Blu-ray Review “Cinderella II: Dreams Come True / Cinderella III: A Twist in Time”

Starring: Jennifer Hale, Tress MacNeille, Rob Paulsen, Corey Burton, Holland Taylor, Susanne Blakeslee
Directors: Frank Nissen, John Kafka
Number of discs: 3
Rated: G (General Audience)
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Release Date: November 20, 2012
Running Time: 73 / 70 minutes

Cinderella II: Dreams Come True: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Cinderella III: A Twist in Time: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars

How can you follow up to wonderful and timeless story of “Cinderella”. “Cinderella II: Dreams Come True” is a poor excuse for a sequel to one of the best fairy tale stories ever. The animation really is poor and really shows it’s direct-to-video roots. To be honest, I wouldn’t purchase this if it wasn’t in a combo pack. “Cinderella III: A Twist in Time” is a much better follow-up.  It delivers a really nice twist on the classic story and also packs some really fun songs. This film does make this release worth the purchase and I would just take “Cinderella II”, as a bonus feature.  In terms of delivery, “Cinderella II & III” are presented on one Blu-ray disc, while each film is also available on their own individual DVD. Overall, I would recommend this for probably only hardcore Disney fans!

“Cinderella II: Dreams Come True”: As a newly crowned princess, Cinderella quickly learns that life at the Palace – and her royal responsibilities – are more challenging than she had imagined. In three heartwarming tales, Cinderella calls on her animal friends and her Fairy Godmother to help as she brings her own grace and charm to her regal role and discovers that being true to yourself is the best way to make your dreams come true.

“Cinderella III: A Twist In Time”: Princess Cinderella is living a charmingly perfect life until her stepmother gets her hands on Fairy Godmother’s magic wand. With a wicked spell that turns back the clock, she erases the Prince’s memories of the girl he met at the ball and shatters Cinderella’s happily ever after! Jaq and Gus scurry to save the day before time runs out. But was it all really just a dream in Cinderella’s heart, or will true love triumph over all?

Despite being pretty bad, “Cinderella II: Dreams Come True” still looks the best it ever has on Blu-ray with its 1080p transfer and its 1.66:1 aspect ratio. “Cinderella III: A Twist In Time” also looks fantastic with its 1080p transfer and its 1.78:1 aspect ratio. Both films also sport a nice DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. The special features do not add much to this release. There is a feature called “Becoming a Princess” which is included in a two-part feature. The 1st Edition is with “Cinderella II” and 2nd Edition is with “Cinderella III” and both are new features for this release. They takes you through princess school and the process of being transformed into a Disney Princess. “Musical Magic” looks into the songs in the “Cinderella 2”. Lastly, there is a music video for the song “Put It Together”.

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Book Review “The Art of Assassin’s Creed III”

Author: Andy McVittie
Hardcover: 144 pages
Publisher: Titan Books
Release Date: October 30, 2012

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

The “Assassin’s Creed” video game series is one of the most unique available today.  The first game launched in 2007 and since then the first four Assassin’s Creed games have sold more than 38 million units worldwide.  The franchise quickly established itself one of the best-selling series ever. My only question is WHERE IS THE MOVIE ADAPTION? There has been a lot of hype and anticipation behind the arrival of “Assassin’s Creed III”.  This book is an exclusive art book to showcase the wonderful art that has gone into making this new installment.

If you are fan of this franchise, I cannot stress how this book is a must have.  One of the factors that makes “Assassin’s Creed” so successful is that it has some of the most original and deep art matched with storytelling in the business. The book is authored by Andy McVittie, who has been working in the video games industry for more than twenty years. He is known best for his work in well-known magazines like  Nintendo Official Magazine and PlayStation Plus.  So he knows his video games and his passion is shown throughout this book.

