Media Mikes has teamed up with their friends at Sony Pictures Home Entertainment to give one random reader a chance to win a Blu-ray copy of one of last year’s biggest box office hits, “Spider-man: No Way Home.”
All you have to do is let us know below what upcoming super hero film you are most looking forward to. Pretty easy.
One random entry will be chosen and notified by email. This giveaway ends at 10:00 pm EST on Sunday, April 24th.
GOOD LUCK!
Media Mikes has teamed up with their friends at Universal Home Video to give one random reader the chance to win a Blu-ray copy of the new film “Marry Me,” starring Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson.
All you have to do is let us know below the most unusual “couple” ever in film. It could be Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear in “Stuck on You” or Burt Reynolds and his Trans-Am in “Smokey and the Bandit.”
One random winner will be chosen and they will be notified by email.
This giveaway ends Sunday, April 24, 2022 at 10:00 pm EST.
GOOD LUCK!
Film: 5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 5 out of 5 stars
“Legend” has always been one of my favorite films growing up. Tim Curry plays the role of Darkness is probably one of the best performance (and make-up jobs ever). This new Blu-ray from Arrow Video is packed with two different versions of the film: the U.S. Theatrical Cut originally released in North America in 1986, and the Director’s Cut first released on DVD in 2002. Both cuts are included with their original 2.35:1 aspect ratio with 5.1 surround sound tracks.
It is cool to know that Arrow Films exclusively restored the U.S. Theatrical Cut has been for this release. The original 35mm camera negative were scanned in 4K resolution and restored in 2K. The Director’s Cut is presented in the 2011 HD master approved by director Ridley Scott. It is hard for me to choose which cut is my favorite. Obviously, I grew up with the theatrical cut and only within last 20 years has the director’s cut surfaced.
Official Premise: In an idyllic, sun-dappled forest, the pure-hearted Jack (Tom Cruise) takes his true love Princess Lili (Mia Sara) to see a pair of unicorns frolicking at the forest’s edge. Little do they know, however, that the Lord of Darkness (Tim Curry, in a remarkable make-up designed by The Thing’s Rob Bottin) has dispatched his minions to capture the unicorns and sever their horns so that he may plunge the world into everlasting night. After Lili and the unicorns are taken prisoner, Jack must team with a group of forest creatures and descend into Darkness’ subterranean lair to face off against the devilish creature before it is too late.
Arrow Video like always packs this release with amazing special features that make hardcore fans drool. This release also includes an illustrated book, a large fold-out double sided poster, six double sided postcard sized lobby card reproductions, and limited edition packaging with reversible sleeve. There is commentary tracks on both cuts and there is also isolated music tracks on the theatrical cut. There are a bunch of in depth featurettes with archive footage from the production. As well as storyboards, trailers and so much more. If you are a fan of this film or have never seen it and looking to explore this release is definitely the one to start with!
Movie: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars
“My Stepmother Is an Alien” is a lost comedy/sci-fi classic from 1988. It packs a stellar cast of Dan Aykroyd (“Ghostbusters”), Kim Basinger (“Batman”) and Jon Lovitz (“North”) Alyson Hannigan, (TV’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”). It is a fun silly movie that I haven’t seen in over 30 years and probably wouldn’t have ever seen again if it wasn’t for this release from Arrow Video.
Official Premise: When widowed astronomer Steve Mills (Aykroyd) inadvertently causes a gravitational disruption in deep space, a race of hyper-advanced alien lifeforms sends one of their own to investigate, disguised in the alluring human form of Celeste (Basinger). Tasked with seducing the lovelorn Steve in a bid to gain access to his scientific research, Celeste finds herself falling for the man she’s been sent to swindle. But they’ve not counted on Steve’s young daughter Jessie (Hannigan), who’s none too thrilled by the prospect of a new mother – especially not one from another planet.
For a 1988 film, “My Stepmother is an Alien” looks solid on Blu-ray. It’s 1080p transfer in 1.85:1 aspect ratio are on point and looks great. The film was restored in 2K by Sony Pictures Entertainment and was 4K scanned from the 35mm Original Picture Negative. IT also features a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Colin Murdoch and first pressing will also include an illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Amanda Reyes.
The special features are really the only letdown on this release. There is an Audio Commentary track by from film critic Bryan Reesman. There is a short audio interview with director Richard Benjamin. Lastly there is a trailer and image gallery included. Regardless of the lack of extras, this is still a great release and is a must own for fans of this cult classic!
