Blu-ray Review “Snowpiercer”

Starring: Chris Evans, Song Kang-ho, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer, Ewen Bremner
Director: Bong Joon-ho
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: ANCHOR BAY
Release Date: October 21, 2014
Run Time: 126 minutes

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

“Snowpiercer” is based on the French graphic novel “Le Transperceneige”. The film has a fantastic cast including Captain America himself, Chris Evans (“The Avengers”), Song Kang-ho (“The Host”), Tilda Swinton (“The Chronicles of Narnia”), Jamie Bell (“Jumper”), Octavia Spencer (“The Help”), Ewen Bremner (“Trainspotting”), John Hurt (“Hellboy”) and Ed Harris (“Apollo 13”). This film is a must see but is definitely not your typical sci-fi thriller. I love the look and feel of this film. It taken placed all on a train yet it has this much large scale to it. Joon-ho Bong is an amazing filmmaker and he did the same thing with his film “The Host”, which is equally awesome. If you are looking for something original and fresh, I highly recommend this!

Official Premise: It’s been 18 years since we froze the earth. The few remaining humans live on the Snowpiercer, a train on an infinite loop around the globe. For those at the front, it’s a lavish paradise of drugs and sushi in the lap of luxury; for those trapped in the tail section, life is short and cruel. But change is in the air. Curtis (Chris Evans), desperate to escape the tail of the train, plans an uprising, aided by his mentor Gilliam (John Hurt). What begins as an isolated riot explodes into a mass revolution, an all-or-nothing push to the front of the train, and a war for humanity’s future. Who will live and who will die? How far can they go? Is there hope beyond the frozen wastes.

Anchor Bay did something that is quite rare in Blu-ray releases today. It comes with a fantastic slipcover with beautiful artwork from the film inside. It may seem like a little thing but this a real treat when you are used to most bare bones releases. The 1080p transfer is fantastic, which add to the scale of this film. The visual effects are treated very well and look quite sharp. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 also sounds great, especially in the action scenes. You hear the train speeding my at top speed through each speaker. Marco Beltrami’s score sounds amazing as well and really adds a lot to the tension of the film.

“Snowpiercer” only features an audio commentary on the disc one of the release with Scott Weinberg, of Geek Nation, hosts MSN Movies’ James Rocchi, the Austin Chronicle’s William Goss, Hitfix.com’s Drew Mcweeny, Deadline’s Jennifer Yamato, and Movies.com’s Peter S. Hall. It is very in-depth and definitely aimed at the fans. Of course, I forget to mention that the there is an entire second disc of special features included. “Transperceneige: From the Blank Page to the Black Screen” is a documentary by Jésus Castro-Ortega, which is runs about an hour and dives into the film. “The Birth of Snowpiercer” is a much tighter making of piece. There is a focus on the film’s cast in “The Characters”.

There is an “Animated Prologue”, which dives into the events that are described in the opening monologue of the film.  (HD, 4:31): An animated opening that looks at some of the events only mentioned in the film. “Chris Evans & Tilda Swinton on Snowpiercer” feature the actors talking about their roles and the film. “The Train Brought to Life: Behind the Scenes of a Special Screening” takes us on a promotional tour for the film through Texas that ended with an outdoor screening at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. Also included is Tom League’s interview with Bong Joon-Ho. Lastly, there are Concept Art Galleries included.

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Blu-ray Review “Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)”

Starring: James Cagney, Walter Huston, Joan Leslie
Director: Michael Curtiz
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Distributed by: Warner Archive
Running Time: 126 minutes

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

Warner Archive has delivered their best Blu-ray to date with Michael Curtiz’s “Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)”. Curtiz directed this film just before he took helm on the classic “Casablanca”. James Cagney brought home the Academy Awards for this film, which is such a national treasure. It also won two additional Academy Awards including Best Musical Score and Best Sound Recording. “Yankee Doodle Dandy” is over 70 years old but it has never looked better. The 1080p transfer is flawless and doesn’t look a year over 50. I also have a two year old that loves musical and she had a blast with the music in this film, which is presented extremely well with its mono track. Warner Archive also includes some outstanding extras as well. If you are a fan of classic musicals, I wouldn’t miss this release

Official Premise: Legendary actor James Cagney stars in the role for which he won an Academy Award–the life of singer, dancer and songwriter George M. Cohan, a true Yankee Doodle Dandy. This non-stop musical tour de force sings, dances and celebrates the life and career of a music man who lifted a nation, the first entertainer awarded the United States Congressional Medal of Honor for his contribution to morale. From his early days as a vaudeville performer to his stardom on Broadway, George M. Cohan composed the songs that defined his generation. And now the film – and its music – may be enjoyed as never before thanks to this pristine high definition 1080p Blu-ray Disc presentation that’s as close to a first-run 35mm viewing as possible this side of a time machine.

