Blu-ray Review “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre: 40th Anniversary Collector’s Edition”

Starring: Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger, Paul A. Partain, William Vail, Teri McMinn, Edwin Neal
Director: Tobe Hooper
Number of discs: 4
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Dark Sky Films
Release Date: September 16, 2014
Run Time: 83 minutes

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

Love it (myself) or hate it (my wife), “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” is an absolutely classic in the horror genre. It is iconic and has stood the test of time. Speaking of time, the film is celebrating it’s 40th anniversary this year. MPI Media Group is re-releasing the film on Blu-ray presenting the original restored film in an all-new 4k scan authorized by Tobe Hooper and a ridiculous all-new 7.1 channel soundtrack. If you think you have seen “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” before, think again because watching this Blu-ray is like an entirely new experience.

Official Premise: It has been called grisly, sick, and perverse, as well as raw, unshakeable, and the movie that redefined horror. It was attacked by churches, banned by governments, and acclaimed by only the bravest of critics. It stunned audiences worldwide and set a new standard in movie terror forever. Today writer-producer-director Tobe Hooper s dark, visionary tale remains unparalleled in its impact as perhaps the most frightening motion picture ever made.

“The Texas Chain Saw Massacre: 40th Anniversary Collector’s Edition” is released as a kick ass DigiPack  combo pack with two Blu-Rays and two DVDs. If this only had a digital Ultraviolet copy, it would be absolutely perfect. The film itself is gritty and was shot on 16mm film, so this film never looked really amazing. I remember watching it on VHS tape and if you could compare that to this new Blu-ray, it would be like two different films. For this release, the film was mastered in 4K and presented on Blu-ray in 1080p high definition. It just looks terrific. Horror fans get ready to do a back flip.

I never thought I would be seeing a film like “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” with DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track on Blu-ray but that is what we get here. You would expect this track from a big-budget summer action but never a 40 year old horror film. This track is fantastic and works so well with all aspects from the revving of the chainsaw to the  famous flash photography sounds. Along with this epic track, there are three other tracks including a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, LPCM 2.0 and LPCM Mono. So there are tracks for everyone whatever you are craving

The special features are split over two discs. The first disc is purely audio commentary tracks. Anything you ever wanted to know about this film is included in these tracks. The first track is with Producer-Director Tobe Hooper, Actor Gunnar Hansen, and Cinematrographer Daniel Pearl. The second is with Production Designer Robert Burns and Actors Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger, and Paul A. Partain. The third is Writer-Producer-Director Tobe Hooper. The last is withCinematographer Daniel Pearl, Editor J. Larry Carroll, and Sound Recordist Ted Nicolaou. One is better than the next.

The second disc includes “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre: The Shocking Truth”, which runs over 70 minutes. “Flesh Wounds: Seven Stories of the Saw” is another 70 minute featurette. Between these two extras, you will be exhausted with knowledge. “A Tour of the TCSM House with Gunnar Hansen” is a chat with Leatherface himself. “Off the Hook with Teri McMinn” and “The Business of Chain Saw: An Interview with Production Manager Ron Bozman” are interviews with the respective actors.

“Grandpa’s Tales: An Interview with John Dugan” features the actor reflecting on his iconic role. “Cutting Chain Saw: An Interview with Editor J. Larry Carroll” talks about his work on the film. There are 15 minutes of BRAND NEW Deleted Scenes and Outtakes along with the previous released 25 minutes of additional Deleted Scenes and Outtakes. There is also a Blooper Reel, Horror’s Hallowed Grounds, Still Gallery, Trailers, TV and Radio spots included.

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Win a Blu-ray of Guy Pearce & Robert Pattinson’s “The Rover [ENDED]

To celebrate the release of Guy Pearce & Robert Pattinson’s “The Rover”, 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 post apocalyptic film. This giveaway will remain open until October 3rd 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.

Fueled by engaging performances from Golden Globe nominee Guy Pearce (Memento, L.A. Confidential) and Robert Pattinson (The Twilight Saga franchise, Cosmopolis), The Rover is set in a world 10 years into the general collapse of society and follows hardened loner Eric (Pearce) as he travels the desolate towns and roads of the outback. When a gang of thieves steals his car, they leave behind a wounded Rey (Pattinson). Forcing Rey to help track the gang, Eric will go to any lengths to take back the one thing that still matters to him.

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Blu-ray Review “Spartacus: The Complete Series (Limited Edition)”

Actors: Liam McIntyre, Andy Whitfield, Manu Bennett, Lucy Lawless, Peter Mensah
Directors: Joshua Donen, Rob Tapert, Sam Raimi, Steven S. DeKnight
Number of discs: 13
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: ANCHOR BAY
Release Date: September 16, 2014
Run Time: 2136 minutes

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

“Spartacus” is a show that I never got to watch during its original run since I was not a subscriber to Starz. I caught the show after it was completed. The entire series can be easily summed up in three words: stylish, sexy, and brutal. The series started off strong with “Blood and Sand”, then had a hard turn with the loss of it’s star Andy Whitfield due to cancer but bounced back with its prequel series “Gods of the Arena” and then got back on track with the official second season “Vengeance” and finished off strongest with “War of the Damned”. I love a show that can see its potential and then end while it is on top. This was a strong show and Anchor Bay has re-released every season of the hit Starz TV show into a very impressive collectible bundle.

Official Premise: Spartacus tells the classic tale of the Republic’s most infamous rebel, who comes alive in the series’ first season, Blood and Sand. Then comes Gods of the Arena, a prequel that explores a deadly history before the arrival of Spartacus, and the death he now carries with him. The second season, Vengeance, continues to follow Spartacus as he is faced with a choice to either satisfy his personal need for vengeance, or make the sacrifices necessary to keep his growing army from breaking apart at the seams. Finally, in War of the Damned, Spartacus carves his name into history as he plots to avenge his wife’s death and leads Batiatus’ slaves in a bloody uprising that will not be forgotten or equaled. All four seasons are currently available on Blu-ray.

The series features an all-star cast with Andy Whitfield getting his star-making title role for first season. Liam McIntyre ended up taking over as Spartacus for Seasons two and three after his passing. Other notable cast in the series includes John Hannah (“The Mummy”, “Four Weddings and A Funeral”), Peter Mensah (“300”, “The Incredible Hulk”), Manu Bennett (“30 Days of Night”), Nick E. Tarabay (TV’s “Crash”), Dustin Clare (“Underbelly”), Dan Feuerriegel (“Home and Away”), Simon Merrells (“The Wolfman”), Todd Lasance (“Cloudstreet”), Cynthia Addai-Robinson (“FlashForward”) and the scene-stealer and still smoking hot Lucy Lawless (“Xena: Warrior Princess”, “Parks and Recreation”).