What makes “Assassin’s Creed III” unique in the franchise is the introduction of a  new assassin and takes place in a revolutionary world. So this book is a perfect introduction to this character and the new world that the story takes place in.  If you are hardcore fans, you are going to be drooling over the new interactive cityscapes and frozen winter landscapes showcased in this book.  Also revealed are the new threats from the natural world including weather systems that affect actual affect gameplay.  Also fans will be happy to know that all these has been perfectly and (most importantly) historically recreated by the Ubisoft studio. So get ready to completely immerse yourself in this book, since “Assassin’s Creed III” to certain to be the biggest and best yet in the series.

 

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Dethklok’s The Dethalbum III (Deluxe Edition) is Available Now! – $11.99 at Best Buy


Dethklok’s The Dethalbum III (Deluxe Edition) is Available Now! – $11.99 at Best Buy.  Click here to purchase at Bestbuy.com! Do not miss this album.  Read our review here:

“If you are a fan of Adult Swim’s animated series “Metalocalypse”, then like myself, you should be eagerly anticipating this album. “Dethalbum II” was released all the way back in September 2009.  Dethklok is the virtual death metal band from the series “Metalocalypse” and contains music from the second, third and fourth seasons of the show. The music, like the past albums, is basically all performed by the show’s creator Brendon Small with some help from drummer Gene Hoglan and bassist Bryan Beller. The deluxe edition CD/DVD includes a 32 minute behind-the-scenes documentary of the making of Dethalbum III, as well as music videos and more. If you are a fan of vinyl, like myself, the album will also be released on vinyl on November 6, 2012 (just like the first one).”

 Track listing:

1. “I Ejaculate Fire” (from “Dethhealth”)
2. “Crush the Industry” (from “Renovationklok”)
3. “Andromeda” (from “Writersklok”)
4. “The Galaxy” (from “Doublebookedklok”)
5. “Starved” (from “Tributeklok”)
6. “Killstardo Abominate” (from “Dethsiduals” & “Rehabklok”)
7. “Ghostqueen” (from “Motherklok”)
8. “Impeach God” (from “Dethgov”)
9. “Biological Warfare” (from “Fertilityklok”)
10. “Skyhunter” (from “Rehabklok”)
11. “The Hammer” (from “Dethcamp”)
12. “Rejoin” (from “Fanklok”)

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CD Review: Dethklok “The Dethlabum III”

Dethklok
“The Dethlabum III”
Label: Williams Street
Producer: Brendon Small, Ulrich Wild
Release Date: October 16, 2012
Tracks: 12
Running Time: 51 minutes

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

If you are a fan of Adult Swim’s animated series “Metalocalypse”, then like myself, you should be eagerly anticipating this album. “Dethalbum II” was released all the way back in September 2009.  Dethklok is the virtual death metal band from the series “Metalocalypse” and contains music from the second, third and fourth seasons of the show. The music, like the past albums, is basically all performed by the show’s creator Brendon Small with some help from drummer Gene Hoglan and bassist Bryan Beller. The deluxe edition CD/DVD includes a 32 minute behind-the-scenes documentary of the making of Dethalbum III, as well as music videos and more. If you are a fan of vinyl, like myself, the album will also be released on vinyl on November 6, 2012 (just like the first one).

Brendon had also released his first solo album earlier this year, “Brendon Small’s Galaktikon” and it could be anymore different that Dethklok (which is a good thing).  If you ever hear him speak in person, it is just a wonder how he is able to stay in character for Nathan Explosion and deliver these intense heavy vocals that he achieves so well.  So how does the album compare to “Dethalbum I & II”? Well, it is hard to say straight away.  I think it is a great continuation of what you should expect from Dethklok.  I feel that these albums are made to be played all three back to back, and just letting them tell their story out.  One thing I noticed is that the guitar work just seems so tight and really focused.  There are some riffs on these tracks that will literally throw you out of your chair, especially on “Starved”.