The special features on this Blu-ray are quite spectacular like the film. There is “Leonard Maltin hosts Warner Night at the Movies 1942 with Casablanca trailer”. There is a 1942 newsreel included. There is a Warner Bros. short “Beyond the Call of Duty”, as well as James Cagney in wartime short “You, John Jones”. There is the Warner Bros. vintage cartoon “Bugs Bunny Gets the Boid” and “Yankee Doodle Daffy, which are great and presented in 1080p HD. There is a documentary called “Let Freedom Sing!: The Story of Yankee Doodle Dandy”. There is an audio commentary with Warner Bros. historian Rudy Behlmer, which is a little dry but very informative. There is a featurette called “John Travolta remembers James Cagney”. Lastly there is an audio-only extras ­radio show, pre-recording session outtakes/rehearsals and theatrical trailer included.

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Blu-ray Review “See No Evil 2”

Starring: Danielle Harris, Katharine Isabelle, Glenn Jacobs, Chelan Simmons, Kaj-Erik Eriksen, Lee Majdoub, Michael Eklund
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Lions Gate
Release Date: October 21, 2014
Run Time: 90 minutes

Film: 1 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars

When “See No Evil” was released in 2006, I was psyched to see WWE wrestler Kane get a starring role in a horror film. After watching the film, I was totally underwhelmed. When I heard there was a sequel coming along over 8 years later, I was shocked and probably couldn’t care less until I saw that Jen and Sylvia Soska (aka The Soska Sisters) were directing. They did the fantastic horror flick “American Mary” and are taking over the horror genre…but unfortunately this film is a major let down still. It is first of all boring as hell. The kills are not inspired at all and the film follows every typical horror cliche. I know the Soska Sisters are better than this and I will give them a pass but any respecting horror fan should save themselves the true horror of sitting through this film. Lastly, why does everyone love Danielle Harris? Plain and simple…The chick can’t act!

Synopsis: WWE Superstar Glenn “Kane” Jacobs reprises his role as the psychopathic mass-murderer Jacob Goodnight in the rebirth of WWE Studios’ franchise See No Evil 2, the blood-soaked sequel to See No Evil. A group of friends pays a late-night visit to the city morgue to surprise Amy (Harris) on her birthday. But the surprise is on them when the one-eyed corpse of brutal psychopath Jacob Goodnight (Jacobs) unexpectedly rises from a cold sub-basement slab. Their wild party quickly turns into a terrifying slay-fest as the sadistic mass-murderer resumes his savage rampage complete with hooks, surgical knives and power saws.

Lionsgate is releasing this film as combo pack with Blu-ray and Digital HD copy. The 1080p transfer is decent giving the bland colors and boring locations that this film had to work with. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track suffers through one of the most terrible horrible scores that I have heard recently. The special features aren’t much better than the film itself. There are three featurettes included. The first focuses on the directors in “Twisted Twins (Soska Sisters)”, despite my hate for this film, I love these girls and they are going to do big things for the horror genre. “Autopsy: Dissecting the Kills” is a boring look at the boring and uninventive kills in the film. Lastly “Kane’s Goodnight: An Icon Reborn”, looks into the character Jacob Goodnight.

 

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Blu-ray Reveiw “Nightbreed: The Director’s Cut”

Starring: Craig Sheffer, David Cronenberg, Anne Bobby, Charles Haid, Hugh Quarshie, Hugh Ross
Director: Clive Barker
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Shout! Factory
Release Date: October 28, 2014
Run Time: 120 minutes

Director’s Cut: 3 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

“Nightbreed” is one of those movies that as a horror fan you can’t help but love. It is far from perfect in any sense but it is a cool little flick that has stuck around over the years. About 2 or so years ago, a new cut of the film emerged called “The Cabal Cut”, which ran about 160 minutes long put together with lost footage compiled over the years. Unfortunately, this is not “The Cabal Cut” that many fans have hoped for. What it is though is a new “Director’s Cut” of film which contains over 40 minutes of new and altered footage. So we get some new footage and at the same time loose some footage. The director’s cut is good but I feel like it is rather choppy and not as tight as I would have thought so. We do certainly get a completely different viewing experience if you think you know “Nightbreed”, so I will let horror fans see for themselves. Either way, “Nighbreed” is finally on Blu-ray”!

