Blu-ray Review “David Lynch’s Wild at Heart”

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Laura Dern, Willem Dafoe, Diane Ladd, Isabella Rossellini, J.E. Freeman
Director: David Lynch
Distributed by: Twilight Time
Run Time: 125 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Release Date: April 8, 2014

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

Here is the thing about David Lynch you either really love David Lynch or you hate him. Luckily for this reviewer, he has always been one of my favorites. 1990 was an interesting time for the director, he came off the disappointing (yet now cult classic) “Dune” and the controversial “Blue Velvet”. So this wasn’t very well received but is still such a fun and crazy movie that holds up today. Just look at the cast, which speaks for itself including Nicolas Cage, Laura Dern, Willem Dafoe, Diane Ladd, Isabella Rossellini, Harry Dean Stanton. Cage is in rare form in the film and Ladd got nominated for an Oscar for her role. If you dig Lynch, Twilight Time delivered a very solid release here.

Official Premise: Adapted from the picaresque novel by Barry Gifford, writer-director David Lynch’s Wild at Heart (1990) is a scarifying road movie starring Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern as Sailor and Lula, a pair of star-crossed lovers pursued across the American landscape by all manner of horrors. Most are unleashed by Lula’s unhinged mother (played by Diane Ladd, Dern’s real-life Mom), a woman scorned who will stop at nothing to destroy Sailor.

This Blu-ray release is an Screen Archives Entertainment Exclusive and is a Limited Edition release with only 3000 copies produced. “Wild at Heart” looks quite awesome with its 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. Lynch is known for his vivid colors through his films and it is well represented here and quite intense. There is some noticeable grainy at some points, specifically in the dark scenes but it still looks great. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is a major spotlight for this releases as well, specifically with the haunting score by Angelo Badalamenti, which was always a favorite mine. In fact, there is an isolated score and effects track as well included and is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0.

In terms of special features here, there is nothing new but the extras from the past DVD releases have been ported over. “Love, Death, Elvis and Oz: The Making of Wild at Heart” is a nice in-depth look behind-the-scenes with some great interviews. There is a short but still cool vintage “Original 1990 Making Of EPK”. Dell’s Lunch Counter  includes over 20 minutes of great extended Interviews. “Specific Spontaneity: Focus on David Lynch” is a look at the director. Not sure why “David Lynch on the DVD” is included ?? since this is after all a a Blu-ray. Lastly there are some TV Spots, a motion gallery and some trailers.

 

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Blu-ray Review “Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979)”

Actors: Klaus Kinski, Isabelle Adjani, Bruno Ganz
Directors: Werner Herzog
Format: Anamorphic, Blu-ray, NTSC, Widescreen
Language: English, German
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Number of discs: 1
Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Shout! Factory
DVD Release Date: May 20, 2014
Run Time: 107 minutes

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

“Nosferatu (1922)” is no question one of the first and still one of the best horror films to date. Werner Herzog’s 1979 remake “Nosferatu the Vampyre” is a great film to side-by-side with the original. Klaus Kinski captured the character perfectly and gave me nightmares growing up. This is the first time that this film is being released on Blu-ray in the U.S., thanks to the always amazing Scream Factory and includes both the German and English language cuts of the film. Of course fans know the German is the best but it is nice to have the option for both. A must have for any horror fan.

Synopsis: It is 1850 in the beautiful, perfectly-kept town of Wismar. Jonathan Harker is about to leave on a long journey over the Carpathian Mountains to finalize real estate arrangements with a wealthy nobleman. His wife, Lucy begs him not to go and is troubled by a strong premonition of danger. Despite her warnings, Jonathan arrives four weeks later at a large, gloomy castle. Out of the mist appears a pale, wraith-like figure with a shaven head and deep-sunken eyes who identifies himself as Count Dracula. The events that transpire slowly convince Harker that he is in the presence of a vampyre. What he doesn’t know is the magnitude of danger he, his wife and his town are about to experience.

