Blu-ray Review “Robocop (2014)”

Actors: Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Abbie Cornish, Jackie Earle Haley
Directors: José Padilha
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
DVD Release Date: June 3, 2014
Run Time: 117 minutes

Film: 1 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars

When I was a kid growing up in the 80’s, I remember sneaking a screening of director Paul Verhoeven’s 1987 “Robocop” and was literally speechless. It was extremely gory and very violent for a kid under 10 years old it was like nothing I have ever seen. Now I am all for films getting reboot, remake or whatever but it just has to be done right. I liked “Total Recall” remake, speaking of my childhood films (not perfect but still entertaining). If you are a fan of “Robocop”, you will know that it needs to be gritty and raw unlike this PG-13 watered down boring as hell piece of shit that we are given here. I literally haven’t hated a film as much as I did this film in a LONG time. It is almost embarrassing that today’s generation is going to watch this film today and think this is “Cool”, makes me so upset. Please steer clear for this film!

Official Premise: In “Robocop”, the year is 2028 and OmniCorp – the world’s leader in robot technology – sees a golden opportunity to reap billions for their company. When Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) – a loving husband, father and good cop doing his best to stem the tide of crime and corruption in Detroit – is critically injured, OmniCorp grabs their chance to build a part-man, part-robot police officer. OmniCorp envisions a RoboCop in every city and will stop at nothing – no matter the cost to Alex – to make sure the program succeeds. But OmniCorp never counted on one thing: there is still a man fighting inside the machine.

I have read some reviews with people claiming that this film is actually surprisingly good if you don’t come in with preconceived emotions about the first film and just watch this as a stand alone film. Well, that is a bunch of solid bullshit to be honest. There is nothing good about this film as well. The violence in the film is all be eliminated. The character of Robocop is just bored in the film and really have no objective or any real purpose to achieve. In the original film, he had a real blood vengeance and he claimed his ticket. To top it off this film is literally nearly two hours, which makes it even more painfully.

Now on the other hand, on a technical perspective. This film does look pretty great. The 1080p transfer does work for the few actual action scenes in the film. Same goes for the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 but the film’s score doesn’t even come close to the original film. In terms of special features, we get right back to being let down. “RoboCop: Engineered for the 21st Century” is a three part featurette, which goes behind-the-scenes into the production with the following “The Illusion of Free Will: A New Vision”, “To Serve and Protect: RoboCop’s New Weapons” and “The RoboCop Suit: Form and Function”. Besides that there are a few Deleted Scenes Omnicorp promos and trailers included.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: 2014, bluray, review, robocop

Blu-ray Review “The Nutty Professor: 50th Anniversary – Ultimate Collector’s Edition”

Starring: Jerry Lewis, Stella Stevens (I), Kathleen Freeman, Med Flory, Norman Alden, Howard Morris (I)
Director: Jerry Lewis
Number of discs: 4
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Warner Video
DVD Release Date: June 3, 2014
Run Time: 397 minutes

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

“The Nutty Professor” is easily one of Jerry Lewis’ best comedies. He directed, stars in, and co-wrote (with Bill Richmond) this very funny film, which is a parody of the classic “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”. 50 years and this film is still a laugh riot and to celebrate that date Warner Bros is releasing this film in a brand-new 50th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition. In fact this new release also received personal input from Mr. Lewis and he helped compile some of the extra content as well. This film has always been a favorite of mine and it is great to see this wonderful released put out to remind people today of what a real comedy looks like to be honest. Warner Bros has always been a leader of giving films the treatment they deserve. Their “Ultimate Collector’s Edition” releases are like none other and this is no exception. A must have for any Jerry Lewis fan!

Here is the official premise for “The Nutty Professor”: The title’s eponymous professor is Julius F. Kelp (Lewis), a shy, bumbling chemistry teacher who has a mad crush on his student Stella Purdy (Stella Stevens). When he tires of being made fun of, Kelp develops a magic potion that turns him into smooth and smarmy nightclub singer Buddy Love. Stella is drawn to Buddy but unfortunately, the potion’s formula is unstable and Buddy keeps slipping back into Julius at the most embarrassing moments. In the end the professor’s ploy is revealed, but not before he delivers a speech calling for everyone to learn to love themselves first before others can return the favor. Stella realizes she loves him for who he is and, needless to say, the ending is a happy one.

In this release we get not only “The Nutty Professor” on Blu-ray but also in DVD format as well. But wait there is still more we also get DVDs of two other well-known Lewis comedies including “Cinderfella” and “The Errand Boy”. This are great films as well. Obviously, they don’t have relation to “The Nutty Professor” but they are a nice bonus for sure. But wait there is still more…there is also a CD included of “Phoney Phone calls 1959-1972”, which features Lewis’s collection of private prank calls secretly recorded over the years. And since we are on the topic of Warner Bros and Jerry Lewis, if you are looking for more rare films be sure to check out the Warner Archive Collection (www.warnerarchive.com), which has various other Lewis’ films available including, “Family Jewels”, “Cracking Up (aka Smorgasbord)” and “Which Way to the Front?”

Since this film is celebrating it’s 50th anniversary, Warner Bros did not take that lightly and really jam-packed “The Nutty Professor” with great extras. “Jerry Lewis: No Apologies” is a brand new intimate look at the legend who has entertained and educated audiences for more than eight decades. There is a “Directors Letter”, which is specially written by Lewis himself to present this new collection. Recreated “Being A Person” is a 96 page book that is made up of drawings and quotes inspired/written by Jerry Lewis and drawn by his personal illustrator. When the first was first made there were only 250 copies of this book made and given to members of the cast and crew of “The Nutty Professor”, so this is cool to be able to own. There is also a 48-Page Storyboard Book and a 44-Page Cutting Script with Jerry’s notes included.