Actors: Annie Murphy, Mary Hollis Inboden, Eric Petersen, Alex Bonifer, Brian Howe, Raymond Lee
Run time: 5 hours and 54 minutes
Release date: November 16, 2021
Studio: IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT
Season: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars
If you are a fan of “Schitt’s Creek” and love Annie Murphy like I do, this new show “Kevin Can F**K Himself” is a winner. Definitely darker than “Schitt’s Creek”, Murphy gets to take a rather different role here and she nails every second she is on the screen. I love how the show work that when she is with her husband everything is lit up and laugh track plays but once she closes the door or walks out where she is alone everything gets a little more real and we get some great comedy/drama throughout the season. The show was already renewed for season 2 and will release on AMC+ and AMC in 2022, so can’t wait here!
Created by Valerie Armstrong (“Lodge 49”), Kevin Can F**K Himself is directed by Anna Dokoza (“Up All Night,” “Flight of the Conchords”) and Oz Rodriguez (Vampires vs. the Bronx, “A.P. Bio”). The series stars Emmy winner Annie Murphy (“Schitt’s Creek”), Mary Hollis Inbodin (“The Righteous Gemstones”), Eric Peterson (“Kirstie”), Alex Bonifer (“Superstore”), Brian Howe (“Vice Principals”), and Raymond Lee (“Here and Now”).
Official Premise: Allison McRoberts is the prototypical Sitcom Wife married to Kevin, her self-centered husband. When she learns that the perfect future she envisioned is impossible, she teams up with her neighbor Patty as she attempts to escape her confines and take control of her life. A completely original new dark comedy, Kevin Can F**K Himself shows what happens when you leave the brightly lit sitcom set and see the reality behind the laugh track.
The Blu-ray looks amazing with the differences between the dark and light scenes. I also noticed differences in the score when the set changes, I didn’t notice that the first time I watched on TV, so the audio track definitely delivers. In terms of special features, there are a few behind-the-scenes featurettes. First up we have “A Look at the Series”, then we have “Meet the Characters”, which dives into our cast and lastly there is “Making of the Show”, which is worth checking out for sure. I would have loved to see a commentary track or two. Well, there’s always season two.
Director: Sion Sono
Run time: 1 hour and 42 minutes
Release date: November 16, 2021
Actors: Nicolas Cage, Sofia Boutella, Bill Moseley, Nick Cassavetes, Tak Sakaguchi
Studio: Image Entertainment
Film: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars
When I see Nicolas Cage coming up in a movie, I am first in line with my money out! “Prisoners of the Ghostland” was no different, especially with the film being branded with Cage’s quote “The wildest movie I’ve ever made”. My expectations were wicked high. Damn, what a let down. If you want to see Cage’s “wildest movie” that definitely has to be “Mandy” from 2018. Hands down, bat shit crazy! This film tries way to hard and fails on nearly every turn.
The film is directed by this (self-proclaimed) acclaimed Japanese director, Sion Sono (Why Don’t You Play in Hell), I have never seen any of his films and after this I want to keep it that way. Other than Nicolas Cage (Mandy) there isn’t any talent for him to work with. Sofia Boutella (The Mummy), Nick Cassavetes (Face/Off), Bill Moseley (Texas Chainsaw Franchise), Tak Sakaguchi (Tokyo Tribe) and Yuzuka Nakaya (The Forest of Love) also co-star. Kudos do need to go to Joseph Trapanese (Tron: Legacy, The Greatest Showman), who composed the original score.
Official Premise: “Prisoners of the Ghostland” is set in the treacherous frontier city of Samurai Town where a ruthless bank robber (Cage) is sprung from jail by wealthy warlord The Governor (Moseley), whose adopted granddaughter Bernice (Boutella) has gone missing. The Governor offers the prisoner his freedom in exchange for retrieving the runaway. Strapped into a leather suit that will self-destruct within three days, the bandit sets off on a journey to find the young woman—and his own path to redemption.
As a Nicolas Cage hardcore fan, I am obliged to see all of his films and if you are in the same boat as me, I know you are going to at least be curious about this film. But personally, I wouldn’t purchase this Blu-ray. I would though try and purchase the separately-available 4K/Blu-ray Steelbook. That’s just my opinion. In terms of a Blu-ray, this film does have a 1080p presentation (but it would look better in 4K) and a solid DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track. Sadly, there is only one quick featurette, The Making of Prisoners of the Ghostland, included on this release.