Even though this is the U.S. debut on Blu-ray,  this has been released before in Germany. It came with pretty impressive German DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track but here we only get a DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo track. It still works for the most part but you can just feel the missing potential. Same goes with the 1080p transfer, which is decent but not really stunning, as I would have expected. It is framed in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. Like all Scream Factory releases, there is also a reversible cover with the classic white theatrical poster design as well.

In terms of special features, I felt kind of let down again especially compared to the German Blu-ray. We are missing Erwin Keusch and Christian Weisenborn’s documentary film “I Am My Films – A Portrait of Werner Herzog (1979)” and the soundtrack featurette. What we do get left over are two audio commentary tracks with writer/producer/director Werner Herzog and also a German language with English subs track again with Werner Herzog, moderated by Laurens Straub. I did enjoy the vintage featurette, “The Making of Nosferatu”. Lastly there are also Theatrical Trailers included.

 

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Blu-ray Review “After the Dark”

Actors: James D’Arcy, Bonnie Wright, Rhys Wakefield, Jacob Artist, Sophie Lowe
Directors: John Huddles
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Phase 4 Films
DVD Release Date: May 6, 2014
Run Time: 107 minutes

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

After watching “Cloud Atlas”, I became a huge fan of James D’Arcy. I thought this film had an interesting premise, which revolves around blending philosophy and ethics with the visualization of thought experiments. A little deep for me but I couldn’t watch this film just once. In fact, I had to watch it twice in a room because it really drew me in. This is a film that makes you think and not for everyone but that is what also makes it great since it requires a viewer with a brain.

Official Premise: Faced with an impending nuclear apocalypse, a group of twenty college students must determine which ten of them would take shelter underground and reboot the human race. The decision quickly becomes deadly as each in the group turns against each other in a desperate fight for survival.

Along with James D’Arcy, there is some great talent co-starring with him in this film. Bonnie Wright (“Harry Potter” series), Rhys Wakefield (“The Purge”) and Daryl Sabara (“Spy Kids” series). Personally, I can do without Sophie Lowe (“Once Upon a Time in Wonderland”), she needs to learn to speak up a little bit. Otherwise, I loved the cast as much as I loved this film.

Phase 4 Films released this film on Blu-ray with a very impressive 1080p transfer. I love the visual style of the film and it is well represented here. The biggest letdown for this Blu-ray though has to be the audio track included, which is only a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound track. This film has such an amazing score and it really deserves a high definition track. Bad move, Phase 4! The extras are a little light as well with a brief behind-the-scenes featurette, some cast interviews and theatrical trailers.

 

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3D Blu-ray Review “The Legend Of Hercules 3D”

Actors: Kellan Lutz, Scott Adkins, Liam Garrigan
Director: Renny Harlin
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Summit Inc/Lionsgate
DVD Release Date: April 29, 2014
Run Time: 98 minutes

Film: 2.5 out of 5 stars
3D: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars

Renny Harlin is quite the well respected action film director having done classics like “Die Hard 2”, “Cliffhanger” and “Deep Blue Sea”. “The Legend of Hercules” is the first of two films focusing on the mythical Greek hero. Unfortunately, this one stars “The Twilight Saga” star Kellan Lutz, which doesn’t really hold its weight against Brett Ratner’s “Hercules”, which stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The film takes itself way too serious and fails completely. Luckily there are some decent action scenes but they also feel too dramatic and therefore also laughable. I would wait until this summer if you want to watch a film about Hercules to be honest.

Official Premise: “The Legend Of Hercules follows the mythical Greek hero Hercules, the son of Zeus, who is blessed with extraordinary strength as a half-god, half-man. Banished by his stepfather, the king, Hercules slowly becomes aware of his true origins as the son of Zeus. As he learns to harness his demi-god powers, Hercules gathers an army to fight his way back to his kingdom in this action-filled epic.

Summit/Lionsgate released this film as a combo pack including a 3D and 2D version of the film on one Blu-ray along with an Ultraviolet Digital Copy. What the film does score a near perfect score with its audio and video. I thought the 3D transfer was quite awesome. Since the film is so brainless it leaves room for plenty of fast action scenes which looks quite awesome in the third dimension. From the rain to the fire to the lightning, the depth is there and it added a lot to this film. In fact, I would go as far as to say that without the 3D, I wouldn’t even have been able to finish watching this.