This Limited Edition release includes the 13 discs within a very detailed (and quite graphic) statue inside of its base. Anchor Bay is known for their stunning “Limited Edition” releases like the outstanding sets from “The Walking Dead” series. It is great to see a series like this get this kind of attention and respect. The set itself besides the pretty collectible comes with some new extras including three commentaries tracks from season one and an exclusive bonus disc with several featurettes as well as including all the old special features as well. Along with the Blu-ray discs, Anchor Bay really sweetened the deal including the entire series with UltraViolet Digital HD copies.

“Spartacus: The Complete Series” includes each episode with stunning 1080p transfers backed with even better Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround tracks. They look and sound outstanding throughout the entire series and get with each season. The new special features include Audio Commentaries on episode “Legends” with Writer/Creator/Executive Producer Steven S. DeKnight, Executive Producer Rob Tapert, and Actors Viva Bianca and Lucy Lawless. “Great and Unfortunate Things” features with Executive Producer Rob Tapert and Actors John Hannah and Lucy Lawless. Last one is on “Mark of the Brotherhood” with Writer/Creator/Executive Producer Steven S. DeKnight and Actors Manu Bennett, Viva Bianca, and Lucy Lawless.

“Spartacus Fan Favorites with Liam McIntyre” features the actor giving out his top ten fan-favorite moments from the series. “Scoring a Hit: Composer Joseph LoDuca” has the composer discussing his work on the show, briefly. “An Eye Full: Roger Murray” is a chat with the series’ prosthetic & prop supervisor, Roger Murray, and its executive visual effects supervisor, Charlie McClellan. “Spartacus: Paul Grinder” features the series’ 2nd unit director discussing the show. Lastly, “The Last Word: John Hannah” features the actor talking about the show. So even though these aren’t outstanding new extras, Anchor Bay could have just packaged this seasons together and resold them with nothing new, so I give them an A for effort here.

No on to the rest of the special features for each of the seasons. First up is “Spartacus: Blood and Sand – The Complete First Season”, which comes with a ton of extras. There are extended versions of “The Red Serpent” and “Sacramentum Gladiatorium” and commentary tracks for “The Red Serpent” with Director Rick Jacobson, Writer/Creator/Executive Producer Steven S. DeKnight, and Executive Producers Rob Tapert and Joshua Donen, “Sacramentum Gladiatorium” with Director Rick Jacobson, Writer/Creator/Executive Producer Steven S. DeKnight, and Executive Producer Rob Tapert and “The Thing in the Pit” with Director Jesse Warn and Actor Andy Whitfield.

There is an enhanced version of Shadow Games, as well as an extended versions of “Delicate Things and Mark of the Brotherhood”. There are also Audio commentaries with Director Michael Hurst and Actors Andy Whitfield and Lucy Lawless discussing Shadow Games and Director Rick Jacobson, Creator/Executive Producer Steven S. DeKnight, and Actor Erin Cummings for the episode “Delicate Things”. “Whore” and “Party Favors” also hae tracks with Actors Andy Whitfield, Lucy Lawless, and Viva Bianca; and Revelations with Writer Brent Fletcher, Creator/Executive Producer Steven S. DeKnight, and Actor Nick E. Taraby. There is a commentary track along with the enhanced episode” Kill Them All” with Writer/Creator/Executive Producer Steven S. DeKnight and Actors Peter Mensah and Katrina Law. There is a collection of nine featurettes going behind-the-scenes into season.

“Spartacus: Gods of the Arena” is jam-packed as well with great extras. There are Audio Commentaries track with Executive Producer Robert Tapert, Director Jesse Warn, Production Designer Iain Aitken, and Costume Designer Barbara Darragh for “Past Transgressions, which is also an Extended Version; Writer/Creator/Executive Producer Steven S. DeKnight and Actors Dustin Clare, Peter Mensah, and Maime Murray for “Missio;” Robert Tapert, Director Michael Hurst, and Actor Lucy Lawless chat about the Extended Version of “Paterfamilias;” Steven S. DeKnight and Actors Dustin Clare, Lucy Lawless, and Kaime Murray chat about the Extended Version of “Beneath the Mask”;” Steven S. DeKnight, Writer Brent Fletcher, and Actors John Hannah and Lucy Lawless focus on the Extended Version of “Reckoning” and lastly, Steven S. DeKnight, Director Rick Jacobson, and Actor Peter Mensah commentate on the Extended Version of “The Bitter End”

“3D “Ring of Fire” Battle Sequence” is a collection of the seasons key scenes presented in 3D, which is totally rad! “Starz Studios: Gods of the Arena” features the cast/crew discussing the series. “Weapons of Mass Disruption” is a quick chat with Property Master Rob Bavin chatting about the seasons weapons. “Battle Royale: Anatomy of a Scene” looks into the boot camp the actors underwent. “On Set with Lucy Lawless” takes us around with the actress. “10 Easy Steps to Dismemberment” is a collection of the seasons best kills. “Post Production: The Final Execution” shows the work done to the show after shooting. “Enter the Arena: Production Design” looks at set design and CG work. “Dressed to Kill” is an interview with Costume Designer Barbara Darragh and cast. Lastly there is a Convention Panel highlight with Stephen S. DeKnight, Lucy Lawless, John Hannah, and Vivia Bianca from a Comic-Con and a collection of Arena Bloopers.

“Spartacus: Vengeance – The Complete Second Season” includes audio commentaries on all but two of the season’s episodes. “Fugitivus” features Steven S. DeKnight and Actors Viva Bianca, Lucy Lawless, and Liam McIntyre on the Extended Version. “A Place in This World” features Steven S. DeKnight and Actors Lucy Lawless, Liam McIntyre and Peter Mensah on the Extended Version. “The Greater Good” features Robert Tapert and Actors Lucy Lawless and Craig Parker. “Empty Hands” has Robert Tapert, Director Mark Beesley, VFX Art Director Peter Baustaedter and Actor Viva Bianca talking about the Extended Version.

The Extended Version of “Libertus” features Rick Jacobson and Actor Liam McIntyre. “Chosen Path” has Steven S. DeKnight and Actors Viva Bianca, Lucy Lawless, and Nick Tarabay talking about the Extended Version. “Sacramentum”, also the Extended Version features Robert Tapert, Jesse Warn, and Actor Dustin Clare. The last commentary track is on the Extended Version of “Wrath of the Gods” with Steven S. DeKnight and Actors Viva Bianca, Lucy Lawless, and Liam McIntyre. This collection of commentary tracks are outstanding if you are a fan of this series.

