Blu-ray Review “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit”

Actors: Chris Pine, Kevin Costner, Keira Knightley, Kenneth Branagh, Lenn Kudrjawizki
Directors: Kenneth Branagh
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: June 10, 2014
Run Time: 105 minutes

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

The character of Jack Ryan from Tom Clancy’s novels has been played by many very talented actors over the last roughly 25 years from Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck. They have all done great with the character…yes even Affleck. Chris Pine, who just revived life into the character of Captain Kirk in the reboot of the “Star Trek” franchise, is hoping to do the same with this character but fails due to an extremely bland and unoriginal story. The film is so generic that you know where every scene it going with little to no surprise around each corner. I guess we will have to wait until they decide to reboot this series yet again or finally put it to sleep.

Official Premise: The thrills are non-stop as CIA recruit Jack Ryan (Chris Pine, “Star Trek” series) is caught in a dangerous web of intrigue and espionage spun between a shadowy government agent (Kevin Costner, “Field of Dreams”), his unsuspecting fiancee (Keira Knightly, “Pirates of the Caribbean” series) and a fearless Russian power broker (Kenneth Branagh, “Thor”). Jack must quickly evolve from soldier to analyst to full-fledged operative to stop a devastating terrorist plot against the United States.

Despite, the painfulness of the film itself, Paramount delivers an phenomonal release. “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit” comes as a combo pack with a Blu-ray + DVD + UltraViolet digital copy. It boasts an outstanding 1080p transfer. The film just looks stunning and very details. The real winner though for this release is easily the DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track. It works perfect building the film’s tension and shakes the walls in the action scenes. The score is also highlighted so well and sounds absolutely amazing. Overall, this was very effective and quite unexpected from this film, so I give major kudos.

The special features are quite decent as well. There is a solid and quite engaging audio commentary track from director Kenneth Branagh and producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura. “Jack Ryan: The Smartest Guy in the Room” is an all-around behind-the-scenes look into the film. “Sir Kenneth Branagh: The Tsar of Shadow Recruit” focuses on the director/actor role in the film. “Jack Ryan: A Thinking Man of Action”
looks into several key action sequences. “Old Enemies Return” is a look into the film’s villains in depth. Lastly, there are a five deleted & extended scenes, as well an alternate ending all with optional commentary by Director Kenneth Branagh and Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura.

 

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Theater Review “Ghost: The Musical” Bob Carr Performing Arts Center – Orlando, FL

“Ghost The Musical”
Bob Carr Performing Arts Center
Orlando, FL
May 13-18, 2014

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

“Unchained Melody” by The Righteous Brothers is probably one of my all-time favorite long songs. I remember watching the film “Ghost” as a kid (probably too young to even get the film) and I fell in love with that song. The film is such a classic and whew knew that it could ever be turned into a Broadway play. Leave it up to the amazing, Bruce Joel Rubin (original writer of “Ghost”), who gave the words to “Ghost: The Musical” and the very fresh pop/rock score delivered by Grammy winner Dave Stewart (Eurythmics) and Glenn Ballard (writer of Josh Groban’s “Believe” and Alanis Morisstette’s “You Outta Know”). The show is such an experience, that is the only way I am able describe it. It is exhilarating and also at the same time exhausting. They not only capture the essence of the original film but also improve it to make this one of the best plays that I have ever seen on the stage.

We all know the story but just in case you don’t, here is official premise: “‘Ghost: The Musical’ follows Sam and Molly, a young couple whose connection takes a shocking turn after Sam’s untimely death. Trapped between two worlds, Sam refuses to leave Molly when he learns she is in grave danger. Desperate to communicate with her, he turns to a storefront psychic who helps him protect Molly and avenge his death”. What I love the most about this play was that my wife hadn’t seen the film in years and yet she enjoyed it just as much as myself who had just watched the film again to refresh earlier this week.

From the moment the play starts, you are wowed with amazing visuals projected at the stage. You feel like you are being swept through New York City. This video presentation is used throughout the show along with amazing light, smoke and strobe light effects. There is one particular scene that really blew me away, which takes place on a subway car that left me speechless. I have seen many different plays at Bob Carr Performing Arts Center and none of them have ever been like this. I felt like I was literally sitting on Broadway watching this performance. It was so solid and well done that I haven’t stopped thinking about it since and have already looked up tickets for another showing.

Since this show is a musical, I was very interested how they were going to tell the story of “Ghost” through music. Right from the “Overture”, I fell in love with the songs (and even purchased the soundtrack). I loved the spin that they put on “Unchained Melody” and of course it is also cued through the entire show. I cannot get the track “Here Right Now” out of my head. I have had it on repeat. “More” is a tale about the life in NYC really hits home with my having lived and worked there for many years. “Are You a Believer” was a highlight of the show and literally had me rolling in my chair.

