Blu-ray Review “Son of God”

Starring: Diogo Morgado, Roma Downey, Louise Delamere
Director: Christopher Spencer
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
DVD Release Date: June 3, 2014
Run Time: 138 minutes

Film: 2 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars

I was brought up in a catholic household growing up and I was an alter boy for many years. Having attended catholic school or many years, I am quite aware of The Bible and it’s stories. In case you are not aware “Son of God” contains re-edited scenes from ten-hour miniseries “The Bible”, which aired in March 2013 on the History Channel. There are some new scenes in this movie, but the majority has already been show on TV. I know that producers (and also husband and wife) Mark Burnett and Roma Downey probably saw dollars signs when this show was such a big hit on TV and thought how can they make more. Isn’t greed one of the seven deadly sins 😉 Either way, I don’t blame them I just wasn’t really absorbed by the almost forced faith that was being delivered in this film. But this is just my opinions, I have heard from many people that this quite amazing and inspiring but I guess I just didn’t drink that cool aid.

Official Premise: Now, the larger-than-life story of The New Testament gets a larger-than life treatment in the stand-alone feature SON OF GOD. Told with the scope and scale of an action epic, the film features powerful performances, exotic locales, dazzling visual effects and a rich orchestral score from Oscar-winner Hans Zimmer. Portuguese actor Diogo Morgado portrays Jesus as the film spans from his humble birth through his teachings, crucifixion and ultimate resurrection. It marks the first motion picture about Jesus’ life since Passion of the Christ, released ten years ago.

20th Century Fox Told releases this film on Blu-ray as a combo pack also including a DVD and digital copy of the film. The 1080p transfer does succeed in given this film the scope and scale of an action epic film. The exotic locations and visual effects are well represented as well. The DTS-HD Mater Audio 5.1 track works well with the rich orchestral score. In terms of special features, there more faith filled goodies. Firstly there is also a Spanish version of the film included since I guess there was a big demand for that. There are two featurettes “Son of God: Reborn” and a behind-the-scenes look into the making of the film with”From The Set: The Passion”. Lastly, thereis “Faith Into Practice”, which focuses on introducing children to a relationship with Jesus Christ, which is actually quite decent (especially having a two year old myself).

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Blu-ray Review “Robocop (2014)”

Actors: Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Abbie Cornish, Jackie Earle Haley
Directors: José Padilha
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
DVD Release Date: June 3, 2014
Run Time: 117 minutes

Film: 1 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars

When I was a kid growing up in the 80’s, I remember sneaking a screening of director Paul Verhoeven’s 1987 “Robocop” and was literally speechless. It was extremely gory and very violent for a kid under 10 years old it was like nothing I have ever seen. Now I am all for films getting reboot, remake or whatever but it just has to be done right. I liked “Total Recall” remake, speaking of my childhood films (not perfect but still entertaining). If you are a fan of “Robocop”, you will know that it needs to be gritty and raw unlike this PG-13 watered down boring as hell piece of shit that we are given here. I literally haven’t hated a film as much as I did this film in a LONG time. It is almost embarrassing that today’s generation is going to watch this film today and think this is “Cool”, makes me so upset. Please steer clear for this film!

Official Premise: In “Robocop”, the year is 2028 and OmniCorp – the world’s leader in robot technology – sees a golden opportunity to reap billions for their company. When Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) – a loving husband, father and good cop doing his best to stem the tide of crime and corruption in Detroit – is critically injured, OmniCorp grabs their chance to build a part-man, part-robot police officer. OmniCorp envisions a RoboCop in every city and will stop at nothing – no matter the cost to Alex – to make sure the program succeeds. But OmniCorp never counted on one thing: there is still a man fighting inside the machine.

I have read some reviews with people claiming that this film is actually surprisingly good if you don’t come in with preconceived emotions about the first film and just watch this as a stand alone film. Well, that is a bunch of solid bullshit to be honest. There is nothing good about this film as well. The violence in the film is all be eliminated. The character of Robocop is just bored in the film and really have no objective or any real purpose to achieve. In the original film, he had a real blood vengeance and he claimed his ticket. To top it off this film is literally nearly two hours, which makes it even more painfully.

Now on the other hand, on a technical perspective. This film does look pretty great. The 1080p transfer does work for the few actual action scenes in the film. Same goes for the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 but the film’s score doesn’t even come close to the original film. In terms of special features, we get right back to being let down. “RoboCop: Engineered for the 21st Century” is a three part featurette, which goes behind-the-scenes into the production with the following “The Illusion of Free Will: A New Vision”, “To Serve and Protect: RoboCop’s New Weapons” and “The RoboCop Suit: Form and Function”. Besides that there are a few Deleted Scenes Omnicorp promos and trailers included.