If you are wondering what director Clive Barker thinks about this, here is his office’s official statement: “The Nightbreed Director’s Cut is an entirely different film than the one which was released in theaters. Its 20 minutes longer than the theatrical cut, but it contains over 40 minutes of new and altered footage. Clive oversaw the reconstruction and edit himself, personally ensuring that, at long last, he was able to tell the story he always wanted to tell, but until now, had never been given the chance. Once the scenes were reordered, and the original film footage restored, the entire film received a brand new sound mix and color pass. It is, in every way, a different movie. It contains more story, more monsters, and there’s even a musical number. Ultimately, what we’ve delivered is a love story 25 years in the making”.

Official Premise: Boone (Craig Sheffer) may be a troubled young man, but his troubles are just beginning. Set up as the fall guy in a string of slasher murders, he decides he’ll hide by crossing the threshold that separates ’us’from ’them’and sneak into the forbidden subterranean realm of Midian. Boone will live among the monsters. Hellraiser creator Clive Barker writes (adapting his novel Cabal) and directs this vivid leap into horror that asks: in the battle of man vs. monster, who’s really the monster? The answer supplies flesh-crawling suspense, sudden fear, a colorful Danny Elfman score and a creepy array of shape-shifting beings. They are the Nightbreed, denizens of a world beyond death, beyond the imagination, perhaps beyond anything you’ve seen.

Shout Factory! is releasing this Director’s Cut as a combo pack with a Blu-ray + DVD included. They are also releasing a Limited-Edition 3-Disc release consists of only of 10,000 copies, which includes a collector’s book, a bonus disc of extras and the theatrical cut available on Blu-ray for the first time only in this release. I would certainly recommend that release over this one any day. The 1080p transfer has been said to been mastered in high definition from the original camera negative but there is some parts where the quality is very questionable. I understand it was taken from many different sources, I just expect a little more polish. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 works perfect though along with Danny Elfman’s amazing and memorable score.

The special features on this “Director’s Cut” release are good but not super outstanding. Like I mentioned the Limited Edition release has an entire Blu-ray for extras. Here we get an introduction by writer/director Clive Barker and restoration producer Mark Alan Miller, which goes into about the Director’s Cut…man does Barker look like shit BTW> There is a brand new audio commentary track with writer/director Clive Barker and restoration producer Mark Alan Miller. There is a new featurette called “Tribes of the Moon: The Making of Nightbreed”, which runs over 70 minutes and features interviews with Craig Sheffer, Anne Bobby, Doug Bradley and more, “Making Monsters” runs over 40 minutes with interviews with makeup effects artists Bob Keen, Martin Mercer and Paul Jones. “Fire! Fights! Stunts! 2nd Unit Shooting” is a 20 minute interview with Andy Armstrong. Lastly there is an Original Theatrical Trailer included.

 

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Blu-ray Review “Prom Night: Special Edition (1980)”

Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Leslie Nielsen, Jeff Wincott, Anne-Marie Martin, Robert A. Silverman, Mary Beth Rubens
Director: Paul Lynch
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Synapse Films
Release Date: September 9, 2014
Run Time: 92 minutes

Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Who doesn’t remember the classic 80’s tagline “If you’re not back by midnight, you won’t be coming home!” That is honestly something that films today lack, which is a solid memorable tagline! Synapse is behind this brand-new 2K high definition transfer which was taken from the original 35mm camera negative. Plus who doesn’t love seeing Jamie Lee Curtis in a bra in HD? 😉 They give this film a lot of love and it has never looked better. The film also still holds up today and hopefully will wipe the horrible remake from our memory. A must for any horror fan and perfectly times for the Halloween season.

Official Premise: Jamie Lee Curtis (“Halloween”) and Leslie Nielsen (“The Naked Gun”) star in this celebrated slasher horror classic. Four Hamilton High seniors are hiding a terrible secret. What happened to Robin Hammond six years ago was a game that turned into a horrible tragedy, and someone saw what they did… someone waiting for gruesome revenge! Wearing a black hood and wielding an axe, a killer brutally slaughters the teenagers one by one at their high school prom. As the spotlight falls on the newly crowned prom king and queen, the psychopath will show everyone his new favorite game to play…

The Special Edition Blu-ray release for “Prom Night” comes with a great Blu-ray presentation. The 1080p transfer for this film with a 1.78:1 aspect ratio is really outstanding. You can see that a lot of time and effort went into this restoration. Synapse Films also includes a solid brand new 5.1 DTS-HD MA surround track. It works well with the suspense and the film’s score. Also included with this Blu-ray is the original 2.0 Mono track, but the new track is personally my choice here.