Steven Grant Douglas gave life (or after life) to the role of Sam Wheat. He was very strong and easily the best acting performance for the show. Katie Postotnik plays Molly Jenson and this girl can really sing. She nails the song “With You”. I could see her on the stages of Broadway since she really has the chops, so she takes the best singing in the show. Last but certainly not least everyone’s favorite Oda Mae Brown (who won Whoopi Goldberg an Oscar for from the film) is played by Carla R. Stewart. Let me tell you this woman had the audience in tears, laughing that is. She was the perfect comedic relief for this film and was hit for hit with each of the jokes. Put these amazing performance together with a wonderful production and you have a guaranteed hit with “Ghost: The Musical”, do not this miss on the stage!

“Ghost: The Musical” will be at Bob Carr Performing Arts Center from May 13th-18th. If you miss it in Orlando, be sure to check it out on the rest of its US National Tour below:
WORCESTER
HANOVER THEATRE
JUNE 5 – JUNE 8

HARTFORD
BUSHNELL
JUNE 10 – JUNE 15

MINNEAPOLIS
ORPHEUM THEATRE
JUNE 18 – JUNE 23

LOS ANGELES
HOLLYWOOD PANTAGES
JUNE 27 – JULY 13

COSTA MESA
SEGERSTROM CENTER
JULY 29 – AUGUST 10

LAS VEGAS
THE SMITH CENTER
AUGUST 12 – AUGUST 17

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Film Review “Godzilla (2014)”

Directed by: Gareth Edwards
Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ken Watanabe, Elizabeth Olsen, Juliette Binoche, Sally Hawkins, David Strathairn, Bryan Cranston
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
Running time: 123 minutes

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

In October 2010, I was pushing a very small film called “Monsters”. It was directed by first-time director Gareth Edwards, click here is our interview with him. I had a feeling after watching this film that this guy was going to be HUGE! I just knew it. Well, “Monsters” did quite well worldwide at the box office and even spawned a sequel “Monsters: Dark Continent”, due out later this year. Most importantly what it did though was bring this director into the spotlight. Only a few months later, in January 2011, word was released that Gareth will be rebooting the “Godzilla” franchise. So I couldn’t be happier for this guy and in case you are wonderful, he knocked it out of the park with “Godzilla”. I usually hate going into a film with high expectations but it was impossible for me not to with “Godzilla”. It was easily my most anticipated film of the year, no question. There were moments in the film where I completely forgot to breathe and had my eyes tearing since I was neglecting to blink due to fear of missing anything. Gareth Edwards finally gets “Godzilla” right! A must see this summer!

One thing I loved about this movie was that you could tell that Edwards is truly a fan of the “Godzilla”  franchise. You can just tell that he wanted to make sure to get everything right for the fans. Personally, I have been actively avoiding spoilers and images from the film before seeing it in order to be completely surprised. Let me tell you that Godzilla looks absolutely amazing…and also extremely terrifying. He left me with chills for quite a while after his first body shot. Even though Edwards didn’t do the visual effects like he did on “Monsters”, I can tell that he still has his mark on it here because it really leads you on and then when you just expect it, it does a full reveal and leaves you screaming in your chair. The first time that we get a full view of Godzilla, I think half the theater was clapping and the other half was speechless while shitting their pants (I was the latter). I love the design the character, it is so sharp and captures the essence of the character well. Sure, it isn’t a man in a rubber suit, we all know how classic that look is but this is the NEW Godzilla and he has never looked better. Everything was done absolutely perfect down from his roar to his trademark atomic breath. Yes, the atomic breath…holy cow, I literally almost got up and cheered in my seat.

The story starts off in 1999 in the Philippines, where two scientists (Ken Watanabe and Sally Hawkins) find an uncovered tomb containing a fossil of a very large creature with two preserved pods…though one was broken opened and whatever was there was now missing. We then head to Japan where we meet Joe Brody (Bryan Cranston), a nuclear physicist/engineer and his wife Sandra (Juliette Binoche), a nuclear regulations consultant at the Janjira nuclear plant. As they are investigating an emergency at the plant, whatever was awoken from its sleep in the Philippines made its way to their plant to feed off the nuclear energy leading to the destruction of the plant. Though no proof was every gathered of the creature, the city was quickly evacuated and we flash forward 15 years to the present where Joe is still on the hunt for answers and calls to his son for help, Ford Brody, who is fresh out of the military. He also happens to be a explosive ordnance disposal technician (as you can imagine that becomes important later). As we find that the MUTO creature is looking for its spouse to reproduce, enter Godzilla who (like always never explained why) comes in to save us against these giant monsters. An all out battle is waged that spans from Japan to Hawaii to Las Vegas and California.

The film is nicely paced and runs just over two hours. In fact, Godzilla doesn’t make a full appearance until around the one hour mark but from that point on it is shear madness and shit gets very real. I would have liked to seen more of him, of course, but I feel that it was well calculated and like “Jaws”, it is what you don’t see that is more exciting. Godzilla’s nemesis’ in the film, aka MUTOs, which is short for “Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism” are pretty damn bad-ass and look just as stunning as Godzilla does. Speaking of stunning the film doesn’t just look outstanding it also sounds amazing and is lead so well by Alexandre Desplat’s score. If you see this film, I cannot recommend any higher to see it in IMAX 3D. I literally had my entire body shaking from the intense bass that dished out in the theater. The 3D effects are not overly noticeable, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t amazing. They are just well planned and add some amazing depth, especially to the battle scenes. Whether you are a hardcore Godzilla fan or have never seen a single film, this film can be enjoyed by anyone as it is a great blend of action/disaster/kaiju  film. After the very small budgeted “Monsters”, I am sure we were all concerned if director Gareth Edwards could handle such a large blockbuster but he really blew me away with this film. I urge you do not miss this film in theaters! It is quite the experience.

