DVD Review “My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic: Season 4”

Actors: Tara Strong, Ashleigh Ball, Andrea Libman, Tabitha St. Germain, Cathy Weseluck
Directors: Jayson Thiessen
Number of discs: 4
Studio: Shout! Factory
DVD Release Date: December 2, 2014
Run Time: 600 minutes

Season: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Having a two year old daughter, I have to admit that I watch quite a bit of “My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic”. She is completely obsessed with the show and its characters. As a “Star Trek: The Next Generation”) fan it was great to see cameos by John DeLancy (aka Q from “Star Trek: TNG”). The show is very colorful and features some really fun songs. This season was totally about 20% cooler than season 3. A fifth season is currently into the works for 2015.

Official Premise: Twilight Sparkle may be a princess now, but that doesn’t mean she can’t have fun! Join Twilight and her very best friends (Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Spike) as they continue to have the absolute best adventures in all of Equestria!

This four-disc DVD set features all 26 episodes from the fourth season of “My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic”. I still waitch that this show was released on Blu-ray like the “Equestrian Girls” movies. There are also some decent bonus features included. There is a recording of the 2014 San Diego Comic Con Pony Panel, which is not really for the kiddies but definitely for the old Pony fans. There are also some Sing-Alongs from the season’s songs.

 

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Playstation 4 Video Game Review “Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes – 2.0 Edition”

Platform: Playstation 4
Developer: Avalanche Software
Publisher: Disney Interactive Studios
Release date: September 23, 2014
Rating: Everyone 10+

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

“Disney Infinity” is back and better for its second edition called “Marvel Super Heroes”. Superheroes have never been bigger and this latest 2.0 edition features 16 Marvel figurines and 40 power discs (82 in total to be released in future wave), so there’s no shortage of options at all. After playing the original “Disney Infinity”, I found myself picking it apart quite a bit. This game really improves on the first games issues and delivers a mush more fun and content filled game. It is still not perfect but it is a blast to play and I have a feeling I will be playing this for many months to come.

“Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes” is split up into different two game modes much like the original. There is the Playset mode and Toybox mode. In the playset mode, you can transport into the world of one of the hit franchises from the game and generally run anywhere between 6–10 hours in length, so they are no incredible long but do back some great content. The Toybox mode still allows players to create their own games and worlds, using items unlocked in Playset mode.

When it comes to figures, we get the following three franchises covered to start including “The Avengers”, “Spider-Man” and “Guardians of the Galaxy”. In the Starter Pack, we get Iron Man, Black Widow and Thor. Captain America, Hawkeye and Hulk are available in single character packs and complete the roster for “The Avengers”. I cannot wait for Wave 2 to come for this franchise since Loki and Falcon have been confirmed!

Next up is “Spider-Man”, only with the web slinger himself, we also have Nova, who is included in the play set. Venom, Iron Fist and Nick Fury are available as single character packs. I am a bit taken back that Nick Fury is seated with Spider-Man. I am sure some young kids aren’t going to make the connection just yet since he is primarily seen with “The Avengers” in the film and TV series.

Lastly and easily my favorite film of the year, we have Guardians of the Galaxy. Included in the playset is Star-Lord and Gamora, while Drax, Groot and Rocket Raccoon are available in single character packs. Future wave 2 release for this series include Ronan and Yondu, so there is plenty of growth and expansion available here as well.

Unlike the first game, you are only able to play specific characters in specific playsets. This new edition allows you to collected “Cross Over Tokens” scattered throughout levels in order to bring character like Nova, Iron Man, Rocket Raccoon and Hulk into more than one playset. This gives the game and entirely new dynamic and I really enjoyed it.

These new figures are really a big improvement over the first game. I really enjoyed the “Guardians of the Galaxy” characters. The abilities were great and really run to play with. My real surprise honestly has to be Nova from “Spider-Man” play set. I really enjoyed him as well. With “The Avengers” each of them are equally amazing. Hulk has a great special move. Iron Man can sort of glide. Captain America has his shield to through around. There are 16 characters and I spent a lot of time just fighting with myself to figure out who I should try first.

Since there are 40 power discs in wave one, I will highly a few of my favorite. S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier Strike is a great ability. Infinity Gauntlet is a rare and very powerful disc. If you are an “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” fan, getting to ride in Lola is a blast. There is also Ability discs that allow Team Up with characters like YOndu, Winter Soldier and Ant-Man. In the toy box, the customization for “Guardians of the Galaxy” is pretty cool with Groot’s View and Groot’s Roots.

