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Blu-ray Review “Star Wars: The Clone Wars – The Complete Season Four”

Actors: Tom Kane, Dee Bradley Baker, Matt Lanter, James Arnold Taylor, Matthew Wood
Directors: Dave Filoni
Rated: Unrated
Studio: WARNER HOME VIDEO
Release Date: October 23, 2012
Run Time: 506 minutes

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

“Star Wars: The Clone Wars” is like a fine wine…it gets better with age. The first season was decent, the second was good, the third was great and the the fourth season is simply the best. It is extremely rare that a show only gets better as it develops. It just shows how plentiful and deep the Star Wars universe really is. I mean bringing back from the dead, Darth Maul, was one of the best choices that this series has made to date. Usually with shows, the start to loose their ideas and creative steam but not Dave Filoni and his amazing team. This show only seems to get more dark, deep and intense as the series moves on, don’t even get me started on the current fifth season. All 22 Action-Packed episodes are included beautiful here in high definition. “Star Wars” fans don’t miss this highly recommended release!

Official Premise: In its critically acclaimed fourth season, the battle to save the galaxy reaches new heights of peril and new depths of darkness. The valiant Jedi Knights and clone troopers defend exotic planets from enemy forces. They wage war underwater, battle across a night-shrouded world and take on the merciless Death Watch. Our heroes are tested like never before as Anakin is haunted by the realities of his past, Ahsoka fights to free her people, and an undercover Obi-Wan braves a deadly bounty hunter tournament. Season Four culminates with the shocking return of a villain from the past: the ruthless Darth Maul, who will stop at nothing to achieve vengeance.

The Blu-ray presentation is quite impressive with its 1080p transfer and 2.35:1 aspect ratio. You sometimes forget that this is a TV series since the quality on the show challenges many feature films. The cinematic aspect of this series is amped more with its surround sound pouding DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, you literally find yourself dodging lightsabers and blaster fires. The special features are also very impressive with more than six-and-a-half hours of extras. I really enjoyed the idea of the video commentaries, which run about two hours. First up we have the “Jedi Temple Archives”, which adds up to almost five hours in itself. It covers everything from deleted scenes to development reels to focus on various aspects of animation, character designs, storyboards and much, much, much more. If you are fan of the series, you will be watching these without blinking one.

There are five super engaging and very informative commentaries with supervising director Dave Filoni and company. The episodes chosen for this are “The Battle of Mon Cala” three-episode arc (“Water War,” “Gungan Attack” and “Prisoners”), “The Darkened World of Umbara” four-episode arc (“Darkness of Umbara,” “The General,” “Plan of Dissent” and “Carnage of Krell”), “The Slaves of Zygerria” three-episode arc (“Kidnapped,” “Slaves of the Republic” and “Escape from Kadavo”), “The Obi-Wan Undercover” four-episode arc (“Deception,” “Friends and Enemies,” “The Box” and “Crisis on Naboo”) and my favorite “The Darth Maul Returns” four-episode arc (“Massacre,” “Bounty,” “Brothers” and “Revenge”). Easily these are the best special features to date out of all four of the seasons.

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Blu-ray Review “The Prophecy: The Complete Collection – 5 Film Set”

Directed by: Greg Spence, Gregory Widen, Patrick Lussier, Joel Soisson
Starring: Christopher Walken, Eric Stoltz, Viggo Mortensen, Virginia Madsen Elias Koteas, Vincent Spano, Russell Wong
MPAA Rating: R
Distributed by: Echo Bridge Home Entertainment
Release Date: November 6th 2012
Running Time: 428 minutes

The Prophecy: 4 out of 5 stars
The Prophecy II: 3.5 out of 5 stars
The Prophecy 3: The Ascent: 3.5 out of 5 stars
The Prophecy IV: Uprising: 3 out of 5 stars
The Prophecy V: Forsaken: 3 out of 5 stars

Finally! Echo Bridge has released all 5 “The Prophecy” films in one Blu-ray release. They have previous been split up in all shorts of different sets. But now we get “The Prophecy / Prophecy II / The Prophecy 3: The Ascent / The Prophecy IV: Uprising / The Prophecy V: Forsaken” all together in one release…and it is great! There is no upgrades from previous release, so if you have them then stick with those. But if you’ve been holding out, then this is your time! I have been a fan of these films (yes, even the sequels) and I am happy to get a chance to have them all in collection.

“The Prophecy” follows an L.A. homicide detective, who while fighting to stop the forces of evil, finds an unlikely ally in an elementary school teacher. Together they race against time and terror to save the world as we know it. The Prophecy: God’s Army” brings the returns of Christopher Walken as the menacing angel Gabriel. The only hope for survival in the battle of good and evil lands in the unborn child of an innocent woman (Jennifer Beals)…unless Gabriel catches her first. “The Prophecy 3: The Ascent” concludes the Gabriel trilogy, as fearsome armies of rebel angels wage war in heaven and on Earth, Pyriel, the brutal Angel of Genocide, rises to power and intends to destroy mankind. The only one on Earth with the ability to stop the bloodshed is Danyael, who was born of an angel and a woman.