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Blu-ray Review “3 Days to Kill”

Starring: Kevin Costner, Amber Heard, Hailee Steinfeld, Connie Nielsen, Richard Sammel, Eriq Ebouaney
Director: McG
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
DVD Release Date: May 20, 2014
Run Time: 117 / 122 minutes

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

Kevin Costner has been on a hot streak recently with “Hatfields & McCoys” and “Man of Steel” but “3 Days to Kill” cools down his streak quite a bit. The film is produced by Luc Besson but seems to follow the spy-thriller format and doesn’t really deliver anything new. I wouldn’t say this is unwatchable since if you REALLY like Costner you can probably find something that you like about this. I just had trouble making it fully through it. There was a lot of yelling at the screen and eye-rolling happening here. When it comes down to it good action, decent acting, bad story.

Official Premise: Kevin Costner is a dangerous international spy who is determined to give up his high stakes life to finally build a closer relationship with his estranged wife and daughter, whom he’s previously kept at arm’s length to keep out of danger. But first, he must complete one last mission- even if it means juggling the two toughest assignments yet: hunting down the world’s most ruthless terrorist and looking after his teenage daughter for the first time in ten years, while his wife is out of town.

20th Century Fox has delivered this film as a Blu-ray + DVD + UltraViolet Digital Copy. There is a bonus extended cut included as a Blu-ray exclusive, which runs five minutes longer than the theatrical cut. Nothing ground breaking included in the new cut but still worth checking out over the theatrical. The 1080p transfer presented with an 2.37:1 aspect ratio looks very sharp and worked well with the gorgeous setting of Paris. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is also quite impressive especially with the big action sequences.

In terms of special features, there is not a ton of extras included here. “The Making of 3 Days to Kill” is just under 10 minutes long and is the basic behind-the-scenes look into the production. “McG’s Method” is a short profile on the director. “Covert Operation” is a cool feature featuring a real life former CIA agent talking about his work. Lastly there are some theatrical and extended trailers included.

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Book Review “No Slam Dancing, No Stage Diving, No Spikes”

“No Slam Dancing, No Stage Diving, No Spikes”
Author: Amy Yates Wuelfing, Steven DiLodovico
Paperback: 432 pages
Publisher: DiWulf Publishing

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

“No Slam Dancing, No Stage Diving, No Spikes” is an oral history of ’80s-era alternative, metal and punk rock music told through the portal of one club – Trenton, New Jersey’s legendary City Gardens. From Punk to Metal, from Ska and Reggae, New Wave and Alternative, if there was a band you dug through the 80′s and 90′s that never made the commercial airwaves, there’s a good chance they played at City Gardens.

Written by Amy Yates Wuelfing and Steven DiLodovico “No Slam Dancing, No Stage Diving, No Spikes” is a gritty multi perspective book that tells the tales of the fabled City Garden’s music venue which throughout the 80’s and 90’s was the only reason to travel to Trenton, NJ. As you delve through the books countless pages you will be able to better understand my previous statement as its wonder anyone went there at all. The book is jammed full of pictures and stories from the people who not only worked at the venue, but performed there and/or were just one of the many regulars who attended shows ranging from The Ramones and Butthole Surfers to Nine Inch Nails and the clubs famous 95 cent Thursday dance night. The book does a great job depicting an era when music was still raw and people went to shows to actually hear music not because it was the cool or trendy thing to do. Not only does it detail a good number of the shows held at the venue but it goes a step further by giving you when possible both artist and audience perspectives of the same event and if there were colorful things going on behind the scenes staff stories are added to serve as the proverbial icing on the cake.

Even if you never attended the venue or knew of its existence “No Slam Dancing, No Stage Diving, No Spikes” is a must read! The book grabs your attention and transports you back to a time when the underground music scene was raw and untainted and when people went to shows to actually check out new bands and not just because it was the “cool” thing to be doing.

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Concert Review “Transgender Dysphoria Blues Tour” Rochester, NY

“Transgender Dysphoria Blues Tour”
Against Me!, Tony Molina, Big Eyes
Date: Saturday, May 10th 2014
Venue: Water Street Music Hall, Rochester, NY

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

The punk rock group Against Me! made a stop at Rochester, NY’s Water Street Music Hall on Saturday, May 10th in support of their latest album titled “Transgender Dysphoria Blues”. The 4 piece group appeared to be in top form with singer/guitarist Laura Jane Grace at the helm as the group blasted through an hour and fifteen minute set that included songs from the group new album and their sizable back catalog.

