DVD Review “Essential Killing”

Directed by: Jerzy Skolimowski
Starring: Vincent Gallo, Emmanuelle Seigner
Distributed by: New Video
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running time: 85 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1 out of 5 stars

I have never been a giant fan of Vincent Gallo but he definitely deserves some respect for this role. “Essential Killing” is a subtle but powerful drama thriller and delivers some great suspense. The film runs a little long at only 85 minutes though. The film is beautifully shot and the locations are really spectacular. Overall the film itself it is deep and heavy though very interesting.

The story follows Mohammed, a Taliban fighter, who is captured by the US military in Afghanistan but during transport escapes. He spends the movie fending for himself in the wild trying to survive and has no regret for his actions. He is being tracked the whole time by men who are hot on his trail.

Gallo’s role in the film is of the Taliban fighter, is really intense and he who delivers a really tough performance with no dialogue. The film is mixed with elements of  seclusion and survival. The extras on the disc are virtually missing like most releases from Tribeca Film. There is only a brief interview with the director Jerzy Skolimowski.

DVD Review “The Confession”

Directed by: Brad Mirman
Starring: Kiefer Sutherland, John Hurt
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Episodes: 10
Running Time: 62 minutes

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

This mini-series consisted of 10 episodes originally aired online on Hulu last year. It is definitely a slow burning drama thriller which gets amazing performances from both Kiefer Sutherland and John Hurt. It takes place in a church confession but also features flashbacks in the story. The episodes fit really well as a movie but it only last about an hour. This film is simple and includes great dialogue between the leads and packs a story which slowly unravels leaving you on the edge of your seats.

The story revolves around a hitman (Kiefer Sutherland) who goes into a confessional to discuss his crimes with a priest (John Hurt). The hitman tells the priest that he has killed many people and reveals that he will kill tonight, unless the priest hears his confession. As the hitman confesses all that he has done, we features flashbacks that lead up to the thrilling finale.

The extras are really worth the purchase of this disc and run almost 40 minutes. Since the disc consists of episodes previously available online, good extras are a must for this. There are four exclusive never-before-seen episodes includes on the disc, which were excellent. There were four promotional featurettes with cast and crew interviews, short but sweet. Lastly I really enjoyed that each episode has a great behind-the-scenes included, which gives great insight into the production.

DVD Review “A Darker Reality”

Director: Chris Kazmier
Starring: Daniel Baldwin, Sunny Doench, Alisha Seaton
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Phase 4 Films
Run Time: 90 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars

Right off the bat, the film drew me in due to its interesting box art.  When it comes to horror films unfortunately a good horror box art never means good movie…I am just a sucker.  This one definitely surprised me.  For one thing it definitely earned it unrated rating since it was very disturbing and very gross, but I guess that is why I enjoyed it.  The story is a little light but it overall it definitely keep me interested for the 90 minutes.

The film is about a crazy psychopath serial killer known as The Ghost, who has no limits, captures and tortures his victims, young girls, in his basement. After his latest kill, Police Detective Balasco and psychiatrist Dr. Metcalfe team up in order to find the killer and save the girls.  The team is in a race for time before it is too late to rescue these victims.

The best part of the film was easily Daniel Baldwin as a crazy psycho killer.  He nails the role of the lunatic who abducts, tortures and kills his preys.  Phase 4 Films are getting know for releases some pretty awesome titles in the last few months, so keep an eye out for there future releases.  In the special features category though, it is a little light.  There are a few deleted scenes, which are decent and only a trailer included.  Overall horror fans might want to check it out just for some good gore and one crazy Daniel Baldwin.

DVD Review “The Centurions: The Original Miniseries”

Distributed by: Warner Archive
Run Time: 110 minutes
Episodes: 4

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I have to admit I grew up in the 80’s and I am real sucker for 80’s cartoons. This is the first time that the “The Centurions” have made their way onto DVD. The remastering looks fantastic and definitely notable…Great job Warner Archive. Every laser shoot to every explosion looks cleaned up and of course the classic “will return/back to” clips are included as well. If you are a fan of this original series then this will be a no-brainer purchase for sure.

The episodes included in the this mini-series consists of “The Sky Is On Fire”, “Battle Beneath The Sea”, “An Alien Affair”, “Found: One Lost World” and “Sand Doom”. Like most 80’s cartoon, this one consists of the first five episodes of the series, aired back in 1986. This series was short-lived only consisting of 65 episodes. Thanks to Warner Archive Collection, this mini-series is now available exclusively through Warner’s online store. Now we just want the rest of the series Warner Archive…keep ’em coming!!