“Starz Studios – Spartacus: Vengeance” is an extended look into the season. “The Making of Spartacus: Vengeance” takes a quick look into the shows production. “Behind the Camera: Directing the Rebellion” gives a glimpse into the show behind-the-scenes from direction to digital effects. “On Set with Liam McIntyre” folllows around the actor while getting into character. “Burning Down the House: The VFX of Episode 205” is a chat with VFX Supervisor Charlie McClellan on the season’s critical scenes. “The Legend of Spartacus” talks with Historians Aaron Irvin and Jeffrey Stevens discussing the real history behind the series. “Famous Last Words” gets some final word from characters that were killed off. Lastly there are Bloopers and a teaser included.

The last season of the show “Spartacus: War of the Damned – The Complete Third Season” includes sex featurettes, ten commentary tracks, and extended versions of each episode. There audio Commentaries include Robert Tapert, Mark Beesley, and Chloe Smith for “Enemies of Rome;” Stephen S. DeKnight and Actors Manu Bennett, Liam McIntyre, and Simon Merrells for “Wolves at the Gate;” Stephen S. DeKnight and Actors Dustin Clare, Anna Hutchinson, and Todd Lasance for “Men of Honor;” Stephen S. DeKnight, Rick Jacobson, and Actors Christian Antidormi and Simon Merrells for “Decimation;” Stephen S. DeKnight, Director TJ Scott, and Actors Manu Bennett and Dan Feuerriegel for “Blood Brothers”…

…(deep breath)…Robert Tapert, Director Mark Beesley, and Visual Effects Art Director Peter Baustaedter for “Spoils of War;” Robert Tapert, Director Jesse Warn, and Executive Visual Effects Supervisor Charlie McClellan for “Mors Indecepta;” Stephen S. DeKnight, Rick Jacobson, and Actors Manu Bennett and Liam Mcintyre for “Separate Paths;” Stephen S. DeKnight and Actors Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Anna Hutchinson and Todd Lasance for “The Dead and the Dying;” and Stephen S. DeKnight, Rober Tapert, Rick Jacobson, and Actor Liam McIntyre for “Victory.”

“Spartcus: The Legend Retold” is a overview of the series as a whole. “The Price of Being a Gladiator” goes into the workout that the actors have to endure for the show. “A Bloody Farewell” features cast and crew reflecting on the series. “The Spoils of War Revealed: Visual Effects” looks into the show’s effects and visuals. “Adorning the Damned” looks into the show’s costumes. Lastly “The Mind Behind Spartacus” is an interview with Series Creator Stephen S. DeKnight, who if you don’t recognize him is the guy on virutally ever commentary track for this series.

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Blu-ray Review “Halloween: The Complete Collection (Limited Deluxe Edition)”

Starring: Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, Danielle Harris, Nancy Loomis, Nancy Stephens, Malcolm McDowell
Directors: Rob Zombie, Rick Rosenthal, John Carpenter, Steve Miner, Joe Chappelle, Tommy Lee Wallace
Number of discs: 15
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Anchor Bay
Release Date: September 23, 2014
Run Time: 1287 minutes

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

Halloween is right around the corner and what better way to celebrate than with the The Complete Collection of the “Halloween” film franchise. This collection includes all ten films from the series. I love Michael Myers, he is one of the rare horror icons that still creeps me out. I love Freddy and Jason but Myers still steals the show for me. Even though all of the films aren’t gems, as a whole they are a great franchise. This is the first time that these films have ever been released together in one massive box set. I personally would have hoped for a little more in terms of “wow factor” especially from the Limited Deluxe Edition luckily, I get my “wow” from the extras. What we get is a simple slipbox (with great cover art BTW) which holds the ten (black) cases, along with a thin 42-page booklet. There is nothing special or flashy about this release. Still though, I am fairly happy with this release and should make hardcore horror fans happy as well.

Official Premise: Halloween night – Haddonfield, IL. A young boy butchers his older sister with a kitchen knife. 15 years later, he escapes from a mental institution only to return home and terrorize the town, including babysitter Laurie Strode. Now pursued by Dr. Loomis, the doctor who tried to treat him until he realized that “what was living behind that boy’s eyes was purely and simply… evil”. His name is Michael Myers. And so began one of the most iconic horror franchises in history – what producers Moustapha Akkad and Debra Hill, writer/director John Carpenter and stars Jamie Lee Curtis & Donald Pleasence started has spawned 10 feature films and lasted over 35 years. Now, for the first time ever, experience the terror of every Halloween film available together in 1 set! This limited edition deluxe set includes 15 discs jammed with content Halloween fans will love.

Here is a breakdown of what films/cuts we get within the 15 discs: The first two discs are decided to the original classic “John Carpenter’s Halloween” (1978), the second disc being a Deluxe Edition Exclusive. Disc three contains the theatrical cut of “Halloween II” (1981), while disc four, which is a standard DVD, contains, the infamous television cut, also a Deluxe Edition Exclusive. Disc 5 is “Halloween III: Season of the Witch” (1982), plain and simple, as is Discs 6 & 7 housing “Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers” (1988) and “Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers” (1989), respectively. Disc 8 includes the theatrical cut of “Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers” (1995″, while disc 9 is going to be a big draw for fans with the highly sought upon Producer’s Cut, another Deluxe Edition Exclusive.

Disc 10 includes “Halloween H20: 20 Years Later” (1998) and Disc 11 houses “Halloween: Resurrection” (2002) closing out the original series. Then disc 12 brings us the remake/reboot “Rob Zombie’s Halloween” (2007), while disc 13 is a bonus disc from that film as well as a Deluxe Edition Exclusive. Disc 14 is “Rob Zombie’s Halloween 2” and wrapped up the release is disc 15 with Additional Bonus Features, which is again a Deluxe Edition Exclusive and includes a massive amount of extras including the 101-minute extended cut of “John Carpenter’s Halloween” (1978) in full 1080p HD! This is worth the purchase alone just for this disc. But what I should note that is very strange is that this 15th bonus disc is housed in the case for “Rob Zombie’s Halloween 2”, which honestly doesn’t make any sense most likely because of lack of space in the box. Not a huge deal, just very odd decision to be honest.

The next part is where the deal gets a little sour for this release. There is no consistency with the audio/video presentations. All of these films have been released before on Blu-ray and besides the first film and the Rob Zombie films, the presentations have been a bit rocky. Unfortunately, this box set does not include new transfer of these films they are merely exact copies of the previous rather disappointing releases. I would have loved Anchor Bay to dive in and fix the poor releases of “Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers” (1995), “Halloween H20: 20 Years Later” (1998) and “Halloween Resurrection (2002)”, thanks to Echo Bridge Entertainment. They are not horrendous but definitely disappointing for hardcore fans.

