved Oscar nomination for best actor last year for “Nightcrawler,” Jake Gyllenhaal is back to beat the hell out of anyone who thinks otherwise. While last year he was downright chilly as a cunning sociopath with an appetite for visual destruction, in “Southpaw” he’s a mumbling, short-tempered boxer by the name of Billy Hope. The gusto that Gyllenhaal has given in his performances over the past couple of years on display in “Southpaw,” but his acting prowess is too good for this script.

When we meet Billy, he’s being bandaged up for an upcoming boxing match. It’s one of the few instances in this movie we don’t see him beaten, bruised, or bleeding. Gyllenhaal sets the tone capturing the mannerisms of an all-star athlete psyching himself before a match, but once he speaks, he captures the literacy of Mike Tyson, and that’s not a bad thing when you’re portraying someone whose life is all about getting bashed in the head by fists.

His character is a bit like Lenny from “Of Mice and Men” because he has a gentle heart, but wields the strength to break some bones. Billy has a lovely wife, Maureen (McAdams) and a 10-year-old daughter whom he absolutely adores, Lelia (Oona Laurence). He turns into a pile of mush talking to them and fawns over them constantly, but once he steps into the ring, he turns into an absolute monster. This big swing in delivery and emotions is what makes Gyllenhaal’s performance one of the best this summer.

The story that Gyllenhaal gets to act in is not as stellar. The high-life ends when a freak accident, which I’m still not sure what happened in it, kills Maureen, and leaves Billy and Lelia alone. The story logistics, or domino effect of bad events after Maureen’s death, are hasty and illogical. Focusing on them could easily cloud one’s judgement and prevent one from enjoying the cheap entertainment that “Southpaw” is. Billy loses custody of his daughter, he loses his home and his livelihood, and he’s left penniless in the streets, all within a matter of days. You think the undefeated lightweight champion of the world could afford a better trial lawyer and would have at least a couple of million for the rainiest of days.

Instead of solving problems in a clear, concise manner, the movie relies on aged sports movie clichés to get from one scene to the next. One instance for example is when Forest Whitaker shows up as the Apollo of the movie, Titus. Titus has some strict morals about training a professional boxer that he ends up forsaking so it won’t inconvenience the plot. While all of this certainly puts a damper on everything, if you treat it like most summer blockbusters, you shouldn’t have too hard a time enjoying what transpires.

“Southpaw” is an enjoyable break from the explosions and CGI of the summer, as long as you’re not putting it in the ring against “Rocky” or “Raging Bull”. “Southpaw” gives us one of the more loveable brutes of the summer, while providing cheap popcorn entertainment. For all its faults, it can be enjoyed as long as you turn your brain off. And if I can be forgiven for just one more heap of praise for Gyllenhaal, seeing his shapeshifting transformation from role to role since “End of Watch” is reason enough to purchase a ticket for “Southpaw”.

Starring: Thomas Middleditch, T.J. Miller, Zach Woods, Martin Starr, Kumail Nanjiani, Matt Ross, Amanda Crew and Josh Brener
Creator: Mike Judge
Rating: TV-MA
Studio: HBO Studios

Season: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars

Whatever Mike Judge touches is instant gold. Season one of “Silicon Valley” was a real blast to watch. It was smart and very funny. Well, Season two didn’t just improve on the first, it trumped it. The show delivers non-stop laugh out loud moments and introduces my new favorite character Russ Hanneman played by the amazing Chris Diamantopoulos. This is no question one of the best shows on television right now and I am glad to report that HBO has already renewed “Silicon Valley” for a third season, so keep an eye out for more next year.

Official Premise: After taking the tech world by storm with their debut at TechCrunch Disrupt last season, Richard and his Pied Piper team look ahead to a big future–one that’s immediately soured by legal woes and petty revenge plans from Hooli overlord Gavin Belson–in Season 2 of Mike Judge’s hit HBO comedy series. This season, Monica finds herself torn between her allegiance to Richard and her job working under a new head honcho; meanwhile, the presence of Richard’s departed longtime pal Big Head looms large, as Gavin decides to use him to his fullest potential.

Redeemed through VUDU, there are two additional extras included. The first is a preview the season with Erlich, Richard and other characters from the series discussing season 2 of the show. There is also an extra called “Invitation to the Set”, which features Mike Judge and the stars of the show discuss what to expect season 2. iTunes has a few other extras included but that is all for VUDU. HBO still has yet to deliver the extras digitally that are available with their Blu-ray/DVD releases.  Currently at this time there is no Blu-ray/DVD release date for season 2 of “Silicon Valley”, so if you want to see it and don’t have HBO, then I would definitely recommend checking out the Digital HD streaming option.