There is an audio commentary track with Jerry Lewis and Steve Lawrence. There is a great making of look in the film with “The Nutty Professor: Perfecting The Formula Behind-The-Scenes Footage”. “Jerry Lewis at Work” looks into the legend doing what he does best. “Jerry at Movieland Wax Museum” shows the actor visiting the location, which also includes commentary by son Chris Lewis. There are also deleted scenes, promos, bloopers, screen tests, outtakes and trailers included. With the bonus DVD includes, “Cinderfella”, there are special features as well including an audio commentary track with Jerry Lewis and Steve Lawrence, as well as Bloopers. “The Errand Boy” includes select scene audio commentary also with Jerry Lewis and Steve Lawrence. Lastly, there are also Bloopers, Promo Spots and trailer included.

The Nutty Professor 50th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition is available on Blu-ray 6/3/14 at the WB Shop http://bit.ly/TNP50THWBShop

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: 50th, anniversary, bluray, collectors, edition, nutty, ...

Film Review “Maleficent”

Starring: Angelina Jolie, Sharlto Copley and Elle Fanning
Directed by: Robert Stromberg
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 1 hour 37 mins
Walt Disney Pictures

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

THIS is how you update a classic tale.

Deep in the heart of a jungle kingdom, we meet the young and beautiful Maleficent (Isobelle Molloy). Living, as she does, in an enchanted kingdom, Maleficent spends her days climbing trees and mending twigs which have been accidentally snapped. One day the young girl meets a young man from the neighboring kingdom. His name is Stefan and for quite a period of time the two youngsters spend their days together learning about themselves and each other. When Maleficent turns 16 if is gracious Stefan that offers up, and gives her, “true loves’ kiss”). But it is not meant to be. Years go by. Maleficent is now a beautiful woman (Jolie), flying over her kingdom and protecting everything in it. Right over the boundary line we find the old and bitter king, close to death. He has promised to anoint whoever can find and kill Maleficent his successor. Now grown up, Stefan (Copley) lures Maleficent to him. Betrayal follows. As does revenge!

It almost sounds like a cliché’ to say this, but in my opinion no one BUT Angelina Jolie could have played Maleficent. Already unworldly beautiful, with a little assist from seven time Academy Award winning make-up expert Rick Baker, her angular face is perfect in showing the joy she feels among her fellow kingdom denizens and the betrayal she feels by her circumstances. The story will be familiar to anyone that has enjoyed hearing about “Sleeping Beauty,” but with a few “adjustments” that make the legend not only more exciting but downright horrifying.

But it is not just Jolie that gives the tale a sense of believability. As now-King Stefan, Copley delivers a performance equal in power to Jolie’s. Here is a man who betrayed the one he loved only to suffer forever for his actions. And if you’re going to talk about Sleeping Beauty, you can’t forget the newly named Princess Aurora (Elle Fanning) whose innocence is as strong as she is beautiful. The film is quite dark in some places…maybe more than one would expect.

Add to those great performances some stunning visual effects and you’ve now got proof to the old adage that you CAN teach an older dog a new trick. Take flight with Maleficent and learn a new chapter to an amazing story.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Film Reviews Tagged With: film, maleficent, review

Graphic Novel Review “Castle: Richard Castle’s Unholy Storm”

Author: Cullen Bunn
Series: Castle: Derrick Storm
Hardcover: 112 pages
Publisher: Marvel
Release Date: May 13, 2014

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

When I started watching “Castle” in 2009, I would have thought that it would have still be going so strong now 5 years later. The show just got renewed for a second season. There has been seven (with two more on the way) novels released which were spin off from the show’s characters Nikki Heat and Derrick Storm, as well as three e-books for Derrick Storm. Then I haven’t even gotten to the graphic novels yet. There been “Richard Castle’s Deadly Storm”, “Richard Castle’s Storm Season” and “Richard Castle’s A Calm Before Storm” released in comic book form. I swear every time I think about it I just get so excited with the success that this show has had. “Richard Castle’s Unholy Storm” is the latest graphic novel release based on the series and it is easily one of the best yet.

Official Premise: The best-selling graphic novel saga, based on the world of ABC’s hit prime-time series, continues! Derrick Storm is back. And he has a new, deadly case to solve. When the daughters of four high-powered international businessmen are discovered dead in NY, the NYPD scrambles to bring the murderer to justice. But when a fifth girl is found mutilated in a pool of her own blood, her prestigious French family hires Derrick Storm to run his own investigation and find the real killer. Storm has only one lead – a strange symbol drawn in blood. Storm enlists the help of the beautiful and daring Clara Strike, his CIA handler. Together they uncover a deep web of deception under the guise of mysticism and devotion. And in a race against time, this most unlikely pair unlock a mystery capable of creating global catastrophe!

Ever since I read the three e-books focusing on the character of Derrick Storm, I have been hooked. I love his smart ass attitude and wit. He also proves himself to be extremely sharp as well. I love the style for these graphic novels. I have always had a picture of Derrick Storm in my head and these illustrators completely nailed it. He is ruggedly handsome like you would expect and his CIA operative Strike is drawn quite voluptuous, as you would expect in a graphic novel aimed for guys. Throw in a little spy/detective work and some zombies/vampires and you have me hooked. My only complaint with this release is that I want more and I really don’t want to wait till next year for the next graphic novel. Luckily, we have never episodes of “Castle” and Nikki Heat’s latest novel with “Raging Heat” this ” September.

 

Related Content

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Comic Book Reviews Tagged With: castle, graphic, review, storm, unholy

DVD Review “Dragons: Defenders of Berk – Part 2″

Actors: Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, T.J. Miller, Zack Pearlman, Christopher Mintz-Plasse
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
DVD Release Date: May 27, 2014
Run Time: 220 minutes

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

“Dragons: Defenders of Berk – Part 2″ wraps up the second season of this epic TV series based on Dreamworks Animation hit film “How to Train Your Dragon. These 10 episodes feature all-new adventures and dragons. I feel that as this show has progressed it has gotten a little darker, which I really like. In fact, these 10 episodes were easily the best in the series to date. If you are a fan of the first film, then I highly recommend you getting into this series if you haven’t already. If it does nothing else it will hold you off until “How to Train Your Dragon 2” hits theaters June 13th!

Official Premise: Based on the DreamWorks Animation Academy Award® nominated movie How to Train Your Dragon, there’s action at every turn and excitement on every ride in DREAMWORKS DRAGONS: DEFENDERS OF BERK PART 2 as Hiccup and his fearless friends embark on new adventures and battle to protect their island home. The young Vikings must put their dragon training skills to the test to defeat dangerous and surprising new enemies! The series features original voice talent from the film including Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera and Christopher Mintz-Plasse and will include Zack Pearlman and more.

Rounding out the second season are the following episodes: “A View to a Skrill Part 2; “The Flight Stuff (Ask Heirheads)”, “Free Scauldy”; “Frozen”; “A Tale of Two Dragons”; “The Eel Effect”; “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”; “Bing! Bam! Boom!”; “Cast Out, Part 1” and “Cast Out, Part 2”. Like other recent Dreamworks Animation shows based on films “Turbo FAST” airs on Netflix. Season three of “Dragons” aka “Dragon Masters” is going to take that route as well the series moves to the streaming site in Spring 2015.

There is also a few great special features that dive deeper into the amazing world of “Dragons”. There is “Dragon Tracker Part 4”, which is an an-depth look at Skrill, Baby Thunderdrums and Speed Stinger dragons, along with a special sneak peek of Snaptrapper from “How to Train Your Dragon 2” “Evolution of Skrill” is a featurette with the visual effects supervisor David Jones explaining the history behind the dragon. Lastly “Here Comes the Fire” is a funny Dragon Mash-up music video.

If you still want more, you got it…if you that purchase the DVD will also get a Digital HD UltraViolet code for the title and Movie Money ($7.50 value) to redeem for tickets to “How to Train Your Dragon 2”. Also you can enter for a chance to win a free dragon racing saddle or a mystery box code for exclusive battle gear and powers to “School of Dragons”. This is an online game from JumpStart based on DreamWorks Animation’s “How to Train Your Dragon franchise”. It is a real blast an highly recommended for any fan of the series. For more information, visit http://www.schoolofdragons.com.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: 2, berk, defenders, dragons, dvd, part, ...

DVD Review “I Spy: The Complete Series”

Actors: Robert Culp, Bill Cosby
Number of discs: 18
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Shout! Factory / Timeless Media
DVD Release Date: June 24, 2014
Run Time: 4100 minutes

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

It pains me to say that when I first think about “I Spy” today, the terrible 2002 film starring Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson comes to my mind first. The better version of “I Spy” is no question the 1965 television series starring Robert Culp and Bill Cosby. For the first time ever, Shout! Factory and Timeless Media are releasing the complete series on DVD. All 82 episodes are here spread out over 18 discs for the award-winning series. These two secret agent intelligence operatives Kelly Robinson (Robert Culp) and Alexander Scott (Bill Cosby) are still just as sly and funny as ever. This show has not lost it’s class at all and was a blast to revisit with the complete series on DVD.

This show originally aired on NBC from 1965 to 1968. It was not only popular but also critically acclaimed, winning numerous awards including 1967 Golden Globe for Best Dramatic Series, three consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor for Bill Cosby and the Primetime Emmy® for Outstanding Musical Composition for Earle Hagen. “I Spy” also included some very memorable guest-star performances from Gene Hackman, Jim Backus, Ron Howard, Boris Karloff, Martin Landau, George Takei, Don Rickles and Eartha Kitt, who was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for her role.”

“I Spy” was a great blend of comedy and drama. The chemistry between Culp and Cosby was great. The show also aired at the peak of secret agent genre, mid 60’s, following on the heels of the hugely successful James Bond films. At the time every studio was trying to deliver their own brand of secret agent TV shows, films etc. Luckily, this show was one of the ones that stood out. Also I learned some interesting information about this show that it was banned from certain in the South due having an African-American (Bill Cosby) in a leading role. This was an interesting time in TV but it was also a very entertaining time.

Each episode is presented with its original full frame 4×3 Broadcast ratio. All 4,100 minutes or over 68 hours of television. They also each come with a Dolby 2.0 track, which delivers for the show. The episodes aren’t perfect but they are decent. If you were looking for a complete 4K restore, you will be disappointed but the episodes are still looking good for a show that premiered almost 50 years ago. There are no additional special features included here, which personally is a bit of a let down because I am sure they could have scrounged up some old featurettes or commentary tracks from previous releases.

 

Related Content

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: complete, dvd, review, series, spy

Blu-ray Review “Alexander: The Ultimate Cut – The 10th Anniversary”

Starring: Colin Farrell, Angelina Jolie, Val Kilmer, Jared Leto, Anthony Hopkins, Rosario Dawson
Director: Oliver Stone
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Warner Home Video
DVD Release Date: June 3, 2014
Run Time: 175 / 206 minutes

Ultimate Cut: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 4 out of 5 stars

“Alexander” is like the film that never goes away. Since the film was released 10 years ago there has been various cuts of the film from The Theatrical Cut to The Final Cut (which wasn’t the final cut) and now we have The Ultimate Cut right in time for the film’s 10th Anniversary. Oliver Stone really does love editing his films after they are done. The Theatrical Cut was released in 2004 and is 175 minutes. The Final Cut released in 2007 is a whopping 213 minutes and is actually structured much differently. The Ultimate Cut is a little slimmer but not by much clocking in at 206 minutes with an intermission.

Official Premise: Alexander is based on the true story of one of history’s most luminous and influential leaders; a man who had conquered 90% of the known world by the age of 25. The film chronicles Alexander’s path to becoming a living legend, from a youth fuelled by dreams of myth, glory and adventure, to his intense bonds with his closest companions, to his lonely death as a ruler of a vast empire. The film stars Colin Farrell as Alexander, Angelina Jolie as Queen Olympias, Val Kilmer as King Philip II, Anthony Hopkins as Ptolemy, Jared Leto as Hephaistion, Rosario Dawson as Roxana, Christopher Plummer as Aristotle, and Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Cassander.

Since the film was original cut to reduce violence and sexuality, the director was unable to achieve his vision. With this Ultimate Cut, Stone follows closely to the outline of his original script and clocking in 31 minutes longer that the theatrical cut, this is in fact the Ultimate Cut of this film. I have to admit, this is actually a better cut than the theatrical release. This 10th Anniversary Blu-ray both the 2004 theatrical cut and the new Ultimate Cut. I would have loved to see them go to hell with themselves and just include The Final Cut as well. This Blu-ray also includes The Ultimate Cut on Digital HD with UltraViolet.

I was really impressed with the special features included for this release because the new cut is a bonus enough but they went ahead and still delivered a bunch of new extras. Firstly, there is a new documentary “The Real Alexander and the World He Made”, which looks into the life and legacy of Alexander the Great. There is a brand new Ultimate Cut commentary track from Oliver Stone, as well as a theatrical cut commentary was well with Oliver Stone and Robin Lane Fox. Oliver’s also talented son Sean Stone has his own feature-length documentary called “Fight Against Time: Oliver Stone’s Alexander”.

There is also four featurettes included on the production including “Resurrecting Alexander”, “Perfect Is The Enemy of Good”, “The Death of Alexander” and “Vangelis Scores Alexander”. But wait there is still more included here. There is an awesome “The Art of Alexander”40-page art book, which features numerous concept drawings, production storyboards and behind-the-scenes photographs. As well as collectible packaging, with correspondence memos between Oliver Stone and his cast and crew. If you enjoyed this film or didn’t enjoy this film, this is a really great collectible and a much improved cut of the film for sure.

Alexander: The Ultimate Cut + Theatrical 10th Anniversary UCE is available on Blu-ray 6/3/14 at the WB Shop http://bit.ly/AULTWBShop

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: 10th, alexander, anniversary, bluray, cut, review, ...

Blu-ray Review “The Zombie Horror Picture Show”

Actors: Rob Zombie
Directors: Rob Zombie
Rated: Unrated
Studio: UMe
DVD Release Date: May 19, 2014
Run Time: 81 minutes

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

“The Zombie Horror Picture Show” is the first concert film from musician/director Rob Zombie. The 81 minute feature-length concert film was recorded over two nights in Texas and captures Zombie’s elaborate, multi-media production of mind blowing effects, animatronics robots and pyrotechnics combined with Rob’s powerhouse band featuring John 5, Piggy D and Ginger Fish. The film is being released via UMe and is available in both DVD and Blu-ray formats.

Finally Rob Zombie has decided to capture not only his power live sound but his over the top visual presentation which fans all around the world have to come to expect and love. “Rob Zombie: The Zombie Horror Picture Show” is a bombastic assault on your senses as the bands takes you on a 81 minute musical journey with songs spanning Zombies 20+ year career. The overall look of the film may be a bit chaotic at times but fans of Rob’s work with White Zombie and his subsequent solo career know what to expect.

The sound of the film is top notch only adding to the appeal as songs like “Superbeast”, “Sick Bubblegum” and the semi acoustic “House of 1,000 Corpses” blast through the speakers with clarity while still retaining that live concert feel. My only complaint is that the special features portion of this release is almost non-existent. Included in this section you do get some pretty cool still photos courtesy of Rob Fenn however with this being Zombies first concert film it would have been cool to include some behind the scenes footage and/or band interviews to help make this the total package.

Track Listing:
1.) Teenage Nosferatu Pussy
2.) Superbeast
3.) Super Charger Heaven
4.) Living Dead Girl
5.) We’re An American Band
6.) More Human Than Human
7.) Sick Bubblegum
8.) Never Gonna Stop
9.) Ging Gang Gong De Do Gong De Laga Raga
10.) Meet the Creeper
11.) Angry Red Planet
12.) Mars needs Women
13.) House of 1,000 Corpses
14.) Lords of Salem
15.) Dead City Radio and the New Gods of Super Town
16.) Thunder Kiss ‘65
17.) Dragula

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: bluray, horror, picture, review, show, zombie, ...

Concert Review “Sandy Hackett’s Rat Pack Show” Kansas City, Missouri

Sandy Hackett’s Rat Pack Show
Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
Kansas City, Missouri
May 27 – June 1, 2014

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Ah, Las Vegas in the 1960s. It still had the lure of mystery and DEFINITELY wasn’t kid friendly. If you were lucky, you could head to the Sands Hotel and take in the hottest show in town featuring a quartet of entertainers whose talents could never be topped. They were known as the Rat Pack – and for a few hours in Kansas City, they were back!