With Dethklok hits the road this Fall, it will be great to see Brendon and his band of virtual members really tear up the stages.  I can’t wait to hear the first single “I Ejaculate Fire” performed live and see the audiences reaction to that track live.  It will never cease to amaze me that Dethklok started out as  technical not a “real band”, yet fans have been growing and supporting this music and the band for going over five years now.  If you are a Dethklok/Metalocalypse/Brendon Small fan, doesn’t matter, you are going to be going back flips listening to this album.  I would say it is definitely worth the three year wait and in the words of Nathan Explosion, “It is totally BRUTAL”!

Track listing:
1. “I Ejaculate Fire” (from “Dethhealth”)
2. “Crush the Industry” (from “Renovationklok”)
3. “Andromeda” (from “Writersklok”)
4. “The Galaxy” (from “Doublebookedklok”)
5. “Starved” (from “Tributeklok”)
6. “Killstardo Abominate” (from “Dethsiduals” & “Rehabklok”)
7. “Ghostqueen” (from “Motherklok”)
8. “Impeach God” (from “Dethgov”)
9. “Biological Warfare” (from “Fertilityklok”)
10. “Skyhunter” (from “Rehabklok”)
11. “The Hammer” (from “Dethcamp”)
12. “Rejoin” (from “Fanklok”)

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Adult Swim Announces Details for Highly-Anticipated Metalocalypse: Dethklok’s “Dethalbum III”

 Adult Swim’s Animated Aggressors to Release New Album in North America with CD/DVD Combo and

Clean Version on October 16, 2012; Limited Edition Vinyl Follows on November 6

DETHKLOK returns this fall with Metalocalypse: Dethklok Dethalbum III, the highly-anticipated follow up album that fans of the animated band have been begging for. The stars of the Adult Swim series Metalocalypse will unleash 12 brand new tracks that are more brutal than ever before in this fall’s release, set to hit stores throughout North America on October 16, 2012 from Williams Street Records. The Dethalbum III is once again co-produced by Metalocalypse co-creator Brendon Small and Dethklok producer Ulrich Wild (The Dethalbum and Dethalbum II). The cover art was also illustrated by The Dethalbum and Dethalbum II cover artist Antonio Canobbio.

Dethalbum III will not only be released in its original CD and digital format, but also as a Deluxe Edition CD/DVD and a clean version of the CD. The Deluxe Edition CD/DVD will include a 32-minute behind-the-scenes documentary of the making of Dethalbum III, as well as music videos and much more. A vinyl edition of the album with special etching will be released on November 6, 2012.

The full track listing for Dethalbum III includes:
1.      I Ejaculate Fire
2.      Crush the Industry
3.      Andromeda
4.      The Galaxy
5.      Starved
6.      Killstardo Abominate
7.      Ghostqueen
8.      Impeach God
9.      Biological Warfare
10.  Skyhunter
11.  The Hammer
12.  Rejoin

The fourth season of Metalocalypse, created by Brendon Small and Tommy Blacha with Small executive producing, recently wrapped on Adult Swim and will be released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on October 30. Along with all 12 episodes from the series’ fourth season, theMetalocalypse Season 4 DVD and Blu-ray releases will feature more than two hours of special features. Highlights from those features include a 90-minute feature film of Nathan Explosion tackling his latest Shakespeare reading, in “Nathan Reads Shakespeare 4: Comedy of Errors,” a series of band member “StaresDowns,” a look at Dethklok Fan Art, “MurderThoughts,” a “Pickles Flyby” and much, much more.

For more information on DETHKLOK and Dethalbum III, please visit http://metalocalypse.tv/ or http://www.adultswim.com/music/, and more details, including pre-order information and a corresponding fall tour for Dethklok, are set to be released shortly. Stay tuned for an assault of new information, multimedia and exclusives coming very soon.

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Film Review “Men in Black III”

Starring: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin
Directed by: Barry Sonnenfeld
PG 13
Running time: 1 hour 47 mins
Columbia Pictures

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

It’s been 10 years since Agent’s “J” and “K” have made our world safe from aliens. A lot of things have changed since then. A lot hasn’t. But when the fate of the world depends on things changing 40 years in the past, who you gonna call? No, not the Ghostbusters!

