Stars: Paul McCartney
Number of discs: 1
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Shout Factory
Run Time: 60 minutes

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

“A MusiCares Tribute to Paul McCartney” is a collection of never-before-seen performances by a slate of all-star artists ranging from Alicia Keys and Coldplay to Neil Young, James Taylor and McCarty himself. The songs all pay tribute to Sir Paul McCartney an artist whose lasting impression in music and on the world as a whole is unmatched. Proceeds from the sale of the disc will provide essential support for MusiCares, which ensures that music people have a place to turn in times of financial, medical and personal need. If you are a fan of The Beatles and Paul McCartney the latest release from Shout Factory has you covered. “A MusiCares Tribute to Paul McCartney” has some of today’s hottest artist combined with legendary performers which I found gives this release something really special.

Presented in beautiful 1080p Hi-Definition with DTS-HD sound you are getting the best sound and picture quality available which only adds to incredible performances such as Alicia Keys rendition of “Blackbird” to James Taylor and Diana Krall’s version of “Yesterday”. Probably my personal favorite of the whole performance is that of Paul McCarty, Dave Grohl and Joe Walsh. The three artists seem to mess flawlessly creating a performance every music lover has to experience.

Though the disc doesn’t really include any special features or additional content I found the concert to be strong enough to stand on its own with no real need for extra footage though it would have been cool to see what was going on behind the scenes and possibly some of the rehearsal footage. That aside proceeds from this release will be donated to MusiCares which is a great organization that helps musicians in their times of need so they can keep providing us with the music we love. If you want to get a great performance you can watch over and over again while supporting an equally great cause then this is the release for you.

Performance List:
1.) Get Back/Hello Goodbye/Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band- Cirque du Soleil feat. The Beatles “Love” Cast
2.) Magical Mystery Tour- Paul McCartney
3.) Juniors Farm- Paul McCartney
4.) Blackbird- Alicia Keys
5.) No More Lonely Nights- Alison Krauss & Union Station feat. Jerry Douglas
6.) And I Love Her- Duane Eddy
7.) Oh! Darling- Norah Jones
8.) I Saw Her Standing There- Neil Young and Crazy Horse
9.) The Fool on the Hill- Sergio Mendes
10.) We Can Work It Out- Coldplay
11.) Yesterday- James Taylor w/ Diana Krall
12.) For No One- Diana Krall w/ James Taylor
13.) My Valentine- Paul McCartney
14.) Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five- Paul McCartney
15.) Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/ The End- Paul McCartney feat. Dave Grohl and Joe Walsh

Film historian Bruce Crawford has announced the film to be presented at his 36th Tribute to Classic Films will be Billy Wilder’s Oscar-winning “Some Like It Hot.” The film will be screened on Friday, April 24, 2015 at the beautiful Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, Nebraska.

Often considered the greatest film comedy of all time, ranking #1 on the American Film Institute’s list of the top 100 film comedies, “Some Like It Hot” stars Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe. The evening’s special guest will be Curtis’ daughter, Kelly. Also, as with other Classic Film Tributes, artist Nicolosi will design a commemorative United States Postal Envelope honoring the film. The artwork will be unveiled prior to the screening.

Tickets for the event, which will begin at 7:00 p.m., are $23.00 and can be purchased at the customer service counters of all Omaha-area HyVee food stores. Tickets go on sale on Wednesday, April 1, 2015. Proceeds will benefit the Omaha Parks Foundation. For more information call (402) 926-8299 or visit www.omahafilmevent.com

Actors: Paolo Montalban, Daniel Bernhardt, Tracy Douglas, Bruce Locke, Kristanna Loken, Eva Mendes, Jamie Presley, Fabiana Udeni
Producers: Larry Kasanoff
Number of discs: 4
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Warner Home Video
DVD Release Date: March 31, 2015
Run Time: 946 minutes

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

“Mortal Kombat: Conquest” is not the best thing to ever come out of the “Mortal Kombat” franchise. Also know as “Mortal Kombat: Konquest”, this show was quite cheesy and didn’t have the gory edge that the franchise is known for. I do have a soft spot for the show because it was filmed at Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando, Florida…something that can sadly never happen anymore. It aired from 1998-1999 and only lasted 22 episodes. So it has been over 15 years, since I have last seen this show and it honestly hasn’t gotten any better. Still good for a laugh or two.