Of course, not surprisingly the winner is the original “John Carpenter’s Halloween”. It comes with a solid Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Surround track as well as the Original 1978 Audio in a Dolby TrueHD Mono track. “Halloween II” (1981) (which includes the Original “Moustapha Akkad Presents” Opening Credit) and “Halloween III: Season of the Witch” (1982) include the same presentations as their Scream Factory releases. The second film comes with a solid DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround track, while “Season of the Witch” settles for a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track. Same goes for “Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers” and “Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers” are the same quality from the 2012 Anchor Bay releases. Both films have a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround track but the 5th film certainly sounds better.

“Rob Zombie’s Halloween” (2007) and “Halloween II” (2009) are identical to their past Blu-ray as well. Since these are the most recent, they are also some of the best. Surprisingly though, the real underdog of the release “Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers – Producer’s Cut” is one of the best presentations in the set with a solid video presentation and a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround track. It even trumps the Theatrical Cut, which is kinda sad but expect since it is a copy from the Echo Bridge release. I feel like this is going to be a main draw for most horror fans for sure.

Now if you are on the fence for the audio/video presentations. The main draw (behind the additional cuts) are some brand new, never before seen bonus features including new interviews with cast and crew, commentaries, behind the scenes documentaries, and much more. “John Carpenter’s Halloween” stars off with a brand new Audio Commentary with Director of photography Dean Cundey, editor/production designer Tommy Lee Wallace and “The Shape,” Nick Castle. Excellent track. There is also a fantastic Audio Commentary, which is a fan boys dream with Co-writer/director John Carpenter and actress Jamie Lee Curtis. “The Night She Came Home” is an hour extras with Jamie Lee Curtis discussing her one and only convention appearance. “On Location: 25 Years Later” takes us to the shooting locations from the first film. Lastly there are TV spots, radio spots, a theatrical trailer and a collection of scenes from the film’s television cut.

The second disc for “John Carpenter’s Halloween” brings us another Audio Commentary track with Writer/director John Carpenter, producer Debra Hill and actress Jamie Lee Curtis, which is an older track but still decent. “Halloween: A Cut Above the Rest” is a nearly 90 minutes retrospective with interviews from cast/crew. Lastly there is a fact track, TV spots, Radio spots and a trailer included. The Theatrical Cut of “Halloween II” features two commentary tracks, the first with director Rick Rosenthal and actor Leo Rossi, and the second with actor/stunt coordinator Dick Warlock. Both quite decent. “The Nightmare Isn’t Over!: The Making of Halloween II” is a retrospective documentary on the sequel. “Horror’s Hallowed Grounds: The Locations of Halloween II” takes on to the shooting locations from the film. Lastly there are Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary from Rosenthal, an Alternate Ending, some trailers and spots and a stills gallery.

“Halloween III: Season of the Witch” includes an Audio Commentary track from: Director Tommy Lee Wallace, Rob G. from “Icons of Fright,” and Horror’s Hallowed Grounds’ Sean Clark. Definitely made by fans for the fans. There is also an Audio Commentary with Actor Tom Atkins and BD/DVD Producer Michael Felsher, this is a must listen or Atkins fans. “Stand Alone: The Making of Halloween III: Season of the Witch” goes behind-the-scenes with Director Tommy Lee Wallace, Actors Tom Atkins and Stacey Nelkin, Stunt Coordinator Dick Warlock, Cinematographer Dean Cundey, Costume Designer Jane Ruhm, and others. There is an “Horror’s Hallowed Grounds”, this one called “Revisiting the Original Shooting Locales” hitting the filming locations. Lastly there is a Still Gallery, TV Spots and a Theatrical Trailer included.

“Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers” includes a decent Audio Commentary from Actors Ellie Cornell and Danielle Harris as well as a track from Director Dwight H. Little and author Justin Beahm, which is a bit more entertaining. There is also the Theatrical Trailer included. “Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers” includes two Audio Commentary tracks as well. The first from Actor Don Shanks and author Justin Beahm and the second from Director Dominique Othenin-Girad and actors Danielle Harris and Jeffrey Landman. Both decent and insightful tracks. “On the Set” contains some raw behind-the-scenes footage with cast interviews. Lastly there is a original promo from the film as well as a Theatrical Trailer. This is not a ton compared to other films but if you remember the 2012 Anchor Bay Blu-ray, there were bare-bones. Luckily there is more extras from 4 & 5 on disc 15.

“Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers – Theatrical Cut” comes only with a Still Gallery, TV Spots and
Theatrical Trailers but no fear since The Producer’s Cut saves the day again. It includes a great Audio Commentary with Writer Daniel Farrands and composer Alan Howarth. A real winner. “Acting Scared: A Look at the Film’s Cast” features Actresses Mariah O’Brien and J.C. Brandy looking back at the film. “The Shape of Things” goes into the films issues and special make-up effects creator John Carl Buechler. “Haddonfield’s Horrors” goes behind-the-scenes with director of photography Billy Dickson and production designer Bryan Ryman. “A Cursed Curse” is an interview with Trancas International president and Curse associate producer Malek Akkad and producer Paul Freeman. “Full Circle” is a chat with Composer Alan Howarth. There is a collection of extended scenes, alternate footage and extra scenes of graphic violence cut from the film. There is also Archival Interviews and Behind-the-Scenes Footage including an interview with the late Donald Pleasance. Lastly there is another Cast & Crew Tribute to Donald Pleasance and a teaser trailer.

“Halloween H20: 20 Years Later” stars off with a great Audio Commentary moderated by Sean Clark along with director Steve Miner and actress Jamie Lee Curtis. “Blood is Thicker than Water: The Making of Halloween H20” is an hour restrospective with tons of cast/crew interviews. There are six scenes from the film presented with composer John Ottman’s original score via an isolated music DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track. There are Vintage Interviews and Behind-the-Scenes Footage adding up to over 45 minutes with some great interviews. Lastly there are a Still Gallery, a TV spot and a Theatrical Trailer. Again this is another film that never had special features on Blu-ray, so this is welcomed for any fan.

“Halloween Resurrection” includes an alright Audio Commentary: Director Rick Rosenthal and editor Robert A. Ferretti. There is a collection of six deleted scenes and three alternate endings with optional director’s commentary. There are over 40 minutes are Web Cam videos edited together again with optional director’s commentary. There are tons of Vintage Interviews and Behind-the-Scenes Footage. There is also Head Cam footage, Storyboard Analysis, a Set Tour, an interview with Curtis, Still Gallery and some trailers. Most of these extras are ports from the Echo Bridge Blu-ray.