Even though some of the CGI looked a little cheesy, overall the 1080p transfer packed that certain 300” style feel but more on a direct-to-video standard. The real VIP of this release has to be the DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track, which literally shook my walls. I was very impressed with this track, especially for a film like this. The only special features included here are a short behind-the-scenes featurette “The Making of The Legend of Hercules” and an audio commentary with Kellan Lutz and director Renny Harlin. Although there is talent is on the track, it doesn’t make the film any more watchable unfortunately.

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Blu-ray Review “The Art of the Steal”

Actors: Kurt Russell, Terence Stamp, Matt Dillon, Jay Baruchel
Directors: Jonathan Sobol
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: ANCHOR BAY
DVD Release Date: May 6, 2014
Run Time: 90 minutes

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

What a cast! When I saw the cover for “The Art of the Steal”, I thought that this was a film that I had to see. I had a feeling that it wouldn’t be much otherwise, I think this would have been released bigger in theaters. I was right, the film is smart, funny but lacks that real draw that films like “Ocean’s 11” or “The Italian Job” packed. Nonetheless, the film is worth checking out especially for impressive cast including Kurt Russell, Terence Stamp, Matt Dillon and Jay Baruchel.

Offical Premise: Crunch Calhoun (Kurt Russell), a third rate motorcycle daredevil and semi-reformed art thief, agrees to get back into the con game and pull off one last big art heist with his conniving brother, Nicky (Matt Dillon). Reassembling the old team, Crunch comes up with a plan to steal a priceless historical book, but the heist leads to another far riskier plan devised by Nicky. They fail to realize each other’s separate agendas when their plan goes awry in this con movie about honor, revenge and the bonds of brotherhood.

The Blu-ray is standard for this crime thriller. The 1080p transfer shows off the impressive locations otherwise, there is no high tech heists here. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is solid. In the special features, there is an audio commentary track with writer/director Jonathan Sobol and producer Nicholas Tabarrok. Lastly there are two featurettes including “Doing the Crime: Making The Art of the Steal” and “The Making of ‘The Theft of the Mona Lisa'”. Nothing too spectacular but not terrible either.

 

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Blu-ray Review “Black Nativity”

Actors: Forest Whitaker, Angela Bassett, Jennifer Hudson
Director: Kasi Lemmons
Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: April 15, 2014
Run Time: 93 minutes

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

I am sucker for musicals, especially around the holiday season. “Black Nativity” got lost in a sea of films that came out late last Fall. The film posts a very impressive cast including Forest Whitaker, Angela Bassett, Tyrese Gibson, Jennifer Hudson and Mary J. Blige. I really enjoyed the gospel take of these traditional Christmas songs, but when the music stops the fun stops for me. I was literally yearning for the next song in order to make myself enjoy this film.

Official Premise: Struggling to pay the bills, single mom Naima (Jennifer Hudson) sends her teenage son Langston (Jacob Latimore) to live with his estranged grandparents, Reverend Cornell and Aretha Cobbs (Forest Whitaker and Angela Bassett) in New York City. At first Langston resents their strict household, but with the help of new friends — and a little divine intervention — he embarks on an inspirational journey of self-discovery that brings the whole family together.

I personally don’t understand why Fox chose to release this film in April especially due to its themes but I guess they just wanted to drop it out. They also tried to change the cover art to make it seem less holiday related but it fails in my opinion. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track really gets a nice work out through these gospel-infused classics. The only special features included on this release are some Blu-ray exclusive deleted scenes and promotional featurettes. Nothing special at all.