The show included some of today’s well-known names like Kristanna Loken, Eva Mendes, Jamie Presley and Fabiana Udenio. The main characters in the show focus around Kung Lao, Shang Tsung, Raiden and Shao Kahn. Other game characters that appear are Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Kitana, Noob Saibot, Quan Chi, Mileena, Rain, Reptile and lastly also Smoke and Goro but in CGI format. If you are die-hard Mortal Kombat fan, you are going to want to check this out.

Official Premise: In a dark and mythical re-telling of classic tale of good versus evil, the TV series ‘Mortal Kombat Conquest’ follows the fierce warrior Kung Lao and his comrades Taja and Siro on the their quest to protect the earth realm from falling under the control of the evil conqueror of realms Shao Kahn, ruler of the Outworld. Vital to the survival of mankind are warriors who can compete in Mortal Kombat. While combatants from Outworld have magic and darkness on their side, fighter from the Earth Realm have only their strength, both physical and mental, and belief that their cause is just and right. Will good triumph over evil?

This show has never been given a proper DVD release since it aired on TV. The UK released a few episodes and never finished it. Warner Bros is the savior of this campy-martial arts series. They are bringing the complete series to DVD for the first time ever. Audio and video are standard for DVD, nothing terrible and yet not outstanding either. Sadly there are no special features included to accompany these 22 episodes. But at least fans get the episodes that they were waiting were…they were waiting right? Hello?

Actors: Morgan Freeman, Patricia Wright
Directors: David Douglas
Rated: G (General Audience)
Studio: Warner Home Video
Release Date: March 31, 2015
Run Time: 39 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
3D: 3 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

Who doesn’t love nature documentaries, especially ones shot with IMAX 3D cameras? “Island of Lemurs: Madagascar” is the latest of the IMAX nature films. Did I also mention that Morgan Freeman narrates this film? Bonus! This film is an interesting journey through world of Madagascar. I am a little weary though of these IMAX films because they are very short running barely 40 minutes. Disneynature is putting out a new film every Earth Day that is a feature length. How can people expect to pay full price to see half a film. Just sayin’, this style was cool when 3D was new and rare but it is everywhere now and these films would be much wider received if they went feature length.

Official Premise: “Island of Lemurs: Madagascar” highlights the tireless efforts of trailblazing scientist Dr. Patricia C. Wright and her lifelong mission to help these strange and adorable creatures survive in the modern world. Joining David Douglas once again behind the scenes are editor Beth Spiegel, co-producer Diane Roberts, and composer Mark Mothersbaugh. Songs are by Hanitrarivo Rasoanaivo & Tarika. The film reunites Freeman with Drew Fellman, who also wrote and produced the 2011 IMAX 3D documentary “Born to Be Wild 3D,” and director David Douglas, who served as director of photography on that film.

Warner Bros is releasing this film as a combo pack with a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD. They are also including a bonus 3D version of the film. I have to admit, the 3D version was not as good as I expected. There wasn’t any outstanding 3D effects like we have come to expect from the IMAX 3D shot films. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track sounds good and Mark Mothersbaugh’s score is well represented throughout.

There are a few short extras included. First is “Making of The Island of Lemurs”, which is looks briefly behind-the-scenes. There is another “Behind the Scenes” promo, not sure why these two weren’t combined. “The Story of Lemurs” features the filmmakers and Primatologist Patricia Wright discussing the film. “Meet Patricia Wright” is a feature on the Primatologist. Other extras include, “A Baby Indri” featuring Fellmantalking about working with the scientists. “The Cutest Lemur” introduces us to the lovable creature. “Go-Kart Racers” focuses around the carts used for filming. Lastly “Five Things About Indri” features fun facts for kids.

Own ISLAND OF LEMURS: MADAGASCAR on Blu-ray combo pack and Digital HD on March 31

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine, Bill Irwin, Mackenzie Foy
Director: Christopher Nolan
Number of discs: 3
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: March 31, 2015
Run Time: 109 minutes

Film: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4 out of stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

When I first heard news for “Interstellar”, I pegged it as being one of my favorite films of the year. Boy, was I wrong. I don’t think I was so disappointed from a film this year as I was with “Interstellar”. The first half of this film had me really intrigued wondering what was going to happen next…and wondering and then wonderful what the hell I was watching as it took a giant nose dive during the second half. Missed opportunities is what ruined this film for me. The visuals were definitely impressive but the story was way too convoluted for me and it never came together for me in the end. Christopher Nolan tried a little too hard on this one and should focus less on making a confusing/ridiculous story and focus more on making an interesting and convincing story for his next film.