The special features are fantastic like the film. There is over 10 minutes of additional footage from the original NBC TV Broadcast. There is a brand new 40+ minute behind the scenes featurette called “The Horrors of Hamilton High: The Making of Prom Night” with select cast and crew interviews. There is a decent commentary track with Director Paul Lynch & Screenwriter William Gray. Lastly there are Never-Before-Seen Outtakes From Prom Night and a Motion Still Gallery that are both Exclusive to Blu-ray along with the Original Theatrical Trailer & Television Spots, rounding out these great extras.

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“Boyhood” The Most Critically-acclaimed Film of the Year Debuts on Blu-ray Combo Pack January 6, 2015

DIRECTOR RICHARD LINKLATER’S 12-YEAR CINEMATIC MASTERPIECE COMES HOME

The Most Critically-acclaimed Film of the Year Debuts on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack
January 6, 2015

Buy it Four Weeks Early on Digital HD December 9, 2014

 HOLLYWOOD, Calif.  –  Hailed as “a moving 12-year epic that isn’t quite like anything else in the history of cinema” (Andrew O’Hehir, Salon), “a breathtaking achievement” (Ann Hornaday, The Washington Post) and “a profound viewing experience” (Manohla Dargis, The New York Times), writer/director Richard Linklater’s extraordinary  film BOYHOOD debuts on Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD January6, 2015 from Paramount Home Media Distribution.  The film arrives four weeks early on Digital HD December 9, 2014.

Filmed over the course of 12 years with the same cast, BOYHOOD is a groundbreaking story of growing up as seen through the eyes of a child named Mason.  A box office hit from IFC Films that has garnered universal critical acclaim, BOYHOOD achieved a rare 99% Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, earned an unprecedented score of 100 on Metacritic and is the first film to receive an A+ score from Entertainment Weekly’s Critical Mass.  The film stars Academy Award® nominee* Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette, Lorelei Linklater and Ellar Coltrane as Mason.

 The BOYHOOD Blu-ray Combo Pack includes a look at the extraordinary work that went into making the film, as well as an in-depth Q&A with Richard Linklater and the cast.

 

The Blu-ray Combo Pack available for purchase includes a Digital Version of the film that can be accessed through UltraViolet™, a 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—reliably and securely—to a variety of devices.

 

The BOYHOOD Blu-ray is presented in 1080p high definition with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description with English, English SDH and Spanish subtitles.  The combo pack includes access to a Digital HD copy of the film as well as the following:

Blu-ray

  • Feature film in high definition
  • The 12 Year Project
  • Q&A with Richard Linklater and the Cast

DVD

  • Feature film in standard definition

 

The BOYHOOD DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with English 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English and Spanish subtitles.  The DVD includes the feature film in standard definition.

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Blu-ray Review “Sex Tape”

Starring: Cameron Diaz, Jason Segel, Rob Corddry, Jack Black, Rob Lowe, Ellie Kemper
Director: Jake Kasdan
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony
Release Date: October 21, 2014
Run Time: 94 minutes

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

When I saw “Sex Tape” in theaters, I had a blast. I don’t man. I have read some terrible reviews for this film but I really enjoyed it. I mean Rob Lowe’s role in the film is just so amazing and worth checking out just for that. Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel are fun together. The plot is light but it is short and sweet. I love comedies that it is around 90 minutes. This is not ground breaking and may not even be remembered next year but it was fun and if you are looking for an hour and half of mindless stupidity, I would recommend it.   I haven’t laughed as hard as I did in “Sex Tape” in a long time, so have drink, kick back and enjoy this flick!

Official Premise: Jay (Jason Segel) and Annie (Cameron Diaz) are a married couple still very much in love, but ten years and two kids have cooled the passion. To get it back, they decide – why not? – to make a video of themselves trying out every position in The Joy of Sex in one three-hour marathon session. It seems like a great idea until they discover that their most private video has gone public. In a panic, they begin a wild night of adventure – tracking down leads, roping in friends and duping Annie’s boss – all to reclaim their video, their reputation, their sanity and, most importantly, their marriage.

