Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection First Time Ever on Blu-ray!

FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, A LANDMARK COLLECTION SHOWCASING THE LEGENDARY MONSTERS IN MOTION PICTURE HISTORY

UNIVERSAL CLASSIC MONSTERS: COMPLETE 30-FILM COLLECTION AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY™ ON AUGUST 28, 2018 FROM UNIVERSAL PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT

Universal City, California, August 22, 2018 – Thirty of the most iconic cinematic masterpieces starring the most famous monsters of horror movie history come together on Blu-ray™ for the first time ever in the Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection on August 28, 2018, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Featuring unforgettable make-up, ground-breaking special effects and outstanding performances, the Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection includes all Universal Pictures’ legendary monsters from the studio that pioneered the horror genre with imaginative and technically groundbreaking tales of terror in unforgettable films from the 1930s to late-1950s.

From the era of silent movies through present day, Universal Pictures has been regarded as the home of the monsters. The Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection showcases all the original films featuring the most iconic monsters in motion picture history including Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Invisible Man, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, Phantom of the Opera and Creature from the Black Lagoon. Starring some of the most legendary actors including Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney Jr., Claude Rains and Elsa Lanchester in the roles that they made famous, these films set the standard for a new horror genre and showcase why these landmark movies that defined the horror genre are regarded as some of the most unforgettable ever to be filmed.

Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection includes a 48-page collectible book filled with behind-the-scenes stories and rare production photographs and is accompanied by an array of bonus features including behind-the-scenes documentaries, the 1931 Spanish version of Dracula, Featurettes on Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney Jr., and Jack Pierce, 13 expert feature commentaries, archival footage, production photographs, theatrical trailers and more. The perfect gift for any scary movie fan, the collection offers an opportunity to experience some of the most memorable horror films of our time.

The Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection includes Dracula(1931), Frankenstein (1931), The Mummy (1932), The Invisible Man (1933), The Bride of Frankenstein (1935), Werewolf of London (1935), Dracula’s Daughter (1936), Son of Frankenstein (1939), The Invisible Man Returns (1940), The Invisible Woman (1940), The Mummy’s Hand (1940), The Wolf Man (1941), The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), The Mummy’s Ghost (1942), The Mummy’s Tomb (1942),Invisible Agent (1942), Phantom of the Opera (1943), Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943), Son of Dracula (1943), House of Frankenstein (1944), The Mummy’s Curse (1944), The Invisible Man’s Revenge (1944), House of Dracula (1945), She-Wolf of London (1946), Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951), Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954, and includes a 3D version), Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955), Revenge of the Creature (1955 and includes a 3D version) and The Creature Walks Among Us (1956).

 

BONUS FEATURES:

  • Behind-the-Scenes Documentaries
  • 3D Versions of Creature from the Black Lagoon and Revenge of the Creature
  • 1931 Spanish Version of Dracula
  • Featurettes on Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney Jr., and Jack Pierce
  • 13 Expert Feature Commentaries
  • Archival Footage
  • Production Photographs
  • Theatrical Trailers

 

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Filed Under: Film Headlines Tagged With: 13, 1930s, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1935, ...

CD Review: Psychostick “IV: Revenge of the Vegeance”

Psychostick
“IV: Revenge of the Vegeance”
Rock Ridge Music
Produced By: Joshua Key, Patrick Murphy and Psychostick
Tracks: 21

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The first track would lead you to believe you’re about to listen to a movie and make you question, “Did we miss a prequel or maybe the first of some trilogy?” Nope. Psychostick is just doing what they do best. Taking a bunch of funny ideas and slapping them together in a chaotic, but structured order of silliness. For nearly a decade and a half, the self-proclaimed humorcore band, has never abided by any rules and have once again created an album generously dipped in comical lyrics and melodic bass slapping metal.

This time, the comedy is a lot more mindless, when in the past it seemed to be lampooning specific targets. The closest they get to critiquing anyone or anything is in “So. Heavy.”, a song parodying the concept of being the heaviest sounding metal band by simply tuning your guitar into non-existent levels and stretching one’s vocals chords to the point of unintelligible lyrics. That’s not to say they don’t have a smidgen of appreciation for the deathcore and metalcore bands that are popular for doing that.

“Obey the Beard”, “Quack Kills” and “President Rhino” have lyrics that “Weird Al” would write with the musical sensibilities of System of a Down and GWAR. “Blue Screen” plays like that Top 40 break-up single by Three Days Grace that you hear on the radio, but instead of a tattooed heart breaking vixen, it’s the emotional pain of a nerd and his computer that has gotten the blue screen of death. By choosing from such a bizarre palette of ideas and constantly expanding their horizons into the other styles, Psychostick has carved a nice little slice of their own brand of music into the landscape.

The band brings a rock show energy with the drive of a stand-up comedian that’s constantly sharpening their skills. With that in mind, there’s bound to be a couple of speed bumps on that path. “Loathe Thy Neighbor” is the longest and most odd paced song on the album and the second half of the CD is not as strong as the first half. The album does end on a strong note with the band trying their hand at something new. “Dimensional Time Portal” and “The Power of Metal Compels You” closes everything out as a screwy mini story arc about a portal that will pretty much ruin life for heterosexual men.

There are so many little things that make this more than your run-of-the-mill laugh and enjoy album. For example, in the lyric book, for the song “Choking Hazard”, it simply displays the pamphlet image of what to do in the event of someone choking. This unpredictable, jokey style they incorporate spills over into their live show and after four albums, they show no wear and tear in their funny bone and no signs of decelerating those head banging riffs. I could ramble a little more, but you’re better off experiencing this yourself. So go buy it already.

Track Listing:
Revenge of the Vengeance
Obey the Beard
President Rhino
H-Flat
So. Heavy.
Dogs Like Socks
Super Legit OFFICIAL Teaser #2 Explod
Quack Kills
Blue Screen
NSFW
Danger Zone (Kenny Loggins Cover)
New to the Neighborhood
Loathe Thy Neighbor
AWESOME!
Choking Hazard
Fight to the Death
Bruce Campbell
Trick or Treat
Dimensional Time Portal
The Power of Metal Compels You
Outtakes IV: The Outtakening

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Filed Under: CD Reviews Tagged With: cd, iv, psychostick, revenge, review, vegeance, ...

DVD Review “Revenge: The Complete Second Season”

Actors: Emily VanCamp, Madeleine Stowe, Gabriel Mann, Henry Czerny, Ashley Madekwe
Number of discs: 5
Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: ABC Studios
DVD Release Date: August 20, 2013
Run Time: 924 minutes

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

When I watched the first season of I thought to myself, “Ok the first season was good but how the hell are they going to keep this whole revenge thing going?” But from the moment the second season started I was blown away.  They really have some smart writers on this show and they really know how to create a great story line and keep it sharp throughout the whole season. To top it off, this show really builds on the first season and is actually quite better.  The cast also really comes together as well and gives great performances. Kudos to Barry Sloane, who came into this show this season playing Aiden Mathis and has quickly becoming my personal favorite character. Also what I enjoyed about the second season is that there is much more mystery and secrets revealed. I can’t wait to see what they have in store for the third season, which premiering on September 29, 2013. I can’t imagine how they can top this season!

Official Premise: Emily Thorne returns to the Hamptons with a vengeance. Her enemies may be the same, but her mission now takes on a new, suspenseful twist. Feel the power of television’s most seductive series, as the action and the passion hit new heights in all 22 episodes of Revenge: The Complete Second Season on DVD. Emily will stop at nothing to uncover the secrets of her father’s murder, but the web of deceit is larger than she ever imagined. Now, with her mother (Jennifer Jason Leigh) in the picture, even more will be revealed. Watch the sparks fly as Daniel and Ashley begin a torrid romance, while stunning events change the face of Amanda and Jack’s relationship, and new faces mean more trouble for Emily and Victoria, while a mysterious man from Emily’s past adds to her complications. Relive every biting and brilliant episode of Season Two, complete with never-before-seen bonus features that will lure you even deeper into the drama. Revenge: The Complete Second Season on DVD is addictive entertainment that will have you begging for more!

I am not sure why ABC is not getting on the Blu-ray wagon with these season releases. Same thing goes for one of my favorite shows “Castle”. But “Once Upon a Time” does get the Blu-ray treatment, so it beats me. I hope that they go Blu-ray for “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” Anyways back to “Revenge”, the fun doesn’t stop at the episodes since there is tons of great special features included for this season. The DVD special features include audio commentaries on the following episodes including “Illusion”, “Forgiveness” and “Truth – Part 2”. There are two featurettes including “The Sound of Revenge” and “Dressing Miss Davenport”, focusing on the score and the wardrobes used on the show. There are 35 deleted scenes, some are good and others are so-so, but worth checking out if you are a fan on the show. Lastly there is a trailer for “Schooled in Revenge” and bloopers included.

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: complete, dvd, revenge, review, season

Affleck's Revenge Complete – "Argo" Takes Best Picture

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 15 years since a baby faced Ben Affleck, his voice cracking, accepted the Best Original Screenplay Oscar with Matt Damon for “Good Will Hunting.” Since then, Affleck’s career has had more ups and downs and twists and turns then all the rides at Disney World combined. And when he wasn’t nominated for his outstanding work of directing “Argo” (ironically he went on to win almost every other prestigious directing award, including the BAFTA and the DGA) he became an underdog again. Affleck and company climbed back atop the Oscar mountain last night when “Argo,” which Affleck also produced with Grant Heslov and George Clooney, took home the Best Picture trophy at the 85th Annual Academy Awards. Though it seemed to some that “Lincoln” was the favorite, I knew a month ago that the backlash in Hollywood over Affleck not getting the director nomination would help the film cross the finish line first. Remember: actors make up the largest branch of the Academy, which means they have the most votes. And every actor secretly wants to direct. So when one of their own was denied the wagons were circled.

The night saw a few certainties as well as a few surprises. I wonder how many people’s Oscar pool was blown when Christoph Waltz was named Best Supporting Actor for his role in “Django Unchained.” It was Waltz’s second Oscar in three years, having previously won for “Inglorious Basterds.” Like he did then, Waltz thanked the films writer/director Quentin Tarantino, even finishing his speeck with a few lines from the script.

“Brave” was the surprise winner of the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, with the award going to co-directors Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman. The moment had to feel special for Chapman, who was removed from the film during production. The first “I knew it” award of the evening went to Anne Hathaway who won the award as Best Supporting Actress for “Les Miserables.”

Speaking of “Les Miz,” several members of the cast took to the stage to belt out a medley of hits from the show, resulting in one of the nights prolonged standing ovations. Another was reserved for Dame Shirley Bassey, who showed she still has the pipes as she belted out the theme to “Goldfinger.” Her performance was the highlight of a very tepid salute to the 50th Anniversary of James Bond. The prevailing rumor was that all six actors who portrayed Bond on screen (Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig) would appear but alas it didn’t happen. Still, they could have done a lot more then just show a few clips. However, Adele killed when she sang her theme song from the latest Bond epic, “Skyfall.” Later in the show she and co-writer Paul Epworth deservedly won the award for Best Original Song.

Another musical moment occurred when, during the annual “In Memoriam” segment, Barbra Streisand came out to sing the Oscar winning song “The Way We Were” after talking about the man who helped write it, Marvin Hamlisch, who passed away last year. Of course there are always omissions in this segment but two of the biggest I noticed were Larry Hagman and Andy Griffith. I was glad to see that a film critic (the great Andrew Sarris) was included in the montage. Hope for me to one day appear on the Oscar telecast. A tearful Chris Terio thanked Ben Affleck while accepting his Best Adapted Screenplay award for “Argo.” He pointed out that it had been 15 years since Affleck had won his award and thanked him for giving him the same chance he had gotten. Tarantino won his second Original Screenplay Oscar (he also won for “Pulp Fiction”) for “Django Unchained.” In typical QT style he made sure to pay homage to his fellow nominees and declare 2012 the “Year of the Writer!”

The night also saw only the sixth tie in Academy history when Paul Ottison (“Zero Dark Thirty”) and Per Holberg and Karen Baker Landers (“Skyfall”) tied in the Best Sound Editing category. I felt bad for first announced winner Ottison because when he asked presenter Mark Wahlberg for the envelope he refused, presumably because he needed to read the names of the other winners. He did give the envelope to Landers but hopefully the Academy will make up another one for Ottison. “Life of Pi” snagged many of the technical awards it was nominated for and took him a major prize when Ang Lee was named Best Director.

Best Actress went to Jennifer Lawrence for “Silver Linings Playbook” (she also won the Independent Spirit Award in the same category the night before). Best Actor was pretty much a given as Daniel Day-Lewis became the first actor to receive (3) Oscars as Best Actor. Of course, in my opinion, this should have been his fourth – his performance in “Gangs of New York” is amazing. Day-Lewis gave one of the evening’s more moving speeches, thanking his co-nominees as well as his wife. It is well known that when he takes a role Day-Lewis pretty much inhabits that character 24 hours a day. He thanked his wife Rebecca who, after 16 years of marriage, has “lived with some very strange men.”

That brought us to the final award of the evening and a surprise presenter when Jack Nicholson turned the “and the Oscar goes to” line over to First Lady Michelle Obama, who made the announcement, proclaiming “Argo’ the years Best Picture.

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Filed Under: Commentary, Featured Tagged With: afflecks, argo, complete, picture, revenge, takes, ...

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa talks about ABC’s “Revenge” & “Mortal Kombat Legacy 2”

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa is an actor and martial artist that is known best for his role of Shang Tsung in 1995’s “Mortal Kombat”. This Fall, he joined the cast of ABC’s Revenge in the role of Satoshi Takeda replacing Hiroyuki Sanda, from the previous season. He is also reprising his role next year of Shang Tsung in the return of the wildy successful web series “Mortal Kombat Legacy 2”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Cary-Hiroyuki about those two projects and also his role as a healer.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about how you ended up replacing Hiroyuki Sanada this season as Satoshi Takeda in ABC’s “Revenge”?
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa: I got a call one day from my agent talking about the show. He was pretty excited. I personally had no idea about the show. I honestly do not watch television much. I have not actually been in one place in order to settle in for almost three years. When I got that call I was in Hawaii. So I sat down and watched the show. I thought it was a little bit complicated though if you haven’t watched from the beginning but I thought it was cool and plus it has Madeline Stowe. I was told that they were looking for a replacement for Hiroyuki Sanada. He and I actually recently worked on a film called “47 Ronin” and had a great experience. He is a fantastic Japanese action star. So I went back and watched a few of his episodes. I knew very clearly what the role entailed. It wasn’t anything deeply new and exciting but it was a standard role for an actor. Takeda is basically a good guy [laughs] and I have done many of those. But I am a good guy, so I figured I could do it.

MG: What was your biggest challenge for you stepping into the role this season?
CHT: The challenge for me was to make him interesting. The dialogue doesn’t usually change much. But personally, I like to throw in ideas and change it up a bit. I have always had some input into every character that I have played. Nobody would stop me from playing out an idea that was interesting. But you have to come up with something pretty interesting. Dialogue is the easiest thing to change and doesn’t cost them any money. I always think about the audiences. They always keep on watching the same kind of junk. The bad guy is mean and nasty and by the end, we know he is going to lose. It is a pretty given sort of structure. But for me, I tried and find a way that I can make it more interesting for the audience and bring something different. You can scare the hell of our people, which I think I have done with different characters. That would get people’s attention. For this role, Sanada played it very straight and to the point. Since he was a lot smaller than I am and doesn’t look so mean, I had to try and gauge how mean I could look playing a good guy. One of the things that I was excited about is that people only saw him playing that character for one season and how I can make a difference. One thing that I wanted to do was bring a different persona, so that when Emily was being her arrogant self that she wouldn’t get away with it with me [laughs]. I wanted you to see that at least in my eyes that I was a lot more intimidating. They encouraged me to bring something new to it.

MG: What approach did you take to improve this character? What can we expect?
CHT: I do not think that it would have been too difficult for them to at least explain that we weren’t the same person. I thought that it was sort of a rough transition for most of the fans. I could have been his mentor or uncle, something like that. I think there is still a lot more to discover for Takeda. It is just the matter of how long that I can hold my breath. I think there is an element the way that Sanada played him that did not account for a lot of mystery, in the very particularly nit-picky way that actors are taught to do. To be very specific, he played it very straight forward and with not a whole lot more intrigued for the character. I think that having played the bad guy so long helped me with this. I feel that bad guys are fighting something all the time. I think I am bringing a little more of that to the character and it leaves you wanting to know more about him. That is why in the way that I play him, I mix it up. At points, I speak with them more like an Uncle or Father and other times it will be different. I have tried to layer that in, given I have only been given three times this season so far to do it. I was intentionally from the beginning making that choice. The show is one break now but after the beginning of the year, I am not sure where the role is going to go. But I know it has only just begun.

MG: How did it come again with you reprising the role of Shang Tsung in the web series “Mortal Kombat Legacy 2”?
CHT:After the first movie, all of the character had made deals for the sequel. Only two characters, Liu Kang and Kitana ended up in the movie. So it was a great disappointment, considering the success of the first one. This was just a confirmation to me for to reveal the truth of some particular people that were part of that team. It played itself out in much bigger problems. When I saw that person for one of the last times, I said “May you get what you deserve”. When that was all over with all I could do was resign to the fact that playing Shang Tsung in the first movie would have been enough. Then when I heard about the first series of “Mortal Kombat Legacy” but I was’t involved with the first season. Kevin (Tancharoen) and I connected over Twitter and offered me the role of Shang Tsung in the second sesaon. Twitter is changing politics. This guy is an amazing director and just such a humble guy. He is about to direct his direct movie for $50 million for the third “Mortal Kombat”.

MG: Any chance you will get to you play Shang Tsung again in that upcoming feature film?
CHT: The difference between the time that I did that the first movie and where my career is in now is that I have some certain standards now. But it will all be up to the studio and the producers. I let them know from the beginning, I said I wanted to do it but I had a history of not being respected. I said told them I would leave it to them to be real and see how it goes. Let’s just say I am not doing the web series for the money. But just to be a part of the web series is great. I am excited about working with Kevin and I would like to work with him even away from “Mortal Kombat”. He seems to really understand actors, which is highly rare. He has a place in Hollywood. I actually met his father back on the film “Rising Sun”. In fact, I had actually met Kevin as well, when he was 5 or 6 and he told me that he has a picture of me from back then. But for right now, I am very excited about the web series and the possibility of being in the feature.

MG: Tell us about your role of a healer, in addition to acting?
CHT: One thing that I have been enjoying talking about is that I am healer. You have probably never heard of an actor saying that…but I am a healer. I was a healer before I came to Hollywood. Hollywood is my day job and my greater purpose is to bring this particular system of healing to the world. It is something that I have been working on for over 30 years. I credit it to my father, who I didn’t know very well growing up. But I feel like when he passed, he passed on in spirit this healer gift. I consider it a gift and I am further developing it. So I want to dedicate this system to him. It comes from an understanding of breath. When you say breath, it is interesting to see people’s reaction since they start breathing deeper. It is funny and when I say posture, they sit up straight [laughs]. I have always been very observant of people’s behavior. Those are two things that should be second nature to us but our society has neglected it for so long. To bring this forward now, I know it is going to resonate with everyone that hears it. Then how far and deep they get into it after that obviously has yet to been seen. This is not based on any system that I have studied. The theories come from the principles martial arts, in terms of posture like the horse stance. There are others systems like Qigong that focuses on breathing. This particular form has nothing to do with fighting. I am calling it Martial Healing.

MG: Tell us about what can we expect from this system?
CHT: There is a lot that we can do to keep us out of harm’s way and prevent the breakdown of the body. This system begins with teaching about breathing and how it can greatly aid in that process. This would focus on breathing and the principle of moments and how those two can affect the body. I have worked with athletes and martial artists also and have gotten great results. I am coming from a place of developing something rather than just taking knowledge of an ancient system and repeating it. It is a new understanding with a new system. I bet you didn’t expect that from the actor that played Shang Tsung [laughs]. You can find out more at ShangsArmy.com

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Filed Under: Interviews, TV Interviews Tagged With: 2, abcs, caryhiroyuki, kombat, legacy, mortal, ...

Barry Sloane talks about joining ABC’s “Revenge”

This month when ABC’s hit show Revenge returns it will be welcoming English actor Barry Sloane as Aiden, “a mystery man from Emily’s (Emily VanCamp) past”. Previously seen by American theater audiences in Broadway’s Jerusalem last summer, Sloane comes from acclaimed turns on British tv shows such as Hollyoaks and Holby City. Along with “Revenge”, Barry talked to Media Mikes about his upcoming film roles in “Penthouse North” and Darren Aronofsky’s “Noah”.

Lauren Damon: So you’re joining into “Revenge” cast which you’ve done before on other established TV shows, how is that?
Barry Sloane:  It’s great, it’s a really cool show and  when the opportunity came up to be a part of it, I was very excited, you know.  It’s got a fantastic cast. Great actors, isn’t it? I knew it was going to be a fun part. From what I was told about the character , it’s going to be a cool character to play and there’s a lot of mystery to the guy, We’ll do some interesting things.

LD: All I’ve read is that he’s a ‘mystery man’ from Emily’s past, but a lot of times her people from the past don’t do so well, is that a concern for you?
BS: (Laughs) Well these things, you know, you come in and I think the main thing is you’re going to be involved in with Emily, Emily VanCamp’s story, so getting to work with her quite closely is going to be great because she’s fantastic and she’s a great girl as well. We’ve had a couple of scenes so far that have gone really well so you kind of come in to these things and you never as an actor, you never kind of say ‘oh I’m going to be here three, four, five years’, you know. You kind of come in and the first thing, you do an arc or something interesting like that. So with these types of shows it’s always interesting because you get as much as the viewers most of the time because you’re kind of getting scripts very close to when you’re filming it. So you never get any  information so when I’m doing this type of show I always enjoy it because I kind of open the script and it’s like ‘Oh, that’s what I’m doing this week!’  It’s always an exciting moment when you get that and especially when we all get around and do the table read and you get to hear it for the first time. So who knows what’s going to happen but I’m excited to get the next script, that’s for sure. (laughs)

LD: The finale of the first season was a crazy, sort of white knuckle episode, are you working on anything that compares?
BS: They set the bar very high.  And that’s why you know, when you’ve got a great following viewing, they’re very passionate about the show, the fans of the show. I think Mike [Kelley]’s got some great ideas to keep everybody hooked and there’s so much more that can be told with the story and what Emily’s going to go through—or Amanda, should I say?— so there’s going to be loads of twists and turns and intrigue and drama, all the things you expect, you know? It’s going to be fun.

LD: “Revenge” has been getting the kind of ratings that “LOST” used to get, are you excited for that level of viewers?
BS: I don’t know that I’m entirely prepared for the level of exposure that will come with the show but I kind of, as with anything, it’s all about the character and the job really. And you know, anything else that comes with it will be fun I’m sure. But it’s only good to have that many viewers if you do a good job, so I intend to do a good job! (laughs)

LD: No pressure, by the way!
BS: No, that’s cool!

LD: Is it different working here than in England?
BS: Well, the weather’s fantastic, and the people are great and there’s an ocean.  The locations I’ve filmed at so far have just been beautiful,  just amazing places. You’re getting to work along a lot of the coastline of  Los Angeles, so it’s…yea, I’ve got no complaints! Let’s put it that way.

LD: Are you allowed to say if you’re kind of more of a bad guy? Or are you in the middle?
BS: Again, the information that’s out, he’s a character that’s linked to when Amanda was becoming Emily so they kind of went through a lot of the same things, they’ve got a history together.  I’m the kind of guy that gets things done in the same sense that she does so I think he’s as perfectly  as dangerous as  she is.

LD: She seems kind of like a revenge sniper, she picks her target and she gets it done…
BS: Yea, she’s quite dark and dangerous, she can hold her own, she could probably take him. But I’m having a good go. (laughs)

LD: I see you’ve got movies coming up as well like “Penthouse North”?
BS: Yea, “Penthouse North is due for release”, I think, November time. Got a screening coming up soon with Michael Keaton and Michelle Monaghan, should be viewing that with them soon. And I’ve just been, prior to this, just before I flew out to LA I’ve just filmed the new Darren Aronosky film, “Noah”.

LD: That’s huge…
BS: Yea, yea, it’s going to be epic. I was working with Russell Crowe, so that was cool. He’s a cool guy.

LD: What’s you role like in that?
BS: I’m playing a poacher who—obviously Noah’s keen on animals and I’m playing a poacher. I’m playing a poacher, he’s trying to kill animals. So you can work out how that’s going to end up! (laughs) It’s a fantastic script, it’s such a good script and with Darren Aronofsky directing and stars like Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connolly, Anthony Hopkins, Ray Winstone, you know, with a cast like that it’s just going to be a huge huge movie and it’s not going to come out til 2014 so I’ve kind of got a few years to wait to watch it. But just to be part of it is really exciting and I hope to work with the guys again.

LD: Where was that filmed?
BS: We filmed in Iceland.

LD: A lot of things are filming in Iceland recently…
BS: Yea, well it’s because you get twenty-two hours of daylight, it’s just good for filming. When I arrived I was given like a welcome pack with an eye mask and I was like  ‘Hmm, that’s odd, why am I given an eye mask?’ and then having come out the bar late and then I was like ‘Ah, because I won’t be able to sleep!’

LD: And then “Penthouse North” looks to be a heist movie, are you also kind of bad in that one?
BS: In Penthouse North? Yes, I’m quite an unsavory character in that shall we say.  I’m kind of Michael Keaton’s associate so, he plays a guy called Hollander, who’s a very very dangerous man shall we say. And however dangerous I might be, he is a lot more dangerous than that. Again, getting to work with that guy was amazing.

LD: He’s Batman…
BS:  Exactly. Exactly, you know it’s not so bad. Yea,  it was quite funny because I did that with Michael Keaton—so I’d just worked with Batman and then I got a pilot called Gotham, which was strange, so I thought this is becoming very Batman-themed.

LD: How did it go with “Gotham”?
BS: Gotham’s done, yea we made it for ABC, and we didn’t get picked up unfortunately. But it was a fantastic pilot and Francis Lawrence directed and he’s now doing the Hunger Games sequel and it was Michael Green who co-wrote The River and Heroes and Kings. So the script was incredible, so I’m sure Michael is going to get something huge very soon and hopefully I can be a part of that.

LD: And obviously ABC kept you on for “Revenge”.
BS: Yea. Yea, I must have done something right! (laughs)

LD: Do you think you’ll ever get back to theater after your big “Jerusalem” run?
BS: Yea, absolutely. I mean, it’s kind of difficult to top the whole “Jerusalem” experience because  that was just like an epic dream theatre job, you know? …The whole cast was just golden and the whole experience of doing it was wonderful and just the quality of the piece as well. I mean when I get back to the UK that’s the first thing I want to do is maybe work at the Royal Court again or do some theatre when I get back just to get back into it and get the live audience.

LD: Now when you’re in England, are you based in London?
BS: I had been but I moved back to Liverpool to be close to family for a while and then obviously when you do that you end up getting a job in LA (laughs) So we were close to family for about a month and a half.

LD: I’m sure they appreciated it.
BS: Yea! Yea, a month and a half with me is enough for anyone I think they were kind of happy for me to leave (laughs). But yea, so it’s all good and I’m excited for this season on Revenge, it’s going to be fun and hopefully the viewers are going to enjoy it and they’re going to enjoy the character.

Revenge” stars it’s second season on September 30th at its new time slot of Sundays at 9pm on ABC.

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DVD Review “Revenge: The Complete First Season”

Creator: Mike Kelley
Starring: Emily VanCamp, Madeleine Stowe, Gabriel Mann, Henry Czerny, Ashley Madekwe
Number of discs: 5
MPAA Rating: TV-PG
Distributed by: ABC Studios
Release Date: August 21, 2012
Running Time: 924 minutes

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

When I started watching “Revenge”, I enjoyed it but then I thought to myself how are they going to keep this going.  How long can she really seek revenge?  Well I was very pleasantly surprised with this season and each each episode on the show only get better and better and reveals many new mysteries throughout.  Emily VanCamp is one tough girl, I would definitely not want to cross her (I have a feeling she holds a grudge). Madeleine Stowe really steals the spotlight in this show.  Her portrayal of the high-society Hampton wife was one of the best roles on television.  If you are a fan of this show, you will know my concerns on the topic.  ABC Studios is not one to usually release their shows on Blu-ray (besides “Once Upon a Time”).  I am not sure why they did not in the case, especially since the norm is leaning towards Blu-ray releases and the show is already presented in HD.  The DVD itself does look nice though within its aspect ratio of 1.78:1 and an audio track of Dolby Digital 5.1. Nonetheless Mike Kelley has really developed a very deep and interesting season that I have the feeling will be able to continue for many years to come.

ABC’s “Revenge” takes us through Emily Thorne’s (Emily VanCamp) quest for revenge. She plans to uncover every deep, dark secret for one of the Hampton’s most powerful family, the Graysons.  She finds that beneath the luxurious lifestyle of the Hamptons, lies a dark secret within that family concerning the wrongful arrest and leading death of her father.  As Emily unraveled this twisted tale of passion, suspense, and ultimate redemption, she finds clues about her father and the people responses for his framing.  Emily Thorne sets (Emily VanCamp) her vindictive plot against Victoria Grayson (Madeleine Stowe), the reigning queen of the Hamptons, and everyone else who destroyed her family.  Of course things don’t always go to plan and things her complicated and unravel in the wake of an unexpected love triangle between Emily, the son of her greatest nemesis, and a forgotten face from her past.

If this show isn’t good enough it’s bonus features are also extremely impressive. “Nolan Ross Exposed” is a faux feature, which exposes the truth behind the character Nolan Ross (Gabriel Mann) with sit-down interview footage and reporter Sarah Juarez (Stephanie Maura Sanchez) looks to get answers.  “Roadmap To Revenge” is narrates by Emily VanCamp as she goes through her road to revenge for the show.  “At Home In “The Hamptons”” is a look into the high life with Ashley Madekwe as she plays tour guide into the larger-than-life role in the show.  “Haute Hamptons: Femme Fatale Fashion” takes a look into the styling of the two leading ladies, Emily VanCamp and Madeleine Stowe with Costume Designer Jill Ohanneson.  There are six quite decent deleted scenes and a bunch of great bloopers and outtakes.  There is also an audio commentary on the pilot episode with Creator Mike Kelley and Actress Emily VanCamp.  Lastly there two music videos including Christina Perri’s “Distance” and Angus & Julia Stone’s “For You.”

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: complete, dvd, revenge, review, season

“Revenge: The Complete First 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 August 21st!

To celebrate the release of “Revenge: The Complete First 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 “Revenge” character. This giveaway will be open until September 4th 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.

Premise: Almost twenty years ago, Hamptons’ wealthiest elite destroyed a young girl’s life. Relive Emily Thorne’s (Emily VanCamp) quest for revenge and uncover every deep, dark secret. The complete first season includes exclusive bonus features including an in-world sitdown interview with the infamous Nolan Ross in “Nolan Ross: Exposed,” “Lifestyles of the Rich and Dangerous”; “Hamptons Bound: Preparing for Life at the Shore”; “Haute Hamptons: Femme Fatale Fashion”; bloopers; deleted scenes and insightful episode commentaries.

Bonus Features:
  • Nolan Ross Exposed (in-world feature) – What the audience think they know about Nolan Ross (Gabriel Mann) is only part of the story. In the recently unearthed sit-down interview footage, reporter Sarah Juarez (Stephanie Maura Sanchez) questions Nolan on his past… and gets some answers fans might not expect!
  • Roadmap To Revenge – Revenge is sweet, and set within the rich, beautiful, and elite world of The Hamptons, it’s even sweeter. Emily VanCamp narrates some of the checkpoints on the road to revenge, walking fans through the genesis, pilot, themes, and characters of the show. Woven throughout, are interviews from writers, producers and cast members who share how they undertook creating a world where money and desire can make anything possible.
  • At Home In “The Hamptons” – Swank parties and lavish houses are as much a part of “Revenge” as the characters that attend and inhabit them. Viewers can watch as Ashley Madekwe plays tour guide to the not-so-humble abodes – including the plush extravagance of the Grayson’s estate as well as the contrasting rustic ambiance of the Stowaway bar, illustrating everything that goes into making things larger-than-life.
  • Haute Hamptons: Femme Fatale Fashion – They say ‘clothes make the woman’, … and this exciting bonus feature gives a glimpse into the secrets of styling the show’s two leading ladies, Emily VanCamp and Madeleine Stowe. Costume Designer Jill Ohanneson shares key pieces from both of the series’ femme fatale’s closets as she and the cast discuss what it takes to dress a show for success.
  • Deleted Scenes – Fans can turn up the heat with six revealing deleted scenes
  • Bloopers/Outtakes – Hilarious moments from the production fans won’t want to miss
  • Pilot Commentary – Creator Mike Kelley and Actress Emily VanCamp take viewers through all the details of the pilot episode.
  • Music Videos – Key music from the show is featured, including Christina Perri’s “Distance” and Angus & Julia Stone’s “For You.”

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Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: complete, dvd, giveaway, revenge, season

Blu-ray Review “Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers”

Directed by: Dominique Othenin-Girard
Starring: Donald Pleasence, Danielle Harris, Ellie Cornell, Beau Starr
MPAA Rating: R
Distributed by: Anchor Bay
Release Date: August 21, 2012
Running Time: 88 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
EXtras: 3 out of 5 stars

After the cliffhanger of “Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers”, the series takes another downfall. Although the fifth installment is still a decent film. The film also features some great gore from our buddies over at KNB EFX Group. The film has been full re-mastered and like the recent release of “Halloween 4”, it is definitely an essential upgrade from the previous DVD releases. Personally I am more excited about Scream Factory’s upcoming releases for “Halloween 2” and…yes…even “Halloween III”. If you are a fan of the series then this release will be a must.

“Halloween 5” looks very sharp and clear on Blu-ray just like “Halloween 4”.  It’s 1080p transfer is impressive with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1.  The audio track, Dolby TrueHD 5.1 is also surprisingly a lot better than the fourth film also. The special features does include a few new items unlike “Halloween 4”.  I am not sure why “Halloween 4” promised a bunch of new extras but didn’t deliver on the release.  This release is still missing the “Inside Halloween 5” featurette and the intro from Danielle Harris and Ellie Cornell from last DVD release.

The special features include a few ports from previous DVD releases, along with the new content.  I am a confused though since the packaging contains a bunch of typos and mismatched the names for each commentary.  Who was the proofreader for these releases? There is an audio commentary with director Dominique Othenin-Girard and actors Danielle Harris and Jeffrey Landman, worth checking out.  The star of this release is the audio commentary with actor Don Shanks aka Michael Myers and moderated by author Justin Beahm, this is new for this release. I also enjoyed the 17 minutes mix of raw production footage in “Halloween 5: On Set Footage”, a must for fans.  Lastly there is a the original promo trailer included.