Official Premise: With time on Earth coming to an end, a team of explorers undertakes the most important mission in human history: traveling beyond this galaxy to discover whether mankind has a future among the stars. From acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan (“The Dark Knight” films, “Inception”), “Interstellar” stars Matthew McConaughey (“Dallas Buyers Club”), Anne Hathaway (“Les Miserables”), Jessica Chastain (“Zero Dark Thirty”), Bill Irwin (“Rachel Getting Married”), Ellen Burstyn (“Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore”), and Michael Caine (“The Cider House Rules”). Also includes Wes Bentley, Casey Affleck, David Gyasi, Mackenzie Foy and Topher Grace.

Paramount is releasing this film as a combo pack with a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD copy. This Blu-ray Combo Pack will also include an authentic film cell from an original 70MM IMAX print of the film. Even though, the film was “blah” at best, the 1080p transfer was very impressive. It features a blend of widescreen at 2.39:1 and an IMAX Blu-ray full-frame 1.78:1 throughout the film. The cuts are seamless and flow well to benefit the film. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is certainly a strong track but lacks the full 7.1  experience that most epic big films are getting today on Blu-ray. I am surprised that Paramount didn’t step up a bit with this track.

The special features are definitely weighty but lack any commentary options. First up, is a meaty feature called “The Science of Interstellar”, which runs about an hour in length. It reaches out to scientists talking about the truth behind some of the themes in the film and is narrated by Matthew McConaughey. There is some interested discussion points here for sure. I did like the science in the film, except for the third act when it just got plain weird. Next there is a 14 part feature called “Inside Interstellar”. It breaks down pretty much the entire film piece by piece. Here are the including segments: “Plotting an Interstellar Journey”, which talks about the origin of the film. “Life on Cooper’s Farm” discusses the farm shooting locations.

Some of the other featurettes include “The Cosmic Sounds of Interstellar”, which looks into the sound design. “The Simulation of Zero-G” is a featurette that interested me dealing with the absence of gravity in the film. Also other featurettes included are “The Space Suits”, “The Endurance”, “Shooting in Iceland: Miller’s Planet/Mann’s Planet”, “The Ranger and the Lander”, “Miniatures in Space”, “Celestial Landmarks” and “Across All Dimensions and Time”. Lastly there are some trailers/teasers included as well.

Starring: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Anna Chlumsky, Tony Hale, Matt Walsh, Reid Scott, Timothy Simons
Director: Armando Iannucci
Number of discs: 2
Studio: HBO Studios
Release Date: March 31, 2015
Run Time: 300 minutes

Season: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars

“Veep” is a show that I caught by accident one day and instantly fell in love with it. It is an amazing satire on the political world. Like “House of Cards” is a dramatic focus, this show is the comedic approach. Outstanding performances from everyone included in this Julia Louis-Dreyfus has never been better. As this show progresses, I feel that it is only getting better. I love the direction where season three followed and the only issue was that it didn’t last longer. I really hope that HBO keeps this show rolling for years to come because I know that this show will only get better and better. I can’t wait to see what they have in store for season four.

Official Premise: Veep follows the whirlwind day-to-day existence of Vice President Selina Meyer (Louis-Dreyfus) as she puts out political fires in her public and private life while launching her campaign for president after learning that the commander-in-chief will not seek reelection. In season three of Veep, Selina and her staff head off to meet America in Detroit and Silicon Valley, go on a drug bust with the Maryland Coast Guard, and fly to London to confer with heads of state. Meanwhile, as Dan and Amy battle for the role of campaign manager, everyone helps Selina define who she is and where she stands on fracking, education, reproductive rights and her hairstyle. With all of America now watching her and her team, even the most banal action can set off a ripple effect that has unexpected and far-reaching consequences.

HBO is releasing “Veep: The Complete Third Season” as a combo pack with a Blu-ray and Digital HD copy included. Like the first two seasons, the 1080p transfer and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track are standard for a half-hour comedy. Nothing spectacular but also no issues either. The special features included are a little light in my opinion but working checking still just for the audio commentaries. The entire cast are on board for these tracks and they are a great reason to re-watch the season. I honestly can’t get enough of this cast together. The improv and bather between them are just so funny and always makes me laugh. Also included in the special features are some deleted scenes.