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Blu-ray Review “The Nutty Professor: 50th Anniversary – Ultimate Collector’s Edition”

Starring: Jerry Lewis, Stella Stevens (I), Kathleen Freeman, Med Flory, Norman Alden, Howard Morris (I)
Director: Jerry Lewis
Number of discs: 4
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Warner Video
DVD Release Date: June 3, 2014
Run Time: 397 minutes

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

“The Nutty Professor” is easily one of Jerry Lewis’ best comedies. He directed, stars in, and co-wrote (with Bill Richmond) this very funny film, which is a parody of the classic “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”. 50 years and this film is still a laugh riot and to celebrate that date Warner Bros is releasing this film in a brand-new 50th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition. In fact this new release also received personal input from Mr. Lewis and he helped compile some of the extra content as well. This film has always been a favorite of mine and it is great to see this wonderful released put out to remind people today of what a real comedy looks like to be honest. Warner Bros has always been a leader of giving films the treatment they deserve. Their “Ultimate Collector’s Edition” releases are like none other and this is no exception. A must have for any Jerry Lewis fan!

Here is the official premise for “The Nutty Professor”: The title’s eponymous professor is Julius F. Kelp (Lewis), a shy, bumbling chemistry teacher who has a mad crush on his student Stella Purdy (Stella Stevens). When he tires of being made fun of, Kelp develops a magic potion that turns him into smooth and smarmy nightclub singer Buddy Love. Stella is drawn to Buddy but unfortunately, the potion’s formula is unstable and Buddy keeps slipping back into Julius at the most embarrassing moments. In the end the professor’s ploy is revealed, but not before he delivers a speech calling for everyone to learn to love themselves first before others can return the favor. Stella realizes she loves him for who he is and, needless to say, the ending is a happy one.

In this release we get not only “The Nutty Professor” on Blu-ray but also in DVD format as well. But wait there is still more we also get DVDs of two other well-known Lewis comedies including “Cinderfella” and “The Errand Boy”. This are great films as well. Obviously, they don’t have relation to “The Nutty Professor” but they are a nice bonus for sure. But wait there is still more…there is also a CD included of “Phoney Phone calls 1959-1972”, which features Lewis’s collection of private prank calls secretly recorded over the years. And since we are on the topic of Warner Bros and Jerry Lewis, if you are looking for more rare films be sure to check out the Warner Archive Collection (www.warnerarchive.com), which has various other Lewis’ films available including, “Family Jewels”, “Cracking Up (aka Smorgasbord)” and “Which Way to the Front?”

Since this film is celebrating it’s 50th anniversary, Warner Bros did not take that lightly and really jam-packed “The Nutty Professor” with great extras. “Jerry Lewis: No Apologies” is a brand new intimate look at the legend who has entertained and educated audiences for more than eight decades. There is a “Directors Letter”, which is specially written by Lewis himself to present this new collection. Recreated “Being A Person” is a 96 page book that is made up of drawings and quotes inspired/written by Jerry Lewis and drawn by his personal illustrator. When the first was first made there were only 250 copies of this book made and given to members of the cast and crew of “The Nutty Professor”, so this is cool to be able to own. There is also a 48-Page Storyboard Book and a 44-Page Cutting Script with Jerry’s notes included.

There is an audio commentary track with Jerry Lewis and Steve Lawrence. There is a great making of look in the film with “The Nutty Professor: Perfecting The Formula Behind-The-Scenes Footage”. “Jerry Lewis at Work” looks into the legend doing what he does best. “Jerry at Movieland Wax Museum” shows the actor visiting the location, which also includes commentary by son Chris Lewis. There are also deleted scenes, promos, bloopers, screen tests, outtakes and trailers included. With the bonus DVD includes, “Cinderfella”, there are special features as well including an audio commentary track with Jerry Lewis and Steve Lawrence, as well as Bloopers. “The Errand Boy” includes select scene audio commentary also with Jerry Lewis and Steve Lawrence. Lastly, there are also Bloopers, Promo Spots and trailer included.

The Nutty Professor 50th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition is available on Blu-ray 6/3/14 at the WB Shop http://bit.ly/TNP50THWBShop

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Win a Blu-ray Combo Pack of 2014’s “Robocop”

Fans of the classic 80’s “Robocop”, here is your chance to win a copy of the 2014 reboot on Blu-ray combo pack. To celebrate the release on Blu-ray, Media Mikes is excited to giveaway one (1) Blu-ray of the film 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 why you love Robocop? This giveaway will remain open until June 13th at Noon, Eastern Time. This is open to our readers in US and Canada only. One entry per person, per household. All other entries will be considered invalid. Media Mikes will randomly select winners. Winners will be alerted via email.