There seems to be two versions of this film available, I happened to receive the Wal-Mart Exclusive with the alternate artwork. Sony is releasing this as a combo pack with  Blu-ray + UltraViolet digital copy. The 1080p transfer and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 are good but nothing spectacular. The special features include some Bloopers, Deleted & Extended Scenes and Line-O-Rama. There is also “Capturing the Moment” which is a chat with director and cast. “Romance Reboot with Dr. Jenn Berman” is a chat with licensed Psychotherapist, VH1 television host, and author discussing the reality of film. Lastly “Meet Hank Rosenbaum” is a funny faux chat with fictional Entrepreneur/Philanthropist/Art Enthusiast talking about the film’s Disney-inspired paintings.

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Blu-ray Review “Leprechaun: The Complete Movie Collection”

Starring: Warwick Davis, Dylan Postl, Jennifer Aniston, Ice-T, Guy Siner, John Gatins
Directors: Brian Trenchard-Smith, Mark Jones (I), Rodman Flender, Zach Lipovsky
Number of discs: 4
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Lions Gate
Release Date: September 30, 2014
Running Time: 640 minutes

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

What horror fan doesn’t love the “Leprechaun” series? Warwick Davis built a career around this role. They are far from perfect films but they are certainly a ton of fun. I may get a role of the eyes but I especially love “Leprechaun 4: In Space” because it is just a blast. Plus who doesn’t love Las Vegas mixed that with “Leprechaun 3” and you have a winner. This Complete Movie Collection includes all seven films from the series including “Leprechaun” / “Leprechaun 2” / “Leprechaun 3” / “Leprechaun 4: In Space” / “Leprechaun: In the Hood” / “Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood” / “Leprechaun: Origins”, the 2014 reboot (and also the weakest title in the series). If you are a horror fan, this release is a MUST BUY!!

The real draw for me besides each of the seven films, is that this Blu-ray collection comes with a Digital HD UltraViolet copy of each of the films. Right there, this is worth the purchase of the release alone. These films don’t really scream high quality but the 1080p transfers are solid and good enough for what I expect from this series. The first six films come with DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 tracks. “Leprechaun: Origins” comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. I still absolutely hated this film and almost wish it wasn’t included in this set. In fact it almost ruins this set.

The first Blu-ray disc includes “Leprechaun” and “Leprechaun 2”. There is an audio commentary on track on “Leprechaun” by director Mark Jones and there is an audio commentary on “Leprechaun 2” by director Rodman Flender. Both tracks are good, not outstanding but worth checking out for some decent insight/stories about the films. There is also a making of featurette on both “Leprechaun” and “Leprechaun 2” with never before seen behind the scenes footage and photos. This is a must watch for fans.

The second Blu-ray includes “Leprechaun 3” and “Leprechaun 4: In Space” aka my favorites in the series. So this is my favorite disc for sure. The special features include an audio commentary on “Leprechaun 3 and 4” by director Brian Trenchard Smith. These are fun and light, which is good because both of the films are just plain fun. Again there is another making of featurette for both “Leprechaun 3 and 4” including never before seen behind the scenes footage and photos. I am very impressed with these extras so far, no question.

The third Blu-ray brings us to the hood or when the series jumped the shark..even not as bad as when he went to space. We get “Leprechaun In the Hood” and “Leprechaun: Back 2 Tha Hood”. The first of the two is decent and co-stars Ice-T, so that is cool but the second one is just plain bad. The special features includes an audio commentary on “Leprechaun In the Hood” by director Rob Spera and an audio commentary on “Leprechaun: Back 2 Tha Hood” by director Steven Ayromlooi. Again, there was a making of featurette on “Leprechaun In the Hood” and “Leprechaun: Back 2 Tha Hood” with never before seen behind the scenes footage and photos.

The fourth Blu-ray includes just “Leprechaun: Origins”, which in case I didn’t say yet is terrible. There are two featurettes includes on this disc. “Leprechaun: An Icon Reborn”, which talks about rebooting this franchise. “Leprechaun: Behind the Blood” takes you briefly behind-the-scenes. So despite this film, I absolutely love the series as a whole and I just love how Lionsgate really delivered to their fans here. These movies look great, they come with digital copies and they have some great extras.

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Blu-ray Review “Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods”

Actors: Sean Schemmel, Christopher R. Sabat, Stephanie Nadolny, Sonny Strait, Jason Douglas
Directors: Christopher R. Sabat
Rated: Unrated
Studio: FUNimation
Release Date: October 7, 2014
Run Time: 85 / 105 minutes

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

The first new “Dragon Ball” feature film in over seventeen years?! Yeah sign me up!! “”Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods” is a hell of a good time. I saw this film in theaters during its limited run and it was a real blast. The audience loved and we all really just loved seeing a new “Dragon Ball” feature. I think that diehard fans are going to love this as well (or loved it since it they are diehard fans they should have seen in theaters like me). I hope that the success of this film, still shows that there is plenty of demand for “Dragon Ball” content in the U.S., so I hope that they have future films planned as well. We are more FUNimation!! Bring it on!