“Rob Zombie’s Halloween” comes with tons of special features. There is an outstanding must liste Audio Commentary track with Director Rob Zombie. There is over 30 minutes of Deleted Scenes, Alternate Ending & Bloopers. “The Many Faces of Michael Myers” is a featurette with cast/crew. “Re-Imagining Halloween” is a three-part extras looking at the filmmaking process. “Meet the Cast” is a chat with the actors. There are Casting Sessions, a Screen Test and Theatrical Trailer included. On the bonus disc there is still more with a ridiculous over four hour documentary “Michael Lives: The Making of Halloween”, which leaves no stone un-turned. Love or hate, the remake/re-imaging, this is a something special.

“Rob Zombie’s Halloween 2” wraps up the extras for the film. There is another solid Audio Commentary from Zombie that really dives into the film. There is tons of Audition Footage, Deleted and Alternate Scenes, Blooper Reel and Make-Up Tests. “Uncle Seymour Coffins’ Stand-Up Routines” is a three-part collection of full-length routines from the character. There are six music video from Captain Clegg and the Night Creatures, included “Zombie A Go Go”, “Honky Tonk Halloween”, “Redneck Vixen From Outer Space”, “Dr. Demon & The Robot Girl”, “Transylvania Terror Train” and Macon County Morgue”.

So have you had enough with the special features yet, there is still a bunch more…and I mean a bunch all assorted from the film. We start off with the mentioned above extended cut of “John Carpenter’s Halloween”. “Halloween Unmasked 2000” is more interviews coming into the films for about 30 minutes. There is a super brief interview with producer Moustapha Akkad. Lastly for the first film there is another Still Gallery. There is an interview with “Season of the Witch” make-up effects artist Tom Burman and some radio spots. “The Making of Halloween 4: Final Cut” dives into the production of the film and if that isn’t enough there also is “The Making of Halloween 4” which runs almost 50 minutes and goes much deeper into the film, produced by Scream Factory. Lastly there is a another Still Gallery for the fourth film.

“Inside Halloween 5” is a vintage behind-the-scenes DVD feature that is over shadowed again by Scream Factory’s “The Making of Halloween 5”. There is also another “Halloween 5” Still Gallery and a “Horror’s Hallowed Grounds” for the four, fifth and sixth film, as well as the HHG pilot episode, which focuses on John Carpenter’s original film and the HHG Fan Edition: Bus Tour. AND finally we end this release with a collection of TV spots for “Halloween 4”, “Halloween 5”, and Rob Zombie’s “Halloween” (2007) and “Halloween II” (2009). Whew, I need a nap ladies and gentlemen. This review took a week for me to produce and is easily one of the most intensive box sets I have ever tackled. Enjoy and if you are a “Halloween” fan and got a little extras spending money, I would recommend the splurge.

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Blu-ray Review “Silent Night, Deadly Night: 30th Anniversary Edition”

Actors: Lilyan Chauvin, Gilmer McCormick, Eric Freeman, Elizabeth Kaitan, Linnea Quigley
Directors: Charles E. Sellier, Jr.
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: ANCHOR BAY
Release Date: September 16, 2014
Run Time: 85 minutes

Film: 5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 2 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars

I can honestly say that I feel old celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the horror cult classic “Silent Night, Deadly Night”. I loved this film growing up as a kid (and nothing as changed today). I mean who doesn’t love the idea of a killer Santa Clause. This is the first time that this film has ever been released on Blu-ray but Anchor Bay sadly gives this film no love at all and it will surely just enrage any true horror fan. Recommended only for the very true avid collectors, otherwise stick with your DVDs.

Official Premise: “Silent Night, Deadly Night” is the heartwarming story of little Billy Chapman who was traumatized by his parents’ Christmas Eve rape and murder, then brutalized by sadistic orphanage nuns. But when a grown-up Billy is forced to dress as jolly St. Nick, he goes on a yuletide rampage to ‘punish then naughty’. Santa Clause is coming to town…and this time he’s got an axe!

So I am happy with the fact that this Blu-ray includes the original unrated version, but I am not thrilled that the transfer feels like nothing better than a DVD upscale. Also the uncut scenes are not cleaned up at all and stick out like a sore thumb. This could have easily been cleaned up in the restoration process. The audio included is not terrible boasting a decent Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track.

Then we get to the special features, which are definitely going to let down again. Firstly, they are missing the original trailer which started all the controversy and protecting about the film. There is a new commentary track from Writer Michael Hickey, Composer Perry Botkin, Editor/2nd Unit director Michael Spence and Co-Executive Producer Scott J. Schneid. It is new but is also quite a bore and almost painful to listen to. Lastly there is the unauthorized interview from director Charles E. Sellier, Jr. and Poster and Stills Gallery included.

There is plenty of effort they could have put into this release but you can tell that it is frankly just lazy. Lame special features, mixed with a poor 1080p transfer, I am left shaking my head with disappointment. When you look at what other companies like Scream Factory, Synapse Films and Grindhouse Releasing are doing with there releases, Anchor Bay is falling into the discount bargain bin category.  This is definitely not a  30th Anniversary Edition quality release.

 

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Blu-ray Review “Ghost in the Shell: 25th Anniversary Edition”

Starring: Akio Ôtsuka, Atsuko Tanaka, Kouichi Yamadera, Tamio Ohki, Iemasa Kayumi, Yutaka Nakano
Directors: Mamoru Oshii
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: ANCHOR BAY
Release Date: September 23, 2014
Run Time: 82 minutes

Film: 5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: 0 out of 5 stars

If you are counting on your fingers wondering if you are going nuts, don’t worry the answer is no. “Ghost in the Shell” did come out in 1995 and it has only been 19 years since its release. This Blu-ray celebrates the the 25th anniversary of the publication of Masamune Shirow’s original manga. If you are scratching your head again wondering how this compares to the 2009 “Ghost in the Shell 2.0” Blu-ray release, you are not alone again, but luckily I will explain. The 2.0 cut was a new version of the film with over 250 reworked scenes, remastered by Mamoru Oshii himself including a new voice cast recording and brand new score from Kenji Kawai. The original theatrical cut has never been released before on Blu-ray, so this is the first time. Honestly though unless you are a hardcore fan, who needs the original cut (which is pretty awesome to have don’t get me wrong), I wouldn’t rush out to pick this up.