Also a very cool expansion feature is that you are able to take all of your original Disney Infinity figures and power discs and they can still be used in the Disney Infinity (2.0 Edition) toy box. You cannot use original play sets though with the 2.0 gam though. This adds a lot more ability to play with this new game and to have original Disney Infinity characters meeting 2.0 edition characters.

The control are a bit tighter in this new edition. I felt that the driving in the first game was absolutely horridenous and this time around it is much smoother. The violence is not too bad but I am honestly not a fan of the ability to turn on civilians in the game. You are able to drive down the street and literally plow down people. I am sorry but this isn’t “Grand Theft Auto”. There isn’t any blood or anything, so it doesn’t seem that bad but still could have been tamed a bit and feels very unnecessary.

November 4th brings us a new wave of Disney Original figures for use in the Toy Box. Included characters in the first batch are Donald Duck, Aladdin, Jasmine, Tinker Bell, Stitch, Hiro Hamada & Baymax from Big Hero 6, Merida and Maleficent. I can’t wait to check these characters out. Hopefully in the the next edition of “Disney Infinity” isn’t to far, far away 😉 Fingers crossed Disney! Cross over to the Dark Side!

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Playstation 4 Game Review “Alien: Isolation – Nostromo Edition”

Publisher: SEGA
Developer: The Creative Assembly
Rated: Mature
Release Date: October 7, 2014
Platform: PlayStation 4

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

I am always a sucker for anything spawning out of the “Alien” franchise. “Alien: Isolation” promised to be the best of the recent attempts at a good game in the series. The game puts you in the in control of Amanda Ripley, the daughter of Ellen Ripley, as she searched for her mother. The story takes place 15 years after the events of the first movie and another 42 before she is found in the sequel. What I liked about this game the most is that there is only one Xenomorph that hunts you down. Now even though it is just one doesn’t mean that she is not still one tough bitch. I think literally, I died about 25 times in the first 5 minutes of playing this game. This is it horror fans, if you are looking for a great “Alien” video game adaption, look no further.

Official Premise: “Alien: Isolation” is a first-person survival horror game which captures the fear and tension evoked by Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic film. Players find themselves in an atmosphere of constant dread and mortal danger as an unpredictable, ruthless Xenomorph is stalking and killing deep in the shadows. Underpowered and underprepared, you must scavenge resources, improvise solutions and use your wits, not just to succeed in your mission, but to simply stay alive.

The game play itself is quite impressive. The campaign itself runs a very solid 15 hours, so there is plenty of content included in the primary compaign. There are at least five to seven additional missions planned to be released from now till 2015. So even if you beat the game already, there will be some great new content available to fans. If you are a horror fan, then most importantly, you will be happy that this game definitely scared the shit out of me. There is some great sound design in this game and it really created some great tension when playing, which lead to a few solid jumps as well throughout. The design of the game just looks stunning on the PlayStation 4.

I know there are tons of scary games out there like “F.E.A.R”, “Dead Space” and “Resident Evil” but this game definitely had you pausing and running for a quick change of underwear. What I loved about the Xenomorph is that it is very effective based on your moves and your actions, it responds to you and you need to be able to act very very fast or get ready to start the mission over.  Sega really did a great job here. There are a few small issues like the story is a little light and some of the missions get a bit repetitive but it gets quickly overlooked in my eyes when you find yourself hiding in a locker waiting for the Xenomorph to pass you and hopefully not find you. You better cut your nails before you play because this is a real nail-bitter.

Now if you are excited to get to play a Ripley’s daughter, you are going to love the two bonus missions that were included with pre-ordering the game. In this “Nostromo Edition” of the game it contains the“Crew Expendable” expansion pack, which features the voices and likenesses of movie’s stars like Sigourney Weaver and Tom Skerritt. It allows you to play as either Dallas, Parker or Ellen Ripley from the original film as they try and get rid of the Alien. There is also a second expansion called “Last Survivor”, which was included in “The Ripley Edition” of the game, which again allows you to take control of Ellen Ripley, as she is the last person alive on the Nostromo. There are still a bunch more expansions planned for this game, so stay tuned because the fun (if you call getting the shit scared out of you fun) to be had.

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Playstation 4 Video Game Review “Destiny”

Format: Playstation 4
Developer: Bungie
Publisher: Activision
Rated: Teen
Release Date: September 9, 2014

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

Let me start by pointing out that I am casual gamer. If you are looking for a super in depth review for hardcore gamers, I would suggest heading over to IGN or sites like that. I have been tracking “Destiny” since it was announced and I participated in both the games Alpha and Beta stages over the last few months. This is in no way a complete review, I would consider it a first impression. Since I have played the game in both Alpha and Beta, I already had a decent knowledge of the game by the time it was finally released. Since the final game was released, I have probably put in about 5-7 hours into this. I would like to go over some the games key features along with my reactions and observations so far. Let’s start with the fact that if you love Bungie’s past games like “Halo”, I feel pretty confident saying that you will love this.