Starring: Thomas Middleditch, T.J. Miller, Josh Brener, Martin Starr, Kumail Nanjiani, Christopher Evan Welch
Creator: Mike Judge
Number of discs: 2
Studio: HBO Studios
DVD Release Date: March 31, 2015

Season: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

Whenever I see the name, Mike Judge, involved with a project, I immediately know that I need to watch it. Mike Judge is really an under appreciated director. Since creating “Beavis and Butt-head”, he has delivered a lot of great content. His latest TV show was the long running “King of the Hill”. “Silicon Valley” is an awkward, funny and very sarcastic comedy. If you are a nerd of any type and work in or are familiar with the technology industry this will be a home run for you. It is filled with all sorts of stabs at this ever-growing industry. The cast is just amazing together T.J. Miller is a rising star and he is going to do some really big things. Kumail Nanjiani is just amazing at whatever he does. Martin Starr is just so damn funny, I have no idea how he doesn’t crack a smile with some of the things he says. The season itself I felt lost a little steam by the end of the eight episodes but overall, it was a great season and I can’t wait to see what they have planned for season two.

Official Premise: From the offbeat mind of Mike Judge (Office Space, Beavis and Butt-head), this HBO half-hour comedy takes viewers inside the world of tech start-ups – and the socially awkward underdogs who try to navigate its lucrative potential. Starring a talented ensemble of young comic actors (see below) and veterans, Silicon Valley charts the rising fortunes of Richard, an introverted computer programmer who lives in a “Hacker Hostel” start-up incubator along with his friends Big Head, Gilfoyle, and Dinesh. These social misfits live under the watch of Erlich, a dotcom millionaire who lets them stay in his house for free – as long as he gets a 10% stake in their projects. Stuck working part-time at a large tech company called Hooli, Richard’s obscure website, Pied Piper, is going nowhere fast. But when a mid-level Hooli executive named Jared is apprised of the value of the site’s novel compression algorithm, Richard finds himself caught in the middle of an extreme bidding war between Hooli founder Gavin Belson and independent billionaire venture capitalist Peter Gregory.

HBO is releasing “Silicon Valley: The Complete First Season” as a combo pack with a Blu-ray and Digital HD copy included. The 1080p transfer and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track are standard for a half-hour comedy. Nothing spectacular but also no issues either. The special features included are impressive as well like the season. First off we have “Making Silicon Valley”, which is a behind-the-scenes look into the making of the show. “Tech Crunch: Disrupt!” looks into how this conference was created. “The Hacker Hostel” is a tour through the Pied Piper headquarters. There are episodes previews included to catch you up. Lastly there eight Audio Commentaries covering each episode with talent including with Mike Judge, Alec Berg, T.J. Miller and many more. These are worth the revisit of the season alone, since they are insightful and very funny.

Starring: Richard Armitage, Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Benedict Cumberbatch, Aidan Turner, Cate Blanchett
Director: Peter Jackson
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Warner Home Video
Release Date: March 24, 2015
Run Time: 144 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
3D: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

I am a huge fan of both “The Lord of Rings” and “The Hobbit” film series. I have to admit though, “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” is easily the weakest entry in Peter Jackson’s entire six-chapter saga. Now it is not terrible at all but in terms of the scale of the other films it just does not live up to be the closing chapter in a six film saga. We all know that “The Hobbit” was a very short book and these three films have been expanded to enable a trilogy but this third film just feels too stretched out. There is like an hour long battle scene, which I wouldn’t never think this would happen but it just feels boring. This film could have easily been summed up in the second film and probably made that a better film also. The cast are still top notch and both Richard Armitage and Martin Freeman really shine here.  Honestly a little sad to see this chapter close but who knows maybe their will be future Middle Earth adventures in the future (hopefully).

“The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” brings to an epic conclusion the adventure of Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) and the Company of Dwarves. The Dwarves of Erebor have reclaimed the vast wealth of their homeland, but now must face the consequences of having unleashed the terrifying Dragon, Smaug, upon the defenseless men, women and children of Lake-town. As he succumbs to dragon-sickness, the King Under the Mountain, Thorin Oakenshield, sacrifices friendship and honor in search for the legendary Arkenstone. Unable to help Thorin see reason, Bilbo is driven to make a desperate and dangerous choice, not knowing that even greater perils lie ahead. An ancient enemy has returned to Middle-earth. Sauron, the Dark Lord, has sent forth legions of Orcs in a stealth attack upon the Lonely Mountain. As darkness converges on their escalating conflict, the races of Dwarves, Elves and Men must decide – unite or be destroyed. Bilbo finds himself fighting for his life and the lives of his friends as five great armies go to war.