Starring: Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi, Jonny Brugh, Cori Gonzalez-Macuer
Directed By: Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi
Distributed by: Paramount
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 85 Minutes
Release Date: July 21st

Film: 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Extras: 5 out of 5 Stars

What We Do in the Shadows was released here back in February and still remains my favorite comedy of 2015. From the makers of HBO’s Flight of the Conchords, What We Do in the Shadows is a mockumentary from New Zealand which sees the vampire genre through the eyes of four decidedly uncool flatmates who are also undead. If the thought of yet another vampire film has you reaching for your crucifix, I would implore you to hold off just for these 85 minutes. Despite its slight runtime, Shadows manages to cleverly hit upon all the classic vampire tropes in new and hilarious ways. Rather than Interview with the Vampire, we get interviews with some vampires by way of Christopher Guest or “The Office”.

Taika Waititi is our main vampire, Viago, a friendly fop of only 379 who likes to keep the flat neat even while draining victims of their blood. To start off, he calls a flat meeting where he and ex-torture-master Vladislav (Clement) can confront their youngest roomie Deacon (Brugh, playing 183 years old) about his lax approach to dish duty. Fourth roommate, Petyr, a Nosferatu-like creature who lives in a stone tomb in the basement declines his invite to the meeting. It’s a brilliant intro to the dynamics of this most unusual household before the ‘film crew’ are able to go further into each character’s origins, heartaches and peculiar hobbies. Their routine of hitting up Wellington, NZ nightspots and scouting for potential victims is broken up when one of those potentials is accidentally turned into a new vampire Nick (Gonzalez-Macuer). Nick brings with him a mortal BFF Stu, a deadpan company IT guy, who charms the household into not eating him by simply being cooler and showing the vamps how the internet works. Meanwhile Nick flies around town trying pick up lines like “I’m Twilight” blowing their cover and generally–and fortunately for the viewers – stirring up trouble while blowing their cover.

The film culminates at the Unholy Masquerade where all the communities of supernatural Wellington beings convene. It’s a brilliant finale which allows the filmmakers to expand their lens from vampires to zombies, goblins and werewolves, causing one to wonder what’s going on in all those other shadows over there?? Rhys Darby in particular has a standout bit part as the leader of the werewolves who are just doing their best to keep calm. The comedy works on pretty much every level and was a welcome return to the sensibilities that I loved so much in “Flight of the Conchords”.

Extras 

As seems to be the case with mockumentaries, ‘Shadows’ has a wealth of extra footage that was left on the cutting room floor. This blu-ray is bursting with additional characterization of everyone on the screen, that is pretty much as hilarious as what made it to the final cut. Kudos go to the filmmakers for keeping the final film as tight as it is when they had this much content at their hands. Additionally, while the supernatural gags blend seamlessly into the comedy, the film has a whole lot of practical special effects at work–from blood splatters, to men on fire and rotating entire sets– that the behind the scenes footage highlights. Clements and Waititi’s original short version of the film completes the disc, showing the seeds of what eventually made it to feature length.

Actors: Ryan Dillon, Leslie Carrara-Rudolph, David Rudman, Eric Jacobson, Matt Vogel
Directors: Ken Diego, Kevin Clash, Jim Martin, Joey Mazzarino, Ted May
Number of discs: 1
Studio: Sesame Street
DVD Release Date: July 7, 2015

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Having a young child, the world of Sesame Street is well known in our house. My daughter loved Elmo growing up. As she is getting older and starting to learn her numbers the latest DVD is coming at the perfect time for her. “Count on Elmo” is a great learning tool to aid kids in their process of getting to know their numbers.

Official Premise: Kids can rely on their Sesame Street friends for lots of fun, laughs and counting in Sesame Street: Count on Elmo. When the Noble Counting Prize committee is looking for the World’s Greatest Counter, Elmo knows that his friend The Count is perfect for the prize. Elmo, Grover, Abby and Cookie Monster try and capture The Count’s amazing counting skills on camera so they can enter him in the contest, but everything goes awry! Will The Count win the prize or will it be a Count-astrophe? Kids will learn about friendship and math concepts such as numbers, counting, and enumeration.

It’s crazy to think that Sesame Street has been around for more than 45 years and I am sure it will be around for another 45 years easy. These DVD’s are important and teach very important lessons for our kids. This DVD includes over 2 hours of fun and education for kids (and parents) to enjoy. This DVD also features the new song “Count on Friends” and a bonus video “Pre-School is Cool: ABC’s With Elmo”.

Starring: Amy Schumer, Bill Hader and Lebron James
Directed by: Judd Apatow
Rated: R
Running time: 2 hrs 5 mins
Universal

Our Score: 2.5 out of 5 stars

I sometimes wonder who decides on the titles of films. When the film “Wind” came out I’m sure there was more than one critic who summed up the film by saying, “WIND Blows!” So if you’re going to call a film “Trainwreck”…. I think you get the picture.