Next we come to the sequels without Christopher Walken: “The Prophecy: Uprising” jump starts the series again, when an ancient religious manuscript lands in the hands of an unsuspecting young woman, she is suddenly thrust into the center of an epic battle between ruthless fallen angels. “The Prophecy: Forsaken” follows the fighting for control of the Lexicon – an ancient religious text that reveals the arrival of the Antichrist – a group of fallen angels will stop at nothing to capture it and the young woman who possesses it.

The Blu-ray presentation on all these films are similar to the previous releases from Echo Bridge, that which are quite impressive. All five of these films are presented with 1080p high definition transfer except “The Prophecy 3: The Ascent” which is only 1080i, not sure why this could be fixed. The audio tracks are split up with all different results. presented with a Dolby Digital have a sharp 5.1 DTS track. “The Prophecy 3: The Ascent” comes with a 5.1 track and lastly “The Prophecy II” only comes with a 2.0 Stereo track. There are no special features included on these very full release. If you are a fan of the series and looking to own the complete series, then this is a cheap and quick way to get these films on Blu-ray.

Blu-ray Review “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: The Complete Season 7”

Actors: Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney, Kaitlin Olson, Danny DeVito
Directors: Matt Shakman, Randall Einhorn
Rated: Unrated
Studio: 20th Century Fox
DVD Release Date: October 9, 2012
Run Time: 286 minutes

Episodes: 4 out of 5 Stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 Stars

Official Synopsis: In season 7 see the Gang prepare for the apocalypse, hit the beach at the Jersey Shore, produce a child beauty pageant, and take a walk down memory lane at their high school reunion. As they say, some things never change. So prepare for more depraved schemes, half-baked arguments and absurdly underhanded plots to subvert one another.

First airing in 2005, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has never failed to tackle timely subject matters through the uniquely twisted eyes of the Paddy’s Pub gang. Season seven, which kicked off with a dead hooker (“Frank’s Pretty Woman”) and covered everything from social networks to child beauty pageants, was no exception.

If Sweet Dee’s (Kaitlin Olsen) pregnancy was the notable addition to the sixth season, season seven was the year of “Fat Mac.” Series creator and executive producer Rob McElhenney put on fifty pounds for the sake of trying out its comedic possibilities. While McElhenney has shed the weight in the current season which began on October 11th, the decision paid off in spades in episodes on this set such as “How Mac Got Fat” and “The Gang Goes to the Jersey Shore” (where Mac and Danny DeVito’s Frank introduced the world to getting drunk off of Rum Ham).

The Jersey Shore episode was definitely a season highlight in a year where the gang was so often found outside of their base at Paddy’s pub–a major leap forward for Charlie Kelly (Charlie Day), who up until this season just couldn’t seem to make it out of the city limits successfully. Other season highlights include “Chardee Macdennis: The Game of Games” featuring a twisted combination drinking-board-physical-challenge game that only the Always Sunny gang could devise, and the two part High School Reunion finale. The latter of which corralled, for all intents and purposes, the rogues gallery of Always Sunny nemeses from past seasons including guest stars Judy Greer, Jason Sudeikus and my personal favorite David Hornsby as downward spiraling Rickety Cricket.

This season does find some weaker moments than earlier years of Always Sunny such as the flashback-heavy “Frank’s Brother”, however I can’t think of another show that is as consistently hilarious and surprising, especially after seven years. As far as sitcoms go, it also has one of the highest rewatchability factors as the writers continue to flesh out this alternate universe Philly with supporting characters and callbacks to past plots.

The extras on the Blu-Ray set are not as extensive as some of the previous sets, featuring four episode commentary tracks (of thirteen episodes), an enjoyable blooper reel and a drunken tour of Philly with recurring character Artemis. One misses the behind the scenes featurettes from past releases. On FX, the show is aired in HD and continues to look and sound great on this Blu-ray transfer.

DVD Review “Snorks: The Complete First Season”

Created by: Hanna-Barbara
Starring: Michael Bell
Distributed by: Warner Archive
Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 286 minutes

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Growing up for me it was either “The Smurfs” or “Snorks” all the time. Personally as a kid, I thought of the “Snorks” to be “The Smurfs” but underwater. They were a bit of a rip-off but still a lot of fun. Anyone who watched Saturday morning cartoons in the 80’s should know and love this show. And now, thanks to Warner Archive, I am able to share series with my own daughter (if they are not on Boomerang TV). I hope that Warner Archive is planning on releasing the other seasons and when they do…keep us in mind. This was a really treat to travel back under the water to get to hang with these colorful characters.

This title has not been remastered or restored but has been made from the best-quality video master currently available. Overall, it looks quite decent. The colors could have used a little bit of a revive but still it is just great to see these episodes again. It is presented within its original aspect ratio of 4×3 full frame – 1.33:1. The audio track included is the typical Dolby Mono track. I see myself re-watching these episodes quite often and look forward to other great shows getting to see the light of day thanks to Warner Archive.