Media Mikes is giving two random readers a chance to win a Blu-ray copy of the new film “Caveat.”
All you have to do is comment below what film you are most looking forward to seeing this holiday season. Two random comments will be chosen and they will each receive a Blu-ray copy of the film. Pretty simple! This giveaway ends at 10:00 pm EST on Thursday, November 18th. Good luck!
Written and directed by Damian Mc Carthy in his feature directorial debut, CAVEAT stars Ben Caplan (“Band of Brothers”), Jonathan French (The Anniversary), Leila Sykes (“Missing Something”), Inma Pavon (Felicidad) and Conor Dwane (Christmas at Draculas).
Media Mikes is pleased to be able to offer to our readers the chance to win either a DVD or Blu-ray Copy of the first season of the AMC series “Kevin Can **** Himself,” starring Emmy Award winner Annie Murphy.
To win you just need to do two things:
Two random entries (one for DVD, the other for Blu-ray) and those chosen will receive their preferred copy of the series.
This contest runs through Sunday, November 14 at 3:00 pm EST. GOOD LUCK!
Director: Liesl Tommy
Release date: November 9, 2021
Actors: Jennifer Hudson, Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Tituss Burgess, Audra McDonald
MPAA rating: PG-13
Running Time: 2h 25m
Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars
Who doesn’t love the beautiful voice of the Queen of Music, Aretha Franklin?! The film stars Oscar® and Grammy® Award winner and vocal powerhouse Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls) as legendary singer. I didn’t know this when watching but Hudson was actually hand selected by Aretha herself for the role. It was a role that Hudson was born to play. She hits every note with love and respect (See what I did there 😉 ) for the late singer.
Official Premise: Following the rise of Aretha Franklin’s career — from a child singing in her father’s church choir to her international superstardom — it’s the remarkable true story of the music icon’s journey to find her voice.
Besides the lovely Hudson, the all-star ensemble cast includes Academy Award® winner Forest Whitaker (Black Panther, The Butler), Marlon Wayans (Sextuplets, Fifty Shades of Black), six-time Tony Award® winner Audra McDonald (Beauty and The Beast, “Private Practice”), Marc Maron (Joker, “Glow”), five-time Emmy Award® nominee Tituss Burgess (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”), and Grammy® Award winner and Academy Award® nominee Mary J. Blige (Mudbound, Rock of Ages) along with Tony Award® nominees Saycon Sengbloh (“The Wonder Years”, “Delilah”) and Haley Kilgore (“Amazing Stories”). There is no shortage of talent in this film.
As you can image the soundtrack for this film would be very important. Well, this Blu-ray includes a solid Dolby Atmos 7.1 audio track, which perfectly features Jennifer Hudson’s uplifting vocal performances of 17 Aretha Franklin classic songs along with the original song “Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)”. The song sound amazing on this track and deliver the spirit of Franklin perfectly.
The special features include all-new exclusive bonus content including behind-the-scenes featurettes about Jennifer Hudson’s transformation into the Queen of Soul, director Liesl Tommy’s filmmaking process, the creation of the beautiful sets and custom wardrobes, Aretha’s experience at Muscle Shoals, and more taking audiences deeper into the empowering story and world-renowned chart-topping music that has become a global anthem for strength, independence and positivity. If you are a fan of the movie these extras are a solid addition to this release.
LOS ANGELES, (October 14, 2021) – RLJE Films, a business unit of AMC Networks, will release the action-adventure thriller PRISONERS OF THE GHOSTLAND on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K UHD/Blu-ray SteelBook on November 16, 2021. The film made its world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
<>Directed by the acclaimed Japanese director, Sion Sono (Why Don’t You Play in Hell), the film was written by Aaron Hendry and Rexa Sixo Safai (Western Wonderland). The film stars Nicolas Cage (Mandy), Sofia Boutella (The Mummy), Nick Cassavetes (Face/Off), Bill Moseley (Texas Chainsaw Franchise), Tak Sakaguchi (Tokyo Tribe) and Yuzuka Nakaya (The Forest of Love). Joseph Trapanese (Tron: Legacy, The Raid: Redemption, The Greatest Showman) composed the original score. The DVD will be available for an SRP of $29.96, the Blu-ray for an SRP of $29.97 and the 4K UHD/Blu-ray SteelBook for an SRP of $35.97.