The real bulk of “Destiny”, like the “Halo” games, definitely is going to come from the multiplayer game play. If you are into multiplayer games, then this game is pretty awesome for you. I enjoyed what I played so far in the solo campaign, but I just wasn’t really blown away. The story is mediocre and didn’t really pull me in. The visuals are decent but again nothing outstanding. Honestly, I know the game costed $500 million to make and I just expected more of a “wow factor” from that price. To me it looks like a high-def version of any one of the “Halo” games. Like I said though, I still enjoyed it and I am sure that I am going to get a lot of play in the multiplayer setting. A note that you should know that this game does require a crap load of hard drive space in order to play as well as either a premium XBOX Live Gold or in my case PSN membership.

Some times the load screens are pretty brutal but to their credit, they are some really big locations. But that is actually easily fixed (or maybe fixed already by the time I am writing this) with a patch. That is one thing that is good about this game is that the fans are definitely going to be very vocal and Bungie will be listening as well and fixing what they can pretty quick I am sure. This is their baby and they will be nurturing for quite a while. I read that Bungie has big plans for “Destiny” like plans for a new game every other year with an expansion in-between.  Also a new trend is video games is including big names celebs. Kevin Spacey did it with “Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare”. This game has Bill Nighy and Peter Dinklage, so that is definitely a notch on the win side for me!

Here is the basic jist of the game “In Destiny you are a Guardian of the last city on Earth, able to wield incredible power. Explore the ancient ruins of our solar system, from the red dunes of Mars to the lush jungles of Venus. Defeat Earth’s enemies. Reclaim all that we have lost. Become legend.” You have to create your character, which is quite fun then kick some ass and along the way power-up with unique and customizable weapons, gear, and vehicles. There are tons of personalization to be had here. You can then also take your character throughout every mode in the game campaign, multiplayer etc.

There are three different classes of Guardians to choose from. First is Hunter, which is Master of the Frontier. They are known for being quick with a gun and deadly with a blade, as well as cunning and ruthless. Next is Titan, known as Armored Engine of War. They have lightning-charged fists, while their armor and shields make them nearly invincible. Last is Warlock aka Wielder of Arcane Power, who know how to weaponize their curiosity and harness the Traveler’s light in patterns never before imagined and since are capable of incredible acts of devastation. I am sure they will have more classes in future updates.

There are five different game modes to enjoy throughout the game. The first is Crucible mode, which is a very competitive multiplayer, where you can earn you rewards and bragging rights. Explore mode is an on-demand adventure, where you can revisit the worlds to seek out valuable resources in order to upgrade your weapons and gear. Of course there is the Story mode, which is the basic campaign that follows the cinematic story. Strike mode is a cooperative multiplayer, where you can form a Fireteam and kick some ass. Lastly, Tower mode, is a third person social space where you can regroup, rearm, and form new alliances. These modes are explored on four locations including Earth, Mars, Moon and Venus.

Lastly, if you are smart enough to get this game on Playstation 4, you are in luck since we can exclusive content only for PlayStation 4 owners called the Ultimate Destiny Experience. This included the following: Exodus Blue Competitive Multiplayer Map, Dust Palace Strike. There are two new weapons included: Monte Carlo and Hawkmoon. There are three super cool new ships including the Aurora Wake, Outrageous Fortune and Crypt Hammer. Lastly there are three gear sets including Maniford, Argus and Vanir. This is “exclusive” supposedly till Fall 2015 but still a year before anyone else. If you are playing this game too let me know what you think and definitely shoot me your tags, so we can join up in game as well for a multiplayer jam session.

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Playstation 4 Video Game Review “Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition”

Platform: Playstation 4
Edition: Standard
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Crystal Dynamics
Rated: Mature
Release Date: January 28, 2014

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

Going back to a few years ago, I saw that another “Tomb Raider” was coming out and I definitely rolled my eyes a little. This series was definitely lost its appeal for me and probably many others as well. Well then this amazing new cinematic reboot adventure was released and Lara Croft’s status of queen of video games was rightfully restored. I mean this game was such an improvement over the last in the series and just blew me away. So I thought to myself when I saw about the “Definitive Edition” being released, if it was really going to be worth the upgrade from PS3 to PS4…well, holy cow it feels and looks like a whole new game!