Premise: “I first discovered Captain Ortega’s logbook in a monastery that overlooks the sea. On the morning of February 13, 1634, Captain Ortega anchored his ship behind a barrier reef. That night, they were attacked by pirates. The ship, set afire, sank into the lagoon. Ten days later, the captain was found, delirious, still clutching his logbook. He described a world of tiny, underwater creatures no bigger than his thumb. No one believed him, but you know, there’s something about Captain Ortega’s story…that makes me believe it’s true!” It’s true, all right – just ask the Snorks! In their steam-powered city carved out of coral, these multi-colored denizens of the deep have whale-sized hearts and are up for any challenge – or party – the ocean might send their way. So come along with Allstar, Casey, Daffney, Dimmy, Junior and Tooter as they explore life within – and sometimes beyond – the limits!

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DVD Review “New Girl: The Complete First Season”

Actors: Zooey Deschanel, Jake Johnson, Max Greenfield, Lamorne Morris, Hannah Number of discs: 3
Rated: Unrated
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: October 2, 2012
Run Time: 526 minutes

Series: 5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 4 out of 5 stars

I have always been a big fan of Zooey Deschanel since she was in 2004’s “Elf”. This show is so cute, smartly written, smart and quirky. It is also rare that you watch a show where you literally love every single character in the series. Dermot Mulroney is a laugh riot, as he guest stars as Jess’ older boyfriend and reminds us to be sure to hang that sweater…not fold it. Classic. This first season had entire scenes that I literally missed the jokes due to almost crying in pain laughing, thank God for being able to rewind (numerous times). I also think that this show is extremely re-watchable like another one of my favorite comedy series, “The Big Bang Theory”. One of my favorite new shows of 2011 and I can’t wait for season two.

Official Premise: “New Girl” is a charming, offbeat comedy about friends, flings and modern relationships. After a bad breakup, free-spirited optimist Jess (Zooey Deschanel) moves in with three bachelors who have plenty of issues of their own. Winston (Lamorne Morris) is a former athlete, Nick (Jake Johnson) is a law school dropout, and Schmidt (Max Greenfield) is a wannabe womanizer in love with…himself. Together with her super-hot BFF Cece (Hannah Simone), this New Girl discovers that hanging out with the guys can be a challenging – and hilarious – adventure!

The special features are very impressive for this season. There is a commentary track on the pilot, “Bad in Bed” and “See Ya” episodes, all highly recommended.. If you love Zooey’s fashion in the show, be sure to watch “Dress Like Jess”. There are auditions with Lamorne Morris, very glad he replaced Damon Waynes Jr from the pilot. There are also a bunch of deleted/extended scenes, alternate jokes and an outtake reel. I will take any more of this show that I can get, so I was all in for these extras. “New Girl: Evolution of an Episode” is a nice look into the show’s production. Overall highly recommended for fans of this show.

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

Actors: Adam Green, Joe Lynch, Dee Snider, Dave Brockie, Laura Ortiz
Directors: Adam Green
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT
Release Date: October 9, 2012
Run Time: 223 minutes

Series: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

“Holliston” is a FEARnet original series created by Adam Green (“Hatchet”, “Frozen”). It is a super bizarre mix of situation comedy with a touch of horror and heavy metal. Holliston is definitely not your typical TV comedy, this one breaks all the rules. It has a laugh track, which I thought was a riot. No offense to Adam Green and Joe Lynch, the acting is not grade A but I didn’t expect acting performances from these well-respected directors. This show doesn’t aim to be anything that is isn’t and succeed. If you watch this show when it aired on FEARnet, you will be happy to know that the original extended episodes are included. So sit back, grab your jar and peanut butter and get ready for some mindless laughs.

Official Synopsis: Adam (Adam Green, Hatchet) and Joe (Joe Lynch, Wrong Turn 2) are two down-on-their-luck aspiring horror movie filmmakers trying to break out of their small hometown of Holliston, Massachusetts, and into the Hollywood big leagues while struggling to make ends meet and learning to deal with the opposite sex. Joe’s adorably demented girlfriend Laura (Laura Ortiz, The Hills Have Eyes) joins Adam’s ex – and greatest heartbreak of his life – Corri (Corri English, Unrest) in rounding out the ensemble cast of this hilariously original and offbeat re-imagining of the traditional American sitcom that has both comedy and horror fans loving its hard hitting laughs, tremendous heart, and slapstick violence.

The episodes included are: The Hooker, Camera Rental, Skunked, Candyman, Laura’s Little Twitter, Weekend of Horrors. Besides Adam and Joe, this series also co-stars Dee Snider (Twisted Sister) playing the glam rock wanna-be Lance Rockett and Dave Brockie aka GWAR’s “Oderus Urungus. Horror fans will also rejoice at the numerous celebrity genre cameos including Bill Moseley, Seth Green, Tony Todd and Danielle Harris (just to name a few). If you enjoyed this show, get ready for season two on FEARnet scheduled for summer 2013.

The Blu-ray presentation is sharp and impressive. The 1080p transfer for the episodes look great and also sound great with its DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. “Holliston: The Complete First Season” packs as much of a punch in its special features as it does with its series. There are a bunch of great audio commentaries from the cast/crew, which are very entertaining. There are a few worth-wild deleted scenes, as well as hysterical outtakes. There is a behind-the-scenes feature at the production of the series, also highly recommended. Lastly there are very promos for “Road to Holliston” and and TV Special Sneak Peek.