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Blu-ray Review “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”

Actors: Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Adam Scott
Director: Ben Stiller
Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: April 15, 2014
Run Time: 115 minutes

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

“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” was released last holiday season and basically lost in a sea of films. The film boasts an incredible cast. Ben Stiller is fun yet also inspiring in this film, also takes on director duty as well. I love his more dramatic work. Kristen Wiig is also growing on me quite a bit recently. When you watch this film you are just blown away by the shooting locations. When you find out that this costed $90+ million you easily understand why. For those people that are daydreamers wishing for an adventure daily, this is a great film to check out. It may not be for everyone since it isn’t your typical film but I really enjoyed it and I have a feeling this is going to have a life after theaters.

Official Premise: With sweeping cinematography and stellar performances “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”, tells the story of a timid magazine photo manager who lives life vicariously through daydreams and when a negative goes missing must embark on an incredible true-life adventure. With stand-out performances from Ben Stiller (“Night At The Museum”, “Meet The Parents”), Kristen Wiig (“Saturday Night Live”, “Bridesmaids”), Adam Scott (“Parks and Recreation”) and Shirley MacLaine (“Wild Oats”).

“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” is released as a combo pack including a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD Ultraviolet copy. The 1080p transfer on this film is absolutely stunning. They really shot this in some amazing locations and it really transfer well to Blu-ray (though I am sure it was more beautiful in theaters). The DTS-HD-MA 7.1 is a nice surprise as well and really adds a lot to the film’s experience. Between the action and the score, I was in love with this track. Also included inside this combo pack is a special gift of a Shutterfly 20-page 8×8 hardcover photo book which is valued at $29.99. Honestly, love the movie or hate it but if you can pick this up cheap at Target or Amazon, it is worth the purchase alone.

In the special features section, there is a nice in-depth look on the behind-the-scenes of the film. It is split up into nine different sections including a look into the following “The History of Walter Mitty”; “The Look of Life”; “That’s A Shark” (my favorite); “The Music of Walter Mitty”; “Icelandic Adventure”; “Nordic Casting”; “Titles of Walter Mitty”; “Sights and Sounds of Production” and “Pre-Viz”. There is also a collection of five deleted scenes, two extended scenes and two alternate scenes. For photo buffs there is an amazing Reference Photography Gallery included. Then wrapping up the extras is an Music Video for “Stay Alive” by José González and a Theatrical Trailer.

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Enter to Win “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” on Blu-ray [ENDED]

To celebrate the release of “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” on Blu-ray, Media Mikes is excited to giveaway one (1) copy of the film on Blu-ray. 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 Ben Stiller film. This giveaway will remain open until April 25th 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.

With sweeping cinematography and stellar performances “THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY”, tells the story of a timid magazine photo manager who lives life vicariously through daydreams and when a negative goes missing must embark on an incredible true-life adventure.

With stand-out performances from Ben Stiller (*Night At The Museum, Meet The Parents) *Golden Globe** and six-time Emmy Award*** nominated actress Kristen Wiig (*Saturday Night Live, Bridesmaids, How To Train Your Dragon*), Adam Scott (*Step Brothers*) and Shirley MacLaine (*Wild Oats*), the THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY Blu-ray and DVD is loaded with more than an hour of behind-the-scenes special features, including deleted, extended and alternative scenes, featurettes that dive into filming in Iceland and Walter Mitty history, a gallery of exclusive reference photography, and music video “Stay Alive” by José González, and more.

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Blu-ray Review “Holliston: The Complete Second Season”

Actors: Adam Green, Joe Lynch, Corri English, Laura Ortiz, Dave Brockie, Dee Snider
Directors: Adam Green, Sean Becker
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT
Release Date: April 8, 2014
Run Time: 220 minutes

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

If you are a horror fan, then plain and simple it is in your blood to love “Holliston”. It was created by and also stars Adam Green (“Hatchet” series) along with Joe Lynch (“Wrong Turn 2”, “Chillerama”), who also executive produced. These guys are very talent directors and are taking over the genre. The series also crosses over into horror-metal music as well with appearances from Dee Snider and the late Dave Brockie aka Oderus Urungus from the band GWAR. The show focuses on some hororr themes but is also funny as hell and totally over-the-top. The second season amps up the ante with great new guest stars and takes the show to a whole new level of kick-ass.