Big Eyes a three piece power trio from Seattle, Washington helped kick off the night as they performed a solid 35 minute set playing songs that were a blend of both classic and indie rock. Singer/guitarist Kate Eldridge laid down an impressive performance both on guitar and vocally while the group’s bassist and drummer provided an extremely tight back beat. Next up was the group Tony Molina from San Francisco, California. The group performed a unique blend of melodic punk rock tinged with Black Sabbath like break downs that quickly grabbed my attention. Sadly the rest of the crowd in attendance didn’t seem interested as there were several portions of the bands brief set which could have used immediate attention mainly in the name of feedback suppression which ran ramped in between each number.

After an extended set change Against Me! would take the stage opening with “FuckMyLife666” which set the performance of perfectly by paving the way for songs like “New Wave”, “Don’t Lose Touch” and “Trans Gender Dysphoria Blues”. The bands energy was high throughout the fast pace 75 minute set and though the band paused only briefly to interact with the frenzied crowd those in attendance didn’t mind. At point during the set the band asked the crowd for help as they sang happy birthday to bassist Inge Johansson which everyone seem to really enjoy and then it was immediately back to the set which was closed out shortly after by the song “The Ocean” from the bands “New Wave” album. After some persistent chanting from the crowd Laura Jane returned to the stage for a solo performance of “Baby, I’m an Anarchist” which was followed by full band performances of We “Laugh at Danger (And Break All the Rules)” and the always entertaining “Pints of Guinness Make You Strong”.

Whether you just discovered Against Me! or you are a long time fan you need to get to one of the remaining shows on this tour. The band sounds better than ever and the new material sounds even better live. Also if you want to check out some other cool music then get to the venue early and catch both Big Eyes and Tony Molina sets as I don’t think you will be disappointed.

Against Me! Set List:
1. FuckMyLife666
2. Cliché Guevara
3. New Wave
4. Walking Is Still Honest
5. Unconditional Love
6. I Still Love You Julie
7. True Trans Soul Rebel
8. Don’t Lose Touch
9. I Was a Teenage Anarchist
10. Turn Those Clapping Hand into Angry Balled Fists
11. Pretty Girls (The Mover)
12. Transgender Dysphoria Blues
13. Miami
14. Americans Abroad
15. Dead Friend
16. Osama Bin Laden as the Crucified Christ
17. Thrash Unreal
18. Black Me Out
19. The Ocean
Encore:
20. Baby, I’m an Anarchist
21. We Laugh at Danger (And Break All the Rules)
22. Pints of Guinness Make You Strong

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Film Review “Stage Fright”

Starring: Allie MacDonald, Meat Loaf and Minnie Driver
Directed By: Jerome Sable
Rated: R
Running Time: 89 minutes
Magnet Releasing

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

If there’s one musical slasher to see this year, it’s “Stage Fright”. Or maybe it’s this summer’s gory ode to musicals. Or maybe it’s 2014’s catchiest, disillusioned fantasy about someone who wanted to see all the theater kids at their school slaughtered. Regardless of the movie’s intentions and lack of settling on a genre, “Stage Fright” is one of those guilty pleasures that combines two unlikely affections, Broadway and horror.

I must admit these are both guilty pleasures of mine. I have “Wicked” on my iPod and “Cannibal Holocaust” in my DVD collection. While “Stage Fright” doesn’t quite meet the satisfying highs that both of these make within the context of their own category, it manages to stitch together a working piece of parody that provides some hearty laughs and a string of snickers during songs. At times it’s surprising how much more fulfilling the corny songs are than the eventual killings.

The movie presents us with two siblings, Camilla (MacDonald) and Buddy (Douglas Smith), the children of a murdered opera diva, Kylie (Driver). She’s stabbed to death by a freak wearing the mask of the villain in the musical she’s performing in, The Haunting of the Opera. The murder goes unsolved and the young ones are taken in under the care of one of Kylie’s former lovers, Roger (Meat Loaf). Fast forward to 10 years after these events, the two children are all grown up and toiling in the kitchen of Roger’s dilapidated summer camp for theater kids. The deeply in debt camp allows it’s summer time students to put on their own plays and this summer, they’re putting on a Japanese version of The Haunting of the Opera. Once again another psycho, this time donning a Kabuki mask, stalks the sets and bides his time before he can kill the young campers.

The cheesiness seeps into nearly every line of dialogue and shows that director Sable has a deep appreciation of horror and the musical styling of theater. For every reference to “Hellraiser” and “Friday the 13th”, there’s an obvious nod to “Phantom of the Opera” and unforeseen wink at “Glee”. While the blueprints are obvious, Sable’s final product is a bit shrouded. The straight face acting would lead you to believe this is a parody, but to the astute viewer, the potpourri blend of humor, theatrics and midnight frights are an homage to Sable’s influences. I can understand why this can be off-putting to viewers hoping for one or the other.

Despite having to play the shy girl that eases out of her cocoon throughout the running time, MacDonald really blossoms when panic sets in. And if that’s her actually singing in this movie, I can’t believe this incredibly attractive 26-year-old actress only has 20 acting credits to her name. While Minnie Driver gets her name near the top, her short screen time and quick murder appears to be a bow to “Psycho”. Meat Loaf really steals the scenes he’s in and in my humble opinion, needed more opportunities to really belt one out and stretch those monster vocal cords of his. Not that I’m complaining that Sable was able to nab Meat Loaf for another rare on-screen singing role.

“Stage Fright” is far from perfect and definitely needs to be refined, but the nucleus of this movie is fun enough to turn a blind eye to its predictability. I wouldn’t actually mind seeing a stage performance of this movie with a lengthier amount of time given for silly songs and a splatter zone for audience members. It worked for “Evil Dead: The Musical”. Sable’s next project will be featured in “The ABC’s Death 2”, which might show us which one of his talents is stronger, music or violence. Until then, relish in the absurd tongue-in-cheek goodness that “Stage Fright” gives in every octave.

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Film Review “Devil’s Knot”

Starring: Reese Witherspoon and Colin Firth
Directed by: Atom Egoyan
Not Rated
Running time: 1 hour 54 mins
RLJ/Image Entertainment

Our Score: 2 out of 5 stars

The easiest way to describe my view of “Devil’s Knot” is that it’s like going to see a cover band of The Cure play for two hours, instead of going to see The Cure play for nine hours; even though they are across the street from each other and are the same ticket price.

“Devil’s Knot” is based on the triple murder of three eight-year-old boys in West Memphis, Arkansas, on May 5th, 1993; and the subsequent arrests, trials, and convictions of three teen-age boys.

The film focuses primarily on two people: Pam Hobbs (Witherspoon), the mother of one of the murdered boys; and Ron Lax (Firth), a private detective who has offered his time and resources to the defense team. What ensues is a hodge-podge of images, characters, lines from court-room transcripts and footage from previous documentaries about the same case. If this film could be rated based just on its ability to approximate the time period or on the actors offering extremely convincing impersonations of their real-life counterparts, then this film would be given an “A” for effort. However, none of the performances were strong enough to merit mentioning. Which is disappointing considering the film does boast two Academy Award winning actors. In fact, throughout most of the film, I felt as if I were watching a dress rehearsal. If anything, the performances are hindered due to the wealth of footage that has been seen in no less than four documentaries featuring the real people. The same can be said for the writing. When I heard dialogue taken from the transcripts – or previous documentaries – most often the lines were not entirely correct – but perhaps slightly paraphrased.

As excited as I was for this movie, I still wondered what the purpose of it could be. Based on Mara Leveritt’s book of the same name from 2002, I didn’t find this to be that accurate of an adaptation. Granted, it’s a non-fiction work and not a novel; but the book only covers 1993 to 2001. The time period of the film spans from the time of the murders in May of 1993 to the sentencing of the accused men during the Summer of 1994; yet it references evidence and accusations that came to light in 2007 and later. I would have rather seen a film called “The West Memphis Three” than “Devil’s Knot”; that way it would allow for information that spans the twenty-year history of this case. That being said, I will concede that “Devil’s Knot” is a much more enticing title.

When one reads the book of “Devil’s Knot” you walk away almost convinced that a particular person is guilty of the murders; since that was the main focus of the defense and the followers of the case at the time of its writing. However, in this dramatized film that person is given little screen time, and barely factors into the story at all. Which would be fine if the film were a general look at the case and not based on this specific source material.

I don’t see how anyone not familiar with this case would be interested in this movie. Even with its ensemble cast of notable actors, it’s not a strong vehicle for any of them. It is an interesting watch for followers of the West Memphis Three case, but I highly doubt even I will watch it as often as I do Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofky’s Paradise Lost Trilogy, or Amy Berg’s West of Memphis.

If this movie accomplishes anything, in my opinion, it will be that it keeps the conversation going about this case. As the film points out, before fading to black, there are too many unanswered questions. “Devil’s Knot” will also serve as a way to honor the memory of Ron Lax, whom sadly passed away in October of 2013. He was a firm believer in the innocence of the three accused men from day one, and worked extremely hard to get them out of jail and exonerated. The latter of which has yet to happen.

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3D Blu-ray Review “Pompeii”

Actors: Kit Harrington, Carrie-Anne Moss, Kiefer Sutherland, Emily Browning, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
Directors: Paul W. S. Anderson
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: May 20, 2014
Run Time: 105 minutes

Film: 2 out of 5 stars
3D: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I am a sucker of Paul W.S. Anderson. I love the “Resident Evil” film franchise, every one of them. I love his cult classic “Event Horizon”…but I really hated this film. The story is so absolutely terrible that I was left just twiddling my thumbs until that damn volcano just blew already…and too be honest when it blew finally about an hour and seven minute in, I really wasn’t that impressed. I am a big “Game of Thrones” fan, so it was cool to see Kit Harrington on the big screen and he did a solid job. As for the rest of the cast, Emily Browning wasn’t great (and she was awesome though in “Sucker Punch”). Kiefer Sutherland seemed miscast. And why is Carrie-Anne Moss second billed, where she has maybe 10 minutes of screen time. Can I get my 105 minutes back?

Official Premise: Set in 79 A.D., POMPEII tells the epic story of Milo (Harington), a slave turned invincible gladiator who finds himself in a race against time to save his true love Cassia (Browning), the beautiful daughter of a wealthy merchant who has been unwillingly betrothed to a corrupt Roman Senator (Sutherland). As Mount Vesuvius erupts in a torrent of blazing lava, Milo must fight his way out of the arena in order to save his beloved as the once magnificent Pompeii crumbles around him.

Sony Pictures is releasing this film as a combo pack with 3D Blu-ray + standard Blu-ray + Ultraviolet digital copy. I wanted to really say that I was this film has to be seen in 3D but I wasn’t overly impressed with it personally. I thought that only the last thirty minutes benefited from the format, which wasn’t really that impressive anyway. The 1080p transfer was still solid but I felt like I saw through the visual effects a bit and couldn’t help but see the green screen behind them. This happened to me recently on “Oz, the Great and Powerful” as well. The best part of this Blu-ray is easily the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, which did deliver for the film’s action sequences.

The special features are actually a major step up form the film, there are tons of very impressive extras to dig into (if you still want to after watching this quite terrible film). There is a filmmakers’ audio commentary track to kick things off. “The Assembly” is a look as the cast and characters. “The Volcanic Eruption” looks into the special effects of the big scene.”The Gladiators” looks into the film’s stunts. “The Journey” focuses on the production design. “The Costume Shop” looks into the costume design. “Pompeii: Buried in Time” goes behind-the-scenes into on of history’s greatest disaster. Lastly there are 20 deleted and alternate scenes, rounding out the extras.

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3D Blu-ray Review “Stalingrad

Starring: Pyotr Fyodorov, Thomas Kretschmann, Mariya Smolnikova
Director: Fyodor Bondarchuk
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: May 13, 2014
Run Time: 131 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
3D: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1.5 out of 5 stars

“Stalingard” is directed by Fedor Bondarchuk, the son of legendary director Sergei Bondarchuk, who directed classics like “War and Peace” and “Waterloo”. This is an epic war film that was a huge box office hit in Russia last year and was recently released in select IMAX 3D theaters across the country. When I saw an ad for this film in IMAX, I had never heard back it before but I thought that if it was being released in IMAX I would give it a chance. Normally war films are not my cup of tea, especially foreign war films. “Stalingrad” was also Russia’s first ever 3D film. The movie itself dragged a little for me even though there were some powerful moments but what kept my attention was the quite spectacular special effects and combat scenes. If you are a war film buff you might enjoy this but I would highly recommend the 3D version if possible.

Official Premise: Stalingrad, Russia’s first ever 3D film, is a drama set in 1942, during one of the most important battles of World War II, which stopped the progress of Nazi forces and turned the tide of war in favor of the Allies. The Soviet army mounts a counter-attack on the Nazi forces that occupy half of Stalingrad on the other side of the Volga, but the operation to cross the river is unsuccessful. A few soldiers who managed to get to the other side take refuge in a house on the bank of Volga. Here they find a girl who didn’t escape when the Germans came. While the whole might of the German army descends onto them, the heroes of Stalingrad experience love, loss, joy and the sense of ultimate freedom that can only be felt by those about to die. They defend the house at all costs while the Red Army prepares for another attack.

Sony gave this WWII film an impressive release. They delivered this as a combo pack with a standard Blu-ray + UltraViolet and included the Blu-ray 3D as a bonus disc. Like I said if you were to watch this film, the “ohhh” and the ahhh” really comes from the added dimension, I thought. I did check out the film in 2D as well in key battle scenes and it was still a very solid 1080p transfer, I just enjoyed the added depth a little more. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track was a real powerhouse with the combat and action sequences. I literally had to keep turning down the surround sound to avoid waking my sleeping daughter. In terms of special features (not including the 3D Blu-ray), there is only one behind-the-scenes features on “The Making of Stalingrad”, which is a bit of a bummer.

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Blu-ray Review “Countess Dracula”

Starring: Ingrid Pitt, Nigel Green, Lesley-Anne Down, Peter Jeffrey, Patience Collier
Director: Peter Sasdy
Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Synapse Films
Release Date: May 6, 2014
Run Time: 93 minutes

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

“Countess Dracula” is the latest film in The Hammer Horror Collection from Synapse Films. It stars the stunning Ingrid Pitt playing the role of real-life Hungarian Countess Elizabeth Bathory, a woman accused of torturing and murdering more than 600 virgin girls. This is considered one of Hammer’s more underrated films. This film has been double-billed on DVD in the past with two of my other favorites Hammer films including “The Vampire Lovers” and “Twins of Evil” but this it is making it’s Blu-ray debut here for the first time. I honestly do not think I have seen this film in the last 20 years and yet, it was still as effective as it was the first time. It looses some steam towards the end but overall, it is a great role of Pitt and another classic from Hammer.

Official Premise: The beautiful Ingrid Pitt (“The Wicker Man”) stars as Elisabeth Nádasdy, an aging Hungarian Countess who discovers she can reverse her aging by bathing in the blood of young women. While in her youthful state, the Countess falls for the handsome Lt. Imre Toth (Sandor Elès), and impersonates her own daughter to win his affections. Soon, girls in the village go missing… kidnapped and murdered by the Countess and her steward, Julie (Patience Collier) to satiate her horrifying bloodlust. Can Elisabeth live a life of deception with her grotesque lust for blood to stay eternally young, or will her ghoulish secret finally be revealed?