Official Premise: Following the events of the Dragon Ball Z television series, after the defeat of Majin Buu, a new power awakens and threatens humanity. Beerus, an ancient and powerful God of Destruction, searches for Goku after hearing rumors of the Saiyan warrior who defeated Frieza. Realizing the threat Beerus poses to their home planet, the Z-fighters must find a way to stop him before it’s too late. Only Goku, humanity’s last hope, can ascend to the level of a legendary Super Saiyan God and stop Beerus’s from destroying Earth, and possibly the entire universe!

“Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods” delivered a solid Blu-ray presentation courtesy of FUNimation Entertainment The 1080p transfer in 1.78:1 looks amazing with this films colors and animation style. It keeps the original series look with not too much of an upgrade in terms of style but it just looks very polished and sharp. Same goes for the audio tracks. There are Dolby TrueHD 5.1 tracks for both Japanese and English on the Theatrical Version of the film and and an English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 track for the Uncut Version. Either one really rules personally. I originall saw it in English but I love DBZ in Japanese as wel.

The Blu-ray contains as a mentioned, two cuts of the film the Theatrical cut runs about 85 minutes, while the Uncut version runs about 105 minutes. Obviously, I love DBZ so the longer the better for me. The film already had slight pacing issues at 85 minutes, so it runs a little long but I still can’t get enough personally. In terms of special features, we get a Behind the Scenes look into the film with “Battle of Voice Actors” and also similarly “The Voices of Dragon Ball Z Unveiled”, which touches on the cast. There is also a Textless Closing Song and U.S. Trailer included.

 

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Blu-ray Review “Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon”

Starring: Shep Gordon
Director: Mike Myers
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: ANCHOR BAY
elease Date: October 7, 2014
Run Time: 85 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 0 out of 5 stars

“Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon” is a documentary about the king of the entertainment industry. It is marks the directorial debut of Mike Myers. That’s right the same Mike Myers from “Austin Powers” series and “Wayne’s World” series. I have to admit, I wasn’t familiar with Shep Gordon but this guy knows EVERYONE in the business. He has been Alice Coopers manager for over 40 years and has worked with everyone from Pink Floyd (for like 9 days) to Groucho Marx to Jimi Hendrix to Emeril Lagasse. In terms of documentary, this one really interested me and was definitely worth checking out if you are in the world involved in the business.

Official Premise: In his directorial debut, Mike Myers (Austin Powers, Wayne’s World) steps behind the camera to document the remarkable career of friend and Hollywood insider—Shep Gordon. He isn’t a household name, but Gordon became a beacon in the entertainment industry after a chance run-in with Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin launched his career in 1968. Since then, he has managed an endless list of talent, including Alice Cooper, Blondie, Luther Vandross, and Raquel Welch. His management of Emeril Lagasse was the driving force behind the “Celebrity Chef,” concept that turned the culinary arts into the multi-billion dollar industry it is today. Capitalist, protector, hedonist, pioneer, showman, shaman…Shep, or SUPERMENSCH, is beloved by the countless stars he’s encountered. Now, Gordon’s fascinating story is told by those who know him best, his pals including Michael Douglas, Sylvester Stallone, Anne Murray, Willie Nelson, and more.

“Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon” is not special at all when it comes to its Blu-ray presentation. The 1080p transfer is good but also barely decent at certain points. Since some of the content is taken from old sourced. It is not very polished but to be honest it still works since it is a documentary and I didn’t expect “Avatar”. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is a bit neglected since there isn’t much on the track besides the dialogue. There isn’t much music in the film either than the typical documentary music. In more disappointing there are zero special features on this Blu-ray. I would have loved to see a commentary track and some deleted or extended interviews included.