Synopsis:
In the near future Doc Terror, and his cyborg companion, Hacker, unleash their forces to conquer Earth! Only one force can stop this evil: a handful of brave men. In specially created exoframes, they can be transported anywhere to fuse with incredible assault weapon systems, beamed down from the space station Skyvault, becoming man and machine, Power Xtreme! Max Ray, brilliant Sea Operations commander. Jake Rockwell, rugged Land Operations specialist. Ace McCloud, daring Air Operations expert. Whatever the challenge, they are ready—the Centurions!” Debuting as a 5 part mini-series, and enjoying contributions from three of the greatest action artists of the 20th Century – Doug Wildey, Gil Kane, and Jack Kirby – The Centurions promised to pack a punch – and it delivered! Get ready for mad machine action as 3 masters of land, sea, and air do battle with a mad inventor for the fate of a planet.

DVD Revew “Punished”

Directed by: Law Wing-cheong
Starring: Anthony Wong, Richie Ren, Janice Man
Distributed by: Vivendi Entertainment
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Release Date: January 24th, 2012
Running time: 94 min.

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

The people behind “Punished” are more exciting than the film actually is. Producer Johnnie To and director Law Wing Cheong make this film seem extremely interesting. If you add in star Anthony Wong from “Infernal Affairs” and Richie Jen from “Fire of Conscience”, it should seal the deal, but it doesn’t. The film has a lot of twists and turns but utterly leaves you confused and a little bit bored.

The film follows real estate tycoon Wong Ho-Chiu (Anthony Wong) as he deals with the kidnapping and killing of his daughter Daisy (Janice Man). Wong Ho-Chiu turns to his trusted bodyguard Chor (Richie Jen) to find the people who are responsible for her death and seek revenge on them. As Wong gets deeper into this world, he will find that things may not be what they seem in his search for revenge.

The special features are slim and only really consist of two behind-the-scenes featurettes. They are interesting but leave you wanting more. Also included is a photo gallery and an international trailer. One cool feature is an exclusive QR Code on the DVD, which leads you to additional footage.

DVD Review “Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure”

Director: Matthew Bate
Starring: Ivan Brunetti, Daniel Clowes, Mitch Deprey
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: New Video Group
Running Time: 89 minutes

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

Eddie Lee and Mitchell D’s audio vérité recordings of Peter and Raymond has been used in pop culture over the last 20 years in music, comics and film. This documentary follows the Eddie Lee and Mitchell D as they take us through how this whole phenomenon was born and what is has turned into today. The interviews are really interesting and we even have rare interview Peter himself back in 1993. If you are fan of where these recordings came from and their background leading to today, this is a very interesting film.

The recordings made by Eddie Lee Sausage and Mitchell D. where done back in the last 80’s when they discovered that their neighbors, Peter Haskett and Raymond Huffman, who at the time were constantly  arguing and Peter was often screaming “shut up, little man!” at Ray. If you have never heard these recordings, it is sure to impact you more than others who have been listening for years. Still though, the film is so well done that it will still make these recording feels fresh and document them well.

I was hoping for decent special features with this DVD and I was definitely impressed. There is an interesting extended interview with Ivan Brunetti, Peter Haskett and Raymond Huffman roommate. There is a shit load of deleted/extended scenes. Some of them are decent and some feel wasted. If you want some information on the behind the scenes about this documentary, you will be happy with the featurette that is included as well. Overall if you are looking for a good laugh, this DVD is a no-brainer.

DVD Review “Revenge of the Electric Car”

Directed by: Chris Paine
Narrated by: Tim Robbins
Starring: Elon Musk, Carlos Ghosn, Bob Lutz, Greg Abbott, Dan Neil
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Distributed by: New Video
Running time: 90 minutes

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

If you are aware of the film “Who Killed the Electric Car?”, directed by Chris Paine, then you should known about this one. It is his follow up film focusing on the return of electric cars. The film is definitely interesting and shows a lot of great points. There are celebrity appearance from Danny DeVito, Jon Favreau and Arnold Schwarenegger. I enjoyed the flow of the film and I felt that it kept my interest from beginning to end. Docuramafilms is one of my favorite sources for choosing really great documentary subjects. It is rare to find that you are that entertained from a documentary especially about electric cars.