Directed by José Padilha, RoboCop stars Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Abbie Cornish, Jackie Earle Haley and Samuel L. Jackson. In RoboCop, the year is 2028 and OmniCorp – the world’s leader in robot technology – sees a golden opportunity to reap billions for their company. When Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) – a loving husband, father and good cop doing his best to stem the tide of crime and corruption in Detroit – is critically injured, OmniCorp grabs their chance to build a part-man, part-robot police officer. OmniCorp envisions a RoboCop in every city and will stop at nothing – no matter the cost to Alex – to make sure the program succeeds. But OmniCorp never counted on one thing: there is still a man fighting inside the machine. In honor of the movie’s Blu-ray, DVD, and VOD releases, we present to you the top five reasons why we love RoboCop!

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Blu-ray Review “Alexander: The Ultimate Cut – The 10th Anniversary”

Starring: Colin Farrell, Angelina Jolie, Val Kilmer, Jared Leto, Anthony Hopkins, Rosario Dawson
Director: Oliver Stone
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Warner Home Video
DVD Release Date: June 3, 2014
Run Time: 175 / 206 minutes

Ultimate Cut: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 4 out of 5 stars

“Alexander” is like the film that never goes away. Since the film was released 10 years ago there has been various cuts of the film from The Theatrical Cut to The Final Cut (which wasn’t the final cut) and now we have The Ultimate Cut right in time for the film’s 10th Anniversary. Oliver Stone really does love editing his films after they are done. The Theatrical Cut was released in 2004 and is 175 minutes. The Final Cut released in 2007 is a whopping 213 minutes and is actually structured much differently. The Ultimate Cut is a little slimmer but not by much clocking in at 206 minutes with an intermission.

Official Premise: Alexander is based on the true story of one of history’s most luminous and influential leaders; a man who had conquered 90% of the known world by the age of 25. The film chronicles Alexander’s path to becoming a living legend, from a youth fuelled by dreams of myth, glory and adventure, to his intense bonds with his closest companions, to his lonely death as a ruler of a vast empire. The film stars Colin Farrell as Alexander, Angelina Jolie as Queen Olympias, Val Kilmer as King Philip II, Anthony Hopkins as Ptolemy, Jared Leto as Hephaistion, Rosario Dawson as Roxana, Christopher Plummer as Aristotle, and Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Cassander.

Since the film was original cut to reduce violence and sexuality, the director was unable to achieve his vision. With this Ultimate Cut, Stone follows closely to the outline of his original script and clocking in 31 minutes longer that the theatrical cut, this is in fact the Ultimate Cut of this film. I have to admit, this is actually a better cut than the theatrical release. This 10th Anniversary Blu-ray both the 2004 theatrical cut and the new Ultimate Cut. I would have loved to see them go to hell with themselves and just include The Final Cut as well. This Blu-ray also includes The Ultimate Cut on Digital HD with UltraViolet.

I was really impressed with the special features included for this release because the new cut is a bonus enough but they went ahead and still delivered a bunch of new extras. Firstly, there is a new documentary “The Real Alexander and the World He Made”, which looks into the life and legacy of Alexander the Great. There is a brand new Ultimate Cut commentary track from Oliver Stone, as well as a theatrical cut commentary was well with Oliver Stone and Robin Lane Fox. Oliver’s also talented son Sean Stone has his own feature-length documentary called “Fight Against Time: Oliver Stone’s Alexander”.

There is also four featurettes included on the production including “Resurrecting Alexander”, “Perfect Is The Enemy of Good”, “The Death of Alexander” and “Vangelis Scores Alexander”. But wait there is still more included here. There is an awesome “The Art of Alexander”40-page art book, which features numerous concept drawings, production storyboards and behind-the-scenes photographs. As well as collectible packaging, with correspondence memos between Oliver Stone and his cast and crew. If you enjoyed this film or didn’t enjoy this film, this is a really great collectible and a much improved cut of the film for sure.