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Blu-ray Review “A Million Ways to Die in the West”

Starring: Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried, Liam Neeson, Neil Patrick Harris, Giovanni Ribisi
Director: Seth MacFarlane
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Universal Studios
Release Date: October 7, 2014
Run Time: 116 minutes

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

“Ted” is a very funny film and a real tough act to follow for Seth MacFarlane. “A Million Ways to Die in the West” tries its best and really succeeds. The film is also a Western, so right off the bat, that is a really hard act to sell. The film is funny as hell and also extremely raunchy. My only issue is that it is falls into the category of running about 30 minutes too long. It features an amazing cast including Seth MacFarlane himself along with Charlize Theron, Liam Neeson, Amanda Seyfried, Giovanni Ribisi, Sarah Silverman and Neil Patrick Harris. Honestly, I enjoyed the second viewing is more enjoyable. I recommend this for some great laughs.

Official Premise: Seth MacFarlane directs, produces, co-writes and plays the role of the cowardly sheep farmer Albert in A Million Ways to Die in the West. After Albert backs out of a gunfight, his fickle girlfriend leaves him for another man. When a mysterious and beautiful woman rides into town, she helps him find his courage and they begin to fall in love. But when her husband, a notorious outlaw, arrives seeking revenge, the farmer must put his newfound courage to the test.

“A Million Ways to Die in the West” comes in a great Blu-ray from Universal. The 1080p transfer in 2.40:1 looks amazing. The location outdoor shots are gorgeous and totally unexpected from this film. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is also great and delivers well on Joel McNeely, perfectly themed Western score. The special features are nothing special. There are commentary tracks on both cuts with Director/Producer/Co-Writer Seth MacFarlane, Co-Writers and Executive Producers Alec Sulkin & Wellesley Wild and Star Charlize Theron. This is worth checking out if you enjoyed the film.

There is an Alternate Opening and Alternate Ending, along with about 10 minutes of Deleted / Extended / Alternate Scenes and a Gag Reel.  There is a basic EPK making of look with “Once Upon a Time, in a Different West” with package’s EPK, with some fun behind the scenes footage and interviews. The Blu-ray also includes an Extended cut of the film which runs about 2 hours and 15 minutes but honestly, it is way too long. I love comedies but they honestly need to be around 90 minutes.

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: bluray, die, million, review, ways, west, ...

Win a Blu-ray for Rom-Zom-Com “Life After Beth” [ENDED]


To celebrate the release of “Life After Beth” starring Dane DeHaan, Media Mikes is excited to giveaway one (1) copy of the film on Blu-ray to our readers. If you would like to enter for your chance to win one of this prize, please leave us a comment below or send us an email with your favorite zombie movie. This giveaway will remain open until October 24th at Noon, Eastern Time. This is open to all of our Media Mikes readers worldwide. 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.

Zach is devastated by the unexpected death of his girlfriend, Beth. But when she miraculously comes back to life, Zach takes full advantage of the opportunity to share and experience all the things he regretted not doing with her before. However, the newly returned Beth isn’t quite how he remembered her and, before long, Zach’s whole world takes a turn for the worse.

 

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Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: beth, bluray, life, romzomcom, win

Blu-ray Review “Attack on Titan: Limited Edition – Part 2”

Starring: Yûki Kaji, Yui Ishikawa, Marina Inoue, Kishô Taniyama, Yu Shimamura, Yû Kobayashi
Director: Tetsurô Araki
Number of discs: 4
Studio: Funimation
Release Date: September 23, 2014
Run Time: 300 minutes

Series: 5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

“Attack on Titan” has really resurrected my love for Japanese anime. The show is fantastic and as a whole is easily one of the best series that I have watched in a while. I just wish the series was longer than 26 episodes, since the manga is quite long as well. This Limited Edition Part 2 comes with a 3-D Lenticular Art Card and Notes From Beyond The Wall: Part 2 (a 24 page digibook containing 4 panel comics, artwork, interviews and more!). The series is also being re-adapted into two animated theatrical films set to be released Winter 2014 and 2015. The word is that there is also a live-action movie that will begin filming in summer 2014 for a planned summer 2015 release. So stay tuned “Titan” fans, there is still a lot of come!

Official Premise: Eren Jaeger vowed to rid mankind of the bloodthirsty giants who devoured his mother and destroyed his city. Now, after discovering that he has the ability to turn into a Titan, the world Eren promised to protect looks at him like he is the monster. Narrowly avoiding execution, Eren’s fate is entrusted to the Scout Regiment where he must prove capable of following orders. But on an expedition outside the wall, a unique female Titan appears and cuts through the Scouts, leaving a trail of carnage and splintered bones behind her and making it difficult for Eren to control his rage. As it becomes obvious that a traitor is sabotaging the Regiment from within, Eren must ask himself who humanity’s true enemy really is.