Synapse Films are usually a toss up in terms of Blu-ray presentation, this one is in the middle area. It is not perfect at all yet it is not terrible. Either way Ingrid is still amazing to look at in HD! The DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track works well with the original music score composed by Harry Robertson. The special features include an audio commentary track with Actress Ingrid Pitt, Director Peter Sasdy, Screenwriter Jeremy Paul And Author Jonathan Sothcott. There is a featurette called “Immortal Countess: The Cinematic Life Of Ingrid Pitt”, as well as a vintage audio interview with Ingrid Pitt. Besides that there is a Still Gallery and theatrical trailer included along with Synapse’s signature reversible cover artwork.

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Blu-ray Review “Sleepaway Camp”

Actors: Felissa Rose, Jonathan Tiersten
Directors: Robert Hiltzik
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Shout! Factory
Release Date: May 27, 2014
Run Time: 84 minutes

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

Man oh man! I remember the first time I snuck a screening of “Sleepaway Camp” late at night during a sleepover with some friends. I still remember our reaction to the famous “surprise” ending [shivers]. I think if you are a horror fan you will never forget that experience. This film is easily one of my favorites growing up and still today. The kills are so memorable and the make-up effects are top notch. This was 1983, it was peak in the middle of the slasher craze for horror films and it really left a mark on not just me but all of horror fans. This is the first time that this film is hitting Blu-ray, thanks to Scream Factory, and this is a must purchase for any horror fan. Hopefully this is just the beginning since I would love to see them also put out a double feature for the two sequels as well “Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers” and “Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland”, even though they are more campy, I still love them and fingers crossed this will be next!

Official Premise: After a terrible boating accident killed her family, shy Angela Baker (Felissa Rose) went to live with her eccentric Aunt Martha and her cousin Ricky. This summer, Martha decides to send them both to Camp Arawak, a place to enjoy the great outdoors. Shortly after their arrival, a series of bizarre and violent accidents begin to claim the lives of various campers. Has a dark secret returned from the camp’s past…or will an unspeakable horror end the Summer season for all? From its grisly makeup effects to the truly shocking, and unforgettable, climax, Sleepaway Camp is no ordinary slasher film…it’s a cult classic!

You will be happy to know that this isn’t just a simply port upscale of the last Blu-ray release. They did a brand new 2K scan of the original camera negative and to top it off this Blu-ray contains the uncut version as well, so double bonus. In this Collector’s Edition from Scream Factory they delivered this as a combo pack with Blu-ray + DVD. The 1080p transfer looks great. There are some gritty moments but it adds to the film and otherwise looks stunning. The DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track works perfectly with the film’s catchy score and great scares that are still effective.

Like Scream Factory is know for, they went out of their way to deliver some great new extras. There are two brand new commentary track one with the actors Felissa Rose and Jonathan Tiersten (“Ricky”) and the other with writer/director Robert Hiltzik, moderated by SleepawayCampMovies.com webmaster Jeff Hayes. There is also the original audio commentary with writer/director Robert Hiltzik and star Felissa Rose for hardcore fans. “At the Waterfront After the Social: The Legacy of Sleepaway Camp” contains new interviews with Robert Hiltzik, Felissa Rose, Jonathan Tiersten, Paul DeAngelo, Karen Fields, Desiree Gould, Frank Saladino and Ed French. There is the short film, “Judy” by Jeff Hayes starring Karen Fields. Lastly there is a music video for “Princess” by Jonathan Tiersten, “Camp Arawak Scrapbook”, which is a still gallery and Theatrical Trailer & TV Spots included.

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Blu-ray Review “White Zombie (Cary Roan Special Signature Edition)”

Starring: Bela Lugosi, Madge Bellamy, Joseph Cawthorn, Robert Frazer, John Harron, Brandon Hurst
Director: Victor Halperin
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: VCI Entertainment
Release Date: May 6, 2014
Run Time: 67 minutes

Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Bela Lugosi is a legend in the horror business. He gave life and a face to the name Dracula that have lived on for over 80 years. “White Zombie” was a film it did just one year after “Dracula”. In fact, it was also claimed for being the very first zombie movie many many years before George A. Romero did it with “Night of the Living Dead” in 1968. The film has become such a classic among horror fans. The black and white atmosphere in this adds such character to the settings. This is no question best presentation available to date that I have ever seen. If you are a hardcore horror fan and have been holding out, this is the one you want to purchase.

Official Premise: Wealthy Plantation owner Charles Beaumont (Robert Frazer) turns to Voodoo Master Murder Legendre (Bela Lugosi) to lure the woman he loves Madeline Short (Madge Bellamy) away from her fiancé Neil Parker (John Harron), by turning her into zombie. Murders intention are to keep Madeline for himself. Neil seeks out Murder Legendre to break the Zombie spell and return Madeline to the world of the living.

VCI Entertainment has delivered this film under a Cary Roan Special Signature Edition with a new 4k HD transfer of his 35mm film materials. If anyone has seen the fairly recent Kino Blu-ray release of this film you probably haven’t seen the best of reviews. Well this one is not perfect either but it is a vast improvement in both the audio and video department for “White Zombie”. There is no mistaken that this film is still 80+ years old but they really did a solid job of delivering this film in fine form.

The special features on this release are honestly a bit of a let down. The only real extra is a brand-new 2014 audio commentary by Gary Don Rhodes, author of “White Zombie”. This one covers similar ground to Frank Thompson’s track on the Kino Blu-ray release but this is still very interesting and informative. Especially since the film is just over an hour, I was willing to throw it on again right after the first viewing and give it a listen. Other than the commentary track, there is a “White Zombie Theatrical Reissue Trailer”. a bonus “Dracula (1931) Trailer” and a Photo and Poster Gallery included.

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Book Review “Star Wars Storyboards: The Original Trilogy”

Editor: J.W. Rinzler
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Abrams
Release Date: May 13, 2014

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

Last year when, “Star Wars Storyboards: The Prequel Trilogy” was released, click here for our review, I was first in line to get it but we all knew that “Star Wars Storyboards: The Original Trilogy” was the book that we were all waiting for. I “enjoy” the Prequel Trilogy film as much as the next hardcore “Star Wars” fan but nothing compares to the original. The original storyboards have also never been available in a book before and this is a first time. Fans are able to get inside “A New Hope”, ” The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi” and see what it will be like to experience these films from their original ideas. Being a hardcore “Star Wars” fan, this book made my month!

Official Premise: For the first time, Lucasfilm has opened its Archives to present the complete storyboards for the original Star Wars trilogy—the world-changing A New Hope and its operatic sequels, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi—as well as never-before-published art from early conceptual and deleted scenes. From the opening chase above Tatooine in A New Hope to the Battle of Endor in Jedi, this book presents the visual inspiration behind now-iconic moments. Readers can finally see a full set of storyboards by legendary artist Joe Johnston, as well as early boards for Episode IV by Alex Tavoularis and for Episode V by Ivor Beddoes, rarely seen Episode VI boards by Roy Carnon, and Ralph McQuarrie’s never-before-seen storyboards for Episode V.

When I see that a “Star Wars” book has been edited by J.W. Rinzler, I always know it is going to be a winner. He is the executive editor at Lucasfilm, Ltd and is also the author of the bestseller “The Making of Star Wars”. There is a great kick off introduction from Nilo Rodis-Jamero, who was the assistant art director of visual effects for “The Empire Strikes Back” and the costume designer for “Return of the Jedi”. So it was great to have that experience send off the book. The colors are sharp and the book is just so well done, I can honestly say that this is yet another hit for Abrams. They have done some wonderful things for the “Star Wars” franchise and I can’t wait to see what they have planned next!

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DVD Review “True Blood: The Complete Sixth Season”

Actors: Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten, Alexander Skarsgård
Creator: Alan Ball
Number of discs: 4
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: HBO Home Video
DVD Release Date: June 3, 2014
Run Time: 600 minutes

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

“True Blood” even though the series has an end in sight, the sixth season shows no signs of slowing down. I personally think it is just as sexy, scary, entertaining as it was in the first season. With Vampire Bill being rebirthed as a powerful ancient deity to Louisiana Governor Truman Burrell declaring open season on all vampires to Sookie Stackhouse finding herself sidelined by a mysterious stranger with a hidden agenda, this season is the most exciting yet. Like I said, the end is near and fans can catch up on this season before the final season makes its HBO debut this summer. This is also the series first season with out creator Alan Ball, who left to work on HBO’s “Banshee”. So fans were worried but I feel that this show has grow so much since the first and I can’t wait to see what they have planned for season seven!

Official Premise: Season six introduces several exciting new story lines that threaten what little sense of normalcy remains in Bon Temps, The Authority is in flames, and True Blood is in short supply. As Bill comes to terms with his newfound powers after emerging reincarnated from a pool of blood, Louisiana’s governor has declared war, replete with novel anti-vamp weapons and a high-tech internment camp established to wipe out the vampire race forever. Meanwhile, Sookie and Jason must steel themselves for an encounter with their parents’ killer: the mysterious and ancient Warlow.

The cast continues to shines as well. Regulars like Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Alexander Skarsgård, Ryan Kwanten, Rutina Wesley, Sam Trammell, Nelsan Ellis, Deborah Ann Woll, Kristin Bauer van Straten and Joe Manganiello all really step up there game this season. Also joining them are new cast for season six includeing: Arliss Howard as Louisiana Governor Truman Burrell; Rob Kazinsky as Ben, a stranger with faerie ties; Rutger Hauer as Niall, a faerie grandfather; Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Nicole, a pro-vampire activist; and Amelia Rose Blaire as Truman Burrell’s daughter, Willa. Did I mention I can’t wait till season seven?

This DVD set comes with the full 10-episode season and I am very upset to find out that there is no Ultraviolet digital copy included with this…only Blu-ray. Honestly, that is a real bummer…what does it seriously cost HBO to include this?  There are also less special features on the DVD set than the Blu-ray set. Here only get ten clips of “Inside the Episodes” going behind the scenes on each with the show’s writers. There are five audio commentaries with cast/crew including executive producer Brian Buckner, Stephen Moyer, Carrie Preston, Amelia Rose Blaire and more! Lastly there are previews & recaps included.

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