“The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” is releasing this film as a 5-disc combo pack with a 3D Blu-ray + Standard Blu-ray + DVD and also Digital HD copy. The 3D on this film was good but I wasn’t blown away like the second film actually. I didn’t really feel like it added much to the film other than some depth. The 1080p transfer though was fantastic. This series has excelled in the audio and video department since the very first “The Lord of the Rings”. The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track is also perfect. Since the film is basically one long fight scene, this track really stands up and delivers an action packed adventure at every turn. From dragons spewing fire to metal clanging, this track is exciting and intense.

Like previous releases in this trilogy, the initial Blu-ray special features have not been outstanding. It is the Extended Edition releases set for each Fall that have impressed. This Blu-ray includes some decent extra still. First up is “New Zealand: Home of Middle-earth Part 3”, which is an overview of the third film and its shooting locations. “Recruiting the Five Armies” looking into the casting, costumes and everything else involved with creating this army. “Completing Middle-earth: A Six-Part Saga” is an interview with Director Peter Jackson introduces discussing the last film, as is also “Completing Middle-earth: A Seventeen-Year Journey” taking about the saga as a whole. “The Last Goodbye: Behind the Scenes” looks into the creating the film’s end credits with actor Billy Boyd’s “The Last Goodbye.”, also included is the music video as well.

Every few months NCircle Entertainment has been releasing a new DVD for one of my daughters (and daddy’s) favorite shows. “The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That!” is not only fun, it is also extremely education. Kids watching it learn without even knowing that they are learning. Top that off with the outstanding voice work of Martin Short, who really brings the Cat in the Hat to life, this show is a winner!

Over the past four months, they are released three two DVDs. The first and in my opinion the best is “Explore &; Imagine with the Cat in the Hat”. This release is not your typical themed release with 3-5 episodes, this is actually Volume 1 of Season 1 including 20 episodes! This is a huge and very important release for the show. Especially if you are a fan of the series.

“Explore & Imagine with the Cat in the Hat: Season 1 Volume 1”: The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! follows the adventures of 6-year-old best friends, Sally and Nick, as they are whisked off on extraordinary voyages of scientific discovery with the Cat in the Hat. In the Cat’s quintessentially Seussian vehicle, the Thinga-ma-jigger, they fly, float, rocket, and even shrink down to the size of a bee, to explore natural wonders from the bottom of the ocean to the treetops of the rain forest. Along for the ride are the Cat’s zany helpers, Thing One and Thing Two, and one very nervous Fish. In this first volume with the Cat, Nick and Sally, learn about how honey is made, why birds migrate, how whales communicate and so much more! So hop on the Thinga-ma-jigger and let’s explore!

Here are first 20 episodes from Season 1 included: “Show Me the Honey”; “Migration Vacation”; “I Love the Nightlife”; “Oh Give Me A Home!”; “Many Ants Make Light Work”; “Nest Best Thing”; ” Plan for Sand”; “Whale Music”; “Flower Power”; “Snowman’s Land”; “Dress Up Day”; “Bath Time”; “Tress Company”; “Now You See Me”; “Rain Game”; “No SSSweater is Better”; “A Tale About Tails”; “Sticky Situation”; “Night Lights”; “Go Snails Go!”

Next up is “Fun Feathered Friends”: There are actually 9 episodes included on this DVD with an approximate running time of 90 minutes. Usually these DVDs releases are 60 minutes, so this a nice bonus. The episode included are “Fast”; “Fabulous Feathers”; “Biggest Bird”; “Bounce”; “Timmy Tippy Toe”; “Cotton Patch”; “Paper Chase”, “Little Lemmings” and “Polar Adventure”. These are obviously themed focused around animals and teach a great deal about them as well. After watching this DVD and then bringing my daughter to the zoo, she say a peacock and connected it to this show, “Daddy, it’s the peacock from Cat in the Hat”. Mission accomplished.

“Fun Feathered Friends”: Let’s journey with Sally and Nick and the Cat To make feathery friends, imagine that! First, meet the fastest creature in the world! Who is it, you ask? It s Perry the Peregrine Falcon. Watch as he flies up to 150 mph, even when diving for food! Then play dress-up with Sally. Her favorite hat has lost all of its feathers where can she find more? It s time for a trip to Feathery Flats to meet Puranjay the Peacock! He has plenty of feathers and can teach us all about them. Birds are only the start of this trip with the Cat Take a look at what s inside, and hold onto your hat!