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Blu-ray Review “American Horror Story: The Complete First Season”

Created by: Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk
Actors: Connie Britton, Dylan McDermott, Taissa Farmiga, Jessica Lange, Evan Peters, Frances Conroy, Kate Mara.
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox
Rated TV-MA
Release Date: Sep 25, 2012
Running Time: 534 minutes

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

When I first saw a promo for “American Horror Story”, I thought to myself that it was going to be absolutely amazing but not going to last. Before shows like “The Walking Dead”, horror does not have a good track record. To my surprise this show became one of the best shows of last year. It was nominated for 17 Emmy’s and brought Jessica Lange home a Golden Globe. Well it really did deserve it…every bit of it. This show is really sharp writing, fantastic acting and really sticks with you after watching each episode. It there is a definition of must-see TV, this is it.

Official Premise: Brace yourself for an addictive thrill ride! American Horror Story is TV’s most original new drama, a deeply stylish psychosexual haunt devised to keep you on the edge of your seat. The Harmon’s (Dylan McDermott, Connie Britton) fresh start in a new home deviously twists to reveal discoveries of love, sex and murderous revenge. Featuring a Golden Globe-winning performance by Jessica Lange, Season 1 scares up a host of engrossing extras.

The Blu-ray presentation of the the show delivers, thanks to 20th Century Fox. The three-disc set presents the show in 1080p transfers with its 1.78:1 broadcast aspect ratio, as well as it’s very effective DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks. The music and score in the film is just as haunting as the show itself and it plays well on this release. The show was in HD on TV but only 1080i (and if you ever DVRed the show, it would be lower), so this is a nice upgrade from broadcast to high-def TV.

The special features are great but could have used just a little more umph. They add up to over sixty minutes of additional content, but luckily all of it is actually impressive. ?There is a commentary track on the pilot episode by Ryan Murphy, must listen for fans. There is a tour of the “The Murder House” presented by Eternal Darkness Tours of Hollywood, good for a laugh. Then there are four very in-depth behind-the-scenes featurettes including “Behind the Fright: The Making of American Horror Story”, “On the Set of American Horror Story Season One”, “Overture to Horror: Creating the Title Sequence” and “Out of the Shadows: Meet the House Ghosts”. I liked learning about the ideas that went into the show’s creation and hearing from all the cast/crew about their experiences. I think if you are a fan of this show this release is going to leave you very satisfied and at least hold you off until season two begins this Fall.

Blu-ray Review “Lone Wolf and Cub: Complete 6-Film Collection”

Director(s): Kenji Misumi, Buichi Saito, Yoshiyuki Kuroda
Actors: Tomisaburo Wakayama, Akihiro Tomikawa
Distributed by: AnimEigo
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Release Date: September 25, 2012
Running Time: 507 minutes

Films: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1 out of 5 stars

Animeigo delivers once again in 2012. They are releasing “Lone Wolf and Cub: Complete 6-Film Collection” in its original unedited, uncut presentation, which have also been remastered on HD from new prints. To top things off they are in their original Japanese language with English subtitles. Included in the set will be 1972′s “Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance”, 1972′s “Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx”, 1972′s “Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades”, 1972′s “Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Peril”, 1973′s “Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons” and 1974′s “Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell”.

Earlier this year, Animeigo released “Shogun Assassin – 5 Film Collector’s Edition” which included the “Shogun Assassin”, “Shogun Assassin 2: Lightning Swords of Death”, “Shogun Assassin 3: Slashing Blades of Carnage”, “Shogun Assassin 4: Five Fistfuls Of Gold” and “Shogun Assassin 5: Cold Road to Hell”. They were cut together from The “Lone Wolf and Cub” series and presented only in English dub. The “Lone Wolf and Cub” release is a much better way to view these film, no question.

These films show their age a little bit in their high-def transfers but I feel that any noise on these films just add texture to the films themselves. Since they have been completely reconstructed from new prints, overall the 1080p 2.35:1 transfer looks sharp. The audio included is the original Japanese LPCM mono tracks, which is actually a great thing and work very well with these. The special features are…well…there really isn’t any. There are some production notes and trailers but that is all. Lastly, the case presentation is also not as nice as the release for “Shogun Assassin – 5 Film Collector’s Edition”. But nonetheless, hardcore fans of the “Baby Cart” series are going to need to get this release.

Here are the official premises for each of the six-films:
“Sword of Vengeance”: Betrayed by the fiendish Yagyu, Ogami Itto and his son begin their bloody journey towards revenge. Their first commission: to save the life of a Daimyo and kill the traitors and ronin that plot his death.

“Baby Cart at the River Styx”: The Evil Yagyu Retsudo sets a band of deadly female Ninja on Ogami’s trail. Meanwhile, Ogami must kill a traitor who seeks to sell a Clan’s secrets to the Shogun — a traitor guarded by three men known as “The Gods of Death!”

“Baby Cart to Hades”: After undergoing torture to demonstrate his honor and buy the freedom of a girl about to be forced into a life of prostitution, Ogami is hired by his very-impressed torturers to kill a corrupt governor. The governor figures out he’s the target when Ogami turns down the governor’s own commission, and the body-count soon starts rising to monumental proportions!