 

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: 5, bluray, halloween, michael, myers, revenge, ...

Blu-ray Review “Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers”

Director: Dwight H. Little
Starring: Donald Pleasence, Ellie Cornell, Danielle Harris, Sasha Jenson, David Jensen, Beau Starr
MPAA Rating: R
Distributed by: Anchor Bay
Release Date: August 21, 2012
Running Time: 88 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
EXtras: 2.5 out of 5 stars

I always thought that “Halloween 4” was a great reboot of the series especially after “Halloween III”, which lost it aim on the franchise. This will does what the subtitle says, it brings back the master murder Michael Myers. As a big fan of the “Halloween” series, I was hoping that this release would really bring something new to the table for its fans. In that sense, it really doesn’t but it is still an essential upgrade from the previous DVD releases. It is also crazy to believe that it has been almost 25 years since this was released.

“Halloween 4” looks very sharp and clear on Blu-ray.  It’s 1080p transfer is impressive with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1.  The audio track, Dolby TrueHD 5.1 is good but a little bit of a let down overall. The special features are also a bit of a let down, especially since Anchor Bay reported about a full half hour of deleted and alternate scenes but they are no one to but found. Also MIA is a promised audio commentary with writer Alan B. McElroy.  Also from past DVD releases, the “The Making of Halloween 4: Final Cut” is not included as well.

Since these features are all ports from past releases, don’t expect anything new.  The bulk of the special features are audio commentaries.  The first is from director Dwight H. Little with Justin Beahm, the editor-in-chief of halloweenmovies.com as the moderator. It is definitely worth checking out.  The second commentary is with actresses Ellie Cornell and Danielle Harris, which is not as good.  There is a “Halloween 4/5 Discussion Panel”, which is from the H25 convention and runs about 20 minutes.  Lastly a standard-def trailer is included.

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: 4, 5, bluray, halloween, michael, myers, ...

DVD Review “Wyatt Earp’s Revenge”

Directors: Michael Feifer
Actors: Val Kilmer, Shawn Roberts, Matt Dallas, Daniel Booko, Scott Whyte, Trace Adkins
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Distributed by: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: March 6, 2012
Running Time: 93 minutes

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

When it comes to Westerns, the topic of Wyatt Earp is one of the most well-known. Although, this one lacks the real Western feel. If you are watching this primarily due tot the draw of Val Kilmer and Trace Adkins, like me, you will be disappointed as they have extremely small roles. Val Kilmer plays old and fat Wyatt Earp, with one of the worst fake mustaches in movie history. He tells the story, which leads to the flashback where the film takes place. Trace Adkins was in it so briefly I blinked almost missed him. Maybe it was a bad idea for me to watch this film the same day as the Clint Eastwood classic “Unforgiven”, only made it look that much worse.

The film is based off the true story recounted from legendary lawman, Earp, as he tells how he formed the best group of men to avenge the vicious murder of his love, Dora. The “best of the west” group was formed of Bat Masterson, Charlie Bassett, Bill Tilghman and Doc Holliday. The group heads after the Kenedy brothers, who are protected by their powerful father and are untouchable by the law. Of course they find out how far Earp and his posse will go to get revenge.

If you are looking special features, this will only disappoint you more. Since there is only one mega brief behind the scenes extra. “Riding Along with Wyatt Earp” runs a mere three minutes and includes on behind the scenes look and interviews with cast/crew. Overall it is too short and leaves you unsatisfied just like the film does.

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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.

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: car, dvd, electric, revenge, review

CD Review: Girl on Fire “Revenge EP”

Girl on Fire
“Revenge EP”
Hollywood Waste
Producer: WiL Francis
Tracks: 5

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Girl on Fire are a 4 piece Alt/Rock band hailing from the Seattle, WA area. The band consisting of Austin Held- Vocal, Mick McMahan- Guitar, Josh Mouser- Bass and Harry MacDonald- Drums bring a fresh new approach to the Alt/Rock scene with the release of the bands debut EP titled “Revenge”. “Revenge” is a blend of rock infused punk which is very reminiscent of early Linkin Park albums.

Though not really familiar with Girl on Fire prior to my listening of the “Revenge EP” I was pleasantly surprised and became a fan instantly. Tracks such as “Revenge” and “Tragic Ending” have a perfect blend of rock meets pop punk. Every song on the “Revenge EP” seemed to have a hook that instantly made your head bob along to the beat. Austin Held’s vocals are a breath of fresh air and compliment the songs perfectly.

Girl on Fire’s “Revenge EP” is pure listening goodness! My only complaint was that I wanted to hear more songs! With such a catchy and melodic approach I can’t wait to hear what Girl on Fire has in store next for its listeners.

Track Listing:
1.)    Revenge
2.)    Tragic Ending
3.)    Medicate
4.)    Secret Lies
5.)    Close Your Eyes

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Filed Under: CD Reviews Tagged With: cd, ep, fire, girl, revenge, review, ...
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