The last recent release is “Oh, the Skin We Are in!” or as my daughter called it “The Bones Cat in the Hat” (see the cover above if you are curious why). There are the typical 5 episodes on this DVD, running about 60 minutes. The episodes included are “The Skin I’m In”; “Jiggle Bones”; “Rumbly Tumbly”; “Keep the Beat and Sneezy Riders”. My daughter has really taken to this DVD and has since learned a lot about her body. She hit her elbow after watching it and said “Mommy, I hit my funny bone” and when we asked were she heard that, she said “Cat in the Hat, mommy”. So another score for this show.

“Oh, the Skin We Are in!”: It s time to explore with the Cat in the Hat! What shall we discover today? Ahhh-choo! Why, bless you! Nick can’t seem to stop sneezing. Why is that? Well, let’s find out with the Cat in the Hat! Hop on the Thinga-ma-jigger with Sally and Nick and learn all about the skin we re in the bones we own our beating hearts why our tummies rumble what causes sneezing, and how we can stop it It s a fantastic collection of natural science adventures, deep inside the bodies we live in!

Season 1, Volume 2 is set for a May 5th release date and is titled “Discover & Investigate With Cat in the Hat”. I am really glad that NCircle is releasing this show now in a seasons format. I look forward to that release for sure and also to future themed releases throughout 2015.

Starring: Maika Monroe and Ker Gilchrist
Directed by: David Robert Mitchell
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 40 mins
Northern Lights Films

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

It delivers. From the opening sequence, to the final scene, this movie is a great watch. With a simplistic story, great score, believable performances and unobtrusive direction, It Follows absolutely shows the audience that tone and characters are what make a horror film. Not gore, flashy camera movies, and quick-cut editing.

Maika Monroe (The Guest) plays Jay Height, whom after a date with a new guy, is made aware that through their coital act he has passed on… something. And whatever it is will come for her until it kills her, or she passes it on to someone else. Think of it has a sexual chain-letter. It’s as simple as that. There is really no story beyond that premise. And nothing more is needed.

Utilizing the anamorphic widescreen frame, this film takes its time. Its set-ups are simple, its composition is nothing extraordinary; but it’s perfect. Each scene gives the actors time to perform, and nothing seems too forced. We aren’t subjected to meaningless subplots, or random scenes to show more gore or killings. Everything that happens is for a reason.

It Follows takes place in an unknown time period. With hints of present-day technology mixed in with console TVs with antennas, home phones with cords, and stacks of VHS cassettes; as well as old-school monster movies on the TV; it seems as if the director wants to keep you unaware as to when this story occurs. For this could happen anytime and anyplace. Brilliant may be a bit much, but I love that there are no cellular phones, text messages, computers, or references to on-line social networking sites. Leaving out those elements will help to ensure that this movie has a long life and won’t be dated.

While watching this film I kept thinking that It Follows could easily be viewed as this generation’s Halloween. It Follows is actually this generation’s It Follows. This movie stands on its own and feels completely original. Even with the horror film tropes – conversations about sex, absentee parents – It Follows takes you to fresh ground.

It’s creepy, it’s funny, and it’ll make you talk. Part of what I liked about this film is all that they left out. They pose questions that you can tell they never intended to answer; because leaving things unknown is very unsettling. One could easily get lost in trying to find a rational reason as to why it all happened; and even make you question some events that occur, but it doesn’t matter. It’s just a great movie.

The only negative I have about this film is the quality of the special effects. It’s a low-budget indie film, and I fully understand their restrictions. I will grant that they did well with what they had available; but they do stick out.

It Follows is absolutely worth seeing in theatre. Seeing it on a big screen with a full audience will only add to the experience.

Starring the Voices Of: Jim Parsons, Rihanna, and Steve Martin
Directed By: Tim Johnson
Rated: PG
Running Time: 94 minutes
20th Century Fox

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

“Every once and a while…we knock it out of the park!” That should be Dreamworks Animation’s motto. “Home” will be their 31st movie, and since 1998, the studio hasn’t had as many home runs as Pixar and they only have two Oscars for Best Animated Feature. They won one for Best Original Song, but I’m sure no one at the office is hanging their hat on that one. “Home” is another adequate entry into Dreamworks Animation’s young history, but nothing to rave about.