The film starts off around 2006 after the electric cars where destroyed, now they are back and want revenge. The film is narrated by Tim Robbins and follows GM and Elon Mush as they bring the return of the electric car. The film shows what the future of the car will be and how it is back faster, furiouser and cleaner than ever. The fighters to bring the electric car are Bob Lutz from General Motors, Elon Musk from Tesla Motors, Carlos Ghosn from Nissan, and Greg Abbott, an independent electric car converter. The director, Chris Paine, did a great job and is definitely on my radar now. He knows how to take a topic and turn it into a great documentary.

The extras on the film are really decent and impressive. There is a Tribeca Film Festival Talk which runs about 35 minutes. The panel features Elon Musk, Dan Neil, Carlos Ghosn, David Duchovny and director Chris Paine. There is about 20 minutes of additional bonus footage, definitely worth checking out if you enjoyed the film. If you enjoyed the celebrity interviews in the film, there are about 25 minutes of additional interviews. Lastly there is the theatrical trailer and Nissan Leaf promo trailer also included.

Chris Evans’ “Puncture” DVD Giveaway [ENDED]

THANK YOU FOR ENTERING, THE CONTEST HAS ENDED. WINNERS HAVE BEEN CHOSEN AND NOTIFIED VIA EMAIL. PLEASE CHECK BACK EVERY WEEK FOR NEW GIVEAWAYS!

“Puncture” is available to purchase on Blu-ray and DVD on January 3rd, 2012

To celebrate the DVD release of “Puncture” starring Chris Evans (“Captain America: The First Avenger”), Media Mikes would like to giveaway THREE copies of the 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 Chris Evans film. This giveaway will be open until Tuesday January 10th 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:

Mike Weiss (Chris Evans) is a talented young Houston lawyer and a functioning drug addict. Paul Danziger (co-director Mark Kassen), his longtime friend and partner, is the straight-laced and responsible yin to Mike’s yang. Their mom-and-pop personal injury law firm is getting by, but things really get interesting when they decide to take on a case involving Vicky (Vinessa Shaw), a local ER nurse, who is pricked by a contaminated needle on the job. As Weiss and Danziger dig deeper into the case, a health care and pharmaceutical conspiracy teeters on exposure and heavyweight attorneys move in on the defense. Out of their league but invested in their own principles, the mounting pressure of the case pushes the two underdog lawyers and their business to the breaking point.

 

Related Content

DVD Review “Hostel: Part III”

Directed by: Scott Spiegel
Starring: Kip Pardue, Brian Hallisay, John Hensley, Sarah Habel, Skyler Stone, Zulay Henao, Thomas Kretschmann
Distributed by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Running time: 88 minutes

Film Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars

Alright so here we are at “Part III” of the Hostel series and surprisingly this series still had a lot of steam left in it and a bright future. Most of this praise needs to go to the film’s director Scott Spiegel, writer of “Evil Dead II” and writer/director of “Intruder”. Scott knows horror for sure and in fact actually produced “Hostel” and “Hostel: Part II” as well, so he has been invested in this series. What is great about this series is that they can just pick up and move to a new location and grab some new kids and it definitely works again in this film. What better of a location to pick-up and move to then VEGAS!

The third film in the franchise follows a group of guys going on a bachelor party to Vegas. The group gets swopped to a private party off-the-strip and that is where things go wrong, of course. The group gets taken hostage and are sent to their death to the highest bidder at an elite hunter’s club. The plot is similar from the from two films but puts a new spin on it. The film is backed with amazing gore and some really new kick ass kill scenes.  That is really key for this franchise and it definitely doesn’t disappoint.

I hope this series continues because I could see many new opportunities. After enjoying the film, I was hoping for some decent extras but the DVD special features are disappointing with only a commentary track included. The commentary track though is with director Scott Spiegel and star Kip Perdue, it is informative and fun and definitely worth checking out. Horror fans should give this film a chance.  I would say it falls in line with “Hostel: Part II”, so if you enjoyed that this will not disappoint.

 

Related Content

DVD Review “The Summer of Massacre”

Directed By: Joe M Castro
Starring: Brinke Stevens, Nick Principe, Cleve Hall, Lisa Garcia, Lauren Boehm, Felipe Winslett, Scott Barrows, Tim Cooley
Distributed by: Breaking Glass Pictures
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 98 minutes

Our Score: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Right off the bat, this film has an instant draw for me with the fact that it holds the Guinness World Records™ for “Highest Body Count in a Slasher Film” with a ridiculous 155 body count. The film heavily uses CG effects, which could normally be annoying but for this it sort of works. I am not sure how but this film has also received over 20 film festival awards including Best Horror Film, Best Visual Effects, Best Editing, Best Action Sequence, and Best SFX Feature. It is not the best horror/slasher ever but it definitely deserves some attention.