Official Premise: The most original, groundbreaking sitcom to ever hit television is back with a whole new level of hilarity and outrageousness! Join Adam (Adam Green, Frozen), Joe (Joe Lynch, Knights of Badassdom), Laura (Laura Ortiz, The Hills Have Eyes), Corri (Corri English, Devil May Call), Oderus Urungus (GWAR’s Dave Brockie), and Lance Rockett (Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider) as they deal with zombies, werewolves, a suicidal horror icon, a cursed videotape, a psychotic 11-year-old girl and so much more!

Personally, this was a little hard for me to review right now with the passing of Dave Brockie last month. I have been a huge GWAR fan for the last 20+ years and he is gone just way too soon. He was hysterical in this show and was a legend in the music business. Some of the toher amazing guest stars from this season include Seth Green (“Family Guy”), Bailee Madison (“Trophy Wife”), Sid Haig (“The Devil’s Rejects”), Kane Hodder (“Friday the 13th” franchise), Danielle Harris (“Halloween” franchise), David Naughton (“An American Werewolf in London”) and more!

So like I said this season really stepped it up for the show. Some of the cool highlights include a Japanese horror inspired episode; a found footage episode and wraps up with an amazing season finale with not one but two musical numbers from the cast. If that doesn’t sound cool enough, also included is the uncut version of the show’s animated Christmas Special episode which bridgess the first and second seasons together.

But wait there is more! This Blu-ray also includes some solid special features. There are commentary tracks for each episodes including Creator/Star Adam Green, Director Sean Becker, Executive Producer/Star Joe Lynch and Star Laura Ortiz. There are is a great behind-the scenes look into the making of the show, which is a must watch for fans. There are some Deleted Scenes and Bloopers included. There are also some bonus Music Videos from the series.

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Blu-ray Review “Better Living Through Chemistry”

Starring: Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, Michelle Monaghan, Ray Liotta, Jane Fonda
Directors: Geoff Moore, David Posamentier
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Universal Studios
Release Date: April 15, 2014
Run Time: 92 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: N/A

“Better Living Through Chemistry” is a film that came out of nowhere for me but packs an amazing cast. Sam Rockwell was amazing in “The Way Way Back” last year. I fell in love with Olivia Wilde due to her role in “TRON Legacy”, Michelle Monaghan was great in HBO’s “True Detective”. Then wrapping up the cast is Ray Liotta, who is always great and Jane Fonda, who is a legend. The film is a fun dark comedy but takes its self a little too serious. I enjoyed this but I consider it a one-timer. It is just a shame that all that talent didn’t have the power to drive this film further.

Official Premise: Rockwell stars as Doug Varney, a small town pharmacist with an overbearing wife (Monaghan) and an uneventful life running the drugstore he bought from his insufferable father-in-law. Following a chance encounter with a lonely trophy wife (Wilde), Doug embarks on an exhilarating drug-and-alcohol-fueled affair with the most glamorous woman he has ever met.

Universal Studios is behind this release giving the film a combo pack release with a Blu-ray + Digital HD UltraViolet Copy. The film comes stocked with the typical comedy 1080p transfer and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. It is nothing special yet not bad either. There are no special features are included on this release, other than a digital copy which is really no longer considered a special feature these days.

 

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Blu-ray Review “Star Trek: Enterprise – Season Four”

Starring: Scott Bakula, John Billingsley, Jolene Blalock, Dominic Keating, Anthony Montgomery, Linda Park
Number of discs: 6
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: April 29, 2014
Run Time: 1009 minutes

Season: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Well this is the end folks. Season four is the final season of “Star Trek Enterprise”. The series starred Scott Bakula, Jolene Blalock, Connor Trinneer, Dominic Keating, Linda Park, Anthony Montgomery and John Billingsley. These final episodes follows the adventures of the first Earth-built vessel capable of breaking the Warp 5 barrier. The show was no question cut off too show. Season four was one of the best seasons but luckily since being canceled it has spawned a nice new life with fans. Since being canceled though, this marks the first time that the series “Star Trek” has not had a TV show on the air since The Original Series. This is a must own for all Trekkies.