Official Premise: The cinematic action-adventure that forced Lara Croft to grow from an inexperienced young woman into a hardened survivor has been re-built, featuring an obsessively detailed Lara and a stunningly lifelike world. To survive her first adventure and uncover the island’s deadly secret, Lara must endure high-octane combat, customize her weapons and gear, and overcome grueling environments.

First of all, with PS4 you are talking about the game displaying in 1080p Blu ray quality. The game itself isn’t just much crisper looking, the entire game was basically re-engineered with more powerful physics and lighting engines. The visual detail is actually mind-blowing. When I was playing this game on PS3, I thought it looked fantastic. But now going back to PS3, it notice so many difference that I am just more and more impressive with the next-gen version. This game is just beautiful and have never looked better…even on PC.

One of the aspects that really blew me away was the fact that the head and face of Lara Croft were completely rebuilt. It looks like two different people now. The skin is so much more realistic and vibrant. Even to the point that when it gets hot in the environment, Lara sweats. I mean that is just outstanding to me. There is just this overall important in the richness of the colors. I did not think at all that this game could improve as much as a it did. Plus the Definitive Edition allows voice and gesture control (if you have the camera add-on). You can ask for map or name a weapon to equip.

The Definitive Edition also includes all the released DLC for this game like the Tomb of the Lost Adventurer, six outfits for Lara, a digital mini art book, and the digital comic “The Beginning, weapon attachments, multiplayer maps etc. The multiplayer still isn’t super impressive but either way I am more concerned about the single player mode for this game. If you have never played this game, where have you been? I highly recommend this game since it is just such an improvement on PS4 and honestly one of the main reasons, I even purchased the system to be honest.

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Blu-ray Review “Downton Abbey: Season 4”

Actors: Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Michelle Dockery, Maggie Smith
Creator: Julian Fellowes
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: PBS
DVD Release Date: January 28, 2014
Running Time: 525 minutes

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

“Downton Abbey: Season 4” is with not question one of the most anticipated show this year. The show already completed its airing in the UK but in the US it just started airing on January 5th. This season picks up around six months after the tragic end to the Series 3 Christmas Special. This Blu-ray includes the original U.K. unedited edition of the show and contain all of Season 4, including the finale. This show returns with the acclaimed ensemble cast led by Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Michelle Dockery, and Maggie Smith, as well as guest stars Shirley MacLaine and Paul Giamatti. This season is the most epic yet for sure. A must own for any fan!

Official Premise: Six months after Matthew’s tragic death, his loss is still felt throughout Downton Abbey. Mary struggles to face a new future with her fatherless child, and is encouraged by the family to pick up the pieces. With the twenties in full swing and the tides of change sweeping through Downton, Rose’s continued attraction to the bright lights of London spells trouble for the Crawleys, and Edith’s budding relationship with Michael Gregson is threatened by events beyond her control. Meanwhile, below stairs, passions run high and young hearts look set to be broken.

“Downton Abbey: Season 4” Blu-ray release looks amazing. Watching this show on PBS (in “high def”) doesn’t even come close to this. The locations where this show is shot look so amazing. I love the estate’s grounds look sharp and majestic as they should be. The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track for each episode also sounds amazing. It works well with the show’s intense and (English) dialogue and the show’s beautiful score. In terms of special features, there is not a lot but what is included is a must watch. You get to go behind the scenes and witness the making of Season 4 with more than 30 minutes of bonus footage! “Downton Abbey” already is scheduled to return for a fifth series in September 2014 (in the UK). So stay tuned!

 

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Blu-ray Review “Duck Dynasty: Season 4”

Starring: Willie Robertson, Jase Robertson, Kay Robertson, Phil Robertson
Studio: Lionsgate
DVD Release Date: January 7, 2014
Run Time: 241 minutes

Season: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars

The tagline on the box says its all “It’s a Duck Nation”.  Duck Dynasty is one of the biggest TV shows on right now and only continues to get more popular. This season premiere got nearly 12 million viewers, which is the highest-rated reality series broadcast in cable history. Can you believe it? Where you are a fan of this show or not, there is no way to escape this show as it is everywhere you look. “Duck Dynasty” is easily the hottest reality show since “The Osbournes”. The fourth season is also no question, the best season so far. This season will leave you “Happy Happy Happy” while you get ready for the kick-off of Season 5, which debuts on January 15th.