The man behind the “Terror Toons” series, Joe Castro brings us this very original anthology slasher film which follows eight different killers through five different stories. This film also includes a decent genre cast featuring Brinke Stevens from “Slumber Party Massacre”, Nick Principe from the “Laid to Rest” series, and Cleve Hall from “Nightmare”. The first stories follows the brutal beatings of a young man who then sets off a bloody rampage. The next story deals with a paraplegic girl as she heads out to kill her older, beautiful sister after she tries to murder her. Another story deals a woman who was raped 36 years ago by her biological father and after hiding for year he finds them. The next one follows a group of teenagers that are stalked in the forest. The last story features three serial killers that terrorize Los Angeles by murdering everyone in sight.

There were no special features included on my screener but the retail copy includes the following: Director’s Commentary, Director’s Diary (Behind-the-scenes), Interview with Brinke Stevens, Cast Auditions, Director Joe Castro’s Childhood Massacre Short Film. Definitely packed with some good stuff.  Overall this is just a fun ride that answers to no one and just goes nuts with itself.

DVD Review “A Good Old Fashioned Orgy”

Directed by: Alex Gregory, Peter Huyck
Starring: Jason Sudeikis, Leslie Bibb, Lake Bell, Michelle Borth, Nick Kroll, Tyler Labine, Lindsay Sloane
Lucy Punch, Will Forte
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Distributed by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Running time: 98 minutes

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

With a title like “A Good Old Fashioned Orgy”, it is easy to expect a lot from this movie, but at points it really plays it too safe. The film though definitely packs one of the best comedy casts of the year. Jason Sudeikis, Nick Kroll and Tyler Labine definitely rocks the house in the comedy department and Lake Bell is always a pleasure to watch. Will Forte and Lindsay Sloane are a great duo and deliver a few good laughs. If you are a fan of TV show “Children’s Hospital” and its cast, then you will definitely dig this film. The highlight scene though is easily the orgy party with David Koechner and he steals the show like always.

The film follows Eric (Jason Sudeikis) and his group of friends who hold theme-events at his father’s (Don Johnson) house in the Hamptons. When Eric finds out that his dad plans to sell the house, they decide to have one last big party and it would be an orgy. The group spends the next few weeks till Labor Day preparing and getting ready for the big night.  Can the group go through with this or will they chicken out?

The unrated cut of the film adds about 3 extra minutes to the film but doesn’t add too much more to the film. The bonus features included on the disc are a very funny commentary from co-writers/directors Alex Gregory, Peter Huyck and Jason Sudeikis. There is also a bunch of deleted scenes running about 15 minutes and they are decent watches and are really more like extended scenes. There is a very funny gag reel, which I wish was longer. “How to Film an Orgy” is a decent but short 9 minute behind the scenes featurette. Overall I would say I enjoyed this film and would recommend it.

DVD Review “A Mile in His Shoes”

Director: William Dear
Starring: Dean Cain, Luke Schroder
Number of discs: 1
Rated: PG
Studio: Vivendi Entertainment
Run Time: 91 minutes

Overall Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Normally I am not a fan of baseball films. This one is presented by Thomas Kinkade and also from the same director of “Angels in the Outfield”. Plus who doesn’t love Dean Cain? I figured I would give it a chance and it definitely was enjoyable. The story is inspiring and also definitely gives reaches out to the baseball fans.

The film follows minor league baseball coach Arthur ‘Murph’ Murphy (Dean Cain) as he stumbles upon Mickey (Luke Schroder), a young farmer who turns out to be a great pitcher. Mickey faces many challenges including fitting it with the team and playing baseball since he has Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism. The film is based on a true story and definitely packs one hell of a powerful story into one inspirational film.

Since this is a TV special, I am impressed that there are special features included at all for this release.  “The Making of A Mile in His Shoes” is  short but sweet. There is also a trailer included for the film.  Since this is presented by Thomas Kinkade, there is a painting gallery also included.  There is also a free 4×6 original, limited edition Thomas Kinkade painting postcard with certificate of authentication.