Like Part 1 of “Attack on Titan”, it is delivered by FUNimation Entertainment with a solid Blu-ray presentation. The episodes look fantastic in their 1080p transfers in 1.78:1 aspect ratio. The style of animation looks so amazing and the detail is incredible. Same goes for the audio options. We get the original Japanese language track in Dolby TrueHD 2.0 and an English dub in Dolby TrueHD 5.1. Both are excellent but I have to admit like Part 1 as well, the 5.1 track wins. There is over an hour of special features included, a little less than Part 1 but still decent. There is a commentary track for episodes 14 & 25, Attack on Titan at Anime Expo, ”Chibi Theatre: Fly, Cadets, Fly!”, Eyecatch Gallery, Textless Songs, and trailers included.

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Win a Blu-ray for “Mortal Kombat: Legacy II” [ENDED]

To celebrate the release of “Mortal Kombat: Legacy II”:, Media Mikes is excited to giveaway one (1) copy of the film on Blu-ray to our readers. If you would like to enter for your chance to win one of this prize, please leave us a comment below or send us an email with your favorite Mortal Kombat character. This giveaway will remain open until October 24th at Noon, Eastern Time. This is open to all of our Media Mikes readers worldwide. 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.

Mortal Kombat: Legacy II, produced by Warner Bros. Digital Distribution, is the hit live action web series based on the legendary Mortal Kombat video game franchise, co-created by Ed Boon, developed by NetherRealm Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Originally debuting exclusively on Machinima in September 2013, the web series became an instant favorite with more than 19 million views.

The second season of Mortal Kombat: Legacy uncovers the rivalries and histories of fierce warriors as Raiden and his recruits clash against the dark forces of Outworld. Chronicling the tournament and the interweaving storylines of the most beloved Kombatants, the series also explores the complex relationship between Liu Kang and Kung Lao and revisits the complicated family dynamic of Kitana and Mileena. Directed by Kevin Tancharoen (Mortal Kombat: Rebirth) and starring Casper Van Dien, Brian Tee, Ian Anthony Dale, and Cary Tagawa, the series also won over critics, receiving a 2014 Streamy Award for Best Choreography (Garrett Warren and Larnell Stovall).

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Blu-ray Review “Dragon Ball Z: Season Six”

Starring: Sean Schemmel, Stephanie Nadolny, Christopher Sabat, Daisuke Gōri, Mayumi Tanaka, Kenji Utsumi
Director: Daisuke Nishio, Mike McFarland
Number of discs: 4
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Funimation
Release Date: September 16, 2014
Run Time: 685 minutes

Seasons: 4 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

As we are flying through the seasons this year, FUNimation Entertainment is continuing the love for Dragon Ball Z Uncut with the sixth season which features episodes 166-194 of the classic anime series. The season around the Cell Games Saga and originally aired from 1992–1993 in Japan and 2000 in the U.S. on Cartoon Network dubbed in English. This is a great season as Cell was always a kick-ass villain. Three more seasons to go after this Funimation is determined to finish the series before the end of 2014.

Official Premise: Having at last achieved his Perfect Form, the evil Cell’s powers have soared to terrible new heights, overshadowing even the greatest of the Z-Fighters. Eager to demonstrate these newfound abilities and prove his superiority, Cell proposes a tournament. He issues an ultimatum to the people of Earth: produce a worthy opponent or die! The day of reckoning upon them, Goku and the Z-Fighters line up to participate in Cell’s twisted game, the world’s best hope of defeating the monster.

But they are not the only ones brave enough to accept the challenge. The reigning World Martial Arts Champion, Mr. Satan, has also stepped into the ring! Now, with the fate of the human race hanging in the balance, one of these valiant fighters must come forward to defeat the seemingly invincible Perfect Cell. But who will it be?

Like the past seasons, this one has be given a frame-by-frame restoration to remove blemishes, tape marks and foreign bodies from the film. The 1080p transfer at a 16:9 aspect ratio looks amazing. The audio tracks including the Japanese audio and two English tracks: the U.S. English-language broadcast dub and a mix with English dialogue and Japanese music have been re-mastered in the interest of noise reduction and superior sound quality, and the colors are bolder and more vibrant.

The special features are decent including two Inside Dragon Ball Z features. The first is an interview with Eric Vale, voice of Trunks. The second is an interview with Cynthia Cranz, who voiced infant Broly. There is also some Dragon Ball Z trivia and a must for those hardcore fans. Lastly there are Textless Opening/Closing Songs and trailers included.

 

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: ball, bluray, dragon, review, season
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