Official Premise: Set in the year 2029 and following World Wars III and IV, a Japanese-led Asian block dominates world affairs. The alliance maintains its international supremacy through its elite security force whose cybernetically enhanced operatives tackle an array of hi-tech terrorists and other threats to international security. These augmented agents can “ghost hack” (i.e., download their consciousness) via the now omnipresent internet into other machines and human/machine cross breeds. Major Motoko Kusanagi, a cybernetically augmented female agent, has been tracking a virtual entity known as the Puppet Master with her crack squad of security agents. The shape-shifting Puppet Master, a rogue creation of a rival agency of the security apparatus, has concluded that it is a life form in its own right, “born in sea of information,” and requested political asylum and true physical existence in defiance of its creators.

This 25th Anniversary Blu-ray release includes a HD remaster of the original, unaltered theatrical cut of the film. This version has never been released on Blu-ray before, which is a cool thing but I expected so much more from the “25th Anniversary release” The audio tracks includes are a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 for the English track and only a LPCM 2.0 for the Japanese track. If you recall the 2009 Blu-ray we got DTS-HD Master Audio 6.1 for both Japanese and English tracks along with LPCM 2.0 as well for each. This Blu-ray just doesn’t cut it for me in comparison. Plus there are ZERO special features included on this release besides a booklet with an interview from Mamoru Oshii and an article on the “The World of Ghost in the Shell” and “The Impact of Ghost in the Shell”, which makes for a nice read but hardly enough to warrant a re-buy.

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3D Blu-ray Review “Thunder and The House of Magic”

Starring: Cinda Adams, Edward Asner, George Babbit, Murray Blue, Kathleen Browers, Joey Camen
Directors: Ben Stassen, Jeremie Degruson
Distributed: Shout! Factory
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Release Date: September 30, 2014
Running Time: 85 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
3D: 4 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars

“Thunder and The House of Magic” is the latest family movie from the directors Ben Stassen and Jeremie Degruson, who are behind other international films like “A Turtle’s Tale: Sammy’s Adventure” and “Fly Me to the Moon”. This film has a fantastic original music by composer Ramin Djawadi (“Game of Thrones”) and also from pop-star Selena Gomez. The film is clever and the visuals are definitely easy on the eyes, though the story does deliver much magic. Kids would definitely dig it and parents should be able to stomach it.

Official Premise: Thunder, an abandoned young cat seeking shelter from a storm, stumbles into the strangest house imaginable, owned by an old magician and inhabited by a dazzling array of automatons and gizmos. Thunder must learn how to get along with the other animals living there. When the magician gets into a car accident, however, the pets must join forces against an evil nephew who tries to sell his house.

Shout! Factory delivered this film with a two-disc Blu-ray™ 3D Combo Pack (including a Blu-ray 3D and 2D, DVD and digital copy). The digital copy though is outdated since it is not through Ultraviolet. The 3D in the film is great and executed very well with otherwise impressive depth. The DTS-HD Master Audio track also works well with the film’s music.

This release is currently only available exclusively at Walmart stores everywhere. There are some special features included but nothing special. “Origins” is a look into the how the film was born. “Character Animation” looks into the style used to create these fluffy stars. “The Making of the Soundtrack” dives into the tunes for the film. Lastly there is a teaser and trailer included.

 

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Blu-ray Review “Batman: Brave and the Bold: The Complete Second Season”

Voices of: Diedrich Bader, John DiMaggio, James Arnold Taylor, Will Friedle, Tom Kenny, Corey Burton
Developed by: James Tucker, Michael Jelenic
Distributed by: Warner Archive
Running Time: 590 minutes

Season: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: N/A

Season two of “Batman: Brave and the Bold” really stepped up the ante delivering the series with classics voice talent from the “Batman” franchise returning as guest stars including Julie Newmar (66’s Batman), Adam West (66’s Batman), Mark Hamill (Star Wars, Batman: The Animated Series) along with other greats including. Paul Reubens (Pee-wee’s Playhouse) and Tyler James Williams (Everybody Hates Chris). There is also a crossover featuring Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Inc. gang, who assist the Dynamic Duo in rescuing “Weird Al” Yankovic. Even genre favorite voice of Batman, Kevin Conroy, makes an appearance.

Official Premise: Braver. Bolder. Season two of “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” delivers more of the action you want, as the caped crusader continues to team up with heroes from across the DC Universe in this latest interpretation of the classic Batman franchise from Warner Bros. Animation. Featuring nonstop adventure with a touch of comic relief, Blue Beetle, Green Arrow, Aquaman and countless others uphold justice alongside Batman. Though still based in Gotham, Batman frequently finds himself outside city limits, facing situations that are both unfamiliar and exhilarating. With formidable foes at every turn, Batman must still rely on his stealth, resourcefulness and limitless supply of cool gadgets to bring justice home. With more action-packed antics and characters like Firestorm and Metal Men.

This season consists of 26 episodes including: “Long Arm of the Law!”; “Revenge of the Reach!”; “Death Race to Oblivion!”; “Aquaman’s Outrageous Adventure!”; “The Golden Age of Justice!”; “Clash of the Metal Men!”; “A Bat Divided!”; “Sidekicks Assemble!”; “The Super-Batman of Planet X!”; “The Power of Shazam!”; “Chill of the Night!”; “Gorillas in Our Midst!”; “The Siege of Starro! Part One & Two”;”Requiem for a Scarlet Speedster!”; “The Last Patrol!”; “The Mask of Matches Malone!”; “Menace of the Madniks!”; “Emperor Joker!”; “The Criss Cross Conspiracy!”; “The Plague of the Prototypes!”; “Cry Freedom Fighters!”; “The Knights of Tomorrow!”; “Darkseid Descending!”; “Bat-Mite Presents: Batman’s Strangest Cases!” and “The Malicious Mr. Mind!”

If it wasn’t for Warner Bros Archive, this series wouldn’t ever see the light of day on Blu-ray. They are making these are ordered. So they are going to be available for a limited time. If you love this show, I wouldn’t make haste with getting this. The 1080p transfers are solid and really look great. The colors are sharp and the animation is well represented. Each episode also comes with a solid DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 surround track. There are no special features included here. More still to come with “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” since there is still one more season to go! So keep an eye out mid next year since we had to wait about 10 months between the first and second seasons…but hey at least they are coming!

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Blu-ray Review “Third Person”

Starring: Liam Neeson, Mila Kunis, Adrien Brody, Maria Bello, Kim Basinger, Olivia Wilde, James Franco, Michele Melega
Director: Paul Haggis
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: September 30, 2014
Run Time: 137 minutes

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

A film from the director of “Crash” and starring Liam Neeson, Mila Kunis, Adrien Brody, Maria Bello, Kim Basinger, Olivia Wilde and James Franco”? How did I not hear about this film and why is it basically going straight to Blu-ray. I knew I had to see this since it had to be terrible. Surprising after watching, I was definitely interested in the film the entire time. It follows Haggis’ multiple storylines that are all intertwined but you don’t find out till the end. Worth checking out for great performances but a little too long for me and expect a little head scratching with the film’s big reveal.