DVD Review “The Garfield Show: Dinosaur & Other Animal Adventures”

Voices of: Frank Welker, Gregg Berger, Wally Wingert
Episodes: 6
Running Time: 74 Minutes
Studio: Vivendi Entertainment

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

“The Garfield Show” started in France in 2008, following its US premiere in late 2009. The show is a different take for the series as it is fully CGI animated. I think that it works rather well in 15 minute episode formats. Each episode is quick and usually packs a good laugh or two. The animation is basic but not bad, with the colors really standing out. It definitely also has a pretty catchy theme song.

There are six episodes from this series included in this set including “Down on the Farm”, “The Pet Show”, “Bone Diggers”, “Underwater World”, “Fish to Fry” and “History of Dogs”. Some of the adventures that Garfield and Ottie deal with are digging up dinosaur bones, working on a farm, working on a farm, exploring the ocean and even attends a pet show.

My favorite on the disc is definitely “Underwater World”, since it has a cool shark named Chomper. I am a sucker for CGI sharks. Overall this show is fun and should definitely hold the interest of children…(and some adult like myself). There are over 100 episodes of this show and they seem to be releasing a new volume many times throughout the year. So keep an eye out for more volumes coming fast.

DVD Review “A Turtle’s Tale: Sammy’s Adventures”

Directed by: Ben Stassen
Starring: Yuri Lowenthal, Melanie Griffith, Tim Curry, Anthony Anderson and Stacy Keach
Rating: Not Rated
Length: 88 Minutes
Studio: Vivendi Entertainment

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

Since 2003, whenever there is any movie about talking animals it gets compared to just another “Finding Nemo”. Well, this film is not a total rip-off and is kind of enjoyable. First off the CG effects in the film are decent and really colorful. This originally came from Belgium and was recently released in the UK on 3D Blu-ray. I have seen that edition and honestly prefer it, especially when you watch certain scenes made specifically to shine in 3D.

The story is entertaining for kids but also sets out to deliver a message about the global warming.
Sammy, the sea turtle, takes an incredibly 50 years journey traveling the world. Along his journey he meets many friends, including love interest Shelly and also deals with some serious issues though, which was a bit of downer for me. Luckily, Sammy is really cute when he is younger and the film definitely takes shines more during that time.

The voice cast is notable and includes Melanie Griffith, Tim Curry, Anthony Anderson and Stacy Keach. If your kids notice the voice of Sammy, that because Yuri Lowenthal is also the voice of Ben 10 and Sasuke from “Naruto”. The soundtrack is fun and notable. Overall If you are a fan of this film, I would suggest catching it in 3D if possible. Also if you are looking for a sequel, “Sammy 2: Escape From Paradise” is being released August 2012…but only in France.

 

Related Content

DVD Review “Midnight in Paris”

Director: Woody Allen
Starring: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates, Kurt Fuller, Mimi Kennedy
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Run Time: 94 minutes

Overall Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

I have always been a fan of Woody Allen’s work through his career but have been picky with his work in the last 10 years. I originally wasn’t interested in this film until it became Mr. Allen’s biggest grossing film to date since 86’s “Hannah and Her Sisters”. Let me tell you, I was missing out as this is easily one of the best film of the year. The acting is phenomenal and each player works perfectly off the next. The story is very sweet and light yet fantastical and heavy. Stephane Wrembel’s score accompanies the film very well and takes us on the midnight journey through Paris.

This is a romantic comedy about a young people Gil and Inez (Owen Wilson & Rachel McAdams), who are vacationing in Paris and are engaged to be married…but they are two completely different people. Gil has such a great love for Paris and wants a very simple life like in the 1920’s and Inez is very driven and cares a lot about appearance and status in society. After a night of drinking, Gil ends up getting in a car with strangers and finding himself transported back into a simpler time in time through the streets of Paris. Along his journey he comes in contact with various legends from our past including Pablo Picasso (Marcial Di Fonzo Bo), Salvador Dalí (Adrien Brody), Gertrude Stein (Kathy Bates), F. Scott Fitzgerald (Tom Hiddleston) and Ernest Hemingway (Corey Stoll) and they help Gil get his life into perspective.

The casting like I mentioned earlier is so rich and full of different types of talent. I really enjoyed Marion Cotillard performance as Adriana. Corey Stoll is also fantastic and funny as Ernest Hemingway. Owen Wilson is definitely the star of this film really breaking out of his recent rut and gives this performance his all. Although the film is so great the special features are not as spectacular as it only includes a brief panel interview, called “Midnight in Cannes” with a few of the cast and runs about five minutes. I would have loved to get some commentary and more behind the scenes from Woody Allen. Despite that, this is a must watch! Do not miss it.

 

Related Content