Alexander: The Ultimate Cut + Theatrical 10th Anniversary UCE is available on Blu-ray 6/3/14 at the WB Shop http://bit.ly/AULTWBShop

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Blu-ray Review “The Zombie Horror Picture Show”

Actors: Rob Zombie
Directors: Rob Zombie
Rated: Unrated
Studio: UMe
DVD Release Date: May 19, 2014
Run Time: 81 minutes

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

“The Zombie Horror Picture Show” is the first concert film from musician/director Rob Zombie. The 81 minute feature-length concert film was recorded over two nights in Texas and captures Zombie’s elaborate, multi-media production of mind blowing effects, animatronics robots and pyrotechnics combined with Rob’s powerhouse band featuring John 5, Piggy D and Ginger Fish. The film is being released via UMe and is available in both DVD and Blu-ray formats.

Finally Rob Zombie has decided to capture not only his power live sound but his over the top visual presentation which fans all around the world have to come to expect and love. “Rob Zombie: The Zombie Horror Picture Show” is a bombastic assault on your senses as the bands takes you on a 81 minute musical journey with songs spanning Zombies 20+ year career. The overall look of the film may be a bit chaotic at times but fans of Rob’s work with White Zombie and his subsequent solo career know what to expect.

The sound of the film is top notch only adding to the appeal as songs like “Superbeast”, “Sick Bubblegum” and the semi acoustic “House of 1,000 Corpses” blast through the speakers with clarity while still retaining that live concert feel. My only complaint is that the special features portion of this release is almost non-existent. Included in this section you do get some pretty cool still photos courtesy of Rob Fenn however with this being Zombies first concert film it would have been cool to include some behind the scenes footage and/or band interviews to help make this the total package.

Track Listing:
1.) Teenage Nosferatu Pussy
2.) Superbeast
3.) Super Charger Heaven
4.) Living Dead Girl
5.) We’re An American Band
6.) More Human Than Human
7.) Sick Bubblegum
8.) Never Gonna Stop
9.) Ging Gang Gong De Do Gong De Laga Raga
10.) Meet the Creeper
11.) Angry Red Planet
12.) Mars needs Women
13.) House of 1,000 Corpses
14.) Lords of Salem
15.) Dead City Radio and the New Gods of Super Town
16.) Thunder Kiss ‘65
17.) Dragula

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Blu-ray Review “Super Duper Alice Cooper”

Actors: Alice Cooper
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Eagle Rock
Release Date: June 3, 2014
Run Time: 127 minutes

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

“Feed Me Frankenstein”! Watching “Wayne’s World” was one of my first exposures as a kid to the legendary Alice Cooper. “Super Duper Alice Cooper” is the first ever “doc opera” around the rock star. What really drew me to the film was the it is not your typical interview after interview doc, this contains of a great blend of documentary archive footage, animation, and rock opera. What makes this even cooler is that it is from Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn of Banger Films. They guys produced other great music documentaries like of “Iron Maiden: Flight 666” and “Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage”. If you are an Alice Cooper fan, this is definitely a much purchase. If not just wait till it airs on VH1 Classic this September.

Official Premise: Super Duper Alice Cooper is the first ever “doc opera” – featuring a blend of documentary archive footage, animation and rock opera that will cement forever the legend of Alice Cooper. The film is the twisted tale of a teenage Dr. Jekyll whose rock n’ roll Mr. Hyde almost kills him. It is the story of Vincent Furnier, a preacher’s son who struck fear into the hearts of parents as Alice Cooper, the ultimate rock star of the bizarre. From the advent of Alice as front man for a group of Phoenix freaks in the 60’s to the hazy decadence of celebrity in the 70s to his triumphant comeback as 80s glam metal godfather, we will watch as Alice and Vincent battle for each other’s’ souls. Alice’s story is told not only by the man himself, but through exclusive interviews with members of the original Alice Cooper band, Elton John, Iggy Pop, John Lydon, and Dee Snider.

Like most if not all of Eagle Rock’s Blu-ray’s, “Super Duper Alice Cooper” is presented in 1080i, so not full HD. It still looks impressive I have to say, but I don’t know how they get it in line with the rest of the standard Blu-ray specs. Besides teh film, there is also tons of bonus deleted scenes included. There are Alice Cooper interviews from the VH1 Classic series “Metal Evolution”. There is also additional rare footage included. Even though Eagle Rock doesn’t love Media Mikes enough to hook us up with the Deluxe Edition of this release, I am still going to give it a plug since it is quite rad. It features not only the film but also a second DVD of previously unreleased concert footage from Montreal University in 1972. There is also a CD included of Alice Cooper’s performance at the 2009 Montreux Jazz Festival. The deluxe edition comes all together in a huge LP-sized box with 60-page hardback photobook. Now that is the real must for hardcore fans.