PRISONERS OF THE GHOSTLAND is set in the treacherous frontier city of Samurai Town where a ruthless bank robber (Cage) is sprung from jail by wealthy warlord The Governor (Moseley), whose adopted granddaughter Bernice (Boutella) has gone missing. The Governor offers the prisoner his freedom in exchange for retrieving the runaway. Strapped into a leather suit that will self-destruct within three days, the bandit sets off on a journey to find the young woman—and his own path to redemption.
PRISONERS OF THE GHOSTLAND DVD, Blu-ray and UHD/Blu-ray SteelBook includes the bonus feature, “The Making of Prisoners of the Ghostland.”
ABOUT RLJE FILMS
RLJE Films’ recent and upcoming features include the critically acclaimed horror film The Dark And The Wicked from director Bryan Bertino; David Oyelowo’s directorial debut The Water Man; the intense PRISONERS OF THE GHOSTLAND starring Elijah Wood and Luke Kirby from director Amber Sealey; and Sion Sono’s 2021 Sundance Film Festival premiere Prisoners of the Ghostland starring Nicolas Cage and Sofia Boutella. us.rljentertainment.com <about:blank>
ABOUT AMC NETWORKS
AMC Networks is a global entertainment company known for its popular and critically-acclaimed content. Its portfolio of brands includes AMC, BBC AMERICA (operated through a joint venture with BBC Studios), IFC, SundanceTV, WE tv, IFC Films, and a number of fast-growing streaming services, including the AMC+ premium streaming bundle, Acorn TV, Shudder, Sundance Now and ALLBLK. AMC Studios, the Company’s in-house studio, production and distribution operation, is behind award-winning owned series and franchises, including The Walking Dead, the highest-rated series in cable history. The Company also operates AMC Networks International, its international programming business, and 25/7 Media, its production services business.
To celebrate the Blu-ray release for “The Forever Purge”, Media Mikes would like to give our fans a chance to win this great prize. If you want a chance to win, please leave a comment below or email us with your favorite Purge film to date. This giveaway will remain open until September 28th at Noon, Eastern Time. This is open to our readers in US only. One entry per person, per household. All other entries will be considered invalid. Media Mikes will randomly select winners. Winners will be alerted via email.
The old rules of the Purge are broken as members of an underground movement, no longer satisfied with the annual night of anarchy and murder, decide to overtake America through an unending campaign of mayhem and massacre. No one is safe. On the morning after the Purge, a masked gang of killers attacks a wealthy Texas ranching family and their workers. Exposed by daylight, the two groups are forced to band together and fight back as the country spirals into chaos and the United States begins to disintegrate around them. THE FOREVER PURGE stars Ana de la Reguera (Cowboys & Aliens), Tenoch Huerta (Days of Grace), Cassidy Freeman(“The Righteous Gemstones”), Leven Rambin(The Hunger Games), with Josh Lucas(Ford v Ferrari) and Will Patton(Halloween). The film is directed by Everardo Valerio Gout (Days of Grace) and from the mind of Franchise-creator James DeMonaco.
Media Mikes is offering four of it’s readers the chance to win a Blu-ray copy of the film “The Water Man,” directed by and starring David Oyelowo as well as Rosario Dawson and Alfred Molina.
All you need to do is comment “Yes” below. Pretty simple! Four random entries will be chosen and they will receive a Blu-ray copy of the film. This contest ends at 12:00 a.m. (Midnight) on August 29th. Winners chosen will be notified by email. Good luck!
You can watch the trailer HERE.
Directed by: Patrick Hughes
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Salma Hayek, Frank Grillo, Richard E. Grant, Antonio Banderas, Morgan Freeman
Distributed by: Lionsgate
Running time: 100 minutes
Film – 3 out of 5 stars
Blu-Ray – 4 out of 5 stars
The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is the sequel to the 2017 film The Hitman’s Bodyguard, which was surprisingly a ton of fun due to its fun action sequences and great chemistry with its cast. While the sequel doesn’t necessarily do anything radically different with the formula and it doesn’t quite hit the same heights of entertainment value as the original, it still remains an entertaining time due to the talent and comradery between everyone involved.