Official Premise: In the final harrowing season of Star Trek: Enterprise, timelines collide as Captain Jonathan Archer and his crew rally with humans and other species to form the Federation and prevent intergalactic war. Starfleet and the crew of the Enterprise are put to the test as they fight to avoid a deadly virus on the ship, deal with an alternate “mirror” universe, battle radical alien factions, and prevent the alteration of history – including a Nazi-occupied America. If the Temporal Cold War is not brought to an end, history and life as they know it will be forever altered.

Episodes included in this season are: “Storm Front, Part I”; “Storm Front, Part II”; “Home”; “Borderland”; “Cold Station 12”; “The Augments”; “The Forge”; “Awakening”; “Kir’Shara”; “Daedalus”; “Observer Effect”; “Babel One”; “United”; “The Aenar”; “Affliction”; “Divergence”, “Bound”; “In A Mirror, Darkly, Part I”; “In A Mirror, Darkly, Part II”; “Demons”; “Terra Prime” and “These Are The Voyages”

“Star Trek: Enterprise – Season Four” boasts the best Blu-ray presentation out of the series. The 1080p transfer on these episodes are fantastic. This season was quite ambitious and really looked great. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks are equally impressive. I am going to miss hearing that theme song circle my surround sound system, luckily these episodes have great replay value. Other audio track included are German 5.1 Dolby Digital, French Stereo Surround and Japanese Stereo Surround as well. The discs also include English SDH, French, German, Japanese and Dutch subtitles.

If you are a fan of this series, you know that they have been jam-packed with amazing new and ported special features. The real highlight to this release was “In Conversation: Writing Star Trek Enterprise”, which is an exclusive, 90-minute writing staff reunion special. It brings together series creator and executive producer Brannon Braga, along with Mike Sussman, André Bormanis, David Goodman, Chris Black, Phyllis Strong, and Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens talking in great detail about behind-the-scenes stories for this series. There is also a newly produced, four-part documentary “Before Her Time: Decommissioning Enterprise,” which includes more in-depth interviews with the cast and crew.

Those two new extras and much of the rest of the extras resides on the sixth disc. Disc one includes a Deleted Scene on “Storm Front”, an Extended Scene and Script Gallery: Original Editing on “Home” and Archival Mission Logs: Enterprise Moments: Season Four. Disco two includes a brand new episode commentary track with Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens and Mike & Denise Okuda on “The Forge”. There is also a text commentary from 2005 with Mike & Denise Okuda on “The Forge”. Disc three includes another brand new episode commentary track with Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens and Mike & Denise Okuda on “Observer Effect”.

Disc Four includes another brand new episode commentary track with Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens and David Livingston on “United”. There is also a Deleted Scene on “The Aenar”. Disc Five kicks off with five commentary tracks. The first is from 2005 with Mike Sussman and Tim Gaskill on “In A Mirror, Darkly, Part I”. On the same episode, there is also an episode commentary with James L. Conway, Mike Sussman and Mike & Denise Okuda, which is brand new. Mike Sussman and Tim Gaskill have a commentary track from 2005 on “In A Mirror, Darkly, Part II”, again also on this episod is a 2005 text commentary from Mike & Denise Okuda on “In A Mirror, Darkly, Part II”. The last episode commentary is with Connor Trinneer and Dominic Keating on “Demons”, which is also brand new. Lastly there is a Deleted Scene from “In A Mirror, Darkly, Part II”, Archival Mission Logs: Inside the Mirror Episodes included.

Disc Six includes yet another three commentary tracks. The first is a brand new track with Connor Trinneer and Dominic Keating on “Terra Prime”. There is a 2005 episode commentary track with Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens and Tim Gaskill on “Terra Prime”. Lastly there is a text commentary with Mike & Denise Okuda on “These Are The Voyages” from 2005. There is a four part featurette including, “New Voices”, “Memorable Voyages”, “Final Approach” and “End of an Era”. Rounding out there extras are a few Archival Mission Logs, Outtakes Photo Gallery and an NX-01 File 10. Great way to close out a series.