Official Premise: The Robertsons are back and they’ve never had so much Southern charm. It’s a family affair as everyone comes together to throw a surprise wedding party for Phil and Kay. And when the guys and their wives realize Martin is forgoing poker for a date, they all take turns coaching him in romance. Meanwhile, Phil tries to teach his granddaughters how to fish, but the girls outsmart him and have him doing all the work. Later, he and Kay teach Sadie and John Luke how to make May Haw jelly. And as always, the guys’ antics continue as they attempt to make duck jerky, and a series of “gentlemen’s bets” leads them to the ultimate challenge of helping Phil get a wheelbarrow down from a tree.

Here are the episodes from Season 4: “Till Duck Do Us Part”, “So You Think You Can Date?”, “Hot Tub Grime Machine”, “A-Jase-ent Living”, “Termite Be a Problem”, “John Luke After Dentist”, “Scoot Along Si”, “Jerky Boys”, “Going Si-ral” and the Halloween episode “Quack O’Lanterns”. What doesn’t make it on the disc is the recent Christmas episode, which aired on December 11th, “O Little Town of West Monroe”.

In terms of Blu-ray presentation, this is one of those shows that don’t really benefit too much from a Blu-ray release. It looks sharp with its 1080p transfers but nothing going to blow you away. Same goes for the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track, which has been the same for the last three seasons as well. In terms of special features there isn’t a whole lot to call the ducks over. There is about 20 minutes of Never-Before-Seen-On-TV footage, which is cool but again its only 20 minutes. They consist of six deleted scenes and five webisodes. I would have expected more from this highly successful season. Still for the price, it is worth picking up if you love the show.

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The Mad Max Trilogy Blu-ray™ Collection Debuts June 4 From Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

THE MAD MAX TRILOGY

BLU-RAY™ COLLECTION DEBUTS JUNE 4

FROM WARNER BROS. HOME ENTERTAINMENT 

Mel Gibson Stars in the Franchise that Made Him a Star 

Burbank, Calif. February 25, 2013 – Mad Max, the sci-fi franchise that introduced Mel Gibson to the world, will come together for the first time as a Blu-ray collection when Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) debuts the Mad Max Trilogy on June 4th.

The three films – Mad Max (1979), Mad Max Road Warrior (1982) and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) – are all set in the near-future in Australia. From the very first film, Oscar® winner George Miller (Happy Feet, 2006) proved a master at creating the gritty, bleak dystopian world and staging the incredible car stunts and crashes in the era when stuntmen, not computers, achieved the effects. All three movies starred Mel Gibson, virtually unknown until after the second film, as Max Rockatansky, a highway cop traveling through the Outback in a society descending into chaos. The films started Gibson on his road to international superstardom, led to his signature Lethal Weapon series, and later two Academy Awards® for his roles as producer and director of Braveheart(1995).

This must-own collection for action fans is available in limited premium tin packaging and makes a perfect gift for Father’s Day. The collection will sell for $49.99 SRP on Blu-ray Disc™. Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, which is making its Blu-ray debut, will also be available as a single along with Mad Max Road Warrior. Order due date for all is April 30th.

About The Films

Mad Max (1979)

George Miller’s first entry in the trilogy, Mad Max packs brutal action and insane stunts as it follows the inevitable downfall of relentless cop Max Rockatansky (Gibson) in a world gone mad. Living on the edge of an apocalypse, Max is ready to run far away from it all with his family. But when he experiences an unfortunate encounter with a motorcycle gang and its menacing leader, the Toecutter, his retreat from the madness of the world is now a race to save his family’s life.

Mad Max Road Warrior (1982)

The sequel to Mad Max, Mad Max Road Warrior provides action-packed, “automotive” entertainment, telling the story of a selfish-turned-selfless hero and his efforts to protect a small camp of desert survivors and defend an oil refinery under siege from a ferocious marauding horde that plunders the land for gasoline.

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)

Mel Gibson returns for his third go-round as the title hero who takes on the barbarians of the post-nuclear future – and this time becomes the savior of a tribe of lost children. Music superstar Tina Turner co-stars as Aunty Entity, a power-mad dominatrix determined to use Max to tighten her stranglehold on Bartertown, where fresh water, clean food and gasoline are worth more than gold.