Official Premise: “Third Person” tells three stories of love, passion, trust and betrayal, in a multi-strand story line reminiscent of Paul Haggis’s earlier Oscar-winning film Crash. The tales play out in New York, Paris and Rome: three couples who appear to have nothing related but share deep commonalities: lovers and estranged spouses, children lost and found.

“Third Person” is being released as a Blu-ray only, no DVD or Digital Copy, which is uncommon for Sony. The film still looks great on Blu-ray with it’s 1080p presentation. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is also impressive even though the film is very dialogue based.  In terms of special features, we have a decent audio commentary track Writer/Director Paul Haggis, Production Designer Laurence Bennett, Editor Jo Francis, Producer Michael Nozik, and Actor Moran Atias. There is a Q&A again with Paul Haggis, which runs just over 30 minutes. There is a quick behind-the-scenes look into “The Making of Third Person”. Lastly there is a trailer included.

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3D Blu-ray Review “Transformers: Age of Extinction”

Actors: Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Kelsey Grammer, Jack Reynor, Nicola Peltz
Directors: Michael Bay
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: September 30, 2014
Run Time: 164 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 5 out of 5 stars
3D: 5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 4 out of 5 stars

When I saw “Transformers: Age of Extinction” in theaters, I was very optimistic that this was going to “reboot” the franchise. In a sense it did but it also fell right back into the same old thing while doing so. The story like the past “Transformers” films is just chaos. There is so much going on that you just need to dumb down and just watch the action the pretty colors on the screen. That is what I believe will make you enjoy this film. It is also extremely over long. But all that aside, it is still a fun ride. It is also the year’s only $1 billion worldwide blockbuster. So expect a “Transformers 5” real soon.

“Transformers: Age of Extinction” picks up four years after the battle between the Autobots and the Decepticons left Chicago in ruins. Due to this there is an all our war and hunt against the Transformers. The humans are hunting them down under the command of Harold Attinger (Grammer). All Transformers have gone into hiding. We meet Cade Yeager (Wahlberg), a struggling investor, who comes across an old truck while looking for a way to make some money to help save his house and send his daughter (Peltz) to college. What he finds is a very injured Optimus Prime. After fixing him, the race is on to reunite with the remaining Autobots and find out the truth behind the hunt on them.

This review will focus on the Blu-ray features of this release, so if you want more about the film read our film review here. Paramount is releasing this film as a combo pack with a Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + DVD + UltraViolet digital copy. “Transformers: Age of Extinction” may not be the year’s best film but it is definitely one of the best Blu-rays. The film simply delivers a stunning 3D presentation. I loved this aspect in the theaters and I love it more at home. It is also mixed with a ton of 1.78:1 IMAX footage, which makes it even more cool, last Blu-ray to this was “The Dark Knight”. This is definitely a film that needs to be viewed in 3D and on a nice big screen. This is a very visual film and it is a marvel to watch in this format.

This Blu-ray for “Transformers: Age of Extinction” also comes stocked with the first EVER brand new Dolby Atmos surround track for ultimate presentation. The track is describes with the following “This audio presentation is mixed specifically for Dolby Atmos® enabled receivers and speaker configurations to produce full, multidimensional sound without channel restrictions in the home — even overhead. Dolby Atmos is compatible with current generation Blu-ray players. Also select this option for Dolby 7.1 TrueHD speaker configurations. For Dolby Atmos playback, set your Blu-ray player to bitstream out and disable secondary audio”. All I have to say is WOW just WOW! I spoke with a composer named Steven Price, who just won the Oscar for “Gravity” and he spoke nothing but amazing things for Dolby Atmos and it’s future.

“Transformers: Age of Extinction” also comes stocked with a nothing short of mind-blowing 7.1 TrueHD track. It is just extremely amazing. When I was watching this film, I couldn’t help but say out loud how much I loved this score. Steve Jablonsky did an amazing job of delivering a really epic score for this film. What I loved is that it is seriously go from soft to freaking insane and still blend so very well. Everything from the constant explosions (we all know how well Bay likes to blow shit up) to the transforming. This track is just plain and simple perfect. Make sure that your picture frames are secured cause this one will give those nails a run for their money.

The special features are almost just as awesome as the audio/video presentation. There are over three hours of bonus content here. First up is “Bay on Action”, which is easy enough the director talking about his craft. There is a super epic, eight-part making-of feature called “Evolution with Extinction”. It dives into everything from casting to filming locations to digital effects. It is runs cumulatively around two hours all by itself. “Just Another Giant Effin’ Movie” shows the lighter side of the production. “A Spark of Design” looks into the creation of Grimlock. “T.J. Miller: Farm Hippie” is a funny set visit with the actor. Lastly there are some trailers and fun spoofs with “Kre-O” and “Angry Birds” included.

Here is a clip from the “Rise of the Dinobots” featurette:

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    Enter to Win a Blu-ray for “Heavenly Sword”, based on Playstation video game series [ENDED]

    To celebrate the release of the movie “Heavenly Sword”, based on the Playstation video game series, 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 character from the series. This giveaway will remain open until September 26th 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.

    Nariko’s clan has long protected the “Heavenly Sword,” a god’s blade of immense power that drains its wielder of their life force. A power-hungry ruler known as the evil King Bohan seeks to obtain the sword to gain its devastating power. As the impending apocalypse nears, it remains to be seen how long Nariko can resist the sword’s deadly curse.

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    Enter to Win a Blu-ray of Clive Owen’s “Words & Pictures” [ENDED]


    To celebrate the release of Clive Owen & Juliette Binoche’s “Words & Pictures”, 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 romantic drama. This giveaway will remain open until September 26th 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.

    Prep school English teacher Jack Marcus (Owen) meets his match in Dina Delsanto (Binoche) — an abstract painter, and new teacher on campus — and challenges her to a war between words and pictures…and, in the process, sparks an unlikely romance. Stars Academy Award® winner Juliette Binoche (Best Actress in a Supporting Role, The English Patient, 1996) and Academy Award® nominee Clive Owen (Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Closer, 2004).