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Blu-ray Review “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (The Criterion Collection)”

Actors: Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Cate Blanchett, Anjelica Huston, Willem Dafoe
Directors: Wes Anderson
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Criterion
Release Date: May 27, 2014
Run Time: 118 minutes

Film: 5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 5 out of 5 stars

“The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” is a rather strange film. But at the same time it is also a quite outstanding film. I think this can really be said for all of Wes Anderson’s films. They are all on another level of filmmaking. Some people get it and some do not but they are all brilliant. Criterion has been a big proprietor of Anderson’s films on Blu-ray. I recently had a chance to check out “Fantastic Mr. Fox” on Criterion Collection and was just blown away. Now just a few months later, we are getting “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” and this is guaranteed to make fans of the film very happy. Criterion never disappoints and delivers a flawless technical presentation and a ridiculous amount of special features. I am sure that a Criterion release of “The Grand Budapest Hotel” is not to far behind either.

Official Premise: Internationally famous oceanographer Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) and his crew-Team Zissou-set sail on an expedition to hunt down the mysterious, elusive, possibly nonexistent Jaguar Shark that killed Zissou’s partner during the documentary filming of their latest adventure. They are joined on their voyage by a young airline copilot (Owen Wilson); a pregnant journalist (Cate Blanchett); and Zissou’s estranged wife, Eleanor (Anjelica Huston). Wes Anderson (Rushmore) has assembled an all-star cast that also includes Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Michael Gambon, Noah Taylor, Seu Jorge, and Bud Cort for this wildly original adventure comedy.

When it comes to Criterion, you can always expect the best audio/video presentation. In fact, I am just going to quote what the leaflet inside the case says about this amazing Blu-ray release: “Supervised by director Wes Anderson, this new digital transfer was created in 4K resolution on a Scanity film scanner from the 35mm original camera negative at Sony Colorworks in Culver City, California. Thousands of instances of dirt and debris were manually removed using MTI’s DRS, while Digital Vision’s Phoenix was for small dirt, warps, and jitter. The original 5.1 soundtrack was mastered at 24-bit from the original magnetic track using Pro Tools HD.” The transfer is absolutely flawless, especially the underwater footage. Same goes for the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, which is just perfect. This is the best release to date for this amazing film.

This release comes with some oustanding special features. Kicking off, there is an audio commentary with director Wes Anderson and cowriter Noah Baumbach, which was recorded exclusively for Criterion in New York City in February 2005. There is a “Making of” featurette with raw footage from the production with coments from Wes Anderson, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Cate Blanchett, and director of photography of Robert D. Yeoman, amongst others. There is focus on the “Designs” and “Photos” with a collection of drawings, sketches, and photographs. “Intern Video Journal” is a behind the scenes documentary shot and edited by Matthew Gray Gubler. “Seu Jorge Performs David Bowie” includes ten performances of David Bowie songs in Portuguese by Brazilian recording artist and actor Seu Jorge.

Mark Mothersbaugh, composer and Devo member discusses the amazing soundtrack for the film, which was conducted for Criterion in 2004. There are seven sets of cast and crew interviews including Cate Blanchett, Owen Wilson, Wes Anderson and many more. “Mondo Monda” is a Italian talk show hosted by Antonio Monda who interviews Wes Anderson and cowriter Noah Baumbach. “This is an Adventure” is a documentary from Albert Maysles, Antonio Ferrera, and Matthew Prinzing that was shot during the shooting of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou in Italy in 2003. Lastly, there is a the original theatrical trailer and nine deleted scenes included.

 

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Blu-ray Review “Death Spa”

Starring: Starring: William Bumiller, Brenda Bakke, Merritt Butrick, Robert Lipton, Alexa Hamilton, Ken Foree
Directors: Michael Fischa
Rated: Unrated
Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO
Release Date: May 27, 2014
Run Time: 87 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

“Death Spa” is the first title to be release under the newly revived Gorgon Video label under MPI Home Video. If you are a fan of cheesy classic 80’s horror, you are going to want to support and check out this release for sure. This is the first time that this film has ever been released on high def Blu-ray as well in its uncut, unedited version. If you are looking for tons of graphic gore, unnecessary nudity and some good laughs that look no further than “Death Spa” for a great time. Plus seriously, can you turn down a tagline like “Welcome to the health club where you’ll sweat blood”?

Official Premise: The new fitness club in town has everything a health nut could ever want: a variety of workout machines, classes taught by friendly (and frisky) instructors, and a state-of-the-art computer control system for maximum client comfort. Unfortunately it s also possessed by the evil spirit of the owner s dead wife, and before long every dumbbell, leg press, and rowing machine becomes a deadly weapon for her to enact bloody vengeance on the club s beautiful members. So if you re looking for a real workout from hell, enter DEATH SPA a new exercise in terror!