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Blu-ray Review “Bad Ass 2: Bad Asses”

Starring: Danny Trejo, Danny Glover, Andrew Divoff, Jacqueline Obradors, Jonathan Lipnicki, Dante Basco
Director: Craig Moss
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: April 8, 2014
Run Time: 91 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1.5 out of 5 stars

When I first saw the film “Bad Ass” with Danny Trejo and Danny Glover. I just knew it was going to be a riot. But after watching it I was really left speechless. The film was so over-the-top and crazy that it has you laughing out of loud screaming “DAMN!”. When I saw that the senior citizen duo were back in business for a second one, I thought to myself “Really?” but if you liked the first one this is still quite the trip.

Official Premise: Vietnam vet Frank Vegas (Trejo) not run an East L.A. Community center where he trains young boxers to survive in and out of the ring. But when his prize student falls in with the wrong crows and turns up dead, Frank teams up with his pal Bernie (Glover) to take matters into their own fists and prove that justice never gets old.

Danny Trejo and Danny Glover are really fun together. I can watch Trejo in anything he does, the guy is really a rock star. Not a huge Glover fan personally but he supports Trejo well. They are also a little more hammy this time around. The film also co-stars Jonathan Lipnicki (“Jerry Maguire”) and Andrew Divoff (“Wishmaster”).

Fox delivered the film as a combo pack including a Blu-ray and Ultraviolet HD digital copy. The 1080p transfer works well with the film and action. Remembering the first film it wasn’t that special either. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is solid as well. There is only one special feature included, which is a “Making of Bad Asses” featurettes, which gives a brief behind-the-scenes looks.

If you enjoyed this film, then don’t worry since the third film in this new franchise just finished being filmed and is called “Bad Ass 3: Bad Asses on the Bayou”, which might be taking this a little too far but strangly enough I am still game. How about you?

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Blu-ray Review “Philomena”

Actors: Judi Dench, Steve Coogan
Director: Stephen Fears
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: ANCHOR BAY
Release Date: April 15, 2014

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

Who doesn’t love Judi Dench? The woman is a legend. She continues to show just how amazing she is through her films. She is able to be sly and cool playing M in new James Bond series and then she is able to play very sharp and touching characters like Philomena Lee. The film is based on the 2009 investigative book by Martin Sixsmith “The Lost Child of Philomena Lee”. In terms of acting, WoW! Both Dench and Steve Coogan really give wonderful performances. I really enjoyed the that the film was able to blend nicely the comedy with the drama. It is probably a film I will never watch again but definitely work checking out if you enjoy watching the actors at their best.

Official Premise: Judi Dench stars in the story of Philomena Lee, mother to a boy conceived out of wedlock and given up for adoption. Nearly 50 years later, Philomena meets Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan), a former BBC reporter looking for his next big story. Together, they embark on a journey to locate her long lost son. As the pieces of the puzzle come together, the unlikely travel companions form a comic and heartwarming friendship.

“Philomena” gets delivered to us as a Blu-ray combo pack along with an Digital HD UltraViolet copy. The 1080p transfer and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track work well for the simple film that this is. There is nothing really wrong but at the same time nothing really special either. The Blu-ray comes with some decent special features. There is “A Conversation with Judi Dench”, which talks about the character which she takes on in the film. “The Real Philomena Lee” is a nice biography of the featured lady. There is a Q&A with Steve Coogan, who is always brilliant. Lastly there is a audio commentary with Steve Coogan and Screenwriter Jeff Pope, definitely worth a listen.

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

Blu-ray Review “Knights of Badassdom”

Actors: Peter Dinklage, Steve Zahn, Ryan Kwanten, Summer Glau, Danny Pudi
Directors: Joe Lynch
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Entertainment One
Release Date: April 1, 2014
Run Time: 86 minutes

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

With a title like “Knights of Badassdom”, how can you really go wrong? With a cast like Ryan Kwanten (“True Blood”), Peter Dinkage (“Game of Thrones”), Summer Glau (“Firefly”), Steve Zahn (“Saving Silverman”), Danni Pudi (“Community”) and Jimmi Simpson (“House of Cards”), how can you really go wrong? Unfortunately “Knights of Badassdom” was shot back in 2010 and has since sat on a shlef waiting to be released. To make things worse, the film was directed by Joe Lynch (“Holliston”, “Wrong Turn 2”) but this film that we get today is not his film. This Blu-ray contains a brutalized producers cut, which is just sad to me. I enjoyed watching the film but I know it could have been so much better. The cast alone makes this worth watching for sure, everyone is gold here.

