Blu-ray Review “John Carpenter Presents Body Bags”

Actors: Tobe Hooper, Robert Carradine, Stacy Keach, David Warner, Mark Hamill
Directors: John Carpenter, Tobe Hooper, Larry Sulkis
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Shout! Factory
Release Date: November 12, 2013
Run Time: 95 minutes

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

“Body Bags” was a made-for-TV anthology that aired on Showtime. Originally it was planned to be a television series, similar to HBO’s “Tales from the Crypt” but never panned out. The film is jam-packed with great genre talent including Mark Hamill (“Star Wars”), Robert Carradine (“Revenge of the Nerds”), Tom Arnold (“True Lies”), Sam Raimi (“Evil Dead”), Stacy Keach (“Up In Smoke”), David Warner (“TRON”) Deborah Harry, Sheena Easton, Twiggy (Member of Marilyn Manson), David Naughton (“An American Werewolf In London”), John Agar (“Tarantula”) and great cameos by Wes Craven, Tobe Hooper and Roger Corman. Overall, this may not be the best anthology but it is still a blast to watch and a must have for any true horror buff.

Official Premise: Two Masters of Horror John Carpenter (“Halloween”, “The Thing”) and Tobe Hooper (“The Texas Chain Saw Massacre”, “Lifeforce”) come together to create a chilling anthology of terror. Alex Datcher (“Passenger 57”) stars as a woman working the late shift at The Gas Station while a killer is on the loose. Then, Stacy Keach (“Road Games”) can’t stand the thought of losing his Hair and he’ll do anything to keep it. And finally, Mark Hamill (“Star Wars”) portrays a baseball player that submits to an Eye transplant after he loses an eye in a car accident.

Shout! Factory delivered this film as a Blu-ray + DVD combo pack. The 1080p transfer looks decent for a made-for-TV film and the DTS-HD Master Audio track works with the film’s suspense and score. In terms of special features, there is some great content here for horror fans. There are three audio commentary tracks included, the first is with director John Carpenter and actor Robert Carradine on “The Gas Station”. The second is again with director John Carpenter and joined by actor Stacy Keach on “Hair”. The last with with producer Sandy King on “Eye” and is moderated by Justin Beahm. There are some some great new interviews with John Carpenter, Producer Sandy King and actors Stacy Keach and Robert Carradine. Lastly there is a trailer included as well.

Sabrina Carpenter talks about her role in “Girl Meets World”

Sabrina Carpenter is a 13 years old actress and a very talented musician. She is a Hollywood Records artist and her song “Smile” was released on “Disney Fairies” CD. She was also recently cast in the series pilot for “Girl Meets World”, the sequel to “Boy Meets World”. In Disney Junior’s “Sofia The First”, she voices and also sings for the role of Princess Vivian. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Sabrina about her role in “Girl Meets World” and about the pilot.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about your character, Maya Fox, in upcoming series “Girl Meets World”?
Sabrina Carpenter: Maya is Riley Matthews’ best friend. She is a little darker than Riley. She cares so much for her. I think that is what keep her sane is having Riley by her side. They are two opposites but love each other so much and have such an appreciation for each other.

MG: How was it shooting the pilot episode?
SC: It was so much fun. We were also very lucky to have some of the original cast from “Boy Meets World” visit us on set. That was so amazing. We are working with some really amazingly talented writers and producers, along with a great cast. We are so lucky that Ben (Savage) and Danielle (Fishel) are back on this show as well. I think that everybody is going to love it!

Click here to read our interview with Sabrina for her role in Disney Junior’s “Sofia The First”

Sabrina Carpenter talks her role of Princess Vivian on Disney Junior’s “Sofia The First”

Sabrina Carpenter is a 13 years old actress and a very talented musician. She is a Hollywood Records artist and her song “Smile” was released on “Disney Fairies” CD. She was also recently cast in the series pilot for “Girl Meets World”, the sequel to “Boy Meets World”. In Disney Junior’s “Sofia The First”, she voices and also sings for the role of Princess Vivian. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Sabrina about her role in “Sofia The First” and her passion for music.

Mike Gencarelli: How did you land the role of Princess Vivian on “Sofia The First”?
Sabrina Carpenter: There were so many great roles that were sent over to audition for including Princess Chloe, Princess Hildegard, Princess Amber and of course Sofia. Then Princess Vivian came along and for my audition, I recorded a voice over in my studio and it just clicked. So we sent it in and a couple of weeks later, I got the call. I was just really surprised and excited. I really wanted to be a part of “Sofia The First”. It is such an adorable show and I knew it was going to be a hit for young girls (and boys). I am really glad I got the chance to be apart of it.

MG: What was it about Princess Vivian that you connected with?
SC: She is so different from me, which I think is very cool. I have never played a character that is very shy. So adjusting my voices to that was very fun. She also stutters and has confidence problems, so it was a great challenge for me to create these sounds and feelings that she makes. It was really fun for me.

MG: “All You Need” is one of my favorite songs from the show; where you aware of the song when you got the role?
SC: Yes I was, it was in the script. I was very excited that she had a song. Some of the characters on the show don’t sing and I was very fortunate that she did. Once I heard the song, I knew that little girls were going to love it. Since then I hear that a lot actually. I am told constantly how much people love the song and I am really glad about that. I think it sounds great for the duet with Sofia (played by Ariel Winter) and they match very well together.

MG: Can we expect to see more Princess Vivian in the coming episodes?
SC: I think you will definitely see more Princess Vivian. Right after “The Shy Princess”, the episode “Blue Ribbon Bunny” aired and Princess Vivian was in that one also. She had some cameos with her dragon, Crackle, who is a fabulous character. she is so fun and energetic and brings a lot of what Princess Vivian doesn’t have to reality. So I think in the upcoming months you should be seeing more of Princess Vivian. There will be another new song as well from Princess Vivian, so keep an eye out for that as well.

MG: You have a beautiful singing voice; tell us about what inspires you most about music?
SC: Wow, so many things inspire me. There are so many different great songs and artists in this world. I know that I am still very young but I have always loved singing older songs. When I sing, I just poor my heart and soul into it and hope that it comes out. I am very fortunate so far that a lot of people are supporting me on YouTube.

MG: You have released music on the “Disney Fairies” & “Sofia The First” CDs; can we expect a solo album in the future?
SC: I am actually working on my EP right now as we speak. I am very excited for everybody to hear the new music that we have been working on. “Smile” on the “Disney Fairies” CD was such a great experience for me. It was my first song released through Hollywood Records. Now we are just working to make new music for everybody and I hope that they are going to love it!