“Death Spa” hits Blu-ray with a new 1080p transfer, which was created from a 2K scan of the original camera negative. The last time I saw this film was on VHS back in the 90’s, so this was a real treat personally. The colors are sharp and the print looks solid overall, not perfect but still impressive. The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 also does the trick for this title as well. It is a well-balanced surround track. MPI also released this film as a combo pack, so there is a Blu-ray and DVD included here.

In the special features department, there is some decent new content included here. There is a commentary track from Director Michael Fischa, Producer Jamie Beardsley and Editor Michael Kewley. They comment in the track that they each haven’t seen the film in 25 years. I feel that it makes up for an interesting track for sure. Next up is “An Exercise in Terror: The Making of Death Spa”, which is a solid 50 minute behind-the-scenes look at the film. There are interviews included from Jamie Beardsley, Michael Kewley, cinematographer Ace Armenaki, actors William Bumiller, Hank Cheyne, Shari Shattuck, Elizabeth Ziegler and more. Lastly there is a theatrical trailer included.

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Blu-ray Review “Gerry Anderson’s Thunderbirds Are Go / Thunderbird 6”

Created by: Gerry Anderson
Directed by: David Lane
Distributed by: Twilight Time
Run Time: 182 minutes
MPAA Rating: G
Release Date: May 13, 2014

Films: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 4 out of 5 stars

3…2…1…Thunderbirds are Go! I loved watching “Thunderbirds” on TV when I was a kid. I loved the used of puppets (aka Supermarionation) mixed with the sci-fi/action-adventure feel. This show was just so much fun. This is the first time that “Gerry Anderson’s Thunderbirds Are Go” and “Thunderbird 6” are being released on Blu-ray. This show never really fully crossed over into the US and these films were not a huge hit at the time but since then have developed as cult classics. This Blu-ray release is an Screen Archives Entertainment Exclusive and is a Limited Edition release with only 3000 copies produced. So if you are a hardcore “Thunderbirds” fan, I would recommend picking this up quickly before it goes out of print. I hope that one day the complete series will also be released stateside, fingers crossed.

Official Premise: Thunderbirds Are Go (1966) and Thunderbird 6 (1968) are the cinematic evolution of Gerry Anderson’s hugely popular British TV series, Thunderbirds (1965-66): a mix of puppetry (via the patented Supermarionation process, which allowed synchronization of dialogue with marionette movement), sci-fi futurism, action-adventure, and undeniably fabulous Sixties-era design. Both films weave tales of the adventures of the Tracy Family, a father and five sons who, with the assistance of the glamorous British agent Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward, run International Rescue, an elite team who roam the globe—and beyond—in a humanitarian effort to help their fellow men.

Inside the case, there is a booklet with an essay from Twilight Time employee Julie Kirgo. I would have loved to see them replicate MGM’s “International Rescue Edition” DVD box set from 2004, which included cut-outs of the Thunderbird vehicles and magnets. In terms of presentation “Thunderbirds Are Go” is better looking of the two films. It is more crisp and vibrant. “Thunderbird 6” is not bad either but there definitely is some grain seen throughout the print. Each films also comes with two audio tracks. The first is a new remix, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, which I feel sound great on both films. The other is the original DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track, which is a little less epic but still a great track.

The majority of special features are recycled are taken from the 2004 DVD box set. Let’s start with “Thunderbirds Are Go”. There is a great audio commentary with Producer Sylvia Anderson and Director David Lane. There are a few great featurettes, including “History and Appeal”, which looks into the background on “Thunderbirds” and Gerry Anderson. “The Factory of Dolls and Rockets” shows up how the puppets came to life. “Epics in Miniature” looks into the changes made to go from TV to film. “What Does F.A.B. Mean?” talks about the acronym phrase. “Come with Me to the Rushes” is a very brief word from Anderson about the production. There is a Photo Montage and an Original Theatrical Trailer included.

There rest of the extras for this film are new for this Blu-ray and equally impressive. There is another audio commentary track by Film Historians Jeff Bond and Nick Redman, who have great knowledge of the source. “Excitement Is Go: Making Thunderbirds” is a great retrospective documentary talking about the series and the iflms. “Cliff Richard & The Shadows Unseen Test Footage” is black and white recored for the dream sequence. Lastly there is an isolated score includes with an DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo track. This is a great track if you love the score like myself and it just sounds amazing, even more so that the during the film itself.