That being said, one thing the film does consistently well is balancing the comedy with action, and with an action-packed movie like The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard it’s imperative that the picture and sound quality on the 4K Blu-Ray is up to standard. Sometimes the color grading with these things can feel a bit off or even the great surround sound of the theatrical experience doesn’t transfer over properly, but in the case of this film, I actually think this is one of the rare ones that surpasses the theatrical experience and adds greater colors/sounds to the mix.
As I previously stated, this film is action-packed so there’s plenty of moments where explosions go off and the characters are caught in the middle of gunfire. All of these moments pop very nicely and genuinely wowed me at points. But the aspect of the Blu-Ray that I was the most impressed by was the audio. The conversion here is so amazing and dynamic that it gave me a newfound appreciation for the sound design in this movie. From the gunfire to the way the music is stitched into the narrative, it’s wildly impressive and this Blu-Ray just elevates it greatly.
Even though the Blu-Ray surpassed my expectations in terms of presentation, I wouldn’t put this up with some of the finest films I’ve watched on the format like Blade Runner 2049 or 2001: A Space Odyssey – but… obviously it was never going to! The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is genuinely just a ton of fun to watch and played greatly on a rewatch for me, and the quality here genuinely did a lot to elevate the experience. It’s well worth adding to your collection!
Jim (Liam Neeson) s a former Marine who lives a solitary life as a rancher along the Arizona-Mexico border. But his peaceful existence soon comes crashing down when he tries to protect a boy on the run from members of a vicious cartel. And that’s pretty much the story here. Though Neeson gives a solid performance, the story may be a bit too formulaic.
Jim basically has had some rough times. He lost his wife to cancer, and his property is being foreclosed. All of this happens in the beginning of the film, so it’s hardly a spoiler. Jim spends his days sport hunting with his canine companion, Jackson. He’s excellent with a rifle, which earned him a medal in the Marine Corps. Jim reports anything suspicious to his step-daughter, a border patrol agent, whilst hunting on the grounds. A woman and her son are on the run from the Mexican drug cartel and Jim gets involved. What I do appreciate about this film is that it’s a road film. Like Rainman,” most of the film takes place on freeways, highways and small town bi-ways. And with the cartel in hot pursuit, you can rest assured that it’s going to be a helluva commute.
Now Jim’s life has taken a turn. He’s on the run with a kid (Miguel) who is stunned into silence due to his mother being shot by the cartel. Jim makes a promise to the kid’s mother to take him to her sister in Chicago. Unbeknownst to Jim, the cartel can track his whereabouts every time he uses his debit card with a sophisticated computer system. And so what follows is a series of close calls with the cartel and the bonding of Jim and Miguel.
Much of the film is uninspired as we have seen it before and as I previously mentioned, a bit formulaic. Screenplay is weak but the more interesting scenes are when Jim and Miguel are bonding. As I also mentioned, I personally love road films and “The Marksman” is a road film indeed. Here Neeson does put on a good performance with what little he’s been given. It’s just Liam fighting the baddies. They are now calling his films “Your yearly Neesoning”. Overall it’s worth a rental but it comes up short in comparison to “Honest Thief” and “The Commuter.”
SPECIAL FEATURES
Making of “The Marksman” featurette.
I turned 60 last September and, as I get older, one of my biggest worries is that I’m going to slowly lose my faculties. As someone that loves to write and communicate, I think that would destroy me. I preface this review with that statement because that MIGHT be what’s going on in THE FATHER.
Anthony (Hopkins in an Academy Award winning performance) likes to relax in his flat, listening to music and taking occasional glances out the window. He is looked after by his daughter, Anne (Colman) and things appear to be well. Until one afternoon when Anne informs him that she will be hiring a caretaker because she is moving to Paris to be with the man she loves. At least Anthony thinks this is what she told him. Things get more puzzling when the next moment Anne’s former husband appears, but claims to be her current husband for the past eight years. What the hell is going on here?
A true psychological thriller, “The Father” is a very non-linear descent into what could either be madness or gas-lighting. Director Zeller leaves it up to the viewer to decide which it is.
The film is brilliantly acted, with, as noted earlier, Hopkins winning his second Best Actor Oscar for his performance. Colman, herself an Oscar winner – and a nominee for her work here – matches him beat for beat. Supporting work by Imogen Poots and Rufus Sewell, among others, carry the story along smoothly.
With theatres opening up to usher in another summer of fast cars and explosions, take a moment to stay home and watch “The Father.”
Special Features:
