Blu-ray Review "Mimesis: Night of the Living Dead"

Actors: Sid Haig, Courtney Gains, Allen Maldonado, Taylor Piedmonte, David Schwager
Director: Douglas Schulze
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
DVD Release Date: February 12, 2013
Run Time: 95 minutes

Film: 2 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1 out of 5 stars

“Mimesis” is a very clever homage to George Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead”…for the first 30 minutes. It plays out scene for scene at first…before it crashes and burns into a modern killer flick. I have to give it to them for trying to be original here but they lost focus in the second half. They also got horror genre favs like Sid Haig and Courtney Gains to make a brief appearance. They are listed on the back of the box as “starring” but one scene doesn’t constitute starring. Horror fans, I would say watch this if you want find it free or on Netflix but otherwise, I would steer clear.

Official Premise: A group of horror fans find themselves unwilling participants in a living nightmare that pays homage to a classic horror film. Seven complete strangers whose only common link is a love for classic era horror films are invited to attend an exclusive “horror fan” party at a remote farm. But as the sun sets, these strangers soon find themselves within a real life version of the 1968 George Romero cult horror classic “Night of the Living Dead”!

The Blu-ray presentation looks good enough with its 1080p transfer. The DTS TrueHD 5.1 track work well with the score and suspense in the beginning. I got tired real quick with the speed up/slow down shots throughout the whole film. This isn’t “The Matrix”, you know! The only special feature listed here is an audio commentary track from the Director/Co-Writer Douglas Schulze and Co-Writer Joshua Wagner. I love their passion for the genre but it still doesn’t make it up for it’s disappointing third act.

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Blu-ray Review "Tales of the Night"

Directors: Michel Ocelot
Rated: Unrated
Studio: NEW VIDEO GROUP
DVD Release Date: January 29, 2013
Run Time: 84 minutes

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

When it comes to animation, especially Foreign animation, I am always drawn in. This film looked very interesting from its description and colorful presentation. The film itself though isn’t as exciting. I have to give it to Michel Ocelot though for delivering a unique approach to this animation process. The stories are told through the idea of shadows. Visually the film looks great especially on Blu-ray but I just wasn’t really drawn in with the stories. There are six “Tales” in this film:

1) The Werewolf
2) Ti Jean and the Belle-Sans-Connaitre
3) The Chosen One And The City Of Gold
4) Boy Tam-Tam
5) The Boy Who Never Lied
6) The Doe-Girl And The Architect’s Son

Official Premise: From the imagination of internationally renowned animator Michel Ocelot (Kirikou and the Sorceress, Azur & Asmar) comes a magical and visually stunning new film, delighting kids, families and animation fans of all ages. Silhouetted characters are set off against exquisitely detailed Day-Glo backgrounds bursting with color and kaleidoscopic patterns, as the film weaves together six exotic fables each unfolding in a unique locale, from Tibet, to medieval Europe, and even the Land of the Dead. In Ocelot’s celebrated storytelling, history blends with fairytale as viewers are whisked off to visit enchanted lands full of dragons, shape-shifting werewolves, captive princesses, and enormous talking bees – and each fable ends with its own ironic twist.

This release is delivered by New Video Group in a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack.  The 1080p transfer in presented with an aspect ratio of 1.77:1. Like I said above it does look very sharp and the colors really jump out.  Though this film was originally released theatrically in 3D, but this release only includes a 2D presentation. I am very disappointed in this since I feel it would have added a lot to the film itself.  Note: This is the second time this year already that New Video Group released an intended 3D Blu-ray only in 2D, the other being “Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai”. The English dub audio track, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, works well with the format but I actually did prefer the original French language but its track is only presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0.

The special features are like the film a bit of a let down and are both in standard defition.  There is “An Interview with Filmmaker Michel Ocelot” talks about his process of creating this film. It is in French with English subtitles. “The Festival of Color: Storytelling Through Animation Featurette with Filmmaker Michel Ocelot” is an extra focuses on the work with a UNICEF event again chatting about the production.  Also again in  French with English subtitles. Lastly there is a U.S. Trailer included.

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R.I.P. David R. Ellis – Flashback Interview for "Shark Night 3D"

I was very saddened to find out that David R. Ellis has passes away on January 7th, 2013. He was the director of action films like “Shark Night 3D”, “The Final Destination” and “Snakes on the Place”. Here is our interview from August of 2011 with the late director to chat about working on “Shark Night 3D”.

Mike Gencarelli: How did you originally become attached to “Shark Night 3D”?
David R. Ellis: I had done “The Final Destination”  in 3D which ended up doing really good. Those attached to the “Shark Night” project wanted to make this film in 3D as well. I had been attached to the project for some time prior to the film being made. I was the only person out there that had done a full live action 3D movie. They brought me in to meet with the producers and I pitched to them what my vision for the film was. They immediately attached me to the film and from there they started to pitch the film for funding with my name attached to it.

MG: What can we expect from the film?
DRE: There is a lot of comedy and fun in this film. It’s not a horror but it is a scary. The film is rated PG-13 however we really pushed the envelope with what we could get away with. The film plays like an R rated movie but we just don’t cuss or have boobs in it. We don’t really need that to make a scary movie. I don’t think boobs are that scary. Maybe some are. (Laughs) During our test screenings we made people jump and scared them but they also had a lot of fun with the movie. We spent time developing the characters and we have a great young cast. I like finding young actors and giving them a shot such as Chris Evans who I had in “Cellular”. I think everyone in this film are going to be big stars in their own right and I was very lucky to get them before they broke out.

MG: We have spoke to the whole cast and they have been telling us that you are one of the best directors to work with and you have this unique approach to directing; can you tell us about that approach?
DRE: Well I pay them to say that [laughs].  No seriously, when I cast actors I cast people who have the ability to adopt the part and who can get into the role. I like to then give them free reign in designing that character from what they want to wear and what props they may want to use. Making a movie is not brain surgery so my sets are a lot of fun to work on. I come very prepared and we have fun while getting our work done. At the end of a movie it’s sad because we made a new family and you have to leave that. Keeping everything light is key. Appreciating everyone working on the film for what they contribute and not yelling and or screaming is important as well because at times we were shooting in miserable conditions but by keeping it fun everyone stepped up to the plate and did a great job.

MG: How much of the film features animatronic sharks and how much was CGI?
DRE:  It’s probably 40% animatronics and 60% CGI. We used the animatronic sharks when they had to interact with people. When a scene was really difficult we used the CGI sharks.  The CGI has really come a long way and looked great, especially since I was directed the second unit on “Deep Blue Sea”.  The technology from then to now is amazing. The sharks look great!

MG: How do you “Shark Night 3D” differs from your other 3D film “The Final Destination”?
DRE: This one was more difficult because we were shooting on the water. When you are using 3D cameras you have one camera for the left eye and one for the right. They are very bulky and underwater they are very big so it’s technically tough for the crews. I think 3D films need to be shot in 3D nd not converted in post production, as I feel you don’t get the depth. I call that ‘2 and a half D’. What they have now that we didn’t have for “The Final Destination” are 3D monitors. You get to watch everything in 3D as its being shot. Before you had to shoot then put it into a computer and watch it in a trailer later on.

MG: Can you tell us the story behind the issues with the film’s title?
DRE: The working title of the film was “Shark Night 3D”. We were always hoping that we would come up with something that was catchier. On a weekly basis we had production meetings where I would try and get the crew to suggest different titles. Ultimately when the film was bought after we were done there was some research to change the title but in the end the film is what it is and the title was fitting.

MG: Do you prefer shooting in 3D or do you find it more difficult?
DRE: I love 3D and its depth. I think a lot of films use the really gimmicky type 3D that throws stuff into the audience. We didn’t do that. We used the 3D to put the audience inside the world of the shark and to have the sharks in the audience. The gimmicks work for some movies as 3D is an interactive experience. I think 3D is a great application and it’s going to be around for a long time. It may not be for every film but for the right film if it’s used correctly it’s an awesome experience.

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Malcolm McDowell talks about his role in “Silent Night”

Malcolm McDowell started his acting career in the early 60’s and has appeared in over 100 productions. Malcolm is probably best known for his role as Alex in Stanley Kubrick’s cult classic “A Clockwork Orange”. More recently he appeared in the remake of the 80’s holiday horror classic “Silent Night”. Media Mikes had the chance to talk with Malcolm recently about his role in the film and some of his other recent work.

Adam Lawton: How did you become attached to the remake of “Silent Night”?
Malcolm McDowell: They came to me with that role. I was actually in the same city they were shooting the film in at the same time as I was there working on another project. I was already there so I figured why not. I had never seen the original but I looked at the script and thought it would be fun to play a sheriff. I had never actually played a sheriff before. I think the director did a fantastic job with the film. Everything he brought to the production was really great. I think he is going to have a great future. It’s always good to see a young director blossoming and getting hold of things. Even though the film could be considered a B Horror movie there is still some fantastic work that can be done. It’s a great showcase for him and I am really proud.

AL: Can you give us a little more background on your character?
MM: He is a noble man but not really the brightest guy on the planet. The town he works in is a quiet one where the biggest problem he might have to deal with is public drunkenness. Now he is hit with a rash of serial killings which wipes out a majority of the town. He thinks he can handle it and that’s what I thought was so amusing about the role. Our job in this film is to scare people and also make them laugh. It’s entertainment. It’s not to be taken seriously as there are not people dressed as Santa going around flame throwing people. It’s just a fun ride. It’s like a video game.

AL: Did the director keep you confined to script or were you allowed to experiment some?
MM: I was allowed to move around a bit. That’s something I always like to do. It’s much more fun to add in a few bits here and there. I can’t really remember what I added but I know there were a few parts that made it in.

AL: Can you tell us what it was like working on “Home Alone: The Holiday Heist”?
MM: That was really fun. I have 3 young boys and I knew they would love that. When they told me what it was I was a bit unsure however I had worked with the director before and I liked working with him. Now that I have children of my own I look at these types of roles a little more differently these days. Anything I can do that is fun for them I like to do. It was great working with the cast as they are some wonderful actors.

AL: Before you had your children were you a fan of the holiday film genre?
MM: They aren’t film’s I would go and see personally. I like films that are for a mature audience and ones that make you think. Those seem to be getting fewer and fewer so I don’t go to the cinema much anymore. There are some good movies out there right now. “The Master” is an amazing film! Those are the types of things I like.

AL: What do you like most about working on series like “Franklin and Bash”?
MM: It’s like working in theater. You know everybody and you are a family. You get to know everyone very well. It’s a nurturing environment. It is a fantastic privilege to be able to do this. I have a very nice role and I love the character. I hope they continue writing me great stuff.

AL: Do you prefer working on a series at this stage of character as opposed to feature films?
MM: It fits perfectly in to my schedule. With these kids of mine I don’t want to be going away. I want to be around to see them grow up. It works very well for me these days. We shoot in Los Angeles so I can drive there which is perfect. I am not in every minute of things or carry the show as I don’t think is something I would want to do.

AL: Can you tell us about some of your upcoming projects?
MM: I have a couple of films that I am waiting to start on. I think there are 3 or 4 of them. I should be starting those in December and January. I also will be starting work on the new season of “Franklin and Bash”. We will be shooting that until about May. I am really excited to start back on that.

 

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Blu-ray Review “Silent Night”

Actors: Malcolm McDowell, Jaime King, Ellen Wong, Donal Logue, Brendan Fehr, Courtney Palm
Director: Steven C. Miller
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
Release Date: December 4, 2012
Run Time: 94 minutes

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

Lately, there has been a big huge flow of 80’s horror remakes.  The 1984 horror classic “Silent Night Deadly Night” is one of my favorites.  When it was released it was controversial and was protested.  “Silent Night” is a modern remake and packs a nice punch but I doubt it will have the same effect as the shocking original.  The kills are sharp, the gore is present and there is no shortage of gratuitous nudity. The film also rings in a wonderful cast including Malcolm McDowell (“Rob Zombie’s Halloween”) and Jaime King (“Sin City”) and Courtney Palm (“Sushi Girl”), who also has the best kill scene in the film! There is some decent nods to the original film but overall stands on its own.

Don’t get me wrong the 1984 original is a cult classic but it surely has its issues and is not a perfect film.  “Silent Night” takes what’s good in the original and sharpens it up a bit.  Steven C. Miller is a kick-ass director and he knows his horror.  This is a great follow-up to his last film, which I also enjoyed, “The Aggression Scale”. “Silent Night” is low-budget film but it has a larger scale to it. You can tell that Miller is a fan of the original himself and really delivers his unique look and feel to this film. This might be his most mature and sharpest film to date! As always, I look forward to what he has planned next. If you are a fan of the original, this is a nice companion to it.  It tries to compliment it more than it tries to replace it.

This time around the story follows on a small-town sheriff and deputy who are on the hunt for a murderous masked Santa Claus that terrorizing their community on Christmas Eve. As the town prepare for its annual Christmas parade, the streets full of Santas and the killer is hiding in plain sight. The killer is picking off the people that he judges as being “naughty”. He’s making his list, checking it twice, and the naughty are going to pay with their lives. Christmas is going to be bloody and brutal this year!

Anchor Bay is releasing a very nice Blu-ray/DVD combo pack for the film. It looks very sharp it is 2.40:1/16×9 1080p transfer. The audio is also very impressive with its Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround track. The special features are not the best but definitely worth checking out. There is a very short and non narrated collection of behind-the-scenes footage from the production, which runs just over six minutes. There are some deleted scenes, which run for just over five minute. They literally add nothing to the film and were rightfully deleted. I would have loved to see a commentary track from Miller and some cast chatting about the original and the production.

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DVD Review “Silent Night, Deadly Night: Double Feature”

Starring: Lilyan Chauvin, Gilmer McCormick, Toni Nero, Robert Brian Wilson, Eric Freeman, James L. Newman, Elizabeth Cayton, Jean Miller
Directors: Charles E. Sellier, Jr., Lee Harry
MPAA Rating: NR / R
Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
DVD Release Date: December 4, 2012
Running Time: 85 / 88 minutes

“Silent Night, Deadly Night”: 3.5 out of 5 stars
“Silent Night, Deadly Night: Part 2”: 1 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Christmas is one of my favorite holidays, no question.  But what is Christmas without a little cheesy 80’s slasher horror.  “Silent Night, Deadly Night” has always been a favorite of mine to revisit during the holiday season.  The film has been hated and fought against since it theatrical release date.  It goes in and out-of-print on DVD what seems like every few years.  It has never been given the respect that it deserves.  In this Christmas Survival Double Feature, we get both “Silent Night, Deadly Night” and its absolutely terrible rehash sequel “Silent Night, Deadly Night: Part 2” on one release.   Horror fans will enjoy this release to get into the holiday spirit.

“Silent Night, Deadly Night” comes in its original unrated version, which is the best way to view it. The only issue is that it varies in quality since the uncut footage is not as clean. There is a nice disclaimer before the film starts, which says pretty much “Hey, here is the extra footage you asked for but it ain’t pretty”.  I prefer the extra gore to quality.   “Silent Night, Deadly Night: Part 2” is a really sad excuse for a film.  It spends the first 40 minutes only showing clips from the first film.  Let’s just say they put this film was a double features since no one would buy it solo.

“Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)”: Years ago, little Billy saw his parents murdered by an escaped killer wearing a Santa Claus costume. The experience left indelible scars on his psyche, made all the worse by his subsequent years languishing in an orphanage, where his life was made a living hell by the cruel and domineering Mother Superior (Lilyan Chauvin, Universal Soldier). With the help of the sympathetic Sister Margaret (Gilmer McCormick, Slaughterhouse-Five, Starting Over), the 18-year-old Billy (Robert Brian Wilson, “Search for Tomorrow”) secures a job at a toy store. But when the store’s regular Santa is injured, Billy is called upon to don the red suit. But as he does, he becomes a ticking time bomb. The traumatic memories of his parents’ murders, combined with the abuse he has suffered at the hands of the Mother Superior, propel him into a state of psychotic rage. Santa Claus is coming to town, and he’s got murder on his mind…

“Silent Night, Deadly Night: Part 2” (1987): Billy’s younger brother Ricky (Eric Freeman) follows in the family tradition of Christmas carnage. Psycho Santa is back…to deck the halls with chunks of bodies!

The special features are nothing spectacular but has a few extras worth checking out.  On “Silent Night, Deadly Night”, there is a audio interview with the director, Charles E. Sellier, Jr.; as well as poster and still gallery and “Santa’s Stocking of Outrage” featurette.  “Silent Night, Deadly Night: Part 2”, besides being an embarrassment of a film, contains an audio commentary from writer/director Lee Harry, Writer Joseph H. Earle and actor James Newman.  Lastly there is a theatrical trailer included, as well as a poster and still gallery. Also if you watch the film on your computer it has a DVD-Rom extra includes the original screenplay to download.

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DVD Review “Dark Night of the Scarecrow (Deluxe Collector’s Edition)”

Actors: Charles Durning, Tonya Crowe, Larry Drake, Lane Smith
Directors: Frank De Felitta
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: VCI Entertainment
DVD Release Date: September 11, 2012
Run Time: 96 minutes

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

If you are a fan of horror, then you surely know about “Dark Night of the Scarecrow”.  The film has never had love from studios and was only just finally released on DVD for the first time in late 2010, thanks to VCI Entertainment.  It is hard to believe that this was a made-for-TV movie back in the day. Even for a TV movie, the film is still extremely disturbing and unsettling.  If it wasn’t for VCI, this film might still be missing and might have never seen the light of day. This Deluxe Collector’s Edition includes some great new special features and worth the purchase you don’t already own this.  There are certain horror films that have stood the test of time and this is certainly one of them.  Thanks to VCI, the film was given a wonderful restoration for the DVD release and really looks amazing.

Official Premise: When young Marylee Williams (Tonya Crowe) is found viciously mauled, all hell breaks loose in her small rural town. Officious postmaster Otis P. Hazelrigg (Charles Durning) leads a gang of bigots in pursuit of the suspect: her mentally challenged friend Bubba Ritter (Larry Drake). Finding him hiding inside a scarecrow, they exact brutal mob “justice”…only to discover a tragic mistake! Now a strange apparition stalks the land seeking each of them out, as the legend of the Scarecrow begins.

This DVD comes with two fantastic audio tracks, a Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono & 5.1 Surround track.  I prefer the 2.0 since it feels original but the later is very well-done.  Like I mentioned above, the transfer is very sharp and the colors look brand new and not from 1981 at all, especially within its original aspect ratio – 1.33:1. There special features are a nice improvement from the 2010 release.  There is a commentary track from director Frank De Felitta and writer J.D. Feigelson.  There are two trailers including the Original CBS World Premiere Trailer and CBS Rebroadcast Trailer.  There is also a great Behind the Scenes Photo Gallery included.  The new features include “Bubba Didn’t Do it: 30 Years of the Scarecrow” (2012 Extended Version) it is directed by Daniel Griffith and produced by Ballyhoo Motion Pictures.  It includes a new video interview with composer Glenn Paxton.   There is also the “DNOTS Cast Reunion Q & A” -that was recorded at the 2011 Frightfest Film Festival in Louisville, KY.

 

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Blu-ray Reviews “House of Dark Shadows / Night of Dark Shadows”

Cast: Jonathan Frid, Grayson Hall, Kathryn Leigh Scott, Roger Davis, Nancy Barrett, David Selby, John Karlen
Director: Dan Curtis
Studio: Warner Bros.
MPAA Rating: PG
Running Time: 97 / 95 minutes

House of Dark Shadows: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Night of Dark Shadows: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1/2 out of 5 stars

“Dark Shadows” is the longest running horror soap opera, actually I think it is also the only. I never saw this show on TV but I have watch many many episodes courtesy of Netflix Instant over the years. The original series had actually ran for over 1200 episodes.  With Tim Burton/Johnny Depp’s recent reboot recently released on Blu-ray, it is prime-time to finally release these movies for the first time ever on DVD, let alone Blu-ray. These films are definitely a bit campy, but they also have a few decent creepy moments. “House of Dark Shadows” features Jonathan Frid in the lead as Barnabas Collins and is my favorite of the two. “Night of Dark Shadows”  was originally supposed to bring back Barnabas, but the show ended before the film started production and Jonathan Frid had moved on.  It is still a decent installment to the series.

Warner Brothers delivers the good with both of these 1080p transfer presented in 1.78:1 aspect ratio. They also look good since these were just low-budget movies and weren’t large productions at the time. They are still catalog release quality but are much more impressive that I would have expected. Both films also have DTS-HD Master Audio Mono audio tracks, which work well for each. It setups up the mood and works well with the dialogue.  If you are a fan of the “Dark Shadows” series, I would definitely recommend picking up these reasonably priced Blu-rays. They are a nice upgrade since the films were only previously available on VHS and Laserdisc.  So if you are looking for a flashback to the 70’s to meet up with the Collins again, then this is a no-brainer.

Official Premises: “House of Dark Shadows”: Rejoice, night creatures! Collinwood’s affected Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid) hopes a series of serum injections will make him normal. Alas, nothing can be normal at eerie Collinwood! “Night of Dark Shadows”: One bite is never enough! New blood comes home in Night of Dark Shadows, as Quentin Collins (David Selby) arrives with his bride (Kate Jackson).

House of Dark Shadows + Night of Dark Shadows both available on October 30th! http://bit.ly/QYt7ht
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Media Mikes Featured on “WWE Monday Night Raw” 9/24/12

Media Mikes had the chance to review WWE latest film “Barricade” on DVD last week.  Click here to read our review. “WWE Monday Night Raw” is viewed by over 4 million people each week and we were lucky enough that our review was quoted on a National coverage TV spot during “Raw” on 9/24/12.  Check out the photo below!! Hopefully this is the first of many times you will get to see Media Mikes on television.

Also I highly recommend picking up a copy of WWE’s Barricade, available exclusively at Walmart on September 25th.  Did I mention this movie kicks some major ass and also stars Eric McCormack from “Will and Grace”.  Horror fans need to grab this ASAP!

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Book Review “Every Night the Trees Disappear: Werner Herzog and the Making of Heart of Glass”

Author: Alan Greenberg
Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Chicago Review Press
Release Date: May 1, 2012

Our Score: 4 out 5 stars

Werner Herzog is easily one of the world’s greatest filmmakers. His films include “Aguirre, the Wrath of God”, “Nosferatu the Vampyre”, “Grizzly Man”, “Rescue Dawn”, “Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans” and of course “Heart of Glass”. This book is an up-close and rare look into the making of “Heart of Glass”, courtesy of friend and collaborator to Herzog, Alan Greenberg. Herzog is known for his unique approach to filmmaking and it is shown throughout all of his films. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book but it is one of those rare books that you honestly can’t put down. Page after page this book is extremely interesting and informative.

Alan Greenberg and Warner Herzog have known each other for almost 40 years and there is no better person to cover this material. If you have seen “Heart of Glass”, you know it is a very dark and haunting film but easily one of Herzog’s best. In this book you will find out many interesting facts that many have never known. Greenberg revealed that Herzog, in an attempt to control his actors, hypnotized them before shooting their scenes. I wouldn’t give it a second thought when it comes to Herzog’s style.  That is only the tip of the iceberg reveled about the production, I want to say more but I don’t want to spoil it.  Read for yourself.

This book is fully backed by Herzog as he provides both the foreword and the afterword. I have read many “making-of” books and none of them have felt as real as this one does. It feels more like a novel spilling insider secrets that have been hidden for years. I also need to point out that the book also has very personal and crisp color photos lying within the middle of the book, very nice touch to complement the book. I recommend this book highly to all fans of Werner Herzog, but I warn you expect to finish the book in one sitting.

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Blu-ray Review “Shark Night”

Directed by: David R. Ellis
Starring: Sara Paxton, Dustin Milligan, Chris Carmack, Katharine McPhee, Donal Logue, Joshua Leonard
Joel David Moore
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Running Time: 91 minutes

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

I had very high anticipation for this movie when I saw it in theaters but was utterly disappointed. I thought the 3D was decent but the film fails to really entertain. When re-watching the Blu-ray, my feelings on the film did improve slightly.  My main issue with the film was the side story of how the local hillbillies capture the kids to be shark bait for their planned TV show. I thought that was beyond stupid and ruined the movie. The sharks in the film are OK but not great. I wish they would have had a lot more screen time and less crappy teen angst. The problem I have with this home release is…where is the 3D? The film was original called and marketed as “Shark Night 3D”. I really hope that Fox is planning on releasing it in the near future.

When I think sharks, I think kick ass death scenes usually. The kills are lame in this one and really suffer from its PG-13 rating. Honestly, I feel that there are better kills in the cheesy SyFy creature features.  If they would have made this movie rated R and amped up the kills and got rid of the hillbillies, this probably would have been 100 times better.  The video on the Blu-ray does look very clear and definitely showcases what little shark scenes there is.  The sound is also very sharp and plays well with the films action scenes. One thing that I felt about the film on home release compared to theater is that I was able to replay the quick but cool shark scenes, which made this worth wild for us shark enthusiasts.

The extras are decent but run less than 20 minutes all in all.  The first extra is called “Shark Attack! Kill Machine!”, which just sums up all the kills into one five-minute scene. Honestly its plays better than the whole film since the only good scenes are the shark scenes. “Shark Night’s Survival Guide” is trivia game about shark attacks, using clips from the film.  It is lame overall but worth checking out once.  “Fake Sharks, Real Scares'” is a great featurette about the film’s animatronic and CGI sharks, my favorite feature but it runs too short.  “Ellis’ Island” is another short making-of featurette about the film, this one is worth missing.  Lastly there is the theatrical trailer and about 10 minutes of sneak peek trailers for upcoming 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

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

“Fright Night” Blu-ray Giveaway [ENDED]

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Available on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, DVD,
Tuesday, December 13th

To celebrate the Blu-Ray™ release of “Fright Night”, Media Mikes would like to giveaway 10 copies of the Blu-ray™ Combo Pack (Blu-ray™ + 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 horror remake . This giveaway will be open until Sunday December 31th 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.

DreamWorks Pictures’ Fright Night, starring Colin Farrell, arrives on December 13, 2011 just in time to take a bite out of the holidays on Blu-ray™ + DVD. Inspired by the 1985 gothic horror cult classic and directed by Craig Gillespie (Lars and the Real Girl, Mr. Woodcock), all hell breaks loose when High School Senior Charley Brewster (Anton Yelchin) discovers his charming new neighbor Jerry (Farrell) is a Vampire preying on his neighborhood.

Packed with un-rated bonus features, the Blu-ray release includes a fang-in-cheek mockumentary ?Peter Vincent: Swim Inside My Mind, a hilarious satirical look at David Tennant’s egocentric rock star anti-hero character, Peter Vincent; ?The Official How to Make a Funny Vampire Movie Guide; Squid Man: Extended and Uncut; Frightful Facts & Terrifying Trivia; Deleted Scenes; and a Gag Reel. Also included is the uncensored ?No One Believes Me? music video directed by Fright Night’s director Craig Gillespie and performed by hip hop recording artist Kid Cudi.

Film Synopsis:
Senior Charley Brewster (Anton Yelchin) finally has it all. He’s running with the cool kids and dating the hottest girl in high school (Imogen Poots). But all hell breaks loose when charming Jerry Dandridge (Colin Farrell) moves in next door. Charley thinks there’s something odd about him, although no one – including his mom (Toni Collette) – seems to notice. But after too many of his classmates vanish under bizarre circumstances, Charley comes to an unmistakable conclusion: Jerry is a vampire preying on his neighborhood!

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Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: bluray, fright, giveaway, night

3D Blu-ray Review “Fright Night”

Directed by: Craig Gillespie
Starring: Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell, David Tennant, Imogen Poots, Toni Collette, Christopher Mintz-Plasse
Distributed by Touchstone Pictures
MPAA Rating: R
Running time: 106 minutes

Overall Score: 4 out of 5 stars

This remake of the classic 80’s film was very under appreciated at the box office. I feel that this film is going to be a real cult classic down the line just like the first film. The 3D in the film was really well used and in fact the 3D Blu-ray experience actually improved from the theatrical. The film was shot in 3D unlike most recent converts…and it shows in quality. The video on the disc is just extremely clear and sharp, or else the 3D wouldn’t look as good as it does. The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 is great, especially in the action scenes…which there are quite a few. If you are willing to give this film a chance, it is easily one of the better films released this year.

The acting in the film is great in fact and Colin Farrell really nails the role of Jerry the Vampire. He is funny, cool and yet still scary. David Tennant is really a gem in this film. He is extremely funny and a highlight to the film. Anton Yelchin plays the role of the kick-ass savior pretty well along with Imogen Poots who can definitely stand up on her own. Christopher Mintz-Plasse role is limited like in the first film but he definitely has our attention, especially after his great role in “Kick-Ass”.