THE MAD MAX TRILOGY ON BLU-RAY

Street Date: June 4, 2013

Order Due Date: April 30, 2013

Catalog/UPC #: 1000334058 / 883929266661

Pricing: $49.99 SRP

Mad Max Run Time: 94 minutes; Rated R

The Road Warrior Run Time: 91 minutes; Rated R

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome Run Time: 107 minutes; Rated PG-13

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Blu-ray Review "Paranormal Activity 4: Unrated Director’s Cut"

Actors: Kathryn Newton, Katie Featherston, Alexondra Lee, Matt Shively, Stephen Dunham
Directors: Ariel Schulman, Henry Joost
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: January 29, 2013
Run Time: 87 minutes (Theatrical) / 96 minutes (Unrated)

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

I am a big fan of the “Paranormal Activity” franchise. I was literally first in line with my sister and fellow fan for the fourth film. I have to say, I was a little bit disappointed. This film was fun and exciting but it didn’t pack the mystery and intrigue that the others had. This release includes both the unrated director’s cut and the theatrical cut of the film.  I watched the unrated cut and I really didn’t pick up on the difference. Also there are two new characters added according to the credits. Even though, the film does works a little better second time though, since I think my expectations were lower. Nonetheless, I still stand behind this franchise and look forward “Paranormal Activity 5” this October, as well as the spin-off “Paranormal Activity: The Oxnard Tapes” later this year. Bring it on Toby!

Official Synopsis: Fourth film in the found footage horror franchise which follows on from events in the first two films. Alice (Newton) and her mother were fine until their new neighbors moved in, but the creepy little kid next door, Robbie (Brady Allen) and his auntie Katie (Featherston) have brought more than just their belongings to the neighborhood. It seems that the demonic presence which has tormented them for years has followed them and is keen on getting to know the neighbors.

Paramount delivers a nice Blu-ray presentation in a combo back including a Blu-ray disc, DVD disc as well as an Utralviolet streaming digital copy.  I am a big fan of the UV digital copies and enjoy this being an added feature to this release.  When it comes to found footage, you have to give the quality of the transfer a big of room since it is shot on various formats.  But “PA4” really delivers a nice clean 1080p transfer with a sharp DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. The special features on this release are not that great in terms of quantity.  “The Recovered Files” is the only extra included but it does include about 30 minutes more additional ‘found footage’ (check the link below).  There are a great deal of pre-release footage for “PA4” that did not end up in the final film. So we get a chance to see that footage here and some of it really backs some decent content. If you are a fan of the franchise though, I did enjoy footage and I recommend you checking it out.

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Blu-ray Review “Persona 4: The Animation, Collection 2”

Directed by: Seiji Kishi
Distributed by: Sentai Filmworks
Rated: Unrated
Release Date: January 15, 2013
Run Time: 365 minutes

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

“Persona 4: The Animation” is based on the “Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4” video game (one of my favorites).  This collection of episodes concludes the 26 episodes developed for this show. The beginning of this animation series introduced the show and got into the heart of the story but these episodes are where the shit just crazy leading up to the intense finale. This is the type of show that I feel that I revisit and and tune in to the Midnight Channel very often. Here is our review of Collection 1.  Thanks to Sentai for not delaying to long and releasing Collection 2 so quickly. Though I have to admit though, I hope that they continue the “Persona” series in anime format since I absolutely love this franchise.

Official Synopsis: The mystery of the murders seems to have been solved, but the riddle of the Velvet Room and the lethal Midnight Channel is an enigma that Yu and the other students who form the Investigation Team still have to crack. And that’s to say nothing of the question of how their powers of Persona work in the first place, and how the fictional Teddie can exist in the real world. As conundrums wrap in conundrums, and the school year burns inexorably towards a blistering summer, the team must prepare for the most deadly challenge yet while still pretending to lead normal high school lives. But that won’t be easy under the evil eye of their new homeroom teacher. And when Detective Shirogane reenters the game with new information about irregularities in the police investigation and clues that may lead to an entirely different conclusion; both team and detective find themselves playing the role of prey once more! The body count is on the rise, the Shadows attack and new Persona are about to ascend as the Midnight Channel launches the ultimate cancellation program in the grand finale of PERSONA4!

The Blu-ray presentation on par with the Collection 1. The animation looks just as vibrant and sharp with  each 1080p transfer on the episodes. The audio track works good as well with its DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and does a good job of delivering the scale of this fantastic finale. Like in Collection 1, there is no original Japanese language track.  There is just English dub available, not the fault of Sentai though. Unfortunately unlike the episodes, there is not much in special features department.  Basically the only extra is the clean opening and closing animation sequences. Still a good feature but not enough to leave you satisfied. Lastly, there are trailers for other recent/upcoming Sentai titles.

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: 2, 4, animation, bluray, collection, persona, ...

“Paranormal Activity 4” Comes to Blu-ray/DVD on January 29th

THE GROUNDBREAKING HORROR PHENOMENON BRINGS MORE TERROR HOME WITH A SHOCKING UNRATED BLU-RAY™/DVD COMBO PACK 

Debuting January 29, 2013, Blu-ray/DVD Combo Includes “The Recovered Files”— Nearly 30 Minutes of Found Footage Not Shown in Theaters!