The original “Men in Black” was the second of three summer films that established Will Smith as a bonafide box office star (and a sure bet to open a film over the 4th of July). His young buck agent “J” played perfectly off of Tommy Lee Jones’ gruff agent “K.” “MIB 3” finds them just as we remember them. But MIB itself has changed. The new head of the agency is the lovely “O” (Emma Thompson). She and “K” appear to have a bit of a past but if that’s true she’s not saying. When a galactic menace named Boris the Animal ( played by “Flight of the Conchords” Jemaine Clement) escapes his lunar prison, intending to settle a long time score with “K”, “J” must travel back in time to 1969, where he again encounters “K” (a brilliant Josh Brolin). While there doors are unlocked and questions are answered.

A resounding return to the magic that made the original “Men in Black” so successful, “MIB 3” is what a summer movie should be: FUN! Well written and featuring some of the best effects on screen this year (my apologies, “Avengers”), the film also features some fine performances. Smith easily slips back into the wise cracking “J” while Jones has mastered the crusty old mentor role. The standout here is Brolin, who nails Jones’ mannerisms and vocal tics. Every time he calls Smith “slick,” hondo” or “sport” you almost expect to see Jones standing behind him. Clement is also solid in a role I never would have considered him for. His Boris the Animal (“it’s JUST Boris,” he hisses when addressed by his full moniker) is truly evil and much more suited to take over the world then Johnny Knoxville’s head in “MIB 2.” The visual effects are just as sharp, with 12 time Oscar nominee (and 7 time winner, including for the original “Men in Black”) Rick Baker and staff outdoing themselves.

Director Sonnenfeld keeps the pace moving smoothly while the script by, among others, Etan Coen (“Tropic Thunder”) and David Koepp (“Jurassic Park,” “Spider-man”) delivers the humor as well as an unexpected emotional payoff. As in the other films in the series, the production values are top notch with special credit going to cinematographer Bill Pope (the “Matrix” films, “Spider-Man 2 and 3”), whose lens seemingly captured a post card of New York City, circa 1969. Credit as well to long time Sonnenfeld production designer Bo Welch, whose attention to the detail of the late 1960s is outstanding.

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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.

 

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Chickenfoot Earns Grammy Nomination for 3D Packaging of Critically Acclaimed “Chickenfoot III”

CHICKENFOOT EARNS GRAMMY NOMINATION FOR 3D PACKAGING OF CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED CHICKENFOOT III ALBUM FROM eONE MUSIC and earMUSIC/Edel

Chickenfoot Scheduled to Play The Mark & Brian Christmas Show at Los Angeles’ Nokia Theatre on December 15th Before  January 2012 European Tour

LOS ANGELES, CA—December 9, 2011—Chickenfoot –the supergroup featuring guitarist Joe Satriani, drummer Chad Smith, former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony and frontman Sammy Hagar – have earned a GRAMMY nomination for the “Best Recording Package,” for the creative 3D design of their recent Chickenfoot III (eOne Music/earMUSIC/Edel) album. The GRAMMY-nominated band plans to return to Los Angeles with touring drummer Kenny Aronoff to perform at the Mark & Brian Christmas Show on December 15th at the Nokia Theatre and will embark on a European tour in January 2012.

Designed by art director Todd Gallopo, Chickenfoot III, features an elaborately designed 3D package with optical illusions and special codes giving fans a fully immersed creative Chickenfoot experience, creating a spectacle with spectacles.  With special “3D optical enhancers,” otherwise known as old-skool 3D glasses that come with each package, the cover and inside photos feature artwork that trick the eye by looking through the two different red and blue lenses of the glasses.  Having used a special state-of-the-art 3D camera rig to create the designs, Chickenfoot gives fans a truly multi-dimensional experience throughout the packaging that also offers a 3D photo of each band member with stats and Q&As, QR codes for behind the scenes 3D video content from the photo shoot on smartphones and much more.  A look through the red lens even reveals a very special message on the CD itself.