“Thunderbird 6” also includes an audio commentary with Producer Sylvia Anderson and Director David Lane. “Lady Penelope” talks about creating the character. “Building Better Puppets” looks into the puppets designs for the film. “Tiger Moth” looks into the stunt work and special effects. “A Call from Stanley Kubrick” features Sylvia Anderson talking about getting asked to do special effects for “2001”. “A Television Tribute”features Anderson off-screen talking about a Dudley Moore sketch that spoofed “Thunderbirds”. Lastly there is a Photo Montage and Original Theatrical Trailer. The only new Blu-ray extra for this film is an isolated score track also like “Thunderbirds Are Go” is presented with an DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo track.

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Win a Blu-ray of Steven Soderbergh Presents “Visitors” [ENDED]


If you are a fan of the Qatsi Trilogy (Koyaanisqatsi, Powaqqatsi, and Naqoyqatsi), then you are going to want to check out “Visitors”. To celebrate the release on Blu-ray, Media Mikes is excited to giveaway one (1) Blu-ray of the film 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 film in the trilogy. This giveaway will remain open until June 6th at Noon, Eastern Time. This is open to our readers in US and Canada only. One entry per person, per household. All other entries will be considered invalid. Media Mikes will randomly select winners. Winners will be alerted via email.

VISITORS is the fourth collaboration of director Godfrey Reggio and composer Philip Glass together with filmmaker Jon Kane, advancing the film form pioneered by The Qatsi Trilogy (Koyaanisqatsi, Powaqqatsi, and Naqoyqatsi): the non-spoken narrative experience where each viewer s response is radically different yet undeniably visceral. As Reggio explains, VISITORS is aimed at the solar plexus, at the appetite within us all, the atmosphere of our soul. I see the film as a meditation, as a transcendental event. Comprised of only seventy-four shots, a series of human, animal and landscape portraits, VISITORS takes movie watchers on an emotional journey to the moon and back. As a wondrous work of artistic achievement…art with a capital A (Austin Chronicle), VISITORS produces massive effects and moves into a class of film all its own.

Special Features: Interviews with Godfrey Reggio, Jon Kane, Philip Glass, Steven Soderbergh; Trailers; The Making of VISITORS (VICE/The Creators Project)

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Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: bluray, presents, soderbergh, steven, visitors, win, ...

Blu-ray Review “McLintock!”

Actors: John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Stefanie Powers, Patrick Wayne, Yvonne De Carlo
Directors: Andrew V. McLaglen
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Paramount
DVD Release Date: May 20, 2014
Run Time: 127 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

Since “McLintock!” was available on public domain for a while, it’s past with home video release has been a little rocky. The film was loosely based on Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew” and is still quite funny today. Olive Films actually released this film on Blu-ray last year with a very solid release but it had zero special features…unlike this release. The film starred John Wayne alongside Maureen O’Hara, Yvonne De Carlo, and Wayne’s son Patrick Wayne. Who doesn’t recall the famous “spanking” scene with Patrick Wayne going to town on Stephanie Powers over his knees. If you love this film, it is worth the upgrade from the Olive release and if you don’t own it’s a no brainer.

Official Premise: John Wayne stars as George Washington McLintock, a proud, defiant cattle baron whose daughter is due home from college. But G.W.’s happy reunion is tempered by the arrival of his headstrong wife (O’Hara), who recently left him. Verbal fireworks explode, slapstick pratfalls bloom…and the Wayne-O’Hara “reconciliation” culminates with the notorious “spanking” scene and the biggest mudhole brawl this side of the Mississippi in this wild, raucous and hilarious Western comedy!

This release is being billed as the Authentic Collector’s Edition taken original film elements. The 1080p transfer is absolutely stunning for this 50+ year old film. This was scanned in 4K for the first time and looks even better than the Olive Films transfer, which was pretty damn impressive. Paramount has been really giving a lot of love really to Wayne’s films after their release of “Hondo” as well. It also features a Dolby TrueHD 5.1, which is decent but I don’t think it over powers Olive’s DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track, which is slightly more sharp. But still there is much more to this release than just a few special features to make it worth the purchase for sure.

Speaking of the special features, they start off with an introduction by Leonard Maltin. There is also a jam packed audio commentaries with Leonard Maltin, Frank Thompson, Maureen O’Hara, Stefanie Powers, Michael Pate, Michael Wayne and Andrew McLaglen. There is a lot going on here but there is some great insight into the production and it’s legacy. There is a behind-the-scenes look in to the film with “The Making of McLintock!”. “The Corset: Don’t Leave Home Without One!” is an extras for the ladies on the film’s costumes. There is a quick but cool “2-Minute Fight School”. Lastly there is a Photo Gallery and Theatrical Trailer included.