“Baby Cart in Peril”: Ogami is hired to kill a tattooed female assassin, but the job is not as straightforward as it seems. Meanwhile, Gunbei Yagyu, disgraced by Ogami in a duel before the Shogun, happens upon Ogami’s son Daigoro, and sees his chance for revenge. In the end, Ogami will have to defeat a horde of Yagyu warriors before he can face his arch enemy, Retsudo Yagyu!

“Baby Cart in the Land of Demons”: 5 warriors challenge Ogami to duels. Each has 1/5th of his usual fee, and 1/5 of the information he needs to complete his new assignment. Ogami has to be skillful enough to not only kill them, but kill them in such a way as to allow them to tell him what he needs to know, or he’s not the man for the job. His mission is to kill a mad Daimyo before he destroys his clan — a Daimyo guarded by a legion sworn to give their lives in his defense, even though they’ve just hired Ogami to kill their master!

“White Heaven in Hell”: The final film, and the final confrontation between Ogami and Retsudo. With most of his family already dead at Ogami’s hands, Retsudo launches one last plot to destroy him, and when that fails, unleashes the fury of every remaining member of the Yagyu Clan. Outnumbered 5000 to 1, Ogami might be in a little over his head (and thus, lose it!) this time!

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Blu-ray Review “Magic City: The Complete First Season”

Directed by: Mitch Glazer
Starring: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Kelly Lynch, Danny Huston
Distributed by: Anchor Bay
Release Date: October 2, 2012
Running Time: 419 minutes

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

“Magic City” is a fresh new series thanks to STARZ. It was created by writer and executive producer Mitch Glazer (“The Recruit”, “Scrooged”). Fans of the series can rejoice since the second season of “Magic City” is set to air on STARZ in 2013. Anchor Bay Entertainment is behind this great release, which includes all 8 memorable episodes of this sizzling mob drama. “Magic City” also packs an impressive cast with Jeffrey Dean Morgan (“Watchmen”), Danny Huston (“30 Days of Night”) and Kelly Lynch (“The L Word”). The show has a really impressive sets, some amazing cinematography and one hell of a score. I can’t wait to see where this show goes with its second season.

Dangerous and decadent, “Magic City” begins in 1959, in Miami’s Miramar Playa Hotel where hotelier Ike Evans (Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Watchmen, Texas Killing Fields) is conjuring up ways to finance his dream. He has essentially sold his soul to the devil: mob boss Ben “The Butcher” Diamond (Danny Huston, The Kingdom). Ike’s wife Vera (Olga Kurylenko, Quantum of Solace), a former showgirl, and his three children think he is an honorable man, but he just can’t break his pact with the most notorious criminal in town. So Ike’s life is a façade: his home and his business must be kept separate – but does he have the sleight of hand to pull it off?

The Blu-ray presentation both look and sound amazing for this show and really shines. The special features are very impressive for this season release. The features include various behind-the-scenes featurettes. The first is a basic all around production featurette “Starz Studios: MAGIC CITY”. Next up “The Cars of MAGIC CITY”, explores the period cars used for the show. “The Style of MAGIC CITY” looks into the shows fashion. “Building An Empire” looks into the show’s set design. “The Golden Age of Music” dives into the shows period’s music. Lastly, in “Miami Beach: The Real MAGIC CITY” takes a look at the real city and the filming locations.

“Body of Proof: The Complete Second Season” DVD Giveaway [ENDED]

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED AND WINNERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED VIA EMAIL. PLEASE CHECK BACK EACH WEEK FOR NEW GIVEAWAYS!

Available on DVD September 18th!

To celebrate the release of BODY OF PROOF: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON on DVD, Media Mikes would like to giveaway 20 DVD’s! For your chance to enter-to-win, please leave us a comment below or send us an email and let us know your favorite character on the show. This giveaway will be open until September 28th at Noon, Eastern Time and is only open to residents of the United States. Only one entry per person, per household; all other entries will be considered invalid. Once the giveaway ends, Media Mikes will randomly pick out winners and alert the winners via email.

Synopsis:

Dr. Megan Hunt (Dana Delany) may have a prickly personality, but she’s a brilliant medical examiner with unique techniques for solving even the most complex crime. Relive every unique medical mystery as Megan seeks justice for each victim, while also putting her life back together and repairing her personal relationships with the living. Dissect each distinctive case with ABC’s “Body of Proof: The Complete Second Season” on DVD, plus exciting bonus features!