We meet nine-year old Amy (Devin Fabry) and her little sister, Kim (Carla Oudin) as their father (Colin Quinn) is explaining to them why he and their mother are getting a divorce. He doesn’t make a lot of sense to the girls but Amy does take to heart one piece of wisdom from her dad: “Monogamy isn’t realistic.” Now in her early 30’s, Amy (Schumer) is still following her dad’s advice, hopping from relationship to relationship with no thought of the other person. She has convinced herself she will never fall in love. And then she meets Dr. Connor (Hader).

A hit and miss comedy that at times hits and at others misses badly, “Trainwreck” isn’t one, but it teeters in that direction. The ads proclaim that it’s “from the guy who brought you Bridesmaids,” (which Apatow produced) but unfortunately it’s not from the gal that wrote “Bridesmaids.” Star Amy Schumer wrote the script here, and while the film is funny in parts, sometimes the raunch factor is so over the top that you wonder how a skilled comic mind like Judd Apatow let some of the “jokes” slip by. And this is coming from someone that loves a good dirty joke.

The film’s saving grace is its cast. Bill Hader is so damn likeable that you can’t help but wish he had chosen a better film. Schumer also credits herself well here, though you wish she had a better writer. Tilda Swinton is unrecognizable as Schumer’s magazine editor-boss and delivers many of the laughs. But I have to give a special shout-out to Lebron James and WWE star John Cena, both of who prove themselves very funny people indeed. Would love to see the two of them teamed up in a film, like Van Damme was with Dennis Rodman in “Double Team.” That would be a collision I’d welcome seeing.

Starring: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas and Corey Stoll
Directed By: Peyton Reed
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 117 minutes
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

In the hearts and minds of many, Robert Downey Jr. will always be Iron Man, Chris Evans will always be Captain America, and Hugh Jackman will always be the Wolverine. This isn’t a bad thing because these are all beloved characters that have now been etched into movie history. Of course some people, like Ben Affleck, will always be remembered for the abysmal “Daredevil” movie. So with that said, Paul Rudd, you are Ant-Man, and damn good at it.

It’s a difficult job to be the Marvel movie that follows up the box office success, “Age of Ultron,” but “Ant-Man” is not only a sufficient follow-up, but better than the epic spectacle earlier this summer. While “Ant-Man” may not have the budget, the explosive scenes, and the plethora of characters building around its hyperbolic villain, it’s still grand. Its pint sized hero does everything wonderfully on a much smaller scale, but with a lot more heart.

Scott Lang (Rudd) is a cat burglar who constantly reminds everyone that his robberies were not violent. He’s recently been let out of jail and is staying with his buddy Luis (Michael Pena). Scott wants to do right. He has the smarts and drive, but as his wife says, he leaves when things get tough. So after some unsuccessful attempts at getting a decent job, including a shameless product placement, Scott quickly resorts back to a life of crime.

Luis has the scoop on a home with a massive safe in the basement. Scott breaks in, and his first foe is an impressive metal door with a thumb print key lock. He disposes of this quickly, seemingly ready to meet the illegal challenge. But it isn’t gold bars, jewelry, the Ark of the Covenant, or any treasure like that inside this mystery vault. Instead it’s a suit, and as the cliché goes, it comes with a great power. Scott may not be ready for the power, but the creator of the suit, Hank Pym (Douglas), is ready to teach him.

Like most origin stories, it does deal with the obligatory training scenes and exposition that we’ve become accustomed to in many of these superhero movies. “Ant-Man” reminds me a lot of “Iron Man” in that the training sequences are coupled with personal growth in our hero. It isn’t simply bulking up, learning fighting tactics, and growing into a suit, but it’s also about growing as a person. We don’t need the end of the world to be impressed with superhero movies, but we’ll certainly have a lot more admiration for someone who’s just as human as me or you. With Paul Rudd’s acting and the clever writing, “Ant-Man” becomes one of the best Marvel movies.

“Ant-Man” is enjoyable, fun, exciting, and filled with humor. It knows when to be emotional and it knows when to laugh at itself. A lot of that is thanks to the script penned by Edgar Wright. While three others were attached to it, Wright’s mark has been left. Peyton Reed, who is far from being known for directing action movies, does an OK job replicating Wright’s style of direction. The blueprints were there, but there is this faint feeling that it could have been perfect if Wright was behind the camera.

Ant-Man joins a very crowded field of superheroes, and sure to become even more crowded with Captain Marvel, Black Panther, Doctor Strange, and others on the horizon. While I’m sure Marvel will handle all of these characters like it has in the past, with grace, heart, and comedy, but as of right now, Ant-Man’s short stature has left the biggest mark on the Marvel universe. Good things do come in small packages.

THE FUTURE IS NOW!

BACK TO THE FUTURE 30th ANNIVERSARY TRILOGY

Traveling to Blu-ray™ and DVD on October 20, 2015 along with Back to the Future: The Complete Animated Series & Back to the Future: The Complete Adventures