Official Premise: “Knights of Badassdom” follows three best friends and dedicated LARPers (Live Action Role Players) as they take to the woods to reenact a dungeons and dragons-like scenario fresh out of the mythical Middle Ages. Trouble arises after they unwittingly conjure up some serious evil in the form of a blood-lusting Succubus, from the pits of hell. Fantasy and reality collide on the Fields of Evermore in an all-out epic battle of make-believe wizards, demons and assorted mythical creatures.

The 1080p transfer for this looks decent, I wasn’t really blown away. For me the main start was the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, I was IN LOVE with this film’s score and music. Whether you love this film or not I highly recommend checking out the soundtrack to this film, it is really epic and this track really nails it (check out our review here). In terms of special features, the only meaty extra is a panel from San Diego Comic Con. There is some promotional material including some interviews and fun YouTube shorts included. There is also an interview with the director Joe Lynch talking about the film (in standard definition). Lastly there is a trailer included. Would have loved to see a featurette on the music and the visual/practical effects.

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

Blu-ray Review “The Nut Job”

Starring: Will Arnett, Brendan Fraser, Liam Neeson, Katherine Heigl, Stephen Lang, Maya Rudolph, Jeff Dunham, Gabriel Iglesias
Directed by: Peter Lepeniotis
Distributed by: Universal Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: PG
Release Date: April 15, 2014
Running Time: 86 minutes

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

I remember the first time I saw the trailer in theaters for “The Nut Job”, I was literally laughing out loud. The film is made for kids but it is filled with tons of great adult jokes that makes this enjoyable to watch with your kids. The film was released this past January which was perfect timing for kids and parents looking for something new since “Frozen” took over the marketplace and it became a nice little hit. The story itself does not have the most meaty plot but it is entertaining for sure and the jokes are very sharp. Plus you can already expect “The Nut Job 2”, when it gets released in January 2016.

Official Premise: Surly (Arnett) is a mischievous squirrel with a mission: to find the tastiest nuts for winter. When he discovers a whole store filled with his favorite food, he plans a heist of nutrageous proportions. But the place turns out to be owned by ruthless bank robbers so it’s up to Surly and his furry friends to stop the nearby bank heist and save the town.

The film is not only funny and entertaining but also packed an all-star cast, Will Arnett (“Arrested Development”) is tearing up the voice-over world with this film and also stealing the show in “The Lego Movie”. Along with him there is Brendan Fraser (“The Mummy), “Liam Neeson (“The Grey”), Katherine Heigl (“Knocked Up”), Maya Rudolph (“Bridesmaids”), Jeff Dunham (“Spark of Insanity”) and Gabriel Iglesias (“Magic Mike”). Tons of great talent.

Universal released this film as a Blu-ray Combo Pack including a Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD with UltraViolet. I am a little bummed since this was released on 3D Blu-ray also and you can tell that there are some good in-your-face moments in the film. The 1080p transfer is really solid. The animation is not Pixar quality but it is well-done. There is no shortage of color in the film for sure, especially having a purple squirrel. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks works with the comedy, as well as the action and music.

The special features included are pretty good, especially for kids. There are a few deleted scenes that didn’t make it into the final version of the movie. You are able to watch key scenes from the film brought to life from the original sketches in the “Storyboards” section. “The Great Nut Heist” features Will Arnett, the voice of Surly the squirrel talking about the role. “Dance-Off End Credits” is a fun way to get the kids off their feet. Lastly there are two new animated shorts including “Surely Squirrel” and “Nuts & Robbers”.

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