Talent/Cast:

Dana Delany (“Desperate Housewives”), Jeri Ryan (“Boston Public”), Geoffrey Arend (“500 Days of Summer”), John Carroll Lynch (“Crazy, Stupid, Love”), Windell Middlebrooks (“Scrubs”) Nicholas Bishop (“Necessary Roughness”), Sonja Sohn (“The Wire”), Mary Mouser (“Ghost Whisperer”)

Bonus Features:

The Design of Body of Proof: Living Spaces – An exciting opportunity to see the sleek design of the hit series’ set, this cool special feature that gives audiences a cool inside look at the show’s medical examiner’s office.
Bodies of Body of Proof – Fans will enjoy an inside look at how the team makes dead bodies look so real.
The Stunt Work of Body of Proof: Taking the Plunge – An exclusive look at the stunt team in action, leaping off the balcony of a hotel, capturing the feeling of taking the plunge.
The Stunt Work of Body of Proof: Playing With Fire – Another exciting exclusive look into the work of the stunt team, this feature follows the production team’s careful preparation to blow up a house to get the perfect shot.
The Stunt Work of Body of Proof: Prepping the Stunt (Part 1) – In the first of a two-part series, fans get an inside look at how the team plans and executes a major show stunt.
The Stunt Work of Body of Proof: Collision Course (Part 2) – Fans will join the stunt team for a closer look as all of their preparation is put into action.
The Fashion of Body of Proof – A fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the medical examiner’s costumes.
Body of Goofs – Fans will have a chance to join in on the laughs with a never before seen blooper reel of hilarious moments that the editors couldn’t resist sharing.
Outbreak: Webisodes – This series of webisodes follows investigative reporters uncovering an outbreak of an infectious disease.

Blu-ray Review “Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures”

Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Denholm Elliott, John Rhys-Davies, Kate Capshaw, Cate Blanchett, Sean Connery
Distributed by: Paramount Home Entertainment
Release Date: September 18, 2012
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 482 minutes

Raiders of the Lost Ark: 5 out of 5 stars
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: 5 out of 5 stars
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 5 out of 5 stars

“Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures” finally hits Blu-ray on September 18th. This collection marks the Blu-ray debut of the “Raiders of the Lost Ark”, “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” and “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”. This is the first time they have been released in high-def and this release does not disappoint at all. “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” has previously been released on Blu-ray is stunning as well, despite hatred by fans (not including myself). This collaboration between Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford complies the one of the best adventure series to date. You know that there was a lot of love and supervision for this release by director Steven Spielberg and renowned sound designer Ben Burtt. Overall this really is a major upgrade in presentation from the last DVD release. If nothing else this release leaves you with one burning question, “Snakes—why did it have to be snakes?”.

“Raiders of the Lost Ark” is the real star of this release for sure. It has been meticulously restored in order to preserve the original look, sound and feel of this iconic film. They went back to the original negative scanned at 4K and reviewed frame-by-frame so that any damage could be repaired. The sound delivered for this release was Burtt’s original master mix, which had been archived and unused since 1981. When all was said and done this digital restoration was extremely impressive. The other installments in the franchise also look stunning being presented in 1080p high definition, also presented in there 2.39:1 original aspect ratio. Even though “Raiders” got the most attention, “Temple of Doom” and “Last Crusade” really do look very sharp on Blu-ray. Besides the occasional film spots, I was left blown away by these presentations. When you also think about “Indiana Jones”, you immediately start humming that iconic theme song, “Da Da Dah Dahhh Dah Dah Da Da Dah Dahh Dah Dah“. The sound is very important for this to work. They have arrived on Blu-ray with a very impressive DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. It is perfectly balanced and sounds just amazing over my surround sound system.

The special features are literally flowing out of this release and are very impressive. Thought I am very surprised that there are no commentary tracks available for any of the films. There are two newly produced “On Set with Raiders of the Lost Ark” featurettes: “From Jungle to Desert” and “From Adventure to Legend”. Like I said this release is the “Raiders” show, so it gets the best treatment. There are a “Making the Films” featurettes for each film in the series. “Raiders” also includes the original 1981 “The Making of Raiders of the Lost Ark” documentary as well. There are a bunch more of additional behind-the-scenes featurettes as well. The first three focus on the most important aspects of the series; “The Stunts of Indiana Jones”, “The Sound of Indiana Jones” and “The Music of Indiana Jones”. They are short but definitely sweet. “The Light and Magic of Indiana Jones” takes use through the the work of Industrial Light & Magic (ILM). There is a detailed look into everyone’s favorite scene “Raiders: The Melting Face!”, one of the reasons why PG-13 were initialized.

What is Indiana Jones without its snakes and other creatures in “Indiana Jones and the Creepy Crawlies”, it will have you lifting your feet off the floor. “Travel with Indiana Jones: Locations” takes us through the wonderful locations where these films were shot and details about the shooting. Like James Bond, there are such strong woman in this series and “Indy’s Women: The American Film Institute Tribute” provides a nice nod to them. “Indy’s Friends and Enemies” dives into the other characters in the series besides Dr. Jones himself. The last three features are all on “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”…wait don’t turn it off yet, these are decent features. The first focuses on the “Iconic Props”, which are featured in the last installment. The next one focuses on “The Effects”, even as iconic as the original trilogy is, this film packs some great effects. The last focuses on the last sequel road through “Post Production” and the challenges faced. Lastly there are high definition trailers and teasers for each film to close this great release.

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: adventures, bluray, complete, indiana, jones, review, ...