The band recently wrapped a sold out 2011 Road Test Tour that took them through San Francisco, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Chicago and New York with a stop for a performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.  In each city along the tour, Hagar made a donation to a local food bank in a special partnership with Feeding America to encourage fans to do the same to help fight hunger, an important message that he also intended to convey through the music video for “Three And A Half Letters (I Need A Job).”

The first single from Chickenfoot III, “Big Foot,” debuted at #1 on the Mediabase Classic Rock Chart holding the position for 11 weeks, earning over 1.85 million listeners, and the album received critical acclaim.  Chickenfoot III features 10 tracks with so many moments of epiphany that one can barely take them all in on first listen.  Colossal, stadium-shaking riffs abound on earth-movers such as “Alright, Alright,” “Last Temptation” and “Lighten Up.” Tradition meets innovation on the Nashville pop-tinged “Different Devil,” the Delta-blues flavored “Something Going Wrong” and the aching rock ballad “Come Closer.”  Chickenfoot III debuted at #9 on the Billboard Top 100 and follows the band’s 2009 debut album, which debuted at #3 on the Billboard Top 100 and was certified gold for sales over 500,000 units by the Recording Industry Association of America.

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Chickenfoot III Debuts Top 10 as Band Announces Tour Dates

(LOS ANGELES, CA) – “CHICKENFOOT III”, the new album from the supergroup featuring guitarist Joe Satriani, drummer Kenny Aronoff, former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony and frontman Sammy Hagar – debuted on the Billboard album chart at #9. Tickets will be available Friday, October 7th for the recently announced “2011 Road Test Tour.” The new dates will take the the band through San Francisco, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Chicago and New York in early November. European tour dates will also be announced this month.

The first single, “Big Foot,” debuted at #1 on the Mediabase Classic Rock Chart holding the position for seven weeks and earning over 1.85 million listeners and continues to receive critical acclaim:

“‘Big Foot’ is sinewy, muscular and abundantly familiar – but in a good way. As Hagar sings, ‘that s*** rocks.’” – Billboard Magazine.

“Chickenfoot light a fire under rock ‘n’ roll’s collective ass, setting the pace for the genre as a whole. Chickenfoot III melds monstrous grooves and virtuoso playing in one of the year’s best rock records,” writes Rick Florino of ARTISTdirect.com.

Last week on release day, Chickenfoot offered fans a very special free Live Concert Webcast: Chickenfoot Presents “III,” performing tracks from the new album and hosting a 30-minute Q&A session with the fans. “CHICKENFOOT III”, produced by Mike Fraser, features an elaborately designed 3D package with optical illusions and special codes giving fans a fully immersed creative Chickenfoot experience, creating a spectacle with spectacles. With special “3D optical enhancers,” old-skool 3D glasses that come with each package, the cover and numberous inside photos feature artwork that trick the eye by looking through the two different red and blue lenses of the glasses. A look through the red lens even reveals a very special message on the CD itself.

“CHICKENFOOT III” features 10 tracks with so many moments of epiphany that one can barely take them all in on first listen. Colossal, stadium-shaking riffs abound on earth-movers such as “Alright, Alright,” “Last Temptation” and “Lighten Up.” Tradition meets innovation on the Nashville pop-tinged “Different Devil,” the Delta-blues flavored “Something Going Wrong” and the aching rock ballad “Come Closer.” Special video releases and more can be seen at the band’s webpage , as well as their podcast, YouTube, Facebook and Google+ pages. Chickenfoot III follows the band’s 2009 debut album, which debuted at #3 on the Billboard Top 100 and was certified gold for sales of over 500,000 units by the Recording Industry Association of America.

THE 2011 ROAD TEST TOUR DATES:
11/1/11 – San Francisco, CA – Warfield Theatre
11/2/11 – Los Angeles, CA – Avalon Hollywood
11/4/11 – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant
11/5/11 – Chicago, IL – Metro
11/8/11 – New York, NY – Webster Hall

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