“Home” is an adaptation of the book that I’ve never heard of, “The True Meaning of Smekday”. The movie revolves around the alien species, the Boov, but more specifically Oh (Parsons). He’s oblivious to his friendlessness and a general nuisance to the other Boov around him. His speech pattern is that of a Kindergartener learning proper English and his best qualities are made up of Olaf from “Frozen” and his worst qualities border on Jar-Jar Binks from an unmentionable prequel.

The Boov are a species that are constantly on the run, fearing the wrath of another alien race by the name of Gorg. Their tactic for avoiding destruction by the angry Gorg involves inhabiting Earth and forcibly abducting and relocating every human being on the planet to Australia; forcing them to live in gated communities (I’m sure the pitfalls of this plan are highly entertaining). Through a series of events, Oh accidentally alerts the Gorg to the Boov’s presence on Earth and becomes a fugitive of his own species. He runs into Tip (Rihanna), who has managed to avoid capture and is hiding out in her empty home, eating cans of pasta. This sets off a slightly amusing roadtrip/chase with a preteen and clueless space creature.

“Home” is obviously setting its sights on the children in the audience, with very few inside jokes for adults; although most will enjoy the comical voice stylings of Steve Martin as the leader of the Boov, Smek. You might wince at seeing Rihanna’s name, considering her persona in the entertainment industry and how she’s portrayed in the media. You also might be scratching your head at that acting choice considering her previous credits are “Battleship” and “This is the End”. She doesn’t quite carry the same silliness that Martin and Parsons bring to their character, but she has a believable tween voice. Her voice always sounds playful and youthful, and it’s actually a creditable dose of voice work on her part.

Halfway through I noticed that Rihanna’s contract must have stipulated that the entire soundtrack must be crafted by her since she’s seemingly on every song. It’s hard to pack an emotional punch when a movie’s soundtrack consists of “As Real As You and Me” and “Drop That”. It’s almost like creators of some of these movies are worried they won’t speak to an eight-year-old if they don’t throw in some contemporary hip-hop dance tracks.

“Home” is still an enjoyable time. Some moments move at blistering speeds, with aliens zipping to and fro with visual jokes and audible humor firing off left and right. When it has to rely on our two lone heroes with nothing, but themselves in a car, it struggles. Maybe Dreamworks should start cherry picking what they want to do next, or at the very least, put more effort into their promising projects. “Home” has the pieces for something remarkable, but none of the heart to stay with us.

Starring: Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart and Craig T. Nelson
Directed by: Etan Cohen
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 40
Warner Brothers

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

James King (Ferrell) has it all. Money. A beautiful fiancé (Alison Brie). And he’s just been made a partner in the investment firm started and run by his father-in-law (Nelson). He spares nothing on the finer things, including having his car detailed by Darnell Lewis (Hart), a man with a family hoping to buy a home. Out of the blue, James is arrested for fraud. Encouraged by his boss to take a plea bargain James refuses, so insistent is he of his innocence. Sadly, he is not believed and the judge, looking send a message to white collar criminals, sentences him to 10 years hard labor. With 30 days to get his affairs in order, James decides he needs to learn how to survive prison and decides to get advice from the only black man he knows.

Outrageously funny, though often bordering on bad taste, “Get Hard” confirms the star-making talent shown by Kevin Hart in “The Wedding Ringer” as well as the consistently funny-film streak of Will Ferrell. Both are at the top of their game here, and their chemistry is quite obvious. While both men are constantly entertaining, it’s Hart that drives the film, with Ferrell acting as straight man a little more than usual. Encouraged to tell James his story, Darnell instead gives a one-man performance of “Boys in the Hood.” This scene, and one where Hart plays three different inmates, are among the best in the film.

The script, co-written by director Cohen and Jay Martell and Ian Roberts, is constantly funny, even when it approaches the lines of race and prejudicial assumptions. Yet in spite of the humor, there are some nice moments between Ferrell and Hart as well as Hart and his on-screen family. If you’re looking to laugh this weekend, this is the film to see!

Actors: Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman
Directors: Jennifer Kent
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Shout! Factory
Release Date: April 14, 2015
Run Time: 93 minutes

Film: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

If it’s in a word
Or it’s in a look
You can’t get rid
Of the Babadook

Those are words that I cannot get out of my head since watching this Australian psychological horror/thriller. I absolutely loved this film. I watch a lot of horror films looking for that big scan but unfortunately it is very rare that a film can scare me, I mean really scare me, the last was James Wann’s “Insidious” back in 2010. I can add “The Babadook” to that list now. This film is near perfect and much deeper than you would expect from a typical horror flick. It has some deep symbolism and really takes you on a dark journey through the dealings of grief and loss. If you are looking for something truly original that will leave you discussing for days/weeks, I would highly recommend checking this out.