DVD Reviews “Pac-Man: The Complete First & Second Seasons”

Created by: Hanna-Barbera
Cast: Marty Ingels, Barbara Minkus, Russi Taylor, Frank Welker, Peter Cullen, Alan Lurie, Susan Silo, Barry Gordon, Chuck Mccann, Neilson Ross
Distributed by: Warner Archive
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 312 minutes / 216 minutes

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Hanna-Barbera really knows animation. Back in the day, I would always jump on the chance to visit any product that they delivers and that is still true to today. Pac-Man is brilliantly voiced by Marty Ingels, known best for his role in “He’s Dickens…I’m Fenster”. I love his voice and he just embodies the character, who knew Pac-Man had such a cool voice. The show follows Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man and Pac-Baby as they set off on their adventures. Pac-Man also meets up with those pesky ghosts: Inky, Blinky, Pinky, Clyde and Sue, as well as the dreaded Mezmaron, who wants their power bellets. The second season also introduces cast additions including Pac-Man’s teenage cousin PJ and the super-heroic Super-Pac! Overall, this show is just plain stupid fun and nothing more. If you grew up watching this show, revisiting it with these season release will be a real treat guaranteed to get a high score.

The first season includes all 26-episodes from the season. The second season includes 16-episodes. It is presented in 4X3 full frame and its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1. The audio format is the typical Warner Archive mono track but works super well with the show. The second season also comes with a great special bonus feature! This release includes the fan-favorite prime-time holiday special “Christmas Comes to PacLand”. I grew up watching this and look forward to watching it ever year on TV till today…but now I am happy to have it on DVD. Each season looks great on DVD and is newly restored by Warner Archive. One question left though where is the “Pac-Man Halloween Special”?

“Pac-Man: The Complete First Season”
Pac-Man! The game that gobbled up a nation’s quarters while its hero gobbled up those annoying Ghost Monsters spawned sequels, spin-offs, toys, games and more. Taking note of Pac-Man’s avid fan base, famed carton studio Hanna-Barbera hit upon the idea of adapting the game for Saturday morning animation – becoming the first video game to make the jump to TV. Kids were immediately enraptured and a score of other arcade favorites soon followed Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man and Baby Pac-Man from the gaming console to the cathode ray tube. In this 2-Disc, 26-Episode collection, Pac-Man does battle with Inky, Blinky, Pinky, Clyde and Sue, the Ghost Monster minions of the dreaded Mezmaron, who lusts after Pac-land’s precious power spheres. Aided by his plucky and charming wife and son, Pac-Man saves the Pac-President, confronts the vampiric Pacula, discovers the Abominable Pac-Man and more. Pac-Venture awaits – no quarters required!

“Pac-Man: The Complete Second Season”
Pac-Man returns for a Power Pellet chomping second season of adventures, with some very special cast additions – teenage cousin PJ and the super-heroic Super-Pac! Together with the rest of the Pac pack, they continue to thwart Mezmaron and his minions while time-travelling, battling Robo-Pacs and Pac-Apes, and taking a trip to Pac-Hollywood. Save your quarters, this game’s been extended! Contains all 16 sophomore season adventures. Special Bonus! You’ve hit the high score – this collection also includes the fan-favorite primetime holiday special Christmas Comes to PacLand! Originally airing during Pac-Man’s first season (but as an evening broadcast event), Christmas Comes to PacLand sees Pac, Pepper, Baby and the Pac-Pets enjoying an unexpected snowfall when an errant ghost attack sends Santa’s reindeer WAY off course. Can Pac-Man save the most special day of all? Guest-starring Santa and some very special reindeer.

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: complete, dvd, pacman, reviews, seasons

“Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures” Blu-ray Giveaway [ENDED]

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED AND WINNERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED VIA EMAIL. PLEASE CHECK BACK EACH WEEK FOR NEW GIVEAWAYS!

We are pleased to announce the debut of INDIANA JONES: THE COMPLETE ADVENTURES ON BLU-RAY™ FOR THE FIRST TIME – AVAILABLE ON SEPTEMBER 18, 2012! To celebrate the release, Media Mikes would like to giveaway TWO copies of The Complete Adventures on Blu-ray. If you would like to win one of these great prizes, please leave us a comment below or send us an email what your favorite Indiana Jones Adventure. This giveaway will be open until September 21st at Noon, Eastern Time and is only open to residents of the United States. Only one entry per person, per household; all other entries will be considered invalid. Once the giveaway ends, Media Mikes will randomly pick out winners and alert the winners via email.

The ultimate adventure collection debuts on Blu-Ray™ with seven hours of bonus features including nearly an hour of previously unreleased behind-the-scenes footage!

Every unforgettable exploit of world-renowned, globetrotting hero Indiana Jones finally comes home with pristine picture and sound when INDIANA JONES: The Complete Adventures debuts on Blu-Ray September 18, 2012 from Lucasfilm Ltd. and Paramount Home Media Distribution. The cinematic classic that started it all—Raiders of the Lost Ark—has been meticulously restored under the supervision of director Steven Spielberg and sound designer Ben Burtt. Additionally, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade have both been remastered alongside 2008’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull making this landmark release the first time all four films in the epic and award-winning franchise have been available together in sparkling high definition.

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Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: adventures, bluray, complete, giveaway, indiana, jones, ...