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (December 18, 2012) – The global horror sensation that has mesmerized fans around the world continues to terrify and thrill audiences with the latest installment in the franchise, PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4, debuting on January 29, 2013 in a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack with UltraViolet™ and a Digital Copy.  PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 continues the shocking story of the evil surrounding Katie and her nephew Hunter as a new family begins experiencing unexplained events that quickly turn deadly.  Fans can be the first to own the newest chapter via Digital Download, which will be available on January 15, two weeks before the Blu-ray/DVD.   The Digital Download will be available in either the theatrical version of the film or an unrated version with footage not seen in theaters.

The PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 Blu-ray/DVD combo pack includes both the theatrical version of the film and the unrated version, as well as “The Recovered Files” with nearly 30 minutes of new found footage.  In addition, the Blu-ray/DVD combo available for purchase will be enabled with UltraViolet, a new way to collect, access and enjoy movies.  With UltraViolet, consumers can add movies to their digital collection in the cloud, and then stream or download them – safely and securely – to a variety of devices.

The PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 Blu-ray is presented in 1080p high definition with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description with English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles.  The DVD in the combo pack is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with English 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles.

The Blu-ray/DVD combo pack breakdown is as follows:

Blu-ray:

  • Original Theatrical Version of the Film (HD)
  •  Unrated Version of the Film (HD)
  •  The Recovered Files—nearly 30 minutes of found footage

DVD:

  • Original Theatrical Version of the Film
  • Unrated Version of the Film

A single-disc DVD containing the theatrical and unrated versions of the film will also be available on January 29th.

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Filed Under: Film Headlines Tagged With: 29th, 4, activity, bluraydvd, january, paranormal, ...

Blu-ray Review “Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn”

Actors: Tom Green, Daniel Cudmore, Irone Singleton, Anna Popplewell
Directors: Stewart Hendler
Studio: Microsoft Films / Anderson Merchandise
Release Date: December 4, 2012
Run Time: 90 minutes

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

Who doesn’t want a live-action movie for “Halo”? I think it is every fans dream. Though if you are looking for the action-packed FPS web series for “Halo”, you might be a little disappointed with “Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn”. But it does tell a great story and sets the stage well for “Halo 4”. Remember it is a web series, not a $100 million feature. It is on a small scale but really makes the most of that scale and still aims to deliver the world of “Halo” quite well. Of course Halo’s Master Chief shows up and is played by Daniel Cudmore (Colossus, X2: X-Men United) and voiced by Steve Downes, of course. Anna Popplewell also has a nice role from “The Chronicles of Narnia” series. The series premiered on Halo Waypoint and Machinima.com this past October and was split into five-parts. If you enjoyed the series, then the Blu-ray is definitely worth the purchase just for HD presentation and, most importantly, the extras.

Official Premise: Set against the backdrop of a United Nations Space Command (UNSC) military academy, a group of cadets are training to be the next generation of leaders in the UNSC’s ongoing war with insurrectionists in the outer colonial planets. Among these cadets, Thomas Lasky struggles with his doubts about this war and with the burden of expectations he may not be able to carry. As Lasky comes to terms with his potential as a military leader, the terrifying alien alliance known as the Covenant arrives and threatens to destroy everything he knows. When Lasky is rescued by the Master Chief, he must decide what it means to be a hero. “Halo” fans who experience Lasky’s thrilling origin story in “Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn” will be rewarded with special insights into the story of “Halo 4” and the “Halo Infinity Multiplayer” experience.

The Blu-ray presentation is really great. Fans will be able to enjoy the entire film uninterrupted in all its 1080p glory. There is also a sharp DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track for the action. Watch out for those whizzing gun shots! The Blu-ray also comes with over an hour of special features, including exclusive behind-the-scenes featurettes. I really enjoyed both audio commentary tracks as well. The first is from the director Stewart Hendler and the second was by 343 Industries. Both are highly recommend, though the second I hold a bit higher. These are a must for any “Halo” fan. Also there are deleted scenes, storyboards and concept art included. All this will satisfy any fan of the series for sure! Lastly, keep an eye out for many Easter Eggs included throughout!

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: 4, bluray, dawn, halo, review

Book Review “Awakening: The Art of Halo 4”

Author: Paul Davies
Hardcover: 192 pages
Publisher: Titan Books
Release Date: November 6, 2012

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

When it comes to video games, “Halo” is definitely the master chief of them all.  “Halo” has become such an iconic franchise over a short period of time.  “Halo 4” is the latest blockbuster installment, which is set to change history and re-define gaming. The story is set in the aftermath of “Halo 3”, it marks the beginning of a new trilogy as the Master Chief confronts an ancient evil that threatens the fate of the entire universe. In this book we get a glimpse into the beginning of this new trilogy within a stunning array of concept art, character sketches and much, much more. If you are a “Halo” fan, this is the holy grail of kick-ass books that you need to own for sure.