The special features are found all on the 2D disc as the 3D only is bare. The overall the features are ok but not stunning…also they are missing any cast/crew commentaries. The first feature is called “The Official “How to Make a Funny Vampire Movie” Guide” and it is a short but fun feature about the making of the film. Next there are five deleted/extended sequences, honestly nothing special except the one about Ed being missing which could have been added into the film. “Peter Vincent: Come Swim in my Blood” is the next feature, also short but I loved Tennant in character. “Squid Man: Extended & Uncut” is pretty intense and totally worth watching. There is a bunch of unrated bloopers in the gag reel and really is some great clips. Lastly, there is an uncensored music video of the song “No One Believes Me” by Kid Cudi.

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: 3d, bluray, fright, night, review

Blu-ray Review “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas”

Director: Jules Bass
Narrated by: Joel Grey
Studio: Warner Home Video
Rated: G
Run Time: 25 minutes

Overall Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

“‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” is one of the little known Christmas classics.  It has always been a fun short special, another great from Rankin-Bass.  The video on this Blu-ray is decent and showcases some rich color. The sound is original with Dolby Digital 1.0 mono but has some problems.  One cool aspect of this set is that it comes with the Blu-ray and the DVD of this special.  The only issue I have with this is that is it really worth the upgrade to Blu-ray for a short 25 minute.  If you are looking to get in the Christmas mood and do not own this yet, I recommend it for sure otherwise stick with the DVD.

The only really extra included on the “deluxe edition” is a feature called “Christmas: A Global Tradition”. It is an animated comic book exploring Christmas traditions around the world. Not really great but would have loved to see a feature instead on Rankin/Bass.  I am not sure whey they are calling this the deluxe edition when it is barely deluxe and they even removed the “Frosty’s Winter Wonderland” special from the previous release.  Overall the special is great but the overall set is not amazing.

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Synopsis:
For some unexplained reason, letters to Santa Claus are being returned to the children of Junctionville. It seems some sour soul has angered St. Nick, calling Christmas “a fraudulent myth!” The skeptical rodent Albert Mouse has to be brought to his senses “and let up a little on the wonder why.” How Albert is persuaded to change his tune paves the way for Santa’s jolly return to Junctionville — and the joyous finale of this charming animated fable inspired by Clement Moore’s poem. Joel Grey, Tammy Grimes, John McGiver and George Gobel are featured voices. Approx. 23 minutes. Year: 1974

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: bluray, christmas, night, review, twas

DVD Review “Night Watch”

Directed by: Brian G. Hutton
Starring: Elizabeth Taylor, Laurence Harvey, Billie Whitelaw
Distributed by: Warner Brothers Archive
MPAA Rating: PG
Running time: 99 minutes

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

This film is a slow burn psychological tale with a great ending reveal. Elizabeth Taylor is takes on this role of Ellen Wheeler with great success. She involved with a loveless marriage and she starts this obsession that their is murders going on in the house next door. The film is very suspenseful as we slowly fall into Ellen’s world of madness.

This DVD is a wonderful remastering and looks fantastic in its widescreen 16×9 1.78:1 transfer. It is the first time this disc is being released on DVD and it is definitely worth purchasing if you are a fan of this film. The colors are sharp and the sounds is great. There are no extras on this disc like most Warner Bros. Archive releases, but nonetheless they are releasing some great classics. I look forward to their next release.

Synopsis:
Elizabeth Taylor ventured but once into the scarified world of Grande Dame Guignol, and Night Watch is the striking result. Taylor’s matron in menace role is that of Ellen Wheeler, a lonely insomniac trapped in a loveless marriage and by an obsession with a creepy gothic manse next door. One night while indulging in her alcohol fueled ramblings, Ellen spots a corpse inside the vacant house. A corpse that resembles her deceased, two timing first husband…a corpse that no one else thinks exists. Adapted from a play by suspense mistress Lucille Fletcher (Sorry, Wrong Number, The Hitch-Hiker, Night Man), Night Watch re-teams Liz with her Butterfield 8 co-star Laurence Harvey, playing Ellen’s emotionally distant second husband in one of his final film performances. Genre stalwart Billie Whitelaw rounds out the cast.

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: dvd, night, review, watch
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