Official Premise: Six years after the death of her husband, Amelia struggles to discipline her “out-of-control” six-year-old Samuel – a son she finds difficult to love. Samuel’s dreams are plagued by a monster he believes is coming to kill them both. When a disturbing storybook called “The Babadook” turns up at their house, Samuel is convinced that the Babadook is the creature he’s been dreaming about. And when Amelia begins to see glimpses of the creature herself, it slowly dawns on her that the thing Samuel has been warning her about may well be real.

Scream Factory is behind this Blu-ray release of “The Babadook”. They are releasing it with a limited edition slipcase (shown above) with a really cool pop out cover. This is a must have for any fan of the film. The Blu-ray presentation is near perfect also. The 1080p transfer gorgeous and so well shot within its in 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The film is quite dark and its use of black and shadows are perfectly showcased here. Same goes with the soundtrack. The score to “The Babadook” is easily one of the best horror scores in years and it sounds outstanding on this DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1  track.

The special features are also a must watch if you enjoyed the film for sure. There is Director Jennifer Kent’s Short Film, “Monster” included. “Creating the Book with Illustrator Alex Juhasz” is one extra that I wish was muchlonger. It look into how the book was made. “A Tour of the House Set” is a cool walk through on the set. “The Stunts: Jumping the Stairs” focuses on the film’s wire work. “Special Effects: The Stabbing Scene” discusses briefly how this scene was shot. There is anothe short Behind the Scenes look into the production. The big one is “Cast and Crew Interviews”, which runs just over an hour and features chats with actors Essie Davis, Daniel Henshall, Barbara West, Hayley McElhinney, director Jennifer Kent, costume designer Heather Wallace, producer Kristina Ceyton, and producer Kristian Moliere. Lastly, there are a few short deleted scenes.  and two theatrical trailers

Actors: Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Corden, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine
Directors: Rob Marshall
Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Walt Disney Studios
Release Date: March 24, 2015
Run Time: 120 minutes

Film: 2 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Personally, I am a fan of musicals. I thought Disney was going to knock this out of the park with this A-list cast and a fun musical like “Into the Woods”. This cast in fact did bring their A-game but the film itself ended up being more of a D-grade. The pacing was horrible and jumped around so much. The first and second act were actually decent but the third absolutely ruined the film for me and it dragged on for what felt like forever. They misused talent like Johnny Depp in a less than 5 minute cameo. Chris Pine was the savior of the film, no question but he wasn’t enough to bring it home. Anna Kenndrick was sweet as always and even Emily Brunt surprised me with the whole singing thing…but overall the third act made this too difficult to enjoy.

Official Premise: From the director of “Chicago” and the producer of “Wicked” comes a modern twist on the beloved fairy tales you thought you knew. Meryl Streep stars in this epic musical saga about daring to venture “Into the Woods”. Iconic characters, such as Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk and Rapunzel, find their fates intertwined with a humble baker and his wife, whose longing to have a child sends them on a quest to reverse a witch’s (Streep) curse. With an all-star cast, this spellbinding adventure is everything you could ever wish for!

Despite the film being terrible, Disney did deliver an outstanding Blu-ray along with a digital copy included. The 1080p transfer was perfect and really captured the fairy tale feeling of the film. It worked well with the CGI and with the scenery. The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 was also a showstopper. The songs in this film were fun and this was really well presented. As much as this pains me to say, this is truly an amazing Blu-ray in terms of audio and video, even the special features were impressive as well.

Started off the extras, there is an audio commentary track from Director/producer Rob Marshall and producer John DeLuca and they discuss the film in depth from every aspect. Pretty interesting stuff. “Strep Sings Sondheim: “She’ll Be Back”” is a feature on the actress singing the deleted song. “There’s Something About the Woods” features cast/crew discussing the production. “The Cast as Good as Gold” is another chat with the cast discussing the pre-production of this film. “Deeper Into the Woods” is a four-part documentary, which runs about 30 minutes. Lastly, “Music & Lyrics” runs about an hour and pretty much gives you the option to watch the songs in the film only with karaoke-style lyrics.