From the minute I opened this book, I was flooded with colors and amazing images.  It is one of those books that you literally cannot put down once opened.  Every page – every chapter is better than the next.  “Awakening: The Art of Halo 4” will satisfy all give gamers, whether they are hardcore or novice.  This book contains an in-depth look at the behind-the-scenes of how the stunning worlds of “Halo 4” were created. Fans of the series don’t fret since this book is also packed with some great commentary from the art director and game designers, so there is plenty of insider goodies.  We mentioned concept art and character sketches above, that is one the tip of the iceberg.  There is very detailed environments layouts, as well as an additional section on the forthcoming multiplayer game.

Author Paul Davies is definitely the right man for this job.  He is a crazy Halo fanatic (just like us) and has worked in gaming journalism for twenty years, where he has written and edited magazines and websites including Official Nintendo and Computer & Video Games. He wrote this book as a fan and therefore fans are going to really did it.  I read a lot of “art of” books and this one literally jumps off the pages.  Titan Books has deliver probably one of their best to date.  The quality of this book is just very high and it is aimed to satisfy the hardest gamers out there.  And if you are not the biggest “Halo” fan and just looking to see what all the fuzz is about this book will make you run to the store, trip the person in front of you and buy this game ASAP!

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Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: 4, art, awakening, book, halo, review, ...

Book Review “All-Action Classics No. 4: The Wizard of Oz”

Author: Ben Caldwell
Reading level: Ages 10 and up
Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: Sterling Children’s Books; Elibron Classics series edition
Release Date: September 4, 2012

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

There is never a shortage of new content for “The Wizard of Oz“.  L. Frank Baum wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz back in 1900.  Sterling Children’s Books’ is behind the new release in their fourth All-Action Classics installment with “The Wizard of Oz”. It is presented in the form of a graphic novel! I was not a mega fan of the animation style but it is bright and colorful and will sure to excite kids.  I have to give some credit to this take on L. Frank Baum’s classic fantasy, it is a unique retelling of this great story. Fans of “The Wizard of Oz” will definitely eat this up, at least until next year’s “Oz, The Great and Powerful” by Sam Raimi.

The author that adapted this book is Ben Caldwell, who is a former Marvel comic artist.  He tries his best to captures the charm of Baum’s work.  I just wasn’t a majot fan of his depiction of Dorothy and the Munchkins. The book is a decent quick read though and most importantly it was very simple for kids to jump right into. Caldwell also worked with Sterling on their first three adaptations as well in the All-Action Classics series like “Dracula”, “Tom Sawyer” and “The Odyssey”.  I am curious to see what Sterling is going to be coming up with next.

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Comic Book Reviews Tagged With: 4, allaction, book, classics, oz, review, ...

Blu-ray Review “Persona 4: The Animation, Collection 1”

Directed by: Seiji Kishi
Distributed by: Sentai Filmworks
Rated: Unrated
Release Date: September 18, 2012
Run Time: 300 minutes

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

After spending countless hours playing my PlayStation 2 copy of “Persona 4”. I knew that I was dying for more “Persona”. When I heard there was an Anime of the show being released in the US and dubbed, I was all over that. This show is everything I could have wanted and more it really captures the essence of the franchise. All I can ask is…where is part 2? You got that Sentai?

When Yu Narukami moves to the country town and looking for the peace and quiet change that is not available from being in the big city. When he start’s realizing that his uncle’s job as a police detective begins to spill over into his own life. He is finding that the murders that are occurring across town are somehow linked to Yu’s own experiences. Together with a new group of friends, Yu must plunge into a bizarre alternate reality where he gains unique abilities that will either help him solve the riddle of the mystery killer, or lead him to his doom.

The Blu-ray presentation is top-notch. The animation looks beautiful and crisp with its 1080p transfers. The audio track is also decent even though it is only DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. It still manages to deliver the goods. The main issue with the audio is that there is no original Japanese language track (not the fault of Sentai though), which is sure to upset many fans (not me though).

The special features included on this set are slim but worth checking out for sure. I should first point out that the Japanese edition of this collection included commentaries that are not found on this release. There is an episode 1 director’s cut and on-air versions included. There are also clean opening and closing animation sequences. Lastly, there are trailers for other great Sentai titles.

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: 1, 4, animation, bluray, collection, persona, ...
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