     

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    Blu-ray Review “Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier”

    Actors: Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders
    Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
    Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
    Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
    Release Date: September 9, 2014
    Run Time: 136 minutes

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

    Is there simply any stopping Marvel at this point? “Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier” is the latest film in the Cinematic Universe that Marvel is building, all so well! The film is really well done. It follows the events of “Captain America: The First Avenger” and of course “The Avengers”. There are tons of Easter eggs hidden throughout the film. It is well-paced and takes a very important stand in Marvel Cinematic Universe. Chris Evans is great as always. Scarlett Johansson gets some more screen time and a chance to chat as Black Widow…but when is that solo movie going to be announced. I have to say I think that Anthony Mackie steals the show as Falcon for sure. I wanted more of him. Sebastian Stan, played the Winter Soldier, signed a nine picture deal with Marvel/Disney, so are going to be seeing a lot more of him. Can’t wait to see how this all comes together now in “The Avengers 2”.

    Official Premise: From the Studio that brought you the greatest Super Hero movie of all time, “Marvel’s The Avengers”, comes “Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier”, the global phenomenon that teams Captain America (Chris Evans) with the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and a new ally, the Falcon (Anthony Mackie), in a fight for the future of mankind. Following the cataclysmic events in New York with the Avengers, Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, is living quietly in Washington, D.C. and trying to adjust to the modern world. But when a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague comes under attack, Steve becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue that threatens to put the entire world at risk. As the conspiracy deepens and it’s no longer clear whom to trust, Captain America, Black Widow and the Falcon must join forces to overthrow their insidious enemy’s most mysterious and powerful weapon yet – the Winter Soldier.

    Disney/Marvel Studios deliver easily one of the best Blu-rays this year. The 1080p transfer is absolutely perfect and just visually amazing. I was disappointed not seeing it in 3D but in 2D it was just so impressive still. Same goes for the very epic DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track, which delivers an amazing experience. The film is very action packed and this works extremely well. Special features are good but not outstanding. There is a audio commentary track with Directors Anthony & Joe Russo and screenwriters Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely, which is very extensive. “On the Front Line: An Inside Look at Captain America’s Battlegrounds” takes a look into the production. “On Set with Anthony Mackie: Cut the Check!” focuses on Falcon. Steve Rogers’ Notebook looks into the film’s differences in various international versions of the film. Lastly there are a few deleted, extended scenes and gag reel included.

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    Blu-ray Review “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: The Complete First Season”

    Starring: Clark Gregg, Ming-Na Wen, Iain De Caestecker, Elizabeth Henstridge, Chloe Bennet Number of discs: 5
    Studio: ABC Studios
    Release Date: September 9, 2014
    Run Time: 946 minutes

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

    “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” is a good show because it follows the events of “The Avengers” and keep in line with the continuity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In fact it directly links to the events of “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” while the film was still in theaters. This takes a lot of planning and preparation for sure and I appreciate that. The season starts off a little slow to be honest but the last half of the season is really a must watch for any Marvel fan. “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” also has a cast that you can’t help but love. It stars Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson, Chloe Bennet as Skye, Ming-Na Wen as Agent Melinda May, Brett Dalton as Agent Grand Ward, Iain De Caestecker as Agent Leo Fitz and Elizabeth Henstridge as Agent Jemma Simmons. Plus it is jam-packed with fantastic guest stars. Can’t wait for season two.

    “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: The Complete First Season” Official Premise: In the wake of The Battle of New York, the world has changed forever. An extraordinary landscape of wonders has been revealed! In response, mysteriously resurrected Agent Phil Coulson assembles an elite team of skilled agents and operatives: Melinda May, Grant Ward, Leo Fitz, Jemma Simmons and new recruit/computer hacker Skye. Together, they investigate the new, the strange, and the unknown across the globe, protecting the ordinary from the extraordinary. But every answer unearths even more tantalizing questions that reverberate across the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe: Who is “The Clairvoyant”? What is Hydra’s sinister master plan; what dark secret lies behind Skye’s puzzling origins; and most importantly of all, who can be trusted? Start your collection and relive all 22 thrilling episodes as you unravel mysteries, discover cool gadgets and meet iconic Marvel characters. Then, achieve Level 7 clearance and delve deeper as you explore newly declassified bonus features with this must-own set!

    ABC Studios/Disney is not usually one to bring their television shows to Blu-ray but this is a rare case. The 1080p transfer is solid on this show, I have always felt from the start that it seems to have a very “TV” feel it in terms of scale but it is still sharp. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks work for the tone of the show. The special features are a great follow up to the season. First we have “Journey Into S.D.C.C.”, which has out cast at the convention introducing the show. “Marvel Studios: Assembling A Universe” was a TV special that aired this summer. There are five Behind-The-Scenes Field Reports looking into some of fans favorite episodes. There is VFX Breakdowns on various sequences with split-frame comparisons to the final version. There are some audio commentaries with Filmmakers & Cast. Lastly there is a Gag Reel and Deleted Scenes included.

     

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    Blu-ray Review “Doctor Who: Deep Breath”

    Starring: Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman
    Rated: NR (Not Rated)
    Studio: BBC Home Entertainment
    DVD Release Date: September 9, 2014
    Run Time: 70 minutes

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

    “Deep Breath” is a big deal since it is the start of season eight for “Doctor Who”, which introduces us to Peter Capaldi taking on the role of the 12th Doctor for the first time. This season premiere was the highest rated Doctor Who season premiere on BBC America ever! Of course everyone is skeptical when a new Doctor takes over but Capaldi, no question, won me over right from the get go. I love his “Scottish” take on the character. I am not sure how he will mess with Clara but I am very open-minded. Nonetheless, this is going to be one hell of a season. Can’t wait to see what they have in store.

    Official Premise: When the Doctor arrives in Victorian London he finds a dinosaur rampant in the Thames and a spate of deadly spontaneous combustions. Who is the new Doctor and will Clara’s friendship survive as they embark on a terrifying mission into the heart of an alien conspiracy? The Doctor has changed. It’s time you knew him. Episode marks the beginning of the Twelfth Doctor’s era with Peter Capaldi as the Doctor, Jenna Coleman as his companion Clara Oswald, and sees the return of fan favorites the Paternoster Gang — Madame Vastra (Neve McIntosh), Jenny Flint (Catrin Stewart) and Strax (Dan Starkey).

    The Blu-ray release of “Doctor Who: Deep Breath” is presented in with a fantastic 1080p and an action packed DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. The real draw for this release are the exclusive special features, which will most likely not be included in the complete season. “The Real History of Science Fiction: Episode 4, “Time”” looks into the history of science fiction with Steven Moffat, David Tennant, Karen Gillan, and Neil Gaiman. “Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor” is the live announcement when the casting of Peter Capaldi as the next Doctor. Lastly there are two exclusive extras that were only shown in theaters. There is a prequel scene and a cool Behind-the-Scenes featurette.

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