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: bluray, mclintock, review

Win a Blu-ray of Stephen Chow’s “Journey to the West” [ENDED]

You a fan of “Shaolin Soccer” or “Kung Fu Hustle”, well if so then you are in luck because the guy behind that movie Stephen Chow has a new film called “Journey to the West”. To celebrate the release on Blu-ray, Media Mikes is excited to giveaway one (1) Blu-ray of the film 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 film martial arts film. This giveaway will remain open until May 30th at Noon, Eastern Time. This is open to our readers in US and Canada only. One entry per person, per household. All other entries will be considered invalid. Media Mikes will randomly select winners. Winners will be alerted via email.

In a world plagued by demons who cause great human suffering, young demon hunter Xuan Zang risks his all to conquer a water demon, a pig demon and the demon of all demons, Sun Wukong. Adhering to his firm belief in giving of one’s self for the greater cause, he embraces the demons as his disciples. However, in order to atone for their own sins and save the common people, the four of them must embark on a journey to the West that’s full of challenges.

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Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: bluray, chows, journey, stephen, west, win, ...

Blu-ray Review “Dan Curtis’ Dracula”

Actors: Jack Palance
Directors: Dan Curtis
Rated: Unrated
Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO
Release Date: May 27, 2014
Run Time: 98 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars

The 70’s was a great time for horror films. The role of Dracula though in my mind, at least, belonged to Christopher Lee though. Got to give it to Jack Palance for a decent job but I couldn’t really get fully on board. Of course Bela Lugosi is the best, but Palance isn’t even in the same category. The film is still worth checking out due to sci-fi/horror master Richard Matheson (“I Am Legend”) writing and the involvement of the legendary Dan Curtis (“Dark Shadows”).

Official Premise: Academy Award winner Jack Palance stars in this terrifying adaptation of Bram Stoker’s classic vampire legend written for the screen by sci-fi/horror master Richard Matheson and produced by the legendary Dan Curtis (Dark Shadows). Palance is Count Dracula, whose centuries-old existence is threatened after he attacks the lovely Lucy Westenra (Fiona Lewis) and her fiancé (Simon Ward, The Tudors) calls in famed vampire hunter Dr. Van Helsing (Nigel Davenport) to investigate.

The real draw for this release is definitely the restoration job that underwent here. The film has been transferred and restored in 2K High Definition from the original 35mm camera negative for its Blu-Ray debut. The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 also works quite well with creating the mood and atmosphere. The special features though aren’t that spectacular. There are some cast/crew interviews, a trailer and also an alternate ending included.

 

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: bluray, curtis, dan, dracula, review

Blu-ray Review “Way of the Wicked”

Actors: Christian Slater, Vinnie Jones, Emily Tennant, Jake Croker
Directors: Kevin Carraway
Rated: Unrated
Studio: IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT
DVD Release Date: May 20, 2014
Run Time: 92 minutes

Film: 1 out of 5 stars
Extras: N/A

I know, I know…I need to stop being lured into watching sure to be terrible films based on the box art and list of the cast. Supernatural horror is always a big draw for me and when you put that together with the likes of Christian Slater (“True Romance”) and Vinnie Jones (“X-Men: The Last Stand”), I have a hard time saying no…even though I am sure to regret it. The film itself starts off at a snails pace and never gets it’s feet off the ground. I literally went to turn this film off after about 20 minutes and probably did mentally after that time, thanks God for gaming on my phone to pass the time. Avoid this like the plague.

Official Premise: After a series of inexplicable murders sweeps a small, isolated community, Father Henry (Slater) goes to a local police detective (Jones) with a theory on why the murders are occurring. The two learn that a troubled teen with a dark past has recently moved to town and has set his sights on the cop’s beautiful, young daughter. Father Henry, who turns out to have secrets of his own, finds himself pitted against a demonic force more diabolically evil and twisted than any of them could have imagined.

Christian Slater and Vinnie Jones are not the real stars in the “Way of the Wicked”. They are just poster boys for the film to draw you in. Jones plays the father of one of the kids in the film and Slater plays a priest that pops up in the opening scene and then disappears for a while and then comes around later in the film. The Blu-ray picture and audio are standard, nothing special. There are no special features included on this film at all. This comes absolutely bare bones, just like the film itself.

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: bluray, review, wicked
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