“Castle: The Complete Fourth Season” DVD Giveaway [ENDED]

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED AND WINNERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED VIA EMAIL. PLEASE CHECK BACK EACH WEEK FOR NEW GIVEAWAYS!

Available on DVD September 11th!

To celebrate the release of “Castle: The Complete Fourth Season”, Media Mikes would like to giveaway 10 copies of this season on DVD. If you would like to win one of these great prizes, please leave us a comment below or send us an email and let us know your favorite character on the show. This giveaway will be open until September 21st at Noon, Eastern Time and is only open to residents of the United States. Only one entry per person, per household; all other entries will be considered invalid. Once the giveaway ends, Media Mikes will randomly pick out winners and alert the winners via email.

Synopsis:

Television’s most unlikely crime-fighting team is back and their relationship is stronger than ever! Prepare for a season full of suspense where lines are drawn, sides are chosen and careers are put on the line as Castle tries to protect Beckett following her near death encounter. Castle’s relationship with Beckett radically changes during the season, leading to a final confrontation with a mysterious man who holds all the answers that Beckett has been searching for since the night her mother was murdered. Features all 23 episodes plus exclusive bonus material including “Nathan & Friends: Castle Goes Radio;” “Anatomy of A Stunt;” audio commentaries, deleted scenes, and bloopers.

Talent/Cast:

Nathan Fillion (“Firefly”), Stana Katic (”24”), Jon Huertas (“NCIS”), Seamus Dever (“Army Wives”), Susan Sullivan (“Dharma & Greg”), Molly C. Quinn (“A Christmas Carol”), Tamala Jones (“My Name Is Earl”)

Bonus Features:

Fillion & Friends: Castle Goes Radio – An exciting chance to follow Nathan Fillion as he makes his long awaited return to guest in the newest installment of the Thrilling Adventure and Supernatural Suspense Hour stage, a.k.a. TASSH, in Los Angeles – but this time he’s not alone as he brings the show’s Molly Quinn and other familiar faces along for some laugh out loud comedy. Fans will get a behind the scenes look as the cast goes through rehearsals and prepares to perform live for a standing room only crowd.
Submerged: An In-Depth Look At Stunts – Behind the scenes with the creation of a heartstopping car stunt from development to the final product. This bonus also features interviews with cast about the show’s thrilling stunts.
Bowman, Bowman & Castle – A day on set with father and son, director Chuck Bowman and executive producer Rob Bowman, as they work together to create an episode of CASTLE with a unique style and narrative that takes place across two different generations.
Audio Commentaries – An exciting commentary, the series’ colorful cast and crew share their on-set experiences.
Deleted Scenes – Fans will uncover another level of crime solving through several deleted scenes from the hit series.
Bloopers – Hilarious moments from the set of the hit series’ exciting fourth season.

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Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: castle, complete, dvd, fourth, giveaway, season, ...

“Private Practice: The Complete Fifth Season” DVD Giveaway [ENDED]

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED AND WINNERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED VIA EMAIL. PLEASE CHECK BACK EACH WEEK FOR NEW GIVEAWAYS!

Available on DVD on September 11th!

To celebrate the release of “Private Practice: The Complete Fifth Season”, Media Mikes would like to giveaway 10 copies of this season on DVD. If you would like to win one of these great prizes, please leave us a comment below or send us an email and let us know your favorite character on the show. This giveaway will be open until September 21st at Noon, Eastern Time and is only open to residents of the United States. Only one entry per person, per household; all other entries will be considered invalid. Once the giveaway ends, Media Mikes will randomly pick out winners and alert the winners via email.

Synopsis:

From the creators of “Grey’s Anatomy” comes the fifth season of ABC’s sexy, medical drama, “Private Practice.” Addison and her friends at the practice are faced with new challenges as unexpected people enter and complicate their lives. From a sexy new doctor to an illegitimate son, the lives and loves of these doctors are put to the test. Relive every memorable moment plus never-before-seen bonus features only on DVD. Bring home ABC’s “Private Practice: The Complete Fifth Season” on DVD September 11!

Talent/Cast:

“Private Practice” stars Kate Walsh as Dr. Addison Forbes Montgomery, Tim Daly as Dr. Pete Wilder, Benjamin Bratt as Jake Reilly, KaDee Strickland as Dr. Charlotte King, Paul Adelstein as Dr. Cooper Freedman, Brian Benben as Dr. Sheldon Wallace and Caterina Scorsone as Dr. Amelia Shepherd, with Taye Diggs as Dr. Sam Bennett and Amy Brenneman as Dr. Violet Turner.

Bonus Features:

The Practice of Parenthood – The pitter-patter of little feet found its way onto the set this past season in a number of ways. In this exclusive feature, fans can listen in as the cast of the hit series discusses filming with the young actors during the fifth season.
Deleted Scenes – Through these deleted scenes, fans will learn even more about their favorite characters from the hit series.
Bloopers – Fans will laugh out loud at a hilarious blooper reel of the season’s most funny on-set moments.

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Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: complete, dvd, giveaway, practice, private, season, ...

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Tag: complete

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Available on DVD September 11th!

“Private Practice: The Complete Fifth Season” DVD Giveaway [ENDED]

Available on DVD on September 11th!