We were greeted by the jovial “voice of God.” And if you’re in Las Vegas who better to portray your deity then Buddy Hackett. As the voice of the late, great comedian comes through the speakers the audience is transported back five decades. The spotlight hits center stage and there they are: Funny man Joey Bishop (Sandy Hackett), the “King of Cool,” Dean Martin (Tom Wallek), the “Candyman,” Sammy Davis, Jr. (Louie Velez) and, of course, the “Chairman of the Board,” Francis Albert Sinatra (Danny Grewen). After a group opening number, entitled “Hello Again,” the audience is treated to some great one liners courtesy of Joey/Hackett. The son of the great Buddy Hackett, the comedy genes run deep in this family. The timing is spot on as is the quick wit, evident when some “Kansas City” themed jokes appear. The rest of the first act relies on the banter between Dean and Sammy as the two trade musical numbers. The act ends with the silhouette of Sammy bathed in light.

Act two welcomes Frank back to the stage. After a great medley of some signature songs (“Come Fly With Me,” “You Make Me Feel So Young,” “Fly Me to the Moon”), Frank takes a quiet moment to think about the one that got away. This brings on an appearance by “Frank’s One Love” (Lisa Dawn Miller, like Hackett a producer of the show) Miller is the daughter of song writing legend Ron Miller, whose songs include “Touch Me in the Morning,” “I’ve Never Been to Me” and “For Once in My Life,” which Frank performs in the show. The rest of the act consists of more laughter and music.

I’m very fortunate (and old) in that I had the great opportunity to see both Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr. perform before they passed away. With those memories in my head I naturally compared that experience to the one I had at this show. And I wasn’t disappointed. Grewen has that smooth, clear quality that made Sinatra extraordinary and Velez was spot-on perfect as Sammy Davis, Jr. Ms. Miller belted out her number with gusto, making herself a proud member of the group. If there was any disappointment it came courtesy of Tom Wallek’s Dean. He had the look and the mannerism’s down, but the voice just wasn’t right. During the on stage banter he sounded more like Johnny Carson then Dean Martin. A little quibble maybe, but something that someone like me, who grew up watching, and own on DVD, Martin’s classic television roasts. That being said, “Sandy Hackett’s Rat Pack Show” is a must-see for anyone that wants to recapture those magical days of yesterday!

 

Related Content

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Concert Reviews Tagged With: city, concert, hacketts, kansas, missouri, pack, ...

Film Review #2 “A Million Ways to Die in the West”

Starring: Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron and Liam Neeson
Directed By: Seth MacFarlane
Rated: R
Running Time: 116 minutes
Universal Pictures

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

There are actually some lofty expectations for “A Million Ways to Die in the West”. Weird, right? Two summers ago Seth MacFarlane put out the comedy sleeper hit, “Ted”. It combined his “Family Guy” style of random, filthy humor with the likeable personas of Mila Kunis and Mark Wahlberg coping with the next step of their relationship. Once again MacFarlane throws everything and the kitchen sink from his bag of humor in the hopes of pulling a throaty laugh from his audience and for the most part he succeeds. “A Million Ways to Die in the West” also stirs up a worthy farce of Western movies.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves and hail the second coming of “Blazing Saddles”. MacFarlane is the lead, which deters him from drawing some of the biggest laughs in the movie. As Albert, a spineless sheep farmer, he does have some very good quips, but the supporting cast padding is what makes “A Million Ways to Die in the West” a comedy gem. Friends of Albert, Edward (Giovanni Ribisi) and Ruth (Sarah Silverman), are a Christian couple who are waiting until marriage to make love; which is constantly complicated by the fact that Ruth is a prostitute with customers who continuously find more unique ways and inopportune times to tell her to get upstairs and bang them. Louise (Amanda Seyfried) is Albert’s ex-girlfriend who is the butt of jokes, but is now dating the master of mustaches, Foy (Neil Patrick Harris). NPH is an absolute pleasure in every scene, selling every moment more than anyone else in this movie.

Then there’s the warm and beautiful Anna (Theron). A smart, quick trigger gal who finds her way into Albert’s slice of hell town called Old Stump. Upon meeting and slowly falling for each other, she fails to mention to Albert that her husband, Clinch (Neeson), is one of the most dangerous and deadly outlaws in the west that has a sadistic code of ethics when choosing who to kill. Anna and Albert complement each other with their smartass remarks and craving to be with someone who appreciates them for who they are. MacFarlane and Theron sport some decent on-screen chemistry which probably comes as a shock for the thousands who were up in arms over MacFarlane’s “We Saw Your Boobs” at the 2013 Oscars.

The characters in this movie have an odd, child-like approach to plenty of crudeness which makes it all the more humorous and ridiculous. Comedic scenarios feature a combination of sight gags, one-liners and a visually gross punctuation. Also slip in the unnecessary violent death to further accent the title of the movie. With such a palette of absurd and juvenile humor, there’s something for everyone in this rapid fire executions of jokes, at least anyone who isn’t afraid of a little inappropriate, sexual and racial provocation. Some of my more favorite scenes feature a hyper violent bar fight and the interactions between Albert and his aging father who speaks his emotions through expletive hyperboles.

While “Ted” was a perfect blend, cast-wise, “A Million Ways to Die in the West” feels incomplete. The lengthy running time starts to show as we continue to wait for the climactic showdown between Albert and Clinch. Also I can’t quite heap on the same amount of praise to MacFarlane that everyone else got. He isn’t admirable enough to be the improbable hero. He has a low level of smugness that ruins the high octane levels of every-guy so we don’t quite see him as amiable. NPH would have been miles better in the lead role and it’s a puzzle as to why no one pointed this out to MacFarlane when the script was being read. Regardless, “A Million Ways to Die in the West” is the comedy to beat so far this summer.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Film Reviews Tagged With: die, film, million, review, ways, west, ...

Blu-ray Review “Super Duper Alice Cooper”

Actors: Alice Cooper
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Eagle Rock
Release Date: June 3, 2014
Run Time: 127 minutes

Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

“Feed Me Frankenstein”! Watching “Wayne’s World” was one of my first exposures as a kid to the legendary Alice Cooper. “Super Duper Alice Cooper” is the first ever “doc opera” around the rock star. What really drew me to the film was the it is not your typical interview after interview doc, this contains of a great blend of documentary archive footage, animation, and rock opera. What makes this even cooler is that it is from Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn of Banger Films. They guys produced other great music documentaries like of “Iron Maiden: Flight 666” and “Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage”. If you are an Alice Cooper fan, this is definitely a much purchase. If not just wait till it airs on VH1 Classic this September.

Official Premise: Super Duper Alice Cooper is the first ever “doc opera” – featuring a blend of documentary archive footage, animation and rock opera that will cement forever the legend of Alice Cooper. The film is the twisted tale of a teenage Dr. Jekyll whose rock n’ roll Mr. Hyde almost kills him. It is the story of Vincent Furnier, a preacher’s son who struck fear into the hearts of parents as Alice Cooper, the ultimate rock star of the bizarre. From the advent of Alice as front man for a group of Phoenix freaks in the 60’s to the hazy decadence of celebrity in the 70s to his triumphant comeback as 80s glam metal godfather, we will watch as Alice and Vincent battle for each other’s’ souls. Alice’s story is told not only by the man himself, but through exclusive interviews with members of the original Alice Cooper band, Elton John, Iggy Pop, John Lydon, and Dee Snider.

Like most if not all of Eagle Rock’s Blu-ray’s, “Super Duper Alice Cooper” is presented in 1080i, so not full HD. It still looks impressive I have to say, but I don’t know how they get it in line with the rest of the standard Blu-ray specs. Besides teh film, there is also tons of bonus deleted scenes included. There are Alice Cooper interviews from the VH1 Classic series “Metal Evolution”. There is also additional rare footage included. Even though Eagle Rock doesn’t love Media Mikes enough to hook us up with the Deluxe Edition of this release, I am still going to give it a plug since it is quite rad. It features not only the film but also a second DVD of previously unreleased concert footage from Montreal University in 1972. There is also a CD included of Alice Cooper’s performance at the 2009 Montreux Jazz Festival. The deluxe edition comes all together in a huge LP-sized box with 60-page hardback photobook. Now that is the real must for hardcore fans.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: alice, bluray, cooper, duper, review, super, ...

Film Review “A Million Ways to Die in the West”

Directed by: Seth MacFarlane
Starring: Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried, Neil Patrick Harris, Giovanni Ribisi, Sarah Silverman, Liam Neeson
Distributed by: Universal Pictures
MPAA Rating: R
Running time: 116 minutes

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Seth MacFarlane is easily one of the best comedic minds in the business right now. He has taken over the animation world with his shows “Family Guy” and “American Dad” and recently crossed over into film with the huge summer hit “Ted”. “Ted” was a great film that had a heart and yet was still extremely raunchy and also very funny. “A Million Ways to Die in the West” really had some big expectation shoes to fill. Fans are going to be looking for more of what “Ted” delivered and in my eyes it delivers that and more. When I saw the trailer for “A Million Ways to Die in the West”, I just knew I was going to love it. One of the problems I had with the film was that it shows quite a bit of its key jokes in the trailer. There is still much more fun to be had but I would imagine that people that haven’t seen many of the trailers will enjoy this a bit more. Nonetheless, I was hollering out loud for this film and I wasn’t alone either, if people compare this to “Ted”, they are going to be disappointed because they are two very different films but if you look as a stand alone you will have a blast watching “A Million Ways to Die in the West”.

Our story takes place in a small Frontier town called Old Stump in the year 1882. We meet Albert Stark (Seth MacFarlane), who is a sheep farmer that loses his beautiful girlfriend Louise (Amanda Seyfried) due to not having enough courage to face a gun duel. While Albert tries to win her back he ends up meeting a newcomer to the town named Anna (Charlize Theron) and the two hit it off. She helps Albert discovers his missing confidence and courage. After spending time with each other they seem to develop feeling for each other but Anna doesn’t let Albert in on the fact that she is the wife to the infamous outlaw Clinch Leatherwood (Liam Neeson). When Clinch arrives in the town, he is looking to call out the man that wooed his wife and it is up to Albert to stand up to him.

I think we have to blame Judd Apatow for running the comedy genre since I feel that he set the path for 2+ hour comedies. I feel that all comedies work best when short and to the punchline. 90 minutes, tops, is what a comedy should be. This film nears the two hour mark and could have easily been trimmed to be much tighter. “Ted” was the same way as well, the film was great in a whole but there were certain parts that dragged major ass, same happens here. You got to give it to MacFarlane though because this is his first film with him in the spotlight, in the leading role, and not hiding behind a voice role. I felt that he really nailed it. He turned out to be a great leading man. I thought he still had great comedic timing and really nailed his jokes. I hope he plans to act more in the future for sure. Charlize Theron was also a nice surprise, I haven’t been a huge fan of her recently but this film really gives her a chance to let loose and have some fun and her performance benefits from it. I like to think that every role can’t be a Oscar winner.

To be completely honest, the rest of the supporting cast including Amanda Seyfried, Neil Patrick Harris, Giovanni Ribisi, Sarah Silverman and Liam Neeson are really just background in the film and don’t contribute anything major to the film. NPH is always a riot an,d of course, he sings and dances in this film. I still can’t get that mustache song out of my head. There are also a handful of super quick cameos throughout the film including Alex Borstein, Ralph Garman, Gilbert Gottfried, Ewan McGregor, Ryan Reynolds, John Michael Higgins, Jamie Foxx and Bill Maher. So see if you can catch them on the screen because they are there and gone before you know it. Great Scott, I almost forgot keep an eye out for the great Christopher Lloyd, who pops in for a great cameo as well.

When it comes to Western films, they are a honestly just a hard genre to pull off. People usually don’t come out in droves to see film’s like this but MacFarlance has the balls to try and essentially nail it. I couldn’t help but compare “A Million Ways to Die in the West” to the classic Mel Brooks film “Blazing Saddles”. That film is celebrating it’s 40th anniversary this year and I remember the first time that my father watched it with me. This film reminded me a lot of what that film and what it would have been like if it was made today. This is raunchy, racist, over-the-top and generally offensive. There plenty of foul language, fart jokes and animals getting knocked over. I would be curious to hear Mel Brooks’ comments on the film as well. The locations where this film was shot were also absolutely amazing. Having this be a comedy, you don’t expect amazing visuals but this one really caught my eye and delivered a nice view of the Frontier. This might not be the best comedy ever but I definitely laughed more than not and definitely will be recommending this film!

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Film Reviews Tagged With: die, film, million, review, ways, west, ...

Blu-ray Review “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (The Criterion Collection)”

Actors: Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Cate Blanchett, Anjelica Huston, Willem Dafoe
Directors: Wes Anderson
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Criterion
Release Date: May 27, 2014
Run Time: 118 minutes

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

“The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” is a rather strange film. But at the same time it is also a quite outstanding film. I think this can really be said for all of Wes Anderson’s films. They are all on another level of filmmaking. Some people get it and some do not but they are all brilliant. Criterion has been a big proprietor of Anderson’s films on Blu-ray. I recently had a chance to check out “Fantastic Mr. Fox” on Criterion Collection and was just blown away. Now just a few months later, we are getting “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” and this is guaranteed to make fans of the film very happy. Criterion never disappoints and delivers a flawless technical presentation and a ridiculous amount of special features. I am sure that a Criterion release of “The Grand Budapest Hotel” is not to far behind either.

Official Premise: Internationally famous oceanographer Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) and his crew-Team Zissou-set sail on an expedition to hunt down the mysterious, elusive, possibly nonexistent Jaguar Shark that killed Zissou’s partner during the documentary filming of their latest adventure. They are joined on their voyage by a young airline copilot (Owen Wilson); a pregnant journalist (Cate Blanchett); and Zissou’s estranged wife, Eleanor (Anjelica Huston). Wes Anderson (Rushmore) has assembled an all-star cast that also includes Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Michael Gambon, Noah Taylor, Seu Jorge, and Bud Cort for this wildly original adventure comedy.

When it comes to Criterion, you can always expect the best audio/video presentation. In fact, I am just going to quote what the leaflet inside the case says about this amazing Blu-ray release: “Supervised by director Wes Anderson, this new digital transfer was created in 4K resolution on a Scanity film scanner from the 35mm original camera negative at Sony Colorworks in Culver City, California. Thousands of instances of dirt and debris were manually removed using MTI’s DRS, while Digital Vision’s Phoenix was for small dirt, warps, and jitter. The original 5.1 soundtrack was mastered at 24-bit from the original magnetic track using Pro Tools HD.” The transfer is absolutely flawless, especially the underwater footage. Same goes for the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, which is just perfect. This is the best release to date for this amazing film.

This release comes with some oustanding special features. Kicking off, there is an audio commentary with director Wes Anderson and cowriter Noah Baumbach, which was recorded exclusively for Criterion in New York City in February 2005. There is a “Making of” featurette with raw footage from the production with coments from Wes Anderson, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Cate Blanchett, and director of photography of Robert D. Yeoman, amongst others. There is focus on the “Designs” and “Photos” with a collection of drawings, sketches, and photographs. “Intern Video Journal” is a behind the scenes documentary shot and edited by Matthew Gray Gubler. “Seu Jorge Performs David Bowie” includes ten performances of David Bowie songs in Portuguese by Brazilian recording artist and actor Seu Jorge.

Mark Mothersbaugh, composer and Devo member discusses the amazing soundtrack for the film, which was conducted for Criterion in 2004. There are seven sets of cast and crew interviews including Cate Blanchett, Owen Wilson, Wes Anderson and many more. “Mondo Monda” is a Italian talk show hosted by Antonio Monda who interviews Wes Anderson and cowriter Noah Baumbach. “This is an Adventure” is a documentary from Albert Maysles, Antonio Ferrera, and Matthew Prinzing that was shot during the shooting of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou in Italy in 2003. Lastly, there is a the original theatrical trailer and nine deleted scenes included.

 

Related Content

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: aquatic, bluray, collection, criterion, life, review, ...

Blu-ray Review “Death Spa”

Starring: Starring: William Bumiller, Brenda Bakke, Merritt Butrick, Robert Lipton, Alexa Hamilton, Ken Foree
Directors: Michael Fischa
Rated: Unrated
Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO
Release Date: May 27, 2014
Run Time: 87 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

“Death Spa” is the first title to be release under the newly revived Gorgon Video label under MPI Home Video. If you are a fan of cheesy classic 80’s horror, you are going to want to support and check out this release for sure. This is the first time that this film has ever been released on high def Blu-ray as well in its uncut, unedited version. If you are looking for tons of graphic gore, unnecessary nudity and some good laughs that look no further than “Death Spa” for a great time. Plus seriously, can you turn down a tagline like “Welcome to the health club where you’ll sweat blood”?

Official Premise: The new fitness club in town has everything a health nut could ever want: a variety of workout machines, classes taught by friendly (and frisky) instructors, and a state-of-the-art computer control system for maximum client comfort. Unfortunately it s also possessed by the evil spirit of the owner s dead wife, and before long every dumbbell, leg press, and rowing machine becomes a deadly weapon for her to enact bloody vengeance on the club s beautiful members. So if you re looking for a real workout from hell, enter DEATH SPA a new exercise in terror!

“Death Spa” hits Blu-ray with a new 1080p transfer, which was created from a 2K scan of the original camera negative. The last time I saw this film was on VHS back in the 90’s, so this was a real treat personally. The colors are sharp and the print looks solid overall, not perfect but still impressive. The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 also does the trick for this title as well. It is a well-balanced surround track. MPI also released this film as a combo pack, so there is a Blu-ray and DVD included here.

In the special features department, there is some decent new content included here. There is a commentary track from Director Michael Fischa, Producer Jamie Beardsley and Editor Michael Kewley. They comment in the track that they each haven’t seen the film in 25 years. I feel that it makes up for an interesting track for sure. Next up is “An Exercise in Terror: The Making of Death Spa”, which is a solid 50 minute behind-the-scenes look at the film. There are interviews included from Jamie Beardsley, Michael Kewley, cinematographer Ace Armenaki, actors William Bumiller, Hank Cheyne, Shari Shattuck, Elizabeth Ziegler and more. Lastly there is a theatrical trailer included.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: bluray, death, review, spa

Blu-ray Review “Gerry Anderson’s Thunderbirds Are Go / Thunderbird 6”

Created by: Gerry Anderson
Directed by: David Lane
Distributed by: Twilight Time
Run Time: 182 minutes
MPAA Rating: G
Release Date: May 13, 2014

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

3…2…1…Thunderbirds are Go! I loved watching “Thunderbirds” on TV when I was a kid. I loved the used of puppets (aka Supermarionation) mixed with the sci-fi/action-adventure feel. This show was just so much fun. This is the first time that “Gerry Anderson’s Thunderbirds Are Go” and “Thunderbird 6” are being released on Blu-ray. This show never really fully crossed over into the US and these films were not a huge hit at the time but since then have developed as cult classics. This Blu-ray release is an Screen Archives Entertainment Exclusive and is a Limited Edition release with only 3000 copies produced. So if you are a hardcore “Thunderbirds” fan, I would recommend picking this up quickly before it goes out of print. I hope that one day the complete series will also be released stateside, fingers crossed.

Official Premise: Thunderbirds Are Go (1966) and Thunderbird 6 (1968) are the cinematic evolution of Gerry Anderson’s hugely popular British TV series, Thunderbirds (1965-66): a mix of puppetry (via the patented Supermarionation process, which allowed synchronization of dialogue with marionette movement), sci-fi futurism, action-adventure, and undeniably fabulous Sixties-era design. Both films weave tales of the adventures of the Tracy Family, a father and five sons who, with the assistance of the glamorous British agent Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward, run International Rescue, an elite team who roam the globe—and beyond—in a humanitarian effort to help their fellow men.

Inside the case, there is a booklet with an essay from Twilight Time employee Julie Kirgo. I would have loved to see them replicate MGM’s “International Rescue Edition” DVD box set from 2004, which included cut-outs of the Thunderbird vehicles and magnets. In terms of presentation “Thunderbirds Are Go” is better looking of the two films. It is more crisp and vibrant. “Thunderbird 6” is not bad either but there definitely is some grain seen throughout the print. Each films also comes with two audio tracks. The first is a new remix, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, which I feel sound great on both films. The other is the original DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track, which is a little less epic but still a great track.

The majority of special features are recycled are taken from the 2004 DVD box set. Let’s start with “Thunderbirds Are Go”. There is a great audio commentary with Producer Sylvia Anderson and Director David Lane. There are a few great featurettes, including “History and Appeal”, which looks into the background on “Thunderbirds” and Gerry Anderson. “The Factory of Dolls and Rockets” shows up how the puppets came to life. “Epics in Miniature” looks into the changes made to go from TV to film. “What Does F.A.B. Mean?” talks about the acronym phrase. “Come with Me to the Rushes” is a very brief word from Anderson about the production. There is a Photo Montage and an Original Theatrical Trailer included.

There rest of the extras for this film are new for this Blu-ray and equally impressive. There is another audio commentary track by Film Historians Jeff Bond and Nick Redman, who have great knowledge of the source. “Excitement Is Go: Making Thunderbirds” is a great retrospective documentary talking about the series and the iflms. “Cliff Richard & The Shadows Unseen Test Footage” is black and white recored for the dream sequence. Lastly there is an isolated score includes with an DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo track. This is a great track if you love the score like myself and it just sounds amazing, even more so that the during the film itself.

“Thunderbird 6” also includes an audio commentary with Producer Sylvia Anderson and Director David Lane. “Lady Penelope” talks about creating the character. “Building Better Puppets” looks into the puppets designs for the film. “Tiger Moth” looks into the stunt work and special effects. “A Call from Stanley Kubrick” features Sylvia Anderson talking about getting asked to do special effects for “2001”. “A Television Tribute”features Anderson off-screen talking about a Dudley Moore sketch that spoofed “Thunderbirds”. Lastly there is a Photo Montage and Original Theatrical Trailer. The only new Blu-ray extra for this film is an isolated score track also like “Thunderbirds Are Go” is presented with an DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo track.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: 6, andersons, bluray, gerry, review, thunderbird, ...
« sdf
Previous
Page 101 of 272
Next
Next Page »